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Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t5: Adhyàtma-Vidyà

Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t5

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English

Adhyàtma-Vidyà

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Adhyàtma-vidyà was an ancient Indian knowledge related to religion and philosophy, and was one of the five sciences. Indian Buddhists claimed that Buddhist theories such as teachings of Tripitaka and 12 divisions preached by Buddha and his disciples were “inner-teaching” or “inner-learning”, and called all non-Buddhist theories as “heretics”, and there was the statement of “18 heretical scriptures” or “ninety six heretics”. Adhyàtma-vidyà was also called as “inner treatise” or “inner doctrine”. volume III in Bodhisattva Charya Nirdesha translated by Indian Tripitaka Dharmakema in the middle Northern Liang Dynasty thought that “Buddha’s teachings were named adhyàtma-vidyà. There were two functions briefly: the first was to show cause and effect positively; the second was to show that cause led to effect and the corresponding result shall not be obtained without kama cause.” (Bodhi Power Chapter) in volume III of *Bodhisattva Charya Nirdesha* translated by Kophen Tripitaka Guavarman in the Liusong Dynasty pointed out that “inner treatises meant 12 sutras. Bodhisattva-mahasattva sought 12 sutras for two affairs. The first was to know the cause and effect. The second was to show that cause leads to effect and corresponding result shall not be obtained without kama cause.” Volume II of *Travelling Notes of the Western Regions in the Great Tang Dynasty* explained that the connotation of Adhyàtma-vidyà was “to think about five vehicles and understand cause and effect as well as truth”. Volume XIII of *Yogacharya-bhumi-shastra* preached by Maitreya Buddha and translated by Xuanzang pointed out that Adhyàtma-vidyà had four forms ie form of establishment of sutras, vinaya and shastras, form of establishment of specific Buddhist names and appearances, form of explaining Buddhist doctrines and form of knowing doctrines of Buddhism, in which the form of establishment of sutras, vnayas and shastras meant to explain all Buddhist doctrines with Buddhist sutras, vinaya and sastras. As for different roles of the five sciences, volume V (Chapter of Appeals) of *Sutra Lamkara* written by Asanga and translated by IndianTripitaka Prabhakara Mitra pointed out that “Adhyàtma-vidyà is a science of self-knowledge. Hetuvidya shastra is a science of conquering heretics. Shabdavidya is a science of persuading others. Chikitsavidya is a science of medicines. Shilpasthanavidya is a science of enlightening all living beings.” Adhyàtma-vidyà was related to different doctrines of different ancient Indian schools, contents were complicated and there were mutual differences, and these schools thought that their theories were authentic adhyàtma-vidyà. Religion and philosophy knowledge of Indian schools had massive sutras translated into

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[Figure: Li Baiyao’s Mahayanasutralamkara (Da Cheng Zhuang Yan Jing Lun), Ming Dynasty edition]

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Chinese and Chinese scholars know about ancient Indian Adhyàtma-vidyà and recognise pluralism and complexity of Indian religion and philosophy through the Samkhya classic *Hiranyasaptati* and the Vaisesika classic *Vaisesika-dasa-padartha-prakarana* (written by Maticandra) which were regarded as “heretics of six teachers” by Buddhists and were respectively translated by Indian Tripitaka Paramārtha in the Chen Dynasty and Xuanzang in Tang Dynasty.

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(*Chen Ming*)

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