[Buddha-l] bodhi

[Dan Lusthaus]

Hi Artur,

Light dispels darkness (tamas) = ignorance, and that image, e.g., of a 
luminous, pure mind untainted by the dark filth, appears frequently in 
Buddhist literature (and Jain, etc.), starting with the Pali Nikayas. In the 
Samkhya system, buddhi (a faculty) reflects and refracts the light of purusa 
into prakrti, eventually dissolving the ahamkara (I-maker) into anahamvadi 
(the not-I-sayer). Light becomes a more prominent feature in Mahayana 
sutras. Many sutras have Buddha project rays of light -- sometimes of 
various colors -- before making his buddhavacana pronouncements, part of 
calling his readiness to speak to the attention of the buddha-realms in the 
10 directions. In the epistemological literature cognition (buddhi) was 
compared to light, which not only illuminates other things (whatever it 
shines on, by removing the darkness), but also self-illuminates (it's 
self-nature is radiance). That argument/analogy is refuted by Nagarjuna in 
MMK 7 and at greater length in Vigraha-vyavartani -- and Nagarjuna's 
interest is not in optics but the obvious analogy between light = correct 
seeing (awakened) and darkness = tamas = ignorance, stupidity.

The standard Indian perceptual theory, embraced by Buddhists as well, was 
prakaa"sa -- illumination. A light shines out through the eye, hits an 
object (bimba) and the reflection (pratibimba) flows back to the mind to be 
cognized. Perception was conceieved to be an active, constructive, 
intentional process, not the passive reception and processing of light we 
get in our textbooks today. Some Buddhists point out that the reflected 
images floating on the surface of our mirror minds can be contaminated 
(saasrava) or uncontaminated (anaasrava), the latter being "enlightened" 
cognitions.

I have seen some scholars argue that the root -/ buddh can mean either 
"awaken" or "illuminate" but have no references on hand at the moment. The 
Chinese translated bodhi as either jue 覺 (awaken), wu 悟 (awaken, Jp. 
satori), or they transcribed it as puti 菩提, giving it a mysterious exotic 
feeling.

Dan


> What light?
>
> Artur