Mahakausthila ("Long Nails")  
Additionally, he (the Buddha) spoke the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra because he wished to cause the brahmacarin "Long Nails," and other great dialecticians like him to develop faith in the Dharma of the Buddha. [At that time] there was a brahmacarin named "Long Nails" as well as Shrenika Vatsagotra, Satyaka Nirgranthiputra and others. The great dialectical masters of Jambudvipa such as these claimed that all treatises can be demolished, all discourses can be devastated, and all beliefs can be subverted and that therefore there are no actual dharmas in which one may have faith or towards which one may feel reverence.

As recounted in The Sutra on the Life of Shariputra, Shariputra's uncle, Mahakausthila, found that he could not match his own sister, Shari, in debate. Kausthila cogitated upon this and thought to himself, "This cannot be due to my sister's own power. It must be that she is pregnant with a wise man who is conveying his words to his mother's mouth. If, before he is even born, he is already like this, what will he be like once he's born and grown?" Having thought this over he became afflicted with [hurt] pride and, for the sake of gaining extensive dialectical knowledge, left home and became a brahmacarin. He went to the south of India and began to study the classical texts. People asked him, "What have you set your mind on obtaining? Which classic do you wish to study?" "Long Nails" replied, "I wish to exhaustively study all of the eighteen great classics." Those people all said to him, "You could spend your entire lifetime studying and still would not be able to know even one. How much the less could you know them all?"

"Long Nails" thought to himself, "Before, my pride was hurt on account of being defeated by my sister. Now, yet again, I undergo humiliation by these people." On account of these two events, he made a vow to himself, "I will not [even take time to] trim my fingernails. I must exhaustively study all of the Eighteen Classics." People noticed his fingernails growing long. Because of this they referred to him as the brahmacarin "Long Nails." By using the power of wisdom derived from all types of classical texts, by using all manner of satirical barbs, [by maintaining that], "This is Dharma," or that "This is non-Dharma," "This is admissible," or "This is inadmissible," "This is true," or "This is not true," "This is existent," or "This is nonexistent," this man was able to refute other dialectical positions. He was like a mighty, crazed elephant which blocks and gores, kicks and tramples and which none can bring under control. After the brahmacarin "Long Nails" had employed his dialectical strength to smash and overcome all of the dialecticians, he returned to the country of Magadha, to the city of Rajagrha, to the community of Nara. He went to the place of his birth and asked the people, "Where is the child which my sister bore?" Someone told him, "When your sister's son had reached the age of eight he had completely mastered all of the classical texts. When he reached the age of sixteen, he had overcome everyone in debate. There is a man of the Way from the Shakya clan named Gautama. [Your nephew] became his disciple." When Long Nails heard this he became arrogant and incredulous and said, "What sort of trick could he have used to deceive and induce one so intelligent as my nephew to shave his head and become a disciple? Having said this, he proceeded directly to the Buddha's place.

At this time Shariputra (the son of Shari) had newly received the precepts [of ordination] but a half-month before. He stood in service at the Buddha's side and used a fan to fan the Buddha. The brahmacarin Long Nails went to see the Buddha and having made salutations sat to one side and thought, "All treatises can be refuted, all discourse can be devastated, all beliefs can be subverted. What is it in all of this that is the reality mark of all dharmas? What is it that is the ultimate meaning? What is it that is the nature? What is it that is the characteristic? And what is it that is not an inverted view?" He was thinking like this. "[Resolving this quandary] is like seeking to completely reach the far shores and plumb the depths of a great ocean. Even though one may search for a long time, one can't find a single dharma actually admissible to the mind. What dialectical path did he use to win over my nephew?" After he had cogitated like this he said to the Buddha, "Gautama, I do not accept any dharmas." The Buddha asked Long Nails, "Your not accepting any dharmas, this view--do you accept it or not?" The Buddha's implicit meaning was, "You've already swallowed the poison of false views. Now get rid of this toxic influence." He said, "All dharmas--you [say you] don't accept them. [But] this poison of views: Do you accept it or not?"

At this time the brahmacarin, Long Nails, was like a good horse which, on merely seeing the shadow of the whip, immediately remembers to stay on the right track. The brahmacarin, Long Nails, was also like this. The shadow of the whip of the Buddha's speech entered his mind. He immediately cast off his arrogance, was contrite, and lowered his head. He then thought, "The Buddha has defeated me with a dilemma: If I say, 'I accept this view,' then this fallacy is obvious and most everybody will be aware of it. Why did I say, 'I don't accept any dharmas?' If I now say, 'As for this view,—I accept it': This is a blatant error in discourse. It would be an obviously fallacious position. Most people would be aware of it. The alternative fallacious position is subtle. I'll accept it as not that many people will be aware of it." Having pondered like this, he replied to the Buddha, "Gautama, this view that 'I don't accept any dharmas,... I don't accept it either."

The Buddha said to the brahmacarin, "If you also don't accept your view that you don't accept any dharmas, then nothing is accepted. But, in this regard, you are no different from anyone else in the Assembly. What's the point in being haughty and acting arrogant like this?"

The brahmacarin, Long Nails, was unable to reply. He knew that he had fallen into a fallacious position. Then he became respectful of and developed faith in the Buddha's omniscience. He thought to himself, "I fell into a fallacious position, but the World Honored One did not reveal the fact of my defeat. He did not speak of right or wrong. He ignored it. The Buddha's mind is pliant. This is the ultimately pure stance. All rhetorical positions are extinguished in it. He has attained the extremely deep Dharma. This is a position which can be revered. The purity of his thought is paramount."

Because the Buddha's speaking of Dharma cut off his false views, he immediately, in the very place where he sat, succeeded in distancing himself from the dust and leaving behind impurity. He achieved the purity of the Dharma eye with respect to all dharmas. When Shariputra heard this dialogue, he attained arhatship. This brahmacarin, Long Nails, left the homelife and became a sramana. He obtained the realization of the mighty arhat. If the brahmacarin, Long Nails, had not heard the spirit of the Prajnaparamita which transcends the tetralemma and which is the Dharma corresponding to the ultimate meaning, he would not have developed even the scantiest degree of faith, how much the less would he have been able to achieve the fruition of the way of the renunciate? It was also because the Buddha wished to lead forth such great dialectical masters and people of sharp faculties as this that he spoke this Prajnaparamita Sutra.

English translation © 1996 Dharmamitra. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission of Kalavinka (http://www.teleport.com/~dh-mitra/)