Overall Teaching

Saradhvaja, while walking, emanates countless liberating beings and buddhas due to the power of the perfection of wisdom.

Summary

1. Sudhana, reflecting on Muktaka’s instructions, considering the inconceivability of the the work of bodhisattvas, proceeded to the tip of the continent[1] to look for the monk[2] Saradhvaja.3 He saw him doing walking meditation, following his breath but detached from it, not thinking, and manifesting an infinite variety of bodies in all directions to honour all buddhas and introduce all beings to omniscience.[3] (1197)

2. Emanating from Saradhvaja’s feet were grandees adorned royally and beings who were serving the poor and satisfying sentient beings, developing them for awakening.[4] There were also warriors, Brahmins, and wizards emanating from various other parts of his body also guiding beings. Finally he saw bodhisattvas emerging from every poor, each series representing another one of the ten pāramitās. Finally, he saw buddhas emerging from his top knot, each one manifesting countless buddha-lands adorned magnificently showering rains from clouds of teaching, and above these webs of light beams emerging from every pore doing the same—purifying all lands, and awakening sentient beings who were in ignorance.[5] (1197-1206)

3. Observing, concentrating upon, and contemplating this sphere of concentration of Saradhvaja, Sudhana stood there first for a day and night,[6] seven days and nights,[7]  a fortnight,[8] a month,[9] and then for six months[10] and six days[11] until Saradhvaja emerged from the samādhi. Then finally Sudhana praised how beneficial and wholesome Saradhvaja’s samādhi was. He asked Saradhvaja what the name of that samādhi was:

(1206-7)

a.     Saradhvaja replied that it is Manifestation of Universal Purification, which is the light of the samādhi of the perfection of wisdom which is called equanimity of the universal eye, from which countless concentrations spring forth.

b.     Sudhana asked if this was the greatest range of this samādhi.

c.     Saradhvaja replied that while one with this samādhi can see and adorn worlds, and receive and follow the teachings of the buddhas’ teachings due to the power of the perfection of wisdom, he cannot explain higher states,[12] thus Sudhana should go to Samudravetadin, where he can find Aśa, wife of Suprabha.

4. Uplifted by this instruction and contemplating this purifying samādhi pointed out by Saradhvaja, Sudhana left.

[1] Li: “Because Saradhvaja had reached the ultimate boundary of transmundane knowledge, he ‘lived on the tip of the continent.” (1574)

[2] Li: “Because he had only attained the great compassion by which worldlings transcend the world and had not attained the great compassion by which to enter the mundane and share its confinements, he was a “monk.” 3 His name means Core Banner, though Li translates it as Ocean Banner (Sāgaradhvaja). He represents the sixth abode: the correct state of mind.

[3] Li: “Sudhana saw Saradhvaja by the side of a place for walking meditation. A place for walking represents function, concentration in quiescence. This represents having tranquility based on function. That Saradhvaja was sitting by the wisde of the promenade represents not dwelling in quiescent function, being spontaneous and free. He was detached from his breathing representing tranquility and function in accord with inner reality ,since essence is inherently omnipresence and is not going in or out.

[4] Li: These beings represent people who practice virtue, while feet represent travel, i.e. bodhisattvas travel throughout the ten directions to practice virtue.

[5] Li: “This all illustrates the use of knowledge of emptiness to produce various bodies, creating multitudes of emanations filling the ten directions, developing, educating, and adorning sentient being while in essence being like space, completely free from cognition. Therefore Saradhvaja produced the appearances of these multiudes of beings in the midst of trance. … [The light beams represent that] his whole body was the unimpeded light of truth of the body of reality.” (1576)

[6] Li: representing fulfillment of generosity.

[7] Li: Representing the seven branches of ethics.

[8] Li: Representing the fulfillment of forbearance (i.e. half a month means half in the sense of only benefiting oneself and not actively benefiting others yet).

[9] Li: Representing diligence.

[10] Li: Representing the sixth abode, the correct state of mind.

[11] Li: Representing the sixth perfection, wisdom.

[12] Li summarises this as “he had only attained the pure love of unaffected action and had not yet attained the great compassion and skill in means to cooperate with sentient beings.”