Contemporary Buddhists have in recent decades given the world outstanding examples of nonviolent activism. Although these movements have demonstrated great courage and have generated massive popular support, sadly, none of them has, as yet, prevailed. In this paper I will explore how nonviolent power was exercised in these cases. I will draw upon the work of nonviolent theorist Gene Sharp to he...

SINCE ancient times, human beings have always pondered philosophical questions relating to living organisms, the planet Earth and the universe itself. What is life? Are human beings special living organisms? What is that twinkling star in the night sky? What is the universe? How big is the universe and where does it begin and end? These are just a few questions. However, these questions can har...

BACKGROUND Early detection of dementia aims to improve treatment outcomes. However, poor perception and understanding of dementia are significant barriers. We aim to investigate the public's perception of dementia and identify variables associated with the different profiles of public perception. METHODS A custom-designed questionnaire was used to assess laypersons' knowledge and perception o...

HISTORICALLY Ht:DDHIS\1 CAN Cl.\1\1 TO !:IE THE FIHST missionary religion in the world. In fact, its messianic purpose was expressly declared nearly fi,·e centuries before Christ ,,·hen, soon after his enlightenment, the 13ucldha himself his disciples to "preach the truth" and spread the gospel "out of for the ,,·orld, for the good ... for the welfare of gods and men."' Ho,,·cver, it W<lS durin...

Secular Buddhism is coalescing today in response to two main factors. First, it rejects the incoherence of Buddhist modernism, a protean formation that accommodates elements as far afield as ancestral Buddhism and psychotherapies claiming the Buddhist brand. Second, it absorbs the cultural influence of modern secularity in the West. Historically understood, secularity has constituted a centurie...

Buddhism is an ancient religion that began in India and spread throughout Asia. It is prevalent in modern Japan. Breastfeeding has been a strong practice for centuries with the custom being to continue until the child is 6 or 7 years of age. The Edo period was very influential in establishing breastfeeding customs that continue today.

One important foundation of Buddhist ethics is a commitment to nonviolence. My aim in this paper is to work out the implications of this commitment with regard to the treatment of offenders. Given that punishment involves the intentional infliction of harm, I argue that the practice of punishment is incompatible with the principle of nonviolence. The core moral teaching of the Buddha is to conq...

On June 13, 2005, I will be having a public dialog with the Dalai Lama in Göteborg, Sweden. This occasion has prompted me to share with the readers of Cognitive Therapy Today some of my thoughts regarding the relation of the theory underlying cognitive therapy to Tibetan Buddhism and some of the newer therapeutic approaches such as Attention Training, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, and th...

Indian mythology and the Vedic image of world built on its basis are exceptional importance for understanding entire Eastern culture. The mythological complex representations is most ancient (researchers attribute formation to III millennium BC) surprisingly persistent. combines features proper religion philosophy; it becomes initial model later religious philosophical doctrines. Recall that wa...