The Lotus: Symbolic Representation of a Bodhisattva Illustrated in the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra
Article Sidebar
Published:
Mar 29, 2020
Keywords:
bodhisattva altruism Buddhism compassion loving-kindness Mahāyāna non-dualism suffering
Main Article Content
Abstract
The lotus, the symbol of Buddhism, essentially represents purity and enlightenment. Based on the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra, a significant Mahāyāna scripture, this study analyses the meaning of the lotus, the attributes of a bodhisattva, and the association between lotus and mud, connoting the intimate, interdependent, and interactive relationships between the concept of bodhisattva and sentient beings, illuminating the dynamic of secular world and pure land, while also dismantling the binary mode of thinking. It elaborates on how the bodhisattva path should be exercised, which leads to bodhisattva altruism. Buddhist altruism and non-duality hint at how individuals cultivate meaningfulness with acceptance and inclusiveness, which elevates happiness in a context of diversity.
Article Details
How to Cite
Cheng, F. K. . (2020). The Lotus: Symbolic Representation of a Bodhisattva Illustrated in the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra. Asia Pacific Journal of Religions and Cultures, 2(1), 1–16. Retrieved from https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ajrc/article/view/241097
Section
Articles
References
Ali, R. M., & Bozorgi, Z. D. (2016). The relationship of altruistic behaviour, empathetic sense, and social responsibility with happiness among university students. Practice in Clinical Psychology, 4(1), 51-56.
Aron, L., & Starr, K. E. (2013). A psychotherapy for the people: Towards a progressive psychoanalysis. New York: Routledge.
Bhattacharya, B. (1982). The dependent origination in Buddhism. Gangtok, India: Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.
Bodhi, B. (1999). The Noble Eightfold Path: The way to the end of suffering. Retrieved August 7, 2017, from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html.
Brodow, E. (2004). Beating the success trap: Negotiating for the life you really want and the rewards you deserve. New York: Harper Resource.
Buber, M. (1923/1937). I and Thou (R. G. Smith, Trans.). UK: Morrison and Gibb Limited.
Bukhari, M. F. (2008). The lotus in the Buddhist art of Pakistan. Ancient Sindh, 10, 65-83.
Burton, D. (2017). Buddhism: A contemporary philosophical investigation. Oxford, UK: Routledge.
Cantor, J. (2008). Vision and virtue in psychoanalysis and Buddhism: Anatta and its implications for social responsibilities. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 28(5), 532-540.
Chawla, N., & Marlatt, G. A. (2006). The varieties of Buddhism. In D. E. Thomas & N. S. Lars (Eds.), The psychologies in religion, working with the religious client (pp. 271-286). USA: Springer Publishing Company, Inc.
Cheng, F. K. (2014a). The bodhisattva spirit: Practising self-benefiting altruism. Fuyan Buddhist Studies, 9, 93-168.
Cheng, F. K. (2014b). Conceptualising a bodhisattva-spirit-oriented counselling framework inspired by the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra. (Unpublished PhD thesis), The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Cheng, F. K. (2014c). A goddess scattering flowers: A dramatic performance to illustrate the Mahāyāna concept of indiscrimination in the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra. Paper presented at the 2014 International Conference of East Asian Buddhist Thoughts and Culture, Taipei, Taiwan.
Cheng, F. K. (2014d). Overcoming “sentimental compassion”: How Buddhists cope with compassion fatigue. Journal of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, 7(November), 56-97.
Cheng, F. K. (2015a). Living with suffering: Buddhist wisdom illustrated by a widow. The IAFOR Journal of Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences, 1(1), 89-109. doi: 10.22492/ijpbs.1.1.06
Cheng, F. K. (2015b). A qualitative study of Buddhist altruistic behaviour. Journal of Human Behaviour in the Social Environment, 25(3), 204-213. doi: 10.1080/10911359.2014.966220
Cheng, F. K. (2015c). Recovery from depression through Buddhist wisdom: An idiographic case study. Social Work in Mental Health, 13(3), 272-297. doi: 10.1080/15332985.2014.891554
Cheng, F. K. (2015d). Untainted compassion: Conceptualising a tripod model for mental wellness. In P. Grant (Ed.), Compassion: Social significance, role in healthcare and psychological effects (pp. 25-76). New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Cheng, F. K. (2016a). How can meditation be salutary in dealing with alcohol use disorder. Mental Health and Addiction Research, 1(3), 55-58. doi: 10.15761/MHAR.1000114
Cheng, F. K. (2016b). Is meditation conducive to mental well-being for adolescents? An integrative review for mental health nursing. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 4, 7-19. doi: 10.1016/j.ijans.2016.01.001
Cheng, F. K. (2016c). What does meditation contribute to workplace? An integrative review. Journal of Psychological Issues in Organisational Culture, 6(4), 18-34. doi: 10.1002/jpoc.21195
Cheng, F. K. (2017a). Applying Buddhism to social work: Illustrated by the lived experiences of Buddhist social workers. In L. Dhiman & H. Rettig (Eds.), Spiritualität und religion: Perspektiven für die soziale arbeit (pp. 84-102). Weihein, Germany: Beltz Juventa.
Cheng, F. K. (2017b). Buddhist insights into life and death: Overcoming death anxiety. Athens Journal of Social Sciences, 4(1), 67-87.
Cheng, F. K., & Tse, S. (2014a). A bodhisattva-spirit-oriented counselling framework: Inspired by Vimalakīrti wisdom. International Journal of Dharma Studies, 2(6), 1-52. doi: 10.1186/s40613-014-0006-9
Cheng, F. K., & Tse, S. (2014b). Thematic research on the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra: An integrative review. Buddhist Studies Review, 31(1), 3-51. doi: 10.1558/bsrv.v31i1.3
Cheng, F. K., & Tse, S. (2015). Applying the Buddhist four immeasurables to mental health care: A critical review. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 34(1), 24-50. doi: 10.1080/15426432.2014.921128
Chetry, S. (2015). Status of the external world in early Buddhist philosophy. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 4(6), 43-46.
Dewey, J. (1917). Duality and dualism. The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods, 14(18), 491-493.
Goodman, C. (2008). Consequentialism, agent-neutrality, and Mahāyāna ethics. Philosophy East and West, 58(1), 17-35.
Gowans, C. W. (2016). Buddhist understanding of well-being. In G. Fletcher (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of philosophy of well-being (pp. 70-80). New York: Routledge.
Hashimoto, H. (1977). The philosophic influence of the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa-sūtra upon Chinese culture. Paper presented at the Chine ancienne (Pre-modern China). Actes du XXIX Congres International des Orientalistes, Section Organisee Par Michel Soymie, Paris, Juillet, 1973 (Paris: L' Asistheque, 1977).
Hu, T.-Y., Li, J., Jia, H., & Xie, X. (2016). Helping others, warming yourself: Altruistic behaviours increase warmth feelings of the ambient environment. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(1349), 1-12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01349
Huang, K. 黃. (2011). The nature and spirit of the worldly bodhisattva of the Mahāyāna Buddhism 大乘佛教久住世間的菩薩精神特質. International Journal for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism 人間佛教研究, 1, 111-130.
Lench, H. C., Darbor, K. E., & Berg, L. A. (2013). Functional perspectives on emotion, behaviour, and cognition. Behavioural Sciences, 3, 536-540. doi: 10.3390/bs3040536
Lightwater, S. (2000). Journey to enlightenment. Lincoln, USA: Writers Club Press.
Lomas, T. (2015). Self-transcendence through shared suffering: An intersubjective theory of compassion. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 47(2), 168-187.
Lu, C. 呂. (2005). A brief introduction of development of Indian Buddhism 印度佛學源流略講. Shanghai: Shanghai Century Publishing 上海世紀出版集團.
Martín, J. S., Perles, F., & Canto, J. M. (2010). Life satisfaction and perception of happiness among university students. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 13(2), 617-628.
McRae, J. R. (2004). The Vimalakīrti Sūtra. Taisho Volume 14, Number 475. Retrieved February 1, 2011, from http://www.numatacenter.com/digital/dBET_Srimala_Vimalakirti_2004.pdf.
Park, S. Q., Kahnt, T., Dogan, A., Strang, S., Fehr, E., & Tobler, P. N. (2017). A neural link between generosity and happiness. Nature Communications, 8(15964), 1-10. doi: 10.1038/ncomms15964
Penney, S. (1995). Discovering religions: Buddhism. London: Heinemann Educational Publishers.
Pope, A. (2007). “Is there a difference?” Iconic images of suffering in Buddhism and Christianity. Janus Head, 10(1), 247-260.
Proţi, L. E. (2015). The relationship between quality of life and perception of happiness. Romanian Journal of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Hypnosis, 2(2), 1-8.
Sağnak, M., & Kuruöz, M. (2017). Authentic leadership and altruism: The mediating role of meaningfulness. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(3), 447-452. doi: 10.13189/ujer.2017.050316
Schimmel, J. (2009). Development as happiness: The subjective perception of happiness and UNDP’s analysis of poverty, wealth and development. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10(1), 93-111. doi: 10.1007/s10902-007-9063-4
Schwarze, J., & Winkelmann, R. (2011). Happiness and altruism within the extended family. Journal of Population Economics, 24, 1033-1051. doi: 10.1007/s00148-010-0326-8
Shen-Miller, J. (2002). Sacred lotus, the long-living fruits of China Antique. Seed Science Research, 12, 131-143. doi: 10.1079/SSR2002112
Shih, C.-h. (2011). Dependent origination, protecting life and middle path. Formosan Journal of Medical Humanities, 12(1&2), 27-49.
Stange, G. (2017). I don’t want to limit myself to binary thinking: An interview with the Indonesian artist Arahmaiani. Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 10(1), 109-116.
Thurman, R. A. F. T. (1976/1986). The holy teaching of Vimalakīrti: A Mahāyāna scripture (4th ed.). USA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Tun, S. (2015). Relational suffering: Causes and liberation, according to Buddhism. Claritas: Journal of Dialogue and Culture, 4(2), 38-42.
Urbaniak, J. (2014). Suffering in the mystical traditions of Buddhism and Christianity. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 70(1: Art. #2117), 1-9. doi: 10.4102/hts.v70i1.2117
Virtbauer, G. D. (2010). Dimensions of intersubjectivity in Mahāyāna-Buddhism and relational psychoanalysis. Contemporary Buddhism, 11(1), 85-102.
Wallace, B. A. (2001). Intersubjectivity in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 8(5-7), 209-230.
Walsh, S. C. (2018). Contemplative and artful openings: Researching women and teaching. New York: Routledge.
Watson, B. T. (1997). The Vimalakīrti Sūtra. New York: Columbia University Press.
Wood, J. D., & Petriglieri, G. (2005). Transcending polarisation: Beyond binary thinking. Transactional Analysis Journal, 35(1), 31-39.
Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. USA: Basic Books.
Yao, F. (2006). There are no degrees in a Bodhisattva's compassion. Asian Philosophy, 16(3), 189-198.
Zadra, J. R., & Clore, G. L. (2011). Emotion and perception: The role of affective information. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 2(6), 676-685. doi: 10.1002/wcs.147
Aron, L., & Starr, K. E. (2013). A psychotherapy for the people: Towards a progressive psychoanalysis. New York: Routledge.
Bhattacharya, B. (1982). The dependent origination in Buddhism. Gangtok, India: Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.
Bodhi, B. (1999). The Noble Eightfold Path: The way to the end of suffering. Retrieved August 7, 2017, from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html.
Brodow, E. (2004). Beating the success trap: Negotiating for the life you really want and the rewards you deserve. New York: Harper Resource.
Buber, M. (1923/1937). I and Thou (R. G. Smith, Trans.). UK: Morrison and Gibb Limited.
Bukhari, M. F. (2008). The lotus in the Buddhist art of Pakistan. Ancient Sindh, 10, 65-83.
Burton, D. (2017). Buddhism: A contemporary philosophical investigation. Oxford, UK: Routledge.
Cantor, J. (2008). Vision and virtue in psychoanalysis and Buddhism: Anatta and its implications for social responsibilities. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 28(5), 532-540.
Chawla, N., & Marlatt, G. A. (2006). The varieties of Buddhism. In D. E. Thomas & N. S. Lars (Eds.), The psychologies in religion, working with the religious client (pp. 271-286). USA: Springer Publishing Company, Inc.
Cheng, F. K. (2014a). The bodhisattva spirit: Practising self-benefiting altruism. Fuyan Buddhist Studies, 9, 93-168.
Cheng, F. K. (2014b). Conceptualising a bodhisattva-spirit-oriented counselling framework inspired by the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra. (Unpublished PhD thesis), The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Cheng, F. K. (2014c). A goddess scattering flowers: A dramatic performance to illustrate the Mahāyāna concept of indiscrimination in the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra. Paper presented at the 2014 International Conference of East Asian Buddhist Thoughts and Culture, Taipei, Taiwan.
Cheng, F. K. (2014d). Overcoming “sentimental compassion”: How Buddhists cope with compassion fatigue. Journal of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, 7(November), 56-97.
Cheng, F. K. (2015a). Living with suffering: Buddhist wisdom illustrated by a widow. The IAFOR Journal of Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences, 1(1), 89-109. doi: 10.22492/ijpbs.1.1.06
Cheng, F. K. (2015b). A qualitative study of Buddhist altruistic behaviour. Journal of Human Behaviour in the Social Environment, 25(3), 204-213. doi: 10.1080/10911359.2014.966220
Cheng, F. K. (2015c). Recovery from depression through Buddhist wisdom: An idiographic case study. Social Work in Mental Health, 13(3), 272-297. doi: 10.1080/15332985.2014.891554
Cheng, F. K. (2015d). Untainted compassion: Conceptualising a tripod model for mental wellness. In P. Grant (Ed.), Compassion: Social significance, role in healthcare and psychological effects (pp. 25-76). New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Cheng, F. K. (2016a). How can meditation be salutary in dealing with alcohol use disorder. Mental Health and Addiction Research, 1(3), 55-58. doi: 10.15761/MHAR.1000114
Cheng, F. K. (2016b). Is meditation conducive to mental well-being for adolescents? An integrative review for mental health nursing. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 4, 7-19. doi: 10.1016/j.ijans.2016.01.001
Cheng, F. K. (2016c). What does meditation contribute to workplace? An integrative review. Journal of Psychological Issues in Organisational Culture, 6(4), 18-34. doi: 10.1002/jpoc.21195
Cheng, F. K. (2017a). Applying Buddhism to social work: Illustrated by the lived experiences of Buddhist social workers. In L. Dhiman & H. Rettig (Eds.), Spiritualität und religion: Perspektiven für die soziale arbeit (pp. 84-102). Weihein, Germany: Beltz Juventa.
Cheng, F. K. (2017b). Buddhist insights into life and death: Overcoming death anxiety. Athens Journal of Social Sciences, 4(1), 67-87.
Cheng, F. K., & Tse, S. (2014a). A bodhisattva-spirit-oriented counselling framework: Inspired by Vimalakīrti wisdom. International Journal of Dharma Studies, 2(6), 1-52. doi: 10.1186/s40613-014-0006-9
Cheng, F. K., & Tse, S. (2014b). Thematic research on the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra: An integrative review. Buddhist Studies Review, 31(1), 3-51. doi: 10.1558/bsrv.v31i1.3
Cheng, F. K., & Tse, S. (2015). Applying the Buddhist four immeasurables to mental health care: A critical review. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 34(1), 24-50. doi: 10.1080/15426432.2014.921128
Chetry, S. (2015). Status of the external world in early Buddhist philosophy. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 4(6), 43-46.
Dewey, J. (1917). Duality and dualism. The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods, 14(18), 491-493.
Goodman, C. (2008). Consequentialism, agent-neutrality, and Mahāyāna ethics. Philosophy East and West, 58(1), 17-35.
Gowans, C. W. (2016). Buddhist understanding of well-being. In G. Fletcher (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of philosophy of well-being (pp. 70-80). New York: Routledge.
Hashimoto, H. (1977). The philosophic influence of the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa-sūtra upon Chinese culture. Paper presented at the Chine ancienne (Pre-modern China). Actes du XXIX Congres International des Orientalistes, Section Organisee Par Michel Soymie, Paris, Juillet, 1973 (Paris: L' Asistheque, 1977).
Hu, T.-Y., Li, J., Jia, H., & Xie, X. (2016). Helping others, warming yourself: Altruistic behaviours increase warmth feelings of the ambient environment. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(1349), 1-12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01349
Huang, K. 黃. (2011). The nature and spirit of the worldly bodhisattva of the Mahāyāna Buddhism 大乘佛教久住世間的菩薩精神特質. International Journal for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism 人間佛教研究, 1, 111-130.
Lench, H. C., Darbor, K. E., & Berg, L. A. (2013). Functional perspectives on emotion, behaviour, and cognition. Behavioural Sciences, 3, 536-540. doi: 10.3390/bs3040536
Lightwater, S. (2000). Journey to enlightenment. Lincoln, USA: Writers Club Press.
Lomas, T. (2015). Self-transcendence through shared suffering: An intersubjective theory of compassion. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 47(2), 168-187.
Lu, C. 呂. (2005). A brief introduction of development of Indian Buddhism 印度佛學源流略講. Shanghai: Shanghai Century Publishing 上海世紀出版集團.
Martín, J. S., Perles, F., & Canto, J. M. (2010). Life satisfaction and perception of happiness among university students. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 13(2), 617-628.
McRae, J. R. (2004). The Vimalakīrti Sūtra. Taisho Volume 14, Number 475. Retrieved February 1, 2011, from http://www.numatacenter.com/digital/dBET_Srimala_Vimalakirti_2004.pdf.
Park, S. Q., Kahnt, T., Dogan, A., Strang, S., Fehr, E., & Tobler, P. N. (2017). A neural link between generosity and happiness. Nature Communications, 8(15964), 1-10. doi: 10.1038/ncomms15964
Penney, S. (1995). Discovering religions: Buddhism. London: Heinemann Educational Publishers.
Pope, A. (2007). “Is there a difference?” Iconic images of suffering in Buddhism and Christianity. Janus Head, 10(1), 247-260.
Proţi, L. E. (2015). The relationship between quality of life and perception of happiness. Romanian Journal of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Hypnosis, 2(2), 1-8.
Sağnak, M., & Kuruöz, M. (2017). Authentic leadership and altruism: The mediating role of meaningfulness. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(3), 447-452. doi: 10.13189/ujer.2017.050316
Schimmel, J. (2009). Development as happiness: The subjective perception of happiness and UNDP’s analysis of poverty, wealth and development. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10(1), 93-111. doi: 10.1007/s10902-007-9063-4
Schwarze, J., & Winkelmann, R. (2011). Happiness and altruism within the extended family. Journal of Population Economics, 24, 1033-1051. doi: 10.1007/s00148-010-0326-8
Shen-Miller, J. (2002). Sacred lotus, the long-living fruits of China Antique. Seed Science Research, 12, 131-143. doi: 10.1079/SSR2002112
Shih, C.-h. (2011). Dependent origination, protecting life and middle path. Formosan Journal of Medical Humanities, 12(1&2), 27-49.
Stange, G. (2017). I don’t want to limit myself to binary thinking: An interview with the Indonesian artist Arahmaiani. Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 10(1), 109-116.
Thurman, R. A. F. T. (1976/1986). The holy teaching of Vimalakīrti: A Mahāyāna scripture (4th ed.). USA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Tun, S. (2015). Relational suffering: Causes and liberation, according to Buddhism. Claritas: Journal of Dialogue and Culture, 4(2), 38-42.
Urbaniak, J. (2014). Suffering in the mystical traditions of Buddhism and Christianity. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 70(1: Art. #2117), 1-9. doi: 10.4102/hts.v70i1.2117
Virtbauer, G. D. (2010). Dimensions of intersubjectivity in Mahāyāna-Buddhism and relational psychoanalysis. Contemporary Buddhism, 11(1), 85-102.
Wallace, B. A. (2001). Intersubjectivity in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 8(5-7), 209-230.
Walsh, S. C. (2018). Contemplative and artful openings: Researching women and teaching. New York: Routledge.
Watson, B. T. (1997). The Vimalakīrti Sūtra. New York: Columbia University Press.
Wood, J. D., & Petriglieri, G. (2005). Transcending polarisation: Beyond binary thinking. Transactional Analysis Journal, 35(1), 31-39.
Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. USA: Basic Books.
Yao, F. (2006). There are no degrees in a Bodhisattva's compassion. Asian Philosophy, 16(3), 189-198.
Zadra, J. R., & Clore, G. L. (2011). Emotion and perception: The role of affective information. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 2(6), 676-685. doi: 10.1002/wcs.147