Baishui Zen

We’re back continuing our read-along of this sutra. Things continue where they left off, with the Buddha continuing his lecture. He says that there are four types of individuals in this sutra that benefit the world:

-Ordinary folks who at least follow the dharma and repent when they mess up. They may be familiar with and speak about the Eight Great Awakenings Sutra, and may reach a high level of competency within Buddhism and be called bodhisattva, but this isn’t necessary. (As an aside, this sutra is only two pages, and can be found here).

-Next are the classes called “sotapanna” and “sakadagami.” Sotapanna means “stream entrant,” envisioning Nirvana as a great ocean, and the dharma as a stream leading to it. I think it’s interesting that both samsara and Nirvana are discussed with this metaphor in mind. The Buddha says that these individuals read and write down the teachings, and talk about them all the time, as if by compulsion. They’re called bodhisattvas, and it is prophesized that they will one day attain buddahood. Sakadagami on the other hand means “once-returner” because they only have one more cycle through existence until achieving liberation.

-Third is the class of person called “anagami.” This means “non-returner.” They have nothing impure at all, cling to nothing, and speak of selflessness. They have no fear or sensual appetites at all. Since this person is a non-returner, it is prophesized that they will attain buddhahood in this lifetime.

-The last class is the arhat. An arahant is a fully liberated person. An arahant has no trouble piercing the illusions of the conventional truths of the world. They are capable of ascending to buddhahood at essentially any time. The text indicates that they are “capable of manifesting various images.” Later on in the sutra, the Buddha clarifies that this is not a magic power that he actively wills, rather it is something that happens around him. In other words, manifesting images here has more to do with how others see an arahant and how an arahant influences others to accomplish virtuous deeds, than a supernatural being.

At this stage, I want to briefly remark that these definitions, but especially that of an arahant, are pretty different throughout other texts. Not just in other sects of Buddhism – within Mahayana, there are different views about what an arahant is or should be. This is a working definition that we see in the Nirvana sutra.

Next, Kasyapa says that he will choose not to use these individuals as refuges, the way one does with Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The reason he gives is that evil demons and spirits can already present themselves as Buddhas, what should stop them from presenting themselves as these other kinds of people? The Buddha basically says this is fair enough. If one studies Mahayana well, one acquires the ability to size people and teachings up, and to discern what is in line with the teachings. Judge people as you encounter them.

The Buddha’s retort deals with an important theme for the Nirvana sutra, as well as certain chunks of Mahayana literature broadly: the decline of the dharma.

After my entering Nirvana, there may be 100 thousand innumerable people who will slander and not believe in this all-wonderful Great Nirvana Sutra. For 40 years after my entering Nirvana, this sutra will flourish in Jambudvipa. Then, it will disappear. They (the four types of person mentioned above) become the generals of this great teaching. One of the four kinds of people sees that countless Bodhisattvas of other countries study, copy, or have others copy, Mahayana sutras of this kind, for gain, fame, understanding, reliance, for trading for other sutras, but that they do not speak of it to others. Hence, he takes this all-wonderful sutra over there and gives it to the
Bodhisattvas, so that they might aspire to unsurpassed Bodhichitta [Enlightenment-mind] and rest peacefully in Enlightenment. A Bodhisattva, on obtaining this sutra, speaks of it to others, who, through it, become blessed with the ambrosia of the Mahayana teaching. All of this is what has been brought forth by this single Bodhisattva. He enables others to hear what they have not heard before.

Throughout the sutra, the Buddha will make several different prophecies of sorts for what the age of dharma decline may be like, how long it may last, and what should be done during it. Here, we have an interesting view. During this age, this new teaching can provide something fresh for dharma listeners, which can help to revitalize dharma for them who may otherwise be somewhat disaffected.

After quite a few analogies for understanding the merits of different types of monastic behavior, and what to do when they are inevitably broken during the age of decline, I want to next turn my attention to the following passage:

Monks should base themselves on four things. They should be based on Dharma, not the person; on the meaning, not the letter; on Wisdom, not on consciousness; on import-embracing sutras, not on non-import-embracing sutras.

The Buddha will go point by point through these four principles, and so will we.

“Being based on Dharma means nothing other than basing oneself
on the Supreme Enlightenment of the Tathagata. All Buddhist teachings are none but “Dharmata,” the essence of all Dharma and reality. This “Dharmata” is the Tathagata. Hence, the Tathagata is Eternal and Unchanging. Any person who says that the Tathagata is non-eternal does not know “Dharmata”. Such a person is not one to base oneself upon. All the four persons mentioned above appear in the world, protect, realize and become a refuge. Why? Because they thoroughly understand the deepest points of Dharma.”

I’m no Chan master, but I’d venture to guess that this is one of the most important passages for Chan practitioners, because it claims that all the teachings are embodied by the essence of dharma and reality itself. What is the essence of dharma? It is the unfiltered experience of reality, and this direct and non-conceptual comprehension of the world is exactly the primary goal of Chan practice.

“We say that we base ourselves on the meaning, not the words. The meaning connotes being fully Enlightened. Full Enlightenment means non-weak. Non-weak is satisfaction. Satisfaction means that the Tathagata is Eternal and Unchanging. That the Tathagata is Eternal and Unchanging means that Dharma is eternal. That Dharma is eternal means that the Sangha is eternal. This is basing oneself on the meaning. Do not base yourself on the words. What words are we not to base ourselves on? These are discursive and decorative words. All such words are not to be depended upon.”

“We say that we base ourselves upon Wisdom and not upon consciousness. The Wisdom alluded to is the Tathagata. If any listener does not well understand the virtues of the Tathagata, such a consciousness is not to be depended upon. If he knows that the Tathagata is the Dharma-Body, such true Wisdom can indeed be depended upon. If a person sees the expedient body of the Tathagata and says that it belongs to the five aggregates, the eighteen realms, the twelve spheres, such is not to be depended upon. This means that even consciousness is not to be depended upon. If a sutra says thus, it cannot be depended upon.

I think this is actually essentially more of the same kind of idea. The realms and spheres refer to modes of experiencing and comprehending the world, e.g. spheres of consciousness. This classification is quite common in Buddhism, but somewhat less important in Chan, where we tend to reject or at least downplay such metaphysical or ontological classifications. Nevertheless, the passage reaffirms the non-conscious, non-conceptual nature of buddha and dharma (and sangha).

“We say that we should base ourselves on the import-embracing sutras, and not on the non-import-embracing sutras. The non-import-embracing sutras are the listener’s vehicle. Hearing even the depth-plumbing storehouse of the Buddha-Tathagata, doubts raise their heads as regards all things and the
person does not realize that this storehouse arises from the sea of great Wisdom, as in the case of a child who cannot distinguish one thing from another. This is the non-grasping of the meaning.

Dr. Page says that the “import-embracing” sutras are the sutras that dig deep into the dharma. We get closer to understanding what this means by contrasting it with the listener’s vehicle, the sravaka vehicle. In the Mahayana tradition, this is considered one of the lesser vehicles for attainment, the text likens it to a childlike lack of comprehension. This vehicle is the vehicle of religious following, of obedience and repetition. To be clear, this isn’t automatically a bad thing – practice and repetition are how we lay strong foundations for skills and prepare for subsequent growth, and the Mahayana tradition encourages us to take as many lifetimes as we need to achieve Buddhahood. Thus, following this path is not a bad thing, but for those on the path to Buddhahood, it is important to distinguish between those texts which are designed to exposit the fundamental truths, and those designed as simple instruction. The text explains:

The sravaka vehicle is analogous to the situation where a person first tills his land, but has not yet arrived at the harvest.

For most of us, when we try to jump into Chan headfirst, we are hit with walls of koan literature, difficult sutras, meditation instructions saying vagueries and oddities like “just observe your thoughts,” and so on. It’s quite difficult to begin sorting out all this information and advice. So what do we do? We seek out a teacher, who gives us instruction, and we become disciples and till our fields until we are ready to pursue independent practice, closer to equals. Many of us need to start out with our dependables on a “lesser” path until we are ready for Mahayana. It’s important to remember who this sutra is written for – the monastics. These people are far more prepared for these teachings, and are also much more interested in things like how and why a sangha should be organized or structured, and what to do to deal with the age of decline of the dharma. Moreover, they have had tremendous time (past lives even, from their point of view) to follow the listener’s path and become ready for Mahayana. When we study as “laypersons” interested in following the Buddhist path, we can gloss over some of these details, and try to focus on the essential teachings, so that we might get just a bit closer to the Mahayana path ourselves.