Mystical Buddhism : From a Sibylline Perspective

Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. The philosophical background of sibylline literature. 3. Sibylline features in Buddhism. 4. Buddhistic sibylline performances. 5. Buddha’s mastery over sibylline lore. 6. The Buddhist notion of fate and free will. 7. The role of Jyotisa in Buddhism. 8. Reflections on the horoscope of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. 9. A short study of the Yogadhyaya of the Bhrgu Samhita. 10. The Bhrgu Samhita and Buddhist India. 11. Buddhist paticca Samuppada and Rasicakra in the Yogadhyaya. 12. Buddhistic sixty-year cycle compared with Bhrgu school of Jyotisa. 13. Scattered manuscripts of the Bhrgu Samhita and my survey report. 14. Resume. Appendices: 1. A note on Kulakundalini. 2. The influence of Tantra on the sibylline knowledge of the Buddha. 3. The "Mega-Brain" of the Buddha. 4. Did Gautama Buddha conquer death. Notes. Abbreviated miscellaneous words. Abbreviations of select bibliography. Word index. Photo and document.

"This work is a critical study of sibylline lore in Buddhism based on a survey of the Yogadhyaya. It breaks new ground by explaining for the first time over three hundred mystical terms in Buddhist literature and their literally miraculous sibylline import within that literature; its extensive examples trace such miracles and mystical elements from the time of the Buddha’s birth in the sixth century B.C. to the tenth century A.D., when Buddhism had shed its light beyond the borders of its homeland.

Beginning in the prehistoric period, Dr. Kargupta discusses the origins and development of this occult knowledge. He specifically focuses on the history of the Bhrgu Samhita and its contents throughout four major historical periods of India, from the advent of its apocryphal author in prehistory and legend to the final compilation of this body of literature in the twelfth century.

This work is indeed an insightful guide to those interested in miracles and mysticism in Buddhism, as well as to those curious about the extensive scope of the predictive arts and science in India’s past eras. It significantly notes Buddha’s own personal interest in, discussion of, and experiences with sibylline lore as a storehouse of supernatural knowledge, as well as explaining the Bodhisattva’s ambivalent relationship with a subject that offered both practical utility and potential spiritual dangers to its regular practitioners." (jacket)