On the Authenticity of the Bodhicittavivaraṇa Attributed to Nāgārjuna
From Bodhicitta
< Articles
(Redirected from On the Authenticity of the Bodhicittavivaraṇa Attributed to Nāgārjuna)Articles/On the Authenticity of the Bodhicittavivaraṇa Attributed to Nāgārjuna
| 🤓 Admin Zone 🛠️ hidden to non-admins | |
On the Authenticity of the Bodhicittavivaraṇa Attributed to Nāgārjuna
Journal Article
Please note that many items in our library are simply pages that represent a detailed library catalog entry and citation of someone else's work, presentation, or performance. Read our General Disclaimer for more information.
Description
Dragonetti responds to Christian Lindtner's criticism of her argument that the Bodhicittavivaraṇa is not authentically by Nāgārjuna. She maintains three main points: (1) Verse 71 of the Bodhicittavivaraṇa was borrowed from Maitreya's Madhyāntavibhāga, not vice versa, because it appears organically integrated in Maitreya's work but awkwardly inserted in the Bodhicittavivaraṇa without proper grammatical connection; (2) While accepting that Maitreya may have referenced Nāgārjuna elsewhere, this doesn't prove the Bodhicittavivaraṇa's authenticity if it's a late work; (3) She disputes Lindtner's claim that the Laṅkāvatārasūtra predates Nāgārjuna, arguing instead that similarities between it and the Bodhicittavivaraṇa support her thesis of inauthenticity.
Citation
Dragonetti, Carmen. "On the Authenticity of the Bodhicittavivaraṇa Attributed to Nāgārjuna." Asiatische Studien 53, no. 4 (1999): 983–85.
Interconnections
1 Scholarship on
The Bodhicittavivaraṇa (Tib. བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་ཀྱི་འགྲེལ་པ།, Eng. Commentary on the Awakening Mind) is a foundational Mahāyāna text comprising 112 verses, originally composed in Sanskrit, preceded by a prose introduction, traditionally attributed to the second-century master Nāgārjuna. This work serves as both a comprehensive Madhyamaka analysis and a practical guide for cultivating bodhicitta in its two dimensions: conventional bodhicitta as the compassionate aspiration for all beings' enlightenment, and ultimate bodhicitta as the direct realization of emptiness (śūnyatā). The text grounds ethical aspiration in ontological analysis, demonstrating how understanding the empty nature of phenomena naturally generates universal compassion, while also refuting competing philosophical positions including Vijñānavāda idealism, the tīrthika conception of self, and the śrāvaka understanding of the skandhas. Although scholarly questions persist regarding its authorship—particularly given the text’s apparent tantric elements, critique of Vijñānavāda, and absence of citation by Nāgārjuna’s principal commentators Buddhapālita, Candrakīrti, and Bhāvaviveka—the Bodhicittavivaraṇa has exerted profound influence across Indian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Its remarkable interpretive flexibility has allowed it to serve as a scriptural foundation for diverse philosophical schools and contemplative practices, from strict Prāsaṅgika philosophy to mahāmudrā and mind training (lojong), making it an essential text for both monastic and lay bodhisattvas throughout the history of Mahāyāna Buddhism.
