菩提資糧論

Question: If that is so, since one does not possess a mass of merit equal to a hundred Mount Sumerus, no one would be able to attain bodhi.

Answer:

Although this bodhisattva may perform only a small meritorious deed, through skillful means it becomes a great mass of merit. Whether one gives food and drink to sentient beings, or offers incense, flower garlands, and the like to an image of the Tathagata,

all such merits are directed toward all sentient beings encompassed throughout all worlds: “Through this merit of mine, may all sentient beings attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.” Furthermore, one shares this merit with all sentient beings. Such merit, dedicated together with sentient beings to unsurpassed bodhi, is called the bodhisattva’s skillful means. Merit dedicated in this way becomes immeasurable, boundless, and incalculable. Therefore, although the wisdom of omniscience is boundless, because this merit likewise possesses a boundless character, it can be attained.

There is also another meaning:

Day and night, the bodhisattva constantly gives rise to this activity of mind: “Whatever wholesome deed I perform with body, speech, or mind is entirely for delivering sentient beings, liberating sentient beings, bringing sentient beings to tranquility, and attaining the wisdom of omniscience.” Apart from the Buddhas, who could measure one endowed with such great compassion and established in skillful means? Therefore, through the sufficiency of this merit, bodhi can be attained.

Question: Why is this merit so immeasurable?

Answer:

Here, when a bodhisattva practices the six paramitas, for the sake of sentient beings he does not cherish his sons, daughters, or relatives; possessions such as diamonds; his own life; the limbs of his body; his entire body; physical or mental pleasures; sovereignty among gods or humans; a body of Brahma; the formless heavens; or even nirvana. He only compassionately cares for sentient beings and never abandons them: “How shall I enable these childlike, ordinary beings, blinded by the veil of ignorance, to escape the prison of the three realms and dwell in the city of fearlessness, in the eternal bliss of nirvana?” Who could measure the merit acquired by a bodhisattva who benefits sentient beings in this way and loves them without cause?

Another verse says:

This bodhisattva constantly reflects with great compassion: “No one now protects or rescues this world. Beings wander throughout the six destinies, enter the fires of the three sufferings, have nowhere to rely upon, and run in confusion here and there, continually afflicted by physical and mental illnesses. Since they have no refuge, I shall become their refuge and rescue their bodies and minds from every suffering.” Who could measure the merit gained by giving rise to this activity of mind?

This prajnaparamita can give rise to Buddhas and bodhisattvas and bring the qualities of Buddhas and bodhisattvas to fulfillment. If a bodhisattva contemplates and cultivates it for merely the time required to milk a cow, that mass of merit is already immeasurable. How much more so if he cultivates in accord with it for one day and night, two days and nights, three days and nights, up to seven days and nights, half a month, one month, or many months? Who could measure the merit acquired?

“Profound” refers to exceedingly deep scriptures that accord with emptiness and the supramundane; this is what is meant by profound.

Furthermore, they discern dependent origination. Dependent origination is the Dharma, and the Dharma is the body of the Tathagata; thus, these sutras accord with the Tathagata’s body. These profound sutras are praised by the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones. If one recites them oneself, teaches others to recite them, or explains them to others without a mind that seeks reward, solely because one does not wish the Tathagata’s body to disappear—the Tathagata’s body being the Dharma-body—and because one wishes it to abide for a long time, then who could measure the merit acquired?

A bodhisattva skilled in means first gathers sentient beings through the four means of attraction. Knowing that they will accept his words, he then teaches and transforms them, causing them to arouse the aspiration for bodhi. No one can measure the merit acquired by a bodhisattva endowed with such skillful means who causes sentient beings to arouse the aspiration for bodhi, for it is immeasurable.

Furthermore, because he causes sentient beings to arouse the aspiration for bodhi, his merit increases still further. It is called a “treasury of merit” because the merit is inexhaustible and can lead to the inexhaustible, and therefore cannot be exhausted.

The Immovable Ground is called immovable because it cannot be shaken. Because the bodhisattva causes others to arouse the aspiration for bodhi, throughout the kalpas of his births his aspiration for bodhi remains unmoved and is never lost. Thus, causing others to arouse the aspiration for bodhi is itself a cause of the Immovable Ground.

Just as the Buddha, the Blessed One, turned the Dharma wheel at the abode of the seers in the Deer Park at Varanasi, so turning in accord with that supreme Dharma wheel is also a treasury of merit.

This turning in accord has three kinds of causes and conditions:

Regarding the profound sutras spoken by the Tathagata, which accord with emptiness and the supramundane, if one retains them, expounds them and practices the Dharma in accordance with the Dharma, or preserves such sutras so that they are not lost, this is the first way of turning the Dharma wheel in accord.

Discerningly expounding them for sentient beings who possess the proper capacities is the second way of turning the Dharma wheel in accord.

Practicing in accordance with the Dharma as taught in those sutras is the third way of turning the Dharma wheel in accord.

“Pacifying all pernicious thorns” means this: The pernicious thorns of the Buddha’s teaching are non-Buddhists holding wrong views and evil Maras who exercise power in the desire realm and detest liberation.

If, among the four assemblies or elsewhere, someone declares what is not Dharma to be Dharma, what is not Vinaya to be Vinaya, or what is not the Teacher’s doctrine to be the Teacher’s doctrine, that person is a pernicious thorn within the Buddha’s teaching. One should analyze the matter in accordance with the Dharma and subdue such people, breaking their arrogance and destroying their wrong views so that the Dharma may shine brightly. This is called pacifying all pernicious thorns. Because he pacifies all pernicious thorns, this is called the bodhisattva’s treasury of merit.

If a bodhisattva dons firm armor and constantly arouses diligent resolve for sentient beings’ welfare, then, to liberate even a single sentient being, he patiently endures without wavering the sufferings of many kalpas in the great Avici Hell. How much more will he endure other, lesser sufferings? Know that for a bodhisattva capable of enduring sufferings in this way, bodhi rests in the palm of his hand.

Whatever a bodhisattva undertakes—whether generosity or anything else—is motivated by great compassion and is solely for sentient beings’ welfare and to enable them to attain nirvana. It is never for even the slightest pleasure of his own. Such a person is also one of great compassion. Know that for such a great being, bodhi has come into the palm of his hand.

Question: The paramitas such as dana have already been explained above. Why explain them again now?

Answer: Previously they were explained chiefly for practitioners; now they are explained for those who have not attained acceptance and the illumination of wisdom. Having awakened to the path of the single characteristic, the wise are free from conceptual proliferation. Because they do not cast off the yoke, they are diligent and free from indolence. Because they have eliminated craving, they practice generosity and are free from miserliness. Know that for such a bodhisattva, bodhi rests in the palm of his hand.

If a bodhisattva has skillfully perfected the dhyana-paramita, his concentration does not depend upon the three realms, and its character is tranquil, without thought. Furthermore, his shila is complete, unmixed, and untainted; it is dedicated to bodhi and is never lost. Moreover, having skillfully perfected the prajnaparamita, he abides in the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas regarding dependently arisen phenomena. Because his foundation is supreme, he does not regress. Know that bodhi rests in the palm of his hand.

Question: It has been said that bodhisattvas who practice and have attained acceptance accumulate fields of merit, and that this mass of merit enables them to attain bodhi. How can the fields of merit accumulated by a bodhisattva who has only initially aroused the aspiration enable him to attain bodhi?

Answer:

If there are Buddhas, Blessed Ones, presently abiding unobstructed in worlds throughout the ten directions through the power of their past vows to benefit sentient beings, I now disclose my offenses before those who directly realize the truth: “If, throughout my wandering since beginningless time, in the past, present, or future, I have personally committed evil karma, instructed others to commit it, or rejoiced in its commission; if, because of greed, hatred, or delusion, I have committed evil through body, speech, or mind—I now declare it and dare not conceal it. I shall utterly and forever abandon it and never commit it again.”

If a Buddha, a Blessed One endowed with great vows, realizes unsurpassed perfect enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree but, being of few desires and abiding in tranquility, does not turn the Dharma wheel for the world, I shall entreat that Buddha, the Blessed One, to turn the Buddha’s Dharma wheel, benefiting and bringing happiness to many, showing compassion for the world, and benefiting the great assembly of gods and humans.

If any Buddhas, Blessed Ones, unobstructed in the world, have realized bodhi in the ten directions, turned the Dharma wheel, established the true Dharma, and completed the liberation of those sentient beings who should be liberated, and now intend to relinquish their lives, I shall bow my head to those Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, and entreat them to remain for a long time, benefiting and bringing happiness to many, showing compassion for the world, and benefiting the great assembly of gods and humans.

Whatever meritorious deeds sentient beings perform, arising through body, speech, and mind from the cultivation of generosity, moral discipline, and so forth, whether accumulated in the past, being accumulated now, or to be accumulated in the future; whatever merit shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, saints, and ordinary beings possess—in all of it I rejoice.

Such rejoicing is foremost, is a supreme abiding, is extraordinary, is highest, is supremely embracing, is splendid, is unsurpassed, is unequaled, and is equal to the unequaled. Only rejoicing in this way is called rejoicing.

Whatever merit I have acquired since beginningless time in the course of wandering, in relation to the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, or anyone else—even giving a single morsel of food to an animal; whether roots of virtue from taking refuge, confession, entreating, or rejoicing—I gather all of it, in its full measure, into a single mass. For the sake of sentient beings and as a dedication to bodhi, I relinquish and give it all. Through these roots of virtue, may sentient beings realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment and attain omniscience.

Whatever roots of virtue I dedicate to bodhi for the sake of sentient beings; whatever roots of virtue arise from requesting the turning of the Dharma wheel, entreating the Buddhas to live long, or rejoicing—I gather them all, in their full measure, into a single mass. Just as the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, of the past, future, and present dedicated, are dedicating, and will dedicate their roots of virtue to bodhi, so too do I dedicate my roots of virtue to bodhi. Through these dedicated roots of virtue, may I and all sentient beings realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

I shall now state this again in brief:

I confess all evil deeds I have personally committed. The merits of requesting the turning of the Dharma wheel, entreating the Buddhas to remain and live long, rejoicing, and dedication are dedicated as described above for the sake of bodhi, in accordance with the teaching of the Supreme Ones. One should dedicate them in this way.

Question: Furthermore, how should this dedication be performed?

Answer:

One should purify oneself, put on clean clothing, wash one’s hands and feet, and arrange one’s robes neatly. Having properly arranged the upper robe over one shoulder, one should kneel steadily upon the right knee, join the palms, and single-mindedly relinquish discriminative thought. Whether at a stupa of the Tathagata, before a revered image, or facing empty space, one should contemplate the Buddhas as if they were directly present. Having reflected in this way, one should perform the practice described above three times by day and three times by night.

Regarding the six daily sessions of dedication described here, the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, who see reality as it is, have declared that if the merit produced in a single session possessed visible form like a heap of grain, that accumulated merit would have no limit. Even trichiliocosms as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, extending to the utmost boundary, could not contain it, because that merit is dedicated as being equal to empty space. If the dedication of even a single session has such merit, how much more so many dedications? Although one is merely a bodhisattva who has initially aroused the aspiration, through the power of dedication one still produces great merit. Through the successive development of a mass of merit possessing such a character, one can attain bodhi.

Question: The means by which bodhisattvas produce great merit have been explained. Now, if one wishes to protect that merit, what skillful means should one employ?

Answer:

If a bodhisattva who has initially aroused the aspiration wishes to protect his roots of virtue and his own person, he should give rise to the utmost respect, affection, and reverence toward other bodhisattvas who have initially aroused the aspiration, regarding them as he would the Blessed One, the omniscient Teacher, and his own father and mother.

Beginning with bodhisattvas who have initially aroused the aspiration, he should likewise cherish and esteem all bodhisattvas to the utmost. If he acts otherwise, both his own person and his roots of virtue will be utterly destroyed. As the Blessed One once said in a sutra: “I do not see any other dharma that obstructs a bodhisattva and completely destroys roots of virtue as does giving rise to anger toward a bodhisattva.” Though a bodhisattva may have accumulated roots of virtue for a hundred kalpas, anger toward another bodhisattva utterly destroys them all. Therefore, one should respect bodhisattvas as one respects one’s teacher.

If a bodhisattva disparages the faults of a practitioner of the Mahayana and brings him into disrepute, all the wholesome dharmas that the slanderer acquired over many kalpas are utterly destroyed, and his pure qualities cannot increase. Therefore, even if bodhisattvas have faults, one should not speak of them, in order to protect one’s own roots of virtue and life; how much less should one speak falsely? This is comparable to speaking of a king’s transgressions.

As stated in a sutra, there was a bodhisattva whose conduct was pure and who could not be accused of any violation. Yet because the bhikshu Dharma maliciously made false statements about him, for seventy kalpas he underwent the retribution of hell; then, for sixty thousand kalpas, he was born as an impoverished person, continually afflicted by blindness, leprosy, and severe illnesses. Therefore, whether a bodhisattva has faults or not, one must not speak of them.

If he genuinely possesses virtues, one should praise them alone, both to increase one’s own roots of virtue and to establish others in faith.

If a sentient being has made the vow to seek bodhi, one should seek only to prevent him from regressing. Yet foolish people, moved by anger, craving, and partisan attachment, say: “Why undertake the bodhisattva’s difficult practices for such a long time? The bliss of nirvana is equally the same; through the shravaka practice, one swiftly attains nirvana.”

The consequences of these statements will be explained later.

To reveal the Buddha’s qualities through many kinds of analogies so that they enter the person’s mind is “revealing.” To enable him to perfect diligence in the bodhisattva practices is “intensifying.” To make his diligence rapidly increase and benefit him by describing the great supernormal powers and qualities of the Perfectly Awakened One is “causing joy.” In these ways, one causes him not to abandon the aspiration for bodhi.

Profound sutras are spoken by the Buddha and accord with emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. They eliminate innumerable extreme views, such as annihilationism and eternalism; extinguish the inherent existence of self, person, sentient being, and living being; and reveal the Tathagata’s rare qualities and great supernormal powers. If one has not realized and understood these sutras and this Vinaya, one must not, out of delusion, say that they were not spoken by the Buddha. Why? The Buddha, the Blessed One, declared that one who slanders a sutra spoken by the Tathagata will undergo the most painful evil retribution.

In the Sutra of the Irreversible Wheel, the Blessed One said: Gather entirely into a single mass the offenses arising from the five uninterrupted karmas; the karmic offenses of killing all sentient beings in a trichiliocosm; the karmic offenses of burning or destroying stupas of Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, after their parinirvana, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges; and the karmic offenses of obstructing the Dharma-eye of the Buddhas of the past, present, and future.

Compared with either of these two offenses—forming attachments regarding a profound sutra one does not understand and saying that it was not spoken by the Buddha, or causing a bodhisattva who has aroused the aspiration for bodhi to regress from that aspiration—the former accumulated offenses, including the five uninterrupted offenses, do not equal one hundredth, one thousandth, or even a numerical, calculable, analogous, or upanishad fraction of them, so grave is the character of these offenses.

To protect one’s own person and roots of virtue, one must not commit these two kinds of offenses.

Question: The protection of a bodhisattva’s own roots of virtue has been explained. What is the ultimate meaning of cultivating the path?

Answer:

When practicing the prajnaparamita, the bodhisattva should cultivate the three gates of liberation. First, he should cultivate the gate of liberation of emptiness, to destroy all views and attachments. Second is the gate of liberation of signlessness, through not apprehending discriminative thoughts and their objects. Third is the gate of liberation of wishlessness, through transcending the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm.

Question: Why are these called gates of liberation?

Answer:

Because there is no intrinsic nature, there is emptiness;
Since there is nothing, how could there be signs?
When all signs have been pacified,
What could the wise wish for?

Because phenomena arise through conditions, they have no intrinsic nature; this is called emptiness. Because of emptiness, the mind does not apprehend objects, and thus there are no signs. Because one is free from all signs, one consequently seeks nothing.

Furthermore, if a phenomenon arises from conditions, its intrinsic nature does not arise. Because its intrinsic nature does not arise, that phenomenon is empty. If a phenomenon is empty, there is no sign within it; because there is no sign, this is signlessness. If there is no sign, the mind has no support therein; because it has no support, the mind wishes for nothing in the three realms.

When cultivating these three gates of liberation, if one is not embraced by skillful means, one draws near to nirvana. Although they should be cultivated, one must not fall into another form of enlightenment. One must seek the acceptance of non-attainment and abide in skillful means.

One should arouse this resolve: “I must benefit sentient beings and deliver sentient beings. Although I cultivate the three gates of liberation, I should not actualize nirvana. Rather, because I am training in the prajnaparamita, I must diligently bring the three gates of liberation to maturity. I must cultivate emptiness without realizing emptiness; cultivate signlessness without realizing signlessness; and cultivate wishlessness without realizing wishlessness.”

Suppose a master archer, well trained in archery, shoots an arrow into the sky and then continuously shoots further arrows. Those arrows follow and support one another in midair, preventing them from falling to the ground.

Likewise, the bodhisattva, the great master archer, uses the bow of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness in which he has trained. Having released the arrow of mind into the sky of the three gates of liberation, he then employs the successive arrows of skillful means and compassionate concern for sentient beings. Through their continued succession in the sky of the three realms, they support that arrow of mind and prevent it from falling into the city of nirvana.

Question: How does he prevent that mind from falling into the city of nirvana?

Answer:

“If I skillfully bring the three gates of liberation to maturity, nirvana will be as if held in the palm of my hand. Yet ordinary beings are like infants who still must be fed milk and cannot reach the city of nirvana by themselves. Since they have not attained nirvana, I should not enter nirvana alone.

I shall arouse diligence in this way: ‘Whatever I do is solely for sentient beings’ benefit and solely to enable sentient beings to attain nirvana.’” One should first give rise to such a thought; afterward, the mind should accord and correspond with the three gates of liberation. “Accord” here refers to what follows. If this is not done, then, lacking the support of skillful means, that arrow of mind will, while practicing the three gates of liberation, fall into the liberation of the shravakas or the liberation of the pratyekabuddhas.

There is yet another skillful means:

Because of delusion, childlike ordinary sentient beings, throughout the beginningless long night of wandering, cling to the four inversions: regarding the impermanent as permanent, suffering as happiness, the impure as pure, and non-self as self. Furthermore, regarding the internal and external dhatus and ayatanas, they cling to self and what belongs to self, believing there is something to attain. They have done so throughout the long night and continue to do so in the present.

Because of delusion, such sentient beings give rise to the two kinds of attachment to self and what belongs to self. Furthermore, regarding the nonexistence of form and the other skandhas, they falsely discriminate, apprehend signs, and produce the four inverted wrong views. “I shall teach them the Dharma so that these may be eliminated.” After first arousing this aspiration, one should cultivate in accord with the three gates of liberation. If one cultivates the three gates of liberation otherwise, one will proceed toward the path that draws near to nirvana.

That a bodhisattva gives rise to the conception of sentient beings is itself most difficult, inconceivable, and unprecedented, like painting empty space. In the ultimate meaning, sentient beings have never existed. This bodhisattva “does not know” and “does not attain,” yet exerts diligent effort for sentient beings’ benefit. Apart from great compassion, where could such a difficult deed be found?

This should be carefully considered. When a bodhisattva reaches the stage of certainty, enters it through the thirty-two dharmas, and accords with the gates of liberation, before his original vow has been fulfilled, does he realize nirvana or not?

In a sutra, the Blessed One said: “The four great elements might undergo alteration, but no bodhisattva who has entered the stage of certainty will realize nirvana before fulfilling his original vow.” Therefore, a bodhisattva who has reached the stage of certainty does not realize nirvana before fulfilling his original vow.

If a bodhisattva who has initially aroused the aspiration has not yet reached the stage of certainty, then, being embraced by skillful means, while cultivating the three gates of liberation he likewise does not realize nirvana before fulfilling his original vow.

Because wandering is ablaze with the three kinds of fire, this bodhisattva is utterly disenchanted with it. Yet he should not give rise to the thought of fleeing from wandering, for he must regard sentient beings as his children and turn toward wandering. He should also have faith and delight in nirvana, as in a house that provides shelter and protection, yet he must turn his back upon nirvana in order to perfect the wisdom of omniscience.

If one is disenchanted with wandering, one will also have faith and delight in nirvana. If one does not turn toward wandering and turn one’s back upon nirvana, then before fulfilling one’s original vow, while cultivating the gates of liberation, one will actualize nirvana.

Because the afflictions are the causes of wandering, one should fear them, but one should not completely eradicate them. If one completely eradicates the afflictions, one will be unable to accumulate the provisions for bodhi. Therefore, the bodhisattva restrains the afflictions through counteractive dharmas. By restraining the afflictions and depriving them of power, he can accumulate the roots of virtue that are the provisions for bodhi. By accumulating roots of virtue, he can fulfill his original vow and reach bodhi.

Question: Why does he not eliminate the afflictions by utterly extinguishing them?

The nature of shravaka saints is nirvana; because they take nirvana as their object, they attain the fruits of the ascetic life. Buddhas do not take nirvana as their nature but take the afflictions as their nature, because the aspiration for bodhi arises from them. Shravakas and pratyekabuddhas burn away the afflictions and therefore do not produce the seed of the aspiration for bodhi, for the seed of the Two Vehicles’ mind no longer wanders in samsara. Therefore, the afflictions are the Tathagata-nature. Because sentient beings who possess afflictions arouse the aspiration for bodhi and produce Buddhahood, it is not separate from the afflictions.

Question: If burning away the afflictions prevents the seed of the aspiration for bodhi from arising, why does the Lotus Sutra confer predictions upon shravakas who have burned away their afflictions?

Answer:

Predictions are conferred upon those sentient beings;
Such predictions have their causes and conditions.
Only the Buddha knows this skillful means
That has reached the other shore.

No one knows which sentient beings possess the requisite causes and conditions; only the Buddha knows. Because he has reached the other shore of taming beings, he is unlike other sentient beings. Yet those shravakas do not produce the seed of the aspiration for bodhi, because they have entered the unconditioned stage of certainty. As a sutra says:

Just as no seed grows in empty space, so the Buddha-Dharma has never arisen in the unconditioned and never will arise there. Just as no lotus flower grows upon a barren highland, so too shravakas and pratyekabuddhas who have entered the stage of certainty do not produce the Buddha-Dharma.

“A high bank” means this: Along the path to the city of the wisdom of omniscience are two high banks—the high bank of the shravaka stage and the high bank of the pratyekabuddha stage. If shravakas and pratyekabuddhas possessed omniscience in all its aspects, these would not be the bodhisattva’s two high banks.

“A deep pit” means this: A man well trained in jumping may fall into a deep pit yet remain there safely. One who is not well trained and falls into a deep pit will die there. Likewise, because bodhisattvas cultivate roots of virtue that skillfully accord with the unconditioned, although they cultivate the unconditioned, they do not fall into it. Shravakas cultivate the unconditioned without skillfully according with it and therefore fall into the unconditioned.

“A boundary” means this: Because shravakas bind themselves within the boundary of the unconditioned and can no longer act within the conditioned, the aspiration for bodhi does not arise there.

“A eunuch” means this: Just as a man whose faculties have been impaired obtains no benefit from the five sensual pleasures, so too shravakas, though endowed with unconditioned dharmas, obtain no benefit from the Buddha-Dharma.

“A kaca jewel” means this: Although gods and humans may skillfully polish a kaca jewel, it can never become a vaidurya gem. Likewise, although shravakas may perfect the trainings in moral discipline, the ascetic practices, the qualities of samadhi, and so forth, they can never sit at the seat of bodhi and realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

“Also like a scorched seed” means this: Though a scorched seed is placed in soil, nourished by water, and warmed by sunlight, it can never sprout. Likewise, after shravakas have scorched the seeds of the afflictions, they have no further arising within the three realms.

From sutras such as these, one should know that after shravakas attain the unconditioned Dharma, the aspiration for bodhi does not arise in them.