Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s5.t13: Moksalankarasastra
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s5.t13
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Moksalankarasastra
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*Gradual Path of Mahayana: Supreme Liberation* (Dam chos yid bzhin nor bu thar pa rin po chei rgyan ces bya ba theg pa chen povi lam rim bzhugs so). It was the representative work and masterpiece of Dakpo Kagyu who was an eminent monk of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the theorist of Dakpo Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and the foundation work of practice system. It played an important transitional role in the development history of gradual path for practice school of Tibetan Buddhism.
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Contents
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*Gradual Path of Mahayana: Supreme Liberation* is composed of two parts. Part one is instruction (lus kyi rnam bzhag tsam bstan pa) and it is divided into chapters because it has only one page. Part two is explanation (Yan lag rgyas par vchad pa) and it takes up four-fifth of the entire book. It is the keynote of the sutra and is divided into 21 chapters.
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The rareness or innovation of *Gradual Path of Mahayana: Supreme Liberation* lies in the fact that it simply combines *Gradual Path with Great Hand Seal*, mixes exoteric doctrines with esoteric practice, uses cultivation and practice to verify and experience doctrines and thoughts and understand Buddhism profoundly, especially life inspiration and awakening, and seeks a way of release. Dakpo Kagyu wrote this personal way of release into the book and pointed a way of release to sentient beings. The sutra thought that a way of release shall be sought to leave far away pain and arrive at land of milk and honey. The premise included six items, cultivation cause, reliance and promotion as well as cultivation method, achievements and implementation career. The sutra focusses on instruction and proving, uses Bodhicitta method as [Figure: Moksalankarasastra (Dachengdaocidi Jietuozhuangyanlun)]
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the guideline and obtains essences of three scopes of spiritual practice.
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Main Subjects
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*Gradual Path of Mahayana: Supreme Liberation* proposes many systematic and rigorous subjects but the three subject had the most academic challenges including release cause - Tathagata-garbha, release reliance - human shape treasure and release promoter - good knowledge.
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**Release cause - Tathagata-garbha** Everyone has *Tathagata-garbha* originally which lays the most superior congenital foundation for sentient beings to walk towards the way of release. Therefore, everyone can obtain supreme and perfect Bodhi (enlightenment) and attainment of supreme and perfect Bodhi is equal to getting rid of the suffering of Samsara.
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**Release reliance - Human shape treasure** Human shape treasure is of importance in the way of release. The sutra thinks that it's hard and rare to obtain human form treasure. Buddhism fully expounds the truth that human shape is hard to obtain and it is precious from the perspective of the six way of rebirth, and proves that only human beings have subjective and objective conditions to practice Buddhism and get rid of worries and pains.
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**Release promoter - Good knowledge** Release promoter is good knowledge and it is difficult to seek complete good knowledge. The sutra thinks that the key is to obtain human shape treasure which is the basic foundation and any achievements could not be made without instruction and guidance of good knowledge. It emphasises here that good knowledge is release promoter and is an indispensable important condition of way of release. With vivid cases, distinctive standpoint and didactic ways, *Gradual Path of Mahayana: Supreme Liberation* expounds the way of release of Tibetan Buddhism, especially explains how to obtain cultivation conditions and gradual process for the fruition state or realm of Bodhi. As an important term and concept of Buddhism, Bodhi (enlightenment) implies profound connotations and great ideal, symbolises the spirit of Mahayana Buddhism as well as reflects pursuits of great and eminent monks, such as compassion, wisdom, *Bodhicitta* and bodhisattvacarya. Therefore, immediate voidness view and *Bodhicitta* appear in the concepts of wisdom and Upaya in Tibetan literature. Speaking in modern language, the so-called wisdom means theory, and Upaya means method, way or practice; immediate voidness is a correct view and is beyond the world; while bodhisattva-carya is to join in secular life and obtain profits for others ie to save all beings.
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(*Kalsang gyal*)