大乘理趣六波羅蜜多經

Chapter 3: ARISING OF THE BODHI-MIND (BODHICITTA)

When the World-Honored One had uttered words like the Lion's Roar (2), revealing in full clarity the Secret Dhāraṇī-Gate of Universal Retention (3), thereupon the Great Bodhisattva Maitreya (the Compassionate One) rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, with utmost sincerity joined his palms together, faced the Buddha, and said: "Excellent, excellent! Great Sage, World-Honored One, who ever, out of the mind of great compassion, praises and proclaims such a Secret Sweet-Dew Supreme Dhāraṇī (4) in order to guard and protect the realms of the world.

I respectfully beseech the World-Honored One, out of pity for sentient beings, to expound the Dharma of Supreme Bodhi, so that those sentient beings who have not yet aroused the mind may know how to arouse it; that once sentient beings have aroused the mind, they may know how to cultivate; and through what causes and conditions the Mahāyāna-mind may become irreversible. (5)"

At that time, the World-Honored One said to the Great Bodhisattva Maitreya: "If there be good men and good women who, for the sake of sentient beings, wish to cultivate the practice of the Mahāyāna and to lead sentient beings to the great Nirvāṇa, they must first arouse five supreme states of mind. What are these five supreme states of mind? — First, toward all sentient beings, to arouse the mind of great loving-kindness and compassion, impartial and all-pervading.

Second, toward the All-Knowing Wisdom (6), a mind that does not regress. Third, toward all sentient beings, to give rise to the thought that they are dear friends, and amid every peril and calamity, to vow to rescue and protect them. Fourth, toward sentient beings, ever to give rise to the thought that one is indebted to them.

Fifth, ever to bear a heart of shame and contrition, reflecting and asking: when shall I have fully repaid my debt to them? One who can arouse these five states of mind will surely and swiftly realize the fruit of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment (Anuttarā Samyak Saṃbodhi). (7)"

"Furthermore, Great Bodhisattva Maitreya! How is it that, within the Mahāyāna, one cultivates single-mindedly and attains non-regression? — As in a distant age long past, there was a merchant, intelligent and clear-sighted, who ever performed deeds of benevolence and filial devotion. Seeing his parents and kinsfolk poor and suffering, he was constantly grieved, his body and mind oppressed, wondering by what means he might provide for and aid them.

That merchant reflected thus: 'Nothing is better than to go into the sea and gather the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel (8), and bring it back to provide for them, so as to escape this poverty and suffering!' For this cause and condition, that merchant aroused a courageous and valiant mind, sparing not his own life, and forthwith set out from his home. Using all manner of means, he sought out provisions (food and supplies), and likewise sought out good companions, a ship, and a ship's pilot (helmsman)."

"While that merchant was traveling, midway upon the road he met a stranger returning from the sea. That stranger asked the merchant: 'Where do you wish to go, and what do you seek, that you are in such haste?' The merchant replied in full with the causes and conditions as above: because he wished to rescue and aid those who were destitute, he now wished to go into the sea to seek the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel and bring it back to provide for them.

The stranger said: 'Formerly I too left my home in just such a way, because I wished to rescue and aid my kinsfolk who were afflicted by the sufferings of destitution. When I had aroused that mind and left my home, along the road I encountered many dangers and hardships: I crossed vast plains, passed through boundless deserts of gravel and sand where there was not the least water nor a single plant or blade of grass, and where there were many wild elephants, tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves, venomous serpents, and lions; or I met with bandits and robbers, great mountains and great rivers, hunger and thirst, cold and heat, terror and dread.

Having passed through that place, I, together with the ship's pilot, came at last into the great sea, and there again met great winds, huge fish, evil dragons, thunder and lightning, hailstorms, pounding waves, and whirling waters — there were many perils of the deep, more than can be told. Though I endured such sufferings and calamities, still I did not find the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel; I obtained only such things as sustain the body, barely enough to provide for myself, and could not yet relieve the poverty and want of my kinsfolk.

Now I counsel you, Venerable One, do not force yourself to endure such hardship, which only wearies you to no purpose! I wish, together with you, Venerable One, to arrange some other undertaking, in some other place. Why is this?

Because within that great sea there are many disasters — not one alone — such as the black gale, the black mountain, the Yakṣas, the Rākṣasas, the great whale-fish, the man-eating dragon, and the like. Yet of the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel one has only ever heard the name; in truth, of the thousands upon ten thousands who go to seek the jewel, it is not certain that even one or two have obtained that precious gem. For this cause and condition, I counsel you, Venerable One, to turn back and go home at once!'"

"At that time, when the merchant-chief had heard these words, he became all the more advanced and resolute, and aroused three supreme states of mind, determined to enter the sea and seek the jewel without retreat. What are these three supreme states of mind? — First, he thought: my parents, brothers, and kinsfolk are so poor and suffering; how could I bear to return empty-handed, unable to rescue or aid one another in any way?

Second, he thought: my kinsfolk, in former times, were wealthy, and bestowed upon me the kindness of food and clothing, and pitied me greatly; now they have fallen into destitution, their very lives cannot be preserved — how could I bear to forsake them so, and wish to retreat and return? Third, he thought: when I dwelt at home, overseeing the affairs of the household, commanding the servants great and small, I even reproached them for all manner of things; how could I bear that they should be poor and suffering while I show them no pity, nor aid them so that they might find joy, but instead wish to retreat and return?

Through these causes and conditions, recalling the duty to repay kindness and virtue, that merchant aroused a mind of great courage and valor, resolved to advance, determined to enter the sea and seek the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel; and having obtained it, to return home and bring it to aid his kinsfolk, that they might use it freely and forever escape hardship and utter destitution. (9)"

"The Great Bodhisattva is likewise: the Great Bodhisattva arouses the Bodhi-mind and contemplates that the beings of the six destinies and the four modes of birth (10) throughout the ten directions are all my parents of former lives, who, out of pity and love for me, created all manner of evil karma and so fell into the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the realm of animals, undergoing every suffering and affliction.

For these causes and conditions, I reflect thus: 'By what means may I rescue and aid those who undergo such sufferings and calamities?' Having aroused this thought, I see that only by entering the great sea of the Dharma of the Six Pāramitās, seeking the All-Knowing Wisdom of the Buddhas (Buddha-knowledge), can one rescue and aid sentient beings from the suffering of birth-and-death! Having reflected thus, the Bodhisattva arouses a mind of great courage and valor, without regress or yielding, diligent and earnest in his seeking, without sloth or weariness or discouragement; and using all manner of means, he seeks out provisions, and seeks good companions of awakening (Bodhi), together with the Dharma (the true Dharma) and the Dharma-master."

"When the Bodhisattva had traveled midway upon the road, he met a Māra-king (Demon-king) leading his host of followers. Sometimes he would manifest in the bodily form of a heavenly being; sometimes he would manifest in the form of a human being; sometimes he would manifest in the bodily form of a Brāhmaṇa; sometimes he would manifest in the form of a merchant-chief; sometimes he would manifest in the bodily form of a bhikṣu or a bhikṣuṇī; sometimes he would manifest in the bodily form of other kinds of beings.

That Māra-king then asked the Bodhisattva who had aroused the mind: 'Now where do you wish to go, that you are in such haste?' — The Bodhisattva answered: 'For the sake of all sentient beings who undergo suffering and affliction, I now wish to enter the great sea of the Six Perfections, to seek the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the All-Knowing Wisdom of the Buddhas, in order to rescue and aid all sentient beings afflicted by poverty and want.' The Māra-king said again: 'When I first aroused the mind, I too was thus: because I wished to deliver all sentient beings afflicted by suffering and affliction out of the house of birth-and-death, I passed through wild plains and deserts of great wandering (drifting and rolling on without end), enduring fully all hunger and thirst, robbers and bandits,

and the fear of every calamity — not one calamity alone — before I at last reached the sea of the great Dharma of the Six Perfections.

At times I met one who begged for my head; or I met one who begged for my eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, hands, feet, joints and limbs, heart, lungs, intestines, stomach, liver, gall, spleen, kidneys, and even my lands, my city, my wife, my children, my menservants, my maidservants, and my attendants. As for all these things, whatever anyone begged, that I would give, without giving rise to any stinginess or grudging, seeking only the precious jewel of wisdom (the gem of wisdom, that is, the Buddha-knowledge).

Through immeasurable kalpas of birth-and-death, wandering in the sea of suffering, though I endured every suffering and calamity, still I did not attain Supreme Bodhi; rather I turned back and sought only the fruit of the Arhat, and thereby escaped the three realms and attained the quiescent extinction of Nirvāṇa. Now I counsel you, do not force yourself to endure such toil and hardship, but rather cultivate and uphold for yourself; I wish, together with you, to step up to the stage of that fruit.

Why is this? Because I reflect that, in the three evil destinies, one ever undergoes the suffering of hunger; one's mind dwells upon food and drink, one lifts one's face toward the empty sky — but who is there to put into one's mouth even one meal to fill one? All sufferings and calamities oppress body and mind; human life is impermanent, swifter than water rushing down a mountain; a good and wise friend (a virtuous companion) is hard to meet; if you do not believe and follow, receive and accept this, later your remorse will come too late!

In the sea of birth-and-death, one wanders unceasingly and without fixity; the mind is like the moon at the bottom of the water — what reality is there in it! An evil and unwise friend (a wicked companion) is easy to see and easy to meet, ever ready to urge people to practice the way of the Bodhisattva, to relinquish their wealth and possessions, to relinquish their very lives, in the hope of reaching the path of Bodhi.

How much more so, since the Buddhas appear in the world but once in how vast a span of time; of the thousands and ten thousands who seek the path of Bodhi, it is not certain that even one or two attain it. Therefore I counsel you, Venerable One, do not endure such toil and hardship, but rather seek liberation and realize Nirvāṇa for yourself. Moreover, throughout three immeasurable (asaṃkhya) kalpas one must undergo every kind of toil and hardship before realizing the Buddha-fruit of Bodhi; whereas here, even within this very life, or within but three lifetimes, one shall realize the fruit of the Arhat, a stage of No-More-Learning (Aśaikṣa) — why endure such suffering!

The foolish and unwise, whose minds long to seek the Buddha-fruit, pass through immeasurable kalpas undergoing every hardship, yet have not even been heard to realize the fruit of the Arhat — how much less to realize the path-fruit of Supreme Bodhi! It is as if a person had caught a small bird and then caught sight of a Garuḍa (Golden-Winged Bird); that person at once released the bird he had caught and was holding in his hand, and rushed forward to pursue and catch that Garuḍa; but the great bird flapped its wings and soared high away, and the small bird too flew off and was lost.

The fool who seeks the Buddha-fruit is likewise: he forsakes this fruit of the Arhat and seeks that Buddha-fruit, and both fruits are lost. Now that you know this, I hope you will swiftly turn back your mind, and within this very life you shall surely realize the fruit of the Arhat!'"

"Thereupon, when the Bodhisattva had heard these words, he became all the more courageous and valiant, and aroused three states of mind. What are these three states of mind? — First, he thought: all sentient beings, from the beginningless cycle of birth-and-death down to the present, are all my kinsfolk, or else my companions and friends; they are even now undergoing suffering and affliction and have not yet been able to escape it — how could I bear to retreat and return?

Second, he thought: all sentient beings, from beginningless time down to the present, have provided me with food and clothing and pitied me profoundly; now they must undergo many sufferings and calamities in the cycle of rebirth (saṃsāra), and I have not yet been able to repay them — how could I bear to give rise to a regressing mind? Third, he thought: all sentient beings, from beginningless time down to the present, are all my relations; I have commanded them and at times even reproached them, and I have not yet repaid them in the least for their kindness!

For these causes and conditions, I must not retreat or yield, but must rouse all the more courage and valor in order to seek and realize the path-fruit of Bodhi. If I realize the precious All-Knowing Wisdom of Bodhi and use it to rescue and aid sentient beings afflicted by suffering and calamity in birth-and-death — this is called the Great Bodhisattva who, within the Mahāyāna, cultivates single-mindedly and attains non-regression. (11)"

"Furthermore, Bodhisattva Maitreya! You should know that this is how the Great Bodhisattva, cultivating the practice of the Mahāyāna, arouses the five states of mind. Of these five states of mind: the first is, toward all sentient beings, to arouse the mind of great compassion; the second is, for the sake of all sentient beings, to seek the All-Knowing Wisdom with a mind that does not regress.

These two states of mind, with respect to the Dharma of the Mahāyāna, the Bodhisattva must cultivate with diligence and earnestness. The third state of mind is: all sentient beings are my dear friends. The fourth state of mind is: all sentient beings are, toward me, those to whom I am indebted, and I have not yet repaid them in the least.

The fifth state of mind is: all sentient beings are all my relations, and I have, toward them, given rise to unwholesome karma, reproaching and scolding them, blaming and punishing them unreasonably — with deepest shame in my heart, when shall I have fully repaid them! These three states of mind cause the Bodhisattvas to be courageous and valiant, never regressing, until they realize the path-fruit of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment (Anuttarā Samyak Saṃbodhi). (12)"

Annotations:

(1) This sūtra is scroll number 261 in the Great Canon (Tripiṭaka). The title of this sūtra has been explained fully in the volume "Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels." This sūtra has ten chapters: the first is the chapter on Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels, the second is the chapter on the Dhāraṇī, and this chapter on the Arising of the Bodhi-Mind is the third. The Bodhi-mind is of three classes: the Bodhi-mind of the Śrāvaka, the Bodhi-mind of the Pratyekabuddha, and the Bodhi-mind of the Buddha. This speaks of the Supreme Bodhi-mind, that is, the Bodhi-mind of the Buddha. Bodhi: formerly translated as "the Way," now translated as "Awakening." Arousing the Bodhi-mind: this means arousing the mind that seeks the True Way, or arousing the mind that seeks Perfect Enlightenment.

(2) The Lion's Roar: The lion is the chief of beasts; at a single roar of his, all other beasts are struck with terror. As for the Buddha, who is endowed with majestic virtue, whatever words He utters amid the great assembly are spoken with the intent of certainty and without fear; and conversely, when the assembly hears them, their afflictions are dissolved and the Māra-king is struck with terror. Therefore the words spoken by the Buddha are likened to the Lion's Roar.

(3) The Gate of Universal Retention: That is, the Dhāraṇī-Gate. Dhāraṇī, translated in China as "Universal Retention," means to retain the good so that it is not lost, and to keep the evil so that it does not arise. Taking mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom as its essence, the Bodhisattva cultivates mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom in full and so attains that merit. "Gate" here means "Dharma-gate." The Dharma-gate of Universal Retention properly comprises four kinds: Dharma, meaning, mantra, and forbearance; but it usually refers to the mantra-gate of the Esoteric (Tantric) teaching, called the Gate of Universal Retention.

(4) This Dhāraṇī-gate is most secret, subtle and wondrous, supreme, and possessed of the savor of the sweet dew of liberation.

(5) This is the prelude: the Bodhisattva Maitreya praises the merit of the Buddha's full and clear revelation of the secret Gate of Universal Retention, and at the same time the Bodhisattva Maitreya asks the Buddha: how may sentient beings arouse the Supreme Bodhi-mind; once they have aroused the mind, how may they cultivate; and how may they become irreversible?

(6) The All-Knowing Wisdom: That is, the Buddha-knowledge. It means that, with the one perfect and luminous wisdom of the Buddha, one knows all the doctrines and methods of the Buddhas and knows all the causes and conditions of sentient beings.

(7) Here the Buddha answers the question of the Bodhisattva Maitreya, that sentient beings who wish to cultivate the practice of the Mahāyāna and to reach Nirvāṇa must arouse the five supreme states of mind. Once they have aroused these five states of mind, they do not regress and swiftly realize the path-fruit of Supreme Bodhi.

(8) The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel (Cintāmaṇi): Also called the Maṇi-gem, meaning that from this jewel there issues forth everything that accords with the wishes and aspirations sought by sentient beings. The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel here is a simile for the Buddha-knowledge, that is, the All-Knowing Wisdom.

(9) In the passage above, the Buddha speaks of the merchant who, because he was endowed with intelligent wisdom and knew how to observe thoroughly, and knew how to cherish his parents and kinsfolk, resolutely made the vow to enter the sea and seek the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel and bring it back to rescue and aid all; although midway there was one who counseled him against it, and he met with many perils and calamities, still he did not falter in heart nor flag in resolve, but attained the goal of his aspiration. This is a simile that the Bodhisattva who arouses the mind to cultivate the practice of the Mahāyāna must likewise be so.

(10) The six destinies: the heavenly beings, humans, Asuras, the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals. The four modes of birth: those born of eggs, those born of the womb, those born of moisture, and those born by transformation.

(11) The above speaks of how the Bodhisattva who arouses the mind to cultivate the practice of the Mahāyāna and to reach Supreme Bodhi must above all be single-minded, diligent, and earnest, even though he meets with many obstacles and the temptations of the Māra-king.

(12) The passage above is the conclusion concerning the five supreme states of mind.