Nagarjuna’s Interpretation on Paṭiccasamuppāda for Complete Realization

Abstract

Nagarjuna introduced the middle path taken from Paticcasamuppada, as a tool to stop the flow of thought (Sangkhata) to reach the ultimate state of enlightenment. Paṭiccasamuppāda had been explained as an imaginary world through language with various names, which are thought-provoking ideas by fictional language based on virtual or imaginary languages. Its goal is to lead the mind to direct experience of the ultimate reality as the highest truth. Attaining this truth is a matter of mind with emptiness sphere seeing the phenomenal world as it is. This is regarded as developing the mind to Nirvana, the end of thought, it also forces Nagarjuna’s view as the base of pure epistemology. It has nothing to do with prayer or practice. All actions are thought-provoking. The enlightenment of the pure truth, Paramattha, is thus the ultimate cessation of doubt, all desires cease away, beyond the imaginary, but the enlightened one still lives in the imaginary world, not separated from any thought construction and fictional worlds to guide the enlightenment by complete experience of the emptiness of emptiness. It gave rise to a philosophical culture of unity or the oneness of all and encouraging innovation for mental development to enter into Buddhahood with pure epistemology through the dialectical method which is a dialectic at three levels: dialectic with others, dialectic with one’s own thoughts and the dialectic with his/her delusion. In terms of aesthetics, Paṭiccasamuppāda appears in the form of a Mandala, Stupa etc., as the symbolic language hidden in every branch of Buddhist art which is one of the outstanding spiritual heritages of Buddhism.