The Esoteric Significance of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra
Section Two: The Simile of the Deluded Person Suddenly Gaining Realization
Original Text: Purna said, "If this wondrous enlightenment is originally wondrous, luminous, and enlightened, identical to the Tathagata's mind—neither increasing nor decreasing—then why did the mountains, rivers, and great earth, all conditioned phenomena, suddenly and inexplicably arise? Now that the Tathagata has attained wondrous emptiness and luminous enlightenment, when will the conditioned habitual outflows like mountains, rivers, and the great earth arise again?"
Explanation: Purna asked the Buddha: If this originally enlightened wondrous luminous true mind is neither increased in the Buddha nor decreased in sentient beings, being fundamentally free from outflows and without ignorance, why did conditioned phenomena like mountains, rivers, and the great earth arise without cause? The Tathagata has fully returned to the perfect wondrous luminous enlightenment of his own mind, without any trace of conditioned habitual outflows—how could conditioned, outflowing phenomena like mountains, rivers, and the great earth still arise?
This requires clarification in two points. First, the arising of conditioned phenomena from the minds of sentient beings is not without cause. It occurs because the karmic seeds created by ignorance reside in the true mind, the Tathagatagarbha. When conditions ripen, the Tathagatagarbha necessarily manifests conditioned, outflowing phenomena in accordance with these karmic seeds, corresponding to the karmic seeds and ignorance of sentient beings. On the other hand, as long as the ignorance of sentient beings remains unextinguished, the outflowing habitual tendencies of the seventh consciousness will always manifest, thereby inducing the arising of conditioned, outflowing phenomena.
Second, the Buddha has realized perfect primordial wondrous enlightenment and returned to the primordial wondrous luminosity. Having severed all habitual outflows completely, he will not give rise to any further conditioned, outflowing phenomena. However, to liberate sentient beings, the Buddha may skillfully manifest conditioned phenomena as an expedient means. This is called outflow-free conditioned phenomena, employed to guide sentient beings onto the path. The Buddha's own primordial enlightened mind still possesses the nature of conditioned phenomena, with the four great elements existing as seeds. The Buddha does not eradicate these conditioned phenomena; he can re-manifest them using the seeds of the four great elements in accordance with the conditions of sentient beings, thereby benefiting and bringing joy to sentient beings endlessly. Although these conditioned phenomena are manifested, it is not due to ignorance or habitual outflows but stems from his great compassionate vow not to abandon sentient beings. In contrast, the conditioned phenomena manifested by sentient beings arise due to ignorance—due to delusion. Delusion is ignorance.
Original Text: The Buddha told Purna, "It is like a deluded person in a village who mistakes south for north. Is this delusion produced because of delusion, or because of enlightenment?" Purna said, "Such a deluded person neither produces it because of delusion nor because of enlightenment. Why? Delusion fundamentally has no root; how could it be produced because of delusion? Enlightenment does not produce delusion; how could it be produced because of enlightenment?" The Buddha said, "When that deluded person is in the midst of delusion, suddenly an enlightened person points out the correct direction, enabling him to understand. Purna, what do you think? Although this person was originally deluded about this village, will he become deluded about it again?" "No, World-Honored One."
Explanation: The Buddha told Purna: It is like a person who loses his way in a village and mistakenly takes south for north. Is such confusion caused by his own confusion, or is it caused by understanding and no longer being confused? Purna said: This lost person became lost neither because he was confused nor because he was enlightened. Why? Because confusion itself has no root or cause—how could confusion arise *because* of confusion? When one is enlightened, one is not confused; how could confusion be caused *by* enlightenment?
The Buddha said: While that lost person is confused, suddenly a person who knows the way points out the correct path to him, enabling him to understand the right direction. Purna, what do you think? Although this person was originally confused and did not know north from south, will he now become confused about the directions in this village again? Purna said: He will not become confused.
The Buddha used this simile to explain this principle: Delusion fundamentally has no root; there is no cause for its arising—if there were a cause, it wouldn't be delusion. However, dispelling this delusion *does* have a cause and condition: it is because someone else points out the way to emerge from confusion that the delusion vanishes. Once gone, it will never return. Delusion is ignorance; it is not knowing, not understanding. It has no origin, no place where ignorance resides. Once one knows and understands, ignorance disappears; when it vanishes, the confusion also has nowhere to go.
Sentient beings have ignorance based on their respective primordial enlightenment; ignorance is itself the nature of primordial enlightenment, the nature of the Tathagatagarbha. All phenomena are the nature of the Tathagatagarbha; all phenomena exist dependent on the Tathagatagarbha. Since all Buddhas have completely severed ignorance, will they ever become deluded again in the future and return to samsara in the six realms? Certainly not. When deluded, it is like gold mixed with impurities; when enlightened, the impurities are removed, refining the pure gold. Once the gold is refined, it will never again become mixed with impurities; it is forever free from impurities. That is to say, once all Buddhas have completely severed ignorance and attained the Way, they will never again give rise to ignorance, nor will they return to the deluded, inverted state of sentient beings.
Original Text: "Purna, the Tathagatas of the ten directions are also like this. This delusion has no fundamental basis; its nature is ultimately empty. In the past, there was fundamentally no delusion; it merely seemed as if there was a delusion that was then realized. Once delusion is realized, delusion ceases. Realization does not produce delusion. It is also like a person with cataracts who sees flowers in the sky. If the cataract is cured, the flowers vanish in the sky. Suppose a foolish person, in the place where those flowers vanished in the sky, waits for the flowers to reappear. Observe this person—is he foolish or wise?"
Explanation: Purna, the Tathagatas of the ten directions are also like this. Once they are fully enlightened, they will never again become deluded or inverted. This delusion has no fundamental basis; its nature is ultimately empty. In the past, there was fundamentally no delusion; it merely seemed as if there existed a realization following delusion. In truth, once a person realizes the delusion, the delusion ceases to exist. There is no real thing called 'realization' apart from the absence of delusion; realization does not produce or cause delusion. It is also like a person with cataracts who sees floating flower-like spots in the sky. If the cataracts are cured, the flower-spots vanish in the sky. If a foolish person, in the place where those flower-spots vanished, waits for the flowers to reappear, observe whether this person is foolish or wise.
Original Text: Purna said, "The sky originally had no flowers; their arising and vanishing were falsely perceived. To perceive the flowers vanishing in the sky is already inverted; to command them to reappear is truly insane and foolish. How could one even ask whether such a mad person is foolish or wise?" The Buddha said, "According to your understanding, why then do you ask whether the wondrous enlightened emptiness of all Buddhas and Tathagatas will again produce mountains, rivers, and the great earth? It is also like gold ore mixed with pure gold. Once the gold is purified, it never again becomes mixed with impurities. It is like wood turned to ashes; ashes never again become wood. The Bodhi and Nirvana of all Buddhas and Tathagatas are also like this."
Explanation: Purna said: The sky originally had no flower-spots; their arising and vanishing were falsely perceived by the deluded mind. To perceive the flower-spots vanishing in the sky is already inverted; to command them to reappear—this person is truly insane and foolish. How could one even discuss whether such a mad person is foolish or wise? The Buddha said: According to your understanding, why then do you ask me whether the wondrous enlightened emptiness of all Buddhas and Tathagatas will again produce mountains, rivers, the great earth, and conditioned habitual outflows? It is like gold ore, which contains impurities mixed with fine gold. Once the gold is refined to purity, it never again becomes mixed with impurities. It is also like wood burned into ashes; ashes never again become wood. All Buddhas and Tathagatas, having attained Bodhi and Nirvana, are also like this; they no longer produce conditioned habitual outflows.
