Pathak, Suntil Kumar

Apollo (Cambridge)

NUCLEUS OF TANTRA IN PALl VINAYA-PITAKA' -Suniti Kumar Pathak' TANTRA At the outset the Tantra may be described as a methodology of widening man's individual energy up to the extent of all beings in all worlds. That energy pervading the universe is the Cosmic Energy. The term 'tantra' is derived from Sonskrit root 'tan' meaninQ to extend, to spread. The Tantra is practical as well as scientific knowledge how to extend man's potentiality for the good and welfare of beings. The aim of the Tantra refers to the extension of an indi vidual's life force to that of univese; that is, to spread over the inner effulgence of an in(pvidual on the cosmic effulQence in the sphere. The origin of the Tantra is controversial and that may be discussed in details elsewhere. In brief, the Tantra probably'originated from the laws of Nature reflecting on man's mind since the primitiJe days of human culture. In the early days of human history the primitive men Gould explore an existence of inherent power within themselves. They Visualised embodimentS of that power persuading all over the earth, the Sun, the Moon, the planets and the stars above. The Truth which had revealed before them was the two-fold manifestations of the Energy, Le. the potential energy, apparently static but is not; and, the kinetic energy incessantly appearing as changeable and changing. The Tantra tends to a universal approach to find out equality and symmetry in the midst of diversities in the Nature. The Tantra promulgates an awareness of the seH-nature (sva-bhava) of beings on the universe and has developed that through the ages. The codification of the Tantra, as a branch of human knowledge, came later on. As and when the esoteric practices became familiar in the early Indian societies the Tantra practices were no longer obscure, and, thereby those were accepted and codified. Many say:, sruti is of two kinds, the Vedic· and the Tantric. The Atharvaveda, the Ma'i1J,u£rTmlila kalpa, . and the: 1 40 Mantra£astra of tlia Jains in the Indian literature mdy be cited as instances 01 codification when the Tantra was not systematised. Several customs; manners, rites and practices prevalent then among the primitive men entered and, were incorporated. Subsequently these formulated the Tantra in the course of systematisation and stratification. The Tantra develops a basis of man's life determining his day-to day functions, the ways of life, his endeavour to attain a state of equality, and lastly, the seeing of the ~neness or unification of the twofold manifestations of the Energy. The seers attain an immanant life-force to do and to undo for the cause of well-being of the universe. Their performances occasionally appear mystic, magical, supernatural and, sometimes, unintelligible. to man's ordinary sense and reasoning. The effulgence that spreads around the seer unifies that of the cosmic universe. As a methodology, the Tantra prescribes many secret formula and practices of esoterism, so that a practitioner seeking immanance may succeed within his span of life here. DHAMMACHKKAPAVATTANA ~a:kyaputra Gautama is said to have achieved a distinction of being the Awakened One (Buddha). The Pali Vinayapitaka preserves the traditions in • a Discourse with Upaka prior to his turning of the Wheel of Dharma (Dhammacakkapavattana). Gautama Buddha declares the ,immanance : Victorious one all, Omniscient am I. Among all things defiled, Leaving all, through death of craving freed, By knowing for myself, when should I follow ? For me there is no teacher, One like me does not exiSt, In the world with its devas No one equals me. For I am perfected in the World, The teacher supreme am I, I alone am all-awakened Became cool am [ nirvana attained.2 41 The above sayings explicitly refer to the core of the Tantra practice tending to retroversion (paravrttl). A successful practioner confidently • declares, 'No one equals me', 'I am an all-awakened'. These are the characteristics of him who regains man's self-nature having the mind free !)om cravings. It is not an instance of self-boasting or false vanity of Gautama sakyaputra. The Buddhist literature, deals with the measures how to realise man's self-nature. The life-force of a being emerges out of bindu and dissovles in bindu that is, arrives at the condition from which it originates. That is retroversion (of matter). In the deep-mind similar retroversion functions. Retroversion is distinct from extroversion (pravflti), and introversion (nivrtti)~ The lnmo beings, inclusive of men, according to Gautama Buddha, are the cpnglomeration of mind and matter (nama-rupa) with a strong attachment (upadona) under the latent impressions (samskara) on account of ignor(!nce (avidy'O). It is therefore other than their self-nature. On account of ignorance about self-nature a being olways becomes delighted in several pleasures and enters again and again in the cycle of birth and death. A being fails to know what is deathlessness and finds pleasure in the 'realm of Mara under the fetters of craving. Gautama Buddha knowing 'himself' becomes 'Victorious' (Jina). He cloims : 'Victorious 6ne all, Omniscient am I ... by knowing for myself'. Man possesses omniscience in potentiality. BecaUSErof ignorant:eman fails to realise his self-nature. The Tantra teaches how to visualise the self-nature (sva-bhava) which is essencelessness (niqsva-bhova). He who visualises the essencelessness is "Awakened" (Buddha) from the slumber-like ignorance. Gautama exclaims : This that through many tides I've won -Enough I why should I make it known? By folk with lust and hate consumed, This dhamma is not understood, Leading on against the stream, Subtle, deep, difficult to see, delicate, Unseen it will be by passions' slave Cloaked in the musk of ignorance. 3 The teachings of Buddha are also 'leading on against the stream' but these are aids to develop vision of eyes (cakkhukaraqi> and awareness of mind 42 (nanakaraJ)O. His followers thereby possess an appropridte contemplation to : concentrate on the source or root of beings in the worlds (yo~isumana8ik'!ra) for right sight (sammaditthi) and right concentration (sammasamadhi). The self nature (sva-bhllva) of beings is correctly visualised by 'going on against I the stream'. In other words, practices are done in the method of retroversion (paravrtti) which is followed in the Tantra. The Tantra seeks how to extinguish five passions to attain Buddhahood when the attainer exclaims: "Become cool am I, nirvana attained". With undaunted confidence a Buddha beats his 'drum of deathlessness' among the 'bltnd on account of ignorance'. Thereafter, Gautama Buddha turns the Dhammacakka in Kashi city for the welfare of beings in the worlds. NATURE OF BUDDHA'S DHAMMA . The Pal! Vinayapitaka refers to the nature of Buddha's Dhamma prior to his deliberation i;;' presence of the group of the Five Elders (Pa'f!!'cavaggiyabhikkhu). The words of Gautama Buddha. follow as : "The! dhamma won by me, is deep, difficult to see, difficult to understand, peaceful, excellent, beyond dialectic. subtle, intelligible to the learned". He further continues: "But this is the creation delighting in sensual pleasure, delighted by sensual pleasure, rejoining in sensual pleasure. So that for a creation delighted in sensual pleasure, delighted by sensual pleasure. rejoining in sensual· pleasure these were a matter difficult to see. That is to say casual uprising by the way of cause. This too were a matter very difficult to see, that is to say calming of all habitual tendencies the renunciation of all attachment, the destruction of cravings, dispassion, stopping, Nirvana.4 The 5ammasambuddha (thoroughly Awakened One) sees the worlds of existence through his wisdom-eyes (buddhacakkhu) and understands the real state of happening where he sees (yathabhUtaj?{anadarSana). No dialectic therefore arises and his dhamma is beyond dialectic. The Tantra also disowns any debate or dialectic as it is based on direct visualisation of the Truth. 43 UTIARIMANUSSADHAMMA ~ At the first sight of Gautama Sakyaputra, while he was approaching to the group of the Five at ISipatana near Kashi, the said hermits are said have determined not to pay any respect to Gautama who had been their mate in practice and left their company of hermit hood. But they failed to hold their determination strongly as soon as Buddha appeared in person before them. It is not an instance of miracle, nor a charm (iddh.i). The effulgence . spreading out from the embodiment of Buddhahood Perplexed 'the five hermits at a time and, instantaneously, they all paid regards to the Awakaned One - Buddha. Such incidents make oridnary men astonished and succumb with wonder. The Pali Vanayapitaka refers to similar stories regarding Buddha Gautama itl many i~stances. For example, the Rajayatana story, the Mucalinda story of the Serpent who is said to have spread his hood for the protection of Gautama, And, !apussa and Bhallika story in which four Lokapala deities appeared to accept the offerings with requisite bowls for Tathagata.5 BRAHMACARIY A Gautama Buddha is said to have laid-highest emphasis 'On Brahmacariya Le. the leading of moral life as the way to end suffering. The first ordination made by Buddha declares the praise of Brahmacariya.6 Any failure in observance of Brahmacariya amounts to expulsion from monkhood (paralika offence) from the· Sai\gha. Among the moral pr~cepts to' be observed by the yellow-robed, Brahmacariya is the foremost. The observance of Brahmacariya gathers potentiality for performing four Brahmavihara that is, love (metta), compassion (karuna), rejoice in prospect of others (mudita) and, an attitude of indifference in pleasure and pain (upekkha). In the couse of gradual sanctification Brahmavih1!ra strengthens a practioner to extend good and welfare of beings in the worlds like the Brahmakayika gods. The Tantra is equally strict in the pledge of Brahmacariyaand observance of moral precepts for diSCipline of a practioner. Any amount of departure from Brahmacariya leads to utt.er ruin. The Guhyasam'llja (7.5) reads: Bodhi is to be attained when body, speech and mind remain in their resoective 44 self...ftlte; failing that. untimely death awaits and thereafter fall into the dunqeon of hell. THE CRYPTIC EXPRESSIONS (SANDHA YABHA$A) The Tantra justifies the nature of Buddna':;; dhamma when a number of cryptic forms of expression have been occasionally used. For instance, the Guhyasam6'ia (7.1.) reads: The practitioner who desires the company with mother, sister or daughter will achieve a great success, according to the essential of the Mahayana.8 . , Similar expressions may be read there (7.1). By enjoying all sorts of desires, and being enjoyable to others as much as one likes, one will attain BuddhahOOd qUickly.9 All such expressions are difficUlt to underStand (duranubodha) as mentioned in the Viriayapitaka. In • elucidation of· the propriety of "Such cryptic form of expressions (Sandh'!yabhalJd) CandrakTrli states : In order to express the significance of Truth (dhamma-tattva) among the persons having different likings, the ambiguous expreSfinns have been used and, this is known as sandhayabhasa. Regarding such state of variedness in grasping ability of men the Pal! Vinayapi!aka refers to the visualising of the Buddha, through mental state of beings by Buddha eyes. An eJtcellent simile of lotuses in a big lake clarifies the actual state of affairs. . IV _ -NO PRAJNOPAYA (VAJRABJA) YOGA IN PALl The Pali VinayapiJaka d~s not refer to PraiWa (Wisdom) nor Karupa (compassion) as principles; nor their unification leading to nonduality (yuqanaddha) or Oneness (samarasa) as the Tantra holds.1o Despite that, the Pall Vinayapitaka lays emphasis on the higherstate of meditation when the • perceptual world unifies With the imanent mind under state of deep concentration of formlessness (aruppasam},patti). That occurs in the sphere of Nirvana where no attdchment of skandha remains: The Pali Vmavani!aka 45 • refers to 'hat state through an udanagatha uttered by Buddha immediately after th'e attainement of Nirvana: . Truely when thing() grow plain to theordentmeditating Brahman Routing the host of Mara does he stand Like as the sun white lighting up the sky.l1 ~kewise, the Tantra aims at the co-ordination of the mundane (idam) and the supra-mundane (tat). RESUME To sum up, it has been evident from the above that Gautama Buddha's experiences as traditionally depicted in the Pali Vinayapitaka bear' , -resemblance with experiences of an accomplished Tantra practitioner (ratnapudgala). Entrance of the Tantra in the Buddhist thought is generally said to be a later addition or a phase of the later Buddhism since 3-4 Century A.D. At the earliest such entry of external matters may date back to the lifetime of Nagarjuna 1st Century A.D. ' The Tantra is generally regarded at!! secret esoterism r~rating to male and female principles with symbolism. Mantra, mudI'd, cakra, mall~ala, homavidhi etc. are more or less rituals as prescribed in the Tantra. These have been mostly applied for abhidira karma including 'antika and paustika. In fact, they are the ways or means how to empower a practitioner for b';;ing eligible to enter in the realm of abhisambodhi full awakening of the self-nature of the universe inclusive of this world by tha extension of etfulgence (ra6mi), StnG~ Gautama is said to have achived supramupdone attributes like bala, valita: vai~aradya, abhijna and bodhY6nga as his experiences narrated in details in the vinayapItaka: These evidences suggest that the nucleus of the Tantra prevails in the·Pali Vinayapitaka, as the earliest source come down to us. 46 NOTES ~~.I""""fa"ff"1J'l{~ ~~$~ 1"~"'I"reads~ ~td;: il"'d+i"'dij+lfl=cld4{ I ~ ~ qf+lltl"'dfll~f1I~ I In the ~laqtj'Il!i1QI (12.7) tantra means 'core', 'essence', Some disciplines of human knowledge are thereby called as tantra, such as, ayurvedatantra (medical science for availing long life), Sankhya tantra (portions of astronomy and mathematics). The importance of ijl~fa+l"'d mantra has been appreciated in the ~"qftli!",,-~-;f;ftIIl.l"'fl\'16j,"I, : (6.23.42) atli'llli'l'1dl ~ ~ ~ ~ I 'U'iIT;pg ~'1 m ~m 'ldl{ I I Occasional references of mantra may be observed in Pali literature, fliitt«:q:stn, ~~~ ~279, PTS; ~ ~~ 11.1'. 5f. The detination of tantra in ~Mij+l"'la"'d is 'Il'fi'U d"d+ll€<ll<.i. It further elucidates : \I'f\1'I~ .. u'td~q(ijt<'<iq:;<1 ~ I an£lIHd<.:,qll.ll!"1 ftfNffl"divi411t\: II ~I~ ... ~~ ~ I ~~ dPiJfli'4d II (XVIII, 33-3S) Tibetan rgyud corresponds to the Tantra which may be divided into four classes-rgyud sde bzhi; namely (I) 8ya ba'i rgyud (Kriya tantra), (ii) spyod pa'i rgyud (caryi'tantra), Rnal 'byor ba'i rgyud (yoga tantra) and Rnal 'byor bla na med pa'j rgyud (anuttarayoga tantra). In the Btsall 'gyur !:ollec' -- "orgy!!" suggests also the tantra manuals and is classified in five suc('(;",io:1s lJrgyuu pa rnam pa Ina. 2. Vinayapitaka Mahavagga 1.6.3 (p.1 S.); BOOK of Discipline,I.B.Honer. Vol. IV. 1.6.8. 3. Ibid 1.5.3 4. Ibid 1.5.2. S. Vinayapitaka, p. 2ff (P.T.S) 6. ~ f~'ft:f '411J<lIT ~ ~ S"Rit ;rof U+l""f\1I4{ ~ ~ 31,,*,fMl:lIll1 I Ibid p. 18 • 7. ""lqCjI~\jtlfftff~ '\ITQi <illfii ~ I ~~ ~ ~ ilR"i$ tr"l I I iIl!\i+liil'lldPiJ ; (ed. B. Bhattacarya GOS. 1931 VII. S) 47 8. ~"f1lifl'i4l~If" (¥1~!4ft1 m-fi: I 9. 10. ~~ ~ ~ .. 8141 .... ,.&1#m1{ IT 1~ .... j\jj('" I'lIIIIIfJ lImT ~ ari1i1Ir '" fq'ftT tAr I fl!Itt41 '" WI Wlftnrr;t' ~ 't'if4fll II Ifi! I ~ 'R'JIf11IT: q-s::;r n: .... S ... "AI ... : II ~(ifI(lifI(.INi"'+'4I"'ifI( ~ II Lankavatara suttra (3.3-4) The Pali Vinayapilaka (Mahakhandhaka) categorically debars a yellow robed one for such heinous offences like ~, fqqf4lq<6, atiifliliRt-, f'oI~'1"4'" (1.55.112. 11.20.30). ij,d" ... and <'I11'JT"I'''<1> The Guhyasamaja uses Ihe above words in ijramrfltt I ij;;f",,"'Iq"'~ .. (jilq .. ,~4""'Clk'I: I ar.R ~ ~ ""! ,\4('<11Q''1lfl« II 'p:qij"'''Ia. (VII,I) .. ti1q"HI+Mfwif" ~~ I ~1flCiRf: m ~ '~IOj(i1Q1"'':t I I ~ ~ II "l ijjq'l" ij .. 11(1 ... \Mijl ~ tft'ffi"CIf ~ I ~ m-4<1>'''''( "'i1~cft1t",jq(':t II 'I ~ 0 II ..... ~'¥rqill'1' ~ riftf ~ II ¥~ II i!Tif itmr~ V'I': ~ q mr: ~ I "sqI4~" ~ ''I'i'41.,f\;tfa ~ II X'III f{t"'lij,!'''Iijl'lQ (XVIII.) II. tm !lit qrq'JIGlfRI UTqT ~ ~ ittqQlfij I r.nrl'lireaftfl'ITrWj~or 3fl'J1I .... iflf"'ifiU II Vinayapitaka Mahavagga 1.1.4. WTS) 48 

Nucleus of Tantra in Pali Vinaya-Pitaka

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Nucleus of Tantra in Pali Vinaya-Pitaka

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