understand what a text is trying to say. Or what your disputant in an argument is trying to say. (Or even…?) Did other textual commentators of Wonhyo's era, or of his category, take such a stance? Maybe, but I have not come across another eminent Buddhist scholar who regularly closes his essays and commentaries with this kind of admonition, so I am inclined to believe that he was special in this regard. Is such an approach incompatible with modern-day scientific scholarship? I don't think so. It seems to me that lesser forms of faith—conventional forms of faith, might indeed be impedimentary to doing critical work. But faith understood at this level, with the implications of being free from preconceptions, attachments, paradigms, etc., should have the effect of making our critical faculties more acute. Is such a state beyond our reach? Again, I don't think it need be the case. We may never match the level of Wonhyo, but there is nothing to stop us from attempting the exercise of letting go of our own views on a moment-to-moment, basis, and gradually getting better at it. Might this lead us to do better scholarship? I believe so. References Muller, A. Charles. into Views: Lessons from Buddhism, Behavioral “An Inquiry Psychology, and Global Forum on Civilization and Constructivist Epistemology.” Seongnam-si, Peace: Beyond National Boundaries: Building a World Without Walls. Korea: 159–201. Academy of Korean Studies Press, 2011. ----. on Views (dṛṣṭi): Are We Ever Rid of vol. Japan Mission Journal “Zen Views Them?” 67, (1) 28–33. 2013.
understand what a text is trying to say. Or what your disputant in an argument is trying to say. (Or even…?) Did other textual commentators of Wonhyo's era, or of his category, take such a stance? Maybe, but I have not come across another eminent Buddhist scholar who regularly closes his essays and commentaries with this kind of admonition, so I am inclined to believe that he was special in this regard. Is such an approach incompatible with modern-day scientific scholarship? I don't think so. It seems to me that lesser forms of faith—conventional forms of faith, might indeed be impedimentary to doing critical work. But faith understood at this level, with the implications of being free from preconceptions, attachments, paradigms, etc., should have the effect of making our critical faculties more acute. Is such a state beyond our reach? Again, I don't think it need be the case. We may never match the level of Wonhyo, but there is nothing to stop us from attempting the exercise of letting go of our own views on a moment-to-moment, basis, and gradually getting better at it. Might this lead us to do better scholarship? I believe so. References Muller, A. Charles. “An Inquiry into Views: Lessons from Buddhism, Behavioral Psychology, and Constructivist Epistemology.” Global Forum on Civilization and Peace: Beyond National Boundaries: Building a World Without Walls. Seongnam-si, Korea: 159–201. Academy of Korean Studies Press, 2011. ----. “Zen Views on Views (dṛṣṭi): Are We Ever Rid of Them?” Japan Mission Journal vol. 67, (1) 28–33. 2013.
2014-05-28-wonhyos-thought.docx