Gorampa Sonam Senge on the Refutation of the Four Extremes | Constance Kassor Academia.

edu HomeLog InSign Up Type to search for People, Research Interests and Universities Searching... 12 Gorampa Sonam Senge on the Refutation of the Four Extremesmore by Constance Kassor More Info: Published in 'Revue d'Etudes Tibtaines,' 2011 Research Interests: Tibetan Philosophy, Go Rams Pa, and Gorampaedit Download (.pdf) Quick view View on himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.ukEditDeleteMove section 12 GORAMPASONAMSENGE ONTHEREFUTATION OF THEFOUREXTREMES Constance Kassororampa Sonam Senge (Go rams pa Bsod nams seng ge, 1429-89) is regarded as one of the most influential scholars in theSakya (Sa skya) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. A prolificwriter and a renowned practitioner, he is credited with consolida-ting and systematizing the mainstream Sakyapa view. Some of hisphilosophical works were so overtly critical of Tsongkhapa (Tsongkha pa Blo bzang grags pa, 1357-1419) and the politically dominantGelug (Dge lugs) school that they were banned in the seventeenthcentury under the rule of the fifth Dalai Lama.1Over the pastcentury, however, Gorampas views have experienced a resurgenceamongst many Tibetan Buddhists, particularly among followers of the so-called nonsectarian (ris med) movement.2Both the suppres-sion and the subsequent resurgence of Gorampas works highlightthe significance of his philosophy: his compositions were originallycensored because of the threat they posed to the established reli-gious authority, and they are currently experiencing a revival because they espouse a philosophical view that is compatible withthe meditative practices of a number of schools. In both cases, it isclear that Gorampas thought was, and continues to be, takenseriously by Tibetan Buddhists, even by those who do not belong tothe Sakya school.This essay will analyze Gorampas treatment of the negation of the four extremes (mtha bzhi) in order to suggest a possiblephilosophical basis for his influence across sectarian divides. Byillustrating the ways in which Gorampas negation of the fourextremes leads to freedom from conceptual constructs (spros bral), Iwill indicate the extent to which his own views contrast with thoseof Tsongkhapa and align with those of other non-Sakyapa scholars,such as Jamgon Ju Mipham (Jam mgon ju mi pham rnam rgyalrgya mtsho, 1846-1912). This illustration, in turn, will serve tosuggest how Gorampas approach to philosophy and the pathsupports an ecumenical vision of Buddhist practice, perhapsexplaining the recent resurgence of his popularity amongst TibetanMadhyamaka scholars from non-Sakya lineages.1Cabezn 2007: 31-33.2Between 1906 and 1925, Jamgyal Rinpoche organized the editing and printing of the complete works of Gorampa in Derge, totaling 13 volumes. See Jackson2003: 58.G Constance Kassor122Briefly, Gorampas emphasis onspros bral , as demonstratedthrough his refutation of the four extremes, allows him to advocatea position that emphasizes logic and reasoning while simultane-ously subordinating them to nonconceptual meditative practice.Gorampas disagreement with Tsongkhapa over the purpose andfunction of the fourfold negation provides a useful lens throughwhich to view the formers far-reaching influence across sectariandivides. Gorampas method of logical reasoning is sufficientlysophisticated to refute Tsongkhapas highly developed philoso-phical arguments, and his emphasis on nonconceptuality appeals toscho-lars whose traditions have historically emphasized nonconcep-tual meditative practices over

analytical reasoning. The extent of Gorampas philosophical influence is particularly apparent inmodern-day Tibetan Buddhist institutions; Sakyapa monastic insti-tutions, such as Sakya College in Dehradun, India, regularly educatescholars from the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions in Madhyamakaphilosophy. Kagyu and Nyingma institutions, in turn, often inviteSakyapa khenpos to instruct their monks in philosophy.Before investigating the philosophical content of Gorampasarguments regarding the four extremes, it is important to firstunderstand the context within which he and his texts operated.Gorampa lived during a relatively unstable time in the history of Tibetan politics, which may account at least indirectly for theformation of some of his views.History and Context of Gorampas PhilosophyGorampa lived during a period of political instability in Tibet. From1244 until 1354, the Sakya sect had held political control over Tibet,and was backed by the support of the Mongol army. Eventually theMongol courts interest in Tibet weakened, and the Pagmodru (Phagmo gru) clan ascended to power. The Pagmodrupas ruled over Tibetfor 130 years, but during the latter half of Gorampas life they toofell from power, resulting in a number of groups fiercely competingfor religious and political dominance in central Tibet.3 Gorampa composed his philosophical texts, therefore, at a time inwhich the Sakya sect was struggling to re-assert its politicaldominance. Although verifiable information about the politicalmotivations of the Sakyapas remains elusive, the unstable politicalsituation in Tibet could have at least partially accounted for theovertly polemical nature of some of Gorampas Madhyamaka texts.When the Gelugpas eventually ascended to political power in theseventeenth century, the fifth Dalai Lama ordered that Gorampastexts, which were so critical of Tsongkhapa, be destroyed or3For more on the history of the Sakya sect, see Jackson 2003, Kapstein 2000, andCabezn 2007. Gorampa on the four extremes123otherwise removed from monastic institutions. However, many of Gorampas texts continued to be studied in eastern Tibet, where thecentral government was unable to exert a strong influence.Around 1905, the Sakyapa monk Jamgyal Rinpoche (Jam rgyalrin po che) collected and republished Gorampas extant works. Thir-teen volumes of texts were recovered from monasteries throughoutTibet and were reprinted in Derge between 1905 and 1925.4Whilemost of Gorampas texts were recovered, some modern Sakyapascholars suspect that a handful of his texts no longer exist.5 Gorampas extant texts, however, span a wide range of genres,indicating the scholars mastery over a number of topics in TibetanBuddhism. He composed treatises on the Abhidharma and Vinaya,several commentaries on theAbhisamay lak ra , various practicetexts based on Tantra, and a number of Madhyamaka commentaries.Gorampas major Madhyamaka texts comprise only two of thethirteen volumes of his collected works. His three majorMadhyamaka texts are:1. Distinguishing the Views (Lta bai shan byed), apolemical text placing Gorampas view in dia-logue with the views of other Madhyamakascholars;2. Removal of Wrong Views (Lta ba ngan sel), acommentary on Candrak rtis Madhyamak -vat rawhich responds to a number of criti-cisms raised by Tsongkhapa;3. Synopsis of Madhyamaka (Dbu mai spyi don), anencyclopedic text outlining Gorampas viewson the major points of Madhyamaka, as wellas the views of a number of Indian andTibetan scholars with whom he both agreesand disagrees.Although there are some subtle differences in the ways in whichGorampa presents his philosophy in each of these three texts, hisexplanation of the Madhyamaka view is relatively consistentthroughout. Indeed, Sakyapas today consider Gorampa to be aunique scholar in so far as his views did not change over the courseof his extensive philosophical career.6Therefore, for the purposes of 4Jackson 2003: 58.5Khenpo Ngawang Jorden, personal communication.6This view has been expressed by

virtually every Sakyapa scholar with whom Ihave conversed. This claim appears to be true, at least with respect to the viewsexpressed in Gorampas three major Madhyamaka texts. Although heemphasizes different points in each of his texts, his overall philosophical viewremains relatively consistent. This point is especially salient when Gorampasworks are compared to the writings of a scholar such as Tsongkhapa, whoseviews appeared to have changed over the course of his philosophical career (see Jinpa 2002: 18-19). Constance Kassor124this essay, I will confine my analysis of Gorampas treatment of thefour extremes to only one of these texts: hisDbu mai spyi don(hereafterSynopsis).Gorampa on the Four ExtremesIn hisSynopsis,Gorampa argues that the most significant aspect of the realization of the Madhyamaka view is freedom from allconcepts.7Concepts, according to Gorampa, must be explained interms of the four extremes (mtha bzhi). These extremes are fourways in which ordinary, unenlightened beings are capable of under-standing the ontological status of things: as existent, nonexistent, both existent and nonexistent, or neither existent nor nonexistent. Inother words, if one can possibly conceive of anything, that thingmust be conceived of as either existent, nonexistent, both, or neither.Gorampa contends that there are no other possible ways to conceiveof things, ideas, persons, or anything else in the conventionalworld.8 In hisSynopsis,Gorampa repeatedly citesryadevas J nasarasamuccayato articulate the fourfold freedom from extremeviews that constitutes the Madhyamaka position: The reality of thelearned Mdhyamikas is freedom from the four extremes: notexistence, not nonexistence, not existence and nonexistence, nor theabsence of the essence of both.9 Throughout theSynopsis,Gorampareturns to this passage to demonstrate that a direct realization of thenegation of the four extremes leads tospros bral.10This emphasis onspros bralis integral to Gorampas Madhyamaka texts and can beunderstood as the basis upon which the rest of his philosophicalviews rest.In negating the four extremes, Gorampa emphasizes that therefutations of all four positions occur at the level of the ultimatetruth.11As will be shown below, opponents such as Tsongkhapaargue that a refutation of all four extremes at the level of ultimate7 chos dbyings don dam pai bden pa rigs pas dpyad pai blo ngor rim pa ltar ram/ phags pai mnyam gzhag gi blo ngor gcig char du mtha bzhii spros pa dang bral bas don dam pai bden pa nyid dbu ma ste/ mtha gnyis dang bral ba laang dbu mar jog na/ mthathams cad dang bral ba la dbu mar jog pa shin duang thad pai phyir ro// BPD: 48.8di ltar skye ba rgyu la ltos mi ltos gnyis las phyi ma rgyu med kyi phyogs su dus/ dang po laang rgyu de bras bu las tha dad mi dad gnyis su nges la/ de laang tha dad pa kho na las skye na gzhan skyei phyogs su dus/ tha mi dad pa kho na las skye na bdagskyei khongs su dus/ gnyis ka las skye na gnyis ka las skye bai khongs su dus shing/ de las gzhan pai mtha mi srid pai phyir ro/ BPD: 257-258.9 yod min med min yod med min/ gnyis kai bdag nyid kyang min pas/ mtha bzhi las groldbu ma pa/ mkhas pa rnams kyis de kho na/ BPD: 173.10 mdor na phags pai mnyam gzhag gi blo ngoi spros bral mtshan nyid pa gtan la phab par rlom nas rtog ngor don dam bden pa mtha bzhii spros pa dang bral ba ni bsgrubbyao/ BPD: 175.11don dam pa mtha bzhii spros pa dang bral baBPD: 173. Gorampa on the four extremes125truth makes no logical sense. Gorampa, however, contends that thetetralemmas purpose is to transcend the limits of logic. Havingeliminated all possibilities for logical, conceptual thought at the ulti-mate level, ones only recourse is to abandon concepts completely.In other words, if one can successfully eliminate the possibility of conceiving of things as existent, nonexistent, both, and neither, thenone is left with no other possible ways to conceive of things. Theconclusion is that, ultimately, things cannot be conceived of at all.In theSynopsis,Gorampa explains the refutation of each extremeone-by-one. In refuting the first extreme of existence, Gorampa bases his view on earlier arguments in the text, which refute the ideathat

things inherently exist by means of the Five MadhyamakaReasonings (rtan tshigs lnga).12In describing the refutation of thisfirst extreme, Gorampa and Tsongkhapa appear to be largely inagreement. Gorampa therefore turns his attention to refuting theview of Dolpopa, who is commonly associated with the other-emptiness ( gzhan stong) view. While Dolpopa claims that theperfected nature ( yongs grub kyi mtshan nyid) can withstand analysis,Gorampa reasons thatallphenomena are subject to analysis,including emptiness itself.13 He explains that all phenomena thatappear to be ultimately existent will, through the application of theFive Madhyamaka Reasonings, be negated.14 The refutation of existence is extremely important here, as itserves as the basis for the refutation of the subsequent threeextremes. Gorampa argues that properly negating existence actuallyprogresses one along the Buddhist path a great deal, and that thesuccessful elimination of just this first extreme serves as the basis forthe elimination of suffering and the attainment of enlightenment.15 He suggests that the misconception that phenomena truly exist isthe basis of self-grasping. This self-grasping, in turn, is the first of the twelve links of interdependence that keep sentient beingstrapped insas ra. Therefore, in order to remove suffering andescape fromsas ra , one must eliminate self-grasping by refutingthe misconception that phenomena inherently exist.16 12These are five styles of argumentation that are commonly accepted byMdhyamikas. They are: neither one nor many ( gcig du dral) , diamond slivers( rdo rje gzegs ma), production and cessation of existence and nonexistence ( yodmed skye gog), production and cessation of the four limits (mu bzhi skye gog),and reasoning of interdependence (rten brel gyi gtan tshigs), BPD: 177. For adetailed explanation of each of these methods of reasoning, see Brunnhlzl2004: 235-262.13 spyir chos thams cad yin te/ stong gzhii chos can nyi shus ma bsdus pai chos ci yangmed cing/ de dag laang thog mar bden pa bkag nas mthar bzhi char gyi spros bral dubya dgos pai phyir ro/ BPD: 180.14For Gorampas detailed explanation of the application of the Five MadhyamakaReasonings, see BPD: 340-356.15 bzhi pa [de ltar bkag pai dgos pa] la sdug bsngal spang bai dgos pa dang/ byang chubthob pai dgos pa gnyis,BPD: 181.16BPD: 181-183. Log InEmail:Password:Remember me on this computer or reset passwordNeed an account? Click here to sign upReset PasswordEnter the email address you signed up with, and we'll send a reset password email to that address Thank you! Your feedback has been sent. Want an instant answer to your question? Check the FAQs. Send the Academia.edu team a comment Job BoardAboutPressBlogWe're hiring engineers!FAQFeedbackTermsPrivacyCopyrightAcademia 2013 of 17 You must be logged in to download