Surangama Sutra Exposition
by Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu
As a practitioner, there are two primary principles to cultivate buddhahood. The first is to cultivate a non-arising and non-ceasing mind. The second is to generate bodhicitta. Sentient beings are important—without them it is impossible to attain bodhisattvahood and buddhahood.
“Secondly, if you truly wish to arouse the bodhicitta and give rise to great courage on the bodhisattva path, you must decisively renounce all conditioned phenomena and carefully examine the root of afflictions. Since beginningless time, who creates the karma that propels existence, and who receives its results?
The first truth in spiritual cultivation is to develop a non-arising and non-ceasing mind as the cause. The second truth is to generate bodhicitta.
Giving rise to great courage on the bodhisattva path means cultivating the Greater Vehicle that liberates sentient beings. This is the courageous mind.
Nagarjuna Bodhisattva says: spiritual cultivation is all about benefitting sentient beings. To become a bodhisattva or a buddha, one must benefit sentient beings. If one practices only for oneself, one can only attain the level of a sravaka or pratyekabuddha. To rise above sravakahood, one must follow the Greater Vehicle, benefiting both oneself and others.
After developing a courageous mind, one must abandon all things that come and go (all conditioned phenomena). Carefully observe the reasons for afflictions, where they originate, and how to remove them. Sakyamuni Buddha asks us to reflect: throughout countless lifetimes from beginningless time, what is the true cause of affliction? Who creates karma and afflictions, and who bears their results? Why do we become upset, and who is it that experiences these afflictions?
Everyone, including Grandmaster, has afflictions. Marriage, career, money, and health can all become sources of afflictions. It’s impossible to live without worries. For example, when Grandmaster was in the hospital, he felt very afflicted. He received many injections, took insulin, had blood drawn every two hours (even though he was anemic), received blood transfusions, and underwent many urine and stool tests, along with numerous other procedures. Every day, he wondered when he would be able to ride the light rail again, and to stand and walk.
Physical illness and poor sleep are also afflictions. A psychiatrist once told Grandmaster that one in three people has trouble sleeping. As people age, they often don’t sleep for one long stretch. One may wake up at strange times and feel sleepy at odd hours. Bad and strange dreams cause sleep disturbances as well.
Between the ages of sixty-six and seventy-six, Grandmaster spent half the year in Taiwan, and half the year in the United States. During this time, he completed the construction of the entire Taiwan Lei Tsang Temple and a seven-story administrative building. However, his recent hospitalization made him feel that he has aged. Previously, he could do everything he wanted, but now he cannot. Aging is its own kind of suffering, as the body weakens and illnesses easily arise.
Grandmaster pushed himself to work very hard, resting only for two weeks before returning to the Seattle temple. After just one month of recuperation, he ascended the dharma throne to preside over the grand spring ceremony in 2026. At that time, it was difficult for him to get in and out of a car. He was afraid of aggravating his wound and even feared that coughing could make it worse.
[He did all this for the sake of sentient beings. As the grand ceremony had already been scheduled, he did not wish to disappoint those who had planned to attend, and also hoped to encourage those who had not yet planned to come. He sacrificed his own interests for the benefit of others.]
If one can enter the unconditioned phenomena—the non-arising and non-ceasing—one will no longer suffer afflictions and will disregard suffering as suffering. One must have a great and courageous mind to benefit sentient beings.