The Surangama Sutra is a Mahayana Sutra that is held in high importance in Zen, Chan, and Pure Land Buddhism. In this sutra, through the Venerated Ananda’s question on “the steps that lead to Awakening,” Shakyamuni Buddha (vegan) explains the laws of causality, what is illusion, and ways towards the path of enlightenment. There are details on the Worshipped Quan Yin Bodhisattva (vegan) expounding on the Heavenly Sound Stream as well as the importance of keeping the Noble precepts, which include refraining from killing and eating animal-people flesh. “You should know that those who eat meat, […] will sink back into the bitter ocean of samsara and cannot be my disciples. They will kill and devour one another ceaselessly; how then can they escape from the three worlds of existence?”
Surangama Sutra Section 5: The Enlightenment of Others It is foretold by Lord Buddha that in the Dharma ending age, this will be the first sutra to disappear, and also advises ways to protect living beings against failure in this age as well. Today, we are delighted to present selections from “The Enlightenment of Others,” in the Surangama Sutra translated by Upsaka Lu K’uan Yu, in which Shakyamuni Buddha (vegan) expounds on what is needed to protect living beings against failure in the Dharma ending age.
The Enlightenment of Others
“Ananda adjusted his robe, brought his palms together, and prostrated himself with his head at the feet of the Buddha. He rejoiced at his good understanding of the mind and, for the benefit of coming generations, bowed again and said: ‘O great Compassionate and World Honored One, I have now awakened to the Dharma gateway to Buddhahood by means of right practice about which I have no more doubt. I have always heard the Buddha speak of Bodhisattvas who, before their own liberation, set their minds on freeing others, and of Buddhas who, after their own complete enlightenment, appeared in the world to enlighten others. Though I am not yet liberated, I now vow to deliver all living beings in the Dharma ending age. ‘World Honored One, future generations will gradually move farther away from the Buddha and (will meet) heretics as many as the sand grains in the Ganges. In order to control their minds for entry into Samadhi, what should they do to set up seats of study and learning (bodhimandala) to keep the demon away and avoid failure (in their cultivation) of the mind set on enlightenment?’ The Buddha praised Ananda and said: ‘Excellent, Ananda, excellent, (it is good that) you ask about the setting up of bodhimandalas for the protection of living beings against failure in the Dharma ending age. Listen attentively to what I now tell you.’ Ananda and the assembly reverently awaited the (holy) teaching.
Discipline & its Three Decisive Steps: The Buddha said: ‘Ananda, you have always heard me teach about discipline (vinaya), which consists in the practice of three decisive steps, the control of mind, called sila, which leads to stillness (dhyana) and thence to wisdom (prajna). This is called the threefold study of the supramundane way.’
Prohibition against carnality
Ananda, why is control of mind called sila? If all living beings in the six worlds of existence abstain from sexual desire, they will not be subject to the continual round of births and deaths. Your practice of Samadhi should free you from defilements, but they cannot be eliminated if your lustful mind is not wiped out. Even after you have acquired such wisdom, if you fail to kill sensuality, then when dhyana manifests, you will fall into the way of demons […]. These demons have their following and boast of having attained the Supreme Path. After my nirvana, in the Dharma ending age, these subjects of Mara will be found everywhere, will encourage sensuality, and will disguise themselves as men of good counsel (kalyanamitras) and cause living beings to fall into the pit of lust, thereby missing the Bodhi path. You should teach worldly men who practice Samadhi to cut off their lustful minds at the very start. This is called the Buddha’s profound teaching of the first decisive deed. Therefore, Ananda, if carnality is not wiped out, the practice of dhyana is like cooking gravel to make rice; even if it is boiled for hundreds and thousands of aeons, it will be only hot gravel. Why? Because instead of rice grains, it contains only stones. If you set your lustful mind on seeking the profound fruit of Buddhahood, whatever you may realize will be carnal by nature. If your root is lustful, you will have to transmigrate through three unhappy ways (to the hells of fire, blood, and swords) from which you will not escape. How then can you find the way to cultivate the Tathagata’s nirvana? You should cut off both the sensual body and mind until even the very idea of doing so ceases; only then can you hope to seek the Buddha’s Enlightenment. This teaching of mine is that of the Buddha, whereas any other one is that of evil demons (papiyan).”
Prohibition against killing
“Ananda, if living beings in the six worlds of existence cease to kill, they will not be subject to the continual round of births and deaths. Your practice of Samadhi should free you from defilements, but if your murderous mind is not cut off, they cannot be eliminated. You may acquire much wisdom, but if you fail to stop killing, when dhyana manifests, you will fall into the way of spirits, in which the high rank is attained by the mighty ghost (preta), the middle one by flying yaksas and chief ghosts, and the low one by earth-bound raksasas. These have followers and boast that they have attained the Supreme Path.
After my nirvana, in the Dharma ending age, these ghosts will be found throughout the world, and will boast of how they feed on flesh, which leads them to realize Bodhi. Ananda, I permit the bhiksus to eat only the five kinds of pure flesh which are the product of my transcendental power of transformation and not of animal slaughter. You, Brahman, live in a country where vegetables do not grow because it is too damp and hot and because of all the gravel and rock. I use my spiritual power of compassion to provide you with illusory meat to satisfy your appetite. How then, after my nirvana, can you eat the flesh of living beings and so pretend to be my disciple? You should know that those who eat meat, […] are but great raksasas who, after this life, will sink back into the bitter ocean of samsara and cannot be my disciples. They will kill and devour one another ceaselessly; how then can they escape from the three worlds of existence?
[…] In addition, you should teach worldly men who practice Samadhi not to kill. This is called the Buddha’s profound teaching of the second decisive deed. Therefore, Ananda, if killing is not stopped, the practice of dhyana-samadhi is like shutting one’s ears while crying in the hope that people will not hear one’s voice, or like trying to hide something that is already exposed to full view.”
