Origin and Emptiness (Critique of the Thought of Tathagatagarbha)

Author: (Japanese) Matsumoto Shiro, translated by Xiao Ping, Yang Jinping
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Since the 1980s, a critical Buddhist movement has emerged in Japan's Buddhist community, centered around Daitoku-ji University of the (Shingon School), which reinterprets and evaluates Indian Mahayana Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, and Japanese Buddhism from the perspective of early Buddhism (primitive Buddhism). This movement has not only caused a stir in Japan's academic and religious circles but has also influenced academia in the West and the Chinese-speaking world. This book, along with Katsuharu Kuroya's Critique of the Thought of Original Enlightenment, forms two landmark works of the critical Buddhist movement. The original book consisted of eight academic papers intended to argue for the core Buddhist concepts of "pratītyasamutpāda" (interdependent origination) and "?ūnyatā" (emptiness). After consulting with the author, Matsumoto Shiro, the translation omits two papers that are limited to Japanese domestic topics, selecting six instead to present to readers. The hope is that this will allow the Chinese academic community to more quickly and accurately understand the true nature of the critical Buddhist movement.