Some Reflections on Critical Buddhism (original) (raw)
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Some Reflections on Critical Buddhism (Review article: Hubbard and Swanson, Pruning the Bodhi Tree)
Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 1999
The intellectual movement known as "Critical B u d d hism " (hihan Bukkyd 批判仏教)began around the mid-1980s in Soto Zen circles, led by Hakamaya Noriaki and Matsumoto Shiro, both Buddholoeists as well as ordained Soto priests. Since then it has indeed raised storm waves on the normally placid waters of Japanese academic Buddhist studies. "Criticism alone is Buddhism， ， ， declares Hakamaya, by which he means the critical discrimination of truth from error. Aggressively normative, Critical Buddhism does not hesitate to pronounce on what represents "true" Buddnism and what does not. By its definition, Bud dhism is simply the teachings of non-self (anatman) and dependent origination (pratitya-samutpdda). Many of the most influential of Mahayana ideas, including notions of universal B uddha nature, tathagata-garbha, original enlightenm ent, the nonduality of the Vimalakirti Sutra, and the "absolute nothingrness" of the Kyoto school, are all condem ned as reverting to fundam entally non-Buddhist notions of dtman, that is, substantial essence or ground.1 hus they are to be rejected as "not Buddhism"一 the "pruning" of this volume's title. At stake is not merely a claim about doctrinal correctness but a reform of Buddhism's social role. For Critical Buddhists, the proposi tion that all things participate in an innate, original enlightenment, far from being egalitarian, has in fact engendered and perpetuated social injustice by sacralizme the status quo. The present volume both examines the issues raised by Critical Buddhism and introduces to a Western readership the major points of
Against Harmony: Radical Buddhism in Thought and Practice, edited by Patrice Ladwig and James Mark Shields. Politics. Special Issue of Religion & Ideology, vol. 15, no. 2 (Spring 2014): 1–18, 2014
This volume explores seven distinct cases of radical Buddhism, providing a comparative overview of the diverse interactions of different types of Buddhism and various forms of political radicalism. Contributors to this special issue focus on Buddhist radicalism as a general phenomenon, but some of them specifically explore movements that were inspired by socialist ideologies in the broadest sense and therefore conceptualize these as examples of specific cases of radicalism. By examining the individuals (monks, scholars, and laypeople) and movements (both inside and outside the sangha) responsible for the creation and promotion of radical Buddhism, this volume deals with an area of Buddhist modernism that has hitherto been neglected in research. The contributions also examine the various ways in which the Buddhadharma and radical ideas were conceptualized as an integral part of the emergence of Asian “modernity,” both in response to and in resistance to Western imperialism and the forces of incipient globalization. By focusing on specific nonwestern conceptions of modernity, the volume allows for a decentering of notions of a “universal” (or purely Western) modernity. Finally, as noted above, by understanding Buddhist socialist movements as “radical,” this volume allows for a broader conception of Buddhist resistance, and puts into question the definition of terms such as “socialist,” “anarchist” and “communist” when used in a non-western and specifically Asian Buddhist context. Covering examples from Theravāda Buddhism (Thailand, Sri Lanka, India) as well as various regions of Mahāyāna Buddhism (China, Korea and Japan), the volume will explore the heterogeneity of these movements, but will also highlight the continuities that mark the connections and conjunctures between Buddhism and radical political theories and practice. While mainly historical in its outlook, the articles will approach the relevant topics and materials from a variety of innovative perspectives, exemplifying a broad range of academic viewpoints and methods; e.g., historical, philosophical, anthropological, textual and cultural.
A Critique of Western Buddhism: Ruins of the Buddhist Real
READ AT NO COST ON OPEN ACCESS: https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/a-critique-of-western-buddhism-ruins-of-the-buddhist-real/ What are we to make of Western Buddhism? Glenn Wallis argues that in aligning their tradition with the contemporary wellness industry, Western Buddhists evade the consequences of Buddhist thought. This book shows that with concepts such as vanishing, nihility, extinction, contingency, and no-self, Buddhism, like all potent systems of thought, articulates a notion of the “real.” Raw, unflinching acceptance of this real is held by Buddhism to be at the very core of human “awakening.” Yet these preeminent human truths are universally shored up against in contemporary Buddhist practice, contravening the very heart of Buddhism. The author's critique of Western Buddhism is threefold. It is immanent, in emerging out of Buddhist thought but taking it beyond what it itself publicly concedes; negative, in employing the “democratizing” deconstructive methods of François Laruelle's non-philosophy; and re-descriptive, in applying Laruelle's concept of philofiction. Through applying resources of Continental philosophy to Western Buddhism, A Critique of Western Buddhism suggests a possible practice for our time, an "anthropotechnic", or religion transposed from its seductive, but misguiding, idealist haven.
Jr. Donald S. Lopez - Critical Terms for the Study of Buddhism (2009)
University Of Chicago Press, 2009
Over the past century, Buddhism has come to be seen as a world religion, exceeding Christianity in longevity and, according to many, philosophical wisdom. Buddhism has also increasingly been described as strongly ethical, devoted to nonviolence, and dedicated to bringing an end to human suffering. And because it places such a strong emphasis on rational analysis, Buddhism is considered more compatible with science than the other great religions. As such, Buddhism has been embraced in the West, both as an alternative religion and as an alternative to religion. This volume provides a unique introduction to Buddhism by examining categories essential for a nuanced understanding of its traditions. Each of the fifteen essays here shows students how a fundamental term—from art to word—illuminates the practice of Buddhism, both in traditional Buddhist societies and in the realms of modernity. Apart from Buddha, the list of terms in this collection deliberately includes none that are intrinsic to the religion. Instead, the contributors explore terms that are important for many fields and that invite interdisciplinary reflection. Through incisive discussions of topics ranging from practice, power, and pedagogy to ritual, history, sex, and death, the authors offer new directions for the understanding of Buddhism, taking constructive and sometimes polemical positions in an effort both to demonstrate the shortcomings of assumptions about the religion and the potential power of revisionary approaches. Following the tradition of Critical Terms for Religious Studies, this volume is not only an invaluable resource for the classroom but one that belongs on the short list of essential books for anyone seriously interested in Buddhism and Asian religions.