The Parable of the Wrestler

The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "Oh good man! As an analogy: there is in the household of a king a great wrestler. He has a bead adamantine on his brow. This man wrestles with other wrestlers. When [once] the head of another person touched his brow, the bead went into the flesh of the wrestler, and did not know where it was. There raised a boil. A good doctor was called to heal him. At that time, there was a good doctor with a bright mind. He knew very well how to diagnose and prescribe medicines. Now, he sees that the boil appeared due to the fact that the bead has entered the body of the wrestler. He understands that this bead penetrated the flesh and stays there. Then, the good doctor asks the wrestler: 'Where is the bead that was over their eyebrows'? The wrestler is surprised and says: 'Oh great master and doctor! The bead on my brow was not lost? Where could be the bead now? It's not a miracle [that you know about it]’? He (the wrestler) is worried and weeps. Then, the doctor pacifies the wrestler: 'Do not be overwhelmed. When you fought, the gem entered your body. It is now under your skin and can be seen protruding. As you fought, the poison of anger burned so much that the gem penetrated your body and you did not felt it’. But the wrestler does not believe in the words of the doctor. 'If it's under my skin, how is that it does not come out due to the impure blood and pus? If it's in my nerves, we cannot see it anyway. Why do you try to cheat me'? Then, the doctor takes a mirror and holds it in front of the wrestler's face. The gem appears clearly in the mirror. The wrestler sees it, getting all surprised and delighted. It's like that. Oh good man! The case is the same with all beings. They do not come near to a Good Teacher of the Way. So, they cannot see the Buddha-Nature which is within them, although they possess it. And they are governed by greed, lust, anger, and ignorance. Thus, they fall into the realms of hell, animals, hungry ghosts, asuras, candalas, and are born in various houses such as of Kshatriya, Brahmin, Vaishya and Sudra. The karma generated by the mind leads a person, though born as a human, to live as crippled, lame, deaf, blind or dumb, and to 25 existences, where greed, lust, anger and ignorance reign over the mind, and the person becomes unable to know of the presence of the Buddha-Nature.

The wrestler said that the gem has gone away, although it were in his body. The same goes with beings. Not having come into contact with a Good Teacher of the Way, they do not know the hidden treasure of the Tathagata and do not study selflessness. For example, even when a person is said to be of unholy self, one cannot know the true quality of the Self. The same is true with my disciples. As they do not befriend a Good Teacher of the Way, they practice the non-Self and do not know where it (the Self) is. They do not know the true nature of selflessness. How, then, could they know the true nature of the Self itself? So, oh good man, the Tathagata says that all beings possess the Buddha-Nature. This is like the good doctor making the wrestler see where the adamantine jewel rests. All these beings are governed by innumerable defilements and thus do not know the whereabouts of their Buddha-nature. When the illusion is dispelled, there arises knowledge and brightness. This is like the case of the wrestler seeing the gem in the mirror. Oh good man! So is the case that what rests undisclosed [latent] in the Tathagata is immeasurable and it is difficult for beings to think about.”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 12 - On the Nature of the Tathagata.

The Two Sides and the In-Between

The Brahmacarin (called Kasaya) said: "If this carnal body is based on the defilements and karma, can we extirpate the defilements and karma?"

The Buddha said: "It's so, It's so!"

The Brahmacarin further said: "Oh World Honored One! Please be kind enough to analyze and expound to me, so that I can truly hear and immediately cut the bonds."

The Buddha said: "Oh good man! If a person comes to know that the two sides and the in-between are unimpeded [unobstructed], such a person indeed segregates himself from defilements and karma."

"Oh World Honored One! Now I know and have gained the right Dharma-Eye."

The Buddha said: "In what manner do you know?"

"Oh World Honored One! The two sides are 'material form' and 'emancipation of material form', and the in-between is the 'Noble Eightfold Path'. So it is with feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness."

The Buddha said: "Well spoken, well spoken, Oh good man! Now you come to know of the two sides and cut away the defilements and karma."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 46 - On Bodhisattva Kaundinya 2.

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Meditate on Suffering

"Oh good man! A wise person meditates deeply on the eight sufferings, and then on the cause of suffering. The cause of suffering is ignorance of craving, which consists of two things: 1) seeking of what is (pleasure) bodily, and 2) seeking wealth. The seeking of what is bodily and seeking wealth are both sources of suffering. Thus, one should know that ignorance of craving is the cause of suffering.

Oh good man! There are two kinds of this ignorance of craving, namely: 1) inner and 2) outer. That which is inner really moulds the karma, whereas that which is external increases it. Also, that which is internal indeed moulds karma, and that which is external moulds the karmic result. By ending with the internal craving, one can indeed do away with the karma. If the external craving is cut off, the karmic fruit goes away. The inner craving moulds the suffering of the world that is to come, whereas the external craving calls forth the suffering of the present life. The wise meditates on the cause of suffering, which is craving. Having meditated on the cause, it does so on the karmic result. The karmic result of suffering is 'clinging' ['upadana' - clinging to existence]. The result of craving is clinging. The karmic result of craving is clinging. The causal relation of this clinging, which is inner and outer craving, calls forth the suffering of craving.

Oh good man! The wise must meditate and think that the craving is causally related to clinging, and clinging is causally related to craving. If a person really extirpates this pair, craving and clinging, there will be no more karmic action; that person no more will suffer from any kind of sorrow (worry). So, the wise should practice well the Noble Eightfold Path and do away with all sufferings.

Oh good man! If any person meditates thus, this is pure action. This is where we say that beings possess an all-wonderful medicine in their poisoned fleshly bodies, and that in the Himalayas, amidst the poisonous grasses, there is an all-wonderful medicinal herb."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.

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The Undefiled Karma

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! You said before that the undefiled has no karmic result. Why do you now talk about the non-black-non-white of the karmic result."

The Buddha said: "Oh good man! There are two meanings to this. One is the result and reward put together, and the second is the fruition, but not the reward. The black-black karmic result is the result, and also the reward. When it arises out of a defiled cause (black), it is a 'result'; when it becomes a cause, we say 'reward'. It's the same with the pure (white) and the mixed. The undefiled result comes from a defiled cause. Hence, 'result'. When it does not become the cause of any other thing, we do not say 'reward'."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.

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Meditate on Karmic Result

"Oh good man! Having meditated on the cause of karma, the wise person meditates on the karmic result. There are four kinds of karmic result, namely: 1) black-black karmic result, 2) white-white karmic result, 3) mixed-mixed karmic result, and 4) non-black-non-white-non-black-non-white karmic result.

The black-black karmic result is such that it is defiled at the time of the action and the karmic result, too, is defiled. We say white-white karmic result, which is pure when [the deed is] being enacted, and the karmic result is also pure. We speak of the mixed-mixed karmic result, which is of mixed nature during the enactment of [the deed], and the karmic result, too, is mixed. We say non-black-non-white-non-black-non-white karmic result. This is undefiled karma."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.

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Meditate on Cause of Karma

"The cause of karma is the touch of ignorance. Due to the touch of ignorance, beings see 'existence'. The causal relation of existence is 'craving'. Due to the causal relation of craving, a person performs the three actions of body, mouth and mind."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.

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Meditate on Karma

"Also, in addition, oh good man! Having meditated thus thoroughly on desire, the wise person then meditates on Karma. Why? A wise person thinks: ‘Feeling, image, touch and desire are defilements. Defilements really bring forth the living karma, but not the harvesting karma. This defilement goes along with karma and is composed of two kinds: 1) living karma and 2) harvesting karma. Hence, the wise person must meditate well on karma. This karma is of three kinds: body, mouth, and mind’. Oh good man! The pair, body and mouth, are called karma, and also karmic result (harvesting karma). The mind is merely called 'karma' (living karma), not 'result' (harvesting karma). As it is the cause of karma, we say 'karma'. Oh good man! We call the karmas of body and mouth the external karma (harvesting), and the mental karma the internal (living). These three karmas go together with defilements. So we have two karmas, namely: 1) living karma and 2) feeling karma.

Oh good man! 'Direct Karma' is mental karma. We say ‘temporal karma’. This refers to the karmas of body and mind. Since it appears first, we say 'mental karma’. What arise from the mental (karma) are the bodily and oral karmas. So, what is mental is called 'direct'. Having meditated on karma, a wise man must meditate on the cause of karma."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.

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The Karmic Retribution of Bodhisattva

"The Bodhisattva-Mahasattva not commits actions that will lead him to hell. For the sake of beings, he takes a great vow and comes alive in hell. Oh, good man! In days gone by, when the lifespan of beings was 100 years, countless beings, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, received karmic results in hell. I saw this, took a great vow and gained life in hell. The Bodhisattva, at that time, truth to tell, had no sin of such kind (which would lead him to hell). For the sake of beings, he gained life in hell. I, at that time, was in hell, living there for countless ages and exposing the 12 types of sutras extensively for all sinners. The sinners, on hearing this, crushed all their karmic results and escaped from hell, except the icchantikas. This is why we say that the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva receives the karmic results no later than in this life. "

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 38 - On Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 6.

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Karma Definite and the Indefinite

"Oh, good man! There are two kinds of karma, namely: definite and the indefinite. Of the karma that is definite, there are two kinds. One is that definite in result, and the other the definite in time. There can be cases where the result is definite and the time indefinite. When the causal relations conjoin, the result comes about in the Three Times of the present, the next life, or later lives.

Oh, good man! When one does good or evil with a settled mind, one gains a believing mind and joy. And one takes a vow or makes offerings to the Three Treasures. This is a definite action.

One who is wise is persistent in good deeds and cannot be demoted. Because of this, the grave actions turn out to be light. One who is ignorant is persistent in evil. Because of this, any light action turns out to be grave [in consequences] and calls forth a grave return. This is why all actions are not called definite."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 38 - On Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 6.

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