DOCSLIB.ORG

Buddhist Echoes in University Education: a Comparative Study of China and Canada1

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Buddhist Echoes in University Education: a Comparative Study of China and Canada1 362 Part 4: Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Social Inclusion DONG ZHAO BUDDHIST ECHOES IN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CHINA AND CANADA1 Abstract Postmodern university education should provide students with, among other things, a third eye of wisdom to see the world and themselves. The enculturation of Buddhism in university education serves to realize this grand aim. This paper first examines the historical development and practical significance of the Buddhist components in both Chinese and Canadian contexts. Based on the cases of representative universities in the two countries, it then analyzes the permeation of Buddhism in the two countries’ university education, comparing the implications of Buddhist education in their respective higher-learning contexts. The findings indicate how, in their own ways, Chinese and Canadian universities employ Buddhist concepts in shaping students’ morality, enriching the humanistic and / or liberal education and assisting students in adapting to the changing world. Buddhism and Society in Postmodern Contexts: The Case of China Buddhism in China is more than 2,000 years old. Its greatest popularity and climactic development was in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). As New China walked on the road of socialism, religion was undergoing a revival. As life gets more materialistically oriented, and urban pressures increase, spiritual needs are becoming more of a necessity than other modern conveniences. Buddhism is showing signs of vigorous life in the cities and countryside of China as a result of its vitality to adjust itself to modern conditions. This strong resurgence of Buddhism in contemporary China, such as the renovation of monasteries, the various Buddhist ceremonies and cultural festivals may be explained by the softening or flexibility of the Communist Party’s policy towards religions after the Reform and Open policies in the early 80s of the 20th century.2 Buddhism helps the present-day Chinese to find meaning and value in a rapidly changing society. The Chinese culture has always emphasized the importance of combining moral education and skills training. This point was stressed by the Confucian tradition that employees tools to help students to cultivate “the core of values fostering a spirit of self-discipline, family solidarity, public morality and social responsibility” (Yao, 2003, p. 283). Chinese philosophy and Buddhist wisdom have helped in the overall development of Chinese students and intelligentsia. Humanistic Buddhism advocated by Master Taixu and others focuses on personal development in the mundane world for the benefit of oneself and others dwelling in the secular society as well as the equality and love of all living creatures and the environment. Its goals of personal refinement, the improvement of individual and social life, success in this 1 This paper is supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, No. 2009JJ075. 2 For an insightful critique of Chinese religious policy, refer to Leung, B. (2005). Dong Zhao 363 world and the hereafter, and elevating ethical development all contribute to all-round development of an individual in the postmodern society. Generally speaking, Buddhist education aims at training humans to deliver themselves out of suffering. The greatest treasure or asset of Buddhist philosophy is education in wisdom and the resultant virtue from the product of Buddhist enlightenment. The Chinese government has realized that it is unwise to discard Chinese ancient civilization or wisdom; rather, it should be rekindled to compete with the prevalent westernization of the Chinese youth. The natural result of this orientation is the resurgence and the popularity of Chan Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism and other sects of Buddhism in China today. The positive and soul-reaching influence of Buddhist education upon human society is evident during the course of its development in China. Since Confucianism, for all its systematic doctrines of an ideal social structure, emphasizes too much on people’s abiding attachment to individual and social achievements, Buddhism offers the much needed morality based on altruism in order to achieve the healthy development of the nation. As I argue, the Buddhist enculturation in education is to infuse moral and spiritual values into the present materialistic and technical education practice, for the modern education cannot solve crises and conflicts incurred by current world developments. Buddhism can show or remind the modern people what they should do to preserve the world, nature and all sentient beings in it. Buddhism and Society in Postmodern Contexts: The Case of Canada There are two major means by which Canadians have contacted and benefited from Buddhism, the transformative teaching from Asia: through immigrants from Asian countries and through universities and colleges that teach and research Buddhism. Chinese and Japanese workers who came to Canada to work on the railroads first brought Buddhism to Canada. In 1905, the first Buddhist temple was set up in British Columbia, and was moved to Vancouver the next year. The largest Buddhist organization in Canada was created by the Japanese Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism, with temples set up in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. A substantial expansion of Buddhism in Canada began in the last half of the 20th century. During and after World War II, with a large number of Japanese- Canadians moving to Alberta, this province became the most important place for Buddhism in Canada. As Terry Watada comments, “The revival of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism from near eradication is attributable to the exile of Japanese Canadians from the West Coast to Southern Alberta” (Watada, 1996). Alberta thus became the cradle of the academic study of Buddhism in North America. This monastic orientation in the spread of Buddhism in Canada was later replaced by Zen Buddhism, which believed in the potential Buddha-hood for all. The monumental event for this epoch-making transition was marked by the establishment of The Zen Lotus Society in 1967 by Venerable Samu Sunim. The name of the Society was changed to Buddhist Society for Compassionate Wisdom, a North American Buddhist Order with five mission operations: in Ann Arbor, Chicago, New York City, Toronto, and Mexico City. The significance of this change is that Buddhism in Canada, after more than two decades of Asian styles of monasticism, is now open to all people who wish to seek enlightenment and 364 Buddhist Echoes in University Education: A Comparative Study of China and Canada liberation from the anxieties and sufferings in the postmodern complexities of the world. Zen emphasizes the attainment of enlightenment and the personal direct insight in the Buddhist teachings, playing down on the importance of sutras and doctrines and favoring direct understanding through zazen and interaction with a master. The Zen Buddhist mission centers in Canada aim to propagate the meditation movement to initiate a culture of enlightenment and green spirituality. The Universal Buddhist Temple, as a traditional Chinese Buddhist temple in Vancouver, practices Pure Land and Chan (Zen) Buddhism with Confucian and Taoist spirituality tendencies. The temple focuses on meditation and parapsychology to help maintain the psychological and spiritual well-being of the Canadians. Moreover, the international Buddhist movements from Taiwan—the Amitabha Buddhist Societies, the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Association, Dharma Drum Mountain, Foguangshan, True Buddha school—all have multiples centers in various parts of Canada (Irons, 2008). In sum, a variety of factors have combined to greatly increase the Buddhist presence in Canada. As Kenneth Tanaka (Prebish & Tanaka, 1998, p. 294) has pointed out, The plurality of religions also characterizes the Buddhist groups as well, for virtually every school of Buddhism has now found a foothold on American soil. These schools now exist side by side, often in the same community – a situation unthinkable in Asia, where they often had no knowledge of each other. With Buddhism becoming a major religion in Canada over the last half-century, it is no longer ‘ethnic’ associated only with immigrant Asian people; there is also a growing constituency of Euro-Canadian Buddhists conscientiously dedicated to the faith. At present, close to 500 Buddhist organizations (including temples, centers, associations, retreats, charities, businesses, etc.) are prospering in Canada, manifesting the doctrines and practices of the entire spectrum of Buddhist schools in Asia and guiding an estimated number of 250,000 adherents.3 According to the 2001 census, the number of Buddhists increased 84% to about 300,300, or about 1% of the Canadian population.4 For all these factors and others, it could be said that Buddhism has had a fascinating history in Canada. Buddhism in Chinese Universities Throughout the history of China, Buddhism and the traditional Chinese education had always been hand in hand in their common pursuit of wisdom. Chinese universities often undertake the responsibility of providing Buddhist courses, since Buddhist education is proved constructive in cultivating eligible citizens with healthy personalities during the higher-learning phase. After the serious disruption of all religions in China during the Great Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), both Buddhism and higher education have experienced a revival and resurgence. For the students in the socialist China, the nature of
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Number 3 2011 Korean Buddhist Art
    NUMBER 3 2011 KOREAN BUDDHIST ART KOREAN ART SOCIETY JOURNAL NUMBER 3 2011 Korean Buddhist Art Publisher and Editor: Robert Turley, President of the Korean Art Society and Korean Art and Antiques CONTENTS About the Authors…………………………………………..………………...…..……...3-6 Publisher’s Greeting…...…………………………….…….………………..……....….....7 The Museum of Korean Buddhist Art by Robert Turley…………………..…..…..8-10 Twenty Selections from the Museum of Korean Buddhist Art by Dae Sung Kwon, Do Kyun Kwon, and Hyung Don Kwon………………….….11-37 Korean Buddhism in the Far East by Henrik Sorensen……………………..…….38-53 Korean Buddhism in East Asian Context by Robert Buswell……………………54-61 Buddhist Art in Korea by Youngsook Pak…………………………………..……...62-66 Image, Iconography and Belief in Early Korean Buddhism by Jonathan Best.67-87 Early Korean Buddhist Sculpture by Lena Kim…………………………………....88-94 The Taenghwa Tradition in Korean Buddhism by Henrik Sorensen…………..95-115 The Sound of Ecstasy and Nectar of Enlightenment by Lauren Deutsch…..116-122 The Korean Buddhist Rite of the Dead: Yeongsan-jae by Theresa Ki-ja Kim123-143 Dado: The Korean Way of Tea by Lauren Deutsch……………………………...144-149 Korean Art Society Events…………………………………………………………..150-154 Korean Art Society Press……………………………………………………………155-162 Bibliography of Korean Buddhism by Kenneth R. Robinson…...…………….163-199 Join the Korean Art Society……………...………….…….……………………...……...200 About the Authors 1 About the Authors All text and photographs contained herein are the property of the individual authors and any duplication without permission of the authors is a violation of applicable laws. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY THE INDIVIDUAL AUTHORS. Please click on the links in the bios below to order each author’s publications or to learn more about their activities.
    [Show full text]
  • Transcendent Spirituality in Tibetan Tantric Buddhism Bruce M
    RETN1313289 Techset Composition India (P) Ltd., Bangalore and Chennai, India 4/3/2017 ETHNOS, 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00141844.2017.1313289 5 Self-possessed and Self-governed: Transcendent Spirituality in Tibetan Tantric Buddhism Bruce M. Knauft 10 Emory University, USA ABSTRACT Among Tibetan Buddhist tantric practitioners, including in the U.S., visualisation and incorporation of mandala deities imparts a parallel world against which conventional 15 reality is considered impermanent and afflicted. Tantric adepts aspire through meditation, visualisation, and mind-training to dissolve normal selfhood and simultaneously embrace both ‘conventional’ and ‘ultimate’ reality. Ethics of compassion encourage efficient reengagement with conventional world dynamics rather than escaping them: the transcendental ‘non-self’ is perceived to inform efficient and compassionate waking consciousness. Transformation of subjective 20 ontology in tantric self-possession resonates with Foucault’s late exploration of ethical self-relationship in alternative technologies of subjectivation and with Luhrmann’s notion of transcendent spiritual absorption through skilled learning and internalisation. Incorporating recent developments in American Tibetan Buddhism, this paper draws upon information derived from a range of scholarly visits to rural and urban areas of the Himalayas, teachings by and practices with contemporary 25 Tibetan lamas, including in the U.S., and historical and philosophical Buddhist literature and commentaries. CE: PV QA: Coll: KEYWORDS Tibetan Buddhism; tantra; spirituality; selfhood; ontology; spirit possession 30 This paper considers dynamics of transcendent spirituality in a cultural context that has often remained outside received considerations of spirit possession: Tibetan Buddhist tantras. I am concerned especially the Sarma or ‘new translation’ generation and com- pletion stage practices associated with highest yoga tantra in Tibetan Buddhist Gelug and Kagyü sects.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Churches of America Records LSC.2364
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8v412d7 No online items Finding aid for the Buddhist Churches of America Records LSC.2364 Finding aid prepared by Lauren Zuchowski (Japanese American National Museum), 2016; Matthew Hayes, Krystell Jimenez, Alejandro Adame, and Tess Livesley-O'Neill, 2019-2020. UCLA Library Special Collections Online finding aid last updated 2020 November 30. Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library Box 951575 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575 [email protected] URL: https://www.library.ucla.edu/special-collections Finding aid for the Buddhist Churches LSC.2364 1 of America Records LSC.2364 Contributing Institution: UCLA Library Special Collections Title: Buddhist Churches of America records Creator: Buddhist Churches of America Identifier/Call Number: LSC.2364 Physical Description: 435 Linear Feet (291 record cartons, 124 document boxes, 61 flat boxes and panorama folders) Date (inclusive): 1832-2016 Abstract: The Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) is a national organization of the Jōdo Shinshū Hongwanji sect in the continental United States. Formerly known as the Buddhist Mission of North America (BMNA), the BCA is the largest Japanese American Buddhist organization and is currently headquartered in San Francisco, California. The collection includes correspondence between headquarters in the United States, Jōdo Shinshū Hongwanji Headquarters in Kyoto, Japan, and individual temples, as well as meeting minutes and conference materials, education-related records, publications, financial records, and audiovisual materials in a wide variety of formats. Portions of the collection stored off-site. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhism, Power and Political Order
    BUDDHISM, POWER AND POLITICAL ORDER Weber’s claim that Buddhism is an otherworldly religion is only partially true. Early sources indicate that the Buddha was sometimes diverted from supra- mundane interests to dwell on a variety of politically related matters. The significance of Asoka Maurya as a paradigm for later traditions of Buddhist kingship is also well attested. However, there has been little scholarly effort to integrate findings on the extent to which Buddhism interacted with the polit- ical order in the classical and modern states of Theravada Asia into a wider, comparative study. This volume brings together the brightest minds in the study of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. Their contributions create a more coherent account of the relations between Buddhism and political order in the late pre-modern and modern period by questioning the contested relationship between monastic and secular power. In doing so, they expand the very nature of what is known as the ‘Theravada’. This book offers new insights for scholars of Buddhism, and it will stimulate new debates. Ian Harris is Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Cumbria, Lancaster, and was Senior Scholar at the Becket Institute, St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford, from 2001 to 2004. He is co-founder of the UK Association for Buddhist Studies and has written widely on aspects of Buddhist ethics. His most recent book is Cambodian Buddhism: History and Practice (2005), and he is currently responsible for a research project on Buddhism and Cambodian Communism at the Documentation Center of Cambodia [DC-Cam], Phnom Penh. ROUTLEDGE CRITICAL STUDIES IN BUDDHISM General Editors: Charles S.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhism in the Public Sphere
    BUDDHISM IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE The core teachings and practices of Buddhism are systematically directed toward developing keen and caring insight into the relational or interdependent nature of all things. This book applies Buddhist thought to reflect on the challenges to public good created by emerging social, economic, and political realities associated with increasingly complex global interdependence. In eight chapters, key arenas for public policy are addressed: the environment, health, media, trade and development, the interplay of politics and religion, international relations, terror and security, and education. Each chapter explains how a specific issue area has come to be shaped by complex interdependence and offers specific insights into directing the dynamic of this interdependence toward greater equity, sustainability, and freedom. Thereby, a sustained meditation on the meaning and means of realizing public good is put forward, emphasizing the critical role of a Buddhist conception of diversity that is relevant across the full spectrum of policy domains and that becomes increasingly forceful as concerns shift from the local to the global. Peter D. Hershock is Coordinator of the Asian Studies Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i. His research interests focus on the philosophical dimensions of Chan Buddhism and on using the resources of Buddhist thought and practice to address contemporary issues. He is the author of several books and articles on Buddhist Philosophy and Chinese Religion and Philosophy. ROUTLEDGE CRITICAL STUDIES IN BUDDHISM General Editors Charles S. Prebish and Damien Keown Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism is a comprehensive study of the Buddhist tradition. The series explores this complex and extensive tradition from a variety of perspectives, using a range of different methodologies.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 the Lotus in the West Hannah Olle Buddhism in Britain Is a Relatively
    The Lotus in the West Hannah Olle Buddhism in Britain is a relatively new phenomenon. Tentatively, however, the lotus is growing and taking root. The Sheffield Buddhist Centre is a small element of this. The Centre is a part of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), a worldwide organisation which was set up in Britain in 1967, by a British monk named Sangararkshita, who had been ordained in India after the Second World War. His aim was to ‘translate’ Buddhism so that it would be accessible for Westerners. Today, the movement has a Centre in most major cities in Britain, although membership numbers still remain relatively low. Each Centre organises classes for the practice of meditation and rituals, as well as the study of Buddhist texts. There are three levels of participation: ‘Friends of the Order’, whose only involvement is practicing at the Centre; ‘Mitras’, who have made a small commitment to the Order; and those who have joined the Order. This paper is an account of a small-scale study of the Sheffield Centre. In order to establish a context for this study, I shall begin by considering theories of religion 1 and modernity in the West, ideas concerning New Religious Movements and the New Age, and the literature about Buddhism in Britain. Modernity, disenchantment and secularisation in the rational world Approaches to religion in the modern Western world fall into three strands: those which view religion in decline as a result of modernity; those which acknowledge a change in the nature of religion in society, but argue that spirituality still exists in some form; and, more recently, those which consider religion from a postmodern perspective.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Manuscript Cultures
    Buddhist Manuscript Cultures Buddhist Manuscript Cultures explores how religious and cultural practices in pre- modern Asia were shaped by literary and artistic traditions as well as by Buddhist material culture. This study of Buddhist texts focuses on the significance of their material forms rather than their doctrinal contents and examines how and why they were made. Collectively, the book offers cross-cultural and comparative insights into the transmission of Buddhist knowledge and the use of texts and images as ritual objects in the artistic and aesthetic traditions of Buddhist cultures. Drawing on case studies from India, Gandhara, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mongolia, China, and Nepal, the chapters included investigate the range of interests and values associated with producing and using written texts and the roles manuscripts and images play in the transmission of Buddhist texts and in fostering devotion among Buddhist communities. Contributions are by reputed scholars in Buddhist Studies and represent diverse disciplinary approaches from religious studies, art history, anthropology, and history. This book will be of interest to scholars and students working in these fields. Stephen C. Berkwitz is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Missouri State University. His research focuses on Buddhist Studies in Sri Lanka. At present, he is preparing South Asian Buddhism: A Survey, also for publication with Routledge. Juliane Schober is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies, Arizona State University. Her research focuses on Theravada Buddhism in Burma, particularly on ritual, sacred geography, and the veneration of icons in the modern state cult. Claudia Brown is Professor of Art History, Arizona State University.
    [Show full text]
  • ARTICLE I – Tzu Chi Stony Brook Collegiate Association the Tzu Chi
    ARTICLE I – Tzu Chi Stony Brook Collegiate Association The Tzu Chi Stony Brook Collegiate Association will be the name under which this organization will be registered, if in concurrence with the Department of Student Engagement and Activities. The organization’s name is affiliated with the Taiwanese Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, which is a renowned non-profit organization that prominently contributes to better our society through a wide range of volunteer-based activities involving charity, medical care, education, culture, international relief, bone marrow donation, environmental protection and community volunteers. Thus, the incorporation of Tzu Chi Foundation within the name of a spiritual/religious organization will activate and integrate the role of helping the community within the practice of Buddhist philosophy. This organization was formerly known as the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Stony Brook Chapter. ARTICLE II - PURPOSE The main mission is to introduce Buddhism and Asian culture to all kinds of ethnic groups on campus, who will be provided an opportunity to learn and care for others, while developing an inner balance of spiritual happiness and understanding of the culture of Buddhism, through coordination with the Tzu Chi Foundation activities. The Tzu Chi Stony Brook Collegiate Association mission statement will contribute to the five-part mission of Stony Brook University, as the organization will implement a variety of activities and events for members of all ethnicity to participate, among which many activities will play a role in serving the Stony Brook community to the most possible extent. Activities and events will strive to stimulate cultural and religious enrichment, through Buddhist sutra prayers, religion and cultural discussions, health fairs, and cultural learning, which would include sign language performance, flower arranging, tea ceremonies, and calligraphy.
    [Show full text]
  • Validity and Reliability of a Revised Scale of Attitude Towards Buddhism (TSAB-R)
    religions Article Validity and Reliability of a Revised Scale of Attitude towards Buddhism (TSAB-R) Phra Nicholas Thanissaro WRERU, Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK; [email protected]; Tel.: +44-24-7652-3800 Academic Editor: Arndt Büssing Received: 26 February 2016; Accepted: 20 April 2016; Published: 28 April 2016 Abstract: The empirical properties of a revised 24-item instrument called the Thanissaro Scale of Attitude towards Buddhism (TSAB-R) designed to measure Buddhist affective religiosity are described. The instrument was tested on adolescents and teenagers in the UK. Discriminant validity of the instrument was found satisfactory in relation to Buddhist affiliation and content validity in relation to religious involvement with temple attendance, scripture reading, meditation, having had a religious or spiritual experience and religious style. Unlike Christians, for Buddhists, affective religiosity was found to vary independently from age and sex. The differential between heritage and convert religious style of Buddhism was linked to the perceived affective religiosity of the Buddhist features of the home shrine and bowing to parents. Factor analysis revealed two subscales within the instrument for intellectual and affective components. With confirmation of the validity and reliability of the revised scale, the instrument is commended for measurement of Buddhist affective religiosity with adults and children down to the age of 13 years. Keywords: Buddhism; religiosity; quantitative measure; affective religiosity 1. Introduction Modelling the religious sphere of life has led to the development of over 125 measurement scales [1]. Broadly speaking, the four core aspects of religiosity amenable to measurement include: religious belief, attitude to religion, religious participation and affiliation ([2], pp.
    [Show full text]
  • Metaphor and Literalism in Buddhism
    METAPHOR AND LITERALISM IN BUDDHISM The notion of nirvana originally used the image of extinguishing a fire. Although the attainment of nirvana, ultimate liberation, is the focus of the Buddha’s teaching, its interpretation has been a constant problem to Buddhist exegetes, and has changed in different historical and doctrinal contexts. The concept is so central that changes in its understanding have necessarily involved much larger shifts in doctrine. This book studies the doctrinal development of the Pali nirvana and sub- sequent tradition and compares it with the Chinese Agama and its traditional interpretation. It clarifies early doctrinal developments of nirvana and traces the word and related terms back to their original metaphorical contexts. Thereby, it elucidates diverse interpretations and doctrinal and philosophical developments in the abhidharma exegeses and treatises of Southern and Northern Buddhist schools. Finally, the book examines which school, if any, kept the original meaning and reference of nirvana. Soonil Hwang is Assistant Professor in the Department of Indian Philosophy at Dongguk University, Seoul. His research interests are focused upon early Indian Buddhism, Buddhist Philosophy and Sectarian Buddhism. ROUTLEDGE CRITICAL STUDIES IN BUDDHISM General Editors: Charles S. Prebish and Damien Keown Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism is a comprehensive study of the Buddhist tradition. The series explores this complex and extensive tradition from a variety of perspectives, using a range of different methodologies. The series is diverse in its focus, including historical studies, textual translations and commentaries, sociological investigations, bibliographic studies, and considera- tions of religious practice as an expression of Buddhism’s integral religiosity. It also presents materials on modern intellectual historical studies, including the role of Buddhist thought and scholarship in a contemporary, critical context and in the light of current social issues.
    [Show full text]
  • PACIFIC WORLD Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies
    PACIFIC WORLD Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies Third Series Number 12 Fall 2010 Special Issue: Buddhisms in Japan FRONT COVER PACIFIC WORLD: Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies Third Series, Number 12 Fall 2010 SPINE PACIFIC WORLD Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies HALF-TITLE PAGE i Presentation of Doctorate Honoris Causa to Rev. Toshihide Numata at Mitutoyo Sosensai service, Aurora, Illinois, 14 July 2011. Left to right: Rev. Toshihide Numata, President of Mitutoyo Corporation, and of Buk- kyo Dendo Kyokai, Rev. Koshin Ogui, Socho of the Buddhist Churches of America and President of the Institute of Buddhist Studies, and Dr. Richard K. Payne, Dean of the Institute of Buddhist Studes and Yehan Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhist Studies. REVERSE HALF TITLE ii PACIFIC WORLD Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies Third Series Number 12 Fall 2010 SPECIAL ISSUE: BUDDHISMS IN JAPAN TITLE iii Pacific World is an annual journal in English devoted to the dissemination of his- torical, textual, critical, and interpretive articles on Buddhism generally and Shinshu Buddhism particularly to both academic and lay readerships. The journal is distributed free of charge. Articles for consideration by the Pacific World are welcomed and are to be submitted in English and addressed to the Editor, Pacific World, 2140 Durant Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704-1589, USA. Acknowledgment: This annual publication is made possible by the donation of BDK America of Berkeley, California. Guidelines for Authors: Manuscripts (approximately twenty standard pages) should be typed double-spaced with 1-inch margins. Notes are to be endnotes with full biblio- graphic information in the note first mentioning a work, i.e., no separate bibliography.
    [Show full text]
  • Editorial (CJBS 6, 2010)
    Editorial (CJBS 6, 2010) Yet another issue of the Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies brings you a pageant of articles, again covering the areas of Theory ( pariyatti ), Praxis (pa ṭipatti ) and Insight ( pa ṭivedha ). We are happy again to begin the issue with Bhikkhu Analayo , continuing, in the third in his series, to draw upon parallel Suttas in the early Pali tradition and the later Chinese Agama. His focus is on “Paccekabuddhas in the Isigili-sutta and its Ekottarika-Agama Parallel”. After providing a translation of the Chinese rendition, on the basis of a text of “a so far undetermined school affiliation…”, he goes on to do a careful textual study, pointing to the commonalities and differences. Looking back on the parallels, the author concludes that both versions “appear to have incorporated later additions.” In the next piece, Wing-Cheuk Chan writes on “No-Mind and Nothingness: from Zen Buddhism to Heidegger”. In the Zen Buddhism of the Tang Dynasty, the doctrine of wu-shin ‘No Mind’ came to play a key role, while in the interpretation of the Sung Dynasty, the focus came to be on the notion of wu ‘Nothingness’. Pointing to the fact that, however, the meaning still remains unclear in modern scholarship, the author seeks to show how the Heidegger’s doctrine of Dasein can help achieve a proper understanding of the associated concepts. In the third paper in Pariyatti, we present a linguistics piece by Bryan Levman , “Aśokan Phonology and the Language of the Earliest Buddhist Tradition ”. He points out how “The extant Middle Indic Buddhist scriptures in P āli, BHS [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit] and G āndh ārī are translation remnants from a lost oral transmission dialect called Buddhist Middle Indic (BMI)”, a kind of “ Buddhist lingua franca, a phonologically simplified portmanteau language”.
    [Show full text]