sign in sign up
<<
Home , Prasannapada, Rebirth (Buddhism), Svabhava, Upadana

( 24 ) Journal of Indian and Vol. 46, No . 1, December 1997

Nagarjuna and Pratityasamutpada

Shoryu KATSURA

T. Vetter raised some doubts about the last two chapters of the MMK. He says: "XXVI never refers to the absence of a of things, their sunyata, a subject that is discussed or mentioned in other chapters."" Although Vetter dose not deny the authenticity of chapter XXVI, he further comments: "However , the fact remains that chapter XXVI is thematically not coherent with the preceding chapters. It must therefore have been written some time before or after them. Lindtner who speaks of an anticlimax seems to suggest that it has been written after them. I am more inclined to consider it an early work of , a "student's essay" echoing some kind of pudgalavada milieu in which Nagarjuna probably grew up. It could have been appended to the other chapters of the Kariki s by other people, but also by himself, still considering it a good explanation of the pratityasamutpada on the lower level of truth." I have a rather different impression of chapter XXVI. I understand that Nagarjuna considered that the doctrine of Dependent Origination (pratityasamutpada) was the very core of Buddha's teachings (MMK mariga- laslokas and XXVII. 30).2) The word `pratityasamutpada' appears three more times only in chapter XXIV (vv. 18, 36 and 40). There, especially in XX IV. 18, the doctrine of Dependent Origination is identified with and interpreted as Emptiness (sunyata). The actual interpretation of the doctrine is given for the first time in chapter XXVI. Although the interpretation of the doctrine of Dependent Origination in terms of the twelve factors may look too primitive, it must be the way Nagarjuna understood the doctrine in accordance with the genuine Buddhist tradition. Now that the identity of Dependent

497 Nagarjuna and Pratityasamutpada (S. KATSURA) ( 25 )

Origination and Emptiness is made in chapter XXIV , a traditional interpretation of the doctrine in chapter XXVI should be understood through the eyes of Emptiness as suggested by Lindtner; in other words, each factor of the causal chain should be regarded as empty as clearly stated by Nagarjuna himself in his Pratityasamutpadahrdaya- karika v. 4cd.3' 1. The Srtucture of MMK. In chapter I Nagarjuna explains the doctrine of Dependent Origination in terms of `neither origination nor cessation' by criticizing the doctrine of Four Conditions (pratyayas). In chapter II he presents a unique argumentation of `nothing to be esta- blished in three spans of time' (traikdlyasiddhi)by examining the con- cepts of `agent', `patient' and `action'. These two chapters make up an introduction to the main body of the text. From chapter 2 to VIINagarjuna denies the substantiality of (dharmanairatmya) by rejecting the Sarvastivadin-like -theory. And from chapter IX to XI he denies the substantiality of a person/self (pudgalanairdtmya)by rejecting Pudgalavada. In chapter XIII Nagarjuna tries to justify a passage from a Prajnapd- ramitasutra, which claims that everything is without its self-identity/ (svabhava)and empty. From chapter XIV to XVII he tries to establish the absence of self-identity/essence in various contexts. In chapter XVIII he presents the truth and reality according to the doctrine of emptiness. From chapter XIX to XXIII he explains `continuation of existence' (bhavasantati)in accordance with emptiness. In chapters XXIV and XXV Nagarjuna shows how the traditional Buddhist doctrines of and can be reinter- preted and justified by means of emptiness. Finally, in chapter XXVI he gives a traditional presentation of the Twelve-factored Dependent Origina- tion, which should be understood by means of emptiness, and in chapter XXVII he presents all the possible views concerning the self and the world, which are to be rejected properly only by means of emptiness. Thus I would like to place the last two chapters of MMK where they

496 ( 26 ) Nagarjuna and Pratityasamutpada (S. KATSURA) are now. They are neither `anticlimax' nor `a student's essay'. They make up a part of the traditional Buddhist doctrines that Nagarjuna inherited from his teachers. As chapter XXIV clearly indicates, Naga- rjuna dose not deny even the worldly conventions (laukikasamvyavahara), not to speak of the traditional Buddhist doctrines. He only wants to give an entirely new meaning to them, namely emptiness. 2. Translation of chapter XXVI [A] Observation of the twelve factors of pratityasamutpada in positive concomitance (anvaya) [ 1 ] Ignorance --* Disposition/ [-* Death] v. 1: Obscured by ignorance (avidya-nivrta), one forms (abhisams- ~/kr-) the three kinds of (viz. good, bad, and neutral, or physical, verbal, and mental) dispositions (samskdra) which lead to ; due to those (i. e. dispositions) he proceeds (,,/gam-) to a [next] mode of existence (gati). Comment: A similar expression `a person obscured by ignorance' (avi- dydnivyto jantus) appears in XVIL 28. [21 Disposition -p Consciousness v. 2ab: Depending upon dispositions, consciousness (vijnana) enters (samni- -,/vis-) into a [new] mode of existence. [ 3 ] Consciousness -- Name and Form v. 2cd: Then, once consciousness has entered [into a new mode of existence], [so-far lifeless] name and form (nama-rupa, i.e. the complex of mentality and materiality or mind and body) are impregnated (or invigorated, ni- .V/sic-). [ 4 ] Name and Form -p Six Senses v. 3ab: But when name and form are impregnated, there arise (sambhava) the six spheres (sadayatana, viz. the six senses). Comment: The process from [2] to [4] appears to correspond to the process of rebirth, while the next process from [5] to [8] seems to correspond to the sensual or epistemological process of a human ex- perience. [ 5 ] Six Senses - * Contact v. 3cd: Depending upon (agamya, lit. having reached) the six spheres, there arises (sampra- ./vyt-)contact (samsparsa) [of a sense, its object, and consciousness].

495 Nagarjuna and Pratityasamuipada (S. KATSURA) ( 27 )

[5' ] Name and form --+ Consciousness v. 4: Depending (pratitya) upon the eye and form (i. e. a visible object) and attention, thus, depending upon name (i. e. mentality) and form (materiality), there arises [the eye] consciousness. Comment: The second half of the verse presents the order of depen- dence reversed from [3], which may suggest a kind of interdependence between consciousness and name-and-form as found in the Nagaropama- . In MMK, however, the first consciousness stands for a kind of `connecting consciousness' (pratisandhi-vijnana), while the second one for the six kinds of ordinary consciousness. Vetter wants to exclude this verse and verse 11 from MMK because they have been omitted in Kumara jiva's translation (pp. 496-7). However, they are included in the other two extant Chinese translations of MMK. So I do not agree with Vetter's suggestion. It is to be noted that the idea of verse 4 and that of the twelve-factored 'Dependent Origination are presupposed in M.7: "Since there is neither an object to be seen nor the faculty of seeing, there is no quadruplet consisting of consciousness and others. (viz. contact, sensation, and craving) ; con- sequently, how will there ba. grasping/clinging and others (viz. ex- istence, birth, and old age and death) ?" [ 6 ] Contact --> Sensation v. 5 : Contact is the collision (samnipata) of the three, viz. form, con- sciousness and eye. And from that contact there arises [the three kinds of] sensation (vedand, viz. pleasant, painful and neither pleasant nor painful). E71 Sensation -> Craving v. 6ab: Depending upon sensation, there arises craving (trsnd). For one craves (~/trs-) after the object of sensation. E81 Craving -+ Grasping/Clinging v. 6cd: When one is craving after [the object of sensation], one clings (upa- .,/da-) to the four spheres of grasping (upadana, viz. the objects of pleasure (), views (dysti), religious practices and observances (silavrata), and belief in a self (atmavdda)).

494 ( 28 ) Nagarjuna and Pratityasamutpdda (S. KATSURA)

[ 9 ] Grasping/Clinging - Existence v. 7: When there is grasping, there arises (pra- the existence () of the grasper. If, inde•;d, someone were without grasping, he would be emancipated (/'muc-) and no [further] existence would occur [to him]. Comment: The final process from E91 to [11] seems to represent the process of another rebirth and death. E101 Existence -+ Birth v. 8ab: And that existence consists of the five aggregates (). From existence there arises birth [of a new sentient being]. Comment: Existence here may be understood as a kind of the `inter- mediate existence' (antarbhava) between one life and another. Ell] Birth -* Old Age and Death, or Suffering vv. 8cd-9 : Old age and death ( jars-marana) , suffering (duhkha) and others ... grief together with lamentation, dejection, and mental disturbances... all these arise as a consequence of birth. Thus arises this entire mass of suffering. Comment: The temporal sequence between birth and old-age-and-death is examined in MMK XI. 3-6; suffering is discussed extensively in XQ. [A'] Conclusion v. 10: Consequently, the ignorant one forms (sams-,/ky-) dispositions which constitute the root of cyclic existence (samsdra) .4) Hence, it is the ignorant one who performs an action (kdraka) [and forms dispositions], not the wise one, because the latter sees the true reality (tattva-darsana). Comment: The word 'tattva' appears three more times in XV. 6, XVIII. 9, and XXIV. 9. I shall discuss the meaning of `tattva' in a future study of MMK. It is well known that another causal sequence for the emergence of cyclic existence is mentioned in XVIII. 5 ; namely, from `proliferation' (prapanca), 'imagining /mental construction' (vikalpa) arises, from imagining `karma and defilement (klesa)' arise, and from them there arises cyclic existence. [B] Observation of the twelve factors of pratityasamutpada in negative concomitance (vyatireka)

493 Nagarjuna and Pratityasamutpada (S. KABSURA) ( 29 )

[ 1 ] 'Ignorance -- -Disposition v. 11: Once ignorance ceases to exist (ni- ~/rudh-), there arises no dispo- sition. The cessation of ignorance, on the other hand, is possible by means of the cultivation () of that very insight [into the doctrine of Dependent Origination].') Comment: Since a similar expression "avidyayam niruddhayam samska- radyam nirudhyate" appears in XXIII. 23cd, Vetter's claim to exclude v. 11 is less likely to be justified. [2--'11] ---,Disposition --+ Consciousness... --> -Old Age and Death, Suffering v. 12: Through the cessation of this and that [preceding factor of Dependent Origination], there will not arise (abhipra- ,,/vrt-) this and that [succeeding factor]. Thus this entire mass of suffering ceases to exist completely. Comment: A portion of the vyatireka observation, i. e. "no birth in the absence of grasping", is found in XVIII. 4. Conclusion: Some of thef actors of Dependent Origination are ex- plicitly mentioned in MMK prior to chapter XXVI, which suggests that the Twelve-factored Dependent Origination is one of the recurring themes throughout MMK. For Nagarjuna the core of the Buddha's teaching is nothing but the doctrine of the Twelve-factored Dependent Origination.

1) "On the Authenticity of the Ratnavali", Asiatische Studien, XLVI. 1, 1992. 2) I include the two mangalaslokas in MMK. I would also like to include the last two verses of chapter XXVII, though Vetter regards them as a later addition. Candrakirti considers `the true doctrine' (saddharma) in XXVIL 30 to be the do- ctrine of Dependent Origination. See (ed. LVP) 592.6. 3) See Y. Kajiyama, "The Madhyamikan Interpretation of the Theory of the Twelve- linked Chain of Dependent Origination," (in Japanese) Bukkyo Shisoshi, No. 3, 1980, p. 100. 4) de Jong: samsara-mulam; LVP: samsara-mulan. 5) de Jong: jna- nasyasyaiva bhavandt; LVP: jnanenasyaiva bhavanat. The latter may be translated as "...is possible by means of the cultivation of that very [doctrine of Dependent Origination] through insight/wisdom."

平 成8年 度 文 部 省 科 学 研 究 費 一 般 研 究Cに よる研 究 成 果 の一 部 で あ る.

<キ ー ワ ー ド>龍 樹,縁 起,『 中 論 頌 』 (広島 大 学 教 授,文 博,PhD)

492