The author is the professor of Philosophy and Religion, American University.
關鍵詞
Non-violence; violence; individualism; bodhisattva path; mutual identity; the Indra’s net
摘要
Non-violence, or non-harming, is the first precept and a core teaching of Buddhism.Despite the seeming popularity of the idea, the concept and ways of practicing nonviolence have not been clearly developed. Buddhist scriptures and scholarship have not provided clear and efficient responses regarding how to practice nonviolence in the face of rampant real-world violence, which results in the misunderstanding that non-violence is just an empty proposal available only to those who live in peace or those who do not have power or courage to respond to the situation at hand. I believe that the teaching of non-violence has a lot to offer today as a way to move forward in a polarized and increasingly violent society. But without a serious rethinking of the meaning of nonviolence and ways to practice it, the teaching will lose its power and be considered only a dream of idealistic and idle people. This paper explores an Huayan approach to nonviolence and its viability in contemporary society, drawing materials from the Hwaŏm teachings of Ŭisang, the founder of Korean Huayan Buddhism, and the Huayan jing and other Huayan thinkers on the idea of the self and others, mutual identity, and the bodhisattva path and considers the meaning of Buddhist practice in our time.
