Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies Vol. 46, No. 2, March 1998 ( 23 )
Bhaviveka and the Madhya(anta)vibhaga/-bhasya
Akira SAITO
The purpose of this paper is to clarify the important role that the Madhya (anta) vibhaga (MV)'), together with Vasubandhu's commentary (MVBh) on it, appears to have played, whether affirmatively or negati- vely, in the formation of Bhaviveka' s decisive position as a Madhya- mika.2) In his works, the Madhyamakahrdayakarika (MHK) V, the Pra- jnapradipa (PP) XXV, and the Da-cheng-zhang-zhen-lun (大乗 掌 珍 論, DZh), Bhaviveka certainly gives an incisive criticism on Yogacara's theory of Three Natures, and also on their related idea of practice, that is, "the expedient for entry into the characteristic of non-existence" (asallaksananupravesopdya). It is however to be noted that with regard to his understanding of sunyata and paramartha, Bhaviveka seems to have been influenced by those explanations of the same concepts as given in MV or MVBh (hereafter MV (Bh)).
1 Relationship of Bhaviveka with the Madhya(anta)vibhaga/-bhasya
Most of the verses of the purvapaksa, which Bhaviveka quotes directly or indirectly in the above works, are in fact from the MV and occa- sionally from the Xian-yang-sheng-jiao-li n (顕 揚 聖 教 論, XSh) VII.3) Besides, there is another interesting fact which shows Bhaviveka and Avalokitavrata's familiarity with the MV (Bh). That is their explanation of Yogacara's thought about the relationship between Three Natures and Five Categories (panca vastuni 五事 or panca dharmdh 五 法) composed of nimitta "cause", naman "name", vikalpa "imagination", samyagjnana "right cognition", and tathata "thusness", which was differently interpreted even in Yogacara's works. For instance, (1) both the Yogacarabhumi
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(YBh) 4) and the XSh5) attribute the first four categories to the parata- ntra-svabhava "the other-dependent nature" and the last tathata to the parinispanna-svabhava "the perfected nature". (2) The MV (Bh) 61, on the other hand, refers ndman to the parikalpita-svabhdva "the imaginary nature", nimitta and vikalpa to the paratantra-svabhava, and samyagjnana and tathatd to the parinispanna-svabhava. (3) The Lankavatara-sutra (LA) 7" attributes both nimitta and naman to the parikalpita-svabhava, vikalpa to the paratantra-svabhava, and samyagjnana and tathatd to the parinispanna- svabhava. It is worthy of note that Avalokitavrata, the author of the PP-tika, explains the opponent's understanding of the relation between Three Natures and Five Categories in the same way as the MV (Bh) , i. e. naman =parikalpita; nimitta and vikalpa =paratantra; samyagjnana and ta- thata =parinispanna. Although he does not directly discuss the above relationship, it is at least certain that, while referring naman to the rupaskandha and samskaraskandha, Bhaviveka criticizes Yogacara's attri- bution of naman to the parikalpita-svabhava.$' This attribution of naman corresponds with that found in MV (Bh) and LA, but not in YBh or XSh.
2 Bhaviveka's Understanding of Paramartha as Tatpurusa and Bahuvrihi Compounds
In his commentary on the Madhyamakasastra (MK), XXIV. 8, Candra- kirti shows his interpretation of the word paramartha as a Karmadharaya compound: paramas casdv arthas ceti paramarthah.9) This can no doubt be related with his understanding of paramartha, which, according to him, is characterized by "not dependent on others, at peace, and to be known singly by the Noble Ones" (aparapratyayah santah pratyatmavedya aryanam) and "cannot be taught, nor even cognized" (nopadisyate na capi jnayate)''1O) . On the other hand, as was already pointed out", Bhaviveka inter- prets the word paramartha, as not only Karmadharaya but also Tatpurusa -1037- Bhaviveka and the Madhya (ant a) vibhaga/-bhasya (A. SAITO) ( 25 )
and Bahuvrihi compounds. Taking the word paramartha as a Tatpurusa compound, he explains that it is "the object of the highest `indiscrimi- nate cognition' 1112). Also, according to his interpretation, the word paramartha as a Bahuvrihi compound means what has paramdrtha, that is, (1) "indiscriminate cognition" (*nirvikalpajnana) which has paramdrtha as its object, (2) teachings such as "non-origination" (*anutpada) etc. and (3) wisdom (*prajna) acquired by listening, consideration and pra- ctice.") As will be discussed in the following section, this seems to be quite significant in relation to Bhaviveka' s understanding of sunyata as found in his commentary on the previous karika of the same chapter. And also important is the fact that Bhaviveka's interpretation of the word paramartha was, quite possibly, derived from the similar understanding of the same word as given in the MV III, where, based on three different interpretations of the compound paramartha as Tat- purusa, Karmadharaya and Bahuvrihi, the author, Maitreya or Asanga, took the same word in the following three meanings: that is, artha "object" , prdpti "acquisition", and pratipatti "practice" respectively. 14) 3 Bhaviveka's Characteristic Understanding of Suny ata : Sunyata as [Sunyatalanibanaml J~anarn
As was pointed out by Prof. Nozawa15), Bhaviveka is quite unique in his understanding of the MK XXIV. 7 which reads: atra brumah sunyatayam na tvam vetsi prayojanam/ sunyatam sunyatartham ca tata evam vihanyase// "To this we reply: You do not know the purpose of [teaching] emptiness, emptiness, and the meaning of emptiness. Therefore you are frustrated in this way. "16) The above translation of the underlined parts follows Candrakirti's interpretation of the same stanza. And this interpretation seems to agree with other commentaries such as the Zhong-lion ( ) by Pingala, Akutobhayd, and Buddhapalita's commentary. As for sunyatayam prayojanam, Candrakirti says, "For the purpose of quieting discursive thoughts without exception, emptiness is taught. "1?) Therefore, Candrakirti takes the phrase sunyatayam prayojanam as me-
-1036- ( 26 ) Bhaviveka and the Madhya (ant a) vibhaga/-bhasya (A. SAITO) aning "the purpose of [teaching] emptiness". On the other hand, explaining the above phrase, Bhaviveka says, "Here the purpose of emptiness is characterized by the quiescence of all the discursive thoughts.""' And again, on this explanation, Avalokitavrata comments, "The purpose of emptiness is to acquire the Nirvana , which is chara- cterized by the quiescence of all the discursive thoughts, through the realization of emptiness." lc) Hence, according to Avalokitavrata, sun- yatayam prayojanam means "the purpose of [realizing] emptiness". However, a more significant difference is found in their interpreta- tions of sunyata and sunyatartha. Taking the two words as above, that is, sunyata as "emptiness" itself and sunyatartha as "the meaning of emptiness", Candrakirti refers each of them to the contents of MK XVIII. 9 and XXIV. 18. In contrast to this understanding of Candrakirti' s, Bhaviveka takes sunyata in the sense of "cognition which is characterized by freedom from every conceptualization and has emptiness as an objective basis (*sunyatalambanam jndnam). "20' In short, Bhaviveka here interprets the word sunyata as sunyatajnana "the cognition of emptiness", and not "emptiness" itself. This understanding reminds us of his understanding of paramartha as a Bahuvrihi compound and also of the explanation of the first member of the compound sunyata-sunyata as given in the MVBh, where, according to Vasubandhu, sunyata-sunyatd means tasya [i. e. sunyata jna- nasya] sunyata "emptiness of the cognition of emptiness"."') Moreover, in relation to this interpretation of sunyatd, Bhaviveka understands sunyatartha not as "the meaning of emptiness", but as "the object of [the cognition of ] emptiness" . Theref ore, he says, "sun- yatartha is characterized by tathata. "22' This interpretation again reminds us of his understanding of paramartha as a Tatpurusa compound, that is, paramartha as *paramasya nirvikalpasyarthah (see note 12), and also of the MV (Bh)'s explanation of both sunyataparydya "synonyms of sunyata" and sunyataparyaydrtha "meanings of the synonyms of sunyata", where sunyatd is explained as synonymous with tathata, bhutakoti, animitta,
-1035- Bhaviveka and the Madhya (ants) vibhaga/-bhasya (A. SAITO) ( 27 ) paramarthata, and dharmadhatu, and the meaning of paramartha is therein given as "it is paramartha because it is the sphere of the Noble Ones, that is, because it is the object of the highest cognition"."'
Conclusion
From the above discussion, we may probably draw the following conclusions. First, Bhaviveka's characteristic interpretation of sunyata, i.e. sunyata as sunyatajnana, is to be coupled with his understanding of sunyatartha as "the object (artha) of sunyata". Secondly, this idea is closely related to his interpretation of the compound paramartha, i. e. paramartha as both Tatpurusa and Bahuvrihi compounds. sunyata = *sunyatalambanam jnanam: paramartha as a Bv. comp. sunyatartha= *sunyatajnanasyarthah: paramartha as a Tp. comp. Thirdly, this framework of his thought about the meaning of sunyata may possibly be traced back to the MV (Bh) which, prior to Bhaviveka, had already established an influential understanding of paramartha, i. e. paramartha as artha, prapti, and pratipatti, based on its interpretation of the word as Tatpurusa, Karmadharaya, and Bahuvrihi compounds respectively. Lastly, it is interesting to note that the MV seems to be the first to attribute samyagjnana to the parinispanna-svabhava, and not, like the Bodhisattvabhumi and the XSh (), to the paratantra-svabhava. In this respect again, we can most probably trace Bhaviveka' s understand- ing of sunyata and paramartha back to the MV (Bh) though it is indeed true that he refutes rather vehemently Yoga-cara's understanding of sunyata, i. e. sunyata as the existence of non-existence of the duality (dvayabhavasya bhavah).
1) MV V. 30a: sastram mad hyavibhagam hi (Nagao ed., p. 75, 1. 12). For the problem of this title, see G. Nagao, "Chuben Funbetsu Ron no Taitoru", Bukkyo Shisoshi Ronshu, Tokyo, 1964, pp. 197-210. 2) For the name of Bha (va) - viveka, see L. de Vallee Poussin, "Madhyamaka", Melanges chinois et bouddhiques
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2, 1933, pp. 60-61; D. Seyfort Ruegg, The Literature of the Madhyamaka School of Philosophy in India (A History of Indian Literature, vol. VIII-1), Wiesbaden, 1981, p. 61, n. 183; Y. E jima, "Bhavaviveka/Bhavya/Bhaviveka", Indogaku- Bukkyogaku-kenkyu 38-2, 1990, pp. 838-846. 3) In the beginning of MHK V, seven verses are set out as the purvapaksa of discussion, the fourth of which equals MV I 6 and the sixth of which must be the direct citation from XSh VII 10. In addition, the second and third verses are closely related to the contents of MV I. 13 and 14 respectively. See Y. Ejima (forthcoming), Madhya- makahrdayakarika V : Yogacaratattvaviniscayapariccheda of Bhaviveka, Sanskrit text collated with its Tibetan version, Tokyo, n,2,3,4,6; Sh. Iida, "Buddhist Contro- versies concerning Existence and Non-existence-Bhavaviveka on the Yogacdra- vijnanavada-", Indoshiso niokeru Ningenkan, Kyoto, 1991, pp. 107-132; Chr. Lindtner, Bhavya's Madhyamakahrdaya (The Adyar Library Pamphlet Series 48), Adyar, 1995. Also in PP XXV are quoted the following verses from MV and XSh: MV I. 3, 6, 8cd, 13ab, 16cd, 21, 22, and XSh VII 1, (2), 10. Cf. K. Yasui, Chugan Shiso no Kenkyu, Kyoto, 1961, pp. 305-372, 409-415; Chr. Lindtner, "Bh avya's Controversy with Yogacara in the Appendix to Prajnapradipa, Chapter XXV", Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, vol. 2, Budapest, 1984, pp. 77-97; M. David Eckel, "Bhavaviveka's Critique of Yogacara Philosophy in Chapter XXV of the Pra- jnapradipa", Miscellanea Buddhica (Indiske Studier 5), 1985, pp. 25-75. 4) YBh, Viniscayasamgrahani, D Zi 22b1-3, P `I 24a8-b2; Taisho no. 1579, vol. 30, p. 704c, 11. 23-25. 5) Taisho no. 1602, vol. 31, p. 508c, 11. 7-9. 6) Nagao ed., p. 42, 1. 21-p. 43, 1. 3 (ad MV III 13) : (Samgrahatattva) : nimittasya vikalpasya namnas ca dvayasamgrahah/ (13ab) yathayogam panca vastuny arabhya nimitta- vikalpayoh paratantrena samgrahah / namnah parikalpitena / samyagjnanasatattvasyai- kenaiva ca samgrahahll (13cd) tathatasamyagjnanayoh parinz's pannena svabhavena samgrahah/. See also J. Takasaki, Ryogakyo (Butten Koza 17) Tokyo, 1980, pp. 260-264. 7) LA, Nanjo ed., p. 67, 1. 2-p. 63, 1. 7. 8) PP D Tsha 242b4-5, P Tsha 304a5-7. 9) Prasannapada (PSP), La Vallee Poussin ed., p. 494, 1. 1. 10) PSP p. 493, 11. 10-11. 11) J. Nozawa, "Shoben no Ni- taisetsu", Nihon-Bukkyo-Gakkai-Nenpo 18, 1953, pp. 18-38; K. Yasui, op. cit., pp. 167-171; Y. Ejima, Chuganshiso no Tenkai, Tokyo, 1980, pp. 102-105. 12) PP, D Tsha 228a4, P Tsha 286b1: rnam par mi rtog pa'i ye shes dam pa'i don yin pas/ don dam pa ste/ (*paramasya nirvikalpajnanasyartha iti paramarthah/). 13) PP D Tsha 228a5-6; P Tsha 286b1-3: rnam par mi rtog pa' i ye shes de' i yul can yang yul med pa'i tshul gyis don dam pa ste/ de la don dam pa yod pa'i phyir roll de 'gog pa dang rjes su mthun pa skye ba med pa la , sogs pa bstan pa dang/ thos pa dang/ bsams pa dang/ bsgoms pa las byung ba'i shes rab kyang don dam pa ste/ don dam pa rtogs pa'i thabs kyi phyir phyin ci ma log pa'i phyir roll; cf. Tarkajvala (ad MHK III 26) D Dsa 59a7-b2, P Dsa 63a1-4; 『大乗中観繹論』卍蔵経
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26, 70LE0 14) MVBh, Nagao ed., p.41, 11. 17-20: arthapraptiprapattya hi paramarthas tridha match/ (MV III flab) arthapara.marthas tathata paramasya jnanasydrtha iti kytva/ praptiparamdrtho nirvanam paramo 'rtha iti krtvd/ pra- tipattipararnartho mdrgah paramo 'sydrtha iti krtva/; cf. MV-tikd by : Sthira- mati, Pandeya ed., p. 96, 11. 3-18. 15) J. Nozawa, "Churon Kanshitaibon Daishichige nitsuiteno Shoben no Kaishaku", Indogaku-Bukkyogaku-Kenkyu 2-1, 1953, pp. 319-321. 16) PSP p. 490, 11. 6-7. 17) PSP p. 491, 1. 1-2: nirava- sesaprapancopasamartham sunyatopadisyate/ tasmat sarvaprapaicopasamah sunya- taydm prayojanan/. 18) PP D Tsha 227b7, P Tsha 286a2: 'dir stong pa nyid kyi dgos pa ni spros pa thams cad nye bar zhi ba' i mtshan nyid doll. 19) PP- tika D Za 235b2, P Za 281a8: stong pa nyid rtogs pa las spros pa thams cad nye bar zhi ba'i mtshan nyid mya ngan las 'das pa thob pa ni stong pa nyid kyi dgos pa yin no//. 20) PP D Tsha 227b7, P Tsha 286a2-3: stong pa nyid ni 'dzin pa thams cad dang bral ba'i mtshan nyid stong pa nyid la dmigs pa'i ye shes soil. 21) MVBh, p. 25, 11. 6-7 (ad MV I 17) : tac cadhyatmikayatanadi yena sunyam drstam sunyatajnanena tasya sunyata sunyata-sunyata/. 22) PP D Tsha 227b7, P Tsha 286a3: stong pa nyid kyi don ni de bzhin nyid kyi mtshan nyid doll. 23) MV I 14: (sunyataparyaya) : tathata bhutakotis canimittam paramarthatd/ dharmadhatus ca paryayah sunyatdyah samasatah//; MVBh, p. 23, 11. 22-23 (ad MV I 15) : (sunyataparyayartha) : aryajnanagocaratvat paramdrthah/ paramajnana- visayatvat/. See also n. 14.
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