APA NEWSLETTER on Asian and Asian-American Philosophers and Philosophies
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NEWSLETTER | The American Philosophical Association Asian and Asian-American Philosophers and Philosophies SPRING 2019 VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 2 Asanga Tilakaratne FROM THE GUEST EDITOR Study of Buddhist Philosophy in Sri Lanka Rafal Stepien Buddhist Philosophy Worldwide: Shinya Moriyama Perspectives and Programs Buddhist Philosophy in Two Japanese Cross-Philosophical Approaches SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND INFORMATION He Huanhuan Sanskrit-based Buddhist Philosophy in China Today ARTICLES John Powers and Leesa S. Davis Zhihua Yao Buddhist Philosophy in Australian Teaching Buddhism as Philosophy Universities Joseph McClellan Roy Tzohar Preserving the Four Noble Truths at the Buddhist Philosophy, and Eastern Heart of Buddhist Pedagogy Philosophy in General, in Israel and Palestine Hari Shankar Prasad Sailing against the Current: The Buddha, Karin Meyers Buddhism, and Methodology Buddhist Philosophy in the Kathmandu Valley Jakub Zamorski Buddhist Philosophy in Poland: Legacy and Prospects VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 2 SPRING 2019 © 2019 BY THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION ISSN 2155-9708 APA NEWSLETTER ON Asian and Asian-American Philosophers and Philosophies PRASANTA BANDYOPADHYAY, EDITOR VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 2 | SPRING 2019 constitute a solid bloc of scholarship on the practice of FROM THE GUEST EDITOR Buddhist philosophy worldwide. On the other hand, those contributions whose authors took a more evaluative or Buddhist Philosophy Worldwide: prescriptive approach likewise taken together comprise a well-rounded collection of articles, in this case one theorizing Perspectives and Programs contemporary Buddhist philosophical scholarship. Rafal Stepien In preparing the collection as a whole, I was particularly HEIDELBERG UNIVERSITY resolute that contributions cover a greater geographical span than that encompassed by the major centers in This is the first of two special issues of the newsletter Europe and North America. Interestingly, it so happens that dedicated to Buddhist philosophy. My initial intention as in all but two cases scholars working in European and North guest editor was to prepare a single issue of the newsletter American universities where the field’s center of gravity on the topic “Buddhist Philosophy Worldwide: Perspectives lies chose to concentrate on theoretical elaborations of and Programs.” The idea was to include descriptive and Buddhist philosophical practice; their contributions thus prescriptive/evaluative elements: On the one hand, scholars appear in the following issue. For the present survey working on Buddhist philosophy throughout the world were of “Buddhist Philosophy Worldwide,” my insistence on invited to provide a descriptive snapshot of the state of the a broad geographical coverage was motivated on the field in their geographical/disciplinary area; on the other, one hand by a methodological impetus to ensure as they could proffer an evaluative appraisal of how Buddhist comprehensive as possible a spectrum of perspectives philosophy has been carried out and/or a prescriptive be included, and on the other hand by the conviction that program of how they feel it should be carried out. This Buddhist philosophy, being a strikingly multi- and trans dual remit played out in a foreseeable manner, such that cultural phenomenon itself, could and should be studied, some authors composed largely descriptive pieces, while carried out, and put into practice most fruitfully from the others took a more methodologically oriented approach in widest possible range of vantage points. As such, I actively which they outline a vision of what the practice of Buddhist sought out contributors from a variety of countries in Asia, philosophy could or should entail, and/or how it can or where Buddhist philosophy has of course the longest of could contribute to the practice of academic philosophy intellectual pedigrees, as well as Australasia, Africa, South per se. America, and the Middle East in addition to Europe and North America. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate any Eventually, for both practical and programmatic reasons, scholars based anywhere in Africa, South America, or the the decision was taken to unweave these strands into Middle East outside of Israel willing to take part. two separate newsletter issues, with the current spring 2019 issue remaining devoted to “Buddhist Philosophy Nevertheless, the present volume includes what I believe Worldwide: Perspectives and Programs,” and the ensuing is a hitherto unparalleled collection of texts detailing and fall 2019 one to be on “Buddhist Philosophy Today: appraising the state of the scholarly field of Buddhist Theories and Forms.” Practically, the total length of the philosophy around the world. It begins with an account of articles submitted by the nineteen authors I was able to “Buddhist Philosophy in Australian Universities” by John corral greatly exceeded that typical for a single issue of Powers and Leesa S. Davis, which provides a comprehensive the newsletter, and the subsequent realization that roughly survey of the field both as it currently stands and as it half of the authors had taken each of the two tracks I has evolved throughout the shifting Australian academic had laid led me and the APA to decide upon dividing the context. Roy Tzohar’s study of “Buddhist Philosophy, and articles accordingly. More substantively, upon reading Eastern Philosophy in General, in Israel and Palestine” the final products it became clear to me that we were details the historical permutations and present status of dealing here with two distinct and individually important the field in the shadow of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and sets of contributions to the study of Buddhist philosophy. the region’s tumultuous political context. Karin Meyers’s On the one hand, given that the more descriptive articles account of “Buddhist Philosophy in the Kathmandu Valley” preponderantly issued from non-Western cultural/ is similarly exhaustive, with special focus on the Rangjung national contexts underrepresented within the field at Yeshe Institute, the only educational institution in the area large, and given also that the descriptions provided by with accredited degree programs in Buddhist Studies these authors were typically accompanied by healthy specifically designed for international students. The doses of interpretation, I consider these contributions to following contributions on “Buddhist Philosophy in Poland: APA NEWSLETTER | ASIAN AND ASIAN-AMERICAN PHILOSOPHERS AND PHILOSOPHIES Legacy and Prospects” by Jakub Zamorski and the “Study supporting my suggestion as to the topic, and to my blind of Buddhist Philosophy in Sri Lanka” by Asanga Tilakaratne peer-reviewer for not only agreeing to be involved but for likewise examine the complex historical trajectories of producing such fine reviews at such a speedy rate. I also the field in these varied contexts before discussing its express my gratitude to the Berggruen Philosophy & Culture present situation and future prospects. In his article on Center for funding that enabled initiation of this work while “Buddhist Philosophy in Two Japanese Cross-Philosophical I was the Berggruen Research Fellow in Indian Philosophy Approaches,” Shinya Moriyama introduces the work and at Wolfson College and the Faculty of Philosophy of the evaluates the abiding influence of Hajime Nakamura University of Oxford, and likewise to the Alexander von (1912–1999) and Toshihiko Izutsu (1914–1993) on the field Humboldt Foundation for funding that enabled completion in Japan. Huanhuan He then provides a survey of “Sanskrit of this work while I was a Humboldt Research Fellow at the based Buddhist Philosophy in China Today,” a discipline Karl Jaspers Centre for Advanced Transcultural Studies of she observes has changed quite dramatically during the Heidelberg University. At Oxford and Heidelberg, Richard last two decades. Zhihua Yao, meanwhile, draws on his Sorabji, Jan Westerhoff, and Michael Radich stand out as direct experience “Teaching Buddhism as Philosophy” colleagues and mentors especially supportive of this and in Hong Kong to reflect on how to present Buddhism in like projects in and of Buddhist philosophy. Of course, I a way that is easily accessible to general philosophical reserve my most profound thanks to the contributors readers with the hope of making it better received by themselves, without whose energy and insight none of this them. Joseph McClellan’s article, “Preserving the Four could have come to fruition. Noble Truths at the Heart of Buddhist Pedagogy,” similarly draws on the author’s experience studying and teaching Buddhist philosophy, which in his case has taken place in contexts as varied as the United States, Nepal, Myanmar, SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND and Bangladesh, and notably included culturally Buddhist Bhutanese as well as Ismaili Muslim Pakistani students, INFORMATION whose reactions to the academic study of Buddhist philosophy McClellan discusses. Finally, in “Sailing against GOAL OF THE NEWSLETTER ON ASIAN AND the Current: The Buddha, Buddhism, and Methodology,” ASIAN-AMERICAN PHILOSOPHERS Hari Shankar Prasad presents an account of academic and non-academic perspectives on the study of Buddhism The APA Newsletter on Asian and Asian-American in contemporary India, before turning to more explicitly Philosophers and Philosophies is sponsored by the APA methodological considerations regarding such study. Committee on Asian and Asian-American Philosophers and Philosophies to report on the philosophical work of Asian As may transpire