The Ocean of Dharma

The Ocean of Dharma (Skt. Dharmasamudra; Tib. ཆོས་རྒྱ་མཚོ།, [[Wyl. chos rgya mtsho) is one of the few sutras to take place on Mount Potalaka, the abode of Avalokiteshvara who is featured in this sutra under his epithet of Lord of the World. This mythical mountain is said to be found on an island to the south of the Indian subcontinent. It is also identified by some as being in the Pothigai Hills in Tamil Nadu. Nevertheless, it appears that this sutra takes its title from this island’s location in the ocean.

It is here, the sutra tells us, that the Buddha grants the Lord of the World the opportunity to query any teaching he likes, at which the latter inquires as to the true meaning of ordination as a monk. The Buddha’s answer emphasizes that true ordination is not an external transformation, like shaving one’s head and donning saffron robes, but rather an internal transformation. Specifically, what is required is not just severing attachment to the life of a householder, but also acceptance of the teachings on emptiness. These are particularly associated with the Perfection of Wisdom teachings regarding the transcendence of all dualistic perception or apprehending of objects. It is only when a monk has fully given rise to such non-attachment, extending even to the objects of perception, that he becomes a worthy recipient of offerings.

The Buddha’s teaching is further elaborated when the bodhisattva Maitreya inquires as to the Buddha’s intent. This prompts the Lord of the World to give a further discourse that acts as a commentary on the Buddha’s statements. He describes the profound non-duality of the ultimate truth which is beyond reifying perception. The Buddha then gives his approval to the Lord of the World’s teaching, but he specifies that these profound teachings are not suitable for anyone who has broken their vows or is full of pride. Indeed, while seventeen thousand monks gain immense benefits through these teachings, there are also five hundred monks, described as “those prone to apprehending”, who stand up and depart the scene.

Stating the benefits associated with a given discourse usually signals its conclusion. Here, however, the sutra continues with a further section in which the Buddha elaborates on the appropriate audience for the sutra’s teachings before demonstrating to Maitreya the dream-like nature of reality. The sutra concludes with many bodhisattvas describing the benefits that reciting the sutra brings both to a physical location and to an individual.

The Ocean of Dharma is thus among just a few Mahayana discourses in the Kangyur whose theme is how being an authentic monk is not a question of keeping outward rules but of realizing the teachings on emptiness.

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The Tibetan translation of this sutra can be found in the General Sutra section of the Tibetan Dergé Kangyur, Toh 255

• English translation: The Ocean of Dharma