Svabhāva-parīksā (MMK): Examination of Self-nature (2/2)
By Paramartha
‘Sākyamuni Buddha promulgates the Process, Insubstantial or Empty philosophy of dynamic becoming. It is an organic and interdependent worldview of perennial (process) philosophy. Every empirical phenomenon (dharma) is conditioned from the dependently co-arisen cause and conditions (hetu-pratyaya-saṃbhūtaḥ). An empirical phenomenon may be an/a idea, thing, event, being, outcome, incident or occurrence. It can be any physical or mental phenomenon or a mixture of both. It is the whole or totality dependently co-arisen from the unity of parts. Every phenomenon is empty of a self-nature or permanent substance. It is thus empty of immutable inherent existence. Emptiness (‘Sūnyatā) is synonymous with dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality of dynamic becoming or life continuum. ‘Sākyamuni Buddha depicts every phenomenon is a conditioned necessary process becoming which is neither absolute existence (astitva) nor absolute non-existence (nāstitva). The view of neither absolute existence and absolute non-existence is the middle philosophy of Middle Path promulgated by ‘Sākyamuni Buddha. Such Middle View of perennial philosophy is the one and only ultimate Truth sought by all major world’s religions. The inner Heart of all human beings is identical essentially. The ultimate Truth of Buddha (synonymous with Brahman, Tao, God, or Allah) is discerned through the inner Heart of Man through the process of Gnosis or Self-Enlightenment. The Truth of ultimate Reality to be discovered by all religionists is identical and not distinct for all religionist of apparent distinct denominations. Buddhists and non-Buddhists discover the communal Truth of liberative Wisdom- the wisdom of salvation to efface illusively superimposed self-centric ego.
Self-nature is defined to be an independent and immutable intrinsic nature. Its permanent self-nature of independence and immutability nullify its creative power of Emptiness regulated by the Law of Dependent Co-arising. However, we witness that the creative power of Emptiness which actualizes potentialities into possibilities. Because of Emptiness, creation of the phenomenal world becomes possible. If contigent conditions are not empty, creation of the phenomenal world is not possible. It would be Truth unveiling to contemplate on another question raised by Nāgārjuna thus :
If a self-nature which is a permanent, immutable substance, exists , how could its attribute undergo a change?
This question prompts us to reflect further. As the attribute of a substance is the self-nature of the substance itself, how could the unchangeable attribute undergo any change? Nāgārjuna’s astute disputation strategy of reduction ad absurdum raises a logical paradox from the philosophical stance of the metaphysicians or substantialists. Nāgārjuna raised another more profound question thus:
If a permanent self-nature does not exist, how can we account for the ontological change ?
The answer is furnished by the early discourses (suttas) of the ‘Sākyamuni Buddha. It is the natural law of Dependent Co-arising which operates because all phenomena (dharmas) are empty of immutable self-natures. Change can only occur when all phenomena are mutable. Emptiness facilitates mutability. This is evident from Buddhist fundamental doctrine of Impermanence and Insubstantiality. A discerning Buddhist practioner needs only to discern the Truth of Impermanence and Insubstantiality to obtain release. The emptiness of self-nature in any phenomenon implies that the phenomenon is impermanent and insubstantial or empty of a permanent substance. Owing to impermanence and insubstantiality or emptiness of the phenomenon, the contigent factors of cause and conditions interact freely and dependently co-produce new conditioned phenomena or the required necessary existents. This is what is meant by the creation of the world. The world is never created out of sheer nothingness. The new conditioned phenomena are either the human accomplishments or failures. Ethics condition the formal and vices condition the latter. The world is created by ethics and destroyed by vices. Ethics condition the unity of existence; vices shatter the unity of existence. Thus, it is evident that Dharma is intimately related to human worldly life, accomplishments or failures. Dharma is the principle which regulates the human worldly life which are empirical phenomena . Spirituality and secularity are inseparable. Rejection of spiritual principle damages or destroys secular life.
For instance , an Olympic Games Festival is a conditioned phenomenon. It comes into being from the unity of cause and conditions (organization , implementation and co-ordination conditions). A successful Olympic Games Festival is an accomplishment. Conversely, a financial crisis is a negatively conditioned phenomenon. It is perceived as a phenomenal failure. Likewise, the conditioned phenomenon of academic success is conditioned by the unity of ethics; the conditioned phenomenon of academic failure is conditioned by the unity of immorality. Thus, religion or Dharma makes us comprehend the world better.
Insubstantiality or Emptiness connotes two forms of voidness: the voidness of self (pudgala-nairātmya) and the voidness of all phenomena (dharmanairātmya). Whoever intuitively discerns the Emptiness of self and the Emptiness of phenomena insightfully penetrates into the Emptiness of the five aggregates. Whoever has insightfully apprehended the Emptiness of five aggregates perceives the eternal Truth of dependent co-arisen Unity or Non-duality . Whoever perceives Unity or Non-duality - the oneness of the world, perceives the Buddha . Whoever perceives the Buddha or Truth is fully blessed in the mundane world as well as in the supramundane world – success in the present life as well as in the hereafter.
Other-nature
Other-nature (parabhāva) is the self-nature of other nature. Both are permanent substances. Since self-nature is not acceptable, other nature is equally unacceptable ontologically. Self-nature refers to the permanent substance of existence of self-idenity while other-nature refers to any substantial entity of other identity. In Diamond Sūtra, self-nature refers to the form (nimitta) of self. Other natures refer to the form of a person, form of a group of individuals and form of tri-temporal existence.
Nāgārjuna rejects self-nature, other-nature , existence and non-existence on the basis of Emptiness or Dependent Co-arising . Self-nature or other nature refer to defining signs, marks or characteristics , that is, forms of existents. Existence corresponds with eternalism and non-existence refers to annihilationism . ‘Sākyamuni Buddha rejects signs, marks, characteristics, eternalism and annihilationism as they constitute metaphysical or substantial worldview incompatible with Emptiness or Dependent Co-arising . Although existence related to eternalism and non-existence related to annihilationism are seemingly simple ontological concepts, they are actually soteriologically very significant . Such substantial views are morally damaging and spiritually obstructive. They are morally damaging because object reification evokes either attachment or aversion. Attachment leads to greed and aversion leads to hatred. They are spiritually obstructive because they impede emancipation (vimutti). Greed and hatred are mental obsessions by which a sentient being is entangled by karmic defilement and bondage.
The Buddhist fundamental doctrines of Insubstantiality (Anattā; Nairātmya) or Emptiness (‘Sūnyatā) and Dependently Co-arising (Pratītyasamutpāda) are soteriologically significant as they mirror the dynamic process becoming . Intuitive discernment of the fundamental doctrines of Truth leads to non-grasping upon the five aggregates. Non-grasping obliterates the illusively superimposed self-centric ego which directs and empowers the five aggregates . One is thus soteriologically released. Different religions employ dissimilar expedient means (upāyas) to annihilate self-centric ego. The Truth of Buddha or God can only be intuitively discerned if and only if the self-centric ego has been obliterated .
The MMK ought to be seriously studied and contemplated regularly until the practical non-dual knowledge is esoterically reached. It is an expedient device for one’s personal cultivation and the discernment of Truth. Truth discernment rectifies one’s fallibilities and consummates one’s character formation to harmonize human relationships.
The MMK’s agenda is not to enjoy the philosophical disputations between Nāgārjuna and his heretical, philosophical opponents . Nāgārjuna’s contribution to Buddhism is that what have been expounded in brief by the Exalted One is expounded in detail and lucidly by him. What is abstruse is made comprehensible to us also by him. Without Nāgārjuna’s exegetical treatise of MMK, the profound message of ‘Sākyamuni Buddha will prove too abstruse for the ordinary Buddhist learners or cultivators. Right comprehension of the message results in an end of suffering and realization of freedom. Most significantly, MMK helps comprehends the dynamic process becoming which underlies the Process Thought of process or perennial philosophy. Process or continuum is the ultimate Reality sought by all religionists who aspire zealously to actualize salvation – one dies before one dies . There is only one communal Truth of Wisdom to realize salvation for all human beings . Dissimilar religions are merely dissimilar skillful means of teaching and learning or different paths to discover the communal Truth of Wisdom. There are many roads leading to Rome. |
