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

NOTES
unconditioned category. Thus, they seem to have had some difficulties in explaining
how a unique dharma called extinction through knowledge could be of two
kinds, nirvana with and without a remainder of clinging. In fact, the similar
problem occurred when Buddhaghosa explained the two nirvana theory in the
Visuddhimagga (Vism p. 432). Since nirvana is the one and only unconditioned
thing in the Theravada system, he had to make an excuse first, saying ‘The aim of
the Buddhas, etc. [i.e. nirvana] is one and of no distinction’ before explaining the
two nirvana theory.
20 Jp (TD26 923b).
21 The life faculty is one of the twenty-two controlling faculties as well as one of
fourteen dharmas not associated with the mind (viprayuktasaNskAra) in the
Sarvastivada system. See Cox (1995: 125–31).
22 See Chapter 5, note 16.
23 See Chapter 5, note 18.
24 It designates vitality (Ayus) mentioned above.
25 It designates mind (citta) in the mental series (cittasaNtAna) mentioned above.
26 In the Sarvastivada system, there are four characteristics: arising, duration,
decay, and ceasing. See Cox (1995: 133–58).
27 Later in this text, the author mentioned three things: the material body, the five
faculties and the mental series.
28 It refers to homogeneous character of the group (nikAyasabhAga). When the
Sarvastivadins said ‘one [action] projects one birth’ (ekaN janmAkLipatyekam) in
the AbhidharmakoUabhALya (Akb-h p. 258, La Vallée Poussin 1923: 677), ‘birth’
was glossed as homogeneous character of the group (nikAyasabhAga).
29 Jp (TD26 923b).
30 That is to say, the last mind of an arahant. In the canon, the last step towards the
final nirvana was the cessation of the mind: ‘like the blowing out of a lamp, his
mind becomes liberated’ (AN I p. 236, AN IV p. 3, Th p. 81, DN II p. 157, SN
I p. 159, Thc p. 116, Sn p. 41). Mental series (cittasaNtAna) was used in the case
of nirvana with a remainder of clinging.
31 By ‘wind’ we could assume vital force or biological energy.
32 Mind and mental states have faculties as their support.
33 The life faculty and homogeneous character of the group.
34 That is to say, the aggregates that are conventionally designated as a person
(pudgala) have been disintegrated, yet all dharmas that constitute the aggregates
continue to exist since they exist as real existents in the three time periods.
35 This question raises a problem regarding the interpretation of the JñAnaprasthAna
and suggests an opinion made by the author of the MahAvibhALAUAstra.
36 The author of the MahAvibhALAUAstra suggests that it should be vitality (Ayus)
and not anything else through which we can distinguish nirvana with a remainder
of clinging from nirvana without a remainder of clinging.
37 Here ben-lun ( ) is used to designate the MahAvibhALAUAstra. The word ci-lun
( ) is used to designate the JñAnaprasthAna.
38 This question establishes the difference between disjunction and two nirvana
elements. Although disjunction from impure dharmas is possible for all people, it
cannot be called nirvana with or without a remainder of clinging. It is only
possible for aUaikLa, an arahant, in a certain moment: the first at a moment of
enlightenment and the second at the moment of final death.
39 Akb-d pp. 322–7, Akb-p pp. 92–4, Akb-h pp. 92–4, Akb-pm (TD29 192a–c) and
Akb-x (TD29 34a–35a). Although we have Poussin’s translation (1988: 282–6), it
does not exactly agree with the Sanskrit text because it was translated mainly
from Xuan-zang’s Chinese text. There also is Sakurabe’s Japanese translation
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