Commentary on the Mahayana Vijnaptimatrata Sutra
**Chapter Eleven: Hsien-hu Finally Requests the Dharma to Benefit the Multitude**
At that time, Hsien-hu and the Prince Mahāpratyaya, having heard this, were startled in body, their hair standing on end. Together they arose, joined their palms, and spoke thus: "We now both take refuge in the Buddha. We beseech your compassionate rescue and protection. May we, by the merit of hearing the Dharma today, for those not yet freed from the stream of existence, who dwell within the wheel of birth and death, cause them not to fall into the three evil paths, nor enter the hells." Hsien-hu further addressed the Buddha, saying: "I wish to make a request. I pray you will listen and grant permission." The Buddha said: "As you hope, ask freely what you will."
The Buddha had revealed the scenes of the hells to sentient beings, urging them to quickly take refuge in the Buddha. Taking refuge in the Buddha means the Three Jewels will rescue and protect oneself, enabling liberation from the hells and freedom from their suffering. The Prince Mahāpratyaya and the Bodhisattva Hsien-hu then made the vow to take refuge in the Buddha, beseeching the Buddha for rescue and protection. Moreover, they dedicated the merit, saying: "We now wish, by this merit of hearing the Dharma, that sentient beings not yet freed from the stream of existence within the three realms of desire, form, and formlessness, may not fall into the three evil paths, nor enter the hells."
Their vow was not for themselves, but for sentient beings not entering the three evil paths. This is the mind-nature of a Bodhisattva. They hoped all sentient beings could escape the sea of suffering, no longer enter the three evil paths, and especially no longer enter the hells. Because they felt sentient beings were truly suffering, seeing such suffering caused their bodies to startle and hair to stand on end. This was not fear for themselves entering the three evil paths, but fear for sentient beings entering them, for the Prince Mahāpratyaya and Hsien-hu were already Bodhisattvas. A Bodhisattva’s mind thinks of sentient beings, not merely of themselves.
Hsien-hu addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, what is accumulation? What is aggregation? What are the aggregates? What is the non-transmigration of the body?"
Accumulation means gathering together. Aggregation means assembling together. Aggregates refer to that which obscures, obscuring the true reality, obscuring the true mind-nature. The body no longer undergoing transmigration means no longer having a physical body within the three realms.
The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Hsien-hu: "The realm of wisdom, the realm of seeing, the realm of mind, and the realm of discernment – with these four realms harmoniously combined, the body is formed. The consciousness of these four realms is called accumulation. Aggregation refers to the six elements, the six sense faculties, the six sense objects, and the three causes of the realms. The causes of the two entrances are hair, body hair, nails, skin, flesh, pus, blood, mucus, saliva, yellow phlegm, fat, marrow, brain fluid, hands, feet, face, eyes, large and small limbs and joints. Harmoniously gathered and assembled together, this is called aggregation. It is like grain, beans, hemp, and wheat accumulated and stored together, forming a tall heap; this is called aggregation."
What is a settlement? Aggregation means a settlement, a community. The six elements, six sense faculties, and six sense objects form the settlement of the five aggregates body. The six elements are earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness. The six sense faculties are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. The six sense objects are form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects. The three realms are the desire realm, form realm, and formless realm. The six elements and the internal and external six entrances are the causes producing the three realms. The two entrances are the external six entrances and the internal six entrances.
"Among them, earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness are called the six elements. Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are called the six entrances. Form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects are called the six sense objects. Greed, hatred, and delusion are called the causes of the three realms. Also, wind, bile, and phlegm are also called the three causes. The causes of the two entrances refer to precepts and faith. There are also two causes: renunciation and giving. There are also two causes: diligence and concentration. There are also two causes: wholesome and unwholesome. Feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness – these four are called the formless aggregates."
Among them, earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness are called the six elements. The five elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space constitute the sentient being's physical body; the element of consciousness generates the seven consciousnesses. The six elements combined together form the five aggregates. Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are called the six entrances. Form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects are called the six sense objects. Combined together, they aggregate to form the sentient being's five aggregates body. Greed, hatred, and delusion are the causes of the three realms. Because there is greed, hatred, and delusion, birth and death are unceasing, and rebirth continues without rest. Without greed, hatred, and delusion, there is Nirvana; the dharmas of the three realms cease, no longer arising. Sentient beings are all within the three realms; exiting the three realms means the Nirvana state of the fourth-fruit Arhat.
There are also other causes of the three realms that can aggregate the sentient being's form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. Also, wind, bile, and phlegm are also called the three causes; these are causes manifesting the pathological five aggregates. Also, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness – these four are called the formless aggregates. The five aggregates consist of one form aggregate and four formless aggregates: feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. What is called a formless aggregate? It has no form characteristic; it is not composed of the four great elements but is formed by the consciousness element among the six elements: the feeling aggregate, perception aggregate, mental formations aggregate, and consciousness aggregate. They have no form; they are all mental characteristics.
"Feeling refers to the experiencing of characteristics such as suffering and happiness, as well as the characteristic of neither suffering nor happiness. Perception refers to knowing the characteristics of suffering and happiness. Mental formations refer to present thoughts, attention, and contact. Consciousness is the master of the body, pervading all its parts. Whatever the body does, none is without consciousness. Non-transmigration means that body, speech, and mind are purified, and the fruit of the Path is attained. When such a person dies, consciousness abandons the aggregates of existence, does not again take up existence, does not flow into the various destinies. It departs in extreme bliss and does not again undergo transmigration. This is called non-transmigration."
Feeling means experiencing the characteristics of suffering and happiness, and the characteristic of neither suffering nor happiness. Feeling has three types: suffering, happiness, and neither suffering nor happiness. The perception aggregate's perception means the knowing nature, the discerning nature, the grasping nature – knowing the characteristics of suffering and happiness, discerning the characteristics of suffering, happiness, and neither suffering nor happiness, knowing form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects. Not only knowing suffering and happiness, but also knowing good and evil, knowing all dharmas, knowing the Buddha Dharma, knowing the trichiliocosm – all such knowing belongs to perception.
Mental formations mean present functioning and operation, various thoughts, ideas, attention, and the mental factor of contact. Consciousness is the master of the body, pervading all its parts; whatever the body does, none is without consciousness. Does this consciousness refer to the six consciousnesses or the ālayavijñāna? The consciousness discussed here should refer to the six consciousnesses, because with the six consciousnesses there are bodily, verbal, and mental actions; without the six consciousnesses, bodily, verbal, and mental actions cannot be performed. The six consciousnesses are not inside, outside, or in the middle of the physical body, yet they pervade the entire body; everywhere there are the six consciousnesses; walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are the functions of the six consciousnesses.
The consciousness here refers to the six consciousnesses that directly perform the sentient being's bodily, verbal, and mental actions. With the six consciousnesses, there are bodily, verbal, and mental actions. This differs from the knowing nature of the manas (seventh consciousness) which is constantly the master. All the body's actions are the result of the six consciousnesses' actions. Without the six consciousnesses, one cannot walk, stand, sit, or lie down. For example, sitting in one place, without the six consciousnesses, the body cannot sit upright or remain seated; it would collapse like mud, like when asleep. When asleep, one cannot sit very upright because there is no six consciousnesses holding the body. It is because of the six consciousnesses that one can talk, laugh, walk, stand, sit, lie down, eat, drink, and eliminate. Furthermore, it is also because of the seventh and eighth consciousnesses that we can have these actions and functions. The eight consciousnesses together produce all dharmas of the five aggregates body.
After the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses are purified, the fruit of the Path is attained. When body, speech, and mind are all purified, without greed, hatred, or delusion, one is a fourth-fruit Arhat. When such a person who has realized the Path fruit dies, the ālayavijñāna abandons the five aggregates body of existence within the three realms, no longer taking up existence within the three realms. The Arhat, at life's end, enters Nirvana without residue, no longer born within the three realms and six destinies, transcending the six destinies' cycle of birth and death. This is the fixed-nature Arhat.
Thereupon, Hsien-hu and the Prince Mahāpratyaya bowed at the Buddha's feet and said: "World-Honored One, the Buddha, the All-Knowing One, expounds this Dharma collection. It shall bring great benefit and happiness to sentient beings in the future." The Buddha said: "The Tathāgata's Dharma collection is eternal, not cut off. The All-Knowing One knows yet does not act. I underwent immeasurable toil and hardship, accumulating the light of wisdom. Now I expound this sutra. This sun of the True Dharma shall be a great illuminating light for all sentient beings."
Virtuous renown flows universally. The ocean of all wisdom is expounded for those who can regulate the mind's flow. Wherever this sutra is located, or where it is requested, recited, or explained, all the gods, spirits, asuras, mahoragas will come to protect and worship it. Fears such as water, fire, kings, thieves, and so forth will be unable to harm.
"O Bhikṣus, from now on, do not speak this sutra before those without faith. Do not show it to those seeking faults with the sutra. Among the Nirgranthas, the Nirgrantha community, and other external paths, also do not speak it. To those not reverently and earnestly requesting it, also do not expound it. If you violate my teaching, damaging the Dharma affair, such a person then damages the Tathāgata. O Bhikṣus, if there are those who worship and make offerings to this sutra, you should revere and make offerings to such a person. Such a person is upholding the Tathāgata's treasury."
At that time, the World-Honored One spoke a verse:
"Strive bravely to transcend the dust of defilements,
Diligently cultivate the Buddha's true teaching.
Destroy the army of death,
Like an elephant trampling reeds.
Uphold the Dharma, observe the precepts,
Be focused and diligent, without slackness or neglect.
Thus abandoning the flow of births,
Exhaust all suffering's bounds."
The Buddha finished expounding this sutra. The Noble Youth Hsien-hu, the Prince Mahāpratyaya, together with all the Bhikṣus, Bodhisattva Mahāsattvas, gods, humans, asuras, gandharvas, and the entire great assembly, having heard what the Buddha expounded, rejoiced and respectfully practiced it.
