Ratna-gotra-vibhaga
Encyclopedia
Ratnagotravibhāga (abbreviated as RgV) and its vyākhyā commentary (abbreviated RgVV) are important Buddhist texts of the tathāgatagarbha literature which expound the Buddhist philosophy
doctrine known as Buddha-nature
which is generally understood as belonging to the Third Turning of the Dharmacakra
. The text was originally composed in Sanskrit and though Sanskrit versions of the RGV and RGVV are extant, these versions are of later recensions and not truly representative of the original according to the analysis of Takasaki (1966). The text and its commentary are also preserved in Tibetan and Chinese translations, the Chinese version being the oldest manuscript of the RgV but not necessarily the most faithful. Obermiller (1931) pioneered research into the RGV literature in English language through his translation of the Tibetan RgVV under the name of the Uttara-tantra-shastra, (the text's name in the Tibetan tradition), labeling it an example of monism
.
" of people after the founding rishi
who are also called 'fathers' (Sanskrit: Pitrs
; particularly the "seven fathers") amongst the Saptarishi is also evident in Vedic astrology where the Saptarishi (seven rishis) are the seven stars of the constellation Ursa Major
. 'Saptarishi nadi' is an important natal augury tool in Vedic Astrology. Gotra evolved in Buddharma to first different spiritual lineages one of which (rather controversially within the broader tradition) according to their spiritual predisposition and constitution were doomed to cycle endlessly in the wheel of samsara
without the intervention of a bodhisattva
, that is they would never attain bodhi
of their own volition, that doctrine in turn eventually evolved into the doctrine of Jina
. Jina now effectively is a herd of five gotras that upon taking certain initiation of mantra with associated vows and samaya
, every practicing Mantrika within the Mantrayana tradition takes upon conferral of their mantra
. To return to the point of origin, Shakyamuni was within the gotra of the rishi Gautama Maharishi
who was the revealer of mantra
s and the 'law' aspect of Dharma
.
' in English discourse was rendered by Berzin (2008), the translator, in his revised transcription of the proceedings:
version, translations exist in Chinese
and Tibetan
, though each of these versions show a degree of recensional variation. Extensive analysis of the critical Sanskrit text edited by Johnston (1950) with the Tibetan and Chinese versions, identified that the verses actually comprise two separate groups: a core set of 27 verses (śloka
) and 405 additional or supplementary verses of explication (Skt. kārikā). The work of Johnston, et al. (1950) and Takasaki (1966) have been critiqued by the extensive reviews of such scholars as deJong (1979) and Schmithausen (1971) (in the German).
Mathes (2008: p. 2) relates a version of the traditional textual transmission of the RGV by Maitrīpa (ca. 1007-ca.1085) —the disciple of Naropa
and the guru of Marpa
— and as well proffers his critical analysis that Maitrīpa's teachers Jñānaśrīmitra of Vikramaśīla and Ratnākaraśānti must have had access to the RGV, RGVV and/or their extracts:
Of the complete extant Sanskrit [Johnston, et al. (1950)], Tibetan and Chinese manuscript versions, recension
or interpolation
s of the RGV (according to perspective), Takasaki (1966) considered the Chinese translation of a no longer extant Sanskrit text to be the oldest RGV manuscript in existence, though not necessarily truly representing the original Sanskrit.
Both of these versions were translated by Matiprajna (Sanskrit, 1059–1109) (also known as: Ngok Loden Sherab
; Wylie: Blo-ldan-shes-rab) under the guidance of Kashmiri Pandits 'Ratnavajra' (Sanskrit) (Wylie: Rin-chen rdo-rje) and Sajjana, conducted at Srinagar
in Kashmir
, towards the close of the 11th century CE.
' i snying po) or the view that all sentient beings
are already buddha
s or have the propensity to attain buddhahood
.
A secondary title for this work is Uttara-tantra-shastra (The Ultimate Doctrine), highlighting the text's claim that the tathāgata-garbha teachings represent the final, definitive teachings of the Buddha, in contrast to the earlier teachings on emphasizing intrinsic emptiness, such as contained in the Perfection of Insight Sutras (prajñā-pāramitā) and other Mahāyāna
scriptures. In addition to the group of scriptures known as the Tathāgata-garbha sūtras, this work is the cornerstone of the tathāgata-garbha trend of thought in Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Professor C.D. Sebastian states that within tathagatagarbha literature such as the Uttaratantra a completion of sunyata (emptiness) theory and an emphasisng of metaphysics and mysticism can be found. In his book on the Uttaratantra (a Sanskrit distillation of tathagatagarbha thought), Professor C.D. Sebastian writes:
‘The Uttaratantra is a Mahayana text with emphasis on Buddhist metaphysics and mysticism.’. And: ‘Tathagata-garbha thought is complementary to sunyata thought of the Madhyamika and the Yogacara, as it is seen in the Uttaratantra. The Uttaratantra first quotes the Srimala-devi-sutra to the effect that tathagata-garbha is not accessible to those outside of sunya realization and then proceeds to claim that sunyata realization is a necessary precondition to the realization of tathagata-garbha. There is something positive to be realized when one’s vision has been cleared by sunyata. The sunyata teachings of the prajna-paramita are true but incomplete. They require further elucidation, which is found in the Uttaratantra.'
C.A. Sebastian avers that the Uttaratantra constitutes a higher Buddhist doctrine than that of sunyata as found in the prajnaparamita
sutras:
'... the Uttaratantra also speaks of Buddhahood, or Buddha-nature. Thus it signifies something special and different when we take into consideration the term tantra in the Uttaratantra. Further, as stated earlier, the sunyata teachings in the Prajna-paramita are true, but incomplete. They require still further elucidation, which the Uttaratantra provides. Thus it assumes the Prajna-paramita teachings as the purva or prior teachings, and the tathagata-garbha teachings as the uttara, in the sense of both subsequent and superior.'
Professor Sebastian also indicates that the Srimala Sutra
can be seen as critical of negatively understood sunyata and that both the Srimala Sutra and the Uttaratantra enunciate the idea that the tathagatagarbha is possessed of four transcendental qualities and that the tathagatagarbha is ultimately identifiable as the dharmakaya
(most exalted nature of the Buddha). These elevated qualities make of the Buddha one to whom devotion and adoration could be given:
‘This text is, in a way, highly critical of the negative understanding of sunyata. This text is one of the earliest Buddhist scriptures to be dedicated specifically to an exposition of the concept of the tathagata-garbha. The garbha possesses four guna-paramitas [qualities of perfection] of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, which can be seen in the Uttaratantra too. In the text, the garbha is ultimately identified with the dharmakaya of the tathagata. Here there is an elevation and adoration of Buddha and his attributes, which could be a significant basis for Mahayana devotionalism.’
The Uttaratantra takes as its key topic the idea of the dhatu of the Buddha which is present in all beings. Professor Sebastian writes:
'The principal subject matter of this treatise is the special theory of Dhatu (fundamental element) of the Absolute (Tathagata-garbha = essence of Buddha)... It is an exposition of the theory of the Essence of Buddhahood (tathagata-garbha), the fundamental element (dhatu) of the Absolute, as existing in all sentient beings. ... This element which had been regarded as an active force (bija) before, is regarded, in this text, as eternal, quiescent and unalterable, as the true essence of every living being and source of all virtuous qualities.'
or Sāramati in the earlier Chinese tradition, while the Tibetan tradition considers the verse portion to have been composed by Maitreya-nātha
and the prose commentary by Asanga
. Ruegg suggests that the Chinese and Tibetan traditions may be reconciled by understanding the name given in Chinese sources as an epithet for Maitreya. The case for the involvement of Maitreya-nātha is also strengthened by the discovery of a Sanskrit fragment of the Ratnagotravibhāga in Saka
script which mentions Maitreya-nātha as the author of the 'root' (mūla) verses. The question of authorship may possibly be resolved by an analysis of the structure of this multi-layered text. Takasaki (1966: p. 62) is certain that the author of the embedded commentary is Sāramati through his comparison of the RGV with the Dharmadhātvaviśeṣaśāstra.
Peter Harvey finds the attribution to Asanga less plausible.
, Gyaltsap Darma Rinchen, and Ju Mipham, amongst others.
The Nyingma
commentary of Ju Mipham from a Dzogchen
view, has been rendered into English by Duckworth (2008). Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche (2008/2009) commenced the Rigpa Shedra teachings on Mipham's view of Buddha Nature which has been followed by Khenpo Dawa Paljor (2009) of Rigpa Shedra's oral word by word commentary of Ju Mipham's exegesis of RGV (RGVV?)in Tibetan with English translation (translator presently unknown).
and the different traditions of the document and its textual recensions and accretions aside and accept the modern text as the true and correct version, as does the living tradition, it contains a synthesis of Sugatagarbha ('Tathagatagarbha' is the term employed in the Mahayana
literature proper and the Outer Tantras in general, but in the Inner Tantras
and the most rarefied yana
, the term 'Sugatagarbha' is employed as a general convention) literature (RGV quotes from circa 20 buddha-nature texts) into five chapters that distill seven 'diamond points' (vajrapada):
Now, in the tantric twilight language
of correspondence, following Bucknell & Stuart-Fox (1986), the triratna of Sangha, Dharma and Buddha are Body, Voice and Mind
(and qualities and activities). According to Norbu, et. al. (1991, 2001: p. 176), all five of these, body (sku), voice (gsung), mind (thugs), qualities (yon tan), activities (phrin las), constitute a 'mindstream
' or 'continuum of being' of either a sentient being
(with adventitious obscurations) or a buddha
(without adventitious obscurations). Takasaki (1966) conveys that the "ratnagotra" (lineal jewel, gem lineage) is a synonym for the 'buddha nature', the 'element' which is "as it is", this is the 'everlasting' aspect of the continuum of being, the aspect that is constant and 'unsullied' --or in Dzogchen technical language, 'primordial purity' (Wylie: ka dag), which is none other than the 'one taste' (ro gcig) of the 'gnosis of commonality/egality' (Sanskrit:Samatā-jñāna)-- as is metaphorically 'twilighted' in the RGV as 'dhruva
' (Sanskrit), 'pole star
'. From the vantage of the Northern Hemisphere of Earth, the pole star is apt because day or night it is always in the sky, hence constant, immutable and fixed, but not necessarily visible: The pole star appears not to move but the heavenly bodies revolve around it as though it is a fixed 'point' (Sanskrit: bindu
). Just as the pole star is not truly fixed in the sky, the 'everlasting' aspect is not eternal, and should be understood as subject to the Catuṣkoṭi
which is employed in the RGV. The 'essence', the 'element', the 'ratnagotra' must not be essentialized. Rather than the term 'eternal' or 'everlasting' --as Gyatso (1982) was rendered into English by Berzin (2008) which smacks of 'eternalism
' (Pali: sassatavada
) anathemic to Buddhadharma-- a continuum spontaneously 'self-emergent' (rang shar) is sound (refer bija
in Thirteenth Bhumi of Mantrayana). This doctrine is upaya
and open as the doctrine of 'openness' (shunyata): the learning of the doctrine as a tool grasped, is progressively unclasped in contemplation, and released in meditation, effortlessly (refer mula prajna). An important Dzogchen doctrinal view
on the Sugatagarbha qua 'Base' (gzhi) (refer: Duckworth, 2008) that foregrounds this is 'essence' (ngo bo), 'nature' (rang bzhin) and 'power' (thugs rje): the triune of which are indivisible and iconographically represented by the Gankyil
. Where essence is openness or emptiness (ngo bo stong pa), nature is luminosity, lucidity or clarity (as in the luminous mind
of the Five Pure Lights
) (rang bzhin gsal ba) and power is universal compassionate energy (thugs rje kun khyab), unobstructed (ma 'gags pa).
Buddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy deals extensively with problems in metaphysics, phenomenology, ethics, and epistemology.Some scholars assert that early Buddhist philosophy did not engage in ontological or metaphysical speculation, but was based instead on empirical evidence gained by the sense organs...
doctrine known as Buddha-nature
Buddha-nature
Buddha-nature, Buddha-dhatu or Buddha Principle , is taught differently in various Mahayana Buddhism traditions. Broadly speaking Buddha-nature is concerned with ascertaining what allows sentient beings to become Buddhas...
which is generally understood as belonging to the Third Turning of the Dharmacakra
Dharmacakra
The Dharmachakra , lit. "Wheel of Dharma" or "Wheel of Life" is a symbol that has represented dharma, the Buddha's teaching of the path to enlightenment, since the early period of Indian Buddhism. A similar symbol is also in use in Jainism...
. The text was originally composed in Sanskrit and though Sanskrit versions of the RGV and RGVV are extant, these versions are of later recensions and not truly representative of the original according to the analysis of Takasaki (1966). The text and its commentary are also preserved in Tibetan and Chinese translations, the Chinese version being the oldest manuscript of the RgV but not necessarily the most faithful. Obermiller (1931) pioneered research into the RGV literature in English language through his translation of the Tibetan RgVV under the name of the Uttara-tantra-shastra, (the text's name in the Tibetan tradition), labeling it an example of monism
Monism
Monism is any philosophical view which holds that there is unity in a given field of inquiry. Accordingly, some philosophers may hold that the universe is one rather than dualistic or pluralistic...
.
Title
A secondary title for this work is Uttara-tantra-shastra (The Ultimate Doctrine) by which name it is known in the Tibetan tradition and in translations from that tradition's literature and commentaries.Gotra
Nugteren (2005: p. 146) contextualizes the Buddhadharma 'inheritance' of the term 'gotra' (Sanskrit) from the wider tradition, where 'gotra' literally means 'cowshed'. In addition, literally, the term 'go' (Sanskrit) "cow" also means "star", where star clusters are "herds" in the sky. The cultural tradition of naming 'related groups; lineages' or "GotraGotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
" of people after the founding rishi
Rishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
who are also called 'fathers' (Sanskrit: Pitrs
Pitrs
The Pitṛs , are the spirits of the departed ancestors in Hindu culture.They are often remembered annually.It is a Hindu's duty to his ancestors to beget at least one son, so that he may continue to make offerings to the Pitris....
; particularly the "seven fathers") amongst the Saptarishi is also evident in Vedic astrology where the Saptarishi (seven rishis) are the seven stars of the constellation Ursa Major
Ursa Major
Ursa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April...
. 'Saptarishi nadi' is an important natal augury tool in Vedic Astrology. Gotra evolved in Buddharma to first different spiritual lineages one of which (rather controversially within the broader tradition) according to their spiritual predisposition and constitution were doomed to cycle endlessly in the wheel of samsara
Samsara
thumb|right|200px|Traditional Tibetan painting or [[Thanka]] showing the [[wheel of life]] and realms of saṃsāraSaṅsāra or Saṃsāra , , literally meaning "continuous flow", is the cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth or reincarnation within Hinduism, Buddhism, Bön, Jainism, Sikhism, and other...
without the intervention of a bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
, that is they would never attain bodhi
Bodhi
Bodhi is both a Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English with the word "enlightenment", but which means awakened. In Buddhism it is the knowledge possessed by a Buddha into the nature of things...
of their own volition, that doctrine in turn eventually evolved into the doctrine of Jina
Five Dhyani Buddhas
In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Five Dhyani Buddhas , also known as the Five Wisdom Tathāgatas, the Five Great Buddhas and the Five Jinas , are representations of the five qualities of the Buddha...
. Jina now effectively is a herd of five gotras that upon taking certain initiation of mantra with associated vows and samaya
Samaya
The samaya , is a set of vows or precepts given to initiates of an esoteric Vajrayana Buddhist order as part of the abhiṣeka ceremony that creates a bond between the guru and disciple.According Keown, et al., Samaya may be defined as:*A particular system of teaching or...
, every practicing Mantrika within the Mantrayana tradition takes upon conferral of their mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
. To return to the point of origin, Shakyamuni was within the gotra of the rishi Gautama Maharishi
Gautama Maharishi
Gautama Maharishi is one of the Saptarishis Gautama Maharishi is one of the Saptarishis Gautama Maharishi is one of the Saptarishis (Seven Great Sages Rishi of the current Manvantara (seventh). He was one of the Maharishis of Vedic times, known to have been the discoverer of Mantras --...
who was the revealer of mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
s and the 'law' aspect of Dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
.
Tantra
Gyatso (1982) in his teaching on the Uttaratantra conveys that 'tantra' in the Tibetan title to specifically refer to the 'everlasting continuum of the mind' which is how what has become generally rendered as 'mindstreamMindstream
Mindstream in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment "continuum" of awareness. There are a number of terms in the Buddhist literature that may well be rendered "mindstream"...
' in English discourse was rendered by Berzin (2008), the translator, in his revised transcription of the proceedings:
Here, since the text indicates primarily the cleansing of the everlasting continuum of the mind when it is tarnished with fleeting stains, and thus since it concerns the everlasting mental continuum, it includes the term tantra, meaning everlasting continuum, in its title. Moreover, the word tantra has the connotation of something that goes on and on with continuity, something that continues over time with connection from prior to later moments. We can undoubtedly understand something from that connotation as well.
Text
The text consists of about 430 Sanskrit verses with a prose commentary (vyākhyā) that includes substantial quotations from tathāgata-garbha oriented sūtras. As well as a single extant SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
version, translations exist in Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and Tibetan
Tibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
, though each of these versions show a degree of recensional variation. Extensive analysis of the critical Sanskrit text edited by Johnston (1950) with the Tibetan and Chinese versions, identified that the verses actually comprise two separate groups: a core set of 27 verses (śloka
Sloka
Sloka may refer to:* Sloka, Latvia, a neighbourhood of Jūrmala, Latvia* Sloka meter, a Sanskrit meter* Śloka, a Hindu prayer* Sloka Gora, a small settlement in central Slovenia* Sloka...
) and 405 additional or supplementary verses of explication (Skt. kārikā). The work of Johnston, et al. (1950) and Takasaki (1966) have been critiqued by the extensive reviews of such scholars as deJong (1979) and Schmithausen (1971) (in the German).
History
Hookham (1991: p. 165) affirms that there are precious few records of the RGV or RGVV (its commentary) in India and that their traditional recorded history commences with their 'rediscovery' by Maitripa.Mathes (2008: p. 2) relates a version of the traditional textual transmission of the RGV by Maitrīpa (ca. 1007-ca.1085) —the disciple of Naropa
Naropa
thumb|right|NaropaNāropā was an Indian Buddhist yogi, mystic and monk. He was the disciple of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner and pupil, of Niguma. Naropa was the main teacher of Marpa, the founder of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism...
and the guru of Marpa
Marpa Lotsawa
Marpa Lotsawa , sometimes known fully as Lhodak Marpa Choski Lodos or commonly as Marpa the Translator, was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher credited with the transmission of many Buddhist teachings to Tibet from India, including the teachings and lineages of Vajrayana and Mahamudra.-Biography:Born as...
— and as well proffers his critical analysis that Maitrīpa's teachers Jñānaśrīmitra of Vikramaśīla and Ratnākaraśānti must have had access to the RGV, RGVV and/or their extracts:
Tradition has it that the Dharmadharmatāvibhaga and the Ratnagotravibhāga were rediscovered and taught by Maitrīpa, but Maitrīpa's teacher at Vikramaśīla, Jñānaśrīmitra (ca. 980-1040), must have already known these two works when he composed his Sākārasiddhiśāstra and Sākārasamgraha. Ratnākaraśānti, another teacher of Maitrīpa, also quotes the Ratnagotravibhāga in the Sūtrasamuccayabhāṣya. Maitrīpa passed the Dharmadharmatāvibhaga and the Ratnagotravibhāga on to *Ānandakīrti and Sajjana.
Of the complete extant Sanskrit [Johnston, et al. (1950)], Tibetan and Chinese manuscript versions, recension
Recension
Recension is the practice of editing or revising a text based on critical analysis. When referring to manuscripts, this may be a revision by another author...
or interpolation
Interpolation
In the mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a method of constructing new data points within the range of a discrete set of known data points....
s of the RGV (according to perspective), Takasaki (1966) considered the Chinese translation of a no longer extant Sanskrit text to be the oldest RGV manuscript in existence, though not necessarily truly representing the original Sanskrit.
Chinese
According to Takasaki (1966: p. 7), the Chinese Tripiṭaka retains one translation of the RGV, being known as No. 1611, Vol.31 (Taisho Daizokyo Ed.) with the nomenclature chiu-ching yi-ch'eng pao-sing-lun (literally back-translated into Sanskrit: Uttara-ekayāna-ratnagotra-śāstra).Tibetan
Takasaki (1966: p. 6) holds the Tibetan Tanjur to retain two versions of the RGV:- Theg-pa-chen-po rgyud-bla ma'i bstan-bcos (Mahāyāna-uttaratantra-śāstra), Tohaku Catalogue No. 4024;
- Theg-pa-chen-po rgyud-bla-ma'i bstan-bcos rnam-par-bsad-pa (Mahāyāna-uttaratantra-śāstra-vyākhyā), Tohaku Catalogue No. 4025.
Both of these versions were translated by Matiprajna (Sanskrit, 1059–1109) (also known as: Ngok Loden Sherab
Ngok Loden Sherab
Ngok Loden Sherab or Ngok Lotsawa Loden Sherab - Important in the transmission of Buddhism from India to Tibet. One of the most renowned translators in Tibetan history and traditionally known as one of the "Ten Pillars of Tibetan Buddhism"...
; Wylie: Blo-ldan-shes-rab) under the guidance of Kashmiri Pandits 'Ratnavajra' (Sanskrit) (Wylie: Rin-chen rdo-rje) and Sajjana, conducted at Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
in Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, towards the close of the 11th century CE.
Sanskrit
The critical edition of the RGV in Sanskrit was first published by Johnston, et al. (1950) This critical edition of Johnston is founded on two manuscripts discovered by Rev. Rāhula Sāñkṛtyāyana (1893–1963) in Tibet.Doctrinal significance
The Ratnagotravibhaga is notable for its exploration of the doctrine of the "buddha nature" (Wylie: de bzhin gshegs paSentient beings (Buddhism)
Sentient beings is a technical term in Buddhist discourse. Broadly speaking, it denotes beings with consciousness or sentience or, in some contexts, life itself. Specifically, it denotes the presence of the five aggregates, or skandhas...
are already buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
s or have the propensity to attain buddhahood
Buddhahood
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
.
A secondary title for this work is Uttara-tantra-shastra (The Ultimate Doctrine), highlighting the text's claim that the tathāgata-garbha teachings represent the final, definitive teachings of the Buddha, in contrast to the earlier teachings on emphasizing intrinsic emptiness, such as contained in the Perfection of Insight Sutras (prajñā-pāramitā) and other Mahāyāna
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
scriptures. In addition to the group of scriptures known as the Tathāgata-garbha sūtras, this work is the cornerstone of the tathāgata-garbha trend of thought in Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Professor C.D. Sebastian states that within tathagatagarbha literature such as the Uttaratantra a completion of sunyata (emptiness) theory and an emphasisng of metaphysics and mysticism can be found. In his book on the Uttaratantra (a Sanskrit distillation of tathagatagarbha thought), Professor C.D. Sebastian writes:
‘The Uttaratantra is a Mahayana text with emphasis on Buddhist metaphysics and mysticism.’. And: ‘Tathagata-garbha thought is complementary to sunyata thought of the Madhyamika and the Yogacara, as it is seen in the Uttaratantra. The Uttaratantra first quotes the Srimala-devi-sutra to the effect that tathagata-garbha is not accessible to those outside of sunya realization and then proceeds to claim that sunyata realization is a necessary precondition to the realization of tathagata-garbha. There is something positive to be realized when one’s vision has been cleared by sunyata. The sunyata teachings of the prajna-paramita are true but incomplete. They require further elucidation, which is found in the Uttaratantra.'
C.A. Sebastian avers that the Uttaratantra constitutes a higher Buddhist doctrine than that of sunyata as found in the prajnaparamita
Prajnaparamita
Prajñāpāramitā in Buddhism, means "the Perfection of Wisdom." The word Prajñāpāramitā combines the Sanskrit words prajñā with pāramitā . Prajñāpāramitā is a central concept in Mahāyāna Buddhism and its practice and understanding are taken to be indispensable elements of the Bodhisattva Path...
sutras:
'... the Uttaratantra also speaks of Buddhahood, or Buddha-nature. Thus it signifies something special and different when we take into consideration the term tantra in the Uttaratantra. Further, as stated earlier, the sunyata teachings in the Prajna-paramita are true, but incomplete. They require still further elucidation, which the Uttaratantra provides. Thus it assumes the Prajna-paramita teachings as the purva or prior teachings, and the tathagata-garbha teachings as the uttara, in the sense of both subsequent and superior.'
Professor Sebastian also indicates that the Srimala Sutra
Srimala Sutra
The Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra is one of the main early Mahāyāna Buddhist texts that teaches the doctrines of Tathāgatagarbha and the One Vehicle , through the words of the Indian queen Śrīmālā...
can be seen as critical of negatively understood sunyata and that both the Srimala Sutra and the Uttaratantra enunciate the idea that the tathagatagarbha is possessed of four transcendental qualities and that the tathagatagarbha is ultimately identifiable as the dharmakaya
Dharmakaya
The Dharmakāya is a central idea in Mahayana Buddhism forming part of the Trikaya doctrine that was possibly first expounded in the Aṣṭasāhasrikā prajñā-pāramitā , composed in the 1st century BCE...
(most exalted nature of the Buddha). These elevated qualities make of the Buddha one to whom devotion and adoration could be given:
‘This text is, in a way, highly critical of the negative understanding of sunyata. This text is one of the earliest Buddhist scriptures to be dedicated specifically to an exposition of the concept of the tathagata-garbha. The garbha possesses four guna-paramitas [qualities of perfection] of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, which can be seen in the Uttaratantra too. In the text, the garbha is ultimately identified with the dharmakaya of the tathagata. Here there is an elevation and adoration of Buddha and his attributes, which could be a significant basis for Mahayana devotionalism.’
The Uttaratantra takes as its key topic the idea of the dhatu of the Buddha which is present in all beings. Professor Sebastian writes:
'The principal subject matter of this treatise is the special theory of Dhatu (fundamental element) of the Absolute (Tathagata-garbha = essence of Buddha)... It is an exposition of the theory of the Essence of Buddhahood (tathagata-garbha), the fundamental element (dhatu) of the Absolute, as existing in all sentient beings. ... This element which had been regarded as an active force (bija) before, is regarded, in this text, as eternal, quiescent and unalterable, as the true essence of every living being and source of all virtuous qualities.'
Authorship
The text is attributed to a certain SthiramatiSthiramati
Sthiramati or Sāramati was a 6th century Indian Buddhist scholar-monk. He was based primarily in Valābhi , although he is thought to have spent some time at Nālandā...
or Sāramati in the earlier Chinese tradition, while the Tibetan tradition considers the verse portion to have been composed by Maitreya-nātha
Maitreya-natha
Maitreya-nātha is a name whose use was pioneered by Buddhist scholars Erich Frauwallner, Giuseppe Tucci, and Hakiju Ui to distinguish one of the three founders of the Yogācāra school of Buddhist philosophy, along with Asaṅga and Vasubandhu. Some scholars believe this "Maitreya" to be a historical...
and the prose commentary by Asanga
Asanga
Asaṅga was a major exponent of the Yogācāra tradition in India, also called Vijñānavāda. Traditionally, he and his half-brother Vasubandhu are regarded as the founders of this school...
. Ruegg suggests that the Chinese and Tibetan traditions may be reconciled by understanding the name given in Chinese sources as an epithet for Maitreya. The case for the involvement of Maitreya-nātha is also strengthened by the discovery of a Sanskrit fragment of the Ratnagotravibhāga in Saka
Saka
The Saka were a Scythian tribe or group of tribes....
script which mentions Maitreya-nātha as the author of the 'root' (mūla) verses. The question of authorship may possibly be resolved by an analysis of the structure of this multi-layered text. Takasaki (1966: p. 62) is certain that the author of the embedded commentary is Sāramati through his comparison of the RGV with the Dharmadhātvaviśeṣaśāstra.
Peter Harvey finds the attribution to Asanga less plausible.
Commentary on the Ratnagotravibhanga
To mitigate any confusion or perhaps to bring uncertainty into awareness, the RGV in certain textual transmissions has an embedded commentary RGVV that has become for the most part integrated with the RGV through the passage of time even though there are distinct editions of the RGV and RGVV. Takasaki (1966) provided a valuable textual analysis of the Sanskrit critical edition edited by Johnston with those versions preserved in certain editions of the Chinese and Tibetan canon. Takasaki (1966) identified a textual core of the RGV with the most ancient verses of this core, dated ..., being extant in the Chinese. The work of Takasaki and Johnston has been critiqued by the extensive reviews of such scholars as deJong (1979) and Schmithausen (1971) (in the German).Exegetical tradition
Notable exegetes of the Ratnagotravibhaga have been Dolpopa, Go LotsawaGö Lotsawa
gZhon-nu-dpal , also known as Gos Lo-tsa-ba , famous Tibetan historian and scholar.-Life and achievements:He was born in 1392 at lho kha 'phyongs rgyas...
, Gyaltsap Darma Rinchen, and Ju Mipham, amongst others.
The Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
commentary of Ju Mipham from a Dzogchen
Dzogchen
According to Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of the mind, and a body of teachings and meditation practices aimed at realizing that condition. Dzogchen, or "Great Perfection", is a central teaching of the Nyingma school also practiced by...
view, has been rendered into English by Duckworth (2008). Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche (2008/2009) commenced the Rigpa Shedra teachings on Mipham's view of Buddha Nature which has been followed by Khenpo Dawa Paljor (2009) of Rigpa Shedra's oral word by word commentary of Ju Mipham's exegesis of RGV (RGVV?)in Tibetan with English translation (translator presently unknown).
In English Translation
The verse portion of the Ratna-gotra-vibhāga has been translated several times into English, including by E. Obermiller (1931) and Rosemary Fuchs (2000). The English translation by Takasaki is the only English translation of the complete work, including the commentary.Dzogchen view, commentary and reading of RGV
If we put the historicityHistoricity
Historicity may mean:*the quality of being part of recorded history, as opposed to prehistory*the quality of being part of history as opposed to being a historical myth or legend, for example:** Historicity of the Iliad**Historicity...
and the different traditions of the document and its textual recensions and accretions aside and accept the modern text as the true and correct version, as does the living tradition, it contains a synthesis of Sugatagarbha ('Tathagatagarbha' is the term employed in the Mahayana
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
literature proper and the Outer Tantras in general, but in the Inner Tantras
Inner Tantras
The Inner Tantras are the final three divisions in the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. They comprise the Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga...
and the most rarefied yana
Yana (Buddhism)
Yāna refers to a mode or method of spiritual practice in Buddhism, and in particular to divisions of various schools of Buddhism according to their type of practice.-Nomenclature, etymology and orthography:...
, the term 'Sugatagarbha' is employed as a general convention) literature (RGV quotes from circa 20 buddha-nature texts) into five chapters that distill seven 'diamond points' (vajrapada):
- 'BuddhaBuddhahoodIn Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
' (Sanskrit: ; Wylie: sañs-rgyas; Chinese:) - 'DharmaDharmaDharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
' (Sanskrit: Wylie: chos; Chinese:) - 'SaṃghaSanghaSangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
' (Sanskrit: gaṇa; Wylie: dge-'dun; Chinese:) - 'Essence' (Sanskrit: dhātu; Wylie: khams; Chinese:)
- 'AwakenedBodhiBodhi is both a Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English with the word "enlightenment", but which means awakened. In Buddhism it is the knowledge possessed by a Buddha into the nature of things...
' (Sanskrit: bodhi; Wylie: byañ-chub; Chinese:) - 'Qualities' (Sanskrit: guna; Wylie: yon-tan; Chinese:)
- 'Activities' (Sanskrit: karman; Wylie: phyin-las' Chinese:)
Now, in the tantric twilight language
Twilight language
Twilight language may refer to:*A conspiracy theory proposed by James Shelby Downard and embraced by Michael A. Hoffman II*The Twilight Language, a polysemic language and communication system associated with Tantric traditions...
of correspondence, following Bucknell & Stuart-Fox (1986), the triratna of Sangha, Dharma and Buddha are Body, Voice and Mind
Three Vajras
The Three Vajras namely 'body', 'speech' and 'mind' are a formulation within Tibetan Buddhism and Bon which holds the full experience of the 'openness' of Buddha-nature, void of all bar the 'qualities' and 'marks' and establishes a sound experiential key upon the 'continuum of the path' to...
(and qualities and activities). According to Norbu, et. al. (1991, 2001: p. 176), all five of these, body (sku), voice (gsung), mind (thugs), qualities (yon tan), activities (phrin las), constitute a 'mindstream
Mindstream
Mindstream in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment "continuum" of awareness. There are a number of terms in the Buddhist literature that may well be rendered "mindstream"...
' or 'continuum of being' of either a sentient being
Sentient beings (Buddhism)
Sentient beings is a technical term in Buddhist discourse. Broadly speaking, it denotes beings with consciousness or sentience or, in some contexts, life itself. Specifically, it denotes the presence of the five aggregates, or skandhas...
(with adventitious obscurations) or a buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
(without adventitious obscurations). Takasaki (1966) conveys that the "ratnagotra" (lineal jewel, gem lineage) is a synonym for the 'buddha nature', the 'element' which is "as it is", this is the 'everlasting' aspect of the continuum of being, the aspect that is constant and 'unsullied' --or in Dzogchen technical language, 'primordial purity' (Wylie: ka dag), which is none other than the 'one taste' (ro gcig) of the 'gnosis of commonality/egality' (Sanskrit:Samatā-jñāna)-- as is metaphorically 'twilighted' in the RGV as 'dhruva
Dhruva
In the Hindu mythology, Dhruva is a devotee of the god Vishnu, who blessed to attain the position of the polar star, also known as Dhruva in Sanskrit. Dhruva was the son of Uttānapāda...
' (Sanskrit), 'pole star
Pole star
The term "Pole Star" usually refers to Polaris, which is the current northern pole star, also known as the North Star.In general, however, a pole star is a visible star, especially a prominent one, that is approximately aligned with the Earth's axis of rotation; that is, a star whose apparent...
'. From the vantage of the Northern Hemisphere of Earth, the pole star is apt because day or night it is always in the sky, hence constant, immutable and fixed, but not necessarily visible: The pole star appears not to move but the heavenly bodies revolve around it as though it is a fixed 'point' (Sanskrit: bindu
Bindu
Bindu is a Sanskrit term meaning "point" or "dot". The feminine case ending is bindi which denotes a small ornamental, devotional and/or mystical dot that is cosmetically applied or affixed to the forehead in Hinduism....
). Just as the pole star is not truly fixed in the sky, the 'everlasting' aspect is not eternal, and should be understood as subject to the Catuṣkoṭi
Catuṣkoṭi
Catuṣkoṭi is a logical argument of a 'suite of four discrete functions' or 'an indivisible quaternity' that has multiple applications and has been important in the Dharmic traditions of Indian logic and the Buddhadharma logico-epistemological traditions, particularly those of the Madhyamaka...
which is employed in the RGV. The 'essence', the 'element', the 'ratnagotra' must not be essentialized. Rather than the term 'eternal' or 'everlasting' --as Gyatso (1982) was rendered into English by Berzin (2008) which smacks of 'eternalism
Eternalism
The word eternalism has at least three meanings:* In philosophy, Eternalism is a philosophical approach to the ontological nature of time, which takes the view that all points in time are equally "real", as opposed to the presentist idea that only the present is real.*Eternalism is a position in...
' (Pali: sassatavada
Sassatavada
Sassatavada is a kind of thinking rejected by the Buddha in the nikayas . One example of it is the belief that the individual has an unchanging Self. Views of this kind were held at the Buddha's time by a variety of groups....
) anathemic to Buddhadharma-- a continuum spontaneously 'self-emergent' (rang shar) is sound (refer bija
Bija
In Hinduism and Buddhism, the Sanskrit term बीज bīja , literally seed, is used as a metaphor for the origin or cause of things and cognate with bindu....
in Thirteenth Bhumi of Mantrayana). This doctrine is upaya
Upaya
Upaya is a term in Mahayana Buddhism which is derived from the root upa√i and refers to a means that goes or brings one up to some goal, often the goal of Enlightenment. The term is often used with kaushalya ; upaya-kaushalya means roughly "skill in means"...
and open as the doctrine of 'openness' (shunyata): the learning of the doctrine as a tool grasped, is progressively unclasped in contemplation, and released in meditation, effortlessly (refer mula prajna). An important Dzogchen doctrinal view
View (Buddhism)
View or position is a central idea in Buddhism. In Buddhist thought, in contrast with the commonsense understanding, a view is not a simple, abstract collection of propositions, but a charged interpretation of experience which intensely shapes and affects thought, sensation, and action...
on the Sugatagarbha qua 'Base' (gzhi) (refer: Duckworth, 2008) that foregrounds this is 'essence' (ngo bo), 'nature' (rang bzhin) and 'power' (thugs rje): the triune of which are indivisible and iconographically represented by the Gankyil
Gankyil
The Gankyil[Tibetan:དགའ་འཁྱིལ་] is a symbol and ritual tool in Tibetan Buddhism, Bön, Himalayan Shamanism and Korean Buddhism. In Bön and Nyingma Dzogchen lineages, the Gankyil is the principal symbol and teaching tool: it is symbolic of primordial energy and represents the central unity and...
. Where essence is openness or emptiness (ngo bo stong pa), nature is luminosity, lucidity or clarity (as in the luminous mind
Luminous mind
Luminous mind is a term attributed to the Buddha in the Nikayas...
of the Five Pure Lights
Five Pure Lights
The Five Pure Lights are experiential manifestations in the Dzogchen tradition of Bön and Nyingma and are aspects of non-dual clarity and primordial luminosity of dharmakaya, kunzhi and/or emptiness...
) (rang bzhin gsal ba) and power is universal compassionate energy (thugs rje kun khyab), unobstructed (ma 'gags pa).
See also
- Luminous mindLuminous mindLuminous mind is a term attributed to the Buddha in the Nikayas...
- Buddha nature
- Tathagatagarbha
- A Prayer to Tapi
[hrih tsa]