念佛三昧寶王論 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

1.1

Composed by Śramaṇa Feixi of Caotang Monastery on Mount Zige in the Tang.

There was a guest of lofty faith who came to my meditation dwelling. Stepping forward, he bowed and inquired, his words exceedingly pure and unfettered. He asked me: "As a shortcut for one who cultivates the mind to realize the Way, the practice of Sadāparibhūta in the Lotus Samādhi and the lineage of Pratyutpanna in the Buddhānusmṛti-samādhi are all universally held to be supreme, profound, and wondrous gates of meditation; I wish to hear of their import." I replied: "I have folded my hands in silence amidst the nine peaks, having different pursuits from the worldly. By imperial decree graciously arriving from Caotang Monastery on Mount Zige, I was commanded to oversee the sublime arena of the Lotus at Qianfu, which has now been nearly thirty years. Though many have aspired to the heights and knocked upon the silence, none have asked as you have. You are about to cross the Dragon Ford of anutpāda and seek to journey south like the soaring Peng bird. Though I am not clever, I have previously ventured to discourse upon this. Now I shall briefly set forth twenty gates to elucidate this purport."

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Fascicle One: Seven Gates on Mindfulness of Future Buddhas.

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Fascicle Two: Six Gates on Mindfulness of Present Buddhas.

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Fascicle Three: Seven Gates (universally mindful of the three times, wherein none is not a buddha).

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Gate One: Swiftly Accomplishing Samādhi through Mindfulness of Future Buddhas.

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Now, the duality of mind arises from manifold delusions. Although manifold delusions are empty, the deluded still cling to them. If they are not untied, the sages grieve over them. The profound resonance flows freely yet without speech; the dharmakāya is empty yet possesses forms. When forms are not understood and exposition is not complete, who can know the destination of the single flavor's purport and the path beyond words? The essential principle of samādhi is to lead those who have lost their way in weakness to know that the non-dual dharma gate abides within speech and silence—not merely Vimalakīrti holding his tongue and Mañjuśrī raising praise!

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Why is this? If Indra's net is not unfurled, how could its thousand necklaces be seen? When the great net is suddenly raised, all ten thousand meshes open together. One who bathes in the great ocean has already utilized the hundred rivers; one who is mindful of the Buddha's name will certainly accomplish samādhi. A single word can encompass it, and it lies right here. It is just like a clear jewel dropped into turbid water: the turbid water cannot help but become clear. When thoughts of the Buddha are cast into a scattered mind, the scattered mind cannot help but become Buddha. Once they have accorded, both mind and Buddha are forgotten. The forgetting of both is samādhi; the illuminating of both is prajñā. When calm and discernment are equally balanced, what mind is not Buddha? What Buddha is not mind? Since mind and Buddha are thus, then the ten thousand realms and ten thousand conditions are nothing other than samādhi.

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Yet people in the world mostly contemplate the moon-like countenance of the past Śākyamuni and visualize the ocean-like eyes of the present Amida, as if pulling out a poisoned arrow, or as if ascending into a palace of joy! I too take these as the ultimate teaching. Yet I have not heard of contemplating the gathered sun of the future buddhas. Why is this? It is because they do not understand that the Tathāgata spoke of the subtle excellence of the buddhas in contrast to the coarseness of sentient beings, and consequently they separated sentient beings from the buddhas; hence they do not hear of it, and who would be willing to be mindful of it? In the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra, there is smelling the campaka without smelling other fragrances, and there are flowers that cling to the body and flowers that do not cling to the body; this is the deprecation and exaltation of the Mahāyāna. Deprecating the small left them gazing blankly at their bowls; exalting the great led them together to roam in the non-dual. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra decisively clarifies the teachings for the śrāvakas and is the king of all sūtras; the principle that all are campaka and without clinging is clearly evident. If one is not the right person, one will take the buddhas as supremely noble and sentient beings as supremely base; high and low then emerge, manifold delusions arise, reverence and arrogance are established, and the One Truth is concealed!

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If it is like this, one will inevitably regard the myriad existences as mere straw and weigh the world as trivial ounces; curtains and banners being set up, one sits aloof on the precipice, watching the flying geese and letting the mind wander the azure heavens, unbending. This obstructs Vimalakīrti's passage stating that regarding all with reverence is the foremost among offerings! Furthermore, one fails to believe what the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra says: that the tathāgatagarbha is pure in its intrinsic nature, turns into the thirty-two marks, and enters into the minds of all sentient beings. Just like a great priceless jewel wrapped in dirty clothes, how could one view the lowest beggar in the city and the Insuperable Tathāgata as not equal and without distinction?

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If one perfectly contemplates the buddhas of the three times and universally views the Honoured Ones of the ten directions, one accords with the text of the Naya Prajñā: that all sentient beings are the tathāgatagarbha because Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's own body is omnipresent! The principles of the impoverished woman bearing a king and the rice existing within the chaff are brightly visible as in a mirror; how could one incur the blame of these eight arrogances? People all despise the future jade-white ūrṇā, not daring to despise the golden color of the past and present. Little do they know that the source of generating sin lies entirely with the future buddhas, not with the past or present buddhas. If sentient beings are wrong, where is the future Buddha? If one understands that a mother is noble because of her son and that rice is preserved by its chaff, and accords with the mind of Sadāparibhūta in the Lotus, then the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi will be swiftly accomplished!

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A question asks: "The Lotus is the Dharma; buddha-mindfulness is the Buddha. How can you take Dharma as Buddha and Buddha as Dharma, causing such vast confusion?"

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The reply says: "There is no confusion! Originally it is one single gate; who makes it confused? The herb of the lingzhi mushroom and the master among the immortals were once each at opposite ends of the world, and neither had the designation of 'immortal'. Because a person took the herb, sprouted wings, and walked among the clouds, the medicine received the name of 'immortal medicine' and the person obtained the title of 'immortal'. Person and medicine are different, but their immortality is one. If there were no sage, who would roam with the Way? If the Dharma were not awakened to by a buddha, how could it cause one to awaken on one's own? If the Dharma is not awakened to by a buddha, buddhānusmṛti-samādhi does not arise; if the Buddha is not illuminated by the Dharma, Lotus Samādhi does not emerge. One immortal has two designations, both obtaining the name of immortal; buddha-mindfulness and the Lotus are both called the Buddha's wisdom. Since the Buddha's wisdom is the same, then Sadāparibhūta and Pratyutpanna, the supreme, profound, and wondrous gates of meditation, are awakened to right here! They have never been different; what confusion could there be?"

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Gate Two: Favored Women and Bands of Thieves Must Not Be Slighted.

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A question asks: "'All sentient beings are indeed the future buddhas'—I have respectfully heard your instruction. Yet favored women and bands of thieves are the utmost in evil; how could they seek reverence from one who practices buddha-mindfulness?"

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The reply says: "As expounded by the Buddha, there are two kinds: first, the gate of relative opposition; second, the gate of ultimate elucidation. Regarding the gate of relative opposition, it refers to speaking of the supreme truth of the Tathāgata in contrast to the falsity of women, so that the Buddha can be revered and women can be loathed and renounced. Loathing and renouncing has two aspects: first, rebuking desire; second, letting go of the mind. As for the first, rebuking desire, it is like the bodhisattva rebuking sensual desire. A sūtra says: 'Female beauty is the shackle of the world; ordinary beings cling to it and cannot pull themselves out. Female beauty is the grave affliction of the world; ordinary beings are trapped by it until death without escape. Female beauty is the disaster of the world; when ordinary beings encounter it, there is no misfortune that does not arrive. Once a practitioner has managed to abandon it, if he turns back to yearn for it, this is like coming out of prison and wishing to re-enter; recovering from madness and delighting in it again; recovering from an illness and wishing to fall sick again. The wise pity him, knowing that he is mad and stumbling, with his death not far off! Ordinary beings value women and willingly become their servants, toiling in exhaustion for their sake throughout their lives. Even if the chopping block and a thousand blades, sharp points, and arrows arrive in succession, they willingly accept it and do not consider it an affliction; a madman delighting in his madness is not more excessive than this! If a practitioner can cast it aside without looking back, this is breaking the shackles and shedding the chains, hating madness and loathing sickness, separating from disaster, becoming peaceful and auspicious, leaving the prison, and being free from troubles forever. The appearance of a woman is such that her words are like honey and her heart is like poison. It is like a still spring with clear waves where a dragon dwells, or a golden mountain and jewel cave where a lion resides. One should know that such harm must not be approached! Discord in the household is caused by women; the destruction of the clan and the ruin of the family is the crime of women. Truly they are hidden bandits destroying human wisdom and clarity, just like a hunting snare from which few escape. They are like a high net into which flocks of birds fall and cannot flap their wings; again, like a dense net into which schools of fish cast themselves, having their entrails sliced and their flesh butchered; and like a dark pit, or the sightless moth rushing into the fire. Therefore the wise recognize it and stay far from it, not receiving its harm; they loathe and revile it, and are not moved by this thing.' In the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra, the Buddha spoke this verse for King Udayana:

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"Sharp blades and mountains of swords, / Poisoned arrows and various sufferings— / Women are able to assemble / These numerous matters of suffering.
Adorned under false pretenses with fragrant flowers / To make themselves look fair and good, / Foolish people toward them / Falsely generate greedy craving.
Like a weary bird over the ocean / Confused about the opposite shore, / At death they will surely fall / Into the Avīci Hell.
Visible suffering in the present / All arrives and gathers upon their bodies; / Good friends are estranged and separated, / And the heavenly palaces are lost forever.
Better to cast oneself into an iron prison, / Run across mountains of swords, / Or sleep upon a blazing furnace, / Than to be intimate with female beauty.

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"Like a bird seeking food, / Not knowing to avoid the net, / Greedily desiring women, / The harm suffered is just like this.
Like fish in the water, / Swimming before the netter, / Promptly captured by another, / Is this not self-inflicted harm?
Women are like fishers; / Flattery and deceit are like the net. / Men are identical to fish; / Being netted is just like this."

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"Next, regarding letting go of the mind, as the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra says: 'Mañjuśrī said to the deva-son Supratiṣṭhita: "If a person single-mindedly and purely guards himself, and the mind of greedy desire arises, he should immediately become aware of it, skillfully disperse it, and return it to tranquility. How should it be dispersed? He should think thus: 'This is empty, this is impure. When seeking this desiring mind, where does it arise and where does it cease? Where does it come from, and where does it go? Who within this is defiled? Who receives defilement? What is the defiling dharma?' When contemplating in this manner, one sees neither the agent of defilement, nor the object of defilement, nor the matter of defilement. Because one does not see them, there is no grasping; because there is no grasping, there is no relinquishing; because there is no relinquishing, there is no affection. Neither relinquishing nor having affection is called transcendence of desire, tranquil nirvāṇa." If one also lets the mind enter into all worldly toil, birth, and death, yet without suffering the faults and afflictions of greed, anger, delusion, and the like, this is called letting go of the mind.'"

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The explanation of the first gate, that of relative opposition, is concluded above.

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Regarding the second, the Gate of Decisive Comprehension: if one ultimately abandons all delusions and is untainted like empty space, then one is the buddhas of the past and present, not a future buddha. Have you not heard? He who seeks a priceless jewel must descend into the vast ocean; he who gathers the jewel of wisdom must first seek it within afflictions. The marks of the five heinous sins are themselves the marks of liberation; the suchness of the demonic realm is itself the suchness of the Buddha's realm. If one rejoices upon hearing the Buddha's voice yet angers upon hearing the sounds of Māra, not entering the dharma gate of sounds, not abiding in the ultimate reality of sounds, and not awakening to all dharmas, then this person is like one who drives his carriage north to go to the southern land of Yue—how could one discuss the Way with him? Let me clarify this further for you. Does not the sūtra state: 'Formerly there was an immortal named Lùtí (Deer-hoof). Slipping on the ground, he fell, and through an immortal's curse caused a great drought. The people of the state suffered from it, so the king recruited a courtesan, who seduced and captured him. Riding on his neck, she entered the city; oily clouds arose on all sides, and heavy rain poured down. Though that immortal possessed the supernormal power to ride the long winds and the art of soaring into the great clear heavens, he was unable to employ them. The immortal was Śākyamuni, and that woman was Yaśodharā. At the assembly of the Lotus Sūtra, her future attainment of buddhahood was predicted, with the name Tathāgata Fully Endowed with Ten Million Rays of Light.' Furthermore, if a practitioner of buddha-mindfulness sees only the courtesan's jade-like face and is unmindful of the golden beauty of her rays of light, then he loses the purport of Sadāparibhūta. How could the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi not be slandered thereby? Moreover, Aniruddha was formerly the chief of thieves. Entering a temple to steal the jewel from the Buddha's forehead, he used an arrow to adjust the wick of the Buddha's lamp, causing the pure light not to be extinguished. 'Aniruddha' is translated here as 'Unextinguished'—the reason truly lies in this! In the future he will become a buddha named the Tathāgata Universal Brightness. All such cases are of this kind. If a practitioner of buddha-mindfulness does not look down even on a band of thieves, how much less on those who do not steal? These two future buddhas are like the bright sun; what worry is there that the samādhi will not be accomplished?

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Third: The Gate of Generating Only the Thought of the Buddha Toward Both Those Who Uphold and Those Who Break the Precepts.

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The questioner says: 'The two difficulties have been resolved. The Brahmajāla Sūtra states: "If one receives the Buddha's precepts, one immediately enters the rank of the buddhas." Those of the black-robed order wear the precepts of the bright moon and hang the pearls of necklaces; they participate in the rank of the Three Honoured Ones and provide the model for the seven assemblies. Fittingly, they are respected! But if they do not uphold them meticulously and their conduct is disordered, what fault is there in looking down on them? What transgression is there in reprimanding them? I hope you will analyze this for me.'

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The reply states: 'The Tathāgata once spoke to his royal father in the Ocean of Samādhi Sūtra: "Formerly there were four monks who felt ashamed of breaking the vinaya and had nothing to rely upon. Suddenly they heard a voice in the sky say: 'You think there is no salvation for your transgression, but it is not so. Although the Tathāgata King of Emptiness has entered nirvāṇa, his image still remains. You may enter the stūpa and look once upon the ūrṇā between the eyebrows of the precious image.' The monks followed this advice, wept tears, and said: 'If the Buddha's image is like this, how much more so the Buddha's true countenance!' Casting their whole bodies to the ground, they fell like a great mountain collapsing. Today, in the four directions, they have all attained correct awakening: Akṣobhya Buddha in the east, Ratnaketu Buddha in the south, Amitāyus Buddha in the west, and Dundubhisvararāja Buddha in the north. These are those four precept-breaking monks." Therefore, the Tathāgata named this samādhi of contemplating the Buddha the "ocean of the jewel-king precept-category," as it can wash away the defiled transgressions of breaking precepts and attain the purity beyond worldly encumbrances. These four monks, merely by viewing the precious image once, all became the heroes of the world; how could a practitioner of buddha-mindfulness be deluded regarding monks who break precepts? Therefore, the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra states: "If kings or ministers beat and revile those who have left home, whether upholding or breaking the precepts, the sin is equal to shedding the blood of a hundred billion buddhas' bodies." If one sees someone clad in the kāṣāya, regardless of upholding or breaking precepts, one should only generate the thought of the Buddha. The thought of the Buddha is indeed the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi. These golden words from his mouth illuminate the profound purport of Sadāparibhūta. How could one arbitrarily beat and revile them without fear? The sūtra states: "Better to be the master of one's mind than to take the mind as one's master." Seeing a stingy and greedy person, generate the thought of giving; seeing a person who breaks precepts, generate the thought of upholding precepts. If one does so, one will not be entangled by the realms of the six hindrances, and it will become a gate of contemplation leading to the other shore of the six perfections! If one abides in a discriminating mind, one will incur the punishments of the nether administration on oneself; is this not lamentable? If one can overturn this discerning mind, then the buddhānusmṛti-samādhi will flow like a river.'

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Fourth: The Gate of Presently Residing in the Boiling Hell Not Obstructing the Receipt of Prediction.

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The questioner says: 'If those who break the precepts yet contemplate the Buddha all attain correct awakening, then indeed they must not be looked down upon, and this can be believed. But as for those presently residing in the boiling hell or suffering in the realm of hungry ghosts, where bodhi is difficult to generate and the clarifying of the Yellow River cannot be expected, how can they come to be revered equally alongside practitioners of buddha-mindfulness?'

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The reply states: 'Have you not heard? Gathering good medicine must be done in steep mountains, not produced in splendid halls; gathering the medicine of the Dharma must be done amid perilous existence, not spontaneously produced from the unconditioned. Thus the Śūraṅgama Sūtra speaks of four kinds of prediction: first, the prediction before generating the mind; second, the prediction upon first generating the mind; third, the secret prediction; fourth, the prediction made face to face. Now, although they are presently in the realms of ghosts or hells, namely before generating the mind, the Buddha predicts that in the future they will certainly generate the great resolve, encounter true good friends, practice the bodhisattva path, and in turn attain correct awakening. Therefore, they must not be looked down upon; this is precisely the prediction before generating the mind. When the Buddha spoke of these four kinds of prediction, Kāśyapa addressed the Buddha: "From now on, toward all sentient beings, we should generate the thought of the World-Honoured One; if we generate a contemptuous mind, it would be harming ourselves." The Buddha said: "Excellent! Well said! People should not measure sentient beings; only the Tathāgata is able to measure them. For this reason, I instruct all śrāvakas and the other bodhisattvas that toward all sentient beings, they should generate the thought of the Buddha." The Chapter on the Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra also uses this thought to break through the gate of a million obstacles. In this manner, that those presently dwelling in the evil destinies receive predictions is just like a treasure in a house that has not yet been opened—it does not obstruct the treasure's presence inside the house; or like the forehead jewel submerged in battle—how does that nullify the jewel being concealed in the forehead? If one does not contemplate sentient beings as future buddhas, one will inevitably regard the six dusts as bandits; this is like guarding against Māra's army while destroying one's own ramparts, or preserving rival states so that grudges and enmities constantly arise. This is why armour and weapons do not rest, and war drums still tremble. How could one sleep soundly amid this? If those who have not surrendered are brought to surrender, and those who are not compliant all become compliant, then the realm under heaven will be unified! What use would fluttering banners have? Where would soaring generals go? I would then turn back the war horses to fertilize the fields, working as the sun rises and resting as the sun sets. Though Emperor Yao possessed sagehood, what need would I have of his power? The common people use it daily without knowing it, which precisely shows the vast spread of sagely transformation! If one can awaken to forms and sounds as the Buddha, and be mindful of sentient beings as future buddhas, one will certainly not establish worldly objects before the mind, or one will visualize one's own body as the yidam. The profound and wondrous contemplation gates of yoga mantras will coincide without contrivance. Can that which exists by virtue of conception fail to be empty? Then the great roc will be equal with the little quail, and Mount Tai will be one with the autumn downhair, without the bias of leveling the peak or the sorrow of lengthening the duck's legs.'

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The questioner says: 'Those in the boiling hell have not yet generated the mind at all, yet the Tathāgata, the Dharma King, pardons their faults and gives them prediction, radiating thousands of lights, with the ten titles completely luminous. Truly, as the Buddha says, who would dare disbelieve? But tracing back to the state of being unawakened, from what can they be aroused?'

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The reply states: 'Speaking of being unawakened, this also has its meaning. The source of the Yangtze River overflows from a single cup; the root of great delusion abides in dualistic views. If one says that outside of thought one establishes no-thought, or outside of birth one establishes anutpāda, then saṃsāra would be different from nirvāṇa. Even the great voices of myriad buddhas could not instruct such a person! If one realizes that thought is no-thought, and contemplates birth as non-birth, afflictions are themselves bodhi. Adorned with the single mark, one is able to awaken to this! It is just as when bees on a cliff have already filled their combs with pure honey, or how the seven jewels in a well do not cease to be called treasures—they are all inherently present, not something that begins only now. When contemplating future buddhas, from where could sin arise? When I let my mind wander, throughout all objects of cognition everywhere, I see the Tathāgata; the Way arises from hatred and the like. Thus it is said in the Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra, where the Buddha addressed Vajramati Bodhisattva: "Good son, with the Buddha-eye I observe that within the afflictions of greed, hatred, and ignorance of all sentient beings, there is the Tathāgata's wisdom, the Tathāgata's eye, and the Tathāgata's body, sitting cross-legged, dignified and unmoving, endowed with virtues and marks without difference from myself." It extensively explains that all sentient beings possess the tathāgatagarbha, illustrating this with nine metaphors. The Ratnagotravibhāga comments and concludes with a verse, saying:'

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'Buddhas within withered flowers,
Pure gold within excrement and filth,
A treasury of precious gems within the earth,
A sprout within a fruit seed,
Rotten and worn-out ragged clothes
Wrapping around a pure gold image,
An impoverished and ugly woman
Pregnant with a wheel-turning sage king,
Within a charred and black clay mould
Resides a supreme and wondrous precious image.
In sentient beings' greed, anger, ignorance,
Delusive thoughts, afflictions, and the like,
Amid all realms of toil and defilement,
All possess the tathāgatagarbha.
Down even to the Avīci Hell,
All possess the Tathāgata's body;
The pure dharma of True Suchness
Is named the Tathāgata's essence.'

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'Using this text to corroborate the prediction for the boiling hell, one awakens to it with sudden clarity. The gate of samādhi naturally opens wide.'

1.32

The questioner says: 'The utmost person employs his mind placidly and purely, with cognitive conditions eternally severed. Now you speak of letting the mind wander to take all objects as conditions everywhere and seeing the Tathāgata—where is the teaching for this?'

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The reply states: 'There is also a teaching stating that generating the mind to universally condition the six dusts and three karmic actions, while also giving rise to wondrous vows to enter the Buddha's realm, with each dependent arising not departing from the Tathāgata, is called seeing completely. This is round vision, not arising from physical eyes. Therefore, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra states: "Although śrāvakas possess the divine eye, it is called the fleshly eye; although those who study the Great Vehicle possess the fleshly eye, it is called the Buddha-eye. Why? Because they clearly understand that their own bodies possess the Buddha-nature." Furthermore, in the Suvikrāntavikrāmi-paripṛcchā Sūtra, the Buddha told the Heavenly King Bodhisattva Mahāsattva: "Through the power of skillful means practicing the prajñāpāramitā, regarding all dharmas, the mind conditions them with mastery. Conditioning all forms, one vows to attain the Buddha's form, because of non-attainment; the mind conditioning all sounds, one vows to attain the Tathāgata's subtle and wondrous voice; the mind conditioning all fragrances, one vows to attain the Tathāgata's fragrance of pure precepts; the mind conditioning all tastes, one vows to attain the Tathāgata's supreme mark of a great man in taste; the mind conditioning all touches, one vows to attain the Tathāgata's soft palm; the mind conditioning all dharmas, one vows to attain the Tathāgata's tranquil mind; the mind conditioning one's own body, one vows to attain the Buddha's body; the mind conditioning one's own speech, one vows to attain the Buddha's speech; the mind conditioning one's own mind, one vows to attain the Tathāgata's mind of equanimity." When the Heavenly King Bodhisattva Mahāsattva practices the prajñāpāramitā, there is not a single thought or single practice passed in vain that does not tend toward sarvajña; universally conditioning all dharmas, he is able not to attach to them, contemplating and seeing that among all dharmas, there is none that does not incline toward the path of bodhi. The bodhisattva's cultivation of all practices is established entirely because of external conditions. Moreover, it is like the great earth resting upon water: if one digs a pond or a well, one obtains the use of water; for one who does not dig, there is no way to see it. Thus the realm of sagely wisdom pervades all dharmas; if one diligently cultivates the skillful means of prajñā, one immediately attains it. For one who does not cultivate, how could he attain the principle of the mind conditioning [all things]? How could it not be great!'

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Fifth: The Gate of Contemplating Emptiness and Non-Self to Choose the Good and Follow It.

1.35

The questioner says: 'Movement is stillness itself, stillness is the master of restlessness; the ordinary is the sagely itself, the sagely is concealed within the ordinary—I have reverently heard these profound purports. Furthermore, since the non-self of the three teachings does not differ in principle, what is the meaning of choosing the good and following it?'

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I reply: Regarding the principles of the three teachings, their names have never been different, yet their principles have never been identical. Moreover, among the Master's [Confucius's] four prohibitions, the first is 'freedom from self' (wuji), which refers to the virtue of modesty and radiance being free from self. The Daoist 'non-self' means 'nurturing without dominating', which constitutes their non-self. The Buddhist 'non-self' means contemplating the emptiness of the five aggregates, which constitutes non-self. The first two teachings do not explain the five aggregates at all; who among them distinguishes the Four Truths, the six perfections and myriad practices, and the stages of sages and worthies? They have heard nothing of these. They only 'harmonize the light and assimilate with the dust', 'preserve the feminine and abide in quietude', being 'both compassionate and frugal', and 'daring not to take the lead in the world'—each is a sage in his own right, so why bother assessing their depths and shallowness? Thus non-self in the three teachings is made clear. As for 'choosing the good and following it', this means the principle of the three natures is everywhere present. A practitioner cultivating the mind chooses the good and follows it because the unwholesome is of no benefit to the ultimate reality, and the indeterminate neglects both good and evil, hindering and disturbing the Buddha-principle—how could it not stem from this? Therefore, the Sage selects among them and does not accept [the unwholesome]. Thus the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'An icchantika's mind does not cling to any wholesome dharma, nor does it even give rise to a single thought of good.' From this we know that buddhānusmṛti-samādhi is the supreme good and the foremost among the myriad practices; hence it is called the King of Samādhis.

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Gate Six: Having No Good to Choose and No Evil to Discard

1.38

The question asks: 'If one chooses the good and follows it, why not choose the good of the buddhas and discard the evil of sentient beings, instead of being mindful of future buddhas and equating them with the past and present fully enlightened ones?'

1.39

I reply: Your question inherently resolves itself into my answer. Why is this? As for 'choosing the good and following it', this was said only out of necessity, because one's strength is feeble while the burden is heavy, and one cannot immediately identify evil as good, or delusion as truth; hence it was explained in that way. If one can be mindful of future buddhas and accord with the practice of Sadāparibhūta, then heaven and earth are one finger, the myriad things are one horse, sentient beings are all buddhas, and this land is eternally pure. It differs from Śāriputra's view of earth, stones, sand, and gravel, and matches the Brahma King's jeweled adornments. This is the utmost in choosing the good! There is no evil to discard! Even Zhiyi of Tiantai, in explaining the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra to clarify the wonder of absolute transcendence, cited as proof:

1.40

"'When sentient beings see the kalpa come to an end, / and being burned by a great fire, / this land of mine is tranquil and secure, / ever filled with gods and humans, / with gardens, groves, pavilions, and towers, / adorned with various jewels.'

1.41

"Furthermore, the Suvikrāntavikramiparipṛcchā Sūtra says: 'Where the Buddha abides, there is in truth no defiled land; it is because sentient beings have meager merit that they perceive impurity.' This is truly where it lies. In Sanskrit it is namo, translated into Tang [Chinese] as 'refuge'; in Sanskrit it is Amitâbha/Amitāyus, translated into Tang as 'Measureless Life'. Among the buddhas of the three times, how could only one buddha possess a measure of lifespan? If today I and you together are mindful of the Amida of the three times, and are together reborn in the Sukhāvatī of the ten directions, what could be wrong with that? Why would you want to fly backward like an aquatic bird? That being so, the fierce flame of samādhi does not abide in the tiny mosquitoes of fleeting delusions, and the striking of the great bell of the ten recitations leaves no gap for distracted recitation of the Buddha's name—this is clear. If mindfulness of Amida extends throughout the three times in this way, is it not also so for mindfulness of all buddhas and bodhisattvas?"

1.42

The question asks: 'Mindfulness of future buddhas is equal to past and present buddhas—I would like to hear the principle behind this.'

1.43

I reply: The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'All Tathāgatas share the same single dharmakāya, a single body, a single wisdom, and likewise their powers and fearlessnesses.' A verse from the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra says: 'Kāśyapa, Krakucchanda, and Kanakamuni are myself; by means of these four kinds of equality, I speak for the Buddha's heirs.' Regarding the four kinds of equality: first is equality of name, in that they all share the name 'Buddha'; second is equality of speech, in that they all possess the voice of the kalaviṅka and the voice of Brahmā; third is equality of teachings, in that they all attain the factors of enlightenment and unimpeded wisdom; fourth is equality of body, in that their dharmakāya and rūpakāya with their marks and signs are without difference. The Awakening of Faith says: 'Delusion arises based on directions, but the directions themselves do not shift.' In this manner, when one who is awakened is awakened to a single direction, all directions naturally become correct; when one who is mindful is mindful of a single buddha, all buddhas manifest before them. As the sūtra says: 'The water does not ascend, and the moon does not descend.' Through the causes and conditions of purity and light, the bright moon in empty space manifests in clear water; that buddha does not come, and my body does not go, yet through the causes and conditions of buddha-mindfulness, the jewel moon of the Tathāgata appears in the water of the mind. As the verse says: 'The bodhisattva's cool moon / roams in ultimate emptiness; / when the mind-water of sentient beings is pure, / the shadow of bodhi appears therein.'"

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Gate Seven: The Meat of All Sentient Beings Must Not Be Eaten

1.45

The question asks: 'Meat is what humans eat, so why do practitioners of buddha-mindfulness completely abstain from it?'

1.46

I reply: When Śibi saved the dove, the scale balanced evenly above; although king and bird were different, their preservation of life was one. How could one insist on eating their meat to nourish a decaying body, remaining heedless without knowing fear? If one can realize that they are future buddhas, who would be willing to draw a gleaming blade against fish with red scales, or loose a blue falcon upon a cunning hare, like an evening moth plunging into fire to bring about its own death? Thus the verses in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra, and the 'Buddha-Spoken Heart Chapter' state:

1.47

"'Killing sentient beings for profit, / netting meat with wealth, / both are evil deeds, / after death falling into the Raurava Hell.'

1.48

"According to these sacred teachings, if one does not provide such money, then the netters and the butchers will naturally cease. Furthermore, Nāgārjuna did not look down upon doves and sparrows, and eminent monks would not step over insects and ants. When someone asked the reason, the answer was: 'They and I are together in saṃsāra; they may perhaps attain full enlightenment before me, so how could I presumptuously look down on them?' If even looking down on them is impermissible, how could one exclusively eat their flesh and blood? The Ratnagotravibhāga says: 'In the Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra, [the Buddha] addressed Śāriputra, saying: "Sentient beings are precisely the ultimate truth, precisely the tathāgatagarbha, precisely the dharmakāya, precisely bodhi."' I say: If a dog only chases the clod and does not pursue the person, the clods will never cease to come; if one is only mindful of the past and present and not of the future, arrogance will never cease. If, like a lion, one pursues the person, the clods will naturally cease. I have heard that the way of respect and arrogance can be unified under a single principle: if one turns respect into arrogance and treats parents like ordinary people, this is the height of unfiliality! If one turns arrogance into respect and treats ordinary people like parents, this is the greatness of filial piety! Thus the Brahmajāla Sūtra says: 'Sentient beings of the six destinies are all my parents; filiality is called the precepts.' This truly lies here. When contemplating the six destinies as future buddhas, speaking of them as parents is still an understatement. If one can emulate the śrāmaṇera who saved the ants, a shortened lifespan will be prolonged; if one is like Jalavāhana who saved the fish, heavenly flowers will rain down in abundance. Transform the view of sentient beings held throughout vast kalpas, and be mindful of the bodies of future Sugatas; within filth, know there is true gold; amidst heavy clouds, trust there is a bright moon. Then the dense fog of meat-eating and the haze of birth and death will be swept away by the wind of wisdom into the vast sky of samādhi! The Brahmajāla Sūtra says: 'I am a buddha already accomplished; you are a buddha yet to become. Constantly maintain such faith, and the categories of precepts are already complete.' How could one not be mindful of them?"

1.49

The question asks: 'I believe that meat must not be eaten. What about the five pungent roots?'

1.50

I reply: The sacred teachings explain this clearly. The Śūraṅgama Sūtra says: 'The Buddha told Ānanda: "These five kinds of pungent roots, when eaten cooked, arouse lust; eaten raw, they increase anger. In this world, even if a person who eats pungent roots can expound the twelve divisions of the canon, the gods and immortals of the ten directions will abhor their foul stench and all keep far away; the hungry ghosts, licking their lips after they eat, will constantly dwell with them. Their merit and virtue will dwindle day by day, and in the long run there will be no benefit. When such a person who eats pungent roots cultivates samādhi, bodhisattvas, gods, immortals, and the wholesome deities of the ten directions will not come to protect them, and the powerful demon kings will find their opportunity." The Buddha told Ānanda: "Those who cultivate bodhi must forever cut off the five pungent roots; this is called the first progressive stage of cultivation."' Coming from the Golden Mouth, is this not sincere? Alcohol, of course, goes without saying. The Baiyu Jing says: 'Once there was a poor man traveling on a road who found a bag of gold coins. With great joy in his heart, he immediately counted them. Before he finished counting, the owner of the coins suddenly arrived and snatched them all back. At that time, the man regretted that he had not left quickly, and his distress was extreme. Those who encounter the Buddhadharma are also like this: although they encounter the field of merit of the Three Jewels, they do not diligently practice with skillful means, but rather take pleasure in extensive learning. Suddenly their life ends, and they fall into the three evil paths, just like that foolish man whose money was snatched away by its owner.' The verse says:

1.51

"'Today busy with this matter, / tomorrow busy with that matter, / indulging in attachment without seeing suffering, / unaware that the thief of death has arrived; / busily managing myriad tasks, / ordinary people are all like this, / just like that coin-counting man, / their situation is also the same.'"

1.52

The above seven gates all represent the intention of being mindful of future buddhas so as to penetrate the three times. If one wishes to be mindful of Maitreya Buddha, one must ascend for rebirth in Tuṣita Heaven to see the Honored Maitreya; in this, the realm-spanning Shi Dao'an was the foremost pioneer.

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Treatise on the Jewel King of Buddha-Mindfulness Samādhi, Fascicle One

Linked texts (1)

念佛三昧寶王論 — Classical Chinese