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To clearly make this point about the great importance of wisdom on the path to enlightenment, right at the beginning of chapter 9, Śāntideva stresses how all of the practices explained in the preceding chapters, such as purification, patience, and concentration, have all been taught for the purpose of leading us to wisdom, and how they act as causes for that wisdom to arise. | To clearly make this point about the great importance of wisdom on the path to enlightenment, right at the beginning of chapter 9, Śāntideva stresses how all of the practices explained in the preceding chapters, such as purification, patience, and concentration, have all been taught for the purpose of leading us to wisdom, and how they act as causes for that wisdom to arise. | ||
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This wisdom, known as ''prajñā'' | This wisdom, known as ''prajñā'', is knowledge of the deeper levels of the reality of phenomena and must be developed in order to escape from an existence characterized by suffering. ''Prajñā'' is the sword of understanding that cuts through delusion, breaking the chains of ignorance that tie us to the samsaric life. The ninth chapter explains how to develop this exalted wisdom through the technique of insight meditation, ''vipaśyanā''. This form of meditation does not merely aim to remain concentrated on the meditational object but has a more analytic role of examining and distinguishing phenomena as well as their characteristics. Śāntideva adopts a systematic approach to the cultivation of this insight into the nature of reality and the analytic method used to investigate it. | ||
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|quote-text=The early part of the ninth chapter's verses are devoted to presenting a fundamental key to the Buddha's teachings—the two truths, conventional truth and ultimate truth. | |quote-text=The early part of the ninth chapter's verses are devoted to presenting a fundamental key to the Buddha's teachings—the two truths, conventional truth and ultimate truth. He presents the division of the two truths and an explanation of the meaning of each, as well as examples of the different beings who realize each of the truths. | ||
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There then follow refutations of doubts raised about the two truths as a basic ground of phenomena. For instance, from an ordinary perspective, if it were true that there was no inherent reality, then it would be difficult to see how this could be explained to those whose very lives are embedded in a sense of the "true" reality of existence. | There then follow refutations of doubts raised about the two truths as a basic ground of phenomena. For instance, from an ordinary perspective, if it were true that there was no inherent reality, then it would be difficult to see how this could be explained to those whose very lives are embedded in a sense of the "true" reality of existence. | ||
Among Buddhist traditions, the Sautrāntika | Among Buddhist traditions, the Sautrāntika school objects that if things are only an illusion and have no intrinsic reality, then both positive and negative actions would have no consequences at all. Śāntideva then counters these arguments by explaining how the lack of true existence does not entail a complete lack of existence. | ||
The text then presents the objections of the Mind Only (Cittamātra) school | The text then presents the objections of the Mind Only (Cittamātra) school to the Madhyamaka perspective as laid out by Śāntideva. Their own position on the nature of reality is presented and then that position is critiqued. Within this discussion, there is a particularly extensive refutation of their presentation of self-awareness (''svasaṃvedana''). This debate covers the very important topic of how memory functions and how it is possible for our very own minds to have awareness of our mental states. | ||
Here, through the use of analogy, Śāntideva asks the propounders of the Mind Only school how it could be that the mind can be aware of itself. Is it not the same as a sword which is unable to cut itself or a lamp which is unable to illuminate itself? | Here, through the use of analogy, Śāntideva asks the propounders of the Mind Only school how it could be that the mind can be aware of itself. Is it not the same as a sword which is unable to cut itself or a lamp which is unable to illuminate itself? | ||
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Śāntideva then moves on to present arguments to establish that the teachings of the Mahāyāna tradition are indeed the true teachings of the Buddha.<ref>There is a debate between non-Mahāyāna and Mahāyāna proponents regarding which teachings of the Buddha are authentic and how they can be validated as true teachings of the Buddha.</ref> The remainder of this chapter deals in extensive detail with the presentation of the two main forms of selflessness presented in the Buddhist schools of philosophy—the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena. | Śāntideva then moves on to present arguments to establish that the teachings of the Mahāyāna tradition are indeed the true teachings of the Buddha.<ref>There is a debate between non-Mahāyāna and Mahāyāna proponents regarding which teachings of the Buddha are authentic and how they can be validated as true teachings of the Buddha.</ref> The remainder of this chapter deals in extensive detail with the presentation of the two main forms of selflessness presented in the Buddhist schools of philosophy—the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena. | ||
Followers of the Śrāvaka vehicle (Śrāvakayāna) | Followers of the Śrāvaka vehicle (Śrāvakayāna) contend that there is no need to understand the lack of self of phenomena in order to attain liberation from samsara, arguing that the understanding of lack of a personal self will be enough to put an end to the afflictions. | ||
Śāntideva, in contrast, stresses that the understanding of the lack inherent existence of everything, whether it be the self or other phenomena, is crucial even if one wishes only to attain liberation from suffering, let alone the fully enlightened state. | Śāntideva, in contrast, stresses that the understanding of the lack inherent existence of everything, whether it be the self or other phenomena, is crucial even if one wishes only to attain liberation from suffering, let alone the fully enlightened state. | ||
In the section refuting the self of persons, Śāntideva guides us through a critique of not just the non-Buddhist schools but also the logical fallacies that he finds in the lower systems of Buddhist philosophical tenets. He presents a detailed refutation of the tenets of the early Indian non-Buddhist traditions and their presentations of a conscious self, a material self, and the ineffable primordial principle (''prakṛti'') | In the section refuting the self of persons, Śāntideva guides us through a critique of not just the non-Buddhist schools but also the logical fallacies that he finds in the lower systems of Buddhist philosophical tenets. He presents a detailed refutation of the tenets of the early Indian non-Buddhist traditions and their presentations of a conscious self, a material self, and the ineffable primordial principle (''prakṛti'') of the Sāṁkhya tradition. | ||
These protagonists counter with objections that if there is no existing self or real person, then the principle of karma, the law of cause and effect, would be untenable. Again, Śāntideva refutes these objections by explaining that just because the person lacks any true existence, it is still possible for them to have a level of functionality at the conventional level. | These protagonists counter with objections that if there is no existing self or real person, then the principle of karma, the law of cause and effect, would be untenable. Again, Śāntideva refutes these objections by explaining that just because the person lacks any true existence, it is still possible for them to have a level of functionality at the conventional level. | ||
The next section of the root text explores the selflessness of phenomena and presents the key arguments which refute even the tiniest speck of intrinsic existence. The main focus is on meditation on the four foundations of mindfulness | The next section of the root text explores the selflessness of phenomena and presents the key arguments which refute even the tiniest speck of intrinsic existence. The main focus is on meditation on the four foundations of mindfulness. Also called the four close placements of mindfulness, these four contemplations take respectively as their object (1) the body, (2) feelings, (3) the mind, and (4) phenomena, putting each of them under the analytical microscope to look into their deeper reality. Although this method of meditation is shared across all Buddhist traditions, Śāntideva has a unique take on the meaning. The more mainstream approach to these foundations of mindfulness is to watch the flow of sensations in the body or the stream of our thoughts and to see through their solidity. Here, Śāntideva goes beyond those levels of analysis and encourages us to look into the deeper level of reality of these phenomena—their lack of any intrinsic reality, or existence from their own side. | ||
The last verses of the ninth chapter present classical arguments from the Mahāyāna sūtras, which establish emptiness as the ultimate nature of phenomena. These include many of the arguments from the five great reasonings (''gtan tshigs chen po lnga'') [Link to MAIN TERMS], such as the vajra slivers argument, the argument of identity and difference, the reasoning of dependent arising, and the reasoning of existence and nonexistence. The diamond-splinters [Link to MAIN TERMS] argument, whose main protagonist is the Sāṁkhya school, is dealt with extensively in this chapter. | The last verses of the ninth chapter present classical arguments from the Mahāyāna sūtras, which establish emptiness as the ultimate nature of phenomena. These include many of the arguments from the five great reasonings (''gtan tshigs chen po lnga'') [Link to MAIN TERMS], such as the vajra slivers argument, the argument of identity and difference, the reasoning of dependent arising, and the reasoning of existence and nonexistence. The diamond-splinters [Link to MAIN TERMS] argument, whose main protagonist is the Sāṁkhya school, is dealt with extensively in this chapter. | ||
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