Jayarava's Raves: Science

Evolution

Extending the River Metaphor for Evolution.(28 March 2014)

Evolution: Trees and Braids (27 December 2013)

Life is Symbiotic (05 July 2013)

Buddhist Atheism and Darwin (14 January 2011)

Philosophy of Science

Cargo Cult Science (21 June 2013)

Here Be Dragons: On The Limits of Science. (16 March 2012)

Conjecture and Refutation (07 October 2011)

Am I a Materialist? (22 October 2010) "I'm a sceptical epistemological realist; and more vaguely, a transcendental idealist. Though I'm also a pragmatic Popperian empiricist."

Quantum Mechanics

Reality. Again. (23 October 2015)

Observer Effect in Quantum Mechanics (18 July 2014)

Erwin Schrödinger Didn't Have a Cat (29 October 2010)

Recently Published

NEW: Attwood Jayarava (2024). "Revised Editions of the Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya and Bānrěbōluómìduō xīn jīng «般若波羅蜜多心經»." Asian Literature and Translation. 11(1). 52-92. https://alt.cardiffuniversitypress.org/articles/10.18573/alt.63.

Attwood, Jayarava. (2024). “Heart to Heart: A Comparative Study of and Commentary on the Chinese and Sanskrit Heart Sutra Texts”. Buddhist Studies Review 40 (2): 159-88. https://doi.org/10.1558/bsrv.25438. [Email me to obtain a copy]

(2022) "The Cessation of Sensory Experience and Prajñāpāramitā Philosophy" IJBTC 32(1):111-148. IJBTC Website. [free download]

(2021) "The Chinese Origins of the Heart Sutra Revisited: A Comparative Analysis of the Chinese and Sanskrit Texts." Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies. 44: 13-52. DOI 10.2143/JIABS.44.0.3290289

2021. The Concept of Niyāma in Buddhism. Visible Mantra Press. £8.99.

Books by Jayarava

Karma and Rebirth Reconsidered

A thorough reconsideration of the myths of the afterlife (rebirth) and just world (karma) in Buddhism. The book shows that from an evolutionary point of view such myths are understandable, but that Buddhists have never produced a coherent theory of either that can stand scrutiny. Indeed we now know that neither myth is realistic and that there is no afterlife and the universe is not fair. However, as human beings we can live on in memory or leave works, and we can live ethically.

Buy from Lulu now.

Talking to the Kālāmas

A new translation of the Kālāma Sutta along with a commentary which explores the meaning of the text, and explodes some myths about it. 34 p. £4.50

Buy from Lulu now.

Visible Mantra

A resource for visualising and calligraphy of Buddhist mantras. Commons mantras and seed-syllables in various fonts and scripts, including Devanāgarī, Tibetan Uchen, and Siddham.