2014

2014 12 12 137160

137


What is Caring about Life and How to Be Caring about Life

Yao-ming Tsai
Professor, Department of Philosophy, National Taiwan University

Abstract

From the perspective of the way in which Buddhist teachings investigate,

elucidate, diagnose, treat, and cultivate the life-and-world, this paper provides a
definition of caring about life through philosophical analysis and reasoning, and then
comes up with some guidelines for how to care about life appropriately. This paper is
divided into six sections. Section one offers a broad outline of this papers argument
and a breakdown of its individual sections. Section two seeks to clarify the meaning of
the phrase caring about life. Section three critically reflects on how caring about life
is both relevant to and significant for either living in the world or inquiring into the
life-and-world. Section four lays out four guidelines for how to care about life in an
appropriate and consistent manner. Taking Bodhisattva practices as an illustration,
section five demonstrates that caring about all sentient beings can be broadly and
thoroughly actualized by way of incessant cultivation and salvation. Section six
concludes and summarizes the main points of this paper.

Keywords: caring about life, ways out of suffering, philosophy of life, philosophy

of caring.

138


1 philosophy of life
philosophy of caring
2

1
Barbara Maier, Warren Shibles, The Philosophy and Practice of Medicine
and Bioethics: A Naturalistic-Humanistic Approach, Dordrecht: Springer, 2011, pp. 201, 223.
2
35 2008
3
155-190;
44 2008 3 205-263.

139


caring

to get the
urge to

indifference

3
Rojann Alpers and et al., Is Caring Really Teachable? Teaching and Learning in
Nursing 8 (2013): 68-69; Mehmet Dombayc and et al., Quadruple Thinking: Caring Thinking, Procedia Social
and Behavioral Sciences 12 (2011): 553-554.

140


4
13 1
2011 12
163-164.

141


aspect of otherness
aspect of triviality

hollowing-out of caring
misplaced caring

142


5

andha-vana


attha-vasa paicca

na jhvikpakat
272 GuabhadraT. 99, vol. 2, pp. 71c-72a.
Cf. Bhikkhu Bodhi (tr.), SN 22.80: Alms-Gatherer, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, Boston: Wisdom,
2000, pp. 918-921; 140 Gautama SaghadevaT. 26, vol. 1, p.
647a-b.
T. 310, vol. 11, p. 226a.

143


jva/ livelihood; means of subsistence

Skt. mithyjva/ Pli, micchjva

Skt. samyag-jva/ Pli, sammjva6

7

euthanasia

embryonic stem cell researchorganism cloning;
8
reproductive cloning

Skt. ryga-mrga/ Pli, ariyo ahagiko maggo

6



189 Gautama SaghadevaT. 26, vol. 1, p. 736a-b.
Cf. Bhikkhu amoli, Bhikkhu Bodhi (tr.), MN 117: Mahcattrhsaka Sutta - The Great Forty, The
Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A New Translation of the Majjhima Nikya, Somerville: Wisdom, 2005, p.
938.
7
The result of wrong livelihood is bad both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he
abandons wrong livelihood; he descends from wrong livelihood. (Bhikkhu Bodhi (tr.), AN 10.119, The
Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Aguttara Nikya, Boston: Wisdom, 2012, p. 1501.)
8
Cf. Christine Gudorf, Comparative Religious Ethics: Everyday Decisions for Our Everyday Lives, Minneapolis:
Fortress, 2013, p. 76; Peter Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: Foundations, Values and Issues, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2000, p. 188; Matthew Walton, Buddhist Reflections on Animal Advocacy: Intention
and Liberation, Call to Compassion: Reflections on Animal Advocacy from the Worlds Religions, edited by Lisa
Kemmerer, Anthony Nocella, Brooklyn: Lantern, 2011, pp. 80-81.

144


9
Cf. Revata Dhamma, The First Discourse of the Buddha: Turning the Wheel of Dhamma, Boston: Wisdom, 1997, pp.
36-37.

145


ethical
reified etiquette

Skt. dau kalyam/ Pli, di-kalya/ good at the

beginning
Skt. madhye kalyam/ Pli, majjhe-kalya/ good in the middle
Skt. paryavasne kalyam/ Pli, pariyosna-kalya/ good at the end
10
Skt. smti/

Pli, sati / presence of mind; bringing to mind; mindfulness11

10


184
Gautama SaghadevaT. 26, vol. 1, p. 727a. Cf. Bhikkhu amoli, Bhikkhu Bodhi (tr.),
MN 32: Mahgosiga Sutta - The Greater Discourse in Gosinga, The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha:
A New Translation of the Majjhima Nikya, Somerville: Wisdom, 2005, p. 308.
dharma-vivaraa-parikarma


T. 220 (2), vol. 7, p. 84a-b. Cf. Takayasu Kimura (ed.), Pacaviatishasrik Prajpramit:
I-2, Tokyo: Sankibo Busshorin, 2009, p. 92; Edward Conze (tr.), The Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom with the
Divisions of the Abhisamaylakra, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1975, p. 167.Richard
Nance, Speaking for Buddhas: Scriptural Commentary in Indian Buddhism, New York: Columbia University Press,
2012, pp. 104-105.
11


2012 1 5-6.

146


kalya/ good; virtuous

147


12

anuttar samyak-sabodhi/ the utmost, right and perfect

enlightenment/

13

jnamaitr-karu

12

32 2006
10
115-166;

17 2012 7
3-33.
13
su-bhitabodhisattvn mahsattvn
mahynam
sarvkra-jat anuprpt
daa-dii loke sakhyeyeu loka-dhtuu


T. 220 (2), vol. 7, p. 109c. Cf. Takayasu Kimura (ed.),
Pacaviatishasrik Prajpramit: I-2, Tokyo: Sankibo Busshorin, 2009, p. 135; Edward Conze (tr.), The
Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom with the Divisions of the Abhisamaylakra, Berkeley: University of California
Press, 1975, pp. 186-187.

148


existence
positioning
self
identity

Skt. nyat/ Pli, suat/ emptinessSkt. an-tman/ Pli, an-attan/

not-self Skt. an-tmya; a-mama/ Pli, an-attaniya/ not-mine; not
belonging to a self

Skt. dukha/ Pli, dukkha/
suffering

14

14
Skt. jti-dukha/ Pli, jti-dukkha
Skt. jar-dukha/ Pli, jar-dukkhaSkt. vydhi-dukha/ Pli, vydhi-dukkha
Skt. maraa-dukha/ Pli, maraa-dukkha Skt.
priya-viprayoga-dukha/ Pli, piyehi vippayogo dukkhoSkt. apriya-saprayoga-dukha / Pli,
appiyehi sampayogo dukkhoSkt. yad apcchate paryeamo na labhate tad api dukham/ Pli,
yam piccha na labhati tam pi dukkhaSkt.
pacpdna-skandha-dukha / Pli, pacupdnakkhandh pi dukkh
Skt. dukha- dukhat/ Pli, dukkha-dukkhat/ suffering as pain
Skt. viparima-dukhat/ Pli, viparima-dukkhat/ suffering as change
Skt. saskra-dukhat/ Pli, sakhra-dukkhat/ suffering as
conditioned formationsCf. M. V. Ram Kumar Ratnam, D. Bhaskara Rao, Dukkha: Suffering in Early Buddhism,
New Delhi: Discovery, 2003.

149


pessimismoptimism
15

kaya-satthavac-sattha
mano-sattha Skt.
yaja/ Pli, yaayaa
Skt. abha/ Pli, usabha vacchatara
vacchataraja





16

yaausabhavacchatara
vacchataraja

srambha
nirrambha

15
Cf. Roger Corless, The Vision of Buddhism: The Space Under the Tree, St Paul: Paragon, 1989, p. 206;
Jacob Kinnard, The Emergence of Buddhism: Classical Traditions in Contemporary Perspective, Augsburg
Fortress: Fortress, 2011, pp. 42, 45; Charles Prebish, Damien Keown, Buddhism: The eBook, An Online
Introduction, 4th edition, Journal of Buddhist Ethics Online Books, 2010, p. 46.
16
93 GuabhadraT. 99, vol. 2, p. 24c. Cf. Bhikkhu Bodhi (tr.),AN
7.47, The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Aguttara Nikya, Boston: Wisdom,
2012, pp. 1027-1031; 259 T. 100, vol. 2, p. 464b-c.

150


17

18
sacrifices; oblations

19

17
89 GuabhadraT. 99, vol. 2, p. 22c. Cf. Bhikkhu Bodhi (tr.), AN
4.39, The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Aguttara Nikya, Boston: Wisdom, 2012,
pp. 429-430; 89 T. 100, vol. 2, p. 404b.
18
Cf. Silke Bechler, Chapter 4: Globalized Religion: The Vedic Sacrifice (Yaja) in Transcultural Public
Spheres, Experiencing Globalization: Religion in Contemporary Contexts, edited by Derrick Nault and et al.,
London: Anthem, 2013, pp. 59-77.
19
Cf. Christopher Faraone, F. S. Naiden (eds.), Greek and Roman Animal Sacrifice: Ancient Victims, Modern
Observers, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012; Ingvild Gilhus, Chapter 6: Animals Sacrifice:
Traditions and new Inventions, Animals, Gods and Humans: Changing Attitudes to Animals in Greek, Roman
and Early Christian Ideas, New York: Routledge, 2006, pp. 114-137; Paul Waldau, Religion and Animals, In
Defense of Animals: The Second Wave, edited by Peter Singer, Malden: Blackwell, 2006, pp. 69-83.

151


animal experiments
animal testing

20

21

20
Cf. Lynda Birke and et al., The Sacrifice: How Scientific Experiments Transform Animals and People, West
Lafayette: Purdue University Press, 2007; Alastair Norcross, Animal Experimentation, The Oxford Handbook
of Bioethics, edited by Bonnie Steinbock, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 648-667; Stephanie
Watson, Animal Testing: Issues and Ethics, New York: Rosen, 2009.
21
Cf. Robert Ellis, Animal experimentation, A New Buddhist Ethics, Raleigh: Lulu.com, 2011, pp. 174-179;
Phillip Lecso, To Do No Harm: A Buddhist View on Animal Use in Research, Journal of Religion and Health
27/4 (Winter 1988): 307-312.

152


Eid
al-Adha/ Festival of the sacrifice

22

22
Cf. Jeffrey Carter (ed.), General Introduction, Understanding Religious Sacrifice: A Reader, London:
Continuum, 2003, pp. 1-11.

153


the other; others
differentiating perception or cognition; consciousness
23

territory/

23

16 2008 12 71-75; Eugene Thomas
Long, Self and Other: An introduction, International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 60/1-3 (December
2006): 1-7.

154


24

24
Cf. Yao-ming Tsai, How Does an Empty Buddhist Bioethics Work: The Example of Abortion, in the
Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Applied Ethics and Applied Philosophy in East Asia, Kobe:
Project Innovative Ethics, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, 2014, pp. 152-153.

155


vocation

156


padrtha/

25

sarva-dharma
ikate a-saktat
anubodhanrthena
anuttar samyaksabodhim abhisabudhyate

a-saktatbodhy-arthena

yath sthtavyam
bodhisattva-yna-saprasthitena
yath pratipattavyam yath citta
pragrahtavyam

26

cittam
utpdayitavyam

25
T. 220 (4), vol. 7, p. 766b. Cf. P. L. Vaidya (ed.), Aashasrik
Prajpramit: With Haribhadras Commentary Called loka, Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute, 1960, p. 9; U.
Wogihara (ed.), Abhisamaylakr'lok Prajpramitvykhy: The Work of Haribhadra together with the
Text Commented on, Tokyo: The Toyo Bunko, 1932, pp. 75-79; Edward Conze (tr.), The Perfection of Wisdom in
Eight Thousand Lines & Its Verse Summary, Bolinas: Four Seasons Foundation, 1975, p. 89.
26
T. 220 (9), vol. 7, p. 980b. Cf. Edward Conze (ed. & tr.),
Vajracchedik Prajpramit, Rome: Instituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, 1957, pp. 28-29; Paul
Harrison, Shgo Watanabe (eds.), Vajracchedik Prajpramit, Manuscripts in the Schyen Collection:
Buddhist Manuscripts, edited by Jens Braarvig, vol. III, Oslo: Hermes Publishing, 2006, p. 104.

157


yvanta sattv sattva-dhtau sattva-sagrahea

saght
aa-ja

jaryu-jasasveda-jaaupapduka
rpina-rpin

sajina-sajin
naiva-sajino nsajina27
yvn ka-cit sattva-dhtu prajapyamna prajapyate

an-upadhi-ee nirva-dhtau
parinirvpayitavya

evam a-parimn api sattvn parinirvpya

na ka-cit sattva parinirvpito bhavati

tma-saj
sattva-saj

jva-sajpudgala-saj

na sa bodhisattva iti
vaktavya

27

24 2013 1 241-246.

158


159


160