Today, the fifth day of the tenth lunar month, is the sacred birthday of Patriarch Bodhidharma. In those days, Patriarch Bodhidharma crossed the sea from the west and came to China, directly pointing to the mind so that one might see one’s nature and attain Buddhahood. He once transmitted the four fascicles of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra to the Second Patriarch, Huike, saying: “I observe that in China only this sūtra exists. If you practice in accordance with it, you will naturally attain liberation in this world.”

That is to say, the capacities of people in China are especially suited to this sūtra. This sūtra is the essential gateway to the mind-ground of the Tathāgata and can enable all sentient beings to open, reveal, awaken to, and enter it. In ancient times, the Chan school was called the “Laṅkāvatāra school,” and Chan masters were called “Laṅkāvatāra masters.” This shows how profound the influence of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra has been upon the Chan school. Therefore, any explanation of this sūtra will inevitably involve the Chan school.

Quite a number of fellow practitioners have asked me to explain the general meaning of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. To begin speaking on it today, the sacred birthday of Patriarch Bodhidharma, is a most auspicious conjunction of causes and conditions. I would not presume to call this expounding a sūtra; let us explore it together. Some say that the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra is very profound and mysterious, so let us together “enter the heart of Laṅkā and explore the profound.” Before discussing the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra itself, let us first speak of its “Ten Gates of Profound Discussion.”

What are the “Ten Gates of Profound Discussion”? Before expounding a sūtra, great masters of ancient times would first introduce the text from ten perspectives. For example, when we teach a language-arts lesson today, we also discuss the historical background of the text, its central theme, the main idea of each paragraph, a brief account of the author, and so forth. The Ten Gates of Profound Discussion are far more meticulous than this.

Chinese culture has been transmitted down to the present not only with radiant principles and splendid expression, but also with an exceptionally rich foundation and depth of content. Does not the format of modern language-arts lesson plans derive from the ancient method of expounding sūtras through the “Ten Gates of Profound Discussion”? It has merely been simplified.

What are the ten gates of the “Ten Gates of Profound Discussion”? Although the explanations given by the great masters of ancient times differed slightly, the differences were not great. They are listed below:

I. The causes and conditions for the arising of the teaching.

II. Its classification within the scriptural collections.

III. The distinctions among exoteric teachings.

IV. The divisions and scope of its principles and meanings.

V. The capacities for which it is suited.

VI. The substance of the teaching that expounds.

VII. The tenet and purport that are expounded.

VIII. Its categories, transmission, and translation.

IX. A general explanation of the sūtra title.

X. A detailed explanation of the text and its meaning.

Below, I will briefly discuss the ten gates of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra—that is, its ten attributes.