One Who Reaches the Other Shore

"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."

When I Speak of my Own Free Will

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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One Who Goes Off and Then Remains There

"We say that a person goes off and then remains there. This can be compared to Anagamin who, having shared the food, abides there. There are two kinds of this Anagamin. One is who has now attained the fruition of Arhatship and, practicing the Way still further, gains the further fruition of the Arhat [stage]. The other is who greedily adheres to the Samadhi of Silence of the world of form and non-form. This person is called Anagamin. He does not gain a body from the world of desire."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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One Who Looks All Around and Then Goes Of

"We say that the person looks all around and then goes of. This is the Sakrdagamin. His mind is wholly focused on the Way, he practices the Way, and in order to cut out the greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance, he, like the fish 'timi', look around, and then goes of in search of food. "

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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One Who Comes Up and Looks All Around

"Oh good man! A man rides a horse, and he both loves as whips it. It is thus. It is also the same with the mind that warms up. Due to craving, the life is obtained, and due to abandoning [the waiver], one meditates. For this reason, it is a thing of the 'is'. Although it is a created thing, it does represent the Right Way. Those who gain the warming-up are of 73 kinds, and the 10 of the world of desire. These persons are all clad in defilement. It goes from one-tenth to nine-tenths. Like in the case of the world of desire, the things range from the first dhyana up to the heaven of thoughtlessness-non-thoughtlessness. We say that there are 73 kinds. Such a person, on gaining the warming-up, never cuts off the roots of good, commits the five deadly sins, or the four grave offenses.

There are two types of these people. One associates with a good friend, and the other with a bad friend. One who associates with a bad friend comes up for awhile, but sinks again. One who associates with a Good Friend looks all around. Look all around refers to ‘topmost-height' ['murdhana' - this topmost dharma is a fruition of practice likened to the topmost height of a hill, which is both the topmost point, but it is also crucial for the falling down or retrogressing. It is a stage of practice in the Hinayana category - by Kosho Yamamoto]. The nature of this stage is yet of the class of five skandhas, and yet is related to the Four Truths. Hence, one can see all around. After the stage of 'topmost-height', the person attains that of 'cognition' [i.e. a stage of practice in which one obtains cognition of the nature of the Four Truths, and from which one no more is not retrogresses. There are several degrees at this stage - by Kosho Yamamoto]. This is the case with the stage of cognition, too. The nature is of the five skandhas, but is related to the Four Truths. This person then reaches laukikagradharma ['first-root-of-good-in-the-world'], which is of the nature of the five skandhas and has causal relations with the Four Truths. The person, gradually, gains the 'cognition of suffering’. The nature of Wisdom actualises the causal relation of the First Truth. Having thus actualised the causal relation of the Truth of Cognition, the person cuts away the defilement and attains the [level of] Srotapanna. This is the fourth stage of seeing all around in the four directions. The four directions are nothing more than the Four Truths."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 42 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 3.

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One Who Comes Up and Abides

“The second kind of person deeply understands that it is not perfect in action. Being not perfect, it associates with a Good Teacher of the Way. Associating himself with a Good Friend, it takes pleasure in to seek learn what it did not listen. Having heard, it takes pleasure in to act in the way taught. Having received [these instructions], it takes pleasure in to meditate. Having thought well about, it begins to live in accordance with Dharma. As it abides in Dharma, the good increases. As it increases, it does not sink any more. This is 'abiding'.

Who of the Sangha are those who match to this description? They are these five bhiksus as Shariputra, Mahamaudgalyayana, Ajnatakaundinya and the others, the group of five bhiksus of Yasas, and such others as Aniruddha, Kumarakashyapa, Mahakashyapa, Dasabalakashyapa, Bhiksuni Kisagotami, Bhiksuni Utpala, Bhiksuni Superior, Bhiksuni True-Meaning, Bhiksuni Manas, Bhiksuni Bhadra, Bhiksuni Purity, Bhiksuni Non-Retrogression, King Bimbisara, rich man Ugra, rich man Sudatta, Mahanama, poor man Sudatta, son of rich man Upali, rich man Jo, Upasika Fearless, Upasika Supratistha, Upasika Dharma-Loving, Upasika Valorous, Upasika Heaven-Gained, Upasika Sujata, Upasika Perfect-Body, Upasika Cow-Gained, Upasika Wilderness, Upasika Mahasena. All such bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas can well be called "abodes" [i.e. those who abide].

Why do we say 'abide'? Because such a person always truly sees the good light. Hence, whether the Buddha has appeared in the world or not, such a person never does evil things. That's why we say 'abide'. This is like in the case in which the fish 'timi' seeks the light, does not sink and hides away. With all such beings, things proceed thus. That's why I say in the sutras:

'If a person truly discriminates the meanings,
and with an intensive mind seeks
the fruition of a Shramana,
and if a person truly reproaches all existences,
such a person is someone who lives
in accordance with Dharma.

If a person makes offerings to innumerable Buddhas
and practices the Way for innumerable kalpas,
and is blessed with worldly pleasures,
such a person is someone who abides in Dharma.

If a person befriends a Good Teacher of the Way,
hears the Wonderful Dharma,
and has a good thought in your mind,
lives in accordance with the Way,
and seeks the light and practices the Way,
that person reaches Emancipation
and lives in peace'."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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One Who Sinks and Comes Up Again

"Oh good man! I say: 'The icchantika is someone who eternally sinks, but there are icchantikas who do not fall into the class of those who eternally sink '. Who are these? This is like in the case where, for the sake of 'is', one practices giving, sila [precepts of morality], and the good. This is one who is not eternally sunk.

Oh good man! There are four instances where good things call forth evil results. What are the four? They are: 1) reading and reciting the sutras in order to come above the others, 2) upholding the prohibitions and precepts for the sake of profit, 3) giving because (that) belongs to others, 4) instigate own mind and meditating towards achieving the mental state of thoughtlessness-non-thoughtlessness. These four (things) evoke evil results. This is why we speak of one who practices and amasses such (things), that it sinks and comes up again. Why do we say it sinks? Because he enjoys the three existences [i.e,, kamadhatu, rupadhatu, and arupadhatu - who are the worlds of desire, form, and non-form (spirit)]. Why do we say that it comes up? Because he sees the light. The light corresponds to his hearing [Dharma], upholding the silas, giving, and sitting in meditation.

Why do we say that a person sinks? Because it grows in evil views and acquires arrogance.

Hence, I say in the sutra:

'If beings seek all existences (of the three worlds)
and commit good and evil deeds for existence,
such persons will lose the way to Nirvana.
This is why we say that
the person temporarily comes up but sinks again.

It sails on the dark ocean of birth and death,
it may gain Emancipation
and do away with defilement.
But the person suffers again from evil returns.
This is temporarily coming up
only to sink again.’

Oh good man! This is like in the case of big fish that comes up on the water for a time, when it sees the light, but, as its body is heavy, sinks again. This is how things proceed with the second person mentioned above."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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One Who Always Sinks

“Oh good man! In this All-Wonderful River of Great Nirvana, there live seven kinds of living beings. It starts from the first - which always sinks - to the seventh. Among these, some sink and some come up.

We speak of one who always sinks. This refers to one who hears this be said: 'This Great Nirvana Sutra states that the Tathagata is Eternal, Unchangeable, and is Bliss, the Self, and the Pure; that it ultimately does not enter into Nirvana; that all beings possess the Buddha Nature; that the icchantika, the slanderers of the Vaipulya Sutras, those who have committed the five deadly sins, those guilty of the four graves offenses, all will carry the Way of Enlightenment; that the Srotapanna, Sakrdagamin, Anagamin, Arhat, and Pratyekabuddha unfailingly will attain unsurpassed Enlightenment’. Upon hearing this, such a person does not believe, but thinks to himself: 'This Nirvana Sutra is one that belongs to the tirthikas and is not a Buddhist Sutra’. This person then moves away from the Way, and does not give ear to Wonderful Dharma. Sometimes, it may happen to hear [the Dharma], but it cannot have a good thought. It may think, but not a good thought. As it has no a good thought, abides in evil. Abiding in evil has six ways, which are: 1) evil, 2) non-good, 3) defiled dharma, 4) the valuation of 'is', 5) worry in heat [that is, becoming hellishly hot with worry], 6) receiving evil results. This is to sink.

Why is it sinking? When a person has no a good mind, when it always commits evil, when it does not practice the Way, we call this 'sinking'.

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 41 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 2.

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