The experiential praxis of meditation and relation to the other in Tibetan Buddhism and Zen Buddhism: towards a Buddhist science of religion

• Grant number: 23/05629-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Theology
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Rodrigues da Cruz
• Grantee: Mariana de Campos Bardelli
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pós-Graduação (PRPG). Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this research, it is intended to investigate the role of meditation practice and interaction with others in Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhist philosophy is based on ancient texts, but the interpretation these texts have taken in different Buddhist currents have shaped the praxis we find today in monasteries and centers of different traditions. While traveling in Asia, Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings blended with cultural elements that determined the emphasis given to the practice. Thus, contrary to what is commonly thought, the emphasis given to the practice of meditation is not unanimous, and the interpretation of texts is often non-consensual. This work aims to draw attention to this plurality of interpretations and practices within the Buddhist religion. In this way, we will be able to pay attention to differences in the techniques used in each of these schools and, consequently, the specific role that sitting meditation plays in the spiritual process of liberation or enlightenment as conceived in each of the cases. Second, with the appearance of the Mahayana tradition - which implied a certain reform of traditional Buddhism (Theravada) - the ethical dimension gained great importance and the figure of the bodhisattva became central: taking vows as bodhisattva means recognizing the primacy of the other and the need to develop a mainly ethical engagement with others. The present work will analyze certain aspects of this ethical unfolding in each of these currents. We will see that this corresponds to the development of a particular experiential praxis for each of them. It will thus be possible to point out nuances in certain Buddhist concepts that have been appropriated by the mind sciences. (AU)