Ohnuma, Reiko
Unfortunate Destiny: Animals in the Indian Buddhist Imagination
- ISBN 13:
- 9780190637545
- author:
- Ohnuma, Reiko
- format:
- HardBack
- publisher:
- Oxford University Press, USA
- language:
- English
- Publication Year:
- 2017
- Pages:
- 264
- Dimensions:
- 23.88 x 16 x 2.79 centimetres (0
- Genre:
- Religion, Buddhism, General
- Condition:
- New
- Availability:
- Item usually sent within 10 working days
Description
Reiko Ohnuma's Unfortunate Destiny explores the complex roles played by nonhuman animals in Indian Buddhist thought-worlds, as reflected in pre-modern South Asian Buddhist literature.
The animal rebirth is often seen as an "unfortunate destiny" in Buddhist doctrine and cosmology, yet in stories about the Buddha's previous lives, these creatures are frequently depicted as wise, virtuous, and endowed with human speech. This paradox highlights the multifaceted nature of animals within Indian Buddhism.
This book delves into the diverse ways animals are used to clarify the nature of humanity through similarity, contrast, or counterpoint in South Asian Buddhist texts, revealing a persistent impulse to engage with animal imagery and discourse in this human-centered religious tradition.
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