The present book collects research papers by Bhikkhu Anālayo with translations of Saṃyukta-āgama discourses and comparative studies of their Pāli parallels, together with two appendices on the relationship between commentary and discourse as well as on the Udāna collection. Topics taken up in the course of the studies are the four noble truths as a diagnostic scheme, concern for the welfare of others, the transfer of merit, humour, Aṅgulimāla, teachings to laity, attitudes towards nuns, arahants and suicide, teaching and awakening, the gender-inclusiveness of the address 'monk', the acrobat simile, mindfulness of breathing, the Buddha's first discourse, self-cremation, and the Buddha's visit to his mother in the Heaven of the Thirty-three.
●作者簡介:
Bhikkhu Anālayo
was born in Germany in 1962 and ordained in Sri Lanka in 1995. He completed a Ph.D. thesis at the University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka) in 2000 and a habilitation thesis at the University of Marburg (Germany) in 2007. At present he is a professor at the University of Hamburg, Numata Center for Buddhist Studies (Germany), and a researcher at the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts (Taiwan).
The present book collects various research papers by Bhikkhu Anālayo with translations of Madhyama-āgama discourses and a comparative study of their Pāli parallels, together with a brief discussion, found in the appendix, of the school affiliation of the Madhyama-āgama and its relation to the Majjhima-nikāya. The main emphasis in these studies is on detecting possible transmission errors in the Pāli versions through the help of the parallel Madhyama-āgama discourse. Topics taken up in the course of the different studies are the Buddha’s decision to teach, the role of investigation in early Buddhism, the notion of a recluse, the relationship between tranquillity and insight, the lateness of the dictum that a woman cannot be a Buddha, the beginnings of the Abhidharma, meditation on emptiness in early Buddhism, the development of the arahant ideal, the canonical account of the founding of the order of nuns, and the relationship between karma and liberation.
●作者簡介:Bhikkhu Anālayo was born in Germany in 1962 and ordained in Sri Lanka in 1995. He completed a Ph.D. thesis at the University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka) in 2000 and a habilitation thesis at the University of Marburg (Germany) in 2007. At present, he teaches at the Center for Buddhist Studies, University of Hamburg, and researches at Dharma Drum Buddhist College (Taiwan).
Buddhism suggests that it is possible to investigate the nature of reality ourselves; but to do so one needs to differentiate definitive teachings from those of interpretable meaning. William Magee’s book, Paths to Omniscience, discusses a number of topics related to the interpretation of scripture according to Dzong-ka-ba, Jam-yang-shay-ba, Nga-w?ng-bel-den, and other great scholars of the Geluk world. Paths to Omniscience also addresses the Geluk approach to the practice of hermeneutics. Even within the lineage itself, scholars have not always agreed about interpretation of scripture. Paths to Omniscience describes intricate maneuvers enlivening the spirited controversies of these emminent Lamas. Paths to Omniscience also includes translations of thirty annotations from Nga-w?ng-bel-den’s Annotations for (Jam-yang-shay-ba’s) "Great Exposition of Tenets". These annotations show how diverse and wide-ranging a great commentarial author can be in his treatment of the basic text. Far from being mere footnotes to Jam-yang-shay-ba, the Annotations can instead be viewed as a seminar on his Great Exposition of Tenets.
Huatou is a skillful method for breaking through the prison of mental habits into the spacious mind of enlightenment. The huatou is a confounding question much like a Zen koan. Typical ones are 「What is wu (nothingness)?」 or 「What was my original face before birth-and-death? 」 But a huatou is unlike a koan in that the aim is not to come up with an answer. The practice is simple: ask yourself your huatou relentlessly, in meditation as well as in every other activity. Don’t give up on it; don’t try to think your way to an answer. Resolve to live with the sensation of doubt that arises, and it will pervade your entire existence with a sense of profound wonder, ultimately leading to the shattering of the sense of an independent self. Master Sheng Yen brings the traditional practice to life in this practical guide based on talks he gave during a series of huatou retreats. He teaches the method in detail, giving advice for dealing with the typical pitfalls and problems that arise, and answering retreat participants’ questions as they experience the practice themselves. He then offers commentary on four classic huatou texts, grounding his instructions in the teaching of the great Chan masters.
Master Sheng-Yen has devoted much of his life to spreading the teachings of Chinese Buddhism—a practice that antedates the more familiar Japanese and Tibetan traditions—throughout the world. He became known in the United States after he began founding meditation centers here in 1980. Now in his late seventies, he tells the remarkable story of his life and spiritual education in FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW. From descriptions of the private world of Buddhist masters to first-hand accounts of Chinese history, it is a rare document that is both an important look at China’s past and a compelling spiritual journey across a lifetime. Sheng-Yen’s story is of a life lived in the last years of the Republic of China, the Sino-Japanese War, and the founding of the People’s Republic of China. An eye-opening slice of modern history as well as an authoritative introduction to an ancient religious tradition, FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW will appeal to spiritual seekers, travelers who want to understand more about China, or anyone looking for a fascinating story.
The present book is a textual study in early Buddhism, which compares the Pali discourses of the Majjhima-nikāya with their parallels preserved in Chinese, Sanskrit and Tibetan etc.
●作者簡介:
Bhikkhu Anālayo was born in Germany in 1962 and ordained in Sri Lanka in 1995. He completed a Ph.D. thesis at the University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka) in 2000 and a habilitation thesis at the University of Marburg (Germany) in 2007. At present, he teaches at the Center for Buddhist Studies, University of Hamburg, and researches at Dharma Drum Buddhist College (Taiwan).