[Buddha-l] Question on Buddhist Debating Traditions

[Bradley Clough]

Dear Katherine,

There has certainly been work on ancient modes of logical debate in  
Theravada. The methods of debate that are employed in the text that  
presents early Indian Buddhist debates from a Theravada perspective,  
the Kathaavatthu, are laid out in the "Prefatory Notes" (pp. xxvii- 
liv) to Shwe Zan Aung and C.A.F. Rhys-Davids, tr., _Points of  
Controversy or Subjects of Discourse: Being a Translation of the  
Kathavatthu_ (London: Pali Text Society, 1915).
I don't know if debate is still practiced at Theravada "monastic  
colleges" (pirivenas) like Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara in Sri Lanka,  
but the following book is a full exposition of Theravadin methods of  
logical argumentation and debate: Ven. Hegoda Khemananda, _Logic and  
Epistemology in Theravada (Theravada Nyaya)_ (Colombo: Karunaratne and  
Sons, 1993). Ven. Khemananda is/was Vice-Chancellor of Vidyodaya  
Pirivena, so his work MIGHT reflect practices at his college.

I'll have to defer to others on debate in Ch'an/Zen. There is a wealth  
of material of material on Tibetan debate, from scholars like Klein,  
Perdue, Dreyfus, and Liberman. I assume that you're aware of these  
works, but if not, I can send references along.

Best Wishes,
Brad

Bradley Clough <bradley.clough at mso.umt.edu>
Assistant Professor of Asian Religions
The University of Montana
Liberal Studies Program
LA 101
Missoula, MT 59812

Office Phone: 406-243-2837
Fax: 406-243-5313




On Aug 2, 2009, at 5:49 PM, Katherine Masis wrote:

> Dear List,
>
> I understand that In Zen there are mostly non-discursive Dharma  
> combats, in Tibetan Buddhism there are more discursive and non- 
> discursive debates, and I don't know if there is a debating  
> tradition in Theravada.  Would someone please point out the  
> similarities and differences between or among these debating  
> traditions, or provide me with a link or two where I can get some  
> information?  So far I haven't come up with much on the web.
>
> Many thanks,
> Katherine Masís
>
>
>
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