Translations: The General Topics 229 taught or not taught, it is just as it is.”), (7) the training in the three [kinds of] w hat is hard to (“T hose who don the a rm o r for the sake o f sentient beings exert themselves to liberate space”; “Those who wear the arm o r for the sake of sentient beings exert themselves to support space by space”; “The bodhisattva m ahasattvas who w ant unsurpassable perfect enlightenm ent for the sake of sentient beings attain great vigor.”), (8) the training in fruitfulness (“Then, ano ther fully ordained m o n k thought, T pay hom age to the Bhagavatl in w hom there is no arising or ceasing and who can be designated as the skandha o f ethics {240} w ho can be designated as tu rn in g the wheel of d h arm a.’”), (9) the training in being ind ependent of others (“If a son o f good family o r a daughter o f good family dwells in the m o th e r as it was taught, just this will be their protection, guard, and shelter.”), and (10) [the tra in ing according to] In d ’s question, “W h en bodhisattva m ahasattvas engage in the m other, to w hat extent will they u nd erstan d all p h e n o m e n a as being like dreams, illusions, mirages, echoes, reflections, cities o f gandharvas, and m agi cal creations?” and Subhuti’s answ er th at if [bodhisattvas] lack the fourfold conceit about [phenom ena according to] these seven [examples], they u n d e r stand [all phenom ena] as being like [dreams and so on] As for the m eaning o f “fo rm and so on being complete or incom plete” in the context [of training (3)], the Abhisam aydlam kardlokd says: Im aginary form is incom plete because it is em pty of characteris tics The form o f the nature o f ph en o m en a is com plete because it is replete w ith the collection o f qualities.501 As for the m eaning o f this, [some Tibetans] explain the following If one focuses on them , [that is, the perfect and im aginary natures, resepectively,]502 said qualities arise or not arise Therefore, [these two types o f form] are respectively complete o r incomplete as the foundation o f qualities However, this is not the intention [of the Aloka] because it speaks o f being em pty of characteristics as the reason for [imaginary form] being incom plete So w hat is [the m eaning then]? Since imaginary form is merely w hat is conceptually superim posed as form, it is not established thro ugh any characteristics or nature Therefore, ultimately, it does not exist The form o f the nature of p he nom en a is the nature o f fo rm —the emptiness o f conceptual im aginations {241} Since it abides as being inseparable from the naturally pure qualities, it is called “com plete” or “abiding ultimately.”503 As for [the three things] that are hard to [in training (7)], in due order, it is hard to take the knowledge of all aspects as one’s aim, it is hard to gener ate the knowledge o f the p ath in one’s m ind stream, and it is hard to teach the knowledge o f entities to others At the tim e of this training, [bodhisattvas] 230 Groundless Paths take said three things that are hard to as their objects and u nderstand these three as lacking anything to be attained, w hat causes attainm ent, and so on, just like space, but it is not that the training is constituted by these three things that are hard to In the context of the seven kinds of appearances [in training (10)] that m ake [bodhisattvas] understan d [all ph eno m en a as dream s and so on], there are four [distinct features] for each one W here [or for what] they appear? [They appear] for the subsequent attainm ent of bodhisattvas W h at appears? It is inner and outer entities H ow [do they appear? They appear] like dreams The reason for this is that consciousness, by virtue of the sleep o f latent te n dencies, appears as being transform ed into such a nd such By applying these four features to the following [six of] the seven [examples] too, [phenom ena are like] illusions because they arise from the com ing to gether of ignorance s m antra and elixir; mirages, because they appear contradictory by virtue of appearing as real, but not existing; echoes, because th ey appear in dependence on conditions; and optical illusions, because they appear in the m a n n e r of not going beyond the w ay of being of knowable objects, th a t is, the ways in which these are propelled by in n er latent tendencies (which resemble the factors that bring a b o u t a reflection) Here the sutras [say] “reflection” a nd the Abhisamaydlamkdraloka says “optical illusion.” The smaller Brhattika304 [explains] this as the appearance of falling strands of hair for those who have blurred vision and some explain it as a swiftly circling firebrand and so on {242} [Furtherm ore, ph enom ena are like] cities of gandharvas because they appear on their own w ithout any support to dwell on [They are like] magical creations because they appear as activities o f body and speech, which lack any causes in true reality Through these seven [examples], bodhisattvas are made to understand all phenom ena as being equal to said [examples] Therefore, they are called “the seven appearances that make one u n d erstan d.” D uring subsequent attainm ent, [bodhisattvas] should understand all phenom ena to be illusionlike and, if they have any clinging to even this very being illusion like, they m ust stop [such clinging] by w ay o f the fourfold lack o f conceit [In his Abhisamayalarnkaravrittipindartha,] Prajnakaram ati holds that these ten trainings increase m ore and m ore th rough casting off their respective clingings.505 However since they, ultimately, are just divisions by way of their respective objects, their nature is one in that they [all] represent nonclinging 2.2.2.2.1.2.1.3.4.1.2 The trainings of Sravakas and pratyekabuddhas, which are taught implicitly [These refer to] cultivating [the trainings] by way of entailing clinging, that is, the opposite o f what was [explained] above as “familiarizing through sto p ping engaging in clinging.”506 Translations: The General Topics 231 2.2.2.2.1.2.1.3.4.2 T he aspects o f th e tra in in g [Bodhisattvas] cultivate the [above ten] trainings by way o f realizing subject and object as being equality [The sütras say]: Furtherm ore, w hen bodhisattva m ahasattvas engage in the m other, their m inds lack conceit [about form] as being form, their m inds lack conceit by v irtu e o f form, their m inds lack conceit about form as being “m ine,” and their m inds lack conceit about form 507 The same is said fo r [all phenom ena] up th ro u g h the knowledge o f all aspects H ere the smaller Brhattxka508 explains that since [bodhisattvas real ize that] form is not established ultimately, [the first, second, and fourth lack o f conceit above mean] that they are not conceited [by respectively th in k ing], “This is form ,” “T hro u g h this form, that kind o f entity is established,” “I should benefit or harm form in this way.” {243} The larger [Brhattika]S09 explains the th ird one as not being conceited about [form and so on represent ing] entities [as in the relationship between] a m aster and servants M aster [Haribhadra s Áloká]510 says that the first one is the clinging to a nature o f form and so on; the second one, the clinging to conventional characteris tics511 [with regard to form]; the th ird one, the clinging to the classificational elaborations [of form and so on]; and the fourth one, the clinging to w hat is realized th ro ugh [what is conducive to] penetration and so on.512 2.2.2.2.I.2.1.3.5 T he fru itio n o f h a v in g practiced in this way [This fruition] is the path of seeing, which [is discussed] in two parts: 1) Explaining the actual path o f seeing 2) The reason for not explaining the path o f familiarization 2.2.2.2.1.2.L3.5.1 Explaining th e actual p a th o f seeing This has tw o parts: 1) The path o f seeing o f bodhisattvas, w hich is taught explicitly 2) The paths o f seeing o f šrávakas and pratyekabuddhas, w hich are taught implicitly 2.2.2.2.1.2.L3.5.1.1 T he p a th o f seeing o f b o d h isattv as, w h ich is ta u g h t explicitly [The path of seeing o f bodhisattvas] is the direct seeing of the true nature o f the four realities thro u g h being free from the thirty-tw o superim posi tions—the sixteen aspects o f the four realities, including their opposites (such as perm anence and im perm anence, happiness and suffering, em pty and not em pty, and identity and identitylessness) 232 Groundless Paths 2.2.2.2.1.2.1.3.5.1.2 The paths of seeing of Sravakas and pratyekabuddhas, which are taught implicitly [The paths o f seeing o f Sravakas and pratyekabuddhas] consist of the o p p o site of what is free from th e thirty-tw o superim positions—the p a th of seeing of bodhisattvas, w hich is tau g h t explicitly in a positive m anner T hat is, they consist of familiarizing w ith the sixteen aspects such as im perm anence {244} through clinging to them 2.2.2.2.1.2.1.3.5.2 The reason for not explaining the path of familiarization The Vrtti says: You may wonder, “Due to which point is it that, unlike w ith the knowledge o f the path, there is no separate path of familiarization for the know ledge o f entities?” This is because [the sutras] say that bodhisattvas view the excellences o f Sravakas and pratyekabud dhas through understanding and seeing them and then go beyond them 513 Therefore, the other one [(the path of familiarization of bodhisattvas)] is taken to be prim ary here.514 The realizations as they are realized by Sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and so on are only som ething th a t is to be know n by bodhisattvas, but n ot som ething with w hich they have to familiarize and acquaint them selves again and again Therefore, a path o f familiarization o f how bodhisattvas have to familiarize with the know ledge o f entities o f Sravakas and pratyekabuddhas is n ot taught You may w onder, “But w hy not teach the very paths o f familiarization of ¿ravakas and pratyekabuddhas, on w hich [bodhisattvas] familiarize w ith the actualities that these Sravakas and pratyekabuddhas themselves have seen [on their respective paths o f seeing] ?” Though they are not taught, they are easy to understand For in th e context o f bodhisattvas teaching th e paths of sravakas and pratyekabuddhas to others, it is sufficient for them to teach, “The path o f familiarization is to familiarize with the very actuality as you have seen it,” but [bodhisattvas] themselves not familiarize with this [actuality].515 {245} 2.2.2.2.1.2.1.3.6 The concluding summary of the three knowledges [The sutras] give the following concluding sum m ary of the knowledge of entities: Subhuti, this m o th er is neither w hat makes one attain n or w hat does not m ake one attain any dharm a The same applies for her neither show ing nor not show ing [any dharm a], neither bestow ing nor ta k ing th em away, neither m aking them perm anent no r extinct, neither Translations: The General Topics 233 o f th e same m eaning n o r of various m eanings, neither com ing no r going, n eith e r afflicted n o r purified, ne ith er decreasing no r increas ing, n e ith e r m aking th em arise in the past, n o r in the future, n o r in the present.516 T he concluding sum m ary o f the knowledge o f the path is as follows: Again, Subhüti, this m o th er is neither what makes one utterly tra n scend the desire realm n o r what makes one dwell [there] The same goes for the tw o oth er realms It is neither w hat bestows the pàram ità o f generosity n o r w hat takes aw ay miserliness It is n either w hat bestows the knowledge o f all aspects nor what takes it away The concluding su m m ary of the knowledge o f all aspects is as follows: Again, Subhüti, this m oth er is neither w hat bestows the budd had harm as n o r what takes them away The sam e applies for the dharm as o f ordinary beings, the dharm as of sràvakas and pratyekabuddhas, a nd conditioned and uncondition ed dharm as As the justification for this [the sütras continue by] saying that, no m atter w hether tathagatas arise or not arise, the nature of p h en o m e n a abides [just as it is] {246} After the tathagatas have fully realized this, th ey teach it to o th ers and so on [Thus,]517 everything th a t is stated in this th ird c h a p ter—the chapter o f the knowledge o f entities—is not ta u g h t in o rd er to respectively adopt and reject all the p h e n o m en a o f skandhas, dhàtus, and àyatanas (the entities) by w ay of clinging to dualistic p henom ena, such as attaining or n o t attaining, bestowing or taking them away Rather, it is stated for the sake o f cutting th ro u g h the reference points o f clinging th rou gh stopping the conceptions that cling to any extrem e whatsoever W hatever is taught in the second chapter—the chapter o f the knowledge of the p a th —is not tau g h t in order to adopt nirvàna and reject sam sàra thro ugh regarding the phenom ena that m ake up samsàric existence as the set o f the antagonistic factors that are to be relinquished and the p h en o m e n a that m ake up what is purified (nirvàna) as the set o f the remedies that are to be adopted Rather, it is tau g h t fo r the sake of cutting th ro ugh the clinging to w hat is to be ad o p ted and to be rejected th rough realizing [samsàric] existence and peace as being equality W hatever is taught in the first chapter—the chapter o f the knowledge of all aspects—does not instruct on a knowledge of all aspects that is explained ... such By applying these four features to the following [six of] the seven [examples] too, [phenom ena are like] illusions because they arise from the com ing to gether of ignorance s m antra and... to conventional characteris tics511 [with regard to form]; the th ird one, the clinging to the classificational elaborations [of form and so on]; and the fourth one, the clinging to w hat is... bodhisattvas view the excellences o f Sravakas and pratyekabud dhas through understanding and seeing them and then go beyond them 513 Therefore, the other one [ (the path of familiarization of bodhisattvas)]