1st Edition
Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Shintoism The Unpublished Writings of K. Satchidananda Murty
K Satchidananda Murty (1924–2011) was a vociferous writer and an iconoclast. In recognition of his contribution in the field of Philosophy, he was awarded the highly coveted BC Roy Award in Philosophy, and Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India. This volume is a collection of his unpublished writings in philosophy. It features Murty’s essays on Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Shintoism. The texts study the origins of Indian, Chinese and Japanese philosophical traditions and provide a comparative study of the different schools of thought. Murty analyzes the development of science in the ancient Indian tradition, especially in the areas of geometry, algebra, architecture, engineering and astronomy. He also provides recommendations for promoting Asian philosophies and cultures to the world, without dependence on the West.
An important contribution, the book presents K Satchidananda Murty’s contribution to philosophy during the 61 years of his engagement with active writing and teaching. It will be of great interest to scholars, teachers and students of Indian philosophy, Hindu philosophy, comparative philosophy, Asian philosophy, religious studies and South Asian studies.
Editors’ Note vi
Introduction 1
1 Nih. śreyasa Dharma: The Doctrine Leading to Salvation 6
2 Attadīpo Bhava: Be a Lamp unto Yourself 20
3 Buddhism: An Integrated Interpretation 29
4 Prajñāpāramitā: Perfect Wisdom 33
5 Buddhism and National Culture 36
6 Andhra’s Contribution to Buddhist Thought 45
7 Buddhism–Taoism Coalescence under Confucian Auspices 71
8 Shinto: The Japanese Way of the Numinous 83
9 The Chinese Worldview 97
10 Major Asian Intellectual Traditions: Their Philosophy and
Creativity 105
Index 129
Biography
Ashok Vohra, former Professor of Philosophy, Delhi University, India.
Kotta Ramesh, former Professor of Human Resource Management, Andhra University, India.
