Papers presented at the Workshop on "Dr. Ambedkar, Buddhism and Social Change", held at Sarnath during 29-31 March 1991.

Originating in India, Mahayana Buddhism spread across Asia, becoming the prevalent form of Buddhism in Tibet and East Asia. Over the last twenty-five years Western interest in Mahayana has increased considerably, reflected both in the quantity of scholarly material produced and in the attraction of Westerners towards Tibetan Buddhism and Zen. Paul Williams’ Mahayana Buddhism is widely regarded as the standard introduction to the field, used internationally for teaching and research and has been translated into several European and Asian languages. This new edition has been fully revised throughout in the light of the wealth of new studies and focuses on the religion’s diversity and richness. It includes much more material on China and Japan, with appropriate reference to Nepal, and for students who wish to carry their study further there is a much-expanded bibliography and extensive footnotes and cross-referencing. Everyone studying this important tradition will find Williams’ book the ideal companion to their studies.

The comprehensive overview of the world's largest religion in all its many versions and in both its religious and secular contexts. The Encyclopedia presents and analyzes an unmatched wealth of information about the extent, status, and characteristics of twentieth-century Christianity worldwide. It takes full account of Christianity's ecclesiastical branches, subdivisions, and denominations, and treats Christianity in relation to other faiths and the secular realm. It offers an unparalleled comparative study of churches and religions throughout the modern world. This new edition features a vast range of new and previously unpublished data on the current global situation of Christianity, on religion in general, and on the political, demographic, economic, and social characteristics of the world's cultures and peoples in 238 countries. Each volume is filled with essential information, from historical surveys of denominations to country-by-country profiles of churches and believers. The text sets the cxurrent status of Christianity into a rich historical context, and assesses current trends and future directions. Many tables, charts, diagrams, photographs, a directory of names and organizations, a glossary, index, and other features ensure accessbility for specialists and non-specialists alike. The Encyclopedia will be of great value to academics of many disciplines, clergy, administrators, and those who work in Christian and other religious organizations around the world, as well as to anyone interested in current affairs.

In this introduction to the foundations of Buddhism, Rupert Gethin concentrates on the ideas and practices which constitute the common heritage of the different traditions of Buddhism (Thervada, Tibetan and Eastern) which exist in the world today.

Logical Criticism of Buddhist Doctrines is a ‘thematic compilation’ by Avi Sion. It collects in one volume the essays that he has written on this subject over a period of some 15 years after the publication of his first book on Buddhism, Buddhist Illogic. It comprises expositions and empirical and logical critiques of many (though not all) Buddhist doctrines, such as impermanence, interdependence, emptiness, the denial of self or soul. It includes his most recent essay, regarding the five skandhas doctrine.

Contains nearly 600 brief entries on the world's religious traditions.

Presents nearly seven hundred A-to-Z entries relating to Buddhism, including theological concepts, important figures, historical events, institutions, and movements; and includes entries on other religious practices such as Daoism and Confucianism.

Buddhist Thought guides the reader towards a richer understanding of the central concepts of classical Indian Buddhist thought, from the time of Buddha, to the latest scholarly perspectives and controversies. Abstract and complex ideas are made understandable by the authors' lucid style. Of particular interest is the up-to-date survey of Buddhist Tantra in India, a branch of Buddhism where strictly controlled sexual activity can play a part in the religious path. Williams' discussion of this controversial practice as well as of many other subjects makes Buddhist Thought crucial reading for all interested in Buddhism.