The Concept of Svabhāva in Mādhyamaka’s Ontology

In the teachings of the Buddha, the principles of universal conditionality and the negation of the permanence, originality, and intrinsic essence of beings (anitya), as well as the denial of the existence of an essential self or ātman (anātman), play central roles. These ontological teachings have been subject to diverse interpretations throughout the history of Buddhist thought and across various Buddhist schools. Notably, philosophers of the Mādhyamaka school have elaborated on these doctrines in detail through the framework of the theory of Śunyatā. This study aims to elucidate what is negated by the doctrine of Śunyatā by employing a descriptive-analytical methodology, utilizing both the texts of Mādhyamaka philosophers and the works of prominent Buddhist scholars. Specifically, within the Mādhyamaka tradition, and particularly in the teachings of Nāgārjuna and Chandrakirti, it is asserted that objects are devoid of "svabhāva." The primary objective of this research is to explicate the various meanings of svabhāva and their interrelations with the doctrine of Śunyatā. Our analysis indicates that svabhāva encompasses at least three principal meaning, each possessing distinct ontological implications.

کلیدواژه ها:

Svabhāva ، Mādhyamaka ، Śūnyatā ، existence ، Nāgārjuna