Digital Commons Network^™

Shinto And Buddhist Metaphors In Departures, Yoshiko Okuyama

Journal of Religion & Film

Cinematic language is rich in examples of religious metaphors. One Japanese film that contains religious “tropes” (figurative language) is the 2008 human drama, Departures. This paper focuses on the analysis of religious metaphors encoded in select film shots, using semiotics as the theoretical framework for film analysis. The specific metaphors discussed in the paper are the Shinto view of death as defilement and Buddhist practices associated with the metaphor of the journey to the afterlife. The purpose of this paper is to augment the previous reviews of Departures by explicating these religious signs hidden in the film.

Political Interpretations Of The Lotus Sutra, James Mark Shields

Faculty Contributions to Books

The Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sk., Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra; Ch., Miàofǎ liánhuá jīng; Jp., Myōhō renge kyō), commonly known as the Lotus Sutra, is arguably the most influential sutra of Mahāyāna Buddhism, and certainly one of the most revered sacred texts in East Asia. Via parables and short stories, the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra indirectly present a number of core doctrines of the early Mahāyāna, the form of Buddhism that first emerged in India and West Asia roughly five centuries after the death of the historical Buddha Siddhartha Gautama (c. 563–486 …

From Exquisite To Extinct: Linguistic Human Rights In The Tibetan Diaspora || Tibetan Pragmatics, Standardization Ethics And Obligatory Bilingualism, Camille Zora Inge

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This work documents a sample of the rich qualities of Tibetan language and discusses how Buddhism is embedded and woven throughout its character. From translation compounds revealing the deeper meaning of Lord Buddha to morpho-­‐ syntactic implications of the emptiness of the self, Tibetan offers a window into an insider’s understanding of Buddhist philosophy. With such a vibrant linguistic story, Tibetan language ought to be respected and upheld, taught and treasured. But, the Chinese occupation in Tibet has resulted in a physical and cultural degradation of Tibetan culture. One of the least tangible yet most affective oppressions has been upon …

Bhikshunis And Breaking Barriers: The Changing Status Of Women In Monastic Life, Mckenna Leclear

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My research focuses on the recent changes in ideology and policy that have taken place in regards to the status of Tibetan Buddhist nuns and their monastic lives. I chose to focus on the nuns at Dolma Ling nunnery in Dharamsala, India who will be sitting for their geshema degree examinations in a few weeks time. These women are among the first nuns to be taking this examination because it was, until very recently, open only to Buddhist monks. This revolutionary change was accomplished in part by the efforts of the leaders of the Tibetan Nuns Project, who have also …

中世後期の勅撰和歌集における釈教歌 (Shakkyōka Of The Late Medieval Imperial Waka Anthologies), Hirano Tae

Waka Workshop 2013

No abstract provided.

Welcome And Introduction To The Workshop, Edward Kamens

Waka Workshop 2013

No abstract provided.

Review: Barbara R. Ambros, Bones Of Contention: Animals And Religion In Contemporary Japan (Hawai'i, 2012)., James Mark Shields

Other Faculty Research and Publications

Review: Barbara R. Ambros, Bones of Contention: Animals and Religion in Contemporary Japan (Hawai'i, 2012).

Zange And Sorge: Two Models Of 'Concern' In Comparative Philosophy Of Religion, James Mark Shields

Faculty Contributions to Books

The concept of Sorge, as developed in Martin Heidegger’s (1889–1976) classic work, Sein und Zeit (1927), describes an existential-ontological state characterized by “anxiety” about the future and the desire to “attend to” the world based on our awareness of temporality. In Japan, this concept was borrowed and critically developed by Watsuji Tetsurō (1889–1960). In Rinrigaku (1937–49), Watsuji argued that Heidegger’s Sorge remains overly reliant on the philosophical structures of Western individualism and subjectivism, and thus neglects the social dimension of human being. In turn, Watsuji’s contemporary, Tanabe Hajime (1885–1962), developed an alternative theory of “concern” in his reflections on …

Review: Steven Heine, Sacred High City, Sacred Low City: A Tale Of Religious Sites In Two Tokyo Neighborhoods (Oxford, 2011)., James Mark Shields

Other Faculty Research and Publications

Review of Steven Heine, Sacred High City, Sacred Low City: A Tale of Religious Sites in Two Tokyo Neighborhoods (Oxford, 2011).

Living In Peace: Insights From Buddhism, Ronald S. Green, Chanju Mun

Philosophy and Religious Studies

No abstract provided.

Scripture And Fiction: An Aesthetic Approach To The Little Pilgrim, Brian Russo

Honors Theses

The Little Pilgrim is written by Korean author Ko Un and was translated into English by Brother Anthony of Taizé. This text, a fictional rendering of the Gandavyuha Sutra, is an instant classic of contemporary Buddhist literature. The Gandavyuha Sutra comprises one-third of the fifteen hundred page Avatamsaka (Flower Garland) Sutra. The Avatamsaka has been described as the epitome of Buddhist thought, Buddhist sentiment, and Buddhist experience and is popular with all schools of Mahayana Buddhism, in particular, The Pure Land and Zen. The Avatamsaka Sutra is the longest sutra of the Buddhist canon and one of the oldest, dating …

Buddhist Women And Religious Leadership, Karma Lekshe Tsomo Phd

Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship

Throughout Buddhist history, women practitioners have been models of leadership in virtuous conduct, meditation, discipline, teaching, spiritual experience, and other religious achievements. The roles women have played were not necessarily in line with contemporary expectations of religious leadership, however. Most did not hold official office, give public teachings, lead religious ceremonies, or publish extensively. Most were not prominent in temple building, institutional administration, or educational leadership. Almost none of them held positions in religious institutions and only a few were recognized for their achievements. In fact, women’s most visible religious activities often centered around supporting the religious practice of other …

The Expansion Of Early Buddhism In Yunnan: The Grottoes Of Shibaoshan, Audrey Pazmino

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The expansion of Buddhism from India into China followed several different routes, one of which was the Southern Silk Road. The cosmopolitan nature of this crossroads between India, the Tubo Empire of Tibet, the Nanzhao Kingdom in the Erhai region, and the Tang dynasty in China greatly impacted the types of Buddhist sites constructed during this time period.

Buddhism also took on new characteristics from the local ethnic groups in the Erhai region, particularly the Bai ethnic minority. The grottoes of Shibaoshan are one of these early Buddhist sites in Yunnan that reflect the integration of traditional Indian and Tibetan …

Sagp Ssips 2012 Abstracts, Anthony Preus

The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Review: Hank Glassman, The Face Of Jizō: Image And Cult In Medieval Japanese Buddhism., James Mark Shields

Other Faculty Research and Publications

Review of Hank Glassman, The Face of Jizō: Image and Cult in Medieval Japanese Buddhism.

Exploring The Connections Between Science And Spirituality: Conversations About The Afterlife, Ellen Jackson

Staff Scholarship

This research explores the possibilities, through literature and the experience of others, that the physical body is the container for “something” often referred to as the soul or ethereal substance which lives beyond the body after death. My work examines the intersection of science and spirituality related to conversations and writings about the afterlife. This investigation was conducted relying on the findings and the beliefs/opinions of ancient and modern philosophers, scientists and spiritual leaders’ concepts of death and the possibility that other worlds (or dimensions) exist. Despite many centuries of exploration, there is no conclusive scientific evidence of an afterlife; …

Ciis Today, Spring 2012 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Spring 2012 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies

Review: Christopher Ives, Imperial-Way Zen: Ichikawa Hakugen’S Critique And Lingering Questions For Buddhist Ethics (Uhp, 2009), James Mark Shields

Other Faculty Research and Publications

Review of Christopher Ives, Imperial-Way Zen: Ichikawa Hakugen’s Critique and Lingering Questions for Buddhist Ethics (UHP, 2009)

Practicing Paradise: Contemplative Awareness And Ecological Renewal, Douglas E. Christie

Theological Studies Faculty Works

What would it mean for Christians to take seriously the idea that we are called to practice paradise, to inhabit the world as if “everything is in fact paradise”? In the Christian contemplative tradition, one finds recurring attention to the notion that paradise is somehow knowable, graspable, and inhabitable in this present reality, and that this experience of paradise can be incorporated into a meaningful spiritual practice. This essay asks whether, in a moment of deepening ecological degradation, the contemplative practice of paradise might help us learn again how to imagine the world as whole, inhabit it with tenderness and …

Mother Teresa And The Bodhisattva Ideal: A Buddhist View, Karma Lekshe Tsomo Phd

Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship

The notion of the bodhisattva, the selfless individual who is dedicated to alleviating the sufferings of others, is traditionally articulated within a Mahāyāna Buddhist framework. The question posed here is whether and to what extent this religious ideal can be conceived or, or instantiated by, individuals whose religiosity is framed by a different set of be- liefs and values, taking the Roman Catholic Sister of Charity, Mother Teresa, as an example. The broader question of commensurability arises when the criteria for qualifying as a bodhisattva, set within a specifically Mahāyāna context, are superimposed upon a figure who is solidly grounded …

Asoka As Philanthropist, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Philanthropy is one of the oldest concepts associated with western civilization. Although it is generally traced to ancient Greece, there is no clear indication where the Greeks got the idea. My earlier paper on Buddhist philanthropy was one of the first published studies in the third sector literature of evidence of Buddhist practices in this area. This unpublished paper explores more fully the history and legends associated with one of the major figures in the Buddhist philanthropic division. Asoka was the third ruler of the Maurian empire in northern India. A great warrior, Asoka is reputed to have given up …

The Role Of Apologetics In Mormon Studies, Daniel C. Peterson

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

T he following essay was presented on 3 August 2012 as “Of ‘Mormon Studies’ and Apologetics” at the conclusion of the an nual conference of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR) in Sandy, Utah. It represents the first pub lic announcement and appearance of Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture, which had been founded only slightly more than a week earlier, on 26 July. In my view, that rapid launch was the near-miraculous product of selfless collaboration and devotion to a cause on the part of several people—notable among them David E. Bokovoy, Alison V. P. Coutts, William …

Awakening Between Science, Art & Ethics: Variations On Japanese Buddhist Modernism, 1890–1945, James Mark Shields

Faculty Contributions to Books

The half-century between the publication of the Imperial Rescript on Education (kyōiku chokugo 教育勅語, 1890) and the bombing of Pearl Harbor (1941) was one of tremendous institutional and intellectual tumult in the world of Japanese Buddhism. Buddhist sects and scholars were not immune to the changing political and cultural winds. While it is true that by the late 1930s, the majority of Buddhist leaders and institutions had capitulated to the status quo, preaching, in the words of Joseph Kitagawa “the virtues of peace, harmony, and loyalty to the throne,” the previous decades show anything but a continuous progression towards …

The Friendly Yeti, Daniel S. Capper

Faculty Publications

Most images of yetis in Western popular culture and scholarly literature portray them as secular, predatory monsters. These representations overlook important religious dimensions of yetis that are hidden in the current literature, so I take a new look at yetis in Tibetan religions in order to clarify our understanding of these legendary creatures. Following a phenomenological approach that sets aside the issue of the ontological existence of yetis, I examine texts, art, ritual, and folklore in order to propose four yeti personal ideal types: the Buddhist practitioner, the human religious ally, the friendly yeti, and the mountain deity yeti. These …

The Odyssey Of The Lotus: The Evolution And Journey Of Buddhism's Most Egalitarian Teaching From Asia To America, Samuel Dale Davis

All ETDs from UAB

Nichiren Buddhism, based on the teachings of the 13th century Buddhist sage Nichiren (1222-1282 CE), ultimately originating with the Lotus Sutra, came to the United States in the 1960s, primarily through the efforts of young Japanese women who married U.S. servicemen stationed in their native land following World War II. The women, converts to Nichiren Buddhism through the lay organization Soka Gakkai, managed by the late 1960s to attract thousands of young Americans to the practice. During the years that followed, thousands of Americans not directly connected with the counterculture also converted to Nichiren Buddhism. Buddhist ideas reverberated with some …

Philosophy & World Religions Department Newsletter, V3, Fall 2011, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Philosophy And World Religions.

Philosophy & World Religions Department Newsletter

Inside this issue:

-- Notes from the Head
-- Faculty Updates: John Burnight
-- Faculty Updates: Grant Goodrich
-- Faculty Spotlight: Reza Lahroodi, Professor of Philosophy
-- Faculty Spotlight: James Robinson, Professor Of Religion
-- Harry Brod's Work with The Center for Violence Prevention
-- Discussion & Lectures by Dr. Russ Shafer-Landau
-- Student Interview: Emily O'Loughlin
-- Student Interview: Kayleigh Massman
-- Philosophy Club
-- Alumni Updates
-- RIPD Seminar
-- Impact of Scholarships
-- Support for Students or Department
-- Alumni Highlight: Tom Hesse
-- Alumni Highlight: Peg O'Rourke
-- Alumni Response Form

Contesting Buddhisms On Conflicted Land: Sarvodaya Shramadana And Buddhist Peacemaking, Masumi Hayashi-Smith

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Buddhism in its various incarnations has both aided and hindered the peace processes in Sri Lanka. Sarvodaya Shramadana, a Buddhist development organization, stands out in the way it uses religion to promote peace through a more humanist interpretation of Buddhist teachings. While Sarvodaya's alternative approach toward the religion provides an optimistic space for promoting peace, its connections to and dependence on populism can also complicate its politics. This article argues that the most effective means of peace work can be found through the same channel of collective mobilization that hindered it, Buddhism.

Mindfulness And Authentic Creativity Developing A Healthy Lifestyle, Brittany B. Cockrell

HIM 1990-2015

The contemporary society of the United States of America is becoming an increasingly stressful environment to live in. Our rapid advances and developments in virtual, electronic, and high-speed technology have led us to a lifestyle that operates more quickly. However, our attachment to such a face-paced lifestyle has unfortunately led us towards an increasingly stressful lifestyle. This research focuses on identifying our current society's perceptual outlook and illustrating how the practice of mindfulness can help reduce the anxieties, struggles, and mental flaws which cloud our perception. The intent of this thesis is to show how the practice of mindfulness is …

Buddhist Contributions To The Question Of (Un)Mediated Mystical Experience, Yaroslav Komarovski

Department of Classics and Religious Studies: Faculty Publications

In this article, I address divergent Buddhist positions on conceptual and non-conceptual understanding of reality and the process of transition from the former to the latter. My discussion is anchored in the context of a well-known problematic issue in the field of religious studies, namely, the question of (un)mediated mystical experience. Connecting uniquely Buddhist philosophical and contemplative perspectives with the questions debated in contemporary studies of mysticism, I argue that Buddhism can make significant contributions to that field. Not only does it provide refined models of mind, contemplative processes, and other elements that help us understand certain mystical experiences, but …

Kurosawa, Akira (1910-1988), James Mark Shields

Other Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.