Second Only to the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel
The catalogue continues: it is like a mani-jewel dwelling in the sea called Sea-Treasury, which reveals every ornament and adornment found within the sea; the sea-treasury treasure-pearl of the mind of bodhi is likewise, revealing every ornament and adornment found within the domain of all-wisdom. It is like jambu-river gold, surpassed only by the wish-fulfilling jewel, itself surpassing every other treasure; the mind of bodhi is likewise, surpassed only by the merit of all-wisdom, itself surpassing every other merit.
The Sea-Treasury Mani and Jambu-River Gold
「善男子！譬如海中有摩尼寶，名曰海藏，顯現海中諸莊嚴事。菩提之心海藏寶珠亦復如是，顯現一切智境諸莊嚴事。
「善男子！譬如閻浮檀金，除如意寶，勝一切寶。菩提之心閻浮檀金亦復如是，除一切智勝諸功德。
"Good man, it is like a mani-jewel dwelling in the sea called Sea-Treasury, which reveals every ornament and adornment found within the sea. The sea-treasury treasure-pearl of the mind of bodhi is likewise: it reveals every ornament and adornment found within the domain of all-wisdom.
"Good man, it is like jambu-river gold, surpassed only by the wish-fulfilling jewel, itself surpassing every other treasure. The mind of bodhi is likewise: surpassed only by the merit of all-wisdom, it itself surpasses every other merit."
This pairing of similes marks a subtle but consistent qualification running through much of this catalogue: bodhicitta is repeatedly said to surpass every ordinary attainment while still standing "second only to" all-wisdom itself (薩婆若, sarvajñā, omniscience) — a careful doctrinal balance Fazang notes as distinct from the first catalogue's own closing claim that bodhicitta's merit is "entirely equal" to a buddha's. Read together, the two catalogues present bodhicitta from two angles: equal in ultimate kind to buddhahood's own merit, yet still ranked just below full omniscience in the ordinary comparative similes used throughout everyday teaching — a distinction between an absolute and a relative register of praise.
Part 355 Complete
Two more jewel similes are now given in full. Part 356 turns to a person who tames nāgas through mastery of a spell, and a warrior clad in armor no enemy can pierce.
Continue to Part 356 →