Mipam on Buddha-Nature : The Ground of the Nyingma Tradition

by Duckworth, Douglas S.

• ISBN13: 9780791475218
• ISBN10: 0791475212
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-08-07
• Publisher: State Univ of New York Pr

Summary

"Mipam ('ju mi pham rgya mtsho, 1846-1912) is one of the most prolific thinkers in the history of Tibet and is a key figure in the Nyingma tradition of Buddhism. His works continue to be widely studied in the Tibetan cultural region and beyond. This book provides an account of Mipam's view, drawing on a wide range of his works and offering several new translations. Douglas S. Duckworth shows how a dialectic of presence and absence permeates Mipam's writings on the Middle Way and Buddha-nature." "Arguably the most important doctrine in Buddhism, Buddha-nature is, for Mipam, equivalent to the true meaning of emptiness; it is the ground of all and the common ground shared by sentient beings and Buddhas. This ground is the foundation of the path and inseparable from the goal of Buddhahood. Duckworth probes deeply into Mipam's writings on Buddha-nature to illuminate its central place in a dynamic Buddhist philosophy."--BOOK JACKET.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
Presence and Absence	p. xii
Historical Survey	p. xvii
Monastic Education and the Nonsectarian Movement	p. xx
Life and Works of Mipam	p. xxiii
Summary of Contents	p. xxviii
The End of the Beginning	p. xxxii
Buddha-Nature and the Unity of the Two Truths	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Mipam's Synthesis	p. 4
Two Truths	p. 6
Buddha-Nature as the Unity of Appearance and Emptiness	p. 13
Buddha-Nature as the Definitive Meaning	p. 20
Conclusion	p. 26
Middle Way of Prasangika and Yogacara	p. 27
Introduction	p. 27
Svatantrika-Prasangika	p. 28
Dialectical Ascent	p. 39
Foundations of Yogacara	p. 45
Prasangika versus Yogacara	p. 51
Conclusion	p. 53
The Present Absence	p. 55
Introduction	p. 55
Other-Emptiness in the Jonang	p. 57
Other-Emptiness and the Nyingma: Lochen Dharmasri	p. 66
Another Emptiness? Emptiness of Self/Other	p. 71
Phenomena and Suchness	p. 73
De/limiting Emptiness	p. 81
Emptiness as the Unity of Appearance and Emptiness	p. 85
Conclusion	p. 91
Buddha-Nature and the Ground of the Great Perfection	p. 93
Introduction	p. 93
Distinguishing the Views on Buddha-Nature	p. 94
Buddha-Nature as Heritage, Buddha-Nature as the Ground	p. 99
Appearance and Reality	p. 107
Conclusion	p. 114
The Indivisible Ground and Fruition	p. 117
Introduction	p. 117
Establishing Buddha-Nature: The Immanent Buddha	p. 118
Establishing Appearances as Divine	p. 124
Buddha-Nature and a Difference Between Sutra and Mantra	p. 131
Conclusion	p. 139
Conclusion	p. 141
Translations of Primary Texts	p. 145
Lion's Roar: Exposition of Buddha-Nature	p. 147
Stating Other Traditions	p. 149
Presenting Our Authentic Tradition	p. 153
The Meaning of the First Verse "Because the body of the perfect Buddha is radiant"	p. 153
The Meaning of the Second Verse "Because thusness is indivisible"	p. 159
The Meaning of the Third Verse "Because of possessing heritage"	p. 162
Refuting the View that [the Basic Element] Is Truly Established and Not Empty	p. 167
Refuting the View that [the Basic Element] Is a Void Emptiness	p. 168
Refuting the Apprehension of [the Basic Element] as Impermanent and Conditioned	p. 170
Notes on the Essential Points of [Mipam's] Exposition [of Buddha-Nature]	p. 181
Notes	p. 191
Bibliography	p. 265
Index	p. 281
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