Lank Avatar A, Chapt.3 (Impermanency)3

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CHAPTER THREE. ON IMPERMANENCY

LVII. Three Forms of the Will-body (manomayakaya)

LVIII. The Five Immediacies (pancanantaryani); Desire as Mother and Ignorance as Father

LIX. The Buddha-nature (buddhata)

LX. The Identity (samata) of Buddhahood and its Four AspectsLXI. Not a Word Uttered by the Buddha; Self-realisation and an Eternally-abiding Reality

LXII. On Being and Non-Being; Realism and NihilismLXIII. Realisation and Word-teaching

LXIV. Discrimination, an External World, Dualism, and Attachment

LXV. The Relation between Words (ruta) and Meaning (artha)

LXVI. On Knowledge, Absolute (jnana) and Relative (vijnana)

LXVII. Nine Transformations (parinama)

LXVIII. The Deep-seated Attachment to Existence

LXIX. Self-nature, Reality, Imagination, Truth of Solitude, etc

LXX. The Thesis of No-birth

LXXI. True Knowledge and Ignorance

LXXII. Self-realisation and the Discoursing on it

LXXIII. On the Lokayatika

LXXIV. Various Views of NirvanaLXXV. Is Tathagatahood Something Made? Its Relation to the Skandhas, to Emancipation, to Knowledge

LXXVI. The Tathagata Variously Designated; Relation Between Words and Meaning; Not a Word Uttered by the Buddha

LXXVII. Causation, No-birth, Self-mind, Nirvana

LXXVIII. Verses on No-birth and Causation

LXXIX. Various Views of Impermanency
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[CHAPTER THREE] LVII

(136) At that time again the Blessed One said this toMahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva: I will tell you,

Mahamati, about the various forms of the will-body;listen well and reflect well within yourself. I will tell you.

Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said; I will,Blessed One, and gave ear to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One then said this: There are three kindsof will-body, Mahamati. What are the three? They are:(1) the will-body obtained in the enjoyment of theSamadhi; (2) the will-body obtained by recognising theself-nature of the Dharma; and (3) the will-body whichis assumed [by a Bodhisattva according to] the class ofbeings [to be saved] and which perfects and achieves[without a thought of its own achievement]. Byrealising the higher stages successively after the first isattained, the Yogin will experience them [all].

Now, Mahamati, what is the will-body attained in theenjoyment of the Samadhi? It is this: when [the Yogin]in the third, fourth, fifth stages removes the variousdiscriminations going on in his mind and is at rest,1 the

waves of consciousness are no more stirred in theMind-ocean and the Vijnana functions are quieted, thebliss of which is enjoyed by him; and when he thusrecognises the non-existence of the external world,which is no more than his own mind, he is said to havethe will-body.2

Anityatparivarto nma ttya /(Vaidya 56)

(136) atha khalu bhagavn punarapi mahmatibodhisattva mahsattvametadavocat -

manomayakyagatiprabhedanayalakaa mahmateupadekymi / tacchu, sdhu ca suhu ca manasikuru /

bhiye 'ha te / sdhu bhagavannitimahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattvo bhagavatapratyaraut /

bhagavstasyaitadavocat - triprakro mahmate kyomanomaya / katamastriprakra? yadutasamdhisukhasampattimanomayodharmasvabhvvabodhamanomayonikyasahajasaskrakriymanomayaca /prathamottarottarabhmilakaaparijndadhigacchantiyogina /

tatra katamo mahmatesamdhisukhasampattimanomaya kya? yaduta

tricaturthapacamy bhmau svacitta-vividha-viveka-vihrea-cittodadhipravttitaragavijnalakaasukhasampattimanaso 'pravttisvacittadyaviaybhvbhvaparijnnmanasomanomaya kya ityucyate /


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1 It will be interesting for the Chinese readers of the Lankavatara to notice that the compound, svacitta-vividha-viveka-vihara, is here readin three different ways by the three Chinese translators, showing how variously a Sanskrit compound allows itself to be interpreted. This is

one of numerous such examples to be met with throughout the text.Sung: . The mind itself, variously [discriminating], grows quiet and finds its rest. Wei:. The mind itself isquiet and practises various deeds. T'ang: . Discarding various [mentations], the mind is quiet and immovable.2 Page 136, line 14, delete abhava and manaso.

(137) What is the will-body obtained by recognisingthe self-nature of the Dharma? When [the Yogin] of theeighth stage has a thoroughgoing penetration into thenature of things which is like Maya and not image-producing, he experiences a revulsion at the seat ofconsciousness and obtains the Samadhi known asMaya-like and other Samadhis. By entering upon theSamadhis he gains a body which exhibits variouspowers of self-mastery and supernatural activity, whichmoves according to his wish as quickly as a floweropens up, which resembles Maya, a dream, and areflected image, and which is not a product of theelements but has something analogous to what isproduced of the elements, which is furnished with allthe differences appertaining to the world of forms andyet is able to follow up all the assemblages in theBuddha-lands. This is the body which has a

thoroughgoing knowledge of the self-nature of theDharma and for this reason is called will-body.

Now what is the will-body which is born in accordancewith the class and which perfects and achieves? When[the Yogin] is thoroughly conversant with all the

(137) tatra dharmasvabhvvabodhamanomaya kyakatama? yaduta aamy bhmaumydidharmanirbhsapravicayvabodhenacittrayaparvttasyamyopamasamdhipratilambhdanye casamdhimukhnpratilambhdanekalakaavaitbhijkusumitamanojavasadamysvapnabimbaprakhyamabhautikabhtabhautikasada sarvarpaviciatrgasamuditasarvabuddhaketraparanmaalnugata kyadharmasvabhvagatigatatvnmanomaya ityucyate /

tatra nikyasahajasaskrakriymanomaya kyakatama? yadutasarvabuddhadharmapratytmdhigamasukhalakavabo


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characteristics of self-realisation and its bliss whichpervades the teachings of the Buddha, he is said tohave the body which is will-made, born with [the class],perfecting and achieving. Mahamati, you should exert

yourself in order to have a thoroughly penetratingknowledge of these three marks of the will-body. So itis said:

1. My Mahayana is neither a vehicle, nor a sound, norwords; it is neither the truth, nor emancipation, nor therealm of imagelessness.

2. Yet the Mahayana is a vehicle on which theSamadhis are carried leading to various creativeactivities; the several forms of the will-body areadorned with the flowers of the sovereign will.

dhnnikyasahajasaskrakriymanomaya ityucyate /atra te mahmate kyatrayalakaapravicayvabodheyoga karaya //tatredamucyate -

na me yna mahyna na ghoo na ca akar /na saty na vimok vai na nirbhsagocaram // Lank_3.1//

ki tu yna mahyna samdhivaavartit /kyo manomayacitro vaitpupamaita // Lank_3.2 //


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LVIII

(138) At that time again Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One: The five

immediacies are preached by the Blessed One; and what arethese five, Blessed One, which being committed by a son or adaughter of a good family cause them to fall into the Avicihell?

The Blessed One replied: Then, Mahamati, listen well andreflect, for I will tell you.

Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said; Certainly,Blessed One, and gave ear to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said thus to him: What are the five

immediacies? They are: (1) the murdering of the mother, (2)of the father, (3) of the Arhat, (4) the breaking-up of theBrotherhood, and (5) causing the body of the Tathagata tobleed from malice.

Now what is meant by the mother of all beings? It is desirewhich is procreative, going together with joy and anger andupholding all with motherliness. Ignorance representingfatherhood brings about one's rebirth in the six villages of thesense-world. When there takes place a complete destructionof both roots, fatherhood and motherhood, it is said that

mother and father are murdered. When there is a completeextermination of the subordinate group of passions such asanger, etc., which are like an enemy, a venomous rat, themurdering of the Arhat is said to take place. What is meantby the breaking-up of the Brotherhood? When there is acomplete fundamental breaking-up of the combination of theSkandhas whose characteristic mark is a state of mutual

atha khalu mahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattva punarapibhagavantam etadavocat - pacnantaryi bhagavat

nirdini / katamni tni bhagavan pacnantaryiynyadhypadya kulaputro v kuladuhit v avciko bhavati?

bhagavnha - tena hi mahmate u, sdhu ca suhu camanasikuru / bhiye 'ha te / sdhu bhagavannitimahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattvo bhagavata pratyaraut/

bhagavnetadavocat - tatra mahmate pacnantaryikatamni? yaduta

mtpitrarhadvadhasaghabhedstathgatakyeduacittarudhirotpdaca //

tatra mahmate mt katam sattvnm? yaduta tpaunarbhavik nandrga-sahagat mttvenottihate /avidy pittvenyatana-grmasyotpattaye / anayor-ubhayor-mtpitroratyanta-mlopacchedn-mtpitvadho (Vaidya57) bhavati / tatra anuaynmariprakhymikviavatprakopadharmimatyantasamuddhtdarhad

vadho bhavati / tatra sadhabheda katama?yaduta bhinnnyonyalakaasya skandha-saghtasytyanta-mlopaghtt-saghabheda ityucyate /


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dependence among dissimilarities, it is said that theBrotherhood is split up.


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(139) Mahamati, when the body of the eight Vijnanas, whicherroneously recognises individuality and generality asbeing outside the Mindwhich is seen [by the ignorant]in the form of an external worldis completely

extirpated by means of faulty discriminations, that is,by means of the triple emancipation and the non-outflows, and when thus the faulty mentality of theVijnana-Buddha is made to bleed, it is known as animmediacy-deed. These,

Mahamati, are the five inner immediacies, and when they areexperienced by a son or a daughter of a good family, there isan immediacy-deed of realisation as regards the Dharma.

Further, Mahamati, there are five external immediacies whichI will point out to you, in order that you and other

Bodhisattvas in the future may thereby be saved fromignorance. What are these five?

They are those immediacies which are described in thecanonical texts, and those who commit these crimes cannever experience any one of these manifestations, exceptthose Transformation [-Buddhas] who are sustained by thepower [of the Tathagatas] and have already attained arealisation. The Sravakas of transformation, Mahamati, whoare sustained by the sustaining power either of theBodhisattvas or Tathagatas, may see somebody else

practising deeds of wickedness, and they will repeatedlymake great efforts to turn him away from his wickness andfaulty views, and to make him realise the non-reality ofwickedness and faulty views by laying down his burden. Thisis the way I demonstrate facts of the transformation, the

svasmnyabhyasvacittadyamtrvabodhaknmahmate an vijnakynvimokatraynsravaduavikalpentyantopaghtdvijnabuddhasya duacittarudhirotpdandnantaryakrtyucyate /

etni mahmate dhytmikni pacnantaryiynyadhypadya kulaputro v kuladuhit v nantaryakrbhavatyabhisamitadharma //

punarapara mahmate bhyni tenantaryyupadekymi, yairupadiaistva ca anye cabodhisattv angate 'dhvani samoha na gamiyanti /tatra katamni tni?

yaduta yni deanphe 'nusavaritnynantaryi,ynyadhypadya tis vimuktnmanyatarnyatarasynbhisamet bhavanti anyatra nirmitdhihnbhisamayt /nirmitdhihnarvako hi mahmatebodhisattvdhihnena v tathgatdhihnena v / yasyakasyacidanyasynantaryakria kauktya tasyakauktyadivinivartanrtha nikiptadhurasyakauktyadyabhvrtham / punarapi protshan kariyataiti ktv nirmitdhihnbhisamaya pradaryate may /


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sustaining power, and the realisation.


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Mahamati, there is, however, no realisation for thosewho are sheer offenders of the immediacies, (140)except when they come to the recognition of the truththat an external world is nothing but1 the Mind itself,

seeing that body, property, and abiding place arediscriminations, and that the notion of an ego and itsbelongings are to be kept away; or, when they arereleased from the fault of self-discrimination byencountering a good friend at some time or other, or atany time, and being born in some other path ofexistence. So it is said:

3. Desire is said to be the mother and ignorance thefather; the Vijnana which recognises an objective worldis [compared to] the Buddha.

4. The secondary group of passions is the Arhat, theamassing of the five Skandhas the Brotherhood; as theseare to be destroyed immediately they are known asimmediacy-deeds.

nstyekntena mahmate nantaryakrio 'bhisamayaanyatrasvacittadyabhvanmtratvabodhddehabhogapratihgativikalptmtmyagrhaviviktadarantkad -

citkarhicitkalyamitramsdya anyagatisadhausvavikalpadoairvimucyate //

tatredamucyate -

t hi mt ityukt avidy ca pit tath /viayvabodhdvijna buddha ityupadiyate //Lank_3.3 //

arhanto hyanuay paca saghskandhakadambaka /nirantarntaracchedtkarmasynantara bhavet //Lank_3.4 //

1 Page 140, line 1: bhavana is to be deleted.


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LIXAgain Mahamati said: Pray tell me, Blessed One, what

makes the Buddhas and the Blessed Ones such as theyare: that is, [what is] the Buddha-nature of theBuddhas?1

Said the Blessed One: when the egolessness of things aswell as of persons is understood, when the knowledge ofthe twofold hindrance is thoroughly taken hold of, whenthe twofold death (cyuti) is accomplished, and when thetwofold group of passions is destroyed, there,Mahamati, is the Buddha-nature of the Buddhas and theBlessed Ones. When these teachings are experienced bythe Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, this is their Buddha-nature. So it is said:

5. The twofold egolessness, the twofold group ofpassions, the twofold hindrance, and the inconceivabletransformation-death, when these are attained, thereis the Tathagata.

1Bhagavan buddhanam, page 140, line 10, may betterbe dropped.

punarapi mahmatirha - deayatu me bhagavn

buddhn bhagavat katha bhagavan buddhnbuddhat bhavati? bhagavnha -dharmapudgalanairtmyvabodhnmahmatevaraadvayaparijnvabodhccacyutidvaydhigamtkleadvayaprahcca mahmatebuddhn bhagavat buddhat bhavati / etemevamahmatedharmmadhigamcchrvakapratyekabuddhasabuddhat bhavati / ata etasmnmahmate ekaynadeaymi //

tatredamucyate -

nairtmyasya dvaya klestathaivvaraadvayam /acintyapariminycyuterlbhttathgata //Lank_3.5 //


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LX

(141) At that time again, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One: According towhat deeper sense2 did you make this announcementbefore the congregation, that "I am all the Buddhas ofthe past," and that "I have gone through many a birth invarieties of forms, being thus at times the kingMandhatri, Elephant, Parrot, Indra, Vyasa, Sunetra, andother beings in my one hundred thousand births?"

Said the Blessed One: There are, according to thedeeper sense, four kinds of sameness distinguished,Mahamati, and the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones make this assertion: I was thus at thattime the Buddha Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, andKasyapa. What are the four kinds of sameness which aredistinguished according to the deeper sense? They are:(1) sameness of letters, (2) sameness of words, (3)sameness of teachings, and (4) sameness of the body.According to this fourfold sameness in the deeper sense,the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones makethe announcement before the congregation.

Now, Mahamati, what is the sameness of letters? It isthat my name is [spelt] B-u-d-d-h-a, and these lettersare also used for other Buddhas and Blessed Ones;Mahamati, these letters in their nature are not to bedistinguished one from another; therefore, Mahamati,

atha khalu mahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattvapunarapi bhagavantametadavocat - ki sadhyabhagavat paranmadhyagatena vgbhit - ahamevasarvabuddh ye 'tt jtakopapattivaicitrya ca /ahameva ca tena klena tena samayena rj mdht/ gaja uka indro vysa sunetra, (Vaidya 58)ityevamdyni bhagavatjtakaatasahasryupadini?

bhagavnha - caturvidh samat saghyamahmate tathgat arhanta samyaksabuddhparanmadhyagat vca nicrayanti yadutaahameva tena klena tena samayena krakucchandakanakamuni kyapacbhavam / katamcaturvidhasamat sadhya? yaduta akarasamatvksamat dharmasamat kyasamat ca / immahmate caturvidh samat saghya tathgatarhanta samyaksabuddh paranmadhyagatvca nicrayanti /

tatra mahmate katam akarasamat? yadutayairakarairmama nma buddha iti, tairevkaraistebuddhn bhagavat tnyakari mahmatenirviinyakaryakarasvabhvatvena / iyamahmate akarasamat /


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there is the sameness of letters.

2Samahaya. There is no reference to this in Wei and Sung. Theterm has a special sense here and elsewhere in the Lankavatara.


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Now, Mahamati, what is the sameness of words withregard to the Tathagatas, Arhats, and (142) Fully-

Enlightened Ones? It is that sixty-four sounds of theBrahman language are distinguished by me, and theseidentical sixty-four sounds of the Brahman language arealso uttered by the Tathagatas, Arhats, and Fully-Enlightened Ones, and their Kalavinka-like notes are thesame with all of us, as we are indistinguishable in thisrespect.

Now, Mahamati, what is the sameness of the body? It isthat I and other Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-EnlightenedOnes are the same as regards our Dharmakaya and the[thirty-two] signs and the [eighty] minor excellencies ofbodily perfectionno distinction existing among us,except that the Tathagatas manifest varieties of formsaccording to the different dispositions of beings, whoare to be disciplined by varieties of means.

Now, Mahamati, what is the sameness of the teaching?It is that I as well as they [other Tathagatas] are allconversant with the teachings belonging to the thirty-seven branches of enlightenment. According to the

deeper sense which is concerned with this fourfoldsameness, the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-EnlightenedOnes make their announcement before thecongregation. So it is said:

6. "I am Kasyapa, Krakucchanda, and Kanakamuni"; this

tatra mahmate katam vksamattathgatnmarhat samyaksabuddhnm? yaduta

mampi catuaykrobrahmasvararutaghoavgvikalpa pravartate,temapi mahmate tathgatnmarhatsamyaksabuddhnmevameva catuaykrobrahmasvararutaghoo vgvikalpa pravartate'nnnadhik nirviikalavikabrahmasvararutaghoasvabhvena /

tatra katam kyasamat? yaduta aha ca te catathgat arhanta samyaksabuddh dharmakyenaca rpalakanuvyajanakyena ca sam nirviianyatra vaineyavaamupdya / tatra tatrasattvagativieea tathgat rpavaicitryamdarayanti/

tatra dharmasamat mahmate katam? yaduta te caaha ca saptatriat bodhipaky

dharmmadhigantra / im mahmatecaturvidh samat sadhya tathgat arhantasamyaksabuddh paranmadhyagat vcanicrayanti //

tatredamucyate -


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I preach who come out of the sameness for the sake ofthe sons of the Buddha. kyapa krakuchandaca konkamunirapyaham /

bhmi jinaputr samaty samudgata //Lank_3.6 //


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LXI

Again Mahamati said: It is said by the Blessed One thatfrom the night of the Enlightenment till the night of theParinirvana, the Tathagata (143) in the meantime hasnot uttered even a word, nor will he ever utter; for not-speaking is the Buddha's speaking. According to whatdeeper sense is it that not-speaking is the Buddha'sspeaking?

The Blessed One replied: By reason of two things of thedeeper sense, Mahamati, this statement is made. Whatare the two things: They are the truth of self-realisationand an eternally-abiding reality. According to these twothings of the deeper sense the statement is made byme. Of what deeper sense is the truth of self-realisation? What has been realised by the Tathagatas,that is my own realisation, in which there is neitherdecreasing nor increasing; for the realm of self-realisation is free from words and discriminations,having nothing to do with dualistic terminology.

What is meant by an eternally-abiding reality? The

ancient road of reality, Mahamati, has been here all thetime, like gold, silver, or pearl preserved in the mine,Mahamati; the Dharmadhatu abides foreover, whetherthe Tathagata appears in the world or not; as theTathagata eternally abides so does the reason(dharmata) of all things; reality foreover abides, reality

punarapi mahmatirha - yadidamukta bhagavat -y ca rtri tathgato 'bhisabuddho y ca rtriparinirvsyati, atrntare ekamapyakara tathgatenanodhtam, na pravyhariyati, avacanabuddhavacanamiti, tatkimida sadhyoktatathgatenrhat samyaksabuddhena avacanabuddhavacanamiti?

bhagavnha - dharmadvaya mahmate sadhyamayaitaduktam / katamaddharmadvayam? yadutapratytmadharmat ca sadhyapaurasthitidharmat ca / ida mahmatedharmadvaya sadhyedamukta may / tatrasvapratytmadharmatnusadhi katama?yattaistathgatairadhigatatanmaypyadhigatamannamanadhikasvapratytmagatigocaravgvikalparahitamakaragatidvayavinirmuktam /

tatra paurasthitidharmat katam? yadutapauramida mahmate dharmatvanmehirayarajatamuktkaravanmahmatedharmadhtusthitit - utpddvtathgatnmanutpddv tathgatn sthitaivaidharm dharmat dharmasthitit dharmaniymat /


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keeps its order, like the roads in an ancient city. Forinstance, Mahamati, a man who is walking in a forestand discovering an ancient city with its orderly streetsmay enter into the city, and having entered into it, he

may have a rest, conduct himself like a citizen, andenjoy all the pleasures accruing therefrom.

pauranagarapathavanmahmate /

tadyath mahmate kacideva puruo 'avy paryaanpaura nagaramanupayedavikalapathapraveam /

sa ta nagaramanupraviet / tatra praviya pratiniviya(Vaidya 59) nagara nagarakriysukhamanubhavet /


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(144) What do you think, Mahamati? Did this man makethe road along which he enters into the city, and also

the various things in the city?

Mahamati said: No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One said: Just so, Mahamati, what has beenrealised by myself and other Tathagatas is this reality,the eternally-abiding reality (sthitita), the self-regulatingreality (niyamata), the suchness of things (tathata), therealness of things (bhutata), the truth itself (satyata).For this reason, Mahamati, it is stated by me that fromthe night of the Tathagata's Enlightenment till the nightof his entrance into Nirvana, he has not in the meantimeuttered, nor ever will utter, one word. So it is said:

7. From the night of Enlightenment till that of Nirvana, Ihave not in the meantime made any proclamationwhatever.1

8. It is on account of the deeper meaning that theeternally-abiding reality of self-realisation is talked of byme; and between myself and [all the other] Buddhas, in

this respect, there is no distinction whatever.1 The Zen masters frequently refer to this important declaration.

tatki manyase mahmate api nu tena puruea sapanth utpdito yena path ta nagaramanupravio

nagaravaicitrya ca (anubhtam)?

ha - no bhagavan /

bhagavnha - evameva mahmate yanmay taicatathgatairadhigatam - sthitaivai dharmatdharmasthitit dharmaniymat tathat bhtat satyat/ ata etasmtkranmahmate mayedamuktam - yca rtri tathgato 'bhisabuddho y ca rtriparinirvsyati, atrntare ekamapyakara tathgatenanodhta nodhariyati //

tatredamucyate -

yasy ca rtry dhigamo yasy ca parinirvta /etasminnantare nsti may kicitprakitam // Lank_3.7//

pratytmadharmasthitit sadhya kathita may /taica buddhairmay caiva na ca kicidvieitam //

Lank_3.8 //


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LXII

At that time, Mahamati made this request of the BlessedOne: Pray tell me, Blessed One, about the being andnon-being of all things; and when myself and otherBodhisattva-Mahasattvas are freed of the notions ofbeing and non-being, may we quickly attain supremeenlightenment.

(145) The Blessed One replied: Then, Mahamati, listenwell and reflect well within yourself; I will tell you.

Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said, Certainly,

Blessed One, and gave ear to the Blessed One.

Then the Blessed One said: People of this world aredependent on two things, Mahamati, that is, they aredependent on the idea of being and on that of non-being, and they fall into the views whereby they takepleasure either in nihilism or in realism. They imagineemancipation where there is no emancipation.

Now, Mahamati, who are the people dependent on the

notion of being? It means this that they regard the worldas rising from causation which is really existent, andthat the actually existing and becoming world does nottake its rise from causation which is non-existent. Thiswill not be the case if the world is something non-existing. They thus talk of the really-existing world as

atha khalu mahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattvapunarapi bhagavantamadhyeate sma - deayatu mebhagavnnstyastitvalakaa sarvadharm yathaha ca anye ca bodhisattv mahsattvnstyastitvavarjit kipramanuttarsamyaksabodhimabhisabudhyeran /

bhagavnha - tena hi mahmate u, sdhu ca suhuca manasi kuru / bhiye 'ha te /

sdhu bhagavanniti mahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattvo

bhagavata pratyaraut /

bhagavnetadavocat - dvayanirito 'ya mahmateloko yaduta astitvaniritaca nstitvaniritaca /bhvbhvacchandadipatitaca aniaraeniaraabuddhi /

tatra mahmate kathamastitvanirito loka? yaduta

vidyamnair-hetupratyayairloka utpadyate na-avidyamnai, vidyamna cotpadyamnam-utpadyatenvidyamnam / sa caiva bruvan mahmatebhvnm-astitva-hetupratyayn lokasya cahetvastivd bhavati /


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arising from the reality of causation. This is the realisticview of causation as held by some people.


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Now, Mahamati, what is meant by being dependent upon theidea of non-being? It means, Mahamati, admitting greed,

anger, and folly, and yet discriminating as regards the non-reality of what makes up greed, anger, and folly; and,Mahamati, there is one who does not admit the reality ofthings because of their being devoid of individual marks; andthere is another who, seeing that the Buddhas, Sravakas, andPratyekabuddhas are free from greed, anger, and folly,because of all things being devoid of individual marks, [thinkthat greed, anger, and folly] do not exist.

Now, Mahamati, who of these is the one doomed to ruin?

Said Mahamati; Blessed One, it is he who, admitting greed,

anger, and folly, yet refuses to admit them.

(146) The Blessed One said: Well said indeed, Mahamati!Again thou hast indeed spoken well, Mahamati! Not only is hehimself doomed to ruin because of his notion of greed, anger,and folly as existent and yet as not-existent, but he ruinseven the character of the Buddha, the Sravaka, and thePratyekabuddha. Why? Because the passions are not to betaken hold of innerly and outwardly, because they are neitherdifferent nor not-different. Mahamati, greed, anger, and follytoo are not to be taken hold of innerly as well as outwardly;

they have no substance of their own and they are not to beadmitted; Mahamati, as there is no reality in the nature ofgreed, anger, and folly, [he who fails to understand this] isthe one who ruins the character of the Buddha, Sravaka, andPratyekabuddha. The Buddha, Sravaka, and Pratyekabuddhaare by nature emancipated as there is in them no cause for

tatra mahmate katha nstitvanirito bhavati? yadutargadveamohbhyupagama ktv punarapi

rgadveamohabhvbhva vikalpayati / yaca mahmatebhvnmastitva nbhyupaiti bhvalakaaviviktatvt,yaca buddharvakapratyekabuddhnrgadveamohnnbhyupaitibhvalakaavinirmuktatvdvidyante neti /

katamo 'tra mahmate vainiko bhavati?

mahmatirha - ya ea bhagavan abhyupagamya

rgadveamohn na punarabhyupaiti /

bhagavnha - sdhu sdhu mahmate, sdhu khalupunastva mahmate, yastvameva prabhita / kevalamahmate na rgadveamohabhvbhvdvainiko bhavati/ buddha-rvaka-pratyekabuddhavainiko 'pi bhavati /tatkasya heto? yaduta adhytmabahirdhnupalabdhitvccaklenm / na hi mahmate rgadveamohadhytmabahirdhopalabhyante 'arratvt /anabhyupagamatvcca mahmate rgadveamohbhvnbuddharvakapratyekabuddhavainiko bhavati /

praktivimuktste buddharvakapratyekabuddhbandhyabandhahetvabhvt /bandhye sati mahmate bandho bhavati bandhahetuca /evamapi bruvan mahmate vainiko bhavati / idamahmate nstyastitvasya lakaam /


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being bound and binding; Mahamati, [on the other hand,]where there is a state of being bound there are the bindingand the cause of bondage. [And yet there is] one who talksthus, [that is, denies causation]; such is doomed to ruin.Mahamati, this characterises nihilism and realism.


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This is stated by me in accordance with the deepersense. It is better to cherish the notion of an ego-

substance as much as Mount Sumeru than to have thenotion of emptiness derived from the self-conceitedview of being and non-being. One who is conceited inthe view of being and non-being is indeed doomed toruin. Those who are delighted in cherishing notions ofindividuality and generality fail to understand that anexternal world is nothing but Mind itself and has noreality; and as they do not understand this they regardthings external as transient, for they suffer everymoment changes which follow one after another, nowsplitting, now dividing, while the Skandhas, Dhatus, and

Ayatanas succeeding one another and combining withone another, now come forward and (147) now passaway. They who thus disregarding words of thescriptures are given up to wrong discriminations are alsodoomed to ruin. So it is said:

9. As far as the duality of being and non-being extends,there is the realm of intellection; when this realmvanishes, intellection completely ceases.

10. When the external world is not grasped [as real]there is neither causation nor reality; there is theessence of suchness (thatata), which is the [spiritual]realm of the wise.

11. Those who believe in the birth of something that has

ida ca mahmate sadhyokta may - vara khalusumerumtr pudgaladirna tveva

nstyastitvbhimnikasya nyatdi /nstyastitvbhimniko hi mahmate vainiko (Vaidya60) bhavati / svasmnyalakaadipatitayasvacittadyamtrbhvnna pratijnan,apratijndbhyabhvnnityadarantkaaparaparbhedabhinnni skandhadhtvyatannisatatiprabandhena vinivtya vinivartanta itikalpkararahitni prativikalpayan punarapi vainikobhavati //

tatredamucyate -

astinsttyubhvantau yvaccittasya gocara /gocarea niruddhena samyakcitta nirudhyate //Lank_3.9 //

viaye grahabhvnnirodho na ca nsti ca /vidyate tathatvastu ry gocaro yath // Lank_3.10//

abhtv yasya utpdo bhtv vpi vinayati /


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never been in existence and, coming to exist, finallyvanishes away, which leads them to assert that thingscome to exist, things pass away, according to causation,such people have no foothold in my teaching.

pratyayai sadasaccpi na te me sane sthit //Lank_3.11 //


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12. It is not by the philosophers, not by the Buddhas,not by myself, not by anybody else, but by causation

that being obtains; how can one talk of non-being?

13. When being obtains by causation, who can bringabout non-being? By reason of the wrong views basedon the doctrine of birth, being and non-being arediscriminated.

14. When it is realised that there is nothing born,nothing passing away, there is no way to admit its beingand not-being; the world is to be regarded as quiescent.

na trthakairna buddhaica na may na ca kenacit /pratyayai sdhyate 'stitva katha nsti bhaviyati //

Lank_3.12 //

kena prasdhitstitva pratyayairyasya nstit /utpdavdadurdy nstyastti vikalpyate //Lank_3.13 //

yasya notpadyate kicinna ca kicinnirudhyate /tasystinsti nopaiti vivikta payato jagat // Lank_3.14//


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LXIII

At that time again Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva requested of the Blessed One, saying: Praypoint out to me, Blessed One; pray point out to me,Sugata; pray point out to me, Tathagata, Arhat, Fully-Enlightened One! Pray tell me, Most Excellent One!(148) What is the characteristic of the realisation bywhich I and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, becomingthoroughly conversant with its meaning, may quicklyattain the highest enlightenment, and, relying uponthemselves, will not be led away by any speculations orphilosophies?

Said the Blessed One: Then listen well, Mahamati, andwell reflect within yourself; I will tell you.

Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said; Certainly, Iwill; and gave ear to the Blessed One.

Thereupon the Blessed One said this: There are twoways of characterising the realisation attained by all theSravakas, the Pratyekabuddhas, and the Bodhisattvas:

the realisation itself and the teaching [about it]. Now,Mahamati, by the realisation itself is meant that it is therealm of inner attainment; its characteristic features arethat it has nothing to do with words, discriminations,and letters; that it leads one up to the realm of non-outflows; that it is the state of an inner experience; that

atha khalu mahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattvapunarapi bhagavantamadhyeate - deayatu mebhagavn, deayatu me sugata, deayatu metathgato 'rhan samyaksabuddho vadat varihasiddhntanayalakaam, yena siddhntanayalakaenasuprativibhgaviddhena aha ca anye ca bodhisattvmahsattv siddhntanayalakaagatigatkipramanuttarsamyaksabodhimabhisabhotsyante,aparapraeyca bhaviyanti sarvatrkikatrthakarm/

bhagavnha - tena hi mahmate u, sdhu ca suhuca manasikuru / bhiye 'ha te /

sdhu bhagavanniti mahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattvobhagavata pratyaraut /

bhagavstasyaitadavocat - dvividha mahmatesiddhntanayalakaasarvarvakapratyekabuddhabodhisattvn yaduta

siddhntanayaca deannayaca / tatra siddhntanayomahmate yaduta pratytmdhigamaviealakaavgvikalpkararahitamansravadhtugatiprpakapratytmagatibhmigatisvalakaasarvatarkatrthyamravarjitam / vinihatya catstrthyamrn pratytmagatirvirjate /


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it is entirely devoid of philosophical speculations and[the doings of] evil beings; and that, destroyingphilosophical speculations and [the doings of] evilbeings, it shines out in its own inner light of attainment.

These, Mahamati, are the characteristics of therealisation.

etanmahmate siddhntanayalakaam /


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Now, Mahamati, what is meant by the teaching [concerningit]? It is variously given in the nine divisions of the doctrinalworks; it keeps one away from the dualistic notions of beingand non-being, of oneness and otherness; first making use ofskilful means and expedients, it induces all beings to have aperception [of this teaching] so that whoever is inclinedtowards it, may be instructed in it. This, Mahamati, is thecharacteristic of the teaching. Let, therefore, Mahamati, youand other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas (149) exert yourselves inthis.

15. Realisation and teaching, self-attainment and doctrinalinstructionthose who have an insight into the difference willnot be led away by philosophical authorities.

16. There is no truth in any object that is imagined by theignorant; deliverance is where there is no objective world;why is this not sought by the speculators?

17. The world of the Samskritas is observed as thecontinuation of birth-and-death, whereby dualisms arenourished, and because of this perversion [the truth] is notperceived.

18. There is just one truth, which is Nirvanait has nothing to

do with the Manas (intellection); the world seen as subject todiscrimination resembles a plantain tree, a dream,1 a vision.

19. No greed there is, no anger, nor folly either, and again,no personal ego; from desire start the Skandhas, whichresemble a dream.

tatra deannaya katama? yadutanavgasanavicitropadeo 'nynanyasadasatpakavarjitaupyakualavidhiprvaka sattveu daranvatra /yadyendhimucyate tattasya deayet / etanmahmatedeannayalakaam / atra mahmate tvay anyaicabodhisattvairmahsattvairyoga karaya //

tatredamucyate -

siddhntaca nayacpi pratytmasana ca vai /ye payanti vibhgaj na te tarkavaa gat //Lank_3.15 //(Vaidya 61)

na bhvo vidyate satya yath blairvikalpyate /abhvena tu vai moka katha necchanti trkik //Lank_3.16 //

utpdabhagasabaddha saskta pratipayata /didvaya prapuanti na payanti viparyayt //Lank_3.17 //

ekameva bhavetsatya nirva manavarjitam /kadalskandhamybha loka payedvikalpitam //Lank_3.18 //

rgo na vidyate dveo mohacpi na pudgala /


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ty hyudit skandh vidyante svapnasd //Lank_3.19 //

1 The text has skandha; but svapna seems to be better.


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LXIV

At that time again Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva requested of the Blessed One, saying: Praytell me, Blessed One, pray tell me, Sugata, regardingwhat characterises wrong discrimination(abhutaparikalpa). Blessed One, tell me as to the how,what, why, and who of wrong discrimination, which,when rising and going on, constitutes what is known aswrong discrimination; that is to say, to what kind ofthought is the term wrong discrimination applicable? orwhat kind of discrimination is to be called wrong?

(150) The Blessed One said: Well said, well said,Mahamati; and again, well said, indeed, Mahamati! Youwho have been admitted [into the order ofBodhisattvas], Mahamati, think of this matter which isworth asking about, for the welfare of many people, forthe happiness of many people, because of yourcompassion for the world, for the benefit of themultitudes, for the welfare and happiness of celestialbeings and humankind. Therefore, Mahamati, listen welland reflect well within yourself as I tell you.

Certainly, Blessed One; said Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, and gave ear to the Blessed One.

Then the Blessed One said thus to him: When themultitudinousness of objects is wrongly imagined [as

atha khalu mahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattvapunarapi bhagavantamadhyeate sma - deayatu mebhagavn, deayatu me sugata abhtaparikalpasyalakaam / katha ki kena kasya bhagavanabhtaparikalpa pravartamna pravartate?abhtaparikalpo 'bhtaparikalpa iti bhagavannucyate /katamasyaitadbhagavan dharmasydhivacana yadutaabhtaparikalpa iti? ki v prativikalpayanabhtaparikalpo bhavati?

bhagavnha - sdhu sdhu mahmate / sdhu khalupunastva mahmate,yattvametamarthamadhyeitavya manyase /bahujanahitya tva mahmate pratipannobahujanasukhya loknukampyai mahatojanakyasyrthya hitya sukhya devn camanuy ca / tena hi mahmate u, sdhu casuhu ca manasikuru / bhiye 'ha te /


bhagavstasyaitadavocat - artha-vividha-vaicitrya-abhtaparikalpa-abhiniven-mahmate vikalpa


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real] and attached to, discrimination goes on evolving;pravartamna pravartate /


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and, Mahamati, as people are attached tenaciously tothe notion of grasping, as they have not ascertained in

their minds as to the nature of the objective world whichis no more than the Mind itself, as they have fallen intothe dualistic view of being and non-being, and,Mahamati, as they are nourished by the habit-energy ofthe views and discriminations of the philosophers, theyperceive the multitudinousness of external objects [asreal] and become attached to them; and for this reasona system of mentationmind and what belongs to it isdiscriminated and is spoken of [as real], and with theassertion of an ego-soul and its belongings, the systemgoes on functioning.

Said Mahamati: As you say, Blessed One, when themultitudinousness of external objects is wronglyimagined [as real] and attached to by people,discrimination goes evolving on; and they fall into thedualistic view of being and non-being,1 they nourish theviews and discriminations of the philosophers which arebased on the notion of grasped and grasping;

(151) and as they perceive the multitudinousness of

external objects [as real] and become attached to them,a system of mentationmind and what belongs to it isdiscriminated and is spoken of [as real] and goes onfunctioning owing to the fact that the external world isnot recognised as nothing but the Mind itself, and thatthe multitudinousness of things is tenaciously clung to

n grhyagrhakbhinivebhinivin camahmate svacittadyamtrnavadhritamatn ca

sadasaddipakapatitn ca mahmatetrthakaradiprativikalpavsanpratipunbhyavicitrrthopalambhbhiniveccittacaittakalpovikalpasaabdita pravartamna pravartatetmtmybhinivet /

mahmatirhatadyadi bhagavann-artha-vividha-vaicitrybhtaparikalpbhinivenn vikalpapravartamna pravartate sadasaddipakapatitngrhya-grhaka-trthakaradi-prativikalpapun

bhya-vicitrrthopalambha-abhinivec-cittacaittakalpovikalpasaabdita svacitta-dyamtrnavabodht-santsanta-vicitra-bhva-abhinivet-pravartamna

pravartate /


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as subject to [the notion of] being and non-being.


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This being the case, Blessed One, the multitudinousnessof external objects which is characterised with the

dualism of being and non-being, is to be said neitherexistent nor non-existent, and does not render itself tothe formation of the philosophical views. [Inasmuch asthe external world owes its existence to discrimination, itin itself must be said to be devoid of all forms ofdualism.]

Blessed One, in the same way the highest reality isdeclared to be devoid of [all forms of logical analysissuch as] the means of proof, sense-perception,syllogistic arguments, illustration, reasoning, etc. How is

it, Blessed One, that while, on the one hand, thediscrimination of multiplicity is said to go on operatingon the strength of the attachment which attaches itselfto the multiplicity of external unrealities, theattachment, on the other hand, to the highest realitydoes not give rise to discrimination which goes onfunctioning in its own way? Is it not, Blessed One, unfairreasoning on your part to say, "It gives rise [todiscrimination]" in one place, and to say in anotherplace, "It does not"? 2According to the Blessed One,depending on and attaching to the dualism of being andnon-being, there evolve views characteristic of wrongdiscrimination as when the magician produces varietiesof people that are not at all real and complete objects.Thus signs of existence and non-existence are falselyimagined and go on so imagined; [but in fact existence

tadyathaiva bhagavan bhyrthavicitralakaasadasatpakapatitalakao bhvbhvavivikto

dilakaavinivtta,

tathaiva bhagavan paramrtha-pramendriyvayava-dntahetulakaavinivtta /

tatkatha bhagavannekatra vicitravikalpo 'bhtrtha-vicitra-bhvbhinivea prativikalpayan pravartate, na

puna paramrtha-lakabhinivea prativikalpayanpravartate vikalpa?

nanu bhagavan viamahetuvdastava prasajyate ekatrapravartate ekatra neti bruvata,sadasatpakraybhiniveacaabhtaprativikalpadipravtti bruvatovividhamygapurua-vaicitrynnipannaika-rpavat-prativikalpayan vikalpena lakaavaicitryabhvbhvaca vikalpasya vinivtterlokyatikadyayapatitaca /(Vaidya 62)


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itself is] devoid of discrimination. If so, how does onecome to cherish the dualism as held by a man of theworld?

1 This is omitted in T'ang.2 The whole passage below does not appear in Sung. The text seemsto be confused and it is difficult to make out what it really means.The present translation is merely tentative. It mainly follows theT'ang interpretation; Wei gives no sense as far as one can see.


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Said the Blessed One: Mahamati, discrimination, indeed,does not evolve, nor is it put away. Why? Because there

is no evolving of discrimination as regards being andnon-being; because the perception of objective realitiesis not real; because all that is seen is to be recognised asnothing but the Mind itself.

(152) Mahamati, discrimination does not evolve, nor is itput away. But, Mahamati, for the sake of the ignorantwho are addicted to discriminating the multiplicity ofthings which are of their own Mind, it is said by me thatdiscrimination whose first function is to produce effectstakes its rise owing to the attachment to the aspect of

multiplicity as characteristic of objects. How otherwise,Mahamati, can the ignorant and simple-minded have aninsight into the Mind itself which they discriminate, andsee themselves freed from the notion of an ego andwhat belongs to it, and also freed from the wrongconception of cause and effect? And, again, how canthey recognise that there is nothing but Mind itself andcause a revulsion at the inmost seat of consciousness(cittasraya)? How can they have a clear perception of allthe stages and attain the inner realisation of theTathagatas, which transcends the five Dharmas, thethree Svabhavas, and the idea of reality as well asdiscrimination? For this reason, Mahamati, I state thatdiscrimination takes its rise from our attachment to themultiplicity of objects which are not real, and thatemancipation comes from our thoroughly understanding

bhagavnha - na hi mahmate vikalpa pravartatenivartate v / tatkasya heto? yaduta sadasato

vikalpasypravttitvdbhyadyabhvbhvtsvacittadyamtrvabodhn-

mahmate vikalpo na pravartate na nivartate / anyatramahmate bln svacittavaicitryavikalpakalpitatvt /kriypravttiprvako vikalpovaicitryabhvalakabhinivetpravartata iti vadmi /katha khalu mahmate blapthagjansvavikalpacittamtrvabodhdtmtmybhivinivttadaya kryakraapratyayavinivttado

svacittamtrvabodhtparvttacittray sarvsubhmiu ktavidystathgatasvapratytmagatigocarapacadharmasvabhvavastudivikalpavinivttipratilabheran? ata etasmtkranmahmateidamucyate may - vikalpo'bhtrthavaicitrydabhinivetpravartate,svavikalpavaicitryrthayathbhtrthaparijndvimucyata iti //

tatredamucyate -


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the meaning of reality as it is and also the meaning ofmultiplicity of things which evolve from discrimination.So it is said:


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20. Those who, regarding the world as evolving fromcauses and conditions, are attached to these notions as

well as to the fourfold proposition, fail to understand myteaching.

21. The world cannot be predicated anywhere as being,or as non-being, or as being-and-non-being, as isdiscriminated by the ignorant who regard it as subjectto causes and conditions,

22. When the world is seen [to be unpredicable withsuch notions as] being, non-being, or being-and-non-being, (153) a change takes place in the mind, and

egolessness is attained.

23. All things are unborn because they are born ofcausation; anything that is born of causation is aneffect, and from an effect nothing is produced.

24. From an effect no effect is produced; [if you assertthis,] you commit the fault of a double effect; and thisdouble effect being untenable, no existence comes froman effect.

25. When the Samskrita [i. e. anything produced] isregarded as free from [the dualism of] depended anddepending, there decidedly is Mind-only, and hence myteaching of Mind-only.

kraai pratyayaicpi ye loka pravartate /ctukoikay yukt na te mannayakovid // Lank_3.20

//

asanna jyate loko na sanna sadasan kvacit /pratyayai kraaicpi yath blairvikalpyate //Lank_3.21 //

na sannsanna sadasadyad loka prapayati /tad vyvartate citta nairtmya cdhigacchati //Lank_3.22 //

anutpann sarvabhv yasmtpratyayasabhav /krya hi pratyay sarve na kryjjyate bhava //Lank_3.23 //

krynna jyate krya dvitva krye prasajyate /na ca dvitvaprasagena krydbhvopalabhyate //Lank_3.24 //

lamblambyavigata yad payati sasktam /nicita cittamtra hi cittamtra vadmyaham //Lank_3.25 //


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26. The [Mind as] norm is the abode of self-nature whichhas nothing to do with a world of causation; of this normwhich is perfect existence and the highest Brahma, 1 Ispeak.

1 The Chinese all have "the Pure" for this. Does it mean "theAbsolute" cleansed of all dualistic impurities?

mtr svabhvasasthna pratyayairbhvavarjitam /nihbhva para brahma et mtr

vadmyaham // Lank_3.26 //


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27. An ego-soul is a truth belonging to thought-construction, in which there is no real reality; the self-

nature of the Skandhas is also a thought-construction,as there is no reality in it.

28. The sameness is of four kinds: individual forms,cause, the coming into being,1 and the sameness ofnon-ego is the fourth: these are subjects of discipline forthe Yogins.

29. [There is a state which is] removed from allphilosophical views, free from imagined and imagining,of no attainment, and of no birththis I call Mind-norm.

30. Of neither existence nor non-existence do I speak,but of Mind-only which has nothing to do with existenceand non-existence, and which is thus2 free fromintellection.

(154) 31. Suchness (tathata), emptiness, realm of truth(dharmadhatu), the various forms of the will-bodythese I call Mind-only.

32. Multiplicity of objects evolves from the conjunctionof habit-energy and discrimination; it is born of Mind,but is regarded by people as existing outwardly: this Icall Mind-only.

33. The external world is not, and multiplicity of objects

prajaptisatyato hytm dravyasanna hi vidyate /skandhn skandhat tadvatprajapty na tu

dravyata // Lank_3.27 //

caturvidh vai samat lakaa hetubhvajam /nairtmyasamat caiva caturtha yogayoginm //Lank_3.28 //

vyvtti sarvadn kalpyakalpanavarjit /anupalambho hyajtica cittamtra vadmyaham //Lank_3.29 //(Vaidya 63)

na bhva npi cbhva bhvbhvavivarjitam /tathat cittavinirmukta cittamtra vadmyaham //Lank_3.30 //

tathatnyatkoi nirva dharmadhtukam /kya manomaya citra cittamtra vadmyaham //Lank_3.31 //

vikalpavsanbaddha vicitra cittasabhavam /bahirkhyyate n cittamtra hi laukikam //Lank_3.32 //

dya na vidyate bhya citta citra hi dyate /


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is what is seen of Mind; body, property, and abodethese I call Mind-only.

1Bhavaja, coining into existence.2Tatha, not tathata, according to the Chinese versions.

dehabhogapratihna cittamtra vadmyaham //Lank_3.33 //


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LXV

At that time Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva saidthis to the Blessed One: This is said by the Blessed Onethat the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva and others should notgrasp meaning [or reality, artha], according to words.But, Blessed One, why should not the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva grasp meaning from words? What arewords? What is meaning?

Said the Blessed One: Then, Mahamati, listen well andreflect within yourself well; I will tell you.

Thereupon said Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva,Certainly, Blessed One; and gave ear to the BlessedOne.

The Blessed One then said this to him: Now, Mahamati,how is speech produced? Depending on discriminationand habit-energy [or memory] as the cause, there is theconjunction and the distinction of sounds and letters,which, issuing from the teeth, jaws, palate, tongue, lips,and the cavity of the mouth, make mutual conversationspossible. This is speech. Now, Mahamati, what ismeaning? (155) The Bodhisattva-Mahasattva is said tohave grasped meaning well, when, all alone in a lonelyplace, he walks the path leading to Nirvana, by meansof his transcendental wisdom (prajna) which grows fromlearning, thinking, and meditation, and causing a

atha khalu mahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattvobhagavantametadavocat - yatpunaretaduktabhagavat - yathrutrthagrahaa na kartavyabodhisattvena mahsattvena anyaiceti / katha nabhagavan bodhisattvo mahsattvo yathrutrthagrhna bhavati? ki ca rutam? ko 'rtha?

bhagavnha - tena hi mahmate u, sdhu ca suhuna ca manasi kuru / bhiye 'ha te /


bhagavstasyaitadavocat - tatra ruta mahmatekatamat? yaduta vgakarasayogavikalpodantahanutlujihvauhapuavinistaparasparajalpovikalpavsanhetuko rutamityucyate / tatra arthapunarmahmate katama? yadutarutacintbhvanmayy prajay eko rahogatonirvapuragmimrga svabuddhyvsanrayaparvttiprvakasvapratytmagatigocarabhmisthnntaravierthalakaagati pravicrayan bodhisattvo mahsattvo'rthakualo bhavati //


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revulsion first at the source of habit-energy by his self-knowledge (svabuddhi), abides on the stages of self-realisation where he leads a life full of excellent deeds.


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Further, Mahamati, the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva who isconversant with words and meaning observes thatwords are neither different nor not-different frommeaning and that meaning stands in the same relationto words. If, Mahamati, meaning is different from words,it will not be made manifest by means of words; butmeaning is entered into by words as things [arerevealed] by a lamp. It is, Mahamati, like a man carryinga lamp to look after his property. [By means of this light]he can say: This is my property and so is kept in thisplace. Just so, Mahamati, by means of the lamp of wordsand speech originating from discrimination, theBodhisattva-Mahasattvas can enter into the exalted

state of self-realisation which is free from speech-discrimination.

Further, Mahamati, if a man becomes attached to the[literal] meaning or words and holds fast to theiragreement in regard to the original state of Nirvanawhich is unborn and undying, the Triple vehicle, the onevehicle, the five [Dharmas], mentation, the [three]Svabhavas, etc., he will come to cherish views eitheraffirmative or negative. As varieties of objects are seenin Maya and are discriminated [as real], statements areerroneously made, discriminations erroneously go on.(156) It is by the ignorant that discriminations thus goon; it is otherwise with the wise.1

1 The reading is move or less after T'ang.Abhinivesam pratitya (p.

punarapara mahmate rtrthakualo bodhisattvomahsattvo rutamarthdanyannnyaditisamanupayati, artha ca rutt / yadi capunarmahmate artho rutdanya syt,arutrthbhivyaktihetuka syt / sa crthorutennupraviyate pradpeneva dhanam / tadyathmahmate kacideva purua pradpa ghtvdhanamavalokayet - ida medhanamevavidhamasmin pradee iti / evamevamahmate vgvikalparutapradpena bodhisattvmahsattv vgvikalparahitsvapratytmryagatimanupravianti //

punarapara mahmate aniruddh anutpannpraktiparinirvtstriynamekayna capacacittasvabhvdiu yathrutrthbhiniveaprattya abhiniveata samroppavdadipatitobhavati / anyath vyavasthitnanyath prativikalpayanmyvaicitryadaranavikalpanavat / tadyathmahmate anyath hi myvaicitryadraavyamanyath pratikalpyate blairna tvryai //


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155, line 15) is dropped, and tad yatha mahamate anyatha himaya-vaicitryam drashtavyam avyatha (p. 155, line 17p. 156, line1) does not appear in T'ang, and as it is partly a repetition of whatprecedes, not to speak of its making the whole passage obscure, itis omitted in this translation.


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So it is said:

34. 1Those who following words, discriminate and assertvarious notions, are bound for hell because of theirassertions.

35. The ego-soul is not with the Skandhas, nor are theSkandhas in the ego-soul. They are not as they arediscriminated, nor are they otherwise.

36. The reality of objects is seen being discriminated bythe ignorant; if it were so as they are seen, all would beseeing the truth.

37. As all things are unreal, there is neither defilementnor purity; things are not as they are seen, nor are theyotherwise.

1 According to the Chinese versions.

tatredamucyate -

yathruta vikalpitv samropenti dharmatm /te ca vai tatsamroptpatanti naraklaye // Lank_3.34 //(Vaidya 64)na hytm vidyate skandhai skandhcaiva hintmani /na te yath vikalpyante na ca te vai na santi ca //Lank_3.35 //

astitva sarvabhvn yath blairvikalpyate /yadi te bhavedyathd sarve syustattvadarina //

Lank_3.36 //

abhvtsarvadharm sakleo nsti uddhita /na te tath yath d na ca te vai na santi ca //Lank_3.37 //


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LXVI

Further, Mahamati, I will tell you about the features ofJnana (absolute knowledge) and Vijnana (relativeknowledge)2; and when you and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas are well conversant with these distinctivefeatures of Jnana and Vijnana, you will quickly realisesupreme enlightenment.

There are three kinds of Jnanaworldly, super-worldly,and transcendental. Now, worldly knowledge belongs tothe philosophers and to the ignorant and simple-mindedwho are attached to the dualistic views of being and

non-being. Super-worldly knowledge belongs to all theSravakas and Pratyekabuddhas who are attached to thenotions of individuality and generality. Transcendentalknowledge which is free from the dualism of being andnon-being, belongs to the Bodhisattvas and takes itsrise when they thoroughly examine things ofimagelessness, see into the state of no-birth and no-annihilation, and realise egolessness at the stage ofTathagatahood.3

(157) Vijnana is subject to birth and destruction, andJnana is not subject to birth and destruction. Further,Mahamati, Vijnana falls into [the dualism of] form andno-form, being and non-being, and is characterised withmultiplicity; but Jnana is marked with the transcendenceof [the dualism of] form and no-form.

punarapara mahmate jnavijnalakaa teupadekymi, yena jnavijnalakaenasuprativibhgaviddhena tva ca anye ca bodhisattvmahsattv jnavijnalakaagatigatkipramanuttarsamyaksabodhimabhisabhotsyante /

tatra mahmate triprakra jna laukikalokottara ca lokottaratama ca /

tatrotpannapradhvasi vijnam /anutpannapradhvasi jnam / punaraparamahmate nimittnimittapatita vijnanstyastivaicitryalakaahetuka ca /nimittnimittavyatikrntalakaa jnam /


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2 The use ofvijnana in this sense is unusual in the Lanka; whilejnana, aryajnana, prajna, and buddhi are frequently used assynonyms.

3 The passage between "Now, worldly knowledge" and"Tathagatahood" which is restored here according to T'ang andSung, is found in the Sanskrit text inserted after the nextparagraph, p. 157, 11. 8-13.


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Further, Mahamati, Vijnana is characterised withaccumulation and Jnana with non-accumulation. Jnanais of three kinds: that which assertains individualityand generality, that which assertains birth and decay,and that which assertains no-birth and no-decay.

Further, Mahamati, Jnana is devoid of attachment;Vijnana attaches itself to the multitudinousness ofobjects. Again, Vijnana is produced from theconcordance of the triple combination;1 Jnana, in itsself-nature, has nothing to do with combination orconcordance. Again, Mahamati,2 Jnana ischaracterised with unattainability; it is the inner stateof self-realisation by noble wisdom, (158) and as itneither enters nor goes out, it is like the moon inwater. So it is said:

1 Read trisamgatyutpadayogalaksanam (lines 15-10), andasamgatiyogasva (line 16), according to Sung and T'ang.

2 T'ang and Sung have inserted here: Vijnana is characterised

punarapara mahmate upacayalakaa vijnam /apacayalakaa jnam / tatra trividha jnasvasmnyalakavadhraka cautpdavyayvadhraka ca anutpdnirodhvadhrakaca /

tatra laukika jna sadasatpakbhinivinsarvatrthakarablapthagjann ca / tatra lokottarajna sarvarvakapratyekabuddhn casvasmnyalakaapatitaybhinivinm / tatralokottaratama jna buddhabodhisattvnnirbhsadharmapravicaydanirodhnutpdadarantsadasatpakavigata

tathgatabhminairtmydhigamtpravartate //

punarapara mahmate asagalakaa jnam,viayavaicitryasagalakaa ca vijnam / punaraparamahmate trisagakayotpdayogalakaavijnamasagasvabhvalakaa jnam / punaraparamahmate aprptilakaa jnasvapratytmryajnagatigocaramapravenirgamatvdudakacandravajjale //tatredamucyate -


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with attainability.


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38. Karma is accumulated by Citta, and discriminated byJnana; and one acquires by Prajna the state ofimagelessness and the powers.

39. Citta is bound up with an objective world, Jnanaevolves with reflection; and Prajna evolves in theexalted state of imagelessness and in the excellentconditions.

40. Citta, Manas, and Vijnana are devoid of thoughtsand discriminations;3 it is the Sravakas and not theBodhisattvas that try to reach reality by means ofdiscrimination.

3 Is this in accord with the general drift of thought maintained in thetext? T'ang and Sung have: Citta, Manas, and Vijnana, when devoidof thought and discrimination, attain the state of non-discrimination; this belongs to the Bodhisattvas and not to theSravakas.

41. The Tathagata's Jnana is pure, [resting] in quietudein the most excellent patience [or recognition of truth];it is productive of excellent sense and is devoid ofpurposive-ness (samudacara-varijitam ).

42. Prajna, with me, is of three kinds; whereby the wisegrow powerful, individual signs are discriminated, andall things are manifested.1

43. My Prajna has nothing to do with the two vehicles, it

cittena cyate karma jnena ca vidhyate /prajay ca nirbhsa prabhva cdhigacchati //Lank_3.38 //

citta viayasabaddha jna tarke pravartate /nirbhse viee ca praj vai sapravartate //Lank_3.39 //

citta manaca vijnasajvaikalpavarjit /vikalpadharmat prpt rvak na jintmaj //Lank_3.40 //

nte kntiviee vai jna tthgata ubham /sajyate viertha samudcravarjitam //Lank_3.41 //

praj hi trividh mahya ry yena prabhvit /

lakaa kalpyate yena yaca bhvn voti ca //Lank_3.42 //(Vaidya 65)

ynadvayavisayukt praj hyabhvavarjit /


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excludes the world of beings; that of the Sravakasevolves from their attachment to the world of beings;the Tathagata's Prajna is spotless2 because of its beingin accord with Mind-only.

1 After T'ang., 2 Read amala, not mata.

sadbhvbhiniveena rvak pravartate /cittamtrvatrea praj tthgat mat // Lank_3.43 //


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LXVII

Further, Mahamati, there are nine kinds oftransformation as held by the philosophers endorsingthe doctrine of transformation. They are: (1) thetransformation of form; (159) (2) the transformation ofcharacteristics; (3) the transformation of cause; (4) thetransformation of concordance; (5) the transformation ofview; (6) the transformation of origin; (7) thetransformation of nature; (8) the transformation ofmanifest conditions; and (9) the transformation ofmanifest work. These, Mahamati, are the nine views oftransformation expounded by all the philosophers in

accordance with their secret teaching, and they are allfounded upon the dualism of being and non-being.

Now, Mahamati, by the transformation of form is meantthe alteration of form in appearance as gold takesvarious shapes when made into all kinds of ornament.For example: gold is seen made into a bracelet, anecklace, a fylfot, or what not; though the gold itselfremains the same, varieties of articles [made of it] areall different in form, that is, in their transformations.

In the same way, Mahamati, there is a generaltransformation of things which is discriminated by otherphilosophers as coming from a causal agency. They arenot right, nor are they otherwise. All differentiation intransformation is to be regarded as due to

punarapara mahmate navavidh parimavdintrthakar parimadirbhavati yadutasasthnaparimo lakaaparimo hetuparimoyuktiparimo diparima utpdaparimobhvaparima pratyaybhivyaktiparimakriybhivyaktiparima / et mahmate navaparimadaya, y sadhya sarvatrthakarsadasatpakotpdaparimavdino bhavanti //

tatra mahmate sasthnaparimo yadutasasthnasynyathbhvadarant, suvarasyabhaaviktivaicitryadaranavat / tadyath mahmatesuvara kaakarucakasvastydiparimenaparimyamna vicitrasasthnapariata dyate /na suvara bhvata pariamati /

evameva mahmate sarvabhvn parimakaicittrthakarairvikalpyate anyaica kraata / na cate tath, na cnyath parikalpamupdya / eva

sarvaparimabhedo draavyodadhikramadyaphalapkavat / tadyath mahmateeva dadhikramadyaphaldnmekaikasya parimovikalpasya parimo vikalpyate trthakarai, na ctrakacitpariamati sadasato


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discrimination, such as the thickening of milk into curdsand the ripening of fruit into a liquor. Mahamati, like thisthickening and ripening each transformation is atransformation rising from discrimination, which isdiscriminated by the philosophers; really there isnothing transformed, for the external objects of whichbeing and non-being are discriminated, are what is seenof Mind itself and have no reality of their own.

svacittadyabhyabhvbhvt,


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In the same way, Mahamati, what is regarded by theignorant and simple-minded as the evolving of objects isno more than the discrimination of their own mind, and,(160) Mahamati, there is really nothing evolving,nothing disappearing, as it is like seeing things thatevolve in a vision and a dream. Mahamati, it is likeperceiving the rise and disappearance of things in adream; it is like the birth and death of a barren woman'schild. So it is said:

44. The transformation of the form in time, and theembracing [of the soul] in the elements and sense-organs, which is in its middle-way existence

(antarabhava)they who [thus] imagine [the birth of achild] are not wise men.

45. The Buddhas do not discriminate the world assubject to the chain of origination; but they regard thecausation which rules this world as something like thecity of the Gandharvas.

evameva mahmate blapthagjannsvacittavikalpabhvanpravttirdraavy /ntramahmate kaciddharma pravartate v nivartate v,mysvapnapravttarpadaranavat / tadyathmahmate svapne pravttinivtt upalabhyetevandhyputramtajanmavat //tatredamucyate -

parima klasasthna bhtabhvendriyeu ca /antarbhavasagrhyo ye kalpenti na te budh //Lank_3.44 //

na prattyasamutpanna loka kalpenti vai jin /ki tu pratyaya eveda loka gandharvasanibham //Lank_3.45 //


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LXVIII

At that time, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvaasked the Blessed One to explain concerning the deep-seated attachment to the existence of all things and theway of emancipation, saying: Pray tell me, Blessed One,pray tell me Tathagata, Arhat, Fully-Enlightened One,concerning the characteristics of our deep attachmentto existence and of our detachment from it.

When I and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas understandwell the distinction between attachment anddetachment, we shall know what is the skilful means

concerning them, and shall no more become attached towords according to which we grasp meaning.

When we understand well what is meant by attachmentto the existence of all things and the detachment fromthem, we shall destroy our discrimination of words andletters; and, by means of our wisdom (buddhi), enterinto all the Buddha-lands and assemblies; be wellstamped with the stamp of the powers, the self-control,the psychic faculties, and the Dharanis; and, wellfurnished with the wisdom (buddhi) in the ten

inexhaustible vows and shining with varieties of rayspertaining to the Transformation Body, (161) behaveourselves with effortlessness like the moon, the sun, thejewel, and the elements; and hold such views at everystage as are free from all the signs of self-

atha khalu mahmatirbodhisattvo mahsattvapunarapi bhagavantasarvadharmasadhyarthaparimocanrthamadhyeatesma - deayatu me bhagavn, deayatu me tathgato'rhan samyaksabuddha sarvadharmsadhyasadhilakaam,

yena sadhyasadhilakaenasuprativibhgbhividdhena aha ca anye ca

bodhisattv mahsattvsarvasadhyasadhyupyakualyathrutrthbhiniveasadhau na prapateyu /

sarvadharm sadhyasadhikaualenavgakaraprativikalpana ca vinihatya buddhysarvabuddhaketraparaccrio bala-vaitbhij-dhra-mudrsumudrit vicitrair-nirmakiraair-daanihpde sunibaddhabuddhayo 'nbhogacandra-

srya-maimahbhta-carygatisam sarvabhmiusvavikalpa-lakaa-vinivttadaya svapna-mydi-sarva-dharmnudarand-buddhabhmyraynupravi sarvasattvadhtuyathrhattva-dharmadeanay (Vaidya 66) kya


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discrimination; and, seeing that all things are like adream, like Maya, etc., [shall be able to] enter the stageand abode of Buddhahood, and deliver discourses onthe Dharma in the world of all beings and ill accordancewith their needs, and free them from the dualistic notionof being and non-being in the contemplation of all thingswhich are like a dream and Maya, and free them alsofrom the false discrimination of birth and destruction;and. finally, [shall be able to] establish ourselves wherethere is a revulsion at the deepest recesses [of ourconsciousness], which is more than words [can express].

svapna-mydi-sarvadharma-sadasatpakavarjitebhagotpdavikalparahite rutnyath-paryya-vttyrayatay pratihpayeyu /


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Said the Blessed One: Well said, well said, Mahamati! Listenwell to me then, Mahamati, and reflect well within yourself; Iwill tell you.

Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said, Certainly, I will,Blessed One; and gave ear to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said to him thus: Mahamati, immeasurableis our deep-seated attachment to the existence of all thingsthe significance of which we try to understand after words.For instance, there are the deep-seated attachments to signsof individuality, to causation, to the notion of being and non-being, to the discrimination of birth and no-birth, to thediscrimination of cessation and no-cessation, to the

discrimination of vehicle and no-vehicle, of Samskrita andAsamskrita, of the characteristics of the stages and no-stages, and the attachment to discrimination itself, and tothat arising from enlightenment, the attachment to thediscrimination of being and non-being on which thephilosophers are so dependent, and the attachment to thetriple vehicle and the one vehicle, which are discriminated.

These and others, Mahamati, are the deep-seatedattachments cherished by the ignorant and simple-minded(162) to their discriminations. Tenaciously attachingthemselves to these the ignorant and simple-minded go on

ever discriminating like the silk-worms who, with their ownthread of discrimination and attachment, enwrap not onlythemselves but others and are charmed with the thread; andthus they are ever tenaciously attached to the notions ofexistence and non-existence. [But really] Mahamati, there

bhagavnha - sdhu sdhu mahmate / tena hi mahmateu, sdhu ca suhu ca manasikuru / bhiye 'ha te /


bhagavstasyaitadavocat - aparimito mahmatesarvadharm yathrutrthbhiniveasadhi,lakabhiniveasadhi, pratyaybhiniveasadhi,bhvbhvbhiniveasadhi,utpdnutpdavikalpbhiniveasadhi,nirodhnirodhbhiniveaprativikalpasadhi,ynynbhiniveaprativikalpasadhi,sasktsasktaprativikalpbhiniveasadhi,

bhmyabhmisvalakaavikalpbhiniveasadhi,svavikalpbhisamayavikalpasadhi,sadasatpakatrthyrayaprativikalpasadhi,triynaikaynbhisamayavikalpasadhi /

ete cnye ca mahmate blapthagjannsvavikalpasadhaya, y sadhi sadhyablapthagjan prativikalpayamn kaueyakrimaya ivasvavikalpadisadhistrea tmna parcasvavikalpadisadhistrarocanatay pariveayantibhvbhvasadhilakabhinivebhinivi / na ctramahmate kacitsadhirna sadhilakaaviviktadarantsarvadharmm /vikalpasypravttatvnmahmate bodhisattvo mahsattvasarvadharmeu viviktadar viharati //


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are no signs here of deep-seated attachment or detachment.All things are to be seen as abiding in solitude where there isno evolving of discrimination. Mahamati, the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva should have his abode where he can see allthings from the viewpoint of solitude.


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Further, Mahamati, when the existence and non-existence of the external world are understood to be dueto the seeing of the Mind itself in these signs, [the

Bodhisattva] can enter upon the state of imagelessnesswhere Mind-only is, and [there] see into the solitudewhich characterises the discrimination of all things asbeing and non-being and the deep-seated attachmentsresulting therefrom. This being so, there are in all thingsno signs of a deep-rooted attachment or of detachment.Here, Mahamati, is nobody in bondage, nobody inemancipation, except those who by reason of theirperverted wisdom1 recognise bondage andemancipation. Why? Because in all things neither being

nor non-being is to be taken hold of.

Further, Mahamati, there are three attachments deep-seated in the minds of the ignorant and simple-minded.They are greed, anger, and folly; and thus there is desirewhich is procreative and is accompanied by joy andgreed; closely attached to this there takes place asuccession of births in the [five] paths. Thus there arethe five paths of existence for all beings who are foundclosely attached [to greed, anger, and folly]. When oneis cut off from this attachment, (163) no signs will be

seen indicative of attachment or of non-attachment.

1 Read buddhya, instead ofbudhya.

punarapara mahmate bhya-bhvbhva-svacitta-dya-lakavabodhn-nirbhsa-cittamtrnusritvtsadasato

sarvabhvavikalpasadhiviviktadarannnasadhirnsadhilakaa sarvadharmm / ntrakacinmahmate badhyate na ca mucyate, anyatravitathapatitay buddhy bandhamokau prajyete /tatkasya heto? yaduta sadasatosadhyanupalabdhitvtsarvadharmm //

punarapara mahmate traya sadhayo blnpthagjann yaduta rgo dveo mohaca / t capaunarbhavik nandrgasahagat y sadhyagatisadhaya prajyante / tatra sadhisadhnasattvn gatipacakasadhervyucchednmahmatenasadhirnsadhilakaa prajyate /


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Further, Mahamati, depending upon and attaching tothe triple combination which works in unison, there isthe continuation of the Vijnanas incessantly functioning;

and because of the attachment there is a continued anddeep-felt assertion of existence. When the triplecombination which causes the functioning of theVijnanas no more takes place, there is the tripleemancipation, and when this is kept in view, there is norising of any combination. So it is said:

46. The imagining of things not existentthis ischaracteristic of attachment [deeply seated in allbeings]; when the truth of this is thoroughly understood,

the net of attachment is cleared away.

47. The ignorant take hold of the knowledge ofexistence according to words and are bound up like thesilk-worm with their own discriminations; hence theirignorance of attachment [deeply seated in their minds].

punarapara mahmatetrisagatipratyayakriyyogbhiniveya sadhi /vijnn nairantarytpravttiyogenbhiniveato

bhavasadhirbhavati /trisagatipratyayavyvttervijnnvimokatraynudarantsarvasadhayo napravartante //

tatredamucyate -

abhtaparikalpo hi sadhilakaamucyate /tasya bhtaparijntsadhijla prasdati // Lank_3.46

//

bhvajnarutagrhtkaueyakrimayo yath /badhyante svavikalpena bl sadhyavipacita //Lank_3.47 //


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LXIX

Further, Mahamati said: According to the Blessed One,

in all things that are variously discriminated bydiscrimination there is no self-nature, as it is nothing but[the creation of] false imagination (parikalpita); if,Blessed One, it is but [the creation of] false imaginationand there is nothing in the world which is to beconceived as indicative of self-nature, does it not,Blessed One, come to this, according to your statement,that there is neither defilement nor purification, becauseall things are of the nature of false imagination?

Said the Blessed One: Mahamati, it is just as you say.The self-nature of things is the discrimination of theignorant and simple-minded, and it is not as it- isdiscriminated by them. (164) Mahamati, it is thecreation of false imagination; nothing indicative of self-nature is to be ascertained. But, Mahamati, there is theself-nature of things such as is ascertained by the wise,by their wise knowledge, by their wise insight, by theirwise transcendental vision.

Said Mahamati: Blessed One, if there is the self-nature

of things such as is ascertained by the wise, by theirwise knowledge, by their wise insight, by their wisetranscendental vision which is neither human norcelestial vision, and if there is no such self-nature as isdiscriminated by the ignorant and simple-minded, how,

punarapi mahmatirha - yatpunaretadukta

bhagavat - yena yena vikalpena ye ye bhvvikalpyante, na hi sa te svabhvo bhavati /parikalpita evsau / tadyadi bhagavan parikalpita(Vaidya 67) evsau nabhvasvabhvalakavadhraam, nanu te bhagavaneva bruvata sakleavyavadnbhva prasajyateparikalpitasvabhvabhvitatvtsarvadharmm /

bhagavnha - evametanmahmate yath vadasi / namahmate yath blapthagjanairbhvasvabhvovikalpyate, tath bhavati / parikalpita evsaumahmate, na bhvasvabhvalakavadhraam / kitu yath mahmate ryairbhvasvabhvo 'vadhryateryea jnena ryea daranena ryeaprajacaku tath bhvasvabhvo bhavati //

mahmatirha - tadyadi bhagavan yath ryairryea

jnena ryea daranena ryea prajcaku nadivyamsacaku bhvasvabhvo 'vadhryate tathbhavati, na tu yath blapthagjanairvikalpyatebhvasvabhva, tatkatha bhagavanblapthagjann vikalpavyvttirbhaviyati


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Blessed One, can the ignorant and the simple-mindedabandon their discriminations, as they have no way torecognise the presence of an exalted reality(aryabhavavastu)? For they are neither perverted norunperverted, Blessed One. [that is, they are what they

are]. Why? Because they are unable to have an insightinto the self-nature of exalted reality, because they seethe course of things in the aspect of being and non-being.

ryabhvavastvanavabodht? na ca te bhagavanviparyast nviparyast / tatkasya heto? yadutaryavastusvabhvnavabodhtsadasatorlakaasyavttidarant /


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And Blessed One, the reality1 cannot be such as isdiscriminated even by the wise, because the aspect ofreality as it is in itself cannot be an object [of

discrimination by anybody]; because, Blessed One, whatappears to the wise as the self-nature of reality is nomore than the creation of their imagination, which ispredicable with the notion of causation and no-causation; that is, they also cherish in their own way theidea of a being with self-nature. [And they would say]that this is a realm that belongs to somebody else and isnot that [of the ignorant]. This is committing the fault ofnon-finality, for thus what constitutes the self-nature ofreality becomes impossible to know. Blessed One, what

is derived from the imagination cannot be the self-nature of reality. How is it (165) that while things aresaid to exist owing to the imagination2 [ordiscrimination], they are said again not to be such asare imagined?

1Vastu and bhava are both used here in the sense of reality.2 Throughout this text,parikalpa, vikalpa, pratikalpa, andprativikalpa are used interchangeably

Blessed One, [it is true that] according to the way the

imagination is carried on, the self-nature of realityconceived may vary; for when the cause is not alike, thenotion of reality that thus comes to be cherished maynot be alike.

ryairapi bhagavan yath vastu vikalpyate, na tathbhavati svalakaaviaygocaratvt / sa temapibhagavan bhvasvabhvalakaa parikalpitasvabhva

eva khyyate hetvahetuvyapadet / yadutabhvasvalakaadipatitatvdanye gocaro bhavatina yath tem / ityevamanavasth prasajyatebhagavan bhvasvabhvalakanavabodht /

na ca bhagavan parikalpitasvabhvahetukobhvasvabhvalakaa / sa ca katha parikalpenaprativikalpyamno na tath bhaviyati yath

parikalpyate?anyadeva bhagavan prativikalpasya lakaam,anyadeva svabhvalakaam /

visadahetuke ca bhagavan vikalpasvabhvalakae /te ca paraspara parikalpyamne blapthagjanairnatath bhaviyata / ki tu sattvnvikalpavyvttyarthamidamucyate / yath prativikalpena

vikalpyante tath na vidyante //


66/168

But according to you, Blessed One, while theimagination is kept on going with the wise as well aswith the ignorant, the latter alone fail to see reality as itis; and yet you tell us that the reason why it is said thatthings are not really such as are imagined by the

imagination is to make all beings discard theirimagination.


67/168

Now, Blessed One, is it that in order to have all beingsfree from the notion of being [which is realism] and ofnon-being [which is nihilism], you in turn make them

cherish a realistic view of existence1 by telling them touphold the idea of the self-nature of reality, wherebythey are led to cling to the realm of noble wisdom? Whydo you deny the truth of solitude by teaching thedoctrine of reality whose self-nature is [according toyou] noble wisdom?2

1 Not abhinivesannastitvadrishtih (lines 8-9) as it stands in the text,but abhinivesadastitva according to T'ang and Sung.2 This whole passage ascribed to Mahamati is one of the mostdifficult passages in the Lankavatara, partly due to discrepancies.

The translator is not at all satisfied with the result. In the Appendixthe whole section 69 is given in the original Sanskrit together withall the four versions, Chinese and Tibetan.

kimida bhagavan sattvn tvay nstyastitvadivinivrya vastusvabhvbhiniveenaryajnagocaraviaybhinivennstitvadi

punarniptyate, viviktadharmopadebhvaca kriyateryajnasvabhvavastudeanay?


68/168

Said the Blessed One: Mahamati, it is not true that Ideny truth of solitude, nor that I fall into a realistic viewby upholding the noble doctrine of self-existing reality.

But in order to save all beings from becomingfrightened, who are addicted from beginningless past tothe notion of self-nature, it is told them that there istruth of solitude, after making them realise by means ofnoble wisdom that reality in its self-nature is made thesubject of attachment [by the ignorant]. Mahamati, thedoctrine of self-nature is not taught by me. But,Mahamati, those who have realised by themselves truthof solitude as it really is and are abiding in it, will seethat [this existence of] error has no form; and thereby

knowing that what is seen is nothing but the Mind itself,(166) they are kept away from [dualistically] viewing anexternal world3 under the aspect of being and non-being;they are stamped well with the stamp of suchness whichis gained by the triple emancipation; they will have anintuition into the self-nature of all things by the wisdomwhich is acquired within themselves, and thus get awayfrom such ideas of reality as to lead themselves torealism and nihilism.

3Viviktadharma......yathatathya (lines 2-3) being a curious repetition

of the preceding lines is dropped in the translation.

bhagavnha - na may mahmateviviktadharmopadebhva kriyate, nacstitvadirniptyate ryavastusvabhvanirdeena /

ki tu utrsapadavivarjanrtha sattvn mahmatemayandiklabhvasvabhvalakabhinivinmryajnavastusvabhvbhinivealakaadyviviktadharmopadea kriyate / na may mahmatebhvasvabhvopadea kriyate / ki tu mahmatesvayamevdhigataythtathyaviviktadharmavihriobhaviyanti / bhrnternirnimittadarantsvacittadyamtramavatryabhyadyabhvbhvavinivttadayo

vimokatraydhigataythtathyaviviktadharmavihriobhaviyanti / bhrnternirnimittadayovimokatraydhigataythtathyamudrsumudritbhvasvabhveu pratytmdhigatay buddhypratyakavihrio bhaviyantinstyastitvavastudivivarjit //


69/168

LXX

Further, Mahamati, the thesis: "All things are unborn" is

not to be maintained by the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva asvalid. Why? Of this thesis it is to be stated that anythingof which something is asserted partakes thereby of thenature of being, and that the reason for this thesis ischaracterised with the quality of birth; while it is beingasserted by the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva that all thingsare unborn, the very assertion destroys his thesis.

The thesis that all things are unborn acts against theone who holds it because it is born of the principle of

mutuality. Even when this thesis of no-birth is to bemaintained within the extent of existence itself, thenotion of no-birth cannot hold itself in it, and thestatement, the thesis, that all things are unborn isdestroyed since it is dependent on the members of thesyllogism.

As regards the thesis maintaining the no-birth1 of beingand non-being, Mahamati, this thesis, to be valid, mustbe within the limits of existence itself; but there is noaspect of existence which can be regarded either as

being or as non-being.

If, Mahamati, the no-birth of all things is to be assertedby this thesis of no-birth, (167) the very attemptdefeats the thesis itself.2 Therefore, this thesis is not to

punarapara mahmate anutpann sarvadharm iti

bodhisattvena mahsattvena pratij na karay /tatkasya heto? pratijysarvasvabhvabhvitvttaddhetupravttilakaatvcca /anutpannn (Vaidya 68) sarvadharmn pratijyapratibruvan mahmate bodhisattvo mahsattvapratijy hyate /

y pratij - anutpann sarvadharm iti, ssya pratij

hyate, pratijystadapekotpattitvt / atha spipratij anutpannsarvadharmbhyantardanutpannalakanutpattitvtpratijy,anutpann sarvadharm iti sa vda prahyate /

pratijvayavakraena sadasato 'nutpattipratijy /s hi mahmate pratij sarva-bhvbhyantar sad-

asator-anutpatti-lakat /

yadi mahmate tay pratijay anutpannayanutpann sarvabhv iti pratij kurvanti, evamapi


70/168

be upheld.

1 Literally, "is not born."2Pratijnayam......pratijna bhavati (lines 1-4) is omitted in thetranslation following T'ang and Sung, as it does not add to theclearing up of the meaning.

pratijhni prasajyate / pratijy sadasator-anutpattibhva-lakaatvt-pratij na karay /anutpannasvabhvalaka hi mahmate tepratij bhavati / ataste mahmate pratij nakaray /

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