Shurangama Mantra with Verses and Commentary

by Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua

14. TĂNG-GIÀ NẨM

僧伽喃

 

Bích Chi Ca La Tư Đà Hàm

Độc Giác Duyên Giác nghĩa thông Kiêm

Chuyên tâm Trí chí cần phất thức

Hữu học vô học thượng thủ truyền.

辟支迦羅斯陀含

獨覺緣覺義通兼

專心致志勤拂拭

有學無學上首傳

SENG CHYE NAN

 

PRATYEKAS AND SHROTAAPANNAS, 

SOLITARILY AND CONDITIONALLY ENLIGHTENED ONES: THEIR MEANINGS ARE THE SAME. 

DILIGENTLY DO THEY SWEEP CLEAN, WITH SINGLEMINDED RESOLVE. 

SUPERIOR LEADERSHIP IS TRANSMITTED TO THOSE OF FUTURE STUDY AND NO STUDY. 

 

COMMENTARY:

SENG CHYE NAN means "Sangha"--those who have left the home-life. NAN means"foremost." They are the foremost among those with study and those beyond study. Shrotaapanas, Sakridagamins, and Anagamins are the first three stages of Arhatship and are known as those in the position of study. At the fourth stage--Arhatship itself--one is at the position of non-Study.

PRATYEKAS AND SHROTAAPANAS, SOLITARILY AND CONDITIONALLY ENLIGHTENED ONES: THEIR MEANINGS ARE THE SAME. When the Buddha is in the world, those enlightened to conditions hear the Buddha explain the Twelve Causal Conditions and awaken to the Way. When there is no Buddha in the world, those who dwell in the mountains and valleys contemplating the Twelve Conditioned Causes in nature around them and awaken to the Way are known as solitarily enlightened ones.

DILIGENTLY DO THEY SWEEP CLEAN, WITH SINGLE-MINDED RESOLVE. They repeatedly and industriously sweep clean their false thinking; SUPERIOR LEADERSHIP IS TRANSMITTED TO THOSE OF FUTURE STUDY AND NO STUDY. Those of study and those beyond study refer to the levels of Arhatship. This line, then, is referring to the foremost Arhats