A Culture of Awakening

A Culture of Awakening: the life and times of the Buddha-sasana, Bhikkhu Cintita, 2014, hardcopy and pdf.

The Buddha-Sāsana, is the living Dharma, that is, Buddhism in its personal, cultural, social and historical dimensions, something organic, located in time and space, that can grow, thrive, self-regulate, propagate, uphold authenticity, and brighten any landscape with its civilizing influence. It was explicitly propounded in the early teachings of the Buddha and set in motion in a form and functionality that it has maintained surprisingly well over a span of a hundred generations. The Buddha-Sasana is the source of the malleability and resilience that once made Buddhism the first world religion and that is characteristic of Buddhism to this day. It has been the basis of a culture of Awakening in many Asian lands.

This rather unique book lays bare the inner life of the Buddha-Sasana to reveal why Buddhism has proved so adaptable to cultural influences yet so faithful to its original message. Significantly, it explores the condition of the Buddha-Sasana as it is taking root in the West. It will be an aid in developing healthy and inclusive Buddhist communities, in instilling a sense of responsibility for upholding the Sasana, in understanding and navigating the many varieties of Buddhist doctrine, and in making sense of the variety of “religious accretions” in Buddhism.

A Culture of Awakening: the life and times of the Buddha-Sasana
Copyright, Bhikkhu Cintita (John Dinmsore), 2014
Keywords: Buddhism, Vinaya, monasticism, lay practice, history, sociology
Dimensions: 6″x9″, Pages: 154

The book can now be downloaded in various formats: