Slavoj Žižek’s Interpretation of ‘Buddhism’
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Published:
Jun 30, 2013
Keywords:
Slavoj Žižek Interpretation Buddhism
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Abstract
While never personally knowing Slavoj Žižek, and admiring
some of his work, many of my associates within Buddhist Studies
have become disturbed or are confused over his philosophical
representation of Buddhism, and what he feels are important
ideas for Buddhists. Therefore, this article examines some of his
interpretations, and where or how I can, represent or correct any
erroneous presentation.
Article Details
How to Cite
Peoples, D. (2013). Slavoj Žižek’s Interpretation of ‘Buddhism’. The Journal of International Association of Buddhist Universities (JIABU), 6(1), 107–144. Retrieved from https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/Jiabu/article/view/217859
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Views and opinions expressed in the articles published by The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities (JIABU), are of responsibility by such authors but not the editors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors.
References
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Greg Bailey and Ian Mabbett: The Sociology of Early Buddhism
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Karen Armstrong: The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our
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Maurice Walshe: The Long Discourses of the Buddha – A Translation
of the Dīgha-NikƘya (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995)
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the Abhidhamma-piṭaka (Oxford: Pali Text Society, 1999)
Richard F. Gombrich: How Buddhism Begun – The Conditioned
Genesis of the Early Teachings (New Delhi: Munshiram
Manoharlal Publishers, 2002)
Slavoj Žižek: Did Someone Say Totalitarianism? (London: Verso,
2001)
Slavoj Žižek: Less Than Nothing – Hegel and the Shadow of
Dialectical Materialism (London: Verso 2012)
Slavoj Žižek: Living in the End Times (London: Verso, 2010)
Slavoj Žižek: Revolution at the Gates (London: Verso, 2002)
Slavoj Žižek: The Parallax View (Cambridge MA: MIT Press, 2009)
Slavoj Žižek: The Puppet and the Dwarf – The Perverse Core
of Christianity (Cambridge MA: Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, 2003)
Slavoj Žižek: The Sublime Object of Ideology (London: Verso
Books, 1989)
U NƘrada Mūla PaṭṭhƘna Sayadaw & Thein Nyun: Discourse on
Elements – DhƘtu-KathƘ (Oxford: Pali Text Society, 1999)
Alan Watts Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Watts
Alfred Mele: Free Will and Neuroscience: Revisting Libet’s Experiments,
October 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCM5BFU01YU
Dion Peoples: “The Role We Play As Buddhist Educators for Global
Recovery”: http://www.icundv.com/vesak2011/book/symposium
2010.pdf - for the 2010 United Nations Day of Vesak Conference.
Henrietta Vinton Davis’s Blog Site: http://henriettavintondavis.
wordpress.com/2010/03/24/redemption-song/
http://somethingcompletelydifferent.wordpress.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20536992
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20539455
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http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/20145
Mantis Shrimp Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_
shrimp
Neuroscience and Free Will – Libet’s Experiment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ4nwTTmcgs
Paganism Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism
Robert Sanders: Eye strips images of all but bare essentials before
sending visual information to the brain, UC Berkely research shows:
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2001/03/28_
wers1.html
Slavoj Žižek lecture, at the University of Vermont, 16 October 2012:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=SP6G
7XqzK94&NR=1
Slavoj Žižek: From Western Marxism to Western Buddhism, Spring
2001: http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/2/western.php
Slavoj Žižek: Lacanian Theology and Buddhism, 2012:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_
embedded&v=iJCcLQHVT8c#
Slavoj Žižek: The Buddhist Ethic and the Spirit of Global Capitalism (2012)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkTUQYxEUjs&feature=
endscreen&NR=1
Slavoj Žižek: The Irony of Buddhism, at the European Graduate
School, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwm_dRXMSY
Slavoj Žižek: Why the Idea and Why Communism?:
http://lacan.com/symptom12/?p=186
Timothy Morton: Žižek on Buddhism:
http://arcade.stanford.edu/Žižek-Buddhism
of Abhidhamma (Seattle: BPS Pariyatti Editions, 2000)
Bhikkhu ÑƘṇamoli [trns]: Visuddhimagga – The Path of Purification
by BhadantƘcariya Buddhaghosa (Seattle: BPS Pariyatti E
ditions, 1999)
Greg Bailey and Ian Mabbett: The Sociology of Early Buddhism
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006)
Karen Armstrong: The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our
Religious Traditions (New York: Anchor Books, 2006)
Maurice Walshe: The Long Discourses of the Buddha – A Translation
of the Dīgha-NikƘya (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995)
P.A. Payutto: Dictionary of Buddhism (Bangkok: Mahachulalongkorn
rajavidyalaya University Press, 2000)
Pe Maung Tin: The Expositor – AtthasƘlini – Buddhaghosa’s
Commentary on the Dhammasanaṇi, the First Book of
the Abhidhamma-piṭaka (Oxford: Pali Text Society, 1999)
Richard F. Gombrich: How Buddhism Begun – The Conditioned
Genesis of the Early Teachings (New Delhi: Munshiram
Manoharlal Publishers, 2002)
Slavoj Žižek: Did Someone Say Totalitarianism? (London: Verso,
2001)
Slavoj Žižek: Less Than Nothing – Hegel and the Shadow of
Dialectical Materialism (London: Verso 2012)
Slavoj Žižek: Living in the End Times (London: Verso, 2010)
Slavoj Žižek: Revolution at the Gates (London: Verso, 2002)
Slavoj Žižek: The Parallax View (Cambridge MA: MIT Press, 2009)
Slavoj Žižek: The Puppet and the Dwarf – The Perverse Core
of Christianity (Cambridge MA: Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, 2003)
Slavoj Žižek: The Sublime Object of Ideology (London: Verso
Books, 1989)
U NƘrada Mūla PaṭṭhƘna Sayadaw & Thein Nyun: Discourse on
Elements – DhƘtu-KathƘ (Oxford: Pali Text Society, 1999)
Alan Watts Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Watts
Alfred Mele: Free Will and Neuroscience: Revisting Libet’s Experiments,
October 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCM5BFU01YU
Dion Peoples: “The Role We Play As Buddhist Educators for Global
Recovery”: http://www.icundv.com/vesak2011/book/symposium
2010.pdf - for the 2010 United Nations Day of Vesak Conference.
Henrietta Vinton Davis’s Blog Site: http://henriettavintondavis.
wordpress.com/2010/03/24/redemption-song/
http://somethingcompletelydifferent.wordpress.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20536992
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20539455
http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/20064
http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/20145
Mantis Shrimp Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_
shrimp
Neuroscience and Free Will – Libet’s Experiment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ4nwTTmcgs
Paganism Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism
Robert Sanders: Eye strips images of all but bare essentials before
sending visual information to the brain, UC Berkely research shows:
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2001/03/28_
wers1.html
Slavoj Žižek lecture, at the University of Vermont, 16 October 2012:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=SP6G
7XqzK94&NR=1
Slavoj Žižek: From Western Marxism to Western Buddhism, Spring
2001: http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/2/western.php
Slavoj Žižek: Lacanian Theology and Buddhism, 2012:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_
embedded&v=iJCcLQHVT8c#
Slavoj Žižek: The Buddhist Ethic and the Spirit of Global Capitalism (2012)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkTUQYxEUjs&feature=
endscreen&NR=1
Slavoj Žižek: The Irony of Buddhism, at the European Graduate
School, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwm_dRXMSY
Slavoj Žižek: Why the Idea and Why Communism?:
http://lacan.com/symptom12/?p=186
Timothy Morton: Žižek on Buddhism:
http://arcade.stanford.edu/Žižek-Buddhism