Abstract This paper gives an account of a central concern of Huayan Buddhist thought from the stance of philosophy, while at the same time intending to stress the significance Chinese Buddhism may have for contemporary philosophy, thus showing the potential of transcultural philosophizing. Starting from the issue of the Self and desubjectivation in contemporary continental philosophy, this essay links the issue of “place” and “body” with philosophical hermeneutics. To exemplify the relevance of non-European thought for philosophy today, it finally discusses the Huayan Buddhist use of the phenomena of place and time in order to establish a certain way of religious practice through textual pragmatics.