Subduing the Sleeping Demon
can Result in Attaining Enlightenment
| Excerpts from 【Sutra on the Collection of the Six Perfections】 | ||
| The Buddha warns His disciples that it is necessary to cultivate with diligence and vigour. Practitioners must under no circumstances be overlaid by the accumulating karma of laziness… . | ||
| (A) | An immeasurable kalpas ago, an enlightened Tathagata (Buddha)called Yiqieduwang(一切度王) came to Earth to expound Buddhist doctrines so as to extensively liberate Bodhisattvas who had possessed maturity of virtuous roots(Sanskrit: Kusala-mula, means wholesome roots, include non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion). Meanwhile, two bhiksus named Jingjinbian and Delezhi, who were filled with an uplifted state of mind (udaggacittam), went together to the front of Buddha Yiqieduwang to listen to His teachings. Listening to the Dharma, Jingjinbian was so delighted that he knew intuitively(understood tacitly). He attained ‘Avaivartika’ (Avaivartika Bodhisattvas are said to be Bodhisattvas who never turn back) (A stage of non-regression of Bodhisattva practice. Bodhisattvas who reach such a stage never backslide but always advance in Buddhist practice toward the goal of Buddhahood) immediately as well as being endowed with miraculous powers. On the contrary, Delezhi had fallen asleep and missed the sublime Dharma. He was empty-handed. Jingjinbian encouraged Delezhi, “We ought to practice diligently with great efforts instead of being fond of sleeping.” Listening to the words of wisdom from Jingjinbian, Delezhi was thereupon inspired with enthusiasm. However, he fell into a lethargic sleep involuntarily shortly afterwards. Later, he decided to carry out his meditation near the edge of the fountain. Sitting there in an upright position in an attempt to achieve Samadhi, yet Delezhi soon fell asleep drowsily. | |
| Hoping to rescue his friend, Jingjinbian applied the miraculous powers he had just attained in order to facilitate the Liberation. He turned himself into a King Bee right away and flew towards the eyelids of Delezhi. Delezhi woke with a start and was scared to see that a King Bee was flying right under his nose. He thus held his breath and sat himself in an erect position again. Unexpectedly, he slept soundly again in a moment. Flying into Delezhi’s armpit through his cuff, the King Bee gave him a slight poke. Delezhi was so painful that he was roused suddenly from his sleep. This time, he managed to brace up and sit square as well. He dared not falling asleep any more. Then the King Bee flew out from Delezhi’s cuff and swirled around in the air. Sitting rigidly in an upright as well as firm pose, Delezhi stared at the King Bee for fear that it would attack him again. When the King Bee saw this, it stayed on the flowers by the edge of the fountain, sucking their nectar. This made Delezhi concentrate on his meditation without feeling drowsy anymore. He could finally subdue the sleeping demon. | ||
| For the sake of urging his fellow cultivator, the King Bee entered into Wandering in Samadhi. It pretended to fall asleep among the flowers but when it was sleeping soundly, the wind came and tilted the flowers. This made the Bee sink into sludge (mud). As a result, it flew to the water hastily to bathe (the mud away). Having cleaned itself, the Bee flew back to the flowers again and stayed there. The dramatic piece of Wandering in Samadhi by the King Bee had enabled Delezhi to attain Instant Enlightenment (sudden awakening/immediate understanding) that he sang a verse to the King Bee: | ||
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| At this time, the King Bee restored the face of Jingjinbian and he also sang a verse to reciprocate his friend whom ‘had just woken up from a dream’: | ||
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| Having heard Jingjinbian’s verse, Delezhi was filled with mental light. He achieved the Acceptance of Unborn Dharmas at once and then the Dharani Dharma (It is the ability to intake totally as well as remembering immeasurable Buddha Dharma without forgetting or losing any of them and it is the power of mindfulness wisdom. Attaining that, one will not forget the immeasurable Buddha Dharma. Besides, one is fearless among the public and can expound the doctrines at ease at the same time). | ||
| Jingjinbian was the predecessor of Buddha Sakyamuni whereas Delezhi was the predecessor of Maitreya Bodhisattva. | ||
| (B) | Venerable Anuruddha, who was one of the ten principal disciples of Buddha Sakyamuni, had ever dozed off inadvertently during a public discourse of the Buddha. Upon seeing the situation, the Buddha gave him a teaching(Sanskrit: anusana) in no time and said, “Practitioner like you, who allow yourself to indulge in the desire for sleep, will easily lapse into Animal Realm (Sanskrit: Tiryagyoni) and be reborn as animals (sea creatures) such as river snail(螺螄), mussel or clams and so on. Such a sleep will then last for thousands of years in which the exact duration for the transmigration is not known before one can hear Buddha’s epithets as well as listening to Buddhism!” | |
| Having berated by the Buddha, Anuruddha was extremely remorseful that he burst into tears and wept with grief instantly. A great mental state of shame came into being which made Anuruddha vow simultaneously to practise diligently henceforth and not closing his eyes anymore either. Without any moisture from tears and the lack of rest for the eyes, the visual acuity of Anuruddha became increasingly blurred in less than a few days and ultimately, his sight was completely lost at last. Anuruddha did not feel sad and sorry for his blindness but insisted on his cultivation with a great zeal instead. The Buddha thus taught Anuruddha to practise ‘All-Perceiving, Illuminating of Vajra-Samadhi’. For the sake of his ability to concentrate wholeheartedly, Anuruddha acquired ‘Divine Vision’ (dibba-cakkhu) immediately. With his clairvoyant eyes, he was able to be freed from obstructions and perceived the Ten Directions (universe/world system) and then realized Arhatship. Anuruddha was also addressed respectfully as ‘Master of the Divine Eye’. | ||
| Postscript: | Falling into a state of stupor is probably one of the main causes that makes sentient beings sink into the depravity of karmic sea and suffer from boundless hardships. Sleep is one of the five desires (namely wealth, sex, fame, food and drinks as well as sleep) of an ordinary person, which is inborn, is something natural indeed. Hence, practitioners must generate the most powerful, vigorous and diligent mind in cultivation before they can be able to subdue the sleeping demon so as to separate themselves from Samsara (the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound) and attain Nirvana. | |
