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Full-Text Articles in Buddhist Studies

Weaving Maṇḍalas With Jñāna: Shakya Chokden's Yogācāra-Based Approach To The Practice Of Guhyasamāja Tantra, Yaroslav Komarovski Jan 2024

Weaving Maṇḍalas With Jñāna: Shakya Chokden's Yogācāra-Based Approach To The Practice Of Guhyasamāja Tantra, Yaroslav Komarovski

Department of Classics and Religious Studies: Faculty Publications

This paper explores Shakya Chokden’s approach to the philosophical dimensions of the tantric path. In particular, it explores how his philosophical ideas inform his interpretation of several stages of the Guhyasamāja practice with references to the generation stage (bskyed rim) and the completion stage (rdzogs rim). Shakya Chokden’s interpretive approach involves four interrelated points: all ultimate and relative phenomena are mind- made; tantric practice is based on the other-emptiness view of reality as jñāna; conceptuality envisioning tantric maṇḍalas is destroyed by—not transformed into—the non-conceptual jñāna manifesting them; and visions of maṇḍalas cultivated on the tantric …


From Mind Only To Buddha Only: Shakya Chokden’S Interpretation Of Tathāgatagarbha In Tantric Philosophy And Practice, Yaroslav Komarovski Jan 2024

From Mind Only To Buddha Only: Shakya Chokden’S Interpretation Of Tathāgatagarbha In Tantric Philosophy And Practice, Yaroslav Komarovski

Department of Classics and Religious Studies: Faculty Publications

Shakya Chokden’s approach consists of reducing all phenomena to mind and its appearances, and then negating dualistic minds as illusory and nonexistent and establishing the non-dual jñāna transcending them as the only phenomenon existent in reality—the primordial tathāgatagarbha with all buddha-qualities complete. For him, this interpretation of tathāgatagarbha is indispensable for tantric contemplative practice and for explaining how and why that practice works. The initial identification of tathāgatagarbha as the primordially existent jñāna endowed with buddha-qualities serves as the foundation for conceptually envisioning deities of the ultimate body-maṇḍala and eventually, when enough clarity is achieved, directly perceiving them by jñāna …


“There Are No Dharmas Apart From The Dharma-Sphere”: Shakya Chokden’S Interpretation Of The Dharma-Sphere, Yaroslav Komarovski Jan 2019

“There Are No Dharmas Apart From The Dharma-Sphere”: Shakya Chokden’S Interpretation Of The Dharma-Sphere, Yaroslav Komarovski

Department of Classics and Religious Studies: Faculty Publications

As is well known to contemporary scholarship and demonstrated by the works contained in the present volume, the Tibetan term zhentong (gzhan stong, being empty of other) refers not to any one unanimous view or system of thought but to a wide variety of philosophical theories formed primarily in India and Tibet. Those theories are often contrasted with rival rangtong (rang stong, being empty of self)1 theories in their interpretations of reality, buddhahood, path, and other elements of the Buddhist worldiew. While many of those elements are equally open to the zhentong and rangtong interpretations, …


Śākya Chokden, Yaroslav Komarovski Jan 2017

Śākya Chokden, Yaroslav Komarovski

Department of Classics and Religious Studies: Faculty Publications

During his long writing and teaching career, Śākya Chokden (1428-1507) developed a novel, and in many respects unusual approach to the key systems of Buddhist thought and practice. A recurrent theme given special attention in his numerous works is the question of the relationship between conflicting conceptual models of ultimate reality and the means of its realization on the one hand, and practical outcomes of utilizing those models in contemplative practice on the other. The position he articulates based on critical comparison of several Buddhist systems of thought and practice, is that despite their different, and often conflicting, conceptual approaches …