Dr. Jizhang Yi

Dr. Jizhang Yi is a scholar of Buddhist Studies, Comparative Philosophy and Theology, and Cognitive Science, recognized for his interdisciplinary approach to Buddhism. His research focuses on Chinese Chan Buddhism and its connections to Western Philosophy and Theology, bridging Chan/Zen Buddhism, Kierkegaard’s philosophy, Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Mahāyāna thought, and early Confucianism. His forthcoming book, Knowing/Seeing Truth: Conceptual Bridges between Kierkegaard and Chan Buddhism (Springer, 2025), reflects his commitment to innovative and comparative scholarship.

As Director of the Certificate in Theology and Inter-religious Engagement at Trinity College, Dr. Yi actively integrates Buddhist thought into broader interfaith discussions. He also convenes the ongoing colloquy series Engaging East Asian Religious Traditions Inter-religiously, fostering dialogue between scholars of Buddhism and other religious traditions.

PUBLICATIONS

• Books:
Knowing/Seeing Truth: Conceptual Bridges between Kierkegaard and Chan Buddhism. Cham: Springer, 2025 (forthcoming).
The Bible of Customer Service. Beijing: China Industry and Commerce Joint Publishing House, 2011.
The Five Mindsets of an Effective Manager. Beijing: Beijing Publishing Group, 2010.

• Research Articles:
“Subjectivity and Śūnyatā: A Conceptual Bridge Between Kierkegaard and Tsongkhapa.” Buddhist-Christian Studies 45, 2025 (forthcoming).
“Thinking the Starting Point of Chinese Theology through Chan’s Dharma as Nonduality.” Cultural China 111, no. 2 (2022): 71-78.
“An Introduction to the Dunhuang Manuscript of the Platform Sutra: Facts or Legends?” Cultural China 104, no. 3 (2020): 37-44.

• Creative Works:
“There Was a Piece of Grass” (a free verse poem). Canadian Journal of Theology, Mental Health and Disability 1, no. 2 (Fall 2021): 208-209.
“Yee: Turning Eyes into Ears” (a 14-verse poem). Canadian Journal of Theology, Mental Health and Disability 1, no.1 (April 2021): 103-104.
Cultivating Elite Workplace Mindsets (6 DVDs). Beijing: Peking University Press, 2010.

CONFERENCE PAPER PRESENTATIONS
• “Two Concepts of the Middle Way: Confucian Zhong Yong and Nagarjuna’s Middle Path in Teaching Religious Diversity.” Alway/Emmanuel Symposium – Bridges and Boundaries: Religious Diversities in the 21st Century Classroom, U of T, Toronto, Canada. January 2025.
• “Kierkegaard, Tsongkhapa, and Ultimate Truth.” 2025 Eastern Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association. New York City, USA, January 2025.
• “Confucius’s Zhong Yong and Nagarjuna’s Middle Way.” 2025 Eastern Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association. New York City, USA, January 2025.
• “A Tibetan Buddhist Perspective on Kierkegaard’s Truth and Existence.” 2024 Annual Meeting of American Academy of Religion. San Diego, USA, November 2024.
• “Kierkegaard and Huineng Conversing across Cultural Divide.” 25th World Congress of Philosophy. Rome, Italy, August 2024.
• “Indirect Communication in Kierkegaard and Chan Buddhism.” 2024 Eastern Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association. New York City, USA, January 2024.
• “A Chan/Zen Perspective on Kierkegaard’s Truth as Subjectivity.” 55th annual Conference of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy. San Francisco, USA, November 2023.
• “Sola Scriptura and Dharma as Nonduality.” International Symposium on Apologetics in Contemporary Chinese Churches. The Associated Canadian Theological Schools, Trinity Western University, Vancouver, Canada, October 2023.
• “A Chan Buddhist Perspective on Kierkegaard’s Truth and Existence.” Princeton Project in Philosophy & Religion: 2023 Conference. Princeton University, Princeton, USA, March 2023.
• “Thinking Kierkegaard’s Truth as Subjectivity through the Lens of Huineng.” 2023 Eastern Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association. Montreal, Canada, January 2023.
• “Dialogical Dialogue and Conceptual Metaphor: Analysis for Comparative Religion.” 2022 Annual Meeting of American Academy of Religion. Denver, USA, November 2022.
• “Ambiguity of Technology with respect to the Truth of Existence.” 10th International Philosophical Conference and Workshop of Søren Kierkegaard. Ljubljana, Slovenia, June 2022.

INVITED TALKS
• “The Way to Truth: Kierkegaard’s Leap of Faith and Huineng’s Sudden Enlightenment.” SKC Annual Conference 2025. Søren Kierkegaard Research Centre, Copenhagen University. Copenhagen, Denmark. August 2025 (upcoming).
• “Not Telling Everything: Kierkegaard’s Indirect Communication and Chan Buddhism’s bu shuo po.” Kierkegaard Circle, U of T, December 2024.
• “Can ChatGPT Have Self-awareness?” Forum on ChatGPT: How AI Shapes Our Life? U of T, March 2023.