THE NON-BIRTH THEORY IN THE LANKÀVATÀRA SUTRA SYSTEM (Part 02)

THE NON-BIRTH THEORY IN THE LANKÀVATÀRA SUTRA SYSTEM

(Part 02)

 “Do not hold onto words!” is the advice the Sutra usually gives us. Buddha preached the dharma in 49 years, but He says that he did not say a word. Not saying a word is because the doctrine that Buddha preaches is the non-birth doctrine and goes beyond words. The truth goes beyond words, because words themselves are still discrimination. Thanks to words expressing meanings, we directly realize, conduct and experience the truth. Being compatible with the truth means it has already been deeply absorbed into our citta-mind. And when we never recede from the truth, it is the nature-realization of the truth in own-citta. If we still have a thought of seeing that we have understood the truth, and that thanks to such understanding we can conduct correctly, it is the seeing, the understanding, and the seeing that we do conduct that are the phenomena born again in our Citta. Whatever is born by cause-and-condition will certainly be terminated by cause-and-condition, we will continue to fall into two sides, leaving True-Citta. Therefore, we need to always live with True-Citta to clarify again what True-Citta contains that we have forgotten.
We are usually subject to the operation of habits and the force of habits, living in pairs of right-wrong, good-bad, favorable-unfavorable, etc. and forget True Citta. From one wrong discriminating thought leads us to transmigrate in life and death; in contrast, also from one thought that the whole dharma dhatu in our own-citta is transformed and pure-silent. Returning all to the place of non-birth, the dharma dhatu in own-Citta will be pure and joyful, because we constantly live with True-Citta of Eternity_Bliss_Personality_Purity.  At this point, automatically what is the original nature of Tathàgata nature will be activated. That is a heart of Great Loving-kindness and Compassion together with Wisdom broadened to conduct again the Great-Actions and Great-Vows of Own-Citta.
The phenomena of coming, going, moving, changing, etc. in each person’s life is only like clouds, while our Buddha Citta is like the sky. If we only look at the phenomena of clouds that appear and disappear, we cannot see the sky of Buddha Citta that is immense and limitless. Constantly clouds periodically appear and disappear in the sky, while the sky is eternally permanent and unchanged, not-born and not-dead. The sky contains all forms of clouds: big-small, long-short, black-white, etc. and vice versa, in each cloud also contains the whole sky, since the Own-Nature of cloud is the Nature of Nothingness. This Nature of Nothingness integrates into the permanent, unchanged True-Nothingness of the sky. If we discriminate that this is cloud and that is the sky, we have not seen their identity nature. Due to discrimination and comparison, it is called cloud, the fact is that cloud is not really cloud, instead, look exactly like real at its true nature, it is Bhùtatathatà, also the same as the sky. Thanks to the phenomena of coming, going, appearing, and disappearing of cloud, it is possible to see the sky that is not-born and not-dead. When we look at all things this way, Citta_Scene_Form are only one, all are Bhùtatathatà. Therefore, we have created a flat world in Own Citta.
Perceiving through and achieving the truth of non-birth, Bodhisatvas conducting the way will not see ego, person, sattvas, and unreal receiver anymore; or no more do Bodhisatvas see that there is I (ego) who save, that there are people who receive the saving, and that there is the act of saving. Bodhisatvas see that it is thanks to this sorrowful world that They conduct and develop their Citta of Great Loving-kindness and Compassion, while in fact the True Nature of this world is originally quiet and natural, due to a moment of a little ignorance and mistake, sentient beings _ sattvas have not realized True Nature. Therefore, Bodhisatvas understand that their actions are Bhùtatathatà in original nature, like the sun shining light for all species and things, and that there is nothing called saving. This is because sentient beings, non-sentient beings, Bodhisatvas, Buddhas and the Truth all have the same original nature of non-birth permanent and unchanged. Understanding that, Bodhisatvas will be able to let go of Ego-holding and Dharma-holding, at that point, there is only the immense, limitless Citta of Great Loving-kindness and Compassion spreading all over the dharma dhatu of sattvas.
Besides, when brightly enlightened that the own-nature of dharmas is non-birth, Bhùtatathatà, and no-place-of-achievement, Bodhisatvas will not hold or release dharmas. Because of understanding that “Whether Tathàgata appears or not, dharmas are still permanent like real”, so Bodhisatvas permanently maintain in true citta, in Bodhicitta to do actions and vows to benefit sattvas. When completely enlightened about the quiet-pure Bhùtatathatà nature of dharmas, Bodhisatvas conducting the way will acquire deliberation, unhindrance and independence; and will be free in the enlightenment of the truth from thoughts to actions. In conclusion, The Truth of Non-Birth in the Lankàvatàra Sutra that Buddha opens as real helps us have the view as real about the existent world, which is to see that the true nature of things is Non-Birth, Non-Death, Bhùtatathatà unchanged and permanent. From that on, there is no wrong discrimination and we will eternally peacefully dwell in true citta, in the realm of non-discrimination. At that time, the power of True Citta: the Citta of Great Loving-kindness, Great Compassion, Great Joy, Great Equanimity will spread to the four forms of birth without a trace of selfishness and lopsidedness. That is also the purpose of Buddha’s opening as real to help us enlightened about the truth and nature-realize the truth in Own-Citta.

Esoteric Dharma VajraPani Lineage
VajraPani Group – Sun Generation

Nhat Huong
Nhat Ngan’s translation