The Qualities, and the Nine Topics Drawn Together

The exposition: the measureless minds are the four measureless minds, expounded at length in the scriptures. First, measureless loving-kindness: accompanied by a mind of loving-kindness, without enmity, without hatred, without any wish to injure, broad, great, measureless, most excellently cultivated, one dwells having fully attained a resolve that pervades — toward one quarter, and so in sequence, out to all the boundless worlds of the ten directions.

Accompanied by a mind of loving-kindness: toward beings who are neither suffering nor at ease, one wishes to bestow ease, being associated with a mind possessed of that disposition. Without enmity: the counteragent to the hatred that wishes to inflict the equipment of suffering. Without hatred: the counteragent to the hatred that obstructs the equipment of ease. Without any wish to injure: the counteragent to the hatred that wishes to give what is unsuitable. Broad: attention with respect to what is encountered by seeing. Great: attention with respect to what is encountered by hearing. Measureless: attention with respect to what is encountered by awareness. Most excellently cultivated: by being associated with repeated familiarity, one is free of the hindrances. Toward one quarter, and so in sequence out to all the boundless worlds of the ten directions: because one takes as object, pervasively, both the receptacle world and the world of beings. Resolve: because one takes as object the domain contemplated by resolve. Pervading: because one takes as object the domain of beings without a gap. Dwells having fully attained: as stated above in the section on the absorptions.

Second, measureless compassion: accompanied by a mind of compassion, and so on at length. Accompanied by a mind of compassion: toward beings who suffer, one wishes to draw out their suffering, being associated with a mind possessed of that disposition. Without enmity: the counteragent to the injury of inflicting suffering. Without hatred: the counteragent to the injury of obstructing the drawing out of suffering. Without any wish to injure: the counteragent to taking no delight in wishing to give what is unsuitable. The rest as above.

Third, measureless sympathetic joy: accompanied by a mind of joy, and so on at length. Accompanied by a mind of joy: toward beings who are at ease, one rejoices in their ease, being associated with a mind of that disposition. Without enmity: the counteragent to taking no delight, wishing instead to give the equipment of suffering. Without hatred: the counteragent to taking no delight, obstructing instead the equipment of ease. Without any wish to injure: the counteragent to taking no delight, wishing instead to give what is unsuitable. The rest as above.

Fourth, measureless equanimity: accompanied by a mind of equanimity, and so on at length. Accompanied by a mind of equanimity: one wishes that beings be undefiled, being associated with a mind of that disposition. Without enmity: the counteragent to what defiles with craving and hatred. Without hatred: the counteragent to what obstructs the removal of defiling craving and hatred. Without any wish to injure: the counteragent to the distortion of not being undefiled with respect to craving and hatred. The rest as above.

What is the essential nature of these four measureless minds? Loving-kindness has the wholesome root of non-hatred as its essence; compassion has the wholesome root of non-harming; sympathetic joy has the wholesome root of non-envy; equanimity has the wholesome roots of non-greed and non-hatred. All of them are states of pity toward beings. Among these four, loving-kindness is non-hatred alone; the next two measureless minds are each a portion of non-hatred; and equanimity is a portion of non-greed and non-hatred. Moreover, the concentration associated with them, together with all the mind and mental factors and their retinue, should be understood to be the essence of the four measureless minds. It should be understood that only after the mind has first been well cultivated by the practices that give it dominance, and then in dependence on a purified absorption, are the measureless minds obtained in purity.

The liberations are the eight liberations, expounded at length in the scriptures.

First, the liberation of one possessing form who contemplates forms. Possessing form: contemplating by resolve in dependence on a concentration that has form. Forms: forms as distinguished at length in the section on the bases of mastery below. Contemplates: in order to have mastery in transforming those forms, and because by resolve one contemplates and displays their marks.

Second, the liberation of one without inner perception of form who contemplates outer forms. Without inner perception of form: contemplating by resolve in dependence on a formless concentration. Outer: setting aside the eye and the other faculties, one contemplates by resolve the remaining forms. Contemplates forms: as above.

Third, the liberation of dwelling having fully attained the pure liberation, witnessed with the body. Pure: single-mindedly contemplating by resolve pure and excellent form, in order to obtain a surpassing abiding in ease. Liberation: liberation from the exertion over pure and impure form, which obstructs the mind. Body: the mental body. Witnessed: witnessed through knowledge and abandonment. Dwells having fully attained: as above.

The formless liberations are distinguished as above. The differences here are these. In order to realize mastery over bodily action in every aspect, and in order to be freed of what obstructs that, one further removes light and color and contemplates boundless space by resolve; this is called the fourth liberation, of the sphere of the infinity of space.

In order to arouse the qualities of the noble supernormal powers, non-contention, the knowledge of vows, and unobstructed eloquence, and in order to realize the mastery of mind that assists in arousing them, and in order to be freed of what obstructs that, one further contemplates boundless consciousness by resolve; this is called the fifth liberation, of the sphere of the infinity of consciousness.

When the practitioner has thus prepared the means of arousing those qualities, he causes the fourth absorption to become manifest and brings the qualities forth. Then, in order to realize mastery in the supreme uncontaminated abiding, and in order to be freed of what obstructs that, he further contemplates nothingness by resolve; this is called the sixth liberation, of the sphere of nothingness. In order to realize mastery in the abiding that is the foremost of all existence, and to be freed of what obstructs it, he further contemplates neither-perception-nor-non-perception by resolve; this is called the seventh liberation, of the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. In order to realize mastery in the supreme abiding of stillness, and to be freed of what obstructs it, he then, from the mind of that sphere, advances and halts, the in-and-out breath ceases, and he lets go of what the mind reaches for; this is called the eighth liberation, the cessation of perception and feeling.

The bases of mastery are the eight bases of mastery, expounded at length in the scriptures.

First: one who has inner perception of form contemplates outer forms as few — whether fine or foul, inferior or superior — and with respect to those forms knows and sees with mastery, obtaining such a perception. This is the first base of mastery. Inner perception of form: as stated among the liberations. Outer: setting aside the eye and the other faculties, it displays the remaining forms. Contemplates forms: as above. Few: the form comprised in one's requisites, contemplated by resolve. Fine or foul: the form comprised in pure and impure visible form, contemplated by resolve. Inferior or superior: the form comprised in pure and impure sound, smell, taste, and touch, contemplated by resolve. Mastery with respect to those forms: because in attending to and contemplating the counteragent and what it counteracts, one is not troubled by the exertion that obstructs. Knows: by the way of calm abiding. Sees: by the way of insight. Obtaining such a perception: because with respect to what is genuinely superior one gets it as genuinely superior, without a conceited perception; and with respect to what is not superior one gets it as genuinely not superior, without a conceited perception.

Second: one who has inner perception of form contemplates outer forms as many, and so on — this is the second base of mastery. And the two, contemplating few and contemplating many, are likewise found for one without inner perception of form. Many: because it displays the pervasive contemplation of the form of the world of beings and of the receptacle world. The rest as above.

Fifth: one without inner perception of form contemplates outer forms as blue — blue in color, blue to see, blue in radiance, like the umaka flower, or like the color of a blue-dyed garment of Vārāṇasī. So too should yellow, red, and white be expounded at length. The differences are these: yellow like the karṇikāra flower, or like a yellow-dyed garment of Vārāṇasī; red like the bandhujīvaka flower, or like a red-dyed garment of Vārāṇasī; white like the star Uśanas, or like the fresh white cloth of Vārāṇasī.

Blue: the general term. Blue in color: blue arisen together with the thing. Blue to see: blue produced by combination. Blue in radiance: the fresh, pure blue light issuing from those two. As with blue, so should yellow, red, and white be expounded at length. The rest as above. That two similes are given in each case displays the two kinds of form — that which arises together with the thing, and that which is produced by combination.

These eight bases of mastery serve as the support for cultivating the three liberations that take form as their object; and the last four bases of mastery contemplate by resolve the form of the gods of the realm of desire and the form of the realm of form. It should further be understood that these bases of mastery are for counteracting the attention that pursues the seeds of the lower levels, and not for counteracting the attention that is to be counteracted on one's own level.

The totalities are the ten totalities, expounded at length in the scriptures — namely the earth totality, which one resolves upon as above, below, and across, non-dual and measureless; and likewise the water, fire, and wind totalities; and the blue, yellow, red, white, space, and consciousness totalities, above, below, and across, non-dual and measureless.

The earth totality: because that on which form depends is pervasive, the form that depends on it is likewise pervasive, since it grows from that. One resolves upon: the person able to realize this contemplation. Above, below, and across: because it pervades all the quarters and the four intermediate directions. Non-dual: because it is apart from the other elements and unmixed with visible color, and so pervades. Measureless: because there is no demarcation, and the mark pervades. As with the earth totality, so with water, fire, wind, blue, yellow, red, and white, each as is fitting. The space totality: because the attention that counteracts all marks of form is contemplated as pervading; the rest as above. The consciousness totality: because attention taking measureless consciousness as its object is contemplated as pervading; the rest as above.

Here it is through the three liberations that mastery over form is obtained; and only after obtaining them can one speak of mastery over form, since it is then fully accomplished. Above the sphere of consciousness there is no pervading, because the object there is measureless and is far removed from any discrimination resting on shape and extent. It should be understood that the bases of mastery and the totalities are the paths that purify the liberations: because the bases of mastery have superior objects, and because the totalities have pervasive objects, they can make the liberations pure.

Non-contention: the nature of undeluded knowledge and vision drawn forth by the capacity to guard against others' afflicted conduct, together with the concentration associated with it and all the mind and mental factors — because this practice ranges widely.

The marvelous knowledge of vows: the nature of undeluded knowledge and vision drawn forth by knowing, as it really is and without remainder, the things to be known that are comprised in the three times and outside of time, together with the concentration associated with it and all the mind and mental factors — because this practice ranges widely.

The analytic knowledges are the four analytic knowledges, expounded at length in the scriptures. First, the analytic knowledge of things: the nature of undeluded knowledge and vision drawn forth by awakening as it really is to the distinct names of all things in every aspect, together with the concentration associated with it and all the mind and mental factors. Second, the analytic knowledge of meaning: awakening as it really is to the various marks of all things in every aspect; the rest as above. Third, the analytic knowledge of etymology: awakening as it really is to the explanatory glosses of all things in every aspect; the rest as above. Fourth, the analytic knowledge of eloquence: awakening as it really is to the penetration of all things in every aspect, together with the concentration associated with it and all the mind and mental factors — because this practice ranges widely.

The supernormal powers are the six supernormal powers, expounded at length in the scriptures.

First, the power realized through the knowledge and vision of the domain of spiritual powers: the nature of undeluded knowledge and vision, in order to display mastery over bodily action in every aspect, together with the concentration associated with it and all the mind and mental factors — because this practice ranges over many settled domains. Second, the power realized through the knowledge and vision of the divine ear: in order to hear verbal action in every aspect; the rest as above. Third, the power realized through the knowledge and vision of the differences of minds: in order to enter into the conduct of others' minds in every aspect; the rest as above. Fourth, the power realized through the knowledge and vision that recollects former abodes: in order to enter into the courses of conduct of the prior limit in every aspect; the rest as above. Fifth, the power realized through the knowledge and vision of death and rebirth: in order to enter into the courses of conduct of beings in every aspect; the rest as above. Sixth, the power realized through the knowledge and vision of the exhaustion of the contaminants: in order to enter into deliverance from all the afflictions and from suffering without remainder, together with the concentration associated with it and all the mind and mental factors — because this practice ranges over many settled domains.

The exposition: the marks are the thirty-two marks of a great man, expounded at length in the scriptures. First, the mark of a great man that is well-set feet: because the Tathāgata's provisions for enlightenment were well perfected, and because he fully undertook and maintained conduct that was even, he brought about this mark. By this mark, whoever sees him even for a moment believes that the Tathāgata is a great man. There is the mark of the foot, the emblem of the foot, and the shape of the foot. As with the mark of well-set feet, so should all the remaining marks of a great man be understood, each as is fitting: with respect to the hand one should speak of the mark of the hand, the emblem of the hand, and the shape of the hand; and so with the head, the crown, and all the remaining limbs and members, each expounded at length according to its own name.

The signs are the eighty minor signs, expounded at length in the scriptures. As for these signs: if taken as comprised within the complete marks, they are as stated in the Bodhisattva Grounds; if taken as comprised according to what is suitable for beings and according to whichever is most excellent, they are as stated in the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra; and if the signs are to be distinguished at length, this should be understood as in the extended distinction of the marks.

Purity means the fourfold purity in every aspect, expounded at length in the scriptures. First, purity of the support: because the Tathāgata has realized the knowledge that is pure in every aspect and the abandonment that is pure in every aspect, he has ultimate and unsurpassed mastery in taking up, maintaining, and laying down his support. Second, purity of the objective domain: for the same reason, he has ultimate and unsurpassed mastery within the domain of transforming all things. Third, purity of mind: for the same reason, he has ultimate and unsurpassed mastery within the mind that increases worldly and transcendent wholesome roots in every aspect. Fourth, purity of knowledge: for the same reason, he has ultimate and unsurpassed mastery in the unattached and unobstructed knowledge of all that is to be known in every aspect.

The powers are the Tathāgata's ten powers, expounded at length in the scriptures. First, the power of knowing what is possible and what is not: the nature of unobstructed knowledge able to answer truly concerning cause and effect in every aspect, together with the concentration associated with it and all the mind and mental factors. Second, the power of knowing karma as one's own: unobstructed knowledge concerning the karma set going in each particular place and continuum, and the recompense obtained; the rest as above. Third, the power of knowing the absorptions, liberations, concentrations, and attainments: unobstructed knowledge concerning the means of taking up the worldly pure qualities in every aspect; the rest as above. Fourth, the power of knowing faculties as higher or lower: unobstructed knowledge concerning the differences among the faculties of beings to be trained, which are the support of transcendent qualities in every aspect; the rest as above. Fifth, the power of knowing the various resolves: unobstructed knowledge concerning the differences of disposition among beings to be trained in every aspect; the rest as above.

Sixth, the power of knowing the various elements: unobstructed knowledge concerning the differences of latent tendency among beings to be trained in every aspect; the rest as above. Seventh, the power of knowing where all courses of conduct lead: unobstructed knowledge concerning the differences of deliverance by the several vehicles in every aspect; the rest as above. Eighth, the power of recollecting former abodes: unobstructed knowledge concerning the differences of the courses of the prior limit in every aspect; the rest as above. Ninth, the power of knowing death and rebirth: unobstructed knowledge concerning the differences of the courses of the later limit in every aspect; the rest as above. Tenth, the power of knowing the exhaustion of the contaminants: unobstructed knowledge concerning the differences in the means of deliverance, as to what leads there and what does not, in every aspect, together with the concentration associated with it and all the mind and mental factors. And of all the powers alike it should be said that they can answer truly.

The fearlessnesses are the four fearlessnesses, expounded at length in the scriptures.

First, the Buddha declares truly: I am perfectly enlightened. Should anyone object, "You are not perfectly enlightened with respect to this teaching," then — I see rightly that there is no ground for such an objection, and therefore I am without fear. This is because the Tathāgata has realized the excellent, wholesome, and pure knowledge of all aspects.

Second, the Buddha declares truly: my contaminants are exhausted. Should anyone object, "Such and such contaminants are not yet exhausted," then — I see rightly that there is no ground for such an objection, and therefore I am without fear. This is because the Tathāgata has realized the excellent, wholesome, and pure abandonment of all aspects. These two fearlessnesses rest on the qualities of benefit to himself.

Third, the Buddha declares truly: I have taught my disciples the obstructing states, and defilement is certainly an obstruction. Should anyone object, "Practicing these defilements cannot obstruct," then — I see rightly that there is no ground for such an objection, and therefore I am without fear. This rests on the Tathāgata's teaching to beings of all the aspects of what is to be counteracted.

Fourth, the Buddha declares truly: I have taught my disciples the path of deliverance, and by cultivating concentration one is delivered. Should anyone object, "Though one cultivates this path one is not delivered, and does not rightly exhaust suffering or realize its end," then — I see rightly that there is no ground for such an objection, and therefore I am without fear. This rests on the Tathāgata's teaching to beings of all the aspects of what can counteract. These two fearlessnesses rest on the qualities of benefit to others.

What needs no guarding: the three things needing no guarding, expounded at length in the scriptures. First, the Tathāgata's bodily action as it operates is excellent, wholesome, and pure; there is no impure bodily action of his that would need to be hidden away, and therefore it needs no guarding. That is, because the Tathāgata's bodily action is excellent, wholesome, and pure in every aspect and at every time, when he rightly teaches the Dharma to beings he can, by that surpassing power, both subdue and gather in every assembly. As with bodily action needing no guarding, so should the second, verbal action, and the third, mental action, be understood.

The establishments of mindfulness: the three establishments of mindfulness, expounded at length in the scriptures. That is, when gathering in an assembly to be trained, he abides in supreme equanimity with respect to the differences of conduct among the three kinds of assembly — a mind that neither loves, nor resents, nor is defiled.

The permanent ending of the habitual traces: the Tathāgatas have gone out from the births and deaths of beginningless, measureless, incalculable great aeons; and because they have realized a nature that does not follow along after them, they realize the Tathāgata's excellent and pure knowledge and abandonment.

The exposition: the excellent Dharma that is never forgotten: in order that, for all beings to be trained and in every aspect, nothing that is to be done should pass its proper time, the Tathāgata realizes his excellent and pure knowledge and abandonment.

The Tathāgata's great compassion: the Tathāgata's compassion is called great for four reasons. First, because it is accomplished in dependence on a transformation of the basis that is excellent, wholesome, and pure in every aspect. Second, because it is obtained through cultivation over a long time. Third, because it is drawn forth by excellent, wholesome, and pure knowledge. Fourth, because it takes as its object the domain of suffering in all its aspects — suffering that is utterly deep-set, and of every kind of stubborn tenacity.

The qualities a buddha holds in common with none: the eighteen exclusive qualities of a buddha, expounded at length in the scriptures. Their establishment should be understood as surpassing all the levels of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.

First, the Tathāgata has no faulty action: because he has no undefiled lapse or mistaken transgression. Second, no abrupt utterance: because he has no undefiled loud laughter or abrupt speech. Third, no lapse of mindfulness: because there is nothing long ago done or long ago said that he fails to recall, undefiled as it is. Fourth, no unconcentrated mind: because in all postures — walking, standing, and the rest — attention and concentration continue with him always. Fifth, no perception of variety: because with respect to the round and quiescence he has realized the non-discriminating knowledge that makes no difference between them. Sixth, no relinquishing without deliberation: because he never finally abandons the affairs of beings.

Seventh, no falling away of aspiration: because he has attained purity from the obstruction to what is to be known. As with aspiration, so should the eighth, no falling away of right diligence; the ninth, of mindfulness; the tenth, of concentration; the eleventh, of wisdom; and the twelfth, of liberation and of the knowledge and vision of liberation, be understood.

Thirteenth, unattached and unobstructed knowledge with respect to the past: because in the instant of turning his attention to it he knows it in every aspect. As with the past, so should the fourteenth, with respect to the future, and the fifteenth, with respect to the present, be understood. Sixteenth, all the Tathāgata's bodily action has knowledge as its guide and proceeds in accordance with knowledge: because it is aroused and taken up by knowledge, and is therefore skillful in means at all times. As with bodily action, so should the seventeenth, verbal action, and the eighteenth, mental action, be understood.

The marvelous knowledge of all aspects: because the Tathāgata has realized the utterly pure knowledge and abandonment. That is, the nature of unobstructed knowledge with respect to the differences of number and mark, in every aspect, among the two kinds of things, defiled and pure — together with the concentration associated with it and all the mind and mental factors.

Furthermore, the Tathāgata abides in the uncontaminated realm; and in order to accomplish everything that is to be done for all beings, he displays in the lands of the ten directions a buddha's birth into existence, manifests a body and speaks, has a mind that acts and things that it proclaims, attains perfect enlightenment, turns the marvelous wheel of Dharma, and enters the great quiescence — this too is the nature of unobstructed knowledge, together with the concentration associated with it and all the mind and mental factors. This too is called the marvelous knowledge of all aspects.

Moreover, the qualities of the buddhas — the marks, the signs, and the rest — have here been displayed only in brief, in order to explain the meaning of the scriptures. For the extended distinction of them, one should consult the Bodhisattva Grounds.

The exposition: among the nine topics above, the first — everything — is the support of two things: the support of defilement, and the support of purity. By the next two topics defilement is subsumed: by the topic of the realms, and by the topic of defilement. By the last six topics purity is subsumed: by the topic of the truths, of the basis, of the factors of enlightenment, of beings, of the fruits, and of the qualities.

By the two topics, defilement is subsumed in respect of the support of defilement and the differences of defilement. By the six topics, purity is subsumed in respect of: the objective domain of purity; the mind's not scattering within that domain; the right means, undistracted, with respect to that object; the differences of stage in one who has that right means; the causes of speech and the rest; the fruit of the right means; and the qualities of that fruit. Among these, the differences of stage and the causes of speech — these two establish the topic of beings, as should be understood. The causes of speech and the rest means: for ease of speech; for according with the world; for avoiding what is fearful; and for causing people to know with confidence the accomplishment of the qualities and the faults of themselves and others. For these reasons the number of these nine topics is fixed, and their sequence is fixed, as should be understood.

The exposition: if one would think through the measureless differences of question and answer concerning the nine topics above, they should be thought through by two subsumptions — by the subsumption of all the Buddha's words under matter, and by their subsumption under concept.

Here, the subsumption of all the Buddha's words under matter should be understood by three kinds of scripture: those arranged by ascending number up to ten; those expounding a broad meaning; and those collecting differing topics. The subsumption of all the Buddha's words under concept is by four sets of summary verses. What are the four?

Terms, delusion, conceptual proliferation,
abiding, the real, purity, the excellent,
stillness, nature, principle,
nominal designation, direct realization.

Place, position, discrimination,
action, appropriation, increase, decrease,
darkness, speech, what is cognized, the higher,
seclusion, turning, hoarding.

Discernment and what operates,
dormancy and connection,
the subsumptions, association,
speaking, sustaining, sequence.

What is to be done, the object, yoga,
calm abiding and insight,
the attentions, instruction,
the qualities, enlightenment, the sacred teaching.

The exposition: terms means the six sense fields, measureless objective domains, measureless places, measureless times. There are also the three realms: desire, form, and formlessness. There are also three world systems: the lesser thousand-world, the middling, and the great. There are also four classes of people: householders, renunciants, lay devotees, and non-humans. There are also three feelings: painful, pleasant, and neither painful nor pleasant. There are also the three times: past, future, and present. There are also the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. There are also three kinds of state: wholesome, unwholesome, and morally neutral. There are also three defilements: of affliction, of karma, and of birth. There are also the four noble truths: suffering, origin, cessation, and path. There are also the nine successive attainments: the first absorption down to the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling. There are also the thirty-seven factors conducing to enlightenment: the establishments of mindfulness, the right exertions, the bases of supernormal power, the faculties, the powers, the factors of awakening, and the limbs of the path. There are also the four fruits of the renunciant: stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and the supreme fruit of arhatship. There are also many surpassing qualities: the measureless minds, the liberations, the bases of mastery, the totalities, non-contention, the knowledge of vows, unobstructed eloquence, the six supernormal powers, and the rest.

Further, in dependence on the Great Vehicle there are five items: mark, name, discrimination, suchness, and correct knowledge. There are also two emptinesses: the emptiness of persons and the emptiness of phenomena. There are also two selflessnesses: the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena. There is also the practice of the middle, keeping far from the two extremes — namely, keeping far from the extreme of superimposition and the extreme of denial. There are also four realities: what is established for the world; what is established by reasoning; the domain of the knowledge purified of the obstruction of the afflictions; and the domain of the knowledge purified of the obstruction to what is to be known. There are also four investigations: investigation of the name, of the thing, of the nominally established own-nature, and of the nominally established distinctions. There are also four kinds of full knowledge in accordance with reality: those drawn forth by each of those four investigations in turn. There are also three natures: the imagined, the dependent, and the perfectly accomplished. There are also three naturelessnesses: naturelessness of mark, naturelessness of arising, and naturelessness in the ultimate sense.

There are also five aspects of great enlightenment: by its own nature, by its efficacy, by its means, by its going forth, and by its returning. There are also five items of the Great Vehicle: the seed, entering in, the sequence, the right turning, and the fruit of the right turning — that is, the first generating of the aspiration; giving rise to great compassion toward beings; the perfections; the means of attraction; and the ripening of one's own and others' continuums. There are also the five measureless conceptions: of the realm of beings, of world systems, of the realm of things, of the realm of those to be trained, and of the realm of the means of training them. There is also the reaching-through of the truly real: the reaching-through to suchness within all measureless things, and the knowledge therein. There is also confident understanding of inconceivable majesty. There is also unobstructed knowledge. There are also the thirty-two marks of a great man and the eighty minor signs. There are also the four purities in every aspect; the ten powers; the four fearlessnesses; the three establishments of mindfulness; the three things needing no guarding; the great compassion; the Dharma never forgotten; the permanent ending of the habitual traces; and the marvelous knowledge of all aspects. All that has been said above is, in brief, of just two kinds: terms as explained within the śrāvaka vehicle, and terms as explained within the Great Vehicle.

Delusion: the four distortions — taking the impermanent to be permanent, the painful to be pleasant, the impure to be pure, and the selfless to be a self.

Conceptual proliferation: the afflictions, and the aggregates that are mixed with affliction.

Abiding: the four stations of consciousness and the seven stations of consciousness.

The real: suchness, and the four noble truths.

Purity: three kinds of purity — purity of one's own substance, purity of the objective domain, and purity of stage.

The excellent: because the Three Jewels are established as supreme, they are called excellent.

Stillness: from one's own aspiration for wholesome states down to all the factors conducing to enlightenment and the fruit realized — all are called stillness.

Nature: the marks of things — the particular mark, the general mark, the nominally established mark, the causal mark, and the resultant mark — all together are termed nature.

Principle: dependent arising, and the four principles of reasoning.

Nominal designation: designating a being nominally upon nothing but things, and designating things nominally upon nothing but marks.

Direct realization: the six kinds of direct realization, as will be stated in the chapter on Establishing Direct Realization.

Place: the aggregate of form. Position: the aggregate of feeling. Discrimination: the aggregate of perception. Action: the aggregate of formations. Appropriation: the aggregate of consciousness.

Increase: of two kinds — increase of affliction and increase of karma. As with increase, so decrease is of two kinds: decrease of affliction and decrease of karma.

Darkness: ignorance and doubt. Speech: the twelvefold body of discourse is what is called speech. What is cognized: the various meanings of the teachings that are spoken. The higher: the fruits of the renunciant.

Seclusion: five kinds — seclusion from evil conduct, from sexual desire, from possessions, from gatherings, and from the afflictions. Turning: the three realms and the five destinies. Hoarding: yearning after the past, hoping for the future, and clinging to the present.

Discernment: namely, a single line of inquiry — the clause that follows from what precedes, the clause that follows from what comes after, the clause with a basis, the clause without a basis; things that are form and things that are not form; visible and invisible; resistant and unresistant; contaminated and uncontaminated; conditioned and unconditioned; with contention and without; with relish and without; grounded in indulgence and grounded in deliverance; worldly and transcendent; belonging and not belonging; inner and outer, coarse and fine, superior and inferior, far and near; having an object and having none; associated and unassociated; with activity and without; with a support and without; cause and not cause; effect and not effect; ripened result and not ripened result; having a cause and having none; having an effect and having none; having a ripened result and having none; appropriated and unappropriated; derived from the four great elements and not so derived; of the same class and of a corresponding class; having something higher and having none; past, future, and present; wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral; bound to the realm of desire, of form, of formlessness; of the learner, of the adept, of neither; abandoned by seeing, abandoned by cultivation, and not to be abandoned.

There are also four conditions: the causal condition, the immediately antecedent condition, the objective condition, and the dominant condition. There are also four reliances: rely on the Dharma and not on the person; on the meaning and not on the letter; on scriptures of definitive meaning and not on those of provisional meaning; on knowledge and not on consciousness. There are also the four measureless minds, the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, the eight limbs of the noble path, the four modes of progress, the four footings of Dharma, calm abiding, insight, the higher discipline, the higher mind, the higher wisdom, the liberations, the bases of mastery, the totalities, and the rest.

What operates: the entanglements of affliction. Dormancy: the latent tendencies of affliction.

Connection: the six sense fields, connected by sharing a single support, as should be understood. There are also things that draw in and take up other things, and these too are mutually connected. There are also the faculties and their objects, connected as grasper and grasped.

The subsumptions: eleven kinds — mutual subsumption, subsumption by element, by mark, by class, by stage, by inseparability, by time, by place, in part, in whole, and in the ultimate sense.

Association: five kinds, as should be understood — first, one is associated with what is other in nature, not with its own nature; second, among things other in nature, one is associated with what is not incompatible, not with what is incompatible; third, among the non-incompatible, one is associated with what is similar in being lesser, middling, or greater, not with the dissimilar; fourth, among things similar in that grade, one is associated with what is simultaneous, not with what is not; fifth, among the simultaneous, one is associated with what is of the same level, not with what is not.

Speaking: four kinds of speech — speech of what is seen, of what is heard, of what is sensed, and of what is known.

Sustaining: four kinds of food — solid food, food of contact, food of mental volition, and food of consciousness.

Sequence: five kinds — the sequence of flowing on, the sequence of accomplishing what is to be done, the sequence of exposition, the sequence of arising, and the sequence of direct realization.

What is to be done: eight things — the ceasing of the support; the turning about of the support; fully knowing the object; delighting in the object; obtaining the fruit; becoming free of craving; transforming the faculties; and arousing the supernormal powers.

The object: four kinds of object — the universal object; the object that purifies conduct; the object of skill; and the object that purifies the afflictions.

Yoga: either of four kinds or of nine. The four are faith, aspiration, right diligence, and the means. The nine are: the worldly path, the transcendent path, the path of means, the uninterrupted path, the path of liberation, the path of advancement, and the paths of the lesser, middling, and greater grades.

Calm abiding: the nine ways of settling the mind.

Insight: three contemplations of matters, or four contemplations, or the contemplation of six differing objects, as should be understood. The three contemplations of matters are: contemplation bearing marks, contemplation that searches, and contemplation that examines. The four are: contemplation discerning things, contemplation discerning them to the utmost, contemplation weighing them throughout, and contemplation examining them throughout. The contemplation of six differing objects is: contemplation with meaning as object, with the thing as object, with the mark as object, with the part as object, with time as object, and with principle as object.

The attentions: seven kinds — the attention that understands the mark; the attention of resolve; the attention of seclusion; the attention that gathers up delight; the attention that observes; the attention that is the culmination of the means; and the attention that is the fruit of the culmination of the means.

Instruction: five kinds — instruction by teaching; instruction by realization; instruction given in due order; instruction that is undistorted; and instruction by supernatural display.

The qualities: the qualities stated above — the measureless minds, the liberations, and the rest.

Enlightenment: three kinds — the enlightenment of the śrāvaka, of the pratyekabuddha, and unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

The sacred teaching: conferring the refuges; laying down the training rules; providing for hearers; establishing the relation of teacher and disciple; the discourse on giving, the discourse on moral discipline, the discourse on birth in the heavens; censuring the relish of desire and showing the faults of desire; setting forth the states of defilement and of purity; guiding toward deliverance and praising the good qualities — expounding at length all the states that belong to purity.

The exposition: if practitioners would rightly practice with respect to the nine topics above — fully knowing, permanently abandoning, realizing, and cultivating and gathering the qualities and the rest — they should train by the ten Dharma practices and the six approaches. The ten Dharma practices have been stated above. The six approaches are: the approach of the truly real; the approach of realization; the approach of guidance; the approach that departs from the two extremes; the approach of the inconceivable; and the approach of intent.