Buddhism and Society

Melford Elliot "Mel" Spiro (April 26, 1920 - October 18, 2014) was an American cultural anthropologist specializing in religion and psychological anthropology.

• Preface to the Second EditionPreface to the First EditionI. PROLOGUE1. Theravada Buddhism: An Anthropological Problem Introduction The Problem: The Uniqueness of Buddhism The Problem Confounded: The Three Systems of Theravada Buddhism Field Work: The Burmese Setting Field Work: The Buddhist Setting Field Work: The Research Problems and the Data Some Problems in Interpretation II. BUDDHISM AS AN IDEOLOGICAL SYSTEM2. Nibbanic Buddhism: A Religion of Radical Salvation The Founder: The Buddha The Promise: Deliverance from Suffering The Technique: The Buddhist Path The Goal: Nirvana The Personal Ideal: The Arahant The Social Ideal: World Renunciation 3. Kammatic Buddhism: I. A Religion of Proximate Salvation The Shift in the Soteriological Goal The Normative Basis for Kammatic Buddhism The Psychological Basis for Kammatic Buddhism The Shift in the Conception of Dukkha The Shift in the Conception of Nirvana The Shift in the Conception of Anattii 4. Kammatic Buddhism: II. The Central Concept of Merit From Salvation Through Knowledge to Salvation Through Works Means for Acquiring Merit: Morality Means for Acquiring Merit: Giving The Motivational Salience of Merit A Note on Children 5. Kammatic Buddhism: III. The Key Doctrine of Karma The Metaphysics of Karma Psychological Press and the Neutralization of Karma Merit Transfer and Karma The Dynamics of Belief in Karma 6. Apotropaic Buddhism: A Religion of Magical Protection Introduction Psychological Press and the Reinterpretation of Normative Doctrine The Canonical Basis for Apotropaic Buddhism The "Theological" Basis for Apotropaic Buddhism The Problem of Karma Religion, Magic, and Buddhism 7. Esoteric Buddhism: A Religion of Chiliastic Expectations The Major Features of Esoteric Buddhism Eschatological Buddhism Millennial Buddhism Motives and Functions of Belief Esoteric Buddhism and Burmese Religion III. BUDDHISM AS A RITUAL SYSTEM8. The Buddhist Cultus: Its Generic Attributes A Typology of Ritual Action Ritual Types and Buddhist Ideological Types A Note on Children The Forms of Buddhist Ritual Action Objects of Ritual Veneration A Cultic Typology and a Classification of the Buddhist Cultus 9. The Ceremonial Cycle: I. Calendrical Rituals The Daily Cycle The Weekly and Monthly Cycles The Annual Cycle 10. The Ceremonial Cycle: II. Life-Cycle Rituals Introduction Buddhist Initiation Death and Burial 11. Crisis Rituals Causes and Occasions of Crisis The Use of Buddhist Sacra The Use of Buddhist Spells The Use of Dana The Use of MeditationNon-Buddhist Magic IV. BUDDHISM AS A MONASTIC SYSTEM12. Monasticism: I. The Normative Structure The Monk as Religious Virtuoso The Function of Monasticism The Rule 13. Monasticism: II. The Social Structure The Daily Routine The Structure of the Monastery The Structure of the Order 14. The Monk: I. Recruitment Structure Introduction The Sociological Background Countervailing InfluencesSome Motivational Bases for Recruitment: Conscious Some Motivational Bases for Recruitment: Unconscious 15. The Monk: IL Character Structure Persistent Characteristics of the "Worldling" Intellectual Level Monastic Morality The Moral State of the Sangha 16. The Sangha and the State Introduction Church and State in Early Buddhism Church and State in Burmese HistoryChurch and State in Contemporary BurmaThe Political Culture of the Contemporary Burmese Sangha17. The Status of the Monkhood in Burmese SocietyVeneration of the MonkhoodThe Bases for Veneration: ExpressiveThe Bases for Veneration: InstrumentalAmbivalence and Hostility to the MonkhoodConflict Between Laymen and MonksV. BUDDHISM AND THE WORLD18. Buddhism and the World: A CritiqueThe ProblemNibbanic Buddhism and the WorldThe Intention of the Present Analysis19. Buddhism and Burmese SocietyBuddhist Weltanschauung and the Burmese Social SystemBuddhist Soteriology and the Burmese EconomyBuddhist Affiliation and Burmese Social IntegrationAppendix: On the Burmese RomanizationReferences CitedIndex