Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c7.s3.t1.7

c7.s3.t1.7

What the Mahāyānists endeavour to point out is that the Hinayānists concern themselves with the realisation of the non-existence of a permanent entity like soul (Pudgala-nairātmya) and not of the non-existence of anything whatsoever supposed to exist (Dharma-nairātmya)². According to the Mahāyānists, this realisation attained by the Hinayānists cannot lead them to the ultimate Reality; it carries them only some distance towards the Truth, and hence Nirvāṇa in the real sense of the term cannot be said to be attained by them³. The Hinayānists, however, consider that they reach Nirvāṇa when they know that they will have no more birth as they have led the life of holiness (brahmacarya) and realised the pudgala-nairātmya. Some think, as the Laṅkāvatāra⁴ puts it, that Nirvāṇa is attained by comprehending what is really soul or personality; some others think that it is attained by penetrating into the truth that things are dependent on causes. But in fact, the Laṅkāvatāra⁵ adds, there is no real emancipation (mokṣa) without the realisation of Dharma-nairātmya. So the Hinayānists do not actually reach mokṣa; they are only tossed up and down by the properties (lakṣaṇa) of things like a log of wood by the waves.