The Buddha mentioned, “Good, Subhuti! As you say, I all the time have the bodhisattvas in thoughts properly, shield them properly and entrust them properly with the propagation of Buddhist Dharma. Hear fastidiously now; I’ll expound to you. When good males and good girls have made up their minds to achieve supreme enlightenment, they need to stay and give up their minds thus.” “Sure certainly, World-Honoured One, we sit up for listening.’’
Commentary:
In Half 13 of this Sutra the Buddha says to Subhuti, “What do you suppose Subhuti, do I’ve a doctrine to evangelise?” Subhuti says to the Buddha, “You, World-Honoured One, haven’t any doctrine.” The Buddha says, “Subhuti, what do you suppose? Is there any such dharma spoken by me, the Tathagata?” Subhuti says, “No, certainly, Sir. There isn’t any such dharma spoken by the Tathagata.” This means that we should always recognize what’s past the Buddha’s phrases to know the core of his educating. Because of this they are saying that the Buddha’s educating is transmitted individually past doctrine.
In different phrases, we, as an alternative of clinging to the textual content of this Sutra, ought to have the ability to recognise, by greedy what’s past the phrases, how the Buddha has the bodhisattvas in thoughts properly, protects them properly and entrusts them properly with the propagation of Buddhist Dharma.
Q: “If we shouldn’t be deluded by phrases, why are there so many Sutras?”
A: “All of them inform folks to not be deluded by phrases.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All photographs ©Simon Hathaway
