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Chapter Four

The Nature of the Tathāgata:

Part 2

At that time bodhisattva Kāśyapa addressed the Buddha, saying: World-Honored One. As the Buddha has said,

"The buddhas, the worldhonored ones, have a hidden treasury, " but this does not seem right to

me. Why do I say this? Because it is only that the buddhas, the worldhonored ones, have speech that is recondite (*saṃdhāvacana), they do not have a hidden treasure-trove that is secret. If we think of the example of a magician who uses a mechanical device [to manipulate] a wooden puppet, we would see that although people see [the puppet] bend, stretch, look down, and look up, they have no idea what is going on inside of it, how it is being controlled. But the buddhadharma is not like that, for all buddhas empower living beings such that all of them can know what they see. So in what way is it appropriate to say, "The buddhas, the

world-honored ones, have a hidden treasury"?

The Buddha then praised Kāśyapa:

Excellent, excellent. Good man, just as you say, a tathāgata in fact does not have a treasure-trove that is secret. Why do I say this? Just like a full moon in autumn that is clear, pure, and unshaded in the sky, when the words of a tathāgata unfold they reveal themselves as clear, pure, and unshaded. The ignorant do not understand and speak of his treasury as secret. But the wise fully understand, so they do not label his words secret. Good man, consider the example of a man who has amassed immeasurable millions in gold and silver, yet he is so stingy at heart that he will 135

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not admit to his blessings or provide anything to help those truly in need. That kind of accumulation could be termed a secret treasure. But tathāgatas are not like that. Amassing immeasurable rare jewels of the fine dharma over limitless kalpas, their minds are devoid of any stinginess in constantly providing for all living beings. Indeed, how could it be appropriate to say that tathāgatas conceal things?

Good man, if a man was physically disabled, perhaps lacking an eye, a hand, or a leg, he might feel so ashamed of his condition that he would not let others see him. And because others did not see him they would speak of him as being hidden. But tathāgatas are not like that. The truedharma they possess is complete, with nothing lacking, and they enable people to see it. Indeed, how could it be appropriate to say that tathāgatas conceal things?

Good man, consider another counter-example in the case of a poor man who has taken on a considerable amount of debt. Fearing he may encounter the holders of his debt, he hides himself, not wishing to be seen. Thus he is labeled "a man in hiding.

" But tathāgatas are not like

that. They do not bear the burden of the mundanedharma of living beings, they bear the burden of the supramundanedharma of living beings. And yet they hide nothing. Why? Because a tathāgata is constant in regarding each living being as if it were his only child, and for whom he [actively] preaches the unsurpassed dharma.

Good man, consider the analogy of a wealthy merchant who only has one child. His heart is filled with loving attachment to that child, feelings he would never put aside, and he would be willing to use every bit of his fortune to demonstrate that fact. A tathāgata is like this, viewing [each] living being as identical to his only child.

Good man, people in this world find their male or female sexual organs ugly or embarrassing, and so they cover themselves with clothing. Thus it is said they hide themselves in this way. But a tathāgata is not like this, as this faculty is permanently removed in him. And without that faculty, there is nothing to cover up.

Good man, the [ritual] discourse held by the brāhmaṇapriests is like this in that they never want to allow those of the kṣatriya,vaiśya,and śūdracastes to hear it.

67 Why? Because there are corruptions within that

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discourse. But the true-dharma of the Tathāgata is not like that; it remains auspicious in its beginning, middle, and end. Therefore it cannot be labeled a secret treasury.

Good man, take the example of the layman with only one child. His mind is preoccupied with the youngster, his affection boundless. He brings the child to a teacher out of a desire to get him an education but grows apprehensive when he does not see immediate results, and straight away brings the child back home. Day and night, his affection drives him to work assiduously to teach the child himself but what he teaches is the alphabet, he does not conduct lessons on grammar (vyākaraṇa). Why? Because the abilities of the youth are not yet capable of that kind of study. Good man, when that layman completes his teaching of the letters in the alphabet, would the child then be able to comprehend grammar or not? [Kāśyapa said:]

No, World-Honored One.

[The Buddha asked:]

In that situation would the layman be keeping secrets hidden from his son or not?

[Kāśyapa replied:]

No, World-Honored One. Why? The reason he does not explain [grammar] to the child is that the child is too young. It is not because he is imposing some kind of secrecy on this material that he refrains from teaching it. What is the principle here? It is that what we call "secrecy" stems from situations where someone's thinking is dominated by jealousy or a defensive stinginess. That is not what tathāgatas are like. Indeed, how could it be appropriate to say that tathāgatas conceal anything? The Buddha then said:

Excellent, excellent! Good man, as you have said, if there are thoughts of hatred, jealousy, or defensiveness in someone, in that case we may say a person is concealing something. But the Tathāgata is completely devoid of anger or jealousy—how could he be labeled as one who conceals?Good man, the wealthy merchant in the story is an allusion to the Tathāgata. 137

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What I have called his one son is an allusion to all living beings. The way the Tathāgata looks upon all living beings is thus akin to how this man looks upon his only son, and teaching his son [directly] is an allusion to [the Buddha] teaching his śrāvaka disciples. The letters of the alphabet and the phonemes they represent are an allusion to the ninefold sutras [of my previous discourses], and the grammar treatises are an allusion to what I call the well-balanced Vaitulya68 Mahāyāna scriptures. It is because śrāvakas lack a certain power of wisdom that the Tathāgata taught them [only] letters, namely the ninefold scriptures and did not endeavor to expound to them the well-balanced Mahāyāna [canon] represented in the story by the grammar treatises. Good man, if after that merchant's son had grown big the grammar treatises were still not explained to him, despite his having studied diligently, then indeed one could call that a case of concealing something. If, for example, śrāvakas similarly garnered such diligence that they would be able to accept the grammar treatises that represent the Mahāyāna here but, out of some secretive selfishness, the Tathāgata would not expound it to them, one could certainly say that the Tathāgata had hidden secrets. But tathāgatas are not like that, and that is why I say they hold no hidden secrets. Like the wealthy merchant who, having taught his young son the letters of the alphabet, subsequently explained the grammar treatises, I am now in that situation. Having expounded on the alphabet, that is, the ninefold scriptures, for my disciples, I am now subsequently explaining the grammar treatises. What I am referring to is the constant presence, without change, of the Tathāgata.

Next, good man, consider an analogy of the moon in summer that brings forth clouds and thunder, which pour down great monsoon rains, which in turn enable the farmers to sow seeds and reap bountiful harvests. Farmers who do not plant seeds will have no harvest, but their not harvesting anything is not the fault of the dragon king [who initiates rain], as for his part the dragon king has not hidden anything. As a Tathāgata I am also like this, in that I rain down a dharma rain in the form of this Great Nirvana Sutra(Mahānirvāṇa-sūtra). Those living beings that plant seeds of goodness will reap a flowering of wisdom; those who do not will reap nothing. But reaping nothing will not be the fault of the 138

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Tathāgata. Quite the contrary, the truth is that the Buddha Tathāgata has not hidden anything.

Then Kāśyapa spoke again:

Now I clearly understand that the Tathāgata has not secretly hidden anything from us. But this "grammar treatise" expounded by the Buddha states that the Buddha Tathāgata is a constant, unchanging presence, and this notion I cannot follow. Why? Because in the past the Buddha expounded this verse:

As buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, and the assembly of śrāvakas Cast off their impermanent bodies:

How much more so will ordinary people.

Yet now you speak of [yourself as] a permanent existence without change. How are we to make sense of this?

The Buddha answered:

Good man, I expounded that verse when I was teaching [at the stage of mere] letters to all my śrāvaka disciples. Good man, when the mother of King Prasenajit died, he came to see me because he could not overcome his feelings of sadness and love. I then asked him: Great king, why has the pain of your sadness and grief become so intense?

The king said:

World-Honored One, on this day the life of the first lady of our nation has come to an end. If it were possible for you to restore my mother's life to what it once was, I would abandon my kingdom, elephants, horses, and my seven precious possessions; I would give even my life. All of that I would sacrifice as a reward to you. I answered him by saying:

Great king, you should not agonize, grieve, and lament like this. The lifetimes of all living beings come to an end: this is what we call death. Buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, and the śrāvaka disciples let go of their bodies, so why not ordinary people? 391b

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It was because I was teaching the letters of the alphabet to King Prasena jit, good man, that I uttered that verse. Now, however, I am expounding a grammar treatise for the śrāvaka disciples, for I am saying the Tathāgata is a permanent presence without change. If someone claimed the Tathāgata was impermanent, how could that person's tongue not fall off? Kāśyapa then spoke up thus:

The Buddha has also uttered this verse [in the past]: He who has no accumulated holdings,

And has full knowledge of food,

Is like a bird in flight,

Whose traces are sought in vain.

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What is the meaning of this, World-Honored One? Who among living beings can be said to "have no accumulated holdings"? And who is able to have what you call "full knowledge of food"? Who moves about in the sky such that "his traces are sought in vain"? And after departing, where does one arrive at?

The Buddha then said to Kāśyapa:

The term "accumulated holdings" (saṃnicaya) refers to wealth. Good man, there are two kinds of accumulation: created (saṃskṛta) and uncreated (asaṃskṛta). Created accumulation—that is what śrāvakas do. Uncreated accumulation—that is what tathāgatas do. Good man, there are also two kinds of sanghas: created and uncreated. The "created sanghas" are what I am calling the śrāvaka [communities]. In śrāvaka sanghas there is not to be any accumulated holdings of what I call "slaves and things improper.

" This includes storing grains, rice, salted or fermented bean paste, sesame, or beans of any size. If someone claims the Tathāgata allows the holding of slaves, servants, or anything of the like, his tongue will become twisted and shrink. The śrāvaka disciples of mine I refer to as [people] "who have no accumulated holdings. " I also refer to them

as having "full knowledge of food.

" Thus someone who craves food I

call "one who does not fully know,

" and someone who does not crave

food I call "one who fully knows.

" One whose traces are hard to find is

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saying is that these individuals have departed but they have not arrived anywhere.

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Then Kāśyapa said:

If created sanghas have no accumulated holdings, then how much more so the uncreated sanghas! It is the tathāgatas that are the uncreated san ghas; indeed, how could there be any holdings accumulated by a tathāgata? This holding is regarded as concealment. That is why there is nothing held back in whatever it is that is expounded by the Tathāgata. So how could anyone regard his preaching as "hiding" something? The "traces sought in vain" is a reference to nirvāṇa itself. For within nirvāṇa there is neither sun nor moon; neither stars nor astrological signs; neither cold nor hot; neither winds nor rain; no birth, aging, illness or death; and none of the twenty-five forms of existence present in saṃsāra. One is free from melancholy, suffering, and indeed all the defilements. In this way nirvāṇa is where the Tathāgata abides; it is permanent and immutable. These are the circumstances of the Tathāgata's going to the sal trees, where parinirvāṇaoccurs in the context of mahāpari nirvāṇa. 71

The Buddha then spoke to Kāśyapa:

By saying "great,

" [as in Great Parinirvāṇa Sutra,] the implication is of immensity, much like how a man whose life force is tremendous is called "a great man.

" If a man has been able to establish himself in the truedharma, I would call him "the best among men. " And as I explained when

I taught the "eight observances [maintained by] a great person, "72 there

are people who can do one and there are people who can do many, but if any one person can muster all eight, that would be considered "superior. "

There are no wounds or sores in this nirvāṇa of which I speak. Good man, it is just like the example of a man shot with a poison arrow. He feels great pain, but he then sees a physician learned in these matters who removes the poison arrow and administers effective medicine, thereby enabling that man to become free of pain and feel calm and joyful. The physician then moves on, traveling to towns and villages, wherever people are suffering from wounds or sores, remaining with them as needed to treat their many pains.

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Good man, so it is with the Tathāgata. Having attained perfect awakening, he is a great physician king. He sees how the suffering living beings of Jambudvīpa have been through enormous turmoil brought on by the poison arrows of the defilements of lust, anger, and ignorance over innumerable kalpas. For them he preaches the ambrosial dharma medicine of the Mahāyāna scriptures. After having healed living beings here, he then continues on to other locales where others suffer from the poisoned arrows of the defilements, manifesting his attainment of buddhahood so that he may heal them. This, therefore, I call mahāparinirvāṇa. The name mahāparinirvāṇarefers to a "place of liberation, " for it is in

those places where living beings struggle with self-discipline that the Tathāgata appears. Because of how truly profound this meaning is, it is called mahāparinirvāṇa.

The bodhisattva Kāśyapa then addressed the Buddha once again: World-Honored One, are worldly physicians able to heal the wounds and sores of all living beings or not?

[The Buddha:]

Good man, worldly wounds and sores are generally of two kinds: those that can be healed and those that cannot. For those that can be healed, a physician should be able to perform this role. But for those that cannot be cured, the physician cannot help.

Kāśyapa then asked:

The Buddha has said "Then the Tathāgata, after having healed living beings in Jambudvīpa. . . .

" But if you say,

"after having healed,

" why

is it that among living beings there are still some who are unable to attain nirvāṇa? If none of them can attain it, then why does the Tathāgata say that after healing them he will go somewhere else? [The Buddha said,]

Good man, there are two types of living beings in Jambudvīpa: those who have faith and those who do not. Those who have faith are the people of whom I spoke when I said they "can be healed. " Why did I

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say this? Because it is certain that all of these people will attain nirvāṇa, that they will have no wounds or sores. That is why I spoke of "having healed living beings in Jambudvīpa. " People without faith I refer to as icchan tikas. The icchantikas I also call "those who cannot be healed. "

Aside from the icchantikas, all others will have been healed. This is why nirvāṇa is referred to as "having no wounds. "

[Kāśyapa:]

World-Honored One, what is it that is called "nirvāṇa"? [The Buddha:]

Good man, nirvāṇa is what I call liberation. Kāśyapa spoke again:

This liberation of which you speak, does it have material form or not? The Buddha said:

Good man, it may have form or it may be formless. 73 To describe it as

formless is to refer to the liberation of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. To describe it as having form is to refer to the liberation of buddha tathāgatas. Therefore, good man, liberation itself has form and does not have form. But [understand that] it was for the sake of the śrāvaka disciples that the Tathāgata has preached it as being formless. [Kāśyapa:]

World-Honored One, if the liberation of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas is formless, how then do they abide in it? [The Buddha replied:]

Good man, it is something like the meditation heaven of neither thought nor nonthought, which exists in both the form realm and in the formless realm.

74As to that state, someone may complain by saying: If the meditation heaven of neither thought nor nonthought is formless, then how could someone reside there, how could they come and go, start and stop?

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But meanings such as these reflect the realm of buddhas; they are not something understood by śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas. Liberation is just like this—it may have form, it may be formless. Indeed, I have preached that it has no form and I have also preached that there is no thought in [the state of] "thought and nonthought. " Meanings such as

these are of the realm of buddhas; they are not something understood by śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas.

Then Kāśyapa addressed the Buddha once again:

World-Honored One, I beseech you. Please take pity on our situation and provide us with more detail on the practices leading to mahāpari nirvāṇaand the meaning of liberation. The Buddha then praised Kāśyapa, saying:

Excellent, excellent! Good man, true liberation is what I call "complete freedom from all restrictions.

" As true liberation is free from restrictions,

it means there is no birth and no conjoining of things. Take the example of a father and mother who conjoin to give birth to a child—that is not what true liberation is like.

This is why I also call liberation "unborn.

" Kāśyapa, take the example

of the cream on the surface of clarified butter, whose nature is pure— this also true of the tathāgatas. As he is not born from the union of a mother and father, his nature is pure. My manifesting having had a father and mother stems from my hope to spiritually transform living beings, to bring them to the other shore. True liberation is the Tathāgata himself. Tathāgata and liberation are not two; there is no distinction between them. One may think it is like sowing seeds in the spring months and then seeing them sprout after the weather turns warm—but true liberation is in fact not like that.

In addition, I speak of liberation as "nothingness. " Nothingness is

precisely what liberation is, liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is, and the Tathāgata is precisely what nothingness is. It is neither doing nor deed. By "doing" I mean something like building a lookout tower on a city wall to watch for enemies. That is not what true liberation is like. This is why liberation is none other than the Tathāgata. 144

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In addition, liberation is an uncreated dharma. Imagine a ceramist who, after creating something, goes back and breaks it. That is not what liberation is like. True liberation neither comes into existence nor goes out of existence. Therefore liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is. For the Tathāgata is just like this: he does not come into existence, he does not go out of existence, he does not age, he does not die, he does not break, he does not disintegrate—he is not a created dharma. It is in this sense that I say "the Tathāgata enters mahāparinirvāṇa. " What do

I mean by "he does not age, he does not die"? Aging itself we can say means "to undergo change,

" such as one's hair turning white or one's

face becoming wrinkled. Dying is when the body disintegrates and life ends. There are no dharmas like that in liberation; in fact, it is because these things are absent that it is called "liberation. " A Tathāgata also has

no created dharmas that would cause his hair to become white or his face to become wrinkled. For this reason there is no aging in the Tathāgata and because there is no aging, there is no death.

In addition, I refer to liberation as being "without disease. " The word

"disease" refers to the four hundred and four illnesses of the body75 as well as injury to the body from something external, none of which have any basis for occurring. This is why it is called liberation. The absence of any disease, now thatis true liberation. And true liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is. The Tathāgata is without disease, for the dharma body can have no disease. In this way freedom from disease is precisely what a tathāgata is.

Death is the name given to the dissolution of the body and the end of life. A state without death—that is what the timeless ambrosia of amṛtais. This amṛtais what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. As the Tathāgata is fully accomplished in these virtues, how could it be said that the Tathāgata is impermanent? If someone were to assert impermanence in [the Tathāgata], that would be unfounded. This adamantine body—how could it be impermanent? Therefore I do not speak of life ending for a Tathāgata. The Tathāgata is pure, without any defilement; the body of this Tathāgata was not polluted in the womb, for example. Like the puṇḍarīkawhite lotus flower, its original nature is pure. The Tathāgata's liberation is also like this— 145

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for liberation such as this isthe Tathāgata. That is why I say the Tathāgata is pure, immaculate.

In addition, in liberation all leaking wounds or sores are permanently gone, and nothing remains of this. The Tathāgata is also like this, for he has no leaking wounds.

In addition, in liberation there is no conflict. For example take a hungry person who, upon seeing another's food and drink, covets them and thinks about snatching them. That is precisely what liberation is not. In addition, liberation is what I call "quiescence.

" Ordinary people

say this quiescence refers to [the realm] of Maheśvara, but talk like that is simply untrue. True quiescence is ultimate liberation, and ultimate liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I speak of liberation as "safe.

" Just as a place with many

thieves cannot be called safe, a place that ispacified is said to be safe or secure. Within this liberation there is no fear of any kind, hence I call it safe. That is why I say that what is safe is true liberation. True liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is, and the Tathāgata is precisely the dharma itself.

In addition, liberation is without peer. Having a peer is akin to a king having someone of his rank in a neighboring country. But this liberation has nothing of the sort. To be without peer can be said of a wheel-turning king, for no one can become his equal. In a similar way liberation has no peer, and having no peer describes true liberation. True liberation is precisely what this very Tathāgata, the wheel-turning king of the world, is. This is why the Tathāgata is "without peer.

" [Any assertion] that there

is a peer is unfounded.

In addition, I speak of liberation as "devoid of distress. " To have distress is something like the sense of fear that arises within a king when confronted with the strength of a neighboring state. In this liberation there is nothing of that nature. Consider instead the analogy of destroying enmity within one's own elf, which then yields a mind free of worry— this is what liberation is like, devoid of worry or fear. And the absence of worry or fear is precisely what the Tathāgata is. In addition, liberation is devoid of [the emotional surges of] sadness and joy. Suppose a woman has only one son who goes far away for his 146

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compulsory service, and during his absence news suddenly comes to her that something unfortunate has befallen him. Upon hearing this, she would sink into despair but if she later hears that he is alive she would then be elated. In liberation there is nothing like this. The absence of sadness and joy is what true liberation is about, and true liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, in liberation there is no dirt. Consider, for example, the way that dust is blown into the air by the wind after the sun goes down during the spring months, [making everything dirty]. There is no such thing in liberation. The absence of dust clouds is a metaphor for true liberation, and what is truly liberated is the Tathāgata. Now consider the jewels placed in the topknot of a sacred king that are untarnished. The nature of liberation is also like that, untarnished. This absence of dirt or stain is a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is the Tathāgata. The nature of pure gold is that it is not mixed with sand or other stones; thus it is called a true jewel. People who obtain such things have the idea that they have wealth. The nature of this liberation is also something like this true jewel; that is, [the notion of] a true jewel is a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is the Tathāgata. Consider as well the sound you hear when a ceramic jar is broken. This sound does not occur with a jar made of an adamantine jewel, and in liberation there is no sound of anything breaking either. The jar made of an adamantine jewel is a metaphor for liberation, and true liberation is the Tathāgata. This is why I say the body of the Tathāgata is indestructible. A sound is also made when castor bean pods explode after being roasted and then left out in the sun. Liberation has nothing like this; rather it is like the adamantine jar of jewel that makes no sound at all when struck. Even if innumerable hundreds of thousands of people were to shoot arrows at it all at the same time, they would be unable to damage it. The absence of any sound of breakage is a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is the Tathāgata. Or think of the punishment of an extremely poor man who has to endure the terrible pain of being whipped while shackled simply because he is deep in debt. There is nothing like this in this liberation, as there is no debt of any kind. Then think of the analogy of someone of importance, whose holdings of property and 147

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jewels are in the uncountable hundreds of millions and whose power allows him to do what he pleases, with no debts to anyone. Liberation is like this. It contains immeasurable rare treasures of dharma assets, the freedom of great power, and no debt of any kind. Having no debt is a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

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In addition, there is nothing oppressive in liberation, such as traveling on foot on a hot day in spring, eating sweets in summer, or touching something cold in winter. In true liberation there is nothing that approximates these things. "Nothing oppressive" is a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is. To understand the meaning of "nothing oppressive,

" consider the

counter-example of a man who eats his fill of fish and meat and then drinks milk. Before long he would be approaching his death—but in liberation there is nothing like this. Now if the person who ate like that could obtain an effective ambrosial medicine, it would alleviate his distress. True liberation is also something like that. The notion of an effective ambrosial medicine is a figurative expression for true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

What is it to be oppressive or not? Suppose there was an ordinary person who is proud and haughty, so much so that he thinks, "Who

among all these people could harm me?" And he proceeds to show his prowess by holding snakes, tigers, and poisonous insects. Know this: a man like that will meet with an untimely death before his natural life span has been exhausted. There is nothing like this in true liberation. To not be oppressive is to be like a cakravartinking. The sacred jewel that he possesses is capable of subduing dung beetles and the ninety-six other kinds of poisonous insects. One only has to perceive the scent of this sacred jewel and all poisons will be neutralized. True liberation is also like this, as everyone is freed from the twenty-five forms of [saṃsāric] existence. The neutralization of poisons is a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is. As to not being oppressive, consider the example of space, for liberation is also like this. Space thus serves as a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is.

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On the other hand,

"oppressive" can apply to dry grass, for it ignites

when a lamp is brought near. There is nothing like this in true liberation. To not be oppressive, moreover, can be compared to the sun and the moon that do not oppress living beings. In like manner, liberation contains nothing that could oppress living beings. [To say] there is nothing oppressive is thus a figurative way to express true liberation, and true liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, liberation is what I call "an imperturbable dharma. "

Things like enemies and friends—there is simply nothing like this in true liberation. Imperturbability is somewhat like a cakravartinking, for it is utterly impossible for a sacred king to be someone's friend; even if it were averred that he were a friend, it would not make any sense. Liberation is like this, it is utterly without "friends" in the usual sense, and even if one were to assert that it has friends, this would be untenable. That [sacred] king withoutpeers is a metaphor for true liberation; true liberation is what the Tathāgata is, and the Tathāgata is what the dharma is. In addition, imperturbability might be thought of as being like raw cloth that easily accepts dyestuff for coloration, but liberation is not like this. Imperturbability is instead like the vārṣikaflower76in that no matter how much one may wantto turn it into something foul smelling or green in color, it simply makes no sense to try to do so. In the same way, even if one wantedto make liberation smell bad or be colored in some way, such things do not happen. For that very reason liberation is the Tathāgata himself.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "extraordinary. " The metaphor of

a lotus flower blooming in water is not extraordinary. A lotus blooming in fire, however, thatwould be extraordinary, and whoever saw it would be elated. True liberation also like this: there is elation in the hearts of those who witness it. This extraordinariness is a metaphor for true liberation, true liberation is what the Tathāgata is, and the Tathāgata is none other than the dharma body. In addition, there is also the disanalogy of liberation as "extraordinary" and an infant baby who has not grown teeth yet, for its teeth arise only after the baby gradually grows large. Liberation is not like that: there is neither arising nor nonarising [of anything]. 149

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In addition, I refer to liberation as "nonsubstantial, " but this does not

mean it is indeterminate.

"Indeterminate" refers rather to something like

icchantikas. [Some think] icchantikas will never be shaken out of their state of mind, that anyone who commits a heinous crime is precluded from completing the path to buddhahood, but this view is unfounded. Why? Because if, in their hearts, such people can obtain pure faith in the Buddha's true-dharma, they will immediately destroy [their status] as icchantika. Likewise, if one can become a layman follower (upāsaka), this, too, will mean the end of being an icchantika. Someone who has transgressed in committing a heinous crime can, after having eliminated his offense, go on to attain buddhahood. This is why there is no basis for the claim that people are fixed in who they are, that [their thinking] cannot change, that they cannot attain buddhahood. In true liberation nothing is completely exhausted.

This nonsubstantiality, moreover, pervades the dharmadhātu.The nature of the dharmadhātuis true liberation itself, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. When an icchantika, moreover, exhausts [what makes him so], he can no longer be labeled icchantika. What in fact is meant by the name icchantika? Icchantikas are those who have destroyed all wholesome karmic roots within themselves. Their original mindset is one that does not aspire to any wholesome dharmas, and they may even reach the point where not one wholesome thought occurs to them. In true liberation there is no one like this. In fact, it is precisely because of the absence of anything like this that it is true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I also call liberation "unfathomable. " One may think it

is like a pile of grains whose number [may be great] but can be known [if counted]. However, that would be a disanalogy for true liberation is not like that. If instead you take the analogy of an ocean whose capacity cannot be measured, that would be true. For liberation is indeed just that, as its capacity cannot be measured. Unfathomable is indeed what true liberation is, that cannot be measured, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, liberation is what I call "dharma without measure. " Just

like one living being has a multitude of karmic recompense, in like manner 150

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liberation also has recompense that is immeasurable. Immeasurable recompense—that is precisely true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "immense. " As an ocean has no

equal [in size], liberation similarly cannot be equated with anything. The absence of any equivalent is precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "paramount. " Just as nothing can

be compared to the loftiness of space, nothing can be compared to the loftiness of liberation, as well. Incomparably lofty is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "unsurpassable. " Consider the

analogy of the position occupied by a lion, something that none of the hundreds of other animal species can surpass. Liberation is like this, for there is nothing that can surpass it. Unsurpassable is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as what is "uppermost. " Just like the

northern direction is located above the other directions, there is nothing above liberation. Uppermost is precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "above the uppermost. " Just like

the northern direction lies above the highest locations in the eastern direction, in liberation there is nothing above it as uppermost. Above the uppermost is precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I call liberation "a constant dharma. " An analogy would

be the destruction of the bodies of humans and deities at the end of their lives. This we know of as "a constant, " indeed, it cannot possibly not

be a constant. In like manner, liberation is not anything inconstant. Thus not anything inconstant is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "firm. " Like the solid, firm khadira,

candana,and agurutrees,

77 liberation is the same in that its nature is firm. A nature that is firm is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

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In addition, I refer to liberation as "not vacuous. " It would be a disanalogy to describe it as being like bamboo or marsh reeds whose bodies are hollow, as liberation is not like that. Thus it should be known that liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, liberation is something that "cannot be contaminated. "

Consider the analogy of an unpainted wall where mosquitoes and flies alight and remain to frolic. If one were to paint colorful pictures or to carve images on it, the insects would smell the odor from the pigment and no longer abide there. Such nonabiding is a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "boundless.

" Villages and towns

all have marked boundaries and so are only disanologies for liberation, which is not like that. Space, on the other hand, which has no limits, would be analogous, for liberation also has no limits. Liberation in this sense is precisely what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I declare that liberation cannot be seen. As it is difficult to see the traces of a bird in flight across the sky, the difficulty in seeing something like that is thus analogous to true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "profound.

" Why? Because it

cannot be entered by śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. What they cannot enter is indeed true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. It is profound, moreover, in that it is revered by buddhas and bodhisattvas. An analogy would be the profundity of the virtuous merit created by the filial child who makes offerings of sustenance to his mother and father, for the profundity of such merit is a metaphor for true liberation. And true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "unseen,

" analogous to a person who

does not see his own head. True liberation is like this, as it cannot be seen by śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. That which [these two groups] cannot see is thus true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "having no abode, " analogous to the

fact that there are no houses in the sky. So it is with liberation, as the word "abode" here is a metaphor for the twenty-five forms of existence. Having 152

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no abode is a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as something that "cannot be held. "

Unlike the āmalakaberry78 that can be held in one's hand, liberation is something else entirely, for it cannot be "held" as such. What cannot be held describes what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as something that "cannot be grasped. "

Like an illusory object that one cannot grasp, true liberation similarly is something that one cannot grasp. What cannot be grasped describes what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, liberation is incorporeal. A disanalogy would be those people whose bodies have produced wounds and sores, ulcers and abscesses, convulsions and madness, eczema and lichenification. For within true liberation there are no such ailments. The absence of such ailments is a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "a single flavor. " Just as there is

a single, consistent flavor in milk, liberation also has only one flavor. A single flavor like this is precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "pure.

" Like water without any

dirt is pure and utterly clean, so too liberation is also pure and clean. Pure and clean is precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as being "uniform in its flavor, " like

the purity of the uniform taste of rain as it falls from the sky. This purity of being uniform in flavor is but a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "removed,

" analogous to a full

moon with no cloud cover. Liberation is also like this, a cloud cover having been entirely removed. To be without any cloud cover whatsoever is precisely [the state of] true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

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In addition, liberation I refer to as "tranquility. " This is analogous to

a man burning with fever whose body gains a peaceful tranquility when his illness is cured. Liberation is just like the body when it becomes tranquil. To attain tranquility is precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, liberation is characterized by equanimity. Suppose there were a field replete with poisonous snakes, rodents, and wolves, all of whom intend to kill something. That would not be what liberation is like, for there are no thoughts of killing in liberation. To be without any thoughts of killing is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. Equanimity is analogous to the way a father and mother think about their children equally. Liberation also has this equanimity of mind. Equanimity of mind is just what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "no other place, " analogous to a

man who resides only in a beautiful, clean house and has no other place for himself. So, too, does liberation have no other locale. To have no other place is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "contentment. " Describing liberation

as a hungry person who comes across a cache of sweets and eats to his heart's content would be a disanalogy. Liberation is not like that. Instead, it is like eating rice porridge cooked in milk, which leads one to require nothing further. Not requiring anything further is a [proper] metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "severed,

" just like someone who

has severed the restraints that bound him and has obtained release. Liberation is like this, severing all fetters that arise from doubt. In this way, to discontinue doubt is tantamount to true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "reaching the other shore. " You

may think of the analogy of a great river with a shore on this side and a shore on the other side, but liberation in fact is not like that. This is because while there is a shore on that side, there is no shore on this side. 154

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The existence of an "other shore" is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "silence.

" A great ocean in which

many and various sounds break out over the broad expanse of its swells would be a disanalogy, for liberation is not like this. Liberation in this sense is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I call liberation "most attractive.

" Those medicines in

which are mixed the harītakīfruit79 will have a bitter taste as a result. This is not an appropriate analogy for liberation, for its taste is like the sweet nectar of amṛta. The taste of sweet amṛtais a metaphor for true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, liberation is eliminating the defilements. Analogous to a skilled physician who combines medicines for the effective treatment of illnesses, liberation is similarly capable of eliminating the defilements. Eliminating the defilements is precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as being "without constriction. " A

small hut that does not accommodate many people would be a disanalogy, for many beings are accepted within liberation. The inclusion of so many is precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "extinguishing passionate desires and not indulging in sexual activity.

" It would be a disanalogy to think of

a woman of many sensual passions, for liberation is not like that. In this sense, liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is, for a Tathāgata is completely without such fetters as desire, resentment, stupidity, or arrogance. In addition, I refer to liberation as being "without passion. "80 Passion

is of two types: "hungry-ghost passion" and "dharma passion. " True liberation is free of the passions plaguing hungry ghosts. Empathy toward living beings also gives rise to passion but this is [characterized by] dharma. Dharma passion such as this is precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, liberation is also free of "me" and "mine. " It is the

Tathāgata that is liberation such as this, and it is the dharma that is the Tathāgata.

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In addition, liberation is the destruction and abandonment of all forms of greed. Liberation such as this is what the Tathāgata is, and the Tathāgata is none other than the dharma itself.

In addition, liberation is deliverance. In that it can rescue one from all sources of fear, liberation such as this is what the Tathāgata is, and the Tathāgata is himself the dharma.

In addition, liberation is itself a refuge. If one avails himself of the refuge that is liberation such as this, there is no need to seek any other. Consider the analogy of a man who relies upon his king, seeking no other support. Though he is sure of his king, any upheaval in the country [would remove his sense of security]. But for one who takes refuge in liberation there are no upheavals. The lack of upheavals is what true liberation is; true liberation is what the Tathāgata is; and the Tathāgata is what the dharma is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "a house.

" A disanalogy would be a

person who encounters hardship crossing a broad plain. Liberation is not like this, for there are no hardships. The absence of hardship is precisely [the nature of] true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, liberation is the absence of fear. Just like the lion king harbors no fear toward the myriad other animals, liberation is the same in that one has no fear toward the hosts of Māra. To have no fear is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, there is no restrictiveness in liberation. If you think of a passage so narrow that it cannot accommodate two people walking abreast, what you would have is precisely what liberation is not. Liberation in this sense is precisely what the Tathāgata is; that is, unrestricted. Or, if you think of how restricted you would feel if you jumped into a well in fear of a tiger, this would also not be what liberation is like. Liberation in this sense is precisely what the Tathāgata is; that is, unrestricted. On the other hand, if you were out on the ocean in a small, rickety boat that you then jettisoned for a sturdy, imposing ship, and that ship that took you all the way across that ocean to place that is calm and safe, the elation you would feel is what liberation is like. Obtaining that kind of elation, thatis what true liberation is. And true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

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In addition, liberation abolishes causality. The usual pattern of milk yielding sour milk, sour milk yielding butter, and butter yielding clarified butter would be a disanalogy, for within liberation such forms of causality do not exist. Not having any causality is precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, liberation vanquishes arrogance, so a great king acting haughtily toward a lesser king is not what liberation is like. Liberation such as this is what the Tathāgata is, and the Tathāgata is what the dharma is.

In addition, liberation vanquishes self-indulgence. By "self-indulgence" I mean having many cravings. Within liberation there is nothing that could be called this. The absence of anything that could be called indulgence is precisely what is meant by true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, liberation eliminates the darkness of ignorance. It is like when you take the best quality butter and remove its impurities, yielding what is then called "clarified butter.

" Liberation is like this: removing

the dregs of ignorance produces true light. This true light is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I call liberation "quiescence, singular and unique. " Like

a solitary elephant, alone in an empty field—this is what liberation is like. There is only one, not two. It is true liberation that is unique in this way, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I speak of the hardness of liberation, much like the bamboo, reeds, or hemp plants that have hollow cores yet produce seeds that are hard. Apart from buddha tathāgatas, all other humans and deities are not hard or solid. But true liberation is free from the ebb and flow of all forms of existence. And liberation such as this is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "completely awakened and augmenting to the self. " True liberation is also like this, and true liberation such as this is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "abandoning the existences. " An

analogy would be a man who vomits up his food after having eaten. Liberation is like this in that in it one has freed oneself from all [forms of] existence [in saṃsāra]. To have abandoned all [forms of] existence is 157

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precisely what true liberation is, and true liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "definitive, " like the fragrance of

the vārṣikaflower, rather than [the flowers of the] saptaparṇatree that have no scent.

80 Liberation is like this, and liberation such as this is precisely what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I call liberation "the water element. " The analogy of the

water element comes from the fact that among the [four] great elements, water is the most prominent, thoroughly pervading all grasses, trees, and seeds. Liberation is like this, for it pervades all forms of life. And it is the Tathāgata that is liberation such as this. In addition, I call liberation "an entrance. " It is like a door that opens

onto a path that leads to a golden place where gold can then be obtained. Liberation is similar, just like that door, and those who cultivate nonself will thus be able to enter through it. Liberation such as this is precisely what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "excellent. " This is analogous to a

disciple who follows his teacher, honors him, holds in esteem what he has been taught, and attains fame as one who is "excellent. " Liberation is also

like this, and it is liberation such as this that is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "a dharma beyond this world, " for

it surpasses all other dharmas. It is like the fact that among all flavors that of butter or milk is the best. Liberation is also like this, and it is the Tathāgata that is liberation like this. In addition, I refer to liberation as "steadfast, " analogous to the threshold of a door, for wind cannot move it. True liberation is also like this, and it is liberation such as this that is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "without waves. " Water in the

ocean moves in the form of waves but liberation is not like this. Liberation such as this is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, liberation is analogous to a palatial hall. Liberation is also like this, and you should be aware that it is the Tathāgata that is liberation.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "eminently useful. " Like the gold

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be said that the gold found in that river has impurities in it. Liberation is just like this: there will never be impurities in it. True liberation is precisely that which has no impurities, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, liberation means abandoning childish behavior, analogous to an adult who abandons behaving as a small boy. Liberation is also like this in that it jettisons the five aggregates (pañca-skan dhas).To jettison the five aggregates is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "the culmination. " This is akin to

a person bound with restraints who gains his release, undergoes purification through bathing, and then returns home. Liberation is like this: completely pure. That which is completely pure is true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "the pleasure of having something undone.

" The pleasure of having something undone comes when craving, anger, and delusion are purged. This is like someone who mistakenly drinks poisonous snake venom and in order to remove the poison takes a medicine to induce vomiting. Once he has succeeded in vomiting, the poison is thereby removed and his body attains calm and joy. Liberation is like this. When you are purged of all the poisons of bondage that are inherent in the defilements, you feel calmed and joyful. This is called "the pleasure of having something undone.

" It is true liberation when

you experience this pleasure of having something undone, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "ending the defilements stemming from the four kinds of poisonous snakes.

"81To eliminate the defilements

is true liberation, and true liberation is the Tathāgata. In addition, I refer to liberation as "being freed from existence, annihilating all forms of suffering, obtaining all forms of joy, permanently eliminating greed, anger, and stupidity, and pulling out the roots of all defilements.

" To pull out one's [defiled] roots is true liberation, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "renouncing all created dharmas, bringing forth only uncontaminated, wholesome dharmas, and shutting 159

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down the [other] paths.

" Whether one speaks of self, nonself, the denial

of self, or the denial of nonself, one only renounces attachments [to those views], he does not renounce thisview of self. This view of self I call "buddha-nature.

" For buddha-nature is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

82

In addition, I refer to liberation as "not thoroughly empty. " Thoroughly

empty means nothing whatsoever. Nothing whatsoever is how liberation is thought of by the heretical Nirgranthas, yet these Nirgranthas do not actually have liberation. That is why they call it "thoroughly empty. "

But true liberation is not like that, hence I refer to it as "not thoroughly empty.

" Not thoroughly empty is what is true liberation is, and true liberation is precisely what the Tathāgata is. In addition, I refer to liberation as "empty and nonempty. " It is like

jars for water, wine, yogurt, butter, honey, and the like: even when they have no water, wine, yogurt, butter, or honey inside them, they are still called water jars, wine jars, and so on. So these jars cannot be said to be empty nor can they be said to be nonempty. If we say they are empty, then we cannot admit to any presence of visual form, aroma, taste, or tactile sensation associated with the jars themselves. If we say they are nonempty, then we have to account for the fact that even when there is no water, wine, and so forth in the jars [they are still recognized as water jars, wine jars, and so forth].

Liberation is just like this. One can neither say that it has form or does not have form. One can neither say that it is empty or nonempty. If we say it is empty, then we cannot admit to the presence of permanence, bliss, self, and purity. If we say it is nonempty, then who feels its permanence, bliss, self, and purity? This means, therefore, that one cannot declare it to be either empty or nonempty. Emptiness refers to the absence of any of the twenty-five forms of existence as well as the absence of any of the defilements. Its emptiness represents the fact that all suffering, all marks, all existences are karmic [and therefore not present in liberation]; this is akin to how we refer to a yogurt jar as "empty" when there is no yogurt in it. Its "nonemptiness" represents the fact that its lovely form—namely, permanence, bliss, self, purity, immovableness, and immutableness—is true and real, and is akin to how we refer to the jar as nonempty because 160

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of its form, smell, taste, and touch. On the other hand, the jar may encounter circumstances in which it is broken, but liberation is not like that, for it is unbreakable. Unbreakable is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

In addition, I refer to liberation as "free from longing. " Consider a

person who is filled with thoughts of longing for and entreaties to [gods such as] Śakra Devānām Indra, Brahmā, or Maheśvara. Know that liberation is not like that. If someone completes the attainment of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi,that person will have no longings and no doubts. Having neither longings nor doubts is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is. So if someone states that there is longing or doubt in liberation, that [view] would have no basis. In addition, liberation "eliminates any desire for existence, and likewise eliminates all characteristics, all restraints, all of the defilements, all births and deaths, all karmic conditioning, and all karmic effects. "

Liberation such as this is what the Tathāgata is, and the Tathāgata is what nirvāṇa is. It is because all living beings fear the defilements that come with the cycle of birth and death that they accept the triple-refuge. This is analogous to a herd of deer that fears a hunter yet manages to escape by separating itself from him. If a deer leaping once is like taking refuge once, then a deer leaping three times is like taking refuge thrice. By leaping three times the deer feels a sense of calm and joy. Living beings are just like this, for it is also the fear of dangerous hunters—the four māras—that drives them to accept the triple-refuge. 83 It is because

of the triple-refuge that they are able to obtain a sense of calm and joy, and feeling a sense of calm and joy is what true liberation is. True liberation is what the Tathāgata is. The Tathāgata is what nirvāṇa is. Nirvāṇa is what inexhaustible is. Inexhaustible is what the buddha-nature is. The buddha-nature is what certainty is. And certainty is what anuttarā saṃyaksaṃbodhiis. Kāśyapa then spoke the Buddha:

World-Honored One, if nirvāṇa, buddha-nature, certainty, and the Tathāgata are all of one meaning, why do you explain that there are three forms of refuge?

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The Buddha told Kāśyapa:

Good man, all living beings fear the cycle of birth and death and therefore seek the triple-refuge. And it is by means of these three forms of refuge that one comes to know the buddha-nature, certainty, and nirvāṇa. Good man, there are dharmas whose names are identical but whose meanings are different, and there are dharmas whose names and meanings are both different. The principle of "identical names but different meanings" is apparent when it is said,

"the buddha is permanent, the dharma is permanent, the bhikṣusangha is permanent, and both nirvāṇa and space are also permanent.

" These are called "[dharmas] whose names are identical but whose meanings are different.

" The principle of "names and meanings are both different" is apparent when it is said that "'buddha' is a name for 'awakened,

'" "'dharma' is a name for 'unawakened, '" "'sangha' is

a name for 'a combination [of both],

'" "'nirvāṇa' is a name for 'liberation, '" and "'space' is a name for 'un wholesome' and also 'unobstructed. '"

These are [examples] of "[dharmas] whose names and meanings are both different.

"

Good man, the triple-refuge is also like this. When name and meaning are both different, how could one say they are identical? This is why I told Mahāprajāpatī:

Gautamī, do not make offerings to me, make your offerings to the sangha. If you make offerings to the sangha, then in effect your offerings will include the complete triple-refuge. Mahāprajāpatī then answered me by saying: There is neither buddha nor dharma in a community of monks. Why do you say that making offerings to the sangha results in offerings to the complete triple-refuge?

I then related this to her:

Whenever you follow my words, that itself is an offering to a buddha. Because you do this for the purpose of liberation, it also constitutes an offering to the dharma. And when a monastic community accepts [your offering], that is an offering to the sangha. 162

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Good man, for this reason [the expressions of] the triple-refuge can never be uniform. Good man, the Tathāgata on some occasions expounds this single notion as three and on other occasions speaks of this threefold notion as one. Meanings such as this are of the realm of buddhas; they are not fully understood by śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas. Kāśyapa then asked:

As the Buddha has explained it, what is called nirvāṇa is the ultimate in bliss, but what does this mean? Nirvāṇa [is said to mean] leaving behind the body and leaving behind understanding. But if both one's body and understanding are abandoned, then who experiences the bliss [of nirvāṇa]? The Buddha said:

Good man, consider the analogy of a person who feels troubled after eating and goes outside in order to vomit, and then after vomiting returns to where he was. His colleagues ask him,

"Have you finally been healed

of whatever it was that you suffered from, now that you have come back?" And he tells them,

"I have healed myself and gained a serene bliss.

"

The Tathāgata is like this. Having finally detached himself from all twenty-five forms of existence, he gains forever that place of serene bliss that is nirvāṇa, which can never be disturbed or exhausted. Eliminating all forms of sensation I call "bliss without sensation. "

Having no sensation in this way is what I call "to be in constant bliss. "

If someone were to claim that a tathāgata experiences bliss arising from sensation, this would be totally unfounded. This is why ultimate bliss is what nirvāṇa is, nirvāṇa is what true liberation is, and true liberation is what the Tathāgata is.

Kāśyapa then asked:

Nonarising and nonceasing, is that what liberation is? [The Buddha responded]:

So it is, so it is, good man. nonarising and nonceasing are precisely what liberation is. In this way liberation is none other than the Tathāgata himself.

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Kāśyapa then spoke again;

If nonarising and nonceasing is liberation, then the nature of space, which is also without arising or ceasing, must also accord with the Tathāgata. For that which is like the tathāgata-nature is liberation. The Buddha then said to Kāśyapa:

No, good man, it is not like that.

[Kāśyapa said:]

Lord, how can that be?

The Buddha then explained:

Good man, it is like the kalaviṅkaand jīvaṃjīvaka84 birds, whose songs are pure and mellifluous. Is the sound of these birds identical to that of the crow or magpie?

[Kāśyapa:]

No, World-Honored One. The voice of a crow or magpie cannot compare by a hundredfold, a thousandfold, even ten thousandfold to [the sounds of] birds such as the jīvaṃjīvaka.

Kāśyapa went on:

The kalaviṅkaand other such birds have voices that are sublime and bodies that are also not the same as other birds. Why does the Tathāgata compare them to crows and magpies as if they were no different? It is like comparing a mustard plant to Mount Sumeru. Buddha and space are also like this. The voice of the kalaviṅkabird is analogous to the voice of the Buddha, which could never be analogous to the voices of crows or magpies.

At that moment the Buddha praised Kāśyapa, saying: Excellent, excellent. Good man, the understanding you have now shown is quite good, a deep appreciation of something difficult to grasp. At times the Tathāgata may use a particular situation to draw an analogy between space and liberation, and this liberation of which I speak is 164

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what a tathāgata is. True liberation is not something of which any human or deity could ever be the equivalent, and as such space is not its true analog either. I use space in order to transform living beings spiritually, [in effect] a disanalogy that I use as an analogy. What you should understand is that liberation is the Tathāgata himself, and the tathāgata-nature is liberation itself.

Liberation and tathāgata are not a duality; they are not separate. Good man, the designation "disanalogy" refers to the fact that it is incomparable, that one cannot use a metaphor to adequately describe it. In certain circumstances we may be able to draw a picture by means of simile, as when I have said such things as "a countenance like a full moon" or "a white elephant as clean as the snowy Himalayas" in the sutras. But a full moon cannot be the same as one's face and no snowy mountain could actually be a white elephant. Good man, true liberation is something that cannot be likened by means of metaphor or analogy, and it is only for purposes spiritually transforming living beings that I use figurative language. I use analogies in every case to foster understanding of the [true] nature of dharmas.

Kāśyapa then spoke again, asking:

Why does the Tathāgata expound the teaching in two different ways? The Buddha said:

Good man, suppose a man filled with malice appeared, brandishing a sword, and wanted to cut down the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata would remain pleasantly relaxed, however, and would face the man without anger. Would that person be able to injure the Tathāgata's body and become guilty of committing a heinous crime, or not? [Kāśyapa:]

No, World-Honored One. Why? Because the realm of a tathāgata body cannot be injured.

For what reason? Because it is not a corporeal aggregate [like that of living beings], it is only dharma-nature [in an embodied form]. And the reality of dharma-nature is that it cannot be injured. How could this 165

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man possibly injure the Buddha's body? To be obsessed with injurious thoughts will itself result in immediate retribution (ānantarya). One could indeed use this story as an analogy to enable someone to understand the genuine dharma (dharmatattva).

At that moment the Buddha praised Kāśyapa:

Excellent, excellent, good man—what I had intended to explain you have already explained!

In addition, good man, suppose there is an evil person who wishes to violently attack his mother. In the field where he works he lies in wait at the bottom of a large pile of grain. When his mother approaches with food for him, she sees that he is in an agitated state and that he is sharpening his sword. Upon understanding the situation, she escapes by hiding inside the pile of grain, whereupon the man grabs his sword and thrusts it into the grain pile while walking around it. After completing his stabs and cuts he is overjoyed, filled with the idea that he has killed her. Soon thereafter the mother comes out of the grain pile and returns home. What do you think, has that man accomplished a sin that would send him to Avīci Hell or not?

[Kāśyapa answered:]

No, World-Honored One, one cannot determine that in this case. The reason is that if we say he is guilty, then the mother's body should have been destroyed. But if her body is not destroyed, then how can we say he is guilty? On the other hand, if we say he is innocent, we then have to deal with his joyful attitude based on his certainty that he had indeed killed his mother, so how can we say he is not guilty? Although this man did not complete a crime so heinous it would bring immediate retribution, nevertheless there is still something vile here. One could indeed use this story as an analogy to enable someone to understand the genuine dharma. The Buddha praised Kāśyapa, saying:

Excellent, excellent, good man. Using stories like these I preach with a variety of expedient means and analogies, describing liberation metaphorically. But though an incalculable asaṃkhyeyanumber of metaphors 166

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may be used, there is no metaphor that can truly compare with liberation itself. In some cases there are stories or particular situations that can provide figurative explanations, but in other cases no story or situation will work in that way. Therefore, understand that the accomplishment of liberation itself brings immeasurable merit as such. As one approaches nirvāṇa [one realizes that] nirvāṇa and the Tathāgata also have immeasurable merit as such. Because the accomplishment of immeasurable merit such as this is complete I therefore call it the "great nirvāṇa. "

The bodhisattva Kāśyapa then addressed the Buddha, saying: World-Honored One, now for the first time I understand that wherever the Tathāgata is, is unending. And if it is unending, we should understand that the lifetime of the Buddha must also be without end. The Buddha said:

Excellent, excellent. Good man, you are now thoroughly capable of upholding and maintaining the true-dharma. If there are good men or women who wish to sever the defilements and fetters that bind them, then in this same way they must endeavor to uphold and maintain the true-dharma.

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