10. The Entry into the City

Overall Teaching

In this largely narrative chapter, Candraprabha invites the Buddha and the saṅgha for a meal of alms, and then they enter his house. The detailed preparations and grand reception for the Buddha by Candraprabha highlight the reverence and transformative power of the Buddha's teachings. The gātha recited by Candraprabha encapsulates the miraculous and joyous changes brought about by the Buddha's entry into a city, symbolising the ultimate virtues and compassion inherent in the Buddha, encouraging all to honour and follow his path.

Summary

• The Buddha instructs Candraprabha

  • The foregoing is the manner in which a bodhisattva should train to attain bodhisattva conduct.

• Praise

  • Candraprabha then praises the Buddha for expounding firm conduct and training for Samādhi, saying that he distinguishes the practice of bodhisattvas and tathāgatas from śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. Candraprabha expresses his desire to follow the Buddha’s training, attain anuttarā-samyaksaṃbodhi, defeat Māra, and liberate sentient beings.

• Invitation for a Meal

  • Candraprabha then invites the Buddha and the bhikṣu saṅgha for a meal. The invitation is accepted silently by the Tathāgata and the saṅgha.

  • Candraprabha prepares his home and the city for the offering. Decorations include various flowers, silk banners, incense, and precious gems. Streets around his house are cleaned and adorned.

  • At dawn, Candraprabha, accompanied by numerous bodhisattvas, goes to invite the Tathāgata. They circumambulate the Buddha and make obeisance.

• The Buddha's Arrival

  • The Buddha, accompanied by bhikṣus, bodhisattvas, and various celestial beings, heads to Rājagṛha. Celestial beings make offerings, praise the Buddha, and emit light rays. Miraculous manifestations appear as the Buddha enters the city.

• The Gātha recited by Candraprabha declares:

  • The Buddha’s arrival causes the earth to shake and fills sentient beings with joy. Those lacking food and drink are nourished, and the disabled are healed.

  • Hungry ghosts receive celestial food. Mountains and jewel mountains bow to the Buddha. The ground shakes without harming beings.

  • Humans, devas, and gandharvas rejoice and offer canopies, arousing bodhicitta. Musical instruments naturally emit sounds, filling everyone with joy.

  • Trees adorn themselves with flowers and fruits. Devas dwell in the sky, making non-human offerings.

  • Great ox kings, beast kings, elephants, and horses bow to the Buddha. Kings and people in the land praise the Buddha and make offerings.

  • Women offer garlands, flowers, and ornaments. They aspire to the Buddha’s path.

  • Streets are adorned and purified. Birds emit harmonious sounds that eliminate practitioners' defilements.

  • Buddha’s light illuminates all realms. Various beings, including devas and yakṣas, make offerings.

  • Various divine beings, including nāgas and yakṣas, gather to honour the Buddha. Cities and the environment are adorned with flowers and precious objects.

  • All hells are cooled, and suffering is removed. Devas and humans attain pure vision and certainty in the path to Buddhahood.

  • The Buddha’s immeasurable virtues are described, and everyone is encouraged to bow to the Buddha, the field of merit.

Commentary

Chapter Ten of the King of Samadhi Sutra, titled "Departing for the City," centres on the bodhisattva Candraprabha's request for blessings from the Buddha. In a significant moment, the Buddha places his right hand on Candraprabha's head (not in the Chinese version, but implied by the first paragraph), resulting in the bodhisattva experiencing numerous states of samadhi and qualities of enlightenment. This act underscores the importance of receiving blessings, a practice not frequently detailed in sutras but highlighted in this chapter. Thrangu Rinpoche emphasises the critical role of repeated supplications and prayers, particularly within the Vajrayana tradition, for generating faith and receiving empowerments necessary for realising samadhi.

Candraprabha's deep respect and devotion are demonstrated through his elaborate preparations to invite the Buddha and his retinue. He decorates and purifies Rajgir and Vulture Peak Mountain with great care. This act of respect and the subsequent request for teachings illustrate the essential practice of showing reverence for the teacher and the Dharma. The Buddha, in his teachings, advises practitioners to sustain four notions when approaching the Dharma: viewing oneself as a sick person, the Dharma as medicine, the teacher as a skilled physician, and diligently following the practice like a medical treatment. Thrangu Rinpoche warns against the 'four perverted attitudes' where one approaches the Dharma without proper respect or motivation.

Candraprabha's inquiry about developing the Buddha’s qualities leads to an important teaching. The Buddha explains that understanding the identity of all things, specifically their empty nature beyond names and labels, leads to enlightenment. This understanding is crucial as it emphasises the inexpressible nature of true reality, which lies beyond verbal or mental formulations. The commentary further explores the Vajrayana perspective, highlighting that realisation can be achieved through devotion, supplication, and receiving blessings, which facilitate the realisation of the nature of mind beyond words and concepts. Thrangu Rinpoche contrasts the sutra and Vajrayana approaches to realisation, noting the importance of blessings and devotion in Vajrayana while acknowledging that both systems ultimately aim to realise the nature of mind.

Discussion

1. In the sutra, the Buddha emphasises the importance of firm conduct for a bodhisattva. What do you think 'firm conduct' entails in the context of bodhisattva practice, and why is it crucial for attaining anuttarā-samyaksaṃbodhi and entering samadhi?

2. Candraprabha goes to great lengths to prepare his home and the city for the Buddha's arrival. What do these preparations symbolise in terms of spiritual readiness and the proper reception of the Buddha's teachings?

3. The sutra describes numerous miraculous transformations and joyous reactions among sentient beings and the environment when the Buddha enters the city. How do these miraculous events underscore the transformative power of the Buddha's presence and teachings?

4. Thrangu Rinpoche's commentary advises sustaining four notions when approaching the Dharma: viewing oneself as a sick person, the Dharma as medicine, the teacher as a skilled physician, and following the practice like a medical treatment. How can these notions be practically applied in modern spiritual practice, and what challenges might practitioners face in embodying these concepts?