Your Buddha Nature Will Appear When Your Heart Stays in Samadhi

Your Buddha Nature Will Appear When Your Heart Stays in Samadhi
May /20/ 2023 – May / 21/ 2023

Hello everyone, welcome to our Dharma talk at Dharma Rain Meditation Center.

When Buddha attained the enlightenment, he said, all beings have the same nature as a Buddha.
Let’s open the Mahaparinirvana Sutra to see what Buddha taught us: “So, I always say that beings all possess the Buddha-Nature. I even say that the icchantika [most spiritually blinded of persons keeps the Buddha-Nature. The icchantika has no right dharma. The Buddha-Nature too is a good Dharma. As there are the days to come, the icchantika also can possess the Buddha-Nature. Why? Because all icchantikas can attain unsurpassed enlightenment.

“O, good man! As an example: there is a man who has some cream. People ask: “Do you have any butter?” He answers: “I have”. But, truth to tell, the cream is not butter. Skillfully worked out, he is sure to gain it. So, he says that he has butter. It is the same with beings. All have the mind. “Anyone with a mind will assuredly reach unsurpassed Enlightenment”. That is why I always say that all beings possess the Buddha-Nature.

“O, good man! Of the absolute, there are two kinds. One is absolute in adornment, and the other the ultimate of the absolute. One is absolute in the secular sense, and the other the absolute in the supramundane sense. By the absolute in adornment is meant the six paramitas; the ultimate of the absolute is the One Vehicle which beings gain. The One Vehicle is the Buddha-Nature. That is why I say that all beings possess the Buddha-Nature. All beings possess the One Vehicle. As ignorance is spread all over them, they cannot see. O, good man! In Uttarakuru, Trayastrimsa Heaven’s fruition cannot be seen by beings because there is overspreading of ignorance. It is the same regarding the Buddha-Nature. Beings cannot see it because of the overspreading of defilement.

“Also, next, O good man! “The Buddha-Nature is the Suramgama Samadhi “deepest state of meditative absorption”. Its nature is like sarpirmanda “[most delicious and efficacious of all milk-medicines.” It is the mother to all Buddhas. By dint of the Suramgama Samadhi’s power, all Buddhas gain the Eternal, Bliss, the Self, and the Pure” All beings possess the Suramgama Samadhi. Not practising, they cannot. See it. Hence, there is then no gaining of unsurpassed enlightenment.

“O, good man! The Suramgama Samadhi has five names, which are: 1) suramgama samadhi, 2) prajnaparamita [transcendent Wisdom], 3) diamond samadhi, 4) lion’s roar samadhi, 5) Buddha-Nature. According to the part it takes, it has various names. O, good man! Just as a single samadhi gains various names, such as in [connection with] dhyana we say “four dhyanas”, “catvari-dhyanani”, in element “samadhi element”, in power “samadhi power”, in element “samadhi element” [sic], in rightness “right meditation”, and in the eight awakened minds of a great man “right meditation”. So does it obtain with the Suramgama Samadhi?

“O, good man! All beings are perfect in three samadhis, which are: top, middle, and low. The top refers to the Buddha-Nature. So, we say that all beings possess the Buddha-Nature. By middle is meant that all beings possess the first Dhyana. When causal relations are favourable, they can indeed practise; if not, they cannot. Of causal relations, there are two kinds. The one is fire, and the other the bond that destroys the things of the world of desire. So, we say that all beings are perfect in the middle-grade samadhi. The low-grade samadhi is none but the caitta samadhi of the ten mahabhumikas. Though possessing the Buddha-Nature, all beings are unable to see it, being overspread with defilement. The Bodhisattva of the ten abodes sees the One Vehicle, but he does not know that the Tathagata is Eternal. So, though the Bodhisattva of the ten abodes sees the Buddha-Nature, he cannot see it clearly.

O good man! “Shury?” means “the ultimate of all things”; “gon” means “strong”. As the ultimate of all things is strong, we say “suramgama”. So, the Suramgama Samadhi is made to stand for the Buddha-Nature.

Interesting, right? Feels like that poem said: “I look for her in vain. When all at once I turn my head, I find her there where lantern light is dimly shed”.

Once again, the Buddha used the metaphor of cheese and cream, but this time he explained why he often declares that all beings have Buddha-nature. Afterwards, the Buddha hit the mark with a single comment, and he said that the Buddha’s nature is the Suramgama Samadhi. The Suramgama Samadhi’s nature is like the finest cream; it is the mother of all Buddhas. Because of Suramgama Samadhi power, he was able to become a Buddha, which is why all Buddhas could attain enlightenment. On the other hand, the ordinary people did not cultivate Buddhism; they couldn’t attain the Suramgama Samadhi. Then the Buddha said that all beings are perfect in three samadhis, which are: top, middle, and low. The top refers to the Buddha-Nature. So, we say that all beings possess the Buddha-Nature. In the end, the Buddha pointed out that the meaning of the Suramgama Samadhi is the ultimate of all things, therefore the Suramgama Samadhi is made to stand for the Buddha-Nature.

It turned out that we practiced and cultivated for, is samadhi!
This is certainly not a generalized samadhi, but it is a strong and the ultimate of all things samadhi.
In the Platform Sutra, the sixth Patriarch taught us:
“what is meant by ‘Ch’an concentration?’ Being separate from external marks is ‘Ch’an.’ Not being confused inwardly is ‘concentration.’

“If you become attached to external marks, your mind will be confused inwardly. If you are separate from external marks, inwardly your mind will be unconfused. The original nature is naturally pure, in a natural state of concentration. Confusion arises merely because states are seen and attended to. If the mind remains unconfused when any state is encountered, that is true concentration.”

“Good Knowing Advisors, being separate from all external marks is Ch’an and being inwardly unconfused is concentration. External Ch’an and inward concentration are Ch’an concentration. The Vimalakirti Sutra says, ‘Just then, suddenly return and regain the original mind.’ The Bodhisattva-shila Sutra says, ‘Our basic nature is pure of itself.’ Good Knowing Advisors, in every thought, see your own clear and pure original nature. Cultivate, practice, realize the Buddha Way!”

The sixth Patriarch explained the truth again– the nature of our heart is originally pure. If our nature is not pure and clean, how to practice it to be pure? Our heart now is like a bottle of cloudy water; we should see that there is clean water in the bottle, if not, no matter what we do, what we practice, we cannot subside the impurities and become a bottle of clean water. Therefore, do not go somewhere to look for the clean water. You have it by your own. What you have to do is to subside the impurities from drowning water, the pure water is naturally present, and the Buddha’s nature will present naturally. What we are practising is samadhi, not being confused inwardly, we are approaching the self-nature and Buddha’s nature in this way.

It is precisely because our heart is clean, do not go outside to plead for it. Do not ride a cow to find a cow, and do not look for shadows under the sun. As the Sixth Patriarch said: “If you try to find Tao far way from Tao, never see the Tao forever, you will spend your life for nothing and regret for it”. Everyone has a pure heart. To see a pure heart, one has to transform in afflictions. You have to stop your madness and improper mind, you will see Bodhi immediately!

By understanding the samadhi, we can see the nature of Buddha and the sentient beings from another view angle. It is not only set up a goal; it arouse our compassion. Why? Normally when we look at sentient beings, we always feel that oh, you are so greedy, you are foolish…you have all kinds of problems. Now we know that we are all on the same road, there is no difference between our nature, the different part is our cultivation, is samadhi. Take an example, if the Buddha’s samadhi level is A+++++++, mine might be C+, the squirrel who is living in the next door is D++, and the angry bird on the opposite street is D-, understand this, we’re not easy to mad at a greedy squirrel or the noisy bird, we understand that as long as they calm down and settle, there is nothing fundamentally different from us. There is nothing different from Buddha. The true compassion is to understand that we are from the one, no difference between our nature. In that case, we can awake ourselves and help others do so; we can redeem ourselves and redeem other beings. Just as my hands will cover my ears to keep the head warm when the temperature is low, and the skin in my back will discharge sweat to cool the viscera in hot days, everything is spontaneous and natural.

In Zen stories, the master often uses the moon to teach their students. Today, we see the nature of Buddha and the sentient beings from the samadhi cultivation point. I hope that we can help you to get a better understanding of the further for your enlightenment. Just like a bright moon will appear as a reflection on the clear water, your Buddha nature will appear when your heart stays in samadhi.

Thank you for the listening!