La Vallée Poussin Musīla and Nārada. The Path - Gampo Abbey

Musıla and N›rada. The Path of Nirv›˚a: by Louis de La Vallée Poussin
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conceptions”. They stop reflecting and forming conceptions, and, therefore, the
conceptions come to an end (nirudhyante). They attain cessation (nirodha). 52
b. KoŸa, ii, 43; iv, 56; vi, 43.
ii, p. 203: “The noble persons (›rya) enter into this equipoise having attention (manasik›ra)
directed toward the conception of a peaceful abode (Ÿ›ntavih›ra) as its antecedent”: that is to
say, with a view to enjoying the peaceful (Ÿanta) abode (vih›ra), (i.e., ‘excellent concentration’
[sam›dhiviŸe˝a]).
iv. p. 123: The actions committed with regard to certain individuals are necessarily
retributed in this lifetime, because of the eminent dignity of these individuals: “The persons
emerge (vyutthita) from ‘equipoise of cessation’. In this equipoise, they have obtained an
extreme tranquility (Ÿ›nti) of mind, for this equipoise is similar to nirv›˚a. When they
emerge from this equipoise, it is as if one had gone to nirv›˚a and has returned from it”.
(See Vibh›˝›, 154, p. 782, col.; Sa˙ghabhadra, 40, p. 572, col. 3 at end.)
vi. p. 224 (Sa˙ghabhadra, p. 699, col. 2). – Those who are in possession of the ‘equipoise of
cessation’ are called ‘those who have acquired cessation (nirodha)’. As it is ‘made present or
actualized’ (s›k˝›tkaroti) through their body in view of the absence of mind, a factor (dharma)
similar to nirv›˚a, namely, the ‘equipoise of cessation’, they are called ‘bodily witness’
(k›yas›k˝in): in the absence of mind, this ‘making present or actualizing’ (s›k˝›tkriy› =
pratyak˝ıkriy›) takes place depending on the body. – Such is the theory of the Vaibh›˝ikas.
c. Sa˙ghabhadra, in contrast to the Sautr›ntika, establishes the reality of nirv›na which is not
simply a cessation: ‘no longer existing after having existed’. In the commentary on the KoŸa,
ii, 55 c-d, Taisho, 39, p. 432, col. 2, l. 5-14:
The Sautr›ntika says that nirv›˚a has no intrinsic nature (Ch.: t’i; svabh›va, a way of being)
that one can perceive the way one perceives color, sensation, that there is no activity
(Ch.: yong; k›ritra) that one can perceive the way one perceives the activity of the visual or
auditory sense-faculty. That is true: nirv›˚a is not perceived in its intrinsic nature or in its
activity, the way it is the case for color and sensation, for the visual or auditory sense-
faculty. But it does possess intrinsic nature and activity, of another order, capable of being
known. Things produced by causes (sa˙ks¸ta) exist as a stream; their intrinsic nature and
their activity are coarse and easily discerned. Nirv›˚a, on the contrary, does not exist as a
stream; its intrinsic nature and activity are subtle, hidden, difficult to discern. Nevertheless,
the energetic and contemplative practitioners, when the discrimination (prajñ›) arisen from
meditating (bh›van›m›yı) manifests in them, make present (s›k˝›tkaroti, ‘actualize’) the true
intrinsic nature and activity of nirv›˚a. Emerging from contemplation, they cry out: “Oh!
52 O. Franke, Dıghanik›ya… in Auswahl übersetzt, 1913, 149, 150; Rhys Davids, Dialogues, I, 250;
Sumaºgalavil›sinı (Ed. Indian Hist. Quart., 18-19): saññ›vedayitanirodha˙ phusati vindati pa˛ilabhati.