Nonduality of Madhyamaka and Yogācāra
Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy of Mind and Nature January 4, 2019 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780190883959.003.0003 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMadhyamaka and Mind-Only schools of Buddhist thought offer different descriptions of reality, one focusing on objects and the other on subjects. Mind-Only emphasizes subjective experience as the basis for understanding the world, while Madhyamaka challenges the idea of a fixed objective world by showing how all conceptual constructions are contingent. These two perspectives are mutually dependent and share a common foundation, revealing a deeper unity between ontology and phenomenology.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Argues that Madhyamaka and Mind-Only offer distinct but mutually entailed depictions of the world, with Mind-Only highlighting subjective orientations and Madhyamaka undermining objective constructions. |
Abstract
This chapter shows the ways that Madhyamaka and Mind-Only can be seen to offer distinct depictions of the world, framed in terms of a relationship between ontology and phenomenology. The perspectives offered by ontology and phenomenology can be understood as taking their starting points in object-oriented and subject-oriented modes of inquiry, respectively. Mind-Only highlights the subjective orientations to a world; Madhyamaka undermines the finality of any object-ive world picture by highlighting the contingency of all object-ifying constructions. It will be shown how these perspectives are mutually entailed and thus can be seen to share a common ground.