Reason’s Traces: Identity and Interpretation in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist Thought

The encounter between Western scholarship and Buddhist philosophy has been a longstanding one. In this valuable new contribution, Matthew Kapstein asserts that if Buddhism is to emerge as a viable current in Western thought, its point of departure will have to be sustained and critical reflection upon its ideals of the ‘good’ within our contemporary context. In a sense, therefore, Buddhist philosophy, despite its great and ancient history, remains as yet ‘a project unborn’. Reason’s Traces addresses some of the key questions in the study of Indian and Tibetan Buddhist thought: the analysis of personal identity and of the ultimate reality, the interpretations of Tantric texts and traditions, and Tibetan approaches to the interpretation of Indian sources. Drawing on a wide range of sources, Reason’s Traces reflects current work in philosophical analysis and hermeneutics, inviting readers to explore the relationship between philosophy and spiritual traditions in a Buddhist context. Included here are new and accessible translations of original texts by the major Buddhist philosophers: Vasubandhu on personal identity, Bhavaviveka on mantras, and the last of the great Indian Buddhist masters, Abhayakaragupta, on ultimate and relative truth. Broad in its scope, the book moves from reflections on important Buddhist philosophical texts to learned speculation on Tantric rituals. A major contribution to scholarship in the field of Buddhist philosophy, this book will be read with great interest by scholars and students of philosophy, comparative religion, those undertaking Buddhist studies, and lay readers interested in knowing more about the vast world of Buddhist thought and tradition.