The Ten Grounds

Chapter Twenty-Six

 

 

Sutra:  

Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva further makes the following reflections: ‘all Buddhas’ power proper Dharmas are so profound, so quiet, so still and extinct, so empty, so markless, so wishless, so undefiled, so limitless, so vast and great, while ordinary beings in their minds fall into deviant views. They are covered by the film of ignorance. They erect the banner of pride and arrogance. They enter into the net of thirsty love, and course in the dense forest of flattery and deceit, unable to extricate themselves.

Their minds are conjoined with stinginess and jealousy which they never abandon. They constantly create the causal conditions for undergoing birth in the destinies. With greed, hatred, and stupidity, they accumulate all karma, which day and night increases and grows. With the wind of resentment they fan the fire of mind-consciousness, whose blaze never ceases.

All of the karma they create is conjoined with inversion. In the flow of desire, the flow of existence, the flow of ignorance, and the flow of views, the seeds of mind-consciousness continually arise. Within the field of the three Realms the sprouts of suffering are repeatedly produced.  

Commentary:  

Disciples of the Buddha, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva again called out, all of you disciples of the Buddha, do you know or not that this Bodhisattva who certifies to the Ground of Happiness further makes the following reflections. He also has these thoughts: ‘all Buddhas’ power proper Dharmas –all Buddhas’ Proper Dharma Eye Treasuries -- are so profound. He says they are:

So deep the bottom can’t be seen,
Just like the great sea.

They are so quiet. The basic substance of their Dharma is tranquil and quiet, without any movement. They are so still and extinct, without shape or characteristics, so empty. They are so markless. They also have no appearance. They are so wishless. Everything is empty. They are so undefiled. They are free of defiled attachments. The Proper Dharmas spoken by all Buddhas are so limitless. They also have no calculable measure, and they are so vast and great.

While ordinary beings in their minds fall into deviant views, all ordinary living beings are very lazy. They all have deviant knowledge and deviant views, and do not cultivate. They are covered by the film of ignorance, ignorance converse them over like clouds in the sky. They erect the banner of pride and arrogance. They always think of themselves as very great, and wear their pride, arrogance, and conceit like a banner.

They enter into the net of thirsty love. They enter into the net of love – love which is like being very hungry and thirsty and from which they never get out. And they course in the dense forest of flattery and deceit, unable to extricate themselves. They are unable to get themselves out of the net of love and desire and the dense forest of flattery and deceit. Their minds are conjoined with stinginess and jealousy which they never abandon.

They constantly create the causal conditions for undergoing birth in the destinies. They keep being born and dying, dying and being reborn, in the four evil destinies – asuras, hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals – and keep creating the causal conditions for being reborn there again. With greed, hatred, and stupidity, they accumulate all karma. Ignorance, that is, stupidity, is produced, and then, because they are stupid, they create all sorts of karma; and, so it says, “They accumulate all karma.” Which day and night increases and grows. With the wind of resentment they fan the fire of mind-consciousness. They blow within mind consciousness, that kind of fire, whose blaze never ceases. They feel it’s blazing hot.

All of the karma they create is conjoined with inversion. Everything they do is interactive with upside-downness. In the flow of desire, the flow of existence, the flow of ignorance, and the flow of views, the seeds of mind-consciousness continually arise. Their karma is interactive with the flow of love and desire. Within the Three Realms – the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm – they undergo the flow of existence. They flow along with ignorance or else they flow along with views. The seeds of mind-consciousness continually and uninterruptedly come forth. Within the field of the three Realms the sprouts of suffering are repeatedly produced.

Sutra:  

That is, name and form arise together and do not separate. Because name and form increase, the assemblage of the six places arises. Amidst their junctures, contact arises: because of contact, feeling arises. Because of feeling, love arises. Love increases, therefore grasping arises. Grasping increases, therefore existence arises.

Because existence arises, birth, old age, anxiety, sorrow, suffering, and vexation come to exist. Such living beings as those produce and increase the mass of suffering. Within it, all is empty: free of self and what belongs to self, devoid of knowing and awareness, with no doer and no receive, like grass and wood, like rocks and walls, and also like reflections. Still, living beings are unaware and do not know.

The Bodhisattva sees all living beings within this mass of suffering, unable to get out. Therefore, he immediately brings forth wisdom of great compassion and makes the following reflections: ‘all these living beings I should rescue and save and set in the place of ultimate peace and joy.’ Therefore, he immediately brings forth bright wisdom of great kindness.  

Commentary:  

That is, name and form arise together. This discusses the Twelve Links of Causal Conditions, the first of which is ignorance. Because of the upside-downness of ignorance, there arise activities – the activities of love and desire. Once there are activities, the seeds of mind-consciousness are planted within the field of the Three Realms, and the sprouts of suffering are produced. These sprouts of suffering are the name and form under discussion.

Once there is name and form, one says, “Perhaps this is a boy.” “Perhaps this is a girl.” Once there is a form, a name arises together with it and they do not separate. Because name and form increase, the assemblage of the six places arises. The assemblage of the six places is the arisal of the six faculties of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. They are also called the six entrances, as well as the six places, and their assemblage means their collectivity.

Amidst their junctures, contact arises. In the midst of this, the junctures of the six entrances within the mother’s womb, the dust-objects of the sense of touch is produced. Because of contact, feeling arises. Since there are objects of touch, there then arises feeling, receptivity. Because of feeling, love arises. Due to the arisal of receptivity, from that feeling there arises love; love and desire arise. Love increases, therefore grasping arises. Because grasping increases and grows, existence comes about.

Because existence arises, birth, old age, anxiety, sorrow, suffering, and vexation come to exist. Because existence increases, therefore there arises birth. Once there is birth, there is death; and all the rest come along with it.

Such living beings as those produce and increase the mass of suffering. Within it, all is empty. However, although these causal conditions are explained as suffering, nonetheless you should understand that it is all empty and all extinguished. Free of self and what belongs to self, devoid of knowing and awareness, within these twelve causal conditions, there basically is no knowing and no awareness.

With no doer and no receive, like grass and wood, like rocks and walls, like insentient things such as grass and wood, rocks and walls, and also like reflections. That is the way things really are. If you understand, they are like reflections. Still, living beings are unaware and do not know. They have not become enlightened, and they do not know that basically all of this is empty.

The Bodhisattva sees all living beings bobbing up and down within the twelve causal conditions, within this mass of suffering, unable to get out. They never wake up; they are always bound up in the net of love, desire, and craving. Therefore, he immediately brings forth wisdom of great compassion and makes the following reflections: ‘all these living beings I should rescue and save and set in the place of ultimate peace and joy.’ I should settle them in the place where they will obtain the utmost, ultimate peace and happiness. Therefore, he immediately brings forth bright wisdom of great kindness. For that reason he then gives rise to a mind of great kindness and brings forth bright wisdom. 

Sutra:  

Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva Mahatsattva accords with such great compassion and great kindness. Using deep, profound thought, at the time of dwelling on the First Ground, he gives away all objects without grudging or stinginess. Seeking the Buddha’s great wisdom, he cultivates great renunciation. Whatever he possesses, he is able to give away completely.

That is, such objects as wealth and granaries, gold, silver, mani, pearls, lapis lazuli, shells, jade, and coral; jeweled ornamental articles to decorate the body; elephants, horses, chariots and conveyances; servants and citizens; cities, towns, and villages; parks, groves, pavillions with vistas; wives, concubines, sons, daughters; the inner and outer retinues, and all remaining enjoyable possessions; his head, eyes, hands, and feet; his blood, flesh, marrow and all the parts of his body, begrudging none of them, in order to seek all Buddhas’ vast, great wisdom.

That is called the Bodhisattva Who Dwells Upon the First Ground’s Accomplishment of Great Renunciation.  

Commentary:  

Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, since he fears the Bodhisattvas are always in samadhi and not paying attention to the Dharma he is speaking, at that time decides to call out, “All of you disciples of the Buddha, do you know? Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva Mahatsattva accords with such great compassion and great kindness. The great Bodhisattva who cultivates the Bodhisattva Way and accumulates all kinds of good roots always accords with that kind of great compassion which can pluck out living beings’ sufferings, and great kindness which can bestow happiness upon living beings.

Using deep, profound thought, at the time of dwelling on the First Ground, he uses thought so very deep and profound that it cannot be fathomed, at the time of dwelling on the First Ground, and he gives away all objects without grudging or stinginess. Upon certifying to the attainment of this First Ground, the Ground of Happiness, there are no objects which he is unable to renounce. There is no object, however valuable, with which he is unable to part, or which he begrudges giving away to others. He would never be that way. He has no greed or stinginess, no inability to part with things. Seeking the Buddha’s great wisdom, he cultivates great renunciation. The Buddha has ultimate, great wisdom, and the Bodhisattva seeks the ultimate wisdom of a Buddha. So, he cultivates this kind of giving.

Whatever he possesses, he is able to give away completely. He can give all the inner wealth and outer wealth he may posses away to living beings. That is, such objects as wealth and granaries. He can renounce all kinds of articles, such as all his wealth, his inner and outer wealth – along with all his granaries, all of his gold, and all his silver, his mani jewels, his precious pearls, his precious lapis lazuli, his precious shells, his precious jade, his precious and coral, and all the rest. He can give jeweled ornamental articles to decorate the body. He can give all his elephants, all his horses, all his chariots and conveyances.

Nowadays he could give all his cars and boats, along with his airplanes. He can renounce servants, or those who work for him, and citizens of his country. He can give up cities, towns, and villages or his parks and his groves, pavillions with vistas. He can give his pavilions, towers – all those things which afford fine views. He can renounce his wives, concubines, sons, and daughters. He can give up his inner and outer retinues, that is, both close and distant relatives, and all remaining enjoyable possessions.

He can also give his head, or else his eyes, or his hands, and feet, or his blood, flesh, marrow and all the parts of his body, including all the objects inside his body and all objects external to the body, begrudging none of them. There are none of these which he is unable to give up, in order to seek all Buddhas’ vast, great wisdom. He can do this because he wants to seek all the Buddhas’ vast, great wisdom.

That is called the Bodhisattva Who Dwells Upon the First Ground’s Accomplishment of Great Renunciation. This is called the kind of great renunciation, the accomplishment of the merit and virtue of all good roots, of the Bodhisattva who dwells upon this Ground of Happiness.

Sutra:  

Disciple of Buddha, the Bodhisattva, using this kind of compassionate mind of great renunciation, wishing to rescue and protect all living beings, further enlarges the scope of his search for all worldly and world-transcending beneficial matters, never being tired or weary.

Therefore, he immediately attains to the accomplishment of an untiring, unwearied mind. Once he has obtained an untiring, unwearied mind, concerning all sutras and shastras, his mind id not nervous or afraid. Because he is not nervous or afraid, he immediately attains to the accomplishment of the wisdom of all sutras and shastras.

Once he has acquired that wisdom, he is skilled at estimating what should be done and what should not be done. Towards all superior, average, and inferior living beings, as is appropriate and according to his strength, in accord with what they like, he acts in that way.

Therefore, this Bodhisattva attains to the accomplishment of worldly wisdom. Once he has accomplished worldly wisdom, he knows the times and he knows the capacities, and using the adornments of repentance and reform, he diligently cultivates the path of benefiting self while benefiting others.

Therefore, he accomplishes the adornments of repentance and reform. In the midst of these practices, he diligently cultivates escape, without retreating or deflecting, and accomplishes the power of solidity.

Once he has acquired the power of solidity, he diligently makes offerings to all Buddhas. With regard to the Buddhas’ teaching Dharmas, he is able thus to speak and practice.  

Commentary:  

Disciple of Buddha, the Bodhisattva on the Ground of Happiness, using this kind of compassionate mind of great renunciation, wishing to rescue and protect all living beings, further enlarges the scope of his search. Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva again calls out, “All of you Buddhist disciples, the Bodhisattva uses compassionate giving and loving protection towards all living beings.

After practicing giving, he has the further intention of deepening his search for all worldly and world-transcending beneficial matters. He looks for each and every beneficial means to help living beings, as well as being concerned about how to benefit living beings on the world-transcending plane. Never being tired or weary, he constantly cultivates Bodhisattva conduct, and at no time does he retreat saying, ‘I’ve cultivated enough. I’m tired of it. I’m weary.’

Therefore, he immediately attains to the accomplishment of an untiring, unwearied mind. Right then he accomplishes an unflagging attitude, and at no time would he say he didn’t want to cultivate the Bodhisattva Way. Once he has obtained an untiring, unwearied mind, concerning all sutras and shastras, his mind id not nervous or afraid. After he has perfected this attitude of never being tired or weary, he studies all the Sutras, Vinaya, and shastras which the Buddhas have spoken.

He would never say, ‘Oh, this Sutra is so long, so difficult to understand!’ or ‘There’s too much to this Shastra, and it’s not easy to investigate.’ Because he is not nervous or afraid, he immediately attains to the accomplishment of the wisdom of all sutras and shastras. Because he is not afraid that the Buddhardharma, being like the great sea, is not easy to cultivate, he gains wisdom from the Sutras and Shastras. As soon as they pass by his eyes, he understands all Buddhadharmas, illumines the real mark of all dharmas. He:

Deeply enters the Sutra store,
And has wisdom like the sea.

Once he has acquired that wisdom, he is skilled at estimating. He is good at evaluating, and figuring out what should be done and what should not be done. He can distinguish all things that should be done from all the things that should not be done. Towards all superior, average, and inferior living beings, as is appropriate and according to his strength, in accord with what they like, he acts in that way. Towards living beings with superior good roots, living beings with average faculties and average wisdom, and towards the most stupid kinds of living beings he appears as needed.

Whatever body is needed to cross them over,
He manifests that kind of body and speaks Dharma for them.

In accordance with what living beings like and with what they understand, he cultivates in that way to teach and transform them. Therefore, this Bodhisattva attains to the accomplishment of worldly wisdom.

Once he has accomplished worldly wisdom, he knows the times and he knows the capacities. He knows for any time whether a given living being’s opportunities have matured or not. He knows which living beings should be saved and which living beings are not due to be saved, which is to know their capacities.

And using the adornments of repentance and reform, he diligently cultivates. He uses his cultivation of repentance and reform to adorn his own blessings and virtue. He is diligent in his cultivation of blessings and wisdom, as well. He diligently cultivates the path of benefiting self while benefiting others. The path he cultivates is that of benefiting himself and benefiting others, and he is able to benefit and aid living beings. Therefore, he accomplishes the adornments of repentance and reform, and the adornments of merit and virtue.

In the midst of these practices, within these doors of cultivation, he diligently cultivates escape from the Three Realms, without retreating or deflecting. He does not retreat from Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, and accomplishes the power of solidity. In cultivation, he has a mind of non-retreat. Once he has acquired the power of solidity, he diligently makes offerings to all Buddhas. With regard to the Buddhas’ teaching Dharmas, he is able thus to speak and practice. As to the teaching Dharmas pronounced by the Buddhas, he can speak them thus, and thus can he practice them.

Sutra:  

Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva in that way accomplishes ten kinds of Dharmas of purification of all grounds. That is: faith, compassion, kindness, renunciation, non-weariness, knowing all sutras and shastras, skill at understanding worldly dharmas, repentance and reform, the power of solidity, making offerings to all Buddhas, relying on the teachings to cultivate.

Disciples of the Buddha, when the Bodhisattva has come to dwell on this Ground of Happiness, by means of the power of great vows, he comes to see many Buddhas. that is: he sees many hundreds of Buddhas, many thousands of Buddhas, many hundreds of thousands of Buddhas, many millions of Buddhas, many hundreds of millions of Buddhas, many thousands of millions of Buddhas, many hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas, many millions of nayutas of Buddhas, many hundreds of millions of nayutas of Buddhas, many thousands of millions of nayutas of Buddhas, many hundreds of thousands of millions of nayutas of Buddhas, and completely, with a great and profound mind, he worships and reveres them, attends upon and makes offerings to them, using clothing, food and drink, bedding and medicines – all of the necessities of life – completely offering them up. He makes offerings as well to all members of the sangha, and taking those good roots, he transfers them all to unsurpassed Bodhi.  

Commentary:

Disciples of the Buddha, when Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva had spoken to this point, he again called out saying, “All of you Buddhist disciples, the Bodhisattva in that way accomplishes ten kinds of Dharmas of purification of all grounds. He accomplishes Dharma-doors for purifying and regulating the Grounds.

That is: faith, compassion, kindness, renunciation. One must believe in all the Buddhadharmas, pluck out all the sufferings of living beings, bestow all happiness on living beings, and practice great giving. Non-weariness, he cultivates those various kinds of dharmas without becoming weary or tied. Knowing all sutras and shastras, he is able to deeply enter the Sutra Store and have wisdom like the sea.

He has skill at understanding worldly dharmas and repentance and reform. He has the power of solidity of repentance and reform. The last two Dharmas of purification are making offerings to all Buddhas, relying on the teachings to cultivate.

Disciples of the Buddha, when the Bodhisattva has come to dwell on this Ground of Happiness, this First Ground, by means of the power of great vows, he comes to see many Buddhas. That is to say: he sees many hundreds of Buddhas, many thousands of Buddhas, as well as seeing many hundreds of thousands of Buddhas. He can also see many millions of Buddhas, and see many hundreds of millions of Buddhas. He can see many thousands of millions of Buddhas, too, in addition to seeing many hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas. He can also see many millions of nayutas of Buddhas, many hundreds of millions of nayutas of Buddhas, along with seeing many thousands of millions of nayutas of Buddhas.

He can also see many hundreds of thousands of millions of nayutas of Buddhas, and completely, with a great and profound mind, he worships and reveres them, attends upon and makes offerings to them, using clothing, food and drink, bedding and medicines – the Four Requisites – to make offerings of all of the necessities of life – completely offering them up. He offers them all up completely. He makes offerings as well to all members of the sangha. He makes offerings to all the Sagely Sangha members, and taking those good roots, he transfers them all to unsurpassed Bodhi, to the unsurpassed fruit position of Wonderful Enlightenment.

Sutra:  

Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva, because of making offerings to all Buddhas, obtains the Dharmas for accomplishing living beings using the former two attractions, he attracts and gathers in living beings, that is, giving and kind words. As to the latter two dharmas of attraction, because he only uses the power of faith and understanding, his practice has not yet well-penetrated these. That Bodhisattva, among the ten Paramitas, emphasizes the Paramita of giving. It is not that he fails to cultivate the remaining Paramitas, but he only does so according to his strength and proportionately.

What this Bodhisattva diligently cultivates – the making of offerings to all Buddhas, the teaching and transforming of living beings, and all of the good roots from cultivating the Dharmas of purification of the Grounds – he completely transfers to the Ground of all-wisdom, becoming progressively more bright and pure, subdued, compliant and accomplished, and capable of acting in accord with his intent.  

Commentary:  

Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva again said to all the Bodhisattva, “All of you Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva who has certified to the Ground of Happiness, because of making offerings to all Buddhas, obtains the Dharmas for accomplishing living beings. Due to his vastly cultivating the giving of offerings to all Buddhas, he obtains the meritorious virtues of the Four Dharmas of Attraction.

Using the former two attractions, he attracts and gathers in living beings, that is to say: giving and kind words. The Bodhisattva vastly cultivates the practice of giving – giving all of his own wealth and treasures to living beings – and kind words, always caring about and being protective of living beings in his words and saying what they like to hear. He uses kindness and compassion to care for and protect all living beings. Even if it is the very worst sort of living beings, he still brings forth the Bodhi resolve to save that being and teach it.

As to the latter two dharmas of attraction, that is, beneficial conduct and similarity in deeds -- because he only uses the power of faith and understanding, his practice has not yet well-penetrated these. He cultivates them, but has not yet perfected that kind of Bodhisattva conduct. That Bodhisattva, among the ten Paramitas, emphasizes the Paramita of giving. The Ten Paramitas are:

Giving

Holding precepts

Patience

Vigor

Dhyana-samadhi

Wisdom

Expedients

Vows

Powers

Knowledge

The perfection of giving is most stressed. It is not that he fails to cultivate the remaining Paramitas. It’s not that he does not use the other nine Paramitas to cultivate, but he only does so according to his strength and proportionately. He does as much with them as he can, according to what his strength permits and does as much as possible in proportion to the causes and conditions.

What this Bodhisattva diligently cultivates – the making of offerings to all Buddhas in accordance with what his strength permits him to do. The teaching and transforming of living beings, and all of the good roots from cultivating the Dharmas of purification of the Grounds, the Ten Grounds -- he completely transfers to the Ground of all-wisdom, that fruit position, becoming progressively more bright and pure. He makes more progress in his cultivation every day and becomes more and more subdued, compliant and accomplished, and capable of acting in accord with his intent. He causes his mind and nature constantly to be yielding, patient, and accomplished. In accordance with his own wishes, he is capable of putting all Budhadharmas into action and using them to teach and transform living beings.

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