Surangama Sutra Exposition
by Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu
The Buddhist understanding of the world is divided into two viewpoints: worldly dharma and the ultimate truth of the transcendental beyond-worldly dharma.
The Surangama Sutra reveals the ultimate truth; therefore, all worldly phenomena are regarded as nonexistent and illusory.
The Buddha has already explained the six sense faculties, the six sense objects, and the six sense consciousnesses—all eighteen realms—and next he will cover the six elements: earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness.
Ananda said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, you have often spoken of all phenomena arising through dependent conditions. You taught that the myriad changes in the world arise from the harmony and interaction of the four great elements. Why then does the Tathagata now refute the concepts of both dependent-arising and self-arising? I do not understand what principle this teaching follows. I pray for your compassion to reveal to all beings the middle way—the ultimate truth beyond rhetoric!”
The four great elements are earth, water, fire, and wind. Everything in this world, including nature and our physical bodies, arises from their combination. In a human body, “earth” is bones, muscles, and organs; “water” is blood, “fire” is body heat, and “wind” is the air we breathe. When we die, these four elements disintegrate.
Everything can be viewed from two perspectives: worldly dharma and transcendental beyond-worldly dharma.
From the perspective of worldly dharma, everything arises due to causes and conditions and ceases due to causes and conditions. Dependent arising or self-arising, they are aggregates of the four elements.
In the realm of transcendental beyond-worldly dharma, on the other hand, nothing inherently exists as all phenomena are mere momentary manifestations of the wondrous luminous true mind—which is also referred to as “buddhanature” or “true suchness.” This is the Ultimate Truth and True Reality. Everything else is not real and illusory.
Take the example of romantic love. It seems to exist when it arises due to certain causes and conditions. But where does it arise from? Where does it abide? The brain? The heart? Some part of the body? Can you show its entirety? Can you pinpoint it? Can you hang onto it? How long does it last? It is not fixed and has no particular form. No one can truly define it. The empty vows and promises that love lasts forever are lies.
For Grandmaster, love neither comes nor goes, is neither long nor short, and resides nowhere. It is beyond words.
The term “Tathagata” means “Seemingly Coming and Going.” In the same way, everything in this world only appears to come and go. Once one truly understands this, they will no longer dwell on breakups, nor grieve deeply over the loss of loved ones—let alone harm or kill those who have left them. Such acts are utterly mistaken and truly tragic.
Instead, we should simply wish our loved ones happiness and well-being. If we cannot bring them joy, yet someone else can, we should still bless them wholeheartedly. To harm—or worse, to kill—someone who no longer returns our love is utterly wrong and deeply tragic.