The Shurangama Sutra, Volume III: The Illusory Nature of the Fire Element

Original Text: Ananda, the nature of fire lacks inherent selfhood; it depends upon various conditions. Observe in the city the households that have not yet eaten. When they wish to cook, they take a burning-mirror in hand and seek fire before the sun. Ananda, what is called a composite? It is like myself and you, and the twelve hundred and fifty bhikshus, now forming one assembly. Though the assembly is one, when investigating its fundamental source, each has his own body, each has his own lineage, clan, and name. For instance, Shariputra is of the Brahmin caste; Uruvilva Kasyapa is of the Kasyapa clan; and even you, Ananda, are of the Gautama lineage.

Explanation: Ananda, the nature of fire lacks that selfhood of inherent substance; it is latent within the various conditions for producing fire. When the conditions are complete, fire will arise. You observe the households in Rajagriha that have not yet eaten. When they wish to kindle a fire for cooking, they take in hand the tool for igniting fire from the sun and seek fire under the sunlight. Ananda, what is called ‘composite’? For example, myself and you, and the twelve hundred and fifty bhikshus, now form one assembly. Although it is one assembly, when tracing back to its fundamental source, each has his own body, each has his own family lineage and name. For instance, Shariputra is of the Brahmin caste, Uruvilva is of the Kasyapa clan, and even you, Ananda, are of the Gautama lineage.

Original Text: Ananda, if this nature of fire exists because of composition, then those people, holding a mirror in hand, seek fire from the sun. Is this fire produced from within the mirror? From the mugwort? Or does it come from the sun? Ananda, if it comes from the sun, since it can burn the mugwort in your hand, the forests and trees along the path from which it came should all be burned. If it comes from within the mirror, since it can emerge from the mirror to ignite the mugwort, why does the fire not melt the mirror? Your hand holding the mirror shows no sign of heat, so how much less could it melt.

Explanation: Ananda, if this nature of fire exists because of composition, then those people holding a mirror seek fire under the sun. Is the fire that arises produced from within the mirror, from the mugwort, or does it come from the sun? Ananda, if the fire comes from the sun, since it can burn the mugwort in your hand, the forests and trees along the path it traversed should all have been burned. If the fire comes from within the mirror, since fire can emerge from the mirror to ignite the mugwort, why has the fire not melted the mirror? The hand holding the mirror shows no sign of heat, much less could it be melted.

Original Text: If it is born from the mugwort, why rely on the sun and mirror, whose light connects, for the fire to arise? Further, examine carefully: the mirror is held by the hand, the sun comes from the sky, the mugwort is born from the earth. From which direction does the fire travel to arrive here? The sun and mirror are far apart; they neither harmonize nor combine. It should not be that the firelight has no source and exists of itself. You still do not know that within the Tathagatagarbha, the nature of fire is true emptiness, and the nature of emptiness is true fire. It is fundamentally pure, pervading the Dharma-realm, responding to the measure of what sentient beings’ minds should know.

Explanation: If the fire is born from the mugwort, why rely on the connection of the sunlight and the mirror for the fire to arise? Examine carefully again: the mirror is held by the hand, the sunlight comes from the sky, the mugwort is born from the earth. From what place does the fire come to arrive here? The sun and mirror are very far apart; they cannot combine. It should not be that the firelight arises spontaneously without any origin. You still do not know that within the Tathagatagarbha, the nature of fire is true emptiness, the nature of emptiness is true fire. It is fundamentally pure, pervading the Dharma-realm, manifesting in accordance with the measure that sentient beings’ minds should know.

Original Text: Ananda, you should know that when people in the world hold a mirror in one place, fire arises in that one place. If mirrors are held throughout the Dharma-realm, fire will arise filling the entire world. When it arises pervading the world, how could it have a fixed location? It manifests according to karma. The world, in ignorance, deludedly takes it to be due to causes and conditions or inherent nature. These are all the discriminations and calculations of the conscious mind. Whatever is spoken of has no real meaning.

Explanation: Ananda, you should know that when worldly people hold a mirror in one place, fire arises in that one place. If mirrors are held throughout the Dharma-realm, fire will arise filling the entire world. Its arising pervades the world without any specific, fixed place of origin; it merely manifests in accordance with the karma of sentient beings. People of the world, in their ignorance, are confused and mistakenly regard fire as being due to causes and conditions or inherent nature. These are all the discriminations and calculations of the deluded, conscious mind. Whatever is spoken of has no real meaning.