The Great Calm Observation, Volume 1, Part 3, Page 2

The Great Calm Observation, Volume 1, Part 3, Page 2

Question:
Is the practicer's mind inspired by itself, or is it inspired by the teachings of others?
Answer:
It is not always possible to separate self and other. However, in the discussion of the inspiration of the mind, there are the comings and goings of Sympathetic Response. For example, when a child falls into the water or into a fire, the father and mother will clear up all confusion instantly to save the child.

The Vimalakirti Sutra says:
"When a child becomes sick, the father and mother are sick as well."

The Great Nirvana Scripture says:
"The minds of the father and mother are more concerned about their sick children."

Shaking the mountain that is the Nature of Spirituality¹, the Buddha entered into the ocean of Life and Death² and so created practices for those that were children and those that were sick³. This was called ‘Inspiring the Mind of Sympathetic Response.’

The Meditation Scripture says:
"The Buddha taught the Dharma by adapting to four things:

Adapting to wishes and desires
Adapting to opportunities & capacities
Adapting the therapy
Adapting the significance"

From this it was made certain that the ideas taught would please people’s minds. By adapting to the people's worldly habits, it was easier to practice observation of their sicknesses, be they light or heavy, and establish happiness for them, be it much or little. In time, their capacity for Enlightenment matured as they awakened to the Path. Was this not ‘adapting to their capacities’ and the benefits that come from Sympathetic Response?

The Great Discourse on the Perfection of Wisdom says:
"Bridging the gap between the world and the Dharma is called Worldly Siddhanta Following in accordance with people’s capacity is called Personal Siddhanta⁴ ".
These two Siddhanta are identical with the first two of the ‘Four Adaptations’. The Siddhanta are also based on the concept of Sympathetic Response.

And next we cite the Five Sequential Steps cited in The Great Discourse:

To clarify the various practices of the Bodhisattvas, there is the teaching of the Scripture on the Perfection of Wisdom⁵.
To increase the mindfulness of the Bodhisattvas, there is the Samadhi that is the 'Remembrance of the Buddha'⁶.
To teach about 'treading forward', there is contemplation of the 'Signs of the Buddha'⁷.
The evils and falsehoods of disciples are extracted⁸.
To teach that which is of the highest significance, there is the teaching of the Scripture on the Perfection of Wisdom⁹.

These Five Sequential Steps are not at all different from the ‘Four Adaptations’ or the Four Siddhanta, and they are the same as the Fivefold Causality of the Main Idea¹⁰.

If one teaches without following the capacities of those being taught, one will distress them and there will be no benefit. When there is the rain and thunder of the Great Compassion, that which is clear will be attained from that which is obscure.

The Great Discourse says:
" It is difficult to find the True Dharma, find those that teach it, or find those that give inquiry into it."
Like this, it follows that Life & Death does not have bounds, and it is not without bounds. The True Spiritual Aspect of Reality is neither difficult nor easy to understand, being neither existent nor without existence. It is called the ‘True Dharma’. Being able to teach of it or inquire into it is called ‘True Teaching and Inquiry.’

The benefits of the first Three Siddhanta are spoken of as ‘having bounds’. The benefits of the Siddhanta of the Highest Significance is spoken of as being ‘neither with nor without bounds’.

Therefore one must know that in order to understand the great cause for the appearance and work of the Buddha in this world, there is the idea of Sympathetic Response. In fact, the ‘Four Adaptations’, the Four Siddhanta, and Fivefold Causality of the Main Idea are all different names for the same idea.

The Four Adaptations that are now taught are the benefits for living beings that are their response to the Great Compassion. The Four Siddhanta are the Mercy that is bestowedt everywhere by the Buddha. The difference between them is like the difference between left and right. In speaking of the Fivefold Causality of the Main Idea, sometimes the cause comes from those that are noble and connection is from those that are common, and sometimes the cause is from those that are common and the connection is from those that are noble, but all is based on the comings and goings of the pathways of Sympathetic Response.

One should recognize that the aspects of these three¹¹ correspond, and are all based on the same idea.

‘Adapting toWishes and Desires’ emphasizes the causes that are cultivated, whereas the ‘Worldly Siddhanta’ emphasizes the different rewards that are received. This idea covers the differences between cause and effect.
With regard to ‘Adapting to Capacities & Opportunities’, the Buddha selects the Teaching, and then finds the people with capacity to benefit from it. With regard to the ‘Personal Siddhanta’, the Buddha observes the person and accordingly adapts the Teaching. This is simply is the difference between the joy and the rejoicer.

And in the Fivefold Causality of the Main Idea:

The beliefs and wishes of living beings were the cause. The Buddha taught each and all of the teachings. This is Inspiring the Great Mind of Enlightenment. In The Meditation Sutra, this was Adapting to Wishes and Desires. In The Great Discourse, this was the Worldly Siddhanta.
Living beings have a great spirit of diligence, bravery, and valor. The Buddha taught each and all of the practices that correspond with the Four Samadhis¹². In The Meditation Sutra, this was Adapting to Capaities & Opportunities. In The Great Discourse, this was the Personal Siddhanta.
Living beings have the great insight of equality. With this as the cause, the Buddha responded by teaching each and every refutation of falsehood. Living beings attained the noble reward¹³ and penetrated the scriptures and discourses¹⁴. In both The Meditation Sutra and The Great Discourse, this was the Therapy and Healing¹⁵.
Living beings have the wisdom and eyes of the Buddha. With this as the cause, the Buddha responded and taught each and all completely and ultimately. Living beings grasped the teaching and returned to the serene extinction¹⁶. In both The Meditation Scripture and The Great Discourse, this was that of the Highest Significance.

And in the Fivefold Causality of the Main Idea as well as the Five Sequential Steps¹⁷, the Bodhi mind¹⁸ is the source of all practices. The Great Discourse indicates the various kinds of practices. There is only the difference between the branches and the root.
The Four Samadhis are the general cultivation whereas ‘Remembrance of the Buddha’ is a specific cultivation. There is only the difference between being general and specific.
With success, one is endowed with the fruits of both the learning and its rewards, both directly for oneself and indirectly for the environment one depends upon. In treading forward, one raises up the signs of one’s learning and the ranks one has entered into. There is only the difference between single and double benefits¹⁹.
In abolishing the stagnation of doubt in the scriptures and discourses, the scriptures and discourses are shown to be the places where doubts and attachments arise. In extracting the evils and falsehoods of disciples, it is shown that people are the ones that raise up errors. This is only the difference between person and place.
It is easy to see that the terms ‘Completely Consistent from Beginning to End’²⁰ and ‘The Highest Significance’ are identical. This is because there is no difference between them. Their meanings are the same.

And the Noble Teachers have taught many different points.

Some were taught in sequence, and some were not.
Some were taught all together, and some were not.
Some were taught in mixed order, and some were not.

Living beings have earned benefits that were not the same.

Some benefits were in sequence, and some were not.
Some benefits were all together, some were not.
Some benefits were in mixed order, some were not.

For some, the Four Siddhanta became the Fivefold Causality of The Main Idea.
For some, the Fivefold Causality of The Main Idea became the Four Siddhanta.
For some, the Four Siddhanta became the One Causality, and the One Causality became the One Siddhanta.
For some, each of the Causalities of the Main Idea are complete with the Four Siddhantas, and Four Siddhantas are complete with the Fivefold Causality of The Main Idea.

Like this, the various kinds of intermixed aspects are revealed in closing the section on the Three Kinds of Calm-Observation and the idea is recognized this way. And in closing on the one kind of Calm-Observation:

Inspiring the Bodhi mind is Observation
Ceasing the unjust and prejudiced mind is Calm.

Next Page Outline Home Page

1. Nature of Spirituality: (S. Dharmata), the Nature of the Dharma, of Spiritual Reality

2. Life & Death: (S. Samsara), the cycles of births & deaths in mortal self-existence.

3. Practices for those that were children (encouraging good) and those that were sick (healing evil). Two of the Buddha's five practices in The Maha Parinirvana Sutra

4. Siddhanta: Four methods of spiritual penetration and teaching of the Dharma

5. Scripture on the Perfection of Wisdom: (S .Prajna Paramita Sutra).Here, the teaching of this encyclopedic Sutra refers to the Worldy Siddhanta (method of Instruction) because so many teachings & practices are covered.

6. The Samadhi that is the 'Remembrance of the Buddha': (S. Buddhanusmriti, C. Nien-Fo, J. Nembutsu), technique of Samadhi (contemplation) invoking the name of the Buddha, described in Volume Two. Here, it is referred to as a ‘Personal Method of Instruction’ in the context of increasing the spiritual capacity of mindfulness.

7. Treading Forward (S. Avaivartika): The stage in which a Bodhisattva will no longer retreat in practice, but only move forward towards enlightenment. Contemplation of the (32 major) signs of the Buddha: A practice by which one visually contemplates the physical signs of the Buddha. Here it is another ‘Personal Method of Instruction’ in the context of its encouraging ‘treading forward’. However, in the context of there being a choice between the primarily auditory “Remembrance of the Buddha’ and the primarily visual ‘Contemplation of the Signs of the Buddha’, there is the the “Worldly Method of Instruction or Siddhanta’ (following wishes and desires).

8. The evils and falsehoods of the disciples are extracted: The Therapeutic Method of Instruction (Siddhanta)

9. To teach that which is of the highest significance: The Method (Siddhanta) of the Highest Significance

10. The Fivefold Causality of the Main Idea: #1 Inspiring the Great Mind #2 Practicing the Great Practice #3 Feeling the Great Effect #4 Breaking the Great Net #5 Returning to the Great Place

11. These three: The 4 Adaptations, the 4 Siddhanta, and the Fivefold Causality of the Main Idea

12. The Four Samadhis: The practices covered in the section on ‘Practicing the Great Practice’ in Volume Two

13. Attained the noble reward: Felt the Great Effect

14. Penetrated the scriptures and discourses: Broke the Great Net

15. Confronting and Healing: That is, confronting evil and healing sickness – the Therapeutic Siddhanta (Method of Instruction)

16. Returned to the serene extinction: Returned to the Great Place

17. The Five Sequential Steps: In The Great Discourse on the Perfection of Wisdom (Mahaprajnaparamita Sastra) by Nagarjuna –
#1 To clarify the various practices of the Bodhisattvas, there is the teaching of the Scripture on the Perfection of Wisdom
#2 To increase the mindfulness of the Bodhisattvas, there is the Samadhi that is the 'Remembrance of the Buddha'
#3 To teach about 'treading forward' (the non-retreating stage of the Bodhisattva), there is contemplation of the 'Marks of the Buddha'
#4 The evils and falsehoods of the disciples are extracted
#5 To teach that which is of the highest significance, there is the teaching of the Scripture on the Perfection of Wisdom

18. Bodhi Mind: Referring to the Inspiration of the Bodhi (enlightened, awakened) Mind

19. Single Benefits (for oneself) Double Benefits (for oneself as well as others)

20. “Completely consistent from beginning to end”: A phrase from the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Here the beginning (Inspiration of the Bodhi Mind) and the end (Returning to the Great Place) are completely consistent, as are the root and the branch. And in The Great Treatise, teaching The Scripture on the Perfection of Wisdom is the beginning and the end, so that it is also completely consistent from beginning to end.

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