Engaged Buddhism

Author(s):  
Ann Gleig

Engaged Buddhism emerged in Asia in the 20th century as Buddhists responded to the challenges of colonialism, modernity, and secularization. It is often dated to Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar’s challenge to caste discrimination in India in the 1950s and the antiwar activism of Vietnamese Buddhist monastic Thich Nhat Hanh, although recent scholarship has pointed to the influence of Chinese Buddhist reforms occurring in the 1930s. Hanh coined the term “engaged Buddhism” to describe social and political activism based in Buddhist principles in the 1960s. The terms “engaged Buddhism” and “socially engaged Buddhism” were taken up by loosely connected Buddhists in Asia and the West who adapted Buddhism to a range of nonviolent social activist projects such as peacemaking, human rights, environmental protection, rural development, combatting ethnic violence, and women’s rights. With globalization and technological advances, engaged Buddhist organizations and efforts have spread across the globe. Reflecting the culture shift from the modern to the postmodern, generational and demographic shifts within these communities are marked by increased attention to intersectionality and postcolonial thought. Engaged Buddhists see their social and political activities as extending Buddhism’s classical focus on individual suffering to the suffering generated by unjust structures and systems, and set collective as well as individual liberation as a soteriological goal. While there is a consensus in academic scholarship that engaged Buddhism is an expression of Buddhist modernism, recent debates have arisen around whether conservative, nationalist, and even ethnocentric modern forms of Buddhism can be considered as forms of engaged Buddhism.

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 135-149
Author(s):  
Wojciech Łysek

The article discusses the life and work of the outstanding Sovietologist Richard Pipes, who was born in a Polonized Jewish family in Polish Cieszyn. After an adventurous trip to the United States in 1939 and 1940, he graduated in history from Harvard University and devoted himself to scientific work. For the next half a century, Pipes dealt with the historical and contemporary aspects of Russia. In his numerous publications, including more than 20 monographs, he emphasised that the Soviet Union continued rather than broke with the political practice of tsarist Russia. In his professional work, he thus contested views prevailing among American researchers and society. From the 1960s, Pipes was involved in political activities. He was sceptical about détente, advocating more decisive actions towards the Soviet Union. Between 1981 and 1983, he was the director of the Department of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in the National Security Council in the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Although retiring in 1996, he did not give up his scientific activity. Pipes died on 17 May 2018; according to his last will, his private book collection of 3,500 volumes has been donated to the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences.


Author(s):  
Constantin Parvulescu

Until the second decade of the 21st century, scholarship on Romanian film has been written almost exclusively in Romanian. Its pioneering representatives were D. I. Suchianu and Ion Cantacuzino, who published their first books in the 1930s. Since Romania had not generated consistent cinematic output until the 1950s, its historical studies came out also late, in the 1960s. The year 1989 was another turning point in Romanian film historiography, spurring post-socialist reconsiderations, and so was 1996, when the celebration of one hundred years of Romanian cinema triggered the publication of several historical studies. Consistent international representation started in the late 2000s, prompted by the international visibility of the New Romanian Cinema (also known as the Romanian New Wave). Since then, English-language film magazines delivered reviews of every new Romanian production, and academic scholarship started to yield its first articles. Soon, interest in Romanian film traditions also surged (both in Romania and abroad), coupled with a concentrated effort of the Romanian state to promote its cinema, both new and old. Romanian film is still approached mainly in the framework of national cinema, but recent studies tend to broaden the perspective and employ comparative, transnational, intermedial, and media-theory perspectives.


Author(s):  
Carol A. Hess

This chapter examines the place of Argentine pianist Miguel Ángel Estrella in the politics of Latin American music, focusing on the Dirty War, the wave of repression and violence by military regimes during the 1960s and 1970s. It begins with Estrella’s recital in September 1987 as a tribute to Nadia Boulanger, who died in October 1979 and was one protagonist in Estrella’s story. It then considers Estrella’s political activities in Argentina and his being formally charged with subversion, sedition, and terrorist activities, as well as his promotion of the masterworks of the Western canon. It also contextualizes Estrella’s experience in light of a number of broader issues, relating Estrella and his traditionalist repertory to the ongoing debate among composers and critics over socially engaged music (música comprometida); the historical antecedents of this debate and how they inform present-day reactions to the status of either the avant-garde or the Western canon in música comprometida; and how scholars in the United States might understand Estrella’s story.


Author(s):  
Michael A. Cole ◽  
Christopher N. Sozda ◽  
Mark D'Esposito

Modern functional neuroimaging techniques can be dated to the 1960s, although humans have been trying to understand the functional organization of the brain for millennia. Precursors of modern techniques were quite crude and date roughly to the 19th century. Rapid technological advances during the end of the 20th century provided researchers with tools capable of measuring hemodynamic activity within the brain, such as changes in blood flow and metabolism, and these techniques quickly became core methodological approaches in the disciplines of cognitive and clinical neuroscience. Notably, clinicians and researchers were significantly aided in their ability to examine diffuse neural networks underlying complex cognitive functions such as working memory, learning, and attention in normal subjects and patient populations. Although the clinical application of functional neuroimaging methodologies have been limited to date, research in this area is rapidly growing and empirical support exists for effective use of techniques such as fMRI and PET, for instance, in presurgical mapping and early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.


2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Raymond

Charlton Heston, one of Hollywood's most prominent political activists, devoted much of his time to the Screen Actors Guild. Throughout the course of Heston's long acting career, the guild shifted its policy emphasis on several occasions. During the 1960s, when Heston served on the executive board, the guild adhered to its traditional strategy of focusing on wages, benefits, and working conditions. At that point, Heston took a moderate approach toward guild business, often showing his willingness to compromise. In the 1970s, the guild leadership was captured by more “liberal” actors who wished to expand the union's activities into social and political channels not directly related to the job of acting. In the 1980s, the guild's leadership became even more militantly liberal. The resulting policy shifts provoked a reaction from Heston and a number of other conservative actors. It quickly became evident that Heston was no longer willing to compromise; he began to take an ideological, hard-line approach to guild matters. He not only led the conservatives in a successful campaign to return the guild to its original policy focus, but he also shaped federal labor policy with his efforts. Convinced that safety mechanisms were needed to protect guild members from a politically active board in the future, Heston advocated federal policies that would allow union members to withhold part of their dues if they disagreed with the political activities undertaken by union leadership.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
JOE J. RYAN-HUME

Abstract This article explores the emergence of women in the United States as a liberal voting group in the 1980s and the impact of this development on the power of liberalism, amid the Reagan revolution – an era often viewed as the apogee of conservatism. As the Republican party shifted in a more conservative direction in the 1980s, gender started to correlate with partisan preference/election outcomes in enough contests to give credence to the belief that women were becoming a decidedly liberal voting bloc. Contemporaneously, the equality-seeking movements of the 1960s and 1970s began institutionalizing their operations and exploiting these demographic shifts, becoming more entrenched than ever within the internal politics of the Democratic party. The National Organization for Women (NOW), the largest liberal women's group, proved to be particularly successful in this respect. Therefore, by presenting substantial archival evidence that liberal politicians and organizations remained a dynamic political force during the 1980s, this article details the growing organizational prowess of NOW and examines how liberals resisted the conservative challenge to fashion a political approach suited to the ‘Reagan Era’.


2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-102
Author(s):  
Mike Gable

AbstractIn this article, the author explains how "liberative dialogue" with a Socially Engaged Buddhist may enhance the tasks of Christian missiology and North American Christian church congregations as they seek God's reign of personal and social harmony. By deeply listening to Engaged Buddhists such as the Vietnam monk Thich Nhat Hanh, we may discover new ways, become further convinced of our current practices, and possibly improve our methods to carry on Jesus' liberative mission as he proclaimed in Luke 4: 16–19. From the Christian Liberation perspective of Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, the author examines some of the different yet common themes, goals and methods that are shared by Engaged Buddhism. The insights gained from our investigation of these two men from Latin America and Asia will broaden our missiological horizons. Likewise, they will encourage our appreciation of meditation, inculturation, reconciliation, inter-religious dialogue, and action for solidarity in these faith traditions. The conclusion will offer a variety of contributions to Christian missiology and practical suggestions for our churches that are the fruit of deep listening and dialogue with Engaged Buddhism. At this time in history, God knows we need all the collaboration we can muster for individual and global justice and peace. Dans cet article, l'auteur explique comment le « dialogue de libération » avec un bouddhiste engagé socialement peut dynamiser les tâches de la missiologie chrétienne et des communautés ecclésiales nord-américaines dans leur recherche du royaume de Dieu, royaume d'harmonie personnelle et sociale. L'écoute profonde de bouddhistes engagés comme le moine vietnamien Thich Nhat Hanh peut nous faire découvrir des voies nouvelles, nous rendre plus convaincus dans nos pratiques habituelles, et peut être améliorer nos méthodes pour accomplir la mission libératrice de Jésus proclamée en Luc 4, 16–19. A partir de la perspective de la libération chrétienne du P. Gustavo Gutiérrez, l'auteur examine les thèmes, objectifs et méthodes du bouddhisme engagé, qui sont divers tout en gardant un aspect commun. Nos horizons missiologiques sont élargis par ces intuitions latinoaméricaines et asiatiques tout spécialement et cette étude nous fera apprécier la méditation, l'inculturation, la réconciliation, le dialogue interreligieux et l'activité de solidarité dans ces traditions de foi. La conclusion apportera sa contribution à la missiologie chrétienne et des suggestions pratiques à nos communautés, fruit de cette écoute profonde et de ce dialogue avec le bouddhisme engagé. A ce moment de notre histoire, Dieu sait si nous avons besoin de toute la collaboration que nous pouvons mettre en œuvre en vue de la justice et de la paix personnelle et globale. In diesem Artikel erklärt der Autor, wie der "befreiende Dialog" mit einem sozial engagierten Buddhisten die Perspektiven christlicher Missiologie und nordamerikanischer Gemeinden fördern kann, wenn sie Gottes Herrschaft für persönliche und soziale Harmonie suchen. Wenn wir aufmerksam hinhören auf engagierte Buddhisten wie den vietnamesischen Mönch Thich Nhat Hanh, können wir neue Weisen entdecken, von unseren aktuellen Praktiken besser überzeugt werden und möglicherweise unsere Methoden verbessern, die befreiende Mission Jesu weiterzuführen, wie er sie in Lukas 4,16–19 verkündete. Von der Perspektive christlicher Befreiung Gustavo Gutiérrez' untersucht der Autor einige der verschiedenen, aber auch gemeinsamen Themen, Ziele und Methoden, die auch engagierte Buddhisten teilen. Während unsere missiologischen Horizonte mit diesen Einsichten aus Lateinamerika und besonders auch Asien ausgeweitet werden, will diese Studie unsere Wertschätzung von Meditation, Inkulturation, Versöhnung, interreligiösem Dialog und Handeln für die Solidarität in diesen Glaubenstraditionen fördern. Die Schlussfolgerung bietet eine Bandbreite von Beiträgen zur christlichen Missiologie und praktische Anregungen für unsere Kirchen an, die die Frucht tiefen Hinhörens und Dialogs mit dem engagierten Buddhismus sind. Zu diesem geschichtlichen Zeitpunkt können wir weiß Gott jede Mitarbeit brauchen, die wir einbringen können, für persönliche und globale Gerechtigkeit und Frieden. En este articulo, el autor explica cómo el "diálogo liberador" con un budista socialmente comprometido puede fortalecer la misionología cristiana y a congregaciones eclesiales cristianas de América del Norte, ya que ellas buscan el reino de Dios de la armonía personal y social. Al escuchar profundamente a budistas comprometidos como al monje vietnamita Thich Nhat Hanh podemos descubrir nuevos caminos, convencernos más de nuestras prácticas actuales y probablemente mejorar nuestros métodos para llevar adelante la misión liberadora de Jesús como él la proclamó en Lucas 4,16–19. Desde la perspectiva de una liberación cristiana del P. Gustavo Gutiérrez, el autor analiza algunos de los temas, metas y métodos diferentes, sin embargo comunes que se comparten con el budismo comprometido. Como nuestros horizontes misionológicos se amplían desde estas comprensiones desde América Latina y particularmente desde Asia, este estudio nos animará en nuestra valoración de la meditación, inculturación, reconciliación, diálogo interreligioso y acción por la solidaridad en estas tradiciones de fe. La conclusión ofrecerá una seria de aportes a la misionología cristiana y sugerencias prácticas para nuestras iglesias que son el fruto de una escucha y un diálogo profundo con el budismo comprometido. En este momento de la historia, Dios sabe que necesitamos toda la colaboración que podamos suscitar, para la justicia y paz individuales y globales.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-207
Author(s):  
Jøran Rudi

Knut Wiggen (1927–2016) is not a household name in music technology, despite the fact that he developed cutting-edge technology during the 1960s and early 1970s in Stockholm, as leader of both the concert organisation Fylkingen and the Electronic Music Studio (EMS). In the international literature on computer music, this development has only been mentioned in passing, if at all. However, EMS and the general development has been discussed in Scandinavian texts,1 but the links between Knut Wiggen’s technical achievements and his far-reaching ambitions for the music of the future, and how this vision aligned with philosophy and research at the time, have not been the focus. Hartenstein (2011) provides insights into Wiggen’s personal intentions and philosophy, and does not go much into technical detail, Groth (2010) focuses principally on the politics and aesthetic differences and subsequent conflicts at EMS, and although an overview of the EMS technology is provided, it is not always made clear how innovative it was. In Broman (2007), the broader lines of electroacoustic musical development are in focus.Wiggen combined social and political concerns with technical insight, and his overarching conviction of how a new art was necessary as a counterweight to mute consumerism is unique in computer music. The aim of this article is to describe and explain the coherency of Wiggen’s achievements, his philosophy, his use of current technological advances and research and his development of a new method for composing the music of the future. In order to support this focus, mainly primary sources have been used,2 however, the literature mentioned above has been consulted due to its use of interview data and other personal communication not commonly available. A degree of duplication of information has been required for the narrative not to suffer.The article will show that Wiggen was a visionary pioneer who has a natural place among such computer music luminaries as Max Mathews, Jean-Claude Risset, John Chowning, Iannis Xenakis, Peter Zinovieff and others from the same generation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 205 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 314-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yutaka Yamaguchi ◽  
Shigehito Yamada

The Kyoto Collection of Human Embryos and Fetuses, the largest collection of human embryos worldwide, was initiated in the 1960s, and the Congenital Anomaly Research Center of Kyoto University was established in 1975 for long-term storage of the collection and for the promotion of research into human embryonic and fetal development. Currently, the Kyoto Collection comprises approximately 45,000 specimens of human embryonic or fetal development and is renowned for the following unique characteristics: (1) the collection is considered to represent the total population of fetal specimens nationwide in Japan, (2) it comprises a large number of specimens with a variety of external malformations, and (3) for most specimens there are clinical and epidemiological data from the mothers and the pregnancies concerned. Therefore, the specimens have been used extensively for morphological studies and could potentially be used for epidemiological analysis. Recently, several new approaches such as DNA extraction from formalin-fixed specimens or geometric morphometrics have been adopted and it is to be expected that further technological advances will facilitate new studies on the specimens of the Kyoto Collection as well as of other human embryo collections worldwide. Permanent preservation of the Kyoto Collection is, therefore, of paramount importance so that it will continue to contribute to human embryological studies in the future.


Author(s):  
Daniel Thomas Cook

The academic study of children as consumers took root in the 1960s and did not begin in earnest until the 1970s, when the paradigm of ‘consumer socialization’ took hold among psychologically oriented business scholars. In the 1980s, some discussion of the history of children's consumption and popular culture began to appear in edited volumes and journal articles, with full treatments of some aspects of that history coming into view in the 1990s. Even as children's consumer culture takes centre stage in contemporary media reports, political punditry, and academic scholarship, the history of children's consumption remains largely unrecognized in, or otherwise marginal to, both histories of childhood and histories of consumption. Children's consumer lives or the popular culture of childhood most often occupy a side or subsidiary position in the overall historiography of childhood as in, for instance, recent works by Steven Mintz and Hugh Cunningham. It appears that, in a time of severe economic depression, both parents and commercial actors looked to childhood and the ‘child’ as promising bearers of hope for the future.


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