{"product_id":"the-different-paths-of-buddhism-a-narrativehistorical-introduction","title":"The Different Paths of Buddhism: A Narrative-Historical Introduction","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor centuries  Buddhist teachers and laypeople have used stories  symbols  cultural metaphors  and anecdotes to teach and express their religious views. In this introductory textbook  Carl Olson draws on these narrative traditions to detail the development of Buddhism from the life of the historical Buddha to the present. By organizing the text according to the structure of Buddhist thought and teaching  Olson avoids imposing a Western perspective that traditional texts commonly bring to the subject.  The book offers a comprehensive introduction to the main branches of the Buddhist tradition in both the Mahayana and Theravada schools  including the Madhyamika school  the Yogacara school  Pure Land devotionalism  Tibetan Tantric Buddhism  Zen Buddhism  and village folk Buddhist traditions. Chapters explore the life and teachings of the Buddha in historical context  the early development and institutionalization of Buddhism  its geographic spread across Asia and eventually to the United States  philosophy and ethics  the relationship between monks and laity  political and ethical implications  the role of women in the Buddhist tradition  and contemporary reinterpretations of Buddhism.  Drawn from decades of classroom experience  this creative and ambitious textcombines expert scholarship and engaging stories that offer a much-needed perspective to the existing literature on the topic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44965301518389,"sku":"ByrdShop_081353562X","price":58.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780813535623.jpg?v=1770492182","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-different-paths-of-buddhism-a-narrativehistorical-introduction","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}