The
linage
of visuddhi-pada
thought
in the
Prajfipramitanayasatapaflcasatika
Shuyu
Kanaoka
I
Amoghavajra (A. D. 705-774) stated, in his
"Prajnaparamitanayapan-cadaa-tika-bhaya"(般 若 理 趣 繹, Taish6,19,608b), which is a commentary on
his own translation "Praj-nap aramitanayapancadasa-tika", that the numbers
of the``phrase of purity"(清 浄 句)must necessarily be 17, and they correspond
to 17 deities' mandala such as Vajrasattva and so on.
After his statement, both in China and Japan, the composition of 17 phrases of purity became to be rendered as an important element in
for-mation of Prajnaparamitanaya thought.
Moreover, this is not an opinion in China and Japan. 11 century co-mmentator Anandagarbha stated, in his "Paramadya-sutra-bhasya" which is a commentary on the "Praramadya-sutra" in which has 17 phrases of purity, that 17 phrases are most important. Beside first phrase, or "surata -visuddhi-pada", another 16 phrases should be devided into four stages, and these four stages could be understood from the view point of Paramartha and Samvrtti (cf. Dr. S. Togano: Study on
sutra, p. 121).
But it is already quite clear that this numbers of phrases have no ticular significance after various scholors investigation (Togano : o.p cit ). There it is pointed out that various numbers of phrases appear in similar texts.
(16) The linage of visuddhi-pada thought (S. Kanaoka)
not their numbers, but their origins and desendancies, especially on the point when and how the phrases of purity tome to represent the phrase of bodhisattvas.
It will be not necessary to mention that the formation of pure and equal bodhisattva is the most typical representation among various Prajna-paramitanaya-sutras. In this sense, it will be able to say that the phrases of purity is the original explanation of Prajna and Nirvana which can not be found in other Prajna-sutras.
This representation can be found even in the
"Prajnaparamita-naya-kapa"(般 若 理 趣 分)translated by Huen Tsang(A. D.601-664), which in
the most primitive and original text of Prajnaparamitanaya-sutras. It runs as follows:
"Extremely plaasure phrases of purty (Pa ramasurata visuddhi pada) is the phrases of Bodhisattva".
It will be quite easy to find this is an original type of the phrase in Amoghavajra's translation "Prajnaparamitanayasutra", i.e., "pleasure phra-ses of purity is the phraphra-ses of Bodhisattva."
The word"phrase"corresponds to the Chinese term"句","句 義", and "位"which represent the
meaning"phrase","phrase-meaning"and"situa-Lion" respectively. These Chinese terms, however, stemmed from only one or two Sanskrit originals, i.e., pada or padartha. This is mentioned in Nagar juna's "Mahaprajnaparamita-sastra" f asc. 44 as follows: "The word
phrase-meaning(句 義)comes from Sanskritpada'which litterally corres
ponds Chinese phrase' The word 'pada' has so various meanings." (Taisho 25, 380c).
In fact, it is possible to point out the descendancy of the thought of "Bodhisattvapada" in various Prajnaparamita -sutras. With regard to this,
Dr. Togano investigated in the"小 品 般 若"(Taisho,7,766b),"摩 詞 般 若" (fasc.4,句 義 品, Taisho 8,241c)and搬 若 理 趣 分"(oP. cit)(see his oP. cit., P.
119).
Real meaning or aim of these visuddhi-pada or bodhisattva-pada thought whidh were universally found in the history of Prajflaparamita thought
was properly explained by Kuei-chi(窺 規A. D.632-682)in his commentary on the Prajhaparamitanaya-kaa,(般 若 理 趣 分 述 讃)(Taisho,33,40c).
According to him, visuddhi-pada, such as "surata-uisuddhi-pada" or "darsana -sukha-visuddhi-pada" always aims real enlightenment or bodhi, so
the visuddhi pada always represents the contents of bodhisattva-pada. It
will be found from his interpretation that Suratavisuddhi-pada is a phrase
of representation(能 詮)and Bodhisattva-pada is a phrase of represented (所 詮).This interpretation comes from Huen-tsang's translation of Praa
paramitanaya-kanda There, it is asked why, the secular truth, such as Surata or others, represents purity. And it is answered that every element in the world, such as Surata and others, is quite pure in its own nature. There-fore if one looks at the real feature of every element in the world by opening his mental eyes, he will be able to find out that they are Prajna-paramita itself, and from that standpoint, they are nothing but the purity.
In the Prajnaparamitanaya-kanda, this svabhavavisuddhi of every ele-ment is explained in three stages, i.e., svabhava-sunya, svabhava-viraga and svabhavasanti (see Dr. Togano's op cit. pp. 123-4).
Historically speaking,
Surata-visuddhi corresponds to Svalaksana-prajnaparamita, Prajnapamita corresponds to vipasyana-prajnaparamita, and Bodhisattva-padartha corresponds to Padaprajnaparamita. (ibid). Beside "Prajnaparamitanaya-kanda", complicated explanations and ana-lysises are all omitted. and simply represented as every element is svab-hava-visuddhi in its own nature.
II
In various texts of "Prajnaparamita-naya-sutra" the phrases of purity are always represented as (vi-) suddhi (rnam par dag pa). The word can be found very often in another Prajnaramita-sutras and, moreover, can be treated into Nikayas, as was pointed out by Dr. G. Nishi (see his "Study on Panna in Early Buddhism, pp. 328-332, passim).
(18) The linage of visuddhi-pada thought (S. Kanaoka)
or three words of representing similar conception. They are prasada (pas-ada), prakrtiprabhasvara and prakrti-viusddhi. The last one is found only
in the Atasahasrika-praliaparamita(P.319). Prasada(浄 信)represents the esteemed faith(誰 信)which progressed fromrst faith. The word is used in the case such as four kinds of esteemed faith(四 種 謹 浮)for tri-ratna,
but, its original meaning is to represent the purity of mind, in the mental
classification of ignorance and enlightenment and impurity and purity.
Take for example, in増 支 部(1,5,=AN, vo1.1. PP.8-9), it is stated as
fo-llows: A certain group of people are on account of its impure mind (ceto padosa hetu), and another group of people by its pure mind (ceto pasada hetu). Similar examples can easily be found in the Itivuttaka 20-21 (pp. 12-v14) which are to be quoted in Vimalakirti-nirdesa and
Vijnaptimatra-siddhi.
This is delivered as a teaching of ethics for secular people and, as was pointed out by Dr. Nishi (see his op. cit. p. 332), it was, lator on,
for-Ined as a teaching of ethics(順 幅 分).
Against above, the word prakrt-prabhasvara or prakrti abhasvara is
provably first found in the Samaya-bheda-upalacana-cakra, i.e., "sems raft bshiai gyis hod gsal ba"citta svabhava abhasvara" (Teramoto ed., p. 7).
After this, except"道 行 般 若"most all stras belonging to Mahapra-jparamita-stras such as"放 光","佛 母","小 品"and so on the word can be found very often, especially in"小 晶"the examples are more than 700
times. There, the concept of Prakrti-prabhasvara is explained as a
repre-sented form of purity apart form its ethical teaching(順 福 分). A reason
for the "purity in its own nature" is explained that it is a mind of non-mind (yat acitta citta), its non-mind is pure, because it is akkra and avikalpa.
The linage of this word can be treated not only in various Prajnapa-ramitd-sutras, but in Samaya-bheda-upalacana-cakra, Sarvasiddhi-sangraha
(成 實 論)and in some works of Sautranantika as well(see Dr. Y. Miyasaka:
fragments of Sautrantika, IBK, vol. 20, p. 273, e. g. prakrtir upaklesair upamrdyate prabhasvara...). So, in another words, the concept of prakrti-prabhasvara is a universal and traditional concept from Mahasafighika, Sautrantika up
to Mahayana, especially in Prajnaparamita literatures, i.e., 8,000-418,000 -25,000 prajnaparamitas. But, it must be noted that, in the "Prajnapara -mitanaya-sutras, this word (or prakrti-prabhasvara) has never been appeared.
III
The word visuddhi-pada in the Prajnaparamita-naya-sutras is accepted the traditional explanation stated in the various Prajnaparamita-sutras vyakta against avyakta purity or prakrti above stated. Comparing withh prakrti-prabhasvara, this visuddhi includes, in its content, impurity, prtha-, gjanatva, klesa, sattva etc, therefore it is natural to be represented as Surata visuddhi or Maharaga-visuddhi. As we can understand from its literal meaning, it will be possible to compare this with Sankhya philosophy. But it will be not necessary to discuss this problem in detail now. So far as now, the most important thing we must remember is the concept of Ma-haraga-visuddhi or Surata-visuddhi is not only the theory of enlightnment, but also the representation of svabhava-visuddhi or svabhava-sunya in its. own nature. In other word, this is the literal explanation of the the
Pa-daprajha(文 字、般 若)as vipayanapraja(観 照 般 若).
This concept also can be treated up to preceeding Mahayana sutras. Take for example, in the Mahanirvana-sutra, the concept of nirvana or sunya is represented as Mahasukha, Mahanirvana, Mahasanti or Vajra. Moreover in the Saddharma-pundarika-sutra its tenets are represented as "parisuddham", "paripurnam", "Brahma- car yam" and "paryavaddtam (Kern, Nanjio ed., p. 17) which exactly corresponds to the Prajnaparamita-naya-sutra. (see Dr. Togano's op. cit., p. 98).
It is also possible to see the similar concept of prabhasvara (pabbassa) which includes suddhi and asuddhi, in the Vimalakirtinirdesa, where advaita of Prajna (mother) and Upaya (father) seemed as the teaching of
enlight-enment (Bodhi).
Conclusionally speaking the linage of the suddhi pada in the Prajna-paramita-naya-sutra has a long history in the Mahayana history, and, although the word prakrti-prabhasvara has never been used, this is
under-((20) The linage of visuddhi-pada thought (S. Kanaoka)
lied as a philosopical background of visuddhi theories.
It is true that the word prakrti prabhasvaavara has never been used 'in the Prajflaparamitanaya -sutra, but this must not be understood that -this sutra has no concept of prakrti -prabhasvara, but it must be realized
that the the systems and the spirit of the sutra reached to the steps of -philosophical history which needs no more particular explanation of
prakrti-prabhasvara or svabhava-sunya, becanse of the spirit of naya of Prajnaparamita. It also can be said that this sutra, is composed as much -more Padaprajna, svalaksanaprajna, or enlightenment theory.
But, these tenets are not completly particular from those of other Mahayana sutras, such as of Mahaparinirvana-sutra, Vimalakirti-nirdesa
and so on. Especially the concept delivered in"小 品"that the prajha
ear-nestly wanted as lover is to be said very close to that of the Prajnapara-mita-naya-sutra. There it is stated the purity of every element beginning
rom rasa-viuddhi(淫 清 浮)up to viana-viuddhi(識 清 浄), and in its conclusio:n atma-viuddhi(我 清 浄)and atyanta-viuddhi(畢 寛 清 浮)are stated
(Taisho, 8, 552a, 8000 prajna, p. 419 f).
Moreover in the Mahaprajnaparamita-sutra also, it is stated that sva-bhava laksana stands for svasva-bhava-viraga, and svabhava-viraga stands for svabhava-visuddhi. But in this case, the word "purity in its own nature" is prakrti-visuddhatva according to its corresponding Sanskrit original (8000 prajna, p. 419).
As it will be clear above mentioned, here the words svabhava-sunya and svabhava-viraga become one concept in the vipasyanaprajna. Briefly spleaking, its tenet is to make clear on account of atma-visuddhi, vedana, samjna, samskara and vijnana are also pure in their own natures.
The similar tenets can be found in the "Mahaprajnapararamita-sastra" f asc. 50, as krodha-visuddhi, moha-visuddhi and sarvadharma-visuddhi (Ta-ishaa, 25, 505b)
Accordingly it will be able to say that the svalaksana concept repre-sented in the word surata-visuddhi-pada and others in the
prajnaparamita.
The main differences or development of the both sutras are to be concluded in the following two points.
Q In the Prajnaparamita-naya, the explanations such as svabhava-sunya, svabhava-viraga or svabhava-santi which will be found in Huen-tsang's
"Prajnapar
amita-naya-kanda" are all omitted, and, insteadly, the concept of sarvadharma-svabhava is briefly and svalaksanally represented by the word surata-visuddhi-pada and others.
U2 These visuddhi-padas are all represented as bodhisttva-pada (artha), i.e., represented as padaprajna.
This unity of S'unyata-jnana and Paramita is the most authoritative interpretation of Prajnaparamitanaya-sutras, which can be said more uni-versal and traditional comparing with that of Amoghavajra, as it was po-inted out by Dr. J. Nagasawa (see his Theology of the Karikas of Prajnapa-ramitanayasatapancasatika in India, Chisangakuho, no. 27, 28, p. 41).
Thus it will be permitted to conclude that the visuddhi-padas in the Prajnaparamita-naya-sutras stand on the long linage of Mahayana, Prajna
