In the early twentieth century, Uchiyama Gud\u014d, Seno\u2019o Gir\u014d, Lin Qiuwu, and others advocated a Buddhism that was radical in two respects. Firstly, they adopted a more or less naturalist stance with respect to Buddhist doctrine and related matters, rejecting karma or other supernatural beliefs. And secondly, they held political and economic views that were radically anti-hegemonic, anti-capitalist, and revolutionary. Taking the idea of such a \u201cradical Buddhism\u201d seriously, A Buddha Land in This World: Philosophy, Utopia, and Radical Buddhism asks whether it is possible to develop a philosophy that is simultaneously naturalist, anti-capitalist, Buddhist, and consistent. Rather than a study of radical Buddhism, then, this book is an attempt to radicalize it.<\/p>\n
The foundations of this \u201cradicalized radical Buddhism\u201d are provided by a realist interpretation of Yog\u0101c\u0101ra, elucidated and elaborated with some help from thinkers in the broader Tiantai\/Tendai tradition and American philosophers Donald Davidson and W.V.O. Quine. A key implication of this foundation is that only this world and only this life are real, from which it follows that if Buddhism aims to alleviate suffering, it has to do so in this world and in this life. Twentieth-century radical Buddhists (as well as some engaged Buddhists) came to a similar conclusion, often expressed in their aim to realize \u201ca Buddha land in this world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Building on this foundation, but also on Mah\u0101y\u0101na moral philosophy, this book argues for an ethics and social philosophy based on a definition of evil as that what is or should be expected to cause death or suffering. On that ground, capitalism should be rejected indeed, but utopianism must be treated with caution as well, which raises questions about what it means \u2013 from a radicalized radical Buddhist perspective \u2013 to aim for a Buddha land in this world.