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Document Details :

Title: Developing Buddhist Altruism
Subtitle: Moving from Emotion to Resolve on the Spiritual Path
Author(s): KENNICK URUBSHUROW, Victoria
Journal: Studies in Spirituality
Volume: 11    Date: 2000   
Pages: 284-308
DOI: 10.2143/SIS.11.0.505285

Abstract :
This essay examines the role of intellect in buddhist altruism by treating four sublime attitudes that comprise the ethical core of that tradition: loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. It explores the power of conceptual thought to motivate the devotion of one's life to the welfare of others. In eight segments, many standard buddhist subjects are covered, including discussion of enlightenment, cosmology, psychology, and meditation. Attention is given to the problem of what makes the altruism based on the four sublime attitudes particularly buddhist*, and the thesis is presented that a fundamental structure of buddhist spiritually is the synergy between Intellect and emotion.

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