Assistant Professor, Fo Guang University
Dr. Tseng conducted fieldwork in Tokyo for 3 months in 2010-2011.
This fieldwork provided me with an important opportunity to consolidate my academic study on Tathāgatagarbha/buddha-nature of Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism as part of my Ph.D. thesis, which was a discussion of the concept of buddha-nature of Chinese Buddhism. My thesis focused on the idea that insentient things were able to possess buddha-nature, and my argument was that the idea was a Chinese Buddhist thought and syncretized the concept of buddha-nature of Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism and Chinese thoughts.
When making this argument, a clear understanding of the concept of Tathāgatagarbha/buddha-nature of Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism was required as separating the Indian Mahāyāna thought from idea. In this sense, an understanding of the development of Tathāgatagarbha/buddha-nature of Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism was necessary. I studied Tathāgatagarbha/buddha-nature and Yogācāra thoughts of Mahāyāna Buddhism with Professor YAMABE Nobuyoshi. Learning more about this field with Professor YAMABE strengthened my understanding of the development of Tathāgatagarbha/buddha-nature in Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism.
