The Title Guanyin Bodhisattva – Shurangama Temple

Some people call it QuanYin. But the character Quan means to observe, using the eyes to take in forms and appearances, using the ears to take in sounds. Here, the character Quán must be used, meaning to contemplate and illuminate in order to understand clearly, not to attain the meaning of sound but to attain the true nature of hearing. The title Guanyin reveals both the virtues of benefiting oneself and benefiting others, but the object contemplated is not the same.

In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha taught: “Because one observes the sounds of the world in order to save beings from suffering, therefore one is called Guanyin”. The object contemplated here is worldly sounds (the fruition aspect revealing the abundant virtue of benefiting others).

In the Śūraṅgama Sutra, the Bodhisattva himself said: “Because I contemplate the perfect clarity of the ten directions, the name Guanyin resounds throughout the ten directions of the worlds”. The object contemplated here is the nature of hearing (the causal aspect revealing the profound depth of benefiting oneself).

The two sutras mutually conceal and reveal one another in order to make clear the wondrous perfection of the title. Why not call it Contemplating the Ear Faculty? Contemplating the Ear Faculty only reveals the aspect of benefiting oneself. Whereas the words Guanyin reveal both aspects of benefiting oneself and benefiting others. Although the objects contemplated differ, the Dharma that benefits is the same. The Dharma-gate of turning hearing inward is truly especially supreme. The title Guanyin is a teaching perfectly suited to beings’ capacities, unique and unparalleled.

Broadly expounding: Broadly expounding the ultimate subtlety in order to encourage cultivation. As soon as the Bodhisattva begins speaking, he immediately states that the Dharma-gate of turning hearing inward was transmitted by Tathāgata Guanyin, to remind later practitioners that the Dharma of liberation cannot be invented by oneself but must rely upon one who has cultivated and attained realization. Practicing without following the teachings of the sages. Do not recklessly follow your own ideas, or rely on heterodox teachers, for the faults will become immeasurable. Therefore, the precepts must be kept strictly pure like ice and frost. Examine yourself; if there are still karmic obstacles, repent until auspicious signs appear.

To arouse the mind and cultivate turning hearing inward according to the virtue of Guanyin, one must first arouse the great Bodhi mind. The Bodhi mind consists of three: the wholesome mind, the compassionate mind, and the straightforward mind. Awakening of Faith Treatise:

“The wholesome mind is to broadly perform all wholesome deeds and stop all evil deeds. The compassionate mind is to broadly ferry sentient beings across. The straightforward mind is right mindfulness of suchness”.

With regard to the place of dedication, the Śūraṅgama directs it toward the nature of cultivation;
The Awakening of Faith Treatise directs it toward suchness;
The Four Great Vows direct it toward Buddhahood.

Although the three terms differ, their purport is not two. The Bodhi mind is extremely precious, like a prince who, while still in the womb, is already more exalted than all the ministers. As soon as the Bodhi mind first develops, all Buddhas protect and remember it, and all sages bestow their blessings. The 100 examples in the Avataṃsaka Sutra still do not exhaust the abundant virtue of the Bodhi mind. Whoever forgets the Bodhi mind while cultivating various practices is immediately seized and held by Māra. Failing to arouse the Bodhi mind while cultivating various practices is like plowing and harrowing without sowing seeds, never becoming a Buddha. A beginner is required, when beginning the practice of turning hearing inward, to possess the three wisdoms. According to the ordinary meaning:

Wisdom from hearing: In the ordinary sense, it means learning extensively and hearing much. The substance of extensive learning is the ear consciousness together with the discriminating mind consciousness, understanding clearly. Here, the substance of wisdom from hearing is the nature of hearing, the wisdom of principle such as suchness without discrimination.

Wisdom from contemplation: In the ordinary sense, it means repeatedly considering and examining a matter. Here, wisdom from contemplation means consistently turning hearing inward, externally escaping the sound-dust, internally silently corresponding with principle and wisdom, without being drawn along by meanings of existence or non-existence.

Wisdom from cultivation: In the ordinary sense, it means putting the teachings into practice. Wisdom from cultivation here means attaining that all practices and meditative contemplation do not contradict one another. Spitting and waving the hands are never without concentration, much less while practicing wholesome deeds.

Arousing the Bodhi mind: Vow.

Untying the knots: According to the vow, practices arise.

At the beginning, within the nature of hearing: The nature of hearing is the object of principle illuminated, the wondrous principle of original enlightenment within the faculty. Arising with the wondrous wisdom of initial enlightenment like an illusion, using wisdom to illuminate principle is cultivation through hearing and cultivating hearing. The three words “within the nature of hearing” must be clearly distinguished, for the mind at the causal stage must not be confused:

Not the fleshly ear.
Not ear consciousness.
Not mind consciousness.

When Ananda requested the Dharma, the Buddha repeatedly broke down consciousness three times and revealed seeing ten times, wishing Ananda to grasp and use Seeing. “Within the nature of hearing” is precisely the Seeing that the Buddha explained ten times. Later, the assembly of the four categories and the integration of the seven elements to reveal the three Tathāgata-garbhas are likewise only discussions of this nature. If one can examine and distinguish clearly here the fundamental cause of cultivation, only then can the fruition ground be perfectly accomplished.

Entering the stream, forgetting the object: Tathāgata Guanyin taught entering samādhi through hearing, contemplation, and cultivation. Guanyin Bodhisattva followed the instruction and began the practice, which is precisely wisdom from hearing. From this point onward, it includes both wisdom from contemplation and wisdom from cultivation until entering right concentration. The Ear Faculty flowing along with the stream and following sounds is the root of bondage. Turning hearing inward and entering the stream to illuminate the nature is the root of liberation. Therefore, all Buddhas, with one voice, told Ananda:

“Saṃsāric birth and death, liberation and Nirvāṇa, their roots all lie in the six faculties”.

The Bodhisattva cultivating this Dharma-gate is precisely in accord with the purport of Śākyamuni Buddha and the Buddhas of the ten directions.

Entering the stream: The active aspect entering is contemplative wisdom. The object entered is the ear-gate. Entering means turning the mechanism of hearing back to illuminate the nature, not flowing outward to conditions of sound. That is, reversing the karmic stream of delusion woven together since beginningless time. Following the stream of the sages is the nature of hearing in the ear faculty. Entering the stream means wisdom from contemplation together with wisdom from cultivation, using contemplative wisdom to contemplate (not the discriminating consciousness-mind to contemplate). Who is it that hears sounds? Whenever there is even the slightest sound, immediately investigate this question. Continuously, secretly, without interruption. When the sound ends, again ask who hears stillness? The Chan tradition investigates the huatou using the mind faculty, whereas this uses the ear faculty. But they are the same in that the light of wisdom shines inward. The Buddha taught only that one should not follow the movement and stillness of the sense-dust, escape attachment in order to subdue inwardly, and return to the true source. Thus the light of wisdom does not shine outward. There is no need to forget the dust, yet the dust is still forgotten.

Entering the stream: Accord with enlightenment.
Forgetting the object: Turn away from dust.

Turning away from dust and accord with enlightenment is the wondrous essential purport of cultivation in the Śūraṅgama, extremely concise, extremely skillful and subtle. Forgetting the object unties the knot of movement caused by the sound-dust and is the initial stage of practice. It is not the destruction of sound but the power of concentration that accomplishes it. Entering the stream is the cultivation and realization of perfect penetration. Once the moving dust ceases, the still dust appears. From then on, throughout the day one hears the realm of stillness. The still dust is a knot that must be untied. One still uses the two wisdoms of contemplation and cultivation. Do not condition oneself upon the still dust that is heard; investigate who hears the still dust? The still dust is the object, the nature of hearing is the mind.

Guanyin Bodhisattva saves from seven calamities, frees from the three poisons, responds to two kinds of wishes, that is great compassion, and also brings benefit and joy to sentient beings, causing sentient beings to leave suffering and attain happiness, that is loving-kindness and compassion. Because of great loving-kindness and great compassion, therefore the Universal Gate Chapter of Guanyin Bodhisattva is spoken. There is another meaning as well, namely ‘’merit and wisdom’’. Merit, the reason Guanyin Bodhisattva often follows sounds to save beings from suffering, whether they are wholesome sounds, evil sounds, sounds of suffering, sounds of joy .etc… He can distinguish them all, is because He possesses true wisdom. Where does His wisdom come from ? It is because He gives universally, using this Dharma to give to sentient beings, therefore He has that merit, and thus merit adorns Him.

There is also ‘’true response’’. True means that Guanyin Bodhisattva relies on the wondrous power of His true body to save beings from the seven calamities, eliminate the three poisons, and fulfill sentient beings’ two wishes, which is through the wondrous power of His true body. He also manifests thirty-two transformation bodies, this is called the response body, used to teach and transform sentient beings, hence there is this ‘’true response’’.

There is also ‘’expedient means’’. Guanyin Bodhisattva relies on the power of the Dharma body, while in stillness, that is, in secrecy, to benefit sentient beings, this is called ‘’true’’. He also uses thirty-two transformation bodies to teach and transform sentient beings, this is ‘’expedient’’. Expedient means skillful and provisional means, that is also a method used temporarily, not permanently. Because Guanyin Bodhisattva uses both the expedient and the true, therefore this Universal Gate Chapter is spoken.

There is another cause and condition called ‘’Fundamental and Manifestations’’. What is the Fundamental ? The Fundamental means the root; manifestations means traces. Guanyin Bodhisattva uses one Dharma body to universally save all sentient beings, this is the ‘’Fundamental’’, He uses transformation bodies to teach and transform sentient beings, that is ‘’manifestations’’. His Dharma body is like the moon, and the manifestations are also like ‘’the moon reflected in a thousand rivers’’. Therefore, there is the saying : ’’Wherever a thousand rivers have water, the reflection of the moon shines down.’’ One moon shines down upon every river, and the moon in every river all manifests from the fundamental body of one moon. The moon in the water is ‘’manifestation’’. The moon in the sky is ‘’Fundamental’’. That is the cause and condition of ‘’Fundamental and Manifestations’’.