 |
Tathagatagarbha Buddhism (3)
"Or, good sons, it is like a store of treasure hidden beneath an impoverished household. The treasure cannot speak and say that it is there, since it isn't conscious of itself and doesn't have a voice. So no one can discover this treasure store. It is just the same with sentient beings. But there is nothing that the power of the Tathagata's vision is afraid of. The treasure store of the great Dharma is within sentient beings' bodies. It does not hear and it is not aware of the addictions and delusions of the five desires. The wheel of samsara turns and beings are subjected to countless sufferings. Therefore buddhas appear in the world and reveal to them the Dharma store of the tathagata in their bodies. And they believe in it and accept it and purify their universal wisdom. Everywhere on behalf of beings he reveals the tathagatagarbha. He employs an eloquence which knows no obstacle on behalf of the Buddhist faithful. In this way, good sons, with my buddha eye I see that all beings possess the tathagatagarbha. And so on behalf of bodhisattvas I expound this Dharma." At that point, the Tathagta expressed himself in verses, saying:
"It is like a store of treasure
Inside the house of an impoverished man.
The owner is not aware of it,
Nor can the treasure speak.
For a very long time it is buried in darkness,
As there is no one who can tell of its presence.
When you have treasure but do not know of it,
This causes poverty and suffering.
When the buddha eye observes sentient beings,
It sees that, although they transmigrate
Through the five realms of reincarnation,
There is a great treasure in their bodies
That is eternal and unchanging.
When he sees this, the Buddha
Teaches on behalf of all beings,
Enabling them to attain the treasure-store of wisdom,
And the great wealth of widely caring for one another.
If you believe what I have taught you
About all having a treasure store,
And practice it faithfully and ardently,
Employing skillful means,
You will quickly attain the highest path.
“Or, good sons, it is like the pit inside a mango [“amra”] fruit which does not decay. When you plant it in the ground, it grows into the largest and most regal of trees. In the same manner, good sons, when I look at sentient beings with my Buddha vision, I see that the tathagatagarbha is surrounded by a husk of ignorance, just as the seeds of a fruit are only found at its core. Good sons, that tathagatagarbha is cold and unripe. It is the profound quiescence of nirvana that is brought about by great wisdom. It is called the truly enlightened one, the Tathagata, the arhat, and so on. Good sons, after the Tathagata has observed sentient beings, he reveals this message in order to purify the wisdom of bodhisattvas and great beings.”
At that point, the World-honored One expressed himself in verses, saying:
“It is just like the pit of a mango fruit
Which does not decay.
Plant it in the earth
And inevitably a great tree grows.
The Tathagata’s faultless vision
Sees that the tathagatagarbha
Within the bodies of sentient beings
Is just like the seed within a flower or fruit.
Though ignorance covers the buddhagarbha,
You ought to have faith and realize
That you are possessed of samadhi wisdom,
None of which can be destroyed.
For this reason I expound the Dharma
And reveal the tathagatagarbha,
That you may quickly attain the highest path,
Just as a fruit grows into the most regal of trees.
“Or, good sons, it is like a man with a statue of pure gold, who was to travel through the narrow roads of another country and feared that he might be victimized and robbed. So he wrapped the statue in worn-out rags so that no one would know that he had it. On the way the man suddenly died, and the golden statue was discarded in an open field. Travelers trampled it and it became totally filthy. But a person with supernatural vision saw that within the worn-out rags there was a pure gold statue, so he unwrapped it and all paid homage to it. Similarly, good sons, I see the different sentient beings with their many klesas, transmigrating through the long night of endless samsara, and I perceive that within their bodies is the wondrous garbha of the Tathagata. They are august and pure and no different from myself. For this reason the Buddha expounds the Dharma for sentient beings, that they might sever those klesas and purify their Tathagata wisdom. I turn the wheel of the Dharma again and again in order to convert all worlds.”
At that point, the World-honored One expressed himself in verses, saying:
“It is like a traveller to another country
Carrying a golden statue,
Who wraps it in dirty, worn-out rags
And discards it in an unused field.
One with supernatural vision sees it
And tells other people about it.
They remove the dirty rags and reveal the statue
And all rejoice greatly.
My supernatural vision is like this.
I see that beings of all sorts
Are entangled in klesas and evil actions
And are plagued with all the sufferings of samsara.
Yet I also see that within
The dust of ignorance of all beings,
The Tathagata nature sits motionless,
Great and indestructible.
After I have seen this,
I explain to bodhisattvas that
Klesas and evil actions
Cover the most victorious body.
You should endeavor to sever them,
And manifest the Tathagata wisdom.
It is the refuge of all –
Gods, men, nagas, and spirits.
“Or, good sons, it is like a woman who is impoverished, vile, ugly, and hated by others, who bears a noble son in her womb. He will become a sage king, a ruler of all the four directions. But she does not know his future history, and constantly thinks of him as a base-born, impoverished child. In like fashion, good sons, the Tathagata sees that all sentient beings are carried around by the wheel of samsara, receiving suffering and poison, but their bodies possess the tathagata’s treasure store. Just like that woman, they do not realize this. This is why the Tathagata everywhere expounds the Dharma, saying, ‘Good sons, do not consider yourselves inferior or base. You all personally possess the Buddha nature.’ If you exert yourselves and destroy your past evils, then you will receive the title of bodhisattvas or world-honored ones, and convert and save countless sentient beings.
At that point, the World-honored One expressed himself in verses, saying:
“It is like an impoverished woman
Whose appearance is common and vile,
But who bears a son of noble degree
Who will become a universal monarch.
Replete with seven treasures and all virtues,
He will possess as king the four quarters of the earth.
But she is incapable of knowing this
And conceives only thoughts of inferiority.
I see that all beings
Are like infants in distress.
Within their bodies is the tathagatagarbha,
But they do not realize it.
So I tell bodhisattvas,
‘Be careful not to consider yourselves inferior.
Your bodies are tathagatagarbhas;
They always contain
The light of the world’s salvation.’
If you exert yourselves
And do not spend a lot of time
Sitting in the meditation hall,
You will attain the path of very highest realization
And save limitless beings.”
[To continue with this text, please go to: http://www.webspawner.com/users/tathagatagarbha4/index.html
Or: click on the words, "Tathagatagarbha Buddhism 4" below!
Tathagatagarbha Buddhism 4
Send E-Mail to: pagetony@onetel.com
Copyright © 2009 Dr. Tony Page. All Rights Reserved