Buddhism: A Philosophical Approach

by Cyrus Panjvani

This book philosophically introduces the basic truths, doctrines, and principles of Buddhism. Its goal is to explain the teachings of the Buddha and of Buddhism clearly and consistently. Though the book treads beyond the Buddha’s life, including into the Abhidharma and Mahayana traditions, it remains throughout a philosophical discussion and elaboration of the Buddha’s thought. It is meant to be an accessible guide for those who have no background in Buddhism, and to be beneficial to the philosophical understanding of those who do.

Genres: Buddhism, Philosophy, Nonfiction

328 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2013

Reviews

[Kamakana · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you like this review i now have website: www.michaelkamakana.com

090416 this is exactly what it says: philosophical. not so much explanation of Buddhist practice, ways, but from a 'western' philosophical perspective, therefore arguments, logical concepts, logical disputes, so this is not too religious or Buddhism as a faith...

this is well organized: sections broken into chapters, starting with some Indian context, some on the life of the Buddha, then chapters on each of the four noble truths, then on doctrines of no-self, on impermanence, on dependent origination, on the continuity but not identity of karma, on the Dharma and dharmas, on the ineffability of nirvana, on use of skillful means- basic knowledge such that this book need not be preceded by a lot of readings on Buddhism...

i might have some disputes with the premises of his arguments, particularly primacy of philosophical motifs/basics in ‘western’ thought, but it is good to have all these chapters, all this close inspection, as for a reader of philosophy in western tradition, and though it is Hume, Berkeley, who are employed here, empiricism, naturalism, materialism as epistemological strategy paralleled with Buddhist insight, with resulting in transcendental idealism say Kant, this work reminds me most of Schopenhauer, especially in compassion. the level of intense empirical scrutiny of the world, both physical and psychic, the world and the mind, is never more described elsewhere, and that this should lead from interdependence to emptiness is explained chapter after chapter...

i can certainly also see close relationship with all the phenomenology i have read, also arguing it is the perceived world and psychology of the aggregates, of the indivisible dharmas, that must be seen and understood- not the scientific description of the world. this defines however precise our physics becomes Buddhism will never be subsumed or dated, this is a different understanding of ultimate components, indivisible, essential, in all the dharmas rather than subatomistic in waves and particles... (this is just me wondering, after having read bergson and Buddhism: is not the correct way of looking at it, that particles are space and waves are time?)...and arguments, not just ‘western’ that focuses on the ideas of causality and karma and persistence versus transience, seem to me, after bergson, to be caught up in that human tendency of equating time with space, of time as moments rather than duration- which can obviously be real but also obviously transient...

this might be a great work to begin trying Buddhism. certainly it shows how rigorous and complex and essential what we 'westerners' think of as philosophical thinking, can be useful in this way. again this use of intellect and motivation of emotions is all directed to alleviating human suffering, not removing pain- which might be impossible to do, such as death- but essentially suffering, which seems to be all attitude from mistakenly craving and insisting on self-being, though this is not proto-existentialist... these aggregates, these skandhas, built of indivisible dharmas, are how this way of thought focuses on human life...

there are images previously familiar, such as the raft that bears you across a river but now must be left behind, the chariot which demonstrates interdependence and later emptiness, and then one unknown in the burning house defence of skillful means and the distinction of skillful means, the difference of conventional and ultimate truths, then some on the roles or paths an adept takes from arhat to bodhisattva, and overall a good introduction to Buddhism... yes there are so many books to read and so little time...

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Buddhism: A Philosophical Approach
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Buddhism as Philosophy: An Introduction
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After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
What the Buddha Thought
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment
Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings
Buddhism as Philosophy: An Introduction
Self, No Self?: Perspectives from Analytical, Phenomenological, and Indian Traditions
After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
Philosophers of Nothingness: An Essay on the Kyoto School
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Nishida And Western Philosophy
Buddhism: A Philosophical Approach
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Why I Am Not a Buddhist
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[Lukas Kozakiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great source for covering the background and philosophy behind Buddhism