| Although Christian theologians already have well-developed responses to religious others in terms of exclusivism, inclusivism, or pluralism, philosophical work addressing religious plurality from a Buddhist perspective is surprisingly rare. My work explores Buddhist stances towards non-Buddhists, analyzing Buddhist inclusivism in particular.; I collect examples of inclusivism from a wide range of Buddhist contexts and time periods, classifying and criticizing the forms and patterns that appear. After constructing and defending a preferred, alternative form of Buddhist inclusivism, I evaluate in more depth the thought of two contemporary Buddhists (Thich Nhat Hanh and Masao Abe) in light of my ideal position. Finally, I address the thought of Buddhist exclusivist Gunapala Dharmasiri and show that he poses no challenges fatal to inclusivism in Buddhist contexts.; To support my argument, I use both general philosophical arguments, such as those developed by Christian inclusivist theologians, as well as Buddhist-specific doctrinal and conceptual resources. My goal is to provide a more systematic treatment of the possibility of a tenable Buddhist inclusivist position than has yet been provided either by scholars or by contemporary Buddhists. |
