Origin and Emptiness: A Critique of the Buddha-Nature Thought

Author: [Japan] Matsumoto Shiro
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Since the 1980s, a critical Buddhist movement has emerged in Japan's Buddhist community, centered around Daitoku-ji University in the tradition, 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 Japanese academia and religious circles but has also influenced Western and Chinese-speaking academic communities. This book, along with Katsuya Kurosu's Critique of the Thought of Original Enlightenment, forms two landmark works of the critical Buddhist movement. Originally, the book consisted of eight academic essays intended to argue for the core Buddhist concepts of "pratītyasamutpāda" (interdependent origination) and "?ūnyatā" (emptiness). After discussions with the author, Matsumoto Shiro, the translation omits two essays that are limited to Japanese domestic topics, selecting six essays instead to present to readers. The hope is that this will enable the Chinese academic community to more quickly and accurately understand the true nature of the critical Buddhist movement.