The shurangama mantra The shurangama mantra | Page 248

【THE SHURANGAMA SUTRA _ EXTRACTION.】
and other worlds have come into
being without any cause. 8:183
”This is the first external teaching,
which postulates the absence of
cause. 8:190
”Because of this speculation, he will
lose proper and pervasive knowledge,
fall into externalism, and become
confused about the Bodhi nature.
8:184
”Ananda, in his practice of samadhi,
the good person’s mind is unmoving,
clear, and proper and can no longer
be disturbed by demons. He can
thoroughly investigate the origin of
all categories of beings and
contemplate the source of the subtle,
fleeting, and constant fluctuation. But
if he begins to speculate on its
pervasive constancy, he could fall
into error with four theories of
pervasive permanence. 8:190
”Second, perhaps this person sees no
cause for the end of life. And why?
Since he perceives the origin of life,
he believes that people are always
born as people and birds are always
born as birds; that crows have always
been black and swans have always
been white; that humans and gods
have always stood upright and
animals have always walked on four
legs; that whiteness does not come
from being washed and blackness
does not come from being dyed; and
that there have never been nor will
there be any changes for eighty
thousand eons. 8:184
”First, as this person thoroughly
investigates the mind and its states,
he may conclude that both are
causeless. Through his cultivation, he
knows that in twenty thousand eons,
as beings in the ten directions
undergo endless rounds of birth and
death, they are never annihilated.
Therefore, he speculates that the
mind and its states are permanent.
8:191
”He says, ‘As I now examine to the
end of this life, I find the same holds
true. In fact, I have never seen Bodhi,
so how can there be such a thing as
the attainment of Bodhi? You should
now realize that there is no cause for
the existence of any phenomena.’
8:188
”Second, as this person thoroughly
investigates the source of the four
elements, he may conclude that they
are permanent in nature. Through his
cultivation, he knows that in forty
thousand eons, as living beings in the
ten directions undergo births and
deaths, their substances exist
permanently and are never
annihilated. Therefore, he speculates
that this situation is permanent. 8:192
”Because of this speculation, he will
lose proper and pervasive knowledge,
fall into externalism, and become
confused about the Bodhi nature.
8:190
”Third, as this person thoroughly
investigates the sixth sense faculty,
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