Prajna-mula-madhyamika, the major text among the six root Madhyamika teachings of Nagarjuna, teaches about emptiness, the sole path to attain pristine cognition. By learning and contemplating on this teaching, one can generate insight into the reality which is beyond the eight fabricated extremes. The teaching is described briefly through the following summary of its twenty-seven chapters.
Chapter One: Analysis of Causal Condition
In this chapter, the main textual outline teaches on the condensed phenomena of material form up to Buddhahood: whatever occasion, condition or tenet is unborn of the ‘four extremes’. As quoted in the root text, “Phenomena are unborn from self, other, both and neither. Whichever and wherever the compounded phenomena are, there is no birth at any time.” Specifically, Nagarjuna repudiates the Buddhist proponents of materialism, who assert the birth of matter from others.
Chapter Two: Analysis of Coming and Going
In this chapter, Nagarjuna refutes the existent nature of the act of going, the supporting person (the doer), and the commencing activity, in ultimate reality. The root text says, “Consequently, going, the goer and the action of the goer are devoid of existence.” Due to the non-existence of these three, it is impossible to have an inherent step walking from one point to another by itself. Similarly, all phenomena coming from one place to another and going from one edge to another are like the reflection of a face in the mirror.
Chapter Three: Analysis of the Sense Faculties
This chapter mainly refutes the idea of those who proclaim the sense faculties, self and consciousness to be observers that possess an independent sensor. They assert the sense faculties and consciousness as the observers of objects and support their statement by emphasizing an Abhidharma text, which shows that there are the twelve sense faculties of seeing and the object of seeing, hearing and the object of hearing, and so forth. However, Madhyamika disproves the above assertion of independent and tangible sense faculties, accepting that sense faculties arise due to interdependence.
Chapter Four: Analysis of the Aggregates
If we do not analyze meticulously, all that we perceive to be pleasant is in reality contradictory. Even the five aggregates—form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness—are not existent in ultimate reality and they are empty in nature. Without combination nothing is formed. For example, we impute the word ‘body’ for our physical form, which is comprised of many limbs, hands, head, eyes and so forth. If we split it into its many parts, then where does ‘body’ go? Thus, the essence of the aggregates of form and so forth is nothing but emptiness.
Chapter Five: Analysis of the Five Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Space
The idea of investigating the five elements is to make sure that everything is not permanent but emptiness. Here is the way one can examine the five elements: Before the characteristic of space, there doesn’t exist even the slightest space. If space appears before its characteristic, then there wouldn’t be a characteristic. But there is nothing without characteristic anywhere, and if there is nothing without characteristic, then where does the characteristic fit in? Likewise, the same logic may be applied to the analysis of earth, water, fire and wind.
Chapter Six: Analysis of Attachment and Desire
In this chapter, Nagarjuna refutes on the ultimate level the existence of the aggregates, constituents and elements, which are the supports of afflictive emotions. The same logical reasoning is applied as before to refute the acceptance of substantial and concrete attachment and desire by non-Buddhists and some Buddhist proponents.
Chapter Seven: Analysis of Birth, Existence and Disintegration
This chapter analyzes birth, existence, and disintegration. Every compounded phenomenon goes through these three stages. However, with critical examination, Nagarjuna points out that these are just designations in the conventional sense without any intrinsic object. He also concludes that by negating ‘birth’ in the ultimate sense, the other two are negated naturally and when the three of these are absent, there cannot be any compounded phenomena as such. Thus, the text states that the concept of uncompounded phenomena too will cease to exist, showing every appearance of phenomena to be illusory.
Chapter Eight: Analysis of the Doer and Deeds
In this chapter, the introspection is about the doer and deeds. When the Buddhist proponents of ‘true existence’ state that there is an intrinsic phenomenon in ultimate reality by accepting the presence of ‘doer’ and ‘deeds’, Madhyamika proponents strongly refute that statement. This chapter proves that there are no ‘doer’ or ‘deeds’ as such when examined in depth. The concept of ‘doer and deeds’ only exists in the conventional sense, which is based on the state of interdependence.
Chapter Nine: Analysis of Pre-existence
In this chapter, Nagarjuna refutes the idea of some Buddhist proponents of ‘true existence’ who establish ‘self’ as something substantial. In order to see, hear, feel and so forth, they firmly believe the self to be the real enjoyer or benefactor, which exists before everything else. But again with the same application of Madhyamika’s valid reasoning and analysis as before, the conclusion is drawn that there is no substantial self or enjoyer in the ultimate sense.
Chapter Ten: Analysis of Fire and Firewood
This chapter specifically analyzes fire and firewood, and declares that they don’t exist as one or distinct in nature, which implicitly negates the inherent existence of self and phenomena as support and that which is supported. Nagarjuna refutes such wrong views, which contradict the profound meaning of dependent causation that is beyond the boundary of permanence or annihilation.
Chapter Eleven: Analysis of Cyclic Existence
This chapter teaches the non-existent nature of cyclic existence by examining its beginning, middle and end, and showing the absence of birth, aging and death. Thus, it absolutely negates the inherent existence of the wandering self which doesn’t accord with the law of cause and condition. Therefore, the nature of all dependent phenomena is empty in ultimate reality and is like magical illusion in the conventional sense.
Chapter Twelve: Analysis of Suffering
In this chapter, non-Buddhists and some Buddhist proponents of ‘true existence’ argue that the inherent self exists because it experiences the suffering produced either by itself, other, both or none. However, Nagarjuna refutes that these four extremes have never existed, just like a flower in the sky. Everything is just mere appearance, like a magical illusion based on interdependence, as explained in chapter eight.
Chapter Thirteen: Analysis of Compounded Phenomena
In this chapter, Vaibhashika adherents argue that if functional phenomena are empty and devoid of self-nature, then that would be a kind of criticism of all conventional things. They have a distorted way of understanding emptiness as mere nothingness, like a rabbit’s horn, which is nonexistent. Nagarjuna refutes this by proving that every phenomenon we perceive arises through delusion like a mirage. Yet, the nature of conventional things is primordially empty or devoid of self-nature, when analyzed meticulously.
Chapter Fourteen: Analysis of Contact
In this chapter, non-Buddhists assert that the nature of phenomena exists because the phenomena of meeting or contact can be shown. Depending on sight and physical form, consciousness emerges. When these three come together, they give rise to contact. Nagarjuna refutes this by pointing out that the nature of phenomena itself is nonexistent. Therefore, contact is illogical through the analysis of subjectlessness or through reasoning whether there is the same or a different substantial entity. If contact were established either with the same or a different substance, then there should be benefit for both.
Chapter Fifteen: Analysis of Natural Phenomena
In this chapter, the nature of all phenomena is first asserted to exist because it arises by relying on causes and conditions. But, to rely on causes and conditions is illogical, since the causes and conditions themselves are like flowers in the sky (which are nonexistent). Lord Buddha stated that all phenomena emerge from interdependent origination. Thus, non-substantial phenomena also arise due to substantial phenomena.
Series to be continued…
Padma Mani Translation Committee, NNI
