The Great Calm Observation, Volume 1, Part 4, Page 1

The Great Calm Observation, Volume 1, Part 4, Page 1

Already we have taught much about the inspiration of the Bodhi mind. Now, we close on the three kinds of Calm-Observation.

Question:
In fact the Nature of Spirituality is not even a single truth. Why do we consider it by means of three and four aspects¹?

Answer:
We speak of it having one, two, three, and four aspects here in order to explain it.

The Nature of Spirituality is that of which there is confusion whereas Suffering and Origination are that which is able to confuse².

The ability to confuse can be either light or heavy.
The confusion can be either detached from or identified with.

In terms of distinguishing the inner realm and the realm beyond it³, there are the four kinds of suffering and origination⁴. In terms of people’s spiritual capacity⁵ and their ability to grasp the principle of reality , there are the one, two, three, and four kinds that are not the same. When the inner realm⁶ of a person has dull spiritual capacity, the confusion of truth is heavy. Suffering and origination are also heavy. In people of keen spiritual capacity, the confusion of the truth is light. Suffering and origination are also light. In the realm beyond it⁷, the aspects of sharp vs. dull and light vs. heavy are also like this.

The Nature of Spirituality is that which is understood whereas The Path and Extinction is the ability to understand⁸.

This understanding can be either detached from or identified with.
The ability to understand can be either skillful or clumsy.

When the inner realm of a person has dull spiritual capacity, understanding is with detachment and the ability to understand is clumsy. In people with keen spiritual capacity, understanding is with identity and the ability to understand is skillful. In the realm beyond it, the aspects of keen vs. dull, identity vs. detachment, and skill vs. clumsiness are also like this.

How is this so? When actual practice and principle are in contradiction, the darkness of confusion is most serious. Compare this to a father and son, reasoning that they are strangers, hating each other deeply and being violent to one another.

The anger illustrates origination, whereas
The violence illustrates suffering.

When one reasons that emotional distress is identical with the Nature of Spirituality, the aspects of actual practice and principle are with identity. It follows that suffering and origination are light. Although they are not really of the same flesh and bones, when two reason that they are father and son, anger and violence will be slight.

The aspects of crude vs. refined, branch vs. root, general vs. specific, everywhere vs. not everywhere, difficult vs. easy, etc., are also like this.

Some speak of suffering and confusion stagnating in the inner realm so that it is heavy, and of them rising up and departing in the realm beyond it so that it is light.
Some speak of the realm inside the skin being confused so that it is shallow, and speak of the realm beyond the flesh being confused so that it is deep.
Some speak of the inner realm following the ideas of others so that it is clumsy, and the realm beyond it following one's own ideas so that it is skillful.
Some speak of having the spiritual capacity the inner realm as so that one is skillful, and being without capacity for the realm beyond it so that one is clumsy.
Some speak of the inner realm having distinction of subject and object so that it is crude, and the realm beyond it being without distinction of subject and object so that it is refined.
Some speak of the inner realm as being the small path with its ultimate goal being the enchanted city so that it is crude, and the realm beyond it being the great path with the ultimate goal being the treasure trove⁹ so that it is refined.
Some speak of the inner realm having the visiting dusts of sensations so that there are the branches, whereas the realm beyond it is the common embodiment of the absolute so that it is the root.
Some speak of the inner realm being at the beginning so that it is the root, and the realm beyond it coming afterwards so that there are the branches.
Some speak of the inner realm as being both of the Great and Small Vehicles so that it is general, and the realm beyond it as being only of the Great Vehicle so that it is specific.
Some speak of the inner realm being partial, small and shallow so that it is specific, and they speak of the realm beyond it being total, great and without barriers so that it is general.
Some speak of the inner realm being short so that it is not everywhere, and the realm beyond it circumventing the entire Spiritual Realm so that it is everywhere.
Some speak of the inner realm being common to all of the saints and sages so that it is everywhere, and the realm beyond it being alone the provenance of those of the Great Vehicle so that it is not everywhere.
Some speak of the inner realm using the ways and means of the Two Vehicles so that it is difficult to detach from, and the realm beyond it only depending upon the unhindered spiritual insight so that it is easy to detach from.

Like this, there are the various kinds of intermixed teachings. Now, in closing on it, it is easier to understand:

When we make the shallow deep, and the heavy light, there is the idea of the Gradual, Sequential Observation.
When we make the Four Truths to be a single reality without its parts being divided up and distinguished, there is the idea of the Total Observation.
When we make the light and heavy aspects to be intermixed, there is the idea of the Indeterminate Observation.

All of these are aspects of the Great Vehicle so that it is necessary to be aware of them. When one sees this idea, one recognizes the three kinds;

The gradual sequential revelation of what is the right inspiration of the Bodhi mind
The indeterminate revelation of what is the right inspiration of the Bodhi mind
The total, sudden revelation of what is the right inspiration of the Bodhi mind.

Question:
Previously there were four kinds of origination of suffering. Why are there are only two effects of suffering?
Answer:
Confusion is in accordance with understanding and so it follows that there are the four kinds of origination¹⁰. Understanding is in accordance with confusion and so one only experiences the two kinds of mortality¹¹. For example in the small vehicle, with confusion being in accordance with understanding, there are the views of truth and the the afflictions of cultivation¹². With understanding being in accordance with confusion, there is only the single kind of Life & Death¹³.

Question:
Suffering and Origination may be the ‘Causality and conditions that produce all things’. Could The Path and Extinction also be like this¹⁴?
Answer:
Suffering and Origination are that which are broken. The Path and Extinction are that which is able to break them. The ability to break gets it name from that which is broken, and together they are the ‘causality and conditions that produce all things’. Therefore The Great Nirvana Sutra says:
"By extinguishing of the darkness of ignorance, they attain the shining declaration of the Sambodhi Lamp."
This is also called ‘Causality’.

Question:
With the Nature of Spirituality being confused, how is it divided into two and four parts?
Answer:
With the Nature of Spirituality adapting to provision and reality there are two parts. With the Nature Spirituality adapting to different spiritual capacities there are four parts¹⁵.

When one sees this idea, for example, in ‘seeing the signs of Buddha’, ‘hearing the teachings’, and finally ‘the arising of wrongs’, there are examples of these four kinds that are distinguished and elaborated upon.

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1. Three (kinds of Calm-Observation) and Four (Doctrines of the Four Truths)

2. Confusion of the Nature of Spirituality is the objective aspect whereas the Suffering and Origination that is able to confuse one is the subjective aspect. With subject and object divided and distinguished, there is confusion and the ability to be confused

3. The inner realm is the Threefold Realm of Life & Death, the realm of the individual self The realm beyond it is the realm of spiritual progress (The Three Vehicles of the Sravaka, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva) that goes beyond this inner realm

4. The four kinds: The Four Doctrines - #1 Birth & Extinction #2 Without Birth or Extinction #3 Limitless #4 Innate

5. Spiritual Capacities: Literally, spiritual roots – often distinguished in five parts: #1 faith #2 diligence #3 mindfulness (remembrance) #4 mental concentration #5 spiritual insight

6. Inner Realm - The Threefold Realm, the spiritual realm of the individual self - the Realm of Life & Death, the sixspiritual path from hell to heaven.

7. The Realm Beyond: The realm of spiritual progress beyond the Threefold Realm

8. The Nature of Spirituality is that understood – this is the obective aspect. With The Path and Extinction, there is the ability to understand – this is the subjective aspect

9. From Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sutra : The disciples become fatigued while traveling through a fearful region (Life & Death) on their way to the Treasure Trove (Enlightenment). Their leader (Buddha) creates the Enchanted City as a way station for them to rest and relax (the emptiness or Nirvana as understood by those of the Two Vehicles). Once refreshed, they can move on (as Bodhisattvas) to the Treasure Trove.

10. The four kinds of origination: Origination in terms of the Four Doctrines: #1 Birth & Extinction #2 Without Birth #3 Limitless #4 Inherent

11. The two kinds of (Life &) Death (S: Samsara):
#1 Mortality through death as an individual self in the threefold realm (‘the inner realm’)
#2 Mortality through one’s spiritual progress beyond this realm - a result of spiritual merit (‘the realm beyond it’)

12. Views of truth: Improper views Afflictions of cultivation: Improper intent or motives - The two kinds of emotional distress (S. Klesas) that are addressed in the spiritual cultivation of the Two Vehicles.

13. A single division of Life & Death: In the Two Vehicles, there is only one’s solitary lot as a mortal in the threefold realm of good & evil and nothing beyond it

14. This questions refers to an understanding of the Four Truths at the level of 'Birth & Extinction'.

15. With there being teachings that are both provisional and real, there are two parts. In adapting to the spiritual roots (capacities) of people which can be keen or be dull, there are four parts.

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