The Pillars of Samsara

Lion's Roar said: "There are not thorns in the Void. How can we speak of extracting them? Nothing holds the skandhas. How can there be any binding?"

The Buddha said: "Oh, good man! The chain of defilement binds the five skandhas. Away from the five skandhas, there is no defilement; away from defilement, there are no five skandhas.

Oh, good man! The pillars support a house. Away from the house, there are no pillars, and without any pillars, there is no house. It's the same with the five skandhas of beings. When there is defilement, we speak of bondage. When there is no defilement, we speak of Emancipation. Oh, good man! The fist contains the palm (of hand). The three factors of bondage, meeting and dispersion, birth and death, are not different things. The same is the case with the five skandhas of beings. When there is defilement, we have bondage; when we have no defilement, there is Emancipation.”

Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 35, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 3.

the pillars of samsara.mp3