Angulimaliya Sutra
Encyclopedia
The Angulimaliya Sutra is a Buddhist scripture belonging to the Tathāgatagarbha class of sūtra
, which teach that the Buddha is eternal, that the non-Self and emptiness teachings only apply to the worldly sphere (not the nirvanic), and that the tathagatagarbha (buddha-essence) is real and immanent within all beings and all phenomena. It must not be confused with the Angulimala Sutta, a completely different work included in the Majjhima Nikaya
of the Pāli Canon
.
) are real and that to deny their existence is to lapse into a state of dangerous spiritual imbalance. Thus, to seek out the tathagatagarbha - which is equated with the true Self - is deemed of great value. The Buddha teaches the bodhisattva Manjushri (traditionally, the bodhisattva given to the highest insight) that practising the spiritual life is meaningful only because there is a 'self principle' (the tathagatagarbha or 'atma-dhatu' - 'essence of Self') with which the quest can be rewarded. He states:
The sutra is remarkable for the vigour and passion with which Angulimala teaches Dharma and for its doctrine that at the heart of all beings is one unified principle: the buddha-dhatu (Buddha-nature
) or tathagatagarbha. The doctrines of this sutra are also strikingly congruent with those of the much longer Mahaparinirvana Sutra.
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
, which teach that the Buddha is eternal, that the non-Self and emptiness teachings only apply to the worldly sphere (not the nirvanic), and that the tathagatagarbha (buddha-essence) is real and immanent within all beings and all phenomena. It must not be confused with the Angulimala Sutta, a completely different work included in the Majjhima Nikaya
Majjhima Nikaya
The Majjhima Nikaya is a Buddhist scripture, the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism...
of the Pāli Canon
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
.
Central teachings
The Angulimaliya Sutra consists largely of teachings by the bodhisattva Angulimala - in the immediate presence of the Buddha, under his direct spiritual influence and with his approval - on the correct understanding of Buddhist doctrine. The Sutra is most insistent that the tathagatagarbha and the self (ĀtmanAtman (Buddhism)
The word Ātman or Atta refers to a self. Occasionally the terms "soul" or "ego" are also used. The words ātman and atta derive from the Indo-European root *ēt-men and are cognate with the Old English æthm and German Atem....
) are real and that to deny their existence is to lapse into a state of dangerous spiritual imbalance. Thus, to seek out the tathagatagarbha - which is equated with the true Self - is deemed of great value. The Buddha teaches the bodhisattva Manjushri (traditionally, the bodhisattva given to the highest insight) that practising the spiritual life is meaningful only because there is a 'self principle' (the tathagatagarbha or 'atma-dhatu' - 'essence of Self') with which the quest can be rewarded. He states:
Mañjuśrī, people churn milk because they understand that butter is present therein. Why do people not churn water ? Because that substance is not present there. Likewise, Mañjuśrī, people maintain moral discipline (śīla) and engage in the holy life (brahmacarya) because of the existence of the Tathāgata-garbha.
Moreover, Mañjuśrī, people who want gold and are endowed with discernment, dig in cliffs. Why do they not dig in trees? They dig in rocks where gold-ore (suvarna-dhātu) is present, but they do not dig in trees, where there is no gold. Likewise, Mañjuśrī, people who discern the presence of the dhātu [i.e., buddha-dhatu, which means buddha principle] think to themselves, "I shall become a buddha" and so maintain the moral discipline and engage in the holy life. Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, if there were no dhātu, the holy life would be pointless. Just as butter will never be produced from water even if one were to churn it for a billion years, similarly there would be no benefit for those attached to a self who engage in the holy life and the moral discipline if there were no self principle [ātma-dhātu].
The sutra is remarkable for the vigour and passion with which Angulimala teaches Dharma and for its doctrine that at the heart of all beings is one unified principle: the buddha-dhatu (Buddha-nature
Buddha-nature
Buddha-nature, Buddha-dhatu or Buddha Principle , is taught differently in various Mahayana Buddhism traditions. Broadly speaking Buddha-nature is concerned with ascertaining what allows sentient beings to become Buddhas...
) or tathagatagarbha. The doctrines of this sutra are also strikingly congruent with those of the much longer Mahaparinirvana Sutra.
See also
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- Eternal BuddhaEternal BuddhaThe idea of an eternal Buddha is a notion popularly associated with the Mahayana scripture, the Lotus Sutra, and is also found in other Mahayana sutras.- The Eternal Buddha in the Lotus Sutra and Other Mahayana Sutras :...
- ParinirvanaParinirvanaIn Buddhism, parinirvana is the final nirvana, which occurs upon the death of the body of someone who has attained complete awakening...
- Purity in BuddhismPurity in BuddhismPurity is an important concept within much of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, although the implications of the resultant moral purification may be viewed differently in the varying traditions...
- Śrīmālādevī Sūtra
- Tathāgatagarbha SūtraTathagatagarbha SutraThe Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra is an influential and doctrinally striking Mahayana Buddhist scripture which treats of the existence of the "Tathagatagarbha" within all sentient creatures. The Buddha reveals how inside each person's being there exists a great Buddhic "treasure that is eternal and...