Papers Session: Non-Duality in Yogācāra Knowledge and Practice
Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)
This paper aims to present an analysis of the concepts of bimba and pratibimba – central to the philosophical system of Yogâcāra Buddhism – as understood by Ryōhen (1194-1252), a monk of the Japanese Hossō tradition known for his reformatory tendencies. My research is centered around two volumes by the aforementioned author, the Hossō nikan shō and the Kanjin kakumu shō, and aims to answer the following questions:
- How does Ryōhen’s explanation of bimba and pratibimba differ from those offered by other Yogâcāra scholars, if at all?
- Is his commentary of this complex topic aimed at a less advanced student of the doctrine, as is the case with many other concepts he explains in his works?
- Does he draw on the influence of other Buddhist schools of thought in his understanding of bimba and pratibimba?
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