Dwelling in the Ground of Joy
The section of exposition finally begins. Vajragarbha analyzes a bodhisattva's arousal of the thought of enlightenment through four questions — in dependence on what body, for what purpose, through what cause, and with what mark — before declaring that the very moment this mind arises, an ordinary person has already, in eight distinct ways, become someone else entirely: born into the Buddha's own family, though nothing about his outward life has changed at all.
In Dependence on What Body, and for What Purpose
已說請分，自此以後正說初地。此說分中說何等事？分別有三：一、住；二、釋名；三、安住。住中有四種：依何身？為何義？以何因？有何相？彼心生時即住初地，是名為住，於中諸佛子善集善根故。如是等四十句說此住事。初說依何身生如是心。
經曰：諸佛子！若有眾生厚集善根故、善集諸善行故、善集諸三昧行故、善供養諸佛故、善集清白法故、善知識善護故、善清淨心故、入深廣心故、信樂大法好求佛智慧故、現大慈悲故，如是眾生乃能發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
論曰：如是十句說依何身。此集有九種：一者行集，善作眷屬持戒，如經「善集諸善行」故。二者定集，善作眷屬三昧，如經「善集諸三昧行」故。三昧行者，觀行增上故。三者親近集，善習聞慧智，如經「善供養諸佛」故。四者聚集思慧智，善思量波羅蜜等諸善法，如經「善集清白法」故。五者護集，修行實證善得教授，如經「善知識善護」故。六者淨心集，得出世間正智，如經「善清淨心」故。七者廣集，深心作利益一切眾生，如經「入深廣心」故。
八者信心集，求一切智智，如經「信樂大法好求佛智慧」故。九者現集，多行慈悲，如經「現大慈悲」故。於中慈念依苦苦、壞苦，悲依行苦。是中初二種集，顯增上戒學、增上定學，行集善作眷屬持戒故，定集善作眷屬三昧故。次有四集，顯增上慧學，親近集善習聞慧智故，聚集思慧智善思量波羅蜜等諸善法故，護集修行實證善得教授故，淨心集得出世間正智故。後三集，顯勝聲聞辟支佛等故，廣集深心作利益一切眾生故，信心集求一切智智故，現集多行慈悲故。此十句中厚集善根是總，餘九種是別。集者是同相，別者是異相，成者略說故，壞者廣說故。已說依何身生如是心，次說為何義故生如是心。
經曰：為得佛智故、為得十力力故、為得大無畏故、為得佛平等法故、為救一切世間故、為淨大慈悲故、為得十方無餘智故、為得一切世界無障淨智故、為得一念中覺三世事故、為得轉大法輪無所畏故，菩薩摩訶薩生如是心。
論曰：於中佛智者，謂無上智，知斷證修故。此佛智有九種業差別，為求彼故生如是心。一者力佛智，問記業，此如來是處非處智力問記故，如修多羅中說，如經「為得十力力」故。二者無畏佛智，破邪說業，如經「為得大無畏」故。三者平等佛智，得人法無我教授眾生證入業，如經「為得佛平等法」故。四者救佛智，以四攝法化眾生業，如經「為救一切世間」故。五者淨佛智，是淨為救攝因業，如經「為淨大慈悲」故。六者無餘智，佛智常以佛眼觀世間眾生業，如經「為得十方無餘智」故。七者無染佛智，一切世界無障無染自然應化令信作業，智心無礙，如經「為得一切世界無障淨智」故。八者覺佛智，於一念中知三世眾生心心數法業，如經「為得一念中覺三世事」故。九者轉法輪佛智，解脫方便善巧業故，於百億閻浮提同時轉大法輪，如經「為得轉大法輪無所畏」故。生如是心者，即是本分中說諸佛子是菩薩願善決定故。何故唯言生心，不言生智及餘心數法？心中即攝知斷證修一切助道法故。
已說為何義故生如是心，次說以何因生如是心。
This concludes the section of request; from this point onward, the First Ground is truly and properly taught. In this section of exposition, what matters are taught? There are three divisions: dwelling; the explanation of the name; and abiding. Within dwelling there are four aspects: in dependence on what body? For what purpose? Through what cause? With what mark? At the moment this mind arises, one thereupon dwells in the First Ground — this is what is called "dwelling," since, within this, every son of the Buddha has well gathered roots of goodness. Forty such clauses expound this matter of dwelling. First, this explains in dependence on what body this mind arises.
Sūtra: Sons of the Buddha! If there are sentient beings who have richly gathered roots of goodness, who have well gathered every wholesome practice, who have well gathered every practice of samādhi, who have well made offerings to the buddhas, who have well gathered pure and undefiled dharmas, who have been well protected by good spiritual friends, whose minds are well purified, who have entered into a deep and vast mind, who, having faith and delight in the Great Dharma, earnestly seek a buddha's wisdom, and who manifest great loving-kindness and compassion — such sentient beings are thereby able to arouse the thought of unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.
Commentary: These ten clauses explain in dependence on what body this mind arises. This gathering is of nine kinds. First, the gathering of practice: well making the upholding of precepts one's companion — as the sūtra says, "well gathered every wholesome practice." Second, the gathering of concentration: well making samādhi one's companion — as the sūtra says, "well gathered every practice of samādhi." "The practice of samādhi" means contemplative practice is thereby increased. Third, the gathering of drawing near: well cultivating the wisdom born of hearing — as the sūtra says, "well made offerings to the buddhas." Fourth, the gathering of accumulation, the wisdom born of reflection: well reflecting on the perfections and other wholesome dharmas — as the sūtra says, "well gathered pure and undefiled dharmas." Fifth, the gathering of protection: cultivating true realization, well receiving instruction — as the sūtra says, "well protected by good spiritual friends." Sixth, the gathering of a purified mind: attaining correct, supramundane wisdom — as the sūtra says, "minds well purified." Seventh, the gathering of vastness: with a deep mind, working for the benefit of all sentient beings — as the sūtra says, "entered into a deep and vast mind."
Eighth, the gathering of faith: seeking the wisdom of omniscience — as the sūtra says, "having faith and delight in the Great Dharma, earnestly seeking a buddha's wisdom." Ninth, the gathering of manifestation: extensively practicing loving-kindness and compassion — as the sūtra says, "manifest great loving-kindness and compassion." Here, loving-kindness is directed toward the suffering of suffering and the suffering of change, while compassion is directed toward the suffering inherent in all conditioned existence. Of these, the first two gatherings make manifest the training in the higher precepts and the training in higher concentration: the gathering of practice, well making the upholding of precepts one's companion, and the gathering of concentration, well making samādhi one's companion. The next four gatherings make manifest the training in higher wisdom: the gathering of drawing near, well cultivating the wisdom born of hearing; the gathering of accumulation, the wisdom born of reflection, well reflecting on the perfections and other wholesome dharmas; the gathering of protection, cultivating true realization and well receiving instruction; and the gathering of a purified mind, attaining correct, supramundane wisdom. The final three gatherings make manifest superiority over the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas and the like: the gathering of vastness, with a deep mind working for the benefit of all sentient beings; the gathering of faith, seeking the wisdom of omniscience; and the gathering of manifestation, extensively practicing loving-kindness and compassion. In these ten clauses, "richly gathered roots of goodness" is the universal aspect, and the remaining nine kinds are the particular aspects. "Gathering" is the aspect of sameness, and the particular kinds are the aspect of difference; the aspect of formation is what is spoken of concisely, and the aspect of disintegration is what is spoken of at length. Having now explained in dependence on what body this mind arises, next this explains for what purpose this mind arises.
Sūtra: So as to attain a buddha's wisdom; so as to attain the power of the ten powers; so as to attain great fearlessness; so as to attain a buddha's equality of Dharma; so as to save every world; so as to purify great loving-kindness and compassion; so as to attain unremaining wisdom throughout the ten directions; so as to attain unobstructed, pure wisdom throughout every world; so as to attain awareness of the affairs of the three times within a single thought-moment; and so as to attain the fearlessness of turning the great Dharma-wheel — for these reasons, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva gives rise to this mind.
Commentary: Here, "a buddha's wisdom" means unsurpassed wisdom — knowing, cutting off, realizing, and cultivating. This buddha-wisdom has nine distinct functions, and it is in order to seek these that this mind arises. First, the buddha-wisdom of power, the function of answering questions: this is the tathāgata's wisdom-power of knowing what is possible and what is not, by which he answers questions — as the sūtras teach, and as the sūtra here says, "so as to attain the power of the ten powers." Second, the fearless buddha-wisdom, the function of refuting false doctrines — as the sūtra says, "so as to attain great fearlessness." Third, the equal buddha-wisdom, the function of attaining the selflessness of persons and of dharmas and teaching sentient beings to realize this — as the sūtra says, "so as to attain a buddha's equality of Dharma." Fourth, the saving buddha-wisdom, the function of transforming sentient beings through the four means of attraction — as the sūtra says, "so as to save every world." Fifth, the purifying buddha-wisdom, the function of purity as the cause that gathers in beings for their salvation — as the sūtra says, "so as to purify great loving-kindness and compassion." Sixth, unremaining wisdom, the function of the buddha's wisdom constantly observing the sentient beings of the world with the buddha-eye — as the sūtra says, "so as to attain unremaining wisdom throughout the ten directions." Seventh, the undefiled buddha-wisdom, the function whereby every world, unobstructed and undefiled, spontaneously responds and transforms, causing faith to arise — the wisdom-mind being unobstructed — as the sūtra says, "so as to attain unobstructed, pure wisdom throughout every world." Eighth, the awakened buddha-wisdom, the function of knowing, within a single thought-moment, the minds and mental factors of sentient beings across the three times — as the sūtra says, "so as to attain awareness of the affairs of the three times within a single thought-moment." Ninth, the buddha-wisdom of turning the Dharma-wheel, the function of the skillful means of liberation, by which the great Dharma-wheel is turned simultaneously throughout a hundred koṭis of Jambudvīpas — as the sūtra says, "so as to attain the fearlessness of turning the great Dharma-wheel." As for "gives rise to this mind" — this is precisely what the section of the outline referred to when it spoke of the bodhisattvas' vow being well resolved. Why does it speak only of giving rise to "mind," and not of giving rise to wisdom and the other mental factors? Because within mind itself is already encompassed every dharma that assists the path — knowing, cutting off, realizing, and cultivating alike.
Having now explained for what purpose this mind arises, next this explains through what cause this mind arises.
Huiyuan is careful to distinguish this fourfold analysis of dwelling — in dependence on what body, for what purpose, through what cause, with what mark — from a superficially similar fourfold scheme in the *Bodhisattvabhūmi* (地持經), a text that also analyzes the arousing of bodhicitta, showing where the two schemes genuinely diverge rather than simply restate each other under different names. The first two questions differ in both name and meaning: 地持 asks what kind of person arouses this mind and in what stage of practice, framing the question around the practitioner generally; this treatise asks specifically in dependence on what body — meaning the accumulated qualities of the First Ground itself — the mind arises, since 此局明出世間道，故說初地行德為身 — "this treatise narrows its focus specifically to the supramundane path, and so speaks of the First Ground's own qualities as the 'body' in question." The third question differs similarly: 地持 asks what the mark of arousing this mind is, in general terms of seeking a cause and a fruit; this treatise asks specifically through what cause, since 今此宣說大悲為因 — "here it specifically teaches great compassion as the cause" — a narrower and more pointed claim than the parallel text makes. Only the fourth question, on what benefit this mind brings, is genuinely the same in meaning across both texts, though named differently — both treating the passage from ordinary person to bodhisattva as the benefit in question. The comparison matters because a reader who assumes the two schemes are simply synonyms risks reading this treatise's specifically supramundane, compassion-centered framing as more generic than it actually is.
On the nine buddha-wisdoms sought through arousing this mind, Huiyuan flags a structural division the bare enumeration leaves implicit: 前三自利，後六利他 — "the first three are self-benefiting, the latter six benefit others" — with the first three (the wisdom-power that answers any question correctly, fearlessness in refuting false doctrine, and the equal realization of the selflessness of persons and dharmas) constituting the buddha's own attainment, while the remaining six describe how that attainment is then deployed on behalf of sentient beings: through the four means of attraction, through compassion as the cause of that saving activity, and through four further wisdoms Huiyuan identifies as corresponding to the five traditional "immeasurables" of a buddha's knowledge (of beings, of world-systems, of the dharmas that give rise to good and evil, of beings' spiritual faculties, and of the skillful means needed to guide them) — condensed here into four clauses because the fourth and fifth immeasurables are treated together under a single term, 覺智, "the wisdom of awareness." Even in a passage that reads, on first glance, as a fairly mechanical nine-item list, Huiyuan's structural division shows the treatise organizing a buddha's entire wisdom around a single hinge: three attainments proper to the buddha alone, opening outward into six modes of using that attainment for others.
Through What Cause, and With What Mark
經曰：是心以大悲為首，智慧增上，方便善巧所攝，直心深心淳至，如來力無量，善決定眾生力智力，隨順自然智能受一切佛法，以智慧教化，廣大如法界，究竟如虛空，盡未來際。
論曰：此大悲為首。於中悲大有九種：一者增上大，細苦智增上生故，如經「智慧增上」故。智者因果逆順染淨觀故，慧者自相同相差別觀故。二者攝大，救苦眾生方便善巧所攝，如經「方便善巧所攝」故。三者淳至大，向時許乃至盡眾生界作利益眾生悲心增上，如經「直心深心淳至」故。四者無量大，攝取如來無量力，如經「如來力無量」故。五者決定大，上妙決定信深智勝對治，如經「善決定眾生力智力」故。六者隨順大，隨順菩提正覺，如經「隨順自然智」故。七者正受大，能取大勝法教授眾生，如經「能受一切佛法，以智慧教化」故。八者最妙大，攝受勝妙功德，如經「廣大如法界」故。九者住盡大，無量愛果因盡涅槃際，如經「究竟如虛空，盡未來際」故。已說以何因生如是心，次說是心生時有何等相。
經曰：菩薩生如是心，即時過凡夫地入菩薩位，生在佛家，種姓尊貴無可譏嫌，過一切世間道入出世間道，住菩薩法中、住在菩薩正處，入三世真如法中、如來種中，畢定究竟阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。
菩薩住如是法，名住菩薩歡喜地，以不動法故。
論曰：過凡夫地者，以過凡夫地故，示現得出世間聖道。此過有八種：一者入位過，初成出世間心，如始住胎相似法故，如經「入菩薩位」故。二者家過，家生相似法故，如經「生在佛家」故。三者種姓過，子相似法大乘行生故，如經「種姓尊貴，無可譏嫌」故。
四者道過，世間出世間道不攝攝故，異道生相似法故，如經「過一切世間道，入出世間道」故。五者法體過，以大悲為體，於作他事即是己事，自身體相似法故，如經「住菩薩法中」故。六者處過，不捨世間方便，不染善巧住故，住處相似法故，如經「住在菩薩正處」故。七者業過，順空聖智生命相似法故，如經「入三世真如法中」故。八者畢定過，佛種不斷，究竟涅槃，道成就相似法故，如經「如來種中畢定究竟阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」故。如是示現凡夫生、菩薩生入胎不相似，有煩惱、無煩惱故。如是次第家不相似、種姓不相似、道不相似、體不相似、處不相似、生業不相似、成就不相似，如是說住此地中是名為住，如經「菩薩住如是法名住菩薩歡喜地，以不動法故」。已說住義，次說釋名。云何說？多歡喜故示名歡喜。以何歡喜？此地中菩薩歡喜。復以何念，初說十句、後說二十句？
Sūtra: This mind takes great compassion as its very head, wisdom as its increase, is gathered by skillful means, is upright, deep, and thoroughly sincere, is possessed of the Tathāgata's boundless power, well resolves the power and wisdom-power of sentient beings, in accordance with spontaneous wisdom is able to receive every buddha-dharma, teaches and transforms through wisdom, is vast as the dharma-realm, ultimate as space itself, and lasts unto the very end of future time.
Commentary: This mind takes great compassion as its head. Here, the greatness of this compassion is of nine kinds. First, the greatness of increase: because it arises through the increase of subtle wisdom regarding suffering — as the sūtra says, "wisdom as its increase." "Wisdom" here means contemplating cause and effect, whether contrary or in accord, defiled or pure; and again "wisdom" means contemplating the particular and shared marks and their distinctions. Second, the greatness of gathering: gathered by the skillful means that save suffering sentient beings — as the sūtra says, "gathered by skillful means." Third, the greatness of thorough sincerity: from the moment it is first promised, the compassionate mind that works for the benefit of sentient beings only increases, all the way until the realm of sentient beings is exhausted — as the sūtra says, "upright, deep, and thoroughly sincere." Fourth, the greatness of boundlessness: gathering in the Tathāgata's boundless power — as the sūtra says, "possessed of the Tathāgata's boundless power." Fifth, the greatness of resolve: a supreme, resolute faith, whose profound wisdom counteracts supremely — as the sūtra says, "well resolves the power and wisdom-power of sentient beings." Sixth, the greatness of accordance: according with correct, complete enlightenment — as the sūtra says, "in accordance with spontaneous wisdom." Seventh, the greatness of proper reception: being able to receive the great, supreme Dharma and teach sentient beings — as the sūtra says, "able to receive every buddha-dharma, teaching and transforming through wisdom." Eighth, the greatness of supreme excellence: gathering in supreme and sublime merit — as the sūtra says, "vast as the dharma-realm." Ninth, the greatness of abiding to the very end: the boundless cause of the fruit of loving-kindness lasting unto the very limit of nirvāṇa — as the sūtra says, "ultimate as space itself, unto the very end of future time." Having now explained through what cause this mind arises, next this explains what mark this mind has at the moment it arises.
Sūtra: Once the bodhisattva has given rise to this mind, at that very moment he passes beyond the ground of the ordinary person and enters the bodhisattva's own station, is born within the family of the Buddha, his lineage noble and beyond all reproach, passes beyond every worldly path and enters the supramundane path, abides within the bodhisattva's own Dharma, abides in the bodhisattva's true place, enters into the suchness-dharma of the three times, into the lineage of the Tathāgata, and is resolutely destined for the ultimate attainment of unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.
A bodhisattva who abides in this Dharma is said to dwell in the bodhisattva's Ground of Joy, since it is a dharma from which he can never be moved.
Commentary: "Passes beyond the ground of the ordinary person" — because he passes beyond the ground of the ordinary person, this makes manifest that he has attained the supramundane, sagely path. This "passing beyond" is of eight kinds. First, the passing beyond of entering a station: for the first time accomplishing the supramundane mind, resembling the dharma of first entering the womb — as the sūtra says, "enters the bodhisattva's own station." Second, the passing beyond of family: resembling the dharma of being born into a family — as the sūtra says, "is born within the family of the Buddha." Third, the passing beyond of lineage: resembling the dharma of a child born through the practice of the Great Vehicle — as the sūtra says, "his lineage noble and beyond all reproach."
Fourth, the passing beyond of the path: because it is not encompassed by either the worldly or the supramundane path, resembling the dharma of being born on a different path — as the sūtra says, "passes beyond every worldly path and enters the supramundane path." Fifth, the passing beyond of the essence of the Dharma: taking great compassion as its essence, so that undertaking another's task is itself one's own task, resembling the dharma of one's own bodily essence — as the sūtra says, "abides within the bodhisattva's own Dharma." Sixth, the passing beyond of place: not abandoning the skillful means of the world, abiding undefiled within skillful means, resembling the dharma of an abiding place — as the sūtra says, "abides in the bodhisattva's true place." Seventh, the passing beyond of karmic activity: according with the emptiness of sagely wisdom, resembling the dharma of a life thus generated — as the sūtra says, "enters into the suchness-dharma of the three times." Eighth, the passing beyond of resolute destiny: the buddha-lineage never broken, ultimate nirvāṇa, resembling the dharma of the path's accomplishment — as the sūtra says, "into the lineage of the Tathāgata, resolutely destined for the ultimate attainment of unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment." In this way it is made manifest that the birth of an ordinary person and the "birth" of a bodhisattva, though resembling entry into the womb, are not truly alike, since one has affliction and the other does not. In this same sequence, the family is not truly alike, the lineage is not truly alike, the path is not truly alike, the essence is not truly alike, the place is not truly alike, the karmic activity of birth is not truly alike, and the accomplishment is not truly alike. This is what is meant by saying that dwelling within this ground is called "dwelling" — as the sūtra says, "a bodhisattva who abides in this Dharma is said to dwell in the bodhisattva's Ground of Joy, since it is a dharma from which he can never be moved." This concludes the meaning of dwelling; next this explains the explanation of the name. What does it mean to say this? Because of its abundant joy, it is shown to be named "the Ground of Joy." Through what joy? The joy a bodhisattva has within this ground. And through what further reflection is this shown, first in ten clauses, and then in twenty clauses?
Huiyuan reads the eight-fold "passing beyond" as a single sustained metaphor of gestation and birth, carried consistently through every one of its eight terms rather than shifting registers partway through: entering a station resembles first entering the womb; being born into the Buddha's family resembles ordinary birth into a household; a noble lineage resembles a child conceived through a specific line of descent; the path itself resembles the very manner of that birth; the essence of compassion resembles a bodily essence inherited at birth; an abiding place resembles a dwelling; karmic activity resembles a life thus generated; and resolute destiny resembles the completed course of that life reaching its own natural end. He is explicit that every single term of comparison is deliberately chosen and not incidental, closing with the single distinction that holds the whole metaphor together without collapsing it into simple identity: 如是示現凡夫生、菩薩生入胎不相似，有煩惱、無煩惱故 — "this makes manifest that the birth of an ordinary person and the birth of a bodhisattva, though both resembling entry into the womb, are not the same, since one still has affliction and the other does not." Every other point of resemblance in the list is followed by the identical qualifier — 相似, "resembling," never 同, "the same as" — a careful hedge maintained eight times in a row, so that a reader is never allowed to mistake the extended birth-image for a literal claim that a bodhisattva has been reborn in any ordinary sense.
Huiyuan also flags a genuine textual asymmetry the treatise itself never announces: while every other transition in this section of exposition is marked by an explicit "已說X，次說Y" formula, the shift from explaining the mark of this arising mind into naming why the ground itself is called "joyful" happens with no such marker at all — the treatise simply states "多歡喜故示名歡喜" and moves directly into asking what specific reflection produces that joy, first in ten clauses and then in twenty. Huiyuan treats this as worth noting precisely because it is the exception: everywhere else in this densely signposted treatise, a reader can rely on an explicit transition phrase to know a new division has begun, which makes the one place such a marker is missing a small but genuine irregularity in an otherwise scrupulously self-announcing text.
Part 7 Complete
This closes Part 7: the section of exposition's opening analysis of "dwelling" in the First Ground — in dependence on what body (nine kinds of gathered goodness), for what purpose (nine functions of a buddha's wisdom), through what cause (nine kinds of the greatness of compassion), and with what mark (eight ways an ordinary person, in the very moment this mind arises, becomes someone genuinely different, though nothing about his outward life has changed). Part 8 turns to the explanation of the name itself: why this ground is called the Ground of Joy, first through ten clauses of joy directly, then through twenty further clauses distinguishing what is yet to be attained from what has already been attained.
Continue to Part 8 — Why It Is Called the Ground of Joy →