大乗の諸経論に見られる大乗仏説論の系譜 IV -- 『大乗荘厳経論』：総括と展望=Development of the Theory for the Defense of Legitimacy of the Great Vehicle in Mahāyāna Sūtras and Treatises IV － Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra: Conclusion
This article is the fourth part of a series of articles under the same title. It may be summarized as follows. The Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā is a Mahāyāna Sūtras that proclaims the doctrine of "Perfection of wisdom" (prajñāpāramitā) characterized by emptiness (śūnyatā) and essencelessness (niḥsvabhāvatā). At the same time, it mentions two kinds of people: those who abuse the "Perfection of wisdom" and those who fear it. The Kāśyapaparivarta, following the doctrines of emptiness and essencelessness/nonsubstantiality of the Prajñāpāramitā-Sūtra, undertook the following two tasks: to defend the "Perfection of wisdom" and Mahāyāna against those who abuse them, and to dispel the fear of those who are afraid of those doctrines. The argument defending the legitimacy of the Mahāyāna sūtras, related in §5-6, is very important, because it emphasizes the necessity of complete devotion to the teachings of tathāgatas and because it alludes to the problem of the "intention (abhiprāya/abhisaṃdhi)" of the teachings of the tathāgatas. The seventh chapter of the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra, following these two Mahāyāna sūtras, and probably learning from the thought of emptiness of Nāgārjuna and criticizing it, tried to accomplish the same two tasks. It responded to the abuse and the fear of the Mahāyāna ideas of emptiness and essencelessness by interpreting the teaching of essencelessness (niḥsvabhāvatā) of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra as having the "intention" of the theory of the three non-natures. The Mahāyānasūtralaṃkāra, I. vv.14-21, which is the latter part of the defense of legitimacy of the Mahāyāna, apparently presupposes the arguments for Mahāyāna mentioned in those Sutras mentioned above. The v.21 most likely presupposes Ratnāvali, IV. vv. 88-89. It is very important to know such sequential development of the arguments for the defense of legitimacy of Mahāyāna in these Mahāyāna scriptures in order to illuminate the development of the thoughts of emptiness and essencelessness/non-substantiality in Mahāyāna and to consider the realities of and the mutual relationship between Nikāya Buddhist schools, such as the Sarvāstivādins, and Mahāyāna Buddhism.
