
Dignaga's Investigation of the Percept
A Philosophical Legacy in India and Tibet
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 8. December 2016
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-0-19-062370-8 (ISBN)
Description
Investigation of the Percept is a short (eight verses and a three page autocommentary) work that focuses on issues of perception and epistemology. Its author, Dignaga, was one of the most influential figures in the Indian Buddhist epistemological tradition, and his ideas had a profound and wide-ranging impact in India, Tibet, and China. The work inspired more than twenty commentaries throughout East Asia and three in Tibet, the most recent in 2014.
This book is the first of its kind in Buddhist studies: a comprehensive history of a text and its commentarial tradition. The volume editors translate the root text and commentary, along with Indian and Tibetan commentaries, providing detailed analyses of the commentarial innovations of each author, as well as critically edited versions of all texts and extant Sanskrit fragments of passages. The team-based approach made it possible to study and translate a corpus of treatises in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese and to employ the methods of critical philology and cross-cultural philosophy to provide readers with a rich collection of studies and translations, along with detailed philosophical analyses that open up the intriguing implications of Dignaga's thought and demonstrate the diversity of commentarial approaches to his text.
This rich text has inspired some of the greatest minds in India and Tibet. It explores some of the key issues of Buddhist epistemology: the relationship between minds and their percepts, the problems of idealism and realism, and error and misperception.
This book is the first of its kind in Buddhist studies: a comprehensive history of a text and its commentarial tradition. The volume editors translate the root text and commentary, along with Indian and Tibetan commentaries, providing detailed analyses of the commentarial innovations of each author, as well as critically edited versions of all texts and extant Sanskrit fragments of passages. The team-based approach made it possible to study and translate a corpus of treatises in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese and to employ the methods of critical philology and cross-cultural philosophy to provide readers with a rich collection of studies and translations, along with detailed philosophical analyses that open up the intriguing implications of Dignaga's thought and demonstrate the diversity of commentarial approaches to his text.
This rich text has inspired some of the greatest minds in India and Tibet. It explores some of the key issues of Buddhist epistemology: the relationship between minds and their percepts, the problems of idealism and realism, and error and misperception.
Reviews / Votes
[A]n overall outstanding contribution to the study of Dignaga's Yogacara philosophy and its Tibetan reception in the Dge lugs pa school. The present monograph will be a starting point for any future study of the Tibetan reception of the Investigation of the Percept. * Reading Religion *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
652 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-062370-8 (9780190623708)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Dignaga's Investigation of the Percept
A Philosophical Legacy in India and Tibet
Book
12/2016
Oxford University Press Inc
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Douglas Duckworth | Malcolm David Eckel
Dignaga's Investigation of the Percept
A Philosophical Legacy in India and Tibet
E-Book
11/2016
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€29.49
Available for download

Douglas Duckworth | Malcolm David Eckel
Dignaga's Investigation of the Percept
A Philosophical Legacy in India and Tibet
E-Book
11/2016
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€29.49
Available for download
Persons
Douglas Duckworth is Assistant Professor in the Department of Religion at Temple University.
Malcolm David Eckel is a Professor of Religion and Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Religion at Boston University.
Jay L. Garfield is Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Professor of Humanities and Head of Studies in Philosophy at Yale-NUS College, Professor of Philosophy at the National University of Singapore, Recurrent Visiting Professor of Philosophy at Yale University, Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy at Smith College, Professor of Philosophy at Melbourne University and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the Central University of Tibetan Studies.
John Powers is Professor of Asian Studies in the School of Culture, History and Language in the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities.
Yeshes Thabkhas is Professor Emeritus of Indian Buddhist Philosophy at the Central University of Tibetan Studies.
Sonam Thakchoee is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy in the School of Humanities at the University of Tasmania and Director of the University of Tasmania Buddhist Studies in India Program.
Malcolm David Eckel is a Professor of Religion and Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Religion at Boston University.
Jay L. Garfield is Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Professor of Humanities and Head of Studies in Philosophy at Yale-NUS College, Professor of Philosophy at the National University of Singapore, Recurrent Visiting Professor of Philosophy at Yale University, Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy at Smith College, Professor of Philosophy at Melbourne University and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the Central University of Tibetan Studies.
John Powers is Professor of Asian Studies in the School of Culture, History and Language in the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities.
Yeshes Thabkhas is Professor Emeritus of Indian Buddhist Philosophy at the Central University of Tibetan Studies.
Sonam Thakchoee is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy in the School of Humanities at the University of Tasmania and Director of the University of Tasmania Buddhist Studies in India Program.
Edited and translated
Assistant Professor, Department of ReligionAssistant Professor, Department of Religion, Temple University
Professor of Religion and Director of the Institute for Philosophy and ReligionProfessor of Religion and Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Religion, Boston University
Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Professor of Humanities and Head of Studies in PhilosophyKwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Professor of Humanities and Head of Studies in Philosophy, Yale-NUS College
Professor of Asian Studies in the School of Culture, Hisotry and LanguageProfessor of Asian Studies in the School of Culture, Hisotry and Language, Australian National University
Professor Emeritus of Indian Buddhist PhilosophyProfessor Emeritus of Indian Buddhist Philosophy, Central University of Tibetan Studies
Senior Lecturer in PhilosophySenior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Tasmania
Content
Acknowledgments
The Research Team
Introduction
Part I. Studies and Translations
1. The Subject Matter of Investigation of the Percept: A Tale of Five Commentaries
Malcolm David Eckel, Jay L. Garfield, and John Powers
2. Investigation of the Percept
Dign=aga
3. Autocommentary to Investigation of the Percept
Dign=aga
4. "To Please Beginners": Vinitdadeva's Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept in its Indian Context
Malcolm David Eckel
5. Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept
Vinitadeva
6. Introduction to Ornament for Dign=aga's Thought in Investigation of the Percept
Douglas Duckworth
7. Ornament for Dign=aga's Thought in Investigation of the Percept
Gung thang dKon mchog bstan pa'i sgron me
8. Ngawang Dendar's Commentary
John Powers
9. Beautiful String of Pearls: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept
Ngag dbang bstan dar
10. Introduction to Summary of the Essence: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept
Jay L. Garfield, John Powers, and Sonam Thakchoee
11. Summary of the Essence: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept
Yeshes Thabkhas
Part II. Tibetan Texts
Investigation of the Percept and Its Autocommentary: The Tibetan Texts
12. Investigation of the Percept (Alambana-pariksa)
Dign=aga
13. Autocommentary to Investigation of the Percept (Alambana-pariksa-vrtti)
Dign=aga
14. Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept: The Tibetan Text
15. Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept (Alambana-pariksa-tika)
Vinitadeva
16. Ornament for Dign=aga's Thought Regarding Investigation of the Percept: Tibetan Text
17. Ornament for Dign=aga's Thought Regarding Investigation of the Percept (dMigs pa brtag pa'i 'grel pa phyogs glang dgongs rgyan)
Gung thang dKon mchog bstan pa'i sgron me
18. Beautiful String of Pearls: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept: Tibetan Text
19. Beautiful String of Pearls: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept (dMigs pa brtag pa'i 'grel pa mu tig 'phreng mdzes)
Ngag dbang bstan dar
20. Summary of the Essence: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept (dMigs brtag 'grel pa snying po bsdus pa)
Yeshes Thabkhas
English-Tibetan-Sanskrit Glossary
Bibliography
Index
The Research Team
Introduction
Part I. Studies and Translations
1. The Subject Matter of Investigation of the Percept: A Tale of Five Commentaries
Malcolm David Eckel, Jay L. Garfield, and John Powers
2. Investigation of the Percept
Dign=aga
3. Autocommentary to Investigation of the Percept
Dign=aga
4. "To Please Beginners": Vinitdadeva's Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept in its Indian Context
Malcolm David Eckel
5. Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept
Vinitadeva
6. Introduction to Ornament for Dign=aga's Thought in Investigation of the Percept
Douglas Duckworth
7. Ornament for Dign=aga's Thought in Investigation of the Percept
Gung thang dKon mchog bstan pa'i sgron me
8. Ngawang Dendar's Commentary
John Powers
9. Beautiful String of Pearls: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept
Ngag dbang bstan dar
10. Introduction to Summary of the Essence: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept
Jay L. Garfield, John Powers, and Sonam Thakchoee
11. Summary of the Essence: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept
Yeshes Thabkhas
Part II. Tibetan Texts
Investigation of the Percept and Its Autocommentary: The Tibetan Texts
12. Investigation of the Percept (Alambana-pariksa)
Dign=aga
13. Autocommentary to Investigation of the Percept (Alambana-pariksa-vrtti)
Dign=aga
14. Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept: The Tibetan Text
15. Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept (Alambana-pariksa-tika)
Vinitadeva
16. Ornament for Dign=aga's Thought Regarding Investigation of the Percept: Tibetan Text
17. Ornament for Dign=aga's Thought Regarding Investigation of the Percept (dMigs pa brtag pa'i 'grel pa phyogs glang dgongs rgyan)
Gung thang dKon mchog bstan pa'i sgron me
18. Beautiful String of Pearls: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept: Tibetan Text
19. Beautiful String of Pearls: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept (dMigs pa brtag pa'i 'grel pa mu tig 'phreng mdzes)
Ngag dbang bstan dar
20. Summary of the Essence: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept (dMigs brtag 'grel pa snying po bsdus pa)
Yeshes Thabkhas
English-Tibetan-Sanskrit Glossary
Bibliography
Index