Jayānanda

རྒྱལ་བ་ཀུན་དགའ་

Jayānanda(11th century - 12th century)

Jayānanda (Tib. རྒྱལ་བ་ཀུན་དགའ, gyalwa kün ga, Wyl. rgyal ba kun dga') was the author of an important commentary on the Introduction to the Middle Way (Madhyamakāvatāra) by Candrakīrti called the Madhyamakāvatāraṭīkā.

The Tibetan literature has not preserved very much about Jayānanda. He appears to have publicly debated with Phya-pa Chos-kyi seng-ge (1109–1169) on madhyamaka subjects at Gsang-phu ne'u-thog monastery, of which the latter was abbot for eighteen years, most likely from 1152 to 1169, which resulted in a public defeat for him by that unique thinker who was one of Tibet's few, but foremost opponents of the *prāsaṇgika-madyamaka. The great Gser-mdog Paṇ-chen Śākya-mchog ldan (1428–1507) writes that he thereafter left Tibet for Mount Wutai. In this connection, it is rather curious that he also writes . . . that Jayānanda had composed the Madhayamakāvatāravṛtti in Tibet. This work was not very much studied in later times, akthough a notable exception seems to have been Tsong-kha-pa, who cites it severally in some of his major writings, and then usually in a highly critical vein, particularly in connection with its "Tibetan followers." His influence in Tibet was nonetheless not inconsiderable. Among his many disciples, we should count Rma-bya Brtson-'grus seng-ge (?–1185) who, in fact, wrote a commentary on the Tarkamudgarakārikā. So far, it seems that only his exegesis of the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā has been presevered by way of a late nineteenth century Sde-dge blockprint. (Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp, "Jayānanda. A Twelfth Century Guoshi from Kashmir Among the Tangut." Central Asiatic Journal 37, no. 3/4 (1993): 188–97)

On the topic of this person

Article

Exegeses of the Ratnagotravibhāga in Kashmir in the 11th and 12th Century

The Ratnagotravibhāga (abbr. RGV) was very likely composed around the 4th or 5th century in India. But traces of the RGV fell into obscurity after the late 6th century, and again begin to appear after the early 11th century. The teaching relating to the RGV was transmitted from India to Tibet mainly via two routes: one from Vikramaśīla through Atiśa (ca. 982–1054) and the other from Kashmir through Sajjana, rNgog Blo-ldan-shes-rab (ca. 1059–1109) and others. rNgog is one of the most influential masters who established exegetical traditions of the RGV in Tibet, and his understanding of the RGV is strongly influenced by the Kashmiri tradition, for he studied it in Kashmir. In this regard, the Kashmiri tradition of the RGV is crucial to learn the foundation of the Tibetan development of the RGV's exegesis. Fortunately, we have some materials to learn about how Kashmiri Buddhists understood the RGV, but they have not been systematically studied in this regard. I have focused on Sajjana's Mahāyānottaratantraśāstropadeśa in my previous paper in 2015, and in the present paper, I shall extend the range of target to wider context in Kashmir tradition in 11th to 12th century focusing on works by Sajjana, Mahājana, Amṛtākara, and Jayānanda. (Kano, "Exegeses", 1)

Kano, Kazuo. "Exegeses of the Ratnagotravibhāga in Kashmir in the 11th and 12th Century." Kōyasandaigaku daigakuin kiyō 15 (2016): 1–23.

Kano, Kazuo. "Exegeses of the Ratnagotravibhāga in Kashmir in the 11th and 12th Century." Kōyasandaigaku daigakuin kiyō 15 (2016): 1–23.;Exegeses of the Ratnagotravibhāga in Kashmir in the 11th and 12th Century;Textual study;Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra;Sajjana;Mahājana;Jayānanda;Kazuo Kano;&nbsp

Philosophical positions of this person

Is buddha-nature considered definitive or provisional?

Provisional

Do all beings have buddha-nature?

Qualified Yes

Since he equates the teachings on buddha-nature as an expedient way to teach emptiness, all beings have it because emptiness is pervasive.
Kano, K., Buddha-Nature and Emptiness, p. 151.

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To which "turning of the wheel" do the buddha-nature teachings belong?

Is buddha-nature equated with emptiness or alayavijnana?

Yogācāra

Though he was a follower of Madhyamaka, he likely equates the buddha-nature teachings with Yogācāra, as he deems both to be provisional.

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Do buddha-nature teachings belong to the zhentong or rangtong view of emptiness?

Are there one or three vehicles on the path to buddhahood?

1

Kano, K., Buddha-Nature and Emptiness, p. 150.
"One problem with Jayānanda’s position is that, having asserted that the Buddha-nature doctrine is provisional, he utilizes it as an authoritative teaching for establishing the single-vehicle theory, which he takes to be a definitive teaching." Kano, K., Buddha-Nature and Emptiness, p. 152.

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Do the author's writings belong to the analytic or meditative tradition of Uttaratantra exegesis?

What is Buddha-nature?

Tathāgatagarbha was Taught Merely to Encourage Sentient Beings to Enter the Path

"...He states that Buddha-nature was taught in order to attract those who fear emptiness. Kano, K., Buddha-Nature and Emptiness, pp. 150-151.

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Does the author advocate the Svatantrika or Prasangika view of emptiness?

Prāsaṅgika (ཐལ་འགྱུར་)