Surangama Sutra Free E-Book

[Kokuu]

Available as a free download from The Buddhist Text Tranlsation Society:

http://www.buddhisttexts.org/surangama.html

Such a wonderful offering!

Gassho
Kokuu

[Kyonin]

I can't download it...

I wonder if it's just me.

Gassho,

Kyonin

[RichardH]

http://www.weebly.com/uploads/6/3/3/...ranslation.pdf




Gassho
Daizan

[Daitetsu]

Thanks a lot, Kokuu!

@Kyonin:
Downloads work here...

Gassho,

Daitetsu

[Jundo]

Thank you, Kokuu.

All the Mahayana Sutras are very fantastical in style, but I ... like some other Soto teachers ... have often found the Shurangama/Surangama lovely in sections, and very silly and poorly presented in others [especially the sections arguing in detail, but rather poorly, the nature of the mind and senses], although with some truly wonderful sections and what is said to be a lovely style in the Chinese language. The Sutra was generally never as popular in Japanese Buddhist circles, Zen or otherwise, as it was in China. (It was likely composed in China rather late, and was not originally an Indian composition). I find that if the Buddha actually said some of the things he is quoted as saying in that Sutra, he would seem a bit foolish.

It is just the opinion of Dogen and his Teacher, but Dogen actually seems to have felt the same way, although he also sometimes quoted from passages in the Surangama. He wrote in the Hokyo-ki of a conversation on this with his teacher, Ju-Ching, also not a Surangama fan. You can read their short conversation here, calling it "not as skillful as other Mahayana Sutras" (pg 6 and 7 here) ...

http://books.google.com/books?id=mHJ...dia%22&f=false

Master Hsuan Hua's commentary is also quite interesting, as he was a modern Teacher with some very traditional Chinese views. For example, one section of the Sutra presents the traditional ban on eating onions and garlic this way ...

Beings who seek to enter samadhi should refrain from eating five pungent plants of this world [onions, garlic, shallots, leeks and chives]. If these five are eaten cooked, they increase one’s sexual desire; if they are eaten raw, they increase one’s anger.Therefore, even if people in this world who eat pungent plants can expound the twelve divisions of the sutra canon, the gods and immortals of the ten directions will stay far away from them because they smell so bad. However, after they eat these things the hungry ghosts will hover around and kiss their lips. Being always in the presence of ghosts, their blessings and virtue dissolve as the days go by, and they experience no lasting benefit. People who eat pungent plants and also cultivate samadhi will not be protected by the Bodhisattvas, gods, immortals, or good spirits of the ten directions; therefore, the tremendously powerful demon kings, able to do as they please, will appear in the body of a Buddha and speak dharma for them, denouncing the prohibitive precepts and praising lust, rage, and delusion. When their lives end, these people will join the retinue of demon kings. When they use up their blessings as demons, they will fall into the Unintermittent Hell. Ananda, those who cultivate for Bodhi should never eat the five pungent plants. This is the first of the gradual stages of cultivation.

Master Hsuan Hua comments, to underline the point:

After people eat these strong-smelling foods, the odor lingers around them and attracts ghosts. The ghosts boldly go up and kiss those who partake of the five pungent plants, in an attempt to taste what they’ve eaten. Ghosts eat by contact, as we have learned, so those who eat these impure things are literally in the hands of ghosts who hang around and keep touching them. You may not be one who can see them, but they are really there doing just that. ...

...

... people who eat the five pungent plants. Because they eat such things, the gods, immortals, Bodhisattvas, and good spirits do not protect them. Therefore, the demon kings who possess great power can have their way with them. The demon king appears as a Buddha and speaks demonic dharma to them, praising sexual desire, anger, and stupidity. Having been confused by the demons, these people lose their proper knowledge and proper views and any real wisdom. Instead, they harbor deviant knowledge and deviant views. The demon king says sexual desire is good, and they believe it. “The Buddha told me so! He said it’s no problem.” That’s called mistaking a thief for one’s own son. One mistakes the demon king for the Buddha. Therefore, “When their lives end, these people will join the retinue of demon kings.” When their worldly blessings are used up, they die and obediently go over to the retinue of the demon king.

It may be so.

Gassho, J

[Kokuu]

Thank you, Jundo. It is not a sutra I have read any of thus far so good to have an opinion on it.

The restriction on not eating pungent plants seems to go back earlier than Chinese thought as is present in yoga too and other Indian philosophy. I suspect it comes from Ayurveda or similar.

Gassho
Kokuu

[RichardH]

I had garlic bread yesterday.

Gassho
Daizan

[Jundo]

Thank you, Jundo. It is not a sutra I have read any of thus far so good to have an opinion on it.

The restriction on not eating pungent plants seems to go back earlier than Chinese thought as is present in yoga too and other Indian philosophy. I suspect it comes from Ayurveda or similar.

Gassho
Kokuu

I suspect so. Given that slice of NY Pizza I had yesterday, the ghosts are hovering near today.

Gassho, J

[Ed]

Got it. Thanks Daizan.
But I'm reading THE COMPLET ENLIGHTENMENT SUTRA translated by Master Sheng Yen. I really like it.
My night table looks like the public library.
Ah, good stuf.
In gassho.

[Byokan]

If anyone is looking for me, I will be in the Unintermittent Hell.

I can live without enlightenment. Garlic and onions are non-negotiable.

Gassho
Lisa