“If a person says: 'The
Tathagata gave explanations for each Sutra and Vinaya, as numerous as the sands
of the Ganges River, but our Vinaya does not contain any of them. There is
nothing about them. If there are [such explanations], how is it that the
Tathagata does not exposed them in my Vinaya? So, I cannot believe in them’. If
a person speaks thus, know
that this person is committing a sin. A person can still say: 'Such Sutras and
Vinaya [the Hynayana] I shall well uphold. Why? Because they are the reason of good
doctrine, of being satisfied, of desiring little, of cutting off illusions, and so one gains Wisdom
and Nirvana’. Any person who says thus, is not my disciple. If a person says:
'The Tathagata gave us the (Mahayana) Vaipulya Sutras in order to save beings’, such a person is my true
disciple. Any person who does not accept the Vaipulya Sutras is not my
disciple. Such a person is not one who became a priest because of the Buddhist
teachings. Such a person is malicious, wicked, and is nothing more than a
disciple of the Tirthikas. Such Sutras and Vinayas (the Vaipulya), as mentioned
above, are what the Buddha granted. If not so, they are nothing more than what
Mara says. Any person who follows what Mara says is the kindred of Mara; anyone
who follows what the Buddha says is a Bodhisattva.”
Read More on the Nirvana
Sutra, Chapter 9 - On Wrong and Right.
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! What is pure action?"
The Buddha said: "All things are nothing but pure actions."
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said: "Oh World Honored One! All things are not fixed in meaning. Why? The Tathagata calls them either good or not-good. Sometimes, he says that such is the meditation of the four remembrances, or sometimes, the 12 spheres, or the Good Teacher of the Way, or the 12 links of interdependence, or the being, right view, wrong view, the 12 types of sutra, or the two truths, or the Tathagata now says that all things are pure actions. All in all, what do you mean by 'all things'?"
The Buddha said: "Well spoken, well spoken, Oh good man! The All-Wonderful Sutra of Great Nirvana is the Treasure House of all dharmas. It's like the great sea, which stores up all the treasures. It's the same with this Nirvana Sutra. This is the secret repository which contains all the meanings of all words.
Oh good man! Just as Mount Sumeru is the root source of all medicines, so this Sutra is the root source of the precepts of the Bodhisattva.
Oh good man! It's like with the Void, wherein rests all that exists. So it is with this Sutra, which is the abode of the Good Dharma.
Oh good man! It's like the great wind, which no one can hold or quit. So it is with all the Bodhisattvas who practice this sutra. No defilement or evil teaching can suppress them or arrest them.
Oh good man! It is like the diamond, which no one can destroy. Such is the situation with this Sutra, which neither tirthikas or men of evil notions can destroy.
Oh good man! It's like (the grains of) the sands of the Ganges River, which nobody can count. So it is with the meanings of this Sutra. Nobody can truly count them completely.
Oh good man! This Sutra is the banner of the Dharma of all Buddhas, just as things happen with the hoisted ensigns of Shakra.
Oh good man! This Sutra is the merchant who travels the divisions of nirvana, or the great guide which sails the great sea with all merchants.
Oh good man! This Sutra is the light of Dharma of all Bodhisattvas, just like the light of the sun and moon truly destroy the darkness all around.
Oh good man! This sutra serves as the best [medicine] for all beings who are suffering from illness. It's like the All-Wonderful King of Medicine of (Mount) Gandhamadana, which thoroughly cures all illnesses.
Oh good man! This Sutra truly serves as a walking stick to the icchantika, as in the case of a weak person who can easily support himself and stand up.
Oh good man! This Sutra truly serves as a bridge for all evil people, just like a bridge even allows all the evil people of the world to pass over it.
Oh good man! This Sutra truly serves as a cool shade to all those who carry their lives in the five realms, where they feel heat due to defilements, serving them as a sunshade that protects well the persons from the heat.
Oh good man! This Sutra is the King of fearlessness, which thoroughly crushes all the devils of defilement, acting as the Lion King, who truly subdues all animals.
Oh good man! This Sutra is a great charmer who can thoroughly crush out all the devils of defilement, just as a charmer makes away with the mountain elf.
Oh good man! This Sutra is like the unsurpassed frost and hail, which crush out all the karmic results of birth and death, just as the hail destroys the fruit trees.
Oh good man! This Sutra is the greatest of medicines to a person who violates sila [the moral precepts], just as the Ajata can truly cure pain of the eyes.
Oh good man! This Sutra keeps all the good dharmas, just like the earth, which serves as a support for all things.
Oh good man! This Sutra is a bright mirror for all beings which violate the precepts, just like a mirror which reflects well all colors and forms.
Oh good man! This Sutra serves as clothing for those who do not feel ashamed of what they did, just like clothing that can well cover and hide the carnal form.
Oh good man! This Sutra serves as a great Treasure House for those who are lacking of good things, just like Gunadevi provides benefits to the poor.
Oh good man! This Sutra serves as the water of amrta [immortality] for those who feel thirst for the Dharma, as the water of the eight tastes, which thoroughly quenches a thirsty person.
Oh good man! This Sutra serves as a bed of Dharma for those who have the worries of defilement, just like the bed of peace that serves the people of the world.
Oh good man! Through this Sutra, the Bodhisattva rises from the first stage up to the tenth. It is the cart upon which are laden the jewelry, paste incense, powdered incense, burning incense and flowers, and the cart in which those of pure castes can ride. It truly surpasses the six paramitas. This is a wonderful land of bliss. It's like the parijata tree of Trayastrimsa Heaven.
Oh good man! This sutra is an adamantine and sharpened hatchet, which can indeed bring down the great tree of all defilements. This is a sharp sword that can truly make away with the taint of ill smell. This is the brave and strong that can thoroughly crush out the adversity of Mara. This is the fire of Wisdom, which burns up the fuel of defilement. This is the storehouse of the causal relations which gives birth to the Pratyekabuddha. This is the storehouse of hearing which gives birth to the Sravakas. This is the eye of all gods which serves as the Right Path to all beings. This is a refuge for all animals. This is where the hungry ghosts gain Emancipation, the holiest of hells, and the unsurpassed utensil for all beings of the ten directions. This is the parent of all Buddhas of the ten directions of past, future, and present. Oh good man! Thus, this Sutra holds within itself all dharmas."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.
"The sixth person aspires to cross the great river of birth and death. Devoid of accumulated good, it sinks amid the waters. Coming close to a Good Teacher of the Way, it gains faith. Acquire faith is getting out. Due to faith, it upholds, recites, copies and speaks extensively about [Dharma] for the sake of beings. He takes pleasure in giving and practices Wisdom. Born sharp-minded, he is firmly grounded in faith and Wisdom, and his mind does not retrogress. Not retrogressing, it proceeds on and finally reaches shallow waters. Arriving at the shallow waters, it remains there and does not move. We say that it remains. This means that the Bodhisattva, in order to save all beings, abides there and meditates on defilement. He is like the sixth person on the banks of the river Ganges."
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 39, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 7.
"Oh good man! Reaching the other shore can be compared to the Arhat, the Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva, and the Buddha. This is like the godly tortoise, that can move around in both on water as on land. Why do we employ the example of the tortoise? Because actually it shuts in the five things [i.e., limbs and head]. It's the same with the Arhat up to the Buddha, who actually shut in the five sense organs. Hence a comparison is drawn with the tortoise.
We say water and land. Water can be compared to the world, and land to getting out of the secular world. It's the same with these holy people, too. They indeed reach the other shore, as they meditate deeply about the evil defilements. Hence, the comparison is drawn with moving both on water as on land.
Oh good man! The seven kinds of beings in the Ganges River possess the name of the tortoise. But they do not depart from water. Thus, in this case of this All-Wonderful (Sutra of) Great Nirvana, there come about seven different names, since the icchantika up to all Buddhas. But these do not depart from the water of the Buddha Nature. Oh good man! With these seven beings, whether that concerns the Wonderful Dharma, the non-Wonderful Dharma, the means, the Way of Emancipation, the Gradual Way, causation or result, all are the Buddha-nature. They are the words of the Tathagata that come from his own free will."
"The seventh person aspires to cross the great river of birth and death. But without good (deeds) amassed thus far, it sinks amid the waters. On meeting a Good Teacher of the Way, it gains faith. This gain of faith is what we call ' getting out '. Due to faith, it upholds, recites, copies and expounds the 12 types of sutras, and for the sake of beings, it speaks of them extensively. It takes pleasure in giving and practices Wisdom. Born sharp-minded, it firmly abides in faith and Wisdom, and does not retrogress in mind. As it does not retrogress, it steps forward. Stepping forward, it reaches the other shore. Having conquered the heights of a great mountain, it is now segregated from the fear and is blessed with pure peace. Oh good man! (Being on top of) the great mountain on the other shore can be likened to the Tathagata, peace to the Eternity of the Buddha, and the great and high mountain is Great Nirvana.
Oh, good man! All these people on the banks of the river Ganges have hands and feet, but they are difficult to save. It's the same with all beings, too. The Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha truly exist, and the Tathagata always expounds the essentials of all law [Dharma]. There are the Noble Eightfold Path and Mahaparinirvana. All beings can achieve all this. This (Nirvana) is not what comes out of me, or of those noble paths, or of beings. Know that all these things go back to defilement. Because of this, all beings cannot reach Nirvana. "
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 39, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 7.
"The sixth person aspires to cross the great river of birth and death. Devoid of accumulated good, it sinks amid the waters. Coming close to a Good Teacher of the Way, it gains faith. Acquire faith is getting out. Due to faith, it upholds, recites, copies and speaks extensively about [Dharma] for the sake of beings. He takes pleasure in giving and practices Wisdom. Born sharp-minded, he is firmly grounded in faith and Wisdom, and his mind does not retrogress. Not retrogressing, it proceeds on and finally reaches shallow waters. Arriving at the shallow waters, it remains there and does not move. We say that it remains. This means that the Bodhisattva, in order to save all beings, abides there and meditates on defilement. He is like the sixth person on the banks of the river Ganges."
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 39, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 7.
“The fifth person is someone who aspires to cross the great river of birth and death, but without good (deeds) amassed, sinks amid the waters. Associating with a Good Teacher of the Way, it gains faith. This is getting out. With faith, it upholds, recites, copies, expounds the 12 types of sutras, and speaks expansively for the sake of beings. He takes pleasure in giving, and practices Wisdom. Born sharp-minded, he firmly abides in faith and Wisdom, and there is no retroactivity in his mind. Not drawing back, it makes progress. Making progress refers to the Pratyekabuddha. Although good as regards to the salvation of himself, this does not extend to others. This is go away. This is like with the fifth person on the banks of the river Ganges.”
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 39, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 7.
"The fourth person wants to cross the great river of birth and death. Devoid of good amassed, it sinks amid the waters. Coming close of a Good Teacher of the Way, it gains faith. This is getting out. As he gains faith, it upholds, recites, copies, and expounds, and for the sake of beings, it promulgates widely the Dharma. He takes pleasure in giving and practices Wisdom. Born sharp-minded, he firmly perseveres in faith and Wisdom. There is no drawing back in his determination, and he looks all around in the four directions. The four directions signify the four fruitions of a Shramana. This is like the fourth person on the banks of the river Ganges."
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 39, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 7.
"The third person intends to cross the great river of birth and death. Devoid of good, it sinks amid the waters. His proximity to a Good Teacher of the Way is his getting out. The Tathagata is the All-Knower. He is eternal and immutable. For the sake of beings, he talks about the unsurpassed Way. All beings possess the Buddha Nature. The Tathagata does not go into extinction. It's the same with the Dharma and Sangha, too. There is no extinction. Not having done away with his innate quality, the icchantika cannot attain unsurpassed Enlightenment. He very needs do away with it, (his innate quality), and then he will attain it [Enlightenment]. Thus, he believes. Through faith, he practices the pure precepts. In practicing the pure precepts, he upholds, recites, copies and expounds the 12 types of sutras and speaks of them extensively for the benefit of beings. He delights in giving and practicing Wisdom. Born sharp-minded, he abides firmly in faith and Wisdom, and does not draw back in his determination. This is like the situation of the third person on the banks of the river Ganges."
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 39, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 7.
“The second person aspires to cross the great river of birth and death, but devoid of amassed good, sinks and is unable to get out. We speak of ‘getting out - come to the fore '. This refers to the Good Teacher of the Way, through which one gains faith. By faith is meant to believe that dana [giving] evokes the fruition of dana, that any action that might be called good calls forth the fruition of good, and evil actions (calls forth) what is evil; is to believe in the suffering of birth and death, and believe in impermanence and dissolution. This is faith. Gaining faith, one practices the pure precepts, upholds, recites, copies and expounds [the sutras]. He always makes grants and practices Wisdom. If dull, the person encounters an evil friend. He is unable to learn how to practice the precepts of body and the Wisdom of mind. He gives ear to evil teachings. Or it may happen be visited by an evil period of time and be born in an evil land (country), and be uprooted from good deeds. Uprooted from goodness, it always sinks into the birth and death. His case is like that of the second person on the banks of river Ganges.”
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 39, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 7.
"Oh good man! It's the same situation with the great river of birth and death, too. These are the seven kinds of people: "
First Kind of People.
"As they fear the thieves of defilement, they make up their minds and wish to cross the great river of birth and death. They abandon their homes, shave their heads and wear priestly robes. Having renounced their homes, they associate with evil friends, follow their teachings, and give ear to their doctrines, which state: 'The human body is the five skandhas. The five skandhas are nothing more than the five great elements. When a person dies, he ends up with the five great elements. When he breaks with the five elements, why does he any longer need to practice good or evil? For this reason, one must know that there can be no karmic retribution of good or evil.’ Such a person is an icchantika. It is uprooted from good and evil. Uprooted from good, he sinks into the waters of birth and death and is unable to get out. Why? Due to the great weight of evil deeds, and by he does not to possess the power of faith. He is like the first of those people on the banks of the river Ganges."
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 39, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 7.
The Buddha said: "Well said, well said, Oh good man! Along the Ganges live seven kinds of people. They fear the thieves because now they are bathing. Or the case might be as with those who enter the river to pick flowers. The first person drowned as the waters came. The second person sinks amid the waters, but it comes up and sinks again into water. Why? Because his body is powerful and strong, and it is able to climb. But, the one who has not learnt to float, comes up, and then sinks again. The third (kind) comes up after sinking. Coming up, it does not sink again. Why not? Because his body is heavy, so it sinks, but as his power is great, it comes up. Having already learnt to float, it stays up. The fourth person, plunging into water, comes up again. Coming up, it looks around. Why? As it is heavy, it sinks, but as has great power, it comes up; as it has learnt to float, it stays up, not knowing where to get out, it looks around. The fifth person, entering the water, sinks and, having sunk, comes up. Having come up, it looks around, having looked, it goes. Why? Because it fears. The sixth person goes into the water, comes up, and stays in shallow waters. Why? Because it sees the thieves who are nearby and [also] far off. The seventh person is already standing on the other bank and is on a great mountain. It fears nothing, out of reach of thieves, it is blessed with great bliss."
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 39, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 7.
