Groundless paths the prajnaparamita sutras, the o ( (52)

Translations: The General Topics 269 b) As for being fearlessness about [proclaiming] consum m ate relinquishm ent, [the sutra says:] If I proclaim, “I have term inated the contam in ation s” neither sram anas saying that I have not term in ated these c) As for being fearless about [proclaiming] obstructing p henom ena, [the su tra says:] There is no basis such as that what I taught as obstructing p h e n o m ­ ena not becom ing obstructing p h e n o m en a if relied upon Thus, n e ith e r s r a m a n a s d) As for being fearless about [proclaiming] the path of final deliverance, [the sutra says:] If one practices w hat I ta u g h t as w hat is conducive to final deliver­ ance f or the sake o f perfectly term inating suffering, which functions as the noble path that is conducive to final deliverance, there is no basis for its not becom ing w hat is conducive to final deliverance for the sake o f perfectly term inating suffering Thus, here, to me, neither sram anas [saying], “Even if it is practiced correctly, suf­ fering will not be term inated perfectly.” Here sramanas and brahm ans refer to those who are conceited due to prajna; gods and dem ons, to those w ith excellence due to the divine eye, know ing the m inds o f others, and so on; and Brahma, to those with great pow er and m iraculous powers Therefore, these are m ention ed due to their being greatly conceited [in these ways] T hrough the pow er o f [buddhas] having attained the bliss of being w ithout their body hairs standing on end [due to fear], shy­ ness, and so on, {295} they proclaim their stance o f the all-know ing steed and the [mighty] bull because the enlightened activity o f their bodies is pure T h roug h the pow er o f having attained [the state of] their speech being w ithou t any trepidation (such as being tim id or inferior), they u tter [this stance] like a lion’s roar because the enlightened activity o f their speech is pure T h ro ugh the pow er o f having attained the fearlessness o f their m inds being w ithout doubt, faintheartedness, an d so on, they tu rn the wheel like Brahma because the enlightened activity o f their m ind is pure Alternatively, B rahm a refers to being a tathagata because o f being nobler than everybody [else] 270 Groundless Paths 3) The third [set] consists o f the four aspects of the discrim inating aw are­ nesses W hat are they? a) The discrim inating awareness o f dharm as is to engage in [the objects that consist of] the twelve branches o f [a b u d d h a’s] speech or the objects that co n ­ sist of th e synonym s th a t are m eans o f expression (such as “the one with white light” and “the one with a rabbit”)571 w ithout any attachm ent of relish­ ing them and any obstruction of cognitive obscurations b) [The discrim inating aw areness of] m eanings [is to engage,] as before, in the objects that consist of w hat is expressed by the twelve branches or the specific and general characteristics o f phenom ena c) [The discrim inating awareness of] semantics [is to engage,] as before, in the objects that consist o f the languages w ithin the six [realms of] beings or the languages of each country d) [The discriminating awareness of] self-confidence [is to engage,] as before and in order to teach others, in the objects that consist o f the m a n i­ fest triad [(a)—(c)] of dharm as and so on or the subdivisions of the natures and the aspects of phenom ena, such as their existing substantially or existing imputedly Since these four [awarenesses] are w ithout attachm ent and obstruction with regard to said four [sets of] objects, they are discrim inating awarenesses {296} 4) T he eighteen dharm as o f th e buddh a qualities that are unique com pared to others are (a) th e six that consist of conduct, (b) th e six that consist of realiza­ tion, (c) the three that consist of enlightened activity, and (d) the three that consist of wisdom a) The six flaws that will be explained [in the following] are possible for arhats o f the hlnayana, but tathagatas [lack them (1) They lack] being harm ed by fierce elephants, cattle, dogs, and so on, and lack any mistakenness such as crushing black snakes un d er their feet Therefore, their physical actions are pure (2) They lack chatter, such as spoiling the path and thus uttering chat­ tering sounds and, u n d er the sway of latent tendencies, guffawing like a horse Therefore, their verbal actions are pure (3) T hey lack any deterioration of mindfulness in term s o f failing to som ething by virtue of forgetfulness a n d it th e n being too late [to it] (4) At all tim es, they lack [a m ind th a t is] not settled in meditative equipoise, no m atte r w hether th ey rest or no t rest in meditative absorption (5) They lack discriminations in term s o f [samsaric] existence and n irv an a being different by w ay of clinging to th em as being dis­ co rd an t or concordant (6) T hey lack the indifference o f forsaking the welfare o f sentient beings thro ugh not exam inining [whether] the tim e for guiding them [is right or not] and so on These four aspects represent the purity of their m ental actions Thus, [these] are the six [aspects of unique conduct].572 Translations: The General Topics 271 b) [As for the six aspects o f unique realization,] (7) tathàgatas lack any dete­ rioration o f their striving because they always prom ote the welfare o f sentient beings and incessantly wish for the dharm as such as great love and com pas­ sion {297} (8) T hey lack an y deterioration o f vigor in th a t they, for the sake of each single sentient being, go to the places o f [all] b u d d h a realm s th a t exceed [the n u m b er o f the grains of] sand in the River Gangâ (9) They lack any dete­ rio ration o f m indfulness in th a t they, after having becom e buddhas, place the m ental behaviors o f all beings in the three times, the means to guide them , and so on onto the path o f m indfulness and therefore not have to th in k about these [things] later (10) They lack any deterioration o f the sam adhi o f rest­ ing in m editative equipoise in the suchness o f all phenom ena (11) They lack any deterioration of prajna because their knowledge o f the m ental behaviors o f sentient beings an d teaching the d h arm a is inexhaustible (12) They lack any deterioration o f their inexhaustible liberation w ithin their prom oting the welfare o f sentient beings for as long as samsara exists Thus, [these] are the six aspects [of unique realization] A m ong these six, striving is the support; the m iddle four, the faculties; a nd the last one, the fruition For those in the hlnayana, there is no deterioration o f these six once they have been attained, but there is deterioration w hen they have not been attained [fully] However, for tathàgatas, there is no [deterioration] in either [case] c) [As fo r the three aspects o f unique enlightened activity,] the enlightened activities o f [a b u d d h a ’s] body guiding sentient beings th ro u g h radiating light, walking, opening his eyes, and so on; the enlightened activities o f his speech instructing sentient beings in accordance with their thinking and their laten­ cies; and the enlightened activities o f his m in d having relinquished all latent tendencies w ithout exception an d being endow ed with great love {298} arise from the cause o f w isdom having arisen before them Therefore, these are the three aspects o f [said enlightened activities both] being preceded by wisdom and, since they flow together with wisdom, following w isdom d) The th ree aspects o f [unique] w isdom are th at [this w isdom ], th ro u g h the mere wish [to know them ], knows all knowable objects in the three times th at occur in the past, the future, and the present By virtue o f that, it is not attached to th e m and, by virtue o f know ing everything, it is not obstructed [with regard to th em either] 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.1.1.1.2.3.2.3.2 Their nature It is only by virtue o f the differences o f those to be guided that the buddhas who appear teach three yànas or a single one, bu t it is not possible fo r them to not teach suchness Therefore, the suchness that is explained by all buddhas is the nirvana o f being pure o f all stains w ithout exception 272 Groundless Paths 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.L1.1.1.2.3.2.3.3 W hose [qualities] they are To have gained mastery over all conditioned and unconditioned p h enom ena is throu gh the pow er of w h a t is self-arisen, th at is, self-arisen wisdom [In general,] what is self-arisen is twofold—the dharm ad h atu a n d th e wisdom o f som eone in their last existence realizing all knowable objects In term s o f the first one, this corresponds to what the Gandavyuhasutra [says]: T hough some w orldly realms, Inconceivable [in their num ber], are burned, Space will not be destroyed Self-arisen w isdom is just like that As for the second one, through bodhisattvas having familiarized with the instructions of spiritual friends for a long time, w ithout depending on a m as­ ter, [their final w isdom ] is self-arisen {299} As it is said: Having arrived, I am a buddha I have nobody as a master Since the first one o f these [two kinds o f w hat is self-arisen] is the suchness that is explained by all buddhas, it is the second one that is to be taken here [as that which possesses th e above qualities].573 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.1.I.I.2.3.2.3.4 F o r w hat aim they are [The aim is represented by] the aspect that is b u d d h a h o o d —the perfect real­ ization o f all aspects o f suchness and variety Thus, the [last] three [am ong these thirty-nine aspects of the knowledge o f all aspects are suchness, w hat is self-arisen, and buddhahood] W h en the wisdom of the knowledge of all aspects is attained through having focused on suchness, it is by v irtue o f its being endow ed w ith the pow er o f m astering all entities [that it is presented] as w hat is self-arisen By v irtue of its know ing all kinds o f knowable objects w ithout m ixing them , it is presented as b u d ­ dhahood A part from that, there is no difference In this way, suchness is the nature o f the thirty-six qualities [before it] W hat is self-arisen refers to h av ­ ing gained m astery over the collection of these qualities, or to the persons to which [they belong] The last [aspect] refers to the aim for which these [quali­ ties] are, [namely, bu ddhahood] It is in this way that [these] are the [last] three [aspects o f the knowledge o f all aspects].574 Translations: The General Topics 273 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.L1.1.2 The persons who train This 1) 2) 3) 4) has four parts: [The vessels who] [The vessels who] [The vessels who] [The vessels who] listen [to prajňápáram itá] take it [into their minds] retain it m entally engage in it properly 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.1.1.2.1 The vessels who listen [to prajňápáramitá] [According to the sutras, those w ho are able to listen to prajňápáram itá] are endow ed w ith three distinctive features: The sons o f good family or the daughters o f good family in whose ears this p rajň áp áram itá resounds have perform ed their duties for past victors {300} Those in whose ears it resounds have produced roots o f v irtu e w ith regard to the tathágatas were m en to re d by spiritual friends.575 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.1.1.2.2 The vessels who take it [into their minds] Those w ho ren d ered th eir services to m any b u d d h a s rep resent the vessels who take the w ords [of prajňápáram itá] to m ind [The sutras say:] H ow m uch m ore so for those w ho having ta k e n it [into their m inds], seized it, read it, understood it, and m entally engaged in it, seriously engage in prajňápáram itá as suchness They rendered their services to m any buddhas 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.1.1.2.3 The vessels who retain it Those who, after having rendered their services to the buddhas, asked them questions about all the m eanings about w hich they have doubts represent the vessels w ho retain the m eanings [of the w ords o f prajňápáram itá The sutras say:] T hey asked the past tathágatas, the arhats, the com pletely perfect buddhas, questions, attended them , and paid their services 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.1.1.2.4 The vessels who mentally engage in it properly Those who attended budd has and so on and thus engaged in the páram itás (such as generosity) represent the vessels w ho m entally engage in the charac­ teristics [of prajňápáram itá] in a p roper m anner [The sutras say:] ... realization] A m ong these six, striving is the support; the m iddle four, the faculties; a nd the last one, the fruition For those in the hlnayana, there is no deterioration o f these six once they have... so on onto the path o f m indfulness and therefore not have to th in k about these [things] later (1 0) They lack any deterioration o f the sam adhi o f rest­ ing in m editative equipoise in the. .. com pared to others are (a) th e six that consist of conduct, (b) th e six that consist of realiza­ tion, (c) the three that consist of enlightened activity, and (d) the three that consist of