Globalization and Religion in Asia: Is Religion an Equal Competitor?

( Asanga Tilakaratne ) 연세대학교 사회과학연구소 2007 社會科學論集 Vol.38 No.2

This paper begins with a discussion of how western religion was brought to Asia several centuries back by the currents of early globalization of the west and how the traditional religion of Asia is being taken today to the western world by the modem forces of the same globalization process. Subsequently it identifies two different challenges posed by globalization to religion in general and the religion in Asia in particular, namely, the need to identify a unique role in the globalized society and the need to retain its traditional position of being the source of morality that is being increasingly challenged by such secular organizations as United Nations and the conventions such as Universal declaration of Human Rights. In the course of the discussion it touches on the problems of absolutism and relativism in the context of religious truth claims.

Suffering and Liberation in Theravāda Buddhism

Asanga Tilakaratne 동국대학교 불교학술원 2008 International Journal of Buddhist Thought & Cultur Vol.10 No.-

The Theravada Standpoint on Meat Eating

Asanga Tilakaratne 동국대학교 불교문화연구원 2008 佛敎學報 Vol.0 No.50

제1부 생로병사와 해탈 : 상좌부 불교에 있어 "생사(生死)의 고(苦)"와 그로부터 해탈

( Asanga Tilakaratne ) 사단법인 한국교수불자연합회 2007 한국교수불자연합학회지 Vol.13 No.-

본 논문은 붓다의 가르침의 2개의 핵심적인 주제인 고(苦)와 그 것으로부터의 해탈(解脫)의 문제를 다루고 있다. Siddhartha 태자였던 붓다의 이러한 삶에 대한 인식은 그의 생애를 통해 성스러운 진리(四聖諦)를 추구하는 동기가 되었다. 사성제의 가르침에는 고(苦)에 대한 인간 붓다의 이해와 그 고통의 해결 방법을 제시하고 있다. 첫 번째 고성제에서 우리 인간들이 받아야함 하는 ``고``의 실상을, 심리적인 측면까지 포괄하는 깊은 분석을 하고 있다. 두 번째 진리에서는 고통의 원인을 설명하고 있다. 즐거움과, 지속적 생명의 연장이나 ``파괴적인 것``들에 대한 갈애나 탐착 등을 고(苦)를 초래하는 우리 내부적인 요인으로 분석하고 있다. 세 번째는 이 많은 탐착을 멸하는 것이 고를 멸하는 것으로 이름 하여 열반라고 하고 있다. 그리고 마지막 네 번째 진리는 이 고통을 끊는 열반의 길에 이르는 길, 팔정도를 가르치고 있다. 많은 다른 종교에서처럼, 불교에서도 고통으로부터의 궁극적인 벗어남을 무병(無病), 무괴(無壞), 무사(無死)등의 우리가 상상할 수 있는 외형적인 모습을 지속적으로 존속시키는 것으로 잘못 이해되고 있는 경향이 있다. 그러나 불교에서의 궁극적인 고통의 멸(滅)은 우리의 지속적인 외형상 존재에 대한 탐착과 욕망을 제거하는 것에 있기 때문에, 그러한 탐착과 욕망을 제거하지 않고 고(苦)로부터 해탈이라는 궁극적인 목표를 달성하기는 어렵다. 그러므로 지속적으로 즐거움을 추구하는 우리의 심리적 성향인 갈애(渴愛)를 없애는 것이 바로 생사의 고통으로부터 벗어나 열반에 이르는 길이라고 할 수 있다. 부터님의 가르침에서 열반은 정화(淨化 purification)와 해탈(解脫 liberation)의 두 용어로 표현 된다. 이 두 단어는 우리를 부정(不淨)하게 만드는 마음의 요소들을 깨끗하게 만드는 것이 ``정화``이고 또 한편에서는 그렇게 우리를 결박시키는 요소나 족쇄로부터 우리를 벗어나게 하는 것이 ``해탈``이다. 이 두 용어는 바로 해탈한 사람들을 가리키는 말이기도 하다; 해탈이란 어떤 절대적인 신적 존재에 의하여 영생(永生) 등의 형태로 주어진 은혜가 아니다. 그 것은 마음의 정화와 해탈을 이룬 결과로 얻어진, 진정으로 행복해진 마음의 상태를 말 하는 것이다. 부처님의 가르침 속에 고(苦)란 것은 일부 사람들에 의하여 주장되는 염세주의적 표현이 절대 아니다. 부처님께서 ``고``를 강조한 것은 그 것으로부터 벗어날 수 있는 방법을 제시하기 위한 것이다. 우리가 고통의 실상을 정확히 파악함으로서, 그 고통의 해결 방식을 찾고자 하신 것이다. 다시 말하자면 우리가 일단 문제의 원인을 정확히 파악하는 것이 고통으로부터 벗어나는 방법으로 보신 것이다. 그래서 붓다는 스스로 이 방법으로 해탈을 이루셨고, 일생 동안 많은 사람들에게 자신이 이룬 이 고통의 해결방법을 가르치신 것이다. 이러한 고의 멸도 방식으로 부처님뿐만 아니라 많은 제자들도 열반의 기쁨을 누렸을 뿐만 아니라, 그 가르침은 2,500년 동안 수많은 사람들에게 삶의 고통에서 벗어나 참되고 진정한 행복을 찾는 방법으로 면면히 내려오고 있는 것이다.

Exophytic Verrucous Hyperplasia of the Oral Cavity - Application of Standardized Criteria for Diagnosis from a Consensus Report

Zain, Rosnah Binti,Kallarakkal, Thomas George,Ramanathan, Anand,Kim, Jin,Tilakaratne, WM,Takata, Takashi,Warnakulasuriya, Saman,Hazarey, Vinay Kumar,Rich, Alison,Hussaini, Haizal Mohd,Jalil, Ajura Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.9

Verruco-papillary lesions (VPLs) of the oral cavity described in the literature involve a spectrum of conditions including squamous papilloma, verruca vulgaris, focal epithelial hyperplasia, condyloma, proliferative verrucous leukoplakia and verrucous carcinoma. A majority of the VPLs are slow growing, benign in nature and have a viral aetiology. Virus associated benign mucosal outgrowths are not too difficult to diagnose either clinically or by microscopy. Apart from virus-associated lesions, VPLs harboring malignant potential or behaviour such as verrucous carcinoma, proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, oral verrucous hyperplasia (OVH), oral papillary squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) and oral conventional squamous cell carcinoma with papillary features (CSCC) need to be further clarified for better understanding of their predictable biologic behavior and appropriate treatment. Current understanding of potentially malignant VPLs is perplexing and is primarily attributed to the use of confusing and unsatisfactory terminology. In particular, the condition referred to as oral verrucous hyperplasia (OVH) poses a major diagnostic challenge. OVH represents a histopathological entity whose clinical features are not well recognised and is usually clinically indistinguishable from a verrucous carcinoma and a PSCC or a CSCC. A consensus report published by an expert working group from South Asia as an outcome of the 'First Asian Regional Meeting on the Terminology and Criteria for Verruco-papillary Lesions of the Oral Cavity' held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, recognised the clinical description of these OVH as a new entity named 'Exophytic Verrucous Hyperplasia'. Previously described clinical features of OVH such as the 'blunt' or 'sharp' variants; and the 'mass' or 'plaque' variants can now collectively fall under this newly described entity. This paper discusses in detail the application of the standardized criteria guidelines of 'Exophytic Verrucous Hyperplasia' as published by the expert group which will enable clinicians and pathologists to uniformly interpret their pool of OVH cases and facilitate a better understanding of OVH malignant potential.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TURNOVER OF BODY WATER AND RESPONSES TO HEAT STRESS IN GRAZING RIVER AND SWAMP TYPE BUFFALOES

Ranawana, S.S.E.,Rajaratne, A.A.J.,Tilakaratne, N. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 1989 Animal Bioscience Vol.2 No.3

Methanol Extract of <i> Holarrhena antidysenterica</i> Inhibits the Growth of Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells and Osteoclastogenesis of Bone Marrow Macrophages

Yoon, Heein,Park, Junhee,Park, Kwang-Kyun,Kim, Jin,Bandara, N. Champika,Bandara, B. M. R.,Tilakaratne, Wanninayake M.,Chung, Won-Yoon Hindawi 2017 Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medic Vol.2017 No.-

<P>Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) frequently invades mandibular bone, and outcomes for treatment with surgical resection are typically poor, ultimately resulting in death.<I> Holarrhena antidysenterica</I> L. (Apocynaceae), distributed throughout Sri Lanka and India, has been used as a folk remedy to treat various diseases. Treatment with methanol extract of<I> H. antidysenterica</I> bark (HABE) inhibited cell viability and BrdU incorporation and induced apoptotic cell death in Ca9-22 gingival and HSC-3 tongue SCC cells. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that HABE treatment preferentially induces apoptotic cell death via increasing the sub-G1 peak in Ca9-22 cells and cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase in HSC-3 cells. HABE treatment in the presence of zVAD-fmk, a pan-caspase inhibitor, rescued cell viabilities in both OSCC cell lines. The ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 increased with reductions in the Bcl-2 protein expression, and the activation of caspase 3 and subsequent cleavage of PARP was detected in HABE-treated Ca9-22 and HSC-3 cells. Furthermore, HABE treatment at noncytotoxic concentrations inhibited osteoclast formation in RANKL-stimulated bone marrow macrophages. Taken together, HABE possesses the inhibitory activity on the growth of OSCC cells and antiosteoclastogenic activity. Therefore, HABE may be a promising alternative and complementary agent for preventing and treating OSCC.</P>

Areca nut exposure increases secretion of tumor‐promoting cytokines in gingival fibroblasts that trigger DNA damage in oral keratinocytes

Illeperuma, Rasika P.,Kim, Do Kyeong,Park, Young Jin,Son, Hwa Kyung,Kim, Jue Young,Kim, Jinmi,Lee, Doo Young,Kim, Ki‐,Yeol,Jung, Da‐,Woon,Tilakaratne, Wanninayake M.,Kim, Jin Alan R. Liss, Inc 2015 International journal of cancer Vol.137 No.11

<▼1><P>Molecular crosstalk between cancer cells and fibroblasts has been an emerging hot issue in understanding carcinogenesis. As oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is an inflammatory fibrotic disease that can potentially transform into squamous cell carcinoma, OSF has been considered to be an appropriate model for studying the role of fibroblasts during early stage carcinogenesis. In this sense, this study aims at investigating whether areca nut (AN)‐exposed fibroblasts cause DNA damage of epithelial cells. For this study, immortalized hNOF (hTERT‐hNOF) was used. We found that the levels of GRO‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐8 increased in AN‐exposed fibroblasts. Cytokine secretion was reduced by antioxidants in AN‐exposed fibroblasts. Increase in DNA double strand breaks (DSB) and 8‐oxoG FITC‐conjugate was observed in immortalized human oral keratinocytes (IHOK) after the treatment of cytokines or a conditioned medium derived from AN‐exposed fibroblasts. Cytokine expression and DNA damage were also detected in OSF tissues. The DNA damage was reduced by neutralizing cytokines or antioxidant treatment. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage response, triggered by cytokines, were abolished when NADPH oxidase (NOX) 1 and 4 were silenced in IHOK, indicating that cytokine‐triggered DNA damage was caused by ROS generation through NOX1 and NOX4. Taken together, this study provided strong evidence that blocking ROS generation might be a rewarding approach for cancer prevention and intervention in OSF.</P></▼1><▼2><P><B>What's new?</B></P><P>Fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment influence tumor initiation and growth and are of particular interest in oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), a progressive fibrotic disease of malignant potential. This study shows that the release of tumor‐promoting cytokines by fibroblasts exposed to areca nut, the primary cause of OSF, induce DNA damage in oral keratinocytes. The findings suggest that fibroblasts indirectly promote epithelial transformation in OSF by secreting cytokines, whereby DNA damage of epithelial cells is inflicted by reactive oxygen species generated <I>via</I> NADPH oxidases. These insights could inform the development of new therapeutic approaches for OSF.</P></▼2>