−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−− Upajāti
(Rāmā)
jñānaṁ
paraṁ vā pthivī-śriyaṁ vā viprair-ya
ukto 'dhigamiṣyatīti |
⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−
sa
eṣa śākyādhipates-tanū-jo
nirīkṣyate pravrajito janena || 10.11
10.11
"Ultimate knowing, or else earthly
power,
Inspired sages said he would realize:
It is he, the son of the Śākya ruler,
Who, having gone forth, is being
admired by the people."
COMMENT:
On the surface King Śreṇya asked the
reason for the crowd's gathering, and some bloke told him the reason,
which was that the people were all gawping at the marvel of a royal prince
who had gone forth into the life of a wandering beggar. In that
case, the answer to the king's question is contained in the second
half of today's verse. The reason the crowd gathered was to gaze at
the prince.
But below the surface, as I argued
yesterday, the king was inquiring into the motive behind all the
activity, and the motive was the bodhisattva's desire to realize
ultimate knowing. In that case, the answer to the king's question is
contained in the first two words of today's verse – jñānaṁ
param. The motive behind everything was ultimate knowing.
Speaking
of knowing, FM Alexander said that to know when we are wrong is all
that we shall ever know in this world.
In
those terms, the highest order of knowing might include insight into
faulty sensory appreciation and its causes.
But
I think that Aśvaghoṣa is rather intending to suggest with jñānaṁ
param a still higher order of knowing, namely, direct experience of
what does not belong in the realm of knowable knowledge. Ultimate
knowing, then, might be not so much knowledge as realization.
So
again I come back to Nāgārjuna's assertion, which has been
occupying my mind of late, that what the Buddha taught was just pratītya-samutpāda,
or All Springing Up Together, with direction.
Buddhist
scholars in the past have translated pratītya-samutpāda as
“dependent origination” – a doctrine that does belong in the
realm of knowable knowledge.
But
Zen Master Dogen, as a distant descendant of Aśvaghoṣa and
Nāgārjuna, took pains to clarify that what has been transmitted by
the Zen patriarchs is just the practice and experience of sitting in
full lotus. And this practice and experience, I submit, can never be
expressed by a phrase like “dependent origination.” Springing Up
Together, with direction, also does not hit the target – insofar as
the target cannot be hit with words. But as a pointer to what is
called in today's verse jñānaṁ param “ultimate knowing,” I
submit that All Springing
Up Together, with direction
is – as a translation of pratītya-samutpāda which is literal enough and which has meaning – in the right general area.
VOCABULARY
jñānam
(acc. sg.): n. knowing , becoming acquainted with , knowledge ,
(esp.) the higher knowledge (derived from meditation on the one
Universal Spirit)
param
(acc. sg. n.): mfn. highest, of the highest order
vā: or
pṛthivī-śriyam
(acc. sg. f.): earthly majesty ; power over the earth
pṛthivī:
f. the earth or wide world
śrī:
f. light, glory; prosperity, wealth, treasure ; high rank , power ,
might , majesty , royal dignity
vā: or
vipraiḥ
(inst. pl.): a sage , seer , singer ; a Brahman ; mfn. stirred or
excited (inwardly) , inspired , wise (said of men and gods , esp. of
agni , indra , the aśvins , maruts &c ; cf. paṇḍita)
yaḥ
(nom. sg. m.): [he] who
uktaḥ
(nom. sg m.): mfn. said
adhigamiṣyati
= 3rd pers. sg. future adhi- √ gam: to go up to,
accomplish, realize
iti:
“....,” thus
sa
(nom. sg. m.): he
eva
(emphatic)
eṣaḥ
(nom. sg. m.): mfn. this, this here ; sometimes used to give emphasis
to the personal pronouns
śākyādhipateḥ
(gen. sg. m.): of the Śākya ruler
tanū-jaḥ
(nom. sg.): m. 'born of the body'; son
nirīkṣyate
= 3rd pers. sg. passive nir- √ īkṣ: to look at or
towards , behold , regard , observe (also the stars) , perceive
pravrajitaḥ
(nom. sg. m.): one who has left home to become a religious mendicant
pra- √
vraj: to go forth ; to leave home and wander forth as an ascetic
mendicant
janena
(inst. sg.): m. people
昔聞釋氏種 殊特殊勝子
神慧超世表 應王領八方
今出家在此 衆人悉奉迎
神慧超世表 應王領八方
今出家在此 衆人悉奉迎
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