Chan Buddhism in Wilderness and the Buddhist Tourism

The culture of landscape constitutes one of the vital characteristics of Chinese culture,in which,Chan Buddhism is a typical kind of Buddhist culture expressed by the natural objects.Chinese Buddhism,represented by Chan School,is interpreted by the beautiful natural scenery,therefore it is closely related to the tourism from the ancient time.However,this link is to defend Buddhist tourism,which is inevitably criticized,since the secularization of sacred Buddhism,though Buddhist tourism is beneficial for life,society,economy,and Buddhism itself.But this sort of criticism is a misunderstanding of Chinese Buddhism since that Chinese Buddhism absorbs Zhuang Zi’s thought that“the ultimate truth(道)is in shit(屎尿)”1,so that it purports to the sacred dimension which is overlapped by the secular aspect.For example,the short poems composed by masters in Chan School“The Buddhist dharma is in this world,so that the enlightenment could not be realized outside of the human world”,“where there is bamboo and flower,there is dharma and prajna”,are the best way to express this kind of divine concept,moreover,Buddhist tourism is an effective practice to allocate this divine connotation.

Buddhist Ethics With Solving the Environmental Problems

This research aimed to investigate （1） the concept of environmental ethics between the Western and Buddhist ways; （2） To compare the concept of environmental ethics between the Western and Buddhist ways; （3） To analyze the solving of environmental problems under the Buddhist concept. The results showed that the Buddhism which has had the concept focusing on all living things and being friendly to the nature, having no history of occupying, encroaching and destroying the living things. Nevertheless, giving the values on the environment is still far to the facts of way of life of most humans. However, regarding Buddhist essence that emphasizes that the human as a part of the nature is not conflicted with the ethical values on nature. Complementary to all living things in nature is close to the Dharma practice which starts at itself and knows itself. Dharma practice in Buddhism has assumed to be the individual responsibility on environment itself. Importantly, the Buddhist way of life on environment according to such implication has occurred and really existed in the history of mankind.

Stone Walls Inscribed With Buddhist Scriptures

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The Buddhist Philosophical Perspective of Environmental Preservation and Management

At present we face a lot of environmental issues at both national and global levels. At the same time we will have to face severe environmental issues in the future. This is evident in forming the elements of earth, air, and water which reflect the human influence on organic and inorganic life. So, it is timely significant to pay attention on environmental preservation and management. The main purpose of this study is to explore how the Buddhist teaching could be used for environmental preservation and management. Accordingly, this study introduces a suitable long term environmental preservation model. The other objectives of this study are to learn Buddhism for environmental preservation and management, to create a new model which combines man and environment together, to compare Buddhist thinking and modem man＇s thinking regarding environmental preservation and management through the above and, to motivate man to preserve environment in through both direct and indirect ways. This study was based on the question whether the Buddhist philosophical teaching could be utilized to solve today＇s environmental issues？ The hypothesis was that the Buddhist philosophical teaching could be utilized for environmental preservation and management. For this purpose, the teachings of Buddha, related to environmental preservation as found in ＂Suttapil;aka＂ and ＂Vinayapi!;aka＂ were studied. In order to address these conditions we have subjected randomly collected information for interpretation and comparative analysis in qualitative research methodology. The content that has been analyzed is compared with the ethical code related to the patterns of human behavior and its relation to conservation. This has also given way to building some models related to the Buddhist teaching of environmental preservation. The objective of Buddhist philosophy is to generate sensitivity in the mind, of human beings and persuade them to preserve organic and inorganic environment, based on the view ＂Man is a creation of the environment＂. The Buddhist philosophical process of environmental preservation includes preserving flora and fauna, water, air, soil as well as garbage disposal. These elements, along with ethics, can be used in effective environment preservation. This new model of environmental preservation directs human beings towards sustainable development with a realistic vision. The Buddhist teaching on environment civilizes man＇s physical and spiritual behaviors, with a view to lead human beings towards environmental preservation with a realistic perspective.

An Introduction to the Culture of Zhuang’s Mo Religion Scriptures

Like all the religions in the world,Mo religion is a classic one believed by all Zhuang people.It believes in and worships the gods,having truth in a thing that life and death are manipulated by the gods,that life and death can be reincarnated,and that human beings can be recreated.It has a set of systematic interpretations of the universe,celestial bodies,life and death,misfortune,fate,soul,salvation,etc.It has the omnipotent,omniscient and the infinitely wise.The first Patriarch Bulotuo appeared as the supreme god and master.His professionals are called“pumo”and religious scripture of Mo religion is called“sɯ³⁵mo³⁵”!Mo religion’s activities are known as“hok⁵⁵mo³⁵”.

History of Most Significant Buddhist Archaeological Sites in Gandhara(Pakistan)Discovered During the 20th Century

Gandhara is an ancient name of the region which presently comprises on the surrounding area of Peshawar Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.The spread of Buddhism in ancient times followed the path of the Silk Road and one of the main routes of the Great Silk Route passed through the Karakorum linking Kashgar with Kashmir and Gandhara.About 1,000 years,countless people travelled along this Silk Route.Their evidences are depicted on the rocky cliffs on the way sides and on rough boulders,strewn in the upper valley of the Indus River and its tributaries.The region of Gandhara,due to its prime position,therefore served as a gateway to Silk Route giving access to Central Asia and to the countries of East and West.While Magadha was known as the first holy land of Buddhism,whereas Gandhara served as second holy land of Buddhism,which was a centre of Buddhist religious practices.The Buddhist sanctuaries generally have statutes of the Buddha or Bodhisattvas to shrine.A large number of antiquities which were discovered during the 20th century by the course of excavations from the different archaeological sites in Gandhara are now pride procession of Museums both at home and abroad.This paper presents an investigation about the history and sterling discovery of the some outstanding and remarkable archaeological sites in Gandhara region(Pakistan)during the 20th century carried out mainly by Archaeological Survey of India(ASI),which was established in 1860 by the British Government in India.

Development of the Buddhist-Based Spiritual Health of Thai University Students Instrument

This study contributes to the development of a valid and reliable instrument, Buddhist-based Spiritual Health of Thai University Students Instrument （SHTUSI）. Participants were students from bachelor level of 15 faculties （N = 530）, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai Campus, Thailand. Content validity was examined by six experts （I-CVI = 1）. Construct validity was evaluated by factor analysis with four latent factors： noble mind, moral living, mindful management, and attentive learning. The reliability coefficient of SHTUSI with 30 items was satisfactory value （Cronbach＇s α = .89）. Each factor has good internal reliability which includes： （1） noble mind （Cronbach＇s α = .86）; （2） moral living （Cronbach＇s a = .78）; （3） mindful management （Cronbach＇s α = .77）; and （4） attentive learning （Cronbach＇s α = .76）. Furthermore, the test-retest reliability was .51 and the concurrent validity was tested by Thai Happiness Indicator with moderate correlation （Pearson＇s r = .574, p 〈 .01）. The finding suggests that the development instrument has adequate validity and reliability.

Analysis of Buddhist sculpture art in Wei, Jin, southern and Northern Dynasties

The emergence and development of Buddhist sculpture has completely changed the original Chinese ancient sculpture, rich China sculpture theme, greatly promote the development of the Chinese sculpture, in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Buddhist sculpture received considerable development, the art form is abundant, representative of the ＂ slim but clear appearance＂ and＂ images of noble figures ＂two kinds of modeling features. From the perspective of historical background and aesthetic orientation, this paper analyzes and studies the overall features of the art of carving art in this historical period, as well as its profound influence on the development of Chinese Buddhist statues.

THE ELEVENTH PANCHEN LAMA GOES TO NGARI FOR BUDDHIST ACTIVITIES

Recently,Panchen Erdeni Choskyi Gyalpo,the 11th Panchen Lama who is also the member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference,vice president of the Buddhist Association of China and president of the Tibet Branch of the Buddhist Association of China.

The Publication of the Piling Canon in the Late Qing

Piling Canon refers to a woodblock-printed Chinese Buddhist Canon during the late Qing Dynasty.Despite its historical significance,it has received limited attention from the academia,as its discovery took place after the turn of the 21st century.This study explores the background,supervisor,proofreader,engravers,donors,and other factors that contributed to the publication of the Piling Canon.It was supervised by Buddhist monk Qingrong in Changzhou Tianning Monastery from 1908 to 1926,due to the commission of Yang Wenhui.By investigating the historical records in the colophons of Piling Canon,we found that engraving locations are distributed in Hubei,Yangzhou,and Danyang which engravers operated in groups;the majority of donors were found to be individuals and group forms,social fundraising was included as well.It is noteworthy that Sheng Xuanhuai made a significant contribution in terms of funding.Furthermore,the production of the Piling Canon confirms to the commence of Buddhism revival,as Buddhist scriptures in Jiangnan regions were almost destroyed after the Taiping Rebellion.The research shed light on extensive participation of cultural celebrities,diverse donation forms,and excellent engraving,offering a vivid depiction of Buddhist belief and social landscape in Jiangnan region.

The Challenges and Opportunities of Buddhist Music Discipline in a New Era-The Practice and Application of Mind and Body System in Chinese Buddhist Chanting

Religious music is an inevitable and important topic when exploring the significance of the“new”or“deep”dimension of religion or spirituality.Traditional Chinese culture influenced Chinese Buddhist chanting practices,developing special melodies,languages,and meaning,and establishing special mind and body practice system spanning thousands of years.Advances in music therapy,meditation,and vocal research give the Chinese Buddhist chanting mind and body practice system enough theoretical support to facilitate the construction of the discipline in the modern era.This paper adopts the scientific approach to tracing and analyzing the origins of the body and mind system in Chinese Buddhist chanting practice and reviews how the system benefits the mind and body and modern society in general.This paper also examines the issues confronting the standard and development of special chanting skills in Chinese Buddhist music in the modern era.

The Religious Influence on Morphology of Sinhalese Language

Sinhalese language(one of the national languages spoken in Sri Lanka)and culture have a long and continuous history,ingrained traditions,and highly differentiated social norms.The Sinhalese Buddhist community of Sri Lanka is broadly categorized into two groups,secular/layman(ɡṛhasthə>ɡihi)and mendicant/clergy(prəvrajitə>pævidi).According to this situation,the Sinhalese language depicts very significant usages among Indo-Aryan languages.Buddhism is the main factor for this differentiation.This paper mainly focused on the religious terms and their usages in Sinhalese.These terms show the hierarchical structure of the common Sri Lankan society,especially among layman and clergy.Some characteristic features which have been taken into account in this research paper are as follows:(1)Layman and clergy usages of Sinhalese(Separate set of nouns and verbs which are used to represent the clergy and secular in Sinhalese);(2)The hierarchical structure of usages of imperative forms in the context of religious and secular(superior,equal,and inferior);(3)Formal-Power base vs.Informal-Solidarity relationship;(4)Usage of different morphemes with the same meaning(semantically same usages are identified here with the different morphemes).As a result of the usages of religious and secular forms in Sinhalese the different morphological realizations with similar semantic values can be identified.The collection of relevant data from modern Sinhalese usages and text books and the analysis of them are used as the research methodology of this paper.

Intention and Standing Image:Interpretation of the Aesthetic Intention of Arhat Portrait on Mount Wutai

Mount Wutai,a place endowed with fine spirits of humanities and prolific remains of Arhats portrait art.The existing Mount Wutai Arhats portrait spans the Ming,Qing,and Republic of China periods,and through the artistic creation of successive generations of literati painters,exquisite Arhats portraits are painted on different artistic carriers.On the basis of inheriting the traditional Chinese paradigm painting expression,the portrait of Mount Wutai Arhats constantly draws on folk nutrients.It integrates foreign Buddhist culture for refinement and sublimation.The reconstructed portrait pays attention to the image expression of its objects and the shaping of spiritual temperament.The shape is ancient and vivid,and the scene is ethereal and mysterious,which rationally expresses the Buddhist philosophy of generosity,benevolence and kindness,and contains unique oriental aesthetics.

Two Worlds of the Song of Songs

The Song of Songs has been the subject of much speculation and controversy since rabbinic times.Some view it as a collection of erotic love poetry,while many other interpreters perceive it as spiritual allegory.This paper analyzes the Song from two dimensions:an anthology of love poems in the literary world and a canonized scripture in the historical world,attempting to explore its growing path from a secular collection of poems to the sacred Song in the Holy Bible.

Restoration of Plant Landscapes in the Building Complex of Chanfu Temple and Wanfo Tower in Beihai Park

To restore plant landscapes in the building complex of Chanfu Temple and Wanfo Tower in Beihai Park, this paper proposed to review the historical development, explored plant selection and confi guration in Buddhist temple in the same period and same region, consulted literatures and fi gured out aesthetic intentions of the original owner. In addition, on the basis of further analysis of current situation and multiple bases as well as modern people's visiting and use needs, the paper gave suggestions for the plant confi guration of the temple.

The moderating effect of social cognitive factors on self-management activities and HbA1c in Thai adults with type-2 diabetes

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) has become a serious chronic disease.Self-management strategies help persons with DM make choices which will develop skills needed to reach their goal of blood glucose control and allow them to be successful in reaching goals.Objective: To examine the impact of self-management activities on HbA1c for persons with DM and to examine the impact of social support,self-efficacy and Buddhist values as moderators on the relationship between the self-management activities and HbA1c.Method: This study is a cross-sectional design.The sample included 401 Thai adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes,aged 20-65 years old who had at least one HbA1c test in the last three months were recruited.Participants completed four questionnaires to measure self-management activities,as well as self-efficacy,Buddhist values and social support as moderating factors on self-management activities and HbA1 c,Results: The self-management activities were negatively associated (β =-2.05,p ≤ 0.001) with HbA1c.The Social support,self-efficacy and Buddhist values had a significant interaction effect between selfmanagement activities and HbA1c (β =-0.97,p ≤ 0.05,β =-0.18,p ≤ 0.05 and β =-2.76,p ≤ 0.001).Conclusion: The diabetes self-management activities were more strongly associated with HbA1c under conditions of high social support,self-efficacy and health beliefs with Buddhist values.Future interventions for T2DM self-management programs should incorporate mechanisms to measure and support these factors.