The following is excerpted from the Threefold Lotus Sutra:
The Buddha addressed the Bodhisattva Great Adornment and the eighty thousand bodhisattvas: "Good sons, there is one doctrine which makes bodhisattvas accomplish Perfect Enlightenment quickly. If a bodhisattva learns this doctrine, then he will accomplish Perfect Enlightenment."
"World-honored One! What is this doctrine called? What is its meaning? How does a bodhisattva practice it?"
The Buddha said: "Good sons! This one doctrine is called the doctrine of Innumerable Meanings. A bodhisattva, if he wants to learn and master the doctrine of Innumerable Meanings, should observe that all laws (or "all existences") were originally, will be, and are in themselves void in nature and form; they are neither great nor small, neither appearing nor disappearing, neither fixed nor movable, and neither advancing nor retreating; and they are nondualistic, just emptiness. All living beings, however, discriminate falsely: 'It is this' or 'It is that,' and 'It is advantageous' or 'It is disadvantageous'; they entertain evil thoughts, make various evil karmas, and [thus] transmigrate within the six realms of existence; and they suffer all manner of miseries, and cannot escape from there during infinite kotis of kalpas. Boshisattva-mahasattvas, observing rightly like this, should raise the mind of compassion, display the great mercy dersiring to relieve others of suffering, and once again penetrate deeply into all laws. According to the nature of a law, such a law emerges. According to the nature of a law, such a law settles. According to the nature of a law, such a law changes. According to the nature of a law, such a law vanishes. According to the nature of a law, such an evil law emerges. According to the nature of a law, such a good law emerges. Settling, changing, and vanishing are also like this. Bodhisattvas, having thus completely observed and known these four aspects from beginning to end, should next observe that none of the laws settles down even for a moment, but all emerge and vanish anew every moment; and observe that they all emerge, settle, change and vanish instantly. After such observation, we see all manner of natural desires of living beings. As natural desires are innumerable, preaching is innumerable, and as preaching is innumerable, meanings are innumerable. The Innumerable Meanings originate from one law. This one law is, namely, nonform. Such nonform is formless, and not form. Being not form and formless, it is called the real aspect [of things]. Ther mercy which bodhisattva-mahasattvas display after stabilizing themselves in such a real aspect is real and not vain. They excellently relieve living beings from sufferings. Having given relief from sufferings, they preach the Law again, and let all living beings obtain pleasure [in wisdom].
Doctrine of Innumerable Meanings
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sue hindmarsh
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Hi Bryan,
The passage below gives a clear description of most people's lives -
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Sue
The passage below gives a clear description of most people's lives -
Hearing that you could be stuck in that hell for an "infinite kotis of kalpas" - which translates out to being a very, very long period of time - should quickly focus people's minds towards understanding Truth. Well, you'd think it would have that effect.All living beings, however, discriminate falsely: 'It is this' or 'It is that,' and 'It is advantageous' or 'It is disadvantageous'; they entertain evil thoughts, make various evil karmas, and [thus] transmigrate within the six realms of existence; and they suffer all manner of miseries, and cannot escape from there during infinite kotis of kalpas.
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Sue
Trouble is, for most Americans at least, it is just a fat bald guy in a sheet saying this. Holds no weight against the American Dream as pumped 24/7 from every pulpit in the land, and that means Media, Church, Politics, Law, Education, the full gamut. The Creed is to need more materiality in every form, and to run harder to get it. In effect it is to run harder in the opposite direction from formlessness.Sue Hindmarsh wrote:Hi Bryan,
The passage below gives a clear description of most people's lives -
Hearing that you could be stuck in that hell for an "infinite kotis of kalpas" - which translates out to being a very, very long period of time - should quickly focus people's minds towards understanding Truth. Well, you'd think it would have that effect.All living beings, however, discriminate falsely: 'It is this' or 'It is that,' and 'It is advantageous' or 'It is disadvantageous'; they entertain evil thoughts, make various evil karmas, and [thus] transmigrate within the six realms of existence; and they suffer all manner of miseries, and cannot escape from there during infinite kotis of kalpas.
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Sue
Good Citizen Carl
Sue,
The very thought of hell motivated much of my early thinking. Convinced I was a sinner destined for the infernal depths, I can't count the number of times my little knees were buried in the dirt, hands clasped in pleading for a deal blubbered out from tear-ringed lips.
One of my luckiest attributes was the everpresent notion that I am responsible for my actions, and that the same consciousness in that child is no different than the consciousness in my head right now. And having that insight as a child.
Carl,
I guess you and I are lucky as americans, then. Speaking for myself, I never conceived of the source of any wise words in such a material sense. It always makes me laugh to hear of people thinking of God as some bearded grandfather, or of Jesus as some hippie in birkenstocks, or Buddha as a fatass in a flowing robe.
It is a waste of time to bother thinking about someone's form. That's what E! and the rest of TV is for. The words of wisdom are the only thing worth thinking about, they are the only testement to the worthiness of their originator. Undoubtedly, due to the speaker's life and actions, their words have survived and proliferated. People want to see Jesus or Mary before they die. What back-asswardness.
The very thought of hell motivated much of my early thinking. Convinced I was a sinner destined for the infernal depths, I can't count the number of times my little knees were buried in the dirt, hands clasped in pleading for a deal blubbered out from tear-ringed lips.
One of my luckiest attributes was the everpresent notion that I am responsible for my actions, and that the same consciousness in that child is no different than the consciousness in my head right now. And having that insight as a child.
Carl,
I guess you and I are lucky as americans, then. Speaking for myself, I never conceived of the source of any wise words in such a material sense. It always makes me laugh to hear of people thinking of God as some bearded grandfather, or of Jesus as some hippie in birkenstocks, or Buddha as a fatass in a flowing robe.
It is a waste of time to bother thinking about someone's form. That's what E! and the rest of TV is for. The words of wisdom are the only thing worth thinking about, they are the only testement to the worthiness of their originator. Undoubtedly, due to the speaker's life and actions, their words have survived and proliferated. People want to see Jesus or Mary before they die. What back-asswardness.