Agam 05 Ang 05 Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra

SR No.: 001628
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jozef Deleu
Publisher: DE Tempel Brugge
Publication Year: 1970
Total Pages: 372
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Agam, Canon, & agam_bhagwati
File Size: 19 MB

Page 23

to a spatially higher stage of existence. That is why the topic is treated in separate Uvavāya- (XXXI) and Uvvattanā-sayas (XXXII). Probably that is also why in this first application of quaternary calculation only H are concerned', i.e. those beings within the circle of samsāra that occupy the spatially lowest stage in which rebirth and from which ‘rising' is possible.
Now, in the same way as XXIV (rebirth of all kinds of beings) was added to XXI-XXIII (rebirth in the vegetal world), this topic has been enlarged upon in XXXV-XL where quaternary calculation has been applied to the rebirth in and from all stages of existence of one-sensed beings up to five-sensed beings both unconscious and conscious, among the latter consequently also the H already treated separately in XXXI-XXXII. However, in this general survey the notion khudda-jumma could not be used further since, as we know from XX 103, one-sensed beings are akai-samciya, which means that an indefinite number of them simultaneously (within one, i.e. within every single, samaya) enter another stage of existence, an 'indefinite number' in the same text being defined as consisting of at least several groups of six, twelve and eighty-four beings. Since 'small numbers' also include one, two, three etc.—all beings except Al can indeed enter another existence separately etc.-it is evident that another kind of numbers, 'great numbers' (mahājumma), had to be used. Of course after the separate treatment of the topic from the points of view 'small' and 'great number' the whole had once more to be summed up in a survey starting from the general notion ‘number', rāsī-jumma, in XLI.
Such an exhaustive, albeit at the start purely mathematical, treatment of rebirth cannot be made without taking into account not only the more technical aspects of the transition from one state of existence to another but also such essential notions as the binding of karman, orthodoxy, lessā, capability of salvation, position within the dark or light half [of samsāra)', quantity of life and degree of development. Most of these topics connect XXVI-XLI with the last uddesas of XXV; moreover, some of
10 The ref. to Pannav. cannot mean that AMG are also meant here since in udd. 2-4 of XXXI-XXXII only the three worst lessäs are taken into account.
21