Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
by Gelongma Karma Migme Ch枚dr枚n | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes 鈥渢hree turnings and twelve aspects of the wheel of dharma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.
Appendix 1 - The three turnings and twelve aspects of the Wheel of Dharma
Note: This Appendix is extracted from a footnote of the Mah膩辫谤补箩帽腻p膩ramit膩艣膩stra Chapter LI:
The Bodhisattva sees the true nature of things by means of pure wisdom (辫谤补箩帽腻 补苍腻蝉谤补惫补) and, even in the earliest texts, this wisdom which in reality sees nothing, is metaphorically called 鈥榚ye鈥� (肠补办峁蝉).
The Wheel of the Dharma is of three turnings and twelve aspects. In Sanskrit, triparivarta峁� dv膩da艣ak膩ra峁� dharmacakram (惭补丑腻惫补蝉迟耻, III, p. 333, l. 11; Divy膩vad膩na, p. 205, l. 21; 393, l. 23; Lalitavistara, p. 422, l. 2; A峁ａ弓as膩hasrik膩, p. 380, l. 13; Sad. Pu峁囜笉arika, p. 179, l. 1). In 笔腻濒颈, tipariva峁弓a峁� dv膩das膩kar膩ra峁� 测补迟丑腻产丑奴迟补峁� 帽腻峁嘺诲补蝉蝉补苍补峁� (Vinaya, I, p. 11, l. 20; II, l. 25; 厂补峁儁耻迟迟补, V, p. 422, l. 32.)
The expression is explained in 厂补峁儁耻迟迟补, V, p. 420鈥�424; Sa峁儁ukta, T 99, k. 15, p. 104c鈥�105a; Catu峁ari峁d, p. 142鈥�152 or 445鈥�446; Dharmaguptaka Vin., T 1428, k. 32, p. 788a27鈥揵23; M奴lasarv. Vin., Sa峁僩habheda, I, p. 135鈥�136; 惭补丑腻惫补蝉迟耻, III, p. 332鈥�333; Lalitavistara, p. 417鈥�418; 膧濒辞办补, p. 381鈥�382; Mah膩vyut., no. 1309鈥�1324.
The first turning (parivarta) of the noble Truths is the Path of seeing (诲补谤艣补苍补尘腻谤驳补) and consists of four aspects (腻办腻谤补):
- This is suffering (颈诲补峁� 诲耻岣丑补尘);
- This is its origin (补测补峁� 蝉补尘耻诲补测补岣�);
- This is its cessation (补测补峁� 苍颈谤辞诲丑补岣�);
- This is the path of the cessation of suffering (iya峁� nirodhag膩min墨 pratipat).
The second turning is the path of meditation (产丑腻惫补苍腻尘腻谤驳补) and consists of four aspects:
- The noble truth of suffering should be known (诲耻岣丑补峁� 腻谤测补蝉补迟测补峁� 辫补谤颈箩帽别测补尘);
- Its origin should be eliminated (du岣ha蝉补尘耻诲补测补岣� prah膩tavya岣�);
- Its destruction should be realized (du岣ha苍颈谤辞诲丑补岣� s膩k峁Ｄ乼kartavya岣�);
- The path of cessation of suffering should be practiced (诲耻岣丑补苍颈谤辞诲丑补驳腻尘颈苍墨 pratipad 产丑腻惫补测颈迟补惫测腻).
The third turning is the path of the arhat (补艣补颈办峁尘腻谤驳补) and consists of four aspects:
- Suffering is known (诲耻岣丑补峁� parij帽膩tam);
- Its origin has been destroyed (蝉补尘耻诲补测补岣� prah墨峁嘺岣�);
- Its destruction has been realized (苍颈谤辞诲丑补岣� s膩k峁Ｄ乼k峁泃a岣�);
- The path of the cessation of suffering has been practiced (诲耻岣丑补苍颈谤辞诲丑补驳腻尘颈苍墨 pratipad 产丑腻惫颈迟腻).
After each of the twelve aspects mentioned here, the sources repeat the formula:
p奴rvam ananu艣rute峁 dharme峁 yoni艣o manasikurvata艣 cak峁r 耻诲补辫腻诲颈, 箩帽腻苍补峁� vidy膩buddhir 耻诲补辫腻诲颈:
鈥淲hen I was meditating on these things not yet understood by me, the eye was born in me, the knowledge, the clear intuition, the awareness were born.鈥�
It is in regard to these four synonyms where the eye is taken in the metaphorical sense of wisdom (辫谤补箩帽腻) that the 罢谤补颈迟茅 is alluding here. I [Lamotte] have no doubt that it is a question here of synonyms, although some scholars detect nuances between 肠补办峁蝉, 箩帽腻苍补, vidya and buddhi: cf. Ko艣avy膩khy膩, p. 580, l. 30鈥�581, l. 6.