Mahayana Buddhist Religious Practice and The Perfection of Wisdom

Mahāyāna Buddhist Religious Practice

and the Perfection of Wisdom
According to
The Abhisamayālaṃkāra and the
Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikāprajñāparamitā
(The Interpretation of the First Two Topics
By Haribhadra, rgyal-tshab dar-ma-rin-chen,
And rje-btsun chos-kyi rgyal-mtshan)

By
Edward Winslow Bastian

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
(Buddhist Studies)
at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison

1980

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgements i
• Preface v
• Part One: The Introduction 1
  • A. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā prajñāparamitā and the Abhisamayālaṃkāra 1
  • B. The Traditional Mahayana Account of the Composition of the P.P. and A.A. 6
  • C. Previous Commentarial Works on the A.A. and P.P. 11
  • D. The Interpretive Approach of Haribhadra, rGyal-tshab, and Sera Jetsunpa 17
    • 1. The Cognitive Procedures Compared to a Medical Antidote 26
    • 2. The Meaning of "The Cognition of Emptiness" and its Relevance to the Interpretation of our Commentators 32
    • 3. The Interpretations of our Commentators Distinguished from the Interpretations of Professor Conze and Dr. Obermiller 38
    • 4. Summary 47
  • E. Research Methods of this Dissertation 49
• Part Two: The Mahāyana Motivating Thought 56
  • Introduction 56
  • I. Definitional Characteristics of the Motivating Thought 59
    • The Cause of the Motivating Thought 70
    • Who Can Develop the Motivating Thought? 72
    • Benefits of the Motivating Thought 74
  • II. Two Levels of Development of the Motivating Thought: the Aspiring and the Actualizing 76
  • III. The Motivating Thought and the Perfection of Wisdom 79
    • Earth: the foundation of Mahayana practice 93
    • Gold: the precious quality, unchanging until enlightenment 96
    • Sun: the power to ripen a disciple completely 102
    • Song: showing disciples the perfection of wisdom which is interesting 107
    • Benefits of the Motivating Thought 111
    • Conclusion 112
• Part Three: The Instructions 117
  • Introduction 117
  • Chapter One: Instructions on the Nature of the Mahayana Practices 122
    • Introduction 122
    • Definitional Characteristics 127
    • The Perfection of Wisdom and the Practices 134
    • Conclusion 143
  • Chapter Two: Instructions about the Objects of the Practices The Four Noble Truths 145
    • Introduction 145
    • The Truth of Suffering
      • Definitional Characteristics 149
      • The Truth of Suffering and the Perfection of Wisdom 153
    • The Truth of the Origin
      • Definitional Characteristics 159
      • The Truth of Origination and the Perfection of Wisdom 161
    • The Truth of Cessation
      • Definitional Characteristics 168
      • The Truth of Cessation and the Perfection of Wisdom 170
    • The Truth of the Path
      • Definitional Characteristics 177
      • The Truth of the Path and the Perfection of Wisdom 179
    • Conclusion 185
  • Chapter Three: The Three Jewels The Support of the Mahayana Practices 187
    • The Buddha Jewel
      • Definitional Characteristics 190
      • The Buddha Jewel and the Perfection of Wisdom 195
    • Conclusion 201
    • The Dharma Jewel
      • Definitional Characteristics 203
      • The Dharma Jewel and the Perfection of Wisdom 207
    • The Sangha Jewel
      • Definitional Characteristics 214
      • The Sangha Jewel and the Perfection of Wisdom 217
    • Conclusion 221
  • Chapters Four, Five, and Six
    • Introduction 223
    • Chapter Four: The Effort Which is Non-attached
      • Definitional Characteristics 225
      • Effort Which is Non-attached and the Perfection of Wisdom 227
    • Charter Five: The Effort Which is Indefatigable
      • Definitional Characteristics 233
      • Effort Which is Indefatigable and the Perfection of Wisdom 235
    • Chapter Six: The Effort Which Fully Incorporates the Mahayana Path
      • Definitional Characteristics 243
      • The Effort Which Fully Incorporates the Mahayana Path and the Perfection of Wisdom 246
    • Chapter Seven: The Five Eyes 253
      • General Introduction 253
      • the fleshly eye
      • Definitional Characteristics 257
      • The Fleshly Eye and the Perfection of Wisdom 258
      • the heavenly eye
      • Definitional Characteristics 261
      • The Heavenly Eye and the Perfection of Wisdom 262
      • the wisdom eye
      • Definitional Characteristics 265
      • The Wisdom Eye and the Perfection of Wisdom 266
      • the dharma eye
      • Definitional Characteristics 269
      • The Dharma Eye and the Perfection of Wisdom 270
      • the buddha eye
      • Definitional Characteristics 274
      • The Buddha Eye and the Perfection of Wisdom 274
    • Conclusion 278
  • Chapter Eight: The Six Superknowledges 279
    • psychic power
      • Definitional Characteristics 281
      • Psychic Power and the Perfection of Wisdom 282
    • gods' hearing
      • Definitional Characteristics 287
      • Gods' Hearing and the Perfection of Wisdom 288
    • knowing others' minds
      • Definitional Characteristics 291
      • Knowing others' Minds and the Perfection of Wisdom 292
    • recollection of previous lives
      • Definitional Characteristics 296
      • Recollection of Previous Lives and the Perfection of Wisdom 296
    • gods' eye
      • Definitional Characteristics 301
      • Gods' Eye and the Perfection of Wisdom 301
    • extirpator of defilements
      • Definitional Characteristics 305
      • The Extirpator of Defilements and the Perfection of Wisdom 307
    • Conclusion 312
  • Chapter Nine: The Path of Seeing 314
    • Definitional Characteristics 314
    • The Path of Seeing and the Perfection of Wisdom 320
  • Chapter Ten: The Path of Cultivation 325
    • Definitional Characteristics 325
    • The Path of Cultivation and the Perfection of Wisdom 333
  • Conclusion 341
• Appendices
  • I. A Composite Edition of the Abhisamayālamkāra, the Sphuṭārthā, and the rNam-bśad sñin-po'i rgyan 345
  • II. An Edition of the Don-bdun-cu by rJe-btsun-chos-kyi rgyal mtshan (The first two of the Seventy Topics are included here.) 409
  • III. The Folios of the Pañcavimśatisāhasrikā prajñāpāramitā Pertinent to this Dissertation 416
• Bibliography 543

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