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Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c7.s3.t2: (II) Passage from Nimitta to Animitta

Aspects of Mahāyāna Buddhism and its Relation to Hīnayāna c7.s3.t2

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(II) Passage from Nimitta to Animitta

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The Hinayānists, according to the Sūtrālaṅkāra⁶, have only personality as their basis (pudgala-nimitta) for meditation, and so they reach only Śrāvaka-bodhi or Pratyeka-bodhi and not Samyak-sambodhi, which can only be attained by making all dharmas (existent things and conditions) the basis (nimitta) for meditations¹. The Śrāvakas distinguish between a thing with signs (nimitta) and a thing without signs (animitta) and try to draw away their minds from all nimittas and apply them to the attainment of the animitta which they attain in due course. The Mahāyānists think that the dual conception of things cannot lead to mokṣa. They do not know of anything other than Tathatā (thatness of things); so to them a nimitta is equally an animitta, and consequently their knowledge, derived as it is on the basis of Tathatā alone, is free from all differentiations or dualism (dvayagrāha-vivarjiṭam)². By the remark that the Hinayānists distinguish between Nimitta and Animitta and consider that a person attains Animitta (=Nibbāna) by cogitating on the Animitta-dhātu and dissociating his mind from all things with signs, the Sūtrālaṅkāra³ refers in a general way to the practice of the Hinayānists to avoid rāga, dosa, moha and such other nimittas⁴ by which a being becomes entangled in worldly things. There are in the Nikāyas many passages of this import, e.g., in the Dīgha and Aṅguttara Nikāyas⁵ it is said that a person by inattention to all signs (of allurement) develops such a mental concentration that it may be described as animitta (without sign). But the prevalent meaning of Animitta in Pāli works is Nibbāna, the goal to be reached through the meditations (samādhis or vimokkhas) called suññata, appaṇihita and animitta. These vimokkhas help the adept to comprehend that the things of the world are essenceless (anatta), unpleasant (dukkha) and impermanent (anicca)¹. The Aṅguttara Nikāya² hints that a person puts an end to his āsavas (impurities) by dwelling on these three nimittas while the Aṭṭhasālini³ states that the five khandhas appear as frightful to a man as a dead body hung round his neck, if he understands the three lakkhaṇas (anicca, dukkha and anatta).

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⁶ Sūtrā., pp. 140.

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¹ Sūtrā., pp. 169-170.

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² For the exposition of Dharma-tattva as satatam dvayena rahitam, see Ibid., pp. 58 ff.

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³ Sūtrā., p. 169: Sarvanimittānām amanasikārād animittasya ca dhātor manasikārād animittam samāpadyante (as done by the Śrāvakas and not by Bodhisattvas).

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⁴ Mahāniddesa, I, p. 198: Rūpanimitta, saddan., gandhan., rasan., phoṭṭhabban., and dhamman.

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⁵ Aṅguttara, III, pp. 292, 397; Dīgha, II, 100: Yasmim samaye tathāgato sabbanimittānam amanasikārā ekaccānam vedanānam nirodho animittam cetosamādhim upasampajja viharati; Paṭis. M., I, p. 91: Nimittam bhayato sampassamāno animitte adhimuttattā pavattam ajjhupekkhitvā nirodham nibbānam animittam āvajjitvā samāpajjitvā etc.; see also Vis. M., p. 672; Mahāniddesa, I, p. 198.

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¹ These three are called also lakkhaṇas (properties of worldly things). Cf. Jāt., I, p. 48 : Buddhānañ ca dhammadesanā tilakkhaṇamuttā nāma natthi, tesam aniccadukkhamanattā ti . . .

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² Aṅguttara, III, p. 319.

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³ Aṭṭha., p. 225.

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