DOI: 10.25136/2409-8728.2022.9.38647

Abstract: The article deals with the central concept of Prajnaparamite philosophy – the concept of emptiness. The analysis of the understanding of this concept in the scientific literature is given, the difficulties of understanding it are indicated. Nagarjuna's explanations of the doctrine of emptiness are considered in the context of the Prajnaparamite theory of the middle. Much attention is paid to the difficulties of understanding emptiness in China during the formation of Buddhism in this country. The variants of understanding the concept of emptiness presented in the teachings of the "six schools and seven directions" (Liu jia qi zong) are considered. The interpretation of the understanding of emptiness in the writings of Seng Zhao and Kumarajiva is shown. The translation of the text of the Hridaya Sutra is presented, in which the definition of the concept of emptiness is given in a concise form. The object of the study is the philosophy of Prajnaparamita. The subject of the study is the interpretation of the concept of emptiness in the Prajnaparamite tradition. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that it presents different points of view on the understanding of the concept of emptiness, both in the scientific literature and in the Buddhist tradition of India, Tibet and China. The main conclusion of the article is that the reason for the different interpretation of emptiness lies in the semantic features of the term "emptiness" which implies absolute negation. Therefore, there was a need to justify the fact that the negation is followed by a statement, the emptiness hides the true being. The next difficulty was the question of what truly exists. The search for the true essence of this being is especially clearly traced to the Chinese tradition.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8728.2019.10.31409

Abstract: This article examines the traditional values of Buddhism that are widely used in China’s modern political strategy. Emphasis is made on the tolerance underlying the content of Buddhist teaching, as well as its peace-loving nature that determines stance on other philosophical-soteriological views. Attention is also given to the significance of Buddhism, as a language of diplomacy, extensively used by Chinese rulers in relations with neighboring countries. This diplomacy leaned on such pillars of Buddhism as tolerance, pacifism and compassion. It is underlines that these principles are consonant with the political course of modern China aimed at building a harmonious world. The article demonstrates that Buddhism has become the foundation for expanding the cultural and political influence of China in the countries of Asia, Europe and America. Therefore, the authorities of modern China show great interest in development of Buddhism capacity as a factor of “soft power” with regards to political strategy.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8728.2019.8.27768

Abstract: This article examines the problems of the transformation of Buddhism in China in the context of its proliferation across the country. The goal of this work lies in the analysis of interaction and mutual influence of two cultures – Indo-Buddhist and Chinese, resulting in Sinicization of Buddhism that defined a transformational stage of the development pf philosophy and soteriology of Buddhism in the Far East. The author analyzes the differences in the Chinese principles founded on Confucianism, religious and social orientations, as well as Indo-Buddhist suggesting the new to the Chinese mentality idea of salvation. There are also shared moments in the philosophical and worldview positions of the Chinese, namely Taoist, Indo-Buddhist philosophy, which consist not in the similarities of separate episodes of the two philosophies, but their ways of thinking that determine the worldview orientations. The article demonstrates that the similarity of Indo-Buddhist and Chinese mindsets allayed Buddhism integration into the Chinese sociocultural environment; and the new, brought by Buddhism to China, justified the need of its adjustment to the Chinese sociocultural and religious environment. This substantiated Sinicization of Buddhism, which became a logical outcome of interaction and mutual influence of the two richest civilizations.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8728.2017.12.24805

Abstract:   This article analyzes the content of categories of the Chinese Buddhism, formed as a result of collision of the categorical apparatus of the Indian Buddhism with the categorical apparatus of the Ancient Chinese philosophy. The author examines the peculiarities of its establishment on Chinese cultural platform in the context of worldview orientations of the Buddhist philosophy and soteriology. The work considers the hermeneutics of Buddhist concepts revealing their semantics, which depends on the gnoseological, ontological, psychological, and soteriological context, as well as affiliation of text that contains these concepts to one or another direction or school. The article provides the analysis of content of the categories of Chinese Buddhism, which reflect the specificity of Buddhism perception of the world base on dialectics of conditional and absolute truth, as well as peculiarities of categorical apparatus of the Ancient Chinese philosophy. The author determines the specificities of these categories characterized by polysemy on one hand, and semantic identity on the other.