Background materials for the first of the secenty topics in Maitreya-nātha's...

8/12/2019 Background materials for the first of the secenty topics in Maitreya-ntha's Abhisamaylakra - Sparham 1987

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THE JOURNAL

OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF

BUDDHIST STUDIES

/ ^ r ^ / > . .

A > ^rQ?3> N '-;;. ,

I ^Ifi |jC O - E D I T O R S - I N - C H I E F

> > J :

Gregory Schopen Roger Jackson ;Q OIndiana University Fairfield University

Bloomington, Indiana, USA Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

E D I T O R S

Peter N. Gregory FJrnst SteinkellnerUniversity of Illinois University of Vienna

Urbana-Cham paign, Illinois, USA Wien, Austria

Alexander W. Macdonald Jikido TakasakiUniversity de Paris X University of Tokyo

Nanterre, France Tokyo,Japan

Robert ThurmanAmherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

Bruce Cameron HallCollege of William and MaryWilliamsburg, Virginia, USA

Volume 10 1987 Number 2


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C O N T E N T S

I . ARTICLES

1. Pure Land Bud dhis t H erm eneu t i c s :Honen ' s In te rp re ta t ion o fNembuLsu, by Allan A . Andrews 7

2. Sa-skya Pancli ta , the W hite Pan acea an d the H va -sh angDoctr ine , by Michael Broido 27

3 . Ind ian Com me nta r i e s on the Heart Sutra: The Polit icsof In te rp r e ta t ion , by Malcolm David Eckel 6 9

4 . Notes on Na gar jun a an d Zen o in M ot ion ,by Brian Galloway 80

5. No te on a Chine se Te xt D em on st ra t in g the Ear l inessof Tantra, by John C. Huntington 88

6. T h e Inscr ip t ion on the Kusan Imag e of Am itabha andthe C har acte r of the Early M ahay ana in Ind iaby Gregory Schopen 99

7. Ba ck gro un d Material for the First Seventy To pics inMditreya-nathzi sAbhisamayalarhkdra,by Gareth Sparham 13 9

II . B O O K R E V I E W S

1. The Genesis of an Orientalist: Thomas William Rhys Davidsand Buddhism in Sri Lxinka,by A nand a W ickremera tne(A.P. K an na ng ara ) 161

2. The Legend of King Asoka: A Study and Translationof the Asokavadana,by Jo h n S . S t ro ng(Bardw ell Sm ith) 165


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3 . Ndgdrjuna: The Philosophy of the Middle W ayby David J. Kalupa hana(Karen Christina Lan g) 1

4. TibetBon Religion: A Death Ritual of the Tibetan Bonpos,by Per Kvaerne(Michael Aris) 1

III. SPECIAL SECTION

Title/Au thor Index of Vols. 1-10, compiledby Bruce Cam eron Hall 1


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Background Material for the Firstof the Seventy Topics

in Maitreya-natha's Abhisamaydlarrikara

by Gareth Sparham

I.

Bodhicitta (enlightenment mind) or cittotpada (generation ofmind) is the first of the seventy topics (Tib. don bdun bcu) underwhich Maitreya-natha2 (310-390)8 discusses the concealed m eaning4 of the Prajnd Sutras in his classic Mahayana text the Abhi.He devotes three verses (iloka) to the topic, only the first ofwhich (Abhi: 18)explaining what cittotpada is and how it is tobe definedis pertinent to the limited aim of this paper. Theother two verses (Abhi: 19-20), listing th e twenty-two divisionsof cittotpada* in correspondence with the stages of the path, gobeyond the scope of the present paper.

The verse itself presents no linguistic problems either inthe original Sanskrit or in Tibetan. The Sanskrit (cittotpada^pardrthdya samyaksambodhi-hdmatd, samasa-vydsatafy sd ca yathdsutramsa cocyate) literally translated reads:

Generation of mind is a desire for perfectly completeenlightenment for the sake of others.

That and that are spoken of briefly and extensivelyaccording to the [Panca] sutra.

In this pape r an attempt will be made (1) to supply the contextfor the verse within the Prajnd tradition in general and the Abhiin particular; (2) to give some background to the traditionalexegesis of the verse by briefly explaining some of its metaphysicalimplications; and (3) to present two small translationsfromHaribhadra's (fl. mid-ninth century) Aloha and Tsong Kha pa's(1357-1419) gSerPhreng which explain the meaning of the verse.

139


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140 JIABSVOL. 10NO.2

//.

Broadly speaking, Prajna l i terature passes through threestages of development: revelation (buddha-vacana)the period ofthe Prajna sutras? systematizationthe period of Nagarjuna's (c.150-250) Karihas and Maitreya-natha 's Abhif and scho las t i c i sm-stretching from Arya-vim uktisena's (c. 500)9 Vrtti through the Paladynasty into the fourteenth century Tibetan reformation.10

Our famil iar i ty with the Prajna Sutras is w i thout dou bt thelegacy of the late Dr. Edward Conze's t ireless efforts topo pula r ize these basic M ahay ana tex ts . H e t rans la ted , m or eor less faithfully, large parts of the A$(a, Panca an d Sata ( themos t impor tan t o f the longer sutras) as well as the Heart Sutra(Prajnd-hrdaya-sutra), Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedika-prajnd) andother smaller condensations important in the dai ly rel igious l i feof o rd ina ry Budd his t s th ro ug ho ut Southeas t and No r th As ia .

D har m am i t ra (c. 85 0-9 00 ) , the ce lebra ted con tem por ary o fHar ibhad ra ,1 2 appears to be the first writer to clearly set outtwo lineage s of exeg esis of th e Prajna Sutras. In his Prasphufapada

he makes re fe rence to a p ro fou nd (gambhira) an d vast (vis-tara) t radi t ion. '8 Th is division is w ork ed o ut in detail by th eTibe t an Tsong Kha pa (gSer Phreng:3bA-6b.\). A ccord ing tohis t radi t ional exp lanat io n the pr of ou nd t radi t ion begins wi ththe mythological being ManjusrI , emerges in the human realmwith th e Six Collect ions of Re aso ns (Tib. rigs tshogs drug) andpasses dow n th ro ug h B ud dh ap al i ta (c . 500) , C and rak ir t i (c. 650 ,Sant ideva (69 5- 74 3 ) , e tc . T h e vas t l ineage spr ing s f rom Mai-

treya, the mythological being who taught Asaiiga ( i .e . , Maitreya-nath a) the Five Te xts of M ai treya (Tib . byams gzhung sde Inga)15

in Tusita. Asar iga brought these books back to the human realmwhere the t rad i t ion con t inues wi th Vasubandhu ( f l . 320-350) ,Arya-Vim ukt i sena , Bh adan ta -V imu kt i sena (c. 650 ) ,l 6 H a r i b h ad ra , Dha rmami t r a and Abhayaka ragup ta (1077 -1130) , e t c .

These two l ineages of exegesis are differentiated in termsof thei r expressed subject mat ter (Tib . dngos bstan). In the p ro

fou nd t radi t ion com m enta r ies take the ac tual m ean ing of thePrajna Sutras, i.e., sunyata (emptiness) , as subject matter, whilein th e vast l ineage the exp ress ed subject m att er is th e con cealedmeaning, i .e. , the seventy topics. (See notes 4 and 8.)

As a system atizat ion of the topics of the major Prajna Sutras,


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THEABHISAMAYALAMKARA 141

therefore, the Abhi occupies a pivotal position between the less-systematized and quasi-mythological Mahayana Sutras on the

one hand, and the emergence of distinct philosophical andmetaphysical Mahayana schools on the other. In this respect itsrelation to the later commentaries of Arya-Vimuktisena, etc., isroughly analagous to Nagarjuna's Kdrikds and the laterMadhyamaha texts. The Abhi takes seven hundred years ofmetaphysical speculation (the Prajnd Sutras and systematizes itwithin an edifice comparable in size and grandeur to the cosmosof Dante's Divine Comedy. Furthermore, the clearly delineatedinner structure of the textmirroring and formalizing the tendency of the Prajnd Sutras to present the same ideas in moreand less condensed fashionbecomes a distinct literaryparadigm followed by most later writers in the tradition. 17

The Abhi has itself been somewhat neglected by westernscholarship Apart from Obermiller's pioneering efforts in theearlier part of this century 18 and the important spadework byConze and Tucci there has been a singular lack of interest inthis small yet arguably most influential of all the wor s associatedwith Asanga. Specific questions raised in the Abhi have beenlooked into deeply by some of the more distinguished namesin contemporary Buddhist scholarship. Amongst modern American scholars, Dr. D. S. Ruegg for his work on gotra (lineage .the fourth of the seventy topics, as well as Dr. Jeffrey Hopkinsand his associates at the University of Virginia for their workon mental states (Tib. sams gzugs), the e.ghth topic, deserveparticular mention. There is a critical edition of the first

abhisamaya of the Vrtti by C. Pensa Also worthy of note are theearlier contributions of Japanese scholars such as U. W ogihara.More recently Hirofusa Amano and Keikai Mano, etc., havemade available excellent critical tools for some of the importantworks. However, contemporary^scholars have not dealt with theAbhi as a total integrated work. 2' , , . . . . .

Expanding on and explaining in detail the Abhi s seventytopics in conjunction with the Panca, Arya-Vimuktisena s Vm

marks the beginning of a scholasticism where, by and large,e a c h S a S w X i n c c W * the work of earlier writers into agenerally accepted orthodoxy, building up and increasing indimensioynama PssiveedificeofmetaPhysicalbelief Arya^muk-

is followed by Bhadanta-Vimuktisena and then the mosttisena


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impor tant of a l l Indian Prajnd exege tes , Har ibhadra .2 2 HisSphut&rtha, a brief exp lana tion of the Abhi wi th explanatory

transi t ional passages, is the basic text for many later commentaries (part icularly in the Tibetan tradi t ion) while his Aloka isaccepted , toge ther wi th Ary a-Vim ukt isena ' s Vrtti as auth ori ta t ivein doct r ina l mat ters .2 3 T h e vast t rad i t ion en ds in Ind ia with th ein t r ica te specula t ions of A bh aya kar agu pta an d Diparhka ra-a t i sa ,and continues in a highly systematized fashion in Tibet with theencyclopaedis t Bu-s ton (1290-1364) and la ter in the works ofthe scholast ic reformer Tsong Kha pa and his disciples.

Concern ing the s t ruc tu re o f the Abhi and the context of theop en ing verse de f in ing cittotpdda within the text itself, o n e finds,instead of the more usual l inear development of ideas, a dist inct ly conce ntr ic p at te rn ; i .e . , the Abhi sets ou t its subject m at te rnumerous t imes in the same order, each p resen ta t ion cover ingthe same material in successively greater detai l . The eight subjec ts (paddrtha) of verses th re e an d fo ur (prajndpdramitdstabhifppaddrthaih samudiritd: (1) sarvakarajnata (2 ) mdrgajnatd (3 ) sarvaj-natd tatah (4 ) sarvdkdrdbhisambodho (5 ) murdhaprdpto (6 ) 'nupur-vikah (7) ekak$andbhisambodho (8) dharmakdyai ca te 's(adhd) e n c a psulate the seventy topics (beginning with cittotpdda) tau gh t inverses f ive to seventeen. Verses eighteen to the penult imate arein turn a more detai led presentat ion of each of the seventytopics l is ted in the preceding thir teen verses.

These three sec t ions (Abhi:3-4 listing the eight subjects,Abhi:b-\1 l is t ing the seventy topics an d AM i: 18 -p en ult im atedetai l ing the seventy topics) comprise the body of the text . They

are preceded by a t radi t ional excursus (Abhi: 1-2) s ettin g forththe subject matter (abhidheya), p u r p o s e (prayojana) an d so forth,and a homage to Prajnd as mother of al l drya beings.

The homage describes the f i rs t three of the eight subjects( the sarvakarajnata, mdrgajnatd a n d sarvajnatd):

Homage to the mother of the Buddha together with thecollection of Hearers and Bodhisattvas:

The knower of all by which Hearers and thosedesiring peace are led to peace,The knower of paths by which those who benefit the

world accomplish the welfare of mankind,And that by possession of which the Sages speak

this various (doctrine) in all aspects.24


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[Jnatd is a feminine abstract no un m ean ing literally the stateof being that which knows. T he translation knower in preference to knowledge is jar rin g, but is retained to avoid a po tentially misleading ambiguity between what is known ijneya) andthat which knows (jna). In Buddhist scholastic literature aknower substantially different to a knowing consciousness isgenerally den ied. Hence knower does not refer to an agentbut to a consciousness itself.]

Since the three knowers (jnatd) include the remaining fivesubjects25 this opening homage is itself said to teach the subjectmatter of the entire text. And since the second two knowers(the mdrgajnatd and sarvajnata) are themselves included in theknower of all aspects, the wisdom of Buddhas, this first of theeight subjects incorporating the entire Mahayana doctrine is ofprimary importance. (See also figure one.)

The great importance of the first abhisamaya (the knowerof all aspects) is attested to in the opening verses (Abhi:l~2)where the aim or purpose of the Abhi is stated to be ease ofunderstanding and cultivating the path of the knower of all

aspects tau ght by ou r Teach er in the (suiras) .26

T hus the positionof cittotpdda as first often phenomena exemplifying the path ofthe knower of all aspects (Tib. rnam mkhyen gyi mtshon byed kyichos bcu) becomes highly significant. It reflects the theory thatcittotpdda is not only the start of, but also the demarcator ofMahayana, and that it alone, not penetration of reality or anyother higher yogic practice, is the final arbiter of Mahayanastatus.27 According to many Tibetan writers this theory of citto

tpdda as entra nce into the Mahayana (Tib. theg chen jug sgo)explains the positioning of the verse at the beginning of thethird and most detailed presentation of the seventy topics. Itmay also be an indication that the author of the Abhi acceptedupdya (in this case cittotpdda) alone and not prajnd (i.e., understanding of sunyatd) as the sole unique factor in delineation ofthe Mahayana path.28

For Indian writers like Haribhadra this verse raises twoquestions: (1) what is cittotpdda? and (2) how is it to be defined?


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The first question they consider within a division of consciousness (vijndna) into citta (main mind) and caitta (m enta l factor ),and the second by analysis of the cittotpadas two objects of observation {dlambana, Ti b . dmigs pa).

The division of consciousness into mind and mental factoris found in earlier texts.2 9 I t is , however, the VijMnavdda, withits deep interest in the workings of perception, that developsthe theory in an a t tempt to discover bet ter terminology to describe the intr icacies of human awareness.

In Asanga 's Abhidharmasamuccayawhich, together withVa s u b a n d h u ' s Abhidharmakosa-karika, is the main source for thecittalcaitta theory a categorizat ion of de ep er an d m or e c lear lydelineated aspects of specific perceptions within a theory ofm ain m ind an d of f if ty-one seco nda ry m en tal factors is developed in line with the idea of specific function (Tib. thun mongma yin pa'i byed las). Each m en tal factor is defin ed by a u ni qu efunct ion carr ied out under the purview of mind as the maincognit ive event. Th is idea is exem plified in later T ibe tan scholastic texts by a manager and a staff of special functionaries: as tore-k eepe r, forem an, secretary an d so for th , wher e each ar esubservient to and work under the author i ty and direct ion ofthe manager.3 0

Asariga admits f if ty-one mental factors and defines twenty-six of them in terms of afflictive states (klesa), eleven in ter m sof wholesome states {kausala), an d four in term s of cha ngea blestates. '1 Of the remaining ten mental factorsthe five, vedana(feeling), cetana ( in tent ion) , samjnd (d iscr iminat ion) , sparsa (contact) and manasi-kara (mentation), and the f ive, prajna (intelligence) , samddhi (stabilization), chanda ( longing) , adhimok^a (inclinat ion) and smrti (recollection)Asariga says that only the firstf ive are omnipresent (Tib. kun 'gro) an d absolute ly prer equ is i teto cogni t ion, whi le the remaining f ive are present when thereis ass er tain m en t of an object (Tib. yul nges).

Tsong Kha pa says that Arya-Vimukt isena arr ived a t theconclusion that cittotpada was mano-vijnana (mental consciousness , a m ain m ind) by a process of exclusion (gSer Phreng:93a.2).He eliminated the f ive sense consciousnesses because they viewonly externals, and the seventh and eighth consciousness of theCittamdtra system (i.e., the alaya-vijnarm and the kl^a-manas)beca use they ar e, theoretically, inca pab le of be ing virtuo us states


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T H E ABHISAMAYALAM KARA 145

of mind. He was thus lef t with the sixth, mental consciousness(mano-vijndna), as an instance of cittotpdda. T so ng Kh a pa a lsosays that Arya-Vimukt isena and Har ibhadra fe l t const ra ined,

even in the face of designations such as kamata ( de sire , *4Mi:18),cetand ( in tent ion, Sutrdlamkdra ) an d pranidhdna (resolve,Bodhisattvabhumi)y to posit cittotpdda as a m ain m in d in or d er toretain the primary signif icance of the term.

There is , however, a theoret ical basis for the idea. Withinthe f ramework of the Mahayana path there are u l t imate cittotpdda and conven t iona l cittotpdda, co r re spo nd ing to the w isdomand m eth od of the pa th . Ju s t as the dnantarya-mdrga (un in te r

rupted path) i s sa id to be a main mind even though i t s pr imarycharacter is the mental factor of wisdom or intel lect (prajnd),similarly the conventional cittotpdda is a main m ind even th ou ghits prim ary characteris t ic is com passio n (krpd). View ed from twoanglesas wisdom real izing emptiness direct ly and as compassion feel ing pi ty for sentient beingsthe main mind cal led cittotpdda is the sub stantial cause that evolves into a B ud dh a's kn ow erof all aspects (sarvdkdrajnatd)

W h e t h e r cittotpdda is a ma in m in d o r m en tal factor is aquest ion largely confined to scholast ic manuals . The quest ionof th e defini tion of cittotpdda within a co ns ide ratio n of its objectsof observation (dlambana) is discussed more widely in religioustexts s ince i t has a direct bea rin g on B ud dh ist rel igious a t t i tud es.

Al l Indian and Tibetan Mahayana wri ters appear to agreethat a fully qualified cittotpdda req uire s two objects of observ at ion: (1) the en l igh ten m en t the pract i t ione r ho pes to a t ta in for

the benefi t of others and (2) the benefi t of others itself. T h eformer is viewed as the tool or cause for the achievement of thesecond . H ence the en l igh tenm ent d i rec tly soug ht by bodhisattvasis the rupak&ya, com pr i s ing the sambhogakdya which proclaim sthe Mahayana for al l t ime and the l imit less emanations of thenirmdnakdya which accomplish the welfare of others.3 3

IV.

Aloka:24A-25AS

It is said,


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There, first, because of the potency oflineage {gotra)

The seed of compassion is awakened,And with the full complement of practice and thoughtThe mind of enlightenment is apprehended.

According to this , bodhicitta ( the mind o f en l igh tenm ent ) bornof empt iness and compass ion ar i ses through the potency ofl ineage (gotra) an d so forth, b eca use of tak ing on fully thebodhisattvas' c o m m i t m e n t s (samvdra). One makes a resolve(pranidhdna): H aving beco me a perfec tly com ple te B ud dh a mayI s tr ive for the sake of oth ers ' well-being by teac hin g the do ctr in eof the th re e vehicles , e tc . [And one thinks:] I t shall be bro ug htto comple t ion th ro ug h prac t ice . [Bodhicitta] is, the refo re,charac ter i sed as a des i re to a t ta in enl igh ten m en t hav ing in m indthe welfare of others. And it has a cause and effect [division]for it says [in the Bodhicarydvatdra]

Just as a division into wanting to go and goer

is set out,Similarly a division of these two [bodhicittas] in accordwith that enumeration is to be known by scholars.

H e n c e bodhicitta is two fold: (1) reso lve {prariidhdna) an d (2) engaging (prasthdna).**

However, [ the Sutrdlarhkdra] says:

The intention {cetana) of bodhisattvas which has greatenthusiam (mahotsdhd),

Great undertaking (mahdrambhd), great purpose(mahdrthd)

Then great emergence (mahoddyd), and which hasTwo aims, is the birth of a mind {citta-sarhbhavah)-

This is perhaps [saying] that cittotpdda is a [main] mind withassociated intent ion and the discernment of a special object .

[Objection:] Des i re for per fec t ly com ple te en l igh ten m en t(samyaksafybodhi-kdmatd, [Abhi: 18.1]) is a ye ar ni ng (prdrthand) fortha t [ en l igh tenment ]the menta l f ac to r (caitasika) of lon ging(chanda) for v i r tuous phenomena, How could tha t [des i re] becittotpdda}


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[Response:] T ru e. H ow ever, th er e is no fault for the followingreason H er e the resul t [cittotpada] is be ing ind icated by the c ause

[desire to benefi t o the rs] since on e wh o sees hu m an ity leaderlessand sunk in the ocean of misery and intends to lift i t up has ayear n ing charac ter ized as a longing for v i r tuous ph en om en a .It is on a cco unt of that that he or she gen er ate s th e th ou g ht tobe a Buddha . [Hence , cittotpada is design ated desi re] in or de rthat i t wil l be known that al l vir tuous phenomena increase forbodhisattvas with such a long ing an d ye ar nin g. .

Alternatively, the resolve (pranidhana) or yearning is desirefor perfect ly complete enl ightenment , and the cittotpada whichfunctions simultaneously with i t is taught by way of that yearning T hi s is beca use ye ar nin g is forem ost at the t im e of cittotpada.Viewed from this point of view it is tenable [to call cittotpadadesire] since that [bodhi] min d is pr od uc ed s im ultaneously with

the resolveW ha t then , is th is perfectly com plete enl ig hte nm ent? W hat

is the well-being of others? What is the nature of the desire,and towards what purpose i s cittotpauh directed?

I will answer in accord with the Panca Sutra. In it , the briefexplanat ion of perfect ly complete enl ightenment says:

fcrinumi a great bodhisaltva wishing to fully enlighten allphenomena in all respects should apply himself to practice ofthe perfection of wisdom.

The extensive explanation of i t says:

Sarioutra a great bodhisaltva abiding here in the perfection ofwisdom thro ugh the mode of non-abiding should make completethe oerfection of giving (dampdramitd) throu gh the mode of non-benevolence since what is given, the giver and the recover arenot observed . . .

The brief explanation of the well-being of others says:

A ereat bodhisaltva who wishes to place in complete nirvana asmany beings as there are in worlds as numerous as the sands of2 river d n g e s in each of the ten directions, . zmrvana where[here is no remaining aggregate (anupaMma), should pract,cethe perfection of wisdom.


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The extensive explanation of this says:

A great bodhisattva who wishes to place in benevolence those whoare miserly, in ethical conduct those who are immoral, in patiencethose beings who are malicious, should practice the perfectionof wisdom.

T h e Abhi therefore says:

Generation of mind is a desire for perfectly completeenlightenment for the sake of others.

That and that are spoken of briefly and extensivelyaccording to the (Panca) Sutra.

V

gSer Phreng: 92b .5 -94a .6

W H AT I S Cittotpdda

Explanat ion of the Other Masters [Asar iga and Vasubandhu]

Asariga, in his Bodhisattvabhumi, says: cittotpdda is thebodhisattvas' finest resolve (T ib. smon lam) . He is therefore of theopinion that cittotpdda is in its na tur e a resolve. An d V asu ban dhucomments in h is commentary on the Alamkara tha t , cittotpddais an in ten tion tha t has th re e qualities an d is co nc er ne d withtwo objects . He thus takes the position that it is in its naturean intent ion (Tib. sems pa). In the Sutralamkara it says:

The resolve of the steadfast onesIs an intention together with longing.

Thus it describes the resolve [i.e., cittotpdda] as an intent io n aidedby longing. I t seems, therefore, that Asariga 's opinion and the

opinion of Vasubandhu are equivalent .


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Background materials for the first of the secenty topics in Maitreya-nātha's...

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