The Buddha Within: Tathagatagarbha Doctrine According to the Shentong Interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhaga

442 Pages·1991·13.08 MB·English

by  S. K. Hookham

.Hookha

THE BUDDHA WITHIN
SUNY Series in Buddhist Studies
Kenneth Inada, Editor
The Buddha Within
Tathagatagarbha Doctrine According to the Shentong
Interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhaga
S. K. Hookham
State University of New York Press
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
©1991 State University of New York
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Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Hookham, S. K., 1946-
The Buddha within: Tathagatagarbha doctrine [sic] according to
the Shentong interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhaga / S. K. Hookham.
p. cm. — (SUNY series in Buddhist studies)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-7914-0357-2. — ISBN 0-7914-0358-0 (pbk.)
1. Tathagatagarbha (Buddhism) 2. Sunyata. I. Title.
II. Series.
BQ4450.H66 1991
294.3’422—dc20 89-49755
CIP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
This work is dedicated to my parents, my husband,
all my Dharma friends,
and in particular to Michael Lear.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments xiii
Yogin Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso’s Spontaneous Verses on the
Subject of Rangtong and Shentong xv
Chapter 1: General Introduction 1
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 13
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 Without a Proper Understanding of Rangtong 26
3.4 Problems of Definitions of Terms 29
Chapter 4: The Shentong View of Absolute Reality 33
4.1 Buddhajnana 33
4.2 Inseparable Qualities 37
i. Inseparable Qualities of the Dharmakaya 38
ii. The Concept of Uncompoundedness 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
VII
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
7.1 The Third Dharmacakra 113
i. The Three Dharmacakras 113
ii. The Third Dharmacakra as Nitartha 114
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—Ocean of Nitartha (Ri
chos nges don rgya mtsho, RC) 136