- Contents i-vi
- Abbreviations vii-ix
- Introduction 1
- Methodology 9
- Sources 20
- Formulation of the Tathāgatagarbha Doctrine and composition of the
Ratnagotravibhāga and its Commentary 28
- Significance of this study 35
- Part 1
- Chapter 1. Salient Features of the Tathāgatagarbha Doctrine41
- 1.1. Meaning of the compound ʻtathāgatagarbhaʼ 41
1.2. Nature of the tathāgatagarbha ............................................................................ 46 1.3. tathāgatagarbha as ontic element ........................................................................ 51 1.4. ʻtathatāʼ a synonym of ʻtathāgatagarbhaʼ ............................................................ 65 1.5. tathāgatagarbha as consciousness ....................................................................... 68 1.6. gotra as Three Jewels ........................................................................................... 72 1.7. Impediments to the perception of the Tathāgataʼs Essence .................................. 74 1.8. dharmakāya of the Tathāgata ............................................................................... 87 1.9. Recapitulation ....................................................................................................... 99 1.10. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 103 viii Chapter 2. Self and Not-Self in the Śrāvakayāna ...................................................... 107 2.1. (i) Not-self in the Pāli-suttas ................................................................................... 108 2.1. (ii) Rejection of all theories of self .......................................................................... 111 2.1. (iii) Buddhaʼs silence on ontological questions ........................................................ 115 2.1. (iv) parinibbāna of the .............................................................................................. 22 2.1. (v) Recapitulation .............................................................................................. 125 2.2. (i) Inderminate self of the Pudgalavāda .................................................................. 127 2.2. (ii) Three designations of the pudgala ..................................................................... 130 2.2. (iii) Nature of the conditional pudgala .................................................................. 134 2.2. (iv) Real or conceptual pudgala .............................................................................. 140 2.2. (v) pudgala and parinirvāṇa .................................................................................... 145 2.2. (vi) Recapitulation .................................................................................................... 149 2.3. Comparison of the pudgala and the tathāgatagarbha ..................................... 150 2.4. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 155 Chapter 3. Self in the Mahāyāna ................................................................................. 160 3.1 a. (i) Emptiness of everything .................................................................................. 161 3.1a. (ii) Uncreated nature of empty things ................................................................... 166 3.1a. (iii) Synonyms of emptiness ................................................................................. 168 3.1a. (v) Recapitulation ................................................................................................ 170 3.1b. (i) Madhyamaka interpretation of emptiness ...................................................... 170 3.1b. (ii) Meaning of emptiness ..................................................................................... 173 3.1b. (iii) Indeterminate nature of empty things ............................................................. 175 3.1b. (iv) Emptiness is not nihilism ............................................................................... 179 3.1b. (v) Recapitulation ................................................................................................. 181 3.2a. (i) tathatā according to the Mahāyāna-sūtras ...................................................... 182 ix 3.2a. (ii) tathatā and the designation ʻTathāgataʼ .......................................................... 188 3.2a. (iii) Recapitulation ............................................................................................... 189 3.2b. (i) Madhyamaka interpretation of tathatā ......................................................... 190 3.3a. (ii) nirvāṇa according to the Mahāyāna-sūtras .................................................. 192 3.3a. (iii) Inexpressible nirvāṇa ................................................................................... 196 3.3a. (v) dharmakāya of the Tathāgata ........................................................................ 198 3.3a. (vi) Recapitulation ............................................................................................... 201 3.3b. (i) nirvāṇa as Absolute in the Madhyamaka discourse ...................................... 203 3.3b. (ii) nirvāṇa as knowledge of existence ................................................................. 208 3.3b. (ii) parinirvāṇa of the Tathāgata .......................................................................... 210 3.3b. (iii) Recapitulation ................................................................................................. 212 3.4. Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 214 Part 2 Chapter 4. tathāgatagarbha as true self and comparison of its nature with the true selves of the Brahmanic, Sāṅkhya and Jaina Traditions ........ 222 4.1a. tathāgatagarbha as inherent, complete Buddhahood ....................................... 223 4.1b. Obscuration and inalterability of the tathāgatagarbha ...................................... 229 4.1c. tathāgatagarbha is tathatā ................................................................................. 232 4.1d. tathāgatagarbha as innately luminous consciousness ........................................ 236 4.1e. Is the tathāgatagarbha the true self? ................................................................. 242 4.1f. Is the Tathāgatagarbha Doctrine a provisional teaching? ................................. 267 4.1g. Recapitulation .................................................................................................... 274 x 4.2a. Nature of the Brahmanic true self .................................................................... 278 4.2b. Embodiment and obscuration of the true self .................................................... 286 4.2c. Two co-existing aspects of the self .................................................................... 297 4.2d. Recapitulation .................................................................................................... 299 4.3a. Nature of the Sāṅkhya true self ........................................................................... 301 4.3b. Embodiment of the self ...................................................................................... 306 4.3c. Ignorance, bondage and transmigration .............................................................. 312 4.3d. Recapitulation ..................................................................................................... 315 4.4a. Jaina ontological conceptions ............................................................................ 317 4.4b. Nature of the Jaina true self ............................................................................... 324 4.4c. Karmic bondage and obscuration of the intrinsic nature of the self ................. 334 4.4d. Recapitulation ..................................................................................................... 344 4.5. Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 346 Chapter 5. Cosmic Self in the Tathāgatagarbha, Brahmanic, Early Sāṅkhya and Jaina Traditions ........................................................................... 361 5.1a. One Essence of all sentient beings and dharmas ............................................... 361 5.1b. Scholarly debate on the nature of the dharmadhātu .......................................... 368 5.1c. Tathāgata as Supreme Self ................................................................................. 374 5.1d. Tathāgata as īśvara ............................................................................................ 378 5.1e. Recapitulation .................................................................................................... 381 5.2a. Cosmic Self in the Brahmanic Tradition ........................................................... 385 5.2b. Indwelling-controller and His relations with individual beings ........................ 392 5.2c. Non-duality and non-conceptuality of Brahman ................................................ 396 5.2d. Brahman as īśvara ............................................................................................. 398 5.2e. Recapitulation .................................................................................................... 400 xi 5.3a. Cosmic Self in the Early Sāṅkhya discourses .................................................... 401 5.3b. Scholarly debate on Brahman in the Early Sāṅkhya discourses ........................ 409 5.3c. Recapitulation .................................................................................................... 414 5.4. Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 416 Chapter 6. Concept of Liberation in the Tathāgatagarbha, Brahmanic, Sāṅkhya and Jaina Traditions ................................................................................................. 421 6.1a. Knowledge as means to liberation in the Tathāgatagarbha Doctrine .................. 422 6.1b. Manifestation of compassion and mode of existence of the Tathāgata ............... 429 6.1c. Transformation of consciousness ......................................................................... 436 6.1d. Manifestation of basis and transformation of basis ............................................. 443 6.1e. Recapitulation ...................................................................................................... 448 6.2a. Knowledge as means to liberation in the Brahmanic Tradition ........................... 453 6.2b. Liberation through Divine Grace ......................................................................... 460 6.2c. Transformation of consciousnes .......................................................................... 464 6.2d. Recapitulation ...................................................................................................... 471 6.3a Knowledge as means to liberation in the Sāṅkhya tradition ............................... 474 6.3b. Transformation of consciousness ........................................................................ 479 6.3c. Recapitulation ...................................................................................................... 485 6.4a. Knowledge and rigorous austerities as means to liberation in Jainism .............. 487 6.4b. Omniscience of Mahāvīra ................................................................................... 498 6.4c. Transformation of consciousness ........................................................................ 503 6.4d. Recapitulation ..................................................................................................... 506 6.5. Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 509 xii Chapter 7. Conclusion ................................................................................................ 520 Tathāgatagarbha Doctrine and the Śrāvakayāna teachings ............................................ 524 tathāgatagarbha and the pudgala .................................................................................... 530 Tathāgatagarbha Doctrine and Early Mahāyāna teachings ............................................. 537 Conceptual correspondences and differences in the nature of the tathāgatagarbha and the natures of true self in the Brahmanic, Sāṅkhya and Jaina traditions ........................................................................................... 567 Conceptual correspondences and differences in the nature of the Cosmic Self in the Tathāgatagarbha, Brahmanic, Sāṅkhya and Jaina traditions ........... 575 Correspondences and differences in the concept of liberation in the Tathāgatagarbha Brahmanic, Sāṅkhya and Jaina traditions ................................. 580 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 592
