The Kanmuryojukyo(“The Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life Sutra”)is among the three principle canons of Pure Land Buddhism(Jpn.Jodo Shu and Jodo Shinshu)along with Amitayus Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra.Althou...The Kanmuryojukyo(“The Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life Sutra”)is among the three principle canons of Pure Land Buddhism(Jpn.Jodo Shu and Jodo Shinshu)along with Amitayus Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra.Although the original Sanskrit text was never found,it was translated into Chinese by a monk named Kalayasas in the 5th century and became an influential text in Mahayana Buddhism in East Asia with the help of commentaries written by notable Chinese scholars,such as Shandao in the 7th century.The sutra contains the story of Queen Vaidehi who is imprisoned by her murderous son Ajatasattu and visited by Shakyamuni Buddha in response to her prayer to be born in Amitabha’s pure land.Though in prison,the Buddha tells her how to be liberated and reborn in the pure land by meditating sixteen visualizations.展开更多
Many of those involved in the ecological movement have found inspiration and parallels within the Buddhist tradition. The Buddhist philosophy of karmic causality and dependent origination （pratitya-samutpada） convey...Many of those involved in the ecological movement have found inspiration and parallels within the Buddhist tradition. The Buddhist philosophy of karmic causality and dependent origination （pratitya-samutpada） convey the notion of interdependence of humans and nature. Today, especially in the United States, there are many movements, such as the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, to promote eco-living and sustainable communities, which call for humans to be mindful of the environment and make conscientious choices for the benefit of all sentient beings and non-sentient entities. Just as humans have been the cause of the gradual deterioration of Nature, we can also be the solution towards an coo-conscious living, which not only fosters a healthy environment, but also enables us to build good merit. The core Buddhist teaching, which must be embraced by all eco-minded practitioners is the notion of interdependence, which has been expounded by notable Japanese Buddhist figures in the eighth century, such as Kukai （774-835） of the Shingon School and Dogen （1200-1253） of the Soto Zen sect, who both viewed that non-living life forms--trees, plants, and the earth--could also achieve enlightenment. Their view is based on the ontological notions of Buddha-nature （tathagata-garbha） and Indra＇s Jewel Net, which is a powerful image found in Huayen＇s （Jpn. Kegon） Avatamsaka Sutra. This paper examines Buddhist teachings and sutras, which support eco-friendly and sustainable movements in our society and world today.展开更多
Ch＇en Tu-hsiu （1879-1942）, co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party （CCP）, was one of the major intellectual figures who strongly advocated anti-Confucianism during the May Fourth Movement in 1919 on the basis t...Ch＇en Tu-hsiu （1879-1942）, co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party （CCP）, was one of the major intellectual figures who strongly advocated anti-Confucianism during the May Fourth Movement in 1919 on the basis that in order for China to survive in the modem world, it was necessary for China to reject the totally outdated tradition of Confucianism and adopt wholeheartedly Western methods and ideas, such as individualism and even Christianity. While the hard-line conservatives viewed that the way to reform China was in upholding Confucianism as unifying factor, Ch＇en viewed Confucianism as a formless philosophy that kept China back from the process of modernization.展开更多
文摘The Kanmuryojukyo(“The Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life Sutra”)is among the three principle canons of Pure Land Buddhism(Jpn.Jodo Shu and Jodo Shinshu)along with Amitayus Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra.Although the original Sanskrit text was never found,it was translated into Chinese by a monk named Kalayasas in the 5th century and became an influential text in Mahayana Buddhism in East Asia with the help of commentaries written by notable Chinese scholars,such as Shandao in the 7th century.The sutra contains the story of Queen Vaidehi who is imprisoned by her murderous son Ajatasattu and visited by Shakyamuni Buddha in response to her prayer to be born in Amitabha’s pure land.Though in prison,the Buddha tells her how to be liberated and reborn in the pure land by meditating sixteen visualizations.
文摘Many of those involved in the ecological movement have found inspiration and parallels within the Buddhist tradition. The Buddhist philosophy of karmic causality and dependent origination （pratitya-samutpada） convey the notion of interdependence of humans and nature. Today, especially in the United States, there are many movements, such as the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, to promote eco-living and sustainable communities, which call for humans to be mindful of the environment and make conscientious choices for the benefit of all sentient beings and non-sentient entities. Just as humans have been the cause of the gradual deterioration of Nature, we can also be the solution towards an coo-conscious living, which not only fosters a healthy environment, but also enables us to build good merit. The core Buddhist teaching, which must be embraced by all eco-minded practitioners is the notion of interdependence, which has been expounded by notable Japanese Buddhist figures in the eighth century, such as Kukai （774-835） of the Shingon School and Dogen （1200-1253） of the Soto Zen sect, who both viewed that non-living life forms--trees, plants, and the earth--could also achieve enlightenment. Their view is based on the ontological notions of Buddha-nature （tathagata-garbha） and Indra＇s Jewel Net, which is a powerful image found in Huayen＇s （Jpn. Kegon） Avatamsaka Sutra. This paper examines Buddhist teachings and sutras, which support eco-friendly and sustainable movements in our society and world today.
文摘Ch＇en Tu-hsiu （1879-1942）, co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party （CCP）, was one of the major intellectual figures who strongly advocated anti-Confucianism during the May Fourth Movement in 1919 on the basis that in order for China to survive in the modem world, it was necessary for China to reject the totally outdated tradition of Confucianism and adopt wholeheartedly Western methods and ideas, such as individualism and even Christianity. While the hard-line conservatives viewed that the way to reform China was in upholding Confucianism as unifying factor, Ch＇en viewed Confucianism as a formless philosophy that kept China back from the process of modernization.
