400 ANALYSIS OF THE SHER.CHIN. 



called in Tibetan, the " hya-rgod-p'hung-pohi-ri' (Sans. Gridhra huta parvata 

 the "hill of a heap of vultures"). His hearers were beside, many Bodhisat- 

 was (among whom Byams-pa, Sans. Maitreya) and gods (among whom 

 Kaushika or Indka) his own disciples about 5,000 priests (among whom the 

 principal were Sharihi-bu, or Sharadvatihibu, RAB-/yBYOR, Hod-srung, 

 and KuN-DGAH-vo). The speaker in general is J5cH0M-iDAN//DAS (Shakya) 

 who addresses first Sharadvatihibu and afterwards Rab-^tbyor, his dis- 

 ciples. They put a question several times to Shakya ; he gives them no 

 direct answer, but forms such propositions that they are themselves led to the 

 decision. It is in general, RAB-i/BYOR (Sans. Subhuti) with whom Shakya 

 speaks in all these volumes. 



The first compiler of the Prdjnd pmrimitd was Kashyapa (Tib. 

 Hod-srung) whom Shakya appointed to succeed him after his demise. 



In the ^stan-hgyur, the 16 first volumes of the yido class are all com- 

 mentaries on the Prajnd pdramitd. Afterwards follow several volumes ex- 

 planatory of the MadhijdmiJed philosophy, which is founded on the Prajnd 

 pdramitd. The Prajnd pdramitd is said to have been taught by Shakya, 

 and the Madhydmikd system by Nagarjuna (/iTlu-sgrub, in Tib.) who is 

 said to have lived four hundred years after the death of Shakya, who had 

 foretold of him that he would be born after so many years, to explain his 

 higher principles laid down in the Prajnd pdramitd. With Nagarjuna ori- 

 ginated the Madhydmikd system in philosophy. The philosophers in India, 

 before his time, were in two extremes ; teaching either a perpetual duration, 

 or a total annihilation, with respect to the soul. He chose a middle way, 

 hence the name of this philosophical sect. There are in the IBstan-hgyur, 

 several works of him, as also of his successors, explanatory of the Madhydmikd 

 school. Beside other matters of speculation, the following 27 subjects are to 

 be discussed and analyzed in the 3fadkydmikd system : 1. efficient (accessory 

 or secondary) cause, (Tib. rkyen). 2. the coming (into the world) and going 

 away {hoiig-va-dang-hgro-va), 3. organs (of sense) {divang-po), 4. aggregate 



