Buddha-Nature: Through the Eyes of Go rams pa Bsod nams seng ge in Fifteenth-Century Tibet

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|BookToc=ABSTRACT._____________________________________________________________ iii
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS________________________________________________ viii
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INTRODUCTION.________________________________________________________ 1
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General Introduction__________ 1
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Past Scholarship and Dissertation Focus......................................................................................................4
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Research Strategy and Methodology............................................................................................................. 8
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Introduction to the Sdom Gsum Kha Skong.................................................................................................10
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The Topical Outline o f the First Chapter o f the Sdom Gsum Kha Skong.............................................13
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CHAPTER I-B R IE F HISTORY OF THE SA SKYA SCHOOL_________________ 20
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‘Khon Family Lineage_________________________________________________ 20
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Sa chen Kun-dga ’ snving-oo.........................................................................................................................22
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Slob-dpon Rin-vo-che Bsod nams rise mo...................................................................................................24
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Rie btsun Rin vo che Grass pa rgval mtshan.............................................................................................. 25
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Sa skva PandJta Kun dgq ’ rgval mtshan......................................................................................................26
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‘Gro mgon Chos rgval 'Phags oa................................................................................................................ 30
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Ngor E warn Chos Idan and Ngor chen Kun dgq ’ bzang po......................................................................33
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Nalendra and Rons ston Shes bva kun rig...................................................................................................34
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The Tshar pa and Tshar chen Bio gsal rgva mtsho....................................................................................35
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Other Important Monasteries___________________________________________ 37
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Sa Skya College in India_______________ ..... ___________________________ 39
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CHAPTER U -BIO G RA PH Y OF GO RAMS PA______________________________42
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Accounts of Go rams pa’s Life _________________________________________42
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Go rams p a ’s Birth....................................................................................................................................... 43
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Entering into the Religious Life and Early Studies.....................................................................................44
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Youthful Travels and Studies in Central Tibet............................................................................................ 45
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Higher Studies with Many Great Masters.................................................................................................. 46
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Receiving Ordination o f a Full Monk (Bhiksu)..........................................................................................50
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Persuaded from Returning Home................................................................................................................ 50
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Propagating the Teachings o f Buddha........................................................................................................52
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Establishment o f a Monastic College..........................................................................................................57
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His Death and Relics.................................................................................................................................... 59
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His Disciples.................................................................................................................................................. 64
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CHAPTER I H - GO RAMS PA ’S OBJECTS OF REFUTATION.________________66
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PARTI._________________________________________________________________ 66
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Identification o f the Objects o f Refutations................................................................................................ 69
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Rgval tshab and His Followers................................................................................................................... 69
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Claimed Followers o f Rong ston................................................................................................................. 73
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Buston. Shakva Mchog Idan and Their Followers....................................................................................74
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Mang thos’s Interpretation o f Go rams p a ’s Thought................................................................................80
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Go rams p a ’s own Interpretation................................................................................................................ 82
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Hypothetical Questions................................................................................................................................83
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Mang thos "s Understanding o f Go rams p a ’s Intention............................................................................ 84
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The Two Purities are Mutually Exclusive....................................................................................................85
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CHAPTER I V - GO RAMS PA ’5 REFUTATION OF__________________________ 89
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JO NANG PA ON BUDDHA-NATURE._____________________________________ 89
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PART II.________________________________________________________________89
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Refutation o f Truly Existing Buddha-nature............................................................................................... 89
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History o f the Jo nang pa Tradition.............................................................................................................90
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A Summary o f Jo nang na’s Gzhan stone Theory...................................................................................... 93
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Positioning Jo nang pa School..................................................................................................................... 95
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Distinction between Rang stone and Gzhan stone...................................................................................102
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Meaning o f the Non-differentiation o f the Basis and the Result............................................................. 103
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Claiming their Assertion to be in accord with Sutras and Sastras......................................................... 103
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Classification o f Real and Imputation.......................................................................................................110
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Demonstrating the Classification o f Real and Imputation with Examples........................................ 110
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Claiming All Three Tantras to be Valid............................................................................................... I l l
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Refutation o f wavs in which they accept the result...................................................................................116
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Refutation o f the Ontology: Contradiction with Definitive Treatises.....................................................118
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Contradiction with the logical reasons which refutes Realists............................................................... 118
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Contradiction with the Sequence o f the Turning the Wheel o f Pharma.................................................120
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Contradiction to the Intent o f Sutra. Tantra and Sastra........................................................................... 122
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Illustrating the Reasons o f Investigation without Bias............................................................................ 123
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Essence o f the Important Points in Brief.................................................................................................. 124
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CONCLUSION._________________________________________________________125
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Ascertainment with evidence.___________________________________________ 128
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APPENDICES_____________________________________________________ 130
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Appendix A: The text of sdom gsum kha skong’s first chapter on basis (gzhi) and its
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translation.________ —____ ..._......__....___ ... 130
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Note on the Versification............................................................................................................................130
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The Text and Translation............................................................................................................................130
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Appendix B: Go rams pa’s writings.... — --------------------------------- ------------ 181
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Volume 1 ................................................................................................................... 182
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Volume H ................................................................................................................. 187
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Volume H I................................................................................................................ 188
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Volume IV .................................................................................................................189
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Volume V ................................................................................................................. 194
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List of his works arranged by subjects___ __________________________________ 198
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On the Hevaira Tantra:..............................................................................................................................198
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On the Cakrasamvara Tantra:...................................................................................................................200
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On the Guhvasamaia Tantra:....................................................................................................................200
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On the Vairabhairava Teaching:............................................... 201
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On the Yoga Tantra:...................................................................................................................................201
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On the Prainaparamita:............................................................................................................................. 201
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On the Ratnaeotravibhaea ofMaitreva:.................................................................................................. 201
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On the Logic and Epistemology (Pramana):.............................................................................................202
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On the Madhvamaka Philosovhv:............................................................................................................ 202
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On the Three Sets o f Vows:........................................................................................................................ 202
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On the Yoga Tantra:.................................................................................................................................. 203
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Various Praises, Prayers and Answers to some Questions ____........._______ 203
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BIBLIOGRAPHY----------------------------------------- 208
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Primary Sources and Translations; Sutras and Tantras.....------- 208
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Commentaries and Philosophical Treatises .....___ .......______________ 209
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Primary Sources of Works by Tibetans ____ ...______________ 212
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Secondary Sources------------------------------ 215
 
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Buddha-Nature: Through the Eyes of Go rams pa Bsod nams seng ge in Fifteenth-Century Tibet
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Abstract

This dissertation explores the evolving interpretation and understanding of the Buddha-nature in Fifteenth-Century Tibet, through the eyes of Go rams pa Bsod nams seng ge (1429-1489), a prominent scholar of the Sa skya school of Tibetan Buddhism. The previous work of European and American scholars in this field have led to our general understanding of Buddha-nature as an innate potential for enlightenment that lies within all sentient beings. The concept of Buddha-nature provides the primary answer to a question with which all Mahāyānists have been philosophically concerned, throughout history: are all sentient beings capable of attaining Buddhahood? The Mahāyāna, more specifically, Madhyamaka theory of Buddha-nature answers the question unequivocally: "Since all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature they are guaranteed to achieve the state of Buddhahood." This research has been mostly limited to the interpretations of Indian and Chinese texts and to a study of only certain Tibetan schools. This dissertation seeks to fill the gap in present scholarship by analyzing the systematic thought of Go rams pa, who set out to provide a critical analysis, explain the internal coherence, and map out the organization of diverse Indian and Tibetan interpretations of this complex idea. I demonstrate in two fundamental ways that Go rams pa developed an unique view of Buddha-nature in two ways: First, I explore the facts Go rams pa's interpretation of Buddha-nature that contribute to his unique perspective. Second, I analyze his opponents' views on the subject thereby illuminating its distinctive features in an historical context. Throughout this study, I deploy a comparative apparatus considering the different views that Go rams pa thought was wrong. Given this fifteenth-century debate, we realize that the understanding of Buddha-nature is subtle and complicated; yet this study is vital to explicate its implications. I conclude that according to Go rams pa, Buddha-nature is to be understood as unity of the emptiness of the mind and clarity which is the nature of mind.

Citation Jorden, Khenpo Ngawang. "Buddha-Nature: Through the Eyes of Go rams pa Bsod nams seng ge in Fifteenth-Century Tibet." PhD diss., Harvard University, 2003.

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

Madhyamaka - Along with Yogācāra, it is one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Nāgārjuna around the second century CE, it is rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, though its initial exposition was presented in Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā. Skt. मध्यमक Tib. དབུ་མ་ Ch. 中觀見

sems nyid - Commonly found in Dzogchen and Mahāmudrā literature, this term denotes the true, natural state of mind as it is. Often used in these traditions as a synonym for buddha-nature. Skt. चित्तत्व Tib. སེམས་ཉིད་

gzhi - The foundational basis of both saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. It is often used as a synonym for tathāgatagarbha and dharmadhātu. Tib. གཞི་

gotra - Disposition, lineage, or class; an individual's gotra determines the type of enlightenment one is destined to attain. Skt. गोत्र Tib. རིགས་ Ch. 鍾姓,種性

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