Symposia: The Journal of the Department for the Study of Religion University of Toronto
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Jean-Luc Marion, Believing in Order to See: On the Rationality of Revelation and the Irrationality of Some Believers
No full textFollowing Traces: The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures and Rinzai Zen in North America
No full textThe Ten Ox-Herding Pictures are a prime example of the use of calligraphy as a teaching tool in Zen Buddhist practice. Each school of Zen Buddhism interprets their depiction of practice differently. Within their practices, certain schools of Zen Buddhism maintain a tradition of chanting the direct transmission of the dharma from the historical Buddha to their most recently deceased master. These dharma lineages are a window into the development of practice and philosophy for Zen schools and communities. Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji (DBZ), a Rinzai Zen Buddhist training monastery in the Catskill Mountains, follows this tradition of dharma lineage chanting and provides access to the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures. An examination into the DBZ lineage and its commentaries of the pictures reveals a tailored, personalized, and experiential presentation of the themes that directly relates to North American practitioners
The Ethical Imperative of Reincarnation in the Timaeus and the Bhagavad Gita
No full textA recurrent theme across intellectual and religious explorations, the transmigration of the soul is an ethically loaded proposition. In this essay, I will unpack the ethical imperative of reincarnation in Plato’s Timaeus in contrast to the Bhagavad Gita andthe writings of Swami Vivekananda. Within the frameworks of both the Timaeus and the Gita, I will set out the ontological structure of the world, the ethical role of the individual in the reincarnation process, and the teleological purpose of reincarnation. Ultimately, Platonic reincarnation is not ethically adequate because of its rigid hierarchy and an ultimate goal that remains in an individuated self, whereas reincarnation in the Gita offers a multitude of paths towards enlightenment and the final goal entails an interconnection with all beings. Thus, both the process and the goal lead to two vastly different ethical imperatives, and only the Bhagavad Gita’s seems robust enough to encourage an ethical life
Monastic Reading in the Cistercian Visionary Texts of the XIIIth Century
No full textMonastic reading arouses much interest in academic community in two important aspects: firstly, reading as the essential part of the contemplative monastic life; secondly, reading as the process of visual decoding of written text with the following sense perception. The second aspect remained for a long time under scientific discussion.
In my paper I touch upon the issue of development of historical viewpoints on the monastic reading in modern historiography. I also suggest my interpretation of the episodes connected with books and reading in Confessio of St. Augustine, in letters of St. Ambrose and in Prudentius’ Liber Peristephanon[1].
For the appropriate understanding of the Cistercian tradition of lectio divina it’s necessary to apply to the influential writings of Desert Fathers. In my paper I’m analysing several chapters, which deal with reading, of such sources as John Cassian’s De coenobiorum institutis and Collationes patrum in scetica eremo and the Rule of Saint Benedict that was used by the Cistercian Order as the basic example of pure monastic coenobium.
The direct analysis of reading in Cistercian communities, its roles and functions in monastic everyday life, is carried out by means of comparative method. I compare the information received from the main Cistercian normative source videlicet Liber Usuum Sacri Cisterciensis Ordinis with facts from the Cistercian visionary texts of the XIIIth century, chosen as the sources for the History of Everyday Life. Richalm’s of Schoental Liber revelationum contains the most impressive amount of references to lectio divina. Also some representative material can be found in Liber miraculorum of Herbert of Clairvaux. Such historic texts are particularly interesting for medievalists, because they provide insight into monastic everyday practices. Whereas statutes and rules descibe in detail the legislative side, that means how the monks’ life must be regulated (including the schedule of all activities), mentioned visionary texts inform us, how the cistercians observed their declared high ideals in practice, what kind of difficulties they faced, what results achieved. So, lectio divina turns out to be one of the most intellectually and physically exhausting and time-taking activities for all monks’ generations. In the analysed works there are various episodes of loud reading during refection, individual silent reading and meditation, explanations of significance of the book as the material object as well as situations of demons’ intrigues and hindrances.
By the use and interpretation of both types of writings are revealed some new aspects and functions of lectio divinaconnected with monastic everyday life.
[1] In my Peristephanon’s analysis I also try to compare Prudentius’ metaphors of books and reading with the metaphors of the Apocalypse. 
Benjamin L. Berger, Law’s Religion: Religious Difference and the Claims of Constitutionalism
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