Sixteen Kinds of Śūnyatā in the
Prajñāpāramitāpi
ṇ
ḍārthasa
ṃ
graha and
the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā
K
IMURASeimin
Introduction
Dignāga s Prajñāpāramitāpiṇḍārthasaṃgraha (PPS), extant in the original Sanskrit,
Tibet-an Tibet-and Chinese trTibet-anslations, is one of the most importTibet-ant summaries of the Aṣṭsāhasrikā
Prajñāpāramitā (ASPP). The main topics are the ten categories of conceptual cognition
(vikalpa-vikṣepa) and sixteen categories of emptiness (śūnyatā) in the PPS. The sixteen cat-egories of emptiness are explained in kk. 8–18 of the PPS. They are (1) emptiness of inter-nal elements (ādhyātmika-śūnyatā; k. 8 bhoktrādhyātmika-vastu), (2) emptiness of exterinter-nal objects (bahirdhā-ś.; k. 9 bāhyāny āyatanāni), (3) emptiness of body
(ādhyātmika-bahirdhā-ś.; k. 10 deha), (4) emptiness of space (mahā-ś.; k. 10 pratiṣṭhā), (5) emptiness of
marks (lakṣaṇa-ś., k. 10)*, (6) emptiness of emptiness itself (śūnyatā-ś., k. 10), (7) empti-ness of nature (prakṛti-ś., k. 11), (8) ultimate emptiness (atyanta-ś.; k. 12 sattva), (9)
empti-ness without beginning and end (anavarāgra-ś.; k. 12 saṃsāra), (10) emptiness of all
char-acteristics (sarva-dharma-ś.; k. 13 daśa-bala), (11) emptiness of the absolute (paramārtha-ś., k. 14), (12) emptiness of non-existence (abhāva-ś.; k. 15
pudgala-nairātmya)*, (13) emptiness of existence of non-existence (abhāvasvabhāva-ś.; k. 16
dharma-nairātmya)*, (14) emptiness of conditioned factors (saṃskṛta-ś.; k. 17 saṃskṛta kuśala), (15) emptiness of unconditioned factors (asaṃskṛta-ś.; k. 17 asaṃskṛta kuśala),
and (16) emptiness without elimination (anavakāra-ś.; k. 18 tadgatākṣayatā)*. These names of emptiness are not indicated in the PPS. They are defined in the
Prajñāpāramitā[piṇḍārtha]saṃgrahakārikāvivaraṇa (PPSV), which is an interpretation of
the PPS and refers to the sixteen categories of emptiness explained in the
Madhyāntavibhāga (MAV).
out only the relationship between the PPS and the MAV. However, Dignāga expresses the following view:
prabhedaḥ ṣodaśākāraḥ śūnyatāyā yathākramaṃ / nirdiṣṭo 'ṣṭasahasryāṃ sa vijñeyo 'nyāpadeśataḥ // The sixteen varieties of emptiness expounded in the ASPP are explained in due succession. It should be understood that they are indicated by other words elsewhere (k. 6).
Since Dignāga mentions that in the ASPP and explained in due succession, it is of great significance to examine their meaning. As mentioned earlier, the relationship between the
PPS and the MAV has been studied. In this paper, I will attempt to clarify the relationship
between the PPS and the ASPP minutely in order to comprehend the notion of emptiness (Cf. Conze 1978 partially tried to pay attention to this viewpoint).
1. Quotations Matching Nearly Verbatim or Substantially Identical
First I will compare quotations from the PPS with relevant passages of the ASPP. There are six out of sixteen.
(1) bodhisattvaṃ na paśyāmi I do not see the bodhisattva (PPS k. 8) refers to nāhaṃ taṃ
dharmaṃ samanupaśyāmi yad uta bodhisattvaḥ I do not see the bodhisattva (ASPP chapter 1). (2) rūpaṃ rūpasvabhāvena śūnyam The object is emptiness itself (k. 9) refers to rūpaṃ hi aparigṛhītam The object is not perceived (chap. 1).
(3) notpanno na niruddho vā sattvaḥ The being neither occurs nor is annihilated (k. 12) refers to api nu tatra kaścit sattva utpanno vā utpatsyate vā utpadyate vā, niruddho vā
nirot-syate vā nirudhyate vā ... no hīdam The being did not occur in the past, does not occur in
the present and will not occur in the future (chap. 2).
(4) buddhadharmāṃs tathā bodhisattvadharmān na paśyati Likewise, he does not see the
characteristics of the Buddha and the bodhisattva (k. 13) refers to bodhisattvadharmāṇām api prakṛtyanutpādānirodhāya dharmaṃ deśayanti ... buddhadharmāṇām api prakṛtyanutpādānirodhāya dharmaṃ deśayanti The Buddhas preach in order to indicate that
the characteristics of the bodhisattva essentially neither occur nor are annihilated and that characteristics of the Buddha essentially neither occur nor are annihilated (chap. 15). (5) prati prati yato dharmāḥ kalpitāḥ The characteristics are respectively conceptualized (k. 14) refers to sarvadharmāṇām api prakṛtyanutpādānirodhāya dharmaṃ deśayanti All
(6) na paramārtho 'sti dharmāṇām The absolute of the characteristics does not exist (k.
14) refers to na sa kaścid dharmaḥ saṃvidyate yo dharmaḥ śakyo 'bhisaṃboddhum no
en-lightenments exist whatsoever (chap. 16).
These quotes are explained in due succession in the ASPP as explained by Dignāga.
2. References Matching in Contents but not Literally Identical
Second, a close examination of the PPS and the ASPP reveals that twelve out of sixteen explanations of emptiness in the PPS and the ASPP have matching contents. Among the twelve that match, the emptiness of (1) internal elements, the emptiness of (2) external ob-jects, and the emptiness of (3) body at kk. 8–10 in the PPS are explained in the ASPP as follows:
nādhyātmaṃ rūpasya tajjñānaṃ samanupaśyati He does not perceive knowledge as the existence of internal elements (related to internal elements)…na bahirdhā rūpasya tajjñānaṃ samanupaśyati He does not perceive knowledge as the existence of external objects (related to external objects) ... nādhyātmabahirdhā rūpasya tajjñānaṃ samanupaśyati He does not perceive knowledge as the existence of internal elements and external objects (related to body) (chap. 1).
The emptiness of (4) emptiness itself or (5) nature in k. 10 and k. 11 corresponds to the following passage in the ASPP:
na vijñānaṃ parigṛhṇīte He (Śreṇika) does not seize recognition (chap. 1).
The emptiness of (6) space explained in k. 10 corresponds to the following passage in the
ASPP:
mā ca kulaputra vāmenālokayan gāḥ, mā dakṣiṇena, mā pūrveṇa, mā paścimena, mottareṇa, mordhvam, mādhaḥ, mā ca anuvidiśam avalokayan gāḥ You should not go looking right, at the top, at the bottom, and the four directions̶north, south, east, and west as well as southeast, northeast, southwest, and northwest (chap. 30).
The emptiness of (7) mark in k. 10 is explained in four sentences.
1) prajñāpāramitālakṣaṇenāpi prajñāpāramitā virahitā / lakṣaṇasvabhāvenāpi lakṣaṇaṃ virahitam / lakṣyasvabhāvenāpi lakṣyaṃ virahitam / svabhāvalakṣaṇenāpi svabhāvo virahitaḥ // The perfection of wisdom abandons the mark of the perfection of wisdom. The mark abandons the characteristic of the mark. The thing that is marked abandons the characteristic of the thing that is marked. The nature abandons the characteristic of the nature (chap. 1).
perfection of wisdom is the Bodhisattva s Mother because it does not have the peculiar characteristic (chap. 7).
3) alakṣaṇapāramiteyaṃ sarvadharmānabhinirvṛttitām upādāya The perfection of a no-mark is that all natures do not occur (chap. 9).
4) avinivartanīyo bodhisattvo mahāsattvaḥ svalakṣaṇaśūnyair dharmair bodhisattvanyāmāvakrāntaḥ
The non-reversing bodhisattva is entering the fixed state of the bodhisattva because of the peculiar characteristic is emptiness (chap. 17).
(8) The emptiness of the being in k. 12 corresponds to the following passage of the ASPP: punar aparaṃ sattvo 'nanto 'paryantaḥ / tat kasya hetoḥ / na hi sattvasyānto vā madhyaṃ vā paryavasānaṃ vopalabhyate The being is eternal, endless, and non-limited, because the beginning, middle, or end of the being are not perceived (chap. 2).
(9) The emptiness of non-existence (related to pudgala) in k. 15 corresponds to the follow-ing passage of the ASPP:
mahatyā ... pudgaladṛṣṭyāḥ ... etāsām evamādyānāṃ dṛṣṭīnāṃ prahāṇāya dharmaṃ deśayiṣyati It is a great mistake to think that the being exists. He (the bodhisattva) will preach teachings in order to remove their mistake. (chap. 1).
(10, 11) The emptiness of all the elements in k. 16 corresponds to the following passage of the ASPP:
sarvadharmaśūnyānimittāpraṇihitatayā prajñāpāramitā anugantavyā You should reach the perfection of wisdom by means of all the elements as emptiness, non-sign, and non-desire (chap. 29).
(12) For emptiness of the absolute, see 2 above.
Conclusion
In this paper, I have investigated the sixteen categories of emptiness in order to clarify the relationship between the PPS and the ASPP. As pointed out in section 2, I have found that six sentences in kk. 8, 9, 12, 13, and 14 quoted in the PPS match verbatim or substantially identical sentences of the ASPP. Furthermore, the six sentences are explained in due order in the ASPP. In section 3, I made a comparison between the PPS and the ASPP in terms of the contexts of teaching. Yet I have not found an exact relationship between Dignāga s 4
kārikās and the ASPP; namely emptiness without beginning and end (k. 9), emptiness of
conditioned factors (k. 14), emptiness of unconditioned factors (k. 15), and emptiness without elimination (k. 16). Finally, I would like to mention that there are not as many
matches between the MAV and the PPS as there are between the PPS and the ASPP. [N.B. * signifies terminological difference between the PPS and the PPSV / MAV.]
Abbreviations and Primary Sources
ASPP Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā. Ed. P. L. Vaidya. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute, 1960. PPS Prajñāpāramitāpiṇḍārthasaṃgraha of Dignāga Dignāga, Sein Werk und seine Entwicklung.
Ed. Erich Frauwallner. Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde Süd- und Ostasiens 3 (1959): 83–164. PPSV Prajñāpāramitā[piṇḍārtha]saṃgrahakārikāvivaraṇa of Triratnadāsa, (Tib.) C pha 301b3–323a7,
D no. 3810 pha 294b7–315b7, dGa ldan no. 3207 pha 416b1–445a5, N no. 3199 pha 336b7– 362a5, P vol. 94, no. 5208, pha 336a2–362a5. (Ch.) Fomu bore boluomiduo yuanji yaoyi shi lun 佛 母般若波羅蜜多圓集要義釋論 translated into Chinese by Shihu 施護. Jin zang vol. 67, no. 1584, 866b–888b, Korean 2nd vol. 40 576a–594c, Qisha zang vol. 34 no. 1327, 46a–69c, Ming (Jiaxing) zang 165 帙 72–118丁, T vol. 25, 900c1–912c3.
Secondary Sources
Conze, Edward. 1978. The Prajñāpāramitā Literature. Tokyo. The Reiyukai.
Hattori Masaaki 服部正明. 1961. Dignāga no Hannyakyō kaishaku ディグナーガの般若経解釈. Ōsaka furitsu daigaku kiyō (Jinbun shakai kagaku) 大阪府立大学紀要 (人文・社会科学) 9: 119–136. Tucci, Giuseppe. 1947. Minor Sanskrit Texts on the Prajñā-Pāramitā: 1. the Prajñāpāramitā-piṇḍārtha of
Diṅnāga. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: 53–75. Yeh Ah-yueh 葉阿月. 1975. Yuishiki shisō no kenkyū 唯識思想の研究. Tokyo. Kokusho kankōkai.
Key words 陳那，Dignāga，佛母般若波羅蜜多圓集要義釋論，Prajñāpāramitāpiṇḍārthasaṃgraha， 十六空
