Kumagai, S.

Kumagai, S. on the DRL

Professors

Seiji Kumagai

English Phonetics	Seiji Kumagai

Dates

Birth:	1980
Place of birth:	Hiroshima, Japan

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 Language:	Japanese
Translates from:	Tibetan
Translates to:	Japanese; English

Primary Affiliation (Workplace)

Kyoto University

PhD University

Kyoto University

Biographical Information

Seiji Kumagai was born in 1980 in Hiroshima (Japan). He studied Buddhist philosophy and received his Ph.D. in 2009 from Kyoto University. In 2011, he became an assistant professor at the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research of Kyoto University. Since 2013, he has been Uehiro Associate Professor at Kokoro Research Center of Kyoto University from then until the present. Since 2017, he has been a divisional director of the Department of Bhutanese Studies at Kokoro Research Center. He was invited by the University of Vienna as Numata Professor in 2018. His field of research is Buddhist Madhyamaka philosophy in India, Tibet, and Bhutan, and also that of Bon religion. He has also conducted research on the history of Tibetan and Bhutanese Buddhism. His most notable publications include books such as The Two Truths in Bon (Kathmandu: Vajra Publications, 2011), Bhutanese Buddhism and Its Culture (Kathmandu: Vajra Publications, 2014), and Buddhism, Culture and Society in Bhutan (Kathmandu: Vajra Publications, 2018), as well as numerous academic articles on Indo-Himalayan Buddhism and Bon.

Curriculum Vitae

BA, Buddhist Studies, Faculty of Letters, Kyoto University, 2000-2004. MA, Buddhist Studies, Faculty of Letters, Kyoto University, 2004-2006. Ph.D., Buddhist Studies, Faculty of Letters, Kyoto University, 2006-2009. CDFJ Scholarship Student, Ecole Pragique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), FRANCE, 2007-2008. JSPS Research Fellow (PD), Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University, 2009-2011. Assistant Professor, Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, 2011-2012. Senior Lecturer, Kyoto Womens’ University, 2012-2013. Assocate Professor, Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, 2012-2013. Assocate Professor (Uehiro Kokoro Studies), Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, 2013-present. Kyoto University Ph.D. (Literature)

Publications

• Books

Seiji KUMAGAI (2014) Bhutanese Buddhism and Its Culture, ed. Seiji KUMAGAI, Kathmandu: Vajra Publications.

Tsuguhito TAKEUCHI, Kazushi IWAO, Ai NISHIDA, Seiji KUMAGAI and Meishi YAMAMOTO (2014) Current Issues and Progress in Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the Third International Seminar of Young Tibetologists, Kobe 2012 (Journal of Research Institute, vol. 51), Kobe: Kobe City University of Foreign Studies. 2014.

Marc-Henri DEROCHE, Joshua SCHAPIRO, Seiji KUMAGAI and Kalsang Norbu GURUNG (2011) Revisiting Tibetan Religion and Philosophy, (Revue d'Etudes Tibétaines 21), Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2011) The Two Truths in Bon, Kathmandu: Vajra Publications.

• Journal Articles

Seiji KUKMAGAI (2014) “Bhutan ni Okeru Bukkyo to Kokumin Soukoufuku (GNH)” (Buddhism and Gross National Happiness (GNH) in Bhutan), Shukyo Kenkyu (Journal of Religious Studies), Vol. 380, pp.25-52. *Japanese Paper

Seiji KUMAGAI (2014) “History and Current Situation of the Sa skya pa school in Bhutan,” in Bhutanese Buddhism and Its Culture, Kathmandu: Vajra Publications, pp. 127-139.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2014) “Bhutan ni Okeru Sakyaha Bukkyo” (Introduction of Buddhist Sa skya pa School in Bhutan), Himalaya Gakushi (Himalayan Study Monographs),Vol. 15, pp. 82-92. *Japanese Paper

Seiji KUMAGAI (2013) “Bonkyo ni Okeru Bukkyo Nitaisetsu no Juyou to Sono Tenkai” (Bonpos’ Absorption and Development of the Buddhist Theory of Two Truths), The Toho Gakuho (Journal of Oriental studies), Vol. 88, pp. 321-342.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2013) “Caractéristiques de la théorie des deux vérités en Inde et au Tibet,” Circulaire de la Société Franco-Japonaise des Etudes Orientals, Vol. 34-36, pp. 15-20. *French Paper

Seiji KUMAGAI, Gawa THUPTEN and Akinori YASUDA (2012) “Introduction to the Collected Works of the Founder of the Drukpa Kagyu ('Brug pa bKa’ brgyud) School: Tsangpa Gyare (gTsang pa rgya ras, 1161-1211), ” Buddhism Without Borders: Proceedings of the International Conference on Globalized Buddhism,Bumthang, Bhutan May 21-23, 2012, Thimphu: Centre for Bhutan Studies, pp. 36-52.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2011) “The Two Truths of the bDen gnyis ’grel ba by mNyam med,” Acta Tibetica et Buddhica, Vol. 4, pp. 41-59.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2011) “The Two Truths of the Sa lam rang 'grel by mNyam med,” Acta Tibetica et Buddhica, Vol. 4, pp. 23-40.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2011) “Bhāviveka’s Theory of the Absolute Truth,” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies, Vol. 59, No. 3, pp. 1187-1191.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2010) “The Two Truths Theory of the Bonpo Me ston Shes rab 'od zer (1058-1132 or 1118-1192) - A Comparative Study -,” Report of Japanese Association for Tibetan Studies, Vol. 56, pp. 87-100.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2010) “Bonpo Interpretation of the Two Truths of Buddhist Philosophy Seen in an Anonymous Bonpo Treatise Theg ’grel (13th or 14th cen.),” Acta Tibetica et Buddhica, Vol. 3, pp. 155-171.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2009) “Development of the Theory of the ‘Two Truths’ in the Bon Religion,” East and West (IsIAO), Vol. 59, pp. 131-144.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2009) “La classification indo-tibétaine de l'école Mādhyamika : selon le Shes bya kun khyab de ’Jam-mgon Kong-sprul Blo-gros mtha'-yas (1813-1899),” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies, Vol. 57, No. 3, pp. 1273-1277. *French Paper

Seiji KUMAGAI (2008) “’Two Truths’ (satyadvaya) in the dBu ma bden gnyis (Satyadvayavibhaṅga) of the Bon Religion,” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies, Vol. 56, No. 3, pp. 1164-1167.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2007) “Kusho Mujishosei Ronsho no Bunrui: 11 Seiki kara 15 Seiki Zenhan Made no Tibet Bunken wo Chushin ni” (The classifications of proofs on emptiness and absence of self-nature: through an examination of Tibetan works from the 11th through the first half of the 15th centuries), Report of the Japanese Association for Tibetan Studies, Vol. 53, pp. 11-24.

Seiji KUMAGAI (2007) “La classification des cinq démonstrations de la vacuité (śūnyatā) par Roṅ ston,” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies, Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 1040-1043. *French Paper

Links

Wiki Pages

• Kumagai, S. on the DRL
• Kumagai, S. on the LIB
• Kumagai, 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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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 Blue Annals

The Kagyu school traces its origin to the eleventh-century translator Marpa, who studied in India with Nāropa. Marpa's student Milarepa trained Gampopa, who founded the first monastery of the Kagyu order. As many as twelve subtraditions grew out from there, the best known being the Karma Kagyu, the Drikung, and the Drukpa.

The nature or essence of a thing, which originates only from itself and is not dependent on any external entities, causes, or conditions.

The state of being empty of an innate nature due to a lack of independently existing characteristics.

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).

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.