Buddhist Thought
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Bhāra Sutta the Discourse on the Burden | S 22.22/3:25 F Theme: There Is No “Person” in the Aggregates Translated & Annotated by Piya Tan ©2005
S 3.1.1.3.1 Saṁyutta 3, Khandha Vagga 1, Khandha Saṁy 1, Mūla Paṇṇāsaka 3, Bhāra Vg 1 14 Bhāra Sutta The Discourse on the Burden | S 22.22/3:25 f Theme: There is no “person” in the aggregates Translated & annotated by Piya Tan ©2005 1 Introduction 1.1 In his well-acclaimed work, How Buddhism Began, Richard Gombrich points out the relationship between the Buddhist conception of upādāna (clinging) and its early Indian roots in meta- phors of fuel and fire: The word upādāna has both a concrete and an abstract meaning. In the abstract, it means attach- ment, grasping; in this sense it is much used in Buddhist dogmatics. Concretely, it means that which fuels this process. The PED sv: “(lit that [material] substratum by means of which an active process is kept alive and going), fuel, supply, provision.” So when the context deals with fire it simply means fuel… In my opinion, it is clear that the term the term khandha too was a part of the fire metaphor. (Gombrich 1996:67)1 1.2 Gombrich goes on to discuss the historical problem related to the Bhāra Sutta (S 22.22), where the aggregates are said to be a burden (bhārā paca-k,khandhā) to be put down. The metaphor is more historically correct and spiritually more urgent when upādāna-k,khandha is translated as “the aggregates that are fuelled)” or even “the aggregates that are on fire (or burning).” It is a burden for the early brahmins to daily collect fuel (wood, herbs, etc) to feed the sacred fire (Gombrich 1996:67). -
Buddhism Key Terms Pairs
Pairs! Cut out the pairs and challenge your classmate to a game of pairs! There are a number of key terms each of which correspond to a teaching or belief. The key concepts are those that are underlined and the others are general words to help your understanding of the concepts. Can you figure them out? Practicing Doctrine of single-pointed impermanence – Non-injury to living meditation through which states nothing things; the doctrine of mindfulness of Anicca ever is but is always in Samatha Ahimsa non-violence. breathing in order to a state of becoming. calm the mind. ‘Foe Destroyer’. A person Phenomena arising who has destroyed all The Buddhist doctrine together in a mutually delusions through Anatta of no-self. Pratitya interdependent web of Arhat training on the spiritual cause and effect. path. They will never be reborn again in Samsara. A person who has Loving-kindness generated spontaneous meditation practiced bodhichitta but who Pain, suffering, disease Metta in order to ‘cultivate has not yet become a and disharmony. Bodhisattva Dukkha loving-kindness’ Buddha; delaying their Bhavana towards others. parinirvana in order to help mankind. Meditation practiced in (Skandhas – Sanskrit): Theravada Buddhism The four sublime The five aggregates involving states: metta, karuna, which make up the Brahmavihara Khandas Vipassana concentration on the mudita and upekkha. self, as we know it. body or its sensations. © WJEC CBAC LTD 2016 Pairs! A being who has completely abandoned Liberation and true Path to the cessation all delusions and their cessation of the cycle of suffering – the Buddha imprints. In general, Enlightenment of Samsara. -
Anattā and Nibbāna: Egolessness and Deliverance
Anattā and Nibbāna Egolessness and Deliverance by Nyanaponika Thera Buddhist Publication Society Kandy • Sri Lanka The Wheel Publication No. 11 First published: 1959 Reprinted: 1971, 1986 A slightly differing German version of this essay appeared in 1951 in the magazine Die Einsicht. The English version was first published in the quarterly The Light of the Dhamma, Vol. IV, No. 3 (Rangoon 1957) under the title “Nibbāna in the Light of the Middle Doctrine.” BPS Online Edition © (2008) Digital Transcription Source: BPS Transcription Project For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted, reprinted and redistributed in any medium. However, any such republication and redistribution is to be made available to the public on a free and unrestricted basis and translations and other derivative works are to be clearly marked as such. Contents Introduction 2 I. The Nihilistic-Negative Extreme 5 II The Positive-Metaphysical Extreme 9 III Transcending the Extremes 14 Introduction This world, Kaccāna, usually leans upon a duality: upon (the belief in) existence or non- existence.… Avoiding these two extremes, the Perfect One shows the doctrine in the middle: Dependent on ignorance are the kamma-formations.… By the cessation of ignorance, kamma-formations cease.… (SN 12:15) The above saying of the Buddha speaks of the duality of existence (atthitā) and non-existence (natthitā). These two terms refer to the theories of eternalism (sassata-diṭṭhi) and annihilationism (uccheda-diṭṭhi), the basic misconceptions of actuality that in various forms repeatedly reappear in the history of human thought. Eternalism is the belief in a permanent substance or entity, whether conceived as a multitude of individual souls or selves, created or not, as a monistic world-soul, a deity of any description, or a combination of any of these notions. -
Studies in Buddhist Hetuvidyā (Epistemology and Logic ) in Europe and Russia
Nataliya Kanaeva STUDIES IN BUDDHIST HETUVIDYĀ (EPISTEMOLOGY AND LOGIC ) IN EUROPE AND RUSSIA Working Paper WP20/2015/01 Series WP20 Philosophy of Culture and Cultural Studies Moscow 2015 УДК 24 ББК 86.36 K19 Editor of the series WP20 «Philosophy of Culture and Cultural Studies» Vitaly Kurennoy Kanaeva, Nataliya. K19 Studies in Buddhist Hetuvidyā (Epistemology and Logic ) in Europe and Russia [Text] : Working paper WP20/2015/01 / N. Kanaeva ; National Research University Higher School of Economics. – Moscow : Higher School of Economics Publ. House, 2015. – (Series WP20 “Philosophy of Culture and Cultural Studiesˮ) – 52 p. – 20 copies. This publication presents an overview of the situation in studies of Buddhist epistemology and logic in Western Europe and in Russia. Those studies are the young direction of Buddhology, and they started only at the beginning of the XX century. There are considered the main schools, their representatives, the directions of their researches and achievements in the review. The activity of Russian scientists in this field was not looked through ever before. УДК 24 ББК 86.36 This study (research grant № 14-01-0006) was supported by The National Research University Higher School of Economics (Moscow). Academic Fund Program in 2014–2015. Kanaeva Nataliya – National Research University Higher School of Economics (Moscow). Department of Humanities. School of Philosophy. Assistant professor; [email protected]. Канаева, Н. А. Исследования буддийской хетувидьи (эпистемологии и логики) в Европе и России (обзор) [Текст] : препринт WP20/2015/01 / Н. А. Канаева ; Нац. исслед. ун-т «Высшая школа экономи- ки». – М.: Изд. дом Высшей школы экономики, 2015. – (Серия WP20 «Философия и исследо- вания культуры»). -
Searching for a Possibility of Buddhist Hermeneutics: Two Exegetic Strategies in Buddhist Tradition
Searching for a Possibility of Buddhist Hermeneutics: Two Exegetic Strategies in Buddhist Tradition Sumi Lee University of California, Los Angeles One of the main concerns in religious studies lies in hermeneutics 1 : While interpreters of religion, as those in all other fields, are doomed to perform their work through the process of conceptualization of their subjects, religious reality has been typically considered as transcending conceptual categorization. Such a dilemma imposed on the interpreters of religion explains the dualistic feature of the Western hermeneutic history of religion--the consistent attempts to describe and explain religious reality on the one hand and the successive reflective thinking on the limitation of human knowledge in understanding ultimate reality on the other hand.2 Especially in the modern period, along with the emergence of the methodological reflection on religious studies, the presupposition that the “universally accepted” religious reality or “objectively reasoned” religious principle is always “over there” and may be eventually disclosed through refined scientific methods has become broadly questioned and criticized. The apparent tension between the interpreter/interpretation and the object of interpretation in religious studies, however, does not seem to have undermined the traditional Buddhist exegetes’ eagerness for their work of expounding the Buddhist teachings: The Buddhist exegetes and commentators not only devised various types of systematic and elaborate literal frameworks such as logics, theories, styles and rhetoric but also left the vast corpus of canonical literatures in order to transmit their religious teaching. The Buddhist interpreters’ enthusiastic attitude in the composition of the literal works needs more attention because they were neither unaware of the difficulty of framing the religious reality into the mold of language nor forced to be complacent to the limited use of language about the reality. -
On the Penetration of Dharmakya and Dharmadesana -Based on the Different Ideas of Dharani and Tathagatagarbha
On the Penetration of Dharmakya and Dharmadesana -based on the different ideas of dharani and tathagatagarbha- Kakusho U jike We can recognize many developements of the Buddhakaya theory in the evo- lution of Mahayana thought systems which are related to various doctrines such as the Vi jnanavada, etc. In my opinion, the Buddhakaya theory stressed how the Bodhisattvas or any living being can meet the eternal Buddha and enjoy the benefits of instruction on enlightenment from him. In the Mahayana, the concept of truth also developed parallel with the Bud- dhakaya theory and the most important theme for the Mahayanist is how to understand the nature of the Buddha who became one with the truth (dharma- kaya). That is to say, the problem of how to realize the truth is the same pro- blem of how to meet the eternal Buddha with the joy of uniting oneself with the realm of the Buddha's enlightenment (dharmadhatu). In this situation one's faculties are always tested in the effort to encounter and understand the real teaching of the Buddha, because the truth revealed by the Buddha is quite high and deep, going beyond the intellect of ordinary people The Buddha's teaching is understood only by eminent Bodhisattvas who possess the super power of hearing the subtle voice of the Buddha. One of the excellent means of the Bodhisattvas for hearing, memorizing, and preaching etc., the teachings of the Buddha is considered to be the dharani. Dharani seemed to appear at first in the Prajnaparamita-sutras or in other Sutras having close relation to theme). -
Christie's Presents the Doris Wiener Collection on March 20
For Immediate Release March 1, 2012 Contact: Sung-Hee Park [email protected] tel +1 212 636 2680 CHRISTIE’S PRESENTS THE DORIS WIENER COLLECTION ON MARCH 20 New York – On March 20, Christie’s is proud to present The Doris Wiener Collection, a sale of nearly 400 lots of sculpture and paintings from Gandhara, the Himalayas, India and Southeast Asia, assembled by the renowned gallerist and collector. As a leading figure in the field, she placed important works in top collections and institutions throughout the world. This outstanding group of exceptionally rare and beautiful works is a testament to Ms. Wiener’s discerning eye. The sale will present connoisseurs with the opportunity to acquire masterpieces handpicked by one of the most distinguished tastemakers in this collecting category. Over the five decades since her first show in 1961, Doris Wiener became a well-known and passionate collector and dealer of Indian and Southeast Asian art in New York. She visited the region early on and fell in love with its arts, developing her eye and expertise well before others became aware of their existence. From her gallery across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue, she introduced both students and connoisseurs to the vast wealth of paintings, sculpture and textiles from this part of the world. Leading the sale is an important bronze group of Somaskanda from South India of the Chola period, circa 11th century (pictured on page 1, estimate: $800,000–1,200,000). Somaskanda means “Shiva with Uma and Skanda,” Skanda being their son who in the present example, stands between them; often he is lost from surviving sculptures. -
An Understanding of Maya: the Philosophies of Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva
An understanding of Maya: The philosophies of Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva Department of Religion studies Theology University of Pretoria By: John Whitehead 12083802 Supervisor: Dr M Sukdaven 2019 Declaration Declaration of Plagiarism 1. I understand what plagiarism means and I am aware of the university’s policy in this regard. 2. I declare that this Dissertation is my own work. 3. I did not make use of another student’s previous work and I submit this as my own words. 4. I did not allow anyone to copy this work with the intention of presenting it as their own work. I, John Derrick Whitehead hereby declare that the following Dissertation is my own work and that I duly recognized and listed all sources for this study. Date: 3 December 2019 Student number: u12083802 __________________________ 2 Foreword I started my MTh and was unsure of a topic to cover. I knew that Hinduism was the religion I was interested in. Dr. Sukdaven suggested that I embark on the study of the concept of Maya. Although this concept provided a challenge for me and my faith, I wish to thank Dr. Sukdaven for giving me the opportunity to cover such a deep philosophical concept in Hinduism. This concept Maya is deeper than one expects and has broaden and enlightened my mind. Even though this was a difficult theme to cover it did however, give me a clearer understanding of how the world is seen in Hinduism. 3 List of Abbreviations AD Anno Domini BC Before Christ BCE Before Common Era BS Brahmasutra Upanishad BSB Brahmasutra Upanishad with commentary of Sankara BU Brhadaranyaka Upanishad with commentary of Sankara CE Common Era EW Emperical World GB Gitabhasya of Shankara GK Gaudapada Karikas Rg Rig Veda SBH Sribhasya of Ramanuja Svet. -
The Kayas / Bodies of a Buddha
The Kayas / Bodies of a Buddha The original meaning of the Sanskrit word Kaya (Tibetan: sku/ku) is 'that which is accumulated'. In English Kaya is translated as 'body'. However, the Kayas of Buddhas do not literally refer only to the form aggregates of Buddhas but also to Buddhas themselves, to their various attributes, and so forth. There are different ways to categorize Kayas: 1. The category into five Kayas 2. The category into four Kayas 3. The category into three Kayas 4. The category into two Kayas 1. The category into five Kayas The category into five Kayas refers to: I. The Dharmakaya / Truth Body (chos sku / choe ku) II. The Svabhavakaya / Nature Body (ngo bo nyid sku / ngo wo nyi ku) III. The Jnanakaya / Wisdom Truth Body (ye shes chos sku / ye she choe ku) IV. The Sambhogakaya / Enjoyment Body (longs sku / long ku) V. The Nimanakaya / Emanation Body (sprul sku / truel ku) Here the basis of the category is Kaya, which means that Kaya is categorized or classified into the five Kayas. I. The Dharmakaya / Truth Body Kaya and Dharmakaya are synonymous. Whatever is a Kaya is necessarily a Dharmakaya and vice versa. The definition of a Dharmakaya is: a final Kaya that is attained in dependence on meditating on its attaining agents, the three exalted knowers. The three exalted knowers are: a) Knower of basis (the Arya paths in the continua of Hearers and Solitary Realizers) b) Knower of paths (the Arya paths in the continua of Buddhas and of Bodhisattvas who have reached the Mahayana path of seeing or the Mahayana path of meditation) c) Exalted knower of aspects (the Arya paths, that is, omniscient mental consciousnesses, in the continua of Buddhas) II. -
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. -
Dharmakāya Pratītyasamutpāda ( (法界縁起説, Hokkai Engi Setsu
Mapping the Ascent to Enlightenment Ronald Y. Nakasone Trying to get a fix on the Huayan mind in the vast landscape of Buddhist thought interweaves memory with imagination. My inquiry reaches to the earliest recollections of Siddhārtha Gautama’s Enlightenment, to passages in the Avatam saka Sūtra and learned commentaries, and to my imaging of its significance. In the process a few questions emerged: What happened during the spiritual ascent that led to the Enlightenment? What is the nature of mind? What did Siddhārtha Gautama become Enlightened to? These questions, especially determining the content of the Buddha’s Enlightenment, pose major academic and intellectual questions. This essay will focus on the first and second questions; I dealt with the last question in “Spiritual Cartography: Mapping the Huayen Mind.”1 The early documents depict Gautama’s ascent to Enlightenment in heroic and mythical proportions. Written several centuries after the fact, much of the narrative is no doubt hagiography, embellished by the creative imagination and the hindsight of doctrinal rationalizations. Nonetheless, in sum, the documents chronicle an intensely personal pilgrimage that incorporates and supersedes competing spiritual landscapes. The narrative assumes the primacy of mind and efficacy of mental concentration. The narrative opens with Māra, the personification of darkness, alarmed at Prince Siddhārtha’s resolve to attain Enlightenment, launches successive waves of attack to dissuade him. He first sends his daughters who offer the pleasures of youth and worldly success. Unable to seduce the Prince, Māra attempts to frighten the Prince by dispatching an army of the most appalling demons; still unsuccessful, he unleashes the awesome powers of the wind and rain at his command. -
The Mission Accomplished
TheThe MissionMission AccomplishedAccomplished Ven. Pategama Gnanarama Ph.D. 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. The Mission Accomplished A historical analysis of the Mahaparinibbana Sutta of the Digha Nikaya of the Pali Canon. by Ven. Pategama Gnanarama Ph. D. The Mission Accomplished is undoubtedly an eye opening contribution to Bud- dhist analytical Pali studies. In this analytical and critical work Ven. Dr. Pate- gama Gnanarama enlightens us in many areas of subjects hitherto unexplored by scholars. His views on the beginnings of the Bhikkhuni Order are interesting and refreshing. They might even be provocative to traditional readers, yet be challenging to the feminists to adopt a most positive attitude to the problem. Prof. Chandima Wijebandara University of Sri Jayawardhanapura Sri Lanka. A masterly treatment of a cluster of Buddhist themes in print Senarat Wijayasundara Buddhist and Pali College Singapore Published by Ti-Sarana Buddhist Association 90, Duku Road. Singapore 429254 Tel: 345 6741 First published in Singapore, 1997 Published by Ti-Sarana Buddhist Association ISBN: 981–00–9087–0 © Pategama Gnanarama 1997 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems or technologies now known or later developed, without per- mission in writing from the publisher. Cover: Mahaparinibbana; an ancient stone carving from Gandhara — Loriyan Tangai. Photograph reproduced by Mr K. C. Wong. Contents Introductory . 8 Chapter 1: The Mahaparinibbana Sutta & its Different Versions .