Buddhism

Reading List for MA Comprehensive Exams

Select two primary texts and one from each additional category.

Primary texts 

Bloom, Alfred, T. Nagatani, and Ruth Tabrah.  Shoshinge:  The Heart of Shin Buddhism.  Honolulu:  Buddhist Study Center, 1986.            --representative text from the “True Pure Land” school (Jodo Shinshu) of Japanese Buddhism 

Strong, John S.  The Experience of Buddhism:  Sources and Interpretations.  2d ed.  Belmont, CA:  Wadsworth, 2002.   --a companion source book to be read along with Robinson, Johnson, and Bhikkhu’s Buddhist Religions, listed below. 

Thurman, Robert A. F., trans.  The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti:  A Mahayana Scripture.  University Park, PA:  Pennsylvania State University, 1976.            --foundational Indian Buddhist Mahayana text 

Theravada

Gombrich, Richard.  Theravada Buddhism:  A Social History from Ancient Benares to Modern Colombo.  New York:  Routledge, 1988.

 Mahayana

Kraft, Kenneth, ed.  Zen:  Traditions and Transition:  A Sourcebook by Contemporary Zen Masters and Scholars.  Boston:  Grove, 1988. 

Williams, Paul.  Mahayana Buddhism:  The Doctrinal Foundations.  New York:  Routledge, 1989. 

Women

Findly, Ellison Banks, ed.  Women’s Buddhism, Buddhism’s Women.  Somerville, MA:  Wisdom, 2000.  articles to be decided by student in consultation with her or his examiner 

Buddhism and Modernity

Heine, Steven and Charles S. Prebish, eds.  Buddhism in the Modern World:  Adaptations of an Ancient Tradition.  New York:  Oxford University, 2003.

Reference Works

 Lopez, Jr., Donald S.  Introduction to Buddhism in Practice, ed. Donald S. Lopez, Jr., 3-36.  Princeton, NJ:  Princeton University, 1995. 

Lopez, Jr., Donald S.  The Story of Buddhism:  A Concise Guide to its History and Teachings.  San Francisco:  HarperSanFrancisco, 2001. 

Prebish, Charles S., ed.  Buddhism:  A Modern Perspective.  University Park, PA:  Pennsylvania State University, 1975. 

Rahula, Walpola.  What the Buddha Taught.  Rev. and expanded ed.  New York:  Grove, 1974. 

Robinson, Richard H., Willard L. Johnson, and Thanissaro Bhikkhu.  Buddhist Religions:  A Historical Introduction.  5^th ed.  Belmont, CA:  Wadsworth, 2005.