6. The Other Power (adhiṣṭhāna)

Since the primitive period, when people knew how to live in a society, the existence of humankind in the world always depended on the nature and the social relationships. The life of a religion and its followers is also based on those factors. History of Buddhism in India and in China as well shows that Buddhism was prosperous when it was patronized by the government and supported by people and the devotees. However, as any religion, Buddhism also contains the mystical and metaphysical factors.

The Laṅkāvatārasūtra is also not an exception when it mentions the invisible support power of the Buddha to help a practiser reach his goal of enlightenment beside his own effort of self-power. The Laṅkāvatārasūtra uses the word adhiṣṭhāna to say about the “added power” (jiachili) or “prestige divine power” (weishenli) of the Buddha. This is the spiritual power of the Buddha which is added to a disciple.^[1] Literally, adhiṣṭhāna means to depend upon, a base, rule.

It is defined as dependence on the Buddha, who adds (jia) his strength on all (who seek it), and upholds (chi) them; hence it implies prayer, because of obtaining the Buddha‘s power and transferring it to others; in general it is to aid, support.^[2]

“What are the three aspects of noble wisdom, Mahāmati, in which he has to discipline himself later? They are: (1) imagelessness; (2) the power added (adhiṣṭhāna) by all the Buddhas by reason of their original vows; and (3) the self-realisation attained by noble wisdom.

“Then again, Mahāmati, the aspect of imagelessness comes forth when all things belonging to the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas and philosophers are thoroughly mastered. Again, Mahāmati, as to the power added, it comes from the original vows made by all the Buddhas. “Again, Mahāmati, as to the self-realisation aspect of noble wisdom, it rises when a Bodhisattva, detaching himself from viewing all things in their phenomenality, realizes the Samādhibody whereby he surveys the world as like unto a vision, and further goes on to the attainment of the Buddha-stage. Mahāmati, this is the triplicity of the noble life. Furnished with this triplicity, noble ones will attain the state of self-realisation which is the outcome of noble wisdom.”^[3]

As presented above, by the self-power only, a practiser (Yogin) can use his transcendental wisdom to abandon his previous wrong knowledge to see the world that is only the reflection of the Mind-only, and enter the first stage of the Bodhisattva path. But if he wants to go further on to the attainment of the Buddhahood, he should discipline himself in these three aspects of noble wisdom. The Buddha‘s added-power comes from the “original vows” (pūrvapraṇidhāna) made by all the Buddhas. This is meant that from the first stage of the Bodhisattva path, practiser has to make the great vows to save living beings, like the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara^[4] made great vows to assist all sentient beings in times of difficulty, and to postpone his own Buddhahood until he has assisted every being on Earth in achieving Nirvāṇa.

Pūrvapraṇidhāna (benyuan) is the “original vow” or vows of a Buddha or bodhisattva, e. g. the forty-eight of Amitābha, the twelve of the Medicine Buddha (Bhaiṣajya; yaoshi), etc.^[5] The vows and devotions were carefully planned in many ways by different bodhisattvas for sustaining their effort, meditation practice, and beneficial activities. Although the Bodhisattva vow derived from his ultimate, great and universal compassion that is inconceivable from the viewpoint of our mundane life, the form of vow includes distinct limited commitments. In my opinion, the vows of a Bodhisattva originated from his past karma or career. For example, when a medical doctor becomes a Bodhisattva, this doctor will probably make his/her vows like the twelve Medicine Buddha‘s vows^[6] to cure all physical and mental diseases of sentient beings.

The above three aspects of noble wisdom, i.e., (1) imagelessness, (2) the power added (adhiṣṭhāna) by all the Buddhas by reason of their original vows (pūrvapraṇidhāna), and (3) the self-realisation, must be practiced in the same time by the Bodhisattva because these aspects support mutually for each other. Imagelessness is see the thing as it is, Self-realization realizes and maintains the Buddha-nature in anywhere and anytime, it is called Samādhi-body, i.e. the samādhi or the Buddhanature exists in all time and all places. Without the imagelessness and Samādhi-body, the Bodhisattva cannot receive the power-added of the Buddhas. In other words, the Buddhas in ten directions always expose their adhiṣṭhāna to support the Bodhisattva, but the Bodhisattva must be endowed with the corresponding quality to receive it. Whereas, without the adhiṣṭhāna on the side of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva with all his diligence and penetrating insight will not realize the highest truth in himself and will not finally be taken up among the community of the Buddhas.

Hereafter is some other passages in the Laṅkāvatārasūtra mention the Buddha‘s adhiṣṭhāna:

“Further, Mahāmati, there are two kinds of the sustaining power (adhiṣṭhāna) which issues from the Tathagatas who are Arhats and Fully-Enlightened Ones; and sustained by this power [the Bodhisattvas] would prostrate themselves at their feet and ask them questions. What is this twofold power that sustains the Bodhisattvas? The one is the power by which they are sustained to go through the Samādhis and Samāpattis; while the other is the power whereby the Buddhas manifest themselves in person before the Bodhisattvas and baptise them with their own hands.^[7]

“Then, Mahāmati, sustained by the power of the Buddhas, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas at their first stage will attain the Bodhisattva-Samādhi, known as the Light of Mahāyāna, which belongs to the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas. They will immediately see the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones appearing before them personally, who come from all the different abodes in the ten quarters of the world and who now facing the Bodhisattvas will impart to them their sustaining power displayed with the body, mouth, and words. Mahāmati, as is the case with Vajragarbha the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, and with other Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas who are in possession of similar character and virtue.^[8]

“So, Mahāmati, with the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas at the first stage, they will attain the Tathagatas' power sustaining them in their Samādhis and Samāpattis. By virtue of their stock of merit accumulated for a hundred thousand kalpas, they will, successively going up the stages and getting thoroughly acquainted with what they should do and should not do, finally reach the stage of Bodhisattvahood called Dharmameghā. Here the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva finds himself seated on a throne in the Lotus Palace, and surrounded by the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas of a similar class; a tiara decorated and ornamented with all kinds of precious stones is on his head, and his body shines brilliantly like the moon in the yellowish gold colour of the Campaka flower. The Buddhas now come from their worlds in the ten quarters, and with their lotus-like hands, sprinkle the forehead of the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva who is seated on the throne in the Lotus Palace;the Buddhas thus give him a baptism personally by hand as when a great king invested with supreme authority [baptises his crown-prince]. This Bodhisattva and these Bodhisattvas are said to be sustained by the Buddhas‘power, being thus baptised by [their] hands. Mahāmati, this is the twofold sustaining power imparted to the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas, who, sustained by this twofold sustaining power, personally come into the presence of all the Buddhas. In no other way are the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones to be interviewed.^[9]

“Further, Mahāmati, whatever Samādhis, psychic faculties, and teachings are exhibited by the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas, they are sustained by the twofold sustaining power of all the Buddhas. If, Mahāmati, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas show their eloquence without the Buddhas' sustaining power, the ignorant and simpleminded will also show their eloquence. [But the latter do not.] Why? Because of the sustaining power [on the one hand] and its absence [on the other]. Where the Tathagatas enter with their sustaining power there will be music not only in various musical instruments and vessels but also even in grass, shrubs, trees, and mountains, Mahāmati, yes, in towns indeed, palaces, houses, and royal abodes. How much more those endowed with sentiency! The mute, blind, and deaf will be cured of their deficiencies, Mahāmati, and will enjoy their emancipation. Such, Mahāmati, is the great extraordinary virtue of the sustaining power imparted by the Tathagatas.^[10]

“Further, Mahāmati said: Why is it, Blessed One, that when the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas are established in the Samādhis and Samāpattis, and when they are baptised at the most exalted stage, the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones, bestow their sustaining power on them? Replied the Blessed One: It is in order to make them avoid the evil ones, karma, and passions, to keep them away from the Dhyāna and stage of the Śrāvakahood, to have them realise the stage of Tathagatahood, and to make them grow in the truth and experience already attained. For this reason, Mahāmati, the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones sustain with their power the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas. If they were not thus sustained, Mahāmati, they would fall into the way of thinking and feeling as cherished by the wrong philosophers, Śrāvakas, or evil ones, and would not attain the highest enlightenment. For this reason, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas are upheld by the Tathagatas, Arhats, Fully-Enlightened Ones. Thus it is said: The sustaining power is purified by the Buddhas‘vows; in the baptism, Samādhis, etc., from the first to the tenth [stage], [the Bodhisattvas are in the embrace of the Buddhas].^[11]

Thus, the adhiṣṭhāna is the power that is added to and sustaining the Bodhisattva. It is the power emanating from the will and vow of the Buddha whose loving heart embraces the whole universe, and is added to that of a Bodhisattva to sustain him, to encourage him, and finally to carry him over to a state of self-realization. Not only in the Laṅkāvatārasūtra but in other Mahāyāna sūtras we frequently come across the sentence, “Through the power of the Buddha, a Bodhisattva rose from his seat and asked thus of the Buddha, or preached thus, etc.”^[12] This is a form of authorization, but in the case of adhiṣṭhāna, it is more than that, for here the Buddha‘s power sustains the Bodhisattva throughout his long laborious career of discipleship. However, the adhiṣṭhāna of the Buddha will not effect if the Bodhisattva does not try his best effort to carry out his own self-power. Self-power and other-power directly sense and respond each other.

In brief, the essence of our mind is the Buddha‘s enlightened mind, i.e. the Buddha-nature, but we cannot realize it without practice.

The practice of Buddha-nature, according to the Laṅkāvatārasūtra, follows three steps:

1) Gradual cultivation before enlightenment: destroying defilements and bad habit-energy to realize the Buddha-nature.

2) Sudden enlightenment: realizing the Buddha-nature through the revulsion which takes place in the Ālayavijñāna, i.e. the Tathāgatagarbha.

3) Gradual cultivation after enlightenment: cleansing all habitenergy in order to fulfill the Bodhisattva vows, achieve full enlightenment and become the Buddha.

During the process of the practice of Buddha-nature, the practitioners not only rely on their self-power and self-ability to develop their noble wisdom, cleanse their habit-energy and realize the Buddhanature, but also receive the Buddha‘s add-power which comes from the original vows made by all the Buddha to support the Bodhisattvas. Selfpower and the Buddha‘add-power like two wings of a bird which can support the Bodhisattvas to conquer the long path to full enlightenment. However, the Buddha-nature cannot be realized through the academic or philosophical level, the practice of Buddha-nature has to be based on meditation practice. The meditation practice to realize the Buddha-nature had its root in India, officially brought to China by Bodhidharma in 520 CE to form the Chan School and fully developed in China and Southeast Asia. This issue will be discussed in the next chapter.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Dīghanikāya.Taisho Tripiṭaka (CBETA 2011). Suzuki, Studies in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, pp. 377-78.

[2]:

W.E. Soothill and L. Hodous, Aṅguttaranikāya Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, p. 167.

[3]:

Lanka 45 (49)

[4]:

Cf. The Lotus Sutra, tr. Tsugunari Kubo and Akira Yuyama, pp. 295-302

[5]:

W.E. Soothill and L. Hodous, Aṅguttaranikāya Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, p. 190.

[6]:

For 12 Vows of the Medicine Buddha, see: Sutra of the Medicine Buddha, tr. Minh Thanh and P.Dīghanikāya. Leigh, California: International Buddhist Monastic Institute, 2001.

[7]:

Lanka 87 (100)

[8]:

Ibid.

[9]:

Lanka 88 (Laṅkāvatāra-Sūtra 101)

[10]:

Lanka 89 (102)

[11]:

Lanka 89-90 (Laṅkāvatāra-Sūtra 102-03)

[12]:

Dīghanikāya.Taisho Tripiṭaka (CBETA 2011). Suzuki, Studies in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, p. 203