འཕགས་པ་ཚངས་པས་ཞས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 9

9

but rather in order to be able to do those virtuous activities that require a body and that lead to liberation.

“Brahmā, if bodhisattvas are not able to understand the mind with the antidotes taught by the Tathāgata, then they should reflect as follows: ‘that which we call “the mind” is difficult to perfect. It grasps inappropriately. It is drawn toward saṃsāra and not toward that which is virtuous. It is drawn toward society and not toward seclusion. It is drawn toward pleasure and not toward suffering. It is drawn toward the joy of speaking and not toward the view of reality. It is drawn toward the impure and not toward the pure. It is hard to control, it is hard to catch, for it is baseless, void, hollow, momentary, and arises from combinations of causes and conditions. Who among those who are intelligent by nature would let themselves be led astray by the mind, which has such a nature?’ They think in this way and, by developing awareness of the mind like this, they make effort to tame the mind.

“In order to tame the tendency toward miserliness, they practice giving. Even giving a single mouthful of food, just a berry, a bean,¹¹ or a grain of sesame, is enough, so long as it is offered to anyone, and not just to those whom one already holds dear or with whom one is already acquainted.¹²

“In order to tame the tendency toward immoral conduct, they guard their discipline and do not commit misdeeds of body, speech, or mind. They do not get mixed up with or stained by such faults. Also, those with moral discipline do not praise themselves or disparage others.

“In order to tame the tendency toward ill will, they cultivate forbearance. When they enter cities or towns, they take no notice of the abuse they receive. Even if they are struck, beaten, threatened, overpowered, and insulted,