Attainment of Buddhahood in the remote past

(Jpn.: kuon jitsujo)

Shakyamuni's original attainment of enlightenment in the inconceivably remote past as related in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the essential teaching (latter fourteen chapters) of the Lotus Sutra. In this chapter, Shakyamuni discloses that he actually attained enlightenment in the distant past. He then illustrates in rather awe-inspiring detail the cosmic proportions of the time that has elapsed since then, the magnitude of which is abbreviated as "numberless major world system dust particle kalpas." Nothing Shakyamuni had taught until this point challenged people's basic assumption that he had attained enlightenment in his present lifetime after sitting in meditation under the bodhi tree near Gaya, India.

This is the assumption upheld in the theoretical teaching (first fourteen chapters) of the Lotus Sutra and in the other sutras. Through this revelation in the "Life Span" chapter, however, Shakyamuni demolishes the belief that he attained enlightenment for the first time in his present lifetime. The "Life Span" chapter says: "In all the worlds the heavenly and human beings and asuras all believe that the present Shakyamuni Buddha, after leaving the palace of the Shakyas, seated himself in the place of meditation not far from the city of Gaya and there attained supreme perfect enlightenment. But good men, it has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood."

(See also: Attainment of Buddhahood in the remote past, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Enlightenment:

Realization of the light of the soul. Stabilization of God Consciousness in the physical body.

(See also: Enlightenment, Body Mind and Soul)

Land of Sages and Common Mortals

(Jpn.: bonsho-dogo-do)

Also, Land of Enlightened and Unenlightened Beings. Literally, "the land where common mortals and sages dwell together" and thus called "land of co-dwelling" for short. One of the four kinds of lands described in the doctrine of the T'ien-t'ai school. This is divided into two categories: impure lands of co-dwelling and pure lands of co-dwelling. The impure lands include this saha world, where common mortals of the six paths (the realms of hell, hungry spirits, animals, asuras, human beings, and heavenly beings) and sages of the four noble worlds (the realms of voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas) dwell together. The pure lands include Amida Buddha's Pure Land of Perfect Bliss, where human beings and heavenly beings are said to live together with the people of the three vehicles (voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, and bodhisattvas) and the Buddha.

(See also: Land of Sages and Common Mortals, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Treatise on the Treasure Vehicle of Buddhahood, The

(Skt.: Ratnagotravibhaga-mahayanottaratantra-shastra; Chin.: Chiu-ching-i-ch'eng-pao-hsing-lun; Jpn.: Kukyo-ichijo-hosho-ron)

A work by Saramati, a Mahayana scholar of India, translated into Chinese in the sixth century by Ratnamati. It asserts that all beings possess the "matrix of the Thus Come One" (Skt tathagata-garbha, also called the matrix of the Tathagata) or the Buddha nature, and that even icchantikas, persons of incorrigible disbelief, can attain Buddhahood eventually. This treatise is generally thought to have been written sometime around the end of the fourth or the beginning of the fifth century. Tibetan tradition attributes the verses of this work to Maitreya and commentaries on them to Asanga. Maitreya and Asanga were also Mahayana scholars.

(See also: Treatise on the Treasure Vehicle of Buddhahood, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Inclusion of Buddhahood in the nine worlds

(Jpn.: kukai-soku-bukkai or kukai-shogu-no-bukkai)

The principle that the world of Buddhahood is inherent in the nine worlds. That is, all beings of the nine worlds possess the potential for Buddhahood (i.e., the Buddha nature). The nine worlds refer to the realms of hell, hungry spirits, animals, asuras, human beings, heavenly beings, voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, and bodhisattvas. These realms also signify inherent conditions or states of life that beings manifest at any given moment. The nine worlds are contrasted with the world of Buddhahood in that they are realms or states of illusion and suffering, while Buddha-hood is a state of enlightenment free from illusion and suffering.

The principle of Buddhahood as a potential within the nine worlds means that the beings of the nine worlds, i.e., those who are deluded, inherently possess the state of Buddhahood and can manifest Buddhahood from within their lives. This concept is derived from the Lotus Sutra, particularly the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter. Together with the inclusion of the nine worlds within Buddhahood, it explains T'ien-t'ai's concept of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds. The chapter reads, "The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, wish to open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings." Nichiren says, "This refers to the world of Buddhahood inherent in the nine worlds". That is, Buddhahood is inherent in all living beings.

(See also: Inclusion of Buddhahood in the nine worlds, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Inclusion of the nine worlds in Buddhahood

(Jpn.: bukkai-soku-kukai or bukkai-shogu-no-kukai)

The principle that the nine worlds are inherent in Buddhahood. That is, the world of Buddhahood possesses the nine worlds, i.e., the world of hell, the world of hungry spirits, the world of animals, the world of asuras, the world of human beings, the world of heavenly beings, the world of voice-hearers, the world of cause-awakened ones, and the world of bodhisattvas. The nine worlds indicate realms or states of life that are tainted by illusions and suffering.

According to this principle, a Buddha does not eradicate the nine worlds even after attaining enlightenment, but retains and uses them to save the people. In other words, even when one has attained Buddhahood, the nine worlds continue to exist in one's life, as does the potential for suffering and illusions. This principle is derived from the Lotus Sutra, particularly the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter, and with the inclusion of Buddhahood in the nine worlds explains T'ien-t'ai's concept of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds.

The "Life Span" chapter reads: "The scriptures expounded by the Thus Come One are all for the purpose of saving and emancipating living beings. Sometimes I speak of myself, sometimes of others; sometimes I present myself, sometimes others; sometimes I show my own actions, sometimes those of others. All that I preach is true and not false." T'ien-t'ai (538-597) interprets "myself " in the quotation as the Buddha's Dharma body and "others" as his manifested body. He says that, when the Buddha teaches directly from the standpoint of his enlightenment, he speaks of "myself " (Buddhahood), and when he teaches in accord with the people's capacity, he speaks of "others" (the nine worlds).

(See also: Inclusion of the nine worlds in Buddhahood, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

World of cause-awakened ones

(Jpn.: engaku-kai)

Also, realm of cause-awakened ones or world of realization. The eighth of the Ten Worlds and one of the four noble worlds. Cause-awakened ones (Skt pratyekabuddha ) are those who awaken to the impermanence of all phenomena by perceiving the twelve-linked chain of causation or by observing natural phenomena. While they seek personal emancipation, they tend not to share it with others. For this reason, various sutras describe them as being reprimanded by Shakyamuni Buddha.

When viewed as a state of life, the world of cause-awakened ones is a condition in which one perceives the transience of all things and strives to free oneself from the sufferings of the six paths, seeking to learn the way to self-improve-ment through personal effort and direct observation of the world. In this world, a sense of the impermanence of all things causes one to aspire for something eternal and unchanging. The world of cause-awakened ones and that of voice-hearers constitute the two vehicles. In The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, Nichiren states: "The fact that all things in this world are transient is perfectly clear to us. Is this not because the worlds of the two vehicles are present in the human world?".

(See also: World of cause-awakened ones, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Perfect Enlightenment Sutra

(Jpn.: Engaku-kyo; Chin.: Y�an-chyeh-ching)

An abbreviation of the Complete and Final Teaching on Perfect Enlightenment Sutra. A sutra translated into Chinese in 693 by Buddhatara who had gone to China from Kashmir. In this sutra, Shakyamuni explains the mystic principle of perfect enlightenment and the practice for its attainment to an audience of twelve bodhisattvas including Manjushri, Universal Worthy, and Maitreya. Contemporary scholars view this sutra as a work produced in China, where this sutra was widely read and a number of commentaries written on it. It had considerable influence on the Flower Garland (Hua-yen) and Zen (Ch'an) schools, and was regarded highly by the Zen school in particular.

(See also: Perfect Enlightenment Sutra, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Prophecy of future enlightenment

(Skt.: vyakarana; Pali.: vey�akarana; Jpn.: juki or kibetsu or wagarana)

A Buddha's prediction that a disciple (or disciples) will attain enlightenment in the future. One of the twelve divisions of the teachings, vyakarana is rendered as the prophecy of future enlightenment and indicates the part of a sutra in which Shakyamuni Buddha pronounces that a practitioner will attain Buddhahood in a future existence. Such prophecies are common in Mahayana sutras.

The Lotus Sutra contains a number of passages in which the Buddha predicts enlightenment for his disciples and foretells what their titles as future Buddhas will be as well as the names of their respective kalpas (eras) and Buddha lands.

In the "Simile and Parable" (third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha predicts the enlightenment of Shariputra, and in the "Bestowal of Prophecy" (sixth) chapter, Shakyamuni predicts enlightenment for the four great voice-hearers, Mahakashyapa, Subhuti, Katyayana, and Maudgalyayana. In the "Five Hundred Disciples" (eighth) and the "Prophecies" (ninth) chapters, Shakyamuni predicts enlightenment for other individual disciples as well as for groups of disciples, thousands in all. According to the Jataka, stories of the Buddha's previous lives, in a past existence Shakyamuni himself received a prophecy of enlightenment from the Buddha Burning Torch (Skt Dipamkara).

(See also: Prophecy of future enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Enlightenment

See "Awakening vs. Enlightenment."

 (See also: Enlightenment, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

enlightenment: the direct experience that the individual Self (Atman) is one with the supreme Self (Brahman); also referred to as realization, Self-realization and liberation. The Sanskrit terms for enlightenment are moksha, mukti and nirvana.

(See also: enlightenment, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

enlightened: Having attained enlightenment, Self Realization. A jnani or jivanmukta.

See: jivanmukta, jnana, Self Realization.

(See also: Enlightened, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

enlightenment

Universal consciousness; traditionally compared to a mind full of light

(See also: Enlightenment, Body Mind and Soul)

Definition and meaning of Enlightenment

Enlightenment - [World History]

The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement concentrated in France during the 1700s. A group of philosophers including John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Voltaire (Fran�ois-Marie Arouet), sought to apply the rigors of scientific inquiry to study human society. They developed rational laws to describe social behavior and applied their findings in support of human rights and liberal economic theories

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Enlightenment

Enlightenment - [World History]

The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement concentrated in France during the 1700s. A group of philosophers including John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Voltaire (Fran�ois-Marie Arouet), sought to apply the rigors of scientific inquiry to study human society. They developed rational laws to describe social behavior and applied their findings in support of human rights and liberal economic theories

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Life Span of the Thus Come One chapter

(Jpn.: Nyorai-juryo-hon)

Abbreviated as the "Life Span" chapter. The sixteenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, in which Shakyamuni Buddha reveals that he originally attained enlightenment in the far distant past rather than in his present life in India as his listeners generally thought.

The chapter title "The Life Span of the Thus Come One" means the duration of Shakyamuni's life as a Buddha, that is, how much time has passed since he originally attained Buddhahood. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) of China ranks it as the key chapter of the essential teaching, or the latter fourteen chapters of the sutra.

The chapter opens with three exhortations and four entreaties, in which the Buddha three times admonishes the multitude to believe and understand his truthful words, and the assembly four times begs him to preach. Shakyamuni then says, "You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers." He proceeds to explain that, while all heavenly and human beings and asuras believe that he first attained enlightenment in his present lifetime under the bodhi tree, it has actually been an incalculable length of time since he attained enlightenment. He then offers a dramatic description of the magnitude of this immeasurably long period. He describes taking a vast number of worlds, grinding them to dust, and then traversing the universe, dropping a particle each time one passes an equally vast number of worlds. Having exhausted all the dust particles, one takes all the worlds traversed, whether they have received a dust particle or not, and grinds them to dust. Then Shakyamuni says: "Let one particle represent one kalpa. The time that has passed since I attained Buddhahood surpasses this by a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a million nayuta asamkhya kalpas."

Commentaries on this chapter refer to this cosmically immense period as "numberless major world system dust particle kalpas." In the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni thus refutes the view that he attained enlightenment for the first time in this life in India and reveals his original attainment of enlightenment in the remote past. T'ien-t'ai refers to this in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra and The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra as "opening the near and revealing the distant," "casting off the transient and revealing the true," and "opening the transient and revealing the true." Here, "the transient" means Shakyamuni's transient status, and "the true" means his true identity. From his original attainment of Buddhahood, Shakyamuni declares, he has constantly been here in this saha world preaching the Law, appearing as many different Buddhas and using various means to save living beings. Though he says that he enters nirvana, he merely uses his death as a means to arouse in people the desire to seek a Buddha. He then illustrates this idea with the parable of the skilled physician and his sick children. In the parable, the children of a skilled physician have accidentally swallowed poison. Having lost their senses, they refuse the medicine their father offers them as an antidote. The father then goes off to a remote place and sends a message informing his children he has died. Shocked to their senses, the children take the medicine their father has left for them and are cured. The Buddha is compared to the father in this parable, living beings to the children who have drunk poison, and the Buddha's entry into nirvana to the father's report of his own death-an expedient means to arouse in people the aspiration for enlightenment. The chapter concludes with a verse section, which restates the important teachings of the preceding prose section.

In Profound Meaning, T'ien-t'ai interprets the "Life Span" chapter as revealing the three mystic principles of the true cause (the cause for Shakyamuni's original attainment of enlightenment), the true effect (his original enlightenment), and the true land (the place where the Buddha lives and teaches). He interprets the passage "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way ... " as indicating the stage of non-regression, or the eleventh of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice, which he explained as the true cause that enabled Shakyamuni to attain Buddhahood. In answer to the question of what Shakyamuni practiced in order to reach the stage of non-regression, Nichiren (1222-1282) identified it as the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

(See also: Life Span of the Thus Come One chapter, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

enlightenment: For Saiva monists, Self Realization, samadhi without seed (nirvikalpa samadhi); the ultimate attainment, sometimes referred to as Paramatma darshana, or as atma darshana, "Self vision" (a term which appears in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras).

Enlightenment is the experience-nonexperience resulting in the realization of one's transcendent Self-Parasiva -which exists beyond time, form and space. Each tradition has its own understanding of enlightenment, often indicated by unique terms.

See: God Realization, kundalini, nirvikalpa samadhi, Self Realization, jivanmukta, jnana..

(See also: Enlightenment, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Enlightenment: A state in which one is aware of one's true nature. This is not necessarily a state of complete awareness, which would be nirvana.

 (See also: Enlightenment, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

enlightenment: For Saiva monists, Self Realization, samadhi without seed (nirvikalpa samadhi); the ultimate attainment, sometimes referred to as Paramatma darshana, or as atma darshana, "Self vision" (a term which appears in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras).

Enlightenment is the experience-nonexperience resulting in the realization of one's transcendent Self-Parasiva -which exists beyond time, form and space. Each tradition has its own understanding of enlightenment, often indicated by unique terms.

See: God Realization, kundalini, nirvikalpa samadhi, Self Realization, jivanmukta, jnana..

(See also: Enlightenment , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Enlightenment

A higher state of consciousness in which the person seems to transcend his or her ego, and becomes aware of his/her divinity, and that he/she is one with God

(See also: Enlightenment, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Awakening vs. Enlightenment

A clear distinction should be made between awakening to the Way (Great Awakening) and attaining the Way (attaining Enlightenment). (Note: There are many degrees of Awakening and Enlightenment. Attaining the Enlightenment of the Arhats, Pratyeka Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, etc. is different from attaining Supreme Enlightenment, i.e., Buddhahood.)

To experience a Great Awakening is to achieve (through Zen meditation, Buddha Recitation, etc.) a complete and deep realization of what it means to be a Buddha and how to reach Buddhahood.

It is to see one's Nature, comprehend the True Nature of things, the Truth. However, only after becoming a Buddha can one be said to have truly attained Supreme Enlightenment (attained the Way).

A metaphor appearing in the sutras is that of a glass of water containing sediments. As long as the glass is undisturbed, the sediments remain at the bottom and the water is clear. However, as soon as the glass is shaken, the water becomes turbid. Likewise, when a practitioner experiences a Great Awakening (awakens to the Way), his afflictions (greed, anger and delusion) are temporarily suppressed but not yet eliminated.

To achieve Supreme Enlightenment (i.e., to be rid of all afflictions, to discard all sediments) is the ultimate goal. Only then can he completely trust his mind and actions. Before then, he should adhere to the precepts, keep a close watch on his mind and thoughts, like a cat stalking a mouse, ready to pounce on evil thoughts as soon as they arise.

To do otherwise is to court certain failure, as stories upon stories of errant monks, roshis and gurus demonstrate.

 (See also: Awakening vs. Enlightenment, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

Association for Research and Enlightenment

(A. R. E. ),Organization founded by famed psychic Edgar Cayce inVirginia Beach,VA.

(See also: Association for Research and Enlightenment, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)