The thesis focuses on the relationship between Sanskrit classical grammar, Ahludharma, and the de... more The thesis focuses on the relationship between Sanskrit classical grammar, Ahludharma, and the debates between Madhyamaka and Yogacara. In particular, it shows how the karaka system, and the idea of laksana, influence philosophical argumentation in the context of medieval Indian Buddhist thought. The karaka system is the way in which classical Sanskrit grammarians discuss syntax, and in particular, actions and agency. Laksana means a defining trait, or a definition, at once a scholastic tool and a fundamental way to identify existent entities. There are five Chapters and two Appendices. Chapter One shows the close links between Sanskrit classical grammar and basic ideas in Buddhist thought, and isolates the karaka system as being most relevant in this regard. It also shows certain structural analogies between the karaka system and certain important features of Buddhist philosophy. Chapter Two is mostly based on Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosabhasya and its sub-commentary; it highlig...
Soulless Matter, Seats of Energy: Metals, Gems and Minerals in South Asian Traditions, 2016
Buddhist literature and culture is permeated with gems, jewels, and precious metals; they functio... more Buddhist literature and culture is permeated with gems, jewels, and precious metals; they function as figure of speech, offering, ornament, magical implement, ideal landscape or narrative element. A Buddhist is ‘one who takes refuge in the Three Jewels’. A successful Buddhist practitioner may accumulate merit to reach Indra’s divine realm inlaid with four precious gems; he or she might reach ‘the meditative absorption which is like a diamond’ to become awakened. If on the other hand the one focuses on Amitābha’s name, this will bring about rebirth in a pleasant realm where the landscape is made of four and seven precious substances. Those of greater capacity may attempt Buddhahood in one lifetime, in which case they will have to rely on the swifter ‘Diamond Vehicle’. From the name of textual collections like the ‘Heap of Jewels’ to the contemporary Thai Buddhist practice of covering statues with layers of gold-leaf, hardly any aspect of Buddhist religious life is untouched by imagin...
The thesis focuses on the relationship between Sanskrit classical grammar, Ahludharma, and the de... more The thesis focuses on the relationship between Sanskrit classical grammar, Ahludharma, and the debates between Madhyamaka and Yogacara. In particular, it shows how the karaka system, and the idea of laksana, influence philosophical argumentation in the context of medieval Indian Buddhist thought. The karaka system is the way in which classical Sanskrit grammarians discuss syntax, and in particular, actions and agency. Laksana means a defining trait, or a definition, at once a scholastic tool and a fundamental way to identify existent entities. There are five Chapters and two Appendices. Chapter One shows the close links between Sanskrit classical grammar and basic ideas in Buddhist thought, and isolates the karaka system as being most relevant in this regard. It also shows certain structural analogies between the karaka system and certain important features of Buddhist philosophy. Chapter Two is mostly based on Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosabhasya and its sub-commentary; it highlig...
Soulless Matter, Seats of Energy: Metals, Gems and Minerals in South Asian Traditions, 2016
Buddhist literature and culture is permeated with gems, jewels, and precious metals; they functio... more Buddhist literature and culture is permeated with gems, jewels, and precious metals; they function as figure of speech, offering, ornament, magical implement, ideal landscape or narrative element. A Buddhist is ‘one who takes refuge in the Three Jewels’. A successful Buddhist practitioner may accumulate merit to reach Indra’s divine realm inlaid with four precious gems; he or she might reach ‘the meditative absorption which is like a diamond’ to become awakened. If on the other hand the one focuses on Amitābha’s name, this will bring about rebirth in a pleasant realm where the landscape is made of four and seven precious substances. Those of greater capacity may attempt Buddhahood in one lifetime, in which case they will have to rely on the swifter ‘Diamond Vehicle’. From the name of textual collections like the ‘Heap of Jewels’ to the contemporary Thai Buddhist practice of covering statues with layers of gold-leaf, hardly any aspect of Buddhist religious life is untouched by imagin...
International Conference on Tipitaka Studies: Traditional and Contemporary (Conference Proceeding), 2017
A reflection on the advantages and possible ways of integrating a Buddhist didactic device into t... more A reflection on the advantages and possible ways of integrating a Buddhist didactic device into the contemporary academic teaching of Buddhist texts.
Over the years, I have consistently adopted features of traditional instruction during classes on... more Over the years, I have consistently adopted features of traditional instruction during classes on Buddhist Studies. I shall here focus on a very specific method, i.e. group chanting, discussing its benefits for the academic study of Buddhism.
APA Newsletter on Asian and Asian-American Philosophers and Philosophies, Vol. 19, No. 1, Fall 2019. Newark: The American Philosophical Association.
This issue on Buddhist Philosophy Today: Theories and Forms and the previous issue on Buddhist Ph... more This issue on Buddhist Philosophy Today: Theories and Forms and the previous issue on Buddhist Philosophy Worldwide: Perspectives and Programs are two special issues of the APA Newsletter on Asian and Asian-American Philosophers and Philosophies which I was invited to guest edit. They are designed to include descriptive and prescriptive/evaluative elements: On the one hand, scholars working on Buddhist philosophy throughout the world provide a descriptive snapshot of the state of the field in their geographical/disciplinary area; on the other, they proffer an evaluative appraisal of how Buddhist philosophy has been carried out and/or a prescriptive programme of how they feel it should be carried out. This collection of articles by experts of the widest possible spectrum of classical, modern, and contemporary Buddhist philosophical schools working in universities throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America thus comprises both an informed survey of the current state of research and a manifesto for the field. As such, it constitutes an important contribution to the ongoing project by scholars of ‘less commonly taught philosophies’ (including but not limited to Chinese, Indian, Islamic, Africana, and Feminist philosophies) to expand the ambit of professional philosophy beyond the narrow confines of the Western canon. Contributions study Buddhist philosophy based on authorial experience in Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Poland, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
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Papers by Mattia Salvini