Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c7.s3.t27.7

c7.s3.t27.7

The Mahāyānic conception of Nirvāṇa is completely different from the Hīnayānic. The fundamental point of difference is that the Mahāyānists deny the existence of elements altogether. They do not know of any other reality but the truth, the Dharmakāya or Dharmadhātu. Many of the aspects of their conception are brought out by the various terms used in Mahāyānic works. For instance, when Nirvāṇa is equated with śūnyatā, the implication is that all things which are ordinarily supposed to exist are really non-existent just as the mirage has no substantiality whatever, e.g., the pṛthivī-dhātu is void (śūnya) of real origination, destruction, or existence in reality.¹ When it is equated with Tathatā or Dharmatā, the implication is that all things of this world are essentially of the same nature, void of any name or substratum.² It is that which is neither existence nor non-existence.³ Śūnyatā represents the negative and Tathatā the positive aspects of the Truth. When it is called bhūtakoṭi (true limit), it is implied that on analysis of dharmas, which are false designations, one arrives finally at the Reality, beyond which it is impossible to pass and which alone is true. Some of the other expressions which are often used as synonyms of Nirvāṇa are,—avitathatā (not untruth); ananyathatā (unique); aviparyāsatathatā (irreversible); paramārtha (the highest truth), tattva (the essence); acintyadhātu (incomprehensible substance), dharmadhātu (totality of things), dharmasthiti (substratum of things); supraśānta (perfectly calm, unruffled by origination or destruction); advaya and advaidhīkāra (non-separable and non-divisible).⁴