The Practice Methods of Akashagarbha Bodhisattva (Part 2)

Akasagarbha Bodhisattva introduces himself, saying: "My body is capable of subtly entering lands as numerous as dust motes." Since all the lands as numerous as dust motes throughout the ten directions enter the material body of Akasagarbha Bodhisattva, it means that the material body of Akasagarbha Bodhisattva can enter into all the lands as numerous as dust motes throughout the ten directions. That is to say, the lands as numerous as dust motes throughout the ten directions and the material body of Akasagarbha Bodhisattva interpenetrate without obstruction, merging together without hindrance. The divine power of the Bodhisattva is so wondrous, thus enabling him to extensively perform Buddha's work, broadly benefit sentient beings, and greatly accomplish the Buddha's work within dreams. Akasagarbha Bodhisattva can accord with the causes and conditions of sentient beings throughout the ten-direction worlds, liberating immeasurable beings. The divine power of a Tenth Ground Bodhisattva is beyond our imagination. Why does he possess such great divine power? Because he has supremely profound wisdom and exceedingly deep meditative states, from which immeasurable and boundless spiritual powers and abilities arise.

Why does Akasagarbha Bodhisattva possess such great divine power? Akasagarbha Bodhisattva himself introduces it, saying: "This great divine power arises from my contemplation with discernment that the four great elements have no basis, and that deluded thoughts arise and cease." Akasagarbha Bodhisattva, with profound wisdom, carefully observes and contemplates, giving rise to a mind of wisdom within meditative concentration. Contemplating within concentration is called "contemplation with discernment," where cessation and contemplation are practiced together, and concentration and wisdom are equally maintained; only then does "contemplation with discernment" occur. Bodhisattvas of the Seventh Ground and above abide in concentration thought-moment after thought-moment, without any moment of non-concentration. The result of contemplation with discernment verifies that the material body composed of the four great elements has no basis and no abode; there is no substantial existence of a material body or material phenomena. From this profound wisdom arises immeasurably vast spiritual powers, and he attains boundless and vast divine power.

This boundless divine power is accomplished jointly by concentration and wisdom. Therefore, the content of Akasagarbha Bodhisattva's contemplation with discernment is that the four great elements have no basis. The four great elements are the four elements formed by the seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind. Then, the Tathagatagarbha uses these four great elements to extensively create form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas, extensively creating the universe and the vessel world. The universe and the vessel world are formed by the four great elements, and the material bodies of all sentient beings are constituted by the four great elements. In the Shurangama Sutra, the Buddha reveals that the fundamental nature of the four great elements is the Tathagatagarbha; in essence, they too are the Tathagatagarbha. Therefore, all dharmas constituted by the four great elements are without basis and without abode; they are illusory, with no substantial existence of material dharmas.

Material dharmas are generated by the four great elements of the Tathagatagarbha, yet the four great elements themselves also have no basis. They arise due to the deluded thoughts of sentient beings. Because of the deluded thoughts of sentient beings, the Tathagatagarbha, in accordance with them, compliantly transforms and creates the material world composed of the four great elements. This deluded thought is the thought of the seventh consciousness, the thinking of the seventh consciousness, the mental application of the seventh consciousness—the contact, feeling, thought, and cognition of the seventh consciousness. Thereupon, the Tathagatagarbha uses the four great elements to generate the worlds of the ten directions. The worlds of the ten directions are formed by the four great elements. The Tathagatagarbha, relying on the deluded mind, relying on the seventh consciousness, produces the lands as numerous as dust motes throughout the ten directions.