The Philosophical Assumptions behind the Non-Cognitive Use of Scriptures in Eastern Religions
It is well-known that sacred scriptures play a dual role in many religions – cognitive (or informative) and non-cognitive (or performative). Arguably, the non-cognitive use of scriptures is especially prominent in Eastern Religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. The use of a text as a talisman to w...
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2015
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11675/875 http://www.ejournals.eu/PJACNS/2015/1(2015)/art/6217/ |
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| _version_ | 1870679717652201473 |
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| author | Zavaliy, Andrei |
| author_facet | Zavaliy, Andrei |
| author_role | author |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Zavaliy, Andrei |
| dc.date.none.fl_str_mv | 2015 2016-04-07T08:38:29Z 2016-04-07T08:38:29Z |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | http://hdl.handle.net/11675/875 http://www.ejournals.eu/PJACNS/2015/1(2015)/art/6217/ |
| dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv | The Polish Journal of the Arts and Culture, New Series 1 |
| dc.title.none.fl_str_mv | The Philosophical Assumptions behind the Non-Cognitive Use of Scriptures in Eastern Religions |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | Journal Article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
| description | It is well-known that sacred scriptures play a dual role in many religions – cognitive (or informative) and non-cognitive (or performative). Arguably, the non-cognitive use of scriptures is especially prominent in Eastern Religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. The use of a text as a talisman to ward off evil forces, the uttering of mantras and sacred formulas, and the spinning of the “prayer wheels” containing scrolls of paper with excerpts from various sutras, are all examples of the use of the religious text in a non-cognitive manner. The paper aims to examine the philosophical background of such practices, and to identify the implicit metaphysical assumptions that allow the practitioners to use the word, whether in its written or spoken forms, as a sacred ritual object with real powers. The Mimamsa school from the Hindu tradition and the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism are selected as representative examples, and their respective approaches to language are examined. My further goal is to encourage a fresh look at the Eastern religious traditions, where local practices are not evaluated and categorised according to western standards, but are rather approached from the philosophical background of an indigenous tradition per se. |
| id | AUKR_eba2310c10a59b33d8db2a3db62fb9f5 |
| network_acronym_str | AUKR |
| network_name_str | AU Kuwait Rep |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:dspace.auk.edu.kw:11675/875 |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| repository.mail.fl_str_mv | |
| repository.name.fl_str_mv | |
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| spelling | The Philosophical Assumptions behind the Non-Cognitive Use of Scriptures in Eastern ReligionsZavaliy, AndreiIt is well-known that sacred scriptures play a dual role in many religions – cognitive (or informative) and non-cognitive (or performative). Arguably, the non-cognitive use of scriptures is especially prominent in Eastern Religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. The use of a text as a talisman to ward off evil forces, the uttering of mantras and sacred formulas, and the spinning of the “prayer wheels” containing scrolls of paper with excerpts from various sutras, are all examples of the use of the religious text in a non-cognitive manner. The paper aims to examine the philosophical background of such practices, and to identify the implicit metaphysical assumptions that allow the practitioners to use the word, whether in its written or spoken forms, as a sacred ritual object with real powers. The Mimamsa school from the Hindu tradition and the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism are selected as representative examples, and their respective approaches to language are examined. My further goal is to encourage a fresh look at the Eastern religious traditions, where local practices are not evaluated and categorised according to western standards, but are rather approached from the philosophical background of an indigenous tradition per se.2016-04-07T08:38:29Z2016-04-07T08:38:29Z2015Journal Articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://hdl.handle.net/11675/875http://www.ejournals.eu/PJACNS/2015/1(2015)/art/6217/The Polish Journal of the Arts and Culture, New Series 1oai:dspace.auk.edu.kw:11675/8752022-01-13T09:22:02Z |
| spellingShingle | The Philosophical Assumptions behind the Non-Cognitive Use of Scriptures in Eastern Religions Zavaliy, Andrei |
| status_str | publishedVersion |
| title | The Philosophical Assumptions behind the Non-Cognitive Use of Scriptures in Eastern Religions |
| title_full | The Philosophical Assumptions behind the Non-Cognitive Use of Scriptures in Eastern Religions |
| title_fullStr | The Philosophical Assumptions behind the Non-Cognitive Use of Scriptures in Eastern Religions |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Philosophical Assumptions behind the Non-Cognitive Use of Scriptures in Eastern Religions |
| title_short | The Philosophical Assumptions behind the Non-Cognitive Use of Scriptures in Eastern Religions |
| title_sort | The Philosophical Assumptions behind the Non-Cognitive Use of Scriptures in Eastern Religions |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11675/875 http://www.ejournals.eu/PJACNS/2015/1(2015)/art/6217/ |