Williams, P.

Williams, P. on the DRL

Authors of English Works • Professors Emeritus

Paul Williams

English Phonetics	Paul Williams
Sort Name	Williams, Paul

Dates

Birth:	1950

Tibetan calendar dates

Dates of birth

Day
Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

Dates of passing

Day
Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

Contact information

Website:	Oral History of Tibetan Studies

About

Primary Affiliation (Workplace)

University of Bristol, England

PhD University

Wadham College, University of Oxford

Education

DPhil,, Wadham College, University of Oxford, 1978;

BA, University of Sussex's School of African & Asian Studies, 1972.

Biographical Information

Paul Williams (b. 1950) is Emeritus Professor of Indian and Tibetan Philosophy at the University of Bristol, England. Until his retirement in 2011 he was also director for the University's Centre for Buddhist Studies, and is a former President of the UK Association for Buddhist Studies.
      Williams studied at the University of Sussex's School of African & Asian Studies where he graduated with a first class BA in 1972. He then went on to study Buddhist Philosophy at Wadham College, University of Oxford, where he was awarded his DPhil in 1978. His main research interests are Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophy, Mahayana Buddhism, and Medieval philosophical and mystical thought.
      Williams was a Buddhist himself for many years but has since converted to Roman Catholicism, an experience he wrote about in his book The Unexpected Way and in an article, "On Converting from Buddhism to Catholicism – One Convert's Story." He is now a professed lay member of the Dominican Order. (Source Accessed April 16, 2020)

Publications

• Mi bskyod rdo rje: Routledge Entry
• Buddhism: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies Edited and with a new introduction by Paul Williams (London: Routledge, 2005). Eight volumes. ISBN 978-0415332262
• Songs of Love, Poems of Sadness: The Erotic Verse of the 6th Dalai Lama (IB Taurus, 2004). ISBN 978-1850434795
• The Unexpected Way: On Converting from Buddhism to Catholicism (London: T & T Clark, 2002). ISBN 978-0567088307
• Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition (London: Routledge, 2000). ISBN 978-0415207010
• Altruism and Reality: Studies in the Philosophy of the Bodhicaryavatara (Richmond: Curzon Press, 1998). ISBN 978-0700710317
• The Reflexive Nature of Awareness: A Tibetan Madhyamaka Defence (Richmond: Curzon Press, 1998). ISBN 978-0700710300
• Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations (London: Routledge,1989). ISBN 978-0415356534

Links

Wiki Pages

• Williams, P. on the DRL
• Williams, P. on the LIB
• Williams, P. 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?
Position:
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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་)
Position:
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Causal nature of the vajrapāda
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Full Name

Paul Williams

Affiliation

Professor in Indian Religions at the University of Bristol, England. Director for the University's Centre for Buddhist Studies.

Education

University of Sussex's School of African & Asian Studies, BA 1972.

Wadham College, University of Oxford, DPhil, 1978.

Other Information

Born in 1950

Selected Publications:

• Mi bskyod rdo rje: Routledge Entry
• Buddhism: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies Edited and with a new introduction by Paul Williams (London: Routledge, 2005). Eight volumes. ISBN 978-0415332262
• Songs of Love, Poems of Sadness: The Erotic Verse of the 6th Dalai Lama (IB Taurus, 2004). ISBN 978-1850434795
• The Unexpected Way: On Converting from Buddhism to Catholicism (London: T & T Clark, 2002). ISBN 978-0567088307
• Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition (London: Routledge, 2000). ISBN 978-0415207010
• Altruism and Reality: Studies in the Philosophy of the Bodhicaryavatara (Richmond: Curzon Press, 1998). ISBN 978-0700710317
• The Reflexive Nature of Awareness: A Tibetan Madhyamaka Defence (Richmond: Curzon Press, 1998). ISBN 978-0700710300
• Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations (London: Routledge,1989). ISBN 978-0415356534

The Blue Annals

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.

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.