The Cowherds are scholars of Buddhist studies from the United States, Great Britain, Switzerland, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. They are united by a commitment to rigorous philosophical analysis as an approach to understanding Buddhist metaphysics and epistemology, and to the union of philology and philosophy in the service of greater understanding of the Buddhist tradition and its insights.

They are: Georges Dreyfus, Bronwyn Finnigan, Jay L. Garfield, Guy Martin Newland, Graham Priest, Mark Siderits, Koji Tanaka, Sonam Thakchoe, Tom Tillemans, and Jan Westerhoff.

Georges Dreyfus: Williams College
Bronwyn Finnigan: University of Auckland
Jay L. Garfield: Smith College, the University of Melbourne and the Central University of Tibetan Studies
Guy Newland: Central Michigan University
Graham Priest: University of Melbourne, St Andrews University, City University of New York
Mark Siderits: Seoul National University
Koji Tanaka: University of Auckland
Sonam Thakchöe: University of Tasmania
Tom Tillemans: University of Lausanne
Jan Westerhoff: Durham University

"There is much to admire in this intensely collaborative effort to bring Buddhist conceptions of truth in conversation with contemporary analytic philosophy...[A]n engaging-and playfully so-exercise in the best kind of cross-cultural philosophical reflection. Though of interest primarily to specialists, its elegant and lucid prose should make it accessible to general audiences seeking to engage Buddhist ideas in a critical and effective way."--Journal of Buddhist Philosophy

"Buddhist studies has evolved from offering reports of how Buddhists thought in past ages to contemporary engagement with the various traditions of Buddhism. It is delightful to follow this team of philosophers (each of whom is also a gifted historical scholar) as they grapple with one of the most subtle issues in traditional Asian Buddhism and explore its metaphysical, epistemological and ethical implications." -- Richard Hayes, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of New Mexico

"[T]he present volume will remain an important contribution to students of Tibetan Buddhism and of the Madhyamaka tradition. Philosophically oriented scholars of religion will also find in it many insights regarding the place of the more common forms of human knowledge in the religious philosophical mind."--The Journal of Religion