Introduction • Contents • Contributors
*NOTE: diacritical marks have been removed on this web page so the text may be viewed in all browsers and operating systems. The hardcopy volume includes the correct Sanskrit and other diacritical transliteration marks.
 |
Copyright © 2006 by Library of Congress Control Number: 2006921504
IntroductionRonald S. Green [NOTE: The titles and academic institutions listed in association with the contributors represent the positions they held in 1995, that is, at the time of the seventh seminar.] This book is composed of the thirty-one articles presented at the Seventh International Seminar on Buddhism and Leadership for Peace in Honolulu. The seminar was held from June 3rd through the 8th of 1995, on the theme: "Buddhism and Peace: Theory and Practice." We can now see that the ideas contained in the papers presented at that time were and continue to be particularly momentous in the advancement of perhaps the most significant development in Buddhist philosophy and practice in our time: socially engaged Buddhism. |
Looking at its more than two thousand years of history, Buddhism is often characterized by historians as highly adaptable to time and place. In keeping with this, the emergence of socially engaged Buddhism is seen as a significant feature in the evolution of Buddhism over the past century. In terms of the world today, the last twenty years in particular has been a time of great growth in the area of socially engaged Buddhism, owning in no small part to the activities of some of the authors of these articles. In pace with recent eruptions of war and political aggression throughout the world, these Buddhists and theorists are increasingly emerging as advocates of peace and nonviolence.
Characterized by a reorientation of Buddhist soteriology and ethics, engaged Buddhism identifies and addresses sources of human suffering beyond individual cravings and ignorance, expanding such classical concepts to include social, political and economic injustices, warfare and violence, and environmental issues. Today, engaged Buddhism is manifested in a wide range of popular movements, development projects and service organizations in Asia and the West. As such, it emerges as a potentially potent force for social betterment in many parts of the world. Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., some of the writers in this volume have become international symbols of struggle against repression and brutality.
The Seventh Seminar on Buddhism and Leadership for Peace was held under the joint sponsorship of the Dae Won Sa Buddhist Cultural Institute of Hawaii and the Department of Philosophy of the University of Hawaii at Monoa. Professor David Kalupahana served as director of the seminar and is a contributor to this book. More than forty participants, including some of the foremost scholars and religious leaders from Asia, Europe and the USA discussed five themes: (1) the Individual and Peace, (2) Society and Conflict Resolution, (3) the Environment, (4) Health and (5) East Asian Buddhism. From these points of reference, the authors directly address and contribute to the theory and practices of socially engaged Buddhism.
Among the presenters at the conference, four were professors from the University of Hawaii: Professor Emeritus Alfred Bloom of the Department of Religion; Dr. Daniel E. Ponce of the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine; Professor David Chappell of the Department of Religion; and Professor David Kalupahana of the Department of Philosophy.
There were many participants from the mainland of North America. These include: Professor George Bond, Chair, Department of Religious Studies, Northwestern University; Professor Ronald Burr, Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of Southern Mississippi; Professor Steve Heine, Department of Religion, Pennsylvania State University; Professor Arthur Herman, Department of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point; Professor Sallie B. King, Department of Philosophy and Religion, James Madison University; Professor Sung-bae Park, Director, Department of Comparative Studies; Professor Donald Swearer, Department of Religion, Swarthmore College; Professor Robert Zeuschner, Department of Philosophy, Pasadena City College; Professor Nona R. Bolin, Department of Art and Sciences, Memphis College of Art; and Professor David Putney, Department of Philosophy, Old Dominion University. Professor Leslie Kawamura, Department of Religious Studies, University of Calgary came from Canada.
Some participants came from British Kingdom as follows: Dr. Stewart McFarlance, Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University, United Kingdom; Dr. Ian Charles Harris, Senior Lecturer, S. Martin's College, United Kingdom; Dr. Peter Harvey, Reader in Buddhist Studies, School of Social and International Studies, University of Sunderland, United Kingdom; Professor Padmal De Silva, Institute of Psychiatry, United Kingdom; and Dr. Lance Cousins, formerly Senior Lecturer in Comparative Religion, University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
Several scholars attended the seminar from South and South East Asia as follows: Professor S. N. Dube, Department of History and Indian Culture, University of Rajasthan, India; Professor K. N. Upadhyaya, Forensic Science Laboratory, Government of Vihar, India; Meenakshi Gopinath, Principal, Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, India; Dr. A. T. Ariyanatne, President of Sarvodaya Sramadana Movement, Sri Lanka; Professor P. D. Premasiri, Department of Philosophy, University of Peradeniya; Dr. Sanath Nanayakkara, Deputy Editor, Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Sri Lanka; Professor Lily de Silva, Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; Dr. Suwanna Satha-Anad, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand and Dr. Kwan Kah Yee, Vice President, Singapore Buddha Yana Organization, Singapore.
Some scholars participated from East Asia as follows: Professor Fumihiko Sueki, Department of Indian Philosophy, University of Tokyo, Japan; Professor Hajime Nakamura, Director, the Eastern Institute, Japan; Byung-Jo Chung, Department of Ethics, College of Liberal Art, Dongguk University, Korea; Jae-Ryong Shim, Department of Philosophy, Seoul National University, Korea; and Woo-Sung Huh, Department of Philosophy, Kyung Hee University, Korea.
The original five themes devised by the seminar organizers are presented as the five headings of this book. Six articles are included in Part One, under the heading "Individual Peace." First, to see the applications of Buddhist ethics to social conditions of today, Dr. Cousins examines Buddhist canonical sources. The article particularly focuses on the important ideas of kusala and puñña, sometimes translated as 'good' or 'virtuous.' His article, "Going Beyond Good and Evil? Kusala and Punna in Canon and Commentary," contributes to our understanding to Buddhist ethics and how they will be taught today. In the second article, "Buddhism as a Principle of Tolerance," Professor Byung-jo Chung asks if peace is possible and, if so, how. The third article is "Personal Peace and Philosophical Conflict: Ho-tse Shen-hui and His Attack Upon Northern Chan." In it, Dr. Robert B. Zeuschner looks at the case of the Seventh Patriarch of Chan (the Chinese version of Zen), suggesting how in China and in Japan, Buddhist masters have curried favor from those in power. In the fourth article, "Arhat Ideal in Early Buddhism," Dr. S. N. Dube treats the earliest Buddhist writings in order to discover the origins of the ethical ideas applicable today. The fifth article is by Professor P. D. Premasiri and is titled, "Can Peace in the Larger Society be Promoted without Inner Peace within the Individual? A Response in terms of Early Buddhism." The sixth is Mr. Sanath Nanayakkara's "The Noble Eightfold Path as a Way to Harmoniously Blend Material Progress with Spiritual Progress."
Nine articles are included in Part Two, "Society / Conflict Resolution." First is Professor K. N. Upadhyaya's article, "Early Buddhist Attitude to War and Peace." This article is particularly interesting in relation to the previously mentioned contributions on early Buddhism by Dr. Dube and Professor Premasiri. Second in this section is a very important article by Dr. Sallie B. King, titled, "Towards a Buddhist Theory of Social Ethics." In terms of socially engaged Buddhism, Dr. King examines the Four Noble Truths, addressing their relevance to Western ethical theory: the individual and society; human rights and social responsibilities; utilitarian and deontological ethical theory. Her study reveals the heart of the issues addressed in this book. The third article in this section is by Professor A. L. Herman, entitled, "Community: Violence, Peace and the Ways of Community." Fourth is Professor David W. Chappell's "Searching for a Mahayana Social Ethics." This article by Professor Chappell is a particularly significant contribution to the presently changing orientation of Buddhist soteriology. In it, he looks specifically at the ethical foundations of Buddhism, such as the famous Six Perfections, to see how those teachings are adaptable in the changing world. The fifth article is by Professor George D. Bond, "The Sarvodaya Movement's Quest for Peace and Social Awakening." This article begins an important examination of the history of the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement in Sri Lanka. The movement represents one of the earliest examples of socially engaged Buddhism. Through Professor Bond's article, we also come to understand the place of the leader of the Sarvodaya moment, Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne, who is a contributor to this volume. The sixth article in this section is by Dr. Stewart McFarlance, entitled, "Skilful Means, Moral Crises and Conflict Resolution." In it, Dr. McFarlance argues that skilful means are fundamental to understanding Buddhism as a soteriology. He also shows how Mahayana skilful means, as articulated in texts and historical cases, challenge conventional understandings of Buddhist ethics and potentially provides guidelines for today's Buddhist leaders. In the seventh article, Professor Ron Burr returns to the theme of the Sarvodaya movement of Sri Lanka. In his article, "Buddhist Conflict Management," Dr. Burr takes the reader through a seminar on engaged Buddhism given by members of the Sarvodaya movement. The eighth article in this section is by Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne, the internationally acclaimed leader of the Sarvodaya movement. His article, "Buddhist Thought in Sarvodaya Practice," explains the goals and practices of the moment as well as the challenges he has personally faced.
The third part of the book addresses the "Environment" and includes nine articles. The first is by Professor Nona R. Bolin and is entitled, "From Nature to Buddha Nature: Towards A Buddhist Environmental Ethics." The second is by Professor Lily de Silva, "Environmental Crisis and Survival." The third is Professor Donald K. Swearer's "Two Perspectives on Buddhist Ecology." Fourth is Dr. Suwanna Satha-Anand's "Ethics of Wealth: Buddhist Economics for Peace." Fifth is "The Lotus and the Wheel by Dr. Meenakshi Gopinath. Sixth is Professor Peter Harvey's "Buddhist Attitudes To and Treatment Of Non-Human Nature." Seventh is "Varieties of Religious Ecology: A Typology of Buddhist Environmentalism" by Dr. Ian Charles Harris. Dr. Jae-ryong Shim presents a particularly important article for English readers, "Korean Buddhist Land-Wisdom in Theory and Practice: The Case of Pine Broad Temple Against Modern Development." Currently, there are few articles on the specifics of the history of Korean Buddhism or socially engaged Buddhism of East Asia. The ninth article is by Professor Rebecca Clare, "Some Women of the Gandavyuha-sutra."
Four articles are included in the fourth part of this book under the heading "Health." First is an article by Professor Daniel E. Ponce, "Is Buddhism Psycho-therapy?" Dr. Ponce draws upon his extensive knowledge of psychiatry in pointing to possibilities of applying Buddhist thought to that field. Second is Professor Padmal de Silva's "The Role of Buddhism in Mental Health in the Modern World." Third is "Psychological Transformation of Mind: the Foundation for Overcoming Disease," by Dr. Leslie S. Kawamura. The fourth article in this section is by Dr. Kwan Kah Yee and is entitled, "Buddhist Meditation and Mental Health."
Part Five of this book is of itself a distinct contribution to the our understanding
of socially engaged Buddhism: "East Asian Buddhism." The few English
language sources appearing on socially engaged Buddhism are typically focused
on the activities of Tibetan and Southeast Asian Buddhists: the Dalai Lama of
Tibet, Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma and Thich Nhat Hanh of Vietnam. The articles
in this section clearly contribute in that they expand the exploration of socially
engaged Buddhism to the essential area of East Asia. The first article in the
section is by Professor Steve Heine, "The Role of Repentance - Or Lack
of it - in Zen Monasticism." The second article addresses a topic immediately
recognizable as important in the development of Japanese Buddhism, "How
Can Grasses and Trees Attain Buddhahood? An Aspect of the Japanization of Buddhism"
by Professor Fumihiko Sueki. The third article is Professor Woo-sung Huh's "Beyond
Manhae (1869-1944) and Songch'ol (1912-1993)." Professor Huh examines the
lives and works of central Korean Buddhist activists to find ways of addressing
social problems today. The fourth article in this section is by Professor Alfred
Bloom, "The Shin Buddhist Approach to Spiritual Discipline and Peace."
Professor Bloom considers Japanese Shin Buddhism, finding relevance in its historic
teachings for addressing oppressive conditions in the world today.
This book is likely the most comprehensive treatment of our topic to date. Of
the seven international seminars on Buddhism and Leadership for Peace, which
have had worldwide reputation in leading discussions on Buddhism and peace,
the seventh and latest seminar is considered the most successful. The thirty-one
scholars and Buddhist activists contributing to this book equally represent
the two major Buddhist traditions, the Theravada and the Mahayana. Likewise,
a balance is struck in this book in terms of the number of articles dealing
with theory and those concentrating on practice.
Since the conference convened in 1995, escalating acts of terrorism and cruelty,
as well as the outbreak of wars have shocked the world. At no time has this
issue been more important than today. The seven conferences held thus far, originated
from the vision of the venerable master Daewon Ki of Dae Won Sa Buddhist Cultural
Institute of Hawaii. His motivation was to bring Buddhist thinkers, peace leaders
and scholars together from around the world in order to discuss themes of common
interest. The articles in this book address issues of Buddhist philosophy, particularly
ethics and the role of Buddhism in dealing with political and economic injustices.
While the book will have wide appeal to scholars and students of Religious Studies,
it will also be attractive to a broader audience of sociologists and political
scientists. Peace activists, Buddhists and non-Buddhists, might find ways to
apply this information for building peace in the world. Social scientists, human
scientists, Buddhist scholars, engaged Buddhists and others can incorporate
the Buddhist wisdom contained in these pages to broaden their understanding
of peace and to find ways to bring it to this problematic world.
NOTE: The titles and academic institutions listed in association with the contributors represent the positions they held in 1995, that is, at the time of the seventh seminar.
Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne, President, Sarvodaya Sramadana Movement, Sri Lanka
Prof. Nona R. Bolin, Department of Art and Sciences, Memphis College of Art
Prof. George Bond, Department of Religion, Northwestern University
Professor Emeritus Alfred Bloom, Department of Religion, University of Hawaii - Manoa.
Prof. Ronald Burr, Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of Southern Mississippi
Prof. David Chappell, Department Religion, University of Hawaii - Manoa
Prof. Byung-jo Chung, Department of Ethics, College of Liberal Arts, Dongguk University, ROK
Dr. Lance Cousins, former Senior Lecturer in Comparative Religion, University of Mancaster, UK
Prof. Lily de Silva, Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Prof. Padmal de Silva, Institute of Psychiatry, UK
Prof. S. N. Dube, Department of History and Indian Culture, University of Rajasthan, India
Prof. Meenakshi Gopinath, Principal, Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, India
Dr. Ronald S. Green, Editor of Blue Pine Books, Honolulu, Hawaii
Dr. Ian Charles Harris, Senior Lecturer, S. Martin's College, UK
Dr. Peter Harvey, Reader in Buddhist Studies, School of Social and International Studies, University of Sunderland, UK
Prof. Steve Heine, Department of Religion, Pennsylvania State University
Prof. Arthur Herman, Department of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Prof. Woo-sung Huh, Department of Philosophy, Kyung Hee University, ROK
Prof. David Kalupahana, Department of Philosophy, University of Hawaii - Manoa
Prof. Leslie Kawamura, Department of Religious Studies, University of Calgary, Canada
Prof. Sallie B. King, Department of Philosophy and Religion, James Madison University
Dr. Stewart McFarlance, Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University, UK
Ven. Dr. Chanju Mun (Ordination Name: Seongwon), Department of Religious Studies, University of the West
Prof. Sanath Nanayakkara, Deputy Editor, Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Sri Lanka
Prof. P. D. Premasiri, Department of Philosophy, University of Peradeniya
Dr. Daniel E. Ponce, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Hawaii - Manoa
Dr. Suwanna Satha-Anand, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Prof. Jae-ryong Shim, Department of Philosophy, Seoul National University, ROK
Prof. Fumihiko Sueki, Department of Indian Philosophy, University of Tokyo, Japan
Prof. Donald Swearer, Department of Religion, Swarthmore College
Prof. K. N. Upadhyaya, Forensic Science Laboratory, Government of Vihar, India
Dr. Kwan Kah Yee, Vice President, Singapore Buddha Yana Organization, Singapore
Prof. Robert Zeuschner, Department of Philosophy, Pasadena City College
