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The Dharma-Lotus Truth Expounded by Devadatta

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The Dharma-Lotus Truth Expounded by Devadatta ( 30 ) Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies Vol. 46, No. 1, December 1997 The Dharma-Lotus Truth Expounded by Devadatta Gishin TOKIWA 1. How Sakyamuni Became Expounder of the Truth There are three cases in the Saddharmapundarika sutra (Wogihara-Tsuchida version) in which the truth had been expounded bef ore Sakyamuni and which explain how it was transmitted to him: (1) In Chapter 1 Manjusri tells Ajita: Varaprabha, i.e., Manjusri in his former life, listened to the truth expounded by Candrasuryapradipa, last of the 20000 tathagatas of the same name, held it and made it manifest, and finally Dipamkara, one of Varaphabha's disciples, and of Candrasuryapradipa's sons, attained buddhahood. (2) In Chapter .7 Sakyamuni told his disciples: in his former life 16 sons, including himself, knew their father, who had abandoned them to be a monk, had attained buddhahood as Mahabhijnajnanabhibhu after 10 middle kalpas all through which no tathagata-qualities had been displa- yed on him; after hearing the four noble truths from him, they gave up household lives to become the buddha's disciples; in response to their deep intent, the buddha expounded the truth. Those disciples attained buddhahood, each having kept expounding the same truth beyond time. The 16th son is Sakyamuni. (3) In Chapter 11 Sakyamuni sits beside the buddha Prabhutaratna's own being inside a mound that has stayed in the air and that issued voices of applause for his exposition of the truth. Prabhutaratna came to celebrate Sakyamuni for having expounded the truth so that the former might fulfill his final vow. On this occasion Sakyamuni expla- ins how in his former life while seeking for the Saddharmapunndarika sutra he came to meet a seer, who taught him its truth, and that the 491 The Dharma-Lotus Truth Expounded by Devadatta (G . TOKIWA) ( 31 ) seer is none other than the bhiksu Devadatta, a virtuous friend of his , on whose account he has been able to fulfill the sixf old perfection and all the virtues of buddhahood. He predicts Devadatta will attain buddhahood in a future with the name Devaraja and realize a world named Devasopana. Reference to Dipamkara as the direct predecessor to Sakyamuni seems common to other mahayana sutras. In the 2d case Mahabhijnajnana- bhibhu is said to have kept from attaining Awakening for as long as 10 middle kalpas. Lin ji Yixuan (-866), a Chan master, interpreted this as what demonstrated attainment of Awakening by the buddha (Taisbo Tripitaka 47, 502ab). The tathagata of the Vajraccbedika Prajnaparamita sutra applies the same interpetation to himself in connection with Dipa- mpara's prediction of his attaining buddhahood (E. Conze ed., 17b). The 3d case seems quite unique to the Saddharmapundarika sutra, but several mahayana sutras show full support to the reinterpretation of the role Devadatta had been made to play in the history of early Buddhism in connection with five grave sins, pancanantaryani. 2. Devadatta and the Five Grave Sins In the chapter "Salighabhedavastu" of the Mulasarvastivadavinayavastu II , Devadatta is depicted as transgressor of three grave sins: causing a blood-shed on the buddha Sakyamuni's body, splitting the buddha's sarigha, and causing death of an arhat, Utpalavarna (Bagchied., p. 188). Two mahayana sutras extant in Chinese, the Amitayus Contemplation sutra (T 12, #365) and the Mahdparinirvana sutra (T 12, #374, Chapter on Brahmacarya 8-5), mention that King Ajatasatru caused death of his father, through evil influences from his wrong friend Devadatta. The former sutra states Ajatasatru was prevented from killing his mother who had tried saving her husband from forced hunger. In the chapter "Sanghabhedavastu" Devadatta is said to have obtained a heretical view of defaming Sakyamuni, which caused all the virtues to be uprooted. Then the buddha told all the mendicants: 490 ( 32 ) The Dharma-Lotus Truth Expounded by Devadatta (G . TOKIWA) "I nsofar as I have not seen any pure quality in Devadatta, there can be no prediction by me [of his attaining buddhahood] ; he is doomed to evil, destined for hell, staying there for a kalpa of time without being healed ." (p. 189) Devadatta kept committing sins against the buddha until he glowed with hell-fire while alive, and began crying, "I'm burnt; I'm burnt ." Then the Aged Ananda, taking pity on his kinsman, urged him to take shelter in the buddha. Overcome by the painful experience, Devadatta uttered the words which came from the heartfelt wishes: "I , this very bone here, though not standing firm (eso' ham asthito' pi) , take refuge in the Buddha, the most Venerable one." So saying, he f ell into hell. The buddha told mendicants, "The roots of virtue have been strengthened by Devadatta . He will attain the Awakening of Solitude (pratyekam bodhim) after staying in the hell for a kalpa. He will become a buddha of solitude Asthiman (p. 192)." After this Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, two disciples of the buddha, enter the avici-hell, find out Devadatta from among other sufferers, and tell him the buddha' s prediction (pp. 192-193). I wonder why Devadatta, depicted as transgressor of grave sins, had to be treated with special favour, through prediction of buddhahood. One apparent reason is that he was a kinsman to the buddha and Ananda. Another reason seems to be that he remained leader of a sangha other than Gautama's. Devadatta cites five points in which his group differs from Gautama's: they avoid milk and yogurt, don't eat meat, don't take salt, don't cut off fringes of garments, and don't abide in wilderness but stay in a village (Ibid., P.190). Neither reason however, would diminish the seriousness of grave sins, apart from the problem of whether or not he was a real transgressor. Only remorse after a long period of suffering would open the offender's mind to the truth of reality. That seems to be what was meant by the buddha's prediction. In the sthavira tradition, the name Devadattva must always have remined people of a transgressor of grave sins. That 489 The Dharma-Lotus Truth Expounded by Devadatta (G. ToXIwA) ( 33 ) is why the above reference to him in the Saddharmapundarakasutra as one who taught the truth to Sakyamuni, even in the former life, has sounded strange to readers of all generations. A mahayana sutra, the Lankdvatdra, takes up the same problem as the extenal five grave sins at the beginning of its 3d chapter, on Non- permanence. It mentions as follows (Nanjio ed. Skt. text, with corrections based on the GunabhadraChin. version, as shown by underlines): Further, Mahamati, I shall advise you about external grave sins. With the advice you as well as other Awakening beings in the future time will not go to any confusion. They are those grave sins which have been mentioned when my teaching was recited. Should one commit them, there will be no attaining by that person to the realization of the Awakened truth through one or the other of the three emancipation methods, unless there is any influence from transfo- rmations for the truth-realization. I mean a faithful disciple of mine in transfo- rmation may exercise influence (nirmita-adhisthana-srdvako), either through the influence of a bodhisattva in transformation or of a tathagata in transformation (nirmita-bodhisattva-adhisthanena vd nirmita-tathagata-adhisthanena vd) as follows: Suppose someone else has committed any of the grave sins and is in deep repentance. Then wishing to remove wrong views concerning repentance, so that no wrong views in connection with repentance may arise to the person who has abandoned obligations, and also thinking of encouraging that person, I show how realization is attained through the influence of transformations. I see something common about the attitude towards transgressors of grave sins in the sthavira and mahayana passages. 3. Devadatta and the Five Grave Sins Reinterpreted The same Lankdvatdra has a passage that refers to the five grave sins that are internal, as a principle of ultimate emancipation, preceding the passage on the external ones. Mahamati asks: "According to your announcement , no sons or daughters of a good family who should commit five grave sins get hell-abiding. What are the five grave sins, committing which no son or daughter of a good family gets hell-abiding?" 488 ( 34) The Dharma-Lotus Truth Expounded by Devadatta (G . TOKIWA) To this the most Venerable one says as follows: "What I mean by the five grave sins are killing mother, killing father, killing an arhat, causing schism in the sangha, as well as shedding blood with wicked intent on the body of a tathagata. What is mother of all beings? I mean avidity, which leads one to rebirth, and which, accompanied by joy and passion, is active with motherhood . Ignorance is active with fatherhood, for a group of inner and outer seats for perception to arise. Because of completely severing the roots of both these mother and father is there killlng of mother and father. Passions asleep resemble enemies; they tend to cause violence like poisons given to rats. Because of completely exterminating them is there killing of an arhat. What is causing schism in the sangha? A mass of the costituents of a human being is chara- cteristic of mutually being disjoined; since the combination is completely hurt it is called schism in the sangha. Because, when the seven groups of discerning faculties do not realize that what is external with specific and common chara- cteristics is nothing but our own mind seen as such, those seven kinds of discerning buddhas are completely hurt with a wicked alternative that is free from passion, namely with the threefold emancipating method, that is called shedding blood with wicked intend on the body of a tahagata.
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