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A (Thin) Boundary Not to Be Crossed, or Lakṣmaṇ-rekhā

Author(s): Danuta Stasik / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2019

This paper discusses the concept of lakṣmaṇ-rekhā that originates in the later Rāmāyaṇa tradition and for centuries has functioned as a metaphorical expression denoting a strict (moral) boundary that should not be crossed, as its transgression inevitably exposes one to danger. It has featured prominently in Indian public discourse on female chastity and is also very much present in different socio-cultural and political contexts, often vocalised in literature, works of art, etc. In the concept of lakṣmaṇ-rekhā, one of the most basic and at the same time most important functions performed in culture by symbolic boundaries is manifested-the function of delineating the known, familiar, safe and permissible from the unknown, unfamiliar, dangerous, impermissible. Significantly, these boundaries have inherent moral weight and help individuals as well as whole societies to structure and regulate the universe they live in, on the micro- and macro-scale. In this paper, first I discuss textual evidence that can be found in wellknown Hindi Rāmāyaṇas such as the Rāmcaritmānas, the Rāmcandrikā and Rādheśyām Rāmāyaṇ, as well as in the Sūrsāgar. This analysis of literary material is meant to contextualise various levels of explicit and implicit meanings of the concept of lakṣmaṇ-rekhā that emerge from traditional sources in Hindi. In the second part of this article, I offer a survey of relevant Hindi dictionary entries and then focus on modern non-literary (and not only Hindi) usages of lakṣmaṇ-rekhā. Finally, I place the previously examined literary and linguistic material in the context of the findings of contemporary social scientists on the concept of symbolic boundaries (Epstein 1992). It is hoped that this study that gives emphasis to structuring and regulating (but not only) aspect of boundaries can contribute to our understanding of how broadly understood safety and values are negotiated in contemporary Indian society by way of drawing (ethical) boundaries and what happens if they are compromised.

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A NEW FRAGMENT OF AN UNKNOWN COMMENTARY TO THE YUANJUE JING

Author(s): Zhang Tieshan,Peter Zieme / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2012

The fragment we are publishing here is preserved in the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (the former China Institute of Cultural Relics). It is the 53rd leaf of an Uigur manuscript that contains the beginning of an unknown commentary to the Yuanjue jing. Other leaves of the same manuscript of the Hedin Collection in Stockholm were studied by K. Kudara in 1992.

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A racionalitás Indiában

Author(s): Ferenc Ruzsa / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 3/2018

In his paper ‘Why is there philosophy in India?’ (1999), Bronkhorst suggested that rational philosophy appeared in India due to Greek influence as it can be found first in the innovations of the Sarvāsti-vāda Abhidharma rather than the Thera-vāda Abhidharma; Sarvāsti-vāda arose in Gandhāra, a Hellenistic kingdom. The present paper challenges this position in the following ways: (a) The theoretical framework is inadequate. Philosophy, rational inquiry, systematic philosophy and philosophical system are four distinct concepts, they cannot be used as synonyms. (b) Clear examples show that rational inquiry was present in Indian philosophy earlier. The Kathā-Vatthu of the Thera-vāda uses rational arguments, as did the Buddha himself. Sāṁkhya philosophy and several important passages of the earliest Upaniṣads, both earlier than the Buddha, defi nitely represent rational philosophy.

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A termékeny összecsapás

Author(s): Ferenc Ruzsa / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 3-4/2015

In this paper an important possible source of philosophical thinking in India is suggested: the fruitful conflict of two cultures. There are many clear traces in the Rg-Veda of the alien religion that the invading Aryan tribes found in India. Combining these data with the archaeological findings from the area, that is, from the Indus Valley Civilisation, and also with some very general considerations, the following picture emerges: The warlike, nomadic pastoralist Vedic people followed a sacrificial polytheistic religion with very strong masculine bias, while the native peasants practised fertility-oriented agricultural magic where Mother Earth had a central role.Features of the two cultures mingled in many interesting ways. For the victorious Aryans the impressive idea of the great female was distasteful for a long time and they tried to transform the concept of the world-woman repeatedly. The Purus a hymn of the Rg-Veda seems to be one such attempt, paving the way to the full-blown pantheism of the Bhagavad-Gītā. However, when, instead of being masculinised, the female principle is divested of its anthropomorphic traits, the neutral world-essence emerges, that is, the Brahman of the Upanis ads. This is quite clearly philosophical.

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ACCULTURATION OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN MEDICINE IN SLOVAKIA

Author(s): Ivan Souček / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Though there are many publications on traditional Indian medicine in the current book market, many issues concerning the existence of this form of medicine still remain unanswered. Focus is therefore paid to the processes of penetration and adaptation of Ayurvedic (Ayurveda — Ayurvedic) medical science within the urban environment in Slovakia, collectively called acculturation. The structure of this contribution corresponds, in my opinion, to the complexity of this topic. The introduction presents basic information on complementary and alternative medicine; it is followed by a brief explanation of the concepts of global and modern Ayurveda, and by a transcript and interpretation notes on the field research that aimed to capture the current transformation of this phenomenon, examined in our environment.

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Aitareya Upanisad (Studiu introductiv, traducere şi note)

Author(s): Ovidiu Cristian Nedu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1/2008

Aitareya Upanisad is one of the oldest Upanisads; apart from this, the text is also important due to some doctrinal reasons. In its first part, it consists of a cosmogony, which depicts a classical Indian anthropological conception, namely the similarity between man, viewed as a microcosm, and the Universe, in its entirety. The way man and Universe are created accounts for their structural similarity. Equally important is the third part, which is a classic in Indian literature, frequently quoted as a scriptural proof for the identification of the absolute with consciousness. A part of verse III.1.3, “Consciousness is Brahman”, is considered as one of the great affirmations (mahāvākya) of Hindu philosophy.

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Akaṉānūṟu. Podia for Myths and Legends

Author(s): Raju Kalidos / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

The Akaṉānūṟu, listed under the Caṅkam classical anthology, Eṭṭuttōkai, is a logical preamble to the Puṟaṉānūṟu. Akam (domestic environ) and Puṟam (beyond the home, exterior aṟam, righteous war) are keywords in Tamil literary tradition. In a work dealing with domestic behavior, evidences relating to myths and legends may be expected. Specialists in art history are naturally interested in myths. I have tried to show how akam is interlaced with pan-Indian mythologies adumbrated in the itihāsas and purāṇas, while retelling autochthonous cultures, and integrating the southern and the northern of the “Indian Asia”, cf. Tamiḻ-iṇppap pā […] vaṭa-moḻip-paṟṟāḷar “bliss offering Tamil poems, the lovers of the northern language (Sanskrit)” (PT 1.4). This is emotional integration. I guess mahākavi-Kāḷidāsa knew Tamil if Poykai Āḻvār was an expert in the Vedas (TI, 33 maṟai “Veda”, antiyāḷ “Gāyatrī”).

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Amartya Sen, Home in the World. A Memoir

Author(s): Mihaela Gligor / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2022

Review of: Amartya Sen, Home in the World. A Memoir, Allen Lane, an Imprint of Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2021, 464 pp., ISBN: 978-1- 846-14486-8.

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Are we Hindus? Religion in contemporary Tamil Dalit discourse

Author(s): Pavel Hons / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

Based primarily on original sources in Tamil as well as interviews, the article seeks to portray the attitude of Tamil Dalit intellectuals and political leaders towards the question of religion. It seeks to discover the role of religion in their discourse and how they utilise religious matters to mobilise their fellow caste members. It maps their efforts to distance themselves from Hinduism and to propagate the particularity of Dalit deities and Dalit religion as a part of their newly constructed identity. Their opinions on the possibility of conversion are also briefly noted. These attitudes are examined from the viewpoint of the differing emancipation strategies of the three major Tamil Dalit castes. The Paraiyar as well as the Arunthaiyar leaders try to reject the Hindu identity, though the common folk consider themselves to be Hindus. The Devendrars on the contrary associate themselves with the Hindu gods and Hindu temples, they claim direct connection with some of them. Even they, however, tend to emphasise particularity of their deities as a part of their identity building.

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Avalokiteśvara in Tibetan Buddhist Art of the Later Spread (Tib. phyi dar) of the Dharma. Image Classification Proposal, Part 2

Author(s): Joanna Grela / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

According to traditional Buddhist narratives and popular beliefs, Tibetans are a people chosen by Avalokiteśvara. Therefore, his worship and multitude, as well as diversity of his images, are quite common both in temples and public areas. Unlike the widespread analyses where the Bodhisattva has been treated as a peaceful tutelary deity, and classifications of its images have been based on morphological features, or artistic styles and techniques, this paper proposes another approach by grounding images in Tantric Buddhism models used locally, e.g. outer, inner and secret forms of the Three Jewels or the Three Refuges, popular in Tantric Buddhism. The second part of this paper focuses on images of Avalokiteśvara as a meditational deity and a Dharma protector, which corresponds to the last two out of the three inner aspects of the Three Jewels. Using the method developed by Erwin Panofsky and the analysis of primary Tibetan text are partly used as convenient tools for the description and exegesis of images.

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AYAGRĪVAVIDYĀ: SPELL TO THE HORSE-NECKED ONE

Author(s): Beáta Kakas / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2011

The Hayagrīvavidyā included in a Gilgit manuscript belongs to the earliest works invoking the god Hayagrīva. It is a spell which could be applied to achieve several aims. The god destroys the enemies, rescues from danger, his mantra protects against all sorts of evil, demons and black magic. His mare-face is believed to counteract the effects of enemy mantras.

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BHAGAVADGITA

Author(s): / Language(s): Romany

Translation to Romany language of the ancient Indian epic "Bhagavad Gita". / "We translated the ancient Indian epic Bhagavadgita for the first time in the world in the Roma language some ten years ago. The first variant of the text was published in the Andral magazine Nos 10, 19-20, 21, 22-23, 24, 25-26, 27-28 and 29-30 from 2000 till 2003. A decade after the first translation came to light, the translation comes out in a separate revised version. Many times I have pointed out that for me the Andral translations are no more than preliminary attempts; it was far more important for us to participate in a ‘game’ aiming at a goal that was next to impossible in the past and dare tackle the linguistic problems that occurred. The different texts are merely challenges for different solutions. No venture, no win." / "U puranuindueku eposi “Bhagavadgita” irizyam rromani chshibati agu drom desh bresh anglal. Agu variantus hramusaribnasti mukyam andu zhuralusti “Andral” andw ila 10, 19-20, 21, 22-23, 24, 25-26, 27-28 ti 29-30 mashkaral 2000 ti 2003 breshwndi. Desh bresha palal kanatu mukyam u agu kotor, u sastu irizipi akana inkila korrkorimnangu pandakerdu ti lachshwskerdu inkalzipnasti. Aver drom da vakerimas, ta Andraliskw irizipya mangi sini butserni, amingi astsyal mangseyla pis u “khelwybi” ti ovil bizaprimi buti manushwndar, ti shiyzis ti kerws chshipas, kontu her manush anglisarni vakwtsindar phennasli, ta si … bishiyzimnu, hwzlws ti astarws tut ti alakhis u tertipya sar ti irizis u tekstuya, sar ti irizis u inkistu angla tw ekhindi swy nanwy chshibakw problemuya. U ekha-avera hramusaribya sade mangina ti benin andw tuti u indriya ti rodis ekha-avera tertipya ti kerws butsi twrri en lachshws. Bi ti kerws kiya butsi, si nanwyshiyzimis ti alakhis sotu ti ovil."

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Bhāviveka vs. Candrānanda

Author(s): He HuanHuan / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2017

This essay offers an analysis of “the two-finger” illustration which Bhāviveka discusses in the Vaiśeṣikatattvaviniścaya chapter of the Tarkajvālā, the auto-commentary on his Madhyamakahṛdaya[ kārikā], wherein he introduces and criticises the theories of the Vaiśeṣika school. Going through the early Vaiśeṣika literature, I have noticed that these two-finger (dvyaṅgula, two fingers in a unit form, or finger-pair) illustrations only occur in Candrānanda’s Vṛtti, and in a very clear and straightforward manner. As I will point out, it is a mystery and indeed somewhat perplexing that the references to this illustration in the Tarkajvālā are not at all immediately intelligible. This circumstance will be addressed in this essay, where also an interpretation and a solution will be offered. In addition, the relative chronology of Bhāviveka and Candrānanda as well as their contemporaries in around 6th-century India will also be discussed.

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Birth of a Tibetan Buddhist Master, Part 1: Visionary Experiences Prior to the Birth of the Seventh Karma pa, Chos grags rgya mtsho (1454–1506)

Author(s): Dominik Dell / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

This paper highlights the importance of the secret level of rnam thars – accounts of visionary experiences and miraculous events as a sign of realisation in life stories of Tibetan Buddhist masters – based on existing research. The focus is mainly on visionary experiences. This paper contributes to this field by providing an annotated translation, analysis, and edition of a so-far untranslated section of the rnam thar of the Seventh Karma pa from the Chos ’byung mkhas pa’i dga’ ston.

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Book reviews

Author(s): Marzenna Jakubczak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2019

The review of: - Hathapradipika, Przeł., wstęp i oprac. Maria Marcinkowska-Rosół i Sven Sellmer; Poznań: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, 2018, 213 s. [zawiera bibliografię, 5 apendyksów, indeks], ISBN 978–83–232–3407–4 [twarda okładka]. - Maria Marcinkowska-Rosół i Sven Sellmer, Studia nad Hathapradipiką Swatmaramy; Poznań: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, 2019, 238 s. [zawiera bibliografię, indeks], ISBN 978–83–232–3452–4 [twarda okładka].

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Buda’nın Ateş Vaazı Adlı Konuşması Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme

Author(s): Necati Sümer / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 2/2020

Buddhism is a belief system that emerged as a reaction to Hinduism. Buddha is the founder of this religion. Buddhism has been mostly shaped around via Buddha’s life and views. In particular, the Buddha's sermons are one of the most important factor in the sense of spreading of this religion. In this context, the Fire Sermon has an important place among Buddhists. Identified with the symbol of fire, this sermon is a breaking threshold for Buddhism. After this sermon, hundreds of monks follow Buddha's path. The sermon, which has a generally religious and philosophical content, invites monks to salvation. Through this sermon, Buddha tells his followers about his life adventure and the results he has achieved. The Sermon of Fire, which gives comprehensive information about the faith life of Buddhism, reveals the reasons why man is wrong in this world. He talks about desire, passion, and hatred that cause suffering. The sermon, which states that the reincarnation process is wearing out, proposes Nirvana as a way of salvation for the monks. Buddha reaches Nirvana under the Bodhi tree. Here he matures and discovers the truth. The Buddha suggests that his followers mature through this sermon. In this context, first a short history of Buddhism and then the life of Buddha was included in this study. Thus, the process and grounds of the Fire Sermon were discussed. Finally, it was revealed what and how this sermon told and what messages it gave.

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BUDDHA U PRVOM I TREĆEM PRIPOVJEDNOM LICU

Author(s): Višnja Grabovac / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 1-2/2020

The Jätakas tales about previous existences of Gotama Buddha are a voluminous and extremely popular part of Buddhist literature. Told, according to the Buddhist belief, by Gotama himself, the jätakas describe the path of the future Buddha (Bodhisatta) who, being reborn numerous times as human, animal or deity, gradually moves towards his last existence and Enlightenment. The paper aims to show a manner in which the shift between narrative voices simultaneously allows identification and distinction between Buddha and Bodhisatta (based on the research by Naomi Appleton and Sarah Shaw, and accompanied by additional explanations and illustrations). The Jätakas are presented in the light of the Buddhist doctrines of no-self and Buddhist interpretation of the rebirth-process. Also, it is suggested that the lasting popularity and the lure of the jätakas can be seen as rooted in their potency to serve as a kind of model for resolving various life-issues to which even a modern-day reader can relate to. The paper also aims to introduce Croatian readers to extremely diverse and numerous motifs and themes presented in the Päli Jätaka collection.

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Buddhism and Urbanism in Post-Soviet Buryatia

Author(s): Bato Dondukov,Oyuna DORZHIGUSHAEVA,Galina Dondukova / Language(s): English Issue: 10/2021

With the collapse of the Soviet Union the traditionally Buddhist regions of Russia, including the Republic of Buryatia, experienced the revival of religion. Along with the traditional Gelug school of Mahayana Buddhism existing on the territories around Lake Baikal for more than three hundred years, the globalized model of Buddhism started to spread quickly in Buryatia in the 1990s. Tibetan Buddhist teachers started to establish new Buddhist organizations in Buryatia and thus to transform the urban landscape of Ulan-Ude, the capital of the republic. The article traces how global and local Buddhist organizations become represented in the urban landscape of Ulan-Ude and considers the anti-urban position of Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev.

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Buddhism: between philosophy and religion

Author(s): Krzysztof Jakubczak / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2017

The question of the character of Buddhism — whether it belongs to the re alms of philosophy or religion — emerged in the early stages of Buddhist studies and is still valid to this day. It is often emphasised that the answer to this question depends on the definitions of the underlying key terms. Thus, some assert that Buddhism is a religion, some — a philosophy. Another opinion is that these terms are connected by a conjunction, rather than alternative denial, and therefore both can be applied to the description of Buddhism as they encompass its varied aspects. On a social and cultural level, Buddhism possesses all the characteristics of a religion, and on an individual level it comes across as a practical philosophy of life which belongs to the same philosophical model as ancient Stoicism, Epicureanism, or Neoplatonism.

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Buddhist philosophy for the treatment of problem gambling

Author(s): Edo Shonin,William Van Gordon,Mark D. Griffiths / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2013

In the last five years, scientific interest into the potential applications of Buddhist-derived interventions (BDIs) for the treatment of problem gambling has been growing. This paper reviews current directions, proposes conceptual applications, and discusses integration issues relating to the utilisation of BDIs as problem gambling treatments. Method: A literature search and evaluation of the empirical literature for BDIs as problem gambling treatments was undertaken. Results: To date, research has been limited to cross-sectional studies and clinical case studies and findings indicate that Buddhist-derived mindfulness practices have the potential to play an important role in ameliorating problem gambling symptomatology. As an adjunct to mindfulness, other Buddhist-derived practices are also of interest including: (i) insight meditation techniques (e.g., meditation on ‘emptiness’) to overcome avoidance and dissociation strategies, (ii) ‘antidotes’ (e.g., patience, impermanence, etc.) to attenuate impulsivity and salience-related issues, (iii) loving-kindness and compassion meditation to foster positive thinking and reduce conflict, and (iv) ‘middle-way’ principles and ‘bliss-substitution’ to reduce relapse and temper withdrawal symptoms. In addition to an absence of controlled treatment studies, the successful operationalisation of BDIs as effective treatments for problem gambling may be impeded by issues such as a deficiency of suitably experienced BDI clinicians, and the poor provision by service providers of both BDIs and dedicated gambling interventions. Conclusions: Preliminary findings for BDIs as problem gambling treatments are promising, however, further research is required.

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