PREFACE
One of the frustrating quandaries confronting North
American Buddhists and those interested in Buddhism here is how to
translate Buddhist ideas and ideals and Buddhist actions into our own
local idiom, our own modes of understanding, thought, and action. This is
not just about finding suitable translations for words like dharma or
sunyata. It is, rather, about finding suitable examples, metaphors,
similes, and indigenous systems of thought and philosophies of action,
such that, when properly explained, the Buddha's teachings come alive,
become relevant, real, and, most importantly, perhaps, possible. The
world we have made today, is, after all, not an easy one for religious
ideas—ideas lacking in militancy or anger. They don't always do very
well. They can get lost in the chaos, shouted down, drowned out.
Furthermore, Buddhism has the added burden of being remote or exotic in
the minds of many Americans. This is, perhaps, not so much a product of
its foreign, Asian origins, as of its unfamiliar language and a long list
of often poorly explained notions. American seekers have a tendency to
encounter Buddhism, cry "Cool!" but then walk away.
Khai Thien a.k.a Thich Tam Thien, however, offers
some new ideas on making Buddhism relevant and meaningful, despite the
hardships of the age. Khai Thien is new to America, but his work at Chua
Viet Nam in Los Angeles is already well known both in the Vietnamese
community and among other Buddhists in Los Angeles. And he has been a
wonderful friend to me. He is not only knowledgeable and wise, but kind
and helpful as well—the fullness of a bodhisattva's virtues! And here,
in this book, we can see that his thoughts on Buddhism in the modern world
are relevant and necessary. In his Buddhist General Semantics,
Khai Thien has given us an intriguing picture of how Buddhism and
contemporary normative explorations of living the good life from
non-Buddhist sources can complement one another. As he writes, in his
conclusion, the basis of this complementary relationship is that "…both
general semantics and Buddhism focus on the search for truth and
self-realization, self-discovery, and self-awareness…." His goal is to
place Buddhism under the lens of general semantics and thereby find new
ways for understanding the Buddha's teachings. But he wants to shake us
up, not cast us adrift in a sea of unfamiliar Buddhist terms, Sanskrit and
Pali phrases. He wants to connect our Buddhist thoughts and our Buddhist
words to our everyday acts, to how we actually live in the world. To that
end, Khai Thien grounds his discussion in the everyday, the
familiar—orange juice and advertisements and contemporary psychology.
With a little help—some finger pointing and some explanations—and a little
concentration, we can see that Buddhism was not really ever so very exotic
or remote.
Khai Thien's work here is both a good
general introduction to some basic (and not so basic) tenets of Buddhism,
as well as a prescriptive view on how Buddhism can work in the modern
world, how being a Buddhist can work in the modern world. His discussion
is not easy or simple. Neither is it simplistic. He lays out a
complicated and intricate picture of Buddhism with work on general
semantics. But he always finds ways of making what he says connect with
out own lives. Khai Thien has over twenty years of experience as a
Buddhist monk and teacher in Vietnam. Now, in a new Buddhist world, he
takes pains to make those teachings practical, connect them to, as he
writes, "the living reactions of human beings." I am particularly drawn,
in closing, to his discussion of silence in the last chapter. Silence is
not something we are accustomed to dealing with here in America—or
anywhere, I imagine. We know of silence as absence, as a lack of
activity. It is the silence, as Thay Khai Thien write, of the battlefield
after the fight is over, of the cessation of movement. But there is
another kind of silence, that of mental concentration, of striving for
something, fully focused on the task, at one with ones thoughts and
actions. "Such a noble silence must be the first and foremost discipline
for us to get in touch with our sanity and depart for our spiritual
journey as well," he writes. To that end, I welcome this book and all
of Khai Thien's work in America.
Douglas M. Padgett
Indiana University
“One
of the frustrating quandaries confronting Buddhists and those interested
in Buddhism in North America is how to translate Buddhist ideas, ideals
and actions into our own local idiom, our own modes of understanding,
thought, and action. This is not just about finding suitable translations
for words like dharma or sunyata. It is, rather, about finding suitable
examples, metaphors, similes, and indigenous systems of thought and
philosophies of action, … In his Buddhist
General Semantics, Khai Thien has given us an intriguing picture of
how Buddhism and contemporary normative explorations of living the good
life from non-Buddhist sources can complement one another. As he writes,
in his conclusion, the basis of this complementary relationship is that
"…both general semantics and Buddhism focus on the search for truth and
self-realization, self-discovery, and self-awareness…."
—Douglas M. Padgett
Indiana
University
“… I first met Khai Thien, in 1996 while I was
on a research trip to Vietnam to study Vietnamese Buddhism. He spent an
enormous amount of time trying to guide me through the intricacies of
Buddhist philosophy. Through the course of that trip, and another one in
1997, I grew increasingly impressed by khai thien’s knowledge of Buddhism,
his considerable language skills and his over-all mental dexterity. To my
utter astonishment, I discovered that he had already published nine books
in his mid-twenties. One of his books became required reading for
Vietnamese university students studying Buddhist philosophy. In this book,
Buddhist General Semantics, he attempts to achieve a synthesis
between Buddhist teaching and the discipline of general semantics in order
to more clearly explain Buddhist philosophy to a larger audience.”
—Robert J. Topmiller
Eastern Kentucky University
“The author does an excellent job
of explaining why the general semantic approach to Buddhism is unique and
how such an approach will be beneficial to readers. He makes an effort to
help readers understand the complexity of the Buddhist philosophy by
relating its teachings to things they will all understand, such as
advertising. By doing this, he takes something abstract and makes it
appear concrete for his readers.”
—Editorial
Reviews
Buddhist General
Semantics is one of the first books of religious philosophy
evaluating the relationship between Buddhism and General Semantics. The
book offers a new approach to Buddhist religion and its Philosophy with
clear definitions and explanations of Buddhist basic teachings. This
comprehensive guide to Buddhist philosophy is for those who wish to get in
touch with the real world of self-discovery
and self-awareness.
—Book
Description
Buddhist
General Semantics is an exploration into the relationship of one’s
internal and external experiences and how it can establish a greater
understanding of the theories and practice of Buddhism. Though the origin
of Buddhism dates back over 2,500 years, the Western world is still
searching for an approach to make its teachings meaningful and applicable
in a modern society. Through the use of general semantics, Khai Thien
presents a clear and honest process we must undergo to grasp the true
nature of ourselves, hence creating a profound awareness of the connection
between our consciousness and reality. Khai Thien uses tangible examples
from Western culture to introduce and define challenging aspects of
Buddhist philosophy in a voice that crosses religious boundaries. He
invites persons of all faiths to reflect on the value of recognizing the
correlations between language, thought and behavior and how it can enhance
their daily lives.
—
Melanie M. Townsend
|
Trade Paperback
Publication Date: Mar-2004
Price: $24.95
Size: 5.5 x 8.5
Author: Khai Thien
ISBN: 0-595-30679-9
377 Pages
On Demand Printing
Available from Ingram Book Group, Baker & Taylor, and from iUniverse,
Inc
To order call 1-877-823-9235
BUY NOW
This book is also available at Amazon.com
Click here
|
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Update: 01-03-2004
