Yes, nothing is happening and indeed nothing needs to be
attained. Enlightenment is a form of "insight"/"waking up" from
false conceptions, and finds that nothing can be grasped/hold on.
Therefore it can be truly called 'liberation'.
(chapter on bodhisattva manjusri)
Bodhisattva Manjusri
Thereupon Bodhisattva Manjusri rose from his seat in the midst of
the assembly, prostrated himself at the feet of the Buddha, circled
the Buddha three times to the right, knelt down, joined his palms,
[1] and said: O World Honored One of great compassion! Please
expound to the multitude who have come to this assembly the
Tathagata s Dharma practice of the original-arising purity of the
causal ground. [2] Please also expound to us how bodhisattvas may
initiate this state of pure mind within the Mahayana and leave all
illness. [Pray teach us] so that sentient beings in the future
Dharma Ending Age who aspire to the Mahayana will not fall into
erroneous views. Having said these words, he prostrated himself on
the ground. He made the same request three times, each time
repeating the same procedure.
At that time the World Honored One said to Bodhisattva Manjusri:
Excellent, excellent! Virtuous man, for the benefit of the
multitude of bodhisattvas you have asked about the Tathagatas
Dharma practice of the causal ground. For the benefit of all
sentient beings in the Dharma Ending Age who aspire to Mahayana,
you asked how they can attain correct abiding and not fall into
erroneous views. Listen attentively now. I shall explain it to
you.
Hearing this, Bodhisattva Manjusri was filled with joy and listened
silently along with the assembly.
Virtuous man, the Supreme Dharma King possesses the method of the
great dharani [3] called Complete Enlightenment, [4] out of which
emanates pure true suchness, bodhi, and nirvana, as well as the
paramitas to teach bodhisattvas. The original-arising [purity] of
the causal ground of the Tathagatas relies on the complete
illumination of [intrinsic] enlightenment, which is pure [in
essence] and permanently free from ignorance. [5] Only then do the
[Tathagatas] accomplish the Buddha Path.
What is ignorance? Virtuous man, since beginningless time, all
sentient beings have had all sorts of delusions, like a disoriented
person who has lost his sense of direction. They mistake the four
great elements [6] as the attributes of their bodies, and the
conditioned impressions [7] of the six sense objects as the
attributes of their minds. They are like a man with an illness of
the eyes who sees an [illusory] flower in the sky, or a second
moon.
Virtuous man, there is in reality no flower in the sky, yet the
sick man mistakenly clings to it. Because of his mistaken clinging,
he is not only deluded about the intrinsic nature of the empty
space, but also confused about the arising of the flower. Because
of this false existence [to which he clings], he remains in the
turning wheel of birth and death. Hence this is called
ignorance.
Virtuous man, this ignorance has no real substance. It is like a
person in a dream. Though the person exists in the dream, when [the
dreamer] awakens, there is nothing that can be grasped. Like an
[illusory] flower in the sky that vanishes into empty space, one
cannot say that there is a fixed place from which it vanishes. Why?
Because there is no place from which it arises! Amidst the
unarisen, all sentient beings deludedly perceive birth and
extinction. Hence this is called the turning wheel of birth and
death.
Virtuous man, one who practices Complete Enlightenment of the
causal ground of the Tathagata realizes that [birth and extinction]
are like an illusory flower in the sky. Thus there is no
continuance of birth and death and no body or mind that is subject
to birth and death. This nonexistence of [birth and death and body
and mind] is so not as a consequence of contrived effort. It is so
by its intrinsic nature.
The awareness [of their nonexistence] is like empty space. That
which is aware of the empty space is like the appearance of the
illusory flower. However, one cannot say that the nature of this
awareness is nonexistent. Eliminating both existence and
nonexistence is in accordance with pure enlightenment.
Why is it so? Because the nature of empty space is ever unmoving.
Likewise, there is neither arising nor perishing within the
Tathagatagarbha. [8] It is free from conceptual knowledge and
views. Like the nature of dharmadhatu, which is ultimate, wholly
complete, and pervades all ten directions, such is the Dharma
practice [of the Tathagata] of the causal ground.
Because of this [intrinsic completeness], bodhisattvas within the
Mahayana may give rise to pure bodhi-mind. If sentient beings in
the Dharma Ending Age practice accordingly, they will not fall into
erroneous views.
At that time, the World Honored One, wishing to clarify his
meaning, proclaimed these gathas:
Manjusri, you should know
that all Tathagatas,
from their original-arising causal ground,
use wisdom to enlighten
and penetrate ignorance.
Realizing that ignorance is like
a flower in the sky,
they are thus liberated from the continuance
[of birth and death].
Like a person [seen] in a dream who
cannot be found when [the dreamer] awakens,
awareness is like empty space.
It is impartial and equal, and ever unmoving.
When enlightenment pervades all ten directions,
the Buddha Path is accomplished.
There is no place where illusions vanish,
and there is no attainment
in accomplishing the Buddha Path,
for the intrinsic nature is already wholly complete.
By this, bodhisattvas
can give rise to the bodhi-mind.
Sentient beings in the Dharma Ending Age
through this practice will avoid erroneous views.
[1] Literally, this should be translated as joined his palms
together with the tips of the fingers crossed (cha shou). This is
one of the ancient Indian gestures for respect. It symbolizes the
nonduality of the realm of the Buddhas (the left hand) and the
realm of ordinary sentient beings (right hand).
[2] Causal ground (yin di) can also be understood as the
mind-ground (xin di). It refers to both the circumstance when the
Buddha first initiated the bodhi-mind (chu fa pu ti xin) and to the
intrinsic nature of mind (xin xing) or Buddha-nature (fo xing).
Original arising, ben qi simply means the fundamental starting
point of Dharma practice (fa xing), which refers to the practice
that accords with the nature of all dharmas (fa xing), that is,
emptiness, (kong xing).
[3] Dharani (zong chi) means universal control. See glossary for
further information.
[4] From the perspective of the result, Complete Enlightenment
(yuan jue) refers to the state of Buddhahood. From the perspective
of the path, where practice is still neccessary, Complete
Enlightenment refers to the state reached by bodhisattvas first
bhumi and above. From the perspective of the cause, it designates
the perfection and completeness of Buddha-nature intrinsic to all
beings (yuan man xian cheng zhi fo xing).
[5] Ignorance (wu ming) is avidva in Sanskrit. See glossary for
further information.
[6] The four great elements (si da) are: earth, water, fire, and
wind. Together, they constitute the physical body of a living human
being.
[7] Impressions (ying) may also be translated as reflections or
shadows.
[8] Tathagatagarbha (ru lai zang) is synonymous with Buddha-nature
(fo xing). See glossary for further information.
~ The Sutra of Complete Enlightenment (http://www.prajna.nl/teksten/onderricht/soetras/complete/)
