About

Clarke Scott (Loden Jinpa being my monks name) is a graduate student in the department of philosophy at the university of Tasmania in Australia. His primary professional research interests are Madhyamaka philosophy, personal identity, epistemology and philosophy of mind.

He is also a Buddhist monk ordained in the Tibetan tradition and has studied with the famed Tibetan lama Geshe Thubten Loden at The Tibetan Buddhist Society meditation center in Melbourne Australia since 1995.

In that time he has studied Buddhist epistemology, Madhyamaka philosophy, Buddhanature, Abhidharma and Vajrayana. In 1998 he spent 12 months studying with Geshe Jampa Gyatso from Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Pomaia, Italy.

Photos of Loden’s teachers
Loden Jinpa in the press

My Research

My research entails a critical investigation into the soteriological efficacy of the Buddhist doctrine of emptiness and dependent-origination. Particularly whether the cognition of emptiness or no-self can in fact remove dysfunctional states of mind. The overall philosophical enterprise of Buddhism and the insight into the illusory-like nature of the self is about solving the problem of existential suffering. According to Buddhists the solution to this problem is the extirpation of ignorance that reifies intrinsic essence in things and which functions as the root cause of suffering. The conception that reifies essence in the self is the root of suffering, as it pervades the cognitive process of ordinary unenlightened beings propelling them into dysfunctional actions. These misconceptions empower dysfunctional actions in a self-perpetuating cycle of false appearances and dysfunctional actions. My research will also investigate whether all conscious experience involves self-awareness? As well as: is consciousness fundamentally “egological”, constituted by a sense of “I”? Thus the core of my research is: can we reconcile a view of consciousness that takes the first-personal dimension with a non-egological position?

I hope to further the discussion between cognitive science and contemplative phenomenological first-person accounts of the relationship between brain/body functions and the outer world. While long-term, by participating in collaborative research into first-person phenomenology and cognitive science – by means of refining fine-grained phenomenological skills with my own research, I hope to help bridge the so-called divide between Buddhist accounts of first-person experiences of mental phenomena, the philosophical assertions of dependent-origination and emptiness, with Western scientific research into brain/body functionality.

Random Thoughts:

I believe Buddhism is not simply a religious doctrine founded by a long dead ancient culture with little connection to contemporary life. I would claim it is the investigation and articulation of natural laws. I would also suggest that at its core, is not mysticism, but rather empirical data garnered through investigation into such things as the nature of mind and experience. These claims are then evaluated via meditation and just like science these experiments must be repeatable by any individual that performs the same meditations. The Dalai Lama has often said: “If science finds empirical evidence that contradicts Buddhist doctrine we must abandon that tenet”. I would therefore claim that Buddhism should be understood to fall somewhere between science, philosophy and religion.

Buddhism claims that the process of enlightenment is about removing dysfunctional states of mind such as anger, jealous, arrogance, and replacing these with functional ones such as confidence, friendliness and wisdom or intelligence. Analysis and reasoning play a large role in this process and meditation is simply a tool used in this process. It is therefore a diagnostic, therapeutic and analytic tool used in this endeavour.

Philosophical truths are not things we look up in books or that are given to us by some mystical process. Philosophical truths are acquired through reading, thinking and in the Buddhist tradition, meditation. This is true because if we merely report what someone else has said we are not doing the investigating for ourselves. However, Buddhist philosophy is more than the articulation of views, it is the critical investigation into whether these views are actually correct. Just as discussion plays an integral role in western philosophy, so too in the Buddhist tradition. I therefore believe that Buddhist Studies belong in philosophy departments, not religious departments of universities.

By completing my PhD and engaging academia, I hope to bridge the divide between these two philosophical traditions and expand Buddhist study programs in academia. This is a project that I have set myself for the remainder of my life. The PhD is merely the first step in this project.

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Buddhist texts studied include:
Ornament for Clear Realisations (Adhisamayalamkara) – Maitreya.
Engaging in the Middle Way (Madhyamakavatara) – Chandrakirti.
Fundamental Wisdom (Mulamadyamakakarika) – Nagarjuna.
Illumination of the Thought – Je Tsong Khapa.
Path to Enlightnement (Lamrim Chenmo) – Je Tsong Khapa.
Ocean of Reason Commentary on Nagarjuna’s Fundamental Wisdom – Je Tsong Khapa.
Treasury of Manifest Knowledge (Abhidharmakosha) – Vasubandu.
Epistemology and Psychology as found within the Tibetan monastic tradition of Awareness and Knowledge (Lo-rik) – Dignaga and Dharmakirti.
Sublime continuum of the Mahayana (Uttaratantra) – Maitreya.
The system of the Vaibhashika, Sautrantika, Chittamatra, Svatantrika and Prasangika Madhyamika (Drup-ta).
Tantric Paths and Grounds – Ngawang Palden.

DISCLAIMER:
I have no special wisdom or insights to convey and the opinions and views expressed here are my own. I take full responsibility for any mistakes made in what I write. What value, if any, that is derived from this website, is due to the inspiration of my teachers. Any mistakes made are my own, and due to my ignorance.

Here are a couple of the popular posts.
Is wisdom really necessary in order to generate compassion
Philosophy as Practice
The Joy of Meditation
The meaning and purpose behind Buddhist chanting and prayer
What is Buddhism anyway

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