⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−− Upajāti
(Premā)
athopastyāśrama-vāsinas-taṁ
manuṣya-varyaṁ parivārya tasthuḥ |
−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−
vddhaś-ca
teṣāṁ bahu-māna-pūrvaṁ kalena sāmnā giram-ity-uvāca ||
7.37
7.37
And
so the ashram-dwellers stepped near
And
stood surrounding that most excellent human being,
And
the most mature among them, being full of respect,
Spoke
in a soft voice these gentle words:
COMMENT:
All
buddhas of the ten directions and the three times
All
revered and respected bodhi-sattvas and maha-sattvas
Mahā-prajñā-parāmita
In
the 3rd pāda of today's verse vṛddhaś-ca
teṣām means the eldest among them and at the same the most
developed or most experienced, the most mature, the one who has grown
the most – vṛddha is the past participle from the root √vṛdh,
which originally means to grow.
This
most mature of ascetics described in today's verse is not a buddha, but he might be a
maha-sattva, a great being. Which is not to say that asceticism is
great, but is to acknowledge that even in sects of asceticism, and
other schools that I don't wish to belong to, it is possible for
great individuals to exist who are worthy of respect and reverence.
As
a rule, however, I don't think that the state of buddha is ever sectarian. So a sectarian buddha might be a contradiction in terms.
After
publishing yesterday's post, it occurred to me that I would like to
start a campaign to end sectarian madness, and to say to anybody who
would like to join with me: You are part of the problem!
As
the Buddha-to-be stands now at the foot of an auspicious and splendid
tree, he has made up his mind (at least for the moment) that
asceticism is not the path and on that basis has set off out of the
ashram. He has not wanted to express his conclusion to the
ascetics in the ashram. He has felt no compulsion to tell them all that, in his judgement, they are barking up the wrong tree. He has simply made to leave.
But since actions speak louder than words,
the ascetics have seen him heading out, and they want to know why. In
that sense, as the Buddha-to-be stands there now, surrounded by those
sincere believers in an ascetic dharma, he really has entered the
ascetic woods.
In BC7.48 the Buddha-to-be will tell the ascetics his conclusion (which is in fact not yet a conclusion, but only a view):
svargaya
yuṣmākam ayam tu dharma mam' ābhilāṣas tv-apunar-bhavāya
This
dharma of yours is directed towards heaven,
but my desire is freedom
from becoming.
I
think Aśvaghoṣa is interested in the process whereby the
Buddha-to-be is able to express this view without antagonizing the
ascetics. And one of the circumstances which makes it possible for
him to extricate himself harmoniously from the ascetic woods is the
maturity shown by the veteran ascetic who is about to speak.
The
implicit point that Aśvaghoṣa seems to be making in today's verse,
then, and indeed throughout the present Canto, is that excellent
human beings – whether the excellence is inherent or the outcome of
a process of growth or age or experience – are able to agree to
disagree, without antagonizing each other unduly.
Young
sectarian firebrands of all stripes, in contrast, seem to wish to go
out of their way to antagonize people who don't share their
particular views. One such young firebrand, it may be argued, was the
young Zen Master Dogen who, when he came back from China in his
mid-twenties declaring in so many words that his return represented
the entry point of the true Dharma into Japan, caused those he had
antagonized – at least so the story goes as I heard it – to burn
down his temple.
One
might think that Zen, being about nothing if not attention and awareness (as opposed to trying unconsciously to be right), would be immune to sectarian folly. One
might think the same about the FM Alexander Technique. And in that view one might
be demonstrably wrong!
VOCABULARY
atha:
ind. and so, then
upasṛtya
= abs. upa- √ sṛ: to go towards, step near, approach
āśrama-vāsinaḥ
(nom. pl. m.): the ashram-dwellers
tam
(acc. sg. m.): him
manuṣya-varyam
(acc. sg. m.): the best of men
manuṣya:
m. a man , human being
varya:
ifc. excellent , eminent , chief , principal , best of (gen. or
comp.)
parivārya
= abs. pari- √ vṛ : to surround
tasthuḥ
= 3rd pers. pl. perf. sthā: to stand
vṛddhaḥ
(nom. sg.): m. an old man (ifc. " eldest among "); mfn.
grown , become larger or longer or stronger , increased ; grown up ,
full-grown , advanced in years , aged , old , senior ; experienced ,
wise , learned ; exalted , joyful , glad
√ vṛdh:
to increase , augment , strengthen , cause to prosper or thrive; to
elevate , exalt , gladden , cheer , exhilarate ; to grow , grow up ,
increase , be filled or extended , become longer or stronger , thrive
, prosper , succeed
ca:
and
teṣāṁ
(gen. pl. m.): of them, among them
bahu-māna-pūrvam:
ind. with much respect
kalena
(inst. sg. n.): mfn. low , soft (as a tone) , emitting a soft tone ,
melodious (as a voice or throat)
sāmnā
= inst. sg. sāman: n. calming , tranquillizing , (esp.) kind or
gentle words for winning an adversary , conciliation , negotiation
giram
(acc. sg.): f. invocation , addressing with praise , praise , verse ,
song ; f. speech , speaking , language , voice , words
iti:
thus
uvāca
= 3rd pers. sg. perf. vac: to speak
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