Abstract of Nirvana Sutra - Chapter 41

Middle Path

"Oh good man! Beings do not understand the Middle Path. Sometimes they understand it, and at other times they do not. Oh good man! In order that beings can know, I say that the Buddha-Nature is neither within nor without. Why? Common beings say that the Buddha-Nature is the five skandhas, as though it were contained in a vessel. Or they say that it exists outside the skandhas, as in the Void. That is why the Tathagata says Middle Path. The Buddha-Nature which beings possess is neither the six sense-organs, nor the six sense-fields. Inside and outside come together. So we say Middle Path. That is why the Tathagata says that the Buddha-Nature is none other than the Middle Path. As it is neither within nor without, it is the Middle Path."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra - Chapter 41 – On the Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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One Who Comes Up and Abides

“The second kind of person deeply understands that it is not perfect in action. Being not perfect, it associates with a Good Teacher of the Way. Associating himself with a Good Friend, it takes pleasure in to seek learn what it did not listen. Having heard, it takes pleasure in to act in the way taught. Having received [these instructions], it takes pleasure in to meditate. Having thought well about, it begins to live in accordance with Dharma. As it abides in Dharma, the good increases. As it increases, it does not sink any more. This is 'abiding'.

Who of the Sangha are those who match to this description? They are these five bhiksus as Shariputra, Mahamaudgalyayana, Ajnatakaundinya and the others, the group of five bhiksus of Yasas, and such others as Aniruddha, Kumarakashyapa, Mahakashyapa, Dasabalakashyapa, Bhiksuni Kisagotami, Bhiksuni Utpala, Bhiksuni Superior, Bhiksuni True-Meaning, Bhiksuni Manas, Bhiksuni Bhadra, Bhiksuni Purity, Bhiksuni Non-Retrogression, King Bimbisara, rich man Ugra, rich man Sudatta, Mahanama, poor man Sudatta, son of rich man Upali, rich man Jo, Upasika Fearless, Upasika Supratistha, Upasika Dharma-Loving, Upasika Valorous, Upasika Heaven-Gained, Upasika Sujata, Upasika Perfect-Body, Upasika Cow-Gained, Upasika Wilderness, Upasika Mahasena. All such bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas can well be called "abodes" [i.e. those who abide].

Why do we say 'abide'? Because such a person always truly sees the good light. Hence, whether the Buddha has appeared in the world or not, such a person never does evil things. That's why we say 'abide'. This is like in the case in which the fish 'timi' seeks the light, does not sink and hides away. With all such beings, things proceed thus. That's why I say in the sutras:

'If a person truly discriminates the meanings,
and with an intensive mind seeks
the fruition of a Shramana,
and if a person truly reproaches all existences,
such a person is someone who lives
in accordance with Dharma.

If a person makes offerings to innumerable Buddhas
and practices the Way for innumerable kalpas,
and is blessed with worldly pleasures,
such a person is someone who abides in Dharma.

If a person befriends a Good Teacher of the Way,
hears the Wonderful Dharma,
and has a good thought in your mind,
lives in accordance with the Way,
and seeks the light and practices the Way,
that person reaches Emancipation
and lives in peace'."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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One Who Sinks and Comes Up Again

"Oh good man! I say: 'The icchantika is someone who eternally sinks, but there are icchantikas who do not fall into the class of those who eternally sink '. Who are these? This is like in the case where, for the sake of 'is', one practices giving, sila [precepts of morality], and the good. This is one who is not eternally sunk.

Oh good man! There are four instances where good things call forth evil results. What are the four? They are: 1) reading and reciting the sutras in order to come above the others, 2) upholding the prohibitions and precepts for the sake of profit, 3) giving because (that) belongs to others, 4) instigate own mind and meditating towards achieving the mental state of thoughtlessness-non-thoughtlessness. These four (things) evoke evil results. This is why we speak of one who practices and amasses such (things), that it sinks and comes up again. Why do we say it sinks? Because he enjoys the three existences [i.e,, kamadhatu, rupadhatu, and arupadhatu - who are the worlds of desire, form, and non-form (spirit)]. Why do we say that it comes up? Because he sees the light. The light corresponds to his hearing [Dharma], upholding the silas, giving, and sitting in meditation.

Why do we say that a person sinks? Because it grows in evil views and acquires arrogance.

Hence, I say in the sutra:

'If beings seek all existences (of the three worlds)
and commit good and evil deeds for existence,
such persons will lose the way to Nirvana.
This is why we say that
the person temporarily comes up but sinks again.

It sails on the dark ocean of birth and death,
it may gain Emancipation
and do away with defilement.
But the person suffers again from evil returns.
This is temporarily coming up
only to sink again.’

Oh good man! This is like in the case of big fish that comes up on the water for a time, when it sees the light, but, as its body is heavy, sinks again. This is how things proceed with the second person mentioned above."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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One Who Always Sinks

“Oh good man! In this All-Wonderful River of Great Nirvana, there live seven kinds of living beings. It starts from the first - which always sinks - to the seventh. Among these, some sink and some come up.

We speak of one who always sinks. This refers to one who hears this be said: 'This Great Nirvana Sutra states that the Tathagata is Eternal, Unchangeable, and is Bliss, the Self, and the Pure; that it ultimately does not enter into Nirvana; that all beings possess the Buddha Nature; that the icchantika, the slanderers of the Vaipulya Sutras, those who have committed the five deadly sins, those guilty of the four graves offenses, all will carry the Way of Enlightenment; that the Srotapanna, Sakrdagamin, Anagamin, Arhat, and Pratyekabuddha unfailingly will attain unsurpassed Enlightenment’. Upon hearing this, such a person does not believe, but thinks to himself: 'This Nirvana Sutra is one that belongs to the tirthikas and is not a Buddhist Sutra’. This person then moves away from the Way, and does not give ear to Wonderful Dharma. Sometimes, it may happen to hear [the Dharma], but it cannot have a good thought. It may think, but not a good thought. As it has no a good thought, abides in evil. Abiding in evil has six ways, which are: 1) evil, 2) non-good, 3) defiled dharma, 4) the valuation of 'is', 5) worry in heat [that is, becoming hellishly hot with worry], 6) receiving evil results. This is to sink.

Why is it sinking? When a person has no a good mind, when it always commits evil, when it does not practice the Way, we call this 'sinking'.

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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When I Speak Following My Own Will and That of Others

"How do I speak following my own will and that of others? When everyone says that the wise says 'is', I also say 'is'. When they say that the wise says 'is-not', I also say 'is-not'. When the wise of world says that amuse oneself in the five desires ends in non-eternal, suffering, non-Self, and disintegration; I also say thus. When the wise of the world says amuse oneself in five desires does not end in the Eternal, the Self, and the Pure; I also say thus. So things are set down. This is what is called speaking following one's own will and also that of others."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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When I Speak Following the Will of Others

"What are those (sutras) which I spoke following the will of others? The rich man, Patala, came to me and said: 'Oh Gautama! Do you know a phantom or not? Someone who knows phantoms is a great phantom. If not, such a person is not All-Knower'.

I said, 'Oh rich man! How can you call someone who knows a phantom a phantom'?

The rich man said: 'Well spoken, well spoken! Someone who knows a phantom is a phantom'.

The Buddha said: 'Oh rich man! There was a candala in the state of King Prasenajit in Sravasti, whose name was Baspacandala. Have you heard of him or not '?

The rich man said: 'I've known him for a long time already.’

The Buddha said: 'If you have known him for a long time, might it be that you are a candala?’

The rich man said: 'I've known him for a long time already, but this body of mine cannot be that of a candala'.

‘Oh rich man! Now you know that although you know a candala, you're not a candala. How could I be a phantom because I know a phantom? Oh rich man! I truly know a phantom, someone who acts as a phantom, the rewards of a phantom, and the skills of a phantom. I know the killing, the killer, the karmic retribution of killing, and the emancipation from killing. I also know twisted views of life, the people of twisted views, the karmic retribution of twisted views, and the emancipation from twisted views. Oh rich man! Should you call someone who is not a phantom a phantom, and someone who does not hold twisted views of life one who is possessed of twisted views of life, you will gain innumerable sins.’

The rich man said: 'Oh Gautama! If things are as you say, I shall earn a great sin. I shall now give you all that I possess. Please be good enough for King Prasenajit not be informed of this."

The Buddha said: ‘It may be not that the causal relations of this sin necessarily will prevent you from losing your wealth. However, as a result of this, you will fall into the three unfortunate realms.’

On hearing mention of the unfortunate realms, the rich man became frightened and said to the Buddha: ‘Oh Holy One! I have now lost my head and committed a great sin. You, Holy One, are the All-Knower! You should know how to become emancipated. How do I escape from the worlds of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals'?

I then spoke to him about the Four Truths. The rich man, on hearing this, attained the fruition of Srotapanna. Repentance has sprung, and he begged forgiveness from the Buddha: 'I was an ignorant. I said that the Buddha was a phantom, despite the fact that you are not. From this day forward, I will take refuge in the Three Treasures.’

The Buddha said, 'Well spoken, well spoken, Oh rich man!’

The case is so. This is speaking in response to the will of others."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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When I Speak of my Own Free Will

“What does it mean that I speak of my own free will? 500 Bhiksus put a question to Shariputra: 'Oh great one! The Buddha speaks about the cause of the body. What can this be'?

Shariputra said: 'Oh great ones! When you yourselves gain the Right Emancipation, you yourselves will know. Why do you put such a question'? A bhiksu answered: 'Oh great one! At the time when I had not yet attained the Right Emancipation, I thought that ignorance was the cause of the body. As I so thought to myself, I attained arhatship'. One person said: 'Oh great one! When I had not yet attained the Right Emancipation, I thought to myself that ignorance and craving were the cause of the body. As I so thought to myself, I attained the fruition of arhatship'. And someone said: 'Things such as action, consciousness, body-and-mind, the six spheres, touching, feeling, craving, cleaving, existence, birth, food and drink, and the five desires are the cause of the body'. Then all the 500 bhiksus, each one saying what he understood, went to the Buddha, touched his feet, circumambulated him three times, paid him homage, drew back to one side, and each one reported what he had in his mind to the Buddha.

Shariputra said to the Buddha: ‘Oh World Honored One! Of all these people, who's that who speaks in the right way? And who is not right?’

The Buddha said to Shariputra: 'Well spoken, well spoken! Each bhiksu says nothing but what is right'.

Shariputra said: 'Oh World-Honored One! What is in your mind'?

The Buddha said: 'Oh Shariputra! I said for the sake of beings that parents are the cause of the body’.

The case is so. All of these sutras are what I spoke of my own free will.”

Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41, on Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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The Temporal Aspect of the Beings

"Oh good man! If a person asks: 'Is there a fruit in the seed or not?’ Answer definitely: either 'is' or 'not-is'. Why? Without the seed, we cannot gain the fruit. Hence, we say 'is'. The seed does not yet germinated. Hence, 'not-is'. Because of this, we say 'is' or 'not-is'.

Why? Although there exists the time difference, the body is one. The same is the case with the Buddha-Nature of the beings. 'If someone says that in the being there is a Buddha-Nature separately, this is not so. Why? Because the being is the Buddha-Nature, and the Buddha Nature is the being. Through the difference in time, we have the difference of the Pure and the non-Pure'."

Oh good man! If a person asks: ‘Can this seed definitely call forth fruit, or can this fruit truly call forth a seed?’ Answer definitely: ‘It either calls forth or it does not’."

Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41, on Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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The Virtue of Doubt

"Oh good man! These controversial issues are things that belong to the world of the Buddha. They are not what Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas can fathom. If a person can indeed gain a doubting mind, such a person can crush out innumerable defilements, as huge as Mount Sumeru. When a human gets a fixed thought, this is what we call clinging."

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! How do we cling?"

The Buddha said: "Oh good man! Such a person may very well follow what others say or look into the sutras by himself. Or it may particularly teach others, but being unable to abandon what the mind sticks. This is clinging."

Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41, on Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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