Download or read book The Emptiness of Lao Tzu is the Absoluteness of the Buddhist No thing yet Every thing written by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Lao-Tzu and published by Philaletheians UK. This book was released on 2023-07-03 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Chinese mind is too philosophical to fashion a supreme being in its likeness. The higher aspirations of Christ and Buddha, the world’s great reformers, have nothing to do with the cold, practical philosophy of Confucius, who does not have the depth of feeling and the spiritual striving of his contemporary, Lao Tzu. From Lao Tzu down to Hiuen-Tsang, their literature is replete with allusions to the fair island of Shambhala (now an oasis of incomparable beauty) and the Wisdom of the trans-Himalayan Adepts. The Emptiness of Lao Tzu is the Absoluteness of the Buddhist, a state of perfect Uncreated Unconsciousness — a Presence which ever was, is, and will be forever. Lao Tzu mentions only five of the seven principles of man, and omits to include the highest (Atma) and the lowest (which is no principle but the cadaver). Analogy is the guiding law, the reliable Ariadne’s thread that can lead us through the otherwise inextricable paths of Nature. The “seven jewels” of the Japanese Yamaboosis, the mystics of the Lao Tzu sect, and the ascetic monks of Kyoto allude to the correspondence of the seven principles of man with our planetary chain of seven rounds. The Moral Doctrines of Lao Tzu: 1. Tao in Its Transcendental Aspect, and in Its Physical Manifestation. 2. Tao as a Moral Principle, or “Virtue.” 3. The Doctrine of Inaction. 4. Lowliness and Humility. 5. Government. 6. War. 7. Paradoxes. 8. Miscellaneous. 9. Lao Tzu on Himself.

Download or read book The Sayings of Lao Tz written by Laozi and published by . This book was released on 1911 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Signposts to Silence written by J.S. Krüger and published by AOSIS. This book was released on 2018-12-01 with total page 570 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Signposts to Silence provides a theoretical map of what it terms ‘metaphysical mysticism’: the search for the furthest, most inclusive horizon, the domain of silence, which underlies the religious and metaphysical urge of humankind in its finest forms. Tracing the footsteps of pioneers of this exploration, the investigation also documents a number of historical pilgrimages from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds. Such mountaineers of the spirit, who created paths trodden by groups of followers over centuries and in some cases millennia, include Lao-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu, Siddhattha and Jesus, Sankara and Fa-tsang, Plato and Plotinus, Isaac Luria and Ibn Arabi, Aquinas and Hegel. Such figures, teachings and traditions (including the religions of ‘Judaism’, ‘Christianity’ and ‘Islam’; ‘Hinduism’, ‘Buddhism’ and ‘Taoism’) are understood as, at their most sublime, not final destiny and the end of the road, but signposts to a horizon of ultimate silence. The hermeneutical method employed in tracking such pioneers involves four steps: • sound historical-critical understanding of the context of the various traditions and figures • reconstruction of the subjective intentional structure of such persons and their teachings • design, by the author, of a theoretical map of the overall terrain of ‘metaphysical mysticism’, on which all such journeys of the spirit are to be located, while providing a theoretical context for understanding them tendentionally (i.e. taking the ultimate drift of their thinking essentially to transcend their subjective intentions) • drawing out, within the space available, some political (taken in a wide sense) implications from the above, such as religio-political stances as well as ecological and gender implications. Continuing the general direction of thought within what the author endorses to be the best in metaphysical mysticism in its historical manifestations, the book aims to contribute to peace amongst religions in the contemporary global cultural situation. It relativizes all claims to exclusive, absolute truth that might be proclaimed by any religious or metaphysical, mystical position, while providing space for not only tolerating, but also affirming the unique value and dignity of each. This orientation moves beyond the stances of enmity or indifference or syncretism or homogenisation of all, as well as that of mere friendly toleration. It investigates the seemingly daunting and inhospitable yet immensely significant Antarctica of the Spirit, the ‘meta’-space of silence behind the various forms of wordy ‘inter’-relationships. It affirms pars pro toto, totum pro parte, and pars pro parte: that each religious, mystical and metaphysical orientation in its relative singularity represents or contains the whole and derives value from that, and that each represents or contains every other. This homoversal solidarity stimulating individual uniqueness is different from and in fact implies criticism of the process of globalisation. While not taking part in a scientific argument as such, Signposts to Silence aims at promoting an understanding of science and metaphysical mysticism as mutual context for each other, and it listens to a number of voices from the domain of science that understand this.

Download or read book A New Buddhist Path written by David Loy and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-02-03 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David R. Loy addresses head-on the most pressing issues of Buddhist philosophy in our time. What is the meaning of enlightenment--is it an escape from the world, or is it a form of psychological healing? How can one reconcile modern scientific theory with ancient religious teachings? What is our role in the universe? Loy shows us that neither Buddhism nor secular society by itself is sufficient to answer these questions. Instead, he investigates the unexpected intersections of the two.

Download or read book LIVING THE LIFE written by S.P. Chockalingam and published by First Edition Design Pub.. This book was released on 2017-01-26 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A doctor, a justice, a planter, an entrepreneur, a farmer and other similarly placed workers met and provided their own perspectives on ‘life’ and what ‘the life’ means to them. Although some of them are real life stories they are presented with pseudo names. How all of them ‘live their lives’ or how ‘the life lives their lives’ described in the first chapter of the book. In other chapters, how the extraordinary, self-automated engineering marvel of the human body architecture with the ‘life’ inside withstands and survives the influences, pressures, and winds of changes of different kinds at different times of forces and factors on its voyage in the turbulent waters of the sea of life are explained. Also, the interconnectedness of the ‘life’ within the body and outside the body is discussed. Interdependence and interconnection with one another of various organisms and with every other human and every other thing in the world are detailed highlighting the importance of holistic approach to life. Finally, how the inbuilt nature of being spiritual will help to navigate safely, successfully with meaning and purpose the life’s voyage with the adoption of the holistic way of life is brought out in detail in the book. Keywords: Life, Living The Life, Three Pillars, Role Playing, Materialism, Better World, Saving The Life, Being Spiritual, Holistic Way Of Life, Mindfulness Meditation, Dalai Lama

Download or read book Nothingness and Emptiness written by Steven W. Laycock and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This sustained and distinctively Buddhist challenge to the ontology of Jean-Paul Sartre's Being and Nothingness resolves the incoherence implicit in the Sartrean conception of nothingness by opening to a Buddhist vision of emptiness. Rooted in the insights of Madhyamika dialectic and an articulated meditative (zen) phenomenology, Nothingness and Emptiness uncovers and examines the assumptions that sustain Sartre's early phenomenological ontology and questions his theoretical elaboration of consciousness as "nothingness." Laycock demonstrates that, in addition to a "relative" nothingness (the for-itself) defined against the positivity and plenitude of the in-itself, Sartre's ontology requires, but also repudiates, a conception of "absolute" nothingness (the Buddhist "emptiness"), and is thus, as it stands, logically unstable, perhaps incoherent. The author is not simply critical; he reveals the junctures at which Sartrean ontology appeals for a Buddhist conception of emptiness and offers the needed supplement.

Download or read book Individuum Society Humankind written by Makoto Ozaki and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2021-10-01 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this collection on the Kyoto School of Philosophy, the author offers the reader Tanabe’s religious philosophy, but also, and for the first time, his philosophy of nature and ontology. It is not only on individuum, society, and humankind, but also on the logical structure of Tanabe’s thinking, and aspects such as nature, beauty, matter, contemplation, practice, politics, religion, science, history, eternity, etcetera. A highly original work, the more as the reader becomes acquainted with Ozaki’s own creative synthetic view of the main problems of Christian-Buddhist theological, resp. philosophical encounter.

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in Korea written by Won W. Lee and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2022 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Korean Christianity is renowned for its rapid growth and conservative theological orientation. This phenomenon is inextricably tied to Korean appropriation of the Bible in their religio-cultural and socio-political context since the 18th century. Less understood, however, is the complex tapestry of Korean biblical interpretation that emerged from being missionized, colonized, internally divided, and incorporated into global norms. These countervailing forces proffer a distinctive Korean-ness of biblical interpretation. On the one hand, it tracks closely the influence of conservative western missionaries. On the other hand, it reflects God's liberating intervention for Koreans and the Korean diaspora. Both of these movements respond to and move beyond distinct histories of oppression. This introduction coheres twenty-four papers by grouping them into four waves of reciprocal interpretive encounters shaping Korean appropriation of the Bible and Christian practices. While some conservatively align with received western orthodoxy, others embrace a sense of complementarity that informs the spectrum of Korean Christian thought and practice, the long-standing religious traditions of Korea, the diversity of Korea's global diaspora, and the learning of non-Koreans who are attentive to the impact of the Bible in Korea"--

Download or read book Mathematics and Art written by Lynn Gamwell and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a cultural history of mathematics and art, from antiquity to the present. Mathematicians and artists have long been on a quest to understand the physical world they see before them and the abstract objects they know by thought alone. Taking readers on a tour of the practice of mathematics and the philosophical ideas that drive the discipline, Lynn Gamwell points out the important ways mathematical concepts have been expressed by artists. Sumptuous illustrations of artworks and cogent math diagrams are featured in Gamwell's comprehensive exploration. Gamwell begins by describing mathematics from antiquity to the Enlightenment, including Greek, Islamic, and Asian mathematics. Then focusing on modern culture, Gamwell traces mathematicians' search for the foundations of their science, such as David Hilbert's conception of mathematics as an arrangement of meaning-free signs, as well as artists' search for the essence of their craft, such as Aleksandr Rodchenko's monochrome paintings. She shows that self-reflection is inherent to the practice of both modern mathematics and art, and that this introspection points to a deep resonance between the two fields: Kurt Gödel posed questions about the nature of mathematics in the language of mathematics and Jasper Johns asked "What is art?" in the vocabulary of art. Throughout, Gamwell describes the personalities and cultural environments of a multitude of mathematicians and artists, from Gottlob Frege and Benoît Mandelbrot to Max Bill and Xu Bing. Mathematics and Art demonstrates how mathematical ideas are embodied in the visual arts and will enlighten all who are interested in the complex intellectual pursuits, personalities, and cultural settings that connect these vast disciplines.

Download or read book Modern Japanese Aesthetics written by Michael F. Marra and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 1999-12-01 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern Japanese Aesthetics is the first work in English on the history of the Japanese philosophy of art, from its inception in the 1870s to the present. In addition to the historical information and discussion of aesthetic issues that appear in the introductions to each of the chapters, the book presents English translations of otherwise inaccessible major works on Japanese aesthetics, beginning with a complete and annotated translation of the first work in the field, Nishi Amane's Bimyogaku Setsu (The Theory of Aesthetics). In its four sections (The Subject of Aesthetics, Aesthetic Categories, Poetic Expression, Postmodernism and Aesthetics), Modern Japanese Aesthetics discusses the momentous efforts made by Japanese thinkers to master, assimilate, and transform Western philosophical systems to discuss their own literary and artistic heritage. Readers are introduced to debates between the unconditional supporters of Western ideas (Onishi Hajime) and more cautious approaches to the literary and artistic past (Okakura Kakuzo, Tsubouchi Shoyo). The institutionalization of aesthetics as an academic subject is discussed and the work of some of Japan's most distinguished professional aestheticians (Onishi Yoshimori, Imamichi Tomonobu), philosophers (Kusanagi Masao, Nishitani Keiji, Sakabe Megumi), and literary critics (Karatani Kojin) is included. Modern Japanese Aesthetics is a sophisticated and energetic volume on the process that led to the construction of aesthetic categories used by Japanese and, later, Western scholars in discussing Japanese literature and arts. This important work will be essential reading for anyone concerned with the formation of a critical vocabulary in Japan. Modern Japanese Aesthetics: A Reader is a companion volume to A History of Modern Japanese Aesthetics (UH Press, 2001).

Download or read book Asian Contextual Theology for the Third Millennium written by Paul S. Chung and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume, an attempt is undertaken to highlight the genesis, progress, and transformation of Asian contextual theology of minjung, introducing its historical point of departure, its development, and its transformation in light of younger Korean and Korean American scholars' endeavors. In this regard, the new Asian contextual theology, which is emerging, strives to integrate both minjung and the wisdom of World Religions into its own framework and direction, assuming the character of a public theology and remaining humble and open before God's mystery while featuring its association with minjung in a holistic way.

Download or read book Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal written by and published by . This book was released on 1924 with total page 996 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Absolute Tao written by Osho and published by Osho Media International. This book was released on 2012-03-13 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moving beyond the usual interpretations of this classic Chinese text — that of using it as an indicator of what to do next or attempting to predict the future — Osho is using the Tao Te Ching as Lao Tzu intended: to ignite the flame of individual awareness and insight. His commentaries on these seven verses burn through every idea we may hold about ourselves until we can see with the same crystal clear light as Lao Tzu.

Download or read book For Buddhism For Sentient Beings The Buddhist Practice of Tzu Chi s Missions written by 王本榮 and published by 經典雜誌 慈濟傳播人文志業基金會. This book was released on 2023-07-01 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction The Straight Path of Bodhi and the Translucent Sphere of Lazuli In the forty-nine years of the Buddha’s lectures, he first gave a wide range of expedient dharma teachings, in order to use the water of the Dharma to cleanse sentient beings of their delusion and worries. After forty-two years of teaching expedient Dharma, he turned to lecture “The Lotus Sutra (Threefold Lotus Sutra)” in order to teach the Bodhisattva Dharma, pointing out the true meaning of the Bodhisattva’s heart and actions as the foundation of Buddhahood. The Lotus Sutra (Threefold Lotus Sutra) consists of The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law, and The Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue. Within these, the essence lies in The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, where it instructs sentient beings to study the virtues and to understand the state of mind of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and details the incomparable good deeds manifested by the Great Vow. For over 55 years, under the leadership of Dharma Master Cheng Yen, the members of Tzu Chi have followed the teachings of “The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings” to hear the voices of the people who are suffering, to help them realize enlightenment, to observe deeply and practice widely, to benefit all sentient beings, and promote the Four Missions all around the mundane world. At a time when the human mind is perverted, the world is in chaos, the environment is being destroyed, the climate is changing, the resources are being depleted, and the ecology is unbalanced. Where war is frequent, epidemics are rampant, and the survival and civilization of mankind are facing serious crisis, it is the mission of Tzu Chi to inspire the altruistic mind of people, to promote pure love, and to spread the true meaning of Buddhism to the people. In accordance with the teaching of the Dharma Master Cheng Yen that “the Buddha’s teachings should be life-oriented and the Bodhisattva should be humanized,” the sign language musical “Purity, Great Love, Innumerable Meanings,” interpreted from the classics of “The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings,” was premiered at the Tzu Chi 41st Anniversary Conference in 2007 at Hualien’s Jing Si Hall, followed by a touring performance at home and abroad. This allowed the public to understand the expedient Dharma teachings through audiovisuals and to realize the auspiciousness of the Dharma meaning, and to receive the nourishment of the Dharma rain, and the blessing of the Dharma medicine, so as to enlighten one’s heart and purify the body. Practicing the dharma teachings to purify the hearts of people, harmonize the society and pray for the elimination of disasters in the world. As the author of this book, I was fortunate to participate in eight performances of the play. During the rehearsals, I was first struck by the flow of the lyrics, the majesty of the momentum, the boundless profound spirit of the Dharma. Gradually, I was able to delve deeper into the meaning of sutra, understand the integration of the sutra and musical, and absorb the meanings of the sutra and thus realizing the Buddha is really the Great Enlightened One of the universe, the One who speaks as he does, the One who speaks truthfully, and the One who does not lie. In the verses of The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, it explains, “Infinity originates from one” and “One begets infinity, and infinity originates from one” as the true cosmic reality and state of life. What may have seemed unbelievable and absurd at that time, after 2,500 years of time and evolution, has proven to be very much in line with modern astronomy, cosmology, physics, relativity, quantum theory, evolution, biology, chemistry, and medicine, and the direction of practice directed by the Buddha is also the correct path to final emancipation. What is even more admirable is that Dharma Master Cheng Yen has followed the teachings of Venerable Master Yin Shun of “for Buddhism, for sentient beings,” and has continued to practice the teachings of “The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings” thoroughly, encouraging her disciples to apply their vital energies to practice the spirit of compassion and great love, and practice the human realm Bodhisattva path through the concrete actions of the Four Missions and Eight Endeavors. Not only does he open the Buddha’s vision for sentient beings, show the Buddha’s vision, realize the Buddha’s vision, and enter the Buddha’s vision, but also practices the Buddha’s vision. Moved by the Master, the author of this book published One Seed to Infinite in 2009, with the aim of presenting the modern interpretation of The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings. The “Prelude” of “Purity, Great Love, and Innumerable Meanings” states, “Vast is the universe, life comes and goes, such is life’s natural course, no need to be astounded. Contemplate upon this carefully with a tranquil mind, we begin to realize life is impermanent and transient, the life of today can change bringing a different tomorrow.” It combines and interprets the magnificence, and vastness of the universe, and the sorrows and joys of life perfectly. In response to this prelude, the Dharma Master Cheng Yen said, “Every flower, grass, and tree in the world is constantly undergoing metamorphosis. Everything is originally nothing; existence is created through the conditions of convergent cause and predestined effect. All things are formed from predestinations. They are born from each other, following the principle of complementary and interdependency of everything in the universe and they are constantly going through the natural cycle of forming, living, falling and vanishing.” This is an excellent interpretation of the reality of the universe and natural phenomena stated in the verses “all actions are impermanent” and “all Dharmas have no self” in “The Three Universal Truths.” Emptiness is not nothingness, but all possibilities. The ultimate reality is “emptiness,” but cannot exist apart from the phenomena of “existence.” Schrödinger, a master of quantum mechanics, proved that both light and particles have wave-particle duality, and when we observe them, they will be concentrated at one point and appear as particles, but when they are not observed, they will expand in space in the form of waves. Particles are not constant entities, but transient phenomena that are sometimes linked together to create the illusion of an eternal body. The starting phrase of the Virtues Chapter is “Bodhisattvas are wise beings with great compassion, their minds are tranquil, ever-abiding in meditation, peaceful, free of desires and are immune from any kind of delusion or wrong thoughts” “Eternal Stillness,” which is in line with “The Three Universal Truths,” states, to practice according to the Dharma is to train the mind, to transcend the realm of “all actions are impermanent” and “all Dharma has no self,” and to enter the profound dharma realm of “no birth, no death, no constant, no difference, no coming and no going” (emptiness), and to realize the eternal truth of “permanence, bliss, true self, purity,” based on the impermanence from birth to death. The statement, “our mind is clear and translucent, and our vows are as vast as the endless void, and conviction is unwavering for countless eons” is the realization of the “meaning of righteousness” (or the true meaning) from the “permanence, bliss, true self, purity,” which refers to the absolute truth of the ultimate reality. The “innumerable dharma paths, all of which become clear to us, and the attainment of great wisdom and penetrating the true nature of all things” is the realization of the “secular meaning” (or the worldly meaning) from the mundane world, which refers to the relative truth of the mundane world. The ultimate truth and the worldly truth are two truths that are two sides of one coin. The former is to investigate the truth of things from the perspective of the ultimate, while the latter is to gain insight into the interdependent phenomena of the mundane world from the perspective of the relative truth. “Jing Si” is a profound observation of the Dharma lineage with the essence of Prajñā (the ultimate meaning) as the body, while “Tzu Chi” is a wide practice of the sect with the essence of great compassion without attachments (the worldly meaning) as the application. Jing Si and Tzu Chi can be said to be the perfect combination of Weber’s social concept of value-rational and instrumental action. The integration of the absolute and relative truths, that is, the fusion of emptiness and wisdom, is the so-called buddha nature or Tathāgata nature, the essence of the Buddhahood. All sentient beings have the potential to become Buddhas, but they are unable to manifest it due to delusion. Here are four kinds of sentient beings: namely, there are those born from eggs, those born from wombs, those born from moisture, those born of transformation, and there are also differences between those with form, those without form, those with thought, and those without thought. From each “condition” (effect) formed by the “cause” of each, the “realm” (karma) is created, and the cause is stored to recycle back to the cause of the reincarnation. From there, it explains the “condition” to create “karma,” which then returns the cycle back to “cause.” Buddhism widely explains the various phenomena of birth and death in the universe and in life, as well as the principles of karma and retribution, guiding sentient beings to follow and harness these principles to improve oneself, transform their external environment, create good karma, and create a sustainable civilization. It is paradoxical that at a time when increasingly sophisticated science is proving the profound subtlety and vastness of the Buddha’s teachings, many Buddhist sutras are being misinterpreted, misunderstood, and misrepresented, resulting in distortions and misrepresentations that do not reflect the Buddha’s original intent. True Mahāyāna Buddhism is active in the world. If a society is without right and wrong, without justice, without order and without compassion and if it only adapts to the external surroundings through internal dharma practice, it is not only the degradation of human beings, but also the incompetence of religion. Things often have unexpected and unimaginable outcome. For example, when the silkworms spit out silk, they never thought they would create the Silk Road. As the same for the Dharma Master, when she fled her home, she never thought she would create a global Tzu Chi family. Tzu Chi started with just the Master, from one thought, one life of boundless compassion and now fifty-five years later, its footprints have spanned across five continents, four oceans, and over one hundred countries. Believing in people’s love and people’s selflessness, the Dharma Master’s heart gives boundless acceptance, and never wavers or change in his fortitude and seizes time and lets no second slip by. Treating each second like the last second, as the start of a new second, and when it passes, one tiny barrier is overcome, allowing each new obstacle to be tackled. The author has followed the Dharma Master’s teaching for 30 years and feels that the Master has been “mindfulness of the body,” “mindfulness of emotions,” “mindfulness of the mind,” and “mindfulness of the dharma,” and follows that “one’s mind should not abide anywhere,” as stated in The Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra), “One who practices charity (dāna) without any attachments, is like a man with open eyes, who can see everything in the sunshine” and that’s fundamentally how the world of Tzu Chi becomes one on which the sun never sets. The secret to the success in normal business organizations is to have the right people, do the right thing, and do the thing right. The Master’s vow is to help and transform all sentient beings with compassion, taken across sentient beings universally. Using Nature as an example, he will not abandon the small streams or the tiny water drops, hoping that even those who are not the right people can become the right people and join the sea of Buddhist merit. It’s not easy for a Buddhist monk to push a person “one inch” closer to Buddhahood and likewise, the leadership of a volunteer force is far more challenging than that of a business enterprise. The self-oriented state of mind of a Hīnayāna (Smaller Vehicle) disciple is, “the lonely smoke of the desert is straight, the sunset of the Yangtze River is round,” while the compassionate vow of a Mahāyāna (Greater Vehicle) disciple is “the Straight Path of Bodhi and the Translucent Sphere of Lazuli.” The Dharma Master can be said to be a great leader who has the ability to take sentient beings to places where they do not necessarily want to go, but where they should be, from one being to the next, so that the will of all can transform the vision of truth. She leads the people of Tzu Chi from all around the world to follow the teachings of the Chapters of Virtue, Expounding (preaching) the Dharma, and Ten Merits of The Sutra of Innumerable Meanings and to practice infinite righteousness in the Sahā world. The finale of the musical, “Purity, Great Love, Innumerable Meanings,” states, “We see that all life will come to an end, as coming together and parting is the way of nature, and a thousand-year-old pine will grow old, while still standing up to the wind and rain.” The power of kindness in us is unlimited, boundless. The power of Dharma can affect marvelous things. Our vows and perseverance can create miracles and faith will give us courage to realize our aspirations. Turn the spark of inspiration into lasting Great Love. We can bring joy and benefit to all living beings and pass on the light of wisdom. Compassion is continuously being born in the universe, and kindness and goodness will open up to us a different path. With Great Love and immeasurable compassion, with a tranquil mind of purity, unwavering vows and reverence for the law, we shall practice the Bodhisattva Way in Jambudviipa. Here “Jambudviipa” in Buddhist sutras refers to our current planet. Life from birth to death on the surface is an overlap of physiological actions and consciousness during the lifespan, but in reality it is a reorganization of the fundamental particles and atoms of the “dust” of the universe over tens of billions of years, as well as the memory of the Earth’s biological history, recorded in DNA for nearly 4 billion years. After passing away, the physical body will disintegrate and return to the “lifeless” matter of the universe, without coming or going, without birth or death. Life is very difficult and extremely precious. As “man is the soul of the universe,” we must think about the four questions of human life: “Why do we live?” (the purpose of life), “Why are we born as human beings?” (the essence of life), “What is life?” (the phenomenon of life), and “Why live?” (the meaning of life) The power of human learning and creativity has led to technological progress and material civilization, allowing for the maximization of the productivity of goods and services. Our political systems and economic systems are designed to endlessly expand human desires and exploit the Earth’s resources indefinitely. The cost of such a successful model is environmental collapse, disaster, wealth inequality, war, pestilence, and refugees, and the Mother Earth we depend on becoming unrecognizable and overburdened. Today’s material civilization is built on multiple connections of globalization, technology, industrialization, and division of labor. However, these connections are very fragile and unstable, and once the environment changes or mutual trust disappears, the advantageous system can take a sharp turn for the worse, becoming uncontrollable and irreversible. Only by unlocking the wisdom and compassion of each individual, by developing the perseverance and courage of each individual, can we turn the tide and create the opportunity for sustainable human development. We must completely change the ecology and mentality of production and consumption from a habit of over-consumption of materials and energy to a simpler life with less desire and more contentment, and we must also have a more long-term consensus to eliminate the flaws hidden in the system that are not conducive to sustainable development. During the “bad times” and “end of times,” the Master constantly reminds us that, “In this great era of ours, we must know right from wrong. In times of great disaster, we must nurture great compassion. In times of great delusion, we must give rise to great wisdom. In times of great turmoil, we must practice great repentance.” Mahāyāna Buddhism is the unification of “mind” and “matter” centered on “mind.” From the vast universe to the smallest particle of dust, all are “concrete laws of dharmas” that are “manifested by the mind alone.” In 2003, at Jing Si Hall, Dharma Master Yin Shun encouraged the Tzu Chi people, “Meditate on all the Buddhas of the entire universe and understand that all matter is created by the mind alone.” When the old monk first saw the mountain as a mountain, he saw the false appearance of “conditions,” that is, “illusion appears from the consciousness.” When he saw the mountain as a mountain, he realized the empty appearance of “emptiness” as “emptiness is only name.” When he saw the mountain as a mountain, he realized the truth of “all things arise from conditions, but are empty in nature” and the only “true and constant is the mind.” This book was written in February of 2020 and was finished on May 10 of the same year, the Buddha’s Birthday, which was exactly 100 days in duration. It was also the author’s 100 days of “mindfulness,” where he learned and understood more about the wisdom of Buddhism and Tzu Chi’s deep vision and wide practice. The author was born in the postwar baby boom, and has lived through the agricultural, industrial, knowledge, and information eras, as well as through the time of Martial Law, lifting of Martial Law, the Cold War, and the Post-Cold War era. He has followed in the footsteps of the Dharma Master for over thirty years. Although limited in ability and space, this book hopes to describe briefly in the Dharma Master’s compassionate vow to do everything in his life, “for Buddhism and for all sentient beings,” and to lead people of Tzu Chi to practice compassion to heal the world. It was also during these 100 days that the coronavirus was spreading and “infecting” the world. The microscopic nano-virus was able to “parasitize,” causing humans who believe themselves to be “the soul of the universe” to lockdown entire cities and countries. It is a reminder that human beings must understand their limitations and fragility, respect life more, face heaven and earth with humility, and be more reverent to nature. However, when Taiwan and the world faced various natural and man-made disasters, Tzu Chi bodhisattvas, in their blue and white uniforms, immediately descended from the sky and emerged from the earth, being the first and staying until the last. This has become their routine as volunteers and “doing what is expected” has become their standard. If you breathe well, you will forget the existence of breathing, and if your shoes fit, you will forget the existence of shoes. When looking at the Six Missions of Tzu Chi, it is a culmination of many people’s infinite vows to volunteer, both financially and physically, without any complaints on one’s own initiative. There is “seeing confusion (illusion)” and “thinking confusion (temptation)” for common people, and “dust (miniscule) confusion” for bodhisattvas. The Dharma Master always encourages the disciples to face adversity and frustration without anger or depression, and to learn patience in the face of humiliating words and have an unwavering heart when faced with wind and storm. The world is a place of cultivation. We must put equal emphasis on interpretation and action, the integration of the governing principles, and the dual operation of compassion and wisdom, it is as the saying states, “on the top of a hundred-foot pole, keep on progressing. Then, the ten directions of the Universe become clear.” A Western scholar who visited Tzu Chi was so moved that he wanted me to use one word to describe Tzu Chi. The word I gave him was “Nowhere,” which I separated into two levels of meaning. The words, “Now here,” can mean “in the present moment, the body is empty,” expressing the deep view of the Jing Si Dharma lineage, and “Nowhere” can also mean “being ubiquitous, being endless,” expressing the extensive practice of the Tzu Chi sect of Buddhism. Tzu Chi’s assistance in the Japanese Tohoku Earthquake impressed Ida’s Laboratory at Kyoto University. They were so moved by the altruistic compassion of a Buddhist group and its compassionate commitment to the world as well as the power of organization and mobilization, that they sent a research team to cover the event. Before leaving, they gave me a letter from Kyoto University, asking me to write down “What is Tzu Chi?” as a basis for their team’s research. I wrote “Tzu Chi: Compassionate Relief for the World” and defined it with four “lifetimes:” “A lifetime of immeasurable compassion, a lifetime of hearing and practicing all the teachings, a lifetime of unwavering faith, and a lifetime journey without regrets.” “Transmitting the Jing Si Dharma Lineage, Advancing the Tzu Chi School of Buddhism,” we are grateful for the compassion and wisdom of Dharma Master Cheng Yen and all the Tzu Chi people around the world, who uphold the principle, “for Buddhism and for all sentient beings,” to make this book possible. The six chapters of this book describe how Tzu Chi’s four main missions of charity, health care, education, and culture & communication, as well as the practice of Buddhist teachings and scriptures in the world of today’s sentient beings, are being carried out through the practice of the sacrifice and charity and environmental protection. The writer is not vastly knowledgeable in Buddhism, nor is he a sociologist, and thus, if there are any inadequacies or omissions, we hope for all the knowledgeable advisors to advise and correct.

Download or read book Interconnections Between Eastern and Western Cultures written by 张戬坤 and published by 光大出版社. This book was released on 2018-01-28 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chapter Zero The Substitute Preface Ⅰ The Civilization of Sages and Worthies and Modern Civilization Ⅱ Knowledge of Wisdom Chapter One The Level of Worlds Ⅰ The Three Great Worlds of Matter, Energy and Information 1. The Relationship between Matter, Energy and Information 2. The Law of Period and Cycle 3. The pure information structure with no information structure II Altruism is Human Nature III The Universe is Unified in Ground State Information IV All Appearances are Empty and False. Chapter Two The Generation of All Things in the Universe Lecture One Concerning the Evolution of the Universe Lecture Two Theories and Mechanism of Evolution I Evolutionary Theories in Eastern and Western Cultures The Cosmic String theory and Taiji Tu Shuo Exposition on the great wisdom in Yi Jing Emptiness is produced in the great perception. Dao produces one; the one produces two; the two produces three. II All Dharmas are the Creation of the Mind. Chapter Three Problems Related to Epistemology I Several Problems concerning Epistemology 1. “Water Knows” proves the non-duality of subject and object and unity of heaven and man 2. The pollution of human mind leads to environmental pollution 3. The “Sudden insight” in the History of Science 4. Direct manifestation and comparative manifestation II Understanding Concerning Time and Space III Sages’ Theories Concerning Knowledge Understanding of differences Turn consciousness into wisdom; go from difference to non-difference 3. Zhuang Zi’s theory on knowledge 4. Desire-based and desire-free cognitive channels 5. The pursuit of learning and the pursuit of Dao 6. There is only one; “Only the self is solely honored.” Chapter Four Order and Disorder I The Open System II Stay Away from the Equilibrium State III Nonlinear Effect IV Fluctuation Effect V The Division of the Ten Dharma Realms VI Brief Introduction to the Four Basic Laws of Thermodynamics VII Development and Evolution VIII The Phenomenon of Self-organization and Others Chapter Five The Phenomenon of the World is Discovered According to Karma I Everything is an Upside-down perception displayed by Consciousness only. II All Appearances Are Empty and False. III The World Discovered is Based on the Karma Created. 1. The information structure of the “S” line 2. Greed, anger and stupidity result in flood, fire and wind. 3. Discovery made according to karma; capacity measured based on knowledge. 4. Show kindness and compassion for creatures and be a vegetarian. 5. Stop doing evil but do good IV The Great Wisdom of Sages Chapter Six Life Forms and the Value of Life Part 1 The Phenomenon of Life I The Phenomenon of Life 1. The software-- the core of life 2. The cycle of life 3. Improve your software and upgrade your life form. 4. Four Types of Life Form II Correct Outlooks on Life and Values Part 2 The Essence of Life I The Composition of Life 1. The relationship between software and hardware 2. Information structure determines life form. 3. The value of life and the summoning of goodness and evilness II The Value and Significance of life III Self-reflection and Practice Chapter Seven Polarization and Depolarization I. The Sages’ Theories on Evolution and Return 1. “Dao” is zero and Wuji 2. Zhou Dunyi: Wuji transforms into Taiji; Taiji is originally Wuji. 3. “The two produces three.” “The three produces all things.” II What is “interact in unseen force to achieve harmony”? 1. Inductions and feelings are “unseen force” 2. The whole universe is connected through feeling and induction. III Polarization and Evolution of the World in the Eyes of the Buddha Chapter Eight The Way of Great Learning I Eastern and Western Cultures are to be integrated II Three States of World Existence 1. The three states embodied by the human body 2. Different systems of the human body III The Way of Great Learning, a Means of Increasing the amount of Information 1. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire; Manifest the bright virtue 2. “Love the people”- the great mind of same-body compassion 3. “Rest in the supreme goodness” Chapter Nine Movement and Change I The Mechanism of Movement 1. All movements are expressions of difference 2. The shadow of the flying bird does not move. 3. Study the culture of sages and worthies to open wisdom. II How do movement and change occur? 1. Things spring up in the very spot where they also come to an end. 2. The ultimate goal of human civilization III The Law of Movement and Change 1. The chain of cause and condition 2. Spot the reality through the dharma of cause and condition. 3. The law of cause and effect 4. The heaven’s net casts wide and has big meshes, but nothing can slip through. IV As soon as One Dharma Arises, the Ten Thousand Dharmas will Follow. Chapter Ten The Relativity of Polarity and Absoluteness of True Emptiness I All Movements and Changes are Transformations of Appearances. II Understanding the one-appearance of absolute vacuum 1. The characteristics of relativity and absoluteness 2. The truly empty absoluteness of one-appearance and non-duality 3 Everything moves in the absoluteness of true emptiness. III The Existence of Relative Things. IV The Information Structure of the “S” Line 1. It is information structure that makes us have to do. 2 Penetrate the cause of everything under heaven through “S” lines 3. Only the absoluteness of true emptiness exists. V Three Suggestions to Transform a Mortal into a Sage Chapter Eleven Witness the Absolute Truth I The Revelation of Color Blindness II How to Spot the True Appearance 1. Seeing, hearing, sensing and knowing are all empty and false. 2. There is no falseness outside trueness; there is no trueness outside falseness. 3. Personally certify the absolute truth III The Mind is Correspondent to the World IV Purify the Mind and Sublimate the State. Chapter Twelve The Grand Unified Field I The Mechanism and Principle of the Grand Unified Field 1. The principle of the “S” line 2. The unification perceived from the appearance of things II Expressions of the Sages’ Great Wisdom 1. The still and unmoving Yi 2. “Neither production nor extinction”, “Suchness” and “The interdependence of the two ways.” III Enter the Realm of Freedom from the Realm of Necessity Chapter thirteen Step into the Way of Sages I Influence of the Correct Three Outlooks II The Wisdom of Sages and Scientific Discoveries 1. The perfect and ultimate wisdom of sages 2. The theory of relativity proves no existence of subject and object. 3. Open up the original conscience 4. Inherit and carry forward the Way of sages III Some statements from Sages and Science 1. Concerning the composition of matter 2. The sages’ theories on the evolution of the universe 3. Water moons and water have the same body and are not dualistic. IV The Common Understanding of Sages and Worthies 1. Zero is all numbers and all numbers are zero. 2. There is only one. 3. The universe is not evolution but direct manifestation 4. “Stick-or-yell”, a superb teaching method V Mankind is in Movement and Change 1. Two types of spontaneity and their applications 2. The importance of nucleation 3. Which do you refer, egoism or altruism? 4. The Mode of motion and relative existence 5. Understand cause and condition, and return to the original source VI Enter the Primary Meaning; Turn a Mortal into a Sage 1. All dharmas have no production, no destruction, no appearance and no action. 2. Zhuang Zi’s theory on equalizing things Chapter Fourteen The Comprehensive I Fu Xi’s Great Wisdom II Eastern Tathagata and Western Tathagata III The Interconnection of the Sages’ wisdoms IV The Three Lectures on Confucianism 1. The Three Outlines in Great Learning 2. The “Nature”, “Way” and “Teaching” in Zhong Yong 3. The Mind-Method of Confucianism V A Lightless Flower VI Achievement at Ease VII Change the Software Programs of life VIII Appendix (1): The Flower Adornment Sutra

Download or read book The Buddhist Way written by Christmas Humphreys and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Buddhist Way of Life written by Christmas Humphreys and published by Routledge. This book was released on 1980 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: