Surangama Sutra Exposition
by Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu
This excerpt discusses that perception is illusory. Where does fear come from? From our own perception. Fear, too, is illusory.
“Ananda, consider this: When a person speaks of sour plums, their mouth waters. When they imagine standing on a sheer cliff, their feet cringe. The skandha of perception (saṃjñā) is like this.
“Ananda, this ‘sourness’ does not come from the plums themselves, nor does it enter through the mouth. Tell me, Ananda—if it arose from the plums, then the plums themselves should produce it. Why would they need someone to speak of them? If it came from the mouth, then the mouth alone should perceive it—why would the ears be necessary? And if only the ears heard the words, then why does the saliva not flow from the ears instead?
“The same logic applies to imagining a cliff. Thus, you must understand that the skandha of perception is fundamentally illusory—neither dependent-arising nor self-arising.”
When Master Changzhi hears the word “durian,” saliva immediately fills his mouth. Likewise, when people hear about sour plums, it is the mouth that waters—not the ears, even though it is the ears that hear. Nor do the eyes water upon seeing a sour plum. This is the skandha of perception—illusory and false. One drools even before tasting a durian or sour plums.
Grandmaster once had a fear of heights. Long ago, while heading to a scenic spot near New Huangpu Village in Fengshan District, he and his friend Gu Yide took a shortcut and came to a large ditch as wide as the homa hall, with deep water below and a narrow beam without railings across it. His friend, having played there since childhood, briskly crossed, and called out for Grandmaster to follow. But Grandmaster’s legs froze; he could not move. On flat ground, such a narrow path would have been easy, but suspended over water, it was different. Why? Because of the skandha of perception. Fear is something we perceive, and it is false and illusory. Without that fear, crossing would have been no problem.
Some people can clean the outer windows of skyscrapers while hanging by a rope. A fall from such a height could mean death or severe injury. Standing at the edge of a tall cliff or walking along a narrow path beside it can make you tremble. Once in Mexico, Grandmaster and a group rode horses along a narrow trail to a waterfall, with a cliff on one side and a rock wall on the other. Though the horses knew the path well, they occasionally stepped on loose rocks and slipped slightly. Everyone was uneasy, but two ladies in the group were terrified—faces pale, hearts pounding, sweat dripping, and legs limp. They even wished for a helicopter ride back, but there was no such service. In the end, each was accompanied by a guide who assured them they were safe.
Why do people feel fear? Both the perception and the feeling are illusory. The skandhas of sensation and perception are false—they are not real, neither dependent-arising nor self-arising.
Grandmaster enjoys telling jokes and linking them to dharma so they are easier to remember. A couple was watching television when Korean cheerleaders appeared on the screen. The husband immediately left the room. The wife thought, “What a good man! He doesn’t want to see girls in miniskirts showing their underwear and breasts.” But soon, the husband returned—with a magnifying glass! This too is the skandha of perception.
There’s a song that says, “Love is deep, affection is strong, parting is bitter, and longing is empty.” Strong emotions make separation painful, yet in the end, all are empty thoughts.
The Heart Sutra clearly states that the five skandhas—form, sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness—are all empty. Yet, they are also the wondrous luminous true mind. The wondrous luminous true mind encompasses everything. This is the Buddha’s meaning.