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Academic Dissertations
Buddhism boasts an astonishingly rich tradition of literary and philosophical works. The volumes of doctrinal exegesis, collections of poetry and extensive lists of the Buddhist tradition are all the more astonishing considering Buddhism`s repeated warnings against excessive attachment to intellectual constructs. Great Buddhist masters have astutely observed the dangers of clinging to fixed ideas and advised practitioners to avoid latching on to concepts like "emptiness" and "enlightenment." Nevertheless, these same masters have employed sophisticated logic and constructed elaborate arguments to help guide sentient beings out of the vicious trap of karmic retribution. This remarkable dexterity of Buddhism - the ability to erect architectural masterpieces without becoming trapped inside - has helped make it one of the world`s great religions.
Buddhist thought has and continues to inspire great thinkers and writers in the West. Certain fields of scholarship, especially psychology, have shown great interest in Buddhist thought and meditation practices. Over all, modern scholarship is still in the relatively early stages of exploring the rich diversity of Buddhism. Nevertheless recent works by historians, philosophers, anthropologists and others have significantly enriched our understanding of the Buddhist tradition. Buddhist topics have and continue to inspire doctoral dissertations and master theses in fields as diverse as music, linguistics, education and even business management.
The University of Michigan(UMI) offers a large collection of doctoral dissertation and master theses (see UMI ProQuest Digital Dissertation Database, link? wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations) many of which deal with Buddhist topics. Below we have provided a list of all Buddhist related titles and abstracts available in the UMI database. The titles and abstracts have been arranged according to their subject matter for your convenience. Regardless of whether you are searching for a specific topic or just want to look around and see whats out there, we hope you will find this service useful.
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