Post 7: PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE: Sec. 6: Articulating the Endess Noble Truths; Sec. 7: Articulating the Inner-Tathagata; Sec. 8: Articulating the Dharma-body; and Sec. 9: Articulating the Concealed True Reality of the Meaning of Emptiness

PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE: 

With Sec. 6: Articulating the Endless Noble Truths; Sec. 7: Articulating the Inner-Tathagata; Sec. 8: Articulating the Dharma-body; and Sec. 9: Articulating the Concealed True Reality of the Meaning of Emptiness.

Section Six: Articulating The Endless Noble Truths.

            “World Honored One, the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened initially contemplate the Noble Truths* (arya-satya) by using a single knowledge to cut off the various abiding-states.  By means of a single knowledge, the four [abiding-states of affliction] are cut off to know the virtuous-merits and make confirmation, and likewise the good knowing of the meaning of these four Dharmas (i.e., the Four Noble Truths).

            “World Honored One, as they (i.e., listener-disciples and the causally-awakened) do not have the highest knowledge of the transmundane, the four knowledges are reached gradually, as well as the four conditional-causes are reached gradually.  The Dharma of ‘having nothing reached gradually’ is the highest knowledge of the transmundane.

            “World Honored One, that which is symbolized as the diamond* (vajra) is the primary-meaning’s knowledge (paramartha-jnana, alt., knowledge of the primary-meaning).

            “World Honored One, this is not for the listener-disciples or the causally-awakened who do not sever the abiding-state of ignorance by the initial knowledge of the Noble Truths, this is the primary-meaning’s knowledge.

            “World Honored One, by using the knowledge of the nondual Noble Truths one severs the various abiding-states.

            “World Honored One, the Tathagata-Worthy of Offerings-Completely-Awakened-Ones are not in the objective-field of all the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened ones, and they sever all the storehouse of afflictions by the knowledge of inconceivable emptiness (acintya-shunyata-jnana).

            “World Honored One, if it destroys all inner afflictions then the ultimate knowledge is called the primary-meaning’s knowledge.  The initial knowledge of the Noble Truths is not the ultimate knowledge directed toward the knowledge of unexcelled-unified-thorough-enlightenment. 

            “World Honored One, that which is the meaning of ‘Noble’ is not [referring] to all the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened.  The listener-disciples and the causally-awakened who are accomplished have measurable virtuous-merit.  Because the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened who are less accomplished are divided from [the inconceivable] virtuous-merit, they are called going for the Noble [as a refuge].  That which are the Noble Truths are not the truths of the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened and, likewise, are not the virtuous-merits of the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened.

            “World Honored One, these Truths are known from the initial awakening of the Tathagata-Worthy-of-Offerings-Completely-Awakened One, and so afterwards, for the mundane with an inner shell of ignorance are opened, revealed, and expounded and are therefore called the Noble Truths.

 

Section Seven: Articulating the Inner-Tathagata

             “That which are the Noble Truths articulate the extremely profound meaning that is minutely subtle and difficult to know and is not the objective-field of thinking and calculating.  It is those of knowledge who know, whereas everyone who is mundane is incapable of faith.  Because why?  This articulates the extremely profound interiority of the Tathagata.  That which is the Inner-Tathagata is the objective-field of the Tathagata, whereas it is not for all listener-disciples or the causally-awakened to know.  The locus* (sthana, adhisthana, ayatana?) of the Inner-Tathagata articulates the meaning of the Noble Truths.  Because the locus of the Inner-Tathagata is extremely profound, articulating the Noble Truths likewise is extremely profound, minutely subtle, and difficult to know, and is not the objective-field of thinking and calculating.  It is those of knowledge who know, whereas everyone who is mundane is incapable of faith.

 

Section Eight: Articulating the Dharma-body

             “If those who do not doubt, in regard to the Inner-Tathagata being entangled in the storehouse of immeasurable afflictions, then, in regard to the Dharma-body going beyond the storehouse of immeasurable afflictions, likewise they have no doubt.  In regard to articulating the Inner-Tathagata, the Dharma-body of the Tathagata, the inconceivable Buddha objective-fields, as well as skillful-means are articulated.  

            “Those whose mind attains certainty articulate the two Noble Truths by these criteria of faith and interpretation.  Like this, that which is difficult to know and difficult to interpret is designated ‘articulating the meaning of the two Noble Truths.’  What categories serve for articulating the meaning of the two Noble Truths?  They are designated ‘articulating the meaning of the constructed* (samskrta) Noble Truths’ and ‘articulating the meaning of the unconstructed* (asamskrta) Noble Truths.’

            “That which is ‘articulating the meaning of the constructed Noble Truths’ is to articulate that there are measurable Four Noble Truths.  Because why? It’s not because of another that one is able to know every suffering, to sever every origination, to confirm every extinction, and to cultivate every Path.  For this reason, World Honored One, there is birth-and-death with becoming and birth-and-death without becoming.  Nirvana likewise is so, with remainder as well as without remainder. 

            “That which is ‘articulating the meaning of the unconstructed Noble Truths’ articulates the meaning of the immeasurable Four Noble Truths.  Because why?  One is able by means of one’s own power to know every sensation of suffering, to sever every sensation of origination, to confirm every sensation of extinction, and to cultivate every sensation of the Path of extinction. 

            “Like this are the Eight Noble Truths.  The Tathagata articulates the Four Noble Truths, and like this, the meanings of the unconstructed Four Noble Truths.  Only Tathagata-Worthy of Offerings-Completely Awakened Ones (Tathagata-Arhat-Samyak-Sambuddhas) completely fathom the matter, and neither the Arhats nor Independent-Buddhas completely fathom the matter. Because why? Neither the inferior, intermediate, nor superior Dharmas gain Nirvana. Because why? For the Tathagata-Worthy of Offerings-Completely Awakened Ones to completely fathom the matter is in regard to the meaning of the uncontstructed Four Noble Truths.  By its use every Tathagata-Worthy of Offerings-Completely Awakened One knows every future suffering, severs every affliction to the place of the highest afflictions that include every origination, extinguishes every divisive mental-apparition body, and with every suffering extinguished, makes the confirmation.

            “World Honored One, because of the indestructibility of Dharma (dharmavinasa), it is named as ‘the extinction of suffering’ (dukkhanirodha).   That which is actually declared to be ‘the extinction of suffering’ is called beginningless, unconstructed, non-arising, inexhaustible, separate from exhaustion, constantly abiding, by its own nature clear and pure, and separate from the storehouse of all afflictions.

“World Honored One, transgressions [more numerous] than the sands of the Ganges are not separate from, are not stripped from, and are not different from the inconceivable Buddha Dharma that brings to perfection the articulation of the Dharma-body of the Tathagata.

            “World Honored One, so it is that the Dharma-body of the Tathagata, when it is not separate from the storehouse of afflictions, is called the Inner-Tathagata.”  

 

Section Nine: Articulating the Concealed True Reality Of The Meaning Of Emptiness.

             “World Honored One, the knowledge of the Inner-Tathagata is the Tathagata’s knowledge of emptiness. 

            “World Honored One, that which is the Inner-Tathagata, all the Arhats, Independent-Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas of great power at the root actually do not see, at the root actually do not attain.

            “World Honored One, there are two kinds of the Inner-Tathagata’s knowledge of emptiness.

            “World Honored One, the empty Inner-Tathagata is as if separate from, is as if released from, and is as if different from the storehouse of all afflictions.

            “World Honored One, the non-empty Inner-Tathagata, is not separate from, is not released from, and is not different from the inconceivable Buddha Dharmas more numerous than the sands of the Ganges.

            “World Honored One, by this knowledge of the two emptinesses, the various great listener-disciples (mahasravakas) are able to have faith in the Tathagata.  The knowledge of emptiness of all the Arhats and Independent-Buddhas revolves in the objective-field of the four non-inverteds.  This is because all Arhats and Independent-Buddhas at their root do not see, and at their root do not attain, the extinction of all suffering.  Only the Buddhas are able to confirm the destruction of the storehouse of all afflictions and cultivate the path of wholly extinguishing suffering.”

[End of Post 7.]

[Go to Post 8: PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE:  Sec.10: Articulating the One Truth, Sec. 11: Articulating the One Refuge That Is Always Abiding in Hidden Ease, Sec. 12: Articulating the Inversions of True Reality, Sec. 13: Articulating the Concealment of The Clear And Pure Mind of One’s Own Nature, Sec. 14: Articulating the Tathagata’s True Children, Sec. 15: Articulating the Lion’s Roar of Queen Srimala.]

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Was Nagarjuna distilling potatoes?

It appears to me that Nagarjuna distilled his version of "The Middle Way" teachings primarily from the family of Prajna Paramita Sutras, but also from other sutras.  However, in his distillery Nagarjuna was working with certain extractions and not others in order to come up with his liqueur of 100% essence of emptiness.  This was like taking potatoes and distilling vodka from them then saying that vodka is the essence or spirit of potatoes.  In a manner of speaking it is true, that emptiness can be distilled from the Buddha's Dharma of teaching and practice and called its "spirit", but by making too much of Nagarjuna's distilled emptiness teaching one can become intoxicated, if not habitually intoxicated,  in the way of drinking too much of the spirits of potatoes.

Understanding this problem is why it is important for the follower of the Buddha Dharma (i.e., a Buddhist) to read the Prajna Paramita Sutras for oneself, not to rely on Nagarjuna's distillation.  One of the most obtainable English translations of the Prajna Paramita Sutra in 25,000 lines is the translation by Edward Conze titled "The Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom." In this Sutra, "emptiness" is virtually never mentioned by itself, but is virtually always discussed either with "signlessness and desirelessness" (the other two gates of the three gates of liberation and nirvana) or with Suchness.

For instance, in Conze's translation (pp. 530-531):

Subhuti: One speaks of 'enlightenment'. Of what is that a synonym?

The Lord: 'Enlightenment', that is a synonym of emptiness, of Suchness, of the Reality-limit, of the Dharma-element.  Moreover enlightenment is Suchness, nonfalsehood, unaltered Suchness, unaltered existence, therefore it is called 'enlightenment'. Moreover 'enlightenment'is a mere word and sign, therefore it is called 'enlightenment'. Moreover 'enlightenment' means an undifferentiated object.  Moreover because the Buddhas, the Lords have it, therefore is it called 'enlightenment'.  Moreover the Buddhas and Lords have fully known it, therefore it is called 'enlightenment'.

Notes on translations:  

"Lord" = not a mundane ruler, but an epithet of the Buddha, bhagavat/bhagavan, "the Illustrious One" or "the World Honored One."

"Reality-limit: = bhutakoti, also "edge of relality," "the highest culminating point for all beings," etc.

"Dharma-element" = dharmadhatu, the essence of Dharma, the Dharma-stratum, the Dharma-sphere, the Dharma-realm, the Dharma-domain, the Dharma-field, etc. i.e., the totality of the universe when perceived as unconditioned by duality.

"Unaltered existence" = the conjunction ananyathabhava can be either unaltered existence ananyatha-bhava (bhava = existence) or unaltered non-existence ananyatha-abhava (abhava = nonexistence), can also be translated as "non-different-being-as-it-is".

So from this extract, we can easily see that distilling the Prajna Paramita view of enlightenment down to just "emptiness" is a rather arbitrary and capricious process.  Emptiness and Suchness are synonyms along with the Dharma-realm, the Reality-limit, nonfalsehood, non-different-being-as-it is, etc., i.e. the full potato.  

Here's another instance (pp. 527-528):

Subhuti: For what reason has the knowledge of all modes no own-being?

The Lord:  It has no own-being acting in causal connection. And that which has no own-being acting in causal connection, that is nonexistence. It is by this method that all dharmas have nonexistence for own-being. Moreover, Subhuti, all dharmas have emptiness for own-being, the signless, the wishless.  Moreover, Subhuti, all dharmas have Suchness for own-being, the Reality limit, the Dharma element. By this method also, Subhuti, should one know that all dharmas have nonexistence for own-being.

Here we see emptiness conjoined as usual with signlessness and desirelessness making the three gates of liberation and Nirvana. So when Nagarjuna extracts emptiness from the triune Dharma food group, he is leaching out certain vitamins and nutrients of the teaching.  By not acknowledging on an equal basis that Suchness, with its Dharma food group of Reality limit and Dharma-realm, is as much a basis of own-being as emptiness, Nagarjuna again is presenting a framework for The Middle Way that is distorted, if not down-right perverted.

I admit that I have not studied Nagarjuna very much, and I am relying on how the Madhyamaka school has developed based on Nagarjuna's teachings.  If someone has experience with Nagarjuna studies and can let me know how Madhyamaka has not followed Nagarjuna and has misrepresented Nagarjuna, then I would be most appreciative and change my view accordingly. 

For now I will say, "Eat the potatoes; don't rely on the vodka for sustenance."

~ Dedicated to Jim Wilson, another Nagarjuna skeptic and kalyanamitra good friend of the Way..