Theos-Talk Archives (December 2002 Message tt00663)

The following quotes are from Tsongkhapa, The Great Treatise 
on the Stages of the Path, Snow Lion, 2002 . 

QUOTE 1: “Accordingly, the treatises of the noble master 
Nagarjuna clearly state that even sravakas and pratyekabuddhas 
can know that all phenomena lack intrinsic existence. For, they 
state that liberation from cyclic existence is achieved through the 
view of emptiness of intrinsic existence. Sravakas and
pratyekabuddhas meditate on that view for as long as their 
afflictions remain. When their afflictions are extinguished, they 
are satisfied and do not persist in mediation, hence they are 
unable to eliminate cognitive obscurations. Bodhisattvas, not 
content with mere liberation from cyclic existence through
the mere extinction of afflictions, seek buddhahood for the sake 
of all living beings; hence they meditate so as to utterly 
extinguish cognitive obscurations. Thus, they meditate for a very 
long tome and are adorned with limitless collections of merit and 
wisdom.” (p 322)

QUOTE 2: “What are the cognitive obscurations in this 
[Prasangika] system? Certain latent propensities are firmly set in 
the mind-stream through its being beginninglessly suffused with 
strong attachment to things regarded as intrinsically existent; 
these latent propensities give rise to errors of dualistic 
appearance, so that things appear to be intrinsically existent 
when they are not. These errors are cognitive obscurations.” (p 
323)

QUOTE 3: “Therefore, bodhisattvas and Hinayana arhats who 
have reached the eighth level have put an end to the creation of 
new latent propensities for errors of dualistic appearance, but 
since they have many long-established latent propensities for 
dualistic appearance that are yet to be cleared away, they still 
must train for a long time. When they clear away these
propensities—stopping all latent propensities for error—they 
become buddhas.” (p 324)>>

Gerald offered some of his comments about those quotes, on 
Theos-1, Dec 21