Why is the Liusha River exactly 800 li wide, no more and no less?

Nantai

The second puzzle about the Liusha River: Why is it exactly “800 li” wide?

In fact, “800” is simply a metaphor for the **eight stages** that practitioners must cross:

**Human, Heavenly, Voice-Hearer, Pratyekabuddha, Elementary Teaching, Common Teaching, Distinct Teaching, and Perfect Teaching.**

 

Beginners in spiritual practice usually start by eliminating afflictions.

Yet human afflictions are countless. The Buddha often compared them to “dust and sand” —

more numerous than the sand in the Ganges River and the dust in the world.

To counteract them, one must go through these **eight stages**, an extremely difficult process.

 

Every Buddhist practitioner must go through this.

Newly converted practitioners take the **Three Refuges and Five Precepts**, which belong to the **Human Dharma**.

If you uphold the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, you will attain a human body in your next life

and not fall into the three evil destinies: animal, hungry ghost, or hell.

 

Adding the **Ten Good Deeds** to the Human Dharma gives the **Heavenly Dharma**.

By practicing it, one can be reborn in heaven.

In heaven there is only joy and no suffering, far better than the human world.

Yet heaven is still part of the mundane world, not free from birth and death,

still within the six realms of reincarnation, still subject to the suffering of samsara.

Therefore, **Human Dharma and Heavenly Dharma are not the Buddha Dharma**,

but worldly virtuous deeds, still outside the Buddha’s gate.

 

**Voice-Hearer Dharma** marks entry into the Buddha Dharma, but it is the Lesser Vehicle.

Its core teaching is the **Four Noble Truths**: suffering, accumulation, extinction, and the path.

Those who master it can end birth and death, but cannot awaken to their true nature.

They only become Arhats, lesser sages.

Sun Wukong during his Havoc in Heaven was at this level.

 

**Pratyekabuddha Dharma** is the Middle Vehicle, based mainly on the **Twelve Links of Dependent Origination**.

Although both Voice-Hearer and Pratyekabuddha belong to the Lesser Vehicle,

the Pratyekabuddha is slightly higher:

Voice-Hearers enlighten only themselves; Pratyekabuddhas also help relatives and friends.

 

**Elementary Teaching (Store Teaching)** belongs to the Great Vehicle.

Its main scriptures include the *Kṣitigarbha Sūtra* and the Āgama sūtras.

Though part of the Great Vehicle, it is still a relatively low level,

roughly equivalent to primary school in Buddhism.

Before the Elementary Teaching,

Voice-Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, and even Elementary Teaching bodhisattvas cannot awaken to their true nature.

In other words, none of these teachings lead to full Buddhahood.

 

**Common Teaching** allows one to awaken to the true nature,

but only to **emptiness**, which is not ultimate.

Its main scriptures include the *Diamond Sūtra*,

the *Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch*, and the six hundred Prajñā sūtras.

Bodhisattvas of the Common Teaching can attain Buddhahood,

but only “Common Teaching Buddhahood,” not ultimate.

This is roughly equivalent to junior high school in Buddhism.

 

**Distinct Teaching** is far higher, mostly for great bodhisattvas,

extremely rare and noble. It corresponds to senior high school in Buddhism.

Its main scripture is the *Avatamsaka Sūtra*.

 

**Perfect Teaching** is the eighth and highest stage.

The scriptures studied by Perfect Teaching bodhisattvas are:

- Opening: the *Perfect Enlightenment Sūtra*

- Main texts: the *Lotus Sūtra* and the *Śūraṅgama Sūtra*

- Supplementary: the *Heart Sūtra* and the *Amitābha Sūtra*

- Conclusion: the *Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra*

 

#JourneyToTheWestFunFacts