https://assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/PrajnaVihara <div><strong>Prajñā Vihāra</strong> is a multicultural and pluralistic journal of ethics, philosophy and religious studies dedicated to the promotion of mutual understanding among the diverse peoples of the world. In the spirit of the Sanskrit words <strong>“Prajñā Vihāra”</strong> meaning “temple of wisdom,” the editors encourage creative academic work that promotes a sharing of wisdom among scholars and readers. It welcomes specialized articles in Ethics, Philosophy, Religion and Cultural Studies that seek to promote harmony between various philosophical and religious traditions while respecting cultural and religious difference. It especially welcomes articles that engage with philosophical and religious issues in the Southeast Asian region.</div> Assumption University of Thailand en-US Prajñā Vihāra 1513-6442 https://assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/PrajnaVihara/article/view/9785 <p>In reflecting on Filipino historian Vicente Rafael’s book, <em>Motherless Tongues: The Insurgency of Language amid Wars of Translation</em> (2016), this article examines the author’s critique of Filipino nationalism and its pursuit of a national language and culture. It brings to question Rafael’s characterization of nationalism as a monolingual project that rejects the foreign, arguing that such assertion not only presents a reductionist view of Filipino nationalism, but also undermines its value as form of resistance to enduring structures of linguistic and intellectual imperialism. Submitted: 06 Septembet 2025</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Submitted: 06 September 2025</p> <p>Accepted: 04 January 2026</p> Preciosa de Joya Copyright (c) 2026 Prajñā Vihāra 2026-01-14 2026-01-14 27 1 1 26 10.59865/prajn.2026.1 https://assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/PrajnaVihara/article/view/9786 <p>The Gettier problem for the classical analysis of knowledge (also known as the <em>JTB theory</em>) arises from scenarios where a justified true belief is true by chance, and as a result is not plausibly taken to be an instance of knowledge. Epistemologists often address the Gettier problem by positing extra conditions to construct a stable connection between the subject and truth. However, they tend to overlook the dynamic and practical aspects of knowledge, focusing instead on providing a ‘static’ reductive analysis that captures the fixed essence of the concept of knowledge. I critique such limitations and argue that knowledge resists static and fixed definitions, requiring a more dynamic and practice-oriented perspective. In this essay, I provide an alternative approach to understand knowledge with respect to the Chinese philosopher Wang Yangming’s theory of the unity of knowledge and action (<em>zhi xing he yi </em><em>知行合一</em>).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Submitted: 19 November 2025</p> <p>Accepted: 27 December 2025</p> Caiqin Liu Copyright (c) 2026 Prajñā Vihāra 2026-01-14 2026-01-14 27 1 27 46 10.59865/prajn.2026.2 https://assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/PrajnaVihara/article/view/9787 <p>The notion of history as a text to be deconstructed has been a staple of much advancement in the treatment of the discipline as a literary work. In the Philippines however, very few historians have taken note of the fact that the writing of history is subject to its own rhetorical devices and effects of metaphor. In this paper, I advance the argument that the most pervasive methodological flaw in the nationalist construction of Philippine historiography is the persistent catachresis that traces everything to the notion of a “Filipino” people that was subjugated by the advent of Spanish colonialism. This tendency to trace all events to a unitary and originary standpoint as a basis for interpreting everything about the pre-Philippine past results to the epistemic violence of a historiography that is complicit with the Orientalism of Western Eurocentrism itself. Filipinization, taken as the discourse of emancipation anchored on the insistent realization of a Filipino nation, would thus precisely instantiate this problem of discursive complicity that compels us to ask: “Is there anything messianic about nationalism?”</p> <h2>&nbsp;</h2> <h2>&nbsp;</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Submitted: 30 May 2025</p> <p>Accepted: 24 December 2025</p> Michael Roland Hernandez Copyright (c) 2026 Prajñā Vihāra 2026-01-14 2026-01-14 27 1 47 70 10.59865/prajn.2026.3 https://assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/PrajnaVihara/article/view/9788 <p>Interreligious dialogue is an important tool for building a peaceful multireligious society. Scholars have been debating about what makes it effective. This study contributes to this knowledge from a Buddhist perspective. It draws from the Buddha’s dialogues with people of other faiths in the Buddhist Pali Canon, the Sutta Pitaka through a qualitative content analysis of the three collections: Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, and Anguttara Niakaya. Particularly, the study addresses two questions: How effective is the Buddha’s dialogue as described in the Sutta Pitaka? What are the factors contributing to its effectiveness? The study found four levels of effectiveness: (1) negative responses; (2) clarification of each other’s view; (3) transformation of attitudes; and (4) conversion which has three types: (i) converting and remaining in one’s old religion, (ii) smooth conversion, and (iii) dramatic conversion. The study finds that both internal and external factors contribute to these levels of effectiveness. The Buddhist insights suggest that positive effects of dialogue require, among other factors, knowledge, virtue, communication skills, openness to truth, capacity to discuss truth rationally, and an environment conducive to dialogue.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Submitted: 03 June 2025</p> <p>Accepted: 01 October 2025</p> Le Ngoc Bich Ly Copyright (c) 2026 Prajñā Vihāra 2026-01-14 2026-01-14 27 1 71 88 10.59865/prajn.2026.4 https://assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/PrajnaVihara/article/view/9789 <p>Since the development of the Philosophy for Children (P4C) movement by such scholars as Matthew Lipman, there has been a wide interest and application around the world. This is slowly being applied in China as well. In terms of theoretical research, P4C entered China in 1976. Practical application of P4C has also gradually increased. However, there has been little interaction between researchers and front-line teachers. This research will contend that the P4C theory and practice are now increasingly important, as they can aid Chinese education reform to meet the goals of the 2022 version of the Chinese Curriculum Standards. It will show both theoretical and practical ways in which P4C can help Chinese language teachers improve the quality of their classes and foster the development of creativity, critical thinking, and reading ability.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Submitted: 01 May 2025</p> <p>Accepted: 12 December 2025</p> Wenjuan Zhang Copyright (c) 2026 Prajñā Vihāra 2026-01-14 2026-01-14 27 1 89 106 10.59865/prajn.2026.5 https://assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/PrajnaVihara/article/view/9790 <p><strong>Anthony Le Duc. <em>Buddhist Environmental Humanism: Doing Good for Self and Others.</em> </strong></p> <p><strong>UK, Ethics Press, 2025., 259 pp.</strong></p> <p><strong>ISBN: 978-1-83711-112-1</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Submitted: 24 November 2025</p> <p>Accepted: 25 November 2025</p> Le Ngoc Bich Ly Copyright (c) 2026 Prajñā Vihāra 2026-01-14 2026-01-14 27 1 107 109 10.59865/prajn.2026.6