{"id":980,"date":"2022-10-18T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/?p=980"},"modified":"2022-11-01T14:42:46","modified_gmt":"2022-11-01T18:42:46","slug":"perfect-enlightenment-9-on-the-samadhi-of-illusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/2022\/10\/18\/perfect-enlightenment-9-on-the-samadhi-of-illusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfect Enlightenment 9: On the Sam\u0101dhi of Illusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Show scripture (Chinese).<\/span>

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

Chinese:<\/h2>\n

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\u300c\u5584\u7537\u5b50\uff01\u4e00\u5207\u773e\u751f\u7a2e\u7a2e\u5e7b\u5316\uff0c\u7686\u751f\u5982\u4f86\u5713\u89ba\u5999\u5fc3\uff0c\u7336\u5982\u7a7a\u82b1\u5f9e\u7a7a\u800c\u6709\uff0c\u5e7b\u82b1\u96d6\u6ec5\u7a7a\u6027\u4e0d\u58de\uff1b\u773e\u751f\u5e7b\u5fc3\u9084\u4f9d\u5e7b\u6ec5\uff0c\u8af8\u5e7b\u76e1\u6ec5\u89ba\u5fc3\u4e0d\u52d5\u3002\u4f9d\u5e7b\u8aaa\u89ba\u4ea6\u540d\u70ba\u5e7b\uff0c\u82e5\u8aaa\u6709\u89ba\u7336\u672a\u96e2\u5e7b\uff0c\u8aaa\u7121\u89ba\u8005\u4ea6\u5fa9\u5982\u662f\u3002\u662f\u6545\uff0c\u5e7b\u6ec5\u540d\u70ba\u4e0d\u52d5\u3002\u5584\u7537\u5b50\uff01\u4e00\u5207\u83e9\u85a9\u53ca\u672b\u4e16\u773e\u751f\uff0c\u61c9\u7576\u9060\u96e2\u4e00\u5207\u5e7b\u5316\u865b\u5984\u5883\u754c\uff0c\u7531\u5805\u57f7\u6301\u9060\u96e2\u5fc3\u6545\uff0c\u300e\u5fc3\u5982\u5e7b\u300f\u8005\u4ea6\u5fa9\u9060\u96e2\uff0c\u300e\u9060\u96e2\u70ba\u5e7b\u300f\u4ea6\u5fa9\u9060\u96e2\uff0c\u300e\u96e2\u9060\u96e2\u5e7b\u300f\u4ea6\u5fa9\u9060\u96e2\uff0c\u5f97\u7121\u6240\u96e2\u5373\u9664\u8af8\u5e7b\u3002\u8b6c\u5982\u947d\u706b\u5169\u6728\u76f8\u56e0\uff0c\u706b\u51fa\u6728\u76e1\u7070\u98db\u7159\u6ec5\uff1b\u4ee5\u5e7b\u4fee\u5e7b\u4ea6\u5fa9\u5982\u662f\uff0c\u8af8\u5e7b\u96d6\u76e1\u4e0d\u5165\u65b7\u6ec5\u3002\u5584\u7537\u5b50\uff01\u77e5\u5e7b\u5373\u96e2\uff0c\u4e0d\u4f5c\u65b9\u4fbf\uff1b\u96e2\u5e7b\u5373\u89ba\uff0c\u4ea6\u7121\u6f38\u6b21\u3002\u4e00\u5207\u83e9\u85a9\u53ca\u672b\u4e16\u773e\u751f\u4f9d\u6b64\u4fee\u884c\uff0c\u5982\u662f\u4e43\u80fd\u6c38\u96e2\u8af8\u5e7b\u3002\u300d<\/p>\n

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Show scripture (English).<\/span>

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

English:<\/h2>\n

Then the World Honoured One, speaking to Samantabhadra Bodhisattva said: \u201cExcellent, excellent! Good son, you have well asked the Tath\u0101gata on behalf of the bodhisattvas and the sentient beings of the degenerate age about the expedient stages of the practice of the bodhisattva\u2019s illusion-like-sam\u0101dhi. This practice enables all the sentient beings to gain freedom from illusion. Now listen well, and I shall explain it for you.\u201d Samantabhadra received this teaching with great joy and reverence; all in the great assembly became silent and listened.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood sons, all sentient beings\u2019 various illusions are born from the perfectly enlightened marvelous mind of the Tath\u0101gata, just like the sky-flowers come to exist from the sky. But even though the illusory flowers vanish, the nature of the sky is indestructible. The illusory mind of sentient beings also vanishes based on illusion, and while all illusions are utterly annihilated, the enlightened mind is unchanged. The use of illusion to speak of enlightenment is also called illusion. If you say there is enlightenment, you are not yet free from illusion. If you say there is no enlightenment, this is the same thing. Therefore, the cessation of illusion is called unchanging.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood sons, all bodhisattvas and sentient beings of the degenerate age should separate from all illusory and false realms. By firmly abiding in the liberated mind, one also becomes free from the \u201cillusion-like mind,\u201d one is also free from the \u201cfreedom as illusion,\u201d and also free from \u201cbecoming free from the freedom from illusion.\u201d Attaining what is beyond liberating, which is the removal of all illusion. It is like making a fire with two sticks. The fire blazes and the wood is consumed; the ashes fly away and the smoke vanishes. Using illusion to remedy illusion is exactly like this. Yet even though all illusions are extinguished, you do not enter into nihilism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood sons, when you know illusion, you will immediately be free, without devising expedient means. Freedom from illusion is enlightenment, and there are no stages. All bodhisattvas and sentient beings of the degenerate age who practice like this will be permanently free from all illusion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commentary:<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

Buddha\u2019s answer to Samantabhadra\u2019s questions was in fact instructions to practicing the illusion-like sam\u0101dhi.<\/p>\n

First, Buddha pointed out that all phenomena are illusory arising, arisen from \u201cthe perfectly enlightened marvelous mind of the Tath\u0101gata.\u201d While the arising themselves are illusive, \u201cthe perfectly enlightened marvelous mind\u201d that gives rise to these phenomena is not.<\/p>\n

\"\"What is this perfectly enlightened marvelous mind of the Tath\u0101gata? The \u201cTath\u0101gata\u201d here refers to the primordial buddha nature in all sentient beings, in other words, dharmakaya primordially exists in the mind of all beings. The Huayan tradition calls this primordial mind as \u201cimmovable and spontaneous.\u201d The essence of dharmakaya (buddha nature) is unchanging but possesses the capacity for dependent arising. The Nyingma tradition calls it the Buddha-Within, for its wisdom realm is firmly abiding, unchanging, uncontaminated, and yet it has the capacity to give rise to consciousness realms. These consciousness realms stem from the wisdom realm, they arise naturally and spontaneously. The sayings of the two schools, Huayan and Nyingma, are in essence the same, it is just that the Huayan tradition does not emphasize that dharmakaya as buddha\u2019s wisdom realm of inner self-realization.<\/p>\n

The \u201cperfectly enlightened marvelous mind\u201d is the marvelous mind that possesses the perfect enlightenment. Because it is beyond conceptuality, it is said to be marvelous. All illusions arise from this mind, and yet this mind that possesses the perfect enlightenment has never changed, it is only via dependent arising where all illusions are perceived. Being \u201cimmovable and spontaneous\u201d is why this \u201cperfectly enlightened marvelous mind\u201d is labeled as \u201cthe perfectly enlightened marvelous mind of the Tath\u0101gata.\u201d More concretely, one can say that in the mind of every being, there exists dharmakaya or the Buddha-Within. This does not mean that in the mind of every being there exists already the wisdom of enlightenment, nor does it mean that dharmakaya has been revealed.<\/p>\n

All illusions are in truth…\u00a0Show more.<\/span>

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

dependent arisings, with the perfectly enlightened marvelous mind as the cause (the causal ground). Ignorance as the dependent origination gives rise too all sorts of illusion. Arousing Faith in the Mah\u0101y\u0101na<\/em> refers to this perfectly enlightened marvelous mind as the ocean, ignorance as the wind. When the wind blows, there are ocean waves, such waves are the various illusions. When the waves calm, the ocean remains. Similarly, when the illusions cease, the mind with the awareness remains. This is a very important point, the key to practicing the illusion-like sam\u0101dhi, because it is the basis to Buddha\u2019s answers to all subsequent bodhisattvas. Therefore, this is a practice of the illusive mind, not an annihilation of mind, for it is a liberation from illusion. When the mind is liberated from all illusions, the awareness arises.<\/p>\n

How does one become liberated from illusions, Buddha\u2019s answer was straightforward, \u201c[W]hen you know illusion, you will immediately be free.\u201d Knowing that the object of mind is like the flowers in the sky, that they are all illusory, one becomes simultaneously free from them. This is akin to waking from a dream, one becomes free from it. This is the sudden realization.<\/p>\n

Buddha said, \u201c[W]ithout devising expedient means, [f]reedom from illusion is enlightenment, and there are no stages.\u201d This is analogous to \u201cthe fire blazes and the wood is consumed.\u201d By \u201cwithout devising expedient means,\u201d it means that there is no need to establish special practices to remove the illusion, nor to establish practices to arouse the awareness. It is a practice without contrivance, that is, a practice with no pre-conceived notions, such as emptiness. Simply, it is not a practice to transcend illusion with an intention, nor is it a practice towards enlightenment with an intention. Because \u201cwhen you know illusion, you will immediately be free,\u201d and \u201cfreedom from illusion is enlightenment.\u201d<\/p>\n

This instruction would give rise to Universal Vision Bodhisattva\u2019s question later.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Show scripture (Chinese).<\/span>

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

Chinese:<\/h2>\n

\u723e\u6642\uff0c\u4e16\u5c0a\u6b32\u91cd\u5ba3\u6b64\u7fa9\u800c\u8aaa\u5048\u8a00\uff1a<\/p>\n

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\n\u7121\u59cb\u5e7b\u7121\u660e\uff0c\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u7686\u5f9e\u8af8\u5982\u4f86\uff0c
\n\u5713\u89ba\u5fc3\u5efa\u7acb\u3002\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u7336\u5982\u865b\u7a7a\u82b1\uff0c
\n\u4f9d\u7a7a\u800c\u6709\u76f8\uff0c\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u7a7a\u82b1\u82e5\u5fa9\u6ec5\uff0c
\n\u865b\u7a7a\u672c\u4e0d\u52d5\u3002\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u5e7b\u5f9e\u8af8\u89ba\u751f\uff0c
\n\u5e7b\u6ec5\u89ba\u5713\u6eff\uff0c\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u89ba\u5fc3\u4e0d\u52d5\u6545\u3002
\n\u82e5\u5f7c\u8af8\u83e9\u85a9\uff0c\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u53ca\u672b\u4e16\u773e\u751f\uff0c
\n\u5e38\u61c9\u9060\u96e2\u5e7b\uff0c\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u8af8\u5e7b\u6089\u7686\u96e2\u3002
\n\u5982\u6728\u4e2d\u751f\u706b\uff0c\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u6728\u76e1\u706b\u9084\u6ec5\uff0c
\n\u89ba\u5247\u7121\u6f38\u6b21\uff0c\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u65b9\u4fbf\u4ea6\u5982\u662f\u3002<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Show scripture (English).<\/span>

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

English:<\/h2>\n

Then the World Honoured One, wanting to restate the message, spoke a verse. He said:<\/p>\n

Samantabhadra, you should know
\nThe beginningless illusory ignorance
\nOf all sentient beings
\nIs all created from
\nThe perfectly enlightened mind of all the Tath\u0101gatas.
\nIt is just like the sky-flowers
\nWhich have their appearance in relation to the sky;
\nThough the sky-flowers vanish
\nThe sky has never changed.
\nIllusion is born from enlightenment;
\nIn the cessation of illusion, enlightenment remains perfectly complete.
\nThis is because the enlightened mind is changeless.
\nIf these bodhisattvas
\nAnd sentient beings of the degenerate age
\nAlways appropriately separate from illusion,
\nThey will completely free themselves from it.
\nLike the flame that springs from wood:
\nThe wood is consumed and the flame again disappears.
\nIf you are enlightened, then there are no stages of practice
\nNor is there such a thing as expedient means.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Commentary:<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The verse summarizes the secret meaning of the illusory practice. 1. From beginningless time, the \u201cillusory ignorance\u201d is established by the perfectly enlightened mind of Tath\u0101gata. Therefore, within the consciousness realm, all illusion-like phenomena can be said to be arisings of dharmakaya. 2. The illusion-like consciousness realm abides in dharmakaya to manifest itself. It can be said to be with appearance abiding in the vast expanse (here, by analogy, dharmakaya is like the vast expanse). One can arrive at the certainty that \u201cThough the sky-flowers vanish \/ The sky has never changed.\u201d Here we can use the analogy of twilight with the sky (vast expanse) as the background. When the twilight dissipates, the sky remains, as per the verse, \u201cIn the cessation of illusion, enlightenment remains perfectly complete.\u201d 3. It is not because of an expedient means to cause the enlightenment to arise. To speak of \u201cprimordial awareness\u201d is an expedient saying \u2013 when one surpasses the illusions, the primordial awareness is naturally perfect and complete. Therefore, one cannot say there are stages of cultivating the awareness. People who reject the idea of primordial awareness most likely do not pay attention to this message in this section of the scripture. It clearly says, \u201cIf you are enlightened, then there are no stages of practice \/ Nor is there such a thing as expedient means.\u201d The whole fuss on the wording of \u201cprimordial awareness\u201d is entirely uncalled for.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0for what has been posted so far in the series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buddha\u2019s answer to Samantabhadra\u2019s questions was in fact instructions to practicing the illusion-like sam\u0101dhi. First, Buddha pointed out that all phenomena are illusory arising, arisen from \u201cthe perfectly enlightened marvelous mind of the Tath\u0101gata.\u201d...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":981,"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\/980"}],"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=980"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1052,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/980\/revisions\/1052"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbatoronto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}