Not Zen! Not Zen! Not Zen!
Prepare for a long boring ass read.
Scholars believe this sutra to be of Chinese origin, though many have argued that it originated in India. Who the fuck cares? Check out these excerpts for an interesting dive into proto-Chan Buddhism in China. Or not. :)
Liberation Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, a sentient being’s mind by nature has always been empty and quiet. An empty and quiet mind has no form. Then how should one train in order to realize that it has always been empty? I pray that the Buddha, out of lovingkindness and compassion, will explain to me.”
The Buddha answered, “Bodhisattva, all one’s mental appearances have no root, no place, and no birth, and are empty and quiet. If one’s mind has no birth, it must be empty and quiet. By clearing one’s mind ground, one realizes that one’s mind has always been empty and had no appearance. Good man, as one’s mind with no appearance has no mind and no self, so all dharma appearances [have no mind and no self].”
Liberation Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, if a sentient being abides in the view that dharmas have no birth, has he realized the truth that dharmas have no birth?”
The Buddha answered, “Abiding in the view of no birth means birth [of a thought]. Why? Because not abiding in the view of no birth means no birth [of a thought]. Bodhisattva, if one has the thought that dharmas have no birth, one is using the birth of a thought to end the view of birth. Only when one ends [one’s perception of] birth and death of dharmas will one realize that dharmas have never had any birth, and that one’s mind is constantly empty and quiet, and abides in nothing. When one’s mind abides in nothing, it has no birth.”
Liberation Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, if one’s mind abides in nothing, how does one train and learn? Does one still have something to learn or have nothing to learn?"
The Buddha answered, “Bodhisattva, one’s mind, which has no birth, neither enters something [to learn it] nor exits anything [after learning it], because it is one’s Tathāgata store [tathāgata-garbha], which has always been quiet and motionless. It has neither something to learn nor nothing to learn. Freedom from learning and not learning means having nothing to learn. What one has learned is that one’s mind has nothing to learn.”
Liberation Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, why is one’s Tathāgata store by nature quiet and motionless?”
The Buddha answered, “Although one’s Tathāgata store is hidden by the appearances of birth and death of one’s thoughts and concerns, it is by nature quiet and motionless.”
Liberation Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, what are the appearances of the birth and death of one’s thoughts and concerns?”
The Buddha answered, “Bodhisattva, the principle [of one’s true mind] is free from duality. If one differentiates between approval and disapproval [acceptance and rejection], thousands of thoughts will arise and expire. These are the appearances of birth and death. Bodhisattva, observe that one’s true nature [Buddha nature] fully accords with the principle, while thousands of thoughts and concerns disaccord with the principle. They are a turmoil that shrouds one’s mind."
“If one has no thoughts or concerns, then their births and deaths will not appear, and one’s [eight] consciousnesses will remain quiet and motionless. Then one’s five dharmas [five aggregates] will become pure. This is a Mahāyāna teaching."
“Bodhisattva, when one enters the purity of one’s five dharmas, one’s mind will be free from delusion. Without delusion, one enters a Tathāgata’s holy wisdom ground of self-realization. Having entered the wisdom ground, one will know well that no dharma has ever been born. Knowing that dharmas have never been born, one will not have deluded thinking.”
Liberation Bodhisattva said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, if one has no deluded thinking, then one does not need to stop it.”
The Buddha said, “Bodhisattva, because one’s delusion has never been born, there is no delusion to end. If one knows that one’s mind is no mind, there is no mind to stop. Free from differentiation, one’s manifesting consciousness [ālaya consciousness] does not arise. Then it has no birth to stop. However, no stopping is not no stopping. Why? Because there is nothing to stop.”
Liberation Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “Although stopping does not have anything to stop, to stop something means the birth [of a thought]. Then what is no birth?”
The Buddha answered, “Bodhisattva, one should stop the birth of a thought. After stopping it, one has nothing else to stop. As one does not abide in one’s no stopping or no abiding, how can there be the birth [of a thought]?”
Liberation Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “If one’s mind [in true reality] has no birth, how does one accept or reject anything? In what dharma appearances does one abide?”
The Buddha answered, “One’s mind, which has no birth, neither accepts nor rejects anything. It abides in no mind and no dharma.”
Liberation Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, how does one abide in no mind and no dharma?”
The Buddha answered, “If one’s mind does not arise, one abides in no mind. If a dharma does not arise [from one’s mind], one abides in no dharma. Good man, as dharmas and one’s mind do not arise, one relies on nothing. As one does not abide in actions [body, voice, and mind karmas], one’s mind is constantly empty and quiet, free from various appearances. As an analogy, the open sky neither moves nor abides, neither arises nor does anything, and never differentiates between this and that. When one acquires the eye that sees that one’s mind is empty, and acquires the mind that knows that dharmas are empty, one realizes that one’s five aggregates and six faculties are empty and quiet.
“Good man, to train to realize this emptiness, one does not rely on the Three Realms of Existence or various precepts, because one’s mind has no thoughts, and is pure and free from restraint and unrestraint. Although it is by nature as adamantine as vajra[diamond], it never damages [one’s inherent] Three Jewels. Empty and motionless, one’s mind encompasses the six pāramitās.”
Liberation Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, the six pāramitās have their appearances. How can one use dharmas with appearances to transcend the world?”
The Buddha answered, “Good man, the six pāramitās that I expound have no appearances and are asaṁskṛta [free from conditions]. Why? Because if one discards desires, one’s mind will always be pure. If one uses truthful words and skillful means to reveal the benefits of one’s inherent awareness, to benefit others, this is dāna-pāramitā [the almsgiving pāramitā]. If one’s resolve is firm, and if one’s mind is pure, abides in nothing, and has no attachment to the Three Realms of Existence, this is śīla-pāramitā [the precept pāramitā]. If one delves into the emptiness of dharmas, cuts off one’s fetters, quiets one’s three karmas [body, voice, and mind karmas], and does not abide in one’s body or mind, this is kṣānti-pāramitā [the endurance pāramitā]. If one stays far way from names and numbers, discards the opposite view, whether that a dharma is empty or that it is existent, and delves into the emptiness of one’s five aggregates, this is vīrya-pāramitā [the progress pāramitā]. If one’s meditation stays away from blankness and does not abide in various emptinesses, and if one’s mind abides in nothing, not even great emptiness, this is dhyāna-pāramitā [the meditation pāramitā]. If one knows that one’s mind has no appearance but is not a blank like the open sky, does not give birth to actions or enter nirvāṇa, does not rely on the Bodhisattva grounds or abide in one’s wisdom, neither enters nor exits anything, but constantly abides in equality [of dharmas] and definitely accords with the true reality of dharmas, this is prajñā-pāramitā [the wisdom pāramitā]."
Then Not Abiding Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, what benefits should be used to enable a sentient being’s emotion-driven consciousnesses to become amala [stainless]?”
The Buddha said, “Buddha-Tathāgatas always use the one realization [of one’s inherent awareness] to turn a sentient being’s consciousnesses into amala. Why? Because all sentient beings have their inherent awareness. So Buddhas use the one realization to awaken all sentient beings, enabling them to realize their inherent awareness and see that their emotion-driven consciousnesses are empty and quiet, and have no birth. Why? Because a sentient being’s true nature has always been motionless.”
Not Abiding Bodhisattva asked, “One’s eight consciousnesses depend on objects to arise. How can they not move?” The Buddha said, “All [perceived or conceived] objects and one’s consciousnesses have always been empty. Emptiness is free from dependency. Then how can one’s consciousnesses depend on objects to arise?”
Not Abiding Bodhisattva asked, “If all objects are empty, how does one perceive them?”
The Buddha said, “One’s perception is false. Why? Because all dharmas in existence have no birth, no appearance, and no names. As all dharma appearances are empty and quiet, so too are all sentient beings’ bodies. Even one’s body does not exist, much less its perception.”
Not Abiding Bodhisattva said, “If one’s body, [perceived or conceived] objects, and consciousnesses are empty, one’s inherent awareness must also be empty.”
The Buddha said, “One’s inherent awareness is indestructible because of its true nature. It is neither empty nor not empty, and free from emptiness and non-emptiness.”
Not Abiding Bodhisattva said, “Likewise the appearances of all objects are neither empty nor not empty.”
The Buddha said, “Indeed. The true nature of an object is emptiness. Moreover, the root of this nature has no place.”
Not Abiding Bodhisattva said, “Likewise one’s inherent awareness has no place.”
The Buddha said, “Indeed. Because one’s inherent awareness has no place, it is pure. In its purity, it has no perception. Because a [perceived] thing has no place, it is pure. In its purity, it has no form.” Not Abiding Bodhisattva said, “Likewise one’s mind, eye, and consciousness are inconceivable.” The Buddha said, “Likewise one’s mind, eye, and consciousness are inconceivable. Why? Because an object has no place, and is pure and without a name, it does not come inside [to enter one’s mind]. Because one’s eye has no place, and is pure and without perception, it does not go outside [to touch anything]. Because one’s mind has no place and is pure, it neither arises from nor stops anywhere. Because one’s consciousness has no place, and is pure and motionless, it makes no differentiation. The nature [of one’s mind, eye, and consciousness] is emptiness, which has no perception. Realization of its emptiness is enlightenment." “Good man, when one realizes that one’s inherent awareness is free from perception, one’s consciousnesses enter [one’s true mind]. Why? Because when one arrives on the ground of vajra wisdom, one has completed the liberation path and entered the no-abiding ground [the Buddha Ground], free from entering and exiting, and one’s mind abides nowhere on the ground of its true nature. This ground is pure like lucid aquamarine [vaiḍūrya]; its nature is equality, like the nature of the great earth; its discerning observations are like the wisdom sunlight; its benefits that enable sentient beings to realize their inherent awareness are like a great Dharma rain. Acquiring these four kinds of wisdom-knowledge is entering the ground of a Buddha’s wisdom-knowledge, where one’s consciousnesses do not arise.” Not Abiding Bodhisattva said, “The holy power of realizing one’s inherent awareness and the ground of the four kinds of vast wisdom-knowledge revealed by the Tathāgata are the benefits of every sentient being’s inherent awareness. Why? Because every sentient being has always had them in his body.” The Buddha said, “Indeed. Why? Because all sentient beings have always been free from afflictions and had the benefits of their inherent awareness. However, they have not yet conquered their desires, which are like thorns.”
Not Abiding Bodhisattva asked, “If sentient beings have not yet acquired the benefits of their inherent awareness and are still collecting [appearances of objects], how can they conquer what is hard to conquer?” The Buddha answered, “Whether one is collecting [appearances] or letting one’s perception be alone, whether one is making differentiations or forming attachments [to appearances], whether one draws one’s mind back to stay in an empty cavern [the emptiness of dharmas], one will be able to conquer what is hard to conquer, and to liberate oneself from the fetters of māras, because when one sits loftily [in meditation] on the open ground, one’s consciousness enters nirvāṇa.” Not Abiding Bodhisattva said, “When one’s mind abides in nirvāṇa alone, unaccompanied [by one’s consciousnesses], one should achieve liberation.”
The Buddha said, “Constantly abiding in nirvāṇa is being fettered by nirvāṇa. Why? Because nirvāṇa is a benefit of one’s inherent awareness, and because the benefits of one’s inherent awareness are in nirvāṇa. Attaining nirvāṇa is realizing one’s inherent awareness. As one’s inherent awareness is by nature changeless, so too nirvāṇa is changeless. As one’s inherent awareness has neither birth nor death, so too nirvāṇa has neither birth nor death. Because nirvāṇa and one’s inherent awareness are no different, attaining nirvāṇa is no attainment. As attaining nirvāṇa is no attainment, how can one abide in it?
“Good man, an enlightened person does not abide in nirvāṇa. Why not? Because one’s inherent awareness has no birth and is apart from one’s filthy afflictions. One’s inherent awareness has no death and is apart from the motion of entering nirvāṇa. Abiding on this wisdom ground, one’s mind abides in nothing. Free from entering and exiting, it enters amala consciousness.”
Not Abiding Bodhisattva said, “Entering amala consciousness means that there is a place to enter. Entrance into this place means attainment.”
The Buddha said, “Not so. Why not? As an analogy, a confused son possesses gold coins but does not know that he has them. He roams in the ten directions for fifty years, undergoing poverty and hardship. He has to beg for things to live a life of privation. When the father sees his son in such a plight, he says to him, ‘You have gold coins. Why do you not use them? Then you can get whatever you need in full.’ The son is awakened and sees his gold coins. With great joy in his heart, he declares that he has gotten gold coins. His father says, ‘Confused child, do not rejoice. The gold coins have always been yours. You did not get them. There is no reason to rejoice.’
Not Zen! Not Zen! Not Zen!
But you're already free. Care for a laugh? A smile? A hug? A kick in the nads? Beat me down oh Aware One! We are all at fun and play this wonderful day. :)
P.S,
I'll love you always. Bitches.
Peace!
✌ 😎
Submitted July 18, 2020 at 07:06AM by FartBoxerElite4k https://ift.tt/30fNgdC
No comments:
Post a Comment