Cat. No. 28.
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Virocana also occurs in the Chândogya Up. VIII. 7 and 8 as the name of an Asura who misunderstood the teaching of Prajâpati. Verocana is the name of an Asura in Sam. Nik. I. xi. 1. 8.
78
The names of many of these Buddhas, perhaps the majority, contain some word expressive of light such as Âditya, prabhâ or tejas.
79
Chap. XX. Pushpavalivanârajikusumitâbhijña.
80
81
Vishnu P., Book III. chap. II.
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See below: Section on Central Asia, and Grünwedel,
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Amitâyur-dhyâna-sûtra. All three works are translated in
84
Praṇidhâna. Not only Amitâbha but all Bodhisattvas (especially Avalokita and Kshitigarbha) are supposed to have made such vows. This idea is very common in China and Japan but goes back to Indian sources. See
85
These Bodhisattvas are also mentioned but without much emphasis in the Greater Sukhâvatî-vyûha.
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Even in Hinayanist works such as the Nidânakathâ Sumedha's resolution to become a Buddha, formed as he lies on the ground before Dipankara, has a resemblance to Amîda's vow. He resolves to attain the truth, to enable mankind to cross the sea of the world and only then to attain Nirvana.
87
See Foucher,
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The Bhagavad-gîtâ states quite clearly the doctrine of the deathbed prayer (VIII. ad init.). "He who leaves this body and departs remembering me in his last moments comes to my essence. Whatever form (of deity) he remembers when he finally leaves this body, to that he goes having been used to ponder on it."
89
See art. Âdi-Buddha in
90
For the prevalence of the doctrine in mediæval Bengal see B.K. Sarkar,
Sometimes the Âdi-Buddha is identified with Vajrasattva or Samantabhadra, although these beings are otherwise classified as Bodhisattvas. This appears analogous to the procedure common in Hinduism by which a devotee declares that his special deity is all the gods and the supreme spirit.
91
It would appear that some of the Tantras treat of five bodies, adding to the three here given others such as the Ânandakâya, Vajrakâya and Svabhâvakâya. For this doctrine see especially De la Vallée Poussin,
92
Translated into Chinese by Dharmaraksha between 397 and 439 A.D.
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The prototype of the Sambhoga-kâya is found in the Pali Canon, for the Buddha says (Mahâparinib. Sut. III. 22) that when he appears among the different classes of gods his form and voice are similar to theirs.
94
Watters, vol. II. p. 38. "Spiritual essence" is Fa-shên in Chinese,
95
Mahâparinib. Sut. VI. i.
96
Something similar might happen in English if think and thing were pronounced in the same way and a thing were believed to be that which we can think.
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See Ashtasâhasrikâ Prajñâ-pâramitâ, chap. IV, near beginning.
98
It is in this last point that no inferior intelligence can follow the thought of a Buddha.
99
100
101
Strictly speaking Madhyamaka is the name of the school Mâdhyamika of its adherents. Both forms are used,
102
Nâgârjuna says Śûnyam iti na vaktavyam aśûnyam iti va bhavet Ubhayam nobhayam ceti prâjñâptyartham tu kathyate, "It cannot be called void or not void or both or neither but in order to somehow indicate it, it is called Śûnyatâ."
103
Sam. Nik. XXII. 90. 16.
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Gotama, the founder of the Nyâya philosophy, also admitted the force of the arguments against the existence of present time but regarded them as a
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The Sânkhya philosophy makes a similar statement, though for different reasons.
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Vajracchedikâ. See
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Or in other repetitions of the same formula, beings, ideas, good things, signs, etc., etc.
108
Soyen Shaku,
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See for a simple and persuasive statement of these abstruse doctrines a charming little book called
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Translated from the Chinese by Teitaro Suzuki, 1900. The translation must be used with care, as its frequent use of the word
111
Asaṅga's work
112
The discussion of
113
114
The process is generally called Vâsana or perfuming.
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Vijñânamâtra Śâstra. Chinese version quoted by Teitaro Suzuki,
116
So the Mâdhyamika Śâstra (XXV. 19) states that there is no difference between Samsâra and Nirvâna.
