Thus ‚Ananda and the assembly listened to the compassionate Buddha's unsurpassed sermon and gatha whose profound meanings were so enlightening and penetrating, that their mental eyes were opened; they praised what they had never seen before. Ananda then brought his palms together, prostrated and said: "I have today listened to the Buddha's
compassionate teaching which revealed the pure, subtle and permanent Reality of the (self-) nature, but I am still not clear about how to untie the (six) knots one after the other and
what you meant by when the six knots are undone the one also vanishes. Will you again take pity on this assembly and future generations and teach us in order to wash our defilements away?"
compassionate teaching which revealed the pure, subtle and permanent Reality of the (self-) nature, but I am still not clear about how to untie the (six) knots one after the other and
what you meant by when the six knots are undone the one also vanishes. Will you again take pity on this assembly and future generations and teach us in order to wash our defilements away?"
The Buddha who was on his lion-seat, adjusted his
inner garments and outer robe and took from the teapoy a
piece of beautiful cloth which the Yama deva had given
Him. Then in the presence of the assembly, He tied a knot
and showed it to Ananda, asking: "What is this? Ananda and
the others replied: "It is a knot." The Buddha then tied another knot and asked: "What is this?"They all replied: This also
is a knot.The Buddha tied four more knots, showing each
to ‚Ananda and asking: "What is this?" They all replied that
each was a knot.
The Buddha said to Ananda: ëWhen I first tied this cloth, you called it a knot. There is only one piece of cloth but why did you call the second and third ties also knots? Ananda replied: "World Honoured One, although there is only one piece of cloth, if you tie it once, there will be a knot and if you tie it a hundred times, there will be a hundred knots. But this cloth has only six knots because you only tied it six times.
Why do you agree to my calling the first tie a knot and disagree to the second and third ones also being called knots,"
The Buddha said: Ananda, originally there was only one piece of cloth but when I tied it six times, there were six knots. As you see it, the length of cloth was the same before but is now different with its six knots. The first knot I tied was called the first one and altogether I tied six of them, do you think that the sixth one can be called the first knot?" Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One, so long as there are six knots, the last one is the sixth and cannot be called the first. Even if I discuss this for the rest of my life, how can I number these six knots in the wrong order?"
The Buddha said to Ananda: ëWhen I first tied this cloth, you called it a knot. There is only one piece of cloth but why did you call the second and third ties also knots? Ananda replied: "World Honoured One, although there is only one piece of cloth, if you tie it once, there will be a knot and if you tie it a hundred times, there will be a hundred knots. But this cloth has only six knots because you only tied it six times.
Why do you agree to my calling the first tie a knot and disagree to the second and third ones also being called knots,"
The Buddha said: Ananda, originally there was only one piece of cloth but when I tied it six times, there were six knots. As you see it, the length of cloth was the same before but is now different with its six knots. The first knot I tied was called the first one and altogether I tied six of them, do you think that the sixth one can be called the first knot?" Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One, so long as there are six knots, the last one is the sixth and cannot be called the first. Even if I discuss this for the rest of my life, how can I number these six knots in the wrong order?"
The Buddha said: "It is so; these six knots are different
but come from one length of cloth and you cannot reverse
their order. It is the same with your six sense organs which,
though coming from the same (source), are manifestly different. ‚Ananda, clearly you object to the six knots and prefer
one (piece of cloth) but how can you obtain it?", Ananda replied: "If these six knots remain, concepts of right and wrong
will arise in great confusion, with (such things as) this knot is
not that one and that knot is not this one. World Honoured
One, if all the knots were untied, there would remain nothing, with complete elimination of thisness and thatness: then
in the absence of even one, how can there be six?"
The Buddha said: "Likewise, when the six knots are untied, the one also vanishes. It is because of confusion in your mad mind since the time without beginning that your intellect gives rise to illusions, the unceasing creation of which disturbs your seeing and causes it to perceive objects in the same way that troubled eyes see dancing flowers. Hence in the clear and bright (Reality) arise without any cause all worldly phenomena such as mountains, rivers, the great earth, samsara and nirvana which are but dancing flowers (created by) confusion, trouble (passions) and inversion."
The Buddha said: "Likewise, when the six knots are untied, the one also vanishes. It is because of confusion in your mad mind since the time without beginning that your intellect gives rise to illusions, the unceasing creation of which disturbs your seeing and causes it to perceive objects in the same way that troubled eyes see dancing flowers. Hence in the clear and bright (Reality) arise without any cause all worldly phenomena such as mountains, rivers, the great earth, samsara and nirvana which are but dancing flowers (created by) confusion, trouble (passions) and inversion."
Ananda asked: "How can one untie these knots created
by trouble and confusion
Then the Buddha held (up) the piece of cloth, pulled its left end and asked: "Can it be untied in this way?" Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One." The Buddha then pulled the right end and asked: "Can it be untied in this way?" Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One." The Buddha said: "I have pulled both ends of the cloth but have been unable to untie the knots. What will you do now?" Ananda replied: "World Honoured One, (each) knot should be untied in its center (heart)." The Buddha said: "Correct, Ananda, correct. A knot should be untied from its heart. Ananda, the Buddha Dharma which I expound manifests due to causes and is beyond those coarse forms that come from worldly (concepts of) mixtures and unions. When the Buddha re-veals the mundane and supramundane, He knows their chief causes and concurrent conditions. He is even clear about the number of drops of rain in a place as many miles away from here as there are sand grains in the Ganges, as well as why pine trees arc straight and brambles crooked, geese white and crows black. Therefore, Ananda, choose one organ from the six, and if its knot is untied, all objects of sense will vanish of themselves. When all illusions disappear, if this is not Reality, what more do you expect? Ananda, tell me now if the six knots of this cloth can be untied simultaneously."
Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One, because they were originally tied one after the other and should be untied in the same order. Although they are in the same
Then the Buddha held (up) the piece of cloth, pulled its left end and asked: "Can it be untied in this way?" Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One." The Buddha then pulled the right end and asked: "Can it be untied in this way?" Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One." The Buddha said: "I have pulled both ends of the cloth but have been unable to untie the knots. What will you do now?" Ananda replied: "World Honoured One, (each) knot should be untied in its center (heart)." The Buddha said: "Correct, Ananda, correct. A knot should be untied from its heart. Ananda, the Buddha Dharma which I expound manifests due to causes and is beyond those coarse forms that come from worldly (concepts of) mixtures and unions. When the Buddha re-veals the mundane and supramundane, He knows their chief causes and concurrent conditions. He is even clear about the number of drops of rain in a place as many miles away from here as there are sand grains in the Ganges, as well as why pine trees arc straight and brambles crooked, geese white and crows black. Therefore, Ananda, choose one organ from the six, and if its knot is untied, all objects of sense will vanish of themselves. When all illusions disappear, if this is not Reality, what more do you expect? Ananda, tell me now if the six knots of this cloth can be untied simultaneously."
Ananda replied: "No, World Honoured One, because they were originally tied one after the other and should be untied in the same order. Although they are in the same
piece of cloth, they were not tied simultaneously; how can
they now be untied all at once?í
The Buddha said: "Your six organs should be disengaged in the same way. When you begin to disentangle them, you will realize that the ego is void. When this voidness is perfectly clear, you will realize that all dharma (phenomena) are void. When you are disengaged from dharma, the voidness (of ego and dharma) will vanish. This is called the Patient Endurance of the Uncreate achieved by means of Samadhi in the Bodhisattva stage."
After ‚Ananda and the assembly had heard the Buddhaís teaching, their understanding was clear and free from doubt and suspicion. ‚Ananda brought his palms together, prostrated himself and said: "Today our bodies and minds are clear, at ease and unhindered. Though I have under- stood what you mean by the disappearance of (both) one and six, I am still unable to perfect my sense organs. World Honoured One, I am like a lonely wanderer and a hapless or- phan. How fortunate have I been to meet the Buddha and to be His relative, like a hungry baby who suddenly meets its suckling mother. This gives me a chance to attain the holy goal, but although I have listened to His profound words, I am still unawakened as if I had not heard them. Will you please reveal to me the Ultimate Approach (by means of the appropriate organ)?
The Buddha said: "Your six organs should be disengaged in the same way. When you begin to disentangle them, you will realize that the ego is void. When this voidness is perfectly clear, you will realize that all dharma (phenomena) are void. When you are disengaged from dharma, the voidness (of ego and dharma) will vanish. This is called the Patient Endurance of the Uncreate achieved by means of Samadhi in the Bodhisattva stage."
After ‚Ananda and the assembly had heard the Buddhaís teaching, their understanding was clear and free from doubt and suspicion. ‚Ananda brought his palms together, prostrated himself and said: "Today our bodies and minds are clear, at ease and unhindered. Though I have under- stood what you mean by the disappearance of (both) one and six, I am still unable to perfect my sense organs. World Honoured One, I am like a lonely wanderer and a hapless or- phan. How fortunate have I been to meet the Buddha and to be His relative, like a hungry baby who suddenly meets its suckling mother. This gives me a chance to attain the holy goal, but although I have listened to His profound words, I am still unawakened as if I had not heard them. Will you please reveal to me the Ultimate Approach (by means of the appropriate organ)?
After saying this, he prostrated himself and concentrated
on his inner potentiality to receive the profound instruction.
Thereat the World Honoured One said to the great Bodhisattvas and chief Arhats in the assembly: "I want to ask you, Bodhisattvas and Arhats who have practised my Dharma and have reached the state beyond study, this question: "When you developed your minds to awaken to the eighteen fields of sense, which one did you regard as the best means of perfection and by what methods did you enter the state of Samadhi?"
Thereat the World Honoured One said to the great Bodhisattvas and chief Arhats in the assembly: "I want to ask you, Bodhisattvas and Arhats who have practised my Dharma and have reached the state beyond study, this question: "When you developed your minds to awaken to the eighteen fields of sense, which one did you regard as the best means of perfection and by what methods did you enter the state of Samadhi?"
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