Angulimaliya Sutra
From Buddhist Encyclopedia
Template:Wikify The Angulimaliya Sutra is a Buddhist scripture belonging to the Tathagatagarbha class of sutras, which teaches the eternity of the Buddha and the reality of the Tathagatagarbha (Buddha-Essence), immanent within all beings and, indeed, within all phenomena. The sutra consists largely of teachings by the Bodhisattva Angulimala - in the immediate presence of the Buddha and directly under his spiritual influence and with his approval - on the correct understanding of Buddhist doctrine. The sutra is most insistent that the Tathagagarbha and the Self (atman) are Reality and that to deny their existence is to lapse into a state of dangerous spiritual imbalance. Thus to seek out the Tathagatagarbha is deemed of the highest value. The Buddha himself teaches the Bodhisattva Manjushri (traditionally, the Bodhisattva given to the highest Insight) that practising the spiritual life is meaningful only because there is a Soul Principle / Self Principle (the Tathagatagarbha or atma-dhatu) with which the quest can be crowned. 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 [ = Buddha-dhatu, 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 ātma-dhātu [Self Principle]."
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.
