T374 The Nirvana Sutra, Vol. I

Fascicle II

371c

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

beings in the great trichiliocosm looked upon each other with the same attitude of compassion, with the exception of the icchantikas. 24

At that time the ground in all worlds of this great trichiliocosm became soft due to the spiritual authority of the Buddha. There were no more hills, wastelands, sand, gravel, rocks, thorns, or poisonous plants. The land became so adorned with precious stones that it resembled the Sukhāvatī Western Paradise of Amitāyus Buddha. At this point everyone in the great assembly was able to see the buddha lands (buddhakṣetras) of the ten directions like so many specks of dust. As clear as if they were seeing their own image in a mirror, that is how well they were able to see the buddha lands. Then a five-colored ray of light began to shine from the Tathāgata's mouth. The light was so bright that it permeated the entire congregation, rendering the bodily radiance given off by others no longer visible. After serving its purpose, the light returned to the Buddha's mouth from which it had come and disappeared. When the assembled gods, humans, andasuras saw the Buddha's light return and enter his mouth, they were all seized with fear, the hair on their bodies standing on end. They said:

This shining forth and returning of the light from the Tathāgata must not be without reason. It is certain that he has now taken care of what he needs to do in the ten directions. The sign of the final nirvāṇa, what will it be? Alas! What will it be? Alas! Why would the World-Honored One suddenly abandon the four immeasurable minds and refuse to accept the oblations offered by both humans and deities? From now on, the sunlight of sacred wisdom will be extinguished forever. The ship of the all-encompassing dharma will hereby sink! Ah, how depressing! The world is to be engulfed in suffering!

With their hands they pounded their chests and cried out in a sad lament. Their limbs trembled and they were not able to support themselves. Blood flowed from their pores, spilling on to the earth.

30

Fascicle II

Chapter One

Longevity: Part 2

At that time there was a lay follower in the assembly named Cunda who was the son of an artisan in Kuśinagara. In order to better enable [the living beings of] the world to earn beneficial karmic merit, Cunda, together with fifteen others of like mind, put aside their usual comportment and rose from their seated positions. They bared their right shoulders, put their right knees on the ground, joined their palms and, facing the Buddha, began to weep, their tears pouring out. Paying respect at the Buddha's feet, they then addressed him, saying:

All we ask of the World-Honored One and the bhikṣus is that you take pity on us and accept our last offerings of alms so that you may ferry innumerable living beings over [to the other shore]. World-Honored One, from now on we will have no master, no parents, no savior, no protector, no refuge, and no destination. Impoverished and hungry, we wish to follow the Tathāgata [and assume that] our nourishment will come in the future. All we ask is that you sympathize with us and accept our meager offerings, and only after that enter parinirvāṇa.World-Honored One, it is like those from military (kṣatriya), priestly (brāhmaṇa), merchant (vaiśya), or peasant (śūdra) backgrounds that, compelled by poverty, journey to far-off lands. They pour their labors into farming, obtaining a well-tamed ox and taking a fertile field and making it flat without any sand, harmful weeds, or tree stumps. All they seek is rain from the heavens. The tamed ox that we speak of is a metaphor for the seven ways [we control] our actions and speech [for the karma it creates]. 25 The

fertile field is a metaphor for spiritual wisdom (prajñā). Removing the 31

372a

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

sand, harmful weeds, and tree stumps is a metaphor for removing the defilements (kleśas). World-Honored One, there are now trained oxen in us that have removed the tree stumps from fertile fields; we look only to you, Tathāgata, for the dharma rain that is the ambrosia of immortality (amṛta) to us. The impoverished four castes are none other than the impoverishment of who we are with respect to the wealth of the unsurpassed dharma. All we ask is that you take pity and eradicate our poverty and pain, thereby lifting up the immeasurable number of suffering living beings. What we have to offer may be small and trivial, but we nevertheless hope that it may satisfy the Tathāgata and the community. We now face having no master, no parents, and no refuge [after you are gone]; we come to you wishing for the compassion you would extend to [your son] Rāhula.

At that time the World-Honored One, the Omniscient, the Unsurpassed Tamer, addressed Cunda, saying:

Excellent! Excellent! I will now indeed remove this poverty for you. The rain of the unsurpassed dharma will fall upon your karmic field, bringing forth a dharma sprout. What you seek in me is life, form, power, serenity, and lucidity. I will indeed provide you with continual life, form, power, serenity, and unimpeded lucidity. How? Cunda, donating nourishment [as you have done] will have two karmic rewards that are indistinguishable. What are these two? First is that after the donation is accepted, [the donor] attains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.Second is that after the donation is accepted, [the donor] enters nirvāṇa. I now accept this last offering from you, and [thereby] bring you to the completion of the perfection of charity (dāna-pāramitā).

At that time, Cunda immediately spoke to the Buddha, saying: The Buddha has said that the two karmic rewards of donations like mine are indistinguishable, but this does not make sense to me. Why? Because in the first instance of one who has had his donation accepted, the defilements will not have been exhausted, omniscient wisdom will not have been achieved, and there will be no ability to enable [other] living beings to complete the perfection of charity [through similar acts of giving]. 32

Fascicle II

Whereas in the second instance of one who has had his donation accepted, the defilements will have been exhausted, omniscient wisdom will have been achieved, and he will have acquired the ability to guide other living beings to complete the perfection of charity. In the first instance, the one who has had his donation accepted is merely a living being. In the second instance, the one who has had his donation accepted is a god among gods. In the first instance, the one who has had his donation accepted has a body sustained by various forms of eating, a body still deluded with the defilements, a body that has a final limit, a body that is impermanent. In the second instance, the one who has had his donation accepted has a body devoid of the defilements, a vajra(adamantine) body, a dharma body, a permanent body, a body without limits. Why, then, do you say that they are equal and without distinction? In the first instance, the one who has had his donation accepted is not yet able to complete the perfection of charity nor any of the other perfections up through and including the perfection of wisdom.

26 He only has physical eyes, he has

not yet attained the eyes of a buddha nor any of the other forms of seeing, up through and including the eyes of spiritual wisdom. 27 In the second

instance, the one who has had his donation accepted has already completed the perfection of charity and all the other perfections up through the perfection of wisdom. He is endowed with the eyes of a buddha and the other forms of seeing, up through the eyes of wisdom. Why, then, do you say the two karmic effects of donations are indistinguishable? World-Honored One, the first one who has had his donation accepted chews the food he receives, swallows it, and digests it. He thereby gains life, form, power, serenity, and unimpeded lucidity. The second one who has had his donation accepted does not eat food, does not digest food, and gains none of the five nutritional effects [of eating]. Why, then, do you say the two karmic effects of donations are indistinguishable? The Buddha said:

Good man, for innumerable, asaṃkhyeya kalpas the Tathāgata has had a body that is not nourished by food nor affected by the defilements, a body without limits, a permanent body, a dharma body, a vajrabody. 33

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

372b

Good man, it is those who have not seen the buddha-nature that I name as having a body affected by the defilements, a body that is sustained by food, a body that has limits.

A bodhisattva on this occasion who, after accepting a donation of food and drink, enters the vajra-samādhiis someone who will, after his meal is digested, immediately see the buddha-nature and attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.For this reason I say the two karmic effects of the donations are equivalent and indistinguishable. A bodhisattva on this occasion destroys the four māras,

28 and if he were to enter nirvāṇa he

would also destroy the four māras. For this reason I say the two karmic effects of the donations are equivalent and indistinguishable. A bodhisattva on this occasion, though he may not [be able to] explain everything among the scriptures that make up the twelvefold canon, is certainly more proficient in them than he had been previously. And if he were to enter nirvāṇa he would analyze and elucidate the [canon] for the sake of living beings in detail. For this reason I say the two karmic effects of the donations are equivalent and indistinguishable. Good man, for innumerable, asaṃkhyeya kalpas the body of the Tathāgata has not accepted any food or drink. For the śrāvakas I did say, "First I accepted the milk porridge offered by the two oxherding women, Nandā and Nandābalā. Only afterward did I then attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. " But in fact I did not eat anything. That I now accept your last offerings is for the sake of this great assembly. But in fact I will not eat any of it.

At that time, hearing that the Buddha and World-Honored One would accept the last offering of alms from Cunda for the sake of the entire assembly, the crowd became ecstatic and shouted out their praise in unison: Excellent, excellent! How rare this is, Cunda! The name by which you are recognized is not meaningless, for "Cunda" means "to understand subtle meanings.

" And now you have established something of great

meaning. Thus your name has been established on the basis of the truth that accords with meaning. That is why you are known as "Cunda. " In

all the world it is you who have now gained great fame and profit; your auspicious wish has been fulfilled. How remarkable, Cunda, that among 34

Fascicle II

all people living today it is you who have obtained what is so difficult to obtain and what is so unsurpassed in value. Excellent, Cunda. This is as rare as the appearance of the udumbara flower in the world.

29 It is extremely uncommon for a buddha to appear in the world, and uncommon as well to meet a buddha, to put forth faith, and to truly hear the dharma. But to be able to make the final offering when the Buddha is facing his nirvāṇa—to be able to do that! How much more uncommon! Homage to Cunda! Homage to Cunda! You have accomplished the perfection of charity! It is like an autumn moon on the evening of the fifteenth of the month: clear, perfectly round, and not covered by any clouds. All living beings cannot help but look upon it with reverence. You, too, are like this, and thus we look upon you with reverence. The Buddha has already accepted your final offering, enabling you to complete the perfection of charity. Homage to Cunda! This is why we say you are like the full moon, and all living beings cannot help but regard you with reverence. Homage to Cunda! Although you have a human body, your mind is like a buddha-mind. Now you are Cunda, but in reality you are the son of the Buddha, no different from his son Rāhula.

Then, from the great assembly, the following verses were proclaimed: Although you were born in the human realm, You have gone beyond the sixth heaven. 30

Myself and everyone else in the assembly, Thus bow down and beseech you now. The holiest among the people,

Is about to enter nirvāṇa now.

You should take pity on us.

For all we ask is that you quickly implore the Buddha, To long remain in this world,

Benefiting countless beings,

Expounding the wise, praiseworthy

Dharma that is sublime ambrosia.

If you do not implore the Buddha thus, Our lives will never be whole.

35

372c

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

For this reason you must see him.

Bow down and plead with our lord and protector (nātha)! At that moment Cunda was overcome with joy. He was like someone whose father and mother had suddenly died and just as suddenly had come back to life—Cunda's joy was this great. He rose again, bowed ceremoniously before the Buddha, and then spoke in verse: Glad indeed am I, having gained the blessing, Of acquiring a human body [in this life]. Of allaying all trace of my greed, anger, and so forth, Of having forever left behind birth in the three unfortunate realms. Glad indeed am I, having gained the blessing Of acquiring a bevy of gold and jewels by chance. Of encountering a lord and protector, Of no longer fearing a fall into an animal rebirth. A buddha is like an udumbaraflower,

To encounter one and have faith is so difficult. Yet when there is that encounter, good roots are planted, Freeing one forever from the sufferings of the hungry ghost. And also effectively reducing

Those born asasuras.

Tossing a mustard seed on to the tip of a needle, Is not as difficult as a buddha appearing in the world. By completing the [perfection of] charity, I cross beyond the saṃsāra of humans and gods. Not stained by mundane things (lokadharma), The Buddha is like a lotus flower standing in [muddy] water. Appropriately cutting off the seeds for even the highest birth, Crossing the stream of birth and death, forever. To be born in this world as a human is difficult. To meet a buddha in this world is yet more difficult. It is like a blind turtle in the middle of the ocean, Finding a floating board with a hole [to put his head through]! With this food that I have now offered, I hope to obtain the ultimate reward: 36

Fascicle II

May the fetters of all the defilements Be destroyed, never to grow strong again. As I stand here now,

I do not seek a heavenly body. Even if I were to attain one, My heart would be unwilling to enjoy it. For the Tathāgata has accepted my offerings— Such joy immeasurable!

It is like the [foul-smelling] eraṇḍaflower Producing the fragrance of sandalwood. My body is like the eraṇḍa; The Tathāgata, who accepts my offering, Is like the wafting sandalwood fragrance. This is why I am overjoyed, For here in this life,

I have attained the most exalted reward. The gods Indra and Brahmā, Come to make offerings to me! Yet the entire world is distressed For they know the World-honored Buddha Is about to enter nirvāṇa. In a loud voice they cry: "Imagine the world bereft of its lord and protector!" Lord, do not abandon us living beings— Look upon us as if we were your only son! When the Tathāgata is among the sangha, Expounding the unsurpassed dharma, He is like a jeweled Mount Sumeru, Standing amid oceans.

The Buddha's wisdom can effectively cut Through the darkness of our ignorance: When clouds cover the sky, It can get freezing cold, But the Tathāgata can effectively eliminate All our defilements,

373a

37

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I Just like the sun coming out Disperses the clouds and illuminates everything. These living beings

Howl and cry, their faces swollen. As everyone drifts

On the cruel waters of birth and death. For this reason, World-Honored One, To extend the faith of living beings And cut away their pain in saṃsāra, You must remain long in this world! The Buddha then said to Cunda: Just so, just so! Just as you have explained, the appearance of a buddha in the world is as rare as the udumbaraflower. Meeting a buddha and having faith [in him] is also extremely difficult and rare. But providing the final offering of alms just as this buddha is facing nirvāṇa—and thereby accomplishing the perfection of the practice of charity—is even more difficult and rare.

Now Cunda, do not lament or grieve. Rather, you should be dancing with joy, rejoicing in your blessings to have been able to encounter this opportunity to present the final offering to a Tathāgata, and therein complete the perfection of charity. You should not be asking the Buddha to remain any longer in the world. Instead you should contemplate the fact that everything in the realm where a buddha [operates] is impermanent, and that the characteristics of the nature of all conditioned phenomena are just like this as well. He then spoke to Cunda in verse: In every world

What is born returns to death. Individual lifetimes, though uncountable in number, Must inevitably face their exhaustion. Whatever flourishes will inevitably weaken. Any assembly has its dispersal. The prime of life stops before long. 38

Fascicle II

The beautiful flush of youth will be corrupted by illness. Life is swallowed by death. For there is no phenomenon that is permanent, Kings may [reign] as they please, With power unmatched,

But everything undergoes change. A lifetime is also like this: A wheel of suffering, limitless In its transmigration, with nary a rest. In the triple world all is impermanent, All existence is without pleasure. The original nature and characteristics of these paths of existence Are empty throughout.

All these perishable dharmas flowing in and out, Eternally saddled with grief. The harmful errors of fear, The anxiety of aging, illness, death, and debilitation, These have no limit.

[Health] is easily broken, [hearts] are invaded by resentment, Wrapped in defilements, [living beings] are Like silkworms inside their cocoons. What person of wisdom

Would find pleasure in such a state? This body, where pain and suffering is collected, Where everything is impure, Confined, subject to ulcers, and more, It is fundamentally without value. Even up through the bodies of those in the highest heavens, It is exactly the same.

All desire is impermanent, So to the self one does not cling (saṅga). Freed of desire, with proper thinking One thus realizes Truth (mokṣa). Having completely cut all ties to [the great flow of] existence, Today will be my parinirvāṇa. 373b

39

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

373c

When I crossed over to the other shore of existence, I went beyond all forms of suffering. For this reason, it is now

That I graciously accept the wondrous bliss [of nirvāṇa]. By means of this causality

I realize what is beyond all frivolous discourse, And cut off the binds of illusion, forever. Today I enter nirvāṇa

There is no aging, illness, or death for me, For my lifespan cannot be exhausted. I now enter nirvāṇa.

Like the burning out of a great flame. Cunda, you should not speculate On the meaning of the Tathāgata's [parinirvāṇa]. Contemplate the Tathāgata's abiding presence Like Mount Sumeru.

I now enter nirvāṇa

Acceding to the highest bliss. Thus is the nature of buddhas, You should weep no longer.

Then Cunda spoke to the Buddha, saying: World-Honored One. Just so, just so! Truly your sacred teaching is just as you say. The wisdom I now possess is so trifling as to be nothing more than [that of] a mosquito or gnat—how could I ever conceive of the deep, profound reasons for the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa? Ah, World-Honored One! Now, it may be that along with the bodhisattva-mahā sattvas, like great dragons and elephants, I have now done away with the contaminants and stand equal to Mañjuśrī, the Dharma Prince. But, World-Honored One, my case is like the example of a youth when he first enters the order: though he has yet to receive full ordination he is considered to be a member of a sangha. It is only by means of the supernatural powers of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas that I have attained the position of being counted among these great bodhisattvas. This is why I now want to have the Tathāgata stay in the world for a long time without 40

Fascicle II

entering nirvāṇa. Like a starving man with nothing left even to vomit, I still somehow hope to make the World-Honored One remain in this world forever, never to enter nirvāṇa.

At that time Mañjuśrī, the Dharma Prince, addressed Cunda: Cunda! You should not speak in that way, trying to make the Tathāgata stay in the world forever and so preventing his parinirvāṇa,acting like a man so hungry he has nothing even to vomit. Instead you should be contemplating the nature and characteristics of all conditioned phenomena. Contemplate conditioned phenomena in this way and you will come to have a samādhiof emptiness. If you are seeking the true-dharma, you should apply yourself in this way.

Cunda then asked:

Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata is the most esteemed, most exalted one in the heavens and on earth. So how is it that the Tathāgata is something conditioned? If he were conditioned, he would be a dharma that arises and perishes, comparable to water bubbles that quickly arise and just as quickly disappear. The revolving cycle of going and coming [among conditioned phenomena] turns round and round like a wagon wheel. Everything conditioned follows the same pattern in this sense. I have heard that the lifetimes of the gods in the heavens are extremely long. How is it that the World-Honored One is said to be a god among gods, yet he ages so quickly, his lifetime lasting not even a hundred years? Think of the analogy of a village chieftain whose authority brings him freedom but who uses his power to oppress others. When his good fortune has run out, he will then be poor and miserable, disdained by the community and exploited by others. Why does this happen? Because he has lost his power. Could the World-Honored One be similarly the same as conditioned phenomena? If he were the same as conditioned phenomena, then he would not be called "a god among gods.

" Why? Because everything conditioned is

just a saṃsāric phenomenon. Therefore, Mañjuśrī, do not consider the Tathāgata to be the same as all the conditioned phenomena. In addition, Mañjuśrī, are you saying the Tathāgata is the same as conditioned phenomena based on what you know, or are you saying this 41

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

374a

without really knowing? If the Tathāgata were the same as all conditioned phenomena, then he would not be deserving of the appellation, "God

Among Gods, Unencumbered Dharma King" in the triple world. Consider the analogy of a monarch who has a very powerful warrior. This man has the strength of a thousand men and there is no one who can defeat him, so they call him "a man equal to a thousand.

" Cherished by the king, he

is rewarded handsomely with nobility and emolument. The reason they call him "equal to a thousand" is not because his strength necessarily competes with that of a thousand people, but because he is able to defeat a thousand men by means of his various skills and techniques, both active and passive. This is why he is said to be equal to a thousand. The Tathāgata is also like this. He defeats the demons that are the defilement-māra, the aggregate-māra, the heavenly māras, and the māra of death. The Tathāgata is therefore called "Lord of the Triple World. "

Similar to that powerful warrior who is called "a man equal to a thousand. " By means of causal factors like these he is accomplished in various and uncountable genuine virtues. That is why he is called "Thus Come, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened.

"

Mañjuśrī, you should avoid the conceptual aberration that regards the dharma of the Tathāgata as equivalent to conditioned phenomena. What if there were a very rich man who produced a son but then learned from the divination of a fortune-teller that the son's life will be short. Upon hearing this, the father and mother would understand that the son could not be designated the inheritor of the family estate. They would lose their affectionate attachment to him, seeing him as if he were but grass, for a short life span is not respected by mendicants, brahmans, men, or women, whether adults or children. If one were to say the Tathāgata is identical to other conditioned phenomena, then he, too, would not be respected by humans, gods, or living beings in any world. The unchanging, undifferentiated true teaching that the Tathāgata has expounded for us would not be accepted as well. This is why, Mañjuśrī, you should not preach that the Tathāgata's [existence] is identical to any form of conditioned phenomena.

In addition, Mañjuśrī, consider the parable of a destitute woman with no place to stay and no one to take care of her, who also suffers from 42

Fascicle II

illness and is racked with hunger and thirst. Roaming about begging, she ends up staying in a house belonging to someone else. There she gives birth to a child but when the master of the house [returns], he throws her out, forcing her to go away. So not long after giving birth she must carry her newborn in hopes of reaching another land. On the road she encounters a bad storm, bitter cold, and is stung by a host of mosquitoes, horseflies, and bees, and bitten by poisonous insects as well. Her journey brings her to the Ganges River, which she attempts to cross while holding her infant. [Trying to get her child to the other side,] no matter how swift the current, she will not let go; but in the end mother and child both drown. This woman creates extraordinary merit in her compassion [toward her child], and after her life ends she is reborn in a Brahmā heaven.

Mañjuśrī, if there is a good man who wants to protect the true-dharma, he should neither say that the Tathāgata is the same as conditioned phenomena nor that he is not the same as conditioned phenomena. What he should do is reproach himself with "I am ignorant and do not yet have the eye of wisdom.

" The true-dharma of the Tathāgata is inconceivable. Therefore it is improper to proclaim that the Tathāgata is definitely created (saṃskṛta) or definitely uncreated (asaṃskṛta). But if there were a correct viewpoint in this, it would be most appropriate to say the Tathāgata is definitely uncreated. Why? Because for the sake of living beings he generates the good dharma and because he generates kindness, like the poor woman who sacrifices her own life in the Ganges out of love for her child.

Good man, bodhisattvas who protect the dharma should also do likewise. It would be better to throw away your life than to preach that the Tathāgata is the same as created phenomena. You should instead say that the Tathāgata is the same as that which is uncreated. By preaching that the Tathāgata is identical to the uncreated, you will attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi,just like that woman attained birth in the Brahmā Heaven. Why? Because you would then be protecting the dharma. Precisely what is protecting the dharma? It is what I am speaking about: preaching that the Tathāgata is identical to the uncreated. Good man, a person who does this will attain liberation even if he does not seek liberation, just as that 374b

43

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

destitute woman attained the Brahmā Heaven even though she did not seek the Brahmā Heaven.

Mañjuśrī, it is like someone traveling on a remote road who becomes exhausted and takes lodging in an unknown inn. While lying asleep, his room is suddenly engulfed in enormous flames. Suddenly startled from sleep, he immediately thinks "No doubt I will surely die now. " Filled

with shame, he covers his body with his robes and presently dies, and is then reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. After eighty more rebirths there, he becomes a Mahābrahmā king, and after a hundred thousand lifetimes he is reborn as a "wheel-turning sacred king" (cakravartin). Never having to experience birth in any of the three unfortunate destinies (of hells, animals, and hungry ghosts), he is always born into a place of peace and happiness. For this reason, Mañjuśrī, if there is a good man who feels shame [about his spiritual attainments], he must not identify the Buddha as one of the conditioned phenomena. Mañjuśrī, the false views of a heretic may dictate that the Tathāgata is identical to created phenomena, but a bhikṣuwho keeps the precepts should not conjecture that the identity of the Tathāgata is created. If one states that the Tathāgata is created, that would be tantamount to lying. You should understand that such a person enters hell after he dies, just as if he were standing in his own house.

Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata is truly an uncreated dharma.You should no longer say otherwise. From this day forth, while in saṃsāra you must abandon your ignorance and seek correct wisdom, understanding that the Tathāgata is indeed uncreated. If you can perceive the Tathāgata in this way, you will become fully endowed with the thirty-two special marks [of an enlightened being] and quickly attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Then Mañjuśrī, the Dharma Prince, praised Cunda:

Excellent! Excellent! Good man, you have now created the karmic conditions for a long life, fully understanding that the Tathāgata is a permanently abiding dharma, an unchanging dharma, and an uncreated dharma. In this way you have now successfully overturned the [notion of] the Tathāgata as having the characteristics of that which is created. Your act is like the man exposed to fire who threw his robe over his body 44

Fascicle II

because he felt ashamed and who, by means of this exemplary state of mind, was reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, again as Mahābrahmā, and again as a wheel-turning sacred king, never again going into the lower realms of existence, always receiving births of peace and happiness. Because you are also like him in the excellent way you have overturned the notion of the Tathāgata as having the characteristics of created existences, in the future you will most assuredly attain the thirty-two major and eighty minor marks, as well as the eighteen distinctive characteristics of a buddha.

31With an immeasurably long life, you will no longer experience the cycle of birth and death as such, but will remain in a state of peace and happiness, from which you will attain arhatship and full enlightenment before long.

Cunda, the Tathāgata presently will elaborate this point in detail and together you and I shall overturn the notion of the Tathāgata as created. So let us put aside this issue of created and uncreated for the moment. But you should serve food quickly when the situation requires it. Charity such as this is the best among all types of charity. For these monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen are exhausted from their long journey. They require something clean and pure and you should try to provide this as needed. Responding quickly with charity like this is the fundamental seed of completing the perfection of charity.

Cunda, as you are the last one to provide alms for the Buddha and the sangha, whatever it is you give, be it plentiful, trivial, adequate, or inadequate, do try to be quick about it. For the Tathāgata is just about to assume parinirvāṇa.

Cunda then responded:

Mañjuśrī, why are you obsessed with this meal—talking about the food being plentiful or trivial, adequate or inadequate, and making sure that I provide things on time? Mañjuśrī, in the olden days the Tathāgata underwent asceticism for six years and yet sustained himself. Why wouldn't he be able to endure for a few more moments today? Mañjuśrī, are you actually saying that the Tathāgata in his perfect enlightenment will partake of this food? For I definitely know the body of the Tathāgata is none other than a body of dharma and not a body [that is sustained by] food. 45

374c

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

At this point the Buddha spoke up and said to Mañjuśrī: Just so, just so! It is just as Cunda has said. Excellent, Cunda! You have already attained a wisdom great and subtle, skillfully penetrating the extremely profound Mahāyāna sutras.

Mañjuśrī then said to Cunda:

You describe the Tathāgata as uncreated and the Tathāgata's body as having a very long life. Whenever one can produce such understanding the Buddha will be favorably disposed toward him.

Cunda answered: "The Tathāgata is not only favorably disposed toward me, he is favorably disposed toward all living beings. "

Mañjuśrī then said: "You, me, and all living beings—the Tathāgata is favorably disposed toward everyone.

"

Cunda answered:

You should not say the Tathāgata is favorably disposed, for the very idea of him being "favorably disposed" is wrongheaded (*viparīta-saṃjñā). Such false concepts are saṃsāric, and everything in saṃsāra is created. Therefore, Mañjuśrī, do not refer to the Tathāgata as created. If we allude to the Tathāgata as created, then you and I are both committing acts of distortion. Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata has no notion of affectionate love. By affectionate love I am referring to the way a cow loves her calf: even when she is out in search of water or grass because she is thirsty or hungry, she may suddenly return home [when she thinks of her calf] regardless of whether or not she has satisfied her own needs. Buddhas, worldhonored ones, do not have such thoughts. They look upon all [living beings] as Rāhula. It is precisely the realm of the buddhas' wisdom [and not in saṃsāra] where thoughts such as this occur.

Mañjuśrī, this is analogous to a team of horses specially trained by the king. Though we may want to empower our donkey cart to reach that level, it makes no sense to expect such a thing. You and I are also like this. Much as we may want to see the entirety of the hidden, profound depths of the Tathāgata, this is unreasonable. Mañjuśrī, it is like a garuḍa soaring into the sky for countless yojanas. He looks down into the ocean and sees families of water creatures such as fish, soft-shelled turtles, sea 46

Fascicle II

turtles, and other turtles, crocodiles, and serpents; he even sees his own reflection appearing like an object in a bright mirror. With their limited understanding, ordinary persons cannot fathom what that bird sees. You and I are also like this: we cannot fathom the wisdom of a Tathāgata. Mañjuśrī addressed Cunda:

Just so, just so! It is just as you have explained. It is not that I had not discerned this; I merely wanted to test you in the affairs of a bodhisattva. Just then the World-Honored One emitted a variegated light from between his eyebrows, illuminating the body of Mañjuśrī. Upon encountering this light, Mañjuśrī understood what it was. He then spoke to Cunda: As the Tathāgata has manifested this propitious sign, he will surely be entering nirvāṇa before too long. These last offerings that you have prepared must be presented to the Buddha and the assembly in a timely manner. You do understand that the Tathāgata does not shine forth this type of multicolored light without a reason.

Upon hearing this, his emotions in check, Cunda grew quiet. The Buddha then said to Cunda: "Now is the proper time to make your offerings to the Buddha and the assembly. The Tathāgata is about to assumeparinirvāṇa. "

He spoke in this manner a second and then a third time. After hearing the Buddha speak in this way, Cunda finally cried aloud, choked with sadness: "How awful, how distressing! The world will be empty!" He then turned to the assembly and said,

"We should all prostrate ourselves on the ground right now and with one voice urge the Buddha not to pass intoparinirvāṇa!" At that point the World-Honored One spoke again to Cunda: Do not carry on like that—you will harm yourself. You must consider the fact that this body is like a banana tree, a mirage in hot weather, a water bubble, a hallucination, an imaginary construct, an illusory city floating in the air conjured up by gandharvas, an unfired pot, or a flash of lightning. It is like drawing something on water, a prisoner facing death, ripe fruit, or cut meat; like the warp thread running out on a loom, like the up and down motion when grinding in a mortar as well. You should ponder the fact that all compounded things are like so much poisoned food, that there is much misery in conditioned phenomena. 47

375a

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

375b

To which Cunda replied to the Buddha: The Tathāgata does not wish to remain long in this world. How can I not cry? This is terrible, distressing! The world will be empty. All I ask, World-Honored One, is that you take pity on us here and indeed on all living beings and remain with us for some time. Do not pass into parinirvāṇa!

The Buddha said to Cunda:

You should not say things like,

"Take pity on us and remain in the world longer.

" I have pity for you, indeed for everyone. That is precisely why I am now about to enter nirvāṇa. What is this? This is the nature of buddhas, just as it is for created phenomena as well. This is why buddhas utter the verse:

All created things

Have natures impermanent.

After coming into existence, they do not abide. Tranquil extinction is bliss.

Cunda, you should contemplate how all compounded things are mixed with the dharmas of nonself, impermanence, and nonabiding. This body, with its innumerable forms of misery, is like foam on the surface of water. For this reason, you should not cry now. Then Cunda said to the Buddha:

Just so, just so. It is indeed as the Lord teaches. Although I am aware that the Tathāgata's entering into nirvāṇa is an expression of expediency (upāya), yet I am still unable to dispel my grief. On the other hand, when I ponder the matter, I also have feelings of joy. The Buddha praised Cunda:

Excellent! Excellent! You have understood well that the Tathāgata manifests his nirvāṇa of expediency for all living beings. Cunda, listen to me now. Just as the sārasacranes32 flock to Lake Anavatapta33 in the months of spring, so do the buddhas all come to this place. Cunda, you must not now deliberate over whether the lives of buddhas are long or 48

Fascicle II

short. All conditioned dharmas are like illusory forms, and while a tathāgata is among them he is using his powers of skillful means to do so but he is never tainted by them. Why? Because this is the nature of buddhas. Cunda, I now accept the offerings you present because I want to enable you to cross over the streams of existence that are saṃsāra. If all humans and deities made offerings to me in this final moment, each of them would attain the karmic reward of imperturbability, which is to be eternally blessed with peace and happiness. Why would this happen? Because I am a most excellent field of blessing for living beings. If you also want to become a field of blessings for living beings, then quickly present your offerings; do not tarry.

So that living beings may attain liberation, Cunda then lowered his head, swallowed his tears, and said to the Buddha:

Excellent, World-Honored One! If I am worthy, when I become a field of merit I will be able to comprehend the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa and his nonnirvāṇa. But at the moment the wisdom possessed by myself and indeed all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas is little more than that of mosquitoes or ants. We truly cannot fathom the nirvāṇa—or even the nonnirvāṇa—of the Tathāgata.

At that time Cunda and his followers, feeling forlorn and agitated, circumambulated the Tathāgata even as they wept. They burned incense and scattered flowers, paying homage [to the Buddha] with utter sincerity. Then, together with Mañjuśrī, they left their seats to prepare the meal provisions. It was not long after they had left their seats that the earth shook in six different ways, reaching all the way up to the Brahmā Heaven, where it was also felt. There are two kinds of such things: earthquakes and major earthquakes. Small tremors are simply called "earthquakes" but when there is significant movement it is referred to as a "major earthquake. " Likewise, when

the sound associated with these occurrences is small, the event is called an "earthquake" but when the sound is loud one also speaks of a "major earthquake. " If only the ground moves, that is an "earthquake,

" but if mountains,

rivers, trees, and waters in the ocean move—when everything moves—then it is called a "major earthquake.

" If the movement is only in one direction,

it is an "earthquake" but if everything moves this way and that, then it is 49

375c

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

called a "major earthquake.

" Movement of the earth is known simply as an "earthquake" but when that movement can cause the minds of living beings to move, it is called "a major earthquake. " When the bodhisattva began his descent from Tuṣita Heaven into Jambudvīpa, this was known as a "major earthquake.

" When he was born, when he left his household, when he achieved anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi,when he turned the wheel of the dharma, and when he attained nirvāṇa, these were all known as "major earthquakes. "

Today the Tathāgata is about to enter nirvāṇa, and that is why the earth has now moved in such dramatic ways. At that time devas, nāgas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, maho ragas, humans and nonhumans alike, upon hearing the words [exchanged between the Buddha and Cunda] felt their own hair stand on end. Sadly crying in unison, they uttered these verses: Bow down in reverence to the Protector! We now beseech you most earnestly, For, apart from the Great Saint of mankind, We will be helpless forever.

To observe the Buddha's impending nirvāṇa Is for us to sink into a sea of despair. Forlorn, disturbed, overcome with a dismal anguish, Like a calf that has lost its mother, Poor and helpless,

We are like someone seized by illness Who, without a physician, follows his own will, And eats what he should not.

Living beings, sick with the defilements, Constantly victimized by their own opinions, Apart from the Physician of the Dharma They take harmful, poisonous medicines. For this reason, Buddha, World-Honored One, We should not be abandoned!

Like a nation without a sovereign, The people will all starve.

We, too, are up against it,

50

Fascicle II

Losing our shade and our dharma elixir. Hearing now of the Buddha's nirvāṇa, Our hearts are panic-stricken, Like a major earthquake That causes people to lose their way. When the Great Saint enters nirvāṇa, The Buddha Sun will have fallen beyond the horizon, The waters of the dharma will have dried up, And we will surely die. The parinirvāṇaof a tathāgata Is the most distressing moment for a living being. Like the son of a powerful family Who has just lost his mother and father. The Tathāgata enters nirvāṇa, And if he does not return, We and the other living beings— None of us will be saved. The Tathāgata enters nirvāṇa, And even the animals

Will all be gripped with fear, Anxiety scorching their hearts. For us on this day,

How could we not be in anguish? We are cast aside by the Tathāgata, As one expectorates mucus or saliva. Just as when the sun first rises, Shining with a flame so radiant, It comes back to illuminate itself, While destroying all darkness. Let the light of the Tathāgata's spiritual powers Effectively remove our sufferings— Reside here within this mass of living beings, Like Mount Sumeru!

[They then said:]

376a

51

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

World-Honored One, this is analogous to a king who begets sons and raises them to be proper in appearance and manner, with hearts constant in thoughts of love. At first he teaches them the skills [to succeed] and makes sure they have mastered each one, but after that he entrusts his executioners with the task of having them killed. World-Honored One, today we are the sons of a dharma king and have gratefully received your teachings so that we may form correct views. Pray, do not abandon us like the abandoning of that king's sons. All we ask is that you abide here for some time and not enter nirvāṇa.

World-Honored One, this is analogous to someone well studied in the literature but who is struck with fear when looking at this text. The Tathāgata is of course accomplished in all manner of dharmas, but in regard to these dharmas [we] also have fear. So if we could but have the Tathāgata remain in the world for some time, expounding the timeless ambrosia (amṛta) of the dharma and fulfilling the needs of all, then living beings would no longer fear falling into the hell realms. World-Honored One, this is analogous to someone who has just begun to learn his trade but then finds himself arrested by officials and locked up in prison. People ask him,

"How are you taking all this?" He answers,

"I am in agony! If only I could obtain my freedom, I would be overjoyed. "

World-Honored One, this is what it is like [for us]. You practiced all those austerities for our sake, but at the moment we are as yet incapable of escaping the sufferings of saṃsāra. So how could the Tathāgata accept the [ultimate] bliss [and disappear]?

World-Honored One, this is analogous to a master physician skilled in Āyurvedic medicines and their application. He passes on the secret medicinal preparations solely to his son and does not teach these things to his other pupils. The Tathāgata seems also to be like this: you have taught the most profound and hidden treasury of doctrines solely to Mañjuśrī and are abandoning us without consideration. The Tathāgata should not be like that master physician, you should have no parsimony regarding the dharma, as [the physician] did regarding the secrets of his knowledge, teaching it to his son to whom he is partial but not to his other students. That physician is unable to teach what he knows openly due to a sense of success or failure within him that makes him secretive 52

Fascicle II

and resentful. But there are never any thoughts of success or failure in the Tathāgata, so why will we not be [similarly] instructed? All we ask is that the Tathāgata reside [with us] for some time and not pass into final nirvāṇa.

World-Honored One, this is analogous to some people that, whether they are old, young, infirm, or in distress, choose to abandon the straight and true path for a steep and dangerous one. This steep path is fraught with difficulty and will bring a great deal of pain and suffering. But there is also someone else who sees all this and, feeling sympathy and compassion for them, immediately points out a road that is flat and easy to travel. Lord, we are just like those people [on dangerous paths]. The socalled "young" in this example is a metaphor for those who have not yet nurtured their capacity to the point where they can realize the dharma body. The "old" is a metaphor for those plagued by a build-up of the defilements. The "infirm" represents those not yet free of the cycle of birth and death. And the "steep path" is a metaphor for [all] twenty-five forms of existence found within the cycle of birth and death. All we ask, Tathāgata, is that you lead us on the right path to the ambrosia of immortality. Stay in the world for some time with us; do not enter into nirvāṇa! At that time the World-Honored One addressed the assembly of monks: Bhikṣus! Do not be like the ordinary people, or the gods for that matter, who cry out in sorrow. You must be diligent, your minds concentrated, and your thoughts upright.

Then, having heard what the Buddha had said, the gods, humans, asuras, and the others stopped their weeping, much like someone who mourns the loss of a child has reached a point where he can cry no more. At that point the World-Honored One uttered these verses for all to hear: You should all open your minds,

You must avoid this great depression!

The natures of buddhas are all like this,

So quiet down. Rejoice in your assiduous practice,

Guard your thoughts, direct your attention properly, Distance yourself from all impropriety,

And take comfort in the joy you get [from that].

53

376b

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

[The Buddha then said:]

Furthermore, bhikṣus, if you have any doubts at all, now is the time to ask about them. You may wonder if something is empty or nonempty, permanent or impermanent, painful or not painful, a support or not a support, gone or not gone, a refuge or not a refuge, eternal or not eternal; if something is terminable or constant, a living being or not a living being; if something exists or does not exist; if something is real or not real, true or not true, emancipated or not emancipated, concealed or unconcealed; or if something is dual or nondual. If you have any doubts concerning one or more aspects of the dharma such as these I have just mentioned, you should ask me now and I will accordingly erase those doubts for you. After I have expounded the immortal ambrosia [of the dharma] to you, then and only then will I enter nirvāṇa. Bhikṣus, it is extraordinary for a buddha to appear in the world. It is rare to obtain a human body. For you to meet a buddha and arouse faith [in his teachings]—such things are even more rare. To be able to endure what is difficult to endure, this is also rare. To be able to fulfill the requirements of the rules of discipline perfectly without any lapses, to attain the fruit of arhatship, these things are also rare, like searching for gold dust or an udumbaraflower.

Bhikṣus, it is highly unusual that you have managed to avoid the difficult conditions of the eight inopportune births, 34 enabling you to obtain

a human body [in which you can now hear the dharma from me]. That you have encountered me should not be dismissed as insignificant. Over a long time I have performed a variety of ascetic practices such that I have now obtained unsurpassed skillfulness in expedient means. It is thus for your sake that in the course [of many lives] over innumerable kalpas I have tossed away my body, my hands, my feet, my head, my eyes, and even my brain. For that reason you must not be lazy. Bhikṣus, how does one adorn the jeweled castle of the true-dharma? Furnish it with a variety of rare gems of virtuous merit. Make morality (śīla), meditation (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā) its walls, moats, and parapets. Now that you have encountered this jeweled castle of the buddha-dharma, do not take it to be inauthentic. That would be like a merchant who comes across a castle filled with genuine jewels but comes 54

Fascicle II

home instead with debris. You may similarly come away with falsehoods from your encounter with this jeweled castle [if you regard it erroroneously]. Monks, do not become complacent, indulging in low thoughts! Although you have obtained ordination, you have no yearning for the Mahāyāna. Monks, although you have succeeded in putting on kaṣāya dyed robes35 your hearts have yet to be dyed in the pure teaching of the Mahāyāna. Monks, although you have practiced almsbegging and have moved around from place to place, from the outset you have never begged for the dharma-food of the Mahāyāna. Monks, although you have removed the hair on your heads and chins, you have yet to take up the true-dharma to remove that which binds you to the world. Monks, I will now lay out the true teaching for you.

Now, at this moment I am here, this great assembly is harmoniously gathered together, and the natural condition of the tathāgatas is true and never in error. For this reason you must be diligent, focused, courageous, and put an end to the errors that bind you to the world. When this wisdomsun with its tenfold powers sinks over the horizon and is gone, you will be enveloped in the darkness of ignorance. Monks, just as the medicinal herbs of the mountains and the continents are there for living beings to make use of, my dharma should be thought of in the same way. This dharma that I have brought forth, whose flavor is the sublime ambrosia of immortality, is the ideal medicine for the various defilements that plague living beings. From now I will turn all living beings into my own children. The four groups [of believers] should all be securely settled within the hidden treasury. I, too, will be settled there, whereupon I will enter nirvāṇa. Now what is this thing I call the "hidden treasury"? It is something like the three dots that form the Sanskrit letter "i" —if they were written

in a horizontal line, they would not form the letter "i" and if laid out vertically they would also fail to produce the letter. Only when they are arranged like the three eyes in the face of Maheśvara will they form the letter "i.

"36 No other formulation will work.

I, too, am thus. The dharma of liberation is not nirvāṇa, the body of the Tathāgata is not nirvāṇa, and the spiritual wisdom of mahāprajñāis also not nirvāṇa. Each of these three dharmas is different; each by itself is not nirvāṇa. It is because I am now settled in all three of these dharmas 55

376c

377a

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

that for the sake of living beings I "enter nirvāṇa,

" as it is called, just

like the letter "i" is commonly understood.

At that time the bhikṣus, upon hearing that the Buddha World-Honored One would surely pass into nirvāṇa, were all despondent. The hair on their body stood on end and tears welled up in their eyes. Bowing down to the feet of the Buddha, they circumambulated him numerous times and finally spoke up:

World-Honored One. You have readily explained the notions of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and nonself. World-Honored One, just as among the footprints of all living beings there is nothing that surpasses the footprint of an elephant, so too is the concept of impermanence paramount among all concepts. Anyone who is diligent in his cultivation of this will be able to eliminate all craving in the realm of desire, all attachment in the realms of form and nonform, spiritual ignorance, arrogance, and even conceptions of impermanence itself. World-Honored One. If the Tathāgata has abandoned the concept of impermanence, then he should not enter nirvāṇa now. If he has not abandoned it, then why would he tell us that cultivating the concept of impermanence will free us from attachment, ignorance, arrogance, and even the concept of impermanence itself in regard to the triple world? World-Honored One, this is analogous to the farmer who plows his land deeply in autumn and is [thus] able to remove its weeds. The concept of impermanence is also like this, for it enables one to remove all craving in the world of desire and in the realms of form and nonform; all attachment, spiritual ignorance, arrogance, and even conceptions of impermanence itself. World-Honored One, just like the fact that when plowing fields it is paramount to plow in autumn, and among the footprints of living beings the footprint of the elephant is paramount, among all conceptualizations the concept of impermanence is paramount. World-Honored One. Suppose there is a sovereign who, knowing his life was about to end, grants pardons to the prisoners incarcerated under his rule, and only after doing this does he relinquish his hold on life. Should not the Tathāgata now also respond in this way, saving living beings from every confinement of their stupidity and spiritual ignorance, enabling them all to attain liberation,and only after doing 56

Fascicle II

that enter parinirvāṇa? All of us here have yet to attain deliverance. How could the Tathāgata be on the edge of abandoning us to enter nirvāṇa, just like that?

World-Honored One, it is like someone possessed by a demon. If he meets a good exorcist he will have the opportunity to be freed by means of the power of that master's incantations. In like manner, the Tathāgata can remove the demons of ignorance from his śrāvakas, empowering them to settle themselves in the dharmas of great wisdom, liberation, and so forth, just like the worldly letter "i.

"

World-Honored One, it is like a rutting elephant held in captivity. He cannot be restrained even by experienced trainers and could suddenly break any ropes or chains holding him and run away. But we are not yet able to do that—we have yet to throw off the fifty-seven defilements that bind us [to the world of birth and death]. So how could the Tathāgata be on the edge of abandoning us to enter nirvāṇa?

World-Honored One. Just as someone suffering from malaria could have his pain eliminated after meeting a skilled physician, we are in the same situation. We suffer from a host of vexations, improper ways of making a living, and feverish illnesses. And although we have encountered a tathāgata, our illnesses are yet to be healed; we have yet to attain the unsurpassed peace and eternal bliss [that we know is possible]. How could the Tathāgata be about to abandon [us now] and enter nirvāṇa? World-Honored One, suppose there were someone so intoxicated that he became completely unaware of what was going on. He could not even distinguish those who were close to him from those who were not—he did not recognize his mother, his daughter, or his sister, for example. Abandoning himself to wild licentiousness, he became impudent in his speech and would even lie down in the filth of his own excrement. Then a skilled master appeared who managed to get him to take medicine for his condition. After taking the medicine, he would disgorge the alcohol [in his stomach] and return to his normal state of mind. In his heart he would then feel ashamed and reproach himself deeply for his behavior. Alcohol is not good, the root of harmful things. [He knows that] if he could only expunge it from his life, he could distance himself from the wrongdoings he is wont to do. Blessed One, we are just like 57

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

377b

this. From the ancient past we have transmigrated through the realm of birth and death intoxicated with physical pleasure and craving stimulation through our five senses. We harbor notions of motherhood that are not what our mothers are, we harbor notions of sisterhood that are not what our sisters are, we harbor notions of "what a daughter is" that are not what daughters are, and we create notions of what "living beings are" that are not what living beings are. This is why we repeatedly transmigrate in this painful cycle of saṃsāra, lying down in the filth of our own excrement like that inebriated man. If the Tathāgata would only administer the medicine of the dharma to us now, it would enable us to disgorge the harmful wine of the defilements. And yet here we are, having not yet attained this mind of awakening. How could the Tathāgata be on the verge of abandoning us to enter nirvāṇa himself?

World-Honored One, it is like someone who appreciates the banana tree as something solid, when in fact it is no such thing. World-Honored One, living beings are like that. They may appreciate a self, a person, an individual living being, a life span, a personality, an observer, an actor, or an experiencer—seeing them all as real. But in fact these [identities] are also falsely deduced [from experience]. This is how we cultivate our consciousness of nonself. World-Honored One, these notions are analogous to wine sediment—of no use whatsoever.

This body is like that as well, without a self and without a master. World-Honored One, just like the flower of the seven-leaved saptaparṇa tree has no scent,

37 this body has no self and no master as well. In this way our thoughts are always directed toward cultivating the discernment of nonself. It is just as the Buddha has explained to us: All dharmas are devoid of self or anything pertaining to self. Monks, you should cultivate this understanding, for having done so will remove your egotism. And after one has abandoned their egotism, that person will thereupon enter nirvāṇa.

World-Honored One, just as it makes no sense for someone to say that traces of the birds in the sky are visible, it makes no sense that such views [of "I" or "mine"] would be held by anyone capable of cultivating a consciousness of nonself.

58

Fascicle II

At that point the World-Honored One praised the bhikṣus, saying: "Excellent, excellent! You have cultivated your discernment of nonself quite beautifully. "

Then the bhikṣus spoke to the Buddha, saying:

World-Honored One. We have not only cultivated our perception of nonself, we have also cultivated other discerning perceptions: that is, we are concerned with what is suffering and what is impermanence in addition to what is nonself. World-Honored One. Like an intoxicated person, whose mind in a daze sees mountains, rivers, stone walls, grasses and trees, palaces, houses, the sun, moon, or stars as if they were all spinning round, World-Honored One, anyone who does not cultivate his perception of suffering, impermanence, and nonself [is disoriented and] cannot be called a [true] "noble seeker.

" Undisciplined in many ways, such a person

transmigrates in the cycle of birth and death. World-Honored One, these are the reasons why we carefully practice these discernments. At that point the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus: Now listen carefully, listen carefully! In the analogy of the intoxicated man that you just gave, you have understood the written letters but you have not penetrated into what they mean. What does this story mean? It is that living beings on the whole are just like that intoxicated person who, looking up at the sun and moon, perceives them to be spinning when in fact they are not. Blinded by defilement and ignorance, they create misconceptions in the form of inversions in their thinking: what is self they reckon as nonself, what is constant or permanent they reckon as impermanent, what is pure they reckon as impure, and what is joyful they reckon as painful. Because [living beings] are deluded by the defilements, even if they recognize these [as errors] they still do not comprehend what this means, just like that intoxicated person who perceived something to be spinning when it was not.

"Self" is what "buddha" means.

"Permanence" is what "dharma body"

means.

"Bliss" is what "nirvāṇa" means.

"Purity" is what "dharma"

means. Bhikṣus, why do you say,

"To have any perception of self reflects

arrogance and pride, and leads to transmigration in saṃsāra"? [With that 59

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

377c

attitude] when any of you declare,

"I cultivate my perception of impermanence, suffering, and nonself, " these three types of practice will have

no real meaning.

But now I will explain to you three special dharmas to cultivate instead. When what is painful is regarded as joyful and what is joyful is regarded as painful, that is an inverted dharma.When what is impermanent is regarded as permanent and what is permanent is regarded as impermanent, that is an inverted dharma.When what is nonself is regarded as self and what is self is regarded as nonself, that is an inverted dharma.When what is impure is regarded as pure and what is pure is regarded as impure, that is an inverted dharma.It is because of these four inversions that people do not understand the proper practice of dharma.

Bhikṣus, when you are enveloped by a dharma of pain or suffering you can still entertain the notion of joy or bliss, when you are enveloped by a dharma of impermanence you can still entertain the notion of permanence, when you are enveloped by a dharma of nonself you can still entertain the notion of self, and when you are enveloped by a dharma of impurity you can still entertain the notion of purity. The mundane world contains permanence, bliss, self, and purity, and the supramundane world also contains permanence, bliss, self, and purity. And while these words in the context of the dharma [taught] in the mundane world may have no meaning, in the context of the supramundane world these words do have meaning.

Why is this? It is because people are affected by these four inversions that they do not understand the meaning of the dharma [taught] in the mundane world. And what is the reason for that? It is because people in the mundane world are impacted by three inversions—perception, reflection, and theory—and thus they perceive suffering in what is joyous, they perceive impermanence in what is permanent, they perceive nonself in what is self, and they perceive impurity in what is pure. These [errors] are known as "inversions" and it is by means of them that written letters may function in the world yet their [true] meanings remain unknown. And what are those meanings? "Nonself" [actually] denotes "saṃsāra.

" "Self" denotes "tathāgata.

" "Impermanence" denotes

"śrāvakas" and "pratyekabuddhas.

" "Permanence" denotes the "dharma

60

Fascicle II

body of tathāgatas.

" "Pain" (*duḥkha) denotes "all other paths.

" Bliss

(*sukha) denotes "nirvāṇa" itself.

"Impurity" denotes "created dharmas.

"

"Purity" denotes "the true teaching of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. "

All these are what I call the "noninversions.

" It is by means of what is

not inverted that one can understand the meaning of letters. If you want to separate yourself from the four inversions, you must understand permanence, bliss, purity, and self in this way. Then the bhikṣus spoke up and addressed the Buddha thus: World-Honored One. The Buddha has expounded on the fact that by separating oneself from the four inversions one attains an understanding of permanence, bliss, self, and purity. The Tathāgata himself now resides in a state eternally devoid of the four inversions, and thus is fully cognizant of permanence, bliss, self, and purity. But if you are already fully aware of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, then why do you not remain with us for one kalpaor even a half a kalpa,guiding us so that we may also leave behind the four inversions? Instead we are going to be abandoned, as you are now about to enter nirvāṇa. Tathāgata, if we would be given consideration and would be directed by you, we would sincerely accept and practice [your teaching]. Tathāgata, if you enter nirvāṇa, how are we to establish ourselves in the pure brahmacaryapractices38 while residing in these bodies of poison? What we should do is follow the Buddha World-Honored One to enter nirvāṇa.

Then the Buddha said this to the bhikṣus:

You should not use that kind of language. I have entrusted the entire unsurpassed righteous dharma to Mahākāśyapa.

39 This Mahākāśyapa

will be a great support for you. Just as the Tathāgata has been the ground of support for living beings, Mahākāśyapa will also become a ground of support for you. This is analogous to a great king with many territories under his command who, when he embarks on a journey to tour them, entrusts everything to his chief minister. The Tathāgata is acting in this way when he entrusts the true-dharma to Mahākāśyapa. You should also understand that the perceptions of impermanence and suffering that you have been cultivating are not true realities. The situation 61

378a

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

is analogous to a group of people going out on a lake in boats to enjoy themselves in springtime and they inadvertently drop a jeweled necklace made of vaiḍūryainto the water, thereby losing it. At that moment everyone jumps into the water to look for it. Competing with one another in the water, they grab rocks, vegetation, or gravel, each declaring, "I have found

it!" and jubilantly holding it up for all to see, only then realizing that they have something else entirely, as the necklace is still in the water. By virtue of the power of the gemstones, however, the water becomes clear. Everyone in the crowd can then see the necklace in the water just as if they were looking up into the sky and seeing the shape of the moon. While all this is going on, there is one wise man in the crowd who skillfully slips into the water and grabs the necklace.

Bhikṣus, thus you should not cultivate your ideas of impermanence, suffering, nonself, impurity, and so forth as if they were the true meaning [of the human condition]. Just like those people who took rocks, vegetation, or gravel to be the jeweled necklace they were looking for, you must carefully learn about expedient means so that wherever you are, you can continually cultivate your perception of self as well as your perceptions of permanence, bliss, and purity. You also need to understand that the forms of the four teachings that you have been studying are all inverted. Those who want to obtain the truth need to cultivate their discernment of things, just like the wise man who skillfully [noticed what was really going on and] brought up the jeweled necklace. By this I am referring to your perception of self and your perceptions of permanence, bliss, and purity as well.

At that point the monks responded by saying to the Buddha: World-Honored One, in the past you preached this to us: All dharmas are devoid of self. You should cultivate this understanding, for having done so you will then leave behind your idea of self. When you have abandoned your idea of self, you will then leave behind your arrogance, and one who abandons arrogance can gain entrance into nirvāṇa.

What did that mean?

62

Fascicle II

The Buddha said to the monks:

Excellent, excellent! It is well that you have inquired into the meaning of this matter in an effort to dispel your own doubts. Consider this parable. There was once a king of dull sensitivity and little wisdom. [Serving him] was a physician whose nature was also rather stupid, yet as the king was unable to distinguish such things, he gave [the physician] a very generous official salary. This doctor treated a host of illnesses by simply prescribing milk, for he did not understand the causes of the ailments with which he was faced. Although he knew that milk was often not particularly efficacious as medicine, whatever illness he encountered, whether it was an illness of wind, of cold, of heat—in each case he nevertheless administered milk. And the king, on his part, could not discern if the physician himself understood what was beneficial or deleterious, good or bad, in his medicinal use of milk. Now there also happened to be a brilliant physician in the kingdom who was quite proficient in all eight technical disciplines of healing. 40

He responded skillfully to whatever ailment he encountered, because he was aware of all known medicinal treatments. People came from great distances to see him. It did not occur to the elder physician to seek him out for consultation; instead the elder physician displayed arrogance and contempt toward him. At that time, however, the brilliant physician put himself in a dependent relationship with the king's physician, requesting that the older man become his teacher, and consulting with him about medical methods and esoteric teachings. He said directly to the elder physician: "If I may, I would like to ask if you would consider becoming my mentor. All I ask is that you open up to me and explain [your understanding] of medicine. "

The elder physician responded in this way: "Well now, let's see. If you can agree to offer yourself in service to me for forty-eight years, only after that will I teach you the practice of medicine. "

The brilliant physician immediately accepted his proposal, saying: "I will do as you say. I will do as you say. To the best of my ability, I humbly offer to serve you.

"

The elder physician then brought him into [the palace] as a "visiting physician" to see the king. On that occasion, the brilliant physician, as 63

378b

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

a visitor, proceeded to explain a variety of different treatments and techniques to the king, saying: O great king, of course you understand how important it is to distinguish things carefully. This dharma as such may be used to rule nations, or this dharma as such may be used to cure illnesses. Upon hearing these words, the sovereign realized at that moment that the elder physician was an imbecile, lacking any knowledge of what he was doing. He immediately sent him away, ordering him banished from the country. Thereafter he found that his respect for the visiting physician had doubled.

Now on his part, this visiting physician thought to himself, "If I want

to educate the king, now is the right time to do so. " He then turned to

the king and said: "Great king, if you truly love me, then please grant me one wish.

"

The king answered: "From being here at my right hand to any other rank, whatever your heart desires I shall grant to you. "

The visiting physician then said:

O king, although you permit me every possible rank, I would not dare to ask for so much. Instead what I seek is a royal decree to be enforced throughout the nation stating that henceforth there shall be no more taking of milk for medicinal purposes, as was prescribed by the elder physician. Why do I ask for this? It is because this medicine [can be] toxic with many harmful effects. Therefore, [declare that] if anyone insists on ingesting this form of medicine, they are to be beheaded. After you put a stop to the use of medicinal milk, you will see premature deaths come to an end and peace and happiness will reign forever. This is why I make this request. Then the king replied:

What you have asked for surely merits no further discussion. I shall immediately issue a proclamation for all the lands in my domain to the effect that without exception sick people are no longer allowed to use milk as medicine. Anyone who takes it as medicine will lose his or her head.

64

Fascicle II

The visiting physician at that point turned his efforts toward blending ingredients with different tastes to synthesize a number of medicines. That is, he based [the medicines] on [herbs that] tasted pungent, bitter, salty, sweet, and sour. With them he treated a range of illnesses, none of which were beyond his means to cure.

Not long after this, however, the king himself grew ill. He immediately called for the physician, saying: "I am now seriously ill, racked with pain, and it appears that I am about to die. Can you do something to help me?"

The physician divined the king's illness and determined that milk should be prescribed. He then addressed the king and explained: The ailment that is causing the king so much discomfort is one that should be treated by drinking milk. In the past I suspended the use of milk as medicine, [saying it was toxic,] but that position was not entirely truthful. If you could take some milk now, it would be the best possible way of ridding yourself of this illness. The king is now suffering from a debilitating fever and he should definitely drink milk for this.

The king then said to the physician:

Have you gone mad? Are you stricken with fever yourself? For you are saying that drinking milk will take away my illness! Before you called it poison, so why would you tell me to drink it now? Are you trying to deceive me? The previous doctor praised [medicinal milk] but you called it poison and had me ban it. Yet now you claim it is the best thing to cure what ails me. If I were to do as you say, it would mean that from the beginning the elder physician was clearly a better doctor than you!

Then the visiting physician responded to the king with these words: O king, you should not speak in that way. It is like an insect that eats through wood in such a way that what he leaves behind is in the shape of a letter of the alphabet. The insect is not aware if what he has left behind forms a letter or not, and no intelligent person who sees this would cry out,

"This insect knows letters,

" or be particularly

65

The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I

378c

surprised by what he sees. Great king, you must understand that the old physician was [operating] like this. He did not distinguish one illness from another but merely gave milk to everyone as medicine, so just as that insect whose path accidentally formed a letter, [his success was a random occurrence]. The previous, elder physician did not understand what was beneficial or deleterious, good or bad, in the use of milk as medicine.

Then the king asked: "Why did he not understand this?" The visiting physician answered,

"When milk is used as medicine,

it can have the harmful effect of poison or it can have the effect of amṛta, an ambrosia of immortality.

"

[The king asked:] "When would you say that milk is something that prevents death?"

[The physician answered:]

If a cow does not eat wine dregs, slimy grass, or wheat tailings, her calves will be strong. If her pastures are neither high plains nor wet lowlands, if she drinks from clear streams and is not forced to run, if she is not placed in a herd together with bulls, if her eating and drinking are regulated properly and she has a proper place to move about and sleep, then her milk will be able to eliminate certain diseases. In this case, we can refer to milk as a fine amṛtamedicine that staves off death. But excluding milk obtained in this manner, all other forms of milk should be called [potentially] toxic [when used medicinally].

After listening to his words, the great king then praised him, saying: Great physician, excellent, excellent! Today for the first time I have understood what is good and bad, beneficial and deleterious, about prescribing milk as medicine.

He thereupon drank the milk given him and was subsequently cured of his illness. Right away the king then issued a decree for the entire nation stating that, from that point forward people should take medicinal milk as they had in the past. When the citizens heard this they felt resentment, however, and discussing the matter among themselves, said things 66

Fascicle II

like: "Has the great king become possessed by a demon? Is he mad? Does he mean to deceive us by ordering us to drink milk once again?" Feeling angry, the people all gathered at the king's location [to confront him]. The king then spoke to them, saying:

You should not give rise to feelings of anger toward me. This matter of whether or not milk is to be prescribed medicinally all stems from the teachings of the physician. There is no negligence on my part in this.

[With the problem defused,] the great king and the people of his kingdom then proceeded to dance with joy, offering even greater honor and reverence to the physician. The ill all began to drink the milk prescribed for them as medicine and each found their ailments either eliminated or alleviated.

Monks, you should understand that the Tathāgata, Worthy of Offerings, of Right and Universal Knowledge, with Clarity and Conduct Perfect, Well Gone, with Understanding of the World, Unsurpassed Worthy, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha World-Honored One is also like this. I have appeared in the world as a great physicianking, suppressing all heretical physicians [despite sharing some of the same rhetoric]. In the presence of a gathering of kings, I thus announced myself, saying: "I am the physician-king.

" And out of my desire to

subdue the non-Buddhist paths I therefore declared: "There is no self, there is no person or [individual] living being, life span, personality, observer, actor, or experiencer.

"

Monks, the heterodox paths affirm a "self" in the same manner as [some infer literacy in] the shapes of letters incised into wood accidentally by insects. This is why the Tathāgata proclaims "nonself" as part of his buddha-dharma. It is because I need to straighten out [the thinking] of living beings—because I am aware of their situation—that I expound the absence of self. There are reasons why I also expound the presence of self, just like that skilled physician who was well aware that milk may be either medicinal or nonmedicinal.

But what I am speaking of is not what ordinary people imagine the self to be. Ordinary people or ignorant people suppose the self to be the 67