Surangama Sutra Exposition
by Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu
Everything in the world is made of aggregates, and all aggregates, including humans, arise and cease. The endless births and deaths of sentient beings result in transmigration within samsara. The wondrous luminous true mind, however, is non-arising and non-ceasing—even though its manifestations do arise and cease.
Ananda said to the Buddha,
“World-Honored One, now I understand that this wondrous awareness does not arise from union with sensory affinities, mental thoughts, or conceptual activity—is this so?”
The Buddha said,
“Now you claim that this wondrous seeing-essence is not a combination. Let me ask you again: If this wondrous seeing-essence is not a combination, then does it not combine with light? With darkness? With openness? With obstruction?
“If it does not combine with light, then there must be a boundary between seeing and light. Carefully observe: Where is the light? Where is the seeing? What defines the boundary between the two?
“Ananda! If within the realm of light there were truly no seeing, then they would not interact at all. Since you cannot even pinpoint brightness, how can you determine its boundary? The same applies to darkness, openness, and all kinds of obstructions.
“Furthermore, if this wondrous and pure seeing is not a combination, then does it not unite with light? With darkness? With openness? With obstruction?
“If it does not unite with light, then seeing and light cannot interact—just like the ear and light, which are unrelated. If seeing cannot even identify the phenomena of light, how could you determine whether they unite or not? The same applies to darkness, openness, and all kinds of obstructions.”
The Buddha first clarified that the wondrous luminous true mind does not combine or unite with brightness, darkness, or anything else. When Ananda began to understand this, the Buddha pressed further, asking whether Ananda was certain that it neither combines nor does not combine.
Trying to draw conclusions from worldly phenomena is like trying to define the relationship between the ears or nose and light. Even the eyes, though capable of perceiving light, cannot see it when closed. It is impossible to define the exact phenomena or scope of light, and therefore meaningless to determine whether it combines with the seeing nature or not. It is also impossible to claim that the wondrous luminous true mind and light are unrelated—because their boundaries cannot be defined.
The wondrous luminous true mind has nothing to do with the realm of the senses and consciousness. It is independent, one and only, and unaffected by anything. It does not arise or cease. It is all-pervasive and ever-present. It does not arise naturally, is not due to cause and effect, and is not combined with anything. It is neither an aggregate nor a non-aggregate.
By contrast, everything in the saha world is made up of aggregates. We live within a world of aggregates and can only perceive aggregated phenomena. All aggregates—such as human bodies, cars, and houses—arise and cease, are born and die. The wondrous luminous true mind does not. Everyone has this wondrous luminous true mind, but because they fail to recognize it, they continue to cycle endlessly through birth and death.
Even many great bodhisattvas manifest through combinations. For example, Yamantaka is a union of Manjusri and the Yama King; Padmasambhava is the combined manifestation of Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Although their true nature is non-arising and non-ceasing, their manifestations do arise and cease. [This was stated by Grandmaster Lu outside the discourse.]
The effectiveness of a talisman also depends on the combination of the spiritual power of the person who draws it and the power of the deity or spirit invoked upon it. When someone adds spiritual power to a talisman, it will carry that person’s power. If a ghost empowers it, it will hold ghostly power. If a god, bodhisattva, or buddha empowers it, then the talisman will hold the power of that deity.
Only by attaining the wondrous luminous true mind does one become free from birth and death.