Surangama Sutra Exposition
by Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu
Once one of the roots is free from distractions and delusion, the rest will also become purified.
“The Tathagatas of the ten directions, through cultivating each of the eighteen sense fields, have all attained perfect, complete, unsurpassed bodhi. Among these, there is no superiority or inferiority. However, you, being of inferior capacity, are unable to fully realize the effortless wisdom within them all.
“Therefore, I proclaim this teaching so that you may deeply enter through a single gate. When you enter the one without delusion, all six sense faculties will become pure at once.
Ananda addressed the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One, how does one go against the flow and deeply enter through a single gate, so that the six sense faculties can simultaneously become pure?”
All tathagatas of the ten directions realize the Way and attain anuttara samyaksambodhi (unexcelled perfect enlightenment) through the cultivation of the eighteen sense fields. These are the six sense faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind); the six sense objects (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental formations); and the six consciousnesses.
There are four stages of realization on the path to the Way:
- The stage of seeing the Way [initial or conceptual enlightenment]
- The stage of practicing the Way [applying the understanding]
- The stage of walking the Way [actualizing and realizing the enlightenment]
- The stage of attaining the Way [perfect enlightenment and perfect execution]
[The typical description of a buddha is one who has perfected both enlightenment/realization and its application/conduct. Only then can one be said to have attained the Way.]
Each root possesses one thousand two hundred merits, and none is inherently better or worse than the others.
The Buddha considered Ananda to have the least spiritual capacity among the ten principal disciples. Although he was foremost in hearing and remembering the dharma, he attained enlightenment only after the Buddha’s Parinirvana. The Buddha observed that he was unable to understand the highest wisdom—that allows him great self-mastery and complete liberation. Thus, he advised him to choose one of the six roots that was most suitable for his practice. The Buddha explained that if one can completely purify that root—so it is completely free from random thoughts and delusions, the other roots would also become purified simultaneously.
Ananda continued to ask, “In order to attain the state of non-arising and non-ceasing, how can purification of one root allow the rest to also become purified?” The answer will be discussed next.