Aspiring to the Mind of Non-Existence
the
profound law of the void
The Buddha said, “Good sons and daughters! This one
doctrine is called the doctrine of Innumerable Meanings. Bodhisattvas, if they want to learn and
master the doctrine of Innumerable Meanings, should observe that all laws (or existences) were originally,
will be, and are in themselves void in nature and form; they are neither
great nor small, neither appearing nor disappearing, neither fixed nor movable,
and neither advancing nor retreating; and
they are non-dualistic, just emptiness. All living beings, however,
discriminate falsely: It is this or It is that, and It is advantageous or It is
dis-advantageous; they entertain evil thoughts, make various evil karmas,
and thus transmigrate within the six realms of existence; and they suffer all
manner of miseries, and cannot escape from there during infinite countless
kalpas. Bodhisattva-mahasattvas, observing rightly like this, should raise the
mind of compassion, display the great mercy desiring to relieve others of
suffering, and once again penetrate deeply into all laws.
The Innumerable Meanings originate from one law. The
one law is namely, non-form. Such non-form
is formless, and not form. Being not form
and formless, it is called the real aspect of things . . .
first
of ten merits – sutra of innumerable meanings – the threefold lotus sutra
The Buddha said: “Good sons and daughters! First, this
sutra makes the unawakened bodhisattva aspire to buddhahood, makes a merciless
one raise the mind of mercy, makes a homicidal one raise the mind of great
compassion, makes a jealous one raise the mind of joy, makes an attached one
raise the mind of detachment, makes a miserly one raise the mind of donation,
makes an arrogant one raise the mind of keeping the commandments, makes an
irascible one raise the mind of perseverance, makes an indolent one raise the
mind of assiduity, makes a distracted one raise the mind of meditation, makes
an ignorant one raise the mind of wisdom, makes one who lacks concern for
saving others raise the mind of saving others . . . makes one who wishes for existence aspire to the mind of nonexistence.
. .
“like space . . .” chapter one – introductory
– the lotus sutra
Also I see bodhisattvas who observe
that the nature of all existence (laws)
is not in opposing forms, but like space.
that the nature of all existence (laws)
is not in opposing forms, but like space.
“just
like space of the nature of nothingness” – chapter fourteen – a happy life
“Further, a bodhisattva-mahasattva contemplates all
existences as void—appearances as they reality, duly established as they are
in reality, neither upside down, nor moving, nor receding, nor turning, just like space, of the nature of nothingness,
cut off from the course of all words and expressions, unborn, not coming
forth, not arising, nameless, formless, really without existence, unimpeded,
infinite, boundless, unrestrained, only existing by causation, and produced
through distortion of thought.
hui-neng,
enlightenment here and now:
“outer world is but a manifestation of one’s own mind . . .”
The core of the mind now comprehends that the outer world is but a manifestation of
one's own mind, and this understanding becomes a massive liberation. In
enlightenment the eye of wisdom is opened to an intuition of the heart of
being, a perfected vision transcending all dualities, the self-realization of
one's real self. . .
Note: All the above contemplated, recurring each week in
morning meditation on The Threefold Lotus
Sutra.
