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Transcending Delusion TRANSCENDING DELUSION: The Third Karma-pa Rang-byung-rdo-rje’s (1284‒1339) Discourse on the Distinction between Perception (rnam shes : vijñāna ) and Gnosis ( ye shes : jñāna ) Dissertation zur Erlangung des Grades des Doktors der Philosophie an der Fakultät Geisteswissenschaften der Universität Hamburg im Promotionsfach Tibetologie vorgelegt von Manfred Seegers, M.Phil. Hamburg, 2018 1. Gutachter: Professor Dr. Dorji Wangchuk 2. Gutachter: Professor Dr. Harunaga Isaacson Datum der Disputation: 16. November 2018 Ort: Universität Hamburg, Deutschland ii Abstract “Transcending Delusion: The Third Karma-pa Rang-byung-rdo-rje’s (1284‒1339) Discourse on the Distinction between Perception (rnam shes: vijñāna ) and Gnosis (ye shes: jñāna )” explores a central theme in the Collected Works of the Third Karmapa (Rang-byung-rdo-rje gsung ’bum ), supreme head of the Karma bKa’-brgyud lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. This subject, which addresses the distinction between deluded states of mind and states free from delusion, can be traced back to early Indian and Tibetan sources. The Third Karmapa expounded on this subject in one of his most influential treatises ( rNam shes ye shes ’byed pa’i bstan bcos ), as well as in shorter or longer form in several other works, in the context of various genres, in verse as well as in prose. Despite its tremendous significance for traditional Tibetan scholars, as well as for Western academic research, a systematic and thorough study of the distinction between rnam shes and ye shes as a separate subject has been lacking up to now. A crucial reason for this was that the Third Karmapa’s Collected Works were lost until 2006. Now, after the rediscovery and republishing of these works in Tibet in 2006 and 2013, the central themes of his literary output have to be newly investigated and contextualized. By examining the Third Karmapa’s discourse on the distinction between rnam shes and ye shes , this thesis is designed to shed new light on his principal doctrines and thus to fill this gap. Beyond the analysis of this discourse, as dealt with in the Third Karmapa’s own works, this thesis discusses its intellectual impact on later masters, notably the Fifth Zhwa-dmar dKon-mchog-yan-lag (1525‒1583) and important Ris-med (nonsectarian) masters such as the First Kong-sprul Blo-gros-mtha’-yas (1813‒1899) and the Fifteenth Karmapa mKha’- khyab-rdo-rje (1871‒1922). Furthermore, the critical analysis extends to the concept of the distinction between rnam shes and ye shes as taught in various Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Based on the historical and philosophical-religious background, the thesis focuses on the text-critical edition of the primary sources, such as the various rNam shes ye shes editions, and annotated translations of the relevant works, i.e. the Phyag chen khrid yig , and a few others. In this way, this study of several of Rang-byung-rdo-rje’s key treatises and related commentaries, in addition to its contribution to the field of Tibetology, is designed to break new ground for further research in related fields and for other academic disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, cognitive sciences, art, and medicine. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract………………………………………………………………………………… iii Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………. viii Conventions of Spelling and Transliteration ………………………………………. ix Part I: The Historical and Doctrinal Context Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Objectives of the Study …………………………………………………. 2 1.2 Literature Review on Rang-byung-rdo-rjeʼs rNam shes ye shes Discourse …. 4 1.2.1 The Historical Context for This Discourse ……………………....... 4 1.2.2 The Literature on Rang-byung-rdo-rjeʼs Life ………………………. 6 1.2.3 Rang-byung-rdo-rjeʼs Works ……………………………………… 8 1.2.4 The Newly Identified Extant Works of Rang-byung-rdo-rje ………... 13 1.2.5 The Sources of Rang-byung-rdo-rjeʼs Doctrinal Affiliations ……….. 17 1.3 The Literature on the rNam shes ye shes Reception by Later bKa’-brgyud Masters and in Other Tibetan Buddhist Traditions ……………………….. 26 1.4 Outline of the Dissertation ………………………………………………. 27 Chapter 2: The Indian Provenience of the vijñāna‒jñāna Distinction 30 2.1 The Indian Background of the rNam shes ye shes Discourse ……………… 30 2.1.1 The Abhidharma Sources for This Discourse …………………….. 33 2.1.2 The Pramāṇa Sources ……………………………………………. 42 2.1.3 The Madhyamaka Sources ………………………………………. 48 2.1.4 The Yogācāra Sources …………………………………………... 51 2.1.5 The Tathāgatagarbha Sources ………………………………….... 55 2.1.6 The Tantric Sources …………………………………………….. 58 2.2 The Indian References in the rNam shes ye shes and Commentaries ………. 63 iv 2.2.1 The Perception Part of the rNam shes ye shes …………………….. 64 2.2.2 The Gnosis Part of the rNam shes ye shes ………………………… 75 2.3 Concluding Remarks ……………………………………………….…… 83 Chapter 3: The Concept of the vijñāna‒jñāna Distinction 85 3.1 The Historical-Philological Approach ……………………………………. 85 3.2 The Hermeneutics of the Four Reliances …………………………………. 89 3.3 The Terminology of the vijñāna‒jñāna Distinction ….…………………… 101 3.4 Concluding Remarks ………………………………….………………… 116 Chapter 4: The Tibetan Background of the rNam shes ye shes Discourse 118 4.1 Early Tibetan References to the rNam shes ye shes Discourse ……..……… 118 4.1.1 The Early Propagation of Buddhism in Tibet ……..……………… 118 4.1.2 The Later Propagation of Buddhism in Tibet …………………..… 129 4.2 The Madhyamaka and Yogācāra Viewpoints in Early Tibet ……………… 143 4.3 The Third Karmapa as Lineage holder of Major Practice Lineages in Tibet ... 146 4.4 The bKa’-brgyud Viewpoint in Rang-byung-rdo-rjeʼs Time ………………… 153 4.5 The Sources of the Third Karmapaʼs View ……………………………… 159 4.6 Rang-byung-rdo-rjeʼs Balanced Approach ……………………………….. 162 4.7 Concluding Remarks ……………………………………………………. 171 Chapter 5: The rNam shes ye shes Discourse in the gSung ʼbum 173 5.1 The Contents and Structure of Rang-byung-rdo-rjeʼs gSung ’bum ………… 173 5.2 The rNam shes ye shes in the Zab mo nang don Trilogy ………………….. 176 5.3 The Various Functions of the rNam shes ye shes Discourse in Rang-byung- rdo-rje’s Other Works …………………………………………………… 184 5.4 The Specific Interpretation of the vijñāna‒jñāna Distinction by the Third Karmapa …………………………………………………………..…… 222 5.5 Concluding Remarks ……………………………………………………. 228 v Chapter 6: The Treatment of the vijñāna‒jñāna Distinction in the Later bKa’- brgyud Lineage and in Other Tibetan Buddhist Traditions 230 6.1 Selected bKa’-brgyud Masters Following the Third Karmapa: Their Comments on his View as Presented in the rNam shes ye shes Discourse …. 230 6.2 The rNam shes ye shes Interpretation in the rNying-ma Lineage ……..…… 252 6.3 The rNam shes ye shes Interpretation in the Jonang and dGe-lugs Lineages .. 262 6.4 Concluding Remarks ……………….............................................. 271 Part II: Editions and Translations of the Tibetan Works Chapter 7: Critical Edition and Annotated Translation of the rNam shes ye shes 274 7.1 A Brief Overview of the Extant Manuscripts and Editions ...................... 274 7.2 Introduction to the Critical Edition of the Tibetan Text …………………… 287 7.3 A Critical Edition of the Tibetan Text …...………………………………. 289 7.4 Introduction to the Translation ……………………...…………………... 299 7.5 Annotated Translation of the Tibetan Text ……………………………….. 300 Chapter 8: Critical Editions and Translations of Selected Passages from the gSung ʼbum 319 8.1 A Critical Edition of Selected Sections from the Phyag chen khrid yig ........ 319 8.2 Annotated Translation of Selected Sections from the Phyag chen khrid yig .. 330 8.3 Critical Editions and Translations of Other Selected Sections on the rNam shes ye shes Discourse ................................................................ 342 8.3.1 The Sems can rnams kyi thog mar ’khrul pa’i tshul …………………. 342 8.3.2 The Chos dang chos nyid rgyan ………………………………….... 347 8.3.3 The Chos dbyings bstod pa’i rnam bshad …………………………… 351 vi Abbreviations and Bibliography 357 (a) Journals, Series, Collections and Institutions …………………..………… 357 (b) Primary Sources: Indian Works.……………………………….………… 359 (c) Primary Sources: Tibetan Works….…………………………………..…. 368 (d) Secondary Literature (in Western Languages) ………………………….… 399 Appendices 1 List of Newly Identified Extant Works of Rang-byung-rdo-rje ………..….. 440 2 List of Indian Sources in the rNam shes ye shes ………………..….…….. 445 3 Modern Works and Translations of the rNam shes ye she Discourse …….... 446 Summary of the Research Results …………………..…………………........... 453 Zusammenfassung der Forschungsergebnisse …………..…………………........... 457 vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people deserve my heartfelt appreciation for their kind support and collaboration in completing this dissertation. My particular thanks are due to Prof. Dr. Dorji Wangchuk, my primary academic supervisor, who by means of his precise instructions und helpful suggestions constantly inspired me in conducting this research. He provided invaluable guidance especially through his philological expertise and wide range of scholarship. I would also like to thank both Prof. Dr. Michael Zimmermann and Prof. Dr. Harunaga Isaacson for their kind support in various matters. Furthermore, Dr. Orna Almogi, Dr. Dagmar Schwerk, Rebecca Hufen, M.A., bLo-bzang bSam-gtan, and my fellow colleagues at the Department of Indian and Tibetan Studies, Asia-Africa-Institute of Hamburg University, provided useful feedback and inspiration on several levels. In the course of an advanced translator training, for example, we went through the rNam shes ye shes treatise together in a semester tutorial. Besides all the masters and scholars of Tibetan
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