The Buddha Within - Tathagatagarbha Doctrine

438 Pages·1992·20.632 MB·English

by  S K Hookham

Bibliotheca Indo-Buddhica Series-No. 104
The Buddha Within
Tathagatagarbha Doctrine According to the Shentong
Interpretation of the, Ratnagotravibhaga
S. K. Hookham
SRI SATGURU PUBLICATIONS
A Division of
INDIAN BOOKS CENTRE
DELHI-INDIA
Published by:
SRI SATGURU PUBLICATIONS
Indological And Oriental Publishers
A Division of
Indian Books Centre
40/5, Shakti Nagar~
Delhi-11 0007
(INDIA)
© 1991 State Universtiy of New York
All Rights Reserved
The Publication of this Book in India is made by permission of
State University of New York Press.
First Indian Edition : Delhi 1992
ISBN 81-7030-309-5
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Printed at:
D.K. Fine Art Press, Delhi.
PRINTED IN INDIA
This work is dedicated to my parents, my husband,
all my Dharma friends,
and in particular to Michael Lear.
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments xiii
Yogin Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso's Spontaneous Verses on the
Subject of Rangtong and Shentong xv
Chapter 1: General Introduction
The Omniscient Dolpopa's Prayer that Unties the
· Vajra Word Knots 5
Section One-The Issues 9
Chapter 2: Introduction tO the Rangtong-Shentong Distinction 11
2.1 The Origin and Significance of Buddhist Commentarial
Traditions · 11
2.2 The Rangtong/Shentong Distinction l3
2.3 The Meaning of Rangtong 14
2.4 The Meaning of Shentong 15
2.5 The Importance of the Rangtong-Shentong Distinction 16
Chapter 3: Emptiness from the Shentong Point of View 19
3.1 Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness 19
3.2 The Final Stage-Shentong (Yogacara Madhyamaka) 22
3.3 No Shentong Withou~ a Proper Understanding of Rangtong 26
3.4 Problems of Definitions of Terms · 29
Chapter 4: The Shentong View of Absolute Reality 33
4. I Buddhajnana 33
4.2 Inseparable Qualities 37
i. Inseparable Qualities of the Dharmakaya 38
ii. The Concept of Uncpmpoundedness 44
iii. Inseparability and the Spontaneous Existence of the
Buddha Qualities 47
4.3. Buddha Activity 51
Chapter 5: Means of Apprehending Absolute Reality 57
5.1 Faith 57
i. Faith and Buddhajnana 57
ii. Faith and Direct Experience 60
iii. Direct Experience as Valid Cognition 63
5.2 Non-conceptuality (nisprapanca) 65
i. Nisprapanca as Awareness Experienced in Meditation 65
ii. Nisprapanca as Freedom from Extremes 71
iii. Nisprapanca as Non-conceptuality in the RGV [1. 9] 73
iv. Nisprapanca in the Tantras 77
vn
VIII The Buddha Within
5.3 The Two Realities and the Two Visions 79
i. Satya 79
ii. Paramarthasatya 79
iii. Samvrtisatya 81
iv. Ultimate Reality is not Dependent Arising 82
v. Own Nature and Other Nature (Svabhava and
Parabhava) 82
vi. The Two Realities Inseparable 83
vii. The Two Senses of Manifestation and Emptiness 85
viii. The Importance of the Distinction 85
ix. The Relationship Between the Two Realities 87
x. The Two Visions-Precisely What Is and the Extent
of What Is (Yathavadbhavikata and Yavadbhavikata) 87
Chapter 6: The Nature of Beings 91
6.1 Base, Path and Fruit 91
6.2 Tathagatagarbha 94
i. The Shentong and Rangtong Approaches Compared 94
ii. The Term "Tathagatagarbha" 99
6.3 Self 100
6.4 Gotra 104
i. The 'Cut-off Gotra and the Three Yanas 105
ii. Gotra as both Cause and Emptiness 108
Chapter 7: The Third Dharmacakra: Neyartha or Nitartha 113
7 .I The Third Dharmacakra ' 11 3
i. The Three Dharmacakras Il3
ii. The Third Dharmacakra as Nitartha Il4
iii. Kongtrul's Distinction Between the Two Kinds of
Nitartha Sutra of the Third Dharmacakra 117
iv. Dolpopa's Analysis 121
v. The Third Dharmacakra is Not Cittamatra 122
7.2 Neyartha and Nitartha 124
i. Rangtong Explanations of Neyartha and Nitartha 124
ii. The Terms "Neyartha" and "Nitartha" 126
iii. The Ratnagotravibhaga-Neyartha or Nitartha? 127
Section Two-Historical Background 133
Chapter 8: The Shentong Tradition 135
8.1 The Jonangpas 135
i. The Jonangpa Lineage 135
ii. Some Opponents and Supporters of Shentong 136
iii. The Mountain Dharma--Pcean of Nitartha (Ri
chos nges don rgya mtsho, RC) 136
Contents IX
iv. Comparison With Later Shentongpas 140
v. The Essence of the Controversy 141
vi. Shentong is Secret Oral Instruction 142
8.2 Sources of Shentong 143
i. The Tibetan Inheritance 143
ii. Some of Dolpopa's Indian Sources of Shentong 147
iii. Other Views on the Indian Sources of Shentong 149
iv. The Brhattika 151
v. Nagarjuna's Stotra and Karikas 154
vi. How Shentong Relates to Later Developments of
Buddhism in India 156
vii. The Term "Great Madhyamaka" 157
viii. Tantric Shentong 159
8.3 Kongtrul and the Rimay Tradition 161
i. Kongtrul 161
ii. The Rimay Tradition 162
Chapter 9: Traditions of Interpretation of the RGV and ·
RGVV 165
9.1 Introduction to the Ratnagotravibhaga and
Ratnagotravibhagavyakhya and Associated Traditions. 165
i. Authorship and Rediscovery 165
ii. Maitreya 166
iii. The Importance of the Maitreya-Asanga Connection 167
iv. The RGV as a Synthesis of the Tathagatagarbha
Sutras and the Prajnaparamita Sutras 169
v. The Vyakhya (RGVV) 171
vi. Transmission to Tibet 171
9.2 Matters Arising from the Introduction to Kongtrul's
Commentary on the RGV. 172
i. The Two Tibetan Transmission Lineages of the RGV 172
ii. Questions Arising from Kongtrul's Commentary 173
iii. Other Commentators Not Mentioned in the Initial
Praises 175
iv. Gampopa and the Sutra and Tantra Mahamudra 176
v. Rangjung Dorje and the Mahamudra-Dzogchen
Synthesis 178
Section Three-A Shentong Interpretation of the RGV
and RGVV and a Translation of Kongtrul's Introduction
to His RGV Commentary 179
Chapter 10: A Shentong Interpretation of the RGV and
RGVV-A Paraphrase With Comments 181
10 .I The Title and its Implications 181
x The Buddha Within
10.2 Genera! Introduction to the Seven Vajra Bases 182
10.3 Vajra Bases 1-3: The Three Jewels 186
10.4 Vajra Base 4: The Dhatu (Element) 192
Causes and Conditions for Purification 192
The Four Paradoxes 193
The Three Reasons 196
The Element Arranged in Ten Points 198
The Nine Examples 221
The Essence of the Doctrine 229
The Purpose of 'the Instruction 233
10.5 Vajra Base 5: Enlightenment 235
10.6 Vajra Base 6: Qualities 249
10.7 Vajra Base 7: Activity 252
10.8 The Benefits 260
Chapter 11: Translation of the Introduction to Kongtrul's
RGV Commentary 263
Chapter 12: Conclusion 289 ·
Appendix 1: Works by Western Scholars ·295
Appendix 2: Prakrtisunyata, Svabhavasunyata and
Parabhavasunyata in Rangtong and Shentong Terms 299
Appendix 3: Further Details on the Three Svabhava and
the Three Kinds of Emptiness as Found in the SNS 303
Appendix 4: The Sandhinirmocanasutra: Resume 311
Appendix 5: Some Points of'Coniparison Between
Rangtong Commentators on RGV 317
Appendix 6: The Five Dharmas of Maitreya 325
Abbreviations· 327
Notes 329
Conventions Used 363
Glossary of Terms 364
Bibliography 367