廣釋菩提心論

I take refuge in all Buddhas of the three times

Briefly compiling the practices of the Mahāyāna

Establishing from the very beginning the supreme undertaking

I now extensively explain the Bodhicitta

What is the matter here? If anyone wishes to realize all-knowing wisdom, gathering up in brief the source of the mind within the three realms, let them give rise to the mind of compassion. From this mind of compassion arises the mind of Great Bodhi.

Therefore, within the Buddha-Dharma this is the most supreme of all. All of it takes the mind of compassion as its root. This mind of compassion arises by reason of contemplating sentient beings, as the Treatise on the Compendium of the Holy Dharma (Āryadharmasaṃgraha-śāstra) says: At that time the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara addressed the Buddha, and the World-Honored One taught, saying: Bodhisattvas should not cultivate and study many kinds of Dharma-gates, but should diligently and exclusively practice only a single Dharma-gate, and then they will master all dharmas as though holding them in the palm of the hand—how much more so a dharma such as Great Compassion.

O Bodhisattvas, through this Great Compassion one then abides in all Buddha-dharmas as though within the palm of the hand. The World-Honored One is like a Wheel-Turning Sage King (Cakravartin) who, in the place of good practice, immediately attains the assembling of all powers; and the Bodhisattvas too are likewise. The field of practice of Great Compassion can accomplish the assembling of all powers of the Buddha-Dharma.

The World-Honored One is again like a man whose life is firm and lasting, who is able to cause the faculties to be transformed; and the Bodhisattvas too are likewise—their Great Compassion being firm and solid, it is able to cause the Bodhi-practice ever to flow onward.

As the Akṣayamati Sūtra (Sūtra of Inexhaustible Intention) says: Furthermore, Śāriputra! Know that the Great Compassion of the Bodhisattvas is inexhaustible. Why is this? Because together with all dharmas it leads the way. Śāriputra! It is like a man who, possessing the faculty of life, comes and goes, before and after, leading the way in this manner. The Dharma-gate of the Mahāyāna, vast and universally pervading, is also like this. The Bodhisattva takes the mind of Great Compassion as foremost.

As the Gajaśīrṣa Sūtra (Elephant-Head Sūtra) says: At that time a certain Devaputra asked the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī (Wonderfully Auspicious One), saying: How is one able to give rise to all the supreme practices of a Bodhisattva? And where do they abide?

Mañjuśrī said: Devaputra, Great Compassion is what is able to give rise to all the supreme practices of a Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva, taking sentient beings as his condition, abides in their realm. Therefore the Bodhisattva ever gives rise to thoughts of loving-kindness toward all sentient beings, and within this body there is no limit; purely for their sake he nurtures and benefits them. Over a long span of time, deeds difficult to do he is able to do; thus he gives rise to all the practices.

As the Śraddhābalādhāna Sūtra (Sūtra of the Dharma-Gate of the Power of Faith) teaches:

The compassionate mind of those Bodhisattvas is firm and solid; because they seek to liberate all sentient beings, there is not the slightest thought of suffering. And once a being has been liberated, they do not think, "I have liberated it." They do not depart from any of the difficult ascetic practices. In this way, before long, those deeds are fulfilled.

Their aspirations are accomplished; they vow to realize all-knowing wisdom and to attain all Buddha-dharmas. Thus all of it takes the compassionate mind as its root. Therefore the Buddha, the World-Honored One, manifestly realizes all the wisdoms.

His mind of loving-kindness and compassion universally pervades, embracing and transforming. Widely, for the sake of the world, he performs the most supreme benefit, abiding in the non-abiding Nirvāṇa. Thus has the Buddha done.

All of it is because the mind of Great Compassion is the cause. Among these, the Buddhas create the cause where there is suffering and affliction; at that time, taking sentient beings as their condition, they direct their attention and then transform it into growth without regression.

As the Buddha has taught in the sūtras: All sentient beings in the various realms have manifold sufferings, and thus they undergo great suffering and affliction. The Bodhisattva ever, for the sake of sentient beings, contemplates with compassion. Therefore, in the hells there is a kind of suffering like being burned by fire for long ages without cease, inexhaustible suffering, like the world's punishment of thieves and robbers.

Bound fast to iron pillars, beaten, tormented, their bodies severed, they undergo manifold suffering and affliction. Sufferings such as these—and among the hungry ghosts it is likewise; there are many kinds of extreme torments of hunger, thirst, and misery. Their bodies are withered and shriveled.

Merely seeking food and drink, they undergo much suffering and harm. Though they constantly seek for themselves throughout a hundred years, in the end they cannot obtain even a small portion; harmed, and moreover never made pure. Furthermore, there are hungry ghosts who, being themselves weak, depend upon the stronger ones.

Though they obtain a dependence, they gain nothing. What they do obtain is to be transformed into ghosts of greater power, in order to torment and punish other offenders, undergoing thus immeasurable suffering and affliction. As for those who undergo that suffering, among them are some who delight at ease in such things.

Through those evil deeds they fall into the animal realm. As animals they undergo countless sufferings, giving rise to minds of hatred and harming one another, fighting over food. Some have their noses pierced through, or their bodies are mutilated.

Some are beaten with ropes, truly without ease. Their bodies in pain, truly there is not the slightest part that can be at peace and joy. Like a person gravely wounded who cannot be rescued.

For a long time they cannot even recall their weariness. Furthermore, those animals in the wilderness have unrestrained minds. With this, there they are even less at peace, slaughtering one another and giving rise to terror.

In this realm too there arise many sufferings. Thus the realms of the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals, by giving rise to the various afflictions and evil karma as their cause—therefore within those realms they ever undergo suffering and affliction, like a person fallen into a dangerous place of suffering and affliction; it is likewise. Human beings within their realm also undergo suffering.

As it is said there, in the desire realm—even in the heavens—desire inflames and scatters the mind. To make this mind rest in one place is also not possible. One must know that when that sensual pleasure is exhausted, suffering is right before one's eyes.

What joy is there for one who is covetous? Those who covet within the heavenly realms too are ever liable to fall and perish. Terror, sorrow and affliction, and destruction, and so forth—these too bring no joy at all.

Even unto the form realm of the devas—because the formations ever revolve and shift, when the karmic reward of the devas is exhausted, they may fall into the hells. Thus, within the various realms, afflictions and karma ever bind one fast, so that one cannot be at ease. From this, suffering and affliction arise.

Therefore one must know that the fire of suffering blazes fiercely, burning this whole world without ceasing. The Bodhisattva, having seen such suffering, then gives rise to the compassionate mind, examining all sentient beings. Furthermore, when the Bodhisattva sees sentient beings undergoing manifold sufferings, he makes no distinction of enemy or kin, but gives rise to a pitying mind, contemplating with equanimity, and rescues and liberates them.

Furthermore, all sentient beings, from beginningless time until now, have revolved in transmigration. But the Bodhisattva does not give rise to friendliness for only a single sentient being; rather, it is a mind of equanimity toward all. Thus he acts.

Then, within all sentient beings of the ten directions, he contemplates universally. If he sees a single sentient being still suffering and afflicted, the Bodhisattva loves it like his own child. At once he takes its place in undergoing the suffering, no longer letting that sentient being undergo suffering.

This is because the mind of loving-kindness and compassion transforms it. He is able to cause all the suffering and affliction of sentient beings to be extinguished at once, and moreover he accomplishes immeasurable loving-kindness.

As the Akṣayamati Sūtra (Sūtra of Inexhaustible Intention) says: When performing this contemplation of loving-kindness—as the World-Honored One first said in the Abhidharma Sūtra: Because I wish to rescue and liberate all sentient beings, I give rise to the power of compassionate vows; I am not worthy of unsurpassed perfect awakening (anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi) if I have not liberated sentient beings—I therefore do not give rise to the mind of Bodhi.

As the Daśabhūmika Sūtra (Sūtra of the Ten Grounds) says: Among all sentient beings, there is none to rescue and aid them, no place of refuge, nowhere to return, no seeing or knowing. When the Bodhisattva has seen this, he then gives rise to compassionate thoughts, and gives rise to the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening; for if it were not in order to reveal and teach them, then that Bodhisattva would not have given rise to the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening. Therefore one must know that the Bodhisattvas, valiant and courageous, give rise to the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening. That is to say, that compassionate mind is exceedingly firm and solid.

As the Tathāgatajñānamudrāsamādhi Supreme Sūtra (Sūtra of the Samādhi of the Seal of the Tathāgata's Wisdom) says: The mind of Bodhi is precisely what is able to dissolve away the suffering of transmigration.

As the Maitreyavimokṣa Sūtra (Sūtra of Maitreya's Liberation) says: O son of good family! It is as if there were a person who, not keeping the Great Vajra Jewel, were able to relieve the destitute and poor. O son of good family!

The Bodhisattva too is likewise. He does not keep apart for himself all the precious mind-wisdom of the Great Vajra in order to attain for himself alone the merit and adornment fully complete of all the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas; nor again does he cast aside the Bodhisattva practice of liberating all those who, within transmigration, are destitute and poor and may be relieved. The Bodhisattva, for the sake of all the kinds of wisdom and all that is to be learned, cultivates with equanimity.

This is one among the immeasurable supreme practices. Therefore, from the Bodhisattva's mind there issues forth skillful means that accomplish the great fruit of awakening.

As the Sūtra of the Tathāgata's Instruction to King Prasenajit (Tathāgata's Teaching to the Victorious-Army King) says: The Buddha said to the Great King! If you perform many undertakings throughout all places and all regions, such as the Perfection of Giving (Dāna-pāramitā) and so on up to the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñā-pāramitā), studying in this manner—thus, Great King, you should in this way attain perfect awakening.

Give rise to faith, seeking and aspiring, with the power of vows directed toward that mind. Even while standing, walking, lying, or sitting, or while drinking, while eating, or while working—at all times think, direct your attention, and contemplate all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Śrāvakas. For example, even an ignorant common man—whether of bodies that have passed away in the past, or of the future and the present—gathering together in one place all roots of goodness, having given rise to the unsurpassed mind and being able to rejoice accordingly, and moreover making offerings and serving the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Śrāvakas, thereby attains merit.

And it is the same with all sentient beings. Dedicating it to sentient beings, so that they attain all wisdom and all Buddha-dharmas are made complete. If three times each day one dedicates it to unsurpassed perfect awakening, then, Great King!

You will have performed deeds that are pure. And the Bodhi-practice too will have been accomplished. Furthermore, Great King!

The mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening gives rise to roots of goodness and karmic rewards beyond number. Whether one is born as a human or born among the devas, in all places one will ever attain the most supreme. And just as you, Great King, have now done thus—to speak broadly, the mind of Bodhi of the Great King too is in this way the most exalted and the most supreme.

If that deed is true and real, then one can accomplish the great fruit of awakening.

As the Abhayadattaparipṛcchā Sūtra (Sūtra of the Questions of Abhayadatta) says: Giving rise to the mind of Bodhi is the place from which merit is born, like the realm of empty space, vast and supreme, that cannot be exhausted. It causes that person to obtain Buddha-fields as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. There, with abundant treasures, he makes offerings to the World-Honored One. Yet if there is another person who merely, with palms joined and utterly sincere, single-mindedly gives rise to the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening, that merit surpasses the former merit beyond any comparison.

As the Avataṃsaka Sūtra (Flower-Adornment Sūtra) says: O son of good family, from the mind of Bodhi are born all Buddha-dharmas. Vast, supreme, and adorned. The mind of Bodhi is moreover of two kinds.

The first is the mind of aspiration (vow-mind), the second is the mind of application (engaged mind). And that sūtra also says: O son of good family! For all sentient beings, unsurpassed perfect awakening is difficult to attain.

If the aspiration and practice arise vast and great, then at once one attains unsurpassed perfect awakening, abiding in the present. For the sake of all the world, one is able to perform deeds of benefit and joy. O son of good family!

That I have become a Buddha until now is because I gave rise to the mind of Bodhi, and then took that mind of aspiration as the root. Only afterward did I perform the deeds. From the beginning until afterward, performing every deed, embracing and transforming, universally pervading, with a pure mind—this is the application.

Therefore, once the power of aspiration and practice has been established, then the Good Spiritual Friend (Kalyāṇamitra) appears before one and embraces one. Casting aside all the marks of conditions that are unreal. Just as the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, as stated above, relying upon the king, gave rise to the mind of Bodhi.

The Bodhisattva, having thus given rise to the mind of Bodhi, then himself performs the Perfection of Giving in accordance with the supreme practices. If a person is not able to discipline himself, then how can he be able to discipline others? Therefore one must know that if the Bodhisattva does not himself cultivate the practices, then how can he be able to realize the great fruits of awakening?

Moreover, as the Gajaśīrṣa Sūtra (Elephant-Head Sūtra) says: The deeds of the Bodhisattvas are true and real, and therefore they realize Bodhisattvahood. If there were no such practices, then it would not be true and real.

As the Samādhirāja Sūtra (Sūtra of the King of Samādhis) says: O young one, do as I have done, and therefore attain the true and real. And the young one should study in this way. Why is this, young one? If the deeds are true and real, then they do not depart from unsurpassed perfect awakening.

The Bodhisattvas practice such practices within the Ten Perfections, the Four Immeasurables, the Four Means of Embracing, and so forth—and speaking broadly, as the Akṣayamati Sūtra, the Ratnamegha (Jewel-Cloud) Sūtra, and the like have said. Furthermore, learning is of two kinds. That is to say, the worldly and the supramundane. What is worldly learning? It means crafts, occupations, and so forth. And what is supramundane learning? It means meditative concentration (dhyāna) and so forth. For what purpose? In order to benefit sentient beings, one performs all undertakings. Here one must know that as for the deeds of the Bodhisattva—speaking only briefly—their words possess wisdom and skillful means. Therein one cannot diminish these two dharmas.

As the Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: The Bodhisattva is not bound by any matter that binds wisdom, but moreover possesses the liberation of skillful means (the wisdom held by skillful means). There is no wisdom that is bound by skillful means. He has wisdom liberated by skillful means.

Furthermore, as the Gajaśīrṣa Sūtra (Elephant-Head Sūtra) says: For the Bodhisattvas, briefly speaking, there are two paths. In these two paths both are fully complete. The Bodhisattvas can then swiftly attain unsurpassed perfect awakening.

What are the two? They are wisdom and skillful means. If one departs from the practice of the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñā-pāramitā, that is, wisdom) together with the Perfections such as the Four Means of Embracing and so forth, then how can one purify and adorn the Buddha-land, be rich and at ease, ripen sentient beings, instruct and transform in all matters, and universally embrace all the dharmas of skill and skillful means?

Therefore this is wisdom and skillful means. Because there is no inverted nature, and there is moreover a cause of discrimination. From this the cause gives rise to upright skillful means; as when, in expounding the dharmas, one gives rise to non-inverted discriminating thought that can ultimately benefit and bring joy to oneself and others.

It can cause the afflictions not to arise, just as poisons do no harm because of mantras. Furthermore, this sūtra says: Wisdom takes hold of skillful means. This is wisdom that discriminates.

Furthermore, as the Śraddhābalādhāna Sūtra (Sūtra of the Dharma-Gate of the Power of Faith) teaches: What is called the performance of skillful means? It means embracing all dharmas without exception. What is the performance of all wisdom? It means that, with respect to all dharmas, one does not destroy what is good.

Thus wisdom and skillful means are two that pervasively enter into all places, and at all times are ever practiced and upheld. One must not, therein, cause them to be diminished. Even the Bodhisattvas of the Ten Grounds, practicing the Ten Perfections and even practicing this practice broadly, as the Daśabhūmika Sūtra (Sūtra of the Ten Grounds) has stated at length—yet the Bodhisattva of the Eighth Ground, from the majestic deportment of the Buddha, gives rise to the abiding-in-cessation, which is also a practice.

That sūtra says: Furthermore, O sons of the Buddha! The Bodhisattva-mahāsattva should, relying upon the foregoing, give rise to great vows, sustaining the roots of goodness and the power, and remaining. The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, also from this Dharma-gate stream forth Great Wisdom that perfects all deeds. This is precisely the gateway of supreme forbearance (kṣānti). All the Buddha-dharmas are perfumed and accomplished through this.

Furthermore, O son of good family! You should not, in this way, give rise to the practice of resting and ceasing—as though, "I have already attained the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, the Eighteen Distinctive Dharmas, the divine penetrations, and so forth, which are all the Buddha-dharmas." For you are not yet fully complete; you should diligently and energetically exert yourself. Give rise to the various vows, seeking to be the same as these practices. Therefore, having attained the gateway of forbearance, you should not depart from it.

O son of good family! Do you not see those other foolish people of the world, who accumulate many afflictions and give rise to seekings continuously without interruption? How then could you give rise to a practice of wishing to rest and cease?

Furthermore, O son of good family! You must know that the nature of dharmas is itself ever-abiding. Therefore the dharma-nature is ever-abiding. The Tathāgata means the unborn. That is to say, the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas have not yet fulfilled the dharmas of non-discrimination and non-arising. Therefore the Tathāgata has, by skillful means, appeared in this world.

Furthermore, O son of good family! You see that my bodies are many and my wisdom too is much, the Buddha-lands are many and the full and complete radiance too is much—then you must know that the present purity, immeasurable in this way, is together with all the dharmas. Therefore now, as you perform deeds in accordance with this aspiration and practice, you must know to reflect for the benefit of sentient beings. At once you will enter the gateway of inconceivable wisdom.

As the Daśabhūmika Sūtra (Sūtra of the Ten Grounds) speaks of the marks of practice, it differs from the Vimalakīrti Sūtra. That sūtra says, regarding the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī: If there is anyone who, when the Tathāgata expounds the Dharma, gives rise to contempt and arrogance and slanders it, then although that person speaks words of slander, as I have said, he too can attain purity. Herein the principle and reasoning are not alike.

As the Gajaśīrṣa Sūtra (Elephant-Head Sūtra) says: The Buddha taught Maitreya and the Bodhisattvas that, for the sake of Bodhi, they accumulate the Six Perfections. Perhaps there is someone deluded who speaks words like this: "To study the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñā-pāramitā) is to study Bodhisattvahood. Why then should one study anything beyond Wisdom?" Or, having heard this, relying upon skillful means together with the Perfections, he gives rise to the intention to forsake and abandon them. Maitreya! What do you think?

When King Kāśi (King of Kāśi) himself took flesh from his own body to rescue a dove, was that king foolish?

Maitreya answered: He was not, World-Honored One.

The Buddha said: Maitreya! When I cultivated the Bodhisattva practice and broadly cultivated the Six Perfections in accordance with the roots of goodness, was this not of benefit?

Maitreya said: It was not without benefit, World-Honored One.

The Buddha taught: Thus, Maitreya! Just as you, over sixty eons, accumulated the Perfection of Giving and so forth, even so over sixty eons you accumulated the Perfection of Wisdom likewise. Therein you performed the deep practices, as has been broadly stated, in accordance with wisdom.

An Extensive Exposition of the Treatise on Bodhicitta (End of Scroll One)