Abstract of Nirvana Sutra Chapter 37

"Oh, good man! A person may very well come near to the Buddha and his disciples. But there is still a great distance. All the Licchavis said: 'We know that we're lazy. Why? If we were not lazy, the Tathagata, the King of Dharma, would have to appear among us’.

Then, among the congregated, there was the son of a Brahmin called Unsurpassed, who said to all the Licchavis: ‘Well said, well said! It's all as you say. King Bimbisara once won a great victory. The Tathagata, World Honored One, appeared in his land. This is like the case of a great lake in which the Wonderful Lotus grows. Although born in the sludge, the sludge cannot defile them. Oh you Licchavis! It's the same with the Buddha. Although born in that land, he is not hindered by what obtains in the secular world. With the Buddha World Honored One, there is no appearing and disappearing (or birth and extinction). For the sake of all beings, he appears in the world, and is not molested by what obtains in the world. You have lost your way, have got lost in the five desires, have befriended them, but you do not know how to befriend the Tathagata and come to where he stays. Therefore, we say lazy. When the Buddha appeared in Magadhah, there was no indolence to talk about. Why not? The Tathagata, World Honored One, is like the sun and moon. He does not appear in the world just for one or two people'."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 37, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 5.

abstract of nirvana sutra chapter 37.mp3

The Eleven Virtues of the Full Moon

"Oh, good man! On the fifteenth day, when the moon is full, there are eleven things. What are the eleven? They are: 1) it really dispels the gloom, 2) it indeed enables beings to see the way and what is not the way, 3) it enables (distinguish) the right way and wrong, 4) it enables beings make away with depression and blesses them with purity and freshness, 5) it indeed destroys the arrogance of the firefly, 6) it truly dispels the thought of any thieves, 7) it indeed dispels the fear of the evil beasts of the beings, 8 ) it opens the bloom of the kumuda, 9) it thoroughly closes the petals of the lotus, 10) it calls forth within the traveler the thought of proceeding along the way, 11) it enables beings to enjoy the acceptance of five pleasures and to gain the joy in many ways.

Oh, good man! It's the same with the Tathagata's Full-Moon, to wit: 1) it truly dispels the gloom of ignorance, 2) it exposes the right way and wrong, 3) it shows clearly the wrong and steep path of birth and death, and the straight and plane path of Nirvana, 4) it enables beings to segregate themselves from greed, ill-will, and ignorance, 5) it destroys the ignorance of the tirthikas, 6) it destroys the bondage of the thieves of defilement, 7) it kills the mind that fears the five shadowings ["panca-avaranani"], 8) it enables the beings minds reveal the root of good of all beings, 9) it indeed stops the mind of the five desires, 10) it promotes the mind of beings [which want] to move forward towards the Great Nirvana, 11) it enables all beings to be pleased with the [thought of] Emancipation. For these reasons, I enter Nirvana on the fifteenth day. But, truth to tell, I do not enter Nirvana. The ignorant and the evil among my disciples say that I definitely enter Nirvana."

Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 37, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 5.

the eleven virtues of the full moon.mp3

The Unsurpassed Boy

"Oh, good man! A person may very well come near to the Buddha and his disciples. But there is still a great distance. All the Licchavis said: 'We know that we're lazy. Why? If we were not lazy, the Tathagata, the King of Dharma, would have to appear among us’.

Then, among the congregated, there was the son of a Brahmin called Unsurpassed, who said to all the Licchavis: ‘Well said, well said! It's all as you say. King Bimbisara once won a great victory. The Tathagata World Honored One appeared in his land. This is like the case of a great lake in which the wonderful lotus grows. Although born in the sludge, the sludge cannot defile them. Oh you Licchavis! It's the same with the Buddha. Although born in that land, he is not hindered by what obtains in the secular world. With the Buddha World Honored One, there is no appearing and disappearing (or birth and extinction). For the good of all beings, he appears in the world, and is not molested by what obtains in the world. You have lost your way, have got lost in the five desires, have befriended them, but you do not know how to befriend the Tathagata and come to where he stays. Therefore, we say lazy. When the Buddha appeared in Magadha, there was no indolence to talk about. Why not? The Tathagata World Honored One is like the sun and moon. He does not appear in the world just for one or two people'."

Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 37, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 5.

the unsurpassed boy.mp3