The Conception of Buddhist Nirvana — Th. Stcherbatsky (1927)

1 Here dharma is not used in the Buddhist technical sense of an element. It is not one of the 75 dharmas. The conception of food as an abstract principle keeping life going is in¬ herited from theUpanishads (cp. Jacob, Concordance, s. v. anna). The food is physical in the realms of gross bodies. It is spiritual, consisting of sensations (sparia), volitions ( cetana ) and consciousness (vyhana), in the mystical worlds of ethereal bodies and pure spirits.

2 Here dharma is used in the technical sense, since hri and apatrapa are included in the 75 dharmas. The prominence given to these moral forces ( samskuras) is natural, since the reverse of them, irreverence and indifference for injustice, are supposed to be the deepest root of every immoral deed, cp. my Central Conception p. 101, 102. Their definition is a shade different in the Trimsika, p. 27.

3 i. e., first of all, out of this world into one of the mystic ones. For the identification of all these quotations cp. the notes of M. de la V. P. to his edition.

4 Read virudhyate instead of nirudhyate.

the real and the conventional meaning of the Scriptures. All the above utterances which mention a principle of Dependent Origination along with (real) causation do not refer to the pure essence of the objects (which re¬ veals itself) when the darkness of our ignorance (in philosophy) is dispelled . 1 On the conrary it refers to that condition of the world which reveals itself to the mental eye 2 whose vision is vitiated by the darkness of illusion.

There are other utterances of Buddha which, on the contrary, hit the 41. 4. absolute reality,—

1 . «The paramount Reality, Brethren, is Nirvana, it is not a clandes¬ tine Reality . 3 Ail the combined forces (of phenomenal life) are illusion)).

2 . «There is here (in this world) neither Reality, nor absence of illusion. It, 41. 6. is surreptitious Reality, it is cancelled Reality, it is a lie, a childish babble an illusion»!

Further,—

3 . (All) matter is a piece of foam, (all) feeling is a bubble. 41. 9.
A mirage all ideas are, a (hollow) plantain trunk the forces,

The sunlike (Buddha) has declared
(All) consciousness is but illusion . 4

4 . Attentive, mindful day and night, 42. 1.

The recluse full of courage,

By contemplating (separate) elements , 5
Should penetrate into Quiescence,

The bliss where all the energies 5 repose.

5 . ((Because all elements (that are active in the process of life) contain 42. 4. nothing real, (Plurality is an illusion )®. 6

1 Read asrava (sc. vigata .... asrava) instead of anasrava.

2 mati-nayana—prajfld-caksuh.

3 «The element having the characteristic of not being some stolen good», i. e., the non-relative.

4 This stanza is found in Sanryutta N., III. 142 where the illusion regarding the 5 skandhas must be understood as referring to the theory of pudgala-nairutmya. Here evidently Candrakirti takes it as referring to the theory of dharma-nairdmya.

5 dfiarma=sarnskrta-dharma—8amskdra.

0 A very frequent proposition referring to the theory of dharma-nairdtmya.

42. 5.

42. 9.

43- 3.

42. 10.

42. 12.

43 . 1 .

• 43 . 3 .
• 43 . 4 .

XXXI. The direct and indirect meaning of Buddha’s words.

For the sake of those who, having no thorough knowledge of the in¬ tention contained in the (different) utterances of Buddha, fall into doubt whe¬ ther (a particular expression) refers to the (absolute) truth or whether it does (depart from it) with a special intention; and for the sake of those w T ho, owing to their slow wits, mistake a metaphorical expression for the real in¬ tention; for the sake of both these (classes of men) needing instruction, is this treatise composed, in order to dispel doubt and misconception by the way of argument and references to Scripture.

The arguments have been exposed above (in commenting upon the aphorism «entities do) not arise out of themselves etc.».

The scriptural references are given (by Nagarjuna in the follow¬ ing chapters, e. g.),

The stolen goods are of no use,

This has been said by Buddha.

And all the forces (in this world)

Are stolen goods. They are illusion ! 1

(And further),

This world has neither a beginning nor an end.

We do not see its first extremity.

The Great Ascetic lias declared,

It has no first, it has no last . 2

(And further),

When speaking to Katyayana the Buddha did elicit,

What is existence, non-existence what?

He then denied both issues,

The possibility of affirmation and negation."

In these and similar (aphorisms of Nagarjuna) Scripture is quoted.

Some supplementary (scriptural evidence is here appended). In the discourse with Aksayamati (we find the following statement). «What are

p. 1

2 M. s., XI. i.

p. 7

appendix: candrakIrits comment on relativity, i 127