འཕགས་པ་འཇག་རྟན་འཛན་གྱས་ཡངས་ས་དྲས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བའ་མད 2
The Inquiry of Lokadhara 2
- Language
- English
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Physical formations do not exist within the body, outside it, or in-between. Likewise, verbal and mental formations do not exist within, without, or in-between.
“ ‘The aggregate of formation lacks the characteristics of the aggregate of formation. Why is this? The aggregate of formation arises from many causes and conditions, mistaken perceptions, false perceptions, and the ripening of the effects of past actions. Formations are thus manifested due to the influence of causes and conditions. No physical, verbal, and mental formations are truly formed, and they form nothing at all. Formations come from what is false, and they are formed out of mistaken perception. Therefore, the aggregate of formation refers to nonformations. Why is this? The wise do not ascertain any characteristics of formations. Therefore, there are no physical, verbal, or mental formations to be ascertained anywhere—whether here or somewhere else, inside or outside. If physical, verbal, and mental formations cannot be ascertained, observed, or described as having the characteristics of formations, how could we talk about apprehending or describing an aggregate of formation? Thus, the aggregate of formation is a nonexistent aggregate.
“Having developed mistaken perceptions, childish ordinary beings grow attached to the formations of body, speech, and mind. As they conceptualize the aggregate of formation and are bound by it, they cycle in saṃsāra. Under the power of mistaken perception, childish ordinary beings generate physical, verbal, and mental formations. As they grasp and cling to them, they perceive nonphenomena to be phenomena and nonexistent aggregates to be aggregates. Attached to their mistaken formations,
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they are bound by them and circle throughout the five classes of beings, continuously conforming to physical, verbal, and mental formations as they fail to accurately understand. By failing to accurately understand the aggregate of formation, they generate formations with body, speech, and mind. Because childish ordinary beings are attached to mistaken perceptions, because they are attached to phenomena that are not real, and because they are attached to what is false, these are called the aggregate of formation.’
“Lokadhara, when bodhisattvas accurately investigate this, they will realize that formations have no substance and are weak. They understand that the so-called aggregate of formation is simply designated as such based on a gathering of many causes and conditions, and so the aggregate of formation does not truly exist. The aggregate of formation is a nonexistent aggregate. The aggregate of formation is primordially unborn. The aggregate of formation lacks intrinsic existence. Since formations cannot be observed in the past, cannot be observed in the future, and cannot be observed in-between, they do not remain. Thus, formations arise and cease moment-by-moment.
“Lokadhara, in this fashion bodhisattvas accurately understand the aggregate of formation to be emptiness, inapprehensible, lacking a concrete nature, and not even remotely observable. Considering this, they will correctly reason in the following way with regard to the aggregate of formation: ‘Childish ordinary beings are bound by phenomena that have no essence, by the aggregate of formation, and by their attachment. They generate formations with their body, speech, and mind, and they generate the formations of self and possessions. By generating such action, they are bound by the aggregate of formation and fail to recognize the very aggregate of formation to be ignorance and delusion. Under the power of such mistaken perceptions, beings grasp and cling to formations.
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Since such people become attached and cling to the aggregate of formation in this way, they sometimes generate pleasurable formations, sometimes generate painful formations, and sometimes generate formations that are neither pleasurable nor painful. When generating formations concerning pleasure, such people attain a body that is pleasurable. When generating formations concerning pain, such people attain a body that is painful. When generating formations concerning what is neither pleasurable nor painful, such people attain a body that is neither pleasurable nor painful. When they attain a body that is pleasurable, such people develop desire for it. When they attain a body that is painful, such people develop aversion for it. When they attain a body that is neither pleasurable or painful, such people develop delusion regarding it. Falling under the power of desire, aversion, and delusion, they fail to see the flaws of formations, and so they fail to purify physical, verbal, and mental formations. In failing to purify physical, verbal, and mental formations, they descend into impure paths: those of hell beings, animals, and anguished spirits. Even if they manage to briefly gain freedom from such states and are born as gods or humans, they remain very attached to physical, verbal, and mental formations; they are still quite attached to the aggregate of formation. Bodhisattva great beings accurately understand this. We too should not emulate childish ordinary beings. Rather, we should train to purify physical, verbal, and mental formations and not become attached to the aggregate of formation. Having thoroughly investigated the flaws of the aggregate of formation, we should seek the path, which brings emancipation from the aggregate of formation.’
“Those who think in this way are called those who accurately contemplate the aggregate of formation and those who accurately contemplate the impermanent nature of the aggregate of formation. At that time, they will act appropriately by not grasping at, being attached, or clinging to formations, the origination of formations,
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the cessation of formations, or the path leading to the cessation of formations. They will not be attached or cling to formations. They will also not be attached to the aggregate of formation. When contemplating this, they will be free from the marks of formations and realize how even formations lack the nature of the aggregate of formation. By realizing all formations to be emptiness, they will become weary, apprehensive, and dismissive of all formations. They will only form pure physical, verbal, and mental formations. They will demolish the marks of formations and distance themselves from the marks of the aggregate of formation. Thus, any type of body such a person acquires will be pure. Why is this? Such people have purified their physical, verbal, and mental actions. They have purified their physical, verbal, and mental formations. They are free from the aggregate of formation, they are free from the marks of the aggregate of formation, and they destroy the marks of substantial existence of all phenomena. When accurately contemplating this matter, they realize that the aggregate of formation does not come from anywhere or go anywhere. They do not observe any formations that have the marks of truly arising or truly ceasing. They understand that formations lack the marks of arising and ceasing, for no formation has the marks of arising and ceasing. Once these people understand that formations lack the marks of arising and ceasing, they become weary and dismissive toward them. They will accurately understand and realize the marks of the origination and cessation of formations.
“Even though they see formations in terms of their characteristic of being unborn, they do not fully apprehend any characteristics of formations. Why is this? Lokadhara, it is because the aggregate of formation lacks true characteristics.
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Just as a banana tree lacks both the characteristic of being solid and the characteristic of not being solid, so it is with the characteristics of formations—they lack both the characteristic of being solid and the characteristic of not being solid. Lokadhara, this is how bodhisattva great beings contemplate the discernment whereby one mentally engages the aggregate of formation.”
Consciousness
“Lokadhara, how then do bodhisattva great beings accurately contemplate the discernment of the aggregate of consciousness? Bodhisattva great beings contemplate the aggregate of consciousness as a nonaggregate. They contemplate the aggregate of consciousness as a heap of error. They contemplate how the aggregate of consciousness is a heap of falsehood. Why is this so? Lokadhara, the aggregate of consciousness arises from mistaken perception. Because beings have been bound by the condition of false perception, they have previously created actions, due to which the aggregate of consciousness now manifests. Because it also depends upon current conditions, it is based on many causes and conditions. Therefore, the aggregate of consciousness arises from consciousness that is based on nonexistent and false imputations. It is called consciousness because it is cognizant. It exists adventitiously, based upon a confused conceptual mind. Because it knows, it is called consciousness. It is called the aggregate of consciousness because it is conscious of myriad entities, because it initiates mental actions, because it thinks, because it generates marks from many conditions, and because it generates thinking in myriad forms. It is called the aggregate of consciousness because consciousness causes the forms perceived by consciousness to arise and it manifests the actions of mind, and because it is fond of thinking. It is called mind, mentality, and consciousness.¹⁵ By conceptualizing everything through its mental activity,
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consciousness assembles phenomena and perceives them as characteristics, formations, and intrinsic natures. Thus, it is called the aggregate of consciousness. In this manner, the aggregate of consciousness is a nonaggregate. It is unborn, unarisen, and uncreated.
“It is called the aggregate of consciousness because it cognizes falsely, due to the condition of mistaken perception. Why is this? The aggregate of consciousness arises from many causes and conditions. It does not arise naturally, uninterruptedly, or continuously; rather it arises and ceases moment-by-moment, without generating the characteristics of the aggregate of consciousness. Why is this? Because no definitive manifestation of consciousness can be observed, and no characteristics of its manifestation can be observed. The wise reflect on it accurately, because they do not apprehend any such definitive manifestation or characteristics. Likewise, they understand that it lacks inherent nature, lacks its own characteristics, and possesses no solid nature. They understand the aggregate of consciousness to be a nonaggregate.
“Childish ordinary beings perceive what is not the aggregate of consciousness to be the aggregate of consciousness. They are bound by incorrect thinking and a false and mistaken outlook, which causes them to assiduously impute the aggregate of consciousness. Thereby they become attached to the aggregate of consciousness, dwell on the functions of consciousness, and rely upon the features of consciousness. By thus displaying a conceptual mindset, the aggregate of consciousness is generated. Such people conceptualize all sorts of things, which causes them to become attached to consciousness of the inner, consciousness of the outer, consciousness of the inner and outer, consciousness of the distant, and consciousness of the immediate. As consciousness imputes marks, beings generate the aggregate of consciousness. By means of their conceptual perception, such people impute it with the synonyms of mind, mentality,
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and consciousness. They assiduously impute this is mind, this is mentality, and this is consciousness. In this fashion they perceive the arising of various characteristics of the mind. Childish ordinary beings are attached to the aggregate of consciousness—they are bound by the aggregate of consciousness. Through the coming together of mind, mentality, and consciousness, the aggregate of consciousness arises in various forms. Due to being false conceptual entities, having an identical characteristic, and having a fixed characteristic, beings acquire this mind, mentality, and consciousness, and they also acquire the false concept of attachment to them.¹⁶ Such people depend and rely upon the aggregate of consciousness. Attached to the aggregate of consciousness, they grasp and cling to the past aggregate of consciousness as existent, they grasp and cling to the future aggregate of consciousness as existent, and they grasp and cling to the present aggregate of consciousness as existent. Childish ordinary beings become attached to things they see, hear, feel, and cognize as the aggregate of consciousness and thus construe them as being existent. Such people grasp and cling to things they see, hear, feel, and cognize. Bound by the aggregate of consciousness, they highly cherish what they cognize. Under the collective power of mind, mentality, and consciousness, they wander throughout saṃsāra, from this world to the next, and from there to here. Bound by the aggregate of consciousness, they fail to accurately understand the aggregate of consciousness. Since the aggregate of consciousness is false, then all things heard, seen, felt, and cognized have arisen from a mistaken cause, such that there is no accurate consciousness of them.
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In this way, as such people fail to accurately apprehend, at times a virtuous consciousness will arise, at times a nonvirtuous consciousness will arise, and at times a consciousness that is neither virtuous nor nonvirtuous will arise. Although such people always follow after consciousness, they do not recognize the origin of consciousness or the true characteristics of consciousness.
“Lokadhara, when bodhisattva great beings accurately realize this, they understand that the aggregate of consciousness arises from false consciousness. They understand that the things seen, heard, felt, and cognized arise from many causes and conditions. They think, ‘Ordinary beings perceive phenomena where there are none, and have thus become attached to the aggregate of consciousness. We should not emulate childish ordinary beings; rather, we should accurately analyze the discernment of consciousness and the discernment of the aggregate of consciousness.’
“When bodhisattvas accurately contemplate in this manner, they understand the aggregate of consciousness to be false and mistaken. They understand it as having the characteristic of being unborn¹⁷ from the very beginning. They understand that the aggregate of consciousness is a nonaggregate. The aggregate of consciousness is a heap of reflections. The aggregate of consciousness is a heap of illusion. For example, if an illusionist conjures up an illusory person, the consciousness of that person is not present within, without, or in-between. The nature of consciousness is analogous to that. It arises from many false conditions and conceptuality, and it is not a real entity. Consciousness is like a marionette,¹⁸ for it comes into being due to the gathering of many false and mistaken causes and conditions.
“When contemplating this,
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bodhisattvas understand consciousness to be impermanent, painful, unclean, and without self. They understand the characteristic of consciousness to be illusory and realize the nature of consciousness to be illusory. At that time, bodhisattvas think: ‘Worldly beings are intoxicated and blinded by delusion. They all appear from consciousness that imputes—as a result of the gathering of mind, mentality, and consciousness, the three realms are nothing but consciousness. Mind, mentality, and consciousness are without form or location; they do not exist either inside or outside phenomena. Because childish ordinary beings are bound by their false perceptions, they grasp and cling to the aggregate of consciousness as I and mine. Such people cling to the aggregate of consciousness as existing internally, as existing externally, as existing both internally and externally, and as existing in self and other. Such people cling to the aggregate of consciousness as primary. Bound by consciousness, they are attached to the experience of the aggregate of consciousness and proclaim the characteristics of the aggregate of consciousness. Being attached to the experience of mind, mentality, and consciousness causes them to become attached and cling to the aggregate of consciousness. Such people are bound by consciousness. Because of their association with the aggregate of consciousness, they come under the power of mind, mentality, and consciousness. Due to the causes and conditions of mind, mentality, and consciousness, they are born as childish ordinary beings. If they generate lesser thoughts, they will acquire a lesser body. If they generate superior thoughts, they will acquire a superior body. If they generate middling thoughts, they will acquire a middling body. Due to following mind, mentality, and consciousness,
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their dependence and reliance upon the sense sources arises. Because of their attachment to the aggregate of consciousness, they are not liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering.’
“Bodhisattvas accurately understand these things about the aggregate of consciousness. By accurately understanding the characteristic of impermanence of the aggregate of consciousness, they do not grasp or cling to the aggregate of consciousness of the past. They understand the aggregate of consciousness to be a nonaggregate. They do not grasp or cling to the aggregate of consciousness of the future. They understand the aggregate of consciousness to be a nonaggregate. They do not dwell upon the consciousness of the present either, for they accurately understand the characteristic of impermanence of the aggregate of consciousness. They accurately understand the characteristic of arising and ceasing of the aggregate of consciousness. Those who employ their minds in this fashion and accurately contemplate the aggregate of consciousness are said to enter the correct path. They accurately understand consciousness. They accurately understand the origination of consciousness. They accurately understand the cessation of consciousness. They accurately understand the path to the cessation of consciousness. Having accurately understood the characteristics of origination and cessation of the aggregate of consciousness, such people become skilled in destroying¹⁹ the aggregate of consciousness and eliminating all marks. They understand and realize the characteristics of the origination and cessation of the aggregate of consciousness.
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At this point, bodhisattvas neither generate nor obstruct the aggregate of consciousness, for they realize the aggregate of consciousness to be primordially unborn. When realizing this, they do not realize consciousness in terms of its characteristic of ceasing; rather, they understand the aggregate of consciousness’s characteristic of being unborn. Why is this? Lokadhara, the aggregate of consciousness is without birth, marks, or existence. The aggregate of consciousness’s characteristic of being born is false; thus it is subsumed within the characteristic of being unborn. Lokadhara, the aggregate of consciousness lacks the characteristics of birth and existence. The characteristics of the aggregate of consciousness arise from many causes and conditions. Lokadhara, when bodhisattva great beings contemplate dependently originated phenomena in this manner, they realize the aggregate of consciousness to be a nonaggregate. Having carefully analyzed and investigated in this way, they will accurately understand and realize everything designated as consciousness. Once bodhisattvas understand how to disengage from the aggregate of consciousness, they will overcome all apprehensions and objects of knowledge. Lokadhara, this is how bodhisattva great beings understand the aggregate of consciousness. When they understand the aggregate of consciousness to be unborn, uncreated, unarisen, imperceptible, and ungraspable, they see that it arises from many conditions and appears due to the gathering of many conditions. Although it comes into existence due to the conditions of things seen, heard, felt, and cognized, it is primordially empty. When contemplating the aggregate of consciousness in this manner, they understand the aggregate of consciousness to be uncreated and unarisen. They do not cling to it or become attached to it as primary. Lokadhara, this is how bodhisattva great beings accurately contemplate the discernment of, and engagement with, the aggregate of consciousness.”
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The Five Aggregates
“Such bodhisattvas, who skillfully engage with the five aggregates and skillfully contemplate the five aggregates for appropriation in the correct manner, are said to be skilled in engaging with the origination, cessation, and path with regard to the five aggregates. By eliminating all grasping at marks concerning the aggregates, they accurately understand the means related to the five aggregates. Through such means, they will not cling to, grasp at, crave for, or become bound by the five aggregates for appropriation. They accurately understand form and its characteristic of impermanence. Therefore, should attachment to form happen to arise for bodhisattvas, they will immediately dispel and eliminate it. Similarly, they accurately understand feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness, along with their characteristic of impermanence. Should attachment to feeling, perception, formation, or consciousness arise for bodhisattvas, they will immediately dispel it and disrupt it. By doing away with their desire for and attachment to the five aggregates for appropriation, bodhisattvas align themselves with a skillful understanding of the definitive nature of the five aggregates. When contemplating in this manner, they come to understand even the subtle marks of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation.
“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings contemplate the discernment of the subtle marks of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation? Bodhisattva great beings understand the five aggregates’ characteristic of arising and ceasing by seeing how—when beings enter the womb and begin the embryonic stage—their previous set of five aggregates has ceased and a new set of five aggregates arises. They understand that while the previous consciousness has of course ceased,
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the five aggregates are not characterized by disruption or cessation. While the consciousness indeed adheres to and abides in the embryo, they understand the five aggregates to be nonabiding and impermanent. Thereby they realize that the five aggregates for appropriation arise and cease moment-by-moment once they have entered the womb. Likewise, from the embryonic stage until the child is born, and from birth to death, the five aggregates for appropriation are characterized by arising and ceasing moment-by-moment. The five aggregates for appropriation arise and cease each and every moment. This is called contemplating the discernment of the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation.
“Lokadhara, the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation are as follows: Once the previous five aggregates for appropriation have ceased, beings enter the womb without any corporeality. Then, as they initially become conjoined with consciousness, the five aggregates for appropriation arise and cease. In terms of the embryonic stage, the five aggregates for appropriation are synonymously labeled a human being. Why is this? Lokadhara, without the support of consciousness, they would not remain, for it is said that the five aggregates for appropriation depend upon consciousness. Lokadhara, the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation pertaining to the gods²⁰ in the formless realm should be understood in the same way. Lokadhara, if the insight of the solitary buddhas is unable to know the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation, then there’s no need to mention the insight of hearers. It is only the blessed buddhas who can properly understand the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation while in the womb, along with the momentary arising and ceasing of the aggregates of the gods in the formless realms. This is so because their omniscient insight transcends all worldly insight.
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Bodhisattva great beings gain the acceptance that phenomena are unborn and enter the domain of the wisdom of the buddhas. Yet even they are unable to fully understand—as the buddhas do—the subtle characteristics of the five aggregates for appropriation while in the womb, nor that which pertains to the gods in the formless realms. Lokadhara, the insight of the blessed buddhas is not dependent on other factors. Having naturally discovered wisdom, insight, and skill, they fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. There is nothing that the wisdom of the blessed buddhas does not understand. With the unhindered wisdom of the blessed ones, they achieve insight that is certain with regard to all phenomena and has the power to control all phenomena. Why is this? Because they have practiced an incredibly profound Dharma for immeasurable, fathomless, and countless thousands of eons.”
The Five Aggregates for Appropriation
“Lokadhara, if childish ordinary beings lack even the means to contemplate the five aggregates for appropriation, there’s no need to mention their ability to contemplate the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation. Why is this? Childish ordinary beings do not understand the five aggregates for appropriation, or the truth of the five aggregates for appropriation. Childish ordinary beings do not understand appropriation, or the five aggregates for appropriation.
“Lokadhara, what then is appropriation? Appropriation is called appropriation because it appropriates self, others, views, discipline, the five aggregates, the eighteen elements, and the twelve causes and conditions. Any phenomena construed to be desired, whether outer or inner, is appropriated; existence is appropriated; as are things seen, heard, felt, cognized; as are self and possessions.
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Lokadhara, childish ordinary beings fail to see and understand this false appropriation. They appropriate phenomena via mistaken causes and conditions. Because such people are bound by appropriation, they appropriate formations due to the condition of ignorance, they appropriate consciousness due to the condition of formations, and they appropriate name-and-form due to the condition of consciousness. Beings grasp and crave for the coarse marks of name-and-form, and appropriate them. They appropriate form, conjoin themselves with form, and are bound by form. Moreover, they appropriate the four remaining formless aggregates, conceptualizing and labeling feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. Lokadhara, if there were no buddhas, beings would fail to know and understand. They would remain incapable of accurately contemplating the five aggregates for appropriation. In order to destroy beings’ dependence and reliance on form; in order to destroy beings’ dependence and reliance on feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness; and in order to destroy the single characteristic that pertains to them all, the blessed buddhas analyzed and taught as follows:²¹
“ ‘That which all of you depend and rely upon is form. Form is a gathering of the four great elements. Feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are mere labels. The five aggregates for appropriation are taught in order to present the marks of name-and-form. You ordinary beings should not depend upon or become attached to the five aggregates for appropriation, which are unstable and insubstantial.’
“Lokadhara, why have the thus-gone ones thus taught the aggregates for appropriation? Lokadhara, childish ordinary beings arise from mistaken perception, and they wander throughout saṃsāra because they are caught in the net of ignorance. Why do they wander? Because of grasping and attachment to the marks of the five aggregates for appropriation.
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They think: ‘I will be happy if I depend on this.’ By observing pleasurable marks, such people become attached to the five aggregates for appropriation and rely upon them. By observing and becoming attached to painful marks and marks that are neither pleasurable nor painful, they rely upon the five aggregates for appropriation and become attached to them. The locus upon which childish ordinary beings rely is the five aggregates for appropriation.
“Lokadhara, childish ordinary beings are born blind: they fail to understand what the five aggregates are and where they come from. By not understanding the five aggregates accurately, they grasp and become attached to the aggregates. Therefore, they are called aggregates for appropriation. There is no appropriation there, and there is also nothing to appropriate that can be observed. So, they are bound by attachment to mistaken perception and incorrect conceptuality. Stupefied by ignorance and delusion, they appropriate in terms of I, mine, and self and other. Therefore, these are called aggregates for appropriation. The five aggregates have nothing that can be appropriated and no true characteristics. Therefore, the wise understand the five aggregates for appropriation as nonaggregates. They understand the five aggregates for appropriation as mistaken aggregates. They understand the five aggregates for appropriation as five aggregates of ignorance. Because childish ordinary beings are bound by this, they become attached to and dwell upon the five aggregates for appropriation. Because they become attached to and dwell on them, they do not understand what the aggregates for appropriation are like. Because they become attached to and dwell on the five aggregates, they take birth and circle. Because they become attached to and dwell on the five aggregates, they wander throughout all the destinies of sentient existence. On what do they dwell and to what do they become attached? They dwell on and become attached to sight. They dwell on and become attached to hearing. They dwell on and become attached to feeling. They dwell on and become attached to consciousness. They dwell on and become attached to craving.²² They dwell on and become attached to ignorance.
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Because they are bound by the fetters of existence, childish ordinary beings are attached to the five aggregates for appropriation. Obscured by their obscurations, they are stupefied by ignorance and become ignorant and unaware. What is the source of their attachment? What are they bound by? It is due to ignorance that they circle in repeated births as hell beings, animals, anguished spirits, gods, and humans. Bound by saṃsāra, they dwell in and become attached to saṃsāra, and so they cannot give it up, discard it, or disrupt it. Thus, they fail to accurately understand the five aggregates for appropriation.”
Suffering
“Because they fail to understand the true characteristics of the five aggregates for appropriation, they are harmed by all sorts of suffering. Having fallen into the pit of falsity, they fail to understand the path leading to the exit. In failing to understand the path of emancipation, such people have wandered continuously from beginningless time throughout saṃsāra. Thus, they are not liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, lamentation, distress, or suffering. They are not liberated from the fathomless abyss of saṃsāra. They are not liberated from the great mass of suffering, and repeatedly they dwell in suffering and become attached to it. They are addicted to suffering. They are enslaved by suffering.
“What is meant by suffering? It is the five aggregates for appropriation. Suffering arises at the time of birth and ceases at the time of cessation. Lokadhara, due to that cause and that condition, I deliver this Dharma teaching to my disciples: Monks, you must accurately investigate the aggregate of form. You must accurately understand form’s characteristic of impermanence. Should you find yourself attached to form, immediately dispel and eliminate it. Likewise, you must accurately investigate feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. You must accurately understand the characteristic of impermanence with regard to feeling, perception,
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formation, and consciousness. Should you find yourself attached to feeling, perception, formation, or consciousness, you must immediately dispel and eliminate that attachment. By dispelling and eliminating attachment, the mind will be truly liberated.
“Lokadhara, if people understand the meaning of the teachings I have given and earnestly employ what I have taught, they will be liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, lamentation, distress, and suffering. If people do not practice or cultivate what I have taught, they will remain bound by the chains of form and craving. Blinded by their ignorance, they will remain attached to the five aggregates for appropriation. People who remain attached to the five aggregates for appropriation will not be liberated from the abyss of saṃsāra. Lokadhara, therefore, worldly beings argue with me, yet I do not argue with worldly beings.”
The World
“What is meant by the world? The world is attachment to the five aggregates for appropriation. Attached to the five aggregates, people are bound by the five aggregates. Thereby they fail to understand the nature of the five aggregates, and they do not understand that emptiness is the characteristic of the five aggregates; and so they argue with me. Such people contradict the teachings of the Buddha. They argue with the Buddha and thus fall into great misery. Whether the Thus-Gone One abides in the world or has passed into parinirvāṇa, whoever realizes the five aggregates to be false, empty, and nonexistent; arisen from error, ignorance, and false imputations;²³ and deceptive to childish ordinary beings will understand the five aggregates to be like nonaggregates. Such people will not argue with the Buddha. Since they will not contradict the teachings of the Buddha, they will be liberated from the suffering of hell beings, animals, and anguished spirits.
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Lokadhara, the Blessed Buddha does not debate with others. Because he has ceased all debate, he is called Buddha, and he teaches to all beings the genuine Dharma, namely this: ‘All that you have previously appropriated was mistaken. Due to being mistaken, all beings cling to and depend upon the five aggregates, and thereby they repeatedly cycle throughout the world.’ In this way, people who cling to and depend upon the five aggregates will develop and cling to myriad wrong views. They cling to and depend upon various terms and words. They cling to and depend upon sorrow, lamentation, and suffering. Thus, people are afflicted with various wrong views and are thus harmed by many forms of suffering; but still, their views never become their protector, refuge, base, or support, for only the blessed buddhas can protect and offer refuge. Childish ordinary beings are small-minded and have limited understanding. They are attached to the five sense pleasures and cling to the five aggregates, which are rife with problems. Childish ordinary beings argue with those who protect, offer refuge, provide support, and deliver from all suffering. Lokadhara, I have raised my hand. I am not the teacher of those who view in terms of the five aggregates, view the five aggregates in terms of marks, or who become attached to the five aggregates. They are not my students. They are not my ordained. They are not my followers. They do not take refuge in me. Such people have set out on the path to the lower realms and entered the incorrect path. They do not follow the truth. They are mistaken. They fail to understand what the Buddha knows and teaches. They fail to understand what the Buddha knows and teaches about the five aggregates.
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They fail to understand what the Buddha teaches concerning the ultimate. Thus, by not following the Buddha’s teachings, they should not receive veneration and offerings. I do not permit them to be ordained, much less to receive the honor of veneration and offerings from others. Why is this? Because such people are included in the ranks of the non-Buddhists. Such people, who produce marks concerning the five aggregates, are known as those who are attached and cling to the five aggregates.
“Lokadhara, when the Dharma is coming to ruin in the final five-hundred-year period, many who have taken ordination in my teachings will produce marks regarding the five aggregates. They will speak of the marks of the five aggregates as being real.²⁴ They will be attached to the five aggregates. Those that have entered such a base and false path while taking ordination in my teachings will then drape Dharma robes around their necks as they enjoy spending their time going from household to household. You should know that even though such people are no different from non-Buddhists, many will be generous and venerate them due to the power of my Dharma. Lokadhara, I declare that those who have views of the five aggregates, who teach the five aggregates as being real,²⁵ or who are attached to the five aggregates, are not allowed to accept so much as a cup of water from someone else. Why is this? Such people lack any acceptance whatsoever of the principles of my teaching. Thus, such people contradict my teachings and abandon the Dharma of the noble ones.
“Lokadhara, therefore, bodhisattva great beings should make a great aspiration, vowing that in such dire future times, they will uphold and protect my very profound discourses, and to disrupt beings’ views of the five aggregates, they will teach them the Dharma. Lokadhara, in all my discourses I explained how to eliminate all marks of the aggregates and how to abandon attachment to the aggregates. Much debate then arose among many householders and the ordained concerning this discourse; therefore, they did not perceive it as being true. Bodhisattva great beings
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should thus make the following promise and great aspiration: ‘For the sake of the benefit and happiness of beings in the dire times of the future who will be attached to and have wrong views about the aggregates, and in order to dispel their attachment to the five aggregates, I will bring benefit and happiness to them with the Dharma, in whatever way will tame them.’ Therefore, Lokadhara, those bodhisattva great beings who wish to understand the truth of phenomena, who wish to become skilled in discerning the characteristics of phenomena, who wish to attain the power of mindfulness, who wish for the insight that skillfully discerns the categories of phenomena, and who wish to attain unbroken mindfulness from the time they abandon this body until they reach unsurpassed and perfect awakening should investigate the five aggregates for appropriation in terms of their characteristics of impermanence, suffering, selflessness, falsity, hollowness, final emptiness, and being primordially unborn. When they constantly contemplate this accurately, they will dispel their attachment and craving for the five aggregates for appropriation. Additionally, they will achieve a connection to this category of profound teaching.
“Lokadhara, countless immeasurable eons ago, the thus-gone one, the worthy one, the perfect buddha Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence appeared in the world. He was learned and virtuous, a well-gone one, a knower of the world, an unsurpassed being, a charioteer who guides beings, a teacher of gods and humans, and a blessed buddha. Lokadhara, the blessed Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence had eight trillion hearers in his saṅgha, all of whom were worthy ones who had exhausted the defilements. Furthermore, he had 800 quadrillion followers who were irreversible on the level of training.
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There were also one sextillion beings in his assembly of bodhisattva great beings. The lifespan of the blessed Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence was eighty thousand years. Lokadhara, at that time there was a king named Bringer of Benefit, who ruled over twenty thousand cities, each of which was filled with happy beings. Each city was encircled by seven concentric walls that were twelve leagues in circumference. They were fashioned from the four precious substances. There were seven layers of moats and fences that were covered with a net of various precious substances. The cities, moats, trees, walls, and covering nets were fashioned from the four precious substances: gold, beryl, crystal, and coral. There were five hundred parks in each city wherein the trees were made of the seven precious substances. Each and every tree was adorned with precious fabrics. In each park were five hundred jeweled ponds filled with water of the eight qualities. Lokadhara, King Bringer of Benefit had eighty thousand queens and members of his court. At that time, his highest queen had two sons: Limitless Intelligence and Limitless Power. Lokadhara, when the two boys had reached the age of sixteen, they beheld the Thus-Gone One in a dream. Since he was incomparably handsome, he appeared to them like a banner made of gold from the Jambū River. This delighted them to the point that they awoke and proclaimed the following verses.
“The elder brother said this:
“ ‘I dreamt that I saw the supreme human.
He was golden, ornamented by the signs of a hundred merits.
He was replete with limitless virtues.
When I saw him, my mind was filled with joy.’
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“The younger brother said this:
“ ‘I dreamt that I saw the sun-like Buddha.
He was excellent, the most handsome one can be.
I was overjoyed when I saw him vividly,
Just like Meru, the king of mountains.’
“Lokadhara, the two princes Limitless Intelligence and Limitless Power then went before their father and mother to proclaim to their parents the story of what they saw in their dreams. They said, ‘We dreamt that we saw the Buddha. Please permit us to go see the Blessed One. It is extremely rare for a thus-gone one to appear in the world. In our heedlessness, we have senselessly and unwittingly fallen into the swamp of the five desires. We are bound by the fetter of form. We are bound by the fetters of feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. We have not seen the Buddha before, because we have been heedless, living the household life.’
“Lokadhara, once the two princes announced this to their parents, they went before the blessed Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence. Arriving in the Blessed One’s presence, they bowed, touching the crowns of their heads to his feet and invited the Buddha and his saṅgha of monks with an offering of the four kinds of veneration for a duration of three months. They offered clothing, food, bedding, and medicine in the case of illness. In one of King Bringer of Benefit’s parks at the edge of the city, they hung banners, raised parasols, and arranged jeweled lotuses. Offering this to the Buddha and his saṅgha of monks, they requested them to stay. For three months, the two princes served the Buddha and his saṅgha of monks with offerings of supplies, and they went forth into the homeless life under the Blessed One’s teachings.
“Lokadhara, the blessed Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence understood the two princes’ pure motivation and aspiration²⁶
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and extensively instructed them in the discourse called The Skillful Means of Bodhisattvas, in which the five aggregates, twelve sense sources, and eighteen elements are explained. For forty thousand years, they did not sleep, eat to fullness, or rest; they did not even sit down or walk around anywhere.²⁷ Then, for forty thousand years, they thought of nothing other than the characteristics of falsity and emptiness of the five aggregates for appropriation. Having understood the five aggregates to arise from mistaken perception, they spent their lives practicing pure conduct, while understanding and realizing the characteristics of the five aggregates for appropriation. When they passed away, they were born in the Heaven of Joy. After the Blessed One passed into nirvāṇa, they were born into the family of an important householder here in Jambudvīpa, and once again, at the age of sixteen, saw the Thus-Gone One in a dream, where they dreamt that he taught them the discourse called The Skillful Means of Bodhisattvas, in which the five aggregates and the eighteen elements are explained. Having heard this teaching in the dream, they awoke with a start. They engaged in pure conduct for a full ten thousand years, following the teachings of the Blessed One, carefully investigating the discourse called The Skillful Means of Bodhisattva Conduct, in which the five aggregates, twelve sense sources, and eighteen elements are explained. Then, once they passed away, they were born in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. When their divine lifespan was spent, they were born once again here in Jambudvīpa into an important, high-caste Brahmin family. One thousand years after the Dharma of the blessed Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence had disappeared, the two princes received ordination based upon their previous causes and conditions. Their understanding grew vast, with insight as vast as the ocean. They became skilled in discerning and reflecting upon the characteristics of the aggregates, and came to understand them directly and accurately. Lokadhara, they established twenty thousand humans and two hundred thousand gods in unsurpassed and perfect awakening.
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“Lokadhara, these two bodhisattvas were close companions wherever they were born. They met and served a quadrillion buddhas. They then gained the acceptance that phenomena are primordially unborn. Once they gained the acceptance that phenomena are unborn, they once again met a quadrillion buddhas, and eventually went on to attain unsurpassed and perfect awakening. The two of them sequentially awakened to buddhahood during the same eon, where one became known as Limitless Voice, and the other, Limitless Light. Lokadhara, it must therefore be understood that bodhisattva great beings who wish swiftly to attain unsurpassed and perfect awakening should exert themselves in cultivating the pure and excellent Dharma. Additionally, they should become skilled in understanding the characteristics of the aggregates and skilled in the actual characteristics of conditioned phenomena.”
Chapter Three: The Eighteen Elements
The Eye Element
“Lokadhara, regarding the elements, how are bodhisattva great beings learned in the eighteen elements? When bodhisattva great beings practice correct contemplation of the eighteen elements, they think, ‘The eye element cannot be observed to be the eye element. There is also no I or mine in the eye element. It is impermanent, insubstantial, and empty of inherent nature. Therefore, what is imputed as the characteristic of the eye element cannot be observed in the eye element. The eye element is untrue and totally nonexistent, for it is born from false thinking. The eye element lacks true characteristics, as the space element is the eye element. For instance, just as the space element lacks true characteristics and is not an entity, the eye element also lacks true characteristics and is not an entity. Why is this?
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Because no real entity can be found in the eye element, the eye element does not exist in any location or direction. It does not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between. The eye element lacks true characteristics and is not an entity. Thus, no entity of the eye element can be apprehended, for it arises from many causes and conditions. The eye element is neither past, nor present, nor future, and there is no intrinsic nature of the eye to observe in the eye element. The eye element depends upon the ripening of the results of past actions and current conditions, whereupon the eye element is imputed. The eye element is a nonelement. No eye element can be observed in the eye element. The so-called eye element refers to the domain of consciousness. The eye element manifests when three factors come together: a clear eye faculty, an apparent form, and the involvement of the mind faculty. The eye element lacks anything that can be called a real eye element, and the wise understand the eye element to be the absence of the eye element.’ ”
The Form Element
“Lokadhara, if bodhisattva great beings contemplate the discernment of the eye element in this manner, they will understand the form element to be a nonelement. Why is this? There is no element of form that can be observed²⁸ in the form element, for the form element is uncompounded and uncreated.²⁹ Because form is devoid of any true characteristics, it is called the form element. If form is insubstantial, lacking even concepts of it, what need is there to mention the so-called form element? Because the so-called form element is not an entity, the characteristic of form does not exist within form, outside of form, or somewhere in-between. Rather, it is imputed. Form appears due to the combination of a location where forms can appear, the presence of an uncorrupted eye faculty,
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and the involvement of the mind consciousness. This is called the characteristic of form. It is similar to a reflection in a mirror. If the mirror is unblemished, the characteristic of form will appear in it. But form in fact has no true characteristics; the reflection of a form appears in the mirror even as there is no person there. Further, even if there is a mirror outside, the characteristic of form arises from within. Similarly, when an uncorrupted eye faculty is present in a location where forms are visible, much like the reflection in a mirror, the resulting apprehension can be labeled the characteristic of form. Form is devoid of elements, shapes, and true characteristics. These are the so-called characteristics of form. Because the characteristics of form are devoid of self, they are called the characteristics of form. Because they are perceived according to the individual in question, they are called the characteristics of form. Any person who understands the characteristics of form also understands the characteristics of the absence of form. If one understands the characteristics of form as an unborn element, one will also understand the characteristics of form to be an uncreated element. Why is this? The characteristics of form are neither past, nor present, nor future. The demonstrated lack of inherent characteristics, the demonstrated characteristic of falsity, and the demonstrated imputed characteristics are called the form element. In this way bodhisattvas discern the form element.”
The Eye-Consciousness Element
“Bodhisattvas then discern the characteristics of the eye consciousness in the following manner: the eye consciousness has no eye consciousness, no eye-consciousness element, and no characteristic of being permanent. The eye-consciousness element has no entities or real phenomena. The eye-consciousness element is indemonstrable.
First 27 of 40 passages. Read on
Linked texts (1)
- འཕགས་པ་འཇིག་རྟེན་འཛིན་གྱིས་ཡོངས་སུ་དྲིས་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་མདོ — Classical Tibetan