echoes of the tibetan buddhist bsam yas debate in current controversies over mystical experience

8/9/2019 Echoes of the Tibetan Buddhist BSam Yas Debate in Current Controversies Over Mystical Experience

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“Echoes of the Tibetan Buddhist bSam yas Debate in

Current Controversies over Mystical Experience”

by Zeff Bjerken. The Tibet Journal Vol.29, 4 (2004) pgs.3-18.


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Echoes of the Tibetan Buddhist bSam yas Debate in

Cuent Controverses oer Mstcal Experence

Zef Bjerken

The ontoversial ssue of how to interpet mysta expeene has stimuated

ey mehodologa debae among omparavisS of eigion. any eumenal

sholas ae drawn o he subjet of mystiaJ expeene ou of an nteest n ndng

some spiua ommon gound where regious dions onvee, whh woud

povde he bass fo a peenna phlosophy Pariipants n iner-egous da

logue for exampe ofen pos a "hghe�( ommon denomnator n e expeenesof myst who are sad to ealze he univesal tuhs of he wod's great regious

adons hs ommonaty s then headed as an antdote o todays uaragmentaton wh s eosive relaism an o the ioe aonasm diiding

elgonsIn shap ontrast to this quest for the spial uny o[ mankind hee arc many

othe shoas of a purals pesuasion who make a pea for the eognion ofdiferenes Ka 97R:25 They gue ha al expeenesnluding hose den

ied as "mysale fomed and onstruted om utuay speifi faosFoowing Kant hey beleve ha ou expeene is mediated by ngisti aego

ries and utul iers Ka 978 83 he dfeen doina sysms ha infom

and deermine eah mysis expeene ar egaded as evidene fo he heteroge

ney o mysal expeenes Ony eeny hough thee hs been a akashaganst hs ;onstruvs mode by sholas neresed n dentfyng a ommon

aena fo mysis n arena hat ransends ordinay cxpeiene hese nversal

sts afrm ha hee are unmedated mystial epcrienes tha ae uno ontentess and enrely non-oneptua n expeene hey abel as the pue onsios

ness event o he "peE orman et al hey m ht the aouns ofmyss who belong o diCeen elgons ates to thepeE, d thepeE ponts o aanshisoia and ransuturl unty o expeiene

At stake n thi mehodoogal onl over mysta expeene is a pivoa

sse in he osstural ompason of eigions: do aounts o mysa epei

enes evea niy or divesty beween regons? Modern sholrs \ho nest

gae mysal xs e debating over a familiar sse in ompaative sudes whahe ou has esewhere entfed as e age-old dstntion between th

ame and he Othe ouat 7 x Wha mkes mystism sh an nerestng ase n terms of hs ageold dsntion s tht hose sholars orman e alwho rgue [or an essena sameness in mystia expeienes also arm ha suhan event s adaly dsoninuous or ohe) from our odn experene On he

oher hnd he oncxats atL e 01.) \ho dw attenon o he ria derenes beeen the regous doines hat infom mysta aounts and who

age fo he dversiy o mystia expeienes tend to teat mysia expeenes asontnous with no he "same as o mundane expeiene Vheras he former

unversalss presee a sui genris domain fo mystia taditions the latter


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4 THE IBT jOl'L

relatiists deny any sepaae sphere or he mytic beyond he en o our ordinary

consucted expeenceMy pupose in his cle i no to steer ome "mddle way between the Scylla

of myscal esentialism and the Carybds o elaivism. Nor do I intend o pomote an "objectie epistemologcal fr ame\ok fo te ner peaon and evaluaon ofmysical expeience. a pro ject pur sued by o many othe scholas of mycism(Almond, Bedt Pevch and Rohberg in Forman 1990). Indeed.! am skepi-cal of any metodological claim to ob jeciviy" o o being a mediating mddleway. Rathe, r inend to empaize the inescapabity o one's parial pespecie ininepeing e meaning of my:ica! exts and experences. Read ng and inerr ogat-ing a mycal ex Jways involes reading wih an nter es, Co reading is a elec-tie process ha f oregrounds ceran feaures ad ineviably backgunds othe feaures. Vhat will no! be eploed n ths aticle are the sandard eiologcal ues

ons hat moivae much of ecent r eseac into mysticism such a "fm wheeor whom does mysticism come! Insead \an to r aise preinerpr etive questions abou conex: Fom where does he chola appoac the sudy of mysticism?ha i the data or te souce maeal, wich te schola chooses to ocus upon?

hat is ganed and what i lot in he scholar's selece pesenaon o hat data?

Tese queton encouage a seious econideraton o the ole ta conex play

in e interpeation o myscal texts and epecially e scholas On piileging

of certain tes or methods Vha i promoted here i a more releive and houg

fon o contextualiaon han has often been paciced by constuctiist scholas

o mysc�m uch a Kat Te euistc mehod uggested below ll offer an

aleatve mean for evaluating e tanscendental hetoric o nondualism and

unmedatd expeence that is inoed by past mstics and crent defendes of the

CE; ha i gained i an undertanding o h thi retoic operates eligiously

within a tadition

EIG E EIGI SSES f S

y point o enry ino the modern debate oe myical expeience is somehat

circuitous ill begin by rehearsing some of Lhe pioal points o dspue echanged in he eighth century Buddhist debae in Tibe oe e nae o en-

lighenment a confronaion been e ndan gadualst amalaa and he

hinse ubiist Mohoyen :y easons or ung to hs Buddhist debae at

Samye (bSam yas) are twoold. First I will ague hat hee are om commonpoints of contenton between he medieal Buddiss and beteen modern schol

ar Bot contversies nolve dispus ove he mediated o unmediated chaac-

e o the ulimae expeence and wete hat experience is inenonal. e may

acqure new euistic caegores for interpetng e contempoay conoesyby eamnng te wo Buddist debaes oe enlghtenment wich wll bing

o ligh obced aspects o the uren coney econd, as a cae study heTibetn conlic will also illustrate he mportane of pespectie in epesening

he debae and the differen contex tat mght be employed or locatng anl

inepretng ihee does te Tiean debate occu Tis quesion may be approaced from

a aety o angles ne can locae he opposing postons n pecic exual sourcesta requie careful philologcal inestigaion beoe the debae can be interpeed


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CO TH TlBEAK BUDDHIS . 5

rom Buddhi�t doctial perspectve Or, o cn ry o stte the couner

htorclly nd geogrphiclly d proced o nestig wht locl ocl d

poltcl ctor mgh h mpged upon the deb nd t outcome Al

ely o c exme he cofrontto s teroypicl lterry topo pper

g Tb Buddhst po1mcl ltrtre n whch Kml (the debte cor)

oked to deine orhodoxy whl ohoy he loer becom deted ih

oe' htodox opponents o ht Buddht orhodoxy contnully rconst

tuted Ech o e pproche etblh deret conx or nrpring nd

lug th dbt whch my or my ot be bout myticl xpernc Echo hs perspectis clri dierent meing o the dbte whle obcurng

other pcts o meing Udertdig on inole bld to othr prt

o ts stuctur o combine l thes pproche d meg smultoly no

oe gr


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6 THE TIBT JOUR:AL

ral dferenes n ther nerpreaon o soeriologaJ transormaon. However

enra he op o udden verS grada enghenmen n h debae may be,

hese erms ao gges a dagreemen over ontn n he eperene we

aept he ransaon o hee erm a "ep-bep and aaone (Boghton

R3 he ormer gge a eral poe hrogh see gradaon whe

he ater deno an abrpt rupre n he ordnar v o experene dng whh

onc drl aan he abole; par o meaphor ommonl ed to haraer

/e h derene he gradua aen p a monan ers he nananeo�

leap o he mm The gradal ow aen he welldemaraed path whe he rada b n pnple) ddan an on o medaton gude onepal

ompae and o orh and jump eorel o he dzzng hegh o he non

onepal realm For he gradal he vale o he peak experene anno be

ndertood who re onderaon o he proe o asen up he ddh

path (marga) a pah marked b age bhumi ha re desrbed n exhae detal n Mahna path lteraure h a n he Da/ahumka S (The t

on the tags he Bodhia\Ylhm (tage of th Bodha!a, or he

Bodhcaya Gd to th Bodhattva:" o L. he b' abptleap ps hm n a realm o experene enrel dn om or mndane epeene

a ae ha mple Le lakng n degree tep or pa neable and nnae2

The monan mm meaphor apples no on to \heher here edae or

mmedae ae o he enlghened sae b ao o vheher hs ae an

nenonal one he delberae gradal vold arge ha the peak experene m be ono ough hrogh one own eor and ha moral and meda ve ranng are prereqe or aanng he goal ha o a he gradas

poton s onerave, n that aon or the roe tha ddh monat e

eh rta done and eahers pa a gde or ompae or traer

ng the pah o he mm Vhou hee pah ndator one beomes o and

w nev atan he peak or one make alse umm or he real one 3

onra he rada u oen adops an annoman poon hat dene an

ea to the ddht pah he mae nononepa and pontaneos n

on annot be he rel o an nentonal eCor or an nased nnate aean experena gen whh, when delberael ogh aer os or oburedIn m� o or mena av he bt am that o ordnar deded ae

enrel de to our das onre hogh (pa-tta am pa dpa' m he rot ae o erng One h dsengaged and he mnd eae enrel Crom s dsrve and drmnang onepal proee hen he pe non-onepal nd e s reogned drel [aeoae gphdod pa a he ex p 3 he ada Kamala on he oher hand

whle aknowledgng ha he hghe orm o nowledge non-da and non onepa arge ha no mpl a blank se o abenmndedns b a

ogne ae dened b he drmnang at whh lead p o or

Kamaala he perod pror and ub�eqen o awakenng nolve drmnaon,

nd even the enlghenmen eperene no enre lakng n eptemologal

a alhogh wha exal h ena reman ee

Wh h admted keh repreenaton o he bean debae we an now map hee polar endene on he mode nroer over pre ers medaed expeene ke 1ohoen he adoae o he PE n pon ndrved


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ECHS F TH ETN DDHS 7

and unque character, that it i a radcal depa1ure rom our ordnay mode of awarene. Even when the i preceded by meditate practices t not the effect of

any active icimnation \Vherea Kamalala ue the metaphor of a fire (repre

entng non-conceptual knv[edge) caued by the contant rubbng of two fre

tk or duatic dicrimnatve thoughtBafk

0, the noton o

pontaneou combuton appeal to modern "utit like Forman, ho derie

the mytcal experence a the elmmolaton of he mytc'] own conceptual

ytem (orman The unmedated ad be nether ntentional nor

cotructed hoe who init upon the medaton of conceptual tucture make a

bac epitemological error Bot ·ohoyn and the modern PCE upporter cat

aperon on their opponent a nddual vho are deluded by contructive

thought (ka cita. The defender argue that mediatng conceptual tructure includng te tradition own categorie can be forgotten decontructed

or trancended durng meditaton leaving one concoune void o contentand complety n t innate tate o uniform purty Rothberger oma Klein

Lke Mohoyen the proponent o the tend to overlook the fact that the

experence of pure concioune although uppoedly phenomenologically bar

ren not axiologcally bare nce t decipon embedded in a doctrnal

cotet and a mlieu of practice which ge t meanng and directon The mytcal

experence derve meanng rom he ery mediation that the mytic tre o tran

cend !hat curouly abent n the account of the i any dicuon of toteriologcal gnificance or t endurng value a a noetic tate The empircal

account o the recrded by orman ncluding h own autobographcalreport might be crticized by Kamalala a blank tate of pure calm �hawhch may be peaceful but they do not effect lberation.5 nlightenment not to be

confued wth mere mindlene he mght argue What ave the eperience

from being trial or mitaken i that it occur wthn the contet of the pah and t

thu reinorce Buddhi docne ad practce he epene o gnorng he pre

expeential role of doctrine and the prerequite practce i that the unedated

experence loe it noetc qualty he mytic then ea the derogatory lael obeng a quetit

ode contetualit lke Kat Gmello and Moore all argue that the mytcal

eperience medated that it i ntenional and hat t nvole ome eptemologi

cal actvity o uppot thee clam they elect tet by mytc ho tre the

mportance of tage n experence the value o progreive moral and cogntivedeeopment and the ntealation o doctrial categorie in th proce6 Ither ew mytic are not radcal renegades who challenge the ohodox but the

are conervative defender of tradton who cannot help but recreate d confrmdotrne n ther eperence. The eperence telf i not ;gven to the mytc

pure aa aa but t invole ome mental activity by which the mytc relatethe preent experence to pat one and to h doctrinal commtment Although

Kamalala never mentoned by them hi Bha ould provde exemplary upport or much of their argument.

ere Kamaala would pat company om te mode contetualit in terflattnng out o the peak epeence a merely the pychoomatc enhancemet

of religou bele imelIo : , a experene whch ha the e dynic


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8 TH T JOf'L

chaacteritic d coplex content odinry ode of expeience. Klsawould urey deend the exaodinry non�conceptul nture o mkening a ttetht eul o the dectic intection o caling (Salha, ;hi gnas) ndi ight (vpayaa hag mtog) dring one editative cultivtion bhau pa. The prctce of cing i clied to de-condtion the ind o itnora conructive activity which atz nd othe eidenty conide ipoibeThei preoccuption with intelectal nly ocIe eclvely on nalytic diceent a{raa ha h which lead the to conclude that doctne"pog the expeience ch that the eperience delibetely contrived toeepiy doctrine! The eiiction o doctine a the object o epeience wodcetiny e citicized by las and Mohoyen a indequte ince both wodconcr that awening i non-conceptul lie e \hich howee tted uaway eey reiied conceptual object

he coepondence bteen ohoyen and the prponent nd betweenaala and the contxtulit overlap enogh o that the rgent ed byMohoyen nd Kaala y be applied to the oden contovey a crticaoil Contra the PCE advocate KalsH wod cetinly nit pon the iporance o the path a contittive o the gol n aguent hich peeve the vae

o the Bddhit tdtion prviding the aewor for the objectle nonconcepta tte on[ the contetit Mohoyen would ey e the uniquene o ch an objectle non-concept tate which cnot be redced to theodinr delded type o contructive concione The inebe expeience oawening i unocatbe in te o any conceptua ap

Yet thee i ao gp in the apping o coepondence between the edieal and ode proponent of ediated expeence Jt aa woudciticie the notion o entiey undiated bn epeience a pe cal!aha wihout any oterologic vale he wold ind alt ith the contetuait' excluie ephi n doctrinl ly paa Tht i, awod ind aut with the oden tendency to reiy concepta chee a the gond object o ytical experience ince thi ndeetite the non-conceptual

chaacter o the expeience On when both aaa d aaa e prctcedtogether in coopeation i thee blance ehed between ental de-conditioningnd reconditioning Docrny the baance achieved eult in the utiate ncondioned tate ak[u o enlightenent What tz and othe neoKantincontetulit oerloo entiely i how hitoilly and ctay conditionedtheir wte potightenent epteoogicl ode o epeience i whihue out in adance the ery poiility o any nconditioned tte of concioune

A uch grete gap exit between the hitoicl and cua contt o heSye debate nd the ode contovery So ar have reted the contrtingpoition o Mohoyen nd Klasl an btact typoogy deived o uddhit doctrina conlict ove the natre o nlightenent which fcilitate pion with the ode debte on ytical experience I wi change y oad identiy dieent loction o topoi or the Sye debte which wil pobetiethe iue o the interpetive ·contet y intent i to iltrte the prility odient reearch approache to ytical tet eah o which ber different fuitd ce peciic chenge


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CHOS OF T TAN UDDH .

THE MN F A" N EXS AN YThe geograpcal oaton and istoical time rame or the deate betweeKamaala and Mohoyen is dificult to detemine wit any peciio. The betanhistoial tadtion avos amye, the location o te ist Buddhit monateyouded oud \ith ntaak�ta the amous ndian uddt mate pesding a abbot e oundg o amye monatey ad the odinato o the stmonks occed shoty ate uddhm was declaed te ocial stae eligion byte empeo ng lde'u ta, - A the eter o the pmugaton oBddhsm amye moatey was he ocus o aposolc actiity by both diaad Cinese uddht missoaie ad t is a lkely locaton o he itesecton ooppong cultua curent as eU as uddht doctrial dieee we aceptDemelles dates o - eite as a ueul fto o as he actua itoica peiodo the debate at amye we can ask hat impoJ this tempoal ad patl oation

may ae a a intepretie amewokAt take in the dspute between amalaa ad Mohoyen ay hae ee themOasti cuilu atamye nd pehap the Tibeta empeos edct ohicom o national uddh (Ida o hese) he old adopt ad sacton Butaso at take ee ecoom and political atos tat suely ieed the ratheiolet outcome o the ecoute Fo te socal hstoian e conotatio betwee ndian and Chiese uddht epeentatie at amye may be o inteet aa contt or econom support and paage om pul oal cln amileschie among them beig te a, the o ad the yag Membe o te Baamily seed as ucesie abots ater ntak�ta died which gae te aamly a geat deal o iluence n te aais at amye; the ro and te Myangamiies wee the pmay patos o Mohoye ad othe membe o the Chinesepay uthe eseah to the socio-political otext oamye may we eea thate stakes o patonage we igh at the potial machinatios o the poweulibetan la undegirded the ootatio ad iluenced the atatoph upshot wit pata om bot ides destoyg eac othe n te ame o emptnes

1y pon hee is tat te debate appea to ae be uc moe ta a colitoe enligtemet it also a stggle o authoity and patoage ad as uh itwould mpa loc poiic ad Tibetan bele oil jute beooes ehistoia to eect on he deooga nd soial osequenes o "gadulism ad·sbitis t eem plauble that the radal teacig o :ohoyen woud appato to> wo had ome ope o a udde chage i te oa stuctue opolitical ytem while the moe coseate gment o amalala woud atta tose iteested n maitaning he tatu uo uc .S a kig ke hi song

de bt peulatio about coecio betwee soeiooga theory and oiapate i not eay substantiae but the tudet o myticsm ought to beeite to the oa ad poltcal iteests seed by the autoritate tuth camso thoe egaded a enlightened The Tbeta itoal acout o the Geaebate at amye illustate thi poit sce ng song de btan ewadamaal h Tbetan diiples and te sa amily with patroage d potetionwle Mooye the lose banised rom the eam

ee the to tat n actual dotal debate o ehage did oc bet\ee tO ptie led by amalala ad ohoye may itel b uestoned he


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0 HE TB JOURKL

textua ctc \ho seches for the eariet pry urce written i Tbetn ndChinese bout the "debte will ot dscover any accouns o indsputble hstoricty.') Sce there no eary reable tetul wtnese o a diect encouterbetween the two fgues, the schoar tereted in recontuctig the debte utrst dentify the doctrn poton of the two opponents by einig the ownyste of thought To recontmct Kaaas gradut postion not toodicult tsk, sce hs thee Bak peet his eposition o[the gaduastages of editate cutivto ad thee tets becoe uthrtate pyouces or the Tiet �1adhyak trdtion 0 But i the cae of Mohoye oneut rey on drect ource n Tibeta and hnese o tet whch tain thepretext o representing Mohoyen own words but e of dubious uthetcity

Transting and terpetg these tet ries a host o phloogc nd phiosophcal ses that he eed cotepora cholas nd geneted uch dis

cuon and debate Regardess of whether an ctu debaLe occured betweenala nd ohoyen, thee certny he been nueru coflcg opinon over how o bet trnate or ee epesent he oppones potos

The py dffculty ie n octig d epeetg Mohoyes posto Itis custoary to noke the Buddhst theory of the Two Tuths or distguhngthe opponets d to assg Mohoen the posito of the bsolute pespectie.he prdo hee that the non-dual non-conceptua level of truh (whchohoyen defed o at let as, order to crtcz Kla tasceds llnguage or seotc syte which akes it theoeticly epresentabeohoyen see to fluctuate betwee a etee r ofpophtics, whichinteds though negans to point to the trascedent anishi pot of aguage and conceptua thought ad a u:ied cepace of the latie level orth d the use o epedents a as cocesion o di-witted rduatshe slppery unettled tyle of arguettio ttibuted to Mohoyen akes ayscho teested in tatc debae egy

A ube o ethodologc points ay be de egdig Mohoyen eeeuse poston he debte n rlaton to that o Kaaal. Fo n epsteo

ogca vtge pot both prtcpt ppea to be peakig at cros puposeo incoeurbe pespecties A ideal types the absolute subitist andthe coetona graduaist potons neer nterect; or a one cholr cleelyputs it thee ay be councls but there no posble ecoclaton, no coono neur gound aure 1991 Yet uch nterpetato tes itely theiebility ced by the ubitist, nd t ccepts hs rhetoca protecte &ategywhch places h beyond the ken of ou ited coventioal coceptios

.Much

oMohoyen strategy ee tet upon dsoientng his udece ostensbly or

the pupos o kg the bndo thei grpng aer coceptual ps ndsgs BuL n eect th strategy ends up settig apar a eparate space for the peepeence o relty epeence owned or accesed ony by the enghtenedsubtL t is as if he put up Io Teai gess sgn aund the tnscedet e estte o he onconceptual eperece wng o the uenlghteedBut to accept the tcendenta ets o the ubtist at ce lue i to dtdeet a a cho Not ony is the subtts hetocl ca to nefablt conceptualy barpt snce t ais to render Mohoyen s des itegbe oreove idehung nce the subtsts lofy didin o ny fo o edatio reoes

hi o the hu rel of coucato ad coponate itecton


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COE F TE T!T" DDT .

To counteract hee endencies, the cholar may chooe o emper Mohoyen'radca rhetorc of mmedacy by amng t wthn the om o medaton whch hhan tdton precrbe and actuay pracce. The apophatc hetorc utered bymater ke Mohoyen hen \voud be located wthn the n;tutiona and ruacontex of the Chan traditon One way around the roadbock created bMohoyen rhetorca rejecton of the Bddh path woud regad h dorentinguerance a a performate act� Such an act only make ene hen paced n thecone of the routne prctce o han rtua and the daly actte of monace form of medaton hat han maters lke !1ohoyen take or ganted Ptanother way the ound of Mohoyen ence become gnfcant once one undertand t re rhetorcally and how t become arcuaed n he synta of rtualthat are central to hs tradton

Another ay to ocae the ubtsts poton oud abandon together the

que or the horca Mohoyen or for vhat he e aught and ntead ew hteachng a a topo hat appear n Tbetan Bddht polemclt Paradoicayonce one orake the earch or th hiorica teaching of Mohoen and u tontigae h Tbetan hae repreented this teachng one on much moid hsocal ground for undertanding hat Mohoyen meant o arous betan t mu be admtted heer ta e common bean mage of 10hoyenmay be more of a carcature than an accurate characezaton To eat ohoyenews a a "dehtoced tp (Ruegg 1989:5) n Tbetan polemcal lteature to gain an apprecation for how hs eue gure coud e pinned down a agenerc heetc he ouder h:' who s ued negately to eabh theorhodo dentty o he nder g b Mohoyen become ueul n theongong contton o Buddhit tradton)

ccordng to Tibean hsorca ourceY Mohoyen wa oundy defeated nh dbae wih Kmalala a amye monatery and he wa orced to eae TbeHoweer he ad to hae potested h deeat ymbocay by eang one o hhoe there at the monaery \vhch ome Tibetans hae nterpreted a a ign thath radca teachng wl be reied n the future Perhap ittngly Mohoyens

away-areadyabent poston come to be yboed by th negate embeman empy hoe but a hoe ha comes to stnk th d eoogic Whileome Buddhst hae cautoy epreed ther ympathy or the teachng ofMohoyen mo Tibetan crtics only noke the teaching o he o hang [Mohoyen] to dms t a hereca and mpure chey becase he s ad to hae aughthat the purut of rtue rreeant or attaining enghenmen For thee Tbetanpolemcit ohoyen carcatured a zy uet who adocatd ome orm oenlghtened gnorance 14 In a knd of polemcaUy charged nderea toy these

choa conenently dsmss ther contempoy rial nd opponent or bengn Mohoyn neage or tng nto hi hoe Needle to ay to i unagnedoutder there woud appear to be a mesy ack of ft bet:een Mohoyns ewnd the heretical ews se oth by aer Tbetan hnker who are agned h

hoe But for the Tbean polemc uch degree o derence are deeme rreleant Mohoyens hoe accommodate al outder one e f em alLamaala on the other hand become a ralyng ymbol or the nsders anactii misonary whose eachng o graduasm presere and promoe he aeof the Buddht path t rua and choatc pra t monatc discipine and

ethca precept and the eteemed eacher belongng to an athoriate lneage


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2 H T jOUf"

hen he Grea Debate between Mohoyn and Kalala i invoked by Tibetan Bddhists ving centurie aer it is inevitably repreented a a pivoal moment in he developmen o Tibet Buddhim the event that determined Tibet'sindebtedness o Kamalala to grjuna nd to Indian uddhism in geneaL Theonit beteen Kamalaa and Mohoyen smpHfed ino gene categores

with the tepbyep method adocated by Kamalala held up a a ymbol ofthe traditon, whie he sudden" positon of ohyen s denigraed a aheetia hortcut, nd it is sed polemly to dismi ival heoe. The ubtleieso Kamalala and Mohoyens argumen migh be lost in these lae aounts ofthe debae ut hat is gained \hen the t igure re tranomed into genericemlems i that they are made to ply a cea roe in the ongoing consrion oibets Buddhit adition.

Contexalists ike Katz and Gimello would be qick to point out how inheenty

onsevative religious traditions like Buddhim ae ith regard to thei mystcswhoe radial teahngs become dometicated within n orthodox amework Whathese holas oveook i that one o the ideoogica funton o thee traditionis to hide divesiy and dfference behind a onsensu of orodoxy o exampe bytranfoming the bte differences taugh by Mohoyen or Kamalaa into a geneic topos n at onenss abou \ha consitutes orthodoxy is eak wthinthe Bddhist traditon For instne in iet Kamalalas gaduaism comes tobe egded (by most bu no a Bddhiss) a ohodox whe in Chinee Chancommnite sudden enlightenment s acceped s he orhodox position d gradu-alsm i devaed. here is a moral abou method tha we c ke aay rom theeBuddhis con1ics over enlightenment, t s that we mut no accep at face valuehe conservative lams made by Buddhiss abou the essentia uniy of hei adiion Such conervative claims reonae with he needs of moden onextalitswho tend o reify relgiou tdition into monoli_ Even contextuaits ike Katzand Gimello mu heed their own plea for he reognton of dfference Ka1978:25), and reognie the doctinl tenion and diverity dividing a ingle adition," depite the eveing caims of orthodoxy

The mode advocaes o he PC might obet hat he vaous conex hat have kethed o ndertanding the ibetan debate have aken u afied fomwhat Kamala ad Mohoyen actully arged, and even uher om the opc omytical eperience hey would nt o eturn to �ohoyen their most ikely allyand sile patne and eview his approah to enlghenmen in eah o someconimaton for the pe onsco5ness even Of couse hee is omethingalung abou Mohoycn' paadoxical positon t i tempting to think that lyingbehind his apophatic saemen and his silence must be ome kind o myticl"expeiene u suh an asumption wod be dificult to suppor baed upon theexan texts in Tibetan nd hinese that am to preee Mohoyen's wod andgumens. Yhere does Mohoyen or Kamaaa o tht mattr appeal to hisown epeience o to state of consciounes" that he has reaized direty n-sead both antagonits support their argument by aing upon differen pa-age om Buddhist sipes suggeting that their debate wa primrily con-ened with nerpreng Buddhist soteriologica docrines rather han with theperonal medtative expeience4 [ndeed t s hghly unuual o medieva Buddhi to spply irstperon accounts of hei own eligou expeenes mya

or oherwie Mot medieval uddhsts rely upon auhorittive scipua texs to


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CS F T TAN 13

ppt the fte ete tepett ht the Buddht pth shoud

he vey egy f epee" truly ppey d gu te

ut e tergd lsey efre eg ed t terpret ddht epts

fhe pth. As hst f A relg hve retly ged the pegg f

eperee the terprett Id d Bddht thght s reltvelyreet t, fte fd As det h hve egged dlge

th este ee d prtty Hl! 188 Shrf 5,8; Kg

tzgerld 200). de prtvsts, t eteer d As teeted

eg epeee h tur t the Buddht rdt [r ppt f ther rgu

es s t pese tht ther t th the pheelgy f

ystl epeee" shed y edev Bddht Bere they et t t

dtee hO\ yt eperee vled d repreeted ther ture

elgs thee shlr ght rt ee the htry f the tegry fepeee" d the dre purpses t hs eved \ete dsre t

relg s ell eet terreg dge th repeette f 0

eter trdt h tve pprh uld e e fr htg

the re dete I t ght ee t quet hether the tegry [ epe-

ree rely pre t re et d de, este d eterrelg d yt

y pprh th ey h ee tfd ft fed the etrey der t rg t elef et et d tes th he

teprry dete etee the tetult d the prts purst f

the E. eer eg the 0 detes f the eed vtge pt f

pte phphy t help ut eel dy fr th prte pjeteet the pe f sl plt d hst1 fe tht grd th

dete S I he ght t ret e the e ved eletg

ure fr the Tet dete d t pete the t f terpete

tt hh prly rted y the estgtr d t sethg tht

e etreed tt r redg dferet e he phg d sh

tr pprhes tht I hve kethed d t f e eht the petet tepreg he su f the Gret Dete d hle t y e dt-

ted tht thee ethd te r the se f the prtpts det

eperee ht ged I elee ppet f the ttede f the

et dete d pehp ee e ef elet the

etgtr hstl tet

1 Th qt abt th h of mytm a at a it aa at thtt f Rbt ra tt yt Cttvm a gtga 19 Mh th tmay bat myt f OIl th f th etioogy of th p r a th aa r ay by atgfat A ft h a< mtat at th g a tal prsposiions iect ay fft indirc cotingent aa fat?Pft pot t that f h l f th tfat of ;m x amyt t ta h yt jg t �oeig th tha aatat f h thght o at t 6 67 4


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4 H TB OU

Th rslaion o g ap as smulanous o nstantaneos is argud by RofSein 99) and David Ruegg 989 Anothr vay in which these two soteriologappoaches ae idntifd is wt h polr caegoies tO mn p [o/u mml [ derved from h Chinse dn mUI, hat is he subst posiion of theChinse mas ter ohoyen and his Tin olIrs nd { m or r se m

m po] deed rom th Chinese j me tha i the grduast poston of hIndian ddhist ala ee t Ba d edted by Sin 1 96 J 4 11) lso he dB d Vangd nd Diembergr 20 78; and 'yang ras Cho yume o Hy po Chah sp J98 46- B tons os y r J99 41;u s yu (Gangs cn rig mdzod 990 l6 and the rG rs s me

x rnon 1994 400-4) he mountin mtphor appers in he Ba hed

a whr on ot e Buddhst gradlits ( ietan ds


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COS OF TH TAN RUDDl ... 5

d ontmplation -heeby they ar nducd or sutand (197:10 One of tshortcomng of th ntxtualt s that they fal to ntpret thoe mts who dnyth alu of he pat any pparaton what�or One mut deduce a form ofargumnt h d th clams of ohoen and oth Can mater would beimpJtl dimed [t' smply mtaken.

7. Gimello prntaton of Buddhit medtaton sharpl ditinguishe betwn mytcal atha and ratonal paa in whch th formr i mry prepaton forh lattr onc wth dotrnal anals he brdintion of almng to dernments cucal for GimelIos contuctst agenda. o ampl Gmcllo state that thmytcal experiene that lak any doctrnal content is totall inignifican Wr onto ubtrat from mytcal expeiene the blif whi mt's hold to be thrnconfrmed and ntantated all that would b lt would b me hedon ton a pattrnof pchoomatic or neural mpule ignfyng nothng Gimllo 9: 62) ButKamalala argu that samaha and p£ aa should be prad n oordnated

alternaton mahavpaanganadha rsulting n th uprm fo f knowdge To argu at thi suprme an unonditond knldg s mrly th peneof the dotne of nya a Gimllo and Katz would do, i rfy a into anobject ofldg a mtak tht Kmaala eplctly tis Lie Kat7 Gimellodu


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1 6 jOU

13 For he conclusion of e dba, wh hoy ocd defatee th Ea ed(Sten 196: 62 ao se he B ' bhed (Wagdu ad Dimbergr 2000 8); adNyang r� os bung me og Mng o (Chab pcl 988 35) Bu 's h

ung (Szerb 1990 4 Gval b\" g�l ba' me ong Sr 99 402 Ohr

mportan Tbeta htoical os aho h Grat Dbat iclde u stn \, Sug

rn po he mdzof a29b). Se �pecially Sa kya PU9i a sDom gsum de s dge ed 25-26) wher Sapan coplans that prseday ahmudrapractonr ha ak up hoyen norhodox Chine poto a bout he alof suspdng al thoght po s.

4. For jut a fw ample of \ell-know ibta polmica wor a are hpold ho ofo shang Mohoy Saska P!a Don! gm b dbye ot 3abo ad Tsog ha pa l 357 9 Lm im chen O Cutlr 2002 32333) andSra rJ bun pa rJ btu Cho ky rgyal tha 69 Ta gn mU e 4ranlatd n Lope 996: 2

5 oth Kamaaa ad ooyen qot om stndard Mayna Sra oureicludingth Vw[ki Sa, te Pjpram5 Sra, ad h Lanka forexampl

RAlond Phlip (l90 ·ysci�m and Its Cotet' [n Robet K C Forman d., 7e

Pbem oe Conscousne w Yok Oford nrsty PrsBad Sphn (990) "Th Poblm of Pure Coscios In Robrt K. C. Forman

ed, he lem ofre Conscosnes. w Yok Oford Uivrty Prs

Brogho ffrey (1 983) Eay Ch' a Schools n ibt [n Robrt M Gmllo ad PerN rgory d . Stdes n C and Hu-yen. onouu erty of Hawai Pre

Chab pl sh ba phn tshog ed 1988. o byng me og snyng po In Gngs ngs dod vol Lhaa od og mi mang dp krn khang

Chadra, Losh ed (91) he Coleed Wk o Bu st e lhi IeatioaAady o Iian Cultre

Cter, Johua d 200 e Gea ase o n e Stge o Pa of E1genmento haca S io Pbliao

Delle Paul 952) Le ole e hasa: une onerse 1e qtse ent

houdhistes de ne e de /a Chine Ie se de 'e iee Par mprmeeNationa1c d FancFaurenard 199 e Reorc ( mmed Cultu Ctqe ofChnen Bu

dhism Pricon Princton nirsy Prs.- 992) ar ad far angag ame n Chan/Ze Stn Ka, ed

Aysicsm an Lnguge Oord nerty Prss, 158180itgerald, Tmoy 2000) xperienc ill Bra ad Ruell McCutchn, ed

Guide to he Sud ofReigon. odon CalFoa Robrt K , d. 990 e Pbem o Pure onscousness York: Oord

Uvrsity Prc ( 998) Inae Cpci sim svhlog and ooph e Yk

Oford Univety PrsFocau chcl 97). The doTgs n heoogy e Huan Senes ew

Yr PathomlloRot 983 Mym n Cets n Sv T. Kat d Ai nd

eos Tatons. New ork Oxord Uivrity Prs.Gm O l 98) . The Drct and Gadal pprache o Zn Mat Mahya:

Fragmt of the eacig of Moho-ycn I Robert mello d Peer Grgoy, d, Sues in Ch'an nd Hen Hoolu niry of awa P


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HE E TT, DDH . 7

[ 198] (1 99 1) Pfng Gold The 1taphor of Efot d ntutn n ddhithuht nd Pratice." In Ptr rgory cd, udden ad Gadual: ppahes oligenme Cnese hou Dlh: 'ot 3anarida%

alba \lhelm ( 188. Th Cnpt of perin in th ncunter 3tween at and in Inda ad pe sa i Undestad Albany Stat nirsit of

�e York Premada Yoshiro (975) Dments tibtan d Toun-huoang nrnant I Cni de

Tibt· Joal Asaqe 6 54Jantn Gae (995) ; Gde ad Cria (vs� Cambridg Cambridg

nirty PrKatz Sten T ( 198 m ad hilosophica alss e Yr Oxford Uner

sit Prs- ( 83. Mystism wuJ Relg ados. rk Oford Univer[ Pres- 992 )scm ad Laguae w Yk: Ord nerity Pr

ng Ricard (999). Oealsm and Relgo Pscoona heo, ndia a 'The a\· Lndon Routldgeng Salli 1998 Two pstemological )10del or the ntrprtation of ytcsm In

oual fthe Aeian Aad!1Y oReig 1 : 5-80Klin Ann (1992) ental Conntration an th ncndtoned A uddhist Case for

nmdatd pren. n Rbrt . Bsll and Rot M imllo, d at oberao ara ad 5 anomaos Buddhi o Honoll nrty of aai Prs

Lpe onald S ( 996. Plmal Lterature dGag !a). '· ln Jo Ignac Cabe6n andRgr R aon, eds ea ieate Stdes i Gre thaa n Ln Press.

re Pter (98 tal Epene tical Doctrin Mil Thniq InStvn T atz d sci and sophaalys. Yr Oxord ni vrity Pres

Peoch Anthon (1990 s th Philoph yicim Rt on a take?" nRobert C. Forman d e Poblem o Pure Coscows Ne rk Ofordnerity Prs

Prudoot ayne (1985) Religous Expeiece Berely nvrty of Calfrna PrRthbrg, onald J990 Cntmprar pimolog and the Study of Mii m

Robert K. C Forman d he Pblem o Pure Cosiousess ork Oford

Unrsit PreRuegg David 1989) Bdhanaur, Mid ad he Ple oGradusm n a Compaa

i epee O he Tanmso w Reepo Buddhm n da and beLndn: The Shool f Orintal and Afran Stdie

h Robrt ( 995 ddhit dernim d th Rhoric o ditt EpenNe 283

-- ( 99�) xprien ln ar C Tal; d. riica Tems/r Reliou udeChig Unirity f Chiag Pre5

Smith, Jnatan Z 98 man Re&o Chiag nivrst of Chiao Pr

rnn Pr 199) beta Bddht Hsooph e ir umnatig e RoalGenoge5. badn: arraowt erlagStn R . 19 Ve Chiue anene de S-a sBa-zed ParI198 1991 ) Sddn lumnation Smltaneou mprhnon Remark on

Chines and itan rminology n Petr K (jrgy ed Sudde and GaduaAppah o ieme Chnese 7gt elh otilal Banarda

Serb an 1990) Bu s1 iory o Bddhsm e. Vienna Verlag de teihihn akdni dr

.shafteni iuppe ( 1 9 7 1 ) . Minr uddhs Tes ar 3 Rm stitt taliano }X l Mdio

d Etem Ornt


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an P

echoes of the tibetan buddhist bsam yas debate in current controversies over mystical experience

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