Three Texts on Madhyamaka

THREE TEXTS ON MADHYAMAKA

by Shakya Chokden

Tran slated by Komarovski laroslav

LIBRARY OF TIBETAN WORKS & ARCHIVES

© 2000 Lib rary o f Tib et anWo rks andArchiv es, Dharams ala (H .P.) India

First Edit io n 2000 Rep rint 2004

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No p art of t his p ublicat io nm ay be repro du ce d, sto re d in a ret rie v al s ystem, o r t ransm itte d i n any fo rm o r b y any me ans w it hout t he p rio r pe rm is s io n of t he cop y rig ht ow ne r. All e nqu irie s s hou ld be addresse d to the pub lis her .

ISBN: 81-864-70-26-3

Pub lis he db y the Lib r ary o f Tib et anWorks & Ar chives, D har ams ala, H . P . (India), andpr inte d at Indrapr asthaPress (CB T), Neh ru House, 4, B ahadu rs hah Z af ar M arg, New Del hi-110002

To commemorate the 60th Enthronement Anniversary and the SOth Anniversary of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama assuming State Responsibilities

Con ten ts Publisher's Note Translator's Note

vii ix

Part One: Wish Fulfilling Meru INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATION OF MADHYAMAKA

I. Definition of the Middle Path II. Explanation of the Defined Term A. Identification of Extremes 1. Identification in General 2. Identification in this Case 3. Refutation of Objections B. Identification of the Path C. Establishment of the Path as "The Middle" DISCUSSION OF VARIOUS TYPES OF MADHYAMAKA

III. Divisions of the Basis of Definition A. Brief Presentation of Divisions 1. The Nature of Divisions 2. The Sources of Divisions 3. Showing Others' Assertions as Narrow

2 2 2 2 3 3 5 5 6 7 7 7 7 7

8

THE ORIGINATION OF MADHYAMAKA IN INDIA

9

B.

9 9

Extensive Explanation 1. How Madhyamaka Treatises were Composed

THE SPREADING OF MADHYAMAKA IN TIBET

2. How Madhyamaka Treatises Came to Tibet CONCLUDING DISCUSSION

3. Concluding [the Text] with a Little Refutation and Establishment

21 21 31 31

Part Two: Drop of Nectar of Definitive Meaning I. The Way of Entering the Great Mansion of Defifnitive Meaning through Acceptance of the False Truth

38

Content

vi

II. The W ay of E nte ri ng the G re at M ansio n of Defi nitive

Me aning th rough Accept an ce of the U ltim ate Truth A . H o w t o P racti ce at the Time o f Seve ri ng Co nceptu al E labo ratio ns b y the View B . How t o P ro cee d at the Time o f App lyi ng Co nve ntio ns b y K now le dge -E xp ressio ns of Ary as

40 40 40

Part Three: Great Ship o f Discrimination that Sails into the Ocean of Definitive Meaning

I. B rief P rese nt atio n 44 II. E xte nsive E xp lanatio n 44 A. How the P ras angik a andSv at ant rik a B ranches Dive rge d45 B . The E xp lanatio n of the Diffe re nces of thei r Te nets 46 1. The P rese nt atio n o f M y Ow n T raditio n 46 49 2 . Refut atio n o f T raditio ns o f Othe rs Appendices: An Out li ne

Notes G loss ary Bib liog raph y

54 57 86 99

Publisher's Note The Library of Tibetan Works & Ar chives is pleased to p ublish "Works on Madhyamaka Philosophy of gSer -mdo gpan -chen sha -kya m cho g­ ldan (1428 -1507 )" translated by Komarovski Iaroslav. The antholo gy in cludes t hree major treatises on Madhyamaka philosophy by the famo us writer Sha -kya m cho g-ldan: i. The Wish -f ulfill in g Meru: A Dis co urse E xplainin g the Ori gination of Madhyamaka (dB u-ma 'i byun g-tsh ul mam -par bshad -pa 'i gtam yid -bzhin lh un -po ), ii . Drop of Ne ctar of Def initive Meanin g: Enterin g the Gate to the Essential points of the Two Tr uth (bDen -pa gnyis -kyi gnas -la 'j ug-pa n ges ­ don bd ud -rtsi thi gs -pa ), and iii. Great Ship of Dis crimination that sails into the Ocean of definitive meanin g: ATreatise Differentiatin g the Tenets of Prasa :figika and Svat antrika Madhyamaka ( dB u-ma t hal ­ ran g gi gr ub -mtha 'i mam -par dbye -ba 'i bstan -b cos n ges -don gyi r gya -mtshor 'j ug-pa 'i mam -dpyod kyi gru -chen ). The Wish -f ulfill in g Meru attempts in present in g in a lu cid and con cise w a y the Madhyamaka view in cl udin g the Tantrik ­ madhyamaka, and its spread in India and Ti bet. Drop of Definitive Meanin g, t hro ugh its brief yet s uccin ct e xplanation guides us in enterin g th e spheres o f d e finitive me anin g by m e ans o f understandin gt he two tr ut h-the conventional tr ut hand t he ult imate tr uth . Gre at Ship of Dis crimination that sails into the Ocean of d e finitive me anin g e xtensively e xp l a ins the diver gen ce of Madhyamaka into Svat antrika and Prasa figika Madhyamaka, their philosophi cal views, and their interpretation of various con cepts .In all, this ant holo gy gives a general presentation of Madhya maka s chools and their views a ccord in g to the great Sakyapa master. Despite the meti culous and pa instak in gtranslation rendered by the translator, readers are requested to refer to the Tibetan ori gin als for m inute details and resear ch information. We hope our readers will enjoy read in gthis classi cal work on Madhyamaka philosophy.

P ubli cations Department Library of Tibetan Works & Ar chives Dharamsala (H .P.) India November, 2000

Tran slator's Note Over time Tibetan Buddhism has produced many outstanding scholars whose views have been studied and followed until the present time. Within the Sakya tradition, Gorampa Sonam Senge (go ram pa bsod nams seng ge -1429 -1489) is considered to be the most influential philosopher of the past five centuries by far. Yet during his lifetime Gorampa's influence was closely rivaled by that of Shakya Chokden (gser mdog pai:ichen shakya mchog ldan 1428 - 1507) , whose works until recently received little to no attention among modem scholars. Although the views of Shakya Chokden and Gorampa often differ greatly on many points of Madhyamaka, their contribution was similar in that they both greatly clarified the views of their own tradition through numerous commentaries on Indian and Tibetan treatises, and also through their original treatises and critical texts aimed at the views of Tsongkhapa (tsong kha ba -1357 -1419) and his followers, known as Gelukpa. The lineage of most of Gorampa's works, which are traditionally transmitted orally through reading and explanation, has survived unbroken until the present day. However, the lineage of transmission of Shakya Chokden's works was broken. Shakya Chokden's works commanded a lesser following because many Sakyapas facing the problem of whether to follow Gorampa or Shakya Chokden had chosen to follow the former, since, according to many Sakya scholars, his approach more correctly expresses the views held by Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen (sa skya Pai:i vol.4 . Thimpu, Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgyey, 1975.

--. Thorough Clarification of Definitive Meaning of the Five Dharmas of Maitreya (byarns chos lnga' i nges don rab tu gsal ba). Collected Works, vol. 11. Thimpu, Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgyey, 1975.

-- . General Presentation of Valid Cognition: Key of Magic Vajra Mechanism Opening the Doors of Great Treasury of the Seven Treatises [on Valid Cognition] (tshad ma spyi'i rnam bzhag sde bdun bang mdzod chen po'i sgo 'byed 'khrul 'khor gyi lde mig). Collected Works, vol.19. Thimpu, Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgyey, 1975.

--. "Falling ofNectar Rain " - extensive [auto-]commentary on Profound Dragon's Roarfrom the Ocean-like Clouds ofDefinitive Meaning (nges don rgya mtsho sprin gyi 'brug sgra zab mo' i rgyas 'grel bdud rtsi' i char 'bebs) . Collected Works, vol.2. Thimpu, Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgyey, 1975.

--.Garland of Waves of the Ocean of Approaches (bzhed tshul rgya mtsho'i rlabs kyi phreng ba) . Collected Works, vol. 11. Thimpu, Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgyey, 1975 .

--. Treatise Ascertaining the Mode of Positing the Two Truths (bden pa gnyis kyi bzhag tshul rnmn par nges pa'i bstan bcos) . Collected Works, vol. 13 . Thimpu, Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgyey, 1975.

Bibliography 1 0 1

--. "Abbreviated Madhyamakn Essence" - explanation of [Nagarjuna's] "Commentary on Ultimate Bodhicitta " (don dam byang chub sems 'grel gyi bshad pa dbu ma'i snying po bsdus pa) . Collected Works , vol.7. Thimpu , Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgyey , 1975.

--. "Enjoyment Ocean of the Speech of Seven Treatises" - commentary on the Treasure of Reasoning on Vatid Cognition (tshad ma rigs pa'i rnam bshad sde bdun ngag gi rol mtsho) . Collected Works , vol.19. Thimpu , Bhutan: Kunzang Tobgyey, 1975. Tsongkhapa (tsong kha pa ). " Thorough Clarification of Madhyamakn

Intent " - extensive commentary on Engaging in the Middle Way (dbu ma la 'jug pa'i rgya cher bshad pa dgongs pa rab gsal) . Banaras. Pleasure of Elegant Saying Press , 1973.

--. Great Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (byang chub lam rim chen mo) . Dharamsala . Shes rig par khang , 1991. --.Essence of Perfect Explanation of Interpretive and Definitive (drang nges legs bshad snying po) . Banaras . Pleasure of Elegant Saying Press , 1973.