Gyaltsab Jé
Gyaltsab Jé, Gyaltsab Dharma Rinchen, (1364–1432) was born in the Tsang province of central Tibet. He was a student of Je Tsongkhapa and became the first Ganden Tripa of the Gelug tradition after Je Tsongkhapa’s death. He also studied with Rendawa Zhonnu Lodro (red mda’ ba gzhon nu blo gros, 1349–1412). He was a prolific writer and one of his most famous texts is a commentary of Shantideva’s A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way Of Life. Lodrö Tenpa, the seventh Ganden Tripa, was his student
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Buddhist Epistemology in the Geluk School
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Faced with Buddhism’s radical interdependence, one might ask, “If everything is relative, how can I be certain of anything?” Here, the descendents of Tsongkhapa plumb the nature of knowing and the tools of reasoning to come up with an answer.
This volume includes translations of three separate Tibetan works by iconic figures in the Geluk school of Buddhism. The first work, Banisher of Ignorance, is by Khedrup Gelek Palsang (1385–1438), and the second, On Preclusion and Relationship, is by Gyaltsab Darma Rinchen (1364–1432). The authors—popularly known as Khedrup Jé and Gyaltsab Jé—were the foremost disciples of the Geluk-school founder, Tsongkhapa Losang Drakpa (1357–1419). The third text, Mighty Pramāṇa Sun, is a commentary on Candrakīrti’s Clear Words (Prasannapadā) by the First Jamyang Shepa (1648–1721).
These works concern themselves primarily with the Buddhist theory of knowledge—the means by which we are able to know things and how we can be certain of that knowledge. Encapsulating this theory is the notion of pramāṇa, a concept derived from India, the Buddhist understanding of which was shaped most significantly by the masters Dignāga (fifth to sixth century) and Dharmakīrti (seventh century). Based on their explanation, pramāṇa is often translated as “valid cognition,” a literal reference to the kind of cognition that they proposed could be relied upon to supply indisputable knowledge. In recognition of the crucial role that reasoning is held to play in gaining certain knowledge, the Buddhist Pramāṇa tradition is described as a logico-epistemological system.
The works in this volume demonstrate how important scholastic rigor has been to Tibetan religion. They illustrate how those who follow the tradition have viewed the systematic approach as necessary not only for textual analysis—for those seeking to unravel the complexities of the Indian Buddhist scriptures and treatises—but also for practitioners aiming to progress along the spiritual path and achieve the higher Buddhist goals.
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