Metaphor and Literalism in Buddhism: The ... - misterdanger.net

THE DOCTRINAL DEVELOPMENT OF NIRVANA
Table 5.3 Eight characteristics arising with a conditioned dharma
dharma
lakLaOa
Arising
anulakLaOa arising of
arising
A conditioned dharma
Duration
duration of
duration
a dharma in which they are not found is an unconditioned dharma. 164 Since
the lamplight is a conditioned dharma, there must be four characteristics
existing separately from this lamplight.
However, this argument given by Sawghabhadra cannot be sustained even
from his own ontological position. Since these four primary characteristics
(lakLaOa), arising, duration, decay and ceasing, which arise with a conditioned
dharma such as lamplight, are also conditioned dharmas, they also have in
their turn four secondary characteristics (anulakLaOa). 165 These secondary
characteristics, which are already sixteen in number, also have in their turn
four characteristics and in this way arises an infinite regress.
The Sarvastivada-Vaibhalika’s answer to this dilemma was that secondary
characteristics (anulakLaOa) arising together with a conditioned dharma
and four primary characteristics are not sixteen but four in number, as in
the case that a hen lays many eggs and each egg causes the birth of only one
other chicken. 166 Their view is summarised in Table 5.3.
Whether this awkward explanation of the Sarvastivada-Vaibhalika
was accepted by the Sautrantikas or not, Sawghabhadra’s first explanation
could not be sustained. Although the characteristic of impermanence
(anityatAlakLaOa) can be said to exist separately from lamplight, it is just one
of either eight primary (lakLaOa) and secondary (anulakLaOa) characteristics
according to the Sarvastivada-Vaibhalika system, or of infinite characteristics
according to their definition of conditioned dharmas. That is to say,
Sawghabhadra’s comparison cannot really fit Anuruddha’s simile.
His second argument utilised the relationship between the intrinsic nature
(svabhAva) of a dharma and its activities: arising, duration, decay and ceasing.
167 That is to say, the going out of a lamplight is only one of the activities
of the lamplight’s intrinsic nature (svabhAva), which exists in the three time
periods. The Sarvastivada-Vaibhalikas, thus, can say that just as lamplight
has an intrinsic nature apart from its activity of ceasing, so there is nirvana
existing separately from the cessation of the aggregates. However, this argument
cannot be sustained from the Sautrantika ontological perspective, since
there is no difference between the intrinsic nature (svabhAva) of a dharma
and its activities and as a consequence what changes momentarily is the
dharma itself. 168
Although we cannot easily determine the validity of these two arguments,
since they are based on their own ontological perspectives, we can still
102
Decay
decay of
decay
Ceasing
ceasing of
ceasing