Madhyamaka and Yogacara: Allies or Rivals?

by Jay L. Garfield (editor), Jan Westerhoff (Editor)

Madhyamaka and Yogacara are the two principal schools of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. While Madhyamaka asserts the ultimate emptiness and conventional reality of all phenomena, Yogacara is usually considered to be idealistic. This collection of essays addresses the degree to which these philosophical approaches are consistent or complementary.Indian and Tibetan doxographies often take these two schools to be philosophical rivals. They are grounded in distinct bodies of sutra literature and adopt what appear to be very different positions regarding the analysis of emptiness and the status of mind. Madhyamaka-Yogacara polemics abound in Indian Buddhist literature, and Tibetan doxographies regard them as distinct systems. Nonetheless, scholars have tried to synthesize the two positions for centuries. This volume offers new essays by prominent experts on both these traditions, who address the question of the degree to which these philosophical approaches should be seen as rivals or as allies. In answering the question of whether Madhyamaka and Yogacara can be considered compatible, contributors engage with a broad range of canonical literature, and relate the texts to contemporary philosophical problems.

Genres: Buddhism, Philosophy, Religion

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 13, 2015

Reviews

[Kamakana · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you like this review, i now have website: www.michaelkamakana.com

241119: dense, difficult book of essays on evolution these two primary schools of Mahayana buddhism, for serious, academic readers who already know some buddhism, have familiarity with terms, concepts, who have integrated an understanding of similarity and differences of this is how they are allies and rivals, how they have the same buddhist metaphysics, often same sutras quoted, some in opposition to Hindu thought, and this is how they are allies but interpretation show that are so different they are rivals...

briefly, madhymaka is all about the ultimate emptiness of... everything, including itself, the emptiness of emptiness. yogacara is neither first nor only thought that questions how this does not lead to nihilism, with the Yogacara solution seems to be everything is empty... but for our consciousness. because this is philosophical text from the west, particularly anglo, there are references to supporting western philosophers (who came much later and may have bee influenced by). I cannot give this five as my fault of lack of education. this is graduate text, or professional text...

if you want more: Wisdom Beyond Words: The Buddhist Vision of Ultimate Reality
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment
more technical:
The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
more:
Innovative Buddhist Women: Swimming Against the Stream
Women in the Footsteps of the Buddha: Struggle for Liberation in the Therigatha
Gender Equality in Buddhism
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment
Buddhism: A Philosophical Approach
What the Buddha Thought
Nietzsche and Buddhist Philosophy
Buddhist Philosophy: A Historical Analysis
Buddhism as Philosophy: An Introduction
Ethics Embodied: Rethinking Selfhood Through Continental, Japanese, and Feminist Philosophies
After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
What the Buddha Thought
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment
Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings
Buddhism as Philosophy: An Introduction
Self, No Self?: Perspectives from Analytical, Phenomenological, and Indian Traditions
After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
Philosophers of Nothingness: An Essay on the Kyoto School
The Kyoto School
Nishida And Western Philosophy
Buddhism: A Philosophical Approach
What the Buddha Thought
Wisdom Beyond Words: The Buddhist Vision of Ultimate Reality
Buddhism as Philosophy: An Introduction
An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy
Why I Am Not a Buddhist
Why I Am a Buddhist: No-Nonsense Buddhism with Red Meat and Whiskey
Indian Buddhist Philosophy: Metaphysics as Ethics
The Vimalakirti Sutra

[Jessica Zu · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome!