Table Of ContentTHREE TEXTS
ON
MADHYAMAKA
by
Shakya Chokden
Tran slated by
Komarovski laroslav
LIBRARY OF TIBETAN WORKS & ARCHIVES
© 2000 Library of TibetanW orks andA rchives, Dharamsala (H.P.) India
First Edition2 000
Reprint 2004
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, ort ransmitted in any form orb y any means without the
prior permission of the copyright owner. All enquiries should be
addressed to the publisher.
ISBN: 81-864-70-26-3
Publishedb yth e Library of Tibetan Works & Archives, Dharamsala,
H.P. (India), andp rinted at IndraprasthaP ress (CBT), Nehru House,
4, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110002
Toc ommemorate
the6 0thE nthronemAennnti versary
andt heS OtAhn niversoafr y
HisH olinetshse1 4tDha laLia maa ssuming
StatRee sponsibilities
Contents
Publisher's Note vii
Translator's Note ix
Part One: Wish Fulfilling Meru
INTRODUCTOPRRYE SENTAOTFIM OAND HYAMAKA 2
I. Definition of the Middle Path 2
II. Explanation of the Defined Term 2
A. Identification of Extremes 2
1. Identification in General 3
2. Identification in this Case 3
3. Refutation of Objections 5
B. Identification of the Path 5
C. Establishment of the Path as "The Middle" 6
DISCUSSOIFOV NA RIOUTSY PEOSF M ADHYAMAKA 7
III. Divisions of the Basis of Definition 7
A. Brief Presentation of Divisions 7
1. The Nature of Divisions 7
2. The Sources of Divisions 7
3. Showing Others' Assertions as Narrow 8
THEO RIGINATIOOFNM ADHYAMAKIANI NDIA 9
B. Extensive Explanation 9
1. How Madhyamaka Treatises were Composed 9
THES PREADIONFMG A DHYAMAKIANT IBET 21
2. How Madhyamaka Treatises Came to Tibet 21
CONCLUDIDNIGS CUSSION 31
3. Concluding [the Text] with a Little Refutation and
Establishment 31
Part Two: Drop of Nectar of Definitive Meaning
I. The Way of Entering the Great Mansion of Defifnitive
Meaning through Acceptance of the False Truth 38
Content vi
II. The Way of Entering the Great Mansiono f Definitive
Meaning through Acceptance of the Ultimate Truth 40
A. How to Practice at the Time of Severing Conceptual
Elaborations by the View 40
B. How to Proceed at the Time of Applying Conventions
by Knowledge-Expressions of Aryas 40
Part Three: Great Ship of Discrimination that Sails
into the Ocean of Definitive Meaning
I. Brief Presentation 44
II. Extensive Explanation 44
A. How the Prasangika andS vatantrika Branches Diverged 45
B. The Explanation of the Differences of their Tenets 46
1. The Presentation of My Own Tradition 46
2. Refutationo f Traditions of Others 49
Appendices:
An Outline 54
Notes 57
Glossary 86
Bibliography 99
Publisher's Note
The Library of Tibetan Works &Archives is pleased to publish "Works
on Madhyamaka Philosophy of gSer-mdogp an-chen sha-kya mchog
ldan (1428-1507)" translated by Komarovski Iaroslav. The anthology
includes three major treatises on Madhyamaka philosophy by the
famous writer Sha-kya mchog-ldan: i. The Wish-fulfillingM eru: A
Discourse Explaining the Origination of Madhyamaka (dBu-ma'i
byung-tshul mam-par bshad-pa'i gtam yid-bzhin lhun-po), ii. Drop
of Nectar of Definitive Meaning : Entering the Gate to the Essential
points of the Two Truth (bDen-pa gnyis-kyi gnas-la 'jug-pa nges
don bdud-rtsi thigs-pa), and iii. Great Ship of Discrimination that
sails into the Ocean of definitive meaning :AT reatise Differentiating
the Tenets of Prasa:figika and Svatantrika Madhyamaka ( dBu-ma thal
rang gi grub-mtha'i mam-par dbye-ba'i bstan-bcos nges-don gyi
rgya-mtshor 'jug-pa'i mam-dpyod kyi gru-chen).
The Wish-fulfillingM eru attempts in presentingi n a lucid and
concise way the Madhyamaka view including the Tantrik
madhyamaka, and its spread in India and Tibet. Drop of Definitive
Meaning, through its brief yet succinct explanation guides us in
entering the spheres of definitive meaning by means of
understandingt he two truth-the conventional trutha nd the ultimate
truth. Great Ship of Discrimination that sails into the Ocean of
definitive meaning extensively e xplains the divergence of
Madhyamaka into Svatantrika and Prasafigika Madhyamaka, their
philosophical views, and their interpretation of various concepts. In
all, this anthology gives a general presentation of Madhyamaka
schools and their views accordingt o the great Sakyapa master.
Despite the meticulous and painstakingt ranslation rendered by
the translator, readers are requested to refer to the Tibetan originals
for minute details and research information. We hope our readers
will enjoy readingt his classical work on Madhyamaka philosophy.
Publications Department
Library of Tibetan Works & Archives
Dharamsala (H.P.) India
November, 2000
Translator's Note
Over time Tibetan Buddhism has produced many outstanding
scholars whose views have been studied and followed until the
present time. Within the Sakya tradition, Gorampa Sonam Senge (go
ram pa bsod nams seng ge -1429 -1489) is considered to be the most
influential philosopher of the past five centuries by far. Yet during
his lifetime Gorampa's influence was closely rivaled by that of Shakya
Chokden (gser mdog pai:ichen shakya mchog ldan - 1428 -1507),
whose works until recently received little to no attention among
modem scholars.
Although the views of Shakya Chokden and Gorampa often
differ greatly on many points of Madhyamaka, their contribution
was similar in that they both greatly clarified the views of their own
tradition through numerous commentaries on Indian and Tibetan
treatises, and also through their original treatises and critical texts
aimed at the views of Tsongkhapa (tsong kha ba -1357 -1419) and
his followers, known as Gelukpa.
The lineage of most of Gorampa' s works, which are traditionally
transmitted orally through reading and explanation, has survived
unbroken until the present day. However, the lineage of transmission
of Shakya Chokden's works was broken. Shakya Chokden's works
commanded a lesser following because many Sakyapas facing the
problem of whether to follow Gorampa or Shakya Chokden had
chosen to follow the former, since, according to many Sakya scholars,
his approach more correctly expresses the views held by Sakya
Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen (sa skya Pai:i<;I.ita kun dga' rgyal mtshan -
1182 -1251), supreme authority of Sakya tradition, and other Sakya
masters of the past.
"Wish Fulfilling Meru" - a discourse explaining origination of
Madhyamaka ( dbu ma' i byung tshul rnam par bshad pa' i gtam yid bzhin
lhun po) is one of the last texts Shakya Chokden composed during
his lifetime. He wrote this text at the age of 74, in 1501, at the request
of the Seventh Karmapa Chodrak Gyamtso (ka rma pa chos grags
rgya mtsho - 1454 -1506). At the same time, Shakya Chokden
composed "The Appearance of the Sun Which Pleases All Discriminative
Ones" -a discourse on origination of traditions of the chariots of the Siitra
of Valid Cognition with [its] commentaries (tshad ma'i mdo dang bstan
bcos kyi shing rta' i srol rnams ji ltar byung ba' i tshul gta m du bya ba nyin
