manjusri's_gatha_teaching kx21 The Appropriate Method for Human Beings The_Surangama_Sutra: How to untie the_six_knots... 041027 ... Thus have I read / heard. Thereupon, the Tathagata said to Manjusri: ‘Son of the Dharma king, these twenty-five Bodhisattvas and Arhats who no longer need to study and learn, have related the expedient methods used by them at the start of their practice for their realization of Bodhi. In reality each of these methods does not differ from, and is neither superior nor inferior to the others. Tell me which one of them is suitable to Ananda so that he can awaken to it and which one is easy of achievement, for the benefit of living beings who, after my nirvana, wish to practise with the Bodhisattva vehicle in their search for Supreme Bodhi. 041027 ... . *** * Manjusri’s Gatha_Teaching *** The Appropriate Method for Human Beings "As commanded, Manjusri rose from his seat, prostrated him- self with his head at the feet of the Buddha and reverently chanted the following gatha: Perfect and clear by nature is the Bodhi ocean, Pure and faultless Bodhi is in essence wonderful. Its fundamental brightness shone, so by chance creating An object which then obscured its radiant nature. Thus in delusion there appeared one-sided emptiness In which an imaginary world arbitrarily was built. Steadying itself, the thinking process made the continents While the (illusory) knower became a living being. The voidness so created within Bodhi Is but a bubble in the ocean. Worldly Realms, countless as the dust, arose In this (relative) emptiness. When the bubble bursts, the void’s unreality Is exposed: how much more so is that of the three realms? Though all return to One Nature at the source, There are many expedient methods for the purpose. Though holy nature pervades all, direct Or inverse methods are expedients; Hence newly initiated minds of different Aptitudes are quick or slow to enter Samadhi. Form which from thought crystallizes Is, too difficult to look through. How can perfection be achieved Through this impenetrable form? Sound, voice, word and speech are each Confined to specific definition Which by itself is not all embracing. How can they help perfection to achieve? Smell, perceived when in contact with the nose, Without that contact is non-existent. How can that which is not always present Be a means to achieve perfection? Taste exists not of itself, but is Perceived when flavour’s present. Since sense of taste is ever varied How can it to perfection lead? Touch exists when there’s an object touched; Without an object touch is naught. Since contact and its absence are not constant, How can touch help to achieve perfection? Dharma is inner defilement called; Reliance thereon implies an object. Since subject and object are not all embracing, How can dharma lead one to perfection? The organ of sight, although perceiving clearly, Sees things in front but cannot see behind. How can partial (sight of) the four quarters Help one to achieve perfection? The inward and the outward breath Have no link uniting them. How can they, thus unconnected, Be used to achieve perfection? The tongue is useless touching nothing; When flavour is present, there is taste Which vanishes when flavour’s absent. How can this help to achieve perfection Body must be conditioned to the object touched; Both cannot be used for all embracing meditation Which is beyond both subject and object with their limits. How can this serve to achieve perfection? The tumult of thinking with the mind disturbs The serenity of right perception. Since stirring thoughts are most hard to eradicate How can intellect serve to achieve perfection? Union of consciousness with eye and sight Has three components that are not settled. How can that which is devoid of substance Be used as a means to win perfection? The hearing mind which reaches into space Needs a great cause for its development; But untrained men cannot realize it. How can this help to achieve perfection? Meditation on the nose is only an expedient Means to control the mind by fixing it for the moment, But wrong dwelling can create an illusory abode. How can this be used to achieve perfection? Preaching the Dharma plays upon voice and words, But awakening occurred during practice long ago, Words and speeches never going beyond the worldly stream. How can this be a means to achieve perfection Observance of rules of discipline controls The body but never that which is beyond it. Since control of body is not all embracing How can this serve to achieve perfection? Transcendental powers come from a former cause; How can they derive from discriminating consciousness? Since thinking from externals cannot stray, How can it serve to achieve perfection? If the element of earth be used for contemplation, It is solid and cannot be penetrated; Belonging to the worldly it lacks spirituality. How can it be used to achieve perfection? If meditation be on the element of water, The thoughts that then arise have no reality. Beyond feeling and seeing is the absolute; How then can water help to achieve perfection? If for meditation the element of fire be used, Dislike of desire is not complete renunciation; ‚Tis no expedient for newly initiated minds. How then can fire become a means to achieve perfection? If meditation is on the element of wind, Motion and stillness are a false duality From which Supreme Bodhi cannot develop. How can wind serve to achieve perfection? If the element of space be used for meditation, Its dimness and dullness cannot be enlightenment. Since whate’er is unenlightened differs much from Bodhi, How can the element of space help to achieve perfection? If on the element of consciousness you meditate, It changes and is not permanent. The mind fixed on it being false How can that element then help you to achieve perfection? Phenomena are all impermanent; Thinking originally comes and goes. Since cause will ever differ from effect, How can the element of perception achieve perfection? I now submit to the World Honoured One That all Buddhas in this world appear To teach the most appropriate method Which consists in using pervasive sound. The state of Samadhi can be Realized by means of hearing. Thus was Avalokitesvara freed from suffering. Hail to the Regarder of sound Who, during aeons countless as Ganges’ sand, Entered as many Buddha lands to win The power and comfort of his independence 158 And bestow fearlessness upon all living beings. 159 O you who (have achieved) the sound profound, 160 The seer of sound, 161 of sound the purifier, 162 158. The Bodhisattva”’s power to take on thirty-two transformation-bodies. 159. His power to bestow fourteen kinds of fearlessness upon all living beings. 160. His meditation on sound leading to elimination of ego. 161. His meditation on worldly sound to realize two unsurpassed merits. 162. His immunization from all attachments by means of meditation on sound. Who, unfailing as the sound of ocean tides, 163 saves all beings in the world make Them secure, ensure their liberation and attainment of eternity. Reverently I declare to the Tathagata What Avalokitesvara said: When one dwells in quietude, Rolls of drums from ten directions Simultaneously are heard, So hearing is complete and perfect. The eyes cannot pierce a screen, But neither can mouth nor nose, Body only feels when it is touched. Mind’s thoughts are confused and unconnected, (But) voice whether near or far At all times can be heard. The five other organs are not perfect, But hearing really is pervasive. The presence or absence of sound and voice Is registered by ear as ‘is’ or ‘is not’. Absence of sound means nothing heard, Not hearing devoid of nature. Absence of sound is not the end of hearing, And sound when present is not its beginning. The faculty of hearing, beyond creation And annihilation, truly is permanent. Even when isolated thoughts in a dream arise, 163. His realization of universality that causes him always to respond to the needs of others like the tide that never fails to rise and fall. Though the thinking process stops, hearing does not end, For the faculty of hearing is beyond All thought, beyond both mind and body. In this Saha world Teaching is by voice. Living beings who cognize not hearing’s nature, Follow sound to continue transmigrating. Though Ananda memorized all that he had Heard, he could not avoid perverted thoughts. This is to fall into “samsara” by clinging to sound; Whilst reality is won against the worldly stream. Listen, Ananda, listen closely, In the name of Buddha I proclaim The Vajra King of Enlightenment, The inconceivable understanding that illusions Are unreal, the true Samadhi that begets all Buddhas. You may hear of esoteric methods From Buddhas countless as the dust, But if you cannot eradicate Desire, to hear much causes errors. To hear your very Self, why not turn backward That faculty employed to hear Buddha’s words Hearing is not of itself, But owes its name to sound. Freed from sound by turning hearing backwards, What do you call that which is disengaged When one sense organ has to its source returned, All the six senses thereby are liberated. Seeing and hearing are like optical illusions, Just as all three worlds resemble flowers in the sky. With hearing disengaged, the illusory organ vanishes; With objects eradicated, perfectly pure is Bodhi In utter purity, the bright light pervades all, With its shining stillness enfolding the great void. All worldly things, when closely looked at, Are but illusions seen in dreams. Dream-like was the Matangi maiden: How could she keep your body with her? Like a clever showman Presenting a puppet play, Though movements are many, There is but one controller. When that control is stopped, Figures show no nature. Likewise are the six organs, Derived from one alaya Which divides into six unions. If one of these returns to source, All six functions are ended. With all infection ended, Bodhi is then realized. Any defiling remnant requires further study Whereas full enlightenment is the Tathagata. Ananda and all you who listen here Should inward turn your faculty Of hearing to hear your own nature Which alone achieves Supreme Bodhi. That is how enlightenment is won. Buddhas as many as the Ganges’ sand Entered this one gateway to Nirvaõa. All past Tathagatas Have achieved this method. All Bodhisattvas now Enter this perfection. All who practise in the future On this Dharma should rely. Avalokite÷vara did not practise It alone, because through it I also passed. The Enlightened and World Honoured One Has asked about the best expedients For those in the Dharma ending age Who wish from saüsara to escape In their search for Nirvaõa’s heart. It is best to contemplate on worldly sound: All other methods are expedients Used by Buddha in particular cases To keep disciples from occasional trouble. They are not good for indiscriminate practice By men of different types. I salute the Tathagata_Store Which is beyond the worldly stream. Blessed be coming generations So that they have (abiding) faith In this easy expedient. 'Tis good for teaching Ananda And those of the Dharma ending age Who should use the hearing organ Which surpasses all others And with the True Mind accords." 041027 ... One OM... 041027 ... . (After hearing this) Ananda and the assembly (felt) their bodies and minds to be in tune with the profound teaching. To them the Buddha's Bodhi and Parinirvana were like the way home which a traveller should know well before returning from a long journey abroad. Others present, such as the eight classes of non-human beings, students of the Hearer's Vehicle and Bodhisattvas who had just developed the Bodhi Mind and whose number was countless as the sand in ten Ganges rivers, awakened to their fundamental minds, avoided defilement and won the pure Dharma eye. After hearing the gatha, Bhiksuni Self-Nature realized arhatship and an uncountable number of living beings developed the unsurpassed Samyak Sambodhi (“Annutara_Samyak_Sambodhi”) mind. http://www.prajna.nl/teksten/onderricht/soetras/shurangama.htm 041028 ... . iLink:- The_teaching_of_all_beings 041112 ... How can ... 120503 ... unhinged . 180705 what's it to you? who go blather from