The Sociology of Early Buddhism

Abstract

Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Introduction 1. The problem: asceticism and urban life Part I. Context: 2. The social elite 3. Economic conditions 4. Urbanization, urbanism and the development of large-scale political structures 5. Brahmins and other competitors 6. Folk religion and cosmology: meeting of two thought worlds Part II. Mediation: 7. The holy man 8. Preparation of the monk for the mediatory role. Evidence from the Sutta Nipata 9. The Dhammapada and the images of the bhikkhu 10. The mediating role as shown in the Canon 11. Exchange Conclusion Bibliography Index.