KEY NOTES

Engaged Buddhism:

·   Traditional mindfulness practice with active civil disobedience.

·       Thich Quang Duc:

o   Self-immolated in protest to Buddhist repression in South Vietnam.

·       Thich Nhat Hanh:

o   Social activist.

o   "Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves."

·       Queen:

o   "Tireless campaign for reconciliation and restoration."

·       Ambedkar:

o   Founded Navayana:

§  Keown:

·       "About class struggle and social equality."

·       Rahula:

o   The core sentiment of Engaged Buddhism: "Buddhism is based on the service to others."

·       Buddhist teachings:

o   It is assumed that those less fortunate deserve it due to Karma.

§  Holds back social activism.

Exclusivism:

·       One doctrine or denomination is true and others are false.

·       Buddha:

o   "The result of wrong philosophy is only degeneration."

·       Dhamananda:

o   "Avoid superstitious and meaningless practice."

·   Christians persecuted in early modern Japan.

Inclusivism:

·   One doctrine is absolutely true and others are partially true.

·       Dhamananda:

o   "Wherever the four noble truths could be found... therein lies the true religion."

·       Ashoka:

o   "One should honour other's religions."

·       Dalai Lama:

o   "Buddhism is the only truth for me... to my Christian friend, Christianity is the only truth."

Pluralism:

·   Denominations are different expressions of the same underlying truths = equally valid.

·       Dhamananda:

o   "The Buddha's message was an invitation to join the fold of universal brotherhood."

·       Dalai Lama:

o   "All faiths turn to compassion."

·       Thich Nhat Hanh:

o   "We are all practicing sunyata."

·   Arrogant to say other religions are practicing sunyata without realising it??

Ecumenicism:

·       Promotion of cooperation between different religious denominations.

·       Rahula:

o   "The buddha is our only master."

·       During Vietnam war sects united against communist threat.

Science and Buddhism:

·       Flat Earth with 'Mount Meru' in the centre, at the summit you can travel to the heavens.

·       Conflict model:

o   Direct conflict.

·       Complementarity model:

o   Addressing the same reality from different perspectives

·       NOMA model:

o   Religion and science address separate issues, so no overlap and no conflict.

·       Fusion model:

o   Complement each other.

o   Dalai Lama:

§  "Buddhist teachings stress the importance of understanding reality. Therefore, we should pay attention to what modern scientists have actually found"

§  Likes telescopes...

·   There are 6 realms in Buddhism e.g. Real of the Gods.

o   Weak Scientific evidence. However probably only a metaphor.

o   Epstein:

§  "Not so much a specific place but rather a metaphor."

·       World as an endless cycle of rebirth and samsara vs universe as beginning with the Big Bang.

·       Realism:

o   Only verifiable entities have an objective existence.

·       Rationalism:

o   Belief should be based upon reason and logic.

·       Inductive arguments:

o   Arguments based on evidenced conclusions.

·       Is Buddhism Rational?

o   Yes:

§  Buddha encouraged rational consideration of his ideas.

§  Wisdom and Insight are major concepts.

o   No:

§  Supernatural belief.

§  True knowledge only found through enlightenment.

·       Buddha on miracles:

o   Physical supernatural actions.

o   Mind reading.

o   Power to be able to guide people.

§  Only the third should be allowed as "you must never show off your powers just to impress."

 KEY QUOTES

Issues in Society- 14th Dalai Lama and K Sri Dhammananda

·       Dalai Lama on inter-faith dialogue = ‘we have much to learn from the Christians’ and ‘Buddhism is the only truth for me... to my Christian friend, Christianity is the only truth’

·       Dalai Lama on shared truths in religion = ‘shared human nature’ and ‘all faiths turn to compassion’

·       Dalai Lama on science and Buddhism = matter/antimatter are ‘subtle anicca’ and ‘Buddhist teachings stress the importance of understanding reality. Therefore, we should pay attention to what modern scientists have found’

·       Dhammananda on exclusivism = Buddhism is ‘the true religion’ and ‘avoid superstitious and meaningless practice’

·       Dhammananda on Buddhist co-operation in history = ‘there is no evidence to show that Buddhism has interfered or done any damage to any other religions’

·       Dhammananda on pluralism = ‘the Buddha’s message was an invitation to join the fold of universal brotherhood’