About See the Tathagata and the Buddha Nature

(The Bodhisattva) Lion's Roar said: "Oh, World Honored One! What means when we say that we see the Tathagata and the Buddha Nature about which you, the Buddha, speak? Oh, World Honored One! The Tathagata has no carnal visage. He is not tall, nor short, neither white or black. There is no sense in talking about it. He is not in the three worlds. He is not a created existence. He is not one who can be seen through the eyes. How can one see him? The situation is the same with the Buddha Nature."

The Buddha said: "Oh, good man! There are two kinds of Buddha-Body. One is eternal, and the other is impermanent. The latter is manifested through expediency for saving beings. This is to see through the eyes. The Eternal refers to the emancipated body of the Tathagata-World-Honored One! It's called one seen by the eyes. It is also one seen by hearing. The Buddha Nature, also, has two kinds, namely: 1) visible, and 2) invisible. The visible is the case of the Bodhisattvas of the tenth abode and of all Buddhas, World Honored One; the impossible to be seen, (invisible), refers to the case of beings. Seeing with the eye refers to the Buddha Nature of beings seen by Bodhisattvas of the tenth abode and all Buddhas-Tathagata. Seeing by hearing refers to all beings, who hear that the Bodhisattva of the ninth abode has the Buddha Nature.”

Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 34, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 2.

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Why Uphold Precepts

The Bodhisattva Lion's Roar said: "Oh, World Honored One! Why do we uphold prohibitive shila?"

The Buddha said: "Oh, good man! If so, the mind has no regrets. Why does not regrets? Because one gains bliss. How does one gain bliss? This comes from segregation. Why do we need to seek segregation? To gain peace. How does one gain peace? Through meditation. Why meditate? To obtain the true knowledge and vision. In what way do we have true knowledge and vision? Through the vision of many ills and worries of birth and death. This is for our mind not to cling greedily. Why do we need to have our mind not clinging greedily? Because we gain Emancipation. How do we gain Emancipation? By gaining unsurpassed Great Nirvana. How do we gain unsurpassed Great Nirvana? By gaining the Eternal, Bliss, the Self, and the Pure. Why do we say that we gain the Eternal, Bliss, the Self, and the Pure? Due to gain of birthlessness and deathlessness. How do we gain birthlessness and deathlessness? By seeing the Buddha Nature. Thus, the Bodhisattva, by nature, upholds the shila of absolute purity.

Oh, good man! The Monk who upholds shila may not take a vow to gain the non-regretting mind, but the non-regretting mind will come about by itself. Why? Because the nature of law makes things be so spontaneously. Although he may not particularly seek to arrive at segregation, peace, samadhi, knowledge and vision, the ills of birth and death, the mind that not clings greedily to [things], to emancipation, to Nirvana, to the Eternal, Bliss, the Self, and the Pure, to the birthlessness and deathlessness, and to the Buddha Nature; yet, all these things will arise spontaneously. Why? Because of the all-naturalness of the law nature. "

Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 34, on the Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 2.

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Bodhisattva Precepts

"A person observes [shila] for his own sake, and the other for the sake of other beings. If observed for other beings, that person will see the Buddha Nature and the Tathagata.

There are two kinds (of people) amongst those who uphold shila. One is the person who, by nature, thoroughly upholds shila, and the other is a person who acts under the injunctions given by others. When someone receives shila, through countless ages, this one does not lose them. A person may be born in an evil country, or may encounter an evil friend, an evil age, or evil teaching, or one may sit together with those who persist in evil views of life. At that time, there may be no dharma of receiving shila. However, the person practices the Way exactly as before and does not transgress (the shila). This is the case of how one upholds [the shila] thoroughly by nature. In another case, the shila may be given to someone by a teacher-priest or by jnata-caturthī [the ritual of receiving shila]. Even when one has received this (kind of) shila, that someone always decides to consult the words of the teacher, good comrades and friends, or one is perfect in the way of listening and delivering sermons. This is the case called action under injunctions of others.

Oh, good man! Someone who, by nature, thoroughly upholds shila see, with his own eyes, the Buddha Nature and the Tathagata. Also, this is seeing through hearing. However, there are two kinds (of shila). One is the shila of Sravaka, and the other is that of the Bodhisattva. Such latter, attains from the first aspiration and up to unsurpassed Enlightenment. This is the shila of the Bodhisattva. If one meditates on white bones, one attains the Arhatship. This is the case of the shila of Sravaka. It should be known that anyone who upholds the shila of Sravaka does not see the Buddha Nature and the Tathagata. Any person who upholds the shila of the Bodhisattvas, we may know, attains unsurpassed Enlightenment and sees the Buddha Nature, the Tathagata, and Nirvana. "

Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 34, on the Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 2.

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Seeing and Hearing About the Buddha Nature

“Oh, good man! You ask: ‘With what eye does the Bodhisattva of the ten stages sees the Buddha Nature, but not quite clearly, and with what eye does the World-Honoured One see the Buddha Nature clearly?’ Oh, good man! With the Eye of Wisdom one sees it not quite clearly; with the Buddha Eye, one sees it clearly. When one is in Bodhi practice, there is no clearness; with nothing to practice, one sees all clearly. When one has nothing more to practice, one sees clearly. When one abides in ten stages, one does not see quite clearly. When one does not need to stand or move about, clearness comes about. Because of the causal relations of Wisdom, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva can not see clearly. The All-Buddha-World-Honored One is out of the causal relations realm. It is due to this that he sees clearly. One awakened to all things is the Buddha Nature. The Bodhisattva of the ten stages can not be called awakened to all things. Because of this, although he sees, does not see clearly.

Oh, good man! There are two types of seeing. One is seeing with the eye; the other is hearing and seeing. The All-Buddha-World-Honored One sees the Buddha Nature with the eye, in the [same] way in which one sees a mango that is in one's own hand. The Bodhisattva of the ten stages sees the Buddha-nature by hearing (i.e., through faith). Hence, not quite clearly. The Bodhisattva of the ten stages knows well that he definitely will attain unsurpassed Enlightenment. And yet, he does not know that all beings possess the Buddha Nature.”

Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 33, on the Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 1.

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In a Lonely and Quiet Place

“Oh, good man! The Bodhisattva Mahasattva, having listened well to this sutra, befriends it, practices the Way, and segregates himself from the worldly life. This is seeking little to possess. In renouncing the world, he feels no remorse. This is feeling satisfied. Feeling satisfied, he seeks lonely places and turns away from all noises. This is all-silent quietude. Those who do not feel satisfied do not desire to be in a lonely and quiet place; those who are satisfied seek a lonely and quiet place. In a quiet place, he [i.e., the Bodhisattva] always think: 'All the people say that I attained the end of the Shramana’s search of the Way. But I still have not reached it. How could I deceive others now?’ Thinking thus, he strives, learns and performs the final attainment of the Shramana’s Way. This is effort.”

Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 33, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 1.

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The Effort for the Mahaparinirvana

The Effort for the Mahaparinirvana.

“What is effort? There is a Monk who wants to purify the actions of his body, mouth and mind, and segregates himself from all evil deeds, accumulating all the good deeds. This is effort. Such a person focuses his mind on the six spheres, namely: 1) Buddha, 2) Dharma, 3) Sangha, 4) Shila [the moral precepts], 5) offerings, and 6) sky. This is right thinking. The Samadhi resultant from right thinking is right meditation. Someone who abides in right meditation sees all things as Void. This is right Wisdom. Someone perfect in right Wisdom segregates himself from all the bonds of defilements. This is Emancipation.

The person who got the Emancipation, praises it to all beings and says that this Emancipation is Eternal and Unchanging. This is the correct praising of Emancipation. This is unsurpassed Mahaparinirvana.”

Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 33, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 1.

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The Torch of Wisdom of the Great Nirvana

"We say we get the benefits when we heard. If hear this Great Nirvana Sutra, we come to know all about the depths of what is said in all the Mahayana Sutras Vaipulya. For example, this is like a mirror in which a man or a woman can clearly see the color and shape. It's the same with the Sutra of Great Nirvana. The Bodhisattva take it and sees clearly through all the depths of things established in the Mahayana Sutras. Also, it's like someone with a big torch, which is able to see everything in a dark room. It's the same with the torch of the Nirvana Sutra. The Bodhisattva take it and reaches the depths of what is said in the Mahayana Sutras. Also, it is like the sun. When it appears, thousands of rays of light shine on the mountains and dark places, and men can see clearly what is far and away. It's the same with the pure light of Wisdom of Great Nirvana. She shines on all the depths of the Mahayana, enabling those of the two vehicles to see the Buddhist teachings. How? Because they hear the Doctrine of the All- Wonderful Sutra of Great Nirvana."

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