Books by Serena Saccone
Asiatische Studien/Études Asiatiques, 2023
The Sāramañjarī by Samantabhadra (ca. mid-9th c. CE) is a commentary on Jñānapāda's Samantabhadra... more The Sāramañjarī by Samantabhadra (ca. mid-9th c. CE) is a commentary on Jñānapāda's Samantabhadrasādhana (ca. late 8th c. CE), a practical meditation manual of the Guhyasamājatantra. This book provides the first critical edition of the Sanskrit text as well as the first English translation of a long portion devoted to the logical justification of the practice of the binduyoga. The book also presents a general introduction to the work and a philosophical introduction to its contents.
Wiener Studien zur Tibetologie und Buddhismuskunde. Arbeitskreis für Tibetische und Buddhistische Studien, 395p., 2018
The present work consists of three distinct yet complementary parts: the Introduction, the Bahira... more The present work consists of three distinct yet complementary parts: the Introduction, the Bahirarthaparīkṣā and the *Bāhyārthasiddhikārikā. The Introduction contains an analysis of the Buddhist debate on cognitions and their object in the 8th century as portrayed in the Bahirarthaparīkṣā chapter of the Tattvasaṅgraha by Śāntarakṣita and the Tattvasaṅgrahapañjikā by Kamalaśīla. This is followed by a critical edition of that chapter accompanied by an annotated English translation and, finally, 4 appendices on Śubhagupta and his main work, the *Bāhyārthasiddhikārikā. Specifically, appendix 3 and 4 provide a critical edition of the Tibetan text and English translation of about 60 kārikās of Śubhagupta’s *Bāhyārthasiddhikārikā.
Papers by Serena Saccone
Asiatische Studien - Études Asiatiques, 2023
Kamalaśīla and His Place in the Intellectual History of Buddhism. Special Issue. Asiatische Studien/Études Asiatiques. Volume 77, issue 1, pp. 89–116, 2023
In the *Vajracchedikāṭīkā, while commenting on a specific passage of the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāra... more In the *Vajracchedikāṭīkā, while commenting on a specific passage of the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā, Kamalaśīla presents a refutation of the Self (ātman). As is well known, the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā is one of the most important sūtras of the Buddhist Mahāyāna tradition and concerns the correct practice for those who proceed in the path of a Bodhisattva. In this article, I shall analyze a portion of Kamalaśīla's refutation, based on a new critical edition and English translation of the *Vajracchedikāṭīkā. I will show how he takes the opportunity, while commenting on scriptures, to combine logic/epistemology and soteriology. He does this by including philosophical arguments in his explanation of the cultivation of insight, and accordingly within the spiritual path of a Bodhisattva. In the process, I shall also investigate sources containing disputes between Buddhists and Naiyāyikas (as well as Vaiśeṣikas) regarding the Self. These are evidently the background of Kamalaśīla's refutation. In particular, he defends the so-called Buddhist nonapprehension argument against Uddyotakara's doctrine of the perceptibility of the Self.
Vincent Eltschinger, Jowita Kramer, Parimal Patil, Chizuko Yoshimizu (eds.), Burlesque of the Philosophers. Indian and Buddhist Studies in Memory of Helmut Krasser. Hamburg Buddhist Studies Series 19. Bochum/Freiburg: projekt verlag, 2023
Reconsidering the characterization of the Bhagavant Buddha as pramāṇabhūta by Dignāga in the āram... more Reconsidering the characterization of the Bhagavant Buddha as pramāṇabhūta by Dignāga in the ārambhaśloka of his Pramāṇasamuccaya: An overweening Indologist's attempt to intrude into hereditary Buddhological territory
F. Sferra, V. Vergiani (eds.) Verità e Bellezza. Essays in Honour of Raffaele Torella. Series Minor XCVII. Università degli Studi di Napoli, Dipartimento Asia, Africa e Mediterraneo, Series Minor, Napoli, pp. 1011–1024, 2022
W. Edelglass, S. L. McClintock, P.J. Harter (eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Indian Buddhist Philosophy. London: Routledge, 2022
In: A. Drocco, L. Galli, C. Letizia, G. Orofino, C. Simioli, (eds) Wind Horses. Tibetan, Himalayan and Mongolian Studies, Università degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale”, Dipartimento Asia, Africa e Mediterraneo, Series Minor LXXXVIII, Napoli, pp. 455-483. (ISBN 978-88-6719-175-8)., 2019
Rivista degli Studi Orientali, pp. 165-191, 2016
Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, pp. 107-137, 2015
the cOncePtiOn Of atOMS aS exiSting in SubhaguPta 109 3. aggregates of atoms are not real entitie... more the cOncePtiOn Of atOMS aS exiSting in SubhaguPta 109 3. aggregates of atoms are not real entities in themselves, i.e. new ontological realities different from the atoms that compose them. Much to the contrary, he aims to prove that atoms are that truly existing unitary entity and, precisely because of this, arise as aggregated ('dus pa, which corresponds to both the Sanskrit terms *sañcita or *saṅghata/samhata). 11 11 hattori (1968: 89) distinguishes between sañcita and saṅghata and maintains that diṅnaga (in AP kk. 1-5) and Vasubandhu (in Vims k. 11 and vrtti) divide realists into three groups according to their theories on the object-supports (alambana) of cognitions. the first group maintains that the object of a cognition is a dravya, i.e., an individual atom or an avayavin, the second group maintains that it is the aggregate (sañcita) of atoms, and the third maintains that it is the gathering (saṅghata) of atoms. he then adds that the second group is reported by Kuiji to be the Vaibhasikas. Subhagupta likely does not distinguish between sañcita atoms and saṅghata atoms in baSK. he certainly refutes arguments against the aggregates of atoms, 'dus pa, in AP, and atoms, as aggregated, samhata, in Vims. Moreover, as we will see, he states that there is only one way to understand 'dus pa, which is single atoms that arise in aggregation. in this sense, here, i shall briefly discuss the use of the term 'dus pa (as well as sañcita and saṅghata) in those works that Subhagupta had in mind: AP, Vims, Pramanavarttika (PV) and Pramanasamuccaya (PS). in AP 1-2 and APV, diṅnaga mentions two theses regarding an external object as the object-support (dmigs pa) of a sense perception: atoms, because they are its cause, and aggregates of them (de 'dus pa), because the cognition arises as endowed with their appearance. after discussing and refuting these two alternatives, in AP 3 and APV, he introduces another position by some masters upholding the view of atoms as being the cause of a cognition that appears with the image of their aggregates ('dus pa). the tibetan translation in both cases is 'dus pa and it is impossible, based only on those two works, to determine if diṅnaga distinguishes between sañcita and saṅghata in those two theses. in Vims 11 and vrtti, Vasubandhu lists three possibilities for an external ayatana to be the object of sense perceptions: (i) one, like the part-possessor (avayavin) admitted by the Vaisesikas; (ii) many atoms; or (iii) those atoms, as aggregated (samhata). Subsequently, while discussing the third thesis and referring to the Vaibhasikas from Kasmīr, he uses saṅghata to allude to the view on the aggregates of atoms according to the latter school. therefore, Vasubandhu mentions only the possibility of saṅghata/samhata atoms, and not sañcita. the corresponding tibetan translation for that is -once again -'dus pa. Kapstein (2001: 186) introduces these three theses as follows: (1) the whole as a simple part-possessing form; (2) the mere sum of atomic parts; and (3) a unified collection of atomic parts. in PV Pratyaksa 195 (to which, as we will see, Subhagupta appears to be alluding) dharmakīrti mentions sañcita; the tibetan translation in that case is bsags. in PS 1.15b and PSV ad 1.4cd, diṅnaga likely uses, respectively, the terms cita (perhaps only for metrical reasons) and sañcita. the tibetan corresponding for sañcita (in PSV ad 1.4cd) are 'dus pa in the translation of Vasudhararaksita and Seng rgyal (hattori 1968: 178) and bsags pa in the translation of Kanakavarman and dad pa'i shes rab (hattori 1968: 179). the tibetan corresponding for cita (in PS 1.15b) is bsags pa (hattori 1968: 188, 189). i shall give preference to sañcita as corresponding to 'dus pa in the passages of baSK referred to in the present article.
Journal Of Indian Philosophy (online first 2013), pp. 377-399, 2014
In his *Bāhyārthasiddhikārikā (BASK), "Verses on the Establishment of the External Object"-extant... more In his *Bāhyārthasiddhikārikā (BASK), "Verses on the Establishment of the External Object"-extant only in Tibetan translation-Ś ubhagupta (720-780 CE), a philosopher connected with the logical-epistemological school of Buddhism, argues the reality of external objects of cognitions. In this article, I shall provide an account of Ś ubhagupta's theory of the cognitive process, as expressed in BASK 35-44, particularly in light of his view that the images (ākāra) of those objects do not appear in cognition. BASK is part of an internal Buddhist debate over the reality of external supports of perceptions, wherein Ś ubhagupta disproves the views of thinkers like Diṅnāga and Vasubandhu. On the other hand, he is one of the main opponents addressed in the Bahirarthaparīkṣā (BAP) of the Tattvasaṅgraha (TS) by Śāntarakṣita (725-788 CE) and the Tattvasaṅgrahapañjikā (TSP) by Kamalaśīla (740-795 CE). Therein, the two authors, while demonstrating the absence of the characteristics of apprehended (grāhya) and apprehender (grāhaka) with regard to cognition, keenly refute his ideas and quote selected Sanskrit verses that can be identified as the original Sanskrit of stanzas in BASK. Accordingly, I shall examine Ś ubhagupta's theory of the cognitive process in two steps: (i) analyzing the arguments that Śāntarakṣita and Kamalaśīla advance against him based on their interpretation of Ś ubhagupta's views; and (ii) analyzing the arguments that he brings forward against his opponents (namely, Diṅnāga and Vasubandhu), by means of the investigation of BASK 35-44 in their original context.
F. Sferra - Dramdul (eds.), From Mediterranean to Himalaya – A Festschrift to Commemorate the 120th birthday of the Italian Tibetologist Giuseppe Tucci, Beijing, pp. 503-551, 2014
Musco, A. (ed.), Universalità della Ragione. Pluralità delle filosofie nel Medioevo - Atti del XII Congresso Internazionale di Filosofia Medievale, Vol. 3. Société Internationale pour l’Étude de la Philosophie Médiévale (SIEPM) - Officina di Studi Medievali, Palermo, pp. 179-192, 2012
Alberto Melloni (ed.), Dizionario del Sapere Storico-Religioso del Novecento, Il Mulino, Bologna,... more Alberto Melloni (ed.), Dizionario del Sapere Storico-Religioso del Novecento, Il Mulino, Bologna, pp. 234-250, 2010
Dizionario Bompiani degli Autori, 6 vols., Bompiani, Milano, 2006
Dizionario Bompiani degli Autori, 6 voll., Bompiani, Milano, 2006
La Rivelazione del Buddha. Vol. II, Il Grande Veicolo, a cura di Raniero Gnoli. I Meridiani. Classici dello Spirito, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, pp. 926-965, 2004
Workshops Organized by Serena Saccone
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Books by Serena Saccone
Papers by Serena Saccone
Workshops Organized by Serena Saccone