འཕགས་པ་ཆས་ཡང་དག་པར་སྡད་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 6
The Dharma Council 6
- Language
- English
6.2
“Blessed One, the Dharma comes from those who delight in generosity not from those who are stingy. It comes from those who have discipline, not from those with poor discipline. It comes from those who have patience, not from those who are malicious. It comes from those instilled with diligence, not from those who are lazy. It comes from those with focused minds, not from those who are distracted. It comes from those with insight, not from those with faulty insight. It comes from those who are learned, not from those who have not studied much. It comes from those who strive to maintain appropriate attentiveness, not from those whose minds are filled with ill intention. It comes from those who engage in positive actions, not from those who engage in negative actions. It comes from those who take joy in elegant statements, not from those who delight in the intrigues of materialist doctrines. It comes from those who delight in emptiness, not from those who are obscured by their belief in another view. It comes from those who pursue training, not from those who pursue book learning.
“Furthermore, Blessed One, there is the Dharma of those who pursue training. What is that training? Blessed One, all training can be subsumed within the three trainings. What are those three? Training in higher discipline, higher intention, and higher insight. Blessed One, a bodhisattva great being who trains in these trainings trains in the entire Great Vehicle.
“Blessed One, what is a bodhisattva great being’s training in higher discipline?
6.3
Bodhisattvas are bound by the prātimokṣa vow, but they do not think the prātimokṣa is itself sufficient. They adhere to the bodhisattva vow. Bodhisattvas perfectly observe the prescriptions and perspectives, but they do not think those prescriptions and perspectives are themselves sufficient. They also adhere to the prescriptions and perspectives of a bodhisattva. They are apprehensive of the most subtle disgraceful act, but also rely on the wisdom of a bodhisattva. What is the wisdom of a bodhisattva? Bodhisattvas are not scared or fearful of karma or the afflictive emotions because they understand the basic truth of all phenomena. They understand the basic truth of a bodhisattva. What is the perspective of a bodhisattva? Bodhisattvas take the perspective of emptiness; they do not take a conceptual, contrived, or fabricated perspective. They train in the basic precepts upon acceptance. To say they ‘train upon acceptance’ means that they train after accepting the equality of emptiness. To say they ‘train in the basic precepts upon acceptance’ means that they train after accepting the equality of signlessness, the equality of wishlessness, the equality of the unconditioned, and the equality of that which does not arise or appear. Blessed One, a bodhisattva also thinks, ‘I should establish beings in the discipline of the prātimokṣa vows.’ This is a bodhisattva’s training in higher discipline.
“What is a bodhisattva’s training in higher intention? It is training in the eight liberations. A bodhisattva thinks,
6.4
‘I will help all beings succeed in the training of higher intention.’ This is a bodhisattva’s training in higher intention.
“What is a bodhisattva’s training in higher insight? It is the training in the eighteen aspects of emptiness. A bodhisattva thinks, ‘I should help all beings understand the eighteen aspects of emptiness.’ This is a bodhisattva’s training in higher insight. These three trainings constitute the complete training of a bodhisattva.
“Furthermore, Blessed One, a bodhisattva who guards beings guards discipline.¹⁷² Bodhisattvas who guard discipline are not conceited about their discipline, and thus use their discipline to fulfill the intentions of all beings.
“Blessed One, bodhisattvas are predisposed to release, and they are not attached to any kind of grasping; bodhisattvas are predisposed to solitude, and they are not attached to any kind of entertainment; bodhisattvas are predisposed to inner composure, and they are not attached to any kind of activity; bodhisattvas are predisposed to meditative concentration, and they are not attached to any sense objects; bodhisattvas are predisposed to liberation, and they are not attached to any states of rebirth; and bodhisattvas are predisposed to listening to the Dharma, and they are not attached to any worldly tales. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to teaching the Dharma; they teach the Dharma after traveling a hundred yojanas and do not grow weary. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to upholding the sublime Dharma; they are not wearied by any suffering or by any mistaken, troubling views.
6.5
Bodhisattvas are predisposed to the mind set on awakening; they work to benefit all beings, not for their own benefit. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to good intentions; they think that they should first seek the awakening of all beings, not their own. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to higher intentions; they become rich through the perfection of other beings’ purposes, not through the perfection of their own. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to practice; they are not wearied but excited about taking incalculable eons to perfect each and every virtue associated with the factors of awakening. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to generosity; they will even give up their head, the most excellent of limbs, and use it to benefit beings. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to discipline; they will not forsake beings with poor discipline. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to patience; they do not fear any māra. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to diligence; they do not grow weary while achieving awakening for all beings. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to meditative concentration; they are not disturbed by any sounds or the need to act. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to insight; they see all phenomena as equal to a buddha’s awakening. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to emptiness; they do not remain in saṃsāra. Bodhisattvas are predisposed to great compassion; they do not pass into nirvāṇa.
“Blessed One, I wonder if this is a discourse on the Dharma? Blessed One do you consider my discourse on the Dharma to be in accord with those already given?”
The Blessed One replied, “Rāhula, your Dharma discourse is in accord.”
6.6
The venerable Upāli next addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, bodhisattvas who have tamed themselves will, for the sake of taming other beings, not grow weary of taming beings for as long as there is still a realm of beings, an expanse of phenomena, and conceptual designations made though the imputations of desire, anger, and dullness. A bodhisattva thinks, ‘All phenomena are well tamed, but this is not something beings understand.’ Why? All phenomena are tamed through emptiness; they are not involved with adopted views or any kind of effort. All phenomena are tamed through signlessness; they are not involved with concepts or actions. All phenomena are tamed through wishlessness; they are not involved with hope or aspiration. All phenomena are tamed through selflessness; they are not involved with attachment.
“All phenomena are tamed though the lack of ‘being’; they are not involved with differences among beings. All phenomena are tamed through the lack of lifeforce; they are not subject to passing away or being born. All phenomena are tamed through truth; they are not subject to anything deceptive. All phenomena are tamed through dependent arising; they are not subject to ownership. All phenomena are tamed through the recollections of mindfulness; they are not subject to memory or mental engagement. All phenomena are tamed through correct relinquishment; they are not subject to acceptance and rejection. All phenomena are tamed through the bases of miraculous power; they are not subject to coming and going. All phenomena are tamed through mastery; they are not subject to being inferior. All phenomena are tamed through strength; they are not subject to defeat.
6.7
All phenomena are tamed through the branches of awakening; they are not subject to a lack of knowledge. All phenomena are tamed through the path; they are not subject to negative actions or negative thoughts. All phenomena are tamed through the ten strengths; they are not subject to habitual patterns. All phenomena are tamed through fearlessness; they are not subject to fear or fright. All phenomena are tamed through being complete; they are not subject to any kind of effort.
“All phenomena are tamed through wisdom; they are not subject to ignorance.¹⁷³ All phenomena are tamed through the lack of a creator; they are not subject to formation. Because all phenomena are not conceptually apprehended, they are not subject to consciousness. Because all phenomena lack mind, they are not subject to name and form. Because all phenomena have no basis, they are not subject to the six sense bases. Because all phenomena are nondual, they are not subject to contact. Because all phenomena lack cognition,¹⁷⁴ they are not subject to sensation. Because all phenomena lack a sense of ‘I,’ they are not subject to craving. Because all phenomena lack active capacity, they are not subject to grasping. Because all phenomena lack physical embodiment, they are not subject to becoming. Because all phenomena do not die, they are not subject to birth. Because all phenomena have a core essence, they are not subject to old age. Because all phenomena are inexhaustible, they are not subject to death.
“Blessed One, this is the unobscured path of bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas who follow this path cannot be assailed by any māra, chastened by any opponent, or affected by any afflictive emotion. They are praised by all the buddhas and revered by all the gods.
6.8
Blessed One, bodhisattva great beings who are equipped with such wisdom are said to have discovered a great treasury of the Dharma. They are said to not want for anything. They are said to be steadfast in the eyes of the thus-gone ones. They are said to bear the treasure of all the thus-gone ones. They are said to have completed their work, accomplished their tasks, and fulfilled their aims. They are said to be as vast as the ocean and as unwavering as Mount Sumeru.
“Blessed One, I wonder if this is a discourse on the Dharma? Blessed One, do you consider my discourse on the Dharma to be in accord with those already given?”
The Blessed One replied, “Upāli, your Dharma discourse is in accord. A bodhisattva great being can attain perfect awakening by relying on this Dharma discourse.”
The venerable Ānanda next addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, upholding the sublime Dharma is the main duty of bodhisattvas. A bodhisattva who strives to uphold the sublime Dharma is a bodhisattva who pleases the buddhas. Why? For the buddhas, the Dharma is paramount. Blessed One, what does it mean to uphold the sublime Dharma? Bodhisattvas uphold the sublime Dharma by giving instructions on, chanting, and reflecting on the words and meaning of the profound sūtras spoken by the thus-gone ones. Blessed One, bodhisattvas also uphold the sublime Dharma by upholding its practice. What do bodhisattvas practice? Blessed One, bodhisattvas engage in any action of body, speech, and mind while being attentive to all beings.
6.9
These actions are based in great compassion¹⁷⁵ and are governed by great compassion.¹⁷⁶ This is the basis for establishing the benefit of beings, and proceeds from the highest intention to bring happiness and benefit to all beings. With this kind of intention to be of benefit, bodhisattvas adopt the perspective, ‘I will practice those practices that bring benefit and happiness to all beings.’ They practice with the awareness that the aggregates are illusory, but do not try to reject the aggregates. They practice with the awareness that the elements are like a venomous snake, but do not try to reject the elements. They practice with the awareness that the sense bases are like an empty town, but do not try to reject the sense bases.¹⁷⁷
“Similarly, they practice with the awareness that forms are like drifts of foam, but do not reject accomplishing the form body of the thus-gone ones. They practice with the awareness that sensations are like bubbles, but do not cease making effort in the methods of practicing the bliss of the Thus-Gone One’s meditative concentration, samādhi, and meditative composure. They practice with the awareness that perceptions are like a mirage, but do not cease to practice the Thus-Gone One’s wisdom. They practice with the awareness that karmic formations are like a plantain tree, but do not cease to practice the cultivation of the Buddha’s Dharma. They practice with the awareness that consciousness is illusory, but do not cease to practice the actions of body, speech, and mind that are based in wisdom.
“Through generosity, bodhisattvas practice not hoping for reward. Through discipline, they practice protecting beings with poor discipline. Through patience, they practice restraint and calm. Through diligence they practice every practice of the virtuous Dharma.
6.10
Through meditative stability, they practice every suitable action of body and mind. Through insight, they practice the illumination of all phenomena.
“Through the applications of mindfulness, bodhisattvas practice steadiness. Through the correct abandonments, they practice stainlessness in body and mind. Through the bases of miraculous power, they practice the wisdom that is free of attachment. Through the powers, they practice the supreme vehicle. Through the ten strengths, they practice the irreversibility of a bodhisattva. Through the branches of awakening, they practice being free of doubt. Through the path, they practice being irreproachable. Through the brahmā states, they practice being righteous.
“Furthermore, Blessed One, bodhisattvas who cultivate emptiness uphold the sublime Dharma. For them, emptiness is not conceptual. Blessed One, those who take joy in conceptuality do not take joy in upholding the sublime Dharma. Emptiness is signless. Blessed One, those who involve themselves in signlessness uphold the sublime Dharma, while those who involve themselves with signs do not uphold the sublime Dharma. Emptiness puts an end to wishes. Blessed One, those who are involved with wishlessness uphold the sublime Dharma, while those who maintain aspirations do not uphold the sublime Dharma.
“Blessed One, those who have conceptual fixation do not uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who grasp at ‘I’ and ‘mine’ do not uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who have strong pride do not uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who are interested in gain, respect, and fame do not uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who are jealous and stingy do not uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who have abundant¹⁷⁸ desire, maliciousness, and violent tendencies do not uphold the sublime Dharma.
6.11
“Blessed One, those bodhisattvas who do not perceive differences among beings uphold the sublime Dharma. Blessed One, those who recognize that phenomena do not arise or cease uphold the sublime Dharma. Blessed One, those who recognize that beings neither come nor go uphold the sublime Dharma. Blessed One, those who recognize that the self is neither defiled nor pure uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who are neither attached to the Dharma teachings of the buddhas nor hostile to the teachings of non-Buddhist rivals uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who uphold the eighty-four thousand Dharma teachings but do not perceive them as the Dharma uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who do not innately experience any of the afflictive emotions, secondary afflictive emotions, or evil and nonvirtuous qualities, and yet do not perceive them as non-Dharma, uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who lack the conceit of thinking, ‘My mind is liberated,’¹⁷⁹ even though their mind is liberated, uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who render service to all buddhas but are not rigid in body, speech, or mind uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who have mastered all phenomena but do not get involved in perceptions of Dharma or non-Dharma uphold the sublime Dharma.
“Those who do not act to either hold on to or abandon phenomena uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who do not act to either attain or actualize something uphold the sublime Dharma.
6.12
Those who do not mentally fixate on any kind of upholding uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who are not ordinary people, in training, arhats, or who do not exist in any other state, but have exhausted their desire, anger, and dullness, uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who are prophesied to awaken, but do not aspire to buddhahood, uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who have reached the seat of awakening, but do not hold any kind of perception about the seat of awakening, uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who have achieved victory over Māra, but do not conceptually fixate on māras and their type, uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who have reached perfect awakening but did not attain any previously unknown qualities uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who turn the wheel of Dharma, but do not engage with or reject beings or the Dharma, uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who defeat people who take non-Buddhist positions, but do not engage in dispute, uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who are born, but are neither young nor old, uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who do not die or expire uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who pass away from the three realms, but do not go anywhere,¹⁸⁰ uphold the sublime Dharma. Those who make all statements, but state nothing, uphold the sublime Dharma. Blessed One, those who are not attached to anything, but do not turn away from anything, uphold the sublime Dharma.
6.13
“Blessed One, I wonder if this is a discourse on the Dharma? Blessed One, do you consider my discourse on the Dharma to be in accord with those already given?”
The Blessed One replied, “Ānanda, your Dharma discourse is in accord.”
After Ānanda spoke this discourse on the Dharma, eighty thousand gods generated the mind set on unsurpassable, completely perfect awakening, thirty-two thousand bodhisattvas attained acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena, and five hundred monks freed their minds from the defilements without further grasping.
The bodhisattva great being Maitreya next addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, consider this example. Taking the grain after discarding its husk is similar to taking up the Dharma after discarding what is not the Dharma. Thus, a bodhisattva takes up generosity after discarding stinginess, takes up discipline after discarding poor discipline, takes up patience after discarding maliciousness, takes up diligence after discarding laziness, takes up meditative stability after discarding distraction, and takes up insight after discarding faulty insight. This is a discourse on the Dharma.
“Furthermore, Blessed One, it is not the Dharma to mentally aspire. One who does not aspire does not cling. One who does not cling is not on guard. One who is not on guard is not defiled. One who is not defiled does not get into conflict. One who does not get into conflict does not endure. One who does not endure is not wounded. One who is not wounded does not engage or reject, and so is irreversible. Blessed One, the thus-gone ones prophesy the unsurpassable, completely perfect awakening of a bodhisattva who is irreversible. This, Blessed One, is the Dharma. This, Blessed One, is a discourse on the Dharma.
6.14
“Furthermore, Blessed One, if bodhisattvas think, ‘I am irreversible and will completely awaken to unsurpassable, completely perfect awakening,’ they are not prophesied by the thus-gone ones. Why? Because, Blessed One, desire is the root of all afflictive emotions. Blessed One, if bodhisattvas are free of desire, they are free of the afflictive emotions. Those who are free of afflictive emotions are prophesied.
“Furthermore, Blessed One, bodhisattvas think, ‘Prophesy is speech that does not accord with the world.’ Why? The one who is prophesied does not exist, and the one who makes the prophesy likewise does not exist. If the one who is prophesied does not exist and the one who makes the prophesy likewise does not exist, where could there be a prophesy? Rather, a prophecy is given to a bodhisattva who thinks that the Blessed One, possessing great compassion, says in accord with the world, “You will become a buddha!” and understands that to be the case.
“Blessed One, consider this example. Even if one magical illusion gives a prophesy to another magical illusion, the second magical illusion does not then think, ‘I have been prophesied to become a buddha.’ Similarly, Blessed One, bodhisattvas are like magical illusions; they do not exist. They think, ‘Awakening is not characterized by attainment, nor by rejection. Awakening is not characterized by arising, nor by ceasing. Awakening is not realized through the body, nor through the mind. Awakening is not internal or external, nor is it observed in between.’ About awakening they think, ‘I am awakened,’ not ‘I am a realized bodhisattva.’
6.15
This kind of thinking, Blessed One, is a discourse on the Dharma.
“Furthermore, Blessed One, bodhisattvas on the bodhisattva level Joyous are neither joyful nor not joyful. On the bodhisattva level Stainless they neither increase nor decrease. On the bodhisattva level Luminous they are not deluded, nor do they see. On the bodhisattva level Radiant they neither abandon nor obtain. On the bodhisattva level Invincible they are not born, nor do they grow old.¹⁸¹ On the bodhisattva level Facing Directly they are neither attached nor without attachment. On the bodhisattva level Far-Reaching they neither go nor return. On the bodhisattva level Immovable they neither move nor stir. On the bodhisattva level Auspicious Intellect¹⁸² they neither accomplish nor perfect. On the bodhisattva level Cloud of Dharma they are not realized, nor do they bring about realization. And on the ground of buddhahood they do everything without undertaking anything. Therefore, it has been said that the Thus-Gone One is spontaneously effective and lacks any conceptual elaboration. Blessed One, this is a discourse on the Dharma.
“Blessed One, bodhisattvas who have this kind of wisdom attain mastery in teaching. Due to their mastery in teaching they are not attached to any statement. They attain mastery in purification, through which they are completely undefiled. They attain mastery in confident eloquence, due to which they never tire even after continuously pursuing each and every way of the Dharma and teaching on them for a hundred thousand eons. They attain mastery in wisdom, through which they reveal a hundred thousand points in every word of the Dharma. They attain mastery over birth, through which they take birth anywhere there are beings they can help. They attain mastery in samādhi, through which they achieve meditative attainment in whatever manner they wish in every moment of mind. They attain mastery over support, through which they demonstrate the qualities of buddhahood through any support that is appropriate, be it as a beast, a bird, grass, a tree, or a wall.
6.16
They attain mastery over attendants, through which they will have many dedicated servants. They attain mastery over seeing, due to which they do not see anything unattractive. They attain mastery over hearing, due to which they do not hear anything discordant. They attain mastery over smell, due to which all scents smell like the Dharma itself. They attain mastery over taste, through which they become the food of the Dharma, not material food. They attain mastery over the body, through which they become the body of the Dharma, not the material body. They attain mastery over the mind, through which they understand the minds and behaviors of all beings, down to flies and ants. Blessed One, this is a discourse on the Dharma.”
The bodhisattva Priyadarśana next addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, a bodhisattva should achieve anything that pleases beings the moment they see it. For what reason? Because, Blessed One, there is no other action for a bodhisattva to take other than that which ripens beings. This, Blessed One, is a foundational discourse on the Dharma of a bodhisattva.¹⁸³ Blessed One, a bodhisattva therefore engages with phenomena that bring joy.
“Blessed One, there are four dharmas that bring joy to bodhisattvas. What are the four? Giving without expecting anything in return, speaking pleasantly with a mind that regards all beings equally, dispensing with what is meaningless to beings and pursuing meaningful goals,¹⁸⁴ and aligning themselves with purposes that are innately joyful for beings. These four dharmas bring joy to bodhisattvas.
6.17
“There are another four dharmas that bring joy to bodhisattvas. What are these four? Engaging in a lot of study without being prideful, teaching the Dharma with a mind free of material concerns, revering their master by seeking wisdom, and applying diligence in their efforts to ripen all beings. These four dharmas bring joy to bodhisattvas.
“There are another four dharmas that bring joy to bodhisattvas. What are these four? Giving the Dharma through perfect discipline, living in solitude with few desires, obtaining meditative concentration while living in solitude, and not disrupting their conduct by entering into villages, cities, and market towns. These four dharmas bring joy to bodhisattvas.
“There are another four dharmas that bring joy to bodhisattvas. What are these four? Having confident eloquence by speaking truthfully, expressing emptiness by speaking the Dharma, regarding all beings equally by speaking about patience, and controlling their faculties by speaking about restraint. These four dharmas bring joy to bodhisattvas.
“There are another four dharmas that bring joy to bodhisattvas. What are these four? Speaking sincerely by remaining positive, being content by being satisfied with simple things, being undeceiving by acting in accord with their pronouncements, and being guileless by not deceiving any being. These four dharmas bring joy to bodhisattvas.
“There are another four dharmas that bring joy to bodhisattvas. What are these four? Not being malicious due to their inner calm, not being deluded due to not being mistaken about the external, not being covetous due to realizing the impermanence of all material things, and not being arrogant due to correctly understanding how things are.
6.18
These four dharmas bring joy to bodhisattvas.
“There are another four dharmas that bring joy to bodhisattvas. What are these four? Being profound while speaking sincerely, having no craving while speaking gently and pleasantly, not holding a view while not forsaking the mind intent on awakening, and remaining in the scope of the ultimate while following conventional training. These four dharmas bring joy to bodhisattvas. Blessed One, this is a discourse on the Dharma.
“Furthermore, Blessed One, bodhisattvas find release through the emptiness of the ultimate. They find release through the great higher cognition and through knowledge. They have attained great power, are skilled in Dharma discourse, take joy in the profound Dharma, act in ways that align with all beings, and have qualities that are inconceivable and astonishing. They have acquired the most refined qualities, possess the great higher cognition, are great Dharma reciters, are great kings of the Dharma, engage in great deeds, support great people, and revel in their great higher cognition. In order to ripen beings, they take birth without dying and die without taking birth. Even though they engage in actions, they are perfectly awakened. Their minds are liberated, and yet they still make effort. They have passed into final nirvāṇa, and yet still act. They are satisfied, yet still seek. They do not strive, yet still practice. They know all, yet still pose questions to others.
“Blessed One, it is possible to determine the depths of all the oceans, but it is impossible to determine the depth of the ocean of wisdom about the Great Vehicle possessed by these great beings. Blessed One, it is possible to measure the sky,
6.19
but it impossible to measure the minds of these great beings. Blessed One, it is possible to catch the wind, but it is impossible to act within the scope of these great beings. Blessed One, it is possible to find water in a mirage, but it is impossible to find any clinging to ‘I’ or ‘mine’ in these great beings. Blessed One, this is a discourse on the Dharma.”
The bodhisattva Sunetra next addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, a bodhisattva understands all phenomena by means of the mind set on awakening. How so? Blessed One, it is because all phenomena are nothing more than fabricated concepts. They are nothing more than mind—insubstantial, immaterial, and like an illusion they have no core. They are produced through desire, lacking both a creator and experiencer. They do not persist and are baseless.
Blessed One, all phenomena are beginningless. They are not dual, but they are free of duality. Blessed One, there is no ‘I’ in any phenomena, there is no grasping. There is no governing power in any phenomena; they are equivalent to the expanse of phenomena. All phenomena are adventitious, do not persist, and are free of desire. All phenomena are free of constructs and concepts, and they are free of the elimination of concepts. All phenomena, because they are merely knowable and devoid of a knower, cannot be accepted. Phenomena cannot be taken seriously, but because they can at least be conceived of, ordinary foolish beings perceive a self in them when there is no self.
“A bodhisattva’s generation of the mind set on awakening refers to the mind that is generated when a bodhisattva thinks, ‘I need to understand the fact that beings are perceived where there are no beings.’
6.20
The mind set on awakening is generated based on a mind that seeks to be of benefit to beings, a mind that is positive, unsurpassable, that arises from the expanse of phenomena, and that relies on all the realms of beings. Blessed One, a bodhisattva’s generation of the mind set on awakening refers to the mind that is pacified through the perfection of generosity, that is calmed through the perfection of discipline, that is unwounded due to the perfection of patience, that is irreversible due to the perfection of diligence, that is undistracted due to the perfection of meditative stability , and that is nonconceptual¹⁸⁵ due to the perfection of insight. It refers to the mind that has been made gentle¹⁸⁶ by love, enduring by compassion, free of regrets by joy, and stainless by great equanimity. It refers to the mind made free of greed by generosity. It refers to the mind that, due to pleasant speech, is not obtuse. It refers to the mind in equanimity due to meaningful conduct. It refers to the mind that is unsurpassed because it is consistent with the bodhisattva’s deeds. It refers to the mind that is unchanging due to emptiness, unobscured due to signlessness, and undistracted due to wishlessness. It refers to the mind that is released through the factors of awakening. It refers to the mind that is indivisible due to the recollection of the Buddha, is aligned with the expanse of phenomena due to the recollection of the Dharma, and is wishless due to the recollection of the Saṅgha. It refers to the mind that, by recollecting discipline, does not consider itself superior. It refers to the mind that, by recollecting giving, is not attached. And it refers to the mind that, by recollecting the gods, has mastered the multitude of virtues.
“Blessed One, if I began teaching on the mind set on awakening and continued for an eon or more, I would not reach the end.
6.21
Blessed One, this is what it means that the bodhisattva’s generation of the mind set on awakening arises from unquantifiable causes. Blessed One, a bodhisattva should therefore take hold of all the virtuous qualities that come from the mind set on awakening. Blessed One, this is a discourse on the Dharma.”
The bodhisattva Sujāta next addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, because their root is pure, no phenomena arise. What then is the root of phenomena? The root of phenomena is to be unattached. Blessed One, emptiness is the root of all phenomena; no view concerning them can be adopted. Signlessness is the root of all phenomena; no concepts can be formed about them. Wishlessness is the root of all phenomena; it involves none of the afflictive emotions of those in the three realms. Being unfabricated is the root of all phenomena; there is no creator. The absence of self is the root of all phenomena; views related to the self do not develop. The absence of beings is the root of all phenomena; views related to beings never develop. The absence of a lifeforce is the root of all phenomena; views related to a lifeforce never develop.
“No phenomena arise; eternalist views never develop. No phenomena cease; views of interruption never develop. All phenomena are insubstantial; views about origination never develop. All phenomena are equal to nirvāṇa; views about destruction never develop. All phenomena are awakened; views about the Buddha never develop. All phenomena are uncreated;
6.22
views about the Dharma never develop. No phenomena are gathered; views about the Saṅgha never develop. Blessed One, this is a discourse on the Dharma.”
The bodhisattva Sārthavāha said, “Blessed One, from the very outset bodhisattvas seek the awakening of all beings, not their own.¹⁸⁷ In all that they do for beings they hold no concept of ‘effort’ or ‘beings,’ but they also do not give up their great love and compassion.
“What is the bodhisattvas’ great love? Even as they do not hold the concept of ‘being,’ bodhisattvas do not give up the armor fashioned out of every root of virtue and dedicate those roots of virtue to awakening. This is known as great love. Their great compassion is their continuous activity on behalf of beings. Their great love is to recognize saṃsāra itself to be nirvāṇa while not giving up the diligence that has perfected the path;¹⁸⁸ their great compassion is to never forsake beings. Their great love is to don the armor of awakening themselves; their great compassion is to help other beings seek out the armor. Their great love is to give up all possessions; their great compassion is to give up all possessions and dedicate the roots of virtue so that all beings attain buddhahood. Their great love is not allowing their discipline, training, and commitments to deteriorate; their great compassion is to use their own discipline to guard the discipline of other beings. Their great love is to be rich in patience and gentleness themselves;
6.23
their great compassion is to tame beings with patience and gentleness. Their great love is to be diligent themselves in pursuit of awakening to buddhahood; their great compassion is to use that diligence to instill diligence in other beings. Their great love is to continuously examine their own mind; their great compassion is to use that self-examination to facilitate others in their examination. Their great love is to pursue the development of their own insight; their great compassion is to use their insight to increase the insight of other beings.
“The bodhisattvas’ great love is not to strive and not to avoid striving; their great compassion is not to act and not to avoid acting. Their great love is to be born and not pass away; their great compassion is to pass away but not leave. Their great love is to speak while not saying anything; their great compassion is to be liberated without rejecting bondage. Their great love is to be awakened, not understand it; their great compassion is to pass into final nirvāṇa without fading away. Their great love is let the constituents of the body¹⁸⁹ become dust, not bone, tendons, blood, and marrow;¹⁹⁰ their great compassion is to neither exhaust nor increase those relics. Their great love is to give gifts while not giving; their great compassion is to make aspirations while not actually making them.
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Their great love is to protect without accomplishing; their great compassion is to increase what is to be increased, but not to excess. Blessed One, this is a discourse on the Dharma.”
The bodhisattva Prabhāketu said, “Blessed One, bodhisattvas investigate. All the other qualities of a buddha will manifest naturally for bodhisattvas who investigate. Bodhisattvas who prioritize investigation will easily attain perfect awakening. They also have the power of dhāraṇī. What is a bodhisattva’s power of dhāraṇī? It is the means by which bodhisattvas do not forget the Dharma teachings they have heard, remember them as they heard them, understands them as they heard them, and otherwise cultivate understanding. It is the means by which they are undistracted and nonconceptual. It is the means by which they remember the collection of eighty-four thousand Dharma teachings without needing to recall them and without allowing them to slip from their memory. It is the means by which they examine the conduct of all beings and, upon examination, engage with them appropriately. It is the means by which they listen to what beings say, and upon hearing it, feel great compassion for the words of the ignoble and great love for the statements of the noble ones. It is the means by which they can learn a single word of the Dharma and teach on it for an eon without reaching the limit of or exhausting their confident eloquence. It is the means by which they understand what is said and not said and understand the Buddha’s teaching in every statement. It is the means by which they hear the teachings of the thus-gone, blessed, completely perfect buddhas in every worldly realm throughout the ten directions,
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and upon hearing them, comprehend it all. The bodhisattvas’ power of dhāraṇī is that which allows them to hear the Dharma directly from one thus-gone one without obscuring the Dharma teachings given by a second thus-gone one.
“Bodhisattvas also attain the accomplished power of dhāraṇī, through which they directly reveal all phenomena, revealing the entire expanse of phenomena just as they would a single word of the Dharma.¹⁹¹ It also keeps them from becoming arrogant about this, and keeps them from being careless.
“Bodhisattvas also attain the all-encompassing power of dhāraṇī; through that they give instructions that are revered by the entire world and become themselves revered by the entire world. They attain the power of dhāraṇī that dispels; through that they dispel all the doubts and all the afflictive emotions of every being. They attain the power of dhāraṇī that is all-encompassing and dispels; through that they increase virtuous factors and lessen nonvirtuous factors.
“They attain the power of perfected dhāraṇī; through that they seek the perfection of all phenomena, avoid concepts, and maintain their conduct with no effort of body or mind. They give explanations without the conceptual imputations of language. They abandon without dispelling anything, and they bring about perfection without gathering any qualities in any way. They reduce without diminishing and speak without actually saying anything. They pass into nirvāṇa without leaving saṃsāra, attain the status of a noble one without deviating from the state of an ordinary person, and are victorious over Māra without suppressing others with their body, speech, or mind. Blessed One, this is a discourse on the Dharma of bodhisattvas.”
The bodhisattva Vimukticandra said,
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“Blessed One, all phenomena have the quality of liberation, but a bodhisattva does not make a distinction between bondage and liberation. Why? Blessed One, nothing possesses liberation, nor is there any liberation. Blessed One, liberation neither enhances nor diminishes any phenomena. Blessed One, liberation does not come from somewhere, nor does bondage go anywhere. Blessed One, monks whose minds are liberated in this way do not think, ‘I have a liberated mind.’ Rather, they have determined that liberation applies to all phenomena.
“Blessed One, someone who thus thinks that saṃsāra is full of faults and nirvāṇa is liberation does not have a liberated mind. Why? This indicates that they mentally cling to the self. Blessed One, someone who thinks, ‘My aggregates, elements, and sense bases have sufficiently passed into final nirvāṇa’ does not have a liberated mind. Why? This indicates that they mentally cling to the self. Blessed One, a monk whose mind is liberated thinks, ‘All phenomena have this quality of liberation, which is something that ordinary foolish beings do not know. I should come to understand the true state of things in this way.’
“Blessed One, monks whose minds are liberated do not think, ‘I will attain a liberated mind,’ but they do think, ‘I should have great compassion for those who seek liberation in relation to phenomena that are completely liberated. Why? Because those who seek liberation do not attain liberation.’
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Thus, Blessed One, a monk who seeks liberation actively seeks bondage. One who accurately sees bondage does not conceptualize liberation. That is known as the liberated mind. Blessed One, this is a discourse on the Dharma of a bodhisattva.”
The bodhisattva Sāgaramati next addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, a bodhisattva does not fear the afflictive emotions. Why? Because where there are afflictive emotions there is awakening, and where there are no afflictive emotions there is no awakening. Emptiness and the afflictive emotions are not two; they cannot be separated into two. Blessed One, awakening and the afflictive emotions are not two; they cannot be separated into two. This is not something that ordinary foolish beings understand. Because their minds have sunk into error, they think, ‘I am afflicted’ and ‘I am pure.’ Blessed One, a bodhisattva who takes the correct approach neither clears away afflictive emotions nor fails to be free of afflictive emotions. A bodhisattva who analyzes the gateway of the afflictive emotions attains the gateway of samādhi and dhāraṇī.
“Therefore, Blessed One, the afflictive emotions themselves are classified among a bodhisattva’s qualities of buddhahood. A foolish being whose mind is distracted by afflictive emotions and falls into error is inclined to the lower realms and experiences suffering. Bodhisattvas correctly analyze them and understand the awakening of buddhahood. Blessed One, bodhisattvas thus go against the current; they act while not following the current.
“Blessed One, bodhisattvas are liberated from nirvāṇa, but not from saṃsāra.
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How so? Bodhisattvas fear nirvāṇa but not saṃsāra. When they analyze saṃsāra they gain compassion for beings and attain the awakening of buddhahood. When they investigate nirvāṇa they grow hostile toward saṃsāra, and a bodhisattva who grows angry with saṃsāra undermines awakening to buddhahood. A bodhisattva’s great love and compassion develops by remaining in saṃsāra, but not when remaining in nirvāṇa. Blessed One, the term nirvāṇa applied to nirvāṇa is not accurate; it is another way of saying ‘pacified concepts.’ Therefore, Blessed One, a bodhisattva who pursues nirvāṇa pursues the pacification of concepts, and based on that attains nirvāṇa. Blessed One, this is a discourse on the Dharma.”
The bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara next addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, bodhisattvas should not train in too many qualities. Blessed One, if bodhisattvas fully understand and comprehend a single quality, then, Blessed One, all the qualities of the Buddha will be in the palm of their hand. What is this one Dharma teaching? It is great compassion. Blessed One, through great compassion the entire Dharma of the Buddha is in the bodhisattvas’ hands. As an analogy, Blessed One, wherever the precious wheel of a universal monarch goes, there too go his army battalions. Likewise, Blessed One, wherever a bodhisattva’s great compassion goes, so too do all the Buddha’s qualities.
Linked texts (1)
- འཕགས་པ་ཆོས་ཡང་དག་པར་སྡུད་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ — Classical Tibetan