[Buddha-l] Pudgalavada - Vasumitra2b

Dan Lusthaus vasubandhu at earthlink.net
Wed Dec 6 14:39:45 MST 2006


Re: [Buddha-l] Pudgalavada - Vasumitra(continuation of Paramartha's version of the Vasumitra text on Pudgalavada)

[The following appears only in Paramaartha's version]

All sentient beings have two types of faults: 1. Mental faults. 2. Thing (vastu) faults.

Life and Death (i.e., sa.msaara) has two major causes: 1. Kle'sas, 2. Karma.

Two types of dharmas are the major causes of liberation, i.e., vipa'syanaa (biboshena) and 'samatha (shemota). 

If the adhipati-pratyaya (contributing condition) of shame (hrii) is not based on oneself (i.e., one dissimulates "shame" during praatimok.sa, etc.), then the correct Dharma (saddharma) does not belong to this person.

There are two types of root kle'sas always operating is all sentient beings, i.e., ignorance and craving for existence (bhava-t.r.s.naa).

There are seven types of pure abodes.

Buddha's cognition (jñaana ?) is not associated (viprayukta?) with morality ('siila), etc.

As to cognitive-objects (vi.saya), by means of correctly discerning their aalambanas, one can fully understand all dharmas.
[This is a bit unclear, and the Taisho records some variants in this passage, suggesting others found it unclear as well. As it stands, it would seem to be saying something like: Know how to cognize something properly, and one can fully cognize everything. Whether this is a claim to omniscience (it says "all dharmas," not "all knowing") or more modestly indicating a capacity (neng) to understand things as they are, is uncertain, though, given its wording, I would tend to read it in the latter way.]

If one takes cessation to be collected/categorized with them, then generally there are six types (?).
[Is this referring to the list of six types of arhats? Or does this passage mean something like: If you take the category of prajñapti-of-cessation to have a pudgala, then there are six types of beings (i.e., the five gatis plus the "ceased" pudgala)"?]

There is no entry into correct meditation in the ruupa- and aaruupya-dhaatus.

Bodhisattvas are always born in the middle (?).

If having produced the extinguishing cognition (k.saya-jñaana) and the non-arising cognition (anutpaadaa-jñaana), such attainment is called "Becoming Buddha" (or: by such attainment one is considered a Buddha).

There are three meanings/purposes (artha) to what the Tathaagata says in the sutras: 1. Disclosing the faults of Life-and-death (sa.msaara); 2. disclosing the qualities (gu.nas) of liberation; 3. nothing disclosed (?)

[Paramartha's additions end]

The Vaatsiiputriiya school holds to these basic ideas.

Because of a single verse, this school divided, establishing four schools, which are Dharmottara, Bhadrayaa.niiyas (lit. "Vehicle of the Honorables"), Sa.mmitiiyas (lit. "Disciples of Correct Measure"), and .Saa.n.dagirikas (lit. "Abiding in Hidden Forests").

The verse says:
Having already attained liberation, [one] again backslides and falls.
[One] falls due to lust and attachment and returns [to the path].
Already reaching the place of peace, he wanders in the agreeable.
>From enjoyable activity, [one] reaches the locus of bliss.

[樂行 lexing, which Xuanzang also uses here, though in Xuanzang's version it appeared that the xing was a verb meaning "to go," as a compound means "The events occurring after Siddhaartha abandoned his six years of ascetic practice, bathed in the Nairañjaana river 尼連禪河, ate rice and yogurt, sat under the bodhi tree, and entered into deep meditation." (Muller CJK Buddhist Online Dictionary). It has a secondary meaning: "An enjoyable life. (Skt. sukha-vihaara)." I should probably also revise my translation of Xuanzang to reflect this.]

Dan Lusthaus

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