Buddhist College of Singapore

Subject:
Thoughts of Prajna and Madhyamaka in
India
Lecturer:
Ven. Dr. Chang Qing
Class:
EN/BA 2020
 Topic:
Nagarjuna’s emptiness teaching from the
perspective of critics.

Presented By:
Sheng Fa
En/BA/2020
 Content

Introduction

Charge of nihilism

Accusation as a sceptic

Non- conceptuality

Conclusion
 Introduction

Indian Philosophy
Hinduism date back to ancient times
Vedas - around 1500–1200 BCE
Upanishads - around 800–200 BCE

Buddhist Philosophy
Emerged in the 6th century BCE
with the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama,
Over time, different Buddhist schools and traditions
developed, each interpreting and elaborating on these
foundational principles in distinct ways.

Abhidharmikas Madhyamaka school

Pāli Yogācāra,
Sarvastivāda
Tatāgathagarbha
Sautantrika
 Introduction

Critiques and challenges to Madhyamaka

philosophy have come from various quarters.
Yogācāra school
Vijñānavāda (the doctrine of consciousness)
Sautrantika School
A non-Madhyamaka Buddhist school,
Bhaviveka
A Buddhist philosopher who lived in the 6th century CE.
Svatantrika-Madhyamaka school
Nyaya and Vaisheshika Schools
Associated with the orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy
Modern scholars
Graham Priest - "Beyond the Limits of Thought,”
Tom Tillemans - presented detailed analyses.
 Charge of nihilism

Emptyness
Yogacara philosophy Śūnyavāda
posits a form of Niḥsvabhāvavāda
Yogācara school idealism in which
external objects are
considered to be
projections of the mind All phenomena (dharmas)
(vijnapti-mātra). are empty (śūnya) of "nature" of any
"substance" or "essence" (svabhāva)
which could give them "solid and
independent existence", because they
Abhidharmikas Constituents (dharmas) are dependently
Pāli have their own co-arisen.
Sarvastivāda intrinsic nature. Madhyamaka only negates things
Sautantrika (svabhāva) conventionally,
since ultimately, there is nothing there to
negate.
 Madhyamaka explanation of inherent nature

Ultimate emptiness

Non Pratītyasamutpāda - Middle Path

duality

Śūnyatā - Emptiness

Intrinsicality Voidness
Essentialism Nihilism
Existence non-existence
Presence absence
 Accusation as a sceptic

Nāgārjuna famously claims to hold no view, and further, that those who
hold sunyata as a view are incurable - Vigrahavyāvartanī .

-He was considered a sceptic

Catuskoti - The Tetralemma
1. Affirmation (Positive Assertion)
2. Negation (Negative Assertion)
3. Both Affirmation and Negation
4. Neither Affirmation nor Negation
When asked, for example, whether the world
has a beginning or not,
“No, the world does not have a beginning, it
does not fail to have a beginning, it does not
have and not have a beginning, nor does it
neither have nor not have a beginning.”
 Accusation as a sceptic
What is the Buddha’s
standpoint? This is how right view is defined.
Used a simile of a
‘All exists’: this is one extreme.
mortally wounded ‘All does not exist’: this is the
soldier on a battlefield second extreme.
who is dying. Avoiding these two extremes,
the Realized One teaches by the
middle way.
Kaccānagotta Sutta (S.N 12.15)
(Also cited in MMK)
Two brahmins, Bharadvaja
and Vasettha, who left
their family and vanna to
become monks raised
ontological questions and
the Buddha denied to
answer.
Aggañña Sutta (D.N 27)
 Non - conceptuality

Nagarjuna claims that reality is ultimately

Nonconceptual and inexpressible.

Emptiness

Conventional truth Ultimate truth

Samvṛti satya Paramārtha satya

Nāgārjuna claims that nothing has an essential nature (svabhāva)as he makes such claims,
according to Burton, he cannot be called a sceptic.
-David F. Burton. Emptiness Appraised
 Conclusion

Nagarjuna only rejected intrinsic nature.

As Nāgārjuna rejects inherent
existence (svabhāva),
Nagarjuna firmly held a view that all
He was charged a nihilist.
phenomena lack inherent nature.
Nagarjuna famously claims to hold no
view so he considered as a sceptic. Ultimate truth is non conceptual as
linguistic pitfalls.
How is Nagarjuna’s claim that
The Buddha also rejected to hold a
ultimate knowledge is non-conceptual to
metaphysical views.
be understood.
Thanks
Any Question?
 Reference

David F. Burton. Emptiness Appraised: A Critical Study of Nàgàrjuna’s

Philosophy. London: Curzon Press, 1999
 Contradictions about inherent
nature

Nagarjuna famously claims to hold no view, and,

further, that those who Inherent hold sunyata as a view
are incurable.

What is the status of Nagarjuna’s knowledge claims, and

more specifically, is Nagarjuna skeptic?

How is Nagarjuna’s claim that ultimate knowledge is

non-conceptual to be understood
does Nagarjuna’s account of sunyata entail nihilism
 What is the Emptiness teaching

Nāgārjuna (c. 150 – c. 250 CE)

Nagarjuna famously claims to hold no view, and,

further, that those who hold sunyata as a view are
incurable

What is the status of Nagarjuna’s knowledge claims, and

more specifically, is Nagarjuna skeptic?

How is Nagarjuna’s claim that ultimate knowledge is

non-conceptual to be understood

does Nagarjuna’s account of sunyata entail nihilism

Language and time period
Language and time period
 Part I out of three

In the first part,

the Bodhisattva character was
described from the time of
Dīpaṅkara Buddha and his
character in the time of other
Buddhas.
 Part II

In the second part

Bodhisattva born in Tusita Heaven

Conceive in the womb of Mahamaya
The miracles happened
The renunciation
Defeating of Maras
Enlightenment at the Bodhi root.
 Part III

In the third part

The first Dharma Sermon and other
Dharma Sermons
The origin of the Sangha order
Basic features of the Mahavaggapali in
the Pali Vinaya Pitaka.
 The Plot

Om! homage to the glorious mighty

Buddha, and to all Buddhas, past,
future and present.
Here begins the Mahavasthu….
Dīpaṅkara Buddha proclaimed
“it would be better if I could be born
to do good to mankind.”

The Bodhisattvas are characterised Dīpaṅkara Buddha coming to know of

by four kinds of conduct benefitting his intention said,
them. “You will, in future, be born in the
Śākya family and for the good of
1. Prakriticaryā mankind you will attain Buddhahood.”
2. Praṇidhānacaryā
3. Anulomacaryā
4. Anivartanacaryā.
 Śrāvaka Stories

Eight Nirayas or Hells and Six heavens

explained by Mahāmaudgalyāyana
1. Sañjīva 1. Catummaharajika heaven
2. Kālasūtra 2. Tavatimsa heaven
3. Saṅghāta 3. Yama heaven
4. Raurava 4. Tusita heaven
5. Mahāraurava 5. Nimmanarati heaven
6. Tapana 6. Paranimmita Vasavatti
7. Pratāpana heaven
8. Avīci
 Contents summary of Mahavāsthu
The Buddhas And The Bodhisattvas Stories of the Disciples
Dīpaṅkara Story of Mahāmaudgalyāyana
Gautama Story of Rāhula
Samitāvī Story of Dharmalabdha
Ajita Story of Trapusa and Bhallika
Suprabhāsa Story of Pūrṇa Maitrāyaniputra
Ratna Story of Nālaka
Kāśyapa Story of Sabhika

Gautama, the Buddha Jātaka Stories

Gautama’s early life Kuśa-jātaka
Buddha’s renunciation and religious life Ṛṣabha-jātaka
Māra’s defeat by the Buddha Vānara-jātaka
Gautama’s principal disciples Puṇyavanta-jātaka
Conversion of Chandaka and Udāyī by Vijitāvi-jātaka
Buddha Mahākāśyapa-sūtra
Śuddhodana and the Buddha Śāriputra-Pitāputra-
Conversion of the Śākyas by the Buddha samāgama
Conversion of the Asuras by the Buddha Kāka-jataka Etc… (40)
 Conclusion
Mahāvastu is a important composition in Sanskrit
literature that refers to Lokottaravādins, a branch of
the Mahāsaṅghikas.

Biographical Stories relating Stories of his Discourses and

accounts pertaining to his former disciples and expositions of
to the Buddha’s existences devotes Buddhist
(career) philosophy
Thank You
For Your
Any
Attention
Question?
 Mahavasthu

There are these four stages in the careers of

Bodhisattvas. What are the four? They are the "natural"
career, the " resolving " career, the conforming" career,
and the 'persevering’’ career.

Homage to Aparajitadhvaja, a Tathagata, an Arahan

and perfect Buddha, in whose presence the root of
goodness was planted by this very Sakyamuni, the
Exalted One, when as a universal king he lived in the
natural *' stage of his career.
 Conclusion

 Mahāvastu is a important composition in Sanskrit literature that

refers to Lokottaravādins, a branch of the Mahāsaṅghikas.
 It claims to be a book of the Vinaya Piṭaka.
 Written in Hybrid Sanskrit - Unstable mixture of Sanskrit,Pāli and
Prākrits
 There are similar contents with Pāli Cannon
References
● https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/rel100hinduism/2015/11/25/the-caste-syste
m
● https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35650616
● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin#Shrauta_Sutras
● https://pragyata.com/women-in-vedic-culture/
● https://www.journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/download/3256/2
116/3712
● Lecture Notes (Ven Dr. Chandavimala)

Images:
● https://pngtree.com/
● https://pixabay.com/
● https://hicliart.com/
● https://images.google.com/
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