Second Chapter Of Bhavyas Madhyamakahrdaya

Author(s): V V Gokhale
Publisher: V V Gokhale
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/269331/1

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THE SECOND CHAPTER OF BHAVYA'S MADHYAMAKAHRDAYA* (Taking the Vow of an Ascetic) by V. V. GOKHALE Poona It has not yet been generally recognised that the Madhyamikas, who are known to have a strong predilection for the logic of language and a metaphysics of transcendence, and who accept the traditional analysis of mind and matter current among the Vaibhasikas, also possess a strong streak of asceticism and a passion for ethics oriented towards the Bodhisattva idealism. Coming later in the Madhyamika tradition Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara is an outstanding example of this ethical trend, but even before him Acarya Bhavaviveka (or Bhavya, as we call him here), the commentator of Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka and presumably a younger rival of Buddhapalita, is seen to give prominence to this aspect of the Madhyamika view of life by placing in the forefront of his independent treatise, called the Madhyamakahrdaya (The Heart of the Madhyamaka Philosophy) two chapters, called: I. Bodhicittaparityaga (Not surrendering the Spirit of the Highest Wisdom) and II. Munivratasamasraya (Taking the Vow of an Ascetic) before explaining at length his own special method of forming syllogisms that should lead to the conviction regarding the absolute Reality in Chapter III, called Tattvajnanaisana (Quest for Truth). In an article on "The Vedanta-Philosophy described by Bhavya in his Madhyamakahrdaya" published in the Indo-Iranian Journal, Vol. II (1958), Nr. 3, pp. 165-190 (jointly with Prof. Hajime Nakamura, Tokyo). I have already briefly indicated in footnote 1 the general nature of this work of Bhavya as gathered from a hasty handcopy of a palm-leaf manuscript made by Pandit Rahula Samkrtyayana at the Zha.lu monastery in Tibet. There it will be seen, that after the third chapter, viz., Tattvajnanaisana, Bhavya is occupied with a critical examination of non-Madhyamika schools, firstly among the Buddhists themselves, viz., * Paper read at the 28th International Congress of Orientalists, Canberra, on 7.1.1971, slightly enlarged and revised on 3.2.1971.

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THE SECOND CHAPTER OF BHAVYA's Madhyamakahrdaya the Sravakayanists and the Yogacaras in Chapters IV and V respectively, and then among the non-Buddhists, viz., the Samkhyas, the Vaisesikas, the Vedantins and the Mimamsakas from Chapters VI to IX - all these Chapters forming as it were an amplification of the principles and methods expounded by him at great length in his crucial chapter III, Tattvajnanaisana. The tail-end consists of two smaller chapters, viz., X. Sarvajnatasiddhinirdesa (which is preserved barely in one and a half verse of the Sanskrit original and the Tibetan version of which refers to the Jaina doctrine of Sarvajnata (omniscience) and XI. Stutilaksananirdesa, which completes this work of Bhavya, so to say his magnum 41 opus. That the first three chapters formed the nucleus of his enlarged and complete treatise as we have it before us, is borne out by the following two verses from Chapter I, Bodhicittaparityaga, which follow immediately after the preliminary salutation to the Buddha in the first three verses. They run thus: 1.4 .5 mahabodhau krtadhiyam pararthodayadiksaya | tattvamrtavadharaya saktitah kimcid ucyate || Bodhicittaparityago Munivratasamasrayah Tattvajnanaisana ceti carya sarvarthasiddhaye || With whatever ability I possess, I venture here to say a few words to guide the comprehension (of those who hold different views) in respect of that nectarlike Truth (tattvamrta) - that Truth, which was revealed by those, who, having taken a vow to work for ever for the benefit of others, dedicated all their powers of understanding to the attainment of the Great Wisdom. Nonsurrender of the Spirit of the Highest Wisdom, Taking the Vow of an Ascetic, and a Quest for Truth - this threefold course of conduct (carya) leads to the fulfilment of the entire purpose of life (sarvarthasiddhi). Hereafter follows an exposition of the Bodhicitta, which forms the subject-matter of the First Chapter, Bodhicittaparityaga. Thus, these two stanzas quote the titles of the first three Chapters, describing the ethical ideals and the logical method prescribed by Bhavya in his Madhyamakahrdaya (containing nearly a thousand verses, of which well over one third part is occupied by the Third Chapter alone). I have already pointed out (in note 1, referred to above, to my said article in the IIJ, II), that an independent treatise called Tattvajnanamrtavatara could be regarded as the earlier nucleus of the enlarged Madhyamakahrdaya and that it contained only the three chapters, which have been mentioned in the above two stanzas by their titles. The de

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V. V. GOKHALE scription of the Absolute Reality as tattva (among Buddhist philosophers) seems to have come in vogue at least since the days of Harivarman's Tattvasiddhi - The restoration of this title as: Satyasiddhi by Ui and other scholars is hardly justified by its Chinese translation ( )-and it continused to be favoured by positivistic thinkers like Santaraksita in his Tattvasamgraha. Bhavya himself likes to call it the tattvajnanamsta (the Nectar of Truth) in various contexts in his present treatise, e.g., III.136 ... niratmatam, vidyan vibhavya bhavanam tattvajnanamstam pibet // ; V. 1 Anye pracaksate dhirah svanitav abhimaninah / tattvamstavataro hi Yogacarah sudesitah //; VIII.94 (= Tib. 86) Buddhanam lokabandhunam tattvamstam idam param 1). Moreover, the title Tattvajnanamrtavatara is authenticated in the colophon to Chapter III, so that there should be no doubt, that we have this small tractate of three chapters here incorporated within the larger treatise called Madhyamakahrdaya. Out of the three Chapters of this Tattvajnanamstavatara, the first two, as mentioned at the outset, deal with the ethical idealism of the Madhyamikas while the third deals with the Madhyamaka philosophy, set forth in the style of the Svatantrika logic, which appears to represent Bhavya's own contribution to Indian philosophy. In the present article, I propose to edit the Sanskrit text of the Second chapter. It contains only twelve stanzas and is (after Tib. versions) the smallest among all the chapters of the Madhyamakahrdaya except the very last one, which contains only three stanzas. While in the first chapter Bhavya speaks about the "Non-relinquishment of the Bodhicitta", in the Second chapter he speaks in positive terms about the acceptance of the vow of an ascetic.. The text, corrected in the light of the Tibetan versions, runs as follows: Chapter II: Munivratasamasraya (Taking the Vow of an Ascetic) Evam drdhamahabodhisamadano jagad-dhite/ Pratirupam pratipadam pratipanno virajate // Having thus gone in for a resolute acceptance of the (vow, in respect of the) Great Wisdom for the sake of the good of the world, and having established himself in the Right Path (pratirupa pratipad), he is covered with glory. Sa maitryal 'pratighatinya karunyena prasarpina / Saddharmadhigamatrpto dharmadane vimatsarah // 1 The avagraha is missing in the Mc (= manuscript copy).

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THE SECOND CHAPTER OF BHAVYA'S Madhyamakahrdaya suga 43 With his love (maitri), which (always protects and) never injures, and the development in him of a feeling of compassion (karunya), he is insatiable in his greed for knowledge of the Good Law, and is far from sparing in his religious gifts. Rjuna'hatamanena manasa tattvadarsina / Paradoseksanandhena svadosapattibhiruna // With a mind, straightforward and devoid of self-conceit, he visualises the Absolute Truth, and while turning a blind eye towards the sins of others, he is anxious about himself falling into the merest) error. Vivadalokasamsargalokayatapararmukhah / Nirgune 'pi gunadhanapratatya'sramsitadarah // He turns his back on (all kinds of) disputations, on social contagion and on (those confounding sophists belonging to) the Lokayata cult, and his faith in the continuous generation (pratati) of virtue in (the minds of) even those who are devoid of all virtue, is unswerving (asramsita). 5 . Krpodbhutena danena sarvajnatvagataspshah" / Sarvasya janakayasya sarvaduhkhopasantaye // While practising charity out of (sheer) commiseration (krpa), he creates in himself a desire for omniscience (only) for the sake of pacifying all the miseries of the entire world of living beings. 6 . Silamalajalasnayi ksamasitapavitrakah / Viryabaddhajatabharo dhyana'jnanaparayanah || He takes his (holy) bath as it were in the pure waters of Morality (sila); Patience (ksama) is as it were the white ring of hemp on his finger (pavitraka); he has tied up his matted hair, representing as it were his Fortitude (virya); and he has dedicated himself to contemplation (dhyana) and knowledge. Samunmisitadhinetrah sastra lokajnatapatuh / Hrira'patrapyavasanah sauratya$tanubandhanah // * Mc. reads ajnana-, but Tib. dran = upright, honest, straightforward (explained in the Commentary (i.e. Tarkajvala) as 'without deceit'). 8 Mc. reads -pratata-, which may be corrected as above following the Tib. ...yon. tan.gyil rgyun.rnams.skye.bar.rtag.tu.gus//. 4 The Tarkajvala here discusses the question: "If charity is given with a desire for omniscience, how could the donor be disinterested (phalasarahitah)?". 5 Mc. shows a gap of three syllables as: -na, which is filled in as above after Tibetan readings. 6 The Tarkajvala explains the word sastra in the same way as the famous stanza: Yac chasti vah klesaripun asesan, santrayate durgatito bhavac cal etc. variously attributed to Arya Deva or Vasubandhu (see my article on the "Pancaskandhaka by Vasubandhu and its commentary by Sthiramati", ABORI, Vol. XVIII, pt. iii (1937), p. 283, note 1). ? Mc, reads hripatrapya-. (Cf. Siksasamuccaya (Bendall), p. XVII, quoting Whitney, 1250f., cf. Pan. VI. iii. 25 for the retention of the nominative form in the compound word). 8 For sauratya see Mhvy. 1115, 6597 (Sakaki); Siksasamuccaya, p. 183 etc.

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10 44 V. V. GOKHALE With his eye of intelligence wide opened and his skill in theoretical as well as practical matters, he puts on his garments of modesty and bashfulness as it were, and he wears a girdle as it were of dignified softness (sauratya) around his waist. Krpakssnajinadharah sraddha 'malakamandaluh / Smstiguptendriyadvaro dhstivetrasanasanah // Wearing the dark deerskin as a symbol of) Commiseration (krpa) and having a spotlessly clean water-jug (kamandalu) in the form of Faith (sraddha), and with the gates of his senses guarded as it were by constant awareness (smrti), he has his seat on the reed-mat of Endurance (dhrti). Mahayanalomaharamyatapovanasamasrayah / . Dhyanapritiphalaharah smotyupasthanagocarah // He has his dwelling in the luxurious forest-hermitage of Mahayana (Superior Career), where he nourishes himself upon the fruits of happiness, born of Meditation; and the sphere of his actions is represented by the location of (the four kinds of) Mindfulness (smotyupasthana). Gambhirodarasutrantallsvadhyayahatakilbisah / Pratityotpadasavitriml2 japan satyadvayasrayam13 || He has destroyed all his sins by giving oral instruction (svadhyaya) in the Sutranta-texts, which are profound and extensive, while chanting to himself as it were the Hymn to the Sun (Savitri) in the form of the Chain of Causation (Pratityasamutpada), founded upon the twofold aspect of Truth. Varnalhyaih pratipat14 puspaih sarvadiggandhavahibhih / Upasinas tv aharahah samyaksambuddhabhaskaram15 // And day after day he worships the Sun, who is the Perfectly Enlightened One (Samyaksambuddha), with flowers in the form of his achievements (pratipatpuspa), which waft their fragrance in all directions and are rich with (colorful) praise (varna). 12 Hutakusalasankalpah pratisamkhyanapavake Munivratam cared evam anuttarapadaptaye // Munivratasamasrayaparicchedah dvitiyah // Having sacrificed all undesirable notions in the fire of reflexion (pratisamkhyana), one has to live an ascetic life of this type for reaching the summit, where there is nothing beyond. End of Chapter Two on Taking the Vow of an Ascetic. 11 . Mc. reads suddha-, but Tibetan has dad. pal. 10 Mc. reads nastanga- for Mahayana-. 11 Tarkajvala explains Sutranta as texts like the Prajnaparamita. 12 Tarkajvala: Savitri, because the Buddha is called the Sun (Savita). (See verse 11 below: sambuddhabhaskarah; also Suttanipata 457, 568; Vinaya I, 246 etc.). 13 Mc. reads -srayat/. 14 Pratipat = Tibetan bsgrub.pa; Cf. LVP's L'Abhidharmakosa, VII, p. 32 n. etc. 15 Mc. reads-bhaskarah //.

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THE SECOND CHAPTER OF BHAVYA's Madhyamakahrdaya 45 In the above, Bhavya has before him the picture of a fully accoutred Muni of the Brahmanical tradition - a Muni with his matted hair, deerskin, water-jug, girdle, reed-mat, sacrificial fire, Sun-worship and whatnot, all of which he seems to admire, if not envy. In poetical flourishes these are described as symbolic of the Mahayanic virtues, like those of the Paramitas (sila, ksama, virya, dhyana), learning and practical wisdom combined with modesty, mercifulness, faith, alertness, endurance and divine service. The central conception of his Madhyamika philosophy is represented by the Pratityasamutpada formula of 'Dependent Origination' in both its aspects, viz., that of samvrti (phenomenal reality) and paramartha (the Absolute Reality) - a formula, regarded by him as a substitute for the Savitri (or Gayatri) mantra of the Brahmanic Muni. Actually, the Buddhist Muni described here is not exactly an ascetic, but a sage or holy man in a wider sense, reminding us of the simple and straightforward description of him in the Munisutta of the Pali Suttanipata 12, or even that of the Sthitaprajna-yogin of the Bhagavadgita II. It is perhaps not altogether without reason that the Prasangika Madhyamikas, whose traditions coming through Buddhapalita and Candrakirti still dominate the ruling Tibetan Buddhism today, regard the Svatantrika Bhavya as a sort of misfit. His general acceptance of the principles of formal logic, as established by the founders of Nyaya, his sympathies with the Jaina view of omniscience and to a certain extent with the monistic illusionism of the early Vedantins, and his systematic study of the contemporary philosophical doctrines, Buddhist and non-Buddhist, with a view to examine them critically and refute them from the point of view of the Nagarjunian Madhyamaka as understood by him mark him out as a learned man of compromise as well as a keen and resourceful proselytiser. Bhavya's real contribution to Buddhist philosophy, however, is his initiation of the Svatantrika method, which he has illustrated at length in the third chapter of his Madhyamakahrdaya, viz., Tattvajnanaisana, as noted above, and which came to be appreciated by later Buddhist philosophers, like Santaraksita. Special attention has already been drawn to this third chapter in Sanskrit by Prof. Shotaro lida (Vancouver), who in his Dissertation, submitted to the Wisconsin University (U.S.A.) on "An Introduction to the Svatantrika Madhyamika" (1968) has utilized a part of it for drawing his own conclusions.