This article reinterprets Yinguang’s (1861–1940) “Eight-Verse Guiding Principles” as a program that integrates worldly ethics with supramundane liberation in modern Chinese Buddhism. On the ethical level, Yinguang established “fulfilling one’s duties and preserving sincerity” as the fundamental code, insisting that moral responsibility and the guarding of right mindfulness revealed the innate luminosity of the mind. Building on this, the article looks at “eliminating selfish desires and manifesting illustrious virtue” (gewu zhizhi 格物致知) as a way to connect ontology to practice, highlighting the significance of “refraining from all evils and cultivating all virtues.” The practitioner made progress toward the ultimate objective of “purifying the mind” by following these steps. On the liberation level, the bodhi-mind functions as vow-power oriented toward Buddhahood for self and others. This dual aspiration functioned as the inner motivation for rebirth in the Pure Land and the attainment of Buddhahood. The triad of “faith, vows, and practice” furnishes an accessible soteriological pathway for ordinary beings who rely on Amitābha’s vow-power to achieve rebirth with karmic burdens. Methodologically, the study combines close reading of primary writings with modern theories of religious ethics and lived religion to show how name recitation (chiming nianfo 持名念佛) concentrates the mind and conduces to the samādhi of recitation, where “the whole mind is Buddha, and the whole Buddha is mind.” Framed within the broader dynamics of Republican-era moral reform and global Pure Land transmission, the article argues that Yinguang’s eight-verse guiding principles embodied the ideal of “reaching Buddhahood by way of the human path,” providing a historically grounded yet contemporary salient model for understanding Chinese religious culture today.
Marcus Lai, Larissa Shiying Qiu, Haoxiang Li
et al.
Background: Confucianist, Buddhist and Taoist teachings offer insight into emotion processing for members of East Asian cultures. Emerging research also suggests distinguishing Confucianism into restrictive (focused on restricting self-needs for the greater good), and empowering (emphasising self-improvement) facets, and this distinction may be relevant for emotional processes. However, research has not considered how endorsement of these teachings influence emotion regulation among East Asian trauma survivors.Objective: This study presents a secondary analysis from a larger study on cultural differences in emotion regulation, and explored how levels of adherence to these teachings influence daily emotion regulation and affective outcomes among Chinese Australian trauma survivors.Method: Chinese Australian trauma survivors (n = 49) completed a baseline questionnaire assessing trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and endorsement of Confucianism (restrictive and empowering), Buddhism, and Taoism. Participants then completed ecological momentary assessments (EMA) measuring daily use of suppression, acceptance and interpersonal emotion regulation and both positive and negative affect over seven days.Results: First, Taoism was positively associated with the use of daily acceptance, and Buddhism was positively associated with daily use of interpersonal emotion regulation. Second, Taoism moderated the positive relationship between acceptance and positive affect, whereby the strength of this association increased as Taoism endorsement increased. Taoism also moderated the relationship between interpersonal emotion regulation and both positive and negative affect, such that the associations were only significant for participants with higher levels of Taoism. Both restrictive and empowering Confucianism also moderated the negative association between acceptance and negative affect, with this association only being significant for individuals with low levels of empowering Confucianism and high levels of restrictive Confucianism.Conclusions: Our findings provide preliminary indications that the Three Teachings of East Asia may influence emotion regulation and associated affective outcomes among Chinese trauma survivors, highlighting a need for further research.
In Pali Buddhism, the aspiration to see a Buddha is a profound and multifaceted theme that encompasses spiritual longing, devotion, and the pursuit of enlightenment. This aspiration is rooted in the belief that encountering a Buddha, particularly Gotama Buddha, the historical founder of Buddhism, offers a unique opportunity for spiritual growth and liberation. The desire to see a Buddha is often linked to the cultivation of faith, wisdom, and merit, which are essential components of the Buddhist path. There is the aspiration of seeing a Buddha or the Metteyya in the future. According to the second chapter Sumedhakathā (Bv II 59) in the Bv, there are eight dhammas (aṭṭhadhammasamodhānā), which are necessary to be resolved as aspirations for becoming Buddha. In the commentary of Majjhimanikāya, it is said that “These are the causes for the accomplishment of the resolution. In this paper there is an endeavour to make interpretation of these eight dhammas (aṭṭhadhammasamodhānā), which are necessary to be resolved as aspirations on the basis of Pali texts and its commentarial literatures. This exploration will delve into the significance of the aspiration to see a Buddha in Pali Buddhism, examining its role in the spiritual journey of practitioners and its relationship to key Buddhist concepts such as faith, wisdom, and liberation. By understanding this aspiration, we can gain deeper insights into the nature of Buddhist devotion and the path to enlightenment.
Buddha and Bodhīsattva are the most praised words in Buddhism. The Mahāyāna texts like Guṇakāraṇdavyha, Sadharmapuṇḍarika, and Gaṇḍavyūha sūtra seem never exhausted praising philanthropic deeds of Bodhīsattvas. Buddha frequently describes his previous life to his pupils as Bodhīsattva. The Bodhīsattva vows to have the potential power to lead one to become Buddha. The word and its essence have precious value among Buddhists. The Bodhīsattva vows can lead to becoming Buddha as they have the potential to become one. In this respect, Bodhīsattvahood is an applied way of practicing dharma. The personification of the ideal concepts in Buddhism is commendable. Wisdom and compassion are two aesthetics in Buddhist philosophy incorporated and appreciated with the greatest Buddhist zeal. The wisdom of Mañjuśri and the compassion of Avalokiteśvara are beautiful emanations, praised practices of deification in Buddhism. Believing in the wisdom of Mañjuśri and the austerity of various emanations of Avalokiteśvara are hugely popular cult beyond the geographical constraints of Nepal. Yet, the development of Buddhist streams after the Mahāparinirvāṇa of the Buddha is not smooth. The library research method was implemented, with original sources taken into account for the authentication of the study. Various ideologies made an impact to develop 18 sects at the time of Emperor Asoka in India around the 3rd century BCE. The advent of Mahāyānic concepts like Buddhahood and Bodhīsattvahood led Buddhism to a whole new level in the world that is still witnessed with great Endeavour.
Humanity relies on nature for essential resources such as food, shelter, and medicine. However, excessive exploitation driven by consumerism and greed has led to severe environmental crises. Buddhism, with its emphasis on ethics and mindfulness, provides valuable insights into environmental conservation. Although the Buddha did not explicitly address pollution, early Buddhist texts in the Pāli Tipiṭaka highlight the deep connection between human morality and nature. The Aggañña Sutta illustrates how moral decline leads to environmental degradation, while the Cakkavattisihanāda Sutta warns of the dangers of excessive greed. Fundamental Buddhist principles, such as impermanence (aniccā) and the five natural laws (pañca niyāmadhammā), emphasize the relationship between moral actions and natural processes. The teachings of contentment (santutthī) and non-violence (ahiṁsā) further encourage a respectful and sustainable relationship with nature. The Pāli canon also stresses the importance of flora and fauna. The Five Precepts advocate compassion towards animals and plants, while the Karaniyamettā Sutta promotes loving-kindness (mettā) toward all beings. Buddhist scriptures, including the Dhammapada and Simsapā Sutta, use nature-based similes to reinforce environmental ethics. Buddhist monastic discipline strictly prohibits harming plants and animals, advocating for a sustainable lifestyle. The Vinaya Piṭaka emphasizes environmental purity, including water conservation. Furthermore, Buddhist governance, as outlined in the Dasarāja Dhamma, advises rulers to protect nature through ethical stewardship. Buddhist teachings on contentment, mindfulness, and frugality, as seen in the Raṭṭhapãla Sutta and Mettā Sutta, promote sustainable living practices. This research explores how Buddhist ethical principles can be applied to contemporary environmental challenges. Industrialization and unchecked consumption have resulted in environmental degradation, but Buddhist teachings offer a framework for sustainability based on mindfulness and ethical responsibility. By analyzing key texts such as the Aggañña Sutta and Cakkavattisihanāda Sutta, this study aims to highlight the link between moral values and ecological well-being. Additionally, it will examine the role of the Five Precepts, Karaniyamettā Sutta, and monastic regulations in promoting conservation. Integrating Buddhist ethical principles into modern environmental efforts can lead to a more sustainable and compassionate approach to nature. The research seeks to demonstrate how Buddhist teachings can inspire environmentally responsible lifestyles, policy-making, and governance. With its emphasis on interconnectedness, moderation, and respect for life, Buddhism provides a profound ethical foundation for addressing today’s ecological crises.
The long-debated philosophical dilemmas such as ethics, consciousness, and free-will have become of considerable interest among the philosophers and scientists alike who work on artificial intelligence (AI). This study investigates how the Tiantai Buddhist concept of Buddha-nature can be incorporated into the ethics pertaining to "artificial animals" or bots, as "ethically charged machines." The major research problem addressed here is whether the thoughts of Tiantai Buddhist School on Buddha-nature can contribute to the improvement of AI-based technologies. This analysis uses certain philosophical developments in the school of New Materialism that rethinks the nature of matter, agency, and subjectivity by transcending old-fashioned dualisms for instance mind/body, human/nonhuman, and subject/object while emphasizing on the active, dynamic qualities of matter and the interconnectedness of all entities; blurring demarcations between human and nonhuman. The ideas of Jingxi Zhanran (711–782) from the Tiantai school, which assert that Buddha-nature exists not only in sentient beings but also in insentient things, will form a major premise of this argument. The study has used comparative analysis and hermeneutics as the research methodologies with academic interpretation and comparative analysis. The objective of the study is exploring the Tiantai concept of Buddha-nature in AI Ethics connecting with philosophical discourse found in the school of New Materialism. In conclusion, compassion and wisdom towards insentient beings that was neglected by the Western paradigms of ethics will throw a new light on AI ethics.
This article is a revised version of the inaugural lecture delivered on 5 October2023, on the occasion of the author's appointment as Professor of History of Religions at Lund University. It opens by depicting fundamental changes in the study of the history of religions in the twentieth century, followed by biographical notes, including her research on lay Buddhism in urban Taiwan, the emphasis on sensual dimensions of religious practice and the aesthetics of religion, and international academic networking in the analysis of practices of prognostication between Asia and Europe. Three areas are outlined that are central to the author's current research. It is pointed out that a focus on religion in contemporary society certainly includes a healthy awareness of current developments in the politics of religion, particularly in East Asia. In addition, the article addresses two fields of research that the author is currently engaged in: (1) The emergence of "Life Education" as a school subject in Greater China and the pedagogical shift that goes along with it. Particularly in Taiwan, this new subject is tailored to create a space for juveniles to develop self-reflection and life orientation in a success-oriented society while a new trust in religious organizations leads to the organizations' active engagement in these developments. The author is especially interested in how the transforming relationship between religion and public education gains special relevance in a comparative perspective between Asia and Europe. (2) Religious change in East Asia is evident in Buddhist ritual practices that are impacted by a consumer society that moulds emotionally profound experiences into marketable and distinct units that Eva Illouz has termed "emodities". Religious practices are subject to change in our contemporary world as they are reshaped by a growing global digitalized consumer culture. Tracing these changes leads to a deeper understanding of the underlying forces that distinctly reshape contemporary religious life.
For Korean women, the Japanese colonial period was a transitional period in which Confucian patriarchal culture still prevailed, but some options for a social identity outside the home as “new women” were beginning to emerge. In this era, Sot’aesan, the founder of Wŏn Buddhism, put forward the teaching of “equal rights for men and women” as one of the core doctrines of Wŏn Buddhism and opened the way for many women to find their true selves through Buddhist teachings and practices. This path was that of becoming a <i>kyomu</i> (Wŏn Buddhist ordained clerics). By analyzing the biographies of the first 146 female <i>kyomus</i>, this paper sheds light on how these devotees were transformed from women with no identities outside the home into Buddhist masters or mothers of the world.
Notably during the Yuan period of Chinese history, Korean Buddhists had a curious custom of making arduous trips to Buddhist centers in mainland China, by sea or overland. To the extent that monks made this trip despite the possible dangers of this long journey, Yuan Buddhism in the practice of Korean Buddhism was conceived as an important hub of monastic certification and the source of new Buddhist developments. In addition, the Chinese masters were seen as essential figures in the monastic careers of the Korean monks. Although there would have been qualified masters in Korea to lead the practice of <i>kanhua chan</i> and to verify the enlightened states of the Korean monks, traveling to China continued up to the end of the Koryŏ period. This continued because the Korean monks obtained obvious benefits after having traveled to China and received their certification of enlightenment 印可. On their return, these monks were given recognition for their spiritual attainment and assigned to high positions in the saṃgha bureaucracy, in many cases, as either a royal or state preceptor. This custom of visiting China was all the more heightened due to Yuan’s domination over Koryŏ from the late-13th to the mid-14th centuries.
The <i>Da fangdeng rulaizang jing</i>大方等如來藏經 (Skt. <i>Tathāgatagarbha-sūtra</i>), translated by Buddhabhadra佛陀跋陀羅 (358–429) is one of the early Chinese Buddhist canon texts where the term <i>foxing</i>佛性 (Jp. <i>busshō</i>; Buddha-nature) is clearly used to express Buddha-nature. However, the term <i>foxing</i> cannot be confirmed in other extant translations of the <i>Tathāgatagarbha-sūtra</i>. Another early text in the Chinese Buddhist canon, the <i>Da banniepan jing</i>大般涅槃經 (Skt. <i>Mahāparinirvā</i><i>ṇa-mah</i><i>ās</i><i>ūtra</i>), translated by Dharmakṣema曇無讖 (385?–433), also used the term <i>foxing</i>, which cannot be correspondingly confirmed in the surviving Sanskrit fragments of this scripture. Some significant differences in <i>foxing</i> between the Sanskrit fragments and Dharmakṣema’s translation of this sutra belong to the first twelve fascicles of Dharmakṣema’s translation completed under his collaborators’ support when he had not mastered the Chinese language. It is very likely that Faxian法顯 (337–422) translated a version of the <i>Mahāparinirvā</i><i>ṇa-mah</i><i>ās</i><i>ūtra</i> that featured <i>buddhadhātu</i> as <i>foxing</i>. Buddhabhadra, in the same period, translated a version of the <i>Tathāgatagarbha-sūtra</i>, in which he favoured the term <i>foxing</i> over a literal translation of the Sanskrit. As another contemporary monk with these two, Dharmakṣema translated the <i>Mahāparinirvā</i><i>ṇa-mahāsūtra</i>, going further than Faxian by using the term <i>foxing</i> regularly. These texts influenced the Dilun monastic tradition地論宗. Among these, the term <i>foxing</i> and its Sinicism explanations played the most significant role, influencing the whole of the Chinese and even East Asian Buddhist thought.
Introduction. The introduction of new sources characterizing traditions of Buryat chronicle writing into scientific circulation remains an urgent task of Mongolian studies. Dozens of works and their various copies and editions are still there to be explored. The article precedes a further study and translation of a voluminous historical chronicle of the Aga and Khori Buryats. Goals. The study attempts a brief overview of the chronicle’s contents and approaches some peculiarities traced in its text. Materials and methods. The analysis of Rabzhi Sanzhiev’s writing involves a wide range of Buryat historical works — both chronicles and archival documents. The historical comparative and chronological methods prove instrumental in systematizing the data contained, while tools of textual and source studies have made it possible to delineate the author’s text proper. Results. The work identifies an extensive range of sources and the chronicle’s structure according to which R. Sanzhiev’s narrative be conventionally divided into a number of large sections, namely: Shirab-Nimbu Khobituev’s chronicle; copies of official documents; historical works by T. Toboev, D. Zayaev, S. Vandanov, A. Ochirov; and the author’s text. Conclusions. R. Sanzhiev’s writing is a major work of the historical documentary genre. The author undertook painstaking efforts to meticulously clarify data included in Shirab-Nimbu Khobituev’s chronicle and supplement certain facts and data, introduce additional findings from various sources. The continuation of Khobituev’s chronicle — despite the compiled facts are fragmented enough — acts as an independent composition. Archival documents on the history of Buryat self-governance and Buddhism, folklore texts, chronicles and legends included by the author into the narrative are of particular value.
History of Asia, Political institutions and public administration - Asia (Asian studies only)
Buddhism is one of the world's great religions intending to bring about a moral, ideal, and thoughtful living. Buddhism changed the conception of faith by emphasizing meditation and self-knowledge instead of belief and ritualism. Buddhist texts speak of faith (saddha) and confidence in the Buddha as a teacher, which is a necessary condition for the first step on the path. This faith is not, however, regarded as a sufficient condition for salvation, but each person, following Buddha, should seek the truth and experience Liberation through his own personal effort and intelligence; everyone can achieve enlightenment by realizing one’s own Buddha-nature. The fact that in Buddhism preliminary/initial faith requires some knowledge has raised controversies about the valuation of knowledge above faith, but there is no doubt that the blind and obligatory faith is rejected. Among the various Buddhist schools, Shin Buddhism (Amida Buddha/Pure Land) with a total reliance on Other-power or Amida, and Zen Buddhism in which confidence in Self-power leads to the realization of one’s own true mind, as two models of faith, Shinjin and Chushin, are suggested. In the present study, after analyzing the conception of faith in Buddhist texts, the two models were compared with the Christian faith. Also, the closest words to Saddha in the Pāli Canon, especially Bhakti, have been discussed. William Sessions enumerates six models of faith arguing about some of their features that Shinjin exemplifies or permits and other features that Shinjin excludes. He also discusses the differences and the structural similarities between the Buddhist faith and the Christian faith. In this regard, Shinjin and Choshin differ from the Christian faith; for example, Shinjin can be considered faith, but the Other-power, as its ‘object’ of faith, is Amida’s not God’s (or Christ’s); and Choshin is not a personal relation, hence, there is no ‘object’ of faith and no external agent-cause of faith. In fact, Choshin is not dependent on the trust of another but is self- relience. However, Buddhist transformation and Christian conversion in terms of achieving one’s deepest-original self, the necessity of faith for the supreme goal of enlightenment in Buddhism and of salvation in Christianity, the Nembutsu (call/think on Amida) and Christian prayer, are similar in many respects. Also, both Choshin experience and Christian-faith experience are essentially supernatural with a deep and lasting authority as regards their transcending causality.
As more and more students in China turn to religion, it follows that an increasing number of students in Chinese universities self-identify as Buddhist. Chinese academia has a tendency to treat this as problematic, offering reasons for this trend as well as solutions but neglecting to examine the nature of student belief and identity. By utilising two case studies, this paper seeks to demonstrate how the Buddhist identity and practice of self-proclaimed Buddhist students in Beijing can manifest in two very different ways: overtly or covertly. More specifically, each case study provides an example of students in Beijing who very much break with the commonly held perception that students in China who self-identify as religious have a fundamentally flawed and limited understanding of their religion and rarely actually practice it.
Background: Mindfulness which comes from eastern traditions, especially Buddhism, is defined by conscious attention to current moment and internal/external personal experiences. Researches showed that mindfulness has relationships with the attachment styles but does ego strength can mediate the relationship between attachment styles and mindfulness? Aims: The present study was performed to examine the mediating role of ego strength on the relationship between attachment styles and mindfulness in the University of Tehran and Medical University of Tehran students. Method: current study is a descriptive-correlational research Two hundred and sixty eight students (231 make, 36 female) participated in the study. All the students were asked to complete the Adult Attachment Inventory (Besharat, 1392), Ego Strength Scale (Besharat, 1395) and Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale (Ghasemipour and Ghorbani, 2008). Results: Analysis of data involves descriptive and inferential statistics including frequency, percentage, mean standard deviation, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and path analysis. The results demonstrated that secure attachment had a significant positive association with mindfulness (r=0/50؛ p<0/01), insecure attachment (avoidance/ambivalence) had a significant negative association with mindfulness )r=-0/28 و r=-0/43؛ p<0/01 (and ego strength had a significant positive association with mindfulness (r=0/34؛ p<0/01). Secure attachment had a significant positive association with ego strength (r=0/24؛ p<0/01). Insecure attachment had negative correlation with ego strength (r=-0/34؛ p<0/01). Conclusions: The mediating role of ego strength on the relationship between attachment styles and mindfulness had been confirmed. Based on the results the higher attachment style score, the higher mindfulness and ego strength scores. And with higher ego strength score, mindfulness was higher too. According to the results of the present study, there is not a linear association on the relationship between attachment and mindfulness. Ego strength plays a mediating role on the relationship between them.