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

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

B. Next, In Terms of the Course of All Good Activities

There are many different kinds of good activities. Still, they can be summarized in terms of the Six Paramitas¹.

When there are the dusts of the Six Sensations, it is necessary to discard the Six Sensory Perceptions².
When one is lacking in material provisions, it is necessary to engage in the Six Kinds of Actions³.
In discarding these Six Sensory Feelings and engaging in these Six Kinds of Action, there are the Twelve Activities⁴.

First we will discuss the time that the eye senses form:

It does not yet see it
It desires to see it
It sees it
It has already seen it

These four phases of the mind are impossible to see, and yet one does not see without accomplishing them.

And one introspectively observes the mind that is awakened to form:

It does not come from outside oneself – if it were only coming from outside oneself it would not be present in oneself.
It does not come from inside oneself – if it were only coming from inside oneself it would not depend on the conditions outside of oneself.
It does not coming from inside or outside oneself, nor is it in between, and
It is not permanently self-existent

One must know that in the awakened observation of form, ultimately there is emptiness and serenity. The form that is observed is consistent with emptiness, and those that are able to observe form are the same as those that are blind⁴.

This principle applies for all of the six senses, up to the thinking mind that connects with mental phenomena⁶, and its:

Not yet connecting to them
Desiring to connect to them
Connecting to them
Having already connected to them

The four phases of the mind are all incomprehensible. One introspectively observes the mind that is awakened to all mental phenomena:

They do not come from outside oneself
They do not come from inside oneself
There are no objective sensations that are mental phenomena
There is not a subjective sensor of mental phenomena

They are all completely consistent with emptiness. This is the awakened observation of the Six Senses⁷.

With the sense organ that is the eye, the sensation that is form, empty space and illumination, there is seeing. Nothing can be seen nor distinguished without all of these being present. With all of them blended by causality and conditions, the consciousness of the eye is produced. Because of causality and conditions and the consciousness of the eye, the consciousness of the thinking mind is produced. When the consciousness of the thinking mind is produced, it is able to make distinctions. Depending upon the consciousness of the thinking mind, there are also the distinctions that are made in the consciousness of the eye⁸.

The consciousness of the eye is able to see and, having seen, greed is produced. With greed defiling form, one violates the precepts of morality one has accepted. These are the four phases of Hell.
The thinking mind has real cravings for form which are concealed or denied, there are the four phases on the demonic path of Hunger.
With one producing attachments to form and calculating everything in terms of ego and possessions, there are the four phases of Brutality.
In figuring that one’s own forms are superior to those of others, there are the four phases of Personal Demons (Asuras).
& 6. Being kind to others in the give and take of one’s forms, and not taking forms from others unless they are freely given, one arouses benevolence and yields to righteousness, faith, illumination, the five precepts of morality and the ten good deeds⁹. These are the four phases of Personality and Heaven.

& 8. Upon observing the four phases of the mind, their aspects are born and extinguished. They are impermanent, they produce the three states of sensation¹⁰, and they are without an owner. They are all dependent upon causality and conditions. These are the four phases of the Two Vehicles¹¹.

In observing the four phases in one's own thoughts, one will see that one's own errors and weaknesses are like this. In observing the four phases of in the thoughts of others, it is also like this. Therefore one inspires mercy and compassion and practices the Six Perfections. Why is this so? Having been mired for countless lifetimes in the stubborn delusions that are the natures and aspects of the sensations arising from the six sensory perceptions, one is unable to renounce them. Upon renouncing them, one is still unable to completely eradicate them.

Now, one observes the sensations and that which is beyond the sensations, and one does not accept the sensations.
One observes the senses faculties and that beyond the sense faculties, and one is without attachment to one’s own senses faculties.
One observes that without there being a person to accept them, no one will accept them.

With all three of these things being empty of self, it is called Dana Paramita (The Perfection of Giving).
The Diamond Prajna Sutra says:
“When one is giving while dwelling on the forms, voices, fragrances, flavors, contacts, and things of the mind, it is called giving while dwelling on the aspects. This is like a person who enters into a dark room and doesn't see anything. In giving without dwelling on the voices, flavors, etc., there is giving that is beyond the aspects. This is like a person who has eyes that can see all the various kinds of forms in the bright light of the sun.”

To simply speak of the Bodhisattvas not seeing the aspects is a roundabout explanation and still difficult to understand. Now, the seeing of forms can be with aspects, without aspects, both with and without aspects, or neither with nor without aspects. If one becomes attached to the aspects of any of these, one should pulls away from them and dismiss them, and this way the 62 arbitrary views¹² will not rise up. Therefore it is called the Dana (The Giving of Oneself) that is beyond aspects and reaches to the other shore. With all things being predisposed towards Dana (The Giving of Oneself) one will attain the Great Vehicle. These are the fours phases of The Bodhisattva.

And further:
* Upon observing that the four phases are consistent with empty space, there is Eternity.
* With the four phases being beyond sensory feelings, there is Bliss.
* With the four phases not generating karmas, there is The True Self.
* With the four phases being undefilable, there is Purity¹³.
These are the four phases of The Buddha.

Like this, although the four phases of the mind are like empty space, in the emptiness one sees the various different manifestations of the four phases. One will see the spiritual enlightenment everywhere in all things that are as countless as the Sands of the Ganges, and one will realize the Mahayana (the Great Vehicle). This is the four phases of all that which is temporarily named¹⁴.

If there were just emptiness there would not be the Ten Spiritual Realms. The Ten Spiritual Realms are produced from causality and conditions and its embodiment is without any existence beyond this.

In not being existence, it is empty.
In not being emptiness, it exists.
In being neither empty nor existent, one illumines both its emptiness and its existence.

The three truths are just as they are. In being endowed with the Buddha’s knowledge and vision, one will perfectly illuminate the four phases of the mind.¹⁵

One observes the four phases of the mind and the other five sensory feelings; the voices, the fragrances,the flavors, the contacts, and the mental phenomena. The Total Awakening of the Three Truths is inconceivable and it is again as described before. Based on the previous use of the example of form they may be understood, and we will not trouble to narrate on it further.

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Footnotes:

1. The Six Paramitas: The good spiritual roots (capacities) of the Bodhisattva: Generosity, Morality, Endurance, Diligence, Mental Concentration and Spiritual Insight

2. The Dusts of the Six Sensations: The six sensory preceptions are sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought; these sensations are considered 'dusts' or 'sensations' when there are attachments to them that taint the mind.

3. The Six Kinds of Actions: Walking, Standing, Sitting, Lying Down, Speaking, Being Silent - four of the body and two of the mouth

4. The Twelve Activities: The Six Senses and Six Actions are respectively manifestations of Vedana (Sensory Perception) and Samskara (Acts of Will), two the five constituents of the aggregates of self.

5. Those that are able to observe form are the same those that are blind: Those that do not comprehend emptiness see only the superficial appearance of form from their own vantage point, those that comprehend emptiness see that form is consistent with and no different from empty space

6. Mental phenomena: (S. Dharmas) Elements or aspects of spirituality, one's spiritual condition

7. This concludes the part on emptiness. Next comes the part on that which is temporary.

8. Depending upon the consciousness of the thinking mind, there are also the distinctions in the consciousness of the eye: The thinking mind divides and distinguishes everything from the other senses into self & other and assigns names, identities and associations to the different objects of the senses. This is the creation of that which is temporary.

9. The five precepts of morality and the ten good deeds: The acts of will that prevent evil and create good spiritual desitinies for ordinary people of the six paths. See the precepts.

10. The three states of sensation: Pleasure, pain, and indifference

11. The Two Vehicles: Here Chih-I first describes the Spiritual Disciples (Sravakas) in terms of their meditation of the Four Spheres of Mindfulness - Impurity ("their aspects are born and extinguished"), Impermanence ("they are impermanent"), Suffering ("they produce the three states of sensation"), and Selflessness ("they are without an owner"). Then he describes Those Spiritually Self-Awakened (Pratyekabuddhas) in terms of the Twelvefold Wheel of Dependence on Origination (they are all dependent upon causality and conditions").

12. The 62 Arbitrary Views: From the Pancavimsati, and slightly differently treated by Chih-I, the sixty-two views are the arbitrary views that are a result of the false belief in ego-centrism.

13. Eternity, The True Self, Bliss & Purity: The Four Virtues of Nirvana as described in The Mahaparinirvana Sutra and represented by the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas springing up from the earth in The Lotus Sutra

14. This concludes the part on that which is temporary.

15. This concludes the part on the mean

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