Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

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

This page describes “lists of recollections (anusmriti or anussati)” as written by Nagarjuna in his Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (lit. “the treatise on the great virtue of wisdom”) in the 2nd century. This book, written in five volumes, represents an encyclopedia on Buddhism as well as a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita.

I. Lists of recollections (anusmṛti or anussati)

The Pāli Nikāyas and the Sanskrit Āgamas:

The lists of anussati and anusmṛti presented by the Pāli Nikāyas and the Sanskrit Āgamas respectively coincide general and here only the first will be mentioned:

A. THREE ANUSSATI in Dīgha, III, p. 5; Saṃyutta, I, p. 219–220; IV, p.304; Anguttara, I, p. 222:

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Dhamma-,
  3. Sangha-anussati.

B. FOUR SOTAPATTIYANGA, practically identical with the anussati, by means of which the noble disciples (ariyasāvaka), inspired by perfect faith (aveccappasādena samannāgata), give evidence of their respect for the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha and the Discipline (Sīla) of the saints. – Cf. Dīgha, II, p. 93–94; III, p. 227; Saṃyutta, II, p. 69–70; V, p. 343, 365, 386–387; Anguttara, II, p. 56; III, p. 212–213; IV, p. 416–407; V, p. 183–184.

C. FIVE ANUSSATI in Anguttara, I, p. 207–211:

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Dhamma-,
  3. Sangha-,
  4. Sīla-,
  5. Devatā-anussati.

D. SIX ANUSSATI in Dīgha, III, p. 250, 280; Anguttara, III, p. 284–287, 312–313. 452; V, p. 329–332:

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Dhamma-,
  3. Sangha-,
  4. Sīla-,
  5. Cāga-,
  6. Devatā-anussati.

E. TEN ANUSSATI in Anguttara, I, p. 30, 42:

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Dhamma-,
  3. Sangha-,
  4. Sīla-,
  5. Cāga-,
  6. Devatā-,
  7. Ānāpāna-,
  8. Maraṇa-,
  9. Kāyagata-,
  10. Upasama-anussati.

The six and the ten anussati are mentioned in the Paṭisambhidā, I, on p. 28 and 95 respectively. They are commented on at length in Visuddhimagga, ed. Warren, p. 189–243 (transl. Nanamoli, p. 204–320).

The Prajñāpāramitā literature:

The Prajñāpāramitā literature has the following lists:

A. EIGHT ANUSMṚTI in Kumārajīva’s translation of the Pañcaviªśati (T 223, k. 1, p. 219a10–11):

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Dharma-,
  3. Saṃgha-,
  4. Śīla-,
  5. Tyāga-,
  6. Devatā-,
  7. Ānāpāna-,
  8. Maraṇa-anusmṛti.

B. EIGHT ANUSMṚTI in N. Dutt’s edition of the Pañcaviṃśatī, p. 20, l. 2–5:

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Saṃgha-,
  3. Śīla-,
  4. Tyāga-,
  5. Devatā-,
  6. Ānāpāna-,
  7. Udvega-,
  8. Maraṇa-anusmṛti.

C. TEN ANUSMTI in the translation of the Pañcaviṃśatī by Kumārajīva (T223, k. 5, p. 255a22–23):

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Dharma-,
  3. Saṃgha-,
  4. Śīla-,
  5. Tyāga-,
  6. Devatā-,
  7. Kuśala-,
  8. Ānāpāna-,
  9. Kāya-,
  10. Maraṇa-anusmṛti.

D. TEN ANUSMṚTI in N. Dutt’s edition of the Pañcaviṃśatī, p. 210, l. 6–8:

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Dharma-,
  3. Saṃgha-,
  4. Śīla-,
  5. Tyāga-,
  6. Devatā-,
  7. Urdhvaga-,
  8. Maraṇa-,
  9. Kāya-,
  10. Ānāpāna-anusmṛti.

E. NINE ANUSMṚTI in the edition of the Śatasāhasrmikā by P. Ghosa, p. 59,l. 20–60, l. 15:

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Dharma-,
  3. Saṃgha-,
  4. Tyāga-,
  5. Devatā-,
  6. ĀnāpÌa-,
  7. Udvega-,
  8. Maraṇa-,
  9. Kāya-anusmṛti.

F. TEN ANUSMṚTI in the same edition, p. 1443, l. 5–10:

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Dharma-,
  3. Saṃgha-,
  4. Śīla-,
  5. Tyāga-,
  6. Devatā-,
  7. Ānāpāna-,
  8. Udvega-,
  9. Maraṇa-,
  10. Kāya-anusmṛti.

G. TEN ANUSMṚTI in the translation of the Mahāprajñāpāramitāsūtra by Hiuan-tsang, T 220, vol. V, k. 3, p. 12a17–18; vol. VII, k. 402, p. 7b27–29:

  1. Buddha-,
  2. Dharma-,
  3. Saṃgha-,
  4. Śīla-,
  5. Tyāga-,
  6. Devatā-,
  7. Ānāpāna-,
  8. Udvega-,
  9. Maraṇa-,
  10. Kāyagata-anusmṛti.
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