Bhaviveka Quotes
Bhaviveka, also known as Bhavaviveka, was an Indian Buddhist Madhyamaka philosopher of the sixth century, traditionally counted, with Buddhapalita and Candrakirti, among the founders of the autonomous, or Svatantrika, reading of Nagarjuna's middle-way philosophy. The Tarkajvala, or Blaze of Reasoning, his commentary on his own Madhyamakahrdaya, defended the use of independent syllogistic argument in establishing the doctrine of emptiness against both Buddhist and non-Buddhist opponents. The quotes below are attributed to Bhaviveka, organized by topic.
Bhaviveka on Truth
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Attributed to Bhaviveka:
“Emptiness must be established by reasoning, not merely shown by absurdity.”
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Attributed to Bhaviveka:
“The Madhyamaka path goes between the two extremes of eternalism and annihilationism.”
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Attributed to Bhaviveka:
“All views are empty; even the view that all views are empty must be set down at last.”
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Attributed to Bhaviveka:
“Conventional truth is not opposed to ultimate truth; it is its mode of appearance.”
Bhaviveka on Virtue
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Attributed to Bhaviveka:
“We refute the views of others not to humiliate them, but to free them from clinging to those views.”