Hidden land and changing landscape: Narratives about Mount Khangchendzonga among the Lepcha and the Lhopo

This article explores contemporary ‘hidden land’ narrative constructs of Máyel Lyáng and Beyul Dremojong in Sikkim, India, as conceived by the Lepcha and the Lhopo, two ‘scheduled tribes’. Lepcha and Lhopo narratives about these hidden lands in Mount Khangchendzonga inform us about their contemporary and historical, indigenous and Buddhist contexts and the interactions between these contexts. Lhopo perspectives on the hidden Beyul Dremojong echo classical Tibetan Buddhist ‘revealed treasure’ guidebooks and exist within the complex and reciprocal relationship between the Lhopo and the land they inhabit; development initiatives are understood to have caused illness and death in the Lhopo community of Tashiding, often referred to as the geographical ‘center’ of Beyul Dremojong. Contemporary Lepcha comprehensions of Máyel Lyáng, described in oral narratives within an ethnic community whose cosmology is intimately connected with Mount Khangchendzonga, today show some influence of Lhopo interpretations of Beyul Dremojong and the treasure texts; they also reflect Lepcha fears about cultural dispersion. Present-day narratives about both hidden lands reference notable political events in modern Sikkimese history (encounters with the British; the Chinese occupation of Tibet).

Zazen, philosophy of mind, and the practicality of realising impermanence

This dissertation involves a general overview of the meditative practice of zazen and analytic philosophy of mind while suggesting a potential bridge between them in the form of an analysis of the practicality of realising impermanence. By the end of my argument I hope to have offered up some compelling evidence in favour of the idea that analytic philosophy would benefit greatly from adopting principles which are best learned and expressed through the practice of, and scholarship around, Zen Buddhism and in particular the treatment of the concept of impermanence. I demonstrate the Western philosophical tendency to make dichotomous assumptions about the nature of mind, even when explicitly denying a dualist framework. I do so by examining the historical and philosophical precedent for dualistic thinking in the work of figures such as Plato and Descartes. I expand on this idea by examining the psychology of categorisation - i.e. creating mental categories and boundaries - and demonstrating how such categorisations feeds back into behaviour in practical ways, both positive and negative. The Zen Buddhist principle of impermanence states that all phenomena are impermanent and therefore lack essential nature; this includes intellectual concepts such as the metaphysical framework of the analytic approach to mind. Impermanence is a principle which is realised through the embodied practice of zazen. By demonstrating its application to analytic philosophy of mind I show that zazen (and mindfulness practice in general) provides an ongoing opportunity for clearing up entrenched world views, metaphysical assumptions and dogmatic thinking. This in turn may promote a more holistic and ultimately more rewarding comprehension of the role of first-person experience in understanding the world. My argument is not limited to analytic philosophy of mind but reflects broad aspects of thinking in general, and I explain its application to issues of social importance, in particular education systems.

“ Humanitarian Competition: An Intellectual History in Perspective”.

Competition has become the mantra for survival in a globalised world where meaningful existence is fraught with demands, which go beyond the material to the immaterial ‘byte-size’. This has been exemplified by our obsession with illusions of immediate fame and fortune. This paper contextualises and extends the debate about the role of competition in general. Here the four major myths of competition are explored and deconstructed, from a Darwinian perspective to a more demonstrably engaged perspective on ‘capabilities’ (Sen, 1999). The second section deals particularly with the key debates, theories that influenced Tsunesaburo Makiguchi’s seminal ideas of ‘humanitarian competition’ in 1903. The final part of the paper seeks to decipher the relevance of the key ideas of ‘humanitarian competition’ as proposed by Dr Daisaku Ikeda in his 2009 peace proposal. Here the transition from competition to cooperation is explored by tying together the key principles of global coexistence enunciated by both Makiguchi and Ikeda in the context of expanding spiritual influence by the forces of culture, morality and virtue. To engage with humanitarian competition calls for a major shift from hard power to soft power, from subordination to one of engagement. In other words this concept advances the Buddhist principle of peaceful co-existence, or Panchsheel, as a norm for human behaviour of love, kindness, sacrifice and peace through cooperation, where equality and mutual benefit are critical. Humanitarian competition provides the essential framework to establish a new world order as highlighted by both Makiguchi and Ikeda.

Processing the Peace:An Interview with Teya Sepinuck

In this interview, Teya Sepinuck, the Artistic Director of Theatre of Witness reflects not only on her first two projects in Northern Ireland, but also vividly illustrates her way of working by evoking seminal moments in her previous practice. Although, she has resisted attempts to systematise the Theatre of Witness process, preferring to see it as a set of principles rather than a fixed methodology, these principles have given rise to clear guidelines that have come to govern the process through which she works. As the interview illustrates, Sepinuck, a Jewish Buddhist, has no hesitation in explaining her approach within the framework of a humanist ‘spirituality’ that explicitly deploys Judeo-Christian terminology. She invites discussion of each participant's ‘prayer-life’ and positions herself primarily as a listener rather than an interlocutor. The introduction to the interview contextualises Sepinuck's practice in relation to her previous work and other drama-based interventions in Northern Ireland. Concerns that the lack of critical distance between the tellers and their stories inhibits those who see it from freely engaging with it as they might with a fictionalised account, are also critiqued. In the interview, Sepinuck directly addresses the risk of the commodification of her work, explaining the safeguards in place to protect the participants, who have repeatedly asserted how beneficial they have found their involvement in the work to be. The sense of autonomy and empowerment that emerges from these responses represent a persuasive challenge to concerns that they are passive instruments of the Theatre of Witness process.

Lost in Transition? Emerging forms of residential architecture in Kathmandu

Kathmandu has been the last few cities in the world which retained its medieval urban culture up until twentieth century. Various Hindu and Buddhist religious practices shaped the arrangement of houses, roads and urban spaces giving the city a distinctive physical form, character and a unique oriental nativeness. In recent decades, the urban culture of the city has been changing with the forces of urbanisation and globalisation and the demand for new buildings and spaces. New residential design is increasingly dominated by distinctive patterns of Western suburban ideal comprising detached or semi-detached homes and high rise tower blocks. This architectural iconoclasm can be construed as a rather crude response to the indigenous spaces and builtform. The paper attempts to dismantle the current tension between traditional and contemporary 'culture' (and hence society) and housing (or builtform) in Kathmandu by engaging in a discussion that cuts across space, time and meaning of building. The paper concludes that residential architecture in Kathmandu today stands disoriented and lost in the transition.

Mind in Dispute: The Section on Mind in Harivarman’s *Tattvasiddhi

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2015

Paradigms and prisons: a narrative of translation and transformation : my hero's journey from "at-risk" youth to teacher/learner in a jail setting /

All life is suffering. Life is the pursuit ofhappiness. These are two foundational Buddhist dictums that, in their simplicity, I have entirely misunderstood regarding their depth, misreading them as contradictory. Indeed, my superficial interpretations led me to Thoreau's life ofquiet desperation and deep depression. We come to know and bring understanding to our lives by storying them. My own Hero's Journey, the path from my egoic selftoward the universal Self, can be understood as the resultant translations and transformations. Inevitably each of us is involved in such a story, though most are unaware of the stages along our own Hero's journey. ' Narrative honours writing as a means of knowing. The contemplative reflection allows insight into our imprisoning paradigms, beliefs, behaviours, and blind spots. My research revisits and explores nodal experiences along my Hero's Journey through 4 categories: self, society, soil, and Self. While the value of this process of narrative inquiry lay in its ability to come to know and understand one's self, perhaps its greater value is of a more universal nature. My inquiry, while adding to the body of academic educational narrative literature, may also illuminate a path to educators, students, and all interested, encouraging a response to the call of their own Hero's journey. I am a teacher/learner in a jail setting, working with youth between the ages of 12 and 18 who have committed crimes such as armed robbery, assault, rape, and murder. As this thesis follows my continual development from egoic self/teacher/learner to universal Self/Teacher/Learner, it also enables me to both consciously and unconsciously open the ways in which I expand my care, compassion, and love to work with at-risk youth.

Method and truth in MÄ dhyamika

Abstract The study was undertaken to identify what motivates registered nurses to participate in continuing education activities. The primary questions were whether basic nursing education, employment status, clinical area, and position, as well as readiness for selfdirected learning influenced Canadian nurses' motivational orientations when deciding to participate in continuing education activities. Other individual differences (e.g., age) were also examined. The sample included 142 registered nurses employed at an urban community hospital. Three instruments were used for data collection: the Education Participation Scale, the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale, and a nursing survey consisting of demographic questions. Basic nursing education and employment status did not effect motivational orientation or self-directed learning readiness. Clinical area and level of position significantly influenced nurses' decisions to participate in continuing education activities. Motivational orientation had a significant relationship with selfdirected learning readiness. Implications for practice as a result of this study involves program planning and delivery. The identification of the motivational orientations of participants may assist in the development and delivery of continuing education programs that are beneficial, relevant, and address the identified learning needs of participants. Implications for future research also exist in relation to studying different groups of nurses, for example, registered nursing assistants, and investigating related issues, for example, what are the deterrents to participation in continuing education?

The nature of avidyÄ in Buddhism and VedÄ nta

This thesis deals with the nature of ignorance as it was interpreted in the Upani~adic tradition, specifically in Advaita Vedanta, and in early and Mahayana Buddhism , e specially in the Madhyamika school of Buddhism. The approach i s a historical and comparative one. It examines the early thoughts of both the upanis.a ds and Buddhism abou t avidya (ignorance), shows how the notion was treated by the more speculative and philosphically oriented schools which base d themselves on the e arly works, and sees how their views differ. The thesis will show that the Vedinta tended to treat avidya as a topic for metaphysical s peculation as t he s chool developed, drifting from its initial e xistential concerns, while the Madhyamika remained in contact with the e xistential concerns evident in the first discourses of the Buddha. The word "notion" has been chosen for use in referring t o avidya, even though it may have non-intellectual and emotional connotations, to avoid more popular a lternatives such as "concept" or "idea". In neither the Upani,ads, Advaita Vedanta, or Buddhism is ignorance merely a concept or an idea. Only in a secondary sense, in texts and speech , does it become one. Avidya has more to do with the lived situation in which man finds himself, with the subjectobject separation in which he f eels he exists, than with i i i intel lect ual constr ucts . Western thought has begun to r ealize the same with concerns such as being in modern ontology, and has chosen to speak about i t i n terms of the question of being . Avidya, however, i s not a 'question' . If q ue stions we r e to be put regarding the nature of a vidya , they would be more of t he sort "What is not avidya?", though e ven here l anguage bestows a status t o i t which avidya does not have. In considering a work of the Eastern tradition, we f ace t he danger of imposing Western concepts on it. Granted t hat avidya is customari ly r endered i n English as ignorance, the ways i n which the East and West view i gno rance di f f er. Pedagogically , the European cultures, grounded in the ancient Greek culture, view ignorance as a l ack or an emptiness. A child is i gnorant o f certain t hings and the purpose o f f ormal education , in f act if not in theory, is to fill him with enough knowledge so that he can cope wit h t he complexities and the e xpectations of s ociety. On another level, we feel t hat study and research will l ead t o the discovery o f solutions, which we now lack , for problems now defying solut i on . The East, on the o t her hand, sees avidya in a d i fferent light.Ignorance isn't a lack, but a presence. Religious and philosophical l iterature directs its efforts not towards acquiring something new, but at removing t.he ideas and opinions that individuals have formed about themselves and the world. When that is fully accomplished, say the sages , t hen Wisdom, which has been obscured by those opinions, will present itself. Nothing new has to be learned, t hough we do have t o 'learn' that much. The growing interest in t he West with Eastern religions and philosophies may, in time, influence our theoretical and practical approaches to education and learning, not only in the established educati onal institutions, but in religious , p sychological, and spiritual activities as well. However, the requirements o f this thesis do no t permit a formulation of revolutionary method or a call to action. It focuses instead on the textual arguments which attempt to convince readers that t he world in which they take themselves to exist is not, in essence, real, on the ways i n which the l imitations of language are disclosed, and on the provisional and limited schemes that are built up to help students see through their ignorance. The metaphysic s are provisional because they act only as spurs and guides. Both the Upanisadic and Buddhist traditions that will be dealt with here stress that language constantly fails to encompass the Real. So even terms s uch as 'the Real', 'Absolute', etc., serve only to lead to a transcendent experience . The sections dealing with the Upanisads and Advaita Vedanta show some of the historical evolution of the notion of avidya, how it was dealt with as maya , and the q uestions that arose as t o its locus. With Gau?apada we see the beginnings of a more abstract treatment of the topic, and , the influence of Buddhism. Though Sankhara' S interest was primarily directed towards constructing a philosophy to help others attain mok~a ( l iberation), he too introduced t echnica l t e rminology not found in the works of his predecessors. His work is impressive , but areas of it are incomplete. Numbers of his followers tried to complete the systematic presentation of his insi ghts . Their work focuses on expl anat i ons of adhyasa (superimposition ) , t he locus and object of ignorance , and the means by which Brahman takes itself to be the jiva and the world. The section on early Buddhism examines avidya in the context o f the four truths, together with dubkha (suffering), the r ole it p l ays in t he chain of dependent c ausation , a nd t he p r oblems that arise with t he doctrine of anatman. With t he doct rines of e arly Buddhism as a base, the Madhyamika elaborated questions that the Buddha had said t e nded not t o edi f ication. One of these had to do with own - being or svabhava. Thi s serves a s a centr e around which a discussion o f i gnorance unfolds, both i ndividual and coll ective ignorance. There follows a treatment of the cessation of ignorance as it is discussed within this school . The final secti on tries to present t he similarities and differences i n the natures o f ignorance i n t he two traditions and discusses the factors responsible for t hem . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Sinha for the time spent II and suggestions made on the section dealing with Sankara and the Advait.a Vedanta oommentators, and Dr. Sprung, who supervised, direoted, corrected and encouraged the thesis as a whole, but especially the section on Madhyamika, and the final comparison.

Utilitarianism and Buddist ethics: a comparative approach to the ethics of animal research

This thesis explores the comparison utilitarianism and Buddhist ethics as they can be applied to animal research. It begins by examining some of the general discussions surrounding the use of animals in research. The historical views on the moral status of animals, the debate surrounding their use in animals, as well as the current 3R paradigm and its application in Canadian research are explored. The thesis then moves on to expound the moral system of utilitarianism as put forth by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, as well as contemporary additions to the system. It also looks at the basics of Buddhist ethics well distinguishing the Mahayana from the Therevada. Three case studies in animal research are used to explore how both systems can be applied to animal research. It then offers a comparison as to how both ethical systems function within the field of animal research and explores the implications in their application on its practice.

Transformations sociales et identitaires en Mongolie de la fin du 19e à la moitié du 20e siècle

Quelles sont les voies par lesquelles les changements sociaux affectent les identités collectives et de quelle manière une nouvelle identité vient à être adoptée par une population. Les grandes transformations qui eurent lieu en Mongolie du 19e siècle à la moitié du 20e siècle seront abordées pour tenter de répondre à ces questions. Dans un court laps de temps, cette région passa par trois systèmes politiques différents; d'une partie semi-autonome du territoire de l'empire Qing à une théocratie bouddhiste puis à une République populaire. Dans chacun des cas, les contextes sociaux ayant provoqué des changements dans la définition identitaire seront abordés ainsi que la forme par laquelle les nouveaux concepts d'identité collective allaient être sélectionnés, modifiés ou construits.

The bridging of pluralistic visions of science and ethics for bioethics - Tibetan medicine as compared with the Western research on longevity and human genetic enhancement

La thèse examine les liens entre la vision pluraliste de la science et l’éthique de la médecine tibétaine et les nouvelles pratiques en médecine occidentale, soit la longévité et la recherche sur la génétique amélioratrice. Elle cherche à cerner l’apport que la médecine tibétaine peut apporter aux recherches occidentales sur la longévité et la génétique humaine amélioratrice. Elle traite donc d’un enjeu social clé et du débat qui s’y rattache. La découverte et la description sont centrales à la méthodologie et informent l’analyse. Nous avons examiné dans un premier temps, les travaux de recherche sur la longévité reliée à la génétique amélioratrice (mémoire et muscles). Nous nous sommes penchés également sur les fondements de la médecine tibétaine en tant que système intégré. Pour ce faire, nous avons traité des notions telles que la santé, l’identité, la perfection et l’immortalité. Notre cadre conceptuel repose sur la théorie bouddhiste de l’interdépendance qui se caractérise par la formulation de catégories qui ensuite sont synthétisées dans l’essence; les deux niveaux d’interprétation de la théorie sont décrits en détail avant de passer à une comparaison avec la notion de complexité occidentale. La médecine tibétaine de fait présente un système où l’éthique et la science sont intégrées et se prête bien à une comparaison avec la vision pluraliste de la science à partir d’une perspective éthique/bioéthique. Les commentaires recueillis auprès des experts nous ont permis de cerner comment la science, l’éthique et l’amélioration de la longévité sont définies au sein des deux paradigmes de l’Est et de l’Ouest. Nos résultats montrent six points qui se dégagent au terme de cette recherche permettent de jeter un pont sur la vision pluraliste de ces paradigmes. Ceux-ci transcendent les points de vue doctrinaux individuels de religions ainsi que du monde scientifique occidental. Plus que tout, ils laissent entrevoir un cadre de références novatrices qui contribuera à la prise de décision à l’égard de questionnements bioéthiques.

Religion et homicide : étude du taux d’homicide des pays du monde en fonction des variables mesurant la religion et la pratique religieuse

L’impact de la religion sur la violence demeure à ce jour ambivalent dans la littérature. D’un côté, les religions et leurs préceptes de paix sont identifiés comme des facteurs de dissuasion dans la commission d’actes violents. D’un autre côté, l’identité religieuse est historiquement décriée comme une source majeure de guerres. Cette étude propose de comparer dans 163 pays du monde l’influence sur le taux d’homicide de quatre aspects religieux : la religion principale, l’hétérogénéité religieuse, la liberté religieuse et la religiosité. Les taux d’homicide sont fournis par l’Organisation mondiale de la santé alors que les variables religieuses proviennent de sources variées. Les analyses de régressions linéaires tiennent également compte de quelques facteurs socio-économiques. Certains sont considérés dans la littérature comme des facteurs majeurs influant sur l’homicide et d’autres sont plutôt soupçonnés d’interaction sur la relation ici étudiée. Les résultats indiquent qu’il y a modérément plus d’homicides dans les pays qui présentent une forte hétérogénéité religieuse ou une faible religiosité dans la population. Par ailleurs, les pays musulmans, notamment chiites, présentent les taux d’homicide les plus bas, surpassant les pays bouddhistes et hindouistes, alors que les pays chrétiens, notamment catholiques, présentent des taux d’homicide très élevés. Ce constat s’oppose à la théorie libérale chrétienne qui démonise les États religieux musulmans. Néanmoins, l’interprétation des conclusions de cette étude invite à la prudence étant donné son aspect délicat et exploratoire.

Of master Hongyi's last calligraphic work

Hongyi (1860-1942) est le maître de l’école bouddhiste appelée « Terre Pure » en Chine moderne. Dans l'histoire du bouddhisme chinois, il est le seul maître bouddhiste qui peut se classer parmi les plus grands calligraphes chinois. Dans l'histoire de la calligraphie chinoise, il est le premier moine-calligraphe qui allie sa foi bouddhiste avec son art calligraphique tout en appliquant des principes de la peinture occidentale à son travail de calligraphie. Son art serve bien sa croyance religieuse et n’est pas indépendent de celle-ci, ce qui est extraordinaire dans l’histoire calligraphique. Il utilise le concept bouddhiste de «une forme sans forme» pour interpréter la calligraphie chinoise, et propose une série de théories calligraphiques bouddhistes pour guider sa pratique. D’ailleurs, sa calligraphie ne sert qu'à retranscrire les textes bouddhistes classiques et contemporains. Ses œuvres illustrent donc l'influence du bouddhisme chinois sur la calligraphie chinoise. Traditionnellement, la dernière œuvre d'un calligraphe est souvent considérée comme son chef-d'œuvre en fonction de deux critères: sa technique et son contenu moral. En outre, quelques-unes des dernières œuvres de grands calligraphes ont survécu. La rareté les rend encore plus précieuses. Bei xin ji jiao («悲欣交集») est la dernière œuvre de Hongyi, qui a été achevée trois jours avant son nirvana. Ce mémoire sera d'étudier et d'analyser l'influence de sa pensée bouddhiste sur le contenu littéraire et la forme artistique de cette œuvre, et d’expliciter qu’elle guide pleinement vers l'état ultime de sa pratique bouddhiste au plus haut niveau de sa calligraphie.