The long awaited print version of the popular Buddhist mantra website: visiblemantra.org. This is a celebration of the visual forms of mantra and other varieties of sacred speech, drawing on Buddhist traditions from I... more abstractThe long awaited print version of the popular Buddhist mantra website: visiblemantra.org. This is a celebration of the visual forms of mantra and other varieties of sacred speech, drawing on Buddhist traditions from India, China, Japan, and Tibet. The book includes all the mantras from the website, plus a few more. Each is presented in four scripts: Siddhaṃ (Bonji 梵字), Lantsa (aka Rañjana), Devanāgarī, and Tibetan (dbu can). Plus seed-syllables, dhāraṇī and Pāli chants. All accompanied by Jayarava's meticulously researched notes and comments, and background reading drawn from Jayarava's blog. An invaluable resource for Buddhist artists, calligraphers and practitioners

Buddhist Art, Buddhist Mantra, and Buddhist Calligraphy

A guide to Sanskrit and Pali names used in the Triratna Buddhist Order. Definitions and etymologies for almost 500 words and affixes. Background on the Sanskrit and Pali languages and relevant points of grammar and mo... more abstractA guide to Sanskrit and Pali names used in the Triratna Buddhist Order. Definitions and etymologies for almost 500 words and affixes. Background on the Sanskrit and Pali languages and relevant points of grammar and morphology.

Buddhist Sanskrit, Sanskrit names, and Triratna Buddhist Order

I look at papañca in terms of denotation and connotation: i.e. how to translate the word in light of etymology, and usage in suttas and commentaries; and what the word refers to in a Buddhist context. In the process I... more abstractI look at papañca in terms of denotation and connotation: i.e. how to translate the word in light of etymology, and usage in suttas and commentaries; and what the word refers to in a Buddhist context. In the process I also examine the difficult compound papañca-saññā-saṅkhā, dwelling on how to translate saṅkhā (from etymology and usage) and what kind of compound the word is (with some reference to the Pāli commentarial traditions). Finally I include translations of all of the texts and passages (including some of the commentarial passages) that are used in the essay.

papañca, Pāli, Early Buddhism

In his critical edition of the Sanskrit text of the Prajñāpāramitāhrdaya, first published in 1948, Edward Conze treated the verb vyavalokayati as intransitive and declined pañcaskandha as nominative plural, making the... more abstractIn his critical edition of the Sanskrit text of the Prajñāpāramitāhrdaya, first published in 1948, Edward Conze treated the verb vyavalokayati as intransitive and declined pañcaskandha as nominative plural, making the first sentence in the text difficult to parse. A comparison of some of the extant manuscripts, the canonical versions in Chinese and Tibetan, the Tibetan manuscripts found at Dūnhuáng, and the Indian commentaries preserved in Tibetan shows that they all understand vyavalokayati to be transitive and thus requiring an object. They also show that the most obvious object for vyavalokayati is pañcaskandha. I show that a simple amendment to the critical edition solves these and two other minor problems with the Sanskrit text. Conze’s own translation not only reflects the grammatical problems of his Sanskrit edition, but may give us insights into the reasoning behind his Sanskrit text by highlighting the role his religious faith played in his reading of the text.

Buddhism, Buddhist Studies, Zen Buddhism, Buddhist Literature, Heart Sutra, and 5 more

Publication Date: 2015

Publication Name: Journal of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies

Early Buddhist karma is an impersonal moral force that impartially and inevitably causes the consequences of actions to be visited upon the actor, especially determining their afterlife destination. The story of King ... more abstractEarly Buddhist karma is an impersonal moral force that impartially and inevitably causes the consequences of actions to be visited upon the actor, especially determining their afterlife destination. The story of King Ajātasattu in the Pāli Samaññaphala Sutta, where not even the Buddha can intervene to save him, epitomizes the criterion of inescapability. Zoroastrian ethical thought runs along similar lines and may have influenced the early development of Buddhism. However, in the Mahāyāna version of the Samaññaphala Sutta, the simple act of meeting the Buddha reduces or eliminates the consequences of the King’s patricide. In other Mahāyāna texts, the results of actions are routinely avoidable through the performance of religious practices. Ultimately, Buddhists seem to abandon the idea of the inescapability of the results of actions.

Buddhism, Mahayana, early Buddhism, and Karma

Publication Date: 2014

Publication Name: Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Vol.21

This essay responds to George Adams’s portrayal of the Buddhist notion of anātman as subjective and nihilistic. I show that on the contrary that the doctrine of anātman is based on the objective observation that every... more abstractThis essay responds to George Adams’s portrayal of the Buddhist notion of anātman as subjective and nihilistic. I show that on the contrary that the doctrine of anātman is based on the objective observation that everything changes, and restate the 2500 year old characterisation of Buddhism as the Middle Way between eternalism and nihilism. I reiterate some of the Buddhist arguments against eternalism, but I conclude that mutually exclusive doctrines still leave room for dialogue on shared values such as love.

Nihilism, Interfaith, Soul, and Anatman

More Info: Journal of Ecumenical Studies 47(2), Spring 2012. 282-287.

"This article explores the plausibility of Michael Witzel’s speculation that the Śākya tribe might have Iranian origins, or at least Iranian connections. Circumstantial evidence suggests that ideas associated with Ira... more abstract"This article explores the plausibility of Michael Witzel’s speculation that the Śākya tribe might have Iranian origins, or at least Iranian connections. Circumstantial evidence suggests that ideas associated with Iran and Zoroastrianism appear in north-east India, especially amongst the śramana groups,and in particular amongst Buddhists, but not in the Brahmanical culture.Whereas Buddhism is frequently portrayed as a response to Brahmanism,or, especially by Buddhists, as ahistorical, Witzel’s suggestion gives us a new avenue for exploring the history of ideas in Buddhism. This essay attempts to show that, at the very least, possible connections with Iran deserve more attention from scholars of the history of ideas in India and especially Buddhism. "

Buddhism, Indian studies, and Indian ancient history

More Info: Now free online from JOCBS - see link below

Publication Date: Nov 2012

Publication Name: Journal of the Oxford Centre For Buddhist Studies. Vol. 3

Lokuttara Paṭiccasamuppāda has received remarkably little attention in the Buddhist world since Buddhaghosa, and he mentions it only in passing. Paṭicca-samuppāda comes in two distinct forms: lokiya and lokuttara. Thi... more abstractLokuttara Paṭiccasamuppāda has received remarkably little attention in the Buddhist world since Buddhaghosa, and he mentions it only in passing. Paṭicca-samuppāda comes in two distinct forms: lokiya and lokuttara. This article surveys contemporary accounts, and the Pāli literature on the Spiral Path, and identifies the structural features of the concept. This is followed by a critical examination of the Upanisā Sutta as locus classicus in contemporary, and a suggestion that AN 10.2 would be a better choice.

Paticca Samuppada (dependent Arising)

More Info: Western Buddhist Review. 6. Dec 2012.

A translation and study of the 100 Syllable Mantra, with a focus on how errors in transmission garbled the mantra.

Buddhist Tantra, Buddhist Mantra, and Mantra

More Info: Western Buddhist Review, Vol. 5 Oct 2010

Is it possible to counteract the consequences of a moral transgression by publicly acknowledging it? When he reveals to the Buddha that he has killed his father, King Ajātasattu is said to “yathādhammaṃ paṭikaroti.” T... more abstractIs it possible to counteract the consequences of a moral transgression by publicly acknowledging it? When he reveals to the Buddha that he has killed his father, King Ajātasattu is said to “yathādhammaṃ paṭikaroti.” This has been interpreted as “making amends,” or as seeking (and receiving) “forgiveness” for his crime. Successfully translating this phrase into English requires that we reexamine etymology and dictionary definitions, question assumptions made by previous translators, and study the way that yathādhammaṃ paṭikaroti is used in context. We can better understand confession as a practice by locating it within the general Indian concern for ritual purity—ethicized by the Buddha—and showing that the early Buddhist doctrine of kamma allows for mitigation, though not eradication, of the consequences of actions under some circumstances.

Buddhism, Buddhist Ethics, and early Buddhism

More Info: Journal of Buddhist Ethics. Vol. 15, 2008.

Publisher: buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw

Publication Date: Jan 1, 2008

Publication Name: Journal of Buddhist Ethics

We all suffer. Many of us experience extreme suffering, and for some of us the suffering we experience seems unbearable. When suffering seems unbearable thoughts of suicide commonly arise, and some of us will attempt ... more abstractWe all suffer. Many of us experience extreme suffering, and for some of us the suffering we experience seems unbearable. When suffering seems unbearable thoughts of suicide commonly arise, and some of us will attempt to take our own lives. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the West, and while death is never pleasant, suicide seems an especially tragic way to die. But then again, since we all have to die in the end, if life becomes unbearable, then why prolong the agony? What does the Buddhist tradition say about suicide? How should Buddhists respond to thoughts of suicide, in ourselves or in others? Much of what is written on suicide from a Buddhist viewpoint is academic and has a legalistic focus, trying to establish whether suicide is ‘permissible’ for Buddhists. I want to try to get beyond this approach and look at whether suicide is a viable response to suffering. At its heart the question is an ethical one, so first we must look at how the problem looks from the point of view of Buddhist ethics. Then I want to examine cases of suicide in the Pali Canon. Finally I will attempt a synthesis of all these sources and to come to a conclusion about suicide as a response to suffering. I have chosen to focus this article on the Pali Canon largely because, as well as being full of spiritual jewels, it is rich in social history, and is accessible in reliable translations. The suttas can tell us how people lived and responded to life’s vicissitudes at that time. It is also, perhaps surprisingly, rich in case studies of suicide – far more so than other Buddhist writings.

Buddhism and Suicide

More Info: Western Buddhist Review, Vol. 4. Under the name Michael Attwood

The British Library recently published this Nepalese ms. on their website. http://eap.bl.uk/database/overview_item.a4d?catId=231154;r=5447 Despite the title and description on the website this is in fact a version of ... more abstractThe British Library recently published this Nepalese ms. on their website. http://eap.bl.uk/database/overview_item.a4d?catId=231154;r=5447 Despite the title and description on the website this is in fact a version of the Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya (long text), written in Bhujimol script on paper. It was not used by Conze in his critical edition and appears not have been studied previously, though it has many similarities to other Nepalese manuscripts of the Hṛdaya. My edition notes many errors, omissions and additions. Also (uniquely I believe) the sūtra proper is followed by a (partial) dhāraṇī titled "āryyamokṣamantra".

Sanskrit language and literature, Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Heart Sutra, and Prajnaparamita

Buddhist Studies, Buddhist Sanskrit, Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts, and Heart Sutra

More Info: "Horiuzi Palm-leaf MSS." of Hōryū-ji monastery. The manuscript was preserved in Hōryū-ji, and is said to date from 609 AD.

Publication Name: Buddhist Texts from Japan. (Anecdota Oxoniensia, Aryan series), 1881.

Modern Newāri script. Beginning and end of text in one hand, with middle leaf missing. text begins @ 1.2. Signs that the text was heard or written from memory rather than read or visually copied by the scribe: confus... more abstractModern Newāri script. Beginning and end of text in one hand, with middle leaf missing. text begins @ 1.2. Signs that the text was heard or written from memory rather than read or visually copied by the scribe: confusion between ra/la, ve/vya, sa/śa that are hard to explain by visual mistakes. Scribe writes ra in two different ways –Newāri and Rañjana (?) – at random.

Buddhist Sanskrit, Edward Conze, Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts, and Heart Sutra

More Info: Ms. held in the Cambridge University Manuscripts collection.

Nepal. 1677 CE. Gold ink on Black paper. Ranjana script. Approx 24 x 7.6 cm. No title. Contains the Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya along with other dhāraṇī texts. Leaves numbered 16-54 NB Conze's notes on this text in ... more abstractNepal. 1677 CE. Gold ink on Black paper. Ranjana script. Approx 24 x 7.6 cm. No title. Contains the Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya along with other dhāraṇī texts. Leaves numbered 16-54 NB Conze's notes on this text in his critical edition are quite unreliable: not all variations are noted; some are incorrectly noted; difficult readings are glossed over.

Sanskrit language and literature, Buddhist Sanskrit, Edward Conze, Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts, and Heart Sutra

More Info: Ms. held in the Cambridge University Manuscripts collection.

Heart Sutra

Palm leaf ms. Nepalese hooked script, ca. 13th century. Leaf missing from the beginning of the text.

Heart Sutra

In Part I of this essay, I explore the language of the passage associated with the phrase “form is emptiness, emptiness is only form” from the Heart Sutra, acknowledged to be a quotation from the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā... more abstractIn Part I of this essay, I explore the language of the passage associated with the phrase “form is emptiness, emptiness is only form” from the Heart Sutra, acknowledged to be a quotation from the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra. I establish authoritative versions of the passage, in Sanskrit and Chinese. In Part II, I gloss over the existing commentaries, discarding them largely because they treat the Heart Sutra as a tabula rasa on which can be asserted various sectarians versions of Buddhism. Instead, I attempt to employ the Aṣṭasāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra (Aṣṭa) as a commentary, relying on the continuity between the texts. The method is productive of interesting commentary on the passage. I argue that the original passage behind the Heart Sutra does not use the word śūnyatā, but rather it says rūpam māyā “form is illusion”. This well known Buddhist metaphor is based on the simile “form is like an illusion” which dates from the earliest phases of Buddhist literature. I argue that the change resulted in grammatical and logical nonsense. Errors of this kind are fairly common in Buddhist texts, but a dynamic of religious groups typically prevents Buddhists from correcting them. Incidentally, I show how other passages from Chapter 3 of Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā also influenced the composition of the opening lines of the Heart Sutra.

Buddhism, Heart Sutra, Prajnaparamita, and Prajñāpāramitā

This essay is structured around a close reading of the Kaccānagotta Sutta (S ii.16) and explores the possibility that paṭicca-samuppāda originally had a much narrower range of application. Buddhists traditionally seek... more abstractThis essay is structured around a close reading of the Kaccānagotta Sutta (S ii.16) and explores the possibility that paṭicca-samuppāda originally had a much narrower range of application. Buddhists traditionally seek to explain all phenomena and all events using paṭicca-samuppāda which parallels the physicist's search for a Theory of Everything in physics - that is a simple formula from which all facts about the universe can be derived. In fact the Pāli texts do not apply the formula to objects, only to the arising and passing away of experience. Additionally the article looks at problems caused by the wider application of the formula.

Buddhism, Buddhist Studies, Buddhist Psychology, and Paticca Samuppada (dependent Arising)

More Info: draft

The Fivefold Niyama, or "Five Niyamas" as they are sometimes called, is a commentarial list of constraints on the world - limits to how events in the world can unfold or proceed. They have been revived as a framework ... more abstractThe Fivefold Niyama, or "Five Niyamas" as they are sometimes called, is a commentarial list of constraints on the world - limits to how events in the world can unfold or proceed. They have been revived as a framework for Buddhist doctrine by the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order, Sangharakshita, with some modifications probably suggested by C. A. F. Rhys Davids' writing on them. Since most of these texts are not available in English this document provides translations and notes on all of the source texts, as well as some related suttas which use the word "niyama". Though Sangharakshita takes the doctrine in his own direction, it is hoped that these translations will none-the-less be of interest and use to those interested in this branch of metaphysics.

In this article we present annotated translations of five Chinese Madhyāgama texts and comparisons with their Pāḷi counterparts. In particular we have selected representatives of the Spiral Path teaching. Attwood (201... more abstractIn this article we present annotated translations of five Chinese Madhyāgama texts and comparisons with their Pāḷi counterparts. In particular we have selected representatives of the Spiral Path teaching. Attwood (2012) surveyed and characterised this doctrine in the Pāḷi suttas. Despite most attention having been paid to the Upanisā Sutta (SN 12.23), Attwood showed that this text is unusual in several ways and that AN 11.1-5 should be considered the representatives of the genre. While MĀ does not have a comprehensive collection of counterparts to the Pāḷi Spiral Path texts, it appears to be a collection of representative texts. In this article we translate and comment on: MĀ 42 = AN 11.1 MĀ 43 = AN 11.2 MĀ 46 = AN 8.81 MĀ 52 = AN 10.61 MĀ 55 = SN 12.23

Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, and Pali

More Info: Co-authored with Maitiu O'Ceileachair.

This article examines a critical problem regarding the historicity of the Buddha: his name. A survey of the Pāli texts does not reveal any instance of the Buddha being referred to by the name ‘Siddhārtha’. The high st... more abstractThis article examines a critical problem regarding the historicity of the Buddha: his name. A survey of the Pāli texts does not reveal any instance of the Buddha being referred to by the name ‘Siddhārtha’. The high status Brahmin gotra name ‘Gautama’ is clearly out of place and at least one passage suggests an alternative gotra name. Further inconsistencies are found in the names of the Buddha’s mother, step-mother, son, and wife. These reinforce the perception that the Pāli texts are constructed rather than recorded history. This begs the question of whether the real identity of the Buddha is important to Buddhists. The traditional identity appears to have been invented, but was passed on and elaborated over centuries and therefore it was without question important in the history of Buddhism. However, the major currents in modernity are reshaping Buddhism away from traditional narratives. In modernist forms of Buddhism the importance of the historicity of the Buddha and faith in him are played down. The article ends by considering the importance of the historicity of the Buddha to modernist Buddhism, and the role of historical ‘facts’ in religion more generally.

Buddhism and early Buddhism