Yesterday morning I brought up the sutra, the scripture on the heroic progress samadhi. And at noon service, another scripture about the self-receiving and employing samadhi. And this morning we chanted the song of the Jule Mir Samadhi. And now I intend to continue talking about Samadhi. As you may hear, the Buddha will say that this Shurangama Samadhi includes all samadhis.

[01:11]

This samadhi, when realized, is the harmonious functioning. We call these week-long or day-long or month-long meditation retreats. At Zen, for the last few hundred years, we've been calling them Sashins. And Sashin is composed of two words. One is Setsu. There is shin. Put them together, they're pronounced as shin. Setsu means to gather, collect, care for, nurture, but also means to receive Buddha's compassion.

[02:47]

and be guided by Buddha's compassion. And Shin means mind, so putting them together, you could express the word Sashin as gathering the mind, caring for the mind, nurturing the mind. And also Shin can be translated as heart, so caring for the heart, nurturing the heart, collecting the heart. but also receiving Buddha's help in the heart or in the mind, or as the heart or as the mind, receiving Buddha's compassion mind, receiving the mind of Buddha's compassion. to sit together and walk together and eat together for some period of time, receiving and employing the self.

[03:58]

In the awareness of receiving and employing the self is also to receive and employ Buddha's compassion. And when this is quite settled, then it's the samadhi of receiving Buddha's compassion and being cared for and caring for, receiving and compassion. Again, yesterday I mentioned that we just chanted something which said, by the power of confession and repentance, we receive immeasurable help from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. So in our practice here, there's an opportunity to receive immeasurable help.

[05:13]

We don't practice all by ourselves, by our own power. we at the same while receiving moment by moment a lot of help and support. However, it says by doing something, you receive this help. If we don't somehow practice in a certain way, the help doesn't seem to be appreciated. So it isn't that the Buddhas are doing the practice for us, and yet they're helping us. And as we stumble along through our sashin, our effort, they understand, the Buddhas understand our effort as saying, well, I wouldn't mind being helped here. If you want to help me, fine. See, I'm interested in practicing, and I'd like some help.

[06:18]

So by being open enough to spend your time this way, open enough to cooperate with the other people who are doing this, making an attempt to harmony with all the things that are going on, that's a kind of confession. or, yeah, it's a confession of your interest in the practice. And if you slip up, to notice that and try again is a kind of repentance. And this process, you gradually receive more and more help. You open more and more to the limitless help The word samadhi is used in different ways and being a word it lives in the world of human imagination and therefore is open to infinite complexity and if we try to grasp it we can easily get confused about what samadhi is.

[07:46]

So as we talk about samadhi in general, about the teaching of the heroic march samadhi, I think we need to relax as we listen, as we study the samadhi. How do they say, you can't take your Cadillac to heaven? You can't get to heaven in a Cadillac or something like that. You can't get into Samadhi with your discursive thinking. You brought your way into Samadhi. If you're wandering around your head trying to understand Samadhi or trying to figure out how to practice Zen, if you're wandering around your head, you might miss the body. which is leaping into samadhi.

[08:58]

The body which is saying, Buddha, hold my hand, take me into your samadhi. That's happening when you're sitting here. You're putting yourself right in the right place here. You're saying, Buddha, you can find me at my seat. Let me join you in this great samadhi. But if you're thinking about how to get there, you may miss that body that's just leaped into samadhi. Samadhi literally means to be or resolute or firm.

[10:13]

The name of the bodhisattva is asking the questions in this of Shurangama Samadhi, the name is Resolute Mind, Settled Mind, Settled Intellect. So the intellect has been settled and made firm. Firm, first of all, to ask Buddha a good question, a question that would really be helpful to everybody. firm to ask, to wonder about a samadhi. This bodhisattva is really resolute about helpful questions about samadhi. So that's the kind of bodhisattva we have in the scripture, somebody who's really firmly dedicated to learning about

[11:20]

we can join this samadhi about samadhi. The Chinese character that they often use to translate samadhi can be translated as settled or even, yeah, fixed. And when I first saw that, I didn't like that translation because I didn't like the idea that samadhi was fixed. But... I'm getting over that. I'm trying to relax with the word fixed. Somehow this is a fixed, a fixity without being, without being contracted. It's a settledness without being tense. And in Zen, the character ding which can be translated as, as I said, settled, fixed, determined, resolute, decisive.

[12:33]

The actual practice of that samadhi, as I have said, to meet whatever arises with complete relaxation. Meeting each thing this way, the mind becomes collective. Meeting each thing this way, we open to Buddha's compassion, and Buddha's compassion then can be enacted because we stop resisting it and let it take over. This is our work. our samadhi work, and in this mode, this is the mode of studying sutras. Sutras are not really information.

[13:37]

They are basically about samadhi. They're about, you listen to the sutra in this way and you enter the samadhi of the sutra. This particular sutra is like, in some sense, an important forebearer of the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Vimalakirti Sutra, and the Lotus Sutra. This sutra is earlier than them. You can see them growing out of this sutra. creates, as you open to these other sutras, and this one too, each sutra has its own particular quality of samadhi that you enter as you give yourself over to receiving it.

[14:59]

The word samadhi, which I just mentioned, means literally fixed, firm, settled. It's often defined as mental one-pointedness. And this mental one-pointedness can be considered a factor or a mental factor or a characteristic of all states of consciousness. And it is taught in the Abhidharma, the Buddhist scholastic present of the teachings. It is taught that every mind the most confused and the most lofty, all states of mind have this quality of samadhi, this settledness,

[16:18]

that the samadhi is, you could say, is one-pointed on its object. No, it is the characteristic or the quality of consciousness that it is one-pointed on its object, that the subject is one-pointed on the object. But that's often understood that the subject should try to direct the mind towards the object. So samadhi then is seen as some kind of effort to turn the mind towards, to train the mind towards the object. All states of mind actually have this quality of the mind being one with the object, or the subject being with the object. They have that quality. But many people, many beings do not They do not strongly feel one with the object, the oneness with the object.

[17:28]

They don't feel the oneness of subject and object. But all minds have that to some extent. So there's this possibility then of intensifying or more fully realizing how the mind is one-pointed on its object. It's possible to get, well you could say, an overwhelming realization that mind has this quality that the subject is one with its object, so that it would be totally pervaded by that sense that the subject is one with the object, to the point where there's only the object, which would be like looking at somebody and forgetting about yourself.

[18:38]

There would just be who you're looking at. There wouldn't be you looking at them. That's all there would be. There would just be the pine tree. There would just be the person's face. There would just be the voice. There wouldn't be the subject and the object. And this would be... And in fact, the mind is always like that, but it's weak in most people. So then, what people sometimes think, well, we should try to make that realization stronger by, again, trying to get the subject to arrange for the mind to be more and more on that object. But that's actually not what samadhi is. Samadhi is not trying to be that way and force yourself to be that way. Samadhi is being that way.

[19:42]

So how then can we increase and develop this sense of samadhi without trying to get the mind to be more one-pointed? By directing, by getting the subject to direct various factors towards that object. Well, I already told you. Just in every situation where there's a subject and an object, which is every situation, every experience, just relax. Don't try to get the mind to be more concentrated. Don't try to get the mind to be less concentrated. Don't try to not try. Be there just because you are, But don't try to get yourself to be there. Just confess, I'm here.

[20:48]

I'm here and this is the situation I'm in. I could tell you more about it, but basically this is it. Yeah, tell me more about it. Well, I'm pretty confused and I'm kind of not very present and I'm a lousy Zen student or I'm a good Zen student and blah, blah, blah, blah. I confess that's where I am. Now, there you are. Now just relax with that. Don't try to do anything with it. And samadhi, that's samadhi. That's the samadhi. Or that's the gate to the samadhi. Samadhi is not straining to concentrate. Concentration is not straining to concentrate.

[21:51]

Concentration is but trying to get concentrated is antithetical to being concentrated. Not messing around with what's happening is in accord with concentration. Not meddling with what's happening. Not trying to control your experience. This is in harmony with concentration. Concentration is not trying to focus on something. Concentration is freedom from Like that. Giving up seeking now develops the samadhi which you already have.

[22:56]

So samadhi can be developed, but it is developed through not seeking and not grasping. And you can be more and more firm in anything and not grasping anything. He can be more and more firm in relaxing with pain. He can be more and more subtle in relaxing with pain. He can be more and more subtle with not contracting with pain. You can be more and more resolute that you're not going to try to control or meddle with what's given to you. This can get stronger and stronger, and you get calmer and calmer without trying to get stronger

[24:19]

Samadhi has the meaning of a quality of consciousness, namely that the consciousness is one-pointed. That all states of experience, the subject and the object, are one point. Subject is one point. That's always so. But also, conscious Samadhi means not just that quality of each consciousness, but it also is a consciousness itself. It actually is a state of mind. So any mind has that quality, and that quality pervades any mind. So all the states of mind that you've ever had, all the subject-object experiences that you've ever had, have had And that quality has pervaded those states.

[25:45]

So samadhi can mean that quality of your consciousness, but also can mean the entire consciousness is also can be called a samadhi. Every factor is pervaded by, every factor pervades the entire consciousness. Just like you can have anger, which is a factor of mind, but you can also say, when you have anger in the mind, that you have an angry mind. If you have a loving thought or a kind thought, it's an angry mind. But that can pervade the entire mind. So, samadhi means the state of mind and a quality of mind, both. Another part of, if you try to grasp what samadhi is, you get a little confused because it's both a factor and a consciousness. And again, that quality of samadhi, that mental factor of samadhi, which is present in all minds, thoroughly

[27:10]

pervades and, excuse the expression, dominates. The mind seems to be like, samadhi seems to be like really what's happening. So this is a kind of strong samadhi. And again, when the samadhis are really strong, things would seem perhaps a little different than they do when the samadhi's weak. When the samadhi's strong, it's almost as though you have wisdom, because everybody you look at is just everybody you look at.

[28:14]

There's not any more you looking at them. So there is at the moment anyway no anxiety. There is understanding that everything that's seen is mind. Now going back to this sutra on the samadhi, of the heroic progress of the bodhisattvas. Yesterday we read about who was at the meeting where the Buddha was talking. There were 72,000 bodhisattvas. There were... How many big shoes were there?

[29:18]

Remember? What? 32, 32, 32, got the 32, 32,000. There were 32,000 monks and 72,000 Bodhisattva Mahasattvas. Remember? I didn't mention, but there were a lot more. I didn't mention because I didn't say so, but now you're going to find out. by the way, that there were, I think, I would guess, basically, that there were more than 80,000 billion incalculable divine beings there, too. There were more than that, because that's how many, like, leaders of the deities that there were. There were 84,000 billion incalculable leaders. and goddesses also there, plus the Buddha.

[30:27]

So that's who it turns out was at this meeting. And among the leaders of the bodhisattvas, the last one, the bodhisattva who was really interested, who was really resolute on wanting to find out about a kind of samadhi, that would, you know, rapidly realize unsurpassed, complete enlightenment and those other things I mentioned. Remember those things that it would do, help the bodhisattva do? And in some sense the big one is to be able to Manifest all the virtues mentioned without definitively entering into parinirvana. Manifest all these virtues, but not like enter into eternal extinction.

[31:36]

Manifest all these virtues plus being able to, but not stopping there. not really staying in nirvana. So that's what the kind of samadhi that Dhridhamati was asking the Buddha about. And then as I mentioned yesterday, the Buddha goes into, to some extent, a kind of embarrassing thing towards Dhridhamati. But I suppose I should just relax and read it. Part of the reason why I What did I say? Did I say dread? Huh? Embarrassed. Embarrassed. I feel kind of embarrassed. I guess the reason why I feel embarrassed is because it has something to do with, like, when you hear the Buddha talking about somebody like this, the mind might think, well, what about me?

[32:38]

I'm not so good. Anyway, the Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Dhridhamati after he asked that question, and remember before he asked the question he had this thought about the kind of question he wanted to ask, so he also had this great thought, and then he had this great question, which he asked the Buddha. And so then the Buddha says after that question, Excellent! Excellent! O Dhridhamati, you question the tathāgata on this subject for the welfare and happiness of many beings. For the benefit, welfare and happiness of the great body of beings, humans and divines. For the protection of the present and future bodhisattvas. Know this, you have planted good roots and served innumerable hundreds of thousands of billions of incalculable Buddhas of the past.

[33:49]

Again, you're going to think, how many Buddhas have I served? Well, don't get into that. Just relax, you know. Listen that the Buddha talks that way to somebody. You have trodden on all paths. You have overcome Mara and adversaries and independent knowledge regarding all the Buddha dharmas. You have won over and protected throngs of bodhisattvas. You know the treasure of all teachings of the Buddha. That is why you have come to ask me a question already asked in the past of Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Dhridhamati, in this assembly, the Tathagata does not see one single deva, naga, yaksha, gandharva, or a single shravaka or prapjyaga Buddha who is capable

[35:00]

Only a person as eminent as yourself is able to approach such a question. Listen well then and engrave it on your mind. I will tell you of that samadhi with which the bodhisattva may in order to obtain virtues of which you speak and of even greater ones Dhridhamati said to the Buddha, Excellent, O Bhagavat, and he began to listen. The Buddha said to Dhridhamati, It is the samadhi called the concentration of heroic progress, Shuram Gama Samadhi. Bodhisattvas who have realized this samadhi can since you're asked about it, manifest parinirvana, perfect freedom and liberation, without being definitively ceasing to be.

[36:12]

So they can realize perfect freedom and liberation without undergoing eternal extinction. The Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, under the bow tree, when he was about 35 years old apparently, attained nirvana under the bow tree, had a great awakening, and also attained nirvana. But it was not called parinirvana. The reason it was not called parinirvana is because he still had a body. But at the same time that he attained parinirvana, he just incidentally also attained nirvana.

[37:22]

In other words, he attained freedom. He still had a body, but he attained freedom. freedom, but not the perfect freedom that you would get if you had the regular freedom plus no body. You still had to deal with the body, while still having your body. And that nirvana is called pratisamkhya-naroda. It's an extinction of affliction and bondage due to effort. Simultaneously, he attained complete enlightenment, not the same as nirvana. Nirvana is the highest skill and means that the enlightened have available. So he got this. He had been developing skill and means for a long time, but he hadn't gotten nirvana before. Now he had nirvana and complete enlightenment to work now. But he didn't disappear.

[38:23]

He was still in the world. Forty-five years later, he attained pari-nirvana, a freedom which has no... there's no body left. In other words, he... He had enlightenment, complete enlightenment during the whole career, though. Bodhisattvas don't just attain the nirvana under the boat tree, they attain... perfect nirvana, according to this scripture. They attained the nirvana with no body, but they don't cease to be like the Buddha did. And they also have not yet attained complete enlightenment, which the Buddha did. So the Buddha got to disappear because he had complete enlightenment. Bodhisattvas do not undergo eternal enlightenment. But they visit that perfect freedom that the Buddha attained at the end of his life.

[39:26]

And this samadhi makes it possible for them to manifest parinirvana without ceasing to be. They cease to be for a little bit, but not for eternally. They manifest figures but without harming the suchness of form. They circulate through all Buddha lands but they do not conceive They come close to all Buddhas but do not see any distinction in the basic sameness and fundamental element.

[40:37]

They come close to all Buddhas without seeing any distinction between themselves and the Buddhas, for example. And they come close to the Buddhas without making any distinction about the dharma element, the dharmadhatu. They perform all practices, but clearly understand the method of purifying practices. They possess sovereignty over all the gods and man, but do not fall into pride, pretentiousness, or negligence. They possess the supreme power of all Maharas, but abstain from the works of the cruel Maharas. They circulate through the triple world, but do not swerve from the fundamental element, the Dharmadhatu.

[41:49]

They are born in all destinies, but do not conceive of being destinies. They skillfully pronounce all treasures of the Dharma and in various languages they clarify its meaning, but they know syllables spring from sameness and that there exists no difference between languages. They always are collected, but they ripen beings as they manifest teaching Dharma to sentient beings. They possess the certainty of universal destruction and the certainty

[42:59]

rising of dharmas, but they speak of dharmas as having a rising cessation, a rising in cessation as their mark. They go along and without fear like a lioness. Now each of these points is an amazing way to be alive. For example, that when they're teaching people about Dharma, they're meditating while they're teaching.

[44:11]

In other words, they're teaching, but the main thing is that they're meditating. Because meditating means that they're making no distinction between themselves and the people they're teaching. A lot of people teach, but if they make a distinction between themselves and who they're teaching, even though the teaching may be wonderful, the fundamental element is being overlooked, namely the samadhi. They're in samadhi when they're teaching, but they aren't just in samadhi. They aren't just like, okay, we're one. in the state of being in awe of the object because that's all there is in the universe. They can also chatter away when they're in this samadhi.

[45:12]

They can teach the Dharma with no distinction between subject and object because of the samadhi. The emphasis is on the way that they are. And the way that they are is that they're not separate from other beings. Just because there is a mind where the subject is not separate from the object. They're totally immersed in relationship. in actual relationship, but not in the kind of relationship between where subject and object are. They're immersed in the oneness of subject and object. The actual, that relationship. The relationship is not two things.

[46:15]

There aren't two relationships. There's one relationship between subject and object. And that relationship is that they're one. That's where they live. They're totally immersed with beings. They're totally immersed in the oneness of subject and pain. When there's pain, there's just pain. They're totally immersed in of subject and pleasure. When there's pleasure, there's just pleasure. They're meditating, in other words. They're collected. And they can talk. They can teach. They can function. Those things that they can do that can happen because of the samadhi. I'm sorry to see the kitchen go. Just want to tell you what's going to happen next is

[47:18]

Those 84,000 billion, uncountable number of divine beings are now going to offer the Buddha a really nice seat. So that's what happened. Then in assembly, there were chakras, a certain type of, you know, monarch, divine monarch. And there's also Brahmins, Brahmins, and they're also gods and goddesses. And then there's Lokapala, monarch gods, protector of the world, kings of gods. And the whole assembly, all these beings, had this thought. All these different divine beings had this thought. We have heard the name of the Samadhi, even less the explanation of its meaning.

[48:27]

Today we have come and seen the Buddha. It is of advantage to hear the name Shurangama Samadhi pronounced. Shurangama Samadhi. The daughters of good family and the sons of good family seeking to protect Buddhahood have, after having heard the explanation of the Shurangama Samadhi, believe it and do not doubt. That son or daughter of good family will never stray from Even more so, if after having believed, she or he grasps it, remembers it, repeats it, expounds it to others, and conforming to what it says, to her efforts or applies her efforts to it, to this samadhi.

[49:50]

Then the chakras, brahmas, lokatara, had this thought, we should now present the Tathagata, a lion throne, a throne of good dharma, a throne worthy of a great personage, a throne of a great splendor, a throne of great excuse me, a throne for a great turning of the wheel of Dharma so that the Tathagata seated on this throne of ours will expound the Shurangama Samadhi. Among themselves, each one said to herself, it is I alone who will offer this lion throne to the Buddha. No one else can do so.

[50:54]

And the chakras, the brahmas, the lokatara, monarchs of gods, each separately offered to the Tathagata a lion throne which was adorned, pure, admirable, very high, strewn with immeasurable precious fabrics with canopies, banners, and wonderful precious parasols. They didn't know about skin cancer back in those days, but they were into putting parasols over people that they valued because it was hot in India. So, parasols. We're into it now again. And on the lion throne has balustrades of all kinds of precious jewels and left with innumerable precious trees with branches and leaves on which rows of pearls were carefully arranged, hoisted with banners and flags, draped with great precious canopies, adorned with interlacing of jewels hung with

[52:20]

the top scattered with all kinds of wonderful flowers, perfumed with all kinds of essential essences, embellished with gold, silver, and jewels of precious stones and pearls. Indeed, most varied ornaments, none was missing from that seat. At that precise moment, There were before the Tathagata 84,000 billion uncountable precious lion thrones. But there was no discomfort resulting from this in the assembly. So if you can imagine this assembly of all these 72,000 bodhisattvas, shoes and this very large number of gods and then suddenly there's all these big huge pile of thrones, right?

[53:27]

But nobody got hurt. Taken one by one, the putras, which I think means the children of the gods, did not see the seats of the others. and each one said to herself, I alone have offered a lion throne to the Buddha. And it is on that I have offered that the Buddha will expound the Shurangama Samadhi. Then the chakras, brahmas, and lokapala, monarchs of the gods, having contemplated this offering of the thrones, May the Buddha sit on my throne and expound the Shurangama Samadhi. Maybe that's a good place to stop.

[54:46]

you know, this is chapter whatever. So now you've got these very large number of divine beings who have offered this throne, very big thrones, to the Buddha. And each one of them has offered it, but they can't see the other one's offerings for some reason. And now each of them is inviting the Buddha to sit on their seat. Okay? Got the picture? So now, so the next part will be what happens, you know, what happens next will be the next part. But maybe it's too much to go into it today. What do you think? Had enough? Want to wait till tomorrow to see what happens? Is that okay? You don't want to wait? For the sake of this sentient being, shall I go on? Is that okay? Can you... Put up with more of this?

[55:51]

Make yourself comfortable. So then, the Bhagavat, the Buddha, performed such a supernormal action that he sat on every one of the 84,000 billion uncountable lion thrones. But each deva, each divine being, only succeeded on the throne that she had set out and did not see the other thrones. Sound familiar? You've seen the Buddha sit on one throne, right, that you offered?

[56:59]

A lot of gods have seen that before. One chakra devendra, again devendra means, indra means sovereign, one chakra sovereign god said to another chakra god, look, the Tathagata is seated on my throne. Similarly, the chakras, brahmas, and lokapala monarchs of the gods said to each other, just now the Tathagata is seated on my throne. And the other chakra replied, now the Tathagata is seated only on my throne. He is not seated on yours. It doesn't say so, but all this hubbub

[57:59]

causing any discomfort. Then the Tathagata considered that those chakras, Brahmas and Lokapala kings of the gods were fulfilled, had fulfilled the requisite conditions. They were ready. And desiring to demonstrate a little of the potency of the Shurangama Samadhi, and have the practices of the Mahayana adopted, the Tathagata acted so that the Tathagata present everywhere on each of the 84,000 billion uncountable precious lion thrones. Get the picture? Okay, Buddha's sitting on my throne, not yours, and then suddenly you see the Buddha sitting everywhere on everybody's And the Buddha thought they were ready for this, so he showed it to them.

[59:10]

The whole assembly experienced great joy and was filled with wonder. They rose from their seats and, joining their hands, bowed to the Buddha and said to the Buddha, excellent, excellent. Immense is the power of the Tathagata who is able to gratify the desires of all the children of the gods. All the Devaputras who have offered a seat to the Tathagata have thus witnessed the supernatural might of the Buddha. Aroused the Anyutara Samyak Sambodhi Chitta. The thought or to attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. In unison, they addressed the Buddha and said, Bhagavad, it is in order to pay homage to the Jatagata, calm the suffering, protect the good Dharma, and not interrupt the lineage of the Buddhas,

[60:26]

that we arouse Anyuttara Samyaksambodhicitta. May we in the future time become Buddhas gifted with normal might and accomplish such wonders such as those that Tathagata has accomplished today. So all these divine beings have now entered the Bodhisattva way. Congratulated the Devaputras. Excellent, excellent. It is exactly as you say. To arouse Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi Chitta for the welfare and happiness of all beings is the supreme homage rendered to the Tathagata. Now in the assembly of the Brahmas,

[61:29]

there was a Brahmin god named Samatha Vihara. Samatha means sameness and Vihara means like abode. So the name of this divine being is abode of sameness or residing in sameness. She said to the Buddha, Bhagavata, Which then are the real Tathagatas? So they're looking, they see this 84,000 billion, this ocean, this limitless, they all can see this limitless ocean of Buddhas sitting on all these thrones. So this one God says, are the real Tathagatas, and which one's you? Which one of all these is you? Get the picture? Yeah. They had one Buddha before that they could talk to.

[62:32]

Now they have 84,000 billion uncountable Buddhas. Which one of you... I guess they all look the same too, huh? Which then are the real Tathagatas, the ones seated on or those, excuse me, the one seated on my throne or the one seated on the thrones of the others. The Buddha said to residing in sameness, all dharmas are empty, like illusion, born of complex causes and conditions. They are inactive. all spring from mental illusion and imagination and not being independent.

[63:42]

They are born as one thinks of them. All these tathagatas are real. All these tathagatas are real. And what is the reason that they are real? These tathagatas originally and spontaneously are not born, hence they are real. These tathagatas are non-existent in the present and in the future, hence they are real. These tathagatas are not composed of the great elements, hence they are real. These tathagatas are not composed of the aggregates, the five skandhas, Hence they are real. These Tathagatas are the same and without difference at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. Real. O Brahma, these Tathagatas are the same and without difference.

[64:46]

How so? They are the same because of suchness of form. They are the same because of suchness of feeling. They are the same because of suchness of perception. They are the same because of the suchness of volition. They are the same because of the suchness of consciousness. Hence, they are the same. These Tathagatas are the same because of past time, the same because of the suchness of future time, the same because of the suchness of present time. They are the same in that they are like the dharmas of illusion, like the dharmas of mirage. Non-existent, free of coming, free of going. That is why the Tathagatas are said to be the same. All these dharmas are the same and it is equally so for the Tathagatas.

[65:56]

All beings are the same and it is equally so for these Tathagatas. All Buddhas are the same. All Buddhas in all universes are the same and it is equally so for these Tathagatas. All the universes are the same and it is equally so for the Tathagatas. That is why the Buddhas are said to be the same. O Brahma King, these Tathagatas do not deviate from the suchness of all dharmas. That is why they are said to be the same. Understand it well, O Brahman. The Tathagatas know that all dharmas are hence the same. That is why the Tathagatas give the name sameness to all dharmas. The Brahma King abiding in sameness said,

[66:59]

Bhagavat, it is astonishing that the Tathagatas who thus penetrate the sameness of all dharmas also manifest their wonderful physical form to beings." The Buddha replied, "'Brahma King, this is due to the potency of the Shurangama Samadhi as it was practiced previously For this reason, the Tathagata, even after having penetrated the sameness of all dharmas, also manifests her physical body to beings. This having been said, the Brahma king, Samatha Vihara, and the ten thousand Brahmadevas obtained the preparatory certainty concerning dharma. Then the Bhagavat withdrew his supernormal power.

[68:04]

Thereupon the Buddhas and the thrones disappeared and the assembly saw no more than a single Buddha. May our attention

[68:28]

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