This first module will introduce the study of Indian Buddhist philosophy by focusing on the philosophical elements of early Indian Buddhism and the development of systematic Buddhist philosophy in Abhidharma texts and schools. We will focus in particular on the doctrine of no-self (or not-self) and dependent origination as they inform the development of "dharma theory," a key innovation in Buddhist thought critical to Buddhist psychology and the Mahāyāna philosophies of emptiness and mind we will study in following weeks. We will also take a look at the Personalist (Pugdalavāda) school of Buddhist thought.

Key Questions include: If there is no self (ātman), are the phenomena (dharmas) onto which we project the ideas of me, mine, or world real? How do they exist? How can one work skillfully with these phenomena? If there is no self, who is reborn? Who practices the path and becomes liberated?

This module will explore the origins of the Mahāyāna ("Great Vehicle") Buddhist movement and key doctrinal developments in the Mahāyāna Sutras (e.g., bodhisattva path, how Buddha's manifest in the world, skillful means). Building on our previous study of dharma theory, we will focus in particular on the Perfection of Wisdom Sūtras and their doctrine of emptiness (śūnyatā) as interpreted by the Madhyamaka ("Middle Way") and Yogācāra ("Yogic Practice") schools of Buddhist philosophy. In particular, we will look at how Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka insists that all dependently originated phenomena (= everything) are empty of independent existence, including emptiness itself; while Vasubandhu's Yogācāra explains how a subject-object (or grasper-grasped) duality is projected onto a reality which is empty of duality. We will also briefly introduce the Yogācāra theory of eight consciousnesses, and consider how and why Buddhist schools (and modern interpreters) disagree as to whether Madhyamaka and Yogācāra have competing or complementary perspectives on emptiness.

Key Questions include: What did the Buddha mean when he said (in the Perfection of Wisdom Sūtras) that all phenomena are empty? Does this mean everything is completely non-existent? Or just not existent in the way we think? How do all the things the Buddha described in the first turning of his teaching exist/not exist? How can we make sense of the four noble truths in light of this teaching on emptiness? What is the nature of the delusion that gives rise to suffering? How does this delusion function in active and subliminal consciousness processes?

This module will take a deeper dive into the two primary schools of Mahāyāna philosophy. We will explore the Yogācāra idea that all samsaric experience is derived from the "seeds" of karma operating within the constantly evolving collection of eight consciousnesses; Madhyamaka critiques of the Yogācāra theory of "Mind Only" (cittamātra); the development of Buddhist epistemology or theory of reliable sources of knowledge (pramāṇa) in Yogācāra; Madhyamaka adoption and critique of pramāṇa; and ways in which later Indian Buddhists attempt to harmonize the tensions between Yogācāra, Madhyamaka, and epistemology.

Key Questions include: What is the theory of "Mind Only"? Does it suggest external objects (or all objects) are unreal? If so, how do beings experience the same (or similar) worlds? If everything is generated by mind, does this mean the mind is real (and not empty)? Given the pervasiveness of our delusion, how can we know anything (including the truths taught by the Buddha)? Are experience and reason reliable sources of knowledge or are they irretrievably contaminated by delusion? What sources of knowledge can we rely upon to become liberated from suffering? 

Although they did not become distinctive philosophical schools in India, our map of Indian Buddhist Philosophy would not be complete without examining the doctrinal and philosophical foundations of the idea that all beings have Buddha Nature (Tathāgatagarbha), the aspiration to be born in a "Pure Land" created by Buddhas, and the esoteric alchemy of Tantric or Vajrayāna (Diamond Vehicle) Buddhism. These Mahāyāna movements developed alongside and occasionally merged with Madhyamaka and Yogācāra Buddhism in India and would have considerable influence on the development of Buddhist philosophy in East Asia and Tibet.

Key Questions include: How do beings possess and manifest the potential for awakening? What are "Pure Lands"? How are they created and how do they relate to this world? How can one be reborn in a "Pure Land"? What are the key philosophical principles of Esoteric Buddhism? How do Buddha Nature, Pure Land, and Esoteric Buddhism inform Mahāyāna Buddhist philosophy in India and beyond?