Buddhism seems to be a whole, but in fact there are many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the mountains who have achieved fruition, but everyone also has their own selfish calculations.
If someone is truly selfless, he must also be ruthless. So in his eyes, what is the difference between good and evil?
Just as the Great Dao is unkind and treats all things as stupid dogs, only in this way can we treat everyone equally.
Compassion, perhaps, is also a manifestation of selfishness.
But at this moment, just when the monks thought that no one responded to the Buddha's words, they saw a Buddha coming to Tripitaka on a lotus platform. He just put his hands together and did not chant the Buddha's name. He just said: "I heard that Tripitaka is proficient in Hinayana teachings. I don't know." Are you interested in having a discussion with this poor monk?"
The person who came was none other than Lingshan's Jieyin Buddha, one of the two saints in the West, the incarnation of Jieyin Taoist who stayed in the three realms.
When he became a saint, he made a promise to make the West prosper. Compared with his junior disciple Zhunti Taoist, he was much more pure in guiding Taoists. Even if Lingshan Buddhist Mahayana replaced Hinayana, as long as the West could prosper, he would not interfere , and also want to help.
Just like that day, the crack in the demon world in the Asura world was fixed, allowing Tathagata Buddha to escape into the demon world and see the white-robed Kinnara.
In this regard, it is a bit of a pity to introduce the Buddha. After all, the main personality of "Mara" is Wutian Demon Ancestor. Although the white-robed Kinnara can also have some influence on Wutian, the effect is limited after all, so it is better to directly Effective in the face of Wutianlai.
But fate plays tricks on people, and I don’t know whether Laojun and Jade Emperor chose it intentionally or accidentally. They chose to enter the demon world at the same time as them, causing Wutian to have to live in two places.
And there is another thing that makes Buddha Jie Ying curious: How dare Wutian go to see the Jade Emperor?
Wouldn't it be safer and more reliable to see the Jade Emperor asking Baiyi Kinnara to go there?
After the Buddha came back, he did not explain the reason clearly to himself. In addition, the demon world and the three realms have not been integrated after all. Moreover, it is really difficult to calculate in the chaos of heaven.
Just let it go.
Just then, the Buddha was invited to listen to Tripitaka's discourse on Tantric Buddhism, and he saw him fighting with Vajrapani Bodhisattva and Fudogun Bodhisattva. He was also amazed in his heart. The "Tang Sanzang" who came through the reincarnations is really not the reckless "Golden Chan" in the past. son".
Not only the Tathagata Buddha, but also the Buddha Jingyin believed that the current "Sanzang" was indeed a very suitable candidate to take charge of Lingshan. If he had not been incarnated here, the Buddha Jingyin would have wanted to cut off the "Sanzang" and collect him. Become one's own sect.
In the three realms, the Holy Sage Jieyin does not have his own direct disciples. As for the disciples of Maitreya, Kinnara, and Medicine Master, they all came from the sect of his junior brother Zhunti, but when they worshiped as disciples, they also worshiped the Sage Jieyin together. The saint is also called the teacher.
Now he is just an incarnation of the Buddha. Although he has a love for talents, he does not show it. After all, I had already had contact with him before when I was at Shangling Mountain. I knew that Master Tripitaka seemed humble but was actually unruly. I had better keep these thoughts in mind, otherwise I knew Tripitaka would refuse. , and even if you say it in public, Tathagata Buddha will not look good on his face.
The Great Sun Tathagata simply invited Tripitaka to join the esoteric sect, which was already a bit excessive. If he wanted to accept Tripitaka as his disciple, it would be even more sinister.
In order to lead the Buddha to enlightenment, he must undoubtedly be above the Chunti Saint. If the Chunti Saint had the same idea, he might not be able to escape by saying "Sanzang, you are destined to me."
Kong Xuan back then and the Peacock Ming Dynasty today were forcibly abducted back by Saint Zhunti like this.
Jieying Buddha was also very proficient in Mahayana teachings, and he had carefully studied all the Tripitaka scriptures in the Sutra Pavilion.
It has to be said that the Tathagata and the three great masters did spend a lot of hard work in order to establish Mahayana Buddhism. Although most of those Mahayana scriptures stand on the opposite side of Hinayana, they are not as important as the introduction of the Buddha. Come on, this is more like carrying forward and inheriting.
Hinayana teachings do have their limitations.
This point was never denied by the Buddha, and the reason why he favored Tripitaka was because of Tripitaka's unconventional views and ability to absorb the essence of other sects.
In particular, it is even more valuable to be able to be compatible with both Mahayana and Hinayana paths.
After all, on Lingshan, the opposition between Mahayana and Hinayana always exists.
The monks in the main hall, Fahai himself, and even the Tathagata Buddha on the Golden Lotus, actually did not expect that the one who "stepped up" at this moment would be the Buddha, and it seemed that he wanted to discuss the Tripitaka. "The Hinayana Teachings".
Who among the monks present does not know that this "Theravada teaching" comes from the hands of these two Western leaders?
Nowadays, Tripitaka comes to Lingshan from the Tang Dynasty to learn scriptures and argue about Buddhism. It is precisely because of the popularity of Hinayana in the Tang Dynasty.
But on an occasion like today, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to talk about Hinayana teachings?
But Fahai obviously doesn't care about this.
"Amitabha."
Fahai readily accepted the proposal to invite the Buddha and was eager to give it a try. "I dare not ask for help, but I have my wish. The young monk will thank the Buddha first and it will be fulfilled."
In the past, Fahai's understanding of Hinayana Buddhism was not very deep, but after coming to this world, his Hinayana Buddhism was inherited from Tripitaka, and then combined with his own understanding of Buddhism, he naturally reached a higher level.
Both Mahayana and Hinayana are Buddhist teachings. There may be difficulties in understanding the scriptures, but there should not be any distinction between them.
"please."
The Buddha then extended his hand and signaled Sanzang to speak first.
Then, I heard Sanzang say: "There is only one Buddha in the world. Therefore, the Buddha is not a Buddha, and the Buddha is not a Buddha."
As soon as these words came out, the faces of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the Mahavira Hall all changed.
But soon, the monks calmed down. After all, this is the most fundamental way to distinguish between Hinayana and Mahayana. Not only is there only one Buddha, in Hinayana teachings, there is not even the status of Bodhisattva. The highest level is to achieve Arhat and Pratyekabuddha.
After all, Hinayana Buddhism specializes in the path of liberation, which is the path of life and death that is alienated from humans and heaven. After practicing and attaining fruition, one does not want to come back and join other living beings, but only seeks to end life and death and enter nirvana forever.
In Mahayana practice of the Bodhisattva path, generally speaking, equal emphasis is placed on saving oneself and saving others. However, in practice, there will naturally be different emphasis based on different personal temperaments.
But, this is for those mortals!
Otherwise, before Mahayana Buddhism appeared in Lingshan, where did those Buddhas come from?
In this regard, Fahai gave an explanation: "The Buddha is not a Buddha, and the Buddha is not a Buddha."
The Zen meaning in it is actually very simple and does not have much profound meaning. At least the monks present can understand it.
"Wonderful." After listening to Tripitaka's words, Jieyin Buddha put his hands on his hands and smiled: "We just have the title of Buddha in vain, but there is no reality of Buddha."
The Tathagata Buddha sitting on the golden lotus looked at Guanyin Bodhisattva and seemed to be saying, "Is it because of practicing the Hinayana teachings that the Tripitaka is unwilling to become a Buddha?"
The Bodhisattva shook his head slightly and said, "If this is the case, Tripitaka has long since passed into Nirvana. How can there be anything to learn from?"
"By practicing Hinayana, you can cut off all the troubles in the three realms and transcend the cycle of life and death." The Buddha then asked Tripitaka: "Since you are an eminent monk of the Tang Dynasty and have profound Buddhist knowledge, why have you not yet attained enlightenment?"
Fa Hai had nothing to hesitate, "If a poor monk does not seek liberation, he will not be able to live or die, let alone destroy his body and wisdom and practice Hinayana to be born. If he attains enlightenment and loses his humanity, he is unwilling to do so."
Simply put, the core meaning of Fahai's words is: I understand the truth, but I just don't want to.
Before Buddha Jie Yin could speak, Fa Hai asked Jie Yin Buddha back: "And what is liberation?"
The Buddha clasped his hands together and said: "Escape from suffering and gain happiness, escape from the sea of suffering in the world, completely free yourself from the suffering of samsara, and realize the original mind that neither increases nor decreases, nor arises nor dies. What does Tripitaka think?"
"Eliminate the illusory appearance, end the rotation of name, form and consciousness, cut off the cause and effect of past and present lives, end the entanglement of karma and retribution, and transcend reincarnation. This may be called liberation." Fahai paused for a moment when he said this. , then continued: "The Hinayana takes the four fruits as the ultimate and perfect fruition ground. It is the place where you can cut off your thoughts and confusions, leave the three realms, and achieve the fruit of Arahant. This is exactly what it is."
Outside the main hall, there may be many monks who may not be too familiar with Hinayana teachings, but in this Mahavira hall, even if the monks have not deliberately practiced Hinayana teachings, some of the contents of Hinayana teachings are They still know.
The four types of practice achievements of Hinayana are actually the four stages in the practice process of Hinayana Shravakayana: Sotapanna, Stragami, Anagami and Arahant.
Among them, Arahantship means that one has cut off the troubles of seeing, thinking, and thinking in the three realms, and is the ultimate saint, which is the highest state in Hinayana.
The liberation of Mahayana teachings is different. In the ten stages of the Mahayana, you only need to achieve the first stage, which is liberation; and then go up until you become a Buddha, and the state of liberation will naturally gradually deepen. As the fruition status of Buddha is the ultimate position of Mahayana Buddhism, we must diligently practice the Six Perfections and Ten Thousand Practices, conduct righteousness with the truth and meaning of the Middle Way, break the confusion of dust and confusion, and achieve the Buddha's path.
"And the young monk thinks," Fahai said slowly, "liberation is nirvana, and the realization of the state of self-nirvana——"
"The first one is the original pure nirvana. It means that all dharmas are true and rational. Although they are tainted by objects, their nature is pure. They have countless subtle merits, have no birth and death, and are as clear as void. They are shared equally by all sentient beings and are not the same as all dharmas. It is the same; it is separated from all appearances and all distinctions, the search for ideas is complete, and the famous sayings are decisive. Only the true sage can prove it from within. Its nature is inherently peaceful - "
"The other two are left with nirvana. That is to say, the true Buddha is free from the obstacles of afflictions. Although there is still slight suffering to rely on, the obstacles will remain silent forever -"
"The third one is nirvana without any remaining support. It means that the true suffering of birth and death is like that. Once the troubles are gone, the remaining support will also disappear, and all suffering will be eternally peaceful -"
"The fourth one is nirvana without a place to live. It means that the true Buddha is beyond the obstacles of understanding, and is always supported by the great compassion of prajna. Therefore, he does not live in life, death, and nirvana, benefits sentient beings, and has no future. Use it and always be silent -"
"That's why it's called Nirvana."
The monks in the Mahavira Hall nodded their heads after hearing this. They had to say that the Buddhist teachings of Tripitaka were indeed profound. In only four categories, they discussed their different Nirvana and liberation from four aspects: the Buddha's nature, Hinayana's Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, and Mahayana. View.
Tripitaka's Buddhism has long been no longer limited to one family, and has even become its own sect.
After saying "Liberation and Nirvana", Fahai and the Bodhisattva each demonstrated the difference between "human self" and "Dharma self", as well as Hinayana and Mahayana's respective views on the two.
Finally, I also discussed the Tripitaka, a Hinayana classic such as the Long Agama Sutra, the Middle Agama Sutra, the Additional Agama Sutra, and the Miscellaneous Agama Sutra.
After the discussion was over, even when the Buddha was being introduced, he couldn't help but said to Master Tripitaka: "The poor monk benefited a lot from discussing the Sutra with Tripitaka. It shows that Hinayana Buddhism has merit after all."
In fact, whether it is Hinayana, Mahayana, or other Buddhist sects, they originate from the same source. Even their external manifestations are very different. But at its core, they are all methods of persuading people to do good.
When the original discussion on the sutra was over and he was about to return to his seat, he suddenly asked Sanzang: "I don't know, Sanzang, what opinions do you have on the many sects of Buddhism?"
After Fahai was silent for a moment, he slowly said: "Consciousness is the only thing that governs all dharmas."
The three realms are based on mind, and all dharmas are based on consciousness.
This is the teaching of the Consciousness-Only Sect. All dharma with outflows in the three realms, as well as all conditioned dharmas without outflows, all exist because of the King of Eight Consciousnesses. Even the unconditioned dharmas without outflows also appear because of the King of Eight Consciousnesses. Without the King of Eight Consciousnesses, no dharmas can be obtained. Without the King of Eight Consciousnesses, all dharmas cannot arise. Therefore, it is said that all dharmas are based on consciousness.
To put it simply, everything in the three realms is the image of the shaking mind. The inner and outer realms are all changed by the mind; the laws of change are all-encompassing.
Of course, "All things are based on consciousness only" is only one of the teachings of the Consciousness-Only Sect.
In Fahai's original world, the Consciousness-Wei Sect ended its inheritance, but the Faxiang Sect of the Central Plains, to a certain extent, inherited the mantle of Master Tripitaka, and did not completely cut off the Consciousness-Wei Sect.
Fahai is based on the Faxiang Sect and based on his own understanding of Buddhism, he wants to establish the Consciousness Only Sect in this world.
"Consciousness alone in all things" is not unique to the Consciousness-only sect. This is the essence of the teachings taken from the Yogacara school of Mahayana Buddhism, and the Consciousness-only sect and the Dharmaxiang sect are responsible for carrying it forward.
Fahai has never been one to be content with the status quo.
Although his own understanding is not low, even if he practices Zen Buddhism, he is definitely able to do it with ease.
However, compared to Zen Buddhism's focus on Buddha nature, Fahai himself is more inclined to study the essence of Buddhism.
But in fact, whether it is the enlightenment of Buddha nature in Zen Buddhism or the research and practice of Buddhism in Consciousness-only Buddhism, it is obviously not that easy for ordinary people to practice.
Zen Buddhism emphasizes sudden enlightenment. If you really have the opportunity, you will naturally have some insights.
But for the Consciousness-Only Sect, its Buddhist teachings are subtle and profound and cannot be understood. Unless you are an eminent monk who understands the Buddhist teachings, knows the Buddha's nature, and understands the principles of Buddhism, it may be extremely difficult to even get started.
This was the original limitation of the Consciousness-only Sect. Now Fahai has fallen into the same situation. To get rid of this situation, it seems that he has to find opportunities among the Buddhas in the Mahavira Hall.
(End of chapter)
