Publisher Description

This is an introduction to the Buddhist philosophy of Emptiness which explores a number of themes in connection with the concept of Emptiness, a highly technical but very central notion in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. It examines the critique by the leading Nyingma school philosopher Mipham (1846-1912) formulated in his diverse writings. The book focuses on related issues such as what is negated by the doctrine of emptiness, the nature of ultimate reality, and the difference between 'extrinsic' and 'intrinsic' emptiness. Karma Phuntsho's book aptly undertakes a thematic and selective discussion of these debates and Mipham's qualms about the Gelukpa understanding of Emptiness in a mixture of narrative and analytic style.

Back Cover

This monograph provides a contemporary account of advances in chemical carcinogenesis. It promotes the view that it is alteration of the DNA by endogenous and exogenous carcinogens that ultimately leads to sporadic mutations which are a root cause of many human cancers. It deals with the metabolic activation of common classes of chemical carcinogens (tobacco carcinogens, heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and their detoxication. It describes the DNA-adducts that ensue and their repair mechanisms. It covers advances in structural-biology that provide a glimpse of both the DNA-repair process and the by-pass of DNA-lesions and how this informs the mutational code. It also deals with the concepts of chemoprevention and biomarkers for biomonitoring human exposure. Many contemporary texts on the biology of cancer now focus almost exclusively on the molecular and cell biology of the disease and do not cover the initiating (DNA damaging events) of chemical carcinogenesis in depth. It is with this perceived gap-in knowledge that world experts in their particular fields have contributed to this monograph. This monograph will be an important reference re-source for students in training, postdoctoral scientists, and senior scientists knowledgeable in the field.

Author Biography

Karma Phuntsho was trained to be a Khenpo, a Tibetan monastic abbot, for about a dozen years during which he studied, practiced and taught Buddhism in several monasteries in Bhutan and India. In 2003, he received a PhD in Oriental Studies from Balliol College, Oxford. He currently works at the University of Cambridge and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris as post-doctoral researcher specializing in Buddhism and Bhutan. His main interest lies in the preservation and promotion of Buddhist and Bhutanese culture.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Emptiness: Its Soteriological, Doctrinal, Ontological and Historical Significance in Buddhism 2. The Big Fuss about Emptiness: An Outline of the History of Debates on Emptiness 3. What is Negated by Ultimate Analysis? Debates on the Delimitation of the Mahyamika Negandum 4. The Fully Empty: Mipham's Theory of the Ultimate Reality 5. Is Emptiness Knowable and Effable? Conclusion

Review

'Karma Phuntsho concludes his fine study saying about Mipham that his works on Madhyamaka thus represent the crowning glory of his remarkable contribution to learning in Tibet and it will surely be for this legacy that Mipham will be best remembered and most studied for generations to come'.'Mipham's elaborations on emptiness offer an excellent counter balance to the negationist interpretation of the Gelugpa school, which has won over many Western scholars. Demonstrably, Mipham's approach illustrates in a commendable fashion the middle path favored by the Buddha and Nagarjuna.'- Traditional Yoga Studies

Review Quote

'Karma Phuntsho concludes his fine study saying about Mipham that his works on Madhyamaka thus represent the crowning glory of his remarkable contribution to learning in Tibet and it will surely be for this legacy that Mipham will be best remembered and most studied for generations to come'. 'Mipham's elaborations on emptiness offer an excellent counter balance to the negationist interpretation of the Gelugpa school, which has won over many Western scholars. Demonstrably, Mipham's approach illustrates in a commendable fashion the middle path favored by the Buddha and Nagarjuna.' -Traditional Yoga Studies

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