Buddhism as Philosophy: An IntroductionThere has been a recent upsurge in interest in Buddhist philosophy, but there is as yet no satisfactory text on the subject. Buddhism as Philosophy fills that void. Unlike other texts that serve to introduce Buddhist thought, it is written by a philosopher and it shows how the Buddhist tradition deals with the same sorts of problems that get treated in Western philosophy and employs the same sorts of methods. This book does more than just report what Buddhist philosophers said; it presents the arguments of the Buddhist philosophers, in their own words, and it invites the reader to assess their overall cogency. In short, Buddhism as Philosophy investigates the Buddhist tradition by way of the characteristically philosophical concern for finding out the truth about complicated matters in metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. |
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Abhidharma answer argument arhat arises atoms aware believe bodhisattva Buddha Buddhist philosophers called Candrakīrti causal series causes and conditions cessation Chapter chariot color conceptual fiction consciousness convenient designator conventionally true defining characteristic dependence dependent origination desire Dharmakirti dharmas distinct effect enlightened epistemology existing thing explain external object fact feeling fire five skandhas Flossie idea impermanent impressions-only Indian inference inherence instance intentional object interpretation intrinsic nature karma karma and rebirth karmic look Madhyamaka Mahāyāna majesty means of knowledge mental events mental image mental stream metaphysical metaphysical nihilism Milinda mind Nāgārjuna Nagasena nirvana non-self Nyaya occur opponent origination pain perceive perception perceptual cognition person physical objects present question real things reason reborn relation representationalism rūpa Sautrāntikas sense sensory experience smoke someone substance suffering Suppose sūtras teachings theory tree Uddyotakara ultimate truth ultimately real universals Vaccha Vasubandhu volition word Yogācāra Yogācāra-Sautrāntika