METAPHOR AND LITERALISM IN BUDDHISM The notion of nirvana originally used the image of extinguishing a fire. Although the attainment of nirvana, ultimate liberation, is the focus of the Buddha’s teaching, its interpretation has been a constant problem to Buddhist exegetes, and has changed in different historical and doctrinal contexts. The concept is so central that changes in its understanding have necessarily involved much larger shifts in doctrine. This book studies the doctrinal development of the Pali nirvana and sub- sequent tradition and compares it with the Chinese Agama and its traditional interpretation. It clarifies early doctrinal developments of nirvana and traces the word and related terms back to their original metaphorical contexts. Thereby, it elucidates diverse interpretations and doctrinal and philosophical developments in the abhidharma exegeses and treatises of Southern and Northern Buddhist schools. Finally, the book examines which school, if any, kept the original meaning and reference of nirvana. Soonil Hwang is Assistant Professor in the Department of Indian Philosophy at Dongguk University, Seoul. His research interests are focused upon early Indian Buddhism, Buddhist Philosophy and Sectarian Buddhism. ROUTLEDGE CRITICAL STUDIES IN BUDDHISM General Editors: Charles S. Prebish and Damien Keown Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism is a comprehensive study of the Buddhist tradition. The series explores this complex and extensive tradition from a variety of perspectives, using a range of different methodologies. The series is diverse in its focus, including historical studies, textual translations and commentaries, sociological investigations, bibliographic studies, and considera- tions of religious practice as an expression of Buddhism’s integral religiosity. It also presents materials on modern intellectual historical studies, including the role of Buddhist thought and scholarship in a contemporary, critical context and in the light of current social issues. The series is expansive and imaginative in scope, span- ning more than two and a half millennia of Buddhist history. It is receptive to all research works that inform and advance our knowledge and understanding of the Buddhist tradition. A SURVEY OF VINAYA PAIN AND ITS ENDING LITERATURE Carol S. Anderson Charles S. Prebish EMPTINESS APPRAISED THE REFLEXIVE NATURE OF David F. Burton AWARENESS THE SOUND OF LIBERATING Paul Williams TRUTH ALTRUISM AND REALITY Edited by Sallie B. King and Paul Williams Paul O. Ingram BUDDHISM AND HUMAN BUDDHIST THEOLOGY RIGHTS Edited by Roger R. Jackson and Edited by Damien Keown, John J. Makransky Charles Prebish and Wayne Husted THE GLORIOUS DEEDS OF WOMEN IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PURNA THE BUDDHA Joel Tatelman Kathryn R. Blackstone EARLY BUDDHISM – A NEW THE RESONANCE OF EMPTINESS APPROACH Gay Watson Sue Hamilton AMERICAN BUDDHISM CONTEMPORARY BUDDHIST Edited by Duncan Ryuken Williams and ETHICS Christopher Queen Edited by Damien Keown IMAGING WISDOM INNOVATIVE BUDDHIST WOMEN Jacob N. Kinnard Edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo TEACHING BUDDHISM THE BUDDHIST THEORY OF IN THE WEST SELF-COGNITION Edited by V. S. Hori, R. P. Hayes Zhihua Yao and J. M. Shields MORAL THEORY IN EMPTY VISION SANTIDEVA’S SIKSASAMUCCAYA David L. McMahan Barbra R. Clayton SELF, REALITY AND REASON IN BUDDHIST STUDIES FROM TIBETAN PHILOSOPHY INDIA TO AMERICA Thupten Jinpa Edited by Damien Keown IN DEFENSE OF DHARMA DISCOURSE AND IDEOLOGY IN Tessa J. Bartholomeusz MEDIEVAL JAPANESE BUDDHISM BUDDHIST PHENOMENOLOGY Edited by Richard K. Payne and Dan Lusthaus Taigen Dan Leighton RELIGIOUS MOTIVATION AND BUDDHIST THOUGHT AND THE ORIGINS OF BUDDHISM APPLIED PSYCHOLOGICAL Torkel Brekke RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS IN Edited by D. K. Nauriyal, AUSTRALIAN BUDDHISM Michael S. Drummond and Y. B. Lal Michelle Spuler BUDDHISM IN CANADA ZEN WAR STORIES Edited by Bruce Matthews Brian Victoria BUDDHISM, CONFLICT AND THE BUDDHIST UNCONSCIOUS VIOLENCE IN MODERN William S. Waldron SRI LANKA Edited by Mahinda Deegalle INDIAN BUDDHIST THEORIES OF PERSONS THERAVfDA BUDDHISM AND James Duerlinger THE BRITISH ENCOUNTER Elizabeth Harris ACTION DHARMA Edited by Christopher Queen, BEYOND ENLIGHTENMENT Charles Prebish and Damien Keown Richard Cohen TIBETAN AND ZEN BUDDHISM BUDDHISM IN THE PUBLIC IN BRITAIN SPHERE David N. Kay Peter D. Hershock THE CONCEPT OF THE BUDDHA BRITISH BUDDHISM Guang Xing Robert Bluck THE PHILOSOPHY OF DESIRE IN BUDDHIST NUNS IN TAIWAN THE BUDDHIST PALI CANON AND SRI LANKA David Webster Wei-Yi Chang THE NOTION OF DITTHI IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM Paul Fuller The following titles are published in association with the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies a project of The Society for the Wider Understanding of the Buddhist Tradition The Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies conducts and promotes rigorous teaching and research into all forms of the Buddhist tradition. EARLY BUDDHIST METAPHYSICS Noa Ronkin MIPHAM’S DIALECTICS AND THE DEBATES ON EMPTINESS Karma Phuntsho HOW BUDDHISM BEGAN Richard F. Gombrich BUDDHIST MEDITATION Sarah Shaw REMAKING BUDDHISM FOR MEDIEVAL NEPAL Will Tuladhar-Douglas METAPHOR AND LITERALISM IN BUDDHISM Soonil Hwang METAPHOR AND LITERALISM IN BUDDHISM The doctrinal history of nirvana Soonil Hwang First published 2006 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2006 Soonil Hwang This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2006. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Hwang, Soonil, 1968– Metaphor and literalism in Buddhism : the doctrinal history of nirvana / Hwang, Soonil. p. cm. — (Routledge critical studies in Buddhism) Includes translations from Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese. ‘Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies.’ Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Nirvana. 2. Buddhism—Doctrines—History. I. Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies. II. Title. III. Series. BQ4263.H83 2006 294.3′423—dc20 2005036655 ISBN10: 0-415-35550-8 (hbk) ISBN13: 978-0-415-35550-6 (hbk) ISBN10: 0-203-00193-1 (ebk) ISBN13: 978-0-203-00193-6 (ebk) FOR DONGJE MY ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE DAUGHTER Allie CONTENTS List of figures and tables x Preface xi List of abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 PART 1 The doctrinal development of nirvana in early Indian Buddhism 7 1 Nirvana and its reference 9 2 The two nirvana theory in the early canon 14 3 Developments of the two nirvana theory 36 4 Nirvana in the Theravada Buddhist tradition 50 5 Nirvana in Northern Buddhist schools 77 6 Conclusion 106 PART 2 Annotated translations of the related texts in Pali, Sanskrit and Chinese 113 Selected sources for the nirvana concept and the two nirvana theory 115 Notes 126 Bibliography 153 Index 158 ix FIGURES AND TABLES Figures 2.1 Potter’s wheel 15 2.2 Either non-returner or arahant 15 Tables 2.1 Five aggregates and cognitive process 22 2.2 Four and seven noble persons 25 2.3 Ten fetters 26 3.1 Relative chronology of Chinese abhidharma texts 39 3.2 The sequence of emerging from nirvana with a remainder of clinging 44 4.1 Five skandha, twelve Ayatana and eighteen dhAtu 65 5.1 Rebirth process between the Sarvastivada-Vaibhalikas and the Sautrantikas 90 5.2 KleUa and anuUaya from the Sautrantika viewpoint 92 5.3 Eight characteristics arising with a conditioned dharma 102 5.4 Summary of the doctrinal development of nirvana 105 x PREFACE I am glad to be able to thank all those who have helped me to complete this book. It was written originally as a DPhil thesis in Mansfield College, Oxford. I have been using various libraries under the university; in particu- lar, I would like to mention Chinese Studies library, a cosy little library in Walton Street, where I spent most of my time to produce this thesis. White Lotus Foundation (Korea) kindly gave me a scholarship award to support me financially to complete my research. The UK government also granted me a British Korean Scholarship award during the financial crisis in South Korea to continue my work in Oxford. My debts to academics are many. Professor Richard Gombrich, my DPhil supervisor, helped me enormously to carry out my research. I don’t think I could have completed this work without his constant advice and generous encouragement. Professor Tim Barrett, Professor Johannes Bronkhorst, L. S. Cousins, the president of the Pali Text Society, and Dr Andrew Skilton have given valuable criticism, guidance and stimulation for this work. Dur- ing the final preparation of this book, Professor Peter Harvey and Professor Rod Bucknell gave important comments and fresh perspectives on some matters. I also want to express my gratitude to Professor Damien Keown and Professor Robert Sharf for their kind encouragement. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to professors and colleagues in the Department of Indian Philosophy in Dongguk University (Korea), in particular Professor Seo Seungwon (Ven. Beopgyong), my MA supervisor, who initially led me into the world of early Indian Buddhism, and Miss Kim Bori who has kindly proofread all my notes in finalizing this book. During my days in Oxford I enjoyed the privilege of being a member of the Oxford Korea Society and was elected as the president of OKS in 1999. I want to express thanks to all members of OKS, especially the committee members at that time who helped me greatly to carry on my task; to three Korean Buddist monks, Ven.