Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimakryam: Part 151 ( Desika Prabhandham-- 42: Paasuram 167-168

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SrI:

 

Dear Swamy Desika BhakthAs:

 

Today , we will study the two Paasurams dealing with

Swamy Desikan's criticism of the MaadhyAmika Matham .

 

Before we proceed with the study of the meaning of the Paasurams

realted to the refutation of the doctrines of the four sects of Bhouddha

Matham , it would be useful to have an overview of this matham

as elaborated in SarvArTa Siddhi of Swamy Desikan . The excerpts from

the Doctoral thesis of Dr.V.N.SeshAdhriyAcchAr about SarvArTa Siddhi is :

 

" There are four schools of Buddhism: VaibhAshika , Sautraanika ,

YogAchAra and Maadhyamika.They have some common points:

(1) all entities are impermanent , transitory and in a continous state of

change (2) apart from the flow of cognitions , there is no soul or

Aathman as the seat of cognition or consciousness.

 

Coming to The School of Budhdism of Maadhyamika , it has close

relationship with the school of nihilists of western philosophy in denying

the real existence of every thing seen within and around us....

The MaadhyAmikas deny the reality of everything in the universe.

Even consciousness or intellect (chaitanya) is considered unreal .

Nothing comes into existence nor perishes. Like other schools of

Buddhism , MaadhyAmikas hold that things are momentary...

There is a close relationship to Advaitham among the doctrines of

MaadhyAmikam (Samvruthi in MaadhyAmikam is the same as

the term avidhya in advaitham).Adhvaithin holds every thing except

Brahman is unreal and the appearance of thing as existing is due to the

superimposition on the basis (adhishtAna) , namely , Brahman which alone

is real as per his (adhvaitin's) contention , MaadhyAmika finds no purpose

in holding even that Brahman as real to serve as basis (adhishtAna) for the

superimposition and maintains that no cognition requires a basis.The

MaadhyAmika asks: " What harm would arise if Brahman alone is denied reality

? .

The MaadhyAmika does not accept the authority of Vedam

and has no scruples in denying the need for a real basis (adhishtAna) for

unreality. Thus, MaadhyAmikan denies the existence of Brahman

and is an atheist.

 

Swamy Desikan refuted soundly the MaadhyAmika's views , which

seek to prove the void of the universe as opposed to the reality of

the universe. "

 

167) Criticism of the MaadhyAmika Matham

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kANa(tha)thu ilathu yenuumkalviyinArai kaDinthathaRppin

kONAr kutharkkangaL koNDE kuzhappum bhavuttharhaLil

nANAthu anaitthum ilathu yenRum nAlvahai anRu yenRum

VaazhnAL aRukkinRa matthimatthAn vazhi mARRuvamE

 

(Meaning): One of the four sishyAs of Bhuddha is Maadhyamikan,

who developed the doctrine : " Sarvam Soonyam " (all is void )

and without hesitation declares that there are no Tatthvams. He was

the most favored sishyan of Buddha. It is generally accepted that there

are four kinds of vasthus in the Prapancham (universe):

 

(1) Sath (Truly existing ) , (2) asath (nonexistent ) , (3) Sathasath

( Mixture of true and untrue ) and (4) sathasath vilakshaNam

( one which is neither Sath or asath).

 

Maadhyamikan holds that the Universe can not be classified as

any one of the above four kinds. He denies the existence of

Iswaran and the vasthus of the universe belonging to Him and therefore

loses the fruits obtained through the grace of Iswaran . In this context ,

MaadhyAmikan is like the women , who hates her living husband and

cuts her MangaLa Soothram and throws it away. Swamy Desikan

says that He refutes MaadhyAmikam as the First of the four Buddhistic

systems in the 7th adhikAram of his Para Matha Bhangam.

 

168) Protecting the world from being stolen/deluded by MaadhyAmikAs

*******************************************************

mAnam ilai mEyam ilai yenRu maRROr

Vaadha neRi ilai yenRum vaathu pooNDa

thAnumilai tannurayum poruLm ilai

tatthuvathtin uNartthi sayam illai yenRum

vAnavarum mAnavarum manamum veLha

vaLam pEsu mathkEdan MatthimatthAn

tEna neRi koNDu anaitthum thiruDA vaNNam

sezhumathi pOl yezhum mathiyAR-semitthOmE

 

(Meaning ): MaadhyAmikan's doctrine is that all is

soonyam (void). In his matham , there is no pramANam

to comprehend the different vasthus. There is no debating

method . He is not there for engaging in debate. There is

no vaakyam uttered by him and no meaning for those vAkyams.

There is no Tathtva Jn~Anam . There is no victory in debates.

Inview of these strange aspects of his matham , the DevAs and

humans laugh at his doctrines and his own mind also chuckles

about his stupidity . We (Swamy Desikan ) refuted these

strange doctrines of MaadhyAmikan , which makes every thing void

and denies the existence of Iswaran and His sentient and insentient

universe.

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil Varadachari Sadagopan

 

SrImate SrI Lakshminrusimha PaadhukA sEvaka

SrI Aadhi VaNN SaThakOpa SrIman NaarAyaNa YathIndhra

MahA DesikAya Nama: