Surangama Sutra Exposition
by Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu
Do you have self-mastery through your spiritual cultivation? Have you reached the state of non-leakage?
No matter how many sutras or dharmas you hear, if you lack actual practice, in the face of adversity, you will crumble instantly.
Ananda and the great assembly, having heard the Buddha’s instruction and admonition, felt their doubts dissolve and their minds awaken to the true reality. Their bodies and minds became light and at ease, experiencing a state they had never known before.
Once again, with tears of emotion, they bowed at the Buddha’s feet. Kneeling with palms joined, they addressed the Buddha, saying:
The moment Ananda encountered the Matangi woman, he was overcome because he lacked actual practice—he had not practiced the non-leaking dharma of the body and the mind. Although Ananda was foremost in hearing dharma, it did not help him because he did not put it into practice.
Practicing the sadhana is crucial, and so is transforming the mind. The ability to apply and put the teaching into practice is key! It is more important than conceptual understanding.
Sakyamuni Buddha used this example to teach Ananda and the great assembly. Ananda was still immersed in desires, while Matangi could instantly give them up. Despite Matangi being a courtesan, upon hearing the Surangama mantra, she immediately stopped having any desires. She entered monastic life and eventually attained liberation. Matangi succeeded where Ananda did not.
What is the true reality? The phenomena of the true reality is non-leakage, which never disappears. Everything in this world will disappear, even one’s own body. Once you realize this true reality, you are awakened to the wondrous luminous true mind, the tathagata-garbha. It does not matter if one’s body is gone, because everything with form will eventually disappear.
Ananda then felt he understood and experienced the teachings deeply. He felt the dharma flow filling him completely.
[Grandmaster continues and references the following passage from the previous talk 98]
“Just like Matangi, even when 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?”
Matangi eventually became a bhiksuni. Yasodhara was Sakyamuni Buddha’s favorite consort when he was a prince, and they had a son named Rahula. They also had their causes and conditions from past lives. Matangi knew that desire, love, and attachments are sources of suffering; every suffering stems from them.
Through the power and blessing of the Surangama mantra, Matangi attained the undefiled goodness and was freed from the entanglements of the saha world and received the Buddha’s prophecy (vyakarana).
On the other hand, Ananda was deceiving himself. Although he had listened to countless teachings from Sakyamuni Buddha, he did not put them into practice and made no real progress. In the face of temptation and adversity, he was unable to control himself and almost fell. No matter how many sutras or dharmas you hear, if you lack actual practice, you have no self-mastery and will easily tumble when challenges come.