Philosophy East and West
October 1, 1993
Daniel Barbiero, Robert K. C. Forman
188 citations
A collection of essays challenges the dominant view that mystical experiences are entirely shaped by a person's prior beliefs and cultural context. Instead, the volume argues for the existence of a universal type of mystical experience called 'pure consciousness'—a state where a person remains aware but without thoughts, sensations, feelings, or any object of awareness. Part I presents evidence of such experiences reported across diverse traditions including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Part II examines the philosophical implications, concluding that no logical objections rule out the possibility of pure consciousness events.
Philosophy East and West
January 1, 2011
Jay L. Garfield
13 citations
In a philosophical exchange, Jay L. Garfield responds to Bronwyn Finnigan's critique of his earlier proposal on how a Buddhist can conceptualize a buddha's enlightened action. Garfield clarifies that his original focus was on a buddha's thought after enlightenment, not action, and that he argued Chinese Buddhism, influenced by Yogācārin and Daoist ideas, offers resources for a non-representational theory of mind that Indian Buddhism lacked. He contends that Finnigan's Davidsonic account of action—requiring action for reasons, explanation by reasons, and intentional representation—is not compatible with Buddhist philosophy and begs the question. Garfield maintains that his own proposal remains viable within a Buddhist framework.
Philosophy East and West
January 1, 2018
Robert H. Sharf
12 citations
In early Buddhist Ābhidharmika thought, non-conceptual cognition was understood as the direct apprehension of objects by the five sense consciousnesses—for example, seeing blue without the conceptual judgment 'this is blue,' which only the sixth, mind consciousness performs. Later, in post-Dignāga epistemology, non-conceptual cognition was reinterpreted as a pre-reflective, self-intimating feature of all cognitive states. This article examines the challenges early Buddhist exegetes faced in explaining immediate, non-conceptual cognition.
Philosophy East and West
January 1, 2017
Robert H. Sharf
8 citations
The text reflects on the nature of knowledge, suggesting that what one can know is limited to what they have already known, implying a boundary to understanding or experience beyond a certain point ("this side of the blue"). It presents a philosophical or poetic meditation on the constraints of knowledge and self-awareness.
Philosophy East and West
January 1, 2016
Chiara Robbiano
3 citations
This essay compares the philosophical systems of Parmenides, a Greek philosopher from the fifth century BCE, and Śaṅkara, an Indian philosopher from the eighth to ninth centuries CE. It argues that Parmenides' concept of being parallels Śaṅkara's nonduality of Brahman and ātman. The focus is on their shared methods for guiding readers to know nondual reality: both first make a distinction (krísis/viveka) between being (real, Self) and not-being (unreal, Non-self), and then use negative dialectic to test what common sense takes as fundamental characteristics of reality.
Philosophy East and West
January 1, 2016
Devasia M. Antony
1 citation
A philosophical meditation explores the concepts of play, theater, and nondualism, arguing that reality is fundamentally nondualistic and that play and theater reveal the Self through its apparent other, pluriform images. The essay extends this into social ethics, proposing that theatricality embodies ethical life and that nondualism is diametrically opposed to untouchability in theory and practice. It examines Theyyam, a celebratory divine dance form, showing how it subverts caste hierarchy and leads to an ethical imaginary.
Philosophy East and West
December 1, 2025
Ali Asghar Khosravi, Ahmad Rajabi
This cross-cultural analysis compares Hegel's concept of Geist as an all-encompassing immanent totality with Ibn 'Arabi's mystical doctrine of the Unity of Being, which emphasizes absolute transcendence and hiddenness. By connecting these views to Plato's notion of "the One" as beyond Being, the critique questions whether Hegel's totality can truly be considered absolute and argues for the philosophical necessity of transcending it to reach "the One." The work highlights limitations in Hegelian thought and explains the philosophical basis for absolute hiddenness in Islamic mysticism, aiming to bridge philosophy and mysticism by integrating mystical insight into philosophical discourse.
Philosophy East and West
August 1, 2023
Mark Fortney
Iris Murdoch argues that a central moral capacity is the ability to direct attention justly and lovingly. She examines whether Zen Buddhist meditation, as described by Katsuki Sekida, can strengthen this capacity, expressing both optimism and reservations. The author contends that Murdoch's project would have been better served by drawing on Buddhaghosa's Theravāda instructions for meditating on loving-kindness, compassion, gladness, and equanimity, as these align more closely with her own moral framework.
Philosophy East and West
January 1, 2021
Roshni Patel
Douglas Duckworth's book introduces a thematic way to understand Buddhist philosophy of mind, arguing that Madhyamaka and Mind-Only (Yogācāra) traditions share an underappreciated affinity as they orbit a common ground of nonduality. Duckworth complicates overstated characterizations of difference between these traditions, showing how emptiness in Madhyamaka reveals everything as mediated by convention, while Mind-Only discloses an immediate consciousness without duality. The book explores nonduality across topics including self-awareness, concepts, and tantric practice, presenting Mind-Only as a first-person experiential perspective and Madhyamaka as a third-person metaphysical perspective that can complement each other.
Philosophy East and West
January 1, 2019
Sonam Thakchöe
Dharmakīrti, a seventh-century Indian Buddhist philosopher, is often interpreted as a mind-body dualist based on his arguments for rebirth. This paper tests that interpretation against the rival arguments of Nāgārjuna, another major Buddhist thinker. Nāgārjuna completely rejects both Dharmakīrti's mind-body dualism and the theory of rebirth that depends on it. The analysis shows a fundamental philosophical disagreement between the two figures on the nature of mind and body.
Philosophy East and West
January 1, 2018
Sonam Thakchöe
Dharmakīrti, a seventh-century Indian Buddhist philosopher, is often interpreted as a mind-body dualist based on his arguments for rebirth. This paper tests that interpretation against the rival arguments of Nāgārjuna, an earlier Buddhist thinker. Nāgārjuna completely rejects both mind-body dualism and the theory of rebirth that depends on it. The paper thus challenges the dualist reading of Dharmakīrti by showing that a major Buddhist philosopher opposed such a position.
Philosophy East and West
January 1, 2001
James E. Miller
This edited volume on the Zhuangzi collects creative essays that emphasize the text's humor, character, and personality, resisting dry intellectualism. The essays wander across traditional academic boundaries, covering topics such as self and personhood, the authentic person, humor's transformative effects, and action in the story of Cook Ding. Some essays explore literary connections to Tang poetry and figures like Henry Miller and Milan Kundera. The volume is dedicated to Yang Yu-wei, who taught many contributors at Taiwan Normal University.