The practice and theory of introductory Buddhist logic and epistemology, as found in Tibetan Buddhism, is the focus of this clear and thorough exposition. An essential prerequisite in Tibetan philosophical studies is ascertainment of the procedure in debate, for debate is the investigative technique used throughout Tibetan education to lead students into Buddhist philosophy and to increase their sharpness and analytical capacities. Also, since a significant part of the Tibetan commentarial tradition incorporates the debate style as the principal means of explaining philosophy, in order to understand the various philosophical stances in Tibetan religious studies it is essential to apprehend the procedure in debate.

Debate in Tibetan Buddhism, Daniel E. Perdue, Snow Lion Publications, 938 pages, $75.00

Daniel Perdue (1950-2013) was a 1983 graduate of the University of Virginia's prestigious PhD program in Buddhist Studies, where he studied basic debate procedures under Lati Rinpoche, Denma Locho Rinpoche, and Kensur Yeshi Thupten. Perdue followed up on his study of Buddhist debate in America with travel to Geshe Rabten's Tharpa Choeling Monastery in Switzerland and the four main Ge-luk-ba monasteries reestablished in India. Subsequently, he wrote a dissertation on Tibetan Buddhist debate with thesis director Professor Jeffrey Hopkins. After graduating, he furthered his understanding of Buddhist debate with nearly three years of additional research with Tibetan scholars exiled in India. Perdue has taught the procedures and topics of Buddhist debate at numerous colleges, including Antioch University's program in Buddhist Studies in Bodh Gaya, India; Virginia Tech; North Carolina State University; Sweet Briar College; Washington and Lee University; the College of William and Mary; James Madison University; and Virginia Commonwealth University; as well as at Buddhist centers in America and Europe. He is the author of Debate in Tibetan Buddhism and was a board member of the UMA Institute for Tibetan Studies.