Episode 317 – Our Final Incarnation in Samsara
>> Among the fourfold assembly are those with overbearing arrogance and without faith. Monastics who are cultivating the path may believe they attained something they have not. Thus, they give rise to overbearing arrogance.
>> “Sariputra, it should be known that those bhiksus and bhiksunis who claim to have attained Arhatship, to be dwelling in their final bodies before attaining ultimate Nirvana, and thus do not resolve to further seek. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, are those with overbearing arrogance.”
>> Dwelling in their final bodies: The final incarnation in samsara. Arhats and Bodhisattvas of the highest level are in their final bodies, which is the final incarnation before attaining Buddhahood.
>> Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi used to be translated as: unsurpassed and perfect omniscience, unsurpassed, perfect and omniscient awakening, true and perfect omniscience, the unsurpassed wisdom of all true principles. New translation: Unsurpassed, perfect and universal enlightenment. True, universal, perfect enlightened knowledge is unsurpassed wisdom of all true principles.
>> “They claimed to have attained Arhatship, to be dwelling in their final bodies.” This body is their final incarnation in samsara thus it is called their “final body.”
From sunrise to sunset, day becomes night. We rest at night, but soon it is day again. For those of us who wake up early, if we pay close attention, we will know the times of sunrise and sunset, and we can understand the workings of the universe.
I was standing outside, and as I turned around slowly, before I walked through the door, I saw the bamboo-shaped custom windows of the staircase and through them. I saw out onto the long corridor. As I looked to the end of the corridor, I thought, “No matter how much time we have, compared to the universe, it is nothing.” As I look down the corridor, no matter how far it extends, there is still an end to it. Our life is so insignificant, especially since we can only see things on the surface, things close to us. We cannot see very far. How can we not take advantage of waking up early the morning to practice diligently?
We must cherish the time we have. Compared to the universe, indeed, our lives are quite short, When we think of this, we should always promptly subdue our minds, because our minds can easily give rise to overbearing arrogance. Overbearing arrogance is an obstruction for us spiritual practitioners. If we have overbearing arrogance, we cannot move forward.
Among the fourfold assembly are those with overbearing arrogance and without faith. Monastics who are cultivating the path may believe they attained something they have not. Thus, they give rise to overbearing arrogance.
Ordinary people also have overbearing arrogance. And spiritual practitioners have overbearing arrogance and lack of faith. They do not thoroughly apply Right Dharma. We are fortunate enough to encounter the subtle and wondrous Dharma, which is “difficult to encounter in millions of kalpas.” So, once we have encountered the Right Dharma, we must have faith in it. Yet instead we have overbearing arrogance, so we obstruct ourselves. We do not continue to progress, and we are not mindful to faithfully accept and practice [Dharma]. This is where we fall short; it is our biggest obstacle and arose from overbearing arrogance and lack of faith.
This is prevalent “among the fourfold assembly.” The fourfold assembly of Buddhist practitioners include the two groups of lay people and two groups of monastics. Most of them have overbearing arrogance and lack of faith. This kind of self-obstructing mindset is found to some degree in the entire assembly.
Monastics are those “cultivating the path.” What path are they cultivating? The Bodhi-path. Since we aspire to engage in spiritual practice, we must step onto the Bodhi-path. Those who continue to learn the Buddha-Dharma must continue to walk this path. But with their first step, they begin to feel self-important, and overbearing arrogance arises; then they “believe they attained something they have not.” They have the false belief that they have already attained everything, so they give rise to overbearing arrogance. We must always guard against this feeling and be vigilant.
We may listen to similar teachings every day, but after we listen to them, do we commit them to memory? Do we inscribe them on our hearts? Do our hearts and minds remember what we have heard? Do we understand and remember every sentence of every teaching we hear? Just yesterday and today, how much have we heard? And how much have we retained? Furthermore, how much have we understood? And how much of that have we practiced?
If we can reflect upon ourselves, how much of the teachings remain and have not leaked out of our minds? How much have we actually retained? If we constantly reflect on ourselves and carefully contemplate, although the Bodhi-path we walk on stretches into the distance and seems to be endless, as long as we move forward step by step without stopping, eventually we will reach its end.
As long as we take care of our minds, despite the Leaks and our forgetfulness, we will remain on the right path, and we will not easily develop overbearing arrogance,
Overbearing arrogance is the greatest obstacle to our progress. As the Buddha said, “they are not disciples of the Buddha.” If spiritual practitioners obstruct themselves and “claim to have attained something they have not,” then the Buddha would say that they are “not disciples of the Buddha.” We should take these words very seriously and
truly feel the weight of these words. When I read this sutra text, I felt remorseful and repentant. Am I really qualified to be the Buddha’s disciple? Have I reach the state of Arhats or Pratyekabuddhas? And, am I still willing to continue forward? If not, I am not a disciple of the Buddha, let alone an Arhat or Pratyekabuddha.
We in the fourfold assembly must be cautious because “among the fourfold assembly are those with overbearing arrogance and without faith.” Therefore, we must guard our minds well and prevent overbearing arrogance from arising in our minds. We must not allow it to enter our views and understanding either. We must quickly eliminate any of it that is already in our views and understanding.
So the Buddha said,
“Sariputra, it should be known that those bhiksus and bhiksunis who claim to have attained Arhatship, to be dwelling in their final bodies before attaining ultimate Nirvana, and thus do not resolve to further seek. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, are those with overbearing arrogance.”
These people were not disciples of the Buddha. These so-called bhiksus and bhiksunis claimed to have attained. Arhatship or to have become Pratyekabuddhas. They believed that they were dwelling in their “final bodies.”
The “final body” is the end of our spiritual cultivation. They believed that they had reached the state of ultimate Nirvana through their spiritual practice in that lifetime, “So, they do not resolve to further seek. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.” They believed that they had attained everything, so they did not need to go any further. Actually, going forward, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi is the state we must really seek to attain, the state we must realize. But these bhiksus and bhiksunis believed that they had gone far enough, so they did not further aspire to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
We should know that “they are those with overbearing arrogance.” These kinds of people are those with “overbearing arrogance.” We must reflect on ourselves and contemplate whether we have truly aspired to and are willing to continue going forward. Have we ever thought that we already understand so much? That we no longer need to listen or learn? Or, that we do not need to know any more because we already know everything we need to? Have we asked ourselves if these thoughts ever crossed our minds?
If people ask, “Why didn’t you listen to teachings this morning? Why weren’t you at morning recitation?” You may say, “I did not sleep last night.” Why didn’t you sleep last night? Because your mind was filled with afflictions. This is also a form of self-obstruction. If they ask, “Why didn’t you listen to teachings?” You may say, “I pretty much understand it all. I understood this passage as soon as I read it.” If you say this, you will affect others too. “If you understood it when you read it, I can also just read it and understand it. So, if you can stop going, so can I.” Thus, you obstruct yourself and others. If we [think] in this way, aren’t we overbearingly arrogant?
So, what is the “final body”? It is “the final incarnation in samsara.” Samsara is transmigration within the Six Realms, even the Nine or Ten Realms. The Nine Realms are the Hearer, Solitary Realizer and Bodhisattva realms, the heaven, asura, human, hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. These combine to make a total of nine realms but including the realm of Buddhas, there are Ten Realms. Only by attaining the stage of Buddhahood, and can we reach the state of ultimate Nirvana.
Dwelling in their final bodies: The final incarnation in samsara. Arhats and Bodhisattvas of the highest level are in their final bodies, which is the final incarnation before attaining Buddhahood.
In the process of our spiritual practice, if all we do is listen, like those who listened to the Buddha for over 40 years, can we be liberated? In samsara, can this body really be our final incarnation? Our final bodies will still go through birth, aging, illness and death. When this body reaches the end of its cycle, we will die. For Buddhist practitioners, death may bring the state of Nirvana. When we attain Nirvana, we are actually in a pure and undefiled state. This tranquil and clear state is “the land of calm illumination” because it is pure and undefiled.
As we engage in spiritual practice, we may think we will complete it in this lifetime and will leave behind this body to enter the state of Nirvana. Is it really that easy? We still do not have control over this. After we leave this body behind, where will our karmic connections lead us? We still do not know. During the Buddha’s lifetime, those with overbearing arrogance “claimed to have attained what they had not.” Those who believed they had attained Arhatship and were in their “final bodies” probably still did not know where they would go in their future lives. But they already had that mindset, which was one of “overbearing arrogance.”
“Arhats and Bodhisattvas of the highest level.” Although Arhats had transcended samsara, their Nirvana remained incomplete. Great Nirvana is the state of Buddhahood. Only the Buddha can comprehend all things in the universe and know when He will come back to the world according to the timing, place, people and capabilities. Arhats practiced to benefit only themselves. They did not aspire to come to this world in response to timing and capabilities. Rather, they held on to their imperfect Nirvana. “Bodhisattvas of the highest level” have not reached the perfect state either.
Those who have not attained Buddhahood, have not realized the highest level, cannot claim to have attained their “final body.” The final body is the one they will cast off when they have attained perfect enlightenment. It is their last body before attaining Buddhahood. After this, they become Buddhas.
In Sakyamuni Buddha’s previous life, He had a “final body,” then when He returned to this world again, He had already attained Buddhahood, so He could come and go at will. So, if we believe that we have attained the “final body,” we will not resolve to further seek. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
What is Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi? This is an old Sanskrit term. Its meaning is very profound and hard to translate so its pronunciation was transliterated. Its actual meaning is “unsurpassed and perfect omniscience. Unsurpassed” means there is no higher state of awakening than this; it is the Buddha’s enlightened state. There is no higher state than His enlightenment. He also has “perfect omniscience,” which is correct and ubiquitous because. He knows all things and is always right. So, “true and perfect omniscience” is. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, “unsurpassed, perfect, universal enlightenment” the “unsurpassed wisdom of all true principles.” Of all true principles, there is no wisdom more penetrating. This is the old translation.
Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi used to be translated as: unsurpassed and perfect omniscience, unsurpassed, perfect and omniscient awakening, true and perfect omniscience, the unsurpassed wisdom of all true principles. New translation: Unsurpassed, perfect and universal enlightenment. True, universal, perfect enlightened knowledge is unsurpassed wisdom of all true principles.
The new explanation is similar to the old one. As we have frequently said, it is “unsurpassed, perfect, universal enlightenment” and means “true and universal enlightened knowledge” or “unsurpassed wisdom of all true principles.” It means that “unsurpassed, perfect, universal enlightenment” is always right and impartial. This definition has a sense of equality, which has been added to the new explanation.
Sentient beings are equal in that “all living beings have Buddha-nature.” Not just humans, but all life-forms, even animals, have this universal quality. Thus, the Buddha said that all sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature. The new explanation includes this idea. The mind, Buddha and sentient beings have the same nature. So, the new explanation states that “true and universal enlightened knowledge” is “unsurpassed wisdom of all true principles.” This is “unsurpassed, perfect, universal enlightenment.” This is what all of us must seek.
So, we now know of those with overbearing arrogance. Why does this term keep appearing in the sutra? Those with overbearing arrogance have not attained the One Vehicle Dharma. Although they have not attained it, they believe they have attained and realized it.
“They claimed to have attained Arhatship, to be dwelling in their final bodies.” This body is their final incarnation in samsara thus it is called their “final body.”
Have we attained this? No, we have not.
This does not only apply right now. We cannot say, “I have already attained it. This body is my final incarnation.” There are still countless future lives to come. How can we know which one of future bodies will be our final body? “Once lost, it takes eons to regain human form.” Is this body the final body? If we lose our human form, where will we end up?
The human realm is just one of the Six Realms. If we are heavenly beings, there is no Buddha-Dharma for us to practice. If we are born in the asura realm, we have heavenly blessings but not heavenly virtues. If we are born in hell, we suffer unbearably. If we are hungry ghosts, we will not want to live. What if we are born in the animal realm? What will be our “final body”? After we lose this body, do we want to end up in a realm other than the human realm? We do not.
Thus, we must carefully protect our body and always return to this world in human form to walk the Bodhisattva-path, life after life. Only in the human realm can we hear the Dharma. Only in the human realm can we walk the path to Buddhahood. So, we must aspire to protect our human form. But most importantly, we must protect our minds. Even if we come to this world with human bodies, if we do not hear Right Dharma or walk the right path, then we will lose our bodies and transmigrate to suffer in other realms.
So, all of us must constantly take good care of our minds and cherish the bodies and minds we have in this life. Thus, we must always be mindful.