The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems

A Tibetan Study of Asian Religious Thought

Thuken Losang Chokyi Nyima, Roger R. Jackson, Lhundub Sopa

• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780861714643
• eBook ISBN: 9780861717866
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Buddhism

The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems, by Thuken Losang Chokyi Nyima (1737-1802), is arguably the widest-ranging account of religious philosophies ever written in pre-modern Tibet. Like most Tibetan texts on philosophical systems, this work covers the major schools of India, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, but then goes on to discuss in detail the entire range of Tibetan traditions as well, with separate chapters on the Nyingma, Kadam, Kagyu, Shije, Sakya, Jonang, Geluk, and Bon schools. Not resting there, Thuken goes on to describe the major traditions of China--Confucian, Daoist, and the multiple varieties of Buddhist--as well as those of Mongolia, Khotan, and even Shambhala. The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems is unusual, too, in its concern not just to describe and analyze doctrines, but to trace the historical development of the various traditions. The Crystal Mirror of Philosophical Systems is an eloquent and erudite presentation exploring the religious history and philosophical systems of an array of Asian Cultures--and offering evidence that the serious and sympathetic study of the history of religions has not been a monopoly of Western scholarship.

1. Preface

[3] An Expression of Worship and Promise to Compose

I prostrate to the mighty Muni,⁶³ the lord of philosophical systems,

Who saw everything in the untold billions of philosophical systems,

Refuted the positions of ill-spoken philosophical systems,

And gave teachings on the principles of pure philosophical systems.

I prostrate respectfully to the Unconquerable and to Mañjughoṣa,⁶⁴

Who possessed the entire secret treasury of the Conqueror’s speech

And ordained the banquet of profound and extensive Dharma

With various emanations in countless fields.

May victory come to the two eyes of the world known as Nāgārjuna and Asaṅga, who,

Distinguishing well between definitive and provisional scriptures, illuminated the great chariot-paths of Madhyamaka and Cittamātra

Exactly as prophesied by the Conqueror himself when he said, “There will rise a conjunct sun and moon

Who will open well, respectively, the hundred-petaled lotus and night-lily gardens of the two ways.”⁶⁵

I bow respectfully to the ornaments that beautify Jambudvīpa:⁶⁶

Āryadeva, Aśvaghoṣa, Bhāvaviveka, Buddhapālita,

Candrakīrti, Śāntideva, Vasubandhu, Haribhadra,

Sthiramati, Dignāga, Dharmakīrti, Guṇaprabha, and Śākyaprabhā.

I make prostrations as well to the assembly of mighty yogins who,

Drunk on the beer of bliss and emptiness, join with their great secret songs

In the banquet of fortunate supreme adepts

In the palace of the supreme vehicle, highest yoga tantra.

I bow down, remembering the kindness of the translators, pandits, and Dharma kings,

Who, with the strength of the green horse of their arousal of the awakening mind,

Drew the great light of the sun of the holy Dharma to this land,

Which, though surrounded by snow mountains, was covered with the darkness of confusion.⁶⁷

I bow to all the supreme beings who, appearing different yet sharing a single nature,

Spread in this Land of Snows the ways of many different philosophical systems,

Which, though differently elucidated, come down to a single ultimate intention,

Like rivers and streams descending separately but mingling in a single ocean. [4]

I bow from my heart to the great lord Dīpaṃkara, who lovingly and unstintingly bestowed on his Tibetan disciples

The mighty king of teachings on the awakening mind, brought from Suvarṇadvīpa after many hardships.

And I bow as well to the second conqueror and his spiritual sons;⁶⁸ he took as his own the complete teaching of the Muni, and through his excellent explanations

And the marvel of a life lived purely, he opened the way of the Gandenpa,⁶⁹ the greatest way of all.

I prostrate to the upholders of the Ganden teaching,

Who set atop the victory banner of explanation and practice

The wish-granting jewel of the unstained tradition of the protector⁷⁰

And sent down the inexhaustible rain of all that is virtuous, good,⁷¹ and desirable.

I exalt at my crown Amitābha and Lokeśvara,

The mighty conquerors, father and son,⁷²

Who, performing in saffron robes, cause the unremitting increase

Of the highest essence of the teaching of the Muni until samsara ends.

Until enlightenment, may there remain at the center of my heart the incomparably kind three-aspected gurus,⁷³

Who, empowered by love for beings as if they were their own children, open the door to the inexhaustible Dharma treasury of the secret mind,

The mentors who freely bestow the essence of the wealth of excellent explanation, and in particular

The actualization of all buddhas, Rölpai Dorjé, and those named Maitripāda and Ratna.⁷⁴

Thus, with words of praise

And with flowers held in the folded hands of faith,

I have worshipped the great lord of the teaching,

The Muni, along with his spiritual sons and their students.

Many, under the sway of anger, have deprecated

The Dharmas and persons of other systems

Without even knowing how to properly distinguish among

The various philosophical systems in this land.

Many, under the sway of the four negative tendencies,

Failing to ascertain any reason

For the special distinctiveness of their own philosophical system,

And driven only by confusion and desire, still hold their system as supreme.

In order to set them in conscientiousness,

I will briefly discuss here

The sources and standpoints of the philosophical systems

That arose in the Holy Land⁷⁵ of India and in Tibet and China.

If any there are with honest eyes,

Free of the cataracts of partiality,

They should view the many wondrous forms that appear

In this white crystal mirror of excellent explanation. [5]

A General Explanation of the Project

Now, countless are the ways in which logicians have conceived and established philosophical systems amid the world systems as measureless as space, and likewise the very pure philosophical systems that arose from the awakening mind and deeds of the Muni, the Buddha, the Blessed One⁷⁶ are beyond number, so who could discuss the countless ways in which they arose? Here, I will discuss just briefly how different philosophical systems arose in particular lands in Jambudvīpa and the unique standpoints of each system.

This text, then, is fivefold: I. The history of philosophical systems in the Holy Land of India; II. Their history in Tibet, the Land of Snows; III. Their history in the land of Great China; IV. Their history in some other places; and V. The conclusion, which explains the outcome. Part I is twofold: A. The history of the non-Buddhist extremists and B. The history of the Buddhists.⁷⁷ Section A is threefold: 1. The story of how the extremists arose; 2. A brief explanation of their standpoints; and 3. The purpose of explaining those.

2. Indian Schools⁷⁸

I. The History of Philosophical Systems in the Holy Land of India⁷⁹
A. The history of the non-Buddhist extremists⁸⁰
1. The story of how the extremists arose

FOR A LONG TIME after this world had come into being, humans here in Jambudvīpa enjoyed uncultivated crops, but then lazy people began hoarding food, so farming became necessary. Then greedy people took what had not been given to them, and because of the discord that resulted, it became necessary to appoint a leader who could pass judgment. The first [6] leader was called King Saṃmāta (“Honored by Many”).⁸¹

Seeing the king punish some evildoers at that time saddened certain beings, who then went to solitary places in the forest and remained there; thus arose the brahmans. Some of these hermits reduced their desires and achieved satisfaction; sitting alone, they isolated mind and body and so attained tranquil abiding. When they then gained supernormal and magical powers, they were called “seers.”⁸² Of those, many who had attained supernormal powers and trained in logic analyzed their own mi...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Message from the Dalai Lama
• Special Acknowledgments
• Publisher’s Acknowledgments
• Contents
• General Editor’s Preface
• Translator’s Preface
• Editor’s Introduction
• Map of Tibet
• Technical Note
• The Crystal Mirror: An Excellent Explanation Showing the Sources and Assertions of All Philosophical Systems
• 1. Preface
• 2. Indian Schools
• 3. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism
• 4. The Nyingma Tradition
• 5. The Kadam Tradition
• 6. The Kagyü Tradition
• 7. The Shijé Tradition
• 8. The Sakya Tradition
• 9. The Jonang and Minor Traditions
• 10. The Geluk Tradition 1: Tsongkhapa
• 11. The Geluk Tradition 2: Tsongkhapa’s Successors
• 12. The Geluk Tradition 3: The Distinctiveness of Geluk
• 13. The Bön Tradition
• 14. Chinese Traditions 1: Non-Buddhist
• 15. Chinese Traditions 2: Buddhist
• 16. Central Asian Traditions
• 17. Conclusion
• Appendix: Detailed Outline of Thuken’s Text
• Notes
• Glossary
• Glossary of Enumerations
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Contribuors
• The Institute of Tibetan Classics
• The Library of Tibetan Classics
• Become a Benefactor of the Library of Tibetan Classics
• About Wisdom Publications
• A Note About Dust Jackets
• Copyright