–Volume5(Par3)
Author: Fafu
Translator : Gemini
Hello everyone! Welcome to this episode of the podcast provided by the Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated of Australia.
Today, we will explore the supreme teachings of the Perfect Penetration Dharma Doors as realized by the Twenty-Five Sages. The Buddha teaches that although the Six Roots create knots due to ignorance, they are also the gate of Perfect Penetration leading to the realization of the Self-Nature.
The Perfect Penetration Dharma Door: The meaning of Perfect Penetration lies in not being swept away by the flow of phenomena and in realizing the Self-Nature without obstruction.
Let’s examine the experiences of some of these Sages:
- Princes of the Dharma, Yaowang (Medicine King) and Yaoshang (Medicine Superior): They extensively tasted the flavors of all worldly plants, metals, and stones, knowing their characteristics—bitter, sour, salty, bland, sweet, and pungent—as well as their combined and changing natures. After serving the Tathāgata, they understood that the nature of taste is “neither empty nor existing, neither identical with the body and mind nor separate from the body and mind.” They entered the Self-Nature through the ‘Cause of Taste’, attaining the Bodhisattva stage.
- Kāphandha: Due to a past verbal offense, he suffered from a cow-cud chewing sickness. The Tathāgata taught him a single, pure method of the Mind Ground, instructing him to contemplate that the awareness of taste is “neither essence nor object.” He extinguished his delusive mind, entered Samādhi, instantly surpassed all outflows, and became unattached both internally and externally, achieving Arhatship. His best entry point was “Reversing the Taste to Return to Awareness.”
- Bhadrapāla and the Sixteen Illuminating Knights: While bathing the monks, they awakened through the ‘Cause of Water’ (a type of touch), realizing that water “neither washes the dust nor washes the body,” and in the middle, there is serene nothingness. They entered the Self-Nature through the ‘Cause of Touch’ and achieved the abiding of the Buddha’s Sons.
- Śundara Nanda): His mind was scattered and he failed to achieve purity without outflows. The Tathāgata taught him to contemplate the white appearance at the tip of his nose. After twenty-one days, he saw his breath like smoke, which gradually dissipated into whiteness and transformed into light, illuminating the ten directions. He extinguished the breath and severed the outflows, achieving Arhatship. His practice was judged supreme by “Extinguishing the Breath to Reveal Clarity.”
- Piluṣṭasahasraga: Due to a venomous thorn wound in his foot, he contemplated the awareness: “The thought knows, and knows this deep pain.” He awakened to the clear and pure mind which has no feeling of pain. By gathering his thoughts and abiding in peace, his body and mind suddenly became empty, and he achieved Arhatship by exhausting the outflows. His method was judged supreme by “Pure Awareness Abandoning the Body.”
- Ucchuṣma: In the past, he was consumed by lust. The Buddha of Empty Space taught him to contemplate the warm and cold air (touch) in the hundred bones. The divine light condensed inwardly, transforming the lustful mind into the fire of wisdom. He contemplated the unobstructed flow of the warm touch in his body and mind, exhausted the outflows, and produced a precious flame, ascending to the Unsurpassed Awakening. His best entry point was “Unobstructed Warm Touch.”
- Mahā Kāśyapa and Others: They contemplated the deterioration and destruction of the Six Dusts, seeing phenomena arise and cease right where they were. They cultivated Extinction in the midst of empty tranquility. Their body and mind crossed kalpas in a snap of the fingers, and they achieved Arhatship by exhausting the outflows. Their entry was judged supreme through the ‘Cause of Phenomena’ (Returning from all phenomena to the Self-Nature).
- Subhūti: Initially, he realized empty tranquility. The Tathāgata revealed to him the Nature-Awakening True Emptiness, causing the ten directions to become empty and all phenomena to enter into non-being. He “Returned the Dharma to Non-Being,” achieving Arhatship. His method was judged supreme by “Reversing Phenomena to Return to Non-Being.”
- Maitreya Bodhisattva: He cultivated the “Mind-Only Consciousness Samādhi”, serving Buddhas countless as the sands of the Ganges. He extinguished the mind that sought worldly fame, realizing that the ten directions are Mind-Only, and that purity, defilement, existence, and non-existence are all manifestations of the mind. He transcended the Dependent and Pervasive Distinctions, attaining the Endurance of Non-Arising. His entry was judged supreme by “Consciousness-Mind’s Perfect Brightness.”
- Dharanimdhara Bodhisattva: He realized that when the mind ground is leveled, the whole world is leveled. He saw that his body’s minute dust and the world’s minute dust are non-different. He realized that the Self-Nature of the minute dusts do not adhere or rub against each other, making weapons unable to touch. With the dusts eliminated and wisdom perfected, he achieved the Unsurpassed Way. His entry was judged supreme by “Non-Duality of Body and World Dusts.”
- Candraprabha Kumāra: He cultivated the Water Contemplation, realizing that the nature of water within his body was non-dual with the Sea of Fragrant Water. He annihilated the body to enter True Emptiness, where the Nature unified without difference, attaining the Endurance of Non-Arising and perfecting Bodhi. His entry was judged supreme by “The Unified Flow of Water Nature.”
- Vaiḍūryanirbhāsa Bodhisattva: He contemplated that the bodies of sentient beings in the world are all driven by delusive wind power. He realized that the nature of all movement comes and goes without a source, and that the minute dusts of the ten directions and the inverted sentient beings are all of the same delusion. He entered Samādhi and awakened to the Bodhi Mind. His entry was judged supreme by “The Wind Power’s Lack of Reliance.”
- Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva: He realized the boundless body, manifesting a great Perfect Mirror that incorporated the Buddha Lands into his body. Space was non-dual, and all Buddha Lands were originally the same. He attained spiritual powers. His entry was judged supreme by “Boundless Space to Awaken the Bodhi Mind.”
- Samantabhadra Bodhisattva: He heard with the True Mind, distinguishing the knowledge and views of all sentient beings. He manifested countless forms to protect and support those who practice Samantabhadra’s Deeds, achieving perfect self-mastery. His entry was judged supreme by “Mind’s Hearing Revealing Distinguishing Self-Mastery.”
- Pūrṇa Maitrāyanīputra: His eloquence was unobstructed. He preached suffering and emptiness, assisting the Buddha in turning the Dharma Wheel. By the Lion’s Roar, he subdued Mara and his retinue, achieving Arhatship by exhausting the outflows. His entry was judged supreme by “Dharma Sound Extinguishing Outflows.”
. Summary
The core essence of the Perfect Penetration Dharma Doors of the Twenty-Five Sages is the same: to deeply observe phenomena and realize the Wonderful Bright True Mind which is inherently pure. Whether through reversing the hearing, reversing the contemplation, or reversing the smelling, all are paths to awakening the Self-Nature. The purity of one Root leads to the purity of all Six!
Let us choose the Root that aligns with our nature, sever the karmic habits and afflictions, enter the stream to abide in the Self-Nature, and achieve Unsurpassed Awareness. Thank you!
