Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

The present writer raised questions to ①the opinion of Hajime Nakamura(中村元) which the dependent origination(緣起) of Mūa-madhyamaka-kāikā is the meaning of mutual dependence(相依性) and the purpose of Mūa-madhyamakakāikā is to reveal the mutual dependence of things, ②the opinion of Jonggap Yun(윤종갑) which the dependent origination of mutual dependence is same with the dependent origination of eight negations(八不), ③which eight negations have the nature of affirming the both items through the coincidently and relatively negations, and ④the opinion of Yoshibumi Ueda(上田義文) which we can write affirmation into the both of two items by joining into one of the contrary two items of eight negations. So the present writer reconsidered the dependent origination of mutual dependence and the dependent origination of eight negations in Mūa-madhyamaka-kāikā, and confirmed as follow facts. 1) The dependent origination of twelve elements and the dependent origination of mutual dependence are said in a same level as belonging to the teaching of unclear meaning scriptures, but the dependent origination of eight negations is said in a different level as belonging to the teaching of clear meaning scriptures. So we could know that Hajime Nakamura’s opinion of ① and Jonggap Yun’s opinion of ② have no validity. 2) The dependent origination of mutual dependence is a theory that two or several things, action and actor, pure and impure etc., come into existence in a state of mutual dependence. The present writer thinks that the aim of the dependent origination of mutual dependence of Nāājuna is to reveal the fact that all things are of no intrinsic nature(無自性), emptiness(空性), dependent designation(假名), and middleway(中道), because they are products of dependent origination. 3) The dependent origination of eight negations is a theory that all things as products of dependent origination have eight attributes of non-production(不生) non-extinction(不滅) etc. The dependent origination of eight negations has two aspects of the criticism on the theory of intrinsic nature and the revelation of the truth of no intrinsic nature of all things. So we could know that the aims of the dependent origination of eight negations are the negation of the irrational theories about production and extinction etc. based on the theory of intrinsic nature and the revelation of truth of all things of no intrinsic nature. 4) When we examined the contents and forms of the eight negations, we can see each item of the eight negations come to a stop with no-production as intrinsic nature, no-extinction as intrinsic nature etc., but we could not find any case of writing affirmation into the both of the two items, by joining into one the contrary two items of production and extinction etc. So we can know that Jonggap Yun’s opinion of ③ and Yoshibumi Ueda’s opinion of ④ are not correct. 5) The eight negations are described by the conception of no intrinsic nature from start to finish, and the conception of no intrinsic nature used as meaning of non-being and non-notbeing(非有非無). Therefore we could know that eight negations must be comprehended by the middle way of no-being and nonot- being. Also because each item of the eight negations are denials to the irrational and extreme opinions of production as intrinsic nature and extinction as intrinsic nature etc., it is possible to think that the eight negations are exactly the middle way. 6) The meaning of Candrakīti’s mention which he presented as the purpose of Madhyamaka-śātra, ‘nirvana with auspicious feature because all of the irrational theories completely stoped’, is as follows. The truth of no intrinsic nature of all things has become known through the dependent origination of mutual dependence, and every irrational theory based on the theory of intrinsic nature is refuted by that truth. A bhikhu become clearly realizes the fact that all things, no intrinsic nature because it is dependently originated, have the feature of eight negations by that refutation. At this time the bhikhu, driving out the desire and obsession to all things, finally arrived at the ‘nirvana with auspicious feature because all of the irrational theories completely stopped’.