Tathagatagarbha Buddhism (21)
Continuation of the "Angulimaliya Sutra":
“All the [results of the] actions of people which I have explained so far are extremely light, for if they get a birth in the human abode, they will have all the inconceivable sufferings of the world and become liable to the sufferings of the animal abode and the world of Yama . They will remain experiencing ignorance for a very long time due to the things one has done, for it will be difficult for those who turn away from the greatness of the Tathāgata’s virtues to acquire even a mustard-seed amount of wholesomeness. In previous lives, those who, by having delighted many Tathāgatas, heard about the Tathāgata’s greatness and retained it for even the space of a finger-snap became restrained in their faculties, wealthy and noble in birth. Now too such people will be restrained in faculties, eminent citizens, like vast sāla trees, with many servants and provisions, born into great brahmin families. They will be delighted even by just hearing a hint of the tathāgata-garbha and engage extensively in meritorious actions. In future lives too, these are none other that those people who, by hearing about the tathāgata-garbha, will [have faith, ] practice in accordance with it, have many servants and provisions, and be born into noble families; achieve their goals, have a pleasing appearance and perfection of complexion, strength and confidence (? snyems-pa); they will be intelligent, mindful, sharp-witted, have a pleasing voice and be delightful to behold; they will be kings, ministers, princes or universal emperors, and likewise they will be virtuous and free from arrogance; they will be able to overcome sleepiness, diligence in their pursuits and so forth; they will have a perfection of the things in the heavens and on the earth; and they will become lords of the gods, lords of the brahmas and world-protectors.
“Because of the merits of hearing about the tathāgata-garbha, people will be free from illnesses and afflictions, have long lives, and delight all creatures. By having heard that the Tathāgata is permanent, stable and eternal, and does not die even though he passes into parinirvāna, they will be endowed with all possessions, long-lasting firmness and permanence. Those who knowing that the Buddha disports himself by manifesting himself in accordance with all worlds teach that he did not arise through sexual intercourse will get many children and long-lived parents by the merit of having acquired wisdom and good qualities. Because of knowing that the permanent tathāgata-garbha is present in all beings, they will get all the most excellent forms of happiness and the perfections that there are in the world. By hearing about the permanence of the tathāgata-garbha, they will perpetually obtain all forms of perfections in the past, the present and the future and all forms of happiness in the heavens and on earth.
“Because of having contempt for the tathāgata-garbha, beings will have defective limbs in all abodes in the five modes of existence and they will experience suffering while they wander amidst the torments of samsāra. Those beings who have attended to the Buddha, those who teach for the benefit of people and who themselves reflect upon the tathāgata-garbha will manage to hear about the tathāgata-garbha. Venerable Pūrna, those people who have turned away from many Buddhas, who are disparaging when they hear about the tathāgata-garbha have burnt their seeds and alas have created immeasurable misery for themselves throughout the three times.
“Those who want to teach the Dharma should teach thus and praise the permanence and reality of the Tathāgata. Those who do not teach thus and who cast aside the tathāgata-garbha are unworthy of a lion’s seat, just as an outcaste is unworthy of a king’s elephant .
“Even though all Buddhas were to search assiduously, they would not find the birth of the tathāgata-garbha, for the unborn buddha-dhātu is present with all beings, adorned with the major and minor attributes. Even though all Buddhas were to search assiduously, they would not find a dhātu that is arisen, for the unarisen dhātu, the buddha-dhātu, the dhātu adorned with infinite major and minor attributes is present in all beings. Even though all Buddhas themselves were to search assiduously, they would not find a dhātu that was not permanent, for the permanent dhātu, the buddha-dhātu, the dhātu adorned with infinite major and minor attributes is present in all beings. Even though all Buddhas themselves were to search assiduously, they would not find a tathāgata-garbha that is not eternal, for the eternal dhātu, the buddha-dhātu, the dhātu adorned with infinite major and minor attributes is present in all beings. Even though all Buddhas themselves were to search assiduously, they would not find a tathāgata-garbha that is not stable, for the stable dhātu, the buddha-dhātu, the dhātu adorned with infinite major and minor attributes is present in all beings. Even though all Buddhas themselves were to search assiduously, they would not find a tathāgata-garbha that is not free from disease, for the disease-free dhātu, the buddha-dhātu, the dhātu adorned with infinite major and minor attributes is present in all beings. Even though all Buddhas themselves were to search assiduously, they would not find a tathāgata-garbha that is subject to old-age and death, for the dhātu free from old-age and death, the buddha-dhātu, the dhātu adorned with infinite major and minor attributes is present in all beings. Even though all Buddhas themselves were to search assiduously, they would not find a tathāgata-garbha that is subject to destruction, for the indestructible dhātu, the buddha-dhātu, the dhātu adorned with infinite major and minor attributes is present in all beings. Even though all Buddhas themselves were to search assiduously, they would not find a tathāgata-garbha that is subject to decay, for the dhātu free from decay, the buddha-dhātu, the dhātu adorned with infinite major and minor attributes is present in all beings. Even though all Buddhas themselves were to search assiduously, they would not find a tathāgata-garbha that has impurities, for the dhātu free from impurities, the buddha-dhātu, the dhātu adorned with infinite major and minor attributes is present in all beings.
“For example, just as one cannot find a mixture of water and butter, similarly there is no possibility of the afflictions and the buddha-dhātu being mixed together, even though the buddha-dhātu is concealed by billions of afflictions. Even though the dhātu rests within billions of afflictions, it is like a lamp within a jar which shines forth when the jar is smashed. The jar is the afflictions and the lamp is the tathāgata-garbha. Those who teach the tathāgata-garbha are Buddhas, bodhisattvas or śrāvakas, each of whom teach in accordance with their ability. He who teaches the tathāgata-garbha regardless who they are, whether they have the afflictions or not, are to be known as perfect Buddhas.
“Venerable Pūrna, if those who enter upon the path of liberation smash the billion of afflictions like a jar, they will then see the entire Dhātu [Buddha Essence] as though it were a mango upon the palm of their hand. For example, though the sun and moon do not shine upon the earth when they are veiled by clouds, they do shine upon the earth when they are released from the clouds. Similarly, when the tathāgata-garbha is hidden by billions of afflictions it is not visible, but when it is freed from the afflictions, the sun and moon of the buddha-dhātu is also visible, just like the sun and moon.
“Alas, venerable Pūrṇa, your practice is that of a mosquito, for you do not know how to teach a Dharma discourse. If even a mosquito can make a noise, does that mean it has knowledge ? Do not speak again ! Depart quickly, you mosquito !”
Then the elder Sundarānanda bowed down his head at the feet of the Blessed One, and the said to Aṅgulimāla, “Excellent, excellent ! Aṅgulimāla, I am delighted at the merit of attentiveness which you have earnt. I seek the Buddha’s physical form, so you, oh brahmin, should also know that !”
Then Aṅgulimāla replied to Sundarānanda, “Venerable Sundarānanda, given that you have the fairest of features, what is beauty of features in the world, how does one become fair of form amongst humans ? Speak now and dispel my uncertainty !”
Sundarānanda said,
“By washing one’s hands and joining the ten fingers,
prostrating at the feet of the Tathāgata,
and ever taking care of the sick,
thus men become fair of features.”
Aṅgulimāla said to Sundarānanda, “If the Tathāgata has neither bones nor sinews, how could there be relics (śarira-dhātu) ? The dharmakāya, most excellent expediency devoid of relics, is the inconceivable Buddha, for the Tathāgata is inconceivable. He acts with the expedient means of leaving relics, in order to generate faith in those without faith, for he leaves relics so that stūpas can be built for the Buddha. That is the very nature of Buddhas, for those many different sculpted images made in the form of Brahmā, Īśvara, Kātyāyana and {‘gro-skems gzhon-nu} and placed in houses and underground chambers do not function as refuges. Those who know that the relics of the Tathāgata are that manner of expedient means are the fair-featured in the world, for they become beautiful in appearance due to that understanding of expedient means, but those who think otherwise are {byas-pa lta ‘khyam-pa yin}. Sundarānanda, you do not even know the first thing about becoming beautiful in appearance ! Alas, venerable Sundarānanda, you practice is that of a mosquito, for you do not even know the first thing about becoming beautiful in appearance ! Since even mosquitoes have a perfect appearance, you who are like a mosquito should be silent !”
Then the elder Upāli bowed down his head at the feet of the Blessed One, and the said to Aṅgulimāla, “Excellent, excellent ! Aṅgulimāla, I am delighted at the merit of attentiveness which you have earnt. Aṅgulimāla, now you should apply yourself to the moral code !”
Aṅgulimāla replied, “Venerable Upāli, if you are the most excellent of those who uphold the moral code, then what is upholding of the moral code in the world, how is one to become skilled in possession of the moral code ? Speak now and dispel my uncertainty !”
The elder Pūrṇa said to Aṅgulimāla,
“You should refrain from all evil deeds,
perfect those which are wholesome
and fully discipline your mind:
that is the essence which sums up
the moral code of the Buddhas”
The Aṅgulimāla said, “All the goods, the monastic garb and so forth, the books, the bowls, the water filters, the tweezers and the needles of miscreant heretics (duṣṭa-pāṣaṇḍika) should be impounded and confiscated, for you should assiduously suppress the unreformed. All of these things are the possessions of those who maintain the moral discipline and not of those miscreant heretics. For example, if a king’s sword is found in the possession of an outcasts, there is no fault in using force to wrest it from him, for that is not the possession of an outcaste, but the treasure of a king. Likewise, those things are the possessions of those who maintain the moral discipline and those who confiscate them and carefully carry them off are those who uphold the moral code in the world, for they will not even be guilty of a minor infraction (duṣkṛta) nor will they even infringe the observances (vidhi). It is they who fulfil the Tathāgata’s instructions. The Tathāgata constantly views all people as though they were Rāhula. Alas, venerable Upāli, your practice is like that of a mosquito. You do not understand the essence that sums up the moral code. Since even mosquitoes know what they should do, you who are like a mosquito should be silent !”
Then Mañjuśrī-kumārabhūta bowed down his head at the feet of the Blessed One, and the said to Aṅgulimāla, “Excellent, excellent ! Aṅgulimāla, I am delighted at the merit of attentiveness which you have earnt. Aṅgulimāla, now you should cultivate the great emptiness, the non-existence of anything !”
Aṅgulimāla replied, “Mañjuśrī, if you are the most excellent of those who behold great emptiness, then what is beholding emptiness in the world, what is the meaning of emptiness ? Speak now, you with great knowledge, and dispel my uncertainty !”
Then Mañjuśrī-kumārabhūta spoke these verse to Aṅgulimāla,
The Buddha is like space,
because space has no characteristics;
the Buddha is like space,
because space has no attributes signs of arising;
the Buddha is like space,
because space has no form;
the Dharma is like space,
because it is the Tathāgata’s dharmakāya;
awareness (jñāna) is like space,
because it is the Tathāgata’s jñānakāya,
for the Tathāgata is unattached awareness
which cannot be grasped or touched;
liberation is like space,
because space is devoid of perceptual images,
for liberation is the Buddha Tathāgata.
How can you, Aṅgulimāla, know
emptiness which is the non-existence of anything ?
Then Aṅgulimāla said to Mañjuśrī-kumārabhūta, “Suppose, for example, that there was a downpour from the clouds and a man, foolish in nature, picked up some hail-stones, thinking that they were beryl. Then taking these into his house, he thought to himself that he should store them somewhere since they were too cold to be held, and so he put them into a jar. Having seen those hail-stones melt, he thought to himself that they were devoid of existence (śūnya) and became silent. [As for real beryls, he had the notion that they too were non-existent.] Likewise, venerable Mañjuśrī, by cultivating extreme emptiness and continually considering things to be empty, one will behold the utter destruction of all phenomena. Though liberation is not empty, one will see and think it to be empty."
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