Conclusion

Abstract

This study has attempted to investigate the relationship between reason, insight and full evolution in the Madhyamika system. The relationships have been exposed by focusing on the Introduction to the Middle Way [MA] for it is a text that combines the philosophical, transformational and religious features of the Madhyamika. In reconstructing the Introduction to the Middle Way [MA] I’ve adopted a philosophical and psychological orientation as such a posture hasn’t been utilised to date with the Madhyamika system and yet is consonant with the psycho-philosophical subject-matter of that system of thought, and is arguably the best orientation to assume when investigating the specific relationships in question. The first two thirds of the thesis have concentrated on the Madhyamika analytic and its relationship to the perfection of insight (prajnaparamita). The final third has linked insight to several features in the Introduction [MA] as a leadup to investigating the relationship between insight and full evolution (bodhi). The inquiry has been moderately successful in some areas (specificially with respect to the relationship between analysis and insight) and tentative in its conclusions in other aspects (notably in the area of the relationship between insight and valid conventional knowledge and insight and the buddhas’ knowledge of all facets). It is useful to summarise the conclusions that have been reached.

The erratum of this chapter is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0547-4_11