|
The
Heart Sutra
"WHEN THE BODHISATTVA AVALOKITESVARA"
The
opening words introduce the one practicing the Dharma. The Prajna
teachings were spoken by the Buddha during the fourth stage, his
purpose being to guide those practicing what later became the approach
of the Theravadins toward the practice of Mahayana Dharma. Whoever
practices according to the Small Vehicle practices virtuous conduct and
Dharma primarily to benefit self. The Mahayana practice, on the other
hand, is aimed to benefit self and others. To liberate all sentient
beings implies concern for the well-being of all people. Bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara was chosen to demonstrate to the person of the Small
Vehicle mentality the full dimension of Mahayana teaching. The name
Avalokitesvara lends itself to several interpretations: The Chinese
version, i.e. Guan Zi Zai, means the attainment of the bodhisattva
stage and the cause-ground for practicing Dharma.
Why
did we, the Chinese, choose to call the Bodhisattva Guan Zi Zai?
Because he has attained the fruition of the path. Visualizing and
contemplating the name we come to understand its meaning. Guan means to
observe and to illuminate: The one who practices the bodhisattva path
not only illuminates own mind, but the world as well; practicing in
that manner one can be sure to obtain liberation. That is what Guan Zi
Zai means.
What
is the meaning of Zi Zai? The one who is able to halt the two kinds of
birth and death and the five fundamental conditions of passions and
delusions can be called Zi Zai. To observe own self is to discover body
and mind bound by five skandhas and six organs with their corresponding
six data; we are not free, and therefore, not Zi Zai.
The
name Avalokitesvara comes from the ground causes of the Bodhisattva's
Dharma practice while on an island, perceiving the sounds of the world,
rooted in time as they are, rising and failing with the ebb and flow of
the ocean. From the sound of the tide rising and falling, the
Bodhisattva attained enlightenment, perfectly and completely
comprehending the Dharma of birth and non-birth.
Someone
asked how and why did the Bodhisattva attain the Tao and became
enlightened by observing the ebb tide? The Bodhisattva, while
practicing by the sea, contemplated the sound as it increased,
decreased and then came to full stop, occurring simultaneously with the
ebb tide. He pondered the root of causes and finally attained
enlightenment by understanding that all existence is subject to birth
and death and, therefore, is impermanent. Yet the hearing is timeless,
hence beyond birth and death. Those without practice can hear, but do
not listen. While hearing the sounds they only think of "outside"; the
sound of the tide has birth and death, but the nature of hearing does
not. Why? Because even when the sound of the tide stops, our capacity
or nature for hearing does not. We can still hear the wind in the
branches of a tree, the songs of birds and the shrill sound of the
cicadas. Had our capacity for hearing vanished with the sound, we
should not be able to hear ever again. Even when all is quiet late at
night, we are aware of silence or non-sound, because of our capacity
for hearing. There are two kinds of hearing: One comes and goes in
response to stimulation, the other functions independently of it. Thus
we can safely say that although sounds have birth and death, the
hearing capacity does not. It actually never vanishes. All existence,
including dharmas, is impermanent and therefore subject to birth and
death - just like magic, like bubbles or like shadows. The nature of
hearing, on the other hand, can never be destroyed.
In
that manner we come to know the bright and accomplished nature of
hearing. Our mind accords with whatever we observe: If we observe birth
and death, there is birth and death. If we observe non-birth and
non-death, there is no birth and no death. All things are produced by
the mind; they are completed through contemplation. Everyone has a mind
and consequently a potential to formulate the world according to own
intentions, but without effort he/she will not succeed. Nature is the
substance, mind, the function. The function never separates from the
substance, nor the substance from the function. Function and substance,
though separate, are causally connected. Nature governs the mind and
the mind is the nature's function; they mesh. Although both retain
their own character, they are inseparable. Dharma practice can start
right at this point. One needs to understand one's mind, see one's True
Nature and following that, attain the Tao.
The
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara practice makes one listen to, and be mindful
of one's own nature and by means of listening attain the wonderful
function. Listening to own nature has no boundaries and it can
accommodate all sentient beings while saving them. We worldlings only
react or become concerned about what we construe to be external or
outside sound. Negligent of our True Nature, we hardly ever try to
listen to it and our hearing is partial as a result of it. When we
listen to own nature, our listening is not delimited by time.
Perceiving one's nature thus, one's listening is complete and continual
and one's joy and happiness are permanent.
When
phonetically transliterated into Chinese, the Sanskrit word
"Bodhisattva" produces two characters: Pu Sa or Bo Sa. Bodhi (Pu or Bo
in Chinese) means perfect knowledge or wisdom by which person becomes
buddha. Sattva (Sa in Chinese) stands for an enlightened and
enlightening being, which is to say that person has already enlightened
his own nature by freeing him/herself from birth and death, and helps
other sentient beings to do likewise. Worldlings, however, hold on to
feelings and disregard or oppose the doctrine. Confusion and
frustration take them through the samsaric suffering in the cycle of
existence. To perceive one's Self-Nature by listening is the
bodhisattva's way out of the round of birth and death.
The
first line of the sutra informs us of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara as
the appointed practice leader of the Prajna Assembly. He is going to
teach us how to follow his Dharma practice and establish mindfulness by
listening to Self Nature.
|
|