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The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra
KARMIC OBSTRUCTIONS CAN BE PURIFIED
CHAPTER 16
Sutra:
“Moreover, Subhuti, if a good man, or good woman, receives, holds, reads, and recites this sutra and if people ridicule him, that man has karmic offenses from previous lives which destine him for the evil paths. But because in his present life he is ridiculed by others, his previous karmic offenses are destroyed and he will attain anuttarasamyaksambodhi.
Commentary:
This section of sutra text speaks of a person with heavy offenses who receives a light retribution. Concerned that living beings might not understand the real mark, the wonderful dharma of the Great Vehicle, and consequently give rise to doubts, Shakyamuni Buddha thus spoke to resolve any doubts. What doubts would living beings have? They would wonder how it could be that someone reciting the Vajra Sutra, which Shakyamuni Buddha had said was profound and wonderful, could still be ridiculed by others for so doing.
“Empty Born,” the Buddha said, “Why would a man or woman who has cultivated the five precepts and the ten good acts, and who receives the sutra with his heart, and holds it with his body, be ridiculed by people while reading or reciting the sutra?” Why would people disparage him and say, “Look at him, he still recites sutras! He still recites the Buddha’s name! He is merely putting on a front. He is hanging out a sheep’s head and selling dog’s meat. He studies the Buddhadharma and recites the Buddha’s name, and yet without a second thought he steals, kills, becomes involved with improper sexual practices, and takes intoxicants. He will do anything, and yet he still recites the sutras. It is blasphemy! It is tantamount to slandering the Buddha.”
Anyone who overheard such a tirade would wonder why someone reciting a sutra would be subject to such ridicule. Shakyamuni Buddha explained that such a person would have committed incalculable karmic offenses in the past – perhaps even the five grave offenses:
1. killing one’s father,
2. killing one’s mother,
3. killing an Arhat,
4. breaking up the harmonious Sangha,
5. shedding the Buddha’s blood.
Perhaps he had slandered others or always caused them trouble. As a result of such deeds he basically should fall into the three evil paths of the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals. But since he has received the subtle, wonderful, profound real mark Great Vehicle Buddhadharma, the retribution for his former grave offenses is lessened. The retribution takes the form of having people ridicule him when he recites the sutras. Thus he has heavy offenses, but a light retribution.
So when you recite sutras, if people ridicule you and call you superstitious, such ridicule contributes to the development of your virtuous conduct. Why do people disparage you like that? Why do they ridicule you, look down on you, and call you stupid? By regarding you in that way, they enable your offenses from former lives to disappear. If they did not ridicule you, your karmic offenses could not be dissolved. Why? “The dharma does not arise alone. In response to a state it is born.” If you did not have someone ridicule you, there would be no test of your paramita of patience. If you can say, “You are ridiculing me? That is truly mahaprajnaparamita!” and have the taste of someone’s bitter words be as sweet as pineapple (“buo luo mi”, paramita), then you can arrive at the other shore. So you should thank him: “You are truly my good knowing advisor. Your ridicule dissolves my karmic offenses. When I realize Buddhahood it will be you who has taken me across.” If you think in this way, how can you have anger? Being naturally patient under insult is having realized the paramita of patience.
The text says it is certain beyond a particle of doubt that the former karmic offenses of a person who holds this sutra and undergoes ridicule will be dissolved, and that he will obtain the Buddha fruit of unsurpassed, proper and equal, right enlightenment. Have no doubt. All of you who recite sutras should realize that being criticized is excellent. If you are beaten, bow to your tormentor. Say “Amitabha Buddha! You are truly a Buddha. You hit me and my former karmic offenses melt away like snow in the hot sun.” With your karma eradicated, you can certify to the Buddha-fruit, and obtain anuttarasamyaksambodhi.
Sutra:
“Subhuti, I recall that in the past for limitless asamkhyeya kalpas prior to Burning Lamp Buddha, I encountered eighty-four thousands of millions of billions of nayutas of Buddhas, and made offerings to them all, and served them all without exception. But if there is a person in the final period who can receive, hold, read, and recite this sutra, the merit and virtue he obtains is a hundred times more, a thousand times more, a million, billion times more, to the point of being so great it exceeds all calculation and comparison, than the merit and virtue I gained from making offerings to all those Buddhas.
Commentary:
Shakyamuni Buddha spoke of himself saying “I.” After Shakyamuni Buddha realized Buddhahood, he certified to the Eight Great Independent Aspects of “I”:
1. He could manifest one body as many bodies.
2. He could display one body the size of a mote of dust which filled three thousand great thousand world systems.
3. He had a great body which could float and travel long distances.
4. He could manifest in limitless ways while constantly residing in one land.
“Limitless ways” include in the body of a Buddha, of a Bodhisattva, a Sound-Hearer, One Enlightened to Conditions, a god, a man, an asura, a ghost, an animal, and so forth.
5. He had the mutual functioning of all sense faculties.
It may sound strange to people who have never heard sutras before that the eyes can eat, the ears can see, the nose can speak, and the mouth can hear and see as well as eat. However, it is possible for the six faculties of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind to function mutually so that each has the abilities of all the others.
6. He fathomed the dharma without the thought of dharma.
7. He could speak the meaning of one gatha for limitless kalpas.
8. He had a body which could pervade all places like empty space.
Shakyamuni Buddha recalled…limitless asamkhyeya kalpas prior to Burning Lamp Buddha. When Shakyamuni Buddha first resolved to cultivate the Way, he was a master potter named Expansive Splendor. At that time there was a Buddha in the world named Sakya Tathagata who saw that conditions were ripe to take across the master potter. When the potter Expansive Splendor saw that Sakya Tathagata had come, he welcomed him eagerly. It was with extreme pleasure that he said, “Ahh, I too see the Buddha.” He gazed at the Buddha and then asked him to speak dharma. Upon hearing the dharma the potter immediately made the vow: “Buddha, you are truly superb. In the future when I realize Buddhahood, I will be a Buddha just like you. My name will also be Shakyamuni.” He made the vow to cultivate the Way before that Buddha.
Seventy-five thousand Buddhas appeared in the world after that Sakya Buddha, the last of whom was Accumulation of Jewels Tathagata. The period of these 75,000 Buddhas is called the first asamkhyeya kalpa. The actual length of time in that first asamkhyeya kalpa is certainly incalculable. From Accumulation of Jewels Tathagata to Burning Lamp Buddha is a period in which 76,000 Buddhas appeared in the world, and is called the second asamkhyeya kalpa. From Burning Lamp Buddha to Victorious Contemplation Buddha is a period in which 77,000 Buddhas appeared in the world and is called the third great asamkhyeya kalpa. It was during those three great asamkhyeya kalpas that Shakyamuni Buddha cultivated the Way to the realization of Buddhahood.
Therefore the Buddha said, “Prior to Burning Lamp Buddha, I encountered eighty-four thousands of millions of billions of nayutas of Buddhas, and made offerings to them all, and served them all without exception.” Throughout his long period of cultivation Shakyamuni Buddha never failed to serve the Buddhas who appeared in the world. He made offerings to them all.
However the Buddha further pointed out that “If there is someone in the Dharma Ending Age who can receive the sutra with his mind and hold it with his body, and who can read or recite it, his merit and virtue is greater than mine for having made offerings for three great asamkhyeya kalpas to all eighty-four thousands of millions of nayutas of Buddhas, by several hundred, thousand, million, billion times. Neither calculation, nor analogy, nor comparison can adequately express it.
Sutra:
“Subhuti, if I were to express thoroughly the merit and virtue of a good man, or good woman, who in the final period receives, holds, reads, and recites the sutra, those who heard might go insane, and disbelieve. Subhuti, you should know that this sutra’s meaning is inconceivable, and that its resulting retribution is also inconceivable.”
Commentary:
“Subhuti, you should know that if I were to speak in detail about the merit and virtue obtained by a good man or good woman who receives and holds the five precepts and cultivates the ten good acts, and who receives, holds, reads, and recites the Vajra Sutra, and if I were to praise the sutra’s merit and virtue, those who heard my praises would not believe. They would become frenzied, confused, skeptical, and full of doubt.” In the Chinese language the word doubt is expressed by the two words “fox doubt.” The fox, which appears to be very clever, is in fact quite stupid because it exists in a perpetual state of doubt. For example when a fox crosses a frozen river, it cautiously places one foot down and then stops to listen. It waits to hear if the ice will crack under the weight of its body before taking the next step. Doubting every step of the way, it painstakingly makes its way across.
The Buddha told Subhuti, “You should know that the wonderful meaning of real mark prajna is not what the mind can comprehend or words express. Just so, the resulting retribution for someone who receives, holds, reads, and recites the sutra is inconceivable. If a person lacks sufficient good roots, he will not be able to believe the sutra when he hears it spoken.”
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