8538-Article Text-8346-1-10-20110301

THE JOURNAL
OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
BUDDHIST STUDIES
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A. K. Narain
University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
EDITORS
Heinz Bechert Leon Hurvitz
Universitdt Gottingen, FRG UBC, Vancouver, Canada
Lewis Lancaster Alexander W. MacDonald

University of California, Berkeley, USA Universite de Paris X, Nanterre, France
B. f. Stavisky Alex Wayman

WNIIR, Moscow, USSR Columbia University, New York, USA
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Stephan Beyer
University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
Volume 4 1981 Number I

CONTENTS
I. ARTICLES
The Concepts of Truth and Meaning in the Buddhist

Scriptures, by Jose I. Cabezon 7
Changing the Female Body: Wise Women and the Bodhi-
sattva Career in Some Maharatnakvtasutras, by Nancy
Schuster 24
liodhi and Amhattaphala. From early Buddhism to early
Mahayana, h Karel Werner 70
II. SHORT PAPERS
A Study on the Madhyamika Method of Refutation and Its

Influence on Buddhist Logic, by Shohei Ichimura 87
An Exceptional Group of Painted Buddha Figures at Ajanta,
fry Anand Krishna 96
Rune E. A. Johansson's Analysis of Citta: A Criticism, by
Arvind Sharma 101
III. BOOK REVIEWS AND NOTICES
Cross Currents in Early Buddhism, fry S. N. Dube 108

Buddha's Lions—The Lives of the Eighty-Four Siddhas, by
James B. Robinson 111
Tangles and Webs, by Padmasiri de Silva 113
Buddhist and Freudian Psychology, by Padmasiri de Silva 114
Buddhist-Christian Empathy, by Joseph J. Spae 115
T h e Religions of Tibet, by Guiseppe Tucci 119
IV. NOTES AND NEWS
A Report on the 3rd Conference of the IABS 123

Buddhism and Music 127
Presidential Address at the 2nd IABS Conference at Nalanda
hyP.Prndhan 128
contributors 143
III. BOOK REVIEWS AND NOTICES
Cross Currents in Early Buddhism by S. N. Dube. Delhi: Manohar Publica-

tions, 1980. Pp. XIII + 375, Bibliography, Index.
T h e volume under review, Cross Currents in Early Buddhism, is a

valuable recent contribution to Buddhist studies. It is substantially based
on the Ph.D. thesis presented to the University of Rajasthan under the
title "Doctrinal Controversies in Early Buddhism." In fact, it has been a
long time since this reviewer has come across a critical study of early
Buddhist concepts and ideals so well-documented—especially from the
Pali sources. Like Har Dayal's The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhist Sanskrit
Literature, this work refers to source materials copiously and extensively.
Indeed, this volume adds materials from the Pali sources on many
of the topics discussed in Har Dayal's work, which is mainly based on the
Sanskrit Buddhist sources.
In the history of early Buddhism, Kathavatthu and Miluidapanha
are the most important treatises, replete as they are with various contro-
versies that had surfaced gradually in the placid domain of Buddhist
thought after the passing away of the Master. This development itself
testifies to the vigour of Buddhist ideas that were influencing the
thought currents of the times, ultimately leading to the formation of
different schools and the emergence of the Mahayana . Although both
these texts have been translated into English with critical notes and In-
troduction (Points of Controversy by S. Z. Aung and Mrs. Rhys Davids PTS;
The Questions of King Milinda by Mr. T. W. Rhys Davids, in Sacred Books
of the East; and Milinda's Questions by Miss I. B. Horner, in Sacred Books of
Buddhists), no comprehensive critical study of these texts has appeared.
Dr. Dube, therefore, is to be congratulated for selecting the Kathavatthu
as the main subject for his critical analysis.
Attempts at reinterpretation of Buddhist ideals were probably
made after the second Buddhist council under the leadership of the
Mahasaiighikas; and by the time of Asoka, diverse hypotheses had been
advanced to explain the teaching of the Master. These are discussed
multifariously in Moggaliputta Tissa's Kathavatthu, the text of which was
raised to canonical status, although it was not huddhavarana in the
strictest sense of the term, being authored by a disciple.
T h e Kathavatthu abounds in doctrinal polemics, and is of immense
importance for the reconstruction of the history of early Buddhism. Dr.
Dube rightly remarks that it "presents a broad cross-sectio.i of Buddhist
thought in an age of critical transition when some of the conflicts and
108
obscurities latent in the earlier doctrines emerged openly, and when in
the course of their discussion ground was prepared for future develop-
ment" (Preface, p. 1).
T h e work is divided into three sections: (A) Genesis and Growth of
Controversies, (B) Controversies reflecting Religious Development and
the Mahasahghika Impact, (C) Controversies reflecting Philosophical
Development and the Beginnings of New Schools. Section (B) contains
very important chapters on "The Ideal of Arhant: Challenge and De-
fence," "Apotheosis of the Buddha" and "The Ideal of Bodhisatta."
T h o u g h these topics have been discussed by Har Dayal, N. Dutt, A. B.
Keith, E. J. Thomas and host of other scholars, here for the first time
the relevant issues have been discussed and fresh interpretation pre-
sented in the light of Kathdvatthu. The last section (C) includes contro-
versies over the pudgala theory as well as problem of the unconditioned
(nibbdna) as redefined by certain sections of Buddhist monks. It also
deals with the concept of two uirodhas (patisahkhdniiodha and afjatisankhd-
ttirodha) as well as causal genesis and the Four Noble Truths.
T h e author links the Kathdvatthu with the beginnings of Mahayana
and says: "If the evolution of Mahayana proper is to be placed in the
first century B.C. [he quotes various authorities for the date, see p. 31,
n. 35], there is no reason why its essentials should not have originated in
the third centurv. B.C." (p. 7). He assigns the Kathdvatthu roughlv to the
middle of 3rd century B.C. (p. 9). However, there are scholars who find
Mahayana tendencies in the early Nikayas also (Cf. N. Dutt Mahd\dua
Buddhism [Calcutta, 1973J, chap. II). It is therefore difficult to be precise
about the date.
In a basic work of this type, we would have expected the author to
demarcate the sects which were hell-bent on denigrating the ideal of
Arhanihood instead of making general observations, viz. The concept of
Arhanthood forms a significant issue of debate in the Kathdvatthu. The
text discusses several theses propounded by different sects. A close
scrutiny would show that a number of these theses were in the nature of
an impeachment of the Arhants" (p. 90). For. the pivotal issue, as yet
undecided, is which sects could be included in the Mahayana and which
in the so-called "Hinayana." We are still in the dark about the exact
doctrinal standpoints of the so-called eighteen schools vi\-a-vi.\ Hinayana
and Mahayana controversies.
T h e author also discusses the issue of whether a layman can become
an arhant and presents the Theravada standpoint that he cannot. The Ut-
tarapathakas believe that a layman may be an arhant and in the Kathavat-
thu (according to its Atthakatha) they cite examples of some laymen becom-
ing arhants. Dr. Dube makes a pertinent remark in this connection: "It may
be observed that this controversy is merelv a Buddhist echo of a larger
109
issue which may be found in Brahmanical thought. . ." (p. 104). In my
view, this issue was raised by a minor section and was never a major issue
among Buddhists, as even "Mahayana philosophers exalt and glorify
monastic celibacy and seclution, while they condone and tolerate do-
mestic life as an inferior state." (Cf. Har Dayal, op. cit. [ 1932] p. 223.)
T h e author also refers to "some enigmatic passages in canonical
literature, the testimony of which makes it difficult to draw any distinc-
tion between the conception of Buddha and Arhant" (p. 112). There are
misleading passages in the Nikdyas, e.g., in Arhanta-sutta, Samyuttanihdya,
vol. II, p. 310 (Nalanda ed.), Nadanti te sihanddam, buddhd loke anuttard,
where the word buddha, in my view, is in a general sense of "wise, awak-
ened one," not in the technical sense of sammdsambuddha. I would, how-
ever, say that right from the beginning of the Buddhist teaching there has
been a marked distinction between the status of an Arhant and a Bud-
dha. Every Buddha is also an Arhant but not vice-versa.
T h e book is well-printed, except for a few misspellings here and
there, e.g. Atthavargiya (p. 18) for Arthavargiya, patisaddhfi (p. 129) for
patipassaddhi; or misprints like separation of letters in Sanskrit verse (p.
25). Also, wrong page references have crept in, e.g., p. 145, n. 30, p.
146, n. 61, etc.
T h e r e also are a few instances of misinterpretation of passages.
Referring to the Majjhimarukdya (vol. Ill, pp. 38 ff., Nalanda ed.) the
author says: "He [Buddha] had the apprehension that there might arise
some differences of opinion on abhidhnmma, ajjhdjwa and adhi-pdti-
mokkha. However, these would not be very significant. But in cases there
arose any dispute over the fruits (magga), path (patipadd) or the congre-
gation (samgha), it would be a matter of regret and harm" (p. 42). The
author obviously has not followed the use of prefixes abhi and adhi in the
translated passage. Also, there are stray examples of inexpressive trans-
lation, e.g., "So far as I understand the Dhamma, taught by the Lord, it
is that following the stumbling-blocks, there is no stumbling-block at all"
(p. 44) which is a translation of the Majjhinw passage (vol. I, p. 174, see p
82, n. 47 cited by the author). The passage in question is: Tathdham
bhagavatd dhammam desitam djdndmi yathd yeme antardyikd dhamma vuttd
bhagavatd te patisevato ndlam antardydyd ti. Similarly, the translation of
paravitnrand as "excelled" (p. 102) or "help" or "guidance" (p. 103) is far
from satisfactory.
T h e book is well-indexed and an exhaustive bibliography has been
appended. I am sure it will prove a valuable reference work on early
Buddhism.
N. H. Samtani
110

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THE JOURNAL

OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF

Lewis Lancaster Alexander W. MacDonald

B. f. Stavisky Alex Wayman

Volume 4 1981 Number I

The Concepts of Truth and Meaning in the Buddhist

II. SHORT PAPERS

A Study on the Madhyamika Method of Refutation and Its

III. BOOK REVIEWS AND NOTICES

Cross Currents in Early Buddhism, fry S. N. Dube 108

IV. NOTES AND NEWS

A Report on the 3rd Conference of the IABS 123

Cross Currents in Early Buddhism by S. N. Dube. Delhi: Manohar Publica-

T h e volume under review, Cross Currents in Early Buddhism, is a

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