Books by James Duerlinger
Newcontraintro.doc The standard view of the Prāsavgika Mādhyamikas, who believe that they are pre... more Newcontraintro.doc The standard view of the Prāsavgika Mādhyamikas, who believe that they are presenting the view of Candrakīrti, is that all Buddhist philosophers other than the followers of Candrakīrti think that if the self were a mental construction that exists in dependence on a collection of aggregates, it would not exist at all, since they believe
Translation of Plato's Sophist
If there is no self [other than the aggregates], how an action produces its result and why anothe... more If there is no self [other than the aggregates], how an action produces its result and why another result that requires maturation does not arise again from a result that requires maturation: Sections 4.14-4.14.1 [R, pp. 108-110] 1. The Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas' explanation of how an action that no longer exists can produce a result in the future (R, p. 108) They claim that since a self [other than the aggregates] is the underlying support of the merit or demerit produced by the action and this merit or demerit directly causes the result, an action that no longer exists can produce a result in the future.
Oct 18 Thu How, if there is no self [other than the aggregates], mental states can have an underl... more Oct 18 Thu How, if there is no self [other than the aggregates], mental states can have an underlying support; how, if there is no self [other than the aggregates], there can be a reason to undertake an action; whether "I" is applied only figuratively to a body that acts on behalf of a self [other than the aggregates]; how, if there is no self [other than the aggregates] to possess a mind, an "I" can be conceived; and how, if there is no self [other than the aggregates], there can be an underlying support for feelings to come to be: Sections 4.8-4.11 1. The Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas' argument for the existence of a self [other than the aggregates] and Vasubandhu's reply to this argument (R, p. 104)
1 Oct 11 Thu The debate over the Buddha's fourteen unanswered questions: Sections 3.5-3.10 [R, pp... more 1 Oct 11 Thu The debate over the Buddha's fourteen unanswered questions: Sections 3.5-3.10 [R, pp. 89-95] 1. What the fourteen unanswered questions are (R, pp. 89-90) a. Whether we are other than our bodies or the same as our bodies. b. Whether the world is eternal, not eternal, both, or neither. c. Whether the world has an end, does not have an end, both, or neither. d. Whether a Buddha exists after death, does not exist after death, both, or neither 2. The Pudgalavādins' objection to Vasubandhu's thesis that we are our aggregates because the Buddha did not answer the question of whether we are or are not other than our bodies, and Vasubandhu's reply (R, pp. 89-90)
Oct 04 Thu The Pudgalavādins' theory of how persons are known to exist and its rejection by Vasub... more Oct 04 Thu The Pudgalavādins' theory of how persons are known to exist and its rejection by Vasubandhu: Sections 2.5-2.5.2.2 [R, pp. 77-80] 1. The Pudgalavādins' account of how persons are known to exist by all six consciousnesses (R, pp. 77-78)
Vasubandhu's objections to the Pudgalavādins' attempt to save the analogy to fire and fuel; Vasub... more Vasubandhu's objections to the Pudgalavādins' attempt to save the analogy to fire and fuel; Vasubandhu on how the Pudgalavādins' theory of inexplicable persons is inconsistent with their theory that there are five kinds of objects known to exist; Vasubandhu's perceptual-dilemma objection to their theory of persons; the Pudgalavādins' account of how we are conceived in reliance upon the aggregates and Vasubandhu's objection to it: Sections 2.1.5.1-2.4 [R, pp. 75-77] 1. Vasubandhu's objections to the Pudgalavādins' attempt to save the analogy to fire and fuel by their identification of (i) fire with the heat present in burning material and (ii) fuel with the three elements of earth, air, and water that conjointly arise with fire in burning material (R, pp. 75-76) Vasubandhu's first objection is that even in this case fire and fuel are other than one another, since they will have different defining properties.
Though with little practice of the Bodhisattva way of life, I have been blessed by teachings on t... more Though with little practice of the Bodhisattva way of life, I have been blessed by teachings on the Bodhi sattva's path from its accomplished practitioners, and in dependence upon their teachings, here, in accord with the venerable Buddhist tradition of explaining the path in verse, I humbly offer a treatise called The Bodhisattva Sutra. Prologue A poet I am not, since without linguistic proficiency. May the song in my heart compensate for this great deficiency. Its verses were composed by the power of love and compassion for all suffering beings who live in a samsaric fashion. 1 Here is another song that's sung about the Bodhisattva's path. It expresses a heartfelt prayer that all avoid their karmic wrath. 2 Since when first taught in a way that today is not applicable, 3 I have asked the Bodhisattva to teach a path more suitable. Request for Teachings Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva, 4 born of compassion and wisdom, free of selfish thought and action, wellversed on the path to freedom, divine is your life of compassionate activity. With attachment to self, for you, no longer a constraint, by the thought of us awakening, you sustain your life, for it is that we suffer that's your principal complaint. To you we all go for refuge in prayer. Teach us now your path to freedom from pain. Show us the wisdom that lives for others from a new perspective we can retain. We live in a world, modern in culture, where old myths are dead and science prevails, religion is dogma, amusement reigns, and past accomplishments seem tall tales. 5 How, Bodhisattva, can your presence be felt? What are you now, to us, in our modern age? How, as we are, can your teachings be practiced? Of your book of skillful means, please turn the page.
Correct reasoning and scripture have been employed above to explain the selflessness of phenomena... more Correct reasoning and scripture have been employed above to explain the selflessness of phenomena. In what follows an explanation of the selflessness of persons is presented.
Translation and commentary for verses 120-165 and their commentary by Candrakirti in chapter six ... more Translation and commentary for verses 120-165 and their commentary by Candrakirti in chapter six of his Introduction to the Middle Way. Published December, 2012 by Routledge.
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Books by James Duerlinger