CHAPTER XIII NOTES.

[135] Literally, “to advance against.”

[136] Cf. Beal’s translation in the _S. B. E._ Vol XIX. pp. 306-307, vs. 2095-2101. Beal utterly misunderstands the Chinese original.

[137] The _Buddhacarita_, Cowell’s translation in the _S. B. E._ Vol. XLIX. p. 145.

[138] From A. J. Edmunds’s translation of _Dhammapada_.

[139] P. 225. Beal’s translation is not always reliable, and I would have my own if the Chinese original were at all accessible.

[140] The gâthâs supposed to be the first utterance of the Buddha after his enlightenment, according to Rockhill’s _Life of the Buddha_ (p. 33) compiled from Tibetan sources, give an inkling of nihilism, though I am inclined to think that the original Tibetan will allow a different interpretation when examined by some one who is better acquainted with the spirit of Buddhism than Rockhill. Rockhill betrays in not a few cases his insufficient knowledge of the subject he treats. His translation of the gâthâs is as follows:

“All the pleasures of the worldly joys, All which are known among the gods, Compared with the joy of ending existence, Are not as its sixteenth part.

“Sorry is he whose burden is heavy, And happy he who has cast it down; When once he has cast off his burden, He will seek to be burthened no more.

“When all existences are put away, When all notions are at an end, When all things are perfectly known, Then no more will craving come back.”

In the _Udâna_, II., 2, we have a stanza corresponding to the first gâthâ here cited, but the _Udâna_ does not say “the joy of ending existence,” but “the destruction of desire.”

According to the _Lalita Vistara_, the Buddha’s utterance of victory is (Râjendra Mitra’s Edition p. 448):

“Cinna vartmopaçânta rajâh çuṣkâ âçravâ na punaḥ çravanti. Chinne vartmani varttate duḥkhasyaiṣonta ucyate.”

[141] Warren’s _Buddhism in Translations_, p. 376.

[142] General D. M. Strong’s translation, p. 64.

[143] The text does not expressly say “animate or inanimate”, but this is the author’s own interpretation according to the general spirit of Mahâyânism.

[144] There are two obstacles to final emancipation: (1) affective, and (2) intellectual. The former is our unenlightened affective or emotional or subjective life and the latter our intellectual prejudice. Buddhists should not only be pure in heart but be perfect in intelligence. Pious men are of course saved from transmigration, but to attain perfect Buddhahood they must have a clear, penetrating intellectual insight into the significance of life and existence and the destiny of the universe. This emphasising of the rational element in religion is one of the most characteristic points of Buddhism.

[145] This is one of the most important philosophical texts of Mahâyânism. Its original Sanskrit with the commentary of Chandra Kîrti has been edited by Satis Chandra Acharya and published by the Buddhist Text Society of India. The original lines run as follows (p. 193):

“Aprahînam, asamprâptam, anucchinnam, açâçvatam, Aniruddham, anutpannam, evam nirvânam ucyate.”

[146] Literally, that which is characterised by the absence of all characterisation.

[147] Cf. the following from the _Mâdhyamika_:

“Bhaved abbâvo bhâvaç ca nirvânam ubhayam katham: Asamskṛtam ca nirvânam bhâvâbhavâi ca samskṛtam.” Or, “Tasmânna bhâvo nâbhâvo nirvânamiti yujyate.”

[148] In the _Visuddhi-Magga_ XXI. (Warren’s translation, p. 376 et seq.), we read that there are three starting points of deliverance arising from the consideration of the three predominant qualities of the constituents of being: 1. The consideration of their beginnings and ends leads the thoughts to the unconditioned; 2. The insight into their miserableness agitates the mind and leads the thoughts to the desireless; 3. The consideration of the constituents of being as not having an ego leads the thoughts to the empty. And these three, we are told, constitute the three aspects of Nirvâna as unconditioned, desireless, and empty. Here we have an instance in the so-called Southern “primitive” Buddhism of viewing Nirvâna in the Mahâyânistic light which I have here explained at length.

_En passant_, let us remark that as Buddha did not leave any document himself embodying his whole system, there sprang up soon after his departure several schools explaining the Master’s view in divers ways, each claiming the legitimate interpretation; that in view of this fact it is illogical to conclude that Southern Buddhism is the authoritative representation par excellence of original Buddhism, while the Eastern or the Northern is a mere degeneration.

[149] There are three Chinese translations of this Mahâyâna text, by Dharmarakṣa, Kumârajîva, and Bodhiruci, between 265 and 517 A.D.

[150]

Samsârasya ca nirvânât kincid asti viçeṣaṇam: Na nirvâṇasya samsârât kincid asti viçesaṇam.

[151]

Nirvâṇasya ca yâ kotiḥ kotiḥ samsârasya ca, Vidyâdanantaraṃ kincit susukṣnaṃ vidyate.

[152] Concerning the similarity in meaning of this statement to the one just preceding, a commentator says that the sixth is the statical view of Suchness (or Dharmakâya) and the seventh its dynamical view. One explains what the highest reality of Buddhism is and the other what it does or works.

[153] _The Discourse on Buddha-essence_ by Vasubandhu. The Japanese Tripitaka edition of 1881, fas. II., p. 84, where the stanza is quoted from the _Sûtra on the Incomprehensible_.

[154] This is expressed in the first verse of the _Mâdhyamika Çâstra_, which runs as follows:

“Anirodham anutpâdam anucchedam açâçvatam Anekârtham anânârtham anâgamam anirgamam.”

Literally translated these lines read:

“No annihilation, no production, no destruction, no persistence, No unity, no plurality, no coming in, no going out.”

[155] Compare this Buddhist sentiment of universal love with that of the Christian religion and we shall see the truth that all religions are one at the bottom. We read in Thomas à Kempis’s _Imitation of Christ_ (ch. XIII): “My son, I descended from heaven for thy salvation; I took upon me thy sorrows, not necessity but love drawing me thereto; that thou thyself mightest learn patience and bear temporal sufferings without repining. For from the hour of my birth, even until my death on the cross, I was not without suffering of grief.” This is exactly the sentiment that stimulates the Bodhisattvas to their gigantic task of universal salvation. Those who are free from sectarian biases will admit without hesitation that there is but one true religion which may assume various forms according to circumstances. “Many are the roads to the summit, but when reached there we have but one universal moonlight.”

[156] The _Dharmapada_, XIV. 5. Mr. A. J. Edmunds’s translation is,

“Ceasing to do all wrong, Initiation into goodness, Cleansing the heart: This the religion of the Buddhas.”

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES.

Page numbers are given in {curly brackets}.

The following have been left as-printed:

Archaic and inconsistent spellings (_e.g._, Corea, Nirvâna/Nirvana, coördination/co-ordination, efficience/efficiency, Âlaya-vijñâna/Âlayavijñâna, etc.).

Ellipses of varying lengths.

(p. 317) The Eightfold Noble Path is listed omitting the seventh step (Right mindfulness). Also, the sixth step is usually given as “Right effort,” not “Right recollection.”

The usage of both “fn.” and “ft.” to denote “footnote” in the Index.

Lastly, some syntactical errors with possible corrections given in square brackets:

(p. 83) “Its foundation lies too deeply buried in [the] human heart to be damaged by knowledge or science.”

(p. 104) “When Bodhi-Dharma... saw Emperor Wu of [the] Liang dynasty (A.D. 502-556), he was asked...”

(p. 214) “In good karma we are made to live eternally, but in [an] evil one we are doomed...”

(p. 215) “Pious Buddhists believe that... he enters right into the soul and becomes [an] integral part of his being.”

Alterations to the text:

Abandon the use of drop-caps.

Convert footnotes to endnotes and add a corresponding entry in the TOC.

Punctuation corrections: several missing/invisible periods and a few commas, some quotation mark pairings/nestings, etc.

[TOC]

Add missing “Two Forms of Knowledge” subsection under Chapter IV.

Under Chapter XII, change “Bhimukhî” to “Abhimukhî”.

[Introduction]

Change “the other schools, which _latter_ became a class by itself” to _later_.

“led to the dissension _af_ Mahâyânism and Hînayânism” to _of_.

“Kant, for instance, as _promotor_ of German philosophy” to _promoter_.

“a few _centnries_ after Açvaghoṣa, the progressive party” to _centuries_.

“while the _Prayekabuddhas_ and the Çrâvakas are considered” to _Pratyekabuddhas_.

“Buddhism cannot ignore the _significane_ of Mahâyânism” to _significance_.

“their rival religion as _denegerated_, because it went” to _degenerated_.

“This fact so miserably spoils their _purityof_ sentiment” to _purity of_.

“his intellect becomes _pitiously_ obscured by his” to _piteously_.

“_refering_ to the Mahâyâna conception of Dharmakâya” to _referring_.

[Chapter I]

“that, owing to a crime _commited_ by them” to _committed_.

“do not recognise the evanescence of _wordly_ things” to _worldly_.

“The _dotrine_ of nescience or ignorance is technically” to _doctrine_.

“sons and daughters, wives _aud_ husbands, all transfigured” to _and_.

“and which therefore were utterly _desplicable_” to _despicable_.

“in response to the pathetic _persuation_ of his father’s” to _persuasion_.

[Chapter II]

“Sthiramati in his _Indroduction_ to Mahâyânism” to _Introduction_.

“As the silkworm imprisons itself in the _cacoon_ created” to _cocoon_.

“realm of the absolute and the abode of _non-particurality_” to _non-particularity_.

[Chapter III]

“satisfy the inmost _yearings_ of the human heart” to _yearnings_.

“which consists of the inmost _yearings_ of the human heart” to _yearnings_.

[Chapter IV]

“World-views Founded on the Three _Froms_ of Knowledge” to _Forms_.

(p. 94, fn. 1) “Nanjo. Nos. 246 _aud_ 247), etc.” to _and_.

“From this, it is to be _infered_ that Buddhism never” to _inferred_.

[Chapter V]

(_Nâgârjana’s_ famous doctrine of “The Middle Path) to _Nâgârjuna’s_.

“is no more than a fragment of the _absoulte_ Bhûtatathâtâ” to _absolute_.

“to be very logical and free from serious _dufficulties_” to _difficulties_.

“Adam with Eve, Buddha with Devadatta, etc., _ect_.,” to _etc_.

[Chapter VI]

“and _Buddi_ and Ahankâra. Buddhi, intellect, is defined” to _Buddhi_.

(p.139, fn. 1) “doctrine of Mahâyânism, i.e.. that of” change third period to a comma.

[Chapter VII]

“fixed state of things in which perfect _equillibrium_” to _equilibrium_.

“the noumenal ego as the raison _d’ être_ of our” to _d’être_.

(literally means “aggregate” or “_aglomeration_”) to _agglomeration_.

(saying: “_This‘middle’_ is extremely indefinite) to _This ‘middle’_.

“the hypothesis of the _permament_ existence of an” to _permanent_.

(The term “_sabhâva_” (self-essence or noumenon) is) to _svabhâva_.

“they are like the _will-‘o-the-wisp_” to _will-o’-the-wisp_.

“If the Fourfold Noble Truth _dœs_ not exist” to _does_.

“The _Buddha ’s_ teaching rests on the discrimination” to _Buddha’s_.

[Chapter VIII]

“He is _sufficent_ unto himself as he is here and now” to _sufficient_.

“and the accumulation of of merits (_punyaskandha_)” delete one _of_.

“Every one of these seeds which are _infinte_ in number” to _infinite_.

[Chapter IX]

“than devastation, _barreness_, and universal misery” to _barrenness_.

“Even so with the _Dharkâya_ of the Tathâgata” to _Dharmakâya_.

“Even so with the Dharmakâya of _theT athâgata_” to _the Tathâgata_.

“such as blindness, deafness, mental _abberration_, etc.” to _aberration_.

“It _anthroposises_ everything beyond the proper measure” to _anthropomorphises_.

[Chapter X]

(p. 243, fn. 1) “the Eastern Tsin dynasty (A.D, 371-420)” change the comma to a period.

“the work once _refered_ to in the beginning of this book” to _referred_.

“describe the the essential peculiarities of each school” delete one _the_.

(p. 253, fn. 2) “A part of the _orginal_ Sanskrit text” to _original_.

“Asanga and Vasubandhu will be here _refered_ to” to _referred_.

“pious Buddhists would be _transfered_ after their death” to _transferred_.

(p. 271, fn. 1) “eighty minor _exellent_ physical marks of a great” to _excellent_.

(_same_) “They _transfered_ them through the doctrine of Trikâya” to _transferred_.

[Chapter XI]

“which was quite unwittingly _commited_ by him” to _committed_.

“does not allow the _transfering_ of responsibility” to _transferring_.

“It is _uncreate_ and its self-essence is void” to _uncreated_.

[Chapter XII]

“On the evanescence of the _wordly_ interests” to _worldly_.

“3. Circumspection; 4. _Equillibrium_, or tranquillity” to _Equilibrium_.

“aloof from the consuming fire of _passsion_” to _passion_.

“He practises the virtue of _strenuousuess_ (_vriya_)” to _strenuousness_.

[Chapter XIII]

“And am eternally released from all pain and _suffe ring_” to _suffering_.

(p. 334, fn. 2) “Cowell’s translation in the S. B. E. Vol. _ILIX_. p. 145” to _XLIX_.

“When we speak of _Buddha ’s_ entrance into Nirvâna” to _Buddha’s_.

“love is a Buddha-dharma, wisdom is a _Buddha dharma_” to _Buddha-dharma_.

“emancipation of the Çrâvaka or of the _Prayekabuddha_” to _Pratyekabuddha_.

“hearts are not softened at the sight of others, misfortune and suffering” change the comma to a (possessive) apostrophe.

“he does not believe that universal _emanciipation_” to _emancipation_.

“but that _thay_ obtain reality in their oneness with” to _they_.

“do not pay homage to the _congregration_ of holy men” to _congregation_.

[Appendix]

“Devoid of all _liminations_” to _limitations_.

“None is there but that enters upon _Buddh a-knowledge_” to _Buddha-knowledge_.

“All _senient_ beings in transmigration travel through” to _sentient_.

“I’ll release, and to eternal _pease_ them I’ll lead” to _peace_.

“In the stream of birth and death they go _arolling_” to _a-rolling_.

“No-more-_arolling_ is Nirvâna” to _a-rolling_.

Change two incidents of _Nonjo_ to _Nanjo_.

“The Avatamsaka _Sutru_” to _Sutra_.

[Index]

(_Imitation of Christ_, _365_ fn.) to _364_.

(_Lalita Vistara_, quoted, on Nirvana, _339_ fn.) to _338_.

(Max Mueller, quoted, 108 ft., _111_ ft., 221.) to _110_.

(Prajñâ (and Bodhi), defined, _62_ ft.; 82, 97, 119, 238, 360.) to _82_.

(Prakṛti (Samkyan primordial matter), _67_ ft.) to _66_.

(Purusha (Samkyan soul), _67_ ft.) to _66_.

(“Tat tvam asi,” 47, _136_ ft.) to _135_.

(_Udâna_, quoted, 52, _339_ ft., 341.) to _338_.

(Upâya (expediency), 64, _261_ ft.; its meaning) to _260_.

[End of text]