old-path-white-clouds-thich-nhat-hanh

Chapter Sixty-Eight
Three Wondrous Gates
After leaving the coast, the Buddha visited Pataliputta and Vesali, and then headed towards his homeland. Upon reaching the town of
Samagama in Sakya, he learned that Nathaputta, leader of the Nigantha sect, had died and that his followers had divided into two bitter
camps. Each side denounced the other for false interpretation of doctrine, and each vied for the laity’s support. The people were dismayed
and confused, and did not know which side to follow.
The novice Cunda, Sariputta’s attendant, explained the Nigantha dispute to Ananda. He was aware of all the details because he had
lived for a time in Pava where Nathaputta taught. Ananda told the Buddha about the conflict, and then added in a worried tone of voice,
“Lord, I hope there will be no split in the sangha after you pass away.”
The Buddha patted Ananda on the shoulder and said, “Ananda, do any of the bhikkhus presently argue over the contents of the
teaching? Do they argue about the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, the Four Right Efforts, the Five Faculties, the Five Powers, the
Seven Factors of Awakening, or the Noble Eightfold Path?”
“No, I have never seen any bhikkhus arguing with each other over the teaching. But you are still among us. We take refuge in your virtue.
We all listen to you and our studies proceed peacefully. But when you are gone, disagreements may arise over the precepts, how best to
organize the sangha, or how to spread the teaching. If conflicts erupt, many could grow disheartened and even lose their faith in the path.”
The Buddha consoled him. “Don’t worry, Ananda. If arguments and conflicts arise in the sangha over the contents of the teaching such
as the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, the Four Right Efforts, the Five Faculties, the Five Powers, the Seven Factors of Awakening, or
the Noble Eightfold Path—that would be cause for worry. Disagreements over small matters concerning the practice of the precepts,
sangha organization, and dissemination of the teaching are not worth worrying about.”
Despite the Buddha’s reassurances, Venerable Ananda remained unconvinced. Only recently he had learned that in Vesali, Venerable
Sunakkhata, who had once been the Buddha’s attendant, had abandoned the sangha out of personal dissatisfaction. He was organizing
lectures at which he denounced the Buddha and the sangha. He exclaimed that the monk Gautama was no more than an ordinary man who
possessed no special insight. He said that Gautama’s teaching only spoke about liberating one’s own self and showed no concern for
society as a whole. Sunakkhata was sowing seeds of confusion. Venerable Sariputta was also aware of the situation and shared Ananda’s
concern.
Ananda knew that seeds of discontent were also being sown in Rajagaha. Several bhikkhus, under the leadership of Venerable
Devadatta, were secretly trying to organize a new sangha, independent from the Buddha. Several capable bhikkhus were cooperating with
Devadatta, including Venerables Kokalika, Katamoraka Tissa, Khandadeviputta, and Samuddadatta. Devadatta was one of the Buddha’s
brightest and most capable senior disciples. Brother Sariputta had often praised him before the people and had treated him as a special
friend. Ananda could not understand why Devadatta had recently grown so jealous of others, especially the Buddha himself. Ananda knew
that no one had disclosed these things to the Buddha yet. He was afraid he himself would have to be the one to inform the Buddha of these
sad developments before long.
The next year, the Buddha returned to Savatthi for the rainy season. He dwelled at Jetavana. There he delivered the Sutra on the
Dharma Seal.
“There is a wonderful teaching which I will speak to you about today. Please empty your minds of all other thoughts in order to calmly
and peacefully hear, receive, and understand this teaching.
“Bhikkhus, certain Dharma seals are the signs of true Dharma. There are three seals which every teaching of mine bears. These are
Emptiness, Signlessness, and Aimlessness. These three characteristics are the three gates which lead to emancipation. These Dharma seals
are also known as the Three Gates of Emancipation, or the Three Liberation Gates.
“Bhikkhus, the first seal is Emptiness, sunnata. Emptiness does not mean non-existence. It means that nothing exists independently.
Emptiness means empty of a separate self. As you know, the belief in being and the belief in non-being are both incorrect. All dharmas
depend on each other for their existence. This is because that is, this is not because that is not, this is born because that is born, this dies
because that dies. Thus, the nature of emptiness is interdependence.
“Bhikkhus, practice looking at the interdependent relationships of all dharmas in order to see how all dharmas are present in each other,
how one dharma contains all other dharmas. Apart from one dharma, no other dharmas can exist. Contemplate the eighteen realms of the
six sense organs, the six sense objects, and the six sense consciousnesses. Contemplate the five aggregates of body, feelings, perceptions,
mental formations, and consciousness. You will see that no phenomenon, no aggregate, can exist independently. All depend on each other