Remarks On Trantristic Hermeneutics

SR No.: 269287
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ernst Steinkellner
Publisher: Ernst Steinkellner
Total Pages: 14
Language: English
Classification: Article
File Size: 2 MB

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that at least the second part of this Explanatory Tantra depends on the Pradipoddyolanii. 10 As the Derendrapariprcchū,11 one of the other Explanatorv Tantras, has not been translated into Tibetan and is therefore no longer extant, we cannot definitely estimate the degree of originality of Candrakirti in composing his exegetical system. It seems to me, however, that although we can possibly trace most of the components of his system"? to either the Explanatory Tantras or the Sadhanas13 of the school, the system as a whole might indeed have been conceived by Candrakirti. And where Candrakirti's description does not provide complete information, e.g. with regard to the names of all the categories, we may use, as Matsunaga demonstrated,14 the second part of the Vajrajñānasamuccuyatantram as a corroborative instance. Candrakirti's summary is in any case an important turning point in the development of the exegesis and hermeneutics of the Cuhyasamāja-tradition. Starting from it the formation of its different components will have to be investigated in the future, since his summary itself represents already the final culmination. .
Tantristic exegesis is the main theme of Candrakirti's introduction. After a concise summary of the “five stages” (pañcakramaḥ, rim lna) (vv. 2-6) and the motives of his following elaboration (vv. 7-10) he gives
pāda's Prart. uddy. f. 1868, Bhavyakirti's Prid. abhis. prak. f. 11264) or the "Caturde. vipariprcchā and others" (Āryadeva's Prad. tikā f. 14a8), thus corroborating Matsunaga's doubts.
10 loc. cit. pp. 838 f. and 836.
11 According to A. Wayman, (The Buddhist Tantrus. London 1973, p. 14) this text is cited in the Pradi poddyotron, but I do not know where.
sritkoţikám vyākhyānam and caturvilham ākhyānam (except for akstrarthah!) arts Extant in the first part of the Vajrajñānasamuccilyatantram (cf. Mutsunaga, loc. cit. p. 838). The nine topics of the first two "preparations", viz, u polyhātuh (comprising : samjñā, nimittım, kartā, pramā, pratyojanam) and nyāyaḥ (comprising: santānah, nudānam, niruktis, hetuh) ure rooted in the general Indian tradition of a methodology valid for the composition of śāstras and Buddhist "anthropology” respectively. The fifth (dvividhabhedah) and sixth (pañcapudgalāh) "preparations" are related to the Cureer of the tantristic adepts and although I do not know of an older list than Can. (rakirti's it seems very likely that the pañcapurlyalu-list is earlier, too. Unfortunately I cannot give more information at this time for luck of more specific research. The ser. enth (saty dvayavinirnayah) is only of summarizing function (cf. Prad v. 51).
13 The Pindikytasādhanam (P 2661; = Pindikramasādhanani) contains the utpattikramah, the Prñcakraniah (P 2667) the utpannakramah of the school. For the Sanskrit texts cf. PKr.
* loc. cit. pp. 8:39 f.
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