Toward a New Image of Paramartha: Yogacara and Tathagatagarbha Buddhism Revisited [Paperback]

WINNER OF THE ACADEMIA SINICA SCHOLARLY MONOGRAPH AWARD 2024

Yogacara and Tathagatagarbha are often regarded as antagonistic Indian Buddhist traditions. Paramartha (499-569) is traditionally credited with amalgamating these philosophies by translating one of the most influential Tathagatagarbha texts in East Asia, theAwakening of Faith in Mahayana, and introducing Tathagatagarbha notions into his translations of Yogacara texts.

Engaging with the digitalized Chinese Buddhist canon, Ching Keng draws on clues from a long-lost Dunhuang fragment and considers its striking similarities with Paramartha's corpus with respect to terminology, style of phrasing, and doctrines. In this cutting-edge interpretation of the concept ofjiexing, Keng demystifies the image of Paramartha and makes the case that the fragment holds the key to recover his original teachings.

Prosecuting the case that the traditional image of Paramartha is inaccurate, in this articulate and innovative monograph Ching Keng combines philological, historical and doctrinal analyses in order to recover Paramartha's authentic teachings. To that end, Keng also boldly challenges the view that Yogacara and Tathagatagarbha were antagonistic traditions in India. John Makeham, Emeritus Professor of Chinese Studies, La Trobe University and The Australian National University, Australia

A creative and very solid study on the Indian scholar-monk Paramartha, who made a significant mark on Chinese Buddhist translation practices. With consideration toward Paramartha's diction and thought, Keng develops intriguing arguments concerning how and why the famedAwakening of Faithappeared as Paramartha's translation in medievallÓ.