This is the second in a series of reviews of the history of the Buddhist religion. The focus of this talk is on the development of the various schools of Buddhism–Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Chan, and Zen–over the centuries after the time of the Buddha and before the intrusion of Western culture and commerce. It is not a deeply scholarly review; the intention is to foster an awareness of the course of this history freed from the mythological additions over the centuries and and as they were affected by different societal norms. Perhaps this can have some relevance to the societal issues we confront currently.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Buddhist Institutional History
Next week’s talk will focus on the impact of Western Culture on the development of various Buddhist schools up to the 20th century.
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