Academic literature on the topic 'Zen Buddhism – China – Philosophy'

<p class="1Body">Guangxiao Temple is located in Guangzhou (a coastal city in Southern China), and has a long history. The present study conducted an onsite investigation of Guangxiao’s precious Buddhist relics, and combined this with a textual analysis of <em>Annals of Guangxiao Temple</em>, to discuss its history and multi-roles in Asia-Pacific Buddhism. It is argued that Guangxiao’s 1,700-year history can be seen as a microcosm of Chinese Buddhist history. As the special geographical position, Guangxiao Temple often acted as a stopover point for Asian missionary monks in the past. It also played a central role in propagating various elements of Buddhism, including precepts school, Chan (Zen), esoteric (Shingon) Buddhism, and Pure Land. Particulary, Huineng, the sixth Chinese patriarch of Chan Buddhism, made his first public Chan lecture and was tonsured in Guangxiao Temple; Esoteric Buddhist master Amoghavajra’s first teaching of esoteric Buddhism is thought to have been in Guangxiao Temple. It was also a translation center in Southern China, where Buddhist scriptures were translated by Yijing and the Shurangama-sūtra was translated by Paramitiin ­– these texts served to promote the establishment of Mahāyāna Buddhism as the mainstream philosophy of Chinese (even Asia-Pacific) Buddhism. With the development of globalization, Guangxiao Temple is now exerting even more positive effects on the propagation of Buddhism via international communications and Buddhist tourism. Our onsite investigation also identificated the words in the mantra pillar (826 B.C). This significant finding suggests the popularity of esoteric Buddhism in Sourthern China, and will be helpful for Buddhist study in the future.</p>

This study concerns the Japanese mobile game Tabi Kaeru (2017), ‘旅かえる’, or Travel Frog as it is known in English. We explore Travel Frog’s astonishing success in China in early 2018 despite no marketing campaign or Chinese localization of this Japanese language game. First outlining the game and its development, we then trace its reception in Chinese and Western social media and its popularity among Chinese players. Combining comparative media and digital ethnographic methodologies, we explore the role of Internet influencers and investigate North Asian cultural commonalities such as Buddhist Zen philosophy, work ethic, and family values examining how they may have contributed to the popularity of the game. Recognizing the cultural appeal of this game outside its native language, we call for an interrogation of the process of games localization as a factor in the success of videogames. This article brings a rare examination of the transnational impact of games by exploring how they are transmitted through contemporary social media and interpreted through enduring cultural connections.

<p>Zen budizam je samo jedan od mnogih puteva prosvećenja koji, kao snažan pokušaj direktnog kretanja ka cilju, sve prepreke ostavlja po strani. Poput Sokratove filozofije, zen budizam odbacuje verbalizam i puka opisivanja; on nema strpljenja za akademske finese dok, lišen doktrinarnosti, insistira na dijalogu umesto na racionalnom izlaganju metafizičkih pitanja. U zen budizmu (kao ni u Sokratovoj filozofiji) uobičajene norme logike i ispravnog rasuđivanja ne igraju presudnu ulogu; povrh toga, tipični <em>ex cathedra </em>pristup napušten je u korist premošćivanja jaza između pojma i neposrednog iskustva. Reči i prikazi samo nagovešćuju ono „nepoznato“, koje je daleko iznad teorije, beseda i poučavanja. Stoga je zen često označen kao</p><p>„direktnost”, odnosno kao neposredna svesnost o večito menjajućem toku života, miljama udaljenom od pukih racionalizacija, koje kao takve nisu ništa drugo nego mrtvi simboli žive zbiljnosti. Sokratovo učenje i zen neguju ideju neposrednosti čina, čime izražavaju kako ideju „duhovnog siromaštva“, tako i besmislenost definicija koje velom prekrivaju „konačnu istinu“, a tražioca odvraćaju od najkraćeg puta ka <em>satoriju</em>. Ideja posedovanja je iluzorna (bilo da je reč o materijalnom ili duhovnom posedu), a sledstveno tome, život nikada ne može biti pojmljen, niti precizno definisan – drugim rečima, neuhvatljiva supstancija života bliska je pojmu ne-vezanosti. Duhovna sloboda se otkriva u čovekovoj urođenoj sposobnosti da sledi večito promenljivi tok života izbegavajući obe krajnosti – onu slepog prihvatanja sudbine, kao i jalove, grozničave užurbanosti našeg modernog sveta.</p>

Zen is one of Mahayana Buddhism which is propagated in China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and many counties in the West. In Thailand Zen was known widespread because of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s translated works. Furthermore, he has studied and applied its teachings for developing Thai society through establishing Suan Mokkhabalarama. There is the center of study and practice the Dhamma which reflects the concept of Zen, such as Spiritual Theater, Curved Stone Court, Natural Uposatha, Dhamma Ships, Avalokiteshavara Bodhisattva’s Statue, and Nalike Pond. These places are strongly influenced by Dhamma puzzle of Koan and Zen garden arrangement which emphasize the cultivation of wisdom, living simple and in harmony with nature. In the term of Dhamma teaching Buddhadasa Bhikkhu mixes the principle of Theravada and Zen teachings properly, that is the principle of working with empty mind.

The practice of Zen Buddhism in Japan, Chan Buddhism in China, and its counterparts in Korea and Vietnam bear little resemblance to the way this form of Buddhism is often characterized ideologically. The present study explores some of the premises of "moderate" Chan, which forms the basis for Chan/Zen as an institutional religion operating within the larger Buddhist world of East Asian societies. In particular, the study addresses the notion of zong in the Zongjing lu (Record of the Source Mirror), compiled by Yongming Yanshou (904-975), one of the leading representatives of "scholastic" (wenzi) Chan and a key figure in articulating the "moderate" Chan position. The study suggests how the definition of contemporary Zen orthodoxy has been dominated by representatives from the "rhetorical" Zen tradition, creating a disjuncture between our intellectual understanding of Zen and the principles guiding its actual practice.

The overall plan of the thesis is to present a theological understanding of holistic personhood in relation to the Zenist monistic and the Cartesian dualistic treatments of selfhood. The focus of the study is to analyze the Zenist religious view of the self as unthinking nothingness and the Cartesian philosophical interpretation of the self as thinking substance, Zenist meditation representing a classical stance of Chinese intuitivism and Cartesian meditation of Western rationalism. Common to both approaches to the realization of personal identity is their mentalist-individualist paradigm which does not adequately account for the unity of experience of embodied personhood. In contrast with the 'I un/think therefore I am' of Zen and Cartesianism is the 'I commune therefore I am' of the biblical tradition. Through this communitarian model derived from the Judaeo-Christian biblical tradition, the thesis points towards a possible resolution of the quandary brought about by Cartesian and Zen 'meditational' conceptions of personhood.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2003.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-131). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

No other form of Oriental philosophy has had such a widespread, positive effect on culture and international contemporary painting as Zen Aesthetic. Owing to the birth of Zen Buddhism in China, its extraordinary boom and influence is evident in all aspects of society and Chinese culture. Especially painting with brush-tipped ink, it led to the development of a particular spirit or aesthetic, known worldwide as Zen, which has not stopped propagating since Zen Buddhism in the 16th century crossed the sea to reach Japan. Once there, it fecundated the native culture and motivated the development of an aesthetic with distinct Zen peculiarities, to such an extent that it took root in everyday life and was projected in different spheres of cultural life and creativity. This trend of Zen Aesthetic has long been recognized as the essence of Oriental aesthetics due to the fusion of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, overcoming geographical limitations and cultural differences, becoming one of the most active and distinctive leading thought in the twentieth century. Once it was introduced to the United States by Soyen Shaku in Chicago in 1893, it soon became an admired and applied trend in the different cultural spheres of the country, and in particular it was followed closely by several painters, to such an extent that it was felt in contemporary painting both in the United States and in the same places of its origin. That is to say, China and Japan. Despite its impact, the Zen Aesthetic phenomenon and in particular its influence in culture and contemporary painting has not been thoroughly investigated. Also, there are many gaps, which is why we have explored its thematic research. The theme of typology required a panoramic approach or focus, for the simple reason that Zen Aesthetic can hardly be understood in contemporary painting without knowing its origins, cultural development and influence, as well as the geographic trajectory or international centers of propagation of Zen Aesthetic. In spite of its apparent amplitude, the author tried in the first place to compile as much documentation as possible or more understanding that explains the expansion of the Zen phenomenon at the intercontinental level, without forgetting their critical interrelations, to understand the extraordinary influence of this aesthetic movement and spirituality in Occidental contemporary painting. Also, within Oriental contemporary painting, such as any rebound effect or return to their places of origin. While the author has investigated as far as possible, the causes and their development from China to the United States, through Japan, the investigation has not forgotten the European continent. Indeed, in the thesis there are different European references, although their arrival in Europe came after the United States, through D. T. Suzuki around 1936, so it seemed convenient to leave this part of the research on the European continent for a new occasion due to its breadth, complexity, and stylistic derivations. The real Zen can hardly be understood without entering into the direct experience or life of the world that revolves around the principles of Zazen. In this regard, the two research centers that have contributed significantly to the development of this study are the Dongshan Monastery and the Shatou Cultural Center. Firstly, the author has been allowed to perform a three-month immersion period in Zen Buddhism meditation. And then, it has been fundamental to consult the documentary sources of Zen Buddhism and its different practices, such as Taiji, calligraphy, and painting as a method of meditation that is engaged in research, with the aim of seeking inner peace without any other secular purpose. The thesis is structured in twelve large sections with a series of chapters and sub-chapters within each. In the introduction, the research approach is presented, which is the specific typology of the panoramic thesis of critical compilation and the thematic justification, as well as the motivation of the thesis title. Although there are many publications on Zen Aesthetic, the author considers that the particular theme of seeking the motives of its cultural and pictorial influence in the contemporary world of the three countries China, Japan, and the United States is unprecedented. In addition to fundamentally exposing the different objectives and their diachronic, comparative, analytical, and critical methodology, the introduction ends with a large interrelated organization chart of the various parts of the configurator system of the influence of Zen aesthetics in contemporary painting from China, Japan and the United States.
Ninguna otra forma de filosofía oriental ha tenido un efecto positivo tan extendido en la cultura y en la pintura contemporanea internacional como la estética Zen. Gracias al nacimiento del budismo Zen en China y su extraordinaria auge e influencia en todos los aspectos de la sociedad y la cultura china, en especial la pintura con tinta a punta de pincel, hizo que se desarrollara en paralelo un espíritu o estética particular, conocida mundialmente por Zen, que no ha parado de propagarse desde que, en el siglo XVI, el budismo Zen cruzara el mar para llegar a Japón. Una vez allí, fecundó la cultura autóctona y motivó el desarrollo de una estética con particularidades propiamente Zen, hasta tal punto que arraigó en la vida cotidiana y se proyectó en distintos ambitos de la vida cultural y de la creatividad. Esta corriente de estética Zen ha sido reconocida desde hace mucho tiempo como la esencia de la estética oriental debido a la fusión del budismo, el taoísmo y el confucianismo, llegando a superar las limitaciones regionales y las diferencias culturales, convirtiéndose en una de las más activas y distintivas, líder en el siglo XX, una vez ya introducida en EE.UU. de América por Soyen Shaku en 1893 en la ciudad de Chicago. Pronto se convertiría en una tendencia admirada y aplicada en los distintos ambitos culturales del país, y en particular seguida de cerca por varios pintores, hasta tal punto que se hizo sentir en la pintura contemporánea tanto de EE.UU, como en los mismos lugares de su origen, es decir de China y Japón. A pesar de su impacto, el fenómeno estético Zen y en particular su influencia cultural y en la pintura contemporánea, no ha sido investigada en profundidad, y existen bastantes lagunas, razón por la cual nos hemos planteado su investigación temática. Una temática de esta tipología requería un planteamiento o enfoque panorámico, por la sencilla razón de que difícilmente se puede entender la estética Zen en la pintura contemporánea, sin conocer sus orígenes, su desarrollo e influencia cultural, así como la trayectoria geográfica o centros internacionales de propagación de la estética Zen. A pesar de su aparente amplitud, intentamos en primer lugar compilar la mayor documentación posible o más destacada que explica la expansión del fenómeno Zen a nivel intercontinental, sin olvidarnos de sus interrelaciones de modo crítico, para entender la extraordinaria influencia de dicho movimiento estético y espiritual en la pintura contemporánea occidental y asimismo oriental, como efecto rebote o retorno a sus lugares de origen. Si bien hemos investigado en la medida de lo posible las causas y su desarrollo desde China hasta EE.UU, pasando por Japón, no nos hemos olvidado del continente europeo. Efectivamente, en el transcurso de la tesis aparecen distintas referencias y referentes europeos, aunque su llegada a Europa se produjo después de EE.UU, a través deD.T. Suzuki en torno de 1936, por lo que nos ha parecido conveniente dejar esta parte de la investigación del continente europeo para una nueva ocasión, dadas su amplitud, complejidad y derivaciones estilfsticas. Difícilmente se puede entender el verdadero Zen sin en- trar en la vivencia o experiencia directa del mundo que gira entorno de los principios del Zazen. En este sentido, caben destacar los dos centros de investigación que han contribuido sobremanera al desarrollo de esta investigación: el Monasterio de Dongshan y el Centro Cultural de Shatou. El primero, nos ha permitido efectuar un período de inmersión de tres meses en la meditación del budismo Zen. En cuanto al segundo, ha sido fundamental para consultar las fuentes documentales del budismo Zen y sus diferentes practicas, como el Taiji, la caligrafía y la pintura como un metodo de meditación que se ocupa en la investigación, con el objetivo de buscar la paz interior sin ningún otro propósito secular.

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.

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

Many articles and books on Buddhism have been published in recent years, but publications dealing with Buddhist educational views are rarely available. In this paper, I wish to expound on Zen Buddhist perspectives on modern education. The history of Buddhist education is long and complex. In early centuries (400 BCE- 800 CE), Buddhist monasteries in India and China functioned as educational centers where vinaya, sutras and other subjects were taught. Many men and women were refugees from social injustice and the sangha provided them with education, security and dignity. Spirituality and pedantry were always combined in Buddhist education. But from a Zen perspective, modern education has become an occupational training program to promote financial interest. Capitalism, science and technology have formed a new world view; to wit, occupational training has become more essential to one's way of living than the spiritual quest. Today, most students are concerned with finding financial stability and material gain. Against this trend, Zen education encourages students to seek spiritual stability. Because of Buddha nature, this is a natural human inclination, while not everyone is talented to become a computer specialist or an investment banker. Zen education guides students to grasp the "twist and turn" of the samsaric world, teaching them to be compassionate, understanding, patient listeners and well-balanced individuals.

Chapter 5 engages with Iryŏp’s Buddhist philosophy, by exploring her interpretations of Buddhism in the book Reflections of a Zen Buddhist Nun (1960). The chapter discusses the major Buddhist doctrines of the identity and Buddhist worldview, and connects Iryŏp’s Buddhism with the traditional Buddhist philosophy. The chapter also demonstrates the uniqueness of Iryŏp’s Buddhist philosophy and her interpretation of Christianity. The chapter locates Iryŏp’s Buddhism in the context of East Asian form of philosophy of religion, comparing her with Tanabe Hajime and Inoue Enryō of Japan.