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THE DOCTRINE OF LIBERATION IN INDIAN RELIGIONS
sciousness merged in the plane of complete quiescence."40
According to the Abhidharmika thinkers, everybody must try for his own nirvana (mukti) as one's main aim is to attain liberation and one should not worry for others. This shows narrow outlook of the Hinayānists. Had this been the main aim of everybody to try for his own liberation, Lord Buddha would not have preached Dharma. Mahāyāna thinkers objected to this narrow outlook of Hinayāna schools. The Mahāyāna ideal is described thus in a verse of the Sikşāsamuccaya, “when fear and pain are hateful to me as to my fellow-beings, what distinguishes my own self that I protect it and not others?''41 The Bodhisattva ideal stresses the necessity of working for the liberation of all beings. A true Bodhisattva gives even his own merits (punya) for removing the pain of others and for the liberation of all living beings.
MAHĀYĀNA INTERPRETATION OF NIRVĀŅA
According to Mahāyāna Lord Buddha propounded two truths. One was conventional or empirical truth (samvștti) and the other absolute Truth (paramārthasatya). One should understand the distinction between the two, as conventional truth is ultimately unreal and false whereas the absolute Truth is the real and the ultimate.
To the question 'what is the use of conventional truth if it is unreal and false?' the Mahāyānist answer is that, that which is unreal is also conventional and it is a means to attain the absolute Truth. It is said that yyavahārasatya is the means, paramārthasat ya is the goal. According to Nāgārjuna, “the absolute truth is not apart from the conventional behaviour and without reaching the absolute Truth, one cannot obtain peace.”:42 According to the Mādhyamikas, it is impossible so speak about the absolute Truth. To say something about the Truth means to determine it, to make the absolute relational.
“The unconditioned" is ultimately not different from "the conditioncd world.” Both fall under the jurisdiction of "dependent origination” (pratitya-samutpāda) understood as Emptiness (śünyatā). 43 The term Emptiness has been used from two standpoints : “Empirically it means Relativity (pratītya-samutpāda) which is phenomena (samsāra),
40. G.C. Pande, op.cit., p. 447. 41. Sikşasamuccaya, verse 1. Tr. by L.M. Joshi, 42. Madhyamakaśāstra, XXIV. 10. 43. Frederick J. Streng, Emptiness --A Study in Religious Meaning, p. 69.
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