A Manual of Buddhist Philosophy, Vol. I: Cosmology

The book opens by defining the study of Buddhist philosophy and distinguishing it from questions concerning the Buddha, the Saṅgha, ritual discipline, and devotional religion. It argues that Buddhist philosophy developed from the Dharma and especially from Abhidharma analysis, where inherited doctrinal categories were reorganized into systematic explanations of reality. The introductory chapters then set out the scope of Buddhist cosmology, dividing it into cosmic synthesis, cosmic analysis, and cosmic dynamics. Part I studies cosmic synthesis, including the Buddhist conception of the universe as a structured whole, its cosmographic arrangement, cosmic geography, the three dhātus, and the worlds inhabited by sentient beings. Part II turns to cosmic analysis, examining how Buddhist thinkers classified existence into fundamental components rather than treating the universe as an undivided whole. Part III addresses cosmic dynamics, especially causality, karma, the causal structure of individual existence, and the causal relations among the elements of existence. Throughout the work, McGovern compares the Ceylonese/Pāli, Sarvāstivāda, and Yogācāra traditions, showing their different approaches to cosmological structure, analysis of dharmas, and causal explanation. The book therefore functions as a foundational guide to Buddhist cosmology and prepares the reader for more advanced discussions of Buddhist metaphysics, ontology, and epistemology.