The Prose & Verse of The Lotus Sutra

Chapter 2 - Ways & Means

 Text - Page 15

 

When discussing that which is beyond words and beyond imagination, the 79th Volume of The Great Discourse1 says:
"That which is inconceivable is called undeterminable, that which is beyond all states of mind and beyond the way of all words and language. In not being able to practice it or attain it, it is called inconceivable.

When making illustrations to clarify that which is inconceivable, the 14th Volume of The Great Discourse1 says:
"One does not attain the path of equanimity by destroying form. In observing the non-difference of form2, there is the ability to grasp the equanimity of the Great Vehicle. It is like light when it is combined with darkness. You do not see the darkness so you reason that the light and the darkness are different things. In desiring to understand the meaning of this, it it like what happens to the light of the moon when the sun rises and there is no darkness anywhere. The darkness is invisible but it is always there and it has not gone anywhere. The light is also like this in being joined together with the darkness."

Life & Death is combined with the path of enlightenment3. With there being the spiritual path, so there is Life & Death. They are inseparable. With enlightenment, extinction is already extinguished and deliverance is already delivered. It is all inconceivable.

There are many examples of this in the Sutras and the Discourses.

And the phenomena that are inconceivable are like 'the four inconceivables' that are clarified in The Agamas4, which are:

  1. Living beings
  2. The World
  3. Dragons
  4. The Buddha

The Agamas say:
"There was gentleman at The King's Residence (Rajagriha) at the side of Lake Kumuda5, considering whether the world was with or without bounds. While he was pondering this, four divisions of an army entered into the pore of a lily root fiber. Taken by surprise upon seeing this, he asked himself. "Am I going mad? The world does not have madness such asthis." Upon asking the Buddha about this, the Buddha told him: "You are not going mad. This is the asuras fighting with the gods, and retreating and hiding in the pore of a lily root fiber."6

This is but a reflection on this world and it is not of the path to Nirvana. It is without the abundant benefits of significance, spirituality, and the Brahma practice.

Does the dragon's rain come from its mouth, its ears, its eyes, its nose or its tongue? Treasures do not come from the dragon like this. They only arise from one's thoughts.7 Upon reflecting upon good and evil, everywhere one is able to summon the rain.8 Because of one's original practice one has now attained great power. From the belly of Mount Sumeru there was a god called Great & Powerful9 who was also able to produce rain.

And the Sutra is able to elevate those of the five paths10, with each one of them being inconceivable.

All of these are the fruits and rewards of spirituality (the Dharma) and are among the actual phenomena that are inconceivable.

This is only explaining that which is inconceivable in terms of the phenomena of causality & conditions, and does not even reach into the very deep sphere of the spiritual realm11. How could one not believe that it is inconceivable?

 

Literature          Next Page           Home

Outline of Title         Outline of Prose

Footnotes:

1. The Great Discourse: Nagarjuna's Discourse of the Perfection of the Great Wisdom (S. Maha Prajna Paramita Sastra, D. Ta-Chih Tu-Lun)

2. Destroying form: Detachment from this world The non-difference of form: Total impartiality or equanimity with regards to things of this world

3. Life & Death is combined with the path of enlightenment: Just as light and darkness are inseparable aspects of each other, the Realm of Life & Death is inseparable from Nirvana and the Spiritual Path.

4. The Agamas: (The Collections) The early teachings of the Buddha, known in the Theravada tradition as the Nikayas, that spell out the fundamental principles and teachings of Buddhism. Generally considered the earliest teachings of Buddhism.

5. Lake Kumuda: A lake full of lotus blossoms in Rajagriha, the capital of Magadha

6. This story suggests the limitless possibilities of the imagination, which the Buddha explains are all but reflections of this world.

7. They only arise from one's thoughts: All things being produced from the mind

8. To summon the rain: Here a reference to the rain of the Dharma (Spiritual enlightenment), a result of introspective observation of the mind ("Upon relecting on good & evil").

9. Great & Powerful: Possibly from The Sutra on the Treasury of the Bodhisattvas, in which the King Great & Powerful was tested by Sakra Devendra who appeared as Brahma. The King was challenged to give up his flesh in worship of Brahma and the King gave up his arm without complaint. The King was compared to Sakyamuni (who was willing to sacrifice and ungrudgingly give of himself) and Sakra Devendra to Devadatta (the deceiver ad temptor).

10. The Sutra is able to elevate those of the five paths: The Lotus Sutra is able to spiritually penetrate and reach those of the lower spiritual realms and elevate them towards enlightenment
a. The continuity of hell is cut off - the ending of suffering
b. Animals are able to fly - the liberation of those suffering from attachments, like birds that take to the sky
c. Demons are able to transform little into much - creating wealth from poverty
d. People are able to make fire burn wood - detroying illusions and afflictions
e. Gods are able to spontaneuosly render fruits as well as rewards - producing lasting joy and contentment

12. The phenomena of causality & conditions: The realm of karma and retribution, the six paths in the realm of Life & Death (Samsara). The very deep sphere of the spiritual realm: The four realms of The Spiritual Path & Nirvana

 

 Copyright © Peter Johnson 2002 - All rights reserved

Copyright Policy - Contact the Author at pj@tientai.net

  

  Since July 9, 2001


 FastCounter by bCentral