Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
by Gelongma Karma Migme Ch枚dr枚n | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes 鈥渋i.a the seven rebirths in kamadhatu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.
II.a The seven rebirths in 办腻尘补dh膩tu
1) Someone gives with a perfect intention and maintains morality: he is reborn in the families of the 办峁迟谤颈测补蝉. The 办峁迟谤颈测补蝉 are the kings (谤腻箩补苍) and great ministers (尘补丑腻尘腻迟测补).
Someone else is attached to books of knowledge (the Vedas?) and does not torment beings: by his generosity and morality, he is reborn in the families of the 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉.
[301c] Another, with generosity and mediocre morality is pleased with worldly happiness (lokasukha): he is reborn in the families of the householders (驳峁沨补辫补迟颈). These householders are ordinary people but very wealthy.
2) In another, generosity and morality are of somewhat higher purity (惫颈艣耻诲诲丑颈); this man feels repugnance for domestic things, loves to hear the Dharma and honors worthy people: he is reborn among the 颁补迟耻谤尘补丑腻谤腻箩颈办补 gods.[1] Why? Because pleasant[2] things appear there as soon as they are thought of (sahacittotp膩d膩t pr膩durbhavanti); one constantly gets to see the good worthy people (蝉补迟辫耻谤耻峁) of the place, and by honoring them resolutely, one draws near to practicing the meritorious action that consists of meditation (产丑腻惫补苍腻辫耻峁噛补办谤颈测腻惫补蝉迟耻).
3) Another, of pure generosity and morality, honors his father and mother, reveres them (bhadanta) and passionately seeks supremacy (艣谤别峁ａ弓丑补): he is reborn among the 罢谤腻测补蝉迟谤颈峁兣沘 gods.
4) Another, of pure generosity and morality, who loves to learn and whose mind is gentle, is reborn among the 驰腻尘补 gods.
5) Another, of pure generosity and morality, develops these two qualities further; he loves learning (产腻丑耻艣谤耻迟测补), discriminates the beautiful and the ugly, desires 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 and is intensely attached to the qualities (驳耻峁嘺): he is reborn among the 罢耻峁迟补 gods.
6) Another, generous, magnanimous, moral and erudite (产补丑耻艣谤耻迟补), loves to learn and earns his living by his own strength: he is reborn among the 狈颈谤尘腻峁嘺谤补迟颈 gods.
7) Another, when he gives, shows deepening pure morality; he loves erudition (产腻丑耻艣谤耻迟测补) and considers himself a spiritual person (sattva); but unable to undergo suffering, he seeks his satisfactions from someone else (para): he is reborn among the 笔补谤补苍颈谤尘颈迟补惫补艣补惫补谤迟颈苍 gods, 鈥榞ods using the desirable objects (办腻尘补 or 办腻尘补gu峁�a) created by others in a sovereign manner鈥�.[3] This is a question of female shapes knowingly and ingeniously created by others (paranirmita); the 笔补谤补苍颈谤尘颈迟补惫补艣补惫补谤迟颈苍 gods take hold of these five objects of enjoyment (pa帽ca办腻尘补驳耻峁嘺) and use them in a sovereign manner (va艣e vartayanti). They are like destitute people who fight over a patrimony.
Finally, it is as a result of a wish (辫谤补峁噄诲丑腻苍补) formulated at the moment of the gift that one is reborn in the paradises.
[顿腻苍耻辫补辫补迟迟颈蝉耻迟迟补].[4] 鈥� Thus it is said in a 蝉奴迟谤补: A man cultivates a little bit of generosity and morality but is ignorant of the existence of the 诲丑测腻苍补蝉 and the absorptions (蝉补尘腻辫补迟迟颈). Learning of the existence of the 颁腻迟耻谤尘补丑腻谤腻箩颈办补 gods, he mentally makes them [the object] of his aspirations (肠别迟补岣谤补峁噄诲丑颈). The Buddha has said: 鈥淎t the end of his life, this man will be reborn among the 颁补迟耻谤尘补丑腻谤腻箩颈办补 gods: that is absolutely certain.鈥� It is the same [in regard to rebirth among the other gods of 办腻尘补dh膩tu] up to and including the 笔补谤补苍颈谤尘颈迟补惫补艣补惫补谤迟颈苍 gods.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
For a precise definition of the six classes of kam膩devas, see Ko艣a, III, p. 166.
[2]:
I.e., the five objects of enjoyment (pa帽ca办腻尘补驳耻峁嘺), colors, (谤奴辫补), etc.
[3]:
D墨gha, III, p. 218: Santi satt膩 paranimmitak膩m膩, te paranimmitesu k膩mesu vasa峁� vattenti seyyath膩 pi dev膩 paranimmitavasavatt墨.
[4]:
Passage cited above, p. 2222F, n. 1.