Dissertations / Theses: 'Buddhist philosophy'

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Saitanaporn, Phramonchai. "BUDDHIST DELIVERANCE: A RE-EVALUATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAMATHA AND VIPASSANĀ." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5400.

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This work provides an analysis of the two inter-related processes of Buddhist meditation, samatha and vipassanā. Despite their frequent appearance in the Buddhist canonical and commentarial texts, most scholars have not settled the exact role of samatha and vipassanā in the path of enlightenment. They continue to remain divided over the question as to how samatha and vipassanā are related. This research contributes to the eventual resolution of this question for the Buddhist presentation of the way to liberation. The determination will focus on the clarification of samatha, vipassanā, and their collaboration. The clarification of samatha begins with its etymological study as well as the detailed examination of the principle equivalent term, ‘samādhi.’ Its perspective of important set of concentrative attainments, namely, the jhānas will be investigated covering three major areas: the general characteristics of the term ‘jhāna,’ the specific characteristics of each jhāna state and the potentiality of subject of concentration for the jhāna attainments. This investigation of jhānas focuses on their relationship with vipassanā contemplation and Buddhist ultimate goal in reference to the mental quality rather than meditative exercise. The critical analysis of vipassanā is based on two inquiries: the development of vipassanā, and its advantage. The first inquiry is to explore the etymological characteristic of the term ‘vipassanā.’ And then the commencement of vipassanā will be discussed in relation to the complementary process which is samatha. The second inquiry is to examine how the process of vipassanā operates in order to overcome the mental defilements. The evaluation of the relation between samatha and vipassanā will be performed to understand the path of enlightenment. This section aims to clarify the issue of whether or not samatha needs to be strengthened during the process of vipassanā and how they work together in order to nullify all cankers.

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Saitanaporn, Phramonchai. "Buddhist deliverance a re-evaluation of the relationship between Samatha and Vipassanā /." Connect to full text, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5400.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2009.
Title from title screen (viewed September 18, 2009) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Dept. of Studies in Religion, Faculty of Arts. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print form.

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Sciberras, Colette. "Buddhist philosophy and the ideals of environmentalism." Thesis, Durham University, 2010. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/535/.

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I examine the consistency between contemporary environmentalist ideals and Buddhist philosophy, focusing, first, on the problem of value in nature. I argue that the teachings found in the Pāli canon cannot easily be reconciled with a belief in the intrinsic value of life, whether human or otherwise. This is because all existence is regarded as inherently unsatisfactory, and all beings are seen as impermanent and insubstantial, while the ultimate spiritual goal is often viewed, in early Buddhism, as involving a deep renunciation of the world. Therefore, the discussion focuses mostly on the Mahāyāna vehicle, which, I suggest has better resources for environmentalism because enlightenment and the ordinary world are not conceived as antithetical. Still, many contemporary green ideas do not sit well with classical Mahāyāna doctrines. Mahāyāna philosophers coincide in equating ultimate reality with ‘emptiness,’ and propose knowledge of this reality as a final soteriological purpose. Emptiness is generally said to be ineffable, and to involve the negation of all views. An important question is how to reconcile environmentalism with the relinquishing of views. I consider several prevalent themes in environmentalism, including the philosophy of ‘Oneness,’ and other systems that are often compared with Buddhism, like process thought. Many of these turn out to have more in common with an extreme view that Buddhism seeks to avoid, namely, eternalism. I attempt to outline an environmental position that, like the doctrine of emptiness, traverses a Middle Path between eternalism and nihilism. I conclude by proposing that emptiness could be regarded as the source of value in nature, if it is seen in its more positive aspect, as ‘pliancy.’ This would imply that what Buddhist environmentalists should seek to protect is not any being in its current form, nor any static natural system, but the possibility of adaptation and further evolution.

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Konik, Adrian. "Buddhism and transgression : the appropriation of Buddhism in the contemporary West /." Leiden : Brill, 2009. http://opac.nebis.ch/cgi-bin/showAbstract.pl?u20=9789004178755.

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Fernandes, Karen M. "Transforming emotions : the practice of lojong in Tibetan Buddhism." Thesis, McGill University, 2000. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=31105.

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This study concerns the investigation of the mind training method called Lojong, as portrayed by the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The emphasis is placed on the practical application of the philosophical tenets underlying this set of routines. Some of the issues to be addressed are: the use of imagery in the process of emotional healing, the ethical concerns that arise in regards to interpreting key concepts pertaining to the Mahayana Buddhist world view, the importance of individuality and the problem of selflessness in practices that deal with alleviating negative emotions, and the suitability of the specific practices for the contemporary western female practitioner. In consideration of the pragmatic nature of this study, conclusions have been drawn towards the possible changes that might be made, when a form of training devised for a distinct group of practitioners, is extended to a more diversified population.

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Farrington, Roger William. "The identity problem in Buddhist ethics : an examination of Buddhist and Parfitian conceptions of the subject." Thesis, Birkbeck (University of London), 2007. http://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/994/.

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The Buddhist tradition offers a reductionist view of the subject – the ‘weak’ view - which appears to undercut concern for the consequences of action. The doctrine of morally conditioned rebirth – that is, the perpetuation of a persistent individual through death - entails a ‘strong’ view. Each view has a bearing on morality, and each is problematic: the two seem incompatible. The notion of rebirth and the associated doctrine of karman are deeply connected with this. It is in this complex that I find what I call ‘the identity problem’. I give a general account of Buddhist ethics, placing it within the tradition of ‘virtue ethics’. I show the impact of the identity problem to be large but not total. I deal also with some related topics in Buddhist doctrine: anātman, the heterodox ‘Person school’ and the ‘two-truths’ notion. I consider the bearing of Parfit’s arguments for his version of reductionism on the problem’s solution. Their support for the ‘weak’ view is real but limited. When Parfit deals with the consequences of reductionism for morality, his conclusion is uncertain. When I consider these arguments on their merits, I find them largely unpersuasive. Parfit’s account of reasons for action, with some qualifications, is acceptable, and welcome in its vindication of disinterestedness. I consider how it stands with Buddhist ethics in this light and offer restatements of the doctrines of karman and rebirth. In the case of karman, I develop the idea of a guiding metaphor and suggest how it may be applied; in that of rebirth I draw on a broader Buddhist tradition of meditation practice and benvolence. This restatement leaves the ‘strong’ view more sustainable, and its compatibility with the ‘weak’ view less problematic for morality. I then present the Buddhist ethical scheme as largely intact, if with slightly diminished coercive force.

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Baugh, T. A. "The Buddhist dialectic : a philosophical investigation." Thesis, University of Kent, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.315193.

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Tanabe, Juichiro. "Buddhist philosophy and the epistemological foundations of conflict resolution." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/4910.

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The aim of this research is to expand the framework of contemporary conflict resolution by constructing a complementary relationship between Western epistemologies and a Buddhist epistemology. Despite its evolution and development through self-reflexivity and self-critique, contemporary conflict resolution established upon Western epistemologies has confined the understanding of human mind to social/cultural orientations and left a comprehensive and qualitative analysis of the potential of individual human mind underdeveloped. Buddhist epistemology, the central theme of which is to address human suffering that is mainly psychological and subjective, makes a critical analysis of human subjectivity in terms of how it can be become a root cause of suffering including conflict and how it can be addressed by gaining an insight into the social/cultural construction of human subjectivity. The argument of the thesis is that when a socially/culturally-oriented view of human mind and a deeper and more profound view of human mind are combined together, we can engage in a qualitatively richer and deeper analysis of the psychological and subjective dynamics of conflict resolution.

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Watson, Gay. "A Buddhist inspiration for a contemporary psychotherapy." Thesis, SOAS, University of London, 1996. http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/29539/.

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It is almost exactly one hundred years since the popular and not merely academic dissemination of Buddhism in the West began. During this time a dialogue has grown up between Buddhism and the Western discipline of psychotherapy. It is the contention of this work that Buddhist philosophy and praxis have much to offer a contemporary psychotherapy. Firstly, in general, for its long history of the experiential exploration of mind and for the practices of cultivation based thereon, and secondly, more specifically, for the relevance and resonance of specific Buddhist doctrines to contemporary problematics. Thus, this work attempts, on the basis of a three-way conversation between Buddhism, psychotherapy and various themes from contemporary discourse, to suggest a psychotherapy that may be helpful and relevant to the current horizons of thought and contemporary psychopathologies which are substantially different from those prevalent at the time of psychotherapy's early years. It is set out according to the traditional Tibetan Buddhist plan of Ground, Path and Fruition. "Ground" presents first a brief consideration of Western psychotherapies, followed by an introduction to Buddhist views with particular reference to those doctrines considered of most relevance to psychotherapy. This is followed by consideration of ideas of the subject or self in Buddhism and in contemporary discourse. "Path" reviews the two major branches of the Buddhist way, ethics and meditation, in the context of psychotherapy. "Fruition" compares and contrasts the goals of Buddhism and psychotherapy, suggesting that they may be similar in quality, the quality being that of liberation, but different in the quantity or extent of the liberation desired. Subsequently this section explores the implications of the Buddhist view in the light of contemporary discourse, and in the context of experience. Again according to a traditional pattern this is presented in terms of the dimensions of Body, Speech and Mind. Finally in the light of the foregoing some suggestions are made as to the possible general features of a contemporary Buddhist inspired psychotherapy. An appendix describes the individual details of two existing Buddhist based trainings for psychotherapists.

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Pham, Van Minh, University of Western Sydney, of Arts Education and Social Sciences College, and School of Social Ecology and Lifelong Learning. "Socio-political philosophy of Vietnamese Buddhism : a case study of the Buddhist movement of 1963 and 1966." THESIS_CAESS_SELL_Pham_V.xml, 2001. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/382.

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This thesis examines the political activism of Vietnamese Engaged Buddhism in the 1960s, particularly the Struggle Movement for social justice and democracy of 1963 and the Peace Movement of 1966. It explores the Buddhist leaders' motives and their political means to deal with Saigon military government and senior advisors to the White House. The thesis sets out to prove that socially and politically Engaged Buddhism is inherent in the Buddhist tradition and not alien to Buddha's teachings. It also proves that Vietnamese Buddhism has always been engaged since the dawn of Vietnamese history. The Buddhism Peace Movement is assessed in accordance with Buddhist principles such as non-violence and non-attachment to temporal power. Except a few minor incidents, it was found that the Buddhist leaders strictly adhered to the non-violent principle and Vietnamese Engaged Buddhism could have provided a political alternative, the Politics of Enlightenment, which could avert the unnecessary destruction of the Vietnam War
Master of Science (Hons) Social Ecology

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Van, Minh Pham. "Socio-political philosophy of Vietnamese Buddhism : a case study of the Buddhist movement of 1963 and 1966 /." View thesis View thesis, 2001. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030409.091316/index.html.

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Thesis (M. Sc. (Hons.))--University of Western Sydney, 2001.
"Research thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Honours) Social Ecology, School of Social Ecology and Lifelong Learning, University of Western Sydney, August 2001." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 398-400).

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Okano, Masazumi. "Kodo Yyodan : a modern Japanese lay Buddhist movement." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.386550.

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Black, Thierry. "Away from the Abyss: Borgesian Translation Reconsidered through Buddhist Philosophy." Thèse, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/26244.

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The English-language translations of Jorge Luis Borges’s Spanish-language works undertaken by the author and Norman Di Giovanni went above and beyond what is generally perceived as acceptable in traditional Western practices. Their work, together with Borges’s thoughts on translation itself, garnered criticism from within Western Translation Studies for its rejection of the status of the original text and the blurring of the distinction between author and translator. Yet the pair’s actions and Borges’s views on translation cease to appear scandalous under the light of Buddhist philosophy, particularly through the use of the Buddhist principles that all phenomena are impermanent and interdependent. This thesis will seek to use these ideas to legitimize the actions of Borges and Di Giovanni. To do so, it will trace the history of opposing and convergent theories from Western philosophy and describe our Buddhist concepts in detail. In order to better understand Borges, it will examine the array of philosophies that influenced the writer and how they both align themselves and differ from Buddhist ideas. This thesis will end by directly applying impermanence and interdependence to the translation practices of Borges and Di Giovanni and considering what potential effect legitimacy for such practices would have on translation overall.

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MacDonald, Anne Elizabeth. "Blo gsal grub mtha'." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28107.

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This thesis presents the translation and study of the twelfth section of Bio gsal grub mtha', an early fourteenth century Tibetan text composed by the bKa' gdams pa scholar, dBus pa bio gsal. Bio gsal grub mtha' as a whole represents a distinct sort of scholarly literature known as Grub mtha' that finds its roots in Indian siddhānta literature. Tibetan Grub mtha' texts set forth, as the name in translation reveals, the "established tenets" of various Indian, Tibetan, and occasionally Chinese philosophical schools. The section of Bio gsal grub mtha' translated here presents the tenets of the Mādhyamika school of Tibetan Buddhism in general, and their fourteenth century bKa' gdams pa manifestation in particular. The central tenet of Mādhyarnika philosophy is that all phenomena are empty of self-nature. Even that which is discovered to be the ultimate emptiness (stong pa nyid, śunyatā) - is also said to be devoid of any real self-nature. All phenomena are dependent-arisings, lacking reality, existing like dreams and magical illusions. These assertions are discussed in detail in the translation and in the second part of the introduction. Of special interest to scholars of both Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, however, is dBus pa bio gsal's classification of the Mādhyamika subschools. The early Tibetan Buddhist scholars took upon themselves the task of categorizing and inventing names for the various Mādhyamika "schools", and dBus pa bio gsal's classification represents the development of such thought to the fourteenth century. The introduction elucidates both dBus pa bio gsal's divisions of the Mādhyamika sub-schools and elaborates on earlier and later classifications set forth by Tibetan scholars. The investigation provides insight into both the tenets of the Mādhyamika school and the attempts of the Tibetans to arrange the previously unclassified Mādhyamika subschools in a manner that would render them more logical and accessible to themselves and to future generations of scholars.
Arts, Faculty of
Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies, Department of
Accompanied by original Tibetan text
Graduate

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Luong, Hien Thu. "Vietnamese Existential Philosophy: A Critical Appraisal." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2009. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/44747.

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Philosophy
Ph.D.
In this study I present a new understanding of Vietnamese existentialism during the period 1954-1975, the period between the Geneva Accords and the fall of Saigon in 1975. The prevailing view within Vietnam sees Vietnamese existentialism during this period as a morally bankrupt philosophy that is a mere imitation of European versions of existentialism. I argue to the contrary that while Vietnamese existential philosophy and European existentialism share some themes, Vietnamese existentialism during this period is rooted in the particularities of Vietnamese traditional culture and social structures and in the lived experience of Vietnamese people over Vietnam's 1000-year history of occupation and oppression by foreign forces. I also argue that Vietnamese existentialism is a profoundly moral philosophy, committed to justice in the social and political spheres. Heavily influenced by Vietnamese Buddhism, Vietnamese existential philosophy, I argue, places emphasis on the concept of a non-substantial, relational, and social self and a harmonious and constitutive relation between the self and other. The Vietnamese philosophers argue that oppressions of the mind must be liberated and that social structures that result in violence must be changed. Consistent with these ends Vietnamese existentialism proposes a multi-perspective ontology, a dialectical view of human thought, and a method of meditation that releases the mind to be able to understand both the nature of reality as it is and the means to live a moral, politically engaged life. This study incorporates Vietnamese existential philosophy from 1954-1975 into the flow of the Vietnamese philosophical tradition while also acknowledging its relevance to contemporary Vietnam. In particular, this interpretation of Vietnamese existentialism helps us to understand the philosophical basis of movements in Vietnam to bring about social revolution, to destroy forms of social violence, to reduce poverty, and to foster equality, freedom, and democracy for every member of society. By offering a comparison between Vietnamese existential thinkers and Western existentialists, the study bridges Vietnamese and the western traditions while respecting their diversity. In these ways I hope to show that Vietnamese existentialism makes an original contribution to philosophical thought and must be placed on the map of world philosophies.
Temple University--Theses

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Lok, Wai-ying, and 駱慧瑛. "The significance of Dunhuang iconography from the perspective of Buddhist philosophy: a study mainly based onCave 45." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2012. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B48199321.

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This study explores the significance of Dunhuang 敦煌 iconography from the perspective of Buddhist philosophy. The time span of the Dunhuang iconography of the Grottoes runs from the 4th to the 14th centuries. This wide coverage makes it extremely valuable for revealing the developments in art, history, culture, and religious activities in China, and neighbouring regions along the Silk Road. Most scholars have approached the Dunhuang Grottoes from the perspectives of art, history, or archaeology. However, studying the Dunhuang Grottoes from the perspective of Buddhist philosophy has remained under-researched, and therefore, less exhaustively dealt with. It is in Dunhuang Mogao 莫高 Cave 45 that one can see the most well preserved Buddha statue group, and the only Guanyin S?tra 觀音經, i. e. the Chapter of the Universal Gateway of Avalokite?vara Bodhisattva 普門品 from the Saddharmapu??ar?ka S?tra 妙法蓮華經, painted on one entire wall. This dual association has rendered Cave 45 the most ideal source for this research. In this research, Buddhist iconography will be studied in the light of Buddhist philosophy. The study also takes into account triangulation of data collected through various sources, namely: (1) Field trips in Dunhuang and related areas for primary data collection; (2) Image analyses of data collected from primary and secondary sources; (3) Verification of data in the light of both ancient and modern Buddhist literature. The research will be focused on identifying Buddhist philosophy from the mural paintings of the Guanyin S?tra and on the conceptualized understanding of the material as presented in the paintings. The causes of suffering will be identified after examining the thirty-three manifestations / appearances of Avalokite?vara as depicted here. The scenes of various desires as identified and conceptualized in the mural painting of the Cave 45 will also be studied. The Buddha statue in the centre of the statue group portrays cessation of suffering. The statues of bodhisattvas and disciples along both sides, with different facial expressions and body gestures, portray the different levels of cessation of suffering, all leading to ultimate awakening and full emancipation. In this connection, the missing pair of statues in the statue group will also be explored and identified. It is true that Dunhuang iconography, as exemplified through Cave 45, can be approached from many perspectives. However, the primary objective of this study is to show that the Dunhuang iconography is designed as an artistic portrayal of the fundamental teachings of Buddhism.
published_or_final_version
Buddhist Studies
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy

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Kwan, Siu-tong, and 關少棠. "From Abhidharma to Pramāṇa school: a criticalhermeneutics of their epistemology and philosophy of language." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2010. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B46076372.

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Phuntsho, Karma. "The position of Mipham in the Indo-Tibetan debate on emptiness." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.288971.

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Messent, Andree Dominique. "The Yogācāra-Svātantrika-Madhyamaka School of Buddhism and its influence on Rnying Ma doctrine, with special reference to Śāntarakṣita's Madhyamakālaṃkāra." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1983/ff1eac96-2cfe-430c-aec6-531ded2f4711.

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Alamo, Santos Macarena. "The Path to a New Awakening: B.R. Ambedkar's Transformation of Buddhist Philosophy." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/42002.

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The objective of this thesis is to analyze the philosophical implications of Ambedkar’s approach to Buddhism. This approach created a new social philosophy based on Buddhist ideas and a political commitment to social justice, particularly for the Dalits of India. What was the purpose of this social philosophy? To transform Buddhist philosophy? Or rather, to oppose Brahmanism and empower the lower castes? After a twenty-year-long study of Indian society and history, and Indian philosophical and religious traditions, Ambedkar came to the conclusion that Buddhism could have the power to transform the situation of the Untouchables. Why did he think that Buddhism would have this radical transformative impact not only for Dalits, but for Indian society as a whole? In 1956, in what became a historical event, he led a movement of conversion of more than five hundred thousand Untouchables from Hinduism to Buddhism. Ambekdar saw Buddhism as a way and as a tool to empower the lower castes of India. But what type of Buddhism did he envision? In 1956, in that historical event, Ambedkar founded what he called Navayana Buddhism. He used the word Navayana to refer to the birth of a new school. Nava means “new,” Yana means “vehicle”. Was he indeed creating a new yana, or new vehicle? What type of Buddhist school was this? What innovations did he introduce? Is the result still Buddhism, given Ambedkar's vision? This thesis aims to address all these questions.

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Williams, Janet Patricia. "Denying divinity : apophasis in the patristic Christian and Soto Zen Buddhist traditions." Thesis, University of Winchester, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.245372.

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Dickson, Alnis. "Organizing religion: situating the three-vow texts of the Tibetan Buddhist renaissance." Thesis, McGill University, 2010. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=86502.

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This thesis situates the three-vow texts written by the founders of the new (sarma) schools within the broader processes of school-formation during the "Tibetan Renaissance" (950 to 1250 CE). The texts of focus are authored by Atiśa, Gampopa, Drakpa Gyeltsen, and Drigung Jikten Gönpo. In order to expand our understanding of these under-studied texts I examine them from three perspectives, with each perspective defined by a different set of goals that guided the authors. First, I explain how these texts describe and arrange the three sets of vows (the prātimokṣa, bodhisattva, and tantric vows) in order to clarify the commitments of a vow holder. Second, I show how the positions taken in these texts are connected to the process of monastic institutionalization. Third, I show how some of the texts engaged in public polemics in order to assert the supremacy of the author and his school.
Ce mémoire situe les textes sur les trois voeux composés par les fondateurs des nouvelles (sarma) écoles comme faisant partie du processus plus large de la formation des écoles durant la "renaissance tibétaine" (950 à 1250). Les textes examinés ont été composés par Atiśa, Gampopa, Drakpa Gyeltsen et Drigung Jikten Gönpo. Afin d'étendre notre compréhension de ces textes négligés, je les examine selon trios perspectives, dont chacune est définie par les objectifs différents que visaient les auteurs. Premièrement, j'explique comment ces texts décrivent et organisent les trois types de voeux (du prātimokṣa, bodhisattva, et tantrique) afin de clarifier les engagements du détenteur des voeux. Deuxièmement, je démontre comment les positions défendues dans ces textes sont reliées au processus d'ordination monastique. Troisièmement, je démontre de quelle façon certains des textes prenaient part à des polémiques publiques afin de promouvoir la supériorité de l'auteur et de son école.

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Saitanaporn, Phramonchai. "BUDDHIST DELIVERANCE: A RE-EVALUATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAMATHA AND VIPASSANĀ." University of Sydney, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5400.

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Doctor of Philosophy(PhD)
This work provides an analysis of the two inter-related processes of Buddhist meditation, samatha and vipassanā. Despite their frequent appearance in the Buddhist canonical and commentarial texts, most scholars have not settled the exact role of samatha and vipassanā in the path of enlightenment. They continue to remain divided over the question as to how samatha and vipassanā are related. This research contributes to the eventual resolution of this question for the Buddhist presentation of the way to liberation. The determination will focus on the clarification of samatha, vipassanā, and their collaboration. The clarification of samatha begins with its etymological study as well as the detailed examination of the principle equivalent term, ‘samādhi.’ Its perspective of important set of concentrative attainments, namely, the jhānas will be investigated covering three major areas: the general characteristics of the term ‘jhāna,’ the specific characteristics of each jhāna state and the potentiality of subject of concentration for the jhāna attainments. This investigation of jhānas focuses on their relationship with vipassanā contemplation and Buddhist ultimate goal in reference to the mental quality rather than meditative exercise. The critical analysis of vipassanā is based on two inquiries: the development of vipassanā, and its advantage. The first inquiry is to explore the etymological characteristic of the term ‘vipassanā.’ And then the commencement of vipassanā will be discussed in relation to the complementary process which is samatha. The second inquiry is to examine how the process of vipassanā operates in order to overcome the mental defilements. The evaluation of the relation between samatha and vipassanā will be performed to understand the path of enlightenment. This section aims to clarify the issue of whether or not samatha needs to be strengthened during the process of vipassanā and how they work together in order to nullify all cankers.

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24

Schultz, Aaron. "Buddhist Ethics is Itself and Not Another Thing." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1429632826.

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25

King, Richard E. "The Gaudapadiyakarika : a philosophical analysis of the Mahayana Buddhist context of early Advaita Vedanta." Thesis, Lancaster University, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.282383.

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Dias, Kapukankanange Dora Malini. "The growth of Buddhist monastic institutions in Sri Lanka as depicted in Brahmi inscriptions." Thesis, SOAS, University of London, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.309382.

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Olendzki, A. R. "Interdependent origination and cessation : The Paticca-Samuppada as an early Buddhist model of liberation." Thesis, Lancaster University, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.384331.

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Riegel, Chara Joy. "Buddhist philosophy and practices as applied to unlearning racism : a project based upon an independent investigation /." View online, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10090/5923.

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Pacheco, Katie. "The Buddhist Coleridge: Creating Space for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner within Buddhist Romantic Studies." FIU Digital Commons, 2013. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/937.

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The popularization of academic spaces that combine Buddhist philosophy with the literature of the Romantic period – a discipline I refer to as Buddhist Romantic Studies – have exposed the lack of scholarly attention Samuel Taylor Coleridge and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner have received within such studies. Validating Coleridge’s right to exist within Buddhist Romantic spheres, my thesis argues that Coleridge was cognizant of Buddhism through historical and textual encounters. To create a space for The Rime within Buddhist Romantic Studies, my thesis provides an interpretation of the poem that centers on the concept of prajna, or wisdom, as a vital tool for cultivating the mind. Focusing on prajna, I argue that the Mariner’s didactic story traces his cognitive voyage from ignorance to enlightenment. By examining The Rime within the framework of Buddhism, readers will also be able to grasp the importance of cultivating the mind and transcending ignorance.

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Chang, Elizabeth. "Reduce, Repeat." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/12019.

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Presence is the quality of art that strikes a viewer; its energy is palpable. In every moment it is completely alive and in every moment after is alive once more. In 1967, critic, Michael Fried explained the importance of art’s ability to affect viewer continuously in this way and names the temporal affect of presentness as the most significant motivation of Minimalism; the essence of reduction is in this temporality. With much of the visual language of the Contemporary resting on the foundations of Minimalism, the temporal philosophy that is rooted in its vocabulary and aesthetics becomes an afterthought in the formalist discourse that Contemporary art is often framed by. To understand the reductive aesthetic comprehensively, the theory of temporal presence should be revisited. This paper is divided in two parts, the first will establish the philosophical foundations of Empty time and the second will apply concepts of Emptiness and Nothingness to reductive aesthetics. Crucial to presence are the temporal, spatial and experiential modes that are active in it. The meeting point of time and space, the current now, is where these encounters manifest but in the present moment, the movement of past-becoming-present-becoming-future occurs without our even feeling it. The ‘passing of time’ never actualises in our sensory experience, so we should cease to approach time in this way. Buddhist and Nietzschean philosophies raise concerns with this linear approach to time. To better understand the form of the present and the temporal language of reduction, I will examine the durationless model of time that shapes the sensation of experience. Buddhist, Śūnyatā and Nietzsche’s eternal return, will be examined to reconcile the disconnect between experiencing and the movement of time. The second component of the paper will examine the minimalist models of reduction, monochrome and repetition, against Fried’s essay. A clear lineage of presence becomes evident in the Contemporary’s thematic trends of ‘immaterial’ and ‘formless’, considering these examples demonstrate the legacy of reduction. To track the historical development of the minimal tradition, I will begin with Lucio Fontana (reduction) and move through to Yves Klein (monochrome) and finish with Lee Ufan (repetition). I intuitively apply the three aforementioned aesthetics to my creative practice and. Repetition plays a significant role; the demand for patience, will and perdurance is absorbing and, for me, the greatest teacher of time. The repeated gesture is an immersive exercise; it requires becoming absolutely attuned to time and Being. The mark is simultaneously the lingering anticipation of the next moment and mourning the passing of the last; it is a punctuation of Being. Time’s value is often treated as a commodity, so our desire to attain and hold it is overwhelming. It is in my practice that I can unlearn the ideas of time passing, running out, fading or eroding. The commitment to repeat infinitely eases the tension of chasing time.

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31

Mandal, Indramohan. "Socio-religious philosophy of B R Ambedkar and the genesis of the neo-Buddhist movement in India." Thesis, University of North Bengal, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1240.

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Cantwell, Catherine Mary. "An ethnographic account of the religious practice in a Tibetan Buddhist refugee monastery in northern India." Thesis, University of Kent, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.236261.

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Cover, Jennifer Joy. "Bodhasar̄a by Narahari an eighteenth century Sunskrit treasure /." Connect to full text, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/4085.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2008.
Title from title screen (viewed March 11, 2009) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Dept. of Indian Sub-Continental Studies. Includes bibliographical references.

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Andrews, Joshua. "The meaning of suffering : an analysis of potential relationships between Buddhist thought and Kierkegaardian philosophy." Thesis, Bangor University, 2018. https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-meaning-of-suffering(a9486355-2b39-4f0e-b016-1e8bc36c710e).html.

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Throughout the last three decades there has been considerable academic interest in the comparisons between Existential philosophy and Buddhism. For instance, numerous publications propose significant parallels between a range of Buddhist philosophies and the ideas of Nietzsche and Sartre, with comparisons often made between Buddhist philosophies such as anattā (not self) or the śūnyatā (emptiness) and Sartre’s notion of “nothingness”, or Nietzsche’s notion of “nihilism”. Whilst Nietzsche and Sartre have remained at the forefront of research into the relationship between existentialism and Buddhism, there appears to be a growing interest in possible associations between Buddhism and the ideas of existential philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard. In complete contrast to the majority of research into the relationship between Buddhist thought and existentialism, analysis of the relationship between Buddhism and Kierkegaard is explored only fleetingly, usually as a subsidiary topic within studies of Kierkegaard’s philosophy. This is to say, often Buddhism is employed by scholars of Kierkegaard to help explore themes of his philosophy in greater depth or to show his relevance to religious discourses outside Christian traditions. Whilst much of the dialogue between Buddhism and Kierkegaard in current scholarship seems to be cut-short—appearing briefly in short articles or mere paragraphs within works that are focussed on other matters entirely—the frequent pairing of these philosophical traditions collectively reveals substantial similarities between them. For instance, there appears to be rich overlap between the Buddhist notion of dukkha and Kierkegaard’s notion of suffering, one that reveals suffering to be a fundamental aspect of human life, with the capacity to transform a person’s perception of the material world. In each case, suffering appears to have the power to motivate a person, and to encourage them to overcome selfish and materialistic desires, and in the process, discover true joy or satisfaction. Whilst current research on the relationship of Kierkegaard’s philosophy and Buddhist ideas have exposed a promising area for further study, it is also insufficient in its attempts to analyse the topic, and all too often arrives at erroneous conclusions. The complexity of Buddhist ideas often goes unnoticed, leading to reductive, mistaken definitions. Furthermore, owing to the fact that research in this area is often presented within discourses that, in the main, seek to emphasise and elaborate the ideas of Kierkegaard, there has been little consistency in the specific Buddhist traditions and concepts that are examined, and in some cases, an unhelpful tendency to conflate Buddhist traditions as if they were all one and the same with no appreciation for their differences. The intention of this thesis is to re-evaluate the existing dialogue between Buddhist thought and the philosophy of Kierkegaard. To do so, I identify and analyse key points of similarity and difference between the two. These include the relationships between Kierkegaard’s angest and the Buddhist concept of dukkha and Kierkegaard’s approach to human suffering and the Buddhist conception of samudaya. My thesis provides an invaluable counterbalance to existing scholarship in the field by placing greater emphasis on key Buddhist teachings in relation to Kierkegaard’s ideas. This ensures that the important parallels between these two great philosophies and approaches to life can be analysed more accurately and in greater depth. Likewise, it enables a clearer appreciation of the various points of contention that prevail between the two. This thesis will challenge significant preconceptions that continue to be voiced by scholars of Kierkegaard, who fail to appreciate the finer nuances of Buddhist doctrine, whilst at the same time, open up fresh, new dialogues between the works of Kierkegaard and Buddhist philosophy.

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Baumann, Brian Gregory. "Divine knowledge Buddhist mathematics according to Antoine Mostaert's "Manual of Mongolian Astrology and Divination" /." [Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2005. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3200372.

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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Central Eurasian Studies, 2005.
Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-12, Section: A, page: 4507. Chair: Gyorgy Kara. Title from dissertation home page (viewed Oct. 11, 2006).

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King, John Barry Jr. "The one, the many, and the philosophy of science| A comparison of Trinitarian and Buddhist epistemologies." Thesis, Graduate Theological Union, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3664450.

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This dissertation compares Trinitarian and Buddhist epistemologies relative to the benchmark of scientific knowledge. To this end, it first develops a methodological framework for this comparison and then derives a comparative benchmark from the post-positivist philosophy of science. The methodological framework is developed by combining Francis Clooney's comparative theology with Robert John Russell's method for the Creative Mutual Interaction (CMI) of theology and science. The comparative benchmark is given by the Peircian triadic circuit since this circuit emerges as a methodological invariant within the post-positivist philosophy of science.

Trinitarian and Buddhist epistemologies are therefore compared in terms of their respective abilities to ground the Peircian circuit. However, since the Peircian circuit involves a harmonious integration of three distinct operations within a single noetic process, the ability to ground this circuit presupposes a solution to the one-and-many problem. Thus, Trinitarian and Buddhist epistemologies are ultimately compared in terms of their respective approaches to the one-and-many problem.

To this end, Theravada, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhist epistemologies are compared with Trinitarian epistemology. These Buddhist Schools have been chosen due to their active participation in the Buddhism-and-science dialogue. Prior to making this each tradition receives a detailed philosophical exposition in which its epistemology is derived from its metaphysical commitment to oneness, manyness, or some combination of the two. Finally, these systems are compared in terms of their respective abilities to solve the one-and-many problem and hence to ground the Peircian circuit.

This comparison shows that Trinitarian theology can ground the Peircian circuit because it has a both/and approach to the one-and-many problem and also supports an exhaustive cosmic personalism. By contrast, Theravadin Abhidhamma fails outright because its radical pluralism dissolves the human mind and hence all three Peircian operations. Between these two extremes, Tibetan Madhyamaka and Zen provide a dialectic of oneness and manyness in which the Peircian circuit is neither grounded nor destroyed. For these last two systems, therefore, the Peircian circuit emerges as a de facto structure of conventional knowledge.

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37

Yen, Chun-Min. "Shadows and echoes of the mind: Hanshan Deqing's (1546-1623) syncretic view and Buddhist interpretation of the "Daodejing"." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/290151.

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The subject of this study is Hanshan Deqing's (1546-1623) Commentary on the Daodejing (laozi daodejing hanshan zhu ), a work which contains his syncretic view of the Three Teachings (i.e., Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism) as well as his Buddhist interpretation of the Daodejing. The central argument of this study is that Hanshan's Commentary on the Daodejing reflects his syncretic character and his unique Buddhist understanding. I argue that each syncretist's interpretation or misinterpretation contributes to the variety and complexity of syncretic activity. Taking Hanshan as a case study, this study explores how an individual participates in the discourses of syncretism through interpretation. I propose that Hanshan tried to integrate the Three Teachings under the frame of the Buddhist concept of Mind and he adopted many Buddhist concepts in his interpretation of the Three Teachings. In addition, I propose that Hanshan's discourse of syncretism of the Three Teachings was one of his responses to the challenge of adaptation of Chinese Buddhism, which also reveals Hanshan's Buddhist position and syncretic view. In order to support my argument, this study shows that Hanshan adopted an inclusive attitude to all the teachings and interpreted all the teachings based on his Buddhist understanding. To serve as the background for understanding Hanshan's interpretation, Chapter 2 demonstrates that both Hanshan's life and thought reflected his syncretic character and his status as a Buddhist monk; Chapter 3 discusses the intellectual context of late Ming Buddhism and the responses of the Four Great Masters. In order to show how Hanshan's syncretic view and his Buddhist understanding impacted on his interpretation, the last two chapters demonstrate that Hanshan's syncretic view of the Three Teachings and his interpretation of the Daodejing all reflect his syncretic view and Buddhist understanding. This study demonstrates that Hanshan tried to find a satisfying interpretation as well as harmonizing with the established tradition while promoting the excellence of Buddhism. He also employed a new approach and hermeneutic method to respond to the challenge of Buddhism of the late Ming. In order to find a satisfying interpretation, Hanshan treated all the teachings as the manifestation of the Mind in terms of "shadows and echoes of the Mind." Based on this inventive term, Hanshan adopted an inclusive attitude to the Three Teachings.

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38

Yap, Key-chong. "Western wisdom in the mind's eye of a westernized Chinese Lay Buddhist : the thought of Chang Tung-sun (1886-1962)." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1991. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.315943.

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39

Roloff, Carola. "Red mdaʼba - Buddhist yogi scholar of the fourteenth century the forgotten reviver of Madhyamaka philosophy in Tibet." Wiesbaden Reichert, 2009. http://d-nb.info/997293926/04.

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40

Rogers, Carl Stanley. "The conceptual background to a Tibetan Buddhist meditational text of the Sa. Skya tradition : Ngor.chen dKon.mchog Lhun.grub's 'sNang.gsum mDzes.par Byed pa'i rGyan'." Thesis, Lancaster University, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.385641.

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41

Banyard, Maureen Lilian. "The concept of glory and the nature of man : a study of Jewish, Christian, Buddhist and Zoroastrian thought." Thesis, University of Leicester, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/34082.

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This study of the concept of glory across four different religions begins with Christianity. There the term 'glory' translates Greek doxa, a word which, deriving from a root meaning 'to seem', denotes 'outward appearance', and has in secular Greek the basic meaning 'opinion'. The New Testament, however, not only omits this connotation but gives doxa an entirely new one (radiance, divine Presence). Given that symbols are rooted in the experiential well-springs of a people, why did the Christian experience not bring a totally new symbol to birth. The answer is two-fold: (a) Christians took the word from the Septuagint version of the Hebrew Bible wherein it was used to translate Kavodh (glory) and (b) the meaning of doxa resonated with the Christian Encounter. It had first resonated with the Hebrew experience. It is this thesis that doxa was used by Christians and Greek-speaking Jews precisely because of its root meanings ('to seem' 'outward appearance' 'manifestation') and that these meanings, resonating also with the experience of Zoroastrians and Buddhists, are reflected in their ideas of glory, albeit within their different conceptual frameworks. 'Glory' in all four religions is related to man's experience of polarities: Immanence/Transcendence, Manifestation/Hiddenness, Presence/Absence, and it speaks of a Reality beyond appearance. Man longs for the Real; he seeks Self-transcendence. In the measure that he becomes 'selfless' he comes closer to that which he seeks and sees things as they really are. He grows from glory to glory until he becomes what he is. In Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism man is of the essence of glory.

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42

Hughes, Viresh. "Prayer in a Time of Sin: A Comparative Analysis of Christian, Buddhist, and Kashmiri Shaiva Doctrines." Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School, 2011. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/135.

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43

Inaba, Keishin. "A comparative study of altruism in new religious movements with special reference to the Jesus Army and the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2000. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/a-comparative-study-of-altruism-in-new-religious-movements-with-special-reference-to-the-jesus-army-and-the-friends-of-the-western-buddhist-order(247c18d7-9bfc-47e7-a444-6065eedeaebc).html.

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44

Urquhart, Robert William Forsyth. "The celebration of difference? : a history of the popularisation of parallels between Mahȃyȃna Buddhist philosophy and quantum physics, 1969-1989." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 1993. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/26652.

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A contentious issue raised by the work of the physics—Eastem mysticism writers (the ‘popularisers’) is whether or not understanding is possible in the dialogue between science and Buddhism. This study is an investigation, from a critical hermeneutica] perspective, of the possibilities for understanding within an interdisciplinary dialogue. It examines the interpretation of Mahayana Buddhist philosophical and quantum physics texts by the popularisers during a twenty year period, 1969 to 1989. It locates the encounter of the popularisers with these texts in a longer-term historical context, by tracing the intellectual connections between Buddhism and Western natural science from the beginning of the nineteenth century onwards. A case study of the parallelist interpretative framework provided by the most influential of the popularisers, the physicist Fritjof Capra, is presented. It is argued that the interpretive lens provided by Capra suffers from methodological flaws which have precluded genuine interdisciplinary understanding in the period examined. It identifies an objectivist account of metaphor as a major constraint to understanding. A theoretical framework is developed in the light of modern theories of hermeneutics and metaphor, particularly Hans—Georg Gadamer’s concept of the ‘fusion of horizons’. It is argued that given a more balanced approach, understanding is possible between quantum physics and Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. It is proposed that the extensive use of metaphor in both two traditions can be used as an alternative foundation for future dialogue.

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45

Treat, Nicholas. "Xiwu yu Wudao: Wushu yu Daojia ji Shijia SixiangThe Learning of Marital Arts and Daoist and Buddhist Thought." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555390221952377.

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46

Lucas, J. "Mindful life or mindful lives? : exploring why the Buddhist belief in rebirth should be taken seriously by mindfulness practitioners." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/35229.

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This thesis will explore whether those interested in Buddhist practices such as mindfulness but who approach such practices from a broadly secular perspective can be offered reasons to take rebirth seriously as an afterlife possibility. It will begin by exploring some of the history of mindfulness and its adoption from Buddhism to show how foundational cosmological elements such as rebirth have been side-lined as part of a wider movement to bring Buddhism in line with modernist, particularly scientific, discourses. The thesis will investigate the philosophical principles behind the Buddhist multi-life perspective in order to see whether arguments could be rallied in defence of it. This will involve focussing specifically on the argument in defence of rebirth offered by Dharmakīrti and show how its premises draw from philosophical principles adopted by the earliest Buddhist philosophical systems. Dharmakīrti’s argument will be examined within the context of contemporary philosophy of consciousness where philosophers such as Evan Thompson and Galen Strawson have challenged the view that consciousness could arise from entirely unconscious factors. This challenge aligns with a key premise of Dharmakīrti’s argument for rebirth as well as Buddhist Abhidharma principles. Arguments against the emergence of consciousness from unconscious factors strengthen the case for claiming that consciousness cannot simply appear at the beginning of life and disappear at death. Whilst supporting Strawson’s arguments, the thesis will ultimately reject his claim that an individual consciousness could be constructed from, and ultimately collapse into, multiple consciousnesses. From here it will be argued that conscious experiences arise as part of an unbroken stream that can neither arise from nor collapse into rudimentary factors that are devoid of the distinctive characteristics of consciousness. The argument will conclude by suggesting that the stream of consciousness involves an inseparable capacity for retention and recall. This capacity provides the possibility for the sort of psychological continuity between lives that, within traditional Buddhist cosmology, allows an ordinary being to cultivate the extraordinary personal qualities of a Buddha.

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47

Cheung, Kin. "Meditation and Neural Connections: Changing Sense(s) of Self in East Asian Buddhist and Neuroscientific Descriptions." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2017. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/425864.

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Religion
Ph.D.
Since its inception in the 1960s, the scientific research of Buddhist-based meditation practices have grown exponentially with hundreds of new studies every year in the past decade. Some researchers are using Buddhist teachings, such as not-self, as an explanation for the causal mechanism of meditation’s effectiveness, for conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression. However, there has been little response from Buddhist studies scholars to these proposed mechanisms in the growing discourse surrounding the engagement of ‘Buddhism’ and ‘Science.’ I argue that the mechanistic causal explanations of meditation offered by researchers provide an incomplete understanding of meditative practices. I focus on two articles, by David Vago and his co-authors, that have been cited over nine hundred and three hundred times. I make explicit internal criticisms of their work from their peers in neuroscience, and offer external criticisms of their understanding of the cognitive aspects of meditation by using an extended, enactive, embodied, embedded, and affective (4EA) model of cognition. I also use Chinese Huayan Buddhist mereology and causation to provide a corrective for a more holistic understanding. The constructive aspect of my project combines 4EA cognition with Huayan mereology and causation in order to propose new directions of research on how meditative practices may lead to a changing sense of self that does not privilege neurobiological mechanisms. Instead, I argue a fruitful understanding of change in ethical behavior is a changing sense of self using support from a consummate meditator in the Japanese Zen Buddhist context: Dōgen and his text Shoakumakusa. Contemporary research looking for mechanistic causation focuses on the physical body, specifically the brain, without considering how the mind is involved in meditative practices. The group of researchers I focus on reduce the senses of self to localized parts of the brain. In contrast, according to Mahayana Buddhist terminology, Huayan offers a nondualistic understanding of the self that does not privilege the brain. Rather, Huayan characterizes the self as a mind-body complex and meditation is understood to involve the whole of the person. My critique notes how the methodology used in these studies focuses too much on the localized, explicit, and foreground, but not enough on the whole, implicit, and background processes in meditative practices. Bringing in Huayan also offers a constructive aspect to this engagement of Buddhist studies and neuroscience as there are implications of its mereology for a more complete understanding of not just meditation, but also of neuroplasticity. To be clear, the corrective is only meant for the direction of research that focuses on neural-mechanistic explanations of meditation. Surely, there is value in scientific research on meditative practices. However, that emphasis on neural mechanisms gives a misleading impression of being able to fully explain meditative practices. I argue that a more fruitful direction of engagement between Buddhist traditions and scientific research is the small but growing amount of experiments conducted on how meditative practices lead to ethical change. This direction provides a more complete characterization of how meditative practices changes the senses of self.
Temple University--Theses

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48

Wilson, Harold H. (Harold Hector). "Charles Morris' Maitreyan path as via positiva : toward a semiotic of religious symbolism." Thesis, McGill University, 1994. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=68145.

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Charles William Morris (1901-1979) was a student of George Herbert Mead in the early 1920s when Mead was involved in the Chicago School. Inspired by his mentor, Morris wrote extensively on semiotics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, aesthetics, axiology and religion. Morris has received wide acclaim for his writings on semiotics. However, his writings pertaining to religion--the study of which preoccupied him throughout his life--have been all but entirely overlooked.
Morris first presented the "Maitreyan path" in his Paths of Life: Preface to a World Religion (1942). The expression "Maitreyan path" is derived from the Sanskrit name Maitreya (Metteyya in Pali) meaning "the friendly one." Morris' understanding of this symbol is unorthodox and must be differentiated from traditional Buddhist conceptions. According to him, the Maitreyan path is best understood in terms of the paradoxical expression "generalized detached-attachment." At the centre of this expression is the idea of overcoming. Yet it is not a symbol in the traditional sense of the term. It is beyond all form yet open to all forms; it neither prescribes nor ascribes any path, yet it is open to all particular paths.
If the Maitreyan path is without any specifiable form or content, how can it be an effective symbol for self-overcoming? In answering this question this study will apply Morris' well-known theory of signs to his little-known study of religious behaviour. This being done, it is then possible to analyze the Maitreyan symbol in terms not only of overt behaviours, but also of sign functioning. Based on the preceding analysis, this study argues that self-overcoming is achieved not via negativa by diminishing the self through the negation and abandonment of language, but rather via positiva by increasing the self through the affirmation and reclamation of language.

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Shearer, Megan Marie. "Tibetan Buddhism and the environment: A case study of environmental sensitivity among Tibetan environmental professionals in Dharamsala, India." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2904.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate environmental sensitivity among environmental professionals in a culture that is assumed to hold an ecocentric perspective. Nine Tibetan Buddhist environmental professionals were surveyed in this study. Based on an Environmental Sensitivity Profile Insytrument, an environmental sensitivity profile for a Tibetan Buddhist environmental professional was created from the participants demographic and interview data. The most frequently defined vaqriables were environmental destruction/development, education and role models.

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50

Hu, Hsiao-Lan. "PARTICIPATORY PEACEMAKING: SOCIO-ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF INTERDEPENDENT CO-ARISING AND THEIR RELEVANCE IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2008. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/6956.

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Religion
Ph.D.
This dissertation studies the social and ethical implications of the core Buddhist teaching of Interdependent Co-Arising, which is the logic of Buddhist reasoning and the guiding principle of Buddhist ethics. By appealing to the Nikaya-s, the foundational texts recognized by all Buddhist schools on the one hand, and referencing contemporary socio-economic studies and poststructuralist feminist theories on the other, I revive and theorize about a dynamic sense of Buddhist social ethics, examine its relevance in the contemporary world, and make it acceptable and accessible to the largest number of Buddhists and non-Buddhist scholars and activists. This approach of appropriating non-Buddhist sources in order to make the Buddhist Dhamma relevant in alleviating dukkha is grounded in the Buddha's own teachings and examples. Poststructuralist feminist theories not only offer a much needed critique to the pervasive androcentrism in Buddhist circles, but are also useful in capturing the dynamic complexities that are conveyed by the teaching of Interdependent Co-Arising. In poststructuralist feminist language, any individual subject is a socio-psycho-physical compound shaped and delimited by socio-cultural sedimentations as well as by his/her mental formations, hence the Buddhist teaching of Non-Self. At the same time, it is due to people's repeated actions that socio-cultural sedimentations are formed and dukkha is created and perpetuated in the world. Therefore, in the Buddha's teachings, kamma inevitably has a social dimension and demands attention to the dukkha-producing social norms. Ethics is thus not a set of rigid, inalterable rules, but an ongoing process of striving to be ethical in the midst of ever-changing relations among ever-changing beings. And Sangha, one of the Three Jewels in which all Buddhists take refuge, is not a closed community bound by blood relation or geographical proximity, but an unending effort of building communities and working interconnections with multiple different others. The cessation of dukkha, in this view, is not a static existence where nothing happens, but a dynamic endeavor of working on one's behavioral, emotive, and conceptual transformation in order to alleviate dukkha and continuingly make peace in this world. It requires the participation of everyone entangled in the interconnected web of life.
Temple University--Theses

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Buddhist philosophy'

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