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Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t3: Hetuvidya of Tibetan Buddhism

Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t3

Language
English

Hetuvidya of Tibetan Buddhism

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Hetuvidya of Tibetan Buddhism (Tshad Ma Rig Pa) is the main subject and debate way of Tibetan Buddhism interpreting its semantics, and it is also called as Pramana. Its connotations are related to logistics, cognition and epistemology of Buddhism. *Hetuvidya* of Tibetan Buddhism comes from Indian Buddhism, has been developed in Tibet creatively, is listed one of the five great theories of Buddhism as well as becomes main component of 10 Tibetan metaphysics and plays an important role in studying and cultivating Tibetan Buddhism.

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Tibetan Buddhists used and developed logic thoughts and interference ways of *Hetuvidya* including Dignaga’s Pramana-samuccaya (theme) and Dharmakirti’s Pramanavarttika (explanation), broke through four Indian heretical theories, established concepts of four Buddhist sects and set up the tenets of the thoughts of Prasangika Madhyamaka. Therefore, Hetuvidya was honoured as the golden key to open up the knowledge treasure gate of Tibetan Buddhism. A large number of monks attached importance to it as a methodology and cognition to seek truth and they wrote book and expounded theories to develop Hetuvidya.

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The previous (11th～13th century CE) achievements which were made by Tibetan Buddhists in the field of Hetuvidya included mainly three types: commentaries, original treatises and comprehensive treatises. Commentaries treatises remarked *Hetuvidya* classics of Dignaga and Dharmakirti, which were represented by tshad ma rnam par nges pavi dkav bvi gnas rnam par bshad pa of rngog blo ldan shes rab (1059～1109); original treatises were collected topics created by Tibetan monks uniquely, which were represented by tshad mavi bsdus pa yid kyi mun sel of cha pa chos kyi seng ge (1109～1169); comprehensive treatises were further studies on Hetuvidya on the basis of previous achievements, which were represented by tshad ma rigs gter of sa pan kun dgav rgyal mtshan (1182～1251).

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Hetuvidya of Tibetan Buddhism in the Qing Dynasty was developed on the previous basis constantly and temples of Tibetan Buddhism represented by the Gelug sect became the base to develop and promote it. Through temple education and five great treatises on systematic cultivation, studies on Hetuvidya were developed and deepened, many theoretical schools were formed in the field of collected topics, and the main schools including btsan po bsdus-grva, gsal bsdus-grva and khen chen bsdus-grva, etc.

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Except the Gelug sect in Qing Dynasty, eminent monks in other schools had conduct profound studies on Hetuvidya, and there were many great scholars and numerous famous works. The representatives included the eminent monk khu lung pa yon tan rgya mtsho (1813～1890) and his work *tshad ma rig pa*, the great monk Thubten Gelek Gyatso (1844～1904) and his work *bsdus grvi spyi don rin chen sgron me* and the eminent monk Mipham Namgyel Gyatsho (1846～1912) of the Ningmapa sect and his work *tshad ma rnam vgrel gyi gzhung gsal bor bshad pa legs bshad snang bavi gter*, etc.

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(Yao Weiqun)

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