CHAPTER 21: THE BUDDHIST DOCTRINE OF EMPTINESS
Saying the universe is void or empty does not mean it is total nothingness; it means that at the transcendental level, the universe is devoid of all phenomena as they are normally seen by ordinary people.
3.78 Form and Spirit
Original Text in Chinese
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問曰：若諸佛法身離於色相者，云何能現色相？答曰：即此法身是色體故，能現於色。所謂從本已來，色心不二。以色性即智故，色體無形，說名智身。以智性即色故，說名法身，徧一切處。所現之色無有分齊，隨心能示十方世界，無量菩薩、無量報身、無量莊嚴。各各差別，皆無分齊，而不相妨。此非心識分別能知，以眞如自在用義故。
Literal Translation
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Question: If all Buddhas' Spiritual Body is free of form and characteristics, why able to reveal forms and characteristics? Answer: Because the Spiritual Body is the body of form, able to reveal forms. So, since the origin, form and mind are not two. From the nature of form is wisdom, the body of form has no shape, named the body of wisdom. From the nature of wisdom is form, named Spiritual Body, pervading everywhere. The forms that are manifested have no limitations, according to the heart can be manifested in the ten phenomenal realms of time and space, as infinite Bodhisattvas, infinite reward bodies, infinite glories, all differentiated and unrestricted, and without any interference amongst one another. This is not what the discriminating heart and consciousness can comprehend, as it is the spontaneous working of Zhen Ru.
Interpretation
Question: If the Spiritual Body of the Eternal Buddha, or Supreme Reality, is free of form and all characteristics, why is reality as we know it able to reveal countless forms and characteristics?
Answer: This is because the Spiritual Body of the Buddha, or the Supreme Reality, is the embodiment of form, and therefore is able to reveal all forms. Right from the beginningless beginning, form and spirit are the same. Seen from the perspective that the nature of form is wisdom, or the perspective of original Enlightenment, the embodiment of form has no shape. It is named the Embodiment of Wisdom.
But seen from the perspective that the nature of wisdom is form, or the perspective of non-Enlightenment, the manifestations of the Supreme Reality, named Spiritual Body of the Buddha, pervade everywhere. There are no limitations to the kinds and numbers of forms that are manifested. According to the operation of the deluded mind, these myriad forms can be manifested in all phenomenal realms of time and space, as infinite Bodhisattvas, infinite reward bodies, infinite glories, all differentiated and unrestricted, and without any interference amongst one another. This is not what the discriminating mind and consciousness of ordinary people can comprehend, as it is the spontaneous working of the Supreme Reality.
Commentary
At the transcendental dimension, spirit and form, or mind and matter, are one and the same. At the phenomenal dimension, mind and matter are different and exclusive. Ranasinghe explains that "each living being in the universe is a unit of mind" and "the chief difference between a unit of mind and a unit of matter is that whereas the mind never merges with any other unit of mind or matter, the unit of one element always merge or mix freely with units of other elements."
Here, Asvaghosha confirms what mystic masters have postulated since ancient time, that what the mind can believe, it can conceive. Phenomena which we normally regard as real and objective are the creations of the mind. When a master of any religion has purified his mind and transcended the illusory phenomenal difference between mind and matter, he can perform not just petty tricks found in creation myths and magical rites, but incredible miracles that have profoundly influenced history.
The miracles performed by the Buddhist masters An Shi Kao and Padmasambhava, for example, affected the histories of China and Tibet. Numerous classical Buddhist texts, like "Qing Jing Dao Lun" (Treatise on the Way of Stillness), "Ju She Lun" (The Abhidharma, or Treatise on Higher Wisdom), and "Da Zhi Du Lun" (Treatise on the Path of Great Wisdom) provide explanation on these miracles.
3.79 From the Phenomenal to the Transcendental
Original Text in Chinese
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復次，顯示從生滅門即入眞如門，所謂推求五陰，色之與心。六塵境界，畢竟無念。以心無形相，十方求之，終不可得。如人迷故，謂東爲西，方實不轉。眾生亦爾。無明迷故，謂心爲念，心實不動。若能觀察知心無念，即得隨順入眞如門故。
Literal Translation
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Then, show the way from the Gate of Life-Death to the Gate of Zhen Ru. This involves searching for the five yins, that is, form and heart. The six dusty realms are ultimately without thought. As the heart has no characteristic of shapes, searching in ten directions, it still cannot be found in the end. Like lost in a journey, thinking east is west, but reality has not turned. So are sentient beings, ignorant and lost, regard heart as thought, yet real heart does not move. If able to observe and perceive the heart without thought, then able to follow and enter the Gate of Zhen Ru.
Interpretation
After understanding that mind and matter are actually the same, we can show the way from the 'Gate of Life and Death' to the 'Gate of Supreme Reality', that is, from samsara to nirvana, or from the phenomenal world to transcendental Cosmic Reality. This involves examining the 'five yins' (now usually called the 'five yuns'), or the five skandhas or aggregates of forms, feelings, thoughts, action and consciousness. In the final analysis these five aggregates concern matter and mind.
The 'six dusty realms' or six realms of defilement are those of form, sound, smell, taste, touch and substance. These realms are ultimately without thought. In other words, the phenomenal world we perceive through our six senses is actually an illusion of the deluded mind.
As the mind has no spatial and temporal dimen¬sions, it still cannot be found even if we search for it in ten (figuratively meaning all) spatial and temporal directions. Such searching is like that of someone lost in a journey, who mistakes east for west, but in reality east and west have not changed.
So are sentient beings, who being ignorant and lost in their spiritual quest, regard the One Mind as their deluded thoughts, i.e. mistake cosmic reality as the illusory world; yet Supreme Reality has not changed though their thoughts constantly change. If they are able to observe and perceive the Universal Mind without the interference of their personal thoughts, then they are able to follow and attain spiritual fulfilment.
Commentary
This passage sums up the philosophy and practice of Buddhism! It illustrates how important and concise Asvaghosha's work is, and how difficult it is for someone unfamiliar with Buddhist terms to understand Awakening of Faith in Mahayana even if he understands Chinese. It is also suggestive to those neuro-surgeons hopeful to find the mind when they operate on the brain, that they are most likely to be disappointed.
As in all other great religions, the aim of Buddhism is to realize Supreme Reality, called by various names due to linguistic, cultural and other differences. We are actually an integral, organic part of the Supreme Reality, but because of our ignorance and gross sense perception, we perceive the manifestations of the Supreme Reality, including ourselves, as the illusory phenomenal world. Our spiritual task, therefore, is to dispel the illusion and directly experience cosmic reality.
This fundamentally involves dispelling the illusion concerning our "internal" selves, and the illusion concerning "external" phenomena. What we mistake as our material selves are actually five aggregates of sub-atomic particles, feelings, thoughts, action and consciousness. And what we regard as `solid, "objective" phenomena are actually creations of our six sense perceptions.
In the transcendental dimension, in which cosmic reality is to be realized, both the five aggregates and the six sense creations are unreal, brought about and conditioned by our thoughts, which we mistake as our individual minds. When we can go beyond thoughts, our false "internal" selves and "external" phenomena fall apart, and "we" attain the state of wu-xin or no-mind, as what "we" erroneously thought were our individual minds "dissolve" or "expand" to become the Universal Mind, thereby accomplishing spiritual fulfilment.
3.80 The Correction of Evil Attachment
Original Text in Chinese
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對治邪執者，一切邪執，皆依我見。若離於我，則無邪執。是我見有二種。云何爲二？一者，人我見。二者，法我見。
Literal Translation
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Against evil attachments: all evil attachments are due to personal views. If free from personal self, then there are no evil attachments. Personal views are of two types. What two? One, personal view on self. Two, personal view on phenomena.
Interpretation
Regarding the dealing against evil attachments, or false practice owing to wrong concepts, it should be known that all evil attachments are due to having wrong personal views. If a person is free from wrong personal views, he will have no evil attachments. Wrong personal views are of two types, namely wrong view on self, and wrong view on phenomena.
Commentary
This passage concerns the first percept of the Noble Eight-fold Path, that is, right understanding or right view. The tremendous importance of this first percept is obvious from the fact that if a devotee starts with wrong understanding, he would waste much time and effort even though he may be very pious. This statement may seem like a platitude, but many devotees fail to realize cosmic reality because of this evil attachment. For example, a pious Buddhist daily worshiping a statue of the Buddha may become more pious, if not superstitious, but he is unlikely to progress very far in his quest for cosmic reality if he does not understand the illusion of self and of phenomena.
3.81 Void is Not Empty Space
Original Text in Chinese
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人我見者，依諸凡夫，說有五種。云何爲五？一者，聞修多羅說，如來法身，畢竟寂寞，猶如虛空。以不知爲破著故，即謂虛空是如來性。云何對治？明虛空相是其妄法，體無不實。以對色，故有。是可見相，令心生滅。以一切色法，本來是心，實無外色。若無外色者，則無虛空相。所謂一切境界，惟心妄起，故有。若心離於妄動，則一切境界滅。惟一眞心，無所不徧。此謂如來廣大性智究竟之義，非如虛空相故。
Literal Translation
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False views on self, according to ordinary people are of five kinds. What five? One, hearing the sutras say that the Spiritual Body of the Buddha is ultimately quiescent, like empty space. Not realizing it is meant to overcome the Being concept, may think empty space is the Buddha nature. How to rectify? Understand that the characteristic of empty space is phenomenal method; its body is not unreal. For form, it has. Can see its characteristics, let the heart become life-death. All forms of substance are originally the heart, in reality there is no outside form. If no outside form, then no characteristic of empty space. Thus all realms of space origin from the heart, therefore they exist. If heart is free from deluded movements, then all spatial realms cease. One and only heart, nowhere it does not permeate. This is termed the all-inclusive, ultimate wisdom of the Buddha nature, not actually empty space.
Interpretation
There are five kinds of false views on self held by ordinary people. What are the five kinds?
One, on hearing the sutras say that the Spiritual Body of the Buddha, or the Supreme Reality, is ulti¬mately quiescent like empty space, ordinary people, not realizing that this description is meant to negate the concept of the Eternal Buddha as a Being, may actually think that empty space is the nature of the Buddha.
How to rectify this mis-conception? We should understand that conceptualizing the Eternal Buddha, or the Supreme Reality, with the characteristic of empty space is a method using phenomena for description. The Supreme Reality is not unreal. If we talk about form, the Supreme Reality has form. However, if we are led to see its characteristics, we may be misled to think of the Mind (i.e. Supreme Reality) as having features of life and death, i.e. the phenomenal world.
All forms of substance we see in the phenomenal world are originally the Mind; in reality there is no outside form giving shapes to phenomena. But if we conceptualize the universe as having no phenomena, then it is not possible to conceptualize cosmic reality with characteristic of empty space, because the concept of empty space is possible only in relation to the concept of phenomena.
Thus, all realms of space origin from the Mind; these spatial realms exist because the Mind creates them by the operation and conditioning of thoughts. If the Mind is free from movements of deluded thoughts, then all spatial realms cease. The one and only Mind pervades everywhere; there is nowhere it does not permeate. This is termed the all-inclusive, ultimate wisdom of the Buddha nature, which is actually not empty space.
Commentary
The concept that the universe or reality is void or empty is a typical doctrine in Buddhism, but it is frequently mis-understood, including by many Buddhists today. Here Asvaghosha clearly explains that saying the universe is void or empty does not mean it is total nothingness; it means that at the transcendental level, the universe is devoid of all phenomena as they are normally seen by ordinary people, because phenomena, being created and conditioned by thoughts, are illusory.
This passage also clarifies that the Eternal Buddha is not conceptualized as a Being, human or divine. The infinite energy-field of new physics is a better analogy than Michelangelo's fatherly-figure of God to describe the Mahayana concept of the Eternal Buddha, known in Chinese as Ju Lai, and in Sanskrit as the Tathagata.
In this connection it is important to understand the triple body concept of the Buddha. The Buddha statue devotees pray to in a Buddhist temple is not the Buddha, just as the crucifix in a church is not Christ. Constructed in the image of the physical body of the Buddha, radiant with serenity, wisdom and compassion, it symbolizes the Spiritual Body of the Buddha, the Absolute Reality. For devotees who have not developed either the intuitive or the intellectual perception of the Absolute Reality, the Buddha statue serves as a helpful expedient means in their spiritual growth. Others who are more advanced in the spiritual quest may experience the reward body of the Buddha, appearing as gods, Bodhisattvas or other glorious manifestations in moments of divine inspiration.
3.82 The Sunyata Doctrine
Original Text in Chinese
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二者，聞修多羅說，世間諸法畢竟體空；乃至涅槃眞如之法，亦畢竟空。從本已來自空；離一切相。以不知爲破著故，即謂眞如涅槃之性，惟是其空。云何對治？明眞如法身自體不空，具足無量性功德故。
Literal Translation
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Two, the sutra says, all dharmas are ultimately empty; even the dharmas of Nirvana and Zhen Ru are empty. From the origin, spontaneously empty, free from all characteristics. If ignorant that is meant to overcome phenomena, then believe that Zhen Ru and Nirvana nature is empty. How to rectify? Understand that Spiritual Body of Zhen Ru is not empty; endowed with limitless merits.
Interpretation
Secondly, the sutra says that all dharmas are ultimately empty; even the dharmas that constitute Nirvana and the Supreme Reality are ultimately empty. It is said that from the beginningless beginning everything is empty, and free from any characteristics. If people do not know that the above statements are made so as to help man overcome his attachment to phenomena, they may actually believe that the nature of the Supreme Reality and Nirvana is really empty. How can we rectify this mis-conception? We should under¬stand that the Spiritual Body of the Buddha, or the Supreme Reality, is not empty; it is actually endowed with limitless merits to bring benefits to humanity.
Commentary
Because of this common mis-conception, many people erroneously regard Buddhism as nihilistic. Historically, the Sarvastivada, which was one of the leading traditional Hinayana schools, postulated that dharmas are real entities, though they exist only for an instant. On the other extreme was the Sautrantika, another Hinayana school, which argued that nothing (mind or matter) exists at all. Mahayana schools generally postulate that dharmas are unreal. Probably the most vocal on this issue was the Yogacara school, from which the Chinese Fa Xiang school and the Japanese Hosso school derived, and which propounded that the existence of all the outer world is due to inner ideation.
The sutra Asvaghosha refers to in this passage is the Prajnaparamita Sutra (Scripture on the Perfection of Wisdom), a voluminous collection in which the famous Heart Sutra is found, and which is probably the most representative on the void doctrine. "Void" is known as "kong" (pronounced as "k'ung") in Chinese, and "sunyata" in Sanskrit.
As Asvaghosha advises, one must not be mistaken to think that Sautrantika and Yogacara masters denied the existence of such objects as tables and chairs. Their insistence that dharmas, which the tables and chairs are ultimately consisted of, are unreal or exist only in the mind, are provisional techniques to help their followers to free themselves from attachment to phenomena. When Buddhists, while operating in the phenomenal dimension (which they happen to be most of the time in their earthly lives), sit on chairs or write at tables, they certainly know that these contrivances are "solid"; but if they understand the sunyata doctrine and perceive that in the transcendental dimension these contrivances are `empty' or just a mental illusion, they will be in a better position to actualize Cosmic Reality.
Without a proper understanding of the sunyata doctrine, many people, including some Buddhists, erroneously think that nirvana is an extinction into nothingness. Asvaghosha's explanation, therefore, would put many aspirants at ease. The Supreme Reality, which the successful aspirant would have a glimpse at, at an early stage of nirvana, or be immersed in it at a final stage, is not a vacuum, but fully and marvellously endowed with limitless merits.
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