Was Arya
Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
This question raised by A.K.Warder
and approved by D.J.Kalupahana
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 A.K. wader first raised in his book Indian
Buddhism (p. 376) by questioning Arya
Nagarjuna has written hundred
thousands of Perfection of Wisdom
supposed to have been brought from the
Dragon world (Naga Loka) but he has not
referred to any of the Mahayana Sutras.
He referred to Tripitaka mainly Samyutta
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanists?
 Nikaya. He further says that “Nagarjuna was
claimed by the Mahayanists as their own,
but his real position would seem to have
been not to take sides in a provocative
controversy hardly conducive to progress
on the way. He perhaps hoped to reunite
the schools, old and new, in a single Buddhist
doctrine agreed by all to be the reestablishment
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Of the original teaching of the Buddha
himself. The name of the school he
effectively founded (even if it existed
earlier), the Madhyamaka (the
‘Intermediate’), suggests the reestablishment of the original
‘Intermediate way’ in all possible senses
of íntermediate’, avoiding extremes of
Was Arya Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Speculative opinion, of conduct and
perhaps of the divisions of school and
‘vehicle’.
 Prof.D.J.Kalupahana elaborating the
same view of A.K.Warder says
‘Nagarjuna’s work will be explained as an
attempt to destroy the weeds that had
grown around the Buddha’s teachings as
Was Arya Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 A result of some of the ideas expressed
by philosophers of both the Sthaviravada
( Sarvastivada) and the Mahayana
traditions. (Mulamadhyamakakarika of
Nagarjuna- The Philosophy of the Middle
Way. P. 05). Further says: ‘In the sphere
of philosophical speculations, one of the
sects belonging to the so-called
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Sthaviravada, namely Sarvastivada,
presented a theory of ‘self-nature’ or
‘substance’ (svabhava) and some of the
Mahayanists admitted a conception of
‘inherent thought of enlightenment’ (bodhi
citta), both of which are theories contrary
to the fundamental philosophical tenet of
the Buddha, namely, ‘dependent arising’
(Paticcasamuppada).(P.1-2).
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 The two aspects of Buddha’s teachings,
the philosophical and practical, which are
mutually dependent, are clearly
enunciated in two discourses, the
Kaccayanagotta -sutta (S.II.16-17)and
the Dhamma-cakkappavattana -sutta
(S.V.420-424) both the discorses held in
high esteem by all the Buddhist sects
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanists?
 Except their differences of opinion to
each other. Kaccayanagotta –sutta
quoted by almost all the major schools of
Buddhism, deals with the philosophical
‘middle path’, placed against the
backdrop of two absolutistic theories in
Indian philosophy, namely, permenent
existence (atthita) propounded in the
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Early Upanisads and nihilistic nonexistence (natthita) suggested by the
Materialists. The middle position is
explained as ‘dependent arising’ (paticcasamuppada), when utilized to explain the
nature of the human personality and the
world of experience, appears in formula
consisting of twelve factors
(dvadasanga).
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 The practical middle path is expressed in
the famous Dhammacakkappavattanasutta respected by most Buddhists as the
first sermon delivered by the Buddha.
Here the middle path is between the two
extremes of self -indulgence (kamasukhllikanuyoga) and self-mortification (attakilamathanuyoga) and consists of the
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Noble eight fold path (ariyo atthangiko
maggo) leadin to freedom and
happiness.
 Nagarjuna mentioned Kaccayanagotta
Sutta
 In the chap.15, Svabhava Pariksa 07
Gatha Nagarjuna mentioned to the
Kaccayanagotta sutta.
Was Nagarjuna
Mahayanist?
 Katyayanavavade casti ti
Nasti ti cobhayam
Pratisiddham bhagavata
Bhava’bhava vibhavina
(In the admonition to Katyayana, the two
theories (implying) ‘exists’ and ‘does not
exist’ have been refuted by the blessed
One who knows existence and nonexistence)
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 In this Madhyamaka Karika Arya Nagarjuna referred to only Kaccayanagotta
Sutta in the Samyukta Nikaya (S.II.1617).
Kaccayanagotta Sutta
Thus have I heard: The Blessed one was
once living at Savatthi, in the monastery
of Anathapindika, in Jeta’s Grove. At that
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Time the Venerable Kaccayana of that
clan came to visit him, and saluting him,
sat down at one side. So, seated he
questioned the Exalted one: “Sir (people)
speak of ‘right view, right view’. To what
extent is there a right view?”
Buddha:- “This world, Kaccayana, is
generally inclined towards two (views):
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Existence and non-existence.
To him who perceives with right wisdom
the uprising of the world as it has come
to be, the notion of non-existence in the
world does not occur. Kaccayana, to him
who perceives with right wisdom the
ceasing of the world as it has come to be,
the notion of existence in the world does
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Not occur.
 The world, for the most part, Kaccayana,
is bound by approach, grasping and
inclination. And he who does not follow
that
approach and grasping, that
determination of mind, that inclination
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanst?
 And disposition, who does not cling to or
adhere to a view: ‘This is myself, ‘who
thinks: ‘suffering that is subject to arising
arises; suffering that is subject to
ceasing, ceases,’such a person does not
doubt, is not perplexed. Herein, his
knowledge is not other dependent. Thus
far Kaccayana, there is right view’.
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanst?
 ‘Everything exists’- this Kaccayana is one
extreme. ‘Everything does not exist,’ this,
Kaccayana, is the second extreme.
 Kaccayana, without approaching either
extreme, the Tathagata teaches you a
doctrine by the middle.
 Dependent upon ignorance arise
dispositions; (Avijja paccaya sankhara),
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Dependent upon dispositions arise
consciousness; (Sankhara paccaya
vinnanam), dependent upon
consciousness arises the psychophysical
personality; (Vinnana paccaya
namarupam), dependent upon
psychophysical personality arise the six
senses; (namarupa paccaya
salayatanam), dependent upon six
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Senses arise contact; (Salayatana
paccaya phasso), dependent upon
contact arises feeling; (phassa paccaya
vedana), Dependent upon feeling arises
craving; (Vedana paccaya Tanha),
Dependent upon craving arises grasping;
(Tanha paccaya upadanam), depending
upon grasping arises becoming;
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 (upadana paccaya bhavo), dependent
upon becoming arises birth; ( bhava
paccaya jati), dependent upon birth arise
Old age and, grief, lamentation, suffering,
dijection and dispair. Thus arises this
entire mass of suffering. (Jati paccaya
jara maranam soka parideva dukkha
domanassa upayasa aneke dukkha
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 However, from the utter fading away and
ceasing of ignorance, there is ceasing of
dispositions, (avijjayatveva asesa viraga
nirodha sankhara nirodho),from the
ceasing of dispositions, there is ceasing
of consciousness,(Sankhara nirodha
vinnana nirodho), From the ceasing of
consciousness there is ceasing of psycho
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Physical personality,(vinnana nirodha
namarupa nirodho), from the ceasing of
psychophysical personality, there is
ceasing of six senses,(Namarupa nirodha
salayatana nirodho), from the ceasing of
six senses, there is ceasing of contact,
(salayatana nirodha phassa nirodho),
from the ceasing of contact, there is
ceasing of feling, (Phassa nirodha
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahaynist?
 Vedana nirodho), from the ceasing of
feeling, there is ceasing of craving,
(vedana nirodha tanha niriodho), from the
ceasing of craving, there is ceasing of
grasping, (tanha nirodha upadana
nirodho), from the ceasing of grasping,
there is ceasing becoming, (upadana
nirodha bhava nirodho), from the ceasing
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Becoming, there is ceasing of birth
(bhava nirodha jati nirodho), from the
ceasing of birth, there is ceasing old age,
and death, grief, lamentation, suffering,
dejection and dispair. And thus there is
ceasing of this entire mass of suffering,
(jati nirodha jaramaranam soka parideva
dukkha domanassa upayasa nirujjhanti.
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakhandhassa nirodho hotiti).
 According to this Sutta Exists (atthi) and
does not exist (natthi) considered as
extrmes. The Buddhist way is not to
approach either extreme. Because atthi
(exists) and natthi (does not exist) are
similar to the approaching of the belief in
etrnalism (sassatavada) and nihilism
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 (ucchedavada). Because exists (atthi)
indicates existence of everlasting Atman
(soul) (sassatavada) and does not exists
(natthi) indicates that Atman’s destruction
with the death (ucchedavada). Holding
on to these extremes means approaching
the belief in the Atman. Therefore the
Buddha without taking either of extremes
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Teaches in Middle (majjhima desana).
That is the Dependent origination.
According to this analysis
Prof.Kalupahana says that the scholars
who have published works on Nagrjuna
have not properly studied the Buddha’s
advice to Kaccayana to bring out the
Nagarjuna’s thought. Therefore they have
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Thought Nagrjuna was a Mahayanist and
he left out Sutras accepted as
Sthaviravadi. And they left out very
important chapters of Nagarjuna thinking
that those chapters are later additions.
(P.7. Philosophy of the Middle way).
According to the explanation given by
Prof. Kalupahana he does not say
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Nagarjuna was not a Mahayanist, but
Arya Nagarjuna tried to re-approve the
non-soul stand in the early Buddhism
with the theory of Pratityasamutpada.
 Prof. Kalupahana in his recent book says
this (History of Buddhist Philosophy
Continuities and Discontinuities,Honolulu,
University Press of Huwai,1992)
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 If someone has even at a glance the
Mula Madhyamaka Karika he will realize
that this book is not only contain the
admonition to Kaccayan thera by the
Buddha but it is a large commentary to
the primary sutras of Nikayas and
Agamas and specially to Sutras in the
Atthakavagga of Suttanipata.
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Before Prof. Kalupahana, Cris Lindtner
wrote a book after careful study of the
whole Philosophy of Nagarjuna (Nagarjuniana. Studies in the writings and
Philosophy of Nagarjuna,Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass. 1982) and tried to reply for
A.K.Warder. First of all he studied to find
out what are the actual Books of
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Nagarjuna and he accepted there are 13
books can be considered as Nagarjuna’s
Books. Among these books he included
Bodhicitta Vivarana and Bodhisambhara,
The books contained the most popular
belief in Mahayana, the Bodhisattva
belief. With these facts he come to a
conclusion that Nagarjuna definitely a
Was Nagarjuna
a`Mahayanist?
 A Mahayanist, but by the
Mulamdhyamaka Karika he called
Hinayanists. This Lindtner expresses
very emotional statements with regard to
the work of Nagarjuna and says by the
way of writings arya Nagarjuna complted
his duty towards the whole humanity with
Universal Kindness. This sense of duty
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Of Arya Nagarjuna is something new to
Hinayanists. By this kind of expression
he undervalued his investigation of
Nagarjuna as a Mahayanists and this
cannot consider as an academic work.
 Prof.R. H.Robinson (Early Madhyamaka
in India, 1976) paid the attention on the
position of Mulamadhyamaka Karika
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 With exemption of Mahayana concepts.
This book was published earlier to A.K.
warder’s Indian Buddhism. In this book
Robinson says that to write the
Madhyamaka Karika the Astasahasrika
Prajnaparamita was the foundation. But
the primary concepts of Astasahasrika
were Prajna, Tathata, Bhutakoti, Advaya
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanit?
 Dharmadhatu, Rupakaya, Paramita,
Bodhicitta, Bhumi, Karuna and Upaya.
Non of these concepts dealt with in
Madhyamaka Karika. Only the word
Bodhisattva has been mentioned only in
one place (Cha.24: Gatha 32)
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanitst?
 Yah cabuddah svabhavena
Sa bodhaya ghatann api
Na bodhisattva-caryayam
Bodhim te ‘dhigamisyati
(whoever is by self-nature unenlightened,
even though he were to contend with
enlightenment, would not attain
enlightenment through career of a
Bodhisattva).
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 But in the entire Astasahasrika these
words can be seen. But Robinson says
Nagarjuna in his Karika talked to
Hinayanists and other religions therefore,
those Mahayana concepts were not
included, or not necessary to include.
According to the above explanation it is
not very difficult to say Arya Nagarjuna
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Was a Mahayanists. But he did not
wanted to re-iterate that he is a
Mahayanist.
It is very well proved that as long as he
has selected Astasahasrika Prajna
parmita to write a commentary because
of he was belong to Mahayana tradition.
But he wanted to clarify Sunyata in the
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Way of pratityasamutpada.Therefore he
selected the Kaccayana Gotta sutta in
the Samyutta Nikaya. At that time
probably it was not necessary to talk
about the Hinayana Mahayana
difference. They came on much later.
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahaynist?
 Apart from Kaccayana Gotta sutta there
are some other suttas mentioned in the
Madhyamaka karika not necessarily
mentioned the name of the suttas. Those
are: Svabhava Pariksa (examination of
self-nature) 15. 10
 Astiti sasvatagraho
Nastiti uccheda darsanam
Tasmat astitva nastitva
Nasriyate vicaksanah
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanists?
 (Exist implies grasping after eternalism.
‘does not exist’ implies the philosophy of
annihilation. Therefore an intelligent
person should not rely upon either
existence or non-existence).
This has been mentioned in the Acela
Kasspa sutta in the Nidana samyutta
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Ìn the Acela Kassapa Sutta,Acela
Kassapa asked the Buddha
1.Sayamkatam Dukkham: Whther the
Dukkha is made by onself?
2. Param katam Dukkham:? Dukkha is
made by others.
3.Sayam katam ca param katam ca
dukkham ?
4. Asayam karam aparam karam adhicca
samuppannam dukkham?
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Dukkha is not made by oneself and not
made by others, it I spontaneous?
 Buddha rejected each question and
pointed out if accepted sayam katam
and Para katam that means automatically
falls in to the extremes of Eternalism and
Nihilism. The same thing mentioned in
this Gatha: “Astiti sasvato grahah nastiti
uccheda darsanam”
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 The same Acela Kassapa sutta refers by
Arya Nagarjuna by the first Gatha of
Chap. 12 Dukkha Pariksa. (Inestigation
of suffering.)
 Svayam krtam param krtam
dvabhyam krtamahetukam
Dukkhamityekamcchanti
Tacca karyam na yujyate
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 In the 18thchap. 12 Gatha
Sambuddhanamanutpade
Sravkanam punah ksaye
Jnanam pratyekabuddhanam
Asmsargat pravartate
(When the fully enlightened one do not appear;
on the waning of disciples; the wisdom of selfenlightened ones proceeds without
association).
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 This is very interesting statement of Arya
Nagarjuna. By this statement Arya
Nagarjuna has accepted not only
Buddhas, but also Sravakas and
Pratyekabuddhas. Normally Mahayanists
do not talk about Sravakas and PratyekaBuddhas. Here Prateka Buddhas
realzation of Dharma when the Buddhas
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Are not there completely accepted and
approved.
 Chap.24 Aryasatya Pariksa (Investigation
of Noble truths) Gatha.11.
 Vinasayati durdrsta
Sunyta mandamedasam
Sarpo yatha durgrhito
Vidya va dusprasadhita
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 (A wrong perceived emptiness ruins a
person of meager intelligence. It is like a
snake that is wrongly grasped or
knowledge that is wrongly cultivated).
 Here the simile of wrongly grasped snake
is the simile which was mentioned by the
Buddha in the Alagaddupama Sutta of
Majjhima Nikaya Vol.I.
Was Nagarjuna a
Mahayanist?
 Chap 24. Aryasatya Pariksa Gatha 08.
 Dve satye samupasritya
Buddhanam Dharmadesana
Lokasamvrti satyan ca
Satyan ca paramartatah
There is a similar gatha mentionwed in
the commentary of Kathavatthu.
Was Nagarjuna a
ahayanist?
 Duve saccani akkhasi
Sambuddho vadatam aro
Sammuti paramatthan ca
Tatiyam nuplabbhati
Sankheta vacanam saccam
Loka sammuti karanam
Paramattha vacanam saccam
Dhammanam tathalakkhanam