To do no harm: A Buddhist view on animal use in research

The issue of using animals for research raises many concerns for Buddhists. Buddhism recognizes that all sentient life shares the same fundamental consciousness but also recognizes a difference in the ability of a species to express that basic, underlying consciousness.Ahimsa or no-harm has been a guiding principle of Buddhist ethics which applies to nonhuman species as well as humans. Conflict arises when available methods for removing some forms of human suffering are dependent upon inflicting suffering on animals. This paper explores several resolutions to the conflict, with the resulting opinion that Buddhism will condone some forms of animal research.     

A Christian philosopher's view of recent directions in the abortion debate.

From the standpoint of a Christian philosopher, heeding the teaching and exhortations of Pope John Paul II and previous popes, I examine three directions in which the recent philosophical debate has developed. In the last seven or eight years there has been 1) a renewed focus on the biological issue of when a human individual comes to be, 2) new arguments for the proposition that personhood is a characteristic acquired after birth, and 3) refinements of the early argument of Judith Thomson. Replying to these developments, I defend, on philosophical grounds, the pro-life position. I argue that a distinct, whole (though immature) human individual comes to be at conception, that he or she is a person, with full moral worth, from the moment he or she comes to be, and the mothers and fathers have a special responsibility to their children which entails (at least) that they ought not to choose to abort them. I conclude by briefly indicating, from the standpoint of Christian faith, why Christian philosophers should vigorously pursue this debate.     

Developing a Buddhist approach to pastoral care: a peacemaker's view

As the United States becomes a more multicultural and multireligious society, the ranks of healthcare chaplains are no longer being limited solely to Judeo-Christian clerics. In an effort to increase interfaith understanding and ecumenical awareness, the author presents one model of healthcare chaplaincy that derives itself from a Buddhist perspective and how he uses it in his daily work at a large medical center in the United States.     

Euthanasia: A Buddhist perspective

This paper introduces basic Buddhist cosmology and ethical teachings, emphasizing the concepts of rebirth and Karma. There follows a discussion of the Buddhist view of illness and its causes. Using these introductory concepts, the Buddhist view on euthanasia is explored and contrasted with the views of Marvin Kohl, a leading proponent of euthanasia. It is shown that Buddhism prohibits euthanasia as an option for the terminally ill but instead advocates hospice care. The paper is offered to expand the current dialogue on bioethical issues beyond the Judeo-Christian perspective.     

智颤念佛思想研究——以《摩诃止观》为中心

“四种三昧”是智频开创的天台止观实践体系的重要内容之一,是具有一定中国特色的禅观理论。其中前两种三昧从修持上可说是一种“念佛三昧”。在智颧禅学思想代表作《摩诃止观》中,其“念佛三昧”都以法界、中道实相为系缘,体现了“实相念佛”的理论特色;其中智觊对自力与他力关系的看法也有独到见解。     

李贽佛学思想初探

本文探讨了李贽佛学思想特征,并力图揭示他的佛学思想的历史意义以及对中国佛教现代化的启示。     

镇海寺佛教简史

镇海寺自明初创建以来,经过铁林果禅师的中兴,成了五台山的禅宗丛林。康熙五十年(1711)敕建后,改为黄庙,旋即给予二世章嘉阿旺罗森曲殿管辖,遂成历世章嘉活佛道场。新中国成立后,成了喇嘛自主的黄教寺庙。     

Thinking and Feeling: A Buddhist Perspective

The work ‘Thinking and Feeling’ edited by Robert C. Solomon may be considered as a landmark in the history of the philosophy of the emotions. The work also has assembled together some of the best minds in the Anglo American Traditions. The central focus in this work is to mediate between the physiological arousal theories of emotions and the cognitive appraisal theories of emotions. My article is an attempt to mediate from my Asian background and in specific terms using the Buddhist perspectives on emotion studies, to find answers, a subject on which I have worked over several decades. The Buddha has discouraged people in attempting to find ultimate answers to the body- mind relationships, but use pragmatic and practical perspectives for a two way interactionism. Thus, in the Buddhist analysis the mental and the cognitive, as well as bodily and the physiological are recognised, thus giving room for a holistic understanding of emotions concepts. In fact, Buddhism expects the body, feelings, perceptions, interpretations, and evaluations as facets of emotion concepts. The second point is the domination of the metaphor of reasons as the charioteer in managing unruly emotions in the West. But Buddhism introduces the factor of ‘mindfulness’ as an important ally in the management of emotions. My personal work in therapy and counselling has helped me to explore new dimensions for managing emotions through mindfulness practice.     

A Vajrayana Buddhist perspective on ministry training

This article about ministry training in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is written from the perspective of a Vajrayana Buddhist Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) Supervisor. It presents basic concepts of the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition that apply to the training process of students in CPE and beyond. The author posits that like the Vajrayana spiritual path, ministry training is something that continues on in a person's ministry, and that ministers should attend to this process as long as they are helping others. The author presents the concept of mandala and the Five Buddha Families to illustrate a Vajrayana perspective on ministry training.     

缘起与践履--浅谈佛教有关道德实践心理机制的思想

本文以佛教的缘起思想为理论背景,从道德实践的心理动力源、道德实践的目的因、道德实践判断及道德实践的客观依据等四个方面,系统地探讨了佛教有关道德实践心理机制的思想.希望能以此来促进我们对传统道德伦理思想的思考,并有所借鉴.     

Buddhist Fictionalism

Questions regarding what exists are central to various forms of Buddhist philosophy, as they are to many traditions of philosophy. Interestingly, there is perhaps a clearer consensus in Buddhist thought regarding what does not exist than there may be regarding precisely what does exist, at least insofar as the doctrine of anātman (no self, absence of self) is taken to be a fundamental Buddhist doctrine. It may be noted that many forms of Mahāyāna Buddhist philosophy in particular are considered to offer a quite austere ontology—a rather ‘empty’ account of what exists. Continuing in this vein of ontological austerity, here I will attempt to lay out a relatively novel approach to Buddhist ontology, viz. Buddhist fictionalism.     

A Kantian argument against abortion

Philosophical Studies -     

Buddhist psychology: A review of theory and practice

This paper gives an account of some of the major aspects of Buddhist psychology. The survey is confined to the texts of Early, or Theravada, Buddhism — that is, the canonical texts and their early Pali commentaries and related expository texts. The importance of psychological concepts in the philosophy and practice of Buddhism is highlighted. The problems inherent in the study of Buddhist psychology are discussed, including the problem of translation and interpretation. The paper then describes and analyzes several key Early Buddhist psychological notions including: basic drives that motivate behavior, perception and cognition, consciousness, personal development and enlightenment, meditation, and behavior change. The relationship between theory and practice in Buddhist psychology is commented on, with special reference to meditative techniques and other behavior change strategies. Finally, comments are made on the possible interaction between Buddhist and modern psychology. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society, St. Andrews, April, 1989.