The Ten Patiences

Chapter Twenty-Nine

 

 

Sutra:

Dreams are neither of the world
Nor apart from the world.
When such duality is no longer delineated,
One enters the ground of patience.

In a dream one may see
An array of varied images.
Everything in the world is also thus—
Not any different from a dream.

He who dwells in dream-like Samadhi
Knows that everything mundane is like a dream,
And yet not the same as one, nor different;
Neither of one sort, nor many.

Sentient beings’ karmic deeds in all lands
May be defiled or pure.
The Bodhisattva understands them exactly as they are,
Equivalent to dreams in every way.

The Bodhisattva understands that his practices
And the great vows he makes
Are all like dreams, and in that way
No different from the mundane.

Knowing the world to be empty and still,
He does not destroy worldly dharmas,
For they are like images in a dream,
Varying in size and color.

This is called Patience in Perceiving All as Dreams.
Through this, the Bodhisattva understands worldly dharmas.
He soon achieves unobstructed wisdom
And saves vast flocks of beings.

Commentary:

Dreams are neither of the world / Nor apart from the world. Were we to search for the states of our dreams in the world, we would not find them. However, they cannot be found beyond the world either. Thus, dreams are neither in the world nor outside the world. When one knows that dreams are illusory and such duality is no longer delineated—between the worldly and the world-transcending—one enters the ground of patience. Our tendency to discriminate is a function of our conscious mind, our distorted mental process, and our attachments. The absence of discriminations is wisdom, liberation, and self-mastery. The attainment of wisdom, liberation, and self-mastery results from patience—from cultivating the dharma of Patience in Perceiving All as Dreams.  

In a dream one may see / An array of varied images. One may see images that are beautiful or ugly, good or bad, rough or refined, wholesome or evil. There are all sorts of appearances. Everything in the world is also thus— / Not any different from a dream.That being the case, why must we be so attached? Why aren’t we able to see through the facade of things and let go of them?  

He who dwells in dream-like Samadhi, who understands that he is dreaming right in the midst of the dream, that everything mundane is like a dream. Good and wise friends, since you know everything is a dream, why don’t you wake up from the dream? Why do you linger in the confusion of the dream? And yet everything is not the same as one, as a dream, nor different. If you say they are the same, they aren’t. If you say they are different, they are nevertheless the same. They are neither of one sort, nor many. 

Sentient beings’ karmic deeds in all lands. Sentient beings become deluded, create karma, and undergo retribution. This cycle of delusion, karma-creation, and retribution keeps repeating, thus generating karma as profuse as motes of dust in all lands. That karma may be defiled or pure. At this point, each of us should shine the light within and examine ourselves. We should ask ourselves, “Do I have more defiled karma or more pure karma?” “What is meant by defiled or pure karma? I can’t tell the difference,” you say. Then let us explain these terms clearly. If all you think about are the five worldly desires of wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep, you have defiled karma. If you spend your time cultivating faith, vigor, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom, then you have pure karma. Wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep are the five desires. Faith, vigor, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom are the Dharma of the Five Roots. If you can cultivate these five foundations of bodhi daily, your pure karma will increase. If you wallow in the five desires every day, your karma will be defiled.  

The Bodhisattva understands them exactly as they are. He completely understands what is pure and what is defiled. He realizes that all phenomena are equivalent to dreams in every way. He knows that,

All conditioned dharmas
Are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows,
Like dewdrops and lightning flashes.
One should contemplate them thus. 

The Bodhisattva understands that his practices / And all the great vows he makes / Are all like dreams, and in that way / No different from the mundane. Dreams are the same as all worldly, conditioned dharmas.

Knowing the world to be empty, unreal, and still, / He does not destroy worldly dharmas.Yet it is right within worldly dharmas that the Bodhisattva cultivates transcendental dharmas. He does not leave worldly dharmas in order to accomplish transcendental dharmas. He accomplishes them without destroying worldly dharmas. For they are like images in a dream, / Varying in size and color.Some images are long, some are short; they are of various colors.

This is the dharma called Patience in Perceiving All as Dreams. Within the dream, one awakens from the dream. Through this, the Bodhisattva understands worldly dharmas. / He soon achieves unobstructed, perfectly interfused wisdom / And saves vast flocks ofsentient beings.Only upon attaining perfect and unobstructed wisdom can we liberate all beings without restrictions or limitations.

II.A.vii. Verses in praise of Patience in Perceiving All as Echoes

Sutra:

Cultivating practices such as these,
The Bodhisattva attains broad understanding.
He skillfully perceives the nature of dharmas,
With no attachment to dharmas in his mind.

In each and every world,
All the various sounds
Are neither inside nor outside.
He knows that they are all like echoes.  

Just as in listening to echoes,
One’s mind does not discriminate among them,
When the Bodhisattva hears sounds,
His mind is the same way.

Commentary:

Cultivating practices such as these, such as Patience in Perceiving All as Dreams, the Bodhisattva attains boundless, broad wisdom and understanding of all dharmas. He skillfully perceives the nature of dharmas, / With no attachment to dharmas in his mind. He breaks through attachment to dharmas and attachment to self. 

In each and every world, / All the various sounds / Are neither inside nor outside. This is the Patience in Perceiving All as Echoes. Sounds come neither from within nor from without. He knows that they are all like echoes.  

Just as in listening to all kinds of echoes, / One’s mind does not discriminate among them, / When the Bodhisattva hears a variety of sounds, / His mind is the same way. No matter what sound he hears, his mind is unmoved. Just as the water reflects the moon, the moon is in the water, but the moon is not the water. The Bodhisattva contemplates all sounds as echoes, and is not affected by sounds.

Sutra:

He reverently beholds all Thus Come Ones
And listens to the sounds of the Dharma they speak.
Measureless sutras are proclaimed.
He listens, yet remains unattached.

Just as echoes have no origin,
Sounds heard are the same way.
Yet within the sounds, Dharma can be discerned,
Without any mistake or contradiction.

He thoroughly understands all sounds,
Yet does not discriminate among them.
Knowing that all sounds are empty and still,
He sends forth pure, clear sounds everywhere.

Knowing that Dharma is not a matter of language,
He skillfully enters the wordless realm,
And yet can use speech to reveal things,
Much as an echo resonates through the land.

Comprehending the path of language,
Endowed with perception of sound,
He realizes that sounds are essentially void.
Yet he speaks the language of the world.

Commentary:

He reverently beholds all Thus Come Ones / And listens to the sounds of the Dharma they speak. / Measureless sutras—“tallying texts”—are proclaimed. / He listens to the Buddhas’ discourses, yet remains unattached. The Bodhisattva’s nonattachment is unlike our “nonattachment” in listening to sutra lectures. Our “nonattachment” means we forget what we have heard. We forget which sutra is being lectured, and how it was explained. Why? Because we have no attachments! The Bodhisattva’s nonattachment is such that he remembers, yet does not become attached. He has severed the attachment to dharmas [i.e., he does not hold to them as if they are real]. Thus, the Bodhisattva’s nonattachment is totally different from our “nonattachment.”  

Just as echoes have no origin, / Sounds heard are the same way. The Bodhisattva listens to sounds without attachment; in fact, sounds also have no origin. Yet within the sounds, the sounds of all Dharma can be discerned/ Without any mistake or contradiction. Regardless of whether sounds have an origin, they certainly do not contradict the sound of Dharma.  

He thoroughly understands all sounds, / Yet does not discriminate among them. / Knowing that all sounds are empty and still, with no substance of their own, he sends forth pure, clear sounds everywhere. The Bodhisattva speaks the Dharma with wonderful sounds, using his vast, long tongue [one of the Thirty-two Hallmarks of a Buddha].  

Knowing that the Dharma is not a matter of language, / He skillfully enters the wordless realm. The Bodhisattva understands that the Dharma is basically beyond the grasp of speech, conceptualization, and language. By “sweeping away all dharmas and leaving behind all appearances,” the Bodhisattva skillfully enters the realm of wordlessness, and yet can use speech to reveal things, / Much as an echo resonates through the land. The Bodhisattva is able to use words to explain principles that are beyond words. 

Comprehending the path of all language, / Endowed with perception of sound, / He realizes that sounds are essentially void, with no substance to them. Yet he speaks the language of the world as a means of communication.

Sutra:

He reveals how all the sounds in the world
Are both the same and different.
His sound pervades all places,
Enlightening the multitudes of beings. 

The Bodhisattva who acquires this Patience
Transforms the world with pure sounds.
He expediently speaks about the three periods of time,
But has no attachment to time.

Commentary:

The Bodhisattva is free from all attachments, worries, discriminations, dharmas, and appearances. He reveals the dharma of how all the sounds in the world / Are both the same and different./ His sound pervades all places throughout the Dharma Realm, enlightening the multitudes of beings. Why is sound needed? It is through the medium of sound that theBodhisattva expounds all wonderful dharmas to enlighten sentient beings in all worlds. 

The Bodhisattva who acquires this Patience having to do with sounds transforms the world with pure sounds. He uses pure, clear sounds of Dharma to teach and transform sentient beings. He expediently speaks about the three periods of time. Although not a single period of time can be grasped, the Bodhisattva speaks cleverly and provisionally of there being a past, a present, and a future. That is just like asserting that yesterday, today, and tomorrow exist. But has no attachment to time. The Bodhisattva is not attached to anything in the world.

previous   next   Contents

Chapter 29 pages:    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14

return to top