Jonathan McKenzie
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780813166308
- eISBN:
- 9780813166384
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813166308.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter examines the ways in which the ancient philosophical act of reflective simplification animates Thoreau’s philosophical project. Thoreau’s journals and letters provide ample evidence of a ...
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This chapter examines the ways in which the ancient philosophical act of reflective simplification animates Thoreau’s philosophical project. Thoreau’s journals and letters provide ample evidence of a Socratic way of practicing philosophy as a way of life, and these private sources reflect heavily on Thoreau’s public writings. Finally, the chapter provides a reading of Walden that isolates Thoreau’s use of persistent questioning, a pedagogical and philosophical technique mastered by the late Stoics.Less
This chapter examines the ways in which the ancient philosophical act of reflective simplification animates Thoreau’s philosophical project. Thoreau’s journals and letters provide ample evidence of a Socratic way of practicing philosophy as a way of life, and these private sources reflect heavily on Thoreau’s public writings. Finally, the chapter provides a reading of Walden that isolates Thoreau’s use of persistent questioning, a pedagogical and philosophical technique mastered by the late Stoics.
Erik Braun
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780226000800
- eISBN:
- 9780226000947
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226000947.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter examines works on meditation by Ledi Sayadaw to show his vision of meditative practice, grounded in features described in earlier chapters. Ledi popularizes practice for all people, ...
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This chapter examines works on meditation by Ledi Sayadaw to show his vision of meditative practice, grounded in features described in earlier chapters. Ledi popularizes practice for all people, whatever their station in life. He uses basic Abhidhamma study as the basis for meditation, stressing fundamental doctrinal categories, particularly the four elements of earth, fire, water, and wind. This approach simplifies practice, because such learning is sufficient for “dry insight meditation” (sukhavipassanā) that requires no prior “calming meditation” (samatha). Meditation becomes a practice that one can do in the midst of lay life. Abhidhamma emerges in the analysis as the factor that explains the birth of mass insight practice in Burma as nowhere else. In Ledi’s vision, the pursuit of awakening is part of modern lay life, and this fact reflects a Buddhist modernity that sees no conflict between religion and the modern world.Less
This chapter examines works on meditation by Ledi Sayadaw to show his vision of meditative practice, grounded in features described in earlier chapters. Ledi popularizes practice for all people, whatever their station in life. He uses basic Abhidhamma study as the basis for meditation, stressing fundamental doctrinal categories, particularly the four elements of earth, fire, water, and wind. This approach simplifies practice, because such learning is sufficient for “dry insight meditation” (sukhavipassanā) that requires no prior “calming meditation” (samatha). Meditation becomes a practice that one can do in the midst of lay life. Abhidhamma emerges in the analysis as the factor that explains the birth of mass insight practice in Burma as nowhere else. In Ledi’s vision, the pursuit of awakening is part of modern lay life, and this fact reflects a Buddhist modernity that sees no conflict between religion and the modern world.
