Contents

Can I Get Enlightened?

Preface

1. A Verbal Transmission of the Non-Verbal Truth of Zen

1. 1. Zen as an Introduction to Buddhism
   2. Basic Teachings of Buddhism
   3. Zen and Emptiness Misunderstood
   4. Zen Riddles and Dependent Arising
   5. Disclaimer?

Review

• • • What Is Buddhism?
    • Attachment and Suffering
    • Noble Fourfold Truth
    • Noble Eightfold Path
    • Impermanence

2. Non-Self: An Analytic Approach

1. 1. Soul and Self
   2. Transporters Are Better
   3. The Journey of Soul and Self
   4. Why Only Humans?
   5. Two Western Philosophers on Non-Self
   6. Buddhist Argument for Non-Self
   7. Non-Self and Moral Virtues

Review

• • • Non-Self

3. Dependent Arising and Emptiness

1. 1. The Buddha’s Enlightenment and Dependent Arising
   2. Dependent Arising
   3. Causation and Non-Causal Connection
   4. Dependent Arising and Emptiness
   5. Is Dependent Arising Identical with Emptiness?
   6. Neither Existents nor Non-Existents
   7. Dependent Arising and Emptiness Revisited

Review

• • • Dependent Arising
    • Dependent Arising and Causation
    • Dependent Arising and Relations
    • Comprehensive Dependent Relation 1
    • Comprehensive Dependent Relation 2
    • Emptiness 1
    • Emptiness 2
    • Emptiness 3
    • Emptiness and Non-Self

4. Concepts of Enlightenment

1. 1. The Buddha, Enlightenment, and Nirvana
   2. Philosophical Enlightenment
   3. Nirvanic Enlightenment
   4. Enlightenment in Zen Traditions
   5. Further Issues

Review

• • • Attachment, Suffering, and Nirvana
    • Nirvana

5. Enlightenment and Compassion

1. 1. 1. Does compassion arise out of enlightenment?
   2. Yes, enlightenment brings about compassion.
   3. Enlightenment is not too difficult.
   4. Does enlightenment necessarily bring about compassion? No.
   5. Compassion arises contingently out of self-concern upon enlightenment.
   6. Why should the enlightened ones in nirvana be compassionate?
   7. There is no Hinayana.

Review

• • • Middle Way 1
    • Middle Way 2
    • Compassion 1
    • Compassion 2
    • Heuristic Tools

6. Transmigration and Liberation

1. 1. Transmigration
   2. Suffering (duḥkha)
   3. Liberation
   4. Overcoming a nihilistic interpretation
   5. It’s a wonderful life-and-death!

Review

• • • Transmigration, Suffering, and Liberation

7. What Is Buddha-Nature?

1. 1. Buddha-Nature and East Asian Buddhism
   2. Tathāgatagarbha traditions
   3. Buddha-Nature criticized
   4. “Buddha-Nature” as a second-order designator
   5. The Ontological Status of Buddha-Nature
   6. Conclusion

8. Enlightenment: Sudden or Gradual?

1. 1. Philosophical enlightenment and sudden enlightenment
   2. How to interpret the concept of sudden (頓)
   3. Nirvanic enlightenment and sudden enlightenment
   4. Enlightenment in Zen traditions and sudden enlightenment
   5. Sudden enlightenment is possible only from a logical point of view

9. Zen, the Paradox of Enlightenment, and the Private Language Argument

1. 1. Difficulties of comparison
   2. The paradox of enlightenment
   3. The private language argument