Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy of Mind and Nature

Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy of Mind and Nature

Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy of Mind and Nature offers an engaging philosophical overview of Tibetan Buddhist thought. Integrating competing and complementary perspectives on the nature of mind and reality, Douglas Duckworth reveals the way that Buddhist theory informs Buddhist practice in various Tibetan traditions. Duckworth draws upon a contrast between phenomenology and ontology to highlight distinct starting points of inquiries into mind and nature in Buddhism, and to illuminate central issues confronted in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. This thematic study engages some of the most difficult and critical topics in Buddhist thought, such as the nature of mind and the meaning of emptiness, across a wide range of philosophical traditions, including the "Middle Way" of Madhyamaka, Yogacara (also known as "Mind-Only"), and tantra. Duckworth provides a richly textured overview that explores the intersecting nature of mind, language, and world depicted in Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Further, this book puts Tibetan philosophy into conversation with texts and traditions from India, Europe, and America, exemplifying the possibility and potential for a transformative conversation in global philosophy. "If you read only one book on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, read this one. Duckworth demonstrates the complementarity of diverse Tibetan approaches to ontology, phenomenology, meditation theory, and gnoseology, newly revealing how each such perspective informs the embodied praxis of enlightenment. His writing transports the reader like evocative poetry, yet retains the highest degree of precision and accuracy. Duckworth freshly establishes the relevance of Tibetan thought and practice for contemporary philosophy and theology." -- John Makransky, Associate Professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology, Boston College "This is a carefully crafted exposition of several ways in which competing epistemological, ontological, and soteriological strains of Tibetan Buddhist thinking intertwine, illuminating and enriching each other. More, it opens a way to approach competing positions that is much more creative and revealing than any either/or approach could be. It is essential reading for those working in this field, and will be of interest to other philosophers and philosophically inclined Buddhists." -- Gail Stenstad, author of Transformations: Thinking after Heidegger " Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy of Mind and Nature breaks new ground in providing the most integrated overview to date of the major intellectual currents in contemporary Tibetan Buddhist philosophy on the topics of mind, language, and world. By focusing on the complementarity of Indian Madhyamaka, Yogācāra, and tantric perspectives and a syncretic (rather than sectarian) approach to the Tibetan syntheses, Duckworth provides an accessible introduction to Indian and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy for non-specialists and an invitation (or challenge) to specialists to rethink the complex interrelations and potential integration of apparently divergent Buddhist philosophical perspectives." -- Karin L. Meyers, Associate Professor, Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute, Kathmandu University Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy of Mind and Nature offers an engaging philosophical overview of Tibetan Buddhist thought. This book offers an engaging philosophical overview of Tibetan Buddhist thought. It shows the way that Buddhist theory informs Buddhist practice across various Tibetan traditions in ways that integrate competing and complementary perspectives on the nature of mind and reality. Douglas S. Duckworth draws on a contrast between phenomenology and ontology to highlight distinct starting points for inquiries into mind and nature in Buddhism, and to illuminate central issues confronted in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. He argues that these starting points share a common ground and can be seen to be actually inseparable. This thematic study raises some of the most difficult and crucial topics in Buddhist thought, such as the nature of mind and the meaning of emptiness, across a wide range of philosophical traditions, including the "Middle Way" of Madhyamaka, Yogācāra (a.k.a. "Mind-Only"), and tantra. Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy of Mind and Nature provides a richly textured overview that explores the intersecting nature of mind, language, and world depicted across Tibetan Buddhist traditions. In the process, it also puts Tibetan philosophy into conversation with texts and traditions from India, Europe, and America, exemplifying the possibility and potential for a transformative conversation in global philosophy. Douglas S. Duckworth is Associate Professor in the Department of Religion at Temple University. He is the author of Mipam on Buddha-Nature: The Ground of the Nyingma Tradition and Jamgön Mipam: His Life and Teachings . He also introduced and translated Distinguishing the Views and Philosophies: Illuminating Emptiness in a Twentieth-Centu