37th Imperishable, The Presence of Recollection Concerned with Moments of Existence.

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

What then is the bodhisattva’s presence of recollection [being one-pointedness (ekāgratā) through concentration (samādhi) ] which consists in considering [and discerning with insight (prajñā) the emptiness of conditioned (saṃskṛta) and unconditioned (asaṃskṛta), sullied (sāsrava) and unsullied (anāsrava) ] moments of existence?

He sees [the emptiness of essence (śūnyatāsvabhāva), as described below, in] the moments of existence with the sacred sight of insight [which has the essential character of the absence of thought-constructions (nirvikalpalakṣaṇa) ] and does not get bewildered in the meantime until he sits on the place of awakening.

The bodhisattva continually considering the moments of existence does not see any moment of existence, however small, escaping emptiness, escaping the absence of distinguishing marks, escaping the fact that there is nothing to long for, escaping unconditionedness, escaping unbornness, escaping non-existence, escaping the absence of substance [according to the highest truth (paramārthatas) ], and, [according to the concealed truth (saṃvṛtitas) ] the bodhisattva continually considering the moments of existence does not see any moment of existence, however small, escaping dependent origination.

The bodhisattva continually considering the moments of existence sees things according to the truth, not according to untruth.

What then is truth [the moment of existence]?

The meaning of no self, the meaning of no living being, the meaning of no life-principle, the meaning of no personality, the meaning of no discontinuity, the meaning of no eternity, the meaning of no being, the meaning of no absence of being, this is called truth [the moment of existence].

What then is untruth [not a moment of existence]?

The view of self, the view of living being, the view of soul, the view of person, the view of discontinuity, the view of eternity, the view of being, the view of absence of being. This is called untruth [not a moment of existence].

Thus all moments of existence are true, all moments of existence are untrue. Why? Through reflection on all moments of existence as being emptiness, beyond distinguishing marks and nothing to long for, all moments of existence are true, but through attachment resulting in views of me and mine, all moments of existence are not true.

In this way the bodhisattva continually considering the moments of existence does not see any moment of existence at all which is not the qualities of the Buddha, not awakening, not the way, not liberation, which is not the way out [of the threefold world (traidhātuka) ]. Knowing that every moment of existence is a way out he attains the gate into the concentration of great compassion for all beings called “Unhindered”. He gets the notion that all moments of existence, all vices, are artificial [the knowledge (jñāna) that they are illusory (māyopama) and without own-being (niḥsvabhāva) ]: “These moments of existence are beyond vices, they are not connected with vices.” Why? They [the bodhisattvas, or the moments of existence] are united to explicit meaning [the meaning of emptiness (śūnyārtha) ], so there is no accumulation of vices, no heaping up, no state of cupidity, no state of aversion, no state of delusion. Understanding those vices is awakening, and the essence of vices is the essence of awakening. Though he thus practises recollection, he does not practise anything, start upon or establish anything.

He knows the true state of things as remaining [forever unchanged through being empty], that is why the sphere of [all] moments of existence is called a state. (p. 134) The place where the sphere of [all] moments of existence is situated, there also the sphere of living beings is situated; the place where the sphere of living beings is situated, there also the sphere of empty space is situated. That is why all moments of existence are like empty space.

The bodhisattva continually considering moments of existence unites with the qualities of a Buddha, and though relying on all moments of existence, he relies on the qualities of a Buddha. Though he produces the knowledge that things perish, he does not make the conditioned things perish. He produces knowledge of non-origination, and though he produces viewpoints in living beings [for their benefit by concealed truth (saṃvṛtyā) ], he does not give up the side of non-origination.

[To summarize:] The presence of recollection concerned with moments of existence is when he is continually engaged in that recollection of all moments of existence. As many as are the moments of existence and designations of moments of existence that pertain to disciples, isolated buddhas, bodhisattvas and Complete Buddhas, he is continually engaged in that recollection of all of them [that is, understanding their emptiness].

[The meaning of recollection (smṛtyartha):] By that recollection he does not forget or lose them even until the end of time, continually engaged in that complete recollection of all moments of existence, by that recollection he does not forget or lose anything even until the end of time. The presence of recollection which consists in the consideration of moments of existence is a word designating the immeasurable, a word for universality, for uniting with all the qualities of the Buddha, for pleasing all beings, for vanquishing all the Evil Ones, and for reaching self-existent knowledge [beyond thought-constructions (nirvikalpajñāna) ].

This is called the bodhisattva’s presence of recollection which consists in the consideration of moments of existence.

These, reverend Śāradvatīputra, are called the bodhisattvas’ four imperishable cultivations of the presence of recollection.