菩提心離相論

I take refuge in and reverently bow to all Buddhas.

I shall now briefly explain the meaning of the “mind of bodhi.”

I also wholeheartedly bow my head in homage to the mind of bodhi.

The meaning of the mind of bodhi is like a valiant army bearing keen weapons, determined to win victory in battle. The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, and the great bodhisattvas all attained the fruit of the path through the cause and condition of arousing the mind of great bodhi. I now likewise arouse the mind of bodhi.

Indeed, from the time the Buddhas first aroused the mind until they sat at the place of awakening and attained perfect awakening, everything was due to their steadfast mind of bodhi. That mind of bodhi is also the dharani gateway[2] of the bodhisattvas. Contemplating it in this way brings forth such illumination.

I now speak these praises of the mind of bodhi for the sake of all beings. I wish beings to be freed from the suffering of transmigration through birth and death. I wish that all beings not yet ferried across may be ferried across, those not yet liberated may be liberated, those not yet secure may become secure, and those not yet realizing nirvana may realize nirvana. In order to fulfill such excellent vows perfectly; to establish the true essential cause[3] of intrinsic character; to enter the contemplation of ultimate truth; and to enter the unborn intrinsic character of that mind of bodhi, I now compose this treatise.

“The mind of bodhi is free from every nature.”

QUESTION: “Why is it said that the mind of bodhi is free from every nature?”

ANSWER: “This statement means that the five skandhas, twelve ayatanas, and eighteen dhatus all belong to the equal Dharma of non-self. They are free from grasping and rejecting; their own mind is primordially unborn, and their intrinsic nature has always been empty. Therefore, why should a self, the skandhas, ayatanas, or dhatus be asserted here as clearly manifest, or the presently appearing mind, which has no substance, be conceptually distinguished? Thus, whoever constantly realizes the mind of bodhi abides in the empty character of all dharmas. That constant realization of the mind of bodhi employs the contemplation of compassion and takes great compassion as its essence. Therefore, among such dharmas as the skandhas, ayatanas, and dhatus, no characteristic of self can be found.

“Non-Buddhist schools produce modes of conduct that are inappropriate, grasp at characteristics, and conceptually maintain that the skandhas exist and are not impermanent dharmas. In reality, however, no characteristic of self or dharma can be found in them. Within true nature, the sustaining of dharmas cannot be grasped as ‘permanent,’ nor is it ‘impermanent.’ Among our skandhas, even their names lack true existence; how much less could there be fabrication or conceptual discrimination?

If one says that a certain dharma or certain dharmas exist, this is merely speech conforming to the minds of worldly people and following worldly conduct. They do not correspond to an actually permanent mode of being, and therefore this proposition is incorrect. Thus, dharmas have no nature.

Whether internal or external, they cannot be conceptually distinguished.

“Through what cause, then, do they continually possess such an attached mind? It is because they cannot free themselves from following worldly modes of being. If one relies upon causes and characteristics, these belong to two kinds that need not be distinguished.

They are neither permanent nor graspable. The nature of mind cannot be grasped as ‘permanent.’ Yet impermanent natures are considered ‘permanent.’ If those natures are known to be impermanent, from where do we fabricate them, from where do they arise, and why do we grasp the characteristic of ‘self’ in those dharmas? Once the provisional characteristics of the world are left behind, there is no obstruction concerning the skandhas.

Having realized this, there is likewise no obstruction concerning the twelve ayatanas and eighteen dhatus. ‘Grasping’ and ‘rejecting’ can then no longer be found.

“In this treatise, the term ‘skandha’ refers to form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. These five skandhas are objects of training for śrāvakas. Form is like a mass of foam; feeling like a bubble; perception like a mirage; formations like the trunk of a banana tree; and consciousness like an illusionist. The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, and the bodhisattvas have all taught these similes concerning the five skandhas.

“I shall now briefly clarify the mode of the FORM SKANDHA. The four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—and the dharmas produced from them constitute the form skandha. Dharmas that are not the form skandha belong to the three skandhas of feeling, perception, and formations. The mode of the consciousness skandha will be explained later.

“To speak of the AYATANAS is to speak of the internal ayatanas of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and the external ayatanas of form, sound, fragrance, taste, touch, and dharmas. These are the twelve ayatanas.

“To speak of the DHATUS is to speak of the domains of the faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; the domains of eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness; and the object domains of form, sound, fragrance, taste, touch, and dharmas. These are the eighteen dhatus.

“Thus, the skandhas, ayatanas, and dhatus are free from all grasping and rejecting. They have no location or boundary and cannot be conceptually distinguished. To distinguish them as something seen is incorrect, because as soon as conceptual discrimination arises, an object of attachment appears.

How, then, could they correspond with one another? If any reflected appearance is seen apart from this meaning, it is destroyed by the transformation of wisdom. It is said that mind nourishes the form skandha—what does this mean?

It means ‘neither one nor different.’ Certain non-Buddhists, such as the Parivrājaka school,[4] follow divergent views and produce threefold discriminations—existence, nonexistence, neither existence nor nonexistence, and so forth. This is incorrect. It is like a person who dreams of committing an act of killing: the mode of the action performed is provisional, not real.

Again, a person may dream of being in a supremely beautiful place, but in reality that place is not an excellent mode of existence. What does this mean? It means that the light of CONSCIOUSNESS has destroyed the reflected appearances of grasping and rejecting.

Such is the Dharma of consciousness; how could there be any other external meaning? Thus, dharmas have no external objects. Every manifested form and appearance is illuminated by the radiance of one’s own consciousness.

It is like someone seeing a mirage fashioned by sunlight into a city of Gandharvas[5] and then grasping it as real. Ignorant people, through their foolishly grasping minds, likewise observe visible objects and regard them as real. Because of that attachment to self, mind-consciousness transforms accordingly.

“As explained above, the skandhas, ayatanas, and dhatus are free from all differentiated boundaries. They are only positioned within the respective states of mind-consciousness. The accomplishment of this meaning is explained in the Cheng Weishi Lun.

“The five skandhas were discussed earlier, but what is the intrinsic character of CONSCIOUSNESS? Consciousness has the same meaning as mind. As the Buddha, the World-Honored One, often taught: ‘All dharmas are only manifestations of mind.’ This meaning is extremely profound.

Foolish people cannot understand it or see its true principle. Therefore, when the characteristic of self is empty, the mind does not produce discrimination. To arouse a discriminating mind is a false doctrine, and what it establishes has no valid meaning.

Its true meaning is to see that each and every dharma is non-self. In the Great Vehicle itself, the meaning of dharmas is also non-self, because one’s own mind is primordially unborn. Yet if anything exists, it follows its place of arising, while still remaining wholly equal.

One’s own mind becomes predominant and enters true meaning, for from that place arises the gateway of yogic practice.[6] In this matter, however, we should know that the basis upon which this or that dharma depends has no real substance. It is merely called the active manifestation of the purified mind.

“If a dharma is past, the past is not real. If it is future, the future has not yet arrived. If it is present, the present does not remain. How, then, can dharmas within the three times be called ‘abiding’? Like an army or a forest, they are composites of many dharmas. Consciousness has the characteristic of non-self. Consciousness is not a basis of support. When dharmas are seen in this way, they resemble red clouds that swiftly disperse and vanish. Some dharmas manifest through thought. Ālaya-consciousness[7] is likewise so. The coming and going of sentient beings accords with the nature of things as they are. It is like the great ocean into which all streams flow. The basis of ālaya-consciousness is likewise so.

“If those consciousnesses are observed in this way, the mind produces no discrimination. If each kind possesses such knowing, what remains to be said of the name of each? If each kind knows its own material nature, none of them can be expressed.

To utter such words is speech of determinate arising. Because speech is determinate, dharmas are also said determinately to arise. In every matter, accomplishment follows transformation.

The knower and the known are two differentiated aspects. If there were no knower, how could the known be established? Both aspects are unreal dharmas; how could either be verified?

Therefore, when the word ‘mind’ is spoken, only a name is stated. That name is without discrimination and cannot be verified. It merely indicates penetration into the intrinsic nature of that name, yet this also cannot be verified.

“For these reasons, the wise should contemplate the intrinsic nature of the mind of bodhi as an illusion. Whether internal, external, or between the two, even if we diligently seek it, it cannot be verified. No dharma can be grasped. No dharma can be rejected. It cannot be seen by relying upon shape, nor manifested by visible color. It bears neither a male nor female characteristic, nor the characteristic of a eunuch.[8] It does not abide in any visible appearance. No dharma can be seen, nor is it seen through the object domain of the eye faculty. It can be seen only when all Buddhas observe it equally with Buddha-wisdom.

“Within the Dharma of equality, if mind is intrinsic nature or the absence of intrinsic nature, how can it be seen? To speak of ‘nature’ is still to have a discriminated name. Only apart from discrimination is mind seen; how, then, can ‘emptiness’ be spoken of here? Therefore, we should know that there is neither an awakener nor something awakened to. If one constantly contemplates the mind of bodhi in this way, one beholds the Tathagata. If there is an awakener and something awakened to, the mind of bodhi cannot be established. It is without characteristics. It is unborn. It cannot be praised by the path of language.

“The mind of bodhi is like space. Mind and space do not possess two characteristics. Here, mind and space refer to the equal wisdom of true emptiness. The supernormal powers of one Buddha and another do not differ. The activities of all Buddhas of the past, present, and future are gathered and abide within the realm of bodhi. Although those activities are said to be gathered, all dharmas are ever quiescent.

“Observe that all impermanent dharmas are like illusions. They are not gathered. They subdue the three realms of existence: desire-existence, form-existence, and formless-existence.

They abide in the Dharma of emptiness. Dharmas are unborn, and this is called ‘emptiness.’ Dharmas are non-self, and this too is called ‘emptiness.’ If one regards the unborn and non-self as ‘emptiness,’ that contemplation is not established. If defilement and purity are conceptually distinguished, they become the two views of annihilationism and eternalism.

If the characteristic of emptiness is observed with wisdom, that characteristic has no discriminated essence. Therefore, the mind of bodhi is free from all objects of cognition and abides in the characteristic of space. If space is contemplated as a place of abiding, then emptiness and nature must exist within it.

When these two differentiated names exist, that ‘emptiness’ is like a lion in the world whose single roar terrifies all beasts. Likewise, when the single word ‘emptiness’ is spoken, all language becomes quiescent. Therefore, here and elsewhere are eternally still; this and that are both empty.

“The Dharma of consciousness is impermanent. It arises from impermanence. The nature of impermanence is the mind of bodhi. This explains the meaning of emptiness, and these meanings certainly do not contradict one another. The nature of impermanence is the mind of bodhi, and delight in bodhi is the mind of equality. Nevertheless, this does not mean delighting in emptiness. How could a mind that grasps emptiness attain awakening? In the primordial true intrinsic nature, everything accomplishes the meaning of the mind of bodhi. Things have no intrinsic nature. The nature of having no intrinsic nature is the meaning of this teaching.

“How does this teaching apply to mind? If it is free from self and dharmas, mind does not abide. This is neither one dharma nor many dharmas.

The intrinsic nature of each dharma is itself separate from its own intrinsic nature. Sweetness is the intrinsic nature of molasses; heat is the intrinsic nature of fire. The emptiness and intrinsic nature of those dharmas are likewise so.

The nature of those dharmas is neither eternal nor annihilated, neither attained nor separated from. For this reason, dependently arisen dharmas are established with ignorance at the beginning and aging and death at the end. Like dreams and illusions, their essence is unreal.

For this reason, the twelve links are taught and are also called the wheel of twelve links. They revolve repeatedly through the gateway of birth and death, yet in truth there is no self, no discrimination regarding beings, and no differentiation among the three: karma, activity, and karmic result.

“Within this meaning, if one penetrates dependent arising, one immediately leaves the gateways to the realms of birth and death. That matter is not a mode of activity and does not destroy the true cause, but arises from the SKANDHAS. Nor is it a mode of the final limit after transmigration.

Nothing can grasp ‘emptiness,’ for it arises from ‘emptiness.’ Dharma after dharma is equal; creating causes and undergoing results are words spoken by the Buddha. Certain dharmas arise through the conjunction of things of the same kind, as striking a drum produces a sound or planting barley produces a sprout. The meaning is the same for other conjunctions of dharmas.

Like illusions and dreams, they are manifested through dependent arising. Dharmas arise from causes, yet they are also unborn. This cause and that cause are themselves empty; how could they give rise to anything?

Thus, dharmas belong to the unborn, and because of the unborn they are called ‘empty.’

“As for the five skandhas, their nature is equal. All dharmas should likewise be contemplated. When ‘emptiness’ is spoken of, it is stated within true meaning, because the essence of what is called empty is not annihilated. Yet within that non-annihilated essence, nothing whatsoever can truly be found. To say that essence is empty does not make emptiness an essence. Understanding it as unreal, one sees fabrication as impermanent. Karma and afflictions accumulated together are taken as an essence. Yet karma also arises from mind. If mind does not abide, how can karma be created? The joyful mind has the nature of quiescence. That quiescent mind cannot be grasped. The wise should observe things as they truly are. Seeing reality as it is, they attain liberation.

“That mind of bodhi is the supreme truth. The meaning of truth is ‘emptiness.’ It is also called ‘suchness’ and ‘the limit of reality.’ It is the ultimate truth of signlessness. If one does not penetrate the meaning of ‘emptiness’ in this way, one does not belong to the class of the liberated but is profoundly foolish within the realm of transmigration. Those dwelling in transmigration revolve through the six destinies: devas, humans, asuras, hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals.

“If the wise constantly contemplate that mind of bodhi as it truly is, corresponding with the meaning of ‘emptiness,’ then after contemplating it they will accomplish the intention to benefit others and obtain unobstructed, unattached wisdom. This is knowing and repaying the Buddha’s kindness. They constantly contemplate with compassion all the many kinds and characteristics of beings, their parents and relatives, who are scorched by the fierce fire of afflictions and thus made to transmigrate through birth and death. ‘When beings suffer, I shall undergo it in their place. Whenever happiness and harmony occur, we should recollect them and give them to all beings.’

“Contemplate the karmic results of what is loved and unloved, wholesome and evil destinies, benefit and harm, while in their primordial state beings cannot truly be established. According to differences in wisdom, various appearances arise: Brahmā kings, Śakra, guardian deva kings, and so forth. Whether devas or humans, none are apart from worldly modes of being.

“Contemplate the realms of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. All beings in those realms possess immeasurably and incalculably many kinds of appearances. They suffer, receive no benefit, and are continually driven according to their kinds.

Oppressed by hunger and thirst, they kill one another. Because of such causes, their painful results are not exhausted. The Buddhas and bodhisattvas contemplate, as they truly are, the intrinsic characteristics and karmic results of all beings in wholesome and evil destinies.

Having contemplated them, they arouse a mind of skillful means and skillfully assist beings, causing them to leave the defilements of karma. Therefore, bodhisattvas take great compassion as their foundation and those beings as their objects of cognition. Bodhisattvas do not cling to the pleasurable flavors of various meditative concentrations or seek personal benefit from attaining karmic rewards.

Transcending the fruit-stage of śrāvakas, they do not abandon beings. They cultivate conduct benefiting others, arouse the mind of great bodhi, germinate the seed of great bodhi, and seek the Buddha’s fruit of bodhi. With great compassion, they contemplate the suffering of beings.

They see that the Avīci hell[9] is vast and boundless, and that beings, according to their karmic causes, must revolve into those painful results. For every retribution of wrongdoing, they must endure various sufferings. In their great compassion, the bodhisattvas think of and desire to undergo the suffering in place of beings.

Those many sufferings possess many forms. To say that they are unreal is also not to say that they are entirely unreal.

“If one penetrates ‘emptiness,’ one clearly knows these dharmas and accords with the karmic results of beings. Wishing to liberate beings, bodhisattvas arouse a courageous mind and plunge into the mire of birth and death. Although within birth and death, they are not defiled or attached, just as a pure lotus is undefiled. Because they take great compassion as their essence, they do not abandon beings. Because they contemplate with the wisdom of emptiness, they do not depart from the afflictions.

“Through the power of skillful means, a bodhisattva manifests descent and birth in a royal palace, crosses the city walls to renounce the household life, practices the path of austerities, sits at the place of awakening, and attains perfect and complete awakening. He manifests supernormal power, defeats Māra’s armies, and turns the great Dharma wheel to liberate beings. He manifests the three jeweled stairways and descends from the celestial palace.

He displays various transformed forms. In accord with worldly sentiment, he enters great nirvana. During the interval, he manifests different appearances, perhaps becoming a Brahmā king or Śakra, and so forth.

Whether as a deva or human, he transforms according to various appearances. Because he manifests these forms, the world calls him the ‘Guiding Teacher Who Saves the World.’ All these deeds arise from the power of the Buddhas’ and bodhisattvas’ vows of great compassion. They subdue the world and cause it to abide in corresponding excellent practices.

“Therefore, within transmigration they do not give rise to a weary or retreating mind. From within the One Vehicle, they teach the Dharma of the Two Vehicles. Both the One Vehicle and Two Vehicles are within true meaning.

Whether the bodhi of a śrāvaka or the bodhi of a Buddha, there is only one characteristic of the wisdom-body and one essence of right concentration. Although it is spoken of, the speaking is not speaking. Various modes of conduct may be taught, but only to guide beings.

When beings obtain benefit, the Buddha’s bodhi remains the equality of merit and wisdom; in truth, there are no two characteristics in which to abide. If one abides in characteristics, they become seeds. Those seed-characteristics then combine according to kind and give rise to further things, thus increasing the sprouts of birth and death.

As the Buddha, the World-Honored One, often taught: ‘Only for the sake of beings are skillful means devised to destroy every worldly mode of being, yet in truth nothing is destroyed.’ This means freedom from discrimination. Its meaning is extremely profound. This extremely profound meaning has no dual characteristic.

Although destruction is spoken of, this is not destruction.

“Within the Dharma of ‘emptiness,’ there are no two characteristics. Dharmas maintain their true intrinsic nature. The perfection of wisdom is the mind of bodhi. The mind of bodhi eliminates every ‘view.’ Therefore, body, speech, and mind all belong to impermanent dharmas. Yet they function solely for the sake and benefit of beings.

“‘Emptiness’ is spoken of here, but emptiness is not annihilation. ‘Existence’ is spoken of here, but existence is not eternal. Therefore, there is neither birth and death nor nirvana; all abide in ‘non-abiding nirvana.’ The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, have all taught: ‘When compassion arises, immeasurable accumulations of merit gather.’ This statement teaches the supreme true principle of ‘emptiness.’ Through the majestic power born of the Buddhas, the two practices of benefiting oneself and benefiting others are accomplished.

“I now bow my head to that Nature of All Things. I constantly honor that Mind of Bodhi. May my praises prevent the lineage of the Buddhas from being cut off. May the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, perpetually abide in the world. The mind of bodhi is the most excellent mind within the Great Vehicle. My right mindfulness abides in that mind.

“The mind of bodhi abides in the concentrated mind of equipoise[10] and arises from skillful means. If one penetrates that mind and sees birth and death as equal, the two practices of benefiting oneself and benefiting others are accomplished. The mind of bodhi is free from the characteristics of views; nonconceptual wisdom transforms into truth.

“The wise who arouse the mind of bodhi gather immeasurable and boundless merit. If anyone contemplates the mind of bodhi for even an instant, the merit that person gathers cannot be calculated, because the mind of bodhi does not belong to the category of calculable things. The precious substance of the mind of bodhi is pure and undefiled.

It is the greatest, most excellent, supreme, and foremost. It is true and steadfast substance, indestructible and not a locus of destruction. It constantly destroys the afflictions and every kind of māra.

It fulfills the practices and vows of Samantabhadra[11] cultivated by bodhisattvas. The mind of bodhi is the destination of every Dharma. It speaks true words and is free from conceptual proliferation.

This is the pure gateway of practice of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, free from every characteristic. It is here explained in this way.

I now praise the mind of bodhi,

Just as the Honored One Perfect in Twofold Excellence[12] taught.

That mind of bodhi is supreme, honored, and excellent;

The merit of one who attains it is also immeasurable.

I dedicate this merit to all beings,

May they swiftly cross beyond the ocean of the three realms.

Praise it according to truth and reason;

The wise should train in this way.

Notes:

[1] Treatise on the Mind of Bodhi Free from Characteristics: This treatise is numbered 1661 in the Taishō Tripiṭaka. Bodhi: Formerly translated by meaning as “the path,” it is now translated as “awakening.” Path means penetration; awakening means realization. That which is penetrated and realized includes both principle and phenomena.

PRINCIPLE: Nirvana. By ending the afflictive obstructions, one realizes nirvana and the wisdom of all things. PHENOMENA: Conditioned dharmas.

By ending the cognitive obstructions, one clearly knows the knowledge of all aspects of all dharmas. Mind of bodhi: The mind that seeks the true path or seeks to reach perfect awakening. There are two kinds of mind of bodhi: 1) The mind of bodhi conditioned by phenomena: Its essence is the four great vows, by which beings are liberated and the Buddha path perfected. 2) The mind of bodhi conditioned by principle: One contemplates that all dharmas have been primordially quiescent, abides in the true characteristic of the Middle Way, vows to attain perfect awakening, and liberates beings.

The mind of bodhi free from characteristics means that, to attain the true mind of bodhi, one must contemplate that self, dharmas, skandhas, ayatanas, dhatus, and all such reflected appearances are illusory and are manifested by mind-consciousness. By leaving all modes of appearance, one accomplishes the emptiness of ultimate truth. This is the mind of bodhi free from characteristics.

[2] Dharani: In Sanskrit it is called dhāraṇī, translated into Chinese as “total retention”: retaining the wholesome so it is not lost and restraining evil so it does not arise. The practice of dharani has four gateways: Dharma, meaning, mantra, and acceptance.

[3] Essential cause: The primordial factor within the essence of a thing.

[4] Parivrājaka: This is a non-Buddhist school whose members genuinely renounce household life. The name is translated into Chinese as “Wandering Forth” or “Universal Practice.” Members shave their heads but leave a little hair at the crown, wear reddish earth-colored robes, and beg for food, but their understanding of things differs from the Buddha’s teaching.

[5] City of Gandharvas: This refers to something imagined. Sunlight shining upon seashells and conch shells in the ocean glitters so that, from afar, people see what appears to be the walls of a Gandharva city. Gandharva is translated into Chinese as “Fragrance-Seeker” and is the name of a class of spirits specializing in music in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. At places where music is performed, cities and landscapes are painted to please the eye. Such painted scenes are fabrications and are not real.

[6] Yoga: Translated into Chinese as “correspondence.” It corresponds with five things: environment, conduct, principle, result, and the capacities of beings. It is a gateway of practice corresponding with environment, conduct, principle, result, and capacity.

[7] Ālaya-consciousness: The eighth consciousness in the Consciousness-Only school. It is translated into Chinese as “storehouse consciousness,” meaning the consciousness that contains or stores all the seeds of things.

[8] Eunuch: This refers to a person whose sexual characteristics or reproductive organs are not definitively male or female.

[9] Avīci hell: Avīci is translated into Chinese as “uninterrupted.” It is a hell where neither space nor the punishment of offenders has the slightest interruption.

[10] Equipoise: In Sanskrit, samāhita, translated into Chinese as “equal concentration.” It is a Dharma within meditative concentration. When one sits in meditation, body and mind are harmonious and balanced; hence it is called “equal concentration,” and so forth.

[11] Samantabhadra’s practices and vows: The vows and practices of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Bodhisattva Samantabhadra has ten great vows directed especially toward practice, serving the Buddha and Dharma, and liberating beings.

[12] Honored One Perfect in Twofold Excellence: This refers to the World-Honored One, who is perfect in both merit and wisdom.