{"id":1148,"date":"2023-06-01T09:00:12","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T13:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/?p=1148"},"modified":"2023-05-30T10:39:54","modified_gmt":"2023-05-30T14:39:54","slug":"perfect-enlightenment-18-levels-of-realization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/2023\/06\/01\/perfect-enlightenment-18-levels-of-realization\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfect Enlightenment 18: Question: Levels of Realization"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the previous column<\/a>, bodhisattva Maitreya asked Buddha the way to sever the root of samsara (cyclical existence). Here, bodhisattva Pure Wisdom will continue the line of inquiry, inquiring into the different levels of realization, and the stages of practice.<\/em><\/p>\n

Click here for the table of contents<\/a> to revisit the dialogue between Buddha and previous bodhisattvas.<\/em><\/p>\n

Show scripture (Chinese).<\/span>

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

Chinese:<\/h2>\n

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<\/div>\n

Show scripture (English).<\/span>

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

English:<\/h2>\n

Then the bodhisattva Pure Wisdom rose from his seat in the great assembly. He bowed his head to the Buddha\u2019s feet, and circumambulated him three times to the right. He then knelt down with his hands clasped and addressed the Buddha saying: \u201cGreatly Compassionate World Honoured One; you have magnanimously explained for all of our group this inconceivable matter which was originally not seen and originally not heard. We who are presently here and have received your superb instruction have gained composure of body and mind, and received great benefit. I would like to request this: would you re-explain the nature of the Perfect Fulfilling Enlightenment of the King of the Dharma for those who have come for your teaching? What differences are there between that which is grasped and actualized by sentient beings, bodhisattvas and World Honored Tath\u0101gatas? Please let sentient beings of the degenerate age hear this sagely teaching that they may conform to it, awaken through it and gradually become capable of entering.\u201d Having said this, he prostrated fully to the ground. He asked in this way three times in succession.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Commentary:<\/h2>\n

The six bodhisattva is Pure Wisdom, the fifth one inquiring into the practice.<\/p>\n

Previously, to answer Maitreya, Buddha said, while sentient beings are of Five Natures (see here<\/a>), there is only one expedient device to their awakening. This in turn led to Pure Wisdom\u2019s question. Along the path from having the ordinary state-of-mind to enlightenment, what are the differences in the realization? If beings are of different natures, would their attainment not differ correspondingly? Otherwise, there should not be the distinctions between bodhisattvas, the two vehicles, and ordinary beings.<\/p>\n

Stay tuned for the next two columns for Buddha\u2019s answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the previous column, bodhisattva Maitreya asked Buddha the way to sever the root of samsara (cyclical existence). Here, bodhisattva Pure Wisdom will continue the line of inquiry, inquiring into the different levels of...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":895,"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\/1148"}],"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=1148"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1154,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1148\/revisions\/1154"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}