Metaphor and Literalism in Buddhism: The ... - misterdanger.net
Metaphor and Literalism in Buddhism: The ... - misterdanger.net
Metaphor and Literalism in Buddhism: The ... - misterdanger.net
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
METAPHOR AND LITERALISM<br />
IN BUDDHISM<br />
<strong>The</strong> notion of nirvana orig<strong>in</strong>ally used the image of ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g a fire.<br />
Although the atta<strong>in</strong>ment of nirvana, ultimate liberation, is the focus of the<br />
Buddha’s teach<strong>in</strong>g, its <strong>in</strong>terpretation has been a constant problem to Buddhist<br />
exegetes, <strong>and</strong> has changed <strong>in</strong> different historical <strong>and</strong> doctr<strong>in</strong>al contexts. <strong>The</strong><br />
concept is so central that changes <strong>in</strong> its underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g have necessarily<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved much larger shifts <strong>in</strong> doctr<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
This book studies the doctr<strong>in</strong>al development of the Pali nirvana <strong>and</strong> subsequent<br />
tradition <strong>and</strong> compares it with the Ch<strong>in</strong>ese Agama <strong>and</strong> its traditional<br />
<strong>in</strong>terpretation. It clarifies early doctr<strong>in</strong>al developments of nirvana <strong>and</strong> traces<br />
the word <strong>and</strong> related terms back to their orig<strong>in</strong>al metaphorical contexts.<br />
<strong>The</strong>reby, it elucidates diverse <strong>in</strong>terpretations <strong>and</strong> doctr<strong>in</strong>al <strong>and</strong> philosophical<br />
developments <strong>in</strong> the abhidharma exegeses <strong>and</strong> treatises of Southern <strong>and</strong><br />
Northern Buddhist schools. F<strong>in</strong>ally, the book exam<strong>in</strong>es which school, if any,<br />
kept the orig<strong>in</strong>al mean<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> reference of nirvana.<br />
Soonil Hwang is Assistant Professor <strong>in</strong> the Department of Indian Philosophy<br />
at Dongguk University, Seoul. His research <strong>in</strong>terests are focused upon early<br />
Indian <strong>Buddhism</strong>, Buddhist Philosophy <strong>and</strong> Sectarian <strong>Buddhism</strong>.