Blackwell Reference Online

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“Buddhist philosophy” or Buddhist philosophies may be roughly grouped into two types: those philosophies “influenced” or “inspired” by Buddhist teaching, and those comprising philosophical activities carried out by Buddhist scholars. Due to space constraints, predominant attention will be given in this article to the first type.The most significant contemporary philosophical endeavor carried out under the influence of the Buddhist worldview was that of Nishida Kitarō (1870–1945), professor of philosophy at the Imperial University of Kyoto. Nishida's thought served as the cornerstone of those further developments in Buddhism-inspired philosophy that came to be known as the Kyoto School of philosophy. Because the philosophies of the Kyoto School have been the subject of lively debates in recent years, both in Japan and abroad, and because much of this discussion is pursued without a proper recourse to Nishida's thought (involving merely an empty citing of terminology that he developed), it will be worthwhile to focus on the essentials of Nishida's thought – specifically on the notions of “topos” (basho in Japanese) and “absolute nothingness” (zettai mu). An adequate grasp of these basic concepts is needed if we are to avoid degenerating into mere “empty” talk.Nishida practiced Zen Buddhism for a decade. He was always pulled toward philosophy, but after his kenshō experience (or “comprehension ... log in or subscribe to read full text