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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Religions of Indic & Oriental origin > Buddhism > General
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Merleau-Ponty and Buddhism
(Hardcover, New)
Jin Y Park, Gereon Kopf; Contributions by Michael P Berman, David Brubaker, Gerald Cipriani, …
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Merleau-Ponty and Buddhism explores a new mode of philosophizing
through a comparative study of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's
phenomenology and philosophies of major Buddhist thinkers such as
Nagarjuna, Chinul, Dogen, Shinran, and Nishida Kitaro. Challenging
the dualistic paradigm of existing philosophical traditions,
Merleau-Ponty proposes a philosophy in which the traditional
opposites are encountered through mutual penetration. Likewise, a
Buddhist worldview is articulated in the theory of dependent
co-arising, or the middle path, which comprehends the world and
beings in the third space, where the subject and the object, or
eternalism and annihilation, exist independent of one another. The
thirteen essays in this volume explore this third space in their
discussions of Merleau-Ponty's concepts of the intentional arc, the
flesh of the world, and the chiasm of visibility in connection with
the Buddhist doctrine of no-self and the five aggregates, the
Tiantai Buddhist concept of threefold truth, Zen Buddhist huatou
meditation, the invocation of the Amida Buddha in True Pure Land
Buddhism, and Nishida's concept of basho. In his philosophical
project, Merleau-Ponty makes vigorous efforts to challenge the
boundaries that divide philosophy and non-philosophy, the East and
the West, experience and concepts, the subject and the object, and
body and mind. Combining the Eastern philosophical tradition of
Buddhism with Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology, Merleau-Ponty and
Buddhism offers an intercultural philosophy in which opposites
intermingle in a chiasmic relationship, and which brings new
understanding regarding the self and the self's relation with
others in a globalized and multicultural world.
..".a successfully ambitious effort, richly informative and
insightful in its coverage of the site's religious life and most
sophisticated in its use and advancing of theoretical
perspectives...Profound insights...abound in this complex and
rewarding piece of scholarship..a must read for scholars of south
Asian religions." -The Australian Journal of Anthropology
The Sri Lankan ethnic conflict that has occurred largely between
Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus is marked by a degree of
religious tolerance that sees both communities worshiping together.
This study describes one important site of such worship, the
ancient Hindu temple complex of Munnesvaram. Standing adjacent to
one of Sri Lanka's historical western ports, the fortunes of the
Munnesvaram temples have waxed and waned through the years of
turbulence, violence and social change that have been the country's
lot since the advent of European colonialism in the Indian Ocean.
Bastin recounts the story of these temples and analyses how the
Hindu temple is reproduced as a center of worship amidst conflict
and competition.
Rohan Bastin is Head of the School of Anthropology, Archaeology
& Sociology at James Cook University.
There are few people in the world who can claim anything near the
experience of Professor Ananda Guruge. From his childhood under
colonial rule to his early adulthood as a government official for
the emerging nation of Sri Lanka and finally to mature years on the
international stage of UNESCO, he has witnessed the shifting of
social, economic, and religious patterns. It would be misleading to
say that he has only "witnessed," because his imprint can been
found on many of the institutions of his home country, the
influence of the UN in international agreements, the representation
of Buddhism to the world community, and in a host of educational
centers around the globe. Moving in the highest ranks of prime
ministers, presidents, kings, and ambassadors, Professor Guruge has
tirelessly pursued his intention of service to society. At the same
time, he can be seen working with at-risk youth in Los Angeles,
developing strategies for lessening violence when it erupts in our
cities, devoting time to helping rescue students who need a mentor,
and speaking day after day to service groups, university classes,
and leaders of society. With a background such as this, he has
unique credentials to appraise the role of Buddhism in the
contemporary scene, whether it is in social programs or scientific
and technical research. Lewis Lancaster University of California,
Berkeley
The book offers a novel introduction to the use of mindfulness
skills in communication in a range of settings.
Endorsed by WJEC/Eduqas, the Student Book offers high quality
support you can trust. / Written by experienced teachers and
authors with an in-depth understanding of teaching, learning and
assessment at A Level and AS. / A skills-based approach to
learning, covering content of the specification with examination
preparation from the start. / Developing skills feature focuses on
what to do with the content and the issues that are raised with a
progressive range of AO1 examples and AO2 exam-focused activities.
/ Questions and Answers section provides practice questions with
student answers and examiner commentaries. / It provides a range of
specific activities that target each of the Assessment Objectives
to build skills of knowledge, understanding and evaluation. /
Includes a range of features to encourage you to consolidate and
reinforce your learning.
This book is about contemporary senses of life after death in the
United States, Japan, and China. By collecting and examining
hundreds of interviews with people from all walks of life in these
three societies, the book presents and compares personally held
beliefs, experiences, and interactions with the concept of life
after death. Three major aspects covered by the book Include, but
are certainly not limited to, the enduring tradition of Japanese
ancestor veneration, China's transition from state-sponsored
materialism to the increasing belief in some form of afterlife, as
well as the diversity in senses of, or disbelief in, life after
death in the United States. Through these diverse first-hand
testimonies the book reveals that underlying these changes in each
society there is a shift from collective to individual belief, with
people developing their own visions of what may, or may not, happen
after death. This book will be valuable reading for students of
Anthropology as well as Religious, Cultural, Asian and American
Studies. It will also be an impactful resource for professionals
such as doctors, nurses, and hospice workers.
Living in a market-driven economy where short-term profit and
economic growth appear to be the ultimate goal, this book explores
how Buddhist teachings could bridge the divide between our
spiritual and material needs and reconcile the tension between
doing good for social interest and doing well for financial
success. This book serves as a pioneering effort to systematically
introduce Buddhist Economics as an interdisciplinary subject to
audience with limited background in either Buddhism or economics.
It elaborates some core concepts in Buddhist teachings, their
relevance to economics, and means of achieving sustainability for
individuals, society and the environment with the cultivation of
ethical living and well-being. Through scholarly research from
relevant fields including Buddhist studies, economics, behavioral
finance, cognitive science, and psychology, this book illustrates
the relevance of Buddhist values in the contemporary economy and
society, as well as the efficacy of Buddhist perspectives on
decision-making in daily life.
This is the first book in any language offering a comprehensive
study that places Daoxuan (596-667), one of the most important
scholarly monks, in the context of medieval Chinese Buddhist
history. In presenting a fresh image of medieval monastic life of
Chinese Buddhism, it focuses on several key issues in Daoxuan's
work, including the veneration of Buddha's relics, the re-creation
of the ordination platform and ordination ritual, and how the
Buddhist community reclassified and dealt with monastic property.
It is indispensable for all those who are interested in the
religions and history of medieval China and comparative
monasticism.
It is widely known that Buddhists deny the existence of the self.
However, Buddhist philosophers defend interesting positions on a
variety of other issues in fundamental ontology. In particular,
they have important things to say about ontological reduction and
the nature of the causal relation. Amidst the prolonged debate over
global anti-realism, Buddhist philosophers devised an innovative
approach to the radical nominalist denial of all universals and
real resemblances. While some defend presentism, others propound
eternalism. In How Things Are, Mark Siderits presents the arguments
that Buddhist philosophers developed on these and other issues.
Those with an interest in metaphysics may find new and interesting
insights into what the Buddhists had to say about their ideas. This
work is designed to introduce some of the more important fruits of
Buddhist metaphysical inquiry to philosophers with little or no
prior knowledge of that tradition. While there is plenty of
scholarship on the Indian Buddhist philosophical tradition, it is
primarily concerned with the historical details, often presupposes
background knowledge of the major schools and figures, and makes
ample use of untranslated Sanskrit technical terms. What has been
missing from this area of philosophical inquiry, are studies that
make the Buddhist tradition accessible to philosophers who are
interested in solving metaphysical problems. This work fills that
gap by focusing not on history and texts but on the metaphysical
puzzles themselves, and on ways of trying to solve them.
First published in 1978, Christmas Humphrey's autobiography
presents the fascinating history of a life rich and varied in both
private and in public. Spanning seven decades it touches on many
events of historical interest in which he was personally involved.
Among them the abdication of Edward VIII, the Japanese War Trials
and his time with the Dalai Lama after his flight from Tibet. The
author gives a graphic portrait of life behind the Bar and on the
Bench - of what it is like to prosecute and to defend, and of the
immense difficulties which face a judge when passing sentence. Here
too are recollections of many famous cases of the twentieth
century, and of the many murder trials in which he appeared as
prosecuting counsel or judge. Of equal interest is his fifty years'
of work in the field of English Buddhism. In 1924 he and his wife
founded the Buddhist Society, which would become hugely influential
in the spread of Buddhism throughout the West. Both Sides of the
Circle is rich in humour and humanity. There is the joyful account
of the author's Edwardian Boyhood followed by the tragedy of his
brother's death in World War 1, which lead to the awakening of his
interest in Buddhism and Theosophy. He speaks freely of his
encounters with the Dalai Lama, with D.T. Suzuki, with Jung and
with the Royal families of Thailand, Sikkim and Nepal, as well as
his travels throughout the Europe and in the Orient. Both sides of
the Circle is more than autobiography - it is also a spiritual
odyssey whose reissue will be of great interest to those who've
enjoyed Christmas Humphreys' other work and wish to know more about
his brilliant career. It will also be very welcome to those wanted
to learn about Buddhism in general, and the origins of English
Buddhism in particular.
The Buddhist field of knowledge is now so vast that few can master
all of it, and the study and application of its principles must be
a matter of choice. One may choose the magnificent moral philosophy
of Theravada, the oldest school, or the Zen training of Japan; or
special themes such as the doctrine of No-self, the Mahayana
emphasis on compassion or the universal law of Karma and Rebirth.
But the intense self-discipline needed for true spiritual
experience calls for specialization of subject and technique. In
this reissue, first published in 1974, Christmas Humphreys takes us
on a personal journey through Buddhism, offering insights into the
many different paths, doctrines and approaches to Buddhism. This
collection of twenty essays ranges from history to doctrine, and
from the rise of Buddhism in the West through to the finer points
of its everyday practice. It is a truly valuable piece of Western
Buddhist literature and its reissue will be welcomed be scholars of
Buddhism and interested laypeople alike.
Buddhism is rich in fascinating practices and rituals. From well
known rituals such as chanting sutras or painting mandalas to
lesser known rites associated with death or stupa consecration, or
derived from contact with other religions, this book offers
students a unique understanding of the living tradition. It draws
on eye witness reports of Buddhism on the ground, but also provides
a reflective context within which the practices can be understood
and appreciated. It covers religious and lay practices, art and
festivals, regional and temporal variations, socio-political
practices, and much else. Written by an authority on the topic,
each chapter introduces a ritual or practice, describes it as the
author has observed it and then goes on to discuss its context and
significance. All entries include a list of further reading as well
as photographs to help students deepen their understanding.
Buddhism in the Modern World explores the challenges faced by
Buddhism today, the distinctive forms that it has taken, the
individuals and movements that have shaped it, and the modern
history of Buddhism in different geographical regions. Part one
surveys the Buddhist tradition in different parts of the world,
from Southeast Asia to North America, while part two explores key
themes including globalisation, gender issues, and the ways in
which Buddhism has confronted modernity, science, popular culture
and national politics. Each chapter is written by a distinguished
scholar in the field, and is designed to offer a lively and up to
date overview of the subject. Students and scholars alike will find
this book an indispensable guide to the living Buddhist tradition
Saicho (767-822), the founder of the Tendai School, is one of the
great masters of Japanese Buddhism. This edition, which includes a
new preface by the author, makes available again a classic work on
this important figure's life and accomplishments. Groner's study
focuses on Saicho's founding of the great monastic center on Mount
Hiei, the leading religious institution of medieval Japan, and his
radical move to adopt for purposes of ordination the Mahayana
bodhisattva precepts--a decision that had far-reaching consequences
for the future of Japanese Buddhist ethical thought, monastic
training and organization, lay-clerical relations, philosophical
developments, and Buddhism-state relations.
In a wide-ranging exploration of the creation and use of Buddhist
art in Andhra Pradesh, India, from the second and third centuries
of the Common Era to the present, Catherine Becker shows how
material remains and visual experiences shape and reveal essential
human concerns.
Shifting Stones, Shaping the Past begins with an analysis of the
ornamentation of Andhra's ancient Buddhist sites, such as the
lavish limestone reliefs depicting scenes of devotion and lively
narratives on the main stupa at Amaravati. As many such monuments
have fallen into disrepair, it is temping to view them as ruins;
however, through an examination of recent state-sponsored tourism
campaigns and new devotional activities at the sites, Becker shows
that the monuments are in active use and even ascribed innate power
and agency.
Becker finds intriguing parallels between the significance of
imagery in ancient times and the new social, political, and
religious roles of these objects and spaces. While the precise
functions expected of these monuments have shifted, the belief that
they have the ability to effect spiritual and mental transformation
has remained consistent. Becker argues that the efficacy of
Buddhist art relies on the careful attention of its makers to the
formal properties of art and to the harnessing of the imaginative
potential of the human senses. In this respect, Buddhist art
mirrors the teaching techniques attributed to the Buddha, who often
engaged his pupils' desires and emotions as tools for spiritual
progress.
This is a wonderful book that enables the reader to understand the
sad situation of Tibet through the eyes of the Tibetan school
children. Many of these children suffer from the separation and
loss of their families in Chinese-occupied Tibet. The book brings
to life their childhood memories, the Tibetan spirit and culture
and the future aspiration of these unfortunate children who now in
exile have the opportunity for education like their counterparts in
the free world.
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