The Way to Buddhahood by Yin-shun. Lai Whalen. Gimello Robert M. Yeung Wing

Author:Yin-shun.,Lai, Whalen.,Gimello, Robert M.,Yeung, Wing.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wisdom Publications
Published: 2015-12-22T05:00:00+00:00

106 One who truly understands the true Dharma,

Is initially called śrotāpanna.

The three bonds are completely cut,

And endless births and deaths are ended.

When the cultivators of the Śrāvaka Vehicle attain the holy fruit, they pass through four levels. Here is an explanation of the initial fruit.

Contemplating the impermanence and selflessness of dharmas within dependent origination in accord with the extinction of dependent origination, which is itself a realization of the true Dharma, is called “entrance into the Dharma realm.” A sage who initially realizes the true Dharma is called a śrotāpanna, a Sanskrit term meaning “belonging to the stream” or “entering the stream.” A person who has practiced to this level is in accord with the stream of the nature of things and belongs among the sages of the stream level. The sūtra describes the realization of the fruit of śrotāpanna as “understanding the Dharma, attaining the Dharma, realizing the Dharma, entering the Dharma, leaving behind all doubts but not through reliance upon others, entering the true Dharma having attained fearlessness.”56 Thus, this fruit is concerned with clear understanding, self-enlightenment, and absolute faith in the true Dharma.

The sage of the initial fruit has already cut the root of birth and death and the primary afflictions. According to the analysis of the later philosophers, there are many afflictions. Generally, they can be divided into two categories. The first comprises afflictions that are cut off by understanding the Way; these “confusions of understanding” are overcome by the wisdom that comes from realizing the nature of things. The second category comprises afflictions that are cut off by practicing the Way. These “confusions of practice” have to be cut away bit by bit through continuous practice. Those afflictions that are overcome by the initial fruition belong to the confusions of understanding, which are extremely numerous. The philosophers call them the eighty-eight confusions. But in the sūtras the Buddha always emphasized “cutting away the three bonds.” The three bonds — the bond of self-perception, the bond of keeping inappropriate precepts, and the bond of doubt — are completely cut, without any residue, by the initial fruition. The bond here is that of birth and death. So when the three bonds are cut, this means that the knots of birth and death are untied.

The bond of the perception of a permanent self, the illusory attachment to the self, is the root of birth and death. Arising from the perception of a permanent self are the views of “I and mine,” nihilism, eternalism, monism, pluralism, existence, nonexistence, and so on. When self-perception is cut through, all these are cut through as well.

Inappropriate precepts are meaningless non-Buddhist precepts. After understanding the truth, one will no longer mistakenly think that non-Buddhist religious conduct can lead to liberation. One will no longer cling to such things or study with heretics. There are many inappropriate non-Buddhist precepts. The simpler ones include, for example, not eating cooked food, not cutting one’s hair, assembling on certain days of the month to make offerings to spirits, imitating cows and dogs, not eating pork, not eating blood, and so forth.

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