“O’ Sariputa! You should now know that originally I made a vow to make all sentient beings my equal, without any difference.” The Lotus Sutra, Vol. 1
「舍利弗當知，我本立誓願，
欲令一切眾，如我等無異。」
《妙法蓮華經》卷1
Remarks:
The notion of “observation of tranquility” conveys the meaning of the dawning at the bodhi path (at the Tenth Faith stage), in which a bodhisattva gains confidence in the Buddha’s teachings; expands to full faith, thereby aspiring to attain the bodhi mind; and then extensively practices the six paramitas to eventually attain enlightenment. That is, the practitioner realizes that each and every sentient being is intrinsically endowed with the True Mind, tathāgatagarbha—inherently pure nirvāṇa.
The practice method of“observation of tranquility” is essential to enlightened bodhisattvas (while not required for Two-Vehicle practitioners) as bodhisattvas will have the ability to align themselves with the specific nirvāṇic nature of the True Mind and continue their cultivation to eventually attain Buddhahood. Nonetheless, bodhisattvas must complete the required cultivation of the relevant supporting dharmas (mastering the meditative concentration skills, attaining sufficient correct knowledge pertaining to prajñā, and gathering stocks of virtues) before having a chance to realize the ultimate truth of nirvāṇa－the True Mind, tathāgatagarbha—and to initiate their prajñā to attain the wisdom eye. By undertaking these processes, bodhisattvas will also learn the conventional truth that the dharmas of aggregates, sense fields, elements, and so on are all unreal. After almost three immeasurable eons, they will finally attain the reward-body Buddha with 32 majestic physical features and 80 associated good marks. Thus, it is important for bodhisattvas to realize their inherently permanently existing tathāgatagarbha to be at ease and remain steadfast with their predetermined 52 stages of bodhi path practices. Thus, by relying on the True Mind for actual observation practices, denotes the term“observation of tranquility.”
The aforementioned True Mind is also known as the “apex of truth” (benji;本際) of the remainderless nirvāṇa that Two-Vehicle practitioners aim to enter. However, Two-Vehicle practitioners focus only on observing and contemplating the conventional truth of the aggregates, sense fields, and elements, and the phenomenal dharmas, which are all unreal/compounded dharmas that arise and will eventually vanish. Their goal is to transcend the endless stream of transmigration within the three realms. Hence, the dharma of the Two Vehicles seeks a renunciation of potential future rebirths and the notions of “nirvāṇa with remainder” and “remainderless nirvāṇa,” which are mere “nirvāṇas” taught by the Buddha and serve as temporary places for Hīnayāna practitioners to rely upon and rest before they ultimately join the [Mahāyāna] Path to Buddhahood. The Buddha waits for the conditions of the Hīnayāna practitioners to mature before delineating the Mahāyāna principle and guiding His disciples to cultivate the ultimate and most definitive bodhisattva path to attain Buddhahood. That is to say, Two-Vehicle practitioners cultivate only “observation of renunciation” to attain the virtues of liberation, whereas the bodhisattvas cultivate both “observation of renunciation” and “observation of tranquility” to further obtain the virtues of the Dharma-body—that is, the personal realization of tathāgatagarbha to bring forth the wisdom pertaining to prajñā.
Knowing that “observation
of renunciation” is only a small portion of “observation of tranquility” will
help us choose the suitable path for our Buddhist practices. However, despite the
connotational difference between the two kinds of practice methods, they are interconnected
by the fact that Mahāyāna
(Path to Buddhahood) is the foundation of the Two-Lesser Vehicle (Path to
Liberation).
#Buddha #mahayana #hinayana #PathtoBuddhahood #nirvana #tathagartagarbha #prajna #observationoftranquility #observationofrenunciation
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