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

The Great Calm Observation, Volume 1, Part 4, Page 5

D. The Four Broad Vows that are Innate

Next, each thought of the mind arises through the interaction of the two aspects - the sense faculty that is the thinking mind and the sensations that are the elements of reality - and they are identical with emptiness, that which is temporary, and the mean. Whether from the senses or the sensations, they are all equally parts of the spiritual realm.

They are all equally in the end empty,
They are all equally Embryo of the One That Has Come¹, and
They are all equally the middle way

How are they empty? Being equally born from causality and conditions, all things are born without an independent self existence. In being without a self, they are empty.
How are they temporary? In being without a self, and yet born, they are temporarily existent.
How are they the mean? In not departing from the nature of spirituality, they are all equally identical with the mean.

One must know that each thought is identical with emptiness, that which is temporary, and the mean, and:

They are equally in the end empty
They are equally the Embryo of The One That Has Come, and
They are equally the True Spiritual Aspect of Reality.

They are not three, and yet they are three.
They are three, and yet they are not three.

They are not united into one, and they are not divided into three
Yet they are united into one and they are divided into three.

They are not without being united into one, and
They are not without being divided into three.

They can not be identical and different,
Yet they are identical and and they are different.

Compare this to a clear mirror:
The clarity expresses emptiness
The image expresses that which is temporary
The mirror expresses the mean.

They are not one and the same and they are separable into three,
Yet they are one and the same and and they are separable into three, just as they are.

They are not one, two, or three,
but even there being two and being three is not contradictory.

Each single thought of the mind is neither vertically deep nor horizontally broad. It is inconceivable. Not only is it like this, but those of the Buddha and all living beings are like this as well.

The Flower Garland Sutra says:
“The mind, the Buddha, and all living beings are an inseparable trinity.”
One must know that one's own mind possesses all of the Buddha’s enlightenment.

The Sutra on Brahma’s Questions says:
“The foolish desire and search for Bodhi in the aggregates of self, the realms of consciousness, and the senses², and yet the aggregates of self, the realms of consciousness, and the senses are identical with Bodhi."
Apart from them, there is no Bodhi.

The Vimalakirti Sutra says:
“The liberated understanding of The One That Has Come must be searched for in the minds of living beings.”
With living beings being identical with Bodhi, nothing further needs to be attained. With living beings being identical with Nirvana, nothing further needs to be extinguished.
With a single state of mind already being like this, so are all states of minds. And all things are like this as well.

And The Sutra on the Observation of the Bodhisattva Universally Virtue says:
"Vairocana is everywhere in all places³."
This has the identical meaning.

One must know that with all things being identical with the Buddha’s Enlightenment there is the spiritual realm of The One That Has Come.

Question:
If this is so, why does The Flower Garland Sutra also speak of “the mind roaming in the spiritual realm like it was empty space”? And why does The Great Discourse say that "ultimately the darkness of ignorance and illumination are both empty"?
Answer:
These quotations emphasize the point of emptiness. Emptiness is identical with non-emptiness. It is also identical with that which is neither empty nor without emptiness.

The Sutras also say:
     “Each particle of dust has a great thousand-volume Sutra within it”
     “The mind possesses all of the Buddha’s enlightenment”
     “It is like a seed in the ground”
     “It is like a pellet of incense”.
These quotes emphasize the point of existence. Existence is identical with non-existence. It is also identical with that which is neither existent nor nonexistent.

And the Sutras say “Each form and fragrance not being without the middle way”. This emphasizes the point of The Middle Way. It is identical with the mean, and yet the extremes. It is not the extremes, and yet it is not without the extremes. It is perfect without a flaw.

If one is not careful with one's words, one will slander their noble intent.

When one attains understanding of this, as each thought of the mind rises up - through the interaction of the sense faculty that is the thinking mind and the sensations that are the elements of reality - the thinking mind is identical with the 84,000-fold Treasury of Reality. The elements of reality are also like this. And each thought of the mind raises up the 84,000 fold Treasury of Spirituality. The Realm of the Buddha’s Enlightenment faces the Spiritual Realm and raises up the Spiritual Realm, and it is not without the Buddha’s Enlightenment.

With Life & Death being identical with Nirvana, there is clarification of the Truth of Suffering. Each single sensation can be three sensations⁴ and each state of mind can three states of mind⁵. Each single sensation is the door to 84,000 kinds of dust and toil and each state of mind is also like this.

Greed, anger, and stupidity are also identical with Bodhi. This is called the Truth of Origination.

In turning around each single door of dust and toil⁶, there are
     84,000 doors to Samadhi⁷,
     84,000 doors to Dharani⁸,
     84,000 doors to Healing, and
     84,000 doors to the Paramitas⁹

Ignorance is turned around and transformed into illumination. Like ice being melted into water, it is not something apart from it and it does not come from some other place. It is completely present in each and every single thought of the mind. It is like the Wish-Fulfilling Gem¹⁰ - it is not a jewel, and not without being a jewel. If one says that it is not one, there is false speech. If one reasons that it is, there is a false view. It is impossible to know it with the mind and it is impossible to describe it with words.

In this inconceivable teaching of non-attachment, living beings have thoughts and ideas which create attachments. They seek liberation in that in which there is no liberation.

Therefore one arouses a great mercy and compassion, raises up the Four Broad Vows, roots up both kinds of suffering and dispenses the both kinds of happines¹¹.

Therefore it is called ‘Being neither bound nor liberated, and inspiring the absolutely true Bodhi mind’.

The first three perspectives¹² were all in terms of the Four Truths as a point of reference.
Now, the innate perspective is in terms of:
     The Treasury of the Dharma¹³The Dusts and Toils⁶,
     The Samadhis⁷, &
     The Paramitas⁹.

But the meaning is the same as before.

Next Page Outline Home Page

Footnotes:

1. Embryo of the One That Has Come: (S. Tathagata-garbha) – The potential of the Buddha's enlightenment which is to be found in all living beings

2. The aggregates of self, the realms of conciousness, and the portals of the senses: The components of self-existence
A. The Five Agregates of Self: (Skandhas) #1 Physical Form #2 Sensory Feelings #3 Thoughts #4 Predispositions #5 Consciousness
B. The Eighteen Realms of Consciousness: (Dhatus) The Six Sense Faculties, the Six Sensations, & The Six Sensory Perceptions
C. The Twelve Portals of the Senses: (Ayatanas) The Six Sense Faculties and the Six Sensations

3. Vairocana: Meaning the Great Illuminator, or the Great Sun, it is a name given to the one great cosmic Buddha that is the Spiritual Body or Embodiment of Reality (S. Dharmakaya), and appears in many Mahayana Sutras.

4. Three sensations: They are liked, disliked, or one is indifferent to them

5. Three states of minds: Having pleasure, pain, or neither

6. The Dusts & Toils: The afflictions of emotional distress & desire (klesas)

7. The Samadhis: The practices of deep meditation

8. The Dharani: ‘That which is focused on’, ‘the all embracing’; The dharani is a prayer-spell that is recited over and over. It is the Great Secret Essence, the all-embracing incantation that intercepts evil, embraces good and includes all teachings, meanings, and practices. It is the secret essence of the Middle Way and the True Spiritual Aspect of Reality.

9. The Paramitas: The Bodhisattva practices, often as six: #1 Generosity #2 Morality #3 Endurance #4 Diligence #5 Meditation #6 Spiritual Insight - Sometimes four more are added #7 Ways & Means #8 Vows #9 Spiritual Powers #10 Spiritual Wisdom

10. The Wish-Fulfilling Gem: (Cintamani) The magic gem that can grant any wish

11. Both kinds: Internal & External, that is, Spiritual & Material

12. The first three: The first three of The Four Doctrines #1 of birth & extinction #2 without birth or extinction & #3 the limitless

13. The Treasury of the Dharma: The treasury of Buddhist teachings and wisdom.

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

Since July 9, 2001

FastCounter by bCentral