On Understanding Buddhists

John Ross Carter is Professor of Philosophy and Religion and the Director of Chapel House at Colgate University. He is the author of Dhamma: Western Academic and Sinhalese Buddhist Interpretations; editor of Religiousness in Sri Lanka; co-editor of Religiousness in Yoga: Lectures on Theory and Practice; editor of The Threefold Refuge; and co-author of The Dhammapada: A New English Translation with the Pali Text and the First English Translation of the Commentary's Explanation of the Verses with Notes Translated from Sinhala Sources and Critical Textual Comments.

• Preface Acknowledgements Introduction 1. The Origin and Development of "Buddhism" and "Religion" in the Study of the Theravada Buddhist Tradition 2. The Coming of "Early Buddhism" to Sri Lanka 3. Dhamma at the Center 4. The Notion of Refuge 5. A Response to the Four Noble Truths 6. Beyond "Beyond Good and Evil" 7. Faith in the Wake of the Dhammapada 8. There Are Buddhists Living in Sri Lanka Today 9. Music in the Theravada Buddhist Heritage: In Chant, in Song, in Sri Lanka 10. The Soteriological Process and Its Sociological Relevance in the Sinhala Theravada Buddhist Tradition 11. The Role of the American Scholar in Buddhist Studies in Sri Lanka Abbreviations Notes Index

"Carter's book deals with some of the central issues in Buddhist studies. I look forward to being able to direct students to this book to learn about such topics as the meaning of dhamma, the history of 'early Buddhism,' and other significant matters." — George D. Bond, Northwestern University