Essays on Time in Buddhism

Book Details:

• Author: H.S. Prasad

• Publisher: Sri Satguru Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 1991

• ISBN: 9788170302629

• Pages: 750

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 23 cm x 15 cm

• Weight: 928 gm

Book Description:

From the Jacket:

This volume is a collection of essays on the concept of time in Buddhism, written by eminent scholars from around the world, including Th. Stcherbatsky, Louis de la Vallée Poussin, M. Walleser, F.O. Schrader, Stanislaw Schayer, G.N. Jha, A.B. Keith, André Bareau, Hajime Nakamura, Kenneth K. Inada, Lewis R. K Lancaster, Alex Wayman, and David Kalupahana. The essays, which were originally published between 1902 and 1989 in various journals and books, were previously inaccessible in a single volume, and this book aims to provide that compilation to encourage further research on the topic.

In the introduction, H.S. Prasad critically appraises the essays and introduces his theory of time, which suggests that the so-called reality of time is a derived concept from change. He proposes that past, present, and future are simply tensed ways of referring to psychological states of remembering, perceiving, and anticipating, offering an alternative theory of time to solve existing puzzles in the study of temporality.

About the Author:

H.S. Prasad (b. 1953), an academic with a Ph.D. from the Australian National University, has been a faculty member at the University of Delhi since 1983. He is a recipient of multiple academic awards and has published extensively in journals such as the Journal of Indian Philosophy, East and West, and the Journal of Buddhist Studies. His other notable works include Amala Prajna: Aspects of Buddhist Studies, The Uttaratantra of Maitreya, Time in Indian Philosophy, and The Buddhist Philosophy of Time.

Introduction:

The idea for this volume was conceived in 1979 during H.S. Prasad's time at the Australian National University, Canberra, where he collected materials on the Indian conceptions of time and temporality, eventually organizing them into two categories: (1) Essays on Time in Buddhism and (2) Time in Indian Philosophy (representing non-Buddhist schools).

This collection presents modern studies on time in Indian philosophical literature, with notable contributions from scholars like Th. Schrabatsky, Louis de la Vallée Poussin, and Stanislaw Schayer. The essays span a historical development from the Theravada school of Buddhism, through the Sarvastivada-Vaibhasika, Sautrantika, Madhyamika, and Yogacara-Vijnanavada schools. While these schools discuss the concept of time, none hold time as a substantive reality.

Prasad's work emphasizes that time is not seen as a real entity in Buddhism but rather as a derived notion from the experience of change. He traces the evolution of the concept of time in early Buddhism and shows how this has been reflected in the thoughts of various Buddhist schools.

The volume also includes essays on the interpretations and criticisms of time in Buddhist philosophy by scholars such as D.J. Kalupahana, Kenneth K. Inada, and A. Charlene McDermott. These discussions continue to shape modern interpretations of Buddhist metaphysics, offering valuable insights into the relationship between time, change, and the nature of existence.