Buddhist Leaders Research Articles

The Interaction Between Japanese Buddhism and Christianity in the Meiji Period

Although initially fraught with tension, spanning roughly two decades, Buddhists employed various strategies to combat the spread of Christianity and uphold their traditional values. As the 1890s dawned, a new wave of Buddhists emerged, spearheading the reconstruction of Japanese Buddhism through processes of secularization and westernization in alignment with the currents of the Meiji Restoration. This paper delves into the intricate relationship between Buddhism and Christianity in Japan following the Perry Expedition. By scrutinizing the writings and orations of numerous Buddhist leaders spanning the period from the 1860s to the 1890s, this paper elucidates the multifaceted conflicts and interactions between Japanese Buddhism and Christianity. A nuanced analysis of their endeavors, reveals the evolving dynamics and strategies employed by both religions in navigating their coexistence in Japan's religious landscape, where both involuntarily made corresponding relative changes to be involved in social trends and Japanese traditions. This paper also discusses the cooperation and potential union between the two religions at the beginning of the 19th century, when New Buddhists received education in Western philosophy and examined Christianity. In short, the Buddhist-Christian relationship underwent a conversion from opponents to equal religion, even collaboratively enforcing social justice and care.

The Interaction Between Japanese Buddhism and Christianity in the Meiji Period

Although initially fraught with tension, spanning roughly two decades, Buddhists employed various strategies to combat the spread of Christianity and uphold their traditional values. As the 1890s dawned, a new wave of Buddhists emerged, spearheading the reconstruction of Japanese Buddhism through processes of secularization and westernization in alignment with the currents of the Meiji Restoration. This paper delves into the intricate relationship between Buddhism and Christianity in Japan following the Perry Expedition. By scrutinizing the writings and orations of numerous Buddhist leaders spanning the period from the 1860s to the 1890s, this paper elucidates the multifaceted conflicts and interactions between Japanese Buddhism and Christianity. A nuanced analysis of their endeavors, reveals the evolving dynamics and strategies employed by both religions in navigating their coexistence in Japan's religious landscape, where both involuntarily made corresponding relative changes to be involved in social trends and Japanese traditions. This paper also discusses the cooperation and potential union between the two religions at the beginning of the 19th century, when New Buddhists received education in Western philosophy and examined Christianity. In short, the Buddhist-Christian relationship underwent a conversion from opponents to equal religion, even collaboratively enforcing social justice and care.

Deploying the “Ordinary Wisdom” of Confucius: Khenpo Sodargye’s teaching on the Analects to Chinese practitioners

ABSTRACT Khenpo Sodargye is one of the key second-generation Tibetan Buddhist leaders at Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, who has been highly influential in transmitting the teachings of the Nyingma lineage to Chinese lay and monastic practitioners. Fundamental to this transmission is his ‘translation’ – in both linguistic and cultural terms – of the Tibetan tradition through the medium of both traditional and modern Chinese culture. Khenpo teaches Tibetan Buddhism to Chinese followers often using Chinese cultural terms and historiography, yet draws these into the Tibetan Buddhist, and specifically Nyingma lineage, normalising them with parallels already found in the Tibetan tradition. This cumulative ‘Eastern’ religiosity he sets up in oppositional terms to ‘Western’ modern influences which have led to a decline in values in modern China. One such example of using Chinese culture in this manner is his teaching on the Analects (Lunyu), which this paper seeks to explore.

Sowa Rigpa, Vajrayana Buddhism, and COVID-19 Vaccines in India and Bhutan

Abstract In this paper, I explore how both the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala, India, and the Bhutanese government utilized Buddhist leaders and religious practices to promote public health measures during the pandemic, considering that there was a high acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination in these Buddhist communities. I also touch upon how classical Sowa Rigpa understandings of infectious disease transmission and prevention might have played a role in vaccination acceptance. I hypothesize that Buddhist leaders in Dharamsala and in Bhutan were able to utilize their authority to support the advice of their health departments in multiple ways partly because ideas of disease prevention and protection – Sowa Rigpa protective pills, Buddhist rituals, and vaccination history – were already prevalent in the communities. Specifically, I argue that during 2021/22, medico-religious and ritual engagements played a supportive role in COVID-19 vaccination efforts. They reveal different layers of trust, such as in existing public health systems and in religious and political authorities. I raise further questions about how Sowa Rigpa was utilized differently in Dharamsala and Bhutan and to what extent it was integrated into public health efforts. This paper is largely based on articles that were published during the pandemic between 2020 and 2022.

Promoting socio-religious rights of Tibetan Buddhists in China in the 21st century: Legislators and political realities

Relevance. The study of the formation of relations between the Chinese political elite and Tibetan Buddhism in this period is critical for understanding the main aspects of political, interfaith and intercultural interaction in the region both in the 21st century and today. Purpose. The study aims to analyse how the social and religious rights of Tibetan Buddhist followers are ensured in modern China, taking into account the existing laws and political situation in the 21st century. Methodology. The study employs historical, comparative, and systematic methods to analyze legislative documents, official policies, and scholarly literature in order to examine the socio-religious rights of Tibetan Buddhists in China in the 21st century, considering both legal frameworks and political realities. Results. The study demonstrates the role and importance of international law in the context of the complex religious policy of the Chinese Communist Party. The author shows the influence of the reforms of the communist government on the process of changing the role of traditional religious institutions in public life. The study revealed the impact of reforms on the nature of interethnic relations in the region. The study examines aspects of the ethnic policy of the Communist Party of China on the subsequent process of formation of civil and religious identity in the region. Conclusions. The study concludes that relations between the Chinese Communist Party and Tibetan Buddhist leaders are complex, focusing on lama reincarnation, while government policies significantly impact Tibetan demographics, ethnicity, and culture. Keywords: international law; freedom of religion; conflict; soteriology; regional autonomy; soft power politics

Деятельность пятого настоятеля Агинского дацана Галсан-Жимбы Тугулдурова (1817–1872/3)

Introduction. The article examines the biography and works of the 5th abbot of Aginsky datsan (Dechen Lhundublin) Galsan Zhimba Tuguldurov. The relevance of the study is determined by importance of the personality of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov. He was one of the most significant Buryat Buddhist leaders of the 19th century. Tuguldurov was one of the bright representatives of the Buryat priesthood, expert in Buddhist philosophy, astrology, medicine and lexicology (he compiled the first Buryat Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary Despite the weight of his multifaceted personality and the presence of works reflecting his activities, the information about the details of G. Tuguldurov's biography and writings continues to remain little known. The purpose of the article is to provide historiographic overview of researches on his biography and creative heritage, introduce some new information into scientific circulation. This information was obtained from archive documents written in Old Mongolic script from the preliminary translation of not studied before biography (namthar) of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov in Tibetan language. The title of the namthar is “The biography of Galsan-Zhimba Balzangpo — the abbot of the datsan Dechen Lhundubling (bde chen lhun grub gling gi khri pa chos rje skal bzang spyin pa dpal bzang po’i rnam thar gyi sa bon bzhugs)”. Materials and methods. The research is based on the works of Russian and Mongolian authors written in different times, archival data from funds of the State Archive of the Republic of Buryatia, Center of Oriental Manuscripts and Xylographs of the Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan studies of the SB RAS and namthar of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov in Tibetan language (archive of Aginsky datsan). The following methods were used: collection, analysis and processing of data, historical-systematic and retrospective analysis. The results of the research helped to restore the chronology of activities of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov. For the first time the biography of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov with additional and clarifying information has been put into scientific circulation. Therefore, the restored biography of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov can make a significant contribution into academic researches, especially into reconstruction of the spread of Buddhism in the region.

On Urban Buddhism: a Humanistic, Secularizing, and Universal Buddhism

Abstract In this paper, I explore the religious project initiated by the renowned abbot Juexing 觉醒 and a group of scholars to create a typology of Urban Buddhism (dushi fojiao 都市佛教). This religious project is discussed here as a political attempt at reform extending over the last two decades. I first review the recent discourse on Urban Buddhism, drawing on monastic and elite narratives from the turn of the century. Second, I compare Juexing’s work with the studies of other scholars who have contributed to the development of the concept of Urban Buddhism. Although some of these scholars did not use the actual term “Urban Buddhism,” their research is still relevant to the field. After reviewing Juexing’s political project, I conclude that the term “Humanistic Buddhism” (renjian fojiao 人间佛教) has been transformed into “Urban Buddhism” to renew its meaning. Embracing Urban Buddhism means adapting to modernity and signifies a move toward a more universal form of Buddhism for Buddhist leaders in Shanghai.

Социально-политический взгляд на современное положение северного буддизма в России

The purpose of the study is to study and comprehend the current state of northern Buddhism in our country within the framework of the social and political situation. Research objectives: collection, systematization and analysis of information about research on this topic. The article deals with the functioning of the most numerous in terms of the number of followers and significant for the Russian society Buddhist organizations and their leaders (D.B. Ayusheev, Elo Rinpoche, Telo Rinpoche, Shivalha Rinpoche, S.O. Saryglar, D.V. Tinley, O. Nidal), their negative and positive aspects of their activities are analyzed, the state of Buddhism in Buddhist (Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tyva) and non-Buddhist regions is assessed, their influence on the socio-political state of the regions and the country is determined. In the course of the study, the following conclusions were made: Northern Buddhism in Russia has a specific form of existence and development. The information obtained during the study can be applied in the teaching practice of higher education in the following subjects: philosophy, social science, sociology, religious studies Ch. N. Norbu), their negative and positive aspects of their activities are analyzed, the state of Buddhism in Buddhist (Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tyva) and non-Buddhist regions is assessed, their influence on the socio-political state of the regions and the country is determined. In the course of the study, the following conclusions were made: Northern Buddhism in Russia has a specific form of existence and development. The information obtained during the study can be applied in the teaching practice of higher education in the following subjects: philosophy, social science, sociology, religious studies. The object of the study is the current position of Northern Buddhism in the country. The subject of the study is the activities of Buddhist leaders in the country. To solve the tasks set in the work, general scientific research methods were used. The research material was selected from electronic sources, published monographs and articles by Russian and foreign authors. As work with available sources has shown, the degree of knowledge of the problem is insufficient and requires modern understandin.

Buddhist leaders and family firms’ acquisition behavior

Buddhist leaders and family firms’ acquisition behavior

Japanese Buddhist War Support and the <em>Kanchō</em> System

When Jōdo Shin Buddhist leaders gathered for a conference in early 1941 to formulate their sect’s wartime response, they did so at the bidding of their sect’s <em>kanchō</em>, or administrative head. To explain organizational dynamics that contributed to patterns of war support by Japanese Buddhists, this article details the state’s imposition of a <em>kanchō</em> system of governance on Buddhist organizations from 1884 to 1945. While Buddhist organizations had leeway in determining the selection process, term length, and specific powers of their <em>kanchō</em>, in all cases extraordinary authority was concentrated in a single individual. This article details how the <em>kanchō</em> system was implemented in major Zen, Jōdo Shin, Jōdo, Shingon, Nichiren, and Tendai organizations; examines the pro-war activities of <em>kanchō</em> prior to and during the Fifteen Years’ War period (1931–1945); and uses the case of the 1941 Shin Doctrinal Studies Conference to illustrate how the autocratic <em>kanchō</em> organizational structure amplified a sect’s most pro-war voices.

“Little Tibet”

Abstract With the Chinese invasion of Tibet, exile-Tibetan Buddhist leaders have found new bases for their monastic endeavors in the Himalayan regions of India and Nepal. This article highlights how the northwest Himalayan region of Ladakh has become a homeland for Tibetan-led Buddhism in India. While previously an independent kingdom, Ladakh has been dubbed “Little Tibet” because of its close geographical, political, cultural, and religious association with the central Tibetan empire. Ladakhis themselves promote the region as “Little Tibet” and the “last Shangri-la” to emphasize the identity of the region as Buddhist. In this way, Ladakhis utilize the moral economy of “Tibetanness” as a means for cultural survival, but also to promote tourism and gain the economic benefits of being “Little Tibet.” By highlighting multiple and ongoing processes of Tibetanization, such as historical/political, cultural/religious, and imagined, this article illuminates the complex Ladakhi-Tibetan relations within projects of cultural preservation in India. Ladakhis are not passive recipients of the cultural domination of Tibetan religious leaders in the area; instead they adopt selective processes of Tibetanization to help safeguard their distinct religious and cultural identity as a religious and ethnic minority in India.

ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТЬ А. ДОРЖИЕВА В 1920-Е ГГ. В ИНФОРМАЦИОННЫХ ДОКУМЕНТАХ ОГПУ

The article is about the new sources pertaining to Agvan Dorjiev, the leader of the Buddhist renovationist movement in Russia. Reports, summaries and other declassified OGPU documents allow studying the important aspects of his activities in the 1920s. The paper is focused on the analysis of the documents which contain a lot of valuable information about the political stance of the Buddhist priests, the nature of the relationship between them and the ordinary believers, and the daily life of the Buddhist monasteries (dazans and huruls). The study of the declassified documents makes it possible to bring to light important data about the relations between the Soviet officials and the Buddhist Sangha, and about the clashes inside the Buddhist organizations. A network of secret agents has gathered valuable information about the conflict between the renovationists and the conservatives, about the activities of A. Dorjiev and other Buddhist leaders. Those documents contain the data referring to the disputes and other methods of antireligious agitation and propaganda. Reports on the “counter-revolutionary” statements and activities of the Buddhist clergymen and believers help revealing their attitude towards the Soviet authorities’ religion policy. Also, the documents facilitate for obtaining valuable information dealing with the real meaning of the concepts that are popular in contemporary historiography – the concepts of the “religious NEP” and the “Golden Age of Buddhism” in Soviet Russia.

Korupsi Menurut Ariyo Aṭṭhaṅgiko Maggo di dalam Ajaran Buddha Gotama

Purpose - This study examines the problems of corruption in Buddhism to get a solution in an effort to prevent the increaseof corruption in the community according to the view of Buddhism based on the Tripitaka scriptures so that Indonesianpeople can live safely, peacefully and prosperously.Design/methodology/approach This research is a descriptive-qualitative method of normative approach using secondary datasourced from interviews with Buddhist leaders, print media, electronic media, the internet and literature books such as theBuddhist scriptures namely the Tripitaka (Sutta, Vinaya and Abhidhamma Pitaka) and the Eradication Law Corruption thenanalyzes and draws conclusionsResearch Limitation/Implication - Based on the study of theories from the literature book and the opinions of resourcepersons related to corruption in the view of Buddhism.

Khmer Nuns and Filial Debts: Buddhist Intersections in Contemporary Cambodia

Cambodian Buddhist nuns, including the white-robed ṭūn jī, occupy a fraught confluence of competing cultural and religious narratives. Chief among these narratives is gratitude to mothers, among the most powerful structuring forces in Khmer Buddhist culture. By ordaining as nuns, Khmer women break no explicit moral rules, but violate implicit conventions to bear children for their husbands and care for their parents in old age. To explore how this tension plays out in the lives of individual nuns, I draw on public statements and social media posts of two of the most prominent nuns in Cambodia today, Chea Silieng and Heng Kosorl. The two nuns have taken a divergent approach to filial debts, with Silieng emphasizing freedom from her birth family, husband, and children and Kosorl frequently posting about acts of devotion to her parents and grandparents. Both approaches reveal the profoundly gendered dimensions of filial piety and the complex intersection of such narratives with the growing stature of nuns as Buddhist leaders and teachers in Cambodia.

Миротворческая деятельность буддийской конфессии СССР (1950–1980-е гг.)

In this article is considered the phenomenon of Buddhist confessional diplomacy in 1950– 1980s. It is shown, that the continuing struggle with religion was not an obstacle for international activity of confessions and was used as «soft power» for popularization of the Soviet ideological project. The diplomacy of Buddhist leaders became a steady channel of alternative communication between the two world poles, contributing to a reduction in international tensions.

Multiple Buddhisms in Ladakh: Strategic Secularities and Missionaries Fighting Decline

During fieldwork in Ladakh in July–August 2018, three authors from Asian studies, anthropology, and religious studies backgrounds researched “multiple Buddhisms” in Ladakh, India. Two case studies are presented: a Buddhist monastery festival by the Drikung Kagyü Tibetan Buddhist sect, and a Theravada monastic complex, called Mahabodhi International Meditation Center (MIMC). Through the transnational contexts of both of these case studies, we argue that Buddhist leaders adapt their teachings to appeal to specific audiences with the underlying goal of preserving the tradition. The Buddhist monastery festival engages with both the scientific and the magical or mystical elements of Buddhism for two very different European audiences. At MIMC, a secular spirituality mixes with Buddhism for international tourists on a meditation retreat. Finally, at MIMC, Thai Buddhist monks learn how to fight the decline of Buddhism through missionizing Theravada Buddhism in this land dominated by Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Paying attention to this multiplicity—to “multiple Buddhisms”—we argue, makes space for the complicated, ambiguous, and at times contradictory manner in which Buddhism is positioned in regards to secularism and secularity.

Boundary Crossing by a Community of Practice: Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries Engage Science Education

As a globalized world struggles with division and disinformation, engaging across difference has emerged as a major challenge to communication and collaborative action needed to address growing global challenges. As such, the initiative by Tibetan Buddhist leaders to incorporate western science in curricula for monastic education may serve as an important case study that illuminates the conditions and processes at work in genuine cultural outreach and exchange. That project, spearheaded in the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative (ETSI), involves reaching out across two quite different communities of practice, Tibetan Buddhism and science, and the willingness and ability of individuals to cross the boundaries between them. In the study reported here, we apply existing understandings of communities of practice and of learning mechanisms that mediate boundary crossing to probe for presence of conditions and processes that promote effective outreach among Tibetan Buddhist monastic students. We deploy analysis of qualitative survey, interview, and self-report data from monastic students shortly after ETSI began (2009) and after science education had been rolled out in the monasteries (2019) to, first, identify initial cultural conditions related to outreach and engagement with science, and, second, probe for post-rollout presence of boundary crossing learning mechanisms among monastic students which facilitate communication from one community of practice to another. We found a range of robust initial cultural conditions (e.g., perceived overlap in subjects and methods of inquiry), along with strong presence of mechanisms that facilitate boundary crossing (e.g., reflection, transformation) and operate through time. We observed cascading effects of these conditions and mechanisms on student engagement with science. Furthermore, interactions of these conditions and mechanisms allow monastic students to engage with science on their own Buddhist terms and to regard learning science as potentially beneficial rather than threatening to their personal or collective Buddhist goals.

Science and Religion in the 21st Century: Buddhist Vector

The article analyzes the relationship between Buddhism and science, presented in the works and activities of Buddhist leaders and scholars. The aim of the study is to determine the specifics of the relationship between Buddhism and science, associated with both the peculiarities of the development of modern science and the peculiarities of the religion itself. The study is based on an integrated approach that allows to identify the problem of relations between Buddhism and science at different levels: the doctrinal provisions of Buddhism, the texts of Buddhist leaders and their activities, the analysis of these relations made by representatives of science. One of the phenomena of the dialogue between Buddhism and science is the Mind and Life Institute, created in 1987, initiated by the 14th Dalai Lama, scientist and philosopher Francisco Varela, lawyer and entrepreneur Adam Engle. The creation of this Institute was based on the idea that science is not only a modern source of knowledge but also a critical means of improving the quality of life; this means can be developed by combining it with the wisdom of Buddhist teachings. Interest in the problem of interaction between Buddhism and science has noticeably intensified in the last decade in Russia. It was expressed in the publication of books of Buddhist leaders and scholars on this topic, holding meetings of researchers and Buddhist clergy for discussions on complex topics of knowledge, organizing scientific conferences on the dialogue between Buddhism and science. The intensification of the dialogue between Buddhism and science and its reflection in the research of scientists and the activities of Buddhist organizations are associated with a number of reasons: the search for new effective ways to solve global problems; the actualization of a systematic approach to solving a number of complex research problems (for example, the problem of consciousness); interest in the possibility of synthesizing Buddhist techniques and ideas and scientific approaches as a resource for the development of both Buddhism and science. Keywords: science and religion, Buddhism, Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist studies, Buddhology

Public Discourse of Buddhist Leaders in the Context of Forest Fires in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia

Public Discourse of Buddhist Leaders in the Context of Forest Fires in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia

Экологические инициативы буддийских деятелей Бурятии: актуальные проблемы, локальные решения

The article gives a review and analysis of the contemporary environmental initiatives of Buddhist leaders of Buryatia. The environmental condition of the Baikal region is of great importance not only for Russia but also for the whole world as the lake Baikal contains about 19 % of the world potable water supply. However, the ecological situation in the Republic of Buryatia is not that favourable. Nowadays, there is a tendency for the growing role of the religious leaders in the environmental problem solving. The Buddhist leaders of Buryatia in line with the given tendency also contribute to the development of the environmental thinking of the society, using arguments based on the fundamental ideas of Buddhist philosophy. Taking into account the cultural and historical characteristics of Buryatia, the Buddhist Sangha suggests quite unique and practical ways of improving the ecological situation in the republic that are of interest to researchers.