Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 100

10
CONCEPTION OF MAYĀ (Illusion) IN ASANGA'S
VIJNĀNAVĀDA BUDDHISM
Asanga (circa 290-360 AD) is one of the outstanding philosophical personalities in the history of Mahāyāna Buddhism. His contribution to Vijaanavāda School of thought is unparalleled in the annals of Buddhist history. There is no Buddhist topic which is left untouched by him in his works, 9 In fact, one of his works namely Mahāyānasütrālankāra' is a landmark in the development of Mahāyāna Buddhism, which also throws full light on Absolutism of Vijñanavāda.
It is a well-known fact in the history of Mahāyāna Buddhism that Nāgārjuna-the chief exponent of Madhyamika philosophy-adopts a purely negative approach to Reality and defines it as that which can only be directly realised, that which is quiscent, inexpressible, that which is non-discursive and non-dual. 8 Absolute reality is Sūnya, i.e., beyond subject-object duality, inderminate, indescribable and cannot be even identified with pure consciousness. The word Šünya is used to indicate this Absoluie Reality, 4 But it seems that Nāgārjuna emphasizing the transcendental aspect of the Absolute, failed to show the proper relation between the Absolute and the phenomena. He does not analyse how this absolute is related to the phenomenal world. His extreme negative approach is misunderstood by his oponents and consequently he is dubbed as a propagator of nibilism in his own time.5 But shortly after Nāgārjuna, some of the Mahāyāna thinkers revolted against the negative stand point of his and started thinking in a more positive way by identifying the Absolute Reality with pure consciousness and established their own independent school of thought known as Vijñānavada. 1. Indian Buddhism-A. K. Warder, Pub. Motilal Banarasidass, Delhi-7, 1970, p. 436. 2. Many works are ascribed to Asanga, but Madhyanta vibhanga, Mahayanasūtra.
lankara and Dharmadharmatavibhanga are very important from philosophical
point of view. 3. Aparapratyayam Santam prapancairaprapancitam. Nirvikalpam anänărtham etat
tatt vasya laksanam. Madhyamakaśāstra (Ms) XVIII-9, ed. P. L. Vaidya. Mithila
Institute, Darbhanga, 1960. 4. Prajfaptyartham tu kathyate -Ibid, XXI1-11. S. Vigrahayyavartani-by Nagarjuna, ed. K. P. Jayaswal and Rabula Sankrityayapu
Pub. Journal of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society, Vol. XXIII, Part-III, 1939.