Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön | 2001 | 941,039 words

This is the English translation of the Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (“the treatise on the great virtue of wisdom”) by Nagarjuna (c. 2nd century A.D.). The book, in the form of an encyclopedia on Buddhism, is a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita (“the perfection of wisdom in five thousand lines”). Volume I describes the conditions...

Chapter XXXVII - The Ten Concepts

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Preliminary note on the ten concepts (daśa-saṃjñā)

I. The concept of impermanence (anitya-saṃjñā)

II. The concept of suffering (duḥkha-saṃjñā)

The Śalyatvena-sūtra (Sallattena-sutta)

III. The concept of non-self (anātman-saṃjñā)

IV. Links between impermanence, suffering and non-self

V. The concept of revulsion toward food (āhāre pratikūla-saṃjñā)

Story of the brahmin who unwittingly ate disgusting cakes

VI. Logical order of the ten concepts

VII. The concept of dissatisfaction toward the entire world

VII. Ills of the world (1) Evils and wickedness of beings

VII. Ills of the world (2) Wretchedness of lands

VIII. The concepts of death (maraṇa-saṃjñā) and impurity (aśuci-saṃjñā)

IX. The concepts of renunciation (prahāṇa), detachment (virāga) and cessation (nirodha)

Appendix 1 - The sufferings of Śāriputra, Pilindavatsa and Lavaṇabhadrika

Appendix 2 - The eye of the world (lokacakṣu)

[229a] Sūtra (cf. Pañcaviṃśati, p. 20, l. 5–9; Śatasāhasrikā, p. 60, l. 15–61, l. 6). – [The bodhisattva-mahāsattva should completely fulfill] the ten concepts (daśa saṃjñāḥ), namely:

impermanence (anityasaṃjñā),
suffering (duḥkhasaṃjñā),
non-self (anātmasaṃjñā),
the disgusting nature of food (āhāre pratikūlasaṃjñā),
distaste for the entire world (sarvaloke ’nabhiratisaṃjñā),
death (maraṇasaṃjñā),
impurity (aśucisaṃjñā),
abandonment (prahāṇasaṃjñā).
detachment (virāgasaṃjñā),
cessation (nirodhasaṃjñā).

Śāstra.-

Last Updated: 28 September, 2019