Ph.D. Candidate · Temple University
Buddhist Logic · Epistemology · South Asian Philosophy
I work at the intersection of Buddhist epistemology, phenomenology, and the philosophy of language — with a particular focus on Dharmakīrti's logic and the Yogācāra tradition. My scholarship bridges South Asian intellectual heritage and Western philosophical inquiry, cultivating new dialogues across these traditions.
Who I Am
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Religion at Temple University, Philadelphia, where I hold a coursework GPA of 3.98. My dissertation, Dharmakīrti's Philosophy of Logic: A Phenomenological Reading, examines the epistemic foundations of Buddhist logic through a phenomenological lens — a project that, per se, reconfigures how contemporary philosophy of mind engages with classical Indian thought.
My scholarly formation spans multiple traditions and institutions. I earned my M.A. in Sanskrit with specialization in Nyāya philosophy from Savitribai Phule Pune University, India, and hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Indian Logic and Epistemology covering Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā, Jaina, and Buddhist logic alongside Western logical systems.
My teaching vocation began immediately after my Paṇḍit degree, when I joined Vidyālaṅkāra Pirivena — a monastic college with a storied intellectual heritage, once home to the legendary Sanskrit scholar Rahula Sankrityayan — as a Sanskrit teacher, a role I held for nearly a decade. That formative experience grounded my commitment to pedagogy in the living transmission of classical texts.
Before joining Temple, I taught across leading South Asian institutions and served as Deputy Editor of the Encyclopaedia of Buddhism (English), Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Sri Lanka. My linguistic range is, in toto, one of my distinctive scholarly assets: I conduct primary research in Sanskrit, Pāli, and Classical Tibetan, with reading knowledge of German, Classical Chinese, Hindi, and Tamil.
Curriculum Vitae
Dissertation: Dharmakīrti's Philosophy of Logic: A Phenomenological Reading
Full tuition remission and stipend. Awarded annually for four consecutive years, 2022–2026.
Rebuilt editorial office, managed archival materials, and prepared the Index volume.
Sanskrit (reading, writing, speaking); Pāli (reading, writing); Classical Tibetan (reading, writing); Sinhala (native); English (full professional proficiency)
German · Classical Chinese (Buddhist Chinese) · Hindi · Tamil · Prakrit (Mahārāṣṭrī, Ardhamāgadhī, Gāndhārī)
Scholarly Output
Liyanage, Bertram G., ed. Buddhist Philosophy: Collected Papers of Professor Asanga Tilakaratne. Sarasavi Publishers and Sri Lanka Association of Buddhist Studies, 2020. ISBN 978-955-31-1822-6. xx + 439 pp.
Liyanage, Bertram G. "Sri Lanka." In National Epics, edited by David Wallace. Oxford University Press. Forthcoming
Liyanage, Bertram G. "From Tempter to Death: The Semantic Transformation of Māra in Sri Lankan Buddhism." In a volume edited by Todd Lewis. SUNY Press. Forthcoming
Liyanage, Bertram G. Review of Nondualism: An Interreligious Exploration, edited by Jon Paul Sydnor and Anthony J. Watson. Journal of Ecumenical Studies 60, no. 2 (Spring 2025): 337–341.
Liyanage, Bertram G. "Aparṇakajātakasyānupalabdhivicāraḥ" [Examination of Proving Non-existence in the Aparṇaka Jātaka Story]. Śodha Saṃhitā: Journal of Fundamental and Comparative Research 5 (2018–2019): 116–122.
"Jñānakarmasamuccayavāda," "Jubilee," and "Ganganath Jha." Sinhala Encyclopedia, vol. 13. Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Government Press, Sri Lanka, 2015.
"The Trairūpya Puzzle: Intensional Content Beyond Formal Logic." Panel: Formal Systems of Logic in Buddhism. Buddhist Philosophy Unit, American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, 2026.
"Apoha as Constitution: Rethinking Exclusion in Buddhist Epistemology." American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, 2025.
"Translating Negation in Dharmakīrti's Pramāṇaviniścaya: Conceptual Exclusion, Absence, and the Limits of Linguistic Reference." Asian Philosophy Graduate Conference, Department of Philosophy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 2025.
"Fragmentary Dhāraṇī Scriptures: An Untold Story about Buddhism in Sri Lanka." International Conference on Buddhist Cultural Trails, SAARC Cultural Centre, Sri Lanka, 2017.
"Historical Linguistic Approach to Buddhaghosa's Interpretations." 6th International Buddhist Academic Conference, Sri Lanka, 2016.
"Proof of Pratītyasamutpāda is by Conventional Reality." International Conference on Sanskrit Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016. [Presented in Sanskrit]
Pedagogy
Get In Touch
I welcome correspondence regarding research collaborations, speaking invitations, and academic opportunities. I am actively on the job market and available for interviews.
References available upon request.