Believing and Seeing: The Roles of Faith, Reason, and Experience in Theravada Buddhism

AbstractIn early Buddhism, “seeing” means the direct apprehension of reality, when the senses operate undistorted by the mediating, corruptible influences of preconceived notions or cognitive analysis. To see in this way is to be wise, to be a buddha. Yet one reaches this ultimate achievement by cultivating analysis of one's sense perceptions, guided by preconceived notions accepted on the basis of faith. By looking at several Pāli texts that teach the fundamentals of the Buddhist path, one can see how the Theravāda Buddhists resolve this congruity between their goal (direct, unmediated seeing) and the means to reach it (faith and reason): they treat both faith and reason as useful tools to be discarded when one has outgrown the need for them.

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Ethics and Ontology in the Theravāda Buddhism: Talks on ethically good and bad deeds in “Kathāvatthu” I.1.200–I.1.216

Philosophy of Religion Analytic Researches ◽

10.21146/2587-683x-2021-5-1-107-123 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 107-123

Author(s):

Anastasiya Vitalievna Lozhkina ◽

Keyword(s):

Main Part ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Russian Translation ◽

Buddhist Philosophy ◽

Theravada Buddhism ◽

Buddhist Text ◽

Good Deed ◽

Early Buddhism ◽

Good And Evil

This article focuses on the development of ethical issues in early Buddhism. The author focuses on the concepts “good deed” (kālyana-kamma) and “bad deed” (pāpa-kamma). These concepts are discussed in the text “The Section on Ethical Goodness” from “The Points of Discpute” (Kathāvaththu). The article begins with a brief description of “Points of Discpute”. The author then analyzes the semantics of the concepts of good and evil in early Buddhism. Beside therms kālyana – pāpa, a pair of concepts kusala – akusala is used in early Buddhist philosophy. The author concludes that the concepts kusala – akusala are used in later Buddhist texts and their use is more regular. The main part of the article is an analysis of the “The Section on Ethical Goodness”. Using specific examples, the discussion techniques characteristic of the Kathāvattu are revealed: interrogation, repetition and reduction to absurdity. It is demonstrated that scrutinizing of ethical topics in the Buddhist text cannot be separated from solving of metaphysical issues, that of the existence of the substantial doer besides deeds being most important one. Just this issue proved fundamental in discordance in opinions between the orthodox Buddhism of the therāvada school and heterodox lines of the puggalavāda. Attached is the first Russian translation from Pali of sections I.1.200, I.1.201, I.1.212 from Kathāvaththu text of the Abhidhamma-piţaka.

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Balance, Moderation, and the 'Middle Path': Toward Trust between Muslims and Theravada Buddhists in Southern Thailand

ICR Journal ◽

10.52282/icr.v2i3.633 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 556-560

Author(s):

Christoph Marcinkowski

Keyword(s):

Conflict Resolution ◽

Deep South ◽

Theravada Buddhism ◽

Central Administration ◽

The South ◽

Religious People ◽

Early Buddhism ◽

Southern Thailand

When looking at strategies leading toward conflict-resolution in the troubled Muslim-dominated deep South of Thailand one should also take into account existing touching-points between Islam - understood by many of its followers as an all-encompassing approach toward life that is, nevertheless, grounded in spirituality - and Theravada Buddhism which is practised by the overwhelming rest of the Thai citizens. Theravada (Pali for ‘Teaching of the Elders’ or ‘Ancient Teaching’) is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It is relatively conservative and generally closest to early Buddhism. Elsewhere this writer has argued that the currently ongoing conflict in southern Thailand is mainly not a religious one, but rather the result of mutual deep distrust between a far-away central administration in Bangkok and the local Malay Muslims in the South. However, this writer would like to argue that a meaningful dialogue between truly religious people on both sides of the fence could help to dissolve tensions and misconceptions.

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Self or No-Self in Theravada BuddhismSelfless Persons: Imagery and Thought in Theravada Buddhism. Steven CollinsSelf and Non-Self in Early Buddhism. Joaquín Pérez-Remón

History of Religions ◽

10.1086/462948 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 186-189

Author(s):

George D. Bond

Keyword(s):

Theravada Buddhism ◽

Early Buddhism

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Numerical lists of foundational knowledge in early Chinese and early Buddhist traditions

Asiatische Studien – Études Asiatiques ◽

10.1515/asia-2020-0012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 74 (3) ◽

pp. 453-484

Author(s):

Yegor Grebnev

Keyword(s):

Theravada Buddhism ◽

Early China ◽

Political Practice ◽

Textual Tradition ◽

Pali Canon ◽

Early Buddhism ◽

Peculiar Form ◽

Knowledge Practice ◽

Hierarchical Groups

Abstract In this paper, I compare the material in the Pāli canon of Theravada Buddhism, a textual tradition famous for the abundance of numerical lists, with certain chapters of the Yi Zhou shu 逸周書 and chapter “Hong fan” 洪範 of the Shang shu 尚書, where numerical lists are equally important. I propose a classification of the insufficiently studied numerical lists in the Yi Zhou shu and point out the divergences in them, suggesting that they were produced by competing communities that developed slightly discordant systems of knowledge. I compare the evolution of complex frameworks of numerical lists in the Buddhist traditions and in early China, arguing that both created comprehensive systems of knowledge-practice out of simpler lists. The peculiar form of numerical lists as vehicles of systematised knowledge-practice attested in both cultures may have originated in hierarchical communities with indisputable knowledge authority. Such communities are known to have existed in early Buddhism, and they have convincing parallels in China’s contemporary political practice, where numerical lists are used to unify the patterns of thinking and behaviour in hierarchical groups.

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