DOCSLIB.ORG

The Wise Brain Bulletin News and Tools for Happiness, Love, Effectiveness, and Wisdom

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Wise Brain Bulletin News and Tools for Happiness, Love, Effectiveness, and Wisdom The Wise Brain Bulletin News and Tools for Happiness, Love, Effectiveness, and Wisdom Knowing and Living the Truth: The Perfection of Wisdom Rick Hanson, PhD article will explore perspectives from Buddhism, in Introduction particular, integrated with my own observations about The person of wisdom is universally respected. practical wisdom in everyday life. Whether it’s someone who’s wise about a particular subject – an experienced cook, a canny card player, a The Paramis Within the Buddhist tradition, wisdom (sometimes shrewd coach, a preschool teacher who’s seen it all, called “discernment”) is one of the ten “paramis” or a trout guide who knows his rivers like the back of perfections of a Bodhisattva, a highly awakened person his hand – or someone who has a deep wisdom about who postpones his or her ultimate enlightenment to life itself – a grandparent or rabbi or therapist you’ve bring all beings to liberation. known may come to mind – we value that person’s example and counsel. These ten characteristics of a Bodhisattva include: generosity (dana), virtue (sila), renunciation But what is wisdom, actually? And how to acquire more (nekkhamma), wisdom (pañña), energy/persistence of it? (viriya), patience/forbearance (khanti), truthfulness (sacca), determination (adhitthana), good will (metta), and While the world’s spiritual traditions have no monopoly equanimity (upekkha). on wisdom, it has been a great subject for them, so it’s worth seeing what they have to say about it. This Also in this issue: Hormones and Scent and the Brain Neurotransmitters pg. 10 pg. 12 Greetings In their most complete The Bulletin offers skillful means from brain science and contempla- expression, the paramis tive practice – helping you to work integrate with utter What is Wisdom? with your brain for the benefit of compassion and Wisdom in General yourself and others. skillfulness, and they are The dictionary describes wisdom as the quality of The Bulletin is offered freely, and untainted by any kind of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. you are welcome to share it with craving, self-centeredness, Synonyms for “wisdom” include: sagacity, sense, others. Past issues are archived at or positional views. common sense, astuteness, judiciousness, and prudence. www.WiseBrain.org. (Because the meaning of The opposite of wisdom is not stupidity, but “wisdom” – compared to foolishness. Many very bright people are not very wise, that of “discernment” and many people of average intelligence carry a deep – is broader in English wisdom. and closer to the sense in which this notion is used You might like to consider these questions for yourself: in Buddhist practice, that’s • What distinguishes wisdom from knowledge? From the word that will be used intelligence? in this article.) • What are you wise about in your own life? Rick Hanson, PhD and Rick Mendius, MD edit the Bulletin. We Developing the Best Wisdom in Buddhism welcome your contributions, and to subscribe, please contact Rick at in Yourself In Buddhism, wisdom is one of the three major pillars [email protected]. Of course, these qualities of practice, the other two being virtue (sila) and of enlightened people are meditative depth (samadhi). present to some degree in us all. Even without being – or even aspiring to Of these, wisdom is seen as most central, since it is be – a Bodhisattva, it is a wonderful thing both to wisdom which dispels ignorance. For it is ignorance, express these qualities as they already exist, and to not “sin” in a religious sense, which is regarded in cultivate them further in your mind and heart, in your Buddhism as the true root of all that is harmful or thoughts and words and deeds. You are perfecting evil. (Other terms used for this ignorance are delusion, – progressively, step by step, in the slog sometimes of confusion, and self-deception.) daily life – wholesome qualities and faculties for your own sake and that of others. For example, while concentration in meditation is seen as an essential skill, that alone will not carry a person Ways to Approach This Article to the farthest shore. One must also have insight – You can read this article within a Buddhist framework vipassana – and that’s what is ultimately transformative. or simply for its reflections on the deeply human and (Though, to be sure, deep concentration is a great everyday matter of seeking some semblance of wisdom facilitator of liberating insight.) – even perhaps to the point of profound understanding. Wisdom is vital because it peers through the veils of (A note on this text: Words such as “parami” or “sila” ignorance, confusion, and illusion into the heart of are from Pali, the language in which the earliest these three fundamental characteristics of existence: surviving discourses of the Buddha were written. • Everything formed of compounded elements Some of this text is adapted from the Access to Insight changes. Therefore, no compounded thing is site, to which great acknowledgement is offered. In permanent. Not a thought, not a life, not the Hawaiian particular, I’ve quoted extensively [with minor edits] islands, not the Earth itself. from Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translation of A Treatise on the Paramis by Acariya Dhammapala.) • Everything is connected to and interdependent with Wise Brain Bulletin (1, 4) • 3/28/07 • page 2 everything else. Therefore, nothing has an inherent, perfections. absolute self-identity. Not an electron, not a tendril of foam on the sea, not a redwood tree, not your body or mind or “I.” Six Aspects of Wisdom Introduction • Everybody suffers. As you read through these aspects of wisdom, you might like to consider how they manifest in your own In Buddhism, the measure of true wisdom is its life – and whether you’d be served by focusing on one practical effectiveness, not its abstract or theoretical or more of them to develop in particular. correctness. Since the overriding aim is the end of suffering, the essence of wisdom is knowing what leads Consciousness, Awareness, “Wit” to happiness for oneself and others, and what does Someone who is unconscious cannot possibly be wise. not . knowing what’s wholesome and what isn’t . The root of the word, “wise,” is “wit.” Not wit as in knowing which tunnels have the cheese and which do Robin Williams or Oscar Wilde, but wit as in “having not. your wits about you,” or “he lost his wits.” Wisdom sees that clinging leads to suffering every Penetration, Illumination time. Which tunnels never have the real cheese? The Wisdom has the characteristic of penetrating the real specific ones with clinging in them. nature (of phenomena), like the penetration of an arrow shot by a skillful archer; its function is to illuminate the objective To say this a little differently, wisdom means a deep field, like a lamp; its manifestation is non-confusion, like understanding of the Four Noble Truths: the fact of a guide in a forest . Greed, hatred, and delusion create suffering, the cause of suffering, the cause of the end blindness, while wisdom restores sight. Just as light cannot of suffering, and the way that both embodies and leads coexist with darkness, wisdom cannot coexist with delusion. to the end of that cause. Acariya Dhammapala The utter penetration into those four truths is Seeing Context, Connections, and Causes the sphere of nibbana (nirvana); enlightenment is Wisdom means seeing the big picture. It is the the perfection of wisdom. That is why wisdom is antithesis of tunnel vision, narrow mindedness, missing considered perhaps the most fundamental of the ten the forest for the trees. Wisdom is relational. It connects the Train Your Brain dots, sees the patterns, recognizes the deer in the brush from a flicker This course teaches practical, down-to-earth ways to activate the brain states that of white in shadow. promote: Steady Awareness, Wholesome Feelings, Good Intentions, Caring Heart, and Wise Action. It is taught in a 24-month cycle which you can enter at any time. Talks and materials from past class sessions are archived at www.WiseBrain.org. Wisdom understands what the Buddha called dependent The class meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, 7 – 9:15 pm, at the Unitarian origination, a pithy term for the Universalist church in Terra Linda (San Rafael), at 240 Channing Way. The atmo- sphere is warm, informal, and focused. The suggested donation for each month of simple fact that everything that is, is the program is $40 (and less is gratefully accepted). To register, contact Guisela part of one whole web of existence. Luster at [email protected] or simply arrive fifteen minutes early. More than anything, wisdom sees Upcoming dates and topics: • 4/10/07 – Your precious life: Being on your own side, releasing feelings of what hurts and what helps. To quote shame and guilt, establishing fundamental priorities Padmasambhava, the great Tibetan • 5/8/07 – Refilling your cupboard: Improving your body’s molecular balance sage: Your view must be as vast as the sheet of assets and liabilities sky, but your conduct must be as finely • 6/12/07 – Concentration: The neurology of stable attention, and how to activate it sifted as barley flour. Wise Brain Bulletin (1, 4) • 3/28/07 • page 3 San Rafael Meditation Group loss, without being affected by them. Open to beginners and experienced practitioners, Acariya Dhammapala we meet on Wednesday evenings at the A Sante day spa in downtown San Rafael. Meditation Wisdom is the chief cause for the practice of the other is available from 6:45, with formal instruction paramis. For example, only the person of wisdom can at 7:00, ending at 7:30, with a dharma talk and discussion ending at 8:30. It is co-led by Rick patiently [one of the paramis] tolerate the wrongs of others, Hanson and Manny Mansbach, and for more not the dull-witted person.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bhavana Vandana
    BhavanaBhavana VVandaanda BookBook ofof DevotionDevotion Compiled by H. Gunaratana Mahathera HAN DD ET U 'S B B O RY eOK LIBRA E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.buddhanet.net Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Bhàvanà Vandanà Book of Devotion Compiled By H. Gunaratana Mahathera Bhàvanà Society Meditation Center Bhàvanà Vandanà Book of Devotion Compiled By H. Gunaratana Mahathera Copyright © 1990 by Bhàvanà Society All rights reserved R D : T C B B E F R F, , H C S. R. S T T R.O.C. T: () F: () T O C P ......................................................................................................................... iixx P ........................................................................................ x I ....................................................................................................... H .......................................................................... O V A ................................. T W S ........................................................................... F I V ................................................ S D ............................................ F U ....................................................... – F P ........................................................................................... Tisaraõa and Uposatha Sīla .............................................................................. R R P ............................ Pañcasīla ...............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Dhammakathika Sutta
    SD 46.18 S 12.16/2:18 • Nibbidā Dhammakathika Sutta 18 (Nibbidā) Dhamma,kathika Sutta The (Revulsion) Discourse on the Dharma Speaker | S 12.16 Theme: The one true purpose of teaching Dharma Translated & annotated by Piya Tan ©2014 1 Sutta teachings 1.1 The (Nibbidā) Dhamma,kathika Sutta (S 12.16) is a record of the Buddha’s reply and instruction to a question by “a certain monk” (aññatara bhikkhu) [§2] regarding what is a “Dharma-speaker” (dhamma,kathika). The Buddha’s instruction here combines three important teachings into a smooth and interesting flow of Dharma for our reflection and practice. The 3 teachings of the Sutta are: (1) the 3 good truths (saddhamma); [1.2] (2) the 12 links of dependent arising (paṭicca,samuppāda); [1.3] and (3) the “revulsion” (nibbidā) formula. [1.4] The set of the 3 good truths and the nibbidā formula form the constants running through all the twelve main sections, one each for the 12 links, which are the variables in the form of a conditional chain of causes and effects. 1.2 THE 3 GOOD TRUTHS. In the (Nibbidā) Dhamma,kathika Sutta (S 12.16), we probably find the roots of the commentarial teaching of the 3 “good truths” (saddhamma), namely, the true teaching as theory (pariyatti saddhamma), as practice (paṭipatti saddhamma) and as realization (paṭivedha saddhamma).1 This triad of theory, practice and realization is a constant structure for each of the 12 sections, each dealing consecutively with the 12 links. We further see the 3 good truths operating as the “3 phases or cycles” in terms of the 4 noble truths.
    [Show full text]
  • Dana Pāramī (The Perfection of Giving)
    Dana Pāramī (The Perfection of Giving) Miss Notnargorn Thongputtamon Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy and Religion, Faculty of Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India [email protected] Received Dec 14,2018; Revised Mar 4, 2019; Accepted May 29, 2019 ABSTRACT Every religion in the world likes to teach that charity is important. This is the case with Buddhism also. The Buddha describes the three central practices as Dana (generosity), Sila (morality) and Bhavana (meditation). Bhikkhu Bodhi writes, “the practice of giving is universally recognized as one of the most basic human virtues”, and Susan Elbaum Jootle confirms that it is a basis of merit or wholesome kamma and when practiced in itself, it leads ultimately to liberation from the cycle of repeated existence”. Buddhists do not seek publicity for charity. But it is the practice of the vehicle of great enlightenment (mahābodhiyāna) to improve their skillfulness in accumulating the requisites for enlightenment. We now undertake a detailed explanation of the Dana Pāramī. Keywords: Dana (generosity), Bhavana (meditation), Sila (morality) 48 The Journal of The International Buddhist Studies College What are the Pāramis? For the meaning of the Pāramīs, the Brahmajāla Sutta explains that they are the noble qualities such as giving and etc., accompanied by compassion and skillful means, untainted by craving and conceit views (Bhikkhu Bodhi, 2007). Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche renders “pāramīs” into English as “transcendent action”. He understands “transcendent action” in the sense of non-egocentric action. He says: “Transcendental” does not refer to some external reality, but rather to the way in which we conduct our lives and perceive the world – either in an egocentric way or non-egocentric way.
    [Show full text]
  • BHĀVANĀ VANDANĀ Devotions for Meditation
    BHĀVANĀ VANDANĀ Devotions for Meditation Compiled by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Bhāvanā Society Acknowledgments The new edition of this book benefited greatly from the kind help of Bhikkhu Bishokirti, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Anthony Iocono, John Kelly, Bhikkhu Khemaratana, Kathy Love, Martha McWilliams, Bhikkhunī Sobhanā, and Steve Sonnefeld. Previous editions benefited from the help of Hal Barron, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Margo Born, Bhikkhu Dhammaratana, Mark DuRose, Douglas Imbrogno, Chris Jones, Samanera Kheminda, Marcia Kirkpatrick, Dr. N. K. G. Mendes, Bhikkhu Rāhula, Libby Reid, Samanera Rohana (Rick Jones), Bhikkhu Sona, Bhikkhunī Sucintā, Bhikkhunī Sudhammā, and Upasika Sumanā (Eva Hill). I express my sincere thanks and gratitude to them. Portions of this book appeared earlier in the Vandanā book compiled by Bhikkhu Bodhi and me for use at the Washington Buddhist Vihāra. We also acknowledge with thanks the use of the resources cited at the end of this book, as well as Pāli Chanting with Translation, Vandanā and Vat Pirith, Mirror of the Dhamma, Toward Peace (compiled in Sri Lanka), and the Book of Chants (compiled in Thailand). The diacritics used in the Vandanā book follow the standards established by the Pāli Text Society. Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Bhāvanā Society Rt. 1, Box 218-3, High View, WV 26808 USA Tel: (304) 856-3241 Fax: (304) 856-2111 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bhavanasociety.org Bhāvanā Vandanā. Revised Edition Copyright @2008 by Bhāvanā Society. This book may be copied or reprinted for free distribution without permission
    [Show full text]
  • Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women
    University of San Diego Digital USD Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship Department of Theology and Religious Studies 2019 Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women 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, "Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women" (2019). Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship. 25. https://digital.sandiego.edu/thrs-faculty/25 This Book 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]. Section Titles Placed Here | I Out of the Shadows Socially Engaged Buddhist Women Edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo SAKYADHITA | HONOLULU First Edition: Sri Satguru Publications 2006 Second Edition: Sakyadhita 2019 Copyright © 2019 Karma Lekshe Tsomo All rights reserved No part of this book may not be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage or retreival system, without the prior written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations. Cover design Copyright © 2006 Allen Wynar Sakyadhita Conference Poster
    [Show full text]
  • Review of Research Issn: 2249-894X Impact Factor : 5.7631(Uif) Volume - 10 | Issue - 7 | April - 2021
    Review of ReseaRch issN: 2249-894X impact factoR : 5.7631(Uif) volUme - 10 | issUe - 7 | apRil - 2021 EXPOSITIONS OF THE TEN PERFECTIONS RELATING TO THE THERAVADA BUDDHIST LITERATURE Kosalla Ph.D. Scholar, Center for Mahayana Buddhist Studies, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. ABSTRACT There are various religions that we can see all over the world. Among them, this paper is going to focus on the Buddhism and explains about the perfection. Buddhism was foundered by the Gautama Buddha who Awakened One by fulfilled ten perfections (Paramita) in the past lives. And also, Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion with over five hundred million followers, or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. All religions probably have their own histories, own teachings, and own final goals. Hereby, we are going to show concerned about Buddhism’s history, teaching, and final goal briefly in this article. There is no effect without cause. KEYWORDS: Perfection = Paramita, Awakened One = Buddha, Sacrifice. INTRODUCTION The roots of perfection and its characteristics Here, we can see the roots of perfection in the Theravada pitaka which is the Buddha taught for fourty-five years. According to Khuddaka texts, bodhisatva become a Buddha as a result of the completion of perfections (paramita). (1) In the Apadana, five perfections are mentioned by name: Nekkhamma, Khanti, Metta, Sacca and Adhitthana. (2) In the Cariyapitaka, seven paranitas are illustrated in the stories: Dana, Sila, Nekkhamma, Adhitthana, Sacca, Metta and Upekkha, while the Uddana-gatha mention ten: Dana, Sila, Nekkhamma, Adhitthana, Sacca, Metta, Upekkha, Khanti, Viriya and Panna.
    [Show full text]
  • A Historical and Comparative Analysis of Renunciation and Celibacy in Indian Buddhist Monasticisms
    Going Against the Grain: A Historical and Comparative Analysis of Renunciation and Celibacy in Indian Buddhist Monasticisms Phramaha Sakda Hemthep Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Master of Philosophy Cardiff School of History, Archeology and Religion Cardiff University August 2014 i Declaration This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed …………………………… (Phramaha Sakda Hemthep) Date ………31/08/2014….…… STATEMENT 1 This dissertation is being submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MPhil. Signed …………………………… (Phramaha Sakda Hemthep) Date ………31/08/2014….…… STATEMENT 2 This dissertation is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references. A Bibliography is appended. Signed …………………………… (Phramaha Sakda Hemthep) Date ………31/08/2014….…… STATEMENT 3 I confirm that the electronic copy is identical to the bound copy of the dissertation Signed …………………………… (Phramaha Sakda Hemthep) Date ………31/08/2014….…… STATEMENT 4 I hereby give consent for my dissertation, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed …………………………… (Phramaha Sakda Hemthep) Date ………31/08/2014….…… STATEMENT 5 I hereby give consent for my dissertation, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loans after expiry of a bar on access approved by the Graduate Development Committee. Signed …………………………… (Phramaha Sakda Hemthep) Date ………31/08/2014….…… ii Acknowledgements Given the length of time it has taken me to complete this dissertation, I would like to take this opportunity to record my sense of deepest gratitude to numerous individuals and organizations who supported my study, not all of whom are mentioned here.
    [Show full text]
  • Ethical Decision-Making in Organisations in Sri Lanka: a Buddhist Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
    ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING IN ORGANISATIONS IN SRI LANKA: A BUDDHIST INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS Thushini S. Jayawardena A thesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2017 School of Business, Economics and Law Auckland University of Technology i | P a g e ABSTRACT Ethical decision-making (EDM) in organisations has gained momentum amongst business ethics scholars in the last few decades due to an increase in unethical behaviour in organisations. EDM theories in behavioural ethics management have been developed through the social sciences, psychology, social psychology, and cognitive neurosciences. Yet, there is no consensus amongst these behavioural ethics scholars as to whether EDM is cognitive, non-cognitive or an integration of both the cognitive and the non-cognitive. Thus, some scholars have recommended redefining what ‘ethical’ means through moral philosophy and theology. Buddhism has been viewed as a religion, a philosophy, a psychology, an ethical system and a way of life. The practise of Buddhism as a way of life starts with an individual’s ‘saddha’ (or confidence) in Buddhism. ‘Saddha’ is a spiritual faculty which enables an individual to cultivate awareness, wisdom and insight. Prior research conducted in Sri Lanka has found a relationship between Buddhist entrepreneurs’ spirituality and their right decision-making. But, Sri Lanka has also been identified as a country with a high rate of corruption. Consequently, a question arises: ‘how does Buddhism influence EDM in organisations?’ In Buddhism, divine states assist individuals to overcome their negative emotions, such as anger, fear and delusion. Those states are specified as: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
    [Show full text]
  • Language and Discourse
    Piya Tan SD 26.11 Language and discourse Language and Discourse A brief survey of Buddhist philosophy of language, epistemology and logic Freeing the mind from noise by Piya Tan ©2006, 2008 To LORENZ DEUTSCHENBAUR of Bavaria, Germany, Ludwig Maxilian Universität, Munich, & the NUSBS Discovering Buddhism, May your inward journey bring you light and peace, and for others, too, 2008. 1 W hat are language and discourse? 1.1 LANGUAGE, DISCOURSE AND MEANING. W ithout language, there will be no religion; no True Teaching could be communicated. And yet, language can hide or distort the message just as well. As such, some understanding of the nature of language helps us understand the problems involved in learning and teaching the Dharma, overcome such problems, rightly understand the Dharma, and effectively con- vey the means of spiritual liberation to others. Language is a means of expression and communication learned and used at the interface of our minds and the external world. Discourse is how we present our ideas and feelings through language to communi- cate with othersœit is how we use language to record our thoughts, and to inform or influence others. Discourse is also about how the Buddha teaches the Dharma.1 Language significantly shapes discourse: language gives palpable form to what is in our minds that we wish to express; discourse gives meaning to what is communicated in language. Meaning is how we or our audience value or relate to what is expressed in language. Often, the term language is used to denote both itself and discourse, and meaning has a broad sense in terms of how we evaluate thought, word and action.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bodhisattva Ideal in Selected Buddhist
    i THE BODHISATTVA IDEAL IN SELECTED BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES (ITS THEORETICAL & PRACTICAL EVOLUTION) YUAN Cl Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Oriental and African Studies University of London 2004 ProQuest Number: 10672873 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 10672873 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 This thesis consists of seven chapters. It is designed to survey and analyse the teachings of the Bodhisattva ideal and its gradual development in selected Buddhist scriptures. The main issues relate to the evolution of the teachings of the Bodhisattva ideal. The Bodhisattva doctrine and practice are examined in six major stages. These stages correspond to the scholarly periodisation of Buddhist thought in India, namely (1) the Bodhisattva’s qualities and career in the early scriptures, (2) the debates concerning the Bodhisattva in the early schools, (3) the early Mahayana portrayal of the Bodhisattva and the acceptance of the six perfections, (4) the Bodhisattva doctrine in the earlier prajhaparamita-siltras\ (5) the Bodhisattva practices in the later prajnaparamita texts, and (6) the evolution of the six perfections (paramita) in a wide range of Mahayana texts.
    [Show full text]
  • Kālāma-Sutta: Epistemology, Ethics, and the ‘Sacred’
    Buddhist Studies Review 24(1) 2007, 91–107 ISSN (print): 0256–2897 doi: 10.1558/bsrv.v24i1.91 ISSN (online): 1747–9681 Doubting the Kālāma-Sutta: Epistemology, Ethics, and the ‘Sacred’ STEPHEN A. Evans Bangkok [email protected] ABSTRACT: The Kālāma-sutta is frequently cited as proof of the rational and empirical spirit of early Buddhist epistemology, ‘The Buddha’s charter of free enquiry’, accord- ing to Soma Thera. A close reading, however, calls that interpretation into question. The Kālāmas do not ask what is the truth, and the Buddha does not tell them how to find it. Rather the Kālāmas ask ‘Who is telling the truth?’ in what may have been the pursuit of sacred or quasi-magical power through the person of a teacher. The Bud- dha, in turn, encourages them to adopt a set of attitudes and actions, which includes choosing a teacher. The method of evaluation that the Buddha gives, which includes the famous ‘know for yourselves’ is found to be as least as much ethical as it is epis- temological and to invoke the opinion of authority and the public. The Buddha here seems to call for a decision that is partly based on faith, and the Kālāmas respond not with independent research, but with an act of faith in committing themselves to (and being accepted by) the Buddha. INTRODUCTION The Kālāma-sutta (or, more accurately, the Kesamutti-sutta) is one of the best known and most widely cited suttas of the Pāli Nikāyas. Its importance, on the one hand, is that it seems to give an account of the Buddha’s epistemology; its popular appeal, on the other, is that the epistemology seems strikingly modern.
    [Show full text]
  • The Four Realities True for Noble Ones: a New Approach to Ariyasaccas
    Journal of Buddhist Ethics ISSN 1076-9005 http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethics/ Volume 22, 2015 The Four Realities True for Noble Ones: A New Approach to Ariyasaccas Ven. Pandita University of Kelaniya Copyright Notice: Digital copies of this work may be made and distributed provided no change is made and no alteration is made to the content. Reproduction in any other format, with the exception of a single copy for private study, requires the written permission of the author. All en- quiries to: [email protected]. The Four Realities True for Noble Ones: A New Approach to the Ariyasaccas Ven. Pandita1 Abstract Peter Harvey recently argued that the term sacca of ariyasacca should be interpreted as “reality” rather than as “truth,” the common rendition. In this paper, although I basically agree with him, I see quite different implications and come to a wholly new interpretation of the four ariyasaccas. Introduction In a paper published in 2009 as well as in the new edition of his Introduc- tion to Buddhism (2013), Peter Harvey argues that sacca of the term ari- yasacca should be rendered as “reality,” not as “truth” like commonly rendered. His reasons are as follows: 1 Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Email: [email protected]. 332 Pandita, The Four Realities True for Noble Ones As regards the meaning of (ariya-)‘sacca’ in the Buddha’s first sermon, there are three reasons why it cannot here mean ‘truth’. First, it is said that the second ariya-sacca is to be abandoned (S.v.422): surely, one would not want to abandon a ‘truth’, but one might well want to abandon a problematic ‘reality’.
    [Show full text]