The interrelationship between consciousness and sensuality in Nāgārjuna’s philosophy

Authors

  • Sergey Yu. Lepekhov Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu17.2020.412

Abstract

The interrelationship between consciousness and sensuality is a significant problem in many philosophical systems. The peculiarities of religious philosophy consists in the congruence of using argumentation with the basic religious dogmata, which are unchangeable and uncritiqued. This aspect, in turn, stimulates the development of exegetics and hermeneutics. In comparison with the Western philosophy, the particularity of Indian and Buddhist philosophy infers a larger quantity of polemical materials directed against the representatives of other competing schools. This article discusses the formation of the concept of “sensuality” in various Buddhist schools (Theravāda, Sarvastivāda, Madhyamaka) and the mutual conditionality of the sensual and mental (nāma-rūpa) in the conceptions of Theravādins and Sarvastivādins is noted. The peculiarities of using the terms “Hīnayāna” and “Hīnayānist” in Mahāyāna texts are explained. The representatives of Theravāda and Madhyamaka distinguished the terms of “clear sense” and “hidden sense”, which, in turn, led to the appearance of the concept of “two truths” in Nāgārjuna’s philosophy. The particularities of his argumentation regarding sensuality’s absence of self-nature (rūpa) and his analysis of the various aspects of reality (including illusions, perceived as real ones) make it possible, which Nāgārjuna could admit, that consciousness could be more real in comparison with sensuality. It is concluded that there are no clear statements by Nāgārjuna about consciousness having an ontological status. In the author’s opinion, the absence of a clear division between “two truths” makes it possible to use this concept in social practice. The author’s translation to Russian of one of Nāgārjuna’s hymns “The praising of inconceivable” (Acintyastava) from Sanskrit and from Tibetan is provided.

Keywords:

Buddhism, Тheravāda, Sarvastivāda, Madhyamaka, nāma-rūpa, Nāgārjuna, Acintyastava

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References

Литература

1. Bhikkhu Ñānamoli (1999), Introduction, in Buddhaghosa (ed.), Visuddhimagga: The Path of Purification, transl. by Bhikkhu Ñānamoli, Seattle: Buddhist Publication Society, pp. i–xlix.

2. Лепехов, С. Ю. (2019), Влияние наследия Нагарджуны на индийскую философию, Вестник БГУ. Философия, № 1, c. 24–38.

3. Westerhoff, J. (2015), Chapter 7. Nāgārjuna’s Yogācāra, in Madhyamaka and Yogācāra: Allies or Rivals?, Garfild, Jay L. and Westerhoff, J. (eds), Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 165–183.

4. Лепехов, С. Ю. (1999), Философия мадхьямиков и генезис буддийской цивилизации, Улан-Удэ: Изд-во БНЦ СО РАН.

5. Tola, F. and Dragonetti, C. (1985), Nāgārjuna’s Catustava, Journal of Indian Philosophy, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1–54.

6. Nāgārjuna. Acintyastava (s. a.), Narthang edition of the Acintyastava by Krsnapandita and Tshul khrims rgyal ba. (Narthang ed., no. 19, Ka, fol. 84b–87a).

References

1. Bhikkhu Ñānamoli (1999), Introduction, in Buddhaghosa (ed.), Visuddhimagga: The Path of Purification, transl. by Bhikkhu Ñānamoli, Seattle: Buddhist Publication Society, pp. i–xlix.

2. Lepekhov, S. Yu. (2019), The Impact of Nagarjuna’s Legacy on Indian Philosophy, Vestnik Buriatskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Filosofiia, no. 1, pp. 24–38. (In Russian)

3. Westerhoff, J. (2015), Chapter 7. Nāgārjuna’s Yogācāra, in Garfild, J. L. and Westerhoff, J. (eds), Madhyamaka and Yogācāra: Allies or Rivals?, Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 165–183.

4. Lepekhov, S. Yu. (1999), The Philosophy of Madhyamics and Genesis of the Buddhist Civilization, Ulan-Ude: BNt’s SO RAN Publ. (In Russian)

5. Tola, F. and Dragonetti, C. (1985), Nāgārjuna’s Catustava, Jornal of Indian Philosophy, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1–54.

6. Nāgārjuna (s. a.), Acintyastava, Narthang edition of the Acintyastava by Krsnapandita and Tshul khrims rgyal ba. (Narthang ed., no. 19, Ka, fol. 84b–87a).

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Published

2020-12-31

How to Cite

Lepekhov, S. Y. (2020). The interrelationship between consciousness and sensuality in Nāgārjuna’s philosophy. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies, 36(4), 751–765. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu17.2020.412

Issue

Vol. 36 No. 4 (2020): Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies

Section

Religious studies

License

Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.