Shurangama Sutra (with commentary) (English)

by Hsuan Hua | 596,738 words

This is the English translation of the Shurangama Sutra with Commentary By The Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua. The Shurangamasutra is an influential Mahayana Buddhist text affecting Korean and Chinese Buddhism, especially Zen/Chan. It includes teachings on Buddha-nature, Yogacara, and Tantric or esoteric Buddhism (such as Vajrayana). Topics discussed i...

Sundarananda: the nose consciousness

N3 Sundarananda: the nose consciousness.

Sutra:

Sundarananda arose from his seat, bowed at the Buddha?s feet, and said to the Buddha, "When I first left home and followed the Buddha to enter the Way, I received the complete precepts, but my mind was always too scattered for samadhi, and I could not attain the state of having no outflows. The World Honored One taught Kaushthila and me to contemplate the white spot at the tip of our noses."

Commentary:


There was Nanda, Ananda, and Sundarananda. Sundarananda was the Buddha's cousin. The first part of his name is Sundari, after his wife; "Sundari" means "beautiful." She was captivating. "Nanda," the latter part of his name, means "happiness" (xi). Since there were several disciples with similar names, he was referred to as Sundari's Nanda. Sundarananda arose from his seat, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha, "When I first left home and followed the Buddha to enter the Way, I received the complete precepts, but my mind was always too scattered for samadhi, and I could not attain the state of having no outflows. I cultivated the Way with the Buddha and I carefully observed the precepts, but my samadhi-power was not sufficient. My mind was always on the move. I could not accomplish the level of being without outflows. The World Honored One taught Kaushthila and me to contemplate the white spot at the tip of our noses. Because I was so scattered, the Buddha taught me and also taught Shariputra's uncle, Mahakaushthila, to look at the tips of our noses and regard the little white spot that appears when both eyes stare there."

Sutra:

From the first, I contemplated intently. After three weeks, I saw that the breath in my nostrils looked like smoke when I inhaled and exhaled. My body and mind became bright inside, and I perfectly understood the external world, to the point that everything became empty and pure, like crystal. The smoky appearance gradually disappeared, and the breath in my nostrils became white.

Commentary:


He goes on to say: When I cultivated according to this method and developed my skill, from the first, I contemplated intently. After three weeks, I saw that the breath in my nostrils looked like smoke when I inhaled and exhaled. I regarded the white spot at the tip of my nose with great concentration. After twenty-one days, my breath looked like smoke. My body and mind became bright inside, and I perfectly understood the external world. Inside there was light, and I was clear about what was going on in all the worlds, to the point that everything became empty and pure, like crystal. My body, mind, and the world became emptiness and was pure in substance. It was all as clear as crystal. The breath in my nostrils had become like smoke, but this subsided. The smoky appearance gradually disappeared, and the breath in my nostrils became white. From daily contemplation like this, my breath became white like the white spot at the tip of my nose.

Sutra:

My mind opened and my outflows were extinguished. Every inhalation and exhalation of breath was transformed into light which illumined the ten directions, and I attained arhatship. The World Honored One predicted that in the future I would obtain Bodhi.

Commentary:


My mind opened and my outflows were extinguished. When my breath became white, my mind suddenly opened to enlightenment and I put an end to all outflows. Every inhalation and exhalation of breath was transformed into light which illumined the ten directions, and I attained arhatship. First my breath looked smoky, then it became white like the tip of my nose, and finally it turned into light! The light shone on everything in the dharma-realm of the ten directions. The World Honored One predicted that in the future I would obtain Bodhi. He said that in the future I would certainly become a Buddha.

Sutra:

The Buddha asks about perfect penetration. I did it by means of the disappearance of the breath, until eventually the breath emitted light and the light completely extinguished my outflows. This is the foremost method.

Commentary:


Sundarananda says that he thinks cultivation of the nose-consciousness is extremely important. For him, it was the best dharma-door.

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