Commentaries
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The JapaneseAssociationJapanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies Jburnai oflhdian andBuddhist Studies Vbl. 61, No. 3, March 2013 (93) The Influence of the Avaivartikacakra Mahayana SUtra in Indian Buddhism Based on Its Citation in Indian Buddhist Commentaries James B. AppLE 1. Introduction A significant, yet previousty unstudied, selflproclaimed Mahay5na scripture, is the Avai- ') vartikocakrasijtra Discourse (`The on Irreversibility'). The Avaivartikacakrasijtnaisan early Mahiyelna scripture that focuses on the concept ofthe irreversibility (avaivartiha) of bodhisattvas ("Buddhas-in-training") from the attainment of fu11 Buddhahood. The con- cept of the irreversible (avaivartiko) bodhisattva is considered to be one of the most vita1 subjects in the historical development of Mahayana Buddhism due to the concept's preva- lence, as well as its transvaluing meaning, in early (pre-3rd century) MahAyEna literature.2) The Avaivartikacakrasabna provides the earliest and most comprehensive discussion ofthis concept among MahEyana scriptures other than the Prcu'nryiipdramitj literature. The sfitra is also notable for its advocation of ekoyana, its usage ofnarrative displacement, and its rhet- `word-play' 3) oric of through semantic elucidation or nirukti. One may infer that this text was an influential Mahayana sfitra in Buddhist culture as indicated by its preservation and transmission in South, Central, and East Asia over rnany centuries.4) 2. Citations in Indian Buddhist Commentaries The importance of the Avaivartikacakrasijtna is atso demonstrated through its active ci- tation in indigenous commentaries on the bodhisattva path by prominent Indian Mah5yAna Buddhist scholars from the second to twelfth centuries. Previous studies have discussed how Indian masters' citations of a sfitra demonstrate the importance of a panicular stitra 5) within the historical context of Indian Buddhism. As we will see, the Avaivartikacakra- stitra was an important text to support the views ofa number of Indian Buddhist scholars. 2.1. SiZtrasam"ccaya The Stitrasamuccaya is an anthology ofstitra citations traditionally attributed to Nagar- - - 1151 NII-Electronic Library Service The JapaneseAssociationJapanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies (94) TheInfluenceoftheAvaivartihacakraimhay5maSiminindianBuddhismBasedonItsCitmioiinIndianBudchixCommenimes(J.B.Apm.E) juna, although recent discussion in modern scholarship has indicated that the author may be different from the Nagatiuna who composed the Maddyamakakarika. Nevertheless, the anthology had great influence on later Indian Buddhist scholarship. The author of the Stitrasamuccaya cites the fbllowing portion frorn Avaivartikacakrasijtra to substantiate his view on ekayana: "Tb MafljuSri asked, what extent is this compatible with the dharma teachings of the Buddhas, the "The Blessed Ones?" [The Bhagavan ['Abhavrtapadmaphullitagatra] replied], dharma teaching ofthe Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, is compatible with the discourse on irreversible dharma (avai- "Bhagavan, vartikadhat:macakna) ." [The bodhisattva] asked, How is it that a Bhagavan sets forth the three vehicles arid presently teaches dharma? [The Bhagavan ['AbhEv;tapadrnaphullitagatra] `'Son replied] ofGood Family, sentient beings aspire for the inferior and when they do not enter the single vehicle, [the Buddhas] guide them with skill in means. Son of Good Family, the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, have great skill in means. The Blessed One appears to those [sentient beings] at the time ofthe five degenerations and uses skill in means for those who do not aspire for the single vehicle.6) The citation is from the first chapter of the Avaivartikacakrasatra although, in this sec- tion of the sfitra itselC the discussion does not involve MafljuSri but rather the bodhisattva siryan) PleasantSound (*Anandokti,Tib.sgra . 2.2. Arya Vimuktisena (6th century) and Haribhadra (8th century) The Avaivartihacakrastitra was popular among commentators of the Abhisamaydlamkiira as a number of cornmentators to this Sdstra make reference to the sijtra. We know the San- skrit title ofthe text as Avaivartikaeakrastitra since the title of the sfitra is preserved ip the Abhisamayalamkdra commentaries of both Arya-Vimuktisena and Haribhadra,7) despite notable discrepancies among reconstmcted titles preserved in the various editions of the Tibetan Karijur.8) Arya-Vimuktisena and Haribhadra reference the Avaivartikacakrastitra in order to illustrate how the twenty types of samgha mentioned in verses 1.23-24 of the Abhisamayalamkiira are bodhisattvas.9} Other Indian Abhisamayalamkeira commentators will reference the Avaivartikacakrasijtra as well, with Dharmamitra in his Prasphulapadb (D 3796) providing several citations from the stitra itselfi Here, the teaching refers te the bodhisattva as a Strearn-enterer and so forth since both the basis ofa term and the emanator are emanantions and, since sentient beings are known to be afraid of the great waves of the sublime vehicle and aspire for the inferior, bodhisattvas become Srbvakas and are indicated to achieve pratyekabuddha awakening. It is construed through the basis ef a term [, the -1152- NII-Electronic Library Service The JapaneseAssociationJapanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies lhe hiuence of the Avaivartikzicakea Mdnytrna Satra in Indian Budchisrn Based on Its Citmian in Indim Budnist Commendnes (J, B, Appm)(95) Avaivartikacakrasfitrastates]; "The unfabricated, unstained, passionless realm is indicated, it is indicated having perceived al[ the buddha-qualities. That which the Buddhas teach does not conceptualize things afar nor conceptualize things near, therefore, their teachings are uncontaminated. Proclaiming the contaminated to not exist, elucidated to immeasurable sentient beings, Those sentient beings do not see. In this way, a bodhisattva is called a Sravaka. Ananda, with this intention, I have thoroughly taught [the meaning ofi Srdvaka. Unrestricted is a bodhisattva, and therefbre [a bodhisattva] should be known as a jravaka.' LHaving Likewise: understood these conditions, a bodhisattva is unrestricted and I have indicated `pratyekabuddha."' a bodhisattva with the term Further, these bodhisattvas are taught with the basis ofthe word having three distinctions fbr the 1O) Stream-enterer and so fbrth. This is cited from the Iiya-avatvamkocakrasiitiu. 2.3. Bhaviyeka (6th century) and Candrakirti (7th century) An unacknowledged Sanskrit verse from the Avaivartikaeakrastitra is preserved in Can- drakirti's Prasannapada, and the verse is unattributed in the Tibetan translations of Bhfiviveka's Projn'"opradipa and Avalokitavrata's Projnnyopradipagikd. The Sanskrit as pre- served in Poussin's edition of the Prasannapada, which is based on 18th century manu- scripts from Nepal, is as fo11ows: anirvanam hi nirvanam lokanathena desiitam f ii) akdsena krto akiigenaiva mocitah !1 granthir "The leader ofthe world has taught that there is no nirvdna in nirvdna. A knot tied in space is released through space itselfl" The verse is cited in the commentaries in the context of the twenty-fifth chapter of Nfi- gEniuna's MadhyamakaSa-stra that analyzes nirva4a. The earliest commentary to cite the i2) verse is Bhaviveka in his Prcu'n-lipradipa. Bhaviveka does not state the textual source fbr the verse whereas the tikii subcommentary to Bhaviveka by Avalokitavrata notes the source "the i3) ofthe verse as extensive MahayEna satras." Likewise, Candrakirti cites the verse as spoken by the Bhagavan (Poussin 1970: 540: uktam ca bhagavata), but in the context of the Avaivartikacakrastitra the verse is spoken by Ananda at the beginning ofthe eleventh i4) chapter. The version ofthe verse as it occurs in the 12th century the Tibetan Prasanna- padd translation of Kanakavarma and Pa-tshab nyi-ma grags is the yersion most cited in Tibetan commentaries. Just as the Tibetan commentaries do not recognize the source ofthe verse, I have located at least five Euro-American anicles and books that do not source this - - 1153 NII-Electronic Library Service The JapaneseAssociationJapanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies (96) the hiuence ofthe Avaiva,n'hacakTa Mdnyina Stm in Indm Bndchism Based on Its Chation in lidian Buddhist Commenimes (J, B, AppLE) IS) verse either, even as the verse is a favorite among those who study Buddhist philosophy. 2.4. Avalokitavrata (late 7th century) argued recent the Avaivartikacakrasfitra is one arnong several lhave in publicationsthat early Mah5yEna sfitras that utilize nirukti, or semantic elucidation, as a fbrrn of rhetoric to i6) transvalue mainstream Buddhist categories into bod7iisattva embodied values. The claim that such Mahaydna sijtras like the Avaivartikacakrasfitra are employing nirukti is also fbund among traditional commentators. although the underlying purport fbr traditional au- thors may be different from my modern critical standpoint. Avalokitavrata (1ate 7th centu- ry?) cites the Avaivartikacakrastitra three times in his Prcu'n-iipradipatika (D 3859) to provide nirukti for the terms bhagavan, tathZigata, and badttha. Avalokitavrata's citation fbr tathligata is as fbllows: another way, has elucldation from the Arya-avaivartiha- Or in the Blessed One stated a semantic "In is not fbund, cakrastitra: the way that childish beingshave imputed,inthatway awakening .17) since all things cannot be fbund, therefore, he is called 7hthagata. Avalokitavrata is not the only traditional commentator to cite the Avaivartikacaki"czsfitra fbr the Buddha's use of semantic elucidation.