Open Case

a case that has not been closed as a result of a failure to recertify

Thursday, December 8, 2022

"It is not the end, then, because we pass from one room to another, from one consciousness to another."

Edgar Cayce reading 2282-1

觀音 ㄍㄨㄢ ㄧㄣ “[One who] Observes Sounds”, in reference to the prayers and cries of sentient beings who need help, a Calque of Sanskrit अवलोकितस्वर (Avalokitesvara, literally “down-observe-sound”), the original form of अवलोकितेश्वर (avalokiteśvara, “Avalokiteśvara”), the bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas.

觀音有三十三法身，अवलोकितेश्वर के तैंतीस धर्मकाय हैं, Avalokiteśvara has thirty-three धर्मकाय Dharmakāya.

馬郎婦觀音

Synonymous with 觀世音 (Guānshìyīn, “One who Observes the Sounds of the World”), which interpreted the middle element of the Sanskrit compound as लोक (Loka, “world”). The shorter form became more common during the Tang dynasty to avoid naming the taboo personal name of Emperor Taizong of Tang, 李世民.

Cf Tibetan སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས (spyan ras gzigs, literally “one who looks down with an unwavering eye”).

She is the epitome of the evolution, of 名，i.e. 常名。

文殊 ㄨㄣˊ ㄕㄨ（文殊師利）मञ्जुश्री (Mañjuśrī) oldest and most significant bodhisattva 菩薩 in Mahāyāna 大乘 literature associated with प्रज्ञा prajñā ("wisdom", "intelligence", or "understanding").

南無大智文殊師利菩薩聖像

The सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्रम् Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit. 'Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma' Lotus Sutra 《法華經/妙法蓮華經》assigns him a pure land called विमला Vimalā, which according to the अवतंसक सूत्र Avatamsaka Sutra is located in the East. His pure land is predicted to be one of the two best pure lands in all of existence in all the past, present, and future. When he attains Buddhahood his name will be Universal Sight. In the Lotus Sūtra, मञ्जुश्री Mañjuśrī also leads the नागराज Nagaraja's daughter to enlightenment. He also figures in the विमलकीर्ति सूत्र Vimalakīrti Sūtra in a debate with विमलकीर्ति Vimalakīrti where he is presented as an अर्हत् • (árhat 「阿」羅漢) Arhat “worthy of worship” who represents the wisdom of the थेरवाद, theravāda tradition, from Sanskrit स्थविरवाद (sthaviravāda, literally “doctrine of the elders”), from स्थविर (sthavira, “elder”) + वाद (vāda, “doctrine”).

He is the quintessential spirit, the 常道。

此兩者，同出而異名，同謂之玄。

An example of a wisdom teaching of Mañjuśrī can be found in the सप्तशतिक प्रज्ञापारमिता Saptaśatikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (Taishō Tripiṭaka 232). This sūtra contains a dialogue between मञ्जुश्री Mañjuśrī and the Buddha on the One Samādhi (एकव्यूह समाधि Ekavyūha Samādhi). Sheng-yen renders the following teaching of मञ्जुश्री Mañjuśrī, for entering समाधि Samādhi “completion” naturally through transcendent wisdom:

Contemplate the five स्कन्धस् skandhas as originally empty and quiescent, non-arising, non-perishing, equal, and without differentiation. Constantly thus practising, day or night, whether sitting, walking, standing or lying down, finally one reaches an inconceivable state without any obstruction or form. This is the Samadhi of One Act (一行三昧 Yīxíng sānmèi 一行三昧 समाधि samādhi of perfect unity of body and mind in all activities).

विमल Vimala is the name of a Buddha under whom Śākyamuni (or Gautama, ‘the historical Buddha’) acquired merit along the first through nine bhūmis, according to the Mahāvastu. There are in total ten bhūmis representing the ten stages of the Bodhisattva’s path towards enlightenment.

विमल Vimala is but one among the 500 Buddhas enumerated in the Mahāvastu during a conversation between Mahākātyāyana and Mahākāśyapa, both principal disciples of Gautama Buddha. The Mahāvastu is an important text of the Lokottaravāda school of Buddhism, dating from the 2nd century BCE.

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

विमल Vimalā or विमलाभूमि Vimalābhūmi “stage of the unstained” refers to the “stainless bhūmi” and represents one of the ten Bodhisattva grounds (bodhisattabhūmi), according to the Daśabhūmikasūtra, or Daśabhūmīśvara, as mentioned in the 2nd-century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 52.—Vimalā-bhūmi is also known as “dri ma med pa, li keou”.—The Bodhisattva-mahāsattva on the second ground (vimalā-bhūmi) must think about eight dharmas continually.

What are these eight?

1. Purity of morality.
2. Acknowledgement and gratitude
3. Basing oneself on the power of patience.
4. Feeling joy and contentment.
5. Do not abandon anyone.
6. The entry into great compassion.
7. Faith, respect and submissiveness to the teachers.
8. The energetic search for the perfections.

Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the गगणगञ्जपरिपृच्छा Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā

विमल Vimala refers to the “undefiled (characteristic of open space)”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “Son of good family, the morality of the Boddhisattvas becomes purified by these eight qualities. [...] Further, as for the purity of morality, open space is pure, and pure is also that morality; open space is undefiled (विशाल गगन vimala-gagana—vimalaṃ gaganaṃ), and undefiled is also that morality; open space is calm, and calm is also that morality; open space is without a feeling of superiority, and without a feeling of superiority is also that morality; [...]”.

Environment:

• RG = Rage Against the Machine/Matrix
• RARG = Râ Rage
• RGRA = Revue générale des routes et des aérodromes (Mapping)