菩提心觀釋

Homage to the Root Teacher

The Greatly Awakened World-Honored One

I now offer a brief explanation

A Contemplation of the Bodhicitta

As the Buddha has said: From the mind arise all dharmas. I now wish to discourse upon that bodhicitta.

What is its nature?

The answer is: It is the departing from all natures.

What is "all natures"?

It means the nature of the aggregates (skandhas), the bases (āyatanas), the elements (dhātus), and so forth. That bodhicitta departs from grasping and rejecting. That is to say, this dharma is selfless, and its self-nature is equal.

Its root is unborn. Because its self-nature is originally empty, it is therefore said to be the self-nature of all things, which is our nature. That is, the nature of self, of person, of sentient being, of life-span.

The Pudgala-mānava-pravargya (Pudgala) (that which is grasped and counted, which revolves many times through the various destinies of rebirth) — yet within that nature there is no bodhicitta. Why is this so? It means that there, together with ourselves, the self-nature is far removed from all marks, yet the view of a self arises.

From the view of a self arise all the afflictions. This does not give rise to that mind. Or one may speak of the aggregates, the bases, the elements, and so forth, which likewise depart from grasping and rejecting.

That is to say, the true nature of the aggregates, the bases, the elements, and so forth cannot be apprehended.

How is it that the form-mark is not real?

It means the form-aggregate is composed of the four great elements. The four great elements are earth, water, fire, and wind, which further produce the five sensory forms. These are form, sound, scent, taste, and touch. The earth-element together with those five sensory forms — each one's self-nature cannot be apprehended. In this way all dharmas are likewise. Therefore one knows that form is illusory and false. By this one knows that the form-aggregate is empty. It is like the various causes whereby a tree casts a shadow; when the tree is gone, the shadow of that tree no longer remains. The form-aggregate is just so, and the feeling-aggregate is likewise the same.

What is called "feeling"?

Feeling is of three kinds. These are painful feeling, pleasant feeling, and feeling that is neither painful nor pleasant. Yet these three feelings are mutually conditioned by causes and conditions.

Again, there are two kinds. These are bodily feeling and mental feeling. The body is grasped and gathered by the form-aggregate, and the body cannot be apprehended.

If there is no body, then there is no feeling. Moreover, it cannot be spoken of, nor can it be named; it is neither short nor long, neither form nor mark, not real, not clinging, and cannot be known. Bodily feeling is thus, and mental feeling is likewise the same.

The feeling-aggregate being thus, one sees that the feeling-aggregate is empty. The perception-aggregate is likewise illusory and unreal. By such conditions it is gathered, yet the conditioned discernment therein cannot be apprehended.

That is, there is no conditioned discernment, and being without conditioned discernment, the perception-aggregate is empty; the perception-aggregate is just so. The formation-aggregate is likewise the same.

The mind has already produced wholesome intentions, recollections, and formations — yet these too do not exist. Those mind-dharmas give rise to form, and each of the aggregates is itself unborn. Therefore one should know that the formation-aggregate, the marks of karma, are not real, and furthermore have no sovereign master; thus the formation-aggregate is empty, and the formation-aggregate is just so.

The consciousness-aggregate is likewise the same. Even down to the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and that eye-consciousness — each one's self-nature cannot be apprehended. That eye is conditioned by form, and from this condition consciousness arises.

If there is no condition, then consciousness does not arise; yet this eye-form, together with that form-aggregate, is not equally divided out. As for the discriminations of eye-form: consciousness does not arise, and so eye-consciousness is just so. The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are likewise the same.

Thus one should know that this consciousness relies upon and rests within the Manas-consciousness. By relying upon and resting within the Manas-consciousness, it gives rise to the dharmas of past, future, and present.

What are the dharmas of past, present, and future?

It means that the past has already passed, the future has not yet come, and the present, when seen, does not abide. By this one knows that the consciousness-aggregate is empty. In this way, speaking of each of the aggregates, the bases, the elements, and so forth, each one's self-nature, when discriminated, is wholly empty. That which is not without nature is therefore called "the truly real." For example, where there is no seed-kernel, no sprout is produced; therefore it is said that the aggregates, the bases, the elements, and so forth likewise do not depart from grasping and rejecting.

How is the bodhicitta without grasping and without rejecting?

As the Buddha taught, addressing the Lords of Secrets (the Bodhisattvas): The bodhicitta — when the Tathāgata accomplishes Perfect and Complete Awakening (Samyak-saṃbodhi), he then clearly knows that mind: it is not blue, not yellow, not red, not white; it has only a rose-pink hue, and not the color of the tinduka fruit; it is neither short nor long, neither round nor crooked, neither bright nor dark; neither female nor male, nor of the eunuch nature, and so forth.

Furthermore, O Lords of Secrets (Bodhisattvas), that bodhicitta cannot be sought or apprehended by all-knowledge.

How then could there be grasping and rejecting?

In this way, in regard to dharmas, one departs from grasping and rejecting; equal and selfless, just as all dharmas are selfless, so it is likewise. As the Buddha has said, the bodhicitta is likewise just so. All dharmas are empty, without mark, without self. Dharmas have the mark of being tranquil and not tranquil. That mind is originally equal, from the very beginning unborn, and moreover not subject to arising. Being thus, what then is its nature?

The answer:

— It is the nature of emptiness.

— Being empty, how then is it called a "nature"?

It means it is like empty space. As the Buddha said: The nature of empty space is the metaphor for the emptiness that is without emptiness. The bodhicitta is likewise just so. The name "bodhi" is non-nature, non-mark, unborn, unceasing, non-awakening, and non-non-awakening. If one understands clearly in this way, it bears the name "bodhicitta."

Again, as the Buddha said: O Lords of Secrets (Bodhisattvas), in your own root-mind, when you clearly know it as it truly is, therein there is no dharma whatsoever that can be apprehended. Therefore it is called Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.

Again, he addressed the Lords of Secrets (Bodhisattvas), saying: One must, within one's own mind, contemplate as it truly is, and only thereafter give rise to the skillful means of contemplating sentient beings, knowing that all sentient beings, in their nature of self-awareness, do not possess that true wisdom, and so give rise to doubt and delusion, distortion, and attachment, undergoing all the many kinds of suffering of rebirth.

Because of this, I give rise to the mind of great compassion, helping all sentient beings to attain awakening within the dharma of their own mind as it truly is. This is called the bodhicitta. It is also called the mind of benefit, the mind of peace and joy, the supreme mind, the mind of the wholesome awakening of the dharma-realm; knowing it thus, in order to embrace and transform all sentient beings.

That which is called the bodhicitta arises from this mind, and the merit received is likewise like empty space, having a limit at its edge. This sea of merit is likewise immeasurable. Though the number of kalpas may reach its end, that merit is never exhausted. Such is what is called giving rise to the root of all-knowledge; it is the supreme bodhicitta.