འཕགས་པ་ཀླའ་རྒྱལ་པ་མ་དྲས་པས་ཞས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 89

89

when the engagement of a bodhisattva is seen as disengagement, and when disengagement is seen as engagement, this is also the proper engagement of a bodhisattva.”

Venerable Subhūti then asked the nāga prince Vikurvāṇa, “Noble son, how is a bodhisattva’s engagement seen as disengagement, and disengagement as engagement?”

“Revered Subhūti, from the perspective of the nonduality of the realm of phenomena, the sensory elements—from the eye and form to the mind and mental phenomena—are viewed with disengagement. But since those who are disengaged do not take rebirth in the three realms, a bodhisattva taking rebirth through skillful means is referred to as engagement. Revered Subhūti, bodhisattvas exerting themselves in this way is what is meant by being properly diligent.”

The Blessed One gave his approval to the nāga prince, saying, “Holy being, the teaching on the proper engagement of bodhisattvas that you just gave through the power of the Buddha is excellent, excellent! Consider it certain that bodhisattvas who are properly diligent in the Great Vehicle in this way will reach omniscience itself.”

Then the nāga prince Vikurvāṇa asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how does a bodhisattva great being take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha without regard for material things?”

“Noble son, bodhisattvas understand that all phenomena are devoid of a self, a being, a life force, and a person, and they correctly see that the Thus-Gone One is not his form, marks, or qualities. This is how they take refuge in the Buddha without regard for material things.