ABSTRACT

Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought engages students with anecdotes, primary and secondary sources, an accessible writing style, and a clear historical approach.

The text focuses on India, China, and Japan, while showing the relationships that exist between Eastern and Western traditions. Patrick Bresnan consistently links the past to the present, so students may see that Eastern traditions, however ancient their origins, are living traditions and relevant to modern times.

part 1|158 pages

Hinduism and Related Traditions of South Asia

chapter 1|16 pages

India Before the Vedas

chapter 2|17 pages

Veda and the Vedas

chapter 3|27 pages

Introduction to the Upanishads

chapter 4|20 pages

The Bhagavad Gita

chapter 5|16 pages

Ashtanga Yoga

chapter 6|24 pages

Darshana

chapter 7|19 pages

The Devotional Movement

chapter 8|18 pages

A Millennium of Strife

part 2|100 pages

Shakyamuni Buddha and the Early Development of Buddhism

chapter 9|21 pages

The Life of Shakyamuni Buddha

chapter 10|30 pages

Basic Teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha

chapter 11|17 pages

Theravada Buddhism

chapter 12|31 pages

Mahayana Buddhism

part 3|68 pages

Non-Buddhist Traditions of East Asia

chapter 13|30 pages

Confucius and Confucianism

chapter 14|24 pages

Daoism

chapter 15|13 pages

Shinto

part 4|134 pages

Buddhism in China and Japan

chapter 16|15 pages

Early Buddhism in China

chapter 17|39 pages

Tibetan Buddhism

chapter 18|40 pages

Chan Buddhism

chapter 19|39 pages

Zen Buddhism