Studies in Buddhist Thought
History of philosophy · critique of soteriology · history of transformation
Studies in Buddhist Thought is a three-volume series. Volume I traces the history of Buddhist philosophy from its ancient Indian background to the modern period. Volume II critically examines the soteriologies of Madhyamaka, Yogācāra, tathāgatagarbha, Vajrayāna, and Pure Land. Volume III asks what forces drove each major transformation in Buddhist history.
 | Volume 1A History of Buddhist PhilosophyA systematic history of Buddhist philosophy, from its ancient Indian background to contemporary developments. |
 | Volume 2A Critique of Buddhist SoteriologyA critical examination of the soteriological claims of Madhyamaka, Yogācāra, tathāgatagarbha, Vajrayāna, and Pure Land. |
 | Volume 3A History of Buddhist TransformationA history of the political, institutional, economic, and intellectual forces behind Buddhism's major transformations. |
By question
The book is arranged in the order of a book; this list is arranged in the order of questions, and points into the same chapters.
Start here
- What did the Buddha actually teach first?The four truths, dependent origination, non-self, the five aggregates
- If there is no self, who is reborn?How non-self and continuity are supposed to hold together
- How did Mahāyāna Buddhism come about?Lay movement, forest meditators, and what the inscriptions show
Key ideas
- What does emptiness mean?Emptiness, dependent origination, and the two truths
- Where do Yogācāra and Madhyamaka part company?What the dispute over emptiness and existence is actually about
- How do tathāgatagarbha, Yogācāra and Madhyamaka relate?Three models, three arrangements of the same problem
The three main volumes are complete. Essays and further translations will follow.