All Dharmas Are Bodhi Without Two Forms

The Surangama Sutra Original Text: The Buddha addressed Manjusri and the assembly: "All Tathagatas of the ten directions and the great Bodhisattvas, within the samadhi they themselves abide in, perceive that the seeing faculty, the conditions giving rise to seeing, and all the perceived characteristics and mental images, are like flowers in the sky—fundamentally non-existent. This seeing faculty and its conditioning factors are originally the wondrous, pure, luminous essence of Bodhi. How can there be within it distinctions of 'it is' or 'it is not'?"

Explanation: The Buddha told Manjusri and the great assembly: "The Tathagatas of the ten directions and the great Bodhisattvas who have attained the stages (bhumis), within the profound samadhi they themselves dwell in, perceive that the seeing nature which perceives all dharmas, the conditions upon which this seeing nature relies, and all the phenomenal appearances of the six dusts (objects of the senses) manifesting in their minds, are like flowers in the sky—originally devoid of any worldly phenomenal characteristics. This seeing nature and the conditions giving rise to seeing are fundamentally the wondrous, pure, luminous essence of Bodhi. How can distinctions of 'it is Bodhi' or 'it is not Bodhi' arise within these phenomenal appearances?"

What needs further explanation here is that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas constantly abide in their respective samadhi. This samadhi is a state of equal balance (samatha-vipasyana) of meditative concentration (dhyana) and the wisdom of consciousness-only (vijnapti-matrata). Those with insufficient wisdom cannot fathom it. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas within samadhi also perceive dharmas; they perceive the phenomenal realms of the six dusts. This is the seeing of the seventh consciousness's deluded mind, not the seeing of the Buddha-nature. Of course, the seeing of the seventh consciousness cannot exist apart from the seeing of the Buddha-nature; otherwise, it could not see. Moreover, the seeing of the seventh consciousness also depends on various conditions to arise; without conditions, there can be no seeing. Seeing that arises dependent on conditions is, of course, illusory and unreal.

After the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas perceive the phenomenal appearances of the six dusts, images of these dharmas manifest in their minds. This is the object and result of seeing; it is the functional activity of the perception aggregate (samjna-skandha) among the five aggregates, involving the recognition and confirmation of various phenomenal appearances. The Buddha states that the seeing nature of the seventh consciousness of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the conditions giving rise to seeing, and the phenomenal appearances manifesting in the mind—these three—are all like flowers in the sky; fundamentally, they do not exist; there are no worldly characteristics of these three: seeing, conditions, and appearances. So what exactly are this seeing nature and its conditions? Clearly they seem to exist, yet the Buddha says they are fundamentally non-existent. The Buddha says this is originally the pure, wondrous, luminous essence of Bodhi, also called the true mind's self-nature, also called the Tathagatagarbha (Womb of the Thus-Come One). How can one say that the seeing and its conditions are the Bodhi self-nature itself, or that they are not the Bodhi self-nature itself?

It is like gold fashioned into gold utensils: gold plates, gold bowls, gold bracelets. One cannot say these gold utensils are not gold, nor can one say these gold utensils are the gold itself. After all, the gold has changed form and acquired mundane functions. Yet even so, the gold utensils still carry the value and reflection of gold. But ordinary beings completely mistake the gold utensils for mere mundane objects, clinging to the functions of the plate, bowl, and bracelet. They use the golden bowl daily to beg for food, hold food, and eat, unwilling to relinquish the mundane utility of the bowl. At this point, the gold is entirely mistaken for a mundane thing, obscuring the intrinsic value of the gold itself. Once the intrinsic value of the gold is obscured, the possessor transforms from a wealthy elder into a begging pauper, destitute and wandering, suffering poverty and misery. How unfortunate, how foolish is it to starve to death on the street while holding a golden bowl? Once ordinary beings open the eye of wisdom, the Dharma eye, and the Buddha eye, recognizing the gold, they instantly return from being ordinary beings to their original status as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. So then, how should we contemplate Chan (Dhyana) and contemplate true reality? Is it all clear now?

Original Text: "Manjusri, I now ask you. Take you, Manjusri, as an example. Is there another Manjusri who is Manjusri, or is there no other Manjusri who is Manjusri?" "Just so, World-Honored One. I am the true Manjusri. There is no 'is Manjusri' Manjusri. Why? Because if there were an 'is Manjusri' Manjusri, then there would be two Manjusris. However, at present, it is not that there is no Manjusri who is Manjusri. Within this, there truly are no dual characteristics of 'is' and 'is not'."

Explanation: "Manjusri, I now ask you, take you, Manjusri, as an example: Is there another Manjusri who is the Manjusri original master, or is there no other Manjusri who is the Manjusri original master?" Manjusri Bodhisattva replied: "It is like this, World-Honored One. I am the true Manjusri. There is no other Manjusri who is Manjusri. Why do I say this? Because if there were another Manjusri who is Manjusri, then there would be two Manjusris. However, right now, it is also not that there is no Manjusri who is the original master. Within this matter, there truly are no dual characteristics of 'is' and 'is not'."

How could dual characteristics of 'is' and 'is not' arise regarding the Manjusri original master? Manjusri is Manjusri; there is no other 'is' or 'is not'. This is a false proposition, mere idle speculation. Similarly, all dharmas are Bodhi; there are no other dual characteristics of 'is' and 'is not'. The entirety is True Suchness (Tathata). Realizing this principle, one returns to the status of the original master of the Three Realms (Triloka), no longer a begging pauper. May all sentient beings quickly wipe the dust from their eyes, remove the thick blindfold, recognize the treasure, and return to the home of their self-nature!