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NIRVANA IN NORTHERN BUDDHIST SCHOOLS examine which argument represents the original meaning of the image of a fire extinguished in the context of the TathAgata after death. 169 As seen before, the image represents a fire’s going out due to lack of fuel and is different from a fire image seen in the early UpaniLads. The latter predicates that when a phenomenal fire is extinguished, the essential character (liWga) of fire is not extinguished but hidden in its latent state, 170 which could be the origin of the so-called Indian view suggested by F. Otto Schrader. 171 The second argument put forward by Sawghabhadra seems to be based more on the UpaniLadic image of a fire than on the image of a fire extinguished in the context of the TathAgata after death. Although the Buddha seems to have argued precisely against this kind of UpaniLadic view in his dialogue with Vacchagotta, 172 its influence on Buddhism is apparent from the position taken by Sawghabhadra’s second argument. By contrast, the Sautrantika argument explained by Xuan-zang 173 specifically represents the original meaning of the image of a fire extinguished in the context of the TathAgata after death. 174 When he says that the fire goes out through lack of fuel, fuel refers to the five aggregates, as is clearly pointed out by his saying ‘the liberation attained by the mind of the blessed one is only the extinction of all aggregates’. What is the position taken by the Theravada exegetical tradition on this simile? 175 Although its initial interpretation of Anuruddha’s stanza seen in the TheragAthAaMMhakathA 176 confirms that the fire goes out through lack of fuel, its quotation of the PArAyaOa stanza at the end of the clarification seems to suggest wanting to keep open the possibility of interpreting nirvana not as mere non-existence. As seen in Chapter 4, nirvana for the later Theravada exegetical tradition is cessation consisting in non-arising, and exists separately (pAMiyekka) from the mere destruction of passion, hatred and delusion. 177 The SammohavinodanC, the commentary on the VibhaWga, summarises this later position of the Theravadins as follows: And when it is said in the exposition of the mental sphere, ‘What is here the unconditioned element? It is the cessation of passion, the cessation of hatred, and the cessation of delusion’; this means that the unconditioned element is nirvana whose intrinsic nature is unconditioned. But because passion etc. cease on coming to this [nirvana], it is said, ‘It is the cessation of passion, the cessation of hatred, and the cessation of delusion.’ This is the teachers’ common explanation of this matter. 178 What has been said here is that the cessation of passion, hatred and delusion is only a phenomenon that appears on the attainment of nirvana, which itself exists separately ( pAMiyekka) from this mere destruction. As seen before, they quote the unidentified sutta to support this position: ‘thus ignorance and craving, on coming to this, are destroyed in this, are 103
THE DOCTRINAL DEVELOPMENT OF NIRVANA abolished in this, nor do they do anything anywhere’. 179 The use of the locative case in this quoted sutta could be closely linked to that of the Sarvastivada-Vaibhalikas seen above. They use the locative case to explain that nirvana, or non-appearance, exists separately from the cessation of defilements, which was likened to the going out of a lamp in the Anuruddha’s stanza. Although it is slightly different, a similar interpretation is found in the last counterargument put forward by Sawghabhadra in the NyAyAnusAraUAstra. In this counterargument, he said: ‘This sEtra 180 only represents the moment of entering nirvana without a remainder of clinging (nirupadhiUeLanirvAOadhAtu)’. 181 That is to say, he regarded this final extinction that was likened to the going out of a lamp as a phenomenon that appears only at the moment of the final liberation, whereas nirvana itself is a real existent separate from this phenomenon. One thing in common in both approaches that refuse to see nirvana as mere non-existence is that such mere destruction is only a phenomenon appearing at the moment of attaining nirvana. Their concept of nirvana, however, is quite different: for instance, nirvana for the Theravadins is the one and only unconditioned, 182 while for the Sarvastivada-Vaibhalikas there are as many nirvanas as there are possible connections to impure dharmas. 183 Table 5.4 shows briefly the developments of the nirvana concept and the two nirvana theory in terms of the differences between schools seen so far. 104
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METAPHOR AND LITERALISM IN BUDDHISM
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TEACHING BUDDHISM IN THE WEST Edite
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METAPHOR AND LITERALISM IN BUDDHISM
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FOR DONGJE MY ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE D
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CONTENTS List of figures and tables
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PREFACE I am glad to be able to tha
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ABBREVIATIONS The abbreviations for
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ABBREVIATIONS RV Rgveda. SA SaNyukt
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INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION In the Ab
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INTRODUCTION to reach it was descri
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INTRODUCTION two nirvana theory in
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NIRVANA AND ITS REFERENCE Part 1 TH
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NIRVANA AND ITS REFERENCE 1 NIRVANA
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NIRVANA AND ITS REFERENCE early Bud
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NIRVANA AND ITS REFERENCE original
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THE TWO NIRVANA THEORY IN THE EARLY
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DEVELOPMENTS OF THE TWO NIRVANA THE
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NIRVANA IN THE THERAVf DA BUDDHIST
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Page 122 and 123: Table 5.4 Summary of the doctrinal
Page 124 and 125: CONCLUSION The term anAgAmin was of
Page 126 and 127: CONCLUSION passion, hatred and delu
Page 128 and 129: CONCLUSION The Sautrantikas probabl
Page 130 and 131: SELECTED SOURCES FOR THE NIRVANA CO
Page 144 and 145: NOTES Indians; and also because we
Page 146 and 147: NOTES 13 Huzita (1988: 8). 14 La Va
Page 148 and 149: NOTES 70 See Dutt (1960: 252-71), L
Page 150 and 151: NOTES 146 Akanuma (1929: 126). 147
Page 152 and 153: NOTES 39 yaP sAsravair dharmair vis
Page 154 and 155: NOTES 5 Harvey (1990: 66-7). 6 DN I
Page 156 and 157: NOTES 65 Tr. Norman (1992: 120): ac
Page 158 and 159: NOTES 132 Bareau (1955: 285). 133 B
Page 160 and 161: NOTES 15 Life faculty is one of the
Page 162 and 163: NOTES 77 Akb-h pp. 67-8. 78 Accordi
Page 164 and 165: NOTES 149 SA (TD2 57c8), SN IV 109.
Page 166 and 167: NOTES 6 SN IV 251-2. 7 The Chinese
Page 168 and 169: NOTES (1969: 378-82), which was mad
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BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY PRIMARY S
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BIBLIOGRAPHY SECONDARY SOURCES Adik
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Pasadika, Bhikkhu (198
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faculty see indriya fetters see saN
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