Horin Comparative Studies in Japanese Culture Special Issue, Buddhist Logic-Iudicium Verlag GmbH Munchen

Abstract

The term "Buddhism" refers to a large number of rather different doctrines, schools, concepts, traditions, philosophies, religions, and even life styles. Perhaps the only characteristics these teachings and developments have in common, is some reference to or connection with the historical Buddha, the Four Truths, and the aim to end suffering. Moreover, in the 21 st century, most people think of Zen or Tibetan Buddhism when hearing or reading words like "Buddhism". They certainly do not think of such Buddhist disciplines as the Buddhist scholastic theories and applications of logic. Even some scholars who are professionally engaged in Buddhist studies, do not pay much attention to these scholastic theories. However, if one wants to present a fair picture of Buddhism or parts of it, one should try to avoid such vagueness and onesidedness. This is precisely one of the reasons why this volume focuses on the role that logic plays in Buddhism, and why it attempts to do so in a way which is relevant to every kind of Buddhism. This becomes clear from the principal questions of the contributions: (1) Which theories and notions of logic have been developed or applied in Buddhism? (2) Which Buddhist traditions, schools and doctrines developed or applied so-called classic (two-valued) concepts of logical form? (3) Which role, if any, did such concepts play in formulating theories about ending suffering, i.e., realizing nirvalJa ? The first and second question help clarifying the problem of whether or not there are Buddhist theories of non-contradiction and valid conclusion that significantly differ from theories developed and applied in non-Buddhist traditions, schools, etc. In particular, they help dealing with the widespread hypothesis that there is a distinctively Buddhist logic, significantly different, e.g. from Aristotelian logic. The third question is of at least similar importance. Its answer leads to a critical analysis of the claim that (Buddhist) salvation, enlightenment, or realization of nirvalJa, presupposes, in some significant sense, neglection or even violation, e.g., of the laws of identity, noncontradiction, and/or transitivity. This question can be employed as a heuristic means for analyzing and interpreting every Buddhist teaching, theory or Buddhist "way. " The question thus also provides a criterium to catagorize Buddhist teachings, schools, etc. To deal with this question may also help to discard attempts to mystify Buddhism - which of course must not be confused with acknowledging that mystics is mystics . 7 Horin 1112004 From its very beginnings in 1 994, Horin has, besides contributions to many other topics, included studies on Buddhist theories, notions, and applications of logic. Most of them focused on theories of logic developed within hetuvidyii (Chin. yinming, Jap. immyo 129 􀅚), the Buddhist "Doctrine of Reason[ s]," or applied by Madhyamikas , among them Ernst Steinkellner' s "1st Bodhisattvaschaft denkbar? DharmakIrtis Antwort" ("Is it possible to become a B odhisattva? DharmakIrti's Answer") [Horin 1 0/2003] , Katsura Shoryu' s "Beweisverfahren der Buddhisten: Das Wesen buddhistischer Lpgik" ("How did the Buddhists prove something? - The Nature of Buddhist Logic") [Horin 912002] , Tachikawa Musashi's "Interpretation of Emptiness" [Horin 2/1 995] , Volker Beeh's "Nagfujuna's Zehntes Tor " ("On Nagfujuna's Tenth Gate") [Horin 2/1 995], and Gregor Paul's "Argumente fur die Universalitat der Logik" ("On the Universal Validity of Logic") [Horin 111994] . Thus, this volume may also be seen as an example of the systematic interest guiding the Horin-series, namely, to strive for, in a scholarly way, presenting Buddhism in all its aspects, thereby nevertheless consistently pursuing important questions in depth and detail, raising them again and again. The contributions to this volume are the result of an international symposium on the role of logic in Buddhism held at the Japanese (EKO) Culture Center in the city of Diisseldorf/Germany in autumn 2003.