ナーガルジュナ（メモ）

或る人が

西欧においては文化相対主義はユダヤ・キリスト教神学の本質主義で釣り合いが保たれているように思う。現代思想においては神なきメシア主義がこれに当たる。

と呟いていた。
それで、Damien Keown Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction*1から、龍樹（中観派）について抜書きすることを思いつく。
先ず龍樹の「縁起（origination-in-dependence）」論を巡って；

He[Nagarjuna] taught that dharmas were not just impermanent, but lacked any inherent reality at all. He summed this up by saying that all phenomena-tables, chairs, mountains, people-are simply empty of any real being. The Madhyamaka*2 argued strongly, however, that this was not a doctrine of nihilism: the teaching does not claim that things do not exist, merely that they do not exist as independent realities in the way people normally assume. It claimed that the true status of phenomena is something midway between existence and non existence, and it was from this interpretation of the 'middle way' that the school derived its name.(p. 66)

「縁起」論の展開としての「空論（the doctrine of emptiness[sunyavoda]）；

This line of thought had another important implication, namely that there can be no difference between nirvana and the realm of cyclic rebirth(samsara). if everything is void of real existence, Nagarjuna reasoned, then in a profound sense everything is on the same footing, so on what basis can the distinction between nirvana and samsara be made? No difference can be found in things themselves since they are all ultimately 'empty;' the difference, therefore, must lie in our perception of them. The example is given of the person who mistakes a coil of rope for a snake at twilight and becomes terrified. When he realizes his mistake his fear subsides and his desire to run away disappears. What is needed for liberation, then, Nagarjuna reasoned, is essentially correct vision-to see things as they really are―rather than to embark on a flight from one supposedly imperfect reality(samsara) to a better one(nirvana). Nirvana is thus reinterpreted by the Madhyamak as a purified vision of what is seen by the ignorant as samsara. It follows that nirvana is here and now if we could but see it. The removal of spiritual ignorance(avidya*3 and the realization that things are empty destroys the fear-or craving-we have for them. (pp.66-67)

Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

*1:Mentioned in http://d.hatena.ne.jp/sumita-m/20110805/1312568194

*2: 中観派

*3:無明