Journal of the Philosophy and Religion Society of Thailand

Wisdom as a Way of Life: Theravāda Buddhism Reimagined by Steven Collins

2024-11-22T21:17:21+07:00

Abstract for Book Review

Steven Collins' Wisdom as a Way of Life: Theravāda Buddhism Reimagined is an insightful and groundbreaking exploration of Theravāda Buddhist thought, emphasizing the significance of narrative traditions within the Pali canon. Through a detailed examination of the Jātaka tales, Collins challenges the conventional focus on systematic doctrinal works, highlighting how these stories offer a more accessible and human-centered approach to Buddhist ethics. By introducing the concepts of "Dhamma 1" and "Dhamma 2," Collins presents a dual framework where the systematic and narrative aspects of Theravāda thought complement each other, providing a holistic understanding of Buddhist wisdom.

The book employs an interdisciplinary methodology, combining philology, literary criticism, and comparative religious studies to unravel the nuanced meanings of key Pali terms like paññā (wisdom) and paṇḍita (sage). Collins also integrates insights from modern thinkers like Michel Foucault and Pierre Hadot to analyze Buddhist practices of self-cultivation. His analysis of the "Pali imaginaire" demonstrates how Jātaka narratives like the Vessantara Jātaka inspire moral reflection and shape cultural values, blending idealistic virtues with the realities of daily life.

Collins’ innovative narrative approach contrasts with earlier works that primarily focus on systematic doctrinal texts, such as his own Selfless Persons (1982) and Nirvana and Other Buddhist Felicities (1998). By emphasizing the practical and ethical dimensions embedded in Buddhist storytelling, Collins provides a fresh perspective on Theravāda ethics, showing how these narratives resonate with both lay and monastic audiences.

While the book’s rich analysis of elite textual traditions is a notable strength, it may not fully represent the diversity of Buddhist practices across different social contexts. Some critics may argue that overemphasis on the sociocultural context risks overshadowing the universal philosophical principles of Buddhism, such as the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Nevertheless, Collins’ work remains a compelling invitation to rethink the role of narrative in shaping religious ethics.

This book is an essential resource for scholars and advanced students of Buddhist studies, comparative religion, and narrative ethics. Its engaging style and innovative insights make it accessible to anyone interested in the intersection of literature, philosophy, and spirituality. Collins’ work not only enhances our understanding of Buddhist ethics but also underscores the transformative power of storytelling in fostering ethical and cultural values

ขวัญ:แนวคิดปรัชญาไทย

2024-12-13T20:14:05+07:00

“Kwan” is a concept in Thai metaphysics that relates to the essence of human beings. Thais hold a belief in “Kwan” that it is intangible and present in an individual’s life from birth. “Kwan” is unseen by the naked eye but moves in and out of human body without the owner’s awareness. “Kwan” is sensitive and can “fall” or “fly out” of the body when a person experiences shock. A severe shock may result in symptoms commonly described as “being scared away” or “losing one’s Kwan,” as reflected in the saying: “Kwan Ni Dee Phor” (loosely meaning, “being severely afraid”).

If “Kwan” leaves the body, Thais believed this to cause illness, exhaustion, or even death if it does not return. Conversely, when “Kwan” is in harmony with the body, referred to as steady “Kwan,” the person will be healthy, happy, and emotionally balanced. For this reason, when children are frightened, adults often comfort them and perform rituals to help restore their “Kwan.” This practice gives rise to the “Tham Kwan” ritual, performed at various significant stages of life, from pre-birth until death.

Key Words: Kwan, Human Nature, Thai metaphysics

Ricoeurean Hermeneutics of Māra as the Theravāda Buddhist Symbol of Evil

2024-11-22T08:22:21+07:00

In this research paper, we applied Ricoeurean hermeneutics in The Symbolism of Evil, a philosophical process that he employed to address the issue of evil through the phenomenology of confession, which considered the human fault, and the hermeneutics of symbols and myths of evil to explain the issue. Our analysis indicates that Māra remains in the mythological narrative in Buddhist studies, which caused the question of whether the Ricoeurean method will result in a more precise interpretation of Māra in certain respects. The results of the interpretation indicate that the evil that is already there is the one that leads to death. Humans are contaminated toward-death and transmit it to the world by residing in the world of the senses, which is confirmed through their fear. Nevertheless, human beings retain the authority to choose whether their course leads to life or death.

A Critical Appraisal of Liberal Peace Theory from Buddhist Philosophy

2024-11-22T08:30:41+07:00

A critical appraisal of the liberal peace thesis is founded upon the contributions of global justice to a liberal system of democracy, human rights, and regulated capitalist economy with a critique and suggestion from a Buddhist philosophical perspective to build a holistic peace thesis that can meet the challenges of a multipolar world and one that is increasingly technologically complex. While liberal peace is socio-political and economically oriented, Buddhist philosophy stresses human inner peace and then external peace and justice, acknowledging an interdependent or interconnected relationship between inner peace and socio-political and economic aspects of peace and justice. Thereby, Buddhist philosophy questions the a priori assumptions of individualism and it follows that there is a critique of Western-oriented liberal democracy, human rights, and capitalistic economy. Through the critical appraisal, this research suggests a holistic peace that integrates inner peace, human rights principles, deliberative democracy and a sustainable economic vision that seeks to achieve human development beyond mere material profit and reductionistic quantification and instrumentalization of humans and nature. The research also extends its peace analysis to critique of the existing confrontational and asymmetric global politics and the necessity for the practice of self-consciousness, and self-critique, for a transformation of aspects of the West in terms of its epistemological, cognitive, and behavioral terms. We also suggest an Earth-centric model of peace and justice, rather than hemispheric. Given its tremendous power and leading influence, it is likely not easy for the West to accommodate a Buddhist philosophical approach, or intercultural philosophy, to peace in order to develop self-critical and transformative attitudes and abilities, however, mutual learning between the West and East empowers the West to expand the purview of peace and sharpen its openness to diversity, which would create a way for a more equitable and harmonious world.

Dispositionalism as an Aesthetic Analysis of Music and Causation

2024-07-10T15:02:36+07:00

The objective of this research is to develop a philosophical account of the connection between music and causation, or to evaluate which causal theory best explains why music induces aesthetic emotional responses. According to the research, there are various ways in which music aesthetics explain these problems, including whether musical properties, music as expression, or causation in music, should be used to explain them. According to the researcher's analysis, the most plausible explanation is that of causation in music. In the next part, the dispositionalist theory—which holds that the experience of musical beauty depends on latent disposition to manifest at the time of perception—is defended by the researcher. In the last section, the disposition explanation is found to still have several issues, including a) if the disposition is conditional or categorical, b) whether it manifests in an essential or Humean way, and c) whether it is manipulative. In order to demonstrate that causation in music is categorical and needs to be explained along Humean dispositionalism, the researcher investigates these problems and offers a novel theory known as "non-predictive dispositionalism." The new theory also argues that the manifestation of these processes is non-predictive and weakly manipulative, which is more in line with the reality that listeners' emotional responses to music can differ from one another.

Practical Wisdom

2024-08-16T19:56:14+07:00

Hubert Dreyfus introduced the concept of “absorbed coping,” or “skillful coping,” to explain practical wisdom. He divides human performance based on knowledge and experience into five stages, where “Expertise” is the most advanced among them. Experts are believed to be able to immediately and intuitively respond to situations. Given that this capacity does not involve reasoning or reason-giving, analytic philosophy has not been able to fully account for the concept of expertise. For Dreyfus, skills are stored and cannot be considered as representations in the mind. This notion has sparked a series of critical debates from McDowell. Dreyfus argues that attention has no role to play in absorbed coping since by definition it succeeds only in those circumstances where we are not paying attention to the activity it solicits. Recently, James M. Dow introduced a new framework which contrasts with Dreyfus’. He gives the example of a Yogi whose activity, Dow claims, does not get interrupted by the self-awareness of expertise. The Yogi requires “attention” in order to perform, and yet he also recognizes where there is a room for improvement. This paper aims to strengthen Dow's view by introducing Buddhist phenomenology and the notion of Vipassana into the framework. In addition, it also suggests the possibility of acquiring skillful-attention through the basic practice of Vipassana. to cultivate “skillful-attention.” Ultimately, detailed reports of skilled bodily actions in terms of the “what” and “how” of higher-skilled Vipassana practitioners can be used against Dreyfus’ claim that experts lack reason-giving.

The Paradox in Derrida’s Notion Of Forgiveness

2024-07-06T08:50:37+07:00

Jacques Derrida proposes a paradoxical notion within the philosophy of forgiveness, suggesting that forgiveness forgive only the unforgivable. This notion expands the horizons of understanding the ethics of forgiveness while simultaneously making it challenging to implement Derrida's notion of forgiveness in politic contexts. This article aims to elucidate the paradox in Derrida’s notion of forgiveness and offer critiques to highlight the difficulties in applying Derrida's forgiveness for the reconciliation of societal conflicts.