Faith & Philosophy of Buddhism

Faith & Philosophy of Buddhism
Author: V. S. Bhaskar
Publisher: Gyan Publishing House
Total Pages: 330
Release: 2009
Genre: Buddhism
ISBN: 9788178357225

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Buddhists, Brahmins, and Belief

Buddhists, Brahmins, and Belief
Author: Daniel Anderson Arnold
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 332
Release: 2005
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780231132817

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In Buddhists, Brahmins, and Belief, Dan Arnold examines how the Brahmanical tradition of Purva Mimamsa and the writings of the seventh-century Buddhist Madhyamika philosopher Candrakirti challenged dominant Indian Buddhist views of epistemology. Arnold retrieves these two very different but equally important voices of philosophical dissent, showing them to have developed highly sophisticated and cogent critiques of influential Buddhist epistemologists such as Dignaga and Dharmakirti. His analysis--developed in conversation with modern Western philosophers like William Alston and J. L. Austin--offers an innovative reinterpretation of the Indian philosophical tradition, while suggesting that pre-modern Indian thinkers have much to contribute to contemporary philosophical debates. In logically distinct ways, Purva Mimamsa and Candrakirti's Madhyamaka opposed the influential Buddhist school of thought that emphasized the foundational character of perception. Arnold argues that Mimamsaka arguments concerning the "intrinsic validity" of the earliest Vedic scriptures are best understood as a critique of the tradition of Buddhist philosophy stemming from Dignaga. Though often dismissed as antithetical to "real philosophy," Mimamsaka thought has affinities with the reformed epistemology that has recently influenced contemporary philosophy of religion. Candrakirti's arguments, in contrast, amount to a principled refusal of epistemology. Arnold contends that Candrakirti marshals against Buddhist foundationalism an approach that resembles twentieth-century ordinary language philosophy--and does so by employing what are finally best understood as transcendental arguments. The conclusion that Candrakirti's arguments thus support a metaphysical claim represents a bold new understanding of Madhyamaka.

Why I Am Not a Buddhist

Why I Am Not a Buddhist
Author: Evan Thompson
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2020-01-28
Genre: Buddhism
ISBN: 0300226551

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"A provocative essay challenging the idea of Buddhist exceptionalism, from one of the world's most widely respected philosophers and writers on Buddhism and science. Buddhism has become a uniquely favored religion in our modern age. A burgeoning number of books extol the scientifically proven benefits of meditation and mindfulness for everything ranging from business to romance. There are conferences, courses, and celebrities promoting the notion that Buddhism is spirituality for the rational; compatible with cutting-edge science; indeed, "a science of the mind." In this provocative book, Evan Thompson argues that this representation of Buddhism is false. In lucid and entertaining prose, Thompson dives deep into both Western and Buddhist philosophy to explain how the goals of science and religion are fundamentally different. Efforts to seek their unification are wrongheaded and promote mistaken ideas of both. He suggests cosmopolitanism instead, a worldview with deep roots in both Eastern and Western traditions. Smart, sympathetic, and intellectually ambitious, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhism's place in our world today."--Provided by publisher.

Buddhism without Beliefs

Buddhism without Beliefs
Author: Stephen Batchelor
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 146
Release: 1998-03-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1101663073

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A national bestseller and acclaimed guide to Buddhism for beginners and practitioners alike In this simple but important volume, Stephen Batchelor reminds us that the Buddha was not a mystic who claimed privileged, esoteric knowledge of the universe, but a man who challenged us to understand the nature of anguish, let go of its origins, and bring into being a way of life that is available to us all. The concepts and practices of Buddhism, says Batchelor, are not something to believe in but something to do—and as he explains clearly and compellingly, it is a practice that we can engage in, regardless of our background or beliefs, as we live every day on the path to spiritual enlightenment.

Indian Buddhist Philosophy

Indian Buddhist Philosophy
Author: Amber Carpenter
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 326
Release: 2014-09-03
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1317547764

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Organised in broadly chronological terms, this book presents the philosophical arguments of the great Indian Buddhist philosophers of the fifth century BCE to the eighth century CE. Each chapter examines their core ethical, metaphysical and epistemological views as well as the distinctive area of Buddhist ethics that we call today moral psychology. Throughout, this book follows three key themes that both tie the tradition together and are the focus for most critical dialogue: the idea of anatman or no-self, the appearance/reality distinction and the moral aim, or ideal. Indian Buddhist philosophy is shown to be a remarkably rich tradition that deserves much wider engagement from European philosophy. Carpenter shows that while we should recognise the differences and distances between Indian and European philosophy, its driving questions and key conceptions, we must resist the temptation to find in Indian Buddhist philosophy, some Other, something foreign, self-contained and quite detached from anything familiar. Indian Buddhism is shown to be a way of looking at the world that shares many of the features of European philosophy and considers themes central to philosophy understood in the European tradition.

The Scientific Buddha

The Scientific Buddha
Author: Donald S. Lopez
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 164
Release: 2012-09-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0300159137

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This book tells the story of the Scientific Buddha, "born" in Europe in the 1800s but commonly confused with the Buddha born in India 2,500 years ago. The Scientific Buddha was sent into battle against Christian missionaries, who were proclaiming across Asia that Buddhism was a form of superstition. He proved the missionaries wrong, teaching a dharma that was in harmony with modern science. And his influence continues. Today his teaching of "mindfulness" is heralded as the cure for all manner of maladies, from depression to high blood pressure. In this potent critique, a well-known chronicler of the West's encounter with Buddhism demonstrates how the Scientific Buddha's teachings deviate in crucial ways from those of the far older Buddha of ancient India. Donald Lopez shows that the Western focus on the Scientific Buddha threatens to bleach Buddhism of its vibrancy, complexity, and power, even as the superficial focus on "mindfulness" turns Buddhism into merely the latest self-help movement. The Scientific Buddha has served his purpose, Lopez argues. It is now time for him to pass into nirvana. This is not to say, however, that the teachings of the ancient Buddha must be dismissed as mere cultural artifacts. They continue to present a potent challenge, even to our modern world.

The Noble Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path
Author: Bhikkhu Bodhi
Publisher: Buddhist Publication Society
Total Pages: 151
Release: 2010-12-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 955240116X

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The Buddha's teachings center around two basic principles. One is the Four Noble Truths, in which the Buddha diagnoses the problem of suffering and indicates the treatment necessary to remedy this problem. The other is the Noble Eightfold Path, the practical discipline he prescribes to uproot and eliminate the deep underlying causes of suffering. The present book offers, in simple and clear language, a concise yet thorough explanation of the Eightfold Path. Basing himself solidly upon the Buddha's own words, the author examines each factor of the path to determine exactly what it implies in the way of practical training. Finally, in the concluding chapter, he shows how all eight factors of the path function in unison to bring about the realization of the Buddhist goal: enlightenment and liberation.

THE BUDDHIST WAY OF LIFE : ITS PHILOSOPHY and HISTORY

THE BUDDHIST WAY OF LIFE : ITS PHILOSOPHY and HISTORY
Author: F. Harold Smith
Publisher: K.K. Publications
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2022-01-22
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

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THE BUDDHIST WAY OF LIFE ITS PHILOSOPHY AIM HISTORY This study of Buddhism deals with the early tradition, followed by a brief consideration of its historicity, and the form the religion takes in Ceylon, Burma and Thailand. Then the mainline of development, in India, China and Japan comes under survey. Limits of space prevent any reference to Tibetan and other lesser branches of the faith, but this account attempts to focus essential Buddhism in both its chief schools, the Lesser and Greater Vehicle, together with an estimate of the influence of philosophy on sect and of both on the practical affairs of history. Contents SECTION I. EARLY SOURCES 1. Getama's Heritage 2. The Pali Records SECTION II. TICE TRADITION 3. The Enlightenment 4. The Jewels, Buddha & Dharma 5_ The Third. Jecvel, Sangho SECTION III INTERPRETATION 6. The Getama of History 7. Asoka SECTION IV. EARLY DIFFERENCES 8 Councils and Sciuxds 9. The Lesser Vehicle 10. Widening Hosizaas 11. Nalanda University SECTION V WORLD RELIGION 12 The Boddhisattva 13 The Chinese Cont on 14. The Chinese Interpretation 15. Sung and After 16. The Japanese Nation 17. Japan's Interpretation SECTION VI. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS 18. East and West

The Logic of Faith

The Logic of Faith
Author: Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2018-02-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0834841355

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A popular American Buddhist teacher explores the creative relationship between faith and doubt, knowing and not-knowing, and shows how an awakened life results from living from the place in between. Faith is a thorny subject these days. Its negative expressions cause many to dismiss it out of hand--but Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel urges us to reconsider, for faith is really nothing but our natural proclivity to find certainty in a world where certainty is hard to come by. And if we look carefully, we’ll discover that the faith impulse isn’t separate from reason at all—faith and logic in fact work together in a playful and dynamic relationship that reveals the profoundest kind of truth—a truth beyond the limits of “is” and “is not.” Using the traditional Buddhist teachings on dependent arising, Elizabeth leads us on an experiential journey to discover the essential interdependence of everything--and through that thrilling discovery to open ourselves to the whole wonderful range of human experience.