Toh 241The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Wheel of Meditative Concentration”

Summary

While dwelling on Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha, the
Buddha is absorbed in the meditative concentration called wheel of meditative
concentration. In response to a series of questions posed by the Buddha, Mañjuśrī
explains the nature of ultimate reality. Pleased with his replies, the Buddha praises Mañjuśrī for
being skilled in expressing the meaning of the profound Dharma.

Acknowledgements

This translation was produced by the Sarasvatī
Translation Team.

The translation was completed under the patronage
and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Introduction

Named for the meditative concentration in
which the Buddha is absorbed, this short sūtra explores the nature of ultimate reality. Mañjuśrī
elucidates its meaning through a series of answers to questions posed by the Buddha, in which
ultimate reality is referred to by terms such as very limit of reality
(Skt. bhūtakoṭi, Tib. yang dag pa’i mtha’) and sphere of
phenomena (Skt. dharmadhātu,
Tib. chos kyi dbyings). He explains that the
very limit of reality is without any location and neither comes nor goes, and he declares that
he does not see any phenomenon that is not the sphere of phenomena.

The sūtra was translated from Chinese, most
likely in the Tibetan imperial era, but it is not listed either in any of the early catalogs or
in the Chinese Tripiṭaka. It is one of a handful of sūtras found in the Degé Kangyur whose
Chinese sources have not been identified. In addition to the Degé Kangyur, The Wheel of
Meditative Concentration is only found in Kangyurs of the Tshalpa (tshal pa) group and in the Lhasa and Narthang Kangyurs. Among
those, only the Lhasa version has a colophon, which simply identifies the Indian abbot
Śīladharma and Nampar Mitokpa (rnam par mi rtog pa) as its
translators from Chinese.

Many parts of this sūtra bear substantial
resemblance to passages in the larger Infinite Jewels (Ratnakoṭi, Toh 118),
which was translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan by the Indian preceptor Prajñāvarman and the
Tibetan translator Yeshé Dé and corresponds to two Chinese sūtras—Rufajie tixing jing
入法界體性經 (Entering the Nature of the Sphere of
Phenomena, Taishō 355) and Foshuo baoji sanmei wenshushili
pusa wen fashen jing
佛説寶積三昧文殊師利菩薩問法身經 (Sūtra in Which the Buddha
Speaks of the Meditative Concentration Called “Infinite Jewels” and the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī
Asks about the Dharma Body, Taishō 356).

A comparison of The
Wheel of Meditative Concentration with Toh 118, Taishō 355, and Taishō 356 reveals
differences in certain details, but these differences do not constitute contradictions in terms
of the overall meaning conveyed.

Moreover, both The
Wheel of Meditative Concentration and Infinite Jewels
(Ratnakoṭi, Toh 118) have a thematically close relationship
with yet a third text, The Teaching on the Indivisible Nature of the Realm
of Phenomena (Dharmadhātuprakṛtyasambhedanirdeśa,
Toh 52). That longer and more detailed work opens with a teaching on the realm of phenomena
given by Mañjuśrī at the Buddha’s request. The short passage recounting that teaching bears a striking resemblance to the teaching on the limit of reality
and the realm of phenomena in these two texts, and in that longer text too the Buddha warns that
“if those who are possessed of excessive pride hear that teaching, it will frighten them.”
Mañjuśrī responds to this warning in essentially the same way as in the present text, though
perhaps less cryptically: “Those who become afraid … are themselves of the nature of the realm
of phenomena, and the nature of the realm of phenomena does not become frightened.” Unlike the
other two shorter texts, however, The Teaching on the Indivisible Nature of
the Realm of Phenomena then goes on to elaborate in some detail on the theme of
pride in this context. First, some “proud monks” are immediately liberated by hearing the
teaching. Then, another group of proud monks leaves the scene, confused and
disconcerted, and Mañjuśrī has to use his powers and bring them back by means of a further
teaching. Further on still in the narrative, Mañjuśrī explains in detail
what is meant by unfounded or excessive pride on many levels, culminating in its sense of
dualistic, conceptual conceits that prevent one from engaging fully with the emptiness and
sameness of all phenomena. Although the historical relationship of these texts remains to
be determined,
The Teaching on the Indivisible Nature of the Realm of Phenomena
does help to throw light on the two shorter texts in which Mañjuśrī’s statements are left
unexplained.

The present translation is based on the Degé
Kangyur, with reference to variants in other versions noted in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma).

The Translation

The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra

The Wheel of Meditative Concentration

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One
was residing on Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha accompanied by a saṅgha of 1,250 bhikṣus and a saṅgha
of innumerable, countless bodhisattvas. Surrounded also by various retinues of gods, nāgas,
yakṣas, and other beings, he was teaching them the Dharma.

At that time, the Blessed One was absorbed
in the meditative concentration called wheel of meditative concentration.
Through the power of that meditative concentration, all the buddha lands shook and were
illuminated by a great light.

Then, the bodhisattva Youthful Mañjuśrī, who
was present in that retinue, rose from his seat and said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, your
absorption in the wheel of meditative concentration is amazing. Sugata, it
is truly amazing.”

The Blessed One asked, “Mañjuśrī, do you
know the very limit of reality?”

“I know it, Blessed One,” replied the
bodhisattva Mañjuśrī.

“Mañjuśrī, where is the very limit of
reality?” asked the Blessed One.

Mañjuśrī replied, “Blessed One, the very
limit of reality is where it is not.”

“Mañjuśrī, where is it not?” asked the
Blessed One,

Mañjuśrī replied, “Blessed One, it is
without any location.”

The Blessed One asked, “Mañjuśrī, what is
meditation?”

Mañjuśrī replied, “Blessed One, meditation
means nonmeditation.”

Then Mañjuśrī asked, “How does the Tathāgata
teach the Dharma?”

“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “I
teach the Dharma to the effect that forms are undestroyed and unborn. I teach the Dharma to the
effect that feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousnesses are undestroyed and unborn. I
turn the wheel of Dharma to the effect that attachment, hatred, and ignorance are undestroyed
and unborn. I have taught that
in this way no phenomenon whatsoever has been destroyed or produced in the state of unsurpassed,
perfect, and complete awakening.”

“I know it if I focus on it,” replied
Mañjuśrī.

The Blessed One asked, “Mañjuśrī, do you
know the world that is experienced?”

The Blessed One said, “The Tathāgata wishes
to hear the Dharma. Demonstrate your inspired speech!”

Mañjuśrī asked, “With what should I begin to
demonstrate my inspired speech?”

“Begin with the sphere of phenomena,
Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One.

“Blessed One, I do not see any phenomenon
that is not the sphere of phenomena.”

“Those who have unfounded pride will be
afraid,” said the Blessed One.

“Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī, “if the
very limit of reality is afraid, then those who have unfounded pride will be afraid. Why?
Because the very limit of reality and those who have unfounded pride are one and the same, and
indistinguishable.”

“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “you are a
vajra basis.”

“Blessed One,” said Mañjuśrī, “since all
phenomena are indivisible and inconceivable, they too are vajra bases. Why are they said to be
vajra bases? Because sentient beings do not exist and things do not exist, they too are vajra
bases.

“Blessed One, such a very limit of reality
does not exist. Whatever is such a limit neither comes nor goes. Blessed One, dwelling on the
meaning of having such a limit, one meditates on the meaning of the absence of an intrinsic
nature, keeps to remote places, and abandons distractions.”

Then Venerable Śāriputra said to the
bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, “Mañjuśrī, the Dharma you have taught is amazing.”

“Honorable Śāriputra, it is not so amazing,”
replied Mañjuśrī. “The uncontaminated arhats are not vessels for this Dharma teaching. Why?
Because a Dharma teaching like this does not engage with the attributes of ordinary beings, it
does not engage with the attributes of arhats, it does not engage with the attributes of
pratyekabuddhas, and it does not engage with the attributes of tathāgatas. It does not engage at
all in the observation of phenomena. This is because it neither engages in nor retreats from
anything. This is because all phenomena are void.”

“Mañjuśrī, will you say what you had in
mind?”

“Honorable Śāriputra,” replied Mañjuśrī, “if
the state of an arhat is the state in which attachment, hatred, and ignorance have been
extinguished, then of what can they be a vessel? Of what kind of Dharma can they be a vessel? It
is with this in mind that I say that arhats, whose contaminants have been extinguished, are not
vessels for this Dharma teaching.

“Honorable Śāriputra, do you esteem this as
a Dharma without death and rebirth?”

“Mañjuśrī, I do.”

After the Blessed One had spoken thus, the
bodhisattva Youthful Mañjuśrī, the venerable Śāriputra, and the world with its gods, humans,
asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had said.

This concludes the noble Mahāyāna sūtra “The Wheel of
Meditative Concentration.”

Notes

Bibliography

vajra basis
vajra bases

rdo rje’i gzhi
རྡོ་རྗེའི་གཞི།