Life

Fülszöveg

Life: An Enigma, a Precious Jewel
In this multifaceted approach seeking answers to
the age-old question, "What is life?" the author
explores the nature and expression of the life-
force inherent in the universe from Buddhist
perspectives, drawing frequently on scientific
analysis and philosophical insights from both
Eastern and Western cultural traditions.
In the first part, he examines concepts of body
and spirit, man and nature, the immutable self,
the riddle of time, and the essence and extent of
the cosmos. He shows that life is not limited to
its biological and medical definitions, nor to the
present, nor is it fully explained by monotheistic
doctrines about an individualized soul.
In the second part, he writes of the Ten States
of Being, a key concept in Buddhism. He tells
how they are defined and how they are mani-
fested in individual lives. He extrapolates on the
infinite possibilities of life and the principle of
individuality.
Part three is a... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Life: An Enigma, a Precious Jewel
In this multifaceted approach seeking answers to
the age-old question, "What is life?" the author
explores the nature and expression of the life-
force inherent in the universe from Buddhist
perspectives, drawing frequently on scientific
analysis and philosophical insights from both
Eastern and Western cultural traditions.
In the first part, he examines concepts of body
and spirit, man and nature, the immutable self,
the riddle of time, and the essence and extent of
the cosmos. He shows that life is not limited to
its biological and medical definitions, nor to the
present, nor is it fully explained by monotheistic
doctrines about an individualized soul.
In the second part, he writes of the Ten States
of Being, a key concept in Buddhism. He tells
how they are defined and how they are mani-
fested in individual lives. He extrapolates on the
infinite possibilities of life and the principle of
individuality.
Part three is a discussion of the comprehensive
understanding of life and death, the process by
which they become part of each other, and the
absence of discontinuity between them. This
section concludes with an assessment of the im-
plications of his views for our present life.
Rather than abstracting ideological truths
from the human condition, Mr. Ikeda takes as
his starting point the eternal and the dignity of
life and attempts to make them easier to under-
stand by placing the great life-force in the
context of daily activities. His views are inte-
grated and all-embracing, and his hope is that
man will rediscover what he is and live in a truly
human way before totalitarianism, war, or
thoughtless destruction of the natural environ-
ment make this impossible. Vissza