Books by D. E. Osto
Columbia University Press, 2024
A number of converts to Buddhism report paranormal experiences. Their accounts describe psychic a... more A number of converts to Buddhism report paranormal experiences. Their accounts describe psychic abilities like clairvoyance and precognition, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, and encounters with other beings such as ghosts and deities, and they often interpret these events through a specifically Buddhist lens. This book is a groundbreaking exploration of these phenomena and their implications for both humanistic and scientific study of the paranormal.
D. E. Osto examines accounts of paranormal phenomena experienced by convert Buddhists from around the world collected through an online survey and interviews, placing them in the context of Indian Buddhist sources and recent scientific research. They focus in detail on the life stories of two interviewees and the important role the paranormal has played in their lives. These contemporary first-person narratives demonstrate the continued importance of the psychic and paranormal within the Buddhist tradition, and they can be interpreted as a living Buddhist folklore. Osto considers the limitations of both traditional religious views and Western scientific studies of the paranormal and proposes instead a new Buddhist phenomenological approach. Ultimately, Paranormal States contends, these deeply mysterious and extraordinary experiences exceed current understandings—and they can help bridge the gap between religious and scientific worldviews.
Routledge, 2020
Second Prize winner of the Inaugural 2021 New Zealand Asian Studies Society Book Awards, this boo... more Second Prize winner of the Inaugural 2021 New Zealand Asian Studies Society Book Awards, this book is the first full-length study of the contemporary global revival a thousand-year-old medieval Hindu religious philosophy often referred to as Kashmir Śaivism, Kashmiri Śaivism or Nondual Kashmir Śaivism. This study traces the Indic origins and philosophy of Nondual Śaivism before focusing on the central roles of Swami Lakshman Joo (1907–1991), Swami Muktananda (1908–1982), and several prominent scholar-practitioners for its revival. It situates this new Nondual Śaivism in relation to recent scholarly debates concerning the legitimacy of New Age consumptive spirituality, the global spiritual marketplace, and the contemporary culture of narcissism. The author also investigates the dark side of the revived tradition, and discusses contemporary teachers accused of sexual abuse and illegal financial activities. In order to bridge the current gap in the literature between “insider” (emic) and “outsider” (etic) perspectives, the author includes an autoethnographic chapter detailing their practice of Nondual Śaivism as an empathetic participant-observer. The study concludes that, although “Kashmir Śaivism” has been adopted by certain teachers and groups to market their own brand of “High Tantra,” some contemporary practitioners have remained true to the system’s fundamental tenets and teach authentic (albeit modern) forms of Nondual Śaivism.
Columbia University Press, 2016
In the 1960s, Americans combined psychedelics with Buddhist meditation to achieve direct experien... more In the 1960s, Americans combined psychedelics with Buddhist meditation to achieve direct experience through altered states of consciousness. As some practitioners became more committed to Buddhism, they abandoned the use of psychedelics in favor of stricter mental discipline, but others carried on with the experiment, advancing a fascinating alchemy called psychedelic Buddhism.
Many think exploration with psychedelics in Buddhism faded with the revolutionary spirit of the sixties, but the underground practice has evolved into a brand of religiosity as eclectic and challenging as the era that created it. Altered States combines interviews with well-known figures in American Buddhism and psychedelic spirituality—including Lama Surya Das, Erik Davis, Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Sensei, Rick Strassman, and Charles Tart—and personal stories of everyday practitioners to define a distinctly American religious phenomenon. The nuanced perspective that emerges, grounded in a detailed history of psychedelic religious experience, adds critical depth to debates over the controlled use of psychedelics and drug-induced mysticism. The book also opens new paths of inquiry into such issues as re-enchantment, the limits of rationality, the biochemical and psychosocial basis of altered states of consciousness, and the nature of subjectivity.
“[Altered States] mixes statistics and surveys, historical overview, personal experience, and ethnographic texture to uncover the intertwining history of two fast-growing movements in American spirituality. . . . This overview will appeal to anyone interested in Buddhism, psychedelic possibilities, and understanding how both are forging a controversial new American religious experience.”—Publishers Weekly
“Altered States genuinely moves forward in laying a path for new, insightful, and valuable information on the American Buddhism that is developing in our global society. Douglas Osto’s groundbreaking research will be appreciated by scholars, and his accessible style will be enjoyed by nonacademic readers.”—Charles Prebish, author of Luminous Passage: The Practice and Study of Buddhism in America
“Altered States deftly guides us through the neglected territory of psychedelic Buddhism. This is a fascinating story, full of vivid characters and supported by solid research. Still, I believe it makes a greater contribution by situating these practices and persons within the larger contexts of tantra, of American religion, and of cutting edge neuropsychology and consciousness studies. The result is—to use le mot juste—mind blowing.”—Franz Metcalf, author of What Would Buddha Do?: 101 Answers to Life's Daily Dilemmas
D.E. Osto Publishing, 2017
This book is meant to serve as an entry point for the English reader into the vast and profound o... more This book is meant to serve as an entry point for the English reader into the vast and profound ocean of East Asian philosophy. Focusing on China, it outlines the basic contours of the three major philosophical streams found in East Asia: Daoism (Taoism), Confucianism, and Buddhism. Beginning with the classical period, the book details the Daoist philosophies of Laozi and Zhuangzi, and the early Confucianism of Confucius, Mencius and Xunzi. Next, the book explains the transmission of Buddhism from India to China, and provides individual chapters on the Chinese Buddhist schools of Huayan and Chan (Zen). This is followed by chapters on the Neo-Confucian philosophies of Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, Zhu Xi and Wang Yangming; and the modern “New Confucian” thought of Fung Yu-lan and Tu Wei-ming. The final two chapters turn to Japan and investigate the Zen philosophy of Dogen and the modern Kyoto School.
D.E. Osto Publishing, 2017
Minding the Black Dog is a short, engaging book about how to use mindfulness to overcome depressi... more Minding the Black Dog is a short, engaging book about how to use mindfulness to overcome depression. Combining his thirty years of meditation and teaching with his own life experience, the author details in six short chapters how to apply the principles of mindfulness to cope with negative core beliefs and negative emotions from depression. The book includes six different mindfulness exercises and links to free audio files for use in guided meditation. The author concludes with a chapter on how mindfulness can be used to go beyond mental health to achieve one’s goals, fulfilling one’s dreams, and live a rewarding and spiritual life.
D.E. Osto Publishing, 2016
Sāṃkhya is one of the most ancient of India’s philosophical traditions and its influence has been... more Sāṃkhya is one of the most ancient of India’s philosophical traditions and its influence has been widespread in Indian thought for centuries.The central aim of Sāṃkhya is to counteract human suffering. To do this, Sāṃkhya proposes a special type of metaphysical dualism, which asserts the absolute distinction between pure consciousness (puruṣa) on the one hand, and the phenomenal world (prakṛti) on the other.
The ancient philosophy of Sāṃkhya can be applied to modern life in a number of valuable ways. Rather than becoming overly concerned with the metaphysics of the system, Sāṃkhya can be seen as a psychological tool to overcome suffering. Through rigorous philosophical and psychological analysis, a person can learn to detach or disassociate from the psychophysical entity, and realize witness consciousness.
Classical Sāṃkhya postulates no God, supreme being, or creator of the universe. Thus Sāṃkhya shows us that there is not a necessary dichotomy between atheism and spirituality. Moreover, its understanding of the human condition, the self, and the universe provide us with profound psychological insights that may be utilized for better living in this world.
In this book, the author investigates the foundational text of classical Sāṃkhya, the Sāṃkhyakārikā of Īśvarakrṣṇa, to uncover its important psychological insights concerning our human condition and the means to transcend it. Included in the book are special meditational exercises to internalize the teachings of Sāṃkhya, and a complete English translation of the Sanskrit Sāṃkhyakārikā.
Dr D.E. Osto is a scholar of Asian philosophies and meditation teacher with over thirty years of meditation experience.
Routledge, Jan 1, 2008
This book examines the concepts of power, wealth and women in the important Mahayana Buddhist scr... more This book examines the concepts of power, wealth and women in the important Mahayana Buddhist scripture known as the Gandavyuha-sutra, and relates these to the text’s social context in ancient Indian during the Buddhist Middle Period (0–500 CE).
Employing contemporary textual theory, worldview analysis and structural narrative theory, the author puts forward a new approach to the study of Mahayana Buddhist sources, the ‘systems approach’, by which literature is viewed as embedded in a social system. Consequently, he analyses the Gandavyuha in the contexts of reality, society and the individual, and applies these notions to the key themes of power, wealth and women. The study reveals that the spiritual hierarchy represented within the Gandavyuha replicates the political hierarchies in India during Buddhism’s Middle Period, that the role of wealth mirrors its significance as a sign of spiritual status in Indian Buddhist society, and that the substantial number of female spiritual guides in the narrative reflects the importance of royal women patrons of Indian Buddhism at the time.
This book will appeal to higher-level undergraduates, postgraduates and scholars of religious studies, Buddhist studies, Asian studies, South Asian studies and Indology.
"...his detailed exposition of the text, which takes into account a number of redactions and translations, must be viewed as a valuable contribution to scholarship on the Gaṇḍavyūha and the Mahāyāna period of Indian Buddhism in general. For this reason, this book is a must-read for graduate students and specialists interested in debates regarding the origins and nature of Mahāyāna Buddhism in India." - Amy Langenberg, Journal of Buddhist Ethics 21 (2014).
"His work will undoubtedly serve as an excellent introduction to the Gaṇḍavyūha and a welcome resource that both surveys and complements the literature already available for the study of this fascinating scripture" - David V. Fiordalis, H-Buddhism, August 2009
Articles by D. E. Osto
Philosophy East and West, 2018
Classical Sāṃkhya and Theravāda Buddhism share important features easily obscured when modern com... more Classical Sāṃkhya and Theravāda Buddhism share important features easily obscured when modern commentators reify the two systems as opposed to each other based on a facile "self/no-self" dichotomy. The present article argues that once this opposition is abandoned, one can clearly see that these two systems share very similar ontologies and methodologies for realizing ultimate release.
New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies, Jan 1, 2010
Nota Bene: The statement on page 6 of this article: "Nowhere else in the Gaṇḍavyūha are there an... more Nota Bene: The statement on page 6 of this article: "Nowhere else in the Gaṇḍavyūha are there any references at all to Amitābha or rebirth in his Pure Land," is not entirely accurate. Patrick Carré has pointed out to me that Amitābha and his Pure Land are mentioned once in the sutra elsewhere. See the Vaidya edition p.66, lines 18-19: "yasyāṁ ca velāyāmicchāmi, tasyāṁ velāyāṁ sukhāvatyāṁ lokadhātāvamitābhaṁ tathāgataṁ paśyāmi."
Journal of Indian philosophy, Jan 1, 2009
Journal of Religious History, Jan 1, 2009
Buddhist Studies Review, Jan 1, 2007
Chapters in Edited Volumes by D. E. Osto
Buddhaksetrapariodhana: A Festscrift for Paul Harrison, 2024
This chapter first discusses the current academic study of Mahāyāna Buddhism, and its relation to... more This chapter first discusses the current academic study of Mahāyāna Buddhism, and its relation to the contemporary practice of Mahāyāna
Buddhism, highlighting the overlap and intersection of these two. Next, the
author emphasizes the continued importance of academic translations of
Mahāyāna sūtras, offering a number of practical suggestions for future translators. Finally, the author asserts the continued relevance in this century of a
worldview they call the ‘Mature Standard Model of the Mahāyāna’ (MSMM),
and potential future outcomes of humanity in relation to this MSMM.
“Forgiveness, Patience, and Confession in Buddhism,” in The Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy and Psychology of Forgiveness,, 2023
Buddhism never elaborated a developed notion of forgiveness. Nevertheless, some contemporary Budd... more Buddhism never elaborated a developed notion of forgiveness. Nevertheless, some contemporary Buddhist thinkers have pointed out that the Buddhist virtue of "patience" (Pāli: khanti; Sanskrit: kṣānti) 1 shares strong similarities or overlapping concerns with what some people consider to be forgiveness. 2 In the following pages, I argue that if we accepted Boleyn-Fitzgerald's (2002) notion of "simple forgiveness" as a "letting go of anger," then there are indeed a number of significant overlaps in this type of forgiveness within the Buddhist notion of patience. 3 Somewhat counterintuitively, though lacking an explicit discourse on forgiveness, Buddhism has been quite concerned with the act of confession. To understand why confession has always been an important part of Buddhism, while an explicit discourse on forgiveness has not, we need to investigate the idea of confession in Buddhism and its role within Buddhist ethics and soteriology. I argue that Buddhism (like Christianity) employs confession, simple forgiveness (in the sense of letting go of anger), and patience as means of maintaining and restoring what I call "right relationship" with members of the Buddhist religious community and, in the case of Mahāyāna Buddhism, with higher spiritual powers. This maintenance and restoration of right relationship, moreover, constitute ethical activities with psychological and soteriological benefits. To understand forgiveness in relation to patience and confession in Buddhist ethics, psychology, and soteriology, I will first look at these ideas in early Buddhism. Next, I investigate these ideas in Mahāyāna Buddhism, giving special attention to the views of Śāntideva, a renowned Indian scholar-monk from the eighth century CE. Mahāyāna Buddhism, which began some five centuries after the life of the Buddha, introduced major innovations to Buddhist cosmology, philosophy, and soteriology. These innovations also impacted on Mahāyāna ideas concerning confession, forgiveness, and patience. Here I focus on Śāntideva for two reasons: as an authoritative Mahāyāna commentator and thinker, his ideas have had a continued influence on significant currents of the Buddhist tradition to this day; moreover, looking in detail at Śāntideva's texts allows us to examine one particularly developed Buddhist view on these issues, rather than attempting the impossible task of summarizing a 2,500-year-old tradition.
Setting Out on the Great Way: Essays on Early Mahayana Buddhism, edited by Paul Harrison (Equinox, 2018), 2018
The Prajñāpāramitā (‘Perfection of Wisdom’) sūtras are a large corpus of Mahāyāna Buddhist texts ... more The Prajñāpāramitā (‘Perfection of Wisdom’) sūtras are a large corpus of Mahāyāna Buddhist texts composed and redacted within the Indian subcontinent for over a thousand year period. The late Edward Conze, the leading modern authority on the Prajñāpāramitā texts, divides the development of this literature into four phases: 1. the elaboration of a basic text (ca. 100 B.C. to 100 A.D.), which constitutes the original impulse; 2. the expansion of that text (ca. 100 A.D. to 300); 3. the restatement of the doctrine in short texts and versified summaries (ca. 300 A.D. to 500); 4. the period of Tantric influence and the absorption into magic (600 A.D. to 1200). Conze identifies the Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines (Aṣṭasahaśrikā-prajñāpāramitā) and its verse summary (the Ratnaguṇa-saṃcaya-gāthā) as representing the earliest strata. While Conze’s assertion of the Aṣṭa’s antiquity has had lasting impact on studies into the origins of the Mahāyāna, modern scholarship’s obsession with origins has caused most contemporary theorists to overlook or ignore the later phases of the Prajñāpāramitā literature’s development in India. By approaching these texts in a more synoptic fashion, I hope to demonstrate in the following pages important thematic continuities within the Perfection of Wisdom sūtras. In order to do this, I treat these texts as literature, which existed within a larger textual and social system (Indian Buddhism). Specifically, I investigate how dialogue is used in the sūtras to establish a particular type of textual authority and how certain commonly occurring characters in the dialogues, such as Śāriputra, Subhuti, and Ānanda, are employed to align the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras more closely to mainstream Buddhist literature. A primary conclusion of this investigation is that the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras to a large extent demonstrate a particular brand of Indian Mahāyāna religious conservatism. Moreover, because this conservatism spans numerous texts within the corpus throughout several centuries, its appearance can not be analyzed solely in terms of a relative chronology vis-à-vis other Mahāyāna sūtras, but must be considered as one particular ideological posture in relation to a spectrum of religious orientations existing (both synchronically and diachronically) within Indian Buddhism.
Papers by D. E. Osto
This work is an English translation of the final prose and verse sections of the The Supreme Arra... more This work is an English translation of the final prose and verse sections of the The Supreme Array Scripture (Gaṇḍavyūha-sūtra), a Mahayana Buddhist Sanskrit text. This final chapter (chapter 55) is called the "The Vow to Follow the Course of Samantabhadra (Samantabhadracaryāpraṇidhānam). The sixty-two verses that conclude the Sanskrit version of Gaṇḍavyūha-sūtra (known as the Bhadracarī), are also found in the Tibetan translations and the Chinese translation by Prajñā (Taisho volume 293). Buy on Amazon.com.
Ph.D. Dissertation by D. E. Osto
In this thesis, I examine the roles of wealth, gender and power in the Mahāyāna Buddhist scriptur... more In this thesis, I examine the roles of wealth, gender and power in the Mahāyāna Buddhist scripture known as the Gaṇḍavyūha-sūtra, using contemporary textual theory, narratology and worldview analysis. I argue that the wealth, gender and power of the spiritual guides (kalyāṇamitras, literally ‘good friends’) in this narrative reflect the social and political hierarchies and patterns of Buddhist patronage in ancient Indian during the time of its compilation. In order to do this, I divide the study into three parts.
In part I, ‘Text and Context’, I first investigate what is currently known about the origins and development of the Gaṇḍavyūha, its extant manuscripts, translations and modern scholarship. Next, using a relative chronology based on current research into the origins of the Mahāyāna, I argue for the 3rd century CE, as likely time of origin, and suggest Dhānyakaṭaka/Dharaṇīkoṭa as the place of origin for the text.
In part II, ‘Structures’, I examine the text’s worldview and narrative structures. In chapter 3, I investigate the notions of reality, society and the individual. In chapter 4, I outline some key concepts developed by the Dutch narratologist Mieke Bal (1997) and demonstrate how these concepts may be utilised in an analysis of the Gaṇḍavyūha.
I begin part III, ‘Forces’, by considering Derrida’s (2001) notion of ‘force’ as a critique of structuralism’s overly ‘geometric’ model in the study of narrative. In an attempt to synthesise structure and force in part III, I examine the various structures outlined in previous chapters in relation to the themes of wealth, gender and power, as they unfold chronologically within the narrative.
From this study, I conclude that in the Gaṇḍavyūha, wealth functions as a sign of spiritual status, the significant number of royal female kalyāṇamitras reflects the importance of female patrons at the time of the text’s compilation, and the spiritual hierarchy within the story mirrors the political hierarchies of Buddhism’s Middle Period in India.
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Books by D. E. Osto
D. E. Osto examines accounts of paranormal phenomena experienced by convert Buddhists from around the world collected through an online survey and interviews, placing them in the context of Indian Buddhist sources and recent scientific research. They focus in detail on the life stories of two interviewees and the important role the paranormal has played in their lives. These contemporary first-person narratives demonstrate the continued importance of the psychic and paranormal within the Buddhist tradition, and they can be interpreted as a living Buddhist folklore. Osto considers the limitations of both traditional religious views and Western scientific studies of the paranormal and proposes instead a new Buddhist phenomenological approach. Ultimately, Paranormal States contends, these deeply mysterious and extraordinary experiences exceed current understandings—and they can help bridge the gap between religious and scientific worldviews.
Many think exploration with psychedelics in Buddhism faded with the revolutionary spirit of the sixties, but the underground practice has evolved into a brand of religiosity as eclectic and challenging as the era that created it. Altered States combines interviews with well-known figures in American Buddhism and psychedelic spirituality—including Lama Surya Das, Erik Davis, Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Sensei, Rick Strassman, and Charles Tart—and personal stories of everyday practitioners to define a distinctly American religious phenomenon. The nuanced perspective that emerges, grounded in a detailed history of psychedelic religious experience, adds critical depth to debates over the controlled use of psychedelics and drug-induced mysticism. The book also opens new paths of inquiry into such issues as re-enchantment, the limits of rationality, the biochemical and psychosocial basis of altered states of consciousness, and the nature of subjectivity.
“[Altered States] mixes statistics and surveys, historical overview, personal experience, and ethnographic texture to uncover the intertwining history of two fast-growing movements in American spirituality. . . . This overview will appeal to anyone interested in Buddhism, psychedelic possibilities, and understanding how both are forging a controversial new American religious experience.”—Publishers Weekly
“Altered States genuinely moves forward in laying a path for new, insightful, and valuable information on the American Buddhism that is developing in our global society. Douglas Osto’s groundbreaking research will be appreciated by scholars, and his accessible style will be enjoyed by nonacademic readers.”—Charles Prebish, author of Luminous Passage: The Practice and Study of Buddhism in America
“Altered States deftly guides us through the neglected territory of psychedelic Buddhism. This is a fascinating story, full of vivid characters and supported by solid research. Still, I believe it makes a greater contribution by situating these practices and persons within the larger contexts of tantra, of American religion, and of cutting edge neuropsychology and consciousness studies. The result is—to use le mot juste—mind blowing.”—Franz Metcalf, author of What Would Buddha Do?: 101 Answers to Life's Daily Dilemmas
The ancient philosophy of Sāṃkhya can be applied to modern life in a number of valuable ways. Rather than becoming overly concerned with the metaphysics of the system, Sāṃkhya can be seen as a psychological tool to overcome suffering. Through rigorous philosophical and psychological analysis, a person can learn to detach or disassociate from the psychophysical entity, and realize witness consciousness.
Classical Sāṃkhya postulates no God, supreme being, or creator of the universe. Thus Sāṃkhya shows us that there is not a necessary dichotomy between atheism and spirituality. Moreover, its understanding of the human condition, the self, and the universe provide us with profound psychological insights that may be utilized for better living in this world.
In this book, the author investigates the foundational text of classical Sāṃkhya, the Sāṃkhyakārikā of Īśvarakrṣṇa, to uncover its important psychological insights concerning our human condition and the means to transcend it. Included in the book are special meditational exercises to internalize the teachings of Sāṃkhya, and a complete English translation of the Sanskrit Sāṃkhyakārikā.
Dr D.E. Osto is a scholar of Asian philosophies and meditation teacher with over thirty years of meditation experience.
Employing contemporary textual theory, worldview analysis and structural narrative theory, the author puts forward a new approach to the study of Mahayana Buddhist sources, the ‘systems approach’, by which literature is viewed as embedded in a social system. Consequently, he analyses the Gandavyuha in the contexts of reality, society and the individual, and applies these notions to the key themes of power, wealth and women. The study reveals that the spiritual hierarchy represented within the Gandavyuha replicates the political hierarchies in India during Buddhism’s Middle Period, that the role of wealth mirrors its significance as a sign of spiritual status in Indian Buddhist society, and that the substantial number of female spiritual guides in the narrative reflects the importance of royal women patrons of Indian Buddhism at the time.
This book will appeal to higher-level undergraduates, postgraduates and scholars of religious studies, Buddhist studies, Asian studies, South Asian studies and Indology.
"...his detailed exposition of the text, which takes into account a number of redactions and translations, must be viewed as a valuable contribution to scholarship on the Gaṇḍavyūha and the Mahāyāna period of Indian Buddhism in general. For this reason, this book is a must-read for graduate students and specialists interested in debates regarding the origins and nature of Mahāyāna Buddhism in India." - Amy Langenberg, Journal of Buddhist Ethics 21 (2014).
"His work will undoubtedly serve as an excellent introduction to the Gaṇḍavyūha and a welcome resource that both surveys and complements the literature already available for the study of this fascinating scripture" - David V. Fiordalis, H-Buddhism, August 2009
Articles by D. E. Osto
Chapters in Edited Volumes by D. E. Osto
Buddhism, highlighting the overlap and intersection of these two. Next, the
author emphasizes the continued importance of academic translations of
Mahāyāna sūtras, offering a number of practical suggestions for future translators. Finally, the author asserts the continued relevance in this century of a
worldview they call the ‘Mature Standard Model of the Mahāyāna’ (MSMM),
and potential future outcomes of humanity in relation to this MSMM.
Papers by D. E. Osto
Ph.D. Dissertation by D. E. Osto
In part I, ‘Text and Context’, I first investigate what is currently known about the origins and development of the Gaṇḍavyūha, its extant manuscripts, translations and modern scholarship. Next, using a relative chronology based on current research into the origins of the Mahāyāna, I argue for the 3rd century CE, as likely time of origin, and suggest Dhānyakaṭaka/Dharaṇīkoṭa as the place of origin for the text.
In part II, ‘Structures’, I examine the text’s worldview and narrative structures. In chapter 3, I investigate the notions of reality, society and the individual. In chapter 4, I outline some key concepts developed by the Dutch narratologist Mieke Bal (1997) and demonstrate how these concepts may be utilised in an analysis of the Gaṇḍavyūha.
I begin part III, ‘Forces’, by considering Derrida’s (2001) notion of ‘force’ as a critique of structuralism’s overly ‘geometric’ model in the study of narrative. In an attempt to synthesise structure and force in part III, I examine the various structures outlined in previous chapters in relation to the themes of wealth, gender and power, as they unfold chronologically within the narrative.
From this study, I conclude that in the Gaṇḍavyūha, wealth functions as a sign of spiritual status, the significant number of royal female kalyāṇamitras reflects the importance of female patrons at the time of the text’s compilation, and the spiritual hierarchy within the story mirrors the political hierarchies of Buddhism’s Middle Period in India.
D. E. Osto examines accounts of paranormal phenomena experienced by convert Buddhists from around the world collected through an online survey and interviews, placing them in the context of Indian Buddhist sources and recent scientific research. They focus in detail on the life stories of two interviewees and the important role the paranormal has played in their lives. These contemporary first-person narratives demonstrate the continued importance of the psychic and paranormal within the Buddhist tradition, and they can be interpreted as a living Buddhist folklore. Osto considers the limitations of both traditional religious views and Western scientific studies of the paranormal and proposes instead a new Buddhist phenomenological approach. Ultimately, Paranormal States contends, these deeply mysterious and extraordinary experiences exceed current understandings—and they can help bridge the gap between religious and scientific worldviews.
Many think exploration with psychedelics in Buddhism faded with the revolutionary spirit of the sixties, but the underground practice has evolved into a brand of religiosity as eclectic and challenging as the era that created it. Altered States combines interviews with well-known figures in American Buddhism and psychedelic spirituality—including Lama Surya Das, Erik Davis, Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Sensei, Rick Strassman, and Charles Tart—and personal stories of everyday practitioners to define a distinctly American religious phenomenon. The nuanced perspective that emerges, grounded in a detailed history of psychedelic religious experience, adds critical depth to debates over the controlled use of psychedelics and drug-induced mysticism. The book also opens new paths of inquiry into such issues as re-enchantment, the limits of rationality, the biochemical and psychosocial basis of altered states of consciousness, and the nature of subjectivity.
“[Altered States] mixes statistics and surveys, historical overview, personal experience, and ethnographic texture to uncover the intertwining history of two fast-growing movements in American spirituality. . . . This overview will appeal to anyone interested in Buddhism, psychedelic possibilities, and understanding how both are forging a controversial new American religious experience.”—Publishers Weekly
“Altered States genuinely moves forward in laying a path for new, insightful, and valuable information on the American Buddhism that is developing in our global society. Douglas Osto’s groundbreaking research will be appreciated by scholars, and his accessible style will be enjoyed by nonacademic readers.”—Charles Prebish, author of Luminous Passage: The Practice and Study of Buddhism in America
“Altered States deftly guides us through the neglected territory of psychedelic Buddhism. This is a fascinating story, full of vivid characters and supported by solid research. Still, I believe it makes a greater contribution by situating these practices and persons within the larger contexts of tantra, of American religion, and of cutting edge neuropsychology and consciousness studies. The result is—to use le mot juste—mind blowing.”—Franz Metcalf, author of What Would Buddha Do?: 101 Answers to Life's Daily Dilemmas
The ancient philosophy of Sāṃkhya can be applied to modern life in a number of valuable ways. Rather than becoming overly concerned with the metaphysics of the system, Sāṃkhya can be seen as a psychological tool to overcome suffering. Through rigorous philosophical and psychological analysis, a person can learn to detach or disassociate from the psychophysical entity, and realize witness consciousness.
Classical Sāṃkhya postulates no God, supreme being, or creator of the universe. Thus Sāṃkhya shows us that there is not a necessary dichotomy between atheism and spirituality. Moreover, its understanding of the human condition, the self, and the universe provide us with profound psychological insights that may be utilized for better living in this world.
In this book, the author investigates the foundational text of classical Sāṃkhya, the Sāṃkhyakārikā of Īśvarakrṣṇa, to uncover its important psychological insights concerning our human condition and the means to transcend it. Included in the book are special meditational exercises to internalize the teachings of Sāṃkhya, and a complete English translation of the Sanskrit Sāṃkhyakārikā.
Dr D.E. Osto is a scholar of Asian philosophies and meditation teacher with over thirty years of meditation experience.
Employing contemporary textual theory, worldview analysis and structural narrative theory, the author puts forward a new approach to the study of Mahayana Buddhist sources, the ‘systems approach’, by which literature is viewed as embedded in a social system. Consequently, he analyses the Gandavyuha in the contexts of reality, society and the individual, and applies these notions to the key themes of power, wealth and women. The study reveals that the spiritual hierarchy represented within the Gandavyuha replicates the political hierarchies in India during Buddhism’s Middle Period, that the role of wealth mirrors its significance as a sign of spiritual status in Indian Buddhist society, and that the substantial number of female spiritual guides in the narrative reflects the importance of royal women patrons of Indian Buddhism at the time.
This book will appeal to higher-level undergraduates, postgraduates and scholars of religious studies, Buddhist studies, Asian studies, South Asian studies and Indology.
"...his detailed exposition of the text, which takes into account a number of redactions and translations, must be viewed as a valuable contribution to scholarship on the Gaṇḍavyūha and the Mahāyāna period of Indian Buddhism in general. For this reason, this book is a must-read for graduate students and specialists interested in debates regarding the origins and nature of Mahāyāna Buddhism in India." - Amy Langenberg, Journal of Buddhist Ethics 21 (2014).
"His work will undoubtedly serve as an excellent introduction to the Gaṇḍavyūha and a welcome resource that both surveys and complements the literature already available for the study of this fascinating scripture" - David V. Fiordalis, H-Buddhism, August 2009
Buddhism, highlighting the overlap and intersection of these two. Next, the
author emphasizes the continued importance of academic translations of
Mahāyāna sūtras, offering a number of practical suggestions for future translators. Finally, the author asserts the continued relevance in this century of a
worldview they call the ‘Mature Standard Model of the Mahāyāna’ (MSMM),
and potential future outcomes of humanity in relation to this MSMM.
In part I, ‘Text and Context’, I first investigate what is currently known about the origins and development of the Gaṇḍavyūha, its extant manuscripts, translations and modern scholarship. Next, using a relative chronology based on current research into the origins of the Mahāyāna, I argue for the 3rd century CE, as likely time of origin, and suggest Dhānyakaṭaka/Dharaṇīkoṭa as the place of origin for the text.
In part II, ‘Structures’, I examine the text’s worldview and narrative structures. In chapter 3, I investigate the notions of reality, society and the individual. In chapter 4, I outline some key concepts developed by the Dutch narratologist Mieke Bal (1997) and demonstrate how these concepts may be utilised in an analysis of the Gaṇḍavyūha.
I begin part III, ‘Forces’, by considering Derrida’s (2001) notion of ‘force’ as a critique of structuralism’s overly ‘geometric’ model in the study of narrative. In an attempt to synthesise structure and force in part III, I examine the various structures outlined in previous chapters in relation to the themes of wealth, gender and power, as they unfold chronologically within the narrative.
From this study, I conclude that in the Gaṇḍavyūha, wealth functions as a sign of spiritual status, the significant number of royal female kalyāṇamitras reflects the importance of female patrons at the time of the text’s compilation, and the spiritual hierarchy within the story mirrors the political hierarchies of Buddhism’s Middle Period in India.