Indigenous knowledge provides specific views of the world held by various indigenous peoples. It offers different views on nature and science that generally differ from traditional Western science. Futhermore, it introduces different perspectives on nature and the human in nature. Coming basically from a Western perspective on nature and science, the paper analyzes the literature in science education focusing on research and practices of integrating indigenous knowledge with science education. The paper suggests Didaktik models and frameworks for how to elaborate on and design science education for sustainability that takes indigenous knowledge and related non-Western and alternative Western ideas into consideration. To do so, indigenous knowledge is contextualized with regards to related terms (e.g., ethnoscience), and with Eastern perspectives (e.g., Buddhism), and alternative Western thinking (e.g., post-human Bildung ). This critical review provides justification for a stronger reflection about how to include views, aspects, and practices from indigenous communities into science teaching and learning. It also suggests that indigenous knowledge offers rich and authentic contexts for science learning. At the same time, it provides chances to reflect views on nature and science in contemporary (Western) science education for contributing to the development of more balanced and holistic worldviews, intercultural understanding, and sustainability.
Like all religious traditions, Buddhism must continually respond to emerging technologies while remaining grounded in its ethical and philosophical foundations. One such technology is cryptocurrency—a decentralized, blockchain-based financial innovation that has reshaped economic life by reducing reliance on traditional banking systems, enhancing user privacy, and offering a hedge against inflation and state-based monetary control. Its adoption has grown rapidly, including among Buddhist communities, where it is used in a variety of ways: as a medium of exchange, as an investment vehicle, and as a means of generating income through mining. For many practitioners, cryptocurrency represents a new and complex challenge in aligning financial management with Buddhist ethical values. For example, critics point to its environmental footprint, its association with illicit trade and financial crime, and its speculative nature, which some argue parallels gambling—an activity explicitly discouraged in Buddhist precepts. This article examines the ethics of cryptocurrency from multiple Buddhist perspectives, drawing on canonical sources such as the Pāli Nikāyas, monastic codes (Vinaya), and recent interpretations by contemporary Buddhist teachers and scholars. It also engages with relevant secular critiques to contextualize Buddhist concerns. The article concludes by proposing a normative framework to assist both lay practitioners and members of the monastic sangha in evaluating the ethical permissibility of engaging with cryptocurrency, guided by key principles such as non-harming, right livelihood, and mindful consumption.
This study focuses on Xizi-belief (惜字信仰) and provides a comparative analysis of the religious philosophies of Tianming (天命) and Tianli (天理), using the Hunan region as a case study. Through anthropological methods and fieldwork, this study explores how Classical Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism shape and guide word-cherishing behaviors based on the conceptual philosophies of Tianming and Tianli. The Tianming conception views characters as revelations of heavenly destiny. Through religious rituals, people cherish words to honor heaven and seek to change their destinies through heavenly forces, reflecting worldly desires and spiritual pursuits and emphasizing heaven with personhood. In contrast, the Tianli conception sees words as carriers of moral and natural laws. Guided by Confucian ethics and the concept of karma and retribution, it influences people’s moral norms and behavioral practices, reflecting the metaphysical moral law of a just and righteous heaven. Both conceptions not only involve the worship and protection of words but also profoundly embody a deep understanding and pursuit of the order of the universe, moral norms, the ethics of life, and the meaning of life. This study reveals three modes of influence: the religious philosophy integration model, the ritual practice model, and the architectural embodiment model. These models emphasize the positive impact of Xizi-belief on ethics and social life, prompting people to demonstrate positive guidance in human behavior through reverence for Tianming (mandate of heaven), adherence to Tianli (principle of heaven), and respect for nature. Under the guidance of classical religious ethical principles, the spread of Xizi-belief and the practice of Xizi religious ceremonies promote the harmonious development of individual virtues and social order, achieving harmony between humans and the universe.
Several clinical studies show how tantric practices and exercises of Vedic traditions—such as Yoga—or Theravada or Mahayana Buddhism have a significant psychobiological impact. This study compares the neurophysiological correlates of practices called tantric and non-tantric meditations through a qualitative systematic review of the collected data. It was evidenced that tantric practices produce increased sympathetic activity, a state of "phasic alertness," and improved performance in visual cognitive tasks. They promote greater wakefulness, reduced propensity for sleep, increased cognitive activity, and metabolic changes contrary to those observed in non-tantric practices due to the relaxation induced by such practices. In contrast, non-tantric practices create a better relaxation response with increased parasympathetic activity and inhibition of the sympathetic system, inducing a hypometabolic state of deep rest where the practitioner remains awake and their attention is in "tonic alertness," accompanied by symptoms corresponding to this hypometabolic state—hypotonia, decreased oxygen consumption, reduced heart rate, and lower blood lactate concentration—changes in normal endocrine function, increased phenylalanine concentration in advanced meditators, elevated plasma prolactin levels, a five-fold increase in plasma arginine vasopressin levels, and a chronic and acute decrease in thyroid-stimulating hormone. This neurophysiological difference corresponds to the differences found in the investigated texts, which indicate that tantric practices aim to increase alertness or an awakened quality of the mind and warn against excessive calm. Conversely, the scriptures and meditation instructions of the Vedic tradition—Yoga, Theravada, or Mahayana—aim to achieve stillness and calmness. We suggest future clinical research from a more interdisciplinary approach, incorporating the theoretical/philosophical framework of the different types of meditation.
Nur Aini Setiawati, Nayelli Lopez Rocha, Youen Kim
et al.
The tenure and management of perdikan (tax-exempt) land in South Korea and Indonesia from 1900 to 1946 exhibit similar structural and cultural dynamics. This research aims to compare and analyze the similarities in the patterns of control and management of perdikan lands in both regions. Employing a historical method and utilizing primary sources from archives, this study investigates the reasons behind the comparable patterns of land tenure and management in South Korea and Indonesia. The study yields three key findings. Firstly, the similarities in the socio-economic structures governing land tenure and management in South Korea and Indonesia underscore the significance of local power. Secondly, the management systems for perdikan land in both countries serve as forms of social control, functioning as mechanisms for the dissemination of religion, economic activity and social responsibilities during the colonial period. Thirdly, the control and management of perdikan land in both nations demonstrate a significant shift in ownership throughout the study period. This article posits that Buddhism played a mediating role in the land tenure transition process in South Korea. In contrast, in Indonesia, religion contributed to the complexity of the perdikan land issue.
Religion is often regarded as a divine concept resistant to change or transformation, yet history reveals that religion can evolve and transform into new cults or religious movements. This reformation or alternative state of religion is often considered an aberrant version of the original. In Sri Lanka, an aberrant form of religion emerged during the modernization and colonization periods, particularly influenced by Protestant groups and urban Buddhists. The significance of this aberrant form of Buddhism is that it lacks the depth of true religious thought and is instead reflected in the mainstream of politics and nationalism rooted in race. Due to the demand to protect Buddhism, which was echoed by this aberrant version, the recognition of Sri Lanka’s diverse ethnic and religious identities gave rise to separatism and a fragmented form of nationalism. One of the key features of aberrant religion is its tendency toward fundamentalism and extremism, as it becomes distorted in the name of safeguarding religion. The consequence of aberrant religion was the fabrication of nationalism tied to ethno-religious identities, particularly among the Sinhalese majority, turning non-violent Buddhist thought into violent racism that cultivated discrimination in cultural values and even escalated into civil war to defend Buddhism and promote Buddhist nationalism. However, in time, the post-nationalist protest movement known as the “<i>Aragalaya</i>” rejected the pathological nationalism generated by aberrant Buddhism and brought about a systematic shift towards a unified nationalism. Thus, this study reflects on the formation of aberrant versions of religion in Sri Lankan history, their extension into nationalism and race, and the continued presence of aberrant religion in the contemporary context.
Tsymzhit P. Vanchikova, Nomin D. Tsyrenova, Irina D. Van
The article presents the results of the study on the history and culture of one of the four largest monasteries of Mongolia – the Zaya-gegen monastery in the Arkhangai aimag, as well as a brief historical and biographical information about the founder of the monastery, Zaya-pandita Luvsanprinlai. The purpose of the study is to reconstruct the main stages of the formation of the monastery complex, to identify the role of Zaya Pandita in the spread of Buddhism in the central part of Khalkha and to identify the current state of the monastery. We collected extensive material during the field work in the monastery in 2022. It has been established that the development of the monastery was greatly facilitated by the personality of its founder, Zaya Pandita, and his legacy in the form of a library with unique books and by a number of highly qualified Buddhist teachers. The library of the monastery contained manuscripts with unique recipes of medicines compiled by Mongolian lamas; names and images of many plants of the Mongolian flora were carved on stones, which were subsequently used as teaching aids for students of medical datsans. Zaya Pandita can be rightfully considered as one of the founders of the spread of Tibetan medicine in Mongolia; he was one of the outstanding scholars of his time, who wrote a number of important historical works. Also, the development of the Zaya-gegen monastery was facilitated by its strategic geographical location on the route of Chinese-Mongolian-Russian trade. During the research historical-biographical, chronological, comparative methods, the method of historical-topographic analysis of the monastery objects, and the method of participant observation have been used. Due to the use of these research methods and obtained information, the main stages of the history of the monastery, its current state, as well as the place, role and prospects for its further development in modern Mongolian society have been identified.
This article explores how the notion of ordinary aesthetics can stem, as well as the one of ordinary ethics, from that revolution of the ordinary started by Wittgenstein and further developed by philosophers like Cavell and Diamond. The idea of ordinary ethics emphasizes the importance of everyday life and the particular details of our experiences. This concept can be extended to aesthetics, forming the basis of a modality of aesthetic appreciation that recognize values and importance in the details and nuances of everyday experience. One example of such ordinary aesthetics can be found in the haiku poetry of Bashō. Bashō’s poetry often focuses on the ordinary and mundane aspects of life, such as the changing of seasons, the sound of rain, or the sight of a bird in flight, but also on that lower world made of insects, rotten foliage, and excrements. Bashō conveys in poetry the core of Zen philosophy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things and the value of living in the present moment. This approach to aesthetics offers an alternative to more traditional modes of aesthetic appreciation, which tend to prioritize grandeur, spectacle, and formal perfection. Ultimately, the concept of ordinary aesthetics invites us to find the intrinsic importance in the simple things that surround us and to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the richness of our everyday lives.
This paper argues that as poetics in the Song Dynasty developed, the thinking mode and methods of written expression in Chan Buddhism provided a theoretical reference and creative practical experience for the formation of poetic theories. This point is particularly evident in the formation of the “flexible method”, which was a key theory in poetics of the Song Dynasty. The theory comprises three layers of meaning: it advocates respecting forms, changing the meaning of those forms, and retaining the inherent grace of the forms through a natural and fluent syntax and rhetoric of “defamiliarization”. This theory was highly mature in the writing of Lv Benzhong of the Southern Song Dynasty. Xuedou Chongxian (980–1052), a sixth-generation Chan Buddhist at Xuedou Temple, made a vital contribution to its development, which is highlighted by studying the “Hundred Classic Eulogies”. Xuedou Chongxian initially constructed the connotation and system of the theory of the “flexible method” in both theoretical and practical aspects. His theory of poetics is rooted in the ways of thinking and cultivating of the Yunmen sect. He incorporated his dual identity as a senior monk of the Yunmen School and a poet. He inherited Guanxiu’s view of poetry and the Chan concept of Shitou Xiqian and Zhimen Guangzuo, which greatly impacted the literati of the Northern Song Dynasty and provided a conceptual basis for maturing and improving the “flexible method” theory. Therefore, Xuedou Chongxian’s value in the theoretical construction of the “flexible method” should not be ignored.
From small-scale shrines to handheld icons and votive tablets, portability has long factored into the design and reception of Buddhist art. This article charts the uses and design of portable objects that are as instrumental and effective as their monumental counterparts in disseminating Buddhism in Japan. The article first examines the circulation of miniature icons that served as diplomatic gifts in the sixth and seventh centuries. It then turns to figurative plaques from Tang-dynasty China (618–907) that were modified for votive and architectural uses in early Japan. Lastly, the article examines the reasons underlying the enduring popularity of portable shrines in the archipelago. In sum, this article asks: What factors determined the size, scale, and materiality of Buddhist art? More importantly, how does the case of the portable speak to the discipline of Buddhist art that often preoccupies itself with the monumental and the site-specific?
The objective of this study was to analyse publications from 2018 through 2020 on the acceptability and viability of technology-mediated HIV prevention interventions, taken as a leading indicator in evaluating their effectiveness, in such a way for these indicators to allow the acquisition of more accurate results in the final phase. Through a systematic review using the PRISMA method, a total of 17 papers were found in three specialized databases (EBSCO, Web of Science and Scopus). A majority of these interventions were mediated online to reduce risky sexual behaviors, with two strategies showing clear prevalence: Open interviews and questionnaires employing the Likert scale or analogous tools. The results of these investigations were unanimous in finding the use of technological means in preventing HIV both feasible and pertinent, meeting expected results. The importance of considering both indicators in evaluating the viability of these methods is discussed, as is the importance of carrying out this assessment prior to continuing such interventions on a larger scale.
Introduction. The Kalmyks are a Mongolic Buddhist people that arrived in the Volga region
in the 17th century. The specific ethnic features of Buddhism professed by the Kalmyks took shape
over centuries of Russian suzerainty and were determined by various historical factors, including
prolonged remoteness from Buddhist centers, the total eradication of Buddhist monasteries and
centuries-long ban on spiritual guidance experienced in the 20th century, and the official Buddhist
restoration by the early 21st century. Goals. The work aims at identifying and comparing traditional
and contemporary Buddhist thangka patterns as elements to mirror particular features of Kalmyk
iconography, as essential objects of religious cult and cultural heritage at large. Results. The paper
shows that in the pre-20th century period Kalmyks used different techniques for producing thangkas —
painting, embroidery, and applique ones. In the late 18th century onwards, imports of religious attributes
from Tibet and Mongolia were restricted, and the role of art workshops affiliated to local Buddhist
temples increased. That resulted in further development of thangka painting schools and the shaping
of somewhat ethnic style in depicting Buddhist deities characterized by certain differences from
canonical images. The old thangkas from private and public collections have served a basis for the
restoration of ethnic painting traditions integral to Kalmykia’s Buddhism proper. The contemporary
practices of producing divine images are closely related to stages in the regional development of
Buddhism from the late 20th century to the present, lay Buddhist experiences, women’s leisure-time
activities, and ethnic entrepreneurship. The study concludes contemporary Kalmyk needlewomen are
guided by traditional rules of religious craftsmanship.
History (General), Oriental languages and literatures
This paper restores the historical context of Milindapaha . The text is unique, because it is one of the very few documents of Ancient India, in which one of the authors is considered a Greek ( yavana ) as a participant in the dialog. To reconstruct the context of the book, the basic archeological data about the Indo-Greek Kingdom, including epigraphics, are summed up, as well as there are analyzed some references to the kingdom given in the Mahāvaṃsa , the earliest chronicle of Sri Lanka. These mentions in the Mahāvaṃsa are matched with the numismatics of Ceylon. From this analysis it is concluded that the document of Milindapaha was most likely created in Gāndhārī in the interval from the beginning of the 1st century B.C. to the end of the 1st century A.D., i.e. during the period of the domination of the syncretic culture of the North of India, combining Buddhism with certain elements of Hellenism. The treatise of Milindapaha was then preserved in Sri Lanka's tradition by continuing good political contacts with the Roman Empire after 400 A.D., that is, after the collapse of the Kushan and the Western Kshatrapas, the last dynasties that had previously preserved elements of Hellenism in the Indian subcontinent. The philosophical meaning of the treatise is then considered and it is concluded that in the text we can find direct references to the proto-Nyāya with the requirement to verify premises by examples. But the logical teaching of Milindapaha is far more archaic than the teaching of Nyāyasūtra , because only two sources ( pramāṇa ) of true knowledge are implicitly used: paccakkha (obvious) and anumāna (inference), and instead of the two verification methods called udāhārana and upamā , only one verification method called opamma is offered.
This essay sketches a history of the study of Zen art from the late nineteenth century to post-war reconsiderations, leading towards what I term “critical Zen art studies.” The latter, I suggest, has been undertaken by historians of art and others to challenge normative definitions of Zen art based on modern constructs, revise understanding of the types and functions of visual art important to Chan/Sŏn/Zen Buddhist monasteries, and study iconographies and forms not as a transparent aesthetic indices to Zen Mind or No Mind but as rhetorically, ritually, and socially complex, even unruly, events of representation.
An even only cursory glance at the way Buddhism is experienced, interpreted, and lived in the contemporary world––both Western and Oriental––reveals Buddhism’s multiple “modern faces”. This paper does not intend to describe all or even a selected group of these many faces, but attempts to contribute to our understanding of how peculiar developments within Buddhist philosophy have made it possible that such a variety of “Buddhist modernities” could develop. It is shown that it is the peculiar Buddhist interpretation of the concept of time that has provided the basis on which the various modern features of Buddhism could build, because the Buddhist interpretation of time contains an aspect of progress and free will. It is suggested that these two aspects increased the prominence given to the individual adept in the Mahāyāna. The article then claims that it precisely are the ideas of rationality, progress and individualism that are also characteristic for the modern world that contain the possibility for Buddhism to develop its multitude of modern faces.
Social sciences and state - Asia (Asian studies only)
The tantric body of the Russian president – chingisids’ enlightened mind. Politics and nationalism in Buryat / Mongolian Buddhism
This paper is devoted to the role of Buddhism in the construction of ethnonational identity in Buryatia and Mongolia. On the case of the phenomenon of deification of Russian presidents by Buryat lamas I have analyzed: historically conditioned compounds of Buddhism and politics of the Mongolian groups, the role of Buddhism in ethnic mobilization in Buryatia and Mongolia after the fall of Communism and features of ethnonational model of Buddhism in two neighboring regions. In post-socialist period Buddhism was involved in ethnonational political projects. As a result, an attempt was taken to restore the monastic model of Buddhism, which had functioned in the pre-revolutionary period. Local peculiarities of Mongolian Buddhism were reinforced in order to produce the difference between the (national) Mongolian/Buryat and tibetan Buddhism. In Buryatia, Buddhism became a distinctive element used for ethnic differentiation of Buryats – in opposition to the Orthodox Russians. In Mongolia, traditionalist position of Buddhism was opposed in some way to Christianity, the various factions of which are distributed together with “agendas of modernity” from Western countries. In tantric union with the president Buryat lamas produce harmony between two national identities: Russian – civic and Buryat – ethnonational. Deification of the state power and giving it the attributes of loving femininity is a practice obliging the authority to generosity, which is attributed to the White tara. It is a strategy of the weak, who agree to a game of domination, but they try to define its rules themselves. Looking more broadly it can be said that the Buryats as a national community appeared just as a result of this fusion with the Russian power. Because of this they were separated from the pre-national family of Mongolian peoples. Mongols, for similar purposes use Chingis khan identified with the Buddhist form of Vajrapani. As a result, nationalist narrative is set to famous past, but uses the ‘eternal’ values, achieves harmony of all its elements.
Ethnology. Social and cultural anthropology, Political science