The Dharma Master Chǒngsan of Won Buddhism: Analects and Writings

Chapter Nine: Nirvana

Chapter Nine Nirvān .a I. On Nirvān .a By nirvān .a is meant clarity and calmness. By clarity is meant that our own nature is originally perfect, wanting nothing, strictly impartial, and unselfish; by calmness is meant that our own nature is originally undis‑ turbed and devoid of afflictions and distress. Nirvān .a thus means that one becomes enlightened to the principles of one’s own nature and recovers original nature. If one masters the principle of original nature and enjoys blissful life without losing the light of original nature, one is said to have attained the bliss of nirvān .a. However, very few people attain to the true bliss of nirvān .a and enjoy the perfect calmness of nirvān .a; hence, in the Buddhist order the death of man is formally called nirvān .a. Thus some people may attain true nirvān .a by realizing fundamental truth, whereas many people may only attain a physical nirvān .a, not entering into the true nirvān .a and leaving the erroneous conditions to continue. Hence, practitioners of the Way should train themselves well in the way of nirvān .a in daily life so that they may enjoy the bliss of nirvān .a while in life and attain true nirvān .a at the time of physical nirvān .a. II. The Way of Nirvān .a Concerning the way of nirvān .a, Grand Master Sot’aesan has detailed the methods for close relatives to help send off the spirit of the one about 77 78 / The Dharma Master Chŏngsan of Won Buddhism to enter nirvān .a and the ways to be taken by the one entering nirvān .a. Hence, those ways should be followed.9 At the last moment of one’s life, one should leave with one clear thought and the strong aspiration to attain to buddhahood and to deliver sentient beings. The fundamental principle of nirvān .a is well expressed by the statement “I aspire to become a buddha and deliver all sentient beings; and I take refuge in one pure thought.” III. The Way of Deliverance To deliver is to guide and save by turning a wicked person into a good person and by lifting someone from a low to a high position. One can deliver oneself or one can be delivered by other‑power. The first of the ways of deliverance is to establish an affinity with the Buddha. One should form ties with the Buddha since one cannot be delivered without having an affinity with the order of the correct religious doctrine. The second is to have a firm faith in truthful religion. One should have an integrated faith in other‑power and self‑power so that the two powers can func‑ tion together. The third way is to attain enlightenment. One should be guided to make strong progress in the practice, with an integrated faith in other‑power and self‑power until one attains enlightenment, by the light of which one can ably follow the right course. The fourth way is to accumulate the merit of charitable work; ordinarily, one should render spiritual, physical, and material service to all sentient beings. If one gives generously to the work of deliverance, one will be admired and praised by many people for such beneficial virtue, so that one can attain deliver‑ ance without obstacles or hindrances wherever one goes. The fifth way is to keep the one mind pure. If one understands the merit and virtue of keeping the one mind pure and keeps it from being defiled by the five worldly desires, that merit and virtue will remain as beneficial enrichment, which will help one come and go freely through the going and coming of birth and death. In this way one can attain eternal deliverance. ...