Book Reviews Of Mahayana Buddhist Meditation

SR No.: 269303
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: J W De Jong
Publisher: J W De Jong
Total Pages: 9
Language: English
Classification: Article
File Size: 716 KB

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BOOK REVIEWS
second part is based on the Tibetan siddhānta literature and the works of Tson kha pa. According to the author "To attempt to reconstruct the thought of Nāgārjuna set forth in the Karikās and other treatises without the writings of Tson kha pa would probably be as thankless a task as to attempt to reconstruct the metaphysics of Aristotle without the works of Thomas Aquinas" (p. 38). This is an astounding statement. Thomas Aquinas had no access to the Greek texts of Aristotle's works which he knew only from Latin translations from the Greek original or from the Arabic. Moreover, in common with other scholars of his time he accepted as genuine works which had been wrongly attributed to Aristotle. Tson kha pa and the Tibetan authors of Grub mtha's were better informed about Indian Buddhist philosophy than Thomas Aquinas was with regard to the philosophy of Aristotle. It is certainly very instructive to study the works of Tson kha pa and the Grub mtha's but this requires a very good knowledge of Indian Buddhist texts in the Sanskrit original and in Tibetan translation. Elvin W. Jones seems to consider it superfluous to consult original Sanskrit texts with the inevitable consequence of obscuring the meaning of passages quoted by him. For instance, on p. 32 he translates a passage from the first Bhāvanākrama: yasmäd yad advayalaksanam [jñānam] advayavādinām śreştham paramārthenäbhimatam tad api nirātmakam niņsvabhāvam advayanirābhāsena jñānena paśyati yogi. Jones translates: "Thus, that understanding of nonduality which is held by the consciousness doctrine (Vijñānavāda] as the highest truth is empty, and by the wisdom of the unmanifest [nirabhașa (sic!)] the yogin comes to see this nonduality as ultimately unreal." One wonders what a non-informed reader can make out of this 'wisdom of the unmanifest.' The same passage has been translated by Kajiyama in his article (p. 140) in which he explains clearly the meaning of advayanirābhāsam jñānam. One must add that a rather random collection of quotations from a great number of texts, even if correctly translated, is not the best way to explain difficult philosophical notions.
The same preference for Tibetan commentaries can be found in an article by Charlene McDermott on 'Yogic Direct Awareness as Means of Valid Cognition in Dharmakirti and Rgyal-tshab' (pp. 144-166). The author is inspired by Richard Robinson's remarks on "Tibet's rich contribution to world cultural ecology.” Charlene McDermott's article is of little help in understanding Rgyal-tshab's commentary, of which only very few passages are quoted. As an example of her interpretation of Rgyal-tshab (his work is not at my disposal) it is sufficient to quote one passage: slob dpon chos muchog gi gsung nas. Ihang tsher gyis bar du chod pa bzhin du. sgom bya'i don mthong ba de ni rab kyi mtha’i gnas skabs yin la. lag mthil du she (sic) sgong bzhag pa bzhin du mthong ba ni mngon sum yin no zhes gsung ngo (cf. n. 43). The author translates: "According to what is said by the teacher Dharmottara, [at first it is] as if (one's view] were obstructed by [a cloud) of mica; in the state (or condition] approaching the extreme limits,
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