Buddhism : Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Vol. VI

ON THE CONCEPT OF SAHAJA

Name of Joy
(I.i.28; x.l3; II.iii.9)
Joy (ananda)
Perfect Joy (paramananda)
Joy of Cessation
( viramananda)
Simultaneously-arisen Joy
(sahajananda)

Fig. II

Corresponding Moment

(I.i.24; II.iii.6)

Variety (vicitra)

Development (vipaka)

Consummation (vimarda)

Blank (vilak~aiJ.a)

Consecration

(II.iii.l 0)

Master

Secret

Wisdom

Fourth

HVT? A number of relevant passages of HVT may be rendered schematically as

follows (Fig. III).

Two questions arise from the material presented in Figs. II and III - firstly,

what is the significance of the succession of the various Joys, and secondly,

what is the relationship between the Joys and the four Consecrations? We shall

examine these questions in detail.

What emerges with great clarity from Fig. III is the transcendency, the radical

"otherness", of the Fourth Joy in relation to the other three. They are "of this

world", but the Simultaneously-arisen Joy "exists not in these three" (I.x.l5); in

it there is found "neither passion nor absence of passion, nor yet a middle state"

(I.viii.35;x.17), therein is "neither Wisdom nor Means" (I.viii.35 -Wisdom and

Means correspond to nirva!).a and sarpsara respectively, cf. I. viii. 34); it is "other

than these three and knows neither passion nor the absence of passion" (II.vi.8).

Consequently, it is ineffable: "By no other may it be told, and from no one may

it be received" (I.viii.36), "It is known intuitively" (atmana jfiayate) (ibid.) and

can only be directly experienced by oneself (svasarpvedya)^98 • Thus the Moment

at which it takes place is said to be Blank (vilak~a!).a, lit. "void of character-

istics") or "free of diversity" (II .iii. 22)^99 •

It would therefore appear to be quite natural that the Simultaneously-arisen

Joy should come last-for what could there be beyond this? Nevertheless two

texts in AVS-the Sekanin)aya (SN) (p. 28 I. 3-4) and the Caturmudriiniscaya

is caused by: results in: characterized as:

Joy desire for contact some bliss a middle of this

state world

Perfect Joy desire for bliss yet more sarpsara

Joy of the passing of a passionless nirva!).a

Cessation passion state

Simultaneously- thereby the fourth the Sim.-arisen exists not in

arisen Joy is realized Joy these three

(HVT I.viii.33) (l.viii.32) (I.viii.34) (I.x.15)

Fig. III