Kanho Chris Burkhart and IkuShun Desiree Webster lead the community in an exploration of the Surangama Sutra.  This is the fifth class of the series.

NOTE: Unfortunately, the recording was lost for this class, but following are IkuShun Desiree's notes for her portion of the presentation and discussion. 

Talk notes:

Surangama Class 5 

Part 9 Levels of Being 

The first chapter starts out as a bit of a review from Part 4—how “adding understanding on top of [true] understanding” is delusion and a basis for coming into being and ceasing to be. Then it introduces us to the different classes of beings—depending on their various attributes due to karmic forces. 

Chapter 2 defines in specific terms these 12 classes of beings. 

Chapter 3 discusses three Gradual Steps we can take in order to eradicate the fundamental factors that are the source of this disordered mental activity. 

Chapter 4 describes the Fifty-Seven Stages of the Bodhisattva’s Path… 

Chapter 1—The Coming into Being of the World of Illusion 

…Ananda continues with his questions around different stages of wisdom…”what is arid wisdom?  What are the forty-four states through which the mind must pass in order to reach the goal of spiritual practice? At what stage of mastery does one reach the ten grounds? What does it mean to be a Bodhisattva at the stage of Equivalent Enlightenment?” 

The World-Honored One then praised Ananda, saying, “Excellent!...Listen carefully to what I say to you.” 

The Buddha said, “you should know, Ananda, that the wondrous enlightened nature is endowed with perfect understanding.  It is apart from all names and attributes, and in it, at the fundamental level, there are no worlds and no beings.  It is because of delusionthat there is coming into being, and because there is coming into being, there is ceasing to be.  Coming into being and ceasing to be are delusions.  When delusion ceases, reality appears.  This turning back from duality to reality is called the supreme awakening.  It is also called the great nirvana of the Thus-Come Ones. 

…you should begin by understanding the causes for two distorted phenomena—that is—beings and the worlds in which beings exist.  When these two phenomena do not come into being, the true samadhi of the Thus-Come One appears. 

…what is the distorted phenomenon that we call beings, Ananda? The enlightened nature of the true mind that understands is such that its understanding is perfect and complete.  But, Ananda, from this understanding, another understanding may be created as another entity, and from that other entity, a deluded awareness will come into being.  Thus from within the original state which has no attributes whatsoever, that which has definite attributes comes into being.  

Neither what comes into being nor what it comes into being from are based on anything, nor are they a basis for anything. Beings and the worlds they dwell in have no foundation, and yet, despite their having no foundation, beings and the worlds come into being… 

…confusion about the original perfect understanding results in delusion, but this delusion has no essential nature of its own; it is based on nothing. One may wish to return to what is real, but to wish for the real is already a falsification.  The true nature of the suchness of reality is not a reality that one can seek to return to. If one were to try to return to it, one would merely experience something that does not have the attributes of reality. 

[Commentary…”don’t go looking for your donkey while you’re riding on your donkey!... the real nature of suchness is not a truth that you can try to return to…it’snot that you decide to return to inherent truth. Rather, you simply dispense with ignorance; that dispensing itself is the truth. There is no need to seek further.”] 

Ananda, what is the distorted phenomenon of worlds? Because of the existence of the mind and of what the mind observes, there arises the unreal phenomenon of beings divided into individual bodies, and from this, boundaries are established.  Yet these bodies and their boundaries are neither based on anything nor are a basis for anything.  There is no abiding nor any place of abiding; there is only a constant and unending flux.  The three periods of time and the four directions of the worlds intersect and combine, and in this way, beings are transformed into any one of twelve classes. 

Thus in this world, because there is movement, there are sounds, and because there are sounds, there are visible objects.  Because there are visible objects, there are odors.  Because there are odors, there are objects of touch. Because there are objects of touch, there are flavors.  Because there are flavors, there are objects of cognition. Because of the karma created by these six kinds of disordered mental activity, the twelve classes of beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth. 

Therefore, because of the visible objects, sounds, odors, flavors, objects of touch, and objects of cognition in this world, beings may be born in succession through the twelve classes, thus making a complete sequence… 

Chapter 2—Twelve Classes of Beings 

The Buddha continues to describe the various forms which arise from various distortions…I will give a few examples found on pages 318-322 in the text. 

1. Thus, Ananda, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this world as a result of illusion, which arises from distorted mental activity.  That mental activity combines with vital energies to create eighty-four thousand kinds of distorted predilections for flying or for being submerged.  The result is the fetal stage of beings who are born from eggs.  These become the fish, birds, turtles and snakes.  In their multitudes, they have spread throughout the world. 
2. Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this world as a result of impure mingling, which arises from distorted desires.  Those desires combine with procreative substances to create eighty-four thousand kinds of disordered predilections for standing upright or on four legs.  The result is the fetal stage of beings who are born from wombs.  These become the humans, beasts, dragons and ascetic masters.  In their multitudes, they have spread throughout the world. 
5. Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this world as a result of stagnation, which arises from distortions due to hindrance.  This hindrance, combining with an attachment to display, produces eighty-four thousand kinds of distorted predilections for glittering and shining.  The result is the developments of beings who may or may not make their bodies visible.  These are the bioluminescent beings of either an auspicious or an inauspicious nature.  In their multitudes, they have spread throughout the world. 
7. Further, beings are bound to the cycle of death and rebirth in this world as a result of deceptive imaginings, which arise from distortions due to shadowy images.  Those shadowy images combine with memories to produce eighty-four thousand kinds of predilections for attachment to seclusion and obscurity.  The result is the development of beings who are capable of cognition but lack a physical body.  These are spirits, ghosts, and phantoms.  In their multitudes, they have spread throughout the world. 

Chapter 3—The three gradual steps 

A) “Avoiding the Plants of the Onion Group—Now, if you wish to practice and to master the samadhi of the Buddhas, you should take three gradual steps in order to eradicate the fundamental factors that are the source of this disordered mental activity… what are the three steps? The first is the practice that eliminates contributing factors.  

What are contributing factors, Ananda? Consider it this way: the twelve classes of beings of this world cannot sustain themselves without some kind of nourishment, which may be taken in one of the four ways: by mouth, by touch, by thought, or by consciousness.  That is why the Buddha says that all beings take nourishment in order to sustain themselves. All beings must take nourishing food to live, Ananda, and if they consume a toxic substance, they may die.  Beings who seek to enter samadhi must refrain from eating the five plants of the onion group.  When eaten cooked, these plants arouse sexual desire; when eaten raw, they increase anger. Gods and ascetic masters of the ten directions keep their distance from anyone who eats these plants, because the plants cause people to stink, including even people who can expound upon the twelve types of discourse spoken by the Buddha.  Hungry ghosts, meanwhile, will come and lick and kiss the lips of people who have eaten these plants. Such people will always be accompanied by ghosts and their blessings will lessen day by day.  They will experience no lasting benefit.  And, the Bodhisattvas, gods, ascetic masters and wholesome spirits will not come to protect them, because they stink!—Demon-kings of great power—however—will seize the opportunity to appear before these people pretending to be in a form of a buddha and pretend to speak the dharma to them…Ananda, those who practice in pursuit of awakening must forever refrain from eating these plants in the onion group!” 

B) Ending Any Violation of the Fundamental Rules of Behavior 

“What is meant by the ‘Fundamental Rules of Behavior? —Ananda, beings who wish to enter samadhi must strictly observe the pure precepts. They must rid themselves of sexual desire…they must not consume alcohol or meat…they may eat raw food only when it has been made allowable after it has been exposed to fire, to ensure that the plant’s vital energies are not consumed for nourishment. 

[Commentary: the text here refers to improper sexual desire…love that is a loving regard for one’s spouse and children is not what is meant here…]  

People of this world who haveaccomplished following the precepts will be free forever of the mutual karma that arises when one kills in this life and so is killed in turn in a subsequent life.  Further, people of this world who do not steal will never become indebted to another; they will incur no debts from the past.” 

C) “Avoiding Intentional Engagement with Perceived Objects 

What is meant by ‘intentional engagement with perceived objects, Ananda? People who practice in this way—who observe the prohibitory precepts with purity and have no [inappropriate] sexual desire—allow themselves few outflows in response to the six kinds of perceived objects.  Because their outflows are few, these people can redirect the attention of their faculties inward to the faculties source.  Since their faculties are no longer paying attention to objects of perception, the faculties and objects are no longer paired.  Once the attention has been redirected inward, the faculties become one and cease to function in six separate ways. 

Chapter 4—The Fifty-Seven Stages of the Bodhisattva’s Path 

Arid Wisdom 

“Ananda, when in good people emotional love and desire have dried up and their sense-faculties are no longer paired with sense-objects, their remaining habitual tendencies no longer arise.  Their attachments are emptied out, and their minds are clear.  What is left is pure wisdom, whose brilliant and perfect nature shines throughout the worlds of the ten directions. This pure wisdom exists because their desires have dried up, and so this stage is called ‘Arid Wisdom.’ Although their habits of desire have now dried up, they have not yet entered the stream of the Thus-Come Ones Dharma. 

I want to note here that the following segments—the Ten Stages, the Ten Abodes, the Ten Practices, and the Ten Dedications are also contained within the wondrous Avatamsaka Sutra—The Flower Garland Sutra—in great detail.  I have to put in a plug for it here—I think that it is one of the most beautiful of the sutras—with an emphasis on Interbeing. In fact, a few of us are, at this very moment, in the middle of the Ten Stages, which is over 100 pages long!  The Avatamsaka Sutra is over 1500 pages, is very verbose and yet--is deep and wondrous and beautifully written; I think you can read any number of chapters without reading the whole thing and still obtain benefit. 

Ok, back to Surangama—I hope that you have access to this text, either in hand or from Tera Bess or pdf because this chapter is well worth reading--but I won’tread through the long list of 57 stages.  It is very inspirational—in much the same way as Avatamsaka—leading us along the path of Bodhisattva's… 

So! What I am going to do now, instead of reading through the lists, is to end my section today by reading a paragraph or two from this chapter on The Ten Dedications, and then read a paragraph on theTen Dedicationsfrom Avatamsaka Sutra also. 

“Ananda, now that these good people have gained full spiritual powers and have gained proficiency in doing the work of the Buddhas, they are entirely pure and true, and they are far from all hindrance and misfortune.  They will now be able to rescue beings, and yet they have relinquished all attachment to their rescuing of beings. In rescuing them, they turn from the mental state that is apart from conditions towards the path that leads to nirvana.  This is the stage called, ‘Dedicating the Rescue of Beings while Remaining Unattached… 

And now, from Avatamsaka:  

“What is the great enlightening being's dedication to saving all sentient beings? Here the enlightening beings practice transcendent giving, purify transcendent discipline, cultivate transcendent forbearance, arouse transcendent energy enter transcendent meditation, abide in transcendent wisdom, great compassion, great kindness, great joy, and great equanimity.  Cultivating boundless roots of goodness such as these, they form this thought: ‘May these roots of goodness universally benefit all sentient beings, causing them to be purified, to reach the ultimate and forever leave the innumerable pain and afflictions of the realms of hells, ghosts and animals, and so on. When the great enlightening beings plant these roots of goodness, they dedicate their own roots of goodness thus: I should be a hostel for all sentient beings, to let them escape from all painful things.  I should be a protector for all sentient beings, to let them all be liberated from all afflictions.  I should be a refuge for all sentient beings, to free them from all fears…”