British theravada Buddhism: Otherworldly theories,and the theory of exchange

The article explores the development of the relationship between monks and lay people within the newly established context of British Theravada Buddhism. Unlike their Asian counterparts, the British laity appear not to be interested in the traditional practice of ‘making merit’. The article draws out the implications of this feature of British Buddhism for a more general understanding of reciprocity in Theravada monk/ lay relationships.     

论原始及部派佛教的"六识"说

本文探讨与分析了原始及部派佛教的"六识"说,尤其从心识与五蕴、与十二处、与十八界、与心所、与其他诸法、与四缘的联系上,指出"六识"说存在的局限,而正是由于这些局限,才必然导致更为严密、周详,尤其非心理主义的唯识学的"八识"说的出现.     

Some conceptions of the new age

To verify and supplement a series of quantitative studies of attitudes about the New Age in which 143 panelists were surveyed, I analyzed qualitatively 86 comments. In general, findings were consistent with those yielded by statistical analyses. An expert panel was more tolerant of terms, practices, and beliefs than a panel of critics. Many respondents characterized the New Age as complex, diverse, and eclectic. When I examined those comments that were concerned with the survey itself, I classified them as predominantly unfavorable, with most charging ambiguity of items and bias on the part of the investigators. When I inspected the comments for frequent topics, those with off-beat religious preferences were more favorable to the New Age than those with traditional preferences. Positive suggestions, expressions of tolerance, and other remarks were noted. I concluded that skeptics and anti-cult specialists may have to change their conceptions of the New Age.An active member of the American Family Foundation, he is on the Board of Directors, the Research Advisory Committee, and the New Age Study Group. He is also on the Editorial Advisory Boards of theCultic Studies Journal andthe Journal of Religion and Health.     

李纲与佛教

李纲早在青少年时期已经学佛,因有浓厚兴趣,常利用各种机会学习,在贬谪沙阳期间,对佛教已有相当深刻的认识。之后,他更广泛的接触佛教,传播、运用佛教思想,成为颇有影响的佛教人物。他信仰佛教,但倡导以儒为主,佛、道为辅的治世思想,因而在历史上具有突出的地位。     

Buddhism and poverty

I begin this essay with a brief introduction to cross-cultural comparisons and their importance for our understanding of lived Buddhism and its localization. Before examining the papers on rebirth, I first present rebirth in non-Buddhist contexts to locate our discussion within broader understandings of rebirth. I then discuss the the rebirth papers highlighting their similarities and differences.     

苏辙与佛教

北宋文人苏辙,一生与佛教有着密切的关系。如果说他早年对待佛教的态度,更多是一种文化层面的欣赏的话,那么中年由于新旧党争,二度贬谪,佛教便越来越成为他精神上的支柱。晚年苏辙退居颖上,著书立说,三教调和的思想更加明显。所著《老子解》,宣扬“复性”论,融通儒、释、道。所有这些,在他的诗文中也都有所反映。他的佛教信仰,综合了文化、宗教、哲学、实践多个层面,而这一切,又和他一生的遭际、交游、个性是分不开的。     

佛教与妇女

长期以来,妇女在佛教中的地位未被深入探究,妇女在佛教中的贡献也多被人忽视。其实,无论是佛教宗师的言论,还是佛教史上妇女的所作所为,以及她们对于佛教传播的贡献,都是可以大书特书的,在佛教得到长足发展和广泛弘扬的今天,妇女应有一份独特的作用。     

Buddhism and Counselling

The relevance of the principles and practices of Buddhism to the field of counselling is discussed. Buddhist techniques have already been used by the helping professions in many settings (e.g. Japan, Sri Lanka). The extension of their use to a wider range of settings, and to a wider group of clients, is both feasible and desirable. In addition to the obvious relevance of Buddhist techniques to clients who have a Buddhist background, it is argued that they have a wider applicability. As Buddhism espouses the notion of a productive and healthy lay life, it offers ways not only of dealing with problems and difficulties, but also of improving psychological well-being in general. Examples are cited of relevant Buddhist techniques and their application. It is argued that, once systematically evaluated, many of these could profitably be incorporated into the repertoire of techniques used in present-day counselling and therapy.     

"人间佛教"的问题及都市佛教研究

20世纪初,太虚大师等人倡导的"人间佛教"运动警醒了明清至民国陷于腐败、堕落的中国佛教,开始了近一个世纪的"人间佛教"运动.进入新世纪,回头分析"人间佛教"的发展,可以从中吸取很多经验,同时也可发现当中存在的问题.笔者提出"都市佛教"理念,以期通过它为"人间佛教"的发展瓶颈找到解决之策.     

A new age of faith

Pastoral Psychology -     

Scientific analysis of Buddhism and a comparative study of Buddhism and science

As Buddhism spread into China, the Mahayana (Dacheng) and Hinayana (Xiaocheng) schools, as well as the kong 空 (empty) or you 有 (being) schools, each developed separately, with all sorts of competing theories emerging. While Chinese Buddhism saw a revival in modern times, Western science also gained ground all over the country, and many scholars, technologists and monks sought to interpret the meaning of kong according the achievements and method of the natural sciences. They used science to interpret the content and methods of Buddhist teachings, ontology, and outlook on life. Of the scholars who did so, Wang Jitong (王季同) and You Zhibiao (尢智表) are the most excellent. __________ Translated from Pumen Xuebao 普门学报 (Universal Gate) Vol. 27, 2005 (5) by Kong Xiangzhen, Ma Tianxiang, and Andrew Herron     

Ethical questions in the age of the new eugenics

As a result of the publicly funded Human Genome Project (HGP), and an increasing number of private enterprises, a new form of eugenic theory and practice has emerged, differing from previous manifestations. Genetic testing has become a consumer service that may now be purchased at greatly reduced cost. While the old eugenics was pseudoscientific, the new eugenics is firmly based on DNA research. While the old eugenics focused on societal measures against the individual, the new eugenics emphasizes the family as a control agent. Eugenics is now voluntary, with the promise of abortion for those afraid of producing genetically damaged children. The ethical concepts of beneficence, avoidance of maleficence, autonomy, and equity are discussed in terms of aspects of the HGP. One major issue is the need for an ethical system available to health consumers that will empower them and assist in their biogenic decisions. “The concentration on the genes implicated in cancer is only a special case of a general genomania (emphasis added) that surfaces in ... the weekly announcements in The New York Times of the location of yet another gene for another disease. The revealing rhetoric of this publicity is always the same; only the blanks need to be filled in: ‘It was announced today by scientists at [Harvard, Vanderbilt, Stanford] Medical School that a gene responsible for [some, many, a common form of] [schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, arteriosclerosis, prostate cancer] has been located and its DNA sequence determined. This exciting research, say scientists, is the first step in what may eventually turn out to be a possible cure for this disease.’” Lewontin ¹ Portions of this paper were presented at the Eighth National Conference on Applied Ethics, Long Beach, CA, February 27, 28 and March 1, 1997.     

魏源与佛学

本文主要考察魏源由学佛到信佛的思想演变过程 ,认为魏源早期对佛教侧重于哲理的吸取 ,晚期则表现为宗教的信仰。造成其思想成分消长的原因不仅在于个人经历的坎坷 ,更有深刻复杂的时代、社会和学术思想史的根源 ,因而才会对晚清思想界产生深远的影响。对于魏源晚年的信佛 ,不能简单视为思想上的倒退 ,也不能一相情愿地看作其经世思想的延续 ,而应做具体的分析     

汉传佛教与藏传佛教女性伦理观之比较

汉传佛教与藏传佛教女性伦理观既有一致性又有不同处。作为印度大乘佛教在中国的主要发扬传系,这两者都秉承了大乘佛教的男女终极平等思想,提出女性成佛论;同时,为了迎合世俗社会,它们都持女性卑污论。然而,由于对女性的歧视程度不一,在女性成佛途径上,汉传佛教要求女性转身成佛,藏传佛教允许女性即身成佛;在两性关系上,汉传佛教主张阳尊阴卑,藏传佛教倡导阴阳双合。     

Buddhism and behaviour modification

There has been in recent years a growing interest in the similarities between Buddhism and the principles and practice of behaviour modification. Mikulas, for example, has pointed out many similarities and argued for greater integration. The present paper examines the literature of Early Buddhism with a view to assessing how far its approach is similar to that of behaviour modification and to examine some specific behaviour-change techniques used in Early Buddhism in relation to similar techniques developed and used by modern behaviour therapists. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to theory and clinical practice.     

Idealism and Yogacara Buddhism

Over the last several years, there has been a growing controversy about whether Yogacara Buddhism can be said to be idealist in some sense, as used to be commonly thought by earlier scholars. In this paper, I first clarify the different senses of idealism that might be pertinent to the debate. I then focus on some of the works of Vasubandhu, limiting myself to his Vimsatika, Trimsika, and Trisvabhavanirdesa. I argue that classical Yogacara Buddhism, at least as found in these works of Vasubandhu, is closer to epistemic rather than metaphysical idealism or absolute idealism, as I understand these. However, there are undoubtedly some important differences between Vasubandhu's Yogacara and Western epistemic idealism that cast doubt on the idea that Yogacara is simply to be lumped together with Western epistemic idealism.     

Buddhism and Quantum Physics

Rudyard Kipling, the famous English author of The Jungle Book, born in India, wrote one day these words: ‘Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet’. In my paper I show that Kipling was not completely right. I try to show the common ground between Buddhist philosophy and quantum physics. There is a surprising parallelism between the philosophical concept of reality articulated by Nāgārjuna and the physical concept of reality implied by quantum physics. For neither is there a fundamental core to reality; rather, reality consists of systems of interacting objects. Such concepts of reality cannot be reconciled with the substantial, subjective, holistic or instrumentalistic concepts of reality that underlie modern modes of thought.     

日本佛教与军国主义

佛教以劝善为目的,如来佛祖慈眉善目,观世音菩萨大慈大悲,取经的唐僧心肠特别的软,他甚至对妖怪也心慈手软,这是绝大多数中国人心目中的佛教形象。谁能想到,日本佛教却能把这非常慈悲的教义转化为鼓吹杀戮,为侵略战争服务。何劲松教授在中国社会科学院世界宗教研究所研究日本佛教,他的《近代东亚佛教——以日本军国主义侵略战争为线索》一书,向我们揭示了日本佛教从甲午战争以来,为侵略战争服务,特别是为侵华战争服务的历史事实。这不仅大大开拓了我们的眼界,也提出了令所有人都值得深省的问题:宗教与善,究竟是什么关系?我们不能因为这件事…