How do the three schools understand Buddha's nature?

Sanlun Sect's View of Buddha Nature

Daozheng

After Buddhism was introduced to China in Han Dynasty, it was first associated with the skill of Huang Lao, and then turned to metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties, which inspired the mysterious wind of jade handle and dust tail. Prajnaparamita became a grand view in the Jin Dynasty. Although six schools and seven schools interpret Buddhist scriptures with the meaning of cases, it is difficult to accurately grasp the whole picture of Prajna. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, with the massive translation of Buddhist scriptures, Buddhism gradually got rid of the shackles of the sense of style, and a number of Buddhist virtues stood out, giving full play to the meaning of Buddhist scriptures. As a result, monks came forth in large numbers, and teachers made excellent disciples. In Buddhism, different teachers said different things and hundreds of schools sang different songs. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to become a Buddha, and Buddha nature involves the definition of Buddhist truth, the way of becoming a Buddha, the problem of Buddha fruit, and even an important symbol of Buddhism in China, so Buddha nature is the central issue of Buddhism in China.

The Buddha's nature thought is unique to Mahayana Buddhism, and the classics about Buddha's nature mainly include Lengga Sutra, Nirvana Sutra and Buddha's Theory of Buddha's Nature. But the most influential is Nirvana Sutra. Master Ji Zang said that from the beginning of the three schools, he only talked about the Maha Prajna Sutra such as Zhonglun, Bai Lun and Twelve People, and did not talk about Nirvana Sutra and Prajna Sutra. Disciples repeatedly asked the master to talk about Nirvana Sutra, but only one Nirvana Sutra was told. Master Farang did not promote Nirvana Sutra until he was promoted. To understand the Buddhist essence of the three schools, we must first understand the previous understanding of the Buddhist essence by Master Ji Zang, just as a country needs to quell domestic rebellion before expanding its territory. Because the previous understanding of Buddha's nature was not comprehensive enough and harmonious enough, it hindered the right path and made Buddha's nature unable to appear. Only by washing away paranoia can we show the meaning of Buddhism.

First of all, explain whether it has Buddha nature.

Buddha nature is the most wonderful and perfect. If you stop worrying, it will appear naturally. However, if you explain that people have no real faith, good roots are stopped, and there is no Buddha nature, you can't become a Buddha. Buddhists have followed this statement since Master Fa Xian translated six volumes of Nirvana Sutra. "Mud Huan Jing" Volume III said:

As an explanation, lazy, lying dead all day, the word becomes Buddha. If you become a Buddha, there is nothing. [①]

The sixth volume of the Mud Magic Sutra also said: "When he released it, it was in the nature of Tathagata, so it was forever." [2] More obviously, elucidation can't become Buddha, so it became the most common opinion at that time, that is, elucidation has no Buddha nature. The Taoist priest, one of the "four saints" under Master Lin's door, got the true biography of Master Lin and thought that "all beings have Buddha nature", so people can become Buddha in one solution. Master Daosheng first sang and expounded the theory of imperial power to Buddhism, but when he was alone, Fahai suddenly became turbulent and was criticized by other great Buddhists in Buddhism. For lack of evidence, he was even ridiculed as a heresy. But Master Daosheng got a Prajna Paramita from Master Luo, and he was not moved by the theory of the times. In order to prove that what he said is true, he vowed, "If what he said is true, let him die in Leo at the end of his life." Later, Dharmaksema Sanzang translated Kitamoto's Nirvana Sutra (Volume 5) and said:

If released, why not move, forbid and become a Buddha, which has nothing to do with it? He is a person who has a pure belief in Buddhist teachings. When I am there, I will destroy it. If you become a good woman again, you will be destroyed. Anyone who commits a heavy ban in the Expo will become a Buddha if this crime is eliminated. So it won't move, it won't be a Buddhism and Taoism. [③]

This is a clear proof of the Buddha's commitment. Master Daosheng was called "Nirvana Sage" overnight. However, when people were happy to report the good news to Master Daosheng, the master had died on the Leo in Lushan Lecture Hall.

Is the same sutra told by Buddha inconsistent? In fact, there is no contradiction between the two classics, but people who are persistent in writing make a big fuss and repeatedly verify. There is nothing wrong with the explanation of not becoming a Buddha mentioned in Nirvana Sutra. Interpretation is a person who has broken the good roots and done many evils. How does such a person correspond to Buddha's nature? There is no Buddha nature if there is evil, and there is no evil if there is Buddha nature. Because Buddhism and evil are diametrically opposed and cannot be mixed together. Just like Daye red furnace, there is no snow, no fire in the snow and no snow in the fire. For example, "there is no darkness in the lamp, and there is no darkness in the house" [4] It is a truth that there is no darkness in the lamp and there is darkness without light. So how to explain the Buddha? Master Ji Zang has two explanations in Volume III of Mahayana Metaphysics: one is good at explaining, and the other is good at starting from Jaken. Second, the explanation of compassion, bodhisattva has compassion, and all sentient beings should become Buddhas, and all sentient beings have no end, so after all, there is no period of becoming Buddhas. Therefore, the explanation mentioned in Nirvana Sutra can't become a Buddha, which is completely in line with the Buddhist Sutra. Kitamoto's "Nirvana Sutra" says that Buddhism can become a Buddha, which means that if you are enlightened, you will become a Buddha, believe in Buddhism, cultivate bodhicitta and cultivate six degrees of goodness. Therefore, a person can't become a Buddha when he begins to release his mind, but is a reason for being merciful, seeking Buddha and Tao, descending all sentient beings and planting Buddha. Through diligent practice, he will surely become a Buddha in the future. Therefore, the two classics are not contradictory, just from different angles. Explaining that you can't become a Buddha is from the perspective of never developing bodhicitta, and explaining that you can become a Buddha is from the perspective of developing bodhicitta and improving practice.

Second, Buddhism has a beginning.

In the Northern Wei Dynasty, Bodhi Liuzhi and Lenamotti translated the Ten Classics, so the disciples studied the Ten Classics, which became a school of geography and had a great influence on Buddhism in the Northern Dynasties. Because of the different interpretations of "Ali Ye Zhi" and Buddhism by the two divisions, their disciples are divided into Xiangzhou South Road and Xiangzhou North Road in the history of Buddhism. Tao Chong, a disciple of Bodhi Six Fingers, is a representative of the Northern Road. He sings the theory that Aliya knowledge depends on perseverance, and advocates that the Buddha nature begins, that is, Aliya knowledge that is mixed does not have all merits, and the Buddha nature of all beings can only be revealed when they are successfully cultivated the day after tomorrow. On the other hand, Nandao, represented by Hui Guang, a disciple of Renmoti, sang the theory that truth is like Buddha's nature, and advocated that Buddha's nature is innate, that is, Aliya's knowledge of Buddhism (that is, truth is like Buddha's nature) has all merits, and the Buddha's nature of all beings is innate, and practice only shows Buddha's nature. The former is "rationality" and the latter is "practicality". Reason is not innate, so it is original; Virtue is achieved through practice, so it has existed.

Master Ji Zang said that all the previous explanations seemed reasonable if observed with a profitable heart. However, it is not comprehensive to study the metaphysical significance of classics carefully. The teaching method of the first generation of Sakyamuni Buddha is ingenious and convenient, teaching according to the fundamental mechanism of all beings, breaking the wrong views and concepts of all beings on the life of the universe. Which scripture says that every reason leads to action? There has never been such a formulation. For example, the Buddhist scriptures say that the Tathagata hides righteousness, the Shurangama Sutra says that "I hide for the Tathagata without myself" and the Nirvana Sutra says that "I hide for the Tathagata". Is it contradictory? The same is true at the beginning. If we don't want to say that reason has a beginning and action has a beginning, it becomes persistence again. Tathagata's teaching is not medicine, but a sign of the moon. Stubborn people in the world make great efforts in language and writing. Third, according to one family, Buddhism is true, neither true nor false, nor true. As the saying goes, there are three generations of secular language, which does not mean that Bodhi has a past, a future and a present. Therefore, in Nirvana Sutra Sex Products, it is said that Buddha's nature exists, and it is compared with the treasure hidden in poor women. Later, it was said that Buddha nature began. He said in the third volume of Mahayana Metaphysics:

As far as Buddhism is concerned, truth is not the beginning. But convenience comes, in order to break the impermanence of all beings, it is said that all beings have their own Buddha nature, so it is karma that attracts Buddha. However, it is inconvenient for all beings, so they adhere to the Buddha's nature and naturally enjoy themselves. So the Tathagata died to break the reality of all beings and hide the origin and beginning. As for Buddha nature, it is both the beginning and the beginning. [⑤]

As for the nature of Buddhism, it is not the beginning, but the Tathagata in order to break the impermanence of all beings, saying that all beings have Buddha nature. At the nirvana meeting, the layman listened to the Buddha's talk about the Buddha's nature (because he had heard the Buddha say "no self" before and didn't want to practice in Buddhism), and nirvana was normal, happy, self-conscious and clean, and he immediately became a monk with the Buddha. This is the convenience of Buddhism, because it is too deep for them to correspond to Buddhism, so first guide them into Buddhism and then tell them that Buddhism and Taoism can be achieved through practice. However, later sentient beings did not abide by the original intention of the Buddha's lecture, but insisted on taking the Buddha's nature as their own. Isn't learning and teaching fascinating? Therefore, the Buddha also said that the Buddha's nature began, which is just the wisdom of the Buddha. As for the true Buddha nature, it is neither the origin nor the beginning, and it cannot be defined as the true "non-origin". Get along well, there will be news.

As for the theory of Buddha's nature, Master Ji Zang theoretically adopted the method of "double negation" and totally negated it. He believes that nirvana is absolutely wrong, beyond four sentences, Buddha nature transcends the world, and it cannot be said in words, nor can it be said at the beginning. What you say at the beginning is not what you mean, but what you see in the secular world. According to the truth, Buddha nature is not the beginning.

Third, can vegetation become a Buddha?

If you want to know whether vegetation can become a Buddha, you must first distinguish whether it is meaningful to be inside and outside the Buddha. Master Ji Zang said that this kind of meaning is profound and subtle, and it is also the most difficult to understand. Classics sometimes have Buddha's nature outside reason and no Buddha's nature inside reason; Sometimes there is Buddha's nature in truth, but there is no Buddha's nature outside truth. The truth here refers to the immortal truth. Buddhism takes truth as truth, but heretics have no such truth, so heretics call it reason. As far as Buddhism is concerned, believing this truth is called internal cause, and not understanding this truth is called external cause. This is the standard used by Dade to judge the position of internal and external channels. Failure to establish the five principles of faith, progress, thinking, determination and wisdom is called thinking outside, that is, thinking outside. These five strong people are called the heart, that is, the inner position. Therefore, there is a rational inner heart and a rational outer heart, and there is a sense of internal reason and external reason.

Someone asked Master Ji Zang whether all beings in reason have Buddha nature or those outside reason have Buddha nature. Master Ji Zang said that all sentient beings are born by karma, and there is no reality, so there is no real and unchanging sentient beings outside reason. Where can I ask whether all sentient beings outside the wisdom of clearing up have Buddha nature? Just as people ask about water in a flame, fire and water are incompatible. There is no fire when there is water, and there is no water when there is fire. Where is the water in the fire? Just like what people call turtle horns. Therefore, there is not only no sentient beings, but also no Buddha nature, and the Buddha can't see five eyes. So the Diamond Sutra says:

A bodhisattva is not a bodhisattva if it has a self-image, a portrait, a portrait of all beings and a portrait of longevity. "[⑥]

This shows that I have no Buddha nature with others, not only ordinary people have no Buddha nature, but also arhat has no Buddha nature. According to this reasoning, not only plants have no Buddha nature, but even all beings have no Buddha nature. This is exactly what "Dapin Prajna Sutra" said: "It is forbidden to go beyond the law". As the Benevolent King Prajna Sutra says, "A reasonable Prajna is called living". Living in ten places is also called ten solutions, that is, ten bodhisattvas realize the truth and live in the truth, which corresponds to the reality, that is, within the name. Therefore, all beings outside the border have no Buddha nature, while all beings inside the border have Buddha nature.

If all beings have Buddha nature, so should vegetation. There is a metaphor in the Great Nirvana Sutra that "pearls are lost", which means that the Buddha nature is lost because of the confusion of all beings, that is, there is no Buddha nature; Because it is understood, it is Buddha's nature to break the myth. In fact, there is no difference between Buddha nature and gain and loss. It is only because of the confusion of all beings that it is convenient to say that Buddha's nature has been lost and that all beings have practiced enlightenment. What did you get? It's nothing. As the Diamond Sutra said:

Xu Bodhi said to the Buddha,' Buddha! What is the Buddha's achievement of three virtues and three bodhis? "If so! Sublime! I have three advantages in aunt Dorothy, three bodhis, and even I can't get them. My name is Aunt Dorothy, with three advantages and three bodhis. [⑦]

Therefore, the gains and losses of Buddha's nature all reflect the cleverness and convenience of Buddha. It is said in Hua Yan Jing that talented teenagers will get unlimited practice when they see a pavilion in Maitreya. Isn't it that he will get infinite samadhi by looking at things and seeing sex? The Tripitaka says that "all Buddhists and Bodhisattvas view all the laws, which is nothing more than Bodhi". That is to say, because of the confusion of all beings, the nature of Buddha has become life and death and all kinds of things. If you realize life and death and all kinds of things, you are Bodhi. Therefore, master Seng Zhao said in "On Zhao":

How far is it? That is, things are real; How sacred is it? Enlightenment is also a god. [⑧]

Since all laws are bodhi, all laws are Tathagata. "Masterpieces" and "Essays" all say that "all Buddhas are like everything, just like there is no Er Ru." Therefore, from the point of view that all sentient beings are aware, it is Buddha nature. However, there is no saying that vegetation is unintentional and there is no mystery. How can there be enlightenment to become a Buddha? But everything in the world is "empty", so emptiness is the nature of all laws. For example, Yellowstone has the nature of gold, and all laws in the world have the nature of nirvana. Therefore, the nature of these laws is legal, which is the so-called "all beings and the earth have the same law" in the Jue Yuan Classic. Therefore, "Tao" is not far away from us. At present, it is like what Zen says, "the ancestor of a hundred herbs"; "Saint" is not far away from us, and enlightenment is divine wisdom. So the essence of law is the essence of Buddha, and there is no difference. Only knowing the Sect also says that "only knowing the Sect is boundless", that is to say, all the mountains and rivers are the result of idealism, and there is no other way outside the heart. This also shows that all the laws are correct. Since all living beings have Buddha nature, of course, vegetation also has Buddha nature. If you realize that all laws are equal, you will not follow the positive and negative stages. Therefore, in the truth and the nature of Buddha, nothing can't become a Buddha. The so-called truth is the pseudonym of Buddha. In order to turn all living beings into buddhas, it is assumed that all living beings will become buddhas, and all living beings will also become buddhas. Just as Prince Siddhartha saw a star turn into a Buddha at night, he saw that the earth and all living beings have the wisdom and virtue of Tathagata.

Fourth, it is because of Buddha's nature.

In the past, the understanding of Buddha's nature was not perfect. Master Ji Zang criticized it and comprehensively understood various classical theories. What is it because of Buddha's nature? In order to make people know the Buddha's nature, Master Ji Zang first said two explanations of Buddha's nature in Nirvana Sutra:

(1) Buddhism has no beginning and no end, just like a wheel. There are four sentences in the twenty-seventh volume of Nirvana Sutra, namely, "Buddha nature: there are causes, causes, fruits and fruits." [⑨]

"Cause" is the twelve causes, and these twelve causes are the observed environment, so it is called "Buddha nature".

"Cause" is wisdom, because twelve causes can produce wisdom, that is, this wisdom is based on "Cause", hence the name "Cause is like Buddha".

"Cause" is relative to realm, and "Cause" is relative to wisdom.

"Fruit" is the three bodhis. It is said that bodhi fruit is derived from practicing wisdom, which is called "fruit Buddha nature"

"Fruit and fruit" means great nirvana, that is, Bodhi is already a fruit. Prove that Bodhi can enter nirvana, so nirvana is called "fruit and fruit Buddha nature".

Bodhi is wisdom, nirvana is breaking, because there is wisdom, so it breaks the troubles.

The concept of wisdom came into being because of it, so it was named after it. The twelve causes are also causes, and this is another cause. Since it is mutual cause and mutual cause, there is no beginning and no end to the upper cause and the Buddha nature.

(2) Buddhism has a beginning and an end, so it is good for three generations of causality. Master Ji Zang explained it in three sentences: 1, cause is not the result, but the realm cause, because the twelve causes are the environment. The Nirvana Sutra says, "It is because non-fruit is like Buddha's nature." [attending] 2. Whether it is a fruit or not, it is a fruit. "Nirvana Sutra" says: "The fruit is not due to the name." [1 1]3. cause is effect, that is, cause (wisdom can be named), three bodhi. This is because the three bodhis are "causes" and the three bodhis are "results" relative to causes.

Both of the above explanations are very abstruse, but Master Ji Zang said that this is at best an indirect cause and a side effect. Because the cause here is different from the effect, and the effect is different from the cause; Cause is cause, and fruit is fruit; Causal disharmony. As the Prajna Heart Sutra says:

Color is empty, empty is color, color is empty, empty is color. [ 12]

Only in this way can there be harmony. Therefore, the first four sentences: cause, cause, effect and effect are not positive causes. If there is no cause and no result, it is a positive cause. Let's say three more words later: because it is ineffective, because it is ineffective, because it is ineffective, because it is ineffective, because it is ineffective. Therefore, the Nirvana Sutra says that "no cause and no fruit, it is called Buddha nature." [13] So, of the four sentences, the fifth sentence is not causal, and of the three sentences, the fourth sentence is not causal.

Therefore, Buddha's nature is not due to cause and effect, but the body of truth. Nirvana sutra says:

Buddha is the first righteous void, and the first righteous void is called the middle way. [ 14]

Starting from the body, although it is not cause and effect, it is for all beings, so it is easier to pretend to be cause and effect. Not because of this, it opens up the realm of wisdom, so there are two reasons: cause and cause, that is, the realm of reason and the point of view of wisdom; If there is no fruit, there are two fruits: fruit and fruit, namely Bodhi and Nirvana. So, are two causes and two effects positive? As for the positive cause, it can be described by the concept of causality. Therefore, nothing without cause and no fruit is the middle way, which is called positive cause, so the middle way is regarded as Buddha nature. The Nirvana Sutra also says: "Buddha is the seed of all Buddhas, namely Bodhisattva, Pu Xian and Pu Xian." [ 15]

Verb (abbreviation of verb) conclusion

Most people like "you", so after Mahayana Buddhism in India in the middle period, they paid less attention to sexual emptiness and thought it was just for the convenience of practice. Those who advocate Tathagata and Tibet believe that Tathagata and Tibet are the most important, and only knowledge is correct and can be said to be complete. In India, people are used to meditation, but they can't fully accept the theory of sexual emptiness. In China, people do not attach importance to metaphysics, and it is even more difficult to accept the theory of sexual emptiness. Therefore, the theory of sexual emptiness has been difficult to carry forward in China. After Ji Zang, Zen Buddhism with China characteristics is unique in China Buddhism. Although Zen also talks about "not thinking about good and evil", it seems that there is nothing to write at the moment, but at the same time it puts forward a "true face". I finally caught a self and felt more secure in my heart. I got rid of my troubles and other troublesome things, lost a thousand pounds of mental burden, and regained several selves, self-nature, nature, Buddha nature and so on. And these things are full of methods, so I can feel at ease. The same is true of the pure land Sect, which emptied the so-called five turbid evil things in the world and felt that the world was not worthy of nostalgia, put it down and emptied this part; Then I went to the pure land, with pavilions, golden floors and seven treasures of the pool. How wonderful it is to eat and drink! It is also suitable for China people's thinking to give them something concrete to look for, so that they can rely on it in their future lives. It can't be said that it is not good.

When studying the Three Theories, we should grasp the purpose and original meaning of the Three Theories, and don't mix things that are China with things that are not Three Theories. We should distinguish the original meaning of the Three Theories from the primitive culture of China. Third, to deny the attachment to famous sayings by covering and explaining, there are often languages that describe the nature of Buddhism, such as nothingness, emptiness and nothingness. People who don't understand Buddhism always think that the words of the three theories are flickering and sophistry. In fact, the truth of Buddhism is difficult to describe in words. Because the place is nameless, it is more appropriate to describe it as "empty". This "emptiness" is a symbol of Buddhism's place. We can't insist that emptiness is the highest, or think that there really is "emptiness". If so, we must learn to be fascinated. Only through teaching and understanding can we correspond to Buddhism.

New Year's Day, 2003

[1] Zheng Da Zang Volume 12, p. 873.

[2] "Zheng Da Zang" Volume 12 p. 893.

[3] "Zheng Da Zang" Volume 12 No.393.

[4] "Da Zheng Zang" Volume 30, the ninth.

[5] "Da Zhengzang" Volume 45, No.39..

[6] "Zheng Da Zang" Volume VIII p. 749.

[7] Zheng Da Zang, Volume VIII, Volume 75 1.

[8] "Zheng Da Zang" Volume 45 153.

[pet-name ruby] "Da Zhengzang" Volume 12, p. 524.

【 Attending 】 Tai Zheng Zang Volume 12, p. 524.

[1 1] same as above.