The Jewel of Buddha
The treatise's systematic argument begins with the first of the Three Jewels. Eight virtues, arranged in two triads and a closing pair — the unconditioned, spontaneous, self-known essence of a buddha, then wisdom, compassion, and power as its active expression — each drawn out from a single opening verse and supported by nine similes from an entire sūtra cited at length.
The Root Verse, and Its Eight Virtues
佛體無前際， 及無中間際，
亦復無後際， 寂靜自覺知，
既自覺知已， 為欲令他知，
是故為彼說， 無畏常恒道，
佛能執持彼， 智慧慈悲刀，
及妙金剛杵， 割截諸苦芽，
摧碎諸見山， 覆藏顛倒意，
及一切稠林， 故我今敬禮。
此偈示現何義？偈言：
無為體自然， 不依他而知，
智悲及以力， 自他利具足。
此偈略明佛寶所攝八種功德。何等為八？一者無為體、二者自然、三者不依他知、四者智、五者悲、六者力、七者自利益、八者他利益。偈言：
非初非中後， 自性無為體，
及法體寂靜， 故自然應知，
唯內身自證， 故不依他知，
如是三覺知， 慈心為說道。
智悲及力等， 拔苦煩惱刺，
初三句自利， 後三句利他。
The Buddha's own body has no prior limit,
no middle limit, and no posterior limit either —
quiescent, self-awakened, and self-knowing.
Having thus awakened and known of himself, wishing to let others know it too,
he therefore taught, for their sake, the fearless, ever-constant path.
The Buddha is able to grasp the sword of wisdom and compassion,
and the wondrous vajra club,
cutting away the sprout of every suffering,
shattering the mountain of every view,
and the concealing, inverted mind, and every dense thicket as well —
for this I now bow in reverence.
What meaning does this verse reveal? A verse says:
Its unconditioned essence is spontaneous,
known not in dependence on another;
wisdom, compassion, and power together are complete,
benefiting both oneself and others.
This verse briefly explains the eight kinds of virtue included within the Jewel of Buddha. What are the eight? First, the unconditioned essence; second, spontaneity; third, being known not in dependence on another; fourth, wisdom; fifth, compassion; sixth, power; seventh, benefit to oneself; eighth, benefit to others. A verse says:
Neither first, nor middle, nor last —
this own-nature is the unconditioned essence;
and because the very substance of the dharma is quiescent,
one should know it as spontaneous;
realized only within, by oneself,
one should know it as not depending on another for knowledge —
and it is with this threefold awakened knowing
that, with a loving mind, the path is taught.
Wisdom, compassion, power, and the rest
pull out the thorn of suffering and affliction —
the first three lines are benefit to oneself,
the latter three lines are benefit to others.
This opening move sets the treatise's whole method on display: a single dense verse of homage, immediately followed by a second verse that names exactly how many discrete virtues the first verse packed in, followed in turn by yet another verse that sorts those virtues into groups. The eight virtues resolve into two triads and a final pair — unconditioned essence, spontaneity, and independence from anything else together describe what a buddha simply is; wisdom, compassion, and power describe what a buddha does with that nature; and the closing pair of self-benefit and other-benefit names which triad serves which purpose. Little here depends on narrative or simile yet — this is closer to Abhidharma-style taxonomic analysis than to sūtra storytelling, and the treatise will keep returning to this same three-pass method (verse, then a summary verse naming the count, then a further verse sorting the count into categories) throughout.
Nine Similes From the Sūtra Entering the Domain of All Buddhas
此偈明何義？遠離有為，名為無為應知，又有為者，生住滅法。無彼有為，是故佛體非初中後，故得名為無為法身應知。偈言：佛體無前際，及無中間際，亦復無後際故。又復遠離一切戲論虛妄分別，寂靜體故，名為自然應知。偈言：寂靜故。不依他知者，不依他因緣證知故。不依他因緣證知者，不依他因緣生故。不依他因緣生者，自覺、不依他覺故。如是依於如來無為法身相故，一切佛事無始世來自然而行常不休息。如是希有不可思議諸佛境界，不從他聞。不從他聞者，不從師聞，自自在智無言之體而自覺知。偈言：自覺知故。既自覺知已，然後為他生盲眾生令得覺知，為彼證得無為法身說無上道，是故名為無上智悲應知。偈言：既自覺知已，為欲令他知，是故為彼說，無畏常恒道故。無畏常恒道者，明道無畏，是常是恒，以出世間不退轉法如是次第。又拔他苦煩惱根本，如來智慧、慈悲及神力，如是三句，刀、金剛杵譬喻示現。又以何者為苦根本？略說言之，謂三有中生名色是。又何者為煩惱根本？謂身見等，虛妄邪見、疑、戒取等。又名色者，是彼所攝，所生苦芽應知。如來智慧慈悲心等能割彼芽，以是義故說刀譬喻。偈言：佛能執持彼智慧慈悲刀故，割截諸苦芽故。又邪見疑所攝煩惱，見道遠離，以世間智所不能知。稠林煩惱不能破壞，如世間中樹林牆等。彼相似法，以如來力能破壞，彼以是故說金剛杵喻。偈言：及妙金剛杵故，摧碎諸見山、覆藏顛倒意及一切稠林故。
此六種句，如來莊嚴智慧光明，《入一切佛境界經》中次第顯說應知。應云何知？彼經中言：文殊師利！如來、應、正遍知不生不滅者，此明如來無為之相。又復次說無垢清淨琉璃地中帝釋王身鏡像現等，如是乃至九種譬喻，皆明如來不生不滅。又言：文殊師利！如來、應、正遍知清淨法身亦復如是，不動不生、心不戲論、不分別不分別無分別、不思無思不思議、無念寂滅寂靜、不生不滅、不可見不可聞、不可嗅不可嘗、不可觸無諸相、不可覺不可知。如是等句皆說寂靜差別之相。此明何義？明佛一切所作事中，遠離一切戲論分別，寂靜自然。
What meaning does this verse make clear? Being free of the conditioned should be known as what is meant by "unconditioned"; and the conditioned is what arises, abides, and ceases. Being free of the conditioned, the Buddha's own body is therefore neither first, middle, nor last, and so should be known by the name "the unconditioned dharmakāya." The verse says: the Buddha's own body has no prior limit, and no middle limit, and no posterior limit either. Furthermore, being free of every kind of conceptual proliferation and false discrimination, its very substance being quiescent, it should be known by the name "spontaneous." The verse says: because it is quiescent. "Not known in dependence on another" means realized and known not in dependence on any other cause or condition. "Not realized and known in dependence on any other cause or condition" means not arising in dependence on any other cause or condition. "Not arising in dependence on any other cause or condition" means awakened of itself, not awakened in dependence on another. Just so, in dependence on the mark of the Tathāgata's own unconditioned dharmakāya, every buddha-work has, from beginningless time, proceeded spontaneously, forever without ceasing. This rare, inconceivable domain of every buddha is not heard from another. "Not heard from another" means not heard from a teacher — self-aware, self-knowing through its own sovereign, wordless wisdom-essence. The verse says: because it is self-awakened and self-knowing. Having thus awakened and known of himself, only then does he, for the sake of other beings born blind, cause them too to attain awakened knowing, teaching the unsurpassed path for them so that they too may realize the unconditioned dharmakāya — and for this reason it should be known by the name "unsurpassed wisdom and compassion." The verse says: having thus awakened and known of himself, wishing to let others know it too, he therefore taught, for their sake, the fearless, ever-constant path. "The fearless, ever-constant path" clarifies that the path is fearless, and is constant, is ever-abiding — proceeding, in this order, by the supramundane, non-regressing dharma. Furthermore, pulling out the very root of others' suffering and affliction — the Tathāgata's wisdom, compassion, and spiritual power, these three lines — is what the similes of the sword and the vajra club reveal. And what is the root of suffering? Briefly stated, it is the arising of name-and-form within the three realms of existence. And what is the root of affliction? It is the view of a self in the body, and the rest — false and wrong views, doubt, clinging to precepts and vows, and so on. And name-and-form should be known as the sprout of suffering produced and included within that root. The Tathāgata's wisdom, compassion, and mind of loving-kindness are able to cut away this sprout — and it is for this reason that the simile of the sword is spoken. The verse says: because the Buddha is able to grasp the sword of wisdom and compassion, cutting away the sprout of every suffering. And the afflictions included within wrong views and doubt are left far behind by the path of seeing, and cannot be known by worldly wisdom. The thicket-like afflictions cannot be broken apart, just as a forest thicket or a wall in the world cannot easily be broken through; it is by the Tathāgata's own power that this comparable dharma can be broken apart — and it is for this reason that the simile of the vajra club is spoken. The verse says: and because of the wondrous vajra club, shattering the mountain of every view, and the concealing, inverted mind, and every dense thicket as well.
These six lines, adorning the Tathāgata's own wisdom-light, should be known as expounded in order within the Sūtra Entering the Domain of All Buddhas. How should this be known? That sūtra says: "Mañjuśrī! That the Tathāgata, Worthy One, Perfectly and Fully Awakened, is unborn and unceasing — this clarifies the Tathāgata's own unconditioned mark." It further speaks of how, within a stainless, pure lapis-lazuli ground, the reflected image of Śakra's own body appears, and so on, up to nine similes in all, every one clarifying that the Tathāgata is unborn and unceasing. It further says: "Mañjuśrī! The Tathāgata, Worthy One, Perfectly and Fully Awakened One's pure dharmakāya is likewise just so — unmoving, unarisen; a mind without conceptual proliferation; without discrimination, without discrimination of discrimination; without thought, thoughtless, inconceivable; without any notion, in cessation, quiescent; unborn, unceasing; cannot be seen, cannot be heard, cannot be smelled, cannot be tasted, cannot be touched, without any marks at all; cannot be felt, cannot be known." Phrases such as these all speak of the differentiated marks of quiescence. What meaning does this make clear? It clarifies that in every one of the Buddha's own acts, he is free of every conceptual proliferation and discrimination, quiescent and spontaneous.
The treatise cites, by name, an entire sūtra not otherwise translated on this site — the Sūtra Entering the Domain of All Buddhas (入一切佛境界經) — and specifically invokes its own set of nine similes for why a buddha can be said to be "unborn and unceasing," of which the reflection of Śakra's body in a polished lapis-lazuli ground is named as one example. The device is structurally identical to this site's Treatise on Buddha Nature's nine similes for what conceals buddha-nature, and to the same ninefold-simile chapter this treatise's own fifth chapter is about to build its whole argument around a few parts from now — nine appears to function, across this literature, as something like a conventional "complete set" for this kind of teaching, the number itself signaling comprehensiveness rather than being philosophically load-bearing on its own.
Sixteen Kinds of Bodhi, and Why Self-Benefit Grounds Other-Benefit
次說餘殘修多羅。彼中說言如實覺知一切法門者，此明如來不依他故證大菩提。又復次說如來菩提有十六種，是故經言：文殊師利！如來如是如實覺知一切諸法，觀察一切眾生法性不淨有垢有點奮迅，於諸眾生大悲現前。此明如來無上智悲應知。文殊師利！如來如是如實覺知一切法者，如向前說，無體為體。如實覺知者，如實無分別佛智知故。觀察一切眾生法性者，乃至邪聚眾生，如我身中法性法體法界如來藏等，彼諸眾生亦復如是無有差別，如來智眼了了知故。不淨者，以諸凡夫煩惱障故。有垢者，以諸聲聞辟支佛等有智障故。有點者，以諸菩薩摩訶薩等依彼二種習氣障故。奮迅者，能如實知種種眾生可化方便，入彼眾生可化方便種種門故。大悲者，成大菩提，得於一切眾生平等大慈悲心，為欲令彼一切眾生如佛證智如是覺知證大菩提故。次於一切眾生平等轉大法輪常不休息。如是三句，能作他利益，故名為力應知。又此六句次第，初三種句謂無為等功德。如來法身相應，示現自利益。餘三種句，所謂智等，示現他利益。又復有義，以有智慧故證得第一寂靜法身，是故名為自利益。又依慈悲力等二句轉大法輪，示現他利益。已說佛寶，次明法寶。
Next, the treatise cites the remaining part of that same sūtra. Where it says "truly and rightly awakened to and knowing every dharma-gate," this clarifies that the Tathāgata realizes great bodhi not in dependence on another. Furthermore, it goes on to speak of the Tathāgata's bodhi as being of sixteen kinds. Hence the sūtra says: "Mañjuśrī! The Tathāgata, having thus truly and rightly awakened to and known all dharmas, observes the dharma-nature of every being — impure, stained, spotted, and vigorously active — and manifests great compassion before every being." This clarifies what should be known as the Tathāgata's own unsurpassed wisdom and compassion. "Mañjuśrī, that the Tathāgata truly and rightly awakens to and knows all dharmas in this way" means, as stated just before, that his very substance is no fixed substance. "Truly and rightly awakened to and knowing" means known through the buddha-wisdom that is truly without discrimination. "Observing the dharma-nature of every being" means that, down to even beings of wrong destiny, the dharma-nature, dharma-substance, dharma-realm, and tathāgatagarbha within my own body are, likewise, without any distinction at all in every one of those beings — for the Tathāgata's own wisdom-eye knows this with utter clarity. "Impure" refers to ordinary beings, obstructed by affliction. "Stained" refers to śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, obstructed by the obstruction to knowledge. "Spotted" refers to bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, still resting on the habitual traces of these same two obstructions. "Vigorously active" means being truly able to know the various skillful means by which different beings can be transformed, and entering into the various gates of skillful means suited to transforming those beings. "Great compassion" means that, having accomplished great bodhi, he attains a mind of great loving-kindness and compassion equal toward every being, wishing that every one of those beings, just as the Buddha has realized this wisdom, may likewise awaken to and realize great bodhi. Following from this, he turns the great Dharma-wheel equally for every being, forever without ceasing. These three lines, being able to accomplish benefit for others, should be known by the name "power."
And, in this order, of these six lines, the first three lines — the unconditioned and the rest — correspond to the Tathāgata's own dharmakāya, revealing benefit to himself; the remaining three lines — wisdom and the rest — reveal benefit to others. There is a further meaning as well: because of wisdom, one realizes the foremost, quiescent dharmakāya, and this is therefore called benefit to oneself; and, in dependence on compassion and power, these two lines, one turns the great Dharma-wheel, revealing benefit to others. Having thus explained the Jewel of Buddha, next comes the clarification of the Jewel of Dharma.
The fourfold classification here — dharma-nature "impure" in ordinary beings, "stained" in śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, "spotted" in bodhisattvas, and only fully manifest in a buddha's own "vigorous activity" — states in miniature the whole argument this treatise's fifth chapter will spend a great many pages developing at length: the identical tathāgatagarbha is present without distinction in every one of these four cases, differing only in how thoroughly it has been uncovered, never in whether it is genuinely there. The passage's own gloss on "impure/stained/spotted" already names the tathāgatagarbha directly, within my own body and, without any difference at all, within every being, "down to even beings of wrong destiny" — a claim this treatise's whole fifth chapter exists to defend in full.
The closing accounting — three lines of self-benefit grounding three lines of other-benefit — states a structural principle this treatise applies consistently throughout: benefit to others is never treated as available on its own terms, but always as something that becomes possible only once a prior, complete realization of one's own nature has already occurred. Wisdom realizes the quiescent dharmakāya first; only then can compassion and power actually turn the wheel for anyone else.
Part 2 Complete
This closes the treatise's account of the Jewel of Buddha. Part 3 turns to the second of the Three Jewels: the Jewel of Dharma, built around the cessation-truth already familiar from this site's Śrīmālādevī Sūtra, and the claim that this cessation is "not the domain of thought."
Continue to Part 3 — The Jewel of Dharma →