Lankavatara Sutra Chapter Extracts

• Chapter 10. Discipleship: Lineage of the Arhats
• Chapter 11. Elevated Skydiverhood Stages

Chapter 10. Discipleship: Lineage of the Arhats

A: There are as many kinds of disciples as there are individuals, but for convenience they may be divided into two groups: disciples of the lineage of the Arhats ("worthy ones"), and disciples known as "skydivers" ("those whose essence is bodhi [enlightenment]"). Disciples called Arhats may be considered under two aspects: First, according to the number of times they will return to this life of birth-and-death; and second, according to their spiritual progress. Under the first aspect, they may be subdivided into three groups: The "Stream-entered," the "Once-returning," and the "Never-returning."

Classifications suited for meditators.

The Stream-entered are those disciples, who having freed themselves from the attachments to the lower discriminations and who have cleansed themselves from the twofold hindrances and who clearly understand the meaning of the twofold egolessness, yet who still cling to the notions of individuality and generality and to their own egoness. They will advance along the stages to the sixth only to succumb to the entrancing bliss of the Samadhis. They will be reborn several times, before they will be able to pass the sixth stage. The Once-returning are the Arhats, and the Never-returning are the skydivers who have reached the seventh stage.

When the main hindrances are overcome, the Stream-entered will be able to attain the higher stages. As to moral practices: the ordinary disciples obey the rules of morality, piety and penance because they desire to gain worldly advancement and happiness in such ways, with the added hope of being reborn in more favorable conditions. The Stream-entered ones do not cling to moral practices for any hope of reward, for their minds are set on the exalted state of self-realisation; the reason they devote themselves to the details of morality is that they wish to master undefiled out-flowings better. It is a sign of grace. A more thorough understanding lessens some attachments, and so on. By breaking up and clearing away hindrances the Stream-entered ones will be able to fare better.

As for the Once-returning Arhats, they gradually learned by acquainting themselves thoroughly with what marks the attainment of the practice of dhyana, and reached a stage of enlightenment where in one more rebirth they will be able to put an end to the clinging to their erroneous attachments.

Under the second aspect disciples may be grouped according to the spiritual progress they have attained, into four classes, namely, disciples (sravaka), masters (pratyekabuddha), Arhats and skydivers together, and Arrivers (Tathagathas) [There is much to be thankful to Buddha for, but not any skydiver concept, which is a later addition].

Classifications. Arhants and skydivers are in one group (3rd group) in the survey.

The first class of disciples mean well but they find it difficult to understand unfamiliar ideas. They can become confused by notions, and very fearful at times too. They are able to advance to the fifth or sixth stage where they may limit flows of passions, but cling a lot to this and that extraneously, including pet notions of some Personal God. Earnest though they be, they lack insight, and are of limited spiritual progress accordingly. They could have great self-confidence but without deep enough experience of Nirvana.

Teachers have gained a high degree of intellectual understanding, but are filled with fear of these truths as to the rigorous demands which their learning makes on them. They may fear keeping away from the entanglements of social relations. They hanker after miraculous powers such as dividing the personality and appearing in different places at the same time, or manifesting bodies of transformation. To gain these powers they even resort to the solitary life, but this class of masters never get beyond the seductions of their learning and egoism, and their discourses are always in conformity with that characteristic and limitation. Among them are many who show a degree of spiritual insight that is characterised by sincerity and undismayed willingness to meet all the demands that the stages make on them. They are undismayed at realizing the costs involved as they seek to adjust their lives to the full demands of the truths that dawn on them from inside. They are also called Stream-enterers.

The group that is made up of worthy ones and still more worthy ones, belong to the once-returners (to human life). They have gained an exalted insight. Attaining an inner perception of the true nature of Universal Mind they are steadily purifying their habit-energy. The worthy or noble one has attained emancipation, enlightenment, the Dhyanas (deep stages of dhyana, the absorptions called Samadhis, but his attention suffers from some wrong idea of Nirvana in that he discriminates about Nirvana. He has attained some of the fruits of self-realisation, but says, "But I am disengaged from them." One may say he still clings to subtle fetters. So long as he continues to discern between dhyana, dhyana practice, subjects for dhyana, right-knowledge and truth, there is a bewildered state of mind,—he has not attained perfect emancipation. Emancipation goes along with no-images in Deep Mind.

To reach the higher stages one must pass beyond. Samapattis lead to the cessation of thought itself. The "worthy one" who masters elementary dhyana but is as yet unsupported by the Arrivers, yields to bliss of the absorptions (Samadhis) and passes to his Nirvana. This is fairly typical of the Once-returner.

The three first groups - of disciples, teachers, and worthy and still more worthy ones - may ascend the stages, and thereby attain a measure of tranquillisation. But their tranquillisation is not perfect, and they still have out-flowings [outward-going currents, some of which are deep and subtle to get at]. Perfect tranquillisation is possible with a higher, more interior stage where one experiences perfect oneness. However, the mental confusion of "worthies" in diving hinders their full entrance into higher stages. However, they are able to attain Deep Bliss. Engrossed in it they cherish the thought of Nirvanaland and similar. They do pass into their Nirvana, but not the Nirvana of the Buddhas.

Chapter 11. Elevated Skydiverhood Stages

A: The noble disciples are earnest, and enlightened by reason of their efforts to attain self-realisation of Noble Wisdom and enlighten others. They have gained a clear understanding, they have attained a definite realisation of imagelessness; and abide in self-realisation too, some of them.

"Stamped by the seal of Suchness" they entered the Stage of joy (Pramudita). Entering this stage the noble diver feels within himself the awakening of a great heart of compassion and naturally practices Dharma elements; practises the six Paramitas; in order to attain perfect self-realisation of the oneness of all the Buddhas and Tathagatas, ascending the stages and entering Tathagatahood [such Arrival]

The Arrivers from inside encourage and strengthen followers to press on from great joy in contemplation to further advancement. They re-examine the nature of the mind-system, the value of pompous logical analysis, and in the long run enter on the seventh stage called Far-going (Duramgama). At this stage they enter into the bliss of the Samadhi of perfect tranquillisation. Because of Transcendental Intelligence one conception lingers on - that of promoting realisation of Noble Wisdom, done with spontaneity and radiancy because it is of the self-nature of Noble Wisdom. This is Going Far, in essence.

The eighth stage: With the worthy diver's attainment of the eighth stage there comes the "turning-about" within his deepest consciousness of perfect self-realisation of Noble Wisdom. There is an instant cessation of mind waves of habit-energy in the Oneness of Tathagatahood.

Henceforth no more grasping. Thus establishing himself one enters into the bliss of the ten absorptions (Samadhis), he is free to enter on the higher fares of Tathagatahood. He passes through the bliss to assume the transformation body of a Tathagata. While walking in the path of self-realisation do not quit working hard for the emancipation of all, as the fruit of inner, intuitive experience, as that is what Buddha did.

Strain and effort subsides in time. Being awake, he thinks: "Is this real or unreal?" When the worthy diver arrives at the eighth stage, he is able to see things truthfully. Ever. To the worthy diver of the eighth stage, the normally made life is past.

Notions of things passes away. Nirvana is perfect tranquillisation, but it is not extinction. There is the freedom and spontaneity of potentiality that has come with acceptance of basic truths and imagelessness. Here is undisturbed quiet, self-nature, which is the self-nature of Noble Wisdom, blissfully peaceful, and Love.

Entering on the eighth stage, with the turning-about at the deepest seat of consciousness, the noble one will become conscious that he has received the second kind of Transcendental-body (Manomayakaya). During the transition from mortal-body to Transcendental-body the old body continues to function and the old mind serves the needs of the old body, but now it is free from the control of mortal mind. There has been an inconceivable transformation (acintya-parinama-cyuti) - transcended by a realisation of his oneness with the universalised mind. With that realisation all the Tathagata's powers appear, psychic faculties, and so the Tathagatas establishes themselves in the Transcendental Realm where no forms are visible.

The first seven of the subtle "skydiving" stages were in the realm of ordinary mind and the eighth was still in touch with it; but in the ninth stage of Transcendental Intelligence (Sadhumati), by reason of intelligence and insight into the imagelessness of Divine Mind, the "subtility-diver" attained by self-realisation of Noble Wisdom, he is in the realm of Tathagatahood. Gradually the skydiver will realise his Tathagata-nature and the possession of all its powers and psychic faculties, and skillful means. By means of them he will enter into all the Buddha-lands. Making use of the available powers at his disposal, the subtility-diver is able to assume various transformation-bodies and personalities for the sake of benefitting those chosen. Just as in the former mental life, imagination had risen from relative-knowledge, so now skillful-means rise spontaneously from Transcendental Intelligence. It is like the magical gem that reflects instantaneously appropriate responses to one's wishes. The skydiver passes over to assemblages of Buddhas and listens. And in these Samadhis he will instantly pass from one Buddha-land to another and partake of the fruits of self-realisation of Noble Wisdom.

Thus passing beyond the last stage of plumbing, he becomes an Arriver (Tathagata) himself, endowed with all the freedom of the Dharmakaya. The tenth stage belongs to the Tathagatas. Here the skydiver will find himself seated on a lotus-like throne in a jewel-adorned castle and surrounded by subtility-divers of the same rank. Buddhas from all the Buddha-lands will gather about him and rest their hands on his forehead and thereby ordain him and recognise him as one of themselves.

The tenth stage is called the Great Truth Cloud, inconceivable, inscrutable, of perfect Imagelessness and Oneness and Solitude. It is the Radiant Land, the Pure Land, the Land of Far-distances, that the subtility-diver will find himself at-one with. Its rays of Noble Wisdom is the self-nature of the Tathagatas, many-colored, entrancing, auspicious: they help in transforming the triple world. But in the Perfect Oneness of Noble Wisdom there is no gradation nor succession, nor effort. The tenth stage is the first, the first is the eighth, the eighth is the fifth, the fifth is the seventh: what gradation can there be where perfect Imagelessness and Oneness prevail? Noble Wisdom is the ineffable potency of the Dharmakaya; it has no bounds nor limits; It surpasses all the Buddha-lands, and pervades the Akanistha and the heavenly mansions of the Tushita.

Goddard, Dwight, ed. A Buddhist Bible. Thetford, VT.: Dwight Goddard, 1932.