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pectional perception, this Phenomenological doctrine was only a means or expedient doctrine (upiya-dharma) but not the reality itself. Here, a diftieult question may arise: if Buddha’s original teachings or doctrines mainly dealt with the Phenomenological perception, how then can we understand his Introspectional and Ontolosi- cal doctrine upon the cosmic existence, ete. Of course, there_is no positive and external statements regarding this point except_a_ratiocination. Therefore, if cosmic existences, from the point of view of Buddha’s Pheno- menological perception, are ‘Impermanent,’ and ‘Sufter- ing,’ and ‘ Without ego,’ then from_the Ontological point of view which is quite opposite of the former, they should be ‘ermanent’ ‘Happy,’ and ‘ With a great ego,’ —indicated throughout the Mahdyana-mahaparinirvana- stra,’ And the following statment of Saddharma- pundarika-sitra is the.exact indication of Buddha’s Ontological perception on cosmic existence : “ wifafa wifanaat fafeai aia emaaaty 1”? 1 There are two kinds of Mahaparinirvaya‘siitras in the Chinese translation of he tripitaka ; one deals with Buddha’s parinirvina, this may te called Hinaydnic Wabaparinirvana-sitira corresponding with the Mahdparinibbana-sutra in Digha- Nikdya of the Pali canon (see Nanjio’s catalogue, p. 136, No. 545 and p. 139, No, 352). The othey belongs to the Muhdyana siitva, Thongh,ita title is the same wth chat of the Pali 2. N. and its manner of writing is also abont the same, that is to ay, the teachings have been imparted by Buddha juet before his pari. irvina for ‘ature’s sake, yet the idea contained in the Sfitra is quite different from that of the 2ali D. N, bevause, it deals with Buddha’s Ontological perception on the cosmic existence as well as hnman life. (See Nanfio’s catalogue, p 29, No.1 14, etc.) 2 Saddharmepundartka sutra Part I, p. 38. HOW THE TERMS CAME INTO USE? 85 “They shall reveal the stability of the Dharma, its -being subjected to fixed rules, its unshakeable perpetuity in the world.’’! In the Original form of Buddhism, there is no positive statement on such Ontological idea on cosmic existence as I have told before. However, we find references to such ideas in negative sense scattered throughout the Pali Nikayas which are. regarded as embodying statements much akin to the Original Buddhism. In the Sathyutta-Nikaya it has been stated :—~ “Yattha kho avuso na jayati na jiyati na miyat? na. cavati -na uppajjati, naham tam gamanena lokassa antarh iateyyarn dattheyyarn patteyyan-ti vadamiti.” * * Where, friend, one does not get born, nor grow old, nor die, nor leave one sphere for another, nor get reborn :—that end of the world, [ say, thou art not able . by walking to come to know, nor tovsee, nor to arrive at.”* In the Afiguttara-Nikaiya also we find the same istatement as above.* Again, in the Sarny utta-Nikaya — “ee Yattha apo ca pathavi tejo vayo na gadhati, ato sari nivattanti, ettha vattam na vattati, ettha namaiica riipaiica, asesam uparujjhatiti.” “ Where the four elements that cleave, and stretch; And burn, and move no further footing find. Henee ebb the flooding tides; here whirls no more The whirlpool; here to utter ending comes This compound thing of body and of mind.” ’ 8. B.E., Vol. XVI, p. 53. * S.N., Part I, p. 61 (8S. N. 23.6), . * The Book of the Kindred Sayings by Mrs. Rhys Davids, , Part I, p. 86. *A.N., Part, II, p. 48 (A. N. LV, 45). 5 §.N., Part, I p. 15 (1.3.7). * The Book of the Kindred Sayings, Part I, p. 23. S This passage, according to me, may be rendered thus :—As water, earth, fre and aw have no firm footing, ao do the tides ebb and flow (i.e, have no firm Footing), ete. ORIGIN OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM Again, in the Udana :-— folie Bi SES “ Atthi bhikkhive tad ayatanam, vattha n’eva pathavi na apo na tejo na vayo na akisdnaiicayatanan ... n’ayam loko na paraloko ubho candimasiriya, tad aham bhikkhave neva agatirh vadimi na gatinh na thitirh na cutirn na upapattinn, appatittham ‘appavattarhn andrammanam eva tarh, es’ ev’ anto dukkhassa’ti.” ! “there is, O monks, a sphere where there is neither earth, nor water, nor heat. nor air, nos the endless atmosphere............ neither this world, nor another world, etre cena RE Eh TE none of the sun and the moon; therefore, Q monks, di do I say that it is neither coming nor going, ror staying, nor sleeping, nor arising, but_ that i but that it is unstable, unchanging, without any support. This, verily, is the end of suffering. es ean mS oars Again, in the same Udana :— ‘“ Yattha apo ca pathavi vayo ua gadhati, na tattha sukka& jotanti, Jiicco nappahasati, na tattha candima bhati, tamo tattha na vijjati, yadica attanivedi muni monena brahmano, ° atha riipa artipa ca sukha dukkb& pamuceatiti.” Where water, earth, heat or air enters not, the_ stars do not gleam there, nor does the sun shine, nor the moon and darkness exists not. When the Brahmana becomes ,a gage by si silent meditation and realises his own self, he . becomes quit of form and formless-ness, of happiness and suffering.” ®. Again, in the Digha-Nikaya :—- “ Viiiifianam anidassanamn anantarn sabhatopahamn, Ettha apo ca pathavI tejo vayo na gadhati. Udina, VILL. I. Translated by my aylleague Mr. Suilendranath Mitva, M.A. Udana, I, p. 9. HOW THE TERMS CaME INTO USE? 97 Kttha dighaiica rassaiica anuth thulam subhasubhan, Ettha nimajica riipafica asesarh uparujjhati. Vidifidnassa nirodheno etth’etarh uparujjhatiti.”* “The intellect of Arahatship, the invisible, the endless aceessible from every side :— ‘Theré is it that earth, water, fire and wind, And long and short, and fine and coarse, Pure and impure, no footing find Die ont, leaving no trace behind. When intellection ceasys they all also cease. Therefore, & the sense of ‘N of ‘ Nirvana’ in the Original form of Buddhism is ‘incomposite “(asankhata), un unw eae (ajajjara), ‘ stable’ (dhuva), ‘eternal’ (amata). ‘So, i should be ‘ peaceful’ (khema) as well as ‘calm’ a. then it must be ‘final’ (paraiyana) and ‘true’ (sacca)3 So, we should not think that ‘ Nirvana’ is 1’ is extinction of something, but eternal reality of cosmic existence, which is really difficult for human language in language to express in the positive sense. Moreover, in the in the Phenomenological 1 DLN., Vot@L, p. 223 (D. N. IL. Kevaddha). * Dialogues of the Buddha by Rhys Davids, Part I, pp. 413-484, It is very interestiny to state here that the idea of Buddha’s Ontolcgical perception in negative xspects on Nirvdna, as stated above, corresponds exactly | with that of some Upanishadas. Ty the Katha, V, 16, Mundcaka, {f, 2, 10, and SvetaSvatara, VI, 14, the following passage is recorded :-~ “aay wat afa, a ae ana, aan fradl uta, qeatsaafa: 2 aaa araqaiia 85, fe wren wafere frarfar 1” The iden a8 Well as the mode of expression are exactly the same as noted above. In the U7) unishndas this mode of expression indicates the stage of ‘absolate Brahman’ whi? in Buddha’ 8 point of view, it indicates the state of Nirvaha. From a perusal a such identical expressions as we come across in both, we may held that in a certain sense Buddha’s Ontological perception on the ‘cosmic existence’ as well as ou ‘harman life’ does not sarpass the ideas of the Upanishads. But the difference between them is the different way of realization; that is to say, the way of realiza. tion of Upanishadis is philosophical, while Buddhais way is a religious one. 3+ 3. N., Part TV, pp. 369-373 (Asaikhatamh). 13 98 ORIGIN OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM doctrine of Buddha (original form of Buddhism), it was not his aim to deal with the pédsitive aspegt of Nirvana. This is why Buddha used simply the term Nirvana from the negative point of view. So it is said in the Udana :— ‘No ce tath bhikkhave abhavissa ajitarin: abhitata akatarh asankhatarh nayidha jatassa bhitassa katassa sankhatassa uissaranaib paiifayetha ?”! “Tf, O monks, that were not unborn, non-existent, of the existent, the made, the compounded be comprehen- sible p” plained: Again, in the Kathavatthu :— “Sabba-dhammanam tathat& asunkhala, nibbanah tanam, lenara, saranat, parayanaih, accutaia, amatam nibbinam, asankhatarn.” * “‘Nibbana_is the deliverance, the safely, the refuge, the highest path, the stability, the eternal cessation, the unfathomable.” _ So, it can, unmistakably, be held that the sense of ‘Nirvana’ is consistent with the negative aspect. of ‘ Buddha’s Ontological perception. Jfere we should bear in mind one thing which is of vital importance in understanding Buddha’s doctrings as well as Develuped, form of Buddhism—that whenever Ontological ideas are expressed in the negative way, it is always done by the denial of all phenomenological existence; the case_of ‘Nirvana’ here is also the same. Such expression is found not only in the Buddhism but also in Vedantism, wherein ‘Nirguna Brihmana’ has been expressed always in the negative by the term ‘neti neti neti” Thus the Ontological aspect in the Original form of Buddhism is as Udana VIII, 3; and Iti-vuttaka. 43. ® Translated by my colleague, Mr. Saileadranath Mitra, M.A. 3 Kathavattha, Vol. I, p. 583. HOW THE TERMS CAME INTO USE? 99 found always in the state of denying or annihilating phenomenological existence. So it is said. in the Suttanta :— “ Ye te suttant’ Tathagata bhasita gambhiras gambhi- rattha lokuttara suifiattapatisarnyutta, tesu bhaiifiamanesu na sussissanti, na sotath odahissanti, na afifacittam upatthipessanti, na ca te dhammam uggahetabbarh pariya- punitabbarn mafifiissanti.