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in the tradition’s canonical scriptures, which I hold are representative of Theravāda Buddhism in the last centuries BCE. In the first two chapters, the reader will see how the modern debate is a resurfacing of very ancient tensions between a tranquility-based paths and an insight-based path, all of which were laid out in the early canonical texts. What is also of interest here is that these soteriological differences did not exhaust the schemes of paths to nibbāna in the early tradition. Chapter 3 of part 1 will examine a faith-based path, and the fourth chapter of part 1 will investigate a path that places certain supernormal powers and forms of cognition at the center of its soteriology. These diverse forms of following a path to nibbāna will be explored by giving attention to certain ideal types of practitioners known as “noble persons” (ariya-puggala). It is one of the central theses of this book that there has not been nearly enough discussion of these ideal soteriological types, and this project is an effort to fill this lacuna in the academic study of Buddhism. There is also here a strong conviction that a relatively scant amount of attention has been given to the diversity of path schemes in Theravāda tradition, so a major focus of this work will be to describe and chronicle the different types of noble persons and their varieties of paths.
This book is not intended as an introduction to Theravāda Buddhist soteriology. It is mainly intended for colleagues in the field of Buddhist studies who have a strong interest in this topic. However, it is hoped that this volume would be of interest to scholars studying other religions and students who wish to learn more about Buddhist ways toward salvation or liberation from suffering who have some basic understanding of Theravāda Buddhism.