The World of Experience

Nikāya Buddhism and Early Chan - A Different Meditative Paradigm - Grzegorz Polak

Grzegorz Polak [+-]
Maria Curie Skłodowska University
Grzegorz Polak is Associate Professor in the Institute of Philosophy at the Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin.

Description

Chapter three attempts to reconstruct specific views about the nature of reality, experience and language present in Nikāya and early Chan texts. It argues that many of these texts imply an anti-realist view that the world as we experience it does not exist independently of our cognitive activities. The character of some of its supposedly most fundamental and objective elements and features is actually a reflection of our cognitive structure and mental processes. The final part of the chapter considers the relation of phenomenal consciousness to noumenal reality. It argues that the former is heavily interpreted and constructed by various processes and thus its content is not a faithful reflection of the latter. It also argues that some of the constitutive features of saṃsāra responsible for suffering are only relevant within the sphere of phenomenal consciousness.

Notify A Colleague

Citation

Polak, Grzegorz . The World of Experience. Nikāya Buddhism and Early Chan - A Different Meditative Paradigm. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 132-167 Jun 2024. ISBN 9781800504257. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=44352. Date accessed: 27 Apr 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.44352. Jun 2024

Dublin Core Metadata