The Prose & Verse of The Lotus Sutra

Chapter 25
The Universal Door of the Bodhisattva
Observing the Sounds of the World

Page 3

4. Universal (C. Pu, J. Fu)

That which is universal applies everywhere. The number of teachings is without limit.
*   If it is not universal it is a partial and biased teaching.
*   If it is universal it is the total and perfect teaching.

Therefore The Sutra on Brahma’s Questions says:
    “All teachings are false and all teachings are true.”

We will outline ten items in order to clarify the meaning of that which is ‘Universal’. Upon grasping the intent, all teachings are not without that which is universal. They are:

a.  The mercy and compassion that is universal
b.  The broad vows that are universal
c.  The cultivation of practice that is universal
d.  The freedom from confusion that is universal
e.  The entry into the spirituality of Dharma that is universal
f.  The spiritual penetration that is universal
g.  The ways & means that are universal
h.  The teaching of the Dharma that is universal
i.  The reaching of living beings that is universal
j.  The offering of service to the Buddhas that is universal

a. The Mercy & Compassion That is Universal

From the spiritual conditions of personality and heaven¹ up to those of the Bodhisattvas there is mercy and compassion everywhere that is either universal or not universal. The embodiment of mercy is found everywhere.
*   With it being conditional it is not broad and it cannot be called universal.
*   With it being unconditional its embodiment is the same as the true spiritual aspect of reality.
With its principle being total and perfect, mercy is not without being everywhere. It is like a loadstone that naturally attracts iron. The mercy and compassion that everywhere perfumes all equally is called the mercy and compassion that is universal.

b. The Broad Vows That Are Universal

*   That which is broad had wide application.
*   Vows are the rules that guide and govern one’s conduct.¹
The rules guiding and governing one’s conduct that are the most important and that have the widest application are called the ‘Broad Vows’. The Broad Vows originate from the Four Truths². If they are in terms of Four Truths of ‘Birth & Extinction’, the Four Truths ‘Without Birth or Extinction’ or the ‘Limitless’ Four Truths, the teachings they are based on are limited and so the vows are not universal. If the vows are based on the Innate Four Truths³ they are universal.

c. The Cultivation of Practice That is Universal

Before he met the Buddha Steady Shining Lamp⁴ and received his prophecy of enlightenment, the cultivation of Sakyamuni was not in union with the principle of the true spiritual aspect of reality. Upon attaining the prophecy of his enlightenment, his practice was in touch with the principle and he cultivated his practice through the course of the different teachings guided by the wisdom of the principle. Without this wisdom of the principle, one's practice will not be universal⁵.

d. The Freedom From Confusion That is Universal

• When one uses ‘the wisdom of all’ and ‘the wisdom of the various paths’⁶ to cut off the four conditions of mortality, the dusts & sands⁷, etc., it is like getting rid of the branches and twigs, but it not called the freedom from confusion that is universal.
• When one uses ‘the wisdom of all kinds’ to cut off ignorance, all five conditions of mortality⁸ are extinguished. It is eliminating the root source of ignorance and it is called the freedom from confusion that is universal.

e. The Entry into the Dharma That is Universal

• At the beginning of the path there is the cultivation of ways and means. At the end of the path there is entry into the Door of the Dharma.
• When those of the Two Vehicles enter into each meditation with singleness of mind, the singleness of mind is always the same and they do not attain a diversity of meditations. And because of attachments to this meditation it is not called ‘universal’.
• When there are the different steps along the specific stages of the path that go from shallow to deep it is also not called ‘universal’.
• When one enters into the King of Samadhis, all the other Samadhis enter into it. The Samadhi that is neither arising nor extinguished is manifested in one’s distinguished bearing and it is called ‘Universal’.

f. The Spiritual Penetration That is Universal⁹

• The Great Arhat illuminates the great thousand-fold spiritual realm with the divine eye.
• The Pratyekabuddha illuminates the hundred worlds of the Buddha
• The Bodhisattva illuminates as many worlds as there are sands along the Ganges.¹⁰

• When all of them are connected to their own narrow spheres, their inspirations and spiritual penetrations are also partial and biased.
• When they are connected with the cultivation of the true spiritual aspect of reality, each and all of the inspirations resemble the spiritual penetration taught above. How could the genuine spiritual penetration not be universal?

g. The Ways & Means That Are Universal

There are two different paths included in the cultivation of the preliminary ways & means¹¹. At the end of the path there are also two path:

• The embodiment of the Dharma: This is as taught in the part on ‘entering into the door of the Dharma’¹²
• The use of spiritual influence & transformation that is now taught¹³

Adapting to the capacity of living beings in order to benefit them is called reaching out and connecting with all the opportunities available at any one time. Although again and again there are various different kinds of opportunities, the nature of the spirituality that is the Dharma and the bounds of reality never diminish. This is called the ways & means that are universal.

h. The Teaching of the Dharma That is Universal

With a single wonderful sound one is able to invoke the spiritual capacities¹⁴ of all of the ten spiritual realms and adapt to the different opportunities available to make living beings attain liberated understanding. It is like tuning the strings of a lute and so it is called the teaching of the Dharma that is universal.

i. The Reaching of Living Beings That is Universal

For all the practices and deeds of this world as well as those beyond this world, the Bodhisattvas drill wells, create wind for the boats, and grow and test the medicines. The shade of the clouds and the shining of the sun¹⁵ both benefit living beings including those that are virtuous and noble¹⁶. Revealing the doctrine will benefit all and the joy will make them enter into Sambodhi¹⁷. This is called the reaching of living beings that is universal.

j. The Offering of Service to the Buddhas that is Universal¹⁸

Each time one offers service to the Buddhas with external things, each item of food, each blossom and each fragrance is offered up everywhere to all the Buddhas. Each time is not the first or the last and each time the offering is made with equanimity. With each sensation that arises there are various other kinds of sensations that are also like this. When one observes them introspectively, the total wisdom guides all the different practices. The total wisdom is called ‘the wisdom of the Buddha’. With the all the different practices being based on the total wisdom, there is the total wisdom.

• When the practice is based on any other wisdom it is not called 'The Offering of Service that is Universal'.
• With all the different practices based on the total wisdom it is called 'The Offering of Service that is Universal'.

5. The Door (C. Wen, J. Mon)

• When one enters into emptiness from that which is temporary, the emptiness is penetrated but that which is temporary is blocked.
• When one enters into that which is temporary from emptiness, that which is temporary is penetrated but emptiness is blocked.

• With such partial or biased penetration it is not universal.
• With such blockage there is no entry into the door.

The middle way is neither emptiness nor that which is temporary.

• With proper penetration of the true spiritual aspect of reality the two truths are both penetrated, and it is called Universal.
• With proper penetration it is called the Entering the Door.

It follows that the meanings of the Total Penetration of the Universal Door are without limit. Having outlined it in ten parts it is possible to understand.

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Footnotes:

1. The realm of personality and heaven - The higher spiritual conditions in the threefold realm, where good predominaes over evil - see the Six Spiritual Realms

2. The Broad Vows originate from the Four Truths: As follows:
The two vows of compassion:
Living beings are boundless, I vow to deliver them from the suffering of Life & Death (Overcoming Suffering)
Emotional troubles are countless, I vow to eliminate them (Overcoming Origination)
The two vows of mercy:
The doors to the Dharma are limitless, I vow to know them (The Path)
The path of enlightenment is supreme, I vow to attain it (Extinction)

3. The Four Kinds of Four Truths: The four progressively deeper understandings of the four truths, originally described in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra
a. The Four Truths of Birth & Extinction - The truths in terms of the causality of karma and retribution
b. The Four Truths Without Birth or Extinction - The truths in terms of emptiness
c. The Limitless Four Truths - The truths in terms of that which is temporary and provisional on the Bodhisattva path
d. The Innate Four Truths - The truths in terms of the total enlightenment of the Buddha
They are eexplained in Volume One of The Great Calm-Observation (C. Mo-Ho Chih-Kuan, J. Maka Shikan)

4. The Buddha Steady Shining Lamp (S. Dipamkara): According to Buddhist lore, a Buddha of the remote past & the 24^th predecessor to Sakyamuni. ‘Steady’ refers to Calm (Serenity), ‘Shining’ refers to Observation (Illumination), and the Lamp refers to the work of the Buddha, lighting the way for all living beings. In Sakyamuni’s previous incarnation as the Bodhisattva Learned Youth, he is said to have offered five lotus blossoms to Dipamkara. In response to this gesture, Dipankara prophesized His future enlightenment. From this point Sakyamuni reached the 'non-retreating' stage on His path to enlightenment. The 'receiving of the prophecy of enlightenment' (S. Vyakarana) is a important element to the Bodhisattva path - At this point the Bodhisattva understand the purpose or aim of the spiritual life and with this sense of direction everything is invested with a new spiritual significance.

5. Without this wisdom of the principle, one's practice will not be universal: One will not understand the ultimate aim and purpose of the practice

6. The Three Wisdoms: The Buddha is said to have 'Three Kinds of Wisdom'
a. The Wisdom of All - this is frequently translated as 'omniscience' by some. This is wisdom of emptiness, of transcendence, of knowing that all of reality is one, beyond the divisions and dualities of self and aspects of reality (dharmas). Seeing the big picture.
b. The Wisdom of the Various Paths - This is the wisdom of all the provisional and temporary means to enlightenment, understanding all the sicknesses and medicines, etc. Mastering the details.
c. The Wisdom of All Kinds - This is the wisdom of the mean, of perfectly integrating the first two and understanding the Buddha's true intent and purpose. The Buddha's will.

7.  The Four Conditions of Mortality: Attachment to #1 views (how things seem as opposed to how they truly are), #2 desire #3 form and #4 formlessness The Dusts and Sands: The trials of the Bodhisattvas who must face and master the countless details and aspects of that which is temporary and provisional in order to use them to spiritually help rescue living beings. These are two of the three illusions (the third being fundamental ignorance, not understanding the middle way and the meaning or purpose).

8. The Five Conditions of Mortality: The four conditions described above plus fundamental ignorance, not understanding the purpose of meaning of the middle way

9. Spiritual Penetration: Reaching the hearts and minds of others and so having effective spiritual influence

10. The divine eye of the Arhat illuminates emptiness The Pratyekabuddha illuminates causality & conditions that The Bodhisattvas illuminate all that is temporary and provisional

11. Preliminary ways & means: Emptiness & that which is temporary

12. Entering into the door of the Dharma: One’s own practice

13. The use of spiritual influence & transformation: The influence of others

14. Invoke the spiritual capacities of the ten worlds: The different spiritual capacities aspire to enlightenment through the power of the word (through prayer) and channel the cognitive and intuitive mental powers towards the attainment of remembrance (continuous presence of mind) and Samadhi (concentration of mind)

15. The shade of the clouds (the provisional) and the shining of the sun (the real)

16. Living beings (in Life & Death) including those that are virtuous & noble (on the spiritual path)

17. Sambodhi: Total enlightenment

18. Offering of Service: Prayer and worship

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