The Ten Grounds

Chapter Twenty-Six

 

 

The Second Ground

Sutra:  

The Bodhisattvas, upon hearing this most supremely subtle, wonderful ground, in their minds thoroughly were pure, and were happy, each and every one. They all, arising from their seats, soared up and dwelt in empty space, everywhere scattered wondrous, flowers, and simultaneously spoke these words of praise. “Good, indeed, O Treasury of Vajra, greatly wise and who has no fear, well have you spoken of this ground’s Dharmas practiced by the Bodhisattvas!”

Moon of Liberation Bodhisattva, knowing the assembly’s minds were pure, and that they wished to hear the Second Ground, all the characteristics of its conducts, right then requested Vajra Treasury, “Greatly Wise One, we wish that you would speak, disciples of the Buddha all would like to hear, about the dwelling on the Second Ground.

Commentary:

When the Bodhisattvas had heard Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva discuss the Dharma of the First Ground, the Ground of Happiness, upon hearing this most supremely subtle, wonderful ground, in their minds they thoroughly were pure. The minds of all the Bodhisattvas were pure, free of any false thoughts, and they were happy, each and every one. Their minds were totally happy. They all, arising from their seats soared up and dwelt in empty space. They all physically ascended into empty space and everywhere scattered wondrous flowers.

All of them in empty space scattered flowers as offerings to Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, saying simultaneously, “Good, indeed, O Treasury of Vajra.” They said, “Good, indeed, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, greatly wise and who has no fear. You truly are a Bodhisattva of great wisdom, courageously heroic and without the least bit of fear! Well have you spoken of this ground’s Dharmas practiced by the Bodhisattvas. You have well spoken about the Dharmas on the Ground of Happiness!”

Moon of Liberation Bodhisattva, knowing the assembly’s minds were pure, and that they wished to hear the Second Ground, made a request. The discussion of the First Ground was over, and everyone still wished to hear the Dharmas of the Second Ground with all the characteristics of its conducts. They wanted to know all about the Second Ground’s Dharma doors--how to cultivate them, what kinds of states one has, and what fruits one obtains; and so Moon of Liberation Bodhisattva right then requested Vajra Treasury.

He immediately asked of Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, “Greatly Wise One, we wish that you would speak.” He said, “Oh one of great wisdom, you, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, all of us would still like you to continue your discussion of the Dharmas of the Ten Grounds. Disciples of the Buddha all would like to hear. All the great Bodhisattvas wish to hear about the marks, characteristics, and states of the Second Ground- about the dwelling on the Second Ground. They would all like to continue and cultivate Dharma doors of the Second Ground.”

I want to say something here about the problem of holding precepts versus not holding precepts. To cultivate the Way is not easy. No matter how much someone tells you to cultivate well, you still refuse to go forward and make progress. Yet, when it comes to doing bad, you do not require a teacher- you yourself know how to do it. When you hear about the Way, it sounds so fine. There are so many subtle and wonderful states. However, one must practice over a long period of time, and it may happen that one encounters brambles and thorns, tigers and wolves. If one lacks a great spirit of fearlessness and patience, it is very difficult to reach the goal.

As to holding precepts, while there are many people who take the precepts, there are very few who do not break or violate the precepts. To keep the precepts very purely also is not easy. Then should one simply not keep them? If you were not going to keep them, then why did you take them in the first place? Scrupulous holding of the precepts is extremely important, especially for those who have left the home life. The Buddha at the time of his Nirvana said, “Take the precepts as your master.” There is also the phrase, “The precepts are the basis of unsurpassed Bodhi: you should with one mind purely hold the precepts.”

How does one hold precepts? First, you should not be selfish and not calculate for yourself in any way. You should not kill, not steal, not commit sexual misconduct, not engage in false speech, and not take intoxicants. You should scrupulously observe the rules which disciples of the Buddha should observe. Do what you should do, regardless of the difficulty or the suffering involved. Do not do what you should not do. Do not be greedy for fame or profit and offerings. Hold and maintain the conduct of pure precepts in your cultivation. If you fail to do what you should do, that too, is a violation of the precepts.

We who cultivate the Way should at all times return the light and reverse the illumination. We should take a good look at ourselves and alert and alarm ourselves. If we make mistakes, we should correct them and resume our solid holding of the precepts. It is like crossing the sea in a life-raft. If the life-raft springs a small hole, it must be repaired quickly. If neglected and not repaired, the small hole will become large. With a large hole, the raft will start to leak and eventually will sink- and your life will go down along with it. This is greatly to be feared. Therefore, I hope that everyone will be especially attentive to the matter of holding precepts purely, and then the precept-protecting spirits will at all times accompany you and insure that you peacefully and safely traverse the road of cultivation.

Sutra:

At that time, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva addressed Moon of Liberation Bodhisattva, saying: Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva who has already cultivated the First Ground and who wishes to enter the Second Ground should give rise to ten kinds of profound minds, what are they? They are: a proper and upright mind, a compliant and yielding mind, a mind able to endure, a tamed and subdued mind, a still and quiet mind, a completely good mind, an unmixed and unscattered mind, a mind with no hankering or yearning, a vast mind, a great mind. The Bodhisattva, using those ten minds, attains entry to the Second Ground of Leaving Filth.

Disciples of the Buddha, when the Bodhisattva dwells upon the Ground of Leaving filth, his nature of itself leaves all killing far behind. He does not collect knives or staves. He does not cherish resentment or hatred. He has shame and he has remorse. He is endowed with humaneness and reciprocity. Towards all living beings who have a life, he always brings forth thoughts of benefit and kindly mindfulness. This Bodhisattva would not with evil mind even trouble living beings, how much the less give rise to heavy intent and actually kill or harm any whom he realizes are living beings.

Commentary:

At that time- when the great assembly of Bodhisattvas and Moon of Liberation Bodhisattva had finished speaking the previous verses- Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva addressed Moon of Liberation Bodhisattva. Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva spoke to Moon of Liberation Bodhisattva, saying: Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva, the great Bodhisattva, cultivates the Bodhisattva Way and accumulates all kinds of good roots and is one who has already cultivated the First Ground- he is one who has already cultivated and certified to the position of the First Ground, the Ground of Happiness- and who wishes to enter the Second Ground. He further wishes to cultivate the Dharmas of the Second Ground. He should give rise to ten kinds of profound minds. He should bring forth ten profound minds and have true and actual recognition of Buddhadharmas.

What are the ten? What are the ten kinds of profound minds? They are: a proper and upright mind; one’s mind should be straight, not devious and crooked. As it is said:

The straight mind is the Way Place.

“Proper” means not having any deviant knowledge or deviant views. “Upright” means not having any deceitful thoughts.

A compliant and yielding mind- the mind of the Bodhisattva should be compliant and yielding; it should not be obstinate or stubborn. A mind able to endure- one is able to undergo and bear what is unendurable. The straight and upright mind represents the mind of Giving, while the compliant and yielding mind is Holding Precepts, and the mind able to endure is Patience. Being “able to endure” means the ability to be patient with the unbearable. The precepts one cannot hold on still must hold. No matter what, one cannot break the precepts.

There was a Bhikshu like that in the past. The Bhikshu, wearing red clothing, went to the home of a goldsmith. The goldsmith at the time was making a pearl necklace for the king of the country. Each pearl of the strand was extremely costly. While the Bhikshu was in the goldsmith’s home, the goldsmith lost of the pearls, and accused the Bhikshu of having stolen it. Actually, the Bhikshu did know where the pearl was, but he certainly had not stolen it. Where was the pearl? Because the Bhikshu had been wearing red-colored clothing, the pearl had reflected the red color.

Right at that time a goose had come in, and when it saw the pearl reflecting the red color, it looked to the goose like a piece of meat, and so the goose seized it in its beak and gulped it down. Thereupon, the Bhikshu had reflected, “If I say the pearl has been eaten by the goose, the goldsmith will certainly kill the goose to get back the pearl. If that happens, it will be as if I indirectly had killed the goose.” Therefore, he hadn’t said where the pearl was. The goldsmith said, “Now, there are only two of us here, and since my pearl is missing, you must have stolen it. If you hadn’t stolen it, how could it be missing?” The Bhikshu said he hadn’t stolen it.

The goldsmith grabbed a cane and started beating the Bhikshu, yelling, “So you didn’t steal it? You’re just not admitting it!” He kept beating him until the Bhikshu’s body was entirely covered with welts, his skin broken and bleeding. When the Bhikshu had been beaten to the point that he bled, the goose, seeing the blood, ran up and started drinking the blood that was flowing from the Bhikshu’s body. The goldsmith hadn’t expected the goose to run and rink the blood and was still using his cane to beat the Bhikshu. One blow of his cane smashed the goose’s head, and the goose died of the blow. Once it was dead, the Bhikshu said, “You shouldn’t beat me. Now you can find your pearl.”

The goldsmith said, “I can find it, can I? You stole it, and now you’d better come up with it fast! If not, I’ll beat you to death!”

The Bhikshu said, “The pearl was eaten by the goose. Now that you have beaten the goose to death I’m telling you. The pearl is in the goose’s belly. If you don’t believe me, you can slit open the goose’s stomach, and you will find the pearl.” As it turned out, when the goldsmith cut open the goose’s belly, the pearl actually was inside the goose’s stomach.

When the goldsmith saw that, he realized, “This Bhikshu is someone who really holds the precepts! In order to protect the goose’s life, no matter how much I beat him, he wouldn’t say anything, but in fact, the goose had eaten the pearl!” He informed the king of the country of what had happened, and the king was very respectful of the Bhikshu. That is what is meant by a mind which is able to bear and endure.

There is another story, this time about a group of Bhikshus, quite a few of them, who while travelling through a stretch of wilderness, were held up by bandits. The bandits robbed the Bhikshus of their valuables and also robbed them of all their clothing, so that they had no clothes to wear. Some of the bandits suggested, “We should kill these left-home people. If they aren’t killed, they’ll probably report us to the king, and it won’t go well for us. It would be better to kill them.” Other bandits said, “Don’t kill them.

The law of Bhikshus is that not only do they not harm the lives of living beings, they are not even permitted to harm the lives of plants and trees. Let’s tie these Bhikshus up in the rushes. That way they won’t be able to report us to the king, and no one will find us.” The other bandits thought it over and said, “That’s a good plan. It would be best to tie them up in the rushes and have them die on their own.” So, the bandits bound the Bhikshus in the rushes and then went on their way.

When they had gone, an elder amongst the Bhikshus said, “We should now recognize that in the past we robbed people of their valuables and took people’s live, and so this life we have met with this retribution. So, all of you bear up under this!” He talked to them like that. Then, at dusk, the ants and beetles and mosquitoes and all the rest came to bite them. They bit the Bhikshus to the point that their entire bodies were one huge blister which was both painful and itchy. The elder Bhikshu said, “Everyone bear with it. Don’t become hateful. See how the dragons, because of giving rise to hatred while cultivating the Way, fell to the bodies of dragons. Although we have now encountered this difficulty, we should have no hate, to avoid ending up like the dragons.

When the dragons lose their hatred, then they will be able to abandon the bodies of dragons and resume cultivating. So, everyone be patient!” The more he spoke that way, the more trouble there was. Bees came to sting them- everything imaginable came to bite them, and their bites were extremely difficult to endure.

During the night, the howls of the wolves, bears, panthers, and leopards terrified the Bhikshus incredibly. Then, at daybreak, who should appear but the king of the country conducting a hunting expedition right through the area where the Bhikshus were! When he saw them from afar, the king thought that they were wild beasts, since the Bhikshus were not wearing clothes. As he approached and saw them better, the king thought they must be goblins. As he got even closer and was within speaking distance, upon questioning them he found out that they were Bhikshus who had been robbed of all their possessions by bandits, and in consideration of holding the precepts were enduing hunger and thirst, rather than consenting to harm the grass and bushes.

When the King saw those Bhikshus were that way, he felt great respect for them and said, “In my country there are still Bhikshus who cultivate the Way like that! This is truly rare!” The king immediately released them from the rushes in which they had been tied and invited them to return with him to the palace to accept offerings from him.

All of you think it over: all people had to do was tie the Bhikshus up with rushes, yet they would not consent to break the precepts and harm the rushes. They were prepared to endure starvation and being stung to death by insects rather than break the precepts. See what kind of ability they had to bear what is difficult to bear and practice what is difficult to practice. Precepts which it was impossible to keep, they were able to keep. That is to be genuine Dharma and Sangha jewels within Buddhism, and that is the mind which is able to endure.

A tamed and subdued mind not to speak of taming and subduing the minds of others, it is not easy to tame and subdue one’s own mind. You tell it to cultivate the Way, yet all it does is strike up false thinking. As soon as you want to cultivate the Way, there are even more false thoughts. You want to become purer, and your defiled thoughts multiply. It is not easy to tame and subdue one’s mind. If you are able to tame and subdue that mind which is so stubborn and disobedient then you have some skill. That have a still and quiet mind does not mean that the external environment is still and quiet, but rather that one is still and quiet within one’s own mind. Within one’s own mind there is no sound whatsoever.

A completely good mind is a mind without the slightest evil. An unmixed and unscattered mind is when one’s mind is unconfused and undispersed, with no admixtures. The opposite of a mind with no hankering or yearning would be, for instance, if you gave something away and then afterwards regretted it. A vast mind is expansive and broad. A great mind means the very greatest mind there is. Nothing is greater. The Bodhisattva, using those ten minds, attains entry to the second ground of leaving filth. The Bodhisattva, by employing those ten kinds of profound minds in cultivation, can attain to the Second Ground and leave all defiling filth far behind.

Disciples of the Buddha, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva again calls out: All of you disciples of the Buddha, when the Bodhisattva dwells upon the ground of leaving filth, his nature of itself leaves all killing far behind. He does not collect knives or staves. He, himself, does not collect- that is does not retain or prepare-knives, staves, or any instruments of killing. He does not cherish resentment or hatred. The Bodhisattva has no resentment or hatred in his mind for anyone. He has shame, and he has remorse. He is endowed with humaneness and reciprocity. This means that one does not subject others to what one would not want to be subjected to oneself.

For instance, if you would not want others to oppress you, then you yourself do not oppress other people. If you yourself would not like to be scolded by people, then you do not scold others. Those are all minds of humaneness and reciprocity. Humaneness means being kind and compassionate towards people, and reciprocity also means a sense of forgiveness. No matter who does what wrong, you forgive them. He is endowed with this mind of humane love, this mind of reciprocity and forgiveness.

Towards all living beings who have a life- with regard to all living beings with sentience, that is, all living beings who have blood and breath and so have lives- he always brings forth thoughts of benefit and kindly mindfulness. He always wants to benefit all those living beings and be kind and compassionate towards all people. This Bodhisattva would not with evil mind even trouble living beings, he would not maliciously cause living beings to become afflicted- how much the less give rise to heavy intent and actually kill or harm any whom he realizes are living beings. Being aware that they are living beings, he would not employ a heavily evil mind and then carry out that “heavy intent” to kill or harm living beings. Because they are living beings, one should have an attitude of humaneness and reciprocity towards them; one should not kill and harm them.

Sutra:

His nature does not steal. The Bodhisattva is always content with his own possessions. He is always kind and forgiving towards others and does not wish to encroach upon them. If an item belongs to someone else, he gives rise to the thought that it is someone else’s item and would never consider stealing it, down to a blade of grass or a leaf- if not given, he does not take it- how much the less any other of the necessities of life.  

Commentary:  

His nature does not steal. The Second Ground, the Ground of Leaving Filth, is also the Ground of the Purity of the Self-nature; and it is one’s basic, undefiled self-nature. Within that kind of state, one’s own nature is free from all defiled dharmas, to the point that every state of mind and every movement of thought is pure with no defilement. If you have one single defiled thought, that is impurity.

The principles expounded in the Flower Adornment Sutra are all Dharma doors which are not separate from our daily activities and concerns. Not only are the principles of the Flower Adornment Sutra not separate form the daily round of our ordinary activities, but the other Sutras also are not apart from the principles which we require in our daily behavior. If the principles discussed by the Sutras had no relevance to the daily lives of each and every one of us, the Buddha would not have spoken those Sutras.

The Buddha spoke the Sutras to enable each of us to live good lives, proper and regular lives, livers very much in accordance with the rules. That is why he spoke all of the Dharma doors and lectured all the Sutras. Each Sutra is presenting us with a proper road along which to travel. However, we must go along it for the Sutras to be of use. If we only know the Sutras and do not rely upon the Sutras to cultivate, then we can listen to the Sutras for eighty thousand great kalpas, but it will be equivalent to not having heard them at all. And so:

They had eyes but did not see Nishyanda Buddha,
Had ears but did not hear the perfect, Sudden Teaching.

It could be explained in this way: all who were listening to the Sutras listened for awhile and then fell asleep, and so they had eyes but did not see and had ears but did not hear. Therefore, the first requirement for all of you now listening to the Flower Adornment Sutra is not to fall asleep. If you fall asleep, then you, too, have eyes but do not see Nishyanda, have ears but do not hear the perfect, Sudden Teaching. That’s the first requirement.

The second requirement is not to dream. If you fall asleep, that is not so important, but the dreaming is. A man has a dream, and in his dream he sees his girlfriend come. A girl has a dream, and in her dream she sees her boyfriend arrive. Wouldn’t you say that was to kick the Flower Adornment Sutra right out beyond the ninth heaven?

Then, when he wakes up, he keeps looking for his girlfriend. “She just came, where can she have gone? Oh? I saw her come.” He has the dream, and then after waking from the dream he still wants to look for his girlfriend. Men look for girlfriends, and women for boyfriends saying, “I saw my boyfriend; now where has he gone to?” looking all over the place. If it’s that way, then it doesn’t matter whether I lecture the Flower Adornment Sutra well or not, you won’t understand it. But, if you are not asleep and not dreaming, then even if I don’t lecture well, you can still completely savor its flavor, feel you are in your element, and understand more principle.

To return to the Sutra text, his nature does not steal. Of the nature it is said:

People at first
Are basically good in nature.
They are close to the nature,
Yet learn to be distant.
If they are not taught,
Their nature then shifts.
The teaching of principles
Merits concentration.

This is a quote form the Three Character Class. At one time in China ever child could recite it, but it is not well known at all in America, so I shall explain it for you.

“People at first” means people when they have just been born, “Are basically good in nature.” Their natures are good. Some claim that our natures are evil, but the nature being evil won’t stand up, it says that in nature they are good. Basically, they are good, “They are close to the nature.” Their natures basically are close to the good. Their natures are just about the same as our original nature and are not far distant from it, “Yet learn to be distant.” They learn to be distant from the basic nature. “If they are not taught,” if you do not instruct them, “Their nature then shifts.” Those who were good in nature become evil-natured, which is the meaning of their natures then shifting. “The teaching of principles merits concentration.” When you teach them principles, how should you do it? It merits concentration. You should concentrate on the teaching.

Now, in America, the children are supposed to develop spontaneously and naturally, and so they do whatever they please. The way this turns out is that they are like trees with branches forking off to the north, south, east, and west and points in between. That greatly decreases the uses to which the basic trunk of the tree can be put, so that it cannot become good-quality building material. As a result, a great many American children have become hippies, and this is the fault of improper instruction.

“His nature does not steal.” When the Bodhisattva holds the precept against stealing, not only does he not break the precept in a tangible way, but he also does not violate it in intangible ways. This means he does not violate the precept in ways that can be seen or known, and even when it could not be seen or found out, he still does not violate the precept in his nature. That is, there is no “yeast” of stealing in it. The analogy is that of making bread or biscuits. If you’re making bread and you don’t add any yeast, it won’t be easy to get the dough to rise, and basically it won’t rise. But, if you do add yeast, the dough will rise and you can make bread or biscuits. The yeast is like stealing. If there is none of that yeast in one’s nature, then there will be no stealing.

The Bodhisattva is always content with his own possessions. The Bodhisattva himself constantly knows how to be satisfied with his own possessions, his internal valuables of:

Head, eyes, brains, and marrow;
and, his outer valuables of:
countries, cities, wives, and children.

As it is said:

If one knows how to be content, one is always happy.

Why do we steal? It’s because we are not satisfied and are greedy without stop. If you know how to be content, then you are always content.

If you know how to be content,
Then you will not be humiliated.
If you know when to stop,
Then you will not get into trouble.

If you can always be content, then you will not break the law, nor will people look down on you. “You will not be humiliated” means no one will come along and humiliate you. “If you know when to stop, then you will not get into trouble.” If you ordinarily have no greed, then there will be no dangers at all. “Trouble” means danger. As it is also said:

If you know how to be content,
Then you are always happy.
If you know how to be patient,
Then you are peaceful of yourself.

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