འཕགས་པ་བ་མ་རྣམ་དག་དད་པས་ཞས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 4

4

births, remembering their previous lives?
Practicing austerities,²⁹ they dwell in hermitages without strife,
Taming their minds and pacifying the afflictions.

“Following discipline, they cultivate the path of awakening.
And, having obtained the nectar of cessation, they defeat the armies of Māra,
And turn the Wheel of Dharma that confers bliss—
I beseech you to explain in words such a perfect path!”

Then the Blessed One replied to the girl Vimalaśraddhā, “Girl, if bodhisattvas are endowed with eight strengths, although dwelling within saṃsāra, they have steadfast courage and are completely indefatigable. And what are these eight strengths? The first is the strength of mental motivation, because they are without deceit. The second is the strength of determination, because they abandon all faults. The third is the strength of application, because they continually practice virtue. The fourth is the strength of real trust, because they have strong trust in the maturation of karma. The fifth is the strength of the mind set on awakening, because they do not seek out inferior vehicles. The sixth is the strength of great love, because they do not harm sentient beings. The seventh is the strength of great compassion, because they take all injury upon themselves. The eighth is the strength of a spiritual friend, because from time to time they need to be examined.³⁰ Girl, these are called the eight kinds of strength. When bodhisattvas are endowed with these eight strengths,³¹ they have steadfast courage, and although they dwell within saṃsāra, they have no clinging or attachment.”

Then the Blessed One spoke again in verse:³²

“Heroic ones with motivated minds
Abandon any deceit,
And, always behaving in a straightforward manner,
Apply themselves diligently to genuine awakening.

“One who has the strength of determination
Abandons the various faults,
And, practicing virtue exclusively,