Buddhism : Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Vol. VI

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THE JO-NAN-PAS

Later Zi I uri. pa Sakya mchog I dan,^75 who claimed to uphold the Sa sky a
teaching and who was celebrated as a great scholar, wrote in his youth the
dBu rna rnam nes, the rTsod yig tshigs bead rna, etc. Moved as he was
without his being free in mind by the demon of passion and hate directed
against the method of the theory established by the master Tsori. kha pa-
the real meaning of Nagarjuna and his Son (Aryadeva)-he thus composed
many apparent refutations. And claiming he had accepted literally the texts
of the Rigs tshogs^76 and of Candraklrti, he explained that the theory of
neither being nor non-being (yod min med min gyi Ita ba) was the doctrine of
Sri-Candra.^77 But in his old age he composed the Lugs giiis rnam 'byed; and,
after having affirmed that Asari.ga and his brother Vasubandhu were Great
Madhyamikas^78 and that Candrakirti and the rest were Madhyamika proponents
of the non-existence of Own-being (nibsvabhiivatii), he for example insisted
that this siinyatii is not to be practised at the time of realization-in-
meditation because it is the siinyatii of destruction (chad stan) and absolute-
negation (prasajyaprati$edha).^79 [llb] He thus composed many terrible
discourses.
As a result of having during his whole life studied the doctrines, at the time
of his death he became aware of the bad and low theory which defeats the cause
(rgyu = hetu) of the dharmakiiya of the tathiigata; and this constitutes a sign of
the great merits of Sakya mchog Idan. When he changed his field-of-existence
(iin), he accepted as retribution the fruit-flowing (ni$yandaphala) from his act of
reviling the exact vision of his youth. And in his subsequent existences he had
experience of many burdens in accordance with what is expressed in a verse of
the CatubSataka (12.10): "He who is enveloped by confusion of thought pro-
cures for himself spiritual obstacles, and he will obtain neither the good nor a
fortiori Liberation."




In the divisions of one lunation of the established-doctrine (siddhiinta), the
bright fortnight brings the clear light which is the right explanation;
And the dark fortnight comprises the thick darkness of bad theories: the Jo
nari. pa system includes both.^80
The brilliant dawn, which is the good explanation of the Kalacakra, brings
thousands of suns which are the joy of scholars;
But the darkness of the bad and incurable theory in the Jo nari. pa system
obscures the Path of Liberation.
The refutations made by scholars constitute sometimes a shower of hail-
stones, while sometimes offerings of flower-garlands of praise are made.
After such a one as I has subjected it to a decisive examination, it is difficult
to praise or criticise [exclusively] the Jo nari. pa system:
This system joining together the iron band of the theory of the permanent,
stable and eternal and the golden band of the consecrations of the Tantras and
instructions

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