Buddhism
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1. Abe discusses the universe in two modes, as applied to the physical, objective whole, and second, as applied to the subjective experience of an individual. Both the physical universe and the human being are formulated as attributes of existence, such as "body, sensations, perceptions, volitions, and acts of consciousness." Commonsense external (objective) and internal (subjective) experience shows that both physical and individual world "are in a state of flux," so that "there is nothing behind them that can be called a permanent Self (Atman), individuality, or anything that can in reality be called 'I'" (90). These factors of existence are called skandhas, "variously translated as 'groups,' 'aggregates,' or 'heaps.' . . . form or matter (rupa [= body according to Abe, above]), feelings (vedana [= sensations]), ideas (samjna [= perceptions]), volitions (samskara [as above]), and consciousness (vijnana [= acts of consciousness above])" (Pederson 322). The idea that arises from this is the Buddhist doctrine of anatman (no-soul), or no-Self. Anatman is an aspect of all phenomena of the world, which is, however, just as much in flux as the permanent (but really not permanent, as the organism is constantly changing) self. Thus self and no-self alike are in permanent flux, the point being a metaphysical one, that they elude classification as essential and enduring. The notion of the universe being in flux really means that one condition of experience gives way to the next. Thus
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successful application of the middle way as one rebirth cycles into the next, such that the Self is progressively more successful at extinguishing the Self. Ironically, of course, the very act of undertaking a project of success implies the kind of engagement with the skandhas (hence persistent bondage to the chain of causation) that is antithetical to the elimination of Self but consistent with an attempt to find essential meanings. Thus if it is samsara that is the structure to which human experience is bound, it is karma that causes the binding in the first place. The notion of reconciling all these factors is found in Abe's description of Buddha's vision of four metaphorical figurations of human experience in the world, "a sick man, and old man, a dead man, and a monk--symbolizing the decrepitude of aging, the pathology of sickness, the phobia of death, and in the monk, the hope of transcending them" (109). The mechanism of transcendence out of the unavoidability of samsara is of course the middle way, whose moral content--systematic philosophical understanding of either metaphysical or moral content would be irrelevant--urges the view that in each successive cycle of rebirth, the experience of the organism will be more succe
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Noble Truths, Self Atman, Theraveda Buddhism, Self Ironically, Eightfold Path, Path Abe, Abe Buddhist, Abe Emptiness, Abe Buddha's, Noble Path, eightfold noble, eightfold noble path, noble path, chain causation, eightfold path, noble truths, sense experience, fullness impermanence, acts consciousness, life experience, age death, speech action livelihood, connected noble truths, craving desire grasping,
Approximate Word count = 2250
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)
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