1st Edition

Power, Wealth and Women in Indian Mahayana Buddhism The Gandavyuha-sutra

By D.E. Osto Copyright 2008
200 Pages
by Routledge

200 Pages
by Routledge

200 Pages
by Routledge

This book examines the concepts of power, wealth and women in the important Mahayana Buddhist scripture known as the Gandavyuha-sutra, and relates these to the text’s social context in ancient Indian during the Buddhist Middle Period (0–500 CE). Employing contemporary textual theory, worldview analysis and structural narrative theory, the author puts forward a new approach to the study of... Read more

Introduction  1. Worldview  2. Narrative  3. Power  4. Wealth  5. Women  6. The Indian Context.  Conclusion

Biography

D.E. Osto is Lecturer in the Religious Studies Programme at the School of History, Philosophy and Classics, Massey University, New Zealand. His research interests are Mahayana Buddhism, Asian philosophies, narrative theory and gender studies. 

'His work will undoubtedly serve as an excellent introduction to the Gaṇḍavyūha and a welcome resource that both surveys and complements the literature already available for the study of this fascinating scripture' - David V. Fiordalis, H-Buddhism, August 2009