Buddhist Path, Buddhist Teachings: Studies in Memory of L.S. Cousins

This collection brings together scholarly contributions relating to the research of Lance Cousins (1942-2015), an influential and prolific scholar of early Buddhism. Cousins' interests spanned several related fields from the study of Abhidhamma and early Buddhist schools to Pali literature and meditation traditions. As well as being a scholar, Cousins was a noted meditation teacher and founder of the Samantha Trust. The influence of Cousin's scholarship and teaching is felt strongly not only in the UK but in the worldwide Buddhist Studies community. The volume is introduced by Peter Harvey and the following chapters all speak to the core questions in the field such as the nature of the path, the role of meditation, the formation of early Buddhist schools, scriptures and teachings and the characteristics and contributions of P?li texts. The volume is of interest to students and scholars in Buddhist Studies, Religious Studies and Asian Studies as well as Buddhist practitioners.

Table of Contents:
Preface 1. Lance Cousins: An Obituary, Appreciation and Bibliography Peter Harvey Meditation and the Buddhist Path 2. The Four Jhānas and their Qualities in the Pali Tradition Peter Harvey 3. Paths of Monastic Practice from India to Sri Lanka: Responses to L.S. Cousins’ Work on Scholars and Meditators Bradley S. Clough, University of Montana 4. ‘I’m Not Getting Anywhere with my Meditation …’: Effort, Contentment and Goal-Directedness in the Process of Mind-Training Ajahn Amaro, Amaravati monastery, Hertfordshire Comparative Mysticism 5. John of the Cross, the Dark Night of the Soul, and the Jhānas and the Arūpa States: A Critical Comparative Study Elizabeth J. Harris, University of Birmingham 6. Emptiness and Unknowing: An Essay in Comparative Mysticism Rupert Gethin, University of Bristol Interpreting Buddhist Teachings 7. Ambiguity and Ambivalence in Buddhist Treatment of the Dead Richard Gombrich, University of Oxford 8. The Alagaddūpama Sutta as a Scriptural Source for Understanding the Distinctive Philosophical Standpoint of Early Buddhism P. D. Premasiri, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka 9. An Ekottarika-āgama Discourse Without Parallels: From Perception of Impermanence to the Pure Land Anālayo Bhikkhu, University of Hamburg Abhidhamma 10. Equal-headed (samasīsin): An Abhidharma Innovation and Commentarial Developments Tse-Fu Kuan, Yuan Ze University, Taiwan 11. Calligraphic Magic: Abhidhamma Inscriptions from Sukhodaya Peter Skilling, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 12. The Relation of the Saccasaṅkhepaṭīkā Called Sāratthasālinī to the Vinayavinicchayaṭīkā Called Vinayasāratthasandīpanī Petra Kieffer-Pülz, Akademie der Wissenschaften und Literatur Mainz Schools and Scriptures 13. The Formation of Canons in the Early Indian nikāyas or Schools in the Light of the New Gāndhārī Manuscript Finds Mark Allon, University of Sydney 14. Theriya Networks and the Circulation of the Pali Canon in South Asia: The Vibhajjavādins Reconsidered Alexander Wynne, University of Oxford Literature 15. Yaśodharā in Jātakas Sarah Shaw, University of Oxford 16. Jātaka Stories and Paccekabuddhas in Early Buddhism Naomi Appleton

About the Author :
Naomi Appleton is Senior Lecturer in Asian Religions at the University of Edinburgh. Peter Harvey is Emeritus Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Sunderland.