NAGARjUNA'S PHILOSOPHY is bathed in p erfumes and decked with ornaments, still, ultimately, it returns to impurity This is the middle tathatii That things are neither existent no r non-existent, neither arising nor perishing , that all things arc in their ultimate na ture purity itself, where 'all determinate modes of knowing becomc extinct, this is the superior tathatii Tathatii is the real na ture of all things, that nature which is there as it ever has been an d has neve r become different (�tru*Jl1;).10 This is tathatii The deeper nature of things and the deepening ofunderstanding: It is neces sary to no te that the distinction between the mundane and ultimate nature is a distinction of the levels of comprehension It is not to divide t hi n gs into m undane and transmundane nor to separate the one from the o the r ; nor is it an exclusion of any of these It is essentially a deepen ing of understanding In the realization of the deeper nature, the surface natures arc not destroyed but transformed And when the surface natures arc seen once again, they are seen with a new light, with a deep er mean ing The distinction between the levels of understanding is the one between the eyes offlesh and the eye of wisdom; and in neither is there any denial of anything Rupa is not denied in the mundane truth ; it is seen there as essentially a conditioned becoming In the ultimate truth again, rupa is not denied ; it is seen in its real nature as itself the uncondi tioncd reality, the Nirval}a Speaking of the two levels of understand ing, the Siistra says : (The unders tanding of) rupa is of two kinds : one is the understanding of riipa as s een with the eyes of flesh by the common people, and this is rupa conceived under false constructions : the other is the comprehension of the true na ture of nipa by the sages (free from imaginative construc tions) The real nature of Tupa (as comprehended by the s ag es ) is the as Nirval).a Rlipa as conceived by the common people i s (just) called rupa; but when this riipa enters the tath atii, (as in the case of the comprehension by the sages), it is never Illore a thing subject to birth and death ; (it is Nirval}a itsclf) l l (3 82a) saIlle That rupa enters tathatii, that all thi ngs enter tathatii, is an expression 25R REALITY of the basic truth that in their ultimate nature all things are realized to be the unconditioned reality itsel£ All the different streams ultimately return to the great ocean ; all the small kings live by the support of the great emperor ; all the stars derive their light from the sun (3 34a) Even so all things have their being dependent on the dharma dhatu, live their lives on its support and ultimately return to it If the bodhisattva would not conceive that this is dharma and this is not dharma, (if he would comprehend that) all things blend into one essence, even as all the myriad streams blend and become of one essence in the great ocean, then, indeed, has his cultivation of prajfiaparamita found fulfilment The indeterminate nature is the ' true nature of all things Determinations and divisions are the constructions of imagi nation (528a) Tathata or the "true nature" of things at the different levels, mundane and transmundane, is also called dharmata at two different levels (�tHr -::' fB\ ) Thus while the unique nature and capacity of every specific thing which one comes to know through analysis of things with a non clinging mind can be called the mundane dharmata, the limitless dharma (�1M: $ ) , the ultimate reality may be called the transmundane or the ultimate dharmata This distinction between the mundane and the transm undane natures of things is also described in terms of dharma lak�al!a Thus the mundane dharma-lak�al!a (jlf: fHllMIJ ) means the unique, distinct, natures and capacities of things, their causes and condi tions which produce them, and the consequences which follow from them in turn But when these distinct characters of things are analyzed and examined to the very end, then they are seen to enter the unborn (mltltpada) dharma ( A � �-J:: i'1 " ' ) , which is their ultimate nature ;_ there is nothing that exceeds it.I ' The unborn dharma is another name for the unconditioned reality, Nirvalfa (�!t 1'J � tIl� ) The mundane clharma lak�a�la is also called composite, conditioned, dharma-lak�a1Ja (1f�Jt·r.t 59 NAGARJUNA'S PHILOSOPHY tH) and the transmundane dharma-lak$at;ta is also called the incomposite, the unconditioned, dharma-Iak�at;ta (1!lt.ft�tfI) The latter is the ulti mate self-nature of all things (m� i3 1i ) Pro.�ressjve realization of the real: It is to be remembered that for the seeker of reality the analysis and appreciation of the distinct natures of the determinate entities is not an end in itsel£ It is the necessary first step towards a complete comprehension of the ultimate reality not only as the real root, the universal ground of all that is, but as the real nature of every specific entity The wayfarer would first cultivate the comprehen sion of the mundane nature of things, viz., that they are (possible) sources of s uffering, impermanent, devoid of substantiality He would then cultivate the comprehension of the ultimate nature of things that they are essentially of the nature of peace, freedom, the unborn dharma, devoid of all determinate natures He would cultivate again, the comprehen sion of how the cycle of life of the ignorant revolves, with all its links, how there comes into being the huge bundle of suffering He would cultivate abo the comprehension of how the cycle of the life of the igno rant should be terminated by putting an end to all its links one by one, and thus how the entire bundle of suffering comes to an end All these he would cultivate in the completely non-clinging way (1!!tjS}f �i$t).u In the case of ordinary people the realization of the truth of things is progressive , gradual In this progressive realization, the wayfarer would first know, for example, such characters (f13) of things, that they are co mpletely devoid of substantiality ; then he would know that they are subject to birth and death (1:.�), a rising when the necessary causal factors arc there and passing away when they get scattered He would know that things when born not come from anywhere and when l:x tinc t no t go anywhere, that they are not any changeless and self i dentical substances, but e s sent i a lly changing and relative Finally he would know the ultimately tr ue nature (�D) of things , that they are nei the r born 110r destroyed, neither co g nor goin g Ag a in, in understandi ng riipn , for instance, one would begin wi th the sensing of rripa (0-) as j us t the bare o bj ect of sight, in which the dis t inct characters of the thing have not ye t been discerned This is the bare a w areness of 260 RE ALITY riipa Then one would understand such natures or characteristics of rupa, as (that it is hard, formed and colored, etc.,) that it is impermanent, sub ject to arising and passing away, that it is impure etc This is the knowl edge of the characteristics (dharma) of rupa (15i1! ) Then one would know the essential conditionedness and relativity of riipa, its complete devoidness of substantiality ; one would know that it is only under ignorance that one takes it as real and substantial This is the knowledge of the (mundane) nature (tathatii) of rupa (15tlll ) Finally, one would comprehend the (ultimately) true nature of rupa (rupa-lak�alJa iS fIj ) , viz., that it is complete purity, complete sunyatii.1 B DharmatlhafU anti Bhafako!; The real as the immanent as well as tlte transcendent: Dharmadhiitu is a re ference to the ultimate reality, Nirval).a, the ultimate nature of all that is conditioned and contingent In dharmadhiitu "dharma" stands for Nirval).a (i*t-E��rd��).20 It stands also for prajiiiiparamitii, which is the ultimate reality the same as Nirval).a.2on "Dhiitu" conveys the sense of the essential, intrinsic, inmost nature, the fundamental, ultimate es sence {*7HiI).21 The basic, fundamental source (*1:.14) of all things is what is called "dhatu" (1'£).22 It is the primary aim of the wayfarer to realize the dharmadhiitu, the unconditioned reality Speaking of Nir val).a as the ultimately true nature, the inmost essence of all things, the Siistra says: In the yellow stone, for example, there is the essence (t1:) o f gold and in the white stone there is the essence of silver In this way, within the heart of everything in the world there is the essence of Nirval).a ( IjIJt/t fYJ�rp�::ff g �f'.l ) (which is the inmost essence of all things) The Buddhas and the sages having themselves realized it through the power of wisdom and skill and by the cultivation of moral life and contempla tion, teach others also the Way enabling all to realize this NirviitJa dharma-dltatu Those who arc sharp in their power of grasping com prehend immediately (!lP�) that all things are only the dharma-dhiitu itself, even as those with supernormal powers can (immediately) trans- NAGARjUNA' S PHILOSOPHY form brick and stone into gold But those who are not sharp in their power of grasping adopt suitable means and seek to realize the dharma dhiitu (through long cultivation) and only then will they be able to realize it (1JiJ!*ZJjl'�tI;) This is like smelting the ore in the great cauldron and then obtaining gold from it.23 (298b) For example, within the wall, there is already the empty space (% 1f :1::f:fJ) Now, if a child were to try to fix a wooden peg there, he would not be able to it, for he has not the necessary strength But a grown up man can drive it in, for his strength is great (:*:7J1f�A) The same is the case with one's faring (in prajiiapiiramitii) Within the heart of everything there is the ultimate reality, (the ever-present) self-being (�$ !3 :ff :tlll"fa) But when one's capacity to comprehend is little, one cannot make all things enter siinyatii, (and therefore one cannot realize the ultimately real nature of all things) But those whose power of comprehension is great can comprehend the ultimate truth (563 c564a) Again, we have the Sastra saying : (This tathatii, the universal reality, is in all) It is in the Buddha, it is also in the bodhisattva, for it is one (undivided) It is therefore that the bodhisattva is considered to be the same as the Buddha (� fm {il!l) Apart from and devoid of tathatii, there is nothing ; there is nothing that does not ultimately enter the tathatii (There is no doubt that) even in the beasts there is the tathatii But they have not yet fulfilled the \leces sary conditions (to realize the ultimate reality in them) They have not yet brought to light the tathata in them Therefore they are not able to course in tathatii and (benefit either themselves or) other beings They are not able to course in tathata and reach sarvakiiraJtlata (There fore they are not said to be the same as the Buddhas.) Therefore the bodhisattva should cultivate this tathatii-prajiiapiiramitii (:tlll�fi �iift;�; ) Cultivating the tathata-prajiiaparamitii, the bodhisattva can fulfil the reali zation of the tathatii, (the ultimate essence of all things) (65 c) It is to the skilful penetration of the mind the unconditioned reality, that ( ( bh utakoti " The real as the supreme end: into the refers dharma-dhiitu , 262 ... within the heart of everything in the world there is the essence of Nirval).a ( IjIJt/t fYJ�rp�::ff g �f'.l ) (which is the inmost essence of all things) The Buddhas and the sages having themselves... the inmost essence of all things, the Siistra says: In the yellow stone, for example, there is the essence (t1:) o f gold and in the white stone there is the essence of silver In this way, within... the beasts there is the tathatii But they have not yet fulfilled the leces sary conditions (to realize the ultimate reality in them) They have not yet brought to light the tathata in them Therefore