Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA Quotes

“There is the not-two in the nature and characteristics of Self and non-Self. You should take things thus.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“This is the noble truth of the Way. Any person who says that the Three Treasures are non-eternal and holds this view of life, then this is a false way of practice and is not the noble truth of the Way. If a person practises the Way thus and has it [sees it] as Eternal, such a person is my disciple. He abides in the true view of life and practises the teaching of the Four Noble Truths.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“A person says: "There is the Tathagatagarbha [Buddha-Womb - the pristine mind under cover of illusion]. One cannot see this. But if one does away with all illusions, one may indeed enter." It is thus. By the raising of such a mind [i.e. by cultivating such an attitude of mind], one gains freedom in all things. If”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“He may come across various views of life, and yet he does not entertain any loving [clinging] thought. This is like the lotus, which does not become soiled by defilement. In order to save beings, he practises various expedients and lives a worldly life."Any such sutras and vinayas are the sermons of the Tathagata. One who follows what Mara says is kindred to Mara; anyone who follows what the Buddha says is a great Bodhisattva.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“Or a person might say: "The Bodhisattva goes to the temple of the devas to make offerings to such as Brahma, Mahesvara, Skanda and Katyayana. Why? He enters there merely to conquer the devas. Things can never be other than this." If it is said: "Even if the Bodhisattva gets into arguments with the tirthikas, he cannot know of their deportments, sayings and arts, and he cannot cause quarrelling servants to come to terms; he cannot be respected by males or females, kings or ministers; he does not know how to prepare medicines; that is why he is called "Tathagata". Whatever he knows is what is wicked; also, the Tathagata sees neither enemy or friend; his mind is all-equal; one may take a sword and cut him; or one could smear incense over his body, and he would not have any sense of gain or loss. He sits in the middle. This is why we say "Tathagata". Any sutra that says this is one of Mara’s.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“and the Tathagata have innumerable virtues. We speak of "Great Nirvana." Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! I now know that there is no ending of things referring to where the Tathagata goes. If the place is unending, life too must be unending." The Buddha said: "Well said, well said! You now protect Wonderful Dharma indeed. Any good men or women who desire to cut off the bonds of illusion and all bonds should protect Wonderful Dharma thus.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“The Buddha said: "O good man! For example, there is a person here who holds a sword in his hand and with an angry mind means to harm the Tathagata. But the Tathagata is glad, and has no angry face. Can this man harm the Tathagata and actualise the deadly sin?" "No, O World-Honoured One! Why not? Because the body of the Tathagata cannot be destroyed. Why not? Because it is not anything of the compounded carnal body. What there is is "Dharmata" [Dharma-Nature]. The principle of "Dharmata" is indestructible. How can this man hope to break the Buddha-Body? Because of his evil thought, this person falls into Avichi Hell.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“Also, emancipation is the bliss that is not expelled. Because desire, malevolence and ignorance have already been vomited out. As an example: a man swallows a poisonous drug by mistake. To expel the poison, he takes a drug. Once the poison is out, he is cured, feels well and gains peace. It is the same with emancipation. Having cast out all illusions and the poison that binds one, the body gains peace. So we speak of "non-expelled peace". Non-expelled peace is true emancipation. True emancipation is the Tathagata.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“Also, emancipation is giving up the actions of one’s childhood days. It is the same with emancipation. It does away with the five skandhas. Abandoning the five skandhas is true emancipation. True emancipation is the Tathagata.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“Also, emancipation cuts off all greed, all external appearances, all bonds, all illusions, all births and deaths, all causes and conditions, all karma results. Such emancipation is the Tathagata. The Tathagata is Nirvana. When all beings [come to] fear birth and death and illusion, they take refuge in the Three Treasures. This is like a herd of deer who fear the hunter and run away. One jump may be likened to one refuge, and three such jumps to three refuges. From the three jumps, peace comes. It is the same with all beings. When one fears the four Maras and the evil-minded hunter, one takes the three Refuges [in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha]. As a result of the three Refuges, one gains peace. Gaining peace is true emancipation. True emancipation is the Tathagata. The Tathagata is Nirvana. Nirvana is the Infinite. The Infinite is the Buddha-Nature. Buddha-Nature is definiteness. Definiteness is unsurpassed Enlightenment.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“Moreover, emancipation is termed that which severs all conditioned phenomena [samskrta-dharmas], gives rise to all untainted [anasrava], wholseome qualities / phenomena and eliminates the various paths/ approaches, that is to say, Self, non-Self, not-Self and not non-Self. It merely severs attachment and does not sever the view of the Self/ the seeing of the Self/ the vision of the Self [atma-drsti]. The view of the Self is termed the ’Buddha-dhatu’ [Buddha-Nature]. The Buddha-dhatu is true emancipation, and true emancipation is the Tathagata.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“Also, emancipation is feeling satisfied. Take the case of a hungry man who, on encountering sweet dishes, devours them, and there is no end of eating. The case of emancipation is not like this. If one partakes of milk-cooked porridge, one no longer feels the need to eat. No longer feeling any need to eat may well be likened to emancipation. True emancipation is the Tathagata.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“Also, true emancipation is equalness [impartiality, equanimity]. For example, a field has [in it] poisonous serpents, rats and wolves, all of which mean to kill others. It is not so with emancipation. There is no thought of killing. Having no thought of killing is true emancipation. True emancipation is the Tathagata. Also, equalness may be compared to the mind of parents, who view their children all-equally. Thus is emancipation. The mind is all-equal. This all-equal mind is true emancipation. True emancipation is the Tathagata." "Also, emancipation is not having any other place [to dwell]. For example, there is a man here who only lives in the best of all places, having no other place to live in. The same with emancipation. It has no other place to live in. Having no other different place to live in is true emancipation. True emanciption is the Tathagata.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“On the 15th of the second month, as the Buddha was about to enter Nirvana, he, with his divine power, spoke in a great voice, which filled the whole world and reached the highest of the heavens.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

“Precepts" refers to moral deportment, the deep meaning of the sutras, and the signification of good, and segregating oneself from accepting impure things and from all causal relations with impure things. Also, the precepts segregate one from such as the four grave offences, the thirteen samghavasesas, two aniyatans, thirty naihsargika-prayascittikas, ninety-one payatikas, four desaniyas, siksakaraniya, seven ways of adhikaranasamatha, etc.”
― Tony Page, Mahayana MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA