Cap. II. Contains the Respectful Request of the Aged Subhúti3
At this time the distinguished and venerable Subhúti sat in the midst of the assembly. Then rising forthwith from his seat, he uncovered his right shoulder, and with his right knee knelt on the ground; then closing together the palms of his hands, and raising them in a respectful manner to Buddha, he spoke thus: Oh! much-desired! world-honoured one! Tathágata ever regards and illustriously protects all the Bodhisatwas! he ever rightly instructs them!
World-honoured one! if a virtuous disciple, male or female, aspire after (the attainment of) the “unsurpassed, just, and enlightened heart,”4 say on what ought that disciple to fix his reliance, say how ought that disciple to repress and subdue the evil emotions of this sinful heart?5
Buddha said: Good! good! (sádhu). Subhúti! it is as you say. Tathágata is ever mindful of and illustriously defends all the Bodhisatwas, and he ever instructs them in right. You therefore listen now and examine well what, for your sake, I declare. The worthy disciple, whether male or female, who aspires after the attainment of the perfectly just, unsurpassed, and enlightened heart, ought to rely on what I shall now explain, ought to subdue the risings of his corrupt heart in the way I shall now exhibit!
Ah! yes, world-honoured one! would that you would so far gratify us all, anxious to hear.
Cap. III. exhibits the true distinctive character of the Great Vehicle.
Buddha said: Subhúti, all the Bodhisatwas and great Bodhisatwas ought thus to subdue and repress the risings of this corrupt heart. Whatever species of creature there be, whether oviparous or viviparous, born from spawn or by transformation, possessing a material form or not, liable to the laws of mind or not, not altogether possessed of mental organization nor yet entirely without it—all these I command and exhort to enter on the state of the unsurpassed Nirváṅa (Pari nirváṅa6) and for ever to free themselves from the conditions of being to which they severally belong. The great family of sentient beings, immeasurable, vast, numberless, being thus freed from such states of existence, then indeed there will be no longer any such beings to arrive at this position of perfect freedom.
I conclude, therefore, Subhúti, if there be a Bodhisatwa affected with any selfish distinction, or any social distinction,7 or any distinction as a sentient being, or any distinction as a finite and perishable being, then this Bodhisatwa is not one in reality.
Cap. IV.—The characteristic of the most perfect line of conduct, is, that it is spontaneous.
Moreover, Subhúti, a Bodhisatwa in the active discharge of his functions ought to be without any object of reliance or desire (i.e., unaffected by any secondary object in the discharge of his chief business). When occupied, for instance, in attending to the work of charity—his ought to be that charity which is called “unmixed with any material consideration”—he ought to distribute his alms without relying on (or, having any reference to) any sensible gratification, whether it be of sound, or odour, or taste, or touch, or thought.
Subhúti, a Bodhisatwa ought thus to discharge the work of almsgiving, relying on no sensible distinction whatever. What then! if a Bodhisatwa be thus charitable, having no reliance or reference, his consequent happiness must be immeasurable and boundless. Subhúti! what think you? Can the eastern region of space be measured by a line?
No, certainly, world-honoured one!
Subhúti, can the western, or southern, or northern regions of space be measured? or the four midway regions of space (i.e., N.E., S.E., S.W., N.W.), or the upper and lower regions: can either of these be accurately measured or defined?
No, certainly, world-honoured one!
Subhúti, the consequent happiness of the Bodhisatwa, who discharges his charitable impulses in the distribution of alms without any reliance or secondary object whatever: his happiness, I say, is likewise boundless and immeasurable. Subhúti, a Bodhisatwa ought to rely on nothing whatever, except this principle of my doctrine.
Cap. V.—Regarding only the immaterial principle, we behold things in their true light.
Subhúti, what is your opinion? Is it possible by any bodily distinction to behold Tathágata?
No, certainly not! world-honoured one! it is not possible to obtain a view of Tathágata by the medium of any bodily distinction or quality whatever. What then? That which Tathágata speaks of as a quality of the body, is after all a quality of that which is no real body (and therefore itself unreal).
Buddha said: Subhúti, all that which has qualities or distinctions, all this is empty and unreal; but if a man beholds all these qualities as indeed no qualities, then he can at once behold Tathágata.
Cap. VI.—The precious character of true faith.
Subhúti now addressed Buddha thus: World-honoured one! with reference to the mass of sentient beings who may hereafter be privileged to hear the words contained in the former sections: will these words produce in them a true faith?
Buddha said: Subhúti, speak not after this manner. (For) after the Nirváṅa of Tathágata, though five hundred years be elapsed, should there be one who, by keeping the moral precepts, prepares himself for the happiness consequent on such conduct, that man no doubt by these former sections of my doctrine will be able to arrive at a true faith. Supposing such a man to have truly arrived at this condition, you should know that the seeds of virtue which have been sown in his mind were implanted not by one Buddha, or even two or three, or four or five, but having these seeds of virtue sown within him by the teaching of countless thousands of Buddhas, and then hearing these sections, reflecting but a moment, the true faith dawns on his heart. Subhúti! Tathágata knows entirely, and entirely perceives, that all this mass of sentient beings shall obtain (in the manner I have described) immeasurable felicity. And why so? but because they will thus be freed from all selfish distinctions and worldly desires, and distinctions as perishable beings, and distinctions as finite beings; they will have no distinction either as beings possessed of mental organization, nor as beings without such an organization. What then? All this mass of sentient existences, if their heart be possessed of any such distinction, they immediately place their dependence on some object agreeable to this distinction; or, if they be possessed of any such mental distinction, what is this but coming under the same necessity? And more than this, if they take hold of the fact of their having no distinction as a mentally-constituted being, they then also bring themselves under the same necessity of dependence. So (it is the case that) we should neither rely on anything real or unreal (literally, on that which is a law or on that which is not a law). Tathágata has ever spoken thus: “Ye Bhikshus, know ye well that my law is as it were but a raft to help you across the stream. The law, then, must be forsaken; how much more that which is no law!”
Cap. VII.—The state of perfection cannot be said to be obtained, nor can it be described by words.
Subhúti, what think you? Has Tathágata obtained the condition of the unsurpassed, just, and enlightened heart? Or has Tathágata any law which can be put into words by which this state may be attained?
Subhúti answered and said: As I understand the system which Buddha is now explaining, there can be no fixed and unchangeable law (i.e., condition), as that which is called the unsurpassed, just, and enlightened heart; and so there can be no fixed law which can be expressed in words by Tathágata. Hence it seems that the various systems which have been explained by Tathágata can none of them be comprehended within fixed limits, or dogmatically explained; they cannot be spoken of as, “not a system of law,” nor yet as the opposite of that which is “not a system.”
So it appears that all the sages and wise men who have lived, have all adopted this mode of diffusive doctrine [doctrine which admits of no particular distinction (wou-wei)], and hence the differences which have occurred.
Cap. VIII.—All former systems whatever have sprung from this.
Subhúti! what think you, if there was a man who distributed in alms sufficient of the seven precious substances to fill the whole of the great chiliocosm, would his merit and consequent reward be considerable or not?
Subhúti said: Very considerable indeed, world-honoured one! But why so? this merit being in its very character of the nature of that which is no merit at all, so Tathágata speaks of it as being “much.”
(Buddha resumed): If there be a man who receives and adopts the principles of this Sútra up to the point of the four sections,8 I say on that man’s behalf, that his merit is much greater than the other’s. What then, Subhúti? all the Buddhas, and all the perfect laws of the Buddhas, have sprung from (the principles of) this one Sútra; but, Subhúti, that which is spoken of as the law of Buddha, is after all not such a law (or, is a law of no-Buddha).
Cap. IX.—The only true distinction is that which is not to be distinguished.
Subhúti, what think you? is the Śrotápatti able to reflect thus with himself: “I shall now obtain the fruit of having entered this first path of a Śrotápatti?”
Subhúti said: No, world-honoured one! And why? this word Śrotápatti is a mere phrase, which signifies “once entered the stream,” and after all there is nothing to enter; for he cannot enter on that which comes under the category of form, or sound, or odour, or taste, or touch, or thought. This term, then, Śrotápatti, is a mere word, and no more.
Subhúti, what think you? is the Sakṛid-ágámí able to reflect thus with himself: “I shall now obtain the fruit of having entered on this second path of a Sakṛid-ágámí?”
Subhúti replied: No, world-honoured one! And why? this word Sakṛid-ágámí signifies “one more return to life,” and there is in truth no going or returning. This term, then, is but a mere name, and no more.
Subhúti, what do you think? is the Anágámí able to reflect thus with himself: “I shall now obtain the reward of having entered the third path of an Anágámí?”
No, certainly not! Subhúti said; for why? world-honoured one! this term Anágámí is but a word signifying “no further return,” and there is not in truth such a thing as “not returning.” This word, therefore, of Anágámí, is but a mere name, and nothing more.
Subhúti! what think you? can an Arhat reflect thus with himself: “I shall now obtain the condition of a Rahat?”
Subhúti said: No, world-honoured one! And why? Because there being no longer any active principle which can affect the Rahat, this name of Rahat is now only an empty word. World-honoured one! if a Rahat were to indulge this thought, “I shall now obtain the position of a Rahat;” then he would immediately subject himself to one of the four distinctive characters of individuality (and be no longer a Rahat). World-honoured one! when Buddha declared that I should attain the power of Samádhi,9 which is opposed to all bitterness, and is accounted the most excellent attainment, and corresponds to the most exalted position of a Rahat, world-honoured one, I did not then reflect that I should obtain this eminent condition. World-honoured one! if I had so reflected “that now I shall attain the position of a Rahat,” the world-honoured one would not then have said, “Subhúti, what is this but the name of the one who delights in the mortification of an Araṅyaka (forest devotee),” regarding “Subhúti” as in truth not acting at all, but as a mere name, then (in such forgetfulness of self) “he is one who delights in self-mortification.”
Cap. X.—Complete perfection lies in the heart purified and enlightened.
Buddha addressed Subhúti thus: How think you, when Tathágata in old times was present at his nomination by Dípankara Buddha; had he then, by means of any active exertion, attained ought towards this distinction? No! world-honoured one! when Tathágata lived in the time of Dípankara Buddha, and was present at the transaction referred to, he had attained nothing by any mere ritual observance. Subhúti, what think you? are the various lands and territories of the Buddhas completely perfected by the Bodhisatwas who occupy them? No! world-honoured one! for this complete perfection of which we speak is after all no perfection at all, it is only an empty name.
So, Subhúti, all the Bodhisatwas and great Bodhisatwas ought to strive after the possession of a heart perfectly pure and spotless, and not after any material or sensible adornment; or a heart depending on such adornment; whether it be of sound, or odour, or taste, or touch, or thought, they ought to have no such dependence as this, and being without reliance, to make their dependence on the fact of their being so. Subhúti! suppose for instance there was a man whose body was as large as the Royal Summeru. What do you suppose—would such a body be a large one or not?
Subhúti replied: Very great indeed, world-honoured one! But what then? Buddha is speaking of that body which is the opposite to the material body, that, indeed, may well be named Great.