Given its vast literature and its practice of teaching what is appropriate for a particular disciple, the Buddhist tradition has long had to wrestle with the question of which of his many scriptures represented the Buddha's highest view. In response to that problem, Buddhist commentators developed sophisticated systems of interpretation, Buddhist hermeneutics. The present volume of essays by leading Western Buddhologists surveys the rich variety of strategies employed by Buddhist thinkers of India, China, Tibet, and Japan to interpret their sacred texts.

Buddhist Hermeneutics, Donald Lopez, ed., University of Hawaii Press, Paperback, 298 pages, $20.00

Donald Sewell Lopez Jr. is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished university professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan, in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.

Conents:

Introduction

Assessment of Textual Interpretaton in Buddhism

The Gradual Path as a Hermeneutical Approach to the Dharma

On the iNterpretation of the Mahayana Sutras

Killing, Lying, Stealing, and Adultery: A Problem of Interpretation in the Tantras

Vajra Hermeneutics

Mipham's Theory of Interpretation

Hermeneutical Phases in Chinese B uddhism

What Happened to the Perfect Teaching? Another Look at Hua-yen buddhist Hermeneutics

Ch'an Hermeneutics: A Korean View

Truth Words: The Basis of Kukai's Theory of INterpretation

Shinran's Proofs of True Buddhism

Contributors
Index