DOCSLIB.ORG

In Quest of Cosmic Reality an Interpretation and Commentary Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
In Quest of Cosmic Reality an Interpretation and Commentary Of In Quest of Cosmic Reality An interpretation and commentary of the great work by Bodhisattva Asvaghosha on ”Awakening of Faith in Mahayana”. WONG KIEW KIT Chapter 1 Introduction to Cosmic Quest Readers are invited to share, if they so desire and find beneficial, some of the most profound wisdom found in Buddhism, and experience possibly the most noble and meaningful attainment man can ever achieve, namely spiritual fulfilment irrespective of the religion, or lack of it, they profess. 1 Cosmic Reality in Science and Religion Cosmic Reality in Science and Religion Since time memorial man has wondered where he came from and where he will go to. Questions touching on man’s origin and destination have been keenly investi- gated not only in philosophy, metaphysics and religion, but also in the latest sciences. Listen to what one of the greatest scientists, Albert Einstein, has to say about Cos- mic Reality: A human being is part of the whole, called by us ”Universe”, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion, of his con- sciousness. The delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires, and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compas- sion to embrace all living creatures, and the whole of nature in its beauty. 2 Cosmic Reality in Science and Religion Fritjof Capra shares with other great scientists like Julius Robert Oppenheimer, Neils Bohr and Werner Heisen- berg the conclusion that: The concepts of modern physics often show surprising parallels to the ideas expressed in the religious philosophies of the Far East. Great teachers of ancient wisdom of both the East and the West have taught men about Cosmic Reality long be- fore modern science reverts to viewing the universe from the concept of a gigantic machine to that of an organic unity. But while modern science seeks to understand Cos- mic Reality by way of inductive, reductionist methods us- ing elaborate precision instruments, ancient masters have always sought to experience this reality directly, an ex- perience that transcends both our normal sensory per- ception and intellectual faculties. Such a direct, intuitive experience of reality is what Lao Tzu means when he says that: The Tao that can be named, is not the real Tao. The name that can be so named, is not the real name. The nameless is the source of 3 Cosmic Reality in Science and Religion heaven and earth. The named is the mother of all phenomena. Hence, those who have no attachment, can see the mystery of reality. Those with attachment can only see its illu- sion. Lao Tzu explains that what we call the Supreme Re- ality or the Ultimate Truth is nameless, but for conve- nience he calls it ”Tao”. Lao Tzu knows what this Tao is because he has experienced it directly, but to his listeners who have not experienced this reality directly, they will not know what Tao is even when they hear and know its name. It is like someone who has not eaten an apple; no matter how much he reads about descriptions of the taste of an apple, he still will not know how an apple tastes. So a Taoist master may describe what Tao is, or give names to any phenomena in the Cosmos, but unless his students have direct experience of Tao or of these phe- nomena, the subsequent concepts they form of Tao or of the phenomena, are different from what they actually are. This nameless Reality, which is called Tao for con- venience, is the source of everything there is; it is om- nipresent and omniscient. When we give a name to this 4 Cosmic Reality in Science and Religion nameless Reality, differentiation begins, with the result that we see countless phenomena as separate entities, to which we provide a name each. These phenomena, al- though they appear real to us because of our sensory and other limitations, are an imitation of reality, not reality itself. If we eliminate our attachment, such as purifying ourselves from selfish desires, we can remove the many layers of distortions to arrive at the mystery of reality. But if we are shrouded by layers of attachment, we can only see an illusion of reality. Nevertheless, for those who are not yet adequately advanced in mysticism or spirituality to experience the Supreme Reality directly, or those who may lack the faith to practise unwaveringly the techniques taught by the great masters, an intellectual understanding of this Real- ity as well as the methods to experience it, will be exceed- ingly helpful, even though such an explanation provides only an imitation of reality, not the reality itself. As- vaghosha’s ”Awakening of Faith in Mahayana”, of which this book is a translation, interpretation and commen- tary, achieves this and other related aims excellently. Al- though it is a fundamental Mahayana Buddhist text, it can be applied to any religion. Indeed, Rev. Timothy 5 Cosmic Reality in Science and Religion Richard, who has written one of the only four available English translations of this great work, goes to the extent of saying: If it be, as it is more and more believed, that the Mahayana Faith, is not Buddhist, prop- erly so called, but an Asiatic form of the same Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in Buddhist nomenclature, differing from the old Buddhism just as the New Testament dif- fers from the Old, then it commands a world- wide interest, for in it we find an adaptation of Christianity to ancient thought in Asia, and the deepest bond of union between the different races of the East and the West, viz., the bond of a common religion. ... The al- most universal reception of the doctrines con- tained in this book by both the east and the west constitutes to my mind its highest claim to our attention. Buddhism is a very liberal religion; some people even content that it is not a religion, but a philosophy of life. 6 Cosmic Reality in Science and Religion The Buddha himself compares Buddhism to a raft, ferry- ing humanity from the sea of suffering to the shore of En- lightenment. Once you have attained Enlightenment, you may even discard the raft; and if you have other means of crossing the sea of suffering, by all means do so, with full blessing from Buddhists. This means that if a person is already practising his religion rewardingly, Buddhists would not try to convert him into Buddhism, because as he is presently on his way, changing to another religion would actually slow down his spiritual progress. ”Awakening of Faith in Mahayana” provides invalu- able knowledge not only to disciplines like religion, meta- physics and philosophy, but also to various branches of modern science like physics, psychology and cosmology. Modern scientists will be astonished to find advanced con- cepts concerning relativity, united energy field, different levels of consciousness, and the limitless expanse of the cosmos in this fascinating work written twenty centuries ago! 7 The Universality of Religions The Universality of Religions How is ”Awakening of Faith in Mahayana” applicable to other religions when it is a basic Buddhist text? Although the world’s great religions appear to be vastly different in their beliefs and ceremonies, if we study deeply their fun- damental philosophies as taught by their greatest teach- ers, we will find that they are basically similar. This per- haps has to be so, if there is only one Reality or Truth, even if it can be interpreted in and approached from dif- ferent levels and perspectives. The following simple ex- periment can make this clear. Below are five descriptions of the basic philosophies of the world’s great religions, but with their specific, telling terms replaced by the general term ”Supreme Reality”. Can you tell which description applies to which religion? The Supreme Reality is all. From the Supreme Reality comes appearances, sensations, de- sires, deeds. But all these are merely name and form. There is one Supreme Reality and Source of all mankind, who is Lord of all, works 8 The Universality of Religions through all, and is in all. The special purpose of our existence is to en- deavor to work our way back to the Supreme Reality. Our objective in life is to regain union with the Supreme Reality. The Supreme Reality permeates everything. Our aim is to be united with the Supreme Reality. Avoid doing all forms of evil, practise all forms of goodness; ultimately let your heart return to the Supreme Reality. It is not easy to match the above descriptions with their religions not because we do not know their religious philosophies, but because they are all quite similar. In the first description, the term ”Supreme Reality” isused for ”Brahman”, and the passage is quoted from the Up- anishads, one of the most sacred Hindu scriptures. In the second description, ”God” and ”Father” should be used instead of ”Supreme Reality” and ”Source” respec- tively, and the passage is quoted from the Bible. The first ”Supreme Reality” in the third passage refers to ”loving 9 The Universality of Religions Creator”, the second to ”God”, and the passage is quoted from Shaykh Hakim Moinuddin Chishti, a Muslim mas- ter. In the fourth passage, ”Supreme Reality” should be read ”Tao”, and it is a basic concept in Taoism. The fifth quotation is from Zhi Yi, a Buddhist master, and here ”Supreme Reality” refers to ”Void” or ”Universal Mind”.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Study of the Saṃskāra Section of Vasubandhu's Pañcaskandhaka with Reference to Its Commentary by Sthiramati
    A Study of the Saṃskāra Section of Vasubandhu's Pañcaskandhaka with Reference to Its Commentary by Sthiramati Jowita KRAMER 1. Introduction In his treatise "On the Five Constituents of the Person" (Pañcaskandhaka) Vasubandhu succeeded in presenting a brief but very comprehensive and clear outline of the concept of the five skandhas as understood from the viewpoint of the Yogācāra tradition. When investigating the doctrinal development of the five skandha theory and of other related concepts taught in the Pañcaskandhaka, works like the Yogācārabhūmi, the Abhidharmasamuccaya, and the Abhidharmakośa- bhāṣya are of great importance. The relevance of the first two texts results from their close association with the Pañcaskandhaka in terms of tradition. The significance of the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya is due to the assumption of an identical author of this text and the Pañcaskandhaka.1 The comparison of the latter with the other texts leads to a highly inconsistent picture of the relations between the works. It is therefore difficult to determine the developmental processes of the teachings presented in the texts under consideration and to give a concluding answer to the question whether the same person composed the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya and the Pañcaskandhaka. What makes the identification of the interdependence between the texts even more problematic is our limited knowledge of the methods the Indian authors and commentators applied when they composed their works. It was obviously very common to make use of whole sentences or even passages from older texts without marking them as quotations. If we assume the silent copying of older material as the usual method of Indian authors, then the question arises why in some cases the wording they apply is not identical but replaced by synonyms or completely different statements.
    [Show full text]
  • Body, Mind and Sleepiness: on the Abhidharma Understanding of Styna and Middha. Journal of the International
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Explore Bristol Research Gethin, R. (2017). Body, Mind and Sleepiness: On the Abhidharma understanding of styna and middha. Journal of the International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies, XXI (Professor Junkichi Imanishi Felicitation Volume on the Occasion of His Retirement), 254-216. Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record License (if available): CC BY-NC-ND Link to publication record in Explore Bristol Research PDF-document This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via the International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies at http://id.nii.ac.jp/1153/00000396/. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher. University of Bristol - Explore Bristol Research General rights This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pure/about/ebr-terms.html 国際仏教学大学院大学研究紀要 Journal of the International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies 第 21 号（平成 29 年) Vol. XXI, 2017 Body, Mind and Sleepiness: On the Abhidharma understanding of styāna and middha Rupert Gethin 国際仏教学大学院大学研究紀要第 21 号 平成 29年3月 123 Body, Mind and Sleepiness: On the Abhidharma understanding of styāna and middha Rupert Gethin 1. Listing dharmas Our modern textbooks of Buddhist thought inform us that the Theravāda tradition recognises seventy-two or eighty-two
    [Show full text]
  • Ignorance, Epistemology and Soteriology1 Part II
    Ignorance, epistemology and soteriology1 Part II Vincent Eltschinger For Jacques May The fi rst part of this essay (Eltschinger 2009) concentrated on the basic features and likely sources of Dharmakīrti’s understanding of ignorance (avidyā). Against the Vaibhāṣikas, but with Vasubandhu the Kośakāra, Dharmakīrti defi nes ignorance as a “counter-” or “anti-knowledge,” i.e., as a cognition that counteracts true (percep- tual) knowledge (vidyā) by displaying contrary/erroneous object- supports and aspects (viparītālambanākāra). According to him, ignorance amounts to pseudo-perception (pratyakṣābhāsa), hence conceptual construction (vikalpa), superimposition (samāropa) and concealment (saṃvṛti). The core of Dharmakīrti’s philosophy, the so-called apoha theory, provides an exhaustive picture of both ignorance as conceptuality and inference as a corrective (though conceptual) principle. This conception of ignorance, however, fails to account for the most dramatic form of the Buddhist ignorance, viz. its being responsible for defi lements, rebirth and suff ering. In 1 This study has been made possible by the generous fi nancial support of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF-Projekt P19862 “Philoso phi sche und religiöse Literatur des Buddhismus”). Most sincere thanks are due to Isabelle Ratié, Birgit Kellner, Helmut Krasser and Ernst Steinkellner. Lambert Schmithausen also deserves my wholehearted gratitude for having gone through this essay with incomparably great care and erudition. My most sin- cere thanks are due to Cynthia Peck, who kindly corrected my English. Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies Volume 33 • Number 1–2 • 2010 (2011) pp. 27–74 28 Vincent Eltschinger order to account for this eschatologically valued form of ignorance, Dharmakīrti equates avidyā with the personalistic false view (satkāyadṛṣṭi).
    [Show full text]
  • "Cutting the Roots of Virtue:" Tsongkhapa on the Results of Anger
    ISSN 1076-9005 Volume 2 1995 "Cutting the Roots of Virtue:" Tsongkhapa on the Results of Anger By Daniel Cozort Assistant Professor of Religion, Dickinson College Abstract: Anger is the most powerful of the kle"sas that not only "plant seeds" for suffering but also "cut the roots of virtue" for periods of up to a thousand aeons per instance. This article examines and assesses the exegesis by Tsongkhapa, founder of the Tibetan Gelukba order, of Indian sources on the topic of anger. It argues that despite Tsongkhapa's many careful qualifications he may not be successful in avoiding the conclusion that if the sūtras are to be accepted literally, there almost certainly will be persons for whom liberation from saṃsāra is precluded. INTRODUCTION Among the six root afflictive emotions (nyon mongs, kle"sa) identified in the Buddhist Abhidharma literature as the causes for episodes or entire lifetimes of suffering, anger (Tibetan: khong khro, Sanskrit: pratigha) holds a singular place. It is one of a few mental states[1] that not only establish "seeds" or "roots" of nonvirtue, but also nullify the seeds or roots of individual virtue planted by exemplary actions such as giving and patience. Among these states, anger is uniquely destructive. The Mañju"srīvikrīḍita Sūtra warns that a single moment of anger can result in a person's loss of a hundred aeons of virtue.[2] "Sāntideva, the ninth century author of the greatly influential Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra multiplies this dire warning tenfold (chapter 6, verse 1): anger wipes out not just a hundred, but a thousand aeons of virtue.
    [Show full text]
  • Abhisamayalamkara the Ornament of Higher Realization by Maitreya ~ an Introduction
    ABHISAMAYALAMKARA THE ORNAMENT OF HIGHER REALIZATION BY MAITREYA ~ AN INTRODUCTION SOURCE BOOK RIME SHEDRA NYC SMCNY ADVANCED BUDDHIST STUDIES CHANTS ASPIRATION In order that all sentient beings may attain Buddhahood, From my heart I take refuge in the three jewels. This was composed by Mipham. Translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee MANJUSHRI SUPPLICATION Whatever the virtues of the many fields of knowledge All are steps on the path of omniscience. May these arise in the clear mirror of intellect. O Manjushri, please accomplish this. This was specially composed by Mangala (Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche). Translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee DEDICATION OF MERIT By this merit may all obtain omniscience May it defeat the enemy, wrong doing. From the stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death, From the ocean of samsara, may I free all beings By the confidence of the golden sun of the great east May the lotus garden of the Rigden’s wisdom bloom, May the dark ignorance of sentient beings be dispelled. May all beings enjoy profound, brilliant glory. Translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee For internal use only Exclusively for the Rime Shedra NYC Core Texts Program A program of Shambhala Meditation Center of New York First Edition – 2014 THE ABHISAMAYALAMKARA THE ORNAMENT OF HIGHER REALIZATION BY MAITREYA AN INTRODUCTION Who Knows What, Where, When, and How SOURCEBOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Syllabus 2. Outline of the Chapters of the Abhisamayalamkara 3. The 70 Points of the Abhisamayalamkara from Edward Conze 4. A Detailed Outline of the Abhisamayalamkara by Thrangu Rinpoche 5. The Eight Categories by FPMT Masters Courses 6.
    [Show full text]
  • The Art of Translating Tibetan
    wisdom masterclass The Art of Translating Tibetan A WISDOM MASTERCLASS Thupten Jinpa on The Art of Translating Tibetan COURSE PACKET Produced in partnership with Tsadra Foundation Table of Contents 1. Introduction to Translation, Part 1 1 2. Introduction to Translation, Part 2 3 3. Translating Concepts and Terms: Reality, Part 1 9 4. Translating Concepts and Terms: Reality, Part 2 11 5. Getting Behind the Words with Gavin Kilty 13 6. Going Beyond Language and Translation as the Rebirth of the Text with Gavin Kilty 15 7. Literalism and Translating Terms with Gavin Kilty 16 8. The Responsibility of the Translator with Gavin Kilty 17 9. Translating Concepts and Terms: The Mind, Part 1 18 10. Translating Concepts and Terms: The Mind, Part 2 18 11. Group Workshop, Part 1 26 12. Group Workshop, Part 2 27 13. Group Workshop, Part 3 28 14. Group Workshop, Part 4 28 15. How Tibetan Texts Were Produced 31 16. The Use of Particles in Tibetan Texts 35 17. Translating Concepts and Terms: Meditation, Part 1 37 18. Translating Concepts and Terms: Meditation, Part 2 38 19. Best Practices with Wulstan Fletcher, Part 1 40 20. Best Practices with Wulstan Fletcher, Part 2 41 21. Best Practices with Wulstan Fletcher, Part 3 47 22. Introduction to Translating Verse 48 23. Verse Case Study #1: A Song of Milarepa 49 24. Verse Case Study #2: The Book of Kadam 51 25. Verse Case Study #3: A Poem of Tsongkhapa 54 The Art of Translating Tibetan, Wisdom Publications, Inc. © 2020 vi The Art of Translanting Tibetan 26.
    [Show full text]
  • Meditazione Shamatha E Vipashyana
    MEDITAZIONE SHAMATHA E VIPASHYANA del Venerabile Kenchen Thrangu Rimpoche Abate del Monastero Rumtek Un Commentario del Settimo Capitolo del testo IL TESORO DELLA CONOSCENZA di Jamgon Kongtrul, il Grande Tradotto da Alberto Mengoni (Aliberth) per il Centro Nirvana di Roma PREFAZIONE DEL TRADUTTORE ITALIANO Vista la importantissima valenza che la meditazione ‘Shamata e Vipashyana [Vipassana]’ ha avuto (e tuttora ha) nello sviluppo e nella pratica della meditazione Chan-Zen, si ritiene utile presentare questa traduzione di un significativo testo che tratta questo argomento. Essa fu preparata nell’anno 1998, e dopo che a quel tempo ne furono fatte delle dispense offerte ai meditanti del Centro Nirvana, oggi la si presenta liberamente agli studiosi interessati della meditazione, che visitano il nostro sito. Aliberth Meng Il Dharma di Aliberth Articoli e traduzioni di Alberto Mengoni (Aliberth) riprodotti senza revisione dal sito “centronirvana.it” e dal bollettino “Nirvana News” che hanno cessato di esistere 1/75 - http://www.superzeko.net KHENCHEN THRANGU RIMPOCHE Il VII Ghyalwa Karmapa fondò il Monastero Thrangu circa 500 anni fa e vi mise a capo, come Abate, uno dei suoi discepoli prescelti, il primo Thrangu Rimpoche. In tempi più recenti, le successive reincarnazioni di Thrangu Rimpoche hanno passato molti degli anni della loro vita in ritiri isolati. L’attuale nona incarnazione fu riconosciuta tale all’età di quattro anni, nel 1937, dal Ghyalwa Karmapa della nostra era, Palpung Situ Rimpoche, il quale ebbe la profezia del nome, della famiglia e del luogo di nascita di questa reincarnazione attuale. Dall’età di sette fino a sedici anni, il piccolo Thrangu Rimpoche imparò a leggere ed a scrivere, a memorizzare le pratiche rituali (puja) e canoniche.
    [Show full text]
  • Mind in Dispute: the Section on Mind in Harivarman’S *Tattvasiddhi
    © Copyright 2015 Qian Lin Mind in Dispute: The Section on Mind in Harivarman’s *Tattvasiddhi Qian Lin A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2015 Reading Committee: Collett D. Cox, Chair Richard G. Salomon Timothy J. Lenz Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Department of Asian Languages and Literature University of Washington Abstract Mind in Dispute: The Section on Mind in Harivarman’s *Tattvasiddhi Qian Lin Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Collett D. Cox Department of Asian Languages and Literature This dissertation is an in-depth study of the dispute on the doctrines regarding the structure of mind as recorded in the fourth century CE Abhidharma work, the *Tattvasiddhi (成實論, TatSid hereafter) by Harivarman. Despite the specific differences among the various Buddhist Abhidharma analyses of mind, in general they can be divided into two major positions. Some propose that mind is composed of consciousness (citta or vijñāna) and various numbers of mental factors (caitasika or caitta), which are mental phenomena that are different from but associated (saṃprayukta) with consciousness. Others oppose the existence of caitasikas as entities separate from consciousness; instead they suggest that caitasikas are not different from citta by nature but are only citta in different modes. In chapters 60-67, the TatSid records arguments representing both sides of the dispute. The present study consists of an annotated English translation (chapter 5) of chapters 60-67 of the TatSid as well as detailed analyses of and comments on each of the arguments for or against the notions of “mental factor” (caitasika) (chapter 2) and “association” (saṃprayoga) (chapter 3).
    [Show full text]
  • Research on the 51 Mental Events
    The Fifty-One Mental Events an anthology compiled by Lokabandhu from various sources this version printed tt.06.09 Sources used Monier-Williams - Sanskrit Dictionary Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary Nyantiloka - Buddhist Dictionary Shobogenzo glossary Asanga - Abhidharmasamuccaya Yeshe Gyaltsen - Mind in Buddhist Psychology, translated by Guenther Bhante - Know Your Mind and other books Geshe Rabten - ‘Mind and its Functions’ Hsuen Tsang - Doctrine of Mere-Consciousness Geshe Kelsang Gyatso - Understanding the Mind Tarthang Tulku - Ways of Enlightenment Abhidharmakosa - Vasubandhu, translated into French by Louis de La Vallee Poussin, English translation by Leo M. Pugden. Published by Asian Humanities Press Vibhanga - The Book of Analysis, the Second Book of the Abhidhamma Pitaka, translated from the Pali of the Burmese Chatthasangiti Edition by Pathamakyaw Ashin Thittila Dhammasangini - A Buddhist Manual of Psychological Ethics, the First Book in the Abhidhamma Pitaka, trans. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Attasalini, the Expositor. Buddhaghosa's commentary on the Dhammasangani. Translated by Maung Tin, m.a. Edited and revised by C.A.F. Rhys Davids Ledi Sayadaw - Manuals of Buddhism Vasubandhu - Trimsika, translations by Swati Ganguli, Anacker, Wei Tat, Kochumutton, and a free version by Subhuti. With thanks to: Prajnamata, Ashvajit and Chandrabodhi for the Marathi / Hindi equivalents Silabhadra and Kulamitra for permission to use excerpts from Bhante’s seminars Windhorse Publications for permission to use excerpts from Bhante’s books Dharmachandra for research into the Sanskrit roots of words PLEASE NOTE THAT QUOTES TAKEN FROM SANGHARAKSHITA’S SEMINARS ARE UNEDITED AND MAY CONTAIN INACCURACIES Also please note that Subhuti’s comments are from unedited talks and have not been checked by him Introduction Bhante (Know Your Mind): No list of mental events can be exhaustive; nor are the boundary lines between them always fixed.
    [Show full text]
  • 横組：Rupert Gethin
    Gethin, R. (2017). Body, Mind and Sleepiness: On the Abhidharma understanding of styāna and middha. Journal of the International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies, 21, 254-216. http://id.nii.ac.jp/1153/00000396/ Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record License (if available): CC BY-NC-ND Link to publication record in Explore Bristol Research PDF-document This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via the International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies at http://id.nii.ac.jp/1153/00000396/. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher. University of Bristol - Explore Bristol Research General rights This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/red/research-policy/pure/user-guides/ebr-terms/ 国際仏教学大学院大学研究紀要 Journal of the International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies 第 21 号（平成 29 年) Vol. XXI, 2017 Body, Mind and Sleepiness: On the Abhidharma understanding of styāna and middha Rupert Gethin 国際仏教学大学院大学研究紀要第 21 号 平成 29年3月 123 Body, Mind and Sleepiness: On the Abhidharma understanding of styāna and middha Rupert Gethin 1. Listing dharmas Our modern textbooks of Buddhist thought inform us that the Theravāda tradition recognises seventy-two or eighty-two dharmas, the Sarvāstivāda tradition seventy-five, and the Yogācāra tradition one hundred.1 In fact, at least if we confine ourselves to the Indian
    [Show full text]
  • Mahayana Buddhism
    OUTLINES OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM BY DAISETZ TEITARO SUZUKI THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA GIFT OF Lt. Col. George White Add to ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. K. J. BRILL, PRINTERS, LEYDEN, HOLLAND. OUTLINES OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM BY DAISETZ TEITARO SUZUKI LONDON LUZAC AND COMPANY (OPPOSITE THE BRITISH MUSEUM) PUBLISHERS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. 1907. PREFACE. The object of this book is twofold: (i) To refute the many wrong opinions which are entertained by Western critics concerning the fundamental teachings of Buddhism To awake interest Mahayana ; (2) among scholars of comparative religion in the development of the religious sentiment and faith as exemplified by the growth of one of the most powerful spiritual forces in the world. The book is therefore at once popular and scholarly. It is popular in the sense that it tries to expose the fallacy of the general attitude assumed by other religionists towards Mahayanism. It aims to be scholarly, on the other hand, when it endeavors to expound some of the most salient features of the doctrine, historically and systematically. In attempting the accomplishment of this latter object, however, the author makes no great claim, because it is impossible to present within this pres- cribed space all the data that are available for a comprehensive and systematic elucidation of the Mahayana Buddhism, whose history began in the sixth century before the Christian era and ran through a period of more than two thousand years before it assumed the form in which it is at present taught in the Orient. During this long period, the Mahayana 928 VI doctrine was elaborated by the best minds that India, Tibet, China, and Japan ever produced.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Buddhist Accounts of Non-Conceptual Sense Perception
    KNOWING BLUE: EARLY BUDDHIST ACCOUNTS OF NON-CONCEPTUAL SENSE PERCEPTION Robert H. Sharf Group in Buddhist Studies, University of California, Berkeley [email protected] And I find myself knowing the things that I knew Which is all that you can know on this side of the blue Joanna Newsom Is there such a thing as direct, non-conceptual experience, or is all experience, by its very nature, conceptually mediated? Is some notion of non-conceptual sensory awareness required to account for our ability to represent and negotiate our physical environment, or is it merely an artifact of deep-seated but ultimately misguided Cartesian metaphysical assump- tions? Perhaps conscious experience in humans is inextricably tied to the representational or self-reflexive capacities of language; if so, does it necessarily follow that newborn infants and animals are not conscious? Is the very notion of non-conceptual experience logically incoherent or unintelligible? Or perhaps the problem lies in our use of concepts to describe phenomena that lie, by definition, beyond the confines of conceptual thought. Surely, that we can’t conceive of something is insufficient ground to conclude that it doesn’t exist. These are, of course, much debated issues in contemporary philosophy of mind. Recently, the debates have been framed in terms of “first-order” (or “same-order”) theories of consciousness versus higher-order theories; the latter maintain that subjective awareness consists in a second-order representation of a first-order state (consciousness is said to be “transitive”), while the former argue that consciousness is “intransitive” or “self-intimating,” and thus the phenomenon of self-awareness need not entail secondary or higher-order cognitive processing.
    [Show full text]