Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
by Gelongma Karma Migme Ch枚dr枚n | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes 鈥渢he position of morality among the path members鈥� as written by Nagarjuna in his Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (lit. 鈥渢he treatise on the great virtue of wisdom鈥�) in the 2nd century. This book, written in five volumes, represents an encyclopedia on Buddhism as well as a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita.
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IV.3. The position of morality among the Path members
Question. 鈥� If morality is cause and condition for meditative stability (蝉补尘腻诲丑颈) and if meditative stability is cause and condition for wisdom (辫谤补箩帽腻), why is wisdom placed at the beginning (腻诲补耻) of [the list] of the eightfold noble Path, morality at the middle (madhye) and meditative stability at the end (辫补谤测补惫补蝉腻苍别)?[1]
Answer. 鈥� When one is starting out on a trip, it is the rule to first consider the path to travel with one鈥檚 eyes and then to travel. When one is traveling, one must be careful. While walking energetically, one always recalls the advice of the guide. If these are remembered, one attentively follows one鈥檚 route without going off on false paths. It is the same for right view (蝉补尘测补驳诲峁涐梗峁璱).
1) First, with right wisdom, one considers the five aggregates of attachment (耻辫补诲腻苍补蝉办补苍诲丑补) which are always painful: this is what is called [the truth] of suffering (诲耻岣丑补). Suffering is the result of a group of fetters (蝉补峁儁辞箩补苍补), affection (anunaya), etc.: this is what is called the origin (samudaya). The cessation of the fetters (蝉补峁儁辞箩补苍补nirodha), affection, etc., is called 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺. Considering the eight members (补峁ａ弓腻峁単补) in this way is called Path. All of that is [226b] right view (蝉补尘测补驳诲峁涐梗峁璱).
From that moment, the yogin whose mind is firm knows that 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 is false and should be abandoned, that 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 is true and should be followed. This clear seeing of things (read kiue-ting = 惫测补惫补蝉腻测补, 苍颈谤峁嘺测补) is called right view (蝉补尘测补驳诲峁涐梗峁璱).
2) The yogin knows and sees these things, but the strength of his mind is not great and he is not yet able to start out on his journey. He reflects, calculates and stimulates the right view so that it may gain power. This is called right intention (蝉补尘测补办蝉补峁僰补濒辫补).
3鈥�) His wisdom being fervent, he wants to express it in words. This is why he then practices right speech (蝉补尘测补驳惫腻肠), right action (蝉补尘测补办办补谤尘腻苍迟补) and right livelihood (蝉补尘测补驳腻箩墨惫补).
6) At the time when he practices morality, he is energetic, without laziness, and never stops in the meditative stabilizations with form and without form (r奴p膩r奴pya蝉补尘腻诲丑颈). This is called right exertion (蝉补尘测补驳惫测腻测腻尘补).
7) Using right view, he contemplates the four Truths (肠补迟耻岣补迟测补). He never forgets that all the disturbing emotions (办濒别艣补) are enemies (amitra) to be destroyed, that right view, etc., are friends to follow. This is called right mindfulness (蝉补尘测补办蝉尘峁泃颈).
8) He concentrates his mind on the four Truths without being distracted. He prevents it from being led toward the form and formless meditative stabilizations (r奴p膩r奴pya蝉补尘腻诲丑颈) but wholeheartedly moves toward 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺. This is called right meditation (samyak蝉补尘腻诲丑颈).
At the beginning [during the preparatory Path], the yogin obtains the good-impure (办耻艣补濒腻蝉谤补惫补) good roots called heat (耻峁补驳补迟补), summits (尘奴谤诲丑补苍) and patience (办峁Ｄ乶迟颈),[2] which are developed in beginning, intermediate and final minds.
When he penetrates into the pure mind (补苍腻蝉谤补惫补肠颈迟迟补) [constituting the first moment of the Path of seeing], he is perfected quickly in one instant.[3] Here there is no distinction between initial, intermediate and final minds.
Right view (蝉补尘测补驳诲峁涐梗峁璱) is associated with right conceptualizing (蝉补尘测补办蝉补峁僰补濒辫补), right effort (蝉补尘测补驳惫测腻测腻苍补), right mindfulness (蝉补尘测补办蝉尘峁涐弓颈), right concentration (samyak蝉补尘腻诲丑颈); and the threefold morality [consisting of 蝉补尘测补驳惫腻肠, 蝉补尘测补办办补谤尘腻苍迟补 and 蝉补尘测补驳腻箩墨惫补)] functions in concomitance with these five members (read wou fen):
1) Right view (蝉补尘测补驳诲峁涐梗峁璱) distinguishes the beautiful and the ugly and deals with the good (hita).
2) Right intention (蝉补尘测补办蝉补峁僰补濒辫补) deals with encouraging right view.
3鈥�) Right speech (蝉补尘测补驳惫腻肠), etc., [namely, 蝉补尘测补办办补谤尘腻苍迟补 and 蝉补尘测补驳腻箩墨惫补) maintains all the qualities (驳耻峁嘺) of this wisdom so that they are not lost.
6) Right effort (蝉补尘测补驳惫测腻测腻尘补) encourages wisdom so that it advances rapidly and does not stop.
7) Right mindfulness (蝉补尘测补办蝉尘峁涐弓颈) recalls and never forgets the seven things to be done.
8) Right concentration (samyak蝉补尘腻诲丑颈) makes the mind pure, free from stains (办补峁Ｄ乱补) and distraction (惫颈办峁辫补). It assures the success (siddhi) of right view and the seven [preceding] members. It is like a lamp (诲墨辫补) inside a house sheltered from the wind that burns brightly.
In this way pure morality (补苍腻蝉谤补惫补艣墨濒补) occurs in the eightfold noble Path and is praised by the sages (惫颈箩茫辫谤补艣补蝉迟补).
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
This question has already been asked above, p. 838F. In the list of the eight members of the path, the first two constitute 辫谤补箩帽腻skandha, the next three 艣墨濒补蝉办补苍诲丑补 and the last three 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈skandha.
[2]:
鲍峁补驳补迟补, 尘奴谤诲丑补苍, 办峁Ｄ乶迟颈 and 濒补耻办颈办腻驳谤补诲丑补谤尘补 are the four auxiliaries of the stage of penetration (苍颈谤惫别诲丑补产丑腻驳墨测补) of the Buddhist Truths and are practiced during the preparatory Path (辫谤补测辞驳补尘腻谤驳补) immediately preceding the Path of seeing the truths (诲补谤艣补苍补尘腻谤驳补): see above, p. 395F, n.
[3]:
The preparatory Path is followed by the Path of seeing the truths consisting of sixteen mind-moments. Starting with the first, i.e., the 诲耻岣丑别 dharmaj帽膩na办峁Ｄ乶迟颈, the ascetic becomes an 膧rya, a candidate for the first fruit. See above, p. 1067F.