Dharma : In Early Brahmanic, Buddhist and Jain Traditions

Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Dharma in the dialectic of traditions. 2. The ascetic path of the Sramanas. 3. The manifold conception of the meaning of Dharma: I. Dharma in Hindu tradition. II. Dharma in Buddhist tradition. III. Dharma in Jaina tradition. 4. An enquiry into Jaina ethics. 5. Technical discussion of the term ‘Dharma’: I. In Buddhist Abhidharma tradition. II. Technical understanding of Dharma and Adharma in Jaina tradition. III. Comparative analysis of Bauddha Dharma and Jaina Dharma and Adharma. 6. Contemporary relevance of Sramana Dharma: I. The phenomenon of violence: evil and its remedies. II. Is non-violence still a myth?: the Sramana vision of Ahimsa as applied to the emergence of a non-violent society. 7. Insights into the Sramanic traditions. Bibliography. Index.

"This book is a researched work on the technical and popular meaning and understanding of Dharma from the early Brahmanic, Buddhist, and Jain perspectives. The early portion describes the evolution of the meaning of Dharma as various traditions encountered with one another at different stages. They portray the twin-trend of the ancient Indian culture, namely, Sramanic and Brahmanic trends of thought. For clarity’s sake, the author then presents the specific understanding of the meaning of Dharma from the above three religious and philosophical traditions. Special attention is given to Jain tradition. The book also covers the technical meaning (s) of the term Dharma, compares and contrasts them between traditions. The later portion studies the contemporary relevance of Dharma as a vision and way of life, with a focus on the phenomenon of violence and non-violence, its myth and reality." (jacket)