Last words of the Tathagata

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! Please condescend to explain to me the virtue which this Mahayana Great Nirvana Sutra has."

The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "Oh good man! Anyone who hears the name of this sutra gains virtue, which is so great that Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas cannot speak well [on it]. Only the Buddha well knows. Why? Because the world of the Buddha is inconceivable. How much more will be [this virtue] if one possesses, recites, understands and copies it [this sutra]?"

Then all the devas, asuras and people of the world said in a gatha:

"The world of the Buddha is inconceivable.
So too are those (worlds) of the Dharma and the Sangha.
This being the case, we beg that you stay a little longer.
The venerable Mahakashyapa and Ananda,
the two of the Sangha, will soon be here.
Also, the great king Ajatasatru, king of Magadha,
who very much respects the Buddha, the World Honored One, is not here.
Have a little pity and stay awhile,
be with us, the great congregation, and eliminate our doubts."

Then, the Tathagata, for the sake of the great crowd, spoke in a gatha:

"The eldest of my sons is Mahakashyapa.
Ananda makes much effort and may well eliminate your doubts.
Be satisfied with that. Ananda is one who has heard much.
It will understand in a natural way
the eternal and the non-eternal.
For this reason, do not get hurt more."

Then the great crowd offered many things to the Buddha. Their offerings made, they all aspired to unsurpassed Enlightenment. All Bodhisattvas, who were as numerous as the sands of innumerable Ganges, all attained the first "bhumi" [stage of development of Bodhisattva].

Then the World Honored One gave prophecies to Manjushri, Bodhisattva Kasyapa and Cunda. The prophecies given, he said: "All good men! Straighten your minds. Be wary and not indolent. Now, I feel pain in my back and my whole body. Now, I desire lie down."

[And so] he did, like a child or someone who is sick.

"Oh Manjushri! All of you! Disseminate the Great Dharma amongst the four classes of people. I now entrust this sutra to you. Likewise, when Mahakashyapa and Ananda have arrived, entrust them the Wonderful Dharma also."

Then, the Tathagata, having thus spoken, laid himself down on his right side, like any child sick in bed, all to disseminate the Dharma to all beings.

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 17 - On the Questions Raised by the Crowd.

The Dilemma of Duality and the Middle Path

Then the Buddha praised Bodhisattva Kasyapa: "Well said, well said, Oh good man! You reached the deepest and sharpest of Wisdom. Now, I will talk about how one enters the Tathagatagarbha. If the ‘Self’ lives, this is the teaching of 'is'. It does not depart from suffering. If the Self does not exist, there can be no benefit, even if one practices pure actions. If one says that all things do not possess Self, this is nothing more than the theory of ‘not-is’ ['ucchedika drsti ', i.e., the world-view of the total denial of any existence, which is the theory of all-void]. If one says that Self exists, it is the theory of ‘ever is’ ['sasvata drsti' - a wrong view of life which takes existence as something concrete and immutable]. If one says that all things are non-eternal, this is the view of ‘not-is’. If one says that all things exist, this is the view of ‘ever is’. If one says that all is suffering, this is the ‘not-is’. If one says that all things are bliss, this is the ‘ever is’. If a person practices the Way of ‘ever is’of all things, such a person falls into the heresy of ‘not-is’. A person who practices the Way according to which all things become extinct, falls into ‘ever is’. This is like the measuring of a worm, which carries its hind legs forward by the action of its front legs.

The same goes with the person who practices the ‘ever is’ and the ‘not-is’. The ‘not-is’ rests on [depends on, is based on] the ‘ever is’. Because of this, those of other teachings who practice suffering (the practice of austerities) are called 'not-good'. Those of other teachings who practice bliss are called 'good'. Those of other teachings who practice the 'not-Self' are those of illusion. Those of other teachings who practice 'ever-is' say that the Tathagata secretly holds (it hides) [truths]. The so-called Nirvana has no a cave or house to live in it. Those of other teachings who practice 'not-is' refers to property, those of other teachings who practice the 'ever-is' refers to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and right emancipation (i.e., distinguish). Know that the Middle Path of the Buddha denies the two plans and speaks of the True Dharma. Even the common mortals and ignorant abide in it and have no doubts. It's like when the weak and the sick take butter, and as a result they feel lightness in spirit.

The dual nature of 'is' and 'not-is' is undefined. For example, the natures of the four elements [earth, water, fire and wind] are not the same. Each differs from the other. A good doctor well sees that each one stands in opposition to the other. He sees even through a unilateral phase (part) of what happens. Oh good man! The same goes with the Tathagata. He acts as a good doctor towards all beings. He knows the difference between the internal and external nature of illusion, eradicates it, and reveals the fact that the undisclosed storehouse of the Tathagata is pure, and the Buddha-Nature is eternal and unchanging. If a person says 'is', it must be attentive to that his Wisdom does not get tainted; if a person says 'not-is', this is just a falsehood. If one says 'is', one cannot fall into contradiction. Also, one could not play with words and dispute; only seek to know the true nature of all things. Common mortals play with words and dispute, betraying their own ignorance as to the undisclosed storehouse of the Tathagata. When it comes to the question of suffering, the ignorant says that the body is non-eternal and everything is suffering. Moreover, they do not know that there is also the nature of bliss in the body. If the Eternal is alluded to, common mortals say that all bodies are non-eternal, and are like tiles. One with Wisdom discriminates things and does not say that everything is non-eternal. Why not? Because humans possess the seed of the Buddha-Nature. When the non-Self is mentioned, common mortals say that there can be no Self in the Buddhist teaching. One who is wise should know that non-Self is a temporary existence (an aspect of duality) and is not true. Knowing thus, one should not have any doubt. When the hidden Tathagatagarbha is established as being empty and quiet, common mortals will think of cessation and extinction. One who is wise knows that the Tathagata is Eternal and Unchanging."

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

The Unique Taste of the Three Treasures

Then, the Buddha said to Kasyapa: "Oh good man! Do not see the Three Treasures as all the Sravakas and common mortals do. In this Mahayana, there is no distinction between the Three Treasures. Why not? The Buddha-Nature contains within it the Dharma and the Sangha. To teach Sravakas and common mortals, is resorted to discrimination and the three different aspects are spoken about the Three Treasures. Following the way of the world, the distinction is preached regarding the Three Treasures. Oh good man! The Bodhisattva will think: 'This ‘I’ now takes refuge in the Buddha. If this ‘I’ attains Enlightenment and Buddhahood, I shall not respect, worship or make offerings to all the Buddhas. Why not? Because all Buddhas are all-equal. They are taken as a refuge for all beings. If one desires to pay respect to the Dharma-Body and the sharira [relics], one should also pay respect to the stupas of all the Buddhas. Why? To guide all beings. This also makes beings conceive a thought of the stupa in me, to make them worship and make offerings. Such beings will make of my Dharma-Body the place wherein they take refuge. All beings are rooted in what is not true and what is false. I shall now reveal, step by step, the true Dharma. If there are people who take refuge in Monks who are not of the right caliber, I shall become the true refuge for them. If there are those who see the Three Refuges as distinct, I shall become a unique place wherein they can take refuge. Therefore, there can be no any distinction between the Three Refuges. For one born blind, I shall be your eyes, and to Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, I shall become the true refuge '.”

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

The Noble Truth of the Way

“We say 'Noble Truth of the Way'. This is nothing more than the treasures of Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and the right emancipation. Everyone say with an upside-down mind: 'There is no Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, or right emancipation. Birth and death are like ghosts’. They hold such views. As a result, they recycle between birth and death through the three worlds [of desire, matter and spirit], suffering greatly there for a long time to come. If a person awakens and comes to see that the Tathagata is Eternal, that no change affects him, and that the same applies to the Dharma, Sangha and emancipation, by this thought the person will get unrestricted freedom through countless ages to come and it will enjoy it as wills. Why? Because once in the past, due to the four inversions, I took the non-Dharma as Dharma and suffered by innumerable karmic consequences. When I made away with such views, I attained the true awakening to the Buddhahood. This is the Noble Truth of the Way. Any person who says that the Three Treasures are non-eternal, and holds this view of life, this is a false way of practice and is not the Noble Truth of the Way. If a person practices the Way so, having it as Eternal, such a person is my disciple. It abides in the true view of life and practice the teaching of the Four Noble Truths."

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! Now, for the first time, I come to know and practice the great depths of the Four Noble Truths."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 10 - On the Four Noble Truths.

The Meaning and the Words

“We say that we base ourselves on the meaning, not in the words. The meaning connotes fully Enlightened beings. Full Enlightenment means non-weak. Non-weak means (full) satisfaction. Satisfaction means that the Tathagata is Eternal and Unchanging. That the Tathagata is Eternal and Unchanging means that the Dharma is eternal. That the Dharma is eternal means that the Sangha is eternal. This is basing oneself on the meaning. Do not base yourself on the words. What are the words in which we should not base ourselves on? These are the discursive and decorative words. They [those who adhere to the letters, rather than the spirit] seek, also, greedily and insatiably all the innumerable sutras of the Buddha. Wickedly, skillfully and disingenuously, they cheat and, displaying a semblance of sympathy and benevolence, they seek profits. Garbed in white, they climb ranks. They also loudly proclaim: ‘The Buddha allows to the Bhiksus receive all [kinds of] services (aid in tasks) and impure things, trading gold, silver, rare gems, to store rice, to trade cattle, sheep, horses and elephants; and so seek profits. And also there may arise a famine, and out of pity of children, the Bhiksus may look for profits, store things and keep them in a house, prepare food with their own hands and for your own support, instead of receiving [the alms of others]’. All such words are not to be followed.”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 8 - On the Four Dependables.