Karashima, S.

Karashima, S. on the DRL

Authors of English Works • Professors

Seishi Karashima

English Phonetics	Seishi Karashima
Sort Name	Karashima, Seishi

Dates

Birth:	1957
Death:	2019/07/23

Tibetan calendar dates

Dates of birth

Day
Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

Dates of passing

Day
Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

About

Primary Affiliation (Workplace)

The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University, Tokyo

Teachers

Dr. Ji Xianlin (季羡林, 1911–2009)

PhD University

Beijing University

Education

B.A. and M.A., University of Tokyo Ph.D. Beijing University (Also studied at Cambridge University and at Freiburg University)

Biographical Information

Professor Seishi Karashima was appointed assistant professor at Soka University’s International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology in April 1997 upon the establishment of the institute, becoming a full professor two years later. After taking on the role of director in April 2011, he continued to make significant contributions to the development of the institute.
      Specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Professor Karashima applied his vast knowledge of Sanskrit, Tibetan, Pāḷi, Middle Indo-Aryan, and ancient Chinese to conduct detailed analyses of early Chinese Buddhist Translations. Among his many publications, he compiled A glossary of Dharmaraksa's translation of the Lotus Sutra, A Glossary of Kumārajīva's translation of the Lotus Sutra, and A glossary of Lokakṣema's translation of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā. He studied the formation of early Mahayana Buddhism and was a leading light of the Buddhist academic community in Japan and abroad. Professor Karashima was invited to work at various institutions in Japan and abroad, including the University of California, Berkeley; the School of Literary Studies at Renmin University of China; and Institut de France. During his time at these institutions, he did not limit himself to simply giving lectures on Buddhist studies. He also set up initiatives to support research, such as creating a worldwide network of Buddhist researchers.
      Numerous published papers and books bear the hand of Professor Karashima, either as author or editor. These include Vessantara-jātaka Yakuchū (included in The Jātaka, Vol. 10 by Hajime Nakamura, Shunjūsha, 1988); A Textual Study of the Chinese Versions of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra (Sankibo Busshorin, 1992); A Study of the Underlying Language of the Chinese Translation of the Dīrgha-āgama (Hirakawa Shuppan Inc., 1994); Buddhist Manuscripts from Central Asia: The British Library Sanskrit Fragments, (author and editor of three volumes in five books; International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University, 2006, 2009, 2015); Abhisamācārika- Dharma (three volumes, German language publication, International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, 2012); Languages and Transmission of Buddhist Scriptures (Chinese language publication, Nakanishi Shokyoku, 2016). (Source: Soka University)

Links

Wiki Pages

• Karashima, S. on the DRL
• Karashima, S. on the LIB
• Karashima, S. on the BNW

Buddha Nature Project

Person description or short bio

Expand to see this person's philosophical positions on Buddha-nature.

Is Buddha-nature considered definitive or provisional?
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All beings have Buddha-nature
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If "Qualified", explain:
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Which Wheel Turning
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Yogācāra vs Madhyamaka
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Zhentong vs Rangtong
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Promotes how many vehicles?
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Analytic vs Meditative Tradition
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What is Buddha-nature?
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Svātantrika (རང་རྒྱུད་) vs Prāsaṅgika (ཐལ་འགྱུར་པ་)
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Causal nature of the vajrapāda
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Refers to something that is taught for a specific reason, rather than because it is entirely true.

Along with Madhyamaka, it was one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Asaṅga and Vasubandhu around the fourth century CE, many of its central tenets have roots in the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra and the so-called third turning of the dharma wheel (see tridharmacakrapravartana).

Along with Yogācāra, it is one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Nāgārjuna around the second century CE, it is rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, though its initial exposition was presented in Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā.

The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.

The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.

Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana.