Part 17-11
“Subhuti, if Bodhisattvas say, ‘I am going to adorn a Buddha-land,’ they are not to be called Bodhisattvas. Why? The Realised One says that adorning Buddha-lands is not adornment, it is just called adornment.”
“Subhuti, if Bodhisattvas realise selflessness, the Realised One says they are true Bodhisattvas.”
Commentary:
According to the Buddha’s teaching, no matter how great an image may appear, no matter how plausible a word, or a verse may sound, they are no more than illusions like a rabbit-horn.
A Bodhisattva represents a being who, having Realised this truth, is freed from being deluded by illusions such as images, sounds, words and so on. A Bodhisattva is aware that ‘I’, ‘adorning’ and ‘the Buddha-land’ are not ‘I’, ‘adorning’ and ‘the Buddha-land’ but they are just called ‘I’, ‘adorning’ and ‘the Buddha-land’.
The Buddha-land is another name of the true-Self, Emptiness, or Oneness that is the state without any illusions. In fact, having a thought of adorning the Buddha-land is breaking the Buddha-land that is Oneness into many and defiling it. This is why an ancient master said, “Your thought of adorning it is already filth” when he was asked how he could adorn the Buddha-land, by one of his students.
So, a Bodhisattva is a being who has neither ‘I’ who will adorn the Buddha-land nor the Buddha-land to adorn.
Student: “What is the Buddha-land?”
Master: “It is great but not worth staying in.”
Student: “Why isn’t it worth staying in?”
Master: “Because it collapses as soon as you stay.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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