Abhidharmakośa-Bhāṣya of Vasubandhu: The Treasury of the Abhidharma and its (Auto) commentary Vol. 2 [2] 9788120836099, 9788120836075

Volume 2 of Lodrö Sangpo's English translation (2012) of La Vallee Poussin's French translation (1923–1931) of

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Abhidharmakośa-Bhāṣya of Vasubandhu: The Treasury of the Abhidharma and its (Auto) commentary Vol. 2 [2]
 9788120836099, 9788120836075

Table of contents :
Vol. 2 Contents
3. Exposition of the World
3. Exposition of the World
3. Endnotes
4. Exposition of Action
4. Outline
4. Exposition of Action
4. Endnotes
5. Exposition of the Proclivities
5. Outline
5. Exposition of the Proclivities
5. Endnotes

Citation preview

Abhidharmakosa-Bha~ya of VASUBANDHU Volume II

Abhidharmakosa-Bha~ya of VASUBANDHU The Treasury of the Abhidharma and its (Auto) commentary

Translated into French lry

LOUIS DE

LA VALLEE

POUSSIN

Annotated English Translation lry

GELONG LODRO SANGPO

With a New Introduction lry BHIKKHU

KL DHAMMAJOTI

Volume II

MOTILAL BANARSIDASS PUBLISHERS PRIVATE LIMITED• DELHI

:1729326

First Edition: Delhi, 2012 Translated from L' Abhidharmakosa de Vasubandhu First edition 1823-1931, Paris, Paul Geuthner Second edition 1971, Bruxelles, Institute Belga des Hautes Etudes Chinoises

© GELONG LODRO SANGPO

All Rights Reserved

ISBN : 978-81-208-3608-2 978-81-208-3609-9 978-81-208-3610-5 978-81-208-3611-2 978-81-208-3607-5

(Vol. I) (Vol. II) (Vol. III) (Vol. IV) (Set)

MOTILAL BANARSIDASS 41 U.A. Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007 8 Mahalaxmi Chamber, 22 Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai 400 026 203 Royapettah High Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 236, 9th Main III Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore 560 011 Sanas Plaza, 1302 Baji Rao Road, Pune 411 002 8 Carnac Street, Kolkata 700 017 Ashok Rajpath, Patna 800 004 Chowk, Varanasi 221 001

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Volume II •

Outline of Chapter Three



Chapter Three: Exposition of the World (Lokanirdesa)



Endnotes to Chapter Three



Outline of Chapter Four



Chapter Four: Exposition of Action (Karmanirdesa)



Endnotes to Chapter Four



Outline of Chapter Five



Chapter Five: Exposition of the Proclivities (Anusayanirdesa)



Endnotes to Chapter Five

Chapter Three: Exposition of the World (Lokanirdesa)

Chapter Three:

EXPOSITION OF THEWORLD (Lokanirdesa) 1 A.

The three realms (dhiitu): the world of sentient beings & the receptacle world; F 1

B.

The world of sentient beings (sattvaloka); F 11 The planes of existence (gati), modes of birth (yoni), intermediate beings (antarabhava), process of reincarnation (pratisaf!ldhi); F 11

Dependent origination (pratftyasamutpiida) & refutation of the doctrine of self (iitman); F 56 The enduring of sentient beings; F 119 Death and birth of sentient beings; F 130 C.

The receptacle world (bhiijanaloka); F 1.38

D.

The measurements (pramii,:ia) of the bodies a.nd life-expectancy (iiyus) of

E.

The great aeon (mahiikalpa) of the world; F 182-217

sentient beings; F 170 The four stages of dissolution, nothingness, creation and duration; F 182

A.

AA.

1]l;;;

THREE REALMS (DHATU): THE WORLD OF SENTIENT BEINGS & THE RECEPTACLE WORLD; F 1-11 THE UNK BETWEEN CHAPTERS; F 1 The author has just explained (ii. 66-73) the different types of thoughts produced in the realm of desire (kamadhatu), the realm ciffine-materiality (rupadhatu) and the realm of immateriality (ariipyadhatu). What are these three realms?

AB.

REALM OF DESIRE (KAMADHATU); lac.

F 1-2

The realm of desire consists of [four entire planes of existence]: hell beings [naraka], hungry ghosts [preta], 2 animals [tiryaiic], 3 humans [manuna], 4 [and of one part of the heavenly plane of existence, namely,] the six [groups of] gods [deva] 5.6

The realm of desire consists of 1.

four entire planes of existence (gati) (iii. 4) and one part of the heavenly plane of existence, namely, the six [groups of] gods [deva; see iii. 69-71]: 7

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Chapter Three: Exposition of the World (Lokanirdesa)

i. Ciiturmahiiriijikas (Four Great Kings gods) (see iii. 63-64); ii. ·Triiyastrii:µsas (The Thirty-Three) (see iii. 65-68); iii. Yiimas (T. 'thab bra/; Free from Conflict); 8 iv. Tu1?itas (Joyous Ones); 9 v. Nirmii.JJ.aratis (Enjoying Pleasures Provided by Themselves) (see iii. 69-71); vi. Paranirmitavasavartins (Mastering Pleasures Provided by Others) (see iii. 69-71); 2. plus the receptacle world 10 of inanimate things (bhajanaloka) which contains these sentient beings. ABA.

The twenty places of the realm of desire; F 1-2 How many places (sthana) are there in the realm of desire? led.

[There are] twenty [places in the realm of desire], due to the division of the hells and the distinction of the continents.11

These twenty places consist of: (1-8)

eight(hot) hells [a~{a-u,p:ia-naraka; iii. 58]:

1. Sai:µji'va (Reviving); 2. Kiilasiitra (Black String); 3. Sai:µghiita (Crushing); 4. Raurava (Weeping); 5. Mahiiraurava (Great Weeping); 6. Tapana (Heating); 7. Pratiipana (Intense Heating); 8. Avi'ci (Ceaseless Torture); (9-12) four continents [caturdvi'pa; iii. 53b-55d]: 9. 10. 11. 12.

Jambudvi'pa [(southern) Rose Apple Tree Continent; T. 'dzam bugling]; Purvavideha [Eastern Videha; T. Lu 'phags po: Superior Body]; Avaragodiini'ya [Western Godii.niya; T. ba Zang spyod: Pasturage]; Uttarakuru [Northern Kuru; T. sgra mi snyan: Unpleasant Sound]; 12

(13-18) six divine dwellings (of the six groups of gods) mentioned above (iii. lac; 64--69); (19-20) moreover, there are (the places of) the hungry ghosts (preta) and the animals [tirafic].

Thus, from Avi'ci up to the heaven of the Paranirmitavasavartins (Mastering Pleasures Provided by Others), there are twenty places which, with the receptacle world of which the lower part is the circle of wind [vayuma1:u;lala; iii. 45], are the realm of desire.

A. The Three Realms: the World of Sentient Beings & the Receptacle World

AC.

REALM OF FINE-MATERIALITY (RUPADHATU);

ACA.

The seventeen places of the realm offine-materiality;

937

F 2-4 F2

Above [the realm of desire], the realm of fine-materiality 13 consists of seventeen places. 14 { 2 a} 15

2ab.

Above the realm of desire, there are the seventeen places of the realm of finemateriality. 2bd.

[There are three] meditations [as birth] which are each of three stages. But the fourth meditation is of eight stages. 16

The worlds of the meditations [as birth] (dhyana; see viii. 1-2b) involve three stages (bhami), with the exception of the fourth meditation. First meditation (viii. 7ab): 17 1. 2. 3.

Brahmakiiyikas (Brahma's Followers); 18 Brahmapurohitas (Priests or Ministers of Brahma); 19 Mahabrahmans (Great Brahmas). 20

Second meditation (viii. 7cd): 21 4. 5. 6.

Parittabhas (Limited Light); Aprama~abhas (Immeasurable Light); Abhasvaras (Clear Light).

Third meditation (viii. 8ab): 22 7. Parittasubhas (Limited Beauty); 8. Apramal).asubhas (Immeasurable Beauty); 9. Subhakrtsnas (Complete Beauty). Fourth meditation (viii. 8cd): 23 10. Anabhrakas (Cloudless); 11. Pul).yaprasavsa (Produced by Merit); 12. Brhatphalas (Abundant Fruit); (and the five Suddhavasikas24 [Pure Abodes] [vi. 43ab]:) 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

Abrhas (T. mi che ba; Not Greater); Atapas (Without Heat [of passion] or Without Distress); Sudrsas (Good Appearance); Sudarsanas (Good Vision); Akani~thas (Highest). 25

These seventeen places are the realm of fine-materiality .26

938 ACB.

Chapter Three: Exposition of the World{Lokanirdesa)

The sixteen places of the realm offine-materiality according to the Kafmfrians; F 3-4 But the Kasmirians say that the realm of fine-materiality involves only sixteen places. 27 In the heaven of the Brahmapurohitas there is, they say, an elevated abode [sthiinam utkr~fataram]-like a belvedere or afortress 28-named the heaven of Brahmii, 29 inhabited by a single rulerl but whi~h does not constitute a stage (bhiimi).

AD.

REALM OF IMMATERIALITY (.ARUPYADH.ATU);

ADA.

The immaterial factors of the realm of immateriality have no place as support; F 4-5 3a.

F 4-6

The realm of immateriality has no places.31

In fact, immaterial factors do not occupy a place [asthiina]: (1) the material factors when they are past and future, (2) the non-informative form (avijiiapti) and (3) the immaterial factors abide without a place (adesastha). {2 b} ADB.

The division of the realm of immateriality into four types due to the mode of existence or birth of the aggregates; F 5 3b.

(But the realm of immateriality) is fourfold through its mode of existence (or birth): [i.e., perception-sphere of infinite space; perception-sphere of infinite consciousness; perception-sphere of nothingness; perception-sphere of neither-ideation-nor-non-ideation].32

(1) The perception-sphere of infinite space (iikaiiinantyiiyatana), (2) the perception-

sphere of infinite consciousness (vijiia.niinantyiiyatana), (3) the perception-sphere of nothingnes.s (iiki1!1,canyiiyatana) and (4) the perception-sphere of neither-ideationnor-non-ideation (naivasa1!1,jiiiiniisa1!1,jfi.iiyatana or bhaviigra)33 constitute the realm of immateriality which is thus of four types (see viii. 2c-4). By existence (or birth) [upapatti] we understand the. appearance of the aggregates [skandhapravrtti] in a new existence Uanmiintara] because of action [kannan]: 34 it is not by the same action that these different perception-spheres (iiyatana) which are superior to one another are obtained. But this superiority does not involve a difference of place [desa]: (1) At the place where a person who possesses the meditative attainment (which produces an existence in the realm of immateriality) dies, at that place the existence in question begins; (2) at that place-at the end of this existence (in question)-the intermediate being [antariibhava] will be formed, which is called taking up a new -existence (in the realm of desire or in the realm of finemateriality) (see iii. 14bd, F 15, note).

A. The Three Realms: the World of Sentient Beings & the Receptacle World ADC.

939

The basis of the mental stream in the realm of immateriality; F 5-6 The mental stream-the thought and thought-concomitants (citta and caitta; ii. 23)of material sentient beings relies on physical matter (rupa), and it can exist in that way. But what is the basis of the mental stream of sentient beings in the realm of immateriality?

3cd.

Here the mental stream exists by relying on the group [homogeneity] and the vitality faculty. 35

According to the Abhidharmikas, the mental stream of sentient beings of Ariipya has as basis the two factors "dissociated from thought" which are called group homogeneity (nikii.yasabhii.gatii.; ii. 41) and vitality faculty (jfvitendriya; ii. 45). The mental stream of material sentient beings does not rely on these two factors, because (this mental stream) 36 lacks (the necessary) force; the mental stream of immaterial sentient beings, [however,] possesses the necessary force, because the mental stream proceeds from a certain meditative attainment from which the ideation [sa,pjiiii.] of physical matter has been eliminated. ADc.1.

The support of the group homogeneity and the vitality faculty;

F6

[Question:] - But, one might say, the group homogeneity and the vitality faculty of material sentient beings rely on physical matter: for immaterial sentient beings, what would be the basis of the group homogeneity and the vitality faculty? [Answer:] - These two rely on one another. Among material sentient beings, the group homogeneity and the vitality faculty do not have the force needed for them to rely on one another; [yet] they do have this force among immaterial sentient beings because the latter proceed from a certain meditative attainment. ADc.1.1.

The theory of the Sautrantika; F 6 According to the Sautrantikas,37 the mental stream [cittasal!ltati]-thought and thought-concomitants-does not have, among the immaterial sentient beings, any basis [ii.sraya] which is other than [anya] itself. This stream is strong and can serve as a basis. Or rather, we say that thought relies on the thought-concomitants, and the thought-concomitants rely on thought, in the way that you say that the group homogeneity and the vitality faculty rely on one another. The stream of thoughts of a new existence is projected by a certain cause [ii.k~epahetu; action-defilement (karma-klesa)]; (1) if this cause is not free from craving [avftatmza] pertaining to physical matter (rupa), thought will be reborn with physical matter, and its stream will rely .on matter; (2) if this cause is free from craving pertaining to- physical matter-as is the case for the meditative attainment which is

940

Chapter Three: Exposition of the World (Lokanirdesa)

the cause that projects an existence in the realm of immateriality-thought will be reborn and will exist without relations to physical matter. AE. AEA.

DEFINITION OF THE THREE REALMS(DHATU); F6-I0 Definition of realm (dhatu); F6 What is the. explanation of the terms: realm of desire, etc?38 1. Dhiitu signifies that which carries (dadhiiti) 39 a particular inherent characteristic (svalak~a1J,a), (namely, the kiimas, etc.); {3 b} or else, 2. dhiitu signifies gotra (lineage, family, race, mine) as we have explained above, i, F 37.

AEB.

Definition of the realm of desire, the realm offine-materiality, the realm of immateriality; F 7 1. i. The realm of desire can be understood as: "a realm (dhiitu) associated with kiimas", by omitting the middle word associated with (saf!Zprayukta), in the same way as there is diamond ring (vajraviilaka) for "ring decorated with a diamond" (vajre1J,a saf!Zprayukto 'ngulfyakal:t), or pepper-potion (maricapiinaka) for "potion mixed with pepper". ii. The same for the realm of fine-materiality (riipa)".

= "a realm associated with matter

iii. There is the adjective ariipa = formless or nonmaterial, from which is derived iirqpya, absence of matter. 40 Or else, (a) riipa = "that which is capable of the quality which makes up riipa (riipaJJ,a), of resistance (biidhanii)" (i, F 45); (b) ariipa = absence of riipa; (c) iiriipya, the fact of being such (tadbhiiva [: ariipabhilva] ilriipyam). The realm of immateriality is that which is associated with ariipya. 2.

Or else these terms are compounds, the first term of which is a genitive: Kamadhatu, the receptacle (dhiitu) of kiimas; n. Riipadhatu, the receptacle of fine-materiality [riipa]; iii. Ariipyadhatu, the receptacle of immateriality (iiriipya). 41

1.

AEc.

Definition of kama;

F 7-8

[Question:] - What should be understood by kiima? 42 [Answer:] - Attachment [riiga]: desire to eat material food (kava