Eighteen topics of Chapa Chökyi Senge

Eighteen topics of Chapa Chökyi Senge. Topics on epistemology listed by Chapa Chökyi Senge in the Root and Commentary of the Condensed Epistemology Eliminating the Darkness of the Mind (Tshad ma bsdus pa yid kyi mun sel rtsa ’grel). The presentation of these topics marked the beginning of a Tibetan tradition of epistemological studies.

The eighteen topics are:

(1) color, white and red; and (2) substantial phenomena and abstract phenomena; (3) contradictory and noncontradictory; and (4) universals and particulars; (5) relation and absence of relation; and (6) distinction and nondistinction; (7) presence and absence; and (8) cause and effect; (9) first stage, intermediate stage, later stage; and (10) definiens and definiendum; (11) multiple reasons and multiple predicates; and (12) forward negation and reverse negation; (13) direct contradiction and indirect contradiction; and (14) two types of logical entailment; (15) being and not being; and (16) the negation of being and not being; (17) understanding existence and understanding nonexistence; and (18) understanding permanent phenomena and understanding things.

Sources

• Thupten Jinpa, ed. (2017), Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Volume 1: The Physical World, translated by Coghlan, Ian James, Wisdom Publications 

Further reading

• Thupten Jinpa (editor), Ian James Coghlan (translator), Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics, Volume 1: The Physical World (Wisdom: 2017), Appendix: Eighteen Topics of Chapa Chökyi Senge