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Vipashyana The Indian Root Sources Secondary Readings Sourcebook Table of Contents Samdhinirmocana Sutra 1. Chapter Eight of Asanga's Explanation of the Superior Sutra Explaining the Thought (Arya‐samdhinirmocana‐sutra‐bhashya) from Two Commentaries on The Samdhinirmocana‐Sutra by Asanga and Jnanagarbha by John Powers, pp. 1‐3 2. Objects of Observation, from Study and Practice of Meditation: Tibetan Interpretations of the Concentrations and Formless Absorptions, Leah Zahler, Snow Lion Publications, pp. 81‐155 3. Analyzing Meditation, from The Third Turning of the Wheel: Wisdom of the Samdhinirmocana Sutra, Reb Anderson, pp. 131‐138 Kamalashila’s Bhavanakramas 4. Stages of Meditation, Root Text by Kamalashila, Commentary by The Dalai Lama, Translated by Ven Geshe Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and Jeremy Russell: a. The Practice of Calm Abiding, pp. 108‐121 b. Actualizing Special Insight, pp. 122‐139 c. Unifying Method and Wisdom, pp. 140‐158 5. Two Concepts of Meditation and Three Kinds of Wisdom in Kamalasila's Bhavanakramas: A Problem of Translation, Martin T. Adam, Buddhist Studies Review 23(1) 2006, 71‐92 6. Some Notes on Kamalaśīla’s Understanding of Insight Considered as the Discernment of Reality (bhūta‐pratyaveksha), by Martin T. Adam, Buddhist Studies Review 25: 2 (2008) pgs. 194‐209 7. The Conjunction of Quieting and Insight, from Buddha‐nature, Mind, and the Problem of Gradualism, David Seyfort Ruegg, pp. 182‐192 8. Sources of Tibetan Buddhist Meditation, Masao Ichishima, Buddhist‐Christian Studies, Vol. 2 (1982), pp. 119‐128 9. The Debate at Bsam Yas: A Study in Religious Contrast and Correspondence, Joseph F. Roccasalvo, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Oct., 1980), pp. 505‐520 10. Insight, from Essential Practice: Lectures on Kamalashila’s Stages of Meditation in the Middle Way School, Thrangu Rinpoche, pp. 55‐64 Translation of Asanga's Explanation of the Superior Sutra Explaining the Thought (Arya‐samdhinirmocana‐sutra‐bhashya) FROM TWO COMMENTARIES ON THE SAMDHINIRMOCANA‐SUTRA BY ASANGA AND JNANAGARBHA John Powers Studies in Asian Thought and Religion Volume 13 The Edwin Mellen Press Lewiston CHAPTER EIGHT In the eighth [chapter, Buddha] teaches the path of yoga by way of six aspects. He indicates these by way of delineating designations due to [teaching]: (1) knowing; (2) not knowing; (3) nature; (4) causes of practice; (5) attainment and methods of attainment; and (6) not degenerating. With respect to those, the grouping of calming and insight is nature. Causes of practice are: (1) perceiving presentations of designations of doctrines; (2) not giving up aspirations; and (3) the four phenomena that are objects of attainment. Attainment [is described in the passage,] "Maitreya, designations of doctrines that I have stated...." Methods of attainment [are described in the passage] "Bhagavan, at what point do Bodhisattvas ...." You should know that the rest are designations that are delineated. by way of [the topic of] not degenerating. With respect to that, you should know that designations that are delineated by way of [the topic of] not degenerating are of many kinds. With respect to not degenerating in terms of meditative stabilizations (ting nge 'dzin, samadhi) that are based on non‐conceptual exalted wisdom, [Maitreya says,] "Bhagavan, [16] are the path of calming and the path of insight different or the same ...." With respect to not degenerating with respect to realizing non‐conceptual exalted wisdom, [Maitreya says,] "Bhagavan, is that image that is the object of activity of meditative stabilization which is a viewing consciousness ...."1 With respect to not degenerating due to not thinking about time in meditating on the three signs, [Maitreya says,] "Bhagavan, at what point... solely cultivate insight. ...'' With respect to eliminating satisfaction with mere inferior [attainments, Maitreya says,] "Bhagavan, how many kinds of insight are there ....'' This is due to not being satisfied with [insight] arisen from signs and so forth. With respect to eliminating degenerated faculties, [Maitreya says,] "Bhagavan, when you say, 'calming and insight that dwell on doctrines ...."' With respect to not degenerating in terms of increasing virtue, [Maitreya says,] "Bhagavan, through calming and insight observing doctrines that are unmixed ...." This is because the extent to which mind subsumes objects of observation is the extent of increase of the root virtues. With respect to not degenerating in the sense of having antidotes to conceptuality and mental fluctuation, [Maitreya says,] "Bhagavan, at what point do calming and insight become meditative stabilizations that are conceptual and analytical ...." With respect to not degenerating and knowing causes with regard to meditation, [Maitreya says,] "Bhagavan, what is the cause of calming ... .'' With respect to eliminating boastful pride, [Maitreya says,] "Bhagavan, [when] Bodhisattvas cultivating calming and insight know doctrine and ...." This is by way of indicating the characteristics of thorough individual knowledge of doctrines and meanings [that arises] due to absence of boastful pride. This is due to [knowing]: (1) the set of all meanings; (2) the set of all meanings [known] by way of instructions; (3) the set of mental analyses; (4) extensive bases and supports; [17] and (5) all profound meanings. The set of all phenomena that are objects of knowledge is said to [include] apprehended objects and apprehending subjects: the varieties of existents and the ways that they exist.9 Objects that are apprehended are divided into objects that are states and objects that are resources. Initial mistakenness with respect to these apprehending subjects and so forth is thorough affliction. Initial non‐mistakenness is purification. Indicating village boundaries ‐or one hundred of those, etc. ‐is the cause of expressly denoting innumerable worldly realms. The set of all meanings [known] by way of instructions [refers to] doctrinal teachings of Buddhas that are based on the two truths [ie., conventional truths and ultimate truths]. Afflictive faults are expressed in those. Qualities of purification are expressed. These qualities of affliction and purification are produced from conditions, but are not produced from God (dbang phyug, Isvara) and so forth. These are also included together; they are divided according to the characteristics of compounded phenomena Similarly, one knows suffering by way of impermanence, sickness and so forth. In the Hearer Vehicle, one knows suffering and so forth. In the Great Vehicle, one knows [reality] by way of suchness and so forth. These are indicated by way of the two, grouping and dividing. Also, when answering, [Buddha] answers by way of partial answers and so forth. With respect to the fourth [part], the set of all meanings, the basis is letters. The support is meanings. You should know that these two are the profound teaching and profound meaning. [These] are extensive due to [the extensiveness of] objects that are realms, because these are incalculable [in number. Not degenerating due to merely attaining calming is a result of diligently seeking knowledge and insight. With respect to not degenerating in terms of through knowledge with respect to origination of the subtle, [Maitreya says,] "Bhagavan, how and through what mental contemplation cultivating calming and insight do Bodhisattvas remove what signs ...." With respect to eliminating fear with respect to emptiness, [the sutra says,] "Bhagavan, in the Great Vehicle ...the full character of emptiness...." [18] With respect to cultivating calming and insight ‐beginning with nature, causes, effects, actions, application, objects of engagement ‐not wasting instructions given [by Buddha is described in the passage,] "Bhagavan, how many kinds of meditative stabilization of calming and insight are included. ..." With respect to eliminating non‐serious aspiration with respect to meditation: The meanings of the four sources of subtle signs are to be known through pursuing [cultivation of] the [four] mindful establishments. The remainder are to be known through pursuing [understanding of] the sixteen emptinesses. You should connect the emptiness of the indestructible with collections of two terms. Emptiness of character [should be connected with] two signs. You should know that the remaining [emptinesses] are to be connected with each of these. Study and Practice of Meditation Tibetan Interpretations of the Concentrations and Formless Absorptions Leah Zahler Snow Lion Publications Ithaca, New York 5 OBJECTS OF OBSERVATION: I Ge-luk presentations of objects of observation are extremely complex. For the most part, they explain the categories of objects of observation set forth in Asaṅga’s Grounds of Hearers and Kamalashīla’s Stages of Medi- tation, which, in turn, systematize, in somewhat different ways, discus- sions of the topic in chapter 8 of the Sūtra Unraveling the Thought.a All these presentations include several overlapping categories, termino- logical divisions (sgras brjod rigs kyi sgo nas dbye ba) that are conceptually useful for a complete understanding of the nature and function of ob- jects of observation but that sometimes seem to have little practical significance, especially for the beginning meditator. Moreover, al- though monastic textbooks discuss objects of observation in their sec- tions on calm abiding, all the objects discussed are not objects of obser- vation for the attainment of calm abiding. Mainly, they are presented as objects for calm
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