Issue

8th Issue (June, 2008)

Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra: Mind Only

Satiman

Introduction

The central tenet of Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra is the Doctrine of Mind- Only (Citta-mātra). The following are the assertions or statements which define the notion of Mind-only according to the central theme of the Sūtra which is the precursor to the development of Chan Buddhism in China and Zen Buddhism in Japan and in the West. Chan or Zen tradition advocates the direct perception and discernment of the distinction between the false mind and True mind. The false mind is the ordinary consciousness. The True mind is the Buddha-mind – the pure and infinite consciousness.

Mind-only

The Sūtra illustrates the Doctrine of Mind-only utilizing the metaphor of deer to drive home the doctrinal point of cosmic illusion expounded in the Doctrine of Mind-only (cittamātravāda): A herb of deer was wandering in a desert on a very hot day.On seeing the mirage of water at the distant desert, they joyfully rushed towards spot. On reaching the spot of the appearance of the mirage, they disappointingly discovered that it was not extant there.

Any physics student comprehends that a mirage is an apparent or relative existence. It is like an illusion (māyopama). It does not exist in reality. It only appears to exist or exist apparently. The mirage is merely wrongly conceived by the mind relative to the conditions of the natural environment. Similarly, Śākyamuni Buddha repeatedly promulgates that the external objects are just like the magically created shows. They, like dreams or echoes, do not exist in reality but exist apparently.

Illusory Multiplicity

 According to the Three-nature theory (Trisvabhāvavāda). It is called the false imagination of the unreal (Pari-kalpita svabhāva). The ordinary worldings or sentient beings do not perceive that the external objects are illusionary and unreal. This fact is highlighted by all major esoteric religions, such as Hinduism, Christianity and Islamic Sufism. They grasp upon them conceiving that they are real. They react with either attachment or aversion resulting in the outbreak of the harmful emotions of greed and hatred rooted in delusion.

Ontological Commitment

The enlightened ones or the wise intuitively discern the ultimate truth (paramārtha satya) of Mind-only. Thus, they relinquish all ontological commitment of concepts and language (See A History of Buddhist Philosophy” Continuities and Discontinuities by Kalaupahana,pp. 156-157). Ontological commitment is object reification which defiles the mind. Consequently, they are emancipated from the tangle of saṃ̣sāra because they cease clinging on the five aggregates of form, feelings, perceptions, volitions and consciousness. Non-clinging is the annihilation of superimposed illusive self or ego through wisdom of insight into things as they really.

Non-clinging

Advocating non-clinging, Śākyamuni Buddha never advises us to abandon or renounce everything useful, beneficial and valuable in the mundane world. Abandonment of clinging is the obliteration of illusive self or ego which does not exist in the first place. Non-clinging has generally been misinterpreted by both Buddhists themselves as well as by non-Buddhists. The mispresentation of the true meaning of non-clinging has resulted in much vexation and heretical criticism of the general Buddhists and the resultant unjust torture or persecution of the Buddhist masters or gurus. What is to be abandoned is the ontological commitment of concept, language, things, events or phenomena collectively known as the conventional realities. Only ontological commitment to conventional realities or object reification is abandoned but not the conventional realities. The valuable and helpful conventional knowledge of realities are not discarded but are wisely utilized to manage our daily, business and social life. What are useful, beneficial and valuable are to be utilized without any ontological commitment or object reification.

The Diamond Sūtra (Vajraccedikā-sūtra) advises us to abandon the ontological commitment or object reification thus:

Do not dwell in (cling on) anything and produce your
your mind (that is, pure mind).

If one apprehends intuitively the Doctrine of Mind-only, one purifies his store-house of consciousness (Ālayavijñāna) and activates a revulsion (parāvṛtti) bringing forth his womb of Tathāgata (Tathāgatagarbha). His innate Buddha-nature (Dharmadhātu) is redeemed or recovered. Chan or Zen Buddhism is developed on the basis of the Doctrine of Mind-onlywhich advocates formlessness or appearancelessness (nirābhāsa) as the things as they really are (yathābhūta).

 Conclusion

All the external objects perceived by us are the reflections, images or manifestations of the mind. These external objects are illusions (māyā) and unreal. Every object, perceived by the worldings, is just like the reflected moon in the water. It is visible but it is unreal. The Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra, like any Mahāyāna Sūtra, asserts that all external objects perceived by the worldlings are like magics, dreams, mirages, echoes, tortoise’s hairs, children of a barren woman and so forth. These metaphors of illusion are highlighted in the Mahāyāna Prajñāpāramitā-sūtras.

If this ultimate truth is self-realized, the ontological commitment to concept and language created by the false imagination and discrimination of the ignorant mind of a worldling will be relinquished. With the relinquishing of the ontological commitment to all external objects which do not exist ultimately, there arises the view of great emptiness (mahā’sūnyatā) in the mind of the wise. Supreme enlightenment ensues from this self-realization of Mind-only and nothing else exists substantially. The multiplicity fabricated by the false mind is illusory. Only the original essence of the mind - the Buddha-nature is real. The phenomena are illusive, impermanent and mutable. Only the Buddha-essence (Dharmadhātu) which is eternal Principle of Truth is real, eternal and immutable. All esoteric religions concur on this eternal Truth of ultimate reality. One is reminded of Ramakrishna who practised Islam, Christianity, Shaktism, Vaiṣṇavism and so on. According to him too, there is one God towards whom all are traveling (Shankara bhāṣya of Gita.Intro.Chap.3 &4)