Buddhanataka wrote:Dexing wrote:
So I said enlightenment is not dependent upon Buddhism.
how come Shakyamuni Buddha woke up without being instructed on Prajna Paramita? Where did he get his Buddha Nature?
That is similar to saying: Chickens are not dependent on eggs, because how else could have come about the first chicken?
It's really not, because Buddhism is not the "mother of all Buddhas". Prajna Paramita is the mother of all Buddhas, not the teachings on that.
Heart Sutra: "
All Buddhas of the three periods of time attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi through reliance on Prajna Paramita."
The teachings are empty. Relying upon the teachings is like relying upon the ear or the nose. But since that is empty you will only deceive yourself.
So all Buddhas rely upon the wisdom of emptiness, not the teaching of it.
Similarly, in the vast majority of cases, the chicken of enlightenment depends upon exposure to the egg of the Dharma.
If it is "in the vast majority of cases" then it is obviously not dependent upon Buddhism.
The Heart Sutra says very clearly what all Buddhas rely upon, and it is not Buddhism, not Dharma.. because those are empty. All Buddhas don't rely upon emptiness, but the wisdom of emptiness.
They rely upon Prajna Paramita, not Sunyata (Buddhism, the Dharma, the teachings of Sunyata, being Sunyata themselves).
Arhats rely upon the teachings to reach Nirvana, but their Nirvana is not true.
In the Heart Sutra, Avalokiteshvara is practicing the "profound" or "deep" transcendental wisdom. Talking about this kind of wisdom and relying upon the teachings is "superficial" or "shallow" wisdom.
All Buddhas do not rely upon "Shallow Wisdom" to attain Bodhi, which is what you are saying the vast majority must do.
But in fact, no Buddha relies upon such shallow wisdom. No amount of study on the shallow wisdom would allow Avalokiteshvara to illuminate the Five Skandhas and see that they are empty.
If you rely upon Buddhism, you rely upon the eye, the ear, etc., sights, sounds, etc., you rely upon Emptiness. You rely upon nothing whatsoever. You have no safe haven.
Therefore;
Heart Sutra: "
All Buddhas of the three periods of time attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi through reliance on Prajna Paramita."
nopalabhyate...