T R V Murti

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laic
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T R V Murti

Post by laic »

Anyone else familiar with Mr Murti's classic book "The Central Philosophy of Buddhism" (a study of the Madhyamika System)?

Way back I found a copy in a secondhand bookstore. I got through the first 100 pages or so but then got bogged down when the Madhyamika began to be compared with various Western philosophies, Kant et al.

I foolishly gave my copy away at one point but my interest in it perked up again when reading some of Thomas Merton's Journals. Merton was reading T R V Murti's book as he flew across the pacific towards Asia on his final pilgrimage.

Highly priced (even as a Kindle download) it was reprinted in India a few years ago, with a short foreword by Kevin Vose.

I managed to get a copy, rather cheap via Amazon, though it has since disappeared as an option from their site, and only other expensive editions remain.

Reading it again (about 50 pages in) it is really good. Quite heavy, taking it slow. But as I say, really good.

Anyone else know of it or has an opinion?
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laic
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Re: T R V Murti

Post by laic »

Certainly T R V Murti's book is worth a go. Not sure what I will make of it when I get to the comparisons with one or two western thinkers. Philosophy is not really my strong point, nor logic! I like to tell my myself I have a more "holistic" mindset, others might call it a dustbin of assorted rubbish. But often I tend to stumble at the first syllogism.

Nevertheless, Mr Murti begins by contrasting the two major strands of Indian thought, the "substance" view and the "non-substantive" view; being v becoming; the atma doctrine v the anatman doctrine. Of those dichotomies the Buddhist is obviously of the latter in each case. Yet even being so, the contrasts are the "beginning of the dialectic" that the Madhymika seeks to untangle, or end. Therefore Mr Murti brings in the "silence of the Buddha" in respect of all metaphysical systems/doctrines, of all "views". Which Buddha claimed would all finally prove antithetical to the "holy life", the path to the end of suffering (dukkha) Thus not a case of siding with either side, but of the "middle way".

As I mentioned before, Thomas Merton was reading and musing upon the book as he flew across the Pacific.

From "The Other Side of the Mountain", Volume 7 of Thomas Merton's Journals....

Murti on Madhyamika: “Its dialectic is of crucial importance. This dialectic is the consciousness of the total and interminable conflict in reason and the consequent attempt to resolve the conflict by rising to a higher standpoint.”

And later....

It was Buddha’s aim not to give a “final” speculative answer but to be free from all theories and to know, by experience, “the nature of form and how form arises and how form perishes.” He wanted “not a third position lying between two extremes but a no-position that supersedes them both.” This is the Middle Way.

Very confusing at times to have "no-position".
Protecting oneself one protects others
Protecting others one protects oneself
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