Surangama Sutra New Translation
Surangama Sutra New Translation
A New Translation
ISBN 978-0-88139-962-2
09 10 11 12 13 / 5 4 3 2 1
v
table of contents
vii
table of contents
viii
The Buddha kyamuni in meditation posture, Gal Vihara, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka,
twelfth century. Photograph copyright by John C. and Susan L. Huntington, reprinted
by permission of the Huntington Archive of Buddhist and Related Art.
The Venerable Master Hsan Hua on the occasion of kyamuni Buddhas Birthday,
in the Buddha-Hall at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Talmage, California, May
1990. Photo courtesy of Soohoong Liung.
The Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Bodhsattva Who Hears the Cries of the World,
at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Talmage, California. Camphor wood, twentieth
century. Photo courtesy Dharma Realm Buddhist Association archive.
A Buddhist disciple kneeling, probably the Venerable nanda. Lacquer on wood,
Burmese, nineteenth century. Photo by Christian Maillard
Acknowledgements
The members of the ragama Stra Translation Committee would
like to gratefully acknowledge with special thanks the important work
of Bhiku Heng Chih, who was the primary translator for the Buddhist
Text Translation Societys first edition of this Sutra. Her translation
opened the way for this new translation and made the task much easier
than it would otherwise have been.
We would like further to thank Bhiku Heng Yin, Madalena Lew,
Martin Verhoeven, and Doug Powers for their advice; Bhiku Jin Xiang
for proofreading the Sanskrit; Anne Cheng for her work in assuring the
publication of this book; Stan Shoptaugh for book design; Laura Lin for
copyediting; Dennis Crean for book and cover design, pagemaking, copy-
editing, and advice; Roger Kellerman and Susan Rounds for proofreading;
Ruby Grad for indexing; and Mark Vahrenwald for his rendering of the
Wheel of Dharma.
ix
Foreword
When Tripitaka Master Hsan Hua moved to San Francisco to teach the
Dharma to Westerners, his first project was to explain the ragama
Stra in detail. During the summer of 1968, he convened a ninety-day
meditation retreat that focused not only on meditation but also on the
ragama Stra.
Beginning in 1980, the Buddhist Text Translation Society published
Master Huas lectures from that summer session, and for the first time a
complete Mahyna meditation manual was available to Western read-
ers. Earlier English translations of the ragama were incomplete and
often came without explanation. Master Huas presentation placed the
Sutra at the heart of the contemplative life, thereby opening a road into
actual cultivation of the Dharma for those who desired to follow the Bud-
dhas path. From Master Huas perspective, the ragama is not obscure
or intimidating, nor is it lofty beyond reach. He explained the text as a
kalynamtra, a good and wise spiritual friend. He was not alone in doing
so. Throughout the centuries in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, medi-
tation teachers and monks such as Master Han Shan of the Ming Dynasty,
Master Yuanying of the Republic era, and Master Huas own teacher Mas-
ter Xuyun respected and endorsed the ragama Stras instructions
and used the Sutra as a reliable yardstick of proper samdhi.
Over the years, when I have need advice in cultivation, I have referred
to the ragama Stra for authoritative information. I go to the Fifty
Demonic States of Mind (part 10) to check on strange states in medita-
tion. I go to the Twenty-Five Sages (part 6) for encouragement on the
path from the voices of Bodhisattvas. I go to the Four Clear and Defini-
tive Instructions on Purity (part 7) for clarity on interaction with the
world; for example, there I find the Buddhas reasons for advocating a
harmless, plant-based diet.
In carrying on the perspective of the past, Master Hua emphasized the
real-life interaction between the Buddha and his students. I am drawn
to the Buddhas voice as it appears in the Sutra. His tone is at all times
both wise and kind. For example, a noble king converses with the Bud-
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foreword
dha about his childhood alongside the Ganges River. After answering
the Buddhas skillful questions, the king experiences the serenity of his
intrinsic nature and loses his fear of death.
The king hears the Dharma and gradually understands; but even be-
fore that conversation, a young courtesan meets the Buddha and imme-
diately wakes up. She has fallen in love with nanda, but upon hearing
the Dharma, she adjusts her priorities, abandons the pursuit of pleasure,
and discovers samdhi and wisdom. She becomes an Arhat on the spot,
before Ananda does. Her story illustrates the lack of gender or class bias
in the Buddhas teaching as found in Mahyna sutras.
In the dialogue between the Buddha and his cousin nanda, we find
the framework of the narrative and the full expression of the Buddhas
range of teaching skills. The Buddha patiently guides nanda through
the landscape of his mind as he progresses from book-learning to actual
experience.
The Buddhas teaching in the Sutra came alive for me because at Gold
Mountain Monastery as a young monk, I observed Master Hua respond
with the same measure of unerring kindness to the variety of faithful
Chinese devotees, university professors, and truth-seeking hippies who
passed through the door of the monastery. Each received the appropriate
measure of Dharma-water to nourish their bodhi sprouts.
Nearly thirty years have passed since the Buddhist Text Translation
Society first published the ragama Stra in English. This new transla-
tion adds tools for scholastic investigation, including helpful footnotes,
a more systematic treatment of technical terms, and lucid prose that has
benefited from three decades of practice. The devotion of the disciples
who worked on the ragama Stra (who, I might point out, worked
entirely as unpaid volunteers) shows on every page. These individuals
monastics and laity alike follow Master Huas model in keeping alive
this jewel of wisdom and making it available for our use. The Dharma
came to the West only a short time ago, but the appearance of this new
edition shows the deepening of its roots.
I congratulate the many volunteers of the Buddhist Text Translation
Society who have given so generously of their time and effort. May their
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foreword
wisdom and virtue become full and continue to benefit all sentient be-
ings so that together we might leave behind the sense-limitations and
knots of the mundane world and experience the Buddhas description of
how things are at root. There in the bright realm of the Thus-Come Ones
Treasury, infused with the Buddhas majestic spirit, may we master the
three practices that end outflows and realize patience with the state of
mind in which no mental objects arise.
xii
Introduction
1. Overview
For over a thousand years, the ragama Stra the Sutra of the In-
destructible1 has been held in great esteem in the Mahyna Buddhist
countries of East and Southeast Asia. In China the Sutra has generally
been considered as important and has been as popular as the Lotus Stra,2
the Avatasaka Stra,3 the Mahyna Mahparinirva Stra,4 the Heart
Stra,5 and the Diamond Stra.6 The appeal of the ragama Stra lies
in the broad scope of its teachings and in the depth and clarity of its pre-
scriptions for contemplative practice. Because of its wealth of theoretical
and practical instruction in the spiritual life, it was often the first major
text to be studied by newly ordained monks, particularly in the Chan
school. Many enlightened masters and illustrious monastic scholars have
written exegetical commentaries on it.7 To this day, for both clergy and
1
The Sutra (T. 945) is generally known in Chinese as the Dafoding shoulengyanjing,
, often shortened to Lengyanjing, ; the complete title is Dafoding
rulai miyin xiuzheng liaoyi zhu pusa wanheng shoulengyan jing
. The Sanskrit word ragama roughly means indestructible; it
combines the words ram (greatly, absolutely) and gama (durable, solid). The Chinese text
transliterates the two Sanskrit words as shou leng yan .
This Sutra is not to be confused with the ragamasamdhi-stra (T. 642), translated
by tienne Lamotte as La concentration de la marche heroque (uragamasamadhisutra)
(Paris: Institut belge des hautes etudes chinoises, 1965). His French translation has been
rendered into English by Sarah Boin-Webb (Richmond, UK: Curzon Press, 1998).
On page 37 of her translation Boin-Webb quotes the following passage from the
Mahyna Mahparinirva-stra (T. 374, ch. 27, pp. 524c19525a11; T. 375, ch. 25, p.
769b124): ram means absolutely (ayanta) and gama means solid (sra). That which
acquires absolute solidity is ragama. That is why it is said that the ragama samdhi
is the nature of the Buddhas.
2
Skt. Saddharmapundarika Sutra, Ch. Miaofa lianhua jing .
3
Ch. Huayan jing .
4
Ch. Da Niepan jing .
5
Skt. Hdaya Stra, Ch. Xin jing .
6
Skt. Vajracchedik Stra, Ch. Jingang jing .
7
Commentators have included the lateMing dynasty master Hanshan Deqing, and
more recently the Venerable Masters Xuyun, Yuanying, and Hsan Hua (Xuanhua). At
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introduction
least 127 Chinese commentaries were written on the Sutra between 767 CE and 1968. A
list of commentaries is available online at http://online.sfsu.edu/%7Erone/Buddhism/
Shurangama/Ron%20Epstein%20Diss%201975%20SS%20Commentary%20List.pdf.
8
See below A Brief Explanation of Some Important Technical Terms, p. xlv.
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At the heart of the Sutra is the ragama Mantra. The Sutra prom-
ises that the practice of reciting this mantra, in the context of the other
practices taught in the Sutra, can succeed in eliminating whatever inter-
nal or external obstacles may lie in the way of spiritual progress. To this
day, monks and nuns in the Chinese Buddhist tradition, as well as many
practitioners among the laity, recite the mantra every morning as an es-
sential aspect of daily practice.
9
The year of the translation is recorded in the colophon as 705. A complete Tibetan
translation was made of the Chinese translation during the Qing dynasty.
10
The four-character pattern is broken occasionally to accommodate proper names;
and three sets of verses are spoken in the Sutra, one in seven-character lines (part 3.6 of
the present translation) and two in five-character lines (parts 5.3 and 6.3).
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introduction
meaning of the text. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that relatively few
attempts have been made to produce even a partial English translation.11
In undertaking this new English rendering of the complete text of the
ragama Stra, the present translators first priority has been to en-
sure that the difficulties of the text are reduced as far as possible for the
Western reader. To that end we have striven for clarity, transparency,
and naturalness of expression. We have been ready to sacrifice any at-
tempt to emulate the complex literary elegance of the Chinese whenever
it seemed to us that to do so would interfere with a plain statement of
the meaning in English. We have translated many of the Sanskrit tech-
nical terms that the Chinese translators left in Sanskrit. We have also
interpolated chapter and sub-chapter headings and have occasionally
inserted numbering to mark the succession of topics in the Sutras argu-
ment.12 Further, we have provided interlinear explanatory commentary
wherever we judged that it might be helpful in clarifying the meaning of
the text. To this end we have chosen excerpts from a commentary that
11
Previous to the present volume, the only complete translation in English has been
that by the Buddhist Text Translation Society, with the complete commentary by the
Venerable Master Hsan Hua, first published in an eight-volume edition between 1977 and
1986. A revised edition was published between 2000 and 2005 as The Shurangama Stra with
Commentary by the Venerable Master Hsan Hua, trans. Buddhist Text Translation Society
(Burlingame, CA:Buddhist Text Translation Society, 200005). The first translation into
English, of only the first four of the ten rolls, was made by Samuel Beal and included in
A Catena of Buddhist Scriptures from the Chinese (London: Trubner, 1871), 284369. A very
small portion of the first roll of the Sutra was translated by Reverend Joseph Edkins as the
first chapter of his Chinese Buddhism: A Volume of Sketches, Historical, Descriptive, and Critical,
2nd ed. (London: Trubner, 1893), 289301. In 1938, in conjunction with Bhikshu Wai-tao,
Dwight Godard included a rough translation of about a third of the Sutra in his A Buddhist
Bible (New York: Dutton, 1938), 108275. Most of the text was translated by Lu K'uan Y
(Charles Luk), together with an abridged translation of the commentary by Chan Master
Hanshan Deqing, as The ragama Stra (London:Rider, 1966). Regrettably, by omitting
the uragama Mantra and the section that describes the proper practice of the mantra,
Luks volume in effect leaves out the Sutras heart. (This section is part 8 of the present
volume.)
12
Chinese editions of the text also interpolate section headings. All the section and
sub-section headings in the present translation were added to the text by the translators.
There are no section headings in the original Chinese text.
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introduction
was redacted from lectures given in 1968 by the Venerable Master Hsan
Hua (191895),13 an eminent Chinese monk and teacher who was a pio-
neer in bringing the Buddhist tradition of scriptural exegesis to Western
audiences. Finally, we have added explanatory footnotes to supplement
the present introduction and commentary. The footnotes also provide
occasional references to other commentaries. In most cases, without
giving special notice, we have followed the interpretations given in his
commentary by the Venerable Master Hsan Hua.
Fortunately, the difficulties imposed by the Chinese translators rhe-
torical choices are somewhat mitigated by the manner in which the Sutra
unfolds. Much of the discussion of samdhi is presented in the form of a
dramatic dialogue between the Buddha kyamuni and his young cousin
and attendant nanda. To the Western reader, the Sutras dialogic format
suggests a rough similarity to the dialogues of Plato. But Platos manner
of uncovering truth by means of Socrates sly cross-examinations of his
hapless interlocutors is in fact very different from the pattern we en-
counter in the ragama Stra. For much of the first part of the Sutra,
both the Buddha and nanda make use of the syllogism as it later came
to be used in the tradition of Buddhist logical argument.14 In constructing
a syllogism, mere reasoning was not considered to be sufficient. It was
necessary to establish a propositions truth by citing, as an instance or
example, some evidence of the proposition at work in the ordinary expe-
rience of daily life. The presence of these examples is a significant aspect
of the Sutras distinctive style. As the argument progresses from point to
point, the reader is given a series of glimpses into the daily routines of the
monastic community and the life of ordinary citizens of the nearby city of
rvast.15 We read of the monks seated with their almsbowls, busy eating
food with their fingers in the Indian manner. We hear of householders dig-
ging wells for new dwellings and local healers holding up bowls to the full
13
See the appendix.
14
For more on the syllogism, see section 9 of the introduction below.
15
The capital city of the ancient kingdom of Kosala, on the Ganges Plain, in what is now
Uttar Pradesh.
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moon to collect dew that they will mix into their herbal potions. We meet
a monk who has spent his life repairing potholes in the public roads and a
king who despairs because he is growing old. However abstract or subtle
the discourse may sometimes seem, then, it is always deeply colored
with a sense of time and place, with the sights and sounds and people of
Northern India as it was some twenty-five hundred years ago.
16
The mantra is given in full below in part 8 of the text.
17
In the Mahyna tradition the Bodhisattva Majur embodies wisdom.
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introduction
18
Part 5.3.
19
The Tathgata-garbha. See p. xxxi.
20
Part 3.1, p. 89.
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concatenation we call the self and beyond the mirage of sense-data that
we call the world.
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sound a bell. The Buddha shows that when the sound of the bell dies away,
our power of hearing remains intact, since we are aware first of silence
and then of the sounding of the bell once again. The Buddha says:
21
Part 5.2, p. 182.
22
Skt. Avalokitevara, Ch. Guanshiyin . More explanation of this name is given
in part 6, note 48.
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introduction
ing practice has brought him. He specifies how he can fulfill the wishes
of thirty-two types of human and nonhuman beings, how he protects
people in dangerous situations so that they will have nothing to fear, and
how he appears in various forms to teach beings and protect them.
The Buddha then asks the Bodhisattva Majur to recommend to
nanda one of the twenty-five paths to enlightenment just described by
the twenty-five sages. Speaking in verse, Majur endorses the practice
of listening within as it was described by the Bodhisattva Who Hears the
Cries of the World. This practice, Majur concludes, is the practice most
suitable for nanda and for beings of the future.23
Part VII: Four Clear and Definitive Instructions on Purity
The Buddha next describes a second aspect of the practice of samdhi. Re-
versing the attention of the ear-faculty is not enough. One cannot make
proper progress in any spiritual practice unless ones moral behavior is
correct. The Buddha insists on purity in four spheres of conduct, which
in Buddhist tradition are addressed by the first four of the five moral pre-
cepts: one must not kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct, or speak either
falsely or in a manner which may cause harm to others.24 Here the Bud-
dha explains that in order to practice samdhi in the correct manner it is
not enough to refrain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and false
speech; one must erase any thoughts of such actions from the mind.
23
The passage on the powers of the Bodhisattva Who Hears the Cries of the World
recalls a similar account in the celebrated chapter 25 of the Lotus Stra, On the Universal
Gateway. The ragama Stra, unlike the Lotus Stra, explains how the Bodhisattva
gained these powers.
24
The fifth of these basic Buddhist precepts is abstaining from intoxicants.
25
Skt. bodhimaa, Ch. dao chang .
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introduction
well as simpler acts of devotion to the mantra, can bring many benefits to
the practitioner, including safety from harm and more rapid progress in
spiritual practice. Finally, numerous beings in the assembly of listeners
rise to vow that they will protect anyone who undertakes the ragama
Mantra practice.
26
Skt. i, Ch. xian . See p. xl and part 9.10.
27
Beings addicted to violence. See part 9.12.
28
Skt. skandha, Ch. yun . An explanation of the five aggregates form, sense-
perception, cognition, mental formations, and consciousness is given at pp. xlvi ff.
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of their own accord. But if practitioners fall under the influence of these
states, they may become stuck. They may even face insanity or demonic
possession, or they may simply stray from the Path. The practitioner may
lead others into error as well. In describing people whose practice has
taken a wrong turn, this section also serves as a warning against falling
under the influence of spiritual charlatans and their cults. The warning is
as relevant today as it was when it was spoken.
For each of these fifty states of mind, a vivid description is given of
the mental phenomena experienced by the practitioner. In essence, what
is presented is a unique method of cataloguing and classifying spiritual
experiences, together with an indication of what causes lead to such ex-
periences. Although the fifty states of mind described are by no means an
exhaustive list of all possible states, the text offers a framework for the
classification of all spiritual experience, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist.
Finally, in dialogue with nanda, the Buddha describes the immense
amount of merit that is earned by those who teach others about the
ragama Stra and the ragama Mantra.
29
Part 9.5.
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introduction
were spoken for the benefit of beings of this planet and this age, and who
lived in northern India during the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.E.,30 was
the Prince Siddhrtha Gautama, who upon attaining full awakening, be-
came the Buddha kyamuni. He is sometimes referred to as the histori-
cal Buddha. It is he who gives the teachings contained in this Sutra.
Great describes the true nature of a Buddha not his physical body
but his fully awakened mind, which fills the entire universe. This aspect
of a Buddha is sometimes symbolically represented as the Buddha Vairo-
cana, who is the Great Buddha referred to in the title.
The Hidden Basis of the Bodhisattvas Practices is the ragama
Mantra and the ragama Samdhi.
Thus-Come One is an honorific name used to address a Buddha.
The word Bodhisattva can be translated as awakening being. Bod-
hisattvas devote themselves to the awakening of all beings, while at the
same time they engage in the Myriad Practices that will lead to their
own full awakening.
When one becomes a Buddha, which is the goal of the myriad Bodhi-
sattva-practices, one can verify through ones own experience the nature
of ultimate truth.
5. Levels of Teaching
The Buddha taught at two different levels: he taught the unchanging,
true Dharma, which applies to all circumstances at all times, and he
taught provisional Dharma, which he tailored to the needs of his audi-
ence and fitted to the context and circumstances. The ragama Stra
was spoken in response to the disastrous error of judgment and behavior
that nanda almost made while on his almsround, making plain his need
to develop the power of samdhi, as recounted in the Sutras prologue.
The Buddhas provisional teachings vary because his audiences varied
in their aspirations, in their level of accomplishment, in their practice of
meditation, and in their capacity for understanding. Some of the records of
his teachings contain several levels of instruction in the same document,
30
The dates of the Buddha kyamunis lifetime are a subject of scholarly controversy.
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31
This section is based on the discussion of these six concerns by the Venerable Master
Hsan Hua in his introduction to The Shurangama Stra, v. 1, 2436.
xxviii
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32
The Shurangama Stra, v. 1, 412.
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33
Tathgata-garbha literally means the womb of the Thus-Come One, the ultimate
reality from which all appearances spring. The English word matrix is used here in its
proper meaning of womb and that which gives form, origin, or foundation to something
enclosed or imbedded in it (Websters New International Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1961).
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introduction
Esoteric Teachings
The Esoteric teachings, also known as Buddhist tantra or Vajrayna, in-
clude various methodologies of meditation and other practices that are
often privately transmitted from teacher to disciple in formal transmis-
sions or empowerment rituals. They include the recitation of mantras,
sometimes in coordination with mudras (ritual dispositions of the hands)
and the use of ritual implements, and also teachings about the visualiza-
tion of deities, the ritual creation of sacred spaces (mandalas), and the
making of elaborate offerings. The central chapter of the ragama
Stra (Part VIII) describes certain of these practices in detail. Moral pu-
rity is an essential prerequisite for all of the Esoteric practices, as is the
case for all Buddhist practice, and the Sutra contains strong warnings
about the dangers of moral impurity, which became widespread in many
of the early Indian Buddhist tantric circles.34 Since that time, failure to
recognize the necessity of moral purity has been a frequent pitfall for
a significant number of teachers and students of the esoteric teachings,
both in Asia and the West.
34
See Ronald M. Davidson, Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric
Movement (New York: Columbia University Press, 2002).
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introduction
The Syllogism
According to the ancient Indian formal logic,36 the truth of a proposition
can be demonstrated in a five-step syllogism:
1) A proposition (pratij) is stated;
2) The reason (hetu) that the proposition is claimed to be true is stated;
3) One or more instances (dnta or udharaa) of the proposition
that can be found in ordinary life are given;
4) These instances are applied (upanaya) to the proposition, showing
how they demonstrate its truth;
5) The conclusion (nigamana) reiterates the proposition, now demon-
strated.
These five steps were later reduced to three, in effect leaving out the
last two of the five:
1) Proposition,
2) Reason,
3) Instances:
a) positive instance,
b) negative instance.
In the ragama Stra, the Buddha uses elements of both the three-
step and the five-step procedures.
What is perhaps most striking to a Western reader is the importance
given to instances. In effect, specific cases of a proposition, provided that
they are precisely applicable, are considered to be demonstrative of the
truth of the proposition in general. Debate therefore centers on whether
an instance is in fact an applicable case, that is, whether the truth of the
35
Ch. yin ming , clarification of causes.
36
See, for example, S. S. Barlingay, A Modern Introduction to Buddhist Logic (Delhi:
National Publishing House, 1965), 107 ff.
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37
See Barlingay, 144 ff.
38
Part 2.1.
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9. Aids to Reading
39
See note 7.
40
Yuanying, Shoulengyan jing jiangyi (Shanghai:Shanghai
shi fo jiao xie hui ,1933).
41
Zhenjian , Dafoding shoulengyan jing zhengmai shu
(Taipei:Taiwan shang wu yin shu guan , 1968).
42
Hanshan , Dafoding shoulengyan jing tongyi (Nanjing: Jinling ke jing chu ,
1894).
43
Xufa , Shoulengyan jing guandingshu (Yangzhou: Yangzhou cang
jing yuan ,1929). For a complete list of traditional commentaries, see n. 7.
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apart from secular works; to handle them with respect; and to read them
only while one is sitting upright or standing never while one is lying
down or in a slouching position.
Sutras like sacred texts in other religious traditions can them-
selves be the focus of a spiritual practice. Some practitioners read a
particular text, such as the ragama Stra, for a certain period of time
each day. Others commit a text to memory and recite it. Yet another
practice is to bow in reverence to it; one bows to each word or character
in turn until one has bowed through the entire text. Such practices can
develop faith, loosen the ties to self, and lead to personal transformation
and spiritual growth.
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open wound with a knife, then he would probe for the arrow with
a probe, then he would pull out the arrow and would expel the poi-
sonous humour without leaving a trace of it behind. Knowing that
no trace was left behind, he would say: Good man, the arrow has
been pulled out from you; the poisonous humour has been expelled
with no trace left behind, and it is incapable of harming you. Eat
only suitable food; do not eat unsuitable food or else the wound
may suppurate. From time to time wash the wound and from time
to time anoint its opening, so that pus and blood do not cover the
opening of the wound. Do not walk around in the wind and sun or
else dust and dirt may infect the opening of the wound. Take care of
your wound, good man, and see to it that the wound heals.
The man would think: The arrow has been pulled out from
me; the poisonous humour has been expelled with no trace left
behind, and it is incapable of harming me. He would eat only suit-
able food, and the wound would not suppurate. From time to time
he would wash the wound and from time to time he would anoint
its opening, and pus and blood would not cover the opening of the
wound. He would not walk around in the wind and sun, and dust
and dirt would not infect the opening of the wound. He would take
care of the wound and would see to it that the wound heals. Then,
both because he does what is suitable and because the foul poison-
ous humour has been expelled with no trace left behind, the wound
would heal, and because it had healed and was covered with skin,
he would not incur death or deadly suffering.
So, too, Sunakkhatta, it is possible that some bhikkhus44 here
might think thus: Craving has been called an arrow by the Recluse;
the poisonous humour of ignorance is spread about by desire, lust,
and ill will. That arrow of craving has been pulled out from me; the
poisonous humour of ignorance has ben expelled. I am one who
is completely intent on Nibbna. Being one who really is intent
on Nibbna, he would not pursue those things unsuitable for one
44
The Pali form of bhiksu, a fully ordained Buddhist monk.
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10. The Early History of the Sutra and the Issue of Authenticity
45
That is, the six faculties.
46
Majjhima Nikya 105, Sunakkhatta Sutta, in The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha,
Bhikkhu Namoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans. (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995), 8667.
xxxviii
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47
See Davidson, Indian Esoteric Buddhism.
48
A brief summary of modern scholarly claims of inauthenticity and of a refutation of
them can be found in Ronald Epstein, The Surangama-Stra (T. 945): A Reappraisal of Its
Authenticity, 1976. http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/authenticity.htm; this is a
summary of an unpublished monograph of the same title (T.S., 223 pp.).
49
Beginning with Dao An in the fourth century.
50
For example, the references to parahelial phenomena and other malign astrological
influences, and the mention of housewives use of metal mirrors to focus light on tinder to
make fire. In other cases, what may seem Chinese turns out, on further investigation, to be
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beings. The Chinese uses the character xian for these ascetic mas-
ters. This xian, often translated as Immortal, is the Chinese character
for the long-lived spiritual masters of the Chinese Daoist tradition. The
appearance of such a clearly Daoist word has led some scholars to suggest
that the passage is evidence that the ragama Stra was composed in
China. A much more plausible explanation is also the simpler one: that
the Indic original was i, which referred to the ascetic Hindu saints.51
The Chinese translators sensibly chose to render i as xian, suppos-
ing the two kinds of ascetics to be, if not precisely equivalent, then at
least occupants of similar spiritual niches in their respective societies.
The presence of two indisputably Indian elements that play leading
roles in the text also point to an Indian origin. One of these, already
mentioned here, is the presence of Indian Buddhist logic in the many syl-
logisms and the use of the fourfold negation. The other is the ragama
Mantra, which the Chinese text leaves untranslated and which lies at the
heart of the Sutras instructions for spiritual practice.
Having considered the authenticity of the ragama Stra from the
point of view of the historical criticism of religious texts, it is important
to consider it as well from the point of view of the Sutras own tradition.
Whatever the historical origin and provenance of this text may ulti-
mately be shown to be if indeed the questions about it can ever be
definitively answered one fact is not in dispute: the ragama Stra
has been widely accepted in China as canonical for well over a thousand
years. Such acceptance reflects the view that a religious texts authori-
tativeness must be measured by its effectiveness as a guide to moral and
spiritual practice. From this pragmatic and orthopraxic point of view,
the ragama Stra may be correctly deemed to be authentic simply
because generations of advanced practitioners and their students and
Indian as well. For example, in Part IX.2, the Buddha cites an owl that lays its eggs on the
ground; this could easily be the grass owl, which is found in both India and China.
51
According to the Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary, The is were regarded
by later generations as patriarchal sages or saints . . . and constitute a peculiar class of
beings in the early mythical system, as distinct from gods, men, asuras.
xl
introduction
disciples have revered this text, have followed its instructions, and have
explained it to others as a trustworthy prescription for moral purifica-
tion and spiritual advancement towards enlightenment.52 In the minds of
its many admirers, then, the Sutras validity and importance do not de-
pend on whether the text actually represents a verbatim record of words
spoken by the Buddha kyamuni in the Magadhan dialect of Sanskrit in
what is now Uttar Pradesh sometime in the fifth century B.C.E. From this
point of view, uncertainty about the Sutras textual history is not a cause
for any uncertainty about its ethical and spiritual truth.
52
See Hanshan Deqing, in his Autobiography, in the entry for his thirty-first year (1576
7): After my great awakening, having no one to confirm and testify to it, I opened the
ragama Stra to verify my experience. I had not listened previously to lectures on this
Stra and so did not know its meaning. Now by using the power of the direct reasoning of
the nondiscriminating mind and without even the slightest use of its consciousness since
there was no room for thinking, I gained after eight months a complete comprehension
of its profound meaning without having a single doubt left. Translated by Charles Luk, in
Practical Buddhism (London: Rider, 1971), 83.
Martin Verhoeven, in his article Glistening Frost and Cooking Sand: Unalterable
Aspects of Purity in Chan Buddhist Meditation, has called attention to the importance
of the ragama Stra as a guide to and standard for correct meditation practice in the
life of the famous enlightened Chan Master Xuyun (18401959). In discussing that masters
great awakening, Verhoeven comments: He credits the Shurangama-sutra with instilling
in him the importance of purity and the consequent dispassion it instills. If I had not
remained indifferent to both favorable and adverse situations, he reflected, I would have
passed another life aimlessly and this experience would not have happened. In Purity
of Heart and Contemplation: A Monastic Dialogue between Christian and Asian Traditions (New
York/London: Continuum, 2001), 85ff.
See also Ven. Hsan Hua: Where the ragama Stra exists, then the Proper Dharma
exists. If the ragama Stra ceases to exist, then the Proper Dharma will also vanish. If
the ragama Stra is inauthentic, then I vow to fall into the Hell of Pulling Tongues to
undergo uninterrupted suffering. In On the Authenticity of the ragama Stra (http://
online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/Shurangama/Shurangama%20Stra%20Is%20Definitely
%20Authentic.htm).
Dgen, in his Nihon Shis Taikei, says of the Sutra, Even if it were a forgery, if the
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have taken it up, it is a true Buddha-stra, a true Patriarch
Stra, a traditional Dharma wheel of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Translated by Carl
Bielefeldt, in Terada and Mizono, eds., Dgen, vol. 2, 229.
xli
introduction
53
According to the Mahyna tradition, many of the major Mahyna sutras were
initially stored in a dragon-kings palace at the bottom of the ocean. The tradition credits
the Bodhisattva Ngrjuna with bringing these sutras back to India.
54
The Shurangama Stra, vol. 1, 68.
xlii
introduction
No-Self
The teaching of no-self55 is fundamental to Buddhism. The Buddha did not
teach that we do not exist, but he did teach that suffering is caused by our
clinging to a self, an individuality that is illusory and does not exist. What
self is it that does not exist? It is not merely the personality, or ego, that
identifies itself in terms of social roles and interactions. Buddhism denies
the existence of a basic self that is identified with our physical being, in-
cluding our gender, and also the existence of what is called the soul and
other levels of spiritual self. The existence of a self of cosmic conscious-
ness that is identified with the universe is also denied. All these selves
are constructed, conventional designations that only contribute to our
attachment to illusion. The true reality that does exist, and that is who we
really are, lies beyond our attachment to a duality of self and other and a
duality of existence and nonexistence.
Enlightenment or Awakening
In this volume we use the English terms enlightenment and awaken-
ing as synonyms. In Buddhism, when these terms are used in a formal
sense, they do not connote a temporary experience but rather a complete
and irreversible transformation of ones fundamental way of being in the
world. Only the enlightenment of a Buddha is perfect and complete.
Bodhisattvas, Solitary Sages,56 and Arhats57 have awakened but have not
55
Skt. antman. For explanations of this and many other technical terms and lists
mentioned in the Sutra, the reader who is not familiar with Buddhist teachings may find the
following publication a helpful aid: Buddhism A to Z, Ronald B. Epstein, comp. (Burlingame,
CA: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2003). Many excellent introductory books about
Buddhism are available and can provide useful background for the teachings of this Sutra.
A short selection of these is listed online under the title A Short Introductory Reading List
on Buddhism, http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/ introbuddhistbibiog.htm.
56
Skt. pratyekabuddha. Solitary Sages are beings who achieve enlightenment on
their own without the aid of the Buddhas Dharma or who became enlightened through
contemplation of the twelve-fold conditioned arising (Skt. prattyasamutpda). See part 4,
note 18.
57
Arhats become enlightened through contemplation of the Four Noble Truths. There
are four stages of Arhat: the srota-panna (one who has entered the stream of the sages),the
sakdgmin (one who must be reborn only once more), the angmin (one who does not
xliii
introduction
need to be reborn again); and the Arhat (one who has ended all outflows and needs no
further instruction). The term Arhat may refer to all four stages or only to the fourth
stage. At the outset of this Sutra, nanda is an Arhat at the first stage.
58
Dharmadhtu, Ch. fa jie . In a related usage, the ten Dharma-Realms consist of
the four levels of the sage (Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Solitary Sages, and Arhats) together
with six destinies of the unenlightened (gods, asuras, humans, animals, ghosts, and
denizens of the hells).
59
In the present translation, we capitalize Dharma when it represents the first and
second of these meanings and do not capitalize it when it carries the other two meanings.
xliv
introduction
Samdhi
Samdhi is a concentrated, self-collected, intent state of mind and medi-
tation, which, concomitant with right living, is a necessary condition to
the attainment of higher wisdom and emancipation.60
There are four distinct senses in which the word samdhi is used.
First, it designates the correct mental focus or concentration that is a
necessary preliminary to the deeper meditative states. Second, samdhi
indicates those deeper levels of mental concentration and stability which
may be reached through correct practice. These levels include the four
dhynas, which correspond to the states of mind of the gods in the heav-
ens of the realm of form, and the four sampattis, which correspond to
the states of mind of gods who abide on the planes of formlessness. Third,
there are even more profound levels of samdhi that are experienced by
enlightened beings. Fourth, samdhi may also refer specifically to the
ragama (Indestructible) Samdhi, which is the state of mind of all
Buddhas and which is discussed at length in this Sutra.
Emptiness
There are at least three ways in which the idea of emptiness can be un-
derstood: on the intellectual level, in practice, and as a description of
enlightenment.
On the intellectual level, it can be said that emptiness61 means that
all dharmas all phenomena, mental and physical lack an indepen-
dent existence of their own and exist only through reliance on other
phenomena. All dharmas lack real, permanent, essential attributes that
distinguish them from all other phenomena. In other words, everything
in the world, both physical and mental, is interdependent. Nothing ex-
ists entirely on its own, separate, and with no causal relation to anything
else. Thus all dharmas are empty of any individual, inherent being.62
60
T. W. Rhys Davids and William Stede, eds., Pali Text Societys Pali-English Dictionary
(London: Pali Text Society, 1972).
61
Skt. nyat, Ch. kong .
62
Skt. svabhva, Ch. zixing .
xlv
introduction
63
The Diamond Stra, in Edward Conze, Buddhist Wisdom Books (London: George Allen
and Unwin, 1956), 68.
xlvi
introduction
xlvii
introduction
ties and their objects is a necessary condition for the coming into being
of eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-
consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness (seeing,
hearing, smelling, tasting, tactile sensation, and cognition).
Like the five aggregates, the eighteen constituents provide an analysis
of the entire psycho-physical world and an aid to breaking attachments
to that world. Everything that we experience can also be subsumed with-
in the eighteen constituents. The first five groups of perceived objects
visible objects, sounds, odors, flavors, and tactile objects together
with the first five faculties that perceive these objects comprise the
entire physical world. The faculty of cognition and objects of cognition
in the mind, together with the six consciousnesses, comprise the world
of mind. All mental experience and the entire physical world lie within
these eighteen; therefore, no notion of a permanent soul or self is needed
to describe and account for any experience.
64
See p. xv.
xlviii
introduction
the ragama Stra. Perhaps the most difficult challenge came from the
constraints the Chinese translators imposed upon themselves in choos-
ing the pattern of four-character phrases in which the greater part of the
Chinese translation is written. Not infrequently, in order to preserve the
four-character meter, the translators found it necessary to omit one or
more characters even though the characters to be omitted were essential
to the meaning. An example that the reader of the Chinese text frequently
encounters involves the list of the six faculties of perception, or the list of
their six objects. Although in each case all six are clearly meant, two are
routinely omitted so that the remaining four fit the four-character meter.
(A further complication is that the same two are not always omitted.) In
general, wherever such terseness might inhibit understanding, we have
either added clarifying words, included an explanatory excerpt from the
commentary of the Venerable Master Hsan Hua, or identified the miss-
ing meanings in a footnote.
Second, the Chinese text often proceeds in patterned paragraphs, and
the resulting repetition sometimes tempted the Chinese translators to
enliven the repeated text with a variety of synonyms. The opposite is also
true: the Chinese translators often used one character to indicate quite
different meanings sometimes in the same sentence or even in the same
four-character phrase. In both cases we have chosen clarity over literary
flourish. Several characters that mean the same thing we have gener-
ally rendered with one English word, and single characters with multiple
meanings we have generally translated into several English words.
Third, the abundance of Sanskrit terms, represented in the text by
specialized transliteration characters, is one of the features that most
challenges the reader of the Chinese text. We chose not to pass on this
difficulty to readers of the English version. We have, in general, left in
the Sanskrit only those words that are already familiar to English read-
ers (such words as Dharma, karma, nirvana, and Bodhisattva) or
those words that we expect will become English words as Buddhist texts
become more and more familiar to Westerners. When we have translated
Sanskrit terms that the Chinese text merely transliterates, we have noted
the Sanskrit original in the footnotes.
xlix
introduction
l
introduction
include some of these instructions in the present volume. For the most
part, however, and with some reluctance, we quote in this single-volume
translation only those passages of the Venerable Master Hsan Huas
commentary which directly present explanations of the Sutra text itself.
Thus, the commentary excerpted for this translation is by no means a
substitute for the full commentary and is only partly representative of
the commentarys scope and depth. Fortunately, the complete record of
these lectures remains easily available in the Buddhist Text Translation
Societys earlier translation.
A word concerning gender-neutrality of language is appropriate here.
Where possible we have resorted to the gender-neutral plural pronouns
they, them, and their. But most often this escape from the gender
bias of English pronouns was not feasible. First, the bulk of the Sutra
consists of dialogue between two male speakers, the Buddha kyamuni
and his cousin nanda. Second, as translators we strove to avoid anach-
ronistic language, that is, language that might weaken the Sutras ties to
its time and place. We did not wish to portray the Buddha speaking in a
way that, it seemed to us, he would not have spoken; thus we did not use
words derived from modern science or technology, technical terms of
European philosophy, or twenty-first-century casual speech. It was our
wish to find a voice for these speakers that would be formal, precise, and
natural, both time-specific and timeless. It was there that our quandary
lay. English speakers have been engaged for the last quarter-century in
making an overdue transition to gender-neutral speech above all by
the use of the phrase he or she and by the heretofore ungrammatical
use of they forms in the singular. But in translating a document that
has come down to us over many centuries, we found that repeated use
of these contemporary gender-neutral usages struck a dissonant tone of
anachronism that tended to distract from the naturalness and authority
of the speakers voices. We therefore resigned ourselves to the unsatis-
factory use of masculine pronouns when both genders are meant. Our
decision to do so was entirely editorial, not doctrinal.
All this does not mean that the ragama Stra holds male gender
to be an advantage in spiritual practice. There is no such teaching in the
li
introduction
Sutra. In fact, the courtesan who casts her spell upon nanda at the
opening of the Sutra and who accompanies nanda and the Bodhisattva
Majur back to the Buddhas assembly becomes enlightened during
the course of the dialogue, reaching a level of awakening higher than
nandas level.66 The enlightenment of Yaodar, who had been the Bud-
dha kyamunis wife when he was still a prince, is also mentioned.67
Finally, a few words about our translation process. As with other texts
produced by members of the Buddhist Text Translation Society, the pres-
ent translation was made in four distinct steps. First, a primary transla-
tion was accomplished by a committee that included both native speak-
ers of Chinese and native speakers of English. The second step consisted
of reviews of the entire text to check for accuracy. Next came editorial
polishing to ensure naturalness and consistency of English style, and fi-
nally, certification that the translation faithfully presents the Buddhas
teachings. In all this effort we relied on the pioneering work of the previ-
ous translators. Without their labors, making this translation would have
been far more difficult and the result far more subject to error. Neverthe-
less, despite the effort of many people during a period of six and a half
years, we recognize that our translation can hardly be free of mistakes,
and we request that the students, scholars, practitioners, and general
readers who undertake to read this translation will kindly point out any
errors to us so that we may correct them in any future printing.
We join our colleagues in dedicating any merit accrued in the making
of this translation to world peace and to the enlightenment of all beings.
66
At the end of part 4.
67
Ibid.
lii
Stra on the ragama Mantra
That Is Spoken from above
the Crown of the Great Buddhas Head,
and on the Hidden Basis
of the Thus-Come Ones
Myriad Bodhisattva-Practices
That Lead to Their Verifications
of Ultimate Truth
Thus have I heard:2 at one time the Buddha was staying in the city of
rvast in a sublime abode in Prince Jetris Grove,3 together with a
gathering of great monks,4 twelve hundred fifty in all. These disciples
of the Buddha were all great Arhats, free of outflows:5 they abided in the
Dharma and upheld it. They had completely transcended all existence,
and their perfect demeanor inspired awe in every place they went. They
followed the Buddha in turning the Wheel of Dharma,6 supremely worthy
of what he had bestowed upon them. Stern and pure in their adherence
to the monastic code,7 they were great exemplars for beings in the three
realms of existence.8 To liberate beings they appeared in countless bodies
in response to what those beings required, and in the future they would
rescue other beings, who thereby would transcend the burden of their
attachment to sense-objects.
The Arhats leaders were riputra, great in wisdom, and Mah-
Maudgalyyana, Mah-Kauhila, Pramaitryaputra, Subhti, Upani-
ad, and others. Innumerable Solitary Sages,9 who needed no further
1
As noted in the introduction, this and all other headings and sub-headings have been
added by the present translators as an aid to understanding.
2
I refers to nanda, the Buddha kyamunis cousin and attendant, who recited the
Buddhas teachings to the assembly of enlightened disciples after the Buddhas nirvana. He
is both protagonist and narrator of this Sutra.
3
The grove was donated to the Buddhas order by Prince Jetri (Skt. Jet). It was part of
a park called the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the Childless; the park itself was
donated to the Buddha by the Buddhist layman Anthapiada.
4
Skt. bhiku, Ch. biqiu , a fully ordained Buddhist monk. The Sanskrit for nun is
bhiku, Ch. biqiuni .
5
Skt. ansrava. Outflows refers to the flowing out of vital energies toward the objects
one perceives, including objects of desire.
6
That is, teaching using the words of the Buddha.
7
Skt. vinaya.
8
The realm of desire, the realm of form, and the realm beyond form. See part 9.11.
9
Skt. Pratyekabuddhas. See the introduction, note 56 and part 4, note 18.
5
PROLOGUE
instruction,10 as well as other beings who had only recently made a re-
solve to attain full awakening,11 also came to the place where the Buddha
and the monks were staying. It was during the Days of Unburdening12 at
the conclusion of the summer retreat. Bodhisattvas from all ten direc-
tions13 were gathered there as well; they desired counsel to resolve their
doubts.14 All were respectful and obedient to the awe-inspiring, compas-
sionate Thus-Come One as they prepared themselves to understand his
hidden meaning.
People who have become enlightened are free of outflows: the outflows of
desire, the outflows of existence, and the outflows of ignorance. Because they
are free of outflows, they do not fall into the realm of desire, the realm of forms,
and the realm beyond form. We people now dwell in the realm of desire. . . . It
is called the realm of desire because the people in it have desires for material
things and for sex, desires which they cannot put a stop to. . . . The outflows of
existence are suffered by beings who are beyond these desires and who dwell
in the heavens of the realm of forms. . . . These beings still cannot control their
desire for bodily existence. . . . Beyond these two outflows, and the greatest
of the three, is the outflow of ignorance, which is the source of all afflictions.
When this outflow is ended, the other two are ended also. (I, 99100)15
10
Skt. aaika, Ch. wu xue . Those who need no further instruction are the Solitary
Sages and the Arhats at the fourth stage, as opposed to aika (Ch. you xue ) Arhats,
who are at the first three stages and who still need instruction including nanda, who at
the outset of the Sutra is at the first stage.
11
Skt. bodhi, Ch. pu ti , full awakening.
12
Skt. pravraa, the final days of the monastic retreat during the rainy season.
13
The ten directions are north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast,
southwest, above, and below.
14
They did not yet understand the Hidden Basis mentioned in the Sutra title.
15
This is the first of the excerpts from the Ven. Master Hsan Huas commentary quoted
in the present volume. To ensure a clear distinction between the passages of the Sutra text
and the passages of commentary, the commentary excerpts are indented and are set in a
contrasting typeface. The references, given in parentheses at the end of each passage or
paragraph of commentary, cite the volume and page number at which the excerpts may
be found in the Buddhist Text Translation Societys 2003 edition of this Sutra. The excerpts
have been edited for brevity and conformity with the present translation.
6
THE OCCASION FOR THE TEACHING
The Thus-Come One,16 having arranged his seat, sat quietly and peace-
fully, and then, for the sake of everyone assembled there, spoke of the
profound and mysterious. The assembly, pure in mind and body, learned
at that banquet of Dharma what they had not known before. The Immor-
tals voice was like the call of the kalavika bird,17 and it could be heard
in worlds throughout all ten directions. As many Bodhisattvas as there
are sand-grains in the Ganges gathered at that place for awakening, with
Majur as their leader.
King Prasenajit, on the anniversary day of mourning for his father, the
late king, had arranged a vegetarian feast in the banquet hall of the palace.
He had invited the Buddha, and he welcomed the Thus-Come One in person
to a meal of savory delicacies. He also invited in the great Bodhisattvas.
Meanwhile, in the city, elders and other laity had also prepared meals for
the Sangha,18 and they stood waiting for the Buddha to come receive their
offerings. The Buddha directed Majur to designate Arhats and Bodhisat-
tvas to accept the pure vegetarian food that the donors were offering.
When donors make offerings to the Three Treasures the Buddha, Dharma,
and Sangha they plant seeds that grow and ripen into blessings in the
future. Thus, people who have entered the monastic life are called fields
for blessings. People who enjoy the reward of many blessings are entirely
content. Those who feel their blessings are not sufficient should make more
offerings to the Three Treasures. (I, 130)
Only nanda was late for this assigning of the Sangha. Earlier he had
traveled for some distance to accept a special invitation and had not yet
returned. No senior monk19 was accompanying him as his teacher; he was
returning on the road alone.
16
Skt. Tathgata, Ch. ru lai , an honorific title for the Buddha.
17
The kalavika is an Indian bird with a pure and penetrating call. The Immortal is
the Buddha.
18
The Sanskrit word sangha means community. Here, and most often in the Buddhist
traditions of Asia, Sangha refers specifically to the monastic community of monks and
nuns, both fully ordained and in training.
19
Skt. crya, an exemplar in following the monastic regulations.
7
PROLOGUE
nanda is about to run into trouble, and the reason is that he was alone. He
had accepted a special invitation. . . . Basically, monks should not accept
special invitations. . . . The rule in Buddhism is that all the members of the
Sangha in a particular monastic community should be invited as a group. . . .
Furthermore, members of the Sangha should always travel at least in pairs,
although someone whose samdhi is strong may do things on his or her own.
(I, 1268)
20
That is, not skipping any households on his route.
21
Skt. dnapati, almsgiver.
22
The royal and warrior class of ancient Indian society.
23
A tribe of outcastes in ancient Indian society.
24
Skt. Bhagavn, Ch. shi zun , an honorific title of a Buddha.
8
the occasion for the teaching
they can be wealthy and honored. If I dont help them out by receiving alms
from them, then in the next life and on into the future, they will continue to
be poor. . . . I believe there was another reason underlying their behavior. It
seems fairly certain that Subhti liked to eat good food, and Mahkyapa,
foremost among the disciples in his practice of asceticism, ate what others
couldnt bear to eat and endured what others couldnt endure. (I, 1301)
Having crossed the city moat, nanda walked slowly through the out-
er gates, his manner stern and proper as he followed strictly and respect-
fully the rules for accepting offerings of pure food. Because he was receiv-
ing alms sequentially, he soon chanced to pass a house of courtesans, and
there he was waylaid by a powerful artifice. Wielding a spell that Kapila25
had obtained from a god of the Brahma Heavens,26 a young Mtaga
woman27 seduced nanda onto her bed. Then she caressed him lascivi-
ously, until the power of his vows28 was on the verge of being broken.
Knowing that nanda was succumbing to the carnal influence of the
spell, the Thus-Come One ended his meal immediately and returned to
the monastic grounds. The king, his senior ministers, the elders, and the
other laity, desiring to hear the essentials of the Dharma, followed after
the Buddha. Then from the crown of his head29 the World-Honored One
poured forth invincible light which was as dazzling as a hundred gems.
The Buddha akyamuni made appear within that light a Buddha who,
seated in full-lotus posture on a thousand-petaled sacred lotus, pro-
claimed a spiritually powerful mantra.30
25
An ancient Indian sage who was the founder of the Skhya School.
26
The Brahma Heavens belong to the realm of form and correspond to the level of
single-minded meditation known as the first dhyna. See part 9.11b.
27
The Mtaga were a non-Aryan tribal people.
28
Ch. jie ti . The phrase indicates the moral fortitude that arises from receiving and
following the Buddhist precepts.
29
At the crown of the Buddhas head is a fleshy prominence (Skt. ua), which is the
first of the thirty-two hallmarks that are distinctive characteristics of the bodies of all
Buddhas.
30
The ragama Mantra, see part 8. In general, mantras are spoken phrases whose
primary meanings are not cognitive but whose meanings and powers lie on a spiritual
level that transcends ordinary verbal understanding.
9
PROLOGUE
The ragama Mantra is the king of the kings of mantras. It is extremely im-
portant. Students of the Buddhas Dharma who can learn this mantra in their
present lives will not have been born as a human in vain. (I, 978)
10
I
The Nature and
Location of the Mind
1
The Request for Dharma
When nanda saw the Buddha, he bowed and wept in sorrow. He regret-
ted that, since time without beginning, he had devoted himself to erudi-
tion but had not fully developed his practice on the Path. Respectfully
and repeatedly he asked the Buddha to explain for him the elementary
steps that lead to attainment in the wondrous practices of calming the
mind, contemplative insight, and meditation in stillness1 practices
through which the Thus-Come Ones from all ten directions had become
fully awakened.
Meanwhile, as many Bodhisattvas as there are sand-grains of the River
Ganges, along with the great Arhats, Solitary Sages, and others from the
ten directions, all eagerly wished to listen. They sat down and waited
silently to hear instruction from the Sage.
Then the World-Honored One, before the great assembly, extended his
golden-hued arm, circled his hand on the crown of nandas head,2 and
said to nanda and to all gathered there, There is a samdhi called The
Great and Royal ragama that Is Spoken from above the Crown of the
Buddhas Head and that Is the Perfection of the Myriad Practices. It is a
wondrous and magnificent Path, the unique portal through which the
Buddhas in all ten directions have passed in order to transcend the con-
ditioned world. You should all now listen attentively. nanda humbly
bowed and waited for compassionate instruction.
Why was nanda unable to resist the evil spell, even though he was already a
first-stage Arhat? He had been practicing samdhi with his conscious mind.3
. . . For instance, when he listened to sutras, he remembered the principles
that the Buddha spoke of. But the conscious mind which remembers the
principles cannot lead to the fundamental solution, and so when nanda
1
Skt. amatha, sampatti, dhyna.
2
A gesture giving comfort and blessing. The teacher places his hand on the crown of
the disciples head and then rubs the disciples head in a circling motion.
3
Skt. citta, Ch. xin , the mind in which distinctions are made based on ignorance.
13
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
The Buddha said to nanda, You and I are members of the same fam-
ily,4 and we share the affection that is natural among relatives. At the
time you first made the resolve to become enlightened, what excellent
attributes did you see in my Dharma that immediately led you to reject
the deep familial affection and conjugal love found in the world?
nanda said to the Buddha, I saw the thirty-two hallmarks5 of the
Thus-Come One, which were so supremely wondrous and incomparable
that his entire body shone like crystal, with an interreflecting radiance.
I often thought to myself that a body with such hallmarks could not be
the consequence of an act of sexual love. Why? The energies of desire are
coarse and murky. Foul and putrid intercourse results in a turbid merg-
ing of procreative substances; such things as that cannot generate a body
with such a wondrous, pure, magnificent, and brilliant concentration of
purple-golden light. That is why I admired the Buddha and why I let the
hair fall from my head6 so I could follow him.
4
nanda and the Buddha were paternal first cousins.
5
See the prologue, note 29.
6
Buddhist monks and nuns shave their heads upon entering the monastic life. The
practice continues to this day.
14
THE REQUEST FOR DHARMA
The Buddha said, Excellent, nanda! All of you should know that
since time without beginning, all beings have been undergoing death and
rebirth over and over simply because they have not been aware of the
pure understanding which is the essential nature of the everlasting true
mind. Instead, the workings of their minds are distorted, and because
the workings of their minds are distorted, they are bound to the cycle of
death and rebirth.
Now you all wish to inquire about unsurpassed enlightenment and
to discover the truth of your own nature. You should answer my ques-
tions straightforwardly, because that is the path that the Thus-Come
Ones everywhere throughout the ten directions have taken as they freed
themselves from death and rebirth. Their minds and their words were
straightforward, and therefore, at every point in their progress from the
first stage to the last, they were never in the least evasive.
Now, nanda, I ask you this: when, in response to the thirty-two
hallmarks of the Thus-Come One, you first made the resolve to attain full
awakening, just what was it that saw those hallmarks, and who was it that
took delight in them and loved them?
nanda said to the Buddha, World-Honored One, I delighted in them
and loved them with my mind and eyes. Because I saw with my eyes the
excellent hallmarks of the Thus-Come One, my mind admired and de-
lighted in them. In this way I became resolved to extricate myself from
death and rebirth.
The Buddha said to nanda, It is as you say: your mind and eyes were
the reason for your admiration and delight. Someone who does not know
where his mind and eyes are will not be able to overcome the stress of en-
gagement with perceived objects.7 Consider, for example: when bandits
invade a country and the king sends forth his soldiers to drive them out,
the soldiers must first know where the bandits are. It is the fault of your
mind and eyes that you are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth. I am
now asking you: precisely where are your mind and eyes?
7
Ch. chen lao . This is the first mention of a theme to which the Buddha returns
frequently in the Sutra: the stress and weariness that inevitably results from immersion in
the world of the senses. The theme is developed in full below in Parts IV and V.
15
2
The Location of the Mind
A. nanda Proposes That the Mind Is in the Body
World-Honored One, nanda then said to the Buddha, The ten classes
of beings8 in all the worlds believe that the conscious mind dwells in the
body; and as I regard the blue-lotus eyes of the Thus-Come One, I know
that they are part of the Buddhas face. Clearly they are also part of his
body. It is evident that those physical organs which respond to four kinds
of perceived objects9 are part of my face, and so, my conscious mind, too,
is surely found within my body.
The Buddha said to nanda, Now as you sit in the Dharma Hall of the
Thus-Come One, you can see Prince Jetris Grove. Where is the grove?
This great and sacred Dharma Hall, with its many stories, World-
Honored One, is in the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the
Childless, and the Prince Jetris Grove is outside the hall.
nanda, what is the first thing that you see from your place in the
hall?
World-Honored One, here in the hall I am looking first at the Thus-
Come One. I can also see the great assembly; then, as I gaze out, I see the
grove in the park.
Why is it, nanda, that when you look out, you can see the grove in
the park?
World-Honored One, since the doors and windows of this great hall
have been thrown open wide, I can be in the hall and yet see into the
distance.
The Buddha said to nanda, It is as you say. Someone in the hall can
see far into the grove and park when the doors and windows are open
8
In part 9.2 below, the Buddha describes twelve kinds of beings according to the
manner of their birth.
9
Eyes, ears, nose, and tongue, responding respectively to visible objects, sounds,
odors, and flavors. The fifth pair the body and objects of touch is understood to be
included.
16
THE LOCATION OF THE MIND
wide. Now, could that person in the hall not see the Buddha and yet see
outside the hall?
nanda answered, It would not be possible, World-Honored One, to
be in the hall and be able to see the grove and fountains, and yet not be
able to see the Thus-Come One.
nanda, the same is true of you. You have the intelligence to under-
stand everything clearly. If your mind, with its clear understanding, were
inside your body, then the inside of your body would be what your mind
would first come into contact with and have knowledge of. Are there
beings that see the inside of their bodies first, before they can observe
things outside?10 Even if they could not see their heart, liver, spleen, or
stomach, they still at least would detect the growing of their nails and
hair, the twisting of their sinews, and the throbbing of their pulse. Why
then are you not able to see these things? And since your mind is defi-
nitely not visually cognizant of what is inside your body, how can it have
knowledge of what is outside your body? Thus you can know that when
you say the mind that is aware and makes distinctions is inside the body,
you state what is impossible.
10
According to Buddhist teaching, the cognitive faculty acts together with the eye-
faculty in the process of visual perception of objects. The eye-faculty senses the objects
and the mind recognizes what they are.
11
Here nanda offers a second proposition and he brings forth his own instance,
17
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
which is, however, very similar to the one the Buddha proposed above. nanda has merely
substituted the lamp and its light for himself and his vision. The Buddha refutes this
second proposition in two steps: the first, by showing that nandas example is logically
flawed because it cannot be correctly applied to his proposition; the second, by offering
the counter-example of the physical separateness of the monks seated at their meal.
12
A traditional manner of eating in India.
13
Following the conventions for stating a syllogism (see section 8 of the introduction),
the Buddha now suggests an apt instance drawn from ordinary life to demonstrate the
truth of what he is proposing, which is that nanda is wrong to suggest that the mind
is located outside the body. He applies the instance to his proposition in the sentence
beginning Then if your mind that sees . . . and states his conclusion in the sentence
beginning In this way you can know. . . . This pattern is repeated to refute each of
nandas propositions concening the location of the mind.
18
THE LOCATION OF THE MIND
your awareness were in your body, your mind would not have an awareness of
it. . . . But if your mind knows what your eyes are seeing, how can you say that
your mind is outside your body? . . . Note, though, that the Buddha does not
say that the mind is inside the body. He has already made clear that that, too,
is a mistake. . . . nanda only knows how to analyze the Buddhas teachings
by means of his conscious mind, which comes into being and ceases to be.
He is not aware of his everlasting true mind. (I, 17981)
19
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
The Buddha said to nanda, Let us assume the mind is hidden in the
eyes, as you assert in your instance of the crystals. When the person in
your example places crystal cups over his eyes and looks at the moun-
tains, the rivers, and all else on this great earth, does he see the crystal
cups too?
He does, World Honored One. He sees the crystal cups when he places
them over his eyes.
The Buddha said to nanda, If in fact your mind can be compared to
someones eyes with crystals placed over them, then when you look at the
world of perceived objects, why dont you see your own eyes? If you could
see your eyes, your eyes would be part of your external surroundings. But
then your mind and eyes could not work together to make distinctions.
And since you cannot see your eyes, why did you say that the mind that
is aware and makes distinctions is concealed within the eye-faculty, as
in the example of the eyes with crystal cups placed on them? Know then
that when you say the mind that is aware and makes distinctions is con-
cealed in the eye-faculty, like eyes with crystal cups placed on them, you
state what is impossible.
The Buddha points out that if nanda could see his eyes, that would mean
that his eyes would be outside of him, not part of his body. But if they were
outside of his body, he would not be able to see, because the eyes need to be
connected to the mind to complete the process of seeing. (I, 187)
14
nanda now proposes, in his fourth supposition, that what is dark is inside and what
is light is outside, so that he can return to his first supposition, that the mind is located
20
THE LOCATION OF THE MIND
The Buddha said to nanda, Consider this question, then: when you
close your eyes and see darkness, is that darkness in front of your eyes? If
the darkness is in front of your eyes, how can it be inside? But if in fact it
were inside, then if you were in a room that was completely dark because
it was not lit by the sun or by the moon or by lamps, the darkness in the
room would have to be the darkness of your own insides. Besides, if the
darkness were not in front of you, how could you see it?15 But suppose you
did see inside in a way that is distinct from how you see outside. In that
case if we grant that closing your eyes and thus seeing darkness would
be to see the inside of your body then when you open your eyes and
see light, why dont you see your own face? Since you cant see your own
face, there can be no seeing inside, because if you could see your face,
then your eyes and also your mind that knows and understands would be
suspended in the air. How then could they be part of your body?16
inside the body. If the inside of the body is dark, the Buddhas objection that the mind
should see the internal organs first is removed.
15
The Buddha demolishes nandas new position in two stages. He first analyzes the
darkness that is seen when the eyes are closed. According to the Buddhist understanding
of perception, what we see, including the darkness we see when our eyes are closed, must
be before the eye-faculty in order for the eye-faculty to perceive it, and therefore it must
be outside the body, not inside it. Then, taking up the case of the darkness that we see
when our eyes are open, such as in a room that is completely dark, the Buddha points out
that if darkness is internal, as nanda contends, then everything in a pitch-dark external
environment must be inside of our bodies.
16
If one sees internal darkness and external light, then although the face cannot
be seen as part of the illuminated external world, it ought to be seen as an illuminated
internal opposite. Or to put it the other way around, when one opens ones eyes and sees
the illuminated external environment, one cant turn ones vision around to see ones face;
why then should we suppose that when ones eyes are closed, one can turn ones vision
around to see the darkness inside ones body? If ones own face could be seen if it had
become part of the normally seen external environment it would have to be external to
21
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
The Buddha continues his questioning. . . . nanda argues that to see darkness
is to see inside the body; then when one opens ones eyes to look outside, one
ought to be able to see ones own face. . . . But if one cant see ones own face
with ones eyes open, how could it be that upon closing ones eyes, one would
see inside? What nanda has contended has no basis in fact. (I, 191)
If your eyes and mind were actually suspended in the air, then it
would follow that they would not be part of your body. If, however, they
were part of your body and yet they were suspended in the air, then the
Buddha, who now sees your face, would be part of your body as well.
Thus, when your eyes became aware of something, your own body would
be unaware of it. If you press the point and say the body and the eyes
each have a separate awareness, then you would have two awarenesses
so that you, one person, would eventually become two Buddhas. There-
fore, you should know that when you say that to see darkness is to see
inside, you state what is impossible.17
E. nanda Proposes That the Mind Comes into Being
in Response to Conditions
nanda said to the Buddha, I have heard the Buddha teach the four as-
semblies18 that because a state of mind arises, various perceived objects
ones eyes and mind. Since the face is part of the body, the eyes and mind would then have
to float in empty space, external to the body. The Buddha continues to explain to nanda
that if his eyes and mind are not part of his body, then his body must be an external
object like any other. Or vice versa: if nandas mind and eyes are part of his body after
all, despite their being suspended in space, then other peoples minds and eyes, which are
also external to nandas body, should also be part of his body. Therefore, the Buddha
concludes that it should be the case that the Buddha, who now sees your face, would be
part of your body as well.
17
In the second part of his refutation the Buddha shifts his focus from what is seen
to the one who sees. He points out that if the eyes and mind are separate from the body,
then if awareness is located in the eyes and mind, the body is left without awareness.
If both nevertheless have their own separate awareness, and accordingly two different
stores of knowledge, then two different sets of consciousness are involved, and therefore
two different people. Therefore, the Buddha concludes that you, one person, would
eventually become two Buddhas.
18
That is, monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.
22
THE LOCATION OF THE MIND
arise, and that because perceived objects arise, various states of mind
arise. I am now thinking, and that very act of thinking, which is an in-
stance of a state of mind arising in response to perceived objects, is my
minds true nature. Thus the mind comes into being by combining with
perceived objects wherever they arise. It does not exist in just one of the
three locations inside, outside, and the middle.
Then the Buddha said to nanda, Now you are saying that when
perceived objects arise, various states of mind arise, and therefore that
the mind comes into being by combining with those perceived objects
wherever they arise. But such a mind as this would have no essential
nature of its own, and so could not combine with anything. If, having no
essential nature of its own, it still were able to combine with perceived
objects, then there would be a nineteenth constituent element of percep-
tion, because such a mind would be combining with a seventh category of
perceived object and that is impossible.19
The Buddha refutes nandas new proposition as follows. If the mind had lo-
cation but no essential nature, it would lie outside of the eighteen constituent
elements of perception. The eighteen constituents are the six perceptual fac-
ulties, the six kinds of perceived objects corresponding to the perceptual fac-
ulties, and the six consciousnesses.20 . . .The Buddha points out that the logi-
cal extension of nandas argument is that there is a nineteenth constituent,
the place in which a supposedly insubstantial mind comes into being when it
combines with perceived objects. The objects the mind would combine with
19
The Buddha discusses the ramifications of nandas new proposition in terms of the
essential nature and location of the mind. First, if the mind has no essential nature of its
own, it either lacks a location or has a location. Second, if the mind indeed has no essential
nature, then (a) to be in accord with conditions it must have a definite locus as it moves
from one set of conditions to the next, and (b) it must be composed either of a single
essential nature which pervades the body or of multiple essential natures. If the mind has
no essential nature of its own, it makes no sense to talk about its uniting with something
else. Were it to have a location without an essential nature, it would not be located
within any of the eighteen constituent elements (Skt. dhtu, Ch. jie ), which contradicts
fundamental tenets of the Buddhist teaching.
20
Contact between faculty and object is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the
arising of one of the six consciousnesses.
23
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
21
By referring to the instance of someone pinching himself, the Buddha further shows
that it is not logical to suppose that the mind has an essential nature and yet has no definite
location. According to nandas idea, the mind cannot exist until the necessary conditions
arise. A pinch is located on the boundary between internal and external; therefore, before
the mind can come into existence at the location of the pinch, the essential nature of the
mind must be located either inside or outside the body alternate possibilities that have
already been refuted.
24
THE LOCATION OF THE MIND
you touched your head and touched your foot at the same moment, you
would feel the touch on your head but would not feel the touch on your
foot. Yet that is not what your experience is.22
Therefore, you should know that when you say the mind comes into
being by combining with perceived objects wherever they arise, you
state what is impossible.
22
The Buddha asserts that if the mind is composed of a single essential nature which
pervades the body, then the pinch should be discerned not only at its actual location but
wherever the mind extends (i.e., over the entire body). On the other hand, if the mind is
composed of more than one essential nature, then nanda would have to be two people, as
the Buddha has just demonstrated in refuting nandas fifth supposition. Were the mind
to have a single essential nature that nevertheless did not pervade the body, then when
one touched ones head and foot at the same time, one could not be aware of both at the
same time.
23
Ch. shi xiang . The Sanskrit equivalent for this term is uncertain, perhaps
dharmat or bhtatathat. Numerous equivalents to this central concept are given in
the text, including true mind, suchness of reality, Matrix of the Thus-Come Ones,
Dharma-body, Buddha-nature, enlightened nature, and others.
24
nanda is not saying that we cannot be aware of any internal sensations but that, in
the case of seeing, which is being discussed, the mind has no visual data about the inside of
the body to make distinctions about.
25
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
Is it outside the body or inside it? If your middle were inside the body,
it might exist at the surface of the body or else somewhere within it. If
it existed at the surface, it would not be in the middle, and to be within
it would be the same as to be inside it. Does this middle have a loca-
tion, then? If so, is there some indication of that location? If there were
no indication of its location, then the middle would not exist. And even
if there were some indication of its location, that location would be in-
definite. Why? Suppose that someone were to place a marker to indicate
the location of a middle. Seen from the east, it would be in the west; seen
from the south, it would lie to the north. Such a marker would not mark
a definite middle, and in the same way, it is unclear what it might mean
for the mind to be located in a middle.
nanda said, The middle I speak of is in neither of those places. For
seeing to occur as the World-Honored One has said the eyes and vis-
ible objects are necessary conditions. The eyes record visual distinctions;
the objects that are seen have no awareness. Between them, eye-con-
sciousness is produced. The mind is there.25
The Buddha said, If your mind were located between the eye-faculty
and the objects it perceives, would the minds essential nature be the same
as the essential natures of the eye-faculty and of its objects, or would it
not? If the minds essential nature were the same as the essential natures
of the eye-faculty and of its objects, it would be a confused combination of
what is aware and what is not aware. That is contradictory. Where would
this middle be, then? And even if the minds essential nature were not
the same as the essential natures either of the eye-faculty or of its objects,
then the mind would be neither aware nor unaware. Such a mind would
have no essential nature at all. How then could it be in the middle?26
25
In order to clarify his statement in this sixth supposition, nanda says that by
middle he means between the faculty and its perceived object. He argues that since
the Buddha taught that contact between faculty and perceived object is a necessary
precondition of the arising of consciousness, then consciousness must arise in the
middle, between the two, and must constitute the location of the mind.
26
The Buddha refutes nandas argument by considering whether the minds essential
nature includes the essential nature of the eye-faculty and the essential natures of the
26
THE LOCATION OF THE MIND
Therefore, you should know that it would be impossible for the mind to
be in the middle.
The Buddha said to nanda, You say the mind that is aware and
makes distinctions is not located in a specific place. However, the air, the
lands, the waters, and the creatures that fly over them or move on them or in
them all things, in fact, existing in the world do have specific locations.
Then does the mind that you suppose has no specific location exist in
some place, or else does it exist in no place? If it is located nowhere, then
it is an absurdity like a turtle with fur or a hare with horns. How can you
speak of something that does not have a specific location? Suppose, how-
ever, things could in fact exist without a definite location. Now, what does
visible objects that are perceived by it. Here the Buddha returns to an argument similar
to one he made in response to nandas fourth supposition, namely, that it would be
impossible for the mind to consist of two different essential natures that are aware. But
in the present case, one entity, the eye-faculty, is aware, and the other, the visual object,
is not. If the mind includes both, then we are left with a confused combination of what is
aware and what is not aware.
27
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
not exist lacks attributes. What does exist has attributes. And whatever
has attributes does have a location. How can you say then that the mind
has no specific location?27 Therefore, you should know that when you say
the mind which knows and is aware has no specific location, you state
what is impossible.
27
The Buddha shows nanda that if having no specific location is an attribute of
something that really exists, then by definition it must have a specific location, and
that is contradictory. Therefore, nonattachment implies that something exists and has
characteristics and therefore location. Having a definite location is a form of attachment,
and so nandas argument collapses.
28
3
The Conditioned Mind and the True Mind
Then nanda stood up in the midst of the great assembly. He uncovered
his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, put his palms
together respectfully, and said to the Buddha, The Buddha has bestowed
his loving-kindness on me as his youngest cousin, but now that I have en-
tered the monastic life, I have continued to presume upon his kindness,
and as a result, all I have done is to become learned, and so I am not yet
free of outflows.
According to the customs of India, uncovering the right shoulder is a gesture
of respect, especially in the Buddhist tradition. It represents the purification of
the karma of the body. Putting the palms together represents the purification
of the karma of the mind, and speaking to the Buddha represents the purifica-
tion of the karma of speech. (I, 2112)
Since I could not resist the Kapila spell, I was lured into a house of
courtesans, all because I did not know how to find the realm of true re-
ality.28 I only hope that the World-Honored One, out of pity and great
kindness, will instruct us in the path of calming the mind, will guide
people who have no trust in the Dharma,29 and will counteract the wrong
tendencies of the uncivilized.30 When he had finished speaking, nanda
bowed to the ground and, with the rest of the great assembly, prepared
himself with keen anticipation to listen reverently to the teaching.
At that time, an array of lights as dazzling and as brilliant as a hundred
thousand suns poured forth from the World-Honored Ones face. Six
kinds of quaking shook the lands of the Thus-Come Ones, and an infinite
number of worlds appeared throughout all ten directions all at the same
time. The Buddhas awe-inspiring spiritual power caused all these worlds
to merge into a single world, and in that world, all the great Bodhisattvas
28
Ch. zhen ji , probable Skt. bhta-koi.
29
Skt. icchantika.
30
Skt. mleccha.
29
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
while remaining in their own lands placed their palms together and
listened.
Earthquakes occurred in their six aspects in all the billions of worlds in which
there were Buddhas not only in our Sah world,31 but all the others. Three
of these aspects involve movement: quaking, erupting, and upward heaving.
Quaking is the motion of the earth during an earthquake. Erupting refers
to intermittent agitations which cause lava to little by little seep forth like water
from a fountain. Heaving upward refers to continual, violent upward move-
ments of the earth. . . . At present our planet earth is in the midst of changes
brought about by the six aspects of earthquakes. The other aspects of earth-
quakes cracking, roaring, and striking involve sound. When there is
cracking, whole sections of the earth are torn asunder. The earth splits apart
and often rends whole buildings in the process. Roaring occurs when the
earth emits strange sounds. Striking occur after the ground has split apart and
the two faces of the crevasse strike against one another. (I, 2189)
The Buddha used his awe-inspiring spiritual power to bring all the lands
together into one. . . . Nowadays we can greatly enlarge a very small photo-
graph and reduce a large photograph into a very small one. . . . In the same
way, the Buddha, by means of his spiritual power, made distant places close,
brought all the myriad lands throughout the universe into one, as if he were
reducing a photograph. And yet, though the lands were united into one, each
remained located in its respective position without being mixed up. . . . The
Buddha brought these lands together so that everyone, including Bodhisattvas
in every land, could listen as he spoke about the Great ragama Samdhi.
(I, 2201)
The Buddha said to nanda, Since time without beginning, all beings,
because of the many distortions in their minds, have been creating seeds
of karma, which then grow and ripen naturally, like a cluster of fruit on
a rka tree.32
31
In Buddhist cosmology, the Sah world is the world-system we inhabit. The name is
interpreted as what must be borne.
32
Ch. e cha , elaeocarpus ganitrus. The berry-like fruit grows in tight clusters of
three. The round seeds are used for recitation beads.
30
the conditioned mind and the true mind
People who undertake a spiritual practice but who fail to realize the ul-
timate enlightenment people such as the Hearers of the Teaching34 and
the Solitary Sages, as well as celestial beings and others, such as demon-
kings and members of the demons retinues, who follow wrong paths35
all fail because they do not understand two fundamentals and are mis-
taken and confused in their practice. They are like someone who cooks
sand, hoping to prepare a delicious meal. Even if the sand were cooked for
eons36 numberless as motes of dust, no meal would result from it.
People are born in a stupor and die in the midst of a dream. . . . With nothing to
do, they go looking for something to do. They fail to recognize their pure and
fundamental nature and devote themselves to deluded thinking instead. . . .
They divide experiences into good and bad, right and wrong. . . . But in the Matrix
33
That is, beings in the heavens, humans, asuras (beings addicted to anger and
violence), animals, ghosts, and beings in the hells. See part 9, in which a seventh destiny,
the ascetic masters, is listed as well. Which destiny beings are born into depends upon the
karma they have created in previous lives.
34
Skt. rvakas, Ch. sheng wen , that is, practitioners who have become Arhats
through hearing the Buddha teach.
35
Ch. wai dao .
36
Skt. kalpa, Ch. jie .
31
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
of the Thus-Come One37 there are no such distinctions. In the Matrix of the
Thus-Come One there isnt anything at all. It is absolutely pure. Our eyes
may see the world of perceived objects, but they are simply manifestations of
consciousness. When you really understand the truth that there isnt anything
that comes into being and ceases to be, then you will understand that basi-
cally there isnt anything at all. But this principle is not easy to comprehend.
We must come to understand its meaning gradually. (I, 2245)
nanda, what are the two fundamentals? The first is the mind that is
the basis of death and rebirth and that has continued since time without
beginning. This mind is dependent on perceived objects,38 and it is this
mind that you and all beings make use of and that each of you consider
to be your own nature.
The second fundamental is full awakening, which also has no begin-
ning; it is the original and pure essence of nirvana.39 It is the original
understanding,40 the real nature of consciousness. All conditioned phe-
nomena arise from it, and yet it is among those phenomena that beings
lose track of it. They have lost track of this fundamental understanding
though it is active in them all day long, and because they remain unaware
of it, they make the mistake of entering the various destinies.
nanda, because you now wish to know about the path of calming the
mind and wish to be subject to death and rebirth no longer, I will ques-
tion you again. Then the Thus-Come One raised his golden-hued arm
and bent his five fingers each of them marked with lines in the shape
of a wheel41 and he asked nanda, Did you see something?
nanda said, I did.
37
The Buddhas Dharma-body, which is immanent in all things. See part 3.
38
Ch. pan yuan .
39
Nirvana here does not signify the passing of the Buddha into a state of cessation
after the death of his body; it means simply the state of the enlightened mind.
40
Understanding here and elsewhere renders the Ch. ming , which also carries the
meaning of light and, at the esoteric level, the meaning of illumination as experienced
in enlightenment.
41
Lines in the shape of wheels on the pads of the fingers are among the thirty-two
hallmarks that characterize the body of a Buddha.
32
THE CONDITIONED MIND AND THE TRUE MIND
The Buddha said, When you saw my fist emit light, what did you see
it with?
nanda said, All of us in the great assembly saw it with our eyes.
The Buddha said to nanda, You have answered that the Thus-Come
One bent his fingers into a fist that sent forth light, dazzling your mind
and eyes. Your eyes can see my fist, but what do you take to be your mind
that was dazzled by it?
nanda said, The Thus-Come One has just now been asking me about
my minds location, and my mind is what I have been using to determine
where it might be. My mind is that which has the capability of making
such determinations.
The Buddha exclaimed, nanda! That is not your mind!
Startled, nanda stood up, placed his palms together, and said to the
Buddha, If that is not my mind, what is it?
The Buddha said to nanda, It is merely your mental processes that
assign false and illusory attributes to the world of perceived objects.42
42
That is, the internal and external objects of awareness.
33
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
These processes delude you about your true nature and have caused you,
since time without beginning and in your present life, to mistake a bur-
glar for your own child to lose touch with your own original, everlast-
ing mind and thus you are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth.
nanda said to the Buddha, World-Honored One, I am the Buddhas
favorite cousin. It was my mind that loved the Buddha and led me to en-
ter the monastic life. That mind of mine has been responsible not only for
my serving the Thus-Come One but also for my serving all Buddhas and
all good and wise teachers throughout as many lands as there are sand-
grains in the River Ganges. It has always been that mind that has mar-
shaled great courage to practice every difficult aspect of the Dharma. If I
were ever to slander the Dharma and forsake forever my good roots in it,
that mind of mine would be the cause even of that. If this activity of com-
prehending is not the mind, then I have no mind, and I am the same as
a clod of earth or a piece of wood, because nothing exists apart from my
minds awareness and its knowledge. Why does the Thus-Come One say
that this is not my mind? Now I am genuinely alarmed and frightened;
neither I nor anyone else here in the great assembly is free of doubt. I
only hope that the Thus-Come One, with great compassion for us, will
instruct all those among us who are not yet awake.
nanda says that everyone who was also listening to his dialogue with the
Buddha had doubts about what they had just heard, but in fact that too was a
deduction nanda made with his conscious mind. . . . He didnt realize that the
great Bodhisattvas who were present had already understood, although they
hadnt said anything. (I, 251)
Then to nanda and the others in the great assembly the World-
Honored One gave instruction in gaining patience with the state of mind
in which no mental objects arise.43
Before you understand, you think: Oh no, nothing comes into being or ceases
to be, and all the myriad mental objects vanish! A fear arises in your heart;
43
Skt. anutpattikadharmaknti, Ch. wu sheng fa ren .
34
THE CONDITIONED MIND AND THE TRUE MIND
you cant bear the idea of it. But if you actually experience the state of mind
in which nothing comes into being or ceases to be, it will not seem at all un-
usual, and you will be able to bear it because you will have gained patience
with the state of mind in which no mental objects arise. . . . A special experi-
ence occurs when you are about to become enlightened. When the special
experience happens, the only thing you can do is cherish it in your heart. You
yourself know, but you cannot tell people about it. It is inexpressible. That is
patience with the state of mind in which no mental objects arise. When you
can see that the entire world of perceived objects is within your essential na-
ture, that the three realms of existence are made from the mind alone when
you can see that the entire world of perceived objects is the mind only, that
the myriad phenomena are consciousness only then mental objects will no
longer come into being or cease to be. (I, 253)
From the Lions Seat he reached out and circled his hand on the crown
of nandas head, saying to him, The Thus-Come One has often ex-
plained that all phenomena that come into being are nothing more than
manifestations of the mind. All things that are subject to the principle of
cause and effect from the largest world to the smallest mote of dust
come into being because of the mind. If we examine the fundamental
nature of each thing in the world, nanda, down to even the smallest
wisps of grass, we will see that all have reality. Even space has a name and
attributes. Given that, how could the clear wondrous, pure mind the
mind that truly understands and is the basic nature of all mental states
itself lack reality?
But if, as you insist, that which makes distinctions and is aware of
them, which knows and understands them is indeed the mind, then that
mind would necessarily have its own essential nature independent of its
involvement with objects with visible objects, sounds, odors, flavors,
and objects of touch. Yet now, as you listen to my Dharma, it is due to
sounds that you can distinguish my meaning. Even if you were to with-
draw into a state of quietude in which all seeing, hearing, awareness of
tastes, and tactile awareness ceased, you still would be making distinc-
tions among the shadowy objects of cognition in your mind.
35
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
In that kind of state you would still be making distinctions among the objects
of your mental awareness. A state of quietude is still just a function of the sixth
consciousness, the mind-consciousness. . . . Dreaming, for example, is a func-
tion of the mind-consciousness, as are psychotic states and also our ordinary
state of scattered thoughts and discriminations. A state of quietude, which the
Buddha mentions here, is another example. The first five consciousnesses
have ceased functioning, yet you still have thoughts. . . . You feel that what is
going on is very fine; but from the point of view of the Buddhist teaching, you
havent even taken the first step. Dont feel satisfied; instead, you should con-
tinue to make progress. If you stop at that place, it is easy to fall into a void . . .
which is of no benefit in developing your skill in meditation. (I, 2578)
44
Ch. jiu zhu xin, . Mller lists them as follows: 1) The mind holds deep
concentration upon one object with ease (); 2) The mind, supposed to be concentrated
upon one object, drifts to other objects; a reaction occurs, and the mind promptly switches
back to its chosen object (); 3) The mind, concentrating upon an object for the
36
THE CONDITIONED MIND AND THE TRUE MIND
processes for what is real. That is why, even though you have become
quite learned, you have not become a sage.
When nanda had heard that, he again wept sorrowfully. He then
bowed to the ground, knelt on both knees, placed his palms together, and
said to the Buddha, Ever since I followed the Buddha and resolved to en-
ter the monastic life, I have relied on the Buddhas awe-inspiring spirit.
I have often thought, There is no reason for me to toil at spiritual prac-
tice, because I just expected that the Thus-Come One would graciously
transfer some of his samdhi to me. I never realized that in fact he simply
could not stand in for me, in body or in mind. Thus I abandoned my origi-
nal resolve, and though my body has indeed entered the monastic life,
my mind has not entered the Path. I am like that poor son who ran away
from his father.45 Today I realize that, though I am learned, I might as well
not have learned anything if I do not practice, just as someone who only
talks of food never gets full.
World-Honored One, we all are bound by two obstructions, and as a
consequence we are unaware of the mind that is everlasting and still.46 I
only hope the Thus-Come One will take pity on us who are destitute and
homeless, will disclose the wondrous mind that truly understands, and
will open our eyes to the Path.
purpose of grasping its nature by analysis, drifts to other objects; a reaction occurs, and
the mind instantly returns to its work (); 4) The mind ceases to grasp the nature of
things by analysis. When this occurs, the mind has entered deep concentration ();
5) The mind, after prolonged meditation, experiences a feeling of fatigue; a reaction occurs,
and immediately the mind is revitalized (); 6) The inner mind becomes agitated,
whereupon a reaction occurs, and the mind is quickly soothed (); 7) When greed,
desire, and attachment arise in the mind, a reaction occurs which eliminates them ();
8) When various temptations appear in the mind, distracting it, a reaction occurs, and the
mind becomes cognizant that it is pure in nature. This realization enables the mind to
function correctly again (); 9) As the result of extended practice, the person is able
to remain in meditation. The person is therefore in a blissful condition, which enables him
to maintain virtue steadily and avoid falling into error (). Charles A. Mller, ed.,
Digital Dictionary of Buddhism, s.v. Nine Stages of Meditation, www.buddhism-dict.net.
45
A reference to the parable of the errant son in chapter four of the Lotus Stra.
46
The two obstructions are the obstruction of affliction, which arises from attachment
to self, and the obstruction of knowledge, which arises from attachment to phenomena
and which leads to arrogance.
37
THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE MIND
Then the Thus-Come One poured forth resplendent light from the
symbol of purity47 on his chest. The brilliant light, radiant with hundreds
of thousands of colors, shone all throughout the ten directions simul-
taneously to illuminate Buddha-lands as many as motes of dust, and it
shone upon the crowns of the heads of the Thus-Come Ones in every one
of those radiant Buddha-lands. Then the light returned to shine upon the
great assembly upon nanda and all the others.
Earlier in the Sutra the Buddha emitted light from his face a blazing light
as brilliant as a hundred thousand suns. That light represents the dispelling of
delusions. Now he again emits light, this time from the symbol of purity on his
chest. This light represents the disclosing of the true mind. (I, 268)
Thereupon the Buddha said to nanda, I now will raise for all of you
a great Dharma-banner so that all beings in all ten directions can gain ac-
cess to what is wondrous, subtle, and hidden48 the pure and luminous
mind that understands and so that they can open their clear-seeing
eyes.
47
Skt. svastika. In contradistinction to its perverted use in the twentieth century, the
svastika was in ancient India a symbol representing spiritual goodness and purity.
48
A reference to the Hidden Basis in the Sutras title.
38
II
The Nature of
Visual Awareness
1
It Is the Mind That Sees
nanda, a moment ago you said you saw my fist send forth light. What
caused my fist to send forth light? How did I make the fist? And what
were you seeing it with?
nanda replied, The Buddhas body is the color of crimson-tinted
gold from the River Jambu. His body is like a mountain of precious stones.
It sends forth light because it is born of purity. With my own eyes I saw
his hand when he held it up for us and made a fist by curling his wheel-
imprinted fingers.1
The Buddha said to nanda, Now the Thus-Come One will demon-
strate a truth for you. Following the wise, who use analogies as aids to
understanding, nanda, let us use my fist as an analogy. Without a hand,
I couldnt make a fist. Without your eyes, would you be able to see? Are
these two situations similar?
nanda replied, They are, World-Honored One, because without my
eyes, I couldnt see. Therefore the Thus-Come Ones making a fist can be
compared to my using my eyes.
The Buddha said to nanda, You say they are comparable; however,
they are not. Why? A person with no hands will never make a fist. But
one whose eyes do not function will not be entirely unable to see. Why?
If you asked a blind man on the street, Do you see anything? he would
no doubt reply, All that I see in front of me is darkness nothing more.
Reflect upon what that might mean. Although the blind man sees only
darkness, his visual awareness is itself intact.
nanda replied, Its true that all a blind man sees before his eyes is
darkness, but can that really be what we call seeing?
The Buddha said to nanda, Is there any difference between the
darkness seen by the one who is blind and the darkness seen by sighted
people when they are in a completely darkened room?
1
The lines on a Buddhas fingertips, his palms, and the soles of his feet form the shape
of wheels.
41
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
42
2
Visual Awareness Does Not Move
nanda and the others in the great assembly had not understood what
they had heard and so were silent. But they hoped that they would hear
the Thus-Come One continue to proclaim the teaching. Putting their
palms together, they cleared their minds and waited for the Buddha to
compassionately instruct them.
Why did they put their palms together? It represents their single-mindedness.
They were of one mind, not two. When your hands are apart, it is said you
have ten minds, and when your palms are together, it is said you have one
mind, because when your palms come together, your mind also comes to-
gether and becomes one. (II, 910)
Then the World-Honored One stretched forth his arm and opened his
shining, cotton-soft, finely webbed hand,2 revealing the wheel-shaped
lines on his fingers. To instruct nanda and the others in the great as-
sembly, he said, After my awakening, I went to the Deer Park, where, for
jtakauinyas sake and for the other four monks,3 and also for all of
you in the four assemblies, I said that beings in their multitudes have not
become Arhats, nor have they become fully awake, because they are con-
fused by afflictions that are like visitors and like dust. What in particular,
at that time, caused the five of you to awaken and become sages?
Then jtakauinya stood up and said respectfully to the Buddha,
Of all the elders here in this great assembly, I was the one who was given
the name Ajta, meaning one who understands, because I had come
to realize what visitor and dust signify. It was in this way that I became
a sage.
2
Softness of the hands and fine webbing between the fingers are also among the thirty-
two hallmarks that characterize of the body of a Buddha.
3
The other four monks who were staying with jtakauinya at the Deer Park were
Avajit, Bhadrika, Daabala-Kyapa, and Mahnma. After becoming fully awakened, the
Buddha went to the Deer Park, where he taught these five ascetics; they were awakened by
his teaching and became his first disciples.
43
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
Thereupon the Thus-Come One, before the assembly, made a fist with
his wheel-lined fingers, and having made the fist, he opened his hand
again. Once his hand was open, he made the fist again and said to nanda,
What did you see just now?
nanda said, I saw the Thus-Come One, before the assembly, open
and close his hand over his resplendent wheel-lined palm.
The Buddha said to nanda, You saw me here before the assembly
open and close my hand. Was it my hand that opened and closed, or did
44
VISUAL AWARENESS DOES NOT MOVE
Then the Thus-Come One told everyone in the assembly, All be-
ings need to understand that whatever moves is like the dust and, like
a visitor, does not remain. Just now you saw that it was nandas head
45
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
that moved, while his visual awareness did not move. It was my hand
that opened and closed, while his awareness did not open or close. How
can you take what moves to be your body and its environment, since they
come into being and perish in every successive thought? You have lost
track of your true nature, and instead you act out of delusion. Therefore,
because you have lost touch with your minds true nature by identifying
yourself with the objects you perceive, you keep on being bound to the
cycle of death and rebirth.4
Here the Buddha scolds the great assembly. He tells them that they are un-
able to discern their own true awareness. They take their physical bodies and
their bodies environment to be real. . . . They cling tenaciously to the body
and mind. . . . Yet every thought of the conscious mind is subject to coming
into being and perishing. One thought arises and perishes, and then the next
thought arises and perishes. . . . People concentrate their efforts exclusively
on the realm of coming into being and perishing and have no real understand-
ing of the true nature of their awareness. (II, 256)
Because you conduct yourselves in confused ways, your true nature and
your mind do not work together, and thus you lose track of your true nature.
You mistake external states for your real selves. You take that inn of yours as
your self. You shouldnt think of that inn as you. That would be to consider
yourself a mere object. You create all kinds of attachments. You fail to see
through things. You arent clear about truth. And because of that, you cling
to death and rebirth. If you werent so confused, if you stopped mistaking a
burglar for your own child by mistaking objects for yourself, you would be able
to end death and rebirth.
To end death and rebirth is easy. All you need to do is turn yourself around.
If you go forward, you head right down the path of death and rebirth. If you
turn around and go the other way, you end death and rebirth. Its not that dif-
ficult, but its up to you to do it. You simply turn around; you turn your head
and pivot your body. Thats all thats needed. It is said, The sea of suffering is
boundless; a turn of the head is the other shore. (II, 267)
4
Skt. sasra, the continuous undergoing of the suffering of repeated deaths and
rebirths. It is contrasted with nirvana.
46
VISUAL AWARENESS DOES NOT MOVE
The Sutra says that the members of the assembly had renounced their
fundamental minds and had relied only on their deluded minds, their con-
scious minds, their minds that make distinctions. They hadnt understood
external states; theyd taken their distinction-making minds to be true and
real. They had engaged in confused activities at the gates of the six faculties
and hadnt the least bit of skill with regard to their true natures. . . . You need
to understand that the mountains, the rivers, the vegetation, and all the rest of
the myriad appearances on this earth are the Dharma-body of the Buddhas,
which neither comes into being nor perishes. . . . You must recognize the
pure, luminous essential nature of the everlasting true mind, and your mad
distinction-making mind must cease. It is said, The ceasing of the mad mind
is full awakening. The mad minds coming to a stop is the manifestation of
our awakened mind. Because the mad mind exists and has not ceased, the
awakened mind cannot come forth. The mad mind covers it over. The aim of
this passage, and every other passage of the Sutra without exception, is to
reveal everyones true mind. (II, 2930)
When nanda and the great assembly had heard the Buddhas teach-
ings, their bodies and their minds were serene. They realized that since
time without beginning they had strayed from the fundamental, true
mind. Instead, they had been mistaken about the conditioned objects
of perception and had made distinctions about what are in fact noth-
ing but shadowy mental events.5 Now they all had awakened, and each
was like a lost infant suddenly reunited with its beloved mother. Putting
their palms together, they bowed to the Buddha. They wished to hear the
Thus-Come One reveal the contrasting qualities of body and mind what
is true and what is false about them, what is real and what is insubstan-
tial, what comes into being and then ceases to be, and what neither
comes into being nor perishes.
5
That is, our experience of what seems to be an external world is in fact the experience
of images produced in our minds.
47
3
Visual Awareness Does Not Perish
Then King Prasenajit stood up and said to the Buddha, Before I was in-
structed by the Buddha, I met Ktyyana and Vairiputra.6 Both of them
said that after this body dies, we cease to exist and become nothing. That
very nothingness itself is what they called nirvana. Now, though I have
met the Buddha, I still have doubts that make me cautious. How can I
come to realize the true and fundamental mind that neither comes into
being nor perishes? All in this great assembly who have outflows wish to
hear the answer.
The Buddha said to the king, May I ask, is your body as indestructible
as vajra,7 or is it subject to decay?
World-Honored One, this body of mine will keep on changing till in
the end it will perish.
The Buddha said, Your Majesty, you have not perished yet. How is it
that you know you will perish?
World-Honored One, my body is impermanent and subject to decay,
although it has not perished yet. But now, upon reflection, I can see that
each one of my thoughts just fades away, followed by a new thought which
also does not last, like fire turning into ash, constantly dying away, for-
ever perishing. By this I am convinced that my body, too, must perish.
The Buddha said, So it is. Your Majesty, you are in your declining
years. How do you look now, compared to when you were a boy?
World-Honored One, when I was a child, my skin was fresh and smooth,
and I was full of vital energy when in my prime. But now in my later years,
as old age presses upon me, my body has withered and is weary. My vital
spirits are dulled, my hair is white, my skin is wrinkled. Not much time
remains for me. How can all this compare to the prime of life?
6
Ktyyana and Vairiputra were contemporaries of the Buddha who taught forms of
skepticism. This Ktyyana is said to have been a fierce opponent of the Buddha; he is not
to be confused with the Buddhas disciple Mahktyyana.
7
A material of extreme hardness and durability.
48
VISUAL AWARENESS DOES NOT PERISH
The king has reached a point where his body no longer helps him out. His
body is oppressive and nags at him to move somewhere else. It will soon be
unlivable. (II, 36)
The Buddha said, Your Majesty, your bodys appearance cannot have
deteriorated suddenly.
The king replied, World-Honored One, the change has in fact been
so subtle that I have hardly been aware of it. Ive reached this point only
gradually through the passing of the years. Thus when I was in my twen-
ties, I was still young, but I already looked older than I did when I was
ten. My thirties marked a further decline from my twenties, and now, at
two years past sixty, I look back on my fifties as a time of strength and
health.
World-Honored One, as I observe these subtle transformations, I
realize now that the changes wrought by this descent toward death are
evident not only from decade to decade; they can also be discerned in
smaller increments. Considering more closely, one can see that changes
happen year by year as well as by the decade. In fact, how could they
happen merely year by year? Such changes happen every month. And
how could they occur from month to month only? These changes happen
day by day. And if one contemplates this deeply, one can see that there is
ceaseless change from moment to moment,8 in each successive thought.
Thus I can know that my body will keep on changing till it perishes.
The Buddha said to the king, Observing these changes these never-
ceasing transformations you know that you must perish. But do you
also know that when you perish, something in you does not perish with
you?
Putting his palms together, King Prasenajit replied to the Buddha,
Indeed I do not know.
The Buddha said, I now will reveal to you what it is that does not
come into being and does not perish. Your Majesty, when you first saw
the River Ganges, how old were you?
8
Skt. kaa.
49
the nature of visual awareness
9
Skt. jva means the principle of life.
10
The king mentioned above that the non-Buddhist teachers expressing this view
were Ktyyana and Vairiputra. Here the Buddha mentions instead Maskri Golputra,
presumably because Maskari was named first in a standard list of six major non-Buddhist
teachers (Ch. wai dao liu shi, ) who were contemporaries of the Buddha.
50
4
The True Nature of
Visual Awareness Is Not Lost
nanda then stood up, bowed to the Buddha, knelt, put his palms togeth-
er, and said to the Buddha, World-Honored One, if our visual awareness
and our awareness of sounds, too, indeed do not come into being and
do not perish, why then did the World-Honored One say that we have
lost track of our true nature and our actions are deluded as if we were
upside-down and not right-side-up? I hope the World-Honored One, out
of kindness, will clear away the dust of our delusions.
At that time, bending his golden-hued arm so that his wheel-lined fin-
gers pointed downward, the Thus-Come One said to nanda, Here you
see my hand as it forms a mudra.11 Is it upside-down, or is it upright?
nanda said, Ordinary people would take it to be upside-down. I my-
self do not know what may be called upright and what is upside-down.
The Buddha said to nanda, If ordinary people would take this to be
upside-down, what then would people consider to be upright?
nanda said, They would call it upright if the Thus-Come One raised
his arm so that his hand, which is as soft as cotton, was pointing upward
in the air.
Then the Buddha raised his arm and said to nanda: Ordinary people
are deluded if they suppose that reversing the way my arm is point-
ing means that my arm itself has changed. And if, in the same way, we
compare the bodies of ordinary people to the pure Dharma-body of the
Thus-Come One,12 we might describe the Dharma-body of the Thus-Come
One as endowed with right and all-encompassing knowledge,13 and or-
dinary peoples bodies as upside-down. But consider more carefully this
11
A ritualized symbolic gesture, usually of one but sometimes of both of the hands,
representing a particular aspect of the Buddhas teaching.
12
The text here probably refers both to the body of the Buddha and to the Buddhas
mind. The Dharma-body mentioned here is identical with the true mind of the Buddha.
13
Ch. zheng bian zhi , an honorific title of the Buddha.
51
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
comparison of the Buddhas body with your bodies, which are said to be
upside-down. Where, exactly, might the characteristic upside-down be
found?
At this point nanda and the others in the great assembly were dazed.
They stared unblinking at the Buddha. They did not know where, in their
minds and bodies, the characteristic upside-down might be.
The Buddha out of kindness took pity on nanda and on everyone else
assembled there. He spoke to them in a voice that swept over them like
the ocean-tide. All you good people! I have often said that all phenom-
ena with physical form,14 all phenomena of mind,15 the conditions under
which they arise, as well as the phenomena that interact with the mind16
and all other conditioned phenomena, are mere manifestations of true
mind. Your bodies and your minds appear within the wondrous light of
the true essence of that wondrous mind. How is it that you all have lost
track of the wondrous nature of the fundamental, marvelously perfect,
wondrously understanding and resplendent mind, so that your under-
standing of it is confused?
Where do all phenomena come from the mountains, the rivers, the vegeta-
tion, and all the myriad things on this earth? They come forth from minds;
all the myriad things are contained within the mind. It is not that these things
contain the mind but rather the opposite: absolutely everything in the environ-
ment, both natural and man-made, is contained in a single thought of the
mind, and all are produced from the mind. If you recognize your original true
mind, all these things cease to exist. . . . Then is there yet another mind above
and beyond the conscious mind? No, but because people dont know how to
use the wondrous mind, they think their conscious mind is their mind. Actu-
14
The phrase phenomena with physical form refers to the perceived physical body
and sights, sounds, odors, flavors, and tangible objects.
15
Phenomena of mind refers to the various consciousnesses. In the Yogcra
teachings there are eight.
16
In the Yogcra teachings, there are fifty-one phenomena that interact with the
mind, divided into six categories. See Shastra on the Door to Understanding the Hundred
Dharmas by Vasubandhu Bodhisattva, with Commentary of Tripitaka Master Hua (Talmage, CA:
International Institute for the Translation of Buddhist Texts, 1983).
52
THE TRUE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS IS NOT LOST
ally, they are mistaking a burglar for their own child, and for that reason they
become confused. . . . They think that they understand clearly about the won-
drous nature of the fundamental, perfect, wondrously understanding mind, but
they dont understand. They dont realize that they have a perfect, wondrously
luminous mind, which is the precious light of our wondrous nature. They think
the conscious mind they are aware of is their mind. But actually it is only con-
fusion within confusion. (II, 512)
Out of darkness, a mental void appears, and this dark void condenses
to create a subtle object of mind.17 What characterizes this distorting
mental activity is that it leads to the coming into being of the embryonic
body. An internal confluence of causes distorts this body and directs its
attention outward. At this stage there is confused agitation, and we take
this agitation to be the true nature of the mind. Once we take this initial
confusion to be the mind, we are committed to the delusion that the
mind is inside the physical body.
What you do not know is that the true, wondrous, luminously un-
derstanding mind contains the body and everything outside the body
mountains, rivers, sky, the entire world. You are like someone who
fails to see a boundless ocean a hundred thousand miles across and is
aware only of a single floating bubble. You see that bubble floating there
and think it is the vast tide that surges toward the farthest branchings of
the sea. Within your confusion you are confused further, just as you were
about my lowered arm. The Thus-Come One says you are to be pitied.
Most people think the mind is within the body. This is a great mistake. It is
neither inside nor outside. It is not that our minds are within our bodies but
that we are within the true mind. . . . Our mind encompasses empty space
and the ten thousand things. It is not that empty space and the ten thousand
things contain us. If you understand this doctrine, you have not lost track of
your true mind. (II, 55)
17
This very brief summary of how the world comes into being foreshadows a more
detailed explanation given below in part 4.
53
5
Visual Awareness Is Not
Dependent upon Conditions
Clasping his hands, nanda wept, mindful that the Buddha had compas-
sionately rescued him and had bestowed upon him a profound teaching.
He said respectfully to the Buddha, Having heard the Buddha speak
these marvelous words, I comprehend that my wondrously understand-
ing mind is perfect at its source and that it is the everlasting ground of
my mind. I understand the Dharma that the Buddha has just spoken. I see
that I have been revering the Buddha with my conditioned mind. But, be-
cause I have only just now learned about my wondrously understanding
mind, I do not dare as yet to accept it as my minds fundamental ground.
May the Buddha in his all-pervading voice compassionately give further
instruction about this in order to uproot my doubts and bring me back to
the supreme Path!
The Buddha said to nanda, You and others like you still listen to the
Dharma with conditioned minds, and therefore you fail to understand
its real nature. Consider this example: suppose someone is pointing to
the moon to show it to another person. That other person, guided by the
pointing finger, should now look at the moon. But if he looks instead at
the finger, taking it to be the moon, not only does he fail to see the moon,
but he is mistaken, too, about the finger. He has confused the finger, with
which someone is pointing to the moon, with the moon, which is being
pointed to.
Moreover, his mistake about the finger shows he has failed to distin-
guish light from dark, in that he has confused what is dark the finger
with what is light the moon. He does not know the difference between
the nature of light and the nature of darkness. In this way, he is like you.
The moon represents the true mind. The Dharma which is spoken is the fin-
ger, since the Buddha speaks about the Dharma in order to point to the true
mind. . . . The person in the example doesnt recognize either the finger or the
moon for what they are, and so they seem lost, although they are still there.
54
VISUAL AWARENESS IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON CONDITIONS
18
Skt. prakti. According to the Skhya school, which was founded by the sage Kapila,
prakti was the origin of everything in the world that is not the cosmic person (Skt. purua).
55
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
19
The essence of visual awareness is the observing division of the eight
consciousnesses, while the wondrous, essential, understanding mind is the true mind.
56
VISUAL AWARENESS IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON CONDITIONS
necessary conditions for seeing clearly again. And every act of seeing the
changing phenomena of this world belongs to one of these types.
Consider these eight types. What would you say is the necessary
condition for the presence of the understanding nature that is the es-
sence of your visual awareness? If the presence of light is a necessary
condition for your visual awareness, then when light is absent so that it is
completely dark, you would not be able to see the darkness which in fact
you do see.20 Your mind makes distinctions about light and darkness and
the other phenomena, but the essence of your visual awareness does not
make these distinctions. Clearly then, the mind that experiences these
conditioned phenomena is not what is fundamentally you. But what is
not these conditioned phenomena must be what is fundamentally you. If
it is not you, what else could it be?
Distinctions are being made when you perceive light and darkness, but not by
your visual awareness; rather, they are made by your distinction-making mind
that responds to circumstances. Dont take that to be the essential nature of
your awareness. Your knowledge of light and dark is an activity of your mind.
Your visual awareness sees everything impartially without making any distinc-
tion. The act of seeing is simply to see. . . . The distinctions you make are
made by your distinction-making mind.
This particular section of text explains these teachings extremely well in
a few words. All transitory characteristics are dependent on something else.
They are not part of you. What stays with you and does not go anywhere else,
what is not dependent on anyone or anything else if that is not you, who is
it? . . . It is something you cannot give away. (II, 75)
20
As the Buddha demonstrated in part 2.1 with the instance of the blind man in the
street.
57
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
Our true mind is not dependent on anything, but we ourselves are confused.
. . . It is something that belongs to us, but we dont realize that, so it seems
to us that we have lost it. One who fails to understand the true mind will fall
in life after life into the sea of suffering. Although we have not really lost our
true minds, our falling is real enough. . . . Suffering one death and rebirth after
another is like being tossed about on the open ocean and drowning. If you
have not ended death and rebirth, then even if you can handle the water and
swim, you will drown after being tossed about long enough. The waters of the
sea of death and rebirth are composed of the karmic offenses you create. . . .
You create karma because you do not recognize the true mind. It is said, The
sea of karma is vast. It has no shore. Sometimes you are tossed about on
its surface, and sometimes you sink to the bottom. Being in the water of that
ocean is dangerous. That is what makes nanda pitiable. . . . He has put all
his effort into intellectual learning. He is able to come up with many questions,
but he still doesnt understand, even when the explanations are repeated.
(II, 7780)
58
6
Visual Awareness Is Not a Perceived Object
nanda said, Now I recognize that the nature of my visual awareness
is that it does not depend on anything else. But how can I come to know
that it is my true nature?
The Buddha said to nanda, I will continue to question you. Aided by
the Buddhas wondrous power, you can now see clearly all the way to the
heavens of the first dhyna.21 You do not yet have the purity of freedom
from outflows, but Aniruddha,22 who is free of outflows, sees the entirety
of Jambudvpa23 as plainly as one might see an amala fruit placed in the
palm of ones hand. Bodhisattvas at their various stages can see hundreds
of thousands of worlds and more, and there is not one of the infinite
numbers of Pure Lands24 that the Thus-Come Ones in the ten directions
do not see. Ordinary beings cannot see with such clarity as this, even for
a fraction of an inch.
The purity of freedom from outflows is the purest of purities. Nothing is defiled
about it. Its easy to talk about, but its a very difficult state of mind to attain.
In that state, there are no outflows from the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body,
or mind. When ordinary people see something, their attention is diverted to it:
that is an outflow. If you hear something and cannot apply the skill of revers-
ing your hearing25 but instead allow your attention to direct itself to the sound
so that you listen, that too is an outflow. Your nose smells odors, your tongue
21
The three heavens of the first dhyna are the first three heavens of the realm of
form: the Heaven of Brahmas Retinue, the Heaven of the Ministers of Brahma, and the
Heaven of the Great Brahma. See part 9.11b.
22
Aniruddha was foremost among the Arhat disciples of the Buddha in the power of
the celestial eye.
23
Jambudvpa (the name means Rose-Apple Island) in Buddhist cosmology is the
southernmost of the four continents and the one on which we live.
24
A pure land (Skt. sukhvat; Ch. jing du ) is inhabited by a Buddha and other pure
beings. The Pure Land, or Land of Ultimate Bliss, of Amitbha Buddha in the West is the
focus of the Pure Land School of Buddhism.
25
The recommended method of practice explained by the Bodhisattva Who Hears the
Cries of the World (Skt. Avalokitevara). See part 6.3 below.
59
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
tastes flavors, your body comes in contact with tangible objects, your mind
responds to objects of cognition: all these events involve outflows. It is like a
glass bottle with a hole in the bottom. It leaks when water is poured into it. If
people dont undertake spiritual practice and put an end to outflows, they be-
come leaky bottles. They gradually pour themselves from the heavens to the
realm of people. From the human realm they pour themselves into the animal
realm and from there to the realm of hungry ghosts and on into the hells . . .
depending on what kind of karma they have created. (II, 812)
When compared to the vision of sages or of the Buddhas, ordinary people
cant see farther than a tenth of an inch or an inch at the most, even if they use
all their power of sight. The Buddhas can see all the Pure Lands as numerous
as fine motes of dust, but ordinary people cant see even an entire country or
even an entire town. If they look to the left, they cant see whats on their right.
If they look to the right, they cant see whats on their left. If they look ahead,
they cant see whats behind them, and if they try to see behind themselves,
they cant see whats in front of them. Ordinary peoples vision is extremely
limited. Although the essential nature of their visual awareness neither comes
into being nor ceases to be, their physical bodies have limitations, and that is
why their sight is obstructed. The Arhats, the Bodhisattvas, and the Buddhas
all have the spiritual power of the celestial eye, and their visual awareness
extends everywhere without impediment. But consider what ordinary beings
can see: I can see you now, but if I hold a piece of paper up in front of my
eyes, it stops me from seeing you. And the piece of paper is not even a tenth
of an inch thick . . . . If you open the celestial eye, of course, there will be no
obstruction, and you will be able see everything. Compared to the Buddha,
we truly fall short. (II, 87)
nanda, you and I can now see the palaces where the Four Celestial
Kings reside. Between there and here, we can see forms and shapes that
move on land, in the water, and through the air, in light and in shade. All
these are perceived objects that you can distinguish as solid, and among
them you should be able to distinguish what is you and what is not you.
I am now asking you to choose, from all that lies within your visual
awareness, what is essentially you and what are perceived objects. If you
60
VISUAL AWARENESS IS NOT A PERCEIVED OBJECT
employ the power of your vision to its fullest extent, nanda, you will
be able to see as far as the Sun Palace and Moon Palace. All that you will
see are objects; they are not you. Carefully observe everything as far as
the seven circular ranges of golden mountains; everything that you will
see, even the various sources of light, will be an object; it will not be you.
Again, step by step, observe the clouds in motion, the birds in flight, the
wind blowing, the dust rising, the trees, the mountains, the rivers, the
plants, the people, and the animals. All are objects of your perception.
None of them is you.
The Heaven of the Four Celestial Kings is the heaven closest to us, located half-
way up Mount Sumeru. As explained in the Buddhist sutras, this heaven does
not reach the peak of Mount Sumeru. There is a celestial king in the north of
this heaven, one in the east, one in the south, and one in the west.The lifespan
of beings in the Heaven of the Four Celestial Kings is five hundred years; after
five hundred years, they are destined to die and be reborn in a lower destiny. . . .
A day and a night in the Heaven of the Four Celestial Kings is equivalent to
fifty years among people. How can this be? you ask. Ill give you an example
to help you understand. If we feel very happy on a given day, the day passes
without our even being aware of it. We feel the day was very short. Because
it is blissful in the heavens, one day and one night there is equal to fifty years
among people. Fifty years count for such a long time in the realm of people
because people are subject to the unrelenting disturbance and affliction aris-
ing from their involvement with perceived objects. . . .
Circling Mount Sumeru are seven ranges of mountains made of gold. A
fragrant sea lies between each range. (II, 8890).
nanda, all these perceived objects, near and far, have their own dis-
tinctive nature; nevertheless, all are seen within the purity of the essence
of your visual awareness. Each kind of object is distinguished as different
from the others, but there are no such distinctions in the wondrous un-
derstanding of the essence of your visual awareness. This visual aware-
ness is in fact the pure and wondrous understanding mind.
If visual awareness were a perceived object, then would you not be
able to see my visual awareness as an object? You may argue that you do
61
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
see my visual awareness at the moment when we are both looking at the
same thing. But when I am no longer looking at that thing, then would
you still see my visual awareness? Even if you had been able to see my
awareness when you and I were looking at the same thing, clearly you
will not be able to see my awareness once I begin looking at something
else.26 And since you cannot see my awareness when you and I are look-
ing at different things, clearly my visual awareness cannot be an object.
Therefore, how could your own visual awareness not be what is funda-
mentally you?27
The Buddha has told nanda that visual awareness is not an object, but
nanda doesnt believe it yet, so the Buddha has to make it clearer to him. . . .
If visual awareness were an object, then visual awareness would be visible.
Therefore nanda should be able to see the Buddhas visual awareness,
because if visual awareness were an object, it would have attributes which
could be distinguished. In fact, however, visual awareness has no form or ap-
pearance. It is neither green, yellow, red, white, nor black; neither long, short,
square, nor round. It isnt a thing, and so you cant see it.
You say, If visual awareness cannot be put in the category of objects, what
is it then? What is it in the same category with? You figure it out. Investigate it . . .
as a meditation topic. . . . To ask, Who is it who is mindful of the Buddha? is
to investigate this question. If you can recognize your visual awareness just at
this point if you can say, Oh, basically my visual awareness does not come
and does not go, basically does not come into being and does not perish if
you understand this doctrine, then you understand the nature of your visual
awareness. (II, 968)
26
Commentaries are not in agreement as to the meaning of this sentence. The present
translation follows the Ven. Master Hsan Huas interpretation.
27
It is established in part 2.8 below that our visual awareness is not separate from the
objects it is aware of (nor is it identical to them). The Buddha here argues that if awareness
were an object, it should be visible, and it should above all be visible at the place where it
is looking at something. If it is not looking at something, then it cannot be identified with
the object it is no longer looking at (nor, by extension, can it be identified with any object).
Therefore it cannot be an object.
62
VISUAL AWARENESS IS NOT A PERCEIVED OBJECT
Otherwise, when you see an object, the object would see you as
well.28 If visual awareness and its objects were intermixed like that, you
and I and everything else in the world would be immersed in chaos. But,
nanda, when you are aware of something, it is you, not I, who are aware
of it. The essential nature of your visual awareness pervades everything.
If it is not yours, whose could it be? Why do you doubt that it is your true
nature? Why dont you accept it as genuine and instead ask me what is
true?
28
The Buddha extends his argument by pointing out that if our visual awareness
were identified with the objects that it sees, then those objects would themselves become
aware.
63
7
Visual Awareness Has
Neither Shape Nor Extension
nanda then said respectfully to the Buddha, World-Honored One, I ac-
cept that my visual awareness, with its capacity to understand, cannot be
other than mine. The Thus-Come One and I are looking now at the halls of
the Four Celestial Kings, which are adorned and resplendent with superb
treasures; our glance has lingered on the Sun Palace and Moon Palace,
and then our visual awareness has extended to fill the entire Sah world.
However, when we return our gaze to this pure hall and look upon this
sanctuary only, we do not see beyond the roof and the walls.
World-Honored One, that is how our visual awareness is. First it ex-
tended throughout a world; now it is confined to this one room we are
in. Did our awareness contract to fit into the room, or did the walls and
ceiling divide our awareness up, enclosing part of it and leaving the rest
outside? At this point, I dont know which one of these alternatives is
right. I hope that the World-Honored One will bestow his great kindness
upon us and will explain this point to us.
A balloon is big when it is filled with air, but when the air is released it becomes
small. . . . Is visual awareness like a balloon? nanda is still making visual
awareness into a thing. He still thinks, Ah, awareness is a thing. Ive got to
think of a way to use an example in order to debate with the Buddha and win.
Im going to think of a way to invalidate his theory. Im going to find a way to
make my notion be right, and hell have to acknowledge my achievement.
That is what is going on in nandas mind. You say that everything I say is
wrong. Im definitely going to find something to say thats right and let you
have a look at it. One suspects that nandas attachment to self is particularly
tenacious just now. (II, 103)
64
VISUAL AWARENESS HAS NEITHER SHAPE NOR EXTENSION
Let us consider an example: suppose you are looking at the space in-
side a square box. Let me ask you: is the space you see inside the box fixed
there in a cubical shape, or is it not? If it is, then if it were transferred into
a round box, it would not become round. If, on the other hand, it is not
fixed in a cubical shape, then there cant have been a cube of space in the
box in the first place.
You said that you dont know which one of your alternatives is right.
What you said about the nature of visual awareness can be compared to
what I said about the space in the square box. In truth, neither the aware-
ness nor the space can have a location.
Do you want to say the space in the boxes is neither square nor round?
Simply remove the boxes, and youll see that the remaining space indeed
has neither shape. You cant say that when the boxes are removed, you
would still be able to remove a cube or a sphere of space.
Besides, suppose your visual awareness does contract when you en-
ter a room, as you suggest. Then why, when you look up at the sun, does
your awareness not expand till it reaches the suns surface? Suppose,
again, your visual awareness does divide when walls and ceilings are
interposed; then why, if someone drills a hole through one of the walls,
will there be no evidence of a linkage created as your divided awareness
expands through the hole to reconnect itself? These ideas of yours can-
not be right.
From time without beginning, all beings have mistakenly identified
themselves with what they are aware of. Controlled by their experience
of perceived objects, they lose track of their fundamental minds. In this
state they perceive visual awareness as large or small. But when theyre
in control of their experience of perceived objects, they are the same as
the Thus-Come Ones. Their bodies and minds,29 unmoving and replete
with perfect understanding, become a place for awakening. Then all the
lands in the ten directions are contained within the tip of a fine hair.
29
By bodies and minds the Buddha here refers to the Dharma-body and the
enlightened mind. In his reply, however, nanda shows that he misunderstands the
Buddhas meaning in that he supposes that the Buddha meant the physical body and the
mind-faculty (Yuanying, 262).
65
8
Visual Awareness Is Both Separate
and Not Separate from Objects
nanda said respectfully to the Buddha, World-Honored One, granted
that my visual awareness is indeed my wonderful true nature; then
this wonderful nature must be what appears before me. But if my vi-
sual awareness is in fact really my true nature, what is the mind that I
experience in my body? The mind that I experience in my body is able
to make distinctions, whereas my visual awareness does not make dis-
tinctions, even about my own body. But if my visual awareness is really
my mind and is what causes me to see, then the essential nature of this
visual awareness is what is truly me, and so my body is not me. Is not
my objection, though, the same as the objection that the Thus-Come
One made previously, namely, that perceived objects cannot see me?30
Bestow upon us your great kindness and explain this to us who have not
yet awakened.
It can be said that nanda is confused, but it can also be said that he is not
confused. He manifests the appearance of confusion in order to help others.
He is acting as a model, showing others that even someone as confused as
nanda pretends to be can become enlightened. . . . So as he and kyamuni
Buddha investigate the nature of visual awareness, it is as if they are acting out
a play, line by line, each in harmony with the other. (II, 1168)
The Buddha said to nanda, What you have just said that your
visual awareness is in front of you is not correct. If it were actually in
front of you, you would see it. In that case, your visual awareness would
have a location which you could point to easily.
As you and I are seated in Prince Jetris Grove, we can see the Dharma
hall, with trees and streams around it, and beyond them the River Ganges,
30
nandas argument here is that if his visual awareness is in front of him, it should be
able to see him, and it should also itself be a perceived object; yet objects as objects lack
sentience and therefore cannot see.
66
VISUAL AWARENESS IS BOTH SEPARATE AND NOT SEPARATE FROM OBJECTS
and both the sun and the moon above us. Now, you and I, from here at the
Lions Seat, could point to all these things: the shade cast by the trees, the
shining sun, the walls that block our view, the trees themselves, the other
plants, the space through which we see these things, some of them large,
some as small as strands of hair all are distinct from one another, but
as long as they are visible, you can point to them. If your visual awareness
were indeed in front of you, then as you point to these things you would
be able to indicate which one of them is your awareness.
Therefore, understand this: if your awareness were identical with
space, how could space still be space? If your awareness were all these
objects, how could they still be objects? Can you reveal, by means of a
minute analysis of these many objects, the source that is the essential,
pure, wondrously understanding awareness? Can you point it out to me
in the same way that, with clarity and certainty, you can point out these
objects?
nanda said, Looking from this many-storied Dharma hall as far as
the distant Ganges and as far as the sun and the moon, I can point out all
the things that my eyes observe, and all of them are perceived objects.
None is my visual awareness. World-Honored One, it is as the Buddha
said. Neither I nor any other Arhat who is at the first stage and still has
outflows, nor even a Bodhisattva, could analyze the myriad objects and
show us a visual awareness with a nature of its own that is distinct from
all the objects.
The Buddha said, So it is. So it is.
The Buddha continued, saying to nanda, It is as you said. Our visual
awareness does not have a nature of its own that is distinct from the myriad
things. Thus your awareness is not something you can point out. I will
explain this to you again. As you and I are seated here looking at Prince
Jetris Grove, let us look once more at the trees and garden and as far as
the sun and moon. It is clear that not one of all the many different sights
that you can point to is your visual awareness. But let us continue to ex-
plore this: are any of these things separate from your visual awareness?
nanda said, In fact, I do not think that anything I see, as I look
around Prince Jetris Grove, is separate from my awareness. Why? If the
67
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
31
The first of the Sutras tetralemmas. See the introduction, page xxxiv.
32
That is, unenlightened beings and Arhats at the first, second, and third stages.
33
These four theories are described in more detail at part 5.5.
68
VISUAL AWARENESS IS BOTH SEPARATE AND NOT SEPARATE FROM OBJECTS
Buddhas feet indicates, I am beneath your feet. So now when we bow to the
Buddha, we turn our palms up, and in this position we should contemplate that
our two hands are under the Buddhas feet. This represents purity in the karma
of the body, because while showing respect in this way, we are not committing
any offenses with the body. Placing our palms together in respect represents
purity in the karma of the mind; placing the fingers together carefully side by
side while placing our palms together represents single-minded respect. It
means that your mind has returned to oneness and now gives undivided at-
tention to revering the Buddha. . . . Finally, Majurs speaking to the Buddha
represents purity in the karma of speech. . . . He says that the great assembly
has not understood. Did he himself not understand, then? He understood. He
asked because no one else knew how to phrase the question. . . . We know
that Majur understood because the text says that he took pity on the four
assemblies. But even without that phrase, we would know that he understood
because he is the Bodhisattva of Great Wisdom. (II, 12931)
69
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
The Buddha said to Majur and to the rest of the great assembly, To
the Thus-Come Ones of the ten directions and to the Great Bodhisattvas
who dwell in samdhi, visual awareness and visible objects, and objects of
mind as well, are like elaborate mirages that appear in space. They have
no real existence of their own. Fundamentally, visual awareness and all
its conditioned objects are the pure, wondrously understanding enlight-
enment itself. In enlightenment, how could there be identity or a lack of
it? Majur, I now ask you: you are Majur; is there a Majur about
whom one can say, That is Majur? Or is there no such Majur?
How can identity and lack of identity be found within the true mind, which does
not admit of duality? The true mind is not in the realm of opposites. (II, 134)
34
Cf. part 2.5, p. 56.
70
VISUAL AWARENESS IS BOTH SEPARATE AND NOT SEPARATE FROM OBJECTS
can neither affirm nor deny the statement, That is the moon. Therefore,
all your various interpretations of visual awareness and visible objects
are nothing but delusion, and in the midst of delusion one cannot avoid
thinking That is and That is not. Only from within the true, essential,
wondrously understanding, awakened mind can one escape the error of
trying to point to what is and what is not.
71
9
Visual Awareness Arises
Neither on Its Own nor from Causes
World-Honored One, nanda said respectfully to the Buddha, It truly
is as the Dharma-King has said. Our enlightened nature can be involved
with things throughout all ten directions, and yet it remains clear and
still. It is eternally present. It neither comes into being nor ceases to be.
But how does what the Buddha has said in this regard differ from
the truth of the unmanifested nature as taught by the Brahmin Kap-
ila,35 or from the true self as taught by the ascetics who smear ashes
on themselves,36 or by others who are not on the right path? Also, on
Mount Lak37 the World-Honored One explained this principle to the
Bodhisattva Mahmati and to others, and he said then that those who
are not on the right path are always speaking of things existing in and
of themselves,38 whereas the Buddha speaks of something else: he speaks
of causes and conditions. But as I see it now, the enlightened nature ex-
ists in and of itself; it neither comes into being nor ceases to be; it far
transcends all that is distorted and unreal. It seems it does not arise from
causes and conditions; instead it seems that it exists in and of itself. I only
hope that the Buddha will explain this to us so that we may realize our
true and genuine mind, which is our wondrously understanding, enlight-
ened nature, and avoid all the wrong paths.
The primary cause is like a seed, and the conditions are what aid the growth
of a seed, such as soil, water, fertilizer, sunlight, etc. (II, 144)
35
The same Kapila who taught the spell used against nanda earlier in the Sutra.
36
The Buddha condemned nonbeneficial ascetic practices. The text here probably
refers to an ascetic sect that later became known as the pupatas; they were worshippers
of the Hindu god iva. They smeared ashes on their bodies three times a day as part of their
ritual purification practice.
37
The mountain in Sri Lanka where the Buddha taught the Lakvatra Stra to the
Bodhisattva Mahmati and others.
38
Ch. ziran xing . That is, arising of its own accord without an external cause and
therefore having an independent existence.
72
VISUAL AWARENESS ARISES NEITHER ON ITS OWN NOR FROM CAUSES
The Buddha said to nanda, Just now, by various means I have ex-
plained this to you in order that the truth would be made clear to you.
But you have not understood, and you mistakenly suppose that the en-
lightened nature exists in and of itself.
nanda, if the enlightened nature indeed exists in and of itself, as
you say, then you should be able to discern what it essentially consists of.
Consider your wondrously understanding visual awareness: what about
it exists in and of itself? Does it consist of light that exists in and of itself?
Does it consist of darkness that exists in and of itself? Does it consist of
space that exists in and of itself? Does it consist of solid objects that exist
in and of themselves? If it consisted of light that existed in and of itself,
nanda, you would not be able to see when it is dark. If it consisted of
space that existed in and of itself, you would not be able to see solid ob-
jects. In the same way, if it consisted of darkness that existed in and of
itself, the essential nature of your visual awareness would cease to exist,
and so you would not be able to see when it is light.
nanda said, It must be then that the wondrously understanding na-
ture of this visual awareness does not exist in and of itself after all. It now
seems to me that it comes into being due to causes and conditions. But I do
not understand this clearly yet. May I inquire of the Thus-Come One how
this idea fits with the Buddhas teachings about causes and conditions?
The Buddha said, You are saying that the luminous nature of visual
awareness comes into being from causes and conditions. I ask you to con-
sider, then: what is the primary cause of your being aware of what you
see before you? Is light the primary cause of your being aware of what
you see before you? Is darkness the primary cause? Is space the primary
cause? Are solid objects the primary cause?
nanda, if light were the cause of your being aware of what you see
before you, you could not see when it is dark. If darkness were the cause,
you could not see when it is light. And what is true of light and darkness
as causes is equally true of space and objects as causes.
Moreover, nanda, is light or darkness a condition of your being
aware of what you see before you? Are objects conditions? Is space a
condition? If space were a condition of your being aware of what you see
73
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
before you, nanda, then you could not see solid objects. If solid objects
were a condition of your being aware of what you see before you, you
would be unable to perceive space. And what is true of space and solid
objects as conditions is equally true of light and darkness as conditions.
Therefore, you should understand that the existence of the essential,
wondrously understanding, enlightened visual awareness is not depen-
dent for its existence on causes and conditions, nor does it exist in and of
itself. Nevertheless, one cannot say that it does not exist in and of itself,
nor can one say that it is independent of causes and conditions. State-
ments that account for its existence cannot be negated, yet one cannot
say that they cannot be negated. Such statements cannot be affirmed, yet
one cannot say that they cannot be affirmed. What is entirely beyond all
defining attributes that is the entirety of Dharma.
In making all these distinctions, why have you resorted to terms used
in the reckless fabrications of worldly discourse? You might as well try
to seize a handful of space. However much you weary yourself in the at-
tempt, space will forever elude your grasp.
74
10
True Visual Awareness
nanda said to the Buddha, World-Honored One, if the wondrous en-
lightened nature is indeed not dependent on causes and conditions, why
then has the Buddha often taught the monks that our visual awareness
requires four conditions to be present: space, light, mind,39 and the eye-
faculty. What did you mean then?
The Buddha said, nanda, what I have said about causes and condi-
tions as they function in the world is not an ultimate truth. I have an-
other question for you, nanda. When ordinary people say, I see or I do
not see, what do they mean by seeing and not seeing?
nanda said, Relying on the light of the sun, of the moon, or of lamps,
ordinary people can see various objects. That is what they mean by see-
ing. Without at least one of these three sources of light, they would not
be able to see.
nanda, if people cannot see when light is absent, they would have
no visual awareness of total darkness. Since they are visually aware of
total darkness, you cannot say that they cannot see in the absence of
light. Further, if their inability to see light when they are in total dark-
ness indeed means they cannot see when it is dark, then conversely, their
inability to see darkness when it is light must also mean that they cannot
see when it is light, since the cases are parallel and both involve instances
of not seeing.
Light and darkness are mutually exclusive; still, regardless of which
one is present, your visual awareness does not lapse for an instant.
Therefore you should understand that in both cases there is seeing. How
can you say that there is not?40
You should understand then that when people see light, their aware-
ness of it does not come into being because of the light. When people
see darkness, their awareness of it does not come into being because
39
Mind here refers to the first, sixth, seventh, and eighth consciousnesses.
40
The Buddha made a similar point above at the beginning of part 2.
75
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
of the darkness. When people see space, their awareness of it does not
come into being because of the space, and when people see solid objects,
their awareness of them does not come into being because of the solid
objects.
Now that we have arrived at the conclusion that visual awareness
does not come into being because of any of these four, you should also
understand that when you are able to use your true awareness to be
aware of the essence of your visual awareness, you will know that your
true awareness is not the same as the essence of your awareness. The two
are quite separate from one another. The essence of awareness is not the
equal of true awareness.41 How can you still be speaking of the attributes
of causes and conditions and of things existing in and of themselves, or
even coming into being from inhering or combining?42 You Hearers of
the Teaching are deficient in knowledge; your views are narrow and your
attainment limited. Because you have not yet been able to break through
to true reality in its purity, I will now instruct you further. Consider well
what I say. Do not become weary and lose heart on the road to the won-
der of full awakening.
To break through here means to understand. The Buddha tells the Ar-
hats that at present their minds are too strongly attached, the distinctions
they make are too numerous, for them to understand the teachings of the
Mahyna, the Greater Vehicle, concerning the purity of true reality. . . . True
reality has no attributes. That is the first explanation. Yet nothing is apart from
true reality: that is the second explanation. All attributes are produced from
within it. . . . The third explanation is that true reality has no attributes, and yet
there is nothing which is not an attribute. All phenomena are born from true
41
True awareness here is the true mind, while the essence of awareness refers
to the observing division of the eighth consciousness, which contains a small amount of
distortion. The Buddha explains the difference between true awareness and the essence of
awareness in part 2.11. The difference has already been expressed in terms of the example
of a real moon and a second moon. The process by which our awareness becomes
distorted is explained more fully in part 4.1.
42
That inhering and combining cannot account for awareness is the subject of part
2.12 below.
76
TRUE VISUAL AWARENESS
reality, and so true reality is the essential nature of all phenomena. . . . What
then is true reality ultimately like? You cannot see it. It has merely been given
a name, true reality. The idea is similar to the idea expressed in Laozis say-
ing, The Way that can be spoken of is not the eternal Way. . . .
True reality is true emptiness, and it is also wondrous existence. Do you
say that true emptiness is empty? It is not, because within it, all that exists
comes into being. True emptiness is said to be true because it is not in fact
empty, and all that exists is wondrous because it does not in fact exist.
What exists within emptiness is wondrous existence. Emptiness therefore
is not empty, and that lack of emptiness within emptiness is true emptiness.
Since true emptiness is not empty, it is called wondrous existence. Since
wondrous existence does not exist, it is called true emptiness. These two
names are one. If you investigate this in detail, you will find, however, that
even that one does not exist. . . . Fundamentally, there isnt anything at all.
. . . To truly be apart from all attributes is to have real samdhi. If you can
separate yourself from all attributes, Mt. Tai could come crashing down in
front of you and you would not be startled. . . . Demonic obstructions . . . can
only disturb your samdhi because your mind moves. As soon as your mind
moves, the obstacles slip right in. If you dont move, no demon in existence
will have any way to get at you. No spell that can be recited can influence you.
It was because nanda didnt have sufficient power of mental concentration
that the Mtaga woman was able to confuse him. If he had had the genu-
ine ragama Samdhi, there would have been no need for the Buddha to
speak the ragama Stra or the ragama Mantra. And you and I would
not be able to study them now. (II, 1668)
77
11
Distortions in Visual Awareness
Based on Karma
nanda said to the Buddha, The World-Honored One has elucidated the
teaching concerning causes and conditions and concerning the existence
of things in and of themselves, but we have not yet understood the teach-
ing about inhering and conjoining and not inhering or conjoining. And
now when we hear further that the essence of visual awareness of which
the true awareness is aware is not the same as the true awareness, an-
other layer has been added to our confusion and distress.
It is my humble wish that, with his great kindness, the Buddha will
open our Wisdom-eye and reveal the enlightened mind in all its purity.
With these words, he wept sorrowfully, bowed, and waited to receive the
Sages instructions.
Then the World-Honored One took pity on nanda and on the others
in the great assembly. He wished to make clear to them the wondrous
path of practice that would lead them all to the samdhi of the Great
Dhra.43 He said to nanda, You have a keen memory, but it serves
only to increase your erudition. You have not yet understood the practice
of calming the mind from which subtle insight arises. Listen carefully as I
give instruction point by point for your sake, and also for the sake of all in
the future who have outflows, so that they may attain full awakening.
All beings are bound to the cycle of sasra, nanda, due to the false
distinctions made by two kinds of distorted awareness. Wherever these
two kinds of awarenesses arise, beings undergo the karma of the cycle.
What are these two kinds of distorted awareness? The first is the dis-
torted awareness based on the karma of individual beings; the second is
the distorted awareness based on the karma beings share.
As you read this section of text, you should experience terror. You should be
shocked. The Buddha tells nanda that all beings of this world are bound to
43
Skt. dhra, mantra. The Great Dhra is the ragama Mantra.
78
DISTORTIONS IN VISUAL AWARENESS BASED ON KARMA
the cycle of death and rebirth, passing through a succession of lives. They
spin around like the wheel of an automobile, sometimes being born in the
heavens, sometimes entering the hells. Sometimes they become asuras,
sometimes they are people. Sometimes they become animals. Sometimes
they are hungry ghosts.44 . . . The cycle of death and rebirth keeps on turn-
ing under the power of two kinds of distorted awareness which result when
the conscious mind makes false distinctions. These distortions in awareness
stem from individual and shared karma. . . . For any karma you create, both
individual and shared, there is an appropriate consequence which you must
undergo. If you are virtuous and act for the good, you may be reborn in the
heavens. If you commit offenses, you will fall into the hells. . . . The process is
entirely impartial. (II, 1756)
44
Skt. preta. Ch. . See part 9.7.
45
The symptoms the Buddha describes suggest that glaucoma is probably meant.
79
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
80
DISTORTIONS IN VISUAL AWARENESS BASED ON KARMA
there are two thousand three hundred large countries. On the various is-
lands in the ocean there may be two or three hundred countries, or in some
cases only one or two countries, or as many as thirty, forty, or fifty.
Suppose, nanda, that among them is an island where there are two
countries only, and that the people of one of these countries share the
experience of unfortunate circumstances. It may be that the people of
that country see many inauspicious phenomena. They may see two suns
or two moons, or rings or half-rings of white or colored light around the
sun or the moon. They may see meteors or comets streaking down or
across the sky, or else patterns of inauspicious energies in a bowed shape
or in the shape of ears above or beside the sun, or bands of light reaching
across the sky many such inauspicious phenomena as these.46 Only the
people of that one country see these phenomena; the people in the other
country do not see them at all or even hear of them.
nanda, I will now compare these situations in order to clarify them.
First let us consider the distorted visual awareness based on beings indi-
vidual karma. When the person with an eye disease sees the illusory cir-
cles of colored light around a lamp, the circles seem to him to be external
objects, but in fact what the person sees is a consequence of the disease.
The disease places a distorting strain on his visual awareness; it is not
the colored light that places the strain. However, what is aware of the
disease is not defective. In the same way, all that you can now see the
mountains, the rivers, the many lands, and the various forms of life are
the result of a disease that has existed in your visual awareness since time
without beginning. The essence of visual awareness and what it is aware
of47 cause what seem to be external phenomena to appear. Once we add
another layer of understanding to our enlightenment, our awareness and
46
Of these meteorological phenomena, the two suns can be identified as parhelia,
or mock suns, and the rings, half-rings, and the energies in a bowed shape or in the
shape of ears may be identified as four different types of solar halo. All of these are rare
occurrences due to reflections from clouds of ice crystals in the atmosphere.
47
That is, the observing division and the observed division of the eighth conscious-
ness.
81
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
48
For a full explanation of this important point, see part 4.2 below.
49
This true nature which is not defective is the Buddha-nature.
82
DISTORTIONS IN VISUAL AWARENESS BASED ON KARMA
combination, the beings and lands come into being; when these condi-
tions are not present, the beings and lands cease to be.
When you remain entirely untouched by conditions, whether or not
they are present in combination, you bring to an end all the causes of
coming into being and ceasing to be. At that moment, you will awaken
to perfect enlightenment, which is your true nature and which neither
comes into being nor ceases to be. It is the pure, fundamental mind, the
fundamental, everlasting enlightenment.
83
12
Visual Awareness Exists Neither
Through Inhering Nor in Conjoining
nanda, you have already understood that the wondrous, luminous,
enlightened nature of your visual awareness does not arise from causes
and conditions and that it does not come into being on its own. But you
do not understand yet that the original, enlightened nature of your visual
awareness also does not exist because of inhering or because of conjoin-
ing, nor because of a lack of inhering or a lack of conjoining.50
I will now ask you again, nanda, about the objects you perceive
before you. Your deluded thinking about the world tells you that what
causes these objects to exist is either inhering or conjoining. Therefore
you wrongly suppose that what causes the enlightened mind51 to exist is
either inhering or conjoining.
Suppose the wondrous, pure nature of your visual awareness52 ex-
ists through inhering. Does it then exist through inhering in light? Does
it exist through inhering in darkness? Does it exist through inhering in
space? Does it exist through inhering in solid objects? If it exists through
inhering in light, then when you see in the presence of light, precisely
where in the light does it inhere? Visual awareness and light each have
their own distinct qualities, so if visual awareness were inherent in light,
what qualities would each of them have then? Either they would have
the ability to see, in which case you would be seeing your own awareness,
or they would not have the ability to see, in which case you would not
50
Inhering (Skt. samavya) translates Ch. he , and conjoining (Skt. sayoga)
translates Ch. he . The allusion here is probably to the teachings of the Indian Vaieika
school. Inhering refers to the inseparable inhering of essential qualities and karma in a
substance, whereas conjoining refers to the coming together of two substances in ways
that do not change their distinct, essential qualities.
51
That is, the enlightened nature of visual awareness.
52
Ch. jian jing . In previous appearances in the text, this has meant the observing
division of the eighth consciousness, but the context here makes plain that our enlightened
awareness, expressed previously as Ch. jian xing , is meant in this case.
84
VISUAL AWARENESS EXISTS NEITHER THROUGH INHERING NOR IN CONJOINING
be able to see light. In any case, how can light be inherent in your visual
awareness, since the enlightened nature of your visual awareness is in
fact already complete in itself? Likewise, since light is already complete
in itself, how could your visual awareness have been inherent in light?
Again, since your visual awareness is different from light, it would cease
to be itself if it were to inhere in light, and light would likewise cease to
be what we call light if it inhered in visual awareness; each would lose
its nature. In short, it cannot be right to say your visual awareness exists
through inhering in light. Nor can it be right to say your visual awareness
exists through inhering in darkness, in space, or in objects.
Once again, nanda, does the wondrous, pure nature of your visual
awareness exist through conjoining with light? Does it exist through con-
joining with darkness? Does it exist through conjoining with space? Does
it exist through conjoining with objects?
If your visual awareness existed in conjoining with light, then in
total darkness, when no light is present, you would not be aware of the
darkness since your awareness would be conjoined with light rather than
with darkness. If, even so, you could see darkness without your aware-
ness being conjoined to darkness, it follows that you would not see light
when your awareness was conjoined to light.53 And if you could not see
light when your awareness had been conjoined to it, then since you could
not see light, how would you know when it was light or dark? The same
arguments could be made to show that your visual awareness does not
exist through conjoining with darkness, with space, or with objects.
nanda said to the Buddha, World-Honored One, I am now thinking
that the wondrous, fundamental, enlightened nature of our visual aware-
ness does not exist either through inhering in or through conjoining with
the objects before us or with our processes of perceiving of them.
The Buddha said, Now you are saying that your enlightened aware-
ness does not exist either through inhering or through conjoining. I will
53
Because if one could see darkness without visual awareness being conjoined to it, the
corollary would be that to be conjoined to darkness would not allow one to see it. The same
would apply in the case of light.
85
THE NATURE OF VISUAL AWARENESS
86
III
The Matrix of
the Thus-Come One
1
The Five Aggregates Are
the Matrix of the Thus-Come One
Ananda, you have not yet understood that the objects we perceive are
unreal and illusory. They are subject to change, appearing here and there
and disappearing here and there. Yet these illusions, each with its con-
ventional designation, are in fact within the essential, wondrous enlight-
enment. The same is true of the five aggregates,1 the six faculties, the
twelve sites,2 and the eighteen constituent elements.3 It is an illusion that
they come into being when both their causes and their conditions are
present, and it is an illusion that they cease to be when either their causes
or their conditions are absent. You simply have not yet understood that,
fundamentally, everything that comes and goes, that comes into being
and ceases to be, is within the true nature of the Matrix of the Thus-Come
One,4 which is the wondrous, everlasting understanding the unmov-
ing, all-pervading, wondrous suchness of reality. But, though you may
seek within the everlasting reality of the Matrix of the Thus-Come One
for what comes and goes, for confusion and awakening, and for coming
into being and ceasing to be, you will not find them there.
Each and every perceived object looks to you like it actually exists, but in real-
ity it is entirely illusory and transitory. . . . The coming into being of the objects
we perceive is an illusion, and their ceasing to be is an illusion. . . . Neverthe-
less their nature is in truth the luminous essence of wondrous enlightenment.
They come forth from our true mind. When delusion arises, there is a division
into what observes and what is observed.5 Both arise from the pure nature
1
Skt. skandha, Ch. yun . See the introduction, p. xlvii.
2
The twelve sites consist of the six faculties of perception together with the six
categories of perceived objects.
3
The eighteen constituent elements are the six faculties, the six categories of perceived
objects, and the six consciousnesses.
4
Skt. Tathgata-garbha, Ch. rulai zang . See the introduction, p. xxxi and note 33.
5
Ch. jian fen and xiang fen . The fundamental division of the eighth, or
storehouse, consciousness into observer and what is observed was basic to the teachings
89
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
of the Consciousness-Only school. This division is described at some length in this Sutra at
part 4.1. See also the introduction, p. xxx.
6
In this part of the Sutra, the Buddha corrects wrong understandings of the causes of
the coming into being of the various fundamental categories of our experience. He makes
several points. First, although objects that we experience are dependent on causes and
conditions, which must all be present for these objects to temporarily exist, they do not
come into being out of any of those causes and conditions. Second, they do not come into
being on their own; that is, they cannot come into being independent of those causes and
conditions. Third, since there is no process of something real actually coming into being, the
objects that we experience have no real, independent existence of their own. Rather, they are
distorted experiences that are based on our fundamental ignorance. When that fundamental
ignorance is transcended, we experience ourselves and the world as they really are.
Throughout part 3, the Buddha presents his argument in a series of syllogisms according
to the procedures of logical argumentation that were later codified as part of Buddhist
logic. For each syllogism, the Buddha begins by briefly describing a situation drawn from
common experience to serve as an instance of the truth of what he is proposing. Having
applied the instance to the proposition, he next offers one or more negative examples to
show the absurdity of negating the proposition. Lastly, he states the conclusion, in which
the proposition is restated as proven. See p. xxxiii.
90
THE FIVE AGGREGATES
disordered and chaotic and lack any real attributes. You should know
that the aggregate of form can be described in similar terms.
Now, this disordered display of flowers, nanda, does not come into
being from space, nor does it come into being from the persons eyes.
Suppose, nanda, that the display of flowers did come from space. But
what has come into being from space would have to be subject to disap-
pearing back into space; and space would not be empty if things came
into being out of it and disappeared back into it. But if space were not
empty, there would not be room in it for those displays of flowers to ap-
pear out of it or to disappear back into it, any more than there is room in
your body, nanda, for another nanda.
On the other hand, if this disordered display of flowers came from the
persons eyes, the display of flowers could disappear back into his eyes.
Now, we may suppose that, if this display of flowers has come from the
eyes, it must share in the visual awareness of the eye-faculty. If it were
visually aware, then having come out from the eyes into the air, it would
be able to see the eyes from the air. But if it does not share in the aware-
ness of the eye-faculty, then having obscured a portion of the otherwise
empty air, it will also obscure the vision of the eye-faculty as it returns to
the eye-faculty. Besides, the persons vision cannot have been obscured,
since he is seeing the display of flowers. And did we not say to begin with
that this person was clear-sighted as he looked up at the clear sky?
Therefore you should know that the aggregate of forms is an illusion.
It does not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it come
into being on its own.
91
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
92
THE FIVE AGGREGATES
for some person to mention them? On the other hand, if the mouth were
responsible for the watering, would that mean that the mouth heard the
plums being mentioned? Were not ears needed for that? If the ears were
the cause, then would that not mean that the ears could produce saliva?8
The same points about the watering of the mouth at the mention of
sour plums can be equally applied to the ache that is felt in the sole of
ones foot when one thinks of walking along the edge of a precipice.
Therefore you should know that the aggregate of cognition is an illu-
sion. It does not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it
come into being on its own.
8
No actual plum is present. The person in the example merely thinks of plums. The
thought of the plums represents fundamental ignorance, and the watering of the mouth
represents the aggregate of cognition.
93
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
In this way you should know that the aggregate of mental formations
is an illusion. It does not come into being from causes and conditions, nor
does it come into being on its own.
9
Ch. pinqie , probably an abbreviated form of jialing pinqie , a trans-
literation of the Skt. kalavika. In its usual sense, kalavika is the name of a bird. Here it
probably refers to a pitcher with two spouts crafted in the shape of the bird.
94
2
The Six Faculties Are
the Matrix of the Thus-Come One
A. The Eye-Faculty
Moreover, nanda, how is it that, fundamentally, the six faculties are
the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, whose nature is the wondrous such-
ness of reality? nanda, you will recall the example of a person who
stares into space to the point that his eyes become strained. What the
eye-faculty perceives when it is under strain, and also the eye-faculty
itself, come into being through the strain placed on the awakened mind.
The strain causes the distortion in perception.10
For seeing to take place, the illusory phenomena of light and dark-
ness must first enter the eye-faculty; this is what we call seeing.11 Apart
from light and darkness, seeing has no ultimate basis. Understand it this
way, nanda: what we call seeing does not take place because of light or
darkness, nor because of the eye-faculty, nor because of space. Why? If
what we call seeing took place because of light, it would cease in total
darkness, and you would not see the darkness. If it took place because of
darkness, it would cease once light were present, and so you would not
see the light.12
Further, seeing cannot take place because of the eye-faculty, because
clearly there is a need for light or for darkness if seeing is to occur. It fol-
lows that the eye-faculty has no independent existence. Finally, if seeing
took place because of space, then when we look straight ahead, we would
see the objects before us as usual, but we would also be able to look back
on our own eyes from space. If space were doing the seeing, what would
seeing have to do with the eye-faculty?
10
That is, the strain placed on the mind by fundamental ignorance.
11
The text has jian xing , literally the nature of seeing, but here the reference
is not to the enlightened nature of our visual awareness but to the ordinary process of
seeing.
12
The argument here is similar to that in parts 1.2d, and 2.1.
95
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
In this way you should know that the eye-faculty is illusory. It does
not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it come into
being on its own.
B. The Ear-Faculty
nanda, consider the example of a person who forcefully stops up his
ears with his fingers. The strain exerted on the ear-faculty may cause a
sound to be heard inside his head. What the ear-faculty perceives when
it is under strain, and also the ear-faculty itself, come about through the
strain placed on the awakened mind. The strain causes the distortion in
perception.
For hearing to take place, the illusory phenomena of sound and si-
lence must enter the ear-faculty; this is what we call hearing. Apart from
sound and silence, hearing has no ultimate basis. Understand it this way,
nanda: what we call hearing does not take place because of sound or si-
lence, nor because of the ear-faculty, nor because of space. Why? If it took
place because of silence, it would cease once sounds were present, and so
we would not hear sounds. If what we call hearing took place because of
sound, hearing would cease in total silence, and we would not be aware
of the silence.
Further, hearing cannot take place because of the ear-faculty alone,
because clearly there is a need for sound or for silence if hearing is to oc-
cur. It follows that the ear-faculty has no independent existence. Finally,
if hearing took place because of space, then space would not be what we
call space, because it would have the ability to hear. And if space could
hear, what would hearing have to do with the ear-faculty?
In this way you should know that the ear-faculty is illusory. It does
not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it come into
being on its own.
Hearing occurs through dependence on the two illusory perceived objects of
sound and silence. Hearing and seeing are like magnets. . . . The eyes look
at things and become unclean; the ears attract sounds and become unclean.
Our true nature is fundamentally pure, but because the eye and ear attract
unclean external objects, our true nature becomes unclean also. It is like
96
THE SIX FACULTIES
inhaling cigarette smoke . . . which passes into the lungs, and although ordi-
nary people cannot see into their own insides, the fact remains that the throat,
windpipe, and lungs become coated with tar. . . . In the same way, sights and
sounds are taken in and coat our true natures with a kind of tar that covers it
over and obscures its light. As recorded in the Sixth Patriarchs Dharma-Jewel
Platform Stra,13 Shen Xiu said,
Actually, this verse is a fine expression of what needs to be done, but these
are not the words of one who has become aware of his true nature. Great
Master Shen Xius verse describes practice at a stage prior to the seeing of
ones true nature. It likens practice to dusting a mirror over and over again to
keep it clean. . . . After Shen Xiu composed this verse, the Sixth Patriarch, the
Great Master Hui Neng, replied with the following verse:
C. The Nose-Faculty
nanda, consider the example of a person who, as he breathes in
through his nose, continues to inhale sharply until at length the strain
exerted on his nose-faculty gives rise to an illusory sensation of cold. As
13
The Sixth Patriarchs Dharma-Jewel Platform Stra, with the commentary of Tripitaka Master
Hua, Buddhist Text Translation Society, trans. (San Francisco: Sino-American Buddhist
Association, 1977), 528.
14
A reference to the tree under which the Buddha kyuamuni was sitting when he
attained full awakening (bodhi). The tree is a species of banyan (ficus religiosa).
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THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
D. The Tongue-Faculty
nanda, consider the example of a person who licks his lips repeatedly
to the point that his tongue-faculty is subjected to strain. If he is sick,
he will experience a bitter taste; otherwise the taste will seem slightly
sweet. His experience of sweetness or bitterness demonstrates that
the tongue-faculty is still active when no tastes are present. What the
tongue-faculty perceives when it is under strain, as well as the tongue-
98
THE SIX FACULTIES
faculty itself, come about through strain placed on the awakened mind.
The strain causes the distortion in perception.
The Matrix of the Thus-Come One is bigger than anything else and contains
everything. There is nothing it does not contain. . . . Where are we now? We
are all in the Matrix of the Thus-Come One. We havent seen what the Matrix
of the Thus-Come One looks like, you may say. In fact, you see it every day,
but you dont recognize it. In all your daily activities you are within the Matrix of
the Thus-Come One. What your eyes see, what your ears hear absolutely
everything is within the Matrix of the Thus-Come One. . . . In China there is
the saying, I cant tell what Mount Lu really looks like, because I myself am
standing on Mount Lu. (III, 412)
99
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
E. The Body-Faculty
nanda, consider the example of a person who joins his hands together
when one hand is warm and the other cold. If the cold hand is colder
than the warm hand is warm, it will make the warm hand become cold,
and if the warm hand is warmer than the cold hand is cold, it will make
the cold hand become warm. With the exchange of warmth and cold
from the prolonged contact between the two hands, the person becomes
aware of contact and, subsequently, separation. What the body-faculty
perceives when it is under strain, as well as the body-faculty itself, come
about through strain placed on the awakened mind. The strain causes the
distortion in perception.
What we call tactile awareness occurs when the illusory phenom-
ena of contact and separation are felt by the body-faculty. This tactile
awareness of contact and separation may be pleasant or unpleasant, but
without them, tactile awareness has no ultimate basis. Understand it this
way, nanda: what we call tactile awareness does not take place because
of contact and separation, nor because of any pleasantness or unpleas-
antness of the sensation, nor because of the body-faculty, nor because of
space.
Why? If tactile awareness took place because of contact, how would
you become aware of separation when contact ceased? By the same
logic, it cannot take place because sensation is pleasant or because it is
unpleasant. Further, tactile awareness cannot take place because of the
body-faculty, because clearly there is a need for contact or separation
and for pleasantness or unpleasantness if tactile awareness is to occur. It
follows that tactile awareness has no independent existence.
Finally, if tactile awareness took place because of space alone, then
space would be aware of tactile sensations; then what would tactile
awareness have to do with the body-faculty?
In this way you should know that the body-faculty is illusory. It does
not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it come into
being on its own.
100
THE SIX FACULTIES
15
That is, the eighth consciousness.
101
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
102
3
The Twelve Sites Are
the Matrix of the Thus-Come One
A. The Eye-Faculty and Visible Objects
Moreover, nanda, how is it that, fundamentally, the twelve sites16 are
the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, whose nature is the wondrous such-
ness of reality? nanda, look once again at the fountains, the pools, and
the trees of the Prince Jetris Grove. What do you think? Does the pres-
ence of visible objects cause your eye-faculty to see? Or to the contrary,
does the eye-faculty cause the visible objects to be present?
Ananda, if the eye-faculty caused the presence of visible objects, then
when you looked at an empty sky, in which no visible objects are pres-
ent, all the visible objects that you were not looking at would have to
disappear. If everything were to disappear, such that nothing were pres-
ent, then how could we know what space is?17 The corollary supposition
that space is present because your eye-faculty is there to see it can
be similarly rejected.
Suppose, on the other hand, that the presence of visible objects
caused your eye-faculty to see. Then when you looked at empty space,
in which no objects are present, your eye-faculty would no longer exist.
If your eye-faculty no longer existed, nothing would be seen, and in that
case, how could we know what visible objects are or what space is?
Therefore, you should know that the eye-faculty and visible objects,
and space as well, have no real existence. These two sites the eye-
faculty and visible objects are illusions. Fundamentally, they are not
dependent on causes or conditions, and yet they do not come into being
on their own.
16
That is, the six faculties and the six kinds of perceived objects.
17
The notion space only makes sense in contrast with the notion of what is not space
that is, visible objects.
103
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
nanda, suppose that the ear-faculty goes out to a sound in order for
you to hear it. Then the situation can be compared to my returning to
Prince Jetris Grove so that I am no longer in rvast. If your ear-faculty
went out to the drum in order to hear it, then you would not be able to
hear the bell at the same time nor would you be able to hear other
sounds, such as the noise made by elephants, horses, oxen, and sheep. On
the other hand, if no sounds reached the ear-faculty, you would not be
able to hear either.
Therefore, you should know that sounds and the ear-faculty have no
real existence. These two sites sounds and the ear-faculty are illu-
sions. Fundamentally, they are not dependent on causes or conditions,
and yet they do not come into being on their own.
104
THE TWELVE SITES
18
Skt. candana, Ch. zhan tan .
19
Because what produces something must be like in nature to the thing produced.
20
The reference is to breakfast and the midday meal. With some exceptions, Buddhist
monastics take a vow not to eat after noon.
105
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
106
THE TWELVE SITES
tion you experience? And if it is just your head that is aware of the con-
tact, then your hand must not be aware of it; how could that be what we
mean by the sensation you experience?
The practice of passing the hands over the head was adopted when the Bud-
dha kyamuni was in the world. Many people who had followed other paths
later became his disciples. As a result, the Buddha taught the monks to touch
their own heads, which they keep shaved, three times every day in order to
help them remember that they were monks. The practice continues to this
day. (III, 778)
If both your head and your hand had a separate awareness of the con-
tact, nanda, you must have two bodies.21 Conversely, if your head and
hand together experience a single awareness of contact, then your head
and your hand must be a single object. If they were a single object, how
could there be contact between them? Given that your head and your
hand are two separate objects, which of them is aware of the contact?
The one that is aware cannot be the perceived object, and the one that
is the perceived object cannot be what is aware. Nor can the contact be
between you and space.
Therefore, you should know that, in fact, your body-faculty and ob-
jects of touch have no real existence. These two sites the body-faculty
and the objects of touch are illusions. Fundamentally, they are not
dependent on causes or conditions, and yet they do not come into being
on their own.
21
The translation here follows the commentary of the Ven. Yuanying (421).
22
The mind is constantly experiencing the sensations presented to it by the first five
consciousnesses (the consciousnesses of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body), and these
sensations are divided by the mind into the categories of pleasant, unpleasant, and neither
pleasant nor unpleasant. Thoughts and emotions may also be analyzed according to the
same three categories.
107
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
23
Were they to arise from the cognitive faculty, then they would share its capacity to
be aware.
24
They could not have the attributes of both the cognitive faculty and objects of
cognition at the same time.
108
4
The Eighteen Constituents Are
the Matrix of the Thus-Come One
A. The Coming into Being of the Eye-Consciousness
Moreover, nanda, how is it that, fundamentally, the eighteen constitu-
ents are the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, which is the wondrous such-
ness of reality? nanda, according to your understanding of it, the eye-
faculty and visible objects are the conditions for the coming into being of
the eye-consciousness. But does this consciousness come into being from
the eyes, such that it is restricted by the boundaries of the eye-faculty?
Or does it come into being from visible objects, such that it is restricted
by the boundaries of visible objects?
The eighteen constituents are the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind;
visible objects, sounds, odors, flavors, objects of touch, and objects of cog-
nition; and eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness,
tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness. The
six faculties are matched to the six sense-objects, and between them are
produced the six consciousnesses. The consciousnesses are what make
distinctions. . . . Thus the eyes see visible objects and distinguish them as
being attractive or unattractive. With the ears it is the same: they hear sounds
as pleasing or displeasing. . . . Visible objects, sounds, odors, flavors, and
objects of touch all have physical attributes. Only objects of cognition lack
physical attributes. Nonetheless, when the cognitive faculty is matched with
objects of cognition, distinctions are made in the mind; thus the mind also has
a consciousness. (III, 912)
109
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
110
THE EIGHTEEN CONSTITUENTS
the consciousness have? You may insist that it is the ears that hear. But
without the presence of sound or silence, no hearing can take place. Also,
the ear is covered with skin, and the body-faculty is involved with objects
of touch. Could the ear-consciousness come into being from that faculty?
Since it cannot, what can the ear-consciousness be based on?
Suppose the ear-consciousness came into being from sounds. If the
ear-consciousness owed its existence to sounds, then it would have noth-
ing to do with hearing. But if no hearing is taking place, how would you
know where sounds are coming from? Suppose, nevertheless, that the
ear-consciousness did arise from sound. Since a sound must be heard if
it is to be what we know as a sound, the ear-consciousness would also be
heard as a sound. And when it is not heard, it would not exist. Besides, if
it is heard, then it would be the same thing as a sound; it would be some-
thing that is heard. But what would be able to hear it? And if you had no
awareness, you would be as insentient as grass or wood.
Do not say that sounds, which have no awareness, and the ear-fac-
ulty, which is aware, can intermingle to create the ear-consciousness.
There can be no such place where these two can mix together, since
one is internal and the other is external. Where else then could the ear-
consciousness come into being?
Therefore, you should know that the ear-faculty and sounds cannot
be the conditions for the coming into being of the ear-consciousness,
because none of these three constituents ear-faculty, sounds, and ear-
consciousness has an independent existence. Fundamentally, they do
not come into being from causes and conditions; nor do they come into
being on their own.
111
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
nanda, suppose it came into being from the nose. Now, in your
opinion, what should we consider the nose to be? Should we take it to be
a part of the body that is shaped like a pair of talons? Or should we take it
to be the faculty that is aware of the natures of various odors?
Suppose we take the nose to be a part of the body shaped like a pair
of talons. But then the nose belongs to the body-faculty, which is aware
of objects of touch. What belongs to the body-faculty is not the nose-
faculty, and the body-faculty perceives objects of touch. Nothing would
remain to be called nose-faculty. How could the nose-consciousness be
based on it?
nanda, suppose that we take the nose to be the faculty that is aware
of odors, then once again, in your opinion, what is it that is aware? Is it
the part of the body shaped like a pair of talons? If so, then it would be
its nature to be aware of objects of touch. It could not be the nose-faculty
that is aware of odors.
Suppose it is space that is aware of odors. If space were itself aware,
then it would not be a part of your body that would be aware. In that case,
space, given that it is aware, would have to be you, and your body would
have no awareness. Then you, nanda, would not be here now at all.
Suppose it is odors that are aware. If awareness were really a function
of odors, how would you expect to be involved? If your nose were what
produced odors, both pleasant and unpleasant, then such odors would
not come from sandalwood incense or from the foul-smelling airvaa.25
The airvaa tree emits an extremely foul stench that can be smelled from
a long way off. Its stench is like that of a corpse that for several weeks has
been decaying under the blazing sun. The red flowers of the airvaa tree are
very beautiful but very poisonous and to eat them means immediate death.
(III, 108)
If those odors dont come from those two things, then clearly it must
be your nose itself that has an odor. Would its odor be pleasant or un-
pleasant? If it were pleasant, it could not be unpleasant, and if unpleasant,
25
Probably one of the jackfruits.
112
THE EIGHTEEN CONSTITUENTS
it could not be pleasant. Thus if it really were odors, both pleasant and
unpleasant, that were aware, then you would have to have two noses, or
else I would be questioning two people about the Path. Which one would
be you? Since you after all have only one nose, which cannot both stink
and be fragrant, then if odors were in fact aware, stench would have to be
fragrant and fragrance would have to stink. Neither would have a nature
of its own. On what then would the nose-consciousness be based?
Suppose, again, that the nose-consciousness came into being from
odors. If that were the case, then just as the eye-faculty can see every-
thing but itself, so the nose-consciousness, if it came into being from
odors, could not be aware of odors. Since it is aware of odors, it cannot
come into being from them; and if after all it were not aware of odors,
it would not be the nose-consciousness. Besides, since odors have no
awareness, the constituent element of the nose-consciousness cannot
come into being from them; and if it did, the consciousness could not
become aware of odors. Therefore the nose-consciousness cannot come
into being from odors.
Finally, since there can be no place that is intermediate between
a faculty, which is internal, and its object, which is external, the nose-
consciousness must ultimately be a distortion and an illusion.
Therefore, you should know that the nose-faculty and odors cannot
be the conditions for the coming into being of the nose-consciousness,
because none of these three constituents nose-faculty, odors, and the
nose-consciousness has an independent existence. Fundamentally,
they do not come into being from causes and conditions; nor do they
come into being on their own.
113
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
26
This list of edibles exemplifies seven flavors in sequence: sweet, sour, bitter, salty,
pungent, hot, and astringent. Coptis rhizome (Ch. huang lian ), is a low-growing
perennial of the family ranunculaceae. The root is bitter and astringent to the taste. It is still
widely used to control infection and reduce fever. Wild ginger (Ch. xi xin ) is a medicinal
plant distinct from ginger; it represents pungency. However, the translation is uncertain.
114
THE EIGHTEEN CONSTITUENTS
Therefore, you should know that the tongue-faculty and flavors can-
not be the conditions for the coming into being of the tongue-conscious-
ness, because none of these three constituents tongue-faculty, flavors,
and tongue-consciousness has an independent existence. Fundamen-
tally, they do not come into being from causes and conditions; nor do
they come into being on their own.
115
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
exist between them? Since it cannot exist between them, and since the
internal faculty and the external objects are all empty of an inherent na-
ture, what could the body-consciousness be based on?
Therefore, you should know that the body-faculty and objects of
touch cannot be the conditions for the coming into being of the body-
consciousness, because none of these three constituents body-faculty,
objects of touch, and body-consciousness has an independent exis-
tence. Fundamentally, they do not come into being from causes and
conditions; nor do they come into being on their own.
The various principles explained above demonstrate that the body-conscious-
ness cannot be found. . . . In the provisional teachings, the body-faculty and
contact with objects of touch are the conditions for the action of the body-
consciousness. In the ultimate teaching, none of these three exist. They do
not have their origin in causes and conditions, nor do their natures have an
independent existence. They manifest from within the Matrix of the Thus-
Come One. They have no fixed location. The provisional teachings cannot be
compared to the truths of the ultimate teaching. What was spoken previously
was an expedient teaching. . . . The Buddhas teachings about causes and
conditions refuted the theory of independent existence of phenomena, as pro-
pounded by followers of wrong paths. That is why nanda became attached
to the teaching of causes and conditions and couldnt give up on the idea.
He thought the teachings that had been given previously could not be super-
seded. Why is the Buddha now negating the principles which he previously
explained? For the Buddha himself not to accept the Dharma which he himself
had spoken before was to contradict himself, wasnt it? It is at this point that
nanda has many doubts and keeps coming up with questions. So now the
Buddha tells nanda that he explained the laws of causes and conditions ear-
lier in order to counteract the non-Buddhist sects; it was certainly not ultimate.
It was certainly not the essential Dharma. Now that the ultimate truth of the
Middle Way the genuine Dharma is being explained, the former teach-
ings no longer apply; and you cannot continue to hold on to them. nanda has
not yet understood that. (III, 1256)
116
THE EIGHTEEN CONSTITUENTS
27
Cognitive faculty here is the seventh or individuating consciousness. Both the
sixth consciousness and the seventh make distinctions, but those made by the seventh are
more subtle (Yuanying, 450).
117
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
what the essential attributes of objects of cognition and the other per-
ceived objects might be. If you exclude the essential attributes of visible
objects and if you exclude their absence as well as excluding the essen-
tial attributes of sound and silence, openness and blockage, and separa-
tion and contact beyond these, what would be left for objects of cogni-
tion to be? Visible objects, the absence of visible objects, and the other
kinds of perceived objects and their absence are what arise, and they are
what perish, while objects of cognition, which we are now supposing to
be the cause of the mind-consciousness, cannot come into being inde-
pendently without another perceived object being present. Therefore, if
objects of cognition were what cause the mind-consciousness to come
into being, what essential attributes would it have? Since objects of cog-
nition have no independent attributes, how could the mind-conscious-
ness arise from them?
Therefore, you should know that the cognitive faculty and objects of
cognition cannot be the conditions that are necessary for the coming into
being of the mind-consciousness, because none of these three constituents
cognitive faculty, objects of cognition, and mind-consciousness has
an independent existence. Fundamentally, they do not come into being
from causes and conditions, nor do they come into being on their own.
118
5
The Seven Primary Elements Are
the Matrix of the Thus-Come One
nanda said to the Buddha, World-Honored One, the Thus-Come One
has often discussed causes and conditions and aggregating and merging.
He has shown that the various phenomena that we see in the world are
caused by the merging or aggregating of the four primary elements. Why
has the Thus-Come One now rejected causes and conditions and self-
generation as explanations? I cannot reconcile this idea with the Bud-
dhas previous teachings. Only pity us and instruct us and all beings how
to know the ultimate truth of the Middle Way. Teach us the Dharma that
is not mere words devoid of meaning.
Peoples bodies are a combination of four primary elements, which are earth,
water, fire, and wind. The places in our bodies which are hard and solid belong
to the primary element earth. The warmth in our bodies belongs to the primary
element fire. Saliva, tears, and mucus belong to the primary element water.
Our breath belongs to the primary element wind. While we are alive our body
is under our control, but after we die these four primary elements disperse.
The warmth in our body returns to the primary element fire, the moisture re-
turns to the primary element water, the solids return to the primary element
earth, and our breath returns to the primary element wind. People who do not
understand about the body want to help the body in all that it does. What they
dont know is that in this way their true natures become slaves to an illusory
form. Every day they are confused as they toil and rush about desperately.
Ultimately, what is it all for? Ultimately, what meaning is there in it? If one asks
people these questions, they act like nanda, mouth agape and speechless.
They cant come up with a reason.
Because people do not understand about the body, they spend all their
energy on a lifeless thing. They dont work on behalf of what is really alive.
What dead thing am I referring to? Although we are still living, our bodies may
be considered already dead. What living thing am I referring to? Although we
are not aware that it is alive, our spirit is young and full of life. It is our inherent
119
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
Buddha-nature. But people dont know that they should investigate their own
Buddha-nature, and they work instead on behalf of their bodies, such that
their bodies control them. From morning till night they help the body get good
things to eat and fine clothes to wear. Just what is this body, anyway? . . . It
isnt anything to grasp onto. Dont look upon it as so important, because even
though you cant give up your attachment to it, when you die and the four
elemental qualities disperse, you will have let go. (III, 1334)
The World-Honored One then said to nanda, Since you have re-
nounced the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle of the Hearers of the
Teaching and the Solitary Sages and since you have resolved to strive
diligently to realize the supreme awakening, I will now instruct you in
the ultimate truth. You need no longer bind yourself up with words that
are devoid of meaning and with distorted thinking about causes and con-
ditions. You are very learned, but you are like someone who can discuss
medicines yet cannot identify them when they are actually set before
him. The Thus-Come One says that you are indeed to be pitied. Listen
carefully now. For your sake and for the sake of all who in the future will
undertake the Bodhisattvas journey, I will explain in detail how you can
come to thoroughly understand the ultimate truth. nanda was silent
and waited for the Buddhas enlightened instruction.
nanda, according to what you have said, the merging or aggregat-
ing of four primary elements brings about the various phenomena that
are found in the world and that are subject to change. Let us suppose,
nanda, that the primary elements have separate essential natures that
cannot aggregate or merge.28 In that case, their external attributes, too,
could not aggregate or merge any more than space can aggregate or
merge with perceived objects. Suppose, on the other hand, that the es-
sential natures of the primary elements can aggregate and merge. Then
their aggregating and merging would not differ from the various changes
that take place in the world and that cause things to arise and perish
through an unending process of coming into being and ceasing to be. Be-
28
The essential nature and the real nature (below) of the primary elements are the
Matrix of the Thus-Come One; their attributes are solidity, heat, liquidity, and movement.
120
THE SEVEN PRIMARY ELEMENTS
ings, too, are born and die, and having died they are born again, forever
coming to life and perishing again, nanda, like a torch that is swung
endlessly in a circle to form a wheel of flame, or like water that turns to
ice and then becomes water again.
nanda should know that the suchness of reality conforms to circumstances
yet does not change; it does not change yet conforms to circumstances. How
is that explained? The suchness of reality which is also called the Matrix
of the Thus-Come One, true reality, and our true mind is like water that
becomes ice: that is, it conforms to circumstances, just as water can turn into
ice when it is cold. But the ice can also melt and become water again. . . .
Enlightenment is like water; affliction is like ice. . . . If you were to pour a bowl
of water over someones head, he wouldnt feel any pain. But if you hit some-
one over the head with a piece of ice, you might even kill him. Ice and water
are actually the same thing, but water in its solid form can kill people, while
in its liquid form it supports life. Because of this, affliction is compared to ice;
full awakening is compared to water. The Buddhas sutras say that affliction
is actually full awakening, just as ice is actually water. You dont add anything
to water to make ice, and you dont add anything to ice to produce water. The
potential to become ice is already in the water, and the potential to become
water is already in the ice. Thus, the Sutra here speaks of ice becoming water
again. But in order to turn your ice into water, you have to develop a certain
amount of skill. You have to use yang light to illumine it; then the ice can turn
into water. This refers to our daily practice of meditation in stillness, which can
illumine our afflictions so that they turn into water. (III, 1412)
29
According to the Abhidharmakoa 85d-88a (2: 474), the smallest particles of matter are
called paramu (Skt.), and seven paramu make one au (Skt.). A paramu cannot be
divided, because if it were, its earth-element nature would disappear and all that would
121
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
these minute particles were divided further into seven parts, they would
then be as small as perceived objects can be. If they were divided yet fur-
ther, nothing would be left but space.
Now if these most minute particles could be divided until they be-
came space, nanda, then space would be capable of bringing perceived
objects into being. You asked just now whether the various phenomena
that we see in the world are caused by the merging or aggregating of the
four elemental qualities. You should see that space, in whatever amount,
could never be accumulated in order to bring into being even a single one
of these most minute particles. Nor can it be true that these most minute
particles are created by the particles themselves. Further, if these most
minute particles could be divided to assume the nature of space, then
conversely, how many such particles must be aggregated to bring space
into being?
In fact, when perceived objects are aggregated or merged, they do
not become space; and when space accumulates, it does not become a
perceived object. Besides, although perceived objects can indeed be di-
vided, how can space be accumulated?
You simply do not know that, in the Matrix of the Thus-Come One,
the real nature of the primary element earth is identical to the real na-
ture of emptiness. The real nature of the primary element earth is fun-
damentally pure and extends throughout the Dharma-Realm. The extent
to which beings are aware of that real nature depends on the capacity of
their understanding. The primary element earth appears to them in ac-
cord with their karma. Ordinary beings, in their ignorance, mistakenly
suppose that the primary element earth comes into being from causes
and conditions or that it comes into being on its own. These are distinc-
tions and constructs made by the conscious mind. They are mere words,
devoid of meaning.
122
THE SEVEN PRIMARY ELEMENTS
123
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
beings are aware of this real nature depends on the capacity of their
understanding. You should know, nanda, that anywhere in the entire
world, throughout the Dharma-Realm, a reflecting surface can be held up
to the sun to start a fire. Since a fire can be started anywhere in the world,
how could it be limited to one particular place? In fact, the primary ele-
ment fire becomes apparent to beings in accord with their karma. Ordi-
nary beings, in their ignorance, mistakenly suppose that the primary ele-
ment fire comes into being from causes and conditions or that it comes
into being on its own. These are distinctions and constructs made by the
conscious mind. They are mere words, devoid of any real meaning.
Now, does the water come out of the bowl? Is it already present be-
cause it is inherent in space? Or does it come from the moon?
30
Skt. i. See part 9.10.
31
The sage Kapila has already been mentioned; see the prologue, note 25. Cakra,
Padma, and Hast are probably abbreviations of longer names, but they are not clearly
identified in the commentarial tradition.
124
THE SEVEN PRIMARY ELEMENTS
125
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
The primary elements are found in the true minds of all of us living beings.
We are endowed not only with water but also with fire, wind, earth, space,
awareness, and consciousness. These seven primary elements are all pres-
ent in our minds. But though they all exist there, they are not mixed together
chaotically. . . .
The text says that the nature of water is fundamentally pure and extends
throughout the Dharma-Realm. Thus, within true emptiness there is wondrous
existence. You can come to understand these principles if you contemplate
them with your true mind. In other words, once you yourself have gained suf-
ficient spiritual skill while sitting in meditation once you have gained the
power of samdhi and genuine wisdom then you will understand the truth
of the principles explained in this Sutra. But these principles will not be easy to
understand now if you are trying to fathom their meaning with your conscious
mind. (III, 163)
126
THE SEVEN PRIMARY ELEMENTS
if space came into being and ceased to be,32 it would not be what we call
space. Therefore, wind cannot come into being from what we do call
space.
Suppose then that the wind came into being from your neighbors
face. Then it would be you, rather than your neighbor, who would feel
the puff of wind. Why is it your neighbor who in fact feels the puff of wind
when you adjust your robe?
Consider this matter with care. It is you who adjust your robe. It is
your neighbor who feels the puff of wind on his face. Space itself is still;
it is never observed to move. From where then does the wind come when
it blows against your neighbors face? Wind and space have different na-
tures and cannot aggregate or merge with each other. And yet it cannot
be that wind comes into being on its own, independent of anything else.
You apparently do not know that, in the Matrix of the Thus-Come One,
the real nature of the primary element wind is identical to the real nature
of emptiness. The real nature of wind is fundamentally pure and extends
throughout the Dharma-Realm. The extent to which beings are aware of
that real nature depends on the capacity of their understanding. nanda,
just as a puff of wind arises with a small movement of your robe, so a puff
of wind will arise anywhere throughout the Dharma-Realm, in any land,
when someone moves his robe. Since wind can arise anywhere in the
world, how could it be limited to one particular place? In fact, the primary
element wind becomes apparent to beings in accord with their karma. Or-
dinary beings, in their ignorance, mistakenly suppose that the primary ele-
ment wind comes into being from causes and conditions or that it comes
into being on its own. These are distinctions and constructs made by the
conscious mind. They are mere words, devoid of any real meaning.
32
Space is unconditioned.
127
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
and Cadlas33 in the city of rvast dig wells to find water when they
build a new dwelling, since the city is far from the river. When they dig
out the soil to the depth of one foot, space will be discernable in the well
to the depth of one foot. When they dig out the soil to the depth of ten
feet, space will be discernable in the well to the depth of ten feet. How
much space is discerned depends on how much soil has been removed.
Now, does the space in the well come into being out of the soil? Does it
come into being because of the digging? Or does it come into being on
its own?
nanda, suppose the space in the well came into being on its own,
without a cause. Why then in the place where the well is to be dug, is
there no space before the soil is removed? Why can one see only solid
land, which one cannot pass through?
Suppose the space in the well comes into existence from the soil.
Then when the soil is removed, space should be seen to enter the well. If
no space enters in as the soil comes out, how could the space in the well
be said to come into being from the soil? But if space does not come out
of the soil to enter the well, then the soil and the space must be bound
together with no distinction between them. Why then, when the soil is
removed, doesnt the space come out with it?
Suppose the space in the well comes into existence because of the dig-
ging. Then the digging should bring space out of the well, along with the
soil. But if the space does not come into existence from the digging, then
only the soil would have been moved. Why then does the space appear?
Carefully consider this further; consider it closely and carefully. The
well-digger chooses the appropriate place to dig. The soil comes out as
the well is dug. But what of the space? How does it come into existence?
The soil that is removed is solid matter, while the space is insubstantial,
so they cannot function together. They cannot be aggregated or com-
bined with each other. And yet it cannot be that space comes into exis-
tence on its own, without any cause.
33
These are, respectively, the priestly class of traditional Indian society, the warrior
class, the merchant class, the peasant class, and a class of outcastes.
128
THE SEVEN PRIMARY ELEMENTS
129
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
130
THE SEVEN PRIMARY ELEMENTS
34
All six consciousnesses are understood to be included in this and similar passages
throughout.
131
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
comes into being on its own. These are all distinctions and constructs made
by the conscious mind. They are mere words, devoid of real meaning.
35
Consciousness here includes the first six consciousnesses: the consciousnesses of
the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
132
THE SEVEN PRIMARY ELEMENTS
36
In that consciousness makes distinctions about perceived objects, while the
perceiving faculties merely receive the sense-data.
37
That is, consciousness and awareness.
133
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
Do they exist, or are they empty? Are they neither identical to each other
nor different? Are they neither existent nor empty?
The Buddha admonishes nanda again: Your thoughts are too coarse, too
superficial. nanda doesnt stop and think or look into things. Hes too impul-
sive and reckless. The word shallow refers to his mind, the mind which is the
opposite of his deep mind. In the verse he is about to speak, nanda says,
This deep resolve I offer in the myriad Buddha-lands. By this may I repay the
kindness shown me by the Buddha. But now the mind that he is relying on
is shallow; its not his deep mind. He is not paying close attention to what is
going on. (III, 198)
134
6
nandas Vow
At that time, nanda and the rest of the great assembly, having received
the subtle and wondrous instruction given by the Buddha, the Thus-Come
One, felt that their bodies and minds were emptied and hardly seemed
to exist. They were free of all concerns and impediments. All in the as-
sembly became aware that their minds pervaded the ten directions and
that they could see everything throughout space in all ten directions as
clearly as one might see an object such as a leaf in the palm of ones hand.
They saw that all things in all worlds are the wondrous, fundamental,
enlightened, luminous mind that understands, and that this mind, pure,
all-pervading, and perfect, contains the entire universe. They looked
back upon their own bodies born of their parents and saw them to be like
minute particles of dust drifting about everywhere in the air, arising and
perishing, or like solitary bubbles floating on vast, calm seas, appearing
and then vanishing without a trace. They fully understood that the fun-
damental, wondrous mind is everlasting and does not perish.
Their bodies and minds were emptied means that, basically, there wasnt
anything at all. Everything was empty; the defilements had been washed
away, and all that was left now was the light of the Buddha-nature. This is
serenity. Everything is empty. Inside, there is no body or mind; outside, there
is no world. When one attains this state, there isnt anything at all. Why arent
we serene? It is because we are still attached to our bodies. If someone says
one sentence about us, we become afflicted. Whenever anyone is the least
bit rude to us, we cant let it go. We are not at peace. The members of the
Buddhas ragama assembly, however, were serene, and they were free
of all concerns and impediments. Because they were serene, they were not
hindered by their bodies and minds. . . . If we look upon everything as be-
ing no problem, as being very ordinary, then theres nothing going on at all.
Theres a saying: If a mountain collapsed right in front of you, you wouldnt be
surprised. No matter what great calamity occurs, even if your house should
fall in, you pay no attention. If you pay no attention, then even if your house
135
THE MATRIX OF THE THUS - COME ONE
does fall in on you, it wont harm you. Why do things harm you? Its because
you cant let go of them. You are hindered by them. You get scared, and so
you get hurt. If you arent afraid, if you have your wits about you, then it doesnt
matter where you are. . . .
The members of the great ragama Dharma-assembly awakened at
that time to the truth that the emptiness throughout the ten directions, and the
entire experience described here, was in their own minds. It was not beyond
a single thought of the mind. To the ends of space, throughout the Dharma-
Realm, there is no place that the mind does not reach. Since the mind is that
big, the great is compressed into the small. The members of the ragama
Dharma-assembly could see the emptiness of the ten directions as clearly as
you can see something that you are holding in the palm of your hand. All had
now opened the celestial eye and the wisdom-eye.38 Therefore, they could
perceive that the myriad phenomena are only the mind and that the mind
contains the myriad phenomena. Our true mind contains the true and the
false and is without a location. It reaches to the ends of space and pervades
the Dharma-Realm. So where is it? It is neither there nor not there. Thus, the
mind contains the myriad phenomena, and the myriad phenomena arise from
the mind. All phenomena perish due to the mind as well.
Thus, the true mind neither comes into being nor ceases to be, and phe-
nomena, too, neither come into being nor cease to be. . . . (III, 2024)
With the celestial eye open, you can see not only outside your body but
inside it. When you look at your body, you see it as a crystal container. You
look in this crystal container and can see what color your blood is. When you
open your celestial eye, your wisdom-eye, and your Buddha-eye, you can see
what is in every part of your body. You can see what sickness there is, the
places where the blood and energy dont flow well. You can see inside and
38
The five spiritual eyes are the physical eye; the celestial eye, which can see things
at a distance and in the past and future; the wisdom eye, which discerns the emptiness of
phenomena; the Dharma-eye, which illuminates the teachings: and the Buddha-eye, which
allows one to see Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
136
NANDA S VOW
outside. Here the members of the great assembly looked upon everything in
the ten directions as upon something held in the palms of their hands, and
they also saw their own internal organs. They saw the insides of their own
bodies. Their bodies were the same size as the empty space of the ten direc-
tions. (III, 2056)
The deep and wondrous honored one, all-knowing, pure, and still,
ragama, the King of Mantras, rarest in the world,
Extinguishes distorted thoughts from countless eons past
No need to wait forever to attain the Dharma-body.
39
Of time, perception, afflictions, individual beings, and lifespans. See part 5.1.
137
IV
The Coming into
Being of the
World of Illusion
1
Adding Understanding to Understanding
Then Pramaitryaputra stood up amidst the great assembly. He
uncovered his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground,
respectfully placed his palms together, and said to the Buddha, World-
Honored One, you who are foremost in virtue and in inspiring awe have
just now eloquently proclaimed, for the sake of all beings, the ultimate
truth taught by the Thus-Come Ones. The Thus-Come One has often
praised me as the one most skilled in expounding the Dharma, but as I
have been listening to the Thus-Come Ones voice as he has been setting
forth such subtle and wonderful Dharma, I might as well be a deaf man
trying to hear a mosquito from a distance of more than a hundred paces.
Such a man could not even see the mosquito, let alone hear it.
Although the Buddhas clear explanations have largely dispelled my
doubts, I have not yet reached the point at which I might thoroughly un-
derstand this truth and so be free of doubt entirely. World-Honored One,
although nanda and those like him have become enlightened,1 they have
not yet put an end to their habits and outflows. But I am among those in
the assembly who are free of outflows. And yet, having just now heard
the Buddha explain this Dharma, I find that I am assailed by doubts.
World-Honored One, if in fact the aggregates, the faculties, the vari-
ous perceived objects, and the consciousnesses are all the Matrix of the
Thus-Come One, which is itself fundamentally pure, then how is it that
suddenly there came into being the mountains, the rivers, and all else on
this earth that exists subject to conditions? And why are all these subject
to a succession of changes, ending and then beginning again?
The Thus-Come One also said that everywhere throughout the
Dharma-Realm, the primary elements earth, water, fire, and wind
are in their fundamental nature completely interfused with each other,
tranquil and everlasting. World-Honored One, if the primary element
1
At this point in the narrative, nanda is still a first-stage Arhat. Among the Arhats,
only those at the fourth stage, like Pra, are free of outflows.
141
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
2
The emptiness of people and phenomena. People are empty of any real and permanent
self or soul, and phenomena are empty of any real and permanent essential attributes.
3
Skt. araya. A quiet place in a forest or other wilderness, and by extension, a place
where spiritual practitioners dwell.
142
ADDING UNDERSTANDING TO UNDERSTANDING
be heard. If you want to follow the correct path, you should learn not to talk so
much. When there is too much talking, other people cannot enter samdhi.
(IV, 13)
The Buddha continued, Pra, you have asked me why the moun-
tains, the rivers, and everything else on this great earth have come into
being from the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, which is fundamentally
pure. Now, have you not often heard the Thus-Come One speak of the
wondrous understanding which is intrinsic to our inherent enlighten-
ment, to our fundamental, wondrous, luminous understanding?
Pra replied, Yes, World-Honored One, I have often heard the Bud-
dha expound upon this.
Inherent enlightenment refers to each persons truly enlightened nature.
Wondrous understanding refers to stillness and constant illumination, . . .
an everlasting quietness that nevertheless can illumine the entire Dharma-
Realm. The word wondrous also represents purity. The inherent, enlight-
ened nature is the one truth; it is the Buddha-nature inherent in us all, the
primary nature that multiplies to become the myriad things. . . . It is the funda-
mental enlightenment, the natural and primary essence inherent within us. It
neither increases or decreases, is neither produced nor destroyed, is neither
defiled nor pure. (IV, 15)
The Buddha said, When we talk about this understanding which char-
acterizes enlightenment, do we mean an understanding that is intrinsic
to our inherent enlightened nature? Or does our inherent enlightenment
lack understanding until we gain it when enlightenment is realized?
Pra said, Our inherent enlightenment is characterized by under-
standing only when that understanding is added to it.
The Buddha said, Suppose, as you say, that for our inherent enlight-
enment to be characterized by understanding, that understanding must
be added to it when enlightenment is realized. But an enlightenment to
which an understanding is added cannot be a true enlightenment. Such
an enlightenment would indeed lack understanding if understanding
were not added. But an enlightenment that lacks understanding cannot
be the true intrinsic enlightenment that is inherently pure and endowed
143
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
4
This is coming into being, the first of three subtle aspects of delusion, which is the
self-verifying division of the eighth consciousness.
5
This is evolving, the second subtle aspect of delusion, which is the observing division
of the eighth consciousness.
6
This is appearance, the third subtle aspect of delusion, which is the observed division
of the eighth consciousness. It is comprised of perceived objects, space, and beings.
7
That is, space.
8
That is, beings, considered uniform yet differentiated because all share sentience
while taking various forms.
144
ADDING UNDERSTANDING TO UNDERSTANDING
145
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
come the mountains, the rivers, and everything else on earth. This is the fifth
coarse aspect, the aspect of karma.9 (IV, 202)
9
The sixth and final coarse aspect of delusion is suffering due to karma.
10
Skt. maala, Ch. lun . Here the term is understood to mean the essence of the
primary elements, and in this passage the two characters lun (wheel or circular object)
and jing (essence) are used interchangeably.
11
The implication is that steps previous to this one have all been within the eighth
consciousness.
146
ADDING UNDERSTANDING TO UNDERSTANDING
element fire is stronger than the primary element water; thus rock gives
off sparks when struck and melts when heated. Vegetation grows where
the primary element water is stronger than the primary element earth;
thus the trees and grasses are reduced to ash when burned and exude
liquid when they are compressed. These distorted interactions together
produce the seeds that become the causes for the perpetuation of the
world of perceived objects.12
Further, Pra, you should know that beings deluded understand-
ing is due simply to the error of adding an understanding to inher-
ent enlightenment. The inevitable consequence is the establishment,
through delusion, of the categories something understood and that
which understands. So it is that the ear-faculty is aware only of sounds
and the eye-faculty is confined to visible objects. All six objects, which
are perceived through delusion visible objects, sounds, odors, flavors,
objects of touch, and objects of cognition are each placed in a separate
category, resulting in a division into seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting,
tactile awareness, and cognition.
Some beings are born due to being bound together by shared karma;
other beings are born due to union or else due to separation.
A point of light is seen to appear. When the light is seen clearly, de-
luded thoughts arise both hatred in response to incompatible points of
view and love in response to compatible ways of thinking. The thought of
love flows out to the fertilized egg, which is then drawn into the womb.
Thus the parents intercourse leads to the attraction of a being with
whom they share a common karma. Due to these causes and conditions,
the fetus develops, passing through the kalala stage,13 the arbuda stage,14
and the stages that follow.
When a person comes into being, it is the eighth consciousness which arrives
first, and when a person dies, the eighth consciousness is the last to leave. The
body remains warm until the eighth consciousness leaves it; then the eighth
12
The first of the three perpetuations.
13
The human fetus at the end of the first week after conception.
14
The fetus at the end of the second week.
147
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
15
Beings are the second of the perpetuations.
16
The text is compressed. According to Ven. Yuanying, the meaning is more precisely:
Because of greed and love, they must have a body and life; once they have body and life,
all have the desire to nourish them (565).
148
ADDING UNDERSTANDING TO UNDERSTANDING
Suppose you are in debt to someone for having taken his life; he will
want to take your life in repayment. Due to such causes and conditions,
beings must pass through hundreds of thousands of eons in an everlast-
ing succession of deaths and rebirths.
Suppose someone loves someone else for his or her mind, or for his or
her beauty. Due to such causes and conditions, beings must pass through
hundreds of thousands of eons in an everlasting succession of entangle-
ments.
The roots of all this are killing, stealing, and emotional love. Those
three and nothing else are the causes and conditions for the perpetuation
of retribution in accord with karma.17
Pra, these three distorted perpetuations ultimately derive from
adding an understanding to inherent enlightenment. From this added
understanding, a false understanding arises. From that, a deluded
awareness brings into being the mountains, the rivers, and all the other
17
The third of the perpetuations.
149
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
150
2
The Buddhas Enlightenment Is Irreversible
Pra then asked, If our wondrous enlightenment is fundamentally
wondrous, awake, and endowed with luminous understanding, and if the
mind of the Thus-Come One neither increases nor diminishes, how is it
then that all beings and all conditioned phenomena the mountains, the
rivers, and everything else on earth suddenly arise without a reason?
Also, now that the Thus-Come One has realized wondrous emptiness and
understanding, will the mountains, the rivers, and all other conditioned
phenomena on this earth, as well as the habits and outflows of beings,
ever arise for him again?
This section of text voices Pras doubt. He wonders whether the Buddha-
nature has a beginning and whether there will be a time when the Buddha will
no longer be a Buddha and will become an ordinary being again. (IV, 50)
151
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
152
3
The Interfusing of the Primary Elements
Pra, you have also asked how it is that the primary elements earth,
water, fire, and wind are in their fundamental natures completely in-
terfused with each other everywhere throughout the Dharma-Realm. You
wonder how it is that the primary elements water and fire do not over-
come each other in mutual annihilation. You also asked why it is that the
primary elements space and earth can both exist everywhere throughout
the Dharma-Realm while being incompatible with each other.
Consider, Pra, that the essential attribute of space is the absence of
anything else; still, that does not prevent everything else from appearing
within it. How can that be, Pra? The sky is bright when the sun shines.
It darkens when clouds gather. There is movement through it when the
wind blows. After a rain, the sun reappears and the air is clear. A turbid
mist arises when water condenses out of the air. In a dust storm, the air is
obscured. And reflections appear in water that is clear and still. Do these
various conditioned phenomena appearing in different circumstances
come into being because of these conditions, or do they come into being
from space?
Suppose, Pra, that these phenomena arise because of the circum-
stances just mentioned. Then, for example, when the sun is shining, does
the brightness in the air come into being because the sun is shining? If
so, then the sun should be everywhere in the ten directions. Why do we
see it as a distinct round object in the sky? If, on the other hand, the
brightness of the sky comes into being because of space, then all of space
would be shining of its own accord. Why is it not resplendent with light at
midnight, or when there are clouds or fog? It should be clear to you that
the brightness in the sky is not due to the sun or to space, although the
brightness cannot be present without both the sun and space.
The same can be said of the true, wondrous understanding which is
enlightenment. If one develops the category space in ones mind, then
space will appear within enlightenment. Earth, water, fire, and wind
153
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
154
THE INTERFUSING OF THE PRIMARY ELEMENTS
18
These are the first and the last two of the twelve links in the chain of dependent co-
arising (Skt. prattyasamutpda, Ch. yin yuan ), which is also translated as "dependent
origination and interdependent arising. Here all twelve links are understood to be
included. They are:
1) Because there is ignorance; there are formations.
2) Because there are formations, there is consciousness.
3) Because there is consciousness, there are name and form.
4) Because there are name and form, there are the six faculties.
5) Because there are the six faculties, there is contact.
6) Because there is contact, there is perception.
7) Because there is perception, there is craving.
155
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
156
THE INTERFUSING OF THE PRIMARY ELEMENTS
The paragraph of text just above spoke of the emptiness of the Matrix of
the Thus-Come One. Next the Buddha will show how this emptiness is not
empty. (IV, 756) . . . Words of negation are used, but that does not signify to-
tal negation; what still exists is the fundamental, wondrous, perfect mind. (IV,
87) . . . The Sutra has said that all things are not the Matrix of the Thus-Come
One; now it will say that all things are the Matrix of the Thus-Come One. (IV,
89) . . . If the Matrix of the Thus-Come One were empty and if that were all
there is to it, it would not be wondrous. But true emptiness is what gives rise
to wondrous existence, and wondrous existence produces true emptiness. . . .
The Matrix of the Thus-Come One is apart from emptiness and existence and
yet not apart from emptiness and existence. (IV, 901)
23
This tetralemma might be restated: The Matrix of the Thus-Come One is identical
with worldly and world-transcending phenomena and yet is not identical with them. It
both is and is not identical to them and neither is nor is not identical to them.
157
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
How then, with their conscious minds,24 could beings who are bound
to worlds in the three realms of existence or even world-transcending
Hearers of the Teaching and the Solitary Sages possibly fathom the
supreme awakening of the Thus-Come Ones? How could they gain the
Buddhas ability to know and to see merely by using the worlds words?
Marvelous sounds can be brought forth from lutes, harps, and man-
dolins only when there are skilled fingers to play them. In the same
way, all beings, including you, are fully endowed with the resplendent,
enlightened, true mind. When I arrange my fingers to form the ocean-
mudra, the light of the ocean-mudra samdhi shines forth. But the
moment a thought arises in your mind, you must endure the stress of
involvement with perceived objects. It is simply because you have not
diligently pursued the path to supreme enlightenment. Instead, you are
fond of the Lesser Vehicle and are content with a lesser goal.
24
That is, the distinction-making mind of the sixth consciousness.
158
4
Delusion Has No Basis:
The Parable of Yajadatta
Pra said, The Thus-Come One and I are alike in that we are both fully
endowed with the precious, awakened, perfect, luminous, true, won-
drous, pure mind that understands. Nevertheless, for a time without
beginning I was plagued with the deluded acts of my mind, and for a long
time I was bound to the cycle of death and rebirth. Although I have since
become a sage,25 my enlightenment is not fully perfected, whereas the
World-Honored One has put an end to all delusion so that only what is
wondrous, true, and everlasting remains. I venture to ask the Thus-Come
One why all beings suffer from delusion. Why do they keep covered their
wondrous, luminous understanding so that they continue to be sub-
merged in sasra?
The Buddha said to Pra, You have put your coarser doubts to rest,
but your more subtle doubts have not yet been ended. I will now ques-
tion you about this matter by referring to a mundane event. Have you not
heard about Yajadatta, the man from rvast who saw a face with per-
fectly clear features in the mirror one morning and became enraptured
with it? Then he became upset because he supposed he had lost his own
face. It struck him that he must have turned into a headless ghost.26 For
no good reason he ran madly out of his house. What do you think? What
caused this man to run madly about for no good reason?
Pra replied, He was clearly insane. That and nothing else was the
cause.
25
That is, he became an Arhat at the fourth stage, at which one is no longer subject to
rebirth.
26
Ch. limei . The translation is uncertain. The limei ghost is described in indigenous
Chinese works as a kind of animal spirit or ghost that usually lives in the mountains. The
corresponding Sanskrit is not clear. Given the context here, it is possibly the headless
ghost known as blemya. See J. Duncan and M. Derret, A Blemya in India, in Numen, 49: 4
(2002), 46074.
159
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
Therefore beings are not aware of the cause of their confusion. Be-
cause they do not realize that confusion is based only on confusion, their
confusion persists. They need merely to realize that confusion has no
ultimate basis, and the basis of their deluded thoughts will disappear.
There is no need for them to wish that the cause of their confusion would
disappear, because no cause existed in the first place. Thus someone who
has become fully enlightened is like one who relates the events of a dream
from which he has just awakened. His mind is now sharp and clear; what
reason could he have then to wish to try to return to his dream to obtain
some object that he had dreamt of?
You encounter confusion and it seems to really exist, but actually it is an illu-
sion. Confusion lacks any real existence. . . . The person who said he didnt
have a head thought he didnt have one, but it was really there on his shoul-
ders all along. Confusion is a temporary lack of clarity. It cant obliterate your
enlightened nature. . . .(IV, 105)
The person whose mind is sharp and clear represents the Buddha, who
can speak of the Dharma . . . to destroy confusion and delusion, but he cannot
physically get hold of deluded and confused mental states and show them to
you. All he can do is use analogies to instruct you. Dont expect him to pull out
160
DELUSION HAS NO BASIS THE PARABLE OF YAJADATTA
the states of mind for exhibit. In this way hes like a person who awakens from
a dream and can talk about all the things that took place in the dream, but he
cant pull out the things that he dreamt of and show them to you. (IV, 106)
27
When nanda speaks next, he restates what he takes to be the Buddhas position
here, and he identifies these three conditions as killing, stealing, and sexual desire. The
three causes are not defined in the text; anger, desire, and delusion, the three poisons of
the mind, are probably meant.
28
The parable is told in full in chapter eight of the Lotus Stra.
161
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
If the Yajadatta within you, your mad mind, ceases if your distorted think-
ing, your perpetual state of confusion, your lack of enlightenment disappears
then full awakening appears. But awakening does not come from outside
yourself. Nor do you need to nourish it within yourself. You have had it all
along. (IV, 110)
People who desire riches and honor and entertainment and pleasure,
dont realize that these mundane attainments are not the genuine riches or
the genuine honor. The poorest people are those who do not recognize truth
and do not understand that their true nature is like the hidden wish-fulfilling
pearl in the parable. They dont understand about their true nature, but it is
still the nature of the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, the supreme, pure, lumi-
nous mind. It is not lost; it is still inherently yours. If you practice according to
the Buddhas Dharma and have faith in it, you will understand that your true
nature is inherent within you, and you will come to discover your innate wealth.
This is the true riches and honor.
The wise person in the parable is the Buddha. Showing the poor person
the pearl in his clothing represents his pointing out to us our true inherent na-
ture. . . . The persons becoming wealthy represents someones awakening as
he comes to understand his inherent enlightened nature. . . . When we study
the ragama Stra, we should each discover the wish-fulfilling pearl in our
clothing. If you discover the pearl, you will be the worlds wealthiest person,
in this sense:
If your deluded mind comes to a stop and your disorderly thoughts disap-
pear, then you have obtained genuine wealth and honor. (IV, 1112)
Then nanda came forward from his place in the great assembly
to bow at the Buddhas feet. He stood and said to the Buddha, World-
Honored One, you have just now been saying that once we put to rest the
karmas of killing, stealing, and sexual desire so that these three condi-
tions no longer arise, their three causes will not become active again.
162
DELUSION HAS NO BASIS THE PARABLE OF YAJADATTA
Then the madness in our minds that is like Yajadattas madness will
cease of its own accord, and that ceasing itself is full awakening, which
no one else can bestow upon us. Isnt all this clearly an example of the
working of causes and conditions? Why then does the Thus-Come One
now reject the doctrine of causes and conditions? World-Honored One, it
was through hearing about causes and conditions that I became enlight-
ened, as did others of us younger Hearers of the Teaching, who still need
instruction. Here also in this assembly now are Mah-Maudgalyyana,
riputra, Subhti, and others who once followed Brahmin elders. They
too heard the teaching about causes and conditions, and as a result, they
made the resolve to enter the monastic life. They put an end to their
outflows and became enlightened. Now you say that one does not after
all realize enlightenment through causes and conditions. If that is so, the
ultimate truth must be what Maskari Golputra29 and those others in
Rjagha30 teach that enlightenment happens on its own. I only hope
that now the Buddha will compassionately clear up the confusion which
has been suffocating us.
The Buddha said to nanda, Let us compare what you have said to the
case of Yajadatta in rvast. If the causes and conditions for his mad-
ness were to disappear, his sanity would naturally reappear on its own.
Your argument concerning causes and conditions and things coming
into being on their own amounts to nothing more than that. nanda, his
head was just as it always was. It was already fundamentally part of him.
Otherwise he would not have been who he was. How then could causes
and conditions be involved in his running madly about out of fear that his
face had disappeared?
His head was intact from the beginning. But if his madness were in-
deed due to causes and conditions, wouldnt causes and conditions have
also led to his head actually disappearing? Yet his head has always been
present. His madness and terror arose from delusion. No actual change
29
See part 2, note 10.
30
A city in the kingdom of Magadha on the northeast Ganges Plain in what is now
Bihar.
163
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
had taken place. How then could his madness have arisen from causes
and conditions? And if his madness were fundamentally part of him if
madness and terror were the way he was in the first place then why
would his madness not have been already evident? But if his madness was
not fundamentally part of him if he was not deluded about his head all
along why did he run madly about?
Had Yajadatta awakened and realized that his head was fundamen-
tally part of him, he would have understood that his running about was
madness. From this it should be clear to you that your objections about
causes and conditions and about things coming into being on their own
cannot be taken seriously. That is why I said that once the three causes
and three conditions are eliminated, the enlightened mind is revealed.
If you were to say that the enlightened mind comes into being with the
cessation of the mind that arises and perishes, then you would be say-
ing that the enlightened mind, too, is subject to arising and perishing. In
truth, the effortless path to enlightenment is the ending of both arising
and perishing.
Suppose, further, that it is possible that the enlightened mind could
come into being on its own. Then it should be clear that it would come
into being only with the perishing of the mind that comes into being and
ceases to be. But that is still a coming into being and ceasing to be. Do not
think that something which does not arise and perish must therefore be
said to have come into being on its own.31 For example, a mixture is said
to be created when components with different attributes are combined.
What cannot be mixed together is said to be something that is fundamen-
tal. In fact, what is fundamental is not fundamental; what is mixed is not
in fact a mixture. Neither what is mixed nor what is fundamental exists.
Yet the nonexistence of the mixed and the fundamental must also be ne-
gated. Only then do we have a teaching that may be called Dharma that is
more than mere speculation. This is a teaching that must be left behind,
and the leaving behind, too, must be left behind. That may be called the
Dharma that transcends idle speculation.
31
This is the substance of nandas objection above.
164
DELUSION HAS NO BASIS THE PARABLE OF YAJADATTA
For you, awakening and nirvana are still so distant that you will have
to spend eons in difficult practice before you will reach them. Your abil-
ity to memorize all twelve types of discourse spoken by the Buddha32 and
proclaimed by the Thus-Come Ones in all ten directions with their
pure and wondrous truths innumerable as the River Ganges sands has
merely helped you to indulge in idle speculation. Certainly you have the
ability to speak about causes and conditions and about things coming
into being on their own with such understanding that people call you
foremost in erudition; yet despite your many eons of accumulated learn-
ing, you were not able escape your difficulty with the young Mtaga
woman. Why did you need me to recite the ragama Mantra for you?
In the young Mtaga womans heart the fires of lust were extinguished,
and instantly she became a sage who is free of rebirth.33 Now she has
joined a group of vigorous practitioners of my Dharma. In her, the river
of love has gone dry, and so now you are free of her.
Therefore, nanda, the many eons you have spent committing to
memory the Thus-Come Ones esoteric, inconceivable, wondrous, and
majestic Dharma are not equal to a single day spent cultivating karma
that is free of outflows and is far removed from the two worldly torments
of hate and love. The young Mtaga woman was a courtesan, and yet her
love and desire were dispelled by the spiritual power of the mantra; now
she is a nun named Prakti.34 She and Rhulas mother, Yaodhar,35 have
both become aware of their previous lives, and they know that, among
the causes of their actions during many lifetimes, their craving for emo-
tional love was the cause of their suffering. Now they have escaped their
32
The twelve are prose passages, reiterative verses, instructional verses, teachings
concerning causation, narratives, accounts of the Buddhas previous lives, accounts of
manifestations of spiritual power, analogies, questions and answers concerning doctrine,
teachings spoken without request, broadenings of the teaching, and predictions of
enlightenment.
33
Skt. angmin, a third-stage Arhat.
34
The name means Nature, that is, one who understands her own nature.
35
Yaodhar was the wife of the Buddha kyamui while he was still Prince
Siddhartha. Rhula was their son.
165
THE COMING INTO BEING OF THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
36
That is, that at such and such a time and place they would become Buddhas with such
and such names.
166
V
Instructions
for Practice
1
Five Layers of Turbidity
Once again nanda wept as he bowed at the Buddhas feet. Then he knelt,
and with his palms joined he said respectfully to the Buddha, The Su-
preme, Compassionate, Pure, and Noble King has skillfully opened our
minds. In response to our various situations and circumstances, he has
been able to urge us on and to pull us benighted ones out of the sea of
suffering in which we have been drowning.
World-Honored One, now that I have heard the Buddha explain this
Dharma, I know that the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, which is the
wondrous, enlightened mind that understands, extends throughout all
ten directions. I know that it encompasses and supports the lands of the
Thus-Come Ones in all ten directions those pure and splendid lands of
the Wondrous, Enlightened Kings. However, the Thus-Come One has also
admonished me for merely listening to the Dharma without applying it
to my practice. Now, therefore, I am like a wanderer who unexpectedly
meets a celestial king. The king bestows upon the wanderer a magnifi-
cent house. The house is now his, yet in order to go in he will still need
to find a door. I only hope that the Thus-Come One will not withhold his
compassion from all of us in this assembly who are covered in darkness,
so that we may renounce the Lesser Vehicle. May he show us the road
that leads from our original resolve to the Thus-Come Ones bodiless
nirvana.1 May he enable those of us who still need instruction to subdue
our age-old habit of dependence on the objects of the senses, to master
the dhra,2 and to gain the wisdom and vision of the Buddhas. Having
made this request, nanda bowed to the ground, and all in the assembly
single-mindedly awaited the Buddhas compassionate instruction.
Then the World-Honored One took pity on all the Hearers of the
Teaching and on the Solitary Sages in the assembly who did not yet abide
1
Skt. anupadhi-ea nirva, Ch. wu yu niepan , literally nirvana without
remainder. The phrase refers to the nirvana of a Buddha that follows the death of his
physical body; it is the body that does not remain.
2
The ragama Mantra.
169
instructions for practice
effortlessly in the fully awakened mind. He took pity also on the beings
who would be born after the Buddhas bodiless nirvana, during the time
of the Dharmas ending. He revealed the wondrous path of practice in
accord with the Supreme Vehicle, so that all would resolve their minds
upon becoming fully awake.
The period when the Buddha kyamuni was in the world is called the time of
the right Dharma. During this period, which continued for a thousand years,
people devoted themselves to meditation and samdhi. After the Buddha
had entered nirvana and the thousand years of the time of the right Dharma
had passed, the time of the semblance of Dharma began. It, too, lasted for
a thousand years. During this period, people devoted themselves to building
temples and stupas. They didnt enter samdhi but instead sought to earn
blessings from their work. When the Buddha was in the world, people sought
wisdom, but during the time of the semblance of Dharma, they ignored the
roots and held on to the branches. After the time of the semblance of Dharma
came the time of the Dharmas ending, which we are in now. In this time, peo-
ple devote themselves neither to meditation and samdhi nor to the building
of temples and stupas. They devote themselves to fighting. Wherever you go
in the present age, people quarrel with people, families fight with families, and
countries war against countries. In every space and corner of the globe there
is contention and unrest. When we sit in meditation and study the Sutras, we
make the time of right Dharma appear within the time of the Dharmas ending.
(IV, 140)
170
five layers of turbidity
171
instructions for practice
6
All six consciousnesses are implied.
7
The external turbidities are aspects of the world and beings during the period of
decline of an eon. The five are the turbidity of the eon; the turbidity of mistaken views
among the beings of that time; the turbidity of afflictions among the beings; the turbidity
of beings, who become defiled at that time; and the turbidity of lifespans, in that the
average lifespan declines drastically at that time. The internal turbidities, on the other
hand, correspond to the three subtle and six coarse attributes of delusion. The first
turbidity corresponds to the first of the three subtle attributes (the coming into being of
the self-verifying division of the eighth consciousness); the second turbidity corresponds
to the second and third of the subtle attributes (the coming into being of the observing
and the observed divisions of the eighth consciousness); the third turbidity corresponds
to the first four of the coarse attributes of delusion; the fourth turbidity corresponds to the
fifth coarse attribute; and the fifth turbidity corresponds to the sixth coarse attribute. For
discussion of the six coarse attributes of delusion, see part 4.1 above.
172
five layers of turbidity
8
This is the first of the two definitive principles mentioned just above.
173
instructions for practice
the sand and silt in it will settle naturally, and the water will become
clear. This may be compared to the initial stage of subduing the afflic-
tions that arise from transitory perceptions of objects. When the sand
and silt have been removed so that only clear water remains, then funda-
mental ignorance has been eliminated forever. When the water is quite
pure and clear, nothing that may happen will be a cause of affliction. All
will be in accord with the pure and wondrous attributes of nirvana.
When someone throws dirt into clean water, the water turns muddy. The dirt
loses its solidity, and the water loses its clarity. This is an analogy for beings,
who are within the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, but who get mixed up with
the four primary elements and the five layers of turbidity and give rise to igno-
rance and affliction. From the one truth arises the false. . . . An analogy could
compare the true to our body and the false to our shadow. Our shadow exists
only when there is a light shining on the body. The shadow represents igno-
rance, because ignorance is also unreal; it is something false which arises
from the true. But, because this one falseness arises, every kind of falseness
arises.
As for the analogy of dirt thrown into water, when you practice meditation
in order to return to purity, your body is like the undisturbed container. . . . But
you must be completely unmoving. Its not the case that you can move your
legs at the first sign of pain, or that you can lean back and relax when your
back hurts. . . . One who is still and unmoving is not afraid of anything, much
less a little leg pain. With the settling of the sand and silt, which represent
your ignorance and affliction, your true nature, represented by the pure water,
appears. . . . But if you simply let the mud stay in the bottom of the container,
then as soon as the vessel is moved, the mud will be stirred up again. That
represents a resurgence of ignorance and affliction in your mind. . . . If the
mud is completely removed from the water, then you will have rid yourself
of your fundamental ignorance forever. At that point, you have become a
Buddha. (IV, 1546)
174
2
Choosing One Faculty
in Order to Liberate All Six
The second principle is that, if you are resolved to become fully awak-
ened, you must courageously dedicate yourself to practice in accord with
the Bodhisattva Vehicle. You must decisively let go of everything that
has conditioned attributes. Carefully examine the source of your afflic-
tions, which since time without beginning have created your karma and
nurtured its growth. Who is it that creates this karma and undergoes
retribution? If, during your quest for full awakening, nanda, you do not
examine and contemplate the sources of affliction, you will not be able to
understand the illusory and distorted nature of the perceiving faculties
and their objects. At what point did you become so disoriented? If you do
not know that, how can you expect to subdue your afflictions and aspire
to becoming a Buddha?
nanda, consider some worldly person who wishes to untie a knot. If
he cannot see the knot, how will he know how to untie it? You have never
heard of space being broken into parts. Why? Space has no shape or form.
Therefore, it can neither be divided nor put together again.
Untying the knot refers to the instruction that you must know the source of
delusion if you are to get rid of it. . . . The fact that there are no knots in space
represents the nature of the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, which is inherent
in you and is free of delusion. (IV, 161)
But now your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are like con-
spirators who have introduced thieves into your house to plunder your
valuables. In this way, since time without beginning, beings and the
world of time and space have been tied to each other because of illusion,
and that is why beings cannot transcend this world.
People think that the six faculties are helpful, but actually it is just these six
destructive things that steal the Dharma-jewels of our true nature. People con-
sider their eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind to be their best friends.
175
instructions for practice
But these so-called friends are the ones who invite thieves into your house to
plunder your valuables. It is said,
You see someone eating something, and its as if a hand reaches out of
your throat to grab it. The mouth is gluttonous because the eyes have seen
something good to eat. Or you see something or someone beautiful and you
want that person or thing, but once you get your wish, it becomes a source
of affliction. And if you dont get your wish, youre also afflicted. . . . The six
consciousnesses that are produced by the interaction of the eyes, ears, nose,
tongue, body, and mind with their objects are what is meant by outflows. But
the thieves will not be able to rob you if you can reach the level at which
If you dont have the skill if you lack samdhi and if you run out
through your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind instead of turning your
light around to illumine within, then you have outflows, and you are being
robbed of your inherent wealth, . . . which is nothing less than your everlasting
true mind within the Matrix of the Thus-Come One. (IV, 1625)
What do I mean, nanda, by beings and the world of time and space?
Time denotes flux and change; space denotes location and direction.
You already know that the directions are north, south, east, west, north-
east, southeast, northwest, southwest, above, and below, while time is
divided into past, present, and future. Thus locations are tenfold and the
flow of time is threefold, making ten directions and three periods of time.
Because beings are entangled in illusion, they constantly move about in
time and space, which become interconnected.
176
choosing one faculty in order to liberate all six
177
instructions for practice
178
choosing one faculty in order to liberate all six
given you a full explanation of the fundamental purity and perfect clarity
of the six faculties, and I have now given numerical equivalents for the
efficacy of each one. It is up to you to choose carefully which one to con-
centrate on. I will clarify this to help you move forward vigorously.
The Thus-Come Ones in all ten directions chose one of the eighteen
constituent elements of perception for their practice that led to their
gaining the perfect, supreme, complete awakening. For them, none of
the eighteen constituents was superior or inferior. But because you are
at a lower level and have not yet fully developed that wisdom which is
independent of conditions, I have explained all this to you in detail so
that you will be able to choose one faculty as a gateway to deep practice.
If you take that path until you have left behind all distortion within that
one faculty, then all the other faculties will be purified as well.
nanda said respectfully to the Buddha, World-Honored One, how
can I choose one gateway that will allow me to reverse my outflows and
purify all six of my faculties of perception at the same time?
The Buddha said to nanda, You have already reached the level of
one who has entered the stream of the sages,11 and you have abandoned
the deluded views held by beings in the three realms of existence.12 But
you still do not understand the illusory habits which you have accumu-
lated in life after life since time without beginning. You will need to prac-
tice even more to get rid of the subtle aspects of your habits as they come
into being, abide, decay, and perish.
Now you should consider whether the six faculties are one or six.
If they are one, nanda, why cant the ears see, and why cant the eyes
hear? Why cant the head walk? Why cant the feet speak? If the six facul-
ties are indeed six, which one of them is now receiving my instruction
in this subtle, wondrous gateway to the Dharma as I explain it to this
assembly?
nanda replied, I am hearing it with my ears.
The Buddha said, If it is just your ears that hear it, do they then have
11
Skt. srota-panna, stream-enterer, the first of the four Arhat stages, in which one
enters the stream of sagehood.
12
That is, in the realms of desire, form, and formlessness.
179
instructions for practice
no connection to your body or your mouth? And yet you ask about the
teaching with your mouth, and as you receive it, you show your respect
with your body. Therefore as to the idea that the faculties must be one
if they are not six, and that they must be six if they are not one we can-
not say that fundamentally they are both one and six, nor can we say that
they are neither one nor six. In your disoriented state, in which you have
been sinking and undergoing change13 since time without beginning, you
have conceived the idea that there is one and six within the funda-
mental perfect clarity. As a sage at the first level, you have purified the
six, but you have not done away with the one.
By analogy, suppose one were to try to fit some space into a variety
of containers. Because containers differ in shape, we could say the spaces
within them also differ in shape. If you take away the containers and look
at the space that was within them, you will say that the space has become
one again. But how could space become unified or separated because of
what you have done? Indeed, how could the space be said to be either
one or not one? You should understand that the same is true of the six
faculties of perception.
The essence of seeing14 is generated out of the wondrous perfection
of the pure mind because it adheres to the appearance of the two at-
tributes of light and darkness. That essence of seeing then reveals the
essence of visible objects,15 and the two then become entangled with one
another, thus creating the essence of the eye-faculty. The essence of the
eye-faculty is composed of the four primary elements in their pure state,
and that is why it may be called the facultys essence. The physical eye
takes the shape of a grape and is composed of the four primary elements
in their coarse state. The eye-faculty recklessly races outward in pursuit
of visible objects.
The essence of hearing is generated out of the wondrous perfection
13
That is, sinking in the sea of affliction and moving from one body to another through
the process of death and rebirth.
14
The observing division of the eighth consciousness.
15
The observed division of the eighth consciousness. The same pattern is applied to the
other faculties and their objects.
180
choosing one faculty in order to liberate all six
181
instructions for practice
the facultys essence. The physical body, with its torso which takes the
shape of a skin-covered drum, is composed of the four primary elements
in their coarse form. The body-faculty recklessly races outward in pur-
suit of tangible objects.
The essence of cognition is generated out of the wondrous perfection
of the pure mind because it adheres to the two mutually perpetuating
attributes of coming into being and perishing. The essence of mental
awareness grasps the essence of objects of cognition, thus creating the
essence of the cognitive faculty. The essence of the cognitive faculty is
composed of the four primary elements in their pure state, and that is
why it may be called the facultys essence. The cognitive faculty, which
is, as it were, seen in a dark room, responds to the four primary elements
in their coarse form. The mind-faculty recklessly flows outward in pur-
suit of mental objects.
So it is, nanda, that the six faculties come into being out of the
awakened mind when another understanding is added to that awakened
mind. As a result, the essential understanding is lost and the faculties
adhere to what is distorted, and each one assumes a different function.
Therefore, if you were now to be deprived of both light and darkness,
would your seeing continue to exist or would it not? If you were deprived
of both sound and silence, would your hearing lose its fundamental char-
acteristics or would it not? If you were deprived of both openness and
blockage, would your capacity to smell continue to exist or would it not?
If you were deprived of both the presence and the absence of flavors,
would your capacity to taste continue to exist or would it not? If you were
deprived of both contact and separation, would your sense of touch still
exist or would it not? If you were deprived of both the coming into being
and perishing of the objects of cognition, would your capacity for cogni-
tion still exist or would it not?
All that you need to do is not allow your attention to be diverted by
the twelve conditioned attributes of sound and silence, contact and sepa-
ration, flavor and the absence of flavor, openness and blockage, coming
into being and perishing, and light and darkness. Next, extricate one
faculty by detaching it from its objects, and redirect that faculty inward
182
choosing one faculty in order to liberate all six
so that it can return to what is original and true. Then it will radiate the
light of the original understanding. This brilliant light will shine forth
and extricate the other five faculties until they are completely free.
The text says literally: All you need is not to follow. This section of the Sutra
is very important. Why dont people become enlightened? . . . It is because
they let themselves be distracted by illusory objects of perception. They are
under the influence of their perceptions of objects and cannot gain control
over them. But you dont have to comply; you dont have to be under their
influence. You can go against the current and decline to follow the twelve
conditioned attributes of light and darkness, sound and silence, openness
and blockage, flavors and blandness, contact and separation, and coming
into being and ceasing to be. (IV, 195)
If your six faculties are freed from the objects that they perceive so
that the light of your understanding is not diverted into one or another of
the faculties, then the light of your understanding will manifest through
all the faculties so that all six of them will function interchangeably.
nanda, you know, do you not, that here in this assembly, Aniruddha
is blind and yet can see; that the dragon Upananda is deaf and yet can
hear; that the goddess of the River Ganges has no sense of smell and yet
can discern fragrances; that Gavpatis malformed tongue cannot taste,
and yet he is aware of flavors; and that the spirit nyat is incorporeal
but just now has a sense of touch you can see him here temporarily as
he is illumined by the light of the Thus-Come One. By nature, however,
he is as bodiless as the wind. And like all who abide in the samdhi of ces-
sation16 and who have attained the stillness of the Hearers of the Teach-
ing, Mahkyapa, here in this assembly, long ago caused his cognitive
faculty to cease, and yet without relying on the thinking mind, his under-
standing is clear and perfect.
Once all your faculties are completely disengaged, nanda, a pure
16
Skt. nirodha-sampatti, Ch. mie jin ding , that is, cessation of the sixth
consciousness (the mind-consciousness) and of the seventh consciousness (the
individuating consciousness). Practitioners at this ninth level of samdhi have put an end
to the aggregates of sense-perception and cognition.
183
instructions for practice
brilliance will shine forth from within them. Then all coarse perceived
objects indeed all phenomena subject to change in the material world
will be transformed, just as ice is transformed when it melts in hot wa-
ter. Then, responding in the time it takes for a single thought to arise, all
phenomena will merge into your supreme awareness.
nanda, consider someone who, seeing only with his eyes, quickly
closes his eyes so that total darkness surrounds him. His six faculties will
be enveloped in the darkness such that his eyes will not be able to distin-
guish the head from the feet on someone elses body. But he will be able
to tell the head and the foot apart if he traces their shape with his hands.
He will be able to identify them as accurately as he would have done by
using his eyes.
Now, if his visual awareness were dependent on the presence of light,
he would have no visual awareness when he was immersed in darkness.
But without light, he can still perceive. Total darkness need not prevent
him from being aware of distinctions among objects. In the same way,
once your faculties and their objects have melted away, how could your
awareness and understanding not become perfect and wondrous?
184
3
The Example of the Bells Sound
nanda said respectfully to the Buddha, World-Honored One, as the
Buddha has said, when ones practice is based on the resolve to seek
what is everlasting, ones mind should be correlated to the mental state
of the enlightenment that will be the result of ones practice. This result,
World-Honored One, may be called Full Awakening, Nirvana, the Such-
ness of Reality, the Buddha-nature, the Pure17 Consciousness, the Empti-
ness of the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, and the Wisdom of the Great
Perfect Mirror. Those are seven different names for what is pure and
perfect, everlasting and indestructible, that essential nature which is like
the most durable vajra.
If, ultimately, seeing, hearing, and the other sense-consciousnesses
do not exist on their own apart from light and darkness, sound and si-
lence, openness and blockage, and so forth, then in the same way the
mind-consciousness must cease to exist when it is apart from its own ob-
jects. How then can these consciousnesses, which will ultimately perish,
be the basis for practice as one strives for the Thus-Come Ones everlast-
ing realization as it is characterized by those seven names?
World-Honored One, suppose that in the final analysis no seeing can
take place when neither light nor darkness are present. In the same way,
no thought-processes can take place if no objects are being presented to
the faculty of cognition. Then no matter how much I look here and look
there, going about in circles in an exhaustive search, I can find nothing
that fundamentally is my mind or my minds objects. On what then can I
base my quest for supreme enlightenment?
What the Thus-Come One has just said contradicts his previous words
about what is clear, pure, perfect, and everlasting.18 It seems to be mere
speculation. How can these words spoken by the Thus-Come One be true?
17
Skt. amala-vijna, the eighth consciousness transformed into a pure consciousness.
18
nanda here alludes to the discussion of visual awareness in part 2.
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instructions for practice
I only hope the Buddha, out of his great kindness, will set me free from
the doubts that I am clinging to.
The Buddha said to nanda, You are very learned, but you have not
yet put an end to your outflows. You know the reasons for delusion, but
when you encounter delusion you fail to recognize it. It is to be feared
that, though you are sincere, you still do not quite trust the teaching.
I will have to make use of another everyday situation to dispel your
doubts.
The Buddha then instructed Rhula to strike the bell once, and he
asked nanda, Do you hear?
nanda and the others in the assembly answered, We hear.
When the bell had ceased ringing, the Buddha asked again, Now do
you hear?
nanda and the others in the assembly answered, We do not.
Then Rhula struck the bell once more, and the Buddha asked once
again, Now do you hear?
nanda and the others again replied, We hear.
The Buddha asked nanda, How is it that you heard and then did not
hear?
nanda and the others said respectfully to the Buddha, We heard the
bell when it was struck, but when at length the sounding of the bell had
died away and its reverberations had faded, we no longer were hearing.
The Buddha then instructed Rhula to strike the bell yet again, and he
asked nanda, Is there a sound now?
nanda and the others in the assembly answered, Yes, there is a
sound.
In a little while the sound faded, and the Buddha asked, And now is
there a sound?
nanda and the others replied, There is no sound.
After a moment Rhula again struck the bell, and the Buddha asked
again, And is there a sound now?
nanda and the others said, There is.
The Buddha asked nanda, How is it that there was a sound and then
no sound?
186
the example of the bell s sound
19
This is another way of expressing the meaning of Ch. wen xing , earlier rendered
as the enlightened nature of hearing.
187
instructions for practice
. . . If you were really without hearing, then you would not know whether there
was sound or not. (IV, 215)
Although the sound ceases, the enlightened nature of hearing has not
ceased to function. It is still in operation, because the enlightened nature of
hearing neither comes into being nor ceases to be. It is sound that comes into
being and ceases to be. Thus when the sound ceased and nanda said that
he did not hear, he was mistaken. (IV, 218)
You are still deluded. In your confusion you take hearing and the
presence of sound to be the same thing. You consider something ever-
lasting to be something that will come to an end. In the final analysis, it
cannot be said that hearing in its essential nature is dependent on the
presence of sound or silence, or dependent on whether the ears are ob-
structed or unobstructed.
Consider someone who has fallen deeply asleep on his bed. While he
is sleeping, someone in his household starts beating clothes or pound-
ing rice. The dreamer hears the sounds of the beating or the pounding
and mistakes them for something else, perhaps the striking of a drum
or the ringing of a bell. In his dream he wonders why the striking of the
bell or drum sounds like clothes being beaten or like rice being pounded.
He wakes up suddenly, and he immediately recognizes the sound of the
pounding. He tells the people in his household, I just had a dream in
which I mistook your pounding rice for the beating of a drum.
He is so sound asleep that he does not wake up when someone calls him. But
even though he does not awaken, the enlightened nature of his hearing is still
present. He perceives sounds, albeit mistakenly, even though he is asleep.
The mistake is not made by the enlightened nature of hearing but by the sixth
consciousness, the mind-consciousness. (IV, 221)
nanda, how was it that this dreamer could have been conscious
of sound or silence? How was it that his ears were unobstructed and
functioning? Although his body was asleep, the enlightened nature of
his hearing did not sleep. Even when the body wastes away, its energy
dissipates, and its life force moves on, how could that essential capacity
to hear dissipate along with them?
188
the example of the bell s sound
189
instructions for practice
190
the example of the bell s sound
The earth trembled and moved in six ways at this point because the Buddha
was about to proclaim a very important teaching. All the Buddhas of the ten
directions came to praise him in a single voice. The quaking also represents
the liberation of the six faculties in the analogy, the release of the six knots.
nanda has just asked about the source of the six knots and how to untie
them, and the Buddha is about to explain the teaching on this point. . . . Fur-
ther, Thus-Come Ones as numerous as fine motes of dust emitted lights of
various colors to represent the supremacy of the Dharma that the Buddha was
about to speak. (IV, 23940)
Note that it was the light, not the Buddhas themselves, that came to the
Jetri Grove. The light from as many Thus-Come Ones as there are sand-
grains in the River Ganges and as numerous as fine motes of dust came to
shine upon the crown of the Buddha kyamunis head. This demonstrates
that the Path taught by all Buddhas is the same path. . . . The Buddhas lights
are mutually interfused, and so are the Buddhas minds. The same is true of
peoples minds. If you are upset with someone, that person will realize it even
if you havent said a word. The person may not know it consciously, on the
level of his sixth mind-consciousness which makes distinctions, but there is
a reaction that occurs in his eighth consciousness. . . . Therefore, if you want
to influence someone to change by means of positive reinforcement, you can
think all kinds of good thoughts to influence them, but the process will be
gradual. Bit by bit you can cause them to awaken. (IV, 241)
Then nanda and all the others in the great assembly heard the num-
berless Thus-Come Ones from throughout the ten directions speak in one
voice, though with different tongues, saying: Well done, nanda! You
want to understand the ignorance that you were born with. The source
of the knot what causes you to be bound to the cycle of death and re-
birth is your six faculties of perception, nothing more. Also, since you
wish to understand the supreme enlightenment, you should understand
that it is through those same six faculties that you can quickly gain bliss,
liberation, and stillness, wondrous and everlasting.
At the same time they all heard the Thus Come Ones speak to nanda in
unison. Although there were many speakers, the voice was the same. What
191
instructions for practice
these Thus-Come Ones had to say here was meant not only for nanda but
also for you and me and everyone else who is studying the ragama Stra.
This instruction is a very important section of the text. It concerns a crucial
point: the matter of death and rebirth. If you understand this section, you can
quickly put an end to death and rebirth. If you dont understand it, youll have
to redouble your effort to make progress in your study and practice. (IV, 243)
It is because of their six faculties that people keep being deluded in life
after life and death after death. Why? The eyes see visible objects and fall
under their influence. The ears hear sounds and chase after them. The nose
smells fragrances and goes out after them. The tongue tastes flavors and
seeks for them. The body is touched and pursues the objects it touches. The
mind entertains thoughts and races after them. . . . That is what causes the
problem of death and rebirth. The Buddha said a little earlier in the Sutra,
All you need is not to follow. Dont follow the distinction-making mind. Dont
pursue the activities of the six faculties, their six objects, and the six sense-
consciousnesses.
Turn your head and youll find the shore of enlightenment. . . . Now that
you recognize the role of the six faculties, you should not mistake a burglar
for your own child. You should not keep spinning around at the portals of the
six faculties. (IV, 2445)
But the Thus-Come Ones also tell nanda that the six faculties are the
road to enlightenment as well and the permanence, bliss, true self, and purity
of nirvana. (IV, 246)
192
the example of the bell s sound
Though we use words to try to speak the truth, all words are false,
Not only words that aim at truth, but false words all are false.
Both that which is called true and that which is called false are false,
How can there be, therefore, observer and what is observed?
You should consider now these vines that twist around each other.
The vines have no existence, yet they do not lack existence.
The darkness of confusion is our basic ignorance;
The light of understanding brings about our liberation.
193
instructions for practice
But when your mind grasps hold of your own mind, whats not illusion
Then becomes illusory. And if you dont grasp hold,
Then what is called illusion and whats not illusion too
Will not arise. How could what is illusion be established?
In the third stanza, the Buddha points out that sages and ordinary people do
not walk on separate paths. . . . The difference is that ordinary people turn
their backs on enlightenment and cleave to their experience of perceived ob-
jects, while the sages turn their backs on perceived objects and become one
with enlightenment. Ordinary people are confused, sages have awakened,
but the source of both confusion and awakening is the same. (IV, 254)
The Buddha kyamuni tells nanda to choose one of his faculties and
break through to enlightenment. The method for spiritual practice is to work at
the entrance to the six faculties. That is, the eyes are not influenced by visible
21
Skt. dna-vijna, is another name for lya-vijna, the storehouse-consciousness,
(the eighth consciousness). It stores the seeds of past intentional actions until conditions
have matured for their sprouting into awareness. dna has the sense of maintaining,
in that it is essential for the maintenance of embodied seeds and life.
22
Ch. san mo ti is probably a transliteration of sampatti (contemplative insight),
but possibly of samdhi.
23
That is, past the level of the Arhat.
24
The text has the Skt. Bhagavn.
194
the example of the bell s sound
objects, the ears are not influenced by sounds, the nose is not influenced by
odors, the tongue is not influenced by flavors, the body is not influenced by
objects of touch, and the mind is not influenced by objects of cognition. You
transform what takes place at the entrance to the six faculties. You reverse the
light of your attention to illuminate the mind within. You do not seek outside.
You guard and gather in your body and mind. You seek within yourself.
You have to select one of the faculties that will lead you to break through to
enlightenment. The Buddha has already laid the groundwork for this. He has
discussed the efficacy of each of the faculties and has told Ananda to judge
which ones are more complete. . . . The Buddha has implied that the ear will
be the best choice, but he has not yet said it plainly. (IV, 260)
25
The reference is to two forms of Buddhist Sanskrit verse. The gth, here rendered as
instructional verse, was a metrical narrative or hymn, with moral purport . . . a detached
stanza, distinguished from geya [here rendered as reiterative verse], which repeated the
ideas of preceding prose passages. William Edward Soothill and Lewis Hodus, A Dictionary
of Buddhist Terms (London: Kegan Paul, 1934), 225a. The verse spoken here by the Buddha
contains elements of both forms a combination, as the text says.
195
4
The Analogy of the Six Knots
nanda put his palms together, bowed to the ground, and said respect-
fully to the Buddha, I have heard the Buddha, out of his unbounded
compassion, speak these true words of Dharma concerning the purity,
wondrousness, and everlastingness of our real nature. But I still do not
fully understand the sequence for releasing the knots such that when
the six are untied, the one will vanish. I only hope that the Buddha will
show us great kindness and that, taking pity once again on this assembly
and on beings of the future, he will bestow upon us words of Dharma that
will cleanse us of impurities.
The Thus-Come One straightened his inner garment26 and arranged
his robe.27 Still sitting in the Lions Seat, he reached out onto the table in
front of him, which was inlaid with seven kinds of precious things.28 He
picked up an elegant presentation scarf29 which had been given to him by
a god from the Heaven of Self-Restraint.30 Before the assembly he tied a
knot in the scarf, and showing it to nanda, he said, What is this?
nanda and the others respectfully answered, It is a knot.
The Thus Come One thereupon tied another knot in his elegantly pat-
terned scarf and again asked nanda, And what is this?
nanda and the others in the assembly again respectfully answered,
It is another knot.
The Buddha tied a sequence of similar knots in his elegantly patterned
scarf until six knots had been tied on top of one other. Each time, as he
held up the knot he had just tied, he asked nanda, And what is this?
26
Skt. nivsana.
27
Skt. saghi, a garment that winds around the body, leaving the right shoulder bare.
28
The seven precious things are gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-of-pearl,
roseate pearls, and carnelian. The pearls found off the coasts of India and Sri Lanka were
prized for their faint roseate hue. Carnelian is a reddish form of agate.
29
The practice of presenting a scarf to a teacher when seeking the teachers advice is
still observed in some Buddhist traditions.
30
Skt. suyma. The third in the hierarchy of six heavens in the realm of desire. See part
9.13a.
196
the analogy of the six knots
Each time nanda and the others in the great assembly replied in the
same manner: It is another knot.
The scarf represents the nature of the Matrix of the Thus-Come One; the six
knots represent the six faculties of perception. (V, 4)
The Buddha then said to nanda, The first time that I tied a knot in
this elegantly patterned scarf, you said that it was a knot. To begin with,
this precious scarf was in fact merely a scarf. Why did you answer a sec-
ond and a third time, It is another knot?
nanda said respectfully to the Buddha, Basically, World-Honored
One, this precious, elegantly patterned, and beautifully woven scarf is
a single thing, but it seems to me that when the Thus-Come One tied it
once, he made what we would call a knot. If he had tied it a hundred
times, we would say there were a hundred knots. In fact, there are six
knots in the scarf; the Buddha did not tie as many as seven, nor did he
stop at five. Why then does the Thus-Come One acknowledge the first
knot, but not the second or the third?
The Buddha said to nanda, You understand that this precious scarf is
a single strip of cloth. My tying it six times might be said to have made six
knots, but examine the question more carefully. The implication of your
answers is that, although the essential nature of the scarf is unchanged,
the knots have nevertheless changed it. What do you think? When I first
tied a knot in the scarf, you said it was the first knot. I ask you: would you
call the sixth knot I tied the first knot?
The Buddha demonstrates that the nature of the Matrix of the Thus-Come
One is fundamentally one. . . . Though six knots have been made, the funda-
mental essence of the Matrix is still one. (V, 6)
197
instructions for practice
still, it would not do to confuse their order. The same may be said of the
six faculties of perception. Within what is ultimately one, differentiation
eventually arises.
Originally they were identical, but the eyes function as eyes, the ears function
as ears, the nose functions as a nose, the tongue functions as a tongue, the
body functions as the body, and the mind functions as the mind. Originally
they were one and the same, but now they are divided. Even then, if they
worked together, it would be all right. They could all reverse their direction and
shine within. The eyes could turn their light inward, the ears could listen within
and hear the true nature, the nose would not be influenced by odors, the
tongue would not be influenced by flavors, the body would not be influenced
by tactile sensations, and the mind would not be influenced by objects of
cognition. If they could all work together to shine their light inward, they would
still be one. But they cant work together. The eyes see visible objects and are
influenced by them, the ears listen to sounds and are influenced by them, the
nose smells odors and is influenced by them, the tongue tastes flavors and
is influenced by them, the body enjoys objects of touch and is influenced by
them, and the mind grasps objects of cognition and is influenced by them.
What is important is to not follow after them, but ordinary people are unable to
avoid following after them. (V, 78)
The Buddha said to nanda, Suppose you were displeased by the six
knots in your scarf and would prefer it to be a single length of cloth. How
would you go about untying the knots?
nanda said, As long as these knots are in the scarf, there will
naturally be disagreement about which one of them is which. But if the
Thus-Come One were now to untie them all and no further knots were
tied, then there would be no question as to which was which, since there
would be no first knot left, much less a sixth.
The Buddha said, When the six are untied, the one will vanish is the
same idea.31 Since time without beginning, due to your deranged confu-
sion about the nature of your mind, your awareness has become distort-
31
What follows here is a summary of teachings presented in part 4.1.
198
the analogy of the six knots
ed, and these distortions have not ceased. The strain on the awareness
generates perceived objects. It is as in the example of your eyes staring
until they become so stressed that they see flowers in the sky.32 Amidst
the clarity of enlightened understanding, deranged confusion arises for
no good reason. The mountains, the rivers, and everything else in this
world as well as the processes of dying and being reborn and of enter-
ing into nirvana are mere derangements caused by stress, mere distor-
tions, mere flowers in the sky.
Deranged confusion refers to the three subtle aspects of delusion: coming
into being, evolving, and appearance.33 These are produced by one unenlight-
ened thought; at this point the first knot is tied. Your awareness becoming dis-
torted refers to mundane knowledge, which is the first of the coarse aspects
of delusion. That the distortions have not ceased refers to continuation,
the second of the coarse aspects of delusion. The third through sixth knots
represent the rest of the coarse aspects of delusion, which are the aspect of
grasping, the aspect of clinging to names, the aspect of karma, and the aspect
of suffering due to karma. (V, 101)
nanda asked, How is untying the knots like releasing the stress?
The Thus-Come One thereupon picked up the knotted scarf, and hav-
ing tugged the scarf to its left end, he asked nanda, Is this the way to
untie it?
nanda replied, No, World-Honored One.
Then, having tugged at the other end of the scarf, the Buddha again
asked nanda, Is that the way to untie it?
nanda again replied, No, World-Honored One.
The Buddha said to nanda, I have now tugged on both ends of the
scarf, but I was not able to untie the knots that way. How would you untie
them?
nanda said respectfully to the Buddha, World-Honored One, you must
pull on the scarf from within each knot. Then they will come undone.
32
See part 3.2a.
33
The three subtle and six coarse aspects of delusion are explained in part 4.1 above.
199
instructions for practice
The Buddha said to nanda, Yes, you are right. If you wish to untie
the knot, you pull on the scarf from within each of the knots.
nanda, I have explained that the Dharmas for becoming a Bud-
dha arise through causes and conditions, but these Dharmas are not
the coarse attributes that arise from inhering in perceived objects or
conjoining to them. The Thus-Come One explains worldly and world-
transcending phenomena, and he knows the fundamental causes and
the conditions by which these phenomena arise to the point that he
knows how many drops of rain are falling in a world that lies beyond
as many other worlds as there are sand-grains in the River Ganges, and
near at hand, he understands the fundamental reasons for every sort of
phenomenon: why pines are straight, why brambles bend, why geese are
white, why crows are black.
Therefore, nanda, carefully choose one faculty of perception from
among the six. If you untie the knot of that faculty, its objects will disap-
pear by themselves. All delusion will melt away. How can what remains
not be what is real?
The Buddha instructs nanda to choose one of the faculties of perception,
based on the previous discussion about their relative merits, and then to apply
his practice to that faculty until he is free of it and of its objects, as if a knot has
been untied. Then all deluded mental activity based on coming into being and
perishing will cease to be. What is it like when all our deluded mental activity
is gone? When the false is gone, all that is left is the true. The true will be all
that is. Stop the mind that is dependent of perceived objects, and the nature
of the wondrous suchness of reality will appear. . . .
At this point in the Sutra, you should be particularly attentive. You should
develop your skill by working on one of the six faculties. Any one of them will
do: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind. The entrance to any of the six
faculties is the Path. All are a part of the Matrix of the Thus-Come One. All
you have to do is choose one faculty and put your mind to it in your practice,
and you can return to the fundamental essence which is the Matrix of the
Thus-Come One. (V, 16)
200
the analogy of the six knots
nanda, I now ask you: can we untie the six knots in this cotton
scarf34 all at the same time?
No, World-Honored One. These knots were tied in sequence in the
first place, so now they must be untied in sequence. Though the six knots
are all in the same scarf, they were not tied all at the same time. There-
fore, in freeing them, they cannot be untied all at the same time.
The Buddha said, The same may be said of freeing the knots of the six
faculties. In the first stage of freeing a faculty, one understands that the
self is empty. Once that emptiness is fully understood, one can become
free of attachment to phenomena. Once one is free from attachment
to phenomena, then both self and phenomena have been emptied and
will no longer arise. This is the patience that the Bodhisattva develops
by means of samdhi the patience with the state in which no mental
objects come into being.
34
Skt. krpsa.
201
VI
Twenty-Five Sages
1
Twenty-Five Sages Speak of Enlightenment
Having received this instruction from the Buddha, nanda and the others
in the great assembly gained such wisdom and such a thorough and com-
plete understanding that they now had no doubts about what the Buddha
had said. nanda placed his palms together and bowed to the ground be-
fore the Buddha, and then said, Today our bodies and minds have been
filled with light, and we are delighted that our understanding is unimped-
ed. However, although we have now understood the meaning of when
the six are untied, the one will vanish, we do not yet know which one of
the sense-faculties can lead us to break through to enlightenment.1
World-Honored One, I have drifted from age to age, homeless and
alone. How could I have known how could I have imagined that I
would meet the Buddha as a member of his family? I am like an infant
who has suddenly been reunited with its beloved mother. I have met the
Buddha and have had the opportunity to become fully enlightened, and I
have been given a hidden teaching. But if my basic mode of understand-
ing nevertheless remains the same, then I might as well never have heard
the Buddhas teaching at all. I only hope that he will be greatly compas-
sionate towards us and will out of kindness bestow upon us a secret and
awe-inspiring Dharma that will be the Thus-Come Ones ultimate instruc-
tion. Having spoken these words, he bowed to the ground and then re-
turned to his place in the assembly. He withdrew into the hidden recesses
of his mind, hoping that he would receive from the Buddha a secret and
private transmission.
nanda is asking the Buddha to bestow upon him the secret teaching, that
is, the ragama Samdhi. He wants the Buddha to transmit this teaching
to him secretly, without anyone else present being aware of it. . . . The Bud-
dha knows what is on nandas mind, but he does not respond directly to
1
Ch. yuan tong , which more literally might be translated penetrate all the way
through or connect without obstruction.
205
the twenty - five sages
nandas request. Instead he asks the assembled sages to speak about how
they broke through all obstructions and became enlightened. (V, 22)
2
Twenty-five sages now testify to the efficacy of twenty-five practices involving or
related to the eighteen constituents or to the seven primary elements. The constituents
and the elements are presented largely in the order in which they are discussed in part 3
above. The exceptions are that the six kinds of perceived object are given first, with sounds
preceding visible objects, and that the ear-faculty is presented last.
3
The numbering of the sages has been added for the present translation.
4
Each of the first six sages focused his practice on understanding the unreality of one
of the kinds of perceived objects and then on understanding these objects true nature,
which is the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, as shown in part 3 above. jtakauinya and
the four monks were the ascetics whom the Buddha taught first after his enlightenment.
Accordingly, jtakauinya is the first to answer the Buddhas question here.
His testimony, which is that his enlightenment came through hearing the Buddhas
instructions, praises the efficacy of sound as a focus of contemplation.
5
His name was Kauinya. jta is an epithet interpreted as meaning the first to
know.
206
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
It is said that the Pheasant Garden was a grove of trees where a flock of
pheasants lived. The grove once caught fire, and the pheasants wetted down
their wings with water and beat out the fire, so this spot was a very auspi-
cious one. There was an unusually magical atmosphere about the place.
The geomantic properties were excellent. People who undertake a spiritual
practice should find places to live that are endowed with such an efficacious
atmosphere, because it is easier to get enlightened there. (V, 245)
[2] Upaniad6 stood up, bowed at the Buddhas feet, and said to him
respectfully: I also saw the Thus-Come One soon after he had become
a Buddha. I learned to contemplate the attribute of impurity, and I de-
veloped a strong aversion to it. I came to understand that the nature of
visible objects is that they arise from impurity. Whitened bones turn to
dust, disperse into space, and vanish. I understood that neither space
nor visible objects truly exist,7 and thus I needed no further instruction.
The Thus-Come One verified my understanding and gave me the name
Upaniad. Visible objects as I had perceived them no longer existed, but
their wondrousness, which had been hidden, was everywhere revealed
to me. So it was that I became an Arhat by contemplating visible objects.
The Buddha has asked us how we broke through to enlightenment. I be-
lieve that the contemplation of visible objects is the best method.
[3] The virgin youth Sublimity of Fragrance8 then stood up, bowed at
the Buddhas feet, and said to him respectfully: I heard the Thus-Come
One teach how to contemplate attentively all attributes subject to condi-
tions. I then took my leave of the Buddha and retreated to a pure and
peaceful dwelling. I observed that when monks lit sandalwood incense,
its fragrance silently entered my nostrils. In my contemplation I real-
ized that the source of the fragrance was neither wood, nor space, nor
smoke, nor fire; it came from no place and went to no place. As a result of
this contemplation, my distinction-making consciousness disappeared,
and I gained freedom from outflows. The Thus-Come One verified my
6
Upaniad testifies to the efficacy of contemplating visible objects.
7
That is, they have no permanent, independent attributes and so are empty.
8
This sage testifies to the efficacy of odors as the objects of contemplation.
207
the twenty - five sages
9
These two sages, who count as one in the enumeration of twenty-five, testify to the
efficacy of flavors.
10
That is, the first three heavens of the realm of form; see part 9.11 below.
11
That is, flavor arises neither from the tongue-faculty (the body) nor from the
tongue-consciousness (the mind). (Yuanying, 777)
208
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
12
This sage testifies to the efficacy of tangible objects in this case, bathwater. His
name means Virtuous Protector.
13
That is, a Bodhisattva.
14
Mahkyapa testifies to the efficacy of objects of cognition.
15
Skt. arra, Ch. she li , a sages relics that remain after cremation.
209
the twenty - five sages
[7] Aniruddha18 then stood up, bowed at the Buddhas feet, and said to
him respectfully: When I first entered the monastic life, I was too fond
of sleep. The Thus-Come One admonished me, saying that I was no better
than an animal. After the Buddha scolded me, I rebuked myself and wept.
For seven days I did not sleep, and as a result I went blind in both eyes.
16
Mahkyapa is said to be sitting in that samdhi of cessation inside Mount Jizu in
southwestern China, where he is waiting for the Bodhisattva Maitreya to appear in the
world as the next Buddha so that he can present Maitreya with the Buddha kyamunis
robe and bowl.
17
Skt. dhta. The twelve ascetic practices approved by the Buddha as beneficial are
wearing ragged robes, possessing only three robes, making the almsround for ones
food, making the almsround sequentially, eating only one meal a day, eating a fixed
and moderate amount of food, not drinking juices after noon, dwelling in a quiet place,
dwelling beneath a tree, dwelling out in the open, dwelling in a graveyard, and never lying
down.
18
The next five sages relate how they used one of their faculties of perception to turn
their attention inward. Aniruddha begins the sequence by testifying to the efficacy of the
eye-faculty.
210
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
Although five hundred Arhats were there to help him, Kudrapanthaka had
failed to learn a single line of this verse after a hundred days of study, He
was that slow. Hed remember with body, speech, and mind, but then hed
forget do no evil. By the time hed learned do no evil again, hed forgotten
body, speech, and mind. His brother, Kudra, saw what was happening and
ordered him to go back to being a layman. Go find a wife and be done with it,
he said, and he sent Kudrapanthaka on his way. Kudrapanthaka thought,
19
Consideration of the ear-faculty, instead of being next in the sequence, is postponed
for consideration by the Bodhisattva Who Hears the Cries of the World, the twenty-fifth
sage. Kudrapanthaka here testifies to the efficacy of the nose-faculty.
211
the twenty - five sages
I want to be a monk like all these other people. What meaning is there in my
being a layman again? So he took a rope, went into the back gardens, and
prepared to hang himself. Just as he was ready to do it, the Buddha appeared
in the form of a tree spirit and asked him, What are you up to?
Im not going to go on living.
Not go on living? After you die, what then?
I dont know.
Dont die, the tree spirit said. Dont take your own life. Theres a reason
why you are stupid. You should strive to change your faults of the past. Once
you change, everything will work out fine.
What are the reasons from the past that make me so stupid now?
Kudrapanthaka asked.
When Kudrapanthaka asked that question, kyamuni Buddha appeared
in his own form and said, In a past life you were a Master of the Canon with
five hundred disciples. Every day they wanted to study with you, but you did
not teach them. You didnt lecture on the Sutras or explain the Dharma, even
if people requested it. They might kneel before you for three days and nights,
and still you would not speak to them about the Dharma. Because you would
not explain the Dharma, you became stupid to the point that you dont under-
stand a single sentence of the Canon.
Upon hearing that, Kudrapanthaka was greatly ashamed. . . .
The Buddha then picked up a broom and asked, Do you know what this
is?
Its a broom.
Can you remember that?
Yes.
Then the Buddha instructed him, Just recite Sweep, sweep, sweep all
day long.
Kudrapanthaka recited that for a few weeks.
Then the Buddha stopped by to ask, How are you doing? Can you remem-
ber what I told you?
Yes, I remember it, Kudrapanthaka replied.
Fine, said the Buddha. Ill just change the words a little to Sweep clean.
Try reciting that now.
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twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
[9] Gavpat20 stood up, bowed at the Buddhas feet, and said to him
respectfully: I committed an offense in the karma of speech. Once, dur-
ing an eon in the past, I insulted an elder monk, and as a result, in life
after life I have suffered from an illness which causes me to chew like a
cow. The Thus-Come One showed me how, by practicing a Dharma of the
mind-ground, I could make all flavors become one and so be purified. By
this practice my distinction-making mind ceased, and I entered samdhi.
20
This sage testifies to the efficacy of the tongue-faculty.
213
the twenty - five sages
Then my contemplation was that the knowledge of flavors does not come
from the tongue-faculty and does not come from any object of taste. By
means of this contemplation, I transcended all worldly outflows. Within,
I let go of my mind and body, and without, I took my leave of this world.
I left the three realms of existence far behind; I was like a bird escaping
from its cage. I departed from all impurity and put an end to my defile-
ments, and my Dharma-eye became clear. So it was that I became an Ar-
hat. The Thus-Come One himself verified that I need no further instruc-
tion. The Buddha has asked us how we broke through to enlightenment.
I believe that redirecting the awareness of flavor away from the flavors
and back to itself is the best method.
[10] Pilindavatsa21 stood up, bowed at the Buddhas feet, and said to
him respectfully: After I had first committed myself to following the
Buddha on the Path, I heard the Thus-Come One say many times that
nothing in this world can bring true joy. One day, as I was reflecting
upon this teaching during my almsround in the city, I failed to notice a
poisonous thorn lying in the road. I stepped on it, and pain suffused my
entire body. I reflected on the sensation: I was aware of a deep pain, but
I was also aware of my awareness of the pain, and I realized that in the
pure mind there is neither pain nor awareness of pain. I had this further
thought: how can it be that one body has two awarenesses? I held fast
to this thought, and before long my body and mind became suddenly
empty. During the next twenty-one days my outflows gradually ceased.
So it was that I became an Arhat. The Buddha himself verified that I need
no further instruction. The Buddha has asked us how we broke through
to enlightenment. I believe that to purify ones tactile awareness until
the body is forgotten is the best method.
[11] Subhti22 stood up, bowed at the Buddhas feet, and said to him
respectfully: Ever since a time during the eons of the remote past, my
mind has been without impediment, and I have been able to remember as
many of my past lives as there are sand-grains in the River Ganges. Even
21
This sage testifies to the efficacy of the body-faculty.
22
This sage testifies to the efficacy of the cognitive faculty.
214
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
23
This sage and the five that follow testify to the efficacy of each of the six
consciousnesses in turn.
215
the twenty - five sages
That is, he didnt look at people out of the corner of his eye, and he didnt
listen to what was going on around him. . . .
riputra had studied with a non-Buddhist teacher, a Brahmin, and after
the teacher died, riputra had no teacher. It was then that he met Avajit
while he was walking along a road. Because he admired Avajits deportment,
he asked Avajit who his teacher was. Avajit replied with a verse:
216
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
24
Skt. Samantabhadra, Ch. Puxian . This Bodhisattva, who is an important
focus of reverence in the Mahyna tradition, here testifies to the efficacy of the ear-
consciousness.
25
That is, by karma.
217
the twenty - five sages
These are the Ten Great and Royal Vows of the Bodhisattva Universal
Goodness. The fortieth chapter of the Avatasaka Stra is devoted to this Bo-
dhisattva and his vows. His practices and the power of his vows are especially
great, and so he has a great deal of affinity with beings. He rides a six-tusked
white elephant. The color white symbolizes the Buddhas Vehicle, and the six
tusks represent the six perfections.26 (V, 66)
Here he tells the World-Honored One that he listens with the true mind, not
with the ear-faculty. . . . Whenever he discerns someone practicing in accord
with his Ten Vows, he circles his hand on the crown of that persons head to
convey comfort and support. So people who practice in accord with Dharma
will sometimes feel as if there were a bug crawling on the top of their head or
as if someone were patting them on the head. Sometimes you might feel as
though an insect were crawling on your face. When this happens you should
not try to brush away the sensation with your hand, since it could be a Bud-
dha or a Bodhisattva blessing you. If you are sincere, you can experience this
feeling. (V, 67)
[14] Sundarananda stood up, bowed at the Buddhas feet, and said to
him respectfully: When I first entered the monastic life to follow the
Buddha on the Path, I kept the precepts perfectly, but in trying to enter
samdhi, my mind was always too scattered and too easily distracted
so that I could not put an end to my outflows. The World-Honored One
taught Mah-Kauhila and me to focus our attention on the whiteness
visible at the tip of the nose. After three weeks of focusing my atten-
tion in this way, my breath looked like smoke as it entered and left my
nostrils. My body and mind shone with an inner light that illuminated
the entire world. Everything became as clear and as pure as crystal. The
smokiness of the breath in my nostrils was gradually refined until it be-
26
Skt. pramit. See part 4.3, p. 156, and note 20.
218
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
came white. My true mind was revealed and my outflows were ended. My
in-breath and out-breath were transformed into light that shone upon
worlds throughout all ten directions. So it was that I became an Arhat.
The World-Honored One predicted that in the future I would realize per-
fect enlightenment. The Buddha has asked us how we broke through to
enlightenment. I refined my breath until at length it shone with light,
and when the light shone everywhere, my outflows were ended. This is
the best method.
[15] Then Pramaitryaputra stood up, bowed at the Buddhas feet,
and said to him respectfully: Ever since a time during the eons of the
remote past, I have been able to speak with unimpeded eloquence. When
I have explained suffering and emptiness, I have penetrated deeply into
ultimate reality. Indeed I have been able to give subtle and wondrous
instruction to the assembly in the hidden gateways to the Dharma taught
by as many Thus-Come Ones as there are sand-grains in the River Ganges.
In doing so, I have become completely fearless.
Knowing that I was endowed with great eloquence, the World-Honored
One instructed me to use the sound of my voice to propagate the Dharma.
I followed the Buddha as his assistant in turning the Wheel, and so it was
that by means of the Lions Roar, I became an Arhat. The World-Honored
One verified that my skill in speaking the Dharma was without peer. The
Buddha has asked us how we broke through to enlightenment. With the
sound of Dharma I overcame adversaries and subdued demons,27 and I
put an end to my outflows. This then is the best method.28
[16] Upli then stood up, bowed at the Buddhas feet, and said to him
respectfully: I was the one who accompanied the Buddha when he es-
caped the city and left his household. I was there to watch the Thus-Come
One as he diligently practiced austerities for six years. I myself saw the
Thus-Come One subdue demons, bring under his influence the followers
of wrong paths, and free himself from the outflows of worldly greed and
27
That is, the five aggregates.
28
Here the Sutra considers the tongue as the organ of speech rather than its usual role
in the Sutra as the organ of taste.
219
the twenty - five sages
desire. The Buddha instructed me in the precepts that I had received, and
I gradually mastered the three thousand kinds of awe-inspiring deport-
ment with their eighty thousand subtle aspects of demeanor. I purified
my conduct by following the fundamental precepts and the precaution-
ary regulations.29 My body became still and my mind vanished. So it was
that I became an Arhat. Now I am the precept-master in the Thus-Come
Ones assembly. He himself verified that I follow the precepts with my
mind and with my conduct. Everyone in the assembly sees me as a leader.
The Buddha has asked us how we broke through to enlightenment. I
learned to govern my conduct until my body was at ease in being gov-
erned, and next I gradually learned to govern my mind until my thoughts
accorded naturally with what is right. Only then did both my body and
my mind gain unobstructed understanding. This is the best method.30
The three thousand kinds of awe-inspiring deportment are calculated as fol-
lows: the two hundred and fifty precepts that monks follow are counted four
times with regard to walking, sitting, standing, and lying down, making one
thousand, and then counted three more times as they apply to the karma
made by body, speech, and mind, for a total of three thousand.
Each of the four attitudes of the body walking, standing, sitting, and
lying down inspires awe with its particular manner. One should walk like a
gentle wind, that is, in a slow and stately manner, without impulsiveness or
haste. Second, one should stand like a pine, straight up, without slouching.
Third, one should sit like a bell, that is, like one of those huge, heavy bells of
old that hung solid and unmoving. Fourth, one should recline in the auspicious
bow-like position, on the right side, with the right hand under the cheek and
the left hand resting on the left thigh.
As for the eighty thousand subtle aspects of demeanor, the Sutra is giv-
ing an approximate number. This number is derived by multiplying the three
thousand kinds of awe-inspiring deportment of body, speech, and mind by
29
Ch. xing ye and zhe ye .
30
The Sutra here conflates two personages in the Buddhist tradition: Upli, the
precept-master, and Channa, who was the Buddhas charioteer before the Buddha left his
royal household to seek enlightenment.
220
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
their seven expressions that is, freedom from greed, hatred, and delusion,
and avoidance of killing, stealing, lying, hurtful words, coarse language, and
duplicity. To the resulting twenty-one thousand, one applies the four causes of
affliction: greed, hatred, delusion, and the three of them combined.
The fundamental precepts are the ones that forbid killing, stealing, sexual
misconduct, and lying. It is sometimes said that violations of these prohibi-
tions cannot be removed, but actually, if you firmly resolve to change your
behavior, you still have a chance. As for the precautionary regulations, these
forbid acts which lead you to commit offenses which otherwise you would not
have committed. (V, 845)
[17] Great Maudgalyyana then stood up, bowed at the Buddhas feet,
and said to him respectfully: Once when I was on the road seeking alms,
I met the three Kyapa brothers Uruvilv, Gay, and Nad and they
proclaimed the Thus-Come Ones explanation of the profound principles
of causation. Immediately I resolved to become enlightened, and my mind
was entirely free of impediment. The Thus-Come One kindly accepted
me, and then the precept robe suddenly appeared on my body while my
hair and beard all at once fell from me. Now I travel throughout all ten
directions with nothing to impede me. My spiritual powers were revealed
and are now esteemed as unsurpassed. So it was that I became an Arhat.
Not only the World-Honored One, but Thus-Come Ones throughout the
ten directions praise me for the perfect clarity, purity, ease, and fearless-
ness with which I exercise my spiritual powers. The Buddha has asked
how we broke through to enlightenment. I used the method of returning
the mind-consciousness31 to its pure source32 so that the light of my mind
shone forth and revealed the turbid flux within.33 That flux gradually sub-
sided until it became brilliantly clear. That is the best method.
[18] Then Fire-Head34 approached the Buddha, put his palms together,
bowed at the Buddhas feet, and said to him respectfully: I often recall
31
That is, the sixth consciousness.
32
That is, the true mind.
33
That is, the flux of the mind-consciousness.
34
Skt. Ucchuma, Ch. Huotou .
221
the twenty - five sages
that many long eons ago, I was afflicted with an excess of sexual desire.
At that time there was in the world a Buddha named King of Emptiness,
who said that a blazing fire grows in people with too much sexual desire.
He taught me to observe the flow of hot and cold energies along the
bones all through my body. A spiritual light became focused within me
and transformed my excessive desire into the fire of wisdom. Since then,
all the Buddhas I have served have given me the name Fire-Head. So it
was that I became an Arhat on the strength of the Blazing Fire Samdhi. I
made a great vow: that whenever someone is about to become a Buddha,
I will serve as a spiritual warrior and will come to subdue that persons
demons and adversaries. The Buddha has asked us how we broke through
to enlightenment. I closely observed the places of warmth in my body un-
til they became unobstructed and there could be free movement through
them. A magnificent light blazed forth in my mind and lit the way to
supreme enlightenment. This then is the best method.35
Fire-Head is a powerful vajra-lord, one of those guardians of the Dharma
whom this Sutra refers to as vajra-warriors.36 . . . Why does the text say that he
approached the Buddha, instead of saying that he stood up? The reason is
that Fire-Head would have already been standing. Vajra-warriors are spirits,
and spirits cannot sit in the presence of the Buddha. They must stand. As for
ghosts, they are not only forbidden to sit; they are not even allowed to stand.
They must kneel. (V, 912)
[19] Then the Bodhisattva Ground-Leveler stood up, bowed at the Bud-
dhas feet, and said to him respectfully: I can recall being a monk during
the time that the Thus-Come One Universal Illumination was present
35
This is the first of seven testimonies concerning the seven primary elements,
presented in a slightly different order than in part 3.5 above, in that here fire is considered
first and awareness is considered last. These sages describe how they understood the
essential identity of mind, body, and world through the contemplation of one or another
of the primary elements, which are present everywhere. Fire-Head begins the series with
testimony describing the contemplation of the fire in his body and eventually of the fire
in his mind.
36
See part 8.2 below.
222
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
37
The thousandth and last of the Buddhas of the previous eon.
38
That is, the urgama Samdhi.
223
the twenty - five sages
39
According to Buddhist cosmology, the Fragrant Seas are bodies of water that lie in
concentric circles around Mount Sumeru; they are separated from each other by circular
mountain ranges.
224
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
window. Seeing nothing but water in the room, the boy in his ignorance
took up a small piece of tile and tossed it into the water. It hit the wa-
ter with a splash. He skipped away, looking back over his shoulder. As I
emerged from samdhi, I felt a sharp pain in my heart. It was like the pain
riputra felt upon encountering a hostile ghost. I thought to myself, I
am already an Arhat, and for a long time I have not created any condi-
tions that would lead to illness. How is it then that this pain has arisen in
my heart? Does this mean that I have retreated?
At that moment the boy ran up to me and told me what he had done.
I instructed him: When you see the water again, open the door immedi-
ately, wade into the water, pick up the piece of tile, and go out again.
The boy listened respectfully to my instructions, and after I had again
entered samdhi, he saw the piece of tile in the water exactly as before.
He opened the door, removed the tile, and went out. I emerged from
samdhi, and my body was again free of pain.
During the time that I was making my contemplations, I met count-
less Buddhas. At length, when the Thus-Come One Royal Self-Mastery
and Spiritual Powers Vast as Mountains and Seas was in the world, my
body vanished. Then the fundamental nature of the water in my body
and of all the waters of the Fragrant Seas in worlds throughout the ten di-
rections merged into true emptiness so that they were one and the same,
without the slightest difference. Now the Thus-Come One has given me
the title Pure Youth, and I have joined the assembly of Bodhisattvas.
The Buddha asked how we broke through to enlightenment. I under-
stood that water, as it flows and circulates, in its fundamental nature is
everywhere the same, and so I understood how to be patient when no
mental objects arise. My enlightenment was perfected. This is the best
method.
The incident that the Pure Youth Moonlight mentions occurred when riputra
was sitting in meditation. It happened that two ghosts flew past him. One of
them was named Excessively Cruel and the other was named Relentlessly
Cruel. Relentlessly said to Excessively, Do you see that elder monk meditating
over there? How about if I go smack him on the head?
225
the twenty - five sages
Excessively said to Relentlessly, Dont do it. You dont want to hit a monk.
Better not mess with someone practicing in accord with Dharma.
Excessively left the scene, but Relentlessly did not heed his advice. He
whacked riputra over the head with a bludgeon. As a result, riputra had
a headache when he came out of samdhi. He thought, Ive already been
verified as an Arhat, and I havent any illness, so why does my head ache?
He went to ask the Buddha about it.
The Buddha explained, You were struck by a ghost called Relentlessly
Cruel, and as a result of what he did to you, he has already fallen into the
Unrelenting Hell. The blow he dealt you was so powerful that it could have
split Mount Sumeru in half had it been aimed in that direction. Fortunately,
the power of your samdhi is great; otherwise you would have been smashed
to smithereens. (V, 1012)
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twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
[22] The Bodhisattva Matrix of Space41 stood up, bowed at the Bud-
dhas feet, and said to him respectfully: When the Thus-Come One and I
were with the Buddha Light of Samdhi, my body became infinite. Then
four great and precious pearls that I held in my hands illuminated count-
less Buddha-lands throughout the ten directions, and I saw that all these
lands were as empty as space. Then my mind was like a great flawless
mirror in which there shone ten kinds of subtle, wondrous, magnificent
lights that illuminated all ten directions to the ends of space. All the
Royal Banner Lands were reflected in this mirror and thereupon were
drawn into my body without conflicting with it, since my body was the
same as space. I became skilled in entering an infinite number of lands, in
which I did the great work of the Buddhas and developed a great power
to respond to beings in accord with what they require.
40
The Bodhisattva Brilliance of Lapis Lazuli contemplates the identity not only of body
and world but of mind, body, and world, in that all are impelled by the primary element
wind that is, they all move.
41
The Bodhisattva Matrix of Space contemplates the identity of mind, body, and
world (here, the Buddha-lands). All are pervaded by the primary element space. First, he
understands the identity of lands and space and, second, the identity of mind and space, in
that his mind becomes a flawless mirror. Third, he sees that his body is also identical with
space, and fourth, since body and world are identical, lands can enter his body.
227
the twenty - five sages
42
According to Buddhist tradition, the Bodhisattva Maitreya is the founder of the
Consciousness-Only school. See page xxx.
228
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
43
Skt. Mahsthmaprpta, Ch. Dashizhi .
44
Skt. Avalokitevara, Ch. Guanshiyin , the twenty-fifth of these sages. See note
49 below.
45
Skt. cakravarti-rja, in Indian tradition, a wise, benevolent, and capable world-ruler.
229
the twenty - five sages
progress: the Ten Stages of Stabilizing the Mind, the Ten Abodes, the Ten
Practices, the Ten Dedications, the Ten Grounds, Equivalent Enlightenment,
and Wondrous Awakening. (V, 119)46
46
See part 9.4 below, where fifty-seven stages are described: the fifty-two mentioned
here, plus the stage of arid wisdom and the four additional stages.
230
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
most lofty and all-encompassing. It is why the Buddha kyamuni taught that
we should abstain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and
intoxicants. These are the five fundamental Buddhist precepts, and to keep
these precepts is a way of showing ones regard for all beings. Since the
Buddha sees all beings as identical in essence to himself, he wishes to teach
them how to change so that they can become Buddhas themselves. We come
into this world and ignore what is fundamental while craving what is superfi-
cial. We turn our backs on enlightenment and cleave to the mundane objects
of the senses. That is why we forget the Buddhas and never remember to be
mindful of them. . . .
There are several ways to practice mindfulness of the Buddha:
1) You can be mindful of the Buddha by reciting his name. You can recite
the name of whichever Buddha you choose. You can recite Namo47 Buddha
Amitbha; or you can recite Namo Buddha kyamuni, our First Teacher:
or maybe youll want to recite Namo Master Healer, the Buddha Who Dispels
Disaster and Lengthens Life. No matter which Buddha it is whose name you
choose to recite, the practice is the same. Your goal is to dispense with all
extraneous thoughts and to consolidate your thoughts into the one mindful
thought of the Buddha. If you dont have extraneous thoughts, you wont have
any evil thoughts, and when nothing evil is arising in your mind, youre on the
road to goodness.
2) You can practice mindfulness of the Buddha Amitbha by visualizing
him. You consider the ray of white light that shines from between the Buddhas
eyebrows. A hymn in his praise includes the lines: The light of his brow shines
five times as high as Mount Sumeru. His clear and pure eyes are as wide as
the sea. Are you able to visualize that? If the scope of your mind is small,
your concept of the Buddha will be fairly limited as you contemplate him. If the
scope of your mind is vast, your conception of him can be monumental.
3) You can practice mindfulness of the Buddha by contemplating an im-
age. In this practice you gaze upon an image of the Buddha Amitbha while
you recite his name. As you are mindful of him, you reflect upon his magnifi-
cent appearance adorned with hallmarks. . . .
47
Skt. namas or namaste, Ch. namo , a respectful and reverent greeting.
231
the twenty - five sages
4) You can practice mindfulness of the Buddha in terms of his true attri-
butes; this is the practice of meditation in stillness. You pursue the question,
Who is this who is mindful of the Buddha? . . .
In this passage of the text, the Bodhisattva Great Strength tells of his
practice of mindfulness of the Buddha, a practice which is a very appropriate
method for people in the present age. It is quite effective. Why? The sutras
tell us that in this time of the Dharmas ending, not one person in a million will
reach the goal of his or her practice, unless that practice involves mindfulness
of the Buddha. Only then will people be able to reach enlightenment.
This practice of reciting the Buddhas name is very easy. It allows us to
escape the three realms as by a side door. We are like a beetle that chews
its way out of a stick of bamboo by gnawing sideways instead of by gnawing
the length of the stick. People who are mindful of the Buddha can escape
the three realms on a horizontal plane at their current level. They carry their
karma with them into rebirth in the Buddha Amitbhas Pure Land. The karma
they take with them is old karma; when they are reborn in the Pure Land, they
will not commit any new karma. However, once you know about reciting the
Buddhas name, dont commit any more karmic offenses . . . because that will
prevent your rebirth in the Pure Land. Once you know about mindfulness of
the Buddha, you should change your ways. . . .
This section of text concerning the Bodhisattva Great Strength breaking
through to enlightenment through mindfulness of the Buddha is extremely
important. We should be mindful of the Buddha Amitbha because he has
affinities with us. Ten eons ago, before he became a Buddha, when he was
a monk called Dharma-Treasury, he made forty-eight great vows, and one of
them was this: If beings throughout the ten directions say my name and do
not become Buddhas, I will not attain right enlightenment. But he did attain
right enlightenment; and because of the power of Amitbhas vows, everyone
who recites his name can be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. (V, 1219)
232
twenty - five sages speak of enlightenment
233
2
The Bodhisattva Who Hears
the Cries of the World
[25] Then the Bodhisattva Who Hears the Cries of the World48 stood
up, bowed at the Buddhas feet, and said to him respectfully: World-
Honored One, I can recall the time when a Buddha named He Who Hears the
Cries of the World was in this world, as many eons ago as there are sand-
grains in the River Ganges. Before this Buddha I made the resolution to
become fully awakened, and he instructed me to enter samdhi through
a practice of hearing and contemplating.
In a past eon, the Buddha Who Hears the Cries of the World taught the pres-
ent Bodhisattva Who Hears the Cries of the World the practice of hearing and
contemplating. Based on the wisdom of hearing, the wisdom of contemplating,
and the wisdom of practice, he was able to enter samdhi. Here contemplat-
ing does not mean the thinking of the mind-consciousness. Rather, it has the
meaning of quiet consideration the skill of meditation in stillness. (V, 131)
48
Skt. Avalokitevara, Ch. Guanshiyin . The name can be interpreted as
Avalokita-vara (The Sovereign Who Contemplates the World) or as Avalokita-svara (the
One Who Hears the Cries of the World). Both alternatives, in their Chinese translations,
are present in the Chinese Buddhist tradition; Guanzizai renders Avalokita-vara,
and Guanshiyin , often shortened to Guanyin , renders Avalokita-svara. The
Chinese text of the ragama Stra uses the name Guanshiyin.
234
the bodhisattva who hears the cries of the world
To listen wisely is to listen inside, not outside. You do not allow your mind to
chase after sounds. Earlier in the Sutra,50 the Buddha spoke of not following
the six faculties and not being influenced by them. You reverse your hearing
to listen to your own true nature.51 Instead of listening to external sounds, you
focus inwardly on your body and mind, you cease to seek outside yourself,
and you turn around the light of your attention so that it will shine within your-
self. (V, 133)
49
The testimony of this twenty-fifth and last sage focuses on the efficacy of the ear-
faculty. The Bodhisattva first reversed the direction of his aural attention, thus emptying
sounds; next he emptied his awareness. To this pattern of emptying subject and object,
described by previous sages as well, he adds the further step of emptying the emptying.
50
Part 5.
51
See p. 182.
52
The numbering was added for the present translation.
235
the twenty - five sages
[5] Suppose, further, that there are beings who clearly understand
the desires of the mind, do not engage in the activities of desire, and
wish to have bodies that are pure.56 I will appear to them as a Brahma
53
One of the two kinds of pratyekabuddha.
54
See part 4, note 18.
55
The other of the two kinds of pratyekabuddha.
56
These are beings who wish for rebirth in the heavens of form, where beings are
beyond the influence of coarse desires. See part 9.11
236
the bodhisattva who hears the cries of the world
King, and I will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead them to lib-
eration.
The ultimate aim of the Bodhisattva Who Hears the Cries of the World is to
lead these beings to believe in the Buddha. But since at present their wish
is to be born in the heavens, he teaches them how to do that. When they
return from there, they will eventually come to believe in the Buddha. Ordinary
people feel that the time involved in such a process is quite long, but actually
from a Buddhas or a Bodhisattvas point of view, it is a mere moment, a mere
blinking of the eye. In using this expedient, the Bodhisattvas are like parents
who want their child to master an excellent profession which the child does
not wish to enter. The parents comply and allow the child to study what he
wishes, but after several false starts, he eventually decides to prepare for
the very profession his parents had suggested. The Bodhisattvas method of
teaching beings how to change is to first fulfill their wishes. But the ultimate
aim is always to bring beings to enlightenment. (V, 1423)
[6] To beings who desire to be celestial lords and to govern the heav-
ens, I will appear as Lord akra,57 and I will instruct them in the Dharma
that will lead them to fulfillment of their wish.
[7] To beings who wish for a body that has the freedom and ease
to roam throughout the ten directions, I will appear as the lord of the
Heaven of Delight in Creating,58 and I will instruct them in the Dharma
that will lead them to fulfillment of their wish.
[8] To beings who wish for a body that has the freedom and ease to fly
through space, I will appear as the lord of the Heaven of Pleasure Derived
from What Others Create.59 I will instruct these gods in the Dharma that
will lead them to fulfillment of their wish.
[9] To beings who would like to govern ghosts and spirits in order
to protect their countries, I will appear as a great celestial general. I will
57
The ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the third of the heavens of desire. See
part 9.11.
58
The fifth of the heavens of desire.
59
The sixth of the heavens of desire,
237
the twenty - five sages
instruct them in the Dharma that will lead them to fulfillment of their
wish.
[10] To beings who would like to rule a world in order to protect its
inhabitants, I will appear as one of the Four Celestial Kings. I will instruct
them in the Dharma that will lead them to fulfillment of their wish.
[11] To beings who would like to be born into a celestial palace and to
command ghosts and spirits, I will appear as a prince of one of the Four
Celestial Kingdoms. I will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead them
to fulfillment of their wish.
[12] To beings who would like to be kings among people, I will appear
as a human king. I will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead them to
fulfillment of their wish.
[13] To beings who would like to be heads of clans and would like to
command everyones respect and deference, I will appear as an elder,
and I will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead them to fulfillment
of their wish.
[14] To beings who would like to be able to discuss celebrated writ-
ings and to live a pure life, I will appear as a layperson and will instruct
them in the Dharma that will lead them to fulfillment of their wish.
[15] To beings who would like to govern a country or to decide the
affairs of a province or a district, I will appear as a minister of state, and
I will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead them to fulfillment of
their wish.
[16] To beings who would like to employ numerology and other eso-
teric disciplines out of a wish to protect and nurture themselves, I will
appear as a Brahmin, and I will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead
them to fulfillment of their wish.
[17] To men who would like to learn about becoming a monk and
about observing the monastic precepts and regulations, I will appear as
a monk, and I will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead them to
fulfillment of their wish.
[18] To women who would like to learn about becoming a nun and
about observing the monastic precepts and regulations, I will appear as
238
the bodhisattva who hears the cries of the world
a nun, and I will instruct them in Dharmas that will lead them to fulfill-
ment of their wish.
[19] To men who would like to observe the five precepts of the laity,60
I will appear as a precepted layman, and I will instruct them in the Dhar-
ma that will lead them to fulfillment of their wish.
[20] To women who would like to ground themselves on the five pre-
cepts of the laity, I will appear as a precepted laywoman, and I will instruct
them in the Dharma that will lead them to fulfillment of their wish.
[21] To virtuous women of high standing who would like to manage
the affairs of a household or of a country, I will appear as a queen, or as
the wife of a lord, or else as some other noblewoman, and I will instruct
them in the Dharma that will lead them to fulfillment of their wish.
[22] To young men who wish to remain celibate, I will appear as a
pure young man, and I will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead
them to fulfillment of their wish.
[23] To young women who wish to remain celibate, never to be vio-
lated, I will appear as a pure young woman, and I will instruct them in the
Dharma that will lead them to fulfillment of their wish.
[24] To celestial beings who no longer wish to be celestial beings, I
will appear in celestial form and will instruct them in the Dharma that
will lead them to fulfillment of their wish.
[25] To dragons who no longer wish to be dragons, I will appear as a
dragon and will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead them to fulfill-
ment of their wish.
[26] To yakas61 who wish to be free of being yakas, I will appear as a
yaka and will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead them to fulfill-
ment of their wish.
[27] To gandharvas62 who wish to be free of being gandharvas, I will
appear as a gandharva and will instruct them in the Dharma that will lead
them to fulfillment of their wish.
60
Prohibiting killing, theft, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants.
61
See p. 241.
62
Celestial musicians who are nourished by fragrances.
239
the twenty - five sages
63
Celestial fighters. See part 9.12.
64
Celestial musicians. They have a human appearance, but with a single horn on their
heads.
65
Spirits who have the appearance of large pythons.
66
That is, the past, present, and future.
240
the bodhisattva who hears the cries of the world
First, because I did not listen to sounds and instead contemplated the
listener within, I can now hear the cries of suffering beings throughout
the ten directions, and I can bring about their liberation.
Second, I was able to turn my awareness around and restore it,67 and
therefore, should beings be caught in a conflagration, I can make sure
that they are not burned.
Third, since I was able to turn my awareness around and restore it, I
can make sure that beings who are adrift in a flood will not be drowned.
Fourth, because I have put an end to deluded acts of mind, and so
have no thoughts of harming or killing, I can make sure that any being
who enters the realms of ghosts will not be harmed by them.
Fifth, when I had succeeded in merging my faculty of hearing with
the enlightened nature of hearing, my six faculties dissolved into each
other to become one with my faculty of hearing. Therefore, if beings are
about to be attacked, I can cause the attackers blades to shatter so that
these beings will suffer no hurt, any more than water will be hurt by a
knife that is plunged into it, or any more than light will be affected by a
puff of wind.
Sixth, my hearing was infused with an essential brilliance that illumi-
nated the entire Dharma-Realm and dispelled the darkness of all hidden
places. Therefore, I can ensure that beings will be invisible to any yakas,
rkasas, kumbhas, picas, ptanas, or other such ghosts that might ap-
proach them.
Line 247 in the ragama Mantra, yao cha jie la he, refers to the yakas. In
the mantra, the names of the kings of various kinds of ghosts are called out.
In general, ghosts may travel by land or in the air, and they may be male or
female. (V, 1545) Yakas, for example, are male; rkasas are female. Both
are extremely fierce; their diet consists of human corpses. They recite man-
tras to remove the stench of a corpse so they can stand to eat the flesh.
A kumbha is a ghost shaped like a barrel. This ghost gives people
nightmares. People may dream of some weird apparition, and though in
67
That is, restore it to its original nature, which is the enlightened mind.
241
the twenty - five sages
their dream they are mentally alert, they cant move physically. They become
paralyzed. Sometimes, if a persons yang energies are weak and his yin ener-
gies prevail, the person can be paralyzed for a long time, and the ghost can
eventually cause the persons death. There are many of these kumbhas
in this world.68
Picas are ghosts that eat human essence and energy and also the es-
sence of grains. Ptanas can cause people to get sick and have a fever. But if
you cultivate the skill of redirecting your faculty of hearing inward to hear your
true nature, or if you recite the name of the Bodhisattva Who Hears the Cries
of the World, these ghosts will not be able to see you, though they may come
right up beside you because you emit light which they fear. Since the ghosts
belong to yin, they cannot see you if you have yang light. They can only find
you if you give off yin energy. (V, 1634)
68
The Ven. Hsan Hua added later in his commentary, at part 8.3, This paralysis
[inflicted by the kumbha ghost] is only effective on people who have an excess of
yin energy, such as people who are always worried and depressed, afflicted, upset, and
distressed. People who follow the Buddhas Path can have pure yang energy a kind of
light (VI, 12930).
242
the bodhisattva who hears the cries of the world
of desire can get rid of their desire through being constantly mindful and re-
spectful of this Bodhisattva. That is the meaning of the present lines of text as
well. A great deal of desire specifically refers to sexual desire. The biggest
problem in human life, the one that is nearly impossible to resolve, is sexual
desire. To see through the involvements of men and women and let these
involvements go is to gain genuine liberation. If you cant see through your
desire and let it go, you cannot get free, and you cannot become enlightened.
If you have real spiritual skill, then when you eat you wont know that youre
eating, and though you are fully dressed, you wont be aware of wearing what
you are wearing. If you can forget about eating and wearing clothes, you will
be even more able to renounce external things. . . . You cant decide that you
want to become enlightened and at the same time be unwilling to part with the
experiences of this world. If you cant separate yourself from the affairs of this
world, you cannot become a Buddha. (V, 1667)
Tenth, once sounds were so purified that they ceased being objects
of perception, then the ear-faculty and its objects became completely
interfused so that there was nothing that perceived and nothing that was
perceived. Therefore, I can cause beings burdened by anger and hatred to
be free of their enmity.69
Earlier in the Sutra, the Buddhas of the ten directions told nanda that the six
faculties of perception, which are the six thieves, are what cause people to fall,
and that the six faculties are also what enable people to become Buddhas. If
you use them well, they can help you. If you are unable to use them correctly,
they can destroy you. Its like money: when you have it, if you understand that
you should perform good and meritorious deeds with it to benefit other beings,
then you wont have spent your money in vain. But if you gamble it away or buy
drugs and other unwholesome things, then you have used your money to com-
mit offenses. The principle is the same with the six faculties. (V, 168)
69
Ven. Zhen Jiao notes that these people can be freed of their anger because they
understand that there is no subject and no object (Zhen Jiao, 1615).
243
the twenty - five sages
70
For these beings the text gives the Chinese characters e dian jia, , presumably
a shortening of e dian di jia , Skt. tyantika, those devoid of intent to seek
enlightenment.
244
the bodhisattva who hears the cries of the world
245
the twenty - five sages
manifesting samdhi and wisdom, I can rescue and shelter beings, allow-
ing them to attain great mastery and ease.
Second, due to my practice of listening and contemplating, I broke
free of the six kinds of sense-object such that I was no more obstructed
by them than a sound is obstructed by a low wall. Therefore I have the
wondrous power to appear in various forms, each of them reciting vari-
ous mantras. Because these forms and these mantras have the power to
deliver beings from danger, I am known in countless lands throughout
the ten directions as one who causes beings to have nothing to fear.
Third, by means of the fundamental, wondrous practice that led me
to break through to enlightenment, I reached the pure source of the ear-
faculty, and therefore, in whatever worlds I travel to, I can cause beings
to disregard their bodies and their valuable possessions in their quest for
my compassionate aid.
Fourth, I have realized the ultimate, which is the Buddha-mind.
Therefore, in all lands I can make offerings of precious valuables not only
to the Thus-Come Ones throughout all ten directions but also to beings
in the six destinies throughout the Dharma-Realm. As a result, those who
seek a spouse shall obtain a spouse, those who seek a child shall have a
child, those who wish for samdhi shall gain samdhi, those who wish
for a long life shall live long, and those who seek the Great Nirvana shall
attain it.
The Buddha has asked us how we broke through to enlightenment.
By the means that I have described, I entered through the gateway of
the ear-faculty and perfected the inner illumination of samdhi. My
mind that had once been dependent on perceived objects developed self-
mastery and ease. By entering the current of the awakened ones and en-
tering samdhi, I became fully awake. This then is the best method.
World-Honored One, that other Buddha that Thus-Come One who
is called He Who Hears the Cries of the World praised my mastery of
this method for breaking through to enlightenment. Before his great as-
sembly, he bestowed on me his own name, He Who Hears the Cries of the
World. Because I hear throughout all ten directions with perfect clarity,
246
the bodhisattva who hears the cries of the world
my name He Who Hears the Cries of the World is known in all the worlds
throughout the ten directions.
Then the World-Honored One, seated on his Lions Seat, sent forth a
magnificent light from his hands, his feet, and his forehead. The light
traveled far to pour down upon the crowns of the heads of as many
Thus-Come Ones and Dharma-Prince Bodhisattvas as there are motes of
dust throughout the ten directions. And all those Thus-Come Ones, from
as many places as there are motes of dust, sent forth from their hands,
their feet, and their foreheads magnificent beams of light that poured
down upon the crown of the Buddha kyamunis head and poured down
as well upon the great Bodhisattvas and Arhats in the assembly. As the
sound of Dharma reverberated from groves and ponds, those beams of
light interlaced with each other like the strands of a magnificent net
something no one in the assembly had ever seen before. All gained
the ability to enter the vajra-solid samdhi. Then lotus-flowers some
blue, some yellow, some red, some white, each adorned with a hundred
gems floated down together from the heavens, and space throughout
the ten directions took on the colors of the seven precious things. The
mountains, the rivers, and everything else in this Sha world all vanished
at the same time. Throughout the ten directions, Buddha-lands as many
as motes of dust were seen to merge into a single world, while there rang
forth everywhere the sounds of chant and song.
247
3
The Bodhisattva Majurs Recommendation
Then the Thus-Come One said to the Dharma-Prince Majur, Con-
sider now what has been said by these twenty-five sages these great
Bodhisattvas and these Arhats who need no further instruction about
the methods they used in order to take their first step toward awaken-
ing. They all said that theirs was the best method for breaking through
to enlightenment. In fact, none of the methods employed by these sages
can be ranked as superior or inferior to the others. But now it is nanda
whom I wish to teach how to become enlightened. Which then of these
twenty-five methods of practice is most suitable for beings at nandas
level? And which one, after my nirvana, will lead beings of this world to
practice in accord with the Vehicle of the Bodhisattvas and to follow the
path to supreme enlightenment? Which of these methods will lead them
most easily to success?
Having respectfully received the Buddhas instruction, Majur stood
up, bowed at the Buddhas feet, and infused with the Buddhas majestic
spirit, responded to his request by speaking these verses:71
71
In the Chinese, there are 250 five-character unrhymed lines without stanza divisions.
248
the bodhisattva maju r s recommendation
72
At this point, Majur begins a consideration of the methods used by the twenty-five
sages, starting with Upanads contemplation of the impurity of visible objects.
73
All the methods are effective, as the twenty-five sages have attested, as the Buddha
has just confirmed, and as Majur has just noted; however, what is being determined
here is the most effective method for nanda and for future beings.
74
jtakauinya and sounds are the referent here; Majur now proceeds to
consider each of the other objects of perception and each of the faculties of perception,
largely in the order they were presented by the sages.
249
the twenty - five sages
Objects of touch are sensed upon their contact with the body;
Without that contact, no perception of them can take place.
But contact will be intermittent; how could tangibles
Guide beings toward a breakthrough to enlightenment?
The tongue, with nothing placed on it, can have no tasting function;
It senses flavors only when theyre present. When dispersed,
Awareness of them ceases; how then could the tongue
Guide beings toward a breakthrough to enlightenment?
75
Above, in part 5.2, the eye-faculty is rated at two-thirds efficacy rather than half, as
here. In the earlier passage, peripheral vision was included. But here the point is that the
eye-faculty sees clearly only halfway around.
250
the bodhisattva maju r s recommendation
76
The six sense-consciousnesses are now considered, followed by the seven primary
elements. The threefold joining refers to the combining of a perceiving faculty and a
perceived object to activate the corresponding consciousness.
77
That is, gods on the planes of formlessness.
251
the twenty - five sages
78
Fire-Head (Ucchuma) was able to subdue his desire by contemplating fire; but he
was not a beginner.
79
The primary element consciousness, which includes the first six consciousnesses (of
eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and cognition). See also part 3.5g.
252
the bodhisattva maju r s recommendation
Most wondrous is the voice of the One Who Hears the Cries!
Its sound is pure and like the ocean-tide! Throughout the worlds
He rescues worldly beings, brings them peace, and if they wish,
He helps them leave the world and reach nirvana everlasting!
80
This last consideration is of the primary element awareness as related to the practice
of mindfulness of the Buddha Amitbha.
253
the twenty - five sages
254
the bodhisattva maju r s recommendation
82
The eye-disease is given as an example in part 2.11.
255
the twenty - five sages
256
the bodhisattva maju r s recommendation
83
The text is terse here. The translation follows the interpretation of the Ven.
Yuanying (979). The marvelous ones are the fourth-stage Arhats.
257
the twenty - five sages
want to know, you will have to pour some for yourself. If you want to arrive at
your true nature, you first have to reverse the attention of your hearing-faculty
to listen within.
When you reverse the direction of your hearing, how do you listen? Use
your ears. But dont listen to the sounds outside. Dont try to figure out what
is happening in the street or who is saying what nearby. Turn the hearing in-
ward and listen inside yourself. In this way your own nature will be revealed.
When you have turned your hearing around, you will be set free from external
sounds. What name are you to give to that which is set free? If you can divorce
yourself from sounds, you will hear and yet not hear. Is this then really what we
call hearing? It is and it isnt. It isnt, yet it is. Hear and yet do not hear. Thats
what is meant by getting free of sounds. You do hear, but its not the same
as the way you heard before. Even though it is said that ordinary hearing can
reach far and near, it still has a limit. If you genuinely reach a state of mind in
which you are hearing your true nature, you can hear throughout the Dharma-
Realm, provided that you choose to do so. But you can also choose not to
listen to any of the sounds throughout the Dharma-Realm. You have control.
What do we call what is free of sound then? It does not have a name. That
which is beyond even the name hearing is true hearing. (V, 2156) . . .
Why does Majur choose the ear-faculty? It is the easiest practice for
success in spiritual cultivation. The skill used in reversing the hearing to hear
the true nature is the skill used when you meditate in stillness.84 When you sit
in meditation, dont spend all your energy on seeking what is outside yourself.
Turn your light around to shine within. Then ask yourself, Who is this who is
mindful of the Buddha? Who? Put the who into your mind and then listen
with your ears. Dont pause in your pursuit of who? Dont let your skill dis-
perse. Inquire into this topic in everything you do. Its said:
84
Skt. dhyna, Ch. chan .
258
the bodhisattva maju r s recommendation
What is this? It is the question, Who is mindful of the Buddha? You dont
have to ask this question out loud; ask it in your mind and listen to it with your
ears. Listen within, not outside. After you have listened within, your mind and
the enlightened nature of hearing will eventually merge. And then in some
unexpected way, at some unexpected moment, you will suddenly become en-
lightened. But you definitely must bring your mind and nature together. Dont
let them scatter in all directions. Dont let them get dissipated outside yourself.
Gather them in. As you reverse your hearing to listen to your true nature,
eventually, naturally, your skill will develop. (V, 221)
Then nanda and all the others in the great assembly, having received
such profound instruction, gained a clear understanding of their facul-
ties and the corresponding consciousnesses. As they contemplated the
Buddhas full awakening and great nirvana, nanda and the others were
like someone who has traveled far from home on matters of business:
although the traveler has not yet been able to return, he knows the road
that will lead him home. The entire assembly of beings, ten times as many
as the sand-grains of the River Ganges gods, dragons, and other celes-
tial beings; sages of the Lesser Vehicle who still needed instruction; and
others who only recently had made the resolve to become Bodhisattvas
all now discovered their inherent true mind so that they would forever
be free of affliction. All opened their pure Dharma-eye. The nun named
Nature, upon hearing these verses, became an Arhat.85 These numberless
beings all made the resolution to seek the unsurpassed, correct, and per-
fect enlightenment.86
85
This is the young woman of the Mtaga clan whose mantra set in motion the events
of the Sutra, as related in the prologue.
86
Skt. anuttara-samyak-sabodhi, the enlightenment of the Buddha.
259
VII
Four Clear
and Definitive
Instructions on Purity
1
On Sexual Desire
nanda straightened his robes and in the midst of the assembly placed
his palms together and bowed. At once joyful and sorrowful, he now un-
derstood perfectly the path his mind had taken. Wishing to benefit the
beings of the future, he bowed his head and said respectfully, Greatly
Compassionate World-Honored One, now I understand this Dharma for
becoming a Buddha. I can practice this method unhindered by the slight-
est doubt. I have often heard the Thus-Come One say that Bodhisattvas
resolve to help others make the crossing1 before completing the crossing
themselves, while the Buddhas, having already completed the crossing,
act in the world by guiding others to enlightenment. I myself have not
completed the crossing, but I vow to bring across all beings who live in
the future in the time of the Dharmas ending.
World-Honored One, the beings of that time will have become more
and more distant from the Buddha. As many false teachers as there are
sand-grains in the River Ganges will pretend to teach the Dharma. Should
any beings of that time wish to guard and focus their minds so that they
can enter samdhi, how may I guide them towards establishing a place
for awakening where their practice will be secured against demonic dis-
turbances and where they will not retreat from their resolve to become
enlightened?
Then the World-Honored One praised nanda before the great as-
sembly, saying, Excellent! Excellent! You have asked how a place for
awakening may be established in order to rescue and protect beings who
are sinking and drowning during the time of the Dharmas ending. Listen
carefully, and I will tell you. nanda and all the others in the assembly
replied that they would respectfully accept and follow the instructions.
The Buddha said to nanda, When I have explained the vinaya,
you have often heard me speak of the three essential elements of spiri-
tual practice: precepts, which require us to guard and focus the mind;
1
That is, across the sea of afflictions to the shore of nirvana.
263
four clear and definitive instructions on purity
samdhi, which arises from following precepts; and wisdom, which ap-
pears out of samdhi. These are the three practices that end outflows.
nanda, why do I say that to follow the precepts is to guard and focus
the mind? In all worlds, beings in the six destinies2 whose minds are free
of sexual desire will not be bound to an unending cycle of deaths and re-
births. No matter how much you may practice in order to transcend the
stress of entanglement with perceived objects, you will never transcend
that stress until you have freed yourself from sexual desire. Even very
intelligent people who can enter samdhi while practicing meditation
in stillness will be certain to fall into the realm of demons upon their
rebirth if they have not renounced sexual activity. The best among them
will become kings among demons; those at intermediate levels will be
members of demon hordes; female demons will be at the lowest levels.
These demons will attract groups of disciples and will tell them that they
have realized unsurpassed enlightenment. After my nirvana, in the time
of the Dharmas ending, many such demonic hordes will sweep like wild-
fire across the world and will openly parade their lustfulness while pre-
tending to be good and wise teachers. These demons will cause beings to
fall into the pit of sexual desire and wrong views concerning desire, and
they will stray off the road to perfect enlightenment. Therefore, when
you teach people to practice samdhi, first teach them to rid their minds
of sexual desire. That is the first of four clear and definitive3 instructions
on purity that have been given by the Thus-Come One and by all the Bud-
dhas of the past, World-Honored Ones.
When deviant teachers explain their methods, their primary topic is sexual
desire. The things they say are unprincipled. This should be distinguished
2
The six destinies are gods, humans, animals, ghosts, denizens of the hells, and asuras.
See part 9.
3
Definitive here renders Ch. jueding . The meaning seems to be the same as
Ch. liao yi , which in turn renders the Skt. nitartha, teachings that are definitive in
that they require no further elaboration. The opposite of nitartha is Skt. neyartha, Ch. bu
liao yi , teachings that are not definitive, in that they need further explanation to
elucidate, among other things, the particular circumstances in which the teaching was
given. The text uses bu liao yi below (see note 8).
264
on sexual desire
clearly from the teachings of Bodhisattvas, who out of their compassion use
kind words and a protective heart in their teaching, knowing that all living be-
ings are steeped in desire. Every living being has thoughts of sexual desire.
So a Bodhisattva does not expect them to put an end to emotional love and
desire immediately, but he uses all kinds of expedient means to get them to
see through and renounce sexual desire. Then they can put a stop to it them-
selves. This is the state of a Bodhisattva, totally different from the state of the
deviant teachers who encourage beings in their desires. (VI, 6)
In fact, if you do not put an end to your sexual desire, it will be impossible
for you to escape the mundane defilements of the world, because thoughts
of sexual desire are themselves defiling. . . . Not to speak of engaging in
lustful practices, even the presence of such thoughts is unclean. If you dont
renounce sexual desire, its entirely unreasonable to hope to become enlight-
ened and become a Buddha. (VI, 11)
265
four clear and definitive instructions on purity
Theres something else to be said here. If you can put an end to sexual
desire, then even if you are together with the opposite sex all day long, no
problem will arise. . . . If one really has no sexual desire, then:
No matter how pleasing a sound comes to the ear, your mind is unaware
of it. Then youve gotten someplace. And if you can reach the point that you
can walk, sit, and even lie down together with someone of the opposite sex
without there being any incident, without any sexual desire arising, then you
have something that will count. Its not that your mind still races, but you grit
your teeth and tell yourself firmly that you can guard your mind against sexual
desires. That doesnt count. It has to be that not one thought arises, that your
mind does not move, that there is no trace of lust in your heart. If even just
occasionally you are aware of what the opposite sex is all about, then youve
failed the test. (VI, 157)
4
Skt. Ppyn, Ch. boxun , evil one, an epithet of Mra, king of the demonic
legions who inhabit the sixth heaven of the realm of desire.
266
2
On Killing
Also, nanda, in all worlds, beings in the six destinies whose minds are
free of all desire to kill will not be bound to an unending cycle of deaths
and rebirths. No matter how much you may practice samdhi in order
to transcend the stress of entanglement with perceived objects, you will
never transcend that stress until you have freed yourself from thoughts
of killing. Even very intelligent people who can enter samdhi while
practicing meditation in stillness are certain to fall into the realm of
ghosts and spirits upon their rebirth if they have not renounced all kill-
ing. The best among them will become ghosts of great power; those at in-
termediate levels will become flying yakas or leaders of ghostly hordes;
those at the lowest levels will be rkasas that travel along the ground.
These ghosts and spirits will attract groups of disciples and will tell them
that they have realized the supreme enlightenment. After my nirvana,
in the time of the Dharmas ending, these ghosts and spirits will spread
like wildfire across the worlds as they make the claim that eating meat
will not obstruct the path to enlightenment. I have instructed the monks
that there are five situations in which eating meat will not compromise
purity. nanda, but even then I have used spiritual power to change the
meat so that all traces of sentience have been removed.
The five circumstances in which eating meat will not compromise purity are
eating the flesh of an animal that one did not see killed; eating the flesh of
an animal whose killing one did not hear; eating the flesh of an animal that
one knows was not killed for ones own sake; eating the flesh of an animal
that died a natural death; and eating the flesh of an animal whose corpse has
been scavenged by birds. (VI, 22)
I have compassion also for those who wish to live purely but who live
among humid marshlands or in hot deserts where grains and vegetables
cannot be grown. Out of great kindness and by means of my spiritual
power, I change the meat they eat so that it is without sentience. It is
merely called meat and merely tastes like meat. But, after my nirvana,
267
four clear and definitive instructions on purity
how will people who eat the flesh of beings deserve to be called disciples
of kyamuni?
You should understand that these people who eat flesh may gain
some modicum of mental awakening while practicing samdhi, but they
are all great rkasas who in the end must fall into the sea of death and
rebirth. They are not disciples of the Buddha. Such people kill and devour
each other, feeding on each other in an endless cycle. How could they
possibly get out of the three realms?
When you teach people in the world to practice samdhi, teach them
to renounce all killing. That is the second of the clear and definitive in-
structions on purity that have been given by the Thus-Come One and by
all the Buddhas of the past, World-Honored Ones.
Therefore, nanda, one who enters samdhi while practicing medita-
tion in stillness without renouncing all killing is like one who hopes that
nobody will hear him shout if he stops up his own ears. He is trying to
conceal what is perfectly evident. Bodhisattvas and pure monks walking
on country paths will not even tread on living grasses,5 much less uproot
them. How then can it be compassionate to gorge on other beings blood
and flesh? Monks who will not wear silks from the East,6 whether coarse
or fine; who will not wear shoes or boots of leather, nor furs, nor birds
down from our own country; and who will not consume milk, curds, or
ghee, have truly freed themselves from the world. When they have paid
5
Lest they harm or kill sentient beings hidden in the grasses.
6
That is, China. The prohibition applies to all silk, whatever its source. The prohibition
appears in the Eleventh Naihsarghika-Payantika of Bhikshu Precepts, Fascicle 7, Four Division
Vinaya. It reads as follows: At that time, the Buddha was in the country called
(Wilderness). The group of six Bhikshus wanted to use silk together with other materials
to make new sleeping mats. They looked for silk either already made or not, either dyed
or not, either new or used. They went to the family that raised silkworms and said that
they needed silk. The householder told them to wait for a little while until silkworms
matured. The group of six Bhikshus waited there and watched. Pupas made noises when
cocoons were exposed. When laypeople saw this, they criticized the Bhikshus and said:
kyamunis disciples kill living beings and have no remorse. How can they beg for silk to
make new sleeping mats and yet claim that they practice proper Dharma?
268
on killing
their debts from previous lives, they will roam no longer through the
three realms.
Why? To wear parts of a beings body is to involve ones karma with that
being, just as people have become bound to this earth by eating vegetables
and grains. I can affirm that a person who neither eats the flesh of other
beings nor wears any part of the bodies of other beings, nor even thinks of
eating or wearing these things, is a person who will gain liberation.
Milk and milk products are not actually prohibited by the vinaya or by the
Bodhisattva precepts. This passage of the Sutra text is describing those who
hold the precept against killing with a maximum of purity. . . . There is room for
flexibility here, but to avoid using anything that has any connection with living
creatures is an extremely good thing. (VI, 26)
What I have said is what Buddhas teach. Mra, the Evil One, teaches
otherwise.
269
3
On Stealing
Also, nanda, in all worlds, beings in the six destinies whose minds
are free of all desire to steal will not be bound to an unending cycle of
deaths and rebirths. No matter how much you may practice samdhi in
order to transcend the stress of experiencing perceived objects, you will
never transcend that stress until you have freed yourself from thoughts
of stealing. Even very intelligent people who can enter samdhi while
practicing meditation in stillness will be certain to fall into an evil realm
upon their rebirth if they have not renounced stealing. The best among
them will become energy-devouring nature-spirits; those at intermedi-
ate levels will be succubae or incubi; and those at the lowest levels will
be unwholesome people possessed by such spirits. These unwholesome
beings will attract groups of disciples and will tell them that they have
realized the supreme enlightenment. After my nirvana, in the time of
the Dharmas ending, many such strange and unwholesome spirits will
sweep like wildfire across the world. By cunning and deceit they will
establish their claim to be good and wise teachers who have reached the
level of a sage. Their boasting will delude the ignorant and will instill
fear that will rob people of their good judgment. Wherever they go,
these unwholesome spirits will destroy families and reduce households
to penury.
When I was in China I knew about some spectacular examples of these peo-
ple. They could plunge a knife into the crown of their heads and yet not die.
The spirit possessing them would remove the blade by the use of a mantra in
such a way that the person didnt even bleed. Some would pound nails into
their shoulders, and from the nails they would hang as many as four scythes
weighing more than ten pounds each and then spin them. It was awesome
to watch. The people who watched them were terrified. Sometimes these
demons and followers of wrong paths were really talented. When you look
into the ragama Stra, you realize that long ago the Buddha described all
the different kinds of beings in the world very clearly. Therefore, having read
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on stealing
the ragama Stra or heard it being read, you should be able to recognize
whatever you come up against in the future. (VI, 323)
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four clear and definitive instructions on purity
he will be able to bid a final farewell to this world and be forever free of
outflows. He may not immediately understand how to advance towards
supreme enlightenment, but he will have firmly committed himself to
the Dharma. Without such small acts of physical renunciation, he will
have to be reborn as a person again, even if he has attained freedom from
all influences. He will still have to repay his debts from previous lives,
just as, to repay my debts, I had to eat horse-feed.
In a former life, the Buddha kyamuni was a Brahmin engaged in teaching
spiritual practice to five hundred pure youths. At that time, there was another
Buddha in the world. One day, when that Buddha went on his almsrounds
with the monks, he instructed them to have the donors put a little extra in their
bowls to accommodate a monk who was sick and could not go out. As they
returned from their rounds, they passed by the mountain where the Brahmin
who was to be the Budddha kyamuni dwelt. When this Brahmin got a whiff
of the food from their especially full bowls, he became jealous. He said to his
disciples, Why do those bald monks get to eat so well? They should only be
allowed horse-feed. His five-hundred disciples all agreed with him, of course,
chiming in, Right! They are only fit to eat horse-feed. After he became a Bud-
dha, kyamuni took five hundred disciples to a certain country to spend the
rainy-season retreat. The king of that country gave them a cordial welcome but
then would not make any offerings of food to them. Eventually a horse-trainer
in the country became aware that the Buddha and his monks were not being
given any offerings of food, so he shared with the monks the grain that he fed
his horses. Even though the Brahmin was eventually to become the Buddha
kyamuni, and though his five hundred pure youths were to become five hun-
dred Arhats, they still had to repay the debt from that slander they indulged in
during a former life, and for ninety days they had to eat horse-feed. (VI, 423)
practices will likely backfire because, unless the practitioner has gained complete and
unshakable detachment, the practice will be intensely painful and will engender regret,
remorse, and anger against the Buddha and his teachings, resulting in a loss in merit and
samdhi rather than a gain. To one monk who asked for permission to burn off a finger,
Master Hsan Hua, in refusing permission, replied, Why dont you burn off your deluded
thoughts instead? The more moderate practice of searing the skin with incense-charcoal,
however, is not an uncommon practice among both monastics and laity.
272
on stealing
What I have said is what Buddhas teach. Mra, the Evil One, teaches
otherwise.
8
Ch. bu liao yi . See note 3 above.
273
4
On Making False Claims
nanda, beings in the worlds six destinies may be entirely free, in body
and in mind of killing, stealing, and sexual desire, but their samdhi will
not be pure if they make false claims.9 If they do, they will be possessed
by demons of craving or by demons of delusion, and they will lose sight
of their potential for becoming a Buddha. They will say that they have
achieved what they have not achieved and that they have become what
they have not become. Wishing that worldly people might hold them in
the highest honor, they will say that they have reached the stage of en-
tering the stream,10 or that they must be reborn once only, or that they
need not be reborn, or that they are Arhats11 or Solitary Sages, or that
they are Bodhisattvas at one of the Ten Grounds or at one of the stages
previous to the Ten Grounds.12 In this way, in their craving for offerings,
they encourage people to bow to them and to repent before them.
Even if you are a Bodhisattva or a Buddha, you cannot say that you are. You
must keep silent about it down to your last breath. You can only arrange for it
to become known publicly after your death. While you are alive, the only rea-
son to claim that you are a Bodhisattva or Buddha would be to induce people
to believe in you so that they will give you money. As soon as people believe,
then the offerings start to pour in. To make such claims is merely to practice
deceit. (VI, 49)
These people who have no trust in the Dharma13 have ruined their
potential for becoming a Buddha just as a tla tree will die if it is cut
down. The Buddha predicts that such people will destroy their founda-
9
In condemning lying in general, the Buddha here focuses on a specific and particularly
egregious instance.
10
The Buddha now mentions the four stages of the Arhat.
11
The term Arhat may refer only to the fourth stage, as here, or to all four stages.
12
See part 9.4 on the fifty-seven stages of the Bodhisattvas enlightenment.
13
Skt. icchantika.
274
on making false claims
tion in the Dharma and that they will never regain right knowledge and
right viewpoints. They will sink into the sea of three kinds of suffering
and will be unable to enter samdhi.
The tla tree, found in India, grows to great heights, but if it is chopped down,
it will not grow again. These people destroy their seeds for future enlighten-
ment, and so the seeds cannot come to fruition, just as a tla tree that has
been cut down cannot grow again. Such people are bereft of sense and
insight. Immersed in the sea of three kinds of suffering, they cannot attain
samdhi. The three kinds of sufferings referred to here are the suffering
caused by knives, which refers to the hell of the mountain of knives; the suf-
fering of blood, which refers to the hell of bleeding, in which ones entire body
bleeds without cease; and the suffering of fire, which refers to the hell of burn-
ing. These people fall into these three terrible hells. (VI, 501)
14
The inclusion of widows in this last group testifies to the particularly demeaned and
dependent state of widowed women in traditional Indian society.
15
That is, to their close disciples whom they have named as their successors.
275
four clear and definitive instructions on purity
16
Walking, standing, sitting, and lying down.
17
That is, a Buddha.
276
VIII
The ragama Mantra
1
Establishing a Place for Awakening
Ananda, you have asked about guarding and focusing the mind, and I
have now told you about the wondrous method that will lead practition-
ers to enter samdhi. If you seek to become a Bodhisattva, you must first
follow the four instructions on purity so that your comportment may be
as pure as the glistening frost. Then very naturally you will no more be
able to commit the three errors of the mind and the four errors of speech
than a tree is able to leaf out in freezing weather. How could anything
demonic happen to someone who faithfully follows the four instructions
on purity, nanda? How much the more will that person be protected if
his mind is not paying attention to sights, sounds, odors, flavors, tangible
objects, or objects of cognition!
The wondrous method that will lead practitioners to enter samdhi refers
to gaining completely unobstructed understanding through the ear-faculty by
turning the hearing around to listen to ones true nature so that one can realize
supreme enlightenment.
The Buddha has just said that anyone who seeks to become a Bodhisattva
must follow these four rules of purity: not taking life, not stealing, not commit-
ting acts of sexual misconduct, and not making false claims. The prohibition
against sexual misconduct refers not only to physical acts of lust but also
to lust in the mind. You must get rid of both in order to transcend the stress
of entanglement with perceived objects. You should become as pure as the
glistening frost. Then, quite naturally, you will become enlightened. Then the
three evils of the mind greed, anger, and delusion will have no cause to
come forth, and the four errors of speech coarse language, hurtful speech,
lies, and duplicity will not occur. (VI, 645)
As for people who cannot get rid of their stubborn habits, teach them
to recite single-mindedly the mantra of supreme efficacy, which is called
Mah-Sittapatra the Great White Canopy.1 This is the mantra spo-
1
That is, the ragama Mantra.
279
the ran g ama mantra
2
For recitation of the mantra, sittapatra is represented by the Chinese transliterations
sa-dan-duo buo-da-la and xi-dan-duo buo-da-la. The phrase appears as lines 95, 365, and 531
in the mantra.
3
At the Buddhist Lecture Hall, San Francisco, 1968. See the introduction, p. li.
280
establishing a place for awakening
4
At the third stage.
5
That is, make formal vows to follow moral precepts in a ceremony of transmission
presided over by a senior monk.
281
the ran g ama mantra
follow the Buddhas pure precepts, should enter a place for awakening
and there make the vows of a Bodhisattva. If they can bathe before re-
entering their place of awakening and if they can continue their practice
throughout the six periods of the day and the six periods of the night
without sleep for twenty-one days, I myself will appear before them to
bless each one of them by circling my hand over the crown of his head,
and I will help each one become enlightened.
The four great vows of a Bodhisattva are:
6
In India to this day, farmers use the dry droppings of oxen for fuel and to plaster the
walls of their houses.
282
establishing a place for awakening
they should look for a spot on the plain where yellow loam7 can be found.
They should dig up the loam from a depth of about five and a half feet8
and then mix it with sandalwood incense, aloeswood incense, storax,9
frankincense, saffron, teak resin, birthwort,10 basil, spikenard,11 and
cloves. They should grind these ten fragrant substances into a powder,
sift them together with the loam, and spread the mixture as a paste on
the ground of the place for awakening. The place should be octagonal and
sixty-five feet across.12
A lotus made of gold, silver, copper, or wood should be placed in the
center of the place for awakening, and a bowl filled with dew collected
during the eighth lunar month should be placed in the center of the
flower. An abundance of flower petals should be made to float upon the
water in the bowl. Eight round mirrors should be arranged around the
flower and bowl so that the mirrors face outward in each of the eight
directions. Next, sixteen lotus flowers and sixteen elegant censers should
be placed in front of the mirrors; the censers should alternate with the
flowers. Only aloeswood incense should be burned in these censers, and
they should be burned in such a way as to produce no flames.
The practitioners should make fried cakes with sixteen jars of the
milk of a white cow and then set the cakes out onto sixteen dishes. They
should place raw sugar upon sixteen other dishes. Upon sixteen other
dishes they should place oil cakes; and in the same manner, rice gruel,
7
Probably loess, an unstratified deposit of yellow-brown loam, common in both India
and China, as well as in North America and Europe.
8
1.65 meters, Ch. wu chi , five chi; one chi is equivalent to 33 centimeters in modern
measure and the same in the Tang period, when the Sutra was translated into Chinese.
9
A balsam secreted by the liquidambar tree in response to injuries in the bark, common
in ancient commerce for its value as a fragrance.
10
A widespread family (aristolochiaceae) of evergreen and deciduous woody vines and
herbaceous perennials used in the treatment of wounds.
11
A flowering plant of the valerian family. Its rhizomes can be crushed and distilled
into an intensely aromatic amber-colored essential oil, used since ancient times as a
perfume and in the yurvedic tradition as a sedative.
12
19.8 meters, Ch. zhang liu , six zhang; one zhang equals ten chi (see note 8
above).
283
the ran g ama mantra
Outside the four walls of the room in which the place for awakening
is located, the practitioners should hang banners and arrangements of
flowers. Further, they should adorn the walls inside the room with im-
ages of the Thus-Come Ones and the Bodhisattvas of the ten directions.
Centered on the wall facing south, images of the Buddha Vairocana, the
Buddha kyamuni, the Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha Akobhya,
and the Buddha Amitbha should be displayed. On one side of those im-
ages, an image of one of the imposing manifestations of the Bodhisattva
Who Hears the Cries of the World should be shown;14 and on the other
side, an image of the Bodhisattva-King Vajra-Treasury.15 On either side
13
Half a liter, Ch. ban sheng , half of a sheng; the sheng is equivalent to slightly
more than a liter.
14
See part 6.2, p. 245.
15
Ch. jin gang zang wang pusa . This may be Vajrapi. His followers are the
vajradhara, who brandish the vajra-implement (sometimes translated as thunderbolt).
284
establishing a place for awakening
of the door, images should be placed of Lord akra, King Brahma, Fire-
Head,16 the Blue Durg,17 Kual-rja, Bhkui, and the Four Celestial
Kings, together with Vinyaka. Also, eight mirrors should be suspended
from the ceiling in such a way that they directly face the other mirrors
which have already been set up in the place for awakening. The mirrors
will then reflect each other in infinite repetitions.
The Buddha Akobhya is in the east; he is also known as the Buddha Master
Healer. The name Akobhya means unmoving. The east is usually associ-
ated with movement, but the Buddha of the east does not move. Amitbha is
the Buddha of the West; his name means infinite light. The alternative form
of his name is Amityus, which means infinite life. . . . The Bodhisattva-King
Vajra-Treasury is a Dharma-protector; his stern countenance can be terrifying
to behold. Beside them, images of the Lords akra and Brahma are to be
displayed. akra is the lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three; Brahma is lord
of the Great Brahma Heaven. Uccuma means Fire-Head. Blue Durg
has a blue face and is a Dharma-protector. Kual-rja is a vajra-spirit; his
name means releasing the knots of resentment. Bhkui is also a Dharma-
protector. Vinyaka is one of the names of the god Gaea, who has an ele-
phants head and a mans body. He too is a Dharma-protector. . . . The bizarre
appearances of these Dharma-protectors are intended to instill awe in people
so that they will behave themselves. At the door of the place for awakening,
then, these images are placed on both sides for protection. (VI, 789)
During the first seven days, the practitioners should bow with the
utmost sincerity to the Thus-Come Ones, the great Bodhisattvas, and the
Arhats of the ten directions. During the six periods of the day and the six
periods of the night, the practitioners should recite the mantra continu-
ously while circumambulating the place for awakening, single-mindedly
repeating the mantra one hundred and eight times. During the next seven
days, the practitioners should focus their minds on the Bodhisattvas vows,
16
Fire-Head (Skt. Uccuma) is the eighteenth of the twenty-five sages who speak in
part 6.1 above.
17
The Goddess Beyond Reach, an eight-armed form of Prvat, is often depicted riding
a tiger or a lion. She is the mother of Gaea, who here is called Vinyaka.
285
the ran g ama mantra
not letting their minds turn aside from them. My instructions to you in the
monastic code have included teachings about the making of vows.
During the last seven days, the practitioners should single-mindedly
recite the Buddhas Mantra of the White Canopy continuously through-
out the twelve periods of the day and night. On the final day, the Thus-
Come Ones from all ten directions will appear at the same time. They and
their light will be reflected in the mirrors as each of them circles his right
hand on the crown of the head of each of the practitioners. If people can
practice samdhi in an excellent place for awakening like this in the age
of the Dharmas ending, their bodies and minds will become as pure and
bright as crystal. But, nanda, if the precept-master from whom a monk
received precepts was not pure, or if any of the other monks in his group
is not pure, then the practice in the place of awakening is unlikely to be
successful.
Throughout the six periods of the day and the six periods of the night, you
should continually recite the mantra the entire urgama Mantra while
circumambulating the place for awakening. . . . Youre not thinking of anything
else; youre reciting single-mindedly. . . . Each time you recite, go through the
mantra one hundred and eight times without stopping. (VI, 801)
The mantra wont work if any one of the people involved is impure, that is,
if they havent followed the precepts strictly. One is not supposed to kill, but
they have killed; or one is not supposed to steal, but they have stolen; one is
not supposed to commit acts of sexual misconduct, but they have done so;
one is not supposed to lie, but they have lied. The Buddha taught us not to lie,
but they dispense with the not and just hold to the lie. If that is how it is, then
all their work of spiritual cultivation, all the mantras they recited, will come to
nothing. (VI, 83)
After the three weeks, the practitioners should remain sitting up-
right and peacefully for a hundred days. If their roots in the Dharma are
deep and strong, they will not rise from their seats during that time, and
they will become Arhats at the first stage. Even if they do not reach the
level of a sage in body and mind, they will be certain that in the future
they will become Buddhas.
286
establishing a place for awakening
One sits in meditation, but not like some people who sit still for two hours and
consider it a superb feat. They consider themselves to be outstanding people,
but actually, if we compare that to what is described here, they are like kittens
compared to a lion. Sitting upright means that one does not lean to the left
or right, or lean forward or back, or get up or stretch out ones legs. Sitting
peacefully means that one is not troubled by anything. Sitting for a hundred
days means one does not sleep and does not get up to eat or even to relieve
oneself. One simply sits for one hundred days. (VI, 84)
287
2
The ragama Mantra
nanda bowed at the Buddhas feet and said to him respectfully, Ever
since I entered the monastic life, I have presumed upon the Buddhas
affection. I have sought merely to be learned, and as a result, I have not
yet gained freedom from conditioned phenomena.18 I was ensnared by
the evil Brahma-Heaven spell and could not escape, though my mind
remained aware. Fortunately, Majur arrived to rescue me with the ef-
ficacious mantra spoken by the Buddha at the crown of the Thus-Come
Ones head. But I benefited from its hidden power without actually hear-
ing it myself. I sincerely hope that the Buddha will proclaim the mantra
again out of his great kindness and out of his compassion for all the
practitioners in this great assembly, as well as for beings of the future
who will be bound to the cycle of death and rebirth, so that the esoteric
sounds of the mantra may set their bodies and minds free.
Everyone in the great assembly thereupon bowed to the Buddha. They
waited to hear the sections and sub-sections of the esoteric mantra.
The sections of the esoteric mantra mentioned here are the five main divisions
of the ragama Mantra. The sub-sections are smaller parts consisting of
several lines each, such as the opening lines, Na mo sa dan tuo, su qie duo
ye, e la he di, san miao san pu tuo xie. (VI, 89)
The five sections of the mantra correspond to five regions: north, south,
east, west, and center. . . . There are five sections because there are five great
demonic armies in this world. Buddhas occupy the five regions to suppress
the demons. If there were no Buddhas, the demons could appear openly in
the world.
Within the five sections of the mantra there are some thirty Dharmas, and
within these are more than a hundred further Dharmas that can be discussed
in detail. Five of the major kinds of these Dharmas are as follows:
1) Dharmas for accomplishment: These cause people who recite the man-
tra to have success in their endeavors and to fulfill their vows and wishes.
18
That is, he is not yet an Arhat at the fourth stage.
288
the ran g ama mantra
chi tuo ni
e jia la
mi li zhu
bo li dan la ye
ning jie li.
This is the mantra for destroying the mantras and spells of celestial de-
mons and followers of wrong paths.
5) Dharmas that prevent disasters: Any calamity that is to occur can be
prevented by this mantra. For instance, someone who is about to fall into the
ocean and drown can avoid catastrophe by reciting the ragama Mantra.
He might fall into the ocean, but he wont drown. Perhaps you are in a boat
that by any measure ought to sink, but you recite this mantra and the boat
does not go down. Maybe youre in an airplane that is destined to crash, but
you recite the ragama Mantra and the plane lands without incident. . . .
Usually what happens is that there is alarm but no danger.
In general, the mantra contains Dharmas of auspiciousness. This means
that when you recite the mantra, everything goes just as you would like. There
are so many advantages to the mantra that in several years one could not
even get close to expressing them all. (VI, 924)19
19
The Venerable Master Hua Hsan gave a detailed series of lectures explaining
the meaning and use of each of the 554 lines of the mantra. See Tripitaka Master Hua,
Shurangama Mantra Verses and Commentary, in five vols., trans. Buddhist Text Translation
Society (Talmage, California: Dharma-Realm Buddhist University, 1981).
289
the ran g ama mantra
290
the ran g ama mantra
291
the ran g ama mantra
292
the ran g ama mantra
293
the ran g ama mantra
294
the ran g ama mantra
295
the ran g ama mantra
296
the ran g ama mantra
297
the ran g ama mantra
298
3
The Powers of the Mantra
nanda, all Buddhas throughout the ten directions are born from the
esoteric lines of this Mantra of the White Canopy, with its subtle and
wonderful phrases and sections spoken by the Buddha seated within the
light at the crown of Thus-Come Ones head.
By means of this mantra of the mind, the Thus-Come Ones of the ten
directions have gained supreme, right, and universal wisdom.
Wielding this mantra of the mind, the Thus-Come Ones of the ten
directions subdue all demons and show the right way to all who are on a
wrong path.
Conveyed by the power of this mantra of the mind, the Thus-Come
Ones of the ten directions, each seated upon a magnificent lotus-flower,
appear in response to the needs of beings in numberless lands.
Holding fast to this mantra of the mind, the Thus-Come Ones of the
ten directions appear in numberless lands to turn the great Wheel of the
Dharma.
Employing this mantra of the mind, the Thus-Come Ones of the ten di-
rections bestow predictions upon beings everywhere, each one circling his
right hand over the crown of the head of each of these beings. They bestow
predictions22 even upon beings who have not yet become enlightened.
Relying on this mantra of the mind, the Thus-Come Ones of the ten
directions also rescue beings everywhere from suffering in its various
forms: the sufferings endured in the hells; the sufferings endured by hun-
gry ghosts; the sufferings endured by animals; the sufferings endured by
the blind, the deaf, and the mute; the sufferings caused by the presence
of people one detests; the sufferings caused by the absence of people one
loves; the sufferings caused by the failure to get what one wants; and the
sufferings caused by the fire of the five aggregates. The Thus-Come Ones
of the ten directions can rescue beings from sudden misfortunes, whether
22
That is, predictions that at such and such a time and place, these beings will become
Buddhas.
299
the ran g ama mantra
300
the powers of the mantra
23
In India, sutras were often recorded on the leaves of the fan palm (borassus
flabelliformus).
24
Of this list of four writing surfaces, the third one, zhi , paper, did not exist in
ancient India. It was invented in China around 100 C.E. The Chinese translators evidently
chose zhi as a recognizable substitute for the writing surface which was mentioned in the
original Sanskrit but which did not exist in China. The present choice of papyrus is a
guess at the original.
301
the ran g ama mantra
will be forever under their control and will have to do as they command. If you
dont, you will die. In a world as large as this, many strange things exist. Dont
suppose that if you havent seen something, it cannot be. You may not believe
that the strange things being discussed here exist, but they exist nonetheless
(VI, 125).
25
For more on ghosts, see the commentary at part 6.2, p. 241, and the Sutra text part
9.7. Pretas (Ch. e gui ) are the hungry ghosts. They cannot eat; whatever they take
into their mouths to eat turns to fire.
302
the powers of the mantra
not earned any karmic rewards, the Thus-Come Ones of the ten direc-
tions will transfer their own merit to them. Therefore, for an inexpress-
ibly great number of uncountable eons as many as the sand-grains in the
River Ganges, they will be born in the same generation in which a Buddha
has been born. Their merit will be immeasurably great, and they will be
as close to the Buddhas as the seeds of the aka are to each other. They
will become permeated with the fragrance of spiritual practice. They will
never be separated from the Buddhas.
Further, the mantra can enable people who have broken their pre-
cepts to regain their purity. It can enable people who have not received
precepts to become precepted. It can enable people who have not been
vigorous to become vigorous. It can enable people who are lacking in
wisdom to become wise. It can enable people who are impure to quickly
become pure. It can enable people who do not follow the precepts con-
cerning a pure diet26 to succeed in following those precepts.
nanda, suppose good people who recite this mantra violated pre-
cepts before the mantra has been given to them. Then, when they begin
to recite the mantra, that karma from their precept-breaking offenses,
whether grave or slight, will be immediately erased.
Someone who has violated the precepts can return to purity by reciting the
ragama Mantra, but this does not mean a mere casual recitation. Such a
person must enter the mantra-recitation samdhi, in which the mantra wells
up from the heart and the mantra and the person reciting it become one.
The person cannot forget the mantra; it recites itself. . . . All other thoughts
are wiped away, and all that remains in the mind is the recitation of the
ragama Mantra. Its like flowing water that goes on and on, rolling in from
afar in wave after wave. Its like the wind that comes up invisibly but makes
its presence known. When recitation reaches that state, it can enable people
who have broken the precepts to regain the purity of the precepts. It can
cause those who have not received the precepts to obtain them. It can cause
26
A pure diet is one free of animal products and free of the plants of the onion family,
as was made clear in part 7.2.
303
the ran g ama mantra
those who are not vigorous to become vigorous. People who arent inclined to
progress, who dont investigate the Buddhas Dharma, can spontaneously be-
come vigorous from reciting the ragama Mantra over a long period of time.
It can enable those who lack wisdom to gain wisdom. . . . It can lead people
who eat meat to become vegetarian, because they will no longer desire the
flavor of meat. (VI, 1335)
These people may have taken intoxicants, or they may have eaten
plants of the onion family or other impure foods, but the Buddhas, Bodhi-
sattvas, vajra-brandishing warriors, gods, immortals, ghosts, and spirits
will not consider that a transgression. These people may wear old and
tattered clothes or clothes that have not been washed, but they will still
be pure, whatever they do and wherever they are. Even if they do not set
up a place for awakening, or do not enter a place for awakening, or do not
follow the practice regimen, still, if they recite this mantra, their merit
will be the same as if they had entered the place for awakening and had
followed the practice regimen.27 They may even have committed the five
unnatural crimes,28 which are deserving of the Unrelenting Hell; or they
may be monks who have committed the four major offenses deserving of
expulsion or nuns who have committed the eight major offenses deserv-
ing of expulsion;29 yet their grave karma will be wiped away without a
trace remaining, like a sand dune that has been scattered in a gale.
nanda, there may be beings who, either in their present life or in
their previous lives, have never repented of the serious and minor of-
fenses they have committed during countless, innumerable eons in the
past. But if they can read, recite from memory, or write out the mantra,
or wear it on their person, or keep it where they are dwelling, either in
their homes or where they are staying temporarily, then their accumu-
lated karma will melt away as snow is melted by boiling liquid. Before
27
That is, the procedure for reciting the mantra over a period of twenty-one days, as
set forth above.
28
The five unnatural crimes are matricide, patricide, killing an Arhat, disrupting
monastic harmony, and shedding the blood of a Buddha.
29
Skt. prjika. The four that apply to all monastics were discussed in part 7: sexual
misconduct, killing, theft, and making false claims.
304
the powers of the mantra
long they will gain patience with the state of mind in which no mental
objects arise.
Moreover, if women who do not have children, and who wish to con-
ceive, can recite the mantra sincerely and from memory, or if they wear
this Mantra of the White Canopy, they will bear sons and daughters who
are blessed with virtue and wisdom.
The mantra should be worn above the heart, not below it, as a matter of re-
spect. If you are not respectful toward the mantra, its efficacy will be depleted
with regard to you. (VI, 141)
If people who recite the mantra from memory wish for a long life,
they will live a long life. What they wish to accomplish they will quickly
accomplish. In the same way, they will also have health, good fortune,
beauty, and strength. At the end of their lives, they will be reborn into
whatever country in the ten directions they wish. They will certainly not
be reborn among uncivilized people or at a lower level of society. By no
means will they be born into any form that is less than human.
nanda, suppose that in a village, a district, a province, or in an entire
country, there is famine or plague, or perhaps in that place there is war,
or the marauding of bandits, or the strife of rebellion, or other calamities.
Then the spiritual mantra should be written out and placed on the four
city gates, or in caityas30 or on banners. The citizens of the country should
be instructed to come to welcome the mantra with honor, to venerate
it respectfully, and to sincerely make offerings to it. The citizens should
also be instructed to wear the mantra on their bodies and place it in their
homes. Then all the disasters will disappear.
No matter what Dharma you practice, you must find the Middle Way. True
enough, mantras are efficacious, but you must also develop your samdhi-
power. Here the Sutra stresses the efficacy of the mantra, but the essential
point of the Sutra is its instructions in the Dharma of reversing the hearing to
30
Caityas are sacred buildings, either free-standing or carved into rock, containing
stpas surrounded by columns and adjacent areas for devotees to gather. The earliest
extant caityas date from the Aoka period (third century B.C.E.).
305
the ran g ama mantra
hear the true nature within. . . . Recite the mantra, but even while reciting you
should be turning your light around to illumine within. (VI, 145)
nanda, in any country and in any place where this mantra exists
among the people, the celestial dragons are pleased, the weather is clem-
ent, the harvests are abundant, and all the people are happy and at peace.
Further, the mantra can prevent disasters indicated by the positions of
inauspicious celestial bodies. People will not suffer untimely deaths, nor
will they be bound, fettered, or shackled. Day or night they will sleep
peacefully, free from evil dreams.
nanda, among the eighty-four thousand inauspicious heavenly
bodies that indicate the coming of disasters in the Sha world, twenty-
eight major heavenly bodies are the more inauspicious among them, and
among these, eight are the most influential. These heavenly bodies ap-
pear in a variety of forms. Their appearance can indicate the visitation of
calamities upon living beings and the occurrence of uncanny events. But
in any place where this mantra exists, all such calamities are prevented.
An area of eighty-four miles31 around such a place will be safeguarded so
that no calamitous influence will ever be able to enter.
These are the reasons why the Thus-Come One has proclaimed this
mantra. In the future it will protect all who have just begun their spiri-
tual practice so that they can enter samdhi and have peace and great
tranquility in body and mind. Furthermore, they will not be harmed or
vexed by any demon, ghost, or spirit, nor by any enmity, vulnerability
to disaster, or karmic debt incurred in previous lives since time without
beginning.
Supposing that, besides you and others in the assembly who still need
instruction, spiritual practitioners in the future establish a place of awak-
ening and keep the precepts in accord with the instructions; supposing
that they have received precepts from precept-masters who have main-
tained purity as members of the Sangha; and supposing that they harbor
31
Skt. twelve yojanas, Ch. shi er you xun . A yojana was the distance a bullock
could be driven before it had to be relieved of its yoke about seven miles (eleven
kilometers).
306
the powers of the mantra
no doubts as they uphold this essential mantra; then if these good people
do not gain a spiritual awakening while in this present body given them
by their parents, the Thus-Come Ones of the ten directions have not told
the truth.
307
4
Vows of Protection
When these words had been spoken, countless hundreds of thousands
of vajra-brandishing warriors placed their palms together and bowed
before the Buddha all at the same time, and they said to him respectfully,
In accord with what the Buddha has said, we will devote ourselves to
protecting all those who undertake this practice on their path to enlight-
enment.
Then the King of the Brahma Heaven, the Lord akra, and the Four
Celestial Kings bowed together before the Buddha, and they said to him
respectfully, If indeed there be good people who undertake a spiritual
practice in accord with this Dharma, we will devote all our effort to pro-
tect these people so that their wishes will be fulfilled during their present
lives.
Then Vinyaka and countless ghost-kings and ghost-generals, includ-
ing great yaka-generals and kings of rkasas, ptanas, kumbhas,
and picas, also placed their palms together, bowed before the Buddha,
and said to him respectfully, We too vow to protect these people and to
lead them to quickly fulfill their resolve to become enlightened.
Further, innumerable sun-lords, moon-lords, rain-lords, cloud-lords,
thunder-lords, lightning-lords, and other such lords, together with
monitoring gods of the year,32 and the retinues of the lords of the heav-
enly bodies, all bowed to the Buddha from their places in the midst of the
assembly. They said to him respectfully, We too will protect all these
people in their spiritual practice so that they will be free of fear and
will be secure and at peace in the places for awakening that they have
established.
Moreover, countless mountain-spirits and sea-spirits, and myriads of
other spirits that move on land, through water, and in the air, together
with the wind-kings of the air and the gods on the four planes of form-
32
These are gods whose duty it is to monitor beings behavior (Yuanying, 1100).
308
vows of protection
lessness33 paid obeisance to the Thus-Come One at the same time. They
said to him respectfully, We too will protect these people in their spiri-
tual practice so that they can become enlightened without ever being
troubled by demonic influences.
Then Bodhisattvas in the lineage of the Bodhisattva-King Vajra-
Treasury, numbering eight-four thousand million billion34 times the
number of sand-grains in the River Ganges, stood up in the midst of the
great assembly, bowed before the Buddha, and said to him respectfully,
World-Honored One, like these others, we all became enlightened long
ago, but we have chosen not to enter nirvana. Instead, we continue in our
meritorious work of constant attendance upon those whose practice is
centered on this mantra, and during the time of the Dharmas ending, we
will protect all who correctly practice this samdhi.35
World-Honored One, these beings who cultivate their minds by cor-
rectly practicing this samdhi may be seated in their place of awakening,
or they may be walking upon the roads, or their minds may not be fo-
cused while they are relaxing in their villages, but in any case we and our
followers will constantly attend upon them and stand guard over them.
Even if the demon-king who presides over the Heaven of Pleasure Derived
from What Others Create36 should seek to have his way with these beings,
he will be utterly unable to do so. Lesser ghosts and spirits will be able to
approach no closer than seventy miles from these good people unless
these ghosts and spirits are also resolved to become enlightened and are
joyfully practicing meditation in stillness. World-Honored One, with our
gem-encrusted vajra-implements we will smash to bits the skulls of evil
demons if ever they or members of their retinues should seek to intrude
upon these good people in order to disrupt their practice. We will always
help these good people fulfill their wishes.
33
See part 9.11g.
34
The text has a transliteration of the large Sanskrit numbers nayuta and ko.
35
Correct practice here refers to keeping the precepts and properly reciting the
mantra (Yuanying, 1102).
36
The highest of the six heavens in the realm of desire. See part 9.11g.
309
the ran g ama mantra
These demons can develop tremendous psychic powers, and they abound
throughout the world, causing unrest and instigating trouble. If you recite the
ragama Mantra, then all the demons throughout the world are forced to
behave to some extent. If no one can recite the ragama Mantra, they will
run rampant and will recklessly devastate this world. (VI, 158)
310
IX
Levels of Being
1
The Coming into Being
of the World of Illusion
nanda stood up, bowed at the Buddhas feet, and said to him respect-
fully, I and those like me have been so unwise and dull-witted as to
prefer the mere pursuit of learning to the attempt to put an end to our
outflows. But now that the Buddha has kindly given us this instruction,
our practice has been corrected. We are thoroughly delighted with the
great benefit we have gained.
World-Honored One, suppose someone has cultivated the Buddhas
samdhi in this way but has not yet reached nirvana. What is meant by
the stage of arid wisdom?1 What are the forty-four stages through which
the mind must pass in order to reach the goal of spiritual practice? At
what stage of mastery does one reach the Ten Grounds?2 What does it
mean to be a Bodhisattva at the stage of Equivalent Enlightenment?3
Having spoken these words, nanda bowed to the ground, and every-
one in the great assembly gazed up unblinking with respectful admira-
tion as they waited to hear the sound of the Buddhas compassionate
voice.
The World-Honored One then praised nanda, saying, Excellent! Ex-
cellent! On behalf of all in this great assembly and on behalf of all beings
who practice samdhi in the time of the Dharmas ending as they seek to
advance in accord with the Great Vehicle, you and others have asked me
to point out the supreme right path of self-cultivation that will lead them
from their mundane state to the great nirvana. You should listen care-
fully to what I say to you.
1
Arid because ones desires have dried up and one has not yet experienced the
moisture of Dharma. This is the first of the fifty-seven stages of the Bodhisattavas
enlightenment, as outlined in part 9.4.
2
Skt. daabhmi, Ch. shi di.. See part 9.4.
3
That is, equivalent to the enlightenment of a Buddha.
313
levels of being
nanda and the others in the great assembly placed their palms to-
gether and let their minds become empty as they waited in silence to
receive the teaching.4
They cast out their extraneous thoughts, the deluded thinking of their con-
scious minds, their mad minds and wild natures. . . . Just as one might hollow
out a log to make a boat, they hollowed out their minds so that they could
receive the teaching. (VI, 162)
The Buddha said,5 You should know, nanda, that the wondrous
enlightened nature is endowed with perfect understanding. It is apart
from all names and attributes, and in it, at the fundamental level, there
are no worlds and no beings. It is because of delusion that there is com-
ing into being, and because there is coming into being, there is ceasing
to be. Coming into being and ceasing to be are delusions. When delusion
ceases, reality appears. This turning back from duality to reality is called
the supreme awakening. It is also called the great nirvana of the Thus-
Come Ones.
nanda, you now wish to practice the true samdhi and to realize
the great nirvana of the Thus-Come Ones. You should begin by under-
standing the causes for two distorted phenomena, that is, beings and the
worlds in which beings exist. When these two phenomena do not come
into being, the true samdhi of the Thus-Come One appears.
What is the distorted phenomenon that we call beings, nanda? The
enlightened nature of the true mind that understands is such that its un-
derstanding is perfect and complete. But, nanda, from this understand-
ing, another understanding may be created as another entity, and from
that other entity, a deluded awareness will come into being. Thus from
within the original state which has no attributes whatever, that which
has definite attributes comes into being.
4
The Buddha does not answer nandas question immediately. His answers are given
in part 9.4.
5 The Buddha here gives a brief summary of the coming into being of self and world,
which was the subject of a much longer exegesis in part 4. The Chinese text here is
particularly terse.
314
the coming into being of the world of illusion
Thus from the true the false arises. Based in the nature of the Matrix of the
Thus-Come One, beings give rise to ignorance. Another way of putting it is
that one tries to add an understanding to enlightenment when all along the
nature of enlightenment is that it understands. In that one movement of delu-
sion, coming into being the first of the three subtle aspects of delusion is
created. And from that false nature, an observing subject is created; this is
evolving, the second subtle aspect of delusion. . . . Next, death and rebirth
come into being. . . . One creates karma, and after that one must undergo a
retribution. This is appearance, the third of the subtle aspects of delusion.
(VI, 1656)
Neither what comes into being nor what it comes into being from
are based on anything, nor are they a basis for anything. Beings and the
worlds they dwell in have no foundation, and yet, despite their having no
foundation, beings and the worlds come into being.
The three subtle aspects of delusion are said to arise from ignorance, but ig-
norance has no independent existence. It cannot actually be the basis for any-
thing. Ignorance itself is a false creation, an empty appearance. Therefore,
although it seems to be that the three subtle aspects arise from ignorance,
it does not really happen that way, because ignorance itself doesnt actually
exist. (VI, 167)
315
levels of being
donkey. The real nature of true suchness is not a truth that you can try to
return to. Its not that you decide to return to inherent truth. Rather, you simply
dispense with ignorance; that dispensing is itself the truth. There is no need
to seek further. (VI, 168)
Through their mutual interaction, there comes into being what does
not really come into being, as well as what does not really abide, what is
not really the mind, and what are not really phenomena. From the force
of their coming into being, an understanding is created, and its influence
leads to activity subject to karma. Similar karma mutually attracts, and
because of the karma of this mutual attraction, there is a coming into
being and then a ceasing to be. This is the reason for the distorted phe-
nomenon of beings.
What does not really come into being refers to fundamental ignorance.
What does not really abide refers to the eighth consciousness. What is not
really the mind refers to the observing division of the eighth consciousness,
and what are not really phenomena refers to the observed division of the
eighth consciousness. Ignorance, karmic consciousness, and the observing
and observed divisions have no real source and no independent existence of
their own. Their very existence is illusory. Nonetheless, this sickness is conta-
gious; that is what is meant by through their mutual interaction. It is the same
as with the interconnection of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
As the faculties continue to gain strength, so does the karma they create. . . .
and because of the karma they have created, there is death and rebirth. That
is the reason for the deluded state that beings are in. The one unenlightened
thought which is ignorance has the effect of a disorienting drug or the effect
of too much wine. They no longer know what they should be doing. These be-
ings simply go along with their karma. Whatever deeds of karma they create,
they undergo retribution for those deeds. This is how the world comes into
being. (VI, 16971)
316
the coming into being of the world of illusion
are neither based on anything nor a basis for anything. There is no abid-
ing nor any place of abiding; there is only a constant and unending flux.
The three periods of time and the four directions of the worlds intersect
and combine, and in this way, beings are transformed into any one of
twelve classes.
Thus in this world, because there is movement, there are sounds, and
because there are sounds, there are visible objects. Because there are vis-
ible objects, there are odors. Because there are odors, there are objects of
touch. Because there are objects of touch, there are flavors. Because there
are flavors, there are objects of cognition. Because of the karma created
by these six kinds of disordered mental activity, the twelve classes of be-
ings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth.
Therefore, because of the visible objects, sounds, odors, flavors,
objects of touch, and objects of cognition in this world, beings may be
born in succession through the twelve classes, thus making a complete
sequence. Beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth, and ac-
cording to their various distorted attributes, they may be born into this
world from an egg, or from a womb, or in the presence of moisture, or
via metamorphosis. Some beings are born with bodies that they may or
may not make visible, while others may be born without physical form.
Some beings are born capable of cognition but lacking a physical body;
others are born with their cognitive function inactive. Some beings have
physical forms that are not self-sufficient, and others sometimes lack and
sometimes do not lack physical form. Still other beings have a deficient
understanding, and others sometimes lack and sometimes do not lack a
cognitive capacity.
There are four conditions necessary for birth from an egg: there must be a
father, a mother, individual karma, and warmth. Birth from a womb requires
three conditions: a father, a mother, and individual karma. Birth in the pres-
ence of moisture requires only individual karma and the presence of moisture;
and birth via metamorphosis requires only individual karma. (VI, 175)
317
2
Twelve Classes of Beings
[1]6 Thus, nanda, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth
in this world as a result of illusion, which arises from distorted mental
activity. That mental activity7 combines with vital energies to create
eighty-four thousand kinds of disordered predilections for flying or for
being submerged. The result is the fetal stage8 of beings who are born
from eggs. These become the fish, birds, turtles, and snakes. In their mul-
titudes, they have spread throughout the world.
[2] Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this
world as a result of impure mingling, which arises from distorted desires.
Those desires combine with procreative substances to create eighty-
four thousand kinds of disordered predilections for standing upright or
on four legs. The result is the fetal stage9 of beings who are born from
wombs. These become the humans, beasts, dragons, and ascetic masters.
In their multitudes, they have spread throughout the world.
[3] Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this
world as a result of attachments that arise from distorted inclinations.
Those inclinations combine with warmth to create eighty-four thousand
kinds of distorted predilections for fluttering motion. The result is the
fetal stage of beings10 who will be born in the presence of moisture. These
are the dull-witted beings who creep or swim. In their multitudes, they
have spread throughout the world.
6
The numbering in this chapter has been added by the translators.
7
The mental activity is that of the being who has experienced death and seeks
rebirth. Its mental activity combines with the vital energies of its future parents at
the moment of conception. The rhetorical pattern of this paragraph is repeated in the
next three paragraphs for beings born from wombs, in the presence of moisture, and via
metamorphosis.
8
Skt. kalala.
9
Skt. arbuda.
10
Skt. pe.
318
twelve classes of beings
[4] Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this
world as a result of transformations, which arise from the distorted de-
sire to assume another form. This desire to assume another form, upon
contact with another beings physical nature, combines to create eighty-
four thousand kinds of distorted predilections for exchanging the old for
the new. The result is the fetal stages11 of beings that are born by meta-
morphosis. These are the creatures that fly or crawl. In their multitudes,
they have spread throughout the world.
[5] Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this
world as a result of stagnation, which arises from distortions due to hin-
drance. This hindrance, combining with an attachment to display, pro-
duces eighty-four thousand kinds of distorted predilections for glittering
and shining. The result is the development of beings who may or may not
make their bodies visible. These are the bioluminescent beings of either
an auspicious or an inauspicious nature. In their multitudes, they have
spread throughout the world.
[6] Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this
world as a result of dispersion, which arises from distortions due to doubt.
That doubt combines with darkness to create eighty-four thousand kinds
of distorted predilections to avoid visible form. The result is the develop-
ment of beings who have no physical form. These are the beings who abide
in boundless space, or in boundless consciousness, or in infinite nothing-
ness, or at the highest point where cognition is and yet is not absent.12
In their multitudes, they have spread throughout the world.
This group consists of beings without form; these are the beings in the four
heavens on the formless planes. . . . Although their circumstances imply total
negation, they still have consciousness and karma, and therefore they are
subject to rebirth. (VI, 181)
11
Skt. ghana. The ghana is mentioned in the text in each of the next eight paragraphs,
but this seems to be a literary embellishment in the Chinese translation, since some of the
beings do not seem to be among those that develop from a fetus. In these cases the present
translation renders ghana simply as development.
12
For more on the gods on the planes of formlessness, see part 9.11g.
319
levels of being
[7] Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this
world as a result of deceptive imaginings, which arise from distortions
due to shadowy images. Those shadowy images combine with memories
to produce eighty-four thousand kinds of predilections for attachment to
seclusion and obscurity. The result is the development of beings who are
capable of cognition but lack a physical body. These are spirits, ghosts, and
phantoms. In their multitudes, they have spread throughout the world.
These are such beings as spirits, ghosts, and uncanny essences. In the be-
ginning these beings come about because of shadowy images that unite with
memory to become eighty-four thousand kinds of deluded thoughts that are
hidden away, and no one is aware of them. Their random thoughts mass to-
gether, and from this comes the development of the beings that are capable of
cognition but have no physical form. They multiply throughout the lands in the
form of spirits, ghosts, and uncanny essences until their kinds abound. Some
ghosts and spirits are devious, and some behave properly. Some ghost-kings
are even manifestations of Bodhisattvas, while others are unreliable beings.
Uncanny essences, however, are totally disorderly and devious. (VI, 182)
[8] Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this
world as a result of dullness, which arises from distortions due to mental
insufficiency. That insufficiency combines with obtuseness to produce
eighty-four thousand kinds of predilections for the drying up of vitality.
The result is the development of beings whose cognitive function is inac-
tive. Their vital spirits come to inhabit earth, wood, metal, or stone. In
their multitudes, they have spread throughout the world.
[9] Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this
world as a result of mutual dependency, which arises from distortions
due to the assumption of false identities. These false identities combine
with impure influences to produce eighty-four thousand kinds of pre-
dilection for symbiosis. The result is the development of beings whose
physical forms are not self-sufficient. These include various kinds of be-
ings, such as sea anemones which rely on shrimp in order to see.13 In their
multitudes, they have spread throughout the world.
13
One instance of the example given by the text could be the association of the shrimp
320
twelve classes of beings
[10] Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in
this world as a result of an interaction, which arises with the invoking
of beings whose fundamental natures are distorted. These invocations
combine with the utterance of mantras or spells to produce eighty-four
thousand kinds of predilections for being summoned. The result is the
development of beings who sometimes lack and sometimes do not lack
a physical form. These are the beings who are commanded by mantras,
spells, and curses. In their multitudes, they have spread throughout the
world.
Hooking and summoning, which has already been explained,14 applies to
these mantra spirits. One summons them by calling them by name. Usually
one does not see such beings, but when someone recites a mantra, the be-
ings may reveal their bodies, and often one can see them. . . . They are the
hidden beings of mantras and incantations. In the Esoteric school there exist
mantras which summon these kinds of beings. (VI, 1856)
heptacarpus kincaidi and lebbeus grandimanus with sea anemones of the Urticina genus. In
coral reefs the shrimp live well-protected within the circle formed by the sea anemones
venomous tentacles; the shrimp are immune to the venom. Unlike the anemones, the
shrimp have highly developed eyes, and they alert the anemones to the approach of
predators. They are among the beings whose physical forms are not self-sufficient,
presumably so-called because they are dependent on other beings.
14
See part 8.2.
15
The meaning seems to be that they do not understand what species they are because
they are born among other species.
321
levels of being
16
The owl referred to here may well be the grass owl (tyto longimembris), a cousin of
the barn owl. It nests in tussocks of grass on the ground. It is found in both India and
China, as well as in Southeast Asia and Australia. The mirror-smashing bird (Ch. puo jing
niao ) is another matter. Both Ven. Hsan Hua (Shurangama Sutra VI, 180) and Ven.
Yuanying (1133) mention a mythical animal that was said to incubate a fruit to produce
its young, but these two commentators note that this animal was said to resemble a wolf
and was therefore not a bird, and that the Chinese translators must have misunderstood
the original. A further difficulty here is that, while there are animals that eat their young
in certain stressed circumstances, the present translators were unable to discover any
reference to species whose young eat their parents. Nevertheless, the principle of the
passage is intact: that there are instances in which the natural cognitive tendency to
cherish parents and offspring is suspended.
322
3
Three Gradual Steps
A. Avoiding the Plants of the Onion Group
nanda, all twelve of these classes of beings are affected by all twelve
of these distortions.17 Like the disordered and elaborate images that ap-
pear when pressure is exerted upon the eye, these distortions completely
obscure the wondrous, perfect, pure, true, and understanding mind with
deluded and disordered mental activity. Now, however, you wish to prac-
tice and to master the samdhi of the Buddhas. You should take three
gradual steps in order to eradicate the fundamental factors that are the
source of this disordered mental activity.18 Taking these steps will be like
cleaning a pot that has held poisonous honey by scouring it with hot wa-
ter mixed with the ashes of burnt incense. Once the pot has been cleaned
in this way, it may be used to store even a celestial ambrosia.19
What are the three steps? The first is the practice that eliminates con-
tributing factors. The second is the practice of truly ending any violation
of the fundamental rules of behavior. The third is the practice of vigor-
ously turning away from intentional engagement with perceived objects.
What are the contributing factors, nanda? Consider it this way: the
twelve classes of beings of this world cannot sustain themselves without
some kind of nourishment, which may be taken in one of four ways: by
mouth, by touch, by thought, or by consciousness. That is why the Buddha
says that all beings take nourishment in order to sustain themselves.
Ghosts, spirits, and some gods eat by touching. In the Realm of Form, the
gods get their nourishment by thinking. They take the bliss of meditation in
stillness as their food. In the Planes of Formlessness, the formless gods are
nourished by means of consciousness. (VII, 4)
17
That is, each of the distortions named in the previous section applies not only to one
class of being but to all twelve.
18
The three steps are necessary if the practitioner is to enter the path of the
Bodhisattva.
19
Skt. amta, Ch. gan lu , the drink of the gods.
323
levels of being
All beings must take nourishing food to live, nanda, and if they con-
sume a toxic substance, they may die. Beings who seek to enter samdhi
must refrain from eating the five plants of the onion group.20 When eaten
cooked, these plants arouse sexual desire; when eaten raw, they increase
anger.
Eating meat has similar effects. If eaten cooked, it increases desire; eaten
raw, it can cause people to lose their temper. This is one reason why people
who follow the Path should not eat meat. (VII, 6)
Gods and ascetic masters of the ten directions keep their distance
from anyone who eats these plants, because the plants cause people to
stink, including even people who can expound upon the twelve types of
discourse spoken by the Buddha.21 Hungry ghosts, meanwhile, will come
to lick and kiss the lips of people who have eaten these plants. Such peo-
ple will always be accompanied by ghosts, and their blessings will lessen
day by day. They will experience no lasting benefit.
When people who eat the plants of the onion group practice samdhi,
the Bodhisattvas, gods, ascetic masters, and wholesome spirits of the ten
directions will not come to protect them. Demon-kings of great power,
however, will seize the opportunity to appear before these people in the
form of a Buddha and will pretend to speak Dharma to them. These de-
mons will denounce the precepts and will praise sexual desire, anger, and
delusion. Such people, at the end of their lives, will inevitably join the
retinues of demon-kings. Once they have exhausted the blessings that
they may enjoy as demons, they will fall into the Unrelenting Hell.
nanda, those who practice in pursuit of full awakening must forever
refrain from eating the five plants of the onion group. This is the first step
they should take in their practice in order to make progress on the Path.
Why dont Dharma-protectors and good spirits guard such people? Its
because people who eat these five plants smell bad. Preferring purity, the
20
That is, onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives, and by extension, any similar
member of the allium (lily) family.
21
See part 4, note 32.
324
three gradual steps
22
One of the five spiritual eyes. See part 3, note 38.
325
levels of being
vital energies are not consumed for nourishment.23 nanda, if people who
practice do not put an end to their sexual desire and do not refrain from
taking life, it will be impossible for them to transcend the three realms.
The text here refers to improper sexual desire. It is absolutely unprincipled to
think that a lustful person could become a Buddha. . . . Love that is a loving
regard for ones spouse and children is not what is meant here. Also, if special
circumstances arise where one wishes to help someone else and one is not
just seeking ephemeral bliss, that too would be a temporary expedient rather
than a violation because ones wish is to help someone else, and one is basi-
cally doing something one would prefer not to do.
What disadvantages are there in consuming alcohol and meat? Taking
alcohol deranges ones nature. Once you drink alcohol, you lose your focus.
And then you are likely to engage in confused behavior. . . . Another reason
is that the odor of wine and other alcoholic drinks, which people and ghosts
may consider to be fragrant, makes the good spirits upset, and they and the
Bodhisattvas and Arhats do not like the smell. Bodhisattvas and Arhats regard
the smell of wine as we regard the smell of urine. . . .
Further, all foods should be cooked before they are eaten, because almost
all raw foods will increase ones anger. (VII, 156)
23
Fruits and seeds that can germinate and roots (bulbs, tubers) that can be planted
again should be made allowable or kappiya for bhikkhus [monks]. An unordained person
can do this by touching it with fire, by drawing a knife over it, or by marking it with a
fingernail. . . . There is no need for the ceremony with seedless fruit, or with fruit if the
seeds are unripe so that they cannot germinate. . . . Also, if the bhikkhu carefully eats
certain sorts of fruits for instance, mangoes, jackfruit, plums, peaches, etc. without
damaging the seeds, there is no offense. Bhikkhu Ariyesake, The Bhikkhus Rules: A Guide for
Laypeople (Kallista, Victoria, Australia: Sanghloka Forest Hermitage, 1998), 133.
326
three gradual steps
When such pure people practice samdhi, they will very naturally
be able to see the worlds of the ten directions while remaining in their
bodies born of their parents and without needing the celestial eye.25 They
will see the Buddhas and hear the Dharma, and they will respectfully re-
ceive the sages instructions in person. They will gain great spiritual pow-
ers, they will be able to roam playfully throughout the ten directions, and
they will have clear knowledge of past lives. They will never encounter
danger or difficulty.
That is the second step they should take in their practice, in order to
make progress on the Path.
24
The prjikas (sexual misconduct, killing, theft, and making false claims).
25
Another of the five spiritual eyes.
26
The Buddha here briefly reiterates the instructions given by the Bodhisattva
Majur and the Bodhisattva Who Hears the Cries of the World. See part 6.2.
327
levels of being
faculties become one and cease to function in six separate ways. Then the
lands throughout the ten directions will be as pure and as transparent as
a bright moon appearing within a crystal. In their bodies and minds they
will experience bliss, wondrous perfection, and their essential equality
with all beings and all things. They will know peace and great tranquility.
In their midst all the Thus-Come Ones will appear mysterious, perfect,
pure, and wondrous. These people will soon develop patience with the
state of mind in which no mental objects arise. Because they take these
steps in their practice, they will, as a result of their practice, abide peace-
fully in the succession of stages on the path to become sages.
That is the third step one should take in ones practice in order to
make progress on the Path.
328
4
The Fifty-Seven Stages
of the Bodhisattvas Path
A. Arid Wisdom
nanda, when in good people emotional love and desire have dried
27
they enter the stream of the Middle Way, where a wondrous perfection
opens out before them. From this true and wondrous perfection, yet
another true and wondrous perfection appears, and they experience a
wondrous and unshakable confidence. All their deluded acts of mind are
ended, and the Middle Way remains as the only truth. This stage of stabi-
lizing the mind is called Confidence.
These people, by means of Arid Wisdom, which is the initial vajra-mind . . .
reach the state where a wondrous perfection reveals itself and opens out in
abundance. . . . From the truth of that wondrous perfection there repeatedly
arise further wonders of truth. In the wondrous perfection of the suchness of
reality within the minds true nature, truths within truths come forth. . . . At that
point, all deluded mental activity is ended, without exception. (VII, 28)
27
The Buddha now undertakes to answer the question nanda raised at the beginning
of part 9.
28
The numbering has been added by the translators.
29
That is, the stage of Arid Wisdom.
329
levels of being
[2] This true confidence brings about complete clarity so that all is
fully understood, and the aggregates, the sites, and the constituent ele-
ments can no longer be a hindrance. These people are now able to see
before them all the habits they cherished during their successive lives
throughout countless eons in the past; they can even tell what habits
they should expect to have in the future. These good people, then, can
remember all their habits, forgetting none. This stage of stabilizing the
mind is called Recollection.
[3] When only the true and wondrous perfection remains, the essence
of this true perfection begins to transform these peoples habits, which
have accumulated over time without beginning, into a single essential
clarity. By means of this essential clarity, these people advance into a
true state of purity. This stage of stabilizing the mind is called Advance-
ment by Means of Essential Clarity.
[4] As this essential clarity becomes more and more present to them,
their minds function by means of wisdom alone. This stage of stabilizing
the mind is called The Mind Residing in Functioning with Wisdom.
[5] As they become steadfast in this wisdom and its light, their minds
extend everywhere in clarity and stillness a stillness that is wondrous-
ly constant and unchanging. This stage of stabilizing the mind is called
Abiding in Samdhi.
[6] As this samdhi becomes more luminous, their wisdom grows,
and with this wisdom they enter yet more deeply into samdhi so that
they only advance; they never retreat. This stage of stabilizing the mind
is called Resolve.
[7] As they advance in this state of mind, they are ever more tranquil.
They cherish this state and do not let go of it, and they become connected
with the energy of the Thus-Come Ones of the ten directions. This stage
of stabilizing the mind is called Protecting the Dharma.
[8] As they successfully protect their enlightened understanding,
they use its wondrous power to become able to redirect the light of the
Buddhas compassion inward to the Buddhas tranquil abode. It is as if
light were being reflected between two mirrors and as if wondrous im-
ages of light were appearing in the mirrors in an infinite regress. This
330
the fifty - seven stages of the bodhisattva s path
C. Ten Abodes30
[1] nanda, these good people have entered these ten states of mind
with true skill-in-means, and their minds essence is radiant. The func-
tions of these ten states of mind are now completely integrated. This
stage is called The Abode of the Resolved Mind.31
[2] From within that state of mind, light shines forth like pure gold
appearing from within a flawless crystal, and these good people rely
upon that wondrous state of mind just described to discipline themselves
30
For a more detailed explanation of the Ten Abodes, see The Flower Adornment
Stra, The Ten Dwellings, with the commentary of Tripitaka Master Hua, trans. Buddhist Text
Translation Society (Talmage, California: Dharma-Realm Buddhist University, 1981); also
Ten Abodes, Chapter 15 of The Flower Ornament Scripture, trans. Thomas Cleary (Boston:
Shambhala, 1993), 384ff.
31
This part of the Bodhisattvas spiritual progress, the Ten Abodes, is described with
metaphorical reference to the process of a child being physically born into the Buddhas
family. Accordingly, the first four abodes correspond to the conception of the child, the
next four to the fetal stage, the ninth to birth, and the tenth to growth toward maturity.
331
levels of being
as if they were leveling a piece of ground. This stage is called The Abode
of Leveled Ground.
[3] On this level ground of the mind, their wisdom is integrated so
that they attain a luminous understanding. Their travels throughout the
ten directions are now without hindrance or obstruction. This stage is
called The Abode of Practice on the Path.
[4] They walk the Buddhas Path and share in the Buddhas energy,
and so just as beings who seek new parents while in the passage be-
tween death and rebirth connect with their new parents without the
parents being aware of it so these good people, as if at the moment of
conception, enter into the Thus-Come Ones family. This stage is called
The Abode of Noble Birth.
The intermediate consciousness32 is what is reborn. . . . After the old set of
five aggregates has been left behind, the intermediate consciousness lives
in a world as black as ink. There is no light for it at all. Though the sun and
moon still appear, this intermediate consciousness dares not look at them.
. . . But when its future parents engage in intercourse, then no matter how
far away from them the intermediate consciousness may be, it perceives a
bit of yin light, and in an instant, in response to this thought, it arrives at the
place where its parents are. It is drawn to that place like iron filings drawn
to a magnet, except that in this case the force of the magnetic field extends
for thousands of miles. When the intermediate consciousness arrives at that
place, conception occurs immediately, and so there is rebirth.
The birth of the Bodhisattva of the Fourth Abode into the household of the
Buddha is likened to the process just described, but only as an analogy. It
merely suggests the force of attraction that brings these Bodhisattvas to birth in
the household of the Dharma-King. . . . No matter how many thousands of miles
away it may be, it is as if there is a mutual connection based on confidence and
trust. The Bodhisattvas in this way enter the Thus-Come Ones family. The Bodhi-
sattva is born into an honorable and wealthy household, the Buddhas home.
To say that the Buddha has a home and family is also just an analogy, since the
Buddha long ago left the household for the monastic life. (VII, 3940)
32
Skt. antarbhava, Ch. zhong yin shen .
332
the fifty - seven stages of the bodhisattva s path
[5] They have now entered the Thus-Come Ones family, so they in-
herit the attributes of the Awakened Ones, just as every human feature is
already fully evident in the unborn child. This stage is called The Abode
of Full Development of Expedient Attributes.
[6] Their outward appearance is like a Buddhas outward appearance,
and their minds share the attributes of the Buddhas mind. This stage is
called The Abode of the Right State of Mind.
[7] Mentally and physically resembling the Buddha, they grow day by
day. This stage is called The Abode of Irreversible Development.
[8] Their ability to have their bodies appear in ten forms each form
endowed with spiritually efficacious attributes comes to fullness at the
same time. This stage is called The Abode of Childlike Purity.
[9] Once they are fully formed, they come forth from the womb as
the Buddhas children. This stage is called The Abode of the Dharma-
Prince.
[10] Having grown to adulthood, they are like a crown prince who
has come of age. To him the king entrusts the affairs of state, and he is
anointed as the Katriya lords royal heir. This stage is called The Abode
of Anointment.
D. Ten Practices33
[1] nanda, these good people, having become children of the Buddha,
are fully endowed with the immeasurable and wondrous virtues of the
Thus-Come Ones. They respond to the needs of all beings throughout the
ten directions. They are at the stage called The Practice of Happiness.34
The first of the Bodhisattvas perfections is the practice of giving, of which
there are three kinds:
1) the giving of wealth,
2) the giving of Dharma,
33
For a fuller explanation of the Ten Practices, see Cleary, 454 ff.
34
The sequence of the Bodhisattvas Ten Practices correspond to the ten perfections
(Skt. pramit). These are the six perfections (giving, following precepts, patience, vigor,
mindfulness, and wisdom) together with four others: skill-in-means, vows, powers, and
knowledge of expedients.
333
levels of being
[2] They become skillful in doing good deeds for all beings. This stage
is called The Practice of Beneficial Deeds.
This practice corresponds to perfection in following precepts. It is called the
Practice of Beneficial Deeds because it includes teaching others to follow
precepts and thus rescuing them. If everyone were to follow the precepts, the
entire world would benefit. (VII, 46)
334
the fifty - seven stages of the bodhisattva s path
Here the Bodhisattvas reach the point of not putting forth any resistance. This
method of nonresistance refers to patience, the third perfection in the Bod-
hisattvas practice. When something pleasant happens, one is happy; when
something unpleasant happens, one is still happy. One doesnt oppose the
opinions of others. That requires patience. In all circumstances, one forebears
. . . and doesnt get angry. (VII, 48)
[4] Unto the farthest reaches of the future, they undergo rebirth
freely and equally among the various kinds of beings in the three periods
of time throughout the ten directions. This stage is called The Practice
of Inexhaustibility.
Undergoing rebirth among the various kinds of beings . . . represents the
perfection of vigor. (VII, 49)
[5] For them the various ways of practice merge into a single practice,
and in these practices they are beyond error. This stage is called The
Practice of Departing from Ignorance and Delusion.35
This level of practice corresponds to perfection in meditation in stillness, a
practice which aids those who are scattered and easily confused. (VII, 49)
35
The translation here follows the interpretation of Ven. Zhenjiao (2079).
335
levels of being
[7] In the same way, these good people perceive that all the worlds
in the ten directions appear in each and every mote of dust throughout
space in the ten directions without any mutual interference. This stage is
called The Practice of Nonattachment.
Not only does difference appear within identity and identity within difference,
but within the few the many can appear, and within the many the few are
evident. Within the small the great can appear; within the great the small are
evident. . . . Within every mote of dust, worlds appear; every world can fit
within a mote of dust. But the world does not shrink, nor does the mote of dust
expand. . . . The Bodhisattva at the stage of the Practice of Nonattachment
experiences this. This is the seventh perfection, skill-in-means. (VII, 501)
[8] They look upon each of these states of mind as the foremost
among the perfections. This stage is called The Practice That Is Worthy
of Veneration.
This practice is brought to perfection by the power of vows, . . . the eighth
perfection. (VII, 51)
[9] When these good people perceive that all is perfectly interfused in
this way, they are able to conform perfectly to the rules and regulations
of all the Buddhas throughout all ten directions. This stage is called The
Practice of Skill in the Dharma.
This stage corresponds to the Bodhisattvas perfection of powers. (VII, 52)
[10] Each and every one of these practices, in its fundamental nature,
is pure and without outflows, such that all are a single unconditioned
truth. This stage is called The Practice of Truth.
This stage corresponds to perfection in the knowledge of expedients. (VII, 52)
E. Ten Dedications
[1] nanda, now that these good people have gained full spiritual pow-
ers and have gained proficiency in doing the work of the Buddhas, they
are entirely pure and true, and they are far from all hindrance and mis-
fortune. They will now be able to rescue beings, and yet they have relin-
336
the fifty - seven stages of the bodhisattva s path
[2] They abandon what should be abandoned and leave behind what
should be left behind. This stage is called Dedicating What One Has Not
Abandoned.
What should be abandoned are our karmic obstacles, ignorance, and af-
flictions. What should be left behind are our faults. . . . What should not be
abandoned are our good roots in the Dharma and our fundamental enlight-
ened nature. (VII, 556)
337
levels of being
[4] When the essential truth is fully revealed, these good people stand
on the same ground as the Buddhas. This stage is called Dedicating Ones
Ability to Reach All Places.
[5] Having entered worlds and having become identical with the
Thus-Come Ones, they now experience both of these as merged together
without a hindrance. This stage is called Dedicating Ones Inexhaustible
Treasury of Merit.
[6] These good people have the same grounding in reality as the Bud-
dhas have, and so at every stage along the path, they generate pure inten-
tions. By means of these pure intentions, they radiate light, and they do not
stray from the path to nirvana. This stage is called Dedicating Ones Roots
of Goodness That Are Grounded in the Same Reality as the Buddhas.
[7] Since their roots of goodness have now been grounded in reality,
they each make this contemplation: All beings in the ten directions have
the same fundamental nature that I have, and now that my nature is fully
realized, I know that no being is excluded from it. This stage is called
Dedicating the Contemplation of Ones Identity with All Beings.
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas see themselves and all beings as having the same
nature. They are one with all beings. Therefore, for them to save beings is not
really to save other beings but to save themselves. . . . To say that all beings
have the same fundamental nature as oneself is to speak of beings who exist
outside oneself. But we can also speak of internal beings, because there are
boundlessly many beings within the body of each of us. Science . . . verifies that
our bodies contain innumerable microscopic organisms. If you open your Bud-
dha-eye and look into peoples bodies, you will see an uncountable number of
tiny forms of life, even to the point that when you exhale, you send a lot of beings
out with your breath. . . . When you become enlightened and develop some skill,
you become one with all the beings inside you and outside you. (VII, 5960)
[8] While experiencing oneness with all phenomena, they are never-
theless apart from the attributes of phenomena. Further, they are with-
out attachment either to oneness with phenomena or to separateness
from them. This stage is called Dedicating the Suchness of Reality within
All Phenomena.
338
the fifty - seven stages of the bodhisattva s path
[9] When they have truly reached the suchness of reality, they meet
no obstacles anywhere throughout the ten directions. This stage is called
Dedicating on Behalf of Liberation from All Bonds.
10] When they have fully realized the virtue of their true nature, all
limits to the Dharma-Realm are eradicated. This stage is called Dedicat-
ing the Boundlessness of the Dharma-Realm.
[2] Next, in that their minds are about to complete the journey that
the Buddhas have made, they are as if on the point of no longer being
bound by the earth. They are like a person standing on a mountain sum-
mit, with his body in the air and hardly any solid ground beneath his feet.
This is called The Stage of Standing at the Peak.
[3] Their minds and the minds of the Buddhas had been separate,
but now they have become one. They gain true understanding of the
Middle Way. They are like someone who endures something that cannot
be repressed and yet cannot be expressed. This is called The Stage of
Patience.
[4] When all delineations have melted away, these good people no
longer distinguish between confusion and enlightenment and the Middle
Way. This is called The Stage of Preeminence in the World.
At the level of the Tenth Dedication, all measurements in the Dharma-Realm
ceased to be. Here, all delineations are gone. . . . When there are no such
339
levels of being
G. Ten Grounds37
[1] nanda, these good people have fully understood the Great Enlight-
enment, and their awakening is much the same as the Thus-Come Ones.
They have fathomed the state of the Buddhas mind. This stage is called
The Ground of Happiness.
[2] The different natures become identical, and that identity itself dis-
appears. This stage is called The Ground of Freedom from Defilement.
On the first of the Ten Grounds there was still happiness, and so an identity
also existed. Although there were no designations, there was still an identity.
Differences merged into identity and became one; that is, although the phe-
nomena and the noumenon were united, the noumenon continued. Here at
the second ground, identity disappears. This ground is called Freedom from
Defilement because at this ground the Bodhisattva leaves ignorance behind;
yet it is not completely ended, and a slight bit of attachment remains. (VII, 67)
[3] At the point of ultimate purity, bright light appears. This stage is
called The Ground of Shining Light.
[4] At the point of ultimate luminosity, there is full awakening. This
stage is called The Ground of Wisdom Blazing Forth.
37
For a full explanation of the Ten Grounds, see The Flower Adornment Stra: The Ten
Grounds, 2 vols. (Talmage, California: Dharma-Realm Buddhist Association, 1980).
340
the fifty - seven stages of the bodhisattva s path
[5] All the previous grounds of identity and difference are now sur-
passed. This stage is called The Ground of Being Hard to Surpass.
[6] The pure nature of the unconditioned suchness of reality now be-
comes clearly manifest. This stage is called The Ground of Manifestation.
[7] They reach the very boundaries of the suchness of reality. This
stage is called The Ground of Traveling Far.
The suchness of reality has no limit and no farthest point, so how can it have
boundaries? The text is merely descriptive here, . . . an attempt to describe
what is basically beyond comprehension. (VII, 70)
[8] Everything is the true mind, the suchness of reality. This stage is
called The Ground of No Movement.
[9] They now skillfully reveal the functioning of the suchness of real-
ity. This stage is called The Ground of Using Wisdom Skillfully. At this
point, nanda, these Bodhisattvas practices and merit have already been
perfected. Therefore this ground may also be called The Stage at Which
Practice is Perfected.
At the eighth ground, the suchness of reality and the mind became one; this
is the Ground of No Movement. But to simply be unmoving, never to move,
would be useless. Therefore, within the suchness of reality, ones functions
manifest. That is . . . these Bodhisattvas always respond to circumstances, yet
they do not move; not moving, they nevertheless always respond to circum-
stances. Since such functioning must be connected with wisdom, it is called
Using Wisdom Skillfully. (VII, 71)
38
The meaning here is that the Buddhas come back along the Bodhisattva Path in order
to teach beings, while the Bodhisattvas are advancing towards the state of the Buddhas
(Zhenjiao, 2135).
341
levels of being
39
The fifty-seven positions along the Bodhisattva path may be thought of as a total
of twelve in that there are seven positions listed singly (Arid Wisdom, Heating Up,
Standing at the Peak, Patience, Preeminence in the World, Equivalent Enlightenment, and
Wondrous Awakening) and five groups of ten positions (Ten Stages of Stabilizing the Mind,
Ten Abodes, Ten Practices, Ten Dedications, and Ten Grounds).
40
Celestial musicians, one of the eight kinds of spirit-beings.
342
the fifty - seven stages of the bodhisattva s path
Because they have taken the three gradual steps, nanda, these
people are fully capable of reaching each of the fifty-five stages42 along
the true path to full awakening. The contemplations that have been de-
scribed here are the right contemplations; all other contemplations are
mistaken.
If you can look upon the three realms as if they were flowers in the air; if you
can regard all deeds of the Buddha as if done in a dream; and if you rely on
the three gradual steps in your practice, your contemplations are being made
correctly. (VII, 78)
41
Skt. sabhoga-kya, Ch. bao shen , a spiritual body that a Buddha perfects upon
reaching full enlightenment. This body is visible only to Bodhisattvas and Buddhas.
42
Included here are the five groups of ten, the four additional practices, and Equivalent
Enlightenment.
343
5
Naming the Discourse
Then the Bodhisattva Majur, Prince of Dharma, stood up in the assem-
bly and bowed at the Buddhas feet. He said to the Buddha respectfully,
What shall this discourse be called? How shall we and other beings hold
it in respect and rely on it in our practice?
The Buddha said to Majur, This discourse may be called The Sutra
of the Supreme and Magnificent Dharma-Imprint of the Mantra of the
White Canopy, Which Is Spoken above the Crown of the Great Buddhas
Head, and Which Is the Serene and Pure Oceanic Eye of the Thus-Come
Ones of the Ten Directions. It may also be called The Sutra Concerning
the Rescue of the Buddhas Cousin nanda, the Teachings for Liberating
Him, the Awakening of the Nun Named Nature in this Assembly, and Her
Entry into the Sea of All-Knowing.
It may also be called The Hidden Basis of the Thus-Come Ones Prac-
tices and the Basis of their Verification of Ultimate Truth. It may also be
called The Sutra of the Wondrous Royal Lotus-Flower of the Expanded
Teachings43 and of the Dhra-Mantra That Is the Mother of All Buddhas
Throughout the Ten Directions. It may also be called The Sutra of the
Consecrating Mantra Phrases and the Myriad ragama Practices of the
Bodhisattvas.
In this way you may you hold it in respect and rely on it in your
practice.
The Wondrous Royal Lotus-Flower is the ragama Sutra; the Dhrni-
Mantra is the ragama Mantra. The Myriad ragama Practices of the
Bodhisattvas is another reference to the ragama Mantra. If you recite
this mantra, your karmic obstacles will very quickly be eradicated. Very soon
you will gain wisdom. Earlier in the Sutra, nanda speaks in verse about the
mantra:
43
Skt. vaipulya, the expanded teachings; that is, the teachings of the Mahyna.
344
naming the discourse
When the Buddha had spoken these words, nanda and the others
in the assembly having heard the Thus-Come Ones instruction con-
cerning the meaning of the hidden Dharma-imprint of the Mantra of
the White Canopy and the profoundly significant titles for this discourse
immediately understood the practices of meditation in stillness that
lead to advancement through the stages of sagehood. They progressed
in their mastery of the wondrous truth. Their minds became empty of all
deliberation. They broke free of the six kinds of subtle affliction that, in
the three realms, affect the practitioners mind.
At this point, nanda becomes a second-stage Arhat.45 (VII, 85)
44
The verse concludes part 3 above.
45
Skt. sakdgmin, one who must undergo only one more rebirth.
345
6
The Hells
A. nanda Requests Instruction
nanda stood up and bowed at the Buddhas feet. Placing his palms
together reverently, he said to the Buddha: World-Honored One, your
great virtue inspires awe, and your compassionate voice reaches every-
where unhindered. You skillfully help beings break free of subtle and
deeply buried delusions. Today you have brought me delight in body and
mind. It has been of great benefit to me.
Many beings are stubborn and obstinate. . . . They dont believe that there are
causes and effects, they dont believe that there is a cycle of death and rebirth,
and they dont believe that there is retribution. So the Buddha, as a skillful expe-
dient, can subdue beings by causing them to feel awe. On the other hand, it is
his virtue that attracts beings who have faith and are receptive. (VII, 867)
346
the hells
46
King Virhaka was the son and successor of King Prasenajit, who appears in part 2.3
of this Sutra. Virhaka was ridiculed as a child by members of the kya tribe (to which
the Buddha belonged), and when Virhaka assumed the throne, he exacted his vengeance
by annihilating not only the Buddhas Gautama clan but the entire tribe of kyans.
47
The story of Sunakatra is found in chapter forty of the Mahyna Mahparinirva
Stra. Upon seeing a naked ascetic on the floor of a tavern, Sunakatra denied the existence
of cause and effect and made the false statement that the naked ascetic was an Arhat. He
later also taught that the Buddhas, Dharma, and nirvana have no real existence.
347
levels of being
348
the hells
nanda, these aspirations differ, but all are alike in that they lead be-
ings to soar upward by conferring either lightness or upward motion. It
is their nature not to sink but to take flight and to transcend. Such is the
situation with habit-patterns which are directed outward.
nanda, all beings in all worlds are caught up in an endless succes-
sion of births and deaths. While beings are alive, they follow their natural
inclinations, and upon their deaths, they follow the various currents of
their karma. At the moment of death, while some warmth remains in
their bodies, all the good and all the evil that they have done during their
lifetimes suddenly appear before them. Their inclinations are to shun
death and to embrace life two habitual emotions that complement
each other and are felt at the same time.
The place on the body from which the eighth consciousness departs will be
warm to the touch. For instance, if the eighth consciousness leaves through
the soles of the feet, that spot will be warm. If it leaves from the legs, the legs
will be warm. . . . If it goes out the top of the head, the top of the head will be
warm. . . . When a person is on the verge of death, the good and evil he or
she has done is revealed and a reckoning is at hand. The person is rewarded
349
levels of being
47
That is, all thought and no emotion.
48
See part 9.10 below.
350
the hells
49
See part 4.1 and note 11.
351
levels of being
weighty, they will enter a hell where suffering is intermittent. If their emo-
tions are of greater weight, they will enter either the Unrelenting Hell.50
When they are ruled entirely by emotion, they sink into the Unrelent-
ing Hell. If, in this submerged state of mind, they have spoken ill of the
Mahyna teachings or of the Buddhas precepts; if they have recklessly
propounded false doctrines which they present as being in accord with
Dharma; if they have greedily sought the offerings of the faithful under
false pretenses; if they have shamelessly accepted undeserved reverence
from others; or if they have committed the five unnatural crimes or the
ten major offenses,51 then they will be reborn in the Unrelenting Hell in
one world after another throughout the ten directions.
Beings undergo these retributions exactly in accord with the evil
karma that they create. But though they have brought their retributions
upon themselves, they will share the same fate in the same place with
other beings who have created the same karma.
People who are governed by emotion . . . are totally unreasonable. . . . Their
motto is Eat, drink, and pass the time. The Buddha is only a figment of the
imagination, so dont follow the Buddhas moral precepts. What do you want to
do that for? Theyll just control you. If you dont follow precepts, see how free
youll be. In fact, if one does not follow moral precepts, one is very likely to end
up in the hells. Is that what youd call freedom? If you receive the Buddhas
precepts and then use them to govern your behavior, its not so likely that youll
fall into the hells, and even if you do, youll get out much more quickly . So dont
outsmart yourself. Its better to follow the precepts. (VII, 1123)
50
Lesser weight indicates a proportion closer to eighty percent, and greater weight
indicates a proportion of more than ninety percent (Yuanying, 1223).
51
That is, violating the ten major Bodhisattva Precepts.
352
the hells
[1] What are these ten causes, nanda? The first cause is the habit
of sexual desire, which, when joined to physical contact, leads to inter-
course. When the friction of contact is sufficiently prolonged, there is
an inner feeling of a great raging fire erupting from within. It is like the
warmth that arises when the hands are rubbed together.
When the latent habitual energies of sexual desire erupt into the
fires of habitual sexual activity,52 the consequence in the hells will be
the experience of the iron bed and the copper pillar. Therefore, when
the Thus-Come Ones of the ten directions see evidence of sexual desire
and the activity that results from it, they call these things the fires that
arise from craving. Bodhisattvas view sexual desire as something to be
avoided, as one would avoid a fiery pit.53
[2] The second cause is the habit of craving, which, when one is at-
tracted to something, leads to plotting and planning. When the attrac-
tion and the grasping are incessant, there is an inner feeling of freezing
cold and solid ice. It is like the experience of the air being cold when one
inhales sharply through the mouth.
When latent habitual energies of craving are compounded with habi-
tual acts of craving, the consequence in the hells will be the experience of
freezing, which causes babbling, chattering, and whimpering, and which
cracks ice into shapes of blue and red and white lotuses, and other such
52
The text says simply Ch. er xi , two habits. The present translation adds to the
phrase in accord with the Ven. Hsan Huas commentary in order to make more accessible
an already difficult passage.
53
This very compact discussion of ten causes for birth in the hells follows a repeating
rhetorical pattern. Each of the ten causes is described in seven steps, as follows: 1) To begin
the first sentence of each of the ten, a habit is identified. 2) Next, in the same sentence,
an emotion corresponding to that habit is identified (this step is omitted in the discussion
of the first cause). 3) Still in the same sentence, acts that can result from the habit and
emotion are identified. 4) The next sentence describes what the habit, emotion, and acts,
when indulged to excess, cause the person to feel. 5) The next sentence explains the
process just described by comparing it to a parallel situation in daily life, as in a syllogism.
6) In the second paragraph, the Buddha considers what will happen to the offenders once
they reach the hells. 7) Finally, the Buddha suggests how extremely wary the sages are of
creating such negative karma.
353
levels of being
effects. Therefore, when the Thus-Come Ones of the ten directions see
evidence of excessive greed, they call them the water of craving. Bod-
hisattvas view craving as something to be avoided, as one would avoid a
sea of pestilent poisons.
[3] The third cause is the habit of arrogance, which, when compound-
ed with haughty feelings of self-superiority, leads to competitiveness.
When that arrogance continues unchecked, there is an inner feeling of a
rushing torrent of leaping waves of water. It is like the mouth watering
when a person tries to taste his own tongue.
When the latent habitual energies of arrogance are expanded to in-
clude habitual arrogant acts, the consequence in the hells will be the ex-
perience of rivers of blood, rivers of ashes, burning sands, or seas of poi-
son, or the experience of molten copper being poured over ones body or
of being forced to swallow the copper. Therefore, when the Thus-Come
Ones of the ten directions see instances of arrogance and arrogant acts,
they call them taking a drink of stupidity. Bodhisattvas see arrogance as
something to be avoided, as one would wish to avoid drowning at sea.
[4] The fourth cause is the habit of hatred, which, when joined to a
predilection for defiance, leads to confrontations. When ones entangle-
ment in habits of defiance is unrelenting, there is an inner feeling of the
heart becoming so hot that it burns, and its fiery energy becomes like
metal. Then this person will feel as if he is being exposed to mountains
of knives, of iron clubs, of swords standing like forests or arrayed like
spokes of a wheel, and of axes, spears, and saws. It is like a harbored
grievance intensifying until it explodes into an urge to kill.
When the latent habitual energies of hatred recklessly incite ha-
bitual acts of hatred, the consequence in the hells will be the experience
of being castrated, dismembered, beheaded, abraded, pierced, flogged,
clubbed, and so forth. Therefore, when the Thus-Come Ones of the ten
directions see instances of hatred and hateful acts, they call them sharp
swords. Bodhisattvas view hatred as something to be avoided, as one
would wish to avoid being executed.
[5] The fifth cause is the habit of enticing others, which, when joined
to a fondness for conniving, leads beings to the practice of entrapment.
354
the hells
When the setting of traps becomes too much, this person will feel as if he
is being bound by ropes and immobilized in wooden stocks. It is inevi-
table, just as it is inevitable that trees and grasses in a field will shoot up
when the field is saturated.
When the latent habitual energies of enticing others become pro-
longed, leading to acts of entrapment, the consequence in the hells
will be the experience of handcuffs and fetters, along with cangues and
chains attached to cangues, whips and canes, clubs and cudgels, and so
forth. Therefore, when the Thus-Come Ones of the ten directions see en-
ticement and entrapment, they call them cunning thieves. Bodhisattvas
view defrauding others as something worthy of fear, as one would fear a
pack of jackals.
[6] The sixth cause is the habit of falsehood, which, when joined to
deviousness, leads to insinuations and insults. When these insinuations
rise to the level of treachery, such a person will feel as if he is being cov-
ered with dust and dirt and with excrement and urine and all manner
of filth. It is like the dust that, when stirred up by the wind, obscures
peoples vision.
When the latent habitual energies of lying are added to acts of deceit,
the consequence in the hells will be the experience of sinking and drown-
ing, first being hurled upward, then flying through the air, then falling,
floating, and finally perishing. Therefore, when the Thus-Come Ones of
the ten directions see instances of falsehood and insinuation, they call
them robbery and murder. Bodhisattvas view lying as something to
avoid, as one would avoid stepping on a venomous snake.
[7] The seventh cause is the habit of festering resentment, which,
when joined to a propensity to nurse hatreds, leads to acts of vengeance.
Such a person will come to feel as if he is being stoned, or being impris-
oned in cells or in cages mounted on carts, or being confined in urns or
in sacks that are then beaten. It is like the evil designs harbored and nur-
tured by venomous and secretive people.
When the latent habitual energies of making false accusations merge
with acts of making such accusations, the consequence in the hells will be
such experiences as being hurled, seized, stabbed, and stoned. Therefore,
355
levels of being
when the Thus-Come Ones of the ten directions see instances of resent-
ment and vengeance, they call them unscrupulous and harmful ghosts.
Bodhisattvas view making false accusations as equivalent to drinking
liquor laced with a fatal poison.
[8] The eighth cause is the habit of holding wrong views, which, when
joined to a temperament that automatically rejects the opinions of oth-
ers, leads to such mistaken understandings as the wrong view that the
self is real,54 wrong views concerning prohibitions, and wrong views con-
cerning karma. Such a person will come to feel as if he has been brought
before officials of the royal court55 to determine what views he has held.
Such scrutiny will be unavoidable, just as one cannot escape being scruti-
nized by people whom one meets when walking in the opposite direction
on a road.
When the latent habitual energies of holding wrong views are joined
to acts that result from holding wrong views, the consequence in the
hells will be the experience of being interrogated while subjected to
devious tricks and to high-pressure questioning, so that all is eventually
brought out into the open. The youths who keep track of good and evil
deeds consult the evidence to counter the offenders arguments and ex-
cuses. Therefore, when the Thus-Come Ones of the ten directions see in-
stances of wrong views, they call them pit-traps. Bodhisattvas consider
attachment to wrong and biased views as equivalent to standing on the
edge of a ditch full of pestilent water.
The youths mentioned here are employees of the hells; they keep records of
good and evil done in the world. When your turn comes, they read out your
54
The wrong view that the self is real is the first of the five wrong views (Skt.
mithydi; Ch. xie jian ). The second of these, not mentioned in the text, is the wrong
view of endings (that is, the view that humans are always reborn as humans, or, at the
other extreme, that there is no life after death). The third, which is mentioned in the text,
consists of wrong views concerning karma; the fourth, not mentioned in the text, consists
of stubborn attachment to ones views. The fifth, wrong views concerning prohibitions,
refers to belief in the efficacy of unbeneficial acts of asceticism.
55
That is, the court of King Yma, the lord of death, who judges the karma of the dead
and the corresponding retribution that the dead must undergo.
356
the hells
record. If you try to argue or rationalize, they merely find the page and place
and read it out just as it actually happened. They have unimpeachable proof,
and your protestations are useless. (VII, 128)
[9] The ninth cause is the habit of blaming, which, when joined to
a predilection for defamation, leads to making false accusations. Such
a person comes to feel that he is being crushed between mountains or
between boulders, or that he is being broken on stone wheels, or being
ripped by plows, or being ground up by millstones. These are like the
injuries visited on good people by a slanderous villain.
When the latent habitual energies of blaming lead to habitual unjust
acts, the consequence in the hells will be the experience of being pressed,
pummeled, bagged, squeezed, and strained, then weighed and measured,
and so forth. Therefore, when the Thus-Come Ones of the ten directions
see false accusations being made, they call them vicious tigers. Bodhi-
sattvas view unjust acts as equivalent to claps of thunder.
[10] The tenth cause is the habit of disputatiousness, which, when
joined to a predilection for obfuscation and concealment, leads to vocif-
erous court proceedings. Such a person will feel that in the end, every-
thing will be revealed, as if reflected in a mirror by the light of a candle
just as no shadows can hide people when they are in full sunlight.
When the latent habitual energies of disputatiousness are joined to
engagement in disputes, the consequence in the hells will be the truth
about ones acts being confirmed by evil companions, as if ones karma
were illumined in a mirror. Therefore, when the Thus-Come Ones of the
ten directions see instances of obfuscation and concealment, they call
them shadowy villains. Bodhisattvas view obfuscation to be as burden-
some as the task of carrying a high mountain on ones head while walking
in the ocean.
nanda, these retributions are the consequences of individual be-
ings intentional acts. For this karma there are these ten causes based on
beings habits, and beings undergo in turn six kinds of retribution.
How is it that there are six kinds of retribution, nanda? All beings
create karma through their six consciousnesses, and they experience
357
levels of being
retribution through their six faculties. How is it that the various retribu-
tions are experienced through the six faculties?
[1] First, there are the retributions that are the negative consequence
of intentional acts of seeing. This karma of seeing affects the other five
consciousnesses as well. When a being is about to die, he may first see fire
raging throughout the worlds of the ten directions.56 Upon his death, his
spiritual awareness will ascend and then fall, riding downward on a wisp
of smoke directly into the Unrelenting Hell. Then one of two things may
happen. If there is light for the being to see by, he may perceive all man-
ner of ferocious creatures, which cause him to experience the extremes
of fear. Or there may only be darkness, and all will be silent; nothing can
be seen. The being then feels a boundless terror.
The text here describes how the ten causes lead to retributions through the six
faculties. These retributions are interconnected. Although one of the six facul-
ties may have been the predominant cause of a karmic offense, the other five
are all involved to some extent. They act as accomplices. . . .
In general, the reason we commit so many karmic offenses is that we are
unable to control our faculties. We cant keep ourselves from being affected
by the experience of the six kinds of perceived objects. Instead of redirecting
our hearing inward to listen to our true nature so that we can experience the
supreme awakening, we fly out through our six faculties in pursuit of perceived
objects, and we commit a myriad of karmic offenses in the process. . . .
If you have samdhi, then it doesnt matter what you look at every day. The
more you see, the less you will be influenced by the beauty of the opposite
sex. But if you dont have that kind of skill, then you need to be a little bit more
careful. With a little more care, you wont have to hug the copper pillar or fall
into some other hell. (VII, 1345)
Next, that raging fire that he saw may overload his ear-consciousness
so that he is overwhelmed by the sounds of liquids and molten copper
boiling in cauldrons. His nose-consciousness may also be overloaded
56
Seeing and fire are associated because sexual desire often arises in response to what
is seen.
358
the hells
That roar of the gigantic waves that he heard may now overload
his ear-consciousness so that he hears voices accusing and interrogat-
ing him. Next, his eye-consciousness may be overloaded also so that
he is overwhelmed by a vision of thunderclouds composed of noxious
vapors. His nose-consciousness may also be overloaded so that he is
overwhelmed by the stench of marsh-water infested with venomous
bugs that swarm over his body as the water drenches him. His tongue-
359
levels of being
360
the hells
with intense heat. Upon his death, the beings spiritual awareness will
fall into the net and be suspended there, hanging upside down until he
falls into the Unrelenting Hell. Then one or two things may happen. He
may breathe a vapor in through his mouth, and this vapor may cause his
tongue and his whole body to freeze solid and crack. Or, if he tries to spit
the vapor out, he will be engulfed by a raging fire which burns him to the
marrow of his bones.
As his tongue-consciousness undergoes these experiences, he will feel
that he is being forced to make confessions and to suffer punishments.
Next, his eye-consciousness may have the experience of overwhelming
visions of being burned by hot metal and hot stones. His ear-conscious-
ness may undergo an overwhelming experience of sounds seeming to
stab him with sharp blades. His nose-consciousness may undergo an
overwhelming experience of his nose becomng a gigantic cage of iron
that encompasses everything around him. His body-consciousness may
undergo an overwhelming experience of being pierced by arrows and
darts. His mind-consciousness may be overwhelmed by the experience of
the contents of his mind seeming like flying bits of hot iron raining down
on him from the sky.
[5] Fifth are the retributions that are the negative consequence of
intentional acts of touching. This karma of the body-consciousness af-
fects the five other consciousnesses as well. First, when a being is about
to die, he may perceive great mountains closing in on him on all sides so
that he cannot escape. Upon his death, the beings spiritual awareness
will perceive a great iron city teeming with fire-dogs and fire-snakes and
with tigers, wolves, and lions. Ox-headed guards of the hells and horse-
headed rkasas, armed with spears, drive the being through the city
gates and into the Unrelenting Hell. Then one of two things may happen.
If the beings body is still capable of sensation, he will feel his body be-
ing crushed between mountains so that his blood spurts forth from his
squashed flesh and bones. Or, if the beings body is no longer capable of
sensation, swords will pierce his body and slice up his heart and liver.
As his body-consciousness undergoes these experiences, it will seem
to him that he is being clubbed, caned, stabbed, or pierced with arrows.
361
levels of being
362
the hells
If a beings six consciousnesses all create evil karma at the same time,
he will enter the Unrelenting Hell, where he will undergo an immeasur-
able amount of suffering for uncountable eons. However, if the nega-
tive consequences arise from intentional acts that were committed at
separate times by the faculties engagement with their objects, the being
will enter one of the Eight Cold Hells. If a being commits acts of killing,
stealing, and sexual misconduct with body, speech, and mind all three
then he will enter one of the Eighteen Hells.
However, if a being has committed only two of the three major of-
fenses for example, if he has killed and has stolen then he will enter
one of the Thirty-Six Hells. And if he has committed only one of the three
major offenses with only one of the three creators of karma, then he will
enter one of the One Hundred and Eight Hells.
Therefore, individual beings create their own karma by their own
acts, but if their karma is the same as other beings karma, they will all
fall into the same hells in this world. These hells are created by their de-
luded acts of mind. Apart from those acts, the hells have no independent
existence.
363
7
The Destiny of Ghosts
Next, nanda, after these beings have passed through eons of fire to pay
the debts they incurred for committing these offenses such offenses
as violating and vilifying the precepts and the rules for deportment,
violating the Bodhisattva Precepts, slandering the Buddhas teachings
about nirvana, and all the other various offenses then these beings will
become ghosts.
These individuals denounce the idea of precepts and rules of deportment by
saying things such as . . . People should be free to do as they please. After
all, this is a democratic country, and everyone is free and independent. So
there shouldnt be any prohibitive rules in Buddhism, either. These people
commit even more karmic offenses by claiming that one can become a Bud-
dhist monk or nun without taking the necessary precepts. (VII, 158)
Ten kinds of ghosts are discussed below in connection with the karma cre-
ated by their habitual craving. However, there are many more kinds of ghosts.
The ones described here are merely representative. (VII, 159)
57
Ch. mei gui , a ghost that possesses animals, as mentioned here. It may also
possess a person. The Sanskrit name is not known.
364
the destiny of ghosts
If it was the cravings and emotions of hatred that led a being to com-
mit offenses, then once that debt is paid, the being will encounter a ven-
omous creature, assume its form, and become a hex-poison ghost.
If it was the cravings and emotions of long-cherished enmity that led
a being to commit offenses, then once that debt is paid, the being will
encounter some enfeebled creature, assume its attributes, and become a
plague-ghost.
If it was the cravings and emotions of arrogance that led a being to
commit offenses, then once that debt is paid, the being will encounter some
source of vital energy, assume its attributes, and become a hungry ghost.
If it was a craving to indulge in slander that led a being to commit of-
fenses, then once that debt is paid, the being will encounter some source
of dark energy, assume its attributes, and become a nightmare-ghost.
If it was a craving to indulge in perverse uses of intelligence that led a
being to commit offenses, then once that is paid, the being will encounter
some source of intense vital energy, assume its attributes, and become a
malicious shape-shifting ghost.58
Although this person may consider himself to be extremely intelligent, in fact
he is totally confused in what he does. He may be smart, but he misuses
his intelligence and ends up by outsmarting himself. For example, he clearly
knows that murder is wrong, but he commits murder anyway. . . .
Shape-shifting ghosts sometimes take the form of a child, but with only
one leg. Sometimes this ghost will appear as an adult . . . with its head grow-
ing out from between its legs. (VII, 1656)
58
Skt. vya, Ch. wang-liang .
365
levels of being
This kind of ghost can possess people and speak through them, saying such
things as I am the Buddha so-and-so, or I am the Bodhisattva such-and-
such. . . . Among these people are oracles who predict auspicious and inaus-
picious events . . . with complete accuracy. They can foretell the future. This is
an example of the need to distinguish between what is proper and what is not.
The proper way to gain the ability to predict the future is to practice in accord
with the Dharma. Relying on a ghost is not correct. (VII, 169)
nanda, their cravings are the sole reasons for these beings having
previously fallen into the hells. Once they have burned away their debts
in the hells, they ascend to be reborn as ghosts. This too is a consequence
of their own delusion. If they were to become fully awakened, then with
their wondrous and perfect understanding, they would know that, fun-
damentally, these retributions are not real at all.
366
8
The Destiny of Animals
nanda, once a being has made full payment on that part of his karmic
debt which he was due to pay as a ghost, his mind will empty itself of the
emotions and thoughts that brought him to the ghostly destiny. Now he
must come to this world to face the enmity of his original creditors and
in person repay what he owes them. Thus he is born in the body of an
animal to repay his debts from his previous lives.
Such a being has to repay the debts that he accumulated during countless
past eons, and these debts need to be repaid in kind. For example, if you have
killed someone, you will have pay with your own life. If you owe someone a
pig, you will become his pig in order to repay him. . . . We can see how im-
proper actions can lead to a lot of trouble. (VII, 1712)
Suppose a being has been a bizarre shape-shifting ghost and has as-
sumed the attributes of an object. When the object disintegrates, then
the being, having undergone its retribution as a ghost, is reborn into this
world, usually as an owl.
Suppose a being has been a drought-ghost and has assumed the attri-
butes of a southeast wind. When the wind dies down, then the being, hav-
ing undergone its retribution as a ghost, is reborn into this world, usually
among the various kinds of animals that are considered to be ill omens.
Suppose a being has been an animal-possessing ghost and has as-
sumed the attributes of an animal. When the animal dies, then the being,
having undergone its retribution as a ghost, is reborn into this world,
usually as a kind of fox.
Suppose a being has been a hex-poison ghost and has assumed the
attributes of a venomous creature. When that venomous creature dies,
then the being, having undergone its retribution as a ghost, is reborn into
this world, usually as an animal that is venomous itself.
Suppose a being has been a plague-ghost and has assumed the attri-
butes of an enfeebled creature. When that creature dies, then the being,
having undergone its retribution as a ghost, will be reborn into this
367
levels of being
59
In asking for instruction at the beginning of part 9.6 above.
368
the destiny of animals
descend upon them from the heavens, nor did it emerge from the earth.
No other human being imposed it on them. Their own delusion brought
their karma about, and they themselves must undergo the retribution
for it. Yet all this consists merely of illusions and delusions that manifest
within the fully awakened mind.
369
9
The Destiny of Humans
"Moreover, nanda, suppose these beings, having been born as animals to
pay the debts they incurred in previous lives, live longer as animals than
their debts have required. On that basis, these beings can now return to
their original status as humans, and provided that their strength, their
blessings, and their merit are sufficient, they can retain their human
bodies as compensation for their overpayment of their karmic debt.60 But
if their blessings are not sufficient, they will fall back into the realm of
animals in order to make a direct payment of any other debts they owe.
nanda, beings should realize that they should settle their debts,
whether with money, goods, or labor, so that their indebtedness can
naturally come to an end. But if, during this process, beings take each
others lives or eat each others flesh, then they may well continue
through countless eons killing each other and eating each other as if they
were turning ceaselessly on a wheel, now on top, now beneath. The wheel
may never stop unless they undertake the practice of calming the mind
or unless a Buddha appears in the world.
There are only two ways to escape the cycle of karmic debts. One is by stop-
ping the mind until one realizes the great ragama Samdhi. The other oc-
curs when a Buddha appears in the world and explains peoples karmic debts
to them. Then both the debtor and the creditor understand that they should not
continue to incur such debts, and in this way they can stop the endless cycle
of mutual indebtedness. (VII, 182)
Now you should understand that when beings who have been owls
have paid their debts, they will regain their human form and will be born
among people who are pig-headed and stubborn.
When beings who have been animals that are considered to be ill
omens have paid back their debts, they will regain their human form and
be reborn among people who are deformed.
60
That is, when an overpayment was made during their long lives as animals.
370
the destiny of humans
We often see mention of this type of rebirth in the newspapers. A child may
be born with two heads, or with two bodies but only one head. Sometimes the
childs faculties of perception will be out of place. Perhaps the eyes will be
where the ear should be and the ears where the eyes belong. . . . Often such
individuals die as soon as they are born. (VII, 183)
When beings who have been foxes have paid back their debts, they
will regain their human form and will be reborn among people who are
of lowly status and low intelligence.
When beings who have been venomous animals have paid back their
debts, they will regain their human form and will be reborn among
people who are vicious.
Although these beings manage to be reborn in the human realm, they still
have not changed their bad habits. They are extremely fierce and cruel. . . .
They pay no attention to whether their actions are justifiable or not. If you get
in their way, and even if you dont, they will kill you without hesitation. (VII,
184)
When beings who have been parasitic worms have paid back their
debts, they will regain their human form and will be reborn among
people who are menial workers.
When beings who have been animals of the kind that are eaten by
people have paid back their debts, they will regain their human form and
will be reborn among people who are weak-willed and dependent.
When beings who have been animals of the kind that serve people
or of the kind that are a source of peoples clothing, have paid back
their debts, they will regain their human form and will be reborn among
manual laborers.
When beings who have been migratory birds have paid back their
debts, they will regain their human form and will be reborn among
people of refinement.
When beings who have been animals serving as good omens have
paid back their debts, they will regain their human form and will be re-
born among people who are intelligent.
371
levels of being
When beings who have been domesticated animals have paid back
their debts, they will regain their human form and will be reborn among
people who are accomplished.
People like this comprehend whats going on. They understand social graces.
But they dont have a genuine and comprehensive understanding that allows
them to see into the past and comprehend the present. . . . They simply attain
a superficial kind of success in dealing with the world. (VII, 187)
nanda, all these people have paid their debts from previous lives
and have regained their human form. Since time without beginning, they
had been creating the karma that results from deluded scheming, and
they had been taking turns killing and being killed. If they do not en-
counter a Thus-Come One or if they do not hear the true Dharma, then in
the midst of the stress of entanglement with perceived objects, they will
repeat this cycle of karma indefinitely, as the Dharma explains. These
people are to be deeply pitied.
372
10
The Destiny of the Ascetic Masters
nanda, there are also people who practice kinds of samdhi that do
not follow the path that leads to true awakening. Instead, their practices
are based on a mistaken intent to fortify the physical body. They seclude
themselves in mountain forests beyond the reach of people. These are
the ascetic masters, of which there are ten kinds.61
Some of these beings, nanda, in their effort to fortify themselves,
tirelessly devote themselves to a diet of medicinal potions. When they
have perfected this dietary practice, they become ascetic masters who
are earth-bound.
Some of them, in order to fortify themselves, tirelessly devote them-
selves to a diet of medicinal herbs. When they have perfected this prac-
tice, they become ascetic masters who can fly.
Some of them, in order to fortify themselves, tirelessly devote them-
selves to ingesting precious metals and minerals. When they have per-
fected their alchemical practice, they become ascetic masters who are
adept at roaming freely.
Some of them, in order to fortify themselves, tirelessly devote them-
selves, whether they are moving or still, to bringing their spirit and their
vital energies to perfection. When they have perfected this practice, they
become ascetic masters who are adept at astral travel.
61
In this section on ascetic masters, the Chinese is so extremely terse that the
meanings are hardly intelligible without the aid of the commentarial tradition. Yet
difficulties exist even with the commentaries, since the Chinese commentators, at least
before modern times, were not generally familiar with the Indian practices described in
the text. The tendency was to interpret these practices in terms of Daoist practices, which
were well known in China. Here, Daoist influence seems to be present in the Chinese text.
The Chinese xian (which is translated here as ascetic master, but which is more often
rendered into English as immortal) usually referred to the recluses and alchemists of the
Daoist tradition. However, the original Sanskrit was probably i, a class of pre-Buddhist
ascetics who were considered to be different from both ordinary humans and gods.
373
levels of being
62
The first six groups of ascetic masters gain skill in various modes of travel; the last
four gain skill in various practices.
374
the destiny of the ascetic masters
this practice so that they can bring it to mind at will, they become ascetic
masters who practice by means of contemplative illumination.
When these ascetic masters have perfected their practice, they have a kind
of light. In thought after thought, they imagine that they are transformed into a
golden light. When they hold this thought for a long time . . . they may eventu-
ally have some success. Because of the way these masters gain some light,
they are referred to as ascetic masters who practice by means of contempla-
tive illumination. (VII, 196)
375
11
The Destiny of the Gods
A. The Gods of the Six Heavens of Desire
[1] nanda, some people in this world do not seek what is everlasting
and cannot yet renounce their love and affection for their spouses. But
if their minds do not turn to thoughts of sexual misconduct, they will
develop a certain purity and radiance. After their lives have ended, they
will ascend to the vicinity of the sun and moon. Such people become gods
in the Heaven of the Four Kings.
Not to seek what is everlasting can mean that these people dont seek
eternal life in this world, but it can also mean that they dont seek the everlast-
ing true mind. . . . These individual are not interested in sexual misconduct.
Sexual misconduct means engaging in sexual activities with someone other
than ones spouse and does not apply to sexual activities between married
couples. However, even in marriage, such activities should not be excessive.
When you practice in accord with Dharma, no matter how much merit and
virtue you may have, you must not engage in sexual misconduct; otherwise,
all your hard work will be in vain. . . . When one does not engage in sexual
misconduct, one will be pure, and out of that purity comes light the natural
light of virtue. (VII, 2012)
[2] Some others have only a small amount of desire for their spouses,
but they do not manage to live in complete purity. After their lives have
ended, they will ascend beyond the sun and moon to dwell at the summit
of Mount Sumeru. Such people become gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-
Three.
Those who become gods in the Heaven of the Four Kings did not engage in
sexual misconduct, but they still desired their spouses. . . . The text discusses
people with very little regard for sexual activity even within their marriage. . . .
With little emotional desire, the light of their true nature comes forth and enables
them to be reborn in the heavens. But because they dont know how to practice
in accord with Dharma, they do not attain complete purity. (VII, 2034)
376
the destiny of the gods
Why do some people have such strong sexual desires? Its because of the
formidable obstacles that their karma places in their path. . . . Such obstacles
cause people to think of nothing but sex from morning till night. . . . However,
its precisely in the midst of these obstacles that we must wake up and real-
ize the need to reduce their power over us. If we simply accept our karmic
obstacles, we will continue to fall, and we will be reborn as an animal in the
future. The stronger our desires, the farther we will fall. (VII, 203)
On the other hand, if you want to be reborn in the heavens, just have few
desires and be content. (VII, 207)
[3] Some others will succumb to desire when an occasion arises, but
after an indulgence they give the matter no further thought. While they
are in the human realm, their desire is quiescent more than it is active.
After their lives have ended, they abide peacefully, shining with their
own radiance, in a realm of space that is so far above the sun and the
moon as to be beyond the reach of sunlight and moonlight. Such people
become gods in the Heaven of Self-Restraint.
[4] Some others are always still, except when they are unable to resist
the stimulus of contact. After their lives have ended, they ascend to a re-
fined place that is isolated from the lower heavens and from the human
realm. Here they are untouched even by the three great disasters that
come at the end of an eon.63 Such people become gods of the Heaven of
Joyous Contentment.64
[5] Some others have no desire themselves but will respond to the
actions of their spouses. For them the act itself has no more flavor than
wax. After their lives are ended, they ascend still higher to a realm of cre-
ativity. Such people become gods in the Heaven of Delight in Creating.
[6] Yet others have no mundane thoughts. Although their actions
seem no different than the actions of ordinary people, their minds tran-
scend the acts that they engage in. After their lives are ended, they ascend
63
Disasters caused by fire, wind, and water.
64
Skt. Tuita. This heaven consists of an inner court, presided over by the Bodhisattva
Maitreya and populated by Bodhisattvas, and an outer court, populated by the gods here
described.
377
levels of being
beyond all the lower heavens, including the Heaven of Delight in Creat-
ing. Such people are born in the Heaven of Pleasure Derived from What
Others Create.
Nothing in the environment of this heaven originates there. The gods here
take delight in the offerings made by beings from other heavens. The bliss is
vast here, and theres no work to be done. (VII, 2089)
nanda, these six kinds of gods have transcended the physical act of
mating, but their minds are not free of it. Because of this, they have had
to return to these heavens, which belong to the realm of desire.
65
Dhyna elsewhere has referred to the practice of meditation in stillness or to
states of mind achieved through meditation; here, however, dhyna refers to the states
of mind of the gods in the eighteen heavens in the realm of form.
378
the destiny of the gods
that results from correct practice, their minds are nevertheless pure, and
their outflows are not active. These are the gods of the heavens of the
first dhyna.
If you practice in accord with Dharma, your pulse may stop when you reach
the level of the first dhyna. . . . However, this is not a lofty state; its just a first
step in ones practice.(VII, 214)
The gods of these three heavens, which are higher than the heavens
of the first dhyna, are freed from the burdens of worry and anxiety.
Although their samdhi is not the genuine samdhi that results from
correct practice, their minds are nevertheless pure, and their coarse out-
flows have been subdued. They are the gods of the heavens of the second
dhyna.
When practitioners meditate and enter the second dhyna, their breath comes
to a halt, and just as in the first dhyna, their pulse stops. . . . If someones
pulse stops, doesnt it mean that he or she is dead? Not in this case, because
even though the external evidence of a pulse is gone, the pulse of ones
379
levels of being
essential nature is active. The same applies to the breath. In other words, the
true breath and pulse of ones essential nature awaken and take over, so the
coarse forms of the pulse and the breath can stop. (VII, 217)
380
the destiny of the gods
66
That is, suffering and bliss.
67
That is, their sixth consciousness is inactive.
68
That is, the five-hundredth eon.
381
levels of being
nanda, the gods of these four heavens, which are above the heavens
of the third dhyna, can no longer be influenced by any worldly states
of suffering or bliss. However, they do not base their practice on the
unmoving and unconditioned mind, and they still harbor intentions to
attain something. Yet their spiritual skill is pure and perfected. These are
the gods of the heavens of the fourth dhyna.
[14] First, nanda, are gods for whom both suffering and bliss have
ended so that they no longer have to struggle with contrasting experi-
ences. These beings are the gods of the Heaven Beyond Affliction.70
[15] Next are the gods who, having focused their practice exclusively
on renunciation, no longer harbor any basis for even the thought of suf-
fering and bliss. These are the gods of the Heaven Beyond Heat.71
69
The nine kinds of habits refer to the first nine categories of the eighty-one categories
of cognitive delusion.
70
Ch. wu fan tian . The Sanskrit. name of this heaven is unclear. The translation
here is of the name as it is given Chinese text, but this name may be a descriptive choice
by the Chinese translators.
71
Skt. tapas the heat generated by distress.
382
the destiny of the gods
[16] Next, throughout the worlds in the ten directions, their won-
drous vision becomes so flawlessly clear that no perceived object can
defile it. These are the gods of the Heaven of Refined Vision.
[17] Next, their skill in envisioning becomes yet more refined, like
the skills of a master potter. These are the gods of the Heaven of Clear
Envisioning.
[18] When their contemplation of the myriad subtleties of the nature
of form and the nature of space reaches its ultimate point, they enter a
state of boundlessness and become gods of the Highest Heaven of Form.
nanda, the gods of the lower heavens of the fourth dhyna and
even their kings cannot see the gods of these five higher heavens.
They only hear about them with admiration, just as ordinary dull-wit-
ted people in the world cannot see Arhats dwelling in the wilderness or
deep in the mountains, where they keep up their practices in their sacred
places for awakening.
nanda, the gods of these eighteen heavens practice in solitude, free
of entanglements. But they have not yet set down the burden of their
bodies. Thus all these heavens comprise the Realm of Form.
383
levels of being
At this point, these gods dont have bodies; they only have consciousness.
That consciousness is the laya-vijna, or storehouse-consciousness, also
known as the eighth consciousness. Every move we make, every word we
speak, everything we do and encounter in the course of our daily lives is
stored in this consciousness. It is actually within the Matrix of the Thus-Come
One, but at this point, the distinction between the eighth consciousness and
the Matrix of the Thus-Come One has not completely disappeared.
In these gods on the Plane of Boundless Consciousness, in addition to
their storehouse-consciousness, there remains half of their individuating con-
sciousness, their seventh consciousness, which is also known as the defiling
consciousness. Although it is true that ignorance arises in the eighth con-
sciousness, . . . it is only when the information stored in the eighth conscious-
ness passes through the seventh consciousness that it becomes defiled. For
these gods, the seventh consciousness is functioning only at half of its capac-
ity, so the defilement that remains is extremely subtle. (VII, 234)
[3] When both form and space have come to an end for these gods,
and when their conscious minds72 have disappeared entirely, then there is
stillness throughout the ten directions. Nothing remains, and there is no
place to go. These are the gods on the Plane on Which One Has Nothing.
[4] When their storehouse-consciousness is completely inactive,
these gods can make use of this cessation of activity to contemplate deep-
ly, so that within the endlessness of that consciousness, the nature that
lies at its ending nevertheless becomes known to them. That conscious-
ness now seems to exist and yet not to exist; it seems to have disappeared
and yet has not. These are the gods on the Plane on Which Cognition Is
Absent Yet Not Absent.73
The gods in these heavens have deeply contemplated their emptied
consciousness and yet have failed to understand its true nature.74 This is
72
What has disappeared here is the other half of the individuating consciousness
(Yuanying, 1332).
73
Cognition in the sense of the distinction-making consciousness.
74
Quoting Zhenjiao, the Ven. Yuanying explains that the gods of the first of the
formless planes seek to put an end to form; those of the second, to space; those of the third,
to the seventh consciousness; and those of the fourth, to the eighth consciousness (1324).
384
the destiny of the gods
the end of the sages path that led from the Heavens of Pure Abode. These
gods now become Arhats of inferior ability who turn away from the Ve-
hicle of the Bodhisattvas.
Other gods, who have come from the Heaven of Cessation of Cogni-
tion75 and from other heavens that are not on the right path, never re-
turn from their deep contemplation of their emptied consciousnesses.76
Because they lack the knowledge they need, they become lost in these
heavens. As gods who have outflows, they eventually will fall back into
the cycle of death and rebirth.
nanda, the gods of these heavens77 are not enlightened. Having en-
joyed the rewards that were the results of their good karma, they must
again be bound to the cycle of death and rebirth. But the kings of these
heavens are Bodhisattvas. They play this role while in samdhi, and thereby
they gradually progress in their practice towards the level of the Sages.78
With regard to the gods on these four planes of formlessness, nanda,
the activities of their bodies disappear and their mental activities cease
so that they abide in samdhi. They are no longer burdened by any form
that is the result of karma.79 These four heavens comprise the realm of
formlessness.
None of the gods of these heavens fully comprehend the wondrous
enlightened mind that understands. Such accumulated delusions as
theirs bring about the illusory existence of the three realms. In the midst
of these realms, each individual80 in his delusion sinks into the seven des-
tinies to join other beings whose karmas are similar.
75
The fourth heaven of the fourth dhyna.
76
The text here refers back to the first divergence, at the pinnacle of the Heavens of
Form, where some gods become great Arhats, while others, including those referred to in
the present passage, enter the planes of formlessness.
77
Excepting the gods who chose at one of the two divergences to follow a path to
sagehood.
78
That is, of Buddhas.
79
Any form refers both to a body and to the external forms of the realm of desire and
the realm of form.
80
Skt. pudgala.
385
12
The Destiny of Asuras
Moreover, nanda, in the Three Realms there are also the asuras, who
are of four kinds.
[1] Asuras who take the path of ghosts, devoting their strength to
protecting the Dharma, have the spiritual power to live in the air. These
asuras are born from eggs, and are included in the destiny of ghosts.
[2] Some asuras, because their merit is insufficient, fall from the
heavens and are fated to dwell beneath the sun and the moon.81 These
asuras are born from wombs and are included in the destiny of people.
[3] Some asuras are world-commanding kings, both powerful and
fearless. They contend for mastery with King Brahma, with akra, Lord of
the Heavens, and with the Four Celestial Kings. These asuras are born by
metamorphosis and are included in the destiny of gods.
[4] Some asuras a baser kind, nanda are born in deepwater caves
in the middle of the ocean. By day they emerge to fly about in the air, and
at night they return to their watery abodes. These asuras are born in the
presence of moisture and are included in the destiny of animals.
81
That is, on earth.
386
13
The Seven Destinies Are the Result of Karma
nanda, such is a detailed explanation of the seven destinies of beings
in the hells and of ghosts, animals, humans, ascetic masters, gods, and
asuras. In their confusion, all are submerged in the attributes of the con-
ditioned world. Their deluded mental activity leads them into rebirth in
accordance with their karma. Within the wondrous perfect understand-
ing that is the fundamental unconditioned mind, these destinies are like
mirages of flowers seen in the sky. These destinies do not actually occupy
any location; they are simply illusions. Even less do they signify anything
real.
These various beings fail to recognize the fundamental mind, nanda,
and so they are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth. They pass
through countless eons without ever attaining genuine purity, all because
they indulge in killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. If they break the
precepts against these three, they will be born into the destiny of the
ghosts and the other inauspicious destinies. If they avoid these offenses,
they will enter the destinies of the gods and the other auspicious places
of rebirth.82 Because these beings are constantly torn between their ten-
dency to commit offenses and their tendency to refrain from committing
offenses, they continue to be bound to the cycle of death and rebirth.
When beings are able to enter this wondrous samdhi,83 they abide in
a wondrous and everlasting stillness. That stillness is beyond the duality
of existence and nonexistence, and that negating of duality is also ended.
Since they have gone beyond the state in which there is killing, stealing,
and sexual misconduct, how could they possibly commit those offenses?
nanda, each being who has not put an end to these three intentional
acts creates his own individual karma. Although each beings retribution is
his own, beings may undergo a common retribution together in a definite
82
The Chinese text mentions only the destiny of gods and the destiny of ghosts;
these stand respectively for all the higher and lower destinies.
83
That is, the ragama Samdhi.
387
levels of being
place. Their intentional acts arise from delusion, which itself has no
cause. No matter how exhaustively you search for a cause, you will not
find one.84
You should advise practitioners that if they wish to realize full awak-
ening through their spiritual practice, they must no longer engage in
these three deluded acts. If they do not cease engaging in them, then
even if they should develop spiritual powers, their skills will be limited to
the circumstances of the conditioned world. If they cannot put an end to
their habits of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, they will take the
path that leads to existence as a demon.
Even if they want to cease committing these offenses, they will end
up engaging in falsehood and making the offenses worse. The Thus-Come
One says that such beings are pathetic and greatly to be pitied. You all
should understand that you are responsible for your own deluded ac-
tions. Your true nature that is capable of full awakening is not to blame.
People start out by telling a lie, but later they say that they hadnt lied which
is another lie. If you tell a lie and then admit it, theres just one lie. But some-
one who denies the first lie he told ends up by telling two. In this way he com-
pounds his offenses. (VII, 251)
What has been spoken here is the right teaching. To teach otherwise
is the work of the demon-king.
84
That fundamental delusion has no cause is the subject of part 4.1 above.
388
X
Fifty Demonic
States of Mind
1
Dangers May Arise with Advanced Practice
Then the Thus-Come One prepared to leave the Dharma seat. Rising from
the Lions Throne, he placed his hand on the table before him, which was
wrought of the seven precious things.1 But then, moving his body, which
was the color of purple-golden mountains, he sat down again, and he said
to nanda and to the rest of the great assembly, You who still need in-
struction, you Hearers of the Teaching and you Solitary Sages, have now
dedicated yourselves to attaining a great awakening the supreme and
wondrous enlightenment. I have now taught you the right method for
practice. But you are still not aware of the subtle demonic events that
can occur when you undertake the practices of calming the mind and
contemplative insight. If you do not purify your mind, you will not be
able to recognize demonic states as they arise. You will not find the right
path, and you will fall into the error of wrong views.
Demons may arise within you from the five aggregates. Or a celestial
demon or a ghost or a spirit perhaps a mountain spirit or an animal-
possessing ghost may come to possess you. If your mind is not clear
when this happens, you may well take a burglar to be your own child.
Or you may feel satisfied with a small accomplishment, as did that monk
who was ignorant of the Dharma. Having only reached the level of the
fourth dhyna, he made the false claim that he had become a sage. When
his reward of celestial life had run its course and the signs of decay had
appeared, he vilified the Arhats enlightenment, and so he was reborn
in the Unrelenting Hell. Listen carefully while I explain this matter in
detail.
Earlier, nanda asked the Buddha how to practice; he asked for teaching on
behalf of the beings of the future. He now understands the principle of self-
cultivation, the theory, but since he lacks experience, he doesnt know what
can occur while in the midst of practice. So the Buddha said, You are still not
1
See part 5, note 28.
391
fifty demonic states of mind
aware of the subtle demonic events that can occur when you undertake the
practice of calming the mind and contemplative insight. Here calming the
mind refers to the practice of the great ragama Samdhi. (VIII, 23)
The Buddha says that if your mind has not been fully purified, and if your
motivation is not correct, then the slightest improper thought can make you
vulnerable to being caught by a demon. . . . If you encounter a demonic state
and fail to recognize it and understand it, you will end up taking a burglar for
your own child, . . . and then all the priceless treasures in your house will be
stolen. What is your priceless treasure? . . . It is your very own Matrix of the
Thus-Come One. . . . It is your own vital energy, which penetrates heaven
and earth, to the point that all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are fundamentally
the same as us, because our vital energies are interconnected. This energy
is like our breath; it can be detected. What is within our vital energy and what
controls it is the Dharma. Therefore, it is essential that we nurture our energy;
for example, we should not lose our temper . . . or talk too much. (VIII, 46)
nanda and the others in the assembly who still needed instruction
stood up, bowed to the ground joyfully, and then quieted their minds in
order to be ready to receive the Buddhas compassionate teaching.
The Buddha said to nanda and the rest of the great assembly, You
should know that although the twelve classes of beings in this world have
outflows, they are, nevertheless, fundamentally identical to the Buddhas
of the ten directions, in that they all are fundamentally endowed with the
wondrous enlightened understanding with the awakened, perfect, es-
sential mind. But their thinking is deluded and they have a confused view
of the truth, and so they stubbornly cling to emotional attachments.
As a result, space appears, and as they become more and more
confused, worlds come into being. In the lands in the ten directions,
numerous as motes of dust, beings who have outflows are created out of
confusion, obstinacy, and deluded thinking. You should know that space
is created within the mind. It is like a wisp of cloud in the vastness of the
sky. The worlds in the emptiness of space are even less significant. If you
discover true reality by returning to the source, space throughout the ten
directions will disappear. How could all the lands not cease to be as well?
392
dangers may arise with advanced practice
Earlier the Sutra said that the space created within the great enlightenment is
like a single bubble in all the sea.2 Now it says that the space created in our
minds is like a wisp of cloud in the vastness of the sky. Since the scope of emp-
ty space is so small compared to our minds, how vast our minds must be! . . .
This passage describes how our enlightened nature pervades all places. . . .
To discover true reality by returning to the source is to become a Buddha, or
at least a fourth-stage Arhat. (VIII, 13)
2
See part 2.4.
3
That is, the ragama Samdhi.
4
The six types of spiritual power are the power of celestial vision, which sees what
is ordinarily invisible, including the past and the future; the power of celestial hearing;
knowledge of previous lives; knowledge of others thoughts; extraordinary bodily powers;
and the ending of outflows. Only enlightened beings have ended outflows; the other
powers are available to the unenlightened. See Buddhist Text Translation Society, trans.,
The Buddha Speaks of Amitbha Stra: A General Explanation with Commentary by the Ven. Master
Hsan Hua, 2nd ed. (Burlingame, CA: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2003), 78.
393
fifty demonic states of mind
spiritual powers, so they can visit you only briefly. They cannot disturb
you except through your mind, which is the host of the five aggregates.
Only when the innkeeper is befuddled can his guests do as they please.
When you are absorbed in meditation, fully awake and free of delu-
sion, how will the deeds of these demons be able to affect you? For you,
the five aggregates will have dissolved, and you will have entered into
the light of understanding. These deviant hordes rely upon dark energy,
and your light will overcome their darkness. If they come near you, they
will be destroyed. How will they dare to linger and try to disrupt your
samdhi? But if you have not awakened to the light of understanding and
are confused by the five aggregates, nanda, you yourself could become
a disciple of demons and could turn into a demon yourself.
Fifty demonic states are described in this section of the Sutra, but in fact there
are countless numbers of these states. . . . These demonic states are basi-
cally nothing but a mass of yin energy, which comes from our yin thoughts. Yin
thoughts include thoughts of desire, anger, and delusion. They give rise to the
aggregates of form, sense-perception, cognition, mental formations, and con-
sciousness; and in each of these aggregates, various kinds of yin phenomena
naturally appear when your skill reaches a certain level. If your skill hasnt
reached that level, then you wont encounter these demonic states even if you
want to. They will manifest only when your skill has reached a certain level.
Dont worry when they appear. Theres no need to fear being possessed by
demons. When these yin phenomena appear, you should remain calm, as if
they didnt exist. See them as if not seeing them; hear them as if not hearing
them. . . . If you dont let your attention be diverted by sights, sounds, odors,
flavors, objects of touch, and objects of cognition, then the demonic states will
have no way to harm you. If you are without desire, anger, and delusion, you
will subdue these states. . . . The demons that you encounter in your practice
are illusions produced from the yin thoughts and yin energy in your own na-
ture. If you can remain unmoved by these illusory appearances, then there will
be no problem. . . . No matter what level you reach in your cultivation, do not
become happy or afraid. That is the essence of what is needed to overcome
demonic obstacles. (VIII, 212)
394
dangers may arise with advanced practice
395
2
Ten Demonic States of Mind
Associated with the Aggregate of Form
You should know, nanda, that when you sit in a place for awakening,
all your thoughts may melt away. When your thoughts come to a halt,
only an essential awareness will remain. Movement outside your mind
will seem the same as stillness, and the presence of thoughts in your
mind will seem the same as the absence of thoughts. When you abide in
this state, having entered samdhi, you will be like someone who ordi-
narily can see clearly but who finds himself in a dark place. His essential
nature will be wonderfully pure, but his mind does not yet emit light. He
is in the region of the aggregate of forms.
When his minds vision does become bright, then ten directions will
open out before him, and the darkness will be dispelled. Having come to
the end of the aggregate of forms, he will now transcend the turbidity of
time.5 His contemplations show him that the illusion of solid matter is the
basis of this aggregate.6
[1] However, nanda, in the midst of his mental darkness,7 this per-
sons intense scrutiny within his wondrous awareness may reveal that
the four primary elements are not ultimately interwoven into the body.
Then in an instant he will be able to leave his body. This state is called
the essential awareness being able to emerge into ones surroundings.
What the practitioner has gained is temporary. It does not indicate that
he has become a sage. There is nothing unwholesome about his state un-
5
See part 5.2 above.
6
This is a a description of what happens if the practitioner does not overrate or
otherwise misconstrue any of the following ten demonic states. These states are separate
situations that may or may not arise and that the practitioner may or may not succumb
to an array of alternatives, of possible pitfalls, rather than a fixed list of tests to be
passed through in sequence. The same is true of the other four sets of ten demonic states
described in the sections that follow.
7
That is, the darkness described above, experienced by the practitioner whose
thoughts have come to a halt.
396
ten demonic states associated with form
[3] Further, in the midst of his mental darkness, this persons intense
scrutiny may be directed both inward and outward. Then his will and the
vital energies of his individual spirit may merge or become dissociated or
exchange roles. His body will be unaffected. Suddenly he may hear the
sound of someone teaching the Dharma in the middle of the air, or he will
hear voices throughout the ten directions proclaiming identical esoteric
teachings. This state is called essential mental elements becoming dissoci-
ated and reintegrated as the result of the sprouting of wholesome seeds.8
8
The words heard in the air are actually spoken by dissociated elements of the
practitioners mind. While this may seem to describe a psychotic state, it can also be a
symptom of the dismantling of the false, constructed ego.
397
fifty demonic states of mind
9
The body of a Buddha that is equivalent to the Dharma-Realm.
398
ten demonic states associated with form
10
That is, objects that would ordinarily be unseen even in daylight.
399
fifty demonic states of mind
suddenly may see the whole world throughout the ten directions being
transformed into a Buddha-land. This land will be filled with the seven
precious things and will be suffused with light. In his vision the sky will
be filled with magnificent and beautiful multistoried palaces and with
Buddhas with as many Thus-Come Ones as the sand-grains in the River
Ganges. Nothing will obstruct this persons vision of the hells below and
of the palatial abodes of the gods above. This state is called thoughts of
pleasure and displeasure gradually being transformed and purified as
day by day ones concentration deepens. This state does not indicate
that the practitioner has become a sage. There is nothing unwholesome
about his state unless he thinks that he is now a sage. If he does think he
is a sage, he will be open to a host of deviant influences.
[9] Further, in the midst of his mental darkness, this persons mind
may explore distant places. In the middle of the night, he may suddenly
see marketplaces, or public wells, or streets and lanes. He may see rela-
tives or friends, and he will be able to listen to them conversing. This
state is called the mind, having been restrained to an extreme, flying
outward to see much that has been blocked from view. This state does
not indicate that the practitioner has become a sage. There is nothing
unwholesome about his state unless he thinks that he is now a sage. If he
does think he is a sage, he will be open to a host of deviant influences.
[10] Further, in the midst of his mental darkness, as he pushes his
mental explorations to their limit, this person may have a vision of
himself as a good and wise teacher. He may be able to change his ap-
pearance from moment to moment, quickly taking on different forms
one after another. This state is called a vision arising from a deviance in
the mind, leading to possession by a nightmare-ghost, a mountain spirit,
or a celestial demon. While he is possessed, the practitioner may speak
spontaneously of what he supposes to be the Dharma, and he may claim
to have discovered wondrous truths. The practitioner has not become
a sage. There is nothing unwholesome about this state unless he thinks
that he is now a sage. If he does think he is a sage, he will be open to a host
of deviant influences.
400
ten demonic states associated with form
These ten states, nanda, may manifest when these beings practice
meditation in stillness and interact with the aggregate of form. They may
be dulled and confused by these experiences, and they will no longer be
capable of taking a proper measure of themselves. When faced with these
circumstances, they will become further confused, and in their failure to
know themselves, they will make the claim that they have reached the
level of a sage. This egregious falsehood will cause them to fall into the
Unrelenting Hell.
After my nirvana, you must explain my teachings and transmit them
to beings of the time of the Dharmas ending so that all beings everywhere
will understand what I have taught. Do not allow the celestial demons to
have their way. Protect these practitioners and lend them support so that
they can realize the supreme enlightenment.
401
3
Ten Demonic States of Mind Associated
with the Aggregate of Sense-Perception
nanda, as this good person practices samdhi and as his mind becomes
still, he no will longer experience the aggregate of form. He may see the
mind of the Buddhas appear to him as if in a mirror. But he may not know
how to make use of that mind. He may undergo what seems to him to be
a kind of paralysis. It is as if a deviant being has come into contact with
his mind and has prevented him from moving, even though his hands
and feet are intact and his vision and hearing are unimpaired. He is now
in the region of the aggregate of sense-perception.
If the paralysis subsides, his mind will be able to leave his body, and
he will be able to look back and see his own face. He will be able to stay or
go as he pleases, without further hindrance. Having reached the end of
the aggregate of sense-perception, he will now transcend the turbidity of
perception. He contemplates how this aggregate arises, and he sees that
its basis lies in illusion and deluded thinking.11
[1] nanda, in this situation, this good person experiences an inner
light of great brilliance. If he has been restraining his mind too severely,
then wherever he sees beings illuminated by the light that shines forth
from his mind, he may immediately be overwhelmed by a boundless sor-
row. He will look upon even mosquitoes and worms as he would look
upon a newborn child. His mind will be filled with pity, and he will fre-
quently burst into tears without knowing why. This state is called an
excess of severity in ones practice. If he understands this state, he will
11
This paragraph describes a successful completion of an encounter with the aggregate
of sense-perception. The paragraphs that follow describe ten demonic states of mind that
practitioners may experience and that may put their spiritual progress in jeopardy.
This pattern is repeated in the sections below on the aggregates of cognition, mental
formations, and consciousness. In this section on the aggregate of sense-perception, the
text does not state explicitly whether these states involve possession by external demons
or by demonic inner afflictions. The translation is based on the second interpretation. By
exception, the tenth state involves an external demon.
402
ten demonic states associated with sense - perception
not suppose that he has become a sage, and he will not become confused.
Eventually the state will disappear of its own accord. But if he thinks that
he has become a sage, then a demonic sorrow will enter into the depths
of his mind. Whenever he sees someone, he will feel such sadness that he
will break into uncontrollable sobs. Having lost his ability to enter cor-
rect samdhi, he is certain to fall.
[2] Further, in this samdhi,12 once this good person has seen the aggre-
gate of form disintegrate, he will see the aggregate of sense-perception
appear. He may then have a vision of his own superiority, for which
he feels an overwhelming gratitude. Immediately a boundless courage
and intensity may arise within him so that he comes to believe that his
resolve is equal to the resolve of all Buddhas. He will announce that he
can accomplish in a single moment of thought what others need three
quadrillions of eons13 to accomplish. This state is called an excessive and
improper haste in trying to excel in ones spiritual practice. If he under-
stands this state, he will not suppose that he has become a sage, and he
will not become confused. Eventually the state will disappear of its own
accord. But if he thinks that he has become a sage, a demonic insanity
will enter into the depths of his mind. He will boast about himself to ev-
eryone he meets. In his boundless arrogance he will acknowledge neither
Buddhas nor ordinary people. Having lost his ability to enter the correct
samdhi, he is certain to fall.
12
With two exceptions, the ten states of mind the practitioner may encounter upon
engagement with the aggregate of sense-perception are not a sequence but a set of possible
alternatives. Thus this samdhi here refers to the practitioners state of mind when he
first sees the aggregate of forms disintegrate and the aggregate of sense-perception
appear. It is not implied that the state can appear only subsequently to the state described
in the previous paragraphs. The two exceptions to this pattern are the ninth and tenth
states of this group. The tenth builds upon the ninth.
13
Skt. asamkhyeya, one of several Sanskrit words for very large numbers. The
translation quadrillion suggests the vastness of the amount rather than giving a precise
numerical equivalent. It is said to take three asamkhyeya of eons for a practitioner to
become a Buddha, but this overconfident practitioner believes he can become a Buddha
immediately.
403
fifty demonic states of mind
At this stage of his practice, because the practitioner thinks that he can tran-
scend three asamkhyeya of eons in a single moment of thought, he claims
that he is a Buddha. . . . Such a person has fallen prey to wrong beliefs and
viewpoints. Its true that everyone has the potential to become a Buddha, but
to achieve that, one has to practice for a long time. . . . The time can be short-
ened if one understands the Buddhas Dharma and if one practices in accord
with the Dharma, but one still cant become a Buddha in a single moment of
thought. . . .
Because of his intense overexertion, the practitioner becomes courageous
and vigorous, and there is nothing wrong with that state if it is used to advance
ones practice in accord with the Dharma. But one must not become conceited
and claim to be a Buddha. (VIII, 556)
Excess is as bad as insufficiency. There is little difference between going
too far and not going far enough. Neither is in accord with the Middle Way. For
example, while traveling, if you go beyond your destination, its the same as if
you had not gone the full distance. (VIII, 54)
[3] Further, in this samdhi, once this good person has seen the aggre-
gate of form disintegrate, he will see the aggregate of sense-perception
appear. He may then see nothing further to accomplish, while being
unable to return to his previous state. He no longer has the wisdom to
understand what is happening to him, and he enters a state in which it
seems he is in a land that is desolate as far as the eye can see. Suddenly
he will experience an overwhelming feeling of inner aridity and longing.
He will be plunged at all times into memories that will not fade. He will
mistake his situation for evidence that he is being diligent and vigorous.
This state is called losing ones way by practicing without sufficient wis-
dom. If he understands this state, he will not suppose that he has become
a sage. But if he thinks that he has become a sage, then a demonic longing
for things past will enter into the depths of his mind. Day and night this
longing will grasp hold of his mind, and he will not be able to let go of it.
Having lost his ability to enter correct samdhi, he is certain to fall.
In this state, the practitioner feels that everything is meaningless and bor-
ing, and he is thirsty because he needs the refreshment of the water of the
404
ten demonic states associated with sense - perception
Dharma. He feels he is drying up and withering away because for him there is
nothing at all. Something similar happens with ordinary people who dont have
a spiritual practice, when they start to feel lonely and bored. This loneliness
and boredom are certain to lead them into trouble the same old trouble of
thinking about members of the opposite sex until they feel very anxious and
restless. (VIII, 58)
[4] Further, in this samdhi, once this good person has seen the aggre-
gate of form disintegrate, he will see the aggregate of sense-perception
appear. He may have developed his wisdom more strongly than he has
developed his samdhi, and as a result he may lose himself in a fierce
boldness. He will cherish a belief in his own superiority, and he will make
the mistake of supposing that he has become Vairocana Buddha. He will
be content with what he believes he has achieved, although in fact he
will have accomplished very little. This state is called mental effort lead-
ing to a loss of steady discernment upon becoming immersed in a wrong
understanding of ones state of mind. If he understands this state, he will
not suppose that he has become a sage. But if he thinks that he has be-
come a sage, then his contentment with an inferior accomplishment will
become demonic and will seize hold of his mind. Under its influence he
will announce, I have discovered the supreme and ultimate truth. Hav-
ing lost his ability to enter correct samdhi, he is certain to fall.
[5] Further, in this samdhi, once this good person has seen the aggre-
gate of form disintegrate, he will see the aggregate of sense-perception
appear. But he may feel that he has not accomplished anything new, as
he feels he should have. Yet he cannot resume his previous state of mind,
nor can he move forward to a new state. In both what is behind him and
what is ahead of him he will sense that he is in peril. Immediately he
will become extremely despondent. It may seem to him that he is lying
on a bed of hot iron or that he has swallowed a dose of poison. He will
have no wish to go on living, and he will persist in asking people to take
his life so that he can escape his anxiety with an early death. This state
is called losing sight of what method is suitable to ones practice. If he
understands this state, he will not suppose that he has become a sage.
405
fifty demonic states of mind
But if he thinks that he has become a sage, then his chronic despondency
will become demonic and will take over his mind. He may seize a sword
and slash his own flesh, happy to give up his life, or driven by his chronic
despondency, he may flee into the mountain forests because he cannot
bear the company of other people. Having lost his ability to enter correct
samdhi, he is certain to fall.
Now that youve read this passage, take care not to be unhappy all the time.
Dont be weepy and melancholy. If you keep feeling worried and depressed,
this demon will take possession of you. Both the demon and you are equally
responsible for sustaining this state, for the demon avails itself of your energy.
. . . If it tells you to worry, you can become so worried that you flee from the
company of other people. (VIII, 66)
[6] Further, in this samdhi, once this good person has seen the aggre-
gate of form disintegrate, he will see the aggregate of sense-perception
appear. He may come to abide in a state of purity, and his mind will be
at peace. A feeling of boundless joy may suddenly well up within him. He
will take such pleasure in this state of mind that he loses control of it.
This state is called feeling what one takes to be serenity but lacking the
wisdom to exercise self-control. If he understands this state, he will not
suppose that he has become a sage. But if he thinks that he has become a
sage, then his fondness for joy will become demonic and will take hold of
his mind. He will laugh whenever he meets someone, and he will sing and
dance in the streets. He will claim to have attained an unimpeded libera-
tion. Having lost his ability to enter correct samdhi, he is certain to fall.
[7] Further, in this samdhi, once this good person has seen the aggre-
gate of form disintegrate, he will see the aggregate of sense-perception
appear. Now he may tell himself that he has done enough, and immedi-
ately an unreasonable and intense arrogance will well up within him.14
14
Skt. mna, Ch. man Of seven kinds of arrogance listed in the Abhidharmakoa,
five are named here. The two not mentioned are Ch. wo man , arrogantly considering
oneself master of the five aggregates, and Ch. xie man , arrogantly supposing one is
possessed of virtues that one lacks. See Abhidharmakoabhyan, v. 13, 7845.
406
ten demonic states associated with sense - perception
He will feel pride in his actual status, and further, he will arrogantly con-
sider himself to be the equal of people whose status is in fact above his.
He may also have the arrogance to think that he is not merely equal to
but superior to people whose status is above his. He may cherish the ar-
rogant belief that he is already enlightened. Finally, he will come to the
arrogant conclusion that he is almost the equal of people who are greatly
superior to him. These feelings arise in him all at the same time. He will
think disparagingly even of the Thus-Come Ones throughout the ten di-
rections, not to speak of the sages at the lower levels of realization the
Hearers of the Teaching and the Solitary Sages. This state is called hav-
ing the view that one is superior and lacking the wisdom to free oneself
of this view. If he understands this state, he will not suppose that he has
become a sage. But if he thinks that he has become a sage, then a demonic
arrogance will enter the depths of his mind. He will refuse to bow when
he visits stupas15 or temples, and he will destroy sutras and images of
the Buddhas. He will say to those who give him alms, These images are
nothing but gold or bronze, nothing but clay or wood. The sutras consist
of nothing but palm-leaves or layers of cloth. What is everlasting and
real is my physical body, yet you do not revere it. Instead you venerate
clay and wood. That is to get it backwards. Some people will believe in
him so strongly that they follow him in smashing images or in discarding
sutras in refuse pits. He will raise doubts in peoples minds and lead them
straight into the Unrelenting Hell. Having lost his ability to enter correct
samdhi, he is certain to fall.
[8] Further, in this samdhi, once this good person has seen the aggre-
gate of form disintegrate, he will see the aggregate of sense-perception
appear. He may perfect an even more subtle basis for his already refined
understanding. He may reach a state in which everything is in accord
with his wishes. Immediately a feeling of infinite serenity16 may arise in
his mind. He may tell himself that he has become a sage and has achieved
15
A free-standing mound-like structure built to house the relics of an enlightened
master.
16
Skt. prasrabdhi, Ch. qing an , one of the seven constituents of enlightenment.
407
fifty demonic states of mind
complete mastery of himself.17 This state is called becoming pure and se-
rene on the basis of wisdom. If he understands this state, he will not per-
sist in supposing that he has become a sage. But if he continues to think
that he has become a sage, then a demonic pleasure in serenity will enter
into the depths of his mind. The good person will tell himself that he has
done enough, and he will no longer try to make progress. In this he will
be acting much like that ignorant monk.18 He will lead people into delu-
sion and error, and as a result they will fall straight into the Unrelenting
Hell. Having lost his ability to enter correct samdhi, he is certain to fall.
[9] Further, in this samdhi, once this good person has seen the aggre-
gate of form disintegrate, he will see the aggregate of sense-perception
appear. Within what has been his clear understanding, an illusory under-
standing may arise, and immediately he may come to the conclusion that
there is no existence after death. His preoccupation with this wrong idea
of emptiness may cause him to deny the existence of causation. He will be
convinced by this wrong idea so much so that he will come to the further
conclusion that after death there is nothing at all.19 If he understands this
state, he will not suppose that he has become a sage. But if he thinks that
he has become a sage, then a demonic wrong view of emptiness will enter
into the depths of his mind. He will speak ill of keeping the precepts, say-
ing that precepts are the province of the Lesser Vehicle. He will say that
since Bodhisattvas have understood emptiness, how could there be any
keeping or breaking of precepts where Bodhisattvas are concerned? In
the presence of almsgivers who have faith in him, he will often drink alco-
holic beverages, eat meat, and defile himself with lustful promiscuity. His
demonic power will keep his followers from doubting him and question-
ing his doctrines. When this ghostly state of mind has possessed him for a
long time, he may even drink urine and eat excrement, saying that these
17
Skt. paramahevara, Ch. da zi zai .
18
This personage is mentioned at greater length on p. 391.
19
The expected sentence offering a name for this state of mind is missing, and
according to the Ven. Master Hsan Hua it must have been left out of the text when it was
first copied. In his commentary, he suggests that this state of mind may be called the
mental state of samdhi dissolving so that one loses sight of what is right (VIII, 734).
408
ten demonic states associated with sense - perception
things are the same as emptiness. Because he himself will feel free to vio-
late the Buddhas regulations, he will induce others to commit offenses.
Having lost his ability to enter correct samdhi, he is certain to fall.
[10]Further, in this samdhi, once this good person has seen the aggre-
gate of forms disintegrate, he will see the aggregate of sense-perception
appear. Now his previous illusory understanding20 may become so strong
that it fills his mind and permeates his bones. Then a boundless craving
may suddenly arise in his mind and may become so extreme that he goes
mad with sexual desire. This state is called being in a samdhi in which
ones mind seems filled with contentment and making the mistake of
succumbing to desire because one lacks the wisdom needed for self-con-
trol. If he understands this state, he will not suppose that he has become
a sage. But if he thinks that he has become a sage, a demon of desire will
enter the depths of his mind and possess him. He will constantly speak
of desire as the Bodhisattvas path. He will teach his white-robed follow-
ers21 that those who indulge in indiscriminate promiscuity will be the
ones who will inherit his Dharma.22 Because in the time of the Dharmas
ending credulous people will be easily swayed by the power of ghosts
and spirits, he will be able to attract a following of one or two hundred or
perhaps five or six hundred people, or even a thousand or ten thousand
people. But when the demon that has possessed him becomes weary of
possessing him, it will abandon him. Then his charisma will vanish, and
as a result he will become entangled in legal difficulties with the royal
government. He will confuse his followers and lead them straight into
the Unrelenting Hell. Having lost his ability to enter correct samdhi, he
is certain to fall.
These ten states, nanda, may manifest when these beings practice
meditation in stillness and interact with the aggregate of sense-perception.
They may be dulled and confused by these experiences, and they will no
longer be capable of taking a proper measure of themselves. When faced
20
That is, the wrong understanding arrived at in the previous (ninth) state of mind.
21
That is, his disciples among the laity.
22
That is, those whom he chooses to represent his teachings after his death.
409
fifty demonic states of mind
410
4
Ten Demonic States of Mind
Associated with the Aggregate of Cognition
nanda, when a good person who has been practicing samdhi no longer
experiences the aggregate of sense-perception, he will be able to leave his
body as if he were a bird escaping from a cage, although he will not have
put an end to his outflows. He retains his ordinary human body, but he
already has the potential to ascend through the sixty stages of a Bodhisat-
tva.23 He is now able to use his mind to create a spiritual body24 that can
travel about freely just as he wishes. He will be like a man who talks while
sound asleep but who does not realize he is doing it. His voice will be clear
enough and his words will make sense enough to be understood by others
who are awake. He is now in the region of the aggregate of cognition.
Now, if the movement of thought in his mind ceases such that all su-
perfluous cognition dissipates, then his awakened mind will cease to be
defiled. He will understand with complete clarity the deaths and rebirths
of all the classes of beings, without exception. He has reached the end of
the aggregate of cognition and will now be able to transcend the turbidi-
ty of affliction. He will contemplate how this aggregate arises, and he will
see that its basis is the pervasive influence of deluded mental activity.
[1] nanda, in the wonder that ensues when this good person no lon-
ger experiences the aggregate of sense-perception, he will not give rise
to any harmful anxiety.25 As he perfects his concentration, he will experi-
ence light, and within his samdhi he may come to crave a more ample
23
The fifty-seven stages explained in part 9.4 above, together with the three gradual
steps described in part 9.3.
24
Skt. manomayakya, Ch. yi sheng shen .
25
According to the Ven. Master Hsan Hua, this sentence means that the practitioner
is no longer subject to anxieties that arise from within his own mind. However, because he
has not put an end to his own desires, his concentration is not strong enough to withstand
influences that come from outside himself. See the Ven. Master Hsan Hua, The ragama
Stra: Fifty Skandha-Demon States: A Simple Explanation by the Ven. Master Hsan Hua, bilingual
edition (Burlingame, CA: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 1996), 545.
411
fifty demonic states of mind
26
The accounts of the ten demonic states associated with the aggregate of cognition
may be interpreted in two ways: that the practitioner is himself possessed by a demon,
or that someone else is possessed by the demon and the practitioner becomes one of that
possessed persons disciples. In his commentary, the Ven. Master Hsan Hua explained
the text according to the second of these two interpretations, and the present translation
follows this interpretation. However, Master Hua later stated that the first of these two
interpretations is also valid. Ibid., 549.
27
The good person, that is, the practitioner, is part of the group of followers whom
the possessed person has attracted, and he is misled along with the possessed persons
other followers.
412
ten demonic states associated with cognition
413
fifty demonic states of mind
He himself will not change his appearance, but he may cause the
people who are listening to him to suddenly see themselves sitting on
magnificent lotus-flowers, with their entire bodies transformed into
masses of purple-golden light. They all will feel that they have experi-
enced something entirely new. They will be fooled into thinking that the
possessed person is a Bodhisattva, and as their minds are weakened by
lust, they will enter into illicit and clandestine liaisons in violation of the
Buddhas moral guidelines.
The possessed person will like to say that Buddhas are appearing in
the world. He will claim that in such and such a place, such and such a
Buddha has appeared as a particular person. Or he will claim that such
and such a person is some particular Bodhisattva who has come to teach
people and transform them. Those who witness all this will be filled with
admiration. Their wrong views will imperceptibly grow into a dense pro-
fusion, while the seeds from which wisdom grows will be destroyed.
This is called being troubled and confused by a drought-causing ghost
that in its old age has become a demon. When the demon has wearied of
troubling and confusing the person it has possessed, it will abandon him.
Then he and his followers will run afoul of the laws of the royal domain.
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ten demonic states associated with cognition
You should be aware of this in advance so that you will not be reborn
among these celestial demons. If you do not recognize what is happening to
you, you will become confused, and you will fall into the Unrelenting Hell.
[3] Further, in the wonder that ensues when this good person no lon-
ger experiences the aggregate of sense-perception, he will not give rise
to any harmful anxiety. As he perfects his concentration, he will experi-
ence light, and within his samdhi he may come to crave the experience
of a sustained merging of minds. He will purify his mind at its subtlest
levels in his avid search for that merging.
In this state, the practitioner seeks to join his mind with the minds of all the
sages. . . . His avid search for that merging gives the celestial demon a
chance to come and disturb him. (VIII, 105)
28
That is, to recite as if from memory sutras that they have not actually memorized.
415
fifty demonic states of mind
This possessed person will delight in saying that some Buddhas are
greater and some lesser, or that some Buddhas are senior and some ju-
nior, or that some are genuine and some are false, or that some are male
and some are female. He will say the same of Bodhisattvas. Hearing all
this will erode his listeners connection with their fundamental minds so
that it becomes easy for them to adopt deviant ideas.
This is called being troubled and confused by an animal-possessing
ghost that in its old age has become a demon. When the demon has
wearied of troubling and confusing the person it has possessed, it will
abandon him. Then he and his followers will run afoul of the laws of the
royal domain.
You should be aware of this in advance so that you will not be reborn
among these celestial demons. If you do not recognize what is happening
to you, you will become confused, and you will fall into the Unrelenting
Hell.
[4] Further, in the wonder that ensues when this good person no lon-
ger experiences the aggregate of sense-perception, he will not give rise
to any harmful anxiety. As he perfects his concentration, he will experi-
ence light, and within his samdhi, he may crave knowledge of ultimate
origins. He may wish to make a thorough investigation of beginnings and
endings as he contemplates the changing natures of all things. He may
seek to refine his understanding of things, and he avidly seeks analytical
explanations.
Then a celestial demon, seizing the opportunity it has been waiting
for, will descend upon another person and possess him. This other person
will not realize that he has been possessed, and so when he is speaking
about the sutras, he will claim that he himself has entered the supreme
nirvana. He now will seek out the good person who craves knowledge of
ultimate origins. Then the possessed person will arrange a seat and begin
to teach his methods.
His body will have an overwhelming spiritual presence that will al-
low him to intimidate those who seek him out. Even before he has begun
to speak, he will effortlessly subdue the minds of the people who sit at
his feet. He will say to all of them, This physical body of mine that you
416
ten demonic states associated with cognition
see before you is none other than the Dharma-body of the Buddhas full
awakening, which is nirvana. This everlasting Dharma-body has been
passed down from father to son in uninterrupted succession. What you
see at this moment is nothing else but the land of the Buddha. The pure
abode is nowhere else, and no other body has the hallmark of golden
light. His listeners, accepting his words on faith, will abandon their for-
mer intentions. They will offer up their lives to him in the belief that they
have obtained something new and extraordinary. They will be fooled into
thinking that the possessed person is a Bodhisattva. Striving slavishly to
anticipate his wishes, they will enter into illicit and clandestine liaisons
in violation of the Buddhas moral guidelines.
The person who has been possessed will delight in saying that the
eyes, ears, nose, and tongue are the Pure Land and that the male and
female genital organs are the real locus for full awakening to nirvana.
Ignorant people will believe such degrading words.
This is called being troubled and confused by a surpassingly evil hex-
poison ghost that in its old age has become a demon. When the demon
has wearied of troubling and confusing the person it has possessed, it will
abandon him. Then he and his followers will run afoul of the laws of the
royal domain,
You should be aware of this in advance so that you will not be reborn
among these celestial demons. If you do not recognize what is happening
to you, you will become confused, and you will fall into the Unrelenting
Hell.
[5] Further, in the wonder that ensues when this good person no lon-
ger experiences the aggregate of sense-perception, he will not give rise to
any harmful anxiety. As he perfects his concentration, he will experience
light, and within his samdhi, he may begin to crave psychic responses
from afar. He will make an intense and wide-reaching investigation as he
avidly seeks responses that ordinary people cannot perceive.
At this stage of his practice, the practitioner may crave knowledge of distant
events. . . . For example, as soon as he begins to meditate while in San Fran-
cisco, he may be able to see clearly what his friends and relatives are doing
417
fifty demonic states of mind
in New York and to hear clearly what they are saying. Later, he finds out that
what he saw and heard is exactly what was truly happening at the time. Thats
the kind of psychic response he would like to experience. (VIII, 1178)
29
That is, food, clothing, bedding, and medicine.
418
ten demonic states associated with cognition
30
The text here is not explicit as to whether the possessed person had made the
disciple actually grow a tail that the rest of the disciples cannot see, or whether he has
419
fifty demonic states of mind
simply caused the disciple to believe he has a tail. In any case, a second disciple is made
to see a tail, or to think he sees one, and his stepping on it is sufficient to keep the first
disciple from standing up.
420
ten demonic states associated with cognition
31
The five desires may be explained as the desires for wealth, sex, fame, food, and
sleep, or as desires for the objects of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body.
421
fifty demonic states of mind
to you, you will become confused, and you will fall into the Unrelenting
Hell.
[8] Further, in the wonder that ensues when this good person no lon-
ger experiences the aggregate of sense-perception, he will not give rise
to any harmful anxiety. As he perfects his concentration, he will experi-
ence light, and within his samdhi he may come to crave spiritual pow-
ers, including extraordinary bodily powers.32 He will seek to know the
source of these powers and capabilities. He will desire to possess these
powers for himself.
Then a celestial demon, seizing the opportunity it has been wait-
ing for, may descend upon another person and possess him. This other
person will not realize that he has been possessed, and so when he is
speaking about the sutras, he will claim that he himself has entered the
supreme nirvana. He now will seek out that good person who avidly seeks
to acquire spiritual powers, and he will arrange a seat and begin to teach
his methods.
This possessed person may take hold of some fire, and holding the
fire in his hands, he may place a portion of it on top of the head of each
of his listeners among the four assemblies. The flames on top of the lis-
teners heads may rise several feet, but they will not be hot, and no one
will be burned. Or the possessed person may walk on water as if he were
walking on dry land; or he may sit tranquil and unmoving in the middle
of the air; or without the slightest difficulty, he may enter into a large jar
or bag, or he may pass through closed windows or through walls. Only in
the presence of weapons will he feel ill at ease.
He will say that he is a Buddha, and wearing the clothes of a layper-
son, he will accept reverential bows from monks. He will vilify the prac-
tice of meditation and the keeping of precepts. He will scold his followers
and will expose their private affairs such that they cannot escape ridicule
32
There are said to be eighteen extraordinary bodily powers, and together they count
as one of the six types of spiritual power. Of the eighteen kinds of extraordinary bodily
powers, six are mentioned here in the text: walking on water, sitting in lotus posture in
mid-air, passing through walls, disappearing, reappearing, and traveling great distances
in the space of an instant.
422
ten demonic states associated with cognition
and contempt. He will speak often of spiritual powers and mastery of the
self. He may cause people to see visions of Buddha-lands, but these vi-
sions will not be of anything real. Rather, they will be created by the
demons power to delude people. He will praise lustful acts, and instead
of condemning such coarse behavior, he will use these indecencies to
transmit his teachings.
This is called being troubled by a powerful goblin who has become a
demon in its old age. It may be a mountain-goblin either of the heavens
or of the earth, or it may be a goblin of the seas or of the winds, or a river-
goblin, or an earth-goblin, or a forest-demon that over a period of eons
has absorbed the vital essences of trees and grasses. Or it may be an evil
dragon or an ascetic master who at the end of a long life has been reborn
as a forest-demon. It may be an ascetic master whose toll of years has
reached its end and whose death should come, but who lives on with his
body unchanged while he is possessed by some other uncanny demon.
Any one of these may possess the person, but when it has wearied of
troubling and confusing him, it will abandon him. Then he and his follow-
ers will run afoul of the laws of the royal domain.
You should be aware of this in advance so that you will not be reborn
among these celestial demons. If you do not recognize what is happening
to you, you will become confused, and you will fall into the Unrelenting
Hell.
[9] Further, in the wonder that ensues when this good person no lon-
ger experiences the aggregate of sense-perception, he will not give rise
to any harmful anxiety. As he perfects his concentration, he will experi-
ence light, and within his samdhi he may come to crave a state of mental
cessation. He may seek to understand how subtle mental transformations
occur, and he will avidly seek the depths of mental vacuity.
Then a celestial demon, seizing the opportunity it has been waiting for,
will descend upon another person and possess him. This other person will
not realize that he has been possessed, and so when he is speaking about
the sutras, he will claim that he himself has entered the supreme nirvana.
He now will seek out that good person who craves mental vacuity. Then
the possessed person will arrange a seat and begin to teach his methods.
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fifty demonic states of mind
Before his audience, the possessed person may suddenly make his
body disappear into the air, and then suddenly reappear. He will show
that he has such mastery over himself that he can control whether he is
visible or invisible. Or he will be able to make his body seem as transpar-
ent as crystal. Or it may be that when he shakes his hands or feet, they
emit the fragrance of sandalwood. His urine and feces may be as sweet as
candy.
This person will vilify the precepts, and he will be contemptuous of
people who have entered the monastic life. He will often deny the exis-
tence of cause and effect, saying that there is no life after death that
there is no rebirth into another body. Further, he will make no distinc-
tion between sages and ordinary beings. Though he can enter into a state
in which he experiences a kind of vacuous stillness, he nevertheless se-
cretly indulges in acts of desire. People who are the objects of his lusts
will also have an experience of vacuous stillness. They too will deny the
existence of cause and effect.
This is called being troubled by a demon that began as a vital energy
generated by eclipses of the sun or moon. Such energy may have been
incubated within a piece of gold or jade, or in a medicinal fungus or herb,
or else in a one-horned beast, a spirit-raptor, a tortoise, or a crane. Hav-
ing passed undying through thousands of years, this vital energy will
develop its own sentient life and will be reborn into this world. In its old
age it will become a demon. It will possess the person just mentioned, and
when it has wearied of troubling and confusing that person, it will aban-
don him. Then the possessed person, together with his followers, will run
afoul of the laws of the royal domain.
You should be aware of this in advance so that you will not be reborn
among these celestial demons. If you do not recognize what is happening
to you, you will become confused, and you will fall into the Unrelenting
Hell.
[10] Moreover, in the wonder that ensues when this good person no
longer experiences the aggregate of sense-perception, he will not give
rise to any harmful anxiety. As he perfects his concentration, he will
experience light, and within his samdhi he may come to crave a long
424
ten demonic states associated with cognition
33
Skt. primik cyuti, Ch. bian yi sheng si , literally the death and rebirth of
what has been transformed so called because only the fourth-stage Arhats, the Solitary
Sages, and the Bodhisattvas can transcend the birth and death of the physical body and,
if they so choose, can be reborn transformed into a rarified bodily form. They are not yet
entirely free, however, of the rise and fall of thoughts and other mental hindrances.
425
fifty demonic states of mind
world and did it effortlessly. I am the original Buddha and always have
been; I did not become a Buddha through some spiritual practice.
This is called being troubled by the king of the Heaven of Pleasure
Derived from What Others Create.34 This king will send down to earth a
member of his retinue perhaps a goddess35 from his own heaven or a
young energy-eating demoness36 from the Heaven of the Four Kings, but
not one who has made a resolve to practice in accord with the Dharma.
This being will take advantage of the good persons vacuous clarity, and
it will devour his vitality. The possessed person who acted as the practi-
tioners teacher may not be involved at this point. The demon will appear
directly to the practitioner, taking the form of a vajra-wielding spirit. It
will tell the practitioner that it has come to grant him immortality. It will
appear to him in the form of a beautiful woman, and together they will
engage in such a frenzy of lust that before a year has passed, the practi-
tioners physical vitality will be depleted. To those who can hear him, he
seems to be having conversations with himself in the gabbling language
of ghosts. They will not understand what is happening to him. He is likely
to run afoul of the laws of the royal domain. If he does, his vital energies
will have already been so greatly depleted that he will die before his pun-
ishment can be meted out to him. Thus by troubling and confusing him,
the demon will have brought about his death.
You should be aware of this in advance, so that you will not be reborn
among these celestial demons. If you do not recognize what is happening
to you, you will become confused, and you will fall into the Unrelenting
Hell.
You should know that in the time of the Dharmas ending, nanda,
these ten kinds of demons will join communities of monastics who prac-
tice in accord with my Dharma. These demons may possess people or may
34
The sixth and highest of the heavens of desire. Mra, king of demons, lives there.
The Heaven of the Four Kings mentioned in the next sentence is the first of the heavens
of desire.
35
Skt. camud, one of the seven divine mothers associated with the worship of the
god iva.
36
Skt. pica.
426
ten demonic states associated with cognition
appear in a body that they have created for themselves, but in either case
they will make the claim that they have already attained the right and
universal awakening of a Buddha.37 They will praise sexual desire and will
violate the Buddhas regulations. These evil and demonic teachers that
I have just described will transmit their teachings to their followers by
engaging in sexual acts with them. In these ways, depraved demons will
take control of practitioners minds, and for the practitioners next nine
lives, or for as many as a hundred lives, the practitioners will join the
retinues of demons, although they may have wished to be true to their
former practices. At the end of those lives, they will inevitably become
demons themselves. Having failed to realize their claim to right and uni-
versal awakening, they will fall into the Unrelenting Hell.
There is no need for you to seek the nirvana of the Arhats. When
you reach the level at which no further instruction is needed, you should
still hold fast to your vow to be reborn during the time of the Dharmas
ending.38 Let your great compassion come forth. Rescue beings whose
minds are true and whose faith is deep. Make sure that they are not pos-
sessed by demons and that their knowledge and viewpoints are correct.
The Buddha is rescuing you now from the cycle of death and rebirth. By
respectfully carrying out the instructions that the Buddha has given you,
you will requite the kindness that he has shown you.
These ten states, nanda, may manifest as these beings practice
meditation in stillness while they are engaged in interaction with the
aggregate of cognition. They may become dulled and confused by this
experience, and they may no longer be able to take a proper measure
of themselves. When faced with these circumstances, they may become
further confused, and in their failure to know themselves, they will make
the claim that they have reached the level of a sage. This egregious false-
hood will cause them to fall into the Unrelenting Hell.
These ten states are changes that occur while experiencing the aggregate
of cognition as a result of effort one applies in ones practice. When you are
37
Skt. samyak-sabodhi.
38
nanda makes this vow in the verse he speaks at the end of part 3.
427
fifty demonic states of mind
practicing with maximum effort, such states will manifest. If you encounter
these states, . . . dont be confused by them. When you meditate, your mental
effort interacts with the aggregate of cognition; they engage in a battle. . . . If
your samdhi is strong enough, the aggregate of cognition will be conquered.
But if not, your samdhi may disintegrate, and you may become ensnared
in a demonic state and experience the phenomena described in the text.
(VIII, 168)
428
5
Ten Demonic States of Mind Associated
with the Aggregate of Mental Formations
nanda, when a good person who has been practicing samdhi has
reached the end of the aggregate of cognition, the usual cognitive pro-
cesses involved in dreaming will disappear from his mind. For him there
will no longer be any difference between waking and sleeping. His aware-
ness will be as luminous, as empty, and as still as a cloudless sky. Images
of gross external objects will no longer appear before him as objects of
cognition. He will view all the phenomena in the world the mountains,
the rivers, and everything else as mere reflections that briefly appear
in a clear mirror, leaving nothing behind, disappearing without a trace,
receiving and reflecting, nothing more. He has done away with his ha-
bitual and long-cherished karmic impressions. Only the true essence of
consciousness remains.
As the source of the coming into being and ceasing to be is exposed to
him, he may have a clear vision, which extends throughout the ten direc-
tions, of all the kinds of beings in their twelve classes. Although he cannot
yet discern the thread of causes that is unique to each individual life, he
will be able to perceive the origin that is common to all lives. This origin
will appear to him as a subtle, glimmering, vibrating mirage. This is the
ultimate point, the pivotal point, at which the faculties and their objects
meet. He has reached the region of the aggregate of mental formations. If
he is able to see the subtle, glimmering vibrations, which are the origin of
beings, revert to the clarity that is their original nature, then his habitual
karma will become still, just as clear waters become calm when waves are
stilled. He will have reached the end of the aggregate of mental forma-
tions. He will be able to transcend the turbidity of individual beings. He
will contemplate how this aggregate arises, and he will see that its basis
lies in mental distortions in the deep recesses of the mind.39
39
In this paragraph, the practitioner is described as one who has succeeded in putting
an end to his attachments to the aggregate of mental formations. The paragraphs that
429
fifty demonic states of mind
[1] nanda, you should know that this good person has gained right
knowledge and has calmed his mind such that he is firmly settled into
the light generated by his correct mental state. None of the ten kinds of
celestial demons will have any chance to influence him.40
At this point, external demons can no longer use their tricks to disturb the
practitioners samdhi. However, sometimes transformations take place in his
own aggregate of mental formations, causing him to have wrong ideas. These
are demons of ones own mind. (VIII, 188)
follow describe practitioners who instead run into difficulty. They make errors that involve
wrong views. The Sutra describes fifty-four of these wrong views, which are arranged into
ten groups. The first five of the groups include various erroneous speculations about the
origins of beings in the past, while the last five groups involve speculations about the
future, specifically about what beings may encounter after their death. Further, within
each of the groups involving speculation about the past, some of the wrong views arise
when the practitioner, by means of his spiritual power, looks into previous eons. Other
wrong views arise not in association with observations but simply from logical reasoning.
All these experiences involve use of the seventh consciousness (the individuating or
manas consciousness), not the cognitive activities of the sixth consciousness, since when
this practitioner is in samdhi, the aggregate of cognition is no longer present.
The fifty-four wrong views described here roughly correspond to the sixty-two wrong
views described in the Brahmajla Sutta. See The Discourse on the All-Embracing Net of Views:
Brahmajla Sutta, trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi (Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society,
1998).
40
In contrast to the vulnerability to demonic influences described in the previous
section.
430
ten demonic states associated with mental formations
doing, he may fall into the error of adopting either of two theories that
deny causation.41
First, this person may not discern any causes for the origin of life.
How might this be? This person will have already completely eliminated
the means for the arising of cognitive distortions.42 Employing his eye-
faculty, with its eight hundred degrees of efficacy,43 he will now be able to
see all beings caught in the swirling flux of their karma during the previ-
ous eighty thousand eons, as they meet their death in one place and are
born again in another. But he will not be able see beyond eighty thousand
eons, and therefore he will suppose that eighty thousand eons ago, all be-
ings in the worlds throughout the ten directions came into being of their
own accord, independently of any cause. Because of this speculation, he
will lose all the ground that he has gained in his quest for right and uni-
versal wisdom. In his confusion about the nature of full awakening, he
will fall and take a wrong path.
Or second, this person may not discern any cause for the ending of
life. How might this be? This person has already observed the origins of
all beings. He has discerned that some humans are reborn as humans, and
he has been aware of birds being reborn as birds. He may therefore con-
clude that black crows are inevitably reborn as black crows, while swans
are inevitably reborn as white swans. He may conclude that people and
gods are always reborn among beings who walk upright and that animals
are always reborn as beasts that walk on four legs, and also that wash-
ing is not what makes white swans white, nor dyeing what makes crows
black. He will therefore conclude that for the last eighty thousand eons
until the present moment, no being has been reborn into a different class.
He further concludes, In all this time I have observed no instance of full
41
Skt. asatkryavda, Ch. wu yin lun , the theory that causes do not exist or
that causes cannot be found in effects. The analysis of wrong views begins here with two
theories that deny causation, the first arising from observations of past eons, the second
from speculation.
42
That is, he has been successful in ending his attachment to the aggregate of
cognition.
43
See part 5.2 above.
431
fifty demonic states of mind
awakening. How then could a being who is not awake change into a being
who has awakened? I can only conclude that to this very day all creatures
have existed without any special cause for their being what they are.
Although the text says that this person can see for eighty thousand eons, this
practitioner is actually under the influence of a delusion. . . . This individual
may feel that eighty thousand eons have passed by, but it actually may not be
that long. . . . Controlled by his own deluded thinking, he experiences a totally
unreal state in which he sees birds being reborn as birds. . . . If he had really
seen as far back in time as eighty thousand eons, he would have seen those
birds being reborn as something else. Its clear that the experience of eighty
thousand eons is only a false perception of his mind. (VIII, 182)
In addition, he has no idea of what occurred longer ago than eighty thou-
sand eons, and so he mistakenly concludes that there is no cause of the
existence of anything, because he has no knowledge of events that occurred
previously. (VIII, 187)
Because of this speculation, the practitioner will lose all the ground
that he has gained in his quest for right and universal wisdom. In his con-
fusion about the nature of full awakening, he will fall and take a wrong
path. These two theories that deny causation constitute the first group
of wrong paths.
[2] In his practice of samdhi, nanda, this good persons mind has
settled into the light generated by his correct mental state. No demon
will have any chance to influence him. He may now focus on a thorough
investigation of the constant and subtle movement at the origin of the
lives of all the classes of beings. He may begin to speculate about all that
he has observed about the constancy of this movement, and in so doing
he may fall into the error of adopting one of four theories concerning
universal everlastingness.
First, as this person fully investigates the nature of his mind and what
it experiences,44 he may conclude that there is no cause either for the
mind or for what it perceives. His practices may enable him to discern the
44
That is, the first six of his consciousnesses and their objects.
432
ten demonic states associated with mental formations
deaths and rebirths that all beings throughout the ten directions have
suffered during the previous twenty thousand eons. He may observe that
throughout that period of time, as these beings have clung to the cycle
of death and rebirth, their minds and their minds experiences have not
been lost. On that basis he may speculate that the mind and its experi-
ences are everlasting.
Second, as this person fully investigates the origins of the four pri-
mary elements, it may seem to him that these primary elements never
change. His practices may enable him to discern the cycle of death and
rebirth that all beings throughout the ten directions have undergone
during the previous forty thousand eons. He may observe that through-
out this period of time, there has been no alteration in the nature of the
primary elements. On that basis he may speculate that it is the nature of
the primary elements to be everlasting.
Actually the four primary elements earth, water, fire, and air are created
from beings deluded mental activity. They dont have an independent exis-
tence of their own. Therefore, how can they be everlasting? (VIII, 189)
45
The manas or seventh consciousness.
46
The eighth consciousness.
433
fifty demonic states of mind
47
That is, the constant and subtle movement at the origin of life (Yuanying, 1470).
48
Skt. purua, Ch. shen wo , in the Skhya school of Indian philosophy, the cosmic
self.
434
ten demonic states associated with mental formations
435
fifty demonic states of mind
49
Skt. parikalpita, Ch. bian ji .
436
ten demonic states associated with mental formations
437
fifty demonic states of mind
50
Four because the aggregate of consciousness is not included.
51
All five are mentioned here because the practitioner assumes that since attributes of
the first four aggregates exist after death, it applies to the fifth also.
438
ten demonic states associated with mental formations
52
Eight because he has concluded that each of the first four aggregates has these two
attributes: they do not function while the practitioner is alive, and they cease to exist after
his death.
439
fifty demonic states of mind
440
ten demonic states associated with mental formations
He may speculate about where within the realm of desire the bod-
ies of individual beings might perish;53 or about where beyond the realm
of desire the bodies of individual beings might perish;54 or about where
beyond the reach of suffering the bodies of individual beings might per-
ish;55 or about where, within the bliss that is beyond joy, the bodies of
individual beings might perish;56 or about where, within the renuncia-
tion of cognition, the bodies of individual beings might perish.57 Cycling
through these speculations, he will fully investigate each of these seven
locations and conclude that in each, individual beings perish and that,
having perished, they will not be reborn.
Because he has made these suppositions concerning the cessation of
individual existence after death, he will fall and take a wrong path. He has
become confused about the nature of full awakening. This belief in wrong-
headed theories concerning the cessation of individual existence after death
within the realm of all five aggregates is the ninth of the wrong paths.
[10] Further, when in his practice of samdhi this good persons mind
is firmly settled in his correct mental state, no demon will have any
chance to influence him. He may now focus on a thorough investigation
of the constant and subtle movement at the origin of the lives of all the
classes of beings. He may speculate that beyond the aggregate of mental
formations, there is existence after death. He may adopt any of five
wrong-headed theories concerning nirvana.
He may in his contemplations observe a radiance that suffuses the
heavens of the realm of desire.58 Longing for this radiance, he may specu-
53
The first two of these seven theories concern the perishing of beings in the human
realm and in the six heavens of desire.
54
The third theory concerns the perishing of beings in the three heavens of the first
dhyna.
55
The fourth theory concerns the perishing of beings in the three heavens of the
second dhyna.
56
The fifth theory concerns the perishing of beings in the three heavens of the third
dhyna.
57
The sixth and seventh theories concern the perishing of beings in the nine heavens
of the fourth dhyna and on the four planes of formlessness.
58
In the heavens there is no nocturnal darkness.
441
fifty demonic states of mind
late that in those heavens he will be able to transform his future deaths
and rebirths into a future entry into nirvana. Or he may speculate it is
in the heavens of the first dhyna that he will be able to enter nirvana,
because in the first dhyna beings have no anxiety. Or he may speculate
that it is in the heavens of the second dhyna that he will be able to enter
nirvana, because in the second dhyna beings do not suffer. Or he may
speculate that it is in the heavens of the third dhyna that he will be able
to enter nirvana, because in the third dhyna beings know the extremes
of the bliss that is beyond joy. Or he may speculate that it is within the
heavens of the fourth dhyna that he will be able to enter nirvana, be-
cause in the fourth dhyna both suffering and joy are transcended, and
as he supposes, beings there are no longer bound to the cycle of death
and rebirth.
He will make the mistake of supposing that these dhyna heavens are
unconditioned states, although in fact the beings in them are still subject
to outflows. Since beings in these five locations are able to experience
an inner serenity, he will suppose that these are places where he will be
able to abide in a supreme purity. Cycling through these suppositions,
he will conclude that it is in these locations that ultimate nirvana may
be found.
Because he thought that he could enter nirvana if he could manage
to abide in these five locations, he will fall and take a wrong path. He
has become confused about the nature of full awakening. This belief in
wrong-headed theories that, in these five locations, he could enter nir-
vana within the realm of the five aggregates is the tenth of these wrong
paths.
While they are practicing meditation in stillness, nanda, these be-
ings may adopt these ten wildly wrong interpretations of the dhynas
as a result of their interaction with the aggregate of mental formations.
They may become dulled and confused by this experience, and they may
no longer be able to take a proper measure of themselves. When faced
with these circumstances, they may be even more confused, and in their
failure to know themselves, they will make the claim that they have
442
ten demonic states associated with mental formations
reached the level of a sage. This egregious falsehood will cause them to
fall into the Unrelenting Hell.
Before you have broken through the aggregate of mental formations, your
practice of samdhi does battle with it. If your own correct knowledge and
viewpoints are victorious, you can leap over this hurdle. If not, you end up with
. . . these wildly mistaken interpretations. (VIII, 231)
443
6
Ten Demonic States of Mind Associated
with the Aggregate of Consciousness
Annda, when a good person who has been practicing samdhi has
reached the end of the aggregate of mental formations, he may observe,
within the clear light in the deep recesses of his mind, the vibrations
which are the shared foundation of the nature of all beings in the world.
Then suddenly the tiny hidden knot that holds together the intricate
net of karma of his individual being during his many lifetimes will burst
open, and he will lose his connection to the vibrating resonances of that
karmic net.
He will now be on the verge of experiencing a great illumination in
the sky of nirvana. It is as if he is gazing at the pale light of dawn in the
eastern sky just as the rooster has finished crowing. His six faculties
will be quiescent; they will have ceased to hurry outwards toward their
objects. His faculties and their objects will merge into a single deep and
luminous clarity. The duality of observer and observed will have ceased.
He will have a deep understanding of how the twelve classes of beings
throughout the ten directions enter into life. However, though he may
take an interest in how beings are born into their various classes, in no
case will he be drawn in to the process. His consciousness will merge with
everything in the worlds throughout the ten directions. The pale light
that he observed will not fade, and it will illuminate what has heretofore
been hidden. This is the region of the aggregate of consciousness.
The fluctuations of the aggregate of mental formations have now subsided,
and . . . at this point, when only the aggregate of consciousness remains to
be broken through, there is a brilliant light both within and without. . . . The six
faculties and the six kinds of perceived objects have united, and there is no
further duality between the faculties and their objects. (VIII, 235)
444
ten demonic states associated with consciousness
rebirth. He has erased the distinctions among his six faculties, and he has
succeeded in enabling each of the six to perform the functions of all of
the others. For example, his faculties of seeing and hearing will become
connected to one another and will function both separately and together
and with complete clarity. The worlds throughout the ten directions and
his own body and mind will be suffused with light, like a crystal. This
state is the ending of the aggregate of consciousness. This person will
now be able to transcend the turbidity of lifespans. He will contemplate
how this aggregate arises, and he will understand that it neither exists
nor does not exist that its existence and nonexistence are both unreal.
It is based on the distortions of deluded mental activity.
[1] You should know, nanda, that this good person, having completely
eliminated the mental formations aggregate, must now return the aggre-
gate of consciousness to its source. At this point, although he has already
done away with the coming into being and perishing of mental formations,
he has not yet completed the journey to the wonder of his essential nature,
which is nirvana. However, he will be able to merge his perceptual facul-
ties so that they can function as one or function interchangeably.
He may have encountered many demonic states, caused by demons from
the heavens, by demons of his own mind, or by other kinds of demons, but
they did not weaken his samdhi. When he encountered them, he recognized
them for what they were and did not become confused by them. Or he may not
have experienced any demonic states at all. Now he has to break through the
aggregate of consciousness, and when he does, he will return to the Matrix of
the Thus-Come One. (VIII, 238)
445
fifty demonic states of mind
59
In this and the other nine states of mind encountered during meditation and
associated wiith the aggregate of consciousness, the practitioners progress is derailed
when he adopts one or another of the schools of thought prevalent in India during the
Buddhas time. Here he adopts the theories propounded by Kapila, the founder of the
Skhya school.
60
That is, an ability to create all beings out of his own body.
61
Mahevara is often identified with the Hindu god iva.
446
ten demonic states associated with consciousness
direction. He turns his back on the city of nirvana and plants a seed that
will result in his rebirth as a god who, in his great arrogance, considers
his self to be all-pervading and to include everything within it.
[3] Further, although this good person has completely eliminated the
aggregate of mental formations although he has already done away
with the coming into being and perishing of mental formations he
has not yet completed the journey to the wonder of his essential nature,
which is nirvana. Once he has entered the consciousness aggregate, he
may become attached to abiding there. Then he may wrongly suppose
that his body and mind are born from there and that everything in the
ten directions throughout empty space arises from there. Because he
supposes that both his body and mind well up from the consciousness
aggregate, he may conclude that this supposed source constitutes an im-
mortal body which neither comes into being nor ceases to be. In fact, he
is still subject to death and rebirth. He has come to the unjustified con-
clusion that his consciousness is immortal. Already deluded about what
is beyond coming into being and ceasing to be,62 he is also confused about
what is subject to coming into being and ceasing to be. Having sunk into
confusion, he is content to abide in that state of mind, considering it to
be the ultimate truth.
Thus this person becomes attached to the mistaken view that the
consciousness aggregate is permanent and that everything else is im-
permanent. He becomes one of the adherents of the doctrines of the god
vara. He is confused about the nature of the full awakening of the Bud-
dhas, and as a result, the Buddhas right knowledge and correct views are
no longer accessible to him.
This third theory is called concluding that one has an origin and
making deluded speculations about what arises from there. Instead of
breaking through to enlightenment, this person proceeds far in the op-
posite direction. He turns his back on the city of nirvana and plants a seed
that will result in his rebirth in a place that he has wrongly taken to be
perfection.
62
That is, the enlightened mind.
447
fifty demonic states of mind
63
Vasiha was a Brahmin mentioned in the Mahyna-Mahparinirva Stra. The
name is sometimes given as Vsiha. The Senika or Sainika were a non-Buddhist class,
perhaps Jain.
448
ten demonic states associated with consciousness
[6] Further, although this good person has completely eliminated the
aggregate of mental formations although he has already done away
with the coming into being and perishing of mental formations he
449
fifty demonic states of mind
has not yet completed the journey to the wonder of his essential nature,
which is nirvana. It may seem to him that his consciousness illuminates
everything, and he may speculate that within this illumination there is
a void. He may wish to negate any of the various forms that arise and
to abide forever in permanent cessation. He will believe that his under-
standing of this place of abiding is the ultimate truth. Thus he makes
the mistake of believing that what is not a place of permanent abiding
nevertheless is such a place. He adopts the doctrines of the dwellers in
the empty void of the Heaven of No Cognition.64 He is confused about the
nature of the full awakening of the Buddhas, and as a result, the Buddhas
right knowledge and correct views are no longer accessible to him.
This sixth theory is called making suppositions about a void and
drawing various conclusions concerning that void. The person specu-
lates that this void is the basis of his consciousness and that the result is
permanent cessation. As a result, instead of breaking through to enlight-
enment, he proceeds far in the opposite direction. He turns his back on
the city of nirvana and plants a seed that will result in his rebirth into a
void in which everything has ceased to be.
[7] Further, although this good person has completely eliminated the
aggregate of mental formations although he has already done away
with the coming into being and perishing of mental formations he
has not yet completed the journey to the wonder of his essential nature,
which is nirvana. If his consciousness seems to him to be all-pervading
and permanent, he may attempt to fortify his body in the hope that it will
become immortal as long-lasting, as refined, and as all-pervading as
his consciousness. He will conclude that his quest for immortality of the
body is the ultimate truth. Thus this person makes the mistake of craving
something that should not be an object of craving. He becomes one of the
adherents of the doctrines of Asita65 and of others who seek a long life. He
64
Here the phrase Ch. wu xiang tian , the heaven of no cognition, is presumably
an abbreviated form of Ch. fei xiang fei fei xiang chu , the Heaven in Which
Cognition Is Absent and yet Not Absent. See part 9.11g.
65
Asita was an ascetic master, a teacher of the Buddha kyamuni in a previous life,
and in the Buddhas present life, an advisor to the Buddhas father, uddhodana, King of
450
ten demonic states associated with consciousness
is confused about the nature of the full awakening of the Buddhas, and as
a result, the Buddhas right knowledge and correct views are no longer
accessible to him.
This seventh theory is called becoming attached to a belief concern-
ing the source of life and drawing the erroneous conclusion that fortify-
ing the body will result in a long life. Instead of breaking through to
enlightenment, this person proceeds far in the opposite direction. He
turns his back on the city of nirvana and plants a seed that will result in
a long life of delusion.
[8] Further, although this good person has completely eliminated the
aggregate of mental formations although he has already done away
with the coming into being and perishing of mental formations he
has not yet completed the journey to the wonder of his essential nature,
which is nirvana. Having contemplated the interconnectedness of the
lives of all twelve classes of beings, he will retreat into a reengagement
with his own stressful inner world of perceived objects. In this situation,
fearing that this world will come to an end, he will cause himself to be
seated in a palace made of lotus-flowers and the seven precious things,
where he is surrounded by beautiful women.66 Concluding that this is the
ultimate truth, he will abandon himself to luxurious enjoyments. Thus
he makes the mistake of believing that what is not genuine is in fact
genuine. He becomes one of the adherents of the doctrines of the lord of
celestial demons. He is confused about the nature of the full awakening
of the Buddhas, and as a result, the Buddhas right knowledge and correct
views are no longer accessible to him.
This eighth theory is called perverse thoughts arising and leading to
the erroneous conclusion regarding the raging fire of the world of per-
ceived objects. Instead of breaking through to enlightenment, this per-
son proceeds far in the opposite direction. He turns his back on the city of
nirvana and plants a seed that will result in rebirth as a celestial demon.
Kapilavastu. It was Asita who predicted upon the birth of the Prince Siddhrtha that the
child would grow up to be either a sage-king or a Buddha.
66
The palace is created through his own spiritual power.
451
fifty demonic states of mind
67
While the first eight of these theories have been associated with rebirths in an
unenlightened state, the ninth and tenth theories are associated with enlightenment as
an Arhat (the ninth) or as a Solitary Sage (the tenth). These are sages of the Lesser Vehicle
who do not aspire to the enlightenment of a Bodhisattva or a Buddha.
68
That is, the proper path to becoming a Buddha.
69
The Four Noble Truths.
70
That is, he wishes to remain an Arhat, believing that to be the highest spiritual
accomplishment; he has no intention of undertaking the Bodhisattva path, Ch. ding xing
sheng wen .
71
This emptiness is not the true emptiness, but rather the emptiness experienced by
sages of the Lesser Vehicle, whereas the city of nirvana is the nirvana of the Buddhas.
452
ten demonic states associated with consciousness
72
That is, the path of the Bodhisattvas.
453
fifty demonic states of mind
In their obtuseness and confusion, these beings will not take proper
measure of themselves. When they encounter these states each one
according to what he craves, each one confused by his long-cherished
habits they will choose to abide in one of these states, which they
will suppose is the final and serene place of refuge. They will make the
claim that they have completed a full and supreme awakening. This is an
egregious lie, and because of it once the karma of their present state
has been exhausted those whose karma has led them to be followers
of wrong paths, or to be disciples of perverse demons, will fall into the
Unrelenting Hell. As for the Hearers of the Teaching and the Solitary
Sages, they will make no further progress on the Path.
You all must devote yourselves to the Path of the Thus-Come Ones.
After my nirvana, you must explain my teachings and transmit them to
beings of the time of the Dharmas ending so that all beings everywhere
will understand what I have taught. Then they will not allow their own
demonic views to lead them into egregious offenses. Protect them, give
them comfort, compassionately rescue them, and free them of their per-
verse tendencies, so that in mind and body they may enter the path to
the wisdom and vision of the Buddhas. Then from the beginning to the
end of their journey, they will not stray from the Path.
For as many past eons as there are sand-grains in the River Ganges,
Thus-Come Ones as many as motes of dust have entered the gateway of
454
ten demonic states associated with consciousness
this Dharma, have opened their minds, and have traveled along this su-
preme path.
Once you have come to the end of the aggregate of consciousness,
your faculties will function interchangeably, and then on the basis of
that mutual functioning, you will be able to reach the Bodhisattvas level
of vajra-like wisdom. When you experience the full illumination of that
refined state of mind, you will undergo a transformation. Your mind
will become like a resplendent moon enclosed within a pure crystal, and
then you will leap over all the stages of the Bodhisattvas Path the Ten
Stages of Stabilizing the Mind, the Ten Abodes, the Ten Practices, the Ten
Dedications, the Four Additional Practices, the vajra-like Ten Grounds,
and Equivalent Enlightenment, in which understanding is finally per-
fected. You will enter into the wondrous and magnificent multitude of all
the Thus-Come Ones, vast as the sea. You will attain the perfection of full
awakening, in which there is nothing that is attained.
All the Buddhas, World-Honored Ones of the past, while calmly abid-
ing in samdhi and while practicing contemplative insight, applied their
contemplative insight to all these states. By means of their enlightened
understanding, they analyzed these subtle demonic activities. Once you
can clearly recognize these demonic states when they occur, you will be
able to cleanse your mind of those defilements, and you will not fall prey
to wrong views. Then the demonic states associated with the aggregates
will be eradicated, and the celestial demons will be utterly defeated.
Ghosts and spirits of great power will be frightened out of their wits and
will run for their lives. Animal-possessing ghosts and nightmare-ghosts
will no longer dare to show themselves. You will reach your goal of full
awakening without having experienced the slightest weariness, and you
will all progress directly to full awakening. Even those whose roots in the
Dharma are inferior will be able to make progress toward nirvana with-
out becoming confused or discouraged.
In the time of the Dharmas ending, some beings who like to practice
samdhi may not have sufficient intelligence to practice meditation in
stillness correctly or to explain the Dharma correctly. You should be con-
cerned lest they fall under the influence of the kind of wrong views that I
455
fifty demonic states of mind
73
The ragama Mantra.
456
7
The Five Aggregates Arise from Delusion
Then nanda once again stood up amidst the great assembly and bowed
reverently, having fully retained in his memory the instructions he had
heard the Buddha give. He said respectfully to the Buddha, The Buddha
has said that the five categories of delusion which characterize the five
aggregates are the basis of the deluded activity of the mind. We have nev-
er before received from the Thus-Come One such a detailed explanation.
Now, when these five aggregates disappear, do they do so all at once, or
do they disappear in sequence, one after the other? And if they do disap-
pear in sequence, what are the defining characteristics of each of the five
aggregates? I only hope that the Thus-Come One, out of his great kind-
ness, will explain this, so that all of us in this great assembly can purify
our minds and make our vision clear. In this way we will be able to act as
guides for beings in the future time of the Dharmas ending.
Dont get the wrong idea here. When Ananda speaks out again in the as-
sembly, its certainly not the case that he is showing off. Its not that he wants
everyone to notice him. He is seeking the Dharma on behalf of all beings, . . .
including you and me, who are his fellow practitioners from a different time.
(VIII, 282)
74
See part 4.4 above.
457
fifty demonic states of mind
about causes and conditions, assert that things come into being on their
own. The nature of space itself is that it, too, arises from illusion. The no-
tion that things come into being due to causes and conditions and the no-
tion that they come into being on their own are mere speculations born
of beings deluded minds.
The Buddha says that in the essential, true, wondrous understanding and
complete purity of fundamental enlightenment, neither death nor rebirth ex-
ists, nor do worldly defilements and even space itself. This is the Matrix of the
Thus-Come One, the fundamental suchness of reality that is inherent in us all.
Its not that some people have it and other people dont. We are all endowed
with the essential, true, and wondrous understanding the complete purity
of fundamental enlightenment. Within it there is not a single defilement, not a
single phenomenon; there isnt anything at all. If you can return to this source,
you will be free of ignorance, lust, greed, stupidity, and delusion. . . . The aim
of our practice is to return to that place that is within us all. (VIII, 2845)
nanda, one who understands where delusion comes from will say
that it comes about due to certain causes and conditions. One who under-
stands that there can be no place of origin for delusion will know that
there is no place where causes and conditions can arise. We hardly need
to mention the people who know nothing of causes and conditions and
who say that all phenomena come into being on their own. Therefore,
based on what the Thus-Come One has already shown you, you should
understand that the fundamental cause for the coming into being of the
five aggregates is the deluded activity of the mind.
Your body came into being because of mental activity on the part of
your parents, but if there were no such activity in your mind as well, you
would not have been born. It is through such mental activity that life is
perpetuated. I already mentioned to you that thinking about something
sour can cause the mouth to water, and that merely thinking about
climbing up to the edge of a precipice can cause your feet to ache.75 In
fact, there is no precipice under your feet, nor is there anything sour in
75
See part 3.1.
458
the five aggregates arise from delusion
your mouth. If there were no connection between your body and deluded
thinking, what would cause your mouth to water when there is mention
of something sour? From this you should know that the body which you
now have is an instance of the illusion of solid matter. This is the first of
the delusions of the mind.76
As we have said, merely the thought of approaching a precipice can
cause your feet actually to ache. In this way even a sense-perception
caused by deluded mental activity can affect your physical body. You
now experience what is pleasing and beneficial and what is displeasing
and harmful. These two kinds of experience, which affect you in rapid
succession, are an instance of the illusion of sense-perception. This is the
second of the delusions of the mind.
If you could stop the activities of your mind completely, . . . the Matrix of
the Thus-Come One would manifest. It is your own inherent treasure; it is
the landscape of your homeland; it is your original countenance. But at the
slightest movement of your faculties of perception, your true nature will be
obscured by a covering of clouds. (VIII, 300)
Thus your thoughts and concerns exert control over your physi-
cal body. Suppose there were no relation between your body and your
thoughts; what then would be the agency that exerts control over your
body? In fact, your body tries to obtain various things that you have been
thinking about. In other words, when the thought of a perceived object
arises in the mind, that thought evokes the bodys response, which is to
seek to obtain or to avoid that object. This is true not only when you are
awake and thinking but also when you are asleep and dreaming. These
are instances of the activity of cognition creating an illusory understand-
ing. This cooperative functioning of mind and body constitutes the third
delusion of the mind.
Then there are the systematic changes in your body which never
stop such incessant and imperceptible changes as the lengthening of
76
That is, the first aggregate, that of form. The ensuing paragraphs concern the other
four aggregates in sequence.
459
fifty demonic states of mind
your fingernails, the growth of your hair, the lessening of your vitality,
and the wrinkling of your face. Each of these continues as day and night
succeed one another. Yet you fail to be aware of them. If these systematic
changes are not part of you, nanda, then why does your body undergo
them? If in fact they are truly a part of you, how is it that you are not
aware of them? The uninterrupted succession of thought after thought
characterizes the aggregate of mental formations. This subtle and hidden
mental activity constitutes the fourth delusion of the mind.
Further, if you were to attain a permanent state of refined mental
clarity that is pure and unmoving, you would no longer be able to expe-
rience seeing, hearing, tactile awareness, and cognition.77 If your mind
were in fact to attain this refined level of reality, it would no longer con-
tain any traces of those habitual distorted mental activities. How then is
it that you may have entirely forgotten about some strange sight that you
once saw years ago, and yet the memory has not entirely disappeared,
because when you suddenly see something very like that same strange
sight, you recall perfectly the first time you saw it? This place of refined
clarity that you wrongly suppose to be pure and unmoving is in fact per-
meated with an endless succession of countless mental impressions.
Although you have temporarily forgotten about it, the memory is stored in your
eighth consciousness, . . . where it is stored as a natural process. There isnt
anyone keeping track. (VIII, 305)
You should know, nanda, that this subtle clarity is not the true mind.
It is, rather, like a rapidly flowing stream that seems at first glance to be
calm and still. Although you do not see it, there is nevertheless a current.
Similarly, if in your consciousness aggregate there were no source of de-
luded mental activity, what else could be the repository of your deluded
mental activities? Until your six faculties merge and become interchange-
able, you will never be able to put an end to your deluded mental acts.
That is why at present this subtle clarity of mind is still bound up with
subtle habits belonging to seeing, hearing, tactile awareness, and mental
77
Smelling and tasting are understood to be included.
460
the five aggregates arise from delusion
awareness.78 In the same way, these false mental impressions lying within
what seems to be the clarity of the consciousness aggregate seem to exist
and yet not to exist. This extremely subtle and barely discernable activity
constitutes the fifth kind of distortion of the mind.
The five aggregates, nanda, are simply the development of these
five kinds of deluded mental activity.
Now you also wish to know what the defining attributes of each of the
aggregates are and how coarse or refined they are. Form and emptiness
are the defining attributes of the aggregate of form. Contact and sepa-
ration are the defining attributes of the aggregate of sense-perception.
What is recorded and what is not recorded are the defining attributes of
the aggregate of cognition. Coming into being and perishing are the de-
fining attributes of the aggregate of mental formations. Entering into the
state of deep clarity and being stored in that deep clarity are the defining
attributes of the aggregate of consciousness. These five aggregates arise
in successive layers, beginning with the coming into being of conscious-
ness. Their perishing begins with the ceasing to be of the aggregate of
form. You may suddenly reach an understanding of the principle of the
aggregates, and on that basis you may presume the aggregates will all
vanish together. But, in fact, they do not all vanish at once; they must be
ended in sequence.
The five aggregates arise in layers. . . . They arise first in the aggregate of
consciousness, and to eliminate them one must begin with the aggregate of
form. (VIII, 308)
78
The nose-consciousness and tongue-consciousness are understood to be included.
79
In part 5.4.
461
fifty demonic states of mind
themselves. Let them know of nirvana so that they cease to long for fur-
ther existence in the three realms.
462
8
The Merit of Teaching the ragama Dharma
Suppose, nanda, that someone gathered together as many of the seven
precious things as would fill the realm of space to its farthest reaches in
all ten directions. Suppose that this person then offered all these pre-
cious things to as many Buddhas as there are motes of dust, with his mind
intent in every moment on reverently serving these Buddhas. What do
you think? By making such an offering to the Buddhas, would this person
merit many blessings?
nanda replied, The reaches of space are infinite, and so these pre-
cious things would be beyond counting. Yet someone once gave the
Buddha a mere seven coins, and as a result, at the end of his life, he was
reborn and became a universal monarch. How much greater must be the
reward of blessings that would come to this other person who offers to the
Buddhas as many of the seven precious things as would fill the Buddhas
lands everywhere to the ends of space. Even if one were to ponder this for
countless eons, one could not conceive of the extent of his reward.
The Buddha said to nanda, The Buddhas, the Thus-Come Ones,
never speak falsely. Imagine then the situation of some other person
who has committed the four grave offenses and the ten offenses that
merit expulsion. He deserves to fall immediately into the Unrelenting
Hell and then gradually to pass through the Unrelenting Hells of all the
other worlds throughout the ten directions. Now, suppose this same per-
son were to explain this Dharma, even for just a moment, to beings who
in the time of the Dharmas ending had not learned about this teaching.
Then as a consequence of that one moment of explanation, this persons
offenses would vanish, and the hells in which he had deserved to suffer
would be transformed into lands of peace and delight. In fact, the bless-
ings merited by such a person would exceed by hundreds of thousands
of tens of millions of billions of times the blessings merited by the other
person I just mentioned, the one who made those offerings of precious
things. The difference would be so great that no calculation or example
could express it.
463
fifty demonic states of mind
464
Appendix
A Brief Account of the Life of
the Venerable Master Hsan Hua
One of the most eminent Chinese Buddhist masters of the twentieth
century, the Venerable Master Hsan Hua (Xuanhua) was a monastic
reformer and the first Chinese master to teach Buddhism to large num-
bers of Westerners. During his long career he emphasized the primacy
of the monastic tradition, the essential role of moral education, the need
for Buddhists to ground themselves in traditional spiritual practice and
authentic scripture, and the importance of respect and understanding
among religions. He focused on clarifying the essential principles of the
Buddhas original teachings, on establishing a properly ordained mo-
nastic community, on organizing and supporting the translation of the
Buddhist Canon into English and other languages, and on the establish-
ment of schools, religious training programs, and programs of academic
research and teaching.
Born in 1918 into a peasant family in a small village south of Harbin in
northeast China, the Venerable Master was the youngest of ten children.
His fathers surname was Bai, and his mothers maiden name was Hu. His
mother was a vegetarian, and throughout her life she held to the practice
of reciting the name of the Buddha Amitbha. When the Venerable Mas-
ter formally became a Buddhist in his mid-teens, he was given the Dhar-
ma name Anci (Peace and Compassion), and after becoming a monk, he
was also known as Dulun (Liberator from the Wheel of Rebirth). Upon
granting him the Dharma-seal of the Weiyang lineage, the Elder Chan
Master Xuyun (18401959) bestowed upon him the Dharma-transmission
name Hsan Hua (Xuanhua To Proclaim and Transform).
When the Venerable Master was a child, he followed his mothers
example, eating only vegetarian food and reciting the Buddhas name.
When he was eleven years old, upon seeing a dead baby lying on the
ground, he awakened to the fundamental significance of death and
rebirth and the impermanence of all phenomena. He then resolved to
465
appendix
466
a brief account of the life of the venerable master hsan hua
Chinas most widely revered enlightened master. From him the Master
received the mind-seal transmission as verification of his awakening, and
later a more formal transmission of the Dharma of the Weiyang lineage
of the Chan school.
In 1949 the Master left China for Hong Kong. There he taught medita-
tion, lectured on the Buddhist sutras, and sponsored their printing. He
also commissioned the making of images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,
and he aided monastic refugees from mainland China. He also built West-
ern Bliss Garden Monastery, established the Buddhist Lecture Hall, and
rebuilt and renovated Flourishing Compassion Monastery.
In 1962, he traveled to the United States at the invitation of several of
his Hong Kong disciples who had settled in San Francisco, and he began
lecturing at the San Francisco Buddhist Lecture Hall, which had been
previously established as a branch of the Buddhist Lecture Hall in Hong
Kong. As the community at the Buddhist Lecture Hall in San Francisco
grew both in size and in diversity, the institutions name was changed,
first to the Sino-American Buddhist Association and then to the Dharma-
Realm Buddhist Association. In 1976 the Venerable Master established
the organizations first branch monastery Gold Wheel Temple in Los
Angeles and he established a new headquarters as well, the City of Ten
Thousand Buddhas, in Talmage, California.
In the summer of 1968, the Master began the intensive training of a
group of Americans, most of them university students. In 1969, he aston-
ished the monastic community of Taiwan by sending there, for complete
ordination, two American women and three American men whom he had
ordained as novices. They were the first Americans of that period to be-
come fully ordained Buddhist monks and nuns. During subsequent years,
the Venerable Master trained and oversaw the ordination of hundreds
of people, both Asians and Westerners, from among the multitudes who
came to California from every part of the world to study with him. These
monastic disciples now teach in the twenty-eight temples, monasteries,
and convents that the Venerable Master founded in the United States,
Canada, and several Asian countries.
467
appendix
468
a brief account of the life of the venerable master hsan hua
469
Index
Abhidharmakoa, 406 rescue of, 344
affliction resolve of, 1701
arising of from delusion, 1456 secondstage Arhat, as, 345
dust, like, 434 seduction of, 910
end of, 156 urangama Mantra, request for
generation of, 145 proclamation of, 288
ice, like, 121 vision of, 601
ignorance as cause, 44 vow of, 135 et seq.
obstruction of, 37 anger, see three poisons
sea of, crossing, 263 animals
six subtle kinds of, 345 asuras included in destiny of, 386
subduing of, 174 destiny of, 367 et seq.
turbidity of, 172 et seq. seven destinies, as one, 387
visitors, like, 434 Aniruddha, 59, 183, 2101
aggregates, see five aggregates anxiety, end of, 410 et seq.
airavana tree, 112 appearance, 144, 199, 315
jatakaundinya, 43, 206 aranya, true, 142
almsrounds, 2712 arbuda stage, 147, 318
Buddha, of, 272 Arhats
impartiality in, 89 Buddha as, 156, 157
sequential, 271 false claims regarding, 274, 275
Amitabha Buddha first stage of, 44, 67, 141, 179
Buddha of the West, as, 285 four stages of, 274
practicing mindfulness of through fourth stage of, 141, 3812, 393, 425
recitation, 231, 253 gods of Plane of Formlessness as
Pure Land of, 59, 232 becoming, 383, 385
vows of, 232 Hearers of the Teaching, as, 31
nanda instruction of, 13, 190
Arhat, as, 141, 288, 345 leaders of, 5
awakening of, 47, 120, 165, 166 Mataga woman as, 255, 281
comprehension of mind by, 53 outflows and, 67, 141
confusion of, 66 teaching, presence at, 5
cousin of Buddha, as, 14, 29, 34 third stage, 165
doubts of, 34, 1856, 205, 263 vision of, 60
enlightenment of, 163, 165, 1701, 205 Arid Wisdom, see Bodhisattvas, stages of,
Kapila spell and, 9, 29, 288 arrogance
liberation of, 344 cause of retribution, as, 354, 363
location of mind, propositions kinds of, 406
regarding, 16 et seq. mental state of, 4067
Matanga woman and, 910,77, 165, 255, asamkhyeya, 403, 404
281, 289, 395 ascetic masters, 12, 373 et seq.,
memory of, 78, 165 adherence to specific path by , 374
outflows and, 29, 59, 78, 141, 186 astral traveling, 373
practice, need for, 37 contemplative illumination, ascetic
reciter of teachings, as, 5 masters who practice by, 374-5
request for Dharma by, 13 earthbound, as , 373
471
index
472
index
473
index
474
index
475
index
476
index
477
index
478
index
479
index
Great White Canopy, see urangama Heaven of Speech by Means of Light, 379
Mantra Heaven of the Thirty-Three, 236, 285, 376
Great Strength, Bodhisattva, 229233 Heaven of Universal Purity, 380
Greater Vehicle, see Mahayana heavens of dhyana, see dhyana
GroundLeveler, Bodhisattva , 2224 Heavens of Form, see Eighteen Heavens of
Guanshiyin, see Bodhisattava Who Hears Form
the Cries of the World Heavens of Pure Abodes, 382 et seq.
hells, 346 et seq.
habitpatterns, 3489 causes for rebirth in, ten, 352 et seq.
hatred, cause of retribution, as, 354, 3556, location of, 347348
363 retributions, six, 352 et seq.
headless ghost, 159 seven destinies, as one, 387
hearing Unrelenting, see Unrelenting Hell
bell sound example and, 185 et seq. Hidden Basis, 38
directing inward the attention of, 59, hidden meaning, 6
235, 242, 258, 306 Hsan Hua, Ven., 465 et seq.
earfaculty, see faculties, six kinds of humans
enlightened nature of, 187, 188 destiny as, 370 et seq.
enlightenment through, 234 et seq., 253 perishing in realm of, 441
retributions based on, 35960 seven destinies, as one, 387
Hears the Cries of the World, see Bodhisat- hungry ghosts, 79
tva Who Hears the Cries of theWorld cause of becoming, 365
Heaven Beyond Affliction, 382 karma of, 351
Heaven Beyond Heat, 382 onion family, plants of and, 324
Heaven of AllPermeating Light, 379 rebirth as, 351
Heaven of AllPermeating Purity, 380 urangama Mantra and, 302, 306
Heaven of Brahmas Retinue, 378
Heaven of Cessation of Cognition, 3812, icchantika, 274
385 identity, 70
Heaven of Cherished Blessings, 381 ignorance
Heaven of Clear Envisioning, 383 beings giving rise to, 315
Heaven of Creation of Blessings, 381 dependent coarising, as link in chain
Heaven of Delight in Creating, 377 of, 155
Heaven of Four Celestial Kings, 61, 351, 376 dispensing with, 316
Heaven of Great Brahma, 378 emptiness of, 315
Heaven of Great Fruition, 381 Matrix of ThusCome One, as, 157
Heaven of Highest Form, 383 outflow of, 6
Heaven of Joyous Contentment, 377 illusion
Heaven of Lesser Light, 379 arising and nonarising of, 194
Heaven of Lesser Purity, 380 Bodhisattvas contemplation of, 3423
Heaven of Ministers of Brahma, 378 coming into being of world of, 139 et
Heaven of No Cognition, 384, 450 seq., 313 et seq.
Heaven of Pleasure Derived from What confusion, illusion of, 160
Others Create magicians and, see magicians
demonic state of being troubled by Matrix of ThusCome One, coming into
king of , 4256 being from, 141 et seq.
demonking, protection against, 309 perceived objects and, see perceived
gods of, 3778 objects
Heaven of Refined Vision, 383 puppetmaster analogy, 2556
Heaven of SelfRestraint, 196, 377 immortality, conceptualizations of, 4367
480
index
481
index
482
index
483
index
484
index
485
index
486
index
487
index
silk, monk wearing of, 268 visual awareness and, see visual
silver as one of seven precious things, 196 awareness
sitting, 220 wind and, 1267
six consciousnesses, see consciousnesses speech
six faculties, see faculties, six kinds of enlightenment through, 251
Six Heavens of Desire purification of karma of, 29
gods of, 376 et seq. spirits, possession by, 270
perishing in, 441 spiritual body, 410
six knots analogy, see knots spiritual eyes, 136
six perfections, see perfections, six spiritual power
six primary elements, 131 eighteen extraordinary bodily powers
Sixth Patriarch DharmaJewel Platform as, 422
Sutra, 97, 156 people manifesting, 413
skandhas, see five aggregates six types of, 393
smelling, see nose consciousness srotaapanna, 179
Solitary Sages states of mind, demonic, see demonic
false claims regarding, 274 states of mind
further progress on path, 454 stealing
instruction of, 13, 391 instruction on, 270 et seq.
presence at teaching of, 56, 169 refraining from, 325 et seq., 3878
single lineage, restriction to, 453 stillness
supreme awakening, fathoming of, 158 meditation and, see meditation
teachings of, renouncing, 120 movement and, 456
sound space distinguished as, 145
conditioned attribute, as, 182, 183 stress, derangement caused by, 199
contemplation of to break through to stupas
enlightenment, 206 et seq. building of, 170
Dharma, breakthrough to enlighten- refusal to bow to, 407
ment through sound of, 219 Subhuti
earfaculty and, 104, almsround of, prejudice in, 89
space breakthrough to enlightenment of,
arising of, 248249, 392 2145
consciousness element and, 1323 great disciple, as, 27
containers, analogy of fitting into, 180 leader of Arhats, as, 5
element, as, see seven primary presence of, 163
elements sage, as, 132
essential attribute of, 153 Sublimity of Fragrance, breakthrough to
fourfold nature of, 177 enlightenment of , 2078
location and direction, as denoting, suchness of reality, 25, 121, 185, 346
1767 uddhodana, 450
nature of, 1279, 171 udras, 1278
Plane of Boundless Space, 383 suffering, 156, 275
seeing and, 76 Sunaksatra Bhiksu, 347, 3689
seven primary elements, as one, see Sundarananda, breakthrough to enlighten-
seven primary elements ment of, 2189
six primary elements, as one, 131 unyata, spirit of, 183
stillness distinguished as, 145 Supreme Vehicle, see Mahayana
unconditioned nature of, 127 supreme truth, declaration of, 142
488
index
489
index
490
index
491
index
water
contemplation of, 209
dirt thrown into analogy, 1734
disk of, 146, 351
element, as, see four primary elements
ice, analogy of water becoming, 1201
weariness, 145
Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, 229
Wheel of Dharma, 5, 155, 299
wind
disk of, 146, 351
element, as, see four elements
wisdom
perfection of, 335
spiritual practice, as essential element
for, 264
wisdomeye, opening of, 1367
Wisdom of the Great Perfect Mirror, 185
wishfulfilling pearl, see pearl
world coming into being, 314 et seq.
short description, 53
WorldHonored One, see ThusCome One
wrong views
demonic mind states involving,
430 et seq.
habit of holding as cause for retribu-
tion, 356, 363
Yajadatta
confusion of, 457
parable of, 159 et seq.
yaksas
invisibility of beings to, 241
nature of, 241
urangama Mantra and, 241, 302
vow of protection by, 308
yang energy, 242
yang light, illumination of water by, 121
Yaodhara, 165
yin energy, 242, 394
yojanas, 306
zero, 340
492