Debate in Tibetan Buddhism

Description

The practice and theory of Tibetan Buddhist logic and epistemology is the focus of this clear and thorough exposition. Debate is the investigative technique used in Tibetan education to sharpen analytical capacities and convey philosophical concepts, so it is essential to master its procedure. Using a debate manual by Pur-bu-jok Jam-ba-gya-tso (1825-1901) as his basis, Daniel Perdue covers elementary debate and demonstrates its application to a variety of secular and religious educational contexts. The translation is supplied with annotations on procedure and content drawn from Tibetan teachers expert in debate.

Daniel Perdue (1950-2013) was a 1983 graduate of the University of Virginia's prestigious PhD program in Buddhist Studies, where he studied basic debate procedures under Lati Rinpoche, Denma Lochoe Rinpoche, and Kensur Yeshi Thupten. Perdue followed up on his study of Buddhist debate in America with travel to Geshe Rabten's Tharpa Choeling Monastery in Switzerland and the four main Ge-luk-ba monasteries reestablished in India. Subsequently, he wrote a dissertation on Tibetan Buddhist debate with thesis director Professor Jeffrey Hopkins. After graduating, he furthered his understanding of Buddhist debate with nearly three years of additional research with Tibetan scholars exiled in India. Perdue has taught the procedures and topics of Buddhist debate at numerous colleges, including Antioch University's program in Buddhist Studies in Bodh Gaya, India; Virginia Tech; North Carolina State University; Sweet Briar College; Washington and Lee University; the College of William and Mary; James Madison University; and Virginia Commonwealth University; as well as at Buddhist centers in America and Europe. He is the author of Debate in Tibetan Buddhism and was a board member of the UMA Institute for Tibetan Studies.