p.303

　　   This  paper  will  attempt   a  general  metaphysical
　　   dialogue between A. N.  Whitehead and the Buddha.  To
　　   be sure, the time  gap  between  the two is enormous.
　　   However, considering  the fact  that  there  has been
　　   continuity  in Buddhist faith and practice  up to the
　　   present, we  can  accept  the  Buddha's  thoughts  as
　　   contemporary.  As  for  Whitehead, especially  in his
　　   later  works  he  makes  several  references  to  the
　　   Buddha, and  in these  we  are  able  to discern  two
　　   divergent  aspects: [1] his knowledge of Buddhism was
　　   generally  based  on a popular  understanding  of the
　　   times, and thus his critical views concerning it were
　　   basically and distressingly wrong,(l) and [2] however
　　   misinformed  he may have  been, his philosophy  shows
　　   strains of thought remarkably similar to those of the
　　   Buddha. I will explore the second aspect.
　　　　 Whitehead  has been taken  to task by Whiteheadians
　　   and non-Whiteheadians  alike.  Among other things, he
　　   has been accused  of being  either  too vague  or too
　　   profoundly  abstract, of pointing  and yet  seemingly
　　   not  pointing  at the  reality  of things.  There  is
　　   indeed much to be said in this regard, but it must be
　　   admitted  that Whitehead's  philosophy, much of which
　　   had to do with the metaphysical  accounting of nature
　　   in flux, required and used new terms, terms that were
　　   strange and incomprehensible except to those who were
　　   attuned and sympathetic  to process philosophy.  Like
　　   many other  philosophers  before  him, Whitehead  was
　　   grounded  in mathematics  and looked to it as a model
　　   and a tool for describing  the nature  of things.  He
　　   was deeply concerned  with the meaning and effects of
　　   symbolism in the natural order.
　　　　 The Buddha, both  in and after  his time, attracted
　　   the same kinds  of charges  that  are lodged  against
　　   Whitehead.  Even today, scholars  (most  of whom are,
　　   alas,  non-Buddhists)  criticize   the  Buddha   (and
　　   Buddhism)   for   advancing   nihilism,   negativism,
　　   mysticism,   relativism,  indifferentism,  aloofness,
　　   passivity,  resignation,  and   so  forth.   Buddha's
　　   statements, like Whitehead's, are at times
　　   _________________________________________

　　   Kenneth K.  Inada is Professor  of Philosophy  at the
　　   State University of New York at Buffalo.

　　   1. For example, he consistently errs in understanding