From jamesjs@unixg.ubc.ca Thu Feb 12 03:07:08 1998
Newsgroups: alt.meditation.shabda
Subject: Naam or Word: A Study of the Sound Current (3/9)
From: jamesjs@unixg.ubc.ca (James Shannon)
Date: 12 Feb 1998 11:07:08 GMT

                        
                          
                          
                             
                             NAAM OR WORD
   
                                  by 

                         Sant Kirpal Singh Ji

                             (1894 - 1974)                           


                               [PART 3]
      

EVIDENCE FROM OTHER RELIGIONS

Spiritual Experiences of Highest Bodhisattvas - Extracts 
taken from The Surangama Sutra - From "A Buddhist Bible" 
edited by Dwight Goddard (E. P. Dutton & Co.):
    
    . . . Thereupon, the Blessed Lord revealed to the
    assembled highest Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas and great
    Arhats free from all intoxicants, this most sacred
    teaching. He said:
     
     Honored Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas and great Arhats! 
     You have now been under my instruction for a
    long time and have attained to perfect emancipation.
    As an introduction to what I am about to say, I want
    to enquire of each of you as to how you attained
    Samadhi.  
    
    When you began to realize in the early stages of your 
    devotion and practice the falseness of the eighteen 
    spheres of mentation in contact with objects by the 
    sense organs,*  which one of the spheres first became 
    thoroughly enlightened, by means of which you 
    attained to Samadhi?"

   
   (*The eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with objects by 
   the sense organs are as follows, in the case of sight.
   (a) Organ of sight.
   (b) Object of sight.
   (c) Consciousness of sight, which results from the contact of the
       organ of sight with the object.
   Hence a, b and c in regard to all the six senses (Cognition-Sight-
   Hearing-Smell-Taste and Touch) add up to 18.)


      . . .  Then Maha-Kasyapa with the Bhikshuni
    Suvarna and other nuns of his spiritual family, rose
    from their seats and bowed down to the Lord Buddha
    saying:
     
     Blessed Lord! In previous Kalpas when Buddha
    Kandrasuryapradipa was living, I served him faithfully 
    and listened to his teaching and practiced it
    faithfully. After he passed into Nirvana, I continued
    to make offerings to his sacred relics and kept his
    image freshly gilded, so that his teaching, like a lamp,
    continued to illumine my life by its brightness. 
    
    By my faithful reverence for his relics and his image, my
    mind was illumined by a purple-golden brightness
    that reflected itself in all my following lives and be-
    came a permanent purple-golden brightness with my
    body.
  
    Then Sariputra rose from his seat and bowing
    down before the Lord Buddha, said:
  
    Blessed Lord! Since many Kalpas, as many as the
    sands of the Ganges, my mind has continued its pur-
    ity and because of it, there have been many pure
    rebirths. As soon as my eyes perceived the differences
    in the ever-flowing process of changes, both in the
    world and in the Way of Emancipation, my mind
    immediately understood them and, because of it, I
    acquired the attainment of perfect freedom. 
    
    When I was on the road one day, I met the brother 
    Kasyapa who kindly explained the principle of the Lord's
    teaching that everything rose from  causes and conditions 
    and, therefore, was empty and transitory, and
    I realized the infinitude of Pure Mind Essence. From
    that time, I followed my Lord and my perception of
    mental sight became transcendental and perfectly
    enlightened, so that I instantly acquired an attainment
    of great fearlessness and confidence. Because of it I
    attained to the degree of Arhat and became, in fact,
    the first Prince of my Lord Buddha, begotten by the
    Lord's true words and nourished and transformed by
    his intrinsic Dharma. 
    
    In reply to my Lord's enquiry as to our first 
    experience of attainment, I would answer that my 
    first thorough accommodation of the eighteen spheres 
    of mentation in contact with objects through the 
    sense-organs, was by reason of the transcendent 
    brightness within my own mind whose shining beams 
    illuminated my intelligence and reached as far as my 
    insight could penetrate. . . .

    
    Then Samantabhadra rose from his seat and bow-
    ing down to the Lord, said:
 
    I became a Prince of my Lord's Dharma many long
    Kalpas ago, and all of the innumerable Tathagatas of
    the ten quarters of the Universe, taught their 
    disciples, who had the qualifications for becoming 
    Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, to practice the devotion of 
    Samantabhadra's unceasing compassion for all sentient
    beings for his name's sake. 
    
    The transcendental and intrinsic hearing of my 
    Essential Mind became very pure and transparent, so 
    that I could use it to discriminate the understanding 
    and ideas of all sentient beings. Should there be any 
    sentient beings in whatever quarter of the Universe -
    past, present or future - to develop the devotion of 
    Samantabhadra unceasing compassion within his mind, 
    I would become aware of its vibrations through the 
    transcendental sensitiveness of my hearing and I would 
    thereupon ride to them on the mysterious elephant of 
    six tusks, in a hundred thousand different 
    manifestations of my likeness, at the same time, to 
    attend upon them each in his own place. 
    
    Whatever might be his hindrances, however deep or 
    serious, able to appreciate my presence or not, I 
    would be near him to lay my hand upon his head, to 
    give him encouragement and support, peacefulness and 
    comfort, so that he might accomplish his supreme 
    attainment. As my Lord has enquired of us as to our 
    first attainment of accommodating our eighteen spheres 
    of mentation in contact with sense-objects through our 
    sense organs, I would say that in my case it was 
    through the intrinsic hearing of my Essential Mind 
    and its spontaneous understanding and response.
  

      Then Purna Metaluniputra rose from his seat and
    bowed down to the feet of the Lord Buddha, saying:
    
      Blessed Lord! For an infinity of Kalpas I have had
    great freedom in preaching the Dharmas of emptiness
    and suffering and because of it have realized my own
    Essence of Mind. In the course of my preaching, I
    have  interpreted  profoundly  and wonderfully  the
    many Dharma Doors, with great confidence and with
    no feeling of fear, everywhere, and before great 
    assemblies. 
    
    Because of my eloquence, my Lord has encouraged me to 
    make use of it in propagating the Dharma by means of 
    the wheel of my voice. Since these ancient days, since 
    the Lord has been among us, I have offered my services 
    in turning the Dharma wheel, and have lately attained 
    to the degree of Arhat by means of the development of 
    my hearing, by reason of which I am conscious of the 
    Transcendental Sound of the Dharma reverberating like 
    the roar of a lion. 
    
    Consequently, my Lord has honored me by regarding me as 
    the greatest preacher of his Mysterious Dharma.
      
      As my Lord has enquired of us which was our
    earliest accommodation of the eighteen spheres of
    mentation in contact with objects through sense 
    organs, I would answer that my first thorough 
    accommodation of mentation was the subjugation of my
    internal attachment and enemies and the extermination 
    of all intoxicants by means of the Intrinsic Sound
    of the Mysterious Dharma.

      Then the great Maudgalyana rose from his seat and
    bowed to the Lord Buddha, saying:
      
      Blessed Lord! When I was begging on the road, I
    met the three Kasyapa brothers who taught me the
    Lord Tathagata's profound principle of causes and
    conditions. I was greatly influenced by the teaching
    and very soon acquired and realized particularly clear
    intelligence. My Lord was so kind as to bestow on me
    the true robe for my true body, my beard and head
    were shaved and I became a follower of my Lord.
    
    Since then my transcendental powers have become
    wonderfully developed, I have made visits to all the
    ten quarters of the Universe, without hindrance by
    space, passing instantly from one Buddha-land to
    another without being conscious of how it was done.
    
    I thus attained the degree of Arhat and was accounted 
    by all and by my Lord Tathagata as being highest 
    among the disciples in perfect enlightenment,
    great purity of mind, spontaneity and fearlessness in
    manifestation of transcendental powers.
    
    As my Lord has inquired of us which was our
    most perfect accommodation of the eighteen spheres
    of mentation in contact with objects through the sense
    organs, I would answer that my first perfect accom-
    modation of the eighteen spheres of mentation was
    my mind becoming abstracted in tranquil reflection
    that mysteriously developed its enlightening bright-
    ness, as if my mind that had been a muddy stream
    had suddenly become clear and transparent like a
    crystal ball.

      Then the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Akshobya rose
    from his seat and bowed to the feet of the Lord
    Buddha, saying:
    
      Blessed Lord! My Lord Tathagata and I had already 
    acquired a transcendental body of infinitude at
    the time, long ago during the advent of the Buddha
    Camatha-prabasha. At that time, I had in possession
    four precious pearls having the transcendental 
    penetrating power of the Element of Fire, by reason of
    which everything was luminously clear to my intuitive 
    insight, even to the farthermost Buddha-lands of
    the most remote Universe. 
    
    In the light of these magic pearls everything became 
    as empty and transparent as Pure Space. Moreover, 
    within my mind, there manifested a great mirror that 
    was marvelously self illuminating that radiated ten 
    kinds of wonderful, glorious, far-reaching rays as the 
    infinitude of all-embracing space. 
    
    In this marvelous mirror were reflected all the
    royal continents of the Blessed, and like the mingling
    of different-colored lights, merged with my body into
    pure brightness and clarity of infinite space, there
    being no hindrance to their entrance or passing. By
    this magical power, I was able to enter into all the
    Buddha-lands and engage in all their Buddha-services
    of adoration with great ease and perfect accommodation. 
    
    This transcendental power was due to my deep intuitive 
    insight into the source of the Four Great Elements, by 
    reason of which I was able to see that they were nothing 
    but the appearing and disappearing of false imaginations,  
    which were intrinsically as empty as pure space and with 
    no more differentiation as pure space. 
    
    And I realized that all the innumerable Buddha-lands 
    within and without the mind were of the same 
    inconceivable purity. From this intuitive insight I 
    consequently acquired the Samadhi of perseverance of 
    non-rebirth.
      
      As my Lord has enquired of us which was our most
    thorough accommodation of the eighteen spheres of
    mentation in contact with objects through the sense
    organs, I would answer that in my case it was through
    my perfect intuitive insight into the infinity of open
    space as illumined by the Element of Fire, and by
    that power I attained to the highest Samadhi and the
    transcendental power of Samapatti.

      Then the Prince of the Lord's Dharma, Vejuria
    rose from his seat and bowed down to the feet of the
    Lord Buddha and said:
      
      Blessed Lord! I recall that many, many Kalpas ago
    there appeared in the world a Buddha called Amitayus, 
    teaching all Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas the intuitive and 
    essential nature of the wonderful Essence of Mind, 
    and urging them to concentrate their minds on the 
    essential sameness of Samsara World, and all sentient 
    beings in it, that they were all alike manifestations 
    of the Element of Wind (or Ether) and its rhythmic- 
    vibrations revealing and manifesting all else.
    
    In my practice of Dhyana, I concentrated on this and
    reflected on how the great world was upheld in space,
    on how the great world was kept in perpetual motion,
    on how my body was kept in motion, moving and
    standing, on the rhythmic vibration of its life 
    established and maintained by breathing, upon the 
    movement of the mind, thoughts rising and passing. 
    
    I reflected upon these various things and marvelled at
    their great sameness without any difference save in
    the rate of vibration. I realized that the nature of
    these vibrations had neither any source for their
    coming nor destination for their going, and that all
    sentient beings, as numerous as the infinitesimal 
    particles of dust in the vast spaces, were each in his 
    own way topsy-turvy balanced vibrations, and that each
    and every one was obsessed with the illusion that he
    was a unique creation. 
    
    All sentient beings, in all the three thousand Great 
    Chillicosms are obsessed with this hallucination. They 
    are like innumerable mosquitos shut up in a vessel and 
    buzzing about in wildest confusion. Sometimes, they are 
    roused to madness and pandemonium by the narrow limits 
    of their confinement. 
    
    After meeting my Lord Buddha, I attained to a state of 
    intuitive realization and non-rebirth perseverance, 
    whereupon my mind became enlightened and I was able to 
    view the Buddha-land of Immovability in the Eastern 
    Heavens, which is the Pure Land of Buddha Amitayus. 
    
    I was acknowledged as a Prince of the Lord's Dharma 
    and vowed to serve all Buddhas everywhere, and because 
    of my enlightenment and great vow my body and mind 
    became perfectly rhythmic and alive and sparkling, 
    mingling with all other vibrations without hindrance to 
    its perfect freedom.
    
    As my Lord has enquired of us as to which was
    our first thoroughly perfect accommodation of the
    eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with objects
    through the sense-organs, I will say that in my case
    it was through my intuitive insight into the nature of
    the Element of Ether, and how by its balanced and
    rhythmic vibrations everything was embraced in perfect 
    purity in the Enlightening Mind, and how concentrating 
    my mind upon it I attained Samadhi and in that Samadhi 
    I realized the perfect oneness of all the Buddhas in 
    the purity of the Wonderful Mind Essence, that is the 
    Bliss-body of Buddhahood . . .

      Then Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Maitreya rose from
    his seat and bowing down to the Lord Buddha, said:
      
      Blessed Lord! I recall that many, many Kalpas ago
    there was a Buddha appeared in this world called
    Chandra-suryapradipa-prabasha whom I followed as
    his disciple. At the time I was inclined to the worldly
    life and liked to associate with the nobility. The Lord
    Buddha, noticing it, instructed me to practice meditation, 
    concentrating my mind on its consciousness. 
    
    I followed his instructions and attained Samadhi. Since
    then I have served numberless other Buddhas using
    this same method, and by it have now discarded all
    desire for worldly pleasures. By the time Buddha
    Dipankara appeared in the world, gradually I had
    attained to the supreme, wonderful, perfect Samadhi
    or Transcendental Consciousness.  
    
    By this highest Samadhi I was conscious of infinite 
    space, and realized that all of the Tathagata-lands 
    whether pure or impure, existent or non-existent were 
    nothing but the manifestation of my own mind. 
    
    My Lord! because of my perfect realization that all 
    such skillful devices of the Tathagatas were nothing 
    but evolvements of my own mental consciousness, the 
    essential nature of my consciousness flowed out in 
    innumerable manifestations of Tathagatas, and I came 
    to be selected as the next Coming Buddha, after my Lord 
    Shakyamuni Buddha . . .
      
      As my Lord has enquired of us as to our first 
    perfect accommodation of the eighteen spheres of 
    mentation in contact with objects through the sense organs,
    I answer that my first perfect accommodation of the
    eighteen spheres of mentation was by my perfect 
    realization that all the ten quarters of the Universes 
    were nothing but activities of my own consciousness. 
    
    It was by that that my consciousness became perfectly
    enlightened and that the limits of my mind dissolved
    until it embraced all Reality forsaking all prejudices
    of conditional and unconditional assertions and denials, 
    I acquired perfect non-birth perseverance . . .
      

      Then Maha-sthama-prapta, Prince of the Lord's
      Dharma, rose from his seat and bowed down to the
      feet of the Lord Buddha, together with the fifty-two
      members of his Brotherhood of Bodhisattva-Maha-
      sattvas, and said:
      
        Blessed Lord! I recall that in a past Kalpa long
      ago, as many Kalpas ago as there are grains of sand
      in the river Ganges, there appeared in this world a
      Buddha, called Amitabha-prabhasa Buddha, whose
      Buddha-land was in the Eastern Heavens. In that
      Kalpa there were twelve Tathagatas following each
      other in close succession, the last one being called
      Buddha-Chandra-surya-gomin, who taught me to practice 
      meditation upon the name of Amitabha, saying: Namo 
      Amitabha-Buddhaya. 
      
      The value of this practice lay in this: so long as one 
      practices his own method and other practices a different 
      method, they balance of each other and meeting, it is 
      just the same as not meeting.  Whereas, if two persons 
      practice the same method, their mindfulness would become
      deeper and deeper, and they would remember each other 
      and develop affinities for each other life after life. 
      
      It is the same with those who practice concentration 
      on the name of Amitabha - they develop within their minds 
      Amitabha's spirit of compassion toward all sentient life. 
      Moreover, whoever recites the name of Amitabha Buddha, 
      whether in the present time or in the future time, will 
      surely see the Buddha Amitabha and never become separated 
      from him. 
      
      By reason of that association, just as one associating 
      with a maker of perfumes became permeated with the
      same perfumes, so he will become perfumed by Amitabha's 
      compassion, and will become enlightened without any other 
      expedient means.
      
        Blessed Lord! My devotion to reciting the name of
      Amitabha had no other purpose than to return to my
      original nature of purity and by it I attained to the
      state of non-rebirth perseverance. Now in this life, I
      have vowed to teach my disciples to concentrate their
      minds by means of reciting the name of Amitabha
      (Namo-Amitabha-Buddhaya) and also I teach them
      to wish to be born in his Land of Purity and to make
      that their only Refuge.
      
      As my Lord has asked us which is our first perfect
      accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation
      in contact with objects through sense organs, I
      answer that my first perfect accommodation of the
      eighteen spheres of mentation was that I recognized
      no separation or differences among my six senses, but
      merged them into  one  transcendental  sense  from
      which arises the purity of Transcendental Wisdom, by
      reason of which I attained highest Samadhi and the
      graces of Samapatti.

        Then the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Avalokiteshvara
      rose from his seat and bowing down to the Lord
      Buddha said:
        
        Blessed Lord! I recall that ages ago, as numerous
      as the sands of the river Ganges, that there was 
      present in the world a Buddha, called Avalokiteshvara,
      by whose instruction I was encouraged to begin seeking 
      enlightenment. I was taught to begin practicing
      by concentrating my mind on the true nature of
      Transcendental Hearing, and by that practice I 
      attained Samadhi. 
      
      As soon as I had advanced to the stage of Entering 
      the Stream, I determined to discard all thoughts 
      discriminating as to where I was or had been. Later I 
      discarded the conception of advancing altogether, and 
      the thought of either activity or quietness in this 
      connection did not again arise in my mind. 
      
      Continuing my practice, I gradually advanced
      until all discrimination of the hearing nature of my
      self-hood and of the Intrinsic Transcendental Hearing
      was discarded. As there ceased to be any grasping
      in my mind for the attainment of Intrinsic Hearing,
      the conception of enlightenment and enlightened
      nature were all absent from my mind. 
      
      When this state of perfect Emptiness of Mind was attained, 
      all arbitrary conceptions of attaining to Emptiness of
      Mind and of enlightened nature, were discarded. As
      soon as all arbitrary conceptions of rising and 
      disappearing of thoughts were completely discarded, the
      state of Nirvana was clearly realized. Then all of a
      sudden, my mind became transcendental to both
      celestial and terrestrial world, and there was nothing
      in all the ten quarters but empty space, and in that
      state I acquired two wonderful transcendencies. 
      
      The first was a "Transcendental Consciousness" that my
      mind was in perfect conformity with the Essential,
      Mysterious Enlightening Mind, of all the Buddhas in
      all the ten quarters, and also it was in like perfect
      conformity with the Great. Heart of Compassion of all
      the Buddhas. 
      
      The second transcendency was that my mind was in perfect 
      conformity with the minds of all sentient beings of the 
      six Realms and felt with them the same earnestness and 
      longing for deliverance.
        
        Blessed Lord! because of my adoration for that
      Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, he taught me how to attain
      the Diamond Samadhi by the single method of con-
      centrating my mind upon Transcendental Hearing.
      
      And, moreover, he helped me to attain the same 
      compassionate capacity that all the Tathagatas had, by
      reason of which I attained the thirty-two kinds of
      transformations that are instantaneously available in
      response to the prayer for deliverance from any part
      of the world at any time.
        
        These transformations have all been attained and
      exercised with perfect freedom and spontaneity in
      the mysterious Diamond Samadhi which I attained
      by concentrating my mind in the practice of Dhyana
      on the nature of Transcendental Hearing.
      
      Blessed Lord! I have also, because of the mysterious 
      powers that accompany the Diamond Samadhi, and because 
      of my being in perfect conformity and with the same 
      earnestness and longing for deliverance with all 
      sentient beings, in the Six Realms of all the
      ten quarters of all the universes, past, present and
      future, been able to bestow upon all sentient beings
      the same Fourteen kinds of Fearlessness, which ani-
      mate my own mind . . .
      
      As my attainment to the original nature of perfect
      accommodations is wonderfully developed from the
      hearing organ to include all the sense-organs and dis-
      criminating mind, my body and mind profoundly and
      mysteriously embrace all the phenomenal world, so
      that if any disciple should recite my name, his bless-
      ing and merit would be like and equal to that of any
      Prince of the Lord's Dharma, whether he uses the
      same name or some other name. 
      
      Blessed Lord! The reason why their merit is like and 
      equal for one to recite my name, and for another to 
      recite some other name, is because of my practice of 
      Dhyana by which I acquired the True and Perfect 
      accommodation.
      
      Blessed Lord! this is what is meant by the Fourteen
      kinds of Fearlessness of Powers of Deliverance which
      bring blessing to all sentient beings. But in addition
      to the acquirement of perfect accommodation by
      means of my attainment of Supreme Enlightenment,
      
      I have also acquired another Four kinds of 
      inconceivable, wonderful Transcendencies of 
      Spontaneity.
      
      The First is as it is, because when I first attained
      to my Transcendental Hearing, my mind became abstracted 
      into its essential nature, and all the natural
      powers of hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, touching
      and understanding attained to a state of pure, glorious, 
      enlightenment of perfect mutuality and accommodation in 
      one perfect unity of Awareness. Because of this, I have 
      acquired this great Transcendental Freedom, so that when 
      I give deliverance to sentient beings, I can transform 
      myself into wonderful appearances . . .
        
        Sometimes I appear in a form of kindness, or in a
      form of justice, or in a state of concentration, or in a
      state of intelligence. But in all I do it for the sake of
      deliverance and protecting of sentient beings so that
      they might acquire a like Great Freedom.
      
        The Second inconceivable, wonderful Transcendency 
      of Spontaneity is as it is because of my emancipation of 
      hearing and thinking from the contaminations of the six 
      sense-objects. It is as if sound were passing through walls 
      without any hindrance. Thus I can skillfully transform into 
      different kinds of appearances and recite different Dharanis, 
      and can transform these appearances and recitation of 
      Dharanis, to give the Transcendental Power of Fearlessness 
      to sentient beings. Thus in all the countries of the ten 
      quarters, I am known as the Giver of Transcendental Power of
      Fearlessness.
        
        The Third inconceivable, wonderful Transcendency
      of Spontaneity is as it is, because of my practice upon
      the pure, original Essence of perfect accommodation,
      so that wherever I go, I lead sentient beings to 
      willingness to sacrifice their lives and valuable 
      possessions in order to pray for my compassion and mercy.
  
        The Fourth inconceivable, wonderful  Transcendency 
      of Spontaneity is as it is, because of my acquirement of 
      the Buddha's Intrinsic Mind and because of my attainment of 
      the supremacy so that I can give all different kinds of 
      offerings to all of the Tathagatas of all the ten quarters 
      of the universes.
      
      As my Lord has enquired of us as to what was our
      first perfect accommodation, of the eighteen spheres
      of mentation in contact with objects through the
      sense-organs, I answer that my first perfect 
      accommodation was, when I attained to the state of 
      perfectly accommodating reflection of Samadhi by means
      of my Intrinsic Hearing and Transcendental Mental
      Freedom from objective contaminations, so that my
      mind became abstracted and absorbed into the Divine
      Stream, and thus acquired the Diamond Samadhi and
      attained Enlightenment.
      
      Blessed Lord! in those far off days, my Lord, the
      Buddha Avalokiteshvara, praised me for my skillful
      acquirement of the all-accommodating Door of Dharma, 
      and in one of his great Assemblies, he announced
      that I, too, should be called Avalokiteshvara,  The
      hearer and answerer of Prayer," the Bodhisattva of
      Tenderest Compassion. 
      
      As such, my Transcendental Hearing reaches to the ten 
      quarters of all the universes, and the name of 
      Avalokiteshvara prevails over all the extremes of 
      human suffering and danger.
      
      
        Manjusri's Summation:
       
        Thereupon, the blessed Lord, sitting upon his
      throne in the midst of the Tathagatas and highest
      Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas from all the Buddha-lands,
      manifested his Transcendent Glory surpassing them
      all. From his hands and feet and body radiated
      supernal beams of light that rested upon the crowns
      of each Tathagata, Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, and
      Prince of the Dharma; in all the ten quarters of the
      universes, went forth rays of glorious brightness that
      converged upon the crown of the Lord Buddha and
      upon the crowns of all the Tathagatas, Bodhisattva-
      Mahasattvas and Arhats present in the assembly. 
      
      At the same time all the trees of the Jeta Park, and 
      all the waves lapping on the shores of its lakes, were
      singing with the music of the Dharma, and all the
      intersecting rays of brightness were like a net of
      splendor set with jewels and over-reaching them all.
      
      Such a marvelous sight had never been imagined and
      held them all in silence and awe. Unwittingly, they
      passed into the blissful peace of the Diamond Samadhi 
      and upon them all, there fell like a gentle rain,
      the soft petals of many different colored lotus 
      blossoms - blue  and  crimson, yellow and white - all
      blending together and being reflected into the open
      space of heaven in all the tints of the spectrum.
      
      Moreover, all the differentiations of mountains and
      seas and rivers and forests of the Saha World blended
      into one another and faded away leaving only the
      flower - adorned unity of the Primal Cosmos, not dead
      and inert but alive with rhythmic life and light,
      vibrant with transcendental sound of songs and
      rhymes, melodiously rising and falling and merging
      and then fading away into silence.
      
        Then the Lord Tathagata addressed Manjusri,
      Prince of the Dharma, saying:
      
        Manjusri! you have now heard that these Bodhisattva-
      Mahasattvas of greatest and highest attainments
      have testified regarding the expedient means that
      were involved, and the results seen in spiritual graces
      and powers of Samapatti, that followed in their
      devout lives and practices. 
      
      Each one stated that the beginning was seen in the 
      perfect accommodation of some one mental sphere in 
      contact with its sense object, and from that followed 
      the perfect accommodation of all the spheres of 
      mentation and the attainment of Samadhi, Samapatti 
      and the perfect awareness of their Intuitive and 
      Essential Mind. 
      
      So we see that their devout practices, in spite of 
      their variations, all eventuated in the same good 
      result irrespective of their attainments and the times 
      involved.
        
        I want Ananda to fully understand and realize
      these different attainments of Enlightenment and note
      which of them is adapted to him. And I wish also,
      that after my Nirvana, as future disciples of this world
      wish to attain highest Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi,
      that from these experiences they may know which
      door of expedient means appears to each most easily
      entered.
       
        Having listened to the Blessed Lord, Manjusri,
      Prince of the Lord's Dharma, rose from his seat
      bowed down to the Lord Buddha, and sobered by the
      influence of the Lord's profound dignity uttered the
      following stanza:
      
      The keeping of the Precepts is a necessary part of
      the practice of Dhyana, but the novice cannot depend
      upon them alone to bring him to the nature of perfect
      accommodation . . .
      
      Then Manjusri addressed the Lord Buddha, saying:
      
      Blessed Lord! Since my Lord has descended from
      the Deva Realms to this Saha World, he has helped
      us most by his wonderful Enlightening Teaching. At
      first we receive this Teaching through our sense of
      hearing, but when we are fully able to realize it, it
      becomes ours through a Transcendental and Intuitive
      Hearing. 
      
      This makes the awakening and perfecting of a 
      transcendental faculty of hearing of very great
      importance to every novice. As the wish to attain
      Samadhi deepens in the mind of any disciple, he can
      most surely attain it by means of his Transcendental
      Organ of Hearing.
      
      For many a Kalpa - as numerous as the particles
      of sand in the river Ganges - Avalokiteshvara Buddha, 
      the hearer and answerer of prayer, has visited all
      the Buddha-lands of the ten quarters of the universe
      and has acquired Transcendental Powers of Boundless 
      Freedom and Fearlessness and has vowed to emancipate 
      all sentient beings from their bondage and suffering. 
      
      How sweetly mysterious is the Transcendental Sound of 
      Avalokiteshvara! It is the pure Brahman Sound. It is 
      the subdued murmur of the seatide setting inward. Its 
      mysterious Sound brings liberation and peace to all 
      sentient beings who in their distress are calling for 
      aid; it brings a sense of permanency to those who are 
      truly seeking the attainment of Nirvana's Peace . . .
  
        While I am addressing My Lord Tathagata, he is
      hearing at the same time, the Transcendental Sound
      of Avalokiteshvara. It is just as though, while we are
      in the quiet selection of our Dhyana practice, there
      should come to our ears the sound of the beating of
      drums. If our minds, hearing the sound, are undisturbed 
      and tranquil, this is the nature of perfect accommodation.
  
        The body develops feeling by coming in contact
      with something, and the sight of eyes is hindered by
      the opaqueness of objects, and similarly with the
      sense of smell and of taste, but it is different with the
      discriminating mind. Thoughts are arising and mingling 
      and passing. At the same time it is conscious of
      sounds in the next room and sounds that have come
      from far away. 
      
      The other senses are not so refined as the sense of 
      hearing: the nature of hearing is the true reality of 
      Passability.
  
        The essence of sound is felt in both motion and                
      silence, it passes from existent to non-existent. When
      there is no sound, it is said that there is no hearing,
      but that does not mean that hearing has lost its 
      preparedness. Indeed, when there is no sound, hearing 
      is most alert, and when there is sound the hearing
      nature is least developed. If any disciple can be freed
      from these two illusions of appearing and disappearing, 
      that is, from death and rebirth, he has attained
      the true reality of Permanency.
      
        Even in dreams when all thinking has become quiescent, 
      the hearing nature is still alert. It is like a
      mirror of enlightenment that is transcendental of the
      thinking mind because it is beyond the consciousness
      sphere of both body and mind. In this Saha world,
      the Doctrine of Intrinsic, Transcendental Sound, may
      be spread abroad, but sentient beings as a class
      remain ignorant and indifferent to their own Intrinsic
      Hearing. They respond only to phenomenal sounds and are 
      disturbed by both musical and discordant sounds.
      
        Nothwithstanding Ananda's wonderful memory, he
      was not able to avoid falling into evil ways. He has
      been adrift on a merciless sea. But if he will only turn
      his mind away from the drifting current of thoughts,
      he may soon recover the sober wiseness of Essential
      Mind. 
      
      Ananda! Listen to me! I have ever relied upon
      the teaching of the Lord Buddha to bring me to the
      Indescribable Dharma Sound of the Diamond Samadhi. 
      
      Ananda! You have sought the secret lore from
      all the Buddha-lands without first attaining 
      emancipation from the desires and intoxications of 
      your own contaminations and attachments, with the 
      result that you have stored in your memory a vast 
      accumulation of worldly knowledge and built up a 
      tower of faults and mistakes.
        
        You have learned the Teachings by listening to the
      words of the Lord Buddha and then committing them
      to memory. Why do you not learn from your own self
      by listening to Sound of the Intrinsic Dharma within
      your mind and then practicing reflection upon it? 
      
      The perception of Transcendental Hearing is not developed 
      by any natural process under the control of your
      own volition. Sometimes when you are reflecting upon
      your Transcendental Hearing a chance sound suddenly 
      claims your attention and your mind sets it apart and 
      discriminates it and is disturbed thereby.
      
        As soon as you can ignore the phenomenal sound, the
      notion of Transcendental Sound ceases and you will
      realize your Intrinsic Hearing.
        
        As soon as this one sense perception of hearing is
      returned to its originality and you clearly understand
      its falsity, then the mind instantly understands the
      falsity of all sense perceptions and is at once 
      emancipated from the bondage of seeing, hearing, smelling,
      tasting, touching and thinking, for they are all alike
      illusive and delusive visions of unreality and all the
      three great realms of existence are seen to be what
      they truly are, imaginary blossoms in the air.
      
        As soon as the deceiving perception of hearing is
      emancipated, then all objective phenomena disappears
      and your Intuitive Mind-Essence becomes perfectly
      pure. As soon as you have attained to this Supreme
      Purity of Mind-Essence, its Intrinsic Brightness will
      shine out spontaneously and in all directions and, as
      soon as you are sitting in tranquil Dhyana, the mind
      will be in perfect conformity with Pure Space.
      
        Ananda! As soon as you return to the phenomenal
      world, it will seem like a vision in a dream. And your
      experience with the maiden Pchiti will seem like a
      dream, and your own body will lose its solidity and
      permanency. It will seem as though every human being, 
      male and female, was simply a manifestation by some 
      skillful magician of a manikin all of whose activities 
      were under his control. Or each human being will
      seem like an automatic machine that once started goes
      on by itself, but as soon as the automatic machine
      loses its motive power, all its activities not only 
      cease, but their very existence disappears.
  
        So it is with the six sense organs, which are 
      fundamentally dependent upon one unifying and 
      enlightening spirit, but which by ignorance have 
      become divided into six semi-independent compositions 
      and conformities. Should one organ become emancipated
      and return to its originality, so closely are they united
      in their fundamental originality, that all the organs
      would cease their activities also. 
      
      And all worldly impurities will be purified by a single 
      thought and you will attain to the wonderful purity of 
      perfect Enlightenment. Should there remain some minute 
      contamination of ignorance, you should practice the more
      earnestly until you attain to perfect Enlightenment,
      that is, to the Enlightenment of a Tathagata.
       
         All the Brothers in this Great Assembly, and you
       too, Annnda, should reverse your outward perception
       of hearing and listen inwardly for the perfectly unified
       and intrinsic sound of your own Mind-Essence, for as
       soon as you have attained perfect accommodation,
       you will have attained to Supreme Enlightenment.
      
         This is the only way to Nirvana, and it has been 
       followed by all the Tathagatas of the past. Moreover, it
       is for all the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas of the present
       and for all in the future if they are to hope for perfect
       Enlightenment. Not only did Avalokiteshvara attain
       perfect Enlightenment in long ages past by this Golden Way, 
       but in the present, I also am one of them.
      
         My Lord enquired of us as to which expedient
       means each one of us had employed to follow this
       Noble Path to Nirvana. I bear testimony that the
       means employed by Avalokiteshvara is the most 
       expedient means for all, since all other means must 
       be supported and guided by the Lord Buddha's 
       Transcendental Powers.  Though one forsake all his
       worldly engagements, yet he cannot always be practicing 
       by these various means; they are especial means
       suitable for junior and senior disciples, but for 
       laymen, this common method of concentrating the mind
       on the sense of hearing, turning it inward by this
       Door of Dharma to hear the Transcendental Sound
       of this Essential Mind, is most feasible and wise.
       
         O Blessed Lord! I am bowing down before my
       Lord Tathagata's Intrinsic Womb, which is immaculate 
       and ineffable in its perfect freedom from all 
       contaminations and taints, and am praying my Lord to
       extend his boundless compassion for the sake of all
       future disciples,  so that I may continue  to teach
       Ananda and all sentient beings of the present kalpa,
       to have faith in this wonderful Door of Dharma to the
       Intrinsic Hearing of his own Mind-Essence, so surely
       to be attained by this most expedient means. 
       
       If any disciple should take this Intuitive Means for 
       concentrating his mind in Dhyana Practice on this organ 
       of Transcendental Hearing, all other sense organs would
       soon come into perfect harmony with it and thus by
       this single means of Intrinsic Hearing, he would attain
       perfect accommodation of his True and Essential
       Mind.
                     
         Then Ananda and all the great assembly were purified 
       in body and mind. They acquired a profound
       understanding and a clear insight into the nature of
       the Lord Buddha's Enlightenment and experience of
       Highest Samadhi. They had confidence like a man
       who was about to set forth on a most important 
       business to a far off country, because they knew the 
       route to go and return.  
       
       All the disciples in this great assembly realized their 
       own Essence of Mind and proposed henceforth to live 
       remote from all worldly entanglements and taints, and 
       to live continuously in the pure brightness of the 
       Eye of Dharma.



Extracts from "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" (Bardo
Thodol), edited by Dr. W. Y. Evans-Wentz (London, 1957):
                  
       O nobly-born, when thy body and mind were separating, 
       thou must have experienced a glimpse of the Pure Truth, 
       subtle, sparkling, bright, dazzling, glorious, and 
       radiantly awesome, in appearance like a mirage moving 
       across a landscape in springtime in one continuous stream 
       of vibrations. Be not daunted thereby, nor terrified, nor 
       awed. That is the radiance of thine own true nature. 
       Recognize it.
     
         From the midst of that radiance, the natural sound
       of Reality, reverberating like a thousand thunders
       simultaneously sounding, will come. That is the natural 
       sound of thine own real self. Be not daunted thereby, 
       nor terrified, nor awed.
   
          O nobly-born, five-colored radiances . . . vibrating
       and dazzling like colored threads, flashing, radiant,
       and transparent, glorious and awe-inspiring, will . . .
       strike against thy heart, so bright that the eye cannot
       bear to look upon them.
     
       . . . Be not afraid of that brilliant radiance of five
       colors, nor terrified; but know that Wisdom to be
       thine own.
     
         Within those radiances, the natural sound of the
       Truth will reverberate like a thousand thunders. The
       sound will come with a rolling reverberation .  . Fear
       not. Flee not. Be not terrified. Know them (i.e., these
       sounds) to be (of) .  . thine own inner light.



Extracts from "My Experience in Meditation" by His 
Holiness The Venerable Tai Hsu (Chinese Buddhist monk),
translated by Bhikku Assaji:
      
     . . . From this time I discontinued my old routine
    of meditation; this was from 1908 to 1914. When the
    European War broke out, I began to doubt Western
    theory and my own power to save the world with
    Buddhist teaching. I felt it was a sheer waste of time,
    if I did any more of what I had done.  So I went to 
    "Po-To" island, where I secluded myself in a 
    monastery to develop further spiritual advancement.
      
      After two or three months of seclusion, one night
    when I was meditating, my mind became calmer, I
    heard the sound of a bell from a neighboring temple.
    It seems that my chain of thoughts was broken by that
    sound and I sank into a state of something like a
    trance, without knowing anything until early next
    dawn, when I heard the sound of the matin bell and
    I regained my sense of knowing. At first, I only felt
    that a light melted into me. There was no distinction
    of self and other things and of what was inside and
    what was outside.
  
      After this experience, I continued my life of 
    reading sutras, writing books and meditating, for about
    one year, and after that one year, I chiefly engaged
    myself in studying the books of the Vijnana School.
    I especially paid attention to the Records on Wei Shi
    (Vijnana). Here I once more experienced another
    trance-like state. I was reading for several times 
    repeatedly a certain paragraph of the said Records,
    explaining that both conditional things and the Truth
    are devoid of the substance of Self. 
    
    I entered the trance-like meditation. This time it was 
    different from the former two; I perceived in it that 
    all things which exist on conditions had their deep and 
    subtle order, minutely arranged without the slightest 
    confusion. This kind of comprehension I can produce now
    whenever I desire.
  
      The third experience showed me the truth of cause
    and effect, which appear to be so on account of our
    consciousness. It is true, the law of cause and effect
    has its natural way without disorder.
    
      After each of these three experiences, there was
    some change physically and mentally, and I also 
    happened to have some presage of divyachaksus 
    (clarvoyance), divya-srota (clairaudience) and 
    parachitta-jnana (thought reading).
      
      If the six supernatural powers are possible, then
    the theory of Karma and Rebirth, which is based on
    the demonstration of clairvoyance and purvanivasan
    Usmritijnana (knowledge of all former existences of
    self and others) is also believable.




JAINISM

There are two ways of Vidya:
  
  (i)  Agh Drishta or Apara Vidya, for the layman who
       wants physical happiness.
  (ii) Yog Drishta or Para Vidya, which deals with that
       which is above the senses.
  
  Jainism divides Yoga, the science of knowing yourself
and attaining perfection, into eight stages as follows:
 
 l. Mitra - Vision is very dim. It can be compared to
   light of grass particles which is momentary and 
   extremely dim. The yogi in this stage adopts vows of
   non-violence, truth, celibacy, etc. To him all living
   beings are friends. He bears ill will to none. He finds
   great happiness in good thoughts and good deeds;
   but it is not possible in this stage to go much higher.
 
 2. Tara - Vision here is also dim, compared to the light
   of cowdung cake, although vision is a little better, but
   it is momentary and dim. One adopts short-term rules
   for purification. He becomes purer in his relations
   with outside world also. He busies himself in reading
   of books of great seers. He feels great interest in all
   that is helpful in raising the soul higher.
 
 3. Bala - Vision here is also dim, compared to wood-light. 
   Asanas are performed. He can easily do Padmasan etc., 
   but it is not external Asanas which are aimed at but 
   the spiritual Asanas. He becomes firm in external 
   Asanas but he experiences glimpses of spiritual 
   happiness. He rises a little above the body.
 
 4. Dipra - is compared to light of Deepak or candle
   light. Here he attains Pranayam not only externally
   but internally also. He has now firm faith that it is
   the soul which is to be called for primarily. To save
   the soul he may even give up his body. To attain
   purification of soul, he is prepared to face any 
   dangers and difficulties. His leaning is more and 
   more toward soul. He attains peace not known before.

 5. Sthira - is considerably bright and lasting, compared
   to the light of jewel. He sees the world and worldly
   things in proper perspective. Strong likes and dislikes
   have disappeared. He becomes composed and calm
   and realizes and feels that he is not body but he is
   some Divine element residing within. He is soul and
   he feels the difference. He feels his body different
   from soul. He gets the Sound from within of various
   wonderful  tunes which attunes one with Samadhi.
   
   Desires of body and senses are not liked by him. He
   has full faith in God, in the pure form of the soul,
   and he is yearning to be pure, absolutely pure.

 6. Kanta - can be compared to light of star. Here there
   is great control over mind. The mind finds happiness
   in devotion to God, in love and meditation of pure
   soul. Mind becomes steady in these higher things and
   finds no pleasure in physical happiness and amenities.
   Here he becomes so pure that he can get vision of
   Siddhas-liberated souls, great souls. His actions also
   become so pure that he is loved even by great Saints.
 
 7. Prabha - can be compared to light of sun. It is bright
   and strong. Here right knowledge has grown immensely 
   and meditation becomes his second nature and he finds 
   innermost happiness. He is serene, he has great control 
   over his senses and mind.
 
 8. Para - can be compared to the light of moon, serene,
   peaceful and cool. Here meditation reaches highest
   pitch and he becomes immersed in it. He attains
   Samadhi (Sama) and becomes faultless. His state can
   be compared to full Moon in all its Splendor.
                                   
                                   FROM YOGA DRISHTA SAMUCHAYA
                                       BY SRI HARIBHADRACHARYA



EXCERPTS FROM JAIN SCRIPTURES:  

  From  Suttagame Part II, by Puppha Bhikoo (1954 edition):
    
    Tapas itself is the light and it shines forth in the hu-
      man body.
                                                 
                                        PAGE 99C, GATHA 44
    

    Hearing the Sound resembling that of the conch and
      witnessing the Lotus Light like that of a newly
      blossomed flower between the two eyebrows, one
      faces his Ishta, the Satguru.
                                       
                                        PAGE 1046


    When the knowledge finds an anchorage in Knowl-
      edge, there flashes forth light.

                                        SAMAYASSAR



    The aspirant is enjoined to sit in solitude and 
      meditate with a single-pointed attention, on the Maha
      Mantra of Panch parmesti and to perceive the light.

                                        SHRI SUTRA NANDI

              

              
                           ZOROASTRIANISM


The essence of the Avestic teachings is to be found in the
prayers to the various cults of life as taught by Zoroaster,
the Master of life, who lived several thousand years ago.
Edmund Szekely, speaking of these cults, tells us of the
last two cults as follows:


(i)  The Cult of the Light of Life: The next cult in the
   Avestas is the cult of Humanity or as the Zend text
   expresses it, the cult of the "Light of Life." What does
   this stand for? This Light, declares Zoroaster, comes
   to us continually from the most distant ages, making
   it possible for us to possess the total wisdom and
   experience of previous generations, without the need
   to try again for ourselves what they have already tried
   and proved right in the course of thousands of years.
   
   For Zoroaster, the greatest fault we can be guilty of,
   is to neglect this "Light of Life" and to limit it to
   only a few rays instead of absorbing It in its fullness
   through observance of the cult which bears its name.
   
   Most of the passages concerning the cult of the "Light
   of Life" are to be found in the book of the Avestas
   entitled Vispered, which is the exact Zend equivalent
   of our word "Omniscience."

(ii)  The Cult of Eternal Life: The ninth and last cult in the
   Avestas is the cult of the Stars-the cult of "Eternal
   Life." This cult became the one most widely known
   in antiquity, and most of the passages mentioning
   Zoroastrianism in the works of the classical Greek
   authors are concerned with it. According to Zoroaster,
   life is not the exclusive privilege of this planet; there
   are innumerable planets and solar systems in infinite
   cosmic space where life exists in a wide range of
   forms. 
   
   Zoroaster teaches that life is a form of cosmic
   energy which will always appear wherever favorable
   preconditions exist. Life is a cosmic function, an
   inherent quality of the Universe,  and there is in
   boundless space and time a universal solidarity con-
   necting all forms of life on whatever planet. Certain
   planets or solar systems may disappear or appear,
   and the life of them likewise, but life itself, appearing
   and disappearing, on eternally changing planets and
   solar systems, is as eternal as the Universe. And man
   is a part of this eternal life--of this universal cosmic
   ocean formed by the sum total of all forms of life on
   all the planets. The most beautiful hymns in the Aves-
   tas are to be found in the part devoted to the cult of
   "Eternal Life."

The Avestic term for the principle of life is "Sraosha"
(the angel of inspiration) . In Zend Avesta, we have an
invocation to Mazda praying for the gift of Sraosha for
those whom He loves.
  
  Mr. M. H. Toot, a great scholar of comparative religions,  
in his book,  "Practical Metaphysics of Zoroastrians," 
tells us that in "Gatha Ushtavaiti," Ratu Zoroaster
proclaimed:
    
    Thus I reveal the Word which the Most Unfolded
      One has taught me,
    The Word which is the best for mortals to listen.
    Whosoever shall render obedience and steadfast 
      attention unto Me, will obtain for his own self the
      All-embracing Whole Being and Immortality;
    And through the service of the Holy Divine Spirit
    Will realize Mazda Ahura (i.e., Godhead).

                                                HA 4S-8


Again the same scholar quotes elsewhere in an as yet 
unpublished work, the following passages from "Ahuravaiti 
Yasna":
    
    Divine Guidance of the Eternal Master,
    Accomplishing long life in the Right Paths leading to
      the Absolute Kingdom of the Divine Mind,
    Wherein  the  Omniscient,  Self-existent  Life-Giver
      dwells by His all-pervading Reality,
    I cause to invoke that divine Sraosha (i.e., the Word)
    which is the greatest of all divine gifts for spiritual
      succour.
                                             
                                                HA 33-35
    

    The Creative Verbum:
    Assimilating one's unfolding self with His all-pervading 
       Reality
    The Omniscient, Self-existent Life-Giver has framed
      this mystic Verbum and Its melodious rhythm,
    With the Divine Order of personal self-sacrifice for
      the Universe, unto the self-sublimating souls,
    Which  is  that  person  who  with  the  Enlightened
      Superb Mind can give both these (Mystic Verbum
      and Divine Order)  through His gracious mouth
      unto the mortals.
      
                                                HA 29-7


                            [End of Part 3]
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