The Ten Patiences

Chapter Twenty-Nine

 

 

I.C.x. Patience in Perceiving All as the Void

Sutra:

Disciples of the Buddha, what is the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s Patience in Perceiving All as the Void?

Disciples of the Buddha, this Bodhisattva Mahasattva understands that all dharma realms resemble the void in that they have no attributes; all worlds resemble the void in that they do not arise; all dharmas resemble the void in that they are nondual; all sentient beings’ deeds resemble the void in that there is nothing done; all Buddhas resemble the void in that they do not make distinctions; all Buddhas’ powers resemble the void in that they are undifferentiated; all dhyana-samadhis resemble the void in that the three periods of time become equal; all dharmas that are spoken resemble the void in that they cannot be verbalized; and all Buddhas’ bodies resemble the void in that they are free from attachment and impediment. The Bodhisattva thus uses the expedient of perceiving all as the void to fathom that all dharmas do not exist.

Commentary:

Universal Worthy Bodhisattva continues: “All of you disciples of the Buddha, what is the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s Patience in Perceiving All as the Void? What is the great Bodhisattva’s patience of regarding everything as being empty like the void? What is his state of being like?”  

Universal Worthy Bodhisattva addresses all of you again, “Disciples of the Buddha, since you don’t know, I’ll explain it to you. This Bodhisattva Mahasattva understands that all dharma realms resemble the void. He understands that all dharma realms are identical to the void in that they have no attributes. Lacking attributes, dharma realms are like empty space.

He also knows all worlds resemble the void. All worlds go through the stages of formation, stasis, decline, and emptiness, so they all end up empty. They are like the void in that they do not arise and also do not perish. He understands that all dharmas resemble the void in their lack of substance, and in that they are nondual (i.e., dharmas are neither singular nor dual). He knows that all sentient beings’ deeds resemble the void in that there is nothing done. They act without acting; their actions are basically empty.

He understands that all Buddhas resemble the void in that they make no distinctions. When the mind makes no distinctions among the Buddhas, sentient beings, and dharmas, isn’t this absence of distinctions like the void?

Not only are the Buddhas and their Dharma like the void, he knows that all Buddhas’ powers—the Ten Powers—resemble the void in that they are undifferentiated. Being free from differentiation, how could they be other than the void?

The Bodhisattva understands that all dhyana-samadhis resemble the void in that the three periods of time become equal. One cannot be attached to the cultivation of any of the dhyanas or samadhis. Upon entering Samadhi, one no longer perceives past, present, or future. Everything becomes equal and identical to the void.

All dharmas that are spoken by the Buddha resemble the void in that they cannot be verbalized. The essence of the Dharma is ineffable. It has neither verbal expression nor mental conceptualization, and it is beyond language.

And all Buddhas’ bodies are seen to resemble the void. Thus, the Bodhisattva has Patience in Perceiving All as the Void. Originally, things are not identical to the void, but due to the Bodhisattva’s practice of this patience, distinctions no longer exist in his mind and all things become identical to the void. All Buddhas’ bodies are void-like in that they are free from attachment and impediment. They are unattached and perfectly interfused without obstruction. If one is attached to the Buddhas’ bodies, then they cannot be like the void. If there is no attachment, then they are identical to the void.

You should understand what it means to “resemble the void.” It means that given something that is not void-like, you conceive of it as resembling the void. Since it is not really the same as the void, this requires patience. Patience involves recognizing this state of mind.

The Bodhisattva thus uses the expedient of perceiving all as the void to fathom that all dharmas do not exist. Using the expedient means of contemplating everything as like the void, the Bodhisattva comprehends all dharmas to be originally empty and nonexistent, and knows not to become attached to dharmas or to self. With no attachment to dharmas or to self, how could there be anything else but the void?

Sutra:

Disciples of the Buddha, when the Bodhisattva Mahasattva comprehends all dharmas by means of the wisdom of the Patience of Perceiving All as the Void, he attains a body and bodily karma that resemble the void, speech and speech karma that resemble the void, and a mind and mental karma that resemble the void.

Just as the void sustains all dharmas so that there is neither production nor destruction, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s Dharma body likewise is free from birth and death. Just as the void is indestructible, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s wisdom and powers likewise are indestructible. Just as the void serves as the refuge for all in the world yet itself is not dependent on anything, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva likewise is the refuge for all dharmas yet all the while independent. 

Commentary:

Universal Worthy Bodhisattva calls out, “Disciples of the Buddha, when the Bodhisattva Mahasattva fully comprehends all dharmas by means of the wisdom of Perceiving All as the Void, with which he regards everything as resembling empty space, he attains a body and bodily karma that resemble the void. It is as if he has no body, whether he is moving or still. And since there is no concept of a body, his body creates no karma. Therefore, his bodily karma is also void-like. Since the Bodhisattva is beyond speech, he attains speech and speech karma that resemble the void. And with his mind free from attachments, the Bodhisattva has a mind and mental karma that resemble the void.

Just as the void sustains all dharmas so that there is neither production nor destruction of dharmas, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s Dharma body likewise is free from birth and death, like the void.

Just as the void is indestructible, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s wisdom and all his powers likewise are indestructible. No human being can destroy them.

Just as the void serves as the refuge for all in the world yet itself is not dependent on anything and is unattached, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva likewise is the refuge for all dharmas yet all the while independent. Although all dharmas rely on the great Bodhisattva who expounds on them, the Bodhisattva himself remains independent and free from attachment. 

Sutra:

Just as the void is beyond birth and death yet accommodates all births and deaths in the world, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva likewise is without aims or achievements yet manifests aims and achievements, leading all those in the world to cultivate purity. Just as the void lacks boundaries, yet can manifest infinitely many boundaries, the Bodhisattva likewise has no karma or retribution, yet is able to manifest all sorts of karma and retribution.  

Just as the void neither travels nor remains still, yet can reveal all sorts of magnificence, likewise the Bodhisattva Mahasattva neither travels nor remains still, yet is able to discern all practices. Just as the void neither has form nor lacks form, yet can display all the various forms, likewise the Bodhisattva has neither worldly nor transcendental form, yet can display all forms.  

Commentary:

Just as the void is beyond birth and death yet accommodates all births and deaths in the world, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva likewise is without aims or achievements. He has no place where he wants to go and nothing he considers as his achievement, yet he manifests aims and achievements, leading all those beings in the world to cultivate the dharma doors of purity. Just as the void lacks directions and boundaries, yet can manifest infinitely many directions and boundaries, the Bodhisattva likewise has no karma or retribution of his own, yet is able to manifest all sorts of karma and retribution.

Just as the void neither travels nor remains still, yet can reveal all sorts of appearances of magnificence, likewise the Bodhisattva Mahasattva neither travels nor remains still. He neither has to move around nor dwell in a fixed place, yet is able to discern all practices of cultivation. Just as the void neither has form nor lacks form, yet can display all the various forms, likewise the great Bodhisattva has neither worldly nor transcendental form, yet can display all forms. He can manifest all dharmas of form.

Sutra:

Just as the void is neither distant nor close, yet lasts forever and manifests all things, likewise the Bodhisattva Mahasattva is neither distant nor close, yet is able to dwell forever and display all the practices of Bodhisattvas.

Just as the void is neither clean nor polluted, yet not apart from cleanliness and pollution, likewise the Bodhisattva Mahasattva is neither impeded nor unimpeded, yet not apart from impediment and nonimpediment.

Just as the whole world appears before the void, yet the void does not appear before the whole world, likewise all dharmas appear before the Bodhisattva Mahasattva, yet he does not appear before all dharmas.  

Just as the void enters all and knows no bounds, likewise the Bodhisattva Mahasattva enters all dharmas and his Bodhisattva resolve knows no bounds.

Commentary:

Just as the void is neither distant from nor close to us. You may say empty space is far, yet it is right beside us. You may say it is near, yet you cannot take hold of empty space. Thus, empty space is neither far nor near, yet it lasts forever. The void is never destroyed. Why not? Because it is the void. Essentially, the void is nothingness; how can it be destroyed? We should pay attention to this. Why do we suffer from afflictions and ignorance? It’s because we are not similar to the void.

Our inherent nature resembles the void;
True and false lie within it.
Awaken to the essential nature:
When one thing is understood, everything is understood.

Our essential nature is like the void, and the void contains both the true and the false. When we truly understand our essential nature, this one understanding leads us to understand everything. 

And the indestructible void manifests all things. As for the small, it contains every mote of dust. As for the large, it contains all the mountains, rivers, the earth, houses, and buildings. Nevertheless, the void cannot be destroyed.

Likewise the Bodhisattva Mahasattva is no different from the void in that he is neither distant nor close yet is able to dwell forever in the world and display all the practices of Bodhisattvas, all the dharmas they cultivate.

Just as the void is neither clean nor polluted. If you say that the void is clean, you are wrong. If you say it is filthy or untidy, that’s not completely true either, because the void is just nothingness. If you say it is clean, well, there are toilets everywhere, and those foul toilets exist in the void. Nevertheless, they cannot pollute the void. Nowadays, we say that the air is polluted, but the void cannot be contaminated. Thus, the void is neither clean nor polluted, yet it is not apart from cleanliness and pollution. Cleanliness and pollution are included in the void.

Likewise the great Bodhisattva Mahasattva is neither impeded nor unimpeded, yet he is not apart from impediment and nonimpediment. The Bodhisattva has no impediments, yet he is not separate from impediments.

It is just as the whole world appears before the void, yet the void does not appear before the whole world. Why is that? The void is nothingness; how can it appear? How can it make an appearance when it is formless? Likewise all dharmas appear before the Bodhisattva Mahasattva—the great Bodhisattva understands all dharmas, yet he does not appear before all dharmas.

Just as the void enters all and knows no bounds, likewise the Bodhisattva Mahasattva enters all dharmas and his Bodhisattva resolve knows no bounds. The great Bodhisattva realizes the ultimate reality underlying all dharmas, yet his Bodhisattva resolve is limitless. 

Sutra:

Why is that? The reason is that what the Bodhisattva does is like the void. That is to say, all his cultivation, all his adornment and purification, and all his accomplishments are completely impartial, being of one single substance, flavor, and capacity, and resembling the void in its purity and all-pervasiveness.

In this way the Bodhisattva certifies to the knowledge of all dharmas and does not discriminate among any of them. He adorns and purifies all Buddhalands, perfects all independent bodies, and discerns all directions without confusion.

He possesses all powers and cannot be vanquished. He has perfected all the boundless meritorious virtues, plumbed the depths of all profound dharmas, and mastered all Paramitas.  

Sitting on all vajra seats everywhere, he universally utters sounds that accord with all kinds of beings. He turns the Dharma wheel for the sake of those in all worlds without ever missing the right opportunity. This is called Patience in Perceiving All as the Void, the tenth kind of patience of a Bodhisattva Mahasattva.

Commentary:

Why is that? The reason is that what the Bodhisattva does is like the void. That is to say, all his cultivation resembles the void. All his adornment and purification are like the void. And all his accomplishments resemble the void. Indeed, all the Bodhisattva’s actions are like the void because they are completely impartial, being of one single substance—the single substance of True Suchness, the single flavor of liberation, and the single capacity that is exactly appropriate for the various natures of all beings, and resembling the void in its purity and all-pervasiveness. In this way the Bodhisattva certifies to the knowledge of all dharmas and does not discriminate among any of them. He understands all dharmas and does not need to discriminate among any of them. He adorns and purifies all Buddhalands, perfects all independent bodies. He does not need to rely on anything. And he discerns all directions without confusion. He does not become disoriented with regard to directions. He possesses all powers and cannot be vanquished. 

He is invincible, because of his solid strength. He has perfected all the boundless meritorious virtues, plumbed the depths of all profound dharmas. He has arrived at the locale of wisdom. And he has mastered all Paramitas. He has taken all the paths for crossing to the other shore.Sitting on all vajra seats everywhere, he universally utters sounds that accord with all kinds of beings. He turns the great Dharma wheel for the sake of those in all worlds without ever missing the right opportunity. He never misses the proper timing to turn the Dharma wheel. This is called the Patience of Perceiving All as the Void, the tenth kind of practice of patience of a Bodhisattva Mahasattva.

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