The Ten Grounds

Chapter Twenty-Six

 

 

Sutra:

He first ascends to the Fourth Ground, increasing strength and might,
Is born in the Thus Come One’s family, and never retreats.
Towards Buddha, Dharma, Sangha his faith cannot be destroyed.
He contemplates Dharmas as impermanent and having no arisal.  

He contemplates worlds’ becomings and decayings as produced from karma,
Birth, death, Nirvana, and kshetras as equally from karma,
Contemplates before and after’s bounds, and contemplates their exhaustion-
That is how he cultivates to be born in the Buddha’s household.  

Having obtained this Dharma, he increases in sympathy and kindness,
And with ever-increasing diligence cultivates the Four Stations of Mindfulness.
Body, feelings, thoughts, and dharmas inside and outside contemplating,
Worldly greed and worries in that way are all expelled.  

Commentary:

He first ascends to the Fourth Ground, increasing strength and might. This says, when the Bodhisattva tends towards and enters the Fourth Ground of Blazing Wisdom, there is an increase in the Bodhisattva’s work in the Way, as well as in his wisdom, strength, light, and great mind for the Way. He is born in the Thus Come One’s family and never retreats. When he reaches the Fourth Ground, he is born in the family of the Buddha and becomes forever unretreating from Unsurpassed Proper and Equal Right Enlightenment. Towards Buddha, Dharma, Sangha his faith cannot be destroyed.

At the position of the Fourth Ground, the Bodhisattva deeply believes in the Buddha, in the Dharma, and the Sangha. Due to his solid mind of faith, his root of faith could never be destroyed by heavenly demons or those of outside ways. He contemplates dharmas as impermanent and having no arisal. He contemplates all dharmas as being impermanent without any production or arising, and without any destruction or end. He contemplates worlds’ becomings and decayings as produced from karma.

He contemplates how the entire cycle that worlds go through of coming into being, dwelling, decaying, and disappearing into emptiness, is produced from the karma of living beings, and birth, death, Nirvana, and kshetras as equally from karma. Whether there is birth, or death, or certification, or rebirth in a given Buddhaland, all of it is due to the existence of karma and the undergoing of retribution. He contemplates before and after’s bounds, and contemplates their exhaustion.

He contemplates how the boundary of afterwards cannot be got at, and the boundary of the present cannot be got at, which is why he is said to contemplate their exhaustion. That is how he cultivates to be born in the Buddha’s household. Through that kind of cultivation he is born in the lineage of the Buddhas, which means being certified to the position of Buddhahood.

Having obtained this Dharma, he increases in sympathy and kindness. Once born in the Buddha’s household, he brings forth a mind of great kindness and compassion, the effect of obtaining the great wisdom of the Fourth Ground, and with ever-increasing diligence cultivates the Four Stations of Mindfulness:

Contemplation of the body as impure.
Contemplation of feelings as suffering.
Contemplation of thoughts as impermanent.
Contemplation of dharmas as without a self.

Inside he contemplates the mind, and does not see the mind.
Outside he contemplates shapes, and does not see shapes.
In the distance he contemplates objects, and does not see objects.

Worldly greed and worries in that way are all expelled. What worldly people are greedy for, the Bodhisattva has no greed for, and what they worry about does not worry him. He has expelled a worldly person’s thoughts of love and desire and, therefore, has a kind of samadhi power which enables him not to be turned by outside states. How can one manage to be that way? The first way to apply one’s efforts is by contemplating the body as impure.

You contemplate how your body has nine orifices which constantly pour out impurities. Your two eyes have eye matter, your two nostrils have snot, your two ears have wax, your mouth has saliva and phlegm-all filthy. In addition to those seven holes, there are the outlets for urine and excrement, making nine. Unclean matter is always flowing form them, and what is there to love about that? Then you contemplate all feelings you experience as suffering, and how happiness itself is suffering’s cause. You contemplate thoughts as impermanent, each being produced and then passing away, not lasting. You contemplate dharmas as without a self:

All dharmas at their basis are characterized by extinction and cannot be expressed in words.

So how could they have a self to them? The Bodhisattva cultivates those dharmas of the Four Stations of Mindfulness and expels all greed for the five objects of desire, so it’s gone.

Sutra:  

The Bodhisattva cultivates the Four Right Efforts Conduct.
Evil dharmas are extinguished, and the good increased.
The Bases of Psychic Power, the Roots, the Powers he all well cultivates.
The Seven Enlightenment Shares, the Eightfold Path are also that way.

To rescue living beings, he cultivates those conducts,
Protected by his basic vows, with compassion foremost.
He seeks all wisdom and the Buddha countries,
And is mindful of Thus Come Ones’ Ten Kinds of Powers.  

The Four Fearlessnesses and the Uncommon Dharmas,
The most special marks and characteristics, the deep, beautiful, sounds.
He also seeks the wondrous Path, the Stations of Liberation,
Along with great expedients-he cultivates these.  

With view of body as the fist, the sixty-two views,
Of self and what belongs to self, of limitless kinds,
Of skandhas, realms, locations, all attachment to such,
Upon this, the Fourth Ground, all is left behind.  

Afflicted types of behavior reproved by the Thus Come One
As non-beneficial are completely cut off.
What the wise one cultivates is purified karma,
To save living beings, there is none not performed.  

Commentary:

The Bodhisattva cultivates the Four Right Efforts Conduct within the Thirty-seven Wings of Enlightenment, just as were the Four Stations of Mindfulness. With the Four Right Efforts, evil dharmas are extinguished, and the good increased. All evil karma that has not yet arisen he keeps from arising, and evil karma already produced he causes to be extinguished. All good karma that has not yet arisen he causes to arise, and good karma already produced he causes to increase and grow.

Then one adds the Bases of Psychic Power, the Roots, the Powers-the Four Bases of Psychic Power, the Five Roots, the Five Powers-those he all well cultivates. One further adds the Seven Enlightenment Shares, the Eightfold Path-the Seven Bodhi Shares and the Eight Sagely Way Shares, which are also that way. He cultivates them too with diligence. To rescue living beings, he cultivates those conducts. Because he wants to cross over every living being, he cultivates the Thirty-seven Wings of Enlightenment, protected by his basic vows, with compassion foremost. This is brought about by the vows he made in the past, and also because he makes great kindness and compassion of primary importance.

He seeks all wisdom and the Buddha countries, and is mindful of Thus Come Ones’ Ten Kinds of Powers. He constantly cultivates and is mindful of the Ten Powers the Buddha has, along with the Four Fearlessnesses, Eighteen Dharmas Special to a Buddha-the most special marks and characteristics, the deep, beautiful sound. He also seeks the wondrous Path, the Stations of Liberation. He cultivates the inconceivable Way, and achieves dhyana-samadhi, along with great expedients-he cultivates these. He acquires the most greatly expedient Dharma-doors. With view of body as the first, the sixty-two views-he expels the sixty-two views, starting with the views of a body, views of extremes, views of observances, views of grasping at views, and deviant views, of self and what belongs to self, of limitless kinds.

There are also those of skandhas, realms, locations, all attachment to such, all grasping at the Five Skandhas, the Eighteen Realms, or the Twelve Locations, upon this, the Fourth Ground, all is left behind. All of it is emptied, for when one cultivates the Dharma-doors of the Fourth Ground, one has to become free from all such dharmas of attachment. Afflicted types of behavior were reproved by the Thus Come One. Afflictions are what the Buddha said not to have as non-beneficial. Since there are no advantages whatsoever to afflictions, they must be cut off. Therefore, they are completely cut off. What the wise one cultivates is purified karma. Of the good and pure karma which the Thus Come One praised, to save living beings, there is none not performed. Because he wants to rescue all beings, there is none he fails to cultivate.

Sutra:  

The Bodhisattva diligently cultivates and is never lax or lazy.
He right away obtains Ten Minds, all of them perfected.
Intently seeking Buddhahood, he never tires or wearies,
Determined to take office to rescue living beings.  

Commentary:

In his cultivation, the Bodhisattva sacrifices himself for the sake of others, only knowing to benefit living beings, and constantly forgetting about himself in his concern for them. You can see that people who cultivate the Bodhisattva Path are not the same as ordinary people. What common mortals are greedy for, like, and are attached to, the Bodhisattva has no greed for, does not like, and has no attachment to. Anyone can walk the Bodhisattva Way, the only condition being the ability to forget about oneself to benefit others, having no greed for enjoyments or pleasures for oneself. If one can be happy at others’ happiness and like it when other people like things, then one is a Bodhisattva.

A Bodhisattva would willingly sacrifice his own body and life if that would be of benefit to living beings, and would do what he himself does not want to do if living beings needed him to do it for them. He can do that because he doesn’t see himself as existing, he has no self, but only knows about other living beings. That’s why when a Bodhisattva suffers, he doesn’t feel that it is suffering, and no matter what difficulties he encounters in his cultivation, he doesn’t feel they are difficulties. That’s because he wishes to cross over living beings to they all leave suffering and attain to bliss, end birth, and cast off death. So, the Bodhisattva diligently cultivates and is never lax or lazy. He realizes that living beings are all waiting for him to come teach and transform them and cross them over, and so at all times he is vigorous, both in body and mind.

The Bodhisattva even in his sleep has work he does, and even teaches living beings in his dreams. You may see the Bodhisattva as simply being asleep, but actually he is sending out hundreds of thousands of millions of transformation bodies to other world-systems to instruct and transform living beings. The Bodhisattva’s state, therefore, is an inconceivable one that we ordinary common beings are unable to recognize, understand, or know. The Bodhisattva at all times is diligently vigorous and never remiss or indolent, and he right away obtains Ten Minds, all of them perfected.

Due to his constant vigor, he comes to have ten kinds of Bodhi minds, all perfected and complete. Intently seeking Buddhahood, he never tires or wearies. What the Bodhisattva is seeking is the Buddha Way, and his search is unrelenting. There’s never a time when he feels tired or wearies of it, because he knows living beings are waiting for him to save them. He is determined to take office to rescue living beings. His hope and wish is that in the future he will be able to accomplish Buddhahood, succeed to the position of Anointment of the Crown, and then take office as Dharma King, afterwards turning the boat of kindness around and vastly crossing over living beings. For that reason, he never, ever rests.

Sutra:  

He reveres honored virtuous ones, and cultivates their dharmas,
Knows kindness, is easily instructed, and without exasperation.
He abandons pride, does not flatter, in mind is tamed and compliant.
He increases in vigor and is irreversible.

When the Bodhisattva dwells upon this Ground of Blazing Wisdom,
His mind is purified, and it is never lost.
His enlightened understanding is decisive, his good increases and grows.
The net of doubts, turbidities, he completely leaves behind.  

This Ground’s Bodhisattva among people is supreme,
And has made offerings to limitless nayutas of Buddhas.
Upon hearing proper Dharma, he also leaves home,
And is as indestructible as genuine gold.  

The Bodhisattva dwelling here has merit and virtue.
Using wisdom and expedients, he cultivates the Way.
In spite of hordes of demons, his mind does not retreat,
The way a wondrous jewel cannot be destroyed.  

Commentary:

He reveres honored virtuous ones, and cultivates their dharmas. The Bodhisattva respects and venerates all Buddhas of the ten directions and three periods of time, honors their merit and virtue, and cultivates all dharmas. Therefore, we living beings, in turn, should respect and revere the Bodhisattva and repay his kindness to us. He knows kindness, is easily instructed, and without exasperation. The Bodhisattva recognizes the kindness done towards him by greatly virtuous Good Knowing Advisors, and wishes to repay that kindness by following their teachings, well cultivating the Way, and in his turn showing the same kindness towards other living beings.

Whether the living beings are easy to tame and subdue, or not, in either case the Bodhisattva teaches and transforms them and would never abandon a single living being. Even if it’s the very worst possible living being, he still vows to teach and transform him to become a Buddha in the future, and does so without exasperation. At all times, and in all situations, the Bodhisattva treats living beings with an attitude of kindness, compassion, joy, and giving. He would never get angry at any living being. If he had a temper and it flared up, that would be becoming exasperated; but the Bodhisattva employs patience to teach and transform living beings and never gets mad at them.

He abandons pride, does not flatter, in mind is tamed and compliant. The Bodhisattva gets rid of all pride and arrogance, unlike we ordinary people who cling to our conceit, always feeling we are number one, the very best. He wants to rid himself of flattery which is playing up to the rich and looking down on the poor. He has no wish to do that, and his mind is tamed and compliant, very kind, and compassionate. He increases in vigor and is irreversible. This Bodhisattva is daily more vigorous in his cultivation of the Bodhisattva Way, day by day increasing his diligent cultivation of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, and his eradication of greed, anger, and stupidity. He never retreats towards the Two Vehicles, never retreats to being a common person, and never retreats to future falling into the three evil destinies. He is irreversible in position, though, and conduct.

When the Bodhisattva dwells upon this Ground of Blazing Wisdom, his mind is purified, and it is never lost. When he reaches this position, he obtains purified wisdom, which he never loses. That is, he never has any defiled thoughts, specifically no thoughts of desire, of lust, and love. He has no mind with regard to states. He doesn’t give rise to defiled thinking when faced with that type of situation. His enlightened understanding is decisive, his good increases and grows.

Since he has no defilement of mind, the great light of his wisdom shines forth. It’s true and actual wisdom, not the worldly knowledge and argumentative intelligence of an average, ordinary person. What that true wisdom, he can know what is meant by right and wrong, what is the Way and what is not, what is Dharma and non-Dharma. He has the Selective Dharma Eye and so is decisive and not confused by worldly dharmas. Every day his good roots increase, which is the ripening of good karma. The net of doubts, turbidities, he completely leaves behind. He has enlightened understanding of recognition of all dharmas, which frees him of all doubts, as well as all filth.

This Ground’s Bodhisattva among people is supreme. The Bodhisattva on the Ground of Blazing Wisdom is an especially supreme person, and he has made offerings to limitless nayutas of Buddhas in the past. Upon hearing proper Dharma, he also leaves home. In the Dharma Assemblies of the Buddhas of the ten directions he listens to the proper Dharma, and after that he leaves the home life, or else does so after hearing and understanding proper Dharma in the presence of all Dharma-speaking Dharma Masters throughout the world-systems of the ten directions, and is as indestructible as genuine gold. His cultivation is like the refining of true gold. All kinds of methods are used to smelt and refine that gold, so not the least admixture is left.

The Bodhisattva dwelling here has merit and virtue. On the Ground of Blazing Wisdom he is replete with limitless meritorious qualities. Using wisdom and expedients, he cultivates the Way. He walks the Bodhisattva Path employing great wisdom and skillful expedient means. In spite of hordes of demons, his mind does not retreat. No impeding obstacles, states, or demonic tests cause him to change his mind. He does not retreat, just the way a wondrous jewel cannot be destroyed. Nothing can crack it, for it’s entirely a wondrous jewel.

Sutra:

Dwelling here one mostly is a Suyama Heaven King,
Has self-mastery of dharmas, and is revered by multitudes,
Universally teaches flocks of beings to expel evil views,
Intently seeking Buddha’s wisdom and practicing good karma.  

The Bodhisattva with diligence adds to power of vigor,
Acquires samadhis and so forth, numbering in the hundred millions.
If he uses power of vows and wisdom to enact them,
It exceeds that number by amounts one cannot know.  

As it is upon the Fourth Bodhisattva Ground,
The purified, subtle, and wonderful Way cultivated,
Its merit, virtue, and interactions of aspiration and wisdom,
I, for Buddha’s disciples, have already proclaimed.  

Commentary:

Dwelling here one mostly is a Suyama Heaven King. When the Bodhisattva dwells upon the Ground of Blazing Wisdom, he regularly is the King of the Suyama Heaven, has self-mastery of dharmas, and is revered by multitudes. His freedom and sovereignty over all dharmas causes all the throngs of gods and humans to revere and respect him. He universally teaches flocks of beings to expel evil views. He causes all living beings to rid themselves of deviant views and return to proper knowledge and proper views, intently seeking Buddha’s wisdom and practicing good karma. He concentrates his mind in one direction, only seeking the wisdom of a Buddha and cultivating all good karmic deeds.

The Bodhisattva with diligence adds to power of vigor. He is courageously vigorous in his cultivation of all dharmas, and acquires samadhis and so forth, numbering in the hundred millions. The proper concentrations and proper receptions are hundreds upon thousands of ten thousands of millions in number. If he uses power of vows and wisdom to enact them, if it’s through the vows the Bodhisattva made in the past and the powers he has cultivated, it exceeds that number by amounts one cannot know. How far it goes beyond that number no one could know.

As it is upon the Fourth Bodhisattva Ground, the purified, subtle, and wonderful Way cultivated, its merit, virtue, and interactions of aspiration and wisdom, I, for the Buddha’s disciples, have already proclaimed. I, Vajra Treasury Bodhisattva, for all of you disciples of the Buddha, have already described what the Dharma doors a Bodhisattva cultivates on the Fourth Ground are like. I have told you about the merit and virtue it has, along with all the aspirations and wisdoms which give mutual assistance.

End of the Fourth Ground.

previous   next   Contents

Chapter 26 pages:  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15

                                 16    17    18    19    20    21    22    23    24    Chapter 27 >

return to top