Mūlamadhyamakakārikā(MMK6)中觀論誦: The Examination of Lust and the Lustful (Rāga-rakta-parīkṣā)

By Paramartha

Introduction

The  word ‘Lust’ refers to the subject who possesses the desire of lust or craving in the human body of flesh. The ‘Lustful’ refers to the object of lust. From the conventional point of view, the ordinary worldlings perceive the Lust and the Lustful as two separate independent self-contained entities. In other words, the worldlings conceive the world-view of dualistic vision in which the Lust (Subject)  and the Lustful (Object) are discriminated into two discrete entities.These two discrete entities are dualtistic view of the perceiver and the perceived or the subject and the object. Dualism is not compatible with Dependent Co-arising (pratītyasamutpāda) of Emptiness (Śūnyatā) of inherent existence. Dependent Co-arising connotes Non-dualim, Mutualism or Holism or Unity.  

 Nāgārjuna composed the Root-verses of the Middle View (Mūlamadhyamakārikā) in order to apologize or defend  the authentic Word of Śākyamuni Buddha and refute the wrong views of the substantialist opponents or metaphysicians. The substantialist view of his philosophical or doctrinal opponents differ not from the substantial views of the ordinary worldlings. Therefore, the exposition of MMK is still pertinent and relevant hitherto as the ordinary worldlings, characterislized by substantial view of ontology, exist hitherto since time immemorial.

Tabula Rasa

Śākyamuni Buddha consistently promulgates that there is no absolute origination of any entity or existent as it is incompatible with Dependent Co-arising (Pratītyasamutpāda). The Blessed One rejects  the general speculation that there is a pure person who is defiled by an external lustful object. In the ultimate analysis or Truth, the lustful person and the lustful object  are not two discrete or separate entities. They are one and the same. They are dependently co-arisen. The concept of a pure person defiled by an external impurity is known as Tabula Rasa. Tabula Rasa is a substantial view. The Theory of Tabula Rasa states that when the external stimulus is pleasant or pure, an experiencer  becomes pleasant or pure. Likewise, when the external stimulus  is unpleasant or impure, the experiencer becomes unpleasant or impure. Such view mirrors that the experiencer is a slave to the environment. It implies that  the nature of the environmental stimulus determines one’s happiness or suffering. But Śākyamuni Buddha preaches that a human being plays a key role to determine his or her mental state of wellness or unwellness. In short, purity or impurity is dependent upon the state of one’s mind but is solely contigent upon the nature of environmental stimulus. Śākyamuni Buddha categorically promulgates that one purifies oneself by wisdom or impurifies oneself by ignorance. In other words, a Buddhist or any individual can train himself or herself not to be affected  by internal or external stimuli of the environment. In short, one can trains himself or herself to be a master of the environment but not a slave to the environment. If a person allows the Self or Ego to sit at the throne of his or her life, he or she becomes fallible and vulnerable. If one can replace the ordinary consciousness of Self or Ego with the Buddha-mind through the attainment of Perfection of Wisdom, one become infallible and equanimous. Such  a person becomes a Perfect Man called Arahant, Bodhisattva or Buddha.

Master or Slave

Man is, in fact the autonomy of his or her own happiness or anguish. Man is the master and not the slave of his environment since everything is mind-made. A wise person controls his or her mind – he or she has the power to choose the pathway of happiness or the pathway of suffering. If one is afflicted with the mind-disease of ignorance (avidyā) , the pathway of suffering awaits him or her. If one has developed the perfection of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā), the noble pathway of happiness lies before him or her.

When the lustful person is present but the lustful object is absent, lust does not arise under normal circumstances. Likewise, when the lustful object is present but the lustful person is not present, lust does not arise in the lustful person under normal circumstances. When both are present, the ordinary worldling will usually by aroused or motivated  by the lustful object. He or  she is incapable of controlling his or her mind due to absence of wisdom. As a result, he or she becomes vulnerable to the enticing object. However, for a well instructed and well trained practioner, he or she is invulnerable to the enticing object  if such an  act will transgress the relevant precept. If the encounter and intercourse are legitimate and will not transgress the relevant precept, such lust is morally and legally acceptable.Under such situation, the sexual of the legitimate intercourse is considered wholesome. According to the Buddha, the mind is foremost determinant of one’s pure pro-action or impure reaction. Pure pro-action is engendered by the wisdom of non-grasping. It is the will of willessness. It is non-action of all actions.  Pro-action is equanimous  and unconditioned. It is action untainted by selfishness or egoism.  It purifies  the mind. Conversely, impure reaction is produced by ignorance of the superimposition of the illusive Self or Ego. Mindfully speaking,  it   is either attachment or aversion which defiles the mind. Therefore, mental development (bhāvanā) through Buddhist mindfulness meditation practice is a very important expedient device  to develop, purify and appease the human consciousness. The maximum purity and the complete appeasement of the human mind culminates into the state of Nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa connotes that the self-awakened person is unconditioned by all environmental stimuli, favourable or adverse. He or she is the absolute master of his or her environment. In this sense, Nirvāṇa is the highest good of life – the noble quest   since time immemorial and  hitherto.Nirvāṇa is the highest spiritual in which is self-redeemed. The Nirvāṇic person has esoterically returned to the Centre of the Heart. It is a state in which the mind is completely silenced while one is still engaged actively in all mundane activities. It is the living Wisdom of Insight sought by all esoteric religious practioners.

Insubstantiality or Dependent Co-arising  transcends not only the pair of extreme views of absolute existence and absolute non-existence, but also it transcends the pair of extreme view of Identity and Difference. To compare that two entities  are identical is a illusion.This is because in the ultimate analysis, no single entity exists independently or separately and is therefore signless. Two entities can only be compared or contrasted  if they have self-nature and other nature respectively. The Buddha declares that  entities are signless or characteristicless because they are insubstantial. Identity and Difference between two entities are not evident as all phenomena are ultimately insubstantial and they exist only in a cosmic Unity with one another.  How could they be perceived as either Identical or Different if they are empty of inherent existence  as neither self-nature nor other-nature exists? The saints perceive that multiplicity vanishes in Unity.

Reification of object occurs due to the perception of sign, mark  or characteristic (self-nature). But all phenomena are ultimately signless, markless or characteristicless.   When signlessness, marklessness  or characteristiclessness is discerned, the object reification ceases. With the cessation of object reification, mental obsessions cease. Cessation of obsessions lead to the purity of consciousness and absolute mental appeasement. The absolute taming of the human mind is called Nirvāṇa which is neither arising nor ceasing. Neither arising nor ceasing is the original nature of the human mind. It is the centre of the human heart in which emancipation is sought. It is the innate Buddha-nature in all of us. It is the innate nature of all Man. The human body is the temple of the Buddha.