Baishui Zen

This is the first sutra we’ll be studying on this blog. This one was chosen along with two others as the starting point for sutra study in tandem with the decision to start with Bodhidharma’s writings on the Zen Record posts. While it seems to be the common wisdom that the Lankavatara Sutra was the favorite of Bodhidharma, and it was originally my intention to start there, Red Pine suggested in that project that Bodhidharma quotes three sutras throughout the writings that he is credited with writing. The sutras are the Nirvana sutra, the Avatamsaka sutra, known in English as the Flower Ornament Sutra, and the Vimalakirti Sutra. Moreover, apparently none of his writings use language that is associated with the Lankavatara, but they do reference these. Therefore, as we go forward with Bodhidharma’s writings, we would like to build up knowledge of these sutras as well. I’ll do Lankavatara after these, I read it last year and it’s enjoyable in its own right.

The Nirvana sutra is a complicated text. The details of its composition are mostly lost to time, but textual analysis indicates that it was not written “in one sitting.” Different segments were written in different places throughout India, and all of them were eventually lost, except for isolated fragments. The text we have exists, also in several different forms, because of its transmission to China. We’ll be following the version by Dr. Tony Page.

Throughout these posts, I’ll be summarizing chapters of the sutra, including important teachings and meditations, as well as any notable quotes. Many sutras are difficult readding, so we’ll be trying to explain unfamiliar language and try to elaborate on tough passages when necessary. Unlike the Zen Record posts, we will not make any attempt whatsoever to be thorough here. This sutra is nearly 600 pages long, with many idiosyncrasies that can leave sections of the text borderline incomprehensible. I’ll be picking and choosing just those elements that speak to me. Since I’m reading this as I go through Bodhidharma’s writings, I don’t know all the right things to include to get all the references. Worst case, we miss some things, and incorporate them later.

I will remark that when I do provide quotes from the sutra, they will only be “quotes” and not literal direct quotations. If it’s unclear why, check out the text for yourself. The text regularly uses a significant Sanskrit vocabulary, while also containing tremendous amounts of fluff in the form of repetitive phrases, such as “it is thus! it is thus!” and “O good man.” I feel like when I myself want to take a passage of this sutra for my morning meditation, or just find myself discussing it with others, this stuff has no place in the conversation. The Sanskrit is mostly just confusing, and the filler text just hurts comprehension. I accept full responsibility for any change in intention I introduce to the text. Furthermore, this version of the sutra, while the most comprehensive, also has plenty of typos. I see no reason not to fix these, while I’m at it.

The premise of the sutra is that it takes place as the Buddha is preparing to die enter Nirvana. An unreasonable number of beings, both human and non-human, show up from around the cosmos to see him off, make offerings, which the buddha refuses, and maybe hear one more sermon before then. I don’t know if they knew when they showed up just how much would be said, but nobody seems bored, so we’re going with it. One thing is clear, they did not know at the time that the death of the buddha would be a calamitous event in the first place.

The light that issued from the Tathagata’s face was fivefold in color, and it shone and covered all the great congregation, so that it blotted out the light that came out of the body. Having done this, it again turned back to the Buddha, back to him through his mouth. Then, the heavenly beings and all those congregated there, asuras and others, became greatly afraid, as they saw the Buddha’s light entering him through his mouth. Their hair stood on end. And they said: “The light of the Tathagata, having appeared, goes back and enters [him again]. This is not without reason. This indicates that the Buddha has done what he intended to do in the ten directions and now will enter Nirvana as his last act. This must be what it mean to indicate to us. Woe is the world, woe the world! Why is it that the World-Honored One so forsakes the four limitless minds and does not accept the offerings of man and heaven? The light of Wisdom is now going out eternally. The unsurpassed boat of Dharma is now sinking. Ah, the pain! Woe is the world!” They held up their hands, beat their breasts, and sorrowfully cried out and wept. Their limbs shook, and they did not know how to support themselves. Blood came from their bodies and ran over the ground.