Buddha-nature (as Depicted in the Lankavatara-sutra)
by Nguyen Dac Sy | 2012 | 70,344 words
This page relates ‘Overcoming the Twofold Death’ of the study on (the thought of) Buddha-nature as it is presented in the Lankavatara-sutra (in English). The text represents an ancient Mahayana teaching from the 3rd century CE in the form of a dialogue between the Buddha and Bodhisattva Mahamati, while discussing topics such as Yogacara, Buddha-nature, Alayavijnana (the primacy of consciousness) and the Atman (Self).
3.2. Overcoming the Twofold Death
[Full title: Buddhatā: The Essence of Buddha (Introduction), (2): Overcoming the Twofold Death]
The Laṅkāvatārasūtra mentions that there are two kinds of death (cyuti) in the life of a Bodhisattva: the “graded death” (life-limit death) and “inconceivable transformation-death”.[1] The first kind is the natural death called “graded death” (vibhāgacyuti; fenduansi) because the life variously comes to individuals. This is the natural death happening to the end of physical body and is acquired as the result of his past karma committed through his evil passions and outflowings.[2] The other is “inconceivable transformation-death” (acintyapariṇāmacyuti; busiyibianyisi).
This is the subtle body of a Bodhisattva that is continuously changing moment to moment as the consequence of his past karma as well as his knowledge-hindrance which have not yet been thoroughly destroyed.
Inconceivable transformation-death is [still] in union with habitenergy; when interrupted, death is put a stop to, the net of passions is destroyed.[3]
Further, Mahāmati, as they have not yet destroyed the habit-energy (memory) of karma and the hindrance of knowledge, all the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas are unable to realise the egolessness of things and have not attained the inconceivable transformationdeath, I preach to the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas the triple vehicle and not the one vehicle[4]
Therefore, both inconceivable transformation-death and knowledge-hindrance will stop and disappear when the Transcendent wisdom cut off all habit-energy in Ālayavijñāna. At that time, Ālayavijñāna or Tathāgatagarbha will demonstrate as Dhamakāya or Buddhatā in the enlightened One. The Buddha-nature relates closely to Transcendent wisdom. This wisdom does not come from outside learning, but derives from the Buddha-nature itself.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Studies in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, p. 212.
[3]:
Laṅkāvatāra-Sūtra, p. 252 (Laṅkāvatāra-Sūtra, p. 307)
[4]:
Laṅkāvatāra-Sūtra, p. 115 (Laṅkāvatāra-Sūtra, p. 134)