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...

J10 Fixed-nature pratyekas.
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 thoroughly seen the formations skandha as empty. He has thoroughly investigated the states of the formations skandha, and they are empty for him. He has already ended the states of production and destruction, but he has not yet perfected the subtle wonder and bliss of ultimate serenity.

K2 A wrong understanding leads to a mistake.

Sutra:

In that perfectly fused, pure, bright enlightenment, as he investigates the profound wonder, he may take it to be nirvana and fail to make further progress. If he interprets this as a supreme state, he will fall and become a fixed-nature pratyeka. Those enlightened by conditions and solitarily enlightened ones who do not turn their minds to the great vehicle will become his companions. Confused about the Bodhi of the Buddhas, he will lose his knowledge and understanding.

Commentary:


In that state of perfectly fused, pure, bright enlightenment, as he investigates the principle of profound wonder, he may take it to be nirvana and fail to make further progress in his cultivation, even though he has not yet broken through the consciousness skandha. If he interprets this wild and false understanding as a supreme state, he will fall and become a fixed nature pratyeka who fails to turn from the small and go toward the great.

Those enlightened by conditions and solitarily enlightened ones who do not turn their minds to the great vehicle, the fixednature Arhats, will become his companions. He will join ranks with them. Confused about the Bodhi of the Buddhas, the path to enlightenment, he will lose his proper knowledge and understanding.

K3 Giving its name and instructions to awaken.

Sutra:

This is the tenth state, in which he realizes a profound brightness based on fusing the mind with perfect enlightenment. He strays far from perfect penetration and turns his back on the City of Nirvana, thus sowing the seeds for being unable to surpass his attachment to the brightness of perfect enlightenment.

Commentary:


This is the tenth state, the last of the gates of the consciousness skandha. If you can pass through this gate, then you won't have to worry anymore. There is no further danger. Unfortunately, this final step is not an easy one to take. At this point he's off by just a tiny bit. It is said, "If you are off by a hairsbreadth at the beginning, you will miss by a thousand miles at the end." If you're just a tiny bit off at the start, you'll be way off at the stage of fruition. This state is one in which he realizes a profound brightness based on fusing the mind with perfect enlightenment. At this time, the doctrine of perfect enlightenment is about to merge with his permanent true mind, and he attains a purity and brightness.

He strays far from perfect penetration. Nevertheless, he has not meshed with the dharma-door of perfect penetration of the ear, because he still has attachments. And he turns his back on the City of Nirvana, going against the wonderful fruition of nirvana, thus sowing the seeds for being unable to surpass his attachment to the brightness of perfect enlightenment. He cannot get past his attachment to that state of perfection. There is still that tiny bit which he does not understand before he breaks through the consciousness skandha.

If at this point he can break through without succumbing to crazy interpretations, then he will have broken through all five skandhas. When the five skandhas have been broken through, he will attain the positions of the ten faiths, the ten dwellings, the ten practices, the ten transferences, and the ten grounds. Then he can rest assured that he will attain Buddhahood.

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