Ultimate Reality Research Articles

Zero, Śūnya and Pūrṇa: A Comparative Analysis

Due to apparent duality in this world, one has to face a lot of difficulties while searching for the Truth. Our ego is the root cause for perception of duality and this in turn leads to suffering. This suffering can only be extinguished by attainment of the Truth, i.e, non-duality. However, in order to enable the finite intellect to comprehend the incomprehensible non-duality, this undifferentiated whole is sometimes denoted by nothingness (śūnya) or fullness (pūrṇa). Non-duality is usually understood by the numeral ‘1’ which stands for unity or oneness. The main aim of this paper is to show that non-duality is best represented by the numeral ‘0’, Mādhyamika śūnya (advaya) and Upaniṣadic pūrṇa (advaita). This paper also attempts to touch upon the hitherto untouched and profound implications of zero in view of its being a simultaneous indicator of nothingness as well as wholeness. It also humbly tries to tackle the perpetual mathematical problem of ‘zero divided by zero’ and in this regard tries to establish how the solution is consistent with the concept of non-duality. In a nutshell, this paper’s endeavour is to approach the Ultimate Reality via threefold path: through the neutral means of mathematical zero “0” as a concept, negative means of Mādhyamika śūnya, and the positive means of Advaita Vedānta’s pūrṇa.

On the Value of Empathy to Inter-Religious Relations: A Case Study Based on the Thought of Charles Hartshorne

Introducing the results of psychology to the field of inter-religious relations, the value of empathy for the latter may seem equivocal. Based on a study of Hartshorne’s thought, this paper will clarify conceptually that, as a mechanism, empathy can promote integration and dialogue, but may also result in partiality due to the limitation of its scope, thus resulting in prejudice and even conflict. It will further argue that Hartshorne provides a view of ultimate reality that not only highlights the moral value of empathy, but also promotes the extension of its scope. This implies that a theological account of empathy can go beyond the framework constructed in psychology and transform it into something that has unequivocally positive value for inter-religious integration and dialogue.

We Have the Mind of Christ

Religious epistemology can benefit from the widely neglected perspective of the apostle Paul that humans can “have the mind of Christ.” This article considers whether humans can apprehend divine reality, if only partly, from a divine vantage point. Perhaps humans then can apprehend the reality and goodness of God in a salient manner, thereby gaining a vital perspective on ultimate reality. The article aims to identify the viability of a “God’s-eye standpoint” for humans in “the mind of Christ.” It contends that this standpoint draws from influential volitional and affective traits of God’s personality, including “the fruit of the Spirit.”

The Lord's Prayer in the Light of Shin-Buddhist-Christian Comparative Considerations

abstract: This paper reflects on the "Lord's Prayer" by relating it to various aspects of Shin-Buddhist practice and teachings as expounded in the writings of Shinran. The address of Ultimate Reality as parent, the concept of the "name," and the act of prayer, especially in its petitionary form, are considered in a comparative light. This does not only produce some "reciprocal illumination." It rather leads to an interreligious inquiry into the problem of evil and the problem of freedom and grace as they appear in both traditions. This triggers the insight that both traditions operate within a framework in which dualism and nondualism are simultaneously identified and distinguished.

The Journey of The Mind: Zen Meditation and Contemplative Prayer in the Korean Buddhist and Franciscan Traditions; with Special Reference to "Secrets on Cultivating the Mind" (修心訣 수심결, su shim gyol ) by Pojo Chinul (知訥, 1158–1210) and "The Journey of the Mind into God" ( itinerarium mentis in deum ) by Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (1217–1274)

abstract: This essay explores the parallels in the life and teaching of the Korean Zen master Pojo Chinul (1158–1210) and the Franciscan saint and theologian Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (ca. 1217–1274). Living during the same thirteenth century but on opposite sides of the world, both men committed their lives to reforming the religious life and to attaining the experience of awakening in their respective traditions. To this end, both encouraged the study of their foundational texts, together with the earnest practice of meditation and contemplation. Both commented on the issues of a kataphatic and apophatic approach to ultimate reality, finding in the latter a fuller description (by non-description!) of the goal of the spiritual life. Controlling thoughts and developing intuitive wisdom were practices that united the two men, aiming to establish a constant awareness of the numinous moment by moment. In this way, they rejoiced in the freedom from fear bestowed by awakening to a clear vision of things as they really are in the unity of the infinite yet intimate being that undergirds all things. Ultimately, they seem to part company in the practice of devotion, with Bonaventure pointing to the love of the crucified Jesus, and yet even here, the remembrance of the name of the Buddha or the Christ was valued by both as an authentic path to the journey's goal.

Orphic Sophistry in the Protagoras

This paper investigates a reference to the voice of the legendary musician Orpheus in Plato’s Protagoras. I propose that the Orpheus image does serious philosophical work in the text. Understanding the mythic and religious elements of the Orpheus tradition can help us conceptualize the harms of sophistry from a Platonic viewpoint. In the light of the image, the sophist emerges as a quasi-magical manipulator of rhetorical beauty who charms his students into subrational creatures. Furthermore, the image provides insight into Plato’s conception of the difference between sophistic and Socratic education. Playing on the tradition of Orpheus as (failed) psychopomp, I suggest that the sophist employs a descent-style education which holds students captive in an underworld of glamorous but empty sensibles. In sharp contrast, Socratic ascent-style education pulls students upwards to active contemplation of ultimate reality.

Ars Moriendi. Ethical Challenges of the Ultimate Realities of Life

The aim of this issue of Ethics in Progress is to provide a provisional, open-ended view on the ultimate realities of life and the ethical challenges they pose in medical, sociological, and existential contexts. The issue explores axiologies and meta-ethical narratives related to the art of dying, or in other words the moral domain encompassing the quest for a good life and a good death. Two problematic aspects emerge from the latest body of research: (1) the difficulty involved in tackling ethical challenges in medical and sociological contexts; and (2) the marginal role of the patient’s agency and narrative-ownership of end-of-life decision-making. A direction is pointed out that suggests that interventions across interdisciplinary groups involved in medical aid to dying should focus on promoting ethical behaviour on the side of healthcare personnel. Finally, attention to language, discourse, communication, and the narratives of death and dying call this edition of Ethics in Progress to examine the ontological and epistemological categories that underlie the study of lifeworlds and ‘discourse communities’, which are those associated with moral agents interlacing historical motives, language, communication, normative beliefs, social norms and roles, power relations, hard clinical evidence, and contested values in the context of medical practices and, broadly speaking, practices surrounding death.

The Logic of Dialogue and Dialogical Theology

In this article, I introduce and develop a logic of dialogue and reciprocity as distinguished from a logic of reflection. I argue that interreligious dialogue is not only desirable, but logically necessary for two reasons: one, the logic of dialogue precedes the logic of reflection and, two, the intersubjective dialogue is a precondition for the dialogue with the Ultimate Reality. I proceed in three stages. First, I problematize the terms identity and belonging and expound on the challenge of dialogue. Second, I reflect upon the nature of interreligious dialogue and present my dialogical theology together with its crucial notion of “trans-difference”. Third, I refer to the dialogical philosophies of Buber, Fischer and Gandhi, whose thoughts contribute to a dialogical theology.

Gratitude to the Ultimate Reality in Zhu Xi: A Case Suggesting How God can be a Fitting Target of Prepositional Gratitude

Gratitude to the Ultimate Reality in Zhu Xi: A Case Suggesting How God can be a Fitting Target of Prepositional Gratitude

From Hinduism to Pantheism: An Existentialist Study of Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha

Siddhartha is a novel about the long journey of an existentially frustrated individual in search of ultimate reality and meaning of existence. The protagonist Siddhartha, a Hindu Brahman is inquisitive in nature and never satisfied with the religious, ontological and philosophical teachings of Brahmans. There are similarities between Siddhartha’s journey from Hinduism to Nirvana and Jacques Lacan’s journey from “symbolic order” to “The Real”. (Lundell) The objective of both Lacan and Siddhartha is to discover the real essence of human life. Siddhartha called it nirvana while Lacan called it The Real. Siddhartha’s journey is existential because he starts his journey by rejecting the social, religious and cultural norms and beliefs of his society. He rejects the teachings of Hinduism and Brahmanism and follows his subjective and authentic understanding in search of reality. In existentialism the individual free will is more important than the societal norms and ideologies. (J. P. Sartre) No meaning is beyond the existing subjective understanding of a free individual as is most briefly explained by famous Sartrean slogan; “existence precedes essence” (J.-P. Sartre). The journey of Lacan is also existential because he was an atheist and went in search of reality with no essentialist beliefs and relied on his own subjective understanding and freewill. This essay is aimed at an explanation and exploration of Siddhartha’s experiences in the novel in the light of ideas of Jacques Lacan and Jean-Paul Sartre. Moreover, the objective is to draw an easily comprehensible line between the real human existence and it’s political, discursive, ideological, “hyperreal” and false representations. (Baudrillard)

Belief changes associated with psychedelic use.

Psychedelic use is anecdotally associated with belief changes, although few studies have tested these claims. Characterize a broad range of psychedelic occasioned belief changes. A survey was conducted in 2374 respondents who endorsed having had a belief changing psychedelic experience. Participants rated their agreement with belief statements Before and After the psychedelic experience as well as at the time of survey administration. Factor analysis of 45 belief statements revealed five factors: "Dualism," "Paranormal/Spirituality," "Non-mammal consciousness," "Mammal consciousness," and "Superstition." Medium to large effect sizes from Before to After the experience were observed for increases in beliefs in "Dualism" (β = 0.72), "Paranormal/Spirituality" (β = 0.90), "Non-mammal consciousness" (β = 0.72), and "Mammal consciousness" (β = 0.74). In contrast, negligible changes were observed for "Superstition" (β = -0.18).). At the individual item level, increases in non-physicalist beliefs included belief in reincarnation, communication with the dead, existence of consciousness after death, telepathy, and consciousness of inanimate natural objects (e.g., rocks). The percentage of participants who identified as a "Believer (e.g., in Ultimate Reality, Higher Power, and/or God, etc.)" increased from 29% Before to 59% After." At both the factor and individual item level, higher ratings of mystical experience were associated with greater changes in beliefs. Belief changes assessed after the experience (an average 8.4 years) remained largely unchanged at the time of survey. A single psychedelic experience increased a range of non-physicalist beliefs as well as beliefs about consciousness, meaning, and purpose. Further, the magnitude of belief change is associated with qualitative features of the experience.

Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Legacy of Boston Personalism

Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Legacy of Boston Personalism

“Bodyheartminding” (xin 心): Reconceiving the Inner Self and the Outer World in the Language of Holographic Focus and Field

“Bodyheartminding” (<i>xin</i> 心): Reconceiving the Inner Self and the Outer World in the Language of Holographic Focus and Field

Reading the Universe of Signs Well: Prospects for Partnering Theosemiotic with a Christian Semiotic Theology

Reading the Universe of Signs <i>Well</i>: Prospects for Partnering Theosemiotic with a Christian Semiotic Theology

Reading Readers Reading: A Brief Reply to my Interlocutors

Reading Readers Reading: A Brief Reply to my Interlocutors

A Ratiocinative Assessment of A.J. Ayer’s Rejection of Metaphysics.

Purpose: This paper aims at exposing and appraising the arguments of A.J. Ayer against metaphysics, as reflected in the first chapter of his book, Language, Truth and Logic. It shall explore the basic assumptions, content and concerns of the metaphysical enterprise, and place them in careful juxtaposition with A.J. Ayer’s positivist assumptions in order to discover whether the claims he makes regarding metaphysics are really valid or not. The conclusion will emphasize the relevance and irrefutability of metaphysics.&#x0D; Methodology: The work is expository, analytic, critical and evaluative, in its methodology.&#x0D; Findings: Sir Alfred Julius Ayer was an English philosopher who developed key features of logical positivism. His book Language, Truth, and Logic (1936) is one of the most influential philosophy books in the 20th century, addressing questions of reality, perception, knowledge and meaning. In it Ayer explains important positivist ideas, like the principle of verifiability as a criterion of meaning, the rejection of metaphysics, and the emotivist theory of ethics. In Ayer’s logical empiricism, philosophy is no longer seen as a metaphysical concern, nor as an attempt to provide speculative truths about the nature of ultimate reality. Instead, philosophy is seen as an activity of defining and clarifying the logical relationships of empirical propositions.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to theory, practice and policy (recommendation): The ratiocinative discussion of A. J. Ayer’s rejection of Metaphysics, offers an alternative perspective on how Metaphysics should be construed, given its centrality to, and in-eliminability in philosophical discourses.

Taoism and teaching without words

The concept of Tao occupies a core position in Taoism and even the entire Chinese classical philosophy. For philosophical Taoism, ‘Tao’ is the ultimate reality. Therefore, exploring Taoist epistemology, its role in governance, education and self-cultivation is necessary. The only way that can be approached beyond human ability to fathom ‘Tao’ is beyond mere reasoning or words. Thus, the basic guiding principles behind Taoism for approaching Tao are ‘no action’ and ‘no words’. In traditional Chinese philosophy, following Tao to cultivate oneself is teaching, so as Taoism advocates the teaching of non-action beyond words. The educational thought of Taoist also strongly dismisses the notion of ‘learning’, which is at odds with the Confucians and majority of Westerns. However, Taoism does not negate the importance of learning to attain knowledge, while only opposes the so-called knowledge that is cumbersome, limited, rigid and antagonistic. According to the Taoist thought, children like all human beings are guided naturally and attain fulfillment in harmony with the rest of the world. Enlightenment is a continual and constant process that can be attained by gradual self-transformation until the Tao is realized. Teaching without words seems to be a negative method, while it actually possesses significance. Excessive addiction to knowledge and efficiency drifts modern education away from Taoism. Excavating the educational significance of Taoist ancient philosophical heritage can facilitate us understanding the true nature of education.

Tropology or the doctrine of realities?

The author analyzes S.S. Neretina's ideas and concept of tropology, comparing this discourse with the doctrine of reality, which he has been developing for many years. He agrees with Neretina's position that the work is a way of transforming a person, sets the task of understanding the idea and discourse of tropology, notes that where Neretina talks about paths and turns, he uses the expression "change of realities" or "change of events in a certain reality". Neretina's understanding of the concept of tropes is analyzed, not just as a turn and a change of point of view, but also as a desire to escape from traditional, everyday life, the events of which are absurd and random, as a discourse that changes vision and thinking, finally, as a change in the basic reality (there was a God, there was a Word, then the world created by the Word). To understand, the author analyzes two cases in which metaphors were clearly used (one of the types of trope); the purpose is to demonstrate reconstruction using the concepts of the doctrine of realities, as well as to test the possibilities of tropology. The example of Neretina's path about the king is analyzed, in this case it is both a turn and a turn within the framework of the Christian worldview. In the first case, the author points to a reality that is difficult to identify with the main one, due to the fact that we have either lost our understanding of it or are dealing with many, different realities in the absence of the main one. In the second case, it is said either about splitting from the Christian ultimate reality, yet one of the main characters is God, or simply about a conceivable and imaginary reality, which is naturally very problematic to implement. At the end of the study, it is concluded that the discourse of tropology is complementary to the author's discourse of the doctrine of realities.

Devkota’s Realization of Ultimate Reality: A Vedantic Reading on "Shūnyamā Shūnyasarī"

This article analyzes Laxmi Prasad Devkota's Nepali poem "Shūnyamā Shūnyasarī" ("Being Empty in Emptiness") by using the insights of the Vedanta that has a special focus on non-dual (Advaita) philosophy. The poem is devotional as well as confessional, which is a common theme of South Asian literature composed in the Bhakti ("devotional”) tradition. Devkota, the last hour of his life, realized that he really went astray and could not follow his own tradition, culture, religion and spirituality properly. Although it was too late for him to correct his past mistakes, he accepted Lord Shrī Krishṇa as the essence of life; all the other things are Sūnya (“void, Māyā, illusion, nothing, or meaningless"). Sūnya means asat ("unreal"), which is not in existence really. Finally, the poet Devkota acknowledged that he vanished into void like a void being meaningless. He could not devote his life to seek Lord Shrī Krishṇa, who is the ultimate reality or essence of the universe. Devkota suggests that the goal of life should be to attain the ultimate reality for eternal liberation or perpetual peace and unbound joy. Life should be spent for this spiritual purpose. Life becomes meaningless if one dies without this kind of spiritual awareness.

Pursuit of Moksha through Existential Anxiety and Karma in Ghanashyam Khadka’s Nirvana

The idea of struggle for existence is always the turning point for the search for ultimate reality. Reality leads to realization. Moksha is the point of ultimate realization. Based on the theme of Moksha, the novel Nirvana by Ghanashyam Khadka proposes a new mode of defining and exemplifying the process of Moksha. This study explores how the transitoriness in life and the realization of meaninglessness in life have conditioned us to accept every dimension of Dukha, which ultimately leads us to enlightenment and Nirvana. Grounded on the principles of existential anxiety and the search for Moksha through Gita philosophy, this study examines how the queries on the truth of life and death lead to the realization of the value of death in life. These queries are meant for existence and they properly lead to the level of Moksha. Before knowing the truth of human limitation to the knowledge of worldly existence and life, human beings are disturbed by the destined events of life, but these events become the sources of the perfect knowledge to enable one to be free from all worldly sorrows and pains. The experience of sadness and loneliness in life makes people think that they should give up anger and malice on the journey of life to understanding the truth, the Moksha. The novel, Nirvana, shows the central characters, Monika and the narrator, undergoing long troubles of life individually, have realized ultimate peace when they have followed Buddhist meditation in search of Nirvana, but throughout their life, they are guided by the Gita theory of Karma and essence.