Poornaprajna International Journal of Philosophy & Languages
May 31, 2026
Ramanathan Srinivasan, P. S. Aithal
The Ashtavakra Gita, an ancient Sanskrit dialogue between Sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka, presents a radical non-dual philosophy that insists the Self is already free, whole, and untouched by worldly experience, rejecting gradual spiritual paths. This exploratory qualitative paper examines its core doctrines—witness consciousness, non-doing, the illusory nature of bondage, and non-origination—within the Advaita Vedanta tradition. It argues that the text's rejection of the seeker-seeking paradigm and its claim that psychological suffering stems from mistaken identification with the mind-body complex anticipate and challenge modern cognitive psychology, contemplative neuroscience, and phenomenological philosophy. The paper proposes an integrative model positioning the text as a living epistemological framework for consciousness studies and East-West dialogue.
PsyArXiv
May 27, 2026
Asiya Gul, Sebastian Ehmann, Catherine Prueitt et al.
preprint
This theoretical paper proposes extending the scientific study of advanced meditation to Sufism within Islam, comparing self-attenuation practices across Theravāda Buddhism, Tibetan Dzogchen, and Sufi traditions. The authors argue that contemplative traditions beyond Buddhism, particularly Sufism, offer valuable but underexplored models for understanding advanced meditative states and their effects on self-related processing. By examining similarities and differences in how these traditions conceptualize and cultivate self-transcendence, the paper suggests that a broader cross-traditional framework can enrich scientific understanding of meditation's transformative potential. The analysis highlights common themes of self-diminishment and non-dual awareness while respecting each tradition's unique doctrinal and practical contexts.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
May 16, 2026
Haiqing Wan
The Buddhist notion of 'inexpressibility' is not irrational mysticism but a sober epistemological judgment: language, as a low-dimensional symbolic system, cannot fully carry high-dimensional life experience and ultimate reality. This paper integrates Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language, anti-linguistic-determinism cognitive science, Yogacara theory, and cognitive neuroscience evidence on the separability of language and thinking to argue for the independent existence of non-linguistic cognition. It reveals a deep cognitive structural dilemma: the linguistic function of the sixth consciousness is inherently attached to the self-grasping cognitive framework of the seventh consciousness, so all linguistic expressions reconstruct dual subject cognition. The paper concludes that 'inexpressibility' reflects self-reflection on epistemological boundaries and affirms embodied experience's priority, compatible with modern science's rational spirit.
International Journal of Versatile Research and Analysis
May 1, 2026
Nguyen Thi Nhien Trang, Le Hong Linh
The Buddha's life events—birth, enlightenment, and death—are not merely historical but serve as powerful symbols conveying core Buddhist teachings: impermanence (anicca), non-self (anatta), suffering (dukkha), and the ultimate bliss of nirvana. By examining original texts and scholarly interpretations, the article argues that these symbolic narratives make profound spiritual truths accessible across Buddhist traditions and remain meaningful for contemporary audiences.