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The Middle Way from the Standpoint of the Dharma

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The Middle Way from the Standpoint of the Dharma THE MIDDLE WAY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE DHARMA Shoson Miyamoto I Buddhist Position and Criticism 1 The Buddhist Position on Dharma 2 The Dharma and the Original Form of the Middle Way 3 Criticism of the Buddhist Life of Confort 4 The Dharma which corresponds to Time 1 The Buddhist Position on Dharma After his Enlightenment, the Buddha delivered his first preaching to his five disciples. Amongst them, Kondanna first achieved the dhamma cakkhu (M-00, which enabled him to see the world free from the dust of illusion, and was Enlightened. Thereupon, the Buddha approvingly said, "You are Enlightened well, Kondanna. You are Enlightened well(1)." After that he received the name Afinata Kondanna, which means the first Enli- ghtened Kondanna. Then he "who had seen the Dhamma, reached the- Dhamma, understood the Dhamma and was Enlightened to the Dhamma(2 requested, "0 Master, I would like to receive ordination under you and, wish to be granted the precepts(3)." The Buddha replied, "Come bhikku, the Dhamma has been preached well. In order to destroy sufferings properly, (1) Vinaya-pitaka, Mahavagga 1. 6. 31, Vol. I, p. 12: Annasi vata bho Kon- danno ann"asi vata bho Kondanno-lit. attained the knowledge. (2) do 1. 6. 32, p. 12: Ditthadhammo pathammo viditadhammo pariyogalhae d hammo. (3) do: Labheyyaham bhante bhagavato santike pabhajjam, labheyyaham upa sampadam. -963- (2) THE MIDDLE WAY FROM THE STANDPOINT (S. Miyamoto) you must lead a holy lif e(4)." Thus the first member of the Sangha came into existence. He was followed by six, seven, eleven, and sixty-one other members and the number increased. Finally, with the entrance of the three Kassapa brothers, Sariputta and Moggallana into the Order, the number be- came one thousand-two hundred and fifty. Thus the elements of the Budd- hist Sangha consisted of the thfee treasures(三 寳)of; the Buddha who was Enlightened to the truth, the doctrines (Dhamma) which were preached well and the group of individuals who placed their faith in the Buddha and were inspired by the Dhamma. The objective of the Sangha was to obtain nirvana, which would end the sufferings of reality, to preach this fact to the people, and to obtain complete Buddhahood together with the world. This became very clear in the Buddha's proclamation of his missionary work: O Bhikkhu (to various places) go and visit for the benefit of the people, for the happiness of the people, for the compassion of the world, for the sake of the happiness of deva and men. Two members should not go to one place. O Bhikku, preach the Dharma which has significance and meaning, in which the beginning is good, the middle is good and the end is good. Show them the sacred Brahmacariya which is pure, undiluted and complete. Even among sentient beings who have few hindrances, if they do not learn of the Dhamma, they will be unable to progress. (If they hear) they will be Enlightened to the Dhamma(5). From this it is evident that the purpose is to benefit the world. In other words, its great objective was to teach the cessation of suffering by means of the right Dharma and right practice. Right Dharma, right view and (4) do: Ehi bhikkhu'ti bhagava avoca, svakkhato dhammo, cara brahmacari- yam samma dukkhassa antakiriyaya'ti. 5) do 1. 11. 1, p. 21: Caratha bhikkhave carikam bahujanahitaya bahujanasu- khaya lokanukampaya atthaya hitaya sukhaya devamanussanam. Ma ekena dve agamittha., Desetha bhikkhave dhammam adikalyanam majjhekalyanam pariyosana-kalyanam satthanam savyanjanam kevalaparipunnam parisuddham brahmacariyam pakasetha. Santi satta apparajakkhajatika assavanata dha- inmassa parihayanti, bhavissanti dhammassa annataro. -962- THE MIDDLE WAY FROM THE STANDPOINT (S. Miyamoto) (3) right practice, consist of truth, wisdom and actual practice. By these, it is possible to obtain nirvana in this world and actually manifest nirvana in this world. This is the very reason why Nagarjuna in his Chun-lun, 25th chapter on Nirvana, discussed the identical nature of the world and nirva- na(世 間 と浬 梨 の 同一 際). 19, There is no difference at all between Nirvana and Sa msara., There is no difference at all between Sa, msara and Nirvana. 20, What makes the limit of Nirvana, is also the limit of Sa ,msara. Between the two we cannot find slightest shade of difference(6). Here we can observe the continuity of the teachings from Early Bu- ddhism, all of which lead to the Ultimate Vehicle of Enlightenment for all. 2 The Dharma and the Original Form of the Middle Way What was the content of the Dharma originally preached by the his- torical Buddha ? It was the renunciation of the two extremes of suffering and pleasure(苦 樂 の 中 道). Those two extremes are, one, to engage in the search for pleasure 1, which is the practice of lowly 2 vulgarity 3 and igno- rance4. This is neither holy5 nor associated with the good6. The other is to make one's own suffering a goal1 This is merely painful 2 and is nei- ther holy (anariya, unworthy 3) nor associated with good (anatthasamhita, unprofitable 4)(7). In this manner he made his view clear and the Buddha achieved the Middle Way which denied these two extremes. His eyes were opened and wisdom arose within him bringing forth serenity, divine wis- dom, realization and nirvana. Those items of this renunciation were atta- chment to the human thirst for joy 1, a lowly 2 vulgar 3 and ignorant 4 form of behaviour and of asceticism pr painl'2 and both of anariya5'3 and ana- (6) Th, Scherbatsky, The Conception of Buddhist Nirvana (Leningrad: Aca- demy of Science, USSR, 1927) p. 205. (7) Vinaya, Mahavagga 1. 6. 17, p. 10: Yo cayam kamesu kamasukhallikanu- yogo hino gammo pothujjaniko anariyo anatthasamhito, yo cayam attakila- matthanuyogo dukkho anariyo anatthasamhito, ete kho bhikkhave ubho ante anupagamma majjhima patipada tathagatena abhisambuddha cakkhukarani nanakani upasamaya abhinnaya sambodhaya nibbanaya samvattati. -961- (4) THE MIDDLE WAY FROM THE STANDPOINT (S. Miyamoto) tthasamhita64 which are common to the two extremes of self-indulgence and self-torture. And those essentials which caused him to open his eyes' and obtain wisdom a, serenity 3, insight 4, Enlightenment s and nirvana 6 were the ideal light that enabled him to overcome these extremes. If we gather together those items which should be renounced and those which are essential, then the contents of the Dharma become completely clear. This standpoint of the Dharma of the Middle Way represents the principle position of Buddhism as preached in the First Sermon(初 轄 法 輪 経) (8). Since then it has long remained a consistent position of Buddhism that is proven by practice. 3 Criticism of the Buddhist Life of Comfort To make clear the above-mentioned Buddhist view, we can note how the Buddha was criticized by non- Buddhists (9). In the Pasad ika-Suttanta of the Digha Nikaya, the following criticisms were presented by non-Bu- ddhist extremists: 1) Those recluses who follow the Sakyan are addicted and devoted to a life of pleasure(安 樂 行). (§23) 2)The Sakyan recluses are inconisistent in the doctrines (athita-dhamma 不 佳 法)they hold. (§26) 3) Concerning the past, Gotama the Recluse reveals an infinite knowledge and (8) "The Buddha's First Sermon and the Original Patterns of the Middle Way", by Shoson Miyamoto, Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies., Vol. XIII, No. 2, March 1965, pp. 845-855. (9) A detailed and precise explanation concerning the 10 Undeternined Que- stions (avyakrta-vastuni): (1) whether the universe is eternal or not. (2) Whether the universe is finite or not. (3) Whethre that which is the vital principle (jiva) is the body or not. (4) Whether after death a Tathagata (a released person) exists or not, whether he exists and does not exist, whether he is neither existent nor non-existent. See Shoson Miyamoto, Middle Way Thought and Its Development, in Jap. (Kyoto: Hozokan, 1946), Part VI, "Undetermined Questions, Emptiness (sunyata) and Middle Way" (無 記 と 室 と 中 道), Chap. 1-9, PP. 199-296; E. J. Thomas, History of budhist Thought, Chap. X, Release and Nirvana (London: Kegan Paul, 1933) p. 124. -960- THE MIDDLE WAY FROM THE STANDPOINT (S. Miyamoto) (5) insight, but not so concerning the future, as to the what and why of it. (s 27) (10) Among these criticisms, the first which means to engage in a life of com- fort and pleasure(sukhallikanuyo安 樂 行), creates problems in view of religious practice. After Sakyamuni abandoned his asceticism, he partook of a little milk mixed with honey and flour and entered into meditation under the bodhi tree. At this time, his five former friends despised him saying "there stands bahullika (a man of extravagant habits). " The so-called life of pleasure that Sakyamuni practiced consisted of the four d hyana. For others it appeared that Sakyamuni had made the life of comfort his objective since he entered this practice after renouncing asceticism. In Sakyamuni's case, it was clearly a means and he never used it as his goal. If such becomes the final objective, and people cling to it, then it must be criticized and denounced just as Sakyamuni did in the Brahmajala Suttanta, in his discussion on "nirvana in the visible world" (ditthadha- mmanibbana, 現 法 浬 葉). However, if the first criticism is directed towards some aspect of the faith that makes the life of pleasure a goal, then it is a valid criticism. However, the Buddha himself criticized such a view and was totally free from it.
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