Back Cover — Studies in Buddhist Thought

Studies in Buddhist Thought

Volume 3 · A History of Buddhist Transformation

Volume 1 · A History of Buddhist Philosophy

Front Cover Preface

Part 1: Background and Origins

Chapter 1: India Before the Buddha—The Vedas, Brahmanism, and Social Structure Chapter 2: The Upaniṣads and the Core Problems—Karma, Rebirth, and Liberation Chapter 3: The Renunciant Movement—Jainism, Fatalism, Materialism, and Skepticism Chapter 4: The Historical Buddha—Reconstructing a Life without the Myths Chapter 5: The Earliest Teachings—The Four Truths, Dependent Origination, Non-Self, and the Five Aggregates

Part 2: Early Sangha and School Divisions

Chapter 1: Formation of the Sangha and the Vinaya Chapter 2: Councils and the Oral Transmission of Scripture Chapter 3 The Root Schism: The Sthaviras and the Mahāsāṃghikas Chapter 4 The Proliferation of the Schools: Eighteen or Twenty?Chapter 5 The Rise of Abhidharma

Part 3: Philosophy of the Early Schools

Chapter 1 Sarvāstivāda: The Three Times Really Exist, and the Intrinsic Nature of Dharmas Always Exists Chapter 2 The *Mahāvibhāṣā* and the Sarvāstivāda System Chapter 3 Sautrāntika: Seeds, Momentary Cessation, and Continuity Chapter 4 Theravāda Abhidhamma Chapter 5 The Vātsīputrīyas and the Problem of the Person Chapter 6 Core Controversies: Time, Causality, Mind, and Mental Factors

Part 4: Rise of Mahayana

Chapter 1 The Problem of Mahāyāna Origins: Evidence and Hypotheses Chapter 2 Early Mahāyāna Scriptures: Prajñāpāramitā, Lotus, Avataṃsaka, Pure Land, and Vimalakīrti Chapter 3 The Bodhisattva Path and a New Ideal of Practice Chapter 4 Mahāyāna and the Early Schools

Part 5: Madhyamaka

Chapter 1 Nāgārjuna: The *Mūlamadhyamakakārikā*, Emptiness, Dependent Arising, and the Two Truths Chapter 2 Āryadeva and Early Madhyamaka Chapter 3 Madhyamaka Methods of Argument Chapter 4 Buddhapālita and Bhāviveka: The Division between Svātantrika and Prāsaṅgika Chapter 5 Candrakīrti and Prāsaṅgika Madhyamaka Chapter 6 Argumentative Slippages in Prajñāpāramitā and Madhyamaka Texts

Part 6: Yogacara

Chapter 1 The Maitreya Treatises and the Formation of Yogācāra Chapter Two: Asaṅga—The *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* and Storehouse Consciousness Chapter Three: Vasubandhu—The *Twenty Verses* and *Thirty Verses on Consciousness-Only*Chapter Four: The Three Natures, Three Absences of Nature, and Transformation of the Basis Chapter Five: The Debate between Consciousness-Only and Madhyamaka

Part 7: Tathagatagarbha and Buddha Nature

Chapter One: The Tathāgatagarbha Sūtras Chapter Two: The *Ratnagotravibhāga*Chapter Three: Tathāgatagarbha, Consciousness-Only, and Madhyamaka Chapter Four: The Later Influence of Tathāgatagarbha in China and Tibet

Part 8: Late Indian Buddhism

Chapter One: Dignāga—Foundations of Buddhist Logic and Epistemology Chapter Two: Dharmakīrti’s Logic and Epistemology Chapter Three: Śāntarakṣita and Kamalaśīla—Synthesizing Madhyamaka and Yogācāra Chapter Four: The Rise of Esoteric Buddhism and Vajrayāna Chapter Five: Nālandā, Vikramaśīla, and the Late Great Monasteries Chapter Six: The Decline of Buddhism in India—An Inference from Historical Sources

Part 9: Southern Buddhism

Chapter One: Transmission to Sri Lanka and the Conflict between Mahāvihāra and Abhayagiri Chapter Two: Buddhaghosa, the *Visuddhimagga*, and the Commentarial Tradition Chapter Three: Southeast Asia—Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos Chapter 4: Doctrine and Meditation Traditions Chapter 5: Modern Reform and Development

Part 10: Chinese Buddhism

Chapter 1: Transmission and Early Sūtra Translation—An Shigao, Lokakṣema, and Dao’an Chapter 2: Matching Concepts and Early Interpretation Chapter 3: Kumārajīva, the Three Treatises, and Sengzhao Chapter 4: The History of Sūtra Translation and Xuanzang Chapter 5: The Tiantai School Chapter 6: The Huayan School Chapter 7: The Consciousness-Only or Faxiang School Chapter 8: The Chan School Chapter 9: The Pure Land School Chapter 10: The Vinaya, Esoteric, and Other Schools Chapter 11: Modern Chinese Buddhism and Humanistic Buddhism

Part 11: Tibetan Buddhism

Chapter 1: The Early Diffusion—Imperial Tibet and the Samye Debate Chapter 2: The Beginning of the Later Diffusion Chapter 3: Nyingma and Dzogchen Chapter 4: Kagyu and Mahāmudrā Chapter 5: The Sakya School Chapter 6: Gelug and Tsongkhapa Chapter 7: The Madhyamaka Debate—Self-Emptiness and Other-Emptiness Chapter 8: Tibetan Buddhism in the Modern and Contemporary Periods

Part 12: Modern and Contemporary Trends

Chapter 1: Buddhist Modernism Chapter 2: The Transmission of Buddhism to the West Chapter 3: Methods and Advances in Academic Buddhist Studies Chapter 4: New Developments from 1990 to 2020 Chapter 5: Buddhism During and After the Pandemic Chapter 6: Buddhism and Feminism

Part II: Philosophical Analysis

Reader's Guide: Expansion, Necessary Repetition, and Deeper Analysis

Part 13: Analysis of Early Teachings

Chapter 1, Part II: Map of the Metaphysical Frontier Chapter 1, Part I: The Fourteen Undeclared Questions and the Outline of Early Buddhist Metaphysics Chapter 2: Nibbāna, the Similes of Fire and Tree, and a Phenomenological Approach Chapter 3: The Five Aggregates, the Four Great Elements, and Not-Self Chapter 4: Dependent Arising and Psychodynamic Analysis Chapter 5: Rebirth, the Destinations, and the Three Realms Chapter 6: Bodhisattva, Buddha, and the Four Fruits Chapter 7: Leaves in the Hand—Metaphysical Restraint and Inevitable Leakage Chapter 8: The Author's Reflections—The Allure of Metaphysics

Part 14: Analysis of Theravada Abhidhamma

Chapter 0: Guide to This Part Chapter 1: Mind, Matter, and Continuity—The Questions Abhidhamma Taxonomy Seeks to Answer Chapter 2: Nāma—A Taxonomy of Mental Phenomena Chapter 3: Rūpa—A Taxonomy of Material Phenomena Chapter 4: Citta-vīthi: A Taxonomy of Mental Processes Chapter 5: The Twenty-Four Conditions: A Taxonomy of Relations Chapter 6: Continuity: Time, Rebirth, and the End of Continuity Chapter 7: Restraint and the Vacancies

Part 15: Analysis of Sarvastivada Philosophy

Chapter 0: Guide to This Part Chapter 1: Sarvāstitva—Substance and Function, Real and Nominal Chapter 2: The Seventy-Five Dharmas—Another List Chapter 3: Existence in the Three Times—The Dharma Substance in Time Chapter 4: Persistence—Possession, Unmanifest Matter, and Formal Entities Chapter 5: Six Causes and Four Conditions—Another Algorithm for Relations Chapter 6: Atoms and Aggregation—The Material End Chapter 7: Entities and Regress

Terminology Concordance (for All Volumes)Afterword Back Cover

Volume 2 · A Critique of Buddhist Soteriology

Front Cover Preface

Part 1: Introduction

Chapter 1: The Problem Structure of Soteriology Chapter 2: The Early Buddhist Soteriological Baseline Chapter 3: The Southern Route—Abhidhamma Soteriology and Its Cost Chapter 4: An Overview of the Transformation of Mahāyāna Soteriology

Part 2: Madhyamaka Soteriology

Part I: Soteriological Overview

Part I, Chapter 1: Emptiness and Liberation—The Core Claim Part I, Chapter 2: Early Madhyamaka’s Theory of Practice—Nāgārjuna and Āryadeva Part I, Chapter 3: Candrakīrti and the Prāsaṅgika Path of Liberation

Part II: Critique of Soteriology

Part II, Chapter 1: The Truth of Suffering—Is Suffering in Formations or in View?Part II, Chapter 2: The Truth of Origin—Which Level Does Madhyamaka’s Diagnosis Strike?Part II, Chapter 3: The Truth of Cessation—Deobjectification and Reobjectification Part II, Chapter 4: The Truth of the Path I—From Indirect Cultivation Back to Direct Confrontation Part II, Chapter 5: The Truth of the Path II—The Tension Between Having No Thesis and Practice Part II, Chapter 6: Verification—The Drift in Certifying Realization Part II, Chapter 7: Judgment of Attachment—Functional Clinging and Ultimate Truth Part II, Chapter 8: Overall Assessment—Claim and Function

Part 3: Yogacara Soteriology

Part I: Soteriological Overview

Part I, Chapter 1: Consciousness-Only and Liberation—The Core Claim Part I, Chapter 2: The Yogins’ Theory of Practice—The *Śrāvakabhūmi* and the Five Stages Part I, Chapter 3: Systematization—Seed Theory and the *Cheng Weishi Lun*

Part II: Critique of Soteriology

Part II, Chapter 1: The Truth of Suffering—From Observable Formations to an Unknowable Storehouse Part II, Chapter 2: The Truth of Origin—The Discovery of Manas and the Abyss of Iteration Part II, Chapter 3: The Truth of Cessation—Transformation of the Basis: Cessation or Upgrade?Part II, Chapter 4: The Truth of the Path I—Consciousness-Only Contemplation and the Continuation of Confrontation Part II, Chapter 5: The Truth of the Path II—Seed Theory and the Mechanism’s Idle Rotation Part II, Chapter 6: Verification—Unknowable Appropriation and the Five-Stage Checkpoints Part II, Chapter 7: Determining Attachment—Attachment to a Foundation Part II, Chapter 8: Concluding Audit—Claims and Functions

Part 4: Tathagatagarbha Soteriology

Part I: Soteriological Overview

Part I, Chapter 1: Buddha-Nature and Liberation—The Core Claim Part I, Chapter 2: The Theory of Practice—Entry Through Faith and the Removal of Obstructions

Part II: Critique of Soteriology

Part II, Chapter 1: The Truths of Suffering and Origin—Suffering Becomes a Guest Part II, Chapter 2: The Truth of Cessation—The Door Pushed Open Part II, Chapter 3: The Truth of the Path—The Paradox of Polishing the Mirror Part II, Chapter 4: Verification—A Path with Nothing to Verify Part II, Chapter 5: Determining Attachment and Concluding Audit—Attachment to Eternity

Part 5: Vajrayana Soteriology

Part I: Soteriological Overview

Part I, Chapter 1: Buddhahood in This Very Body—The Core Claim Part I, Chapter 2: The Theory of Practice—Empowerment, Deity, and Subtle Body

Part II: Critique of Soteriology

Part II, Chapter 1: The Truths of Suffering and Origin—The Physiology of Affliction Part II, Chapter 2: The Truths of Cessation and Path—Taking the Fruit as the Path Part II, Chapter 3: Verification—Signs of Attainment and Teacherly Authority Part II, Chapter 4: Determining Attachment and Concluding Audit—Attachment to the Result

Part 6: Pure Land Soteriology

Part I: Soteriological Overview

Part I, Chapter 1: From Liberation to Salvation—The Core Claim Part I, Chapter 2: Internal Defenses—Two Paths, Two Gates, and the Final Dharma

Part II: Critique of Soteriology

Part II, Chapter 1: The Truths of Suffering and Origin—From Abandoning Affliction to Seeking Rescue Part II, Chapter 2: The Truths of Cessation and Path—The Guarantee of Other-Power Part II, Chapter 3: Verification—A Check from Which No One Returns Part II, Chapter 4: Determining Attachment and Concluding Audit—Attachment to Salvation

Part 7: Synthetic Criticism

Chapter 1: A Comparative Analysis of the Five Soteriologies Chapter 2: Shared Tendencies in Mahāyāna Soteriology Chapter 3: What Makes a Soteriology Credible?Chapter 4: Conclusion—Returning to the Original Concern

Part 8: Appendices

Appendix I: Comparison with Yinshun’s Doctrinal Classification—Two Roads Back to the Original Concern Appendix II: Modern Forms of Madhyamaka—Re-Testing the Verdict

Volume 3 · A History of Buddhist Transformation

Front Cover Preface

Part 1: Introduction

Chapter 1: Why Buddhism Kept Changing Chapter 2: Six Lines of External Causation Chapter 3: The Discipline of Arguments About Hidden Motives

Part 2: Fragmentation After the Buddhas Death

Chapter 1: The Vacuum of Authority—The Buddha Appoints No Successor Chapter 2: The Politics of the Councils—Whose Memory Counts?Chapter 3: The Root Schism—The Ten Points, Mahādeva, and Two Buddhist Imaginaries Interlude: Innumerable Saints—An Impossible Census

Part 3: Scholasticization

Chapter 1: From Practice Ground to Academy—The Abhidharma Movement Chapter 2: The First Encounter with Kingship—The Aśokan Model Chapter 3: Freezing on an Island—The Formation of Theravāda

Part 4: The Rise of Mahayana

Chapter 1: The Mechanism of New Sūtras—A Media Revolution Chapter 2: Replacing the Ideal—The Bodhisattva Beyond Inspection Chapter 3: From Teacher to Savior—The Elevation of the Buddha Chapter 4: Who Pushed? Three Populations, Three Mahāyāna Movements

Part 5: The Debate Arena

Chapter 1: The Arms Race—Why Buddhism Needed Philosophy Chapter 2: The Nālandā System—The Ecology of Scholar-Monks Chapter 3: The Cost of Debate—The Drift in Criteria

Part 6: The Return of the True and Eternal

Chapter 1: The Gravity of Brahmanization—The Gupta-Age Market Chapter 2: The Business of Annihilation Fear—The Demand Side of the True and Eternal

Part 7: Tantricization

Chapter 1: The Ritual Takeover—From Protective Charms to Deity Yoga Chapter 2: Borrowed Technology—The Problem of Shared Origins with Śaivism Chapter 3: Incorporating the Anti-Establishment—Siddhas and Universities

Part 8: The Death of Indian Buddhism

Chapter 1: A Slow Death—The Loss of the Lay Base Chapter 2: All Eggs in One Basket—The Fragility of the Monastic Economy Chapter 3: The Death Report—Weighing Three Causes

Part 9: Entry into China and Translation

Chapter 1: Borrowing a Shell—Matching Concepts and the Vogue for *Xuanxue*Chapter 2: The Translation Bureau—The Politics of the Translation Movement Chapter 3: The Market of Disorder—Why Buddhism Prevailed in an Age of Division

Part 10: Chinese Reconstruction

Chapter 1: Doctrinal Classification—The Operation That Incorporated the Entire Inheritance Chapter 2: Chinese Systems—Tiantai and Huayan Chapter 3: The Formation of Chan—Rebellion against Scholasticism Chapter 4: The Formation of Pure Land—Buddhism for the People

Part 11: The Surviving Forms of Chinese Buddhism

Chapter 1: The Economics of Huichang—Suppression and Selection Chapter 2: Printing and the Literati—Chinese Buddhism's Position after Song Chapter 3: The Convergence of Chan and Pure Land—The Survivors' Form

Part 12: The Tibetan Synthesis

Chapter 1: Two Imports and Samye—The Route by Royal Decree Chapter 2: The Politics of the Tulku—Reincarnation as Institution Chapter 3: Gelug's Victory—Union of Religion and Politics

Part 13: Japans Simplifying Revolution

Chapter 1: Kamakura New Buddhism—The Revolution of the Single Practice Chapter 2: Tokugawa Household Registration—The *Terauke* System Chapter 3: The Meiji Shock—After the Destruction of Buddhism

Part 14: Modernitys Rewriting

Chapter 1: Buddhist Modernism—Rewritten for the Examiner Chapter 2: Humanistic Buddhism—Chinese Buddhism's Self-Rescue Chapter 3: The Mindfulness Industry—The Final Incorporation

Part 15: The Shape of Transformation

Chapter 1: Does Transformation Have a Direction?—The Engine of the Whole Volume Conclusion: A Candid Account of the Hidden Tools

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