Study of the Tathāgatagarbha as True Self and the True Selves of the Brahmanic, Sāṅkhya and Jaina Traditions

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

The tathāgatagarbha is an intrinsically luminous consciousness naturally inscribed with the complete knowledge of the Buddha along with infinite Buddha-virtues and the potential to attain them. Studies in the past have focused on its potential aspect and negated it as an ontological entity. In this dissertation I examine it as a true self of sentient beings arguing that being beginningless, unborn, unconditioned, eternally unchanging, enduring and imperishable, it qualifies as true self. Also, the Mahāyāna-Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra unhesitatingly acknowledges it as true self, and its features conform to the definition of the true self of this sūtra and of Bhāvaviveka. I find ample support for its interpretation as true self in the sūtras on this doctrine. Besides, its features correspond with the features of the Brahmanic, Sāṅkhya and Jaina true selves. The Tathāgatagarbha Doctrine is recognized as a provisional teaching. The centrality of the doctrines of śūnyatā, tathatā, darmadhātu, dharmakāya and nirvāṇa suggest that it is truly Mahāyāna in spirit. According to the Ratnagotravibhāga, without realizing the emptiness of own being, nirvāṇa is not attained. This “Ultimate Doctrine”, it adds, is taught to remove the five defects. The defects, I find, are connected with not knowing emptiness or understanding the dharmakāya of the Tathāgata nihilistically. As a corrective to the nihilistic understanding of the Mahāyāna Doctrine, it qualifies as an ultimate teaching.

I study the Tathāgatagarbha Doctrine from the following perspectives: the tathāgatagarbha as true self; the all-pervading, undifferentiated Essence of Buddhahood as Cosmic Self; and the concept of liberation. I also compare this doctrine to the doctrines of the above-mentioned three traditions and study their concepts of true self, the concepts of Cosmic Self of the Brahmanic and Early Sāṅkhya doctrines; and the concepts of liberation of these three doctrines. I follow the trajectory of thought of the Ratnagotravibhāga and the Tathāgatagarbha group of texts.

Citation Khosla, Usha. "Study of the Tathāgatagarbha as True Self and the True Selves of the Brahmanic, Sāṅkhya and Jaina Traditions." PhD diss., University of Toronto, 2015. https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/77747/3/Khosla_Usha_201506_PhD_thesis.pdf


  • 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

1.4. ʻtathatāʼ a synonym of ʻtathāgatagarbhaʼ

tathāgatagarbha - Buddha-nature, literally the "womb/essence of those who have gone (to suchness)." Skt. तथागतगर्भ Tib. དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ Ch. 如来藏

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tathāgatagarbha - Buddha-nature, literally the "womb/essence of those who have gone (to suchness)." Skt. तथागतगर्भ Tib. དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ Ch. 如来藏

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tathāgatagarbha - Buddha-nature, literally the "womb/essence of those who have gone (to suchness)." Skt. तथागतगर्भ Tib. དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ Ch. 如来藏

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tathāgatagarbha - Buddha-nature, literally the "womb/essence of those who have gone (to suchness)." Skt. तथागतगर्भ Tib. དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་ Ch. 如来藏

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prabhāsvaratā - In a general sense, that which clears away darkness, though it often appears in Buddhist literature in reference to the mind or its nature. It is a particularly salient feature of Tantric literature, especially in regard to the advanced meditation techniques of the completion-stage yogas. Skt. प्रभास्वर Tib. འོད་གསལ་ Ch. 光明

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Mahāyāna - Mahāyāna, or the Great Vehicle, refers to the system of Buddhist thought and practice which developed around the beginning of Common Era, focusing on the pursuit of the state of full enlightenment of the Buddha through the realization of the wisdom of emptiness and the cultivation of compassion. Skt. महायान Tib. ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོ། Ch. 大乘

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"This sūtra became an important scriptural source for the discussion of buddha-nature in China and is famous for associating the term buddhadhātu with tathāgatagarbha.

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sūtra - Sūtras mainly refer to the discourses delivered by the Buddha and his disciples, and the Sūtra corpus is one of the three main sets of teachings which form the Buddhist canon. Skt. सूत्र Tib. མདོ། Ch. 佛经

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neyārtha - Refers to something that is taught for a specific reason, rather than because it is entirely true. Skt. नेयार्थ Tib. དྲང་དོན་

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śūnyatā - The state of being empty of an innate nature due to a lack of independently existing characteristics. Skt. शून्यता Tib. སྟོང་པ་ཉིད་ Ch. 空,空門

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śūnyatā - The state of being empty of an innate nature due to a lack of independently existing characteristics. Skt. शून्यता Tib. སྟོང་པ་ཉིད་ Ch. 空,空門

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tathatā - Suchness itself, absolute reality, or thusness, as in the ultimate state of being of phenomena. Skt. तथता Tib. དེ་བཞིན་ཉིད་

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dharmakāya - "Truth body" or "true being" — One of the three bodies of a buddha. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, it often refers to a kind of fundamental principle or the true nature of reality itself. Skt. धर्मकाय Tib. ཆོས་སྐུ་ Ch. 法身

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These are the root verses of the Uttaratantra attributed to Maitreya by the Tibetan tradition.

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śūnyatā - The state of being empty of an innate nature due to a lack of independently existing characteristics. Skt. शून्यता Tib. སྟོང་པ་ཉིད་ Ch. 空,空門

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śūnyatā - The state of being empty of an innate nature due to a lack of independently existing characteristics. Skt. शून्यता Tib. སྟོང་པ་ཉིད་ Ch. 空,空門

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