The Ten Grounds

Chapter Twenty-Six

 

 

Sutra:  

Disciples of the Buddha, for instance, when a goldsmith well-skilled at smelting gold repeatedly puts it through the fire, it becomes progressively more bright and pure, supple, pliant, and accomplished, and capable of being worked in accord with his intent. The Bodhisattva is also like this. He makes offerings to all Buddhas and teaches and transforms living beings, all of which is cultivation of the dharmas of purification of the Grounds. Then he takes all of those good roots and completely transfers them to the Ground of all-wisdom. Thus, he becomes progressively more bright and pure, subdued, compliant, and accomplished, and capable of acting in accord with his intent.

Disciples of Buddha, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva, when dwelling upon this, the First Ground, should from where all Buddhas, Bodhisattva, and good, wise advisors are, search out and request within these Grounds the marks and the fruit obtained, with no weariness or satiation, in order to accomplish the Dharmas of these Grounds. He should also from where all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and good, wise advisors are, search out and request within the Second Ground the marks and the fruit obtained, with no weariness or satiation, in order to accomplish the dharmas of that Ground. He should also in that way search out and request within the Third, the Fourth, the Fifth, the Sixth, the Seventh, the Eighth, the Ninth, and the Tenth Grounds, the marks and the fruit obtained, with no weariness or satiation, in order to accomplish the Dharmas of those Grounds.

This Bodhisattva is good at knowing remedies for all obstructions to the Grounds, good at knowing the accomplishment and destruction of the Grounds, good at knowing the marks and fruits of the Grounds.  

Commentary:  

Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva again said to all the Bodhisattva, “All of you Disciples of the Buddha, for instance, I’ll give you analogy for this principle. What is it like? It is just as when a goldsmith well-skilled at smelting gold repeatedly puts it through the fire. A goldsmith uses all kinds of clever and skillful methods to smelt gold and refine it. Time after time he uses fire on it and it becomes progressively more bright and pure. When it has been through the fire once, the gold is just that much more purified. After repeated smeltings, it becomes unalloyed gold, without the least admixture, and is supple, pliant, and accomplished, and capable of being worked in accord with his intent. When the gold has been fired to the point to being very soft and pliant, so there is no way it could break, it is pliant and accomplished. You can make whatever you want out of it, in accord with your intent. One can use the gold to make all kinds of ornaments to adorn one’s person.

The Bodhisattva is also like this. He makes offerings to all Buddhas. The Bodhisattva, in cultivating all of the dharmas of regulating the Grounds, is also like that. First of all, he vastly cultivates the giving of offerings. And he teaches and transforms living beings. He uses kindness, compassion, joy, renunciation, patience, vigor –those Paramitas – to teach and transform living beings.

All of which is cultivation of the dharmas of purification of the Grounds. He enables all living beings to be able to cultivate the Dharma doors of purification of the Ten Grounds. Then he takes all of those good roots and completely transfers them. The good roots that have been amassed from cultivation he completely uses to make transference to the Ground of all-wisdom, the dharmas of the Ten Grounds.

Thus, he becomes progressively more bright and pure. Every day he understands the Dharma-doors of the Ten Grounds better, and each day he is more pure, subdued, compliant, and accomplished. That he is subdued and compliant means this Bodhisattva hasn’t the least bit of temper, and not the slightest affliction. At all times he is very kind, compassionate, joyous, and renouncing, and accomplishes the door of practice of patience; and is capable of acting in accord with his intent. Whatever Dharma-door he wants to employ he is able to employ.

Disciples of Buddha, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva again said to the Bodhisattva, “All of you disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva, when dwelling upon this, the First Ground, should from where all Buddhas, Bodhisattva, and good, wise advisors are, search out and request within these Grounds. When the Great Bodhisattva who cultivates the Bodhisattva conduct and amasses all kinds of good roots certifies to the position of the Ground of Happiness, he should from where all Buddhas and Great Bodhisattvas and all Good-Knowing Advisors are, investigate the Dharma-doors of all the Grounds.

If there are places one does not understand, one asks the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, the Good, Wise Advisors within these Ten Grounds about the marks and the fruit obtained, about the characteristics one experiences in cultivating them, along with what the fruit-positions to be obtained in the future are like. He does this without weariness or satiation. One does the seeking-out oneself, and the requesting is that of requesting all the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, and all Good-knowing Advisors. It’s that way every day; it’s all the time that way, with no weariness or satiation. There’s no saying, “I’ve cultivated enough,’ and then not investigating or being lazy. He is vigorous all the time. In order to accomplish the Dharmas of these Grounds. The reason is that he wants to bring the dharmas of the Ten Grounds to accomplishment.

He should also from where all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and good, wise advisors are, search out and request within the Second Ground the marks and the fruit obtained. The First Ground is that way, and if one wishes to cultivate the dharmas of the second of the Ten Grounds, one should again request them from where the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, and the Good-knowing Advisors are. One should seek them out and investigate them.

If there are places one does not understand, one requests the characteristics of what one experiences, along with the fruit-positions one obtains, with no weariness or satiation, in order to accomplish the dharmas of that Ground. He should also in that way search out and request within the Third, the Fourth, the Fifth, the Sixth, the Seventh, the Eighth, the Ninth, and the Tenth Grounds, the marks and the fruit obtained. When one intends to bring to accomplishment the dharmas of the Third Ground, the Fourth Ground, up to and including the dharmas of the Tenth Ground, one should investigate and ask all the Buddhas, all Bodhisattvas, and all Good-knowing Advisors the characteristics of what one goes through on each of these grounds and the fruit-positions one obtains.

One should do this with no weariness or satiation. This, too, is without growing tired, in order to accomplish the Dharmas of those Grounds. This is also because of wanting to accomplish the dharmas of the Ten Grounds.

This Bodhisattva is good at knowing remedies for all obstructions to the Grounds. He is skilled in the knowledge of what obstacles arise on each Ground, and what methods to employ to counteract them. He is good at knowing the accomplishment and destruction of the Grounds. He is skilled in knowing how the Dharma-doors of the Ten Grounds are accomplished, and how they are not accomplished; and good at knowing the marks and fruits of the Grounds. He is also skilled in the knowledge of the characteristics of the Ten Grounds and how one attains to their fruit-positions.

Sutra:  

Good at knowing the attainment and cultivation of the Grounds, good at knowing the purification of the Dharmas of the Ground, good at knowing the practices in turn for each Ground, good at knowing what holds and does not hold for each Ground, good at knowing the most supreme wisdom for each Ground, good at knowing the irreversibilities of each Good, good at knowing how to purify and regulate all the bodhisattvas’ Grounds, up to and including in turn entering the Ground of the Thus Come One.

Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva, in that way, is good at knowing the marks of the Grounds. Starting with the First Ground, he gives rise to practice which is uninterrupted. He continues in that way until he enters the Tenth Ground, without interruption. Due to the light of wisdom of all those Grounds, he accomplishes the Thus Come One’s light of wisdom.

Disciples of the Buddha, he is like a merchant leader who is skilled in expedient methods. When he is about to lead a group of merchants to visit a great city, before they have set out, he first inquires about the merits and drawbacks of the route, the halting places along it, and whether it is safe or not. Afterwards, equipped with provisions for the road, he does what needs to be done.

Disciples of the Buddha, that great merchant leader, although he has not yet taken a step, is able to know all matters concerning safety on the road. He skillfully uses wisdom to plan, estimate, and consider, and prepares what is required so that they will not run short. He then leads the group of merchants until they safely reach that great city. He and the group of people completely avoid all disasters.

Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva, that merchant leader, is also that way. While dwelling on the First Ground, he is good at knowing remedies for obstructions to all Grounds, up to and including being good at knowing how to purify all the Bodhisattva Grounds, and in turn enter the Ground of the Thus Come One.

Afterwards, equipped with the provisions of blessings and wisdom, he leads all living beings through the wilderness of birth and death with its places of dander until they sagely arrive at the city of Sarvajna. He and all the living beings do not experience disasters.

Therefore, the Bodhisattva should never be lax, and should cultivate the most supreme, pure karma of all Grounds, up to and including tending towards and entering the Ground of the Thus Come Ones’ wisdom.

Disciples of the Buddha, this is called a summary discussion of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s entry to the door of the First Bodhisattva Ground. If discussed at-length, there are limitless and boundless hundreds of thousands of Asamkhyeyas of particulars.  

Commentary:  

The Bodhisattva is good at knowing the attainment and cultivation of the Grounds. A Bodhisattva who has certified to the First Ground, the Ground of Happiness, is good at knowing how to cultivate each Ground. He is good at knowing the purification of the Dharmas of the Ground, good at knowing the practices in turn for each Ground. He is also good at knowing for all the Ten Grounds how one goes in turn from the First Ground to the Second Ground, from the Second Ground to the Third Ground, up to and including how to cultivate the Tenth Ground.

He is good at knowing what holds and does not hold for each Ground. He is skilled as well at knowing what is right and what is wrong for each Ground. He is good at knowing the most supreme wisdom for each Ground. Each Ground has its own particular wisdom, its own particular doors of practice. He is good at knowing the irreversibilities of each good, good at knowing how to purify and regulate all the bodhisattvas’ Grounds, up to and including in turn entering the Ground of the Thus Come One. He knows it all, up to and including what one goes through in order to obtain entry to certification to the fruit of the Ground of the Thus Come One.

Disciples of the Buddha, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva again calls out, “All of you disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva, in that way, is good at knowing the marks of the Grounds. He is good at knowing the characteristics of each Ground. Starting with the First Ground, he gives rise to practice which is uninterrupted. He continues in that way until he enters the Tenth Ground, without interruption. Due to the light of wisdom of all those Grounds, he accomplishes the Thus Come One’s light of wisdom. He is able to obtain the light of wisdom of a Buddha.

Vajra Treasury bodhisattva again calls out, “All of you disciples of the Buddha, he is like a merchant leader.” He said, “Now I’ll give you an analogy. He is like a merchant leader who is skilled in expedient methods. He is skilled in knowing all expedient Dharma-doors. When he is about to lead a group of merchants to visit a great city, before they have set out, he first inquires about the merits and drawbacks of the route. When he is going to head up a party of merchants to visit a metropolis on business, in advance of their trip he finds out in which places the road is easy to traverse and in which places passage is not easy. He determines which places are dangerous and which places are safe. He learns it all.

He also ascertains the halting places along it, that is, what places there are where one cans top for the night, and whether it is safe or not. He finds out which situations are safe and which are not. Afterwards, equipped with provisions for the road, he does what needs to be done. Afterwards they all prepare the provisions, that is, the money to be used, and he goes about doing his job.

Disciples of the Buddha, Vajra Treasury again says, that great merchant leader, although he has not yet taken a step, is able to know all matters concerning safety on the road. That great entrepreneur who does business on a large scale, even though he has not yet set out on the road, already knows all the safety factors and dangers along the route.

He skillfully uses wisdom to plan, estimate, and consider, and prepares what is required. He prepares a sufficient quantity of things that they will need to use so that they will not run short. He then leads the group of merchants until they safely reach that great city. They arrive at the great metropolis to which they want to go. He and the group of people completely avoid all disasters. They safely reach the place to which they want to go.

Disciples of the Buddha, Vajra Treasury bodhisattva gain says, “All of you disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva, that merchant leader, is also that way. The bodhisattva is like a merchant leader. While dwelling on the First Ground, the Ground of Happiness, he is good at knowing remedies for obstructions to all Grounds. He is good at knowing what methods to use to counteract any obstacles to cultivation that may arise on any one of the Grounds, up to and including being good at knowing how to purify all the Bodhisattva Grounds. He knows how all of the Bodhisattvas of the Ten Grounds can attain to purity, and in turn enter the Ground of the Thus Come One.

Afterwards, equipped with the provisions of blessings and wisdom, he leads all living beings through the wilderness of birth and death. He guides all living beings through the wilderness of the revolving wheel of birth and death with its places of dander until they sagely arrive at the city of Sarvajna. They arrive at the City of All Wisdom. He and all the living beings do not experience disasters. The bodhisattva himself, and all the living beings with him, have no disasters.

Therefore, the Bodhisattva should never be lax. As a consequence of this, the Bodhisattva should at all times never be lax, and should cultivate the most supreme, pure karma of all Grounds. He should diligently cultivate the Dharma-doors of the Ten Grounds, that pure and most supreme Way karma, up to and including tending towards and entering the Ground of the Thus Come Ones’ wisdom. He should do so until he reaches the fruit-position of Buddhahood.

Disciples of the Buddha, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva gain says, “All of you disciples of the Buddha, this is called a summary discussion of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s entry to the door of the First Bodhisattva Ground. This is the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s entry to the Dharma-door of the First Ground. If discussed at-length, there are limitless and boundless hundreds of thousands of Asamkhyeyas of particulars. If expanded upon, it has a great many different aspects.

Sutra:  

Disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva who dwells upon this, the First Ground, for the most part acts as king of Jambudvipa. He is powerful, honored, and sovereign, and constantly protects the Proper Dharma. He is able to use great giving to gather in living beings. He is skilled at ridding living beings of the defilement of stinginess. He constantly practices great giving without exhaustion or end.

Giving, pleasing words, beneficial practices, and identity in actions – all such karma that is created is not separate from mindfulness of the Buddha, not separate from mindfulness of the Dharma, not separate from mindfulness of the Sangha, not separate form mindfulness of the Bodhisattva, not separate from mindfulness of the Bodhisattvas of identical practice, not separate form mindfulness of the Bodhisattva practices, not separate from mindfulness of the Paramitas, not separate from mindfulness of all Grounds, not separate form mindfulness of the powers, not separate form mindfulness of the fearlessnesses, not separate from mindfulness of the uncommon Buddha Dharmas, up to and including not separate from mindfulness of endowment with the wisdom of all wisdom of all modes.  

Commentary:  

Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva again called out and said, “All you disciples of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva who dwells upon this, the First Ground, for the most part acts as king of Jambudvipa. The Great Bodhisattva who cultivates the Bodhisattva conduct and amasses all kinds of good roots regularly becomes the kind of Jambudvipa when he accomplishes the First Ground, that of Happiness.

He is powerful, honored, and sovereign. He either is someone with a great deal of money, or extremely sovereign and at ease, and constantly protects the Proper Dharma. He is able to use great giving to gather in living beings and cause them to bring forth the great thought of Bodhi. He is skilled at ridding living beings of the defilement of stinginess. He is able to get rid of living beings’ bad habit, the fault of stinginess. He constantly practices great giving without exhaustion or end. He is always practicing giving on a large scale, and his giving never ends.

Giving, pleasing words, beneficial practices, and identity in actions – all such karma that is created is not separate from mindfulness of the Buddha, not separate from mindfulness of the Dharma, not separate from mindfulness of the Sangha. No matter what good karma is created, it is never separate from mindfulness of the Triple Jewel: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

It is not separate form mindfulness of the Bodhisattva, not separate from mindfulness of the Bodhisattvas of identical practice. Not to separate from mindfulness of the Bodhisattvas of identical practice is also mindfulness of the Sangha. It is not separate form mindfulness of the Bodhisattva practices which are cultivated. It is not separate from mindfulness of the Paramitas, the dharmas of Arrival at the Other Shore.

It is not separate from mindfulness of the wisdom of all Grounds. It is not separate form mindfulness of the powers – the Buddha’s Ten Powers. It is not separate form mindfulness of the fearlessnesses – the Four Fearlessnesses. It is not separate from mindfulness of the uncommon Buddha Dharmas – the Eighteen Dharmas Special to a Buddha, up to and including it is not separate from mindfulness of endowment with the wisdom of all wisdom of all modes – all the wisdoms of a Buddha.

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, be a guide, be a general, be a chief, up to and including being one with the wisdom of all wisdoms upon whom one may rely.

This Bodhisattva, if he wants to renounce the home life, within the Buddhadharma diligently cultivates with vigor and then can leave the home, his wife and children, and the five desires. He relies upon the Thus Come Ones’ teaching, leaves the home life, and studies the Way.  

Commentary:

He further makes the following reflection: the Bodhisattva of the First Ground, the Ground of Happiness, also makes the following contemplation, saying, ‘I should, among all living beings, be a leader, ‘I’ is the Bodhisattva referring to himself. I should be supreme, be especially supreme. I should be an especially outstanding and superior person. I should be wonderful. Among living beings, I should be an inconceivable person.

I should be subtle, and wonderful. Among living beings, I should be an unsurpassed, deep, profound, subtle, and wonderfully inconceivable person. I should be superior. I should be a lofty and superior person. I should be unsurpassed. Among living beings, I should be an unsurpassed person. I should be a guide. I should, in the midst of all living beings, act as their guide.

I should be a general. Among living beings, I should be a great general. I should be a chief. I should be a principal among living beings. Up to and including being one with the wisdom of all wisdoms upon whom one may rely, I should be someone who has the wisdom of a Buddha upon whom living beings can rely.

This Bodhisattva, if he wants to renounce the home life – if he wants to leave home -- within the Buddhadharma diligently cultivates with vigor and then he can leave the home. He can give up his family, his wife and children, and the five desires – wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep. He relies upon the Thus Come Ones’ teaching. He relies upon the teaching dharmas spoken by the Buddhas, leaves the home life, and studies the Way. He:

Leaves the home of afflictions
Leaves the worldly home, and
Leaves the home of the Three Realms

Sutra:  

Thereupon, after leaving home, he diligently cultivates with vigor. Within the space of a thought, he attains a hundred Samadhis. He comes to see a hundred Buddhas. He is able to know a hundred Buddhas’ spiritual powers. He is able to quake a hundred Buddha lands. He is able to go beyond a hundred Buddha lands. He is able to illumine a hundred Buddha lands.

He is able to teach and transform the living beings of a hundred worlds. He is able to live for a hundred kalpas. He is able to know the boundaries of before and afterwards, the events of a hundred kalpas for each. He is able to enter a hundred dharma doors. He is able to manifest a hundred bodies. With every body he is able to manifest a hundred Bodhisattvas as his retinue.

If he employs especially supreme power of Bodhisattva vows to manifest at ease, he surpasses that number. In a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, a hundred thousand kalpas, up to and including a hundred thousand million nayutas of kalpas, the number could not be counted or know.

At that time, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, wishing to restate his meaning, spoken verses, saying:  

Commentary:  

Thereupon, after leaving home, he diligently cultivates with vigor. After the Bodhisattva has brought forth the thought for Bodhi, renounced the world, and left the home life in order to seek the unsurpassed Way, he very diligently and earnestly cultivates with courageous vigor. Within the space of a thought, he attains a hundred Samadhis. Within the interval of a single thought, he obtains more than a hundred kinds of proper receptions, proper concentrations, that kind of wisdom.

He comes to see a hundred Buddhas. When in a single interval of thought he is able to attain a hundred kinds of samadhis, then he is able to see a hundred Buddhas of a hundred worlds. He is able to know a hundred Buddhas’ spiritual powers. He is able to know all of the powers of spiritual penetrations of a hundred Buddhas of a hundred worlds.

He is able to quake a hundred Buddha lands. The Bodhisattva is able to use spiritual penetrations and cause a hundred Buddha lands to tremble and quake in six ways. He is able to go beyond a hundred Buddha lands. The power of his spiritual penetrations is able to transcend a hundred Buddha lands. He is able to illumine a hundred Buddha lands. His light, too, is able to light up as many as a hundred Buddha lands.

He is able to teach and transform the living beings of a hundred worlds. Within a single interval of thought, he can teach and transform as many as a hundred Buddha lands’ living beings. He is able to live for a hundred kalpas. He is able to maintain his life for a hundred great kalpas. He is able to know the boundaries of before and afterwards and the events of a hundred kalpas for each. He knows a hundred kalpas before, and he knows a hundred kalpas afterwards, knowing all of the events within them.

He is able to enter a hundred dharma doors. He is able to manifest a hundred bodies. Within this very world he can make appear a hundred bodies and go to other worlds to teach and transform living beings. With every body he is able to manifest a hundred Bodhisattvas. He can use spiritual penetrations to make appear by transformation a hundred Bodhisattvas as his retinue. They act as his retainers.

If he employs especially supreme power of Bodhisattva vows to manifest at ease, he surpasses that number. In a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, a hundred thousand kalpas, up to and including a hundred thousand million nayutas of kalpas. Should it be the case that the Bodhisattva has extraordinary and especially supreme vow-power and manifests at ease, he goes beyond that number, up to and including going beyond as many as a hundred thousand million nayutas of kalpas.

The number could not be counted or know. From this it can be seen that if a Bodhisattva has extraordinary vow-power, his merit and virtue exceed those of the previously described Bodhisattva to the point that they cannot be counted or know.

At that time, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, wishing to restate his meaning, spoken verses, saying: wanting to repeat those principles, he used verses to speak for everyone.

Sutra:

Should someone assemble multitudes of good,
He becomes endowed with white, pure dharmas,
He makes offerings to the honored one of gods and humans,
And follows the path of kindness and compassion.  

His faith and understanding are most vast and great
His resolutions and inclinations, too, are pure
Intent upon the search for a Buddha’s wisdom
He brings forth this thought unsurpassed  

Having purified all the powers of knowledge
Along with the fearlessnesses as well
And having accomplished all the Buddha Dharmas
He saves and gathers in the flocks of beings  

In order to obtain great kindness and compassion
And to turn the supreme Dahrma wheel
To adorn and purify the Buddha-countries
He brings forth this thought most supreme  

Commentary:  

Should someone assemble multitudes of good,

He becomes endowed with white, pure dharmas. This says, “If a Bodhisattva cultivates the doors of practice cultivated by Bodhisattvas and accumulates various kinds of good roots, because of having a great deal of merit and virtue from good roots, he eliminates all defiled dharmas, so that all that remain are pure dharmas. He makes offerings to the honored one of gods and humans. He is able to make offerings to all Buddhas, and follows the path of kindness and compassion. He constantly teaches and transforms living beings, using kindness, compassion, joy, and renunciation, those Four Limitless Minds, to teach and transform living beings.

His faith and understanding are most vast and great. His faith along with the principles that he understands are both extremely vast and great. His resolutions and inclinations, too, are pure. All of his resolutions, as well as what he likes, are pure. Intent upon the search for a Buddha’s wisdom,he brings forth this thought unsurpassed. His determination is to seek wisdom which is the same as that of a Buddha, so he brings forth the thought for unsurpassed Bodhi.

Having purified all the powers of knowledge, along with the fearlessnesses as well; and having accomplished all the Buddha Dharmas, he saves and gathers in the flocks of beings. He has purified all the powers of all wisdom, in addition to the freedoms from fear. He has brought to accomplishment all of the Dharma doors spoken by the Buddha. He saves and protects all living beings.

In order to obtain great kindness and compassion, and to turn the supreme Dahrma wheel; to adorn and purify the Buddha-countries, he brings forth this thought most supreme. In order to acquire a mind of greatkindness and compassion, and also in order to turn the wheel of all the most supreme Dharmas, and so that he may adorn and purify all Buddhas’ lands, he brings forth this thought for most supreme Bodhi.

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