Buddhist Epistemology

151 Pages·2000·4.975 MB·English

by  S. R. Bhatt, Anu Mehrotra

BUDDHIST
EPISTEMOLOGY
S. R. Bhatt and Anu Mehrotra
Foreword by the Dalai Lama
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BUDDHIST
EPISTEMOLOGY
S. R. Bhatt and Anu Mehrotra
Foreword by the Dalai Lama
Contributions in Philosophy, Number 75
Frank J. Hoffman, Series Adviser
Westport, Connecticut • London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bhatt, S. R. (Siddheswar Rameshwar), 1939—
Buddhist epistemology / S.R.BhattandAnuMehrotra ; foreword by the Dalai Lama.
p. cm.—(Contributions in philosophy, ISSN 0084-926X ; no. 75)
Includes the text of Digniga's Nyiyamukha.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-313-31087-4 (alk. paper)
I. Knowledge, Theory of (Buddhism) 2. Digniga, 5th cent. Nyiyamukha.
3. Buddhist logic. I. DignSga, 5th cent. NySyamukha. II. Title. III. Series.
BQ4440.B53 2000 99-044513
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 2000 by S. R. Bhatt and Anu Mehrotra
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-044513
ISBN: 0-313-31087-4
ISSN: 0084-926X
First published in 2000
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Foreword by the Dalai Lama vii
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1. The Buddhist Theory of Knowledge 11
2. The Buddhist Theory of Perception 25
3. The Buddhist Theory of Inference 49
Appendix 1: Nyayapravesakasutram 101
Appendix 2: Nyayapravesakasutram (Translation) 105
Notes 111
Glossary 125
Bibliography 129
Index 135

Foreword
The Dalai Lama
When Buddha Sakyamuni attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree more
than two and a half thousand years ago, his achievement was not only the result
of having reached the peak of meditative stabilisation, of having brought great
compassion to fruition, but also of clear analytic thought. The lucid simplicity of
his subsequent teachings are ample evidence of this. And indeed he encouraged
his followers to regard even his own advice in the same rigorously critical light.
Thus, the study of logic and the nature of knowledge have been crucial to Buddhist
tradition from the outset.
These disciplines continued to develop and flourish in India after the Buddha’s
passing away, reaching their acme in the works of Vasubandhu, Dinnaga and
Dharmaklrti, which were to become seminal to studies in the great monastic
universities, such as Nalanda and Vikramasila. And it was this tradition of acute
logic and analysis that was transmitted and preserved in Tibet for more than a
thousand years, where it was employed not merely to challenge the views of
others but to ensure the clarity and authenticity of one’s own view.
Therefore, I am delighted that two distinguished contemporary Indian scholars,
Dr. S.R. Bhatt and Dr. A. Mehrotra, have written the present book on Buddhist
Epistemology, including an English translation of the “Nyaya Pravesa.” This
valuable work sheds light on abstruse topics and will allow readers to gain a
clearer appreciation of the depths of Buddhist knowledge.

Preface
The present work is an analytical exposition of the theory of knowledge as
propounded in the Dirinaga-Dharmaklrti tradition. It expounds the Buddhist theory
of knowledge in its totality.
Buddhist thinkers unanimously uphold the view that there are two kinds of
objects of knowledge, namely, the unique particular (svalaksana) and the
generalized image (samanyalaksana). Unique particular is discrete and
instantaneous being. It is unique particular in the sense that it is neither identical
nor similar to other unique particulars. It is the only objective real (paramartha
sat). As distinct from unique particular there are objects that are constructs of
our intellect and that are in the form of generalized images. They are subjective
in origin but inter subjective in nature.
On the basis of the preceding analysis Buddhist thinkers emphatically maintain
that since there are only two kinds of objects of knowldege, there are only two
kinds of knowledge (pramdtia) namely, perception (pratyaksa) and inference
(anumdna). The unique particular is amenable to perception only, whereas
generalized image is known through inference only. By implication, unique
particular can never be known through inference and generalized image can
never be known through perception. Thus, each of the two types of knowledge
has its own separate and distinct sphere of operation.
In the following pages is a discussion of Buddhist theory of knowledge,
comparing it with other schools wherever necessary.
To make the logical issues more intelligible to readers, a basic text, “Nyaya
Pravesa” is given as an appendix of the work. The text of “Nyaya Praves'a” is
generally ascribed to Dirinaga, a pioneer thinker in Buddhist theory of Knowledge.
Dirinaga provided a solid footing to Buddhist epistemology and logic and gave it
a distinctive character. He has been regarded as the father of Buddhist epistemology
X Preface
and logic in particular and of the entire medieval Indian epistemology and logic
in general. There are several works composed by him in this area, among which
“Pramana Samuccaya” and “Nyaya Praves'a” are most important. “Pramana
Samuccaya” is not available in its complete form, even though some of its chapters
have been restored from Tibetan and other sources. However “Nyaya Pravesa” is
available to us in its full form. An attempt has been made here to translate it in
English for the benefit of English language readers. The text is presented here in
Roman script with a view to have wider readership. Explanatory notes have also
been provided to clarify some knotty points.
“Nyaya Praves'a” is a classical work pertaining to the modes of knowing and
reasoning in the Buddhist tradition. For centuries it has been studied as a manual
of the Buddhist theory of knowledge in India, Tibet, China, and other countries.
It provides a foundation to the famous Buddhist art of debate (yada-vidhi). There
are several Tibetan and Chinese commentaries and sub-commentaries on “Nyaya
Praves'a” apart from the ones in Sanskrit. This accounts for its significance and
popularity among classical scholars.
In a cryptic, but succinct, manner “Nyaya Praves'a” presents Dirinaga’s views
on the nature of perception and inference and their fallacies. It also elaborately
discusses the modes of argumentation and refutation along with their fallacies.
We are grateful to Greenwood Publishing Group and its staff and to
Dr. Hoffman who introduced this work to Greenwood. Our thanks are also due to
Indian Council of Philosophical Research for providing financial assistance for
the preparation of the work.