Theme 1: Faith and Religion
Definition of Religion
The English word religion is in use since the 13th century, loaned from Anglo-French religiun (11th century), ultimately from the Latin religio, "reverence for God or the gods, careful pondering of divine things, piety, the res divinae".
The ultimate origins of Latin religio are obscure. It is usually accepted to derive from ligare "bind, connect"; likely from a prefixed re-ligare, i.e. re (again) + ligare or "to reconnect."
Confucius Concept of “Heaven”CHAP. XIX. 1. “The Master said, 'Great indeed was Yao as a sovereign! How majestic was he! It is only Heaven that is grand, and only Yao corresponded to it. How vast was his virtue! The people could find no name for it.”---Analects Daoist Concept of “Dao”
“(Tao) having no name, it is the Originator of heavenand earth; (conceived of as) having a name, it is the Mother of allthings.
Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law fromHeaven; Heaven takes its law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is itsbeing what it is.”---Daode Jing
Buddhist Concept of “Buddha”
“Enlightened One”
Taking Refuge on Three Jewels
1 Buddha
2 Dharma
3 Sangha
Kalama Sutra (Anguttaranikaya 3.65 tr. by Soma Thera)
“There are some monks and brahmins, venerable sir, who visit Kesaputta. They expound and explain only their own doctrines; the doctrines of others they despise, revile, and pull to pieces. Some other monks and brahmins too, venerable sir, come to Kesaputta. They also expound and explain only their own doctrines; the doctrines of others they despise, revile, and pull to pieces. Venerable sir, there is doubt, there is uncertainty in us concerning them. Which of these reverend monks and brahmins spoke the truth (sacca) and which falsehood (musaa)? “
“Come, Kaalaamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by oral tradition (anussava); nor upon succession (from teacher to disciple, paramparaa); nor upon rumour (itikiraa); nor upon what is in a scripture (pi.tikasampadaa); nor upon pure reason (takka); nor upon inference (naya); nor upon reasoned consideration (aakaaraparivitakka); nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over (di.t.thinijjhaanakkhanti); nor upon another's seeming expertise (bhavyaruupataa); nor upon the consideration, 'The monk is our teacher' (sama.no no garu). Kaalaamas, when you yourselves know: 'These things are bad; these things are blameable; these things are censured by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill,' abandon them.”
Authority
1. Anussava; (oral) tradition, repeated hearing, report
2. Paramparaa; succession, series (lineage), tradition
3. Itikiraa; rumour, hearsay
4. Pi.tikasampadaa; what is in a scripture
5. Bhavyaruupataa; another's seeming ability, expert testimony
6. Sama.no no garu; 'The monk is our teacher'
Reason
1. Takka; (specious) reasoning, hair-splitting reasoning, sophistry
2. Naya; inference, surmise, logic
3. AAkaaraparivitakka; reasoned consideration
4. Di.t.thinijjhaanakkhanti; a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over.
“Kaalaamas, when you yourselves know: 'These things are bad (akusala); these things are blameable (saavajja); these things are censured by the wise (viññugarahita); undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm (ahita) and ill (dukkha),' abandon them. “
“Kaalaamas, when you yourselves know: 'These things are good (kusala); these things are not blameable (anavajja); these things are praised by the wise (viññuppasattha); undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit (hita) and happiness (sukha),' enter on and abide in them. “
Buddha’s attitude to knowledge
1. To consider the Context and the Consequences
2. ethical, pragmatic, empirical
Place for Faith
“Filled with faith he visits him and pays respect to him; having paid respect to him, he gives ear; when he gives ear, he hears the Dhamma; having heard the Dhamma, he memorises it and examines the meaning (upaparikkhati) of the teachings he has memorised; when he examines their meaning, he gains a reflective acceptance of those teachings (dhammaa-nijjhaana.m-khamanti); when he gains a reflective acceptance of those teachings, zeal springs up (chanda); when zeal has sprung up, he applies his will (ussahati); having applied his will, he scrutinises (tuuleti); having scrutinised, he strives (padahati); resolutely striving, he realises with the body the ultimate truth (paramasacca) and sees it by penetrating it with wisdom (paññaa)” ---[Majjhimanikaaya 70.23.]
Kalama Sutra
Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu/ Soma Thera/ F.L. Woodward
Reviewed by Bhikkhu Bodhi/ Larry Rosenberg/ Mokkhabalarama /Dharmacari Nagapriya/
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Juliet Hollister Award 2006
Speech delivered at Juliet Hollister Award
On “Peace and Interfaith Education”
October 18, 2006
UN Headquarters, NY
I would like to thank the Temple of Understanding for inviting me to be among the honorees of this year’s Juliet Hollister Awards. It is truly an honor to be here tonight and to share in the Temple of Understanding’s recognition of peace and interfaith education.
On my way to attend tonight’s event I recalled a conversation from ten years ago with a young man named Ming. He came to me with this question. He said, “My parents are devout Buddhists. Does this mean that I must become Buddhist?”
I told him, “No.”
My advice to him was that he should take time to explore all religious and philosophical viewpoints. Only then could he know for certain which of these to put his faith in.
I wanted him to realize that a person can hold values from several traditions. As a Buddhist nun, I have great faith in my practice of Buddhism. However, I also draw wisdom from Confucian and Taoist beliefs. The introduction of Buddhism into China did not eliminate what was already good in Chinese culture. Instead, it added to it. It gave expression to a particular path of truth that had not yet been explored in China.
Having faith in one particular tradition while still being able to draw strength and understanding from other wisdom teachings, allows for a multi-valued approach to faith. I think this kind of approach is important today. What is good for humanity is good, regardless of whether it comes from the East or the West.
As we struggle to come to terms with both the historic and current entanglements that involve religion and violent conflict, it becomes essential to advance an open dialogue across cultures that highlight our shared desire to be free from suffering. It is particularly important that we teach our younger generation those aspects of our faith that foster peace and compassion. Without such training, our young people run the risk of being lured into extremist teachings that promote intolerance and war.
When young people come to my summer retreat programs, we offer them an opportunity to actively cultivate inner- peace and compassion. We emphasize traditional methods of strengthening the body, mind and spirit- not only for the benefit of ourselves, but also to help serve others as well. There is no negative discussion about other faiths and traditions. Our students bring with them ideas from all different backgrounds and faiths and are encouraged to openly question and explore the value of our Buddhist teaching. In this way students integrate what they learn not on the basis of our authority, but rather on the basis of their own reasoned judgment and experience.
The student’s participation in a Buddhist monastic lifestyle de-mystifies the Buddhist faith so that they can make informed judgments about Buddhism. Our hope is that in their daily lives they will be able to draw upon our tradition’s emphasis on peace, non-violence, and compassion.
We all would agree that religion is of great value when it is compassionate and uplifting. The offer of peace and comfort to a suffering humanity is one of the primary goals of religion. Yet, there are ever-increasing critical viewpoints suggesting that religion, in some instances, leads to an increase of suffering, rather than its relief. Current events certainly add evidence to such statements. In these cases we might point to intolerant and extremist views for this corrupting influence.
Because of such corrupting influences, it is very important for religious education to remain open to critical examination. When religious education becomes closed, tightly controlled, and secretive there is a possibility that it can become negative and cult-like. When religious teachings remain open, the option for critical dialogue and reform exists. Without reform a religion’s positive values and behaviors can become aberrant, and even dangerous.
There is a well known Buddhist analogy that states that the teachings of the Buddha are like a finger pointing to the moon. In this analogy, we are reminded not to dwell on the finger, but rather to look where it is pointing. The Buddha’s intention was not to create a religion, but rather to provide a solution to suffering. The teachings are meant only as a means to an end. The teaching itself is not the goal. If we adhere to teachings without critical examination, we can miss the goal. If any teachings are exposed in Buddhism that may in any way lead to suffering, than such teachings would violate the original intention and should be discarded.
In order to avoid serious deviations in scriptural interpretation, all traditions should demand a strong intra-faith dialogue that openly allows for self-criticism. As a Buddhist, I am free to speak out against any irregular practice or misbehavior among Buddhists that may threaten the integrity of my tradition. Yet, if I were to speak out against other faiths, I might be criticized and create resentment between our two faiths. This is why it is best that criticism should come from within.
The ability to benefit from inter-faith education relies on the existence of a safe and open inquiry within each tradition. Without a respect for critical investigation into one’s own beliefs the opportunity for inter-faith learning breaks down. Therefore, a healthy and open intra-faith dialogue must be in place to insure that each tradition can stand confidently alongside other traditions in open fellowship. We can make great progress toward the relief of suffering and create a more peaceful world only when we are able to safeguard every human being’s right to participate in a safe and open inquiry into truth.
I want to thank the Temple of Understanding once again for honoring me this evening with the Juliet Hollister Award, and thank you all for attending.
On “Peace and Interfaith Education”
October 18, 2006
UN Headquarters, NY
I would like to thank the Temple of Understanding for inviting me to be among the honorees of this year’s Juliet Hollister Awards. It is truly an honor to be here tonight and to share in the Temple of Understanding’s recognition of peace and interfaith education.
On my way to attend tonight’s event I recalled a conversation from ten years ago with a young man named Ming. He came to me with this question. He said, “My parents are devout Buddhists. Does this mean that I must become Buddhist?”
I told him, “No.”
My advice to him was that he should take time to explore all religious and philosophical viewpoints. Only then could he know for certain which of these to put his faith in.
I wanted him to realize that a person can hold values from several traditions. As a Buddhist nun, I have great faith in my practice of Buddhism. However, I also draw wisdom from Confucian and Taoist beliefs. The introduction of Buddhism into China did not eliminate what was already good in Chinese culture. Instead, it added to it. It gave expression to a particular path of truth that had not yet been explored in China.
Having faith in one particular tradition while still being able to draw strength and understanding from other wisdom teachings, allows for a multi-valued approach to faith. I think this kind of approach is important today. What is good for humanity is good, regardless of whether it comes from the East or the West.
As we struggle to come to terms with both the historic and current entanglements that involve religion and violent conflict, it becomes essential to advance an open dialogue across cultures that highlight our shared desire to be free from suffering. It is particularly important that we teach our younger generation those aspects of our faith that foster peace and compassion. Without such training, our young people run the risk of being lured into extremist teachings that promote intolerance and war.
When young people come to my summer retreat programs, we offer them an opportunity to actively cultivate inner- peace and compassion. We emphasize traditional methods of strengthening the body, mind and spirit- not only for the benefit of ourselves, but also to help serve others as well. There is no negative discussion about other faiths and traditions. Our students bring with them ideas from all different backgrounds and faiths and are encouraged to openly question and explore the value of our Buddhist teaching. In this way students integrate what they learn not on the basis of our authority, but rather on the basis of their own reasoned judgment and experience.
The student’s participation in a Buddhist monastic lifestyle de-mystifies the Buddhist faith so that they can make informed judgments about Buddhism. Our hope is that in their daily lives they will be able to draw upon our tradition’s emphasis on peace, non-violence, and compassion.
We all would agree that religion is of great value when it is compassionate and uplifting. The offer of peace and comfort to a suffering humanity is one of the primary goals of religion. Yet, there are ever-increasing critical viewpoints suggesting that religion, in some instances, leads to an increase of suffering, rather than its relief. Current events certainly add evidence to such statements. In these cases we might point to intolerant and extremist views for this corrupting influence.
Because of such corrupting influences, it is very important for religious education to remain open to critical examination. When religious education becomes closed, tightly controlled, and secretive there is a possibility that it can become negative and cult-like. When religious teachings remain open, the option for critical dialogue and reform exists. Without reform a religion’s positive values and behaviors can become aberrant, and even dangerous.
There is a well known Buddhist analogy that states that the teachings of the Buddha are like a finger pointing to the moon. In this analogy, we are reminded not to dwell on the finger, but rather to look where it is pointing. The Buddha’s intention was not to create a religion, but rather to provide a solution to suffering. The teachings are meant only as a means to an end. The teaching itself is not the goal. If we adhere to teachings without critical examination, we can miss the goal. If any teachings are exposed in Buddhism that may in any way lead to suffering, than such teachings would violate the original intention and should be discarded.
In order to avoid serious deviations in scriptural interpretation, all traditions should demand a strong intra-faith dialogue that openly allows for self-criticism. As a Buddhist, I am free to speak out against any irregular practice or misbehavior among Buddhists that may threaten the integrity of my tradition. Yet, if I were to speak out against other faiths, I might be criticized and create resentment between our two faiths. This is why it is best that criticism should come from within.
The ability to benefit from inter-faith education relies on the existence of a safe and open inquiry within each tradition. Without a respect for critical investigation into one’s own beliefs the opportunity for inter-faith learning breaks down. Therefore, a healthy and open intra-faith dialogue must be in place to insure that each tradition can stand confidently alongside other traditions in open fellowship. We can make great progress toward the relief of suffering and create a more peaceful world only when we are able to safeguard every human being’s right to participate in a safe and open inquiry into truth.
I want to thank the Temple of Understanding once again for honoring me this evening with the Juliet Hollister Award, and thank you all for attending.
Speech for Outstanding Buddhist Women Award
Speech for Outstanding Buddhist Women Award
on “the Promotion of the Status of Women”
Yifa
2003
I would like to thank the international committee of Buddhist scholars and the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women for giving me this award, and I send my regrets for being unable to attend. I am glad that there are organizations that are dedicated to the promotion of women’s work, and that the Association has seen fit to honor the work of Buddhist women by so honoring me.
The role of women in Buddhism has long been a controversial topic. Indeed, at the very outset, the Buddha’s disciple Ananda brought up the issue of whether women could be followers of the Buddha when he challenged the Buddha to allow women to join the order. The Buddha hesitated, but finally allowed women to join. However, the smell of inauthenticity has hung around women in Buddhism (as it has in many other religions) for many centuries.
Nevertheless, that smell is what it is—a smell, insubstantial, unwarranted, and I think increasingly being recognized as part of the whiff of patriarchy that has permeated all dealings between men and women in all of the religious traditions of the world. What the Buddha really wanted is perhaps difficult ultimately to determine, and we should recognize that all of us are embedded within our social contexts and the times we live in. In addition, many of the early texts regarding the role of women are fragmented and scattered, the result perhaps of carelessness on the part of scholars through the centuries who have deemed women’s lives less important to preserve than men’s.
Yet the texts that remain to us are far from discouraging. The early Theravadan text, the Therigatha (6-3rd centuries BCE), features the lives of 73 women who became nuns. They came, as did the male followers of the Buddha, from many different social and economic backgrounds—but we are told that all 73 of them achieved enlightenment. The Mahayana text, the Srimaladevi, concerns one historical lay woman, who was a queen, who achieved realization. In the text, the Buddha is recorded as preaching a special sutra for Srimaladevi, and predicting that she would become a Buddha in the future. Wei-Tishi, a queen whose husband was imprisoned and starved by their son, carried food to the king and prayed to the Buddha. After the Buddha appeared and preached The Sutra of Contemplation on Amitabha Buddha to her, she achieved realization.
Within the history of Buddhism as well, women play an important role in charitable, cultural, and educational endeavors—something that remains true today. Increasingly, women are becoming more and more visible as practitioners and carriers of the Dharma. In my particular order, Humanistic Buddhism, women are prominent in secular and spiritual life.
It is clear to me that the future of Buddhism—as for many other world religions—will be substantially shaped by how prominent a role women are given in its propagation. The need for Buddhist teachers is not—indeed, cannot be—confined to men, let alone only male monastics. There is an enormous demand among all peoples and all nations to hear the simple and beautiful words of the Buddha and to incorporate them into their lives. We have seen through the ages that women not only can make a contribution to the spread of religions, but can be leaders—and I feel humble to be accorded such a status with this honor. I hope to continue that work, and my fervent wish is that more women will join me.
Thank you.
Venerable Yifa is the abbess of the Greater Boston Buddhist Culture Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is on the standing committee of the International Buddhist Progress Society, Fo Guang Shan. She is on the faculty of Hsi Lai University in Hacienda Heights, California, where she teaches on Chinese Buddhism. A native Taiwan, and winner of an Outstanding Young Person Award in 1997, she has a Ph.D. in religious studies from Yale University, where her specialization was the Buddhist monastic code. She is the author of Safeguarding the Heart: A Buddhist Response to Suffering and September 11 (Lantern Books, New York: 2002) and The Origins of Buddhist Monastic Codes in China (Hawaii University Press, Honolulu: 2002).
on “the Promotion of the Status of Women”
Yifa
2003
I would like to thank the international committee of Buddhist scholars and the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women for giving me this award, and I send my regrets for being unable to attend. I am glad that there are organizations that are dedicated to the promotion of women’s work, and that the Association has seen fit to honor the work of Buddhist women by so honoring me.
The role of women in Buddhism has long been a controversial topic. Indeed, at the very outset, the Buddha’s disciple Ananda brought up the issue of whether women could be followers of the Buddha when he challenged the Buddha to allow women to join the order. The Buddha hesitated, but finally allowed women to join. However, the smell of inauthenticity has hung around women in Buddhism (as it has in many other religions) for many centuries.
Nevertheless, that smell is what it is—a smell, insubstantial, unwarranted, and I think increasingly being recognized as part of the whiff of patriarchy that has permeated all dealings between men and women in all of the religious traditions of the world. What the Buddha really wanted is perhaps difficult ultimately to determine, and we should recognize that all of us are embedded within our social contexts and the times we live in. In addition, many of the early texts regarding the role of women are fragmented and scattered, the result perhaps of carelessness on the part of scholars through the centuries who have deemed women’s lives less important to preserve than men’s.
Yet the texts that remain to us are far from discouraging. The early Theravadan text, the Therigatha (6-3rd centuries BCE), features the lives of 73 women who became nuns. They came, as did the male followers of the Buddha, from many different social and economic backgrounds—but we are told that all 73 of them achieved enlightenment. The Mahayana text, the Srimaladevi, concerns one historical lay woman, who was a queen, who achieved realization. In the text, the Buddha is recorded as preaching a special sutra for Srimaladevi, and predicting that she would become a Buddha in the future. Wei-Tishi, a queen whose husband was imprisoned and starved by their son, carried food to the king and prayed to the Buddha. After the Buddha appeared and preached The Sutra of Contemplation on Amitabha Buddha to her, she achieved realization.
Within the history of Buddhism as well, women play an important role in charitable, cultural, and educational endeavors—something that remains true today. Increasingly, women are becoming more and more visible as practitioners and carriers of the Dharma. In my particular order, Humanistic Buddhism, women are prominent in secular and spiritual life.
It is clear to me that the future of Buddhism—as for many other world religions—will be substantially shaped by how prominent a role women are given in its propagation. The need for Buddhist teachers is not—indeed, cannot be—confined to men, let alone only male monastics. There is an enormous demand among all peoples and all nations to hear the simple and beautiful words of the Buddha and to incorporate them into their lives. We have seen through the ages that women not only can make a contribution to the spread of religions, but can be leaders—and I feel humble to be accorded such a status with this honor. I hope to continue that work, and my fervent wish is that more women will join me.
Thank you.
Venerable Yifa is the abbess of the Greater Boston Buddhist Culture Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is on the standing committee of the International Buddhist Progress Society, Fo Guang Shan. She is on the faculty of Hsi Lai University in Hacienda Heights, California, where she teaches on Chinese Buddhism. A native Taiwan, and winner of an Outstanding Young Person Award in 1997, she has a Ph.D. in religious studies from Yale University, where her specialization was the Buddhist monastic code. She is the author of Safeguarding the Heart: A Buddhist Response to Suffering and September 11 (Lantern Books, New York: 2002) and The Origins of Buddhist Monastic Codes in China (Hawaii University Press, Honolulu: 2002).
Papers, Speeches, etc.
Here you will find links to papers submitted by Yifa as well as articles and speeches given by her over the past years around the world.
YouTube Link and story/interview on her book "Junk" 2007
Juliet Hollister Award 2006
Link to Audio Talk on Life and Death(mp3 format) 2006
Apathy in the Context of Illness: A Humanistic Buddhist Perspective 2004
Outstanding Women in Buddhism 2003
What Difference Does Religious Plurality Make?
'Engaged Buddhists' Take on the World 2003
Than Hsiang Temple Dharma Talk 2003
Buddhist Shares Thoughts About World Conflicts 2002
YouTube Link and story/interview on her book "Junk" 2007
Juliet Hollister Award 2006
Link to Audio Talk on Life and Death(mp3 format) 2006
Apathy in the Context of Illness: A Humanistic Buddhist Perspective 2004
Outstanding Women in Buddhism 2003
What Difference Does Religious Plurality Make?
'Engaged Buddhists' Take on the World 2003
Than Hsiang Temple Dharma Talk 2003
Buddhist Shares Thoughts About World Conflicts 2002
What Difference Does Religous Plurality Make?
What Difference does Religious Plurality Make?
Venerable Yifa
Although, from one perspective, religious plurality may look like a problem to be solved, or an "issue leading to division and conflict", from another viewpoint, it's not good or bad - it just is.
The most precise answer to the question, "what difference does religious plurality make?" is this: it all depends on the person and on the particular religious tradition! An exclusive religious tradition which provides a strict set of guidelines for salvation and denies plurality may be found threatening. Conversely, an inclusive tradition accepts diversity and may even welcome it. A major strength of Buddhism is its insistence upon distinguishing between the world-as-it-is and our judgements about the world. Plurality, Buddhist say, is neither good nor bad. It just is. Good and bad are mental constructs, ego - and culture-based sunglasses we use to protect ourselves from the bright light of a diverse and brilliant world. All of us, Buddhists say, tend to confuse our perception and our judgement of things with the things themselves. The result is resistance and conflict.
One of the most popular art figures in Chinese Buddhism is a multi-armed and a multi-eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. In this figure, each arm of the Bodhisattva is holding a different object. Each object represents means and methods used by the Bodhisattva to help the sentient being who needs help. According to Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is one who vows to enlighten other beings by seeing the different predisposition in each of them and exercises his/her wisdom to develop different means of approach. This is called "expedience" (upaya), one of the most important skills Buddhists need to develop. Buddhism sees the different nature and various needs of each individual just as, in school, a good teacher needs to know each student's personality and what approach works best for each. With compassion, a Bodhisattva accepts the fact of various human cultures and practice, understanding they exist because of the needs of different individuals.
A woman told me that she does not want to be a woman again in her next life. I asked her what was wrong with being a woman. She answered that women are always discriminated against. Then I asked her to think if this world were all men without women, would things be going better? She was startled for a while and said no. I asked her to think "if there is only one colour people on the earth, would this world be better?". She said that was impossible. I suggested she consider the variety in religions in the same way.
A brilliant young man studying in Princeton University asked me whether, if his parents were Buddhists, does he need to be a Buddhist too? I told him that he needed to allow himself to explore all religions and find a religion or a belief which suited him.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet tells his audiences that they should welcome and respect all religious traditions. "After all," he says, "no one would go to a restaurant that serves only one dish. It would be boring to eat the same thing day after day."
According to Buddhism the cause of conflict is the judgmental mind. We create the discrimination against people in different categories. We decide x is bad and y is good, so we are obliged to fight on the side of y to try to destroy x. As a result of this misperception, we spend enormous amounts of energy fighting arbitrary distinctions. We confuse the map for the territory and the menu for the meal.
The Chinese Buddhist Master Hsing Yun teaches: "The deepest significance of equality lies in the truth that there is no difference between the one and the many." From the Buddhist perspective, the one is many and the many are one. According to the Buddhists, things are the same in principle and different in form. All sentient beings have the Buddha nature. The seed of good and evil is present in all of us, awaiting the conditions, which cause one or the other to emerge. He says it this way:
"All things in the world have differences in form, appearance, energy and function. If you look deeply into their fundamental natures, however, you will see that they all are truly equal because we understand the process of cause and effect which produces forms and appearances. Then you will understand that all of us are an inexorably part of this huge process.
Don't think there is anything anywhere that has no connection to you. Everything does. A blade of grass, a tree, an animal, and every drop of water in the ocean are connected to you and all of them are truly a bounty and a blessing in our lives."
Venerable Yifa
Although, from one perspective, religious plurality may look like a problem to be solved, or an "issue leading to division and conflict", from another viewpoint, it's not good or bad - it just is.
The most precise answer to the question, "what difference does religious plurality make?" is this: it all depends on the person and on the particular religious tradition! An exclusive religious tradition which provides a strict set of guidelines for salvation and denies plurality may be found threatening. Conversely, an inclusive tradition accepts diversity and may even welcome it. A major strength of Buddhism is its insistence upon distinguishing between the world-as-it-is and our judgements about the world. Plurality, Buddhist say, is neither good nor bad. It just is. Good and bad are mental constructs, ego - and culture-based sunglasses we use to protect ourselves from the bright light of a diverse and brilliant world. All of us, Buddhists say, tend to confuse our perception and our judgement of things with the things themselves. The result is resistance and conflict.
One of the most popular art figures in Chinese Buddhism is a multi-armed and a multi-eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. In this figure, each arm of the Bodhisattva is holding a different object. Each object represents means and methods used by the Bodhisattva to help the sentient being who needs help. According to Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is one who vows to enlighten other beings by seeing the different predisposition in each of them and exercises his/her wisdom to develop different means of approach. This is called "expedience" (upaya), one of the most important skills Buddhists need to develop. Buddhism sees the different nature and various needs of each individual just as, in school, a good teacher needs to know each student's personality and what approach works best for each. With compassion, a Bodhisattva accepts the fact of various human cultures and practice, understanding they exist because of the needs of different individuals.
A woman told me that she does not want to be a woman again in her next life. I asked her what was wrong with being a woman. She answered that women are always discriminated against. Then I asked her to think if this world were all men without women, would things be going better? She was startled for a while and said no. I asked her to think "if there is only one colour people on the earth, would this world be better?". She said that was impossible. I suggested she consider the variety in religions in the same way.
A brilliant young man studying in Princeton University asked me whether, if his parents were Buddhists, does he need to be a Buddhist too? I told him that he needed to allow himself to explore all religions and find a religion or a belief which suited him.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet tells his audiences that they should welcome and respect all religious traditions. "After all," he says, "no one would go to a restaurant that serves only one dish. It would be boring to eat the same thing day after day."
According to Buddhism the cause of conflict is the judgmental mind. We create the discrimination against people in different categories. We decide x is bad and y is good, so we are obliged to fight on the side of y to try to destroy x. As a result of this misperception, we spend enormous amounts of energy fighting arbitrary distinctions. We confuse the map for the territory and the menu for the meal.
The Chinese Buddhist Master Hsing Yun teaches: "The deepest significance of equality lies in the truth that there is no difference between the one and the many." From the Buddhist perspective, the one is many and the many are one. According to the Buddhists, things are the same in principle and different in form. All sentient beings have the Buddha nature. The seed of good and evil is present in all of us, awaiting the conditions, which cause one or the other to emerge. He says it this way:
"All things in the world have differences in form, appearance, energy and function. If you look deeply into their fundamental natures, however, you will see that they all are truly equal because we understand the process of cause and effect which produces forms and appearances. Then you will understand that all of us are an inexorably part of this huge process.
Don't think there is anything anywhere that has no connection to you. Everything does. A blade of grass, a tree, an animal, and every drop of water in the ocean are connected to you and all of them are truly a bounty and a blessing in our lives."
Biography
Venerable Dr. Yifa has been a nun at Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan since 1979. She received her PhD in religious studies from Yale University in 1996 and was awarded the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award” in Taiwan in 1997, the “Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award” in 2003, and the “Julia Hollister Award” in 2006 given by the United Nations for her contribution in Peace and Interfaith Education. She has been an administrator at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist College in Taiwan, and at Hsi Lai University in Rosemead, California. She has been a visiting scholar at the University of California Berkeley and Harvard University, a lecturer at Boston University and a faculty member at National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan. She taught at McGill University as the Numata Visiting Professor in the spring of 2005 and served as the chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of the West in Los Angeles.
Over the years, Dr. Yifa has been engaged in interfaith dialogue and was supported on some occasions by UNESCO. She was also a contributor to the “Safe Motherhood Project” by the UNICEF South Asia Office. Dr. Yifa is a frequent guest lecturer on subjects including Chinese Buddhist philosophy, thanatology and ethics. Her current research focuses on Buddhist monasticism and women in Buddhism. She is the author of The Origin of Buddhist Monastic Codes in China and Safeguarding the Heart: a Buddhist Response to Suffering and September 11 and Authenticity: Buddhist Perspective on Junk.
Over the years, Dr. Yifa has been engaged in interfaith dialogue and was supported on some occasions by UNESCO. She was also a contributor to the “Safe Motherhood Project” by the UNICEF South Asia Office. Dr. Yifa is a frequent guest lecturer on subjects including Chinese Buddhist philosophy, thanatology and ethics. Her current research focuses on Buddhist monasticism and women in Buddhism. She is the author of The Origin of Buddhist Monastic Codes in China and Safeguarding the Heart: a Buddhist Response to Suffering and September 11 and Authenticity: Buddhist Perspective on Junk.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Apathy in the Context of Illness: A Humanistic Buddhist Perspective
Originally published in the Yale Journal For Humanities in Medicine
Apathy in the Context of Illness: A Humanistic Buddhist Perspective
Venerable Yifa, Ph.D.
Apathy in the Context of Illness: A Humanistic Buddhist Perspective
Venerable Yifa, Ph.D.
Introduction
From a Buddhist point of view every action, no matter how minor, makes a difference. This also includes inaction. For when we chose not to act that too is an action. When an individual becomes disengaged from personal and social responsibilities it is often difficult for them to see the long- term effects of such behavior.
Not only does each of our individual choices affect our personal karma, but also due to the interconnectedness of all phenomena our choices are reflected in the world of which we are a part. This law of cause and effect is very precise and nothing is missed.
Our participation in this world is intimately bound to the overall process of our becoming. Who we are now and who we will become is the product of our intentions in every thought and deed. If we simply attempt to avoid action, and thus guard against negative behavior, we engage in an extreme that the Buddha himself found counterproductive to the goal of true happiness.
By realizing that all of our actions are intimately connected to our state of mind, the Buddha understood that by changing our mind we literally change our experience of reality. We begin to see things as they truly are, rather than as we have been imagining them. This is at the heart of the Buddhist practice of cultivating wisdom.
Our present human life is the optimal condition for the cultivation of wisdom. It is here that we can develop the compassion toward others that gives rise to the valid intention for developing wisdom. For we must understand that true wisdom is elusive to minds filled with selfish intention. The Bodhisattvas, the great compassionate beings, teach us this.
Since it is in this human form that we are able to cultivate the mind of enlightenment, it is important to be on guard against the affliction of apathy. This precious life should not be taken for granted. We should not sit idly by allowing events to simply take their course. This very world that seems overwhelming, confusing, and sometimes hopeless cannot transform of itself It relies on the direct participation of us.
Humanistic Buddhism
Buddhism has been described by some as pessimistic and escapist towards the world, leading many to believe that Buddhism had abandoned the needs of society. However, an increasing number of people are becoming aware of Buddhism in a different light, Buddhism as a socially engaged and compassionate force for the improvement of society.
As a monastic of the Fo Guang Shan order I share this view of a socially engaged
Humanistic Buddhism. As our founding master, Hsing Yun, has pointed out, Humanistic Buddhism is not a new form of Buddhism, but rather "the Buddhism of the Buddha himself". The heart of Buddhist teachings is love, compassion, and wisdom.
We are not taught to turn away from the world, but instead to transform our understanding of the world so that we may find the lasting peace that comes from the removal of ignorance. The venerable Huineng, the sixth patriarch in the Chan (Zen) tradition, stated that, "Buddhism must be practiced in this world; enlightenment cannot be attained by leaving this world. Seeking enlightenment outside this world is like looking for a rabbit's horn"
It is plain to see that there is no place for apathy in Buddhism. This world, here and now, is the crucible in which we all must work out our salvation through the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. Remaining connected to society and assisting others in this quest is implicitly shown throughout the Buddha's own activities during his life, and is the defining element of what is called
Mahayana Buddhism, the Great Vehicle.
Precious Human Life
Of all the possible states of being, which in Buddhism includes the denizens of hell and hungry ghosts along with the insects and animals that creep, crawl, swim and fly, and all types of plants and fungi, we are fortunate enough to have attained this human incarnation. We have within our means the ability to become enlightened. Such a precious commodity should be recognized as quite rare. How shameful it would be to waste it in a state of apathy.
Realizing this we should develop compassion for all beings. For without fail each and every one of us has struggled and endured to arrive at this precious human form. This fundamental precept must be instilled so that no one takes his or her human form for granted.
No person should allow his or her innate ability to reach enlightenment to go untended. We should guard our health both physically and mentally in order that we can diligently cultivate our wisdom and develop our compassion, for that is what this precious human life is intended for. It is here and now that we should work toward attaining liberation from our own ignorance.
Interdependence
In Buddhism it is taught that nothing stands alone. All phenomena arise in complete dependence with all other phenomena. There is nothing in our universe that could be said to be a thing in itself. The whole of existence is a collection of parts, which are collections of parts ad infinitum. Thus, with no underlying reality, or self-nature, all phenomena are said to be empty.
This doctrine of emptiness while simple at the surface has proven to be a difficult and widely misunderstood concept. Many have been led to believe that this emptiness equates to a void, or nothingness. This kind of understanding could very well lead one toward apathy. Yet, this would be incorrect. For though all phenomena are said to be empty of self-nature, this does not mean that we live in an empty universe.
On the contrary, we live in a dynamic and ever changing flux of becoming that acts according to the law of cause and effect. We are part of a beginingless and endless interconnected whole of dependent arising. Every atom, in fact every quantum of every atom, arises in relation to the whole and in turn reflects and contains the conditions of the whole. Therefore, we are intimately connected to all beings and as such eternally bound to their well being.
An analogy of this is found in the Garland Sutra (Hua Yen Jing) in the description of Indra's Net. Indra's Net can be imagined in the mind's eye by picturing a vast network of threads, something like a spider's web, stretching out through infinite space. Located at every crossing of every thread is a crystal gem. By gazing at any one gem the reflection of the entire network is seen. Each gem contains the reflection of the whole. What can be seen in one can be seen in all, and what can be seen in all can be seen in one.
Likewise, the individual and society are interdependent parts of the whole. The condition of the society is directly related to the condition of the individual and vice versa. How we regard ourselves in relation to this universe, along with every action we make, defines our very existence at any moment. If we would like to elevate the overall state of ourselves we must not only work on our own shortcomings, but we must show good will in assisting others to work out theirs.
Compassion
By cultivating compassion and diligently working for the upliftment of all, the individual can raise their awareness to the point where they reflect the purity of the Buddha mind. This purity is known when we achieve a selfless state. When the grasping for personal gain is transcended our efforts then become motivated by compassion for others and our selfish desires are sublimated. It is in such a state we begin to see a transformation of the world that can only be seen by the wise.
To those who have gained complete wisdom the world appears as it truly is, no longer a place of imprisonment and attachment. This very world is experienced as identical with nirvana, the enlightened mind. To the unenlightened this vision goes unnoticed as they wrestle with their longings, desires, and selfish attachments. This is the paradox that only the awakened can truly understand.
This world, right now, is nirvana, a place of lasting peace and radiant beings visible to the dharma eye of great Bodhisattvas. Yet, to the unenlightened the world is a mix of events ranging from innocent joy to crushing sorrow, from flashy novelty to imprisoning repetition.
Apathy is the affliction of those who, jaded by disappointments and unfulfilled in their desires, surrender to the negative aspects of the world and seek safety from the storm in their withdrawal. Even the Buddha encountered a similar situation when he withdrew to the forest to practice with the ascetics.
Yet, it is very important to realize his next step. After much contemplation, he realized that the middle way between extremes must be followed. Leaving the seclusion of the forest he came upon the great realization. Sitting under the Bodhi tree he saw all as it truly is. He experienced the interconnectedness of all phenomena. He was filled with great compassion for all sentient beings.
It is then that he resolved to remain in the world and teach. His actions speak to us not of a man who was indifferent to the plight of the world, or disengaged from society. Rather, he was a tireless advocate for transforming ignorance into wisdom. He taught to the simple and learned alike, and laid out a path of righteous behavior and ethics for both laypeople and monastics to live on long after his passing.
The Buddha demonstrated that it is through compassion for all living beings that complete enlightenment is available. Buddhist practitioners are committed to selflessly act for the improvement of all living beings toward their eventual enlightenment. This is at the heart of what is called the Bodhisattva vow. It is an intense compassion and conviction to free all sentient beings from suffering in samsara.
Continuity of Lives
There may be some of us that are unfamiliar with the term samsara. Samsara is the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, or what is called reincarnation. This has also been called the wheel of life in order to depict a constant revolution of endless cycles of reincarnation.
One way for the modem person to think of reincarnation is through a definition of the scientific law of thermodynamics. This physical law declares that energy is neither created nor destroyed, it merely changes forms. The constituents that make up our bodies, our world, and our minds are forever in a continuous cycle of birth, decay, and renewal as energy changes forms.
Each of us represents a particular psychic attachment that has developed in connection with these forms that leads to a defined sense of self, or ego. It is this sense of self that clings7, continues, and becomes associated with form after form after form. This continuity of lives, or incarnations, is part of a great chain of karma (intentional action) that assures the reaping of the fruits of this life, good, bad, and neutral, in the conditions of next.
To gain understanding of our actions in past lives we should simply examine the physical and mental conditions of our lives night now. To gain an understanding of what we will become in the future we should carefully observe the actions of our current lives.
There is no reprieve from a life spent in ignorance and apathy. This fact alone should shake one out of their state of lethargy and indifference.
Impermanence
After many lifetimes of clinging to this form or that form the wise discover the nature of impermanence. Just as we cannot grasp space, we cannot stop time from stealing away all that has been and will be. Even the great Himalayan Mountains had a time when they were not, and will someday cease to be present again.
Faced with this discovery of impermanence some choose to cultivate hope for something lasting, something permanent that can be held in the heart as a kind of security blanket. Some simply succumb to despair, indifference, or as we are here to discuss, apathy.
There is a third choice. This is the choice to become enlightened, to see things the way they really are. Rather than clinging to an ideal of permanence born of faith, or surrendering to unknown forces, the Buddha taught a path in which one can arise to a clear understanding or reality. This clear understanding is the remedy for fear, doubt, despair and suffering.
Buddhist teachings point not toward an escape from the world, but rather a revealing of its true nature. Samsara and nirvana exist simultaneously. The unenlightened see things according to their unclear minds, and thus encounter a variety of unsatisfactory events. The enlightened see things as they actually are and thus have no fear, no clinging, and no attachment. The enlightened abide in peace while the unenlightened continue in uncertainty.
Impermanence is not a doctrine that teaches us to be stoic toward phenomena as if to protect ourselves from the pain of loss, but rather a doctrine that teaches us to act without grasping. Moment by moment we must make positive choices and utilize our talents for we are truly participants in the very creation of the world we discover ourselves in at every second.
Truly the world is a manifestation of one's own consciousness. If the mind is sick, the world appears sick. When the mind is clear so too is one's vision of the world. Cultivation of wisdom, compassion, and selfless service are the path to this realization. Each moment makes a difference, for it is the condition that creates the next.
Conclusion
At any moment we can find ourselves completely overwhelmed by the demands of our world. Adding to these demands the task of finding enlightenment could be viewed as just another burden. When someone is feeling defeated already by mundane worldly issues they are likely to think that they are not capable of something as lofty as enlightenment.
However, each individual should keep in mind that what they choose to dwell on shapes their reality. If we sink into negativity we are destined to live in a world shaped by such thoughts. Cultivating wisdom and selfless compassion is the surest way to transform our experience of this world.
There is a common saying that we don't really know someone until we observe him or her in a crisis. How proud we all were of the men and women that responded so selflessly and bravely to the crisis on 9/11. They were able to step outside themselves and respond with true compassion.
The burdens they were carrying the moment prior to that event vanished as they moved to respond to the needs of their fellow human beings. This should serve as an example of how quickly things can change and of our capacity to summon the energy to respond and transcend our own self centered concerns.
If we could but find that kind of compassion within ourselves daily, without the necessity of a crisis to shake us out of our slumber, then we could transform our world to become a place of peace, freedom, and happiness.
By replacing meditations on fear, attachment, and despair with meditations on precious human life, interdependence, and compassion we can practice the path toward enlightenment. We
change our world by changing our minds. There is no alternative. We are bound to act, for action is continuous. It is where we focus that action that counts.
We do not have to be a soldier or a fireman to begin to cultivate the kind of courage that is born of selfless sacrifice. We can begin practicing this kind of courage through selfless compassion daily in all of our actions. This is the most important step toward cultivating wisdom. This path of selfless compassion is accepted in all spiritual traditions as a sure way to affect our world and our selves in a positive and transformitive way.
Myles Sheehan, "Apathy in the Context of Illness - A Catholic Perspective"Apathy: IntroductionTable of Contents
Published: September 17, 2004
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