The Ten Grounds

Chapter Twenty-Six

 

 

Sutra:

They give rise to happiness; because they are mindful of entry into all Thus Come Ones’ wisdom and expedients.

They also have this thought, ‘I give rise to happiness, because I have turned away from and left all worldly states. I give rise to happiness, because I draw near to all Buddhas. I give rise to happiness, because I have left all grounds of ordinary people far behind. I give rise to happiness, because I draw the grounds of wisdom. I give rise to happiness, because I have eternally cut off all evil destinies.

I give rise to happiness, because I am a place of reliance for all living beings. I give rise to happiness, because I see all Thus Come Ones. I give rise to happiness, because I give rise to the experiences of all Buddhas. I give rise to happiness, because I enter into sameness with all Bodhisattvas. I give rise to happiness, because I have left all alarming, hair-raising, and other such experiences far behind.

And why? Once these Bodhisattvas attain the Ground of Happiness, they leave all fears behind. That is to say: fear of not staying alive, fear of a bad reputation, fear of death, fear of the evil destinies, fear of the awesome virtue of the great assembly. All such fears are eternally left behind.  

Commentary:  

They give rise to happiness; because they are mindful of entry into all Thus Come Ones’ wisdom and expedients. The Bodhisattvas who realize the Ground of Happiness have thoughts, but the thoughts are pure. We living beings also have thoughts, but they are defiled. Our every thought involves the five desires: wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep. What Bodhisattvas think of are the pure states of the Buddhas, the Dharma, and the Sangha, along with the Six Paramitas and the ten thousand conducts. Because they know, they have already entered into the Thus Come Ones’ wisdom and obtained all kinds of expedients, they become very happy.

They also have this thought. The Bodhisattvas who have certified to the position of the s Ground of Happiness also think in this way, saying ‘I give rise to happiness, because I have turned away from and left all worldly states.

Turning the common into the sagely,
Turning confusion into enlightenment,
Turning away from defilement,
All returning to purity.

Because I have turned all worldly states away, therefore, I have become very happy.

You are not aware of it, but those of you here in this Bodhimanda, even though you have false thinking, are far better off than those people outside. If you go outside, what your eyes see and what your ears hear are all unclean dharmas. But, inside the Bodhimanda, although you have false thoughts, nonetheless, your self-nature is still pure. That is what is known as turning away from and leaving behind all worldly states; and that is why they become very happy.

I give rise to happiness, because I draw near to all Buddhas. Bodhisattvas of the First Ground are always able to see the Buddhas and draw near them, and they are very happy. I give rise to happiness, because I have left all grounds of ordinary people far behind. The common person’s thoughts and what he or she pays attention to are not what Bodhisattvas think about or pay attention to. Conversely, what ordinary people do not think of and pay no attention to is precisely what Bodhisattvas whish to study and to think of. That is how they are able to leave the position of ordinary people far behind and turn the common into the sagely.

I give rise to happiness, because I draw the grounds of wisdom. To leave the ordinary is to leave the grounds of ignorance and stupidity far behind. To draw near good, wise advisors is to draw near the grounds of wisdom. For that reason they become happy. I give rise to happiness, because I have eternally cut off all evil destinies. Bodhisattvas who certify to the First Ground, the Ground of Happiness, cut off all of the bad paths and never again fall into the four evil destinies. It may happen that they make a vow to go to the four evil destinies to teach and transform living beings, but that is another matter. I give rise to happiness, because I am a place of reliance for all living beings. All living beings depend upon the Bodhisattvas, which makes the Bodhisattvas very happy.

I give rise to happiness, because I see all Thus Come Ones. They can see the Buddhas all the time, and so they are happy. I give rise to happiness, because I give rise to the experiences of all Buddhas. I give rise to happiness, because I enter into sameness with all Bodhisattvas. They are in nature the same as all Bodhisattvas who cultivate the Bodhisattva Way, and so they become happy. I give rise to happiness, because I have left all alarming, hair-raising, and other such experiences far behind. They are able to leave far behind all fearsome and terrifying experiences of the sort which make the hair on one’s head stand on end or give one goose bumps. “And other such experiences” refers to the Five Fearsome Matters, which are explained below.

And why? What are the reasons? Once these Bodhisattvas attain the Ground of Happiness, they leave all fears behind. They are not afraid of anything, because they have seen through everything and put everything down. People, however, are afraid of this and afraid of that -- afraid of everything. That is due to not having cultivated and certified to the Ground of Happiness. Once you certified to the Ground of Happiness, with nothing to fear, what is there to be afraid of? If it comes to dying, just die and be done with it. What is there to fear? What are all the fears that they have left behind?

That is to say: fear of a bad reputation. If someone gives me a bad name, what do I do? I get really scared and wonder how I can get my reputation back. That is the fear of people giving you a bad name. Are you afraid of someone saying that you are bad? If someone says that you are a thief, are you in terror? What if they say you rob, kill… don’t keep the precepts? Do you feat their saying that you lie and take intoxicants? Those are all examples of bad reputations. Fear of death, then there is the fear of dying. If you are about to die, you become panic stricken. Fear of the evil destinies, there is the further fear of falling into the three evil paths. However, when Bodhisttvas certify to the Ground of Happiness, they do not die and they are unable to fall into the three evil destinies. Therefore, they are unafraid.

They also have no fear of the awesome virtue of the great assembly. The awesome virtue of the Great Assembly refers to several hundred or several thousand -- at any rate, a lot of people -- who invite you to lecture. When you get there, you can’t say a word. That is fear of the awesome virtue of the Great Assemble, which makes you so scared you don’t dare speak. Furthermore, you may be wondering if what you are about to say will be right or not. You keep thinking, figuring to speak when you get it clearer; but the more you think, the worse it gets.

All such fears are eternally left behind. There are no such fears as those just described. All of them are completely left behind, forever. Therefore, your being afraid of this and being afraid of that is due to not cultivating. If you cultivate, what are you afraid of? You do not fear a thing. From the time I was small, I have never been afraid of anything. I used to go climbing in the mountains where there were all kinds of wild beasts: wolves, bears, panthers, leopards. I made friends with them and played with them and had no fear. I have never been afraid from the time I was born.

SUTRA:  

And why? It is because these Bodhisattvas are free from the thought of self. They do not even cherish their own bodies, how much the less wealth and possessions. Therefore, they have no fear of not staying alive. They do not seek offerings from others, but only give to other living beings.

Therefore, they have no fear of a bad reputation. They have left the view of self far behind, and have no thought of self. Therefore, they have no fear of death. They themselves know that after death they certainly will not be apart from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Therefore, they have no fear of the evil destinies. Their intent and inclinations in all worlds are unequalled, how much the less surpassed. Therefore, they have no fear of the awesome virtue of the great assembly. Bodhisattvas in that way leave all alarming, hair-raising experiences far behind.

Disciples of the Buddha, these Bodhisattvas take great compassion as foremost. They have vast, great intent and inclinations which cannot be destroyed. They intensely and diligently cultivate all good-roots, which become accomplished.  

Commentary:  

Why do Bodhisattvas have no fear of not staying alive, no fear of a bad reputation, no fear of death, no fear of the evil destinies, and no fear of the great assembly? It is because they have left all alarming, hair-raising experiences far behind. And why? Why is it like that? It is because these Bodhisattvas who bring forth the thought for Bodhi, practice the Bodhisattva Way, and certify to the Ground of Happiness, are free from the thought of self. They have no self. Not only that, they never think about whether they have a self or not.

They do not even cherish their own bodies. Their attitude towards their bodies is that they have already given them away to living beings to serve and work for them. Therefore, they are not selfish about their bodies, nor do they seek benefits for them, how much the less wealth and possessions. Since they do not even cherish their own bodies, how much the less do they cherish things external to the body? They even less cherish gold, silver, jewels, countries, cities, wives, and children. They have attained real freedom.

Therefore, they have no fear of not staying alive. They do not scheme for themselves. They are not afraid of their own lives being in jeopardy. They are not afraid of starving to death. Consequently they don’t have the fear that they will not stay alive.

They do not seek offerings from others, but only give to other living beings. Bodhisattvas don’t want to benefit themselves and aren’t selfish, and so they seek nothing. As it is said:

When you reach the point of seeking nothing,
Then you have no worries.

The reason you have worries is that you have greed and longing for something. Bodhisattvas don’t long for anything. They don’t seek fame or fortune, sex, sleep, or food. These Bodhisattvas have already seen these five objects of desire as flavorless, and so they are not greedy for good offerings. They don’t say, ‘who will be good to me and give me some fine food, some nice clothes, some things that are useful or pleasing to look at?’ They concentrate on giving to other living beings. They specialize in the practice of giving. Whatever they have, they give away to other living beings.

Therefore, they have no fear of a bad reputation. They are not greedy for anything, nor do they fear taking a loss or not getting a bargain for themselves, and so it is not important to them if they have a good name or not. Bodhisattvas are incapable to being greedy for a false name or an empty title, nor do they constantly put up a false front so that people will praise them. Because Bodhisattvas have gone beyond good and bad, if you say they’re good, they aren’t pleased, and if you call them by a bad name, they don’t get upset. That is what it means to have no fear of a bad name.

They are not afraid of people slandering them. I regularly tell you that, although I am not a Bodhisattva, still I am not afraid of people slandering me. They are afraid they won’t have anything to eat, and so they talk about what’s wrong with other people. Their taking about others’ faults is designed to show what is right about themselves. That is why I’m always telling you that if people can get food to eat by slandering me, then I am, indirectly, giving it to them. If they can get people to give them food to eat, or if they gain some other advantage by slandering me a little, then I have indirectly given it to them. As long as it is to their benefit, let them slander me all they want. I’m not afraid of it.

They have left the view of self far behind, and have no thought of self. Therefore, they have no fear of death. Bodhisattvas have no self, no ego, and so they have no view of self. Without even a view, they also have no thought of self and are not looking out for themselves, thinking, ‘What’s in it for me?’

Therefore, they do not fear death. If they have no self, then who dies? That is why they do not fear death, because they themselves know that after death they certainly will not be apart from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They know they won’t fall into the hells or turn into hungry ghosts, or become animals. Because all they’ve done is practice the Bodhisattva Way, they certainly will not be separated from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Therefore, they have no fear of the evil destinies. Because they know they won’t fall into the three evil destinies, they have no fear of becoming hell-beings, hungry ghosts, or animals.

Their intent and inclinations, the vows and what the Bodhisattvas like, in all worlds are unequalled. Their wishes and their purpose are not equaled by anything in all worlds, how much the less surpassed. Therefore, they have no fear of the awesome virtue of the great assembly. They have no fear of and are not scared of the Great Assembly’s awesome virtue, because these Bodhisattvas know that they surpass the Great Assembly.

You may ask, “If they think that way, then aren’t Bodhisattvas very arrogant, thinking that no one in the world can compare with them?” The Bodhisattvas aren’t thinking this. It’s Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva speaking the Flower Adornment Sutra and explaining the kinds of states certified to by Bodhisattvas on the Ten Grounds. The Bodhisattvas don’t say it of themselves. Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva is describing the kind of resultant position held by Bodhisattvas one the Ground of Happiness. It is definitely not the case that the Bodhisattvas arrogantly consider that no one in the world can compare to them. It’s simply that when they speak Dharma and explain Sutras within the Great Assembly, they are very much at ease and unafraid.

Bodhisattvas in that way leave all alarming, hair-raising experiences far behind. That is how Bodhisattvas leave behind the five fearsome matters:

Fear of not staying alive,
Fear of a bad reputation,
Fear of death,
Fear of the four evil destinies,
Fear of the awesome virtue of the Great Assembly.

Those are all experiences which are frightening and make one’s hair stand on end. Disciples of the Buddha, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva calls out again, “All of you disciples of the Buddha, these Bodhisattvas take great compassion as foremost. Compassion can pull one out of suffering. Being greatly compassionate is their most important duty.

They have vast, great intent and inclinations which cannot be destroyed. No heavenly demons or those of externalist ways could destroy, obstruct, or ruin them. They intensely and diligently cultivate, working harder every day at developing all good-roots, which become accomplished. They are able to perfect and bring to accomplishment the roots of Bodhi. That is why these Bodhisattvas have none of the five types of fears.

All of you should use your own wisdom to contemplate the principles I have spoken. If they are reasonable, cultivate according to them. If they are not reasonable, you can forget them. That is:

Select the good and repeat it.

If it’s not right, then change it. Don’t follow blindly thinking that whatever I say has to be right. In that way you yourself will discover your own inherent wisdom, and the true principles that are yours to start with. Therefore, people who cultivate absolutely cannot follow blindly. If something is not right, it doesn’t matter who said it, you cannot believe it. If something is right, then no matter who said it, we should believe it.  

Sutra:

That is, through increasing faith; through augmenting pure faith; through pure understanding; through decisive faith; through becoming sympathetic; through accomplishing great kindness; through having no weariness or laziness of mind; through adornment with repentance and reform; through accomplishing forbearance; through respectfully heeding the Buddhas’ instructions; through cultivating and accumulating good roots day and night without becoming tired; through drawing near good knowing advisors; through constant delight in the Dharma; through seeking learning without satiation; through properly contemplating in accord with the Dharma one has heard; through having no reliance or attachment of mind; through not hankering after profit, fame, or respect; through not seeking the necessities of life; through bringing forth the jewel-like thought without satiation; through seeking the ground of all knowledge; through seeking the Thus Come Ones’ power, fearlessnesses, and the Dharmas special to a Buddha.  

Commentary:  

When the Bodhisattva of the Ten Grounds has certified to the Ground of Happiness, he is happy all the time, and all of the good roots that he diligently cultivates very quickly are brought to maturity. That is, through increasing faith; he has faith which does not decrease but only increases. Through augmenting pure faith; at the beginning, although he had faith, it was still defiled, but as his faith increases it becomes purer day by day.

Eventually he is pure, and has returned to the origin and gone back to the source. Through pure understanding; furthermore, he understands that the reason he has obtained that state of purity is because his faith has increased. Through decisive faith; he never doubts, but absolutely believes in the Buddhas of the ten directions, in the Dharma they have spoken, and that all of the sagely Sangha members of the ten directions are his friends.

Through becoming sympathetic; he himself is one of the Three Jewels, and so he wishes to become sympathetic towards living beings and save all of them. Through accomplishing great kindness; his thoughts are very kind and compassionate:

Kindness can bestow happiness;
Compassion can pull one out of suffering.

Through having no weariness or laziness of mind; his resolve to cultivate the Buddhadharma is more vigorous and more courageous every day. He is absolutely never lazy or tired.

Through adornment with repentance and reform;

Repenting of previous offenses,
Reforming future mistakes.

He uses all of his merit and virtue of repentance and reform to adorn the countries of the ten directions. Through accomplishing forbearance; he brings the Paramita of Patience to accomplishment. No matter what people say, he is able to endure it all. Whether things go against him or for him, he does not become intractable and fight for victory. He does not contend or argue with people. Through respectfully heeding the Buddhas’ instructions; through cultivating and accumulating good roots day and night without becoming tired.

Through drawing near good knowing advisors; he always likes to draw near great, good, and wise advisors, and is able to offer up his conduct in accord with their teachings. Through constant delight in the Dharma; through seeking learning without satiation; he always wants to increase his wisdom. He doesn’t say, ‘I’ve studied enough. I understand everything.’ Bodhisattvas don’t think that way. They at all times diligently cultivate precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, and put to rest greed, hatred, and stupidity. Through properly contemplating in accord with the Dharma one has heard; it is through properly contemplating the proper Dharma that he himself has heard in the presence of all Buddhas. He is constantly able to contemplate the true mark of all dharmas.

Through having no reliance or attachment of mind; within his mind there is nothing to which he is attached or upon which he relies. He is not attached to self or to dharmas. Through not hankering after profit, fame, or respect; he is unable to be greedy and say, ‘I have Dharma protectors. I have a lot of gains.’ Most people want to be believed in order to become wealthy and famous. Bodhisattvas don’t hanker after that, are not attached to that, and do not seek it; nor do they want people to be respectful to them.

Through not seeking the necessities of life; he also does not seek out all the things that sustain life. Through bringing forth the jewel-like thought without satiation; he brings forth the jewel-like thought – similar to precious jewels and very valuable – without weariness. He could never grow tired or think he has had enough. That is, he himself cultivates and seeks jewel-like thought – the thought for Bodhi – which is as solid as vajra.

Through seeking the ground of all knowledge; he wants to attain all-knowledge and all-wisdom. Through seeking the Thus Come Ones’ power, fearlessnesses, and the Dharmas special to a Buddha. He seeks and obtains the benefits of the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, and the Eighteen Dharmas Special to a Buddha, which are not shared by those of the Two Vehicles.

Sutra:

Through seeking all Paramitas, Dharmas that aid the way; through freedom from all flattery and deceit; through being able to practice as is spoken; through always guarding true speech; through not defiling the Thus Come Ones’ household; through not renouncing the Bodhisattva precepts; through bringing forth the thought for all knowledge, unmoving like the king of mountains; through not abandoning all worldly matters, yet accomplishing the Way of world-transcendence; through accumulating assisting Bodhi-share Dharmas without weariness; through constantly seeking the superiorly superior, especially supreme way.  

Commentary:  

Through seeking all Paramitas, the Bodhisattva who cultivates the practices of a Bodhisattva seeks all of the Paramitas, Dharmas that aid the way; those methods of assistance to the way. Through freedom from all flattery and deceit; he is also free of all flattery and deceptions and does not fawn upon the rich or tell lies.

Through being able to practice as is spoken; he can really cultivate the Dharmas the Buddhas’ explain. Through always guarding true speech; he is watchful of his own speech to be sure it is true, not false, and he never tells any lies. Through not defiling the Thus Come Ones’ household; he himself has been born as a disciple of the Buddha. This Bodhisattva is the most pure and lofty kind of person, and so he is incapable of defiling the Bodhimanda.

Through not renouncing the Bodhisattva precepts; he could not cast aside the precepts and regulations that a Bodhisattva should cultivate. Through bringing forth the thought for all knowledge, unmoving like the king of mountains; he brings forth the resolve for all-wisdom, which is like Mount Sumeru and never moves. Through not abandoning all worldly matters, yet accomplishing the Way of world-transcendence; one does not need to put down all worldly matters to be able to realize dharmas for transcending the world.

Through accumulating assisting Bodhi-share Dharmas without weariness; he could not at times say, ‘I’ve already accumulated and perfected enough of these dharmas.’ He is incapable of thinking that way. Through constantly seeking the superiorly superior, especially supreme way; he always seeks and hopes to accomplish the most superior among the superior, most especially supreme Way – which is constantly to seek the Buddha Way.

Sutra:  

Disciples of the Buddha, when the Bodhisattva accomplishes such purification and regulation of the grounds that is called Securely Dwelling on the Bodhisattva’s Ground of Happiness. Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva who dwells upon this Ground of Happiness is able to accomplish such great vows, such great vigor, and such great efficacy.

That is, he brings forth vast, great, pure, decisive understanding and uses all kinds’ of objects as offerings to worship and make offerings to all Buddhas, omitting none – vast and great as the Dharma Realm, ultimate as empty space, exhausting the boundaries of the future, throughout all numbers of kalpas, without cease.

He further makes great vows, vowing to receive all Buddhas’ Dharma wheel, vowing to gathering all Buddhas’ Bodhi, vowing to protect all Buddhas’ teachings, vowing to maintain all Buddhas’ Dharmas – vast and great as the Dharma Realm, ultimate as empty space, exhausting the boundaries of the future, throughout all numbers of kalpas, without cease.

He further makes great vows, vowing that in all worlds, when a Buddha appears in the world, descending from the Tushita Heaven, entering the womb, dwelling in the womb, being born, leaving home, accomplishing the Way, speaking Dharma, and manifesting Nirvana, he will go to all of them, draw near and make offerings, act as the head of the assembly, and receive and practice the Proper Dharma, in every place at one time turning – vast and great as the Dharma Realm, ultimate as empty space, exhausting the boundaries of the future, throughout all numbers of kalpas, without cease.  

Commentary:  

Disciples of the Buddha, when the Bodhisattva accomplishes such purification and regulation of the grounds, when the Bodhisattva practices the Grounds as was previously described, he purifies and cultivates all the Dharma-doors of the Ten Grounds, and that is called Securely Dwelling on the Bodhisattva’s Ground of Happiness. That is what is meant by a Bodhisattva’s always certifying to the fruit position of the Gound of Happiness.

Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva who dwells upon this Ground of Happiness when a Bodhisattva cultivates and certifies to this Ground of Happiness, he is able to accomplish such great vows. What sorts of great vows? That is to say, such great vigor, what most people are unable to do, he can do, which is called great vigor. Such great efficacy, what most people cannot accomplish, he can accomplish, which is called great efficacy.

That is, he brings forth vast, great, pure, decisive understanding and uses all kinds’ of objects as offerings to worship and make offerings to all Buddhas, omitting none. He makes offerings to all Buddhas, no matter which Buddha it is -- vast and great as the Dharma Realm. How great is the dharma of making offerings? It is as vast and great as the Dharma Realm. How ultimate is it? Ultimate as empty space, exhausting the boundaries of the future, it is that way not just one time; to the exhaustion of the limits of future kalpas it is that way, throughout all numbers of kalpas, in all numbers of eons, without cease. He never stops and rests.

He further makes great vows, vowing to receive all Buddhas’ Dharma wheel. He vows to receive the wheel of Dharma turned by all Buddhas and to continue to turn it. Vowing to gathering all Buddhas’ Bodhi, he vows to constantly cultivate the Enlightenment of all Buddhas, and to gather in, maintain, and protect it. He makes a further vow, vowing to protect all Buddhas’ teachings. He further makes a vow, vowing to maintain all Buddhas’ Dharmas. He vows to constantly receive and uphold the Dharma spoken by all Buddhas – vast and great as the Dharma Realm. This great Dharma is as vast and treat as the Dharma Realm, and this Dharma is cultivated to the ultimate, which is as ultimate as empty space, exhausting the boundaries of the future, throughout all numbers of kalpas, without cease. In all the numbers of aeons, at no time does he rest.

He further makes great vows, vowing that in all worlds, when a Buddha appears in the world, if all the places where a Buddha is appearing in the world: descending from the Tushita Heaven to be born; and afterwards entering the womb, dwelling in the womb, being born into the world, and then leaving home are part of his vows. Then, accomplishing the Way, speaking Dharma, and manifesting Nirvana – he will manifest those Eight Marks.

He will go to all of them, draw near and make offerings, and act as the head of the assembly. Although he is still in his mother’s womb, the Bodhisattva’s basic substance still goes to all Buddhas’ Way Places, draws near all Buddhas, makes offerings to all Buddhas, and universally acts as the head of the assemblies in all Buddhas’ Way Places. And receive and practice the Proper Dharma, there he constantly cultivates and practices the Proper Dharma Eye Treasury. In every place at one time turning, in all places at one and the same time he turns the great Dharma Wheel. The vast and great Dharma, again, is as great as the Dharma Realm. Again it is ultimate as empty space, and it also is exhausting the boundaries of the future, throughout all numbers of kalpas, without cease. There is no time of rest.

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