emptiness; dependent origination; Nāgārjuna; Madhyamaka; early Buddhism; sectarian Buddhism
摘要
It is claimed that one of the innovative contributions of Nāgārjuna in his Madhyamaka thought was establishing the equivalence of emptiness (P: suññatā, Skt: śūnyatā; kōng 空, kōngxìng 空性) and dependent origination (P: paṭiccasamuppāda, Skt: pratītyasamutpāda; Ch: yīnyüán 因緣, yüánqĭ 緣起). This study examines early and mainstream Buddhist textual sources to discover what relationship between emptiness and dependent origination was established before Nāgārjuna.
In Part 1, we broadly outline the near paradigmatic modern Buddhist studies discourse on the teachings of emptiness. We then focus on the role of Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka within this discourse. Lastly, this study rounds off with a literature review of studies on emptiness and dependent origination before Nāgārjuna.
Part 2 covers the early teachings found in the Pāli Nikāyas and (Chinese translations of) the Āgamas. It finds that the term emptiness was sometimes used independently to refer to the process of dependent arising as saṃsāric dissatisfaction and cause, and also as dependent cessation into nirvāṇa. Emptiness as the “profound” also described these two complementary processes as a whole.
Part 3 continues with the broad range of mainstream sectarian sūtra and śāstra literature. Here, the previous relationships are made more firm and explicit. There is greater association with the two doctrines as rejection of extreme views based on a “self”. The two are also brought within the Abhidharma methodology of analysis into conventionalor ultimate truths, and classification as conditioned or unconditioned phenomena.
Part 4 concludes, that while already nascent in the early literature, the relation or equation of emptiness with dependent origination, along with related terms, was quite well developed in pre-Nāgārjunian sectarian literature, and is strongest in the Sarvāstivādin literature. We recommend that aspects of the academic discourse on emptiness should be rectified as a result of these findings.
目次
Abstract 175 1. Emptiness, Dependent Origination & Nāgārjuna 177 1.1. Nāgārjuna’s Madhyamaka as Emptiness and Dependent Origination 179 1.2. Literature Review 184 2. Emptiness & Dependent Origination in Early Buddhism 187 2.1. “Profound, Connected with Emptiness” 188 2.2. Emptiness of Self in Dependent Cosmogenesis 190 2.3. Causality and the Middle Way 191 2.4. Nirvāṇa as “Empty Pacification” 192 2.5. The Emptiness Samādhi as Absence of Causes 193 2.6. The Three Dharma Seals and Characteristics 194 2.7. Summary 196 3. Emptiness & Dependent Originationin Mainstream Buddhism 197 3.1. Ultimate Emptiness—“Neither Coming Nor Going” 200 3.2. Great Emptiness—“Neither Identity Nor Plurality” 202 3.3. Seeing Dependent Origination as Dharma, as Buddha 203 3.4. Abhidharma Śāstra and Mahāvibhāṣa Exegesis 205 3.5. Un/conditioned Status of Dependent Origination 208 3.6. Summary 211 4. “Emptiness = Dependent Origination” — Nāgārjuna’s Innovation? 212 Bibliography 216 Notes 220
