Este editorial conmemora el inicio de la segunda década de la revista y ofrece un balance institucional de su trayectoria. Se revisan las principales decisiones estructurales adoptadas desde 2019, como la implementación de la publicación continua, la diversificación de formatos de lectura y la profesionalización del proceso de evaluación. Se destaca especialmente el desarrollo sostenido de una política de metadatos orientada a la interoperabilidad plena, tanto a través de OAI-PMH como en los registros de Crossref, entendiendo que la calidad editorial también se expresa en la calidad descriptiva de los contenidos. Asimismo, se explicita con transparencia el modelo de sostenibilidad basado en acceso abierto diamante, detallando sus costos reales, sus límites materiales y su fundamento en el sostenimiento personal del proyecto. Finalmente, se plantea la segunda década como una etapa de consolidación, refinamiento técnico y reafirmación del compromiso con la calidad, la seriedad editorial y la circulación efectiva del conocimiento científico.
This study primarily aims to articulate and analyze the Engaged Buddhism movement’s Indra’s Net Life Community in Korea and the ecological thoughts of its founder, Tobŏp. This study examines Reverend Tobŏp’s ideas, which form the foundation and drive the operations of the community. These ideas are informed by the Hua-yen worldview, expressed in the doctrine of “interdependent co-arising,” as put forth in his writings. This movement offers a new ecological vision beyond today’s neoliberal economic model. This study also suggests that ecologically Engaged Korean Buddhism can provide empowering religious teachings with important suggestions for how religio-ethical values might address contemporary ecological problems. Indra’s Net Life Community has the potential to address the shortcomings in most environmental ethics proposals, which often overlook the importance of “practical participatory projects” to promote ecological justice. Finally, this study argues that the focal point of Buddhist enlightenment is “in this place and in this body, in this world and not some other.” Venerable Tobŏp also emphasizes the present situation through the experience of “the here and now.” However, Indra’s Net and Engaged Buddhism are still works in progress.
This article explores the religious dimensions of Confucianism during the Ly-Tran dynasties (1009-1400 AD) in Vietnam, a period marked by significant sociopolitical and cultural transitions. Initially introduced as a moral and ethical philosophy from China, Confucianism underwent a complex process of localization, blending with indigenous Vietnamese beliefs and practices as well as Buddhism and Taoism. Through historical records, literary works, and ritual practices documented in “The Complete Annals of Đại Việt” and other classical texts, this study delves into how Confucianism not only served as a guiding principle for governance, education, and social norms but also manifested religious aspects that influenced spiritual and religious life in Vietnam. The religious aspects of Confucianism during this era are evident in several key areas. Firstly, the concept of Heaven (Tian) and the Mandate of Heaven played a crucial role in legitimizing royal authority, with rulers and Confucian scholars frequently invoking divine will to justify political actions and social order. This sacralization of monarchy underpinned by Confucian ideals facilitated the integration of Confucianism into Vietnamese spiritual life. Secondly, the incorporation of Confucian rituals and practices, such as the Heaven Worship Ceremony (Tế Giao) and the veneration of Confucius and other sages at the Temple of Literature, highlights the religious dimensions of Confucian practice, emphasizing reverence, filial piety, and the moral obligations of rulers and subjects alike. Moreover, the article discusses how Confucianism interacted with and was influenced by Buddhism and Taoism, leading to a syncretic religious landscape in Vietnam. This interaction is illustrated through the blending of Confucian principles with Buddhist and Taoist ideals, affecting notions of kingship, governance, and the cosmological order. In conclusion, the religious aspect of Confucianism during the Ly-Tran dynasties significantly contributed to the shaping of Vietnamese identity, governance, and cultural heritage. By examining the religious dimensions of Confucianism, this article provides a more nuanced understanding of its role in Vietnamese society, highlighting the complex interplay between philosophy, religion, and politics in historical Vietnam.
This paper explores the influence and significance of the activities of the monks’ militia during the Japanese invasion of Chosŏn, from the perspective of the religious efficacy of Buddhism and the spread of the Buddhist concept of wonder. After examining the concept that the monks’ militia played an important part in the war, fighting against enemies in major battles and constructing and defending fortresses, this paper proposes that the religious efficacy of Buddhism was revealed through the performance of burial and guiding ceremonies. Restoring the religious wonder of Buddhism, which had been criticized by the Confucian literati, Buddhist rituals for consoling the bereaved and praying for the welfare of the dead came to thrive. A dilemma existed between the principle of keeping the Buddhist precepts and the reality of fulfilling the demands of loyalty since the activities of the monks’ militia greatly damaged the Buddhist community. While killing was a direct infringement of the values of the sangha, the monks violated this precept in the cause of protecting the state and practicing loyalty. In this situation, where there was such a dilemma between the Buddhist and secular worlds, these monks’ prioritization of loyalty not only indicated the desperate national situation of the time but also reflected the social, cultural, and political context of the Confucian society of Chosŏn. This paper also explores how renowned generals of the monks’ militia, including Samyŏng Yujŏng, emerged as heroes among the people, and memories of their deeds were transmitted through wonder stories. Yujŏng was highly praised as a symbol of Buddhist loyalty, and his heroic story was expanded and reproduced among the population through folk tales and novels. While the intellectuals of Chosŏn who followed Confucian values did not believe those wonder stories, the trauma that the war left behind demanded the appearance of wondrous heroes who helped people overcome that trauma, and this demand enabled Yujŏng to emerge as one of these heroic figures. The activities of the monks’ militia, the religious efficacy of Buddhism, and the creation of the heroic narratives of the monks’ militia generals prove that Buddhism had a firm foundation in late Chosŏn society.
Bronze cast bells have been designed and developed for hundreds of years, with the worldwide spread of several faiths and religions such as Buddhism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The exceptional ringtones of bronze bell metals have scientific healing and cultural importance. In this review article, we highlight the evolution of bronze bell metal over the decades, its composition, and the complex fabrication technologies used to date. Furthermore, we overview ancient and modern casting alloy technology, especially bronze bell castings in Asia. The bell shape, materials, and alloy casting technology have undergone dramatic change over the years. For comparison, we include different bronze cast bells and their characteristics produced from the Middle Ages to the present times. Based on the data obtained from the bell casting technology surrounding the Korean Peninsula, the major trends in the evolution of bronze bell castings and long-standing traditions of mold materials and alloys are described. In the present review, the effects of different elements on bell materials are qualitatively overviewed, with an assessment of the material and casting properties, service life, and bell sound. We also highlight the challenges of conventional bronze casting and possible solutions for future investment castings and rapid prototyping of bronze bells.
The aim of this article is to present the main findings of an investigation of daily life experiences during covid-19 confinement, in which we paid particular attention to day-to-day concerns and the strategies that subjects brought into play to cope with them. The methodology was based on the qualitative analysis of eleven auto-ethnographic diaries made by university students and six subsequent interviews with the same subjects, always focused on their cultural and informational practices during isolation. We identified three main problems in this period. First, the radical change in daily routines as a result of the increased use of domestic space. Second, the need for reliable media information about prevention practices and social norms in a context traversed by over-information and fake news. Thirdly, the limitation of the set of social relations due to the regulations of the pandemic, which made loneliness a feeling in constant latency. From the analysis of the records, we argue that the use of different objects (computers, cell phones, books, musical instruments, etc.) was central to deal with everyday problems, either because of their ability to mobilize cultural practices, manage emotions, establish symbolic boundaries between activities, create new temporalities, or become a resource for sociability. We believe that recovering these experiences allows us to open up questions to think about daily life in the post-pandemic period.
The long Japanese tradition of Korean ceramics appreciation, closely associated with the Zen tea ceremony (chanoyu), has played an important role in the development of Korean aesthetics in the twentieth century. The art critic and philosopher Yanagi Soetsu was instrumental in this process during the occupation period, since, continuing in this tradition, he particularly valued Joseon ceramics for their aesthetic qualities - such as naturalness, nonchalance, and simplicity - akin to praised values in Zen Buddhism. Yanagi’s pioneering writings might have been influential in the prevalence of those traits when defining Korean art and aesthetics in general. After a brief presentation of key expressions defining Korean art and aesthetics, the paper focuses on Yanagi’s aesthetic assessment of Joseon ceramics and particularly on his proposal of its appreciation beyond the modern Western division between art and craft.
Introduction: The conflict has a constant presence in any context in which there are different units; These can be people, groups, departments, etc., which means that we all have an intuitive notion of what a conflict is, while at the same time making it difficult to establish a single definition for all types of conflict. Objective: To describe the aspects that generate labor conflicts and interpersonal relationships in nurses in a public hospital in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. Methods: An observational, descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from April to May 2021. The sample consisted of 78 nursing professionals. Two instruments proposed by Flores Sánchez and Terán Quijada were used, the interpersonal relations instrument and the conflict instrument, which has been previously validated. Results: 37.2% of the respondents are between 45 - 55 years old, the predominant sex in the professional practice of nursing continues to be female with 80.8%; 44.9% have been in the job for 8 years or less, 62.8.9% have a degree in nursing. In relation to the identification of conflicts, problems with the boss and dissatisfaction with remuneration were the ones with the lowest scores. It is observed that according to the opinion of the study subjects, labor conflicts, impunity when witnessing labor conflicts also had a negative perception. Conclusions: One of the most important findings found in this study in relation to the spheres of interpersonal relationships is that both the communication and the attitude of the respondents were found to be neutral, while only the treatment showed positive average values. The main labor conflicts identified were those related to nursing records, interpersonal conflicts, those related to leadership and dissatisfaction regarding remuneration.
Palm leaf manuscripts (PLMs), with their strong bond to Buddhism, are one invaluable symbol of the Lanna culture of Northern Thailand. This study investigates the views about PLM management among local people in the Pa Tum Don community, Chiang Mai province, Thailand, and explores the potential for them to sustain the preservation of PLMs. A thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with community members found that they engage in activities related to PLMs because of their continued faith in the goodness in them. Although it is mostly older people that have been very active participants in preserving PLMs, they lack systematic preservation knowledge. Aside from digitization, establishing rituals using and reproducing PLMs, transferring linguistic knowledge and reinserting Lanna language into fundamental education are suggested as possible means to enable sustainable preservation.
Bibliography. Library science. Information resources
“Journey to the West” is a great Chinese work of fiction written presumably by Wu Chengen in the XVI century describing a pilgrimage from China to India of a devoted Buddhist monk and his supernatural disciples. The novel derives its material from folk tales and myths, but structures it into a narration both deep and brilliant.
The time when the work was written, imperial China of the late Ming Dynasty, saw co-existence and even syncretism of Neo-Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The three teachings penetrated and influenced each other, sometimes even blending into a kind of syncretical philosophy. Different concepts and categories of different religions were artificially “harmonized” to prove the popular idiom that “Three Religions are One”.
Like many other writings of the period “Journey to the West” employs ideas and concepts of three major religious schools of the period. The author of the novel deliberately uses mutually interpretative terms which allow different experts, scholars and religious practitioners interpret the novel as an allegory of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity, ecologism etc. All of these interpretations are based on the spirit and letter of the great novel, emphasizing its various sides. So the novel is in all probability an example of Chinese religious syncretism with hidden hints and allusions, an enormous medieval hypertext with references and quotations from different religious texts.
What the majority of commentators do agree upon is that “Journey to the West” tells a story of spiritual transformation. While the meaning of religious symbolism can be understood in different ways, depending on the interpreter's own beliefs, the basic ascetic and soteriological truths of this story are understood by all interpreters in the same way. "Journey to the West" is a story of a soul seeking truth and salvation. This search leads it through trials, temptations and internal conflicts, but at the same time harmonizes the whole personality of a human, strengthens them in mercy and courage, and ultimately leads to self-awareness and immortality.
History (General) and history of Europe, Social Sciences
The publication examines texts devoted to the cult of the goddess Tara, the
latter being revered by all Mongolic peoples which is evidenced by field materials collected between 2013 and 2016 in Uvs and Khovd Provinces of Mongolia. One such
religious text from the personal collection of Midjid Lama (Midjidorzh), the abbot of
Namirin Khiid (Ömnӧgovi Sum, Uvs Province, Mongolia), serves as a vivid confirmation. The work publishes an Oirat-language manuscript entitled ‘The Hymn to the Green
Tara’ (Oir. Noγōn Dāre ekeyin maqtāl orošiboi) with transliteration, commented translation, and facsimile of the original source. This is one of the prayer texts once used
in ceremonial honoring of the goddess Tara. The article also discusses similar texts in
Mongolian and Tibetan languages.
History of Asia, Political institutions and public administration - Asia (Asian studies only)
In the issue of abortion throughout the history, philosophers have spoken about trying to answer the fundamental questions when life begins and what is the moment, it is necessary to protect it. Culture and law, and to a large extent religion and religious beliefs, as also subscribed philosophical systems have influenced throughout the history to protect the unborn life. Judaism on this issue follows the Old Testament and the Catholic Church speaks about the holiness of life derived from the Gospel. The Catholic Church has also in that scope the internal regulations – the 1983 Code of Canon Law – which in the subject and present scope includes all Catholics. In the issue of protection of the unborn life, other religions have also taken a stand, among others: Orthodox Church, Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism. Axiological assumptions have a dominant influence on the development of the system of conceived life protection, and therefore they are so important.
This paper explores conceptions of islands in Ancient and Imperial China. From at least the 3rd Century BCE, mainland Chinese culture regarded islands as sacred, unapproachable fairylands, home to the elixir of immortality. This inspired a trend for voyages in search of mythological sacred islands as well as a landscape architecture trend for constructing artificial islands in imperial palace gardens. Over time, Taoism came to associate islands with the home of the gods, and Chinese Buddhism came to associate islands with dragon kings. As China’s maritime activity increased, so, too, did fiction regarding islands of adventure. These conceptions of sacred islands and islands of adventure coexisted with the use of actual islands as places of political exile. By exploring island traditions in Chinese literature, this paper adds to our knowledge of how and why people throughout history have regarded islands and archipelagos as special. This paper also pursues a decolonial island studies by challenging some of the Eurocentric and imperialistic tendencies within the research field, which have led to a privileging of Western island metaphors and understandings.
The Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA), founded in Ceylon in 1898, was one of many Buddhist socio-cultural organisations established between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that imagined Buddhism as a global religion, compatible with colonial modernity and its educational, recreational, and religious goals. However, the YMBA functioned differently in its different locations, and this article will focus on the history of two YMBA branches, established in the eastern Himalayan urban centres of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, to explore how local agents adapted this model of social organisation to fit their own contexts. The founders of these two branches, a rebel Sikkimese noble turned Theravadin monk and educator, and a British army officer turned Buddhist preacher, both represent ways that Buddhism was constructed during a period of transnational intellectual cosmopolitanism. Their activities suggest how the particular locations of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, perched as they were between empires, facilitated such forms of global affiliation.