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

SELECTED SOURCES FOR THE NIRVANA CONCEPT
( prahAOa), detachment (virAga), cessation (nirodha) and noble truth (satya).
However, it cannot be called the complete knowledge ( parijñA), the result
of religious life (UramaOyaphala), nirvana with a remainder of clinging, or
nirvana without a remainder of clinging. [2] When disjunction is attained by
a UaikLa, it can only be called abandoning, detachment, cessation and noble
truth. It can be called the complete knowledge and the result of religious life
in some cases, while it cannot in other cases. However, it cannot be nirvana
with a remainder of clinging, or nirvana without a remainder of clinging.
[3] When disjunction is attained by an aUaikLa, it can only be called abandoning,
detachment, cessation, noble truth, the complete knowledge and the
result of religious life. In a certain moment it can be called nirvana with a
remainder of clinging. In a certain moment it can be called nirvana without
a remainder of clinging.
The debate on nirvana in the AbhidharmakoUabhALya 39
[Vaibhalikas] Then if nirvana is only non-arising, how are we to interpret
this statement in the sEtra: 40 ‘these five faculties if practised, cultivated and
developed conduce to the abandonment of past, future and present suffering’?
As nirvana is abandonment and is the non-arising only of future, is it
not of past and present? 41
[Sautrantikas] This is true. 42 However, the abandonment of suffering is caused
by the abandonment of the defiling passions towards their objects: 43 the
blessed one said ‘Abandon desire and passion for form (rEpa). When desire
and passion have been abandoned, then what is form will be abandoned by
you and comprehended [by you. The same is said in turn of feeling, apperception,
mental formations] and consciousness.’ 44 In this way, the abandonment
of suffering in all three times is applicable.
[Vaibhalikas] Then, could one say ‘to the abandonment of past, future and
present defilement’?
[Sautrantikas] Here also the interpretation is the same. Alternatively this is
the intention: past defilement would be of former lives and present defilement
would be of the present life, just like the eighteen speculations of
craving among the speculations of craving: 45 ‘in view of past time’ is said
with regard to past life, and the same with regard to present [life].
And by the two kinds [past and present] of defilements, the state of being
seed, 46 is planted in this series to arise in future. Through the abandonment of
that [seed], that [defilement] too is abandoned. In the same way that through
exhausting maturation (vipAka), action is exhausted. Further, abandonment
is the absolute non-arising of future suffering or defilement because of the
absence of the state of being seed (bCjabhAva). Otherwise what of past and
present defilement is there to be abandoned? Indeed, there is no profit in
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