Buddhism in Five Minutes: (Religion in Five Minutes)

In Buddhism in Five Minutes, academic specialists offer answers to 75 questions about Buddhism that people curious about Buddhism might ask. The questions cover the Buddha, what the Buddha taught, Buddhist monasticism and the role of lay people, the historical development of Buddhism, Buddhist art, Buddhist ethics, Buddhist responses to other religions, and Buddhist thought on contemporary issues. They include: Who is the fat Buddha figure? Can we know what the historical Buddha taught? What is Nirvāṇa? Why do Buddhists meditate? Does Buddhism support gender equality? What is Zen Buddhism? Are Buddhists pacifist? What do Buddhists think about those who are LGBTQI? Are alcohol and drugs ever acceptable to Buddhists? How do Buddhists view Artificial Intelligence? Taken together the questions cover most aspects of Buddhist belief and practice in the contemporary world. The collection is sponsored by the UK Association for Buddhist Studies but contributors are drawn from Asia, North America and Latin America, as well as Europe. The questions are answered in accessible, non-specialist language without too many footnotes. Each should take not much more than five minutes to read.

Table of Contents:
(selected) Preface Cathy Cantwell, University of Oxford Introduction Elizabeth J. Harris Part One: Buddhism as a Religion Is Buddhism a religion? Denise Cush, Bath Spa University What is the role and focus of faith in Buddhism? Asanga Tilakaratne, University of Colombo Are relics important to Buddhists? Kevin Trainor, University of Vermont What is the place of images of the Buddha in Buddhism? Sarah Shaw, University of Oxford What is the role of narrative in Buddhism? Brian Black, University of Lancaster Part Two: The Buddha What do we know of the historical Buddha? Dhivan Jones, University of Chester How is the nature of Buddhahood to be understood? Christopher V. Jones, University of Cambridge How does one ‘read’ a Buddha-image? Ronit Wang, SOAS, University of London Who is the fat Buddha figure? Pauline Kolata, University of Chester Part Three: What the Buddha Taught (1) Can we know what the historical Buddha taught? Rupert Gethin, University of Bristol What part does belief in rebirth play in Buddhism? Peter Harvey, University of Sunderland Does Buddhism see the mind as separate from the body? Peter Harvey To what extent does Buddhism “deny the self”? The non-Self teaching. Christopher V. Jones Part Four: What the Buddha Taught (2) Meditation Why do Buddhists meditate? Sarah Shaw What is “mindfulness” in Buddhism, and does it differ from modern secular “mindfulness”? Tse Fu Kuan, Yuan Ze University What kinds of meditation are there in Buddhism? Dhivan Jones What is the role of chanting in Buddhism? Renru Shi, University of Lancaster Part Five: Monastics and Lay People in Buddhism What is the role of monasticism in Buddhism? Ann Heirman, University of Ghent What rules do monastics follow? Alice Collett, South Asia History Project What is the role of preaching in Buddhism? Mahinda Deegalle, Bath Spa University Part Six: The development of Buddhism: Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna Buddhism What is the ‘Hīnayāna’? Elizabeth J. Harris What is Zen Buddhism? Hiroko Kawanami, University of Lancaster What is Pure Land Buddhism? Wendy Dossett, University of Chester What is the role of the Dalai Lama? Cathy Cantwell What is the Bodhisattva vow? Nick Swann, University of South Wales Part Seven: Buddhist Art and Material Culture What are the main buildings and symbols of Buddhism? Arjuna Ranatunga, Univ of Sunderland Why do Buddhists make art? Christian Luczanits, SOAS How is Buddhism influencing contemporary art? Tim Stephens, Unif of the Arts, London Part Eight: Buddhism and Other Religions How has Buddhism been influenced by other religious traditions? How has Buddhism influenced other religious traditions? Sophie Barker, Univ of Lancaster How do Buddhists view other religious traditions and what kind of interreligious encounters are Buddhists involved in now? Elizabeth J. Harris Part Nine: Buddhism and Ethics What vows do Buddhists take? Nick Swann Are Buddhists pacifists? Peter Harvey Are Buddhists vegetarian? Dhivan Jones Does Buddhism have rules for marriage and family life? Alice Collett Part Ten: Buddhism and Contemporary Issues What do Buddhists think about sex? Amy Langenberg, Eckerd College What do Buddhists think about those who are LGBTQI? Sal Campbell, Birkbeck College Are alcohol and drugs ever acceptable to Buddhists? Wendy Dossett Are human rights compatible with Buddhism? Damien Keown, Goldsmiths College Part Eleven: Emergent Buddhism What is secular Buddhism? Tim Stephens How do Buddhists view Artificial Intelligence? Ralph Quinlan Is Western Buddhism a new form of Buddhism? Sarah Shaw

About the Author :
Elizabeth Harris is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow within the Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion, University of Birmingham, UK. Before this, she was an Associate Professor at Liverpool Hope University. She specializes in Buddhist Studies and inter-faith studies, and has published widely in both disciplines. Her publications include: What Buddhists Believe (Oneworld, 1998): Theravada Buddhism and the British Encounter: Religious, missionary and colonial experience in nineteenth century Sri Lanka (Routledge, 2006): Buddhism for a Violent World: A Christian Reflection (Epworth, 2010/now published by SCM).