Title: Buddhist Reflections and Perspectives on the Self-Idea
Lecturer: Yao-ming Tsai (Professor of Philosophy at National Taiwan University)
Chairperson: ZHANG Xiaolin (Professor of Philosophy at East China Normal University)
Date: 3 pm, April 19th, 2017 (Wednesday)
Venue: Room 5303, Building of School of Humanities, Minhang Campus, ECNU
Sponsor: Si-mian Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities, ECNU
Abstract of the Lecture:
What is the self? Which part of the living entity is self? Is the self existent? Is the self real? Is it right to pursue self-identity? Is it wrong to be fond of the self, and even to get attached to the self? These questions are not only crucial for maintaining daily life, but also have been the focus of philosophical inquiry. Based on such Buddhist texts as the Āgama-sūtras andthe Prajñāpāramitā-sūtras, this lecture will address the above-mentioned questions and then provide consistent views.
Brief Introduction of the Lecturer:
Yao-ming Tsai, professor of philosophy at National Taiwan University and editor-in-chief of the Taiwan Journal of Buddhist Studies, received his Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies in 1997 from the University of California, Berkeley. His teaching and research focus on Buddhist philosophy as well as philosophy of life. He is the author of four books, The Teachings of Prajñāpāramitā and the Purification of the Buddha-field (2001), An Open Path for Constructing Buddhology (2006), Research Methods and Academic Resources for Buddhist Studies (2006), Philosophy of Life and Worldview from the Perspective of Buddhist Teachings (2012), as well as dozens ofscholarly articles and book chapters on Buddhist studies. His current teaching and research are concerned with Buddhist perspectives on the tough issues of bioethics, gender, and animals.