There is a class of scholars who are of the opinion that Buddhism in general, and Madhyamaka of Nagarjuna in particular, is not only deconstructionistic in orientation, but also nihilistic in content. How far this assertion is tenable or valid depends from what perspective we look at the Middle Way philosophy of Nagarjuna. While analysing the general orientation of Buddhist thought, Prof. Murti shows that Nagarjuna's philosophy, although deconstructionistic in its approach, is not at all nihilistic in orientation.
The Central Philosophy of Buddhism, A Study of Madhyamika System, T.R.V. Murti, Munshiram Manoharial, New Delhi, 2003, Paperback, 372 pp. $27.00
T.R.V Murti was an original and leading thinker among the Indian philosophers of the twentieth century. He had a brilliant philosophical mind, a love of analysis and argument, and a respect for texts, especially the ones with which he disagreed, as seen in his most important book, The Central Philosophy of Buddhism. With both traditional "Shastri" training and a Western style Ph.D., Murti was able to bring both strengths to his writing and teaching. Murti knew everything by heart, all the Sutra texts, the Upanisads and other philosophical classics, Panini's grammar, and Patanjali's "Great Commentary" and other core texts. Upon that foundation, he evaluated doctrines and ideas. Though a philosopher of the classical type, he was also alive to the latest philosophical currents of his day and effectively related the wisdom of traditional teaching to contemporary questions. It was this last quality that made him a most sought after teacher by students from around the globe. Murti spoke with such eloquence and authority that few would dare to interrupt him. He represented the best of the Indian philosophical tradition to the world through his teaching at places such as Oxford, Copenhagen, Harvard, Hawaii, and McMaster University in Canada.
Contents:
I. Origin and Development of the Madhyamika Philosophy:
1. The two traditions in Indian philosophy.
2. The 'Silence' of the Buddha and the beginnings of the dialectic.
3. Development of the two traditions and the emergence of the Madhyamika system.
4. The influence of the Madhyamika dialectic.
II. The Dialectic as System of Philosophy:
5. The structure of the Madhyamika dialectic.
6. Some objections against the dialectic considered.
7. Application of the dialectic.
8. The Madhyamika conception of philosophy as Prajna-Paramita
. 9. Absolute and phenomena.
10. Dialectic and freedom.
11. Absolute and Tathagata.
III. The Madhyamika and Allied Systems:
12. The Madhyamika and some western dialectical systems.
13. The Madhyamika, Vijnanavada and Vedanta absolutism.
14. The Madhyamika system--an estimate.
Glossary of Sanskrt terms.
Appendix (A note on Sunyata). vIndex.
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