Buddhist Pragmatism or Pragmatic Buddhism: What is the relationship between Buddhism and Pragmatism?

With the rise of modernity, the Western world fell into a deep spiritual crisis which forced Comte to Dewey, and Einstein to Whitehead to synthesize a cosmic or humanistic religion. Similarly, the rise of modern science increased western interest in Eastern religions. Because of the ontological resemblance,they further enquired to Buddhism by assuming that would be a religion of their ideal. They began interpreting Buddhism through the lenses of modern philosophies. As a result, Buddhism appeared so diverse that sometimes its positioning is confusing and ambivalent- e.g. 'ethical idealism', 'atheism', 'empiricism', etc. As an attempt of resolving the contradictory positioning, both the original nikayas translated in English by PTS and commentary texts of Buddhism authored by both eastern and western scholars were carefully reviewed. These texts suggested that Buddhism is mostly close to 'ethical pragmatism. To present this closeness, the article at the first describes the cardinal principles of pragmatism, which are- multiple truths, verification of truths, changeability of truth; and then discusses how these principles are embedded in the teaching of Buddha. It also claims that Buddha’s efforts on developing new doctrine, constituting a Sangha, practicing sainthood, and defending against rival doctrines and organizations were just strategies of social reform via cultivating ethics rather than the objectives in themselves. This knowledge contributes to the understanding of both pragmatism and Buddhism from each other's perspectives, and at the same time, draws its educational implication in developing critical thinking, and ethical values.

Motifs of the crisis of the Russian family and national statehood in the epic trilogy of Boleslav Markevich (“A Quarter of a Century Ago”, “The Turning Point” and “The Void”)

In Soviet times, Boleslav Markevich's novel trilogy was unconditionally considered to be among the most orthodox anti-nihilistic works. However, already contemporary to the author, conservative criticism considered the nihilists to be the artistically weakest heroes of this trilogy. What is in the centre of Boleslav Markevich's narrative, is the historical fate of the Russian nobility, which suffered a crushing defeat during the “great reforms” of the 1860s, rather than nihilists. Boleslav Markevich shows that that defeat was associated with a deep spiritual crisis of the enlightened part of the nobility, which supported the national statehood, with the latter preserving the moral foundations which strengthened the Russian family. In his trilogy, Boleslav Markevich depicts the rapidly growing crisis of those spiritual foundations, which was a fertile ground for flourishing of Russian nihilism. In this case, Boleslav Markevich is close to Fyodor Dostoevsky, who in the novel “Demons” for the first time had showed the continuity between cultural nobles and nihilists who are their heirs, the spiritual children of the latter. The lack of faith in fathers gave rise to nihilism in sons. That is why Boleslav Markevich’s focus is on the nobility rather than on Russian nihilists as, due to which that writer turned out to be a thoughtful art historian.

Eschatology and Religiosity of the People in Russia in the 17th Century

The article studies the religiosity of Russian population in the 17th century in order to find out the type of this state of public mind. Special attention is drawn to the acuteness of eschatological expectations in society, which intensified during periods of crises. After the Time of Troubles (Smuta), the Church, trying to bring society out of the spiritual crisis, had been exploiting the “end of the world” topic through publishing relevant texts. This trend was especially noticeable during the time of Patriarch Joseph. The decision of the Moscow Printing House (Pechatnyi Dvor) to extend the amount of eschatological publications was determined not only by the direction of church policy, but also by the request in society, the desire of the population to get a more complete picture of the Christian teaching about the ultimate destinies of the world and man, since the spiritual crisis had presupposed an increase of apocalyptic moods. This desire indicates that the population was characterized by the religiosity of the medieval type. The article scrutinizes in particular the 2nd half of the 17th century, which modern researchers rightly designate as the early Modern era. In a society with such a keen perception of the time, the church reform, initiated in the middle of the century by Patriarch Nikon, was naturally not supported by a part of the population. In the interpretation of the defenders of the Old Belief, the actions of the reformers turned into clear signs of the advent of the kingdom of Antichrist, as it was prophesied in Christian teaching. It was not some peculiarity of the worldview of the opponents of church reform, their behavior adjusted the religiosity of the epoch. To justify these thoughts the position of Patriarch Nikon could be mentioned. Nikon found himself in a situation of disapproval and, arguing to be wrongfully convicted and misunderstood, he also used the eschatological doctrine. Based on the analysis of such facts, the article concludes that the 2nd half of the 17th century was characterized by religiosity of the medieval type.

May 24, 2005—Finding Home

Nell experiences a spiritual crisis. She worries her faith is not complete, reasoning that if she had more faith, she would not fear the unknown of death. The importance of faith and of receiving the Sacrament of Confession and the ritual of anointing the senses is affirmed. Through her brother John’s dream of reuniting, she finally feels what it is like to “go home,” to return to feelings of family, even when those feelings include the recollection of violence, which Nell wisely sees as preparation for death. She is letting go of her family and friends by setting boundaries and closing down phone calls and emails. Holding on and letting go, a fundamental rhythm of life, is shifting toward release. Nell’s dear friend Mary sends her a heartfelt message in a beautiful greeting card where she articulates the painful process of letting go and her hope of their reunion in the next world. When loving family members or friends try to express empathy with cancer patients, it often seems like pity, which irritates rather than comforts. In this peculiar dynamic, the patient experiences the caregiver’s good intention as overly solicitous. Hollow compassion creates distance, not closeness.

The Roots of the Ecological Crisis in the Theological and Philosophical Landscape of Modern Civilization

According to contemporary Muslim philosopher and theologian Seyyed Hossein Nasr, the ecological crisis is a by-product of the modern Western worldview. The root cause of the crisis is the modern concept of nature, knowledge, and human, which has led to a spiritual crisis. For Nasr, the modern human has forgotten the vertical ascend and followed its echo and shadow in the earthly ambitions with the blind pursuit and application of modern science and technology (scientism). He desacralized knowledge and nature and sought infinite material progress in the finite world and thus brought about self-destruction in the form of ecological and environmental crises. For Nasr, the reign of quantity gave impetus to consumerism which resulted in the unprecedented destruction of nature. This paper analyzes Nasr’s views about the theological and philosophical causes of the ecological crisis and attempts to offer a realistic solution to it.

Conclusion

This chapter steps back from the critical discussions of the previous chapters to contemplate the bigger picture of Melville’s wisdom project as a response to the condition of modernity. It intersperses brief excursions on Clarel and “The Apple-Tree Table” to show that Melville deemed the spiritual crisis of his day an inescapable conflict, but one that could be weathered while holding on to at least some kind of spiritual belief. Wisdom represented for Melville the best strategic guide to surviving this crisis, and the wisdom books, this chapter contends, helped Melville engage the Bible constructively rather than antagonistically. Literature for Melville is a space in which religious doubt, critical inquiry, and biblical language and philosophy may be juxtaposed, contemplated, and moderated, so as to avoid radical suspicion and skepticism.

Yedidyah Ha-Alexandri and the Crisis of the Modern Jewish Age: Philo of Alexandria as an Exemplary Ḥasid in Naḥman Krochmal’s Thought

The present article sets out to answer the question of the extent to which Naḥman Krochmal’s reappraisal of Philo of Alexandria in the light of his Jewish faith reflects a deep spiritual crisis that was engulfing the Maskilic world: the encroaching expansion of modern Hasidism with its transformed understanding of traditional Judaism among Eastern European communities. To this end, a major component of Krochmal’s Jewish historical thought as expressed in his masterful unfinished work Guide of the Perplexed of the Modern Age can be revealed. The examination employs two methods in order to uncover the intent behind Krochmal’s fragmentary presentation of Philo: exploring his utilization of Dähne’s Geschichtliche Darstellung der jüdisch-alexandrinischen Religionsphilosophie to demonstrate the congruence of Philo’s thought with Tannaitic ethics and drawing on similar depictions of Philo found among his circles and pupils. The study claims that Krochmal’s revival of Philo as a key Jewish thinker is politically mobilized for an ideological assault on the Hasidim, with whom the Maskilim had ongoing conflicts. Reconstructing his portrayal of Philo as a paragon of Second Temple Judaism, the paper argues that Krochmal projects his own spiritual crisis from the Maskilic settings of nineteenth-century Galicia onto the Jewish reality of first-century Alexandria, thus reproducing a valiant image of Philo as the embodiment of the Maskilic consciousness that was grappling with the ancient, overly theoretical Hasideans of his days.

AJARAN SUNAN BONANG TENTANG MUSYAHADAH

Today the Ummah is experiencing a crisis in Islamic civilization. One indicator is the occurrence of spiritual degradation among them, even though the spiritual dimension of Islam has inspired the civilization as a whole. Therefore, efforts to revitalize Islam must start from a re-understanding of this matter. Wali Sanga is seen as the party who succeeded in building Islamic civilization in this country. Their teachings are widely accepted by Muslims today. Among the Wali Sanga teachings related to the spiritual dimension of Islam that is important to study is the teachings of Sunan Bonang about musyahadah. Musyâhadah is part of ihsân which is the highest level in Islam. Musyâhadah needs to be cultivated in the soul of Muslims in the midst of a civilization crisis, spiritual crisis, and crises in various dimensions of life. The purpose of this research is to describe how the teachings of Sunan Bonang about musyâhadah and to trace the extent of the influence of the thoughts of previous scholars on these teachings. The method used is literature study, which is how research works by searching for data through books and other written sources related to the problem. Based on this research, Sunan Bonang taught that a believer should always remember Allah in every situation so that he is able to concentrate his inner eye vision only on Allah. Everything other than Allah disappeared from his heart so that whatever could be seen by his eyes always reminded him of the Creator alone. Wherever he is, he feels with Allah (sortie Lan Pangēranê). This is what is meant by musyahadah. The teachings of Sunan Bonang about musyahadah were heavily influenced by previous scholars, such as Amru bin Uthman Al-Makki, Abu Sa'id Al-Kharraz, Abu Ali Ad-Daqqaq, and so on.

Atheism as a Vocation: Soviet Communism and Its Atheist Apologists

In the Soviet Union, the figure of the “atheist apologist”—a propagandist charged with publicly denouncing religion and spreading atheism—emerged during Nikita Khrushchev’s antireligious campaign (1958-1964). When Khrushchev came to power, he denounced Stalin’s more pragmatic approach to religious affairs and called for a return to ideological purity. The Soviet Union had entered a new historical stage – “Building Communism” – which again made religion a problem and atheism a priority. Yet, as the party mobilised for a new antireligious campaign, it realized that it lacked the institutions, expertise, and cadres to conduct atheist work, and that it had to build an atheist apparatus. This made the figure of the religious apostate turned atheist apologist especially valuable., and under Khrushchev, hundreds of believers and clergy publicly broke with religion. Among them, Evgraf Duluman (1928-2013) and Aleksandr Osipov (1911-1967) were the most prominent. These figures transformed a private spiritual crisis into a public vocation, in the process becoming the party’s atheist apologists. Based on archival sources and the author’s interviews with former atheist cadres, this chapter looks at what atheist apologists can reveal about the Soviet atheist apparatus and the party’s struggle to overcome religion, spread atheism, and build Communism.