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31
Tibetan / Lamdre -Dawn Of Enlightment- (PDF) Oleh Lama Choedak Yuthok
« on: 05 October 2010, 10:41:35 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Ajaran Suci dari Tradisi Sakya
Lamdre is a complete path to enlightenment = Lamdre adalah jalan lengkap menuju pencerahan
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/lamdre.pdf
Ajaran Suci dari Tradisi Sakya
Lamdre is a complete path to enlightenment = Lamdre adalah jalan lengkap menuju pencerahan
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/lamdre.pdf
32
Mahayana / The Yogaacaaraa and Maadhyamika Interpretation of the Buddha Nature
« on: 05 October 2010, 10:27:34 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
The Yogaacaaraa and Maadhyamika Interpretation of the Buddha-nature Concept in Chinese Buddhism
Ming-Wood Liu
Philosophy East and West, Volume 35, no. 2, April 1985
P.171-192
© by University of Hawaii Press
The idea of Buddha-nature was first made popular in China in the early fifth century with the translation of the Mahaayaana Mahaaparinirvaa.nasuutra (hereafter cited as MNS),(1) and since then, it has remained one of the central themes of Chinese Buddhist thought. Already in the fifth and early sixth centuries, a wide variety of theories on the Buddha-nature had begun to appear, but extant information about them remains scanty and scattered.(2) It is in the writings of Ching-ying Hui-yuan(a) (523-592) , (3) the Yogaacaarin, and in Chi-tsang(b) (549-623), the Maadhyamika, that we find the earliest available full-scale treatments of the subject. Hui-yuan and Chi-tsang hold a number of views in common with respect to the question of Buddha-nature:
(a) Both regard the Buddha-nature doctrine as among the principal tenets of Mahayana Buddhism.(4)
(b) Both accept the MNS as the final canonical authority on the problem of Buddha-nature.(5)
(c) Both affirm that all sentient beings without exception possess the Buddha-nature in the sense that every one of them will attain Buddhahood one day.(6)
Nevertheless, given their very different theoretical upbringings and doctrinal affiliations, it is inevitable that they would carry to their explanations of the Buddha-nature concept some of the basic principles and assumptions of their respective philosophical traditions. In examining and comparing the Buddha-nature teachings of Hui-yuan and Chi-tsang our present study attempts to show how the Buddha-nature concept has come to assume divergent significances when read in the context of the two main streams of thought in Mahaayaana Buddhism: Yogaacaara and Maadhyamika.
I Hui-Yuan's Teaching of Buddha-Nature (7)
Background
In calling Hui-yuan a Yogaacaarin, we have in consideration his close connection with the Ti-lun(c) and She-lun(d) schools, ( 8 ) which trace doctrinal lineages back to the Da`sabhuumikasuutra`saastra (Ti-lun) and Mahaayaanasa.mgraha`saastra (She-lun) of Vasubandhu and Asa^nga, the founders of Yogaacaara Buddhism in India, respectively. The teachings of these two schools represent the initial Chinese response to Yogaacaara thought when the latter was first imported into China in the sixth and seventh centuries,(9) their most distinctive characteristic being their belief in the existence in every sentient being of an intrinsically pure consciousness, from which evolves the entire phenomenal world which the individual experiences.(10) This belief finds its clearest expression in the writings of Hui-yuan, who declares that “All dharmas without exception originate and are formed from the true[-mind], and other than the true[-mind], there exists absolutely nothing which can give rise to false thoughts.”(11) Hui-yuan equates this true-consciousness with the aalaya or the eighth consciousness in the Yogaacaara scheme of reality,(12) and designates it with such terms as “the tathaagatagarbha,” (13) “the substance of enlightenment,” (14) “the tathataa-consciousness,” (15) and so forth. However, despite its immaculate nature, the true-consciousness gives birth to the first seven consciousnesses and their corresponding objects, that is, the entire sa.msaaric realm, due to the permeation of ignorance and bad habits accumulated from the beginningless past, like ocean forming waves when stirred by wing.(16) But just as ocean water never loses its wet nature even when assuming an undulating appearance, the true-consciousness also never forfeits its inherent purity when serving as ground for the appearance of defiled phenomena. And once ignorance is destroyed, the true-mind’s tainted functions will also cease, and it will be its unpolluted self again.(17) Thus, enlightenment in the Hui-yuan system of thought is basically the revealing of a preexistent true essence:
By “true awakening,” [we have in mind those practitioners who understand perfectly that] the true nature of enlightenment has always been the substance of their being. [In the past,] their [true-] mind was covered by false thoughts. As they were unaware of what is actually present [in themselves], they considered [the nature of enlightenment] as something external, and tried to procure it by reaching outward. Later, having brought an end to false thoughts, they apprehend fully their own [true] essence. Knowing that enlightenment has always been the substance of their being, they do not turn to outside sources to obtain it.(18)
The preceding constitutes the general conceptual framework within which Hui-yuan constructs his interpretation of the Buddha-nature tenet.(19)
What is “Buddha-Nature”?
“Buddha-nature” (fo-hsing(e)) is the Chinese translation of a number of closely related Sanskrit terms such as “buddhadhaatu,” “buddhagotra,” “buddhagarbha,” “tathaagatagarbha,” and so forth(20) and its connotation usually varies with context. In the MNS, it is primarily used to indicate what constitutes a Buddha, that is, the nature or realm of the Buddha.(21) Since Hui-yuan, like most of the theorists of the Buddha-nature of his time. takes the MNS as the point of departure of his expositions of the Buddha-nature, this explains why it comes to be associated with such apparently mutually exclusive concepts as sa.msaara and nirvana, identity and difference, being and emptiness, external and internal, and so forth in the MNS.(23) He also describes the Buddha-nature as something that “in truth trascends [all] forms and names, and can not be comprehended by thought and language. It is the object of the true knowledge which neither procures nor abandons; and embodies [all] the mysteries [pertaining to] the wonderful understanding of the holy wisdom.” (24) But unlike the MNS, in which discussions of the Buddha-nature are in general devoid of ontological implication, (25) in Hui-yuan's philosophy of true-mind, the nature of the Buddha is pictured as a metaphysical principle which all sentient beings share and which ensures their final enlightenment. This conception of Buddha-nature is clearly reflected in Hui-yuan's explanation of the four meanings of Buddha-nature, when the word “nature” is interpreted as “essence” (t'i(f)):(26)
i. The essence of the cause of Buddhahood is known as Buddha-nature. This is the true-consciousness.
ii. The essence of the fruit of Buddhahood is known as Buddha-nature. This is the dharmakaaya.
iii. The same nature of enlightenment which is present in both the cause of Buddhahood and the fruit of Buddhahood is known as Buddha-nature. While the cause and the fruit [of Buddhahood] are always distinct, their essence is not different.
The preceding three meanings constitute the “cognitive aspect” (neng-chih ksing(g) ) [of buddha-nature]. They pertain only to sentient beings and are not shared by the nonsentient.
iv. We designate in general the essence of dharmas as “nature.” This nature is perfectly comprehended by the Buddhas only. Considering the essence of dharmas as [the object of comprehension of] the Buddhas, we call it Buddha-nature.
This last meaning constitutes the “cognized aspect” (so chih hsing(h)) [of Buddha-nature]. It covers both the internal (that is, sentient beings) and the external (that is, nonsentient objects) [realms].(27) By the “cognitive” and “cognized” aspects of Buddha-nature, Hui-yuan is referring primarily to the essence of enlightenment (iii) and the essence of reality (iv). respectively; the former “pertains only to sentient beings” because only the sentient can attain enlightenment, whereas the latter covers both the realms of the sentient and the nonsentient because reality comprises inanimate as well as animate objects.(28) In the Yogaacaara teaching of Hui-yuan, the essence of enlightenment is conveived of as embodied in all sentient beings as their true-mind, which forms the metaphysical ground of their eventual deliverance from ills. So the true-mind is known as "the essence of the cause of Buddhahood" (i). When the true-mind of sentient beings is set free from its association with adventitious defilements and fully realizes its originally endowed nondefiled nature, it becomes the Buddha-body per se, that is, the dharmakaaya (ii). So the dharmakaaya is known as “the essence of the fruit of Buddhahood.” Since the true-mind and the dharmakaaya are actually two states of the same essence of enlightenment, they can be designated as “Buddha-nature” in the same manner that the essence of enliphtenment itself and the essence of reality are called the “Buddha-nature.”
All in all, we can say that in the hands of Hui-yuan, the Buddha-nature concept has been integrated into the system of thought of Yogaacaara Buddhism and as a consequence assumes distinct ontological significances which are either not found or only dimly suggested in the MNS.
Buddha-Nature qua Cause and Effect
Since the Buddha-nature indicates in the MNS the realm of the Buddha, the category of cause and effect, which pertains to the realm of conditioned existence only, is strictly speaking not applicable to it. Nevertheless, as the Buddha-nature is not yet attained by sentient beings, and sentient beings are beings of the conditioned realm, the MNS often resorts to the notions of “cause” and “effect” in discussing the fulfillment of Buddha-nature in sentient beings. This practice receives additional impetus in the thinking of Hui-yuan, for as we have seen, Hui-yuan considers the nature of the Buddha as a transcendental reality which is at once present in all beings, with life of the conditioned realm as their intrinsically pure consciousness. The MNS talks of two types of causes of Buddha-nature when the Buddha-nature is considered with respect to sentient beings:
Good sons! With respect to sentient beings, the Buddha-nature also consists of two types of causes: first, direct cause (cheng-yin(i)), and secondly, auxiliary cause (yuan-yin(j)). The direct cause [of Buddha-nature] is sentient beings, and the auxiliary cause is the six paaramitaas.(29)
With respect to the fulfillment of the Buddha-nature by sentient beings, sentient beings are the “direct causes,” for only animate creatures can assume the excellences of the Tathaagata. However, enmeshed in defilements in the realm of sa.msaara. sentient beings would not be able to reach the state of Buddhahood without first following proper religious disciplines, among the most important of which are the six paaramitaas of charity, virtuous conduct, forbearance, zeal, meditation and wisdom. So the six paaramitaas are designated as the “auxiliary causes.” Hui-yuan brings in the tenet of the true-mind in commenting on the above passage:
It is because sentient beings are formed of [both aspects of] the true and the false, just as mineral stones [are constituted of both earth and mineral]. As [sentient beings] are formed of [both aspects of] the true and the false, [their true aspect] can act as the basis of the abandoning. of defilements and the achieving of pure virtues. So they are described as “direct causes.” Since [the functions of] the various paaramitaas are limited to the revealing of the true [aspect] by bringing to an end the false [aspect]. they are referred to as “auxiliary causes.”(30)
While the MNS regards sentient beings in general to be the direct cause of Buddha-nature because only beings with life can assume the excellences of the Buddha, it remains entirely indefinite with respect to the metaphysical ground of this belief.(31) Hui-yuan gives this thesis of universal enlightenment of the sentient of the MNS a definite ontological twist by linking it with the idea of the two aspects of the mind made famous by the Ta-ch'eng ch'i-hsin lun(k).(32) Since the mind of sentient beings possesses a true aspect, that is, the true-mind, it “can act as the basis of the abandoning of defilements and the achieving of pure virtues.” That explains why sentient beings are called “direct causes” of Buddha-nature. While the mind of sentient beings is true in essence, it comes to assume a false aspect due to the permeation of ignorance, and so needs the practising of the six paaramitaas to recover its original purity. So the six paaramitaas are called the “auxiliary causes.” The six paaramitaas are called “auxiliary,” because they do not create but only “reveal” the nature of enlightenment which is immanent.
Besides the thesis of the two types of causes of Buddha-nature, the analysis of the Buddha-nature in the MNS into “cause,” “cause vis-a-vis cause,” “effect,” “effect vis-a-vis effect,” and “neither cause nor effect” also receives considerable attention from posterity:
Good sons! The Buddha-nature has [the aspects of] cause, cause vis-a-vis cause, effect, and effect vis-a-vis effect. The cause is the twelvefold chain of dependent origination, the cause vis-a-vis cause is wisdom, the effect is the mose perfect enlightenment, and thhe effect vis-a-vis effect is the supreme nirvaa.na....As for to be “neither cause nor effect,” it is what is known as the Buddha-nature.(33)
Hui-yuan again resorts to the idea of the true-mind in explaining why the twelvefold chain of dependent origination (Buddha-nature qua “cause”) can be described as the “cause” of the supreme nirvaa.na (Buddha-nature qua “effect vis-a-vis effect”):
[THe realm of] dependent origination is formed of [both aspects of] the true and the false. Viewed from [the aspect of] the false, it is the creation of the false mind. Being illusory and empty, it[can]not be called Buddha-nature. Viewed from [the aspect of] the true, it is totally the product of the true mind.... Since it is formed from the true[-mind], the complete disclosure of its real substance is known as nirvaa.na. So [the realm of dependent origination] can be taken as the cause [of nirvaa.na]. And as the cause [of nirvaa.na], it can be called [Buddha-] nature.(34)
Since the mind of sentient beings comprises the double aspect of the true and the false, the sa.msaaric realm of dependent origination, which is regarded in Yogaacaara Buddhism as formation of the mind,(35) also shares the same feature. On the on hand, the realm of dependent origination is false, for it stems directly from the activities of the false aspect of the mind, and is in nature “illusory and empty.” On the other hand, the realm of dependent origination is true, for the false aspect of the mind from which it originates arises in turn dependent origination has as true aspect, and so ultimately speaking, the realm of dependent origination has as its “real substance” the true aspect of the mind, that is, in the true-mind. In Hui-yuan's opinion, when the MNS calls the twelvefold chain of dependent origination the “Buddha-nature qua cause” and gives as its “effect” and “effect vis-a-vis effect” the most perfect enlightenment and nirvaa.na, it has in view this “true-mind” which is its “real substance.”
Buddha-Nature and the Phenomenal World
Our discussions thus far have shown that the term "Buddha-nature" is employed by Hui-yuan not only to indicate the nature of the Buddha per se as in the MNS, but also to denote this nature in its capacity as the true essence of man, that is, as the intrinsically pure mind.(36) If we remember that in the Yogaacaara teaching of Hui-yuan the intrinsically pure mind is given as the origin of the phenomenal world as well as the ontological basis of enlightenment, (37) it would not be g to find Hui-yuan telling us that the Buddha-nature is the cause of both sa.msaara and nirvaa.na,(38) and that all forms of existence, be they soiled or unsoiled, are the creations of the "Buddha-nature as the true-mind" (fo-hsing chen-hsin(l)).(39)
The idea that the Buddha-nature as the true-mind is the source of the false phenomenal order is clearly brought out in Hui-yuan's division of Buddha-nature into the three aspects of "substance" (t'i(f) ) , "characteristic" (hsiang(m) ) , and "function" (yung(n)), in which the Buddha-nature is said to have defiled as well as pure functions:
As is taught by A`svagho.sa [in the Ta-ch'eng ch'i-hsin lun, the Buddha-nature can be] divided into three aspects according to its substance, characteristic, and function:
i. Greatness of "substance," that is, the nature of the tathataa.
ii. Greatness of"characteristic, " that is, the excellent qualities more numerous than the sand of the Ganges embodied in the tathataa.
iii. greatness of "function," that, the defiled and pure functions of the dharmad-haatu all arising from the pure mind.(40)
As this scheme of"substance," "characteristic," and "function" is first proposed in the Ta-ch'eng ch'i-hsin lun as analysis of the mind,(41) and is often used by Hui-yuan in his writings as such,(42) We can safely conclude that by "Buddha-nature" in the above quotation, Hui-yuan has none other than the original true-mind of sentient beings under consideration. While the true-mind is in "substance" the essence of the Tathataa and has as its "characteristic" innumerable merits, it is nevertheless not immune from the influence of ignorance, and it is due to the permeation of ignorance that it gives rise to defiled "functions" and becomes the source of the formation of impure phenomena. So Hui-yuan writes of the two forms of false functions of the true mind:
i. The function of ground and support: The tathaagathagarbha is the ground of the defiled and can support the defiled. If there is not the true [mind], defiled [phenomena] will not subsist....
ii. The function of origination: Formerly, [the true-mind] does not produce the defiled even while existing in the midst of defilements. Now, it unites with falsehood (that is. ignorance) and gives rise to defiled [phenomena], just as water fives rise to waves in response to wind.(43)
"The function of ground and support" denotes the true-mind as the underlying substance which accounts for the subsistence of the defiled phenomenal order. "The function of origination" denotes the true-mind as the fountainhead from which the defiled phenomenal order proceeds. Together, they teach that the impure has its root in the pure, and the nature of enlightenment, that is, the Buddha-nature, is what makes the existence of the world of sa.msaara possible.
The Yogaacaaraa and Maadhyamika Interpretation of the Buddha-nature Concept in Chinese Buddhism
Ming-Wood Liu
Philosophy East and West, Volume 35, no. 2, April 1985
P.171-192
© by University of Hawaii Press
The idea of Buddha-nature was first made popular in China in the early fifth century with the translation of the Mahaayaana Mahaaparinirvaa.nasuutra (hereafter cited as MNS),(1) and since then, it has remained one of the central themes of Chinese Buddhist thought. Already in the fifth and early sixth centuries, a wide variety of theories on the Buddha-nature had begun to appear, but extant information about them remains scanty and scattered.(2) It is in the writings of Ching-ying Hui-yuan(a) (523-592) , (3) the Yogaacaarin, and in Chi-tsang(b) (549-623), the Maadhyamika, that we find the earliest available full-scale treatments of the subject. Hui-yuan and Chi-tsang hold a number of views in common with respect to the question of Buddha-nature:
(a) Both regard the Buddha-nature doctrine as among the principal tenets of Mahayana Buddhism.(4)
(b) Both accept the MNS as the final canonical authority on the problem of Buddha-nature.(5)
(c) Both affirm that all sentient beings without exception possess the Buddha-nature in the sense that every one of them will attain Buddhahood one day.(6)
Nevertheless, given their very different theoretical upbringings and doctrinal affiliations, it is inevitable that they would carry to their explanations of the Buddha-nature concept some of the basic principles and assumptions of their respective philosophical traditions. In examining and comparing the Buddha-nature teachings of Hui-yuan and Chi-tsang our present study attempts to show how the Buddha-nature concept has come to assume divergent significances when read in the context of the two main streams of thought in Mahaayaana Buddhism: Yogaacaara and Maadhyamika.
I Hui-Yuan's Teaching of Buddha-Nature (7)
Background
In calling Hui-yuan a Yogaacaarin, we have in consideration his close connection with the Ti-lun(c) and She-lun(d) schools, ( 8 ) which trace doctrinal lineages back to the Da`sabhuumikasuutra`saastra (Ti-lun) and Mahaayaanasa.mgraha`saastra (She-lun) of Vasubandhu and Asa^nga, the founders of Yogaacaara Buddhism in India, respectively. The teachings of these two schools represent the initial Chinese response to Yogaacaara thought when the latter was first imported into China in the sixth and seventh centuries,(9) their most distinctive characteristic being their belief in the existence in every sentient being of an intrinsically pure consciousness, from which evolves the entire phenomenal world which the individual experiences.(10) This belief finds its clearest expression in the writings of Hui-yuan, who declares that “All dharmas without exception originate and are formed from the true[-mind], and other than the true[-mind], there exists absolutely nothing which can give rise to false thoughts.”(11) Hui-yuan equates this true-consciousness with the aalaya or the eighth consciousness in the Yogaacaara scheme of reality,(12) and designates it with such terms as “the tathaagatagarbha,” (13) “the substance of enlightenment,” (14) “the tathataa-consciousness,” (15) and so forth. However, despite its immaculate nature, the true-consciousness gives birth to the first seven consciousnesses and their corresponding objects, that is, the entire sa.msaaric realm, due to the permeation of ignorance and bad habits accumulated from the beginningless past, like ocean forming waves when stirred by wing.(16) But just as ocean water never loses its wet nature even when assuming an undulating appearance, the true-consciousness also never forfeits its inherent purity when serving as ground for the appearance of defiled phenomena. And once ignorance is destroyed, the true-mind’s tainted functions will also cease, and it will be its unpolluted self again.(17) Thus, enlightenment in the Hui-yuan system of thought is basically the revealing of a preexistent true essence:
By “true awakening,” [we have in mind those practitioners who understand perfectly that] the true nature of enlightenment has always been the substance of their being. [In the past,] their [true-] mind was covered by false thoughts. As they were unaware of what is actually present [in themselves], they considered [the nature of enlightenment] as something external, and tried to procure it by reaching outward. Later, having brought an end to false thoughts, they apprehend fully their own [true] essence. Knowing that enlightenment has always been the substance of their being, they do not turn to outside sources to obtain it.(18)
The preceding constitutes the general conceptual framework within which Hui-yuan constructs his interpretation of the Buddha-nature tenet.(19)
What is “Buddha-Nature”?
“Buddha-nature” (fo-hsing(e)) is the Chinese translation of a number of closely related Sanskrit terms such as “buddhadhaatu,” “buddhagotra,” “buddhagarbha,” “tathaagatagarbha,” and so forth(20) and its connotation usually varies with context. In the MNS, it is primarily used to indicate what constitutes a Buddha, that is, the nature or realm of the Buddha.(21) Since Hui-yuan, like most of the theorists of the Buddha-nature of his time. takes the MNS as the point of departure of his expositions of the Buddha-nature, this explains why it comes to be associated with such apparently mutually exclusive concepts as sa.msaara and nirvana, identity and difference, being and emptiness, external and internal, and so forth in the MNS.(23) He also describes the Buddha-nature as something that “in truth trascends [all] forms and names, and can not be comprehended by thought and language. It is the object of the true knowledge which neither procures nor abandons; and embodies [all] the mysteries [pertaining to] the wonderful understanding of the holy wisdom.” (24) But unlike the MNS, in which discussions of the Buddha-nature are in general devoid of ontological implication, (25) in Hui-yuan's philosophy of true-mind, the nature of the Buddha is pictured as a metaphysical principle which all sentient beings share and which ensures their final enlightenment. This conception of Buddha-nature is clearly reflected in Hui-yuan's explanation of the four meanings of Buddha-nature, when the word “nature” is interpreted as “essence” (t'i(f)):(26)
i. The essence of the cause of Buddhahood is known as Buddha-nature. This is the true-consciousness.
ii. The essence of the fruit of Buddhahood is known as Buddha-nature. This is the dharmakaaya.
iii. The same nature of enlightenment which is present in both the cause of Buddhahood and the fruit of Buddhahood is known as Buddha-nature. While the cause and the fruit [of Buddhahood] are always distinct, their essence is not different.
The preceding three meanings constitute the “cognitive aspect” (neng-chih ksing(g) ) [of buddha-nature]. They pertain only to sentient beings and are not shared by the nonsentient.
iv. We designate in general the essence of dharmas as “nature.” This nature is perfectly comprehended by the Buddhas only. Considering the essence of dharmas as [the object of comprehension of] the Buddhas, we call it Buddha-nature.
This last meaning constitutes the “cognized aspect” (so chih hsing(h)) [of Buddha-nature]. It covers both the internal (that is, sentient beings) and the external (that is, nonsentient objects) [realms].(27) By the “cognitive” and “cognized” aspects of Buddha-nature, Hui-yuan is referring primarily to the essence of enlightenment (iii) and the essence of reality (iv). respectively; the former “pertains only to sentient beings” because only the sentient can attain enlightenment, whereas the latter covers both the realms of the sentient and the nonsentient because reality comprises inanimate as well as animate objects.(28) In the Yogaacaara teaching of Hui-yuan, the essence of enlightenment is conveived of as embodied in all sentient beings as their true-mind, which forms the metaphysical ground of their eventual deliverance from ills. So the true-mind is known as "the essence of the cause of Buddhahood" (i). When the true-mind of sentient beings is set free from its association with adventitious defilements and fully realizes its originally endowed nondefiled nature, it becomes the Buddha-body per se, that is, the dharmakaaya (ii). So the dharmakaaya is known as “the essence of the fruit of Buddhahood.” Since the true-mind and the dharmakaaya are actually two states of the same essence of enlightenment, they can be designated as “Buddha-nature” in the same manner that the essence of enliphtenment itself and the essence of reality are called the “Buddha-nature.”
All in all, we can say that in the hands of Hui-yuan, the Buddha-nature concept has been integrated into the system of thought of Yogaacaara Buddhism and as a consequence assumes distinct ontological significances which are either not found or only dimly suggested in the MNS.
Buddha-Nature qua Cause and Effect
Since the Buddha-nature indicates in the MNS the realm of the Buddha, the category of cause and effect, which pertains to the realm of conditioned existence only, is strictly speaking not applicable to it. Nevertheless, as the Buddha-nature is not yet attained by sentient beings, and sentient beings are beings of the conditioned realm, the MNS often resorts to the notions of “cause” and “effect” in discussing the fulfillment of Buddha-nature in sentient beings. This practice receives additional impetus in the thinking of Hui-yuan, for as we have seen, Hui-yuan considers the nature of the Buddha as a transcendental reality which is at once present in all beings, with life of the conditioned realm as their intrinsically pure consciousness. The MNS talks of two types of causes of Buddha-nature when the Buddha-nature is considered with respect to sentient beings:
Good sons! With respect to sentient beings, the Buddha-nature also consists of two types of causes: first, direct cause (cheng-yin(i)), and secondly, auxiliary cause (yuan-yin(j)). The direct cause [of Buddha-nature] is sentient beings, and the auxiliary cause is the six paaramitaas.(29)
With respect to the fulfillment of the Buddha-nature by sentient beings, sentient beings are the “direct causes,” for only animate creatures can assume the excellences of the Tathaagata. However, enmeshed in defilements in the realm of sa.msaara. sentient beings would not be able to reach the state of Buddhahood without first following proper religious disciplines, among the most important of which are the six paaramitaas of charity, virtuous conduct, forbearance, zeal, meditation and wisdom. So the six paaramitaas are designated as the “auxiliary causes.” Hui-yuan brings in the tenet of the true-mind in commenting on the above passage:
It is because sentient beings are formed of [both aspects of] the true and the false, just as mineral stones [are constituted of both earth and mineral]. As [sentient beings] are formed of [both aspects of] the true and the false, [their true aspect] can act as the basis of the abandoning. of defilements and the achieving of pure virtues. So they are described as “direct causes.” Since [the functions of] the various paaramitaas are limited to the revealing of the true [aspect] by bringing to an end the false [aspect]. they are referred to as “auxiliary causes.”(30)
While the MNS regards sentient beings in general to be the direct cause of Buddha-nature because only beings with life can assume the excellences of the Buddha, it remains entirely indefinite with respect to the metaphysical ground of this belief.(31) Hui-yuan gives this thesis of universal enlightenment of the sentient of the MNS a definite ontological twist by linking it with the idea of the two aspects of the mind made famous by the Ta-ch'eng ch'i-hsin lun(k).(32) Since the mind of sentient beings possesses a true aspect, that is, the true-mind, it “can act as the basis of the abandoning of defilements and the achieving of pure virtues.” That explains why sentient beings are called “direct causes” of Buddha-nature. While the mind of sentient beings is true in essence, it comes to assume a false aspect due to the permeation of ignorance, and so needs the practising of the six paaramitaas to recover its original purity. So the six paaramitaas are called the “auxiliary causes.” The six paaramitaas are called “auxiliary,” because they do not create but only “reveal” the nature of enlightenment which is immanent.
Besides the thesis of the two types of causes of Buddha-nature, the analysis of the Buddha-nature in the MNS into “cause,” “cause vis-a-vis cause,” “effect,” “effect vis-a-vis effect,” and “neither cause nor effect” also receives considerable attention from posterity:
Good sons! The Buddha-nature has [the aspects of] cause, cause vis-a-vis cause, effect, and effect vis-a-vis effect. The cause is the twelvefold chain of dependent origination, the cause vis-a-vis cause is wisdom, the effect is the mose perfect enlightenment, and thhe effect vis-a-vis effect is the supreme nirvaa.na....As for to be “neither cause nor effect,” it is what is known as the Buddha-nature.(33)
Hui-yuan again resorts to the idea of the true-mind in explaining why the twelvefold chain of dependent origination (Buddha-nature qua “cause”) can be described as the “cause” of the supreme nirvaa.na (Buddha-nature qua “effect vis-a-vis effect”):
[THe realm of] dependent origination is formed of [both aspects of] the true and the false. Viewed from [the aspect of] the false, it is the creation of the false mind. Being illusory and empty, it[can]not be called Buddha-nature. Viewed from [the aspect of] the true, it is totally the product of the true mind.... Since it is formed from the true[-mind], the complete disclosure of its real substance is known as nirvaa.na. So [the realm of dependent origination] can be taken as the cause [of nirvaa.na]. And as the cause [of nirvaa.na], it can be called [Buddha-] nature.(34)
Since the mind of sentient beings comprises the double aspect of the true and the false, the sa.msaaric realm of dependent origination, which is regarded in Yogaacaara Buddhism as formation of the mind,(35) also shares the same feature. On the on hand, the realm of dependent origination is false, for it stems directly from the activities of the false aspect of the mind, and is in nature “illusory and empty.” On the other hand, the realm of dependent origination is true, for the false aspect of the mind from which it originates arises in turn dependent origination has as true aspect, and so ultimately speaking, the realm of dependent origination has as its “real substance” the true aspect of the mind, that is, in the true-mind. In Hui-yuan's opinion, when the MNS calls the twelvefold chain of dependent origination the “Buddha-nature qua cause” and gives as its “effect” and “effect vis-a-vis effect” the most perfect enlightenment and nirvaa.na, it has in view this “true-mind” which is its “real substance.”
Buddha-Nature and the Phenomenal World
Our discussions thus far have shown that the term "Buddha-nature" is employed by Hui-yuan not only to indicate the nature of the Buddha per se as in the MNS, but also to denote this nature in its capacity as the true essence of man, that is, as the intrinsically pure mind.(36) If we remember that in the Yogaacaara teaching of Hui-yuan the intrinsically pure mind is given as the origin of the phenomenal world as well as the ontological basis of enlightenment, (37) it would not be g to find Hui-yuan telling us that the Buddha-nature is the cause of both sa.msaara and nirvaa.na,(38) and that all forms of existence, be they soiled or unsoiled, are the creations of the "Buddha-nature as the true-mind" (fo-hsing chen-hsin(l)).(39)
The idea that the Buddha-nature as the true-mind is the source of the false phenomenal order is clearly brought out in Hui-yuan's division of Buddha-nature into the three aspects of "substance" (t'i(f) ) , "characteristic" (hsiang(m) ) , and "function" (yung(n)), in which the Buddha-nature is said to have defiled as well as pure functions:
As is taught by A`svagho.sa [in the Ta-ch'eng ch'i-hsin lun, the Buddha-nature can be] divided into three aspects according to its substance, characteristic, and function:
i. Greatness of "substance," that is, the nature of the tathataa.
ii. Greatness of"characteristic, " that is, the excellent qualities more numerous than the sand of the Ganges embodied in the tathataa.
iii. greatness of "function," that, the defiled and pure functions of the dharmad-haatu all arising from the pure mind.(40)
As this scheme of"substance," "characteristic," and "function" is first proposed in the Ta-ch'eng ch'i-hsin lun as analysis of the mind,(41) and is often used by Hui-yuan in his writings as such,(42) We can safely conclude that by "Buddha-nature" in the above quotation, Hui-yuan has none other than the original true-mind of sentient beings under consideration. While the true-mind is in "substance" the essence of the Tathataa and has as its "characteristic" innumerable merits, it is nevertheless not immune from the influence of ignorance, and it is due to the permeation of ignorance that it gives rise to defiled "functions" and becomes the source of the formation of impure phenomena. So Hui-yuan writes of the two forms of false functions of the true mind:
i. The function of ground and support: The tathaagathagarbha is the ground of the defiled and can support the defiled. If there is not the true [mind], defiled [phenomena] will not subsist....
ii. The function of origination: Formerly, [the true-mind] does not produce the defiled even while existing in the midst of defilements. Now, it unites with falsehood (that is. ignorance) and gives rise to defiled [phenomena], just as water fives rise to waves in response to wind.(43)
"The function of ground and support" denotes the true-mind as the underlying substance which accounts for the subsistence of the defiled phenomenal order. "The function of origination" denotes the true-mind as the fountainhead from which the defiled phenomenal order proceeds. Together, they teach that the impure has its root in the pure, and the nature of enlightenment, that is, the Buddha-nature, is what makes the existence of the world of sa.msaara possible.
33
Mahayana / PDF Ajaran Mahayana
« on: 05 October 2010, 10:02:28 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Karya Dr. Peter Della Santina ini sungguh bagus, padat dan lengkap.
Membahas perkembangan Ajaran Sang Buddha Sakyamuni mulai dari awal sampai akhir.
Penulis buku ini juga seorang siswa dari HH YA. Sakya Trizin
Garis besar buku ini :
1. The Fundamentals Of Buddhism
2. The Mahayana
3. The Vajrayana
4. The Abhidharma
Langsung Unduh dan Baca :
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/tree-enlightenment.pdf
Karya Dr. Peter Della Santina ini sungguh bagus, padat dan lengkap.
Membahas perkembangan Ajaran Sang Buddha Sakyamuni mulai dari awal sampai akhir.
Penulis buku ini juga seorang siswa dari HH YA. Sakya Trizin
Garis besar buku ini :
1. The Fundamentals Of Buddhism
2. The Mahayana
3. The Vajrayana
4. The Abhidharma
Langsung Unduh dan Baca :
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/tree-enlightenment.pdf
34
Chan atau Zen / Pure Land Zen, Zen Pure land (PDF) Oleh Patriarch Yin Kuang
« on: 05 October 2010, 09:38:38 PM »35
Bantuan Teknis, kritik dan saran. / Global Moderator Kemenyan merubah judul thread tanpa alasan yang kuat
« on: 03 October 2010, 12:46:05 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Saya membuat thread di Diskusi Umum dengan judul "Ada Atman dalam Agama Buddha" tetapi tanpa alasan yang kuat diubah oleh saudara Global Moderator Kemenyan menjadi "Adakah Atman dalam Agama Buddha".
Saya merasa ini tidaklah adil karena Diskusi Umum menampung 2 aliran (Theravada dan Mahayana) dengan posisi yang seimbang, akan tetapi saudara Kemenyan menggunakan ajaran dari salah satu aliran saja sehingga terkesan pilih kasih.
Mohon kepada yang berwenang untuk menegur saudara Global Moderator Kemenyan dan mengembalikan judul thread ke "Ada Atman dalam Agama Buddha".
Saya membuat thread di Diskusi Umum dengan judul "Ada Atman dalam Agama Buddha" tetapi tanpa alasan yang kuat diubah oleh saudara Global Moderator Kemenyan menjadi "Adakah Atman dalam Agama Buddha".
Saya merasa ini tidaklah adil karena Diskusi Umum menampung 2 aliran (Theravada dan Mahayana) dengan posisi yang seimbang, akan tetapi saudara Kemenyan menggunakan ajaran dari salah satu aliran saja sehingga terkesan pilih kasih.
Mohon kepada yang berwenang untuk menegur saudara Global Moderator Kemenyan dan mengembalikan judul thread ke "Ada Atman dalam Agama Buddha".
36
Diskusi Umum / Adakah Atman dalam Agama Buddha ?
« on: 26 September 2010, 07:29:51 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Sebelumnya saya telah membuat post yang juga membahas Atman dalam Agama Buddha dan Hindu (Agama Buddha dan Agama Hindu kesamaan dan perbedaan. (Mari kita diskusi) ) di thread Agama dan Kepercayaan lainnya.
Kali ini saya akan fokus pada Atman dalam Agama Buddha saja.
Silahkan didebat, kritik, saran.
[gmod]Kemenyan:Title: Ada Atman dalam Agama Buddha -> Adakah Atman dalam Agama Buddha ?[/gmod]
Sebelumnya saya telah membuat post yang juga membahas Atman dalam Agama Buddha dan Hindu (Agama Buddha dan Agama Hindu kesamaan dan perbedaan. (Mari kita diskusi) ) di thread Agama dan Kepercayaan lainnya.
Kali ini saya akan fokus pada Atman dalam Agama Buddha saja.
Silahkan didebat, kritik, saran.
[gmod]Kemenyan:Title: Ada Atman dalam Agama Buddha -> Adakah Atman dalam Agama Buddha ?[/gmod]
37
Sains / Kemana Api setelah ia padam ? Mohon bantuan ahlinya disini
« on: 26 September 2010, 03:44:56 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Kemana Api setelah ia padam ? Mohon bantuan ahlinya
Kemana Api setelah ia padam ? Mohon bantuan ahlinya
38
Buddhisme dengan Agama, Kepercayaan, Tradisi dan Filsafat Lain / Agama Buddha dan Agama Hindu kesamaan dan perbedaan. (Mari kita diskusi)
« on: 20 September 2010, 06:26:26 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Saya membuat topik ini karena setelah banyak membaca literatur Agama Hindu saya menemukan banyak sekali kesamaan dengan Agama Buddha bahkan bisa dibilang sama namun hanya berbeda dalam bahasa saja tapi tidak dalam arti.
Saya mengajak kawan-kawan semua untuk berdiskusi disini tetapi mohon tetap dalam koridor etika yang telah disepakati sehingga tidak menyinggung umat Agama Hindu.
Terima kasih banyak untuk partisipasinya.
Saya membuat topik ini karena setelah banyak membaca literatur Agama Hindu saya menemukan banyak sekali kesamaan dengan Agama Buddha bahkan bisa dibilang sama namun hanya berbeda dalam bahasa saja tapi tidak dalam arti.
Saya mengajak kawan-kawan semua untuk berdiskusi disini tetapi mohon tetap dalam koridor etika yang telah disepakati sehingga tidak menyinggung umat Agama Hindu.
Terima kasih banyak untuk partisipasinya.
39
Mahayana / Bulletin Dharma dari Potowa Centre Indonesia
« on: 27 April 2010, 12:43:42 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Kawan-kawan semua ini ada Bulletin Dharma dari Potowa Centre Indonesia yang dapat diunduh dengan topik-topik menarik sebagai berikut :
Edisi 15 April-Juli 2010_Menghadapi Hal-hal Yang tidak Disukai
Edisi 14 Juli-Agst 2009_Pernikahan Yang Bermakna
Edisi 13 Feb-Mar 2009_Kemarahan
Edisi 12 Jul-Sep 2008_Positif atau Negatif Tergantung Interpretasi Tiap Individu
Edisi 11 Apr-Jun 2008_Citta Anda Agama Anda
Edisi 10 Jan-Mar 2008_Empat Kenyataan Para Arya
Edisi 09 Jul-Sep 2007_Empat Cara Mengumpulkan Potensi-potensi Positif
Edisi 08 Jan-Mar 2007_Makna Om Mani Padme Hum
Edisi 07 Oct-Dec 2006_Menunggangi Emosi
Edisi 06 Jun-Jul 2005_Buddha Rupang
Edisi 05 Apr-Mei 2005_Makna Doa
Edisi 04 Nov-Dec 2004_Krim Cokelat dan Sampah
Edisi 03 Mei-Jun 2004_Buddhadharma Dalam Masyarakat Modern
Edisi 02 Mar-Apr 2004_Cara Hidup yang Bahagia dan Bermakna
Edisi 01 Jan-Feb 2004_Menemukan Jati Diri Melalui Buddhadharma
Kawan-kawan semua ini ada Bulletin Dharma dari Potowa Centre Indonesia yang dapat diunduh dengan topik-topik menarik sebagai berikut :
Edisi 15 April-Juli 2010_Menghadapi Hal-hal Yang tidak Disukai
Edisi 14 Juli-Agst 2009_Pernikahan Yang Bermakna
Edisi 13 Feb-Mar 2009_Kemarahan
Edisi 12 Jul-Sep 2008_Positif atau Negatif Tergantung Interpretasi Tiap Individu
Edisi 11 Apr-Jun 2008_Citta Anda Agama Anda
Edisi 10 Jan-Mar 2008_Empat Kenyataan Para Arya
Edisi 09 Jul-Sep 2007_Empat Cara Mengumpulkan Potensi-potensi Positif
Edisi 08 Jan-Mar 2007_Makna Om Mani Padme Hum
Edisi 07 Oct-Dec 2006_Menunggangi Emosi
Edisi 06 Jun-Jul 2005_Buddha Rupang
Edisi 05 Apr-Mei 2005_Makna Doa
Edisi 04 Nov-Dec 2004_Krim Cokelat dan Sampah
Edisi 03 Mei-Jun 2004_Buddhadharma Dalam Masyarakat Modern
Edisi 02 Mar-Apr 2004_Cara Hidup yang Bahagia dan Bermakna
Edisi 01 Jan-Feb 2004_Menemukan Jati Diri Melalui Buddhadharma
40
Sutra Mahayana / Golden Light Sutra (Indonesia) Lengkap oleh Potowa Centre
« on: 16 January 2010, 01:00:45 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Golden Light Sutra (Indonesia) Lengkap oleh Potowa Centre :
http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/pdf/Golden%20Light_Sutra_Indo_Dec%202009.pdf
Yth Admin Dhammacitta :
Postingan tentang Golden Light Sutra belum ada di ruang ini jadi mohon kepada Yth Admin untuk tidak dihapus. Postingan Manfaat Golden Light Sutra di ruang umum saya kira sudah benar dan untuk mengunduh Golden Light Sutra sebaiknya diruang Sutra Mahayana, demikian pendapat saya dan mohon untuk diijinkan memposting Golden Light Sutra di ruang ini. Terima kasih
Golden Light Sutra (Indonesia) Lengkap oleh Potowa Centre :
http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/pdf/Golden%20Light_Sutra_Indo_Dec%202009.pdf
Yth Admin Dhammacitta :
Postingan tentang Golden Light Sutra belum ada di ruang ini jadi mohon kepada Yth Admin untuk tidak dihapus. Postingan Manfaat Golden Light Sutra di ruang umum saya kira sudah benar dan untuk mengunduh Golden Light Sutra sebaiknya diruang Sutra Mahayana, demikian pendapat saya dan mohon untuk diijinkan memposting Golden Light Sutra di ruang ini. Terima kasih
41
Mahayana / Manfaat dari Golden Light Sutra (Indonesia) Lengkap oleh Potowa Centre
« on: 15 January 2010, 01:22:29 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Manfaat dari Golden Light Sutra (Indonesia) Lengkap oleh Potowa Centre :
http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/pdf/Golden%20Light_benefits_Indo_Dec%202009.pdf
Golden Light Sutra sudah saya posting di bagian Sutra Mahayana demi kerapihan forum tercinta ini, silahkan dikunjungi dan diunduh.
Manfaat dari Golden Light Sutra (Indonesia) Lengkap oleh Potowa Centre :
http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/pdf/Golden%20Light_benefits_Indo_Dec%202009.pdf
Golden Light Sutra sudah saya posting di bagian Sutra Mahayana demi kerapihan forum tercinta ini, silahkan dikunjungi dan diunduh.
42
Mahayana / Studi Lankavatara Sutra
« on: 15 January 2010, 12:47:07 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Ini adalah pendalaman dan kajian lengkap oleh D.T Suzuki atas Arya Lankavatara Sutra :
http://lirs.ru/do/lanka_eng/Suzuki_Studies_in_the_Lankavatara.pdf
Untuk Arya Lankavatara Sutra bisa dilihat dan diunduh di bagian Sutra Mahayana, sudah saya posting di sana demi kerapihan forum.
Ini adalah pendalaman dan kajian lengkap oleh D.T Suzuki atas Arya Lankavatara Sutra :
http://lirs.ru/do/lanka_eng/Suzuki_Studies_in_the_Lankavatara.pdf
Untuk Arya Lankavatara Sutra bisa dilihat dan diunduh di bagian Sutra Mahayana, sudah saya posting di sana demi kerapihan forum.
43
Sutra Mahayana / Arya Lankavatara Sutra (Inggris) Lengkap oleh D.T Suzuki
« on: 15 January 2010, 12:39:08 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Arya Lankavatara Sutra (Inggris) Lengkap oleh D.T Suzuki :
http://lirs.ru/do/lanka_eng/Lankavatara_Suzuki,Mahayana,Routledge_1956,161pp.pdf
Arya Lankavatara Sutra (Inggris) Lengkap oleh D.T Suzuki :
http://lirs.ru/do/lanka_eng/Lankavatara_Suzuki,Mahayana,Routledge_1956,161pp.pdf
44
Sutra Mahayana / Arya Sanghata Sutra (Indonesia) Lengkap oleh Potowa Centre
« on: 15 January 2010, 12:33:12 PM »
Namo Buddhaya,
Kabar gembira, sudah tersedia terjemahan lengkap Arya Sanghata Sutra dalam bahasa Indonesia oleh Potowa Centre, silahkan diunduh :
http://www.sanghatasutra.net/translations_bahasa.html
Kabar gembira, sudah tersedia terjemahan lengkap Arya Sanghata Sutra dalam bahasa Indonesia oleh Potowa Centre, silahkan diunduh :
http://www.sanghatasutra.net/translations_bahasa.html
45
Chan atau Zen / The Zen Teachings of Huang-po
« on: 23 August 2009, 10:39:25 AM »
Namo Buddhaya,
The Dharma of Mind Transmission:
Zen Teachings of Huang-po
Contents
Introduction
The Preface of P'ei Hsiu
The Chung-Ling Record
The Wan-Ling Record
A Gatha by P'ei Hsiu
Postscript
Introduction
The Mind is neither large nor small; it is located neither within nor without. It should not be thought about by the mind nor be discussed by the mouth. Ordinarily, it is said that we use the Mind to transmit the Mind, or that we use the Mind to seal the Mind. Actually, however, in transmitting the Mind, there is really no Mind to receive or obtain; and in sealing the Mind, there is really no Mind to seal. If this is the case, then does the Mind exist or does it not exist? Actually, it cannot be said with certainty that the Mind either exists or does not exist, for it is Absolute Reality. This is expressed in the Ch'an Sect by the maxim: "If you open your mouth, you are wrong. If you give rise to a single thought, you are in error." So, if you can quiet your thinking totally, all that remains is voidness and stillness.
The Mind is Buddha; Buddha is the Mind. All sentient beings and all Buddhas have the same Mind, which is without boundaries and void, without name and form and is immeasurable.
What is your Original Face and what is Hua-Tou? Your Original Face is without discrimination. Hua-Tou is the Reality before the arising of a single thought. When this Mind is enlightened, it is the Buddha; but when it is confused, it remains only the mind of sentient beings.
The Ch'an Master Huang-po Tuan-Chi was a major Dharma descendent of the Sixth Patriarch and was the Dharma-son of the Ch'an Master Pai-Chang. He was enlightened by the Supreme Vehicle to realize the Truth. Transmission of Mind is this alone ? nothing else!
The Dharma of Mind Transmission, the teaching of Ch'an Master Huang-po Tuan-Chi, is a cover-title that includes both The Chung-Ling Record and The Wan-Ling Record. These Records are sermons and dialogues of the Master that were collected and recorded by his eminent follower P'ei Hsiu. Both a government official and great scholar, P'ei Hsiu set down what he could recollect of the Master's teaching in 857 C.E., during the T'ang Dynasty, eight years after the Master's death (ca. 850 C. E. ), fifteen years after his first period of instruction by the Master at a temple near Chung Ling (842 C.E.), and nine years after his second period of instruction at a temple near Wan Ling (848 C.E.). The Records were presumably edited and published somewhat later in the T'ang Dynasty by an unknown person, and they contain a "Preface" by the recorder, P'ei Hsiu.
I would like to say to all present and future students of the Dharma, both in the East and in the West, and to all my good friends: If you want to practice, you should practice just as this Ch'an Master Huang-po Tuan-Chi did. Then you, too, can realize Sudden Enlightenment.
Dharma Master Lok To
Young Men's Buddhist Association of America
Bronx, New York
December, 1985 Note: To help the reader, a glossary of Sanskrit terms has been included at the end of the text.
The Preface of P'ei Hsiu
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The great Ch'an Master, whose Dharma-name was Hsi Yun, resided below Vulture Peak on Huang-po Mountain, which is in Kao-An County in Hung-Chou. He was a major disciple of Ts'ao-Ch'i, the Sixth Patriarch, and the Dharma-son of Pai-Chang. He admired the Supreme Mahayana Vehicle and sealed it without words, teaching the transmission of Mind only and no other Dharma whatsoever. He held that both Mind and substance are void and that the interrelationships of phenomena are motionless. Thus, everything is, in reality, void and still like the radiant light of the great sun in the sky, shining brightly and purely throughout the world. If one has attained this understanding, he holds no concept of duality ? such as new versus old or shallow versus deep ? in his mind. If one has attained this understanding, he does not attempt to explain its meaning, nor does he hold biased views, one way or another, regarding particular sects. The Master just pointed out that " It is!" alone is the correct understanding. So, even allowing a single thought to arise is wrong. He made clear that the profound meaning beyond words is the Tao, which is subtle and the action of which is solitary and uniform.
Thus, many disciples came to him from the four directions, most of them becoming enlightened merely upon first seeing the Master; and usually a company of more than one thousand disciples accompanied him at any one time.
In the second year of Hui-Ch'ang (842 C.E.), I stayed in Chung-Ling, inviting the Master to come to the city from the mountain. While residing together at Lung-Hsing Temple, I asked the Master, every day, to transmit the Dharma to me. Also, later, in the second year of Ta-Chung (848 C.E.), I stayed in Wan-Ling, again inviting the Master to the city. At that time, while residing together at K'ai Yuan Temple, I received Dharma from the Master every day. A few years later, I made a record of the Dharma that the Master had transmitted to me, but I could recall only a small portion of it. Nevertheless, I regard what is set down here to be the genuine Mind-Seal Dharma. Initially I had some reservations about making this Doctrine public, but, afterwards, fearing that this wonderful and profound Teaching might not be available to or known by future truth-seekers, I decided to publish it.
With this in mind, I have sent the manuscript to the Master's disciple, Tai-Chou Fa-Chien, asking him to return to Kuang-T'ang Temple, on the ancient mountain, and discuss my record with certain elder monks and other Sangha members to determine how much it agrees with or how much it differs from what they themselves had heard and learned from the Master. T'ang Dynasty
The Eighth Day of the Tenth Moon of the Eleventh Year of Ta-Chung
(October 8, 857 C.E. )
The Chung-Ling Record
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All Buddhas and all sentient beings are no different from the One Mind. In this One Mind there is neither arising nor ceasing, no name or form, no long or short, no large or small, and neither existence nor non-existence. It transcends all limitations of name, word and relativity, and it is as boundless as the great void. Giving rise to thought is erroneous, and any speculation about it with our ordinary faculties is inapplicable, irrelevant and inaccurate. Only Mind is Buddha, and Buddhas and sentient beings are not different. All sentient beings grasp form and search outside themselves. Using Buddha to seek Buddha, they thus use mind to seek Mind. Practicing in this manner even until the end of the kalpa, they cannot attain the fruit. However, when thinking and discrimination suddenly halt, the Buddhas appear.
The Mind is Buddha, and the Buddha is no different from sentient beings. The Mind of sentient beings does not decrease; the Buddha's Mind does not increase. Moreover, the six paramitas and all sila, as countless as the grains of sand of the Ganges, belong to one's own mind. Thus there is no need to search outside oneself to create them. When causes and conditions unite, they will appear; as causes and conditions separate, they disappear. So if one does not have the understanding that on'es very own Mind itself is Buddha, he will then grasp the form of the practice merely and create even more delusion. This approach is exactly the opposite of the Buddha's practice path. Just this Mind alone is Buddha! Nothing else is!
The Mind is transparent, having no shape or form. Giving rise to thought and discrimination is grasping and runs counter to the natural Dharma. Since time without beginning, there never has been a grasping Buddha. The practice of the six paramitas and various other disciplines is known as the gradual method of becoming a Buddha. This gradual method, however, is a secondary idea, and it does not represent the complete path to Perfect Awakening. If one does not understand that one's mind is Buddha, no Dharma can ever be attained.
The Buddhas and sentient beings possess the same fundamental Mind, neither mixing nor separating the quality of true voidness. When the sun shines over the four directions, the world becomes light, but true voidness is never light. When the sun sets, the world becomes dark, but voidness is never dark. The regions of dark and light destroy each other, but the nature of voidness is clear and undisturbed. The True Mind of both Buddhas and sentient beings enjoys this same nature.
If one thinks that the Buddha is clean, bright and liberated and that sentient beings are dirty, dark and entangled in samsara, and, further, if one also uses this view to practice, then even though one perseveres through kalpas as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges, one will not arrive at Bodhi. What exists for both Buddhas and for sentient beings, however, is the unconditioned Mind (Asamskrta citta) with nothing to attain. Many Ch'an students, not understanding the nature of this Mind, use the Mind to create Mind, thus grasping form and searching outside themselves. However, this is only to follow the path of evil and really is not the practice path to Bodhi.
Making offerings to one "without mind" surpasses in merit offerings made to countless others. Why is this? Because without mind we have unconditioned Buddha, who has neither movement nor obstruction. This alone is true emptiness, neither active nor passive, without form or place, without gain or loss.
Manjusri Bodhisattva symbolizes great substance (principle) and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva symbolizes the great function (action). Substance means emptiness, being without obstacles; functions means no form, being inexhaustible. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva symbolizes great compassion (mahakaruna), and Mahasthama Bodhisattva symbolizes great wisdom (mahaprajna). Vimalakirti means "pure name". Purity is nature and name is form. Name and form are not different, and, therefore, Vimalakirti is called "pure name". These great Bodhisattvas symbolize those wholesome qualities or perfections that all of us intrinsically possess. There is no Mind to search for outside ourselves. Understanding "thus it is", people awaken immediately. Many contemporary Dharma students do not investigate their own minds, but instead search outside and grasp the region of form. Fearing failure, they cannot enter the region of dhyana and, therefore, experience powerlessness and frustration and return to seeking intellectual understanding and knowledge. Hence, many students strive for doctrinal or intellectual understanding, but very few attain to the state of True Awakening. They just proceed, in their error, in the direction the very opposite to Bodhi.
One should emulate the great earth. All Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, devas and human beings tread upon the earth, but the earth does not rejoice because of this. When the sheep, oxen, ants, etc., tread upon it, the earth does not become angry. Adorned with jewelry or rare fragrances, the earth does not give rise to greed. Bearing excrement and foul smells, the earth does not exhibit hatred or disgust. The unconditioned Mind is without mind, beyond form. All sentient beings and Buddhas are not different; the Perfectly Awakened Mind is thus. If Dharma students are unable to let go of conditioned mind suddenly, and instead practice in other ways, many kalpas may pass but they still will not have reached Bodhi. Because they are tied down by their thinking of the merits of the Three Vehicles, they do not attain genuine liberation.
Some students attain the state of liberated Mind quickly, some slowly. After listening to a Dharma talk, some reach "no mind" directly. In contrast, some must first pass gradually through the ten grades of Bodhisattva faith, the Dasabhumi of Bodhisattva development, and the ten stages before attaining the Perfectly Awakened Mind. Whether one takes a long or a short time, however, once attained, "no mind" can never be lost. With nothing further to cultivate and nothing more to attain, one realizes that this "no mind" is true, not false, Mind. Whether reaching this stage quickly or after passing through the various stages of Bodhisattva development gradually, the attainment of "no mind" cannot be characterized in terms of shallow or deep. Those students who cannot win this state of understanding and liberation go on to create the wholesome and unwholesome mental states by grasping form, thus creating further suffering in samsara.
In short, nothing is better than suddenly to recognize the Original Dharma. This Dharma is Mind, and outside of Mind there is no Dharma. This Mind is Dharma, and outside of this Dharma there is no mind. Self mind is "no mind" and no "no mind". Awaken the mind to "no mind" and win silent and sudden understanding. Just this!!
A Ch'an master said: "Break off the way of speech and destroy the place of thinking!" This Mind itself is the ultimately pure Source of Buddha; and all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and sentient beings possess this same Mind. However, some people, because of delusion and discrimination, create much karma fruit. Original Buddha contains nothing. Awaken suddenly, profoundly and completely to the emptiness, peace, brilliance, wonder and bliss of this Original Buddha!!
The attainment of one who has practiced the myriad Dharma doors throughout three kalpas, having passed through the many Bodhisattva stages, and the attainment of one who has suddenly awakened to the One Mind are equal. Both of them have just attained their own Original Buddha. The former type of disciple, the gradual attainer, upon arriving at his Original Buddha, looks back on his three kalpas of past practice as if he were looking at himself acting totally without principle in a dream.
Therefore, the Tathagata said: "There was really no Dharma by means of which the Tathagata attained Supreme Awakening. If there had been, Dipamkara Buddha would not have predicted my future attainment of Buddhahood." In addition the Tathagata said: "This Dharma is universal and impartial; therefore, it is called Supreme Awakening."
This ultimate pure source of Mind encompasses all Buddhas, sentient beings and the world of mountains, rivers, forms and formlessness. Throughout the ten directions, all and everything reflects the equality of pure Mind, which is always universally penetrating and illuminating. However, those with merely worldly understanding cannot recognize this truth and so identify seeing, hearing, touching and thinking as the mind. Covered by seeing, hearing, touching and thinking, one cannot see the brightness of Original Mind. If suddenly one is without mind, Original Mind will appear like the great sun in the sky, illuminating everywhere without obstruction.
Most Dharma students only know seeing, hearing, touching and thinking as movement and function and are, therefore, unable to recognize Original Mind at the moment of seeing, hearing, touching and thinking. However, Original Mind does not belong to seeing, hearing, touching and thinking but also is not distinct or separate from these activities. The view that one is seeing, hearing, touching and thinking does not arise; and yet one is not separate from these activities. This movement does not dim the Mind, for it is neither itself a thing nor something apart from things. Neither staying nor grasping, capable of freely moving in any direction whatsoever, everywhere, this Mind becomes the Bodhimandala.
The Dharma of Mind Transmission:
Zen Teachings of Huang-po
Contents
Introduction
The Preface of P'ei Hsiu
The Chung-Ling Record
The Wan-Ling Record
A Gatha by P'ei Hsiu
Postscript
Introduction
The Mind is neither large nor small; it is located neither within nor without. It should not be thought about by the mind nor be discussed by the mouth. Ordinarily, it is said that we use the Mind to transmit the Mind, or that we use the Mind to seal the Mind. Actually, however, in transmitting the Mind, there is really no Mind to receive or obtain; and in sealing the Mind, there is really no Mind to seal. If this is the case, then does the Mind exist or does it not exist? Actually, it cannot be said with certainty that the Mind either exists or does not exist, for it is Absolute Reality. This is expressed in the Ch'an Sect by the maxim: "If you open your mouth, you are wrong. If you give rise to a single thought, you are in error." So, if you can quiet your thinking totally, all that remains is voidness and stillness.
The Mind is Buddha; Buddha is the Mind. All sentient beings and all Buddhas have the same Mind, which is without boundaries and void, without name and form and is immeasurable.
What is your Original Face and what is Hua-Tou? Your Original Face is without discrimination. Hua-Tou is the Reality before the arising of a single thought. When this Mind is enlightened, it is the Buddha; but when it is confused, it remains only the mind of sentient beings.
The Ch'an Master Huang-po Tuan-Chi was a major Dharma descendent of the Sixth Patriarch and was the Dharma-son of the Ch'an Master Pai-Chang. He was enlightened by the Supreme Vehicle to realize the Truth. Transmission of Mind is this alone ? nothing else!
The Dharma of Mind Transmission, the teaching of Ch'an Master Huang-po Tuan-Chi, is a cover-title that includes both The Chung-Ling Record and The Wan-Ling Record. These Records are sermons and dialogues of the Master that were collected and recorded by his eminent follower P'ei Hsiu. Both a government official and great scholar, P'ei Hsiu set down what he could recollect of the Master's teaching in 857 C.E., during the T'ang Dynasty, eight years after the Master's death (ca. 850 C. E. ), fifteen years after his first period of instruction by the Master at a temple near Chung Ling (842 C.E.), and nine years after his second period of instruction at a temple near Wan Ling (848 C.E.). The Records were presumably edited and published somewhat later in the T'ang Dynasty by an unknown person, and they contain a "Preface" by the recorder, P'ei Hsiu.
I would like to say to all present and future students of the Dharma, both in the East and in the West, and to all my good friends: If you want to practice, you should practice just as this Ch'an Master Huang-po Tuan-Chi did. Then you, too, can realize Sudden Enlightenment.
Dharma Master Lok To
Young Men's Buddhist Association of America
Bronx, New York
December, 1985 Note: To help the reader, a glossary of Sanskrit terms has been included at the end of the text.
The Preface of P'ei Hsiu
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The great Ch'an Master, whose Dharma-name was Hsi Yun, resided below Vulture Peak on Huang-po Mountain, which is in Kao-An County in Hung-Chou. He was a major disciple of Ts'ao-Ch'i, the Sixth Patriarch, and the Dharma-son of Pai-Chang. He admired the Supreme Mahayana Vehicle and sealed it without words, teaching the transmission of Mind only and no other Dharma whatsoever. He held that both Mind and substance are void and that the interrelationships of phenomena are motionless. Thus, everything is, in reality, void and still like the radiant light of the great sun in the sky, shining brightly and purely throughout the world. If one has attained this understanding, he holds no concept of duality ? such as new versus old or shallow versus deep ? in his mind. If one has attained this understanding, he does not attempt to explain its meaning, nor does he hold biased views, one way or another, regarding particular sects. The Master just pointed out that " It is!" alone is the correct understanding. So, even allowing a single thought to arise is wrong. He made clear that the profound meaning beyond words is the Tao, which is subtle and the action of which is solitary and uniform.
Thus, many disciples came to him from the four directions, most of them becoming enlightened merely upon first seeing the Master; and usually a company of more than one thousand disciples accompanied him at any one time.
In the second year of Hui-Ch'ang (842 C.E.), I stayed in Chung-Ling, inviting the Master to come to the city from the mountain. While residing together at Lung-Hsing Temple, I asked the Master, every day, to transmit the Dharma to me. Also, later, in the second year of Ta-Chung (848 C.E.), I stayed in Wan-Ling, again inviting the Master to the city. At that time, while residing together at K'ai Yuan Temple, I received Dharma from the Master every day. A few years later, I made a record of the Dharma that the Master had transmitted to me, but I could recall only a small portion of it. Nevertheless, I regard what is set down here to be the genuine Mind-Seal Dharma. Initially I had some reservations about making this Doctrine public, but, afterwards, fearing that this wonderful and profound Teaching might not be available to or known by future truth-seekers, I decided to publish it.
With this in mind, I have sent the manuscript to the Master's disciple, Tai-Chou Fa-Chien, asking him to return to Kuang-T'ang Temple, on the ancient mountain, and discuss my record with certain elder monks and other Sangha members to determine how much it agrees with or how much it differs from what they themselves had heard and learned from the Master. T'ang Dynasty
The Eighth Day of the Tenth Moon of the Eleventh Year of Ta-Chung
(October 8, 857 C.E. )
The Chung-Ling Record
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All Buddhas and all sentient beings are no different from the One Mind. In this One Mind there is neither arising nor ceasing, no name or form, no long or short, no large or small, and neither existence nor non-existence. It transcends all limitations of name, word and relativity, and it is as boundless as the great void. Giving rise to thought is erroneous, and any speculation about it with our ordinary faculties is inapplicable, irrelevant and inaccurate. Only Mind is Buddha, and Buddhas and sentient beings are not different. All sentient beings grasp form and search outside themselves. Using Buddha to seek Buddha, they thus use mind to seek Mind. Practicing in this manner even until the end of the kalpa, they cannot attain the fruit. However, when thinking and discrimination suddenly halt, the Buddhas appear.
The Mind is Buddha, and the Buddha is no different from sentient beings. The Mind of sentient beings does not decrease; the Buddha's Mind does not increase. Moreover, the six paramitas and all sila, as countless as the grains of sand of the Ganges, belong to one's own mind. Thus there is no need to search outside oneself to create them. When causes and conditions unite, they will appear; as causes and conditions separate, they disappear. So if one does not have the understanding that on'es very own Mind itself is Buddha, he will then grasp the form of the practice merely and create even more delusion. This approach is exactly the opposite of the Buddha's practice path. Just this Mind alone is Buddha! Nothing else is!
The Mind is transparent, having no shape or form. Giving rise to thought and discrimination is grasping and runs counter to the natural Dharma. Since time without beginning, there never has been a grasping Buddha. The practice of the six paramitas and various other disciplines is known as the gradual method of becoming a Buddha. This gradual method, however, is a secondary idea, and it does not represent the complete path to Perfect Awakening. If one does not understand that one's mind is Buddha, no Dharma can ever be attained.
The Buddhas and sentient beings possess the same fundamental Mind, neither mixing nor separating the quality of true voidness. When the sun shines over the four directions, the world becomes light, but true voidness is never light. When the sun sets, the world becomes dark, but voidness is never dark. The regions of dark and light destroy each other, but the nature of voidness is clear and undisturbed. The True Mind of both Buddhas and sentient beings enjoys this same nature.
If one thinks that the Buddha is clean, bright and liberated and that sentient beings are dirty, dark and entangled in samsara, and, further, if one also uses this view to practice, then even though one perseveres through kalpas as numerous as the sand grains of the Ganges, one will not arrive at Bodhi. What exists for both Buddhas and for sentient beings, however, is the unconditioned Mind (Asamskrta citta) with nothing to attain. Many Ch'an students, not understanding the nature of this Mind, use the Mind to create Mind, thus grasping form and searching outside themselves. However, this is only to follow the path of evil and really is not the practice path to Bodhi.
Making offerings to one "without mind" surpasses in merit offerings made to countless others. Why is this? Because without mind we have unconditioned Buddha, who has neither movement nor obstruction. This alone is true emptiness, neither active nor passive, without form or place, without gain or loss.
Manjusri Bodhisattva symbolizes great substance (principle) and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva symbolizes the great function (action). Substance means emptiness, being without obstacles; functions means no form, being inexhaustible. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva symbolizes great compassion (mahakaruna), and Mahasthama Bodhisattva symbolizes great wisdom (mahaprajna). Vimalakirti means "pure name". Purity is nature and name is form. Name and form are not different, and, therefore, Vimalakirti is called "pure name". These great Bodhisattvas symbolize those wholesome qualities or perfections that all of us intrinsically possess. There is no Mind to search for outside ourselves. Understanding "thus it is", people awaken immediately. Many contemporary Dharma students do not investigate their own minds, but instead search outside and grasp the region of form. Fearing failure, they cannot enter the region of dhyana and, therefore, experience powerlessness and frustration and return to seeking intellectual understanding and knowledge. Hence, many students strive for doctrinal or intellectual understanding, but very few attain to the state of True Awakening. They just proceed, in their error, in the direction the very opposite to Bodhi.
One should emulate the great earth. All Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, devas and human beings tread upon the earth, but the earth does not rejoice because of this. When the sheep, oxen, ants, etc., tread upon it, the earth does not become angry. Adorned with jewelry or rare fragrances, the earth does not give rise to greed. Bearing excrement and foul smells, the earth does not exhibit hatred or disgust. The unconditioned Mind is without mind, beyond form. All sentient beings and Buddhas are not different; the Perfectly Awakened Mind is thus. If Dharma students are unable to let go of conditioned mind suddenly, and instead practice in other ways, many kalpas may pass but they still will not have reached Bodhi. Because they are tied down by their thinking of the merits of the Three Vehicles, they do not attain genuine liberation.
Some students attain the state of liberated Mind quickly, some slowly. After listening to a Dharma talk, some reach "no mind" directly. In contrast, some must first pass gradually through the ten grades of Bodhisattva faith, the Dasabhumi of Bodhisattva development, and the ten stages before attaining the Perfectly Awakened Mind. Whether one takes a long or a short time, however, once attained, "no mind" can never be lost. With nothing further to cultivate and nothing more to attain, one realizes that this "no mind" is true, not false, Mind. Whether reaching this stage quickly or after passing through the various stages of Bodhisattva development gradually, the attainment of "no mind" cannot be characterized in terms of shallow or deep. Those students who cannot win this state of understanding and liberation go on to create the wholesome and unwholesome mental states by grasping form, thus creating further suffering in samsara.
In short, nothing is better than suddenly to recognize the Original Dharma. This Dharma is Mind, and outside of Mind there is no Dharma. This Mind is Dharma, and outside of this Dharma there is no mind. Self mind is "no mind" and no "no mind". Awaken the mind to "no mind" and win silent and sudden understanding. Just this!!
A Ch'an master said: "Break off the way of speech and destroy the place of thinking!" This Mind itself is the ultimately pure Source of Buddha; and all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and sentient beings possess this same Mind. However, some people, because of delusion and discrimination, create much karma fruit. Original Buddha contains nothing. Awaken suddenly, profoundly and completely to the emptiness, peace, brilliance, wonder and bliss of this Original Buddha!!
The attainment of one who has practiced the myriad Dharma doors throughout three kalpas, having passed through the many Bodhisattva stages, and the attainment of one who has suddenly awakened to the One Mind are equal. Both of them have just attained their own Original Buddha. The former type of disciple, the gradual attainer, upon arriving at his Original Buddha, looks back on his three kalpas of past practice as if he were looking at himself acting totally without principle in a dream.
Therefore, the Tathagata said: "There was really no Dharma by means of which the Tathagata attained Supreme Awakening. If there had been, Dipamkara Buddha would not have predicted my future attainment of Buddhahood." In addition the Tathagata said: "This Dharma is universal and impartial; therefore, it is called Supreme Awakening."
This ultimate pure source of Mind encompasses all Buddhas, sentient beings and the world of mountains, rivers, forms and formlessness. Throughout the ten directions, all and everything reflects the equality of pure Mind, which is always universally penetrating and illuminating. However, those with merely worldly understanding cannot recognize this truth and so identify seeing, hearing, touching and thinking as the mind. Covered by seeing, hearing, touching and thinking, one cannot see the brightness of Original Mind. If suddenly one is without mind, Original Mind will appear like the great sun in the sky, illuminating everywhere without obstruction.
Most Dharma students only know seeing, hearing, touching and thinking as movement and function and are, therefore, unable to recognize Original Mind at the moment of seeing, hearing, touching and thinking. However, Original Mind does not belong to seeing, hearing, touching and thinking but also is not distinct or separate from these activities. The view that one is seeing, hearing, touching and thinking does not arise; and yet one is not separate from these activities. This movement does not dim the Mind, for it is neither itself a thing nor something apart from things. Neither staying nor grasping, capable of freely moving in any direction whatsoever, everywhere, this Mind becomes the Bodhimandala.