Thus did I hear. One time, the Buddha was staying in Jeta Grove in Sravasti, residing with 1,250 great monks.
Commentary:
‘Hear’ here means to hear things as they are, or to hear things as empty. Put simply, this is to hear things without attaching any words to them, which is referred to as hearing without hearing, or hearing without being deluded by words. Hearing in this way is hearing the Buddha. When you can hear everything in this way, you can hear the Buddha anywhere, anytime and can’t stop hearing the Buddha even for a second. Then, you, it is said, have reached the Pure Land. Once you have reached there, you cannot escape from it.
Q: “How is it when we hear thus?”
A: “I can’t avoid answering your question?”
Q: “Why can’t you avoid answering my question?”
A: “Because no one can deceive you.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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