Buddhist Scriptures

I initially wrote this article in French, then translated it into English and Lao, publishing each version separately: the Lao version titled Ariya-puggala - Lao A4 01.pdf, the French version Les êtres nobles - Corps 12 A4.pdf, and the English version The Noble Beings - Corps 12 A4.pdf.

This article delves into the concept of ariya-puggalā in Theravāda Buddhism as practiced in Laos, a framework of four progressive stages toward inner peace. This research clarifies their role as signposts on the path to awakening, highlighting their value in understanding complex concepts such as impermanence (aniccā), emptiness (suññatā), and the cessation of suffering (nirodha). Drawing on Pāli texts and the commentaries of learned Thera Bhikkhus, the analysis also contrasts these ideas with contemporary interpretations to connect ancient insights with modern practices. It reveals that the ariya-puggalā are not merely abstract ideals but concrete milestones toward serenity, transcending the conceptual nature of the five aggregates (pañca-khandha).

In Lao culture, however, the term puggala often refers to an ordinary individual, without a direct link to the ariya-puggalā, which represent higher levels of understanding. This contrast emphasizes the unique role of ariya-puggalā on the inner journey, far beyond mere individuality. The article also introduces the concept of the Bodhisattva, expanding the perspective on pathways to understanding and realization in Buddhism.

Aims: This paper aims to reject misinterpretations and to point out proper interpretation. Research problem: Why did Ven. Anuruddha explain ten fetters subdividing into two categories: Suttanta and Abhdiahmma? Research Method and Limitation: A textually based method will be utilized in this paper. Additionally, this paper will be limited to Suttantic and Abhidahmmic literature of Pāli Buddhism. Discussion Ven. Anuruddhā explained ten fetters subdividing into two sorts: Suttanta and Abhidhamma. These two types are slightly different from one another. Of them, the ten fetters as reflected in Suttanta are kāmarāga-saṃyojana, rūparāga-saṃyojana, arūparāga-saṃyojana, paṭigha-saṃyojana, māna-saṃyojana, diṭṭhi-saṃyojana, sīlabbata-parāmāsa-saṃyojana, vicikicchā-saṃyojana, uddhacca-saṃyojana and avijjhā-saṃyojana. In other words, bhavarāga-saṃyojana, issā-saṃyojana and macchariya-saṃyojana are added to the second set of ten fetters instead of rūparāgasaṃyojana, arūparāga-saṃyojana and uddhacca-saṃyojana. Ven. Ledi Sayadaw (1846-1923) revealed the above description in his Paramatthadīpanī that the first ten fetters can be observed in both Suttanta and Abhidhamma but the last ten fetters only in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. He utilized the word 'Suttanta' to distinguish the explanation of fetters between Suttanta and Abhidhamma. Furthermore, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi also pointed out a similar notion in the comprehensive manual of Abhidhamma. Additionally, Ven. Janakābhivaṃsa (1900-2 1977) clarified Ven. Anuruddha's justification is that the Buddha taught these fetters separately in Suttanta and Abhidhamma. Hence, he expounded these fetters subdividing into two sets. However, these two sets of all the fetters can be examined in both Suttanta and Abhidhamma. Therefore, I would reject their misinterpretations and an attempt will be made to provide a proper interpretation in accordance with authentic Buddhist texts.

In this paper, I argue that latent tendencies (anusaya) in early Buddhism are not subconscious/unconscious entities, but that later schools came to view them as such because this view helps them to answer the question of how noble persons eradicate mental defilements. I also show that Theravadin school, on the other hand, does not view such mental defilements as subconscious, but it fails to convincingly answer the aforesaid question. Finally, I argue that there does exist an way to answer that question without resorting to anything subconscious/unconscious, and I also deal with other relevant issues.

Sacred Languages are languages that are considered to have a special, often religious, significance. They are used primarily for religious and spiritual purposes and are often believed to be divine or holy in nature. The conference welcomes contributions exploring languages in the Middle East and beyond, such as Sikh scriptures in Punjabi and Sanskrit texts, Pali from Buddhist scriptures, as well as ancient Greek, Latin, Syriac, Coptic, and Amharic associated with Christianity.

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The earliest discourses of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, recorded in the Pali canon of the Theravada School, provide a refreshing, earthy wisdom that invites the listener into inquiry rather than belief.  The Buddha lived 560-480 BCE at a time of great spiritual ferment in India, a time that generated a plethora of spiritual teachers and lineages such as Jainism, classical Yoga schools, and the great philosophic schools of what came to be known as Hinduism.  The Buddha’s discourses turned away from philosophical investigation and meditative calisthenics and emphasized direct investigation of personal experience through mindfulness and awareness meditation.  He also advised those who were not his students about how to deal with conflicting religious claims so prevalent in his milieu.  Among the most famous of these early teachings is the Discourse to the Kalamas (Kalama Sutta).

This paper is mainly concerned with the carving and publication of the Weimojie suoshuojing zhishu 維摩詰所說經直疏 in the Chosŏn Dynasty. It discusses in detail the carving onto woodblock of Buddhist scriptures in the Chosŏn Dynasty, the figures involved with the carving of the Weimojie suoshuojing zhishu, and the surviving copies of the Weimojie suoshuojing zhishu in Korea. At present, there are 13 woodblock editions and 1 photocopied edition of Weimojie suoshuojing zhishu with known provenance in Korea. Of course, this is not all, and I believe that there will be more publications of this collection in the future. In addition, as for the collections outside Korea, it is currently known that Taiwan and France each have a woodblock edition of Weimojie suoshuojing zhishu made in the Chosŏn Dynasty. Despite being the original source of the text, China has not seen the appearance of the relevant reprints, which shows the preciousness of the Korean woodblocks.

Translation of the Guhyadhātudhāraṇī, Toh 507 / 883
The Dhāraṇī for Secret Relics, often referred to by its abbreviated Sanskrit title, Guhya­dhātu­dhāraṇī, or sometimes also by its alternative title Karaṇḍa­mudrā­dhāraṇī, is a short sūtra that has played a fundamental role in ritual practice throughout the Buddhist world, particularly regarding the veneration of relics and of the stūpas that contain them.

Summary:
On his way to honor a brahmin’s invitation for a midday meal, the Buddha comes across an old stūpa that resembles a rubbish heap. Subsequently, while in conversation with Vajrapāṇi, the Buddha reveals that the stūpa contains the doctrinal synopsis for a dhāraṇī that embodies the essence of the blessings of innumerable buddhas. He also explains that the stūpa is, in fact, made of precious materials and that its lowly appearance is merely due to the lack of beings’ merit. The Buddha then extols the merit that results from copying, reading, and worshiping this scripture, and he enumerates the benefits that arise from placing it in stūpas and buddha images. When he pronounces the actual dhāraṇī, the derelict old stūpa is restored to its former glory.

Buddhism continues to play an important part in the lives of many in both China and India.  This essay seeks to determine both the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of Buddhist development in China.  Broadly, it first tackles the question of how Buddhism in China is distinct from that in India (the ‘how’ question).  This first section will attempt to highlight the unique nature of Chinese Buddhism: how it differs from Indian Buddhism.  In the second part of the essay, four factors that contributed to the evolution of Chinese Buddhism will be investigated (the ‘why’ question).  Inevitably, these factors are interlinked and interdependent; however, they each underline a different aspect of the development of Buddhism within the Chinese context.  More specifically, after showing the key ways in which Chinese Buddhism differs from the Indian variant, this paper commences by exploring the religious context in which Buddhism entered China.  Here, circumstantial factors are shown to have played a role in determining the nature of Buddhism in China.  Next, particular linguistic aspects are addressed.  In this regard, it is clear that the selection and translation of sacred texts has also fed into the complex, local transformation of Buddhism in China.  Thirdly, this study assesses some cultural and worldview aspects of the question before concluding with a brief survey of religious influences on the evolving nature of the tradition.  Ultimately, this paper contends that numerous interlinked factors have fed into the unique nature of Chinese Buddhism today.  Even in its earliest manifestations, Chinese Buddhism can be easily distinguished from the more original Indian forms of the faith.

The purpose of this study is to describe: (1) Haley’s model of human perceptual space category used to create the metaphorical expression of craving in the Tanha Vagga verse of the Dhammapada scripture, (2) the distribution of Haley's category of human perceptual space that is most prominently used to create the metaphorical expression of craving in the Tanha Vagga verse of the Dhammapada scripture, (3) the state of the ecological system as seen in the metaphor of craving in the Tanha Vagga verse of the Dhammapada scripture based on the distribution of the use of the Haley’s category of the human perceptual space. This research is a descriptive-qualitative research, with Content Analysis technique. The data source is the Tanha Vagga Dhammapada Scripture. The results showed: (1) in the Tanha Vagga scripture Dhammapada there are 31 metaphors of craving that can be categorized into the five spaces of human perception according to Haley's model, including the categories of being...

The Journal of Daoist Studies (JDS) is an annual publication dedicated to the scholarly exploration of Daoism in all its different dimensions. Each issue has three main parts: Academic Articles on history, philosophy, art, society, and more (limit 8,500 words); Forum on Contemporary Practice on issues of current activities both in China and other parts of the world (limit 5000 words); and News of the Field, presenting publications, dissertations, conferences, and websites.

What distinguishes Mahua Buddhist prose from other Mahua
prose is the selection of the Buddhist themes, accompanied by numerous
quotes such as the teachings of Buddha and grandmaster in Buddhist
Classics, rhymes and Zen case (Koan and Huato). The choice and
preference of quotes in Mahua Buddhist prose can reflect the subject’s
thought and feeling tendency, as well as understand its cultural implication.
This paper focuses on the Zen Classics where it sorts out the Zen cases in
the Mahua Buddhist prose as an indicator of several different spiritual
realms. This paper also discusses the most widely used Zen Classic that is
Liuzu Tanjing and the Mahua authors’ concept of spiritual cultivation. This
paper reveals the beautiful yearning for the religious realm of Mahua
Buddhist prose which is accompanied by the possibility of the religious
ideal practice.

Not long ago, during my PhD research, I came across some texts which have a special connection to Fugen Enmei bosatsu 普賢延命菩薩, a unique deity of Japanese esoteric Buddhism. These texts and their core notion of longevity are intriguing, especially because they are only extant in the tradition of two great Indian esoteric masters, Vajrabodhi (671-741) and Amoghavajra (705-774), and, not to mention, they have never been studied or translated. In this paper, I am examining the origins of three of the texts by trying to give a timeline to their transmission to East Asia, while especially focusing on how they are connected to the two Indian masters.

晚明書畫家董其昌(1555-1636)對小楷用功甚深，他積極訪求古代作品作為學習對象，也為之進行品評、建立譜系，對時人及後代造成極大影響。董其昌在此過程中，拈出 了不少原本不受重視或少為人知的古代小楷作品，這些包括一批珍貴的唐人寫經卷，而其中名聲最大、影響最廣的，當屬傳稱為唐代書家鍾紹京所書的《小楷靈飛經》。此作殘本今藏紐約大都會博物館，雖因書法精妙而廣為人知，然學界尚未深入探究今收於同冊的董其昌信札與十餘則明清人題跋。這些資料為瞭解董氏和此作的關係提供了相當重要的線索，也有助釐清董氏的小楷書史觀。本文首先考察《小楷靈飛經》的藏傳經歷及與董其昌的深厚淵源，再擴及董氏對其他唐人寫經作品的收藏、臨仿及品評等活動，最後探究此一系列活動在董其昌的書法事業中的地位，及其對晚明與清代書家的影響，期望能略補過去認識之不足。

In an attempt to improve his grasp of the xiaokai (the small-sized regular) script, the renowned late-Ming calligrapher Dong Qichang (1555-1636) enthusiastically sought out ancient masterpieces for study. Dong especially treasured brushed pieces even if they were by little-known or even anonymous writers (as opposed to engraved reproductions of works by the celebrated masters). He considered the energy and dynamism in the brushwork of these pieces, many of which were Buddhist or Daoist scriptures, as critical keys to unlocking the methods of the ancients. Dong’s ideas and theories about the aesthetics, techniques, and history of the xiaokai script had a signi cant impact on calligraphers of his time and later. Nevertheless, an in-depth study of Dong’s efforts in this area is yet to be done. Lingfei jing (Scripture of Spiritual Flight), attributed to the Tang calligrapher Zhong Shaojing and now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, was one of the most important pieces in the xiaokai script that Dong collected and studied. This paper looks into Dong’s close connection with this piece, his encounters with other similar works, and how they helped shape his ideas about the xiaokai script. Partly due to Dong’s promotion, the Scripture of the Spiritual Flight became greatly popular after the 17th century. This paper ends with an examination of the numerous copies and reproductions of this piece and how the work itself became a synonym for perfection in the xiaokai script.

This article aims to understand the meaning, the types and the characteristics of Saṃyojana in Theravāda Buddhist Scriptures, and to understand the doctrinal principles in connection with Saṃyojana.
From the study, it is found that Saṃyojana means a binding material both of formality and normality. They are usually known as the ten Fetters in which, in the Pāli canon, uses the metaphorical method to explain Saṃyojana to enable the people to understand more clearly the normality of it. Therewith, some of the Doctrinal principles supporting to Saṃyojanas reinforce the fetters to have more strengthened power. Thus, the main doctrine which extinguish Saṃyojana is the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. When one practice the method, one can become one of the Noble individuals in Buddhism. After all the Saṃyojanas have been extinguished, the state of Nibbāna appears instead. One can then live a happy life without any bonded fetters.

Explores definitions, distinctions, and contexts key to understanding the concept of moral injury, and provides abstracts of the other essays in the book. I've decided to upload the full version as it is already available via Google Books' preview.

The author points out the three stages of Dhāraṇī Studies since the beginning of 19th c. up to the present day. Thus, the first stage (the beginning of 19th c. — the first third of the 20th c.) is characterized by the fact that the study of dhāraṇīs’ texts occurs within the framework of Buddhist written sources publication in general. The article emphasizes the significant contribution of Acad. V. P. Vasiliev in Dhāraṇī Studies: ideas on the study of Buddhist sacral invocations formulated by Vasiliev, defined the main vectors of Dhāraṇī Studies. The second stage of these Studies (the first third — the end of 20th c.) is marked by a specification — the emphasis of researchers’ attention directly on Buddhist written sources containing dhāraṇīs. Analyzing the second period’s researchings devoted to Dhāraṇī Studies, the author singled out four main streams: ‘Historical’ (the dhāraṇīs’ functioning in a certain historical period); ‘Cultic’ (praxeological aspect of Buddhist dhāraṇīs); ‘Iconographic’ (studies of artifacts connecting with dhāraṇī tradition); ‘Conceptual’ (analysis of terminology and concepts associated with the practice of reciting dhāraṇī). The article points out the prospects of using the interdisciplinary method, which allows to use the results of not only adjacent oriental disciplines (Indology — Jan Gonda, Tatiana Elizarenkova), but also to involve methods used in Slavic/Indo-European spells Studies (Vladimir Toporov, Svetlana Tolstaia, Aleksey Iudin).

this article is discussed the form of compilation of the dhammapada. I have given information Pali Language and Literature together with structure of Dhammapada, also language style as poetical way, and etc. As my thinking, it will be helpful for whoever researches about Dhammapada in Theravada tradition

Poceski, Mario. Manifestation of the Tathāgata: Buddhahood According to the Avatamsaka Sūtra. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1993 (published under the name Cheng Chien Bhikshu). Also published in a German translation, as Alles ist reiner Geist; Giovanni Bandini, trans. Bern and München: Alfred Scherz Verlag, 1997.

The Chinese Buddhist canon is a systematic collection of all translated Buddhist scriptures and related literatures created in East Asia and has been regarded as one of the “three treasures” in Buddhist communities. Despite its undisputed importance in the history of Buddhism, research on this huge collection has remained largely the province of Buddhologists focusing on textual and bibliographical studies. We thus aim to initiate methodological innovations to study the transformation of the canon by situating it in its modern context, characterized by intricate interactions between East and West as well as among countries in East Asia.
During the modern period the Chinese Buddhist canon has been translated, edited, digitized, and condensed as well as internationalized, contested, and ritualized. The well-known accomplishment of this modern transformation is the compilation of the Taisho Canon during the 1920s. It has become a source of both doctrinal orthodoxy as well as creativity and its significance has greatly increased as Buddhist scholarship and devotionalism has utilized the canon for various ends. However, it is still unclear what led to the creation of the modern editions of the Buddhist canon in East Asia. This volume explores the most significant and interesting developments regarding the Chinese Buddhist canon in modern East Asia including canon formation, textual studies, historical analyses, religious studies, ritual invention, and digital research tools and methods.

In this collection, the first of its kind, prominent scholars explore the intersections of research on moral injury in contexts of war and violence and how scriptures of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and US civil religion depict and address moral injury. (Note that I have now provided the Introduction in full, in the "Papers" section below.)

This book provides an effective guide to especially Buddhist practitioners for gauging their daily progress as to path cultivation. It begins with a table of contents (mātikā), enumerating conventional Abhidhamma groups of the 5 aggregates, 12 bases, 18 elements, Truth, 22 faculties, follows by the exposition of individual-types by units, twofold, threefold, up to descriptions under tenfold. Nearly all of its designations are identical parallels drawn from the ten Nipātas of the Aṅguttara Nikāya with only some minor variations and omissions. Other designations are also found, sometimes as fragmentary descriptions, sometimes with different meanings, in the various suttas of the Nikāyas. For the benefit of the readers, I have referenced these relevant suttas in the mātikā, and I have also given necessary exposition to these referenced suttas in the subsequent Chapters. This book analyses 390 types of individual, or more specifically, types of monks and nuns, although some of the designations do overlap. These are unequivocal norms of measurements drawn up as a yardstick for providing advice to the declining monastics as well as a good manual for advancing progress of the assiduous monastics.

During the period when Buddhism was initially transmitted to China, foreign monks played an important role, translating and copying Buddhist sūtras. On the basis of a comprehensive review of both literary sources and archaeological findings, especially manuscripts found at Dunhuang and Turfan, this article explores the work of several such monks who worked as bishou 筆受 (scribes). Before the mature standard script calligraphy was created in the Sui and Tang dynasties, the most distinctive calligraphic style was that of the Northern Liang, adopted by some court scribes in the national translation center. A comparison of the calligraphic styles of dated Buddhist manuscripts and stone inscriptions suggests that the Northern Liang Buddhist scriptural calligraphy was influenced by the Buddhist scribes from Central Asia.

佛教初傳中國，胡漢合作翻譯佛經是佛教發展最重要的活動，從西晉竺法護到五胡十六國時期的曇無讖及鳩摩羅什，許多西域入華僧人參與佛經的譯寫，甚至為弘傳佛法努力學習中國書法，於譯場中擔任「筆受」、或發願抄寫流通佛經。在隋唐佛教寫經體的楷書模式成熟以前，敦煌與吐魯番出土北涼時期的佛經呈現風格獨特的北涼體，本文將從有紀年的北涼石刻與佛經寫本書法，探討北涼在沮渠蒙遜與高僧曇無讖合作推動佛教影響之下，出現中國書法史上最具胡風的北涼體宮廷書法風格。

The material of noon shadow preserved in the three different Buddhist Scriptures is analyzed and discussed. It is also exposed that these Indian material of noon shadow had been influenced by Babylonian astronomy before they were introduced into China along with the intrusion of Buddhist.