August 05, 2008
The Power of Fours and the Deathless
The Buddha taught that liberation from that which is sankhatam; the compounded or conditioned, bhutam; the originated, jatam; the born; and katam; the fabricated; is possible because there is an asankhatam; the uncompounded / unconditioned, an abhutam; the un-originated or not come into being, ajatam; the unborn, and akatam; un-fabricated. This is found in the "Unborn: Sutta; See Nibbana Sutta Total Unbinding {Ud 8.3}. See also Parinibbana (3). . The unborn is also referred to, elsewhere, as amatapada; the deathless state, or accutapada; the imperishable state. Anatadhatu; the deathless realm or element, is also mentioned. Words for eternity include nicca {constancy}, akaliko {timless}, and ananta {endless} , }
Four Qualities of Bondage:
- jatam 生 born
- bhutam 起 or 作 : Originated, become, come into being.
- katam 造 or 作: fabricated, made
- sankhatam 爲 : Compounded, conditioned
Four Qualities of Unbinding, the Unconditioned
- ajatam 不生 {fusho} 無生 {musho}: unborn
- abhutam 無起 {muki}: Not originated, un-become. non-arisen.
- akatam 無造 {muzo}: un-fabricated, not made
- asankhatam 無爲 {mui}: Uncompounded, unconditioned
Four Marks of Conditioned Existence:
Throughout the Nikayas, there are references to ashuddha, or impurity. The three Marks of compounded existence {ti-lakkhana; tri-laksana,} are dukkha; stress, suffereing, dissatisfaction, anicca / anitya; inconstancy, lack of continuity, and anatta / anatman; false self, fabricated ego.
- Ashuddha 不淨 {fujo} or 非淨 {hijo}: impure, defiled.
- Dukkha 苦 {ku} 苦惱 {kuno}: stress, suffering, unsatisfactory.
- Anicca / anitya 無常 {mujo}: inconstancy, impermanence, having no continuity.
- Anatta / anatman 無我 {muga}: non-self, false self, conditioned ego.
The Four Misconceptions / Derangements {Vipallasa / viparyasa}
- Perceiving subha 淨 {jo} 遍淨 {henjo} 清浄 {shojo} {wholesomeness, purity, attractiveness, desirability}; in that which is asubha 不淨 {fujo} or 惡露 {akuro}(impure, unwholesome)
- Seeking sukha 樂 {raku}{bliss}; in that which is dukkha 苦 {ku} 苦惱 {kuno} {unsatisfying}
- Searching for or expecting nicca / niyta 常住 {joju} 常 {jo}{constancy, continuity, eternity}; in that which is anicca / anitya 無常 {mujo} {inconstant, temporal}
- Identifying atta / atman 我{ga} {an abiding self]; in that which is aanatta / anatma 無我 {muga} {fabricated ego}.
The Four Frameworks of Mindfulness {Satipatthana}
- Satipatthana Kayagatasati / Kayanupassana / kayasmrti-upasthāna 身念處 {} 身念住 {}: Mindfulness and contemplation of Body; which overcomes attachment to the unwholesome {asubha] or impure {ashuddha}
- Vedananupassana / vedanagatasati Satipatthana vedanasmrti-upasthanam / 受念處 {junensho} 受念住 {junenju}: Mindfulness and contemplation of pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral sensations; which overcomes attachment to pursuing happiness in dukkha.
- Cittanupassana / Cittasati Satipatthana / citta-smṛtiupasthana 心念住 {shin nenju} 心念處 {shin nencho}: Mindfulness and contemplation of Spirituality; which overcomes seeking constancy in that which lacks continuity.
- Dhammanupassana Satipatthana / dhammanussati / dharmasmrti-upasthana 念法 {nenpo} 法隨念 {hozuinen} 法念住 {honenju} 法念處 {honensho} : Mindfulness and contemplation of mental objects or characteristics; which overcomes attachment to the conditioned ego.
Four spheres of Consciousness 識 {shiki} 識 {}
This a concept I lifted from Peter Johnson of tientai.net. The 4 are simply the first four khandas / skandhas; 陰 on or 蘊 un. Skhandha is badly translated as component or aggregate; I think it best left untranslated. Note that in the Nikayas, consciousness is expressed as vinnana / vijnana {Japanese 識 Shiki}; which really means discriminative consciousness. Vihjnana refers the six gross faculties; which = 5 ordinary senses + the brain {manas}. As such, vijnana is bound, limited consciousness, generated by the 4 Khandas / skandhas. The Mahayana includes higher levels of mind or spirituality. These are mistakenly dubbed vijnana; I think Citta {shin 心} or spirituality might be more accurate. So we would have mano-citta, alaya-citta, and Amala-citta as the 7th, 8th, and 9th. In this connection, the four khandhas / skandhas become the seats, or spheres of Citta,
- Rupa 色{shiki} : Form, Matter, Physicality, Gross Body.
- Vedana 受 {ju}: Sensations & basic Feelings {positive, negative, neutral}
- Sanna / Samjna 想 {so}: Recognition, Perception, Conception.
- Sankhara / Samskara 行 {gyo}: Literally compounded or conditioned, indicates complex mental qualities or conditions, volitional motives, non-volitional habits. and so on.
四菩蓮 Shi Bosatsu / Four Bodhisattvas [of Honmon ]
- 浄行菩蓮 Jyogyo Bosatsu; Jyo = pure gyo= practice. Sanskrit: विशुद्धचरित् Vishudhacaritra; Vi-shuddha {purified, original pure state} caritra {conduct, practice, life, deeds]
- 安立行菩蓮 Anryugyo Bosatsu; anryu = harmoniously standing, firmly established. deeply rooted. Sanskrit: सुप्रतिष्ठितचरित्र Supratishthitacaritra; Supratisthita = well supported, solidly standing.
- 無辺行菩蓮 Muhengyo Bosatsu; mu = no; hen = limit, border, boundary. Sanskrit: अनंतचरित Anantacaritra; an = no anata = end, termination
- 上行菩蓮 Jogyo Bosatsu; Jo - Superior, Apex, Sanskrit: विशिष्टचरित्र Vishishtacharitra; Vishishta = distinguished, exclusive, excellent.
四徳 Shitoku: Four [Inherent] Virtues; Four Unconditioned Attributes -- of Nirvana
- Subha: Wholesome purity, innocence; actual desirability, appeal, attractiveness.
- Sukha: Bliss, spontaneous joy, independent of circumstances.
- Nitya: Actual perception of constancy, continuity, permanence, timelessness, eternity, infinitude.
- Atman: Authentic identity; which is a selfless, higher self.
Four Great Bodhisattvas of the Flower Garland Sutra
- Ksitigarbha: Bodhisattva of Khanti / Kshati = Merit of Forbearance, Patience, Vows. 忍辱 = ninniku - endure shame or humiliation. Kshiti = Earth; Gharba = Womb. Japanese name: Jizo Bosatsu 地蔵菩蓮. 地 =Ji = Earth; 蔵 = Storehouse.
- Samantabhadra: Bodhisattva of Universal Virtue. Merit of Guna = quality of virtue. 徳 = toku = virtue. Samanta = omnipresent?, feudal chieftain? Bhadra = game?, bounty? Sino-Japanese name: Fugen Bosatsu 普賢菩蓮, 普 = Fu - Universal. 賢 = ken = smart, clever. Together with Manjushiri, Samantabadra is often shown attending Shakyamuni.
- Manjushiri: Bodhisattva of Panna / Prajna. Merit of Discernment. 慧 = e = wise. Also of subjective wisdom, gnosis, or awareness -- idna / jnana. 智 = satoru / chi = intellect. This relates to direct perception of Emptiness and Interdependent Origination. Sources indicate his name means gentle glory. Japanese name: 文殊師利菩蓮 Monjushiri; which is a transliteration. One of his alternate names, Kumarabhuta, means forever young or youthful being.
- Avalokitesvara: Bodhisattva of Karuna = Merit of Compassion. 悲 = hi = lament, sadness. Ava = Descend, come down, downward. Lokita = Beheld; past participle of lok. Isvara = Lord, ruler, sovereign. Japanese name: Kanzeon Bosatsu 観世音菩蓮. 観 = Kuan, Kan, Gwan, Quan = observation, "insight, or see. 世 = Shi, Ze, Se, The = world. 音 = Yin, On. Um, Am = sounds or cries. Also 観自在 Kanjizai.
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