Surangama Sutra Exposition
by Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu
Buddhadharma is not only to be heard and understood, but must also be practiced and realized. Only when one can let go of all desires and attachments can one reach attainment.
“Although you speak of dependent arising and inherent nature with decisive clarity, and among men are called foremost in learning, yet this accumulation of eons of learning and habituation could not free you from the danger of Matangi. Why did you need to wait for my Buddha‑Crown Spiritual Mantra, for Matangi’s lust‑fire to suddenly cease, so she can attain the stage of anagami and become a grove of vigor in my dharma? Only then were you liberated after the river of desire had dried up.
“Therefore, Ananda, although for many kalpas you have remembered and upheld the Tathagata’s secret and wondrous teachings, it is far superior to cultivate the non-leaking practice, even for a single day, thereby distancing yourself from the two sufferings of worldly hatred and love.
“Just like Matangi, even though she had been a courtesan in her past lives, through the power of the sacred mantra she extinguished her lustful desire and is now a bhiksuni in name and nature, immersed in the dharma. Together with Rahula’s mother, Yasodhara, she realized that suffering is caused by desire and attachment through many lifetimes.
“Because of a single thought turning toward the cultivation of undefiled goodness, they were freed from entanglements, and some received the Buddha’s prediction of future attainment. Why then do you deceive yourself and remain attached to seeing and hearing?”
Although Ananda was foremost in hearing the Buddha’s teachings and had memorized the twelve divisions of the sutras, he could not escape the spell cast by Matangi because he had not truly practiced and had not gained any spiritual power. Only the Surangama Mantra spoken by Sakyamuni Buddha could save him and the Matangi woman, after the lustful desire was extinguished. She then realized that the suffering was due to desire and attachments from many past lives, and attained the state of anagami, the “non-returning” stage of arhatship.
Matangi, Yasodhara, and five hundred palace maidens followed Mahaprajapati Gautami (the Buddha’s aunt) to become bhiksunis. Yasodhara and Rahula also reached attainment. Rahula, the son of Yasodhara and the Buddha, was foremost in secret practices.
In contrast, although Ananda had heard and understood the Tathagata’s secret and marvelous teachings over many lifetimes, he only listened and observed without truly practicing them. Thus, he had no real attainment, and remained entangled by desire, attachment, and the likes and dislikes of the saha world.