The Wisdom Podcast Mark Siderits: Buddhism as Philosophy: Part 2 (#212)
Aug 1, 2025
Mark Siderits, an expert in Asian and Western philosophy, dives deep into Buddhist thought. He explores the essential themes of emptiness and the distinctions between the Yogācāra and Madhyamaka schools. Listeners gain insight into reflexive awareness and how cognition shapes our understanding of self and reality. Mark also challenges traditional views on memory and experience, emphasizing the importance of perception in comprehending existence. His discussions invite all to reconsider their notions of self and enlightenment.
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Philosophy As A Tool To Expose The Self
- Buddhist philosophy is a tool within the broader path to overcome suffering by exposing the illusion of a real, enduring self.
- Mark Siderits frames philosophy as helping reveal the self as a convenient conceptual fiction, not the whole of Buddhist practice.
From Dharmas To Emptiness
- Abhidharma posits momentary dharmas that bear intrinsic natures as the ultimate constituents of reality.
- Madhyamaka responds by claiming even those dharmas are empty of intrinsic nature, collapsing the search for a final 'real' thing.
Yogācāra's Three Natures And The Ineffable
- Yogācāra reads emptiness via a three-nature theory that culminates in the ineffable perfected nature.
- It moves from denying external objects to denying dual conceptualizations, making the ultimate unspeakable.
