Nomenclature and etymology
The ''Ārya-saṃdhi-nirmocana-sūtra'' (; ''Gongpa Ngédrel'') is variously romanized as ''Sandhinirmocana Sutra'' and ''Samdhinirmocana Sutra''. The full Sanskrit title includes "Ārya" which means noble or excellent. The title has been variously translated as: * Unlocking the Mysteries (Cleary) * Explanation of the Profound Secrets (Keenan) * Elucidation of the Intention Sutra or Unravelling the Thought (Powers) * The Explication of Mysteries, ''L'explication des mystères'' (Lamotte) * Sutra which Decisively Reveals the IntentionHistory
Like many early Mahāyāna sūtras, precise dating for the ''Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra'' is difficult to achieve. Étienne Lamotte believed that the text was assembled from earlier, independent fragments. Other scholars believe that the apparently fragmentary nature of the early versions of the scripture may represent piecemeal attempts at translation, rather than a composite origin for the text itself. The earliest forms of the text may date from as early as the 1st or 2nd Century CE. The final form of the text was probably assembled no earlier than the 3rd Century CE, and by the 4th Century significant commentaries on the text began to be composed by Buddhist scholars, most notably Asaṅga.Content
The ''Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra'' is one of the most important texts of the Yogācāra tradition, and one of the earliest texts to expound the philosophy of Consciousness-only. The sūtra presents itself as a series of dialogues betweenChapter 2: The Descriptive Marks of the Truth of Ultimate Meaning
The second chapter focuses on the nature of the "ultimate meaning" (''paramārtha'') and how it is said to be "ineffable" and non-dual. This ultimate meaning cannot be seen through concepts and language, since all things are empty of any inherent essence (''The sphere that is internally realized without descriptions cannot be spoken and severs expressions. Ultimate meaning, laying to rest all disputes, transcends all the descriptive marks of reasoning.Furthermore, the Buddha states in this chapter that "it is not reasonable to say that the descriptive marks of the truth of ultimate meaning are identical with the descriptive marks of conditioned states of being, nor that they are entirely different one from the other." Rather, ultimate meaning transcends both of these characterizations. The Buddha also states that "only it is eternal and permanent," and also this ultimate meaning "is of one universal taste," is undifferentiated and is present in all compounded things.
Chapter 3: The Descriptive Marks of Mind, Thought, and Consciousness
Chapter three discusses the ''Ālaya''-''Vijñāna'' (store consciousness), also called the appropriating consciousness (''adanavijñana'') or receptacle consciousness and how it is related to perception and thought. The ''Ālaya''-''Vijñāna'' is the "support and ground" for the existence of sentient beings in the various realms. It appropriates the body, images and words, and out of it evolve the various sense consciousnesses (including the mind consciousness, ''manas''). The Buddha emphasizes however that these processes are dependent on conditions and are thus not ultimately real. Indeed, it is because bodhisattvas do not see any of these consciousnesses as real that they are said to be skilled in the ultimate meaning. Thus, the Buddha states:The appropriating consciousness is profound and subtle indeed; all its seeds are like a rushing torrent. Fearing that they would imagine and cling to it as to a self, I have not revealed it to the foolish.
Chapter 4: The Characteristic Patterns of All Things
Chapter four explains the schema of the "three natures" (''trisvabhāva''): the imagined, the other-dependent and the fully perfected. These are described as follows:The pattern of clinging to what is entirely imagined refers to the establishing of names and symbols for all things and the distinguishing of their essences, whereby they come to be expressed in language. The pattern of other-dependency refers to the pattern whereby all things arise co-dependently: for if this exists, then that exists, and if this arises, then that arises. This refers to twelvefold_conditions,_starting_with.html" ;"title="Pratītyasamutpāda">twelvefold conditions, starting with">Pratītyasamutpāda">twelvefold conditions, starting with'conditioned by ignorance are karmic formations,' nd ending with'conditioned by origination is this grand mass of suffering,' he last of the twelve conditions The pattern of full perfection refers to the universally equal suchness of all things. Bodhisattvas penetrate to this suchness because of their resolute zeal, intelligent focusing, and true reflection. By gradually cultivating this penetration, they reach unsurpassed true awakening and actually realize perfection.As Keenan notes, "the basic interdependent (''paratantra'') nature of consciousness is explained as evolving toward illusory verbal imagining (''parikalpita''), but yet capable of being converted (''asraya-parivrtti'') to the full perfection of awakening (''pariniṣpanna'')."
Chapter 5: The Absence of Essence
Chapter Five begins with the Bodhisattva Paramārthasamudgata, who asks what the Buddha's "implicit intent" is when he taught two kinds of doctrine: doctrines which explain reality by describing it analytically (such as through the schemas of dependent origination, the four noble truths, and the realms of existence), and also those doctrines which state that "all things have no-essence, no arising, no passing away, are originally quiescent, and are essentially in cessation." In answering this question, the Buddha applies his schema of the three natures to understand the nature of absence of essence. The Buddha states there are three ways in which things are said to have no essence:I have explained that all things whatsoever have no-essence, for descriptive marks have no-essence, arising has no-essence, and ultimate meaning has no-essence. Good son, descriptive marks have no-essence, for all things are characterized by imaginative clinging. This is so because it is names and symbols that establish those marks, and there is no inherent characteristic in things. This then is what I call the no-essence of marks. The arising of things has no-essence, for all things arise in dependence upon others. This is so because they depend upon the causal power of others and do not arise from themselves. Therefore this is what I call the no-essence of arising. The ultimate truth of all things has no-essence, for, from their arising, all things have no-essence. This is what I call the no-essence that is identical with the conditioned arising of things. I also call it the no-essence of ultimate meaning because I preach that among all things, that realm of the purified content of understanding is to be regarded as the no-essence of ultimate meaning.Keenan 2000, pp. 36 37.Thus, these "three no-essences" are said to correspond to the three natures: * The imagined nature (''parikalpita-svabhāva'') has no essence in regards to its characteristics (''lakṣana-niḥsvabhāvatā''), for these characteristics are just imaginary. * The dependent nature ''(paratantra-svabhāva'') has no essence because all phenomena arise and perish due to conditions (''utpatti-niḥsvabhāvatā''). * The perfected nature (''pariniṣpanna-svabhāva'') is essenceless since even when consciousness has been fully purified, it has no essence. Since ultimate reality is dependently originated, the ultimate meaning is also essencelessness (''paramārtha-niḥsvabhāvatā''). The Buddha then explains that understanding this teaching is important because "sentient beings superimpose the pattern of imaginative clinging over that of other-dependency and full perfection", and this leads to rebirth and wandering in samsara. However, by attending to this teaching and giving rise to "a wisdom not permeated by language," sentient beings are able to destroy this pattern of imaginative clinging. Those beings that do not understand this teaching however might instead cling to the "view of nihilism and the nonexistence of all marks," and so they "negate all three characteristic patterns." This chapter also provides the
Chapter 6: The Analysis of Yoga
Chapter Six explainsThe first is the suchness of the transmigratory flow, for all conditioned states of being have neither beginning nor end. The second is the suchness of descriptive marks, for in all things both persons and things have no-self. The third is the suchness of conscious construction, for all conditioned states of being are nothing but conscious construction. The fourth is the suchness of what is given, that is, the truth about suffering that I have preached. The fifth is the suchness of false conduct, that is, the truth about the origin f sufferingthat I have preached. The sixth is the suchness of purification, that is, the truth of the destruction f sufferingthat I have preached. And the seventh is the suchness of correct practice, that is, the truth of the path that I have preached.The Buddha is then asked by Maitreya how one cultivates meditation by abandoning various mental images (or 'signs'). The Buddha explains that when one reflects on "true suchness", one abandons "imagines of doctrine and images of meaning," since true suchness has no image. He also states that if one has an uncultivated mind "one will not sustain a true understanding of suchness." Furthermore, mental cultivation entails the letting go of ten progressively subtler "difficult to abandon" images (''nimittas'') which are abandoned through different meditations on emptiness: * The "various images of writings and words, which they are able to abandon through ultivating meditation onthe emptiness of all doctrine (''sarva-dharma-shunyata'')" * "Images of arising, passing away, abiding, differentiation, continuity, and development," this is abandoned by meditating on the emptiness of characteristics (''lakshana-shunyata'') and the emptiness of beginnings and endings (''anavaragra-shunyata''). * "Lustful images of bodies and of self-pride" or "conceiving the bodily sub-consciousness as real and thinking 'I am'", which are abandoned through meditation on the emptiness of interior tates(''adhyatma-shunyata'') and the emptiness of non-attainment. (''anupalambha-shunyata'')" * "Images of desired possessions" or "experienced objects", abandoned through meditation on "the emptiness of externals" (''bahirdha-shunyata''). * The images of "internal happiness and external pleasure" are abandoned through meditating on "the emptiness of the internal and the external, and on innate emptiness (''prakrti-shunyata'')." * Images of their environments, "which they are able to abandon through ultivating meditation onthe greatness of emptiness." * "Because they discern and know the immaterial, they have images of internal quiescence and liberation, which they are able to abandon through ultivating meditation onthe emptiness of the conditioned (''samskrita-shunyata'')" * "Because they discern and know the meaning of the true suchness of images, they have images of the no-self of persons and things, which, whether images of only conscious construction or of ultimate meaning, they are able to abandon through ultivating meditation onthe emptiness of the ultimate, the emptiness of no-essence, the emptiness of the essence of no-essence, and the emptiness of ultimate meaning." * "Because they discern and know the meaning of the suchness of purification, they have images of the unconditioned and of the unchanging, which they are able to abandon through ultivating meditation onthe emptiness of the unconditioned and the emptiness of the unchanging." * "Because they attentively reflect upon the nature of emptiness whereby they discipline what has to be disciplined, they have images of the nature of emptiness, which they are able to abandon through ultivating meditation onthe emptiness of emptiness." The Buddha also states that in the practice of meditation, bodhisattvas "gradually refine their thoughts as one refines gold until they realize supreme awakening." The Buddha further explains that there is an "overall image of emptiness" which the bodhisattvas do ''not'' discard, this is:
"the final separation of those images clung to by imagination, with all their varieties of defilement and purity, from both the pattern of other-dependency and the pattern of full perfection: .e.,the complete nonattainment f such imagined thingsin those atterns of consciousness"The Buddha also notes that the cause of the practice of calm and insight meditation is said to be "purified discipline and true insight accomplished through purified hearing and reflection."
Chapter 7: The Stages and Perfections
Chapter Seven describes the progressive "bodhisattva stages"(''bhumis)'' and the perfections or transcendent practices (''paramitas''). The path stages and the paramitas are presented as progressive steps on the path to awakening, each one being a key advance in wisdom and spiritual attainment. The six paramitas for example as described as follows:Good son,The six paramitas are explained as each having three components :he former He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...are the support that enables one to produce the latter. This means that bodhisattvas are able to acquire purified discipline through being generous with their physical possessions hrough giving They practice patience because they guard discipline. By practicing patience, they become capable of producing zeal. By producing zeal, they become capable of accomplishing meditation. Endowed with meditation, they become able to obtain transcendent discernment. This, then, is the reason for the sequence of the six perfections in my preaching.Keenan 2000, p. 86.
The three subdivisions of giving are the giving of doctrine, the giving of material goods, and the giving of fearlessness. The three subdivisions of discipline are the discipline to turn away from what is not good, the discipline to turn toward what is good, and the discipline to turn toward benefiting sentient beings. The three subdivisions of patience are the patience to endure insult and injury, the patience to abide peacefully in suffering, and the patience to investigate doctrine. The three subdivisions of zeal are the zeal which protects one like armor, the zeal to exert effort in engendering good, and the zeal to exert effort in benefiting sentient beings. The three subdivisions of meditation are the meditation of abiding in happiness, which counteracts all the suffering of passion because it is non-discriminative, tranquil, very tranquil, and irreproachable; the meditation that engenders the good quality f concentration and the meditation that produces benefit for sentient beings. The three subdivisions of discernment are the discernment that has as its object worldly, conventional truth; the discernment that has as its object the truth of ultimate meaning; and the discernment that has as its object the benefiting of sentient beings.This chapter also affirms the doctrine of "one vehicle" ('' ekayana'') which holds that "the vehicle of the sravakas and Mahayana vehicle are but a single vehicle."
Chapter 8: The Duty Accomplishment of a Tathagata
The final chapter explains the wisdom and activity ofCommentaries
The ''Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra'' was adopted by the Yogācāra as one of its primary scriptures. In addition, it inspired a great deal of additional writing, including discussions by Asaṅga,Translations
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