Notes

This chapter begins the section on correct tenets in the second part of the sūtra. These deal with the true, effectual, fundamental nature of the Buddha.

Overall Teaching

The “lifespan” of the Buddha is a causal phenomenon for the attainment of Buddhahood, but the effect and underlying nature is continual abiding of the Tathāgata without cessation.

Summary

1.     The Buddha declares thrice the disciples must believe his true words, and they request thrice for him to explain the matters of doubt they have. (42b)

2.     The Buddha declares that his awakening at Gayā was unreal, in fact he attained awakening in an incalculable time in the past and since then has “been leading and benefiting sentient beings in incalculable” worlds. (42b)

3.     In fact, no Buddha enters parinirvāṇa, and the various manifestations of the Buddha in various places and times are the same as Buddha Śākyamuni, and each time he has “also clearly stated that [he] would enter parinirvāṇa.” (42c)

a.     Everything done and said by the Tathāgata, whether he reveals one form or another, is to save sentient beings, and is always true, not false. He views the world without discriminative mistakes – knowing all the inclinations of beings, he manifests for their benefit and abides eternally. (42c)

4.     The Buddha does not reveal this because if beings do not think it is difficult to meet the Tathāgata, those with little merit will be negligent and not try to plant the roots of merit in order to meet a Buddha. (43a)

5.     This is likened to a father who has the medicine to a poison taken by his children. Those who are not delirious take it, but those who are delirious will not take it. So the father stages his death, telling the children that he will leave their medicine there. Realising that they can no longer rely upon their father, the delirious children come to their senses and take the medicine. Likewise, the Buddha uses parinirvāṇa as a skilful means to encourage his disciples to practice, even though he is always there. (43a-b)

6.     The Buddha reiterates in verse form. (43b-44a)

a.     Therein the Buddha describes his tranquil Pure Land which always abides and never decays, even at the end of a kalpa.

Analysis

As regards point 2 in the summary, Tao-sheng states:

As regards the topic, the form-body (rupa-kaya) of the Buddha invariably ought to be something visible and existent but without real form. If he is not real, how can he be spoken of in terms of life-span? However, the [different] modes and forms [of manifestation] are directed to arrive at the same [goal]. He is one throughout the past and the present; … the past is also the present, and vice versa. There is no time when he is not existent. There is no place where he is not present. If there are times when something is not existent and there are places when something is not present, it applies only to beings, but not to the Sage. For that reason, ultimately [the Sage] establishes the eternity [of the Buddha] suggesting that Gaya is [a part of] it. If Gaya is [a part of] it, there is no more Gaya. Since there is no more Gaya, how can that eternity alone exist? [Therefore,] eternity and shortness as such are not [separately] existent; that constitutes the reason why eternity and shortness remain existent. (Kim, 501-2)