Buddhism: A Modern Perspectiveby Charles S. Prebish

Buddhism: A Modern Perspective by Charles S. PrebishReview by: James P. McDermottJournal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 96, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1976), pp. 462-463Published by: American Oriental SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/599126 .

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Journal of the American Oriental Society 96.3 (1976) Journal of the American Oriental Society 96.3 (1976) Journal of the American Oriental Society 96.3 (1976) Journal of the American Oriental Society 96.3 (1976)

tion of language statistics available for Western and Central South Asia, far surpassing in their statistical

aspects Meillet and Cohen's Les langues du monde and C. F. and F. M. Voegelin's Languages of the World. Professors Kloss and McConnell are to be commended for undertaking a project of this magnitude and for their sensitive handling of difficult organizational andt ter-

minological problems. They have brought I,CNW off to an excellent beginning.

MIICHEL C. SHIAPIRO

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Pt. Sukhlalji's Commentary on Tattvdrtha Szutra of Va- caka Umasuati. Translated by K. K. DIXIT. Pp. 4, 12, 134, 26, 425. (L. D. Series 44) Ahmedabad: L. D. INSTITUTE OF INDOLOGY. 1974. Rs. 32.00.

As the first systematic presentation of the teachings of Jainism in Sanskrit, Umasvati's Tattvarthasfitra

(also known as Tattvarthadhigamasfitra) is one of the classical and most influential products of Jaina literature. More than 30 commentaries, both of gvetambara and

Digambara origin, testify to the reputation of the work in India. Since it was first presented in a German translation by II. Jacobi in 1906, its historical role and systematic importance have also been appreciated in the West. In 1930, one of the most learned representatives of modern Jainism, Sukhlal Sanghvi, widely revered as Pandit Sukhlalji, published his own commentary (together with a translation and an introduction) in Gujara- ti; a Hindi version of this work followed in 1939. Both versions have enjoyed a considerable popularity in India, but have not met with much attention in the West. It is one of the chief objects of K. K. Dixit's English version to bring Sukhlal's work to the attention of Western readers.

Sukhlal's commentary is not an academic work, not a

philological and historical contribution in the Western sense. It does not provide us with quotes or references or a comprehensive historical apparatus, but it tries to facilitate doctrinal understanding. It formulates questions which might be asked by (Jaina or non-Jaina) readers of the Sfitra text, and it gives answers which

incorporate the explanations found in the older com-

mentaries, in particular in the Bhasya attributed to tiUmasvati himself, in Puijyapada's Sarvarthasiddhi, and in Akalaika's RBjavarttika. A footnoted edition of the Sanskrit text of the Tattvarthasfitra and several useful indices supplement this work which is at the same time a scholarly contribution and a docunlent of a living tradition. K. K. Dixit has added "A Historical Evaluation" of the text to his translation of Sukhlal's work.

WILHELM HALBFASS

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA




MIICHEL C. SHIAPIRO










WILHELM HALBFASS





MIICHEL C. SHIAPIRO










WILHELM HALBFASS





MIICHEL C. SHIAPIRO










WILHELM HALBFASS


Miinameyodaya of Narayana (An Elementary Treatise on the Mimiamsa). Edited with an English translation

by C. KUNHAN RAJA AND S. S. SURYANARAYANA SAS-

TII. Pp. lii + 347. (The Adyar Library Series. Vol.

105) Adyar, Madras: THE ADYAR LIBRARY AND RESEARCH CENTRE. 2nd ed., 1975. Rs. 30.00.

This is the second edition-with a short new preface by C. Kunjunni Raja-of a book which was first published in 1933. The text which it presents is a clear and helpful survey of those teachings of the Bhatta school of Piirva- mlmamsa which are of a more general philosophical interest, namely of its epistemology and metaphysics. The second part, dealing with the "objects of knowledge" (prameya), is actually a later addition (probably written around 1650) to the first part, which was written by the famous Kerala poet and scholar Narayana Bhatta several decades earlier. All questions of ritualism and even those basic technicalities of Vedic interpretation, to which

Apadeva's Mimnamsanyayaprak5aa gives the most con- venient and familiar introduction, are completely absent in the Manameyodaya.

WILHELM HALBFASS UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Buddhism: A Modern Perspective. Edited by CHARLES

S. PREBISIH. Pp. xv + 330. University Park and London: THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

1975. $14.50. Paperback, $7.95.

In Buddhism: A Mlodern Perspective, Charles Prebish has brought together the talents of eight former students of Richard Robinson to create an introductory survey of the diverse strands of Budhism. The book is "designed to provide basic input for beginners" (p. xiv) through its discussion of the Buddha's life and teachings, Buddhist

literature, sects, meditation, and the like. In addition, it moves beyond many introductory texts in the extent of its coverage of such topics as the Abhidharma literature, Buddhist logic, and schools of thought, as well as the

history of Buddhism in Korea, Southeast Asia, and the West.

Inevitably, the reviewer of an introductory survey willl discover sections where he would have exercized somewhat different principles of selectivity and organization, or would have adopted a different emphasis. Not all such malaise would seem attributable solely to individual

preference, however. For example, for a text on Buddhism to discuss no matter how briefly the controversy over the dates of Kaniska, and include regnal dates for a

variety of Asian monarchs, while omitting all mention of the dates of Siddhartha Gautama, save for a passing










1975. $14.50. Paperback, $7.95.
















1975. $14.50. Paperback, $7.95.
















1975. $14.50. Paperback, $7.95.







4-62 4-62 4-62 4-62



Brief Reviews of Books Brief Reviews of Books

reference to the sixth century, B.C.E., suggests a certain confusion of priorities. Again, the decision to include Vietnamese Buddhism in a chapter on Southeast Asia before any mention of Chinese developments also seems somewhat misdirected.

The concept of a group of scholars each contributing his own expertise is an attractive one in that each subject should in theory be treated with a consistent authority not likely for a single scholar to achieve. The execution of the concept is less than a total success, however, as the individual chapters are of very unequal quality. Some, such as Prebish's own treatment of the Buddhist councils, are models of concise, balanced presentation. Not only are the events of each council outlined in quick, sure strokes, but in addition a serious essay is made at interpreting their significance. Stephan Beyer's typologi- cal treatment of Hinaylna and Mahayana meditation provides another excellent example of promise fulfilled. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Douglas Daye's discussion of the admittedly difficult Madhyamika philosophy proves particularly frustrating. Far from simplifying the intricacies of Midhyamika, Daye's ponderous style and over-dependence on the technical

vocabulary of Western philosophy tend only to compound the difficulties. Nearly twice as long as any of the other chapters, Daye's essay seems inconsistent with the outline format adopted for the volume as a whole.

The outline format, while generally successful, is not without its problems. For, although it provides an organized structure most appropriate for an introductory study, at times the beginning student receives insufficient

explanation of a difficult subject. The treatment of the theory of pratitya-samutpdda (pp. 33-34) is a case in point. The formula is cited, but never really explained.

A list of suggested readings with each chapter, plus a solid bibliography provide the student with useful

guides for further study. A glossary notable for its

quality is also provided. Some of its explanations are clearer and more complete than those provided in the text itself.

For all its problems, Prebish's volume remains a solid introduction to the study of Buddhism, and worthy of consideration for adoption for classroom use.

JAMES P. McDERMOTT

BOWDOIN COLLEGE

Causality: The Central Philosophy of Buddhism. By DAVID KALUPAHANA. Pp. xviii + 265. Honolulu: THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII PRESS. 1975. $12.00.

Despite its perhaps overly ambitious title, David Kalupahana's Causality: The Central Philosophy of

reference to the sixth century, B.C.E., suggests a certain confusion of priorities. Again, the decision to include Vietnamese Buddhism in a chapter on Southeast Asia before any mention of Chinese developments also seems somewhat misdirected.

The concept of a group of scholars each contributing his own expertise is an attractive one in that each subject should in theory be treated with a consistent authority not likely for a single scholar to achieve. The execution of the concept is less than a total success, however, as the individual chapters are of very unequal quality. Some, such as Prebish's own treatment of the Buddhist councils, are models of concise, balanced presentation. Not only are the events of each council outlined in quick, sure strokes, but in addition a serious essay is made at interpreting their significance. Stephan Beyer's typologi- cal treatment of Hinaylna and Mahayana meditation provides another excellent example of promise fulfilled. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Douglas Daye's discussion of the admittedly difficult Madhyamika philosophy proves particularly frustrating. Far from simplifying the intricacies of Midhyamika, Daye's ponderous style and over-dependence on the technical

vocabulary of Western philosophy tend only to compound the difficulties. Nearly twice as long as any of the other chapters, Daye's essay seems inconsistent with the outline format adopted for the volume as a whole.

The outline format, while generally successful, is not without its problems. For, although it provides an organized structure most appropriate for an introductory study, at times the beginning student receives insufficient

explanation of a difficult subject. The treatment of the theory of pratitya-samutpdda (pp. 33-34) is a case in point. The formula is cited, but never really explained.

A list of suggested readings with each chapter, plus a solid bibliography provide the student with useful

guides for further study. A glossary notable for its

quality is also provided. Some of its explanations are clearer and more complete than those provided in the text itself.

For all its problems, Prebish's volume remains a solid introduction to the study of Buddhism, and worthy of consideration for adoption for classroom use.

JAMES P. McDERMOTT

BOWDOIN COLLEGE

Causality: The Central Philosophy of Buddhism. By DAVID KALUPAHANA. Pp. xviii + 265. Honolulu: THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII PRESS. 1975. $12.00.

Despite its perhaps overly ambitious title, David Kalupahana's Causality: The Central Philosophy of

Buddhism is a welcomed, new exposition on an extremely difficult but critical aspect of Buddhist philosophy. Purporting to compare the evidence presented in the Pali NikSyas and Chinese Agamas on the question of causality, the volume is extremely well organized, scrupulously footnoted, and furnishes an exceedingly thorough bibliography. Ilowever, like previous attempts to elucidate the key issue in Buddhist philosophy, most notably Stcherbatsky's The Central Conception of Bud- dhism and the Meaning of the Word "Dharma" and Murti's The Central Philosophy of Buddhism, the book is not free from problems. In his Preface, the author notes (on page xi),

The importance of the Chinese Agamas for the study of early Buddhist thought is twofold. First, they supply corroborative evidence for some of the major concepts in the Pali Nikayas, whose authenticity has been questioned by many scholars in recent times. Secondly, they throw much light on some of the obscure concepts in the Nikayas. It seems to this reviewer that it is not s( much the authen-

ticity of the Pali Nikayas that falls under critical evaluation, but rather claims for the authoritativeness of these texts. Onesuspects here, and the tone continues throughout the book, that there is a liberal sprinkling of Theravada apologetic, albeit sophisticated, at work in the author's otherwise excellent presentation. When he states on page xiii, "Some scholars have minimized the difference between the teachings of early Buddhism as embodied in the Pali Nikayas and the Chinese Agamas on the one hand and those of the later schools on the other;", he is using the word early in a thoroughly loose fashion, since by late schools he seems to mean the Sarvistivadins and Sautrantikas. Even a casual perusal of Bareau's Les sectes bouddhiques du petit vdhicule reveals that among the Hinayana sects, the Sarvastivadins are significantly earlier than the formal emergence of the Theravada school. If, on the other hand, the author means to designate not the various Hinayana schools as late but rather the Mahiayna schools, this detail should be clearly stated.

The first three chapters of the book are extraordinarily useful. The first focuses on causal theories in the Vedic tradition, while the second centers on non-Vedic tradi- tions such as the Materialists, Ajivikas, and Jains. The third chapter elucidates the basic terminology of Buddhist causality in a careful and thorough fashion. The fourth chapter confronts the technical term dharma and consists largely in an assault on the Sarvastivadin's theory of momentariness. In grappling with the issue of continuity between states in early Buddhism, Kalupahana dwells on the supposed substratum of the Sarvastivadin school's dharmo theory, namely dravyc (or svabhtva), while ignor-

Buddhism is a welcomed, new exposition on an extremely difficult but critical aspect of Buddhist philosophy. Purporting to compare the evidence presented in the Pali NikSyas and Chinese Agamas on the question of causality, the volume is extremely well organized, scrupulously footnoted, and furnishes an exceedingly thorough bibliography. Ilowever, like previous attempts to elucidate the key issue in Buddhist philosophy, most notably Stcherbatsky's The Central Conception of Bud- dhism and the Meaning of the Word "Dharma" and Murti's The Central Philosophy of Buddhism, the book is not free from problems. In his Preface, the author notes (on page xi),

The importance of the Chinese Agamas for the study of early Buddhist thought is twofold. First, they supply corroborative evidence for some of the major concepts in the Pali Nikayas, whose authenticity has been questioned by many scholars in recent times. Secondly, they throw much light on some of the obscure concepts in the Nikayas. It seems to this reviewer that it is not s( much the authen-

ticity of the Pali Nikayas that falls under critical evaluation, but rather claims for the authoritativeness of these texts. Onesuspects here, and the tone continues throughout the book, that there is a liberal sprinkling of Theravada apologetic, albeit sophisticated, at work in the author's otherwise excellent presentation. When he states on page xiii, "Some scholars have minimized the difference between the teachings of early Buddhism as embodied in the Pali Nikayas and the Chinese Agamas on the one hand and those of the later schools on the other;", he is using the word early in a thoroughly loose fashion, since by late schools he seems to mean the Sarvistivadins and Sautrantikas. Even a casual perusal of Bareau's Les sectes bouddhiques du petit vdhicule reveals that among the Hinayana sects, the Sarvastivadins are significantly earlier than the formal emergence of the Theravada school. If, on the other hand, the author means to designate not the various Hinayana schools as late but rather the Mahiayna schools, this detail should be clearly stated.

The first three chapters of the book are extraordinarily useful. The first focuses on causal theories in the Vedic tradition, while the second centers on non-Vedic tradi- tions such as the Materialists, Ajivikas, and Jains. The third chapter elucidates the basic terminology of Buddhist causality in a careful and thorough fashion. The fourth chapter confronts the technical term dharma and consists largely in an assault on the Sarvastivadin's theory of momentariness. In grappling with the issue of continuity between states in early Buddhism, Kalupahana dwells on the supposed substratum of the Sarvastivadin school's dharmo theory, namely dravyc (or svabhtva), while ignor-

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Buddhism: A Modern Perspectiveby Charles S. Prebish