Section Eight: Two Fundamental Inversions

Original Text: At that time, Ānanda, amidst the assembly, rose from his seat. He bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, joined his palms respectfully, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "I am the Tathāgata’s youngest brother. I have received the Buddha’s compassionate love. Although I have now left the household life, I still rely on your indulgence and pity. Therefore, I am widely learned but have not attained the non-outflow state."

Explanation: At this time, Ānanda, amidst the assembly, rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder (a manner of dressing among monastics in ancient times), placed his right knee on the ground with his left knee bent (this is called kneeling in the foreign manner), joined his palms respectfully, and said to the World-Honored One: "I am the Buddha’s youngest brother and have always received the Buddha’s compassionate love. Although I have now left the household life, I still rely on the Buddha’s indulgence and pity for me. Therefore, I have widely studied and learned much but have not truly practiced or realized the truth, nor have I attained the non-outflow state."

Ānanda, because of his fondness and love for the Buddha, had a heart that loved and delighted in the Buddha. He always took this mind to be his true self, his true mind. Thereupon, the Buddha asked him: "Where is this so-called true mind of yours?" Ānanda then spoke of seven locations—inside, outside, and in between—all of which the World-Honored One refuted and negated one by one. Unable to conceive where the true mind truly resides, Ānanda once again requested the Buddha to expound the path of practice.

Ānanda’s extensive learning is the wholesome root accumulated through hearing the Buddha’s teachings over countless kalpas. In this life, Ānanda followed the Buddha in practice, serving as the Buddha’s attendant, accompanying him everywhere to listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma, widely studying and learning much. After hearing the sutras and the Dharma, he did not truly engage in practice because he believed that the Buddha, out of indulgence and pity, would surely bestow upon him all the fruits of the path without him needing to cultivate himself. Due to this lack of genuine practice, he did not attain the non-outflow state; his afflictions and habitual tendencies remained intact.

This "outflow" refers to the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. "Non-outflow" means the absence of the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. After studying and hearing the Buddha’s Dharma, one must additionally cultivate meditative concentration. Then, through deep and subtle contemplation within that concentration, one can actually realize the Buddha Dharma and attain the corresponding fruits. Later, one must further cultivate profound meditative concentration, at the very least attaining the first dhyāna. Only after cultivating the first dhyāna can one eradicate greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, and various afflictions. After the afflictions are eradicated, one reaches the non-outflow state, fully possessing the power of the path, no longer reversed by the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, and no longer leaking any wholesome dharmas—this is called non-outflow. Without the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, wholesome dharmas do not leak out; with these afflictions, wholesome dharmas cannot endure and will leak away. Therefore, non-outflow means the eradication of the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion.

Ānanda, following the Buddha in study and practice, had already attained the first fruit [of Stream-Entry]. However, the first fruit still corresponds with the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion; these afflictions had not been eradicated from his consciousness and mental faculty. Those who attain the first and second fruits still have the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. Only after attaining the fruit and further cultivating to the first dhyāna, under the influence of the first dhyāna, can one eradicate greed and hatred, and later eradicate delusion. Only after the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion are eradicated can one reach the non-outflow state. Ānanda, through extensive learning, had only attained the first fruit; he had not attained even the second fruit, nor did he possess the first dhyāna, let alone the third or fourth fruits. Therefore, he had not reached the non-outflow state. Of course, Ānanda deliberately refrained from attaining higher fruits and eradicating afflictions in order to serve as the Buddha’s attendant; otherwise, he would have been unable to fulfill that role.

Original Text: "I could not subdue the Śāpira incantation and was controlled by it, drowning in the brothel. This occurred because I did not know the true fundamental reality."

Explanation: Because Ānanda still had the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion and had not reached the non-outflow state, he could not subdue the Śāpira incantation. He was subdued by the power of the spell and sank into the brothel of Mātanga’s daughter. The reason he suffered such an ordeal was precisely because he did not know his true mind.

The Śāpira incantation is a heterodox spell. Mātanga’s mother, a practitioner of heterodox methods, chanted this Śāpira incantation and drew Ānanda into the daughter’s chamber. Ānanda, lacking the power of the Way, could not subdue this heterodox incantation and was instead subdued by it. Unconsciously, he followed the incantation into the prostitute’s chamber. Had Ānanda eradicated his afflictions, the power of this incantation would have had no effect on him. Why did Ānanda, upon hearing the heterodox evil incantation, have his mind paralyzed by the spell, causing him to unconsciously enter the prostitute’s chamber? His mind was paralyzed; the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion accumulated since beginningless time within the fundamental nature of the mental faculty arose and took effect.

"Paralyzed" means the conscious mind temporarily lost its capacity for thought and its ability to persuade and guide the mental faculty. At that moment, the mental faculty acted entirely according to afflictive habits. Without the conscious mind using contemplation to control, guide, and persuade the mental faculty, and with the mental faculty itself possessing the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, not having reached the non-outflow state, the inherent greedy nature of the mental faculty unconsciously manifested. Thus, he followed the evil incantation into the prostitute’s chamber. Therefore, Ānanda said he was "drowned in the brothel"—"drowned" means he was forcibly pressed down by the incantation’s power, submerged in that chamber, unable to extricate himself.

Ānanda encountered this ordeal because he had not eradicated the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. Why had he not eradicated them? Because he did not know where his true fundamental reality was; he had not realized his true mind, had not found his master, and had always mistaken the functioning of the false mind and false perception as his true self. Therefore, he did not eradicate the outflow of afflictions, was reversed by the evil incantation, and thus encountered this ordeal. Fortunately, Ānanda deliberately underwent this ordeal, enabling us to have the good fortune to hear this supremely profound Śūraṅgama Sūtra.

Original Text: "I only pray, World-Honored One, with great compassion and pity, to reveal to us the path of śamatha, so that all icchantikas may destroy the wrong views of the Mlecchas." After saying this, he prostrated himself with five limbs touching the ground. All in the great assembly, thirsting and eagerly awaiting, respectfully listened to hear the instruction.

Explanation: Ānanda then entreated the World-Honored One, saying: "I only pray, World-Honored One, that you, with great compassion, may pity us and reveal to us the path of śamatha, enabling those icchantikas who have severed their wholesome roots to destroy their wrong views and evil knowledge, to embark on the right path and attain liberation." After Ānanda finished speaking, he prostrated himself with five limbs touching the ground. All those present in the great assembly thirsted and looked forward to the World-Honored One quickly expounding the path of śamatha, respectfully desiring to hear the World-Honored One reveal the path of śamatha and vipaśyanā leading to Buddhahood.

"Five limbs touching the ground" includes the head and four limbs. When paying homage to the Buddha, some touch the ground with their head, some do not. At this moment, Ānanda had both arms, both legs, and his head all touching the ground, his entire body fully prostrate—this is called prostration with five limbs touching the ground. This demonstrates that Ānanda had subdued his own arrogance, completely submitting to and trusting in the World-Honored One, the Buddha, with no sense of self before the Buddha.

The path of śamatha is the path of śamatha and vipaśyanā (calm abiding and insight). Through this cultivation of śamatha and vipaśyanā, one can realize the pure nirvāṇa, attain the supreme Buddha Dharma, reach the state of extinction, and achieve accomplishment. The path to Buddhahood does not depart from concentration and wisdom; it does not depart from śamatha and vipaśyanā. With śamatha and vipaśyanā, the dual practice of calm abiding and insight, one can realize the Buddha Dharma and ultimately reach the state of pure nirvāṇa.

Ānanda requested the World-Honored One to reveal the path of śamatha and vipaśyanā, the path to accomplishment. If one can reach the state of śamatha and vipaśyanā, it can enable all icchantikas to "destroy the wrong views of the Mlecchas." "Icchantika" means a person who has severed their wholesome roots, cut off the seed of Buddhahood. Only with wholesome roots can one accept the Mahayana Buddha Dharma, believe that within one’s own mind there is a true Tathāgatagarbha, unborn and unceasing, and believe that all dharmas are born from the true mind’s self-nature. Such people precisely do not believe this; moreover, they slander it. Therefore, they become outsiders, severing the Buddha-seed nature, not believing that sentient beings possess the wisdom and virtuous marks of the Tathāgata within their minds, not believing that sentient beings have within them the Tathāgatagarbha, unborn and unceasing, serene and enduring. Not only do such people not believe, but they also slander it. Thus, they are icchantikas, people who have severed their great wholesome roots, destined to fall into hell.

Ānanda said that if only the Buddha could reveal this path of śamatha, it would enable such people who have severed their great wholesome roots to "destroy the wrong views of the Mlecchas." "Destroy" means to demolish; "Mlecchas" refers to wrong views, evil views. "Destroy the wrong views of the Mlecchas" means enabling icchantikas to destroy their evil views and wrong views, attaining right knowledge and right view.

Original Text: At that time, the World-Honored One emitted various lights from his face. The light was dazzling, like a hundred thousand suns. Throughout the Buddha worlds, six kinds of tremors occurred. Thus, in the ten directions, as many lands as dust motes simultaneously manifested. The Buddha’s majestic spiritual power caused all worlds to merge into a single world. In that world, all the great bodhisattvas remained in their own lands, joining their palms to receive the teaching.

Explanation: Thereupon, the World-Honored One emitted various lights from his face, lights of diverse, brilliant colors. The light was dazzling, as radiant as one hundred thousand suns. After the World-Honored One emitted light, all Buddha worlds manifested, and all Buddha lands experienced six kinds of tremors. In this way, the Buddha lands in the ten directions, as numerous as dust motes (the ten directions are east, west, south, north, southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest, above, and below—ten directions in total), also experienced the six kinds of tremors. So many Buddha lands simultaneously manifested the majestic spiritual power of Śākyamuni World-Honored One. Then, the World-Honored One used his spiritual power to merge all the worlds of the ten directions, all Buddha worlds, into a single world. In all these worlds, all the great bodhisattvas remained in their own Buddha lands, joining their palms to receive the World-Honored One’s expounding of the subtle Dharma, the revelation of the path of śamatha.

Observing that the assembly had come to request the Dharma, the World-Honored One manifested auspicious signs to strengthen the assembly’s faith, enabling them to accept the Mahayana Buddha Dharma he was about to teach. The World-Honored One’s manifestation of spiritual powers and auspicious signs served this purpose. The "six kinds of tremors" refer to tremors whose sound arises from the west and descends in the east; arises from the south and descends in the north; arises from above and descends below; and conversely, arises and descends in the opposite directions—six modes of tremors in total. This is an auspicious sign.

Original Text: The Buddha told Ānanda: "All sentient beings, from beginningless time, have had all kinds of inversions. The seeds of karma arise naturally, like the clustered triple-fruit."

Explanation: The Buddha told Ānanda: "All sentient beings, from beginningless kalpas, have had all kinds of inversions—inversions of thought and perception, inversions in understanding all principles and phenomena. Due to these various inversions, the seeds of karma naturally accumulate in the Tathāgatagarbha, then blossom and bear fruit, producing results. This phenomenon is like the clustered triple-fruit, where three fruits cluster together inseparably. The afflictions, karmic actions, and karmic seeds of sentient beings are always interconnected, causing sentient beings to revolve endlessly in birth and death."

The clustered triple-fruit is a type of fruit in India; it seems like three fruits joined together, inseparable—this is called the clustered triple-fruit. Sentient beings, due to their inverted views, create karmic actions. Then the karmic seeds are stored, and these seeds manifest to produce karmic results. The inverted views of sentient beings, plus the karmic seeds, plus the karmic results—these three are like the clustered triple-fruit, inseparable. As long as one has wrong views, one creates unwholesome karma; having created unwholesome karma, there are karmic seeds; having karmic seeds, there are karmic results. Thus, wrong views, karmic seeds, and karmic results are like the clustered triple-fruit, following one through life after life. This is the fundamental reason for the birth-and-death transmigration of sentient beings—because they possess evil and wrong views.

Original Text: "Those who cultivate the path cannot attain supreme bodhi. Some even become śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas, or become outsiders, heavenly demons, and demonic followers."

Explanation: "Although all cultivators wish to transcend the cycle of birth and death, because their views are inverted and their cultivation disordered, they do not receive the nourishment of the Buddha’s true Dharma and do not recognize the true principles of cultivation. Therefore, they do not attain supreme enlightenment and still seek the Dharma outside the mind. Some only become śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, or outsiders, subduing the conscious mind and attaining some state of meditative concentration. After death, they ascend to heavens to enjoy pleasures; or, having cultivated some blessings, they become heavenly demons or demonic followers in future lives."

"Slightly better individuals, because they do not recognize their fundamental mind and do not seek supreme nirvāṇa, can only attain the bodhi of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, merely eradicating the false appearances of the five aggregates and the eighteen elements. They cannot accomplish the perfect Buddha path or perfect omniscience. Due to this disordered cultivation stemming from not recognizing the fundamental mind, it is like cooking sand hoping to make it a delicious meal. Even if one cooks it for as many kalpas as dust motes, it will never become a delicious meal. Because sand is not the substance of rice, the cause of cultivation is not true, and the result is not the true destination, having long deviated onto another path. Why is this so?"

Original Text: "All because they do not know the two fundamental [principles], they cultivate in a disordered manner. It is like cooking sand, wishing to make a delicious meal. Even after kalpas numerous as dust motes, they will never succeed."

Explanation: The Buddha said: "Sentient beings do not embark on the supreme bodhi path and do not accomplish Buddhahood. The fundamental reason is that they do not know the two fundamental principles and cultivate in a disordered manner. Those who cultivate disorderly originally wished to become Buddhas, to transcend the cycle of birth and death. But because their views are inverted and their methods of cultivation incorrect, they ultimately fail to accomplish it. It is like someone washing sand clean, putting it in a pot, originally hoping to cook it and eat it to satisfy hunger, but it does not become rice. Sand is always sand; it will never become cooked rice. If anyone wishes to cook sand into the most delicious meal to fill their stomach, even after kalpas as numerous as dust motes, they will never succeed. This is the result of incorrect views and disordered cultivation."

"Our study of Buddhism now is also like this. Right view is extremely important. With incorrect views, cultivating according to wrong views, even after kalpas as numerous as dust motes, one still cannot attain accomplishment. Why do some Buddhists study for one lifetime, three lifetimes, or even many kalpas, yet still fail to accomplish anything in their cultivation? It is because the views they initially encountered were wrong views, unable to lead them onto the correct path of cultivation. Therefore, they cannot accomplish cultivation, cannot become Buddhas."

"The Buddha said sentient beings have eight kinds of inversions in total: taking the non-self as self, the impermanent as permanent, the impure as pure, and suffering as bliss—these are four. The other four are the opposite: taking the self as non-self, the permanent as impermanent, the pure as impure, and bliss as suffering."

"The first inversion: sentient beings take the non-self as self. The five aggregates are non-self, not the self—they are subject to birth, death, and change, lacking self-nature. Yet sentient beings regard the five aggregates as real, eternally unchanging, as the self and what belongs to the self. This is the sentient beings’ view of self, a wrong view. Due to this view of self, there are internal fetters—the fetter of self-view, the fetter of view-clinging, the fetter of adherence to precepts and vows. Because of these fetters, they bind themselves to the six paths, unable to escape, with birth-and-death suffering unceasing."

"The second inversion: taking the impermanent as permanent. The five aggregates are impermanent, the eighteen elements are impermanent, sensory perception is impermanent. Yet sentient beings regard them as permanent and unchasing, pursuing them relentlessly, thus ensuring the continuity of the three realms, the continuity of life in the six destinies, the continuity of karmic actions, and the unceasing suffering."

"The third inversion: taking the impure as pure. Sentient beings’ physical bodies are impure, their origins are impure, their entry into the womb is impure, their dwelling in the womb is impure, their food is impure, their conscious minds are defiled and impure. Yet sentient beings regard them as pure, clinging to them with greed and attachment, refusing to let go. Therefore, the cycle of birth and death is unceasing."

"The fourth inversion: taking suffering as bliss. Sentient beings, from beginningless kalpas, revolve in the six paths, born and dying, dying and born, endlessly turning, enduring torment, suffering unbearably. Yet sentient beings, lacking wisdom, never awaken. They delight in the six paths, love the self, greedily cling to the five aggregates, cling to the eighteen elements, unwilling to relinquish them. They are like maggots in a cesspool, clinging to the cesspool; like foolish children in a burning house, greedy for play."

"The four opposite inversions: The first inversion is taking the permanent as impermanent. The true suchness Buddha-nature is permanent; great nirvāṇa is permanent. Yet sentient beings regard it as impermanent, taking it as a mere name, as unreal, as relative, as subject to birth and death, as the conscious mind’s divine self, thus denying it and discarding it. Therefore, they cannot diligently seek great nirvāṇa and cannot realize nirvāṇa. The result remains endless birth-and-death transmigration."

"The second inversion is taking the self as non-self. The undefiled consciousness at the Buddha stage is the true, eternally unchanging self; the great nirvāṇa mind is the true self. Yet sentient beings discard it like worn-out sandals, taking the thought-free, spiritually aware conscious mind as the self, as real, as the mind-substance that can go to future lives. Therefore, they cannot eradicate the view of self and cannot realize true nirvāṇa."

"The third inversion is taking the pure as impure. The great nirvāṇa mind is quiescent, extinguished, pure and undefiled, free from greed, hatred, and delusion, wonderfully luminous and serene, apart from all defilements. Yet sentient beings regard it as subject to birth and death, defiled, changing, discarding it to grasp the deluded conscious mind of ignorance, abandoning gold to pick up dirt and stones. Therefore, they remain destitute in foreign lands, wandering without refuge."

"The fourth inversion is taking bliss as suffering. Nirvāṇa is quiescent; extinction is bliss—without seeing, without hearing, without sensing, without knowing, without clamor, without commotion, abandoning all sensation. Yet sentient beings regard this as suffering, disliking quiescence but delighting in sensory experience, disliking extinction but delighting in clamor. Therefore, their delusions and karmas remain unceasing; they revolve in the hells, enduring extreme hardship, finding it difficult to accomplish the Buddha path."

"The above eight inversions are the eight wrongs. With wrong views blazing fiercely and the mind-ground defiled, even after kalpas of cultivation, there is no time of liberation. It is like cooking sand hoping to make a delicious meal—there is no such possibility."

Original Text: "What are the two [fundamental principles]? Ānanda. The first is the fundamental root of birth and death from beginningless time, which is what you and all sentient beings now take as your self-nature—the clinging consciousness."

Explanation: "What are the two kinds of inversions? Ānanda, the first is the fundamental root of birth and death from beginningless time: you and all sentient beings take the deluded mind that clings to sense objects as your true mind, your self-nature."

"All sentient beings take this deluded seventh consciousness that clings to the six sense objects as the unborn, unceasing true mind, regarding it as real. This is like taking a thief for a son, robbing one’s own family treasures, depleting the family wealth, and wandering in birth and death. Taking the deluded seventh consciousness as the self, as real and indestructible, is the view of self and wrong view. Because of the view of self, they bind themselves to the six paths, not transcending the three realms, not transcending birth and death."

"An important part of eradicating the view of self is eradicating the wrong view of taking the functions of the seven consciousnesses as the self. This is difficult to eradicate because sentient beings’ mental faculty has clung for kalpas to the functions of the six consciousnesses as their own, unwilling to relinquish them. Their ignorance is deep, their greed and defilement unceasing; they also cling to the functions of their own mental faculty as real and indestructible. Without long-term exposure to correct Buddhist views, without exposure to the principles of the Four Noble Truths, without exposure to the Mahayana Prajñā Dharma teachings, one cannot have the wisdom and capacity to recognize the falsity of the seven consciousnesses, cannot thoroughly eradicate the view of self, cannot sever the three fetters, and cannot avoid the three evil paths."

"Whether Ānanda or other cultivating sentient beings, all take the clinging consciousness that can grasp the six sense objects and all dharmas as their true mind, as their self-nature. Cultivating with such inversion, they fundamentally cannot accomplish anything. This is one fundamental reason why sentient beings, from beginningless kalpas, have fallen into birth and death, unable to escape—taking the false mind as the true mind."

Original Text: "The second is the fundamentally pure essence of Bodhi-Nirvāṇa from beginningless time, which is the fundamentally luminous essence of consciousness within you now, which can generate all conditions but is abandoned by those conditions. Because all sentient beings abandon this fundamental luminosity, though they practice diligently all day long, they are unaware of it and vainly enter the various destinies."

Explanation: The Buddha said, "The second inversion is that from beginningless time, sentient beings all possess a true bodhi mind, also called the nirvāṇa mind, the unborn, unceasing pure essence, the true mind-nature without ignorance. Now, within you is that fundamentally luminous essence of consciousness, which can give rise to all dharmas but does not belong to any condition or dharma. All sentient beings are unaware of this fundamentally enlightened luminous mind; they have abandoned it. Thus, though everyone practices diligently every day, they are unaware that they possess this bodhi-nirvāṇa pure essence. Mistaking the false for the true, they create karmic actions and fall into the six destinies of birth-and-death transmigration lifetime after lifetime."

"The bodhi mind, existing since beginningless time, is originally pure, without a trace of defilement, without a trace of ignorance. In appearance, it is like non-existence, but its essence and function are truly existent. This bodhi mind is originally pure; you do not need to cultivate later to produce a pure mind. Sentient beings living in the world encounter all conditioned dharmas and all circumstances—all are born from this pure essence. That which does not belong to any condition or circumstance is the bodhi-nirvāṇa essence of each sentient being. But all sentient beings have abandoned this fundamentally luminous pure essence. Or, they simply do not know they possess a true pure mind, a nirvāṇa mind. For countless kalpas, through birth and death, they have never awakened to this mind. Because they do not awaken to this wondrous luminous true mind, taking the five aggregates as the self, they have toiled through the six paths in beginningless kalpas, vainly enduring the cycle of birth and death, without any benefit."

"The Buddha has already explained the reason for falling into the six destinies of birth-and-death transmigration: it is caused by not knowing the two fundamental principles. The first fundamental principle is taking the false mind as the true mind; the second fundamental principle is that originally, everyone possesses a true mind, the fundamentally luminous mind that illuminates all dharmas. But sentient beings do not know this; they have abandoned it, have not realized it, have not found it, and thus remain in birth-and-death transmigration, unable to escape."