Visions of Unity: The Golden Paṇḍita Shakya Chokden's New Interpretation of Yogācāra and Madhyamaka

Chapter 3 - Readjusting Rungs of the Ladder: Revisiting Doxographical Hierarchies

Chapter 3 Readjusting Rungs of the Ladder Revisiting Doxographical Hierarchies 1. Key Features of Shakya Chokden’s Approach to the Buddhist Tenets This chapter focuses on key elements of Shakya Chokden’s approach that are crucial for an in-depth understanding of his interpretation of Yogåcåra and Madhyamaka. It places that interpretation within the broader context of Buddhist doxographical writings and provides a new perspective on philosophical classifications and their advocates as it is put forward by Shakya Chokden. In his interpretation of Buddhist tenets, Shakya Chokden not only reconsiders the meaning of the Buddhist systems, but also develops a unique approach to the tenet categories themselves, as well as their interrelationship. His approach is particularly powerful due to the intricate relationship between the “vessel” of the tenet categories and the “content” of the views they contain. He accepts the standard fourfold hierarchical division of Buddhist systems into Vaibhå∑ika, Sautråntika, Cittamåtra, and Madhyamaka that had already been introduced from India to Tibet by the time of the early dissemination of Buddhism. Each preceding system in this hierarchical structure is seen as “lower” than the next in terms of accuracy, comprehensiveness, and profundity.1 He also agrees with the placement of Cittamåtra below Madhyamaka in this four-runged hierarchical ladder of tenets.2 This being said, his approach to the interpretation of tenets has two unique features that can be described 109 110 Visions of Unity as follows. First, he holds that what has been negated by followers of the lower tenets is not reintroduced and not affirmed by followers of the higher tenets. Second, he argues that complete realizations of the selflessness of persons (gang zag gi bdag med, pudgalanairåtmya) and partial realizations of the selflessness of phenomena (chos kyi bdag med, dharmanairåtmya) based on the teachings of the lower tenets are genuine from the point of view of the higher tenets as well. Based upon this, Shakya Chokden draws two important conclusions: it is possible to abandon all afflictions and become an arhat even by contemplating the selflessness of persons taught in the Vaibhå∑ika system, without relying on the views of higher tenets; and starting from the level of Satyåkåravåda (i.e., Cittamåtra), the existence of external phenomena is not accepted by any proponents of the Buddhist tenets, including Pråsa∫gika. As a result, in Shakya Chokden’s system, the views of lower Buddhist tenets are assigned substantial weight as self-sufficient soteriological tools. In particular, the higher the tenets are placed in the four-runged ladder of tenets, the closer they come to each other, the more subtle their differences with each other become, and the more those differences pertain to the reality of mental states. When one accepts—as Shakya Chokden does—that the self of persons (gang zag gi bdag, pudgalåtman) is completely refuted even by Vaibhå∑ikas, and external existence is not accepted by anyone starting from the level of Cittamåtra, then the main points of disagreement left between proponents of Mahåyåna tenets about ultimate reality come down to which aspects of mind are real and which are not, which mental aspects should be maintained as true and which should be discarded as illusory and obstructive. Shakya Chokden explains his position in the Ocean of Scriptural Statements and Reasoning: When one engages in the Teachings through the stages of the four tenets, with respect to the modes of proving objects being proven (bsgrub bya sgrub pa’i tshul), there are [cases when] those very [elements] that were established by preceding [tenets] have to be refuted by succeeding ones. Nevertheless, with respect to the modes of negating objects of negation (dgag bya ’gog pa’i tshul), those very negations that were made by preceding [tenets] also have to be posited straight as they are (thad sor ’jog) by the succeeding ones. This is like, for example, the negation of the self of persons by the ßråvaka schools (nyan thos sde pa) and the negation of the self of the apprehended-phenomena (gzung ba chos kyi bdag) by Cittamåtra Followers.3 111 Readjusting Rungs of the Ladder In other words, certain claims of lower systems, such as the existence of partless atoms accepted by Vaibhå∑ika and Sautråntika, are negated by followers of Mahåyåna systems...