DOCSLIB.ORG

Dunhuang Manuscript S.2585

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Dunhuang Manuscript S.2585 DUNHUANG MANUSCRIPT S.2585: A TEXTUAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY ON EARLY MEDIEVAL CHINESE BUDDHIST MEDITATIVE TECHNIQUES AND VISIONARY EXPERIENCES PHRA KIATTISAK PONAMPON QUEENS COLLEGE SUPERVISOR: DR IMRE GALAMBOS ACADEMIC ADVISER: DR ANTONELLO PALUMBO FACULTY OF ASIAN MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE THIS DISSERTATION IS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY IN ASIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES 10 OCTOBER 2018 釋智譽 Phra Kiattisak Ponampon พระเกียรติศักดิ์ กิตฺติปญฺโญ (พนอำพน) (Kittipañño/Kittipanyo Bhikkhu) Queens’ College, University of Cambridge word Count: 23,041 words 2 Declaration Form The following deClaration is required when submitting your MPhil Essay/ MPhil Dissertation/ PhD Progress Examination/ SeCond Year Progress Report (delete as appropriate) under the University’s regulations. Title: Dunhuang Manuscript S.2585: a Textual and Interdisciplinary Study on Early Medieval Chinese Buddhist Meditative Techniques and Visionary Experiences This is my own work and any work by others is appropriately Cited and indiCated by footnotes and bibliography. Both eleCtroniC and hard Copies submitted have identiCal Content. EleCtroniC Copies should be sent to [email protected]. Date: _____________________10 October 2018___________________ Signature: _________________________________________________ Printed Name: ___________Phra Kiattisak Ponampon______________ SidgwiCk Avenue • Cambridge • CB3 9DA • Tel: 01223 335106 • Fax: 01223 335110 3 To Honour my Gurus 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................... 6 ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 8 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 9 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER ONE: DUNHUANG MANUSCRIPT STEIN 2585 ......................................................... 14 CHAPTER TWO: MEDITATIVE TECHNIQUES AND EXPERIENCE IN S.2585 ............................. 29 CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF MEDITATION AND EXPERIENCE IN S.2585 ........................ 45 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................ 56 APPENDIX 1: TEXTS RELATED TO THE GUAN JING .................................................................. 58 APPENDIX 2: PHOTOS OF MANUSCRIPTS .................................................................................. 62 APPENDIX 3: BUDDHA WITHIN & ICONOGRAPHY ................................................................... 65 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................... 69 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS "Reverence, humility, contentment, gratitude, and the timely hearing of the Dhamma, the teaching of the Buddha — this is the highest blessing. ~Mahā Maṃgala Sutta~ My wholehearted respeCts should first be paid to the Triple Gem. My sincere respeCts should also be paid to the Most Venerable Phra Mongkolthepmuni (Sod Candasaro Bhikkhu), my Great Guru, who devotes himself to the benefit of all sentient beings. Millions of people including myself have been inspired by his teaChings to study meditation and dediCate ourselves to the benefit of others. My sincere gratitude should be expressed to the Grand Master Khun Yay Mahāratana Upāsikā Chandra Khonnokyoong, a Guru who established a peaCeful monastery. I would like to extend my most profound gratitude to the Most Venerable Kruba Dhammajayo, the founder of the 60th DhammaChai Education Foundation, and to the Most Venerable Luang Por Dhattajīvo who kindly teaChes me the Buddhadhamma. They possess great compassion and have allowed me to pursue my higher education in the UK. I owe a profound debt of gratitude to Most Venerable Phrasudhammayanavidesa (Sudhammo Bhikkhu), a direCtor of the 60th DhammaChai Education Foundation, for Compassionately providing me with a sCholarship to study at Cambridge. I want to thank the Most Venerable Phravidesbhavanadhamma (Virocano Bhikkhu), the Most Venerable Phravidesdhammabhorn (Varapanyo Bhikkhu), Venerable Phramaha Dr SomChai Thānavuddho, Venerable Phrakru Bhavanaviriyakit (L.pee WiChit Phasukavaso), Venerable Sondhaya Suddhabho, and Saṇgha members, lay staffs, and devotees at the DISUK, DIRI members, plus Pa Sai Kasemsook Bhamornsatit, Pi Suchada Pongpan, and Apisit Uthakhamkong, for all their kind support and assistance throughout my studies at Cambridge. I am very grateful to my excellent primary supervisor, Dr Imre Galambos, who eagerly provides me with Constant support and assistance. My sincere gratitude is also extended to Dr 6 Antonello Palumbo, who tirelessly aCts as my great aCademiC advisor. I also thank Dr Elizabeth Guthrie at the University of Otago, for her adviCe, and Dr Jeffrey Kotyk, who has kindly edited my work and offered CritiCal Comments. I thank all the support staff and librarians at the FAMES, Queens College, and the University of Cambridge. Professor Yamabe Nobuyoshi kindly provided me with an opportunity to disCuss meditative praCtiCe and experience in the FG when he was giving a talk at SOAS this year. Associate Professor Dr EriC Greene allowed me to attend a workshop at Yale University. Professor Dr Chen Jinhua, the Frogbear ProjeCt manager, gave me an opportunity to partiCipate and present my research paper at a Winter Programme at DILA, Taiwan. I also thank Dr Sam Van SChaik and Miss Mélodie Doumy, and the IDP ProjeCt, British Library. Furthermore, I would like to thank and refleCt my appreCiation to the following persons for their generosity whiCh allowed me to Carry out my research unhindered: Dr Sopon Kongtes and family, Professor Dr Tongsuang Isarangkul Na Ayudhaya, Dr ChatChai Sribundit, Miss Nitaya Jarungjit, Khun Cherd-Prapis-PatChara-Pojana Maythangkul, Miss Busadee Phusuntisumpun, Mr Charles Yeung, who provided a Glorisun Studentship, Pi Rose, Pi Fan, Pi Nok, Pa Kan, Pa Tim, Pa Sugar, and all those who have supported me during my study in the UK. Finally, I must express my very profound gratitude to my late parents Poh Prasert and Mae Lan Ponampon, my brother and sister, and all the family and friends who have showed me their loving kindness, encouragement, and support for many years. I shall dediCate everything that I have reCeived for the benefit of all sentient beings. Sabbe pūrentu saṅKappā cando pannaraso yathā Mani jotiraso yathā “May all your wishes be fulfilled, as the moon on the full moon day, or as a luminous crystal sphere.” 7 ABBREVIATIONS • AN: AṅguttaraniKāya (ACCess to Insight) • CJ: Discourse on the Essential Secrets of Meditation (Chan mi yaofa jing 禪祕要法經); T.613 • DDB: Digital DiCtionary of Buddhism • FG: Essence of the Meditation Manual Consisting of Five Gates (Wumen chanjing yaoyong fa 五門禪經要用法); T.619 • GFSJ: Sūtra on the Ocean-LiKe Samādhi of the Visualization of the Buddha (Guanfo sanmei hai jing 觀佛三昧海經); T.643 • GJ: Foshuo guan jing 佛説觀經; T.2914 • GSFF: The seCtion titled “The Method of Visualising the Buddha(s) of the Ten DireCtions” (guan shifang fo fa 觀十方佛法) in S.2585 • MPS: Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra • MPSd: Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, translated by Dharmakṣema (曇無讖) (Da ban niepan jing 大般涅槃經); T.374 (XII) • P: Pelliot chinois ColleCtion • S: Stein ColleCtion • SF : Siwei lüeyao fa 思惟略要法; T.617 • T: Taishō Canon (大正新脩大藏經) • Vism: Path of PurifiCation (Visudhimagga) • YL: Yogalehrbuch • ZJ: Zuo chan sanmei jing 坐禪三昧經; T.614 8 ABSTRACT S.2585 is a signifiCant Dunhuang manusCript, providing various types of Buddhist meditative teChniques. Some teChniques Can be traCed baCk to Central Asia and India, although some teChniques seem to have been developed later. I argue that the vision of buddhas that aCCompanies single-minded Contemplation of the navel as desCribed in S.2585 may refleCt the idea of a “buddha within” denoting the notions of buddha-nature and tathāgatagarbha in some Contexts. I also argue that navel Contemplation beCame an important part of Buddhist meditation praCtiCe in early Chinese Buddhism. Keywords:, buddha-nature, buddha within, buddhadhātu 佛性, buddhānusmṛti, buddha darśana 見佛, dharmakāya 法身, Dunhuang ManusCript, MiCroCosm, Foshuo guan jing 佛說 觀經, navel 齊/臍, nābhi, nianfo sanmei 念佛三昧, S.2585, meditation, middle way, mindfulness, tathāgatagarbha 如來藏, yixin guanqi 一心觀齊 9 INTRODUCTION Introduction The Current popularity of mindfulness training in the UK and around the world may refleCt that Buddhist meditation plays a signifiCant role in Cultivating mindfulness and inner peaCe whiCh is benefiCial not only for traditional monastiC life, but also for laypeople.1 The study of early medieval Chinese Buddhist meditative teChniques in this dissertation provides several signifiCant disCussions relevant not only to traditional Buddhists, but also to sCholars and those who are interested in the types of meditation and the training of mindfulness desCribed in the Dunhuang manusCripts. The present research is based upon my previous work that was presented as an MA dissertation at SOAS.2 My research at SOAS dealt with an examination of several texts that are associated with
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Orthography of Early Chinese Writing: Evidence from Newly Excavated Manuscripts
    IMRE GALAMBOS ORTHOGRAPHY OF EARLY CHINESE WRITING: EVIDENCE FROM NEWLY EXCAVATED MANUSCRIPTS BUDAPEST MONOGRAPHS IN EAST ASIAN STUDIES SERIES EDITOR: IMRE HAMAR IMRE GALAMBOS ORTHOGRAPHY OF EARLY CHINESE WRITING: EVIDENCE FROM NEWLY EXCAVATED MANUSCRIPTS DEPARTMENT OF EAST ASIAN STUDIES, EÖTVÖS LORÁND UNIVERSITY BUDAPEST 2006 The present volume was published with the support of the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation. © Imre Galambos, 2006 ISBN 963 463 811 2 ISSN 1787-7482 Responsible for the edition: Imre Hamar Megjelent a Balassi Kiadó gondozásában (???) A nyomdai munkálatokat (???)a Dabas-Jegyzet Kft. végezte Felelős vezető Marosi Györgyné ügyvezető igazgató CONTENTS Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. vii Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER ONE FORMER UNDERSTANDINGS ..................................................................................... 11 1.1 Traditional views ........................................................................................... 12 1.1.1 Ganlu Zishu ........................................................................................ 13 1.1.2 Hanjian .............................................................................................. 15 1.2 Modern views ................................................................................................ 20 1.2.1 Noel Barnard .....................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Transfer of Buddhism Across Central Asian Networks (7Th to 13Th Centuries)
    Transfer of Buddhism Across Central Asian Networks (7th to 13th Centuries) Edited by Carmen Meinert LEIDEN | BOSTON For use by the Author only | © 2016 Koninklijke Brill NV Contents Acknowledgements vii List of Illustrations, Maps and Tables viii General Abbreviations xi Bibliographical Abbreviations xii Notes on Contributors xiv Introduction—Dynamics of Buddhist Transfer in Central Asia 1 Carmen Meinert Changing Political and Religious Contexts in Central Asia on a Micro-Historical Level 1 Changing Relations between Administration, Clergy and Lay People in Eastern Central Asia: A Case Study according to the Dunhuang Manuscripts Referring to the Transition from Tibetan to Local Rule in Dunhuang, 8th–11th Centuries 19 Gertraud Taenzer Textual Transfer 2 Tibetan Buddhism in Central Asia: Geopolitics and Group Dynamics 57 Sam van Schaik 3 The Transmission of Sanskrit Manuscripts from India to Tibet: The Case of a Manuscript Collection in the Possession of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (980–1054) 82 Kazuo Kano Visual Transfer 4 The Tibetan Himalayan Style: Considering the Central Asian Connection 121 Linda Lojda, Deborah Klimburg-Salter and Monica Strinu For use by the Author only | © 2016 Koninklijke Brill NV vi contents 5 Origins of the Kashmiri Style in the Western Himalayas: Sculpture of the 7th–11th Centuries 147 Rob Linrothe Transfer Agents 6 Buddhism in the West Uyghur Kingdom and Beyond 191 Jens Wilkens 7 Esoteric Buddhism at the Crossroads: Religious Dynamics at Dunhuang, 9th–10th Centuries 250 Henrik H. Sørensen Bibliography 285 Index 320 For use by the Author only | © 2016 Koninklijke Brill NV Chapter 2 Tibetan Buddhism in Central Asia: Geopolitics and Group Dynamics Sam van Schaik 1 Introduction1 Tibetan Buddhism has played an important role in Asian politics from the 8th century to the present day.
    [Show full text]
  • Two Concepts of Meditation and Three Kinds of Wisdom in Kamalaśīla’S Bhāvanākramas: a Problem of Translation
    Buddhist Studies Review 23(1) 2006, 71–92 ISSN (print): 0256-2897 ISSN (online): 1747-9681 Two Concepts of Meditation and Three Kinds of Wisdom in Kamalaśīla’s Bhāvanākramas: A Problem of Translation MARTIN T. ADAM Religious Studies Program, Department of Pacifi c and Asian Studies, University of Victoria, British Colombia, Canada [email protected] ABSTRACT: A close reading of the three Bhāvanākramaḥ texts, written by Kamalaśīla (740–795 CE), reveals that their author was aware of two competing concepts of medi- tation prevalent in Tibet at the time of their composition. The two concepts of medi- tation, associated with the Sanskrit words bhāvanā and dhyāna, can be related respec- tively to the Indian and Chinese sides of the well-known debates at bSam yas. The account of the Mahāyāna path outlined in these texts implies an acceptance of the precedence of bhāvanā over dhyāna. In this paper I argue that Kamalaśīla advocated bhāvanā – a conception of meditation which encompasses non-conceptual dhyāna, but which also includes a discernment of reality (bhūta-pratyavekṣā) that is conceptual in nature. Such conceptual discernment should not be understood simply as a process of ordinary rational understanding (cintāmayī prajñā) but rather as constituting a special kind of meditative wisdom (bhāvanāmayī prajñā). A failure to recognize the subtle dif- ferences between Kamalaśīla’s employment of the terms dhyāna and bhāvanā, along with his advocacy of the latter, could easily lead to mistranslation and, with this, a basic misunderstanding of his position. In particular, it could lead to a conception of insight (vipaśyanā) that is overly intellectual in nature.
    [Show full text]
  • Gandharan Origin of the Amida Buddha Image
    Ancient Punjab – Volume 4, 2016-2017 1 GANDHARAN ORIGIN OF THE AMIDA BUDDHA IMAGE Katsumi Tanabe ABSTRACT The most famous Buddha of Mahāyāna Pure Land Buddhism is the Amida (Amitabha/Amitayus) Buddha that has been worshipped as great savior Buddha especially by Japanese Pure Land Buddhists (Jyodoshu and Jyodoshinshu schools). Quite different from other Mahāyāna celestial and non-historical Buddhas, the Amida Buddha has exceptionally two names or epithets: Amitābha alias Amitāyus. Amitābha means in Sanskrit ‘Infinite light’ while Amitāyus ‘Infinite life’. One of the problems concerning the Amida Buddha is why only this Buddha has two names or epithets. This anomaly is, as we shall see below, very important for solving the origin of the Amida Buddha. Keywords: Amida, Śākyamuni, Buddha, Mahāyāna, Buddhist, Gandhara, In Japan there remain many old paintings of the Amida Triad or Trinity: the Amida Buddha flanked by the two bodhisattvas Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta (Fig.1). The function of Avalokiteśvara is compassion while that of Mahāsthāmaprāpta is wisdom. Both of them help the Amida Buddha to save the lives of sentient beings. Therefore, most of such paintings as the Amida Triad feature their visiting a dying Buddhist and attempting to carry the soul of the dead to the AmidaParadise (Sukhāvatī) (cf. Tangut paintings of 12-13 centuries CE from Khara-khoto, The State Hermitage Museum 2008: 324-327, pls. 221-224). Thus, the Amida Buddha and the two regular attendant bodhisattvas became quite popular among Japanese Buddhists and paintings. However, the origin of this Triad and also the Amida Buddha himself is not clarified as yet in spite of many previous studies dedicated to the Amida Buddha, the Amida Triad, and the two regular attendant bodhisattvas (Higuchi 1950; Huntington 1980; Brough 1982; Quagliotti 1996; Salomon/Schopen 2002; Harrison/Lutczanits 2012; Miyaji 2008; Rhi 2003, 2006).
    [Show full text]
  • Avalokiteśvara and Brahmā's Entreaty
    Avalokiteśvara and Brahmā’s Entreaty Akira Saito Preamble As is well known, Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva representative of Mahāyāna Buddhism, and beliefs in Avalokiteśvara have flourished wherever Buddhism, especially Mahāyāna Buddhism, spread in Asia. Partly because the characteristic of assuming various forms to save people in distress was attributed to Avalokiteśvara, there evolved six, seven, and thirty-three forms of Avalokiteśvara, who also amalgamated with earth goddesses such as Niangniang 娘娘, and in Japan pilgrimages to sites sacred to Avalokiteśvara have been long established among the general populace, typical of which is the pilgrimage to thirty-three temples in the Kansai region (Saigoku sanjūsansho 西國三十三所). There exists much prior research on Avalokiteśvara, who was accepted in various forms in many regions to which Buddhism spread, and on his iconography, concrete representation, and cult. But on the other hand it is also true that there remains much that is puzzling about the name “Avalokiteśvara” and its meaning, origins, and background. In the following, having first provided a critical overview of recent relevant research, I wish to reconsider the meaning and background of his original name (avalokita-īśvara, -svara, -smara, etc.) in relation to the story of Brahmā’s entreaty, a perspective that has been largely missing in past research. 1. Recent Research on Avalokiteśvara’s Original Name Among studies of Avalokiteśvara in recent years, worthy of particular note are those by Tanaka (2010),1 who discusses in detail
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Histories
    JIABS Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies Volume 25 Number 1-2 2002 Buddhist Histories Richard SALOMON and Gregory SCHOPEN On an Alleged Reference to Amitabha in a KharoÒ†hi Inscription on a Gandharian Relief .................................................................... 3 Jinhua CHEN Sarira and Scepter. Empress Wu’s Political Use of Buddhist Relics 33 Justin T. MCDANIEL Transformative History. Nihon Ryoiki and Jinakalamalipakara∞am 151 Joseph WALSER Nagarjuna and the Ratnavali. New Ways to Date an Old Philosopher................................................................................ 209 Cristina A. SCHERRER-SCHAUB Enacting Words. A Diplomatic Analysis of the Imperial Decrees (bkas bcad) and their Application in the sGra sbyor bam po gnis pa Tradition....................................................................................... 263 Notes on the Contributors................................................................. 341 ON AN ALLEGED REFERENCE TO AMITABHA IN A KHARO∑™HI INSCRIPTION ON A GANDHARAN RELIEF RICHARD SALOMON AND GREGORY SCHOPEN 1. Background: Previous study and publication of the inscription This article concerns an inscription in KharoÒ†hi script and Gandhari language on the pedestal of a Gandharan relief sculpture which has been interpreted as referring to Amitabha and Avalokitesvara, and thus as hav- ing an important bearing on the issue of the origins of the Mahayana. The sculpture in question (fig. 1) has had a rather complicated history. According to Brough (1982: 65), it was first seen in Taxila in August 1961 by Professor Charles Kieffer, from whom Brough obtained the photograph on which his edition of the inscription was based. Brough reported that “[o]n his [Kieffer’s] return to Taxila a month later, the sculpture had dis- appeared, and no information about its whereabouts was forthcoming.” Later on, however, it resurfaced as part of the collection of Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Mar 5 – Jun 12 2016
    MAR 5 – JUN 12 2016 PRESS Press Contact Rachel Eggers Manager of Public Relations [email protected] RELEASE 206.654.3151 FEBRUARY 25, 2016 JOURNEY TO DUNHUANG: BUDDHIST ART OF THE SILK ROAD CAVES OPENS AT ASIAN ART MUSEUM MAR 5 See the wonders of China’s Dunhuang Caves—a World Heritage site—through the eyes of photojournalists James and Lucy Lo March 5–June 12, 2016 SEATTLE, WA – The Asian Art Museum presents Journey to Dunhuang: Buddhist Art of the Silk Road Caves, an exhibition featuring photographs, ancient manuscripts, and artist renderings of the sacred temple caves of Dunhuang. Selected from the collection of photojournalists James and Lucy Lo, the works are a treasure trove of Buddhist art that reveal a long-lost world. Located at China’s western frontier, the ancient city of Dunhuang lay at the convergence of the northern and southern routes of the Silk Road—a crossroads of the civilizations of East Asia, Central Asia, and the Western world. From the late fourth century until the decline of the Silk Road in the fourteenth century, Dunhuang was a bustling desert oasis—a center of trade and pilgrimage. The original “melting pot” of China, it was a gateway for new forms of art, culture, and religions. The nearly 500 caves found there tell an almost seamless chronological tale of their history, preserving the stories of religious devotion throughout various dynasties. During the height of World War II in 1943, James C. M. Lo (1902–1987) and his wife, Lucy, arrived at Dunhuang by horse and donkey-drawn cart.
    [Show full text]
  • Studies in Central & East Asian Religions Volume 9 1996
    Studies in Central & East Asian Religions Volume 9 1996 CONTENTS Articles Xu WENKAN: The Tokharians and Buddhism……………………………………………... 1 Peter SCHWEIGER: Schwarze Magie im tibetischen Buddhismus…………………….… 18 Franz-Karl EHRHARD: Political and Ritual Aspects of the Search for Himalayan Sacred Lands………………………………………………………………………………. 37 Gabrielle GOLDFUβ: Binding Sūtras and Modernity: The Life and Times of the Chinese Layman Yang Wenhui (1837–1911)………………………………………………. 54 Review Article Hubert DECLEER: Tibetan “Musical Offerings” (Mchod-rol): The Indispensable Guide... 75 Forum Lucia DOLCE: Esoteric Patterns in Nichiren’s Thought…………………………………. 89 Boudewijn WALRAVEN: The Rediscovery of Uisang’s Ch’udonggi…………………… 95 Per K. SØRENSEN: The Classification and Depositing of Books and Scriptures Kept in the National Library of Bhutan……………………………………………………….. 98 Henrik H. SØRENSEN: Seminar on the Zhiyi’s Mohe zhiguan in Leiden……………… 104 Reviews Schuyler Jones: Tibetan Nomads: Environment, Pastoral Economy and Material Culture (Per K. Sørensen)…………………………………………………………………. 106 [Ngag-dbang skal-ldan rgya-mtsho:] Shel dkar chos ’byung. History of the “White Crystal”. Religion and Politics of Southern La-stod. Translated by Pasang Wangdu and Hildegard Diemberger (Per K. Sørensen)………………………………………… 108 Blondeau, Anne-Marie and Steinkellner, Ernst (eds.): Reflections of the Mountains. Essays on the History and Social Meaning of the Cult in Tibet and the Himalayas (Per K. Sørensen)…………………………………………………………………………. 110 Wisdom of Buddha: The Saṃdhinirmocana Mahāyāna Sūtra (Essential Questions and Direct Answers for Realizing Enlightenment). Transl. by John Powers (Henrik H. Sørensen)………………………………………………. 112 Japanese Popular Deities in Prints and Paintings: A Catalogue of the Exhibition (Henrik H. Sørensen)…………………………………………………………………………. 113 Stephen F. Teiser, The Scripture on the Ten Kings and the Making of Purgatory in Medieval Chinese Buddhism (Henrik H.
    [Show full text]
  • Bridging Worlds: Buddhist Women's Voices Across Generations
    BRIDGING WORLDS Buddhist Women’s Voices Across Generations EDITED BY Karma Lekshe Tsomo First Edition: Yuan Chuan Press 2004 Second Edition: Sakyadhita 2018 Copyright © 2018 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 Illustration, "Woman on Bridge" © 1982 Shig Hiu Wan. All rights reserved. "Buddha" calligraphy ©1978 Il Ta Sunim. All rights reserved. Chapter Illustrations © 2012 Dr. Helen H. Hu. All rights reserved. Book design and layout by Lillian Barnes Bridging Worlds Buddhist Women’s Voices Across Generations EDITED BY Karma Lekshe Tsomo 7th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women With a Message from His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama SAKYADHITA | HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I iv | Bridging Worlds Contents | v CONTENTS MESSAGE His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama xi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii INTRODUCTION 1 Karma Lekshe Tsomo UNDERSTANDING BUDDHIST WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD Thus Have I Heard: The Emerging Female Voice in Buddhism Tenzin Palmo 21 Sakyadhita: Empowering the Daughters of the Buddha Thea Mohr 27 Buddhist Women of Bhutan Tenzin Dadon (Sonam Wangmo) 43 Buddhist Laywomen of Nepal Nivedita Kumari Mishra 45 Himalayan Buddhist Nuns Pacha Lobzang Chhodon 59 Great Women Practitioners of Buddhadharma: Inspiration in Modern Times Sherab Sangmo 63 Buddhist Nuns of Vietnam Thich Nu Dien Van Hue 67 A Survey of the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha in Vietnam Thich Nu Dong Anh (Nguyen Thi Kim Loan) 71 Nuns of the Mendicant Tradition in Vietnam Thich Nu Tri Lien (Nguyen Thi Tuyet) 77 vi | Bridging Worlds UNDERSTANDING BUDDHIST WOMEN OF TAIWAN Buddhist Women in Taiwan Chuandao Shih 85 A Perspective on Buddhist Women in Taiwan Yikong Shi 91 The Inspiration ofVen.
    [Show full text]
  • A Beginner's Guide to Meditation
    ABOUT THE BOOK As countless meditators have learned firsthand, meditation practice can positively transform the way we see and experience our lives. This practical, accessible guide to the fundamentals of Buddhist meditation introduces you to the practice, explains how it is approached in the main schools of Buddhism, and offers advice and inspiration from Buddhism’s most renowned and effective meditation teachers, including Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Sharon Salzberg, Norman Fischer, Ajahn Chah, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Sylvia Boorstein, Noah Levine, Judy Lief, and many others. Topics include how to build excitement and energy to start a meditation routine and keep it going, setting up a meditation space, working with and through boredom, what to look for when seeking others to meditate with, how to know when it’s time to try doing a formal meditation retreat, how to bring the practice “off the cushion” with walking meditation and other practices, and much more. ROD MEADE SPERRY is an editor and writer for the Shambhala Sun magazine. Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala Publications. Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala. A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO Meditation Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers Edited by Rod Meade Sperry and the Editors of the Shambhala Sun SHAMBHALA Boston & London 2014 Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.shambhala.com © 2014 by Shambhala Sun Cover art: André Slob Cover design: Liza Matthews 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 system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • 釋智譽 Phra Kiattisak Ponampon (Kittipanyo Bhikkhu)
    MISSION, MEDITATION AND MIRACLES: AN SHIGAO IN CHINESE TRADITION 釋智譽 PHRA KIATTISAK PONAMPON (KITTIPANYO BHIKKHU) THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO, DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND OCTOBER 2014 ii ABSTRACT An Shigao is well known for the important role he played in the early transmission of Buddhism into China, and Chinese Buddhists have considered him to be a meditation master for centuries. However, recent scholarship on An Shigao (Zürcher, 2007; Forte, 1995; Zacchetti, 2002; Nattier, 2008) has focused on his role as a precursor of the Mahāyāna, his ordination status, and the authenticity of the texts attributed to him rather than the meditation techniques he used and taught to his followers in China. One reason for this is because his biographies are full of supernatural details, and many of the texts attributed to An Shigao are pseudepigraphia. In the first part of this MA thesis, I explore the biographical traditions about An Shigao. The close reading of the oldest biographies of An Shigao shows that during the time he was active in China, An Shigao was respected as a missionary, a meditation master and a miracle worker as well as a translator. This reputation continued to be important for Chinese Buddhists long after his death. Despite his reputation, his biographies contain almost no information about the form of meditation that he practiced and taught. However they contain much information about his supernatural abilities. In the second part of this MA thesis, I make a statistical analysis of all the meditation sūtras attributed to An Shigao and his school.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation EMP 2019HF Fall 2015 Seminars
    Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation EMP 2019HF Fall 2015 Seminars: Wednesday 7:00 to 9:00 PM Office Hours: Wednesday 5:00 to 7:00 PM or by appointment Instructor: Anne S.C. Low, Ph.D. E-mail: [email protected] Course Description: Mindfulness Meditation is a Buddhist practice that has in recent times expanded into the secular such as psychotherapy and counseling. This course will focus on the religious context and soteriological goals for which meditation is practiced within the Buddhist traditions. To this end, students will focus on the Theravada School and the Eight-Fold Path but will also look at the other Buddhist lineages that are centered on meditation, namely, Zen, Chan, and Son within the Mahayana School. This course will enable students in pastoral care, Buddhist or otherwise, to see the benefits of meditation in the two contexts of the sacred and the secular and thereby make appropriate application of mindfulness meditation within their own profession. Basic meditation techniques will also be introduced and students’ mindfulness in class will count towards class participation. Towards the end of the course, students will examine the application of mindfulness in secular places such as hospitals, schools, and therapy clinics and begin to compare the benefits of meditation as they are described in the Buddhist texts and that claimed by proponents who have introduced mindfulness meditation to secular setting. Course Methodology: Students will read primary and secondary religious texts as well as contemporary essays. Each seminar will be driven by students’ participation in class discussions. To this end, students will prepare one page (double-spaced, 12 Times New Roman) reflection papers and present them in class.
    [Show full text]