The Orphaned Without Refuge, and the Titles of Mastery

Sūtra: At that time the bodhisattva gives rise to this reflection: these ordinary, unenlightened beings are truly strange and pitiable — foolish and without wisdom, possessed of bodies boundless, limitless, and beyond number, already extinguished, now being extinguished, and yet to be extinguished. Even so, utterly extinguished again and again, they are unable to give rise, with regard to the body, to any thought of revulsion and weariness, but instead ever more increase this mechanism-body of suffering; they ever follow the world's drifting current, unable to find their way back; they return to the dwelling-house of the five aggregates, unable to abandon it; they do not fear the four great poisonous serpents; they are unable to draw out the arrow of the view that is the conceit of self; they are unable to extinguish the fire of craving, hatred, and delusion; they are unable to break apart the darkness of ignorance; they are unable to dry up the great river of attachment and craving; they do not seek out the great sagely guide of the ten powers; they ever enter the thicket of Māra's intent; and, upon the sea of birth-and-death, they are ever turned about by every evil thought and deliberation.

Commentary: "The right contemplation of great compassion upon this deep and heavy suffering" means that it is followed and pursued through boundless ages by manifold kinds of suffering. "Possessed of bodies boundless, limitless, and beyond number" that are extinguished means that it is followed and pursued through boundless ages. What, then, is the contemplation of manifold suffering? It is the suffering of birth, its arising, and the path that departs from its cessation. Old age, sickness, and death are contemplated in just the same way — as suffering, as its arising, and as the path that departs from its cessation. Here, that this body, in dependence on causes and conditions, is this mechanism-body of suffering, makes manifest the suffering of birth. That they ever follow the world's drifting current, unable to find their way back, makes manifest the arising that is craving. That they return to the dwelling-house of the five aggregates, unable to abandon it, makes manifest the path that departs from its cessation. That they do not fear the four great poisonous serpents refers to the suffering of sickness, since it is these elements' own waxing and waning that gives rise to it. Those who, in false brahmacarya, seek out beings, and those who, in desire, seek out beings that receive desire, are those who practice evil conduct. That those who seek out beings of existence are unable to draw out the arrow of the view that is the conceit of self makes this manifest. That they are unable to extinguish the fire of craving, hatred, and delusion, unable to break apart the darkness of ignorance, and unable to dry up the great river of attachment and craving — these, in this order, make manifest that very arising. Their heading toward the place of fearlessness, and their failing to seek out the great sagely guide of the ten powers, makes manifest their departing far from that cessation. Their ever entering the thicket of Māra's intent, according with the path of an enemy, makes manifest their departing far from that path. That, upon the sea of birth-and-death, they are ever turned about by every evil thought and deliberation should be understood as the false discrimination belonging to the mind and mental factors throughout the three realms entire. Next is explained the contemplation of great loving-kindness's radiant light, above.

Sūtra: I see these sentient beings undergoing suffering and affliction such as this — orphaned and without rescue, having no one to depend upon, no dwelling, no island, no ultimate resolution, blind and without eyes, wrapped about by the cataract-veil of ignorance, and covered over by folly. For the sake of these beings I give rise to this mind: I alone, singular, without any equal companion, shall gather and cultivate the merit and wisdom that assist the path, and, by means of these provisions of merit and wisdom that assist the path, cause all sentient beings to abide in ultimate purity, even unto attaining the Buddha's ten powers and the exhaustion of unobstructed wisdom.

Commentary: "Undergoing suffering and affliction such as this" is as explained before. "Orphaned" means that, in the midst of that suffering, there is no one to come to the rescue. Furthermore, "orphaned" refers to being so both in suffering already undergone and suffering not yet undergone. Speaking of "without rescue" and "without one to depend upon" means being apart from a good spiritual friend. Speaking of "without a dwelling" means being apart from hearing the correct Dharma. Speaking of "without an island" means being apart from tranquil reflection. Speaking of "without ultimate resolution" means being apart from right view. Speaking of "blind and without eyes" means that, obstructed by afflictions of long standing and by the adventitious afflictions of the guest-dust, one constantly gives rise to erroneous thought, and does not hear the correct Dharma, and so forth. Speaking of "wrapped about by the cataract-veil of ignorance and covered over by folly," and "I alone, singular, without any equal companion," makes manifest a matter of courageous excellence. "Gathering and cultivating the merit and wisdom that assist the path" makes manifest the increase of cultivation, since, in dependence on this, one teaches and transforms sentient beings, making it the cause of birth among gods and humans, even unto the cause of nirvāṇa. "Ultimate purity" means a purity that surpasses the world's own. "Attaining the Buddha's ten powers" means subduing every host of Māra's enmity. "The exhaustion of unobstructed wisdom" means a purity of wisdom surpassing that of the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas.

Sūtra: The bodhisattva, having thus well contemplated and given rise to the power of wisdom, in all the wholesome practices he cultivates, sets forth the vow: for the sake of rescuing all sentient beings; for the sake of bringing benefit to all sentient beings; for the sake of enabling all sentient beings to attain ease and joy; out of compassion and pity for all sentient beings; so that all sentient beings may be free of suffering and affliction; so that all sentient beings may attain liberation; for the sake of gathering in all sentient beings; so that the minds of all sentient beings may become pure; for the sake of taming and subduing all sentient beings; and he sets forth the vow that all sentient beings may enter great nirvāṇa.

Commentary: Here, "having well contemplated and given rise to the power of wisdom" means taming and subduing sentient beings through the wisdom of right contemplation. "All for the sake of rescuing and delivering every sentient being" means drawing out every suffering and affliction. This rescuing and delivering is of nine kinds. First, causing beings who abide in what is unwholesome to abide in wholesome dharmas — as the sūtra says, "for the sake of bringing benefit to all sentient beings." Second, causing beings who abide in wholesome dharmas to attain the fruit of joy — as the sūtra says, "for the sake of enabling all sentient beings to attain ease and joy." Third, giving to beings who abide in poverty and want every implement of livelihood — as the sūtra says, "out of compassion and pity for all sentient beings." Fourth, causing every being afflicted by the suffering of sickness and by every external condition to have it entirely removed and cut off — as the sūtra says, "so that all sentient beings may be free of suffering and affliction." Fifth, causing beings bound and confined within the world to attain release from it — as the sūtra says, "so that all sentient beings may attain liberation." Causing every non-Buddhist, through four kinds of marks, to gain faith and understanding in the correct Dharma — as the sūtra says, "for the sake of gathering in all sentient beings." Causing beings caught in doubt and confusion to reach a sound resolve and cut off their doubt — as the sūtra says, "so that the minds of all sentient beings may become pure." Urging beings already abiding in resolve to cultivate the three trainings — as the sūtra says, "for the sake of taming and subduing all sentient beings." Causing beings already abiding in the three trainings to attain nirvāṇa — as the sūtra says, "he sets forth the vow that all sentient beings may enter great nirvāṇa." Among these nine kinds of rescuing from suffering, the first two clauses rescue beings in the future, while the remaining clauses rescue beings in the present and also in the future. This is called the excellence of the practice of the non-abiding path. Next is explained the fruit of the excellence of the practice of the non-abiding path, which has four kinds of mark: first, the excellence of gathering in merit; second, the excellence of practice; third, the excellence of teaching and transforming sentient beings; and fourth, the excellence of giving rise to wisdom that accords with the world. What, then, is the excellence of gathering in merit? It is the excellence of gathering in what is heard, in moral discipline, and in wisdom.

Sūtra: This bodhisattva, having dwelt in this Fifth Ground, the bodhisattva ground Sudurjayā, is named "one who is mindful," since he never forgets any dharma. He is named "one of understanding," since his wisdom is well and resolutely settled. He is named "one who has gone forth," since he knows the sequence of the meaning of the scriptures. He is named "one who has a sense of shame," since he guards himself and guards others. He is named "one of firm resolve," since he never abandons the practice of upholding moral discipline. He is named "one who is awakened," since he skillfully reflects upon what is the case and what is not the case. He is named "one who follows wisdom," since he does not follow after others. He is named "one who follows insight," since he skillfully discerns, in the chapter and verse of every dharma, what accords with the meaning and what does not. He is named "one who attains spiritual powers," since he skillfully cultivates meditative concentration. He is named "one of skillful means," since he acts in accordance with the dharmas of the world.

Commentary: "The excellence of gathering in what is heard" means the excellence of gathering in the wisdom of hearing, of thought, and of cultivation. What, then, is the excellence of wisdom? As the sūtra says: "he is named 'one who is mindful,' since he never forgets any dharma; he is named 'one of understanding,' since his wisdom is well and resolutely settled; he is named 'one who has gone forth,' since he knows the sequence of the meaning of the scriptures." Here, "one who is mindful" is the excellence of the wisdom of hearing; "one of understanding" is the excellence of the wisdom of thought; "one who has gone forth" is the excellence of the wisdom of cultivation. These clauses, moreover, admit, in their sequence, of a further interpretation: he is named "one who is mindful" because his retention of what is heard is excellent; he is named "one of understanding" because his wisdom of the dharma is excellent in its very profundity; he is named "one who has gone forth" because his wisdom, profound in its very understanding, is excellent — this, in brief, is to say that he accomplishes two kinds of skillful means: skillfulness with regard to the dharma, and skillfulness with regard to its meaning. "The excellence of the gathering-in that is moral discipline" is of two kinds: the excellence of patience and gentleness, and the excellence of moral discipline without flaw — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who has a sense of shame,' since he guards himself and guards others; he is named 'one of firm resolve,' since he never abandons the practice of upholding moral discipline." "The excellence of the gathering-in that is wisdom" is of five kinds. First, the wisdom of the arising of causes and conditions, the antidote to the erroneous view of no cause and of a false cause — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who is awakened,' since he skillfully reflects upon what is the case and what is not the case." Second, the wisdom of realization, the antidote to the affairs of Māra — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who follows wisdom,' since he does not follow after others." Third, the wisdom that knows false teachings, the antidote to divergent teachings, skillfully knowing what accords with the meaning of a phrase, what does not accord with it, and what is a mixture of meanings — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who follows insight,' since he skillfully discerns, in the chapter and verse of every dharma, what accords with the meaning and what does not." Fourth, the wisdom of spiritual power, the antidote to taking a false refuge — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who attains spiritual powers,' since he skillfully cultivates meditative concentration." Fifth, the wisdom that transforms sentient beings, since it gathers them in through skillful means — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one of skillful means,' since he acts in accordance with the dharmas of the world." This is called the excellence of gathering in merit. What, then, is the excellence of practice?

Sūtra: He is named "one who is insatiable," since he well gathers in the practice of merit that assists the path. He is named "one of unremitting vigor," since he constantly seeks the practice of wisdom that assists the path. He is named "one without weariness," since he gathers in the practice of great loving-kindness and compassion that assists the path. He is named "one who ever is mindful of the buddha-dharma," since he seeks the Buddha's ten powers, four kinds of fearlessness, and eighteen unshared buddha-dharmas. He is named "one whose mindful practice is excellent," since he gives rise to the adornment of a buddha-realm. He is named "one complete in the cultivation and practice of manifold wholesome karmic action," since he gathers in the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics. He is named "one who ever practices vigor," since he seeks the adornment of the Buddha's body, speech, and mind. He is named "one who delights in the dharma of great reverence," since he draws near to and makes offerings to every bodhisattva and every Dharma-teacher. He is named "one who well gives rise to a vow of self-mastery," since through great skillful means he well enters the world. He is named "one who day and night departs far from every other mind," since he ever delights in teaching and transforming all sentient beings.

Commentary: Here, "the excellence of practice" is of ten kinds. First, the practice of the increasing cause — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who is insatiable,' since he well gathers in the practice of merit that assists the path." Second, the practice of the supporting cause — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one of unremitting vigor,' since he constantly seeks the practice of wisdom that assists the path." Third, the practice of transforming sentient beings without weariness — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one without weariness,' since he gathers in the practice of great loving-kindness and compassion that assists the path." Fourth, the practice of giving rise to the buddha-dharma — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who ever is mindful of the buddha-dharma,' since he seeks the Buddha's ten powers, four kinds of fearlessness, and eighteen unshared buddha-dharmas." Fifth, the practice of giving rise to a pure buddha-realm — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one whose mindful practice is excellent,' since he gives rise to the adornment of a buddha-realm." What, then, is this adornment? It is that, undefiled by any affliction, one attains firm and solid wisdom, and that the sentient beings who dwell within it, together with the buddha-dharma itself, are thereby adorned. Sixth, the practice that arises in dependence on the Buddha's dharma-body — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one complete in the cultivation and practice of manifold wholesome karmic action,' since he gathers in the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics." Seventh, the practice that arises in dependence on what the Buddha himself has done — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who ever practices vigor,' since he seeks the adornment of the Buddha's body, speech, and mind." Eighth, the practice of revering the Dharma — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who delights in the dharma of great reverence,' since he draws near to and makes offerings to every bodhisattva and every Dharma-teacher." Ninth, the practice of the vow to take on existence — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who well gives rise to a vow of self-mastery,' since through great skillful means he well enters the world." Tenth, the practice that departs from the mind of the Lesser Vehicle — as the sūtra says, "he is named 'one who day and night departs far from every other mind,' since he ever delights in teaching and transforming all sentient beings." This is called the excellence of practice. What, then, is the excellence of teaching and transforming sentient beings?