Chapter 4 - Hierarchy of the teaching

[Full title: Hierarchy of the teaching. (bstan pa’i gtad rabs kyi skabs. Chandra 24; Chengdu 43-48; Roerich 22.)]

After the Nirvāṇa, a religious council was held at Rājagṛha. Now the hierarchy of the Doctrine: Mahāmuni to Kāśyapa. The latter to Ānanda. Ānanda to Śānavāsika. The latter to Upagupta. The latter to Dhītika. The latter to Kṛṣṇa. The latter to Sudarśaṇa. Thus according to the Vinaya-kṣudraka. Scholars say that according to the Commentary on the Laṅkāvatāra: the Muni (i.e. The Buddha) transmitted the Doctrine to Dhītika, as stated in the Vinaya. From him Bibhaka (bi bha ga). The latter to the bhadanta Buddhananda. The latter to Buddhamitra. The latter to (his) disciple the bhikṣu Pārśva (rtsibs). From him to Sunaśata. The latter to Aśvaghoṣa (rta skad). The latter to Amṛta (ma shi ba). The latter to Nāgārjuna. The latter to Āryadeva. The latter to Rāhula. The latter to Saṅghānanda. The latter to the bhikṣu Arhat (dgra bcom pa). The latter to Ghalaśa. The latter to Kumārada. The latter to Śāyanta. The latter to Vasubandhu. The latter to Manoda. The latter to Haklenayaśas. The latter to bhikṣu Siṃha.

Nowadays there exist two commentaries on the Laṅkāvatāra in the bstan 'gyur,^[1] but this passage is not found in them. Perhaps it may be found in a commentary not included in the bstan 'gyur. I shall now translate here a stray page from an Indian text on the hierarchy of the Doctrine which is in my possession:

"Salutation to the Buddha! The Ārya Madhyāntika (nyi ma gung ba) proceeded to Kaśmīra, and with the help of his supernatural powers subdued the nāgarāja Auduṣṭa. In the presence of a crowd of inhabitants of the country of Vārāṇasī, he staged an exhibition of supernatural powers, and then returned to Kaśmīra. With the help of his supernatural powers he journeyed accompanied by a multitude of men to the mountain Gandhamādana (ri bo spos kyi ngad ldan), and converted nāgas. From that place he obtained saffron (gur gum) and introduced the Doctrine among the inhabitants of Kaśmīra. He adorned the country with cities, townlets, villages and kingly palaces. He benefitted all, and the inhabitants of Kaśmīra enjoyed plenty. He spread greatly the Doctrine of the Blessed One, and benefitted living beings by protecting the Doctrine. He entrusted the Doctrine to Ārya Śānavāsika. He exhibited supernatural powers at the time of his Nirvāṇa. Ārya Śānavāsika built a vihāra on the Śirṣaparvata (mgo bo'i ri bo), and ordained the son of a merchant who became later Ārya Upagupta, On taking the monastic vows, the latter became an Arhat.

Then having entrusted the Doctrine to him, Śānavāsika passed into Nirvāṇa. Ārya Upagupta subdued Māra, the Sinner. He took up his residence in a cave of 18 cubics (khru) in length and 12 cubics in width. Following his seven instructions, monks were able to attain arhatship, and counting them, he was able to fill (the entire cave) with small pieces of wood (thur ma, a small piece of wood of the size of the fourth finger, used in counting and voting in ancient Buddhist vihāras. See "Records of Western Countries," transl. By S. Beal, p. 182).

At that time there was a Bāla-Cakravarti-rāja called Aśoka (mya ngan med) who obtained an increasing faith in the Doctrine of the Blessed One, and Ārya Yaśas became his spiritual preceptor (kalyāṇa-mitra). The king presented golden ornaments to every stūpa of the Blessed One, and to (His) disciples (nyan thos), but even more than those (stūpas), he honoured the Bodhi-tree. He used to annoint this tree with scented water poured into vessels made of gold, silvet, lapis lazuli (vaidūrya) and crystal.

For five years he fed a crowd of 300,000 monks. On the first occasion he offered the Saints food (bsod snyoms), banners, etc. On a second occasion he honoured those who had entered the Path. On the third occasion he presented the virtuous monks with the three religious robes. The king also gradually offered to the community precious stones and 96 golden pieces. He made similar presents to the monastic community in Kaśmīra. In this manner Ārya Upagupta laboured for the benefit of living beings and fully protected the Doctrine. He ordained Ārya Dhītika who took up the final monastic vows and established him in Arhatship.

Having entrusted the Doctrine to him, he passed into Nirvāṇa. Ārya Dhītika in his turn maintained fully the Doctrine, and benefitted living beings. He entrusted the Doctrine to Kṛṣṇa and then passed into Nirvāṇa. Ārya Kṛṣṇa in his turn protected the Doctrine, benefitted living beings, and entrusted the Doctrine to Ārya Sudarśaṇa, and passed into Nirvāṇa. Ārya Sudarśaṇa in his turn fully protected the Doctrine, benefitted living beings and then passed into Nirvāṇa.

About that time in the city of Vaiśalī monks issued a statement containing the ten improper regulations (rung ba ma yin pa'i gzhi bcu).^[2] In order to expel these monks from the community, seven hundred Arhats, including Sarvakāmin and others, held a council. At that time three hundred years had elapsed since the Parinirvāṇa of the Blessed One. King Aśoka having died, Sudarśaṇa was reborn in Kaśmīra. His parents gave him the name of Siṃha. Having taken up ordination in the religious order of the Blessed One, he attained the stage of Arhatship.

About that time, a king from the country of Uttarapatha named Kaniṣka, visited Kaśmīra in order to meet Siṃha. Ārya Siṃha preached to him the Doctrine. After hearing the Doctrine, the king returned to Uttarapatha (byang gi lam). The king then consecrated the Kaniṣka-caitya, and gave away alms to benefit the Doctrine of the Blessed One, as well as performed meritorious acts in the interest of the Doctrine. He (Siṃha) preached the Doctrine to monks. At the vihāra of Karṇikavana (rna rgyan gyi nags) in Kaśmīra five hundred Arhats headed by Ārya Pārśva, four hundred venerables headed by Vasumitra and five hundred Bodhisattvas recited the Abhidharma...... (The king) offered these to the community of monks in Kaśmīra".

The above passage was discovered by me in a single leaf of an Indian manuscript which contained an account of the hierarchy of the Doctrine. The beginning and the end (of this story) were missing. The passage was translated by ‘gos lo tsa ba gzhno nu dpal (i.e. The author of the "Blue Annals") at the palace of tshon g'dus. The above account of the hierarchy of the Doctrine has been written by me according to the Scriptures. In the Book containing the story of Atīśa, it is said that the Master Nārotapa had entrusted the Doctrine to Atīśa, and then proceeded towards the South, etc. Though there exists many similar accounts, I was unable to write them down. In this account of the hierarchy of the Doctrine, the word Doctrine is used in the sense of (the Doctrine) of the Vinaya.

The Chapter on the hierarchy of the Doctrine (14a).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Tg. mdo, No. 4018 and 4019: Ārya-Laṅkāvatāravṛtti and the Ārya-Laṅkāvatāra-nāma-Mahāyānasūtravṛttitathāgatahṛdayalāṃkāra-nāma.

[2]:

bus ton, transl. by E. Obermiller, II, p. 91; bu ston gsung 'bum, vol.

XXIV (Ya), fol. 86b.