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十八不共法

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: eighteen distinctive abilities of the Buddha

Senses:

  • Skt. aṣṭādaśâveṇika buddhadharmāḥ etc. A set of eighteen unique, i.e. 'unshared' (不共, āveṇika; see Edgerton, BHSD s.v., "speculiar, individual, special" ) qualities (dharmas), possessed by and characterizing the Buddhas, and no other sentient beings, including śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, or bodhisattvas. Also translated 十八不共佛法, 十八不共諸佛之法.

    In an introductory note to his translation of the treatment of these qualities in the Da zhidu lun (*Mahāprajñāpāramitôpadeśa) 大智度論 T 1509.25.247b11, Lamotte (1966–1980): 3:1625–1628 surveys briefly but authoritatively various lists of these qualities as they circulated in Indic Buddhist texts. He states that the list is unknown in early/Mainstream canonical sources; subsequently, two main lists are known, one associated with the Sarvâstivādins, and another with the Mahāyāna.

    In the root passage in Kumārajīvaʼs 鳩摩羅什 translation of the 'Larger' Prajñāpāramitā  摩訶般若波羅蜜經 T 223.8.255c24, on which the Da zhidu lun comments here, the Mahāyāna list—explicitly referred to as eighteen āveṇikadharmas—follows immediately on treatment of the items in the Sarvâstivāda list (though the items in that list are not referred to by the same label).

    The Sarvâstivāda 有部 list comprises the ten powers 十力 (daśabala), the four kinds of fearlessness 四無畏 (vaiśādarya), the three bases of mindfulness 三念處 (smr̥typasthâna), and great compassion 大悲 (mahākaruṇā). 〔倶舍論 T 1559.29.233c10

    The Mahāyāna list, with Sanskrit taken by Lamotte from the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā prajñāpāramitā, and Lamotteʼs French translations of the corresponding Chinese (Lamotte 3:1625–1626, 1629–1630), is as follows: 'Les dix-huit attributs exclusifs du Buddha:'

    1. Le Tathāgata n'a pas de faute corporelle (nâsti tathāgatasya skhalitam).
    2. I'l n'a pas de faute vocale (nâsti ravitam).
    3. I'l n'a pas de mémoire défaillante (nâsti muṣitasmṛtitā).
    4. I'l n'a pas notion de variété (nâsti nānātvasaṃjñā).
    5. I'l n'a pas de pensée nonconcentrée (nâsty asamāhitaṃ cittam).
    6. I'l n'a pas d'indifférence inconsidérée (nâsty apratisaṃkhyāyopekṣa).
    7. I'l n'a pas perte de zèle (nâsti chandaparihāṇiḥ).
    8. I'l n'a pas perte d'énergie (nâsti vīryaparihāṇiḥ).
    9. I'l n'a pas perte d'mémoire (nâsti smṛtiparihāṇiḥ).
    10. I'l n'a pas perte d'sagesse (nâsti prajñāparihāṇiḥ).
    11. I'l n'a pas perte d'déliverance (nâsti vīmuktiparihāṇiḥ).
    12. I'l n'a pas perte du savoir et de la vision de la déliverance (nâsti vimuktijñānadarśanaparihāṇiḥ).
    13. Tout acte corporel du Tathāgata est précédé du savoir et accompagne le savoir (sarvaṃ tathāgatasya kāyakarma jñānapūrvaṃgamaṃ jñānânuparivarti).
    14. Tout acte vocal est précédé du savoir et accompagne le savoir (sarvaṃ vākkarma jñāna-pūrvaṃgamaṃ jñānânuparivarti).
    15. Tout acte mental est précédé du savoir et accompagne le savoir (sarvaṃ manaskarma jñāna-pūrvaṃgamaṃ jñānânuparivarti).
    16. Il a sur le temps passé un savoir et une vision sans attache et sans obstacle (atīte 'dhvany asaṅgam apratihataṃ jñānaṃ darśanam).
    17. Il a sur le temps futur un savoir et une vision sans attache et sans obstacle (anāgate 'dhvany asaṅgam apratihataṃ jñānaṃ darśanam).
    18. Il a sur le temps présent un savoir et une vision sans attache et sans obstacle (pratyutpanne 'dhvany asaṅgam apratihataṃ jñānaṃ darśanam).

    In Kumārajīvaʼs translation of the 'Larger' Prajñāpāramitā T 223.8.255c24–256a6 〔and in (T 1509〕 , commenting thereon), this list is presented as follows:

    1. flawless(ness in) bodily actions 身無失;
    2. flawless(ness in) speech 口無失;
    3. flawless(ness in) mindfulness 念無失;
    4. being devoid of notions of difference 無異想;
    5. never wavering from a concentrated [state of] mind 無不定心;
    6. abandoning in mind nothing which he is not first known [fully](?) 無不知(, - SYM)捨心;
    7. undiminishing aspiration/zeal 欲無減;
    8. undiminishing diligence 精進無減;
    9. undiminishing mindfulness 念無減;
    10. undiminishing wisdom 慧無減;
    11. undiminishing liberation 解脫無減;
    12. undiminishing vision of/and the knowledge of deliverance 解脫知見無減;
    13. all bodily actions follow upon (or stem from) wisdom 一切身業隨智慧行;
    14. all speech follows upon (or stems from) wisdom 一切口業隨智慧行;
    15. all deeds of mind follow upon (or stem from) wisdom 一切意業隨智慧行;
    16. unobstructed knowledge of all affairs of the past 智慧知過去世無礙
    17. unobstructed knowledge of all affairs of present 智慧知未來世無礙
    18. unobstructed knowledge of all affairs of the future 智慧知現在世無礙
    (Skt. aṣṭādaśâveṇika-buddha-dharma). Ref. 〔摩訶止觀 T 1911.46.2b29, 30c13, 96c5–19〕 ; 〔大智度論 T 1509.25.247b11–256b4〕 ; 法界次第初門 T 1925.46.695a21–696a2 [Michael Radich; source(s): Ui, Nakamura, JEBD, Iwanami, Hirakawa]
  • les dix-huit attributs exclusifs du Buddha [Paul Swanson]
  • References:

    Lamotte, Etienne. 1970. Le traité de la grande vertu de sagesse de Nāgārjuna: (Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra). Louvain-la-Neuve:  Institut orientaliste, Université de Louvain.

    [Michael Radich]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 513

    Bulgyo sajeon 544a

    Iwanami bukkyō jiten 398

    A Glossary of Zen Terms (Inagaki) 160

    Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 147a/163

    Zengo jiten (Iriya and Koga) 1-P83

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 659d

    Fo Guang Dictionary 350

    Ding Fubao

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 0216

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 944-3*1516-1

    Iwanami bukkyō jiten 398



    Entry created: 1993-09-01

    Updated: 2020-10-31