The Lanka Sutra
楞伽經
The Lankavatara Sutra
Saddharmalankavatara Sutra
(The sutra of the appearance of the good teachings in Lanka)
☸
The Lanka is a memorandum kept by a Mahayana master, in which he recorded teachings of which he considered important for Mahayana of his day. Here are presented some of the central issues within the Sutra which are important for a correct undertanding of the Sutra with regard to contemplation related teachings of the early Lanka Masters.
The translation from the original Sanskrit is by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki
Duality from Chapter One
The Blessed One said, "Lord of Lanka, tell me what you mean by duality?"
The Lord of the Rakshasas, (17) who was renewed in his ornaments, full of splendour and beauty, with a diadem, bracelet, and necklace strung with vajra thread, said, "It is said that even dharmas are to be abandoned, and how much more adharmas.
Blessed One, why does this dualism exist that we are called upon to abandon?
What are adharmas? and what are dharmas? How can there be a duality of things to abandon—a duality that arises from falling into discrimination, from discriminating self-substance where there is none, from [the idea of] things created (bhautika) and uncreated, because the non-differentiating nature of the Alayavijnana is not recognised? Like the seeing of a hair-circle as really existing in the air, [the notion of dualism] belongs to the realm of intellection not exhaustively pur-gated. This being the. case as it should be, how could there be any abandonment [of dharmas and adharmas]?"
Said the Blessed One, "Lord of Lanka, seest thou not that the differentiation of things, such as is perceived in jars and other breakable objects whose nature it is to perish in time, takes place in a realm of discrimination [cherished by] the ignorant? This being so, is it not to be so understood? It is due to discrimination [cherished by] the ignorant that there exists the differentiation of dharma and adharma. Noble wisdom (aryajnana), however, is not to be realised by seeing [things this way]. Lord of Lanka, let it be so with the ignorant who follow the particularised aspect of existence that there are such objects as jars, etc., but it is not so with the wise. One flame of uniform nature rises up depending on houses, mansions, parks, and terraces, and burns them down; while a difference in the flames is seen according to the power of each burning material which varies in length, magnitude, etc. This being so, why (18) is it not to be so understood? The duality of dharma and adharma thus comes into existence. Not only is there seen a fire-flame spreading out in one continuity and yet showing a variety of flames, but from one seed, Lord of Lanka, are produced, also in one continuity, stems, shoots, knots, leaves, petals, flowers, fruit, branches, all individualised. As it is with every external object from which grows [a variety of] objects, so also with internal objects. From ignorance there develop the Skandhas, Dhatus, Ayatanas, with all kinds of objects accompanying, which grow out in the triple world where we have, as we see, happiness, form, speech, and behaviour, each differentiating [infinitely]. The oneness of the Vijnana is grasped variously according to the evolution of an objective world; thus there are seen things inferior, superior, and middling, things defiled and free from defilement, things good and bad. Not only, Lord of Lanka, is there such a difference of conditions in things generally, there is also seen a variety of realisations attained innerly by each Yogin as he treads the path of discipline which constitutes his practice. How much more difference in dharma and adharma do we not see in a world of particulars which is evolved by discrimination? Indeed, we do.
"Lord of Lanka, the differentiation of dharma and adharma comes from discrimination.
Lord of Lanka, what are dharmas? That is, they are discriminated by the discriminations cherished by the philosophers, Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and ignorant people. They think that the dharmas headed by quality and substance are produced by causes—[these are the notions] to be abandoned. Such are not to be regarded [as real] because they are appearances (lakshana). It comes from one's clinging [to appearances] that the manifestations of his own Mind are regarded as reality (dharmata). (19) Such things as jars, etc., are products of discrimination conceived by the ignorant, they exist not; their substances are not attainable. The viewing of things from this viewpoint is known as their abandonment.
"What, then, are adharmas? Lord of Lanka, [dharmas] are unattainable as to their selfhood, they are not appearances born of discrimination, they are above causality; there is in them no such [dualistic] happening as is seen as reality and non-reality. This is known as the abandoning of dharmas. What again is meant by the unattainability of dharmas? That is, it is like horns of a hare, or an ass, or a camel, or a horse, or a child conceived by a barren woman. They are dharmas the nature of which is unattainable; they are not to be thought [as real] because they are appearances. They are only talked About in popular parlance if they have any sense at all; they are not to be adhered to as in the case of jars, etc. As these [unrealities] are to be abandoned as not comprehensible by the mind (vijnana), so are things (bhava) of discrimination also to be abandoned. This is called the abandoning of dharmas and adharmas. Lord of Lanka, your question as to the way of abandoning dharmas and adharmas is hereby answered.
"Lord of Lanka, thou sayest again that thou hast asked [this question] of the Tathagatas of the past who were Arhats and Fully-Enlightened Ones and that it was solved by them. Lord of Lanka, that which is spoken of as the past belongs to discrimination; as the past is thus a discriminated [idea], even so are the [ideas] of the future and the present. Because of reality (dharmata) the Tathagatas do not discriminate, they go beyond discrimination and futile reasoning, they do not follow (20) the individuation-aspect of forms (rupa) except when [reality] is disclosed for the edification of the unknowing and for the sake of their happiness.1 It is by transcendental wisdom (prajna) that the Tathagata performs deeds transcending forms (animittacara); therefore, what constitutes the Tathagatas in essence as well as in body is wisdom (jnana). They do not discriminate, nor are they discriminated. Wherefore do they not discriminate the Manas? Because discrimination is of the self, of soul, of personality. How do they not discriminate? The Manovijnana is meant for the objective world where causality prevails as regards forms, appearances, conditions, and figures. Therefore, discrimination and non-discrimination must be transcended.
1 This is one of the most important sections in this first introductory chapter, but singularly all the three texts, perhaps excepting T'ang, present some difficulties for clear understanding. Wei: "Lord of Lanka, what you speak of as past is a form of discrimination, and so are the future and the present, also of discrimination. Lord of Lanka, when I speak of the real nature of suchness as being real, it also belongs to discrimination; it is like discriminating forms as the ultimate limit. If one wishes to realise the bliss of real wisdom, let him discipline himself in the knowledge that transcends forms; therefore, do not discriminate the Tathagatas as having knowledge-body or wisdom-essence. Do not cherish any discrimination in [thy] mind. Do not cling in [thy] will to such notions as ego, personality, soul, etc. How not to discriminate? It is in the Manovijnana that various conditions are cherished such as forms, figures, [etc. ]; do not cherish such [discriminations]. Do not discriminate nor be discriminated. Further, Lord of Lanka, it is like various forms painted on the wall, all sentient beings are such. Lord of Lanka, all sentient beings are like grasses and trees, with them there are no acts, no deeds, Lord of Lanka, all dharmas and adharmas, of them nothing is heard, nothing talked...." T'ang: "Lord of Lanka, what you speak of as past is no more than discrimination, so is the future; I too am like him. [Is this to be read, "the present, too, is like it"!] Lord of Lanka, the teaching of all the Buddhas is outside discrimination; as it goes beyond all discrimination and futile reasoning, it is not a form of is particularization, it is realised only by wisdom. That [this absolute] teaching is at all discoursed about is for the sake of giving bliss to all sentient beings. The discoursing is done by the wisdom transcending forms. It is called the Tathagata; therefore, the Tathagata has his essence, his body in this wisdom. He thus does not discriminate, nor is he to be discriminated. Do not discriminate him after the notion of ego, personality, or being. Why this impossibility of discrimination? because the Manovijnana is aroused on account of an objective world wherein it attaches itself to forms and figures. Therefore, [the Tathagata] is outside the discriminating [view] as well as the discriminated [idea]. Lord of Lanka, it is like beings painted in colours on a wall, they have no sensibility [or intelligence]. Sentient beings in the world are also like them; no acts, no rewards [are with them]. So are all the teachings, no hearing, no preaching."
"Lord of Lanka, beings are appearances, they are like figures painted on the wall, they have no sensibility [or consciousness]. Lord of Lanka, all that is in the world is devoid of work and action because all things have no reality, and there is nothing heard, nothing hearing. Lord of Lanka, all that is in the world is like an image magically transformed. This is not comprehended by the philosophers and the ignorant. Lord of Lanka, he who thus sees things, is the one who sees truthfully. Those who see things otherwise walk in discrimination; as they depend on discrimination, they cling to dualism. It is like seeing one's own image reflected in a mirror, or one's own shadow in the water, or in the moonlight, or seeing one's shadow in the house, or hearing an echo in the valley. People grasping their own shadows of discrimination (21) uphold the discrimination of dharma and adharma and, failing to carry out the abandonment of the dualism, they go on discriminating and never attain tranquility, By tranquility is meant oneness (ekagra), and oneness gives birth to the highest Samadhi, which is gained by entering into the womb of Tathagatahood, which is the realm of noble wisdom realised in one's inmost self."
Concerning the Eight Consciousnesses from Chapter Two
IV
At that moment, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said again to the Blessed One: In how many ways, Blessed One, does the rise, abiding, and ceasing of the Vijnanas take place?
The Blessed One replied: There are two ways, Mahamati, in which the rise, abiding, and ceasing of the Vijnanas take place, and this is not understood by the philosophers. That is to say, the ceasing takes place as regards continuation and form. In the rise of the Vijnanas, also, these two are recognizable: the rise as regards continuation and the rise as regards form. In the abiding, also, these two [are discernible]: the one taking place as regards continuation and the other as regards form.
[Further,] three modes are distinguishable in the Vijnanas: (1) the Vijnana as evolving, (2) the Vijnana as producing effects, and (3) the Vijnana as remaining in its original nature.
[Further,] Mahamati, in the Vijnanas, which are said to be eight, two functions generally are distinguishable, the perceiving and the object-discriminating. As a mirror reflects forms, Mahamati, the perceiving Vijna a perceives [objects]. Mahamati, between the two, the perceiving Vijnana and the object-discriminating Vijnana, there is no difference; they are mutually conditioning. Then, Mahamati, the perciving Vijnana functions because of transformation's taking place [in the mind] by reason of a mysterious habit-energy, while, Mahamati, the object-discriminating Vijnana (38) functions because of the mind's discriminating an objective world and because of the habit-energy accumulated by erroneous reasoning since beginningless time.
Again, Mahamati, by the cessation of all the sense-Vijnanas is meant the cessation of the Alayavijnana's variously accumulating habit-energy which is generated when unrealities are discriminated. This, Mahamati, is known as the cessation of the form-aspect of the Vijnanas.
Again, Mahamati, the cessation of the continuation-aspect of the Vijnanas takes place in this wise: that is to say, Mahamati, when both that which supports [the Vijnanas] and that which is comprehended [by the Vijnanas] cease to function. By that which supports [the Vijnanas] is meant the habit-energy [or memory] which has been accumulated by erroneous reasoning since beginningless time; and by that which is comprehended [by the Vijnanas] is meant the objective world perceived and discriminated by the Vijnanas, which is, however, no more than Mind itself.
Mahamati, it is like a lump of clay and the particles of dust making up its substance, they are neither different nor not-different; again, it is like gold and various ornaments made of it. If, Mahamati, the lump of clay is different from its particles of dust, no lump will ever come out of them. But as it comes out of them it is not different from the particles of dust. Again, if there is no difference between the two, the lump will be indistinguishable from its particles.
Even so, Mahamati, if the evolving Vijnana are different from the Alayavijnana, even in its original form, the Alaya cannot be their cause. Again, if they are not different the cessation of the evolving Vijnanas will mean the cessation of the Alayavijnana, but there is no cessation of its original form. Therefore, Mahamati, what ceases to function is not the Alaya in its original self-form, but is the effect-producing form of the Vijnanas. When this original self-form ceases to exist, then there will indeed be the cessation of the Alayavijnana. (39) If, however, there is the cessation of the Alayavijnana, this doctrine will in no wise differ from the nihilistic doctrine of the philosophers.
This doctrine, Mahamati, as it is held by the philosophers, is this: When the grasping of an objective world ceases the continuation of the Vijnanas is stopped; and when there is no more of this continuation in the Vijnanas, the continuation that has been going on since beginningless time is also destroyed. Mahamati, the philosophers maintain that there is a first cause from which continuation takes place; they do not maintain that the eye-Vijnana arises from the interaction of form and light; they assume another cause. What is this cause, Mahamati? Their first cause is known as spirit (pradhana), soul (purusha), lord (isvara), time, or atom.
The ninth consciousness is not here discussed
Concerning Highest Reality from Chapter Two
VI
Again, Mahamati, there are seven kinds of first principle [or highest reality, paramartha]: the world of thought (citta-gocara), the world of knowledge (jnana-), the world of super-knowledge (prajna-), the world of dualistic views (drishti-), the world beyond dualistic views, the world beyond the Bodhisattva-stages, and a world where the Tathagata attains his self-realisation.2
(40) Mahamati, this is the self-nature, the first principle, the essence, which constitutes the being of the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones of the past, present, and future, whereby, perfecting things of this world and of a world beyond this, they, by means of a noble eye of transcendental wisdom, enter into various phases of existence, individual and general, and establish them. And what is thus established by them is not to be confused with the erroneous teachings generally held by the philosophers.
Mahamati, what are these erroneous teachings accepted generally by the philosophers? [Their error lies in this] that they do not recognise an objective world to be of Mind itself which is erroneously discriminated; and, not understanding the nature of the Vijnanas which are also no more than manifestations of Mind, like simple-minded ones that they are, they cherish the dualism of being and non-being where there is but [one] self-nature and [one] first principle.
Again, Mahamati, my teaching consists in the cessation of sufferings arising from the discrimination of the triple world; in the cessation of ignorance, desire, deed, and causality; and in the recognition that an objective world, like a vision, is the manifestation of Mind itself.
Concerning The Two Truths from Chapter Two
VII
Then Mahamati said: Teach me, Blessed One, concerning that most subtle doctrine which explains the Citta, Manas, Manovijnana, the five Dharmas, the Svabhavas, and the Lakshanas; which is put in practice by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; which is separated from the state of mind which recognises a world as something outside Mind itself; and which, breaking down all the so-called truths established by words and reasonings, constitutes the essence of the teachings of all the Buddhas. Pray teach this assembly headed by the Bodhisattvas gathering on Mount Malaya in the city of Lanka; teach them regarding the Dharmakaya which is praised by the Tathagatas and which is the realm of (44) the Alayavijnana which resembles the ocean with its waves. Then the Blessed One again speaking to Mahama
Again, Mahamati, there are some Brahmans and Sramanas who (42) recognising that the external world which is of Mind itself is seen as such owing to the discrimination and false intellection practised since beginningless time, know that the world has no self-nature and has never been born, it is like a cloud, a ring produced by a firebrand, the castle of the Gandharvas, a vision, a mirage, the moon as reflected in the ocean, and a dream; that Mind in itself has nothing to do with discrimination and causation, discourses of imagination, and terms of qualification (lakshya-lakshana); that body, property, and abode are objectifications of the Alayavijnana,1 which is in itself above [the dualism of] subject and object; that the state of imagelessness which is in compliance with the awakening of Mind itself,2 is not affected by such changes as arising, abiding, and destruction.
The Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas, Mahamati, will before long attain to the understanding that Nirvana and Samsara are one. Their conduct, Mahamati, will be in accordance with the effortless exhibition of a great loving heart that ingeniously contrives means [of salvation], knowing that all beings have the nature of being like a vision or a reflection, and that [there is one thing which is] not bound by causation, being beyond the distinction of subject and object; [and further] seeing that there is nothing outside Mind, and in accordance with a position of unconditionality, they will by degrees pass through the various stages of Bodhisattvahood and will experience the various states of Samadhi, and will by virtue of their faith understand that the triple world is of Mind itself, and thus understanding will attain the Samadhi Mayopama. The Bodhisattvas entering into the state of imagelessness where they see into the truth of Mind-only, arriving at the abode of the Paramitas, and keeping themselves away from the thought of genesis, deed, and discipline, they will attain the Samadhi Vajravimbopama which is in compliance with the Tathagatakaya and with the transformations of suchness. After achieving a revulsion in the abode [of the Vijnanas], Mahamati, they will gradually realise the Tathagatakaya, which is endowed with the powers, the psychic faculties, self-control, love, compassion, and means; which can enter into all the Buddha-lands and into the sanctuaries of the philosophers; and which is beyond the realm of (43) Citta-mano-manovijnana. Therefore, Mahamati, these Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas who wish, by following the Tathagatakaya, to realise it, should exercise themselves, in compliance with the truth of Mind-only, to desist from discriminating and reasoning erroneously on such notions as Skandhas, Dhatus, Ayatanas, thought, causation, deed, discipline, and rising, abiding, and destruction.
Concerning The Error of Extinguishing Vijnanas
from Chapter Two
IX
(45) As the Vijnanas thus go on functioning [without being conscious of their own doings], so the Yogins while entering upon a state of tranquillisation (Samapatti) are not aware of the workings of the subtle habit-energy [or memory] within themselves; for they think that they would enter upon a state of tranquillisation by extinguishing the Vijnanas.
But [in fact] they are in this state without extinguishing the Vijnanas which still subsist because the seeds of habit-energy have not been extinguished; and [what they imagine to be] an extinction is really the non-functioning of the external world to which they are no more attached.
So it is, Mahamati, with the subtle working of the Alayavijnana, which, except for the Tathagata and those Bodhisattvas who are established on the stages, is not easy to comprehend; [especially] by those who practise the discipline belonging to the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and philosophers, even with their powers of Samadhi and transcendental knowledge, it is difficult to distinguish.
Only those who, understanding fully all the aspects of the different stages of Bodhisattvahood by the aid of their transcendental knowledge, acquiring a definite cognition as regards the meaning of the separate propositions, planting roots of goodness in the Buddha-lands that know no limits, and keeping themselves away from the discriminations and false reasonings that arise from recognising an external world which is of Mind itself, would retire into a secluded abode in the forest and devote themselves to the practice of the spiritual discipline, either high, or low, or middling, only those are capable of obtaining an insight into the flowing of Mind itself in a world of discrimination, of being baptised by the Buddhas living in the lands without limits, and of realising the self-control, powers, psychic faculties, and Samadhis.
Surrounded by good friends and the Buddhas, Mahamati, they are capable of knowing the Citta, Manas, Manovijnana, which are the discriminating agents of an external world whose self-nature is of Mind itself; they are capable of crossing the ocean of birth and death which arises by reason of deed, desire, and ignorance. For this reason, Mahamati, the Yogins ought to exercise themselves in the discipline which has been given them by their good friends and the Buddhas.
(46) At that time the Blessed One recited the following verses:
99. Like waves that rise on the ocean stirred by the wind, dancing and without interruption,
100. The Alaya-ocean in a similar manner is constantly stirred by the winds of objectivity, and is seen dancing about with the Vijnanas which are the waves of multiplicity.
101. Dark-blue, red, [and other colours], with salt, conch-shell, milk, honey, fragrance of fruits and flowers, and rays of sunlight;
102. They are neither different nor not-different: the relation is like that between the ocean and its waves. So are the seven Vijnanas joined with the Citta (mind).
103. As the waves in their variety are stirred on the ocean, so in the Alaya is produced the variety of what is known as the Vijnanas.
104. The Citta, Manas, and Vijnanas are discriminated as regards their form; [but in substance] the eight are not to be separated one from another, for there is neither qualified nor qualifying.
105. As there is no distinction between the ocean and its waves, so in the Citta there is no evolution of the Vijnanas.
106. Karma is accumulated by the Citta, reflected upon by the Manas, and recognised by the Manovijnana, and the visible world is discriminated by the five Vijnanas.
(47) 107. Varieties of colour such as dark-blue, etc., are presented to our Vijnana. Tell me, Great Muni, how there are these varieties of colour like waves [on the ocean]?
108. There are no such varieties of colour in the waves; it is for the sake of the simple-minded that the Citta is said to be evolving as regards form.
109. There is no such evolving in the Citta itself, which is beyond comprehension. Where there is comprehension there is that which comprehends as in the case of waves [and ocean].
110. Body, property, and abode are presented as such to our Vijnanas, and thus they are seen as evolving in the same way as are the waves.
111. The ocean is manifestly seen dancing in the state of waveness; how is it that the evolving of the Alaya is not recognised by the intellect even as the ocean is?1
112. That the Alaya is compared to the ocean is [only] for the sake of the discriminating intellect of the ignorant; the likeness of the waves in motion is [only] brought out by way of illustration.
113. When the sun rises it shines impartially on people high and low; so thou who art the light of the world shouldst announce the truth (tattvam) to the ignorant.
(48) 114. How is it that in establishing thyself in the Dharma thou announcest not the truth? If the truth is announced by me, the truth is not in the mind.2
115. As the waves appear instantly on the ocean, or [images] in a mirror or a dream, so the mind is reflected in its own sense-fields.3
116. Owing to a deficiency in conditions the evolution [of the Vijnanas] takes place by degrees.4 The function of the Manovijnana is to recognise and that of the Manas is to reflect upon,
117. While to the five Vijnanas the actual world presents itself. There is no gradation when one is in a state of collectedness (samahita).5 Like unto a master of painting or his pupils,
1 This question according to Sung and T'ang is Mahamati's.
2 113 and the first part of 114 are ascribed to Mahamati in Sung and T'ang, but Wei gives both 113 and 114 to Mahamati.
3 This must have found its way here by mistake, for the ocean-waves simile in this text is generally used to illustrate the Alaya's relation to the other Vijnanas, and not in connection with the immediacy of perception as in this case of the mirror-images simile.
4 This ought to belong to the preceding verse. Not wishing, however, to disturb the original notation, the translator has followed the text. In that which follows, the reader is asked simply to look for the sense and to pay no attention to the division of verses.
5 Samahita, Samadhi, Samapatti, ekagra may be understood as synonymous, denoting a state of consciousness where the mind is most intensely concentrated on one thought. It is the receptive state of intuition, rather than the active state of thinking.
118.1 Who arrange colours to produce a picture, I teach. The picture is not in the colours, nor in the canvas, nor in the plate;
119. In order to make it attractive to all beings, a picture is presented in colours. What one teaches, transgresses; for the truth (tattva) is beyond words.
120. Establishing myself in the Dharma, I preach the truth for the Yogins. The truth is the state of self-realisation and is beyond categories of discrimination.
121. I teach it to the sons of the Victorious; the teaching is not meant for the ignorant. What is seen as multitudinous is a vision which exists not.
122. The teaching itself is thus variously given, subject to transgression; (49) the teaching is no teaching whatever if it is not to the point in each case.
123. According to the nature of a disease the healer gives its medicine; even so the Buddhas teach beings in accordance with their mentalities.
124. This is indeed not a mental realm to be reached by the philosophers and the Sravakas; what is taught by the leaders is the realm of self-realisation.
1 Follow the sense and not necessarily the verse division as before.
Concerning Aspects of Noble Wisdom from Chapter Two
XI(a)
Further, Mahamati, when the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva establishes himself in the abode where he has gained a thorough understanding of Mind by means of his transcendental knowledge, he should later discipline himself in the cultivation of noble wisdom in its triple aspect. What are the three aspects of noble wisdom, Mahamati, in which he has to discipline himself later? They are: (1) imagelessness; (2) the power added by all the Buddhas by reason of their original vows; and (3) the self-realisation attained by noble wisdom. Having mastered them, (50) the Yogin should abandon his knowledge of Mind gained by means of transcendental wisdom, which still resembles a lame donkey; and entering upon the eighth stage of Bodhisattvahood, he should further discipline himself in these three aspects of noble wisdom.
Then again, Mahamati, the aspect of imagelessness comes forth when all things belonging to the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas and philosophers are thoroughly mastered. Again, Mahamati, as to the power added, it comes from the original vows made by all the Buddhas. Again, Mahamati, as to the self-realisation aspect of noble wisdom, it rises when a Bodhisattva, detaching himself from viewing all things in their phenomenality, realises the Samadhi-body whereby he surveys the world as like unto a vision, and further goes on to the attainment of the Buddha-stage. Mahamati, this is the triplicity of the noble life. Furnished with this triplicity, noble ones will attain the state of self-realisation which is the outcome of noble wisdom. For this reason, Mahamati, you should cultivate noble wisdom in its triple aspect.
XVI
At that time again, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva made a request of the Blessed One regarding the purification of the outflow which comes from recognising an objective world which is of Mind itself, saying, How, O Blessed One, is the outflow purified that takes place from recognising an external world which is of Mind itself? Is the purification instantaneous or gradual?
Replied the Blessed One: The outflow that takes place from recognising an external world which is of Mind itself is gradually purified and not instantaneously. Mahamati, it is like the amra fruit which ripens gradually and not instantaneously; in the same way, Mahamati, the purification of beings1 is gradual and not instantaneous. Mahamati, it is like the potter making pots, which is done gradually and not instantaneously; in the same way, Mahamati, the purification of beings by the Tathagata is gradual and not instantaneous. Mahamati, it is like grass, shrubs, herbs, and trees, that grow up gradually from the earth and not instantaneously; in the same way, Mahamati, the purification by the Tathagata of beings is gradual and not instantaneous; Mahamati, it is like the mastery of comedy, dancing, singing, music, lute-playing, writing, and [other] arts, which is gained gradually and not instantaneously; in the same way, Mahamati, the purification by the Tathagata of all beings is gradual and not instantaneous.
Mahamati, it is like a mirror indiscriminately and instantaneously reflecting in it forms and images; (56) in the same way, Mahamati, the purification by the Tathagata of all beings is instantaneous, who makes them free from discrimination and leads them to the state of imagelessness. Mahamati, it is like the sun or the moon revealing all forms instantaneously by illuminating them with its light; in the same way, Mahamati, the Tathagata, by making all beings discard the habit-energy which issues from the erroneous views they entertain in regard to an external world which is of the Mind, instantaneously reveals to all beings the realm of unthinkable knowledge which belongs to Buddhahood. It is like the Alayavijnana making instantaneously a world of body, property, and abode, which is what is seen of Mind itself; in the same way, Mahamati, the Nishyanda-Buddha, instantaneously maturing the mentality of beings, places them in the palatial abode of the Akanishtha mansion where they will become practisers of various spiritual exercises. Mahamati, it is like the Dharmata-Buddha shining forth instantaneously with the rays that issue from the Nishyanda-Nirmana [-Buddha]; in the same way, Mahamati, the noble truth of self-realisation instantaneously shines out when the false [dualistic] views of existence and non-existence are discarded.
1 Abbreviated from "the outflowing that takes place in beings when they recognise an external world as real which is of Mind itself" (svacittadrisyadhaira sattvanam).
XXVII
At that time again Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva made a request of the Blessed One. Tell me, Blessed One, how all things are empty, unborn, non-dual, and have no self-nature, so that I and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas might be awakened in the teaching of emptiness, no-birth, non-duality, and the absence of self-nature, and, quitting the discrimination of being and non-being, quickly realise the highest enlightenment.
Then the Blessed One said this to Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva: Now, Mahamati, listen well and reflect well upon what I tell you.
Replied Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, I will indeed, Blessed One. (74) The Blessed One said: Emptiness, emptiness, indeed! Mahamati, it is a term whose self-nature is false imagination. Because of one's attachment to false imagination, Mahamati, we have to talk of emptiness, no-birth, non-duality, and absence of self-nature. In short, then, Mahamati, there are seven kinds of emptiness: (1) The emptiness of individual marks (lakshana), (2) the emptiness of self-nature (bhavasvabhava), (3) the emptiness of no-work (apracarita), (4) the emptiness of work (pracarita), (5) the emptiness of all things in the sense that they are unpredicable (nirabhilapya), (6) the emptiness in its highest sense of ultimate reality realisable only by noble wisdom, and (7) the emptiness of mutuality (itaretara) which is the seventh.
Mahamati, what then is the emptiness of individual marks? It is that all things have no [such distinguishing] marks of individuality and generality. In consideration of mutuality and accumulation, [things are thought to be realities], but when they are further investigated and analysed, Mahamati, they are non-existent, and not predicable with individuality and generality; and because thus no such ideas as self, other, or both, hold good, Mahamati, the individual marks no longer obtain. So it is said that all things are empty as to their self-marks.
Again, Mahamati, what is meant by the emptiness of self-nature? Mahamati, it is that all things in their self-nature are unborn, hence the emptiness of self-nature, and it is therefore said that things are empty in their self-nature.
Again, Mahamati, what is meant by the emptiness of no-work? It is that the Skandhas are Nirvana itself and there is no work doing in them from the beginning. Therefore, one speaks of the emptiness of no-work.
(75) Again, Mahamati, what is meant by the emptiness of work? It is that the Skandhas are devoid of an ego and its belongings, and go on functioning when there is a mutual conjunction of cause and action. Thus one speaks of the emptiness of work.
Again, Mahamati, what is meant by the emptiness of all things in the sense that they are unpredicable? It is that the nature of the false imagination is not expressible, hence the emptiness of all things in the sense of their unpredicability. Thus one speaks of the emptiness of unpredicability.
Again, Mahamati, what is meant by the emptiness in its highest sense of ultimate reality realisable by noble wisdom? It is that in the attainment of an inner realisation by means of noble wisdom there is no trace of habit-energy generated by all the erroneous conceptions [of beginningless past]. Thus one speaks of the highest emptiness of ultimate reality realisable by noble wisdom.
Again, Mahamati, what is meant by the emptiness of mutual [non-existence]? It is this: when a thing is missing here, one speaks of its being empty there. For instance, Mahamati, in the lecture-hall of the Mrigarama there are no elephants, no bulls, no sheep, but as to the Bhikshus I can say that the hall is not devoid of them; it is empty only as far as they [i. e. the animals] are concerned. Further, Mahamati, it is not that the lecture-hall is devoid of its own characteristics, nor that the Bhikshu is devoid of this Bhikshuhood, nor that in some other places, too, elephants, bulls, and sheep are not to be found. Mahamati, here one sees all things in their aspect of individuality and generality, but from the point of view of mutuality (itaretara) some things do not exist somewhere. Thus one speaks of the emptiness of mutual [non-existence].
These, Mahamati, are the seven kinds of emptiness of which mutuality ranks the lowest of all and is to be put away by you.
(76) Again, Mahamati, not that things are not born, but that they are not born of themselves, except when seen in the state of Samadhi—this is what is meant by "all things are unborn." To have no self-nature is, according to the deeper sense, to be unborn, Mahamati. That all things are devoid of self-nature means that there is a constant and uninterrupted becoming, a momentary change from one state of existence to another; seeing this, Mahamati, all things are destitute of self-nature. So one speaks of all things having no self-nature.
Again, Mahamati, what is meant by non-duality? It means that light and shade, long and short, black and white, are relative terms, Mahamati, and not independent of each other; as Nirvana and Samsara are, all things are not-two. There is no Nirvana except where is Samsara; there is no Samsara except where is Nirvana; for the condition of existence is not of mutually-exclusive character.1 Therefore, it is said that all things are non-dual as are Nirvana and Samsara. For this reason, Mahamati, you should discipline yourself in [the realisation of] emptiness, no-birth, non-duality, and no-self-nature.
1 Read after T'ang.
Then at that time the Blessed One recited this couplet of verses:
137. I always preach emptiness which is beyond eternalism and nihilism; Samsara is like a dream and a vision, and karma vanishes not.
138. Space, Nirvana, and the two forms of cessation— thus (77) the ignorant discriminate the things which are not effect-producing, but the wise stand above being and non-being.
At that time again, the Blessed One said this to Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva; This [teaching of] emptiness, no-birth, non-duality, and no-self-nature is found in all the sutras of all the Buddhas, and this doctrine is recognised in every one of them. However. Mahamati, the sutras are the teaching in conformity with the dispositions of all beings and deviate from the [real] sense, and not the truth-preserving statement. Mahamati, it is like unto the mirage which entices the deer with its treacherous springs, the springs are not there but the deer are attached, imagining them to be real. So with the teachings disclosed in all the sutras, they are for all beings for the gratification of their own discriminating minds. They are not the truth-preserving statements meant for noble wisdom to grasp. For this reason, Mahamati, be in conformity with the sense and be not engrossed in the word-teaching.
XXVIII
At that time, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One: Now the Blessed One makes mention of the Tathagata-garbha in the sutras, and verily it is described by you as by nature bright and pure, as primarily unspotted, endowed with the thirty-two marks of excellence, hidden in the body of every being like a gem of great value, which is enwrapped in a dirty garment, enveloped in the garment of the Skandhas, Dhatus, and Ayatanas, and soiled with the dirt of greed, anger, folly, and false imagination, (78) while it is described by the Blessed One to be eternal, permanent, auspicious, and unchangeable. Is not this Tathagata-garbha taught by the Blessed One the same as the ego-substance taught by the philosophers? The ego as taught in the systems of the philosophers is an eternal creator, unqualified, omnipresent, and imperishable.
The Blessed One replied: No, Mahamati, my Tathagata-garbha is not the same as the ego taught by the philosophers; for what the Tathagatas teach is the Tathagata-garbha in the sense, Mahamati, that it is emptiness, reality-limit, Nirvana, being unborn, unqualified, and devoid of will-effort; the reason why the Tathagatas who are Arhats and Fully-Enlightened Ones, teach the doctrine pointing to the Tathagata-garbha is to make the ignorant cast aside their fear when they listen to the teaching of egolessness and to have them realise the state of non-discrimination and imagelessness. I also wish, Mahamati, that the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas of the present and future would not attach themselves to the idea of an ego [imagining it to be a soul]. Mahamati, it is like a potter who manufactures various vessels out of a mass of clay of one sort by his own manual skill and labour combined with a rod, water, and thread, Mahamati, that the Tathagatas preach the egolessness of things which removes all the traces of discrimination by various skilful means issuing from their transcendental wisdom, that is, sometimes by the doctrine of the Tathagata-garbha, sometimes by that of egolessness, and, like a potter, by means of various terms, expressions, and synonyms. For this reason, Mahamati, the philosophers' doctrine of an ego-substance is not the same (79) as the teaching of the Tathagata-garbha. Thus, Mahamati, the doctrine of the Tathagata-garbha is disclosed in order to awaken the philosophers from their clinging to the idea of the ego, so that those minds that have fallen into the views imagining the non-existent ego as real, and also into the notion that the triple emancipation is final, may rapidly be awakened to the state of supreme enlightenment. Accordingly, Mahamati, the Tathagatas who are Arhats and Fully-Enlightened Ones disclose the doctrine of the Tathagata-garbha which is thus not to be known as identical with the philosopher's notion of an ego-substance. Therefore. Mahamati, in order to abandon the misconception cherished by the philosophers, you must strive after the teaching of egolessness and the Tathagata-garbha.
XXIX
At that moment then the Blessed One recited this verse:
139. The personal soul, continuity, the Skandhas, causation, atoms, the supreme spirit, the ruler, the creator, —[they are] discriminations in the Mind-only.1
XXX
At that time Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva in consideration of future generations made this request again of the Blessed One: Pray tell me, Blessed One, about the perfecting of the discipline whereby the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas become great Yogins.
The Blessed One replied: There are four things, Mahamati, by fulfilling which the Bodhisattvas become great Yogins. What are the four? They are: (1) To have a clear understanding as to what is seen of Mind itself,2 (2) to discard the notions of birth, (80) abiding, and disappearance, (3) to look into [the truth] that no external world obtains, and (4) to seek for the attainment of inner realisation by noble wisdom. Provided with these four things the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas become great Yogins.
1 This verse has strangely found its way here.
2 This is rather a clumsy translation of svacitta-drisya. Drisya is "what is seen," that is, this visible world, or this external, objective world, which according to the Lankavatara is a manifestation of Mind itself. When this truth is realised, the objective world loses its reality as such, and we no more cling to it as if it were a final irreducible fact which stands oppressively against the mind. The Buddhist idea of interpreting existence idealistically is more religious than logical, for Buddhists want to elevate the value of spirit absolutely above matter so that the latter will be amenable to all the commands to be given by the former.
How, Mahamati, does the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva come to have a clear understanding as to what is seen of Mind itself? He comes to it by recognising that this triple world is nothing but Mind itself, devoid of an ego and its belongings, with no strivings, no comings-and-goings; that this triple world is manifested and imagined as real, under the influence of the habit-energy accumulated since beginningless time by false reasoning and imagination, and with the multiplicity of objects and actions in close relationship, and in conformity with the ideas of discrimination, such as body, property, and abode. Thus, Mahamati, the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva acquires a thoroughly clear understanding as to what is seen of Mind itself.
How again, Mahamati, does the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva discard notions of birth, abiding, and disappearance? By this it is meant that all things are to be regarded as forms born of a vision or a dream and have never been created since there are no such things as self, the other, or bothness. [The Bodhisattvas] will see that the external world exists only in conformity with Mind-only; and seeing that there is no stirring of the Vijnanas and that the triple world is a complicated network of causation and owes its rise to discrimination, (81) they find that all things, inner and external, are beyond predicability, that there is nothing to be seen as self-nature, and that [the world] is not to be viewed as born; and thereby they will conform themselves to the insight that things are of the nature of a vision, etc., and attain to the recognition that things are unborn. Establishing themselves on the eighth stage of Bodhisattvahood, they will experience a revulsion [in their consciousness] by transcending the Citta, Manas, and Manovijnana, and the five Dharmas, and the [three] Svabhavas, and the twofold Egolessness, and thereby attain the mind-made body (Manomayakaya). Thus, Mahamati, the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva will discard the notion of birth, abiding, and disappearance.1
1 The proper place of this last sentence is here as restored; it is found in the Sanskrit text near the end of page 81.
Said Mahamati,1 what is meant by the will-body, Blessed One? The Blessed One replied: It means that one [in this body] can speedily move unobstructed as he wills; hence the will-body, Mahamati. For instance, Mahamati, the will [or mind] travels unobstructed over mountains, walls, rivers, trees, etc., many a hundred thousand yojanas they may be away, when a man recollects the scenes which had previously come into his perception, while his own mind keeps on functioning in his body without the least interruption or hindrance. In the same fashion, Mahamati, the will-body, in the attainment of the Samadhi called Maya-like and adorned with such marks as the powers, the psychic faculties, and the self-control, will be born in the noble paths and assemblies, moving about as freely as he wishes, as he recalls his original vows and worlds in order to bring all beings to maturity.
1This whole paragraph is a digression, a sort of explanatory note. The will-body (manomayakaya) is again referred to later on, p. 115 et seq.
Then, Mahamati, what is meant by the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva (82) having a good insight into the non-existence of external objects? It means, Mahamati, that all things are like unto a mirage, a dream, a hair-net; and seeing that all things are here essentially because of our attachment to the habit-energy of discrimination which has been maturing since beginningless time on account of false imagination and erroneous speculation, the Bodhisattvas will seek after the attainment of self-realisation by their noble wisdom. Mahamati, furnished with these four things, Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas become great Yogins. Therefore, in these, Mahamati, you should exercise yourself.
At that moment again Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One: Pray tell me, Blessed One, about the teaching known as the essence of discrimination as regards words, whereby, Blessed One, I and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, comprehending and becoming well acquainted with the essence of discrimination as regards words, will be thoroughly informed of the signification of two things, expression and expressed, and, thereby immediately attaining supreme enlightenment, will explain the signification of these two things, expression and expressed, for the purification of all beings.
Replied the Blessed One: Then, Mahamati, listen well and reflect well, (86) for I will tell you about it.
Well done! said Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva and listened to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this to him: There are, Mahamati, four kinds of word-discrimination. They are: (1) Words denoting individual marks, (2) dream-words, (3) words growing out of the attachment to erroneous speculations and discriminations, and (4) words growing out of the discrimination that knows no beginning.
Now, Mahamati, the words denoting individual marks rise from discriminating forms and characteristic signs as real in themselves and becoming attached to them. The dream-words, Mahamati, rise from the unreal surroundings which reveal themselves [before the mind] when it recollects its previous experience. The words growing out of the attachment to erroneous speculations and discriminations, Mahamati, rise from recollecting deeds once previously committed. The words growing out of the discrimination that has been functioning since beginningless time, Mahamati, rise from the habit-energy whose seeds have been growing out of the clinging to erroneous speculations and false imaginations since beginningless time. I say, Mahamati, these are the four features of word-discrimination, which is the answer to your question.
-discrimination.
XXXIV
Thus it is said:
145. In all things there is no self-nature, words too are devoid of reality; as the ignorant understand not what is meant by emptiness, yes, by emptiness, they wander about.
146. In all things there is no self-nature, they are mere words of people; that which is discriminated has no reality; [even] Nirvana is like a dream; nothing is seen to be in transmigration, nor does anything ever enter into Nirvana.
147. As a king or a wealthy householder, giving his children various clay-made animals, pleases them and makes them play [with the toys], but later gives them real ones; 148. So, I, making use of various forms and images of things, instruct my sons; but the limit of reality (bhutakoti) can [only] be realised within oneself.
XXXV
At that time Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva again (89) said this to the Blessed One: Pray tell me, Blessed One, about the attainment of self-realisation by noble wisdom, which does not belong to the path and the usage of the philosophers; which is devoid of [all such predicates as] being and non-being, oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness, existence and non-existence, eternity and non-eternity; which has nothing to do with the false imagination, nor with individuality and generality; which manifests itself as the truth of highest reality; which, going up continuously by degrees the stages of purification, enters upon the stage of Tathagatahood; which, because of the original vows unattended by any striving, will perform its works in infinite worlds like a gem reflecting a variety of colours; and which is manifested [when one perceives how] signs of individuation rise in all things as one realises the course and realm of what is seen of Mind itself, and thereby I and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas are enabled to survey things from the point of view which is not hampered by marks of individuality and generality nor by anything of the false imagination, and may quickly attain supreme enlightenment and enable all beings to achieve the perfection of all their virtues.
Replied the Blessed One: Well done, well done, Mahamati! and again, well done, indeed, Mahamati! Because of your compassion for the world, for the benefit of many people, for the happiness of many people, for the welfare, benefit, happiness of many people, both of celestial beings and humankind, Mahamati, you present yourself before me and make this request. Therefore, Mahamati, listen well and truly, and reflect, for I will tell you.
Assuredly, said Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, and gave ear to the Blessed One.
(90) The Blessed One said this to him: Mahamati, since the ignorant and the simple-minded, not knowing that the world is what is seen of Mind itself, cling to the multitudinousness of external objects, cling to the notions of being and non-being, oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness, existence and non-existence, eternity and non-eternity, as being characterised by self-nature which rises from discrimination based on habit-energy, they are addicted to false imaginings. Mahamati, it is like a mirage in which the springs are seen as if they were real. They are imagined so by the animals who, thirsty from the heat of the season, would run after them. Not knowing that the springs are their own mental hallucinations, the animals do not realise that there are no such springs. In the same way, Mahamati, the ignorant and simple-minded with their minds impressed by various erroneous speculations and discriminations since beginningless time; with their minds burning with the fire of greed, anger, and folly; delighted in a world of multitudinous forms; with their thoughts saturated with the ideas of birth, destruction, and subsistence; not understanding well what is meant by existent and non-existent, by inner and outer; the ignorant and simple-minded fall into the way of grasping at oneness and otherness, being and non-being. Mahamati, it is like the city of the Gandharvas which the unwitted take for a real city, though it is not so in fact. This city appears in essence owing to their attachment to the memory of a city preserved in seed from beginningless time. This city is thus neither existent nor non-existent. In the same way, Mahamati, clinging to the memory (vasana) of erroneous speculations and doctrines since beginningless time, they hold fast to ideas such as oneness and otherness, being and non-being, and their thoughts are not at all clear about what is seen of Mind-only. (91) Mahamati, it is like a man, who, dreaming in his sleep of a country variously filled with women, men, elephants, horses, cars, pedestrians, villages, towns, hamlets, cows, buffalos, mansions, woods, mountains, rivers, and lakes enters into its inner appartments and is awakened. While awakened thus, he recollects the city and its inner apartments. What do you think, Mahamati? Is this person to be regarded as wise, who is recollecting the various unrealities he has seen in his dream?
Said Mahamati: Indeed, he is not, Blessed One.
The Blessed One continued: In the same way the ignorant and simple-minded who are bitten by erroneous views and are inclined toward the philosophers, do not recognise that things seen of the Mind itself are like a dream, and are held fast by the notions of oneness and otherness, of being and non-being. Mahamati, it is like the painter's canvas on which there is no depression nor elevation as imagined by the ignorant. In the same way, Mahamati, there may be in the future some people brought up in the habit-energy, mentality, and imagination based on the philosophers' erroneous views; clinging to the ideas of oneness and otherness, of bothness and not-bothness, they may bring themselves and others to ruin; they may declare those people nihilists who hold the doctrine of no-birth apart from the alternatives of being and non-being. They [argue against] cause and effect, they are followers of the wicked views whereby they uproot meritorious causes of unstained purity. They are to be kept far away by those whose desires are for things excellent. They are those whose thoughts are entangled in the errors of self, other, and both, (92) in the errors of imagining being and non-being, assertion and refutation, and hell will be their final refuge. Mahamati, it is like the dim-eyed ones who, seeing a hair-net, would exclaim to one another, saying: "It is wonderful! it is wonderful! Look, O honourable sirs!" And the said hair-net has never been brought into existence. It is in fact neither an entity nor a non-entity, because it is seen and not seen. In the same manner, Mahamati, those whose minds are addicted to discrimination of the erroneous views as cherished by the philosophers, and who are also given up to the realistic ideas of being and non-being, oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness, will contradict the good Dharma, ending in the destruction of themselves and others. Mahamati, it is like a firebrand-wheel which is no real wheel but which is imagined to be of such character by the ignorant, but not by the wise. In the same manner, Mahamati, those whose minds have fallen into the erroneous views of the philosophers will falsely imagine in the rise of all beings oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness.
Mahamati, it is like those water-bubbles in a rainfall which have the appearance of crystal gems, and the ignorant taking them for real crystal gems run after them. Mahamati, they are no more than water-bubbles, they are not gems, nor are they not-gems, because of their being so comprehended [by one party] and being not so comprehended [by another]. In the same manner, Mahamati, those whose minds are impressed by the habit-energy of the philosophical views and discriminations will regard things born as nonexistent and those destroyed by causation as existent.
1Further, Mahamati, by setting up the three forms of measure and the [five] members of a syllogism, (93) [the philosophers] make the discrimination that there is a reality existing by itself, which is attained by the realisation of noble wisdom, and devoid of the two Svabhavas. [This discrimination however is] not right. [The Buddhist doctrine is this:] Mahamati, when a [psychological] revulsion takes place in the Yogins [by the transcendence of] the Citta, Manas, and Vijnana, they cast off the [dualistic] discrimination of grasped and grasping in what is seen of Mind itself, and entering the Tathagata-stage attain the realisation of noble wisdom; and in this there is no thought of existence and non-existence. Again, Mahamati, if there is the grasping of existence and non-existence in the realm attained by the Yogins, there will be in them the grasping of an ego, a nourisher, a supreme soul, or a person. Again, Mahamati, the teaching pointing to self-nature, individuality and generality of things, is that of the Transformation Buddha and not that of the Dharmata Buddha. Again, Mahamati, such teaching is meant for the ignorant, being in conformity with their mentality, their way of thinking and viewing things; any establishment that favours the way of self-nature, fails to reveal the truth of self-realisation to be attained by noble wisdom and the blissful abode of the Samadhi.
1 This whole paragraph must be independently treated.
Mahamati, it is like the trees reflected in water; they are reflections and yet are not-reflections, the trees are [real] figures, and yet no-figures. In the same manner, Mahamati, those who are impressed by the habit-energy of the philosophical views carry on their discrimination regarding oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness, being and non-being, for their minds are not enlightened as regards what is seen of Mind-only.
Mahamati, it is like a mirror reflecting all colours and images (94) as afforded by the conditions and without discrimination; and they are neither images nor not-images, because they are seen as images and also as not-images. And, Mahamati, they are discriminated forms of what is seen of Mind itself, which are known to the ignorant as images. In the same manner, Mahamati, oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness, are reflected images of Self-Mind while they appear as if real.
Mahamati, it is like an echo giving the sound of a human voice, of a river, or of the wind; it is neither existent nor non-existent, because it is heard as a voice and yet as not a voice. In the same way, Mahamati, the notions of being and non-being, oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness are the discriminations of Self-Mind and habit-energy.
Mahamati, it is like a mirage which in conjunction with the sun appears with its flowing waves on the earth where there are no grass, shrubs, vines, and trees. They are neither existent nor non-existent, according to the desire for them or its absence. In the same way, Mahamati, the discriminating Vijnana of the ignorant which is impressed with the habit-energy of false imaginations and speculations since beginningless time, is stirred like a mirage even in the midst of reality revealed by means of noble wisdom, by the waves of birth, subsistence, and destruction, of oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness, being and non-being.
Mahamati, it is like Pisaca who by means of his spell makes a corpse or a wooden image throb with life though it has no power of its own; but here the ignorant cling to the non-existent imagining them to have the power of movement. In the same way, Mahamati, (95) the ignorant and simple-minded committing themselves to the erroneous philosophical views are thoroughly devoted to the ideas of oneness and otherness, but their assertion is not at all well grounded. For this reason, Mahamati, in order to attain the noble reality attainable within yourself, you should cast off the discriminations leading to the notions of birth, abiding, and destruction, of oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness, being and non-being.
Therefore, it is said:
149. The Skandhas, of which the Vijnana is the fifth, resemble the reflections of the trees in water; they are to be regarded as Maya and a dream, they are so by thought-construction; make no discriminations!
150. This triple world resembles a hair-net, or water in a mirage which is agitated; it is like a dream, Maya; and by thus regarding it one is emancipated.
151. Like a mirage in the spring-time, the mind is found bewildered; animals imagine water but there is no reality to it.
152. Thus the Vijnana-seed is evolved and the world comes into view; the ignorant imagine it is born, just like the dim-eyed ones perceive things in the darkness.
153. Since beginningless time, the ignorant are found transmigrating through the paths, enwrapped in their attachment to existence; as a wedge is induced by another wedge, they are led to the abandonment [of their wrappage].
154. By regarding the world as always like a magically-moving corpse, or a machine, or like a dream, or a lightning, or a cloud; (96) the triple continuation is torn asunder and one is emancipated.
155. There is here nothing of thought-construction, it is like an image in the air; when they thus understand all there is nothing to know.
156. Here is nothing but thought-construction and name. You seek in vain for individual signs; the Skandhas are like a hair-net wherein discrimination goes on.
157. A world of multitudes1 is a hair-net, a vision, a dream, and the city of the Gandharvas; it is [a wheel made by] a firebrand, a mirage; it is a non-entity, only an appearance to people.
158. Eternity and non-eternity; oneness, too, bothness and not-bothness as well: these are discriminated by the ignorant who are confused in mind and bound up by errors since beginningless time.
159. In a mirror, in water, in an eye, in a vessel, and on a gem, images are seen; but in them there are no images [i. e. realities] anywhere to take hold of.
160. Like a mirage in the air, so is a variety of things mere appearance; they are seen in diversity of forms, but are like a child in a barren woman's dream.
1 Read cittram, instead of cittam.
XXXVIII
At that time Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva again said this to the Blessed One: Thou speakest of Nirvana, Blessed One. What is meant by this term Nirvana?
Replied the Blessed One: When the self-nature and the habit-energy of all the Vijnanas, including the Alaya, Manas, and Manovijnana, from which issues the habit-energy of wrong speculations—when all these go through a revulsion, I and all the Buddhas declare that there is Nirvana, and the way and the self-nature of this Nirvana is emptiness, which is the state of reality.
(99) Further, Mahamati, Nirvana is the realm of self-realisation attained by noble wisdom, which is free from the discrimination of eternality and annihilation, existence and non-existence. How is it not eternality? Because it has cast off the discrimination of individuality and generality, it is not eternality. How about its not being annihilation? It is because all the wise men of the past, present, and future have attained realisation. Therefore, it is not annihilation.
Again, Mahamati, the great Parinirvana is neither destruction nor death. Mahamati, if the great Parinirvana is death, then it will be a birth and continuation. If it is destruction, then it will assume the character of an effect-producing deed. For this reason, Mahamati, the great Parinirvana is neither destruction nor death. Neither has it anything to do with vanishing;l it is the goal of the Yogins. Again, Mahamati the great Parinirvana is neither abandonment nor attainment, neither is it of one meaning nor of no-meaning; this is said to be Nirvana.
Further, Mahamati, Nirvana conceived by the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas consists in recognising individuality and generality, in escaping social intercourse, in not having a perverted view of the world, and not raising discrimination. This is their notion of Nirvana.
1 Maranam repeated here in the text is a mistake.
LIII
Further, Mahamati, there are four kinds of Nirvana. What are the four? They are: (1) the Nirvana which is attained when the self-nature of all things is seen as nonentity; (2) the Nirvana which is attained when varieties of individual marks characterising all things are seen as non-entities; (3) the Nirvana which is attained when there is the recognition of the non-existence of a being endowed with its own specific attributes; and (4) the Nirvana which is attained when there takes place the severance of the bondage conditioning the continuation of individuality and generality of the Skandhas. Mahamati, these four views of Nirvana belong to the philosophers and are not my teaching. According to my teaching, Mahamati, the getting rid of the discriminating Manovijnana—this is said to be Nirvana.
Mahamati said: Does not the Blessed One establish eight Vijnanas?
The Blessed One replied: I do, Mahamati.
Mahamati said: If eight Vijnanas are established, why do you refer to the getting-rid of the Manovijnana and not of the seven [other] Vijnanas [as well]?
The Blessed One said: With the Manovijnana as cause and supporter, Mahamati, there rise the seven Vijnanas. Again, Mahamati, the Manovijnana is kept functioning, as it discerns a world of objects and becomes attached to it, and by means of manifold habit-energy [or memory] (127) it nourishes the Alayavijnana. The Manas is evolved along with the notion of an ego and its belongings, to which it clings and on which it reflects. It has no body of its own, nor its own marks; the Alayavijnana is its cause and support. Because the world which is the Mind itself is imagined real and attached to as such, the whole psychic system evolves mutually conditioning. Like the waves of the ocean, Mahamati, the world which is the mind-manifested, is stirred up by the wind of objectivity, it evolves and dissolves. Thus, Mahamati, when the Manovijnana is got rid of, the seven Vijnanas are also got rid of. So it is said:
179. I enter not into Nirvana by means of being, of work, of individual signs; I enter into Nirvana when the Vijnana which is caused by discrimination ceases.
180. With it [i. e. the Manovijnana] for its cause and support, the Manas secures its use; the Vijnana causes the Citta to function, and is supported [by it].
181. Like a great flood where no waves are stirred because of its being dried up, the Vijnana [-system] in its various forms ceases to work when there is the annihilation [of the Manovijnana].
LIV
Further, Mahamati, I will tell you about the various features of the false imagination (parikalpita); and when you and the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas are well acquainted with each of them in its specific form, you will get away from discrimination; and seeing well and knowing the way of inner realisation by noble wisdom and also the ways of speculation by the philosophers, (128) you will cast off discriminations such as grasped and grasping, and will not be induced to discriminate in respect to the multiple aspects of relativity-knowledge (paratantra), as well as the forms of the false imagination. What are the various features of the false imagination, Mahamati? They are the discriminations as regards (1) words (abhilapa), (2) meaning, (3) individual marks, (4) property, (5) self-nature, (6) cause, (7) philosophical views, (8) reasoning, (9) birth, (10) no-birth, (11) dependence, and (12) bondage and emancipation. These, Mahamati, are the various features of the false imagination.
Now, Mahamati, what is the discrimination of words? That is the becoming attached to various sweet voices and singing—this is the discrimination as regards words.
What is the discrimination of meaning? It is the discrimination by which one imagines that words rise depending on whatever subjects they express, and which subjects one regards as self-existent and belonging to the realisation of noble wisdom.
What is the discrimination of individual marks? It is to imagine in whatever is denoted by words the multitudinousness of individual marks which are like a mirage, and, clinging tenaciously to them, to discriminate all things according to these categories: warmth, fluidity, motility, and solidity.
What is the discrimination of property? It is to desire a state of wealth such as gold, silver, and various precious stones.
What is the discrimination of self-nature? It is to make discrimination according to the imaginary views of the philosophers in reference to the self-nature of all things (129) which they stoutly maintain, saying, "This is just it, and there is no other."
What is the discrimination of cause? That is, to distinguish the notion of causation in reference to being and non-being and to imagine that there are cause-signs—this is the discrimination of cause.
What is the discrimination of philosophical views? That means getting attached to the philosophers' wrong views and discriminations concerning such notions as being and non-being, oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness.
What is the discrimination of reasoning? It means the teaching whose reasoning is based on the grasping of the notion of an ego-substance and what belongs to it.
What is the discrimination of birth? It means getting attached to the notion that things come into existence and go out of it according to causation.
What is the discrimination of no-birth? It is to discriminate that all things are from the beginning unborn, that the causeless substances which were not, come into existence by reason of causation.
What is the discrimination of dependence? It means the mutual dependence of gold and the filament [which is made of gold].
What is the discrimination of bondage and emancipation? It is like imagining that there is something bound because of something binding as in the case of a man who by the help of a cord ties a knot or loosens it.
These, Mahamati, are the various features of the false imagination, to which all the ignorant and simple-minded ones cling, imagining that things are or are not. Those attached to the notion of relativity are attached to the notion of multitudinousness of things rising from the false imagination. It is like seeing varieties of objects depending on Maya, but these varieties thus revealing themselves are discriminated by the ignorant as something other than Maya itself according to their way of thinking. (130) Now, Mahamati, Maya and varieties of objects are neither different nor one. If they were different, varieties of objects would not have Maya for their cause. If Maya were one with varieties of objects, there would be no distinction between the two, but as there is the distinction these two—Maya and varieties of objects—are neither one nor different. For this reason you and the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas should never give yourselves up to the notion of being and non-being.
[CHAPTER THREE]
LIX
Again Mahamati said: Pray tell me, Blessed One, what makes the Buddhas and the Blessed Ones such as they are: that is, [what is] the Buddha-nature of the Buddhas?1
Said the Blessed One: when the egolessness of things as well as of persons is understood, when the knowledge of the twofold hindrance is thoroughly taken hold of, when the twofold death (cyuti) is accomplished, and when the twofold group of passions is destroyed, there, Mahamati, is the Buddha-nature of the Buddhas and the Blessed Ones. When these teachings are experienced by the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, this is their Buddha-nature. So it is said:
5. The twofold egolessness, the twofold group of passions, the twofold hindrance, and the inconceivable transformation-death, —when these are attained, there is the Tathagata.
1 Bhagavan buddhanam, page 140, line 10, may better be dropped.
.
LXIII
At that time again Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva requested of the Blessed One, saying: Pray point out to me, Blessed One; pray point out to me, Sugata; pray point out to me, Tathagata, Arhat, Fully-Enlightened One! Pray tell me, Most Excellent One! (148) What is the characteristic of the realisation by which I and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, becoming thoroughly conversant with its meaning, may quickly attain the highest enlightenment, and, relying upon themselves, will not be led away by any speculations or philosophies?
Said the Blessed One: Then listen well, Mahamati, and well reflect within yourself; I will tell you.
Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said; Certainly, I will; and gave ear to the Blessed One.
Thereupon the Blessed One said this: There are two ways of characterising the realisation attained by all the Sravakas, the Pratyekabuddhas, and the Bodhisattvas: the realisation itself and the teaching [about it]. Now, Mahamati, by the realisation itself is meant that it is the realm of inner attainment; its characteristic features are that it has nothing to do with words, discriminations, and letters; that it leads one up to the realm of non-outflows; that it is the state of an inner experience; that it is entirely devoid of philosophical speculations and [the doings of] evil beings; and that, destroying philosophical speculations and [the doings of] evil beings, it shines out in its own inner light of attainment. These, Mahamati, are the characteristics of the realisation.
Now, Mahamati, what is meant by the teaching [concerning it]? It is variously given in the nine divisions of the doctrinal works; it keeps one away from the dualistic notions of being and non-being, of oneness and otherness; first making use of skilful means and expedients, it induces all beings to have a perception [of this teaching] so that whoever is inclined towards it, may be instructed in it. This, Mahamati, is the characteristic of the teaching. Let, therefore, Mahamati, you and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas (149) exert yourselves in this.
15. Realisation and teaching, self-attainment and doctrinal instruction—those who have an insight into the difference will not be led away by philosophical authorities.
16. There is no truth in any object that is imagined by the ignorant; deliverance is where there is no objective world; why is this not sought by the speculators?
17. The world of the Samskritas is observed as the continuation of birth-and-death, whereby dualisms are nourished, and because of this perversion [the truth] is not perceived.
18. There is just one truth, which is Nirvana—it has nothing to do with the Manas (intellection); the world seen as subject to discrimination resembles a plantain tree, a dream,1 a vision.
19. No greed there is, no anger, nor folly either, and again, no personal ego; from desire start the Skandhas, which resemble a dream.
1 The text has skandha; but svapna seems to be better.
s.
LXXI
Further, Mahamati said: It is told by the Blessed One, again, that [true] knowledge is gained independent of any object supporting it, and whatever statements one makes about it are no more than thought-construction, and that as this thought-construction is not to be seized as real, the seizing act of the seizer itself ceases, and when there is thus no seizing, knowledge which is known as discrimination no more evolves. Now, Blessed One, [how is transcendental knowledge unobtainable?] Is it unobtainable because of our not recognising the generality and individuality of things, their pluralities, their unities? Or is it unobtainable because [such ideas as] individuality, generality, multiplicity, and self-nature overpower one another? Or is it unobtainable because of the obstructions presented by a wall, a mountain, an earth-work, a rampart, or by earth, wind, water, or fire? Or because of remoteness or nearness? Or does the knowledge fail to obtain its object of cognition because of [the imperfection of] the sense-organs due to youth, age, or blindness? If, Blessed One, knowledge was not obtainable because of our not recognising individuality, generality, unity and plurality, then, Blessed One, such cannot be [transcendental] knowledge; it is to be called ignorance (ajnana), for in spite of the fact that objects to be known are before us we do not know them. Again, if knowledge is unobtainable because [such ideas as] individuality, generality, multiplicity, and self-nature overpower one another, such is ignorance (ajnana). (170) Blessed One, it is not [transcendental] knowledge. Where there is something to be known, Blessed One, knowledge evolves; where there is nothing, none evolves; knowledge is possible [only] where there is a correspondence with that which is known. Again, if knowledge is unobtainable because of the obstruction presented by a wall, mountain, earthwork, rampart, or by earth, water, wind, or fire, or due to farness or nearness, or on account of the imperfection of the sense-organs as in the case of an infant, the aged, and the blind, such as is unattainable is not [transcendental] knowledge; it is ignorance, for the object to be known is there but the knowing faculty is lacking.
Said the Blessed One: Mahamati, such [knowledge as is unobtainable] is not ignorance, such is [transcendental] knowledge; Mahamati, it is not ignorance. It is not because of the deeper sense that I say this, but when [we know that] there is knowledge gained independent of any supporting object, whatever statements we make about it are no more than thought-constructions. That [transcendental] knowledge is unobtainable is due to the recognition that there is nothing in the world but what is seen of the Mind, and that these external objects to which being and non-being are predicated are non-existent. As this [knowledge] is unobtainable, there is no evolving of knowing and known, and as thus the triple emancipation is realised, there is unattainable knowledge [which is transcendental]. But logicians being under the habit-energy of the wrong reasoning which has been carried on since beginningless time as to existence and non-existence are unable to know all this, and, while not knowing it, they are concerned with [such notions as] external objects, substances, forms, indications, existence and non-existence; and yet they declare that the cessation of discrimination is [the state of] the Mind-only. As they are tenaciously clinging to the thought of an ego-soul and all that belongs to it, they are really unable to understand what is meant by the doctrine of Mind-only, (171) and go on discriminating knowing and known. And because of their discriminating knowing and known, they think of things as existent and non-existent, and declaring that [transcendental knowledge] is unobtainable, abide in nihilism. So it is said:
58. If [transcendental] knowledge fails to see an objective world which lies before it, such is ignorance and not knowledge; this teaching belongs to the logicians.
59. If [transcendental] knowledge fails to see, though various obstructions far and near, its own unique object that does not present itself [as an object], such is to be called wrong knowledge.
60. If [transcendental] knowledge fails to know, on account of defective senses such as infancy, old age, and blindness, its own object which is present, such is to be called wrong knowledge.
LXXIV
At that time again, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One: Nirvana, Nirvana is talked of by the Blessed One; what does this term designate? What is the Nirvana that is discriminated by all the philosophers?
Said the Blessed One: Then, Mahamati, listen well and reflect well within yourself; I will tell you.
Certainly, Blessed One; said Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva and gave ear to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this to him: As to such Nirvanas as are discriminated by the philosophers, there are really none in existence. Some philosophers conceive Nirvana to be found where a system of mentation no more operates owing to the cessation of the Skandhas, Dhatus, and Ayatanas, or to the indifference to the objective world, or to the recognition that all things are impermanent; (183) or where there is no recollection of the past and present, just as when a lamp is extinguished, or when a seed is burnt, or when a fire goes out, because then there is the cessation of all the substrate, which is explained by the philosophers as the non-rising of discrimination. But, Mahamati, Nirvana does not consist in mere annihilation.
Again, some explain deliverance by going to another quarter and abode, as when a wind stops blowing, when the discrimination of objects ceases. Again, some philosophers explain deliverance by the getting-rid of the [dualistic] view of knower and known. Some conceive deliverance to be the cessation of discrimination where one sees permanence and impermanence.
Again, some explain the discrimination of various forms as the bearer of pain, and yet not understanding that there is nothing but what is seen of the Mind itself, are alarmed by the notion of form, and seek their happiness in formlessness.1 In this they cherish the notion of Nirvana.
Again some conceive this to be Nirvana: that in consideration of generality and individuality recognisable in all things inner and outer, they are never destroyed, maintaining their being throughout the past, present, and future. Again some conceive that Nirvana is an ego-soul, a being, a vital force, a nourisher, a supreme spirit, and the indestructability of all things.
Again, Mahamati, some philosophers owing to their foolishness declare this to be Nirvana: that there is a primary substance, there is a supreme soul, and they are seen differently by each, and that they produce all things from the transformations of the qualities.
1 According to the Chinese translations, nimitto (line 10) is to be cancelled.
Some conceive Nirvana to consist in the extinction of merit and demerit; some in the destruction of the passions by means of knowledge; (184) some in regarding Isvara as the free creator of the world. Some think that the world is born of interaction and that there is no [special] cause other than this cause, and clinging to it they have no awakening because of stupidity, and they conceive Nirvana to consist in this non-awakening.
Again, Mahamati, some philosophers conceive Nirvana to be the attaining of the true path. Some cherish the thought of Nirvana as where there is the union of qualities and their owner, from which there is oneness and otherness, bothness and not-bothness. Some imagine that Nirvana is where they see the self-nature of things existing all by its own nature, such as the variegated feathers of the peacock, variously formed precious stones, or the pointedness of a thorn.
Some, Mahamati, conceive Nirvana in the recognition of the twenty-five Tattvas (truths); some in the king's observance of the teaching of the six virtues. Some, seeing that time is a creator and that the rise of the world depends on time, conceive that Nirvana consists in recognising this fact. Again, Mahamati, some conceive being to be Nirvana, some non-being, while some conceive that all things and Nirvana are not to be distinguished one from the other.
All these views of Nirvana severally advanced by the philosophers with their reasonings are not in accord with logic, nor are they acceptable to the wise. Mahamati, they all conceive Nirvana dualistically and in a causal connection. By these discriminations, Mahamati, all philosophers imagine Nirvana, but there is nothing rising, nothing disappearing here, -[and there is no room for discrimination.] Mahamati, each philosopher relying on his own text-book from which he draws his understanding and intelligence, examines [the subject] and sins against [the truth], because [the truth] is not such as is imagined by him; [his reasoning] ends in setting the mind to wandering about and becoming confused, as Nirvana is not to be found anywhere.
Again, Mahamati, there are others who, roaring with their all-knowledge as a lion roars, explain Nirvana in the following wise: that is, Nirvana is where it is recognised that there is nothing but what is seen of the Mind itself; where there is no attachment to external objects, existent or nonexistent; where, getting rid of the four propositions, there is an insight into the abode of reality as it is; where, recognising the nature of the Self-mind, (185) one does not cherish the dualism of discrimination; where grasped and grasping are no more obtainable; where all logical measures are not seized upon as it is realised that they never assert themselves; where the idea of truth is not adhered to but treated with indifference because of its causing a bewilderment; where, by the attainment of the exalted Dharma which lies within the inmost recesses of one's being, the two forms of egolessness are recognised, the two forms of passions subsided, and the two kinds of hindrance cleared away; where the stages of Bodhisattvahood are passed one after another until the stage of Tathagatahood is attained, in which all the Samadhis beginning with the Mayopama (Maya-like) are realised, and the Citta, Manas, and Manovijnana are put away:1 [here indeed they say Nirvana is to be found].
69. Nirvana is severally conceived by the philosophers; (186) but theirs is no more than imagination, it is not the way of emancipation.
70. Released of bound and binding and free from all expediencies, the philosophers imagine they are emancipated, but emancipation is not to be found there.
71. Divided into many a school are the systems of the philosophers; there is thus no emancipation in them, because of their imagination stupidly carried on.
72. Wrongly imbued with the ideas of cause and effect, all the philosophers are beguiled, and their is thus no emancipation for them who are of the dualistic school of being and non-being.
1 This whole paragraph which ought to be where it is in the present translation, is put after the paragraph preceding the last one in the Sanskrit text and also in Sung. Delete kalpayanti (p. 185, 1. 6).
73. The ignorant are delighted with discoursing and false reasoning [but] they are unable to raise any great intelligence towards truth (tattva), discoursing is a source of suffering in the triple world, while truth is the extinguisher of suffering.
74. Like an image seen in a mirror, which is not real, the Mind is seen by the ignorant in a dualistic form in the mirror of habit-energy.
75. When it is not thoroughly understood that there is nothing but what is seen of the Mind itself, dualistic discriminations take place; when it is thoroughly understood that there is nothing but what is seen of the Mind itself, discrimination ceases,
76. Mind is no other than multiplicity, [and yet it is] devoid of qualified and qualifying; forms are visible but not in the way as seen discriminated by the ignorant.
77. The triple world is no other than discrimination, there are no external objects; discrimination sees multiplicity, this is not understood by the ignorant.
(187) 78. [The truth] is told [differently] discriminated in the different sutras because of names and notions; [yet] apart from words no meaning is attainable.
LXXV
At that time Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to him: Tell me, Blessed One, Tathagata, Arhat, Fully-Enlightened One, concerning the self-nature of Buddhahood, whereby I and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, understanding well what constitutes the self-nature1 of the Tathagata, may have both ourselves and others awakened [in the truth].
The Blessed One said: Then, Mahamati, ask me as you desire, according to which I will answer.
Mahamati replied: Blessed One, is the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Fully-Enlightened One to be considered unmade or made, an effect or a cause, predicated or predicating, an expression or that which is expressed, knowledge or that which is knowable? Is the Blessed One different from all these expressions, or not?
1 Tathagata-svabhavakusala, instead of svakusala.
The Blessed One said: If the Tathagata, Arhat, Fully-Enlightened One is to be described by those expressions, he is neither made nor unmade, neither an effect nor a cause. Why? Because the error of dualism would here be committed. If, Mahamati, the Tathagata is something made, he is impermanent; if he is impermanent, anything made would be a Tathagata, which is not desired by myself and other Tathagatas. If he is something unmade, his self-essence being attainment, all the preparations brought forward [for the realisation of Tathagatahood] will be useless, (188) like a hare's horns, or a barren woman's child, because of their never having been made. That which is neither an effect nor a cause, Mahamati, is neither a being nor a non-being; and that which is neither a being nor a non-being is outside the four propositions. The four propositions, Mahamati, belong to worldly usage. That which is outside the four propositions is no more than a word, like a barren woman's child. Mahamati, a barren woman's child is a mere word and is beyond the four propositions. As it is beyond them, the wise know it to be not subject to measurement. So is the meaning of all the terms concerning the Tathagata to be understood by the wise.
It is told by me that all things are egoless; by this is meant, Mahamati, that they are devoid of selfhood; hence this egolessness. What I mean is that all things have each its own individuality which does not belong to another, as in the case of a cow and a horse. For example, Mahamati, the being of a cow is not of horse-nature, nor is the being of a horse of cow-nature. This [exemplifies] the case of neither being nor non-being. Each of them is not without its own individuality, each is such as it is by its own nature. In the same way, Mahamati, things are not each without its own individuality, they are such as they are, and thus the ignorant and simple-minded fail to understand the signification of egolessness by reason of their discrimination; indeed, they are not free from discrimination. The same is to be known exactly about all things being empty, unborn, and without self-nature.
In the same way the Tathagata and the Skandhas are neither not-different nor different. If he is not different from the Skandhas, he is impermanent as (189) the Skandhas are something made. If they are different, they are two separate entities; the case is like a cow's horns. As they look alike, they are not different; as the one is short and the other long, they are different. [This can be said] of all things. Mahamati, the right horn of a cow is thus different from her left horn; so is the left from the right; the one is longer or shorter than the other. The same can be said of varieties of colours. Thus the Tathagata and the Skandhas are neither different nor not-different the one from the other.
In the same way, the Tathagata is neither different nor not-different from emancipation, he can be described in terms of emancipation. If the Tathagata is different from emancipation, he partakes of the nature of a material object; if he does he is impermanent. If he is not different, there will be no distinction in the attainments of the Yogins, and, Mahamati, a distinction is seen in the Yogins; therefore, [the Tathagata] is neither different nor not-different [from emancipation].
In the same way, knowledge is neither different nor not-different from that which is known. That, Mahamati, which is neither eternal nor not-eternal, neither effect nor cause, neither effect-producing nor not-effect-producing, neither knowledge nor that which is knowable, neither predicated nor predicating, neither the Skandhas nor different from the Skandhas, neither that which is expressed nor expression, nor bound-up with oneness and otherness, with bothness and not-bothness, —this is something removed from all measurement; that which is removed from all measurement is not expressible in words;1 that which is not expressible1 is something unborn; that which is unborn is not subject to destruction; that which is not subject to destruction (190) is like space, and, Mahamati, space is neither an effect nor a cause. That which is neither an effect nor a cause is something unconditioned. That which is unconditioned goes beyond all idle reasonings. That which goes beyond all idle reasonings, that is the Tathagata. Mahamati, this is the essence of perfect enlightenment, this is the self-nature of Buddhahood which is removed from all senses and measurements. So it is said:
79. That which is released from senses and measurements is neither an effect nor a cause; it has nothing to do with knowledge and that which is to be known; it is free from predicated and predicating.
80. There is something which is nowhere to be seen by anybody as the Skandhas, causation, enlightenment; of that which is nowhere to be seen by anybody, what description can we make?
81. It is not something made nor unmade, it is neither an effect nor a cause, it is neither the Skandhas nor not-Skandhas, nor is it other than the combination.
82. There is something that is not to be seen by the discrimination of its being, nor is it to be known as nonexistent; such is the self-essence of all things.
83. Accompanied by being, there is non-being; accompanied by non-being there is being; as thus non-being is not to be known [by itself], being is not to be discriminated.
84. Those who cling to mere words, not knowing what is meant by an ego-soul and egolessness, are immersed in dualism; they are corrupted and lead the ignorant to corruption.
(191) 85. When they see my religion liberated from all detriments, they behold properly, they do not defile the world-leaders.
1 After Sung.
[CHAPTER FOUR]
LXXX
(211) At that time again Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One: Pray tell me, Blessed One, about the state of perfect tranquillisation (nirodha) and its further development as attained by all the Bodhisattvas, Sravakas, and Pratyekabuddhas; for when this further development is thoroughly understood by myself and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas all may be saved from being confounded by the happiness which comes from the attainment of perfect tranquillisation and also from falling into the confused state of mind of the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and philosophers.
Said the Blessed One: Then listen well and reflect well within yourself; I will tell you.
Certainly, Blessed One, said Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva and gave ear to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this to him: Those Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas who have reached the sixth stage as well as all the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas attain perfect tranquillisation. At the seventh stage, the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, giving up the view of self-nature as subsisting in all things, attain perfect tranquillisation in every minute of their mental lives, which is not however the case with the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas; for with them there is something effect-producing, and in their attainment of perfect tranquillisation there is a trace [of dualism], of grasped and grasping. Therefore, they do not attain perfect tranquillisation in every minute of their mental lives which is possible at the seventh stage. They cannot attain to [the clear conviction of] an undifferentiated state of all things (212) and the cessation of [all] multiplicities. Their attainment is due to understanding the aspect of all things in which their self-nature is discriminated as good and as not-good. Therefore, until the seventh stage there is not a well-established attainment of tranquillisation in every minute of their mental lives.
Mahamati, at the eighth stage the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, Sravakas, and Pratyekabuddhas cease cherishing discriminative ideas that arise from the Citta, Mana and Manovijnana. From the first stage up to the sixth, they perceive that the triple world is no more than the Citta. Manas, and Manovijnana, that as it is born of a discriminating mind there is no ego-soul and what belongs to it, and that there is no falling into the multitudinousness of external objects except through [the discrimination of] the Mind itself. The ignorant turning their self-knowledge (svajnana) towards the dualism of grasped and grasping fail to understand, for there is the working of habit-energy which has "been accumulating since beginningless time owing to false reasoning and discrimination.
Mahamati, at the eighth stage there is Nirvana for the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas; but the Bodhisattvas are kept away by the power of all the Buddhas1 from [being intoxicated by] the bliss of the Samadhi, and thereby they will not enter into Nirvana. When the stage of Tathagatahood is not fulfilled there would be the cessation of all doings, and if [the Bodhisattvas] were not supported [by the Buddhas] the Tathagata-family would become extinct. Therefore, the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, point out the virtues of Buddhahood which are beyond conception. (213) Therefore, [the Bodhisattvas] do not enter into Nirvana, but the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, engrossed in the bliss of the Samadhis, therein cherish the thought of Nirvana.
1 Read according to T'ang.
At the seventh stage, Mahamati, the Bodhisattva properly examines into the nature of the Citta, Manas, and Manovijnana; he examines into [such subjects as] ego-soul and what belongs1 to it, grasped and grasping, the egolessness of persons and things, rising and disappearing, individuality and generality; he skilfully ascertains the fourfold logical analysis; he enjoys the bliss of self-mastery; he enters successively upon the stages; he knows the differences obtaining in the various elements of enlightenment. The grading of the stages is arranged by me lest the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, not knowing what is meant by individuality and generality and failing to understand the continuous development of the successive stages, should fall into the philosophers' wrong way of viewing things. But, Mahamati, there is really nothing rising, nothing disappearing, all is nothing except what is seen of the Mind itself; that is, the continuous development of the successive stages and all the multiple doings of the triple world [—they are all of Mind itself]. This is not understood by the ignorant. I and all the Buddhas1 establish the doctrine of the stages which develop successively as do all the doings of the triple world.
1 The Chinese reading is here adopted.
Further, Mahamati, the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas at the eighth stage of Bodhisattvahood are so intoxicated with the happiness that comes from the attainment of perfect tranquillisation, and, failing to understand fully that there is nothing in the world but what is seen of the Mind itself, they are thus unable to overcome the hindrances and habit-energy growing out of their notions of generality and individuality; and adhering to the egolessness of persons and things and (214) cherishing views arising therefrom, they have the discriminating idea and knowledge of Nirvana, which is not that of the truth of absolute solitude. Mahamati, when the Bodhisattvas face and perceive the happiness of the Samadhi of perfect tranquillisation, they are moved with the feeling of love and sympathy owing to their original vows, and they become aware of the part they are to perform as regards the [ten] inexhaustible vows. Thus, they do not enter Nirvana. But the fact is that they are already in Nirvana because in them there is no rising of discrimination. With them the discrimination of grasped and grasping no more takes place; as they [now] recognise that there is nothing in the world but what is seen of the Mind itself, they have done away with the thought of discrimination concerning all things. They have abandoned adhering to and discriminating about such notions as the Citta, Manas, and Manovijnana, and external objects, and self-nature; however, they have not given up the things promoting the cause of Buddhism; because of their attainment of the inner insight which belongs to the stage of Tathagatahood; whatever they do all issues from their transcendental knowledge.
It is like a man crossing a stream in a dream. For instance, Mahamati, suppose that while sleeping a man dreams that he is in the midst of a great river which he earnestly endeavours with all his might to cross by himself; but before he succeeds in crossing the stream, he is awakened from the dream, and being awakened he thinks: "Is this real or unreal?" He thinks again: "No, it is neither real nor unreal. By reason of the habit-energy of discrimination which has been accumulated by experience ever since beginningless time, as multiplicities of forms and conditions are seen, heard, thought, and recognised, there is the perception and discrimination of all things as existent and nonexistent; and for this reason my Manovijnana experiences even in a dream all that has been seen by myself."
In the same way, Mahamati, the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas of the eighth stage of Bodhisattvahood, (215) after passing through the first up to the seventh stage, observe that "there is no more rising in them of discrimination since all things are seen as like Maya, etc., when they have an intuitive understanding of the [true] nature of all things, and [further] observing that, therefore, there is the cessation of all things as to grasped and grasping which rise from one's ardent desire for things, and also observing how the mind and what belongs to it carry on their discrimination, the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas never relax their efforts to practise the teachings of the Buddhas. Mahamati, they will exercise themselves to make those who have not yet attained the truth attain it. For the Bodhisattvas, Nirvana does not mean extinction; as they have abandoned thoughts of discrimination evolving from the Citta, Manas, and Manovijnana, there is for them the attainment of the recognition that all things are unborn. And, Mahamati, in ultimate reality there is neither gradation nor continuous succession; [only] the truth of absolute solitude (viviktadharma) is taught here in which the discrimination of all the images is quieted. So it is said:
1. The abodes and the stages of Buddhahood are established in1 the Mind-only which is imageless—this was told, is told, and will be told by the Buddhas.
2. The [first] seven stages are [still] of the mind, but here the eighth is imageless; the two stages, [the ninth and the tenth,] have [still] something to rest themselves on; the [highest] stage that is left belongs to me.
3. Self-realisation and absolute purity—this stage is my own; it is the highest station of Mahesvara, the Akanishtha [heaven] shining brilliantly.
4. Its rays of light move forward like a mass of fire; they who are bright-coloured, charming, and auspicious transform the triple world.
5. Some worlds are being transformed, while others have already been transformed;2 there I preach the various vehicles which belong to my own stage.
(216) 6. But [from the absolute point of view] the tenth is the first, and the first is the eighth; and the ninth is the seventh, and the seventh is the eighth.
7. And the second is the third, and the fourth is the fifth, and the third is the sixth; what gradation is there where imagelessness prevails?
The Fourth Chapter, "On Intuitive Understanding."
1 The Sagathakam, V. 105, has cittamatram nirabhasam...... instead of cittamatre nirabhase......, as it stands here.
2 According to T'ang.
[CHAPTER FIVE]
LXXXI
(217) At that time again, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One: Is the Blessed One, the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Fully-Enlightened One, permanent or impermanent?
Said the Blessed One: Mahamati, the Tathagata is neither permanent nor impermanent. Why? Because either way there is a fault connected with it. Mahamati, what fault is connected with either assertion?1 If the Tathagata is permanent, he will be connected with the creating agencies. For, Mahamati, according to all the philosophers the creating agencies are something uncreated and permanent. But the Tathagata is not permanent [in the same sense] as the uncreated are permanent. If he is impermanent, he will be connected with things created. Because the Skandhas which are predicable as qualified and qualifying are nonexistent, and because the Skandhas are subject to annihilation, destructibility is their nature. Mahamati, all that is created is impermanent as is a jug, a garment, straw, a piece of wood, a brick, etc., which are all connected with impermanency. Thus all the preparations for the knowledge of the All-Knowing One will become useless as they are things created. On account of no distinction being made, the Tathagata, indeed, would be something created. For this reason, the Tathagata is neither permanent nor impermanent.
1 Following T'ang.
Again, Mahamati, the Tathagata is not permanent for the reason that [if he were] he would be like space, and the preparations one makes for Tathagatahood would be useless. That is to say, Mahamati, space is neither permanent nor impermanent as it excludes [the idea of] permanence and impermanence, (218) and it is improper to speak of it as characterised with the faults of oneness and otherness, of bothness and not-bothness, of permanence and impermanence. Further, Mahamati, it is like the horns of a hare, or a horse, or an ass, or a camel, or a frog, or a snake, or a fly, or a fish; [with the Tathagata] as with them here is the permanency of no-birth. Because of this fault of the permanency of no-birth, the Tathagata cannot be permanent.
However, Mahamati, there is another sense in which the Tathagata can be said to be permanent. How? Because the knowledge arising from the attainment of enlightenment [ = an intuitive understanding] is of a permanent nature, the Tathagata is permanent. Mahamati, this knowledge, as it is attained intuitively by the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones, is, indeed, permanent. Whether the Tathagatas are born or not, this Dharmata, which is the regulative and sustaining principle to be discoverable in the enlightenment of all the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and philosophers, abides, and this sustaining principle of existence is not like the emptiness of space, which, however, is not understood by the ignorant and simple-minded. Mahamati, this knowledge of enlightenment belonging to the Tathagatas comes forth from transcendental knowledge (prajnajnana); Mahamati, the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones do not come forth from the habit-energy of ignorance which is concerned with the Citta, Manas, and Manovijnana, and the Skandhas, Dhatus, and Ayatanas. The triple world originates from the discriminating of unrealities, but the Tathagatas do not originate from the discriminating of unrealities. Where duality obtains, Mahamati, there is permanency and impermanency because of its not being one. Mahamati, [the truth of] absolute solitude is, indeed, non-dualistic1 because all things are characterised with non-duality and no-birth. For this reason, Mahamati, the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones are neither permanent nor impermanent. Mahamati, as long as there is word-discrimination, (219) there follows the faulty notion of permanency and impermanency. The destruction of the notion of permanency and impermanency as held by the ignorant, Mahamati, comes from the getting rid of the knowledge that is based on discrimination, and not from the getting rid of the knowledge that is based on the insight of solitude. So it is said:
1. By keeping away permanency and impermanency, [and yet] by keeping permanency and impermanency in sight, those who always see the Buddhas will not expose themselves to the power of the philosophical doctrines.
2. When permanency and impermanency are adhered to all the accumulation [one makes for the attainment of reality] will be of no avail; by destroying the knowledge that is based on discrimination, [the idea of] permanency and impermanency is kept back.
3. As soon as an assertion is made, all is in confusion; when it is understood that there is nothing in the world but what is seen of the Mind itself, disputes never arise.
Here Ends the Fifth Chapter, "On the Deduction of the Permanency and Impermanency of Tathagatahood."
1 Read advayam, not dvayam.
[CHAPTER SIX]
LXXXII
(220) At that time again, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva made a request of the Blessed One, saying: Blessed One, tell me; Sugata, tell me about the rising and disappearing of the Skandhas, Dhatus, and Ayatanas. In case there is no ego-soul, what is it that comes to exist and to disappear? The ignorant who are attached to the notion of rising and disappearing, fail to understand the extinction of pain, and thus they know not what Nirvana is.
Said the Blessed One: Then, Mahamati, listen well and reflect well within yourself; I will tell you.
Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said: Certainly, Blessed One; and gave ear to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this to him: Mahamati, the Tathagata-garbha holds within it the cause for both good and evil, and by it all the forms of existence are produced. Like an actor it takes on a variety of forms, and [in itself] is devoid of an ego-soul and what belongs to it. As this is not understood, there is the functioning together of the triple combination from which effects take place. But the philosophers not knowing this are tenaciously attached to the idea of a cause [or a creating agency]. Because of the influence of habit-energy that has been accumulating variously by false reasoning since beginningless time, what here goes under the name of Alayavijnana is accompanied by the seven Vijnanas which give birth to a state known as the abode of ignorance. It is like a great ocean in which the waves roll on permanently but the [deeps remain unmoved; that is, the Alaya-] body itself subsists uninterruptedly, quite free from fault of impermanence, unconcerned with the doctrine of ego-substance, and (221) thoroughly pure in its essential nature.
As to the other seven Vijnanas beginning with the Manas and Manovijnana, they have their rise and complete ending from moment to moment; they are born with false discrimination as cause, and with forms and appearances and objectivity as conditions which are intimately linked together; adhering to names and forms, they do not realise that objective individual forms are no1 more than what is seen of the Mind itself; they do not give exact information regarding pleasure and pain; they are not the cause of emancipation; by setting up names and forms which originate from greed, greed is begotten in turn, thus mutually conditioned and conditioning. When the sense-organs which seize [upon the objective world] are destroyed and annihilated, the other things immediately cease to function, and there is no recognition of pleasure and pain which are the self-discrimination of knowledge; thus there is the attainment of perfect tranquillisation in which thoughts and sensations are quieted, or there is the realisation of the four Dhyanas, in which truths of emancipation are well understood; whereupon the Yogins are led to cherish herein the notion of [true] emancipation, because of the not-rising [of the Vijnanas].
1 According to T'ang and Sung.
[But] when a revulsion [or turning-back] has not taken place in the Alayavijnana known under the name of Tathagata-garbha, there is no cessation of the seven evolving Vijnanas. Why? Because the evolution of the Vijnanas is depending on this cause; but this does not belong to the realm of the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and those who are disciplining themselves in the exercises of the philosophers. As they [only] know the egolessness of the self-soul, as they [only] accept the individuality and generality of the Skandhas, Dhatus, and Ayatanas, there is the evolving of the Tathagata-garbha. When an insight into the five Dharmas, the three Svabhavas, and the egolessness of all things is obtained, the Tathagata-garbha becomes quiescent. By causing a revulsion in the continuous development of the graded stages, [the Bodhisattva] may not be led astray in the path [of enlightenment] by those philosophers who hold different views. Thus establishing himself at the Bodhisattva stage of Acala (immovable), (222) he obtains the paths leading to the happiness of the ten Samadhis. Supported by the Buddhas in Samadhi, observing the truths of the Buddha which go beyond thought and his own original vows, not entering into the happiness of the Samadhi which is the limit of reality, but by means of the self-realisation which is not generally gained by the paths of discipline belonging to the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and philosophers, he obtains the ten paths of discipline which belong to the noble family [of the Tathagatas], and [also obtains] the knowledge-body created by the will which is removed from the [premeditated] workings of Samadhi. For this reason, Mahamati, let those Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas who are seeking after the exalted truth effect the purification of the Tathagata-garbha which is known as Alayavijnana.
Mahamati, if you say that there is no Tathagata-garbha known as Alayavijnana, there will be neither the rising nor the disappearing [of an external world of multiplicities] in the absence of the Tathagata-garbha known as Alayavijnana. But, Mahamati, there is the rising and disappearing of the ignorant as well as the holy ones. [Therefore], the Yogins, while walking in the noble path of self-realisation and abiding in the enjoyment of things as they are, do not abandon working hard and are never frustrated [in their undertakings]. Mahamati, this realm of the Tathagata-garbha is primarily undefiled and is beyond all the speculative theories of the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and philosophers; but it appears to them devoid of purity, as it is soiled by these external defilements. This is not the case with the Tathagatas, Mahamati; with the Tathagatas it is an intuitive experience as if it were an Amalaka fruit held in the palm of the hand.
This, Mahamati, was told by me in the canonical text relating to Queen Srimala, (223) and in another where the Bodhisattvas, endowed with subtle, fine, pure knowledge, are supported [by my spiritual powers] —that the Tathagata-garbha known as Alayavijnana evolves together with the seven Vijnanas. This is meant for the Sravakas who are not free from attachment, to make them see into the egolessness of things; and for Queen Srimala to whom the Buddha's spiritual power was added, the [pure] realm of Tathagatahood was expounded. This does not belong to the realm of speculation as it is carried on by the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and other philosophers, except, Mahamati, that this realm of Tathagatahood which is the realm of the Tathagata-garbha-alayavijnana is meant for those Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas who like you are endowed with subtle, fine, penetrating thought-power and whose understanding is in accordance with the meaning; and it is not for others, such as philosophers, Sravakas, and Pratyekabuddhas, who are attached to the letters of the canonical texts. For this reason, Mahamati, let you and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas discipline yourselves in the realm of Tathagatahood, in the understanding of this Tathagata-garbha-alayavijnana, so that you may not rest contented with mere learning. So it is said:
1. The Garbha of the Tathagatas is indeed united with the seven Vijnanas; when this is adhered to, there arises duality, but when rightly understood, duality ceases.
2. The mind, which is the product of intellection since beginningless time, is seen like a mere image; when things are viewed as they are in themselves, there is neither objectivity nor its appearance.
3. As the ignorant grasp the finger-tip and not the moon, (224) so those who cling to the letter, know not my truth.
4. The Citta dances like a dancer; the Manas resembles a jester; the [Mano-] vijnana together with the five [Vijnanas] creates an objective world which is like a stage.1
1 Sung and T'ang seem to be incorrect in their reading of this
LXXXIII
At that time, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva made a request of the Blessed One, saying: Pray tell me, Blessed One; pray tell me, Sugata, concerning the distinguishing aspects of the five Dharmas, the [three] Svabhavas, the [eight] Vijnanas, and the twofold egolessness. By [recognising] the distinguishing aspects of the twofold egolessness, I and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas will be able to establish those truths while effecting a continuous development through the various stages of Bodhisattvahood. It is said that by these truths we can enter into all the Buddha-truths, and that by entering into all the Buddha-truths we can enter even into the ground of the Tathagata's inner realisation.
Said the Blessed One: Then, Mahamati, listen well and reflect well within yourself; I will tell you.
Certainly, Blessed One, said Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva and gave ear to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this to him: Mahamati, I will tell you about the distinguishing aspects of the five Dharmas, the [three] Svabhavas, the [eight] Vijnanas, and the twofold egolessness. The five Dharmas are: name, form, discrimination, right knowledge, and suchness. [When these are thoroughly comprehended] by the Yogins, they enter into the course of the Tathagata's inner realisation, where they are kept away from such views as eternalism and nihilism, realism and negativism, and (225) where they come face to face with the abode of happiness belonging to the present existence as well as to the Samapatti (tranquillisation). But, Mahamati, as the ignorant do not understand that the five Dharmas, the [three] Svabhavas, the [eight] Vijnanas, and the twofold egolessness, together with the external objects which are regarded as existent and nonexistent— [all these are no more than] what is seen of the Mind itself—they are given to discrimination, but it is otherwise with the wise.
Said Mahamati: How is it that the ignorant are given up to discrimination and the wise are not?
Said the Blessed One: Mahamati, the ignorant cling to names, ideas, and signs; their minds move along [these channels]. As thus they move along, they feed on multiplicities of objects, and fall into the notion of an ego-soul and what belongs to it, and cling to salutary appearances. As thus they cling, there is a reversion to ignorance, and they become tainted, karma born of greed, anger, and folly is accumulated. As karma is accumulated again and again, their minds become swathed in the cocoon of discrimination as the silk-worm; and, transmigrating in the ocean of birth-and-death (gati), they are unable, like the water-drawing wheel, to move forward. And because of folly, they do not understand that all things are like Maya, a mirage, the moon in water, and have no self-substance to be imagined as an ego-soul and its belongings; that things rise from their false discrimination; that they are devoid of qualified and qualifying; and have nothing to do with the course of birth, abiding, and destruction; that they are born of the discrimination of what is only seen of the Mind itself; and assert1 that they are born of Isvara, time, atoms, or a supreme spirit, for they follow names and appearances. Mahamati, the ignorant move along with appearances.
Further, Mahamati, by "appearance" is meant that which reveals itself to the visual sense (226) and is perceived as form, and in like manner that which, appearing to the sense of hearing, smelling, tasting, the body, and the Manovijnana, is perceived as sound, odour, taste, tactility, and idea, —all this I call "appearance."
Further, Mahamati, by "discrimination" is meant that by which names are declared, and there is thus the indicating of [various] appearances. Saying that this is such and no other, for instance, saying that this is an elephant, a horse, a wheel, a pedestrian, a woman, or a man, each idea thus discriminated is so determined.
1 According to T'ang and Wei.
Further, Mahamati, by "right knowledge" is meant this: when names and appearances are seen as unobtainable owing to their mutual conditioning, there is no more rising of the Vijnanas, for nothing comes to annihilation, nothing abides everlastingly; and when there is thus no falling back into the stage of the philosophers, Sravakas, and Pratyekabuddhas, it is said that there is right knowledge. Further, Mahamati, by reason of this right knowledge, the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva does not regard name as reality and appearance as non-reality.
When erroneous views based on the dualistic notion of assertion and negation are gotten rid of, and when the Vijnanas cease to rise as regards the objective world of names and appearances, this I call "suchness." Mahamati, a Bodhisattva-Mahasattva who is established on suchness attains the state of imagelessness and thereby attains the Bodhisattva-stage of Joy (pramudita).
When [the Bodhisattva] attains the stage of Joy, he is kept away from all the evil courses belonging to the philosophers and enters upon the path of supra-worldly truths. When [all] the conditions [of truth] are brought to consummation, he discerns that the course of all things starts with the notion of Maya, etc.; and after the attainment of the noble truth of self-realisation, he earnestly desires to put a stop to speculative theorisation; (227) and going up in succession through the stages of Bodhisattvahood he finally reaches the stage of Dharma-Cloud (dharmamegha). After being at the stage of Dharma-Cloud, he reaches as far as the stage of Tathagatahood where the flowers of the Samadhis, powers, self-control, and psychic faculties are in bloom. After reaching here, in order to bring all beings to maturity, he shines like the moon in water, with varieties of rays of transformation. Perfectly fulfilling1 the [ten] inexhaustible vows, he preaches the Dharma to all beings according to their various understandings. As the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, Mahamati, have entered into suchness, they attain the body which is free from the will and thought-constructions.2
Again, Mahamati said: Are the three Svabhavas to be regarded as included in the five Dharmas, or as having their own characteristics complete in themselves?
1 According to Sung and T'ang.
2 T'ang and Wei have citta-mano-manovijnanarahitam.
The Blessed One said: The three Svabhavas, the eight Vijnanas, and the twofold egolessness—they are all included [in the five Dharmas]. Of these, name and appearance are known as the Parikalpita [false imagination]. Then, Mahamati, discrimination which rises depending upon them, is the notion of an ego-soul and what belongs to it, —the notion and the discrimination are of simultaneous occurrence, like the rising of the sun and its rays. Mahamati, the discrimination thus supporting the notion of self-nature which subsists in the multiplicities of objects, is called the Paratantra [dependence on another]. Right knowledge and suchness, Mahamati, are indestructible, and thus they are known as Parinishpanna [perfect knowledge].
Further, Mahamati, by adhering to what is seen of the Mind itself there is an eightfold discrimination. This comes from imagining unreal individual appearances [as real]. (228) When the twofold clinging to an ego-soul and what belongs to it is stopped, there is the birth of the twofold egolessness. Mahamati, in these five Dharmas are included all the Buddha-truths and also the differentiation and succession of the [Bodhisattva-] stages, and the entrance of the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Tathagatas into the state of self-realisation by means of their noble wisdom.
LXXXIV
Further, Mahamati, of the five Dharmas—name, appearance, discrimination, right knowledge, and suchness— appearance is that which is seen as having such characteristics as form, shape, distinctive features, images, colours, etc. —this is "appearance." Out of this appearance ideas are formed such as a jar, etc., by which one can say, this is such and such, and no other; this is "name." When names are thus pronounced, appearances are determined1 and there is "discrimination, " saying this is mind and this is what belongs to it. That these names and appearances are after all unobtainable because when intellection is put away the aspect of mutuality [in which all things are determined] ceases to be perceived and imagined—this is called the "suchness" of things. And this suchness may be characterised as truth, reality, exact knowledge, limit, source, self-substance, the unattainable. This has been realised by myself and the Tathagatas, truthfully pointed out, recognised, made public, and widely shown. When, in agreement with this, [the truth] is rightly understood as neither negative nor affirmative, discrimination ceases to rise, and there is a state conformable to self-realisation by means of noble wisdom, which is not the course of controversy pertaining to the philosophers, Sravakas, and Pratyekabuddhas; this is "right knowledge."
1 Samadharmeti va that follows here is probably to be dropped on the strength of the Chinese versions.
(229) These are, Mahamati, the five Dharmas, and in them are included the three Svabhavas, the eight Vijnanas, the twofold egolessness, and all the Buddha-truths. In this, Mahamati, reflect well with your own wisdom and let others do [the same] and do not allow yourself to be led by another. So it is said:
5. The five Dharmas, the Svabhavas, the eight Vijnanas, and the twofold egolessness—they are all embraced in the Mahayana.
6. Name, appearance, and discrimination [correspond to] the first two Svabhavas, while right knowledge and suchness are the Parinishpanna.
LXXXV
At that time again, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One: It is told by the Blessed One in the canonical text the Tathagatas of the past, present, and future are like the sands of the river Ganga. Blessed One, is this to be accepted literally? or is there another distinct meaning? Pray tell me, Blessed One.
The Blessed One said: Mahamati, do not take it in its literal sense; for, Mahamati, the Buddhas of the three divisions of time are not measurable by the measurement of the sands of the Ganga. Why? Because an analogy which is superior to anything of the world and surpasses it cannot be called an analogy, since there is in it something resembling and something not resembling. (230) The Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones do not give out such an analogy that has in it something resembling and something not resembling and that is superior to the world and surpasses it. But this comparison is only given out, Mahamati, by myself and the Tathagatas, in which the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones are said to be like the sands of the river Ganga; the idea is to terrify those ignorant and simple-minded ones who, tenaciously clinging to the idea of permanency and impermanency, and giving themselves up to the ways of thinking and the erroneous views of the philosophers, follow up the wheel of transmigration. To those who, anxious to escape the intricacies of the wheel of existence, seek after the excellent state, thinking how this could be realised, it is told them that the appearance of the Tathagatas is not like the blooming of the Udumbara flower, because they will thereby see that the attainment of Buddhahood is not a difficult undertaking and will pu1 forward their energy. But it is told in the canonical text that the Tathagatas appear as rarely as the Udumbara flower, and this is in consideration of those people who are to be led by me. Mahamati, however, no one has ever seen the Udumbara flower blooming, nor will anyone; while, Mahamati, the Tathagatas are at present in the world, they were seen and are to be seen. To say that the Tathagatas appear as rarely as the Udumbara flower has [really] no reference to the establishment of the truth itself. When, Mahamati, the establishment of the truth itself is pointed out, it surpasses beyond measure anything in the world that can be offered as an analogy to it, because [the ignorant] are incapable of believing. And thus there is an unbelief on the part of the ignorant and simple-minded. (231) There is indeed no room for analogies to enter in the realm of self-realisation which is effected by means of noble wisdom. The truth transcends all the notions that are characteristic of the Citta, Manas, and Manovijnana. The truth is the Tathagatas, and, therefore, in them there is nothing describable by analogy.
But, Mahamati, [sometimes] a comparison is made use of; that is to say, the Tathagatas are said to be like the sands of the river Ganga, because they are the same and impartial [to all things], because they are free from imagination and discrimination. For example, Mahamati, the sands of the river Ganga are tossed about by the fishes, tortoises, porpoises, crocodiles, buffalos, lions, elephants, etc., but they are free from imagination and discrimination; for they do not resent, saying."We are down-trodden," or "We are not." They are non-discriminative, pure in themselves, separated from defilement. In the same way, Mahamati, the self-realisation of noble wisdom which has been attained by the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones, is like the river Ganga, and their powers, psychic faculties, and self-control are like the sands; and however much they are tossed about by the fishes of the philosophers, by the ignorant who belong to other schools, they are not troubled by imaginations and discriminations. Because of their original vows, the Tathagatas [whose hearts are] filled with all the happiness of the Samapatti are not troubled by imaginations and discriminations with regard to beings. Therefore, the Tathagatas, like the sands of the river Ganga, are free from partiality because of their being devoid of likes and dislikes.
To illustrate, Mahamati: as the sands of the river Ganga partake of the character of the earth, the conflagration that will break out at the end of the Kalpa may burn the earth but does not destroy its self-nature. Mahamati, the earth is not consumed because of its being inseparably connected with the element of fire, (232) and it is only the ignorant and simple-minded that on account of their falling into false ideas imagine the earth being consumed by fire. But as it supplies the material cause to the element fire, it is never consumed. In the same way, Mahamati, the Dharmakaya of the Tathagatas, like the sands of the river Ganga, is never destroyed.
To illustrate, Mahamati: the sands of the river Ganga are immeasurable. In the same way, Mahamati, the rays of light of the Tathagatas are beyond measure, which arc-emitted by them in all the Buddha-assemblies in order to bring beings to maturity and arouse them [to the knowledge of the truth].
To illustrate, Mahamati: the sands of the river Ganga do not assume another nature than itself remaining forever the same. In the same way, Mahamati, the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones are neither evolving nor disappearing in transmigration because in them the cause of making them come into existence is destroyed.
To illustrate, Mahamati: the sands of the river Ganga are unconcerned whether they are carried away or whether more is added into them. In the same way, Mahamati, the knowledge of the Tathagatas which is exercised for the maturing of beings is neither exhausted nor augmented, because the Dharma is without a physical body. Mahamati, that which has a physical body is subject to annihilation, but not that which has no physical body; and the Dharma is not a physical body.
To illustrate, Mahamati: the sands of the river Ganga, however much they are compressed for the sake of the ghee and oil, are destitute of them. In the same way, (233) Mahamati, the Tathagatas never abandon their deep concerns1 and original vows and happiness as regards the Dharmadhatu, however hard they are oppressed with pain for the sake of beings, as long as all beings have not yet been led into Nirvana by the Tathagatas, who are endowed with a great compassionate heart.
To illustrate, Mahamati: the sands of the river Ganga are drawn along with the flow of the stream, but not where there is no water. In the same way, Mahamati, the Tathagata's teaching in regard to all the Buddha-truths takes place along the flow of the Nirvana-stream; and for this reason the Tathagatas are said to be like the sands of the river Ganga.
1 After T'ang.
Mahamati, in tathagata ("thus come") there is no sense of "going away"; Mahamati, "going away" means destruction. Mahamati, the primary limit of transmigration is unknown. Not being known, how can I talk of the sense of "gong away"? The sense of "going away," Mahamati, is annihilation, and this is not known by the ignorant and simple-minded.
Mahamati said: If, Blessed One, the primary limit of transmigration of all beings is unknowable, how is the emancipation of beings knowable?
The Blessed One said: Mahamati, when it is understood that the objective world is nothing but what is seen of the Mind itself, the habit-energy of false speculations and erroneous discriminations which have been going on since beginningless time is removed, and there is a revulsion [or turning-back] at the basis of discrimination—this is emancipation, Mahamati, and not annihilation. Therefore, Mahamati, there cannot be any talk about endlessness. To be endless in limit, Mahamati, is another name for discrimination. Apart from discriminations (234) there are no other beings. When all things external or internal are examined with intelligence, Mahamati, knowing and known are found to be quiescent. But when it is not recognised that all things rise from the discrimination of the Mind itself, discrimination asserts itself. When this is understood discrimination ceases. So it is said:
7. Those who regard the removers of obstruction [i. e., Buddhas] as neither destroyed nor departed for ever, like the sands of the Ganga, see the Tathagata.
8. Like the sands of the Ganga they are devoid of all error: they flow along the stream and are permanent, and so is the essence [or nature] of Buddhahood.
LXXXVI
At that time again, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One; Tell me, Blessed One; tell me, Sugata, Tathagata, Arhat, Fully-Enlightened One, regarding the momentary destruction of all things and their distinctive signs. Blessed One, what is meant by all things being momentary?
The Blessed One replied: Then, Mahamati, listen well and reflect well within yourself; I will tell you.
Certainly, Blessed One; said Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva and gave ear to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this to him: Mahamati, all things, all things we speak of, and they are good or bad, effect-producing or not effect-producing, of this world (235) or of super-world, faulty or faultless, of evil flowings or the non-flowings, receptive or non-receptive. In short, Mahamati, the five appropriating1 Skandhas have their rise from the habit-energy of the Citta, Manas, and Manovijnana, they are imagined good or bad. Mahamati, the happiness of the Samadhi and the attainments [resulting therefrom], which belong to the wise by reason of their abiding in the happiness of the existing world, are called the non-outflowing goods.
1 All the Skandhas are self-appropriating, or self-grasping, as long as there is attachment to the notion of an ego-soul. When that is got rid of, the Skandhas are anasrava, i. e. not tainted with evil outflows.
Again, Mahamati, by good and bad are meant the eight Vijnanas. What are the eight? They are the Tathagata-garbha known as the Alayavijnana, Manas, Manovijnana, and the system of the five Vijnanas as described by the philosophers. Now, Mahamati, the system of the five Vijnanas is together with the Manovijnana, and there is an undivided succession and differentiation of good and bad, and the entire body moves on continuously and closely bound together; moving on, it comes to an end; but as it fails to understand that there is nothing in the world but what is seen of Mind-only, there is the rising of another Vijnana [-system] following the cessation of the first; and the Manovijnana in union with the system of the five Vijnanas, perceiving the difference of forms and figures, is set in motion, not remaining still even for a moment—this I call momentariness. Mahamati, momentary is the Alayavijnana known as the Tathagata-garbha, which is together with the Manas and with the habit-energy of the evolving Vijnanas— this is momentary. But [the Alayavijnana which is together] with the habit-energy of the non-outflows (anasrava) (236) is not momentary. This is not understood by the ignorant and simple-minded who are addicted to the doctrine of momentariness. Not understanding the momentariness and non-momentariness of all things, they cherish nihilism whereby they even try to destroy the unmade (asamskrita). Mahamati, the system itself of the five Vijnanas is not subject to transmigration, nor does it suffer pleasure and pain, nor is it conducive to Nirvana. But, Mahamati, the Tathagata-garbha is together with the cause that suffers pleasure and pain; it is this that is set in motion and ceases to work; it is stupefied by the fourfold habit-energy. But the ignorant do not understand it, as their thoughts are infused with the habit-energy of discrimination which cherishes the view of momentariness.
Further, Mahamati, gold, vajra, and the relics of the Buddha, owing to their specific character, are never destroyed but remain the same until the end of time. If, Mahamati, the nature of enlightenment is momentary, the wise would lose their wiseness (aryatva), but they have never lost it. Mahamati, gold and vajra remain the same until the end of time; remaining the same they are neither diminished nor increased. How is it that the ignorant, failing to recognise the hidden meaning of all things internal and external, discriminate in the sense of momentariness?
LXXXVII
Further, Mahamati said: It is again said by the Blessed One that by fulfilling the six Paramitas Buddhahood is realised. What are the six (237) Paramitas? And how are they fulfilled?
The Blessed One replied: Mahamati, there are three kinds of Paramitas. What are the three? They are the worldly, the super-worldly, and the highest super-wordly. Of these, Mahamati, the worldly Paramitas [are practised thus]: Adhering tenaciously to the notion of an ego-soul and what belongs to it and holding fast to dualism, those who are desirous for this world of form, etc., will practise the Paramita of charity in order to obtain the various realms of existence. In the same way, Mahamati, the ignorant will practise the Paramitas of morality, patience, energy, Dhyana, and Prajna. Attaining the psychic powers they will be born in Brahma's heaven.
As to the super-worldly Paramitas, they are practised by the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas whose thoughts are possessed by the notion of Nirvana; the Paramitas of charity, etc. are thus performed by them, who, like the ignorant, are desirous of enjoying Nirvana for themselves.
Again, Mahamati, as to the highest super-worldly Paramitas, [they are practised] by the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas who are the practisers of the highest form of spiritual discipline; that is, perceiving that there is nothing in the world but what is only seen of the Mind itself, on account of discrimination, and understanding that duality is of the Mind itself, they see that discrimination ceases to function; and, that seizing and holding is non-existent; and, free from all thoughts of attachment to individual objects which are of the Mind itself, and in order to benefit and give happiness to all sentient beings, [the Bodhisattvas] practise the Paramita of charity. While dealing with an objective world there is no rising in them of discrimination; they just practise morality and this is the Paramita [of morality]. To practise patience with no thought of discrimination rising in them (238) and yet with full knowledge of grasped and grasping —this is the Paramita of patience. To exert oneself with energy from the first part of the night to its end and in conformity with the disciplinary measures and not to give rise to discrimination—this is the Paramita of energy. Not to cherish discrimination, not to fall into the philosopher's notion of Nirvana—this is the Paramita of Dhyana. As to the Paramita of Prajna: when the discrimination of the Mind itself ceases, when things are thoroughly examined by means of intelligence, there is no falling into dualism, and a revulsion takes place at the basis, while previous karma is not destroyed; when [transcendental knowledge] is exercised for the accomplishment of self-realisation, then there is the Paramita of Prajna. These, Mahamati, are the Paramitas and their meanings.
LXXXVIII1
So it is said:
9. The created (Samskrita) are empty, impermanent, momentary—so the ignorant discriminate; the meaning of momentariness is discriminated by means of the analogies of a river, a lamp, and seeds.
10. All things are non-existent, they are not-momentary, quiescent, not subject to destruction, and unborn— this, I say, is the meaning of momentariness.
11. Birth and death succeed without interruption— this I do not point out for the ignorant. Owing to the uninterrupted succession of existence, discrimination moves on in the [six] paths.
12. Ignorance is the cause and there is the general rising of -minds, when form is not yet born, where is the abode of the middle existence?
13. If another mind is set in motion in an uninterrupted succession of deaths, (239) where does it find its dependence as form is not established in time?
14. If mind is set in motion, somewhere, somehow, the cause is an unreal one; it is not complete; how can one know of its momentary disappearances?
15. The attainment of the Yogins, gold, the Buddha-relics, and the heavenly palace of Abhasvara are indestructible by any worldly agencies.
16. Ever abiding are the truths attained by the Buddhas and their perfect knowledge; the nature of Buddhahood as realised [by them]—how can there be momentariness in them?
17. The city of the Gandharvas, Maya-like forms—how can they be otherwise than momentary? Realities are characterised with unreality, and how can they be causal agencies?
Here Ends the Sixth Chapter "On Momentariness."
1 The proper place for this section is after the section on "Momentary" and before the "Paramita," or what is the same thing the latter is wrongly inserted where it is found in in the text.
[CHAPTER SEVEN]
LXXXIX
(240) At that time again, Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One: [How was it that] the Arhats were given assurance by the Blessed One of their attainment of supreme enlightenment? [How can] all beings attain Tathagatahood without realising the truths of Parinirvana? [What does it mean that] from the night when the Tathagata was awakened to supreme enlightenment until the night when he entered into Parinirvana, between these times the Tathagata has not uttered, has not pronounced, a word. [What is the meaning of this] that being always in Samadhi the Tathagatas neither deliberate nor contemplate? [How do] Buddhas of transformation, being in the state of transformation, execute the works of the Tathagatas? How is the succession of momentary decomposition explained which takes place in the Vijnanas?
[Further, what do these statements mean] that Vajrapani is constantly with [the Tathagata] as his personal guard; that the primary limit is unknown and yet cessation is knowable; that there are evil ones, their activities, and left-over karma? Blessed One, [facts of] karma-hindrance are said to be shown [by the Tathagata in the incident of] Canca the daughter of a Brahmin, of Sundari the daughter of a mendicant, an empty bowl, etc.; how can the Blessed One with these unexhausted evils attain all-knowledge?
The Blessed One replied: Then, Mahamati, listen well and reflect well within yourself; I will tell you.
Certainly, Blessed One; (241) said Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva and gave ear to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this to him: The realm of Nirvana where no substratum is left behind is according to the hidden meaning and for the sake of the practisers who are thereby inspired to exert themselves in the work of the Bodhisattvas. Mahamati, there are Bodhisattvas practising the work of the Bodhisattva here and in other Buddha-lands, who, however, are desirous of attaining the Nirvana of the Sravakayana. In order to turn their inclination away from the Sravakayana and to make them exert themselves in the course of the Mahayana, the Sravakas in transformation are given assurance [as to their future Buddhahood] by the Body of Transformation; but this is not done by the Dharmata-Buddha. This giving assurance to the Sravakas, Mahamati, is declared according to the hidden meaning. Mahamati, that the abandonment of passion-hindrance by the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas is not different [from that by the Tathagatas] is due to the sameness of the taste of emancipation, but this does not apply to the abandonment of knowledge-hindrance. Knowledge-hindrance, Mahamati, is purified when the egolessness of things is distinctly perceived; but passion-hindrance is destroyed when first the egolessness of persons is perceived and acted upon, for [then] the Manovijnana ceases to function. Further, dharma-hindrance is given up because of the disappearance of the habit-energy [accumulated in] the Alayavijnana, it is now thoroughly purified.
There is an eternally-abiding reality [which is to be understood] according to the hidden meaning, because it is something that has neither antecedents nor consequents. The Tathagata points out the Dharma without deliberation, without contemplation, and by means of such words that are original and independent. Because of his right thinking and because of his unfailing memory, he neither deliberates nor contemplates, he is no more at the stage of the fourfold habit-energy, (242) he is free from the twofold death, he has relinquished the twofold hindrance of passion and knowledge.
Mahamati, the seven Vijnanas, that is, Manas, Manovijnana,, eye-vijnana, etc., are characterised with momentariness because they originate from habit-energy, they are destitute of the good non-flowing factors, and are not transmigratory. What transmigrates, Mahamati, is the Tathagata-garbha which is the cause of Nirvana as well as that of pleasure and pain. This is not understood by the ignorant whose minds are torn asunder by the notion of emptiness.
Mahamati, the Tathagatas who are accompanied by Vajrapani are the Tathagatas transformed in transformation and are not the original Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones. The original Tathagatas, Mahamati, are indeed beyond all sense and measurement, beyond the reach of all ignorant ones, Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and philosophers. [These Tathagatas] are abiding in the joy of existence as it is, as they have reached the truth of intuitive knowledge by means of Jnanakshanti. Thus Vajrapani is not attached to them. All the Buddhas of Transformation do not owe their existence to karma; in them there is no Tathagatahood, but apart from them there is no Tathagatahood either. Like the potter who is dependent on various combinations, [the Buddha of Transformation] does his work for sentient beings; he teaches the doctrine meeting conditions, but not the doctrine that will establish the truth as it is, which belongs to the noble realm of self-realisation.
Further, Mahamati, on account of the cessation of the six Vijnanas the ignorant and simple-minded look for nihilism, and on account of their not understanding the Alayavijnana they have eternalism. The primary limit of the discrimination of their own minds (243) is unknown, Mahamati. Emancipation is obtained when this discrimination of Mind itself ceases. With the abandonment of the fourfold habit-energy the abandonment of all faults takes place.
So it is said:1
1. The three vehicles are no-vehicle; there is no Nirvana with the Buddhas; it is pointed out that the assurance of Buddhahood is given to all that are freed from faults.
2. Ultimate intuitive knowledge, Nirvana that leaves no remnant, —this is told according to the hidden meaning in order to give encouragement to the timid.
1The following gathas do not seem to have any specific relation to the prose section.
3. Knowledge is produced by the Buddhas, and the path is pointed out by them: they move in it and not in anything else, therefore there is no Nirvana with them.
4. Existence, desire, form (rupa), theorising—this is the fourfold habit-energy; this is where the Manovijnana takes its rise and the Alaya and Manas abide.
5. Nihilism and the idea of impermanency rise because of the Manovijnana, the eye-vijnana, etc.; eternalism rises from [the thought that] there is no beginning in Nirvana, intelligence, and theorisation.
Here Ends the Seventh Chapter, "On Transformation."
[CHAPTER EIGHT]
(244) At that time Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva asked the Blessed One in verse and again made a request, saying: Pray tell me, Blessed One, Tathagata, Arhat, Fully-Enlightened One regarding the merit and vice of meat-eating; thereby I and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas of the present and future may teach the Dharma to make those beings abandon their greed for meat, who, under the influence of the habit-energy belonging to the carnivorous existence, strongly crave meat-food. These meat-eaters thus abandoning their desire for [its] taste will seek the Dharma for their food and enjoyment, and, regarding all beings with love as if they were an only child, will cherish great compassion towards them. Cherishing [great compassion], they will discipline themselves at the stages of Bodhisattvahood and will quickly be awakened in supreme enlightenment; or staying a while at the stage of Sravakahood and Pratyekabuddhahood, they will finally reach the highest stage of Tathagatahood.
1 This chapter on meat-eating is another later addition to the text, which was probably done earlier than the Ravana chapter. It already appears in the Sung, but of the three Chinese versions it appears here in its shortest form, the proportion being S = 1, T = 2, W = 3. It is quite likely that meat-eating was practised more or less among the earlier Buddhists, which was made a subject of severe criticism by their opponents. The Buddhists at the time of the Lankavatara did not like it, hence this addition in which an apologetic tone is noticeable.
Blessed One, even those philosophers who hold erroneous doctrines and are addicted to the views of the Lokayata such as the dualism of being and non-being, nihilism, and eternalism, will prohibit meat-eating and will themselves refrain from eating it. How much more, O World Leader, he who promotes one taste for mercy and is the Fully-Enlightened One; (245) why not prohibit in his teachings the eating of flesh not only by himself but by others? Indeed, let the Blessed One who at heart is filled with pity for the entire world, who regards all beings as his only child, and who possesses great compassion in compliance with his sympathetic feelings, teach us as to the merit and vice of meat-eating, so that I and other Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas may teach the Dharma.
Said the Blessed One: Then, Mahamati, listen well and reflect well within yourself; I will tell you.
Certainly, Blessed One; said Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva and gave ear to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this to him: For innumerable reasons, Mahamati, the Bodhisattva, whose nature is compassion, is not to eat any meat; I will explain them: Mahamati, in this long course of transmigration here, there is not one living being that, having assumed the form of a living being, has not been your mother, or father, or brother, or sister, or son, or daughter, or the one or the other, in various degrees of kinship; and when acquiring another form of life may live as a beast, as a domestic animal, as a bird, or as a womb-born, or as something standing in some relationship to you; [this being so] how can the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva who desires to approach all living beings as if they were himself and to practise the Buddha-truths, eat the flesh of any living being that is of the same nature as himself? Even, Mahamati, the Rakshasa, listening to the Tathagata's discourse on the highest essence of the Dharma, attained the notion of protecting [Buddhism], and, feeling pity, (246) refrains from eating flesh; how much more those who love the Dharma! Thus, Mahamati, wherever there is the evolution of living beings, let people cherish the thought of kinship with them, and, thinking that all beings are [to be loved as if they were] an only child, let them refrain from eating meat. So with Bodhisattvas whose nature is compassion, [the eating of] meat is to be avoided by him. Even in exceptional cases, it is not [compassionate] of a Bodhisattva of good standing to eat meat. The flesh of a dog, an ass, a buffalo, a horse, a bull, or man, or any other [being], Mahamati, that is not generally eaten by people, is sold on the roadside as mutton for the sake of money; and therefore, Mahamati, the Bodhisattva should not eat meat.
For the sake of love of purity, Mahamati, the Bodhisattva should refrain from eating flesh which is born of semen, blood, etc. For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh. To illustrate, Mahamati: When a dog sees, even from a distance, a hunter, a pariah, a fisherman, etc., whose desires are for meat-eating, he is terrified with fear, thinking, "They are death-dealers, they will even kill me." In the same way, Mahamati, even those minute animals that are living in the air, on earth, and in water, seeing meat-eaters at a distance, will perceive in them, by their keen sense of smell, (247) the odour of the Rakshasa and will run away from such people as quickly as possible; for they are to them the threat of death. For this reason, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva, who is disciplining himself, to abide in great compassion, because of its terrifying living beings, refrain from eating meat. Mahamati, meat which is liked by unwise people is full of bad smell and its eating gives one a bad reputation which turns wise people away; let the Bodhisattva refrain from eating meat. The food of the wise, Mahamati, is what is eaten by the Rishis; it does not consist of meat and blood. Therefore, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva refrain from eating meat.
In order to guard the minds of all people, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva whose nature is holy and who is desirous of avoiding censure on the teaching of the Buddha, refrain from eating meat. For instance, Mahamati, there are some in the world who speak ill of the teaching of the Buddha; [they would say,] "Why are those who are living the life of a Sramana or a Brahmin reject such food as was enjoyed by the ancient Rishis, and like the carnivorous animals, living in the air, on earth, or in the water? Why do they go wandering about in the world thoroughly terrifying living beings, disregarding the life of a Sramana and destroying the vow of a Brahmin? There is no Dharma, no discipline in them." There are many such adverse-minded people who thus speak ill of the teaching of the Buddha. For this reason, Mahamati, in order to guard the minds of all people, (248) let the Bodhisattva whose nature is full of pity and who is desirous of avoiding censure on the teaching of the Buddha, refrain from eating meat.
Mahamati, there is generally an offensive odour to a corpse, which goes against nature; therefore, let the Bodhisattva refrain from eating meat. Mahamati, when flesh is burned, whether it be that of a dead man or of some other living creature, there is no distinction in the odour. When flesh of either kind is burned, the odour emitted is equally noxious. Therefore, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva, who is ever desirous of purity in his discipline, wholly refrain from eating meat.
Mahamati, when sons or daughters of good family, wishing to exercise themselves in various disciplines such as the attainment of a compassionate heart, the holding a magical formula, or the perfecting of magical knowledge, or starting on a pilgrimage to the Mahayana, retire into a cemetery, or to a wilderness, or a forest, where demons gather or frequently approach; or when they attempt to sit on a couch or a seat for the exercise; they are hindered [because of their meat-eating] from gaining magical powers or from obtaining emancipation. Mahamati, seeing that thus there are obstacles to the accomplishing of all the practices, let the Bodhisattva, who is desirous of benefiting himself as well as others, wholly refrain from eating meat.
As even the sight of objective forms gives rise to the desire for tasting their delicious flavour, let the Bodhisattva, whose nature is pity and who regards all beings as his only child, wholly refrain from eating meat. (249) Recognising that his mouth smells most obnoxiously, even while living this life, let the Bodhisattva whose nature is pity, wholly refrain from eating meat.
[The meat-eater] sleeps uneasily and when awakened is distressed. He dreams of dreadful events, which makes his hair rise on end. He is left alone in an empty hut; he leads a solitary life; and his spirit is seized by demons. Frequently he is struck with terror, he trembles without knowing why, there is no regularity in his eating, he is never satisfied. In his eating1 he never knows what is meant by proper taste, digestion, and nourishment. His visceras are filled with worms and other impure creatures and harbour the cause of leprosy. He ceases to entertain any thoughts of aversion towards all diseases. When I teach to regard food as if it were eating the flesh of one's own child, or taking a drug, how can I permit my disciples, Mahamati, to eat food consisting of flesh and blood, which is gratifying to the unwise but is abhorred by the wise, which brings many evils and keeps away many merits; and which was not offered to the Rishis and is altogether unsuitable?
1 Delete pitakhadita (line 7).
Now, Mahamati, the food I have permitted [my disciples to take] is gratifying to all wise people but is avoided by the unwise; it is productive of many merits, it keeps away many evils; and it has been prescribed by the ancient Rishis. (250) It comprises rice, barley, wheat, kidney beans, beans, lentils, etc., clarified butter, oil, honey, molasses, treacle, sugar cane, coarse sugar, etc.; food prepared with these is proper food. Mahamati, there may be some irrational people in the future who will discriminate and establish new rules of moral discipline, and who, under the influence of the habit-energy belonging to the carnivorous races, will greedily desire the taste [of meat]: it is not for these people that the above food is prescribed. Mahamati, this is the food I urge for the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas who have made offerings to the previous Buddhas, who have planted roots of goodness, who are possessed of faith, devoid of discrimination, who are all men and women belonging to the Sakya family, who are sons and daughters of good family, who have no attachment to body, life, and property, who do not covet delicacies, are not at all greedy, who being compassionate desire to embrace all living beings as their own person, and who regard all beings with affection as if they were an only child.
Long ago in the past, Mahamati, there lived a king whose name was Simhasaudasa. His excessive fondness for meat, his greed to be served with it, (251) stimulated his taste for it to the highest degree so that he [even] ate human flesh. In consequence of this he was alienated from the society of his friends, counsellors, kinsmen, relatives, not to speak of his townsmen and countrymen. In consequence he had to renounce his throne and dominion and to suffer great calamities because of his passion for meat.
Mahamati, even Indra who obtained sovereignty over the gods had once to assume the form of a hawk owing to his habit-energy of eating meat for food in a previous existence; he then chased Visvakarma appearing in the guise of a pigeon, who had thus to place himself on the scale. King Sivi feeling pity for the innocent [pigeon had to sacrifice himself to the hawk and thus] to suffer great pain. Even a god who became Indra the Powerful, after going through many a birth, Mahamati, is liable to bring misfortune both upon himself and others; how much more those who are not Indra!
Mahamati, there was another king1 who was carried away by his horse into a forest. After wandering about in it, he committed evil deeds with a lioness out of fear for his life, and children were born to her. Because of their descending from the union with a lioness, (252) the royal children were called the Spotted-Feet, etc. On account of their evil habit-energy in the past when their food had been flesh, they ate meat even [after becoming] king, and, Mahamati, in this life they lived in a village called Kutiraka ("seven huts"), and because they were excessively attached and devoted to meat-eating they gave birth to Dakas and Dakinis who were terrible eaters of human flesh. In the life of transmigration, Mahamati, such ones will fall into the wombs of such excessive flesh-devouring creatures as the lion, tiger, panther, wolf, hyena, wild-cat, jackal, owl, etc.; they will fall into the wombs of still more greedily flesh-devouring and still more terrible Rakshasas. Falling into such, it will be with difficulty that they can ever obtain a human womb; how much more [difficult] attaining Nirvana!
1 The text has all this in the plural.
Such as these, Mahamati, are the evils of meat-eating; how much more numerous [evil] qualities that are born of the perverted minds of those devoted to [meat-eating]1. And, Mahamati, the ignorant and simple-minded are not aware of all this and other evils and merits [in connection with meat-eating]. I tell you, Mahamati, that seeing these evils and merits the Bodhisattva whose nature is pity should eat no meat.
If, Mahamati, meat is not eaten by anybody for any reason, there will be no destroyer of life. Mahamati, in the majority of cases (253) the slaughtering of innocent living beings is done for pride and very rarely for other causes. Though nothing special may be said of eating the flesh of living creatures such as animals and birds, alas, Mahamati, that one addicted to the love of [meat-] taste should eat human flesh! Mahamati, in most cases nets and other devices are prepared in various places by people who have lost their sense on account of their appetite for meat-taste, and thereby many innocent victims are destroyed for the sake of the price [they bring in]—such as birds, Kaurabhraka, Kaivarta, etc., that are moving about in the air, on land, and in water. There are even some, Mahamati, who are like Rakshasas hard-hearted and used to practising cruelties, 2 who, being so devoid of compassion, would now and then look at living beings as meant for food and destruction— no compassion is awakened in them.
1 Both T'ang and Wei have here a sentence to the following effect: "Those who do not eat meat acquire a large sum of merit."
2 According to T'ang.
It is not true, Mahamati, that meat is proper food and permissible for the Sravaka when [the victim] was not killed by himself, when he did not order others to kill it, when it was not specially meant for him. Again, Mahamati, there may be some unwitted people in the future time, who, beginning to lead the homeless life according to my teaching, are acknowledged as sons of the Sakya, and carry the Kashaya robe about them as a badge, but who are in thought evilly affected by erroneous reasonings. They may talk about various discriminations which they make in their moral discipline, being addicted to the view of a personal soul. Being under the influence of the thirst for [meat-] taste, they will string together in various ways (254) some sophistic arguments to defend meat-eating. They think they are giving me an unprecedented calumny when they discriminate and talk about facts that are capable of various interpretations. Imagining that this fact allows this interpretation, [they conclude that] the Blessed One permits meat as proper food, and that it is mentioned among permitted foods and that probably the Tathagata himself partook of it. But, Mahamati, nowhere in the sutras is meat permitted as something enjoyable, nor it is referred to as proper among the foods prescribed [for the Buddha's followers].
If however, Mahamati, I had the mind to permit [meat-eating], or if I said it was proper for the Sravakas [to eat meat], I would not have forbidden, I would not forbid, ail meat-eating for these Yogins, the sons and daughters of good family, who, wishing to cherish the idea that all beings are to them like an only child, are possessed of compassion, practise contemplation, mortification, and are on their way to the Mahayana. And, Mahamati, the interdiction not to eat any kind of meat is here given to all sons and daughters of good family, whether they are cemetery-ascetics of forest-ascetics, or Yogins who are practising the exercises, if they wish the Dharma and are on the way to the mastery of any vehicle, and being possessed of compassion, conceive the idea of regarding all beings as an only child, in order to accomplish the end of their discipline.
(255) In the canonical texts here and there the process of discipline is developed in orderly sequence like a ladder going up step by step, and one joined to another in a regular and methodical manner; after explaining each point meat obtained in these specific circumstances is not interdicted.1 Further, a tenfold prohibition is given as regards the flesh of animals found dead by themselves. But in the present sutra all [meat-eating] in any form, in any manner, and in any place, is unconditionally and once for all, prohibited for all. Thus, Mahamati, meat-eating I have not permitted to anyone, I do not permit, I will not permit. Meat-eating, I tell you, Mahamati, is not proper for homeless monks. There may be some, Mahamati, who would say that meat was eaten by the Tathagata thinking this would calumniate him. Such unwitted people as these, Mahamati, will follow the evil course of their own karma-hindrance, and will fall into such regions where long nights are passed without profit and without happiness. Mahamati, the noble Sravakas do not eat the food taken properly by [ordinary] men, how much less the food of flesh and blood, which is altogether improper. Mahamati, the food for my Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas is the Dharma and not flesh2-food; how much more the Tathagata! The Tathagata is the Dharmakaya, Mahamati; he abides in the Dharma as food; his is not a body feeding on flesh; he does not abide in any flesh-food. He has ejected the habit-energy of thirst and desire which sustain all existence; he keeps away the habit-energy of all evil passions; he is thoroughly emancipated in mind and knowledge; he is the All-knower; (256) he is All-seer; he regards all beings impartially as an only child; he is a great compassionate heart. Mahamati, having the thought of an only child for all beings, how can I, such as I am, permit the Sravakas to eat the flesh of their own child? How much less my eating it! That I have permitted the Sravakas as well as myself to partake of [meat-eating], Mahamati, has no foundation whatever.
So it is said:
1. Liquor, meat, and onions are to be avoided, Mahamati, by the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas and those who are Victor-heroes.
1 The text as it stands requires fuller explanation.
2 Amisra (mixed) in T'ang.
2. Meat is not agreeable to the wise: it has a nauseating odour, it causes a bad reputation, it is food for the carnivorous; I say1 this, Mahamati, it is not to be eaten.
3. To those who eat [meat] there are detrimental effects, to those who do not, merits; Mahamati, you should know that meat-eaters bring detrimental effects upon themselves.
4. Let the Yogin refrain from eating flesh as it is born of himself, as [the eating] involves transgression, as [flesh] is produced of semen and blood, and as [the killing of animals] causes terror to living beings.
5. Let the Yogin always refrain from meat, onions, various kinds of liquor, allium, and garlic.
6. Do not anoint the body with sesamum oil; do not sleep on a bed, perforated with spikes; (257) for the living beings who find their shelter in the cavities and in places where there are no cavities may be terribly frightened.2
7. From eating [meat] arrogance is born, from arrogance erroneous imaginations issue, and from imagination is born greed; and for this reason refrain from eating [meat].
8. From imagination, greed is born, and by greed the mind it stupefied; there is attachment to stupefaction, and there is no emancipation from birth [and death].
9. For profit sentient beings are destroyed, for flesh money is paid out, they are both evil-doers and [the deed] matures in the hells called Raurava (screaming), etc.
10. One who eats flesh, trespassing against the words of the Muni, is evil-minded; he is pointed out in the teachings of the Sakya as the destroyer of the welfare of the two worlds.
11. Those evil-doers go to the most horrifying hell; meat-eaters are matured in the terrific hells such as Raurava, etc.
12. There is no meat to be regarded as pure in three ways: not premeditated, not asked for, and not impelled; therefore, refrain from eating meat.
1 Brumi, instead of bruhi as in the text.
2 Unintelligible as far as the translator can see.
13. Let not the Yogin eat meat, it is forbidden by myself as well as by the Buddhas; those sentient beings who feed on one another will be reborn among the carnivorous animals.
14. [The meat-eater] is ill-smelling, contemptuous, and born deprived of intelligence; (258) he will be born again and again among the families of the Candala, the Pukkasa, and the Domba.
15. From the womb of Dakini he will be born in the meat-eaters' family, and then into the womb of a Rakshasi and a cat; he belongs to the lowest class of men.
16. Meat-eating is rejected by me in such sutras as the Hastikakshya, the Mahamegha, the Nirvana, the Anglimalika, and the Lankavatara.
17. [Meat-eating] is condemned by the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Sravakas; if one devours [meat] out of shamelessness he will always be devoid of sense.
18. One who avoids meat, etc., will be born, because of this fact, in the family of the Brahmins or of the Yogins, endowed with knowledge and wealth.
19. Let one avoid all meat-eating [whatever they may say about] witnessing, hearing, and suspecting; these theorisers born in a carnivorous family understand this not.
20. As greed is the hindrance to emancipation, so are meat-eating, liquor, etc., hindrances.
21. There may be in time to come people who make foolish remarks about meat-eating, saying, "Meat is proper to eat, unobjectionable, and permitted by the Buddha."
22. Meat-eating is a medicine; again, it is like a child's flesh; (259) follow the proper measure and be averse [to meat, and thus] let the Yogin go about begging.
23. [Meat-eating] is forbidden by me everywhere and all the time for those who are abiding in compassion; [he who eats meat] will be born in the same place as the lion, tiger, wolf, etc.
24. Therefore, do not eat meat which will cause terror among people, because it hinders the truth of emancipation; [not to eat meat—] this is the mark of the wise.
Here Ends the Eighth Chapter, "On Meat-eating," from the Lankavatara, the Essence of the Teaching of All the Buddhas.1
1 For the phrase "The essence of the teaching of the Buddhas (sarvabuddhapravacanahridaya)," see pp. 39-40.
[CHAPTER NINE]1
(260) At that time the Blessed One addressed Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva: Mahamati, you should hold forth these magical phrases of the Lankavatara, which were recited, are recited, and will be recited by the Buddhas of the past, present, and future. I will recite them here for the benefit of the proclaimers of the Dharma, who will retain them in memory. They are:
Tutte, tutte—vutte, vutte—patte, patte—katte, katte—amale, amale—vimale, vimale—nime, nime—hime, hime—vame, vame—kale, kale, kale, kale—atte, matte—vatte, tutte—jnette, sputte—katte, katte—latte, patte—dime dime—cale, cale—pace, pace—badhe, bandhe—ance, mance—dutare, dutare—patare, patare—arkke, arkke—sarkke, sarkke—cakre, cakre—dime, dime—hime, hime—tu tu tu tu (4)—du du du du (4)—ru ru ru ru (4)—phu phu phu phu (4)—svaha.
1 Another later addition probably when Dharani was extensively taken into the body of Buddhist literature just before its disappearance from the land of its birth. Dharani is a study by itself. In India where all kinds of what may be termed abnormalities in religious symbology are profusely thriving, Dharani has also attained a high degree of development as in the case of Mudra (holding the fingers), Asana (sitting), and Kalpa (mystic rite). When a religious symbolism takes a start in a certain direction, it pursues its own course regardless of its original meaning, and the symbolism itself begins to gain a new signification which has never been thought of before in connection with the original idea. The mystery of an articulate sound which infinitely fascinated the imagination of the primitive man has come to create a string of meaningless sounds in the form of a Dharani. Its recitation is now considered by its followers to produce mysterious effects in various ways in life.
(261) These, Mahamati, are the magical phrases of the Lankavatara Mahayana Sutra: If sons and daughters of good family should hold forth, retain, proclaim, realise these magical phrases, no one should ever be able to effect his descent upon them. Whether it be a god, or a goddess, or a Naga, or a Nagi, or a Yaksha, or a Yakshi, or an Asura, or an Asuri, or a Garuda, or a Garudi, or a Kinnara, or a Kannari, or a Mahoraga, or a Mahoragi, or a Gandharva, or a Gandharvi, or a Bhuta, or a Bhuti, or a Kumbhanda, or a Kumbhandi, or a Pisara, or a Pisaci, or an Austaraka, or an Austaraki, or a Apasmara, or an Apasmari, or a Rakshasa, or a Rakshasi, or a Daka, or a Dakini, or an Aujohara, or an Aujohari, or a Kataputana, or a Kataputani, or an Amanushya, or an Amanushyi, —no one of these will be able to effect his or her descent [upon the holder of these magical phrases]. If any misfortune should befall, let him recite the magical phrases for one hundred and eight times, and [the evil ones] will, wailing and crying, turn away and go in another direction.
I will tell you, Mahamati, other magical phrases. They are:
Padme, padmadeve—hine, hini, hine—cu, cule, culu, cule (262)—phale, phula, phule—yule, ghule, yula, yule—ghule, ghula, ghule—pale, pala, pale—munce, munce, munce—cchinde, bhinde, bhanje, marde, pramarde, dinakare—svaha.
If, Mahamati, any son or daughter of good family should hold forth, retain, proclaim, and realise these magical phrases, on him or her no [evil beings] should be able to make their descent. Whether it be a god, or a goddess, or a Naga, or a Nagi, or a Yaksha, or a Yakshi, or an Asura, or an Asuri, a Garuda, or a Garudi, or a Kinnara, or a Kinnari, or a Mahoraga, or a Mahoragi, or a Gandharva, or a Gandharvi, or a Bhuta, or a Bhuti, or a Kumbhanda, or a Kumbhandi, or a Pisaca, or a Pisaci, or an Austaraka, or an Austaraki, or an Apasmara, or an Apasmari, or a Rakshasa, or a Rakshasi, or a Daka, or a Dakini, or an Aujohara, or an Aujohari, or a Kataputana, or a Kataputani, or an Amanushya, or an Amanushyi—no one of these will be able to effect his or her descent upon [the holder of these magical phrases]. By him who will recite these magic phrases, the [whole] Lankavatara Sutra will be recited. (263) These magic phrases are given by the Blessed One to guard against the interference of the Rakshasas.
Here Ends the Ninth Chapter Called "Dharani" in the Lankavatara.
[SAGATHAKAM]1
(264)
Listen to the wonderful Mahayana doctrine,
Declared in this Lankavatara Sutra,
Composed into verse-gems,
And destroying a net of the philosophical views.
At that time Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva said this to the Blessed One:2
1. (Chapter II, verse 1.)
2. (Chapter II, verse 3.)
3. (Chapter II, verse 2.)
4, 5. (Chapter II, verses 6, 7.)
(265) 6. (Chapter II, verse 8.)3
7, 8. (Chapter II, verses 151, 152.)
9. (Chapter II, verse 178.)
1 This section entitled, "Sagathakam," consists entirely of verses. It is probable that it was added later into the text. The subjects treated are many and varied, including those that have never appeared in the text. The verses are in a most confused condition, and it is frequently quite difficult to disentangle them and give them a semblance of order. The reader may use his own judgment in the matter.
2 This remark refers only to the first six verses. The Chinese translations have here the following: "At that time the Blessed One wishing to declare again the deep signification of the Sutra uttered the following verses." The verses enumerated in the Sanskrit text are 884, out of which about 208 are repetitions of those which have already appeared in the main text. These repetitions are systematically excluded in T'ang, while Wei, with a few exceptions, repeats them all. In this English translation I have followed the method of T'ang. When we know more about the historical circumstances of the compilation of the various sutras we may be able to see how these repetitions came to be inserted here and also may learn something regarding the relation which this "Sagathakam" section stands to the preceding part of the Sutra.
3 These verses are not repeated in the same order as they are in the prose section of the text. There are some omissions, too. These irregularities take place throughout the "Sagathakam, " showing that the verses were originally an independent body.
10. These individual objects are not solid [realities]; they rise because of imagination; as the imagination itself is empty, what is imagined is empty.
11. (Chapter II, verse 149.)
12. (Chapter II, verse 154.)
13. By wrong discrimination the Vijnana[-system] rises; severally as eightfold, as ninefold,1 like waves on the great ocean.
14. The root is constantly nourished by habit-energy, firmly attached to the seat; (266) the mind moves along with an objective world as iron is drawn by the loadstone.
15. The original source on which all sentient beings are dependent is beyond theorisation; all doings cease and emancipation obtains, knowing and known are transcended.
16. In the Samadhi known as Maya-like, one goes beyond the ten stages of Bodhisattvaship; one who is removed from thought and knowledge perceives the Mind-king.
17. When a "turning-back" takes place in the mind, one abides permanently in the palace of lotus-form, which is born of the realm of Maya.
18. Abiding in it one attains a life of imagelessness, and, like a many-coloured jewel, performs religious deeds for all beings.
19. Except for discrimination, there is neither Samskrita (or things made) nor Asamskrita (or things not made); the ignorant hold on to them as a barren woman does to the child of her dream; what fools they are!
20. Let it be known that without self-nature, unborn, and empty are a personal soul, the Skandha-continuity, causation, the Dhatus, and [the notion of] existence and non-existence.
21. To me teaching is an expedient, but I do not teach external signs; the ignorant because of their attachment to existence seize on signified and signifying.
22. A knower of all things is not an all-knower, and all is not within all; the ignorant discriminate and [think] "I am the enlightened one in the world"; but I am not enlightened nor do I enlighten others.
1 This requires attention. The Sutra itself maintains a system of eight Vijnanas, and not a ninefold one, which is a later development.
(267) 23. (Chapter II, verse 156.)
24. (Chapter II, verse 143 and the first half of 144.)
25. (Chapter II, verse 179.)1
26. (Chapter II, verse 181.)
27. These things are empty, without self-nature, and unborn, like Maya, like a dream, and their being and non-being is unobtainable.
28. One self-nature (svabhava) I teach, which is removed from speculation and thought-construction, which belongs to the exquisite [spiritual] realm of the wise, removed from the two Svabhavas [i. e., the Parikalpita and the Paratantra].
(268) 29. Though multitudinousness of things has no [real] existence as such, they appear to the intoxicated as like fire-flies because of their constitutional disturbance; likewise is the world essentially [appearance].
30. As Maya is manifested depending on grass, wood, and brick, though Maya itself is non-existent, so are all things essentially [mere appearances].
31. There is neither seizing nor seized, neither bound nor binding; all is like Maya, like a mirage, like a dream, like an affected eye.
32. When the truth-seeker sees [the truth] devoid of discrimination and free from impurities, then he is accomplished in his contemplation; he sees me, there is no doubt.
33. In this there is nothing of thought construction; it is like a mirage in the air; those who thus see all things, see nothing whatever.2
34. In causation which governs being and non-being things do not originate; in the triple world the mind is perturbed, therefore multiplicities appear.
1 Omit the line in parentheses.
2 This verse and the following one do not appear in T'ang, and they are also missing in the prose section.
35. The world is the same as a dream, and so are the multiplicities of things in it; [the wise] see property, touch, death, a world-teacher, and work as of the same nature.1
36. This mind is the source of the triple world; when the mind goes astray there appears this world and that; (269) recognising the world as such, as it is non-existent, [a wise man] does not discriminate a world.
37. The ignorant because of their stupidity see [an objective world] as taking its rise and disappearing, but he who has transcendental knowledge sees it neither rising nor disappearing.
38. Those who are always above discrimination, in conformity with truth, and removed from mind and its belongings, are in the celestial palace of Akanishtha where all evils are discarded.
39. Such attain the powers, psychic faculties, and self-control, are thoroughly adept in the Samadhis, and are there [in the heaven] awakened to enlightenment; but the transformed ones are awakened here [on earth].
40. The Buddhas appear on earth in their innumerable transformation-bodies beyond calculation, and everywhere the ignorant following them listen to the Dharma.
41. [There is one thing which is] released from [such conditions of existence as] beginning, middle, and ending, removed from existence and non-existence, all-pervading, immovable, pure, and above multiplicity, and [yet] producing multiplicity.
42. There is an essence2 entirely covered by thought-constructions and hidden inside all that has body; because of perversion there is Maya; Maya, [however], is not the cause of perversion.
43. Even because of the mind being deluded, there is a somewhat [perceived as real]; being bound up with the two Svabhavas there is the transformation of the Alayavijnana.
1 For the last quarter Wei has: "The honoured one of the world preaches these doings." T'ang: "The person who perceives this well will be honoured by the world."
2 Gotra (眞性) according to T'ang.
(270) 44. The world is no more than thought-construction, and there rages an ocean of views as regards ego and things (dharma); when the world is clearly perceived as such and there takes place a revulsion1 [in the mind], this [one] is my child who is devoted to the truth of perfect knowledge.
45. Things are discriminated by the ignorant as heat, fluidity, motility, and solidity; they are, however, unrealities asserted; there is neither signified nor signifying.
46. But this body, form (samsthana) and senses are made of the eight substances; deluded in the cage of transmigration, the ignorant thus discriminate this phenomenal world (rupa).
47. In the intermingling of causes and conditions, the ignorant imagine the birth [of all things]; but as they do not understand the truth, they go astray in this abode of the triple world.
48. (Chapter II, verse 146.)
(271) 49. What is known as multiplicity-seeds multiply in the mind (citta); in what is revealed, the ignorant imagine birth and are delighted with dualism.
50. Ignorance, desire, and karma—they are the causes of mind and its belongings;2 as they evolve thus [relatively], they are [recognised] by me to be Paratantric.
51. When the field of mentation gets confused, they imagine that there is something [real] to take hold of; in this imagination there is no perfect knowledge, it is false imagination rising from delusion.
52. When bound in conditions there evolves a mind in all beings; when released from conditions, I say, I see no [mind rising].
53. When the mind, released from conditions and unsupported by thought of self, abides no longer in the body, to me there is no objective world.
54 and 55. (Chapter II, verses 147 and 148.)
56. (Chapter II, verse 99.)
1 Paravritti, turning-over, or turning-up, or turning-back.
2 Read cittacaittanam karakam.
(272) 57. So the flood of the Alayavijnana is always stirred by the winds of objectivity (vishaya), and goes on dancing with the various Vijnana-waves.
58. Because there is that which is seized and that which seizes, mind rises in all beings; there are no such signs visible [in the world] as are imagined by the ignorant.
59. There is the highest Alayavijnana, and again there is the Alaya as thought-construction (vijnapti); I teach suchness (tathata) that is above seized and seizing.
60. Neither an ego, nor a being, nor a person exists in the Skandhas; [there is birth when] the Vijnana is born, and [cessation when] the Vijnana ceases.
61. As a picture shows highness and lowness while [in reality] there is nothing of the sort in it; so in things existent there is thingness seen [as real] while there is nothing of the sort in them.
62. The visible world (drisyam) has always the appearance of the city of the Gandharvas and that of fata morgana; it is to be regarded as such, but it does not thus exist to the transcendental wisdom [of the wise].
63 and 64. (Chapter III, verses 79 and 80.)
65. A proposition [is established] by means of conditions, reasons, and examples, (273) such as a dream, the Gandharva's [castle, fire-]wheel, mirage, the moon, the sun.
66. By such examples as flame, hair, etc., I teach that birth is something not to be recognised really as such;1 the world is something imagined, empty like a dream, or Maya, which is error.
67. The triple world has nowhere to place itself, either within nor without, it is thus [homeless]; seeing that all beings are unborn, there grows a full acceptance of the truth that nothing is ever born (kshanti-anutpatti).
68. He will then attain the Samadhi called Maya-like, the will-body, the psychic faculties, the self-mastery, the various powers belonging to the Mind.
69. All things existent are unborn, empty, and without self-substance; and the delusion about them rises and ceases in accordance with conditions.
1 Here I have followed T'ang.
70. Depending upon the Mind, there appears [within] a mind and, without a world of individual objects (rupina); this and no other is an external world which is imagined by the ignorant.
71. This heap of bones, the Buddha-image, the analysis of the elements—[these are subjects of meditation]; by means of mental images (prajnapti) good students handle the various aspects of the world.
72. Body, abode, and property are three representations (vijnapti) seized upon [as objects]; the will, [the desire] to hold, the discrimination of these representations are the seizing agents.
(274) 73. As long as those philosophers who get confused in their reasonings and who are unable to go beyond the realm of words, distinguish the discriminating from the discriminated—so long they do not see [the truth] of suchness.
74. When the Yogin by means of his transcendental wisdom understands that all things existent have no self-substance, he thus attains calmness and establishes himself in the state of no-form (animitta).
75. As an object painted black is taken by the unwise to be a cock, so by the ignorant who do not know, the triple vehicle is understood in like manner.
76. There are no Sravakas, no Pratyekabuddhas here; if, however, one recognises the form of a Buddha, of a Sravaka, this is a transformed manifestation of the Bodhisattva whose nature is compassion itself.
77. The triple world of existence is no more than thought-construction, which is discriminated by the twofold Svabhava [of imagination and relative knowledge]; but when [within the mind] a turning-away from the course of sense-objects (dharma) and the ego-soul (pudgala) takes place, then we have [the truth of] suchness (tathata).
78. The sun, the moon, the lamp-light, the elements, and the gems, —each functions in its own way without discrimination; and so does the Buddha's nature work on its own accord.
79. (Chapter II, verse 51.)
80. Things known as defiled or as pure are like hairnets [that is, wrongly perceived by the dim-eyed]; (275) they [really] have nothing to do with such notions as birth, abiding, and disappearance, or as eternity and non-eternity.
81. It is like a drugged man whoever he is, who sees the world in golden colours; though there is no gold, for him the earth has changed into gold.
82. The ignorant, thus defiled since beginningless time with the mind and what belongs to it, apprehend existing things to be really such as they appear to be; though in fact they owe their origin to Maya or a mirage.
83. One seed and no-seed are of the same stamp, and one seed and all seed also; and in one mind you see multiplicity.
84. When one seed is made pure, there is a turning into a state of no-seed; the sameness comes from non-discrimination; from superabundance there is birth and general confusion from which there grows a multitude of seeds, hence the designation all-seed.1
85. (Chapter II, verse 140.)
86. (Chapter III, verse 52.)
87. When the self-nature of existence is understood there is no need of keeping off the delusion; no-birth is the self-nature of existence, seeing thus one is released.
(276) 88. (Chapter II, verse 170.)
89. (Chapter II, verse 144.)
90. (Chapter II, verse 141.)
91. (Chapter III, verse 48.)
92. (Chapter II, verse 136.)
93. When the mind is evolved, forms begin to manifest themselves; really [if] no minds, no forms; the mind is due to [the accumulation of] delusions since beginningless past; then the Yogin by his transcendental wisdom sees the world shorn of its appearances (abhasa).2
1 The two verses 83 and 84 on "seed" (bija) require fuller explanation to make them more intelligible.
2 The first line of verse 94 properly belongs to the preceding verse.
94. (Chapter III, verse 53.)
(277) 95. The Gandharva's air-castle, Maya, a hair-circle, and a fata morgana, —they are non-entities yet they appear as if they were entities; the nature of an objective existence is thus to be regarded.
96. Nothing has ever been brought into existence, all that is seen before us is delusion; it is due to delusion that things are imagined to have come into existence, the ignorant are delighted with the dualism of discrimination.
97. As memory [or habit-energy, vasana] grows in various forms the Mind is evolved like the waves; when memory is cut off, there is no evolving of Mind.
98. The Mind is evolved dependent upon a variety of conditions, just as a painting depends upon the wall [on which it is painted]; if otherwise why is not the painting produced in the air?1
99. If Mind evolves at all depending on individual forms as conditions, then Mind is condition-born, and the doctrine of Mind-only will not be held true.
100. Mind is grasped by mind, it is not a something produced by a cause; Mind is by nature pure, memory (habit-energy) has no existence in [mind which is like] the sky.
101. An individual mind is evolved by clinging to Mind in itself; there is no visible world outside [Mind itself]; therefore, [it is declared that] Mind-only exists.
(278) 102. Mind (citta2) is the Alayavijnana, Manas is that which has reflection as its characteristic nature, it apprehends the various sense-fields, for which reason it is called a Vijnana.
1 The Sanskrit as it stands is unintelligible; I have followed the T'ang. This gatha may be regarded as a question to which the following few verses are a reply.
2 Citta which is generally translated "mind," either with the "m" capitalised or not, is used in this text in two different senses. When it stands in the series of Citta, Manas, and Vijnanas, it means the empirical mind. It is also used in a general sense meaning mentation. Besides this, citta has an absolute sense denoting something that goes beyond the realm of relativity and yet that lies at the foundation of this world of particulars. When the Lanka speaks of "Mind-only," it refers to this something defined here. It is important to keep this distinction in mind. See also my Studies in the Lankavatara, p. 176 and elsewhere.
103. Citta is always neutral; Manas functions in two ways; the functioning Vijnana is either good or bad.
104. (Chapter II, verse 132.)
105-109. (Chapter IV, verses 1-5.)
(279) 110. In self-realisation itself there are no time[-limits]; it goes beyond all the realms belonging to the various stages; transcending the measure of thought, it establishes itself as the result [of discipline in the realm] of no-appearance.
111. That non-existence and existence is recognised, and multiplicity too, is due to erroneous attachment of the ignorant; the error [is to see] multiplicity.
112. If there is non-discriminative knowledge, it is not in accord with reason to say that [individual] realities (vastu) exist; because of Mind, there are no individual forms (rupani), and, therefore, we speak of non-discriminative [knowledge].
113. The sense-organs are to be known as Maya, the sense-fields resemble a dream; actor, act, and acting—they do not at all [in reality] exist.1
114. (Chapter II, v. 133, v. 176.)
115. (Chapter II, v. 130, v. 177.)
116(280)-117. (Chapter II, vv. 9 and 10.)
118. (Chapter II, v. 174.)
119. (Chapter II, v. 173.)
120. According to worldly knowledge (samvriti) everything exists, but in ultimate truth (paramartha) none exists; in ultimate truth, indeed, one sees that all things are devoid of self-substance. Although there is no self-substance, there rises something which one perceives [as objective reality] — this is called worldly knowledge.
121. If things are regarded as existing by themselves, they exist because of their being so designated in words; if there were no words to designate their existence, they are not.
1 This verse is missing in Wei.
122. That which exists only as word and not as reality —such is not to be found even in worldly knowledge; this comes from the nature of reality being erroneously understood, for no such perception is possible.
123. If such errors were granted, it would not be possible to talk about the non-existence of self-substance; (281) as the nature of reality is erroneously understood, there is something perceived where there is really no self-substance; all is indeed non-existent.
124. What is seen as multiplicity is the mind saturated with the forms of evil habits; because of mental delusions one clings to forms and appearances regarding them as objective [realities].
125. Discrimination is cut asunder by non-discriminating discrimination; the truth of emptiness is seen into by non-discriminating discrimination.
126. Like an elephant magically created, like golden leaves in a painting, the visible world is to the people whose minds are saturated with the forms of ignorance.
127-128. (Chapter II, vv. 168 and 169.)
129. As a man whose eye is affected with a cataract perceives a hair-circle because of his delusion, so the ignorant perceive an objective world rising with its various aspects.
130. (Chapter II, v. 150.)
(282) 131. Discrimination, that which is discriminated, and the setting up of discrimination; binding, that which is bound, and its cause: these six are conditions of liberation.
132. There are no stages [of Bodhisattvaship], no truths, no [Buddha-]lands, no bodies of transformation; Buddhas. Pratyekabuddhas, Sravakas are [products of] imagination.
133. (Chapter II, v. 139.)
134. Mind is all, it is found everywhere and in every body; it is by the evil-minded that multiplicity is recognised, there are no [recognisable] marks where Mind-only is.
135-137. (Chapter III, vv. 35, 36, 37.)
138. The constructing of appearances (nimitta) created by delusion is the characteristic mark of Paratantra (dependence) knowledge; (283) the giving of names to these appearances [regarding them as real individual existences] is characteristic of the imagination.1
139. When the constructing of appearances and names, which come from the union of conditions and realities, no more takes place, we have the characteristic mark of perfected knowledge (parinishpanna).2
140. The world is everywhere filled with Buddhas of Maturity,3 Buddhas of Transformation,4 beings, Bodhisattvas, and [Buddha-]lands.
141. The Issuing5[-Buddhas], Dharma[-Buddhas], Transformation[-Buddhas] and those that appear transformed—they all come forth from Amitabha's Land of Bliss.
142. What is uttered by Buddhas of Transformation and what is uttered by Buddhas of Maturity constitute the doctrine fully developed in the sutras, whose secret meaning you should know.
143. What is uttered by the Bodhisattvas and what is uttered by the teachers—they are both what is uttered by the Buddhas of Transformation and not by the Buddhas of Maturity.
144. All these individual objects (dharmas) have never been born, but they are not exactly non-existent either; they resemble the Gandharva's castle, a dream, and magical creations.
145. Mind is set in motion in various ways, and mind is liberated; mind rises in no other way, and mind thus ceases.
1 Generally parikalpita, but here vikalpita.
2 This is the reading of T'ang, but I suggest the following: "When the constructing of names and appearances no more takes place in it, there are only causal signs indicative of reality—this is the characteristic mark of perfected knowledge." Both Wei and T'ang here understand sanketa in the sense of "union."
3 Vaipakika.
4 Nairmanika.
5 Nisyanda.
146. The mind of all beings is that which perceives something like objective reality, and this mind is the product of imagination; (284) in Mind-only there is no objective world; when one is released from discrimination there is liberation.
147. Brought together by the evil habit of erroneous reasoning, discrimination asserts itself; hence the evolution of this fallacious world.
148. [Relative] knowledge (vijnana) takes place where there is something resembling an external world; [transcendental] knowledge (jnana)1 belongs to the realm of Suchness. When a turning-back (paravritta) takes place, there is a state of imagelessness, which is the realm of the wise.
149. (Chapter II, v. 161.)
150. By reason of false imagination (parikalpita) all things existent are declared unborn; as people take refuge in relative knowledge (paratantra), they get confused in their discriminations.
151. When relative knowledge is purified by keeping itself aloof from discrimination, and detached from imagination, there is a turning-back to the abode of suchness.
152. Do not discriminate discrimination, there is no truth in discrimination; [this world of] delusion is discriminated as to that which is perceived and that which perceives, but in reality there is no such dualism in it; it is an error to recognise an external world, [the conception of] self-substance is due to imagination.
(285) 153. Imagining by this imagination, self-substance is conceived to rise by the conditions of origination (pratyayodbhava); an external world is recognised in distortion, there is [in fact] no such external world, but just the Mind.
154. To those who see [the world] clearly and properly, the separation between that which perceives and that which is perceived ceases; there is no such external world as is discriminated by the ignorant.
1As to the distinction between Jnana and Vijnana see p.135 et seq.
155. When the Mind is agitated by habit-energy (or memory) there rises what appears to be an external world; when the dualistic imagination ceases there grows [transcendental] knowledge (jnana), the realm of suchness, the realm of the wise, which is free from appearances and beyond thought.1
156. (Chap. II, v. 134; Chap. VI, v. 3.)
157. From the union of mother and father, the Alaya gets connected with Manas; like a rat in a pot of ghee, the red together with the white grows up.
158. Through the stages of Pesi, Ghana, and Arbuda, the boil grows—an unclean mass bearing a variety of karma; nourished by the wind of karma and the four elements, it comes to maturity like a fruit.
159. The five, the five, and the five; and the sores are nine; (286) nails, teeth, and hair are supplied; when ready to spring forth it is born.
160. When [the baby] is just born, it is like a worm growing in the dung; like a man waking from sleep, the eye begins to distinguish forms, and discrimination goes on increasing.
161. With knowledge gained by discrimination, human speech is produced from the combination of the palate, lips, and cavity; and discrimination goes on like a parrot.
162. Philosophical doctrines are definite, but the Mahayana [or Great Vehicle] is not definite, it is set in motion by the thoughts of beings; it is not an abode for those who see wrongly. The vehicle realised within my own inner self is not the realm that can be reached by dialecticians.2
163-164. After the passing of the Teacher, pray tell me who will be the bearer [of the Mahayana]? O Mahamati, thou shouldst know that there will be one who bears the Dharma, when sometime is past after the Sugata's entrance into Nirvana.
165. In Vedali, in the southern part, a Bhikshu most illustrious and distinguished [will be born]; his name is Nagahvaya, he is the destroyer of the one-sided views based on being and non-being.
1 The first line of verse 156 is a part of the preceding one. Cf. v. 148.
2 The verses are wrongly divided here, for this line properly belongs to 162 and not to 163.
166. He will declare my Vehicle, the unsurpassed Mahayana, to the world; attaining the stage of Joy he will go to the Land of Bliss.
(287) 167. (Chapter II, v. 175.)
168. In the realm of conditional origination, "there is" and "there is not" do not take place; those who imagine something real in the midst of conditional origination say, "there is" and "there is not," but these philosophical views are far away from my teaching.
169. The giving names to all things existent has always been going on for hundreds of generations past; this has been repeated, is being repeated constantly; an endless mutual discrimination is thus taking place.
170. If this designating does not take place, the whole world falls into confusion; thus names are established in order to get rid of confusion.
171. Things existent are discriminated by the ignorant in the threefold form of discrimination; there is delusion from discriminating names, from conditional origination, and from the [the notion of] being born.
172. [The philosophers argue that] the primary elements are unborn and like the sky are imperishable; but [in reality] there are no individual self-substances and the notion [itself] belongs to discrimination.
173. [Individual existences are] appearances, images, like Maya, like a mirage, a dream, a wheel made by a revolving fire-brand, the Gandharva's [castle], an echo—they are all born in the same manner.
(288) 174. Non-duality, suchness, emptiness, ultimate limit, essence (dharmata), non-discrimination, —all these I teach as belonging to the aspect of perfected knowledge (parinishpanna).
175. Language belongs to the realm of thought, the truth becomes [thus] wrongly [represented]; transcendental knowledge (prajna) being discriminated by thought falls into a duality; therefore, transcendental knowledge is something not imagined.
176-177. (Chap. III, vv. 9 and 10.)
178. The whole existence is not perceived by the ignorant as it is perceived by the wise; the whole existence as it is perceived by the wise, has no marks [of individuation].
179. As a spurious necklace, not of gold though looking like it, is imagined by the ignorant to be of [genuine] gold, so all things are imagined by those who reason wrongly.
180. (Chapter III, v. 11.)
181. Things have no beginning, no end; they are abiding in the aspect of reality; (289) there is no creator, nothing doing in the world, but the logicians do not understand.
182. Whatever things that are thought to have been in existence in the past, to come into existence in the future, or to be in existence at present, —all such are unborn.
183-184. (Chap. III, vv. 44 and 45.)
185. This [world] is just a sign1 indicative of reality (dharmata); apart from the sign, nothing is produced, nothing is destroyed.
186-187. (Chap. II, vv. 159 and 160.)
188-189. (Chap. III, vv. 1 and 2.)
(290) 190. Existence in its conditional relations cannot be [described] as unity or diversity; it is just in a general way of speaking that there is birth, cessation, and destruction.
191. Emptiness unborn is one thing, emptiness born is another; emptiness unborn is the better, [because] emptiness born leads to destruction.
192. Suchness, emptiness, the limit, Nirvana, and the Dharmadhatu, the various will-made bodies, —these I point out as synonymous.
193. Those who discriminate purity according to the Sutras, Vinayas, and Abhidharmas, follow books and not the inner meaning; they are not established in egolessness.
194-196. (Chap. III, vv. 12-14.)
(291) 197. The visible world is likened to the hare's horns as long as all beings go on discriminating; those who discriminate are deluded just like a deer running after a mirage.
1 Sanketa; see also verse 139.
198. By clinging to discrimination, [more] discrimination goes on; when the cause of discrimination is put away, one is disengaged therefrom.
199-200. (Chap. III, vv. 54 and 55.)
201. Transcendental knowledge is deep, exalted, far-reaching, and perceives all the Buddha-countries; this I teach for the sons of the Victorious One; for the Sravakas I teach transitoriness.
202. The triple existence is transitory, empty, devoid of the ego and what belongs to it; thus I teach the doctrine of generality to the Sravakas.
203. Not to be attached to anything existent, truly knowing what the truth of solitude is, is to walk all alone; the fruit of Pratyekabuddhahood which is above speculation is what I teach.
204. External objects are imagined, those endowed with corporeality are dependent on relative knowledge; being deluded they see not themselves, therefore a mind is evolved.
205(292)-206. (Chap. IV, vv. 6 and 7.)
207 and 208. (Chapter III, verses 56 and 57.)
209. (Chapter II, verse 153.)
210. (Chapter II, verse 150.)
211. There are four psychic powers: that which comes from the maturing [of the disciplinary exercises], that which comes from the sustaining power of the Buddhas, that which rises from entering into the various paths of living beings, and that which is obtained in a dream.
212. The psychic power which is obtained in a dream, that which comes from the power of the Buddhas, and that which has its birth by entering the various paths of beings —these powers are not1 born of the maturing [of the disciplinary exercises].
(293) 213. The mind being influenced by habit-energy, there rises a something resembling real existence (bhavabhasa); as the ignorant do not understand, it is said that there is the birth [of realities].
1 Read after the Chinese and Tibetan versions. Not vijnana-vipakajah, but 'bhijna na vipakajah.
214. As long as external objects (bahyam)1 are discriminated as possessing individual marks, the mind is confused (vimuhyate)2 being unable to see its own delusion.
215. Why is birth spoken of? Why is not the perceived world spoken of? When the perceived world, which has no existence, is yet perceived as existing, what is that which is spoken of? To whom is it? and why?
216. The Citta in its essence is thoroughly pure, the Manas is defiled, and the Manas is with the Vijnanas, habit-energy is always casting out [its seeds].
217. The Alaya is released from the body, the Manas solicits the [various] paths of existence; the Vijnana is deluded with something resembling an objective world, and perceiving it is befooled.3
218. What is seen is one's own mind, an objective world exists not; when one thus perceives [that existence is] an error,4 one even gets into suchness.
219. The [spiritual] realm attained by Dhyana-devotees, karma, and the exalted state of the Buddhas—these three are beyond thought, they belong to the Vijnana-5 realm that surpasses thought.
(294) 220. The past and the future, Nirvana, a personal ego, [space6], words, —of these I talk because of worldly convention, but ultimate reality is beyond the letter.
221. The two vehicles7 and the philosophers are one in their dependence on [wrong] views; they are confused in regard to Mind-only, and imagine an external existence.
222. The enlightenment attained by the Pratyekabuddhas, Buddhahood, Arhatship, and the seeing of the Buddhas—these are the secret seeds that grow in enlightenment; but it is accomplished in a dream.8
1 After the Chinese.
2 After Wei.
3 Pralubhyate, "greedily attached," according to Wei and T'ang.
4 Bhranti, "a delusion," "an external world."
5 Should be jnana, or does it refer to the Alaya?
6 According to the Chinese.
7 Naikayikas, literally, "they who belong to the Nikaya."
8 What this verse purports to mean is difficult to gather from the contents of the Lankavatara as we have it here. The existence of such verses as this, and there are quite a number of them in the Sagathakam, suggests in one way that this verge section has no organic relation with the main text.
223. Maya, Citta (mind), intelligence,1 tranquillity, the dualism of being and non-being—where are these teachings? for whom? whence? wherefore? and of what signification? Pray tell me.
224. I teach such things as Maya, being and non-being, etc., to those who are confused in the teaching of Mind-only; when birth and death are linked together [as one], qualified and qualifying are removed.
225. Another name for Manas is discrimination (vikalpa), and it goes along with the five Vijnanas; mind seeds (cittabija) take their rise in the way images [appear in a mirror] or [waves roll on] the ocean-waters.
226. When the Citta, Manas, Vijnana cease to rise, (295) then there is the attainment of the will-body and of the Buddha-stage.
227. Causation, the Dhatus, Skandhas, and the self-nature of all things, thought-construction, a personal soul, and mind—they are all like a dream, like a hair-net.
228. Seeing the world as like Maya and a dream, one abides with the truth; the truth, indeed, is free from individual marks, removed from speculative reasoning.
229. The inner realisation attained by the wise always abides in a state of no-memory2; it leads the world to the truth as it is not confused with speculative reasoning.
230. When all false speculation subsides, error no more rises; as long as there is discriminative knowledge,3 error keeps on rising.
231. The world is empty and has no self-nature; to talk of permanency and impermanency is the view maintained by followers of birth and not by those of no-birth.
232. [The philosophers] imagine the world to be of oneness and otherness, of bothness [and not-bothness], and [to have risen] from Isvara, or spontaneously, or from time, or from a supreme spirit, or other causal agency.
1 The Chinese read gati (path or course), and not mati.
2 Asmara, T'ang.
3 Jnana for prajna.
233. The Vijnana which is the seed of transmigration is not evolved when this visible world is [truly] recognised; like a picture on a wall, it disappears when [its nature] is recognised.
(296) 234. Like figures in Maya, people are born and die; in the same way the ignorant because of their stupidity [imagine] there really is bondage and release.
235. The duality of the world, inner and outer, and things subject to causation—by distinctly understanding what they are, one is established in imagelessness.
236. The mind (citta) is not separate from habit-energy, nor is it together with it; though enveloped with habit-energy the mind itself remains undifferentiated.
237. Habit-energy born of the Manovijnana is like dirt wherewith the Citta, which is a perfectly white garment, is enveloped and fails to display itself.
238. As space is neither existent nor non-existent, so is the Alaya in the body, I say; it is devoid of existence as well as of non-existence.
239. When the Manovijnana is "turned over" (vyarritta), the Citta frees itself from turbidity; by understanding [the nature of] all things, the mind (citta) becomes Buddha, I say.
240. Removed from the triple continuity, devoid of being and non-being, released from the four propositions, all things (bhava) are always like Maya.
241. The [first] seven stages are mind-born and belong to the two Svabhavas; the remaining [two] stages and the Buddha-stage are the Nishpanna ("perfected knowledge").
(297) 242. The world of form, of no-form, and the world of desire, and Nirvana are in this body; all is told to belong to the realm of Mind.
243. As long as there is something attained, there is so much error rising; when the Mind itself is thoroughly understood, error neither rises nor ceases.
244. (Chapter II, verse 171.)
245. (Chapter II, verse 131.)
246. Two things are established by me; individual objects and realisation; there are four principles which constitute the dogmas of logic.
247. The error [or the world] is discriminated when it is seen as characterised with varieties of forms and figures; when names and forms are removed self-nature becomes pure which is the realm of the wise.
248. As long as discrimination is carried on, the Parikalpita (false imagination) continues to take place; but as what is imagined by discrimination has no reality, self-nature is [truly understood in] the realm of the wise.
249. The mind emancipated is truth constant and everlasting; the essence making up the self-nature of things (298) and suchness is devoid of discrimination.
250. There is reality (vastu); it is not to be qualified as pure, nor is it to be said defiled; since a mind purified leaves traces of defilement, but reality is the truth that is [absolutely] pure, belonging to the realm of the wise.
251. The world is born of causation; when it is regarded as removed from discrimination and as resembling Maya, a dream, etc., one is emancipated.
252. Varieties of habit-energy growing out of error are united with the mind; they are perceived by the ignorant as objects externally existing; and the essence of mind (cittasya dharmata) is not perceived.
253. The essence of mind is pure but not the mind that is born of error; error rises from error, therefore Mind is not perceived.
254. Delusion itself is no more than truth, truth is neither in Samskara nor anywhere else, but it is where Samskara is observed [in its proper bearings].
255. When the Samskrita is seen as devoid of qualified and qualifying, all predicates are discarded and thus the world is seen as of Mind itself.
256. When the [Yogin] enters upon Mind-only7, he will cease discriminating an external world; establishing himself where suchness has its asylum he will pass on to Mind-only.1
1 Cittamatram here and in the following verse is rendered in T'ang as 心量 (hsin-liang) and not the usual 唯心 (wei-hsin). Hsin-liang means "mind-measurement," the term used in Sung throughout for cittamatram, for in the days of Sung wei-shin had not been thought of. But why does T'ang use hsin-liang for wei-shin in this particular case while wei-shin is used in the preceding line? Does cittamatram mean here simply "mental or intellectual measurement" and is not used in the technical sense in which the term is found elsewhere in this sutra?
257. By passing on to Mind-only, he passes on to the state of imagelessness; (299) when he establishes himself in the state of imagelessness, he sees not [even] the Mahayana.1
258. The state of non-striving (anabhoga) is quiescent and thoroughly purified with the [original] vows; the most excellent knowledge of egolessness sees no [duality in the world] because of imagelessness.
259. Let him review the realm of mind, let him review the realm of knowledge, let him review the realm, with transcendental knowledge (prajna), and he will not be confounded with individual signs.
260. Pain belongs to mind, accumulation is the realm of knowledge (jnana); the [remaining] two truths2 and the Buddha-stage are where transcendental knowledge functions.
261. The attainment of the fruits, Nirvana, and the eightfold path—when all these truths are thus understood, there is Buddha-knowledge thoroughly purified.
262. The eye, form, light, space, and attention (manas) —out of this [combination] there is the birth of consciousness (vijnana) in people; consciousness is indeed born of the Alaya.
263. There is nothing grasped, nor grasping, nor one who grasps; there are no names, no objects; those who carry on their groundless discriminative way of thinking lack intelligence.
264. Name is not born of meaning, nor is meaning born of name; (300) whether things are born of cause or of no-cause, such is discrimination; have no discrimination!
265. (Chapter II, verse 145.)
1 "Not" (na) is replaced by "he" (sa) in one MS. May this be a better reading?
2 Referring to the Four Noble Truths.
266. Imagining himself to be standing on a truth, he discourses on thought-construction; oneness is not attained in five ways, and thus the truth is abandoned.1
267. Delusion (prapanca) is the evil one who is to be broken down; being and non-being is to be transcended; as one sees into [the truth of] egolessness, he has no longing for, no evil thought of, the world.
268. [The philosophers imagine] a permanently existing creator engaged in mere verbalism; highest truth is beyond words, the Dharma is seen when cessation takes place.
269. Leaning on the Alaya for support the Manas is evolved; depending on the Citta and Manas the Vijnana-system is evolved.
270. What is established by a proposition (samaropa) is a proposition; suchness is the essence of mind; when this is clearly perceived, the Yogin attains the knowledge of Mind-only.
271. Let one not think of the Manas, individual signs, and reality from the point of view of permanency and impermanency; nor let him think in his meditation of birth and no-birth.
272. They do not discriminate duality; the Vijnana rises from Alaya; (301) the oneness of meaning thus taking place is not to be known by a dually operating mind.
273. There is neither a speaker nor speaking nor emptiness, since the Mind is seen; but when the Mind is not seen there rises a net of philosophical doctrines.
274. There is no rising of the causation[-chain], nor are there any sense-organs; no Dhatus, no Skandhas, no greed, no Samskrita.
275. There is no primarily working fire;2 no working done, no effects produced, no final limit, no power, no deliverance, no bondage.
1 The reference is not clear.
2 T'ang has, "karma and its effects"; while Wei has, "karma in work."
276. There is no state of being to be called neutral [or inexplicable] (avyakrita); there is no duality of dharma and adharma; there is no time, no Nirvana, no dharma-essence.
277. And there are no Buddhas, no truths, no fruition, no causal agents, no perversion, no Nirvana, no passing away, no birth.
278. And then there are no twelve elements (anga), and no duality either, of limit and no-limit; because of the cessation of all the notions [that are cherished by the philosophers] I declare [there is] Mind-only.
279. The passions, path of karma, the body, creators, fruitions—they are like a fata morgana and a dream; they are like a city of the Gandharvas.
280. By maintaining the Mind-only, the idea of reality is removed; by establishing the Mind-only permanency and annihilation are seen [in their proper relationship].
281. There are no Skandhas in Nirvana, nor is there an ego-soul, nor any individual signs; (302) by entering into the Mind-only, one escapes from becoming attached to emancipation.
282. It is error (dosha) that causes the world to be externally perceived as it is manifested to people; Mind is not born of the visible world; therefore, Mind is not visible.
283. It is the habit-energy of people that brings out into view something resembling body, property, and abode; Mind is neither a being nor a non-being, it does not reveal itself because of habit-energy.
284. Dirt is revealed within purity but purity itself is not soiled; as when the sky is veiled with clouds, Mind is invisible [when defiled with error].
(303) 290. Mind is not born of the elements (bhuta), Mind is nowhere to be seen; it is the habit-energy of people that brings out into view body, property, and abode.1
1 This is a repetition of the latter half of verse 282 and the first half of 283. This is omitted in both T'ang and Wei, showing that the insertion is probably due to a clerical mistake.
291. All that is element-made is not form and form is not element-made; the city of the Gandharvas, a dream, Maya, an image, —these are not element-made.
292.1
293.2
294. (Chapter III, verse 43.)
295. As reality and non-reality can be predicated of existence that originates from causation, the view of oneness and otherness definitely belongs to them.
296-302. (Chapter II, verses 184-190.)
(304) 303. There are three kinds of my Sravakas: the transformed, the born of the vows, and the Sravakas disengaged from greed and anger, and born of the Dharma.
304. There are three kinds, also, of the Bodhisattvas: those who have not yet reached Buddhahood, those who manifest themselves according to the thoughts of sentient beings, and those who are seen in the likeness of the Buddha.3
305-310. (Chapter II, verses 191-196.)
(305) 311. It is a man's mind that is perceived as something resembling (samnibham) the form of a star, a cloud, a moon, a sun; and what is thus perceived by them is born of habit-energy.
312. The elements are devoid of selfhood, there is neither qualified nor qualifying in them; if all element-made objects were the elements, form (rupa) would be element-made.
1 The first half of this corresponds to the first half of Chapter III, verse 42; while the second half of 292 and the first half of 293 are practically a repetition of 290, and also of the second half of 282 and the first half of 283. Nanjo's verse divisions are to be revised I think in some places, but fearing to cause greater confusion in the numbering of the whole "Sagathakam" I have followed Nanjo.
2 The first half of 292 and the second half of 293 correspond to Chapter III, verse 42,
3 This is the T'ang reading. Another reading is: "There are three kinds of Bodhisattvas. As to the Buddhas, they have no [tangible] form, but something looking like a Buddha may be seen according to the thoughts of each sentient being."
313. The elements are uniform, there are no element-made objects in the elements; the elements are the cause; the earth, water, etc. are the result.
314. Substances and forms of thought-construction are like things born of Maya; (306) they appear like a dream and a city of the Gandharvas, they are a mirage and a fifth.1
315. There are five kinds of the Icchantika, so with the families which are five; there are five vehicles and no-vehicle, and six kinds of Nirvana.
316. The Skandhas are divided into twenty-five, and there are eight kinds of form, twenty-four Buddhas, and there are two kinds of Buddha-sons.
317. There are one hundred and eight doctrines, and three kinds of Sravakas; there is one land of the Buddhas, and so with the Buddha, there is one.
318. Likewise with emancipation; there are three forms, four kinds of mind-streams, six kinds of my egolessness, and also four kinds of knowledge.
319. Disjoined from causal agencies, removed from faulty theories, is the knowledge of self-realisation, which is the Mahayana, immovable and highest.
320. Of birth and no-birth there are eight and nine kinds; whether the attainment is instantaneous or successive, it is one realisation.
321. There are eight worlds of formlessness; Dhyana is divided into six; and with the Pratyekabuddhas and Buddha-sons, there are seven forms of emancipation.
322. There are no such things as the past, present, and future; there is neither permanency nor impermanency; doing, work, and fruition—all is no more than a dream-event.
323. From beginning to end the Buddhas, Sravakas, and Buddha-sons have never been born; (307) the mind is removed from what is visible, being always a Maya-like existence.
1 The text gives no clue to this. Is prajnaptirupam (form of thought-construction) the same as vijnaptirupam of the Abhiaharmakosa?
324. Thus the abode in the Tushita heaven, the conception, the birth, the leaving, the worldly life, the revolving of the wheel, the wandering about in all the countries. [A Buddha] is seen [doing all these things], but he is not one born of the womb.
325. Thus, for the sake of sentient beings who are wandering and moving about from one place to another, emancipation is taught, the truth, the knowledge of the [Buddha-]land, and the rising of things by causation.
326. Worlds, forests, islands, egolessness, philosophers, wanderings, Dhyanas, the vehicles, the Alaya, the attainments, the inconceivable realm of fruition,
327. Families of the moon and stars, families of kings, abodes of the gods, families of the Yakshas and Gandharvas, —they are all born of karma and are born of desire.
328. Inconceivable transformation-death is [still] in union with habit-energy; when interrupted, death is put a stop to, the net of passions is destroyed.
329. [The Bodhisattva] is not to keep1 money, grain, gold, land, goods, kine and sheep, slaves, nor horses, elephants, etc.
330. He is not to sleep on a perforated couch, nor is he to smear the ground with mud;2 he is not to have a bowl made of gold, silver, brass, or copper.
331. Let the Yogin have white cloth dyed in dark blue or brownish-red with cow-dung, or mud, or fruits, or leaves.
(308) 332. The Yogin is permitted to carry a bowl of full Magadha measure made of either stone, or clay, or iron, or shell, or quartz.
333. The Yogin whose final aim is to discipline himself may carry a curved knife four fingers long for cutting cloth; he who is intent on disciplining himself may not learn the science of mechanics.
334. The Yogin who disciplines himself in the exercises is not to be engaged in buying and selling: [if necessary] let the attendant see to it—these are the regulations I teach.
1 According to the Chinese
2 The source is unknown to the translator.
335. Thus, guarding his senses, let him have an exact understanding in the meaning of the Sutras and the Vinaya, and let him not associate with men of the world, such I call the Yogin.
336. Let the Yogin prepare his abode in an empty house, or a cemetery, or under a tree, or in a cavern, or among the straw, or in an open place.
337. Let [the Yogin] dress himself in three garments, whether in the cemetery or any other place; if anyone should voluntarily give him a garment—let him accept it.
338. When he goes about begging food, let him look ahead not more than the length of a yoke; let him conduct himself in the way bees treat flowers.
339. When the Yogin finds himself in a large company, in the confusion of a company, or with Bhikshunis [women-mendicants], this is not a desirable relationship for Yogins; for it means to share a livelihood with them.
340. The Yogin, whose aim is to discipline himself in the exercise, (309) is not to approach for his food kings, princes, ministers of state, or persons of rank.
341. In houses where a death or a birth has taken place, or in the houses of friends and relatives, or where Bhikshus and Bhikshunis are mixed together, it is not proper for the Yogins to take their food.
342. In the monasteries food is always regularly cooked, and when it is purposely prepared [somewhere else], it is not proper for the Yogins to take their food.
343. The Yogin should regard the world as removed from birth and death, as exempt from the alternation of being and non-being, though it is seen in the aspect of qualified and qualifying.
344. When birth [and death] is not discriminated, the Yogin before long will attain the Samadhi, the powers, the psychic faculties, and the self-mastery.
345. The Yogin should not cherish the thought that the world exists from such causal agents as atoms, time, or supreme soul; nor that it is born of causes and conditions.
346. From self-discrimination the world is imagined, which is born of varieties of habit-energy; let the Yogin perceive existence as always like unto Maya and a dream.
347. The [true] insight is always removed from assertions as well as from negations; let not [the Yogin] discriminate the triple world which appears as body, property, and abode.
348. Not thinking how to obtain food and drink, but holding his body upright, let him pay homage over and over again to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
349. Gathering truth from the Vinaya, from the teachings in the Sutras, let the Yogin have a clear insight into the five Dharmas, Mind itself, and egolessness.
(310) 350. The Yogin should have a distinct understanding of the undefiled truth of self-realisation and as to what the stages [of Bodhisattvahood] and the Buddha-stage are and be anointed on the great lotus [seat].
351. Wandering through all the paths, he becomes averse to existence, and directing his steps toward some quiet cemetery he will begin various practices.
352-354. (Chapter II, verses 162-164.)
355. [According to the philosophers] there is a reality born of no-cause, neither permanent nor subject to annihilation, and removed from the alternatives of being and non-being, and this is imagined by them to be the Middle Path.
356. They imagine the theory of no-cause but their no-cause is nihilistic; as they fail to understand [the real nature of] external objects they destroy the Middle Path.
357. The attachment to existence is not abandoned for the fear of being nihilistic, and they try to teach the Middle Path by means of assertion and negation.
(311) 358. When Mind-only is understood, external objects are abandoned and discrimination no more takes place; here the Middle Path is reached.
359. There is Mind-only, there is no visible world; as there is no visible world, [Mind] is not risen;1 this is taught by myself and other [Tathagatas] to be the Middle Path.
1 After T'ang. Wei has: "Apart from Mind there is no rising." No rising of a visible world?
360. Birth and no-birth, being and non-being, —these are all empty; there is no self-nature in all things; the duality is not to be cherished.
361. Where there is no possibility of discrimination taking its rise, the ignorant imagine there is emancipation; but as there is no understanding [in them] as to the rise of a mind, how can they destroy their attachment to duality!1
362. As it is understood that there is nothing but what is seen of the Mind, the attachment to duality is destroyed; knowledge, indeed, is the abandonment, not the destruction of the discriminated.
363. As it becomes thoroughly known that there is nothing but what is seen of the Mind, discrimination ceases; as discrimination ceases, suchness is removed from intellection (citta).2
364. If a man, seeing the rise [of all things], yet perceives that Nirvana is devoid of the faults of the philosophers, this is the Nirvana as held by the wise, because of its not being annihilation.
365. To realise this is said by myself and [other] Buddhas to be [the attainment of] Buddhahood; if there is any other discrimination one is committed to the philosophers' views.
366. Nothing is born, and yet things are being born; nothing dies and yet things are passing away; (312) all over millions of worlds what is seen simultaneously is like a lunar reflection in water.
367. Unity being transformed into plurality, rain falls and fire burns; as a mind is changed into [many] thoughts, they declare that there is Mind-only.
368. Mind is of Mind-only, no-mind is also born of Mind; when understood varieties of forms and appearances are of Mind-only.
369. By assuming Buddha[-forms], Sravaka-forms, Pratyekabuddha-appearances, and varieties of other forms, they declare Mind-only.
1 The text as it stands is difficult to understand. I follow T'ang.2 Cf. Chapter III, verses 25, and the "Sagathakam," verse 651.
370. For the sake of beings [the Buddhas] show forms by means of no-form, from the world of no-form and of form down to the hells where hell-dwellers are; and all this originates from Mind-only.
371. When a [spiritual] revulsion [takes place in them], they will attain the Samadhi called Maya-like, the will-body, the ten stages, the self-mastery.
372. On account of self-discrimination which causes errors and sets false reasonings in motion, the ignorant are bound up with ideas in what they see, hear, think, or understand.
373. (Chapter II, verse 197.)
374. (Chapter II, verse 198.)
(313) 375-378. (Chapter II, verses 199-202.)
379. The Buddhas in [every] land are those of transformation, where [the doctrine of] the one vehicle and the triple vehicle is taught; I never enter into Nirvana, for all things are empty being devoid of birth [and death].
380. There are thirty-six different Buddhas, and in each ten different ones; in accordance with the thought of all beings they share their lands.
381. When existence is discriminated there are varieties of appearances; in like manner the Dharma-Buddha's world may appear in its multiplicity, which in reality exists not.
382. The Dharma-Buddha is the true Buddha and the rest are his transformations; according to a continuous flow of their own seeds, sentient beings see their Buddha-forms.1
383. When [the mind is] bound up with error and appearance, discrimination is set in motion; (314) suchness is no other than discrimination and discrimination is no other than appearance.
384. The Self-nature Buddha, the Enjoyment Buddha, the Transformation Buddha, the five Transformation Buddhas, and a group of thirty-six Buddhas—they are all of the Self-nature Buddha.2
1 After T'ang and Wei.
2 The five transformation bodies (pancanirmita) may mean those transformation Buddhas who manifest themselves in the five (sometimes six) paths of existence in order to save the sentient beings that are suffering there in the endless wheel of transformation. According to the Shingon doctrine of the fourfold Dharmakaya, this last transformation or manifestation is distinguished from the generally accepted transformation-Buddha and is given a special position by itself. The fourth one thus in the Shingon is known as the Nishyandakaya, distinguishing it from the third which is Nirmana- or Nirmita-kaya. This verse is quoted by Amoghavajra (704-774), one of the Indian Shingon Fathers, who settled in China, in one of his works called 略述金剛頂瑜伽分別聖位修證法門經 (the Taisho Tripitaka, No. 870; Nanjo Catalogue, No. 1433). I owe this information to Professor Shoun Toganowo, of Koya Buddhist College.
385-(315-316)-406. (Chapter II, verses 101-123, with verse-divisions occasionally varying.)
407. Owing to seeds of habit-energy [that grow from the recognition] of an outer world, discrimination takes place; and thereby the relativity aspect1 is grasped, and that which is grasped is variously imagined.2
(317) 408. When one depending upon the mind recognises an external world, error is produced; error takes place from these two [causes], and there is no third cause.
409. Depending on that and from that cause error is produced; the six (indryas), the twelve (ayatanas), the eighteen (dhatus), are thus said by me to be of the Mind.
410. [When it is understood that things are because of] the combination of self-seeds and an external world (grahya), the ego-attachment is abandoned.
411. Because of the Alayavijnana the Vijnana[-system] is evolved; because of inner support there is something externally appearing.
412. The unintelligent imagine the Samskrita and Asamskrita to be permanent, while they are not, as they are like the stars, a hair-net, an echo, or things seen in a dream.
413. [As they are] like the city of the Gandharvas, a mirage, or Maya; they are not, yet they are perceived [as if they were real]; so is the relativity aspect of existence (paratantra).
414. By means of a triple mentality I teach the self, senses, and their behaviour; but the Citta, Manas, and Vijnana are devoid of self-nature.
1 Tantram = paratantram.
2 Kalpitam = parikalpitam.
415. The Citta, Manas, and Vijnana, the twofold egolessness, the five Dharmas, the [three] Svabhavas, — these belong to the realm of the Buddhas.
416. Habit-energy as cause is one, but as far as form (lakshana) goes it is triple; (318) this is the way in which a picture of one colour appears variously on the wall.
417. The twofold egolessness, the Citta, Manas, and Vijnana, the five Dharmas, the [three] Svabhavas—they do not belong to my essence.1
418. When the Citta-form is put aside, the Manas and Vijnana removed, and the [five] Dharmas, and the [three] Svabhavas abandoned, then one attains the essence of Tathagatahood.
419. The pure [essence of Tathagatahood] is not obtained by body, speech, and thought; the essence of Tathagatahood (gotram tathagatam) being pure is devoid of doings.
420. To be pure by means of the psychic faculties, and the self-mastery, to be embellished with the Samadhis and the powers, to be provided with varieties of the will-body—these belong to the pure essence of Tathagatahood.
421. To be undefiled in inner realisation, to be released from cause and form (hetulakshana), to attain the eighth stage and the Buddha-stage—this is the essence of Tathagatahood.
422. The Far-Going, the Good-Wisdom, the Law-Cloud, and the Tathagata-stage—they belong to the essence of Buddhahood, while the rest are taken up by the two vehicles.
423. Since sentient beings are differentiated as to their mentality and individuality, the Buddhas who have achieved self-mastery over their minds teach the ignorant the seven stages.
424. At the seventh stage no faults arise as to body, speech, and thought; at the eighth, the final abode [of consciousness], it seems to him like having crossed a great river in a dream.
1 Gotra, lit."family."
(319) 425. At the fifth and the eighth stage the Bodhisattvas acquire proficiency in mechanical arts and philosophy and attain kingship in the triple world.
426. Birth and no-birth, emptiness and no-emptiness, self-nature and no-self-nature, —these are not discriminated [by the knowing one]; in Mind-only [no such things] obtain.
427. To discriminate, saying "This is true, this is true, this is false," is teaching meant for the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, and not for the sons of the Buddha.
428. There is neither being-and-non-being, nor the aspect of momentariness, there are neither thought-constructions (prajnapti) nor substances (dravya); nothing obtains in Mind-only.
429. According to conventional truth (samvriti), things are, but not in the highest truth; to be confused in things not having self-nature—this belongs to conventional truth.
430. I establish thought-constructions where all things are non-existent; whatever expressions and experiences that belong to the ignorant are not of the truth as it is (tattva).
431. Things born of words seem to belong to an objective realm; but when it is perceived that they are born of words, they become non-existent.
432. As no pictures are separable from the wall, no shadow from the post, so are no [Vijnana-]waves stirred when the Alaya[-ocean] is pure [and quiet].
433. (Chapter VI, verse 4.)
(320) 434. It is taught that from the Dharma[-Buddha] comes the Nishyanda, and from the Nishyanda the Nirmita;1 these are the original Buddhas, the rest are transformed bodies.
435-436. (Chapter II, verses 125-126.)
437. (Chapter II, verses 123 and 129.)
438-439. (Chapter II, verses 127-128.)
440. Do not discriminate, saying "Here is emptiness," or saying again, "Here is no emptiness"; both being and non-being are merely imagined, for there is no reality corresponding to the imagined.
1 After T'ang.
441. The ignorant imagine that things originate from the accumulation of qualities, or atoms, or substances; but there is not a single atom in existence, and, therefore, there is no external world.
442. Forms seen as external are due to the imagination of people, they are nothing but the Mind itself; (321) there is nothing to be seen externally, and, therefore, there is no external world.
443-444. (Chapter III, verses 157-158.)
445-447. (Chapter II, verses 205-207.)
448. (Chapter II, verse 209.)
449. (Chapter II, verse 208.)
450. (Chapter II, verse 210.)
(322) 451. As the elephant who is immersed in deep mud is unable to move about, so the Sravakas, who are deeply intoxicated with the liquor of Samadhi, stand still.
452. (Chapter II, verse 135.)
453. Space, the hare's horns, and a barren woman's child are unrealities, and yet they are spoken of [as if real]; so are all things imagined.
454. The world originates from habit-energy, there is nothing whatever to be designated as being and non-being, nor is there its negation; those who see into this are emancipated, as they understand the egolessness of things.
455. [Of the three Svabhavas] one is Parikalpita, mutuality is Paritantra, and suchness is Parinishpanna; this is always taught by me in the sutra.
456. (Chapter II, verse 172.) 457-458. (Chapter II, verses 203-204.)
459. The Citta, discrimination, thought-construction, Manas, Vijnana, (323) the Alaya, all that which sets the triple world in motion, are synonyms of Mind.
460. Life, warmth, the Vijnana, the Alaya, the vital principle, Manas, Manovijnana, —these are the names for discrimination.
461. The body is maintained by the Citta, the Manas always cognitates, the [Mano-]vijnana together with the Vijnanas cuts the world in pieces as objects of Citta.
462-464. (Chapter II, verses 3-5.)
465-469 (324). (Chapter II, verses 15-19.)
470-471. (Chapter III, verses 7-8.)
472. [Some say that] an ego-soul really is, which is separate from the Skandha-appearance, or that the Skandhas really exist; [but] there is after all no ego-soul in them.
473. When one's doings, together with the passions primary and secondary, are brought to light, one perceives the world to be the Mind itself and is released from all sufferings.
474-487 (325-326). (Chapter II, verses 20-33.)
488. The extinction-knowledge attained by the Sravakas, the birth of the Buddhas, and [that] of the Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas—all takes place by getting rid of the passions.
489. No external forms are in existence, what is external is what is seen of the Mind itself; as the ignorant fail to understand as regards the Mind itself, they imagine the Samskrita [as real].
490. The insight that pluralities are of the Mind itself is withheld from the bewildered who, not knowing what the nature of the external world is, are under bondage to [the idea] of causation, and the fourfold proposition.
491. There are no reasons, no statements, no illustrations, no syllogistic members to the intelligent who know that the external world is the reflection of their own Mind.
492. Do not discriminate by discrimination, to discriminate is characteristic of the Parikalpita (imagination); depending on the imagination, discrimination is evolved.
493. One's habit-energy is the origin [of all things] which are mutually and uninterruptedly knitted together; (327) as dualism is [primarily] external to people's minds, there is no rising of it.
494. Because of mind and what belongs to it, there is discrimination, [the ignorant] are comfortably established in the triple world; that an external world of appearances is evolved is due to the discrimination of self-nature.
495. Because of the combination of appearances and seeds there are the twelve Ayatanas; because of the combination of subject and object,1 I talk of doings.
496. Like images in a mirror, like a hair-net, to the dim-eyed, the mind to the ignorant is seen enveloped in habit-energy.
497. Discrimination goes on in the world imagined by self-discrimination; but there is no external world as it is discriminated by the philosophers.
498. Like the ignorant who not recognising the rope take it for a snake, people imagine an external world, not knowing that it is of Mind itself.
499. Thus the rope in its own nature is neither the one nor the other; but owing to the fault of not recognising Mind itself, people go on with their discrimination over the rope.
500-501. (Chapter III, verses 82-83.)
(328) 502. While the imagined is being imagined, the imagination itself has no reality; seeing that discrimination has no reality, how does it [really] take place?
503. Form (rupam, or matter) has no reality of its own, as is the case with a jar, a garment, etc.; in the world, however, which has no real existence, discrimination is carried on.
504. If people discriminate erroneously regarding the Samskrita since the beginningless past, how is the self-nature of beings an error? Pray tell me, O Muni.
505. The nature of all beings is non-existent, and what is seen [as external] is nothing but the Mind; when the Mind itself is not perceived discrimination is evolved.
506. When it is said that there are no such things imagined as the ignorant imagine, it means that there is something which is not recognised by the intellect.
507. If it is said that something exists with the wise, this is not what is discriminated by the ignorant; if the wise and the ignorant walk the same way, that which [is real] with the wise must be a falsehood.
1 asraya and alambana, depended and depending.
508. To the wise there is nothing erroneous, therefore their mind is undefiled; the ignorant whose mind is uninterruptedly defiled goes on imagining the imagined.
509. It is like the mother who fetches for her child a fruit from the air, saying, "O son, don't cry, pick the fruit, there are so many of them."
510. In like manner I make all beings covet varieties of imagined fruit (329) whereby I [lead them to] the truth that goes beyond the antithesis of being and non-being.
511. The being [which is realised by the wise] having never been in existence is not united with causation; it is primarily unborn and yet born, while its essence is not obtainable.1
512. The unobtainable essence (alabdhatmaka) is indeed unborn, and yet it is nowhere separated from causation; nor are things as they are for this moment anywhere separated from causation.
513. When the visible world is thus approached, it is anywhere neither existent nor non-existent, nor is it not-existent-and-non-existent; putting itself under causation, reality is not the subject of discrimination to the wise.
514. The philosophers cherishing wrong ideas and the ignorant have theories of oneness and otherness; they understand not that the world, subject to causation, is like Maya and a dream.
515. The supreme Mahayana is beyond the realm of words, its meaning is well elucidated by me, but the ignorant do not comprehend.
516. [The doctrines] thus advanced by the Sravakas and philosophers are tainted with jealousy; they go astray from reality, because their doctrines are false theorisings.
517. Appearance, self-nature, form (samsthanam), and name, —depending on these four conditions all kinds of imagination are carried on.
1 The meaning of this and what follow is this: there is an absolute being which precludes all form of qualification, but without which this world of cause and effect is impossible; the absolute is thus in one sense unobtainable, and yet in another sense it is the reason of this existence subject to causation.
518. Those who believe in the oneness or the manyness [of cause], those who imagine Brahma god or the authority of Isvara, (330) those who take the sun and the moon for an element—they are not my sons.1
519. Those who are equipped with a noble insight and are thoroughly conversant with the suchness of reality, know well how to turn over ideas and reach the other shore of the Vijnana.
520. This is the seal of emancipation belonging to those sons who [have embraced] my teaching; it is released from existence and non-existence, removed from coming and going.
521. If karma disappears by causing a transformation in the world of matter (rupa) and the Vijnanas, permanence and impermanence no more obtain, and transmigration ceases.
522. When this transformation takes place, the idea of matter is shaken off, space-relations are banished, but karma released from the fault of being and non-being abides with the Alaya.
523. While matter and Vijnanas pass into annihilation, karma abides with the being of the Alaya which is not destroyed, whereby there is the union of matter and Vijnanas.
524. If people's karma which is in combination with them is destroyed, karma-succession being thus destroyed, there will be no transmigration, no attainment of Nirvana.
525. If karma is destroyed together with matter and Vijnanas, and yet is subject to transmigration, matter will then subsist as it differs in no way from karma.
526. Mind (citta) and matter are neither different nor not-different from discrimination; there is no distinction of all things as they are removed from being and non-being.
(331) 527. The Parikalpita and the Paratantra are mutually dependent and are not to be differentiated; thus with matter and impermanency, they are mutually conditioning.
1 The whole verse is not at all clear.
528. Apart from oneness and otherness the [Pari-]kalpita is not knowable; so with, matter and impermanency; how can one speak of their being and non-being?
529. When the Parikalpita is thoroughly understood [as to its nature], the Paratantra is not born; when the Paratantra is understood, the Parikalpita becomes suchness.
530. When the Parikalpita is destroyed my Dharma-eye (netri)1 is destroyed; and there takes place within my teaching [the controversy of] assertion and negation.
531. In this way, then, and at that time, there will rise disparagers of the Dharma, none of whom are worth talking with as they are destroyers of my Dharma-eye.
532. As they are not taken into the company of the intelligent, they abandon the life of the Bhikshu; and as they destroy the Parikalpita, they are engaged in controversies asserting and negating.
533. As their insight is bound up with being and non-being, what appears to their imagination resembles a hairnet, Maya, a dream, the Gandharva's city, a mirage, etc.
534. He who studies under the Buddhas may not live together with those who cherish dualism and are destroyers of others.
535. But if there are Yogins who see a being separated from the imagination (332) and released from existence and non-existence, he [i. e. a Buddhist] may associate with them [i. e. such Yogins].
536. It is like a mine in the earth producing gold and precious stones; it harbours no cause of strife in it, and yet it furnishes people with various means of subsistence.
537. Likewise, though the essence (gotra)2 of all beings appears various, it has nothing to do with karma; as the visible world is non-existent, there is no karma, nor is the path born of karma.
538. As is understood by the wise, all things have no self-being, but according to the discriminations of the ignorant things appear to exist.
1 T'ang, 法眼; Wei, 法輪 or 我法.
2 性, read after Wei.
539. If things are not existent as discriminated by the ignorant, all things being non-existent, there are no defilements for any one.
540. Because of varieties of defilement cherished by beings there is transmigration, and the sense-organs are completed; being bound up by ignorance and desire there is the evolution of beings possessed of a body.
541. If beings are not existent as discriminated by the ignorant, there will be no evolving of the sense-organs in these beings, which is not the Yogin's [view].
542. If beings themselves are not and yet they become the cause of transmigration, then there will be an emancipation which is independent of people's strivings.
543. If beings are non-existent to you, how can there be any distinction between the wise and the ignorant? Nor will there be anything characterising the wise who are disciplining themselves for the triple emancipation.
(333) 544. The Skandhas, personal soul, doctrines, individuality and generality, no-signs, causation, and senses —of these I talk for the sake of the Sravakas.
545. No-cause, Mind-only, the powers (vibhuti), the stages [of Bodhisattvahood], the inner realisation, pure suchness—of these I talk for the sake of the Bodhisattvas.
546. In the time to come there will be disparagers of my teaching who, putting on the Kashaya robe, will talk about being-and-non-being and its works.
547. Things born of causation are non-existent—this is the realm of the wise; a thing imagined has no reality, yet things are imagined by the theorisers.
548. In the time to come there will be [a class of ignorant people headed by] Kanabhuj; they will talk about the non-existence of work, and will ruin the people with their evil theories.
549. The world is originated from atoms, atoms are causeless, and there are nine permanent substances—such evil theories they teach.
550. [They say that] substances are produced by substances, and so qualities by qualities; and they destroy the self-being of all things [saying that] it is another being.
551. If it is said that originally the world was not and then evolved, it must have had a beginning; but my statement is that there is no primary limit to transmigration.
(334) 552. If all the innumerable things in the triple world were not and then evolved, nobody would doubt if horns grow on a bitch, or a she-camel, or a donkey.
553. If the eye, form (rupa), and Vijnana were not and now they are, straw-mats, crowns, cloth, etc. would be produced from lumps of clay.
554. A straw-mat is not found in cloth, nor cloth in a straw matting; why is it that by some combination anything is not produced from any other thing?
555. That life and the body so called were not and then evolved; all such controversies as this have been declared by me [as untrue].
556. The statement has been made first [against the philosophers] and their views are warded off; their views being warded off, I will make my own statement.
557. While I [first] make a statement in behalf of the philosophical systems, let not my disciples be disturbed by [my] drawing on the dualism of being and non-being.
558. That the world is born of a supreme soul and that changes are due to the qualities, —this is what the school of Kapita teaches its disciples; but it is not the right way of thinking.
559. There is no reality, no non-reality, nor is there any [world of] causation conditioned by causation; as there is nothing to be characterised as causation, non-reality never has its rise.
560. My statement is free from the alternatives of being and non-being, is removed from cause and condition, has nothing to do with birth and destruction, and is removed from qualified [and qualifying].
561. When the world is regarded as like Maya and a dream, exempt from cause and condition, (335) and eternally causeless, there is no rising of imagination.
562. When existence is always regarded as resembling the Gandharva's [city], a mirage, a hair-net, and as free from the alternatives of being and non-being, removed from cause and condition, and causeless, then the mind flows clear of defilements.
563. [The philosophers may say that] if there is no external reality, Mind-only too will be non-existent; how can Mind exist without objective reality? The [doctrine of] Mind-only1 [therefore] is untenable.
564. [Further they may say that] on account of an objective world of realities, people's minds are aroused; how can there be a mind without a cause? [The doctrine of] Mind-only1 is [therefore] untenable.
565. But suchness and Mind-only1 are realities belonging to the teaching of the wise; neither those who deny nor those who affirm comprehend my teachings.
566. If a mind is said to evolve on account of perceived and perceiving, this is the mind that is of the world; then the Mind-only obtains not.
567. When it is said that there is something resembling body, property, and abode produced in a dream-like manner, a mind, indeed, is seen under the aspect of duality; but Mind itself is not dualistic.
568. As a sword cannot cut itself, or as a finger cannot touch its own tip, Mind cannot see itself.
569. In the state of imagelessness there is no reality, no Parikalpita, no Paratantra, no five Dharmas, no twofold mind.2
(336) 570. The dualism of giving-birth and being-born belongs to the nature of things; when I speak of the giving-birth of things that have no self-nature, it is on account of a hidden meaning.
571. If multiplicities of forms are born of imagination, there will be something of objectivity in [the notion of] space, in [that of] a hare's horns.
1 For these cittamatra, T'ang has 唯 識 instead of 唯心. Ordinarily 唯識 is for vijnanamatra or vijnaptimatra, and not for cittamatra. In this respect Wei is consistent, for it has 唯心 throughout.
2 After T'ang.
572. When an objective reality is of mind, this reality does not belong to imagination; but reality born of imagination is something other than mind and is unobtainable.
573. In a transmigration that has no beginning, an objective world nowhere obtains; when there is no nourishing mind, where can an objective semblance take its rise?
574. If there is any growth from nothingness, horns will grow on a hare; let no discrimination take place, thinking that something grows out of nothing.
575. As there is nothing existing now, so there was nothing existing previously; where there is no objective world, how can a mind which is bound up with an objective world take its rise?
576. Suchness, emptiness, [reality-]limit, Nirvana, the Dharmadhatu, no-birth of all things, self-being—these characterise the highest truth.
577. The ignorant, who cherish [the notion of] being and non-being, by imagining causes and conditions, are unable to understand that all things are causeless and unborn.
578. The Mind is manifested; there is no objective world of pluralities whose cause is in the beginningless past; (337) if there is no objective world since the beginningless past, how does individualisation1 ever come to exist?
579. If anything grows from nothingness, the poor will become rich; when there is no objective world, how can a mind be born? Pray tell me, O Muni.
580. As all this is causeless, there is neither mind nor objective world; as the mind is not born, the triple world is devoid of doings.
581-613 (338-341). (Chapter III, verses 86-117.)
614. The statement that a hare has no horns is made out of the reasonings concerning a jar, a garment, a crown, and a horn; where there is no complete cause, there is no [real] existence; thus you should know.
1 According to T'ang, visesha here is evidently citta.
615. There is non-existence when proof of existence [is produced]; non-existence does not prove non-existence; existence, indeed, looks for non-existence, they look for each other and are mutually conditioned.
616. If it is thought, again, that something appears depending on something else, the something thus depended upon must be causeless, but there is nothing that is causeless.
617. If [it is said that] there is another reality which is depended on, then this must have still another [reality to depend on]; this is committing the fault of non-finality; may it not end in reaching nowhere?
618. Depending on leaves, pieces of wood, etc., the magical charm is effected; in like manner, pluralities of objects depending on some [other] objects are manifested to the people.
619. The magical net is neither the leaves nor the pieces of wood, nor the pebbles; (342) it is owing to the magician that the magic scene is perceived by the people.
620. Thus when something [of magic] depending on some objects is destroyed, dualism ceases at the moment of seeing; how will there be anything of discrimination?
621. The discriminated by discrimination exist not, and discrimination itself does not obtain; discrimination being thus unobtainable, there is neither transmigration nor Nirvana.
622. Discrimination now being unobtainable, it is not aroused; discrimination not being aroused, how can a mind rise? Mind-only then is not tenable.
623. When thought is divided into many, the teaching lacks in validity; and owing to the absence of validity, there is no emancipation, nor is there multitudinousness of objects.
624. There is no such objective world as is discriminated by the ignorant; when the Mind goes astray on account of habit-energy, it manifests itself like images.
625. All things are unborn and have nothing to do with being and non-being: all is nothing but Mind and is delivered from discrimination.
626. For the ignorant things are said to be causal, but not for the wise; when the self-nature of Mind is liberated, it becomes pure where the wise have their abode.
627. Thus, the Samkhya, the Vaiseshika, the naked philosophers, the Brahmin theologians, followers of Siva, (343) cherishing views based on being and non-being, are destitute of the truth of solitude.
628. Having no self-nature, being unborn, being empty, being like Maya, being free from defilements—to whom is this taught by the Buddhas as well as by yourself?
629. For the sake of the Yogins who are pure in mind, spiritual discipline (yoga) is taught by the Buddhas who are free from theories and speculations, and such is also proclaimed by me.
630. If all this is the Mind, where does the world stand? Why are men seen coming and going on earth?
631. As a bird moves in the air according to its fancy without abiding anywhere, without depending on anything, as if moving on earth;
632. So people with all their discrimination move along, walk about in the Mind itself like a bird moving in the air.1
633. Tell me how something looking like body, property, and abode rises from the Mind. How does appearance take its rise? Why is Mind-only? Pray tell me.
634. Body, property, and abode are appearances and their rise is due to habit-energy; appearances are born of irrationality (ayukta), their rise is due to discrimination.
635. Objectivity discriminated makes the world, a mind takes its rise from [recognising] objectivity; when it is clearly perceived that what is seen is the Mind itself, discrimination ceases.
(344) 636. When discrimination is seen [as to its true nature, it is noticed that] name and sense are to be disjoined (visamyukta),2 then both knowledge and knower will be discarded, and one is released of the Samskrita.
1 This means that in spite of our discriminations and imaginings we cannot get away from the control of Mind-only, which is, religiously expressed, Amitabha Buddha pursues sentient beings, as is taught in Shin Buddhism, in spite of their struggle to run away from his all-embracing love. Thus interpreted, this verse gives us a new outlook in the philosophy of the Lankavatara.
2 This is the reading of T'ang.
637. To abandon both name and sense, this is the way of all the Buddhas;1 those who wish to get enlightened in any other way will not attain enlightenment for themselves, nor for others.
638. (Chapter VI, verse 5.)
639. When the world is seen detached from knowledge and knowability, there is no meaning to it, and discrimination ceases to go forth.
640. By seeing into [the nature of] Mind there is the cessation of discrimination as regards works and words; by not seeing into [the true nature of] Self-mind, discrimination evolves.
641. Four of the Skandhas are formless (arupina), they cannot be numbered; the elements differ from one another, how can they produce such pluralities of forms (rupa)?
642. When [the notion of] individuality is abandoned, we have no elements, primary and secondary; if [we say that] form is produced by other qualities, why not by the Skandhas?2
643. When one is emancipated from the Ayatanas and Skandhas, seeing them as free of individual signs, then the mind is liberated because of seeing the egolessness of things.
(345) 644. From the differentiation of an objective world and the senses, the Vijnana is set in motion in eight ways; thus the aspects [of self-nature]3 are three, but when imagelessness obtains they all cease.
645. When dualism is cherished, the Alaya sets up in the Manas the consciousness of an ego and its belongings, and the Vijnanas; when this is penetratingly perceived, they all subside.
646. When the immovable is seen, oneness and otherness being discarded, then there will be no more discriminating of the two, ego and its belongings.
1 Read after T'ang. The Sanskrit text is too obscure for intelligent reading.
2 Not clear.
3 That is, Svabhavalakshana.
647. Nothing evolving, there is no growth, nor is there any cause to set the Vijnanas in action; work and cause being removed, there is cessation and nothing is aroused.
648. Pray tell me the why of discrimination, of Mind-only, and of the world. Why is the world said to be disjoined from causes, discarding qualified and qualifying?
649. The Mind is seen as manifold when visible forms are discriminated; as it is not clearly perceived that what is seen is of the Mind, there is something other than the Mind, because [the dualism of] a mind and an external world is clung to.
650. When [the world] is not understood with intelligence there is nihilism; [but] the Mind being asserted, how is it that this does not give rise to realism (astitva-drishti)?
651. Discrimination is neither existent nor nonexistent, therefore, realism does not arise; as it is clearly understood that what is seen is of Mind-only, no discrimination is set to work.
652. Discrimination not rising, there is a turning-back (paravritti), and there is no dependence on anything; (346) when things are regarded as subject to causation, the fourfold proposition obstructs [the way of truth].
653. Different expressions are distinguished but none is verifiable; in all these there is a necessary implication which rises from the notion of a primary causal agency.1
654. By maintaining the combination of causes and conditions, a primary causal agency is warded off; when a chain of causes is held to be impermanent, the fault of permanency is avoided.
655. There is neither birth nor destruction where the ignorant see impermanency; nothing is ever destroyed, what is seen [as real] is due to [the idea of] a causal agency. 2 How is the unseen [born]? By what does the impermanent world come into existence?
656. (Second line only, Chapter III, verse 62.)
1 Not quite clear.
2 In the Sanskrit text this line is made to belong to the next verse, which is wrong.
657-662 (347). (Chapter III, verses 62-68.)
663. The gods, the Asuras, mankind, the animals, hungry ghosts, and Yama's abode—these six paths of existence are enumerated, where sentient beings are born.
664. According to one's karma, be it superior, inferior, or middling, one is born in these [six] paths; guarding all that is good, [one will attain] an excellent emancipation.
665. The company of the Bhikshus is taught by you that there is birth and death at every moment; pray tell me its meaning.
666. As one form changes into another, so is the mind born and broken up; thence I tell my disciples how uninterruptedly and momentarily birth- [and-death] takes place.
667. In like manner discrimination also rises and disappears with every single form; where there is discrimination, there are living beings; outside of it there are no living beings.
668. At every moment there is a disjunction, this is called causation; (348) when one is liberated from the notion of form (rupa), there is neither birth nor death.
669. When dualism is upheld, there rise causation-born and no-causation-born, ignorance and suchness, etc.; not to be dualistic is suchness.
670. When causation[-born] and no-causation-born [are distinguished], things are differentiated, there are permanency, etc., there are effect, cause, and causation.
671. As long as the notion of cause and effect is upheld, there is no difference between the philosophers; this is your teaching as well as that of [other] Buddhas; O Mahamuni, such are not the wise ones.
672. Within the body, measuring one vyana,1 there is a world; the cause of its rising, the attaining of cessation, and the path (pratipad)—this I teach to sons of the Victor.
673. By clinging to the three Svabhavas, perceived [or grasped] and perceiving [or grasping] are manifested; the simple-minded discriminate objects as belonging to the world and to the super-world.
1 The measure of two extended arms.
674. From the viewpoint of relativity the notion of Svabhava has been upheld, but in order to ward off one-sided views the Svabhava is not to be discriminated.
675. As faults and defects are sought, the principle is not established, nor is the mind [properly] set to work; this is due to the rising of dualistic notions; non-duality is suchness.
(349) 676. [If one should think that] the Vijnana, etc. are originated by ignorance, desire, and karma, this is wrong, for the fault of non-finality is committed; this being committed, the rise of the world becomes impossible.
677. The fourfold destruction of things is told by the unenlightened; discrimination is said to rise in two ways; [in fact,] there is no existence, no non-existence. When one is released from the fourfold proposition, one abandons dualism.
678. Discrimination may rise in two ways, but when it is seen [in its true nature], it will never rise [again]; for in all things not being born there is the awakening of intelligence; but1 where there is the birth of things, this is owing to discrimination; let one not discriminate.
679.2 Pray tell me, O Lord, about the truth in order to check dualistic views, [so that] I and others may not cherish the [dualism of] being and non-being.
680. And [thus] we may keep ourselves away from the philosophers' teachings and also from the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas; for it behoves the Bodhisattvas not to lose the life of enlightenment as realised by the Buddhas.
681. To be delivered from [the notion of] cause and no-cause, not to be born, and being one—these are synonyms; [the ignorant] are bewildered by them, but the wise always rise above them.
1 That which follows forms the first half of verse 678 in the Sanskrit text.
2 The verse 679 here is composed of the second half of 679 and the first line of 680 in the Sanskrit text.
682. All things appear like a cloud, a multitude of clouds, a rainbow; they are like a vision, a hair-net, Maya, etc., they are born of self-discrimination; and yet the philosophers discriminate the world as born of a self-creating agency.
683. Not being born, suchness, reality, limit, and emptiness, —these are other names for form (rupa); one should not imagine it to mean a nothing.
(350) 684. In the world [another name of] hasta (hand) is kara; Indra [is also called] Sakra and Purandara; in the same way [there are many synonyms] for this existence; and one should not imagine it to mean a nothing.
685. Emptiness is no other than form, so is no-birth; one should not imagine anything different from this; if one does, faulty views will follow.
686. Because of objective appearances being asserted, there is general discrimination (samkalpa) and particular discrimination (vikalpa); because of imagination (parikalpa) there are long and short, square and round, etc.
687. General discrimination belongs to the Citta, imagination to the Manas, and particular discrimination to the Manovijnana; [but reality] is neither the qualified nor the qualifying.
688. What is regarded by the philosophers as unborn is my own teaching wrongly viewed, and [the latter is] imagined to be indistinguishable [from theirs], but this is submitting a faulty argument.
689. Those who have acquired the knowledge of proper reasoning by making use of [the idea of] no-birth and its meaning, are said to have an understanding of my doctrine.
690. In order to crush the philosophical views, not being born is said to mean not having any abode; knowing what dualism means, I teach the doctrine of no-birth.
691. Are all things to be regarded as unborn, or not? Pray tell, O Mahamuni. The doctrine of causelessness, no-birth, the rising of existence, —all these are held by the philosophers.
(351) 692.1 I teach Mind-only which is removed from [the dualism of] being and non-being. One should discard [the view of] birth and no-birth which causes various philosophical theories.
1 The first half of this verse numbered 692 in the Sanskrit text is evidently inserted here by mistake, and is not translated; and the first half of the following verse is brought over here to complete 691. The numbering, therefore, from 692 to 694 is altered in this translation.
693. In the doctrine of causelessness, of no-birth, of birth, the notion of a causal agency [is involved] on which they depend. Effortless deeds come from nothingness, and deeds [as ordinarily performed] are mixed with motives.
694. Tell me the [right] view that goes with skilful means, original vows, etc.; how does the society [of the holy ones] come into existence when all things are not?
695. By separating oneself from [the dualism of] perceived and perceiving, there is neither evolution nor cessation; the mind is born as views are cherished as regards one existence or another.
696. Things are said to be unborn, how is this? Pray tell me. Sentient beings do not understand it, so it ought to be explained.
697. Pray explain to me, O Mahamuni, all the contradictions [involved in the statements made] before and after, to escape the errors of the philosophers and to be released from the perverted theory of causation.
698. Pray tell me, O Most Excellent of Teachers, regarding cessation and coming back into existence, in order to be released from being and non-being, and yet not to destroy cause and effect.
699. Pray tell me as to the graded succession of the stages, O Lotus-eyed One;1 for the world cherishes dualism and is bewildered with wrong views.
(352) 700. For on account of [the wrong views concerning] birth, no-birth, etc., the cause of serenity is not recognised, there is no society [of the holy ones] for me, and I have no chance to discourse on the nature of being.
701. There is error where dualism is maintained, but the Buddhas are thoroughly free from dualism; all things are empty, momentary, have no self-nature, and have never been born.
1 Padma ikshana! according to T'ang.
702. Discriminations are carried on by those who are enveloped by evil theories and doctrines, but not by the Tathagatas; pray tell me about the rise and cessation of discrimination.
703. Accumulated by false reasonings, there is a combination of varieties of appearances [and Vijnanas], whereby [each Vijnana] takes in an objective field according to its class.
704. Recognising external forms, discrimination is set in motion; as this is understood and the meaning of reality is seen as it is, the mind conforms itself to the nature of the wise and is no more set in motion.
705. The elements being rejected, there is no birth of things, but as the elements as appearances are always the Mind, one understands what is meant by no-birth.
706. Do not discriminate discrimination, the wise are those who are free from discrimination; when discrimination is carried on, there is dualism which does not lead to Nirvana.
707. By the statement of no-birth, Maya is seen and destroyed; when Maya is made to be born of no-causation, this injures the truth of the statement.
(353) 708. The mind is to be regarded as a reflected image originating in the beginningless past; it is something of reality but not reality itself; one should realise it truly as it is in itself.
709. The nature of birth [or existence] is like an image appearing in a mirror, which, while it is devoid of oneness and otherness, is not altogether non-existent.
710. Like the Gandharvas' city, Maya, etc., which appear depending upon causes and conditions, the birth of all things is not no-birth [in a relative sense].
711. It is on account of general usage that a dualistic discrimination is set up as regards persons and things; but this is not clearly understood by the ignorant so that [the thought of] an ego-soul and individual objects is cherished.
712. There are five [classes of] Sravakas, the Sravakas [that is, hearers] generally, those who are attached to the doctrine of causation, those who are Arhats, those who are dependent upon their own power, and those who are dependent upon [the power of] the Buddha.
713. Time-interruption, destruction, the highest reality, and mutuality—these four are imagined as involved in the idea of impermanency by the ignorant who are not endowed with intelligence.
714. The ignorant addicted to dualism cherish [such thoughts as] dualities, atoms, original matter, and primary cause, and fail to understand the means of emancipation, because they adhere to the alternatives of being and non-being.
715. (Chapter VI, verse 3.)
(354) 716. The primary elements are of different qualities, and how can they produce1 this world of matter (rupa)? [Each of] the elements has its own seat; what are [regarded as] secondary elements are not made by them.
717. Fire burns matter (rupa), the nature of water is to wet, the wind scatters matter; how can matter be produced by the elements [when they are of such contradicting natures]?
718. The Rupa-skandha (matter) and the Vijnana (-Skandha)—there are these two Skandhas and not five; they are different names for the Skandhas; of this I have talked in a hundred ways.
719. By the separation of mind from what belongs to it, the present world evolves; [various] forms [of matter] are inseparably conjoined with one another; matter is mind[-made], and is not element-made.
720. Blue, etc., are to be referred to white, and white to blue; cause and effect being produced [in the same mutual way], both being and non-being are emptiness.
721. Effect and effecting and effected, cold and heat, qualified and qualifying, —such-like and all [other things] are not to be explained away by theories.
722. The Citta, Manas and the six Vijnanas are by nature united and removed from oneness and otherness; they are evolved from the Alaya.
1 After T'ang.
723. The Samkhya and the Vaiseshika followers, the naked philosophers, and the advocates of Isvara the creator, are addicted to the dualism of being and non-being, and do not know what solitary reality is.1
(355) 724. Varieties of forms (sansthana) and figures (akriti) are not produced by the primary elements; but the philosophers declare them to originate from the elements primary and secondary.
725. As the philosophers imagine causes other than the unborn, they do not understand, and because of stupidity they uphold the dualism of being and non-being.
726. There is a truth (tattva) characterised by purity; it is united with the Citta but disunited with the Manas, etc.; it abides with knowledge.
727. If karma is form (rupa), it will be the cause of the Skandhas and the objective world; beings without attachment will not be abiding [even] in the world of formlessness.
728. That egolessness is the true doctrine follows from the non-existence of beings; the advocate of non-ego is a destroyer,2 causing even the cessation of the Vijnana.
729. There are four abodes of it, how does it arise from the non-existence of form? As there is nothing existent innerly or outwardly, no Vijnanas arise.
730. The theorisers wish to see the Skandhas in the middle existence; likewise, [they wish,] a being born in the world of formlessness is of no-form; what else is there?
731. [If one says that] emancipation is attained without exerting oneself, as there are no beings, no Vijnanas, this is no doubt a philosopher's theory; the theorisers do not understand.
732. If form is to be found in the world of formlessness, it is not visible; (356) its non-existence contradicts the truth, there is neither a vehicle nor a driver.3
1 A repetition of verse 627.
2 Literally, cutting off (chela).
3 The statements about form here are not quite intelligible.
733. The Vijnana, born of habit-energy, is united with the senses; there are eight kinds of it, they do not grasp one field all at once.1
734. When form is not evolved, the senses are not the senses; therefore, the Blessed One declares that the senses, etc. are characterised with momentariness.
735. How without determining form (rupa) can the Vijnana take its rise? How without the rising of knowledge can transmigration take place?
736. To pass away instantly after birth, —this is not the teaching of the Buddhas; nor is there the uninterrupted-ness of all things; as discrimination moves about, one is born in the various paths.
737. The senses and their objective worlds are meant for the stupid but not for the wise; the ignorant grasp after names, the wise comprehend the meaning.
738. The sixth [Vijnana] is not to be understood as non-attachment, or as attachment; the wise who are devoid of the fault of being are not committed to a definite theory.
739. Those theorisers who are without knowledge are frightened at eternalism and nihilism; (357) the ignorant are unable to distinguish between the Samskrita, the Asamskrita, and the ego-soul.
740. [Some imagine the ego-soul] to be one with the Citta, [others] to be different from the Manas, etc., attachment2 exists in oneness as well as in otherness.3
741. If attachment is determined and mind and what belongs to it are designated, how is it that on account of the attachment there is the determination by oneness?4
1 Not clear.
2 Dana evidently stands here for upadana, as is understood by T'ang. However, this and the following two or three stanzas are difficult to understand very clearly as there are no references in the text to the ideas discussed here. Probably they contain allusions to the Abhidharma doctrines.
3 Read after T'ang.
4 This is not clear. A number of verses in these pages that give no sense as far as we can see in their several connections are not at all in cognation with the general thoughts of the Lanka. Are they later additions taken from somewhere else?
742. By reason of attachment, attainment, karma, birth, effect, etc., they are brought to the goal like fire; there is resemblance and non-resemblance in the principle.1
743. As when fire burns, the burned and the burning are simultaneously there, so is attachment to an ego-soul; what is it that is not seized by the theorisers?
744. Whether there is birth or no-birth, the mind shines forth all the time; what illustrations will the theorisers produce to prove their notion of an ego-soul?
745. Those theorisers who are destitute of the principle are lost in the forest of Vijnanas; seeking to establish the theory of an ego-soul, they wander about here and there.
746. The ego (atma) characterised with purity is the state of self-realisation; this is the Tathagata's womb (garbha) which does not belong to the realm of the theorisers.
747. When one thus knows what are the characteristics of attached and attaching by the analysis of the Skandhas, there rises the knowledge of the principle.
(358) 748. The Alaya where the Garbha (womb) is stationed is declared by the philosophers to be [the seat of] thought in union with the ego; but this is not the doctrine approved [by the Buddhas].
749. By distinctly understanding it [i. e. the doctrine] there is emancipation and insight into the truth, and purification from the passions which are abandoned by means of contemplation and insight.
750. The Mind primarily pure is the Tathagata's Garbha which is good but is attached to [as an ego-soul] by sentient beings; it is free from limitation and non-limitation.
751. As the beautiful colour of gold and gold among pebbles become visible by purification, so is the Alaya among the Skandhas of a being.
752. The Buddha is neither a soul nor the Skandhas, he is knowledge free from evil outflows; clearly perceiving him to be eternally serene, I take my refuge in him.
753. The Mind, primarily pure, is with the secondary passions, with the Manas, etc., and in union with the ego-soul—this is what is taught by the best of speakers.
1 Is this correct?
754. The Mind is primarily pure, but the Manas, etc., are other than that; varieties of karma are accumulated by them, and thus there are defilements giving rise to dualism.
755. The ego [primarily] pure has been defiled on account of the external passions since the beginningless past, (359) and what has been added from outside is like a [soiled] garment to be washed off.
756. As when a garment is cleansed of its dirt, or when gold is removed from its impurities, they are not destroyed but remain as they are; so is the ego freed from its defilements.
757. Imagining that a melodious sound obtains in a lute, a conch-shell, or in a kettle-drum, the unintelligent thus seek something of an ego-soul within the Skandhas.
758. As one tries to find precious stones in the treasure-house, or in water, or underneath the ground, where they are invisible, so do [they seek] a soul in the Skandhas.
759. As the unintelligent cannot take hold of a mind and what belongs to it as a group, and their functions which are connected with the Skandhas, so [they cannot find] an ego-soul in the Skandhas.
760. As the womb is not visible to the woman herself who has it, so the ego-soul is not visible within the Skandhas to those who have no wisdom.
761. Like the essence of the medicinal herb, or like fire in the kindling, those who have no wisdom do not see the ego-soul within the Skandhas.
762. Trying to find permanency and emptiness in all things, the unenlightened cannot see them; so with the ego-soul within the Skandhas.
763. When there is no true ego-soul, there are no stages, no self-mastery, no psychic faculties, no highest anointing, no excellent Samadhis.
(360) 764. If a destroyer should come around and say, "If there is an ego, show it to me;" a sage would declare, "Show me your own discrimination."1
1 The statements so far made here regarding an ego-soul (atman or pudgala) as they stand seem to contradict one another, and some really violate the Buddhist doctrine of Non-atman as far as we know.
765. Those who hold the theory of non-ego are injurers of the Buddhist doctrines, they are given up to the dualistic views of being and non-being; they are to be ejected by the convocation of the Bhikshus and are never to be spoken to.1
766. The doctrine of an ego-soul shines brilliantly like the rising of the world-end fire, wiping away the faults of the philosophers, burning up the forest of egolessness.
767. Molasses, sugar-cane, sugar, and honey; sour milk, sesame oil, and ghee—each has its own taste; but one who has not tasted it will not know what it is.
768. Trying to seek in five ways for an ego-soul in the accumulation of the Skandhas, the unintelligent fail to see it, but the wise seeing it are liberated.
769. By means of illustrations furnished by the sciences, etc., the mind is not accurately determined; as to the meaning contained in it, how can one accurately determine it?
770. Things are differentiated but the Mind is one— this is not perceived; the theorisers [imagine it] to be causeless and not-functioning, which is a mistake.
771. When the Yogin reflects upon the mind, he does not see the Mind in the mind; an insight comes forth from the perceived [i. e. the world]; whence is the rising of this perceived [world]?
(361) 772. I belong to the Katyayana family, descending from the Suddhavasa; I teach the Dharma in order to lead sentient beings to the city of Nirvana.
773. This is the course of the past; I and those Tathagatas have generally disclosed the meaning of Nirvana in three thousands of the sutras.
1 This and the following verse again seem to contradict the Buddhist doctrine of non-ego. It is not easy to determine the purport of these verses as they stand all by themselves without any explanatory prose. In fact these verses in the Sagathakam which have no direct connection with the main text, except those that are quite obvious in meaning, are mostly difficult to know precisely what they intend to signify.
774. Not in the world of desire nor in [the world of] no-form is Buddhahood attained; but at the Akanishtha in the world of form one is awakened to Buddhahood by getting rid of greed.
775. The objective world is not the cause of bondage; the cause is bound up in the objective world; the passions are destroyed by knowledge, which is a sharp sword gained by discipline.
776. How is non-ego possible? How are things like Maya, etc.? How about being and non-being? If suchness reveals itself to the ignorant, how is non-ego non-existent?1
777. Because of things done and of things not done, the cause is not the producer; all is unborn, and this is not clearly recognised by the ignorant.
778. The creating agencies are unborn; both the created and the conditions of causality are unborn; why is imagination carried on as regards creating agencies?
779. The theorisers explain a cause to consist in the simultaneity of antecedent and consequent; the birth of all things is told by means of a light, a jar, a disciple, etc.
780. The Buddhas are not Samskrita-made, but are endowed with the marks [of excellence]; (362) they belong to the nature of a Cakravartin; the Buddhas are not so named because of these [marks].
781. What characterises the Buddhas is knowledge (jnana); it is devoid of the defects of intellection (drishti-dosha); it is an insight attained by self-realisation, it is removed from all defects.
782. The religious life (brahmacarya) is not found in those especially, who are deaf, blind, one-eyed, dumb, aged, young, nor in those who are given up to the feeling of enmity.
783. The world-ruler is endowed with the celestial marks and the secondary characteristics though not manifested. They become, however, manifested in some of the homeless monks and not in anybody else—so it is declared.
784. After the passing of the Leader of the Sakyas, these will follow me: Vyasa, Kanada, Rishabha, Kapila, and others.
1 Is this correct reading?
785. Then one hundred years after my passing, Vyasa's Bharata will appear, the Pandavas, the Kauravas, Rama, and then the Maurya.
786. The Maurya, the Nanda, the Gupta, and then the Mleccha who are bad kings; after the Mleccha will rage a warfare, and then the age of vice; (363) and after this age of vice, the good Dharma will no more prevail in the world.
787. After passing through these ages the world will be thrown into confusion like a wheel; fire and the sun being united, the world of desire will be consumed.
788. The heavens will again be restituted and therein the world will take its rise, together with its four castes, kings, Rishis, and the Dharma.
789. The Vedas, worship, and charity will again prevail with the revival of the Dharma; by narratives,1 histories, prose-compositions, commentaries, annotations, thus-I-have-heard's, etc., the world will [again] fall into confusion.
790. Preparing properly-coloured cloth, have it further cleaned, have the cloth dyed with bluish mud and cow-dung making it nondescript in colour, so that the body may be covered with robes in every way different from the appearance of the philosophers.
791. Let the Yogin preach the doctrine, which is the badge of the Buddhas; let him drink water filtered through a cloth and carry the hip-string; in due time let him go about begging and keep away from things vile.
(364) 792. He will be born in a heaven filled with light, and the other two will appear among mankind; decorated with precious stones he will be born as a god and a world-lord.
793. In the abode of light he enjoys the four worlds by means of the teaching based on the Dharma; but after a long reign over the worlds he will retrograde on account of desire.
794. Thus there are the golden age, the age of triads, the age of two, and the age of vice; the Lion of the Sakyas will appear in the age of vice, I and others in the golden age.
1 Literally, "So indeed it was."
795. Siddhartha of the Sakya family, Vishnu, Vyasa, Mahesvara—such other philosophers will appear after my passing.
796. There will be the teaching of the Lion of the Sakyas told in the thus-I-have-heard's, and that of Vyasa in the narratives (so-indeed-it-was), and the past events.
797. Vishnu and Mahesvara will teach about the creation of the world; things like this will take place after my passing.
798. My mother is Vasumati, my father is the wise Prajapati; I belong to the Katyayana family, and my name is Viraja the Victor.
799. I was born in Campa, and as my father and grandfather, being descendants of the lunar race (somavamsa), [my family name] is "The Moon-Protected" (somagupta).
(365) 800. Making vows, I shall become a homeless mendicant and teach the doctrine in a thousand ways; Mahamati being given assurance and anointed, I shall enter into Nirvana.
801. Mati will hand [the doctrine] over to Dharma and Dharma to Mekhala; but Mekhala and his disciple being too weak [the doctrine] will disappear at the end of the Kalpa.
802. Kasyapa, Krakucchanda, and Kanaka, who are the removers, and I, Viraja, and others—these Buddhas all belong to the golden age.
803. After the golden age there will appear a leader by the name of Mati, who is a great hero (mahavira) well acquainted with the five forms of knowledge.
804. Not in the age of two, not in the age of triads, not in the age of vice, which will come after, but in the golden age world-teachers will appear, and attain Buddhahood.
805. Without removing the marks, without cutting it into tens,1 have the upper garment patched with spots like the eyes in the tail of a peacock.
806. Let the space between the eyes be two or three fingers apart; if the patches are otherwise distributed it will excite in the ignorant a desire to possess.
1 Is this right?
807. Let the Yogin always keep the fire of greed under control, be bathed in the water of knowledge, and practise the triple refuge, and exert himself diligently throughout the three periods.
(366) 808. When an arrow, or a stone, or a piece of wood, is sent forth by means of a bow or sling, one hits and another falls; so it is with good and bad.
809. The one cannot be the many, for then nowhere would diversities be seen. Let all receivers be like the wind, and donors be like the land.
810. If the one were the many, all would be without a causal agency; this is the destruction of a causal agency, which is the teaching of the theorisers.
811. [Their teaching] will be like a lamp, like a seed, because of similitude; but where are the many? If the one becomes the many, this is the teaching of the theorisers.
812. From sesame no beans grow, rice is not the cause of barley, wheat does not produce corn; how can the one be the many?
813. There will be Panini, author of the Sabdanetri, Akshapada, Vrihaspati; Pranetri the Lokayata will be found in Brahma-garbha.
814. Katyayana will be the author of a sutra, and Yajnavalka will be like him; Bhudhuka will write astronomical works; they will appear in the age of vice.
(367) 815. Balin will appear to promote the welfare of the world, the happiness of mankind, he will be the protector of all that is good; Balin the king will be a great ruler.
816. Valmika, Masuraksha, Kautilya, and Asvalayana, who are highly virtuous Rishis, will appear in the future.
817. Siddhartha of the Sakya family, Bhutanta, Pancacudaka, Vagbaliratha, Medhavin will appear in the times that follow.
818. When I take my abode in the forest-ground, Brahma, chief of the gods, will give me the hairy skin of a deer, a staff made of wood, a girdle, and a discus.
819. The great Yogin will be called Viraja the Muni, the teacher and pointer of emancipation; he is the badge of all the Munis.
820. Brahma with his retinues and many gods will give me an antelope's skin from the sky, and then the ruler will vanish.
821. When I am in the forest-ground, Indra and Virudhaka and others, accompanied by the celestial beings, will give me most exquisite garments and a begging bowl.
(368) 822. Seeking for a cause in the doctrine of no-birth, [one may say that] that which is unborn is born, too, [and imagine that] the no-birth [theory] is [thereby] established; but this is done in words only.
823-828. (Chapter VI, verses 12-17.)1
829. That the mind is set in motion by ignorance which has been accumulated by thought since beginningless past, that it is bound to birth and destruction—this is the imagination of the theorisers.
830. The Samkhya philosophy is twofold. There is transformation owing to primary matter; (369) in primary matter there is action, and action is self-originating.
831. Primary matter is with all existing beings, and qualities are regarded as differentiated, various are effects and causes, no transformation takes place.
832. As quicksilver is pure and not soiled by dirt, so is the Alaya pure, being the seat of all sentient beings.
833. The onion-odour of onion, the womb of a pregnant woman, the saltiness of salt, etc. —does not [each] evolve like the seed?
834. Otherness is not otherness, so is bothness not bothness; to be is not to be attached to, there is neither non-being nor the Samskrita.
835. [To say that] an ego is found in the Skandhas is like saying that the horse-nature is in the cow-nature, which has nothing to do with it; we may speak of the Samskrita and the Asamskrita, but there is no self-nature.
1 It is noteworthy that the repetitions grow less as we approach the end and that the subjects referred to are less congruous with those of the text. The Sagathakam may be an independent collection.
836. Defiled by logic, by the traditional teachings (agama),1 by wrong views, by speculation, they are not able to ascertain definitely about the ego, which they say is; but it does not exist in any way other than clinging.
837. It is certainly their mistake to think that the ego is perceivable along with the Skandhas by reason of oneness and otherness; the theorisers are not enlightened.
838. As an image is seen in a mirror, in water, or in an eye, (370) so is the soul in the Skandhas devoid of oneness and otherness.
839. Let it be known that those who reflect and practise meditation can be released from the evil theories by training themselves in the three things: the path (marga), the truth (satya), and the insight (darsana).
840. As a flash of lightning is seen and unseen as the sun passes through a slit of a door, so is the transformation of all things; it is not as it is imagined by the ignorant.
841. Being confused in mind the ignorant view Nirvana as the disappearance of the existent; but since the wise see into reality (sadbhava) as it abides in itself, they have a truer insight.
842. Transformation [which is the actual state of existence] is to be ascertained as removed from birth and destruction, devoid of existence and non-existence, released from qualified and qualifying.
843. Transformation is to be ascertained as having nothing to do with the philosophical doctrines, with names and forms, and giving an abode2 to views of an inner ego.
844. With the [pleasant] touches of the gods and the harassings of the hells, if it were not for the middle existence, no Vijnanas would ever evolve.3
845. It should be known that the womb-born, the egg-born, the moisture-born, and other various bodies of sentient beings are born of the middle existence and descend into the [six] paths of existence.
1 After T'ang.
2 "Destroying", according to T'ang.
3 Read after T'ang.
846. To say that the passions are quieted and destroyed apart from right reasoning and scriptural teaching, (371) is the view and discourse of the philosophers, which is not to be practised by the intelligent.
847. One should first examine into the nature of an ego-soul and keep oneself away from attachment; to try to go beyond without an examination is of no more worth than a barren-woman's child.
848. I observe with a divine eye which is of transcendental wisdom and is removed from the flesh, [with this I observe] sentient beings, the physical bodies of all living creatures as devoid of the Samskara and Skandhas.1
849. It is seen that [beings] are distinguished as ugly-coloured and beautifully-coloured, as emancipated and un-emancipated, as heavenly and free from the Samskara, and as abiding with the Samskara.
850. I have the body that goes about in the [six] paths of existence; this does not belong to the realm of the theorisers; it goes beyond the human world and is not the possession of the theorisers.
851. The ego-soul is not, and the mind is born; how does this evolving come about? Is it not said that its appearing is like a river, a lamp, and a seed?
852. The Vijnana not being born there is no ignorance; ignorance being absent, there is no Vijnana, and how can succession take place?
853. The three divisions of time and no-time, and the fifth is beyond description; this is what is known to the Buddhas [only, though] mentioned by the theorisers.
(372) 854. Knowledge that is the cause of the Samskara is not to be described by the Samskara; knowledge that is known as the Samskara seizes the Samskara-path.2
855. That being so, this is; causal conditions [everywhere] but no causes; because of this absence there are no causal agencies; they are [only] symbolically pointed out.
1 Read after T'ang.
2 Is this the right reading?
856. The wind, indeed, makes fire burn, but it only incites and does not produce; further, incited by it the fire goes out; how can [the ego of] a sentient being be established?
857. The Samskrita and the Asamskrita are spoken of as devoid of attachment; how is fire imagined by the ignorant for the establishment [of their ego]?
858. Fire comes to exist in this world supported by the strength of mutuality; if it is imagined to be like fire, whence is the rising of a sentient being [i. e. an ego-soul]?
859. By reason of the Manas, etc., there is the accumulation of the Skandhas and Ayatanas; non-ego like a wealthy merchant moves on with mentation (citta).
860. These two like the sun are always removed from effect and cause; fire does not establish them, and the theorisers fail to understand.
861. The mind, sentient beings, and Nirvana—these are primarily pure, but defiled by faults of the beginningless past; they are not differentiated, they are like space.
(373) 862. Defiled by the bad theories of the philosophers, Hastisayya, etc., are wrapped end enveloped with [the false discriminations of] the Manovijnana, they imagine fire, etc., are purifying.
863 Those who see [reality] as it is in itself will see their passions burst asunder; leaving the forest of bad analogies behind, they reach the realm of the wise.
864. Thus [reality] is imagined to be something other than itself by the differentiation of knower and known; the dull-witted do not understand it, and what is beyond description is talked about.
865. As the ignorant make a sandal-wood drum by taking something else which appears like sandal-wood and aloe wood, so is [true] knowledge [to be distinguished] from that of the theorisers.
866. Having eaten he will rise holding the bowl empty; he will have his mouth well cleansed of offensive and injurious matter; he is to conduct himself thus towards food.
867. He who reflects rationally on this truth will attain serenity of mind, accomplish the most excellent discipline, and be above imagination; he will be released from attachment and realise the highest meaning; and thus he will light up the golden path of the Dharma.
868. When he who is possessed of stupidity and imagination rising from his views of being and non-being is freed from the net of bad theories tainted thereby, and from greed, vice, and anger, he is washed of the pigment and besprinkled by the Buddhas [with their own] hands.
869. Some philosophers are confused about the direction [of truth] because of their theory of causation; others are perturbed over conditions of causality; (374) others who are not wise abide in nihilism because of their negation of causation and reality.
870. There are transformations maturing from [the activities of] the Manas and the Vijnanas; the Manas is born of the Alaya, and the Vijnana comes from the Manas.
871. From the Alaya all mental activities take their rise like the waves; with habit-energy as cause all things are born in accordance with conditions of causation.
872. [All things] momentarily divided but bound up in a continuous chain, are taken hold of as real while they are of Mind itself; they appear in varieties of forms and characters, but are the product of Manas and the eye-Vijnana, etc.
873. Bound up by the faults [of speculation] since beginningless past, there is the growth of habit-energy which gives rise to something like an external world; it is Mind which is seen as manifoldness when it is hindered by wrong philosophical theories.
874. With that as cause and with that other as condition, [the Vijnana system] is evolved; when these philosophical views are born, transformations take place.
875. All things are like Maya and a dream and the Gandharvas' city; they appear as a mirage, as a lunar reflection in water; be it known that it is all due to self-discrimination.
876. From the splitting-up of moral conduct, there is suchness and the right knowledge dependent on it; such Samadhis of superior grade as the Maya-like, the Surangama, etc. [are attained].
877. By entering into the [various] stages, the psychic powers, and the self-masteries, the knowledge of the Maya-likeness of existence and the [will-]body [are obtained], and there is anointment by the Buddhas.
(375) 878. When the world is seen as quiescent, the mind ceases and the [first] stage of Joy is attained, and [finally] they will reach Buddhahood.
879. A revulsion taking place at the seat [of consciousness, a man becomes] like a multicoloured gem; he performs deeds [of beneficence] for sentient beings in the same way as the moon reflects itself in water.
880. When the dualism of being and non-being is abandoned, there is neither bothness nor not-bothness; and going beyond Sravakahood and Pratyekabuddhahood, one will even pass over the seventh stage.
881. [As he goes up through the stages] his insight into the truth of self-realisation will be purified at every stage, and releasing himself from externality as well as from the philosophers, he will discourse on the Mahayana.
882. When there is a revulsion (paravritti) from discrimination, one is removed from death and destruction; let him discourse on the truth of the emancipated ones, which is like a hare's horns,1 and a [multicoloured] gem.
883. As the text [is completed] by reason, so is reason [revealed] by the text; therefore, let there be reason [and the text]; let there be no other discrimination than reason.2
1 After Wei and T'ang. The text has "hare's hair" which in this connection yields no sense. The truth of emptiness may be in a manner compared to a hare's horns and not to its hair.
2 This is the reading of T'ang. By "text" (教, grantha) is meant any literary production in which a principle or reason, 理, (yukti) is expounded. Grantha is here contrasted to yukti as desana or desana-patha is to siddhanta or pratyatmagati, or as ruta is to artha. This contrasting the letter to spirit or meaning has been one of the main topics of the Lankavatara. Wei has 結 for grantha and 相應 for yukti, which does not yield any sense in this connection. The two versions, Wei and T'ang, are quoted in full:
Wei—如依結相應. 依法亦如是. 依相應相應. 莫分別於異.
T'ang—教由理故成. 理由教故顯. 當依此教理. 勿更餘分別.
884. Such are the eye, karma, desire, ignorance, and the Yogins; such is the Manas in relation to the eye[-consciousness] and form, such is the Manas in relation to the defiled.1
Here Ends "The Mahayana Sutra Called the Arya-Saddharma-Lankavatara, Together with the Verses."
(376)
All things are born of causation,
And their cause has been told by the Tathagata;
And the Great Muni tells
That their cessation takes place thus.
1 This is missing in T'ang. Wei further adds: "When the Buddha preached this exquisite Sutra, the Holy Mahamati the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, Ravana the King, Suka, Sarana, Kumbakarna, and other Rakshasas, the Devas, the Nagas, the Yakshas, the Gandharvas, the Asuras, the gods, the Bhikshus were all delighted and accepted [the teaching]." This addition shows that Wei as a whole may be a much later production even than T'ang, for such a passage is ordinarily regarded as the regular conclusion for a sutra; and when this was found missing in the earlier copy of the Lankavatara, the writer of the Wei original added it to complete the form.