DOCSLIB.ORG

Metaphor and Literalism in Buddhism

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

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. The series is expansive and imaginative in scope, span- ning more than two and a half millennia of Buddhist history. It is receptive to all research works that inform and advance our knowledge and understanding of the Buddhist tradition. A SURVEY OF VINAYA PAIN AND ITS ENDING LITERATURE Carol S. Anderson Charles S. Prebish EMPTINESS APPRAISED THE REFLEXIVE NATURE OF David F. Burton AWARENESS THE SOUND OF LIBERATING Paul Williams TRUTH ALTRUISM AND REALITY Edited by Sallie B. King and Paul Williams Paul O. Ingram BUDDHISM AND HUMAN BUDDHIST THEOLOGY RIGHTS Edited by Roger R. Jackson and Edited by Damien Keown, John J. Makransky Charles Prebish and Wayne Husted THE GLORIOUS DEEDS OF WOMEN IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PURNA THE BUDDHA Joel Tatelman Kathryn R. Blackstone EARLY BUDDHISM – A NEW THE RESONANCE OF EMPTINESS APPROACH Gay Watson Sue Hamilton AMERICAN BUDDHISM CONTEMPORARY BUDDHIST Edited by Duncan Ryuken Williams and ETHICS Christopher Queen Edited by Damien Keown IMAGING WISDOM INNOVATIVE BUDDHIST WOMEN Jacob N. Kinnard Edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo TEACHING BUDDHISM THE BUDDHIST THEORY OF IN THE WEST SELF-COGNITION Edited by V. S. Hori, R. P. Hayes Zhihua Yao and J. M. Shields MORAL THEORY IN EMPTY VISION SANTIDEVA’S SIKSASAMUCCAYA David L. McMahan Barbra R. Clayton SELF, REALITY AND REASON IN BUDDHIST STUDIES FROM TIBETAN PHILOSOPHY INDIA TO AMERICA Thupten Jinpa Edited by Damien Keown IN DEFENSE OF DHARMA DISCOURSE AND IDEOLOGY IN Tessa J. Bartholomeusz MEDIEVAL JAPANESE BUDDHISM BUDDHIST PHENOMENOLOGY Edited by Richard K. Payne and Dan Lusthaus Taigen Dan Leighton RELIGIOUS MOTIVATION AND BUDDHIST THOUGHT AND THE ORIGINS OF BUDDHISM APPLIED PSYCHOLOGICAL Torkel Brekke RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS IN Edited by D. K. Nauriyal, AUSTRALIAN BUDDHISM Michael S. Drummond and Y. B. Lal Michelle Spuler BUDDHISM IN CANADA ZEN WAR STORIES Edited by Bruce Matthews Brian Victoria BUDDHISM, CONFLICT AND THE BUDDHIST UNCONSCIOUS VIOLENCE IN MODERN William S. Waldron SRI LANKA Edited by Mahinda Deegalle INDIAN BUDDHIST THEORIES OF PERSONS THERAVfDA BUDDHISM AND James Duerlinger THE BRITISH ENCOUNTER Elizabeth Harris ACTION DHARMA Edited by Christopher Queen, BEYOND ENLIGHTENMENT Charles Prebish and Damien Keown Richard Cohen TIBETAN AND ZEN BUDDHISM BUDDHISM IN THE PUBLIC IN BRITAIN SPHERE David N. Kay Peter D. Hershock THE CONCEPT OF THE BUDDHA BRITISH BUDDHISM Guang Xing Robert Bluck THE PHILOSOPHY OF DESIRE IN BUDDHIST NUNS IN TAIWAN THE BUDDHIST PALI CANON AND SRI LANKA David Webster Wei-Yi Chang THE NOTION OF DITTHI IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM Paul Fuller The following titles are published in association with the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies a project of The Society for the Wider Understanding of the Buddhist Tradition The Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies conducts and promotes rigorous teaching and research into all forms of the Buddhist tradition. EARLY BUDDHIST METAPHYSICS Noa Ronkin MIPHAM’S DIALECTICS AND THE DEBATES ON EMPTINESS Karma Phuntsho HOW BUDDHISM BEGAN Richard F. Gombrich BUDDHIST MEDITATION Sarah Shaw REMAKING BUDDHISM FOR MEDIEVAL NEPAL Will Tuladhar-Douglas METAPHOR AND LITERALISM IN BUDDHISM Soonil Hwang METAPHOR AND LITERALISM IN BUDDHISM The doctrinal history of nirvana Soonil Hwang ~l Routledge ~ ~ Taylor & Francis Group LONDON AND NEW YORK First published 2006 by Routledge Published 2017 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright © 2006 Soonil Hwang Typeset in Times New Roman by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong The Open Access version of this book, available at www.tandfebooks.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Hwang, Soonil, 1968– Metaphor and literalism in Buddhism : the doctrinal history of nirvana / Hwang, Soonil. p. cm. — (Routledge critical studies in Buddhism) Includes translations from Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese. ‘Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies.’ Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Nirvana. 2. Buddhism—Doctrines—History. I. Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies. II. Title. III. Series. BQ4263.H83 2006 294.3′423—dc20 2005036655 ISBN13: 978-0-415-35550-6 (hbk) FOR DONGJE MY ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE DAUGHTER Allie CONTENTS List of figures and tables x Preface xi List of abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 PART 1 The doctrinal development of nirvana in early Indian Buddhism 7 1 Nirvana and its reference 9 2 The two nirvana theory in the early canon 14 3 Developments of the two nirvana theory 36 4 Nirvana in the Theravada Buddhist tradition 50 5 Nirvana in Northern Buddhist schools 77 6 Conclusion 106 PART 2 Annotated translations of the related texts in Pali, Sanskrit and Chinese 113 Selected sources for the nirvana concept and the two nirvana theory 115 Notes 126 Bibliography 153 Index 158 ix FIGURES AND TABLES Figures 2.1 Potter’s wheel 15 2.2 Either non-returner or arahant 15 Tables 2.1 Five aggregates and cognitive process 22 2.2 Four and seven noble persons 25 2.3 Ten fetters 26 3.1 Relative chronology of Chinese abhidharma texts 39 3.2 The sequence of emerging from nirvana with a remainder of clinging 44 4.1 Five skandha, twelve Ayatana and eighteen dhAtu 65 5.1 Rebirth process between the Sarvastivada-Vaibhalikas and the Sautrantikas 90 5.2 KleUa and anuUaya from the Sautrantika viewpoint 92 5.3 Eight characteristics arising with a conditioned dharma 102 5.4 Summary of the doctrinal development of nirvana 105 x PREFACE I am glad to be able to thank all those who have helped me to complete this book. It was written originally as a DPhil thesis in Mansfield College, Oxford. I have been using various libraries under the university; in particu- lar, I would like to mention Chinese Studies library, a cosy little library in Walton Street, where I spent most of my time to produce this thesis. White Lotus Foundation (Korea) kindly gave me a scholarship award to support me financially to complete my research. The UK government also granted me a British Korean Scholarship award during the financial crisis in South Korea to continue my work in Oxford. My debts to academics are many. Professor Richard Gombrich, my DPhil supervisor, helped me enormously to carry out my research. I don’t think I could have completed this work without his constant advice and generous encouragement. Professor Tim Barrett, Professor Johannes Bronkhorst, L. S. Cousins, the president of the Pali Text Society, and Dr Andrew Skilton have given valuable criticism, guidance and stimulation for this work. Dur- ing the final preparation of this book, Professor Peter Harvey and Professor Rod Bucknell gave important comments and fresh perspectives on some matters. I also want to express my gratitude to Professor Damien Keown and Professor Robert Sharf for their kind encouragement. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to professors and colleagues in the Department of Indian Philosophy in Dongguk University (Korea), in particular Professor Seo Seungwon (Ven. Beopgyong), my MA supervisor, who initially led me into the world of early Indian Buddhism, and Miss Kim Bori who has kindly proofread all my notes in finalizing this book. During my days in Oxford I enjoyed the privilege of being a member of the Oxford Korea Society and
Recommended publications
  • Mahayana Buddhism: the Doctrinal Foundations, Second Edition

    Mahayana Buddhism: the Doctrinal Foundations, Second Edition

    9780203428474_4_001.qxd 16/6/08 11:55 AM Page 1 1 Introduction Buddhism: doctrinal diversity and (relative) moral unity There is a Tibetan saying that just as every valley has its own language so every teacher has his own doctrine. This is an exaggeration on both counts, but it does indicate the diversity to be found within Buddhism and the important role of a teacher in mediating a received tradition and adapting it to the needs, the personal transformation, of the pupil. This divers- ity prevents, or strongly hinders, generalization about Buddhism as a whole. Nevertheless it is a diversity which Mahayana Buddhists have rather gloried in, seen not as a scandal but as something to be proud of, indicating a richness and multifaceted ability to aid the spiritual quest of all sentient, and not just human, beings. It is important to emphasize this lack of unanimity at the outset. We are dealing with a religion with some 2,500 years of doctrinal development in an environment where scho- lastic precision and subtlety was at a premium. There are no Buddhist popes, no creeds, and, although there were councils in the early years, no attempts to impose uniformity of doctrine over the entire monastic, let alone lay, establishment. Buddhism spread widely across Central, South, South-East, and East Asia. It played an important role in aiding the cultural and spiritual development of nomads and tribesmen, but it also encountered peoples already very culturally and spiritually developed, most notably those of China, where it interacted with the indigenous civilization, modifying its doctrine and behaviour in the process.
  • Ontology of Consciousness

    Ontology of Consciousness

    Ontology of Consciousness Percipient Action edited by Helmut Wautischer A Bradford Book The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts London, England ( 2008 Massachusetts Institute of Technology All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or me- chanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher. MIT Press books may be purchased at special quantity discounts for business or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected] or write to Special Sales Depart- ment, The MIT Press, 55 Hayward Street, Cambridge, MA 02142. This book was set in Stone Serif and Stone Sans on 3B2 by Asco Typesetters, Hong Kong, and was printed and bound in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ontology of consciousness : percipient action / edited by Helmut Wautischer. p. cm. ‘‘A Bradford book.’’ Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-262-23259-3 (hardcover : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-262-73184-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Consciousness. 2. Philosophical anthropology. 3. Culture—Philosophy. 4. Neuropsychology— Philosophy. 5. Mind and body. I. Wautischer, Helmut. B105.C477O58 2008 126—dc22 2006033823 10987654321 Index Abaluya culture (Kenya), 519 as limitation of Turing machines, 362 Abba Macarius of Egypt, 166 as opportunity, 365, 371 Abhidharma in dualism, person as extension of matter, as guides to Buddhist thought and practice, 167, 454 10–13, 58 in focus of attention, 336 basic content, 58 in measurement of intervals, 315 in Asanga’s ‘‘Compendium of Abhidharma’’ in regrouping of elements, 335, 344 (Abhidharma-samuccaya), 67 in technical causality, 169, 177 in Maudgalyayana’s ‘‘On the Origin of shamanic separation from body, 145 Designations’’ Prajnapti–sastra,73 Action, 252–268.
  • Buddhist Ethics in Japan and Tibet: a Comparative Study of the Adoption of Bodhisattva and Pratimoksa Precepts

    Buddhist Ethics in Japan and Tibet: a Comparative Study of the Adoption of Bodhisattva and Pratimoksa Precepts

    University of San Diego Digital USD Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship Department of Theology and Religious Studies 1994 Buddhist Ethics in Japan and Tibet: A Comparative Study of the Adoption of Bodhisattva and Pratimoksa Precepts Karma Lekshe Tsomo PhD University of San Diego, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/thrs-faculty Part of the Buddhist Studies Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Digital USD Citation Tsomo, Karma Lekshe PhD, "Buddhist Ethics in Japan and Tibet: A Comparative Study of the Adoption of Bodhisattva and Pratimoksa Precepts" (1994). Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship. 18. https://digital.sandiego.edu/thrs-faculty/18 This Conference Proceeding is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Digital USD. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Digital USD. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Buddhist Behavioral Codes and the Modern World An Internationa] Symposium Edited by Charles Weihsun Fu and Sandra A. Wawrytko Buddhist Behavioral Codes and the Modern World Recent Titles in Contributions to the Study of Religion Buddhist Behavioral Cross, Crescent, and Sword: The Justification and Limitation of War in Western and Islamic Tradition Codes and the James Turner Johnson and John Kelsay, editors The Star of Return: Judaism after the Holocaust
  • The Gandavyuha-Sutra : a Study of Wealth, Gender and Power in an Indian Buddhist Narrative

    The Gandavyuha-Sutra : a Study of Wealth, Gender and Power in an Indian Buddhist Narrative

    The Gandavyuha-sutra : a Study of Wealth, Gender and Power in an Indian Buddhist Narrative Douglas Edward Osto Thesis for a Doctor of Philosophy Degree School of Oriental and African Studies University of London 2004 1 ProQuest Number: 10673053 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10673053 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Abstract The Gandavyuha-sutra: a Study of Wealth, Gender and Power in an Indian Buddhist Narrative In this thesis, I examine the roles of wealth, gender and power in the Mahay ana Buddhist scripture known as the Gandavyuha-sutra, using contemporary textual theory, narratology and worldview analysis. I argue that the wealth, gender and power of the spiritual guides (kalyanamitras , literally ‘good friends’) in this narrative reflect the social and political hierarchies and patterns of Buddhist patronage in ancient Indian during the time of its compilation. In order to do this, I divide the study into three parts. In part I, ‘Text and Context’, I first investigate what is currently known about the origins and development of the Gandavyuha, its extant manuscripts, translations and modern scholarship.
  • The Relevance of Buddhism in 21St Century Karanveer Singh Department of Philosophy, King's College, University of Western Onta

    The Relevance of Buddhism in 21St Century Karanveer Singh Department of Philosophy, King's College, University of Western Onta

    Karanveer SIngh The Relevance of Buddhism in 21st Century Karanveer Singh Department of Philosophy, King’s College, University of Western Ontario 1 Karanveer SIngh The essay's thesis is to demonstrate that Buddhist philosophy is relevant in the 21st century because its philosophy offers a variety of solutions to contemporary problems of the modern world. This essay has a two-fold thesis. The first part of the thesis illustrates concepts such as individual empiricism, epistemology and metaphysics in Buddhist thought. The second of the thesis demonstrates how those concepts hold their relevance in the modern world. The first part of the essay will investigate the concepts of individual empiricism, process metaphysics, and noble eightfold path in a Buddhist context. The second part of the essay will examine the relevance and application of these concepts in the modern world. The third part will summarize and conclude the essay. The Buddha advocates individual empiricism to gain knowledge, in that one gains knowledge through experiences through the six sense bases (Āyatana) (Bodhi, p. 345). In individual empiricism, one finds truth only through one's experience, not even others; that is why it is called individual empiricism. He does not expect one to heed to authority or religious texts but only on one's experience (Bodhi, p. 345). Buddha's emphasis on individual empiricism is radical compared to other religions because, unlike others, he is not appealing to divine command theory or the authority of the religious scriptures but asking people to follow a scientific method of empiricism. Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the fundamental nature of reality (Wikipedia, 2020).
  • General Introduction1

    General Introduction1

    GENERAL INTRODUCTION1 ROBERT KRITZER A. Sautrantika Reconsidered Although the term “Sautrantika” appears in virtually every general study of Indian Buddhism, there is little reliable information about who the Sautrantikas really were and exactly what positions they maintained. Until recently, scholars confidently referred to Sautrantika ideas without critically examining the basis on which these ideas were identified as such. As a result, there was a body of common “knowledge” about Sautrantika, most of it ultimately drawn from a handful of sources that are often not even cited. Since about 1980, however, Japan has been the center of a renewed interest in Sautrantika, and studies have questioned the assumptions that have been current for so long. The title of the panel of the Thirteenth Conference of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (Bangkok, 2002) at which the papers in this issue were originally read was “Sautran- tika Reconsidered,” and it is largely thanks to recent Japanese scholar- ship that it is now both necessary and possible to reconsider Sautrantika. The word “Sautrantika” means a follower of the sutras, and when we think of Sautrantika, we generally think of a group that came into exis- tence around the beginning of the Common Era and that, as its name sug- gests, considered sutra rather than sastra to be authoritative. Sautrantika is frequently included in a list of four major schools of Indian Buddhism familiar to all students of Buddhism (the other three being Sarvastivada, Madhyamika, and Yogacara). Here it should perhaps be emphasized that Sautrantika is not a sect. Although the terms “sect” and “school” are often used loosely or interchangeably, Bechert points out that what Frauwall- ner refers to as “Vinaya sects” are different from the doctrinal schools, or nikayas (9-10).
  • Diversity in the Women of the Therīgāthā

    Diversity in the Women of the Therīgāthā

    Lesley University DigitalCommons@Lesley Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences Mindfulness Studies Theses (GSASS) Spring 5-6-2020 Diversity in the Women of the Therīgāthā Kyung Peggy Meill [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/mindfulness_theses Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Meill, Kyung Peggy, "Diversity in the Women of the Therīgāthā" (2020). Mindfulness Studies Theses. 29. https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/mindfulness_theses/29 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences (GSASS) at DigitalCommons@Lesley. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mindfulness Studies Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Lesley. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. DIVERSITY IN THE WOMEN OF THE THERĪGĀTHĀ i Diversity in the Women of the Therīgāthā Kyung Peggy Kim Meill Lesley University May 2020 Dr. Melissa Jean and Dr. Andrew Olendzki DIVERSITY IN THE WOMEN OF THE THERĪGĀTHĀ ii Abstract A literary work provides a window into the world of a writer, revealing her most intimate and forthright perspectives, beliefs, and emotions – this within a scope of a certain time and place that shapes the milieu of her life. The Therīgāthā, an anthology of 73 poems found in the Pali canon, is an example of such an asseveration, composed by theris (women elders of wisdom or senior disciples), some of the first Buddhist nuns who lived in the time of the Buddha 2500 years ago. The gathas (songs or poems) impart significant details concerning early Buddhism and some of its integral elements of mental and spiritual development.
  • Buddha As Progenitor of Pali, the Non-Parole Lingua Dhammica

    Buddha As Progenitor of Pali, the Non-Parole Lingua Dhammica

    Buddha as Progenitor of Pali, the Non-parole Lingua Dhammica Bhikkhu Mihita, PhD (formerly Suwanda H J Sugunasiri; See end of paper for brief Bio) ABSTRACT There is agreement among scholars that at some point in time in the early history of Buddhism, there came to be a lingua franca, but also a perception that what constitutes Pali is a ‘translation’, or a ‘normalization’ of this, but post-Canonically. In Part I, this paper argues that Pali was no translation, but indeed the very ‘lingua franca’ (see later for change of label) in which the Canon was transmitted, and that it comes to be shaped at the hands of the Buddha himself, making him the ‘Progenitor’. The ‘critical other’ for this to happen is Ananda, ‘foremost’ in several language related skills, this suggesting the emergence of Pali to be around twenty years post-Enlightenment. However, Pali was no parole, i.e., not used for speaking, but a langue (in the Saussurean distinction), with only the inner circle of pupils privy to it initially, and over time, only the ordained Sangha, both male and female. As such, it comes to be used exclusively as the linguistic medium of the Dhamma to be retained to posterity in its pristine purity. In that sense, it may be characterized as a ‘High Prakrit’, or Ucchakrt (cf Sanskrt), somewhat different from a ‘koine’. Given that the label lingua franca does not capture the specific nature and function of the language constructed by the Buddha, we seek to capture its uniqueness in the new label Lingua Dhammica.
  • KARMA, CHARACTER, and CONSEQUENTIALISM Damien Keown

    KARMA, CHARACTER, and CONSEQUENTIALISM Damien Keown

    KARMA, CHARACTER, AND CONSEQUENTIALISM Damien Keown Note: This is an electronic version of an article first published in the Journal of Religious Ethics: 24 (1996): 329-350 and reproduced here by permission. Complete citation information for the final version of the paper, as published in the print edition of Journal of Religious Ethics is available on the Blackwell Synergy online delivery service, accessible via www.blackwell-synergy.com. KARMA, CHARACTER, AND CONSEQUENTIALISM Damien Keown ABSTRACT Karma is a central feature of Buddhist ethics, but the question of its classification in terms of ethical theory has so far received little attention. Granting that karma is foundational to Buddhist ethics and arguing that what is fundamental to the Buddhist understanding of karma is the saṃskāric modification of the agent, this article relates the doctrine of karma as understood in Theravāda Buddhism to Western ethical concepts and challenges the casual consensus that treats Buddhist ethics as a variety of consequentialism. The contrary argument, that Buddhist ethics is best understood in terms of virtue-mediated character transformation, is made dialectically through a critique of recent discussions of karma by Roy Perrett and Bruce Reichenbach and through an assessment of the plausibility of Philip Ivanhoe's concept of "character consequentialism." ANY SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT OF BUDDHIST ETHICS must before long make reference to karma. Belief in karma is a constant which underlies the philosophical diversity of the many Buddhist schools, and it is one of the few basic tenets to have escaped major reinterpretation over the course of time.l There now exists a voluminous body of scholarly literature on karma, from both Hindu and Buddhist perspectives (for a bibliography, see Potter 1980), but surprisingly, in view of the frequent references to karma as an "ethical" doctrine, almost no attention has been paid to how karma is to be classified in terms of ethical theory.
  • Cūḷa Hatthi,Padôpama Sutta

    Cūḷa Hatthi,Padôpama Sutta

    SD 40a.5 M 27/1:175-184 • Cūḷa Hatthi,padopama Sutta Cūḷa Hatthi,padôpama Sutta 5 The Lesser Discourse on the Elephant‟s Hoofprint Parable | M 27/1:175-184 Theme: The training of the true disciple Translated by Piya Tan ©2008 1 Sutta summary and highlights 1.1 SUTTA SUMMARY 1.1.1 Theme. The Cūḷa Hatthi,padôpama Sutta is about the best reason for praising the Buddha, that is, in terms of the true purpose of the spiritual life he teaches. It describes in full a monk‟s “fruits of re- cluseship” (sāmañña,phala) or the gradual training and its highest goal.1 King Pasenadi’s chaplain, Jāṇussoṇi, in his magnificent all-white mare-drawn chariot meets the wan- derer Pilotikā Vacchāyana [§§1-2], who declares his deep faith in the Buddha’s ability to inspire anyone, whether kshatriyas, brahmins, houselords or recluses, by his teachings, so that they do not ever think of challenging him. He calls this the Buddha’s “four footprints” (cātu pada), alluding to the notion that a large elephant hoofprint connotes a large elephant [§§3-7] [4]. 1.1.2 An outsider’s faith. Jāṇussoṇi, highly impressed, approaches the Buddha and relates to him all that Pilotikā has said [§§8-9]. The Buddha, however, rejects such praises, saying that they are misplaced since they do not reflect the best reason for praising him [§10]. Even an outsider (bāhiraka) is able to attain any of the 4 dhyanas [§§19-22] or the 3 knowledges [§§23-25],2 or praise them profusely. These qualities are merely stages in the gradual training to full self- awakening as arhats, which concludes the training [1.3.7].
  • Ethics Year 9 Knowledge Organisers Term 3 Buddhism

    Ethics Year 9 Knowledge Organisers Term 3 Buddhism

    Ethics Year 9 Knowledge Organisers Term 3 Buddhism Useful Links: Introduction to Buddhism Topics Covered https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsN7N Buddhism is an unique Religion in that it does not have Ls-0jI Life of the Buddha Life of the Buddha a God. It was started by Siddhartha Gautama around The 4 sights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNCU 563 BCE and 483 BC. What is Enlightenment? oC0MXz8 $ noble truths and the 8 fold path 4 Noble Truths The Aim of Buddhism is to help people get rid of all https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVKK- suffering and pain in their life. They believe this is 8 Fold Path WVW2uw Enlightenment 5 Precepts possible by getting rid of all greed, hatred and ignorance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVKK- How a Buddhist lives their life today in your life. WVW2uw What do Buddhists believe? 3 Jewels and Poisons They believe in Karma – the idea that there are good Different Groups in Buddhism and bad consequences to our actions. Good actions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UEkU Festivals create good karma and bad actions create bad karma. 84-MDA 5 Precepts Evaluation of these different ideas They also believe in reincarnation: The idea that the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjtz4E TYJwI Reincarnation ad rebirth What is your opinion? cause and effect chain of our actions leads to an endless cycle of life, death and rebirth. You can only https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH42i escape this endless cycle by being Enlightenment CDom50 What is Karma in Buddhism? through the Buddhist teachings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4r4cg
  • The Sequential Arisingof Vijnnanasinthe Early Yogacara and the Sarvastivada

    The Sequential Arisingof Vijnnanasinthe Early Yogacara and the Sarvastivada

    The JapaneseAssociationJapanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies (180) Journal ofIndian and Buddhist Studies Vol. 64, No. 3, March 2016 The Sequential Arising of VijnNanas in the Early Yogacara and the Sarvastivada TAKATSUKASA Yttki 1. Introduction The Paficavijn-dnaketyasarriprayukta bhamih. (PBh) and the Manobhami (MBh), the first two sections of the Yogacarabhtimi, present valuable materials for the study of early YogAcara epistemology; unfbrtunately however, we have fbund some occasional, but serious, problems in the critically established Sanskrit text of these sections. In Takatsukasa [2o14: 184], therefore, I reconsidered a problematic passage by verifying the readings of the single extant Sanskrit manuscript and then proposed an emendation to the edited text. According to the emended text, the MBh postuiates that only one vijn-ana can arise in one moment, theugh it does not explicitly mention whether a simultaneity of six vijnNanas is possible or not Instead, the MBh rather emphasizes the relative subsequence of vijnnyanas: any single sensory perception cannot arise sequentially in two moments. On the other hand, as discussed below, the 5arvfistivada, which also denies the possibility of a simultaneous arising of vV'nNanas, permits that a sensory perception can arise immediately after a sensory perception in the Apidamo da piposha lun Pnj eemeza Jkl *Mahavibhasa, eevai9th (Skt. MVi), Previous studies on this topic only introduce or exame thiqie shi lttu) em in the MVi, and they do not compare the description directly i) with other texts, nor do they examine the distinction between the two theories. In this paper,Iwould like to fbcus on the YbgacarabhUmi as the representative ofthe early Yogacara and MVi as the representative ofthe Sarvastivada, in order to point out the difTerent ways in which they expound the sequence of vijnNanas, as well as a divergence concerning the possibility ofa sequential arising ofsensory perceptions.