2011-10-03

The Apprehension of Meaning


“We say 'meaning'. 'Meaning' means 'be satisfied'. This is never, to the end, cheat seeking to demonstrate pureness of deportment and, with arrogance, show up as being of a high position, and so greedily to seek profit. Also, one should not show clinging to what the Tathagata says for reasons of expediency. This is to achieve the meaning. If a person abides in this, then we may say that this person abides in 'Paramartha-Satya' [Ultimate Reality]. This is why we say that we base ourselves on the meaning of the sutras and not on the non-apprehension of the meaning.

Non-apprehension of the meaning relates to what is established in the sutras saying that everything can be extinguished, everything is non-eternal, everything is suffering, everything is empty, and all is devoid of self. This is non-apprehension of meaning. How so? Because such a person is unable to grasp the intended meaning, but only the appearance of [literal] meaning. This leads all beings to fall into Avichi hell. Why? Because of attachment, as a result of that a person does not grasp the meaning.
A person [might] say that everything is headed for extinction, implying that the entrance of the Tathagata into Nirvana constitutes extinction. A person [might] say that everything is non-eternal, meaning that even Nirvana is non-eternal, and so is with suffering, void, and non-self too. That's why we say that this is non-apprehension of the essence of the sutras. One cannot follow such.”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 8 - On the Four Dependables.

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