Abstract

The Buddha famously enunciated the four reliances: “Rely on the teaching, not the teacher; rely on the meaning, not the words; rely on the definitive, not that which requires further interpretation; rely on direct insight, not conceptuality.” This chapter explores methodological problems arising in Buddhist philosophy. It addresses hermeneutical questions about the special problems involved in interpreting texts across cultures and considers problems that arise from translation and the consideration of philosophy conducted in radically different vocabularies and cultural registers. It proposes a conversational model of engagement and suggests that this engagement can deepen not only Western philosophers’ understanding of Buddhist and other non-Western philosophy, but of Western philosophy as well.