Tibetan Logic

In the Ge-luk-pa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, training in analytical reasoning is considered essential not only for the academic path, but because it enhances the pursuit of meditation. The Ge-luk-pa system of logic (the path of reasoning) produces a mind that is trained, powerful, flexible, and able to approach an idea from numerous points of view. When it is applied in meditation on emptiness, it is an essential tool for self-transformation. Tibetan Logic is based on an introductory logic manual by Pur-bu-jok Jam-ba-gya-tso (1825-1901) widely used in Ge-luk-pa monastic universities. Rogers takes up each of the manual’s topics in turn, providing explanation and commentary, and investigates the role of reasoning in the Ge-luk-pa system of education, highlighting conflicting points of view in different oral traditions as they arise. A complete translation of Pur-bu-jok’s text, a glossary of technical terms, and a detailed table of contents are included.