Mahayana: "The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections"

Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Amber Larson, (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Ling-Yen Mountain Temple, Canada, "The Sutra in Forty-Two Sections"; Master Miao Lien (PURE LAND BUDDHISM)

Kwan Yin Bodhisattva, Goddess of Mercy, at the seaside of Sanya (HawkDisplays/flickr)

 

OPENING VERSE

The unsurpassed, profound, and wonderful Dharma

Is difficult to encounter in hundreds of millions of aeons.

I now see and hear it, receive and uphold it,

And I vow to fathom the Tathagata's true meaning.

 

PREFACE

When the World Honored One had attained the Way, he [is said in Mahayana Buddhism to have] thought, "To leave desire behind and to gain calmness and tranquility is supreme." 

He abided in deep meditative concentration and subdued every demon and externalist.

• [Externalist: six non-Buddhist wandering-ascetic (shramana) traditions led by: Pūraṇa Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Ajita Kesakambalī, Pakudha Kaccāyana, Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta (Jainism's Mahavira), and Sañjaya Belaṭṭhaputta].

In the Deer Park he turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths and took across Ajnata-kaundinya [led Añña Kondañña to enlightenment] and the other four [first] disciples, who all realized the fruition of the Way.

Then the bhikshus expressed their doubts and asked the Buddha how to resolve them. The World Honored One taught and exhorted them, until one by one they awakened and gained enlightenment. After that, they each put their palms together, respectfully gave their assent, and followed the Buddha's instructions.

SECTION 1

Leaving Home and Becoming an Arhat

Shakyamuni Buddha walking (sdhammika)

The Buddha said, "People who take leave of their families and go forth from the householder's life, who know their mind and penetrate to its origin, and who understand the unconditioned Dharma [i.e., asankhata, nirvana, what is not conditional, not dependently originated] are called shramanas [wandering ascetics as distinguished from Brahminical temple priests]. 

"They constantly observe the 250 [monastic] precepts, and they value purity in all that they do. By practicing the four true paths [likely a reference to the four analytical knowledges], they can become arhats."

"Arhats [equipped with abhinnas or siddhis] can fly and transform themselves. They have a life span of vast aeons, and wherever they dwell they can move heaven and earth."

 

"Prior to the arhat is the anagamin [non returner]. At the end of his life, an anagamin's vital spirit will rise above the nineteenth heaven, and one will become an arhat."

"Prior to the anagamin is the sakridagamin [once returner], who ascends once, returns once more, and thereafter becomes an arhat. 

"Prior to the sakridagamin is the srotapanna [stream enterer], who has [at most] seven [more] deaths and seven births remaining, and then becomes an arhat. Severing [attachment] and desire is like severing the four limbs; one never uses them again."

SECTION 2

Eliminating Desire and Ending Seeking

The Buddha [allegedly] said, "Those who have left the home-life and become [wandering ascetics] cut off desire, renounce [attachment], and recognize the source of their minds. They penetrate the Buddha's profound principles and awaken to the unconditioned Dharma. 

"Internally they have nothing to attain, and externally they seek nothing. They are not mentally bound to the Way, nor are they tied to karma. They are free of thought and action [are not storing up karma]; they neither cultivate nor attain certification; they do not pass through the various stages, and yet they are highly revered [reverence-able, worthy of reverence]. This is the meaning of the Way." 

SECTION 3

Severing [Attachment] and Renouncing Greed

The Buddha said, "Shaving their hair and beards, they become shramanas who accept the Dharmas of the Way. They renounce worldly wealth and riches. In receiving alms, they accept only what's enough. They take only one meal a day at noon, pass the night beneath trees, and are careful not to seek more than that. Craving and desire are what cause people to be stupid and dull."

The Buddha's life in panels, Jing'an Temple wall, Shanghai, China (Wisdom Quarterly)

 

SECTION 4

Clarifying Good and Evil

The Buddha said, "Living beings may perform Ten Good Deeds or Ten Evil Deeds. What are the ten? Three are done with the body; four are done with the mouth; and three are done with the mind.

"The three done with the body are killing, stealing, and lust [sexual misconduct]. The four done with the mouth are duplicity [slander], harsh speech, lies [perjury], and frivolous speech. The three done with the mind are jealousy [craving], hatred [aversion], and stupidity [tenaciously holding wrong views].

"Thus, these ten are not in accord with the Way of sages and are called the Ten Evil Deeds. To put a stop to these evils is to perform the Ten Good Deeds."

SECTION 5

Reducing the Severity of Offenses

The Buddha said, "If a person has many offenses and does not repent of [turn away from] them, but cuts off all thought [intention, aspiration] of repentance [of changing one's way], the offenses will engulf [one], just as water returning to the sea will gradually become deeper and wider. If a person has offense and, realizing they are wrong, reforms and does good, the offense will dissolve by themselves, just as a sick person who begins to perspire will gradually be cured."

SECTION 6

Tolerating Evil-doers and Avoiding Hatred

The Buddha said, "When an evil person hears about your goodness and intentionally comes to cause trouble, you should restrain yourself and not become angry or blame [that person]. Then the one who has come to do evil will do evil to him/herself."

SECTION 7

Evil Returns to the Doer

The Buddha said, "There was a person who, upon hearing that I observe the Way and practice great humane kindness, intentionally came to berate me. I was silent and did not reply. When [that person] finished abusing me, I asked: 'If you are courteous to people and they do not accept your courtesy, the courtesy returns to you, does it not?' 'It does," [that person] replied. I said, 'Now you are scolding me, but I do not receive it, so the misfortune returns to you and must remain with you. It is as inevitable as an echo that follows a sound, or as a shadow that follows a form. In the end you cannot avoid it. Therefore, be careful not to do evil.'"

Enlightenment and Magic (sutra)

Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly based on Ajahn Thanissaro, Abbot of Wat Metta, translation of the Pali Susima Sutra, "About Susima" (SN 12.70)

The future Buddha behind the Himalayas in Ladakh, Buddhist India

 

Meditating and striving in the forest

This sutra or discourse is sometimes cited as "proof" that a meditator can attain full enlightenment without having practiced the meditative absorptions (jhanas), classified as "serenity-meditation" rather than insight-meditation. But a careful reading shows that it does not support this assertion at all.
 
The new enlightened ones (arhats) mentioned here do not deny that they have attained the first four absorptions (the "form" jhanas) that make up the definition of the Noble Eightfold Path factor "right concentration."
 
Instead, they simply say that they have not acquired any psychic powers that stem from developing these meditative states to a higher degree, and they say they do not remain in physical contact with the four higher levels of concentration, the immaterial states or "formless" jhanas.

In this discourse, their definition of "release by wisdom" is no different than that given in AN 9.44. (Compare this with the definitions of "bodily witness" and "released in both ways" given in AN 9.43 and AN 9.45).

Taken in the context of the Buddha's many other teachings on "right concentration" (samma samadhi), there is in fact every reason to believe that the new arhats mentioned in this discourse had developed at least the first absorption before attaining enlightenment.

About Susima 

Siddhartha under tree, Mes Aynak (livescience.com)

 

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One [Buddha] was staying near Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels' Sanctuary. Now at that time the Blessed One was revered, honored, venerated, given homage. He was a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites.

The monastic community composed of both monks and nuns was also revered, honored, venerated, and given homage. They were recipients of the same four requisites. But the wanderers of other dharmas (paths) were not revered, honored, venerated, or given homage, nor were they recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, or medicinal requisites.

 

The Buddha was reluctant to perform marvels

Now at that time the wanderer Susima was living in Rajagaha with a large following of wanderers (wandering ascetics). Susima's following of wanderers said to him, "Come now, friend Susima. Go live the high life under Gotama the ascetic [the Buddha]. When you have completely mastered that Dharma, tell it to us. When we have completely mastered it, we will teach it to householders and then we, too, will be revered, honored, venerated, given homage, and we too will become recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites."

 

He responded to his own following, "As you say, friends!" Then the wanderer Susima went to Ven. Ananda and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him and sat respectfully to one side. Sitting there, he said to Ven. Ananda, "Friend Ananda, I want to live the high life in this Dharma and Discipline."

 

Then Ven. Ananda took the wanderer Susima to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed, sat respectfully to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "Venerable sir, this wanderer Susima has said, 'Friend Ananda, I want to live the high life in this Dharma and Discipline.'"

 

"Then in that case, Ananda, give him the going forth [monastic ordination]." So the wanderer Susima gained the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One and gained acceptance (into the Buddhist community of monastics).

 

Enlightened beings in ancient Thai-Laotian style (Trianons/flickr.com)

 

Now at that time a large number of monastics had declared final knowledge (enlightenment) in the presence of the Blessed One: "We know and see that 'birth is ended, the high life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world.'"

 

And Ven. Susima heard of this, so he went to those monastics and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with them and sat respectfully to one side. Sitting there, he asked: "Is it true, as they say, that you have declared final knowledge the presence of the Blessed One: 'We know and see that birth is ended, the high life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world'?" "Yes, friend," they replied.

 

"Then having known thus, having seen thus, do you wield manifold supernormal powers? 

 

"Having been one are you able to become many; having been many are you able to become one? Do you appear and vanish at will? Go unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if going through space? Are you able to dive in and out of the earth as if it were water? Can you walk on water without sinking as if it were dry land? Sitting cross legged, are you fly through the air like a bird? With your hands are you able to touch and stroke even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful? Do you exercise influence of your body even as far as the Brahma worlds?" More