Issue

8th Issue (June, 2008)

Vimalakīrti Unveiling Right Meditation for Sharp-rooted Learners

Wong Weng Hon

In the Mahāyāna Vimalakīrti Nirdesa Sūtra, it is described that once, the layman Bodhisattva, Licchavi Virmalakīrti was ailing. Through his supernatural power or supernormal knowledge of telepathy, Śākyamuni Buddha could read the mind of the Bodhisattva Vimalakīrti telepathically. He conceived that he hoped the Buddha would send one of his foremost, immediate disciples to enquire about his illness.

Having read his mind, the Exalted One instructed his foremost and immediate disciple, Ven. Śāriputra to represent the Master to inquire about the illness of the ailing Bodhisattva. Śāriputra told the Buddha that he was not qualified to visit the Bodhisattva. In actual fact, his reluctance was rooted in his previous embarassing encounter with the Bodhisattva whose profound message had embarrassed him. Hence, he was reluctant to represent the Master to visit him to inquire about his illness. Having read the Sūtra, even many learned Buddhist scholars mispresented the Bodhisattva’s truth-unveiling aspiration.They erroneously conceived: How could a Bodhisattva disparage the Arahants? It is incorrigible to misjudge the truth-unveiling motivation of Vimalakiti’s personal preaching to the Arahants as the Perfect Men of our contemporary Theravāda tradition. Theravāda tradition is fundamentally a gradual teaching of gradual self-awakening from delusion. Gradual self-awakening is the gradual progressive wisdom cultivation and development of until insightful discernment is self-actualized. Vimalakīrti adopted the sudden teaching of instantaneous enlightenment because the Arahants are ready and ripe enough to receive sudden teaching.

 It is just likened to the metaphor of a tropical ripe durian fruit: A little push on the ripe durian fruit with a stick will cause it to fall instantly for immediate soteriological taste. Likewise, the sudden teaching is just that push which can evoke a sudden quantum leap of intuitive discernment of the Truth by the Arahants. Mahāyāna sudden self-awakening can fruitfully elevate the Arahants to the status of Bodhisattvas instantaneously. The motive of Vimalakīrti was not to disparage but to awaken and elevate them spiritually and instantaneously. How could a true Bodhisattva (the Perfect Man) disparage and abuse others especially the Arahants, the worthy Ones?

Śāriputra reported and narrated his personal embarrassing experience when he once encountered Bodhisattva Vimalakīrti face to face. Bodhisattva Virmalakīrti appeared before him when he was sitting in meditation. He passed some profound cutting remarks on Śāriputra’s engagement in sitting meditation. He criticized that sitting meditation is not the right meditation for an Arahant. An Arahant is liberated One. The liberated One is susposed not to continue sitting to maintain the cessation attainment (nirodha-samāpatti) which is the summit of mental concentration in tranquility meditation. An Arahant should be able to maintain his living cessation attainment even without a formal sitting. Living attainment cessation is living insight or living meditation which does not vanish even though one is fully conscious with his six sense faculties in a mundane setting.

 Living meditation or right concentration (sammā samādhi) is the complete Śilence’ or appeasement of the mind even though one is being engaged in active mobile social or daily individual activities. Maintaining non-grasping mind at all times in all places is right meditation and right insight. Right concentration or living insight is living the knowledge of the Truth of the Perfection of Wisdom without abandoning secular or mundane living. This is the true practice of Chan or Zen perfection of wisdom. Vimalakīrti Sūtra is targeted for high ranking Buddhist disciples, such as the Arahants or disciples with sharp karmic roots to elevate them spiritually to reach Bodhisattvaship. Great Bodhisattva, Virmalakīrti categorically instructed Śāriputra thus:

1.  The right meditation is the transcendence of body and mind in the three worlds. (不于三界現身意, 是爲宴坐.)

 Purport:

When one is seated in meditation, one is directing his or her body with the notion of I or self – I’m meditating; I’m entering the jhānas; I ‘m experiencing rupture …….. This is subtle clinging upon I. This is a form of subtle grasping upon the five aggregates of form, feelings, perceptions, volitions and consciousness. The self or ego directs and empower all sensual activities through the body, speech and mind. The false self instead of the True self directs and empowers one’s life. It leads to the grasping upon the five aggregates as this is I; this is mine; this belongs to me. It is a life of cankers or mental corruptions or impurities contaminated by illusive self or ego. Self or ego is superimposed by ignorance of ultimate Truth.

Śāriputra was an Arahant. It put him to shame for him to accuse him of conceiving subtlely any notion of I or Mine. Śāriputra was a full fledged Arahant. He was the foremost and immediate Gotama Buddha’s disciple renowned in wisdom. He should have transcended the grasping upon the five aggregates without any notion of ‘I’ or ‘Mine’. Transcending the five aggregates without any sense of personal ownership or proprietorship of the six sense faculties is right meditation. In short, his self or ego should have been obliterated. Right meditation is living Perfection of Wisdom or the enlightened experience of Non-duality. The non-grasping upon the body and mind or five aggregates annihilate the illusive self or ego.

Vimalakīrti unveils the cosmic illusion of the multiplicity to Sāriputra with the expectation that he would instantaneously abandon the perceptive illusion of the phenomenal world. Whoever has relinguished the illusive perception of the unreal multiplicity will consummate complete gnosis or Truth-realization. The complete obliteration of self-centric ego and the illusion of the empirical world is right meditation and right insight. Right meditation is the self-actualization of Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā). It is the perfect execution of the wisdom Chan or Zen of the Mahāyāna tradition. The practice of Chan or Zen is the complete selfless, altruistic and compassionate service for the public.

Chan or Zen is parallel to the monotheistic wisdom of surrendering fully the egoistic self and becomes the absolute servant of God. He (self or ego) dies before he dies (natural death). Without obliterating self-centred ego, a monotheistic believer can not become the obedient servant of God. To be an obedient servant, one lives in the knowledge of Truth or God (God=Truth= Ḥaqq) and loves all others like he loves the God.

2. Without abandoning the attainment of cessation in all daily activities is right meditation.(不起滅定而現諸威儀, 是爲宴坐.)

 Purport:

Usually, a meditator can reach the summit of tranquility meditation known as the attainment of the cessation of feelings and perceptions after having transcending four basic mental absorptions (jhānas) and four higher attainments in one’s tranquility meditation. Having withdrawn regressively from tranquility meditation, the state of cessation attainment also vanishes from his mental consciousness. His mundane feelings and perceptions return to the state of manifestative consciousness.He returns to the mundane consciousness or ordinary consciousness. This occurs because the wisdom of insight has not arisen from the tranquility and insight meditation (samatha-vipassanā-bhāvanā). Right meditation is the preservation of insight even though there is no formal seated meditaion. This is known as dry insight. Vimalakīti recommends right insight as it is not pragmatic to be engaged in seated meditation all the times at all places. Dry insight is right meditation according to the Buddhist Supreme Master- the great Bodhisattva.

 Right meditation is the capacity to maintain the state of human feelings and perceptions at all times in all daily activities without being defiled by any canker or mental corruption. It is pure and infinite consciousness expounded in the Diamond Sūtra as: Non-dwelling upon anything and produce (pure) the mind. Non-dwelling is non-grasping which is effected from the perception of the emptiness (of inherent existence or self-nature) of all phenomena. The mind produced is pure, infinite consciousness manifested as the True Self of a perfect Man called the Bodhisattva. In the consciousness of the Bodhisattva, a great being (mahāsattva), the Buddha-mind substitutes the false self or ego. It directs and empower all sensual activities through the body, speech and mind.

Chan or Zen is actually the perfect execution of the four foundations of mindfulness ( satipațțhāna.DN.MN.SN). This is state of complete obliteration of superimposed self or ego. It is state of entrance into non-duality by which the duality between the perceiver (substantive subject) and the perceived (substantive object) are transcended. Non-duality is the state of Truth realization or gnosis in which the perceiver merges completely with the perceived into an infinite Unity- the Dharma realm of Unity. Non-duality is the Perfection of Wisdom in which the dependently co-arisen Unity is intuitively discerned and lived. This is supreme state of mental consciousness to dwell in. It is the true state of Pure Land in which all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas dwell.

3. Right meditation is maintaining the state or way of Tao or Dharmadhātu while one participates in all daily activities.
(不舍道法而現凡夫事, 是爲宴坐.)

Purport:

When a enlightened yogi is fully engaged in mundane daily activities, the state of Pureland is lived. Pureland is popularly designated as the Tao by the Chinese Buddhists. Entrance into Tao is the entrance into Non-duality. Entrance into non-duality is living in the knowledge of the Truth of Insubstantiality or Emptiness. From Buddhist perspective, Tao is synonymous with Dharmadhātu (Buddha-nature) or Nirvāṇa. The delivered One still lives in the truth of Dharmabody in which the illusive self or ego has been annihilated while he is actively immersed in secular or mundane activities. This is the perfection of wisdom called Chan or Zen practicsed in all living activities. Chan or Zne wisdom is expert utility of all the six senses cankerlessly.

The Perfection of Wisdom conceived by Mahāyāna Bodhisattvas is the internal renunciation of self-centred ego without external renunciation of the secular world. It is living in the saṃsāric world with the perfect mind of Nirvāṇa. It is akin to a lotus flower which penetrates the mud and sullied water and springs forth and above the surface of sullied water. And yet it remains forever unsullied. Virmalakīrti asserts that this is right meditation. Right meditation is the middle path of discerning the ultimate Truth of Emptiness without grasping upon the notion of emptiness. Such maximal state of Truth-realizaion is the supreme state of emptiness of emptiness. It is application of Dharma in all daily life activities immersing in non-discriminative lovingkindness, compassion, appreciative joy and eqguanimity.

The Buddhist non-discriminative love is parallel to monotheistic divine prescription of loving one’s neighbours like loving oneself and even the enemies without aversion. When one loves one’s neighbours like oneself and loves the enemies through non-discriminative love, one truly dies before one dies. The small self dies and the big Self is resurrected. The small self is the lower or animal self which evokes human fallibilities and ugly human behaviours. The big Self is the universal or cosmic self designated dissimilarly as Brahman, Buddha and God. The big or universal Self perfects human character formation, engenders human infallibilities, and generates the Perfect Men called the Bodhisattvas.

4. Right meditation is that the mind does not dwell within or without. (心不住內,亦不住外,是爲宴坐.)

Purport:

Śākyamuni Buddha promulgates that all phenomena of the multiplicity are empty of inherent existence. Therefore, the perception of signs, marks or characteristics deludes the human mind and evokes the grasping activities directed and empowered by self or ego. Whoever intuitively discerns the illusion and unreality of multiplicity eradicates self or ego completely. As a result, the grasping upon the five aggregates ceases totally. Non-grasping is mental purification. Mental purification is right meditation and living perfection of Wisdom. Right meditation is living the truth of non-duality. The four foundations of mindfulness (Satipațțhāna) are executed spontaneously and perfectly as both emptiness of self and emptiness of phenomena are intuitively apprehended.

5. Right Meditation is that being absolutely unperturbed by all perceptions, one practises the 37 factors of enlightenment.
(于諸見不動, 而修三十七道品, 是爲宴坐.)

Purport:

A true Bodhisattva is an Enlightened Perfect Man who has realized the unperturbable spiritual body of Truth (Dharmakāya) synonymous with Buddha-mind. The Dharmabody is the state of complete mental purity in which self or ego and illusory perception of the multiplicity are totally annihilated.

The practice of the 37 factors of enlightenment with right mindfulness and complete awareness of innate unperturbable Dharmabody or Buddha-mind is right meditation. It is the direct, intuitive penetration into the true Self-nature of the human mind. Self-nature is innately neither arising nor ceasing. It is neither existence nor non-existence. It is the direct intuitive discernment of the innate great perfection of all human beings. This innate great perfection is called the Buddha-nature manifested through the Buddha-mind. The Buddha-mind the great Nirvāṇ̣a. Nirvāṇa brings forth the perfect virtue of the Perfect Man called Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva is the apostle or deputy of the Tatahāgata or Buddha. He is the perfect supermodel to be emulated by all practising Buddhists in terms of virtues and wisdom.

The Perfection of Wisdom of a Bodhisattva (Enlightened Person) encompasses all the 37 factors of enlightenment (bodhipakkhiyā dhammā) enumerated as follows:

1. 4 Foundations of Mindfulness
2. 4 Right Exertions
3. 4 Bases of Power
4. 5 Faculties
5. 5 Powers
6. 7 Factors of Enlightenment
7. Noble 8–fold Path

Vimalakīrti categorically asserts that without being perturbed mentally by the illusive multiplicity, one practises the 37 factors of enlightenment without object reification and equanimously.

6. Devoid of the desire to destroy vexation and entrance into Nirvāṇa is right meditation. (不斷煩惱而入涅盤, 是爲宴坐.)

Purport:

A sentient being is innately nirvāṇic but not saṃsāric. Saṃsāra is created by the ignorance of the true nature of manifoldness of the empirical world. Nirvāṇa is manifested by the Perfection of Wisdom which eliminates ignorance. Ignorance conceals the innate Nirvāṇa or Buddha-nature. Whoever perceives the Buddha-nature within directly realizes the intrinsic Nirvāṇa. When intrinsic great perfection of Man is discerned intuitively, gnosis arises. When the Truth is seen, there is no necessity to exert self-grasping to destroy vexation or suffering. Vexation or suffering ceases automatically and instantaneously when the perfection of wisdom or Dharma eye arises.

The human mind is originally pure. One needs only intuitively penetrates into its original purity and perceives the Buddha-nature directly. This is Chan or Zen wisdom of going beyond the scripture and perceiving the Buddha-mind directly.

 Perception of Buddha-nature is perceiving the eternal Truth of Unity or Non-duality at the level of human mind (microcosm) and at the level of cosmic illusion (macrocosm). In this sense that it is generally conceived that Vimalakīrti was the second forerunner of the transmission of Indian ‘Zen’ (Dhyāna - direct profound message of prajñāpāramitā) after Śākyamuni Buddha.

The Exalted One transmitted first Indian ‘Zen’ to Mahāka’syapa when the Master proffered a white flower to the audience of his Buddhist disciples in India in the 6th. Century B.C.E at the Vulture peak. Mahāka’syapa was insightfully penetrative enough to grasp the ineffable message of suchness (tathātā) of the profound Saddharma. The suchness is the true nature of things. It is the eternal Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity at both levels of microcosm (micro-reality of the infinite human mind) and macrocosm (macro-reality of the infinite cosmos). There is, in fact, an intimate relationship between microcosm and macrocosm. All esoteric religious saints are seers of this relationship between the essence of the infinite mind and that of the infinite universe.

Having expounded these pathways leading to right meditation or full emancipation (vimutti), Virmalakīrti exerted that whoever develops right meditation will become the genuine Buddhist disciples headed for supreme enlightenment.

Conclusion

Having heard the preaching of Vimalakīrti, Śāriputra was completely dumpfounded. He could not respond at all. Vimalakīrti revealed that right meditation is akin to one dwelling in the Buddha and Buddha dwelling in him. It is the self-realization of the human intrinsic awareness that our True Self or Buddha-mind is originally unconditioned and absolutely perfect. It is neither arising nor ceasing. Chan or Zen wisdom is the self-knowledge of this intrinsic awareness. All actions in our daily, business and social life are redeemed to this original Self of intrinsic awareness when one has becomes a true Bodhisattva.It is the original Self or True Self which directs and empowers all our sensual activities of the Bodhissattva.

Vimalakīrti preaches that we should not seek the Buddhahood with the notion of self or I by sitting meditation. We should return esoterically and directly to this original Self of primodial purity. With this inherent hidden purity of Man, one should execute all the six sensual activities in our mundane living. In this way, all actions are non-action or unconditioned (that is,cankerless). Being unconditioned by self or ego, the perceiver of Buddha-nature (dharmadhā̄tu) is purified and emancipated. He is mentally nirvāṇic or appeased.

 Nirvāṇa is the stilling or appeasement of all volitional activities (sabbasaṅkhārasamatha; sarvasaṃskāro’pasama). The original mind is the Buddha-mind - the redemptive centre of the heart. Succintly put, we are recommended by the Bodhisattva to return esoterically to the inner heart (True Self or the Buddha-mind) to redeem ourselves. The ordinarly worldlings utilize the ordinary intellectual mind (false self – self-centred ago) and get entangled saṃsārically. The inner heart is the womb of Tathātagata (Tathāgta-garbha). Tathāgata-garbha is the mother of all Buddhas, past, present and future. Virmalakīrti admonishes us to recognize that the mind, sentient and Buddha are of the same eternal Essence. The Tathāgatagarbha is the only eternal Truth sought by all esotericists. This womb of the Buddha is hidden from the exotericists.

 Vimalakīrti Sūtra is a highly advanced Buddhist discourse targeted at the highly capable Buddhist disciples of the Buddha, particularly the Arahants in order to further elevate them to the status of Bodhisattvas and eventually that of the Buddhas. The hidden agenda of Vimalakīrti was noble. It concurred with the Master Śākyamuni Buddha’s aspiration to transform the self of a small man to the universal Self of a great man - the Bodhisattva.

 Vimalakīrti was not an ordinary Bodhisattva but a great Bodhisattva ( Mahāsattva). He is a supermodel to be emulated by all Buddhists including the Saṅgha members and non-Buddhists in wisdom and virtue. He is the vicegerent of the eternal Buddha. The great beauty is that he was a just lay Indian Buddhist and a householder who had all the wisdom credentials to guide even the Saṅgha during the time of Gotama Buddha in the 6th century B.C.E. in India.

Editor’s Note

The Vimalakīrti Sūtra mirrors that the lay Buddhist could even excel or surpass the spiritual attainment of monks or nuns. Chan patriarchs or master admit that the mind, the sentient beings and the Buddhas are identical.

 Nevertheless, the slower learners still have to undertake the gradual method of sitting meditation. The sharp-karmic learners should go for sudden method of self-enlightenment. Having well instructed and trained, he can intuitively perceive the true nature of the mind which is the Buddha-nature or Dharmabody. Dharma should be learned, cultivated, developed and realized without forgoing the secular life as far as the lay Buddhists are concerned. The Perfection of Wisdom ought to be manifested in the forms of peacefulness, friendliness, and benevolence towards others. This is living the Truth of the Essence of Dharma (Dharmadhātu).