How Did the First Buddha in the Ten Directions, King of Majestic Sound, Realize the Path?

How did the first Buddha of the ten directions, King Śrīghanābha, attain enlightenment? With no other Buddha to reveal that all dharmas are the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha, how did he discover on his own that there exists an ālaya-vijñāna—neither arising nor ceasing—which gives birth to all dharmas of the five-aggregate world? Although the impermanent, changing, arising-and-ceasing phenomena of all worldly dharmas are difficult to realize, they can still be observed through prolonged examination. How did the ālaya-vijñāna become observed and realized? Later practitioners, under the guidance of Buddhas, can acknowledge the permanent existence of the eighth Tathāgatagarbha over many lives and kalpas. Yet the first Buddha, relying entirely on his own efforts to observe the existence of the eighth consciousness, is truly inconceivable. Every step on the path to Buddhahood was traversed with concrete reality. How did he accomplish this?

The emptiness of all dharmas can be self-realized and self-verified, but the Tathāgatagarbha giving birth to all dharmas is exceedingly difficult to realize independently—unless one is prompted: "There is a thing before heaven and earth, formless and fundamentally serene." The cultivation and realization of a pratyekabuddha are not overly difficult; it merely requires diligent investigation and relinquishing all worldly attachments. However, the investigation of the Mahāyāna Tathāgatagarbha is immensely challenging. Thus, the first Buddha who pioneered this path possessed extraordinarily sharp faculties and profound wisdom.

How ultimately crucial is meditative concentration (dhyāna)? What kind of direct experiential observation did it bring, enabling the Buddha to interconnect all dharmas and ultimately summarize them within the Tathāgatagarbha? Between theoretical understanding and the observation and contemplation of phenomena, which is more important? Undoubtedly, direct experiential observation holds greater importance. The first Buddha was a pioneer; he had no theories to rely upon. Entirely alone, he meticulously observed and pondered various phenomena, eventually arriving at correct conclusions that formed the theories later generations depend upon. Despite the detailed teachings on the selflessness of the five aggregates, countless people still fail to enter the gate. Why is the disparity among sentient beings so vast? Without the guidance of the pioneers’ correct theories, later practitioners would be like blind men groping an elephant.

By what means did the first Buddha cultivate and realize all dharmas through self-enlightenment? Profound meditative concentration and wisdom, powerful logical reasoning, and a tenacious will to courageously explore the truth—these qualities far surpass those of ordinary people. The first Buddha had no one to rely upon, no dharma to depend on. Alone, through relentless and enduring effort, he explored the truths of the world, earnestly seeking the facts and reality of all dharmas’ existence. King Śrīghanābha had only the facts and reality to rely upon—and even these he discovered solely through his own exploration. How should we, later generations, learn from and emulate King Śrīghanābha? The wise should learn from King Śrīghanābha: base statements on facts, courageously seek the truth, and they will certainly attain Buddhahood in the future. Had King Śrīghanābha lacked even the slightest degree of meditative stability, he could not have become a Buddha. Entirely through the merit of dhyāna, he explored the complete truth—utterly self-reliant. We too must strive to rely on our own precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom.