The Four Dependables

The Buddha, further, said to Kasyapa: "Oh good man! In this All-Wonderful ‘Mahaparinirvana Sutra’, there appear four kinds of people. They protect it well, establish (make known, recognized and accepted) and think well about the Wonderful Dharma. They benefit others very much and feel pity of the world. They become the refuges of the world and give peace and bliss to human and celestial beings. Who are the four? A person who appears in the world involved in illusions. This is the first category. Those persons at the grades (stages) of Srotapanna and Sakridagamin are the second (category). Those at the grade of Anagamin are the third. Those at the grade of Arhat are the fourth. These four kinds of people appear, benefit and feel pity of the world. They become the refuges of the world and give peace and bliss to human and celestial beings.”

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

Why Make Offerings to the Sangha?

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! If is the case that Nirvana, the Buddha-Nature, the Illimitable, and the Tathagata are one and the same, why do we say 'Three Refuges'?"

The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "All beings fear the birth and death. So, they seek the Three Refuges. By Three Refuges, we mean Buddha-Nature, the Illimitable, and Nirvana. Oh, good man! There are cases in which the name, Dharma, is one, but the meaning differs. There are cases in which the names of the Dharma and the meanings are both different. We say that the name is one, but the meanings differ. This refers to the situation where we say that the Buddha is eternal, Dharma is eternal, and the Bhiksu is eternal. Also, Nirvana and space are eternal. This is the case where the name [word (eternal)] is one, but the signification is different. We say that both the word and signification differ. The Buddha is called 'Enlightenment', the Dharma is called 'No-Awakened', the Sangha is 'Harmony', and Nirvana 'Emancipation'. Space is called 'unsafe' and also 'not-covered'. There are cases in which the word and the signification both differ. Oh, good man! The case of the Three Refuges is also like this. The word and the signification both differ. How can we say one? That is why I said to Mahaprajapati [the Buddha's aunt, who raised him]: ‘Oh, Gautami! Do not make offerings to me; make them to the Sangha! If the offerings are made to the Sangha, this amounts to make offerings to the Three Refuges’. Mahaprajapati answered, saying: ‘Among the priests, there are no Buddha and no Dharma. How can we say that the offerings made to the Sangha constitute offerings made to the Three Refuges'? I said: 'If you do as I say, this will mean that you have made offerings to the Buddha. For purposes of emancipation, offering is made to Dharma. When all the priests receive it, this is an offering made to the Sangha’. Oh, good man! At times the Tathagata speaks about one thing and makes it refer to three; he talks about three and makes it refer to one. All such things are what have to do with the world of all Buddhas. They are not what Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas can understand."

Read more in Nirvana Sutra – Chapter 7 – On The Four Aspects.

The True Self and the Emancipation

“Moreover, emancipation is termed that which severs with all conditioned phenomena [samskrtadharmas], gives rise to all untainted [anasrava], to wholesome qualities / phenomena and eliminates the various paths/approaches that refers to Self, non-Self and not non-Self. Is merely sever himself from the bonds (of affection by Self) and do not sever himself from the view point of the Self / the (in)sight of the Self / the vision of the Self [atma-drsti]. The view of the Self is termed 'Buddha-dhatu' [Buddha-Nature or True Self]. The Buddha-dhatu is true emancipation, and true emancipation is the Tathagata.”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 7 - On the Four Aspects.

Beyond Good and Evil

“Also, emancipation is what is 'empty and quiet’. There can be no indefiniteness. By indefinite is meant the situation of saying that the icchantika never changes and that those who committed grave offenses will never attain Buddhahood. Such things one can never apply. Why not? When that person [icchantika] gains pristine and genuine faith in the Wonderful Dharma of the Buddha, at that time the person annihilates the icchantika [within himself]. On becoming an upasaka (a lay follower), the icchantika [in that person] dies forever; the person who has committed grave offenses also attains Buddhahood when his sins have been expiated. Therefore, we can never say that there is no change for everyone and that Buddhahood cannot be attained. With true emancipation, however, there can be no such cases of annihilation. Also, ‘emptiness and quietude' are things of the Dharma world. The nature of the Dharma world is true emancipation. True emancipation is the Tathagata. Also, once the icchantika has died, we can no longer speak of the icchantika. What is an icchantika? An icchantika cuts off [within himself] all the roots of good deeds and his mind does not call forth any association with good. Not even a bit of good thought arises in his mind. Nothing like this occurs in true emancipation. As there is nothing of this nature, we say true emancipation. True emancipation is the Tathagata.”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 7 - On the Four Aspects.

Emancipation and the Immutable Dharma

“Also, emancipation is the immutable Dharma. This is in contrast to enmity and friendship, which do not exist in true emancipation. Furthermore, immutability may be likened to a Chakravartin [a great monarch of the world]. There is no one who befriends him. No one becomes his friend. The fact that the king has no friends may be likened to true emancipation. True emancipation is the Tathagata. The Tathagata is Dharma. Also, the 'immutable' may be contrasted with white clothing, which can easily be dyed. It is not thus with emancipation. Also, this 'immutable' may be likened to varsiki [evergreen vine of eastern India, grown for their profusion of fragrant white flowers]. Thus, making it smelly and blue in color is impossible. It is the same with the true emancipation. Whatever we do, we cannot make it smelly, or change its color. For this reason, emancipation is the Tathagata.”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 7 - On the Four Aspects.

Abstract of Nirvana Sutra - Chapter 43

"Oh good man! Ignorance is the root of all defilements. Why? All beings, due to the causal relations of ignorance, call forth all imaginings and forms in the fields of the five skandhas, the 12 spheres, and the 18 realms [of senses]. These are inverted notions as regards image, mind, and worldview. From these, all the defilements arise. Therefore, I state in the 12 types of sutras: 'Ignorance is the cause of greed, the cause of ill-will, and the cause of (own) ignorance'. "

Read more in Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 43 - On the Bodhisattva Kasyapa 4.
.

True Emancipation and the Great Nirvana

Then the Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! Please condescend to explain to me what concerns the Mahaparinirvana and meaning of emancipation."

The Buddha praised Kasyapa, saying: "Well said, well said, Oh good man! True emancipation means segregation of one's own self from all bonds of illusion. If one truly attains emancipation and segregation of one's own self from the bonds of illusion, there is no more self, or nothing to conjoin as in the case of parents, whose union results in the birth of a child. True emancipation is not like this case (the parents). That is why emancipation is unborn, uncreated. Oh Kasyapa! It's like sarpirmanda [the most delicious and effective medicine], which is pure in its nature. The same is the case with the Tathagata. He is not one that arises through the union of parents, which results in the birth of a child. His nature is pure. The presentation of parents [of the Tathagata] is [an expedient means] to cross beings to the other shore. True emancipation is the Tathagata. The Tathagata and emancipation are not two things, are no different. It is as when we sow the seeds in spring and autumn, for example, when it is warm and wet, and as a result, the seeds shoot out buds. True emancipation is not so.

Also, emancipation is nothingness. Nothingness is emancipation. Emancipation is the Tathagata and the Tathagata is nothingness. It is not something that came about from doing [action]. The 'do' is like building a castle. True emancipation does not come about in this way [i.e., it is not a compounded, a thing built]. For this reason, emancipation is at once the Tathagata.

Also, emancipation is the non-created. A potter makes a pot, which breaks to pieces again. Things (created) are not like that in emancipation. True emancipation is birthlessness and deathlessness. That is why emancipation is the Tathagata. He is birthlessness, non-extinction, non-aging, and is undying, unbreakable and indestructible. It is not anything created. For this reason, we say that the Tathagata enters Great Nirvana (Mahaparinirna).”

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 7 - On the Four Aspects.