Echoes from an Empty Sky The Origin of the Buddhist Doctrine of the Two Truths

by Buescher, John B.

• ISBN13: 9781559392204
• ISBN10: 1559392207
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-17
• Publisher: Snow Lion

Summary

The doctrine of the two truths--conventional and ultimate--evolved as early Buddhists struggled to reconcile apparent contradictions within the collected sayings of the Buddha. Understood as a teaching on reality as opposed to merely a linguistic distinction.

Author Biography

John B. Buescher heads the Voice of America's Tibetan Broadcast Service to Tibet and South Asia.

Table of Contents

Introduction	7	(4)
Ancient Indian Speculation on Language and Reality	11	(8)
The Beginnings of Grammar	11	(2)
Philosophical and Religious Issues Connected to Grammar	13	(6)
Early Buddhist Views on Language, Truth, and Interpretation	19	(12)
Denying the Preeminence of Any Particular Language	19	(2)
Searching for the Final Doctrine	21	(2)
Collecting and Standardizing the Teaching	23	(2)
The Growth of the Abhidharma	25	(6)
The Buddha's Word	31	(24)
The Truth behind the Multitude of Forms	31	(6)
The Buddha's Ultimate Word and Ultimate Truth	37	(8)
Definitive Sutras and Those Whose Meaning Must Be Drawn Out	45	(2)
The Quest for Interpretive Clarity	47	(8)
Two Truths	55	(30)
Statements or Objects? Existent or Nonexistent?	55	(7)
Two Truths and Four Truths	62	(4)
The Vaibhasika School and the Two Truths	66	(19)
A Gelukpa Presentation of the Two Truths in the "Sravaka"Schools	85	(48)
Acknowledgments	133	(1)
Abbreviations	134	(1)
Bibliography	135	(18)
Notes	153	(20)
Index	173