An Atman by Any Other Name : Two Non-Buddhist Parallels to Antarabhava

Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies, Vol. 47, No . 1, December 1998 ( 5 )

An atman by Any Other Name : Two Non-Buddhist Parallels to antarabhava

Robert KIZITZER

Introduction

In the third chapter of the Abhidharmakosabhasya,Vasubandhu, after enumerating the four forms of existence, asks the question, "What is the intermediate existence?" In a long discussion of antarabhava (AKBh : 120.6-131.2; La Vallee Poussin, v. 2 : 31-60), he proves that there is, in fact, an existence spanning the interval between death in one life and rebirth in the next and describes the features of intermediate beings. Vasubandhu explains that, contrary to appearances and to the speculations of some outsiders, it is not an atman that transmigratesbut simply the five skandhas, the series of which continues uninterrupted in the form of the antarabhava before enter- ing the womb from which birth in the next life will occur. Furthermore, he continues, the series, in the form of the skandhas of the newborn being, will grow up to acquire kdesasand perform karma,due to which it will be reborn yet again.This process Vasu- bandhu calls "the beginningless circle of existence." Vasubandhu, of course, relies on earlier sources. Most of the details in his discussion can be found in the Vibhasa, where they are organized quite differently, and many of them can,also be found in the Yogacarabhumi. In this paper, I shall examine short passages from two non-Buddhisttexts, (1) the Caraka Samhita and (2) the Anuglta of the Asvamedhikaparvanof the Mahabharata, both of which describe the transition to the new life in terms similar to those of the Abhidharmakoga (and its Sarvastivadinand Yogacarapredecessors). The crucial difference is that in the two non-Buddhist texts an atman or jiva transmigrates, not the skandhas in the form of the antarabhava. I cannot establish a direct textual connection between the description of antarabhava in the abhidharma and the passages in the Caraka Samhita and Anuglta. 'However, a comparison of these three passages, the

506 ( 6 ) An atman by Any Other Name:Two Non-Buddhist Parallels to antarabhava (R. KRITZER)

resemblances among which have not, to my knowledge , thus far attracted attention, strongly suggests at least some kind of common source. Furthermore, I suggest that the suspicious similarity of the passages is what prompted Vasubandhu to assert that his theory of transmigrating skandhas in no way implies atmavada.

Caraka Samhita 4.2.31-36+41

The passage from the Caraka Samhita is from the second chapter of the Sarlrastha- na, in which the development of the fetus is explained. In verse 28 the question is asked : how does the atman transmigrate? In the answer to this question, the text moves from physiology to philosophy or religious doctrine, and in the half dozen verses that explain how the atman moves from one body to the next I find a number of parallels to the abhidharma descriptions of the antarabhava. 1. In verse 31, the atman, as it travels from one body to another, is said to be ac- companied by four subtle elements, namely air, fire, water, and earth. In other words, what transmigrates always has a material component, however attenuated it may be. In the Abhidharmakosabhasya, as well, antarabhava includes material factors ; it is described as possessing all the indriyas (AKBh : 125.7-8 ; see also Vbh : 361c 12-21 ; YBh:19.3), which by definition are a very subtle form of rupa called bhautika, distinct from tangible matter (AK I 35ab ; AKBh : 13.19-23). Elsewhere Vasubandhu describes the body of the antarabhava as transparent or pure (AKBh:125.1-2). In these contexts,

the word accha is translated into Chinese as 極細 (or 最細), which is also used to translate suksma. The Caraka Samhlta does not explicitly equate the subtle elements with the sense faculties. However, the first chapter of the Sarlrasthana mentions that the sense faculties are comprised of the elements, with a different element predominating in each sense (CS4.1.24; CS cty: 694.32-34). Therefore, it may not be too farfetched to see a similarity between the transmigratingrilpa in the two texts. 2. Caraka Samhlta 31 ab also describesthe transmigrating atman as manojava,"possessing the speed of mind" Vasubandhu, too, attributesto the antarabhava a magical power of speed, which is produced by karma and which enables the antarabhava to travel through space (AKBh: 125.3-5; Seealso Vbh: 364a23-b7; YBh: 19.9-10).

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3. Caraka Samhita 4.2.31 cd says that, due to the fact that it consists of karma, its rupa is only visible to heavenly vision. Whether rupa means "form" or, more tech- nically, "matter," as in Buddhist texts, the meaning of the verse is the same : the subtle elements of the transmigrating atman are invisible to ordinary people. Similarly, the antarabhava can only be seen by other intermediate beings of the same class or by beings who have obtained the heavenly eye through practice (AKBh: 124.25-125.1; See also Vbh : 364bl0-c4 ; YBh : 19.5-6). 4. According to Caraka Samhita 4.2.33ab, the body contains sixteen bhutas, four each arising from the uterine nutrients, the transmigrating atman, the mother, and the father.Verse 33cd states that four are inherent in the atman,and that the atman is situ- ated in these four. Which four is not completely clear ; for example, Yamashita un- derstands atman here to be the atman of the fetus and the number four to refer to the above-mentioned four groups of bhutas (1998: 166). But I think that this line refers to the atman before it enters the fetus, and that what is being described is a mechan- ism of mutual dependence, like that of namarupa and vijnana in Buddhism, by which the subtle elements of the atman continue to exist between the death of one body and the birth of a new one. Verse 34 provides further information about the elements coming from the parents: they are the semen (of the father) and the blood (of the mother), and they are made to grow by the elements that arise from the maternal nutrients. Verse 35ab states clearly what happens to the elements at the moment of conception : the four elements that adhere to the atman and are produced by karma enter the fetus. Verse 35cd is not so clear, but I shall attempt a translation : "When the atman goes, that [continuous series of the four elements adhering to the atman (CS cty. : 733.14)], which has the nature of being a seed, goes [with it] to the various different bodies" (CS4.2.35cd). Finally, the Caraka Samhita takes stock of the new being:"It is well known that the production of the rupa is due to the rupa of the [four elements] consisting of karma, while [that of] manas is due to the manas. The cause of whatever differences in form and intellect exist is rajas, tamas, and karma" (CS4.2.36). The Abhidharmakosabhasya, on the other hand, explains how the antarabhava ar- rives at the location of the new birth and then describes how it becomes sexually ex-

504 ( 8 ) An atman by Any Other Name:Two Non-Buddhist Parallels to antarabhava (R. KRITZER) cited by the scene of intercourse. According to Vasubandhu, the antarabhava enters the mixture of the semen and blood, then thickens and perishes, and the being is conceived (AKBh :126.25-27; See also Vbh : 363b20-27 ; YBh : 24.1-10). Shortly thereafter Vasubandhu raises the question of whether the mahabhutas themselves of the semen and blood through the force of karma become the basis for the indriyas of the new being, or whether other mahabhutas, supported by these [mahabhutas of semen and blood], arise as a result of actions (AKBh:127.3-5). According to the first alternative, which represents Vasubandhu's own opinion, the semen and blood, which lack faculties perish together with the antarabhava. Immediately thereafter, the kalala, which possesses faculties, appears in the way that a sprout arises after the destruction of the seed (AKBh : 127.5-7 ; see also YBh : 24.4-10). I shall not discuss this very complicated passage at length here, as I have already done so elsewhere (Kritzer 1998). However, I want to point out the similarity between this passage and the Caraka Samhita passage regarding the disposition of the material aspects of the transmigrating being: in each case, material elements that are the result of past karma join together with the material contribution of the two parents, and this conglomeration acts like a seed in producing the body of the new being. 5. Finally both Caraka Samhita and the Abhidharmakosabhasya emphasize the beginningless (but not endless) nature of the rebirth process. Caraka Samhita 4.2.42 states: "The beginning [of] this continuity of matter and mind is not mentioned; indeed , it does not exist. Their cessation is effected by the highest resolution and mindfulness, and by the highest understanding." As I mentioned at the beginning of this paper, it is, in fact, at the very end of his discussion of antarabhava, and as an introduction to his exposition of pratltyasamutp- ada, that Vasubandhu says of the new being, "The continuity having grown gradually as it was projected, it again goes to another world due to its defilements and karma. Of this nature is the beginningless wheel of existence" (AK 3.19 ; YBh : 25.20-21.5).

Mahabharata (Asvamedhikaparvan, Anugita) 14.18.4-7

Another text that describes the transition into the new life is the Anugita of the

Mahabharata. Although the dates of most of the texts involved are uncertain,we can at least say that the Anugita, like the Caraka Samhita, is earlier than the Abhidharmako-

503 An atman by Any Other Name : Two Non-Buddhist Parallels to antarabhava (R. KRITZER)( 9 ) sabhasya. As for the relative dates of the Anugta, the Caraka Samhita, and the Vi- bhasa, I dare not say anything ; for my purposes here, it is enough that the ideas in these texts all were current before Vasubandhu. The passage that I shall examine occurs in a discussion of the relationshipbetween karma and rebirth. I am here concerned specifically with an explanation of how the jlva enters the fetus. 1. In verse 4, the soul, characterized as being filled with lust and hatred, is said to enter the womb, to which it has been directed by karma (Mbh14.18.4). Nothing is said here about the reasons for lust and hatred. However, it is possible the lust and hatred mentioned here have something to do with the Oedipal feelings attributed to the antarabhava in the Abhidharmakosa : "There [at the location of the destined rebirth, i. e., the womb of its future mother], having seen the congress of its mother and father, if [the antarabhava] is male, it will have a masculine desire for the mother; if female, it will have a feminine desire for the father, and, conversely, [it will have] hatred [for the parent of the same sex]" (AK)3h: 126.16-18; see also Vbh: 363b18-20; YBh: 23.3-9). 2. According to verse 5, the soul obtains a body, good or bad, producedby karma, in the form of semen that has gone into the mother's womb and mixed with her blood (Mbh14.18.5). This is similar to the description in the Abhidharmakosabhasyamentioned in part 4 above, with the difference that, unlike the antarabhava, which must perish in the moment before the new being is conceived, the soul, being eternal, simply continues to exist within the fetus. 3. In verse 6, the subtlety and invisibility of thejlva are adduced to explain why it is not attached anywhere [i. e., to the body], and thejiva is declared to be the eternal brahman (Mbh14.18.6a-d). Here, two features of the antarabhava, subtlety and invisibility, are attributedto thej1va. 4. Brahman is furthermore called the seed of all the bhutas and that by which living beings live (Mbh14.18.6ef). Although the exact meanings of the terms bhuta and Brah- man here are unclear, in any case the image of a seed appears at precisely the same point in the process as it does in the passage from the Abhidharmakosabhasyareferr- ed to above, i. e., after the merging of the transmigrating entity into the semen and

502 ( 10 ) An atman by Any Other Name:Two Non-Buddhist Parallels to antarabhava (R. KRITZER) blood but before the animation of the new being. In the Abhidharmakogabhasya , it is simply stated that, after the inanimate semen and blood cease to exist, semen and blood possessing Indriyas appear. In the Anugita, on the other hand, it is the soul that enters the fetus and provides it with consciousness (Mbh 14.18.7).

Conclusion

We have seen some striking resemblances in the discussions of the transmigration of the atman in the Caraka Samhita, of thejiva in the Anugita, and of the antarabhava in the Abhidharmakogabhasya, including some provocative similarities in language. Of course, some of this is to be expected : the dates of the texts are not very far apart, their subject matter of transmigration is identical, and many of the shared features may have been commonplaces of ancient Indian cosmology and embryology. Still, it is hard to imagine that the similarities are completely fortuitous. Long ago, Stcher- batsky emphasized the resemblances between the Buddhist doctrines found in the abhidharma and Samkhya philosophy (1970passim). Similarly, elements of Samkhya thought in the Caraka Samhita have been noted by many scholars,whileit is generally accepted that some form of Samkhya underlies the philosophy of the Anugita. Therefore, it is possible that a common reliance on Samkhya ideas explains the corre- spondencesbetween the descriptionsof transmigration in these three texts. However, we must not ignore the possibility of influence in the other direction, particularly in the case of the Caraka Sarnhita, which is recognized to be quite eclec- tic. In fact, Johannes Bronkhorst in a personal communicationhas identified a number of points that he believes were borrowed from Buddhismby the CarakaSamhita. Most likely, to my mind, is that ideas about transmigration passed back and forth among Buddhist and non-Buddhist authors. For example, the author or the compiler of the Caraka Samhita may have been familiar with a text like the Yogacarabhumi, which systematically,and with much medical detail, describes death, the antarabhava, and the growth of the new being within the womb. He may have borrowed the gen- eral outline of his description of rebirth from the Buddhist text and then adjusted cer- tain terminology to suit his own belief in an atman. Conversely, texts like theVibha- sa and the Yogacarabhumi or their own sources may have borrowed from earlier medical texts, now lost, or from philosophical texts like the passage from the Anugi

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to discussed above, and replacedjlva or atrnan with antarabhava. Certainly in the three texts examined in this paper, atman, jlva, and antarabhava have suspiciously similar functions. As a result, Vasubandhu, who was almost certainly late enough to have known texts like the Caraka Samhita and the Anuglta, was right to worry that his antarabhava might be mistaken for an atman.

Primary Sources

Abhidharmakosabhasya. Pradhan. Second edition. The Caraka Samhita ofAgnivessa. Edited by Gangasahaya Pandeya. Kashi Sanskrit Series 194. Varanasi : The Chaukhamba Series Office, 1961. Volume 1. Mahabharata : Text as Constituted in its Critical Edition. Poona. Vibhasa= 阿毘達磨大毘婆沙論 T. 1545. Yogacarabhumi. Bhattacharya edition.

Secondary Sources

Kritzer, Robert. "Semen, Blood, and the Intermediate Existence." Indogaku Bukkyo gaku Kenkyu 46/2 (March, 1998) : 30-36. La Vallee Poussin, Louis de. L'Abhidharmakosa de Vasubandhu. New edition. Me- langes Chinois et Bouddhiques 16. Bruxelles : Institut Belge des Hautes Etudes Chi- noises, 1971. Reprint. (First edition : Louvain : J. B. Istas, 1923-1931.) Stcherbatsky, Th. The Central Conception ofBuddhism and the Meaning of the Word "Dharma . " Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass, 1970. Reprint. Yamashita Tsutomu 山下勤 Indo Dento Igaku Bunken ni okeru Kotairon : Sarlra-

sthana no Kenkyu インド伝統医学文献における個体論 ―Sarirasthana の研究. Un-

published Ph. D. dissertation, Kyoto University, 1998.

〈キーワード〉 antarabhava, Abhidharmakosabhasya, Caraka Samhita, Anug to (Associate Professor, Notre Dame Women's College)

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