From Root up to the Ultimate

"Oh good man! With the 37 factors of Enlightenment, there is no inversion. Therefore, we can speak of 'pure action'. Oh good man! If any Bodhisattva comes to know the root, the cause, what takes in, what augments, the master, what leads, what is superior, what is true, and what is ultimate; such a Bodhisattva is one of pure action.”

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! In what sense do we say that one knows from the root up to the ultimate?

The Buddha said: "Oh good man! Well spoken, well spoken! What you speak, Bodhisattva, concerns two things. One is for your own good, and the other is for the knowledge of others. Now you know, but since innumerable others beings do not yet understand, then you ask. So, I now praise you once again. Very good, very good! Oh good man! The root of the 37 elements concerning to Enlightenment is desire. The cause is the touch of brightness; that which takes in is 'feeling'; that which augments is 'thought'; the 'master' is 'remembrance' ('mentalizing'); that which leads is dhyana [ meditation]; that which is superior is 'Wisdom'; that which is true is 'Emancipation'; and the ultimate is Great Nirvana.

Oh good man! (Also), all the worries of the world have their rise in craving. All illnesses rest on the food cooked in the previous day. All segregation arises out from quarrelling and disputation. All evils arise out from falsehood. The situation is thus."

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said: "Oh World Honored One! The Tathagata has already established in this sutra that all good things are grounded on non-indolence. Now, you say (that) 'desire' (is the root of the 37 elements concerning to enlightenment). How can I understand this?"

The Buddha said: "Oh good man! If the cause is sought order to the emergence of good things, this is a good desire. If the revealing cause is sought, this is non-indolence. We say in the world that the result depends on the seed; we say that the seed is the cause of the rise, and the soil is the revealing cause. The same is the case here, too."

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said: "Oh World Honored One! The Tathagata says in other sutras that the 37 Enlightenment factors constitute the base. What does this imply?"

"Oh good man! The Tathagata has said before that beings first come to know of the 37 factors of Enlightenment. The Buddha is the root. The awakening depends on desire."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.

from root up to the ultimate.mp3