Madhyamaka thought in China
1995; Association of College and Research Libraries; Volume: 32; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês
10.5860/choice.32-6043
ISSN1943-5975
Tópico(s)Indian History and Philosophy
ResumoThe history of the Madhyamaka, one of the two main Indian Mahayana Buddhist philosophical traditions, began around the second century AD with the appearance of the writings of Nagarjuna and Nagarjuna's followers. Several of these writings were transmitted to China in the first decade of the fifth century and exerted a considerable influence on the development of Chinese Buddhist thought. This work examines the three stages of development of Chinese Madhyamaka, focusing attention on the different ways the representative figures of each stage applied basic Madhyamaka principles to deal with the central Buddhist doctrinal issues of their age. The chief aim of the book is to locate an ideological nucleus and to trace a general pattern of transformation, with reference to which the precise significance of the key theoretical elements and the exact relationship between the main doctrinal aspects of a broad Buddhist intellectual trend can be clearly demonstrated and accurately defined.
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