Essay name: Advayavajra-samgraha (Sanskrit text and English introduction)
Author: Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri
The Advayavajra-samgraha (sangraha) is a collection of approximately 21 works primarily authored by Advayavajra, an influential figure in Buddhist philosophy from the 11th century. These texts explore critical themes in Buddhism, particularly during a period that saw the transition from Mahayana to Vajrayana practices.
Sanskrit texts of the Advayavajra-samgraha
24 (of 114)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
xxiv
INTRODUCTION.
existence, (iv) Anubhaya, a negation of existence and non-
existence. Anything that stands under the examination under
these four heads is real or true, the others are false, momentary
and phenomenal. That real thing is described in the very
Mangalacarana as Eight Noes' The Mangalācaraṇa runs
thus :-
�
अनिरोधमनुत्पादमनुच्छेदमशाश्वतम� �
व्यनेकार्थमनानार्थमनागमम निर्गमम् �
[anirodhamanutpādamanucchedamaśāśvatam |
vyanekārthamanānārthamanāgamama nirgamam ||
] The work examines from the point of view of the idealistic
philosophy the senses and the objects of the sense, and proves
that neither the senses nor the objects exist. By the word
existence is meant pure existence or real existence not practical
existence. It says that there are two aspects of truth, Param-
ärtha Satya and Samvṛta Satya, and the Maha-yāna school
shows by gradual steps that the Samvṛta Satya merges into
Paramartha Satya. In Vedantic language this would be the
merging of the Vyavahārika Satya into the Supreme Brahma.
The Madhyamaka shows this line of argument to the best
advantage, but the best means of studying the nature of these
two truths is to be found in the ninth chapter of the Bodhi-
caryāvatāra by Santi Deva. This chapter is called Prajñā-
pāramitā or Knowledge par excellence. But what is this
Prajñā? Examine it under the four heads, and it is a thing
which has neither existence, nor non-existence, nor a combina-
tion, nor a negation of the two. And this is what is called
Sūnya. Some people think that Sünya is negation of existence,
but no! it is the Absolute which transcends human faculties
and embraces the whole Universe. It is neither created nor
can it be destroyed, it is the totality of our knowledge, this
is Prajñā, it is Śūnyata. This is one phase of Prajñā. Of the
other phase we will speak of later.
Shortly after Nāgārjuna there arose a new school of
thought amongst the Maha-yānists who were not satisfied with
the Sūnya-vāda. They thought that Sunya-vāda cannot be the
highest aim of human aspirations. They wanted consciousness
along with it. A great monk named Maitreya-nātha wrote a
very short, but a very pregnant work in eight short chapters,
entitled, the Abhisamayalankara-kārikā and the Prajñā-pāramitā
8,000 was converted into a larger recension in 25,000 ślokas
