i eee oe pe eye ee be OM PRUEpe 294. 241.94 Psy Abhidharmakosabhasyam by Louis de La Vallée Poussin Volume II English Translation by Leo M. Pruden a HUMANITIES Berkeley, CaliforniaASIAN HUMANITIES PRESS Asian Humanities Press offers to the specialist and the geaeral reader alike the best in new translations of major works and significant original contributions to enhance our understanding of Asian religions, cultures and thought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Vasubandhu, [Abhidharmakosabhisya. English] Abhidharmakosabhasyam / [translated] by Louis de La Valiée Poussin; English wanslation by Leo M. Pruden. — Berkeley, Calif: Asian Humanities Press, 1988- 1990. 4v.523 em. Translation of: Abhidharmakosabhasya. Includes bibliographies. ISBN 0-89581-913-9 (set). - 1, Vasubandhu, Abhidharmakoga, 2, Abhidharma. I. La Vallée Poussin, Louis de, 1869-1938. II. Title, BQ2682.E5P78 1988 294.3°824—de19 87-71231 AACR 2 MARC ' 9228 2 Loo” Copyright © 1991 by Asian Humanities Press. All rights resecved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the writen permission of Asian Humanities Press except for brief passages quoted in a review. Translator’s Introduction This work is Volume I of a translation of Vasubandhu’s AbAi- dharmakosabhasyam, a work first translated into French by the great Belgian scholar Louis de La Vallée Poussin, and now here translated into English from the French and the Sanskrit. This present volume contains Chapter II] and Chapter IV of the Abbidbarmakofsabhasyam. Chapter III, the Loka-nirdeSa of “Instruction concerning the World” is a description of the physical world, its inhabitants, and its various helis and the heavens of the gods. Some interesting topics are raised in Chapter I: how rebirth or transmigration takes place; an analysis of each of the parts of the schema of dependent origination, whether there can be such a thing as premature death in a world ruled by Zerma; the various measurements of time and space; the cosmic cycle or alpa; and the career of the Bodhisattva. There is also a discussion of whether there are one or many Buddhas in the cosmos, a recurring debate topic in Far Eastern Buddhism. This chapter also contains a discussion on whether the intermediate state of existence (antardbhava) exists or not. This intermediate state is well known to students of Tibetan Buddhism as the bardo state, a state discussed at length in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Chapter II] is a very interesting chapter. Chapter IV, the Karma-nérdeéa or “Instruction concerning Karma” is, as its title indicates, a presentation of the Buddhist teaching of karma, ot consciously willed action, its moral tone, and its subsequent results. This Chapter contains the teaching on the precepts for the seven types of Buddhist believers, both lay and clerical; it also contains a discussion of avijfiaptiripa, the physical matter that does not inform anyone of its presence except through the cultivation of morality. The concept of avijflaptiripa later became an important topic of discussion in Far Eastern Buddhism. ‘Vasubandhu was also concerned with the nature of karma and of the problem of the subsistence of the influence of arma, given theBuddhist teaching of the non-substantiality and perpetual imper- manence of all things. In order to discuss this matter further, Vasubandhu also composed a work, the Karmasiddhi-prakarana, which has recently been published in an English translation. Chapter IV is a very important chapter, detailing as it does the moral life of the Community, and its related philosophical problems. Leo M. Pruden 1 See the Karmasiddbi Prakarana, the Treatise of Action by Vasubandbs, by Etienne Lamotte, English translation by Leo M. Pruden, Asian Humanities Press, Berkeley, 1988. CONTENTS Chapter Three: The World I. Living Beings and the Physical World: Introduction A, The Three Dhatus 1. General Comments 2. Kamadhatu. 3. Ripadhacu. 4. Arépyadaatu 5. Definition of Terms 6. Characteristics of Dharmas and Minds in the Three Dhatus B. The Five Realms of Rebirth C. The Seven Abodes of Consciousness D. The Nine Dwellings of Sentient Beings E. The Four Abodes of Consciousness IL The Variety of Sentient Beings; Their Transmigration. A. The Four Types of Birth B. Intermediate Existence C. Discussion: Does Intermediate Existence Exist? Proof from Reasoning Proof from Scripture D. The Form of the Intermediate Existence E. The Characteristics of Intermediate Existence F. How Transmigration Takes Place a. Its Support G. Intermediate Existence and the Four Methods of Entering the Womb a. Three Methods H. The Doctrine of No-Soul, Intermediate Existence, and Transmigration 365 365 365 365 365 369 371 374 378 378 380 380 383 383 383 386 390 392 394 395 397 398 399Ill. Dependent Origination and Transmigration A. The Twelve Parts of Dependent Origination and the Three Time Periods; the Two Time Periods B. Nature of the Twelve Parts of Dependent Origination C. The Four Types of Dependent Origination D. Dependent Origination Applied Only to Sentient Beings E. Cause and Result and Dependent Origination in the Three Time Periods 1, Defilement, Action, and Foundation 2. Their Eternal and Mutual Interdependence E. Pratityasamutpada versus Pratityasamutpanna G. Definition of che Term Pratityasamutpdda H. Ignorance 1. Is Ignorance a Substantial Entity? 1. Namaripa J. Contact 1. The Six Types of Contact: Are Any of Them Substantial Entities? 2. Actual and Denominational Contact 3. The Six Types of Contact and the Three ‘Types of Contact K. Sensation The Six Types of Sensation 2. The Relationship Between Contact and Sensation 3. The Eighteen Upavicaras 4. The Eighteen Upavicaras and the Three Dhatus 5. Varient Opinions Concerning the Eighteen Upavicdras L.A Summary Presentation of the Remaining Items in Dependent Origination 401 401 405 407 413 419 A19 423 423 423 425 426 427 431 433 436 437 IV. The Lifespan and the Death of Sentient Beings A. The Four Types of Food B. The Consciousness at Death C The Three Categories of Beings V. The Physical World; The Size and Lifespans of Sentient Beings A. The Three Cakras B. The Nine Mountains C. The Eight Oceans D. The Four Continents E. The Geography of Jambudvipa EF, The Hells 1. The Eight Hot Hells a. The Sixteen Utsadas of Hell b. The Guardians of the Hells 2. The Eight Cold Hells G. The Dwelling Place of Animals and Pretas H. The Sun and the Moon I. The Heavens and Their Various Gods 1. General Remarks 2. The Four Terraces of Mt. Sumeru 3. The Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods 4. The Gods of Aerial Abodes 5. Sex Among the Gods 6. Birth as a God; the Size and Speech of the Gods 7. Arising of Desire and Arising of Pleasure 8. The Location of the Various Heavens 9. The Rising and Falling of Gods and Humans J. The Dimensions of the Heavens K. The Cosmos L. The Size of Human Bodies M. The Lifespan of Humans 1, The Lifespan of Beings in Pleasurable Realms of Rebirth 439 439 451 451 452 454 455 455 456 456 457 458 459a. Kamadhatu b. Rapadhatu and Ardpyadhacu 2. The Lifespan of Beings in Painful Realms of Rebirth 3. Premature Death VI. The Dimensions of Time and Space; the Cosmic Cycle 'A. The Method of Calculating Space (Physical Matter) and Time 1. The Smallest Dimension of Physical Matter, ‘Words, and Time 2. The Dimensions of Space 3. The Dimensions of Time B. The Four Kalpas 1, General Remarks 2. The Kalpa of Disappearance 3. The Kalpa of Creation 4, The Kalpa of Duration 5. Small Kalpas C. The Buddha and Bodhisattva 1. The Length of Time it Takes a Bodhisattva to Become a Buddha a. Why Does it Take So Long? 2. When Do Buddhas and Pratyekabuddhas Appear in the World? a. Pratyekabuddhas 3, The Cakravartin Monarch a. Discussion: Are There One or Many Buddhas in the Cosmos? D. The Appearance of Beings At the Beginning of the Kalpa; the Establishment of Kingship E, The Calamities 1, The Three Minor Calamities 2, The Three Major Calamities a. Discussion: A Whole and Its Parts 3. The Limits of the Calamities 4, The Order of the Calamities 470 471 472 473 487 489 490 491 494 495 Chapter Four: Karma I Karma A. General Introduction B. Definition C. Informative and Non-Informative Action 1. Different Theories of Vijnapti a. Discussion: The Impossibility of Movement 2. The Sautrantika Theory 4. The Vaibhasika Position 5. The Sarvastivadin Response E. The Primary Elements 1. The Dhatus and the Primary Elements F. Avijfiapti and Vijtapté and the Primary Elements 1. Aviffiapti 2. Vijnapts 3. Their Moral Tone 4. The Dhatus and Bhimis G. The Moral Tone of the Mind and the Dharmas H. The Two Types of Absorption and Avifapti IL The Three Types of Avijfaptirapa J. Discipline 1. The Pratimoksa Precepts 2. The Upasaka, Upavasaka, Sramana, and Bhiksu Precepts a. Synonyms of “Pratimoksa” 551 551 551 552 553 553 556 560 560 562 562 565 568 568 569 569 570 S71 571 573 575 580 581 581 5833, Mental Discipline and Indriya Discipline 4. Vijiiapti and Avijfiapti 5. Discipline and Undiscipline a. The Intermediary Person b. Synonyms of “Undiscipline” 6. Conditions for Acquiring the Precepts 7. The Length of Time One Undertakes the Precepts a. The Pratimoksa Precepts i, Discussion: What is Time? b. The Duration of Undiscipline 8. The Upavasatha Precepts a. How to Acquire these Precepts b. The Reason for these Precepts. c. Qualifications for Receiving these Precepts 9. Upasakas and the Upasaka Precepts a. The Three Refuges i. The Meaning of Prapapeta ii, The One Rule Upasaka b. Nature and Function of the Three Refuges i. The Up4saka Precepts and Sexual Misconduct ii, Deluded and Abusive Speech iii. Strong Liquor iv. The Removal of Transgressions K. The Acquiring of Discipline and Undiscipline 1. The Scope and Motivation for Acquiring the Precepts 2. How One Acquires Undiscipline a. Discussion: On Acquiring Discipline and Undiscipline L. Discarding Discipline 1. Discarding the Pratimoksa Precepts 2. Discarding the Dhyana and the Undefiled Precepts 3. Discarding Undiscipline 4, Discarding Avijdapti 5. Discarding Non-Material Good, and the Defiled Dharmas M. Beings Susceptible to Discipline and Undiscipline IL. Karma as Taught in Various Scriptures A. The Three Types of Karma B. Meritorious Action, Demeritorious Action, and Non-Agitated Action C. Sensation as Retribution 1. Five Modes of Sensation 2. Determinate and Indeterminate Actions D. Karma in the Three Time Periods 1. Four Alternatives 2. The Simultaneity of the Four Karmas a. Projecting Karma 3. Karma in the Three Dhatus and the Five Realms of Rebirth 4. Karma in Antarabhava E. Necessarily Retributed Karma 1. Karma Experienced in the Present Existence a. Its Cause F, Karma as Sensation G. Painful Mental Sensation 1. The Three Dhatus H. The Three Crookednesses, the Three Corruptions, and the Three Stains L The Four Karmas 1. Black and White Karma 2. Black and White Karma and Undefiled Karma 613 616 617 618 618 619 621 621 621 622 624 625 625 626 627 627 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 634 635 635 6363. The Three Silences 4, The Three Purifications 5. The Three Bad Practices 6. The Morality of Views IL The Courses of Action A. The Ten Courses of Action, and Good and Bad Practices B. Vijnapti and Aviflaptirapa 1, Preparatory and Subsequent Action 2. An Act of Murder and the Time of Death of the Victim a, Discussion: Can One Course of Action be a Preparatory or a Subsequent Action? C. The Three Good and Bad Roots 1, A Bad Course of Action 2. A Good Course of Action D. The Roots of a Bad Course of Action E. Murder and the Prapit of its Transgression 1. When a Murderer Dies at the Same Time as, or Earlier than His Victim 2. When a Murderer is a Member of an Organization F. The Characteristics that Determine a Course of Action L Kili a. Refutation of the Jain Idea of Karma 2. Robbery 3. Sexual Misconduct 4. Lying a. “Seen, Heard, Cognized, or Known” 5. Malicious Speech 6. Greed, Anger, and Ignorance G. The Meaning of “Course of Action” 1. Discussion: Is Volition a Mental Action? H. Cutting Off the Roots of Good 1. What Roots are Cut Off? L Volition and the Course of Action J. Courses of Action in the Three Dhatus and the Realms of Rebirth K. The Results of the Courses of Action LL, Wrong Speech, Wrong Action, and Wrong Livelihood TV. Karma and its Results A. The Five Results B. The Moral Tone of the Results C. The Three Time Periods V. Karma as Taught in the Commentaries A. Proper Action, etc. 1, Discussion: Does One Action Project One or Many Births? B. The Three Obstacles D. Conditions for Moral Transgressions 1. Volitional Intention 2, Mortal Transgression and Detachment E. The Relative Gravity of the Mortal ‘Transgressions and their Results 1. The Best of Good Moral Actions 2. Mortal Transgressions and Rebirth in Hell 3, Killing a Bodhisattva VI. The Bodhisattva A. When is One a Bodhisattva? B. His Cultivation C. His Marks D. The Buddhas that He Met E. The Paramitas 659 659 670 671 672 672 673 674 677 677VII. The Three Meritorious Actions 694 A. Definition of Meritorious Action 694 B. Giving 695 1 Its Results 696 2. Giving Different Objects 7 3, Different Recipients 698 4. The Highest Form of Giving 698 5. The Eight Gifts 699 6. Non-Aryan Fields of Merit 700 7. The Karma of Giving 700 a. The Six Causes 700 b. Action Done versus Action Accumulated 701 c. Offerings Made to a Caitya 702 d. A Gift Made to a Bad Field of Meric 703 C. The Meritorious Actions of the Precepts 703 D. The Meritorious Actions of Absorption 705 E. "Brahmin Merit” 706 F. The Gift of the Dharma 706 G. The Three Types of Good 706 VIII. Miscellaneous Discussions A. The Value of Writing, Carving, 707 Eloquence, Poetry, and Calculation. B. Synonyms of Various DharmasCHAPTER THREE The World Oa. Homage to the Buddha. The author wishes to explain the diverse topics of mind that are produced in Kamadhatu, Ripadharu, and Aripyadhacu, the realms of desire, physical matter, and no physical matter (ii.66-73). ‘What are these three realms? la-c. Kamadhatu consists of hell, the Pretas, animals, humans, and six gods! Kamadhatu consists of four complete realms of rebirth (gaés, iii,4) and one part of the heavenly realm of rebirth, namely the six groups of gods, the Caturmahdrajikas, the Trayastrithsas, the Yamas, the Tusitas, the Nirmanaratis, and the Paranirmitavasavattins; plus the physical world (bhdjanaloka, iii.45) that contains these beings. How many places (sthdna) ate there in Kamadhatu? Ic-d. Twenty, through the division of the hells and the differences in the continents. The twenty places are eight hells (iii.58): Sarhjiva, Kalasitra, Sarhghata, Raurava, Maharaurava, Tapana, Pratapana, and Avici; four continents (iii53): Jambudvipa, Pirvavideha, Avaragodaniya, and Uttarakuru; and six heavenly abodes as above (iii.64). And the Pretas and animals. Hence, from Avici hell up to the heaven of the Paranirmitavasavartins, there are twenty places which constitute, with the physical world which rests on the circle of wind (iii.45), Kamadhatu. 2a-b. Above is Ripadham, of seventeen places The seventeen places of Ripadhatu are above Kamadhatu,366__ Chapter Three 2b-d. made up of dhyanas which are each of three stages. But the fourth is of eight stages.? Each of the dhyanas contains three stages or spheres, with the exception of the fourth. The First Dhyana is made up of the Brahmakiyikas, the Brahma- purohitas, and the Mahabrahmanus. The Second Dhyana is made up of the Parittabhas, the Apramé- nabhas, and the Abhasvaras.? The Third Dhyana is made up of the Parittagubhas, the Aprama- nagubhas, and the Subhakresnas. The Fourth Dhydna is made up of the Anabhrakas, the Punya- prasavas, the Brhatphalas, [and the five Suddhavasikas:] Avrhas, Atapas, Sudréas, SudarSanas, Akanisthas. These seventeen places constitute Ripadharu.4 But the Kasmirians say that Repadhatu is made up of only sixteen Places.” In the heaven of the Brahmapurohitas there rises, they say, a lofty dwelling which is named the Heaven of Brahma, inhabited by a single ruler’—such as a terrace or a high place*—but which does not constitute a stage (bbamt). 3a. Ardipyadhatu is not a place.? In fact non-material dharmas do not occupy a place: likewise the material dbarmas when they are past or future, avijfapti and the fnonmaterial dharmas, do not occupy a location, But 3b. It is fourfold through its mode of existence. AkaSanantyayatana, Vijfianantyayatana, Akirhcanyayatana, and Naivasarhjfianasathjfiayatana (or Bhavagra) constitute Aripyadhatu which is thus of four types. “Existence” means the appearance of the skandbas in a new existence by reason of action: it is not through one and the same action that one obtains these different dyatanas that are superior to one another. But this superiority does not imply difference of stage. Where a person exists who possesses an absorption (which produces an existence in Arapyadhacu}, here the existence in question begins; here too, at the end of this existence, the intermeditate being who is called to take up a new existence will be formed [in Kamadhacu The World 367 or Ripadhatu] (See below, note 36). ee The mental series, the mind and mental states (citta and cattta, ii.23) of material beings is supported on physical matter, répa, and in this way can exist. What is the support of the mental series of beings in Ardpyadhatu? 3¢-d. Here the mental series exists supported by the mskdya and the vital organ.!° According to the Abhidharmikas, the mental series of beings in Ardpyadhatu has for its support two dharmas disassociated from the mind, nskayasabhagaia, genre or genus, and jivitendriya, the vital organ ii45). "The mental series of material beings is not supported by these two dharmas, because they lack force; but the mental series of nonmaterial beings possess the necessary force, because they proceed from an absorption from whence the idea of physical matter has been eliminated. But, one would say, genre and the vital organ of material beings is supported by physical matter: but what is the support of genre and the vital organ for nonmaterial beings? ‘These two support one another. Among material beings, genre and the vital organ do not have the force necessary to support one another, but they have this force among nonmaterial beings, because they proceed from a certain absorption. According to the Sautrantikas, the mental series, mind and mental states, does not have, among nonmaterial beings, any support which is external to it. This series is strong and can serve as a support. Or rather, we say that the mind is supported by the mental states, and the mental states by the mind, in the way that you say that genre and the vital organ support one another. The series of minds of a new existence is “projected” by a certain cause (action-defilement, £arma-klesa); if this cause is not free from attachment to physical matter, the mind will be reborn with matter, and its series will be supported by matter, if this cause is fea, fom. SP hy x a