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Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c7.s3.t7: Four Lines of Interpretation in the Nikāyas

Aspects of Mahāyāna Buddhism and its Relation to Hīnayāna c7.s3.t7

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Four Lines of Interpretation in the Nikāyas

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Scholars who took the passages in the Buddhist literature on the denial of soul too literally, without considering the motive for the denial of the soul made at a particular place and in reply to the query of a particular person, believed that the early Buddhists did not admit the existence of soul and that hence the finality reached by perfect beings was complete annihilation, the absence of existence altogether. There were also some scholars, not very many among the earlier group, who inclined to the view that Nirvāṇa was not annihilation but an inexpressible state corresponding to the Vedāntic Brahman. All these scholars, although they held one or other of the two views, complete annihilation or eternal, inexpressible existence, often admitted that Buddha was an agnostic and did not give a definite answer to any of the queries of a metaphysical character, viz., whether there is a soul, or what really is Nirvāṇa. Thus, the opinions of scholars can be classified as follows:—

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(i) That Nirvāṇa is annihilation;¹

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¹ Cf. Suzuki, *Outlines of Mahāyāna Buddhism*, p. 351 quoting the Vimalakīrtisūtra: "Non-activity and eternal annihilation were cherished by Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas".

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(ii) That Nirvāṇa is an inconceivable and inexpressible eternal state;

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(iii) That Nirvāṇa has been left undefined (avyākṛta) by Buddha.² To these may be added the interpretation of Buddhaghosa

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² See La Vallée Poussin, *Nirvāṇa*, pp. 9, 87 ff.; also *E.R.E.*, II, p. 377 and his *Way to Nirvāṇa*, p. 134; Beal, *Catena* etc., p. 172. According to Colebrooke, Nirvāṇa=profound calm; " " Hardy, Burnouf, Childers, Nirvāṇa=extinction; " " Max Müller, Nirvāṇa=rest; " " Oldenberg, Nirvāṇa=supreme happiness.

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(iv) That Nirvāṇa is eternal, pure and infinite consciousness.

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