'this world'

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clyde
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'this world'

Post by clyde »

I seem to vaguely remember a story, a Buddhist or Zen Buddhist story about someone, maybe a monk, complaining about ‘this world’, this world of dissatisfaction and woe. I can’t find a reference to the story, but as I remember it, the Buddha pointed to the earth and said, “Here I awakened.”

As I understand it, when the Buddha said, “Here I awakened,” he was pointing to the fact that his awakening happened right here, in “this world”. We don’t need to be in some ‘special place’, this place will do.

As a dear friend and Zen Teacher used to say, just noodlin’.
“Enlightenment means to see what harm you are involved in and to renounce it.” David Brazier, The New Buddhism

“The most straightforward advice on awakening enlightened mind is this: practice not causing harm to anyone—yourself or others—and every day, do what you can to be helpful.” Pema Chodron, “What to Do When the Going Gets Rough”
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Aemilius
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Re: 'this world'

Post by Aemilius »

You are probably remembering the end of the first chapter in the Vimalakirti Nirdesa sutra, where Sariputra says that he sees this world as impure or unclean ("like ordure" in the Robert Thurman translation). Here is the passage from the Lu Kuan Yu (Charles Luk) translation:
"Sariputra said: 'I see that this world is full of hills, mountains, pits, thorns, stones and earth, which are all unclean.' Brahma said: 'Because your mind is up and down and disagrees with the Buddha-wisdom, you see that this land is unclean. Sariputra, because a Bodhisattva is impartial towards all living beings and his profound mind is pure and clean in accord with the Buddha Dharma, he can see that this Buddha land is (also) pure and clean.' At that time, the Buddha pressed the toes of His (right ) foot on the ground and the world was suddenly adorned with hundreds and thousands of rare and precious gems of the great chiliocosm, like the precious Majestic Buddha’s pure land adorned with countless precious merits, which the assembly praised as never seen before; in addition each person present found himself seated on a precious lotus throne. The Buddha said to Sariputra: 'Look at the majestic purity of this Buddha land of mine.' Sariputra said: 'World Honoured One, I have never seen and heard of this Buddha land in its majestic purity.' The Buddha said: 'This Buddha land of mine is always pure, but appears filthy so that I can lead people of inferior spirituality to their salvation.' "
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
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clyde
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Re: 'this world'

Post by clyde »

Thank you. That’s an interesting passage and worth contemplating. But I don’t think it’s the story I read.

In any case, it harkens back to the story of Mara’s challenge.

The story is told in several ways. Sometimes it’s Mara challenging Siddhartha’s “right to awaken” and sometime it’s Mara challenging the Buddha’s “claim of being awakened”. Sometimes it Siddhartha/Buddha who touches the earth and speaks, “The earth is my witness” and sometimes it’s the earth that speaks, “I am your witness.”

Each version has its merits, but I prefer the story of Mara challenging Siddhartha. So when Siddhartha points and says, “The earth is my witness,” he was declaring that he, and all of us, have the natural right to awaken. It’s not something that someone, anyone, can give or take.
“Enlightenment means to see what harm you are involved in and to renounce it.” David Brazier, The New Buddhism

“The most straightforward advice on awakening enlightened mind is this: practice not causing harm to anyone—yourself or others—and every day, do what you can to be helpful.” Pema Chodron, “What to Do When the Going Gets Rough”
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KeithA
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Re: 'this world'

Post by KeithA »

clyde wrote: Fri May 27, 2022 5:30 am


As a dear friend and Zen Teacher used to say, just noodlin’.
I miss him a lot. I regret never taking the time to go and visit. I don’t live far from where he lived.

I like the story too. Just now, right here, wake up.

🙏🙏🙏
When walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking,
being silent, moving, being still.
At all times, in all places, without interruption - what is this?
One mind is infinite kalpas.

New Haven Zen Center
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Aemilius
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Re: 'this world'

Post by Aemilius »

There is also a story (in the Pali canon), in which some bhikshus ask the Buddha what is a good place to practice the Way? And he answers that you conquer desires in all kinds of places. I am sure this story exits, but haven't seen it very recently. Maybe you can find it for me?
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
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Dhammanando
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Re: 'this world'

Post by Dhammanando »

clyde wrote: Sat May 28, 2022 9:27 pm “The earth is my witness,”
The earth-touching (bhūmisparśa) episode is found in every Indian Buddha biography except the Buddhacarita.

Māra the Malign is challenging the Bodhisatva's right to the bodhi-seat and demanding that he leave it. The Bodhisatva insists that he's earned the right to the seat through his past practice of the perfection of giving, especially in his former life as Prince Vessantara.

Māra retorts that he too has practised the perfection of giving and so the seat belongs to him. To back up his claim he calls upon all the assembled demons and spirits to act as his witness, which they do.

The Bodhisatva can't do likewise because all the devas, nāgas, &c, who were earlier supporting him have already fled at the sight of Māra and his host. Being unable to enlist any living being to support his claim to the seat, the Bodhisatva calls upon the earth to be his witness.
Then the Tempter addressed the Great Being, and said, “Siddhattha! who is witness that thou hast given alms?”
 
And the Great Being answered, “Thou hast living witnesses that thou hast given alms: and I have in this place no living witness at all. But not counting the alms I have given in other births, let this great and solid earth, unconscious though it be, be witness of the seven hundredfold great alms I gave when I was born as Vessantara!”

And withdrawing his right hand from beneath his robe, he stretched it forth towards the earth, and said, “Are you, or are you not witness of the seven hundredfold great gift I gave in my birth as Vessantara?”

And the great Earth uttered a voice, saying, “I am witness to thee of that!” overwhelming as it were the hosts of the Evil One as with the shout of hundreds of thousands of foes.

Then the mighty elephant “Girded with mountains,” as he realized what the generosity of Vessantara had been, fell down on his knees before the Great Being. And the army of Māra fled this way and that way, so that not even two were left together: throwing off their clothes and their turbans, they fled, each one straight on before him.

But the heavenly hosts, when they saw that the army of Māra had fled, cried out, “The Tempter is overcome! Siddhattha the Prince has prevailed! Come, let us honour the Victor!” And the Nāgas, and the Winged Creatures, and the devas, and the great devas, each urging his comrades on, went up to the Great Being at the Bo-tree’s foot, and as they came.

It was while the sun was still above the horizon, that the Great Being thus put to flight the army of the Evil One. Then, whilst the Bo-tree paid him homage, as it were, by its shoots like sprigs of red coral falling over his robe, he acquired in the first watch of the night the Knowledge of the Past, in the middle watch the Knowledge of the Present, and in the third watch the Knowledge of the Chain of Causation which leads to the Origin of Evil.

(Nidānakathā, T. W. Rhys Davids
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Dhammanando
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Re: 'this world'

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And this is the Lalitavistara's version, with the earth replaced by the earth goddess, Sthāvarā.
The Bodhisattva answered Māra, the evil one, with words that were firm, profound, vast, gentle, and sweet:
“You, evil one! Through just a single unstinting act of giving, you have become lord of the desire realm. I, on the other hand, have performed trillions of unstinting acts of giving. I have cut off my hands, legs, eyes, and my head, and given them to beggars. With the intention to liberate sentient beings, I have often given beggars my house, wealth, grains, beds, clothes, and parks.”

Māra, the evil one, replied with this verse:

“Previously I made a wholesome act of giving;
It was an unstinting act, and you are my witness.
But you have no witness to your acts,
So there is no point in speaking of them, and instead you will be conquered.”

The Bodhisattva replied, “Evil one, the earth here is my witness.”
He then embraced Māra, the evil one, and his demonic retinue with thoughts of love and compassion. Like a lion, he was without fear, fright, anxiety, timidity, disturbance, and perturbation. He had no goose bumps, which indicate fear. He now let his right hand slide over his entire body and then gracefully tapped on the earth‍—the hand that had the contours of a conch, a victory banner, a fish, a vase, a swastika, an iron hook, and a wheel. The hand’s fingers were connected by a web. Its nails were exquisite and copper colored. Soft and supple, it looked perfectly youthful. All this was the result of limitless eons of gathering the accumulations of basic goodness. He then spoke this verse:

“This earth supports all beings;
She is impartial and unbiased toward all, whether moving or still.
She is my witness that I speak no lies;
So may she bear my witness.”

As soon as the Bodhisattva touched this great earth, it shook in six different ways. It quivered, trembled, and quaked, and it boomed, thundered, and roared. Just as a Magadhan brass cauldron, when struck with a wooden log, chimes and reverberates, so did this great earth sound and reverberate when struck by the Bodhisattva with his hand.

Then the earth goddess in this great trichiliocosm who is called Sthāvarā, along with her retinue of one billion earth goddesses, began to shake the entire great earth. Not far from where the Bodhisattva was sitting, she broke through the earth’s surface and revealed her upper body, adorned with all sorts of jewels. She bowed toward the Bodhisattva, joined her palms, and said to him, “You are right. Great Being, you are right. It is just as you say. We bear witness to this. But still, my Lord, you alone are the supreme witness in the worlds of gods and humans and the supreme authority.”

Having spoken thus, the earth goddess Sthāvarā rebuked Māra, the evil one, in many ways, and praised the Bodhisattva again and again. She made a great display of her myriad powers and then disappeared together with her following there and then.

When the wicked one and his army heard that sound from the earth,
Frightened and disheartened, they all fled,
Just like jackals in the forest hearing the lion’s roar,
Or crows taking flight when a rock is thrown.

(Tr. Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche)
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Dhammanando
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Re: 'this world'

Post by Dhammanando »

This is the Lokottaravadins' version in the Mahāvastu. It's rather different from the others in that it's missing the debate about who's more accomplished in dānaparamitā. Instead, the defeat of Māra is simply represented as an act of sorcery on the part of the Bodhisatva.
But the Bodhisattva, endued with the roots of virtue acquired during several koṭis of kalpas, thrice stroked his head, and thrice his bent knee. Then he struck the earth with his right hand, a gem of a hand, marked with a bright streak, beautified by being painted with the essence of lac, soft like cotton to the touch, and with copper-coloured nails. And the earth thus struck reverberated. Deeply and distinctly it resounded and re-echoed. Just as a vessel of metal made in Magadha when beaten on a mountain-top resounds and re-echoes deeply, so did the earth when struck by the Bodhisattva’s hand. And Māra’s army as it reverberated was split, torn, broken up, and turned away. Their elephants, horses and chariots collapsed; their feet, hands and weapons collapsed. They lost their direction, and taking the wrong way fell into the river Nairañjanā. Some fell on their left side, others on their right, others on their backs, others on their feet, others on their knees, others on their heads, and others on their faces. In fear and terror they cried out to one another.

He, the Lord of bipeds, struck the earth with a hand soft as cotton. The earth with the sea and the rocks shook. By him was the host of Namuci broken.

Then, because of the might of the Bodhisattva, Māra left the neighbourhood of the bodhi-tree. And as he fled, many a horse and elephant and warrior plunged down the banks of the river named Nairañjanā.

With his horsemen, chariots, and armour fallen and crushed, Māra, together with the hordes of Rākṣasas. ignorant of their direction, fell over the banks of the Nairañjanā, and all their weapons were lost.

The demon’s host, terrified by the might of magic power, stampeded for many a thousand yojanas. Then, though they were still not without fear, and trembled, (they cried out to one another), “We are fortunate to be alive and out of danger.”

Others of the demon host sobbed and wept. Meanwhile devas rained down flowers of the coral-tree and of the karkārava, and in exultation acclaimed

The victory of the prince. In the sky there were roars of drums, and shouts of “hurrah!” re-echoed in the three worlds. The clear firmament was shaken when the Master won his victory.

(tr. William Jones)
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