注大乘入楞伽經 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

1.1

Annotated Mahāyāna Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, Fascicle One, together with Preface ([Song dynasty])

1.2

Narrated by Baochen, Śramaṇa of the Eastern Capital

When Bodhidharma came from the west, fundamentally he did not establish words and letters; when the Laṅkā was transmitted to the east, it was to seal and convey the mind doctrine of the Buddha. Although this saying was widely prevalent in the monasteries, patch-robed monks still worried over its profundity and obscurity. There was then the Venerable Śikṣānanda, who appeared during the Jiushi era of the Li-Tang dynasty. Collation was made of the chapter titles of the three translations, fully verifying the wondrous principle of this single sūtra. Compared to former times, its phrasing is fluent and expressive, and its meaning luminous; it directly causes later generations to expend no arduous labor and yet surely double their results. At that time it was praised as greatly complete, yet no one had yet been seen to annotate and explain it. [I, Baochen,] have boldly gathered the old texts of several commentaries and transferred them into a new exposition in seven fascicles; mending gaps and cracks, investigating actualities and setting aside doubts—just as an old peasant or a horse groom keeps to his own specialty, how could I dare boast of myself as if displaying rare pearls? May scholars of the Way behold its purport in full!

1.4

Imperial Preface to the Newly Translated Mahāyāna Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra

1.5

Composed by the Heavenly-Appointed Golden-Wheel Sagely and Divine Emperor [Wu Zetian]

1.6

Now, it is heard: the summit of Mount Malaya is at once most elevated and most majestic; the citadel of Laṅkā is truly difficult to approach and difficult to enter. It is the place where past Buddhas propagated the Dharma, and the site where ancient sages practiced. There was a citadel lord named Rāvaṇa, who rode upon his palace to behold the World-Honoured One's countenance, playing musical tones to entreat the wondrous Dharma. Using the garlanded peak to symbolize the arising [of the teaching], he pointed to the ocean of the storehouse to illuminate its tenets. That which is called the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra is indeed the profound hinge of the cittamatra of all Buddhas, the wondrous key to the cavern of principle of all sūtras. It broadly exemplifies the hidden purport and thoroughly illuminates the deep meaning: neither arising nor ceasing, neither existing nor non-existing; severing the two paths of coming and going, leaving behind the dual attachments to annihilationism and eternalism; through paramārtha-satya, one attains the supreme wondrous treasure. Comprehending that all phenomena are empty, knowing that the objective realms before us are like illusions, it dissolves the conceptual distinctions of provisional designations and equates saṃsāra with nirvāṇa. When Mahāmati's questions were first set forth, the purports of the Dharmarāja were thereby expressed: the one hundred and eight topics accord with dharmatā and transcend the mundane; the thirty-nine approaches shatter heterodox views and proclaim the correct Dharma. One understands that name and characteristic (nāmalakṣaṇa) are both provisional, dispelling the deluded mind of parikalpa; relying upon samyag-jñāna to merge with tathatā, awakening to pratītyasamutpāda to return to the wondrous principle. When the wind of external objects has ceased, the waves of consciousness then become serene; the trisvabhāva are all empty, the dvi-nairātmya are both extinguished; one enters the tathāgatagarbha and roams through the gate of liberation.

1.7

Tracing this sūtra text back, it came from the western lands. When the Yuanjia reign title was established, the translation by [Guṇa]bhadra was not widely propagated (the four-fascicle text first translated under the Liu Song); when the Yanchang reign was recorded, the meanings in [Bodhi]ruci's [text] contained many discrepancies (the ten-fascicle text translated next under the Later Wei). We reverently reflect upon the entrusted transmission, with an earnest feeling to inherit and magnify it. In the first year of the Jiushi era, the cyclical year gengzi, when the sixth month attuned the pitch-pipes and the Fire Emperor governed the season, at that time avoiding the heat at Mount Ji and observing the local customs by the Ying River, within the Sanyang Palace, this sūtra was produced anew: examining the essential expositions of the three editions, it was completed as a definitive teaching in seven fascicles. The Tripiṭaka Śramaṇa, the Venerable Monk Śikṣānanda of Khotan, the Monk Fuli of Da Fuxian Monastery, and others—their fame rivaled [Dao]an and [Hui]yuan, their virtue matched [Kāśyapa] Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna; inheriting the fragrant precedents of Nāgārjuna, probing the secret treasury of Aśvaghoṣa; the fragrance of their precepts and the flowers of their awakening were equally fragrant, the jewel of their mind and the moon of their nature were together complete. Hence they were able to penetrate the subtle and profound, unfolding the esoteric and abstruse; on the fifteenth day of the first month in the fourth year of Chang'an, the transcription was completed. Reflecting on Our own shallowness, Our words fall short of jade and scepter; looking upon the four unobstructed knowledges We feel much shame, and gazing toward the ekayāna We find it unfathomable. Yet unable to refuse the requests of monastics and laity, We have reluctantly applied brush and ink; the phrasing is clumsy and the principle flawed, which only increases Our embarrassment. Humbly considering this sūtra to be wondrous and profound, most exceedingly rare, it shatters the darkness of deep confusion, its verses of passing the lamp are inexhaustible; it unfolds the function of the flowing stream, its meanings of a surging spring are boundless. The title and the sequence of chapters are set forth below.

1.8

Mahāyāna Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra

1.9

Elucidation of the title. The place where the sūtra was spoken is called Laṅkā, which here is translated as 'difficult to go to.' That is to say, it is composed of numerous jewels, radiant as the sun and moon, and is inhabited by yakṣas who wander through space. This citadel is upon the summit of Mount Malaya; the mountain is precipitous, looking down upon the great ocean, with no gates on its sides; only those who have attained spiritual penetrations are capable of ascending and going there. This symbolizes the mind-ground Dharma-gate: only those who have no mind and no attainment are able to enter it. Looking down upon the great ocean symbolizes that the ocean of the mind is originally pure, yet turned by the wind of external objects, the waves of consciousness billow and churn. Wishing to make clear that when one penetrates the emptiness of realm and mind, the ocean itself is tranquil; when both mind and realm are tranquil, there is nothing not illuminated, just as when the great ocean is windless, the sun, moon, and array of stars are vividly clear. This sūtra is addressed directly to those of superior faculties, suddenly expounding that the karmavijñāna of seeds is the tathāgatagarbha. This is in order to differ from those of the two vehicles who extinguish consciousness to tend toward quiescence, and also to differ from the bodhisattvas of the provisional teachings who practice emptiness and have an excess of emptiness. It directly illuminates that the substance of consciousness in its fundamental nature is entirely real, and directly makes clear that the substance of consciousness itself becomes the function of wisdom. Just as when that great ocean is windless, the images of objects are clear, the Dharma-gate of the ocean of the mind is likewise also like this. As for the word 'sūtra', the Sanskrit sound is sūtra, which here is translated as 'accordant scripture' (qijing). 'Accordant' means according with the Dharma and according with the capacity [of beings]. If it accords only with the Dharma, then the Dharma will not respond to capacity; if it accords only with capacity, then capacity will not reach the Dharma. 'Sūtra' means constant; it takes stringing together and embracing as its meaning, showing that what is spoken by past sages and later sages is universally so, hence it is called constant; it holds fast the true principle without forgetting, hence it is called stringing together; it gathers all living beings and instructs them, hence it is called embracing. It is also said: 'Just as in weaving there is the warp (jing), making the woof (wei) into cloth depends on the person.'

1.10

Translated by Tripiṭaka Śikṣānanda of Khotan under the Great Tang

1.11

Note: According to the commentary on this sūtra by Śramaṇa Zhiyan, a translator at Jing'ai Monastery of the Tang, upon the Liu Song translation of this sūtra, the opening preface states: 'The Sanskrit texts, in extensive and concise versions, generally comprise three editions: the extensive edition has one hundred thousand verses; the middle edition, thirty-six thousand verses; and the concise edition, four thousand verses. In this land, there have been four translations in all, earlier and later, all of which are the four-thousand-verse concise text. One edition has long been lost.' As for the three editions currently extant in the Great Canon: first, in the twelfth year of Yuanjia of the Liu Song, the Indian Tripiṭaka Guṇabhadra translated it into four fascicles at Caotang Monastery in Jinling, with only one chapter and an incomplete text brought over, entitled Laṅkāvatāra-ratna-sūtra (in the 'Shen' character case). Second, in the second year of Yanchang of the Later Wei, the Tripiṭaka Bodhiruci translated it at the residence of the Prince of Runan in Luoyang and at Jinhua Monastery in the capital of Ye, supplementing the missing text; spanning three chapters of the sūtra, it was translated into ten fascicles, divided into eighteen chapters, and entitled Entry into Laṅkā Sūtra (in the 'Fa' character case). Third, at the beginning of the Jiushi era of the Tang, Tripiṭaka Śikṣānanda of Khotan, Śramaṇa Fuli, and others, having completed the translation of the New Avataṃsaka Sūtra (the eighty-fascicle one), and seeing that the previous two translations of this sūtra were unpolished in their verbosity and brevity, wished to polish them again to expand their circulation, and continuously received an imperial edict to translate it once more. Thereupon, at Tianzhong Hermitage on Mount Song, they gathered the texts of the three editions (the two above along with one Sanskrit manuscript) and compiled them into seven fascicles with a total of ten chapters, entitled Mahāyāna Entry into Laṅkā Sūtra (in the 'Si' character case). Therefore, the Imperial Preface states: 'When the Yuanjia reign title was established, the translation by [Guṇa]bhadra was not widely propagated; when the Yanchang reign was recorded, the meanings in [Bodhi]ruci's [text] contained many discrepancies.' Now this commentary specifically explains the Tang edition, yet it takes the remaining eight chapter titles translated by Bodhiruci and inserts them sequentially into the commentary, so that within the sūtra there also become eighteen chapters, so that people may know that the text has a beginning and an end, and the principle has no discrepancy, making it easy for readers to understand.

1.12

Some may say that students believe what Bodhidharma pointed to was solely the four-fascicle text, which, compared to the bulk of the seven fascicles, is easier to manage. Little do they know that when the sūtra was first translated, the language was concise and archaic, lacking portions at the beginning and the end. Even great scholars and eminent masters were troubled by the difficulty of reading and punctuating it. The prefaces, citations, titles, and colophons have clear documentation of this (during the Yuanfeng era, Su Dongpo transcribed this four-fascicle edition of the sūtra for Duke Zhang Wending and wrote a colophon himself, saying: 'The purport of the Laṅkā is profound and obscure, its language concise and archaic, so that readers at times cannot even parse its sentences.' Jiang Yingshu, in his preface, also said: 'Zhiqi has often suffered from the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra being difficult to read; one may imagine how it is for others.'). This sūtra compares and harmonizes the three editions, obtaining its pure completeness, with sentences and meanings clearly evident. If you try to open and read it, you will know that the essentials are more than half understood!

1.13

Chapter 1: King Rāvaṇa's Entreaty

1.14

From here below, the sūtra text and its meanings are formally explained, divided into three parts: the preface, the main body, and the dissemination. This chapter is the preface portion. From the 'Questions and Answers Chapter' to the extensive recapitulatory verses, spanning seventeen chapters, it is called the main body portion. The final verse is called the dissemination portion. In the initial four-fascicle edition, this entire single chapter was lacking, having only six lines of text at the beginning to serve as a brief preface. As for 'Rāvaṇa', no official translation has been seen; he is the yakṣa king. He entreats the Tathāgata to enter the jewel mountain to expound the Dharma of his own inner realization, and further requests the Bodhisattva Mahāmati to be the leader of those posing inquiries; hence it is called 'entreaty'. As for 'chapter' (pin), meanings of the same category are gathered together in one section, hence it is called a chapter. This sūtra has four thousand verses in total and contains eighteen chapters. This chapter is established as the beginning, hence it is called the first.

1.15

Thus have I heard:

1.16

This brings forward the substance of the Dharma that was heard; it means that the doctrine of such an entire sūtra was personally heard by me from the Buddha in the past. Therefore the Buddhabhūmi-śāstra states: 'Those who transmit the Buddha's teaching say, "Matters such as this I personally heard in the past."' This is a collective explanation of faith and hearing.

1.17

If explained separately: 'Thus' (evaṃ) is the fulfillment of faith. The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra states: 'In the great ocean of the Buddha Dharma, faith is that by which one enters, and wisdom is that by which one crosses over.' Whether a sūtra is extensive or brief, without faith one cannot step into it, hence it is said 'Thus'. Some say: 'When the Holy One expounds the Dharma, it is solely to reveal suchness; only suchness is "thus" (right).' It is also said: '"Thus" is words that accord with principle; "right" is an appellation of non-error.' Now it is said: '"Thus" is true emptiness, and "right" is wondrous existence.' Since there is no reality outside of existence, it is empty without being annihilating; since there is no conventional truth outside of reality, it exists without being eternal. This directly refutes provisional and heterodox schools to illuminate the Middle Way; hence it says 'Thus'.

1.18

'I heard' is the fulfillment of hearing. Wishing to transmit it to those who have not heard it, if there were words without transmission, they would be established in vain. It does not lie in being able to expound, but in being able to transmit; hence next 'I heard' is explained. 'I' is Mañjuśrī and Ānanda. As a provisional entity of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), how can it be called 'I'? There are four kinds of 'I': first, the parikalpita of ordinary beings; second, the asserted tenets of heterodox paths; third, the provisional distinction between host and guest made by the holy ones in accordance with worldly conventions; fourth, the true self of the dharmakāya. Here it refers to the latter two, not the former two kinds of self posited by ordinary beings and heterodox traditions. Since the self is already non-self, hearing is also non-hearing; because it is empty from conditions, it does not destroy provisional designations—it is simply hearing without hearing. If based on the purport of this sūtra, it is the Dharma-transmitting bodhisattva who, by means of the true self in which self and non-self are non-dual, hears the Dharma-gate of the non-obstruction of the ultimate and conventional.

1.19

At one time, the Buddha

1.20

"At one time" is the fulfillment of time. Time is also an interval conventionally designated in accord with the world. "One" excludes other times: when the Tathāgata preached sūtras, the times were immeasurable and cannot be fully enumerated. A single word compendiously covers them, hence it is said "at one time," which is the time of the Dharmarāja's inaugurating the auspicious assembly. "The Buddha" is the fulfillment of the host. In Sanskrit, Buddha; here rendered "Awakened One," referring to one whose awakening of self and others is complete. The Awakening of Faith says: "What is called awakening means that the mind-essence is free from thought. The characteristic of being free from thought is equal to the realm of empty space, with nowhere it does not pervade. The single characteristic of the dharma-realm is the Tathāgata's impartial dharmakāya." Thus, by non-thought it is called awakening, yet it has three meanings: first, self-awakening, awakening to the fact that one's own mind is originally devoid of arising and ceasing; second, awakening others, awakening [to the fact that] all phenomena are nothing other than thusness; third, complete awakening, when the principles of self and other are perfect, it is called complete; hence one knows that where there is thought, it is not called awakening. The Awakening of Faith says: "All sentient beings are not called awakened, because from beginningless time thoughts have continued in succession, never having been free from thought." It also says: "If there are sentient beings who can awaken to non-thought, they are headed toward the Buddha's wisdom."

1.21

dwelt on the summit of Mount Malaya by the shore of the great ocean, within the city of Laṅkā,

1.22

This is the fulfillment of place. The true body has nowhere it is, yet nowhere it is not; hence this is distinguished next. "On the summit of Mount Malaya by the shore of the great ocean" indicates in general the place of preaching. This mountain is in the midst of the great ocean, five hundred yojanas high; unless by the power of supernormal travel, none can reach it. "Laṅkā" particularly designates the site of preaching; here rendered "difficult to go to." Its meaning was seen in the preceding title. As for "within," the Buddha delights in the Middle Way: ascending to the central heaven, descending to the central kingdom, and entering extinction at midnight all express the Middle Way. Now abiding within the city to teach the Dharma of self-realization is the meaning of the Middle Way.

1.23

together with a great assembly of monks and a great assembly of bodhisattvas.

1.24

This is the fulfillment of the assembly. Contemplation entering emptiness from the conventional exclusively shatters birth and death, so the śrāvakas are listed first. Contemplation entering the conventional from emptiness exclusively shatters nirvāṇa, so the bodhisattvas are listed second. Once the two extremes are relinquished, the Middle Way appears before one. "Great monks" are so called because they possess five meanings: first, frightening māras; second, mendicants; third, breaking evil; fourth, pure livelihood; fifth, monks in name. "Great bodhisattvas": the full form is bodhisattva. Bodhi is here rendered "awakening," which is the fruit of Buddhahood sought. Sattva is here rendered "sentient being," which is the sentient beings transformed. It is also said to mean a sentient being who seeks bodhi. "Together" means at one time and in one place. These are called the six fulfillments being perfectly accomplished, and the three doubts immediately ceasing.

1.25

All those bodhisattva-mahāsattvas had thoroughly mastered [… down to:] had him as their leader.

1.26

This praises the virtues of the bodhisattvas. Mahā means great. The five dharmas, three svabhāvas, eight consciousnesses, and two kinds of selflessness are the four wondrous gates, subsuming all worldly and transworldly phenomena. The main discourse below explains this meaning in full. "Had thoroughly mastered" means that all the bodhisattvas had completely and unobstructed mastered this Dharma.

1.27

"Well understanding the principle that objects are manifestations of one's own mind" means that the objective realms of the three realms—receptive and operative [fruits], delusion and awakening, birth and death—are merely manifestations of one's own mind. The bodhisattvas are well able to know this in accordance with reality, not obtaining it from outside.

1.28

"Sporting with immeasurable, sovereign samādhis, supernormal powers, and strengths" means sporting with the immeasurable sovereignty, liberations, samādhis, correct absorptions, six supernormal knowledges, and ten powers manifested by their own minds. Why is it called "sporting"? It means that having already attained immeasurable sovereignty, being both spiritual and pervasive, forgetting oneself and according with things, with no obstruction between self and other, then everywhere there is joy; hence it is called "sporting."

1.29

"Manifesting various forms according to the minds of sentient beings, skillfully subduing them through expedients" means that according with the minds of sentient beings is within the realms manifested by one's own mind; since sentient beings are different, their minds and forms are also distinct, so manifesting in accord with their categories, they skillfully subdue them through expedients.

1.30

"Having their crowns consecrated by the hands of all Buddhas" means they have all exhausted the practices of the ten grounds and received the empowerment of consecration, indicating the nobility of their stage. "All having come to this assembly from various Buddha-lands, with Bodhisattva Mahāmati as their leader" means that there were those of great spiritual virtue coming from other directions, and the leading bodhisattva possessed great wisdom, hence named Mahāmati. The general explanation of the preface of authenticating faith above is concluded.

1.31

At that time, the World-Honoured One preached the Dharma in the palace of the Ocean Dragon King [… down to:] "expound this Dharma."

1.32

From here to the end of the chapter specifically explains the preface of origin. "World-Honoured One" means possessing the nine titles above, such as Tathāgata, and being honored by the world. Brahmā refers to the Brahmā Kings of the form realm. Śakra is Lord Śakra, ruler of the desire realm. World-protectors refers to the Four Heavenly Kings. "The devas, nāgas, and so forth" are the eight classes of devas and nāgas. "Tathāgata" is the meaning of the thusness of all phenomena. "Arhat, Samyaksambuddha": "correctly awakened" means one's own mind's wisdom that accords with principle, wonderfully contemplating the absolute truth; "equally awakened" means one's own mind's wisdom that accords with quantity, universally contemplating the conventional truth. This means that all Buddhas and patriarchs, solely with their own single mind-moment, illuminate the absolute and penetrate the conventional, achieving unexcelled awakening; hence it says "the Tathāgatas, Arhats, and Samyaksambuddhas of the past." The remaining meanings can be understood from the text.

1.33

At that time, the yakṣa king Rāvaṇa [… down to:] obtain great benefit throughout the long night.

1.34

This says that the yakṣa king, receiving the Buddha's spiritual power, saw that the ocean waves could not reflect images; he observed that assembly, and the nature-ocean of true thusness of the tathāgatagarbha consciousness was also like this. Being stirred by the wind of the realm of fundamental ignorance, waves of transformed consciousness arise, unable to manifest boundless virtues and functions. Thereupon he gave rise to a joyful mind, resolved to go and invite the Buddha to enter this city to elucidate this matter, so that for all sentient beings the wind of ignorance would cease, waves of consciousness would not arise, the ocean of the mind would become clear and still, and no virtue would fail to manifest.

1.35

Having spoken these words, together with his retinue [… down to:] and therein spoke verses in praise of the Buddha, saying: "The dharma-treasury of the mind's own nature, / Free from self and devoid of the stains of views. [… down to:] / With single mind we wish to hear the Dharma."

1.36

Great blue indranīla gems contain the images of all things, changing and responding upon contact. The musical instruments held by these yakṣas were all of this gem, and furthermore interspersed with lapis lazuli and other gems, wrapped with priceless superior garments. The sounds were exquisite, the rhythm harmonious. Therein he spoke three verses in praise of the Buddha: in the first verse, the first three lines properly praise the true mind's own nature realized [by the Buddha], which is the treasury of all dharmas. Because from the beginning it has been fully endowed with immeasurable natural virtues, free from the two graspings at self and detached from the stains of the five views, only Buddha with Buddha can realize and know it. The second verse praises and invites the Buddha to enter the city; the first three lines praise the three bodies in turn, and the fourth line directly extends the invitation. The third verse recounts that past Buddhas and bodhisattvas all dwelt in this city, and the World-Honoured One should also do so; we wish to hear the Dharma.

1.37

At that time, Rāvaṇa, King of Laṅkā, [… down to:] again spoke verses in song, saying: "The World-Honoured One, for seven days, / Dwelt in the Makara Ocean [… down to:] / We only pray that in your compassion you accept [it]."

1.38

At that time King Rāvaṇa, having previously praised and invited the Buddha with instrumental music, here again spoke verses in song to invite the Buddha, expressing that the sentient and insentient are alike. Calling his own name before the Buddha, saying "I am the rākṣasa king, ten-headed Rāvaṇa," indicates that the rākṣasa king represents the master of sentient beings' fundamental ignorance. The ten heads represent the sharp and dull ten entanglements; arising from ignorance, they are the heads of all dust-like afflictions. "May the Buddha embrace me and all sentient beings; my palaces, court ladies, down to personal service, we only pray that in your compassion you accept them," and so forth, are clear from the sūtra itself. The general meaning expresses that one can realize that the real nature of ignorance is itself the Buddha-nature. All internal and external dust-like toils and afflictions naturally accord with correct, universal awakening; hence it says "personal service and acceptance." As for "with the toṭaka tune and the viśālana," no authoritative translation has been found. Mahāyāna is here rendered "Great Vehicle."

1.39

At that time, the World-Honoured One, having heard these words, [… down to:] having spoken these words, remained silent.

1.40

The Buddha spoke to the yakṣa king, granting his invitation, and therefore remained silent.

1.41

Then King Rāvaṇa, with the palace of exquisite flowers in which he rode, [… down to:] the extremely profound Dharma.

1.42

This says that the Buddha and all the bodhisattvas, having accepted the offerings, each briefly preached the profound essentials of the Dharma for them.

1.43

Then King Rāvaṇa and his retinue [… down to:] and exhorted him, saying: "I now request the Great Being / To ask the World-Honoured One [… down to:] / All faults and errors."

1.44

That king again made offerings to Bodhisattva Mahāmati, asking him to inquire of the Tathāgata, on behalf of themselves and all the bodhisattvas, concerning the Dharma of self-realized wisdom, so as to leave behind all faults and enter the stage of the Buddha's wisdom.

1.45

At that time, the World-Honoured One, through his supernormal power, [… down to:] all vanished and ceased to appear in the sky.

1.46

This says that the Tathāgata, through his supernormal power, again manifested on that mountain manifold, inexhaustible realms of receptive and operative [fruits] as described above, until they vanished and ceased to appear in the sky. It is just as in the Avataṃsaka assembly, when Maitreya snapped his fingers and the doors of the tower opened; after Sudhana entered, he saw within that adorned great tower inexhaustible hundreds of thousands of towers, vast and magnificent like this. Within those inexhaustible hundreds of thousands of towers, each had inexhaustible hundreds of thousands of towers. Before each tower there was a Bodhisattva Maitreya, and before each Bodhisattva Maitreya there was a youth Sudhana, each youth Sudhana joining his palms before Maitreya. Down to his arising from samādhi, when suddenly they were gone. Both of these symbolize the vast, sovereign, unobstructed dharma-realm transcending sentiment and detached from views. That is, Buddhas and sentient beings interpenetrate, pure lands and defiled lands merge, all phenomena mutually adorn each other, and every dust mote fully contains the dharma-realm, mutually entering and mutually identifying, inexhaustible and manifold, causing them to awaken, cultivate, become perfectly illumined, and realize entry.

1.47

King Rāvaṇa saw only his own body [… down to:] "Is it like smoke and flame, or a whirling firebrand?"

1.48

When all phenomena vanished, the King of Laṅkā saw only his own body abiding in his original palace; this clarifies not departing from this very place. Making this reflection, he gave rise to the contemplation of investigative reasoning. Closely contemplating all phenomena: who preaches and who hears? What thing is it? Seeking the characteristics of all phenomena, none can be found at all.

1.49

He further reflected on all phenomena [… down to:] "Not giving rise to conceptual discrimination: this is being able to see."

1.50

Reflecting further with correct mindfulness and observation, he attained contemplation in accordance with reality. Understanding that the nature of all phenomena is without subject or object, without seeing or hearing, this is called true seeing.

1.51

Then the King of Laṅkā immediately attained awakening [… down to:] entered the tathāgatagarbha, and advanced toward the Buddha stage.

1.52

This shows that the yakṣa king, through contemplation in accordance with reality, immediately awakened, realized that there is only one's own mind, and abided in non-discriminative wisdom. What is called "attaining sight in accordance with reality, not following another's awakening" means that although delusion and awakening have many branches, there is no other dharma: when deluded, one is deluded about objects as things; when awakened, one realizes that objects are the mind. Awakening is simply awakening to delusion; there is no separate awakening coming from outside, hence it is said "not following another's awakening." "Able with his own wisdom to skillfully contemplate, forever leaving behind conjectures and false interpretations" means that the principle is suddenly awakened to, and relying on awakening all [delusions] are eliminated together; if one forms superior notions, one falls into various heresies; only by contemplating with skillful wisdom will there be no mind of superior notions. "Well understanding expedients, skillfully knowing the characteristics of advancement upon the stages" means that having awakened in accordance with reality and further mastered skillful expedients, then from beginning to end of the stages there are never any devious characteristics. Therefore he delights in leaving behind the false views of the mind-consciousness and directly advancing toward the Buddha stage. The meaning of the three continuities will be explained in detail below.

1.53

He heard from within the sky and within the palace [… down to:] "One should thus view all phenomena."

1.54

This means that after the yakṣa king attained awakening, empty space and the palace praised and approved him, saying, "You should learn thus; you should see thus." "Thus" is an expression indicating accord with suchness, because it acknowledges that this learning and this view are entirely in accord with reality. The buddhas and tathāgatas, in seeing all phenomena, also see them precisely thus. Previously, [the Buddha] used transformed realms to teach the Dharma, and here the palace also praises and approves; why is this? Is it not that when one brings forth the true and returns to the source, empty space and the palaces naturally dissolve away? How could form and emptiness, dependent [environment] and primary [body], belong to different Dharma realms?

1.55

"If one holds deviant views, these are views of nihilism… [up to] …nor should you abide in the six dhyānas and the like."

1.56

This explains various admonitions to abandon deviant views. "If one holds deviant views, these are views of nihilism" means that if one deviates from this view that accords with reality, it becomes the view of nihilistic annihilation. "You should forever abandon mind, intellect, and mental consciousness, and diligently contemplate all phenomena": this means that the internally realized Dharma is not the cognitive sphere of mind, intellect, and mental consciousness; therefore one should abandon them. "Diligently contemplate" means that one should contemplate the nature of all phenomena according to principle. "You should cultivate internal practices" means that one should practice secretly and function subtly. "Do not cling to external views" refers to the realms of words and meanings belonging to the two vehicles and heterodox paths, as explained below. "The views of the Vedas": these are the non-Buddhist Brahmins who revere and uphold the four Vedas spoken by Brahmā, consisting of roughly one hundred thousand verses, all transmitted orally and not written on leaves or bark. "Nor should you abide in the six dhyānas and the like": these are the deviant tenets of heterodox paths, namely samādhis of the six practices of disgust and delight that suppress defilements. For instance, one type of non-Buddhist considers the single Non-Conception Heaven of the fourth dhyāna to be nirvāṇa, and in the desire realm cultivates the non-conception concentration; detesting the lower three dhyānas and the desire realm as painful, coarse, and obstructive, and delighting in the higher Non-Conception Heaven as pure, wonderful, and detached, they cause defilements of the lower three dhyānas and the desire realm to be suppressed and not arise. When life ends, they are reborn in the non-conception ripening, and after five hundred eons, they immediately fall again and wander in saṃsāra. One should not abide in any such heterodox concentrations of the six practices for suppressing defilements.

1.57

"If you can be thus, this is truly… [up to] …confusedly discriminating within the emptiness of nature."

1.58

This means that only if one does not cling to the various views of the two vehicles and heterodox paths can one practice according to reality, crush the evil views of other doctrines, abandon attachment to self, and so on. "Being able to transform the underlying consciousness with subtle wisdom" refers to transforming the eight consciousnesses into the four wisdoms. "Entering the stage of the Tathāgata's internal realization" means attaining and realizing the same as all buddhas. "Skillfully cultivating samādhi and samāpatti": samādhi is translated here as "correct concentration" (zhengding) or "correct reception" (zhenghou). It is called correct concentration because it is unscattered and can receive all phenomena, cleanly sustaining and discerning them. Furthermore, because there is no external object that can disturb it, it is called correct concentration; because there is no entity to be received, it is called correct reception. Samāpatti is translated here as "equipoise" (dengzhi). Because correct concentration can generate correct wisdom, sustaining all phenomena in equilibrium up to the supreme stage, this dharma should be cultivated skillfully. "Non-Buddhists cling to the view of self, the mark of self, and grasp at real guṇas": guṇa is translated here as "functional quality"; it means that non-Buddhists cling to the mark of self and believe that the four great elements, aggregates, realms, and bases possess real functional qualities, grasping at forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and phenomena. Moreover, the two vehicles see the twelve links of dependent origination and, failing to realize the emptiness of their nature, confusedly discriminate within them. Therefore, [the Buddha] encourages him not to generate the attachments of non-Buddhists or the false discriminations of the two vehicles with regard to this.

1.59

"O King of Laṅkā! This dharma is supreme… [up to] …contemplating thus is truly seeing the Buddha."

1.60

What is meant by "this dharma"? It is the dharma of one's own mind abiding without discrimination. Because it is supreme and not an obscure or inferior dharma, it can bring about the noble wisdom of internal realization. "Taking superior, wondrous births among all realms of existence" means that if one can realize this supreme dharma, one will certainly take the highest class of rebirth within all realms of existence and not descend to inferior states. "Destroying the cataract of ignorance and extinguishing the waves of consciousness": ignorance can blind the eye of wisdom, and the waves of karmic consciousness can agitate the source of the mind; this Mahāyāna practice can shatter and extinguish them. "The two meanings of consciousness and nature": because non-Buddhists cling to the view of self, in their divergent treatises they are unable to explain the dharma and non-dharma meanings of the nature of consciousness that is detached from views. "As you previously saw the Buddha and contemplated thus": this tells the yakṣa king that his previous sight of the Buddha and his ability to contemplate this meaning according to reality was truly the view of seeing the Buddha.

1.61

At that time, King Rāvaṇa again thought:… [up to] …"All such things were completely without distinction."

1.62

This means that the yakṣa king thought again, wishing to see the Tathāgata once more. The Buddha immediately knew that he was about to awaken to the profound Dharma, and manifested his body again, making the transformed events no different from before, pervading everything in endless layers. At that time, the Ten-Headed King saw his own body pervading the presence of all buddhas, surrounded by Mahāmati and yakṣas, speaking the dharma realized by the noble wisdom of self-realization, and he also saw all buddha lands. All such matters were no different from before.

1.63

At that time, the World-Honoured One gazed broadly upon the assembly… [up to] …and laughed aloud with joy on the summit of Mount Laṅkā.

1.64

This explains that the Tathāgata gazed broadly upon the assembly, wishing to preach the Dharma for them. The statement that he used the eye of wisdom and not the physical eye is because the physical eye is obstructed and not penetrative, hence unable to gaze broadly; therefore he observed with the eye of wisdom. "From between his eyebrows, his thighs, flanks, waist, neck, shoulders, arms, and from the svastika emblem, from every single pore, he emitted rays of light": whenever the Tathāgata emits light, it always expresses a principle and is never arbitrary. In this assembly, light was emitted from the seven places including the space between the eyebrows; does this not symbolize the perfectly luminous Middle Way, free from the imagined and dependent natures, perfecting all virtues? At that time, the Indras, Brahmās, and devas in the sky saw from afar the Tathāgata seated upon the summit of Mount Laṅkā, which resembled Mount Meru, laughing aloud with joy. His laughter was not without reason.

1.65

At that time, the bodhisattvas and the host of devas… [up to] …looked at Rāvaṇa who was mindful of the true Dharma.

1.66

At that time, the bodhisattvas and the devas all thought: For what cause and condition does the Tathāgata laugh with joy, emit light from his body, enter the bliss of samādhi, and turn his gaze around to look at the yakṣa king? They suspected that there must surely be a reason.

1.67

At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāmati… [up to] …"and which no non-Buddhists can fathom."

1.68

This means that Mahāmati, knowing the thoughts of the assembly of bodhisattvas and observing that all future sentient beings would be deluded and grasp, questioned the Buddha in order to cut off their doubts. The Buddha praised him, saying, "Excellent!" for being able to raise this question for the benefit of self and others. He said that the yakṣa king had questioned the past buddhas about these two kinds of meanings, wished to ask now as well, and would do so in the future; they could not be fathomed by the two vehicles or non-Buddhists. Since he had already asked in the past, wished to ask again now, and would do so in the future, did he truly not know these two meanings?

1.69

At that time, the Tathāgata, knowing that the King of Laṅkā… [up to] …"which Brahmā, Indra, and the devas have never seen."

1.70

This explains that at that time the Tathāgata, knowing that the King of Laṅkā wished to ask questions, told him to ask quickly, wishing to explain and fulfill his vow. "Skillfully knowing the stages" means knowing the first stage up to the Immovable, Good Wisdom, Cloud of Dharma, and the Buddha stage. "Cultivating antidotes and realizing the true meaning" means making exerted efforts in the various stages, remedying the obstacles to be removed, and not straying into deviant paths. "In the palace of the great jewel lotus, his crown is consecrated with the water of samādhi" means that his practice is identical to the Buddha's, making him a son of the Dharmarāja who enters the stage of consecration. The Buddha further instructed him to give rise to a single uniform practice and immeasurable distinctive practices, whereby he would certainly attain the realm described above. "Only you, King of Laṅkā, through personal realization, can attain this; it is not something that the two vehicles, non-Buddhists, Brahmā, or Indra can see."

1.71

At that time, the King of Laṅkā, having received the Buddha's permission… [up to] …"You should ask; I will explain it for you."

1.72

This means that the King of Laṅkā, having received permission, immediately conjured adorned offerings—namely various flowers, incenses, banners, standards, canopies, and necklaces, which are all articles of adornment. Xian refers to a type of curtain. Furthermore, he conjured all the musical instruments existing in the desire realm and exceeding those of the worlds of gods and dragons throughout all buddha lands to make offerings, symbolizing his reverence for the Dharma. Moreover, in the sky he rained down various offerings, which descended from the void, symbolizing his humble and reverent request for the Dharma. "The tathāgatas of the past have already explained it for me" clarifies that the tathāgatas of the three times share the same Dharma. "World-Honoured One! The two meanings spoken by transformation tathāgatas are not what the fundamental Buddha speaks": this means that the reward and transformation bodies are not the true Buddha, nor are they the speakers of the Dharma; therefore he wished the World-Honoured One, the fundamental Buddha, to explain them. The World-Honoured One told him that he would explain the two meanings for him.

1.73

Then the yakṣa king put on yet more… [up to] …"The nature of phenomena being thus, how can it be abandoned?"

1.74

This is the direct inquiry to the Tathāgata regarding the two meanings of dharma and non-dharma: how can they be abandoned? Previously he made offerings with adorned articles, and here he again adorns his body with adorned articles; why is this? This expresses the dignified bearing appropriate for advancing to ask questions, not daring to treat it lightly. The remaining meaning is clear from the sūtra text itself.

1.75

At that time, the Buddha told the King of Laṅkā:… [up to] …"External phenomena with their immeasurable distinctions are like this."

1.76

This directly answers the previous question. The Tathāgata first adduced three analogies—the impermanence of jars and the like, the nature of fire and flame, and seeds producing sprouts—in order to clarify the distinctive marks of dharma and non-dharma, making them easy to understand.

1.77

"Internal phenomena are also like this: with ignorance as condition… [up to] …you should know that they are entirely due to the discrimination of marks."

1.78

This adduces three internal phenomena to match the previous analogies: using "with ignorance as condition" to match the previous analogy of the jar; using "the consciousnesses" to match the analogy of the nature of fire; and using "cultivating contemplative practice" to match the analogy of the seed. Now, the jar has the meaning of being manufactured; conditioned by ignorance, the diverse varieties of sense faculties, physical bodies, and the container world can be produced. Fire has the meaning of perfuming and transforming; through the consciousnesses, all the distinctions of defiled and pure phenomena can be perfumed and transformed. The seed has the meaning of sprouting; through cultivating contemplative practice, one's own wisdom sprouts, and one likewise sees differentiated marks. Thus, the phenomena and analogies each have their significance. These three phenomena collectively explain the two meanings, as they are entirely due to the discrimination of marks.

1.79

"O King of Laṅkā! What is dharma… [up to] …What you asked previously, I have already finished explaining."

1.80

The above directly answers the two meanings of dharma and non-dharma, as the sūtra itself makes clear. Asanga's commentary on the Diamond Sūtra states: "'Even dharmas should be abandoned' because the dharmatā is born; 'how much more so non-dharmas?' because according to principle they should not [be held]." Both also shatter emotional views of existence and non-existence, enabling internal realization. It is like a great fragrant elephant snapping its tethers and chains, departing in freedom. "Vipaśyanā" is translated here as "contemplation" (guan); whenever contemplation is mentioned, it must be cultivated together with calming. Calming in Sanskrit is śamatha; the biased and complete teachings explain its meaning differently, but the general sense is that a single thought in accord with principle, gathering scattering and returning to quiescence, is called calming; remaining quiescent yet constantly illuminating is called contemplation. The Awakening of Faith combines these two practices into a single gate, mutually assisting each other without abandoning one another. If calming and contemplation are not combined, one cannot enter the path of bodhi. The Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra says: "Sentient beings are bound by marks and bound by coarse heaviness; only by diligently cultivating calming and contemplation can they attain liberation." Therefore, the Tiantai school takes calming and contemplation along with compassion to guide the bodily, vocal, and mental karmas as well as vows, considering this the practice of ease and bliss. These all take calming and contemplation as what can cultivate, and the ten thousand goods as what is cultivated. Sūtras such as the Saṃdhinirmocana, Śūraṅgama, and Mahāparinirvāṇa, and treatises such as the Yogācārabhūmi, Awakening of Faith, and Zhiguan, explain this meaning extensively.

1.81

"O King of Laṅkā! When you say, 'I, in the past… [up to] …taking the tathāgatagarbha as its realm."

1.82

This says that the Tathāgata again interrogates and dismantles the various false conceptual views for the Yakṣa king, causing him to leave thoughts behind, achieve tranquil cessation, and give rise to right view. The words 'Laṅkā king, you say that in the presence of past Tathāgatas you had already inquired into this meaning, and those Tathāgatas had already explained it for you. You say that the past is merely vikalpa, the future is likewise so, and I too am identical to them. The Dharmas of those Buddhas are all free from vikalpa, up to: for the sake of causing sentient beings to attain peace and happiness'—this clarifies that past, present, and future are without distinction. 'The Tathāgata takes wisdom as his body, and cannot be distinguished by the characteristics of self, person, or sentient beings, up to: being free from the discrimination of subject and object' means that mind, Buddha, and sentient beings—these three—are without distinction. 'Just as sentient beings painted on a wall have no awareness, so too are sentient beings in the world. There is no karma and no retribution; all phenomena are likewise. There is nothing heard and nothing taught'—this first presents a simile, and then corresponds it to the Dharma. Furthermore, it says: 'Just as a person sees his own form in water or a mirror, sees a shadow under the moon or a lamp, or hears an echo in a mountain valley'—these all serve as metaphors for sentient beings taking their own mind with their own mind, giving rise to grasping onto form where there is no form. The differentiation of Dharma and non-Dharma is also like this. If one realizes that false delusion is tranquilly ceased in a single condition, gives rise to self-realized wisdom, and departs from 'is' and 'is not', then one accords with the wondrously pure and luminous mind of the tathāgatagarbha, taking it as one's realm. Truly so! Although this chapter is designated as the initiation of the main body of the text, it straightaway enables one to understand fundamental ignorance and enter into the Buddha's knowledge and vision!

1.83

Mahāyāna Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, Chapter 2: Questions and Answers

1.84

In about to explain this chapter, five headings are briefly opened: first, the purpose of coming; second, the fundamental tenet and ultimate aim; third, resolving difficulties; fourth, explaining the title; fifth, explaining the text. First, the purpose of coming: the preface of the preceding chapter having already made the background clear, the main body of the text ought to be revealed; therefore this chapter comes. Second, clarifying the fundamental tenet and ultimate aim: all sūtras each have their own fundamental tenet. Hence ancient masters of virtue said, 'In upholding the teaching, one must understand the fundamental tenet.' Now we specifically clarify the fundamental tenet and ultimate aim of this sūtra. However, a later chapter also states, 'All phenomena are unproduced; one should not establish this tenet'—this statement merely dispels stagnation. If it is the tenet of no-tenet, then both the tenet and its expression are thoroughly unobstructed. The *Awakening of Faith* says, 'There is a Dharma that can awaken the roots of faith in the Mahāyāna, therefore it should be spoken.' That which is termed 'Dharma' refers to the mind of sentient beings. This mind encompasses all mundane and supramundane phenomena; relying upon this mind, the meaning of the Mahāyāna is revealed. Why is this? Because the tathatā aspect of this mind is itself the essence of the Mahāyāna. Because the conditioned arising-and-ceasing aspect of this mind is able to display the essence, characteristics, and functioning of the Mahāyāna itself; because it is that upon which all Buddhas originally ride; and because all bodhisattvas ride this Dharma to reach the stage of the Tathāgata. Therefore, know that this inherently pure, perfect, and luminous true essence, unfathomable in virtue and function and originally complete, is in all cases the fundamental tenet upon which all Buddhas and sentient beings originally ride. It is also that which all beings, whether ordinary or noble, ride upon to reach the Tathāgata ground, serving as their ultimate aim. It is merely that sentient beings do not understand it for themselves so as to accord with it and awaken to it; defiled by various parikalpa, they are dim-witted and inferior. Third, resolving difficulties. It is asked: Since the Sanskrit text is one, why do the chapter titles and numbers translated by the three masters differ in being singular or multiple? Answer: Tiantai says, 'Chapters are either proclaimed by the Buddha himself, established by the compilers, or added by translators according to the meaning.' It also says, 'Dividing the sūtra and parsing the text are all like the orchids and chrysanthemums of former sages, each boasting its own beauty. Later generations should not contend over right and wrong, for that provides no three benefits and loses the One Path. The three benefits are the mundane and other three siddhāntas; the One Path is the paramārtha siddhānta.' Therefore, one should know that whether chapters are combined or separated, singular or multiple, it is all out of skillful means. Fourth, explaining the chapter's title: this first chapter of the main body is the general question and answer of the great stages of the entire sūtra. From the beginning of Chapter on the Assemblage of All Dharmas, the sections on the consciousnesses, down to the cessation of meat eating, across fourteen chapters in all, these are called the specific questions and answers. That is to say, Mahāmati first takes the hundred and eight statements together as a single summary and asks them in general to the Tathāgata; the Tathāgata takes up and receives each question one by one, answering them according to the statements. Namely, the statement on arising is a non-arising statement; the statement on permanence is a non-permanence statement; up to the hundred and eight statements, all answered with the word 'non-', wishing him to leave thoughts behind and enter the gate of the mind's tathatā. Hence it is called 'Chapter on Questions and Answers'. Next below the sūtra text is the correct explanation of the text.

First 84 of 203 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

注大乘入楞伽經 — Classical Chinese