Sutra on the Eight Realizations of the Great Beings

Thich Nhat Hanh

In this sutra, the Buddha explains the virtues of simplicity, generosity, and compassion.

REVISED EDITION:
TWO TREASURES: Buddhist teachings on Awakening and True Happiness.

COMMENTARY:
THE ORIGIN OF THE SUTRA
This sutra was translated from Pali to Chinese by the Parthian monk, An Shih Kao (Vietnamese: An The Cao), at the Lo Yang Center in China during the later Han Dynasty, 140-171 A.D. It is not certain if the Pali version is extant. The ancient form of this sutra is the culmination of several smaller works combined, just like the Forty-two Chapters Sutra and the Sutra on the Six Paramitas. This sutra is entirely in accord with both the Mahayana and Theravada traditions.

Each of the eight items discussed can be a subject of meditation, and each of these subjects can be further divided. Although the form of the sutra is simple, its content is extremely profound and marvelous. The Sutra on the Eight Realizations of the Great Beings is not an analysis of anything. It is a realistic and effective approach to meditation.

THE CONTENT OF THE SUTRA

The Sutra on the Eight Realizations of the Great Beings contains eleven essential subjects for meditation. I will discuss these subjects along with the eight realizations.

1. The first realization explains and clarifies the four basic subjects of Buddhist meditation: (a) impermanence, (b) suffering, (c) no-self, and (d) impurity. We must always remember and meditate on these four principles of reality. As mentioned in the sutra, if someone meditates on these facts, he or she will gradually be released from samsara, the round of birth and death.

a. Impermanence - the impermanent nature of all things: From moment to moment, all things in this world, including human life, mountains and rivers, and political systems, are in constant transformation. This is called impermanence in each moment. Everything passes through a period of birth, maturity, transformation, and destruction. This destruction is called impermanence in each cycle. To see the impermanent nature of all things, we must examine this closely. Doing so will prevent us from being imprisoned by the things of this world.

b. Suffering - the emptiness of all things: The ancient people of India said that all things are composed of four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. Acknowledging this, buddhas and bodhisattvas understand that when there is a harmonious relationship among the four elements, there is peace. When the four elements are not in harmony, there is suffering. Because all things are created by a combination of these elements, nothing can exist independently or permanently. All things are impermanent. Consequently, when we are caught up in the things of the world, we suffer from their impermanent nature. And since all things are empty, when we are caught by things, we also suffer from their emptiness. Awareness of the existence of suffering leads us to begin to practice the way of realization. This is the first of the Four Noble Truths.8 When we lose awareness of and do not meditate on the existence of suffering in all things, we can easily be pushed around by passions and desires for worldly things, increasingly destroying our lives in the pursuit of these desires. Only by being aware of suffering can we find its cause, confront it directly, and eliminate it.

c. Selflessness - the nature of our bodies: Buddhism teaches that human beings are composed....

Wholeheartedly, day and night, a disciple of the Buddha should recite and meditate on the eight realizations discovered by the mahasattvas, the great beings.

Thich Nhat Hanh's commentary was written while rescuing boat people on the South China Sea. Translated from the Vietnamese by Truong Giam Tan and Carole Melkonian.

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