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The Easy Method o Entering th Stage

o Non-Retrogression

by Hisao Inagaki

INTRODUCTION

iigarjuna, the First Patriarch of Pure

Land B ~ d d h i s m and Mahayana Buddhism's greatest philosopher, presents theEasy Method of entering avaivartika

bhiimi in his reputed commentary on the

Dasabhiimikasiitra (Dasabhiimika-vibhii.ii) .

A vaivartika-bhiimi is the stage at whichbodhisattvas are assured of reaching

enlightenment and never thereafter falling outof it, that is , retrogressively. Until they reachthis stage, they are liable to regress to the selfsatisfied stage of srl1vaka or pratyekabuddhawhich Ndgarjuna rates as worse than fallinginto hell.' Mahayana scriptures often dividebodhisattvas into two classes: those liable toregression and those firmly set for enlighten

ment without regression. In theMahiiprajiltipiiramitii-siitra, there is a chapteren titled Retrogression and Non-retrogression , in which it is explained that thebodhisattvas of non-retrogression are thosewho will not fall back to the stage of a sriivakaor pratyekabuddha and will certainly reachthe highest, perfect enlightenment.'

The Dasabhiimika-vibhiisii is intendedprimarily to present the essentials of bodhisattva practice based on the 'Ten Stages' of theGar/and Sutra, but Nagarjuna is seen in theChapter on Easy Practice as an advocate of

an easy method of entering the First BhOmi,the Stage of Non-Retrogression. While recommending reciting the names of the Buddhas,especially Amitdbha, as the easy method of

entering the Stage of Non-Retrogression, he

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professes his reverence for Amitdbha andother Buddhas of the past, present and future.Furthermore , at the end of this chapter, hementions 43 bodhisattvas and urges us toworshop and remember them in order to reach

the Stage of Non-Retrogression.

NON-RETROGRESSIONIN EARLY BUDDHISM

The concept of non-retrogression is notrestricted to Mahayana Buddhism. For instance, Abhidharma discourses , such asAbhidharmakosa and M a h l i v i b h ~ l 1 . statethat when practitioners reach the Stage of

K.iinti (Insightful Patience), or the third of

the four stages before that of S rotapanna

Stream Winner, they are no longer liable tocommit the grave offenses called {jnantaryakarma and so will not fall into those evilrealms of samsara to which those offenseswould consign them. Hence, the Stage of

K iinti is also unretrogressive .

Further, the Mahiivastu, a discourse of

the Lokottaraviida school which entertainedcertain Mahayanistic ideas, divides the careersof bodhisattvas into four stages:'

I . prakrti-carYii (nature-based practice),

2 pra[lidhiina-carya (resolution practice),

3. anu/oma-carya (conforming practice),

4 avivarta-caryii (perseverance practice).



This last is explained thus:

Vivarta-caryii means that bodhisattvasfall away and go again through theround of rebirths. Avivarta-carya meansthat they are unwaveringly set forenlightenment. J

NON-RETROGRESSIONIN MAHAYANA

In Mahayana Buddhism, the Stage ofNon-Retrogression is usually identified withthe First Bhumi. Before reaching the FirstBhumi, bodhisattvas have imperfect anddefiled wisdom and so they are not basically

different from ordinary people. Entering theFirst Bhumi after a long period of practicemarks the transformation of bodhisattvas intosages. They are now rid of the nature of ordinary people (prthagjanatva) and have acquired the nature of righteous people(samyaktva). For this reason, they are calledthose who are firmly set for righteousness(samyaktvaniyatarasl); righteousness heremeans Nirvana or Bodhi. They are also calledthose who have been born into the Tathiigatafamily for it is certain that they will reach thehighest, perfect enlightenment.

In the ordinary course of bodhisattvahood, a bodhisattva must work diligentlyfor a long time to reach the Stage of NonRetrogression. Nagarjuna says in the

D a s a b h u m i k a - v i b h i i ~ i iChapter on EasyPractice :

If a bodhisattva has not yet entered theStage of Non-Retrogression,

He should always strive and be diligentas if putting out a fire on his head.

According to a widely accepted view, ittakes one asa ,khya ka/pa of practice for abodhisattva to reach this stage. t is hardlypossible for ordinary people to keep on prac

ticing over many lives.

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BUDDHA-VISUALIZATION AS AMETHOD OF ATTAINING THE

STAGE OF NON-RETROGRESSION

However, in the D a s a b h u m i k a - v i b h ~ i iwe find much easier methods of reaching thisstage. In Chapter 5,' Naglirjuna explains thatthe Stage of Non-Retrogression is attainableby visualizing a Buddha or by hearing a Buddha s Name. Buddha-visualizing, as explainedin later chapters, refers particularly to two

Samiidhis: 1 the Buddha-ManifestationSamiidhi (Pratyutpanna Samiidhl) and 2. theBuddha-Remembering-Samiidhi (Buddhaanusmrti samiidhl).

The first entails concentrating on a particular Buddha, especially on Amitabha. According to the Pratyutpanna-samadhi Sutrawhich explains this practice, if we perform itsingle-heartedly for one to seven days, we

shall see the Buddha, thus entering thisSamiidhi. The same sutra explains that thepractice of concentrating on the Buddha forthree months enables us to enter this samiidhi.Since we enter this samiidhi by the Buddha spower a d h i ~ / h i i n a ) , it is much easier to thenpractice the usual bodhisattva practices whichare based on our own power. Nagiirjuna ex-

plains this samiidhi fully in Chapters 20 and25.

The Buddha-Remembering Samiidhi is

threefold: (a) meditation on the Buddha s

glorious physical characteristics; b) (for advanced bodhisattvas) meditation on the Buddha s 40 special qualities, and c) meditationon Thusness (tathatiij which only the mostcapable bodhisattvas can practice. The firstpart of the Buddha-Remembering Samiidhi,therefore, is basically the same as the BuddhaManifestation Samiidhi and is distinguishedfrom the latter in that in the former the practitioner contemplates the Buddha s thirty-twomajor physical characteristics and eightyminor ones. Further, it is taught that when the

Buddha-Manifestation Samiidhi is ac-



complished, one sees all the Buddhas, as indicated by the full Sanskrit name of this sutra,'pratyutpa a-buddha-sammukha-avasthitasamiidhi' (Samiidhi in which one stands in thepresence of the Buddhas of the present).

RECITATION OF THE HOLY NAMEAS THE EASIEST METHOD

The method described in Chapter 9 of theDasabhumika-vibhi¥lJ, entitled Easy Practice , is more important than the Buddhavisualisation practices because it is mucheasier and more practicable for ordinary people. The Easy Practice entails reciting theName of any Buddha or Great Bodhisattva

with firm faith, although Amitabha's Name isspecially mentioned together with his OriginalVow. A 32-stanza hymn in his praise is added,in which Nagarjuna professes his faith in theadoration of Amitabha. t is clear that Niigarjuna's intention was to present Amitabha'ssalvation as the most relevant path of Easy

Practice for all who seek a quick way to theStage of Non-Retrogression and subsequentlyto the Stage of Buddhahood.

Although he does not mention it,

presumably Naglrjuna based his recitationpractice exposition on the Pure Land(SukhiivatTvyuha) group of sutras, becausemost of the 1 7 Buddhas mentioned in thetext appear in the Sanskrit LargerSukhiivatrvyuha Sutra and several verses inthis chapter suggest strong connections withit u

t should be noted that reciting theNames of the Buddhas is not supposed to be amere oral practice or mechanical repetition

without heartfelt awareness or mindfulnessbut should be based on 'faith' and accompanied by reverential acts such as 'joiningone's hands: 'howing down,' 'prostratingoneselr and 'worshipping.' The relation between 'faith' and recitation may be gaugedfrom the following quotations:

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The practitioner should reverentially hold the Name close to the heartand recite it.

He should recite the Name withsingleness of heart.

He should recite the Name andremember it single-heartedly.

He should remember me (Le.,AmiUibha), recite my Name and takerefuge in me.

Deep and continuous Buddha-remembering as the basis of reciting is mentioned by Nagarjuna to be the cause of

reaching the Stage of Non-Retrogression:

Therefore, you should always

remember (Amitabha).If anyone remembers this Bud

dha's (Le., Amitiibha's) infinite powerand merit, he will instantly enter theStage of Assurance.

You should remember all (thesebodhisattvas), revere and worship themand thereby seek to reach the Stage of

Non-Retrogression.' ,

The act of Hearing the Name, or the ex-planation of its merit etc., naturally precedes

its recitation or remembrance and so themerit of hearing the Name is often mentioned.Nagarjuna even asserts that hearing the Nameensures that the aspirants will reach the Stageof Non-Retrogression:

If a man is able to hear the exposition of the Name of these Buddhas, hewill acquire immeasurable merit. t

If a man hears the Buddha'sName, he will become unretrogressive.

Those who hear the Buddha'sName will attain the Stage of NonRetrogression.'

CONCLUSION

The 'Easy Practice' for entering the Stageof Non-Retrogression may be summarized



from the foregoing as embracing two aspects:

1 Name- or sound-based practicewhich consists of hearing and recitingthe Name of Buddhas and bodhisattvaswhile continuously remembering them.

2. Image- or form-based practicewhich consists of visualizing the Buddha's physical characteristics or 4

special qualities or meditating on True

Thusness. The first is fully discussed inChapter 9 of the D a S a b h i i m i k a v i b h i i ~ i iand the second, which includes theBuddha-Manifestation Samiidhi and

Buddha-Remembering Samiidhi, is

presented in other chapters.

In the later development of Pure Landthought in China, the first is called nien-fo(nembutsu, remembering the Buddha) and thesecond is called kuan-fo (kanbutsu, visualising the Buddha). Niigiirjuna uses the term

'Buddha-Remembering Samiidhi for the se-cond but nien-fo in its wide sense includesboth recitation and meditation practices.

Visualising Amitiibha creates a strongbond between Amitiibha and us which keepsus from falling back to lower and less securestates, but what assurance is given to those

who just recite the Name, and when does it occur? In the Chapter on 'Easy Practice,'Niigiirjuna says that 'as soon as' (chi or chishih; Skt. tiivat) we hear or recite the

Buddha's Name, we enter the Stage of NonRetrogression which means we need not waituntil we die and are born in the Pure Land tobecome a non-retrogressive bodhisattva.Niigiirjuna's reference to 'faith' indicates thatthe firm and pure faith that comes in thecourse of, and as a result of, hearing andreciting the Buddha's Name sure evidence thatwe have reached this stage. Faith awakened byspiritual contact with the Buddha throughhearing his Name, opens up the treasury of

merit and power that it embodies and enablesus to proceed towards Buddhahood

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unretrogressively. This faith places us underthe influence of the Buddha from which thereis no falling back.

Speaking in terms of temporal sequencein our spiritual experience of the Nembutsu,hearing the Name comes first, then acceptingit in deep faith, and finally reciting it. Sincethese three are joined in an organic whole, onecannot be taken up separately from the rest.Hearing in the true sense o the term is, s

Shinran explains throughout his writings,nothing but 'true faith ', i.e., acceptance of theName. When accepted in us, the Name ex-

presses itself as the Nembutsu recitation.

To repeat, the Stage of Non

Retrogression is the most important turningpoint in the bodhisattva's career. Before we

enter this Stage, our practice is based on ourlimited power and imperfect insight. At thatpoint, self-attachment is discarded along withour 'defiled' and discriminative wisdom. Our

spiritual eye is opened to the Buddha'sboundless merit and to his universal and eternal activity. Therefore, Nagiirjuna describesthis spiritual change as birth into theTathiigiita family. As this change can bebrought about quickly and safely by the nien o (nembutsu) practice, it is called the EasyPractice. )'

FOOTNOTES:

I. TaishO Tripifaka (abbreviated T l 26,41a.

2. TT. 7, 264.

3 M a h i i v i b h i i ~ i i TT. 27, 30c; Abhidharmakosa, TT. 29, 120b.

4 Mahiivastu, Vol. I, 46-63. J.J. Jonestranslated the terms as follows: (I) naturalpractices, 2) resolving career, 3) conformingcareer and 4) persevering career.

5 Ibid., I, 63.6. For example, Vasubandhu's commen-



tary on the MohiiyiinosofJIgroho, IT. 31,229c.

7. IT.26, 41a: for an English translation,H. Inagaki, The Path of Easy Practice,Ryukokudoigoku ronshu, No. 422, 1983,

p.38.8. IT. 26, 32c.9. IT. 26, 68c, ff., 86a, and 71c, ff.10. H [nagaki, The Path of Easy Prac

tice, pp. 54-55. 143 Bodhisattvas' names arepresented, of which the last 49 correspondvery closely to the Bodhisattvas mentioned inthe opening part of the Vimolokirti-sutro.

[ I [bid., pp. 46-47. For a study onChinese and Sanskrit correspondents of the

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proper names which appear in the ChapterThe Easy Practke/' see H Inagaki, U

Glossary of the Proper Names which Appearin the Chapter on Easy Practice of the Jujubiboshoron, J6doky6 no kenkyu, Kyoto,

1982, pp. 43-71.. Ibid., pp. 47-50.

[3. Tsung-mi (78()'840), for example,distinguished four types of nien-fo: I)

sh6myo nembutsu, recitation of the Buddha'sname, 2) konzo nembutsu, contemplation of

the Buddha's statue, picture, etc., (3) konsonembutsu, visualization of the Buddha'sfigure and 4) jisso nembutsu, meditation onTrue Thusness.

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