Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies (CJBS)
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127 research outputs found
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‘Against Belief’: Mindfulness Meditation (satipaṭṭhāna bhāvanā) as Empirical Method
No full textEstablishing of Mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna ) is the methodology specifically developed by the Buddha towards Nibbāna. Taking the very small opening segment – Mindfulness of Breathing, of this discourse, this paper explores its methodology, not however as a spiritual activity but as a scientific method to arrive at knowledge empirically. The opening descriptive, and critical study, is followed by a discussion of a few related theoretical and practical issues. As part of the former is introduced the concept of ‘psycheme’, and regarding the latter, a few thoughts regarding the usefulness of the method for the western scientist– both at the professional and the personal levels, are introduced. The paper proposes that Science and a proposed Buddhianscience engage in a ‘Spiritual Interaction’, by way of bringing together Buddhologists and Scientists in a formal way
World’s First Intelligence Quiz? Arhant Mahinda queries Sinhala King Devanampiya-Tissa
No full text“Devanampiya-Tissa who had already heard of Buddhism from his friend Asoka received the Buddhist missionaries with the greatest kindness and regard. During their first conversation, Mahinda, in order to gauge the king’s intelligence and capacity to understand, put him some questions. This test, which can be regarded as the first intelligence test recorded in history and, though simple and easy at first glance, required a clear and acute mind to answer it.
Outpost Buddhism Vietnamese Buddhists in Halifax
No full textThe study of Buddhism in the Canadian context is in a nascent phase, so it is not surprising that most studies focus on the major urban areas, especially Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. Studies that look at Buddhism as practiced by ethnically homogenous groups have all been on communities that are big enough to establish temples and organisations to sustain their religious needs. This paper addresses this imbalance by considering how Vietnamese Buddhists approach their practice in Halifax, where the community is too small to sustain an organisation, services or a religious space. It looks at the current Buddhist institutions in Halifax and how they have not met the needs of the Vietnamese community, and then goes on to explore the strategies employed to compensate for the lack of a temple of their own
Universal Buddhist Temple (世界佛教會): Embracing a Myriad Dharmas
No full textThe present article is a first attempt to provide some basic details on the history, function and orientation of the Universal Buddhist Temple. The Universal Buddhist Temple stands as the oldest functioning Chinese Buddhist Temple in Vancouver and has been supportive of other temples that have been established on the Lower Mainland throughout its history. What follows is a recounting of the basic history of this enduring community
Sakyadhita Canada Branching Out
No full textThis paper discusses the creation of Sakyadhita Canada (SC) from Sakyadhita International, the International Association of Buddhist Women (SI) founded in 1987. Further, it examines SC’s progress towards attaining its Canadian goals
Early Buddhist Practice of Meditation
No full textThe practice of meditation is an essential part of the Buddhist path leading to emancipation. This brief essay outlines the fundamentals of meditation, as understood by the Theravada tradition, in its two aspects: samatha (calming) and vipassana (insight). The discussion is based exclusively on Pali texts with little input from the author himself
Uncaged: Buddhism, John Cage and the Freeing of the World
No full textJohn Cage is generally regarded as the most influential avant-garde musician of the last half of the 20th century. His music and its interpretation form one of the most important examples of Buddhist teaching in the West in the last 50 years. Of particular interest is his continuous exploration of the meaning of music, noise, sounds, silence, and the role of the musician/artist as a facilitator of their expression of their own “buddha-nature”. This is compared and contrasted with the work of Soetsu Yanagi, the originator of mingei (folk craft) theory in Japan, whose framing of the roles of the traditional craftsman and the modern individual artist in terms of Pure Land Buddhism sheds light on issues of “self” and “other power” in creativity
