梵網經

I. Introduction

Tibetan: Chos-kyi rgya-mo saís-rgyas rnam-par snaí-mdsad-kyis byaí-chub sems-dpa#i sems-kyi gnas bzad-pa le#u bcu-pa.

Full title: The Tenth Chapter, “Precepts of the Mind-Ground of Bodhisattvas,” Spoken by Rocana Buddha, in the Brahma’s Net Sutra. Also called the Brahma’s Net Sutra: Chapter on the Bodhisattva Mind-Ground, or the Sutra of the Brahma’s Net Precepts. In two fascicles, it is traditionally said to have been translated by Kumarajiva during the Later Qin dynasty and is included in volume 24 of the Taisho Tripitaka.

This sutra discusses the stages of the bodhisattva path and the ten major and forty-eight minor precepts upheld by bodhisattvas. According to Sengzhao’s preface to the Brahma’s Net Sutra, the expanded version of this sutra comprised sixty-one chapters in 120 fascicles, of which this is the tenth chapter. The teachings of the Buddhas are layer upon layer and inexhaustible, adorning the Dharma-body without obstruction, like the net of Indra belonging to the Great Brahma King: its layers interpenetrate one another without end. Therefore, this sutra is called the Brahma’s Net Sutra.

– The first fascicle: From the Heaven of the Fourth Dhyana, Shakyamuni Buddha leads the assembly to the Palace of Purple Adamantine Radiance in the Lotus Treasury World, where they behold Rocana Buddha and inquire about the causal practices of bodhisattvas. Before hundreds of thousands of Shakyamuni Buddhas, Rocana Buddha then extensively expounds forty Dharma gates: the Ten Minds of Initial Resolve, the Ten Minds of Nurturing Growth, the Ten Adamantine Minds, and the Ten Grounds.

– The second fascicle: This discusses the ten major and forty-eight minor bodhisattva precepts. These are the precept teachings given by Shakyamuni Buddha beneath the Bodhi tree in Jambudvipa within the Saha world.

This sutra is regarded as a foremost scripture on Mahayana discipline and is highly esteemed in Chinese and Japanese Buddhism. Saicho of Japan took this sutra as his authority and relied upon it in adjudicating issues concerning the monastic discipline of his time.

Furthermore, because this sutra was originally proclaimed by Rocana Buddha and then repeated by Shakyamuni Buddha beneath the Bodhi tree, it is classified among the Avatamsaka scriptures. Since the historical facts concerning its transmission and translator are unclear, and because its text extensively draws upon other sutras, it has also been conjectured that it was not translated from a Sanskrit original but was composed in China, perhaps around the final years of the Liu Song dynasty.

Traditionally, its second fascicle has often circulated independently under such titles as the Brahma’s Net Sutra of the Bodhisattva Precepts, the Bodhisattva Precept Text, the Tala Precept Text, the Sutra of the Bodhisattva Pratimoksha, and the Brahma’s Net Sutra of the Ten Major and Forty-Eight Minor Bodhisattva Precepts Spoken by Rocana Buddha.

This sutra has numerous commentaries, including: Commentary on the Meaning of the Bodhisattva Precepts, in two fascicles, composed by Zhiyi during the Sui dynasty; Commentary on the Tiantai Bodhisattva Precepts, in three fascicles, supplemented and revised by Mingkuang during the Tang dynasty; Commentary on the Bodhisattva Precept Text of the Brahma’s Net Sutra, in six fascicles, composed by Fazang during the Tang dynasty; and Commentary on the Bodhisattva Precept Text, in three fascicles, composed by Uijeok of Silla. [See: Determination of the Meaning of the Esoteric Mind-Ground Dharma Gate of the Great Yoga of the Vajrashekhara Sutra, first fascicle; Record of Shakyamuni’s Teachings Compiled in the Kaiyuan Era, fascicle 4; Treatise Clarifying the Precepts, middle fascicle.]

THE BRAHMA’S NET SUTRA

The Bodhisattva Precepts are set forth very specifically in the Brahma’s Net Sutra.

According to Sengzhao’s preface, the translation by Dharma Master Kumarajiva consisted of 120 fascicles encompassing sixty-one chapters. At present, however, only the first and second fascicles are found in the Taisho Revised Tripitaka.

The first fascicle states that Shakyamuni Buddha, while in the palace of Maheshvara Heaven in the form realm, brought the entire great assembly to the Lotus Treasury World to meet Vairocana Buddha and inquire about the path by which bodhisattvas accomplish the Ten Grounds, as well as the modes through which buddhahood is attained.

Vairocana Buddha then taught the assembly the Dharma gate of the Mind-Ground, namely, the path by which he had cultivated and attained buddhahood. The Lotus Treasury World was created through his cultivation of this Mind-Ground Dharma gate, and the hundreds of thousands of kotis of Shakyamuni Buddhas were all his transformation bodies.

Vairocana Buddha taught the Mind-Ground Dharma gate to the thousand Shakyamuni Buddhas in their reward bodies and to the hundreds of thousands of kotis of Shakyamuni Buddhas in their responsive transformation bodies. It includes the Ten Minds of Initial Resolve, the Ten Minds of Nurturing Growth, the Ten Adamantine Minds, and the Ten Grounds.

The second fascicle discusses Shakyamuni Buddha’s disappearance from the Lotus Treasury World and his appearance in this Saha world. Its contents describe his life, his resolve to renounce the household life, his cultivation, his attainment of enlightenment, and his exposition of the fifty-eight bodhisattva precepts, of which ten precept-marks belong to the inexhaustible precept Dharma.

The remaining forty-eight are minor precepts. This means that they are less weighty than the ten precepts of the inexhaustible Dharma, yet they remain necessary for accomplishing the Mind-Ground Dharma gate.

The sutra was translated by Kumarajiva during the Later Qin dynasty.

He was a native of Kucha in India and entered monastic life at the age of seven. He was a child prodigy whose intelligence was unsurpassed in his time.

He mastered the Tripitaka and, in response to an invitation from Emperor Fu Jian of the Former Qin, came to China in 383–386.

He resided in Chang’an, where he translated many scriptures from Sanskrit into Chinese, and died in 413 CE.

His scriptural translation enterprise left an immense legacy to posterity. The Brahma’s Net Sutra is one of the scriptures he translated and is now widely circulated and recited throughout Mahayana Buddhist countries. It appears in volume 24 of the Taisho Revised Tripitaka, page 997.

At that time, Shakyamuni Buddha was in the palace of Maheshvara, King of Heaven, on the ground of the Fourth Dhyana, together with immeasurable Great Brahma kings and an inexpressibly inexpressible multitude of bodhisattvas. He expounded the Chapter on the Mind-Ground Dharma Gate that Rocana Buddha had taught in the Lotus Treasury World.

At that time, the body of Shakyamuni Buddha emitted the light of wisdom, illuminating the way from that palace of the heavenly king to the Lotus Treasury World. All beings in the worlds reached by that light manifested joy and well-being. They all became perplexed, not knowing why this light had appeared; immeasurable devas and humans were likewise perplexed.

At that time, within the great assembly was a bodhisattva named King of Penetrating Flower-Radiance, who had just emerged from the Samadhi of Greatly Adorned Flower-Radiance. Through his spiritual power, the Buddha emitted cloud-white and adamantine light that illuminated all worlds. Consequently, all the bodhisattvas assembled together and, with one mind though speaking in different voices, asked: “What do these lights signify?”

Shakyamuni Buddha then supported the assembly of this world and conveyed them to the Lotus Treasury World. Entering one among the million kotis of Palaces of Purple Adamantine Radiance, they saw Rocana Buddha seated upon a radiant lotus throne with a million petals. After Shakyamuni Buddha and the great assembly reverently bowed at the feet of Rocana Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha asked: “What causes and conditions must all beings throughout the earth and space of this world cultivate to accomplish the path of a bodhisattva’s Ten Grounds? Through what characteristics do they attain the fruit of buddhahood?” Thus, in the Chapter on the Fundamental Source of Buddha-Nature, extensive questions were asked concerning the seeds of all bodhisattvas.

At that time, Rocana Buddha rejoiced greatly and manifested the nature of empty space and radiance, together with the Samadhi of the Ever-Abiding Dharma-Body, the Fundamental Source of the Attainment of Buddhahood. He instructed the great assembly: “Children of the Buddhas, listen attentively, reflect well, and cultivate. For a hundred asamkhyeya kalpas I cultivated the Mind-Ground and made it the cause through which I cast off the nature of an ordinary being and attained perfect enlightenment.

I am named Rocana and dwell in the ocean of worlds called the Lotus Treasury. A thousand lotus petals surround its dais; each petal is a world, together forming one thousand worlds. I manifest one thousand Shakyamuni Buddhas who dwell in those one thousand worlds.

Furthermore, within each lotus-petal world are ten billion Mount Sumerus, ten billion suns and moons, ten billion sets of four continents, ten billion southern continents of Jambudvipa, and ten billion Bodhisattva Shakyamunis seated beneath ten billion Bodhi trees. Each Shakyamuni will expound the Mind-Ground Dharma gate of the bodhisattva that you have just asked about. The remaining nine hundred and ninety-nine Shakyamuni Buddhas do likewise.

The thousand Shakyamuni Buddhas each manifest ten billion Shakyamuni Buddhas. The thousand Shakyamuni Buddhas upon the thousand lotus petals are my transformation bodies. The thousand sets of ten billion Shakyamuni Buddhas are the transformation bodies of those thousand Shakyamuni Buddhas.

I am the fundamental source, and my name is Rocana Buddha.”

At that time, Rocana Buddha, seated upon the Lotus Treasury Throne, further instructed the thousand Shakyamuni Buddhas and the thousand sets of ten billion Shakyamuni Buddhas in response to their question concerning the Mind-Ground Dharma gate: “Buddhas, you should know that within steadfast acceptance through faith are ten Minds of Initial Resolve directed toward the fruit: 1. the mind of relinquishment; 2. the mind of precepts; 3. the mind of patience; 4. the mind of vigor; 5. the mind of concentration; 6. the mind of wisdom; 7. the mind of vows; 8. the mind of protection; 9. the mind of joy; and 10. the summit mind.

Buddhas, you should know that, proceeding from the Ten Minds of Initial Resolve into steadfast acceptance of the Dharma, there are ten Minds of Nurturing Growth directed toward the fruit: 1. the mind of loving-kindness; 2. the mind of compassion; 3. the mind of joy; 4. the mind of equanimity; 5. the mind of giving; 6. the mind of kind speech; 7. the mind of beneficial action; 8. the mind of cooperation; 9. the mind of concentration; and 10. the mind of wisdom.

Buddhas, you should know that, proceeding from the Ten Minds of Nurturing Growth into steadfast acceptance through cultivation, there are ten Adamantine Minds directed toward the fruit: 1. the mind of faith; 2. the mind of mindfulness; 3. the mind of dedication; 4. the mind of penetration; 5. the straightforward mind; 6. the non-retrogressing mind; 7. the Mahayana mind; 8. the signless mind; 9. the mind of wisdom; and 10. the indestructible mind.

Buddhas, you should know that, proceeding from the Ten Adamantine Minds into steadfast noble acceptance, there are ten grounds directed toward the fruit: 1. the Ground of the Essential Nature of Equality; 2. the Ground of the Essential Nature of Excellent Wisdom; 3. the Ground of the Essential Nature of Radiance; 4. the Ground of the Essential Nature of Blazing Wisdom; 5. the Ground of the Essential Nature of Wisdom’s Illumination; 6. the Ground of the Essential Nature of Flower-Radiance; 7. the Ground of the Essential Nature of Fulfillment; 8. the Ground of the Essential Nature of the Buddha’s Roar; 9. the Ground of the Essential Nature of Flower-Adornment; and 10. the Ground of the Essential Nature of Entering the Buddha-Realm.

These are the categories of the forty Dharma gates. They were the fundamental basis of my cultivation for entering the fruit of buddhahood when I was a bodhisattva. In this way, all sentient beings enter initial resolve, nurturing growth, the adamantine minds, and the Ten Grounds, and realize the fruit of buddhahood: unconditioned, signless, greatly complete and ever-abiding, endowed with the ten powers and the eighteen distinctive qualities, and fully possessing the Dharma-body and wisdom-body.”

At that time, in the Lotus Treasury World, Rocana Buddha was seated upon a throne of magnificent blazing light; a thousand Buddhas sat upon the thousand petals; and a thousand sets of ten billion Buddhas dwelt throughout all Buddha-worlds. In the assembly was a bodhisattva named Bodhisattva King of Flower-Radiance and Great Luminous Wisdom. Rising from his seat, he addressed Rocana Buddha: “World-Honored One, you have briefly revealed the names and characteristics of the Ten Initial Resolves, Ten Nurturing Growths, Ten Adamantine Minds, and Ten Grounds.

As their meanings cannot yet be clearly understood, may the World-Honored One explain them; may the World-Honored One explain them.” These constitute all the wisdom gates of the Wondrous Ultimate Adamantine Treasury, concerning which detailed questions were asked in the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Hundred Contemplations.

At that time, Rocana Buddha said: “Thousand Buddhas, listen attentively! First, I shall explain to you the meaning of the Ten Initial Resolves. Children of the Buddhas, the mind of relinquishment means relinquishing all conditioned things, such as countries, cities, fields, gardens, houses, gold, silver, jewels, men, women, and one’s own body.

To relinquish everything is the unconditioned and signless. Knowledge and views regarding self and others arise entirely through the conjunction of provisional names, thus producing a subject that acts and the view of self. Within the twelve links of dependent origination there is no conjunction, no separation, and no recipient.

The twelve ayatanas, eighteen dhatus, five skandhas, and all dharmas bear the characteristic of a single composite, yet this is the characteristic of neither self nor possessions of self, for dharmas are formed through provisional combination. When, regarding all internal and external dharmas, a bodhisattva neither rejects nor accepts them, this is called the direct presence of the contemplation that conjunction is provisional.

Through the mind of relinquishment, one enters the Samadhi of Emptiness.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of precepts is neither precepts nor not-precepts; there is no recipient of precepts. It is the precepts of the ten wholesome deeds, yet there is no Dharma teacher who expounds them. It is refraining from falsehood through refraining from wrong views, and there is no arising through accumulation. Loving-kindness, goodness, purity, straightforwardness, rectitude, truthfulness, right view, equanimity, and joy are the essential nature of the ten precepts. These precepts restrain and bring to an end the eight inversions, depart from all dualistic natures, and are the one path leading to purity.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of patience is the essential nature of wisdom with characteristics and without characteristics. The emptiness of everything is called the patience of emptiness.

Patience in every place is called patience in the practice of non-arising. Attainment in every place is called patience in accordance with suffering. Among the immeasurable characteristics of practice, each characteristic is called patience.

Patience means neither accepting nor striking, with neither knives nor clubs and without an angry mind; all is true suchness. There is no independently existing nature. The truth has the one characteristic; there is neither signlessness nor any characteristic of existence or nonexistence.

It is neither a characteristic of mind nor not-mind, neither a characteristic of conditions nor absence of conditions. Whether standing, walking, moving, or remaining still; whether self and others, bondage and liberation—all dharmas are true suchness. Therefore, the characteristic of patience cannot be apprehended.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of vigor means practicing the four deportments at all times, subduing emptiness and provisional existence, realizing the Dharma-nature, and ascending the mountain of non-arising, so as to see all dharmas as existent, nonexistent, seemingly existent, and seemingly nonexistent. One contemplates and enters the great elements—blue, yellow, red, and white—which pervade everything, up to and including the wisdom-nature of the Three Jewels. With all such faith, one advances upon the path of emptiness, non-arising, non-action, and non-wisdom. From emptiness, one enters the Dharma of conventional truth without the two characteristics. With an uninterrupted mind of emptiness, one penetrates the wholesome roots belonging to the stage of progress.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of concentration is signless quiescence. One who penetrates signlessness then enters inner emptiness and encounters beings whose minds are set upon the path.

One does not speak of conditions and does not perceive signlessness. Possessing immeasurable practices, one attains the Samadhi of the Immeasurable Mind. Ordinary beings and noble ones alike can enter samadhi if they acquire the power of concentration and accord with the pure essential nature.

Self, person, agent, recipient, and every bondage are causes and conditions obstructing the vision of one’s nature. When the knowing mind is distracted, it need not be deliberately stilled but ceases of itself. Through the emptiness of emptiness, the eight inversions no longer possess conditions for arising.

Through wisdom-contemplation of provisional names and purity, all thoughts born of provisional conjunction cease. All karmic natures that undergo ripened results in the three realms are entirely extinguished through the mind of concentration, from which every wholesome quality arises.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of wisdom is awakening to emptiness. This mind of wisdom is not without conditions.

Awareness of the essential nature is called mind. Because the mind discriminates all dharmas, it is provisionally called the master. This mind pervades and accords with wisdom: it holds the fruit, practices the cause, enters the noble state and relinquishes the ordinary state, extinguishes offenses and generates merit, and liberates one from the bonds of affliction.

Such are the mind’s essential nature and function. All attachments to permanence, bliss, self, and purity arise from failure to understand afflictions and the nature of wisdom. Taking wisdom as foremost, one cultivates the inexpressible wisdom-contemplation and enters the Middle Way of the single truth.

The wisdom obscured by ignorance has no characteristic, comes from nowhere, is neither a condition nor an offense, is not any of the eight inversions, and has neither arising nor cessation. The light of awakened wisdom illuminates and encompasses emptiness. From it, skillful means are transformed into spiritual powers, for the essence of knowledge serves as the function of wisdom.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of vows consists of great pledges and aspirations—namely, seeking omniscience. Because one practices causal conduct for the fruit of wisdom, one mind of vows follows another continuously throughout a hundred asamkhyeya kalpas.

Upon attaining the fruit of buddhahood, karmic obstacles are extinguished. One earnestly seeks the Mind-Ground, seeks to realize non-arising, the emptiness of emptiness, and the single vow. While cultivating contemplation, one must enter right concentration, which illuminates awakened wisdom.

Immeasurable views and understandings held in bondage are liberated through the aspiring mind. Immeasurable wondrous practices are accomplished by relying upon the aspiring mind. The immeasurable merit of bodhi takes the aspiring mind as its foundation.

At the beginning, one arouses the aspiring mind; in the middle, one cultivates the path; and when those aspirations are fulfilled completely, the fruit of buddhahood is attained. Contemplating and entering the Middle Way of the single truth, one constantly abides in quiescence. There is neither quiescence nor illumination, neither skandhas nor dhatus, neither passing away nor birth; seeing is not seeing.

Understanding awakened wisdom is the essential nature of vows and the fundamental source of all practices.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of protection means protecting the Three Jewels and the merit of all practices by preventing followers of other paths, the eight inversions, evil wrong views, and the like from disturbing right faith. By means of the wisdom-contemplation of non-arising, one eliminates bondage to self and bondage to views, thereby penetrating the two truths, ultimate and conventional.

Contemplating the mind in the present moment is the fundamental protection. Within it: (1) Protecting signlessness means protecting the three gates of liberation—emptiness, non-action, and signlessness—so that mind and wisdom enter non-arising, and both the path of emptiness and the path of knowledge become light. (2) Protecting the light of awakened wisdom means contemplating and entering the principles of emptiness and provisional existence within all dharmas, seeing each part as an illusion.

When an illusion arises, it is as though nonexistent. Whether that Dharma-essence, seemingly nonexistent, accumulates or disperses, it cannot be protected or apprehended. The contemplation of dharmas is likewise.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of joy means constantly generating sympathetic joy and delighting upon seeing others and all beings attain happiness. Because one realizes the principles of provisional emptiness, quiescence, and illumination, one enters neither the conditioned nor the unconditioned and attains the great bliss of quiescence.

There is no conjunction and no separation. When there is something to receive, one gives instruction; when there is a teaching, one learns. The mysterious unconditioned and the provisionally illusory conditioned are equal in Dharma-nature.

One contemplates single-mindedly the mind and its activities and listens extensively to the merit and practices of the Buddhas. Because joy and wisdom are signless, when the mind takes dharmas as conditions and thoughts arise within it, the mind nevertheless remains tranquil, luminous, and joyful.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The summit mind means that the bodhisattva acquires supreme wisdom and extinguishes the wheel of non-self, doubts and views concerning the body, and all afflictions such as greed and anger. The wisdom of contemplation at the summit Dharma continues without interruption; uninterrupted contemplation and wisdom are the summit Dharma.

Cause and effect throughout the dharma-dhatu are the single path of true suchness. This wisdom that performs contemplation is the highest and most excellent wisdom, like the summit of an object or the crown of a person’s head. That contemplative wisdom is neither the view of the body, nor the sixty-two views, nor the arising and cessation of the five skandhas.

It is not a spirit-self that governs movement, contraction, and extension. It has no mental construction, feeling, volitional activity, or anything to grasp and bind. The bodhisattva then enters inner emptiness and encounters beings whose minds are set upon the path.

Seeing neither conditions nor nonconditions, one abides in Summit Samadhi, attains the Concentration of Quiescence and Cessation, initiates wondrous practices, and advances toward awakened wisdom and true nature. When views of permanence concerning self and others give rise to the eight inversions, the bodhisattva relies upon the Dharma gate of nonduality. Consequently, one does not undergo the eight difficulties and never undergoes illusory karmic retributions.

Such a being, in coming and going and in one’s seated place, cultivates to extinguish offenses, eliminates the ten evil deeds, and produces the ten wholesome deeds. One is a righteous person entering the path, one of right wisdom and right practice, a bodhisattva who has attained the direct presence of contemplative wisdom, one who does not undergo retribution in the six destinies, who will certainly never regress from the Buddha-nature, who life after life enters the house of the Buddha, and who never departs from right faith.”

The Ten Initial Resolves above are explained extensively in the Chapter on the Ten Thousand Lights.

Rocana Buddha said: “Thousand Buddhas! You have asked about the Ten Minds of Nurturing Growth. Children of the Buddhas!

The mind of loving-kindness means constantly practicing loving-kindness, the cause that produces happiness. Through the wisdom of non-self, one contemplates the happiness with which it accords and thereby enters all dharmas. Within the great dharmas—feeling, perception, volitional formations, consciousness, and form—there is no arising, abiding, or cessation.

They are like illusions and are true suchness without duality. Therefore, every practice brings the Dharma wheel to fulfillment, liberates all sentient beings, causes them to develop right faith without being instructed by Mara, and enables all beings to attain the joyful fruit of loving-kindness—a fruit that is neither real nor wholesome or unwholesome—and to attain the Samadhi of the Essential Nature of Understanding Emptiness.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of compassion means applying the emptiness of emptiness and signlessness to the compassionate mind, and taking compassion as the condition for practicing the path, thereby personally extinguishing all causes of suffering. Regarding the immeasurable suffering of all sentient beings, one gives rise to the wisdom of great compassion.

One does not create conditions for killing, destroying the Dharma, or clinging to self. Thus, one constantly refrains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and causing affliction to any sentient being. To arouse the mind of bodhi is to see the characteristic of suchness of all dharmas through contemplating the nature of emptiness; to generate the mind of path-wisdom by practicing the inherently pure lineage; and to assist three classes of people—the six relatives, the six hostile relatives, and six kinds of unrelated hostile persons—through the Wisdom of Bestowing Supreme Happiness.

Among the nine grades of persons bound by evil conditions mentioned above, whenever anyone attains a joyful result, the bodhisattva rejoices and gives rise to great compassion, because within the nature of emptiness, one’s own body, the bodies of others, and all sentient beings are equal.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of joy is the joyful mind toward the Dharma of Non-Arising. At that time, the lineage and essential characteristics of all dharmas, together with path-wisdom, are the emptiness of emptiness.

The mind of joy does not cling to self or possessions of self, and there is no accumulation and arising of cause and effect throughout the three periods of samsara. Because every existent dharma enters emptiness, contemplative practice is accomplished. The mind of joy is equal toward all sentient beings.

One initiates emptiness and enters the path, abandons evil spiritual friends, and seeks good spiritual friends to teach one the wholesome path and cause sentient beings to enter the house of the Buddha-Dharma. Upon entering the station of Dharma, one constantly generates joy toward the true Dharma. One also causes sentient beings to enter right faith, abandon wrong views, and rejoice upon being freed from suffering in the six destinies.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of equanimity means constantly cultivating relinquishment through three dharmas resembling empty space: non-creation, signlessness, and emptiness. One contemplates with equality the dualities of good and evil, views of existence and nonexistence, and offense and merit. Within the objects of mind, one sees neither self nor person, because the essences of self and other cannot be apprehended. Great relinquishment means relinquishing one’s hands, feet, body, and life; relinquishing sons, daughters, countries, and cities; and regarding them as illusions, flowing water, or lamplight. One relinquishes all things while the mind remains unborn. The mind of equanimity means constantly cultivating relinquishment in this way.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of giving means constantly extending a mind of generosity to all sentient beings: giving one’s body, giving speech, giving thoughts, giving wealth, and giving the Dharma—that is, teaching and guiding all sentient beings by means of the Buddha-Dharma. The inner body, outer body, countries, cities, men, women, fields, gardens, and houses are all characteristics of true suchness. One gives without thoughts of the gift, recipient, or giver; without inner or outer, conjunction or separation; and without a mind that performs transformation, yet still realizes the principle, realizes giving, and directly manifests all characteristics in the present.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of kind speech means entering the Samadhi of the Essential Nature of Loving Speech. It is speech concerning Dharma and meaning in accordance with the ultimate truth. All truthful speech accords with the Buddha’s foremost speech—language that harmonizes the mental natures of all sentient beings, language free from anger and contention. The wisdom of the emptiness of all dharmas has no conditioning object. One constantly generates a loving mind, acts in accordance with the Buddha’s intent, and also accords with all others. The bodhisattva instructs sentient beings with the speech of the noble Dharma, constantly practices the mind of suchness, and develops wholesome roots.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of beneficial action means that, when one arouses the resolve to benefit others, one applies the essential nature of true wisdom to practice path-wisdom: gathering all Dharma gates of luminous flame and gathering the contemplative practices of the seven treasures. Above all, for the benefit of others, one embraces all lives through entering the Samadhi of Beneficial Action, manifesting every kind of body, speech, and thought and causing the great trichiliocosm to quake.

All of the bodhisattva’s conduct and activity is undertaken to bring others into the Dharma lineage, the lineage of emptiness, and the lineage of the path, so that they gain benefit and happiness. Although the bodhisattva manifests forms throughout the six destinies and lives amid immeasurable suffering, one has no anxiety whatsoever, having the sole purpose of benefiting everyone.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of cooperation means applying the wisdom of the nature of the path, the wisdom identical in essence with the nature of emptiness. Contemplating the principle of nonduality with the wisdom of non-self, one sees the Dharma of non-arising as identical with dharmas of arising and cessation, and the nature of emptiness as identical with the original perceptual object.

The characteristic of true suchness in all dharmas is constantly arising, constantly abiding, and constantly ceasing. Worldly dharmas continue and flow without limit. Yet the bodhisattva can manifest immeasurable bodily forms and physical and mental appearances, following the karma of sentient beings, entering the six destinies, and identifying with every category of being.

The nature of emptiness is identical with non-arising, and self is identical with the absence of any entity. Although the bodhisattva thus divides the body and disperses its forms, one nevertheless enters the Samadhi of the Dharma of Cooperation.”

“Children of the Buddhas! The mind of concentration means once again calming the mind and using contemplative wisdom to realize the nature of emptiness, while consciousness continually takes tranquility as its object. Regarding self, possessions of self, all dharmas, the consciousness dhatu, and the form dhatu, the bodhisattva’s mind does not move.

Whether living amid favorable circumstances or adverse conditions, whether manifesting in the world or entering cessation, the bodhisattva constantly enters the hundred samadhis and the ten factors of dhyana. With the wisdom of a single thought, one establishes knowing and knows that every self and person, whether internal faculties or external objects, whether seeds or active manifestations, undergoes neither gathering nor separation.

Though dharmas are formed by accumulation and arise through activity, they cannot be apprehended.”

NOTES

1. The unconditioned is the emptiness of persons. Signlessness is the emptiness of dharmas.

2. Internal dharmas are body and mind. External dharmas are the world of body and mind.

3. Loving-kindness guards against killing. Goodness guards against stealing. Purity guards against sexual misconduct. Straightforwardness guards against false speech. Rectitude guards against intoxicants. Truthfulness guards against slander. Right view guards against wrong views. Equanimity guards against stinginess and greed. Joy guards against anger. (Nine precepts.)

4. The eight inversions: Ordinary beings possess four conditioned inversions: taking the impermanent to be permanent, what is without bliss to be blissful, what is without self to be self, and what is impure to be pure. Followers of the Two Vehicles possess four unconditioned inversions: taking the permanent to be impermanent, bliss to be without bliss, self to be without self, and purity to be impure. (The four virtues of nirvana.)

5. Emptiness is the imagined nature. Provisional existence is the dependent nature. Dharma-nature is the perfectly accomplished nature.

6. Existence means possessing characteristics. Nonexistence means signlessness. “Seemingly existent” means appearing to exist conventionally. “Seemingly nonexistent” means appearing not to exist ultimately.

7. This refers to the ten totalities, also called the ten universal spheres: contemplating each of the following ten as pervading every place—blue, yellow, red, white, earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness.

8. This refers to the three gates of liberation: emptiness, signlessness, and non-action.

9. Non-wisdom means the absence of the wisdom of the three liberations.

10. The correct text reads “beings whose minds are set upon the path,” another designation for bodhisattvas. The full term bodhisattva means a being of the path, an awakening sentient being, a greatly awakened sentient being, a being whose mind is set upon the path, or a great being.

11. The emptiness of emptiness is one of the seventeen kinds of emptiness commonly taught in the scriptures. Intentional contemplation of emptiness is used to counteract characteristics such as the characteristic of the non-self of persons, the characteristic of the non-self of dharmas, the characteristic of consciousness-only, the characteristic of ultimate truth, the characteristic of the unconditioned, and the characteristic of immutability. This produces a characteristic of emptiness, and that characteristic itself is principally eliminated by the emptiness of emptiness.

12. Inexpressible wisdom-contemplation = wordless wisdom-contemplation: wisdom-contemplation of the wordless Dharma-nature.

13. The single truth = the ultimate truth: also called supreme truth, true truth, noble truth, nirvana, true suchness, the true characteristic, the Middle Way, or the dharma-dhatu.

14. This is the earnest aspiration for the fruit of unsurpassed bodhi, sharing one mind, one practice, one vow, and one quest with all bodhisattvas and all sentient beings.

15. Bondage to self and bondage to views are the two attachments to self and dharmas.

16. “Fundamental” means protecting one’s own mind.

17. The essential nature of dharmas originally has no gathering or dispersal, arising or cessation.

18. The wheel of non-self refers to the afflictions that disturb bodhisattvas at the stage of the Ten Abodes.

19. This refers to the five sharp afflictive agents: the view of the body, attachment to extreme views, attachment to views, wrong views, and attachment to prohibitions and observances.

20. This refers to the five dull afflictive agents: greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt.

21. The correct text reads: “Contemplation at the summit is continuous; continuous contemplation is like the summit.” “Summit” means the crown of the head or a mountain peak. The Abhidharmakosha Treatise, fascicle 23, page 119c15, states: “These wholesome roots of warmth, in their inferior, intermediate, and superior grades, progressively increase until they are fulfilled. There then arises a wholesome root called the summit Dharma. Because it has become more excellent, another name is established for it. Among movable wholesome roots, this Dharma is supreme; as it resembles the crown of the head, it is called the summit Dharma. Alternatively, because from this point one may either advance or retreat, as though standing upon a mountain peak, it is called the summit.”

22. The eight difficult circumstances are eight unfortunate situations that obstruct seeing a Buddha and hearing the Dharma: 1. hell; 2. hungry ghosts; 3. animals (the first three are the three evil destinies); 4. the northern continent of Uttarakuru, where life is excessively pleasurable; 5. the Heaven of Long Life, where life is excessively long; 6. being born human but blind, deaf, mute, or speech-impaired; 7. being born human but possessing worldly intelligence and eloquence; and 8. being born before or after a Buddha appears, in a place or at a time where the Buddha-Dharma is absent.

23. This refers to karmic retribution within the three realms and six destinies.

24. Wisdom of non-self = fundamental wisdom.

25. The great dharmas are the four great elements. Feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness constitute mind. Form constitutes the body.

26. Dharma wheel: the wheel of the true Dharma; that is, accomplishing the Dharma spoken by the Buddha.

27. Mind of path-wisdom = subsequently attained wisdom.

28. The six relatives are father, mother, wife, children, elder siblings, and younger siblings. The six hostile relatives are those six relatives when they are unwholesome or antagonistic. Six kinds of unrelated hostile persons are outsiders such as teachers, friends, colleagues, partners, employees, strangers, and so forth.

29. Wisdom of Bestowing Supreme Happiness = wisdom of great compassion: the wisdom that bestows happiness.

30. With respect to evil—that which is unwholesome or wicked—there are three grades: superior, intermediate, and inferior. Each is further divided into three, making nine grades.

31. Path-wisdom = wisdom of the Middle Way, the wisdom that knows the lineage and essential characteristics of all dharmas. The emptiness of emptiness is the emptiness of self and other, and the emptiness of self and dharmas.

32. Great relinquishment: unconditioned relinquishment and signless relinquishment.

33. There is no arising mind of giving, no practice of giving performed, and no sentient beings liberated.

34. All characteristics: the characteristic of emptiness and the characteristic of non-arising.

35. The mind of kind speech is the embracing practice of loving speech.

36. Dharmas possess characteristics of Dharma and characteristics of meaning. Speech concerning Dharma is language about characteristics of Dharma. Speech concerning meaning is language about characteristics of meaning. The ultimate truth, or truth of the highest meaning, is also called supreme truth or true truth; its counterpart is conventional truth, also called worldly truth or provisional truth.

37. Among all truthful speech spoken by worldly people, the teachings of the Buddhas are supremely true.

38. The mind of beneficial action is the embracing practice of beneficial conduct.

39. True wisdom = fundamental wisdom. Path-wisdom = subsequently attained wisdom, expedient wisdom, or wisdom of skillful means.

40. Dharma gates of luminous flame: Dharma gates of a bright flame, or Dharma gates of wisdom. These constitute the provisions of wisdom.

41. The seven treasures are also called the seven noble treasures, the seven treasures of virtue, or the seven treasures of Dharma. They are the seven noble dharmas through which the Buddha-path is accomplished: faith, precepts, moral shame, moral dread, learning, giving, and wisdom.

Because these seven preserved dharmas can assist the endeavor of attaining buddhahood, they are called “treasures.” 1. The treasure of faith: believing in and accepting the true Dharma; 2. the treasure of precepts: observing the precepts and discipline; 3. the treasure of moral shame: feeling personal shame and not daring to commit evil deeds; 4. the treasure of moral dread: feeling remorse upon doing what is unwholesome; 5. the treasure of learning: being able to hear the true teaching; 6. the treasure of giving: relinquishing everything without attachment; 7. the treasure of concentration and wisdom: collecting the mind so that it is not distracted and clearly illuminating all dharmas.

These constitute the provisions of merit.

42. The Dharma lineage is contemplation of the Middle Way. The lineage of emptiness is contemplation of emptiness. The lineage of the path is contemplation of provisional existence.

43. The mind of cooperation = the mind of shared activity, the embracing practice of shared activity.

44. Nonduality means “not two.” “Two” refers to concepts that manifest in opposition to one another. Such concepts embody delusion.

Nonduality transcends them by its own nature and is the Dharma-nature that is neither conditioned nor unconditioned. The Chapter on Reality in the Treatise on the Ornament of the Mahayana Sutras states: “Nonduality means the ultimate truth. The five characteristics of nonduality are presented as follows: (1) It is not existent, because the manifestations of the imagined and dependent natures do not truly exist and therefore are said to be nonexistent.

It is not nonexistent, because the true nature that manifests genuinely exists and therefore is said to exist. (2) It is not one, because the imagined and dependent natures do not share one real essence with the true nature. It is not different, because those two natures are not of a different essence from the true nature. (3) It neither arises nor ceases, because true suchness is unconditioned. (4) It neither increases nor decreases, because when the defiled and pure aspects arise or are eliminated, the dharma-dhatu of all dharmas continues to abide exactly as it is. (5) It is not pure, because the intrinsic nature of true suchness was originally undefiled and therefore need not be cultivated into purity.

It is not impure, because adventitious defilements have been removed. These are the five characteristics of nonduality; they are precisely the characteristics of the ultimate truth and should be understood.” (Page 598b24.) The imagined nature is the nature of thorough conceptual attachment. The true nature is the perfectly accomplished nature.

45. The perceptual object has not yet been subjected to discrimination.

46. Self, possessions of self, dharmas, the consciousness dhatu, and the form dhatu together mean the body and mind and their world, according to the respective level of cognition and meditative concentration: the sphere of infinite space, the sphere of infinite consciousness, the sphere of nothingness, the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, and the concentration of cessation.

47. The hundred samadhis: The Lankavatara Sutra states: “By contemplating the stages of practice, one immediately attains the First Ground and enters all one hundred samadhis. One attains the distinct samadhis and sees one hundred Buddhas and one hundred bodhisattvas.

One knows events one hundred kalpas before and after, and one’s radiance illuminates one hundred lands. One knows the characteristics of the higher grounds, possesses supreme great vows and mastery of spiritual powers, attains the Dharma-Cloud Ground, and enters the station of consecration. One will attain the Tathagata’s ground of self-awakening.

Skillfully fixing the mind upon the ten inexhaustible statements, one brings sentient beings to maturity. Adorned and illuminated by manifold transformations, one attains the proper absorption of the Samadhi of the Noble Bliss of Self-Awakening.” (Page 538a01–09.)

48. The ten factors of dhyana = the ten totalities: blue, yellow, red, white, earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness.

49. Wisdom of a single thought: wisdom corresponding in a single thought, meaning concentration and wisdom corresponding together within one thought.

50.