Mahāyāna-sūtrālaṃkāra: Why are Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa are identical?
By Satiman
Introduction
The Bodhisattva ideal of the Mahāyāna tradition is said to have been actualized or realized if and only the life of ascent (上求) by the path of wisdom (prajñā般若) and that of descent (下化) by the path of great compassion (mahākaruṇā大悲) are balanced or are in the state of equilibrium. This spiritual equilibrium is attained if and only if a true Bodhisattva is capable of dwelling in both saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa without any grasping or clinging (aprastiṣṭhita-saṃ̣sāra-nirvāṇa不執生死涅槃). The Bodhisattva chooses the option of dwelling in mundane Saṃsāric world to carry out altruistic compassionate activities rather than entering and dwelling in the transcendental world of Nirvāṇa.
Ascent by Wisdom
In the vertical direction of ascent, a prospective Bodhisattva courses in the Six Perfections (Pāramitā波羅蜜多) comprising the Perfection of Generosity (布施波羅蜜多), Perfection of Precepts or Morality(持戒波羅蜜多), Perfection of Endurance or Patience(忍辱波羅蜜多), Perfection of Diligence or Energy (精進波羅蜜多), Perfection of Meditation (禪定波羅蜜多) and Perfection of Wisdom(般若波羅蜜多). The ultimate goal or the highest fruit (phala) of coursing in the Six Pāramitās is the attainment of the soteriological goal of Nirvāṇa. This is the vertical journey of ascent by vertical knowledge of wisdom.
Descent by Compassion
Having attained the soteriological goal of Nirvāṇa, the Bodhisattva refuses to enter into the Nirvāṇic, silenced life of inactivity and aloofness out of great compassion for all sentient beings. His or her aspiration is to interact and socialize with all the sentient beings in order to liberate them. The main career of a true Bodhisattva is to emancipate all sentient beings (度眾生) who are ignorant of the Saddharma (True Doctrine正法). When all sentient beings have been delivered or liberated , only then will Bodhisattva enters and dwells in Nirvāṇa. The supremacy of a Bodhisattva is that this Wisdom Being can dwell together with all the sentient beings without reifying and clinging upon them and every other non-sentient being in the mundane world. Non-grasping or non-clinging or non-dwelling (不住) upon the mundane world is equated with non-dwelling or non-dwelling in saṃsāra (aprastiṣṭhita-saṃsāra不住生死，) because of the aprastiṣṭhitaṃ-cittaṃ (non-dwelling mind無住生心) developed from the Perfection of Wisdom (prajñāpāramitā). His or Her mind is absolutely appeased (心平), tranquil or serene even though the Bodhisattva lives in a busy city like New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong or Tokyo. His or Her mind does not differ from that of any Enlightened One who has entered Nibbāna - a mind of complete appeasement or stillness (如如不动). The metaphor of City and Forest can elucidate this state of mental appeasement very lucidly. The Bodhisattva’s nirvāṇic mind in the city life differs not from the His or Her Nirvāṇic state in the forest life. In other words, the city and the forest make no difference for a true Bodhisattva who emancipates all sentient beings without reifying (見相) anyone of them.
In other words, there is only one taste (ekarasa) of Nirvāṇa either in the city or in the forest for the Bodhisattva. In this sense, dwelling in the world of saṃsāra and entering into the world of Nirvāṇa are not distinct. Therefore, it is asserted by the Buddhist patriarchs that Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa are identical. This is the esoteric message of the Buddhist patriarchs or masters. Another way of accounting for the identity between Saṃsāra and Nirvạṇa is that both Saṃsāra and Nirvana are empty of inherent existence. They are identical in the sense of void of defining characteristictic or signlessness, marklessness or characteristiclessness (nirnimittatā). This can be easily explicated by the Buddhist world-view that the pair of the opposites of Existence (有) and Non-existence (無) or that of Negation and Affirmation are identical. It is expounded by Mahāyāna tradition as the ineffable of the identity of the opposites which is the Middle Path (madhyamā pratipat中觀) philosophy of Buddhism.
Conclusion
The ascent by Wisdom and descent by great compassion are expounded in all other major esoteric religions, such as Zoroastrianism, Upaniṣads, Hinduism, Taoidm, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Truth is one and not two. For instance, in Sufism, the ascent by the path of wisdom is synonymous with the concept of Fanā. Fanā is the annihilation of the animal or lower self which is synonymous eradication of illusive self or ego in Buddhism. The descent by compassion is equated with the concept of Baqā in Sufism. Baqā is the purification of mind in which egoistic or selfish self is annihilated. In other words, Baqā is God-realization in the sense that the Absolute Truth is discerned intuitively to purify the human consciousness of the seer. The purified ordinary consciousness becomes infinite consciousness in which the True Self of Man dwells. Religions do not divide but unite. Esoteric religions are the most effective expedient devices to unite the troubled world as all major esoteric religions advocate the doctrine of the Ocean of Unity or Oneness and the universal brotherhood of humanity (tawhid). At the apex of esotericism, all esoteric religions do not differ theosophically. The pathways or expedient devices (upāyas) in pedagogy may be dissimilar but the final destination is identical – helping produce maximally excellent persons - the first class human beings through the absolute annihilation of selfishness or egoism (ahaṃkāra). It is by the moral self-restraint and nutriment of virtue, by tranquility and insightful contemplations (vipaśyanā-darśana), any person can elevate himself or herself through development (bhāvanā) to the right vision of the Ultimate Truth of Actuality of the world or universe. The right vision is the knowledge of Non-discriminative Wisdom (Nirvikalpajñāna) from which a Bodhisattva, Man of Perfection emerges as the maximally excellent person for the benefits of the world. The work to be committed is to transform vijñāna (ordinary consciousness) into prajñāpāramitā (perfection of wisdom). This is the esoteric proves of self-redemption – a return journey to the Origin. This is a possible dream as all saints or sages recognize and preach that all human species are potentially Bodhisattvas (Wisdom Beings) or al-insan al-kamils (Perfect Men). All sentient beings can be awakened to perceive the noble Truth of Buddhahood or Godhood and eliminate the illusive self or ego and the illusion of mundane world-view. It is the self-realization of Truth which redeems the innate supremacy in the human species and restore their divinity or supremacy – the highest good of Man. The human mind can be exalted by ethical development and mental development through the intuitive penetration of the ultimate Truth of the Actuality of the empirical world. Human imperfection and fallibility are due to human ignorance of Truth - Buddhahood or Godhood. Mental purity brings forth human perfection in knowledge and conduct. Only then the wise person knows truly how to love others selflessly. The world is contaminated when it is erroneously visioned; it is consummated when it is rightly viewed. The Self-awakened One has developed his or her right world-view – the Emptiness or Oneness of the world.
|
