Principled atheism in the Buddhist scholastic tradition

Conclusion The doctrine that there is no permanent creator who superintends creation and takes care of his creatures accords quite well with each of the principles known as the four noble truths of Buddhism. The first truth, that distress is universal, is traditionally expounded in terms of the impermanence of all features of experience and in terms of the absence of genuine unity or personal identity in the multitude of physical and mental factors that constitute what we experience as a single person. As we saw above, the principal Buddhist arguments against the existence of God focus on the impossibility of permanence and unity in the causal structure of the universe. The second noble truth, that distress is the outcome of one's own unrealistic aspirations, is traditionally seen as ruling out the erroneous view that distress is something inflicted upon creatures by a cosmic superintendent or by other circumstances completely beyond their control. The third noble truth, that distress can be eliminated by divesting oneself of all unrealistic aspirations, rules out the view that sentient beings, as powerless victims of a divine will, have no alternative to a life of constant frustration. And the fourth noble truth, that the best means of removing unrealistic desires is to follow a methodical course of self-discipline, counters the view that the road to happiness lies in obedience to divine will or in trying to manipulate the sentiments of a cosmic intelligence through prayer or ritual.     

An Empty Shell? Rethinking the Usury Laws in Medieval Europe

Abstract

Many historians have argued that the usury laws were a dead letter and that usurious practices were widespread during the Middle Ages. This review of canonical rule formation in Europe shows that many contracts were outside the prohibition and that the laws were highly effective. The popularity of financial instruments depended on obtaining the Church's approval, and ecclesiastical tribunals pursued usurers relentlessly. Although it is not possible to measure with any precision the incidence of usury or the effectiveness of the prohibition, arguments of a high incidence of usury do not stand up in the light of evidence from the contemporary legal context.     

中土佛教文献词语零札

中古时期的中土佛教文献,占有一定的数量,且具有较强的口语性.从语料学角度而言,它比同时期的汉译佛典更为可靠,所以在汉语史研究中,应对这一部分材料予以关注.同时,进行中土佛教文献语言研究,对于这些文献的进一步整理利用、对于大型语文性辞书的编纂均有较大的参考价值.本文以<洛阳伽蓝记>、<弘明集>、<高僧传>为例,对其中的10个词语作了诠释.     

Sacred Deviance and AIDS in a North American Buddhist Community*

This essay presents a community AIDS narrative concerning an alleged case of intentional HIV transmission between spiritual teacher and student. Analysis focuses on the relation between legal and popular representation of criminal intent, the denial of AIDS risk, and the neighborhood of belief. In this framework, alternative application of traditional criminal law and HIV-specific penal statutes are considered as both prosecution strategies and opportunities for public spectacle.