Universität Wien
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142144 SE The four Nobles’ Truths in Indian Buddhist epistemology (2022S)

10.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 14 - Orientalistik, Afrikanistik, Indologie und Tibetologie
Continuous assessment of course work

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 36 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes

Mo, 15:00-17:00, SR 3, geblockt von 4.4.-13.6.

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The Nobles’ four Truths, namely the nature of suffering, its cause, its cessation, and the path to its cessation, are one of the central teachings of the Buddhist doctrine. Dharmakīrti (6th-7th? century), one of the most influential philosophers of South Asia, discussed the four Truths in the Pramāṇavārttika. In this course we will read and analyse selected portions of this discussion together with relevant excerpts from commentaries in Sanskrit and in Tibetan translation.
Providing examples of religious-philosophical discussions, the course aims to develop skills in analysing and translating Indian philosophical texts. Furthermore, it aims to expand the ability to apply the historical-philological method to Buddhist philosophical works.

Assessment and permitted materials

The texts to be prepared and revised from week to week, a written short analysis of the text, and a written final paper that will be also presented as an informal talk.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Active participation in class 30% and homework 50%. A final written and oral examination 20%.

Examination topics

The texts presented and read in class.

Reading list

Course material will be provided during the classes.

Preliminary readings:
● Gethin’s chapter of the four Truths in his The Foundations of Buddhism
● Norman’s articles.
● Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta in the Saṃyutta Nikāya.

Some readings:
● Franco, Eli, 2015. “Summary of the Pramāṇasiddhi-chapter of the Pramāṇavārttika”. In: K. H. Potter (ed.), with an Introduction by Eli Franco and Karen Lang, Buddhist Philosophy from 600 to 750 A.D. (Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies 21). Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, pp. 297-354.
● Gethin, Rupert, 1998. The Foundations of Buddhism. OUP, Oxford.
● Moriyama, Shinya, 2004. Omniscience and Religious Authority. A Study on Prajnakaragupta's Pramanavarttikalankarabhasya ad Pramanavarttika II 8-10 and 29-33. LIT, Leipzig etc.
● Norman, K. R., 1982. “The Four Noble Truths: A Problem of Pāli Syntax”. In: Indological and Buddhist Studies, Volume in Honour of Professor J. W. de Jong on his 60th Birthday. Sri Satguru, Delhi, pp. 377−391.
● Norman, K. R., 2008. “Why are the Four Truths called ‘Noble’?”. In: Collected Papers IV, pp. 171-175.
● Ono, Motoi, 2000. Prajnakaraguptas Erklarung Der Definition Gultiger Erkenntnis. (Pramanavarttikalamkara Zu Pramanavarttika II 1-7). Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, Wien.
● Prajñākaragupta Studies (online journal) – selected articles
(https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/prajnakaragupta/1/0/_contents/-char/en).
● Tillemans, Tom J.F., 2017, “Dharmakīrti”. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2017 Edition), E. N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2017/entries/-dharmakiirti/>.
● Vetter, Tilmann, 1990, Der Buddha und seine Lehre in Dharmakīrti's Pramāṇavārttika. ATBS, Wien (1st ed. 1984).

Association in the course directory

MATB6

Last modified: Tu 13.09.2022 05:08