Dilemma of Buddha and Nirvana

Kshitiz Gaur

Buddha remained silence on the most fundamental questions of metaphysics and therefore it need probe into the reason of that silence. The searching of his silence gave birth to dialectic inquiry. Nagarjuna took this task to explain the silence of Buddha and came out with the theory of middle path.

The Buddha announced fourteen things to be inexpressible

 

(1)   Whether the world is – (a) eternal, (b) or not (c) or neither.

(2)   Whether the world is (a) finite (b) or not (infinite) (c) or both (d) or neither.

(3)   Whether the Tathagata (reality) (a) exist after death (b) or does not (c) or both (d) or neither.

(4)   Whether the soul is- (a) identical with the body (b) or different from the body.

Nagarjuna tried to structure these questions and on silence of Buddha and refusing to give any categorical answer to such questions on which Buddha used to say that he neither believed in absolute affirmation nor in the absolute negation. His position was one of middle position

Silence of Buddha

Nagarjuna pondered deeply over this attitude of the Buddha and came to the conclusion that the reason of Buddha’s studied silence in regards to such question was that reality was transcendent to thoughts. He systemized the four alternatives, mercilessly exposing the disconcerting implication of each alternative, brought the antinomies of reasons luminously to the fore by hunting them out from every cover and demonstrated the impossibility of creation. A sound metaphysics on the basis of dogmatism or rationalism

Madhyamika (middle path)

Reading Madhyamaka, it appears that Nagarjuna was only an intransigent negativist. However while preceding with the concept it shows that it is dealing with the question of reality and question unanswered by Buddha. The Madhyamaka Karikas and the Mahaprajna Paramitas Shastra imported basic concept of Sunyata (Void) as unsubstantial, conditioned and relative of things of the mundane entities.

The absolute is unconditioned is not only the ultimate nature of the unconditioned entities it is also the ultimate nature of man. It is because of this that his hunger for the real acquires of deeper significance. Practically, all the basic concepts of Nagarjuna are found in the Karika but then they are over shadowed by the overwhelmingly negative character of approach and it could not be otherwise.

He used the negative dialectic to prove that reality could not be measured by the three fold role of discursive thoughts.

Phenomena or empirical reality is a realm of relativity in which as entity is non-existence or devoid of independent reality or unconditioned. One can comprehend reality by rising to a plane higher than the logical thought of knowledge and understanding. Reality cannot be expressed in terms of- it is, it is not - by dichotomous mind.

Refuting theory of Causalities

1. The theory of self becoming (Svata Utpathih)

2. The Theory of production from another( Parata Utpathhih)

3. Theory of production from both- from self and from another  (Dvabhyam Utpathih)

4. Theory of production without any cause, production  by chance (Ahetutah Utpathih)

In first, the cause and effect are identical and that things are produced out of themselves. If the effect is already exist in the cause then there is no purpose would be served by its re production. It is however not said that the effect is a new substance it is only means that it is a new form or state of the substance. It is said that the cause is partly actual and partly potential it would amount to accepting opposed nature in one and the same thing. If the cause is wholly potential, it cannot be itself become real without an extraneous aid. The oil cannot get out of seed until and unless there is outer force of crushing.

 

And if the cause and effect are identical, it will be impossible to distinguish one as the producer of the other. The identity view of cause and effect is therefore riddled with self contradiction.

And when the cause and effect are different and no relation can subsist between them, in that case anything can be produced from anything. Causality is the relation between two unless the cause and effect co-exist and they cannot be related and if they cannot be related, causality becomes meaningless.

 

And if the effect is both identical and also different from the cause, then there are inconsistencies of both and besides this would invest the real with two opposed characters as identity with the difference at one and the same time.

And if things are produced without a cause and by chance, and if no reason assigned and for this theory it amounts to be sheer perverse dogmatism. If a reason is assigned, it amounts to acceptation a cause.

Therefore Causality is a mere though construction superimposed upon the objective order of existence.

Then what is reality?

 Reality is therefore dependently coordinated and relative. Nagarjuna started with the prayer of his work in which he stated the principle of relativity and the principle that nothing (in the universe) can disappear or arise or has an end or is eternal or is identical with itself. Nor is there anything differentiated (in itself) and that there is no motion whether towards us or away from us and therefore everything is relative. And this work the reality of relativity leads to Nirvana. The universe which appears as plural is governed by the principle of relativity.

Pratitya is having affix of Prati (which is towards) and the rood (i) is approaching or moving which means reaching in the sense of dependent or relative and the word Samitpada means appearance or mere manifestation of separate entities as relative  to their conditions.

Buddha taught that all entities in life are relative. Nothing is disappears and nothing new appears for which there are no words or expressible. The term relative is described to the fact that there is a thing can be identified only by mentioning its relations to something else and becomes meaningless without their relations. Implying at the same time that the thing in question is unreal and for want of better solution can translate the word sunya as relative or contingent and the term sunayata be relativity or contingency.

It is not mean void but something devoid of non dependent reality with the implication that nothing start of the whole possesses, independent reality, and with the further implication that the whole forbids every formulation by concept or by speech.

That the term relative is not meant a mathematical void or simple non-existence but it means relative and not negative.

The Buddha is perfect, the foremost of all teachers of salute and he has proclaimed that the principle of relativity, the principle that nothing in the universe can disappear nor is there anything appear. Nothing has an end nor is there anything as eternal and nothing is identical, which is within itself and nor is there anything differentiated. Nothing moves neither hither nor thither, is it Nirvana the blissful quiescence of ever possible plurality.

Then what is Nirvana?

 Nirvana is neither consisting in the extinction if illusion and desire nor a Nirvana consisting in the extinction of all elements of life.

Nirvana is therefore what is neither is released nor is it ever reached. What neither is annihilated nor is it eternal what never disappear nor has it been created and therefore the world in unity, the inexpressible.   

That which is indefinable existence which can neither be extinguished as desire nor can be attained as reward which is neither can be annihilated as all the active elements of life nor is ever lasting as on non-relative absolute principle which cannot really disappear nor can be created that something which consists in the quiescence of all plurality that is Nirvana.

Again which is an independent entity can never be converted into non-entity, therefore those who are really desirous to attain Nirvana, must first of all get rid of this imagined plurality. Indeed the state there is no line of demarcation with the phenomenal world on this side and the absolute on the other side of the line.

 Nirvana consists merely in the suppression of absolute all the false construction of our imagination this has been stated by the Buddha. Real ultimate elements can never be annihilated the things that in this world do not exist and they never did at all exist. Those who imagine existence along with non existence will never realize phenomenal plurality.

Nirvana without any residue of phenomenal life altogether all elements of existence have vanished because all of them, whether there be called defilers or the creative power of life or individual existence or groups of elements, have all totally vanished. This all systems of philosophy admit that the absolute is a negation of the phenomenal.

Again, elements which do not exist there in the absolute reality do not exist at all. They are like that kind of terror which is experienced when in the dark a rope is mistaken for a snake and which dissipated as soon as a light is brought in. These elements of our life called illusion and desires and their creative force and the consequent individualism have no real existence in the absolute sense and even at any time in the phenomenal conclusion of life. Indeed the rope which in the dark has been mistaken for the serpent is not really in itself a serpent. But obsessed by the unreal evil of their ego and their mind, the abstruse men and common world imagine that they really perceive serpents which in reality do not exist.

Those who imagine existence along with non-existence will never realize phenomenal plurality quiescence.

Similarly, a man suspecting he has taken poison, fainted even when there is no poison in the stomach. Swayed by the ego and of mind eternally he comes and dies without real knowledge but within ego.   

Understanding Nirvana

Nirvana is not a kind of ens

It is as it would then have decayed and died.

Nirvana is no ens

It is as which is not subject to decay and death  

If Nirvana is ens

It is produced by causes

No where end none the entity exists

Which would not be produced by cause

If Nirvana is ens

How can it lack substratum

There what so ever is no ens

Without any substratum

If Nirvana is not an ens

Will it be a non-ens

Where there is absence of an ens

There neither is a non-ens

And if Nirvana is a non-ens

How can it then be independent?

For sure the independent non-ens

Is how there to be found

Coordinated here or caused are separate thing

We call this world as phenomenal

But just the same is called Nirvana

The Buddha has declared

That ens and non-ens should be both rejected

Neither an ens nor as a non-ens

Nirvana therefore is conceived

If Nirvana were both ens and non-ens

Final deliverance would be also both

Reality and unreality together

This never could be possible

If Nirvana were both ens and a non-ens

Nirvana could not be uncaused

Indeed the ens and the non-ens

Are both dependent on causation?

Now can Nirvana Represent?

An ens and a non-ens together

Nirvana is indeed uncaused

Both ens and non-ens are productions

How can Nirvana represent

The place of ens and of non ens together

As light and darkness in one spot

They cannot simultaneously be present

If Nirvana were clear indeed

What an ens means end what a non-ens

We could then understand the doctrine

About Nirvana being neither ens nor non-ens

If Nirvana is neither ens, nor is it non-ens

Who can then really understand?

This doctrine which proclaim at once

Negation of them both together

What is the Buddha after his Nirvana?

Does he exist or does he not exist

Or both or neither,

We never will conceive.....