Summary

41. Mahāmati asks whether the Buddha’s dependent origination is the same as that of other paths. While the Buddha says “because of this, that exists” other schools see causation as gradual (he sees the Buddha’s teaching as instant), causes as giving rise to effects, and don’t see causes as becoming effects and vice versa. The Buddha answers:

a. His teaching is that things arise due to the conjunction of causes and conditions, the grasped and grasper are non-existent, and things are perceptions of one’s mind. It is grasping and ignorance that results in mistaking things as existing & not existing. 42. Mahāmati suggests that words exist because they must correspond to an existent thing:

a. The Buddha replies that words can also correspond to things that don’t exist like tortoise hair. In some worlds, there are no words, but communication by scents.

43. Mahāmati asks why speech is said to be eternal (a Brahmanical contention).

a. The Buddha says it is because of delusion.

b. Delusions are eternal because they neither exist nor do not exist because different people see the same thing differently: they appear to some but not to others. Their characteristics are not destroyed, and so they are “eternal.” Only their projections are destroyed.

c. Delusions are real in as much as the wise don’t conceive of being confused: likewise, if anyone slightly perceives a delusion, it is not Buddha Knowledge and thus mistaken. They give rise to two lineages:

i. Lineage of the Fools: arising from perceiving existence and non-existence. ii. Lineage of the Wise with three members that result from delusion:

1. Śrāvaka path, arising from attachment to individual and shared characteristics.

2. Pratyekabuddha path, arising from attachment to aversion to individual and shared characteristics of delusion.

3. Buddha path, arising from awareness of perceptions as mind-only, external existence as non-existent, and non-projection of characteristics. This thus arises by transforming awareness from delusion into suchness, and thus can be said to “arise from delusion.” This is equal to nirvāṇa and is a mind set free.

d. Mahāmati asks if delusions exist:

i. If they existed, grasping to them would never cease and that would also amount to a definite cause and effect. Delusion is thus an illusion.

e. Mahāmati asks if delusion can cause other delusions:

i. Illusions don’t cause delusions as they don’t cause misperception since they do not project. The minds of fools give rise to delusions.

44. The Buddha says illusions are the only reason we have something to compare things to, but Mahāmati asks whether illusion arises from attachment to illusion or to something else. If the latter, something would exist that isn’t illusion. As different characteristics of a form have no cause, their appearance is illusory, so attachment to those characteristics isn’t what makes them illusory. The Buddha replies:

a. Things are illusory because everything is unreal: but people see them in terms of characteristics of their own projections.

45. Mahāmati asked whether there is not a contradiction when the Buddha says that the nonarisen is illusory. The Buddha explains:

a. There is no contradiction: what arises also does not arise. Existence or nonexistence are perceptions of the mind.

b. In order to refute confused members of other schools who hold that things arise from causes that he speaks of non-arising.

c. In order to refute the view that nothing exists, that they will believe karma and saṃsāra, he teaches existence.

d. In order to get free of self-existence the illusoriness of self-existence is taught.

46. As regards the characteristics of word, phrase, and letter units (Bodhisattvas who are adept at examining these can attain awakening):

a. Word units: established based on an object. Also refer to the four formless skandhas.

b. Phrase units: unit of meaning defining or determining self-existence of something.

Also, a footprint (pāda) is a phrase unit (like a trace or trail to the object).

c. Letter unit: points to word or phrases, is long or short, high or low.

47. In the future the wise might ask the unwise what is meant by avoiding views of sameness, difference, both or neither: the unwise might answer that these are not proper questions, and that the Tathāgata declared matters of such comparison as unanswerable:

a. They don’t understand: this silence is to help the unwise overcome fear.

b. Those of other paths teach unanswerable things like the body is identical with life because they are bewildered by causality. But the buddha teaches getting free of grasper and grasped and not projecting, not unanswerable questions.

i. But when someone is grasping to the grasped or grasper then the Buddha is silent: the Buddha uses four kinds of explanation to teach (direct answer, another question, analysis, or silence).

48. That which exists:

a. is neither created nor arises from causes, and thus does not arise.

b. They also have no self-existence due to lack of characteristics.

c. They also can neither be grabbed nor released.

d. Likewise, as they cannot be found, they cannot cease to exist.

e. Once a characteristic appears, its impermanence exists; and its non-arising exists, thus it is permanent. As impermanence is permanent, all is permanent.

49. Mahāmati asked the Buddha to teach the characteristics common to srotāpannas (streamenterers):

a. There are three levels of srotāpannas and their attainments:

i. Basic: reborn seven more times at most.

ii. Intermediate: reborn three to five more times before attaining nirvāṇa.

iii. Advanced: attain nirvāṇa in this life.

b. Each level has three bondages at coarse, intermediate, and subtle levels (after reaching the subtlest of the advanced level one attains arhatship):

i. Belief in a body:

1. Innate: a result of the aggregates—when srotāpanas contemplate the non-appearance of that which exists and doesn’t exist the belief ends and desires stop.

2. Projection: of dependent or imagined reality (i.e. grasping to the idea of non-existence of the self).

ii. Doubt:

• Eliminated after ending belief in a body, not having doubts about Dharmas, and not having views about the teacher’s purity/impurity.

iii. Attachment to codes:

1. Eliminated after seeing suffering and abandoning the idea that ascetic practices result in bliss—then they instead uphold precepts, become free of projection, and lead to personal realisation.

• If srotāpannas don’t abandon the three bondages they will believe in a body and continue to have desire and delusion.

c. Through the bliss of samādhi:

i. They stop lustful desire.

ii. They stop misdeeds of body and speech.

iii. They don’t end desire for nirvāṇa.

d. Sakṛdāgāmins (once-returners):

i. Have projections but not views about them. ii. Due to contemplation of forms, they attain nirvāṇa after rebirth (in the form realm).

e. Anāgāmins (non-returners):

i. Have visions of calamity about forms in the three times.

ii. Prevent projections from arising. iii. Sever bondages.

iv. (Reborn in the formless realm, and from thence enter nirvāṇa). f. Arhats :

i. Have no projections of meditations, samādhis, liberations, higher powers, masteries, afflictions, or sufferings.

ii. Three kinds of arhats (last two appear in the assemblies of buddhas but the point to the characteristics of attainment as nothing but projections of the mind):

1. Those who attain the one path to tranquillity.

2. Those who appear as arhats but perform bodhisattva practices.

3. Those who are the projections of apparition buddhas.

g. The samādhi of cessation of sensation and perception is also nothing but a projection of the mind.

50. There are two kinds of knowing:

a. Knowing that examines:

• Focuses on non-graspability of the self-existence of what exists and finds that they’re beyond the four possibilities of sameness, difference both, and neither; or existence and non-existence etc.; permanence, and impermanence etc.

b. Knowing based on attachment to the characteristics of projection (by mastering these, one can attain awakening):

i. Solidity, moisture, warmth, and movement of the four elements. ii. Proposition, reason, characteristics, and example as foundations of falsehood.

51. Bodhisattvas should be versed in the four elements and their elemental forms:

a. That the four elements don’t arise.

b. That the distinguishing of names, appearances, and projections is distinguishing of the mind: seeing the three realms as devoid of elements, four possibilities, and selves.

c. Moisture produces realms of water; energy of fire; movement of wind; divisible form as earth, with which comes space: it is mistaken that these give rise to the skandhas.

d. Consciousness continues because of delight for these realms.

e. The elements serve as conditions for elemental forms and also do not: since the elemental forms don’t exist without the elements, but since if the elements arise together with nature, shape, location, and function, they don’t do so with regards to what is formless: therefore, they are the projections of other paths & not ours.

52. As for what characterises the self-existence of the skandhas:

a. They have no numbers or characteristics of numbers (e.g. form is devoid of the four elements, which are projections).

b. They are designations that are neither separate or not (e.g. as a dream is neither separate nor not separate from the body).

c. Get rid of projections and proclaim detachment, thus being free from the view of no-self and attaining the unshakable stage (8^th stage) gaining a mastery of samādhis and projection bodies.

d. Being fully versed in the Samādhi of the Illusory, one will use one’s powers and insights to help all beings, supporting them as the earth supports all that lives.

53. As regards nirvāṇa:

a. Followers of other paths claim nirvāṇa is:

i. Non-existence of the self-existence of what exists. ii. Non-existence of the existence of characteristics. iii. Non-existence of awareness of one’s own characteristics and self-existence.

iv. End of continuity of individual & shared characteristics of the skandhas.

b. The Buddha teaches nirvāṇa is the cessation of projecting consciousness.

c. However, while there are eight consciousnesses, the Buddha speaks of getting free of conceptual consciousness (6^th) and not manas consciousness (7^th, which create perception of self and body) because the 6^th is the condition whereby the 7^th does not arise. The 6^th produces the habit energy that nourishes the 8^th consciousness; likewise, the view of a self and body (7^th) is a supporting condition of the 8^th. So, when the 6^th ceases, so does the 7^th.

54. The Buddha explains different characteristics of imagined reality so one can end projecting:

i. Projection of words: attachment to various sounds of speech and song.

ii. Projection of the objects of words: arising of words in dependence on objects or on the words of the Buddha.

iii. Projection of characteristics: projection onto objects of words of solidity, moisture, warmth, and movement.

iv. Projection of value: delight in precious things like gold.

v. Projection of self-existence: projection of something being like this and not otherwise.

vi. Projection of causes: appearance of characteristics of causation supposing causality.

vii. Projection of views: of existence, non-existence, sameness, difference, etc.

viii. Projection of reasoning: arguments whose logic involve self or possessions of self.

ix. Projection of arising: attachment to arising regardless of causes.

x. Projection of non-arising: due to non-functioning of causation or arising of entities without a cause.

xi. Projection of continuity: something that continues between one thing and other like a golden thread (or needle and thread), e.g. of something surviving death.

xii. Projection of bondage and emancipation: attachment to causes & conditions that bind or unbind.

• People are attached to the self-existence of projections of objects to which they’re attached. Illusion and the objects are neither separate nor not separate, as illusions both cause objects and are not indistinguishable from them.

55. In verse:

a. Wisdom comes from non-projection and non-speculation.

b. There is conventional (projection), ultimate, and non-causal truth.

i. (Conventional) Projections resemble contemplating a multitude in one. Imagined reality is gasped. Distinctions aren’t real; characteristics are imperfect projections: they are mistakes from a bonded mind. Conventional doesn’t exist and dependent does: the conventional is based upon projections. There are twelve kinds of projections (see 54). Imagined reality arises from names. It vanishes in wisdom. Imagined reality is a painting projecting dependent reality: other schools see it as other than projection.

ii. (Ultimate) Dependent reality is like cataracts: the forms seen neither are nor aren’t cataracts. Dependent reality is ungrasped. Imagined reality is dependent, projections are based on dependent reality. Beyond projections is ultimate truth. There are six kinds of dependent reality.^[1] Dependent reality arises from appearances and from projection. It vanishes in wisdom. iii. (Perfected) Refined gold or the cloudless sky are purified imagined reality. Personal realisation has no distinctions (no different kinds). Identical with suchness are the five dharmas and three modes. Perfected reality cannot be said to exist, so nothing is distinguished therein. In the realm of Buddha Knowledge projections and the two realities become apparent.

c. Mahāmati asked the Buddha what characterises Buddha Knowledge and the One Vehicle on which the bodhisattvas need only rely. The Buddha explains:

i. Projections don’t exist.

ii. Bodhisattvas should examine their own awareness in a quiet place.

iii. Avoiding views and projections they advance steadily to buddhahood.

• As for the One Vehicle:

1. It is the One Vehicle of the path to realization.

2. Projections do not arise in suchness.

3. It is beyond śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and even Brahma.

4. As śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas don’t enter nirvāṇa alone, but practice detachment through the buddha’s power, they are not taught the One Vehicle. Also, they still have habit energy and the obstruction of passion and don’t know of the no-self of dharmas, they are not free of karmic death. After ending their habit energy and realising the no-self of dharmas, they realise their samādhis don’t exist and enter the realm where they obtain the dharmakāya.

[1] Either: 1) ālaya-, 2) manas-, 3) mano-, 4) body, 5) world, 6) seeds. Or: 1) immanent, 2) connecting, 3) apparent, 4) instrumental, 5) manifesting, 6) potential (see section 31). Or 1-5) Five sense consciousnesses, 6) mano consciousness.