The Prose & Verse of The Lotus Sutra

Chapter 2 - Ways & Means

 Text - Page 6

"This is because the ways & means and the Paramita of knowledge and vision are completely perfected in The One That Has Come."

From "This is because..." (Sho I Sha Ga) -
This is an explanation of the dual wisdom of Sakyamuni.

• With the term The One That Has Come (Nyorai) there is an explanation of the real wisdom.
  In coming from the absolutely true spiritual aspect of reality as-it-is, there is attainment of the path of enlightenment. Therefore we speak of The One That Has Come¹. It explains the attainment of the real widom.

• With The ways & means (Hoben) there is an explanation of the provisional wisdom.
  Because of skillfulness in ways & means, there are the different kinds of reasoning.

• The Paramita of knowledge and vision (Chiken Haramitsu): This is indicating both the provisional and real knowledge and vision.
• The wisdom of all kinds is called the real knowledge².
• The eye of enlightenment (Buddha) is called the real vision³.
• The wisdom of the various different paths is called the provisional knowledge².
• The eye of spirituality (Dharma) is called the provisional vision³.
• Upon completely reaching the bounds of principle and phenomena it is called the Paramita⁴.

• Completely perfected (Kai I Gusoku): This wisdom is ultimately provisional and real. If one does not make both explanations, how can one suddenly speak of it being completely perfected? In being completely perfected, both explanations are revealed.
   

"Sariputra, the knowledge and vision of The One That Come is broad and great, deep and far-reaching. With limitless, unhesitating power and fearlessness, and with meditation, concentration, emancipation and Samadhi, it deeply enters into that which is boundless and realizes all things spiritual never before known."

From The knowledge and vision of The One That Has Come is broad and great, deep and far-reaching... (Nyorai Chiken Kodai Jinnon):
This is the conclusion on the provisional and real wisdom of Sakyamuni.

• The knowledge and vision of The One That Has Come (Nyorai Chiken):
  This is the conclusion on the real wisdom, as described before.
  Broad and great (Kodai): This clarifies it horizontally
  Deep and far-reaching (Jinnon): This clarifies it vertically
  The real wisdom is like this. It is neither vertical nor horizontal but the Sutra summons words of praise and its vertical depth and horizontal breadth are described to illuminate that which is ultimately without any such restrictions. With the box being great, so the cover is great⁵.

• From With limitless, unhesitating... (Muryo Muge): This is the conclusion on the provisional wisdom.
  The provisions of one's own practice are the preliminary ways and means on the path and the doors to the spirituality of the Dharma. Therefore we recognize that this is the conclusion on the provisional wisdom. The real wisdom is without such a variable number of things.

• At Kuang Chai they were not aware of the real wisdom. In the span of the generations many did not recognize that the unhesitating wisdom is without such variable numbers⁶.

• Limitless (Muryo): This is The Four Limitless States of Mind in the Ground of Enlightenment.⁷
• Unhesitating (Muge): This is The Four Discernments in the Ground of Enlightenment⁸, which are able to generate limitless and unceasing eloquence from a single term or a single meaning. Compared to this, the Bodhisattvas of the General or Specific Doctrine are but a sprout just emerging from the ground.
• Power (Riki): This is The Ten Powers.⁹
• Fearlessness (Mu Sho I): This is The Four Kinds of Fearlessness.¹⁰
• Meditation (Zen): This is exhaustive meditation on the true spiritual aspect of reality
• Concentration (Jo): This is the Surangama Samadhi.¹¹
• Emancipation (Gedatsu): This is the ultimate source of The Eight Emancipations.¹²
• Samadhi: (Sanmai): This is The King of Samadhis.¹³
• Deeply entering into that which is boundless (Jinnyu Musai): This concludes on the attainment of that which is vertically deep.
• Realizing all things spiritual never before known (Joju Issai Mizou Ho): This concludes on the attainment of that which is horizontally broad.

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Footnotes:

1. The One That Has Come: (S. Tathagata) One of the ten honorific titles of the Buddha. The one that comes down to this world from the absolute spiritual reality (S. Bhuta-tathata) to teach and deliver living beings, and then returns to it when the work is done.

2. The Three Wisdoms:
a. The Wisdom of All: The wisdom of transcendence, of emptiness
b. The Wisdom of the Various Paths: The wisdom of the limitless different ways & means, of that which is temporary
c. The Wisdom of All Kinds: The wisdom of the true spiritual aspect of reality, of the mean

3. The Five Eyes:
a. The Fleshly Eye: Seeing the physical or material world
b. The Heavenly, or Divine Eye: Seeing karma & retribution with impartialty; Seeing the pure realm of form, pure of desire
c. The Eye of Insight: Seeing the emptiness, or selflessness of all things
d. The Eye of Dharma, or Spirituality: Seeing the usefulness or provisionality of all things in the work of enlightenment
e. The Eye of Buddha, or The Eye of Enlightenment: Seeing the true spiritual aspect of reality in all things, their ultimate meaning and purpose

4. Paramita: Literally 'across to the other shore', seeing the bounds of principle and phenomena, provisionality and reality, understanding both simultaneously

5. With the box being great, so the cover is great: Understanding the limits of cognitive thinking as it tries to point to that which is beyond comprehension. The cover is the cognitive understanding that tries to cover or enclose the box.

6. Without such variable numbers: Beyond quantification or cognitive explanation

7. The Four Limitless States of Mind: a. Kindness (S. Maitri) b. Compassion (S. Karuna) c. Sympathetic Joy For Others (S. Mudita) d. Impartiality or Equanimity of Mind (S. Upeksa) The Ground of Enlightenment: The pure ground of the one spiritual realm that is beyond the limitations of self or other

8. The Four Discernments: The Unhesitating Wisdom of Eloquence in...
a. Teaching (Dharma); Literally understanding the teaching
b. Meaning (Artha); The meaning or intent of the words
c. The Terms (Nirukti); The terminology that most precisely conveys the meaning intended
d. Eloquence (Pratibhana); The most pleasing expression of the meaning

9. The Ten Powers:
a. Knowledge of what is right & wrong in every situation
b. Knowledge of the karma of every living being in the past, present & future
c. Knowledge of all stages of meditation & samadhi
d. Knowledge of the spiritual powers and capacities of all living beings
e. Knowledge of the desires and moral natures of all living beings
f. Knowledge of the spiritual conditions of all living beings
g. Knowledge of the consequences of all teachings & practices
h. Knowledge of the causes of mortality and reality of good & evil in all living beings
i. Knowledge of the ends of all living beings & nirvana
j. Knowledge of the destruction of all illusions and afflictions

10. The Four Kinds of Fearlessness:
a. In the wisdom of all (transcendence, emptiness)
b. In perfection of character
c. In facing the obstacles on the path
d. In ending suffering & affliction

11. The Surangama Samadhi: Literally the 'resolute' or 'heroic' Samadhi, that Samadhi that overcomes all obstacles and always remains without appearing or disappearing. The unretreating stage of spiritual progress on the Bodhisatva path.

12. The Eight Emancipations: Progressively deeper levels of mental concentration and freedom from attachment
a. Emancipation by observing one's attachments to all things inside (subjective thoughts) and outside (sensory objects) that are impure
b. Emancipation by only observing one's attachments to external things that are impure. One is already free of internal, subjective thoughts that are impure, having already reduced one's attachments to external phenomena only (sensory objects).
c. Emancipation by observing the illusion of those objects which appears to be pure and beautiful. Having already transcended attachments to that which is impure, one now lets go of attachments to that which appears to be pure form
d. Emancipation by observing the boundlessness of empty space, transcending all form
e. Emancipation by observing the boundlessness of consciousness,
f. Emancipation by observation of the boundlessness of nothingness; non-substantiality
g. Emancipation by observing the boundlessness of that which is neither with nor without thoughts; beyond cognition
h. Emancipation by the final extinction of feelings and thoughts - Nirodha Samapatti

14. The King of Samadhis: The Samadhi of the Lotus Sutra

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