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The Vaibhasika theory of words and meanings
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 December 2009
Extract
Among the many controversies between the Sautrāntika and the Vaibhāsika recorded in the Abhidharma-koś-bhāsya of Vasubandhu, 1 a large number are devoted to discussions of the reality of a Vaibhāsika category called cittaviprayukta-samslāras (tr. ‘pure forces’ by Stcherbatsky).2 The Vaibhāsikas enumerate thirteen such samskāras 3 and declare them to be distinct from the traditional three categories of dhannas, viz. rūpa (matter), citta (mind), and caitasikas (mental concomitants). Whereas the first ten of these samskāras have a bearing on the Buddhist theories of causation, unconscious
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- Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , February 1959 , pp. 95 - 107
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- Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 1959
References
page 95 note 1 L'Abhidharma-kośa de Vasubandhu (tr. L. de la Vallée Poussin), ch. I, kā. 35–48. Henceforth referred to as Bhāsya.
page 95 note 2 The central conception of Buddhism, 23.
page 95 note 3 Prāptih, aprāptih, nikāya-sabhāgatā, asamjni-samāpattih, nirodha-samāpattih, jīvitendriyam, jātih, sthitih, jarā, anityatā, nāma-kāyah, pada-kāyah, vyanjana-kāyah.
page 95 note 4 p. 24, n. 1.
page 95 note 5 Ed. Pradhan, P., Santiniketan, 1950.Google Scholar
page 95 note 6 The MS of this work was discovered in Tibet by Rahula Sānkrtyāyana in the year 1937. It is a work written against the Abhidharma-kośa of (the Sautrāntika) Vasubandhu. It has been edited by the author of this article and will soon be published by the K. P. Jayaswal Research Institute, Patna, in their Tibetan Sanskrit Works Series.
page 95 note 7 Henceforth referred to as Vrtti
page 96 note 1 ‘Jīvato bhagavato vān-nāma-svabhāvarp, Buddha-vacanam, gauria-mukhya-nyāyena. Parinirvrtasya tu nāma-svabhāvam eva, na vāk-svabhavām, brahma-svaratvān munlndrasya, loka-vācārft tat sādrsyānupapatteb.’ Vrtti on kā. 12.
page 96 note 2 Yesām Sautrāntikānām vāg-vijnapti-svabhāvarri tesām tāni rūpa-skandha-sampgrhītāni. Yesām nikāyāntarīyānām citta-viprayuktam nāmāsti teṣāṃ, samskāra-skandha-samgrhītāni … Abhidhārmikānām tūbhaya-svabhāvam istam. Sphutārthā Abhidharma-kośa-vyākhyā (henceforth referred to as Sakv.), p. 52.
page 96 note 3 Katamad Buddha-racaraam ? Tathāgatasya yā vāg vacanam, vyāhāro gīr niruktir vāk-patho vāg-ghoso vāk-karma vāg-vijnaptilt. ibid.
page 96 note 4 Yā… vācā girā, byappatho udīranam, ghoso ghosa-kammam vācā vacībhedo, ayam vuccati vācā… Dhammasangani, 637 (Poona edition, 1940).
page 96 note 5 Punas tatraivānantaram uktam Buddha-vacanam nāma ka esa dharmah ? Nāma-kāya—pada—kāya-vyanjana-kāyānām yā anupūrva-racanā anupūrva-sthāpanā anupūrva-samāyoga iti. Sakv., p. 52.
page 97 note 1 Sārthakāksarāni nāma-kāyah. Pada-samuccayena vastv abhidhānam pada-kāyah. Vipulasamuccayah ( = varna-samāmnāyah) vyanjana-kāyah. Abhidharmāmrta, p. 130. (Text reconstructed from the Chinese by Śānti Bhikshu, Santiniketan, 1953.)
page 97 note 2 Dharmānāāvādhivacane nāma-kāyā iti prajnaptih. Dharmānām viśesādhivacane pada-kāyā iti prajnaptih. Tad ubhayāśrayesv aksaresu vyanjana-kāyā iti prajnaptih. Abhidharmasamuccaya, p. 11.
page 97 note 3 p. 495 (Gaekwad's, Oriental Series, LXII, Baroda, 1932).Google Scholar
page 97 note 4 La Siddhi de Hivan Tsang, by L. de La Vallée, Poussin, I, pp. 68–70.Google Scholar
page 97 note 5 L'Abhidharma-kośa de Vasvbandhu, ch. II, kā. 47. See Sakv., pp. 181–5.
page 97 note 6 ‘Nāma-sanniśritd gāihā’. ibid.
page 98 note 1 Chando nidānarn gāthānam akkharā tāsarn viyanjanam/ nāma-sannissitā gāthā kavi gāthānam āsayo ti// Samyutta-nikāya, I, p. 38.
page 98 note 2 ‘Viyanjanarn’ ti jananam. Akkharam hi padarn janeti, padam gātham janeli, gātha attham pakāsetiti. Samyutta-nikāya-atthakathā, I, pp. 94–5.
page 98 note 3 ‘Nāma-sannissitā’ ti samuddādi-pannatti-nissitā. Gāthā ārabhanto hi samuddarn vā pathavim vā yam kind nāmam nissayitvā va ārabhati. ibid.
page 98 note 4 Vrtti on kā. 142.
page 98 note 5 ibid.
page 99 note 1 Ekena padena sabbo attho vutto. Samyutta-nikāya, II, p. 36. ‘Ekena padenāti phassapaccayā dukkham’ ti iminā ekena padena. Samyutta-nikāya-atthakathā, I, p. 57.
page 99 note 2 [Vākyam padam] iti… [Yāvatārtha-parisamāptis tad yatha ‘anityā bata samskāra’ ity evam ādi.] Sakv., p. 182.
page 99 note 3 ‘Yāvadbhir arthavadbhih padair vivaksitārtha-paripūrir bhavati tāvatam samūhah padam’ ity Abhidharmikāh. Vrtti on kā. 142.
page 99 note 4 Padam tu sup-tiṅ-antam padam grhyate. ten' āha… Sakv., p. 182.
page 99 note 5 Tattha aparimānā vannā aparimānā byanjanā. Samyutta-nikāya, v, p. 430. ‘Aparimānā vanna’ ti appamānāni akkharāni, ‘byanjanā’ ti tesam yeva vevacanam. Samyutta-nikāyaatthakathā, III, p. 298.
page 99 note 6 The central conception of Buddhism, p. 24, n. 1.
page 100 note 1 Ima kho Citta, loka-samānnā loka-niruttiyo loka-vohārā loka-pannatliyo, yāhi Tathāgato voharati aparāmasam ti. Dīgha-nikāya, I, p. 202.
page 100 note 2 Dhammasangani, Mātikā Nos. 128–30.
page 100 note 3 Yā tesam tasam dhammānam samkhā samanna pannatti vohāro nāmam nāma-kammam nāmadheyyam nirutti byanjanam abhilāpo, ime dhammā pannatti. Sabbe'va dhammā pannattipātha. ibid., 1308.
page 100 note 4 Yā pana purima-pannatti apara-pannattiyam patati, purima-vohāro pacchima-vohāre patati, seyyathīdam purima-kappe cando cando yeva nāma, etarahi cando yeva …. idam opapātika-nāmam. Atthasālinī, v, 133. (Ed. P. V. Bapat, Poona, 1942.)
page 100 note 5 Cattāro tāva khandhā nāma-karanatthena nāmam. Vedanādayo hi…. attano nāmam karontā va uppajjanti. Tesu uppannesu tesam nāmam uppannameva hoti …. Atīte pi vedanā vedanā yeva,… anāgate pi, paccuppanne pi…. ibid., v, 115
page 101 note 1 Elka-dhammo sabba-dhammesu nipatati, sabbe dhammā eka-dhammasmim nipalanti. Katham ? Ayam hi nāma-pannatti eko dhammo, so sabbesu catu-bhūmikesu dhammesu nipatati. Satto pī samkhāro pi nāmato muttako nāma natthi. ibid., v, 114.
page 101 note 2 See Puggala-pannatti-atthakathā, where in the beginning Buddhaghosa explains six pannattis occurring in the scriptures, six pannattis occurring only in the Atthakathās, and another twelve kinds of pannatti recognized in the tradition (ācariya-naya). Also see the Abhidhammatthasangaho, VIII, 31–6, and the Compendium of philosophy, S. Z. Aung's introduction, pp. 4–6, 35.
page 101 note 3 Paramatthato avijjamānĀ pi attha-cchāyākārena cittuppādānam ārammanabhūtā tarn tarn… kāranarn nissāya tathā tathā parikappiyamānā… pannāpiyatīti pannatti. Abhidhammatthasangaho, VIII, 33. See Compendium of philosophy, 199.
page 101 note 4 Pannapanato pannatti pana nāma-nāmakammādi-nāmena paridīpitā. Abhidhamrnatthasangaho, VIII, 34.
page 101 note 5 Iti tekālikā dhammā kālamuttā ca sambhavā/
ajjhattam ca bahiddhā ca samkhatāsamkhatā tathā/
pannatti-nāma-rūpānam vasena tividhā thitā/
Abhidhammattha-saṅgaho, VIII, 31.
page 102 note 1 Sāyam pannatti vinneyya loka-saṅketa-nimmitā/ ibid., VIII, 36.
page 102 note 2 Vacī-ghosānusārena sota-vinnāna-vithiyā/
pavattānantaruppanna-mano-dvārassa gocarā//
atthā yassānusārena pannāyanti tato param/
sāyam pannatti vinneyyā loka-sanketa-nimmitā// ibid.
page 102 note 3 Nāma-cintanākāra-pavattassa mano-dvārika-vinnāna-santānassa idamīdisassa nāmam ti pubbe yeva gahita-sanketūpanissayassa…. Abhidhammattha-saṅgaho-vibhāvinītīkā, VIII, 36.
page 102 note 4 See śābara-bhāsya, , I, 1, 5, and the chapter on Sphotavāda in the Mīmāmsā ślokavārltika of Kumārila Bhatta.Google Scholar
page 103 note 1 Nāmakāyādayo vaktavyāh. Na khalu vaktavyāh. Na hi te śabdād anye vidyante, sva-bhāvakriyābhāvād iti. Tad upadarśanārtham idam ārabhyate…. Vftti on ka. 142.
page 103 note 2 See Vrtti on kā. 142–9.
page 103 note 3 Viprayukiāh khalu nāmādayah samskāra-skandha-samgrhītāh. Vāk tu rūpa-skandhasamgrhitā vāg gīr niruklir ity arthah. Te ca tad adhīnotpatiayo nirukty-adhīnārtha-pravrttayaś ca jnānavad arthasya pratinidhi sthāniyāh,…. ibid.
page 103 note 4 ‘Vāṅ nāmni pravartate, nāmārtham dyotayati’ iti. ibid.
page 104 note 1 Na caivam, vāhyātmānah śabdāh buddhy-upagrhītāvayava-samudāya-samksepāh kramalabdha-janmānab pratyekam artha-pratyāyana-samarthāh, nāpi sambhūya pratyāyayanti, sambhūyānavasthānad balvajavat. Vrtti on kā. 143.
page 104 note 2 ibid.
page 104 note 3 Samskāra iti cet…. ibid. This appears to be an allusion to the Mīmāmsaka theory: Pūrvavarna-janita-samskāra-saJiito 'antyo varnah pratyāyaka iti. śābara-bhāsya, I, 1, 5.
page 104 note 4 ‘Edaitau kantha-tālavyau’ iti pratijnāyate. Na caikasyāna-(read: nu)-vacanasya viślistasthāna-dvaye vrttir upapadyate. Paramānu-samghātasya tūpapadyate…. Vrtti on ka. 145.
page 105 note 1 Atīta-varna-samudāyas tvantya-varnāpekso mano-buddhyopagrhīta-svarūpah sambandhiny arihe huddhim utpādayan pratyāyayatīh yukta-rūpo vyapadeśah. ibid. It is curious to note that there is no reference to the nāma-kāya in this statement. Read without the context this line would appear to conform to the Sautrāntika view. Probably the term buddhi should here be understood as a concept, i.e. nimitta, another name for the nāman, which directs the mind towards the ariha.
page 105 note 2 Svarūpani vedayamś cchabdo vyanjanādīni ca dhruvam/
artha-pratyāyakah prājnair bhaikti-kalpanayocyate// Abhidharma-dīpa, kā. 144.
page 105 note 3 varnābhivyangyo, Varnātirikto 'rtha-pratyāyako nitydh, śabdah sphota iti tad vido vadanti. Mādhava, Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha (ed. Abhyankar, ), p. 300.Google Scholar
page 105 note 4 It is precisely on this ground that śantaraksita refutes the Vaībhāsika theory of nāmakāya: ‘Yo’ pi Vaibhāsikah śabda-visayam nāmākhyam nimittākhyam cārtha-cihna-rūpani viprayuktam saniskāram icchati, tad apy etenaiva dūsitaḍ, draṣtavyam. Tathā hi—tan nāmādi yadi kṣaṇikaṃ tadā anvayāyogah, akṣaṇikatve krami-jnānānupapattih…'. Tattvasaṅgraha-panjikā 908. See Mookerji, S., The Buddhist philosophy of universal flux, Calcutta, 1935, 115.Google Scholar
page 106 note 1 Anityās te tu vijneyāh sāpeksārtha-vibhāvanāt/ Abhidharma-dīpa, kā. 143ed.
page 106 note 2 Mahābhāsya, , I, 1, 70 (Kielhorn's edition, Vol. i, p. 181, lines 19–20).Google Scholar
page 106 note 3 Sphotākhyo nāparo ghosāc chabdo nityah prasiddhyati/
krama-vrtter na śabdena kaś cid artho 'bhidhīyate// Abhidharma-dīpa, kā. 146.
page 106 note 4 Mahābhāsya, , p. 1 (Kielhorn's edition, Vol. I).Google Scholar
page 106 note 5 On the validity of this tradition, see Professor Brough's, J. article ‘Theories of general linguistics in the Sanskrit Grammarians’, Transactions of the Philological Society, 1951, 27–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
page 106 note 6 Tasmāt pratīta-padārthako loke dhvanih śabdah. Tataś cānye nāmādayah sarvārtha-visayā iti sthāpanā. Yrtti on kā. 147.
page 106 note 7 Althasālinī, , I 114.Google Scholar
page 106 note 8 Vākyapadīya, , i, 107.Google Scholar
page 107 note 1 Yad apy ucyate Vaiyākaranaih ‘śabdo buddhi-nirgrāhyah’…. Vrtti on kā. 146. Cf. śrotropakibdhir buddhi-nirgrāhyattprayogenabhijvalita ākāśa-deśah śabdah…. Vārttikā 12 on śivasūtra 1. (Kielhom's edition, Vol. I, p. 18, 1. 19.)
page 107 note 2 Uktam hi Bhagavatā ‘ Tathāgatānam utpādān nāma-pada-vyanjana-kāyānām utpādo bhavati’ iti…. Ye hy apauruseyā dhātvāyatana-skandhādy avadyotahās te prathamani Buddha-visaya eva. Vrtti on kā. 148.
page 107 note 3 Tatra ya āryaya niruktyā nirucyante dvādaśāyatana-visayās te niyātdbhidheya-sambandhāh. Laukikyāś ca kecin niyatābhidheyā, nirucyante. Ubhaye 'py ete krta-saṅketasyārthaṃ pratyāyayanti. ibid.
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