4. The Revulsion

The revulsion (parāvṛtti; zhuanyi) marks the peak of the gradual practical process before enlightenment because it is through this state that the realization of Pratyātmāryajñānagocara is possible, and this realization is the central theme of the Laṅkāvatārasūtra. Pratyātmā (zizheng) means “self-realization”; āryajñāna is “noble wisdom”; and gocara means “realm”, “state” (jingjie). Therefore, Pratyātmāryajñānagocara denotes the “realm of self-realization attained by noble wisdom”.

Revulsion is a real state that takes place in the Ālayavijñāna, i.e. the Tathāgatagarbha, which is the basis of all things, so it is also known as āśrayaparāvṛtti (根本轉依 genben zhuanyi) “revulsion at the basis”, in which āśraya means that on which anything is dependent, and in this case the Ālayavijñāna is the āśraya on which hangs the working of the Vijñānas and consequently the birth of the whole universe.^[1]

Usually, ordinary understanding of all beings is based on the dualistic perception which cannot go beyond the realm controlled by the seven Vijñānas and cannot penetrate into the reality of things as they really are. So beings everlastingly transmigrate in the world of birth-anddeath. Cultivation is the return back in the opposite direction, looks backwards into the mind where there is no dualistic discrimination and evolution of the seven Vijñānas. When the intellect known as nondiscriminative and transcendental noble wisdom discerns into the egocentric and evil-creating discrimination based on the dualism of subject and object, the practitioner will self-realize that there is no external world besides what is perceived within the self. Therefore, this self-realization leads to the state of revulsion. All things are seen now by the eyes of wisdom and with this transcendental wisdom, so many unthinkable things belonging to the non-dual realm such as the Nirvāṇa, Tathatā, Emancipation, Buddha-nature, etc., display in the same nature.

Therefore, the Laṅkāvatārasūtra writes:

Further, Mahāmati, Nirvāṇa is the realm of self-realization attained by noble wisdom, which is free from the discrimination of eternality and annihilation, existence and non-existence. How is it not eternality? Because it has cast off the discrimination of individuality and generality, it is not eternality. How about is it not annihilation? It is because all the wise men of the past, present and future have attained realization. Therefore, it is not annihilation.^[2]

The Laṅkāvatārasūtra also presents the realm of revulsion through the enlightenment of Rāvaṇa, king of yakshas of Laṅkā in the beginning chapter of the Sūtra. According to the story, after preaching the yakshas the discourse of “the Truth leading to the inner most realization”, the Buddha and his disciples suddenly disappeared away into the air, leaving Rāvaṇa himself standing alone in the castle. After a moment of great surprise and unknowing of what happened, the Rāvaṇa self-reflected his mind and immediately awakened from his reflection, feeling a revulsion (parāvṛtti) in his mind, realize the Buddha-nature and attained enlightenment.

The Sūtra continues to narrate the story as follows:^[3]

“Then [Rāvaṇa reflected], ―This is the nature as it is (dharmatā) of all things, which belongs to the realm of Mind, and it is not comprehended by the ignorant as they are confused by every form of imagination.

“There is neither the seer nor the seen, neither the speaker nor the spoken; the form and usage of the Buddha and his Dharma—they are nothing but discrimination.

“Those who see things such as were seen before, do not see the Buddha; [even] when discrimination is not aroused, one does not see the Buddha; the Buddha being fully-enlightened is seen where the world itself is not evolved.

“The Lord of Laṅkā was then immediately awakened [from his reflection], feeling a revulsion (parāvṛtti) in his mind and realising that the world was nothing but his own mind: he was settled in the realm of non-discrimination, was urged by the stock of his past good deeds, acquired the cleverness of understanding all the texts, obtained the faculty of seeing things as they are, was no more dependent upon others, observed things excellently with his own wisdom (buddhi), gained the insight that was not of discursive reasoning, was no more dependent upon others, became a great Yogin of the discipline, was able to manifest himself in all excellent forms, got thoroughly acquainted with all skillful means, had the knowledge of the characteristic aspects of every stage, by which he would surmount it skillfully, was delighted to look into the self-nature of Citta, Manas, Manovijñāna, got a view whereby he could cut himself loose from the triple continuation, had the knowledge of disposing of every argument of the philosophers on causation, thoroughly understood the Tathāgata-garbha, the stage of Buddhahood, the inmost self, found himself abiding in the Buddha-knowledge;[when suddenly] a voice was heard from the sky, saying, “It is to be known by oneself.”^[4]

The Rāvaṇa then was praised by the Buddha, and the Buddha and his disciples appeared again in front of the Rāvaṇa‘s eyes.

In brief, enlightenment is the realization of the inherent Buddhanature in the mind of everybody. The enlightenment takes place suddenly but it is a result of a prior long and hard cultivation. It is like the cooking of water. The cold water must be cooked for a period before it boiling. When water reaches one hundred Celsius degrees, it automatically and suddenly boils and becomes steam. Enlightenment is the full maturing fruit of prior cultivation; it is sudden but not accidental. Except for the Budddha, who has completely achieved the Bodhisattva wisdom and compassion in his innumerable previous lives, other beings have to continue to cultivate their mind free from all bad habit-energy and remain the Buddha-nature in constant exposition. This process is called sudden enlightenment and gradual cultivation. However, the followers of this path are not single and lonely because a lot of other Bodhisattvas and the Buddhas always support and retain them on the path to the Buddhahood. This Buddha‘s support is called Adhishṭhāna or the Power added by the Buddha as the following presentation.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Dīghanikāya.Taisho Tripiṭaka (CBETA 2011). Suzuki, Studies in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, 184.

[2]:

Lanka 86 (Laṅkāvatāra-Sūtra 99)

[3]:

Lanka 8-9 (Laṅkāvatāra-Sūtra 8-9)

[4]:

Lanka 8-9 (Laṅkāvatāra-Sūtra 8-9)