Time: Friday 15 May 2026, at 15:00-17:00

Place: Room 109, Building 3, Lee Shau Kee Humanities Hall

Speaker: Martin Delhey, Shandong University

This is the 49th event of the Buddhist Philology, History, and Philosophy Series.

Abstract:

In Western languages, at least, it is difficult to find reliable, easily understandable works that inform readers in detail about the literary history and teachings of the Indian Yogācāra or Vijnānavāda school. In my opinion, such handbooks are desirable.

However, when one turns to the available secondary literature, two things become clear. First, there is much confusion about which works can be defined as Indian Yogācāra.

Second, the scholarly community seems to agree more on what the most important and characteristic teachings of the Indian Yogācāras are. However, there seems to be a great divide on the question of how these teachings are to be interpreted.

The presentation will sketch the three teachings most often viewed as the most characteristic. Then, it will be suggested that two additional teachings should be included because they are crucial to understanding the school's place in the different varieties of Indian Buddhism.

The presentation will also discuss works belonging to and not belonging to the Yogācāra school—or, at least, the orthodox or mainstream Yogācāra school—and its literary history.