Pearls of the Universe - Volume 9

"If we listen to this Great Nirvana Sutra, we come to know all about the depths of what is said in all the Mahayana Vaipulya Sutras. For example, this is like a mirror in which a man or woman can clearly see the color and shape. It's the same with the Great Nirvana Sutra. The Bodhisattva takes this up and sees clearly through all the depths of things established in the Mahayana Sutras. Also, it’s like someone with a great torch, who is able to see everything in a dark room. It's the same with the torch of the Nirvana Sutra. The Bodhisattva takes this up and reaches the depths of what is said in the Mahayana Sutras. Also, it is like the sun. When it appears, thousands of rays of light shine over the mountains and gloomy places, and men can see clearly what is far and away. It's the same with the pure light of Wisdom of this Great Nirvana. It shines upon all the depths of the Mahayana, enabling those of the two vehicles to see the Buddhist teachings. How? Because they hear the All-Wonderful Doctrine of this Great Nirvana Sutra."

Read More in Pearls of the Universe - Volume 9.

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The Void as ‘Not-Is’ – Eternal

"A Person may say: 'The Void is eternal, and its nature is immovable. This (nature) joins with what moves'. But this is not so. Why not? If the Void is eternal, matter, too, must be eternal. If matter is non-eternal, the Void, too, must be non-eternal."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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The Void as ‘Not-Is’ – Co-Existence

"Oh good man! A person may say: 'The Void co-exists with the unobstructed ‘is'. Or someone might say: 'The Void exists within a thing. It's like the fruit within a vessel'. Neither is the case. There are three kinds of co-existence, namely: 1) things made differently become one, as in the case of flying birds which gather together in a tree; 2) two things common among themselves become one, as in the case of two sheep which come into contact; 3) co-existence of pairs of those who gather to exist in one place. We say 'different things meet’. There are two kinds of differences. One is a ‘thing’ (object), and the other is the Void. If Voidness joins with the thing, this Voidness must be non-eternal. If a thing joins with the Void, the thing ceases to be one-sided (individual, uneven, asymmetrical). If there is nothing that is one-sided, it is again non-eternal."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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The Void as ‘Not-Is’ – No Hindrance

"Oh good man! The people of the world can say: 'Anywhere in the world where there is no hindrance [obstacle] is the Void'. A place where there is nothing to hinder is an all over ‘is’. How can there be any partial existence? If it is an all over 'is', we can know that there is no Void in other places. If it is partial, this is a thing countable. If countable, it is non-eternal."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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The Void as ‘Not-Is’ – Three Things

"Oh good man! Also, some people say: 'Now, the Void is nothing more than these three things: 1) Void, 2) Real, and 3) Real-Void'. If we say that this is the Void, we should know that the Void is non-eternal. Why? Because it has no actual place to exist. If it is said that it really is this, we can know that the Void is non-eternal. Why? Because is not empty. If we say 'Real-Void', we can know that the Void is also non-eternal. Why? Because nothing can exist in two places. Hence, the Void is Empty."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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Mountain's Lapinha - ride sharing

The Void as ‘Not-Is’ – Gradual

"Also, some people say that the Void is gradual. If it is gradual, it can be a caitasika (mental factor). If countable (measurable), it falls into the category of the Three Times. If it belongs to Three Times, how can it be Eternal?"

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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The Void as ‘Not-Is’ – Place

"Oh good man! And someone says that the Void is a place where one lives. If it is a place where one lives, it is matter. And all places are non-sentient and fall into the category of the Three Times. How could the Void not be Eternal and not fall into the category of the Three Times? If there is any place on which to speak, we should know that the Void cannot exist [there]."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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The Void as ‘Not-Is’ – Light

"Also, in addition, oh good man! All tirthikas say that the Void is light. If light, it is matter. If the Void is matter, it is non-eternal. If non-eternal, it falls into the category of the Three Times. How can the tirthikas say that it is not of the Three Times? If it is of the Three Times, is not the Void. And how can anyone say that the Void is non-eternal?"

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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The Void as ‘Not-Is’ – Nirvana

The Buddha said: “Oh good man! You can say that Nirvana does not fall within the category of the Three Times and thus is Void. But this is not so. Why not? 'Nirvana is an existence, something visible, that which is true, matter, the footprint, the sentence and the word, that which is, characteristics, the by-cause, the refuge which one takes, quietude, light, peace, and the other shore’. That is why we can say that it does not fall within the category of the Three Times. With the nature of the Void, there is nothing like that. That's why we say 'not-is'. If there were anything other than this (a 'not-is'), we could certainly say that it falls into the category of the Three Times. If the Voidness were a thing of 'is', it could not be other thing than of category of the Three Times."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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Abstract of Nirvana Sutra Chapter 38

“Oh good man! When practicing meditation, one arrives at such right knowledge ['jnana'] and right view of life. That's why I say in the sutras that any bhiksu who practices meditation can indeed see how the five skandhas appear and disappear. Oh good man! If one does not practice meditation, one cannot clearly see how obtain things in the world. And how could one know of the things that concern to the supramundane world? While there is no meditation, one can even fall over a flat place. The eye sees what is out of order; the mouth speaks what is out of order; and the ear hears what is different [from reality]; the mind understands what is out of order. Desiring to articulate (words with) the particular letters, the hands write strange sentences; desiring to take a particular path, the body follows a different path. One who practices Samadhi gains many benefits and attains unsurpassed Enlightenment.”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 38 - On Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 6.

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IZ & PI - In ‘A Frivolous Dialogue About Dharma’

Fruition of Segregation

"We say 'fruition of segregation', which is Nirvana. A person segregates himself of all defilements. All good deeds are the cause of Nirvana. Also, there are two kinds, namely: 1) the near cause, and 2) the far out cause. By near cause is meant the gate of three emancipations [i.e., the Samadhis of voidness, formlessness, and desirelessness]; by the far out cause is meant the good deeds which the person has practiced in innumerable worlds."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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Fruition of Reward

"We speak of ‘fruition of reward’. A person gains a pure carnal body and performs what is pure in body, mouth and mind. This person says: 'I am reaping the fruition of rewards’. Such fruition has two causes, which are: 1) the near, and 2) the for out. By the near cause is meant what is done with the body, mouth and mind; by the far out cause is meant the purity of body, mouth and mind in the past. This is what we call fruition of reward."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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Equal Fruition

"By ‘equal fruition' is meant what is common in the world at large. Again, such fruition has two causes: 1) the near, and 2) the far out. By near cause is meant the ten good deeds which beings practice; by for out (cause) is meant the so-called three calamities [i.e., water, fire, and war]. This is called equal fruition.”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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Fruition of That Which Remains

"We say ‘fruition of that which remains’. By non-killing, a person lengthens in a third the life span of the body. This is what one obtains. This is the fruition of that which remains. Such fruition has two causes. One is near, and the other far out. By near is meant the purity of body, mouth, and mind; by far out is meant the extension of the life span and the enjoying of old age. This is the fruition of that which remains."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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Fruition by Befriending

“We say ‘fruition of befriending’. For example, there is a man who befriends a good person [i.e., with a Good Teacher of Buddhism], and as a result he gains the fruits from the Srotapanna up to Arhatship. The person says: 'I now gain the fruition of befriending'. The case is thus. Such fruition has two causes, namely: 1) the near cause, and 2) the far out cause. The near (cause) is the faith; the far out (cause) is the good friend. This is the fruition from friendship.”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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Fruition by Repaying Obligations

"We say ‘fruition by repaying obligations’. People in the secular (world) make offerings to their parents. All the parents say: 'We are now reaping the fruits of what we did when nourish [our children]’. When the child indeed repays them, we call this fruition. The case is thus. Such fruition has two causes, namely: 1) the near cause, and 2) the far out cause. The near (cause) are the pure actions which the parents performed in the past; the far out refers to the filial (love) which the child developed. This is the fruition of repaying obligations (debts of gratitude)."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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Fruition by Means

"We say ‘fruition by means’. In autumn, the people of the secular (world) harvest cereals and say to one another that they are gaining the fruition of the means which they have put into effect. The fruition of the means is called fruition of karmic actions. Such fruition has two causes, namely: 1) near cause [direct], and 2) far out cause [indirect]. The near cause is the so-called 'seed', the far out cause is water, dung, human being, and efforts. This is the fruition [which arises] from putting the means into effect.

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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Pearls of the Universe - Volume 8

"In what way does the Bodhisattva thinks about the Sangha? All Buddhas and all Holy Priests (the Sangha) live in accordance with the Dharma and dutifully practice the Dharma which is straight. One cannot see it, catch hold of it, destroy it, or cause damage to it. It (the Sangha) cannot be conceived, and is a good field of weal ['punya-ksetra' - a field of merit and blessings] for all beings. Although it is a field of weal, there is no having it on hand [catch hold of it]. All is pure and undefiled; it is non-'asvara '(impurity) and non-created; is vast and boundless. The mind is tamed and light, is all-equal, and is undivided. There is no elation. All is eternal and unchanging. This is how to think about the Sangha."

Read more at Pearls of the Universe - Volume 8.

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