Brief History Of Buddhist Studies In Europe And Maerica

Author(s): J W De Jong
Publisher: J W De Jong

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BUDDHIST STUDIES IN THE WEST
his final opinion on the Madhyamaka absolute did not appear until after his death.73 In 1905 in an article on the 75 and 100 dharma, La Vallée Poussin studied the Abhidharmakosa and the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi.74 In this field his work culminated in his translation of the Abhidharmakośa, one of the greatest achievements in Buddhist studies.75 La Vallée Poussin translated also many passages of the Abhidharma works of the Sarvāstivādin and of the Mahāvibhāṣā to which he referred also in his Abhidharma studies. In the field of Yogācāra studies his greatest achievement is his translation of the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi.76 Even the later Buddhist school of logic was not neglected by him as is shown by his edition of the Tibetan text of the Nyāyabindu together with Vinitadeva's commentary.77
Philosophical problems were studied by him in many publications. Let us mention only his articles on the doctrine of karman,78 the trikāya,79 the pratītyasamutpādasand the councils. 81 His numerous contributions to Hastings's Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (12 volumes, 1908–1921; Index volume 1926) deal with many aspects of Buddhism. If one adds to all this his publications of Sanskrit fragments (cf. FRAS, 1907, 1908, 1911, 1912, 1913) and many other articles and reviews, it is difficult to imagine that so much has been achieved by one scholar. 82 La Vallée Poussin published the results of his researches also in books which were meant for a larger (but highly intelligent) public: Bouddhisme. Opinions sur l'Histoire de la Dogmatique, Paris, 1909; The Way to Nirvāna,
73 Réflexions sur le Madhyamaka, MCB, II, 1933, pp. 1–59; Buddhica, HJAS, 3, 1938, pp. 137-160.
74 Dogmatique bouddhique. Les soixante-quinze et les cent dharmas (avec la collaboration de T. Suzuki et de P. Cordier), Muséon, 6, 1905, pp. 178-194.
75 L'Abbidharmakośa de Vasubandhu, 6 volumes, Paris-Louvain, 1923-1931. 76 Paris, 1928-1929.
77 Tibetan Translation of the Nyāyabindu of Dharmakirti, with the commentary of Vinitadeva, Bibliotheca Indica. Calcutta, 1907–1913. 78 Dogmatique bouddhique, JA, 1902, II, pp. 237-306, 1903, II, pp. 357-450.
79 JRAS, 1906, pp. 943-977; Muséon, 14, 1913, pp. 257-290; Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi, Vol. II, Paris, 1929, pp. 762-813.
80 Bouddhisme. Études et matériaux. Théorie des douze causes. Gand, 1913.
81 Les deux premiers conciles, Muséon, 6, 1905, pp. 214-323; The “Five Points” of Mahadeva and the Kathāvatthu, JRAS, 1910, pp. 413-423.
82 For a bibliography of his writings see Bibliographie bouddhique, XXIII bis, Paris, 1955, PP. 1-37.
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