Ten Kinds of Mastery, the Threefold Great Excellence, and the Ground's Ten Names

Sūtra: This bodhisattva, well knowing how to give rise to bodies of this kind, thereby attains mastery over life, sustaining and upholding his own life-span across unspeakable, unspeakable numbers of eons. He attains mastery over mind, through entering the wisdom of boundless, incalculable samādhis. He attains mastery over material things, through sustaining, upholding, and manifesting boundless adornments throughout every world-system. He attains mastery over karmic activity, through sustaining, upholding, and manifesting the ripened fruit of karma as it appears in this present life and in lives to come. He attains mastery over birth, through manifesting birth throughout every world-system. He attains mastery over vow, through manifesting the accomplishment of complete enlightenment within a buddha-land at whatever time his mind may wish. He attains mastery over faith and understanding, through manifesting buddhas filling every world-system. He attains mastery over as-he-wishes, through manifesting wondrous transformations, as he wishes, throughout every buddha-land. He attains mastery over the Dharma, through manifesting, with clarity, the boundless, centerless gateways of the Dharma. He attains mastery over wisdom, through manifesting the tathāgatas' own powers, fearlessnesses, unshared buddha-dharmas, the adornment of excellent marks, and complete enlightenment.

Commentary: "Attaining mastery" means that this bodhisattva, cultivating practice in this way, through the threefold practice of mastery over the receptacle-world, the world of sentient beings, and the world of the wisdom of correct enlightenment, attains these ten kinds of mastery — as the sūtra says, from "this bodhisattva, well knowing how to give rise to bodies of this kind, thereby attains mastery over life" all the way to "he attains mastery over wisdom." These ten kinds of mastery serve as the antidote to ten kinds of fear, and should be understood in just this sequence.

What are these ten kinds of fear? First, the fear of death; second, the fear of the defilement of affliction; third, the fear of poverty; fourth, the fear of evil karma; fifth, the fear of evil destinies; sixth, the fear of not obtaining what is sought; seventh, the fear of the karmic offense of slandering the Dharma; eighth, the fear, in the pursuit of a livelihood, of being bound by time and unable to sustain life; ninth, the fear of doubt, wondering "how is this, how is this?"; and tenth, the fear of the awesome virtue of a great assembly. In this way, the Eighth Ground's division of attaining the ten kinds of mastery has now been explained. Next, the division of great excellence will be explained.

Sūtra: This bodhisattva, having attained these ten kinds of mastery belonging to the bodhisattva, is at once named "one of inconceivable wisdom," "one of immeasurable wisdom," "one of vast wisdom," and "one of indestructible wisdom." The bodhisattva, having arrived in this way, this wisdom now accomplished, constantly gathers and gives rise to pure bodily action, constantly gathers and gives rise to pure verbal action, and constantly gathers and gives rise to pure mental action — wisdom foremost, this wisdom according with and turning the perfection of wisdom to ever greater excellence; great compassion foremost, skillful and expedient, well able to discern. Of himself he gives rise to the power of vow, well empowered by the empowerment of the buddhas, never abandoning the practice of benefiting sentient beings, and thoroughly knowing the distinct affairs of boundless world-systems. Son of the Buddha! In brief, a bodhisattva who attains this bodhisattva's Acalā, the Immovable Ground, in whatever he performs through bodily, verbal, and mental action, is able to gather and give rise to every buddha-dharma.

This bodhisattva, having attained this bodhisattva's Acalā, the Immovable Ground, well abides in the power of a pure mind, since he is departed from the accumulation of every affliction. He well abides in the power of a deep mind, since he is never apart from the path. He well abides in the power of great compassion, since he does not abandon the practice of benefiting sentient beings. He well abides in the power of great loving-kindness, since he rescues every world. He well abides in the power of dhāraṇī, since he does not forget the Dharma. He well abides in the power of eloquence, since his wisdom skillfully and expediently discerns every buddha-dharma. He well abides in the power of spiritual penetration, since he practices throughout the distinctions of boundless world-systems. He well abides in the power of vow, since he does not abandon whatever every bodhisattva practices. He well abides in the power of the perfections, since he cultivates and gathers every buddha-dharma. He well abides in the power of the tathāgatas' own empowerment, since the wisdom of all modes, the wisdom of omniscience, stands directly present. This bodhisattva, having attained wisdom-power such as this, manifests it in whatever he performs, since in every matter there is nothing amiss.

Commentary: "Great excellence" has three kinds of greatness: first, the greatness of wisdom; second, the greatness of karmic activity; and third, the greatness of the merit on which both of these depend. What, then, is the greatness of wisdom? "One of inconceivable wisdom" means that he abides neither in the world nor in nirvāṇa — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva, having attained these ten kinds of mastery belonging to the bodhisattva, is at once named 'one of inconceivable wisdom.'" This "inconceivable" should be understood as threefold: first, the inconceivability of the ultimate arrival of his cultivated practice; second, the inconceivability of what is known; and third, the inconceivability of the wisdom that removes every hindrance — as the sūtra says, "'one of immeasurable wisdom,' 'one of vast wisdom,' 'one of indestructible wisdom.'" This is called the greatness of wisdom.

"The bodhisattva, having arrived in this way," all the way to "gathers and gives rise to every buddha-dharma" — "the bodhisattva, having arrived in this way" is as explained above, and "this wisdom now accomplished" is likewise as explained above. "Constantly gathering and giving rise to the three pure actions" — this is the greatness of karmic activity. This pure karmic activity has four aspects. First, the arising itself, that which is able to arouse it, and its arising, all being simultaneous — as the sūtra says, "wisdom foremost" and "this wisdom according with and turning." Second, wisdom taking up, unstained, the performance of the practice of benefiting sentient beings and the rest — as the sūtra says, "the perfection of wisdom to ever greater excellence; great compassion foremost, skillful and expedient, well able to discern." Third, the cause that takes up his own practice and the cause of others' practice — as the sūtra says, "of himself he gives rise to the power of vow, well empowered by the empowerment of the buddhas." Fourth, the karmic activity performed that benefits sentient beings, purifies buddha-lands, and accomplishes every buddha-dharma — as the sūtra says, "never abandoning the practice of benefiting sentient beings, and thoroughly knowing the distinct affairs of boundless world-systems." "Son of the Buddha! In brief, a bodhisattva who attains this bodhisattva's Acalā, the Immovable Ground, in whatever he performs through bodily, verbal, and mental action, is able to gather and give rise to every buddha-dharma." This is called the greatness of karmic activity.

"The greatness of the merit on which both of these depend" is manifested through "well abiding in the power of a pure mind" and the rest, in dependence on seven kinds of merit. First, the merit of well abiding in the path — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva, having attained this bodhisattva's Acalā, the Immovable Ground, well abides in the power of a pure mind, since he is departed from the accumulation of every affliction; well abides in the power of a deep mind, since he is never apart from the path; well abides in the power of great compassion, since he does not abandon the practice of benefiting sentient beings; well abides in the power of great loving-kindness, since he rescues every world." Further, regarding the merit of well abiding in the path: the first two are far removed from hindrance, since the antidote is firm; the next two do not abandon sentient beings. Second, the merit of not forgetting — as the sūtra says, "well abides in the power of dhāraṇī, since he does not forget the Dharma." Third, the merit of accomplishing verbal action — as the sūtra says, "well abides in the power of eloquence, since his wisdom skillfully and expediently discerns every buddha-dharma."

Fourth, the merit of accomplishing mastery of mind — as the sūtra says, "well abides in the power of spiritual penetration, since he practices throughout the distinctions of boundless world-systems." Fifth, the merit of accomplishing the power of vow — as the sūtra says, "well abides in the power of vow, since he does not abandon whatever every bodhisattva practices." Sixth, the merit of accomplishing cultivated practice — as the sūtra says, "well abides in the power of the perfections, since he gathers every buddha-dharma." Seventh, the merit of bestowing wisdom — as the sūtra says, "well abides in the power of the tathāgatas' own empowerment, since the wisdom of all modes, the wisdom of omniscience, stands directly present." "This bodhisattva, having attained wisdom-power such as this, manifests it in whatever he performs" means that he attains a mind free of hatred and attachment, not discriminating whether a sentient being has affliction or is without affliction, performing his karmic activity equally. "In every matter there is nothing amiss" is because he has attained these seven kinds of merit. In this way, the Eighth Ground's division of great excellence has now been explained. Next, the division explaining the name will be explained.

Sūtra: Son of the Buddha! This bodhisattva's wisdom-ground is named Acalā, the Immovable Ground, since it cannot be destroyed. It is named the Unturning Ground, since his wisdom does not regress. It is named the Ground Hard to Attain, since the whole world finds it hard to know. It is named the Prince's Ground, since it is without the fault of a household. It is named the Ground of Birth, since he is self-mastering, as he wishes. It is named the Ground of Accomplishment, since there is nothing further to be done. It is named the Ultimate Ground, since his wisdom skillfully discerns. It is named the Nirvāṇa Ground, since he well gives rise to the power of his great vow. It is named the Ground of Empowerment, since no other is able to move it. It is named the Ground of No Effortful Application, since he well gives rise to the path that came before.

Commentary: The explanation of the name is of two kinds: first, explaining the name of the ground; second, explaining the name of the wise one. As for explaining the name of the ground, it has six distinct aspects. First, the antidote to defilement — this defilement is of two kinds: first, the effortful application of the lower grounds, the vow-work of the two vehicles, and the karmic activity of every māra; second, the habituated conduct of affliction — this is what is counteracted — as the sūtra says, "Son of the Buddha! This bodhisattva's wisdom-ground is named Acalā, the Immovable Ground, since it cannot be destroyed. It is named the Unturning Ground, since his wisdom does not regress." Second, attaining profundity — as the sūtra says, "it is named the Ground Hard to Attain, since the whole world finds it hard to know."

Third, the purity of arousing practice — as the sūtra says, "it is named the Prince's Ground, since it is without the fault of a household. It is named the Ground of Birth, since he is self-mastering, as he wishes." Here, "the purity of arousing" means that, like a prince, there is nothing amiss in whatever he does; "the purity of practice" means that, abiding in the Ground of Birth, whatever he wishes accomplishes itself, self-mastering.

Fourth, the mundane and supramundane excellence of purity-through-action — as the sūtra says, "it is named the Ground of Accomplishment, since there is nothing further to be done. It is named the Ultimate Ground, since his wisdom skillfully discerns." Here, the supramundane excellence of purity-through-action means that, through wisdom skillfully discerning, the hindrance to wisdom is purified. Fifth, the excellence of purity without action, belonging to both of these — as the sūtra says, "it is named the Nirvāṇa Ground, since he well gives rise to the power of his great vow." "The excellence of purity without action" means that, through the power of his original vow, he does not abandon the benefiting of every sentient being. Sixth, the excellence of the bodhisattva-ground — as the sūtra says, "it is named the Ground of Empowerment, since no other is able to move it. It is named the Ground of No Effortful Application, since he well gives rise to the path that came before." Further, "the excellence of the bodhisattva-ground" means that it surpasses the Sixth and the Seventh Grounds. As for surpassing the Sixth Ground: that ground arouses surpassing practice, yet his mindfulness there is still stirred by the affairs of another. The Seventh Ground has effortful application; within this ground, he well gives rise to the path that came before, without effortful application, of itself.

As for explaining the name of the wise one: for what reason is a bodhisattva named "one who has attained the immovable bodhisattva-ground"? This matter will now be explained, and should be understood.