CHAPTER II
Tactfulness
At that time the World-honored One, rising quietly and clearly from contemplation, addressed Shariputra: "The wisdom of buddhas is very profound and infinite. Their wisdom-school is difficult to understand and difficult to enter, so that the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas cannot apprehend it. Wherefore? [Because] the buddhas have been in fellowship with countless hundred thousand myriad kotis of buddhas, perfectly practicing the infinite Law of all buddhas, boldly and zealously advancing and [making] their fame universally known, perfecting the very profound, unprecedented Law and preaching, as opportunity served, its meaning [so] difficult to understand. Shariputra! Ever since I became Buddha, with various reasonings and various parables I have widely discoursed and taught, and by countless tactful methods have led living beings, causing them to leave all attachments. Wherefore? [Because] the Tathagata is altogether perfect in his tactfulness and paramita of wisdom. Shariputra! The wisdom of the Tathagata is broad and great, profound and far-reaching; [his mind] is infinite;1 [his expositions] are unimpeded;2 [his] powers,3 [his] fearlessness,4 [his] meditations,5 [his] emancipations,6 [his] contemplations have enabled him to enter into the boundless [realms] and to accomplish all the unprecedented Law. Shariputra! The Tathagata is able to discriminate everything, preach the laws skillfully, use gentle words, and cheer the hearts of all. Shariputra! Essentially speaking, the Buddha has altogether fulfilled the infinite, boundless, unprecedented Law. Enough, Shariputra, there is no need to say more. Wherefore? [Because] the Law which the Buddha has perfected is the chief unprecedented Law, and difficult to understand. Only a buddha together with a buddha can fathom the Reality of All Existence, that is to say, all existence7 [has] such a form, such a nature, such an embodiment, such a potency, such a function, such a primary cause, such a secondary cause, such an effect, such a recompense, and such a complete fundamental whole."8
At the very end of this first part of the chapter it finishes with the ten suchnesses.I prefer to call them the ten factors and I will use a little different language to describe these factors as best I can. T'ien-t'ai taught a profound principle based on this passage of the Lotus Sutra made it into a formula which was described as inchinen sanzen , three thousand worlds in one moment.This also takes into account that sentient life manifest ten states which the Buddha had preached before. I will explain how this number was arrived at.
ReplyDeleteThe principal of the three thousand worlds in one moment was discovered by studying these words of the Buddha .By multiplying the ten factors which are appearance / form, nature and entity, describing the concepts of the life.Next is the power / potency which is the influence of a life.Then you have the inherent cause which we accumulated through the infinite past transferred from life time to life time. Another factor is an external stimulus that can be any event or experience. Lastly the latent effect and the manifest effect which is the result of the actual out come that occurs in a life. The last factor is all of these principles, ,resulting in consistency from beginning to end.This will make the sum of ten. Then you have the different states of life that the Buddha described which are Hell, Hunger ,Animality ,Anger ,Tranquility, Rapture, Learning ,Partial enlightenment and lastly Boddhisatva state and Buddhahood. which also makes ten. Multiply this number by the ten factors will give a hundred.Then you have the potential to manifest any of the ten worlds within the ten again multiplied ,making a thousand .This number will finally be multiplied by three. Which is the person ,the society and the land around where life is situated . Making all in all three thousand worlds in one moment.
This can be a very difficult concept to understand and I discovered from reading The Precious Stupa ,Treasure Tower chapter over over again that the Buddha appeared to be describing the cosmos. Which helped me come up with a theory that can illustrate the concept of three thousand worlds in one moment in a surprising way.I will write about my theory after I have posted the actual chapter for those to read for themselves.