Tatsuo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 5:14 am
Hello,
I rcently read about the concept of ichinen sanzen where in some moments Buddhahood is present in one's mind and in other times it is just there as a potentiality while other stages are dominant. I also vaguely remember there being a concept of stages with one stage being "verbal identity". How does full enlightenment (anuttara-samyak-sambodhi) look like in Tendai thought? Is it this present moment where we are already fully enlightened Buddhas even without any fundamental change and without getting rid of all defilements (hongaku)? Or is it closer to the older definitions of enlightenment which can be found in the Suttas of the Pali canon?
Back to the OP who may or may not still be around.
First, the teachings touched on should be identified clearly.
I rcently read about the concept of ichinen sanzen where in some moments Buddhahood is present in one's mind and in other times it is just there as a potentiality while other stages are dominant.
This is not quite ichinen sanzen. Ichinen Sanzen is a more comprehensive view. This is a component teaching of ichinen sanzen, namely, the Mutual Inclusion of the Ten Worlds. This is a teaching fundamentally about buddhanature, but also about impermanence and potentiality. Each of the 10 worlds is associated with predominant characteristics of the mind. This is not particularly novel. Hell is characterized by a paralyzing futility against the environment. Preta is characterized by unremitting craving. Animal realm is characterized by amoral opportunism - when one is able to dominate, one dominates; when one cannot dominate, one is obsequiously servile. Ashura is characterized by anger grounded in not getting what one wants. The human realm is marked by contentment. The deva realm is characterized by bliss. The Sravaka realm is characterized by the dawning of insight into reality. The pratyekabuddha/arhat realm is characterized by relative mastery of the insights into reality. The Bodhisattva realm is characterized by compassion and the application of insights to helping living beings. The Buddha realm is characterized by the perfection of wisdom and function (not conduct because intent is not part of the equation). The Buddha realm also stands in contrast to the other nine realms as being the only realm completely free of ignorance and suffering. The others all have ignorance and suffering to various degrees, which can be recognized only because of the example of the buddha. Perfect wisdom is discernible only in relation to ignorance, and vice versa. (This also tells us this teaching on the mutual possession of the ten worlds, and indeed ichinen sanzen are conventional teachings).
Each of these worlds have the potential of the other nine worlds which express from time to time. When we say the Buddhahood can express within the hell realm, first of all, this is extremely rare, maybe possible only in theory, but, it means that even a hell being could for an instant see reality clearly. On the flip side, a buddha is said to have the potential for hell, meaning the buddha has the capacity to enter and relate to a hell being. In order to do that, the buddha thoroughly knows the nature of hell and how to lead a being out of it. A buddha could not do that if there were no connection to hell. When analyzed through the gradual path, this expresses a bit differently - leading to some poignant assertions like the Buddha possesses evil and such, but these are contextual ideas that are limited to conventional analyses of the world.
I also vaguely remember there being a concept of stages with one stage being "verbal identity".
As Seishin points out, this is the second of six identities. Seishin also pointed out that this is related to the 42 stages of bodhisattva practice - you can find this in the Avatamsaka Sutra and a couple other sources IIRC (Brahmajala?). I think its also related to the Pancamarga, with the teaching on Buddhanature/Tathagatagarbha added as the first stage, ie. Buddha in Principle.
In the Six Identities - this is what how the end of the Six Identities is described by Zhiyi, which we can take as a description of annuttarasamyaksambodhi:
Bodhi[citta] [at the level of] ultimate identity means [advancing] one more step from [the level of] “[almost] equivalent to awakening” to enter subtle (sub-lime) awakening UÓ, where the light of wisdom is perfect and complete and does not need to increase any more. This is called the fruit which is bodhi-wisdom. Nothing more is severed at the time of mah„parinirv„«a. This is called the fruit of fruits. A person [at the stage of] “equivalent to awakening” does not pass [to this fruit]; only a Buddha is able to pass. There is no path to expound beyond ^ha [the last letter in the Siddham alphabet]. Therefore this is called “ultimate bodhi,” and is also called “ultimate cessation and contemplation.”
It should be noted that ichinen sanzen and the six identities are different systems of a analysis and don't have overlap, and so using one to try and understand the other is not going to be particularly productive. They do have complementary functions, but I'm not sure that's readily discernible without a good grasp on them separately.