[Buddha-l] Oops--Article is from NY Times

[sjziobro at cs.com]

Richard,
 

 Two points here.  The anthropologico-theological sense of harmartia certainly connotes a relationship with the divine, whether the divine is conceived in a monotheistic or polytheistic manner.  It is not thinking for oneself that is the mark of erring, because one can think for oneself at any time.  To err rather pertains to a failure to act in accord with divine guidance, that is, to act in a manner contrary to right thinking and right acting.  When viewed from this perspective the chasm, as you conceive it, between missing the mark and sin conceived in a moral sense, is more apparent than real; the two concepts are at least analogues.  Second point.  We apparently agree that hubris is a reality in the academic world.  I haven't escaped it outside the world of academe.  How you've escaped it within is a wonder, especially since you've never been known to think wrongly.


Regards,

Stan

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Hayes <rhayes at unm.edu>
To: Buddhist discussion forum <buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com>
Sent: Sat, Aug 28, 2010 9:14 am
Subject: Re: [Buddha-l] Oops--Article is from NY Times


On Aug 27, 2010, at 22:09, sjziobro at cs.com wrote:



> Isn't the word for "sin" in Greek "hamartia," which means to miss the mark or 

err?  Stan



Yes, that is what I learned in classes on the New Covenant. As you noted, 

hamartia is linked to hubris, which in theology is seen as the view that one is 

independent of God and can think for oneself rather than having to rely on 

divine guidance. In Buddhism and Jainism, I claim, there is no place for a 

concept like hamartia in it's theological sense, although a case could be made 

for there being a strong concern for the deleterious effects of hubris, which is 

not unlike abhimāna and asmitā (arrogance and self-absorption)—both of which are 

prerequisites for success in the modern academic world. 



Richard

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