The Twenty-Five Saints' Perfect Penetration Dharma Gates in Volume V of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra: The Five Bhikkhus Including Kauṇḍinya

The World-Honored One addressed the great Bodhisattvas and all the great arhats who had exhausted outflows within the assembly: "You Bodhisattvas and arhats, born within my Dharma, have attained the state of non-learning (arhatship). I now ask you: when you first resolved your minds and awakened to the Eighteen Realms, which one served as the gateway to perfect penetration? By what expedient means did you enter samadhi?"

Then Ajnata Kaundinya and the five bhikshus immediately rose from their seats, prostrated at the Buddha’s feet, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "At the Deer Park and the Chicken Garden, we witnessed the Tathagata’s initial attainment of enlightenment. Through the Buddha’s voice, we awakened to and clearly comprehended the Four Noble Truths. When the Buddha questioned the bhikshus, I was the first to express understanding. The Tathagata confirmed me, naming me Ajnata (Understanding). The wondrous sound was secretly perfect and all-pervasive. I attained arhatship through the gateway of sound. The Buddha inquires about perfect penetration. As I have realized it, sound is supreme."

Explanation: The World-Honored One said to the great Bodhisattvas and arhats: "You great Bodhisattvas and arhats, born within my Dharma, have cultivated and attained the fourth fruition of arhatship (non-learning). I now ask each of you: when you first resolved your minds to study and sought to realize the Eighteen Realms, which realm served as the gateway to perfect penetration? By what method did you practice and enter samadhi?"

> Ajnata Kaundinya and the five bhikshus immediately stood up from their seats, prostrated at the Buddha’s feet, and said to the Buddha: "At the Deer Park and the Chicken Garden, we personally witnessed the Tathagata’s initial attainment of Buddhahood. You expounded to us the Four Noble Truths of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self. We realized the Four Noble Truths through the Buddha’s voice. When the Buddha questioned us five bhikshus about our cultivation and realization of the principle of the Four Noble Truths, we had just realized and understood them. The Tathagata then confirmed us as Ajnata, having awakened to the secret and perfect penetration through the Tathagata’s subtle Dharma-sound. From the dust-object of sound, we attained the fruition of arhatship. The Buddha inquires about the gateway to perfect penetration. As we realized it, awakening through sound is the most supreme."

The five bhikshus led by Kaundinya had followed the Buddha since he first left home to cultivate the path in the Snow Mountains. At that time, the Buddha practiced the four dhyanas and eight samadhis according to non-Buddhist paths, so Kaundinya also followed the Buddha in cultivating the four dhyanas and eight samadhis exclusively, with no other practice method. After the Buddha attained the four dhyanas and eight samadhis, he still had not obtained the great wisdom of liberation nor achieved Buddhahood. The World-Honored One then knew that solely cultivating concentration could not lead to liberation; this was not the path to liberation and Buddhahood. Thus, he abandoned the practice of solely cultivating concentration.

At that time, the Buddha ate only a single hemp seed and a single grain of wheat each day, becoming emaciated. The Buddha then realized that mere asceticism also could not lead to enlightenment. Thus, he abandoned asceticism and bathed in the Nairañjanā River. After emerging, he accepted the goat milk offered by the shepherdess. After consuming it, the World-Honored One went to the Bodhi tree to once again investigate the Dharma.

When Kaundinya and the five bhikshus saw that the Buddha was no longer cultivating concentration nor asceticism, they thought he had regressed from the path. Thus, the five bhikshus left the Buddha and practiced separately elsewhere. Only after the Buddha attained enlightenment did he find the five bhikshus and teach them the principle of the Four Noble Truths. They immediately attained the fruition of arhatship.

Why did the five bhikshus attain fruition so swiftly? Because their foundation in samadhi was extremely solid—they had the four dhyanas and eight samadhis—and their observance of precepts was impeccable. Upon hearing the Buddha’s teaching, they could instantly observe and realize the result within samadhi, thereby attaining the fruition. Only when precepts, samadhi, and wisdom are complete can one attain fruition. Had they lacked samadhi, they would have had to first cultivate sufficient samadhi before being able to contemplate and observe within it, and it would have been uncertain when they might attain fruition. Therefore, accomplishment in the Buddha’s Dharma cannot be separated from precepts, profound samadhi, or the wisdom of contemplative practice. The Buddha’s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree upon seeing the morning star and attaining Buddhahood also relied on the foundation of the four dhyanas and eight samadhis he initially cultivated with non-Buddhists. Without that foundation, the Buddha could not have awakened and attained Buddhahood.

Thus, although asceticism is not the path, there is no path apart from asceticism. Appropriate asceticism can cultivate and sustain the mind intent on the path (bodhicitta) and the mind of renunciation. Enjoyment makes it difficult to develop renunciation or the path. Although the non-Buddhist four dhyanas and eight samadhis cannot liberate one from birth and death, liberation from birth and death and accomplishment of the Buddha Path cannot occur apart from them.

Kaundinya and the five bhikshus realized perfect penetration through the dust-realm of sound among the Eighteen Realms. The other twenty-four sages each realized perfect penetration through their respective dust-realms.