The Ten Grounds

Chapter Twenty-Six

 

 

Sutra:

He further makes the following reflection: “I should, among all living beings, be a leader, be supreme, be especially supreme, be wonderful, be subtle and wonderful, be superior, be unsurpassed, up to and including being one of wisdom of All Wisdom on whom one can rely.”

If he diligently cultivates with vigor, in a single instant of thought he obtains a hundred thousand samadhis. He comes to see a hundred thousand Buddhas, knows the spiritual powers of a hundred thousand Buddhas, can move a hundred thousand Buddhas’ worlds, up to and including making to appear a hundred thousand bodies, each and every body having a hundred thousand Bodhisattvas as its retinue. If he employs the most supreme power of vows of a Bodhisattva to appear at will, the number is far greater. In a hundred kalpas, at thousand kalpas, up to and including a hundred thousand million nayutas of kalpas, it could not be reckoned or known.

At that time, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, wishing to repeat his meaning, used verses, saying:

Commentary:

He, the Bodhisattva, further makes the following reflection: “I should, among all living beings, be a leader. As a leader of living beings, I should be supreme-a victor. I should be especially supreme among beings, as well as be wonderful, and in their midst be a most subtle and wonderful person. I should be superior among those beings, and be unsurpassed as a person amid living beings, up to and including being of a wisdom of All Wisdom on whom one can rely-be someone who has the wisdom of All Wisdom for them to rely upon.”

If he diligently cultivates with vigor, in a single instant of thoughts, in one moment of thought, he obtains a hundred thousand samadhis. With vigor he can acquire a hundred thousands kinds of powers of concentration. He comes to see a hundred thousand Buddhas, knows the spiritual powers of a hundred thousand Buddhas, can move a hundred thousand Buddhas’ worlds, up to and including making to appear a hundred thousand bodies, each and every body having a hundred thousand Bodhisattvas as its retinue. If he employs the most supreme power of vows of a Bodhisattva to appear at will, the number is far greater. In a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, up to and including a hundred thousand million nayutas of kalpas, it could not be reckoned or known. Should he be using the especially supreme vow-power of a Bodhisattva to appear freely and at ease, no one could calculate by how much that number is greater.

At that time, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, wishing to repeat his meaning, wanting to reiterate, used verses. He will be saying it over again in verse.

Sutra:

Minds which are pure, secured, and flourishing in brightness,
Of disgust, non-greed, and non-harming minds,
Solid, valiant minds, minds which are both vast and great-
The wise one uses such to enter the Third Ground.  

Commentary:

Bodhisattvas who are cultivating the practices of the Third Ground first of all must have minds which are pure. A pure mind is free of all defilement and therefore able to attain to purity. The second is a mind which is secured. One is irreversibly secured within the Enlightenment which is Bodhi, and has an intelligent mind with wisdom flourishing in brightness, the third. A mind of disgust with the mundane, a mind of non-greed, and a non-harming mind are the fourth, fifth, and sixth minds. A solid mind and a valiant mind are the seventh and eight minds. The ninth and tenth are minds which are both vast and great-the wise one uses such kinds of minds to give rise to All Wisdom, and then is able to enter the Third Ground, the Ground of Emitting Light.

Sutra:

The Bodhisattva dwelling on this Ground of Emitting Light,
Contemplates all activity dharmas as suffering and impermanent,
Impure, defeated, quickly headed for extinction,
Non-solid and non-dwelling, not coming and not going.  

He contemplates the conditioned all as serious illness,
Fettered by anxiety, depression, suffering and delusion,
Always blazing with ferocious flames of the poisons three,
From beginningless time to now, never finding rest.  

Disgusted with the three existences, not greedy or attached,
He intently seeks the Buddha’s wisdom, with no other thought,
Hard to fathom, hard to think of, and incomparable,
Limitless and boundless, by troubles unoppressed.  

Commentary:

The Bodhisattva dwelling on this Ground of Emitting Light, contemplates all activity dharmas as suffering and impermanent. The Bodhisattva who cultivates the practices of a Bodhisattva who wishes to certify to the position of the Third Ground, cultivates the practices of a Bodhisattva who wishes to certify to the position of the Third Ground, cultivates the Dharma-doors of the Ground of Emitting Light. He contemplates all activities as impermanent, as suffering, empty, lacking self, impure, defeated, quickly headed for extinction. All of them are defiled, impure, ultimately defeated and headed for destruction, non-solid and non-dwelling, not coming and not going. They have no solidity to them, and they do not remain for long, nor do they come or go. He contemplates the conditioned all as serious illness.

The Bodhisattva cultivating the Dharma-doors of the Third Ground contemplates all conditioned dharmas as being like grave illnesses, which he wishes to get far away from fast, as they are fettered by anxiety, depression, suffering, and delusion. They are all bound up in worry, sadness, difficulty, and confusion, always blazing with ferocious flames of the poisons three. The three poisons of greed, hatred, and stupidity are like a raging fire always burning with intensity, from beginningless tie to now never finding rest. From limitless kalpas up to the present, the fire of the three poisons has never stopped.

Disgusted with the Three Existences, not greedy or attached… The Bodhisattva becomes really disgusted with the Three Existences-Existence in the Desire Realm, Existence in the Form Realm, and Existence in the Formless Realm-and is not greedy for or attached to them. He intently seeks the Buddha’s wisdom, with no other thoughts. He concentrates his mind on the search for the wisdom of a Buddha, not thinking of anything else. All of you studying the Buddhadharma should not be confused by greed, hatred, or stupidity. You should diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi, and wisdom; that is itself the concentrated search for the wisdom of the Buddha. That wisdom of a Buddha is hard to fathom, hard to think of, and incomparable. Nothing can match it: limitless and boundless, by troubles unoppressed. That wisdom is limitless and boundless, and no afflictions or suffering can oppress it.

Sutra:

Having seen the Buddha’s wisdom, he pities living beings
As forlorn, without support, and not being saved,
With three poisons’ blazes always vexing them,
Dwelling in existences’ jails, ever suffering.  

By afflictions bound, obscured, blind and lacking eyes,
Their inclinations low and vile, they lose the Dharma jewel.
They follow after birth and death, frightened of Nirvana.
“I should for their rescue be diligent with vigor.”  

He sets out seeking wisdom to benefit all beings,
Considers what expedients will bring them liberation,
Not apart from the Thus Come One’s unobstructed knowledge,
Which in turn arises from non-production wisdom.  

He is mindful that that wisdom is obtained from hearing.
Making such reflections, he urges himself on,
Day and night to hear and practice with no interruption,
Only taking proper Dharma as worthy and important.  

Countries, cities, wealth, as well as every precious jewel,
Wives and children, retinues, and royal positions,
The Bodhisattva, for the Dharma bringing forth respect,
All such things as those and more is able to renounce.  

Commentary:

Having seen the Buddha’s wisdom, he pities living beings. He brings forth a great heart of compassion for living beings as forlorn without support, and not being saved. He pities them since they are all alone with nothing to rely on and with no one to rescue them, and with three poisons’ blazes always vexing them. He sees that the three poisons of greed, hatred, and stupidity are always blazing like a huge fire which constantly torments those beings who are dwelling in existences’ jails, ever suffering. They live in the jails of all the existences: existence in the Desire Realm, existence in the Form Realm, and existence in the Formless Realm, constantly undergoing suffering, by afflictions bound, obscured, blind and lacking eyes.

They are all tired up by afflictions which obscure them so they are like blind persons who have no eyes. Their inclinations low and vile, they lose the Dharma jewel. The inclinations, the things they enjoy, are of a despicable nature, not high and lofty, and they lose the precious jewel of Dharma. They follow after birth and death, frightened of Nirvana. They are carried along by the current of birth and death, and fear the Dharma doors for ending birth and death-Nirvana. “I should for their rescue be diligent with vigor. I should hurry up and cultivate the Way, so that when I have accomplished the Way, I will be able to rescue those living beings. That’s why I should work hard and be vigorous.”

He sets out seeking wisdom to benefit all beings. “I’m dedicated to the search for the wisdom of a Buddha so that I can bring benefit to each and every living being,” and considers what expedients will bring them liberation. “I wonder what expedient methods will enable all of those living beings to obtain liberation,” not apart from the Thus Come One’s unobstructed knowledge. One has to attain the unobstructed knowledge (jnana) of a Buddha to before one can rescue living beings, which in turn arises from non-production wisdom. That unobstructed knowledge arises from wisdom (Prajna) which is neither produced nor destroyed. It is based upon wisdom. He is mindful that that wisdom is obtained from hearing. “I keep in mind that the wisdom of a Buddha is acquired from Hearing, Considering, and Cultivation: the Wisdom of Hearing, the Wisdom of Considering, and the Wisdom of Cultivating.”

Making such reflection, he urges himself on. Upon thinking that way, he himself is vigorous and exhorts himself not to be lazy, day and night to hear and practice with no interruption. Day and night he wants to listen to the Buddhadharma, investigate the Buddhadharma, and cultivate the Buddhadharma without ever letting up, only taking Proper Dharma as worthy and important. Nevertheless, he only seeks the Proper Dharma, respects and reveres the Proper Dharma. Countries, cities, wealth, as well as every precious jewel-all tangible objects such as countries, cities, riches, and precious gems, wives and children, retinues, and royal positions-the Bodhisattva, for the Dharma bringing forth respect will renounce. The Bodhisattva brings forth and attitude of respect, reverence, and worship for the search of the Dharma, and so all such things as those and more is able to renounce. Such things as described above-the countries, children, all precious gems-along with his head, eyes, brain, and marrow, the Bodhisattva is completely able to give away to living beings.

Sutra:

Head, eyes, ears, and nose, tongue, as well as teeth,
Hands and feet, his marrow, his heart and blood and flesh-
All such things as those renouncing he does not find hard.
Only a chance to hear the Dharma he counts as most hard.  

Commentary:

A person cultivating the Bodhisattva Way, is able to give away his own head, his own eyes, along with his own ears, and nose, tongue, as well as teeth for other people to use, up to and including his own hands and feet, his marrow, his heart and blood and flesh. He can give them all to others. All such things as those renouncing he does not find hard. Giving away those kinds of things doesn’t amount to a really difficult matter. It’s something easy to do. Only a chance to hear the Dharma he counts as most hard. However, to be able to hear the Buddhadharma is a most difficult thing to do. The Bodhisattva considers hearing the Dharma as the hardest thing to be able to do, everything else being easy. Yet, however hard it is, he still wants to hear the Dharma. He wants to do the most difficult thing to do. In the same way, for laypeople to be able to leave the home life is a most difficult thing to do. It’s really hard. But, although it’s hard, if on really wants to do it, then one actually leaves home.

Sutra:

Should a person come and tell the Bodhisattva,
“If you can hurl your body into a huge mass of fire,
I shall bestow upon you the jewel of Buddhadharma,”
Having heard this, he throws himself, without trepidation.  

Should fire even fill the three thousand realms,
He would cast his body from the Brahma World and enter it.
In order to seek Dharma, he would not find it hard,
Much the less all minor sufferings in the human realm.  

From his first resolution, up to Buddhahood,
All Avichi sufferings in that interval,
In order to hear Dharma, he can undergo,
Much the less all sufferings in the human realm.  

He reflects upon the principles after he has heard,
Acquires the four dhyanas and formless samapattis,
Four others, five penetrations, in sequence then arise.
Not following their power does he undergo rebirths.  

The Bodhisattva dwelling here can see many Buddhas,
Make offerings to and hears them with certitude of mind.
He severs deviant delusions and becomes more pure,
Just as true gold when smelted does not decrease in weight.  

Dwelling here, most become Trayastrimsha rulers,
Acting as guiding teachers to limitless hosts of gods,
Causing them to forsake greed and dwell in wholesome ways,
Singly intent upon the search for Buddha’s virtues,  

Buddhist disciples, dwelling here on is diligent in vigor,
And with hundreds of thousands of samadhis on then becomes endowed.
He sees hundreds of thousands of Buddhas’ bodies adorned with marks.
If he uses power of vows, it surpasses even that.  

Universally benefitting every living being,
That Bodhisattva’s conducts which are most supreme,
All of which like that exist upon the Third Ground,
Based upon those doctrines I have already explained.  

Commentary:

Should a person come and tell the Bodhisattva-hypothetically, if someone were to say to the Bodhisattva who is cultivating the dharmas of the Third Ground, “If you can hurl your body into a huge mass of fire, if anyone can manage to throw his or her own body into a huge mass of fire, I shall bestow upon you the jewel of Buddhadharma-if you are that sincere, I shall transmit to you the Buddha’s Dharma,” having heard this, he throw himself, without trepidation.

Upon hearing “Buddhadharma,” he immediately hurls himself into the mass of fire, without the slightest fear. Should fire even fill the three thousand realms-not to mention a bonfire, if fire were to fill up the entire Three Thousand Great Thousand World System, he would cast his body from the Brahma World and enter it. He would hurl his body down from the Great Brahma Heaven and fall into the fire that filled the Three Thousand Great Thousand World System. In order to seek Dharma, he would not find it hard. He would do that-hurl himself from the Great Brahma Heaven into the huge fire raging in the Three Thousand Great Thousand world System in order to seek the Buddhadharma-without considering it hard. “I could endure it for the sake of the Buddhadharma,” much the less all minor sufferings in the human realm. How much the less would any of the minor torments and pains of human beings matter to him. They would be even less of a problem.

From his first resolution, up to Buddhahood, from his first production of the resolve for Bodhi, up until the time he becomes a Buddha, all avichi sufferings in that interval would cover a very long stretch of time. Shakyamuni Buddha cultivated three great asamkhyeya kalpas. Each asamkhyeya kalpa is a limitless amount of time, and he cultivated for as long as three limitless periods of time. “Avichi sufferings” refers to the sufferings in the Uninterrupted Hell. That hell is full, whether it contains one person or many persons. Time, too, is of really long duration, and everything there is suffering. In order to hear Dharma, he can undergo this. Because he seeks the Buddhadharma, he is even willing to undergo the sufferings in the Avichi Hell, much the less all sufferings in the human realm. The far less intense suffering among people is even less a problem for him.

He reflects upon the principles after he has heard. After he has heard the Buddhadharma, he bases himself upon true principle to consider and cultivate, and acquires the Four Dhyanas and Formless Samapattis. .In that way, he is able to attain the Four Dhyanas-the First Dhyana, the Second Dhyana, the Third Dhyana, and the Fourth Dhyana-and the Formless Samadhis, in which even form disappears, four others, five penetrations, in sequence then arise. “Four others” refers to the Four Stations of Emptiness, etc. The Penetrations are five in number, for he has not yet attained the Penetration of the Extinction of Outflows, but has the others:

The Penetration of the Heavenly Eye.
The Penetration of the Heavenly Ear.
The Penetration of Others’ Minds.
The Penetration of Past Lives.
The Penetration of Spiritual Accomplishments.

He is lacking:

The Penetration of the Extinction of Outflows.

But he will attain them all in order. Not following their power does he undergo rebirths. Although within the world he is born here and dies there, or else is born there and dies here, being born and dying over and over, nonetheless, he does so through the power of his vows, not because of being confused and upside-down, which he is not. He does not undergo birth due to the power of karma.

The Bodhisattva dwelling here can see many Buddhas. The Bodhisattva who dwells in the state of the Third Ground can see many hundreds, many thousands, many millions of Buddhas, makes offerings to and hears them with certitude of mind. He makes offerings to the Buddhas and hears those Buddhas speak the Dharma, and has absolutely no doubts in his mind. He severs deviant delusions and becomes more pure. He cuts off all deviant delusions: deviant greed, deviant hatred, and deviant stupidity, and becomes purer and purer day by day, just as true gold when smelted does not decrease in weight. It is the same as when all sorts of methods are employed to refine pure gold-the amount of gold content does not decrease in the slightest.

Dwelling her, most become Trayastrimsha rulers. Most every Bodhisattva when dwelling on the Third Ground, the Ground of Emitting Light, becomes Lord God, ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-three, acting as guiding teachers to limitless hosts of gods. He teaches and transforms limitless and boundlessly many throngs of gods, causing them to forsake greed and dwell in wholesome ways. He teaches all living beings to abandon greed and dwell in good ways, singly intent upon the search for Buddha’s virtues. He concentrates on seeking the merit and virtue of a Buddha.

Buddhist disciples, dwelling here on is diligent with vigor. All of you disciples of the Buddha, when one is dwelling on the Third Ground, one has to be diligent and vigorous, and with hundreds of thousands of samadhis one then becomes endowed. One attains to a hundred thousand kinds of prop concentrations and proper receptions: a hundred thousand samadhis, all of which are perfected. He sees hundreds of thousands of Buddhas’ bodies adorned with marks. He becomes able to see a hundred thousand Buddhas and can make a hundred thousand Buddhalands tremble and quake.

If he uses power of vows, it surpasses even that. If he uses the power of Bodhisattva vows, the number will be far greater, universally benefitting every living being. Living beings universally are benefitted. That Bodhisattva’s conducts which are most supreme, the most supreme doors of practice cultivated by the Bodhisattva while on the Third Ground, the Ground of Emitting Light, all of which like that exist upon the Third Ground-when one is that way, one can attain to the states of the Third Ground-I, based upon those doctrines, have already explained. Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva refers to himself saying, “I now have based myself upon the doctrines of the Third Ground and explained this all to you."

End of the Third Ground.

The Fourth Ground

Sutra:

Buddha’s disciples having heard this vast, great conduct,
The agreeable, deep, wondrous, supreme ground,
In their hearts rejoiced and were greatly delighted,
And universally scattered flowers as offerings to the Buddhas.  

Commentary:

Buddha’s disciples having heard this vast, great conduct, after Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva had finished speaking the previous Ground of Emitting Light, all the Buddhist disciples, when they had heard about those kinds of vast, great Dharma-doors which are cultivated by Bodhisattvas, the agreeable, deep, wondrous, supreme ground, those kinds of profound and could-be wished-for, most wonderful, supreme Dharma-doors, which are just the Dharma-doors cultivated by Bodhisattvas on the Third Ground, in their hearts rejoiced and were greatly delighted. All of those Bodhisattvas in their minds were heroically vigorous and brought forth great joy, and universally scattered flowers as offerings to the Buddhas. All of them together scattered flowers everywhere to make offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha and all the other Buddhas of the ten directions.

Sutra:

At the tie of proclamation of such wondrous Dharma,
The great earth and the seas- waters all trembled and quaked,
All the heavenly goddesses rejoiced in delight,
And together sang out wondrous sounds in praise.  

The Heavenly King of Comfort was greatly happy,
And rained down mani jewels as offerings to the Buddhas,
Saying in praise: “Buddha has for our sakes appeared,
And proclaims the foremost conduct and merit and virtue.  

All the wise ones’ Grounds’ meanings such as these,
In a hundred thousand kalpas are very hard to obtain.
Now we suddenly have a chance to hear
The wondrous dharma sound of Bodhisattvas’ conduct supreme.  

We hope the brightly wise one will go on to proclaim
The next Ground’s Way decisive, with nothing left out,
For the benefit of every single god and human,
These disciples of the Buddha all would like to hear.”

Heroically Great-Hearted Moon of Liberation
Requested Vajra Treasury saying: “Disciple of the Buddha,
From here, in turn, to enter into the Fourth Ground,
All the marks of practice we wish you would proclaim.”  

Commentary:

At the time of proclamation of such wondrous Dharma…This is talking about how when Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva proclaimed the subtle and wonderful, inconceivable Dharma-doors of the Third Ground, the great earth and the seas’ waters all trembled and quaked. All the mountains, the rivers, and the great earth, and all the waters in the four great seas trembled and shook with the six kinds of quakes. All the heavenly goddesses rejoiced in delight. When this Dharma was spoken, all the goddesses in the heavens were ecstatic, and together sang out wondrous sounds in praise.

All the heavenly goddesses poured forth subtle and wonderful sounds praising the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Heavenly King of Comfort was greatly happy. The God Maheshvara, King of the Heaven of Great Comfort and Self-Mastery, had happiness that knew no bounds, and he rained down mani jewels as offerings to the Buddhas. He rained down great precious mani gems to make offerings to all Buddhas, saying in praise: “Buddha has for our sakes appeared.” He spoke in praise, saying, “The Buddhas has appeared in the world for the sake of all of us gods, and proclaims the foremost conduct and merit and virtue. He can talk about the foremost doors of conduct of merit and virtue.

“All the wise ones’ Grounds’ meanings such as these, such principles of all the Grounds of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who have great wisdom, in a hundred thousand kalpas are very hard to obtain. You could go through hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of aeons, and it would still not be easy to encounter this kind of wonderful Dharma. Now we suddenly have a chance to hear these most supreme kinds of Dharma-doors, the wondrous Dharma sound of Bodhisattvas’ conduct supreme, the supreme doors of practice cultivated by Bodhisattvas, the wondrous sound of that Dharma.

We hope the brightly wise one will go on to proclaim. We now hope even more that the one of great wisdom will go on and proclaim for us the principles of the Fourth Ground, the next Ground’s Way decisive, with nothing left out-the Dharma-doors for decisive cultivation on the Fourth Ground, for the benefit of every single god and human. It wouldn’t just be Dharma spoken for our sakes, but it would be of benefit to all the gods. These disciples of the Buddha all would like to hear. All the Buddhist disciples within this Dharma assembly would really like to hear these Dharma-doors.”

Heroically Great-Hearted Moon of Liberation, the great-minded Bodhisattva of heroic vigor who was in the assembly at the time named Moon of Liberation bodhisattva, requested Vajra Treasury saying: “Disciples of the Buddha.” He again made a request of Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, this time asking him to speak about the meaning of the Fourth Ground, and said, “From here, in turn, to enter into the Fourth Ground-the doors of practice for going from this, the Third Ground, in turn to the Fourth Ground, all the marks of practice we wish you would proclaim-how to go about cultivating all the Dharma-doors of practice. Please, disciple of the Buddha, tell everyone about that.”

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