大寶積經

8. THE CHAPTER ON KṢĀNTI-PĀRAMITĀ

The Buddha addressed Venerable Śāriputra: "What is called the Great Bodhisattva's kṣānti-pāramitā?

For the sake of Unsurpassed Bodhi, the Great Bodhisattva, with regard to such Dharma, diligently cultivates and learns, practicing the bodhisattva conduct.

— O Śāriputra! Because he abides in the kṣānti-pāramitā, he is endowed with the power of forbearance and establishes a firm nature; toward all such things as cold and heat, hunger and thirst, mosquitoes and gadflies, snakes and centipedes, wind and sun, and the like, he is able to endure them all. Furthermore, he is able to endure coarse, evil, foul, and vulgar words, and the cutting and beating of his body with blades and staves, with painful suffering even to the point of losing his life. This is called kṣānti-pāramitā.

— O Śāriputra! In ages long past, when I had not yet become a Buddha, I practiced the bodhisattva conduct and constantly cultivated forbearance."

Śāriputra said: "World-Honored One, when you were a Bodhisattva, how did the World-Honored One cultivate forbearance?"

The Buddha declared: "O Śāriputra! I recall that in ages long past, when I practiced the bodhisattva conduct, there were many sentient beings who came to revile and insult me, reviling me unrighteously and rebuking me unrighteously. At that time, because I was practicing forbearance, I restrained my mind and did not give rise to anger, resentment, or hatred.

I only thought thus: among all the practices of the Dharma, there is no Dharma so easily obtained as being reviled and rebuked; therefore I must cultivate and let it go. Moreover, toward them I must have a mind of loving-kindness and compassion. Why?

Sentient beings in the world are for the most part engaged in rebuking and reviling, and through such evil karma they in turn reap retribution: wherever they are born, they have ugly and detestable bodily forms. Now, since I do not delight in ugliness, how could it be fitting for me to delight in reviling and rebuking? Why?

Because these evil deeds of reviling and rebuking are unwholesome karma, karma that does not accord with reason, the karma of fools, base and inferior karma, unwholesome karma — not the karma of a good person, not the karma of the Worthy and the Holy. Through such karma one falls into the various worlds of the hells, the animal realm, and the hungry ghosts. Again, through such karma one becomes kin to the evil paths.

Through such karma one reaps the body of a destitute yakṣa and the fundamental retribution of a yakṣa's destitution. Through such karma one reaps the body of a destitute hungry ghost and the retribution of a hungry ghost's destitution. Through such karma one reaps the body of a destitute human and the fundamental retribution of a human's destitution.

Again, through such karma of reviling and abusing, one reaps the body of an animal and the fundamental retribution of the animal kind.

Now I ought not to seek what is base and inferior. Why? Because if I were to seek to do such things, then how would I differ from those sentient beings? Those sentient beings do not accord with reason; I, however, accord with reason, and so I am not the same as them.

— O Śāriputra! The Great Bodhisattvas who practice the kṣānti-pāramitā should follow the Buddha in learning this Dharma. Why?

When reviled, rebuked, and abused, these Great Bodhisattvas are then able, in accordance with the right Dharma, to direct their attention and contemplate, and to forbear and endure. Because they attain the power of forbearance in this way, these Great Bodhisattvas further attain immeasurable, subtle, and wondrous wholesome roots. Suppose someone were to give away treasures filling the whole world as charity — even this would not equal the merit of the forbearance above.

Why? Because the conduct of forbearance must be the conduct of a great and supremely good person before it can be cultivated. Why?

Because sentient beings, for the most part, on account of being reviled, rebuked, and seized, drift through birth and death without cease.

— Again, O Śāriputra! The Great Bodhisattvas who practice this kṣānti-pāramitā must strive on their own to contemplate truly and carefully, thinking thus: "When I am reviled and rebuked by others, am I able to recollect and contemplate the Buddha, Bodhi, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha?" If one is able to recollect and contemplate them, that is good; if not, then it is not called good. Moreover, one must use immeasurable skillful means to recollect and contemplate the Buddha, Bodhi, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha.

— Again, O Śāriputra! After such a Great Bodhisattva has contemplated as above, he must observe: "What distinguishing marks set me apart from those sentient beings?" Why? Those sentient beings are now giving rise to anger and harm against my body, while I, with regard to the Buddha, Bodhi, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, do not recollect and contemplate them — then how do I differ from them? What distinguishing mark do I have that is superior to them?

That Great Bodhisattva further reflects: "If, when harmed by another's anger, I were to abandon the Buddha, Bodhi, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha and not recollect and contemplate them, that would not be fitting."

The Great Bodhisattva further reflects: "If I were to resent them, then I would be one without wisdom, lacking the power of forbearance, and would also be acting contrary to my original vow. Why? Because if I resent them, then I no longer have the mind that gathers in and embraces all sentient beings, that does not forsake all sentient beings.

If I harbor anger toward a single sentient being, then it is not called the dharma of a Bodhisattva's gathering-in and transforming; who then would invite me to practice the bodhisattva conduct — let alone that long ago I made the vow: 'I shall swiftly realize Unsurpassed Bodhi and then widely expound the right Dharma for all sentient beings.' When I had just completed that vow, all the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, together bore witness for me and acknowledged: 'This good son has aroused the mind and abides in Unsurpassed Right Awakening, and will then, for the sake of sentient beings, widely proclaim the right Dharma.' Today the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, with unobstructed wisdom and with unobstructed sight, presently behold and know me.

Therefore I must not, when reviled by others, give rise to a mind of anger and resentment, forsaking the Buddha, Bodhi, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha and failing to recollect and contemplate them. At present in the eastern direction there are world-systems as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges presently abiding and upholding the Dharma; those Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, also bear witness and know that my mind has aroused the right vow.

The other three directions, together with the four intermediate directions, above and below, are likewise so. At the very time I aroused that right vow, the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, with one voice praised my power of forbearance. I ought not to make a lion's roar — that is, to say that I shall realize the great power of forbearance — while making the cry of a jackal — that is, to commit deeds of anger and reviling."

— Again, O Śāriputra! That Great Bodhisattva further reflects: "Sentient beings of the world first receive benefit from others before they benefit others. If I were to benefit sentient beings only after receiving benefit from sentient beings, then how would I differ from the world? What rare and distinguishing mark would I have?"

The Great Bodhisattva further reflects: "Sentient beings of the world, if harmed by another, harm that one in return. If, when harmed by another, I too harm that one in return, then how would I differ from the world? What extraordinary distinguishing mark would I have?"

— O Śāriputra! The Great Bodhisattva must cultivate and learn within this mark.

The Great Bodhisattva further reflects: "Sentient beings of the world make enemies of one another: if they receive benefit from someone, they consider that one a good friend; if they receive no benefit from someone, they kill and harm one another. Since I have deeply seen this fault, I ought not to regard sentient beings as benefiting me, nor to regard sentient beings as harming me; I should only think: 'Now I am resolved to bring abundant benefit to all sentient beings, because I wish to perfect the kṣānti-pāramitā.'"

The World-Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke a verse, saying:

"Though throughout many hundreds of koṭis of kalpas

those sentient beings should do me harm,

Seeing those sentient beings undergoing all manner of suffering,

I will to the end not cease to abide in the mind of letting go.

In the world, gaining one another's wealth and benefit,

They call one another good friends;

If they do not gain benefit from one another,

This side and that become foes and harm one another.

Suppose one were to take the whole of the great earth,

Or take the Great Thousand World-systems of the Buddha,

Fill them with precious treasures and offer them up,

Ever seeking that I be their kind and virtuous friend;

Suppose one were to grasp a sharp sword and blade

And come to hack and cut my whole body —

Toward such sentient beings I must

Bring equal benefit, with no mind of duality.

Toward one who reviles me, I must forbear;

I must also forbear all calamities and sufferings.

For the sake of sentient beings I must praise the power of forbearance,

And I too abide in the great forbearance.

The violent and evil sentient beings in the world

Use swords, blades, and poison to kill and harm one another;

To harmonize and unite them so that they do good —

This is the mark of the sages and the wise.

I ought not to follow after the fools,

Yet I act differently from them.

The deeds of the ordinary person are likewise so,

But birth-and-death and Nirvāṇa are utterly different."

— Again, O Śāriputra! When practicing the kṣānti-pāramitā, the Great Bodhisattva must cultivate such right Dharma. O Śāriputra!

That Great Bodhisattva further reflects: "Suppose that, throughout hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of great kalpas, sentient beings constantly used blades, staves, tiles, and stones to harm me, so that I survived for only a brief moment — I must rejoice and contemplate thus: 'How wondrous! These ordinary persons, taken as holy, are able not to kill me outright.'" That Bodhisattva, from this time onward, cultivates and learns all the more.

He further reflects: "Suppose there were sentient beings who, in the span of taking seven steps, cut off my head as many times as the sands of the Ganges River — I would still, to the very end, neither resent nor be angry with them. Why? Because resentment and anger damage the wholesome roots accumulated over a hundred thousand great kalpas.

If my wholesome roots were damaged, then I would have to pass through a hundred thousand great kalpas before I could begin again to toil and cultivate the holy path. If so, then it would truly be hard to attain Unsurpassed Bodhi. Therefore I must don the armor of forbearance and, with firm and solid strength, subdue the army of resentment and anger."

— O Śāriputra! If a Great Bodhisattva who cultivates the Mahāyāna has a mind of resentment and anger, then Māra gains his opportunity to harm and to obstruct Unsurpassed Bodhi.

— O Śāriputra! The mind of resentment and anger is able to disturb the path of Bodhi. The mind of resentment and anger gives rise to the karma of Māra. What is called the karma of Māra?

If a Bodhisattva's mind clings to robes and bowl and cannot let them go, know that this is the karma of Māra. If his mind clings to the alms food at the donor's house and cannot let it go, know that this is the karma of Māra. If his mind clings to fame, reverence, and gain and cannot let it go, know that this is the karma of Māra.

If, toward the Dharma of renunciation, he constantly has a mind that wearies of hardship, that is the karma of Māra. If, toward the pure and wholesome Dharma, he has a mind that holds it in contempt, that is the karma of Māra. If, in places of solitude and emptiness, he has no aspiration or seeking, that is the karma of Māra.

If he does not delight in Perfect, Right Awakening, that is the karma of Māra. If he constantly seeks to learn the wisdom of the Two Vehicles, that is the karma of Māra. Even toward the preceptor (upādhyāya) and the ācārya, if he has no mind of reverent admiration and compliance, that is the karma of Māra.

— O Śāriputra! All such words of resentment and anger are able to disturb the path of Bodhi. This is dwelling in a disturbed mind.

— O Śāriputra! When practicing the kṣānti-pāramitā, the Great Bodhisattva reflects: "From whence have sentient beings been stalked and harmed by those evil Māras? It is resentment and anger." Now, for your sake, I shall explain this matter at length.

— O Śāriputra! I recall that in the past I was a great sage named Cultivator of the Practice-Ground (Tu Hành Xứ). At that time an evil Māra transformed himself into five hundred men who reviled and abused me with vigor, ever following me to revile me. Whether in monastery or quiet hermitage, in village or worldly household, or upon the road, or in solitary and empty places, whether by day or by night, when I walked, stood, sat, or lay down, those transformed Māras used coarse words to revile, abuse, and rebuke me for a full five hundred years. I recall that during those five hundred years of being so reviled and rebuked, I never had even the slightest mind of resentment toward them, but had a mind of loving-kindness and compassion that pitied them.

At that time I thought: "If there were good sons who guarded the precepts (śīla), endowed with the wholesome Dharma, light and slight in the nature of greed, hatred, and delusion — to benefit such people would not be called my doing something difficult, nor could merely benefiting such people enable me to realize Unsurpassed Bodhi. Why? Because if there are sentient beings who are stubborn, hard to tame, and hard to subdue, whose precepts (śīla) are endowed with evil nature, with heavy greed, hatred, delusion, and desire — if I benefit such people, then that is worthy of being called my doing something difficult; for by benefiting such people I swiftly realize Unsurpassed Bodhi and first cause such people to realize Nirvāṇa." O Śāriputra!

When the mind of resentment and anger arises, those Great Bodhisattvas must arouse such great right mindfulness as this. If there is great right mindfulness, then the various benefits are swiftly fulfilled.

— O Śāriputra! In the past, because the Tathāgata practiced the kṣānti-pāramitā in this way, he realized Unsurpassed Bodhi. Therefore the Great Bodhisattva who wishes to seek Unsurpassed Bodhi must always be fully endowed with the various powers of forbearance: able to endure cold and heat, hunger and thirst, wind and sun, the biting and stinging of mosquitoes, gadflies, snakes, and centipedes; able to endure all coarse and evil words of reviling and rebuke; able to endure all beating, striking, cutting, and hacking of the body even to the point of death.

This is called the Great Bodhisattva abiding and swiftly realizing Unsurpassed Bodhi.

— Again, O Śāriputra! What is the Bodhisattva's kṣānti-pāramitā, by following which in cultivation the Great Bodhisattva perfects and fully accomplishes the marks of the Dharma of forbearance?

— O Śāriputra! Not to resent or be angry is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. To have no rage is the Bodhisattva's forbearance.

Not to arouse enmity is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. To be without harms and afflictions is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. To skillfully guard oneself is the Bodhisattva's forbearance.

To skillfully guard others is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. To skillfully guard the body is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. To skillfully guard speech is the Bodhisattva's forbearance.

To skillfully guard the mind is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. To contemplate in accord with reason is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. To weary of and depart from the five desires is the Bodhisattva's forbearance.

To cultivate the pure karmic recompense is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. A body pure and excellent is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. A mind pure and excellent is the Bodhisattva's forbearance.

To feel and receive a recompense of joy, pure and perfectly fulfilled, is the Bodhisattva's forbearance.

The marks of the Tathāgata, perfect and adorned, are the Bodhisattva's forbearance. The speech of the Tathāgata, pure, subtle, and wondrous, is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. To practice the bodhisattva conduct, gathering in the wholesome roots and not allowing them to be ruined or lost, is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. To deliver beings from the oppression and affliction of suffering is the Bodhisattva's forbearance. To eliminate and extinguish all evil enmity is the Bodhisattva's forbearance.

— O Śāriputra! In sum, all the virtues that the Tathāgata possesses — such as the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the dharmas held in common with no other, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity, and the immeasurable, subtle, wondrous, and perfectly fulfilled Buddha-dharmas — are all accomplished through the kṣānti-pāramitā of the Great Bodhisattva.

— Again, O Śāriputra! When practicing the kṣānti-pāramitā, the Great Bodhisattva must be fully endowed with the right practices of forbearance.

— O Śāriputra! If reviled, the Great Bodhisattva does not revile in return, because he thoroughly understands that words are like an echo.

If beaten and struck, the Great Bodhisattva does not strike in return, because he thoroughly understands that the bodily form is like a shadow, like a reflection.

If made the object of anger, the Great Bodhisattva does not give anger in return, because he skillfully observes that mental thoughts are like an illusion, like a phantom. If praised or blamed, the Great Bodhisattva neither delights nor is angered, because his own body is skillfully fulfilled in merit. If he gains or loses benefit, the Great Bodhisattva neither rejoices nor grieves, because he disciplines his own mind in tranquility.

The Great Bodhisattva does not hope for a good reputation, nor does he commit a bad reputation, because he is skillfully able to observe vast and great wisdom.

When blamed, he does not debase himself; when praised, he does not exalt himself, because he skillfully abides in virtuous conduct without wavering. Toward all manner of suffering the Bodhisattva has never felt weariness or aversion, because he gains the loving remembrance of suffering sentient beings.

Toward all manner of joy, the Great Bodhisattva has never craved or coveted, because he knows that conditioned joy is impermanent in nature.

The eight worldly dharmas cannot taint or attach themselves to him, because the Great Bodhisattva does not, relying on any conditioned thing, give rise to mind.

Toward his own suffering, the Great Bodhisattva skillfully bears it, because he never causes suffering and affliction to others.

Toward supreme Bodhi, the Great Bodhisattva does not retreat or regress, because the provisions of the factors of awakening have been skillfully fulfilled.

When his body is cut and torn apart, even to the beheading of his head, if the Great Bodhisattva is skillfully able to bear it, it is because he seeks the Buddha's vajra body.

When the flesh upon his body is sliced and cut, the Great Bodhisattva is skillfully able to bear it, because he seeks the subtle and wondrous excellent marks of the Tathāgata.

The various fierce calamities and disasters the Great Bodhisattva skillfully bears, because he is cultivating all the strength of wholesome karma.

— O Śāriputra! Matters such as these are called the Great Bodhisattva's accomplishment of the kṣānti-pāramitā; one must learn in this way.

— Again, O Śāriputra! The various acts of forbearance of the Great Bodhisattva when practicing the kṣānti-pāramitā are called ultimate forbearance. Why? Because if there is the notion "I am able to endure this blame and reviling and then forbear it," that is called the forbearance arisen together with self (co-arising forbearance), and is not ultimate forbearance.

If there is the notion "Who reviles, and why does he revile?" and then one forbears, that is called the forbearance of cunning calculation of dharmas.

If there is the notion "Can the eye-base revile the eye-base?" and then one forbears, that is called the forbearance of contemplating the various bases.

If there is the notion "Herein there is no subject and no object," and then one forbears, that is called the forbearance of awakening to the absence of sentient beings.

All such kinds of forbearance are not the ultimate forbearance of the Great Bodhisattva.

— Again, O Śāriputra! If one holds the notion that the sound of reviling is merely a name, that is called the forbearance of sound and echo.

If one holds the notion that others and oneself are alike impermanent, that is called the forbearance of awakening to impermanence.

If one holds the notion that they are inverted while I am not inverted, that is called the forbearance of high and low.

If one holds the notion that they are unreasonable while I am reasonable, that is called the forbearance of accordance and non-accordance.

If one holds the notion that they are of the wrong path while I am of the right path, that is called the forbearance of the difference between the two paths.

Such kinds of forbearance are all not ultimate forbearance.

If one holds the notions "I accept the empty and do not accept the existent; I accept the signless and do not accept perception and examination; I accept the wishless and do not accept seeking and wishing; I accept the actionless and do not accept the conditioned practices of the dharmas; I accept the ending of afflictions and do not accept the afflictions; I accept the wholesome dharmas and do not accept the evil dharmas; I accept the faultless and do not accept the faulty; I accept the outflow-free and do not accept that with outflows; I accept the transcendent and do not accept the worldly; I accept the pure and do not accept the defiled; I accept Nirvāṇa and do not accept birth-and-death" —

Such kinds of forbearance can only be called the forbearance that counteracts and severs, and are all not the ultimate forbearance of the Great Bodhisattva.

— Again, O Śāriputra! When practicing the kṣānti-pāramitā, the Great Bodhisattva cultivates ultimate forbearance.

If the Great Bodhisattva accords with emptiness yet does not extinguish the various views of existence, and within that nature of emptiness also does not add anything — to forbear in this way is called the Bodhisattva's ultimate forbearance.

If he accords with emptiness yet does not extinguish wishing and praying, and within the nature of wishlessness also does not add anything. If he accords with emptiness yet does not extinguish the conditioning dharmas, and within the nature of actionlessness also does not add anything. If he accords with emptiness yet does not extinguish the afflictions, and within the nature of the ending of afflictions also does not add anything.

If he accords with emptiness yet does not extinguish the unwholesome, and within the nature of the wholesome also does not add anything. If he accords with emptiness yet does not extinguish what is faulty, and within the nature of the faultless also does not add anything. If he accords with emptiness yet does not extinguish birth-and-death, and within the nature of Nirvāṇa also does not add anything.

— O Śāriputra! Such kinds of forbearance are called the Great Bodhisattva's ultimate forbearance.

— O Śāriputra! All dharmas are neither that which produces, nor that which is produced, nor that which has been produced, nor that which is presently being produced. There is not a single dharma that can be produced or arise. Because there is no arising, there is no extinction or cessation. If one is able to know this absence of extinction and cessation, that is called the Great Bodhisattva's ultimate forbearance.

— O Śāriputra! All dharmas are not conditioned: there is no adding, no planting and no increasing, also no nurturing and growing, no flourishing and no declining, no maker, no arouser. Because there is no arising, there is also no cessation. To forbear in this way is called the Great Bodhisattva's forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti).

— O Śāriputra! For the sake of Unsurpassed Bodhi, the Great Bodhisattva practices the bodhisattva conduct. If anyone accomplishes such forbearance, that is called the Bodhisattva's perfect and fulfilled accomplishment of the kṣānti-pāramitā.

— O Śāriputra! If the Great Bodhisattva, abiding in the kṣānti-pāramitā in this way, diligently cultivates and learns, practicing the bodhisattva conduct, then he will not be disturbed by the celestial Māra, nor will he be subdued by heterodox paths and wrong paths.

9. THE CHAPTER ON VĪRYA-PĀRAMITĀ

The World-Honored One addressed Venerable Śāriputra: "What is it for the Great Bodhisattva, for the sake of Unsurpassed Bodhi, to rely upon the vīrya-pāramitā and practice the bodhisattva conduct?

— O Śāriputra! The Great Bodhisattva, relying upon the pāramitā of diligence, with diligence cultivates and learns, practicing the bodhisattva conduct.

The Great Bodhisattva fully accomplishes non-retrogressing diligence; he is able, without regard for the preciousness of body and life, to arouse great diligence to seek the subtle and wondrous Dharma-gate of the Bodhisattva Canon: earnestly listening, upholding and retaining, reciting, investigating to the ultimate, penetrating its meaning and import; for the sake of others, widely expounding and revealing it; or further transcribing it and cultivating and learning in accord with reason. This is called the Great Bodhisattva's practice of the bodhisattva conduct.

— O Śāriputra! What is meant by "without regard for body and life"?

When the Great Bodhisattva practices the vīrya-pāramitā, though others terrorize and threaten him: "If you, with regard to this sūtra of the Bodhisattva Canon, uphold, retain, recite, and even widely expound and reveal it like one who cultivates and learns in accord with reason, then I shall take a hundred sharp arrows and pierce them through your body, cutting off your life" — though he hears such threats, that Great Bodhisattva pays them no heed; he is not afraid, not alarmed, not terrified.

He arouses the four kinds of valor, firm and solid, and toward the subtle and wondrous Dharma-gate of the Great Bodhisattva Canon he becomes all the more diligent, not discarding it, not forsaking it, not distancing himself from it, not departing from it; he fully accomplishes faith and understanding sharp and keen, faith and understanding firm and solid, endurance and forbearance firm and solid, right exertion firm and solid.

— O Śāriputra! For your sake I shall give a simile concerning firm and solid forbearance and firm and solid right exertion, so that the Great Bodhisattva may attain firm and solid forbearance and firm and solid right exertion, and practice the bodhisattva path without regard for body and life.

— O Śāriputra! Suppose all the sentient beings in the Three-Thousand Great-Thousand World-system — whether born from eggs, born from wombs, born from moisture, or born by transformation; whether having form or without form; whether with perception, without perception, or neither with perception nor without perception; whether visible or invisible — suppose all those sentient beings, in the space of an instant, simultaneously attained human bodies, and toward the Bodhisattva they all together formed grave enmity and hatred, saying to the Bodhisattva: