Metaphor and Literalism in Buddhism: The ... - misterdanger.net
Metaphor and Literalism in Buddhism: The ... - misterdanger.net
Metaphor and Literalism in Buddhism: The ... - misterdanger.net
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
THE DOCTRINAL DEVELOPMENT OF NIRVANA<br />
aspects by non-omniscient ones. For it is knowledge which is the power of<br />
the omniscient.’ 126 His uncerta<strong>in</strong>ty seems to come from the possible <strong>in</strong>terruption<br />
of a mental series, especially <strong>in</strong> nirodhasamApatti, 127 which will automatically<br />
halt the cont<strong>in</strong>uum of powers (Uakti) convey<strong>in</strong>g future results.<br />
This <strong>in</strong>terruption could be the reason why he <strong>in</strong> the KarmasiddhiprakaraOa<br />
<strong>in</strong>troduced latent consciousness (AlayavijñAna), 128 which will cont<strong>in</strong>ue un<strong>in</strong>terrupted<br />
even <strong>in</strong> nirodhasamApatti. In that text his uncerta<strong>in</strong>ty disappeared<br />
when he had expla<strong>in</strong>ed latent consciousness (AlayavijñAna). 129<br />
As we saw <strong>in</strong> ‘<strong>The</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>ese abhidharma works’ <strong>in</strong> Chapter 3, nirvana for<br />
the Sarvastivada-Vaibhalikas is a real existent (dravya) to protect a series of<br />
aggregates perpetually from past, present <strong>and</strong> future defilements, <strong>and</strong> is<br />
clearly contradicted by the Sautrantika’s def<strong>in</strong>ition of nirvana seen above. 130<br />
In the second chapter of the AbhidharmakoUabhALya, the Sarvastivada-<br />
Vaibhalikas made the follow<strong>in</strong>g objection: 131<br />
<strong>The</strong>n if nirvana is only non-aris<strong>in</strong>g, how are we to <strong>in</strong>terpret this<br />
statement <strong>in</strong> the sEtra: 132 ‘these five faculties if practised, cultivated<br />
<strong>and</strong> developed conduce to the ab<strong>and</strong>onment of past, future <strong>and</strong><br />
present suffer<strong>in</strong>g (duPkha)’? As nirvana [for the Sautrantikas] is<br />
ab<strong>and</strong>onment <strong>and</strong> is the non-aris<strong>in</strong>g only of the future, it cannot be<br />
of past <strong>and</strong> present!<br />
For the Sautrantikas, there is noth<strong>in</strong>g to be done with past defilements<br />
because they cease automatically after awaken<strong>in</strong>g (paryavasthAna) <strong>and</strong> their<br />
efficacy cannot last any more. A present defilement cannot last more than a<br />
moment. All they need to do is to remove sleep<strong>in</strong>g defilements (anuUaya), <strong>in</strong><br />
the state of be<strong>in</strong>g seed (bCjabhAva), which had been planted <strong>in</strong> a series of<br />
aggregates (sk<strong>and</strong>hasaNtAna), have been susta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> that series through<br />
transformation <strong>and</strong> will be manifested by the special transformation of the<br />
series (saNtAnapariOAmaviUeLa). <strong>The</strong> answer given by Vasub<strong>and</strong>hu to the<br />
above objection was as follows:<br />
Further, ab<strong>and</strong>onment is the absolute non-aris<strong>in</strong>g of future suffer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
or defilement because of the absence of the state of be<strong>in</strong>g seed<br />
(bCjabhAva). Otherwise what of past <strong>and</strong> present defilement is there<br />
to be ab<strong>and</strong>oned? Indeed there is no profit <strong>in</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g an effort<br />
concern<strong>in</strong>g what has already ceased <strong>and</strong> what is on the po<strong>in</strong>t of<br />
ceas<strong>in</strong>g. 133<br />
Once anuUaya, the state of be<strong>in</strong>g seed, was destroyed by the power of <strong>in</strong>tuition<br />
(darUana) <strong>and</strong> the noble path (mArga), name <strong>and</strong> form (nAmarEpa),<br />
which are the support (AUraya) for the anuUaya, become special (viUeLa); that<br />
is to say, move from a normal state of hav<strong>in</strong>g the power to produce a<br />
defilement to a special state of lack<strong>in</strong>g power to produce a defilement. 134<br />
96