PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE
Section Five: Articulating the Entrance to the One Vehicle.
The Buddha told Srimala, “You may now further articulate, as all the various Buddhas so articulate, the Acceptance of the Real Dharma.”
Srimala addressed the Buddha, “Excellent World Honored One! Yes, so do I proclaim the teaching.”
[5.1. Acceptance of the Real Dharma is the Great Vehicle that is inclusive of the Two Vehicles]
Then she addressed the Buddha declaring, “World Honored One, that which is the Acceptance of the Real Dharma is the Great Vehicle. Because why? That which is the Great Vehicle produces and gives birth to the mundane and transmundane good Dharmas of the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened.
“World Honored One, like Anavatapta producing eight great rivers, like that does the Great Vehicle produce and give birth to the mundane and transmundane good Dharmas of the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened.
“World Honored One, it is also like every kind of seed that in all cases relies on the earth and yet is able to emerge and grow, like that are all the mundane and transmundane good Dharmas of the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened relying on the Great Vehicle and yet are able to increase far and wide.
“It is because, World Honored One, by abiding in the Great Vehicle and accepting the Great Vehicle, immediately this is abiding in the two vehicles and accepting all the mundane and transmundane good Dharmas of the two vehicles.
[5.2. The six loci of the Listener-Disciple Vehicle are within the Great Vehicle]
“Thus, the World Honored One has articulated six loci. By what classes are the six designated? They are (1) the abiding of the Real Dharma; (2) the extinction of the Real Dharma; (3) the Pratimoksa; (4) the Vinaya; (5) leaving home; and (6) endowed fully. Because it is for the Great Vehicle, these six loci are articulated.
Because why? Because it’s for the Great Vehicle, that which is the “abiding of the Real Dharma” is articulated. That which is the “abiding of the Great Vehicle,” exactly is the “abiding of the Real Dharma.” Because it’s for the Great Vehicle, that which is the “extinction of the Real Dharma” is articulated. That which is the “extinction of the Great Vehicle” exactly is the “extinction of the Real Dharma.”
“That which are these two Dharmas of the Pratimoksa and the Vinaya, are one in meaning and named differently. That which is the Vinaya immediately is the study of the Great Vehicle. Because why? By means of taking refuge in Buddha they leave home and then receive full ordination. For this reason, the articulated dignified manners and precepts (sila) of the Great Vehicle are the Vinaya, are leaving home, and are the receiving of full ordination.
“For this reason, the Arhats* have no leaving home and receiving full ordination. Because why? Because the Arhats take refuge in the Tathagata’s leaving home and receiving full ordination. When the Arhats go-for-refuge to the Buddha (Buddham saranam gacchami), the Arhats have fear. Because why? The Arhats dwell in all their unpracticed and fearful thoughts like a person grasping a sword desiring to bring harm to oneself. For this reason, the Arhats do not have the ultimate ease. Because why? World Honored One, a refuge does not seek a refuge, thus the multitude of beings do not have refuge in this and that fear. Because they use fear, they consequently seek to-go-for-refuge. So the Arhats have fear, and because of using fear, they take refuge in the Tathagata.
[5.3. The nirvana of skillful-means is not the full-nirvana of the Tathagatas]
“World Honored One, the Arhats and Independent-Buddhas* (pratyekabuddha) have fears. For this reason, Arhats and Independent-Buddhas have the Dharma of remaining births because theirs are not exhausted. Because they have birth with remainder their practice of purity is not accomplished* (siddhi). Because their adulterated affairs are not the ultimate, they necessarily have the modes of activity. Because they do not cross-over others, they necessarily have the modes of severance. Because their use is not severed, they go far from the realm of Nirvana. Because why?
"There are only the Tathagatas-Worthy of Offerings-Perfectly Enlightened Ones who attain the full-nirvana* (parinirvana) because they accomplish* (siddhi) all the virtuous-merits. Arhats and Independent-Buddhas do not accomplish all the virtuous-merits. That which is declared the ‘attainment of nirvana’ is the skillful-means of the Buddha.
" There are only the Tathagatas who attain the full-nirvana because they accomplish the immeasurable virtuous-merits. The accomplishments of Arhats and Independent-Buddhas have measurable virtuous-merits. That which is declared the ‘attainment of nirvana’ is the skillful-means of the Buddha.
"There are only the Tathagatas who attain the full-nirvana because they accomplish the inconceivable virtuous-merits. The accomplishments of Arhats and Independent-Buddhas have conceivable virtuous-merits. That which is declared the ‘attainment of nirvana’ is the skillful-means of the Buddha.
"There are only the Tathagatas who attain the full-nirvana and who, for all transgressions that should be severed, have in all cases entirely severed and extinguished them and accomplished the primary clarity and purity. Arhats and Independent-Buddhas have remaining transgressions and not the primary clarity and purity. That which is declared the ‘attainment of nirvana’ is the skillful-means of the Buddha.
"There are only the Tathagatas who attain the full-nirvana to be the Revered Ones of all the multitude of beings and who pass beyond the fields of the Arhats, Independent-Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas. For this reason the Arhats and Independent-Buddhas go far from the realm of Nirvana.
[5.4. The four kinds of knowledge and the two kinds of death.]
“That which is declared the Arhats’ and Independent-Buddhas’ observation* (pratyaveksana), liberation, four knowleges*, and ultimate attainment of abiding in excellent rest*, likewise, are the skillful-means of the Tathatgata with the remainder as an articulation of the unclear-meaning*(neyartha). Because why? There are two kinds of death. What classes are for the two? They are designated the allotted death* and the inconceivable-transformation death*(acintyā pārināmikī cyuti). That which is the allotted death designates the deceptive* [death] for the multitude of beings. That which is the inconceivable-transformation death designates the mental-apparition-body* (monomayakaya) of the Arhats, Independent-Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas of Great Power* until they reach ultimate unsurpassed-awakening.
“Among the two kinds of death, because they use the allotted death, they articulate the knowledge of the Arhats and Independent-Buddhas as ‘The completion of my births is exhausted.’
“Because they attain the confirmation of the fruit with remainder, they articulate, ‘The completion of the practice of the holy life is established.’
“Because their severing of the deceptive afflictions* is that which is not able to be carried out by fools, humans, and heavenly-beings and that which is not done by the seven kinds of beginning students, they articulate, ‘The completion of that which is to be done is carried out.’
“Because the Arhats and Independent-Buddhas actually sever afflictions and even more are not able to receive later existence, they articulate ‘They do not receive a later existence.’ Yet because they have not exhausted every affliction and likewise have not exhausted every birth to receive, they articulate ‘They do not receive a later existence.’ Because why? There are afflictions that indeed the Arhats and Independent-Buddhas actually are not able to sever.
[5.5. The levels of afflictions.]
“There are two types of afflictions. What categories are for the two? They are designated the ‘abiding-state afflictions’* (vasabhumiklesa) and the ‘arising afflictions.’* (klesa____) There are four types of abiding-states* (vasabhumi). What categories are for the four? They are designated (1) the abiding-state of seeing a single position* (*ekadrstisthita-vāsabhūmi), (2) the abiding-state of the love of desires* (*kāmarāgasthita- vāsabhūmi), (3) the abiding-state of the love of forms* (*bhavarāgasthita- vāsabhūmi), and (4) the abiding-state of the love of existence (*bhavarāgasthita- vāsabhūmi). These four kinds of abiding-states give birth to all the arising afflictions*. Those arising ones are momentary* (ksanika) and correspond with the mind’s momentariness.
“World Honored One, the mind does not correspond with the beginningless* (andhikalika) abiding-state of ignorance* (avidya-vasabhumi).
“World Honored One, the forces of these four abiding-states are the basic seeds of every ascended affliction*, yet those, as well, are unable to be compared, by calculation or by metaphor, to the abiding-state of ignorance.
“World Honored One, such is the force of the abiding-state of ignorance, that as for the fourth abiding-state of the love of existence this force of the abiding-state of ignorance is even greater. To allegorize, it is like surpassing the forms, force, length of life, retinue, and multitude of endowments of the Evil Mara-Papiyan* in the Paranirmitavaśavartin* Heaven. Such is the force of the abiding-state of ignorance, that as for the fourth abiding-state of the love of existence this force conquers it. As the basis of the numerous classes of the ascended afflictions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, likewise it decrees that the four kinds of afflictions long abide. That state of the knowledge of the Arhats and Independent-Buddhas does not eliminate it. Only that state of the knowledge of the enlightenment of the Tathagata eliminates it. Thus it is, World Honored One, the abiding-state of ignorance is a very great force.
“World Honored One, so again, with the condition* (pratyaya) of grasping and the cause* (hetu) of karma-with-outflows*, then are born the three existences* (tribhava). So it is, with the condition of the abiding-state of ignorance and the cause of karma-without-outflows* is born the three kinds of mental-apparition bodies of the Arhats, Independent-Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas of great power. The birth of these three stages of those three kinds of mental-apparition bodies as well as the birth of karma-without-outflows depend on the abiding-state of ignorance. Having conditions is not the unconditioned, and it is for this reason the three kinds of mental-apparitions as well as karma-without-outflows, are conditioned by the abiding-state of ignorance.
“World Honored One, so it is the abiding-state that loves existence, the fourth abiding-state, does not take part in the same karma of the abiding-state of ignorance. The abiding-state of ignorance is different from and separate from the four abiding-states. The Buddha stage is that which severs it, and the knowledge of the Buddha’s enlightenment is that which severs it. Because why? Though the Arhats and Independent-Buddhas sever the four types of abiding-states, the imperishability of having no outflows does not attain the power of autonomy, likewise it does not make the confirmation. That which is the imperishability of having no outflows exactly is the abiding-state of ignorance.
[End of first half of Section 5.]
[Go to Post 6, second half of Section 5.]
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