Message from the Editor

Abstract

Message from the Editor Gereon Kopf Welcome to the second issue of the Journal of Buddhist Philosophy. For this issue, Klaus-Dieter Mathes organized a thematically focused section on the distinction between the two senses of emptiness, namely being “empty of an own-being” (rang stong) and being “empty of other” (gzhan stong) in Tibetan Buddhism. He skillfully introduces the essays and contextualizes this debate on how to interpret the central notion of emptiness as well as its relevance for today in the present issue of our journal. The five articles that comprise this section are complemented with inspiring essays on Tsong kha pa, Nishida, Dōgen, and Prajñāpāramitā philosophy in Indian and Chinese sources. It has been exciting to edit this issue and to see the wealth and profundity of Buddhist philosophy brought to the fore by the most recent scholarship. After only two issues, it has been already possible to identify certain tendencies and trends in today’s scholarship on Buddhist philosophy. Our first two issues have been quite similar in structure and content. Each included a group of essays that focused on one central theme, the foundational concepts and discussions of Tibetan Madhyamaka in issue one and the distinction between the two senses of emptiness, namely being “empty of an own-being” (rang stong) and being “empty of other” (gzhan stong) in issue two. Both issues introduced and discussed topics, the basic forms of argument such as the catuṣkoṭi and the notion “emptiness,” that are central to Buddhist philosophy and constitute perfect themes for the two first editions of the Journal of Buddhist Philosophy. In both issues these [End Page 1] thematically focused clusters of essays were complemented with research articles, book reviews, and, in the case of issue one, reports on the status of the field that highlight fundamental topics and achievements of contemporary scholarship on Buddhist philosophy and provide an insightful glance into the field of Buddhist philosophy today in its breadth and depth. The Journal of Buddhist Philosophy was designed to provide a forum where scholarship on Buddhist philosophy as well as Buddhist philosophy itself is presented, engaged, and shaped. To accomplish this goal, we would like to expand the themes, styles, and canon of Buddhist philosophy. Scholarship on the Indo-Tibetan tradition is absolutely foundational to the understanding of Buddhist philosophy and we could not have asked for a more appropriate theme for each of the first two issues than the ones introduced by Kevin Vose and Klaus-Dieter Mathes. At the same time, the Journal of Buddhist Philosophy strives to represent and foster diversity in the Buddhist world. We, therefore, continue to encourage submissions on philosophical texts and concepts from the Buddhist traditions of East and Southeast Asia as well as on philosophers not usually considered part of the canon of Buddhist philosophy in addition to fresh approaches that interpret the classics and commonly recognized representatives of Buddhist philosophy. We welcome submissions of thematically focused essay clusters, individual articles, reports on the developments in the field, and book reviews that present, examine, and increase the variety of approaches within Buddhist philosophy, in addition to our general call for papers. Essays on topics frequently neglected will not only enrich our understanding of the Buddhist tradition itself but will also deepen our conception of what Buddhist philosophy in particular and philosophy in general really is. Finally, the Journal of Buddhist Philosophy provides a venue for innovative expressions of scholarship. In particular, we would like to include four additional formats in our future issues: (1) A conversation between an author and her or his critics: This could be in response to a book review or a book review submitted as dialogue. (2) A direct engagement of two or more philosophers on one topic either in the form of a co-authored essay or of a cluster of essays with direct responses to each of these essays: This format not only illustrates how philosophy develops but also performs philosophy in action. (3) Translations of hitherto untranslated, philosophical texts from any Buddhist tradition: It is necessary to make more resources accessible to bring out the diversity of Buddhist philosophies. (4) Reports on...