VI. Buddhist Notes: Vedanta and Buddhism

Analysis of Scholarly Communication Activities in Buddhism and Buddhist Studies

There is little knowledge regarding the exchange of academic information on religious contexts. The objective of this informational study was to perform an overall analysis of all Buddhism-related communications collected in the Web of Science (WoS) from 1993 to 2011. The studied informational parameters include the growth in number of the scholarly communications, as well as the language-, doc...

Buddhism and Speciesism: on the Misapplication of Western Concepts to Buddhist Beliefs

In this article, I defend Buddhism from Paul Waldau’s charge of speciesism. I argue that Waldau attributes to Buddhism various notions that it does not necessarily have, such as the ideas that beings are morally considerable if they possess certain traits, and that humans, as morally considerable beings, ought never to be treated as means. These ideas may not belong in Buddhism, and for Waldau’...

A Review of Critical Buddhism: Engaging with Modern Japanese Buddhist Thought

The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Vajra Yana Buddhism: Reflections of a Buddhist Feminist

It has been exciting, however, to discover that this topic strongly brings together my personal meditation practice and my professional interests. When I initially chose this topic, I wanted to reflect on my acquaintance with the practice of the sadhana of Vajrayogini, which I have been doing for the past three years. Traditionally, it is said that this practice, which is somewhat advanced, inv...

Western Buddhist Experience: The Journey from Encounter to Commitment in Two Forms of Western Buddhism

This thesis explores the nature of the socialization and commitment process in the Western Buddhist context, by investigating the experiences of practitioners affiliated with two Buddhist Centres: the Theravadin Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre and the Gelugpa Tibetan Vajrayana Institute. Commitment by participants is based on the recognition that, through the application of the beliefs...