Dignāga's investigation of the percept : a philosophical legacy in India and Tibet

Investigation of the Percept is a short (eight verses and a three page autocommentary) work that focuses on issues of perception and epistemology. Its author, Dignaga, was one of the most influential figures in the Indian Buddhist epistemological tradition, and his ideas had a profound and wide-ranging impact in India, Tibet, and China. The work inspired more than twenty commentaries throughout East Asia and three in Tibet, the most recent in 2014. This book is the first of its kind in Buddhist studies: a comprehensive history of a text and its commentarial tradition. The volume editors translate the root text and commentary, along with Indian and Tibetan commentaries, providing detailed analyses of the commentarial innovations of each author, as well as critically edited versions of all texts and extant Sanskrit fragments of passages. The team-based approach made it possible to study and translate a corpus of treatises in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese and to employ the methods of critical philology and cross-cultural philosophy to provide readers with a rich collection of studies and translations, along with detailed philosophical analyses that open up the intriguing implications of Dignaga's thought and demonstrate the diversity of commentarial approaches to his text. This rich text has inspired some of the greatest minds in India and Tibet. It explores some of the key issues of Buddhist epistemology: the relationship between minds and their percepts, the problems of idealism and realism, and error and misperception While A Short Work Of Only Eight Verses And A Three-page Autocommentary, The Investigation Of The Percept Has Inspired Epistemologists For Centuries And Has Had A Wide-ranging Impact In India, Tibet, And China. Dignaga, One Of The Major Figures In Buddhist Epistemology, Explores Issues Such As The Relation Between The Mind And Its Percepts, The Problems Of Idealism And Realism, And The Nature Of Intentionality In This Brief But Profound Text. This Volume Provides A Comprehensive History Of The Text In India And Tibet From 5th Century India To The Present Day. This Team Of Philologists, Historians Of Religion And Philosophers Who Specialize In Tibetan, Sanskrit And Chinese Philosophical Literature Has Produced The First Study Of The Text And Its Entire Commentarial Tradition. Their Approach Makes It Possible To Employ The Methods Of Critical Philology And Cross-cultural Philosophy To Provide Readers With A Rich Collection Of Studies And Translations, Along With Detailed Philosophical Analyses That Open Up The Intriguing Implications Of Dignaga's Thought And Demonstrate The Diversity Of Commentarial Approaches To His Text. The Comprehensive Nature Of The Work Reveals The Richness Of Commentary In Indian And Tibetan Buddhism And Shows Surprising Parallels Between The Modern West And Traditional Buddhist Philosophy.-- Machine Generated Contents Note: -- Acknowledgments -- The Research Team -- Introduction -- part I. Studies And Translations -- 1. The Subject Matter Of Investigation Of The Percept: A Tale Of Five Commentaries -- Malcolm David Eckel, Jay L. Garfield, And John Powers -- 2. Investigation Of The Percept -- Dignaga -- 3. Autocommentary To Investigation Of The Percept -- Dignaga -- 4. To Please Beginners: Vinitdadeva's Subcommentary On Investigation Of The Percept In Its Indian Context -- Malcolm David Eckel -- 5. Subcommentary On Investigation Of The Percept -- Vinitadeva -- 6. Introduction To Ornament For Dignaga's Thought In Investigation Of The Percept -- Douglas Duckworth -- 7. Ornament For Dignaga's Thought In Investigation Of The Percept -- Gung Thang Dkon Mchog Bstan Pa'i Sgron Me -- 8. Ngawang Dendar's Commentary -- John Powers -- 9. Beautiful String Of Pearls: A Commentary On Investigation Of The Percept -- Ngag Dbang Bstan Dar --^ 10. Introduction To Summary Of The Essence: A Commentary On Investigation Of The Percept -- Jay L. Garfield, John Powers, And Sonam Thakchöe -- 11. Summary Of The Essence: A Commentary On Investigation Of The Percept -- Yeshes Thabkhas -- part Ii. Tibetan Texts -- Investigation Of The Percept And Its Autocommentary: The Tibetan Texts -- 12. Investigation Of The Percept (alambana-pariksa) -- Dignaga -- 13. Autocommentary To Investigation Of The Percept (alambana-pariksa-vrtti) -- Dignaga -- 14. Subcommentary On Investigation Of The Percept: The Tibetan Text -- 15. Subcommentary On Investigation Of The Percept (alambana-pariksa-tika) -- Vinitadeva -- 16. Ornament For Dignaga's Thought Regarding Investigation Of The Percept: Tibetan Text -- 17. Ornament For Dignaga's Thought Regarding Investigation Of The Percept (dmigs Pa Brtag Pa'i 'grel Pa Phyogs Glang Dgongs Rgyan) -- Gung Thang Dkon Mchog Bstan Pa'i Sgron Me --^ 18. Beautiful String Of Pearls: A Commentary On Investigation Of The Percept: Tibetan Text -- 19. Beautiful String Of Pearls: A Commentary On Investigation Of The Percept (dmigs Pa Brtag Pa'i 'grel Pa Mu Tig 'phreng Mdzes) -- Ngag Dbang Bstan Dar -- 20. Summary Of The Essence: A Commentary On Investigation Of The Percept (dmigs Brtag 'grel Pa Snying Po Bsdus Pa) -- Yeshes Thabkhas -- English-tibetan-sanskrit Glossary -- Bibliography -- Index. [edited And Translated By] Douglas Duckworth, Malcolm David Eckel, Jay L. Garfield, John Powers, Yeshes Thabkhas, Sonam Thakchöe. Original Sanscrit Translated Into Tibetan And English. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Text Primarily In English With Text In Tibetan And English Translations. Cover Dignāga’s Investigation of the Percept Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments List of Contributors Introduction Part I: Studies and Translations 1. The Subject Matter of Investigation of the Percept: A Tale of Five Commentaries 2. Investigation of the Percept 3. Autocommentary to Investigation of the Percept 4. “To Please Beginners”: Vinītadeva’s Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept in Its Indian Context 5. Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept 6. Introduction to Ornament for Dignāga’s Thought in Investigation of the Percept 7. Ornament for Dignāga’s Thought in Investigation of the Percept 8. Ngawang Dendar’s Commentary: Philosophy Through Doxography 9. Beautiful String of Pearls: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept 10. Introduction to Summary of the Essence: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept 11. Summary of the Essence: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept Part II: Tibetan Texts 12. Investigation of the Percept and Its Autocommentary: The Tibetan Text of dMigs pa brtag pa dMigs pa brtag pa’i ’grel pa 13. Subcommentary on Investigation of the Percept: The Tibetan Text dMigs pa brtag pa’i ’grel bshad (Ālambanaparīkṣā-​ṭīkā) 14. Ornament for Dignāga’s Thought in Investigation of the Percept: Tibetan Text dMigs pa brtag pa’i ’grel ba phyogs glang dgongs rgyan zhes bya ba bzhugs so 15. Beautiful String of Pearls: A Commentary on Investigation of the Percept: Tibetan Text dMigs pa brtag pa’i ’grel pa mu tig ’phreng mdzes zhes bya ba bzhugs so​ 16. dMigs brtag ’grel pa snying po bsdus pa English-​Tibetan-​Sanskrit Glossary Bibliography Index While a short work of only eight verses and a three-page autocommentary, the Investigation of the Percept has inspired epistemologists for centuries and has had a wide-ranging impact in India, Tibet, and China. Dignaga, one of the major figures in Buddhist epistemology, explores issues such as the relation between the mind and its percepts, the problems of idealism and realism, and the nature of intentionality in this brief but profound text. This volume provides a comprehensive history of the text in India and Tibet from 5th century India to the present day. This team of philologists, historians of religion and philosophers who specialize in Tibetan, Sanskrit and Chinese philosophical literature has produced the first study of the text and its entire commentarial tradition. Their approach makes it possible to employ the methods of critical philology and cross-cultural philosophy to provide readers with a rich collection of studies and translations, along with detailed philosophical analyses that open up the intriguing implications of Dignāga's thought and demonstrate the diversity of commentarial approaches to his text. The comprehensive nature of the work reveals the richness of commentary in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism and shows surprising parallels between the modern West and traditional Buddhist philosophy.