Beyond Enlightenment: Buddhism, Religion, Modernity

by Richard S. Cohen

The vast majority of books on Buddhism describe the Buddha using the word enlightened, rather than awakened. This bias has resulted in Buddhism becoming generally perceived as the eponymous religion of enlightenment.

Beyond Enlightenment is a sophisticated study of some of the underlying assumptions involved in the study of Buddhism (especially, but not exclusively, in the West). It investigates the tendency of most scholars to ground their study of Buddhism in these particular assumptions about the Buddha’s enlightenment and a particular understanding of religion, which is traced back through Western orientalists to the Enlightenment and the Protestant Reformation.

Placing a distinct emphasis on Indian Buddhism, Richard Cohen adeptly creates a work that will appeal to those with an interest in Buddhism and India and also scholars of religion and history.

Genres: Buddhism

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 2005

Reviews

[D Prevost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good historic like buddhist

I was looking for Buddhism book to know how attain the enlightenment that is not that kind but still I begun to read it and I find it very interesting and I think if you like good book is a good one

[Serdar · Rating 2 out of 5]

To the extent I could follow this book, I couldn't understand it; to the extent I could understand, I didn't agree with it.