The Contemplation Sutra as a Philosophical Paradigm of Liberation: A Phenomenological Approach to Religion
Master. Nguyen Tien Trinh
Journal of Advances in Education and Philosophy November 26, 2025 DOI: 10.36348/jaep.2025.v09i11.008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation Mysticism |
| Keywords | Contemplation Exposition narrative Phenomenology philosophy Faith Intentionality Experiential learning Philosophy of religion Epistemology Interpretative phenomenological analysis Spirituality Conversation Action physics Experimental philosophy Aesthetics |
| Key points | Argues that the Contemplation Sutra exemplifies a dynamic interaction between experiential insight and doctrinal articulation, providing a model for understanding religious texts as cognitive and affective systems. |
Abstract
The Contemplation Sutra is central to the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, although its philosophical elements have received little scholarly study beyond doctrinal exegesis. This paper addresses the sutra as a systematic "salvific paradigm," using phenomenological tools to explain the fundamental patterns of religious awareness and soteriological orientation. Through rigorous examination of the sutra's symbolic imagery, contemplative activities, and doctrinal formulations, the research uncovers a coherent framework in which faith cultivation, meditative visualization, and ethical discipline interact to produce transforming liberation experiences. Central motifs, including the luminous body of Amitābha, the architecture of the Pure Land, and the sequential practices of visualization, are interpreted as expressions of intentionality and numinous encounter, rather than mere ritual prescriptions. By situating the sutra within the phenomenological discourse of Otto, Eliade, and Husserl, the paper demonstrates how its narrative and symbolic elements constitute a rigorous philosophical system oriented toward human emancipation. The analysis further suggests that the Contemplation Sutra exemplifies a dynamic interaction between experiential insight and doctrinal articulation, providing a model for understanding religious texts as cognitive and affective systems. Ultimately, this study contributes to both Buddhist studies and philosophy of religion by offering a framework that interprets traditional devotional practice as a philosophically coherent structure, bridging the domains of textual scholarship, phenomenology, and ethical reflection.
Comparable studies
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| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |