Surangama Sutra Exposition
by Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu
No matter how one describes the mind or tries to pinpoint it, one will miss the point. The Buddha shows the true nature—buddhanature—which is pure, permanent, and indescribable. It is unlike anything we can see, hear, smell, taste, touch, or even think about.
What we experience with our senses is not necessarily the complete truth, because everything in this world is impermanent and everchanging. Everything exists only because of certain causes and conditions coming together.
“Ananda, since you now wish to know the path of samatha and seek to transcend birth and death, I will question you once again!”
At that time, the Tathagata immediately raised his golden arm, curled his five-wheeled fingers into a fist, and said to Ananda, “Do you see this?”
Ananda replied, “I do.”
The Buddha asked, “What do you see?”
Ananda answered, “I see the Tathagata raising his arm and curling his fingers into a luminous fist, radiating brilliance upon my mind and eyes.”
The Buddha asked, “By what do you see it?”
Ananda said, “I, like the rest of the assembly, see with my eyes.”
The Buddha said to Ananda, “Now answer me: the Tathagata curls his fingers into a radiant fist that illuminates your eyes and mind. Your eyes can see—but what do you take as the ‘mind’ that perceives the radiance of my fist?”
Ananda replied, “The Tathagata now asks me where the mind is, and I examine and search within using the mind itself. That which can discern, I take to be the mind.”
The Buddha said, “Alas! Ananda, that is not your mind!”
Samatha means right meditation or meditative stability. The “five-wheeled fingers” can either represent the earth, water, fire, wind, and space, or the thousand-spoked wheels found on the Buddha’s palms and soles—one of the thirty-two marks of perfection.
The Buddha asked Ananda, “When you say that you see this luminous fist, which mind do you use to see it? Where is your mind?” Ananda replied that it is the mind he thinks with. In other words, whenever he thinks, that is his mind.
When the Buddha heard that, he exclaimed, “Alas, Ananda! That’s not your mind!” Ananda was shocked, stood up, and inquired, “If this is not my mind, then what is?”
Startled, Ananda stepped back from his seat, joined his palms, stood up, and said to the Buddha, “If this is not my mind, then what should it be called?”
The Buddha told Ananda, “This is merely due to the false appearances and thoughts of past dusts, which have misled your true nature. From beginningless time until now, you have mistaken the thief for your own son, lost your original permanence, and thus undergo the cycle of rebirth.”
The Buddha told Ananda that he was misled by the phenomena of the illusory world so he didn’t recognize the true nature—buddhanature. Because of this, ever since he was born, he mistook the thieves [senses] as his sons, misunderstood the mind, and forgot his original nature. If one only knows the fundamental root of birth and death but not of buddhanature, then one will continue to cycle in the six rebirth realms.
What the eyes see is not necessarily true because everything in this world is impermanent and everchanging. Nothing is real [or the truth]; it exists merely due to causes and conditions.
Grandmaster shared a story of Confucius traveling with his disciples across the Warring States during the Spring and Autumn Era. One time they were trapped in a place struck by famine, so they had to beg for food and got some rice grain. A devoted disciple was cooking the rice while Confucius took a nap. When Confucius woke up, he saw this disciple lift the lid of the pot, take some rice, and eat it. Confucius felt disappointed and thought, “How could he eat the rice before his teacher? He’s always been such a good, honest, and virtuous disciple, too!”
But later, Confucius found out that his disciple only ate the rice that was bad or dirty so he wouldn’t have to throw it away, and so Confucius could eat the good rice. Thus, Confucius made this statement, “This is the error made by the eyes. What the eyes see is not necessarily the truth.”
It is difficult to know what is really true. Even if you see something with your own eyes, it may not be the truth. Later in the sutra, the Buddha explains why what the eyes see is not truly real.
Zen Buddhism began when Sakyamuni Buddha picked up a flower and held it without saying anything. Mahakasyapa smiled because he understood the Buddha was conveying buddhanature. That’s why Mahakasyapa became the first patriarch of Zen Buddhism.
Similarly, Bodhidharma once stepped up to his dharma throne, slapped the table, and uttered, “Okay, the dharma teaching is over.” Then he stepped down. What was he trying to convey? Buddhanature!
Earlier, when the Buddha raised his golden arm and clenched his radiant fist, that, too, represented buddhanature. What does the radiant fist mean?! Our hands are not always in a fist – they open, transform, and even perform puppet shows—everchanging. This is impermanence! However, buddhanature is different. It is non-arising and non-ceasing. It is unchanging and is eternally present. It’s very difficult to explain.