Fixed-nature hearers

J9 Fixed-nature hearers.
K1 After formations are ended, consciousness manifests.

Sutra:

Further, the good person has thoroughly seen the formations skandha as empty. He has ended production and destruction, but he has not yet perfected the subtle wonder of ultimate serenity.

Commentary:

Further, the good person has investigated and has thoroughly seen the formations skandha as empty. He has already ended the nature that is subject to production and destruction, but he has not yet fully perfected the subtle and wonder bliss of ultimate serenity.

K2 A wrong understanding leads to a mistake.

Sutra:

In his understanding of life, he distinguishes the subtle and the coarse and determines the true and the false. But he only seeks a response in the mutual repayment of cause and effect, and he turns his back on the way of purity. In the practice of seeing suffering, eliminating accumulation, realizing cessation, and cultivating the Way, he dwells in cessation and stops there, making no further progress. If he interprets this as a supreme state, he will fall and become a fixed-nature hearer. Unlearned Sanghans and those of overweening pride will become his companions. Confused about the Bodhi of the Buddhas, he will lose his knowledge and understanding.

Commentary:

In his illusory understanding of life, he distinguishes these subtle and the coarse. He differentiates between what is fine and what is coarse, and determines the true and the false. He judges what is true and what is false. But he only seeks a response in the mutual repayment of cause and effect. He seeks a response through cause and effect. The response also comes from cause and effect. And he turns his back on the way of purity.

In the practice of seeing suffering, eliminating accumulation, realizing cessation, and cultivating the Way. To see suffering means to know suffering. The truth of suffering includes the three sufferings, the eight sufferings, and limitless sufferings. The truth of accumulation refers to all our afflictions. Cessation refers to cultivating the Way and realizing cessation, that is, attaining the wonderful bliss of nirvana. The Way refers to the way of cultivation. That's what is meant by knowing suffering, eliminating accumulation, longing for cessation, and cultivating the Way. He dwells in cessation and stops there, making no further progress. When he reaches cessation, he stops advancing.

If he interprets this as a supreme state, if he comes up with a crazy rationalization which he considers superior, he will fall and become a fixed-nature hearer. What is a fixed-nature hearer? We've talked about this before. He is a person who refuses to turn from the small and go toward the great. He becomes satisfied prematurely and refuses to advance further. Unlearned Sanghans and those of overweening pride will become his companions. He is as ignorant as the unlearned bhikshu who thought the fourth dhyana was the fourth fruition of Arhatship. Such people become his companions. Confused about the Buddha's enlightened Bodhi-nature, he will lose his proper knowledge and understanding.

K3 Giving its name and instructions to awaken.

Sutra:

This is the ninth state, in which he aspires toward the fruition of cessation, based on perfecting the mind that seeks responses. He strays far from perfect penetration and turns his back on the City of Nirvana, thus sowing the seeds for becoming enmeshed in emptiness.

Commentary:

This is the ninth state, in which he aspires toward the fruition of cessation, based on perfecting the mind that seeks responses. He strays far from the dharma-door of perfect penetration through the ear. And he turns his back on the City of Nirvana, thus sowing the seeds for becoming enmeshed in emptiness. He gets stuck in emptiness and stillness. He has no desire to progress and no wish to retreat. Emptiness becomes the most important thing in his life. He gets wrapped up in emptiness. Actually, emptiness means there is nothing at all, but he invents an emptiness within emptiness and becomes attached to it.