འཕགས་པ་ཆས་ཡང་དག་པར་སྡད་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 3
The Dharma Council 3
- Language
- English
3.1
Because they increase the development of immersion, they are called objects of meditative immersion. Because each of them can become all of the objects, they are called objects of meditative immersion.
“What are the ten powers of a bodhisattva? Power over life, power over the mind, power over possessions, power over karma, power over birth, the power of miraculous emanations, the power of conviction, the power of aspiration, the power of wisdom, and the power of Dharma. These are the ten powers.
“Because bodhisattvas have obtained amrita, they have power over life. Because they recognize that everything is mind alone, they have power over the mind. Because they have discovered the jewel-in-hand and the sky treasury,⁶⁹ they have power over possessions. Because they have eliminated all paths of karma along with their habitual patterns, they have power over karma. By discovering the meditative stability to return from samādhi, they have power over birth. Because they have attained the capacity to act effortlessly, they have the power of miraculous emanations. Because they have attained the objects of meditative immersion, they have the power of conviction. Because they can achieve their goals by thought alone, they have the power of aspiration. Because their actions of body, speech, and mind are preceded by wisdom, they have the power of wisdom. Because of their stainless wisdom in which suchness, the expanse of phenomena, and the limit of reality are equal, they have the power of Dharma.
“Furthermore, child of good family, worldly people are terrified of death; the antidote is the power over life. Worldly people are terrified by the defilements of the mind; the antidote is power over the mind. Worldly people are terrified by possessions; the antidote is the power over possessions. Worldly people are terrified by bad conduct; the antidote is the power over karma. Worldly people are terrified of the lower states; the antidote is the power over birth. Worldly people are terrified of losing inspiration;
3.2
the antidote is the power of miraculous emanations. Worldly people are terrified of having the karma to be excluded from the sublime Dharma; the antidote is the power of conviction. Worldly people are terrified by the bondage of desire; the antidote is the power of aspiration. Worldly people are terrified by the thorn of doubt; the antidote is the power of wisdom. Worldly people are terrified by the anxieties inherent in saṃsāra; the antidote is the power of Dharma.
“Furthermore, child of good family, giving up killing and not having a mind that harbors anger toward any being is the cause of attaining the power over life. Feeling great unobscured love for those who are happy and great unobscured compassion for those who suffer are the causes for attaining power over the mind. Equanimity of mind and dedicating one’s relinquishment of all objects to the pursuit of awakening is the cause of attaining power over possessions. Once involved with karma and activity, to act karmically through actions that are pure in body, speech, and mind, to display engagement in actions that have personal repercussions, is the cause of attaining the power over karma. The path of the ten virtuous actions coordinated with the mind set on awakening is the cause of attaining the power over birth. Giving away gain, respect, and praise, and giving away means of transportation,⁷⁰ are the causes of attaining the power of miraculous emanation. Orienting all beings toward and guiding them to the Three Jewels, and giving them conviction, is the cause of attaining the power of conviction. Bringing about the purity of all beings’ body, speech, and mind is the cause of attaining the power of aspiration. Giving the Dharma with a mind free from interest in material things is the cause of attaining the power of wisdom. Causing all beings to understand the equality of phenomena, teaching in accord with the Dharma, and making the distinction that ‘the body of the Thus-Gone One is the dharmakāya, not the material body’ are the causes of attaining the power of Dharma.
3.3
Child of good family, these are the ten powers of a bodhisattva.
“What then are the ten truths of a bodhisattva? Conventional truth, ultimate truth, the truth of characteristics, the truth of classification, the truth of discernment, the truth of entities, the truth of capacity, the truth of knowing exhaustion and nonarising, the truth of knowing the entry point to the path, and the truth of the source of all of the wisdom of the thus-gone-ones. These are the ten truths.⁷¹
“Conventional truth involves assessment; it is the delimitation of an object, a conventional designation. As such, an object is indicated by means of factors external to it, such as ‘small’ being defined as ‘not large.’ This is conventional truth.
“Ultimate truth is profound, is consistent with emptiness, does not delimit objects, and is not dependent on external factors. It is neither equivalent nor not equivalent to anything, and it is undisturbed, indisputable, and is the suchness of all phenomena. This is ultimate truth.
“The truth of characteristics is understood as follows. Its characteristic of being harmful is the truth of suffering,⁷² its characteristic of arising is the truth of origin, its characteristic of peace is the truth of cessation, and its characteristic of emergence is the truth of the path. This is what is known as the truth of characteristics. Furthermore, knowing the natural selflessness of all phenomena, a bodhisattva finds certainty. This certainty in the mode of characteristics⁷³ is known as the truth of characteristics. Likewise, upon knowing that all phenomena have the characteristic of natural peace, natural isolation, natural emptiness, and that they do not naturally arise or cease, a bodhisattva finds certainty. This certainty in the mode of characteristics is known as the truth of characteristics.
“The characteristic of classification ⁷⁴ is to classify all phenomena that have a single characteristic in terms of other characteristics and then to explain them as such.
3.4
The single characteristic is the characteristic of emptiness. Thus, phenomena that are termed emptiness,⁷⁵ signlessness, wishlessness, uncontrived, unarisen, and unceasing are all classifications of emptiness. All those classifications have the characteristic of emptiness. This is therefore known as the truth of classification because those classifications do not contradict emptiness.
“What is the truth of discernment? Discernment is to understand through exclusion. It is affirming, and so can be called mental conviction, informed seeing, understanding, realization, and knowing. For this reason, it is known as the truth of discernment.
“The truth of entities refers to the knowledge of entities. The entities are the aggregates, elements, and sense bases. The aggregates, elements, and sense bases are known to be dependently arisen, empty, and insubstantial. Knowing this, a bodhisattva reaches certainty. For this reason, it is known as the truth of entities.
“The truth of capacity refers to the capacity to instigate the abandonment of the afflictive emotions through wisdom, abandonment, and the path; it the capacity to understand the strengths, fearlessnesses, and unique qualities of a buddha; and it is the capacity to understand the abilities of the thus-gone ones. For this reason, it is known as the truth of capacity.
“The truth of knowing exhaustion and nonarising demonstrates that all compounded things will be exhausted. That exhaustion, however, is not exhausted, as exhaustion does not exist for exhaustion. If exhaustion were to exist for exhaustion, cessation would be exhausted as well. Therefore, exhaustion is not exhausted, and that which is not exhausted does not arise. This is known as the truth of knowing exhaustion and nonarising.
“What is the truth of knowing the entry point to the path? It is entering or being brought onto the path of wisdom, the knowledge that all phenomena are unarising and unceasing by which merit and wisdom are accumulated.
3.5
For that reason, this is known as the truth of knowing the entry point to the path.
“What is the truth of the source of all of the wisdom of the thus-gone-ones? The truth of the source of all of the wisdom of the thus-gone-ones refers to the Cloud of Dharma bodhisattva level up to the level of a thus-gone one. It is the realization through the path that teaches that.
“These are the ten truths of a bodhisattva.
“What then are the nine successive states of meditative attainment of a bodhisattva? A bodhisattva perfects and then sustains the first dhyāna, which is isolated from sense pleasures, isolated from evil and nonvirtuous factors, involves contemplation and analysis, and includes the experience of joy and bliss born from isolation.⁷⁶
“The sense pleasures are anything not conducive to the first dhyāna. Bodhisattvas are detached from such craving. Evil and nonvirtuous factors are desire, anger, and dullness, as well as what is derived from them: the taking of life, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, harsh speech, idle chatter, covetousness, ill will, and wrong view. These are called evil and nonvirtuous dharmas. The first dhyāna is isolated from these.
“Involves contemplation means ‘includes contemplation.’ What is contemplated? That which is conducive to the first dhyāna. They are contemplations because they follow the right method and they bring about the taming of their referents. Knowledge, understanding, analysis, investigation, and cultivating samādhi are all types of contemplation. What is analysis? It is the analysis of, inquiry into, exploration of, enjoyment of,⁷⁷ cultivation of samādhi on, and aligning the mind with those contemplations that are conducive to the first dhyāna.
3.6
The first dhyāna involves contemplation and analysis; it includes them.
“Because joy and bliss are born from isolation, it is said that the first dhyāna includes the experience of joy and bliss born from isolation. In the phrase ‘perfects and then sustains,’ ‘perfects’ means to be restrained and bring about restraint, to protect and bring about protection, to savor and take delight in. Bodhisattvas who sustain the first dhyāna in this way attain the yearning and desire to understand the acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena. Through this yearning and desire to understand acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena, they perceive the very essence of the dhyāna.
“This is the starting point for the second dhyāna. Bodhisattvas quiet and bring an end to the contemplation and analysis of the first dhyāna. They clear their mind of them, then seek the cause for perfecting the second dhyāna. After doing away with contemplation and analysis, they reach inner clarity. Then, with a one-pointed mind devoid of contemplation and analysis, they perfect and sustain the second dhyāna that includes the experience of joy and bliss born from samādhi.⁷⁸
“Inner clarity is the ending and clearing away of factors that are not conducive to the second dhyāna. For this reason, it is called inner clarity. One-pointed indicates that one has achieved a state of one taste, similar to water in the ocean, upon clearing away the contemplation and analysis of the first dhyāna. As an analogy, just as rain that falls in the ocean takes on the same salty flavor, so bodhisattvas achieve the state of one taste upon clearing away all the contemplation and analysis of the first dhyāna while they rest in equipoise in the second dhyāna. This is known as samādhi, and from that samādhi such bodhisattvas feel joy in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. Through this joy in the Three Jewels, they perfect the virtues. Based on that they achieve an intense yearning for the acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena,
3.7
as well as bright luminosity of mind and a sense of rapture. The yearning for the acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena leads to a lack of attachment to the second dhyāna, which is the starting point for the third dhyāna.
“Bodhisattvas think, ‘Joy obscures the third dhyāna.’ Then, upon being freed from attachment to that joy, they possess equanimity and pure mindfulness. They perfect and sustain the third dhyāna, which the noble ones have described as remaining in a state of bliss that is devoid of joy.⁷⁹ Bodhisattvas who have attained freedom from attachment to the joy that arises from samādhi come to the conclusion,⁸⁰ ‘That bliss that is devoid of joy is not an enduring bliss; rather, it is exhaustible and perishable. It is impermanent and unstable, and thus not perpetual. It is unreliable.’ Upon gaining such an understanding, they acquire a fierce, powerful yearning to attain acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena. Because of this fierce yearning for unarisen phenomena, they do not experience attachment to happiness or suffering.
“Because they have forsaken happiness and had also previously forsaken suffering, and because they have let go of their elation and despair, they are neither happy nor do they suffer. With pure equanimity and mindfulness, they perfect and sustain the fourth dhyāna.⁸¹ While absorbed in the fourth dhyāna, the bodhisattva’s mind will be supple, pleasing, nimble, bright, and alluring. They wish⁸² that this bliss would belong to all beings.⁸³ Because they privilege the benefit and happiness of all beings, bodhisattvas develop clarity about the acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena. By developing clarity about the acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena, bodhisattvas find no joy in the many things⁸⁴ that involve neither happiness nor suffering. They also do not feel attached to the bliss of pure equanimity and mindfulness. Because they are not attached to that, space itself manifests for the bodhisattva.
3.8
Entirely transcending the perceptions of form, all perceptions of obstruction cease and, by not fixating on perceptions of manifoldness, they think, ‘Space is infinite,’ and perfect and sustain the basis of infinite space.⁸⁵
“They think, ‘In short, there are two types of form: sources and what comes from those sources. The types of forms that are sources are the elements of earth, water, fire, and air. The forms that come from those sources are colors, smells, tastes, and textures. Thus we arrive at eight types of form. After transcending perceptions of those kinds of forms, obstructing perceptions will not arise, and will decrease. Anytime there is a perception of form it is a perception of obstruction, and so perceptions of obstruction decrease when the perceptions of form are transcended. When perceptions of obstruction decrease, one no longer fixates on perceptions of manifoldness. And, by not fixating on perceptions of manifoldness, space is infinite.’ Thinking, ‘Space is infinite,’ bodhisattvas perfect and sustain the basis of infinite space.
“Bodhisattvas who have reached the meditative attainment of the basis of infinite space think, ‘Space is infinite because it lacks a limit. Where would the beginning be for something that has no limit? Where would a middle be? In the same way, all phenomena are without beginning, end, or middle.’ Bodhisattvas who have reached such a meditative attainment will develop strong compassion for all beings and will act with the understanding that all phenomena are precisely equivalent to space. This is the starting point for acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena.⁸⁶ Such bodhisattvas transcend the basis of infinite space in all its aspects;
3.9
think, ‘Consciousness is infinite’; and then perfect and sustain the basis for infinite consciousness.
“Bodhisattvas first think, ‘The perception of space is consciousness,’ and then think, ‘Everything is consciousness alone, and that infinite consciousness neither exists nor does not exist.’ They attain acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena through this meditative attainment, but it is not fully realized. They transcend the basis of infinite consciousness in all its aspects; think, ‘There is nothing at all’; and then perfect and sustain the basis for there being nothing at all.
“In the phrase ‘nothing at all’ the ‘things’ include desire, hatred, dullness, thoughts, concepts, assumptions, and conceptual constructs, as well as all that arises from false ideas. Thus, there is ‘nothing at all.’ From among those phenomena described as ‘nothing at all,’ that which is further attenuated and increasingly subtle is nothing at all. This indicates that the acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena on the part of bodhisattvas who sustain the attainment of nothing at all is bright and blazing. They are not attached to the basis of nothing at all because of its causes, its conditions, its foundation, and its attainment. They move beyond that, thinking as they do, ‘Subtle karmic formations have been determined to be nothing at all. That perception neither exists nor does not exist.’ The perception does not exist because it is empty. The perception is not something nonexistent because it arises dependently. Such bodhisattvas actualize the basis of perception that neither exists nor does not exist, transcend the basis of nothing at all in all its aspects, and then perfect and sustain the basis of perception that neither exists nor does not exist.⁸⁷
“Bodhisattvas who sustain this think, ‘What manner of joy is there when perception neither exists nor does not exist?’
3.10
They then elevate their thinking beyond this, and in doing so actualize the fact that there is no arising and no ceasing. They see that all phenomena do not arise and do not cease. Seeing that all phenomena do not cease by their very nature, they neither accept nor reject them. It is on account of this that bodhisattvas have the pure acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena. From this point such bodhisattvas unceasingly and effortlessly proceed higher.
“These are the nine successive states of meditative attainment of bodhisattvas.
“What are the bodhisattva’s ten strengths? The strength of conviction, the strength of discernment, the strength of cultivation, the strength of patience, the strength of wisdom, the strength of abandonment, the strength of learning, the strength of confident eloquence, the strength of merit, and the strength of practice.
“What is the strength of conviction? It entails that everything the bodhisattva has conviction in is how things turn out to be. The strength of conviction is such that the world with its gods cannot overcome it. This is known as a bodhisattva’s strength of conviction.
“What is a bodhisattva’s strength of discernment? Bodhisattvas quell the arising of attachment by cultivating a sense of unpleasantness. They quell the arising of anger by cultivating love. They quell the arising of dullness by cultivating an understanding of dependent arising. They quell belligerent and unkind statements by reflecting on the knowledge that they are like echoes. They quell killing, bondage, and imprisonment through the knowledge that they are the result of one’s own karma. They quell physical threats, physical harms, and physical hardship through the knowledge that they are like reflected images. In this way, they see a gateway to a bodhisattva’s purification wherever they see a gateway to defilement. This is known as a bodhisattva’s strength of discernment.
3.11
“What is a bodhisattva’s strength of cultivation? Phenomena that are disruptive to the level of dedicated conduct and the level of seeing have no capacity to affect the bodhisattva. Because of that, the world with its gods do not have the capacity to separate the bodhisattva from that seeing, from that path. This is known as a bodhisattva’s strength of cultivation.
“What is a bodhisattva’s strength of patience? When mocked, bodhisattvas do not respond with mockery due to the force of their understanding that it is the same as the sound of an echo. When threatened and beaten, they do not respond with threats and beatings due to the force of their understanding that they are like a reflected image. When abused, they do not respond with abuse due to the force of their understanding that the mind is an illusion. When they meet with anger, they do not respond with anger due to the force of their understanding of inner purity. They are not seduced by worldly phenomena due to the force of their understanding that worldly phenomena are pure. They are not under the sway of any afflictive emotions due to the force of their understanding that dependent arising is pure. Thus, bodhisattvas see the gateway to peace wherever they see a gateway to agitation. This is known as a bodhisattva’s strength of patience.
“What is a bodhisattva’s strength of wisdom? To bodhisattvas, whatever knowledge there is about the aggregates, elements, or sense bases is empty, unarisen, and unceasing. It is the wisdom through which the awakening of buddhahood is achieved. No rival tradition,⁸⁸ no one involved in apprehending things,⁸⁹ nor any māra has the ability to sow doubts about it, even if they take the form of a buddha. This is known as a bodhisattva’s strength of wisdom.
“What is a bodhisattva’s strength of abandonment? If bodhisattvas were living in a certain place, and all the beings approached them and reviled them, defamed them, spoke harshly to them, or even debased the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, they would not be agitated by or be displeased with them.
3.12
They would not feel regret or develop a grudge.⁹⁰ They would not develop a grudge even if their body was chopped into pieces. Rather, they would establish those beings in the Three Jewels. This is known as a bodhisattva’s strength of abandonment.
“What is a bodhisattva’s strength of learning? Bodhisattvas learn a lot, they retain what they learn, become oceans of learning, and accumulate learning. Bodhisattvas are those who possess this kind of strength of learning. Even if every being in the trichiliocosm were to be beset with doubt and approached a bodhisattva, and if each of them asked a question none of the others had and which was attended by a unique doubt, the bodhisattva would instantly answer without the slightest hesitation. Even if that bodhisattva were questioned for a hundred or a thousand eons, they would speak as needed. This is known as a bodhisattva’s strength of learning.
“What is a bodhisattva’s strength of confident eloquence? Were a bodhisattva to teach the Dharma to and advance the learning⁹¹ of an audience of many millions upon billions, that bodhisattva would teach the Dharma according to the needs of each being without thinking or conceptualizing. Even then, the meaning of the Dharma they taught would not be lost, not a word would be lost, they would not repeat a single word, there would be no obstacles, and the teaching would not be disrupted. This is known as a bodhisattva’s strength of confident eloquence.
“What is a bodhisattva’s strength of merit? Whether a bodhisattva lives beneath a tree, in a monastery, or in an empty house, all māras and their hosts who approach and assault them in order to create obstacles and cause harm will instead be driven mad with fear and disperse.
3.13
They know that they are helpless and flee. The fall of their blades, spears, tridents, stones, and axes will become, through the blessings of the bodhisattva’s merit, a fall of mandārava flowers, campaka flowers,⁹² and jasmine flowers,⁹³ water lilies and lotuses, and the māras’ rough, harsh words will sound like praise to the bodhisattva. The six sense objects never appear unpleasant to the bodhisattva, and all manner of wondrous things spring from space with just a thought. Through the power of a bodhisattva’s merit, all manner of wondrous things spring from the sky treasury and the jewel-in-hand, so that they become a support for all beings. Through the power of their merit, the jewel-in-hand lasts for the eons that constitute their lives, but even saying this does not easily capture the full extent of the strength of a bodhisattva’s merit. This is what is known as a bodhisattva’s strength of merit.
“What is a bodhisattva’s strength of practice? A bodhisattva’s strength of practice has ten types: the practice of generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditative stability, insight, skillful means, aspiration, strength, and wisdom. These are known as a bodhisattva’s ten types of practice. Any of a bodhisattva’s practices that involve the perfections should be included among these ten practices.
“What is a bodhisattva’s practice of generosity? There is no object of generosity that a bodhisattva should not offer to beings, apart from that which will cause beings harm.
3.14
The mind of a bodhisattva giving generously is not easy to trust, much less understand, by anyone other than thus-gone ones and bodhisattvas who have attained acceptance. This is known as a bodhisattva’s practice of generosity.
“What is a bodhisattva’s practice of discipline? A bodhisattva’s practice of discipline has ten types: they practice the discipline of the śrāvaka vows, the discipline of the pratyekabuddha vows, the discipline of the bodhisattva vows, the discipline that includes all virtuous dharmas, the discipline of not giving up the search for a spiritual friend, the discipline of vowing to uphold the sublime Dharma, the discipline of vowing to always fulfill the aims of others, the discipline of vowing to ripen to awakening, the discipline of vowing to always remain in meditative composure, and the discipline of vowing to be patient in overcoming the nexus of habitual patterns. Bodhisattvas possess nonconceptual discipline. The practice of their discipline is not easy to understand for anyone but the omniscient. This is known as a bodhisattva’s practice of discipline.
“What is a bodhisattva’s practice of patience? A bodhisattva’s practice of patience has three types: the patience of enduring suffering, the patience of tolerating the harm inflicted by others, and the patience of comprehending phenomena.⁹⁴ The patience of enduring suffering refers to acting with the knowledge that suffering is the result of one’s own karma. The patience of tolerating the harm inflicted by others refers to acting with love toward all beings, as if they were one’s only child.
3.15
The patience of comprehending phenomena refers to acting with the knowledge that all phenomena are unarisen. These are the three types of a bodhisattva’s patience. The practice of these types of patience is known as a bodhisattva’s practice of patience.
“What is a bodhisattva’s practice of diligence? In order to accomplish virtuous qualities in any situation and in any way, they apply the following perspective when engaged in the relevant practice: ‘I will accomplish this virtuous quality for all beings.’ This is known as a bodhisattva’s practice of diligence.
“What is a bodhisattva’s practice of meditative stability? Bodhisattvas do not apprehend any phenomena that are not in a state of meditative composure. For them, all phenomena are naturally in a state of equipoise. Bodhisattvas are at peace, free from the mind and the mind consciousness, and experience the attainment that is unarisen, unceasing, and unwavering. They do not think, ‘I have meditative composure; others are distracted.’ They do not apprehend another samādhi that liberates from self and other. This undiminished diligence for accomplishing awakening is a bodhisattva’s practice of meditative stability.
“What is a bodhisattva’s practice of insight? They do not apprehend any phenomena that fall outside the scope of dependent arising, or of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, or that fall outside the scope of space. This undiminished diligence for awakening and ripening beings is a bodhisattva’s practice of insight.
“What is a bodhisattva’s practice of skillful means?
3.16
It is that mode of conduct in which they themselves continually protect themselves while not conceptually fixating on a self. It is their continuous efforts to ripen beings while not conceptually fixating on beings. It is their continual guarding of the senses while not conceptually fixating on the afflictive emotions. Though forms that are not even slightly different than a buddha’s form do not appear to them, they continually wish to see a buddha. Though sounds that are not sounds of the Dharma do not ring out to them, they are continually unsatiated by the Dharma they hear. They do not conceptually fixate on saṃsāra, but continually fear saṃsāra. They do not conceptually fixate on nirvāṇa, but they give away all their wealth in order to realize nirvāṇa. They do not conceptually fixate on the Buddha or awakening, but they strive to make hundreds of thousands of aspirations to realize the awakening of buddhahood. This is known as a bodhisattva’s practice of skillful means.
“What is a bodhisattva’s practice of aspiration? Bodhisattvas do not observe any phenomena that decrease or increase, and yet they rejoice in the roots of virtue of all beings and dedicate them to unsurpassable, completely perfect awakening. They first share their own roots of virtue with all beings, and then dedicate them to unsurpassable, completely perfect awakening by saying, ‘May I perfectly and completely awaken to unsurpassable, completely perfect awakening. May my buddhafield be like this. May my perfect assembly be like that.’ These aspirations of theirs will be perfectly fulfilled; they will not go unfulfilled. Their discipline will not be broken, weaken, break down, or be contaminated. It will be praised and protected by the wise.
3.17
Bodhisattvas mentally fulfill their aspirations by maintaining this discipline. This is known as a bodhisattva’s practice of aspiration.
“What is a bodhisattva’s practice of strength ? Even if someone were to take the form of a buddha and then approach a bodhisattva and try to turn them away from awakening to buddhahood, turn them away from their intention, and to separate them from it, the bodhisattva would not turn away from their intention. They would call to mind awakening and the seat of awakening, and would actualize the taming of Māra, turning the wheel of Dharma, and the experience of great compassion. Bodhisattvas will not get angry even when beings try to turn them away from their intention, separate them from it, or reverse their course. Instead, they will feel great love and great compassion for them. The strength of their faith, diligence, mindfulness, and samādhi will not falter. Therefore, due to the strength of such irreversibility, they will set and establish an infinite, incalculable number of beings in the awakening of buddhahood. This is known as a bodhisattva’s practice of strength.
“What is a bodhisattva’s practice of wisdom? Bodhisattvas think, ‘There is no birth, death, or old age here. These are just the way of phenomena. They are free of “I” and “mine.” ’ Thinking this, they perfectly understand exactly how things are. Through exactly this strength of wisdom they establish an infinite, incalculable number of beings in that strength of wisdom. No being has the capacity to turn them away from this basic reality and set them in worldly ways. This is known as a bodhisattva’s practice of wisdom.
“These are the ten types of practices. This concludes the ten strengths of a bodhisattva.
3.18
“What are a bodhisattva’s ten types of knowledge? Knowledge of suffering; knowledge of the origin; knowledge of cessation; knowledge of the path; knowledge of the phenomena associated with suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path; knowledge of the aggregates; knowledge of the elements; knowledge of the sense bases; knowledge of the past and future; and knowledge of the path and its results. These are a bodhisattva’s ten types of knowledge.
“What is knowledge of suffering? It is to know suffering in terms of suffering, suffering in terms of its origin, suffering in terms of its cessation, and suffering in terms of the path. Additionally, it is to know suffering as empty, suffering as signless, suffering as wishless, and suffering as dependently originated. It is to know that this birth in the world is suffering. Knowing ignorance, craving, and grasping is to know suffering. This is what is known as knowledge of suffering.
“What is knowledge of the origin? Knowing that through which suffering originates is knowledge of the origin. Knowing that origin to be suffering itself is knowledge of the origin. Knowing craving is also knowledge of the origin. This is what is known as knowledge of the origin.
“What is knowledge of cessation? It is knowing that which does not pass away in the previous life, that which does not arise in the next life, and that which is not present in between. Additionally, it is knowing that phenomena from the past are not subject to cessation, and that phenomena that arise in the future and present also are not subject to cessation. This is what is known as knowledge of cessation.
“What is knowledge of the path? It is the knowledge that seeks out the knowledge of suffering, the knowledge of its origin, and the knowledge of its cessation, and is the knowledge that brings about attainment.
3.19
This is what is known as knowledge of the path.
“What is knowledge of the phenomena associated with suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path? A bodhisattva thinks, ‘Anything associated with suffering, its origin, its cessation of suffering, and the path is nothing more than a conventional phenomenon.’ This is what is known as knowledge of the phenomena associated with suffering; this is what is known as knowledge of the phenomena associated with its origin, its cessation, and the path.
“What is knowledge of the aggregates? It is knowing the aggregates to be like an illusion and a dream. It is knowing them as conglomerates, as aggregations, and knowing them to be something amassed. This is known as knowledge of the aggregates. Furthermore, the aggregate of form is known to be like foam, the aggregate of sensation is known to be like a water bubble, the aggregate of perception is known to be like a mirage, the aggregate of formations is known to be like a plantain tree, and the aggregate of consciousness is known to be like an illusion. This is known as knowledge of the aggregates.
“What is knowledge of the elements? The element of earth is the expanse of phenomena, and the expanse of phenomena is not solid. Similarly, the element of water is the expanse of phenomena, and the expanse of phenomena is not wet. The element of fire is the expanse of phenomena, and the expanse of phenomena is not hot. The element of wind is the expanse of phenomena, and the expanse of phenomena does not move. This kind of knowledge is known as knowledge of the elements.
“Furthermore, knowledge of the subtle, knowledge of the coarse, knowledge of small, and knowledge of the root of all phenomena are known as knowledge of the elements.
“Furthermore, knowledge of suffering, knowledge of its origin, knowledge of its cessation, and knowledge of the path are known as knowledge of the elements.
“Furthermore, there are two types of elements, compounded elements and uncompounded elements. Knowing the compounded and uncompounded is knowledge of the elements.
“Furthermore, the elements of the eye, form, and visual consciousness are the expanse of phenomena,
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but the expanse of phenomena is not the eye, material substance, or consciousness in essence. The elements of the ear, sound, and ear consciousness are the expanse of phenomena, but the expanse of phenomena is not the subjective experience of sound, objective sound, or auditory consciousness in essence. The elements of the nose, smell, and olfactory consciousness are the expanse of phenomena, but the expanse of phenomena is not smelling, smell, or its consciousness. The elements of the tongue, taste, and gustatory consciousness are the expanse of phenomena, but the expanse of phenomena is not within the domain of the tongue, it is not the experience of flavor, and it is not obtained through gustatory consciousness. The elements of the body, texture, and body consciousness are the expanse of phenomena, but the expanse of phenomena does not have the characteristics of mass, touch, or of being mirage-like. The elements of mind, mental phenomena, and mental consciousness are the expanse of phenomena, but the expanse of phenomena does not have the characteristics of arising, persisting, or being destroyed. That which is understood in this way is known as a bodhisattva’s knowledge of the elements.
“What is a bodhisattva’s knowledge of the sense bases? The sense bases are known to be extensive, all-encompassing, difficult, binding, painful, perishable, flowing, uniting, and fettering. This knowledge of the sense bases is known as a bodhisattva’s knowledge of the sense bases.
“Furthermore, the sense bases are known as an empty village. An empty village, analogously, does not itself think, ‘I am an empty village.’ In the same way, the sense bases do not themselves think, ‘We are sense bases.’ To understand in this way is known as a bodhisattva’s knowledge of the sense bases.
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“Furthermore, a bodhisattva thinks, ‘The twelve sense bases—the sense bases of the eye and form, the ear and sound, the nose and smell, the tongue and taste, the body and texture, and the mind and mental phenomena—are all nothing more than that. They do not have notions of “I” and “mine.” ’ To understand in this way is known as a bodhisattva’s knowledge of the sense bases.
“What is a bodhisattva’s knowledge of the past and future? It is knowing that nothing has departed in the past and nothing will come in the future. This is known as knowledge of the past and future. Additionally, the bodhisattva knows that the past is gone and nothing will be created in the future. This, child of good family, is a bodhisattva’s knowledge of the past and future.
“What is knowledge of the path and its result? Knowledge of the six perfections is knowledge of the path. Knowing the ten bodhisattva levels and the level of a thus-gone one is knowledge of the result. Knowing all this is a bodhisattva’s knowledge of the path and its result.
“Child of good family, these are the ten types of knowledge of bodhisattvas.
“Child of good family, bodhisattvas should understand the force of attaining the ripening of the undefiled virtues through these ten approaches to the way of the Dharma.”
Once this pronouncement of the Dharma had been made, the seventy-six thousand bodhisattvas with prior training attained acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena.
The bodhisattva Mativikrama then addressed the bodhisattva Nirārambha: “Child of good family, please eloquently describe the Dharma of the bodhisattvas that involves the perfections.
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For what purpose? Child of good family, an account of the perfections is the most eminent kind of account. Thus, child of good family, what are the perfections? How are they described?”
The bodhisattva Nirārambha responded to the bodhisattva Mativikrama, “Child of good family, the perfections are the perfection of generosity, the perfection of discipline, the perfection of patience, the perfection of diligence, the perfection of meditative stability, the perfection of insight, the perfection of skillful means, the perfection of aspiration, the perfection of strength, and the perfection of wisdom. Child of good family, these are the perfections.
“These perfections can be described as follows. Generosity without conceit is the perfection of generosity; the failure to continuously give away all wealth is not. Discipline without conceit is the perfection of discipline; the failure to take up all aspects of discipline, training, and the austere practices, and the failure to reduce one’s possessions, is not. Patience without conceit is the perfection of patience; the failure to remain patient and gentle is not. Diligence without conceit is the perfection of diligence; the failure to constantly perfect all roots of virtue is not. Meditative stability without conceit is the perfection of meditative stability; being continuously irresolute is not. Insight without conceit is the perfection of insight; failure to be energetic in the quest for learning is not. Skillful means without conceit is the perfection of skillful means;
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failure to appear among both rival communities and those beings who seek to cultivate the roots of virtue is not. Aspirations made without conceit is the perfection of aspiration; to share access to the various roots of virtue of oneself and all beings, and then to not dedicate it to unsurpassable, completely perfect awakening, is not. Strength without conceit is the perfection of strength; the failure of those with the forms of Nārāyaṇa and Vajrapāṇi to tame beings who are puffed up with pride, arrogance, and haughtiness is not. Wisdom without conceit is the perfection of wisdom; the failure to engage in any arts, expertise,⁹⁵ or profession is not. Child of good family, this describes the Dharma of the bodhisattvas that involves the perfections.
“Furthermore, child of good family, bodhisattvas also do not hope for any result, and yet strive to give away all material goods in every way. They form no concepts about discipline, and yet will not violate their training even at the cost of their life. They are fundamentally unshakeable, and yet they loathe maliciousness even while not getting angry. They have no desire, and yet they strive for all roots of virtue. They are nonconceptual, and yet are dedicated to meditative stability and the higher cognitions. They have absolutely no doubts about anything, and yet dedicatedly apply themselves to study, reflection, and meditation. They do not seek anything at all, and yet apprehend all the various roots of virtue. Their minds remain nowhere, and yet all their aspirations are accomplished. They have defeated pride, arrogance, and haughtiness, and yet they have attained an unbreakable body that is hard like a diamond. They know all treatises, and yet⁹⁶ they seek out teachers and masters.
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This, child of good family, describes the Dharma of the bodhisattvas that involves the perfections.
“Furthermore, child of good family, bodhisattvas delight in generosity while engaging harmoniously with stingy beings. They delight in discipline while engaging harmoniously with beings who have poor discipline. They delight in patience while engaging harmoniously with beings whose minds have been corrupted by maliciousness. They delight in diligence while engaging harmoniously with beings who are lazy and who have little or no diligence. They delight in meditative stability while engaging harmoniously with beings whose minds have been corrupted by the distractions of many activities. They delight in insight while engaging harmoniously with dimwitted beings who are innately dull like sheep and who are always faithless. They delight in skillful means while not getting involved in any activity at all. They delight in aspirations while engaging harmoniously with beings who are depressed by saṃsāra. They delight in strength while engaging harmoniously with beings who are weak and powerless. They delight in wisdom while engaging harmoniously with those beings who find joy in saṃsāra. This, child of good family, describes the Dharma of the bodhisattvas that involves the perfections.
“Furthermore, child of good family, bodhisattvas attain the jewel-in-hand and the sky treasury through the perfection of generosity. They transcend lower states of rebirth, gain power over transmigration and birth, and attain a noble mind through the perfection of discipline. They attain the body of a thus-gone one—well-adorned with the major and minor marks and impossible to look away from—through the perfection of patience. They attain the swift higher cognitions and mastery over all phenomena through the perfection of diligence. They attain a pleasant body and mind, dhāraṇī, confident eloquence, and the abandonment of the obscuration of the afflictive emotions through the perfection of meditative stability.
3.25
They attain fearlessness and the four correct discernments through the perfection of insight. They attain ease and irreproachability in physical, verbal, and mental actions through the perfection of skillful means. They attain the ability, in every life, to recall their previous lives, to go wherever they wish, and to take joy in whatever they wish through the perfection of aspiration. They will not be overcome by any afflictive emotion, māra, or adversary and will achieve eminence through the perfection of strength. They will reach transcendence over the māras of the aggregates, death, the afflictive emotions, and the divine māra through the perfection of wisdom. This, child of good family, describes the Dharma of the bodhisattvas that involves the perfections.
“Furthermore, child of good family, bodhisattva praise generosity but do not arrogantly think, ‘I am pure because of generosity.’ In the same way, they praise discipline, patience, diligence, meditative stability, insight, skillful means, aspirations, strength, and wisdom, but do not arrogantly think, ‘I am pure because of wisdom.’ Why? Because these things should be abandoned once they are achieved. They all arise through conceptual designation, and any conceptual designation, any phenomena that arise through conceptual designation, should be abandoned. That is why bodhisattvas do not arrogantly think, ‘I am pure because of phenomena that are conceptual designations and that arise through conceptual designation.’ Instead, bodhisattvas reach completely perfect awakening upon attaining wisdom by means of referents that are nonconceptual and conceptually unelaborate.”
Mativikrama asked, “Child of good family, what words describe this phenomenon called awakening?”
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The bodhisattva Nirārambha replied, “Child of good family, the words ‘nonconceptual and conceptually unelaborate’ describe awakening. The conceptual elaboration of grasping at an ‘I’ is not awakening. Quieting the grasping at an ‘I’ and being conceptually unelaborate is awakening. The conceptual elaboration of grasping at ‘mine’ is not awakening. Quieting the grasping at ‘mine’ and being conceptually unelaborate is awakening. The conceptual elaborations of old age, sickness, death, and the continuity of suffering are not awakening. Quieting the concepts of old age, sickness, death, and the continuity of suffering, and being conceptually unelaborate, is awakening. The conceptual elaborations of stinginess, poor discipline, maliciousness, laziness, distraction, and faulty insight are not awakening. Conceptually unelaborate generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditative stability, and insight are awakening. The conceptual elaborations of view, concept, and aspiration are not awakening. Emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, and being conceptually unelaborate are awakening.
“Furthermore, all phenomena are awakening, and all phenomena are not awakening.”
Mativikrama then asked, “By what calculation are all phenomena both awakening and not awakening?”
Nirārambha replied, “Understanding the equality of all phenomena and the suchness of all phenomena is awakening. The fixation of grasping at ‘I’ and ‘mine’ in relation to any phenomena is not awakening.
“Furthermore, child of good family, that which is known as awakening is described by the word quiescence, and quiescence is a word that describes the suchness of all phenomena.”
“Child of good family, what suchness is it that the word suchness describes?” asked Mativikrama.
Nirārambha replied, “Child of good family, the suchness indicated by the word suchness is another word for emptiness. This emptiness⁹⁷ does not arise or cease.”
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Mativikrama then said, “If the Blessed One indeed⁹⁸ said, ‘All phenomena are empty,’ then no phenomena arise or cease.”
The bodhisattva Nirārambha replied, “Child of good family, that is exactly how it is. Just as you understand it, no phenomena arise or cease.”
Mativikrama then asked, “When the Blessed One said, ‘All compounded phenomena arise and cease,’ what did the Thus-Gone One intend?”
“Child of good family,” replied Nirārambha, “people in the world fixate on arising and ceasing. Therefore, the deeply compassionate Thus-Gone One sought to soothe the fear of such worldly people by speaking conventionally about arising and ceasing even though there are absolutely no phenomena that arise or cease.⁹⁹ Therefore, child of good family, bodhisattvas should know the Buddha, the phenomena associated with a buddha, beings, the phenomena associated with a being, the self, and the phenomena associated with the self.”
The bodhisattva great being Nirārambha then made those same points in verse:
“What is the nature
Of the Buddha’s origin,
The Buddha, and the Buddha’s qualities,
Known to a vigilant bodhisattva?
“The Buddha, supreme knower of the world,
Is a collection of undefiled virtues.
He arises through the wishes of beings
And takes birth through previous karmic formations.
“Perfect are the heroic,
Who have realized buddhahood.¹⁰⁰
They know everything;
They understand everything.
“No one can grant buddhahood,
Nor can anyone hold on to it.
The word buddha is said of those
Who are buddhas through knowing the features of the self.
“Those who innately know the self
To be nothing more than perception
Know what a buddha is like,
As well as the nature of awakening.
“All beings are mere perceptions,
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And are described through conceptual constructs.
The terms illusion, dream, and the like
Are well known to bodhisattvas.
“If someone were to wonder,
‘How is this way understood?’
They should know that meditative composure
Tames the horses of the senses.
“Then there is neither foe nor friend,
No purpose or lack of purpose,
And no rejecting or clinging—
Such is this Dharma discourse.
“True words about all phenomena
Are called a discourse on phenomena.
Words about them that are not true
Are called flawed Dharma.¹⁰¹
“The qualities of attachment and nonattachment
Are seen as equal by those who are pure.
Such is also the case for anger and dullness—
This is a discourse on phenomena.
“One who, for the benefit of all beings,
Has donned the armor of intrinsic compassion
Does not see any being
Who is not empty of innate nature.
“Those who know the basic nature as such,
And have reached the state of fearlessness
About what is always entirely stainless,
Will come to realize buddhahood.
“A skilled magician will, for example,
Try to release their magical creations.
They know them to be magic from the start,
And so have no attachment to them.
“An awakened wise person
Knows the three worlds to be like a magical creation.
They don armor to serve beings,
Knowing them to be such from the start.¹⁰²
“They see the self as imperfect,
And beings as empty by nature.
Seeing that phenomena are omnipresent,
They reach acceptance and remain in that state.
“There is nothing at all to accept,
And there is nothing at all to reject.
A brahmin is one who maintains that state,
In which there is no accepting or rejecting.¹⁰³
“When someone rests with an even disposition
In the perfect expanse of phenomena,
The buddhas will prophesy
That they will be a perfect buddha.
“When I cast aside
The stains of seeing,
Just as the buddhas predicted,
The victors made their prophesy.
“Resting in the unobscured expanse,
First 28 of 30 passages. Read on
Linked texts (1)
- འཕགས་པ་ཆོས་ཡང་དག་པར་སྡུད་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ — Classical Tibetan