1. Gradual cultivation

Although the Buddha-nature is the inherent original nature of all beings, it is still obscured by defilements and needs to be realized by the practitioner. The process of purifying the mind and revealing the Buddhanature consists of two main parts: sudden enlightenment and gradual cultivation. The Laṅkāvatārasūtra presents the state of revulsion (āśrayaparāvṛtti; zhuanyi) which equals to the sudden enlightenment (dunwu) or seeing the nature (jianxing) in Chan Buddhism. It may take place once at the moment when the mind temporally cleared of adventitious impurities. Seeing the Buddha-nature, even though happening for a short time, is deeply impressed into the memory of the practitioner and he can recall it whenever he wants. However, because of the very thick and deep habitenergy accumulated through innumerable past lives, the Buddha-nature is again obscured and the practitioner not only needs to recall it but also continues to cleanse defilements. The defiled mind is a stream or a flow of successive consciousnesses created by the volitional meeting of sense organs and corresponding objects. Even when the five consciousnesses of sense organs [eye, ear, nose, tongue, body (skin)] are closed, the Manas (the seventh-consciousness) is still endlessly working inside, it based on the habit-energy or seeds of mind to grasp the Ālayavijñāna as its self and to produce the Manovijñāna (the sixth consciousness).

Therefore, the process of purifying the defiled mind needs very long time and is a gradual cultivation.

The Laṅkāvatārasūtra mentions this idea as follows.

“At that time again, Mahāmati the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva made a request of the Blessed One regarding the purification of the outflow which comes from recognising an objective world which is of Mind itself, saying, How, O Blessed One, is the outflow purified that takes place from recognising an external world which is of Mind itself? Is the purification instantaneous or gradual?

“Replied the Blessed One: The outflow that takes place from recognising an external world which is of Mind itself is gradually purified and not instantaneously. Mahāmati, it is like the āmra fruit which ripens gradually and not instantaneously; in the same way, Mahāmati, the purification of beings is gradual and not instantaneous. Mahāmati, it is like the potter making pots, which is done gradually and not instantaneously; in the same way, Mahāmati, the purification of beings by the Tathāgata is gradual and not instantaneous. Mahāmati, it is like grass, shrubs, herbs, and trees, that grow up gradually from the earth and not instantaneously; in the same way, Mahāmati, the purification by the Tathāgata of beings is gradual and not instantaneous; Mahāmati, it is like the mastery of comedy, dancing, singing, music, lute-playing, writing, and [other] arts, which is gained gradually and not instantaneously; in the same way, Mahāmati, the purification by the Tathāgata of all beings is gradual and not instantaneous.”^[1]

There are two cases of the gradual cultivation. Firstly, the gradual cultivation is practiced by unenlightened ones who have not yet seen the Buddha-nature and secondly, the gradual cultivation of the Bodhisattvas who have realized the Buddha-nature. For the first, their unique goal must be to gain the state of revulsion (āśrayaparāvṛtti) or realize the Buddhanature, anything else is not important. For the second, their purpose is to fulfill the Bodhisattva vows they swore; the goal of realization of the Buddha-nature (or Buddhahood) is now no more necessary. So they have to pay attention continuously on the Buddha-nature realized, and attempt to gradually cleanse and reduce to zero the defilements covering their Buddha-nature. To the world, they live and work naturally and effortlessly depend on the outside conditions in order to perform their vows.

Chinese Chan master Linji (?-867 C.E.) says about the idea of gradual cultivation after realization of the Buddha-nature as follows:

若是眞正道人、終不如是。但能隨緣消舊業、任運著衣裳、要行即行、要坐即坐、無一念心希求佛果。緣何如此。古人云、若欲作業求佛、佛是生死大兆.^[2]

“A true follower of the Way is never like this;conforming with circumstances as they are he exhausts his past karma; accepting things as they are he puts on his clothes; when he wants to walk he walks, when he wants to sit he sits; he never has a single thought of seeking buddhahood.

Why is this so? A man of old said:

If you seek the Buddha through karma-creating activities,
The Buddha becomes the great portent of birth-and-death.”²

While performing everyday external activities to exhaust the past karmas in accordance with the circumstances, the Bodhisattva always keeps invariantly in mind the mindfulness on the Buddha-nature. In other words, after having enlightened to the Buddha-nature, the Bodhisattva still needs to “maintain” (bao-ren) this enlightened state, applying the enlightened perspective and understanding in everything he does until he achieves perfection of wisdom, compassion and vow. In day or night, stillness or activity, the mind frees itself from clinging and delusion, maintains itself forever in control, lucidity and mindfulness.

Thus, if the gradual cultivation is mentioned, it is because there is the deep and heavy habit-energy that needs to be removed. So it is necessary to explain here what the habit-energy is.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Lanka 49-50 (Laṅkāvatāra-Sūtra 55)

[2]:

Tian-zhou-lin-ji-hui-yu-chan-shi-yu-lu 鎮州臨濟慧照禪師語錄 (Taisho Tripiṭaka (CBETA 2011) [T47n1985], pp. 497c13-c16)² The Record of Linji, tr. Ruth Fuller Sasaki, ed. Thomas Yūhō Kirchner, p. 10.