Notes 729 423 T h is is th e com m entary by the Korean master W onch’uk (a.k.a Yiian-ts’e; -69 6), which was translated in to Tibetan as D4016 424 II.209cd (D107, fol 109a.5-6) 425 PGSD (pp 152-53) agrees that the noble o n es o f the inferior yánas m ust enter the maháyána on the path o f accumulation For in order to becom e a buddha, one m ust progress through all five paths o f the m aháyána in their due order Furthermore, the direct realization o f p henom enal identitylessness must be preceded by realizing it in the m anner o f an object generality As for the justification that the noble ones o f inferior yánas w ho have entered the m aháyána are nevertheless ordinary beings, in the m ind streams o f those on the maháyána paths o f accumulation and preparation w ho had previously attained the realization o f arhath ood in on e o f the inferior yánas, sometimes phases in which the direct realization o f personal identitylessness is manifest are possible, but, mostly, such a realization exists in them in the manner o f a powerful seed For they not need to make efforts in familiarizing with personal identitylessness (the remedy for the afflictions) because they have already relinquished the afflic tions As for the tim e when such phases o f direct realization occur in them, through the power o f being habituated to m entally engaging in their own welfare it is possible for said persons to fall back into the inferior yánas, but they not need to enter these yánas via their respective paths o f accumulation because they are able to directly dwell in their previous respective paths o f arhathood The m ind streams o f those on the maháyána paths o f accum ulation and prepara tion w h o had previously attained merely the fruitions o f stream-enterer and once-returner are not endow ed with the m anifest form o f the prajňá o f directly realizing personal identitylessness because they are en d ow ed with the manifest form o f the maháyána path o f realizing the nature o f phenom ena in the m anner o f an object generality Therefore, it is justified that both those on the maháyána paths o f accum ulation and preparation who had previously been noble ones in the inferior yánas are ordinary beings because, am ong the persons in the m aháyána, they are those w h o realize the nature o f phenomena in the m anner o f an object generality The gist o f this is that šrávaka arhats m ust cultivate the knowledge o f the path because they are sentient beings and will becom e buddhas 426 PGSD (pp 15 1-52) says that all sentient beings will necessarily and definitely becom e buddhas because (a) their m ind streams are pervaded by the disposition as the primary cause, (b) the adventitious stains as the adverse conditions are suitable to be relinquished, and (c) the enlightened activities o f buddhas as the favorable conditions are suitable to engage these m ind streams The first reason applies because o f Uttaratantra 1.28 (“The perfect buddhakáya radiates ”) The second on e applies because Pramánavárttika II.208cd says: M ind is naturally lum inous, The stains are adventitious The third one applies because Uttaratantra IV 12 says: Because o f setting out for the sake o f others, Because o f seeing sentient beings and on eself as equal, And because o f what is to be done not being com pleted, There is no end o f activity Also, in the initial p roo f statement, the reasons entail the predicate For the Jňánálokálamkárasútra says, “The light rays o f the orb o f the sun o f the Tathágata touch even those whose mind streams are definitely [set] on wrongdoing, thus benefiting them and increasing their roots o f virtue through producing future causes [for happiness].” The CandrapradipasUtra says: All these beings without exception will be buddhas, A nd there is no sentient being here w ho is not a vessel 730 Groundless Paths {Also the Prasphutapadà (P5194, fol 54a.7) and the Munimatdlamkara (P5299, fol 186a.8186b 1) present this passage as stem m ing from the Samâdhirâjasùtra (its early and shorter version being known as Candrapradïpasütra), but I could not locate it in said sütra.} In general, samsara is said to be without end, as Madhyamakàvatâra VI.194ac says: The beginning is first and the end is last— Since these two not exist, samsara Is said to be without beginning and end “But is this not contradicted by Catuhéataka XIV.25cd saying: Having seen the identitylessness in objects, The seeds o f [samsaric] existence cease?” There is no flaw since this is said with the intention that merely the samsara o f persons with realization has an end 427 D3787, fol 147b.6-7 428 See Wayman and W ayman 1974, p 85 429 D4038, fol 119b.6 430 1.67 431 IV.66cd (the first line in PSD reads ’on k y an g sn y in g rje yis) 432 PGSD (pp 147-50 and 153-55) speaks o f five branches o f the knowledge o f the path in two main categories—(a) the three that newly produce this knowledge and (b) the two that benefit others once it has arisen, (a) The first are defined as “the branches o f the knowledge o f the path that serve as its causes—m aking efforts in order to attain the unattained knowledge o f the path.” They consist o f (1) the physical support that is free from manifest afflictions as its obstructions (“eclipsing the good s through light” in AA II 1), which corresponds to a bodhisat tva during the last m om ent o f the supreme dharma who is free from such afflictions, (2) the mental support o f having generated bodhicitta as the favorable condition o f the knowledge o f the path (“definite object”), and (3) the mahàyàna disposition having awoken as the substantial cause o f the knowledge o f the path (“pervasiveness”), which corresponds to the lucid and aware mental consciousness that serves as the cause for the knowledge o f the path, (b) The branches that benefit others are defined as “the branches o f the know ledge o f the path that serve as its nature or its result.” They consist o f (4) the nature o f the k nowledge o f the path corresponding to the mahàyàna paths o f seeing and familiarization on which the causes for being reborn in samsàra for the sake o f others—the latent tendencies o f the afflictions—are deliberately retained and not relinquished (5) The function or activity o f the knowledge o f the path corresponds to the enlightened activity that arises based on the knowledge o f the path functioning as its d o m i nant condition In general, the explanation that the afflicted m ind exists in the m ind streams o f all ordinary beings is a coarse on e—though bodhisattvas during the last m o m en t o f the supreme dharma are ordinary beings, they not possess the afflicted m ind because they are free from pride, that is because it is explained that realization arises only in those m ind streams in which pride has been overcome As for the afflictions taught here being actual versus nominal, in g en eral, the term “afflictions” is applied to (a) manifest afflictions, (b) their seeds, and (c) their latent tendencies, (a) The definition o f a manifest affliction is “the form o f awareness that appre hends the focal object and aspect o f its specific object by w ay o f agitating the m ind stream.” Its instances consist o f the primary and secondary afflictions together w ith all the primary m inds and m ental factors that are congruently associated w ith them, (b) The definition o f a seed o f N otes 731 affliction is “the potential that is input into the m ind stream through a preceding affliction o f the sam e type and, when meeting with certain conditions, gives rise to a later affliction o f this type.” These seeds are tw ofold —the seeds that operate sim ultaneously with the afflictions and th e seeds during whose ow n tim e the afflictions have already ceased The first correspond to the potentials that consist o f later forms o f ignorance being produced through preceding on es o f the same type The second correspond to the seeds o f the afflictions in the m ind streams o f noble šrávakas while abiding in meditative equipoise, (c) The definition o f latent tendencies is “the very subtle stains that are the im pregnations o f negative tendencies which are input into the mind stream through preceding afflictions o f the sam e type and, even when meeting with certain conditions, absolutely lack the potential for the arising o f a later affliction o f this type.” Their synonym s are “the latent tendencies o f the afflictions,” “the impregnations o f their negative tendencies,” and “the ground o f the latent tendencies o f ignorance.” (a) and (b) are fully qualified afflictive obscurations, while (c) represent the nom inal ones Thus, the afflictions that are taught in this context are not identified as (a) or (b), but only as (c) because the afflictions taught here function as the causes for noble bodhisattvas taking rebirth in samsára for the welfare o f others, while (as Uttaratantra 1.67 says) they have already relinquished the samsáric births and deaths that occur under the sw ay o f karma and afflictions The afflictions (c) are tw ofold—the latent tendencies o f the afflictions that function as obstructions to enlightenm ent and the latent tendencies o f the afflictions that serve as its aids The ones in question here are not the first because it is said that afflictive and cognitive obscurations are relinquished together Therefore, they are the second because noble bodhisattvas deliberately retain these as branches o f gathering the accum ulations for the welfare o f others The Kàsyapaparivartasùtra says: Just as the manure o f the excrement o f city people Benefits the fields o f sugar cane farmers, So the m anure o f the afflictions o f bodhisattvas Benefits the production o f the buddhadharmas Asanga [Mahây ânasamgr aha X.28; D4048, fol 40b 1-2) states: In those who are endow ed with great means, The afflictions b ecom e the branches o f enlightenm ent And even samsára has the nature o f peace Therefore, the Tathàgata {PGSD: “bodhisattvas”} is inconceivable As for bodhisattvas taking rebirth through said afflictions, the causes for such rebirths are as follows Those who train in the inferior yánas and ordinary beings are born under the sway o f karma and afflictions For by virtue o f not having relinquished the seeds o f karma and afflic tions, they cause birth and death in samsára despite beings not w ish in g so Arhats o f the inferior yánas and noble bodhisattvas take rebirth in samsára in dependence on the causes that consist o f the ground o f the latent tendencies o f ignorance and uncontam inated karma For they must assume bodies o f a mental nature—through the ground o f the latent tendencies o f ignorance, they so in order to attain the nirvána w ithout remainder and, through uncontam inated karma, they so in order to gather the accum ulations for the welfare o f others—and have fully relinquished the causes that consist o f karma and afflictions As for the m anner o f taking rebirth, it is explained that those w ho train in the inferior yánas and ordinary beings, m otivated by the afflictions, accumulate contam inated karma and thus accom plish the two links o f dependent origination that consist o f birth and aging in samsára Arhats o f the inferior yánas and noble bodhisattvas, through the ground o f the latent tendencies o f ignorance functioning as the dition and uncontam inated karma as the cause, assume bodies with a m ental nature, thus undergoing inconceivable deaths and transitions In brief, for bodhisattvas on the path o f 732 Groundless Paths seeing, there is a reason to deliberately retain the latent tendencies o f the afflictions that serve as the causes for their taking rebirth in samsara for the welfare o f others because they are the chil dren o f the victors who engage in prom oting the welfare o f sentient beings for as long as the samsara o f those to be guided lasts MCG (fols 5 b l-5 a and 56b.4-57a.4) follows the format o f PSD, but adds that the Buddha’s light arises from his wisdom , while the light o f gods arises from karma (2) As for the manner o f the arising o f the knowledge o f the path, temporarily speaking since it arises from the generation o f bodhicitta (emptiness with a heart o f com pas sion), this is its definite object Ultim ately since all sentient beings have the tathágata heart, all šrávakas and pratyekabuddhas also are pervaded by the fact that the k n ow ledge o f the path in the single maháyána is suitable to arise in them (3) The nature o f the knowledge o f the path is to gain mastery over the afflictions and thus to not manifest until samsára ends and the welfare o f all sentient beings is fully accomplished Here it is com passion that is labeled as natural afflic tions, or it is through the skill in means o f bodhisattvas that the afflictions are not relinquished Generally, afflictions are twofold in nature—those that bind in samsára and latencies In noble ones, the former not exist The latter exist, but, through the skill in m eans o f bodhisattvas, they becom e aids for enlightenm ent, just like poison turning into medicine Though bodhisatt vas attain the path o f seeing, through mastering uncontam inated karma and what is to be relinquished on each bhum i, unlike šrávakas, they not relinquish said latencies, but retain them as the causes for being reborn in samsára By virtue o f being embraced by prajňá and compasssion, said latencies are not fully qualified afflictions since they assist in accom plishing the buddhadharmas (4) is as described in PSD According to MPZL (pp -6 ), the nature o f the branches o f the know ledge o f the path is to be the special conditions fo r com pleting or per fecting that knowledge These branches consist o f the branches o f (1) relinquishing the adverse conditions o f said knowledge, (2) accom plishing its favorable conditions, and (3) perfecting its function (1) The explicit teaching in the sutras about the pride o f the gods being overcom e through their light being eclipsed points to the hidden teaching o f the proper support for the arising o f the knowledge o f the path The purpose o f this hidden teaching is taught through the pertinent distinctive feature o f relinquishment—having relinquished the manifest afflictions Implicitly, this teaches the following In terms o f positive determination, those who dwell on the level o f the suprem e dharma o f the maháyána path o f preparation are suitable as supports for the knowledge of the path because they have relinquished the manifest afflictions In terms o f negative determination, those w h o are free from attachm ent due to having gone through m u n dane paths are not such supports because they have not relinquished the manifest afflictions o f the Peak o f Existence (2) To accom plish the favorable conditions consists o f (a) the generation o f bodhicitta (the condition), (b) the awakening o f the disposition (the cause), and (c) the nature o f the means (the aid), (a) Through the generation o f bodhicitta, which is oriented toward perfect enlightenm ent, it is taught that the object must be definite Implicitly, this teaches the following In terms o f positive determination, those on the maháyána path o f preparation are suitable as supports for the knowledge o f the path because they have generated bodhicitta In terms o f negative determination, arhats free from attachment are not such supports because they lack bodhicitta (b) Through the disposition having awoken, it is taught that its pervasive ness must be definite Implicitly, this teaches the following In terms o f positive determination, through the power o f the disposition having aw oken in those on the maháyána path o f prepara tion, they are necessarily suitable for the arising o f the k now ledge o f the path This teaches that, ultimately, there is definitely only a single yána In terms o f negative determination, the persons in w hom the disposition has temporarily not been awoken are not supports for the knowledge o f the path, (c) The aid—the nature o f com passion—teaches that one must be endow ed with the means o f not relinquishing the afflictions Implicitly, this teaches the following In terms o f positive determination, the knowledge o f the path (which has the nature o f prajňá) is united with its aid, means (which has the nature o f com passion) In terms o f negative determination, the paths o f the hlnayána are only o f limited prajňá, but lack the means that is com passion Notes 733 (3) Through th e knowledge o f t h e path consisting o f special m eans an d prajňá, it is taught that this knowledge is endow ed with the special function o f the means to accomplish the welfare o f others In terms o f positived eterm in ation , this teaches that, thou gh the ultim ate function o f the knowledge o f the path that consists o f special m eans and prajňá k n o w s the true end, it does not manifest the true end in an u n tim ely manner, but accom plishes the fruition that is the n onabid ing nirvána Its temporary function is to accom plish the welfare o f others through gathering those sentient beings w ho have not been gathered as retinues, m aturing those w h o were gath ered, and liberating those who were matured In terms o f negative determination, this teaches that šrávakas and pratyekabuddhas fall into the extrem e o f peace because they are inferior in terms o f accom plishing the final fruition, and only accomplish their ow n welfare because they are inferior in terms o f temporarily prom oting the welfare o f others As for the m eaning o f not relinquishing the afflictions (the branch that is the nature o f the knowledge o f the path), to assert these afflictions as fully qualified afflictive obscurations entails flaws such as those b od h i sattvas w ho h ave previously gone through inferior paths lacking this branch o f the knowledge o f the path and, in particular, the branches o f the knowledge o f the path not being complete in bodhisattvas on the three pure bhumis (because all afflictive obscurations have been relin quished on these bhumis) As for asserting said afflictions as cognitive obscurations, there appears the tradition o f claiming such things as bodhisattvas deliberately not cultivating the practice o f the equipm ent o f the remedies and the culm inating training Also, neither the asser tion that these afflictions are latencies nor the explanation by others that bodhisattvas not take the afflictive obscurations as their primary factors to be relinquished can transcend the flaws o f the previous two assertions In particular, the explanation that bodhisattvas not take the afflictions as their primary factors to be relinquished for their ow n welfare entails innum er able flaws, such as having to assert that bodhisattvas deliberately not relinquish both types o f obscurations and deliberately not cultivate any rem edial paths Q uoting som e o f the above passages from the Ságaramatipariprcchasútra in PSD, MPZL says that they teach the following What is labeled as “afflictions” are the eight dharmas o f bodhisattvas entering samsára as they please (which have the nature o f com passion) The reason for labeling them as afflictions is their resembling the latter in that they connect with the three realms Thus, it is the function o f the skill in m eans o f bodhisattvas engaging in the welfare o f sentient beings out o f com passion for as long as samsára lasts that is labeled as “afflictions” because it is similar to (som e of) their fea tures As for the purposes o f such labeling, in general, though ordinary beings w ho are free from attachment (through m undane paths) have relinquished the afflictions o f respectively lower lev els, they did not relinquish those o f the respectively higher ones and consequently are helplessly reborn in samsára On the other hand, though noble bodhisattvas not relinquish the afflic tions temporarily, they are not born in samsára under their influence, but are skilled in the m eans to enter samsára as they wish through the power o f compassion In particular, since šrávakas and pratyekabuddhas reject any wish o f entering samsára for the welfare o f others like poison, they are not skilled in such means, whereas bodhisattvas are skilled in said means for as long as samsára lasts Most specifically, since šrávaka and pratyekabuddha arhats have exhaus tively relinquished the afflictions (the causes for entering samsára), they fall into the extreme o f peace T h ou gh bodhisattvas on the three pure b h um is h ave also exhaustively relinquished the afflictions, they not abide in the extreme o f peace, but, under the sw ay o f com passion, are skilled in the m eans to enter samsára as they please Thus, there is the purpose o f realizing the greatness o f their skill in these means As for šrávakas and pratyekabuddhas, w ho are not skilled in means, lack com passion, and fall into the extreme o f peace, once they, through the power o f the m aháyána disposition having awoken in them, manifest com passion as the m eans and thus give rise to bodhicitta, they also enter the path o f the m aháyána, engage in samsára for the w el fare o f others as they wish, and so on It appears that the profound m eanings o f these essential points o f the greatness o f the know ledge o f the path being perfected and so on, as explained ... o f the Peak o f Existence (2 ) To accom plish the favorable conditions consists o f (a) the generation o f bodhicitta (the condition), (b) the awakening o f the disposition (the cause), and (c)... about the pride o f the gods being overcom e through their light being eclipsed points to the hidden teaching o f the proper support for the arising o f the knowledge o f the path The purpose o. .. bodhicitta as the favorable condition o f the knowledge o f the path (? ??definite object”), and (3 ) the mahàyàna disposition having awoken as the substantial cause o f the knowledge o f the path (? ??pervasiveness”),