A personal essay collection and structured knowledge graph mapping the three major Buddhist Abhidharma traditions (Theravāda, Sarvāstivāda, Yogācāra) onto contemporary frameworks in computational phenomenology — predictive processing, active inference, Global Workspace Theory, Parallel Distributed Processing, and related approaches. Comprises sixteen essays (eight themes × English + Japanese),...
In this paper, the authors explore the application of Yogācāra consciousness theory, a highly advanced Buddhist cognitive system, to help develop and improve contemporary second language acquisition (SLA) models. Through conceptual analysis, the study relates Yogācāra concepts the eight consciousness’s, manas, ālaya‑vijñāna, and the seed manifestation mechanism to major SLA processes such as...
In a recent taxonomy of different philosophies of mind, Robert Lawrence Kuhn classified Rudolf Steiner's view as a mind-body dualism. We argue that this classification is incorrect. Rather, Steiner's view is trinitarian and represents a unification of monism and dualism. Hence, the trinitarian conception of the human being in Steiner not only challenges Kuhn's taxonomic placement of Steiner's...
The very concept of Panchkosh or five-sheaths first articulated in the Brahmananda Valli of the Taittiriya Upaniṣhad which offers one of the oldest and most carefully structured maps of human existence in any wisdom tradition. It pictures the individual as a layered being whose innermost reality, the Atman, is progressively veiled by five concentric layers: Annamaya, the sheath of food or the...
Abstract Western ontology, from Parmenides to Heidegger, has been persistently fixated on the question of "Being" (Was ist das Seiende?), thereby neglecting the formal mechanisms governing the survival and collapse of meaning-systems. This paper argues for a fundamental reorientation: the foundational question of philosophy should shift from "What is Being?" to "What conditions make the...
Can one learn more about one’s own religion through the practices of another? My positive answer to this question is illustrated in this paper by reflection on aspects of the Buddhist practice of emptiness, in specific connection with Christian under-standing of our lives as creatures. The Buddhist meditative practices I have in mind have several things in common. They are introspective...
Over the past decades scholars have traced the intersections between science and spiritualism during the second half of the nineteenth century in a variety of locales around the world. This essay examines such intersections in one setting that has largely eluded their attention, Imperial Russia. It investigates the pivotal role played by Alexander N. Aksakov (1832-1903) in developing a...
Many people with cancer (PWC) continue to experience persistent biopsychosocial and existential challenges across the cancer care continuum. Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, cancer-related fatigue and pain, sleep disturbance, fear of cancer recurrence, cognitive impairment, and reduced quality of life remain highly prevalent during and after treatment, underscoring the need for...
This article examines three poems written by Guofang Zhu during his travels at the age of twenty-six: In Sertar, Hokkaido, and Lake Baikal. Focusing on geographical landscapes, existential consciousness, and emotional experience, it explores how the poems employ the religious imagery of Sertar, the tranquil scenery of Hokkaido, and the primal natural world of Lake Baikal. Together, the poems...
Background: The human gut microbiota critically influences digestion, immunity, and the gut-brain axis. Emerging evidence suggests yogic interventions, including physical postures (Asanas), breathing techniques (Pranayama), and meditation, may meaningfully modulate gut microbial composition and enhance digestive and metabolic wellness. This review explores the relationship between yogic...