against a hindu god Against a Hindu God buddhist philosophy of religion in india Parimal G. Patil columbia university press——new york columbia university press Publishers Since 1893 new york chichester, west sussex Copyright © 2009 Columbia University Press All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Patil, Parimal G. Against a Hindu god : Buddhist philosophy of religion in India / Parimal G. Patil. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-231-14222-9 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-231-51307-4 (ebook) 1. Knowledge, Theory of (Buddhism) 2. God (Hinduism) 3. Ratnakirti. 4. Nyaya. 5. Religion—Philosophy. I. Title. BQ4440.P38 2009 210—dc22 2008047445 ∞ Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper. Printed in the United States of America c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 References to Internet Web sites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the author nor Columbia University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared. For A, B, and M, and all those who have called Konark home contents abbreviations–ix Introduction–1 1. Comparative Philosophy of Religions–3 1. Disciplinary Challenges–5 2. A Grammar for Comparison–8 3. Comparative Philosophy of Religions–21 4. Content, Structure, and Arguments–24 Part 1. Epistemology–29 2. Religious Epistemology in Classical India: In Defense of a Hindu God–31 1. Interpreting Nyaya Epistemology–35 2. The Nyaya Argument for the Existence of Irvara–56 3. Defending the Nyaya Argument–69 4. Conclusion: Shifting the Burden of Proof–87 viii Contents 3. Against Irvara: Ratnakirti’s Buddhist Critique–100 1. The Section on Pervasion: The Trouble with Natural Relations–102 2. Two Arguments–127 3. The Section on the Reason Property–150 4. The Section on the Target Property–163 5. Conclusion: Is Irvara the Maker of the World?–172 Part 2. Language, Mind, and Ontology–195 4. The Theory of Exclusion, Conceptual Content, and Buddhist Epistemology–197 1. The Theory of Exclusion–200 2. What Exclusion Is Not–202 3. Semantic Value–211 4. Ratnakirti’s Inferential Argument–239 5. Conclusion: Jñanarrimitra’s Three Questions–243 5. Ratnakirti’s World: Toward a Buddhist Philosophy of Everything–248 1. An Inventory of Mental Objects/Images–250 2. The Contents of Perception–253 3. The Contents of Inferential/Verbal Awareness–278 4. Nonexistence, Existence, and Ultimate Existence–288 5. The Irvara- Inference, Revisited–299 6. Conclusion: Who Created the World?–309 Conclusion–311 6. The Values of Buddhist Epistemology–313 1. Foundational Figures and Foundational Texts–315 2. The Soteriological Signifi cance of Epistemology–328 3. Jñanarrimitra on Epistemology as Pedagogy–337 4. Ratnakirti’s Framework of Value–353 5. Conclusion: Religious Reasoning as Religious Practice–359 references–365 index–391 abbreviations AJP Anekantajayapataka (Haribhadra Suri) in Kapadia 1940/1947 AP Apohaprakarana (Jñanarrimitra) in Thakur 1987 AP- D Apohaprakarana (Dharmottara) in Frauwallner 1937 AR Anupalabdhirahasya (Jñanarrimitra) in Thakur 1987, Kellner 2007 AS Apohasiddhi (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975 BCA Bodhicaryavatara (Rantideva) in Shastri 1988 BhK1 Bhavanakrama 1 (Kamalarila) in Adam 2002, Tucci 1986 BhK2 Bhavanakrama 2 (Kamalarila) in Adam 2002 BKNCT Bulletin of Kochi National College of Technology CAPV Citradvaitaprakaravada (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975 DhPr Dharmottarapradipa (Durvekamirra) in Malvania 1971 DvaT Dvakdararati a (Dignaga) in Jambuvijayaji 1966– 1978 HB Hetubindu (Dharmakirti) in Steinkellner 1967 HBT Hetubindutika (Arcata) in Sanghavi 1949 HBTA Hetubindutikaloka (Durvekamirra) in Sanghavi 1949 ISD Irvarasadhanadusana (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975 JNA Jñanarrimitranibandhavali (Jñanarrimitra) in Thakur 1987 KaVr Karikavrtti (Vamana and Jayaditya) in Sharma 1969– 1985 KBhA Ksanabhan˙ ˙gadhyayañ (J anarrimitra) in Thakur 1987 and Kyuma 2005 x Abbreviations KKBhS Karyakaranabhavasiddhi (Jñanarrimitra) in Thakur 1987 KSA Ksanabhangasiddhi Anvayatmika (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975 KSV Ksanabhangasiddhi Vyatirekatmika (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975 KTBh Tarkabhasa (Keravamirra) in Gajendragadkar and Karmarkar 1934 LPrP Laghupramanyapariksa (Dharmottara) in Krasser 1991 MBh Mahabhasya (Patañjali) in Kielhorn 1962– 1973 MTBh Tarkabhasa (Moksakaragupta) in Iyengar 1952 N1 Apohasiddhi (Ratnakirti), ms. 5– 256 from the National Archives of Nepal N2 Apohasiddhi (Ratnakirti), ms. 3– 696 from the National Archives of Nepal N3 Apohasiddhi (Ratnakirti), ms. 764d (running number) from the National Archives of Nepal NB Nyayabindu (Dharmakirti) in Malvania 1971 NBh Nyayabhasya (Vatsyayana) in Thakur 1997b NBhu Nyayabhusana (Bhasarvajña) in Yogindrananda 1968 NBT Nyayabindutika (Dharmottara) in Malvania 1971 NBT- Vi Nyayabindutika (Vinitadeva) in Gangopadhyaya 1971 NBTT Nyayabindutikatippana in Shastri 1984 NCV Nayacakravrtti (Simhasuri) in Jambuvijayaji 1966– 1978 NK Nyayakosa in Jhalakikar 1996 NKan Nyayakanika (Vacaspatimir ra) in Stern 1998 NM Nyayamañjari (Jayantabhatta) in Varadacharya 1969/1983 NS Nyaya-sutra (Gautama) in Thakur 1997b NSu Nyaya-sutra (Gautama) in Thakur 1997b NV Nyayabhasyavarttika (Uddyotakara) in Thakur 1997a NVTT Nyayavarttikatatparyatika (Vacaspatimirra) in Thakur 1996a NVTTP Nyayavarttikatatparyatikapariruddhi (Udayana) in Thakur 1996a PAP Pramanantarbhavaprakarana (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975 PS 1 Pramanasamuccaya (Dignaga) in Steinkellner et al. 2005 PST Pramanasamuccayat ika (Jinendrabuddhi) in Steinkellner et al. 2005 PSV Pramanasamuccayavrtti (Dignaga) in Steinkellner et al. 2005 PV 1 Pramanavarttika, Svarthanumana (Dharmakirti) in Gnoli 1960 PV 2 Pramanavarttika, Pramanasiddhi (Dharmakirti) in Miyasaka 1971/2 PV 3 Pramanavarttika, Pratyaksa (Dharmakirti) in Miyasaka 1971/72 PV 4 Pramanavarttika, Pararthanumana (Dharmakirti) in Miyasaka 1971/72, Tillemans 2000 PVABh Pramanavarttikalankarabhasya (Prajñakaragupta) in Samkrtyayana 1953 Abbreviations xi PVin 1 Pramanavinircaya 1 (Dharmakirti) in Vetter 1966 PVin 2 Pramanavinircaya 2 (Dharmakirti) in Steinkellner 1973 PVinT Pramanavinircayatika (Dharmottara) in Krasser and Steinkellner 1989 PVKP Pramanavarttikakrodapatra, printed as an appendix to Samkrtyayana 1938– 1940 PVSV Pramanavarttikasvavrtti (Dharmakirti) in Gnoli 1960 PVSVT Pramanavarttikasvavrttitika (Karnakagomin) in Samkrtyayana 1943 PVT Pramanavarttikatik a (Rakyabuddhi) in Kellner 1999. PVV Pramanavarttikavrtti (Manorathanandin) in Samkrtyayana 1938– 1940 RNA Ratnakirtinibandhavali (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975 SamP Samanyapariksa (Dignaga) in Jambuvijayaji 1966– 1988 SD Santanantaradusana (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975 SP Saptapadarthi (Rivaditya) in Jetly 2003 SS Sarvajñasiddhi (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975, Bühneman 1980 SSD Sthirasiddhidusana (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975, Mimaki 1976 SSS Sakarasiddhirastra (Jñanarr imitra) in Thakur 1987 RV Rlokavarttika (Kumarila) in Ray 1993 RVK Rlokavarttikakarika (Sucaritamirra) in Rastri and Ramasvami Rastri 1926– 1943 TS Tarkasamgraha (Annambhatta) in Bhattacharya 1976 TS/TSP Tattvasamgraha/Tattvasamgrahapañjika (Rantaraksita/Kamalarila) in Shastri 1981 VC Vyapticarca (Jñanarrimitra) in Thakur 1987, Lasic 2000a VN Vyaptinirnaya (Ratnakirti) in Thakur 1975, Lasic 2000b VNV Vadanyayatika, Vipañcitartha (Rantaraksita) in Shastri 1972 WSTB Wiener Studien zur Tibetologie und Buddhismuskunde WZKM Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morganlandes WZKS Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde Südasiens WZKSO Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde Süd- und Ostasiens YN Yoginirnayaprakarana (Jñanarrimitra) in Thakur 1987 YTBh Tarkabhasa (Yarovijaya) in Bhargava 1973 against a hindu god Introduction chapter 1 Comparative Philosophy of Religions his book is about the philosophical content T of an interreligious debate between Buddhist and Hindu intellectu- als in premodern India. Its central concern is the range of arguments that an eleventh-century Buddhist intellectual named Ratnakirti employed to criticize the beliefs of his non- Buddhist, Nyaya, interlocutors regarding the existence of a God- like being called “Irvara.”1 What is so exciting about these arguments is that they provide a window into Buddhist, Hindu, and 1. For what little historical information is known about Ratnakirti (ca. 1000–1050 c.e.), and for more on his dates and those of his contemporaries, see Thakur 1975, Bühneman 1980, Kajiyama 1965, Lasic 2000b, Mimaki 1976, Woo 1999, and the references contained therein. The term “Nyaya” refers to a “Hindu” philosophical system that is based on the Nyaya- sutra and its commentaries. Phi los o phers working within this text tradition are re- ferred to as “Naiyayikas.” Throughout this book the terms “Nyaya” and “Naiyayikas” will be used to refer to the intellectuals whom Ratnakirti considers to be his interlocutors. Moreover, whenever phrases such as “according to the Naiyayikas” are used, what is referred to is the Nyaya viewpoint as reported by Ratnakirti. Although Ratnakirti’s characteriza- tions of Nyaya philosophy are generally fair and accurate, this work will not concern itself with demonstrating that this is so. Instead, it will concern itself with Ratnakirti’s Naiyayi- kas and their arguments. 4 Introduction Jaina intellectual practices and serve as concrete examples of one way in which the philosophy and intellectual history of religions was practiced in premodern South Asia.2 In interpreting and critically explaining these ar- guments, I am moving beyond the usual historical and philological task of restating, in En glish,