...International Buddhist College Course: BL6204/ME6204 Pali Literature September 3, 2009 Submitted by Hoang Van Minh Topic: Discuss the Theravada Concept of Paramita (Perfection) as Revealed in the Pali Commentaries 1. Introduction Pali Atthakatha is the huge part of the study of Pali literature in Buddhism. The atthakatha means the “explanation of the meaning” or “commentary” and can be mentioned as exegetical treatises on the texts of the Pali canon. Their main object is, therefore, to explain difficult words and abstruse points of doctrine that occur in the Texts and also to give additional explanatory information wherever it was deemed necessary.[1] For that reason Atthakatha is usually considered as the huge encyclopedia of Buddhist study. One can find in this precious treasure any interpretations of the Buddhist terminology, idea and philosophical explanation on Tipitakas; for almost the Pali Tipitaka has its own commentary. The concept of Paramitas is well-known not only in Mahayana tradition with the aim of complete enlightenment but also it is interpreted in almost by the same way in Theravada especially it is revealed in commentaries literature. Historically along the process of development, there are many arguments and misunderstandings between these two traditions especially while Mahayana developed many new concepts like the concept and practice of bodhisattva with numerous skillful means (upāyaksalya) which seem to go too far...
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...------------------------------------------------- Ensō Zen art exemplifies the Zen ideals of simplicity and spontaneity, and most often takes the form of calligraphy and simple ink drawings. The Zen circle, a popular motif in Zen art, represents the entire universe in a single, perfect stroke. Although simple, images like this are difficult to paint successfully and thus must be done with a clear mind focused on the task. Abhaya Mudra (Gesture of Fearlessness) Abhaya in Sanskrit means fearlessness, and the abhaya mudra symbolizes protection, peace, and the dispelling of fear. The gesture is made with the right hand raised to shoulder height, arm bent, and palm facing outward. The gesture is an ancient one, demonstrating that the hand is empty of weapons and thus indicating friendship and peace. To western eyes, it looks like the gesture meaning "stop." In both cases, the gesture implies fearlessness before a potential enemy. In Buddhism, the gesture is a symbol of the fearlessness—and thus the spiritual power—of the Buddha or bodhisattva who makes it. According to Buddhist tradition, the historical Buddha made this gesture immediately after gaining enlightenment. And later, when the historical Buddha was about to be attacked by an angry elephant, he held up his hand in the fearlessness gesture and immediately calmed it. The gesture of fearlessness is is only seen on Buddhas or boddhisatvas and appears most commonly in standing images. In Thailand and Laos, the abhaya...
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...Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birth-Mark”, he shows us the folly of human nature and our obsession with perfection. Hawthorne conveys his message through his main characters Aylmer, a scientist and lover of nature, and his beautiful wife, Georgina, who bears a small, crimson colored, hand-shaped birthmark upon her left cheek. Despite the amount of love that Aylmer has for his wife, he can’t help but to become engulfed with the mark that stains his wife’s cheek that keeps her from being perfect. Being a man of science he decides to create an elixir to remove her one flaw. “The Birth-Mark” is a story filled with potent symbolism to illustrate the scientist’s superficial endeavor, destructive irony, and a theme that provides us with moral allegory. The birth mark represents various things throughout the story, the most predominate symbol in this story is Georgina’s birthmark, which symbolizes the imperfection of human nature and mortality. Georgina was admired by many men, for she “came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature” (Hawthorne 291), but the only man she craved admiration from was Aylmer, who was not able to get past the slightest defect that blessed her cheek. The presence of the crimson stain deeply takes over his mind and dreams, it deeply disturbs him because it reminds him of his wife's humanity and mortality when he is on a quest for divine perfection. Though the birthmark is undoubtedly the bluntest use of symbolism in this story, Aylmer and Aminadab, Aylmer’s...
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...Sarmad Barrak Introduction to Philosophy November 13, 2014 Prof. Corrigan Happiness and Virtuous Life Knowledge is, the understanding of things in which we learn through our life experiences and through the most general truth of art and science. Wisdom however, consists of understanding the fundamental principles and causes of life. Moreover, Aristotle argues that the ultimate goal of life is “living well,” which is happiness. There are multiple activities we participate in as human beings either to stay alive such as eating, drinking, exercising, or to make life easier or better somehow. For example, thinking, learning, and educating ourselves is not just to stay alive but most importantly to live an enhanced life. To Aristotle, “living well” is the ultimate goal of life, because we participate in several physical and mental activities in our life time in the purpose of fulfilling the requirements that leads us to that well life, but not in the purpose of achieving further goals in life. According to Aristotle, “All men by nature desire to know.” There are a lot of things that we do as human beings, such as feelings, thinking, and reasoning. These are things we desire in this world or believe that they are good in seeking some goals in life. Everyone desires to know or to understand something in his or her lifetime. Everyone is searching for particular rational...
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...the most fascinating aspects of Brave New World for me is that it epitomises the pursuit of physical perfection and treatment of the notion of female beauty. In my opinion, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World conditions people into the ‘perfect human’ leading then to the ‘ideal society’ that Brave New World is about. This is a precise reflection of today’s society and our so called ‘obsession for physical perfection’. You see, in Brave New world, humans never have to think of dieting, plastic surgery,...
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...Wisdom is the first of the seven gifts of the holy spirit which are strengthened through the sacrament of confirmation. Wisdom helps us realize that the truths of Christian belief are far more important to are eternal soul that the things of these worlds, and and it helps us love creation for the sake of god instead of the sake of the creation itself. Another gift of the holy spirit is understanding. The gift of Understanding allows us to graspthe very essence of the truths of the Catholic faith. Through understanding, we gain a certitude about our beliefs that moves beyond faith. Counsel is the third gift of the holy spirit. Prudence can be practiced by anyone, but counsel is supernatural. Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we are able...
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...Buddhist art is a form of art which is entirely or partially based on Lord Buddha and his teachings. It has a high practice of rich symbolic tradition. As Buddhism spread into different nations, Buddhist symbolism was enriched by the cultures it came in contact with. For example, Tibet has borrowed Buddhist art and culture from India since 7th century. The most popular symbolic art in Tibet is comprised of the Eight Auspicious Symbols and the mudras: the hand gestures used by Buddha. These symbolic arts are not simply for decorative purpose, but contain a depth of meaning within them. Tibet also uses sound for Medicine Buddha practices, and although it may seem to be an ordinary chanting, certain musical sounds are categorized as a sound healing medicine. This research paper will examine the symbolic and healing properties of Tibetan Buddhist art and explain their significance in the 21st century. Buddhism, founded in India 2,500 years ago, still remains the leading religion of the Far East that has advanced into a wide variety of forms. It wasn’t until 7th century that Buddhism arrived in Tibet which was comparatively late date compared with the rest of Asia.The religion, writing system, art and many other aspects of Tibetan high culture were obtained directly from India. During the 7th century, the emperor of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, was fascinated by what Indian Buddhist culture had to offer, so he sent scholars to India for both religious and non-spiritual studies. He also...
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...PHILMAN PRELIM Lesson 3: Greek Wisdom of Man The Greek Triumvirate The Greek Triumvirate of philosophy is known for having a chain of teacher-student relationship. Socrates was the teacher of Plato; Plato was the teacher of Aristotle; and Aristotle was the teacher of one of history’s greatest conqueror – Alexander, the Great. The Greek Triumvirate & the Three Oriental Sages * Although the teachings of the Three Oriental Sages and the Greek Triumvirate are dissimilar, they however, have a resembling view on the soul of man. * The Oriental sages and the Greek triumvirate believed that man’s soul pre-existed his body. * The Greek triumvirate believes that man, in his original and ideal existence as a soul or a « pure mind », knew all things by direct intuition and had all knowledge stored in his mind. However, when man was banished into his world of sense, man blurred out and forgot almost everything he ever knew. * The Greek triumvirate posited that the present problems of man was caused by ignorance or lack of knowledge and that the only way for man to solve these problems is by recalling all his previous knowledge. * However, while they believe in the vitalityt of looking into one’s self as a method to resolve man’s problem, there are still major differences when it comes to the ‘specifics’ of their ideologies. Socrates * He was born in Athens circa 469 B.C. and died in 399 B.C. * He is known as one of mankind’s greatest teachers. ...
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...ETHICS AND VALUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION - INDIAN THOUGHT AND CURRENT SCENARIO I. V. SUBBA RAO' and M.V. SHANTARAM' We often quote the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi whenever we discuss issues related to education in India. Tlie Gandhian philosophy of education emphasises humanization of education through the development of "head, heart and liand". Extending this thought fijxther culiiiinates in to an integral system of education involving wisdom, compassion and service. Yet, another great thinker from our country, Swami Vivekananda, simplified the concept of education as t|ie "manifestation of perfection already in man". In recent times several intellectuals have emphasised the need for redefining ethics. Sinha (1998)'' elaborating the Gandhian thought and Vivekananda's perception states that "Education should aim at balanced growth of the individual and insist on both knowledge and wisdom,.It should train not only the intellect but bring grace and love in to the heart of man and wisdom is gained by constant assimilation of knowledge". Professional ethics has once again been a topic of discussion in several fora. Some of the professions are bound by fairly well defined, though artificial, code of conduct and they are written laws. The professions such as legal and medical, including veterinary are bound by such codes of conduct. But, when it comes to the wide arena of the teaching profession such defined codes of conduct do not exist. Nevertheless, the society...
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...in the little things of life, and is afraid of letting small things pass him by without him noticing them. This belief carries over into how he raises his crops, which is slowly to nurture the best taste. In regards to taste, Masumoto states, “If we’ve done our work correctly, it’s no longer about our fruits but rather the creation of a personalized story of flavor, a spirit of perfection that goes beyond our farm’s boundaries” (Wisdom Of The Last Farmer 210). With the development of corporate farming, however, this belief of savoring food has disappeared only to be replaced by fast-food detachment....
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...teaches us many things, such as: how to love, accept hurt, forgive one another, and show mercy to others. There are many symbolisms within the Word of God, including the use of numbers. Often in The Bible, the symbolic meaning of a number has more value than that of the exact numerical value. Christians have placed emphasis on four “perfect” numbers within The Bible. The numbers three, seven, ten, and twelve have perfect value in both the Old and New Testaments and further examination will explain their caliber of significant symbolism. “He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the scriptures said.” {1 Corinthians 15:4 NLT} The number three is the first of four perfect numbers and is referred to as divine perfection. In scripture, the number three represents something of which is complete, authentic, and meaningful. It is often indicative of an important event or moment in time, such as when the Earth was separated from the waters in Genesis 1:9-13. Throughout the Old Testament, the number three is symbolized in various events, such as the following: Abraham’s three day journey to Mt. Moriah in which he was commanded to sacrifice his son {Genesis 22:1-4}, baby Moses was hidden by his mother for three months {Exodus 2:1}, God is acknowledged three times in the Shema {Deuteronomy 6:4} and in the blessing {Numbers 23:24}, and lastly, Jonah spent three days the great fish’s belly {Jonah 1:17}. The number three is also significant during the duration of...
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...Exercise 1 1-a Emblems | Description | Taiji | Tai = great; Ji = pole; Symbolism: * Taoism in China * Symbol of balance in the world * All things contain two sides, the positive and negative | The statue of liberty | Original name: Liberty Enlightening the World, * A gift from France to America * The tallest structure in New York City * A symbol of freedom * Against totalitarian regimes during and after World War II. * Energized campaigns for civil liberties and women's rights * It depicts a woman representing liberty, raising a torch in her right hand and holding a tablet in her left. | Olympics Rings of Fire | Symbolism: * The five interlocking rings represent the five continents brought together by the Olympic Movement, Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania Meanings: * To show the universality of Olympism * White background: translates the idea of the universality of the Olympic Movement. * At least one of the colors of the rings, including the white background, can be found on the flag of every nation in the world." | Marxism | Definition: A system of economic, social, and political philosophy based on ideas that view social change in terms of economic factors. History: * Developed in the 19th century * By two Germans living in London - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels * Forms the foundation of communism. Aim: * To develop a classless society which governs itself...
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...Leibniz, like many thinkers of his time, was a theist - in other words he believed in God. He thought that the universe was composed of substances, chosen and maintained by God. He declared in his Theodicy that God created the world to be the best of all possible worlds, since God, as a benevolent deity, would not have created anything different. This is a difficult assumption for the modern reader to digest, as we are surrounded by examples of evil every day in the news. Leibniz proves the existence of God by a priori and a posteriori arguments. Leibniz declares that there are two kinds of truth: truths of reason, and truths of fact. Truths of reason are a priori, while truths of fact are a posteriori. Truths of reason are necessary, permanent truths, and proceeding from a known or assumed cause to a necessarily related effect (deductive). Truths of fact are contingent, empirical truths relating to or derived by reasoning from observed facts (inductive) (Davidson, 91). Both kinds of truth must have a sufficient reason. Truths of reason have their sufficient reason in being opposed to the contradictoriness and logical inconsistency of propositions which deny them (Davidson, 93). Truths of fact have their sufficient reason in being more perfect than propositions which deny them. The Priori on pre-established harmony in so far as such harmony demands an author, and this is God. The posteriori explains everything that exists must have sufficient reason for existing, and this reason...
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...mind that hasn’t been renewed results in wicked actions while one with a “renewed mind” acts in a Godly way. (Roman 12:2) “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” In so little words the scripture does not want us to be a follower in this world but instead act as leader by renewing our minds. By doing so it is God’s will that we act accordingly. Renewing our minds creates a new journey and direction when you may have been going down the wrong one. (Proverbs 1:7) “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instructions.” Act as God has instructed us to do so because those who do not obey his word look down on wisdom and instructions and therefore do not follow his word. (Proverbs 19:27) “Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” God is saying my son do not take instruction from the wrong people. Furthermore, he states do not let the wrong people lead you instead allow me to guide you. By being a follower, you choose to stay away from the Lord’s word. The overall importance of biblical foundations and the importance of higher education and its calling is to not fall into the in-crowd. In closing, be a leader among...
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...Leadership Analysis The Bridge on The River Kwai August 5, 2012 Shekhar Gahlot (ICS Hitotsubashi, Tokyo, Japan) Leadership Analysis: The Bridge on the River Kwai The year: 1943. The place: Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in Burma. In the setting of World War II, a defeated unit British Soldiers is marched into a Japanese prison camp in western Thailand, with the purpose of constructing a bridge over the River Kwai to carry a new railway line to invade Burma. The camp is run by a dutiful commandant Colonel Saito and his men. The British troop is led by a stiff-lipped Colonel Nicholson. Nicholson is highly revered by his men, he is their friend and confidant; he can do them no wrong. So begins the classic World War II movie The Bridge on the River Kwai. In the August of 2009 during a humid Sunday afternoon I happened to stumble upon this English classic. I presumed it to be just another vintage war movie. However, on careful inspection, it became an excellent treatise for understanding various forms of "leadership" paradigms, which are not only useful in the Army but can be easily observed in contemporary corporate world. It is one of those few war movies which focus more on building its characters rather than the war itself. It portrays two very different leadership styles, which are intensely portrayed by its characters Colonel Nicholson and Colonel Saito. The movie starts with difference of opinion and clashes of ego between the two leads. Saito is persistent...
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