Overall Teaching

Meghaśrī^[1] teaches the abode of inspiration, and can see infinite buddhas in all directions.

Summary

1. Sudhana reached Ramavaranta and found Meghaśrī^[1] having seen him on another peak^[2] from Mount Sugriva.^[3] He asked him how he can practice bodhisattva conduct. (1180)

a. Meghaśrī praised how hard it is to aspire to seek awakening. (1180-1181)

b. He explained that he always sees infinite buddhas in all directions shining their light and teaching. He attained this by recalling the realms of the buddhas and their transcendent bodies filling the cosmos and also being reflected in all phenomena and all beings. (1181-2)^[4]

c. Despite this, he claimed he cannot tell of the practice or virtues of bodhisattvas who have attained other higher states.

2. Thus he directed Sudhana to go south to Sagaramegha to meet the monk Sagaramukha, who will teach him preparation of the ground of awakening. (1182)

3. Sudhana honoured and left Meghaśrī.

[1] According to Cleary, “The first ten teachers visited by Sudhana teach him the so-called ten abodes … The first abode, called the abode of inspiration or initial determination, is a preliminary stage in which the aspirant sets his or her mind on the comprehensive knowledge that characterizes fully awakened buddhas.” (1549)

[2] This name means “Glorious Clouds.” Clouds, according to Li Tongxuan, imply being everywhere (samādhi), bear moisture (virtue), shade and cover (compassion), and shower rain (wisdom). (1567-8)

[3] Being on a mountain, according to Li, symbolizes the power of calm observation to access the abode of awakening. (1568)

[4] Seeing him on a separate peak, for Li, symbolizes expedient meditation to get to the original state without concentration or distraction. I.e. one has to engage in some meditations which are not necessarily always the definitive method for full awakening, but an expedient, e.g. meditation on impurity of the body.

[5] Li comments that Meghaśrī both maintains the integrity of ordinary beings, thus being able to see ordinary beings and phenomena, as well as the integrity of objective vision, thus seeing all things as simultaneously insubstantial.