The Two Truths: In the Madhyamika Philosophy of the Gelukba Order of Tibetan Buddhism

by Guy Newland

Overview

A Namgyal Monastery Institute Textbook & Studies in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism Series

The persistent problem of Buddhist philosophy has been to find the middle way—an ontology sturdy enough to support a coherent ethical system that does not betray Buddha's original vision of no-self or emptiness (sunyata). Buddhist perspectives on ethics and emptiness center on the distinction between two truths—the conventional and the ultimate. Newland's work lays out the Madhyamika philosophy of two truths as seen through the eyes of Tibetan scholar-yogis of the Gelugpa order. Linking the classical Buddhist philosophy of Nagarjuna with the living tradition of monastic courtyard debate, the authors explain the two truths without resort to mysterious trans-rational paradoxes. Newland exposes their extraordinary efforts to clear away the sense of contradiction between emptiness and conventional reality and thus to build a Madhyamika system that is both ethically salutary and rationally coherent.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780937938799
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	01/01/1992
Series:	Studies in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism
Edition description:	1st ed. U.S.A
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,013,908
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Guy Newland is Professor of Religion and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Central Michigan University, where he has taught since 1988. He has authored, edited, and translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism, including the three-volume translation of The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment.

Editorial Reviews

"A challenging and worthwhile exploration of an important perspective on one of the most crucial topics in Buddhistphilosophy."—Roger Jackson, Carleton College Professor of Asian Studies and Religion

From the Publisher