Nirvana and Other Buddhist FelicitiesThis book presents an answer to the question: what is nirvana? Part I distinguishes between systematic and narrative thought in the Pali texts of Theravada Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia, arguing that nirvana produces closure in both, and setting nirvana in the wider category of Buddhist Felicities. Part II explores other Buddhist utopias (both eu-topias, 'good places', and ou-topias, 'no-places'), and relates Buddhist utopianism to studies of European and American utopian writing. The book ends with a close reading of the Vessantara Jataka, which highlights the conflict between the ascetic quest for closure and ultimate felicity, and the ongoing demands of ordinary life and society. Steven Collins discusses these issues in relation to textuality, world history and ideology in premodern civilizations, aiming to contribute to an alternate vision of Buddhist history, which can hold both the inside and the outside of texts together. |
Contents
Buddhism and civilizational history 1 structures and processes | 1 |
Part 1 Nirvana in and out of time | 119 |
Part 2 Paradise in heaven and on earth | 287 |
Bibliography | 635 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aggañña Sutta Arahant ascetic asks Aśoka aspiration attained become birth Brahmin Buddhahood Buddhavamsa Buddhist Burma called century Cessation Chapter cited Collins commentary concept conditioned context culture death Dhamma Dipankara discourse discussed divine dukkha eons example existence felicity final nirvana forest future Buddha give given gods Gombrich Gotama happiness heaven human idea ideology Jātaka Jūjaka karma kind kingship live Maddi Mahāvamsa means Meditation Level Metteyya millennial Mode modern monastic monks moral nāgas narrated narrative nibbāna nirvana non-repetitive Pali imaginaire Pali texts past Path Perfections premodern rebirth reborn refer relics Sakka samsāra Sañjaya Sanskrit sense Sivis social society soteriology Southern Asia Sri Lanka story suffering Sumedha Sutta systematic thought Tathāgata temporal textual Theravāda things tion traditional translated Tusita Ud-a Unconditioned utopia Uttarakuru Vajjis Vamsa verb verse Vessantara Vibh-a Vism Visuddhimagga Wheel-turning king word