Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
by Gelongma Karma Migme Ch枚dr枚n | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes 鈥減osition of bodhisattva (bodhisattvaniyama)鈥� as written by Nagarjuna in his Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (lit. 鈥渢he treatise on the great virtue of wisdom鈥�) in the 2nd century. This book, written in five volumes, represents an encyclopedia on Buddhism as well as a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
I. Position of Bodhisattva (bodhisattva苍颈测腻尘补)
1. The bodhisattva苍颈测腻尘补 鈥榩osition of bodhisattva鈥� is the conviction that dharmas do not arise (补苍耻迟辫补迟迟颈办补诲丑补谤尘补办峁Ｄ乶迟颈).[1] Having obtained this conviction in regard to dharmas, the bodhisattva considers the whole world as empty (艣奴苍测补) and his mind has no longer any further attachment (补产丑颈苍颈惫别艣别峁). Settled on the true nature (产丑奴迟补濒补办峁峁嘺) of dharmas, the bodhisattva no longer loves the world.
2. Furthermore, the bodhisattva苍颈测腻尘补 is the concentration [visualizing the Buddhas] of the present (辫谤补迟测耻迟辫补苍苍补蝉补尘腻诲丑颈).[2] In possession of this concentration of the present, the bodhisattva sees all the Buddhas of the ten directions of the present, hears the Dharma preached by these Buddhas and cuts the net of his doubts (蝉补峁兣沘测补箩腻濒补): henceforth the mind of the bodhisattva comes to a standstill. This is called bodhisattva苍颈测腻尘补.
3. Furthermore, there is bodhisattva苍颈测腻尘补 when the bodhisattva, fully endowed with the six perfections (峁峁璸腻谤补尘颈迟腻蝉补峁僷补苍苍补),[3] produces the knowledge of skillful means (耻辫腻测补箩帽腻苍补),[4] but without becoming fixated on the true nature (产丑奴迟补濒补办峁峁嘺) of dharmas.[5] He knows it (箩腻苍墨迟别) personally and attests it (蝉腻办峁Ｄ乼办补谤辞迟颈) personally without depending on the words of another. If 惭腻谤补 in the form of a buddha comes to him, his mind is not disturbed (办腻峁卥峁Ｄ�) at all.
4. Furthermore, when he enters into the rightful position (诲丑补谤尘补苍颈测腻尘补)[6]of bodhisattva, he takes the name of non-regressing bodhisattva (avaivartika or 补惫颈苍颈惫补谤迟补苍墨测补).[7]
5. Furthermore, the bodhisattva who has entered into this rightful position does not regress to the rank of ordinary person (辫峁泃丑补驳箩补苍补) and is said to be 鈥榠n possession of complete enlightenment鈥� (蝉补峁僢辞诲丑颈辫谤腻辫迟补).[8] All the mundane things that could destroy his mind [of bodhi] cannot disturb him. [262b] He has closed the gates to the three unfortunate destinies (durgati); he is ranked among the bodhisattvas. For the first time he takes birth in the family of the bodhisattvas (bodhisattvakula).[9] His wisdom (辫谤补箩帽腻) is pure (惫颈艣耻诲诲丑补) and ripe (vipakva).
6. Furthermore, the fact of being established on the summits (尘奴谤诲丑腻惫补蝉迟丑腻苍补) and not falling from them (see Appendix 6) is called bodhisattva诲丑补谤尘补苍颈测腻尘补. This is what is said in the Hiue p鈥檌n (艢颈办峁辫补谤颈惫补谤迟补):[10]
鈥淭he bodhisattva who has entered 苍颈测腻尘补 does not fall into the evil destinies, is not reborn into lowly families, does not regress to the level of 艣谤腻惫补办补 or pratyekabuddha and does not fall back from the summits either.鈥�[11]
Question. 鈥� What is falling back from the summits (尘奴谤诲丑补产丑测补岣� 辫腻迟补)?
Answer. 鈥� As 厂耻产丑奴迟颈 said to 艢腻谤颈辫耻迟谤补: 鈥淲hen the bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补 who is without skillful means (补苍耻辫腻测补办耻艣补濒补) but is practicing the six perfections has entered [the concentrations] of emptiness, signlessness and wishlessness, he cannot accede to bodhisattvaviy腻尘补, but neither does he regress to the rank of 艣谤腻惫补办补 or pratyekabuddha.鈥�[12]
He becomes attached (补产丑颈苍颈惫颈艣补迟别) to the qualities (驳耻峁嘺) and the attributes; in the five aggregates (skandha) he grasps the characteristics (苍颈尘颈迟迟腻苍测 耻诲驳峁沨峁嚹乼颈) of impermanence (anitya), suffering (诲耻岣丑补), emptiness (艣奴苍测补), non-self (补苍腻迟尘补苍) and attaches his mind to them; he says: 鈥淭his is the Path, that is not the Path; this should be practiced, that should not be practiced.鈥� When he grasps such characteristics in this way and makes such distinctions (vikalpa), the bodhisattva has 鈥渇allen from the summits鈥� (尘奴谤诲丑补产丑测补岣� 辫补迟颈迟补岣�).
What is it to become established on the summits (尘奴谤诲丑腻惫补蝉迟丑腻苍补)? As is said in the passage mentioned above, it is to destroy the thirst for dharmas (诲丑补谤尘补迟峁涐梗峁嚹乸谤补丑腻峁嘺),[13] and to no longer grasp these dharmas for which thirst has been destroyed.
Thus it is said in the explanation of 尘奴谤诲丑腻惫补蝉迟丑腻苍补: 鈥淭he bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补 cultivating the perfection of wisdom does not see the emptiness of the external bases in the emptiness of the internal bases; he does not see the emptiness of the internal bases in the emptiness of the external bases; he does not see the emptiness of the internal and external bases in the emptiness of the external bases; he does not see the emptiness of the external bases in the emptiness of the internal and external bases. And so on up to the emptiness (no. 18) of non-being and being itself (abh膩vasvabh膩va艣奴苍测补t膩).鈥�[14]
7. Finally, the bodhisattva who accedes to 苍颈测腻尘补 attains the mind 鈥渆qual to that which has no equal鈥� (asamasamacitta) but does not take pride in it (n膩tm腻尘补m utkar峁ti). When we know [as he does] that the nature of the mind is integral emptiness, all the futile proliferation (辫谤补辫补帽肠补) about existence (补蝉迟颈迟腻) and non-existence (苍腻蝉迟颈迟腻), etc. disappears.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
From this equation it results that the bodhisattva苍颈测腻尘补 occurs in the eighth 产丑奴尘颈. In fact, the 补苍耻迟辫补迟迟颈办补诲丑补谤尘补办峁Ｄ乶迟颈 (cf. Vjaracchedik膩, p. 58, l. 9: nir膩tmake峁 anutpattkikadharme峁 办峁Ｄ乶迟颈岣�) or the conviction that dharmas are without self and do not arise, occurs in three stages during the bodhisattva鈥檚 career: it may be a purely verbal conviction (驳丑辞峁Ｄ乶耻驳补), preparatory (补苍耻濒辞尘颈办墨) and finally be definitively acquired (辫谤补迟颈濒补产诲丑腻): cf. Sam膩dhir膩ja, ed. N. Dutt, I, p. 76鈥�82; Avata峁僺aka, T 279, k. 44, p. 232b9; Sukh膩vat墨vy奴ha, p. 112, l. 12鈥�13; Dhy膩nasam膩dhis奴tra, T 614, k. 2, p. 285a鈥揵; Manu峁endra辫谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻, T 245, k. 1, p. 826b23鈥�24.
1. At the beginning in the first five 产丑奴尘颈s, the bodhisattva accepts the idea of the non-arising of dharmas, but it is only adhimukti, belief, agreement, verbal professing (驳丑辞峁Ｄ乶耻驳补): he is not in definitive possession of the conviction. Cf. A峁ａ弓as膩hasrik膩, p. 856, l. 25: bodhisattv膩岣� 辫谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻y膩峁� caranta岣� sarvadharm膩 anutpattik膩 ity adhimu帽canti na ca t膩vad 补苍耻迟辫补迟迟颈办补诲丑补谤尘补办峁Ｄ乶迟颈辫谤补迟颈濒补产诲丑腻 bhavanti.
2. In the sixth 产丑奴尘颈 (Abhimukh墨), examining emptiness of dharmas in every way, he possesses an intense preparatory conviction (补苍耻濒辞尘颈办墨 办峁Ｄ乶迟颈), but has not yet made his entry into the real 补苍耻迟辫补迟迟颈办补诲丑补谤尘补办峁Ｄ乶迟颈. Cf. Da艣a产丑奴尘颈ka, p. 47, l. 17: sa eva峁僺vabh膩v膩n sarvadharm膩n pratyavek峁m膩no 鈥檔us峁沯ann anulomayann avilomayan 艣raddadhann abhiyan pratiyann avikalpayann anusaran vyavalokayan pratipadyam膩na岣�, 峁峁ａ弓h墨m abhimukh墨峁� bodhisattva产丑奴尘颈m anupr膩pnoti t墨k峁y膩nulomiky膩 k峁Ｄ乶ty膩. na ca t膩vad anutpattika办峁Ｄ乶迟颈mukham anupr膩pnoti.
Finally, the bodhisattva 鈥榦btains鈥� (pratilabhate: cf. Sad. pu峁囜笉., p. 266, l. 1; 437, l. 1; Lalitavistara, p. 36, l. 9; 440, l. 21) the 补苍耻迟辫补迟迟颈办补诲丑补谤尘补办峁Ｄ乶迟颈. This is what is called the definitive obtaining (pratil膩bdha, pratilambha, pratilambh膩ta) of 办峁Ｄ乶迟颈.
According to most sources, this attainment is realized in the eighth 产丑奴尘颈, the Ac膩la: cf. Da艣a产丑奴尘颈ka, p. 64, l. 5; S奴tr膩la峁僰膩ra, p. 122, l. 2; 131, l. 17; Bodh. 产丑奴尘颈, p. 350, l. 27; Madhy膩ntavibh膩ga, p. 105, l. 11.
At this third stage of the 办峁Ｄ乶迟颈, the bodhisattva enters into 鈥榯he position of bodhisattva鈥� (bodhisattva苍颈测腻尘补).
[2]:
笔谤补迟测耻迟辫补苍苍补产耻诲诲丑补蝉补峁僲耻办丑腻惫补蝉迟丑颈迟补蝉补尘腻诲丑颈, 鈥榗oncentration where the Buddhas of the present appear face to face鈥�. It is the object of a s奴tra of the same name (T 418), first translated in 179 by Tche Tch鈥檃n and Tchou Fo-cho. It has already been noted above, p. 245F, 425F, 430F, 526F, 1023F, and the 罢谤补颈迟茅 will return to it below, p. 276a. Although the great bodhisattva sam膩dhis are located in the tenth 产丑奴尘颈, the 罢谤补颈迟茅 here places the Pratyutapannasam膩dhi in the eighth; the 艢奴rangamasam膩dhi, transl. p. 163, does the same. On the other hand, the Da艣a产丑奴尘颈ka, p. 82, l. 14鈥�15, assigns it to the tenth.
[3]:
The bodhisattva cultivates the six 辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻s in the course of the first six 产丑奴尘颈s, generosity predominating in the first, morality in the second, and so on. Cf. Madh. avat膩ra, p. 23 (transl. Le Mus茅on, 1907, p. 272); Sa峁僩raha, p. 207.
[4]:
鲍辫腻测补办补耻艣补濒测补 is the dominant virtue of the seventh 产丑奴尘颈: cf. Da艣a产丑奴尘颈ka, p. 60, l. 6鈥�7; Sa峁僩raha, p. 207; Siddhi, p. 623.
[5]:
Dwelling on the true nature which is the non-arising of everything would be to interrupt the bodhisattva career and to enter nirv膩峁嘺 prematurely.
[6]:
Here 诲丑补谤尘补苍颈测腻尘补 is synonymous with bodhisattva苍颈测腻尘补. The expression has nothing in common, it would seem, with the dhamma苍颈测腻尘补t膩, 鈥榯he regularity of phenomena鈥� of which the canonical sources speak (Sa峁儁utta, II, p. 25; Anguttara, I, p. 286).
[7]:
This is the avaivartika of the eighth 产丑奴尘颈 and not the first: see below, p. 1804F.
[8]:
In the Vehicle of the 艣谤腻惫补办补s, the ascetic who penetrates into the dar艣anam膩rga by eliminating all doubt regarding the suffering of k腻尘补dh膩tu (du岣he dharmaj帽膩na办峁Ｄ乶迟颈) was qualified as 膩rya. Here, the bodhisattva who has entered the dar艣anam膩rga by being persuaded of the non-arising of dharmas is called 蝉补峁僢辞诲丑颈辫谤腻辫迟补 鈥榠n possession of complete enlghtenment鈥�. At this stage, 艣谤腻惫补办补 and bodhisattva cease being ordinary persons (辫峁泃丑补驳箩补苍补).
[9]:
See below, p. 1919F.
[10]:
Chapter VIII of the Pa帽cavi峁兣沘ti, entitled K鈥檌uan-hiue p鈥檌n (艢ik峁Ｄ乸arivarta) in Kum膩raj墨va鈥檚 translation (T223, k. 3, p. 232c), Jou-li-cheng p鈥檌n (Ny膩m膩vakr膩nti) in that of Hiuan-trsang (T 220, vol. VII, p. 43a).
[11]:
Pa帽cavi峁兣沘ti, p. 118, l. 14鈥�119, l. 2, amended by the Chinese versions (T 223, k. 3, p. 233a24鈥�26; T 220, vol. VII, k. 408, p. 43c21鈥�24): Niy膩m膩vakr膩nto bodhisattvo mah膩sattvo n膩paye峁Ｅ玴apadyate na h墨nakule峁Ｅ玴apadyate na ca 艣谤腻惫补办补产丑奴尘颈峁� v膩 na ca pratyekabuddha产丑奴尘颈峁� v膩 patati na ca 尘奴谤诲丑补产丑测补岣� patati.
[12]:
Here the 罢谤补颈迟茅 is faithfully reproducing the Chinese translation of the Pa帽cavi峁兣沘ti (T 223m k. 3, p. 233a29鈥揵3).
However, as I [Lamotte] have noted (p. 1785F), several Sanskrit versions, followed by the Chinese translators have here adopted the reading 苍测腻尘补 鈥榓bsence of coarseness鈥� (in Chinese, li-cheng) in preference to 苍颈测腻尘补 鈥榩osition, determination鈥� (in Chinese, wei), and by 腻尘补, 鈥榗oarseness鈥� (in Chinese, cheng), they mean 诲丑补谤尘补迟峁涐梗峁嚹�, thirst, attraction to things.
Pa帽cavi峁兣沘ti, ed. N.Dutt, p. 119, l. 4鈥�9: Yad膩yu峁an 艢腻谤颈辫耻迟谤补 bodhisattvo mah膩sattvo 鈥檔up膩yaku艣ala岣� 峁峁璼u 辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻su carann … ucyate bodhisattvasya 尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补sya dharmat峁涐梗峁嚹�.
艢atas膩h., ed. P. Ghosa, p. 485, l. 18鈥�486, l. 7: Yad膩yu峁an 艢膩radvatiputra bodhisattvo mah膩sattvo 鈥檔up膩yakau艣alena 峁峁璼u 辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻su carati … ucyate bodhisattvasya 尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补sya 诲丑补谤尘补迟峁涐梗峁嚹�.
Transl. 鈥� Venerable 艢腻谤颈辫耻迟谤补, when the bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补 unskilled in skillful means practices the six perfections, and when, without skill in skillful means, he penetrates the concentrations of emptiness, signlessness and wishlessness, then he does not fall to the level of 艣谤腻惫补办补 or that of pratyekabyuuddha, but neither does he accede to the absence of coarseness (ny-腻尘补) of the bodhisattva. This is called the coarseness of the summits in the bodhisattva… By coarseness (腻尘补), O 艢腻谤颈辫耻迟谤补, is meant thirst for things.
鈥� In brief, the bodhisattva who practices the six 辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻s and the three 惫颈尘辞办峁尘耻办丑补s, but forgets skillful means (耻辫腻测补办补耻艣补濒测补), does not fall to the level of 艣谤腻惫补办补 or pratyekabuddha, but neither does he accede to the bodhisattva苍颈测腻尘补. The summits (尘奴谤诲丑补苍) to which he has climbed are not free of coarseness (腻尘补) because he retains the 诲丑补谤尘补迟峁涐梗峁嚹�. This coarseness of the summits (m奴rdh腻尘补) which the bodhisattva does not succeed in passing over constitutes, in fact, a regression from the summits (尘奴谤诲丑补产丑测补岣� 辫腻迟补).
This appears clearly in the translation made by Hiuan-tsang (T 220, vol. V, k. 36, p. 200c14鈥�18; vol. VII, k. 408, p. 43c26鈥�44a1): If the bodhisattva without possessing skill in skillful means (耻辫腻测补办补耻艣补濒测补) practices the six 辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻s, if without skill in skillful means he becomes established in the three gates of deliverance (惫颈尘辞办峁尘耻办丑补), then he steps backward and falls [note here the absence of negation!] to the level of 艣谤腻惫补办补 or pratyekabuddha and does not accede to bodhisattvasamyaktva苍测腻尘补. In the bodhisattva this is called falling from the summits (尘奴谤诲丑补产丑测补岣� 辫腻迟补)… By 腻尘补 (in Chinese, cheng) we mean 诲丑补谤尘补迟峁涐梗峁嚹�.
For another interpretation of these passages, see H艒b艒girin, IV, p. 346, s.v. 颁丑枚诲补.
[13]:
See preceding note.
[14]:
Pa帽cavi峁兣沘ti, p. 120, l. 17鈥�121, l. 3 (T 223, k. 3, p. 233b23鈥揷15); 艢atas膩hasrik膩, p. 489, l. 8鈥�490, l. 12 (T 220, vol. V, k. 36, p. 201a22鈥揵25):
Ih膩yu峁an 艢腻谤颈辫耻迟谤补 bodhisattvo 尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补岣� 辫谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻y膩峁� caran n膩dhy膩tma艣奴苍测补t膩y膩峁� bahirdh膩艣奴苍测补t膩峁� … bodhisattvasya 尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补sya 辫谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻y膩峁� carato bodhisattva苍测腻尘补岣�.