Hirakawa, A.
English Phonetics | Akira Hirakawa |
---|
Birth: | 1915 |
---|---|
Death: | 2002 |
Place of birth: | Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan |
Tibetan calendar dates
Biographical Information
Born in Toyohashi City in Aichi Prefecture on January 21, 1915, Hirakawa studied as an undergraduate and then graduate student (1939-1945) at the Department of Indian Philosophy and Sanskrit Philology, Faculty of Letters, Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo), and became Research Assistant of that department in 1946. He was appointed Associate Professor of the newly established Department of Indian Philosophy at Hokkaido University in 1950. After teaching for four years in Hokkaido University, he returned to Tokyo in 1954 to become Associate Professor of Buddhist Studies at his alma mater. Hirakawa was granted a full professorship in 1962, a position he held until reaching the University of Tokyo’s mandatory retirement age of 60 in 1975, at which time he received the title of Professor Emeritus. After his retirement he taught for 10 years (1975-1985) Buddhist Studies at Waseda University, Department of Oriental Philosophy, School of Literature. Hirakawa also served as Chairman of the Directors of the Japanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies for eight years (1983-1991), where he made tremendous contributions toward the advancement of the Association. In 1993 he was selected to be a member of the Japan Academy. He went on to become Chairman and Professor at the International College for Advanced Buddhist Studies (established in 1996), where in addition to his duties as the director of research and education, he was responsible for the general administration of the College. He held this position until passing away. (Source Accessed Dec 5, 2019)
- Wiki Pages
- Person description or short bio
Expand to see this person's philosophical positions on Buddha-nature.
Is Buddha-nature considered definitive or provisional? | |
---|---|
Position: | |
Notes: | |
All beings have Buddha-nature | |
Position: | |
If "Qualified", explain: | |
Notes: | |
Which Wheel Turning | |
Position: | |
Notes: | |
Yogācāra vs Madhyamaka | |
Position: | |
Notes: | |
Zhentong vs Rangtong | |
Position: | |
Notes: | |
Promotes how many vehicles? | |
Position: | |
Notes: | |
Analytic vs Meditative Tradition | |
Position: | |
Notes: | |
What is Buddha-nature? | |
Position: | |
Notes: | |
Svātantrika (རང་རྒྱུད་) vs Prāsaṅgika (ཐལ་འགྱུར་པ་) | |
Position: | |
Notes: | |
Causal nature of the vajrapāda | |
Position: |
Full Name[edit]
Akira Hirakawa
Affiliation[edit]
Other Information[edit]
Professor Akira HIRAKAWA, known widely not only in Japan but throughout the world as a respected authority in Buddhist Studies, passed away of natural causes on March 31, 2002, at the age of 87. Born in Toyohashi City in Aichi Prefecture on January 21, 1915, Hirakawa studied as an undergraduate and then graduate student (1939-1945) at the Department of Indian Philosophy and Sanskrit Philology, Faculty of Letters, Tokyo Imperial University (now University of Tokyo), and became Research Assistant of that department in 1946. He was appointed Associate Professor of the newly established Department of Indian Philosophy at Hokkaido University in 1950. After teaching for four years in Hokkaido University, he returned to Tokyo in 1954 to become Associate Professor of Buddhist Studies at his alma mater. Hirakawa was granted a full professorship in 1962, a position he held until reaching the University of Tokyo’s mandatory retirement age of 60 in 1975, at which time he received the title of Professor Emeritus. After his retirement he taught for 10 years (1975-1985) Buddhist Studies at Waseda University, Department of Oriental Philosophy, School of Literature. Hirakawa also served as Chairman of the Directors of the Japanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies for eight years (1983-1991), where he made tremendous contributions toward the advancement of the Association. In 1993 he was selected to be a member of the Japan Aca demy. He went on to become Chairman and Professor at the International College for Advanced Buddhist Studies (established in 1996), where in addition to his duties as the director of research and education, he was responsible for the general administration of the College. He held this position until passing away.