The Seven Elements are All-Pervasive

VOLUME 3, Chapter 6

 

O2 The element fire.
P1 He reveals its nature and searches for it.

Sutra:

“Ananda, fire, which has no nature of its own, depends upon various causes and conditions for its existence. Consider a family in the city that has not yet eaten. When they wish to prepare food, they hold up a speculum to the sun, seeking fire.

Commentary:

Ananda, fire, which has no nature of its own, depends upon various causes and conditions for its existence. The nature of fire has no substance of its own. There must be causes and conditions before it can arise. “Nature of its own” here refers not to a person but to the substance of fire. This passage of text should not be read, “I am devoid of fire,” which is to say, “I haven’t any temper.” If you didn’t have any fire in your nature, you would be a Bodhisattva.

Fire depends upon various causes and conditions for its existence. It has no nature of its own. It is inherent in all conditions. When the causes and conditions for fire are present, fire will appear. If the causes and conditions are not there, there will be no fire. Where is the nature of fire? The nature of fire pervades all places. Although it has no substance of its own, there is not a single place which is devoid of fire.

Consider a family in the city that has not yet eaten. Ananda, take a look at a family, in the city of Shravasti, that has not yet eaten. When they wish to prepare food, they go to the kitchen to make rice and vegetables. At this time, the sun is still shining; otherwise, fire could not come forth.

They hold up a speculum to the sun, seeking fire. A speculum is a “fire mirror,” made out of metal. Facing the sun, they hold the speculum in one hand, and in the other they hold a piece of moxa for tinder. The sun strikes the speculum, and the reflected light heats the tinder until it catches fire. This ancient method of seeking fire from the sun was used before there were matches. Further on in the text the Buddha asks whether the fire comes from the sun, from the speculum, or from the moxa tinder.

P2 He explains the search in detail.

Sutra:

“Ananda, let us look into your suggestion that the fire comes forth from mixing and uniting. By way of example, you and I and the twelve hundred and fifty bhikshus unite together to form a community.

However, a careful analysis of the community reveals that every member composing it has his own body, birthplace, clan, and name. For instance, Shariputra is a brahman, Uruvilva is of the Kashyapa clan, and you, Ananda, come from the Gautama family.

Commentary:

Ananda, let us look into your suggestion that the fire comes forth from mixing and uniting. If there is a mixing and uniting, it certainly has to be apparent in some way. A lot of things coming together is called a mixing and uniting. What is it like? By way of example, you and I and the twelve hundred and fifty bhikshus unite together to form a community. It is like our assembly here, Ananda. You and I and the twelve hundred and fifty bhikshus have now come together to form one assembly, but that one assembly is not a single thing.

However, a careful analysis of the community reveals that every member composing it has his own body. This group has come together as an assembly and this is called mixing and uniting. Suppose you ask about and investigate each person’s origin. It is said to be a single assembly, but each person nonetheless has his own body. Not only that, but each has his own body, birthplace, clan, and name. Those born into the Smith family are called Smith; those born into the Lee family are called Lee.

For instance, Shariputra. I have already discussed Shariputra. His mother’s eyes were as beautiful as those of the egret (white pelican). The egret is shari in Sanskrit, and putra means “son.” So his name means the “son of Shari.” He was a brahman. The brahman caste is the highest of India’s four classes.

“Brahman” is a Sanskrit word which is explained as meaning “pure lineage,” pure seed. But, actually, the human seed is not pure, it is the brahman’s nature which is pure. “Brahman” also is explained as meaning “pure purpose.” They say that their patriarch came from the Brahma Heaven, and so they say they are of a pure lineage.

Uruvilva is of the Kashyapa clan. Uruvilva means “papaya grove.” He cultivated the Way beside a papaya grove, and so he called himself by that name. The name Kashyapa means “turtle clan.” They were so named because in the past their ancestors found a turtle with a map on its back.

And you, Ananda, come from the Gautama family. The name “Ananda” means “blissful.” He and Shakyamuni Buddha were both of the Gautama family. Later the Buddha changed to the Shakya clan. “Gautama” means “sugar cane.” It’s not known if his ancestors planted sugar cane, or if they liked to eat sugar cane, or just what the reason was that they took the name Gautama for their clan.

This passage notes that every person has his own ancestry and personal name. Although they come together as a single assembly, each person is still different. Each has his own name, his own appearance, and his own body. Shakyamuni Buddha points that out as a preface to his explanation of the element fire, which is mixed and united, but which has differences within it.

Sutra:

“Ananda, suppose fire existed because of mixing and uniting. When the hand holds up the speculum to the sun to seek fire, does the fire come out of the speculum? Does it come out of the moxa tinder? Or does it come from the sun?

Commentary:

"Ananda, suppose fire existed because of mixing and uniting. That is, when causes and conditions came together - when the hand held the speculum and there was sunlight and moxa tinder - these three kinds of causes and conditions mix and unite, and then there would be fire.

When the hand holds up the speculum to the sun to seek fire - when the person seeking fire holds up the speculum in his hand - does the fire come out of the speculum? Would you say that the fire came out of the speculum? Does it come out of the moxa tinder? Does the tinder produce the fire? Or does it come from the sun? Does the fire come from the sun? Tell me where it comes from.” This is also a case of mixing and uniting: there is the speculum, the sun, and the tinder of moxa, which catches fire very easily.

In this case of mixing and uniting, where would you say the fire ultimately came from? Suppose you say it is the sun which alone brings forth fire; in that case the sun would be able to burn up the entire world. So it won’t work to say it came from the sun. Suppose you say it comes from the speculum; yet, when the speculum is held in someone’s hand, it isn’t even the least bit warm. Fire is something warm, but the speculum isn’t even warm.

So it is illogical to say it comes from the speculum. Suppose you say it comes from the moxa tinder. In the absence of the mirror and the sun, why doesn’t it emit fire? So this is a case of mixing and uniting, but there are still distinctions within it.

Sutra:

"Suppose, Ananda, that it came from the sun. Not only would it burn the moxa tinder in your hand, but as it came across the groves of trees, it should burn them up as well.

Commentary:

Suppose, Ananda, that it came from the sun - suppose you say the fire comes from the sun - not only would it burn the moxa tinder in your hand - the fire of the sun can burn up the moxa tinder in your hand - but as it came across the groves of trees, it should burn them up as well. The sun is far away; and its heat passes over a lot of groves of trees. If the fire were to come from the sun, the trees would also be burned up. If the sun can burn the moxa tinder, why can’t it burn the trees and grasses? And yet they do not burn up.

Sutra:

"Suppose that it came from the speculum. Since it came out from within the speculum to ignite the moxa tinder, why doesn’t the speculum melt? Yet your hand that holds it feels no heat; how, then, could the speculum melt?

Commentary:

Suppose that it came from the speculum. Since it came out from within the speculum to ignite the moxa tinder - suppose you say that the fire comes out of the speculum spontaneously to ignite the tinder, but if the fire is within the speculum, why doesn’t the speculum melt? According to the Chinese explanation of the five elements, fire overcomes metal. It will melt metals, such as gold, silver, copper, iron. If the fire came from the mirror, the mirror would melt. However, your hand that holds it feels no heat; how, then, could the speculum melt? The mirror itself isn’t even warm. How could it melt?

Sutra:

"Suppose that the fire came from the moxa tinder. Then why is fire generated only when the bright mirror comes into contact with the dazzling light?

Commentary:

Suppose you say the fire is produced from the tinder. Suppose that the fire came from the moxa tinder. Then why is fire generated only when the bright mirror comes into contact with the dazzling light? The light of the sun and the light from the speculum shine on the tinder and then there is fire. If the fire were to come from the moxa tinder, then the tinder should produce fire by itself. It shouldn’t be necessary to wait for the sunlight and the speculum to start the fire. So it is not reasonable for you to say that the fire comes from the tinder, either.

Sutra:

“Furthermore, on closer examination you will find the speculum held in hands, the sun high up in the sky, and moxa grown from the ground. Where does the fire come from? How can it travel some distance to reach here?

Commentary:

"Furthermore, on closer examination - you should look into this in greater detail - you will find the speculum held in hands, the sun high up in the sky, and moxa grown from the ground. Where does the fire come from? How can it travel some distance to reach here? The three - speculum, sunlight, and tinder - come from different places. Where, ultimately, does the fire come from? Where is the home that it leaves to come here?” the Buddha asks Ananda. It can’t reasonably be said to originate in the hand, the sky, or the earth, the three places mentioned above.

Sutra:

“The sun and the speculum cannot mix and unite, since they are far apart from each other. Nor can it be that the fire exists spontaneously, without an origin.

Commentary:

The sun and the speculum cannot mix and unite, since they are far apart from each other. The sunlight and the speculum are very, very far removed from each other. You cannot say they mix and you cannot say they unite. Why? They do not come together; how could they mix and unite? Now the twelve hundred and fifty great bhikshus are here together, but how can you say the sun and the speculum are together? They are very far apart. “Furthermore, upon closer examination you will find the mirror held in the hands, the sun high in the sky, and the moxa grown in the ground. Where does fire come from? How can it travel some distance to reach here?”

Nor can it be that the fire exists spontaneously, without an origin. But it should not be that the fire doesn’t come from anywhere at all but simply exists of itself.

P3 He concludes by showing the substance and function.

Sutra:

"You simply do not know that in the treasury of the Thus Come One the nature of fire is true emptiness, and the nature of emptiness is true fire. Pure at its origin, it pervades the dharma-realm. It accords with living beings’ minds, in response to their capacity to know.

Commentary:

Ananda, you simply do not know that the principles explained above are all contained in the treasury of the Thus Come One. Where have you gone to look for them? The nature of fire is true emptiness. The property of fire by nature has true emptiness within it. And the nature of emptiness is true fire. Within the property of emptiness is true fire. Pure at its origin - it is fundamentally pure - it pervades the dharma-realm. This element of fire pervades the dharma-realm. It is everywhere. It accords with living beings’ minds, in response to their capacity to know.

Sutra:

“Ananda, you should know that fire is generated in the place where a speculum is held up to the sunlight, and fire will be generated everywhere if specula are held up to the sunlight throughout the dharma-realm. Since fire can come forth throughout the whole world, can there be any fixed place to which it is confined?

Commentary:

Ananda, you should know that fire is generated in the place where a speculum is held up to the sunlight, and fire will be generated everywhere if specula are held up to the sunlight throughout the dharma-realm. If everyone in the world held up a speculum to the sun, fire would arise everywhere. Since fire can come forth throughout the whole world, can there be any fixed place to which it is confined? Where would you say the fire is? Where does it come from? Therefore, what we call the element fire pervades the dharma-realm.

P4 He rejects the two theories for being mere conjectures.

Sutra:

“It is experienced to whatever extent is dictated by the law of karma. Ignorant of this fact, people in the world are so deluded as to assign its origin to causes and conditions or to spontaneity. These mistakes, which arise from the discriminations and reasoning processes of the conscious mind, are nothing but the play of empty words which have no real meaning.

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