Is Buddhism a form of Idealism?

Growing up in Hong Kong, I had the impression that Buddhism is a kind of idealism. The Chinese Yogācāra school, particularly as developed by figures like Xuanzang (玄奘) and his disciple Kuiji (窺基) places a strong emphasis on mind as the foundation of reality. This interpretation stems from key Yogācāra doctrines, such as cittamātra (“mind-only,” 唯識) and ālayavijñāna (storehouse consciousness, 阿賴耶識), which suggest that all perceived phenomena arise from mind rather than existing as independent external realities. In Chinese Buddhist circles, the doctrine of “All Dharmas Are Based in Mind” (萬法唯識) is widely accepted as a foundational Buddhist understanding.

However, Buddhism, especially in its original teachings, cannot be adequately categorized as either idealism or materialism in the Western philosophical sense. Let me break down why this is the case, using key concepts from the Buddha’s teachings.

1. Dependent Origination and No Independent Existence

At the heart of Buddhist philosophy is Dependent Origination (Pratītyasamutpāda), which asserts that all phenomena arise in dependence upon conditions and causes. This means that nothing exists independently or in isolation, and nothing has an intrinsic, self-sustaining nature. This stands in stark contrast to both Western idealism and materialism, which…