Essays in Buddhist Theology

Buddhism doesn’t recognize the existence of God (theos), as Christianity does. However, theos here isn’t used to mean an absolute deity such as the Christian god. The author uses the term “theology” to refer to the systematic identification of the encounter with the current conditions and the ongoing engagement between oneself and the divine. Buddhism has been widely spread to the present day and is represented in many forms, including the neo-Buddhisms of India, Newar Buddhism of Kathmandu, Theravada Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, and the Newar Buddhism from the Kathmandu Basin. Although Buddhism has been shaped in many historical and cultural contexts it does not mean that “Buddhist Theology” will be impossible to construct. Researchers must confront contemporary conditions and draw on Buddhist traditions that are rooted in diverse cultural and social contexts when conducting Buddhist theological research. This is how a theology that addresses the cultural and historical contexts will be born.