Part 17-3
“Subhuti, what do you think—when the Realised One was with Dipankara Buddha, was there any state of attaining unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment?”
“No, World Honoured One. As I understand the meaning of what the Buddha says, when the Buddha was with Dipankara Buddha there was no state of attaining unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment”
The Buddha said, “That is so. That is so.”
Commentary:
Being able to see and hear everything as it is, is referred to as enlightenment, which the Buddha is said to have attained and which we try to attain as well.
Prior to attaining enlightenment, it is the final goal of all Buddhists. However, once we have learned to see things as they are through enlightenment, everything looks as it is, that is, everything looks one as Emptiness from that moment on. Then, we come to realise that enlightenment is not enlightenment but is only called enlightenment and that the action of saying ‘enlightenment’ is the function of the true-Self.
This is why it is said that there is no Dharma to learn, no Buddha to see and no enlightenment to attain once we get enlightened, although all of them appear to exist before enlightenment.
This is to see what the Buddha wanted to show to us through his talk.
This is to see and hear the Buddha in each word we encounter, which is referred to as making dead words alive.
Student: “Why was the Realised One with Dipankara Buddha if he didn’t attain enlightenment from Him?”
Master: “I was almost deluded once, too.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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