Was Arya Nagarjuna a Mahayanist?

1. Was Arya Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? This question raised by A.K.Warder and approved by D.J.Kalupahana

2. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • A.K. wader first raised in his book Indian Buddhism (p. 376) by questioning Arya Nagarjuna has written hundred thousands of Perfection of Wisdom supposed to have been brought from the Dragon world (Naga Loka) but he has not referred to any of the Mahayana Sutras. He referred to Tripitaka mainly Samyutta

3. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanists? • Nikaya. He further says that “Nagarjuna was claimed by the Mahayanists as their own, but his real position would seem to have been not to take sides in a provocative controversy hardly conducive to progress on the way. He perhaps hoped to reunite the schools, old and new, in a single Buddhist doctrine agreed by all to be the re-establishment

4. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Of the original teaching of the Buddha himself. The name of the school he effectively founded (even if it existed earlier), the Madhyamaka (the ‘Intermediate’), suggests the re-establishment of the original ‘Intermediate way’ in all possible senses of íntermediate’, avoiding extremes of

5. Was Arya Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Speculative opinion, of conduct and perhaps of the divisions of school and ‘vehicle’. • Prof.D.J.Kalupahana elaborating the same view of A.K.Warder says ‘Nagarjuna’s work will be explained as an attempt to destroy the weeds that had grown around the Buddha’s teachings as

6. Was Arya Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • A result of some of the ideas expressed by philosophers of both the Sthaviravada ( Sarvastivada) and the Mahayana traditions. (Mulamadhyamakakarika of Nagarjuna- The Philosophy of the Middle Way. P. 05). Further says: ‘In the sphere of philosophical speculations, one of the sects belonging to the so-called

7. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Sthaviravada, namely Sarvastivada, presented a theory of ‘self-nature’ or ‘substance’ (svabhava) and some of the Mahayanists admitted a conception of ‘inherent thought of enlightenment’ (bodhi citta), both of which are theories contrary to the fundamental philosophical tenet of the Buddha, namely, ‘dependent arising’ (Paticcasamuppada).(P.1-2).

8. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • The two aspects of Buddha’s teachings, the philosophical and practical, which are mutually dependent, are clearly enunciated in two discourses, the Kaccayanagotta -sutta (S.II.16-17)and the Dhamma-cakkappavattana -sutta (S.V.420-424) both the discorses held in high esteem by all the Buddhist sects

9. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanists? • Except their differences of opinion to each other. Kaccayanagotta –sutta quoted by almost all the major schools of Buddhism, deals with the philosophical ‘middle path’, placed against the backdrop of two absolutistic theories in Indian philosophy, namely, permenent existence (atthita) propounded in the

10. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Early Upanisads and nihilistic non-existence (natthita) suggested by the Materialists. The middle position is explained as ‘dependent arising’ (paticca-samuppada), when utilized to explain the nature of the human personality and the world of experience, appears in formula consisting of twelve factors (dvadasanga).

11. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • The practical middle path is expressed in the famous Dhammacakkappavattana-sutta respected by most Buddhists as the first sermon delivered by the Buddha. Here the middle path is between the two extremes of self -indulgence (kamasukh- llikanuyoga) and self-mortification (atta- kilamathanuyoga) and consists of the

12. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Noble eight fold path (ariyo atthangiko maggo) leadin to freedom and happiness. • Nagarjuna mentioned Kaccayanagotta Sutta • In the chap.15, Svabhava Pariksa 07 Gatha Nagarjuna mentioned to the Kaccayanagotta sutta.

13. Was Nagarjuna Mahayanist? • Katyayanavavade casti ti Nasti ti cobhayam Pratisiddham bhagavata Bhava’bhava vibhavina (In the admonition to Katyayana, the two theories (implying) ‘exists’ and ‘does not exist’ have been refuted by the blessed One who knows existence and non-existence)

14. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • In this Madhyamaka Karika Arya Nagarj- una referred to only Kaccayanagotta Sutta in the Samyukta Nikaya (S.II.16-17). Kaccayanagotta Sutta Thus have I heard: The Blessed one was once living at Savatthi, in the monastery of Anathapindika, in Jeta’s Grove. At that

15. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Time the Venerable Kaccayana of that clan came to visit him, and saluting him, sat down at one side. So, seated he questioned the Exalted one: “Sir (people) speak of ‘right view, right view’. To what extent is there a right view?” Buddha:- “This world, Kaccayana, is generally inclined towards two (views):

16. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Existence and non-existence. To him who perceives with right wisdom the uprising of the world as it has come to be, the notion of non-existence in the world does not occur. Kaccayana, to him who perceives with right wisdom the ceasing of the world as it has come to be, the notion of existence in the world does

17. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Not occur. • The world, for the most part, Kaccayana, is bound by approach, grasping and inclination. And he who does not follow that approach and grasping, that determination of mind, that inclination

18. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanst? • And disposition, who does not cling to or adhere to a view: ‘This is myself, ‘who thinks: ‘suffering that is subject to arising arises; suffering that is subject to ceasing, ceases,’such a person does not doubt, is not perplexed. Herein, his knowledge is not other dependent. Thus far Kaccayana, there is right view’.

19. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanst? • ‘Everything exists’- this Kaccayana is one extreme. ‘Everything does not exist,’ this, Kaccayana, is the second extreme. • Kaccayana, without approaching either extreme, the Tathagata teaches you a doctrine by the middle. • Dependent upon ignorance arise dispositions; (Avijja paccaya sankhara),

20. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Dependent upon dispositions arise consciousness; (Sankhara paccaya vinnanam), dependent upon consciousness arises the psychophysical personality; (Vinnana paccaya namarupam), dependent upon psychophysical personality arise the six senses; (namarupa paccaya salayatanam), dependent upon six

21. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Senses arise contact; (Salayatana paccaya phasso), dependent upon contact arises feeling; (phassa paccaya vedana), Dependent upon feeling arises craving; (Vedana paccaya Tanha), Dependent upon craving arises grasping; (Tanha paccaya upadanam), depending upon grasping arises becoming;

22. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • (upadana paccaya bhavo), dependent upon becoming arises birth; ( bhava paccaya jati), dependent upon birth arise Old age and, grief, lamentation, suffering, dijection and dispair. Thus arises this entire mass of suffering. (Jati paccaya jara maranam soka parideva dukkha domanassa upayasa aneke dukkha

23. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • However, from the utter fading away and ceasing of ignorance, there is ceasing of dispositions, (avijjayatveva asesa viraga nirodha sankhara nirodho),from the ceasing of dispositions, there is ceasing of consciousness,(Sankhara nirodha vinnana nirodho), From the ceasing of consciousness there is ceasing of psycho

24. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Physical personality,(vinnana nirodha namarupa nirodho), from the ceasing of psychophysical personality, there is ceasing of six senses,(Namarupa nirodha salayatana nirodho), from the ceasing of six senses, there is ceasing of contact, (salayatana nirodha phassa nirodho), from the ceasing of contact, there is ceasing of feling, (Phassa nirodha

25. Was Nagarjuna a Mahaynist? • Vedana nirodho), from the ceasing of feeling, there is ceasing of craving, (vedana nirodha tanha niriodho), from the ceasing of craving, there is ceasing of grasping, (tanha nirodha upadana nirodho), from the ceasing of grasping, there is ceasing becoming, (upadana nirodha bhava nirodho), from the ceasing

26. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Becoming, there is ceasing of birth (bhava nirodha jati nirodho), from the ceasing of birth, there is ceasing old age, and death, grief, lamentation, suffering, dejection and dispair. And thus there is ceasing of this entire mass of suffering, (jati nirodha jaramaranam soka parideva dukkha domanassa upayasa nirujjhanti.

27. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakhandha-ssa nirodho hotiti). • According to this Sutta Exists (atthi) and does not exist (natthi) considered as extrmes. The Buddhist way is not to approach either extreme. Because atthi (exists) and natthi (does not exist) are similar to the approaching of the belief in etrnalism (sassatavada) and nihilism

28. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • (ucchedavada). Because exists (atthi) indicates existence of everlasting Atman (soul) (sassatavada) and does not exists (natthi) indicates that Atman’s destruction with the death (ucchedavada). Holding on to these extremes means approaching the belief in the Atman. Therefore the Buddha without taking either of extremes

29. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Teaches in Middle (majjhima desana). That is the Dependent origination. According to this analysis Prof.Kalupahana says that the scholars who have published works on Nagrjuna have not properly studied the Buddha’s advice to Kaccayana to bring out the Nagarjuna’s thought. Therefore they have

30. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Thought Nagrjuna was a Mahayanist and he left out Sutras accepted as Sthaviravadi. And they left out very important chapters of Nagarjuna thinking that those chapters are later additions. (P.7. Philosophy of the Middle way). According to the explanation given by Prof. Kalupahana he does not say

31. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Nagarjuna was not a Mahayanist, but Arya Nagarjuna tried to re-approve the non-soul stand in the early Buddhism with the theory of Pratityasamutpada. • Prof. Kalupahana in his recent book says this (History of Buddhist Philosophy Continuities and Discontinuities,Honolulu, University Press of Huwai,1992)

32. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • If someone has even at a glance the Mula Madhyamaka Karika he will realize that this book is not only contain the admonition to Kaccayan thera by the Buddha but it is a large commentary to the primary sutras of Nikayas and Agamas and specially to Sutras in the Atthakavagga of Suttanipata.

33. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Before Prof. Kalupahana, Cris Lindtner wrote a book after careful study of the whole Philosophy of Nagarjuna (Nagarju- niana. Studies in the writings and Philosophy of Nagarjuna,Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. 1982) and tried to reply for A.K.Warder. First of all he studied to find out what are the actual Books of

34. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Nagarjuna and he accepted there are 13 books can be considered as Nagarjuna’s Books. Among these books he included Bodhicitta Vivarana and Bodhisambhara, The books contained the most popular belief in Mahayana, the Bodhisattva belief. With these facts he come to a conclusion that Nagarjuna definitely a

35. Was Nagarjuna a`Mahayanist? • A Mahayanist, but by the Mulamdhyamaka Karika he called Hinayanists. This Lindtner expresses very emotional statements with regard to the work of Nagarjuna and says by the way of writings arya Nagarjuna complted his duty towards the whole humanity with Universal Kindness. This sense of duty

36. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Of Arya Nagarjuna is something new to Hinayanists. By this kind of expression he undervalued his investigation of Nagarjuna as a Mahayanists and this cannot consider as an academic work. • Prof.R. H.Robinson (Early Madhyamaka in India, 1976) paid the attention on the position of Mulamadhyamaka Karika

37. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • With exemption of Mahayana concepts. This book was published earlier to A.K. warder’s Indian Buddhism. In this book Robinson says that to write the Madhyamaka Karika the Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita was the foundation. But the primary concepts of Astasahasrika were Prajna, Tathata, Bhutakoti, Advaya

38. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanit? • Dharmadhatu, Rupakaya, Paramita, Bodhicitta, Bhumi, Karuna and Upaya. Non of these concepts dealt with in Madhyamaka Karika. Only the word Bodhisattva has been mentioned only in one place (Cha.24: Gatha 32)

39. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanitst? • Yah cabuddah svabhavena Sa bodhaya ghatann api Na bodhisattva-caryayam Bodhim te ‘dhigamisyati (whoever is by self-nature unenlightened, even though he were to contend with enlightenment, would not attain enlightenment through career of a Bodhisattva).

40. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • But in the entire Astasahasrika these words can be seen. But Robinson says Nagarjuna in his Karika talked to Hinayanists and other religions therefore, those Mahayana concepts were not included, or not necessary to include. According to the above explanation it is not very difficult to say Arya Nagarjuna

41. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Was a Mahayanists. But he did not wanted to re-iterate that he is a Mahayanist. It is very well proved that as long as he has selected Astasahasrika Prajna parmita to write a commentary because of he was belong to Mahayana tradition. But he wanted to clarify Sunyata in the

42. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Way of pratityasamutpada.Therefore he selected the Kaccayana Gotta sutta in the Samyutta Nikaya. At that time probably it was not necessary to talk about the Hinayana Mahayana difference. They came on much later.

43. Was Nagarjuna a Mahaynist? • Apart from Kaccayana Gotta sutta there are some other suttas mentioned in the Madhyamaka karika not necessarily mentioned the name of the suttas. Those are: Svabhava Pariksa (examination of self-nature) 15. 10 • Astiti sasvatagraho Nastiti uccheda darsanam Tasmat astitva nastitva Nasriyate vicaksanah

44. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanists? • (Exist implies grasping after eternalism. ‘does not exist’ implies the philosophy of annihilation. Therefore an intelligent person should not rely upon either existence or non-existence). This has been mentioned in the Acela Kasspa sutta in the Nidana samyutta

45. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Ìn the Acela Kassapa Sutta,Acela Kassapa asked the Buddha 1.Sayamkatam Dukkham: Whther the Dukkha is made by onself? 2. Param katam Dukkham:? Dukkha is made by others. 3.Sayam katam ca param katam ca dukkham ? 4. Asayam karam aparam karam adhicca samuppannam dukkham?

46. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Dukkha is not made by oneself and not made by others, it I spontaneous? • Buddha rejected each question and pointed out if accepted sayam katam and Para katam that means automatically falls in to the extremes of Eternalism and Nihilism. The same thing mentioned in this Gatha: “Astiti sasvato grahah nastiti uccheda darsanam”

47. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • The same Acela Kassapa sutta refers by Arya Nagarjuna by the first Gatha of Chap. 12 Dukkha Pariksa. (Inestigation of suffering.) • Svayam krtam param krtam dvabhyam krtamahetukam Dukkhamityekamcchanti Tacca karyam na yujyate

48. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • In the 18thchap. 12 Gatha Sambuddhanamanutpade Sravkanam punah ksaye Jnanam pratyekabuddhanam Asmsargat pravartate (When the fully enlightened one do not appear; on the waning of disciples; the wisdom of self-enlightened ones proceeds without association).

49. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • This is very interesting statement of Arya Nagarjuna. By this statement Arya Nagarjuna has accepted not only Buddhas, but also Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas. Normally Mahayanists do not talk about Sravakas and Pratyeka-Buddhas. Here Prateka Buddhas realzation of Dharma when the Buddhas

50. Was Nagarjuna a Mahayanist? • Are not there completely accepted and approved. • Chap.24 Aryasatya Pariksa (Investigation of Noble truths) Gatha.11. • Vinasayati durdrsta Sunyta mandamedasam Sarpo yatha durgrhito Vidya va dusprasadhita