{"id":1057,"date":"2022-12-01T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T14:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/?p=1057"},"modified":"2022-12-01T09:25:05","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T14:25:05","slug":"perfect-enlightenment-12-buddha-continues-on-observing-dharmadhatu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/2022\/12\/01\/perfect-enlightenment-12-buddha-continues-on-observing-dharmadhatu\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfect Enlightenment 12: Buddha Continues, On Observing Dharmadh\u0101tu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Show scripture (Chinese).<\/span>

<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Chinese:<\/h2>\n

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\u300c\u5584\u7537\u5b50\uff01\u865b\u7a7a\u5982\u662f\u5e73\u7b49\u4e0d\u52d5\uff0c\u7576\u77e5\u89ba\u6027\u5e73\u7b49\u4e0d\u52d5\uff1b\u56db\u5927\u4e0d\u52d5\u6545\uff0c\u7576\u77e5\u89ba\u6027\u5e73\u7b49\u4e0d\u52d5\uff1b\u5982\u662f\u4e43\u81f3\u516b\u842c\u56db\u5343\u9640\u7f85\u5c3c\u9580\u5e73\u7b49\u4e0d\u52d5\uff0c\u7576\u77e5\u89ba\u6027\u5e73\u7b49\u4e0d\u52d5\u3002\u5584\u7537\u5b50\uff01\u89ba\u6027\u904d\u6eff\u6e05\u6de8\u4e0d\u52d5\u3002\u5713\u7121\u969b\u6545\uff0c\u7576\u77e5\u516d\u6839\u904d\u6eff\u6cd5\u754c\uff1b\u6839\u904d\u6eff\u6545\uff0c\u7576\u77e5\u516d\u5875\u904d\u6eff\u6cd5\u754c\uff1b\u5875\u904d\u6eff\u6545\uff0c\u7576\u77e5\u56db\u5927\u904d\u6eff\u6cd5\u754c\uff1b\u5982\u662f\u4e43\u81f3\u9640\u7f85\u5c3c\u9580\u904d\u6eff\u6cd5\u754c\u3002\u5584\u7537\u5b50\uff01\u7531\u5f7c\u5999\u89ba\u6027\u904d\u6eff\u6545\uff0c\u6839\u6027\u3001\u5875\u6027\u7121\u58de\u7121\u96dc\uff1b\u6839\u3001\u5875\u7121\u58de\u6545\uff0c\u5982\u662f\u4e43\u81f3\u9640\u7f85\u5c3c\u9580\u7121\u58de\u7121\u96dc\uff1b\u5982\u767e\u5343\u71c8\u5149\u7167\u4e00\u5ba4\uff0c\u5176\u5149\u904d\u6eff\u7121\u58de\u7121\u96dc\u3002<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Show scripture (English).<\/span>

<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

English:<\/h2>\n

\u201cGood sons, because these bodhisattvas and sentient beings of the degenerate age fully witness all illusion and dispel all images, they immediately experience limitless purity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood sons, enlightenment reveals limitless space. Since enlightenment is perfectly clear, the manifest mind is pure. Since the mind is pure, the objects of vision are pure. Since vision is pure, the eye faculty is pure. Since the eye faculty is pure, the visual consciousness is pure. Since this consciousness is pure, hearing is pure. Since hearing is pure, the ear faculty is pure. Since the faculty is pure, the auditory consciousness is pure. Since the consciousness is pure, all perception is pure, and so it is true for smell, taste, touch and conceptualization as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood sons, since the eye faculty is pure, the colour spectrum is pure. Since color is pure, the field of sound is also pure. The same is true of the fields of smell, taste, touch and thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood sons, since the six objects are pure, the Earth element is pure. Since Earth is pure, Water is pure, and so are Fire and Wind. Good sons, since the Four Elements are pure, the Twelve Loci, the Eighteen Realms and the Twenty-Five Kinds of Existence are pure. Since these are pure, the Ten Powers, the Four Kinds of Fearlessness, the Four Types of Unobstructed Wisdom, the Buddha’s Eighteen Distinctive Characteristics, and the Thirty- seven Aids to Enlightenment are pure, and so on up to the Eighty-four thousand dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u012b-entrances, everything is pure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood sons, since all true marks are pure in their nature, one body is pure. Since one body is pure, many bodies are pure. Since many bodies are pure the same is true of all sentient beings in the ten directions, who are perfectly enlightened and pure. Good sons, since one world is pure, many worlds are pure. Since many worlds are pure, we can see that throughout all of space, completely including the three times, all things are equal, pure and changeless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood sons, since space is equal and changeless, you should know that the nature of enlightenment is equal and changeless. Since the Four Elements are changeless, you should know that the nature of enlightenment is equal and changeless. The same holds true all the way up through the 84,000 dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u012b-entrances which are equal and changeless. Therefore, you should know that the nature of enlightenment is equal and changeless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood sons, the unchanging purity of the nature of enlightenment completely pervades\u2014it includes everything without restriction. Therefore, you should know that the six faculties completely pervade the realm of reality. Since the faculties completely pervade, you should know that the six sensory fields completely pervade the realm of reality. Since the sensory fields completely pervade, you should know that the Four Elements completely pervade the realm of reality. It is the same way with all things, including the dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u012b-entrances, which completely pervade the realm of reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood sons, since this marvelous nature of enlightenment completely pervades, there is neither conflict nor confusion between the natures of the faculties and their objects. Since the faculties and objects have no conflict, it is like this through all of existence, including in the dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u012b-entrances, which have neither conflict nor confusion. It is like one hundred thousand lamps shining in one room. Their light completely pervades without conflict or confusion.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Commentary:<\/h2>\n

The ultimate quiescence of illusion is the attainment of purity. This realm of purity is also the dharmadh\u0101tu. And yet, this realm is still capable of manifesting illusion \u2013 upon dharmakaya is the spontaneous dependent arising of all consciousness realms. Buddha used the mani<\/em>-jewel as an analogy. A multi-faceted jewel can reflect many colour lights, but these reflections are none other than illusion. The ignorant would say the jewel itself possesses these colours. Nowadays, the crystal makes an apt metaphor for it can reflect many colour lights, but it does not possess them. At one angle, it may appear red; at another, blue. It becomes clear that neither red nor blue is the colour of the crystal itself. In fact, all conventional manifestations are not the true appearance of dharmadh\u0101tu, they are only illusory. Observing the crystal in the dark, it does not reflect coloured lights \u2013 it is a cessation of illusory appearances, which is the pure appearance of the crystal. Similarly, the perfectly enlightened marvelous mind is where there is an awareness of dharmadh\u0101tu.<\/p>\n

\"\"Regarding dharmadh\u0101tu, it cannot in truth be described with words, for it is a realm beyond comprehension and discussion. And yet, many insist on defining it with words. The more it is described, the more mysterious it has become, and in the end, what dharmadh\u0101tu truly is has become as clear as mud. In truth, dharmadh\u0101tu is very simply buddha\u2019s realm of inner wisdom realization, the wisdom realm of becoming buddha. This realm is ineffable even for buddha. The realm is an awareness of the perfectly enlightened marvelous mind. If one insists on a description, buddha may call it buddha-body, or buddha-wisdom, and depending on the circumstances, it is established as dharmadh\u0101tu (realm). Body, wisdom, and realm, the three are no different, for they refer to the same realm (a realm is not a concrete thing). Thusly understood this way, then there is no need for layers of meditation to observe dharmadh\u0101tu.<\/p>\n

Here, the scripture begins by saying that the body and mind of bodhisattvas manifest in dharmadh\u0101tu, this illustrates bodhisattvas\u2019 realization of wisdom in dharmadh\u0101tu. With this wisdom realization, body and mind are seen to have the nature of the perfectly enlightened marvelous mind, transcending the obscuration from all illusory appearances. This is analogous to observing the shimmer of a crystal, one does not become attached to this sparkle as red, or that sparkle as blue, for they are both illusory. Grasping at what sparkle is what colour is already an attachment to the illusory contamination. Knowing that regardless of colour, they are all spontaneous dependent arising, they are illusory but not reality. By changing the point-of-view, what appeared as red before may now appear blue, and vice versa, thereby gaining a glimpse of the true appearance of the crystal. This is called becoming free from the illusory contamination. Such illusory contaminations do not exist primordially in dharmadh\u0101tu, they are consciousness\u2019 fabrications within dharmadh\u0101tu that manifest as illusions. Illusions fabrications of the mind can also be dispelled (liberated).<\/p>\n

Subsequent to the mind becoming free of illusory obscuration is three layers of judgements to arrive at a certainty on dharmadh\u0101tu.<\/p>\n

On the first layer of judgements... click to show more.<\/span>

<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The first layer is the detachment from language. According to the stages in the scripture, from the attainment of perfect awareness, one can determine the purity of one\u2019s mind. From the purity of one\u2019s mind, one can determine the purity of six objects. With the twofold purity comes the purity of subject and object. Awareness is no longer constrained by the duality of subject and object, for there is no longer the grasping mind, nor are there the six objects to be grasped at.<\/p>\n

From the purity of mind comes the purity of six faculties. From the purity of six faculties, the purity of six consciousnesses is revealed. From the purity of the six objects, the purity of the four elements is also revealed. With the purity of the four elements, the twelve places, the eighteen realms, twenty-five existences are also pure. The twenty-five existences refer to all mundane worlds (beings and the three realms).<\/p>\n

If all mundane worlds are pure, then all transcendent phenomena such as \u201cthe Ten Powers, the Four Kinds of Fearlessness, the Four Types of Unobstructed Wisdom, the Buddha’s Eighteen Distinctive Characteristics, and the Thirty- seven Aids to Enlightenment are pure, and so on up to the Eighty-four thousand dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u012b-entrances, everything is pure.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is said as pure is a purity from transcending words and meaning. By transcending words and meaning is also a transcendence of conceptuality and intentions. The scripture continues, \u201c[S]ince all true marks are pure in their nature, one body is pure. Since one body is pure, many bodies are pure. Since many bodies are pure the same is true of all sentient beings in the ten directions, who are perfectly enlightened and pure.\u201d Generalizing further, one can generalize from body to the world, \u201cSince one world is pure, many worlds are pure. Since many worlds are pure, we can see that throughout all of space, completely including the three times, all things are equal, pure and changeless.\u201d Here, to say \u201cthroughout all of space,\u201d it means pervading all boundaries; to say \u201ccompletely including the three times,\u201d it means transcending the three times of past, present, and future. If space and time are also awareness via the perfect enlightenment, this is a realization entering the nature of purity and great equality that is beyond words and unchanging, the entrance to dharmadh\u0101tu.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

On the second layer... click to show more.<\/span>

<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"The second layer of judgement is on the awareness of dharmadh\u0101tu, that its nature is unobstructed and unchanging.<\/p>\n

Via the entrance to dharmadh\u0101tu, what is the nature of this awareness?<\/p>\n

The scripture says, \u201c[S]ince space is equal and changeless, you should know that the nature of enlightenment is equal and changeless. Since the Four Elements are changeless, you should know that the nature of enlightenment is equal and changeless. The same holds true all the way up through the 84,000 dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u012b-entrances which are equal and changeless. Therefore, you should know that the nature of enlightenment is equal and changeless.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the equality and changelessness of space, four elements, all the way through 84,000 dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u012b-entrances, we can determine that the nature of awareness is equal and changeless. This is a certainty on awareness, arisen from the equality and changelessness of all phenomena, pervading the realms of sa\u1e43s\u0101ra and nirv\u0101\u1e47a.<\/p>\n

Equality means unobstruction. Otherwise, if there exists inequality, there also exists the differences between high and low, superior and inferior. Omnipresence means there is no obstruction. Taking a crystal as an example, grasping at one angle to look at it, where one sparkle appears red, another appears blue, it is an attachment to the perspective that leads to an obstruction, such that each point on the crystal has the capacity to manifest multicoloured sparkles. Without arbitrary barrier, the colour spectrum pervades the entire crystal. This is the equality.<\/p>\n

By unchanging, it means all phenomena manifesting in dharmadh\u0101tu, dharmadh\u0101tu itself does not become defiled by the conceptualization of the phenomena. Like a crystal, just because a sparkle appears red, the whole crystal does not become red as a result \u2013 the crystal remains crystal clear. This is what it means to be unchanging.<\/p>\n

This way of meditation and observation, the Huayan tradition calls it \u201cthe unobstruction of principle and matters\u201d (\u7406\u4e8b\u7121\u7919). The nature of awareness is the principle; space, four elements, and so on, are matters. Since they are both equal and unchanging, neither obstructs each other.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

On the third layer... click to show more.<\/span>

<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"The third layer of judgement is to observe dharmadh\u0101tu as being inclusive of all phenomena (dharma).<\/p>\n

The previous judgement leads to a realization that the nature of awareness pervades dharmadh\u0101tu that is pure and unchanging. Then, all phenomena also pervade dharmadh\u0101tu \u2013 the six faculties, the six objects, the four elements also pervade dharmadh\u0101tu, all the way to all dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u012b-entrances, they pervade dharmadh\u0101tu, because all phenomena are manifestations of awareness. As per the scripture, they are perfect throughout the three realms, completely including the three times.<\/p>\n

This way, the marvelous enlightenment is omnipresent in the entire dharmadh\u0101tu. With the existence of faculties and objects, dharmadh\u0101tu has neither confusions nor conflicts, all the way with the existence of dh\u0101ra\u1e47\u012b-entrances, dharmadh\u0101tu has neither confusions nor conflicts. This is dharmadh\u0101tu being neither one nor many. Because of \u201coneness,\u201d all phenomena are included; because of (the inclusivity of) \u201cmany\u201d phenomena, they become one. This way, we can say that dharmadh\u0101tu and all phenomena are no different. We can also say that the non-duality of all phenomena is the nature of dharmadh\u0101tu. The Huayan tradition calls this \u201cmatters and matters are unobstructed\u201d (\u4e8b\u4e8b\u7121\u7919). The scripture says, \u201cIt is like one hundred thousand lamps shining in one room. Their light completely pervades without conflict or confusion\u201d (\u767e\u5343\u71c8\u5149\u7167\u4e00\u5ba4\uff0c\u5176\u5149\u904d\u6eff\uff0c\u7121\u58de\u7121\u96dc). Because lights do not obstruct each other, one light entering into many lights is naturally without conflict; many lights merging into one is naturally without confusion.<\/p>\n

In any scripture of definitive meaning, of which the S\u016btra of Perfect Enlightenment <\/em>is no exception, Buddha always pointed out that, in the conventional world where objects and afflictions are illusory, all phenomena coalesce with dharmadh\u0101tu. However, even for the non-composite worlds that transcend illusions and afflictions, such as the pure lands of form buddhas, they are also coalescent with dharmadh\u0101tu. In summary, where there are illusory manifestations, they are all coalescent with dharmadh\u0101tu. This is the direct realization of meditation of illusions.<\/p>\n

Among the three layers of judgement, according to the Nyingma tradition, the first layer is to surpass words and meanings to establish purity, the second layer is to determine the nature of awareness to establish the nature of great equality, the third layer is to observe dharmadh\u0101tu encompassing all dharma, that dharmakaya and its virtue permeate all phenomena, the direct realization of the Great Perfection. The three golden axioms of the Great Perfection come from these three judgements. The first is \u201cthe essence is primordially pure.\u201d The second is \u201cthe natural appearances arise spontaneously.\u201d The third is \u201cthe great compassion is omnipresent.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Commentary: The ultimate quiescence of illusion is the attainment of purity. This realm of purity is also the dharmadh\u0101tu. And yet, this realm is still capable of manifesting illusion \u2013 upon dharmakaya is the...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1059,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1057"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1065,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057\/revisions\/1065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}