Translating the Lotus Sūtra into Social Action: Hermeneutics and Public Dharmology

Abstract

In this article, I investigate the principles and possible applications of scriptural exegesis of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra (SDP, Lotus Sūtra)—a core Mahāyāna Buddhist scripture—for social advocacy and activism. I approach this process of emic-critical interpretation in dialogue with Christian Public Theology as Public Dharmology and suggest utilizing the principles of established in Christian 'theological hermeneutics' (Klemm 1986). By adducing the existentialist philosophical theology of Paul Tillich (Systematic Theology 1951-1963) and Martin Buber's theology of relationality (I and Thou [1923] 1970), a Buddhist dharmological prius can be analogously established. An applied scriptural dharmology emerges in dialogue with Christian theologies, in particular Latin-American Liberation Theology (La Teologia de la Liberacion Latinoamericana), Feminist, Queer and 'Crip' Theology. The latter becomes the focus of a case study; on textual, literary, philosophical and theological levels ableist language and imagery in the SDP are scrutinized and the potential of translating the Lotus Sūtra for 'crip liberation' is gauged.