I: Origins and historical development
Crows and monks: introduction
The elephant and the Buddha
2: Theravāda philosophy and practice
The narrative path of the Buddha
Ethical and political implications of Buddhist narratives
The tale of beggars and donors
The feminine narrative in Buddhism
Stories from Buddhists villages
3: Major Mahāyāna movements and schools
The Bodhisattva's path to perfection
Secret narratives: philosophies of emptiness
Devotional voices of the pure land
Tales of Lamas: Tibetan Buddhism
The no-narrative of seated meditation: Zen
New narratives: recent paths of reform and revival.