Husserl on the teachings of the Buddha.

Abstract

A previously untranslated essay by Edmund Husserl on the subject of Buddhism is presented along with a commentary on parallels between the methods of transcendental phenomenology and Buddhism. Eugen Fink's comment that the stages of phenomenological method are essentially stages of Buddhist selfdiscipline is explored in the context of why Husserl's transcendental phenomenology was not taken up by other phenomenologists. The authors speculate that Husserl may have encountered realms of experience outside that of the majority of phenomenologists due to an advanced level of introspective ability on Husserl's part, that allowed him to access the transcendental domain of experience.Edmund Husserl, founder of modern phenomenology, developed a unique philosophy and methodology to investigate consciousness and human experience. It was one of the major contributions to philosophy and psychology in this century. Husserl called his philosophy, transcendental phenomenology. The influence of his method and philosophy on such persons as Martin Heidegger, Gabriel Marcel, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty was profound. This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

Theoretical and Methodological Aspects of the Philosophical Studies of Buddhism

“…-Буддизм и феноменология Ряд феноменолов [Larrabee 1981;Hanna 1995;Sharf 2016;Li 2016;Lusthaus 2002;Hashi 2015; Kwok-ying web и др.] усматривают близость идей Гуссерля к йогачаре.…”

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“…The terminology I will use will be from both Theravada Buddhism and Husserlian phenomenology. Although the goals of Buddhist and Husserlian phenomenology are different, I am mixing their terminology here because: (1) both held sway in my own development, and I have used both frameworks in making sense of my experiences, (2) both Theravada Buddhist methods and Husserlian methods constitute transcendental phenomenologies (Hanna, 1993a(Hanna, , 1995Larrabee, 1981), 3 (3) both methods are productive of good science (Chavan, 2007), and (4) in some cases the Husserlian interpretations and terminology are less loaded with ideological baggage than are Buddhist accounts.…”

“…I do not intend to get further into Husserlian methods here, because that would take us on another tangent-besides, my colleague Jason Throop and I have engaged in that discussion elsewhere (Laughlin & Throop, 2009). Suffice to say here, as Hanna (1995) wrote: "Eugen Fink once told Dorion Cairns 'that the various phases of Buddhistic self-discipline were essentially phases of phenomenological reduction' (Cairns, 1976, p. 50). This statement is especially significant in light of the fact that Fink was Husserl's chief assistant, and was considered by Husserl to be his most trusted interpreter" (Hanna, 1995, p. 366).…”

“…It is thus also significant that Husserl considered the effort and dedication of attaining the phenomenological attitude results inevitably in psychological development. Again, as Hanna (1995) notes: "Husserl claimed side benefits of phenomenological seeing in terms of self-exploration and self-development. He said that the insights gained from performing the transcendental phenomenological method of seeing brings about 'a complete personal transformation' (Husserl, [1936, p. 137)" (p.369).…”

Recovering the Original Phenomenological Research Method: An Exploration of Husserl, Yoga, Buddhism, and New Frontiers in Humanistic Counseling

“…Yogic and Buddhist methods have much in common with phenomenology and have many parallels with the phenomenological method (Hanna, , , ; Puligandla, ; Sinari, ). All are dedicated to the acquisition of knowledge, including intuitive, transcendental knowledge.…”