Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s6.t2.2

v1.c7.s6.t2.2

**Hetuvidya:** One of the five important classics of Tibetan Buddhism, refers to Buddhist Logic. Buddhist Hetuvidya has many functional properties: it is a kind of instrumental and functional knowledge, a discipline that can be correctly reasoned and intellectually exercised, the methodology and epistemology for the seeking of the truth and is known as the golden key to open the treasure house of knowledge. Therefore, in all sects’ education of Tibetan Buddhism, Hetuvidya is relatively consistently learned first and is thought the eye for the study of Prajna. People study Madhyamika later because they think Madhyamika is result of the study of *Prajna*. Historically, Tibetan Buddhist monks applied and developed Dignaga’s Pramanasamuccaya and Dharmakirti’s *Seven Commentaries of Hetuvidya* and so on, all that got rid of the four Indian heretics’ thought and established the four Neidao’s thought, and ultimately established the Buddhist Prasangika Madhyamika. Hetuvidya not only plays the role of “breaking the evil theory and establishing the right thought” in the process of “breaking” and “establishing” Buddhism, but also becomes the arguing skill basis in texts for religious titles of Tibetan Buddhism.