Category Archives: Dependent Origination EN

Dharmakirti: Pramanavartika

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PRAMANAVARTIKA by Acharya Dharmakirti (7th Century CE)

Chapter Two: Establishing the Reliable Guide

“The One who transformed into the Supreme Reliable Guide, Being motivated by altruism to benefit sentient beings,

The Teacher, Sugata, and Protector

To You, I make prostrations.

I will compile into one from all those scattered treatises of mine In order to establish valid cognition.”

Opening words of salutation to the Compassionate Buddha,

Acharya Dignaga’s Pramanasamuchaya ‘Compendium of Treatises on Valid Cognition’

These profound words of salutation, penned by Acharya Dignaga (6th Cent. CE), who was considered to be the father of Buddhist logic, were perceived as sublime by Acharya Dharmakirti (7th Cent. CE), himself a great logician and philosopher saint. On apprehending them, the desire arose in Acharya Dharmakirti to be involved in the salutation passage, and thereby inspired him to compose an entire chapter based on them (Chapter Two of Pramanavartika). The chapter reveals a plethora of rich and intricate principles of logic and epistemology that underscore the salient features of Buddhist metaphysical thought, on critical topics such as rebirth, efficacy of nirvana and Buddhahood and so forth, which otherwise would forever have remained concealed. Pramanavartika, especially its second chapter, has tremendous implications for the practice of Buddhism. An understanding of it convinces the practitioner of the rationality underlying the teachings of the Buddha, and consequently, advances her practice to a deeper level. Continue reading »

Nagarjuna: In Praise of the Transcendental

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Nagarjuna: Without entering the meditation As shown by the Noble Ones Can consciousness ever become signless?

Nagarjuna: In Praise of the Transcendental

HYMN TO [THE BUDDHA,] THE WORLD TRANSCENDENT by Nagarjuna

Sanskrit title: Lokatistava

Tibetan title: ‘jig rten las ‘das par bstod pa (jigten ley depar toepa)

Homage to Manjushri!

1 I bow to you, the world transcendent,

You who’re versed in the gnosis of absence.

For the benefit of the world

You’ve suffered long with great compassion.

2 That apart from the mere aggregates

No sentient being exists, you uphold.

Yet, great sage, you continue to remain

Perfectly immersed in the welfare of beings.

3 Wise one, you’ve declared to the intelligent ones

That aggregates too are comparable

To an illusion, a mirage, Continue reading »

Nagarjuna: The Heart of Interdependent Origination

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The Heart of Interdependent Origination

Nagarjuna’s Commentary to The Heart of Interdependent Origination

An Introduction to Nagarjuna’s Heart of Interdependent Origination

All Buddhist schools have denied the existence of the self as an identical permanent and immutable substance which experiences the results of former actions. They have also universally rejected the notion of a supreme god. They have however accepted the relative reality of pre-existence and subsequent rebirth as well as the provisional efficiency of actions (Karma). Those who adhere to the doctrine of the self have opposed this view, because as they contend, denial of an identical permanent and immutable self controverts the efficiency of actions and the doctrine of rebirth. The Buddhist schools have replied to this objection with the doctrine of Interdependent Origination. The doctrine of Interdependent Origination has been expounded at length by the Buddha in numerous discourses, most notably in the Salistambasutra (1) wherein the famous and often cited example of the Interdependent Origination of the sprout appears.

Commentaries to the discourse were composed by Buddhist masters, such as Nagarjuna and Kamalashila. As the Madhyamaka system is based upon an interpretation of Interdependent Origination, this doctrine has been central to its inception and development. Nagarjuna, the foremost exponent of the Madhyamaka, has written extensively on the subject of Interdependent Origination. Among his works are counted his commentary to the Salistambasutra, Aryasalistambakarikanamamahayanastratika and the twentysixth chapter of The Foundation Stanzas of the Middle Way, and its commentary the Dvadasangaparikanamamahaynasauatiprakara as well as The Heart of Interdependent Origination and its autocommentary. Continue reading »

Nagarjuna: Sunyatasaptati

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SUNYATASAPTATI

by

Arya Nagarjuna

Translated by Christian Lindtner

[1] Though the Buddhas have spoken of duration, origination, destruction, being, non-being, low, moderate, and excellent by force of worldly convention, [they] have not done [so] in an absolute sense.


[2] Designations are without significance, for self, non-self, and self-non-self do not exist. [For] like nirvana, all expressible things are empty (sunya) of own-being.


[3] Since all things altogether lack substance — either in causes or conditions, [in their] totality, or separately — they are empty.

[4] Being does not arise, since it exists. Non-being does not arise, since it does not exist. Being and non-being [together] do not arise, due to [their] heterogeneity. Consequently they do not endure or vanish. Continue reading »

Chandrakīrti: Introduction to the Middle Way, Madhyamakāvatāra

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Chandrakīrti: Introduction to the Middle Way, Madhyamakāvatāra

The Text Itself

The text we are explaining here is the Introduction to the Middle Way, and to do so we will use its auto-commentary.

There are four main parts to the explanation:

1. The Meaning of the Title

2. The Translators’ Homage

3. The Main Part of the Text

4. The Conclusion

The Meaning of the Title

The Sanskrit title of the auto-commentary is Madhyamakavatarabhashya-nama. In Tibetan, it is dbu ma la ‘jug pa’i bshad pa zhes bya ba, or A Commentary to the Introduction to the Middle Way. Continue reading »

Nāgārjuna: Commentary on the Noble Essence of the Dharmadhātu

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Commentary on the Noble Essence of the Dharmadhātu

This short text attributed to Nāgārjuna, which appears in the Abhidharma section of the Tengyur (Toh 4101), is a commentary on the so-called ye dharma formula of dependent origination.

Nāgārjuna: Commentary on the Noble Essence of the Dharmadhātu

In the language of India: Ārya-dharmadhātu-garbha-vivaraṇa
In the language of Tibet: ‘phags pa chos kyi dbyings kyi snying po’i rnam par ‘grel pa
In the English language: Commentary on the Noble Essence of the Dharmadhātu

Homage to the Three Jewels!

It is said:

Those phenomena that originate from causes,
The Tathāgata has proclaimed these causes,
And also that which puts a stop to these causes,
This too has been taught by the Great Śramaṇa.

Here, “those phenomena” should be understood as sevenfold: 1) consciousness, 2) name and form, 3) the six sensory sources, 4) contact, 5) sensation, 6) birth, and 7) old age and death. Continue reading »