Summary

57. There are three kinds of projection bodies[1] obtained after the first stage:

i.            The projection body that experiences the bliss of samādhi.

§ When experiencing samādhi on the third, fourth, and fifth stages, when thoughts become still and waves of consciousness (1st-7th) in the ocean of the mind (8th) cease, and they realise all is mind-only.

ii.           The projection body that realises the essential nature of dharmas.

§ When realising the illusoriness of dharmas at the eighth stage, with knowledge of the unfolding of all forms, limbs adorned with all attributes, entering buddha assemblies, & being versed in the nature of dharmas.

iii.          The projection body whose natural state is motionless.

§  The realisation that the characteristics of all the teachings of the buddhas are based on personal attainment.[2]

§  The Buddha’s path thus is not great, instruction, truth, liberation, or nothingness: the Mahāyāna involves samādhi, projection bodies, and self-mastery.[3] 58. A person who commits the five avīci deeds does not fall into Avīci Hell, because: § Killing one’s mother means severing desire (to be reborn).

§  Killing one’s father means severing ignorance (by which one is born).

§  Killing an arhat means exterminating hidden passions (like hidden rodents).

§  Disrupting the saṅgha means destroying the characteristics that form the skandhas.

§  Drawing the blood of a buddha is transforming the seven consciousnesses (which embody the buddha one imagines becoming through cultivation).

§  One who does these deeds is called ‘unrelenting.’

§  One who commits the external avīci deeds cannot attain the three liberations.[4]

§  One who commits the avīci deeds through spiritual power may do so as a manifestation to encourage others who commit them to end their transgressions.[5] But those who continue cannot avoid avīci hell until they realise all is mind-only, or they encounter a good friend (i.e. the Buddha).[6]

59.  A Buddha’s awareness consists in:

§   Realising no-self in beings or things

§   Understanding the obstructions of passion[7] and knowledge.[8]

§   Transcending karmic and transformation death.[9]

§   Ending the afflictions of the senses and what they give rise to.[10]

§   Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas who also realise these are called buddhas too.

60.  The Buddha says his was all buddhas of the past, or that he was a particular individual in a past life because of the four uniformities:

§  Uniformity of syllables: the same syllables are used to call all buddhas ‘buddha.’

§  Uniformity of voices: the sixty-four transcendent sounds that characterise his voice characterise the voices of all buddhas.[11][12]

§  Uniformity of bodies: there is no difference between the dharma-body of different buddhas, or the marks of their physical bodies. Different guises are manifestations to teach beings.

§  Uniformity of teachings: All buddhas teach the thirty-seven factors of awakening12 and speak with unobstructed wisdom.[13]

61.  The Buddha says that he only teaches by not speaking a word because of two dharmatās:[14]

§  The dharmatā of personal realisation: what other tathāgatas realise, beyond explanations or distinctions and beyond dualism.

§  The ever-present dharmatā: the dharmadhātu (dharma-realm) which is always present like the nature of gold. Like a person discovering an old city along an old path who did not make the road or the city.

62.  People depend on, fall prey to, and try to escape existence and non-existence:

§  People depend on existence because they think the world arises based on causes and conditions and ceases in their absence—those who claim it doesn’t claim it has no cause.

§  People depend on non-existence when they imagine that greed, anger, and delusion exist, and suppose that they may not exist—they also don’t perceive these in awakened ones: they suppose they existed and then ceased existing. Thus, these are nihilists both internally and externally. But greed, anger, and delusion cannot be seen internally or externally because there is nothing to see.

§  Awakened ones have the nature of liberation, with neither bondage nor the cause of bondage. If they had bondages their cause would be bondage. Nihilism is to turn no appearance into a view: so belief in a self is better than a vain and empty view of emptiness.[15] Nihilists don’t realise characteristics (existing or not) are perceptions of their own mind: they see impermanence as emptiness, not realising that the impermanent phenomena are mind-only.[16]

63.  There are two ways:

§  The way of attainment: personal realisation transcending projections of words, leading to passionlessness, and the stages free from speculations, overcoming the māras, and shining forth inner awareness.

§  The way of instruction: instruction in the nine types of teachings[17] free from characteristics of duality, using skilful means to help others attain liberation.

64.  Projections arise from attachment to misperceptions of different objects, which are perceptions of their own mind. Being abetted by the views of others, and the habit energy of their own projections[18] they become attached to external objects, the mind, and what belongs to the mind, thus projecting self and what belongs to the self. However, while attachment to projections of the mind give rise to further projections, Mahāmati wonders why attachment to ultimate truth does not:

§ It is not a case of them arising in one case or not arising in another, for when one sees projections of the mind as mind-only, then they cease giving rise to further projections. By thus transforming their view they see things clearly as mind-only.

65.  Bodhisattvas should become versed in speech and meaning:

§  Speech is using projections and words relying on the parts of the mouth. It arises from attachment to habit energy of discriminating one’s own and other’s words.

§  Meaning transcends characteristics of projections and speech. On basis of meaning, through wisdom gained from learning, reflection, and meditation, bodhisattvas transform habit-energy, contemplate distinctive characteristics of meaning, and proceed to personal realisation. Bodhisattvas regard speech and meaning as neither the same nor different, one illuminates the other, like a lamp illuminates form. But attachment to meanings is falling prey to views and projections of assertion or denial.

66.  The Buddha distinguishes the characteristics of knowledge and consciousness: § Knowledge has three kinds:

i.        Mundane: ordinary knowledge of those attached to existence & nonexistence.

ii.      Metaphysical: knowledge of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas who fall prey to longing and attachment to individual & shared characteristics.

iii.     Transcendent: knowledge of awakened ones who contemplate what is free from projections and see it as neither arising nor ceasing, transcending existence & non-existence, with absence of self-depending on personal attainment. Transcendent knowledge is what neither arises nor ceases. It has three objects:

1.     Knowledge of arising and cessation.

2. Knowledge of individual and shared characteristics.

3.     Knowledge of non-arising and non-cessation.

It also has no obstructions, is characterised by being absent of anything selfexistent. It is characterised by non-attainment. The realm of buddha knowledge is neither present nor absent, like the moon in water.

§ Consciousness is what arises and ceases, and falls prey to characteristics of existence and non-existence. Consciousness is characterised by increase. It has obstructions

of external realms. It is characterised by what arises from threefold combinations. It is characterised by attainment. Consciousness accumulates karma.

67.  The nine views of change (change of shape, characteristic, cause, connection, view, existence, perceptible condition, perceptible function, & origin) are held by followers of other paths. They view change as something being not as it was, but neither being different, like gold being shaped into an ornament. Though something appears to arise or cease, there’s nothing there, just like a magic trick or dream.  

68.  Mahāmati declares that he and the other bodhisattvas, through being adept at distinguishing the characteristics of continuity and non-continuity, would be better able to overcome attachment to continuities and transcend erroneous projections. The buddha explains:

§  Attachments to continuities based on how their meaning is expressed in words are limitless. Such as attachment to continuity of characteristics, conditions, existence and non-existence, and so forth, up to aspects of the Dharma and the One-Vehicle.

§  Beings, like silkworms making cocoons, using the thread of projection, envelop themselves and others in attachments to characteristics of continuities of existence and non-existence.

§  Due to non-arising of projections, bodhisattvas see everything as still. External entities do not exist, their characteristics are perceptions of your own mind. Seeing this, all continuities become still. Although others think bondage and emancipation exist, there’s nothing to be bound or emancipated from, as among what exists and does not exist, no beings are found.

§  The ignorant have three continuities: greed, anger, and delusion, with desire for future happiness. These, together with continuity of existence, link to the five destinies.[19] But if continuities are ended, there are no characteristics of continuity or non-continuity, and one witnesses the threefold liberation.[20]

69.  Mahāmati wonders whether, since projections have no existence, the afflictions and their purification taught by the Buddha also do not exist. 

§  The Buddha says this is so, but also that that known by noble insight and vision of the eye of noble wisdom is something that exists. 

§  Mahāmati asks how beings can know this, since they are neither aware of a higher reality nor see that which transcends characteristics of existence and nonexistence (whereby, in not seeing an existence they are not deluded, and by not seeing a nonexistence they are deluded).

§  Mahāmati also asks how the wise see self-existence as being an imagined reality if they cannot know the characteristics of self-existence (since they are imagined)— how is this discriminating suchness and not just another projection?21 Since various projections and the various characteristics of self-existence are different, how do we know what is unreal if we are not imagining anything?[21] Why are beings taught to abandon views of existence and non-existence if they become attached to buddha knowledge? Why teach both detachment and the existence of buddha knowledge?

§  The Buddha explains that he neither teaches the nonexistence of detachment nor that buddha knowledge exists. Rather, to those attached to existence, detachment is taught. Regardless, he does not teach characteristics of self-existence, rather on transcending delusion, projecting views of existence or non-existence, obtaining the threefold liberation, suchness, examining self-existence based on personal realisation, and transcending existence and non-existence of the real.

70.  Bodhisattvas should not maintain that ‘whatever exists does not arise’ because propositions require reasons, and if a reason cannot be characterised as arising then a proposition would not exist. The proposition is thus contradictory. 

§  The proposition ‘existence and nonexistence do not arise’ would be a thing that exists, but its characteristics would not since they could not arise. 

§  Thus, do not maintain propositions such as the five-part syllogism[22] as they produce errors and are fabrications. 

§  Rather, a bodhisattva maintains that whatever exists is like a dream and a mistake of perception, unless it would make people turn away in fear from the Mahāyāna.

71.  Mahāmati asks that since the Buddha claims knowledge cannot arise from the world, only the names of projections, how is it that knowledge is not obtained (e.g. due to physical obstruction, or not seeing the characteristics, etc.)? If it is because we don’t perceive what exists, then it is absence of knowledge. 

§ The Buddha claims that absence of knowledge is knowledge: in seeing that that which exists is nothing but mind-only, that we know without perceiving. Knowledge is not obtained even among the three liberations. Not knowing this beings give rise to projections of knowledge and something knowable. Viewing absence of knowledge as no knowledge is nihilism.

72.  Beings being confused by their habit energy cannot distinguish characteristics of a way of personal attainment that does not include the four possibilities. To get out of this, the tathāgatas of the three times teach:

i.      The way of instruction: teaching the different texts and sūtras appropriate for beings.

ii.     The way of personal attainment: for practitioners who free themselves from different projections, avoiding dualities and conceptuality, and the view of what brings about buddha knowledge (which the other vehicles cannot know).

73.  Mahāmati asks why the Buddha said not to associate with those of materialist eloquence, for one will then embrace desires of the flesh. The Buddha replies:

§  Materialists employ eloquence to attract and deceive people into thinking their perceptions are real, and not seeing disadvantages of existence which is nothing but mind-only, they do not get free of attachments, and thus do not escape suffering.

§  Once Śākra wrote a treatise on speech and a nāga (dragon) challenged him—having defeated Śākra, the nāga destroyed his chariot. If even nāgas have such eloquence, how much more so do humans, so avoid materialists. 

§  Materialists only speak about the realm of sensory awareness, and in the final hundreds of years of the Dharma their arguments will create schisms in the doctrines of other paths. But they won’t realise their own foolishness.

§  The Buddha does not include materialist arguments in his teachings to humans and gods. Only what does not come and does not go. His teaching cannot be counted among fabrications of the materialists. But point to seeing our perceptions as projections of our own mind and thereby attaining liberation.

i. The Buddha provides an example in which he refused the various kinds of materialism in the face of the questioning of a brahmin. He taught instead that the three realms arise from the habit energy of beginningless fabrications and projections and that the only causation is a fabrication of projecting the existence of subject and object. Likewise, ignorance, desire, and karma are not the cause of the three realms: such is also materialist & anything involving the movement of the mind involving projection of an external object is materialism. That which is not materialism is the teaching of the permanent cessation of projection; if any continuity or cause is involved, that is materialism. The brahmin left thinking the monk was incomprehensible. This is why one should not associate with materialists who embrace desires of the flesh and not Dharma.

§  The three uncreated Dharmas[23] are not three, only counted as three.

§  Mahāmati asks regarding desires of the flesh versus the Dharma:

i.      Desires of the flesh are those involving clutching, letting go, touching, tasting, attachments to sensation, addiction to dualism, rebirth, and saṃsāra. These arise from desire and associating with materialists.

ii.     Embracing the Dharma means understanding what are nothing but perceptions of the mind, seeing no self of beings and dharmas, not projecting, being versed in the stages, transcending the mind, will, and consciousness, being anointed by the Buddhas, embracing and fulfilling the bodhisattva vows, and gaining effortless mastery of all teachings.

§ Neither seeing anything arise, persist, or cease, the Dharma goes beyond views of permanence, impermanence, effect or no effect, this world or another world: i.e. materialism.

74.  While followers of other paths view nirvāṇa as the cessation or destruction of something, as going somewhere, as knowing something, as a supreme power responsible for birth and death, as finding what leads to truth, as what nature gives rise to, as various philosophical qualities, or seeing differences. All of these are fantasies rejected by the wise, as they suffer from duality, don’t arise from wisdom, and don’t result in nirvāṇa. 

§  Nirvāṇa means fully understanding all as a perception of one’s own mind, transcending the four possibilities, attaining personal realisation of buddha knowledge and ascending the stages to the samādhi of the illusory, transcending mind, will, and consciousness.

§  All sūtras speak of projection but don’t get free of words, as apart from words there’s nothing of which to speak.

75.  Awakened ones are neither a result nor a cause: for then they would be impermanent. Not being a result, they have no cause and thus, like a rabbit’s horns, neither exist nor do not exist. Neither existing nor not existing they are not subject to the four possibilities. 

§  Just as phenomena neither exist nor do not not exist[24] similarly tathāgatas are neither the same nor different from the skandhas, dhātus, āyatanas, or liberation: if they were not the same as liberation they would be material and impermanent, but if they are not different there would be no distinctions among practitioners—but since there are distinctions they are neither different nor not different. 

§  Similarly, the knower and known are neither different nor not different: thus, they are neither permanent, nor not, similarly for cause and effect, created and not, perceiving and perceived, characterising and not, skandhas or different from the skandhas, speaker and spoken. Thus, they are beyond all measure, inexpressible, non-arising, non-ceasing, completely still, and thus, nirvāṇa. Thus, they are neither result nor cause, with no objective support, beyond fabrications, and thus a tathāgata, which is completely awakening beyond the reach of the senses.

76.  It is not that tathāgatas are non-existent that they neither arise nor cease, nor that ‘neither arising nor ceasing’ is another name for the tathāgatas, but that nothing arises or ceases because the categories of existence and nonexistence do not apply.

§  As regards the name ‘Tathāgata,’ this does not not exist, but nothing can be grasped in what neither arises nor ceases. ‘Tathāgata’ is the name for a projection body. Similar with all the other names for the Tathāgata—just because he has different names, does not mean there are multiple existences. 

§  Like the moon in water is neither in nor not in the water, beings cling to the name or concept of a buddha, or to various texts and explanations: however they take ‘what neither arises nor ceases’ as something that does not exist, and don’t realise it is another name for the tathāgata.

§  Fools believe meaning is not separate from words. While words arise and cease meaning does not—it transcends existence and non-existence and has no substance.

§  The Dharma transcends language, so the awakened ones do not speak or respond with a single word—words are the projections of beings. But without those words, the Dharma would end. Thus, awakened ones are not attached to words, but teach according to the needs of beings so they can get free from mind, will, and conceptual consciousness, become versed in the meanings of the stages and teachings and become established in the Mahāyāna. 

§  Embracing the Mahāyāna means embracing the awakened ones, Dharma, the lineage, and knowing how to enter the Mahāyāna, establish others in it, master the ten powers, and teach others according to their needs.

§  However, one must not become attached to the finger of words. Focus one’s effort on becoming skilled, and not on words—knowing what beings need, like feeding an infant cooked rice, not uncooked rice. The true meaning is the cause of nirvāṇa. Those who are learned esteem meaning and not words. Those who seek meaning should seek those who are learned and stay away from those attached to words.

77.  Mahāmati points out that ‘what neither arises nor ceases’ is not unique: it is taught by other schools, and also applies to space, cessation, and nirvāṇa. Just as other schools teach the world and external objects arise due to causes, similarly the Buddha teaches on the one hand that they arise due to causes and conditions, and on the other that they neither arise nor cease, as the elementary particles (atoms) have essential natures that also neither arise nor cease. Moreover, Mahāmati wonders how there can only be one buddha in a world at one time, since, if buddhas neither arise nor cease, there would be multiple buddhas at once. The Buddha replies:

§  What neither arises nor ceases for other schools is applied to phenomena that are said to exist, but the Buddha’s neither arising nor ceasing applies to that which neither exists nor does not exist. This is because just as a dream, form is seen, but has no self-existence and is just a projection of one’s own mind: seeing this, one attains peace and happiness and ceases worldly concerns.

§  The ignorant believe people really enter or leave their conjured residence, like gandharvan cities, when they are merely projections. The wise do not give rise to confusion about that which neither arises nor ceases, is neither created nor not created. Those who do not see clearly never get free of projections.

§  Seeing no form is better than seeing form, for therein no projections arise.

78.  In verse the Buddha explains:

§  Non-arising is taught to refute arising, but it doesn’t apply nothing: just existence without a cause. Things don’t arise by themselves because nothing appears to wisdom except combinations: despite appearances nothing exists in combinations.

§  By seeing things as without cause or no cause, the doctrine of arising and cessation is undone.

§  Non-arising doesn’t mean nonexistence, existence, or no meaning. It is beyond the understanding of other paths, beyond actions, and relies on nothing but mind. 

§  Non-arising also implies emptiness. When causes and conditions combine, something arises and ceases, but nothing aside from causes and conditions, and existence or non-existence do not arise. However, mutual dependence becomes the chain of causation only according to convention—causation is only spoken of when fools cannot understand.

§  Apart from the chain of causation is the doctrine of no causation, which denies the meaning of the chain. Perception of the chain implies that apart from the chain something else exists, as a lamp illuminates forms (take away the forms and the lamp exists). However, what does not arise does not exist, like space—the wise find nothing to see.

§  The forbearance of non-arising does not arise.[25]

§  Seeing all as a chain gives rise to samādhi: the interior chain is ignorance, desire, and karma, exterior chains are things like seeds. Apart from causes a chain has no meaning. Things arising that don’t exist is causation. The four elements are projections, and their combinations are existence. 

§  Like a doctor adjusts the treatment according to the patient (but their path is curing), the utilization of different methods doesn’t mean a different teaching—there is only one path taught, the Mahāyāna.

79.  Mahāmati asks what impermanence means, whether it is wrong or right, and how many kinds there are. The Buddha explains:

§ There are seven kinds of impermanence according to other paths:

i. Abandonment of the created.

1. Impermanence as something apart from initial creation—no differences can be found among the characteristics of the elements making up the created, so impermanence would have to be something else—this would require the non-arising of dualities.

ii. Destruction of shape.

• Where the four elements are not destroyed, but the shapes that they make are destroyed (sāṃkhya).

iii.      Form.

1. Impermanence existing in form, i.e. the elements. But this denies worldly convention (lokāyata).

iv.      Imperceptible change destroying whatever is there.

• Appearance of form differs, but not form. E.g. like gold being shaped into different shapes (i.e. change is not perceived, just destruction of whatever was already there).

v.        Something that exists.

• Where impermanence is something like a club or rock, which breaks things: herein non-existence is thus the result of impermanence. But a cause cannot create an unrelated effect—if it could there would be no difference between cause and effect, even though they were clearly different: impermanence would be permanent and whatever is not impermanence-causing would not exist, and thus cannot be caused to not exist by that which exists.

vi.      Something that exists and does not exist:

• Where the four elements have self-existence, but what they comprise are destroyed.

vii.     Something that does not arise but is inherent in all phenomena.

• Where the existence of anything does not arise, including impermanence.

§  These views of impermanence held by followers of other paths imagine that when fire destroys the elements their characteristics are not destroyed (for if they were they would cease to exist). 

§  The Buddha’s teaching is that what arises is neither permanent nor not permanent. This is because external existence cannot be determined and the three realms are mind-only. Thus teaching the arising and ceasing of the characteristics of the three worlds is useless. 

§  Similarly, the four elements are projections of duality of subject and object: understand duality as a projection one is free from views of external existence and non-existence and one sees them as nothing but mind-only.

§  Projections arise when you think about doing something, not nothing; all dharmas are the result of the projection of words. All dharmas are neither permanent nor not permanent. 

[1] Glossary: 意生. The Sanskrit is mano-maya-kāya. This refers to any of the three bodies that are projected at will during samādhi.

[2] That they correspond to attributes of personal realization, and not to something outside in the world, be it religious dogma or scientific truth. The significance of any Dharma is how it helps to develop the mind.

[3] The first half corresponds to self-realisation (realising emptiness or suchness), the second half corresponds to the way to benefit other beings.

[4] Through emptiness, formlessness/signlessness, and intentionlessness.

[5] Manifesting to others a bad exemplar so they may see the errors of their ways.

[6] Which is to say, they are not ultimately doomed.

[7] The cause of karmic death.

[8] The cause of transformation death (e.g., of an arhat).

[9] Attaining arhatship and attaining irreversible bodhisattvahood.

[10] Which are the basis for the three above things that buddhas are characterized by.

[11] Essentially, the number of syllables in the Sanskrit ‘alphabet.’

[12] foundations of mindfulness, 4 right exertions, 4 supernatural abilities, 5 psychic faculties, 5 higher powers, 7 limbs of awakening, noble 8 fold path.

[13] Unobstructed with the four unhindered powers of teaching regarding (1) subject, (2) meaning, (3) expression, and (4) eloquence.

[14] Dharma-natures (dharma-ness). Red Pine uses the word “truths.” Both of these must be realised, but truth is sometimes thought of as something known verbally or logically, so I prefer to retain “dharmatā” in this case.

[15] It would be easier to remedy.

[16] See also the Perfection of Wisdom in 8000 Lines, Chapter 5 section 2 “The Counterfeit Perfection of Wisdom,” where the Buddha explains that in the future a counterfeit Perfection of Wisdom will arise, which some monks will teach, wherein impermanence is taken to imply destruction—which is not the true meaning of the Perfection of Wisdom or emptiness.

[17] Sūtras, songs (geyas), expositions (vyākaraṇas), verses (gāthās), utterances (udānas), narratives (ityuktas), past-life stories (jātakas), expanded sūtras (vaipulyas (e.g. Lotus Sutra, or Laṅkāvatāra), and miracles (adbhūtadharmas). 

[18] In other words, it is partially a self-perpetuating cycle.

[19] The six realms, where the asuras are lumped into the deva realm.

[20] Through emptiness, formlessness/signlessness, and intentionlessness; liberating the 8th, 6th, and 7th consciousnesses. 21 I.e. how is it that emptiness (of self-existence) is not the projection of the ‘wise’? 

[21] How do we know if we are imagining or not when we are supposed to be liberated? How do we know emptiness or the realm of Buddha knowledge is not another projection or set of characteristics with self-existence? 

[22] Consisting of proposition, reason, example, application, and conclusion.

[23] Nirvāṇa, space, and cessation.

[24] E.g. a horse does not have its own characteristics, but it has its own characteristics in as much as it is not the same as a cow. 

[25] Attained at the 8th stage. Also found in other sūtras, and sometimes translated as patience towards the non-arising of dharmas.