Buddhist Perspective Research Articles

Indian Law from a Seventh-Century Chinese Buddhist Perspective

This paper will discuss the passage in the 7th-century Chinese Buddhist traveller monk Xuanzang’s “Record of the Western Regions of the Great Tang (Dynasty)” on law and legal procedure in early medieval India. Xuanzang’s depiction of the Indian legal system is compared and contrasted in some detail with the information gained from the Artha-and Dharmaśāstra literature. The particular features in Xuanzang’s report which clearly differ from the śāstric literature are explained in the context of Tang China’s social and political situation. By doing so I do not only want to warn from reading the “Record” as a face-value description of India but also would like to highlight the necessity to read a specific text like the “ Record” in its immediate context which is more Chinese than Indian. Interpreted in this way Xuanzang’s record gains what it loses on the “historical” side by presenting a fascinating compilation of “facts” about a cultural other in which idealisation – the “description” of an ideal (pseudo-) Buddhist legal system – is used for the end of indirectly criticising and influencing his own social and political environment.

Jesus and Buddha–Friends in Conversation

Jesus and Buddha–Friends in Conversation

“The gerontology of suffering and its social remediation: a Buddhist perspective”

ABSTRACTWhile suffering is often assumed to be an intractable aspect of growing old, gerontological work on older adults’ experiences of suffering remains limited, and there is a stated need for more conceptual clarity on the construct of suffering. Buddhism provides a unique religious and philosophical perspective to understanding suffering’s complex relations to physical and emotional pain, the inevitability of change, and to notions of self. This paper explores current gerontological research on suffering and analyzes how Buddhism may offer new insights and techniques into understanding the experience of suffering in later life and, most importantly, the social response it calls forth.

Overeating and Mindfulness in Ancient India

Reviews of relevant research point to the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in reducing tendencies toward overeating and in leading to weight reduction. In this article, I present an early Buddhist perspective on the potential of mindfulness practice in this respect, based on examining a discourse that reports the Buddha himself giving instructions on mindful eating to a local king. The discourse in question shows that the current employment of mindfulness for such purposes is not a recent innovation but rather has an antecedent in early Buddhist texts. I also relate a recent model of three steps for reducing eating disorders to the early Buddhist teaching on how seeing the gratification and the disadvantage can lead to release from craving-dominated ways of behavior.

Liberation through Seeing: Screening The Tibetan Book of the Dead

The text known in English as The Tibetan Book of the Dead is arguably the principle source for popular understandings of Tibetan Buddhist conceptions of death. First translated into English in 1927, subsequent translations have read it according to a number of interpretive frameworks. This paper examines two recent films that take The Tibetan Book of the Dead as their inspiration: Bruce Joel Rubin’s Jacob’s Ladder (1990) and Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void (2009). Neither of these films overtly claim to be depicting The Tibetan Book of the Dead, but the directors of both have acknowledged that the text was an influence on their films, and both are undeniably about the moment of death and what follows. The analysis begins with the question of how, and to what degree, each of the films departs from the meaning and purpose of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, before moving on to examine the reasons, both practical and ideological, for these changes. Buddhist writer Bruce Joel Rubin wrote a film that sought to depict the death experience from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, but ultimately audience expectation and studio pressure transformed the film into a story at odds with Tibetan Buddhism. Gaspar Noé wrote and directed a film that is based on a secular worldview, yet can be seen to be largely consistent with a Tibetan Buddhist reading. Finally, I consider if, and to what extent, these films function to express or cultivate an experiential engagement with Tibetan Buddhist truths and realization, concluding that Jacob’s Ladder does not, while Enter the Void largely succeeds, despite the intention of its creator.

INCORPORATING THE BUDDHA’S THREEFOLD TRAINING WITH MANAGEMENT SCIENCE THEORIES

ABSTRACTThe acceleration of the evolution of economic culture through scientific development affords the opportunity to re-examine cross-domain dialogue and research in Buddhism and other disciplines. The concepts of threefold training in Buddhism (i.e. precepts, samadhi, and wisdom) were used as data items to generate data values and thereby convey the semantic nature of these terms. A systems analysis approach that can adequately incorporate hermeneutics into management science was employed to present the research topic. This study illustrates the relationship between a management activity (i.e. its effectiveness and efficiency, and the mechanism used) and a Buddhist activity (i.e. threefold training). This relationship was used to establish a body- and mind-transcending system comprising two subsystems: a service subsystem that adopts the perspective of management science by emphasising the ‘way of things’ and a submission subsystem that adopts a Buddhist perspective by stressing the ‘way of people’. The main finding of this study is that the two subsystems are characterised by identical Buddhist concepts.

‘No mind’: A Zen Buddhist perspective on embodied consciousness

Abstract This article explores the idea of a deeply embodied consciousness during movement, which has become one of the most intensely discussed topics in terms of the phenomenology and spirituality of dance and somatic practices. The strive towards an embodied state of consciousness has been historically present in the context of Zen Buddhist philosophy, wherein true embodiment is considered an enlightened state of being, wherein one’s consciousness transcends the barriers of mind versus body, self versus other and human versus non-human; it is thought that, in this state, we experience a visceral enlightenment towards our inherent connection to (or interrelation with) the spiritual and physical world around us, and that this state is a form of ‘purified’ – or even optimal – being. Phenomenological aspects underpinning this paradigm will be unpacked through representative cases of eastern movement practices whose founding philosophies align with Zen Buddhist thought. Among these movement practices will be Nihon-buyo (Japanese traditional dance), eastern martial arts and Butoh, which all utilize movement as a meditative process towards a state of selfworld transcendence. At the end of the article, the phenomenon of deeply embodied consciousness will be reframed and explained through the lens of neurophenomenology, with the aim of bringing forth the validity and relevance of this phenomenon in the newly emerging scientific research of consciousness and attention.

An Assessment of Climate Engineering from a Buddhist Perspective

This article expounds a Buddhist perspective on the rapidly emerging topic of Climate Engineering, i.e. the deliberate, large-scale manipulation of the environment as a proposed means to counteract anthropogenic climate change or some of its specific aspects like global mean temperature increase. It sets the stage with two orthogonal aspects: an overview of the topic of Climate Engineering, and a broader analysis of the Buddhist perspective on mankind’s relationship with nature. Linking these together, we show that as one of the world’s major faiths, Buddhism can provide valuable insights and perspectives for the evolving global discourse on Climate Engineering methods, and that it advocates some basic requirements concerning their further development and possible future deployment.

인공지능 시대의 심리상담과 불교적 대안

인공지능 시대의 심리상담과 불교적 대안

Indian Buddhist Apologia of Yogic Perception (yogipratyakṣa)

[only abstract in English; full article and abstract in Lithuanian] The article is dedicated to the analysis of the conception of yogic perception (yogipratyakṣa) in Indian Buddhist philosophy. By relying on the primary Buddhist Sanskrit sources and contemporary critical studies, the historically relevant questions are raised: how yogic perception has been treated in Indian Buddhist tradition, and especially in the texts by the eminent representatives of its Yogācāra-Vijnānavada logico-epistemological school (Diṅnāga, Dharmakīrti, Ratnakīrti)? Why was it recognised as a valid source of knowledge, and what role was it granted to in the general Buddhist epistemological scheme (pramāṇavada)? Combined – textological semantic, hermeneutical and comparative – methodologies are applied in the course of analysis. The following conclusion has been made: while representing a coherent empiricist and phenomenalist approach, Buddhism has supplemented the classical Indian system of valid means of knowledge with two more means, namely, with that of yogic perception and authoritative testimony (āpta). However, by acknowledging the validity of yogic perception the Buddhists agreed, that it does not ensure per se the cognition of the truth and should be verified by the other valid means of knowledge. Most important from the Buddhist perspective is that such extraordinary perception should correspond to Buddha’s experience and its conceptual description.

“Letting go of the raft” – The art of spiritual leadership in contemporary organizations from a Buddhist perspective using skilful means

Organizations are diverse workplaces where various beliefs, values and perceptions are shared to varying extents. How can spiritual leadership induce altruistic love and intrinsic motivation among diverse members within the organization and without being regarded as really yet another covert, sophisticated form of corporate exploitation of human vulnerability reflective of the “dark side” of organizations and leadership? This paper explores an approach to spiritual leadership from a Buddhist perspective focusing on the power of skilful means to tackle such concerns. In organizational pursuits such as appearance, reputation, fame, power, recognition and even leader–follower relationships are associated mostly with objectives and expectations, known in Buddhism as “attachment”. In Buddhism, however, any kind of attachment may be a source of suffering that eventually leads to negative consequences. In reviewing the dark side of spiritual leadership practices and how Buddhism is commoditized for organizational purposes, we reaffirm on the importance of the notion of non-attachment in Buddhism. We unpack the application of the Buddhist metaphor of “the raft”, non-attachment and other Buddhist stories of skilful means in spiritual leadership and their contribution to leadership studies.

The Cultural Epigenesis of Gender-Based Violence in Cambodia: Local and Buddhist Perspectives

Almost one in four women in Cambodia is a victim of physical, emotional or sexual violence. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which Cambodians see its causes and effects and to identify and analyse the cultural forces that underpin and shape its landscape. An ethnographic study was carried out with 102 perpetrators and survivors of emotional, physical and sexual violence against women and 228 key informants from the Buddhist and healing sectors. Their views and experiences of it were recorded—the popular idioms expressed and the symptoms of distress experienced by survivors and perpetrators. From these results, the eight cultural forces, or cultural attractors, that are seen to propel a person to violence were identified. Violence stemmed from blighted endowment, or ‘bad building’ (sɑmnaaŋ mɨn lʔɑɑ) determined by deeds in a previous life (kam). Children with a vicious character (kmeeŋ kaac or doṣa-carita) might grow to be abusers, and particular birthmarks on boys were thought to be portents. Krʊəh, or mishap, especially when a female’s horoscope predicted a zodiac house on the descent (riesəy), explained vulnerability to violence and its timing. Astrological incompatibility (kuu kam) was a risk factor. Lust, anger and ignorance, the ‘Triple Poison’, fuelled it. ‘Entering the road to ruin’ (apāyamuk), including alcohol abuse, womanising and gambling, triggered it. Confusion and loss of judgement (mohā) led to moral blindness (mo baŋ). These were the eight cultural attractors that shaped the landscape of violence against women. The cultural epigenesis of violence against women in Cambodia is an insight which can be used to build culturally responsive interventions and strengthen the primary prevention of violence against women. An understanding of the epigenesis of violence could strengthen the primary prevention of violence against women.

Buddhist Causality and Henri Bergson's 'Duration': A Defense from Theravada Buddhist Viewpoint

Henri Bergson (1859-1941), a French philosopher wrote in his doctoral dissertation, Time and Freewill (written in 1889), presented his theories on the freedom of the mind and on the concept of “duration,” which he regarded as reality. His concept of “duration” which he recognized as the indivisible spatio-temporal continuum can only be recognized by intuition (in contrast to mathematical time which is recognized by intellect). In order to obtain a profound understanding of his concept, the researcher have delved into, through content analysis the thoughts of Henri Bergson, and interviewed a number of Bergson’s scholars in Thailand. The researcher has found that Bergson’s concept of “duration” which he proposes as reality is the foundation of his argument against causality. Based on his premises that within the intensity of duration, it is not possible that the same exact event can occur for a second time to our consciousness and, thus, causality is impossible. In this paper, the researcher will defends the concept of causality against Bergson’s idea from Theravada Buddhist perspectives that Bergson’s rejection of causality is not true and his concept of duration, on the contrary, enhances the representation of events of causal relation rather than rejecting it.

'By Each Crime and Every Kindness, We Birth Our Future': A Buddhist Perspective Towards High Crime Rates

'By Each Crime and Every Kindness, We Birth Our Future': A Buddhist Perspective Towards High Crime Rates

Buddhist Perspectives on Free Will: Agentless Agency? ed. by Rick Repetti

Buddhist Perspectives on Free Will: Agentless Agency? ed. by Rick Repetti

Reading Samuel Beckett’s Portrayal of the Self from a Buddhist Perspective

Reading Samuel Beckett’s Portrayal of the Self from a Buddhist Perspective

Women, Ordination, and a Buddhist Perspective

Taking women’s ordination—a main gender issue debated in Buddhism—as an example, I reason why discrimination against women in religion not only violates women’s human rights but also basic Buddhist principles such as non-violence. I question whether from a Buddhist perspective religion and rights are two mutually exclusive terms, and then discuss two areas of tension: a tension between religious and secular law, on the one hand, and a tension between religious freedom and gender equality, on the other. Based on this, I analyse how the dynamics of these areas of tension and gender issues could become a driving force for interreligious dialogue and for dialogue between religions and secular societies.

Europejczycy i chrześcijaństwo jako zagrożenie dla ładu w Japonii okresu Edo

Prześladowania chrześcijan w Japonii począwszy od XVII wieku miały związek z reorganizacją struktury władzy pod rządami Tokugawów. Zachodnia religia zaczęła być postrzegana jako stanowiąca zagrożenie wewnętrzne i zewnętrzne dla jednorodności państwa, jego suwerenności i stabilności. W artykule zostaną przywołane, zdaniem autora, najbardziej reprezentatywne pozycje z japońskiej literatury antychrześcijańskiej. Ukazane zostaną argumenty religijne wytaczane przeciwko doktrynie chrześcijańskiej z pozycji konfucjańskiej i buddyjskiej. Wielu autorów okresu Edo widziało w chrześcijaństwie podobieństwo do buddyzmu i jego zniekształcenie. Niezwykle kontrowersyjna dla Japończyków była nauka o Bogu jako najwyższemu władcy, któremu każdy musiał być bezwzględnie poddany, co mogło mieć zły wpływ na zachowanie tradycyjnych relacji i powinności w społeczeństwie. Argumentację, którą można określić jako polityczną (ale i etyczną), wytaczała wobec chrześcijaństwa szkoła Mito, która upatrywała w zachodniej doktrynie jedną z przyczyn rozkładu japońskiego społeczeństwa. Ponadto niektórzy spośród autorów uważali, że chrześcijaństwo służy jako narzędzie do kolonizacji Japonii przez obce mocarstwa. Owa heretycka (chrześcijańska) nauka, stając się celem ataków i polemik, w pewnym stopniu przyczyniała się do budowania tożsamości Japończyków. Misjonarze i konwertyci japońscy stali się „innymi”, którym przypisywano demoniczny, nieludzki wygląd, nadprzyrodzone zdolności, jak i najbardziej potępiane w społeczeństwie japońskim cechy, które innowierców całkowicie stygmatyzowały. Dotyczyło to zarówno misjonarzy, jak i rodzimych konwertytów. Aparat państwowy okresu Edo stworzył wiele mechanizmów mających umocnić swą kontrolę nad społeczeństwem. W ich wyniku sprawnie udało się wykorzenić chrześcijaństwo (pozostawiając jedynie odizolowane wspólnoty ukrytych chrześcijan).

Addressing Unintended Ethical Challenges of Workplace Mindfulness: A Four-Stage Mindfulness Development Model

This study focuses on mindfulness programs in the corporate world, which are receiving increasing attention from business practitioners and organizational scholars. The workplace mindfulness literature is rapidly evolving, but most studies are oriented toward demonstrating the positive impacts of mindfulness as a state of mind. This study adopts a critical perspective to evaluate workplace mindfulness practice as a developmental process, with a focus on its potential risks that have ethical implications and are currently neglected by both researchers and practitioners. We draw from a Buddhist perspective that understands mindfulness training as an ethics-based, longitudinal, and holistic path. To this end, we develop a four-stage model to illustrate a potential developmental process for participants in workplace mindfulness programs. This model comprises four stages of preliminary concentration, deep concentration, self-transcendence, and reengagement, each of which has its own underlying characteristics and impacts on individual participants and organizations.

An Insight into the Psychology of Abhidharmakosh

This article aims to describe the background of mind in terms of Buddhist and western perspective. Mind has been an interesting topic for ages. There are many researches that have contributed in this field and were successful to equip the world with new and old ideas. The researchers have researched on a Buddhist scripture Abhidharma kosh that deals with mind at the subtlest level. Mind has been divided in to three, as per western school of thought but this book explains mind with 51 mental factors. This article elaborates on different facets of minds as is written in Abhidharma kosh. The aim of the researchers is to bring out the psychological perspective of the Buddhist scripture, Abhidharma kosh in terms of Buddhist psychology. Old scriptures have been the source to the modern pool of study. Hence the researchers have brought the golden words of Abhidharma kosh in the light of the world. This article compares the Freudian, Jungian, Piaget’s theory of conscious with Abhidharma kosh.