Bu Ston On Schism Of Buddhist Church And On Doctrinal Tendencies Of Buddhist Scriptures

Author(s): Claus Vogel
Publisher: Claus Vogel
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/269589/1

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Bu-ston on the Schism of the Buddhist Church and on the Doctrinal Tendencies of Buddhist Scriptures Translated from Tibetan by Claus VOGEL 1. From his History of the Doctrine (Cho's-'byun) Collected Works (g Sun-'bum), vol. 24 (ya), pt. 4, fol. 88 b 3-90 b 3. Preliminary Remark: The chapter presented here in a new English rendering was translated into Japanese by E. Teramoto as early as 1928 ) and into English by E. Obermiller only four years later); it was examined at full length by D. Seyfort Ruegg in the course of this Symposium"). The passages concerning the languages used by Indian Buddhists were discussed in great detail by Lin Li-kouang) and A. Yuyama'); they were referred to by G. Roth during this Symposium) and will be dealt with by J. W. de Jong in a forthcoming article). The ensuing translation, in which literalness prevails over literariness, will be found as a rule to incorporate the results of these scholars but in places to attempt a different approach from theirs. As regards the third recapitulation (of the doctrine), since it is not (described in the Agama, discord becomes apparent in every possible manner. Some say as follows (r)): "At the time when - 137 years after the teacher's passing - the kings named Nanda and Mahapadma had risen and the elders Mahakasyapa, Uttara, and others were staying in the city (of) Pandaraputrao), Mara the Wicked One, having taken on the form of the monk named Bhadraka 10), showed all kind of magic power and, having separated the clergy, disarrayed the teaching. At that time"), in the days of the elders Nagasena and Valguka 12), 63 years after (the clergy) had been split into sects, the elder Vatsiputra recapitulated the teaching." 1) Taranatha Indo Bukkyoshi, Tokyo, 1928, pp. 395-404. 2) History of Buddhism (Chos-hbyung) by Bu-ston, II, Heidelberg, 1932, pp. 96-101. >> Inf., pp. 114-119. 4) L'Aide-memoire de la Vraie Loi, Paris, 1949, pp. 180-187. ') In H. Bechert [ed.), Die Sprache der altesten buddhistischen Uberlieferung, Gottingen, 1980, pp. 175-181. 6) Inf., pp. 127-137. ) Inf., pp. 138-143. 5) A similar resume is found in Bhavya's Tarkajvala; see Peking Tanjur, mDo section, vol. 19 (dza), fol. 162 b 6-163 a 3 [~ Otani reprint, vol. 96, p. 67). deg) Tib. sKya-bo'i-bu for the commoner sKya-nar-gyi-bu [ Pataliputra). 10) Tib. bZan-po for the commoner bZan-ldan [~ Bhadrika). 11) Tib. de'i tshe; one would rather expect something like de'i phyi tshe "at a later time". 12) Tib. Yid-'on; for the equation see GBM VI, No.685, 11. 8-9 - Peking Kanjur, 'Dul-ba section, vol. 92 (khe), fol. 19 a 3-5 [~ Otani reprint, vol. 41, p. 9).

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Bu-ston on the Schism of the Buddhist Church 105 Others say as follows 13): "When-160 years after the teacher's passing - King Asoka had risen in the city called Puspita 14), the Arhats preached the teacher's dogma in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsa, and Paisacika, and so (their) pupils were split and came to fall) into 18 sects. As the teaching was disarrayed by various discordant views, Arhats and learned ordinary monks recapitulated (it) after coming together in the monastery of Jalandhara. At that time 300 years had gone by since the teacher's passing." In the Mahakarunapundarika 15) is found (the prophecy): "A hundred years after my passing a king named Asoka will rise in the city (of) Pataliputra in the Mura family 16) and (89 a) build 84,000 stupas for my bones in one day." And in the Prabhavati") it says: "Thereafter, when King Dharma Asvaka 18) had died, the Arhats, in order to be able to overcome the inclination for words of the Prakrit and Apabhramsa (languages) and (of) the intermediate (way of) recitation "'), changed the texts one after another so that they were similar to those in the Sutra section etc. written in the great language 20). (Thus, there came to be as many as 18 individual teachings." With (these two statements), I think, (the other two) are somewhat at variance. * Some (say as follows): "(The third recapitulation of the doctrine) was performed, as regards (its) purpose, in order to remove the doubts (entertained by) the 18 schools about what was not the word (of the Buddha); (as regards its) time, 300 years after the teacher's passing; (as regards its) place, in the land of Kashmir, (in) the monastery named Kunvana 21); (and as regards) the alms-giver, by Kaniska, king of Jalandhara. As recapitulators came together 500 Arhats - Purnika et al., 500 Bodhisattvas - Vasumitra et al., (and) 250 or 16,000 ordinary pundits. They held a recitation and recognized all 18 (texts) as the word of the Buddha)." 13) Compare the elaborate account in Bhavya's Tarkajvala, loc. cit., fol. 161 a 3-16266 [~ p. 66 sq.). 16) Or Kusumita. Cf. DPPN II, p. 179, where Pupphapura and Kusumapura are mentioned 'as two other names of Pataliputta. 15) Peking Kanjur, mDo section, vol. 65 (cu), fol. 114b4-6 [- Otani reprint, vol. 29, p. 178). 16) Tib. Mu-ra'i rigs-su, for which the Kanjur version reads Mo'u-rya'i rigs-su "in the Maurya family". 1) Peking Tanjur, mDo section, vol. 89 (hu), fol. 182 a 8-182b1 [~ Otani reprint, vol. 127, p. 127] 18) Tib. Dharma A-sva-ka, for which the Tanjur version reads Dharma A-so-ka. 19) Skr. madhyoddesa. 20) I.e. Sanskrit. Tib. rgya chen-po and its cognate rgya che-ba, literally meaning "large in range", oftenest render Skr. vistima "widespread" and udara "noble"; see LC s.vv. 21) Tib. Kun-ba-na (so read for the printed Kun-pa-na) or Ku-ba-na, as found elsewhere. The full name is given by Taranatha (p.47.17-18) as sNa-rgyan-nags-kyi gtsug-lag-khar, which, if rNa- were understood, would be Kundalavanavihara in Sanskrit. Cf. A. Schiefner, Taranatha's Geschichte des Buddhismus in Indien, St. Petersburg, 1869, p. 59, n. 4.

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Claus Vogel On the manner in which (the clergy) was split into sects at that (time), Bhavya22) says that there were two principal (sects)-the Mahasamghikas and the Sthaviras. Others") say that along with the Vibhajyavadins there were three (such sects). The Mul(asarv)astivadins 24) say (as follows): "Until the second recapitulation (of the doctrine) there was no (school) but one-the Mulasarvastivadins; thereafter, since (the doctrine) was preached in different languages, there were 17 (other schools). As regards (these other) schools, (the texts used by them) are not the teaching (of the Buddha): they are not met with in the Vinaya since they have not been recapitulated in the table of contents; they are not found in the Sutra section since they disagree with one another in meaning; they are in discord with the normal state 25) since they teach the meaning of the words otherwise. Therefore they are not the word (of the Buddha)." To (this) statement (I reply that) the texts of the 17 (other) schools are the word (of the Buddha): for the reason that they are met with in the Vinaya since they teach (superior) morality 26), that they are found in the Sutra section since they teach superior intelligence 26), [89 b] (and) that they do not disagree with the normal state since they are in concord with (the doctrine of) nirvana and teach superior wisdom 2); for the reason that they have been stamped with the three seals-(that of) the selflessness of all states of existence 27) etc.; for the reason that they let only the meaning of the Buddha's word stand foremost; for the reason that an explication (of them) has been given by the Arhats; for the reason that they too have sprung from the Buddha's blessing; and (for the reason that) in the Sutra setting forth the dream of King Krkin") they have been recognized as the word (of the Buddha), because (there) it has been said: "Great King! As regards the (fact that) in your dream you have seen 18 men pulling at a piece of cotton-cloth, (you shall know that) the teaching of Sakyamuni will be split into 18 varieties, while the cotton-cloth of his (doctrine of) liberation will not be torn." Vinitadeva and Varsaprcchapandita") posit four principal sects. Vinitadeva 30) says: 106 22) In his Tarkajvala; see Peking Tanjur, mDo section, vol. 19 (dza), fol. 163 a 2-3 [~ Otani reprint, vol. 96, p. 67]. 23) Cf. ib., fol. 162 b 1-2. 24) Excerpted and abridged from Sakyaprabha's Prabhavati; see Peking Tanjur, mDo section, vol. 89 (hu), fol. 182b2-6 [~ Otani reprint, vol. 127, p. 127]. 25) Skr. dharmata. 26) Skr. adhisila, adhicitta, adhiprajna; they constitute the three instructions (siksa). 27) Skr. sarvadharmanairatmya. 28) According to Taranatha (p. 47.15-17), this Sutra was entitled gSer-'phren-can-gyi rtogs-brjod, that is, Kancanamalavadana. Most probably it is the same as the Sumagadhavadana, which forms the 93rd Pallava of Ksemendra's Avadanakalpalata; on the episode in point see vv. 84-107, especially 93 cd and 104 cd, and its indirect rendering by G. N. Roerich, The Blue Annals, I, Calcutta, 1949, p. 26 sq. 29) According to Taranatha (p. 167. 13-14), the actual name of this author was Padma'byun-gnas-dbyans, that is, Padmakaraghosa.

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Bu-ston on the Schism of the Buddhist Church 107 "The sects of the Purva(saila)s, Apara(saila)s, Haimavatas, Lokottaravadins, and Prajnaptivadins -(this) pentad (constitutes) the Mahasamghikas. The Mulasarvas 31), the Kasyapiya sect, the Mahisasaka sect), the Dharmagupta sect, the Bahusrutiya (and) Tamrasatiya disciples, and the Vibhajyavada sect are the Sarvastivadins. The Jetavaniyas, Abhaya(giri)vasins 33), (and) Mahavihara(vasin)s (are) the Sthaviras. The sects of the Kaurukullakas, Avantakas, (and) Vatsiputriyas (are) the three individual Sammatiyas. Owing to the difference in place, intent, (and) teacher, there have come to be 18 different indi vidual (sects)." According to Varsaprcchapandita 34), the Mahasamghikas are taken to be (split into) six (sects), the Astivadins 35) (into) four, the Sammatiyas (into) five, (and) the Sthaviras (into) three. Among these (sects), the Sarvastivadins (are so called) because they say [vadanti] that the three(ness of) agglomerations, senses, (and) mental elements 36) or the three(ness of) time 37) is [asti] all (sarvam] immaterial. They are (called) Mulasarvastivadins because they speak in the Sanskrit language and (thus) form the basis [mula] from which the laws and customs of the other sects derive, just as the laws and customs of the world derive from the noble class. [90 a) (Their) teacher is stated (to have been) Rahulabhadra, a Ksatriya deeply devoted to the (three) instructions 38); (their) language, (to have been) the Sanskrit language; (their) waist-cloth, (to have been made of 25 to 29 strips 39); (and their) insignia, (to have been) a blue lotus, a white lotus, a jewel, and the leaf of a tree. As regards the Mahasamghikas, (they were called) Mahasamghikas because (theirs) was a clergy (samgha] on the one hand and this was large [mahat) on the other. (Their) teacher was Mahakasyapa, a brahmin richly endowed with the twelve) qualities of the purified man"); (their) language (was) the Prakrit language; (their) strips (were) 23 to 27; (and their) insigne (was) a conch-shell. t as the Ta dira, a Kosatclass, ou 30) 'In his Nikayabhedopadesanasamgraha; see Peking Tanjur, mDo section, vol. 90 (u), fol. 187 b 4-8 [~ Otani reprint, vol. 127, p. 257]. 31) Metrically short for "Mulasarvastivadins". 2) Read sa-ston-sde as found in the Tanjur version. On the interchange of sa-srunis-pa and sa-ston-pa see Roerich, loc. cit., p.31. 1) Read jigs-med-grias as found in the Tanjur version. >>4) In his Sramanera- and Bhiksuvarsagraprccha; see Peking Tanjur, mDo section, vol. 90 (u), fol. 79 a 4-79b1 and fol. 318 a 4-318b1[Otani reprint, vol. 127, p. 213 sq. and p. 309). 35) Metrically short for "Sarvastivadins". 36) Skr. skandha, ayatana, dhatu. Cf. BHSD p. 283. >> Past, present, future. 38) Skr. siksa; see above, n. 26. 39) Skr. pilotika; not "fringe", as Obermiller has it. For illustrations of waist-cloths made of 25, 7, and 5 strips respectively see 'Dul ba gleng 'bum, Delhi, 1970, last page. 40) Skr. dhutaguna.

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108 Claus Vogel The Sammatiyas (are so called) because they teach the method of a master honoured sammata] by many people. (Their) teacher was Upali, a Sudra strictly adhering to the Vinaya; (their) language (was) the mutilated (or) Apabhramsa language; (their) strips (were) 21 to 25; (and their) insigne (was) a Socika flower*1). As regards the Sthaviras, (they are called) Sthaviras because they say that they are (of) the (spiritual) family of the noble Sthaviras. (Their) teacher is mentioned to have been) Katya(ya)na, a Vaisya foremost in converting the borderland 42), (and their) language, (to have been) the intermediate (way of) recitation; (their) strips and insigne (are said to have been) as with the Sammatiyas.- Some take the language (of) the Mahasamghikas (to have been the language of the intermediate (way of) recitation, (that of) the Sammatiyas (to have been) the Prakrit language, (and that of) the Sthaviras (to have been) Apabhramsa. Thus the 18 (sects) show a great dissimilarity in views and (yet) follow the teaching of the teacher. Accordingly it is said "3): "On account of the difference in views alone, these (sects) have been differentiated; different (founding) teachers there are none." And 44): "As regards the teaching of the Lion of the sakyas, (that) it has thus come to be 45) (split into) 18 varieties is (the) inevitable (consequence of) 46) a former act of this lama of the world." Thus the third recapitulation (of the doctrine) was made. Then, lest ordinary monks not possessed of the (four) magic formulas *) should recite the word of the sage wrongly by proclaiming it in an enlarged or abridged form, [90 b) it was committed to writing in books. Until that 48) (time) it is said to have been recited by heart, and no written text (of it is said) to have existed. Some say that this is not true, for the reason that it has been (fore)told 49): "The son of Ajatasatru named Upa 5) will put the dogmas of 41) Unidentifiable. 42) I.e. Tibet. *5) In the Sramanera- and Bhiksuvarsagraprccha; see Peking Tanjur, mDo section, vol. 90 (u), fol. 79 a 5-6 and fol. 318 a 5 [ - Otani reprint, vol. 127, p. 213 and p. 309). -) Ib., fol.79b1-2 and fol. 318b 1-2 [~ p. 214 and p. 309), 45) Read gyur-te with the Tanjur versions. 46) Or, reading nes-pa with the Bhiksuvarsagraprccha, "is the punishment for". 4) Especially the first of these, styled dharmadharani, which enables a Bodhisattva to remember a book on simply hearing it. Cf. Bbh p. 272 sq. 48) Read de yan-chad. +9) Prose paraphrase of Mmk p.604.5-7: tasyapi suto raja ukarakhyah prakirtitah / bhavisyati tada ksipram sasanartham ca udyatah // tad etat pravacanam sastu likhapayisyati vistaram/ "His [i.e. Ajatasatru's] son in turn, known to have a name (beginning) with the letter U, will be king thereafter. Instantly striving for the doctrine, he will have this very preaching of the master written down in full." Cf. Peking Kanjur, rGyud section, vol. 12 (na), fol. 267 a 8 [~ Otani reprint, vol. 6, p. 257). 5) His full name is Udayin.

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Bu-ston on the Schism of the Buddhist Church the Buddha in writing." Others in turn think that they may have been written down even earlier, because it has been stated in the Vimalaprabha 1): "After the Exalted One had passed into complete nirvana, the recapitulators wrote down (the teachings of) the three Vehicles in books." 109 2. From his History of the Doctrine (Chos-'byun) Collected Works (gSun-'bum), vol. 24 (ya), pt. 4, fol. 130 a 2-130b2. Preliminary Remark: The following paragraph, previously put into English by E. Obermiller 2) and into Italian by A. Ferrari"), tallies in a large measure with the introduction to the Madhyavyutpatti, which was turned into Italian-partly-by A. Ferrari 54) and into German by N. Simonsson"). Again the present interpretation will be found sometimes to deviate from its predecessors. Ral-pa-can, renowned as the incarnation of Vajrapani, began his reign. at the age of 18 and erected the Chinese-roofed Nine-storeyed Palace (of) 'U-san-rdo). Previously, in the old days of the Divine Son's father, the teachers Bodhisattva, Ye-ses dban-po, Zan rGyal-nen na-bzan, and Blon Khri-bzer san-si, the lo-tsa-bas Jnanadevakosa and ICe Khyi-'brug, and the brahmins Ananda et al. had translated the word of the doctrine, (in which) there occurred many (terms) unknown in Tibet, from various (languages) such as Chinese, Khotanese, and Za-hor"), and so, because of many non-uniform terms, the doctrine (had become) difficult to study. Seeing this, he gave the following order: "The Aparantaka teachers 58) Acarya Jinamitra, Surendrabodhi, Silendrabodhi, Danasila, and Bodhimitra, the Tibetan teachers Ratnaraksita and Dharmatasila, and the learned lo-tsa-bas Jnanasena, Jayaraksita, Manjusrivarman, Ratnendrasila, et al. shall translate (directly) from the Sanskrit language of the Mahayanic and Hinayanic (scriptures) into the Tibetan language and record the (words) used as technical terms in a register. They shall never deviate from this text, and shall render (their translations) suitable to be studied by all." Moreover, after the earlier translations had been re-examined linguistically and reduced to a (new) system, he set up three individual regulations: (1) With regard to the different sects [130b] he prescribed that (works) 51) Peking Tanjur, rGyud section, vol. 12 (ka2), fol. 39b5 [~ Otani reprint, vol. 46, p. 138]. 52) Op. cit., pp. 196-197. 53) Arthaviniscaya (testo e versione), Roma, 1944, pp. 541-542. 54) Ib., pp. 540-541. 55) Indo-tibetische Studien, I, Uppsala, 1957, pp. 238-262. 56) Cf. T. V. Wylie, The Geography of Tibet according to the 'Dzam-gling-rgyas-bshad, Roma, 1962, p. 147, n. 294. 57) The dialect of Za-hor, modern Sahor pargana of Bhagalpur District in Bihar, where Atisa was born. Cf. H. Eimer, Berichte uber das Leben des Atisa (Dipamkarasrijnana), Wiesbaden, 1977, p. 13, n. 2. 58) Cf. BHSD p. 44.

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110 Claus Vogel other than Mulasarvastivada as well as mantras were not to be translated. (2) Down to bre, sran, zo 59), etc. he (had all weights) harmonized with (those of) India. (3) To every initiate he assigned seven servant households (for alms), spreading his headgear as a seat (for him and) placing the (man's) foot on his top (by way of reverence). 3. From his General Disposition of the Vinaya ('Dul-ba spyii rnam-par geag-pa) Collected Works (gSun-'bum), vol. 21 (za), pt. 1, fol.55 b 3-6. Preliminary Remark: The following passage is made known here for the first time. It was sought out by Geshe Pema Tsering, Bonn, whose constant co-operation in searching for relevant source material and verifying references is worthy of special mention in this context. In the Vinaya ..., the number of granthas (of which has been) stated to be 100,000, there are (the following): in the Agama- [i.e. Vinaya-] vibhanga, 25,000 slokas (and) 83 bam-pos; in the (Vinaya)vastu, 32,700 slokas; in the (Vinaya)ksudraka(vastu), reportedly 59 bam-pos and accordingly 18,700 slokas; in the (Vinaya-)uttamagrantha 60), 53 bam-pos (and) 15,900 slokas; (and in) the Bhiksuni(vinaya)vibhanga, when duly counted, even though (this) does not seem to be a vibhanga of the present [i.e. Mulasarvastivada] sect, 28 bam-pos (and) 8,400 slokas 61). All summed up, there are 99,700 slokas, missing 100,000 by 300 slokas 62). Though indeed some claim that the number of slokas in) the Vinayapitaka (is) 125,000, in the Agama it has been stated to be 100,000. By the master dGe-legs bsesgnen too it has been stated to be 100,000. 59) Skr. drona (11.648 kg), pala (45.5 g), karsa (11.375g). 6) Tib. ('Dul-ba) gzur dam-pa for the usual 'Dul-ba gzun bla-ma [~ Vinaya-uttaragrantha). 61) This statement was referred to, for instance, by gSer-mdog Pan-chen Sakya-mchogldan (1428-1507), one of the great scholastic luminaries of the 15th century. See his Collected Works (gSun-'bum), vol. 17 (tsa), pt. 11, fol. 10 b 5-6: dge-slon-ma-rams bam-po-ner-brgyad-pa // thams-cad-yod-smra'i 'dul-ba ma yin mod // sde-pa gzan-gyi lur-las 'chugs zes-pa // Bu-ston chen-po'i mam-dpyod rtsal-gyis bton // "The Bhiksuni(vinayavibhanga) has 28 bam-pos; it is not indeed (found in) the Vinaya of the (Mula)sarvastivadins (but has been taken over) from the Agama of another sect by mistake. The said (fact) was brought to light by the investigative skill of the great Bu-ston." 62) There is a mistake in transmission here; the numbers given in the text as it stands add up to 100,700.