Three Day Buddhist Pramāṇa Workshop

10-12 February 2019

Organized by 

Centre for Religious Studies

Manipal Centre for Humanities

Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

Centre for Religious Studies invites applications for a three-day Buddhist Pramāṇa Workshop from February 10-12, 2019 in Manipal.

About the Workshop

The workshop will principally include a close textual reading of selections from various texts of the Buddhist Pramāṇa Tradition each followed by various contributions and discussions. We will read the extracts from the following texts:

• • Nyāyabindu with the Ṭīkā of Dharmottara: first chapter (Pratyakṣa-pariccheda) (led by Prof Pradeep Gokhale)

• • Vātsīputrīyātmaparīkṣā (= Tattvasaṃgraha verses 336-349, and the relative Tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā) (led by Prof Francesco Sferra)

• • Pramāṇāntarabhāvaparīkṣā (= Tattvasaṃgraha verses 1486-1524, and the relative Tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā) (led by Prof Francesco Sferra)

The aim is to examine how the Buddhist Pramāṇa Tradition systematically develops its logical-epistemological tools. The workshop expects to delve into extensive philosophical discussions while at the same time working closely with the textual sources adopting philological methods. This is possible by focusing on small portions of texts mentioned above and attempting to situate the philosophical problems in larger discussions taking help from the experts. The workshop will begin by asking how Nāgārjuna’s (c. 150-250 CE) dialectics in his works like the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā and the Vigrahavyāvartanī become a source of many logical arguments or how Dharmakīrti (fl. c. 6th or 7th CE) in his works such as the Nyāyabindu, the Pramāṇaviniścaya and the Pramāṇavārtika elaborates and clarifies Diṅnāga’s (c. 480-540 CE) Theory of Knowledge. Thereafter, the problem at focus will be how Śāntarakṣita (c. 725–788 CE) in his Tattvasaṃgraha and Kamalaśīla (c. 740-795 CE) in his commentary on the same text titled the Tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā deal with the concepts of Self and Verbal Testimony. 

Deadline for Application:  Thursday 31 January, 2019

Faculty:

• • Prof Pradeep Gokhale

            Former Professor of Philosophy, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune

• • Prof Francesco Sferra

            Chair of Sanskrit, Università degli Studi di Napoli "L'Orientale", Naples, Italy

There will be plenty of opportunities for interaction and participation. The morning and afternoon sessions will include the readings of the text in Sanskrit followed by special lectures in the afternoon. The seminar will be held in English and readings will be circulated in advance.

Application and Selection Criteria

Applicants interested in participating the workshop should apply by writing to Dr Mrinal Kaul <mrinalkaul81@gmail.com> along with a short note about themselves and justifying their interest in the workshop. Basic familiarity with Sanskrit language and the reading ability in Devanāgarī script is required. We seek interested research students and scholars from across India. The selection will be made based on the strength of the application. We cannot accept more than 25 participants and the priority will be given to the applications from research scholars in disciplines or with experience in Sanskrit, Philosophy, Indology, Religion and Literature. Applicants will be informed about the decision of selection immediately after the deadline of application.

Location and Accommodation

The event will be hosted by Manipal Academy of Higher Education and its Centre for Religious Studies in the picturesque ocean-side state of Karnataka in south-western India. There is no registration fee for the event, but prior registration is mandatory. If accommodation is required, please mention it clearly in your application. There will be some rooms reserved in the international students hostel and participants will be expected to pay for themselves. University charges subsidised rates for accommodation. The space is wheelchair accessible. No travel cost will be reimbursed. 

Contact:

Dr Mrinal Kaul

(Convenor-Buddhist Pramāṇa Workshop)

Coordinator

Centre for Religious Studies

Manipal Centre for Humanities

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

email: <mrinalkaul81@gmail.com>

Tel +91-820-29-23567 (Office)

For more information, please contact:

Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities

Dr TMA Pai Planetarium Complex, Alevoor Road

Manipal – 576104

Tel +91-820-2923561 

office.mcph@manipal.edu