Tathagata

In early Buddhism, the historical Buddha was often represented by the simple image of his footprint, in order to discourage iconolatrous worship. His oft-quoted practice of referring to himself in the third-person (as "the Tathāgata") emerges from a similar impulse: namely, to minimize the significance of his earthly incarnation (as per the doctrine of impermanence).

Tathāgata (Chinese/Japanese: 如來), a Pali or Sanskrit compound word whose complex etymology and definition will be discussed below, is a commonplace term in many Buddhist scriptures, where it is portrayed as the historical Buddha's preferred form of address. In the Pali canon, for example, Siddhartha is often depicted saying "the Tathagata is..." instead of "I am...," which has been taken by later commentators as an indication that he had passed beyond the attachments (trishna) of human ego consciousness into a full embodiment of the doctrine of anatman.

Despite the relative ubiquity of the term, its precise definition has been contested by the various schools of Buddhism that developed in the years following the master's death. Though the original expression could be literally translated as either "one who has come" (from tathā-āgata) or "one who has gone" (from tathā-gata), the Theravada and Mahayana schools each proposed idiosyncratic interpretations based upon the metaphysical nuances particular to their respective schools. .

Etymology

As suggested above, the term tathagata is derived from one or more of the following Pali/Sanskrit phrases: tathā-āgata ("one who has come"); tathā-gata ("one who has gone"); or Tat-āgata ("one who has gone to That [Ultimate Reality]")). While this fruitful ambiguity was undoubtedly central to the concept's metaphysical appeal, it also allowed for the various conflicting interpretations that have emerged in the intervening years.

While the first two of these etymologies are relatively straight-forward (with the first describing an individual who has "arrived" among his human constituents (much like the mythological Buddhas that preceded him) and the second pertaining to an individual who was transcended the cycle of samsara), the elucidating the third requires a brief digression into the metaphysical system outlined in the Hindu Upanishads. In this interpretation, the compound is understood to be constructed from two simple components: Tat and āgata. The verbal component, āgata (which is also found in the second of the etymologies listed above), is the simply the past participle of gata (going, traveling, trekking), which in this context can be defined as "arrival, gone-unto, attainment of, arrival-at." Conversely, the Upanishadic parallel can be seen in the first component (Tat), a pronoun that has signified Brahman (Absolute Reality) in Hindu metaphysics from time immemorial, as in the famous Upanishadic dictum: "That (Brahman) thou art" (Tat tvam asi: Chandogya Upanishad). As such, Tathagata in the ancient Prakrit Pali, means literally "(The sage who has) arrived at the Absolute."). Similarly in the Mahabharata there is a verse which says: 'Just as the footprint of birds flying in the sky and of fish swimming in the water may not be seen, so is the going of those who have realised the truth' (tathā jñānavidam gatih), Śāntiparva 181. 12. Tathāgata therefore evokes this indefinable, ineffable quality of one who has arrived at the truth.

Another common interpretation is that tathāgata means 'one who comes and goes' (in the same manner as all the Buddhas). This understanding comes from early Buddhist mythology where the Buddha is considered a teacher come from the Tusita heaven (satthā Tusita gani-m-āgata - Sutta Nipāta 5. 955

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Coomaraswamy, Ananda K. "Tathāgata." Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London. 9:2 (1938). 331.
• Hopkins, E. Washburn. "Buddha as Tathagata." The American Journal of Philology. 32:2 (1911). 205-209.
• Nyanatiloka. Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines. San Francisco: Chinese Materials Center, 1977. Also available online at: budsas.org
• The Seeker's Glossary of Buddhism. Taiwan: The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, 1998.
• Shuhmacher, Stephan and Gert Woerner. The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Boston: Shambala, 1994.
• Thomas, E. J. "Tathāgata and Tahāgaya." Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, Vol. 8, No. 2/3, Indian and Iranian Studies: Presented to George Abraham Grierson on His Eighty-Fifth Birthday, 7th January, 1936. 781-788.
• Tokiwa, Gishin. "Chan (Zen) View of Suffering." Buddhist-Christian Studies 5 (1985). 103-129.
• Wayman, Alex. "The Tathāgata Chapter of Nāgārjuna's "Mūla-Madhyamaka-kārikā." Philosophy East and West 38:1 (January 1988). 47-57.

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Tathagata  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Tathagata"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.