Download or read book Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism written by Jacqueline I. Stone and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2003-05-31 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Original enlightenment thought (hongaku shiso) dominated Buddhist intellectual circles throughout Japan’s medieval period. Enlightenment, this discourse claims, is neither a goal to be achieved nor a potential to be realized but the true status of all things. Every animate and inanimate object manifests the primordially enlightened Buddha just as it is. Seen in its true aspect, every activity of daily life—eating, sleeping, even one’s deluded thinking—is the Buddha’s conduct. Emerging from within the powerful Tendai School, ideas of original enlightenment were appropriated by a number of Buddhist traditions and influenced nascent theories about the kami (local deities) as well as medieval aesthetics and the literary and performing arts. Scholars and commentators have long recognized the historical importance of original enlightenment thought but differ heatedly over how it is to be understood. Some tout it as the pinnacle of the Buddhist philosophy of absolute non-dualism. Others claim to find in it the paradigmatic expression of a timeless Japanese spirituality. According other readings, it represents a dangerous anti-nomianism that undermined observance of moral precepts, precipitated a decline in Buddhist scholarship, and denied the need for religious discipline. Still others denounce it as an authoritarian ideology that, by sacralizing the given order, has in effect legitimized hierarchy and discriminative social practices. Often the acceptance or rejection of original enlightenment thought is seen as the fault line along which traditional Buddhist institutions are to be differentiated from the new Buddhist movements (Zen, Pure Land, and Nichiren) that arose during Japan’s medieval period. Jacqueline Stone’s groundbreaking study moves beyond the treatment of the original enlightenment doctrine as abstract philosophy to explore its historical dimension. Drawing on a wealth of medieval primary sources and modern Japanese scholarship, it places this discourse in its ritual, institutional, and social contexts, illuminating its importance to the maintenance of traditions of lineage and the secret transmission of knowledge that characterized several medieval Japanese elite culture. It sheds new light on interpretive strategies employed in pre-modern Japanese Buddhist texts, an area that hitherto has received a little attention. Through these and other lines of investigation, Stone problematizes entrenched notions of “corruption” in the medieval Buddhist establishment. Using the examples of Tendai and Nichiren Buddhism and their interactions throughout the medieval period, she calls into question both overly facile distinctions between “old” and “new” Buddhism and the long-standing scholarly assumptions that have perpetuated them. This study marks a significant contribution to ongoing debates over definitions of Buddhism in the Kamakura era (1185–1333), long regarded as a formative period in Japanese religion and culture. Stone argues that “original enlightenment thought” represents a substantial rethinking of Buddhist enlightenment that cuts across the distinction between “old” and “new” institutions and was particularly characteristic of the medieval period.
Download or read book Ordinary Enlightenment written by John C. Robinson and published by Unity Books (Unity School of Christianity). This book was released on 2000 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most books on mysticism are written through the author's religious lens and describe the divine only indirectly. Ordinary Enlightenment sees through the lens of everyday life and shows how developing the ability to see with the mystical eye -- to have a direct perception of the divine -- is the key to transforming our lives.This is a mystic's handbook, written from personal experience. It transcends theology and prescribed beliefs and cuts right to direct experience.John C. Robinson treats the mystical experience of God as natural and ordinary. There are no miracles here -- just humans learning to recognize and experience our divine nature.
Download or read book Originary Enlightenment written by Ruben L. F. Habito and published by International Institute for Buddhist Studies. This book was released on 1996 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Pass the Jelly written by Gary Crowley and published by Sentient Publications. This book was released on 2009 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reading this funny and slyly profound memoir, you will laugh and nod in agreement as the author penetrates people's false assumptions about life. The Pass the Jelly Principle (People do what they do. That's what they do. And that is it.) distills the common experience of being bound by the chain of cause and effect, which leads to instant compassion and the notion that when you pick up the stick of life, you get both ends.
Download or read book Cultivating Original Enlightenment written by and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2007-07-13 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wŏnhyo (617–686) is the dominant figure in the history of Korean Buddhism and one of the most influential thinkers in the Korean philosophical tradition. Koreans know Wŏnhyo in his various roles as Buddhist mystic, miracle worker, social iconoclast, religious proselytist, and cultural hero. Above all else, Wŏnhyo was an innovative thinker and prolific writer, whose works cover the gamut of Indian and Sinitic Buddhist materials: Some one hundred treatises and commentaries are attributed to him, twenty-three of which are extant today. Wŏnhyo’s importance is not limited to the peninsula, however. His writings were widely read in China and Japan, and his influence on the overall development of East Asian Mahâyâna thought is significant, particularly in relation to the Huayan, Chan, and Pure Land schools. In Cultivating Original Enlightenment, the first volume in The International Association of Wŏnhyo Studies’ Collected Works of Wŏnhyo series, Robert E. Buswell Jr. translates Wŏnhyo’s longest and culminating work, the Exposition of the Vajrasamâdhi-Sûtra (Kŭmgang Sammaegyŏng Non). Wŏnhyo here brings to bear all the tools acquired throughout a lifetime of scholarship and meditation to the explication of a scripture that has a startling connection to the Korean Buddhist tradition. In his treatise, Wŏnhyo examines the crucial question of how enlightenment can be turned from a tantalizing prospect into a palpable reality that manifests itself in all activities. Introduction by Robert E. Buswell Jr.
Download or read book Stumbling Into Infinity written by Michael Fischman and published by Morgan James Publishing. This book was released on 2009-04-01 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An American truth seeker recounts his life-changing friendship with the spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in this intimate memoir. Michael Fischman is the president of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living Foundation in the United States. In this intimate memoir, Fischman recounts his startling spiritual journey from childhood in New York “among the tribe of people known as the Jewish Middle Class” to befriending and working with the humanitarian and spiritual leader who changed his life. His story is a compelling narrative that blends remarkable experiences with an inner struggle and search for meaning. “In writing this story, different eras and their flavors came to life again—the world of Orthodox Jews I grew up in; twenty years of teaching meditation and breathing to people around the world; the traumas and triumphs of self-discovery in the Caribbean and Jerusalem; the spiritual traditions of India that became so meaningful to me; and the remarkable atmosphere around the enlightened master I fell in love with” (from the prologue). “Michael Fischman’s journey reveals how fears and negative emotions can be transformed into love, compassion, and higher consciousness when a student has an authentic relationship with a wise teacher.” —Deepak Chopra
Download or read book Aspects Of Enlightenment written by Thomas Osbourne and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005-10-05 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is an introductory account of social theory and the central role of enlightenment within it. Tom Osborne argues that: contemporary social theory can only fail when viewed as a "science of society", and rather than focusing upon the question of society or even "modernity" should focus on the question of human nature. The most immediate and central topic of such a social theory should be the question of enlightenment.; However, the book departs from traditional accounts locating the vocation of social theory in the system of values established in the original Enlightenment by the French philosophers and others.; Rather it makes a strong argument for the ethical status of enlightenment, going on to analyze particular "regimes of enlightenment" in modernity, namely those associated with the social ethics of science, expertise, intellect and art.
Download or read book Everyday Enlightenment written by Luke McLeod and published by Hachette Australia. This book was released on 2023-12-27 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Peace. Calm. Mindfulness. Enlightenment. These are appealing concepts, but they never seem like they're within grasp of the everyday person. With all our responsibilities in life, most of us are doing our best just to keep up, let alone have time to find that elusive 'inner calm'. Luke McLeod knows all about this. He's an everyday person. He's a son, a husband and a friend, trying to find some balance in his everyday life just like everyone else. There is one thing, though, he knows for sure has improved his quality of life every single day. Meditation. Luke used to believe meditation wasn't for him but has now become one of Australia's leading meditation experts helping thousands of 'everyday' people, just like himself, enjoy meditation in an easy, down-to-earth way. Everyday Enlightenment contains encouragement, support, guidance, advice and short meditations to help you start, enjoy and embrace your meditation journey. Let Luke help you find some of that inner peace and calmness without having to move to the mountains and become a monk. Let him show you how the secret to living an enlightened life is hidden within the ordinary and the everyday - it will be one of the best things you ever do.
Download or read book Cultivating Original Enlightenment written by W?nhyo and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wonhyo (617-686) is the dominant figure in the history of Korean Buddhism and one of the most influential thinkers in the Korean philosophical tradition. Koreans know Wonhyo in his various roles as Buddhist mystic, miracle worker, social iconoclast, religious proselytist, and cultural hero. Above all else, Wonhyo was an innovative thinker and prolific writer, whose works cover the gamut of Indian and Sinitic Buddhist materials: Some one hundred treatises and commentaries are attributed to him, twenty-three of which are extant today. Wonhyo's importance is not limited to the peninsula, however. His writings were widely read in China and Japan, and his influence on the overall development of East Asian Mah? y? na thought is significant, particularly in relation to the Huayan, Chan, and Pure Land schools. In Cultivating Original Enlightenment, the first volume in The International Association of Wonhyo Studies' Collected Works of Wonhyo series, Robert E. Buswell Jr. translates Wonhyo's longest and culminating work, the Exposition of the Vajrasam? dhi-Sutra (Kumgang Sammaegyong Non). Wonhyo here brings to bear all the tools acquired throughout a lifetime of scholarship and meditation to the explication of a scripture that has a startling connection to the Korean Buddhist tradition. In his treatise, Wonhyo examines the crucial question of how enlightenment can be turned from a tantalizing prospect into a palpable reality that manifests itself in all activities.
Download or read book Major World Religions written by Lloyd Ridgeon and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2003-12-08 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses upon those religions that continue to demand the attention of the Western world.
Download or read book The Origins of Demythologizing written by Johnson and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2018-08-14 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Preliminary Material /Roger A. Johnson -- The Enigma of Demythologizing /Roger A. Johnson -- The Philosophical Origins of Demythologizing: Marburg Neo-Kantianism /Roger A. Johnson -- The Religionsgeschichtliche Formulation of Myth /Roger A. Johnson -- The Enlightenment Formulation of Myth /Roger A. Johnson -- The Existentialist Formulation of Myth /Roger A. Johnson -- Demythologizing as a Synthetic Construct /Roger A. Johnson -- Bibliography /Roger A. Johnson -- Name Index /Roger A. Johnson -- Subject Index /Roger A. Johnson.
Download or read book Pruning the Bodhi Tree written by Jamie Hubbard and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 1997-07-01 with total page 548 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Buddhism? According to Hakamaya Noriaki and Matsumoto Shiro, the answer lies in neither Ch’an nor Zen; in neither the Kyoto school of philosophy nor the non-duality taught in the Vimalakirti Sutra. Hakamaya contends that “criticism alone is Buddhism.” This volume introduces and analyzes the ideas of “critical Buddhism” in relation to the targets of its critique and situates those ideas in the context of current discussions of postmodern academic scholarship, the separation of the disinterested scholar and committed religious practitioner, and the place of social activism within the academy. Essays critical of the received traditions of Buddhist thought—many never before translated—are presented and then countered by the work of respected scholars, both Japanese and Western, who take contrary positions.
Download or read book The Routledge Handbook of Buddhist Christian Studies written by Carol Anderson and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-09-30 with total page 728 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Buddhist-Christian dialogue has a long and complex history that stretches back to the first centuries of the common era. Comprising 42 international and disciplinarily diverse chapters, this volume begins by setting up a framework for examining the nature of Buddhist-Christian interreligious dialogue, discussing how research in this area has been conducted in the past and considering future theoretical directions. Subsequent chapters delve into: important episodes in the history of Buddhist-Christian dialogue; contemporary conversations such as monastic interreligious dialogue, multiple religious identity, and dual religious practice; and Buddhist-Christian cooperation in social justice, social engagement, pastoral care, and interreligious education settings. The volume closes with a section devoted to comparative and constructive explorations of different speculative themes that range from the theological to the philosophical or experiential. This handbook explores how the study of Buddhist-Christian relations has been and ought to be done. The Routledge Handbook of Buddhist-Christian Studies is essential reading for researchers and students interested in Buddhist-Christian studies, Asian religions, and interreligious relationships. It will be of interest to those in fields such as anthropology, political science, theology, and history.
Download or read book From Here To Here written by Gary Crowley and published by AVAIYA. This book was released on 2006-07-11 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Here To Here is a guidebook for the spiritual seeker. It invites you to look at your spiritual path from a perspective that few consider and gives you the keys to understanding what few will ever realize. Its underlying message is that enlightenment's only complication is its devastating simplicity. Rich with metaphors, examples, and teaching stories, the book also offers important, easy-to-understand concepts from psychology, brain science, and common sense.
Download or read book Enlightenment and the Creation of German Catholicism written by Michael Printy and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2009-02-02 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first account of the German Catholic Enlightenment, this book explores the ways in which 18th-century Germans reconceived the relationship between religion, society, and the state.
Download or read book Buddhism Cognitive Science and the Doctrine of Selflessness written by Hugh Nicholson and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-09-30 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the relationship between Buddhist philosophy and scientific psychology by focusing on the doctrine of No-self. The hypothesis is that No-self can function as an instrument of counter-induction, that is, an alternative conceptual scheme that exposes by contrast the intuitive or "folk" theoretical presuppositions sedimented in our perception of ourselves and others. When incorporated into regimens of meditative and ritual practice, the No-self doctrine works to challenge and disrupt our naïve folk psychology. The author argues that there is a fruitful parallel between the No-self doctrine and anti-Cartesian trends in the cognitive sciences. The No-self doctrine was the product of philosophical speculation undertaken in the context of hegemonic struggles with both Buddhist and non-Buddhist rivals, and the classic No-self doctrine, accordingly, is a somewhat schematic and largely accidental anticipation of the current scientific understanding of the mind and consciousness. Nevertheless, inasmuch as it challenges and unsettles the seemingly self-evident certitudes of folk psychology, it prepares the ground for the revolution in our self-conception promised by the emerging cognitive scientific concept of mind. A novel contribution to the study of Buddhist Philosophy, the book will also be of interest to scholars of Buddhist Studies and Asian Religions.
Download or read book Nihil Unbound written by R. Brassier and published by Springer. This book was released on 2007-11-08 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book pushes nihilism to its ultimate conclusion by linking revisionary naturalism in Anglo-American philosophy with anti-phenomenological realism in French philosophy. Contrary to the 'post-analytic' consensus uniting Heidegger and Wittgenstein against scientism and scepticism, this book links eliminative materialism and speculative realism.