Part 20 (2/2)

oblivious of the principle of sameness (_samata_) that underlies all things which are one and perfectly calm and tranquil and show no sign of becoming.

Non-enlightenment is the _raison d'etre_ of samsara. When this is annihilated the conditions--the external world--are also annihilated and with them the state of an interrelated mind is also annihilated. But this annihilation does not mean the annihilation of the mind but of its modes only. It becomes calm like an unruffled sea when all winds which were disturbing it and producing the waves have been annihilated.

In describing the relation of the interaction of avidya (ignorance), karmavijnana (activity-consciousness--the subjective mind), [email protected] (external world--represented by the senses) and the tathata (suchness), As'vaghosa says that there is an interperfuming of these elements. Thus As'vaghosa says, ”By perfuming we mean that while our worldly clothes (viz. those which we wear) have no odour of their own, neither offensive nor agreeable, they can yet acquire one or the other odour according to the nature of the substance with which they are perfumed. Suchness (_tathata_) is likewise a pure dharma free from all defilements caused by the perfuming power of ignorance. On the other hand ignorance has nothing to do with purity. Nevertheless we speak of its being able to do the work of purity because it in its turn is perfumed by suchness.

Determined by suchness ignorance becomes the _raison d'etre_ of all forms of defilement. And this ignorance perfumes suchness and produces [email protected] This [email protected] in its turn perfumes ignorance.

On account of this (reciprocal) perfuming, the truth is misunderstood.

On account of its being misunderstood an external world of subjectivity appears. Further, on account of the perfuming power of memory, various modes of individuation are produced.

And by clinging to them various deeds are done, and we suffer as the result miseries mentally as well as bodily.” Again ”suchness perfumes ignorance, and in consequence of this perfuming the individual in subjectivity is caused to loathe the misery of birth and death and to seek after the blessing of Nirvana. This longing and loathing on the part of the subjective mind in turn perfumes suchness. On account of this perfuming influence we are enabled to believe that we are in possession within ourselves of suchness whose essential nature is pure and immaculate; and we also recognize that all phenomena in the world are nothing

136

but the illusory manifestations of the mind (_alayavijnana_) and have no reality of their own. Since we thus rightly understand the truth, we can practise the means of liberation, can perform those actions which are in accordance with the dharma. We should neither particularize, nor cling to objects of desire. By virtue of this discipline and habituation during the lapse of innumerable [email protected] [Footnote ref 1] we get ignorance annihilated. As ignorance is thus annihilated, the mind (_alayavijnana_) is no longer disturbed, so as to be subject to individuation. As the mind is no longer disturbed, the particularization of the surrounding world is annihilated. When in this wise the principle and the condition of defilement, their products, and the mental disturbances are all annihilated, it is said that we attain [email protected] and that various spontaneous displays of activity are accomplished.” The [email protected] of the tathata philosophy is not nothingness, but tathata (suchness or thatness) in its purity una.s.sociated with any kind of disturbance which produces all the diversity of experience.

To the question that if all beings are uniformly in possession of suchness and are therefore equally perfumed by it, how is it that there are some who do not believe in it, while others do, [email protected]'s reply is that though all beings are uniformly in possession of suchness, the intensity of ignorance and the principle of individuation, that work from all eternity, vary in such manifold grades as to outnumber the sands of the Ganges, and hence the difference. There is an inherent perfuming principle in one's own being which, embraced and protected by the love (_maitri_) and compa.s.sion ([email protected]_) of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, is caused to loathe the misery of birth and death, to believe in [email protected], to cultivate the root of merit (_kus'alamula_), to habituate oneself to it and to bring it to maturity. In consequence of this, one is enabled to see all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and, receiving instructions from them, is benefited, gladdened and induced to practise good deeds, etc., till one can attain to Buddhahood and enter into [email protected] This implies that all beings have such perfuming power in them that they may be affected by the good wishes of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for leading them to the path of virtue, and thus it is that sometimes hearing the Bodhisattvas and sometimes seeing them, ”all beings thereby acquire (spiritual) benefits (_hitata_)” and ”entering into the samadhi of purity, they

_

[Footnote 1: Technical name for a very vast period of time.]

137

destroy hindrances wherever they are met with and obtain all-penetrating insight that enables them to become conscious of the absolute oneness (_samata_) of the universe (_sarvaloka_) and to see innumerable Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.”

There is a difference between the perfuming which is not in unison with suchness, as in the case of s'ravakas (theravadin monks), pratyekabuddhas and the novice bodhisattvas, who only continue their religious discipline but do not attain to the state of non-particularization in unison with the essence of suchness.

But those bodhisattvas whose perfuming is already in unison with suchness attain to the state of non-particularization and allow themselves to be influenced only by the power of the dharma.

The incessant perfuming of the defiled dharma (ignorance from all eternity) works on, but when one attains to Buddhahood one at once puts an end to it. The perfuming of the pure dharma (i.e. suchness) however works on to eternity without any interruption.

For this suchness or thatness is the effulgence of great wisdom, the universal illumination of the dharmadhatu (universe), the true and adequate knowledge, the mind pure and clean in its own nature, the eternal, the blessed, the self-regulating and the pure, the tranquil, the inimitable and the free, and this is called the tathagatagarbha or the dharmakaya. It may be objected that since thatness or suchness has been described as being without characteristics, it is now a contradiction to speak of it as embracing all merits, but it is held, that in spite of its embracing all merits, it is free in its nature from all forms of distinction, because all objects in the world are of one and the same taste; and being of one reality they have nothing to do with the modes of particularization or of dualistic character. ”Though all things in their (metaphysical) origin come from the soul alone and in truth are free from particularization, yet on account of non-enlightenment there originates a subjective mind (_alayavijnana_) that becomes conscious of an external world.” This is called ignorance or avidya. Nevertheless the pure essence of the mind is perfectly pure and there is no awakening of ignorance in it. Hence we a.s.sign to suchness this quality, the effulgence of great wisdom. It is called universal illumination, because there is nothing for it to illumine. This perfuming of suchness therefore continues for ever, though the stage of the perfuming of avidya comes to an end with the Buddhas when they attain to [email protected] All Buddhas while at

138

the stage of discipline feel a deep compa.s.sion ([email protected]_) for all beings, practise all virtues (_paramitas_) and many other meritorious deeds, treat others as their own selves, and wish to work out a universal salvation of mankind in ages to come, through limitless numbers of _kalpas_, recognize truthfully and adequately the principle of equality (_samata_)among people; and do not cling to the individual existence of a sentient being. This is what is meant by the activity of tathata. The main idea of this tathata philosophy seems to be this, that this transcendent ”thatness” is at once the quintessence of all thought and activity; as avidya veils it or perfumes it, the world-appearance springs forth, but as the pure thatness also perfumes the avidya there is a striving for the good as well. As the stage of avidya is pa.s.sed its luminous character s.h.i.+nes forth, for it is the ultimate truth which only illusorily appeared as the many of the world.

This doctrine seems to be more in agreement with the view of an absolute unchangeable reality as the ultimate truth than that of the nihilistic idealism of [email protected]_. Considering the fact that [email protected] was a learned Brahmin scholar in his early life, it is easy to guess that there was much [email protected] influence in this interpretation of Buddhism, which compares so favourably with the Vedanta as interpreted by [email protected] The [email protected]_ admitted a reality only as a make-believe to attract the Tairthikas (heretics) who had a prejudice in favour of an unchangeable self (_atman_). But [email protected] plainly admitted an unspeakable reality as the ultimate truth. Nagarjuna's Madhyamika doctrines which eclipsed the profound philosophy of [email protected] seem to be more faithful to the traditional Buddhist creed and to the Vijnanavada creed of Buddhism as explained in the [email protected] [Footnote ref 1].

The Madhyamika or the S'untavada school.--Nihilism.

Candrakirtti, the commentator of Nagarjuna's verses known as ”_Madhyamika karika_,” in explaining the doctrine of dependent origination (_prat.i.tyasamutpada_) as described by Nagarjuna starts with two interpretations of the word. According to one the word prat.i.tyasamutpada means the origination (_utpada_) of the nonexistent (_abhava_) depending on (_prat.i.tya_) reasons and causes

____

[Footnote 1: As I have no access to the Chinese translation of [email protected]'s _S'raddhotpada S'astra_, I had to depend entirely on Suzuki's expressions as they appear in his translation.]

139

(hetupratyaya). According to the other interpretation prat.i.tya means each and every destructible individual and prat.i.tyasamutpada means the origination of each and every destructible individual.

But he disapproves of both these meanings. The second meaning does not suit the context in which the Pali Scriptures generally speak of prat.i.tyasamutpada (e.g. [email protected]@h prat.i.tya rupani ca utpadyante [email protected]_) for it does not mean the origination of each and every destructible individual, but the originating of specific individual phenomena (e.g. perception of form by the operation in connection with the eye) depending upon certain specific conditions.

<script>