Brown, S.

Swearer, Donald K.

Buddhist-Christian Studies

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Donald K. Swearer

Sid Brown

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Theravada Buddhism: The View of the Elders by Asanga Tilakaratne

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 Swarthmore CollegeWorks   Religion Faculty Works   2014  Review Of "Theravada Buddhism: The View Of The Elders" By A. Tilakaratne  Donald K. Swearer Swarthmore College, dsweare1@swarthmore.edu   Let us know how access to this work benefits you.  Follow this and additional works at: http://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-religion   Part of the Religion Commons   Recommended Citation Donald K. Swearer and S. Brown. (2014). "Review Of "Theravada Buddhism: The View Of The Elders" By A. Tilakaratne". Buddhist-Christian Studies. Volume 34, 219-221. http://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-religion/228  This work is brought to you for free and open access by the Swarthmore College Libraries. It has been accepted for inclusion in Religion Faculty Works by an authorized administrator of Works. For more information, please contact myworks@swarthmore.edu.                                                       Access provided by Swarthmore College (25 Mar 2016 21:33 GMT)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Buddhist-Christian Studies, Volume 34, 2014, pp. 219-221 (Review)????????????????????????????????????????DOI: 10.1353/bcs.2014.0019For additional information about this articlehttp://muse.jhu.edu/journals/bcs/summary/v034/34.swearer.html BOOK REVIEWS 219THERAVADA BUDDHISM: THE VIEW OF THE ELDERS. By Asanga Tila-karatne. Honolulu. University of Hawai‘i Press, 2012. 186 pp.Theravada Buddhism: The View of the Elders is primarily a descriptive, comprehen-sive	study	of	the	Theravāda	Buddhist	tradition	in	Sri	Lanka	and	Southeast	Asia.	The	book’s eight chapters begin with a brief general account of the life of the Buddha and the beginnings of the tradition in India, four chapters on the basic teachings of Theravāda	(“The	Triple	Gem,”	“The	Basic	Teachings	of	the	Buddha,”	“Karma	and	Its	Results,” and “The Social Teachings of the Buddha”), two chapters that contextualize the tradition in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, and a concluding chapter on diaspora Theravāda	 that	 highlights	 two	 topics—meditation	 and	 the	Bhikkhuni	 order.	 The	book’s broad scope is both its strength and weakness; however, it successfully negoti-ates a middle ground between those books that provide only a brief introduction to Theravāda,	on	the	one	hand,	and	more	comprehensive,	in-depth	studies.The	author	characterizes	Theravāda	as	a	spiritual	practice	guided	by	the	monas-tic tradition based on an “interpretation of the words of the Buddha adopted and developed by the tradition.” From this normative perspective, the author’s descrip-tion	and	analysis	of	Theravāda	doctrine	includes	generous	quotations	from	the	Pali	Suttas. Tilakaratne “respects modern historical and philological scholarship”; how-ever,	he	follows	the	tradition	of	Theravāda	monastic	interpretation	that	accepts	the	Suttas as the Buddavacanam (words of the Buddha) as organized by the early dis-ciples, and characterizes the communal act of chanting as signifying “undivided allegiance to the word of the Buddha as approved by the leaders of the community.” From	 this	 perspective,	 the	 author	 deems	 Theravāda	 to	 be	 “remarkably	 homoge-neous”	(p.	xxvi).	Although	in	general	terms	Theravāda	can	be	seen	as	more	homo-geneous	 than	Mahayāna	and	Tantrayāna	textual	and	doctrinal	 traditions,	 in	more	localized contexts—not noted by the author—it is also marked by varying degrees of diversity. For example, one thinks of the Thai monk Buddhadasa Bhikkhu (d. 1993), who was accused of being a “Mahayanist” for highlighting the doctrine of Emptiness (śunyatā),	a	central	Mahayāna	concept	but	of	relatively	minor	importance	in	Theravāda.A former monk, Tilakaratne, professor of Pali and Buddhist studies at the Uni-versity of Colombo, brings an understandable normativity to his description and analysis. Furthermore, the author’s background gives the volume a direct firsthand flavor. For example, in discussing the Pali formula extoling the virtues of the sangha that	all	Theravāda	Buddhists	learn	by	heart	and	repeat	within	a	daily	ritual	context,	the author observes that even though lay practitioners continue to use the formula throughout their lives, they may not comprehend its meaning.In his discussion of the basic teachings of Buddhism, the author addresses the common misinterpretation of the fundamental Buddhist teachings of not-self (anattā) and nirvāṇa as negative concepts. The teaching that an individual does not Buddhist-Christian Studies 34 (2014) 219–221. © by University of Hawai‘i Press. All rights reserved.220 BUDDHIST-CHRISTIAN STUDIESexist independently affirms the phenomenology of the dynamic, interdependent nature of all things, and, more importantly from the standpoint of spiritual practice, affirms that with this realization (i.e., nirvāṇa) “one’s thirst in all forms becomes extinct” (p. 44).The author structures the basic teachings of the Buddha in terms of the tradi-tional categories of the three trainings: morality (sīla), concentration (samādhi), and understanding (paññā). Apropos of the contextual flavor of the book, the author’s discussion of sīla for the laity situates the five precepts (abstaining from taking life, from stealing, from sexual misconduct, from telling lies, and from alcohol and intoxicants) within the ritual of taking the precepts as a daily practice at home, the temple, or at pubic ceremonies. Paññā or “seeing things as they are” addresses the fundamental	Theravāda	teachings	of	suffering	(dukkha), impermanence, and not-self: “Suffering alone exists, not a sufferer; action alone exists, not an actor; extinguish-ment alone exists, not one who is extinguished; path alone exists, not one who treads on it” (Buddhaghosa) (p. 55).Given the prominence of the concept of karma in studies about Buddhism, it is appropriate that the author devotes a full chapter to a discussion of this seminal teach-ing. Of the two dimensions of the doctrine—action and identity—the author focuses on the latter. Tilakaratne argues that karma constructs identity without resorting to either essentialism or annihilationism. Of even greater ethical import, however, is the	fundamental	linkage	Theravāda	karma	doctrine	makes	between	action	and	inten-tion: “Intention (cetanā) bhikkhus, I call karma. Having intended, one acts physically, verbally, and mentally” (p. 63). Hence, the author proposes that karma should not be seen in static, nominal terms but in adjectival, “karmic” terms.Chapter	5,	about	the	contemporary	Theravāda	world,	highlights	some	of	the	major	features in the development of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.	Because	of	its	brevity,	the	treatment	of	Theravāda	in	these	countries	will	be of interest primarily to readers with limited knowledge of Buddhism within the Southeast Asian context. The longest (forty-six pages) and arguably the most valu-able chapter in the book is chapter 7, “Traditional Theravada Practice.” Given the importance of puñña (merit making) and dāna (giving) in the symbiotic relationship between monks and laity, the chapter begins with an extensive discussion of these two practices. Although the author acknowledges the soteriological dimension of dāna, he correctly argues that the belief that it produces good results for the future dominates the practice: “by giving, you reduce your craving; but at the same time you get more and more” (p. 96). The section on vandana (worship) will be especially informative for those who conceptualize Buddhism primarily in the limited sense of meditation and the pursuit of nirvāṇa. Such readers may be surprised to learn that a Buddhist monk traditionally played an important role as physician and astrologer, and that chanting of paritta,	one	of	the	most	important	ritual	roles	of	Theravāda	monks,	is	popularly	believed to offer protection and guarantee good luck.The concluding sections of this chapter deal with both monastic and lay inter-actions	 in	Theravāda	 societies,	 especially	 Sri	Lanka.	Given	 the	 increasing	popular-ity Buddhist meditation and the importance of female ordination in the West, it is  BOOK REVIEWS 221appropriate that the final chapter focuses on these two topics. In conclusion, Tila-karatna	warns	his	readers	that	for	Theravāda	to	remain	an	effective	and	viable	institu-tion in the contemporary world it is imperative to apply the Buddha’s teachings to modern contexts and work to develop responses to questions that arise from demand-ing ethical and social issues. The author’s warning to Buddhists regarding the rel-evance of belief and practice to the contemporary world is, of course, one that applies to all religious traditions.Donald K. SwearerHarvard Divinity SchoolSwarthmore CollegeENCOUNTERS IN FAITH: CHRISTIANITY IN INTERRELIGIOUS DIA-LOGUE. By Peter Feldmeier. Winona, MN: Anselm Academic, 2013. 326 pp.This book occupies a unique place in a big crowd. It fits neatly into the rows of textbooks weighing down the shelves marked “Introduction to World Religions,” for it admirably achieves the goal of introducing its readers to the basic beliefs and practices of humanity’s ancient and more recent religious traditions. But it does more, much more. Peter Feldmeier, professor of Christian theology at the University of St. Thomas, boldly, and I would add fittingly, commits what most scholars of religion consider a mortal sin. He not only describes objectively but engages personally the truths that these religions hold dear. He does so as a Christian primarily for Christian and/or Western readers. The book embodies something I don’t think I’ve found in any other textbook: comparative, or dialogical, theology applied to a world religions course.Feldmeier lays out this novel approach in an introductory chapter in which he basically defines himself as a comparative theologian—a scholar of Christianity who is convinced that one of the most promising—maybe necessary—ways of understand-ing Christianity is to bring it into conversation with other religious traditions. So the book has a proximate and an ultimate goal: to understand other religions as accu-rately as possible but then “to inform, inspire, challenge, and renew one’s [own] reli-gious sensibilities” (p. 263). As for the Christian theological resources for doing this, Feldmeier summarizes the standard, but controversial, three “models” of exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism, but then makes a postmodern decision not to endorse any one of them. Rather, he floats among the models and employs one or another as is “useful and appropriate” (p. 17). Hmm. . .The overall structure of the book embodies its comparative methodology. Before exploring individual traditions, Feldmeier offers two somewhat surprising thematic chapters, which turn out to be foundational for his project, on mysticism and on Buddhist-Christian Studies 34 (2014) 221–224. © by University of Hawai‘i Press. All rights reserved.

Review Of  Theravada Buddhism: The View Of The Elders  By A. Tilakaratne

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Review Of Theravada Buddhism: The View Of The Elders By A. Tilakaratne

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