His research interests include the history of Buddhist thought, with particular emphasis on Chinese Buddhism and Chan Buddhism.
In his doctoral thesis, titled “Comprehending Everything as Oneself: The Non-Self Doctrine of Zibo Zhenke in Ming Dynasty Buddhism,” he will investigate the significance, characteristics, evolution, and hermeneutics of the “non-self” (Skt. anātman; Ch. wuwo 無我) doctrine in late Ming Dynasty Buddhism, focusing on the influential monk Zibo Zhenke (紫柏真可, 1543-1604).
Given most of researches on the “non-self” doctrine in Buddhism have predominantly focused on the Indian context, often overlooking its significant and intriguing variations within Chinese Buddhist history, he will demonstrate that one of Chinese interpretations of “non-self”, the absence of an empirical self in cognition, differs significantly from the denial or agnosticism of "metaphysical Self" in most Indian Buddhist tradition. For instance, Zibo presents “non-self” as a cognitive model of non-duality between subject and object, contrasting with the standard Indian Buddhist definition as the denial of an unchanging, eternal self. He will also further discuss how Zibo’s interpretation of “non-self” serves as a deliberate response to intellectual issues of the late Ming Dynasty, such as Yangmingism (陽明學) and the relationships among the three teachings (Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism).
Academia: https://dila.academia.edu/WushiLin
Academic Education
- 2025-Present, PhD candidate, Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University (Gent, Belgium)
- 2018-present, PhD candidate, Department of Buddhist Studies, Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts (New Taipei City, Taiwan)
- 2018, M.A., Department of Buddhist Studies, Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts (New Taipei City, Taiwan.)
M.A. Thesis: “The Development and Performativity of Doctrine of the Insentient Beings according to the Chan School: From the Record of the Masters and Disciples of the Laṅkāvatāra to the Blue-Cliff Records”
- 2012, B.A., Department of Buddhist Studies, Dharma Drum Buddhist College (New Taipei City, Taiwan.)
Recent Publications
- 2022 “Drinking Water from Waves: Essentialism in Zibo Zhenke’s Perspective on the Relationship between Chan and Doctrine,” Dharma Drum Journal of Buddhist Studies, no. 31, THCI Core. Peer reviewed.
- 2021 “Flowers as Spring or Gold Dust as Film in the Eyes? - Zibo Zhenke’s View on the Relationship between Chan and Doctrine and Its Problems on Anti-intellectualism,” Taiwan Journal of Buddhist Studies, no. 42, THCI Core. Peer reviewed.
- 2020 “Who does Preach the Dharma Preached by Insentient Beings? The Roles of Author, Narrator, Reader and Understanding Mechanism in the Texts about the Doctrine of Insentient Beings according to Chan School,” Chinese studies, no.38(3), THCI Core. Peer reviewed.
Scholarships & Awards
- 2025, Khyentse Foundation PhD Scholarships, from the Khyentse Foundation
- 2025, Chung-Hwa Institute Fellowship for Graduate Students, from the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies
- 2025, The Sheng Yen Chinese Buddhism Grant for Ph.D. Dissertation Research, from the Sheng Yen Center for Chinese Buddhist Studies
