by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes “the eight liberations (vimoksha)” as written by Nagarjuna in his Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (lit. “the treatise on the great virtue of wisdom”) in the 2nd century. This book, written in five volumes, represents an encyclopedia on Buddhism as well as a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita.
1. General definition
The eight liberations (aṣṭau vimokṣāḥ): [k. 21, p. 215a]
2) Not having [the notion] of inner visibles, he sees outer visibles, this is the second vimokṣa (adhyātmam arūpasaṃjñī bahirdhā rūpāṇi paśyaty ayaṃ dvitīyo vimokṣaḥ).
4–8) – The four formless absorptions (catasra ārūpyasamāpattayaḥ) and the absorption of cessation of concept and feeling (saṃjñāveditanirodhasamāpatti) are the [last] five vimokṣas.
In all, eight vimokṣas. They ‘turn the back’ (pei) on the five objects of enjoyment (kāmaguṇa) and [they ‘reject’ (chö)] or eliminate the mind of attachment (saṅgacitta) towards them; this is why they are called ‘turning the mind and rejecting’ (pei-chö, in Sanskrit vi-mokṣa).
2. The first two vimokṣas
The yogin has not destroyed inner and outer visibles: he has not suppressed the notion of both [his own] inner and outer visibles (rūpasaṃjñā) and he sees these visibles with a feeling of horror (aśubhacitta): this is the first vimokṣa.
The yogin has destroyed the inner visibles and suppressed the notion of inner visibles (adhyātmaṃ rūpasaṃjñā), but he has not destroyed outer visibles nor suppressed the notion of outer visibles (bahirdhā rūpasaṃjñā) and it is with a feeling of horror that he sees outer visibles: this is the second vimokṣa.
These two vimokṣas both contemplate the horrible (aśubha): the first contemplates inner as well as outer visibles; the second does not see inner visibles and sees only outer visibles. Why is that?
Beings (sattva) have two kinds of behavior (pratipad): sensualism (tṛṣṇācarita) and rationalism (dṛṣṭicarita). The sensualists (tṛṣṇābahula) are attached to happiness (sukharakta) and are bound (baddha) by outer fetters (bāhyasaṃyojana). The rationalists (dṛṣṭibahula) are strongly attached to the view of the individual (satkāyadṛṣṭi), etc., and are bound by inner fetters (adhyātmasaṃyojana). This is why the sensualists [usefully] contemplate the horrors of outer visibles (bāhyarūpāśubha), whereas the rationalists [usefully] contemplate the horrors (aśubha) and corruption (vikāra) of their own body.
Furthermore, at the beginning of the practice, the yogin’s mind lacks sharpness (asūkṣṃa) and at the start it is difficult for him to fix his mind on a single point [viz,, outer visibles]. That is why he disciplines his mind and tames it by gradual practice (kramābhyāsa) consisting of the [simultaneous] consideration of both outer and inner visibles. Then he can destroy the notion of inner visibles and see only outer visibles
Question. – If the yogin no longer has the notion of inner visbles, why can he see outer visibles?
Answer. – This is a matter of a subjective method (adhimuktimārga) and not an objective method (bhūtamārga). The yogin thinks about his future corpse burned by the fire (vidagdhaka), devoured by insects (vikhāditaka), buried in the ground and completely decomposed. Or, if he considers it at present, he analyzes this body down to the subtle atoms (paramāṇu), all non-existent. This is how ‘he sees outer visibles, not having the notion of inner visibles’.
Question. – In the [first] two abhibhvāyatanas, the yogin sees inner and outer visibles; in the [last] six abhibhvÂatanas he see only outer outer visibles. In the first vimokṣa, he sees inner and outer visibles; in the second vimokṣa, he sees only outer visibles. Why does he destroy only the concept of inner visibles and not destroy the outer visibles?
Answer. – When the yogin sees with his eyes this body marked with the marks of death (maraṇanimitta), he grasps the future characteristics of death; as for the actual body, in it he sees, to a lesser degree, the disappearance (nirodhalakṣaṇa) of the outer four great elements (mahābhūta). 