What's in a Name? In the Case of the Sanghāta, Quite a Lot
Though its
full title is the Ārya Sanghāta Sūtra Dharma-Paryāya, the discourse is
fondly called by its
readers (and sometimes by itself) 'the Sanghāta.'
Just why it is called 'Sanghāta' is open for discussion. To
read more about what the name means, click
here.
In the Words of the Sanghāta:
He said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how large
a mass of bad karma will those who reject this dharma-paryáya
produce?”
The Blessed One said, “Sarva-shúra, it is much.”
He said, “Blessed One, how large a mass of bad karma will those sentient beings produce?”
The Blessed One said: “Be quiet, Sarva-shúra, be quiet. Do
not ask me about the masses of bad karma. Sarva-shúra, compared
to generating ill-will toward as many tathágatas, arhats,
perfect and complete buddhas as there are grains of sand in twelve
Ganges rivers, those who disparage the Sangháta sutra will
produce a far greater mass of non-virtue. Sarva-shúra, those who
generate ill-will toward the Mahayana will also produce a far greater
mass of non-virtue than that. Sarva-shúra, those sentient beings
are burnt. They are just burnt.”
- Ārya Sanghāta Sūtra
Guide for Readers
What if I Reject the Claims of the Sanghata?
The short response to this question is: Don't.
The longer response is much, much more complex—it turns out
that the Sanghāta is
a very welcoming text for those who can't simply accept all its claims.
After all, we just need to place our ears in the path of the sounds of
its recitation to be benefited!
Coming (at some point!) to this page will be passages that shed some
light on the question of what will happen to those who reject the Sanghata's claims, and a fuller discussion of the role of doubt in the Sanghata.
