Jñānagarbha and the “God's‐eye view”
Asian Philosophy November 1, 1996 DOI: 10.1080/09552369608575443 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | Argues that Jñānagarbha's paradoxical formulations arise from the logical incompleteness of formal systems and that the paradox serves as a direction arrow pointing to what can only be realized in mystical experience. Putnam's discussion of Nietzsche's remark is used only to illustrate the logical form of Jñānagarbha's argumentation, not to compare doctrinal contents. |
Abstract
In trying to define the difference between conventional and ultimate truth, the Mādhyamika Buddhist author Jñānagarbha ends up in paradoxical formulations. Putnam's discussion of Nietzsche's remark that “as the circle of science grows larger it touches paradox at more places” is presented as an illustration for Jñānagarbha's case. No comparison of Putnam and Jñānagarbha is intended as regards the contents of their presentations, the focus being only on the logical form of their argumentation. The paradoxical nature of Jñānagarbha's doctrinal system is explained to derive from the logical incompleteness of formal systems. The paradox is also explained to work as a direction arrow pointing to what can only be realised in a mystical experience.