Toh 248The Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Accomplishment of the Sets of Four Qualities: The Bodhisattvas’ Prātimokṣa”

Summary

In The Accomplishment of the Sets of
Four Qualities: The Bodhisattvas’
Prātimokṣa, Venerable Śāriputra requests the Buddha
Śākyamuni to explain the conduct of bodhisattvas. The Buddha
responds by describing how bodhisattvas train in many
practices and in the cultivation of many qualities, here
presented in sets of four, related to generosity and
diligence in particular, and more broadly to their attitude,
conduct, learning, insight, and teaching. In this way
bodhisattvas swiftly progress along the path to
buddhahood.

Acknowledgements

This sūtra was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation
Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche.
Joseph McClellan produced the translation and wrote the
introduction. Benjamin Collet-Cassart compared the draft
translation with the Tibetan and edited the text.

The translation was completed under the patronage and
supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the
Buddha. Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and the introduction, and
Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital
publication process.

Introduction

The Accomplishment of the
Sets of Four Qualities: The Bodhisattvas’
Prātimokṣa is a sūtra significant for its
wide-ranging discussion of the various attitudes,
deeds, pursuits, and insights that constitute the
practical discipline—the prātimokṣa—engaged in by
bodhisattvas. The sūtra presents a dialogue between
Śāriputra and the Buddha Śākyamuni at Vulture Peak
near Rājagṛha, the capital of the former kingdom
of Magadha (present-day Bihar). Śāriputra opens the
conversation by asking the Buddha, “What are the
deeds related to the aspects of the bodhisattvas’
truth?” The Buddha responds by expounding on a wide
variety of qualities that bodhisattvas cultivate on
their journey to awakening. These include, but are
not limited to, expositions on the importance of
generosity and diligence. The qualities are
generally presented in groups of four and relate to
vastly different themes.

One of the sets of four, for example, is
patience, unimpeded wisdom and vision, undivided
wisdom and vision, and unattached wisdom and vision,
for which the Buddha says that bodhisattvas will be
praised. In another set of four, the Buddha teaches
that bodhisattvas will remember their past lives
once they have perfected their training so that
their acts are in accord with their words, their
words are in accord with their acts, they have
abandoned aggression, and they rely on wisdom. The
Buddha also teaches that bodhisattvas will remember
their past lives when they transcend and acquire
virtuous qualities, establish others in virtue, seek
the Dharma devotedly, and teach the Dharma
extensively. Bodhisattvas will be joyful, the Buddha
explains, when their search is meaningful, they have
the treasure of learning, they possess insight based
on that learning, and they give the gift of the
Dharma. Many other such sets of four qualities are
presented with brief explanations. Thus, The Accomplishment of the Sets of
Four Qualities: The Bodhisattvas’
Prātimokṣa provides a concise synoptic
view of the many positive qualities to be cultivated
by bodhisattvas on the path to awakening. The
altruistic motivations, active pursuits, and more
subtle insights promoted in the sūtra form a mosaic
of what it means to train in the prātimokṣa
of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas as opposed to the
prātimokṣa of the vehicles of the
śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.

It is a common feature of Buddhist canonical
literature to organize doctrinal terms and items in
numbered lists. In some cases, those numbered lists
are presented as a series in ascending numerical
order. One of the early scriptural collections (Skt.
āgama; Pali nikāya), The
Numerical Discourses, organizes
individual discourses in this way. The first chapter contains discourses
that focus on a single item, the second chapter
discourses that focus on two items, and so on up to
the eleventh chapter, which contains discourses
focused on groups of eleven items. Within the body
of Great Vehicle discourses, there are those that
present lists of items in ascending numerical
order —one item, two items, three
items, and so on—as well as those, such as the
present discourse, that contain presentations of
multiple sets of the same number of items. Among
discourses in the Ornaments of
the Buddhas (Skt. Buddhāvataṃsaka; Tib. sangs rgyas phal po che)
section of the Kangyur, for example, one typically
finds sets of ten items. Even more common, however, are
those Great Vehicle discourses that present multiple
sets of four items, often but not always in terms of
“four dharmas that bodhisattvas possess”
(Tib. chos
bzhi dang ldan). In the part of the
Degé Kangyur in which the present discourse has been
placed, the four discourses that follow it are also
based on one or more sets of four factors or
qualities and have titles that indicate this central
feature, one of them a variation on The Accomplishment of the Sets of
Four Qualities. These are The Sūtra Teaching the Four
Factors (chos
bzhi bstan pa’i mdo, Toh 249);
The Four Factors (chos
bzhi pa’i mdo, Toh 250);
The Noble
Mahāyāna Sūtra on the Four Factors (chos
bzhi pa’i mdo, Toh 251);
and The Fourfold Accomplishment (bzhi pa sgrub pa, Toh
252).

The Bodhisattvas’
Prātimokṣa was a sūtra known during
the period of the early diffusion of Buddhism in
Tibet, since it is cited on several points, and in
places at considerable length, by Śāntideva in his
influential compendium of the sūtras known as the
Śikṣāsamuccaya, which was translated in the early period.
However, it seems that the Sanskrit source text of the sūtra was unavailable in Tibet at that time. The Denkarma (ldan dkar
ma) imperial catalog lists a text with an identical title among the sūtras translated into Tibetan from Chinese.
What appears to be the same text is also listed with the shorter title Bodhisattvaprātimokṣa (Tib. byang chub sems dpa’i so sor
thar pa) in the Phangthangma (’phang thang ma) catalog. However, the Tibetan version of this discourse as found in the Kangyur is not that text but a later translation, since the colophon states clearly that it was translated,
presumably from Sanskrit, by the renowned Bengali
master Atiśa Dīpaṅkaraśrījñāna (982–1054), along
with his Tibetan associates Śākya Lodrö (shAkya blo gros; ca. eleventh century) and Gewé
Lodrö (dge ba'i blo gros; ca. eleventh century). This would date the translation to sometime
between Atiśa’s arrival in Tibet in 1040 and his
death there fourteen years later. Atiśa attested to
the text’s importance by quoting it at length seven
times in his Mahāsūtrasamuccaya. Since that time, however,
the scripture does not seem to have received much
attention. No version of
the text has survived in Sanskrit, and although the
Denkarma indicates that there was at one time a
version of the text in Chinese, “no trace of the
sūtra itself has been identified in Chinese.”

The Translation

The Great Vehicle Sūtra

The Fourfold Accomplishments: The

Bodhisattvas’ Prātimokṣa

Homage to the Blessed Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was
staying at Vulture Peak near Rājagṛha together with
a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks—Venerable Śāriputra,
Maudgalyāyana, and others—who were all worthy
ones, whose
defilements were exhausted, who were without
afflictions, and who had gained mastery. A great
many bodhisattva great beings were also present.

Then it happened that Venerable Śāriputra went
before the Blessed One, bowed down at his feet, and
sat to one side. While seated to one side, Venerable
Śāriputra asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what
are the deeds related to the aspects of the
bodhisattvas’ truth? Blessed One, how do
bodhisattvas speak truthfully and genuinely, thereby
quickly awakening in a perfect manner to unexcelled
and perfect buddhahood?”

“Śāriputra, in their pursuit of all virtuous
qualities, noble sons or noble daughters generate
the mind set on unexcelled and perfect buddhahood,
and then practice the application of diligence.
Śāriputra, as an analogy, when a man wishes
to survey a city, he first generates effort
regarding what is to be done for the city.
Śāriputra, he then hopes that the city will develop,
and that people will come to live there. Wishing to
settle in that city, he comes to know all its places
based on genuine insight. Similarly,
Śāriputra, in their pursuit of all virtuous
qualities, bodhisattvas practice the application of
diligence and comprehend all qualities. Śāriputra, this
way of quickly awakening in a perfect manner to
unexcelled and perfect buddhahood is the first
aspect of the bodhisattvas’ truth.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who study
the Dharma with earnest application will quickly
ripen virtuous qualities. As an analogy, Śāriputra,
when a doctor prescribes medicine to someone
suffering from an illness, the person who carefully
follows the doctor’s instructions will quickly
recover from that illness. Why? Because that person
has properly and carefully followed the doctor’s
prescription. Similarly, Śāriputra, the virtuous
qualities of bodhisattvas who study the Dharma with
earnest application will quickly ripen. Śāriputra,
this way of quickly awakening in a perfect manner to
unexcelled and perfect buddhahood is the second
aspect of the bodhisattvas’ truth.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas do not
cling to any phenomenon in the slightest while they
perceive all phenomena as being alien. Why? Because they seek
out the path while thinking, ‘Since danger arises
from appropriation, I perceive danger in all
phenomena. Perceiving danger, I do not rely on them.
If they are unreliable, how will I be free?
How will I be happy?’

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas seek out
the path and seek out the well-spoken teachings in
the four directions while thinking, ‘If one is
completely enveloped by birth, aging, sickness,
death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness,
and distress, how will there be freedom in
unexcelled and perfect buddhahood? How will there be
happiness?’ Śāriputra, this way of quickly awakening
in a perfect manner to unexcelled and perfect
buddhahood is the third aspect of the bodhisattvas’
truth.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas become
benefactors, and since they are totally unafraid of
and untainted by the phenomena of suffering, they
maintain constant diligence. They set their intentions
with the thought, ‘I will clear away
whatever suffering, unhappiness, and distress that
arises in sentient beings in order to bring them to
peace.’ They practice the application of diligence
while thinking, ‘I will induce in all sentient
beings the same experience of uncontaminated bliss
that has arisen in me.’

“When they apply diligence, they do not conceive
of profit. As an analogy, Śāriputra, consider people
traveling through a wasteland in the middle of the
summer, where there are no humans passing through,
no trees or water, and the sun shines down,
scorching and burning the ground. If a great river
were to appear, flowing in front of those people, it
would be a marvelous sight for them. Similarly,
Śāriputra, for the sake of all sentient beings,
bodhisattvas follow such a path that brings an end
to suffering. Even if, after ten million eons,
bodhisattvas who follow that path give rise
to a single thought of desire for the relief of a
bit of rest, they should encourage themselves,
saying, ‘There are many in my care; I will
acknowledge my faults for the sake of all sentient
beings.’
Śāriputra, this way of quickly awakening in a
perfect manner to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood
is the fourth aspect of the bodhisattvas’ truth.

“Śāriputra, what is meant by awakening in a
perfect manner? It is said to be awakening in a
perfect manner since it is the knowledge of what has
not been known, and being intent on the phenomena
that are known. It is also
said to be unexcelled, since not even the slightest
particle of any phenomenon is left out or passed
over by the thus-gone ones. Therefore, they are said
to have gone thus and to have
reached the other shore.

“Śāriputra, the diligence of bodhisattvas
endowed with those four qualities is insuperable.
Untainted by any affliction, they will awaken in a
perfect manner to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood.

“Śāriputra, because this fourfold accomplishment
of the bodhisattvas’ qualities is known, seen,
realized, attained, and actualized by the thus-gone
ones, it is awakening in a
perfect manner. Because bodhisattvas do not fall
from those states and perfect all aspects of
accomplishment, they will awaken in a perfect manner
to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood.

“Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who have four qualities
will be praised. What are
these four? Śāriputra, bodhisattvas are not
excessively proud—they have set out to annihilate
pride. They have no attachments—they have set out to
abandon attachment. They have no anger—they delight
in cultivating loving-kindness. They are without
delusion—they possess the strength of insight. They
hew closely to insight. They act insightfully. They
are masters of insight. Insight motivates their
renunciation. They have set out to abandon the web
of delusion. They have set out to overcome darkness
and gloom. They are powerful and dedicated to the
causes of insight. They are certain to achieve
insight. Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who have these
first qualities will be praised.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas strive to
liberate sentient beings. As an analogy, Śāriputra,
if parents were to see their beloved, attractive,
and pleasing only son sent by the king to the place
of his execution, they would wail and lament, ‘Oh
no! Our only son! Alas! Our only son! How can we
abandon him?’ Similarly, Śāriputra, when
bodhisattvas with perfect intentions see any
sentient beings engaged in negative actions,
compassion will be born in them, and they will
exclaim, ‘Oh no! Here are sentient beings whose distorted understanding
has led to their proper way of life being spoiled!’ Śāriputra,
those who think about guarding others should guard
themselves. Śāriputra, because bodhisattvas have
such a desire to benefit, they will not commit a
single negative action, even to save their life.
Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who have these two
qualities will be praised.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas devotedly
seek out the Dharma, devotedly uphold the Dharma,
and devotedly practice giving the gift of the
Dharma. Śāriputra, how do bodhisattvas devotedly
seek out the Dharma? Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who
wish for the Dharma pay respect to preceptors and
teachers while thinking, ‘There is no jewel in the
world I would not give away for it! There is nothing
I would not do to honor it with my body! There is no
distance I would not walk for it! There is no verbal
act I would not perform for it! Why? Because the
jewel of Dharma is the most precious jewel of all,
so I will abandon all other jewels to seek out the
jewel of Dharma and uphold it. Why? Because the
Dharma severs all fetters; it severs birth, aging,
sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and
unhappiness!’ Thinking in this way, they arouse the
thought that it is precious. They arouse the thought
that it is difficult to find. They arouse the
thought that it is medicine. Śāriputra, bodhisattvas
seek out the Dharma while thinking, ‘Because this
Dharma cures the ills of all sentient beings, I
should seek this Dharma so as to cure the ills of
all sentient beings.’

“Śāriputra, how do bodhisattvas arouse the
thought that Dharma is priceless and devotedly
uphold it? As a measure of how hard they see it to acquire a single
four-line verse, for the sake of such a single
four-line verse they would not see it as being hard
to give away heaps of jewels even the size of Mount Meru.
As
a measure of how hard they see it to acquire a single
word of the Dharma, for the sake of such a single
word of the Dharma they would not see it as being hard
to give away the whole trichiliocosm filled up to
the pinnacle of existence with the seven types of
jewels. Śāriputra, bodhisattvas uphold the Dharma with this kind of
respect and honor. This, Śāriputra, is a marvel of
the bodhisattvas.

“No, Blessed One.”

“Śāriputra,” continued the Blessed One, “as a measure
of how hard they see it to acquire a single word of the
Dharma, for the sake of a single word of the Dharma bodhisattva
great beings who wish for the Dharma would not see it as being hard even to cast
themselves down from the world of Brahmā, or to enter the
trichiliocosm when it is completely filled with
fire. Śāriputra, this is
how bodhisattvas devotedly uphold the Dharma.

“Śāriputra, how do bodhisattvas devotedly
practice giving the gift of the Dharma? Śāriputra,
when bodhisattvas practice giving the gift of the
Dharma, they are not concerned with material things.
Holy beings do not practice giving the gift of the
Dharma while thinking, ‘Through my generosity, I
will acquire robes, alms, bedding, medicine, or
goods,’ or ‘I will at least be complimented for my
generosity.’ Rather, they practice generosity while
thinking, ‘I practice generosity to free sentient
beings from birth, aging, death, sorrow,
lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and distress.’
Śāriputra, holy beings practice giving the
gift of the Dharma with such thoughts and in such a
manner.

“Śāriputra, if someone said to a bodhisattva,
‘If you offered me your body, I would
accept it from you as a Dharma gift,’ Śāriputra,
bodhisattvas who have such a wish to benefit would
reply, ‘Partake of the flesh of the best parts of my
limbs and body parts! Uphold this Dharma which
brings an end to desire!’ Śāriputra, as a measure of
how hard they see it to be in a position to give the Dharma, bodhisattvas
would not see it as being hard to act in this
manner. Śāriputra, bodhisattvas
practice giving the gift of the Dharma with this
kind of devotion, they uphold the Dharma with this
kind of devotion, and they seek out the Dharma with
this kind of devotion.

“Śāriputra, sentient beings who pursue the
Dharma with such devotion are rare indeed.
Śāriputra, sentient beings who uphold the Dharma
with such devotion are rare indeed. Śāriputra,
sentient beings who practice giving the Dharma with
such devotion are rare indeed. Such a rarity is a
marvel, and those bodhisattvas are to be praised by
the world with its gods. Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who
have these three qualities will be praised.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when bodhisattvas
observe in themselves the arising of desire, they
look for the ground from which this desire has
arisen. When they look carefully, they cannot find
that ground. They cannot find the place whence that
desire has arisen, whose desire has arisen, the
means by which that desire has arisen, for whom it has
arisen, or how it has arisen. As that
desire cannot be found, they do not engage in
negative actions motivated by desire. Rather, their
positive qualities increase, and they are not
criticized—they are praised. Consequently, they are
praised by gods, nāgas, yakṣas, humans, nonhumans, buddhas,
and śrāvakas. They do not
affirm, and they do not observe, any phenomenon.
They see that all phenomena are empty like space,
and they become intensely dedicated to the awakening
of the blessed buddhas.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who have
four qualities will remember their past lives. What
are these four? Śāriputra, bodhisattvas’ acts accord
with their words, and their words accord with their
acts. They abandon, renounce, and rid themselves of
aggression, and they rely on wisdom. As an analogy,
Śāriputra, a pit filled with burning embers is
extinguished by a great mass of water. Similarly,
Śāriputra, bodhisattvas abandon and rid themselves
of aggression, and they rely on wisdom. Śāriputra,
bodhisattvas who have this first quality will
remember their past lives.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who pursue
learning and all virtuous qualities never forsake
what is essential. They possess masterful, extensive
learning. Wherever
they go, their wishes are fulfilled. They
establish others at the level of extensive learning, and they
cause them to understand the Dharma correctly. At
the time of death, they will remain mindful of the
Dharma.

“As an analogy, Śāriputra, when people set out
traveling with an attitude of playfulness and
delight, they may get hungry later. However, if
they remind themselves of their playfulness
and delight, this thought of their prior state will
dispel their hunger. Similarly, Śāriputra, when
bodhisattvas are pressed by the feeling of impending
death, they readily accept it with a mind turned
toward the Dharma, and they become alert. If they
enter a mother’s womb and remain there with this
alertness, they will retain their memory. Śāriputra,
bodhisattvas who have these two qualities will
remember their past lives.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas guard
their speech carefully. They do not criticize
others. They do not behave aggressively toward
others, calling them ‘ignorant,’ ‘deluded,’
‘conceited,’ ‘blind,’ or ‘crippled.’ Instead, they
provide aggressive beings with relief, patience, and
harmony. They delight them with the Dharma, they
establish them in mindfulness, and they speak to
them sincerely. They give them the gift of
fearlessness, saying, ‘Please come, you are welcome
here. Do not be afraid! Do not be afraid!’ They
bring relief to those beings, and they instill
confidence, patience, and harmony in them. They are
motivated to act when they see sentient beings’
confused behavior. Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who have
these three qualities will remember their past
lives.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, such bodhisattvas,
while thoroughly transcending virtuous qualities,
will possess virtuous qualities. They dwell in them,
and also firmly establish others in them. With
devotion they seek out the Dharma and teach it
extensively to others. Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who
have these four qualities will remember their past
lives.

“Śāriputra, four qualities are not present in
bodhisattvas. What are these four? Bodhisattvas are
without deceit. Bodhisattvas are without
miserliness. Bodhisattvas are without jealousy and
slander. Bodhisattvas never lose heart, thinking, ‘I
am unable to awaken in a perfect manner to
unexcelled and perfect buddhahood.’ Śāriputra,
concerning those people in whom these four qualities
are present, wise ones will know, ‘Oh! These people
are frauds! They are flatterers! They waste the
Dharma! They are wracked by afflictions! They are
obsessed with worldly things! They just want more
and more food and clothes! They are thieves within
the world!’ Why? Because, Śāriputra, such people
lack four things, and what are the four signs of
this? Partaking of increasing amounts of food,
perceiving themselves as supreme, teaching
ostentatiously, and when it comes to undertaking the
deeds of a bodhisattva, not applying themselves to
develop a single bodhisattva quality.

“Śāriputra, what are the qualities in which
bodhisattvas should exert themselves? They are
perfect discipline, unbroken discipline, unspoiled
mindfulness, liberality, the strength of patience,
the lack of aggression, the absence of harm,
extensive learning, generosity, self-control,
restraint, never indulging in sensual pleasures,
never indulging in any kind of ill will, swift
renunciation, the absence of slander, the lack of
aggression, the adoption of what
is virtuous, behaving wisely, love for all sentient
beings, reconciling those in conflict, acting as
bridges over saṃsāra’s mire, giving Dharma
discourses, knowing the particular strengths of
patience, and relying on the ripening of actions.
Śāriputra, those who exert themselves in these
qualities will certainly become bodhisattvas.
Śāriputra, these are the qualities in which
bodhisattvas exert themselves. Śāriputra, you should
know that those who lack the qualities in which
bodhisattvas exert themselves are frauds destined
for the lower realms.

“What is generosity? Śāriputra, bodhisattvas
give away everything they have. They give away their
arms, their legs, their hands and feet, their nose,
their head, their limbs and body parts, their sons,
their daughters, their spouses, their lives, their
wealth, their happiness, their body, their material
possessions, their lands, their jewels, and all
their belongings. Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who give
such gifts approach unexcelled and perfect
buddhahood.

“What is knowing how to be generous? It
consists in giving alms at the appropriate time and
giving appropriate offerings. It consists in giving
donations of robes, alms, bedding, medicine, and
requisites to monks. Śāriputra, wise bodhisattvas
always turn away from inferior forms of generosity
such as giving at inappropriate times, giving what
is not suitable, giving liquor, giving poison,
giving what is harmful, giving what is regrettable,
giving weapons, giving what has been stolen, giving
contemptuously, refusing to give with one’s own
hands, giving while averting one’s face, giving
motivated by desire, giving unpleasant gifts,
improper gifts, inferior gifts, or gifts mixed with
poison, giving in ways that lead to harm, giving in
order to profit, giving in order to inspire lasting
fear, giving in ways that jeopardize
awakening, giving a hangman’s noose, giving
deludedly, giving in order to be served, and giving
with fear.

“Śāriputra, under no circumstances do the wise
practice or involve themselves with those inferior
forms of generosity. Bodhisattvas who practice or
involve themselves with them should not be called
bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas who are endowed with
bodhisattva qualities but who have spoiled their
generosity are actually bereft of bodhisattva
qualities.

“Śāriputra, how should bodhisattvas who strive
in the factors of awakening after having renounced
their homes practice generosity? What should they
give? How much should they give? Śāriputra,
bodhisattvas who strive in the factors of awakening
after having renounced their homes should remain
bound by the prātimokṣa vows. Their conduct,
personal associations, and behavior should be
perfect. They should train by seeing danger in even
the subtlest misdeeds, by engaging in pure physical,
verbal, and mental actions, and by adopting a pure
livelihood. They should earnestly apply themselves
to the instructions they receive, to the practice of
recitation, and to dwelling in remote places.
They should teach extensively what they have learned
and understood to others. They should be propagators
and benefactors of the Dharma.

“Śāriputra, compared to householder bodhisattvas
who fill buddhafields as numerous as the grains of
sand in the Ganges with the seven types of jewels
and then offer these to the thus-gone, worthy,
perfect buddhas, renunciant bodhisattvas
who teach a single four-line verse produce much more
merit. Śāriputra, the Thus-Gone One did not
authorize renunciants to practice the giving of
material things. Why? Because, Śāriputra, after
having gone forth, for inconceivably countless eons
they should not think about being invited to feasts
where one is offered householders’ or renunciants’
robes or alms. Instead, they should maintain
devotion and admiration for the Dharma alone. Why?
Because, Śāriputra, my disciples should be rich in Dharma,
not rich in material things.

“Śāriputra, if whatever alms placed in their
alms bowls are received in accord with the Dharma
and by means of the Dharma, they should share them
with their fellow practitioners of pure conduct. If
someone comes along and asks for alms bowls or for
robes, if they possess more than the three robes
prescribed by the Buddha, they should give them
away. If they have fewer than the three robes, they
should not give away those robes that they rely upon
to maintain pure conduct. Why? Because the Thus-Gone
One has said that the three robes should not be
given away. Śāriputra, if bodhisattvas prioritize
the one who asks by giving away the three robes,
they do not keep the practice of having few desires.
Therefore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who renounce
their homes should immerse themselves in the Dharma
and exert themselves in it. Śāriputra, bodhisattvas
should cultivate love for all sentient beings at
every single moment. This is what is meant by
knowing how to be generous.

“To what extent, Śāriputra, should one be known
as a caretaker bodhisattva? Bodhisattvas should be
caretakers in accord with the Dharma and caretakers
of the thus-gone ones’ stūpas. They should be
respectful toward preceptors and teachers.
They should practice the application of diligence in
such a way that, until the very end of their life,
they dispel sloth and torpor. Śāriputra, these are
the duties of caretaker bodhisattvas.

“Śāriputra, what is knowing how to seek out
extensive learning? Śāriputra, you should know that those
who do not strive for extensive learning after having set
their minds on the awakening of the buddhas are not
bodhisattvas who speak truthfully. Śāriputra, one
cannot awaken in a perfect manner to unexcelled and
perfect buddhahood through mere words. Rather, it is
through understanding that one can awaken in a perfect
manner to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood.

“Where does understanding come from? Understanding comes
from extensive learning. Śāriputra, this is why you must gain
direct experience and knowledge. Seeking to sow
doubts in learned beings who follow the Bodhisattva
Vehicle, wicked māras will create obstacles to the
awakening of bodhisattvas who benefit sentient
beings. Śāriputra, when bodhisattvas do not strive
for extensive learning after having set their minds on
awakening, this is the doing of wicked māras.
Therefore, Śāriputra, those who wish to know all the
deeds of the māras should practice the application
of diligence. They should not prioritize words. They
should understand the ways of the wise, and the ways
that are renowned within the entire world. Thus
Śāriputra, through diligence and discipline that
rise above all worlds, they will awaken in a perfect
manner to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood .

“Śāriputra, those who do not establish
these states with great striving and perseverance
will drift away from the ten powers of a thus-gone
one, from the wisdom that
rises above all worlds, and from their aspirations.
Therefore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas should speak
words that please all sentient beings—they should
not speak for their own benefit. Bodhisattvas should
not practice inferior types of diligence.

“Therefore, Śāriputra, those who strive for
unexcelled and perfect buddhahood should form this
resolve: ‘For the sake of all sentient beings, I
will endure what is hard to endure and bear what is
hard to bear. I will joyfully exert myself to seek
out the Dharma—not to seek out pleasure.’ Why?
Because those who seek out the Dharma seek out
wisdom. When they acquire what they wished for, they
do not become conceited or pompous. Therefore,
sentient beings who follow the Bodhisattva Vehicle
should prioritize insight, not pleasure. Śāriputra,
this is how bodhisattvas should exert themselves in
giving the Dharma.

“Śāriputra, how should bodhisattvas seek
knowledge of extensive learning? Śāriputra, bodhisattvas
should send four persons in the four directions,
telling them, ‘Go, and bring back excellent teachings
that you hear.’ They should also send four
other persons by telling them, ‘You should
go forth and act as caretakers and nurses for them.’
Śāriputra, bodhisattvas should pervade the four
directions with thoughts of love and focus their
minds on pursuing the Dharma. In whichever direction
the Dharma can be heard, they should go there. Śāriputra, this is
how bodhisattvas should seek out the Dharma. This is
knowing how to seek out extensive learning. Śāriputra,
these four qualities lead bodhisattvas to the
accomplishment of unexcelled and perfect buddhahood.

“Śāriputra, in ancient times, there was a
bodhisattva named Wise Diligence. At that time,
there was a thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha named
Sujāta. After he had passed into parinirvāṇa, but
while his teachings remained, the bodhisattva Wise
Diligence was traveling by means of prostration to
his stūpa, when he
arrived before the Bodhi tree. When he saw the Bodhi
tree, he wept uncontrollably and exclaimed, ‘The
blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha awakened
in a perfect manner to unexcelled and perfect
buddhahood while staying here. In this place, that
blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha subdued
Māra, his armies, and their mounts. For the sake of
this lion’s throne, the blessed, thus-gone, worthy,
perfect Buddha underwent hardships for many hundreds
of thousands of eons. The blessed, thus-gone,
worthy, perfect Buddha sat here cross-legged for
seven days. While the blessed, thus-gone, worthy,
perfect Buddha was seated here, many
trillions of gods prostrated to the Blessed One upon
seeing him; this was truly an excellent attainment
for them. Someday, I too will awaken in a perfect
manner to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood!’

“For eight days and nights, he wept
uncontrollably at the foot of the Bodhi tree. As he
did not partake of food or drink during that time,
the gods of the pure abodes approached him and said,
‘Do not torment yourself like this. Instead, seek
out the qualities of the Buddha.’

“He asked, ‘Do you know the qualities of the
Buddha?’

“ ‘We do not know them,’ they replied. ‘However,
we know that this body has been sustained by rice
and gruel; make some effort to feed yourself! Do not
hasten your own death!’

“ ‘My body is weak and I lack higher
perception,’ he said. ‘Yet where should I go? This
is the very place where I should die!’ He then wept
for seven days and nights, shouting, ‘Let death
come!’ Śāriputra, he then maintained that diligence
for six hundred million eons. Śāriputra, after
another two hundred fifty million eons, that
bodhisattva awakened in a perfect manner to
unexcelled and perfect buddhahood. After he awakened
in a perfect manner to unexcelled and perfect
buddhahood, he ripened a trillion sentient beings to
the level where their progress toward unexcelled and
perfect buddhahood was irreversible. The span of
time this took place is unfathomable, and his
community of śrāvakas was also immeasurable and
unfathomable.

“Śāriputra, why was he called Wise Diligence?
Because he always exerted himself for emancipation.
He always exerted himself in the application of
diligence. He always exerted himself in learning.
Śāriputra, through such diligence, the
bodhisattva Wise Diligence awakened in a perfect
manner to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood.

“Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who have four qualities
will be endowed with insight, and they will quickly
awaken in a perfect manner to unexcelled and perfect
buddhahood. What are these four? Śāriputra,
bodhisattvas receive many teachings. They retain and
accumulate teachings. They respect practitioners of
pure conduct who are elders, those who are novices,
and those in between. When asked, they indicate the
path with the right hand, saying, ‘This is the path.
This is the path,’ and they exert themselves in
teaching the Dharma. Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who
have these four qualities will be endowed with
insight, and they will quickly awaken in a perfect
manner to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood.

“How should they seek out learning? They should
renounce their own desires, abide by the scriptures
of their preceptors and teachers, and pay respect to
them.

“They should cultivate four qualities. What are
these four? They should habituate themselves to not
lying down to sleep. They should apply themselves
diligently and maintain the habit of walking in
meditation. Without arrogance, they
should respectfully serve preceptors and teachers.
Arousing respect for others, they should uphold what
they have learned, and, keeping it in mind, they
should master its words. Those who possess these
four qualities seek out learning.

“Those who possess four qualities will be
joyful. What are these four? Those whose search is
meaningful will be joyful. Those who have the
treasure of learning, those who possess the
component of insight based on it, and those who give
the gift of the Dharma to others will feel joy and
delight. Bodhisattvas who have these four qualities
will be joyful themselves.

“Respecting, venerating, and revering those who
seek out learning in that way, bodhisattvas do not
glorify themselves. Instead, just as they tame
themselves, put themselves at peace, and pass into
parinirvāṇa, they also tame others, put others
at peace, and cause others to pass into parinirvāṇa.
They do not act for their own benefit alone.

“Those who seek out and pursue learning in that
way expand the insight related to their present
life, so what need is there to mention the insight
related to their next life? Insight is achieved
through perseverance in learning. Bodhisattvas who
do not persevere in learning should remember their
yellow-colored robes. Thus, they should show respect
to practitioners of pure conduct. When in their
presence, they should not disparage them, speak,
wash their own feet, use their tooth sticks, or
spit. They should not make loud noises, speak
without being asked, interrupt them, or leave
without being bidden. They should not think about
the past or future, they should not say a word, they
should not engage in random discussions, and they
should not engage in base talk. When they are
questioned, others should not answer for them—those
who are questioned must answer for themselves. They
should not tell tales about thieves. Instead, they
should rely on the sūtras. They should
protect their own minds and the minds of others, and
they should rely on the roots of virtue that are in
harmony with that. They should help those who follow
the genuine path leading to the awakening of the
buddhas, without harming those who are not following
it—they should never harm anyone of either sort.
They should be wary or respectful of those who are
angry at them, who accuse them of being wrong, who
pose threats to their life, or create hindrances to
their observance of pure conduct. They should even
befriend them with fond words. They should perceive
those from whom they receive instructions and those
who engage in recitation as their teachers, and they
should respect them. This is how bodhisattvas should
show respect to practitioners of pure conduct.

“How should they teach the path? They should
explain the path with an even mind, with a mind that
is pure, with correct perception, and with a mind
free from hesitation. If they are not without doubt,
they should first learn from those who know the
path, and then teach it to others. Bodhisattvas who
have these four qualities will quickly awaken in a
perfect manner to unexcelled and perfect
buddhahood.

“It is said:

“Those who show proper reverence,

Who listen to the Dharma properly,

And who properly focus on what is meaningful

Perfect all qualities.

“While they seek out the Dharma

For the benefit of living beings,

They attend the preceptors

And serve them respectfully.

“Always loving,

Thankful, filled with gratitude,

With a perfect sense of shame and decency,

They abandon jealousy and hypocrisy.

“Recognizing the preciousness

Of that which heals the sick and is hard to find,

They rest in that recognition

And seek out the excellent teachings.

“While learning, they become happy,

And sharp insight arises in them.

From desire, anger, and ignorance

They are set at peace by their love.

“When someone who has bathed

Joyfully receives a garland,

That person accepts this gift with both hands

And places it on their crown.

“Similarly, the joy one might feel

From becoming the ruler of a kingdom

Is nothing compared to the joy

Born from hearing the excellent teachings.

“They always venerate as supreme

Those who propound the Dharma.

The Dharma is the banner of the perfect buddhas;

The Dharma is the banner of the worthy ones.

“After hearing the teachings of the buddhas,

They abide in their accomplishment.

When they hear about discipline,

Their renunciation grows like the waxing moon.

“Undeluded and free of anger,

They follow the supreme paths

And relinquish that which immature beings

Keep regarding with respect.

“Like a lion overcomes a fox,

They expound the teachings with overwhelming
splendor.

Like wind buffeting banks of clouds,

They outshine the tīrthikas.

“Like rainclouds above the earth,

They bring satisfaction to beings through the
Dharma,

Like the King of Physicians

Who quells the suffering of beings.

“Settled in one-pointed equipoise,

Their minds are not involved in discursive
thinking.

They never indulge in anger,

And they never glorify themselves.

“They guide others while knowing

What is timely, what is untimely, and what is
meaningful.

Ever delighting in the strength of patience

They engage in the activity of knowledge.

“Firm in their mastery and power,

Learned in the knowledge of the Dharma,

Heroic and with vast strength of mind,

Like wind scattering dust

They overpower the wicked ones.

“Just as it is that the rising sun

Shines brightly out in all directions,

So too it is not for their own sake

That the wise ones choose to speak.

“In order to benefit the people of the world,

They master the concentrations and the higher
perceptions.

With such a mastery,

They dwell above the māras.

“Out of affection for sentient beings

They act as lanterns as they move about in the
world.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, bodhisattvas who have
four qualities will accomplish patience. What are
these four? Guarding one’s discipline respectfully
and not disparaging the prātimokṣa, cultivating love
with respect and renouncing ill will, arousing
fervent longing for omniscience, and never ceasing
to treasure virtuous qualities. Śāriputra,
bodhisattvas who have these four qualities will
accomplish patience.”

“They maintain the uncorrupted, unbroken
discipline

That is praised by the buddhas,

And they take delight

In the pure component of discipline.

“They seek out many teachings

And are well established in extensive learning.

Thereby they eliminate their doubts

And their insight expands.

“They teach the holy Dharma

With unremitting benevolence, wondering,

‘How can I liberate beings

From the rivers of birth and death?’

“Turning away from ill will,

They cultivate love.

Fearless and benevolent,

They regard themselves and others as equal.

“They fully apply themselves

With surpassing diligence aimed at awakening,

And they seek out virtuous qualities

That are aimed at awakening.

“They cultivate what must be cultivated,

And abandon what must be abandoned.

As they abandon what must be abandoned,

They will quickly attain nirvāṇa.

“Facing the wilderness,

They turn their back on troubles.

Those who strive to seek out learning

Will realize the supreme state.

“Monks, nuns,

Laymen, and laywomen—

Everyone should give up

What they are familiar with.

“All the fools who follow the path of the
immature

Are without a refuge,

While those who follow the Dharma

Dedicate themselves to supreme buddhahood.

“Those who delight in the welfare of sentient
beings

Are the fathers and mothers of the buddhas.

Those who wish for the Dharma without
deceit

Have the utmost faith in awakening.

“Those who do not see the buddhas purely

Are said to have three characteristics:

Deceit, wishing for what is not the
Dharma,

And constantly reveling in indolence.

“Having abandoned

Desire, anger, pride, and harmful actions,

The wise ones endowed with diligence

Will be fully devoted to awakening.”

When the Blessed One finished speaking,
Venerable Śāriputra and the world with its gods,
humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised what the
Blessed One had said.

This concludes the Mahāyāna sūtra “The Accomplishment of the Sets of Four Qualities: The
Bodhisattvas’ Prātimokṣa.”

Colophon

Translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian
preceptor Dīpaṅkaraśrījñāna, together with the chief
editors and translators, the monks Śākya Lodrö and
Gewé Lodrö.

Notes

Bibliography

Canonical Sources

Modern Publications

eightfold path of the noble ones

āryāṣṭāṅgamārga

’phags pa’i lam yan lag brgyad pa
འཕགས་པའི་ལམ་ཡན་ལག་བརྒྱད་པ།