Santideva and the Dynamics of Tradition: Doctrinal, Social, and Interreligious Contexts

This collection analyses the dynamic role of tradition in understanding the thought and impact of the 8th century Mahayana Buddhist thinker Santideva. Organised into three interconnected sections, it highlights Santideva's Guide to the way of life of a Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryavatara) as a product of and major contributor to the 7th and 8th-century Mahayana Buddhist intellectual tradition. Across a series of cross-cultural case studies, a team of philosophers and scholars of religion demonstrate how the Guide, a religious and philosophical classic, is being taken up into contemporary academic conversations. They analyze key Buddhist concepts developed by Santideva, including effort, compassion, wisdom and the spirit of awakening (bodhicitta), explicating the role they play in his thought and the impact they made on the tradition. Covering his attitude towards woman, they discuss his use of sarcasm revealing his conception of human beings and examine social hierarchy as reflected in his writings and traditional biography. Unique in the attention it gives to social dynamics, this is the first collection to incorporate interreligious dialogue into its framing of the Guide. This interdisciplinary approach showcases the benefits of employing multiple methodologies in the study of Santideva's thought. A valuable addition to cross-cultural philosophy, Buddhist ethics, interreligious dialogue and Mahayana Buddhism.

Table of Contents:
Contents Notes on Contributors Introduction Stephen E. Harris, Perry Schmidt-Leukel I. Doctrinal Dynamics 1. Candraki¯rti's prajn~a¯, S´a¯ntideva's phrone¯sis: Alternative Models of Ma¯dhyamika Wisdom Amber D. Carpenter 2. Suffering and Liberation on Santideva's Bodhisattva Path Stephen E. Harris 3. The Wind in the Sails: Virya in the Bodhicaryavatara Jay L. Garfield, Emily McRae 4. Immanence and Transcendence: Ethical Grounds in Prasa?gika and the Great Perfection Douglas Duckworth II. Social Dynamics 5. Santideva's Idea of the Yogic and Non-Yogic Worlds: Its Implications and Possible Antecedents Dorji Wangchuk 6. Mockery, Sarcasm, and Irony in the Bodhicaryavatara Perry Schmidt-Leukel 7. A Feminist Buddhist Perspective on Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara Carola Roloff (Bhik?u?i Jampa Tsedroen) 8. Hierarchy Versus Charism: Santideva's Hagiography as an Exemplar of the Tension in Buddhism Between Ecclesiastical Status and Spiritual Attainment Andrew Skilton III. Interreligious Dynamics 9. Santideva's Twofold bodhicitta in Light of Comparative Spirituality Francis Brassard 10. Sa?kara and Santideva on Consciousness and Ultimate Reality: A Field Guide to Identify the Buddhist Advaitin Fabian Völker 11 Learning To Be Empty: Santideva's Wisdom on Creaturely No Self S. Mark Heim 12. Compassionate Ethics and Contemplative Dynamics: Some Observations on Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara and Zayn al-?Abidin's Makarim al-akhlaq Reza Shah Kazemi Index

About the Author :
Stephen Harris is University Lecturer in Indian and Comparative Philosophy at Leiden University, The Netherlands. Perry Schmidt-Leukel is Senior Professor of Religious Studies and Intercultural Theology at the University of Münster, Germany.

Review :
The enigmatic figure of Santideva and his seminal work on the character traits of the bodhisattva, the Bodhisattvacaryavatara, lie at the heart of Mahayana Buddhism. This collection is essential reading for anyone interested in the cumulative tradition that surrounds both. Bringing together scholars from different disciplines, with diverse perspectives, it sheds new light on Santideva's work, demonstrating its relevance not only within Buddhist Studies but also within cultural history, feminist studies and interreligious contexts. I highly recommend it. Some of the foremost scholars of the Bodhicaryavatara have come together to make this provocative and illuminating volume a unique contribution to understanding Santideva. They show readers how Santideva takes up classical Buddhist ideas and how he influenced later traditions, as well as exploring his social context and bringing him into conversation with other traditions. The essays collected here chart new territory in Santideva scholarship and will be of benefit to students, scholars, and practitioners who want to deepen their understanding of Santideva's approach to Buddhist thought and practice.