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Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 9:01 pm
by Nicholas Weeks
This is the most recent sutra collection in book & PDF by Rulu. In the Introduction Rulu quotes from the Ratnamegha Sutra on the paramitas. I do not think this sutra has been translated into English, so I will pass on these excerpts:
According to the Sutra of the Jewel Cloud, a Bodhisattva can achieve the
almsgiving paramita by accomplishing ten things (T16n0659, 0244b28–0245b11).

First, he gives others the Dharma as alms, which means that he expounds
the Dharma out of compassion, not for receiving benefits or their worship.
Second, he gives sentient beings fearlessness as alms, which means that he
regards them as his parents, and never harms them or keeps weaponry.
Third, he gives away his wealth as alms, which means that he gives to the
needy to keep them from doing evil and to eradicate his greed, stinginess, and jealousy.
Fourth, he gives alms without expecting return, which means that he gives
alms because he delights in giving alms, not because he expects return to him or
his retinue.
Fifth, he gives alms with compassion, which means that he sees sentient
beings undergo unrelenting suffering while transmigrating through the six lifepaths,
and earnestly wants to give them peace and happiness.
Sixth, he gives alms without contempt for the recipients, which means that
he is not arrogant and that he respectfully gives alms with his own hands.
Seventh, he gives reverence as alms, which means that he treats his
teachers, preceptors, and classmates with reverence, saluting them and escorting them.
Eighth, he makes offerings as alms, which means that he makes offerings to
the Three Jewels: He makes offerings to Buddhas by giving incense and flowers
to Buddha pagodas and statues, and by cleaning the sacred sites; he makes
offerings to the Dharma by reading, copying, and studying the sutras, and
training accordingly; he makes offerings to the Sangha by giving life-supporting things to monks and nuns.
Ninth, he gives alms without counting on anything, which means that he
does not count on being reborn in his next life as a god or as a human with rank and wealth.
Tenth, he gives alms with purity, which means that he observes that the
almsgiver, the recipient, and the alms given are empty, thus avoiding impurity
in his almsgiving.

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:26 am
by Ayu
Thank you so much, Will.

Most of these 10 points are written in the Middle Way of Tsongkhapa, because he collected the Sutras and brought them into the shape of the Lamrim-teachings.
...
Tenth, he gives alms with purity, which means that he observes that the
almsgiver, the recipient, and the alms given are empty, thus avoiding impurity
in his almsgiving.
But this tenth point was not in my conciousness. It is brilliant, great.

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:50 pm
by Nicholas Weeks
Now a passage from the Ratnamegha Sutra on the ethics paramita:
According to the Sutra of the Jewel Cloud, a Bodhisattva can achieve the
precept paramita by accomplishing ten things (T16n0659, 0245b11–0246b11).

First, he protects the pratimoksa precepts, which means that he observes
them with purity.
Second, he protects the Bodhisattva precepts, which means that he observes
them with purity because he is resolved to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Third, he shuns the heat of his afflictions, which means that he meditates on
the impurity of a decomposing corpse to remedy his greed, cultivates
lovingkindness and compassion to remedy his anger, and makes correct
observations of his perceptions to remedy his delusions.
Fourth, he shuns evil thinking, which means that he believes in karmic
requital and stays far away from evil philosophers.
Fifth, he believes in karmic cause and effect, which means that he knows
that good karma brings good requital and evil karma brings evil requital.
Sixth, he fears committing even a small sin, which means that he knows that
even a small dose of poison can cause death.
Seventh, he views valuables with a sense of shame and dishonor, which
means that he has no greed for offerings he receives or offerings in his custody.
Eighth, he resolutely observes the precepts, which means that he is never
ensnared by maras or the pleasures of desire objects.
Ninth, he observes the precepts without counting on anything, which means
that he does not count on being reborn in his next life as a god or as a human
with rank and wealth.
Tenth, he observes the precepts with purity in three ways, which means that
he does pure body, voice, and mind karmas.

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:45 pm
by WuMing
Thank you very much for this pointer, Will!

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:57 pm
by Konchog1
Thank you Will!

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 10:23 pm
by Nicholas Weeks
Glad the sutras still have appeal, even in translation! Here are the ten regarding patience paramita:
According to the Stra of the Jewel Cloud, a Bodhisattva can achieve the
endurance paramita by accomplishing ten things (T16n0659, 0246b11–0247a17).

First, he endures internal suffering, which means that he stoically endures
anxiety, sorrow, pain, sadness, distress, and frustration.
Second, he endures suffering caused by external sources. When he hears
abusive words that scorn, slander or scold him, his family, retinue or teachers, or
that malign the Three Jewels, he is not angered.
Third, he endures in accepting the teachings of the Dharma. When he hears
that dharmas have neither birth nor death, and are inherently in nirvana, he is
not shocked, terrified, baffled, or skeptical.
Fourth, he endures in following the Buddha’s teachings. When anger arises
in him, he ponders whence it comes and where it goes, and finds that it cannot
be captured, thus subduing his anger.
Fifth, he cultivates endurance without fixed time or place, which means that
he cultivates endurance day and night in any place.
Sixth, he cultivates endurance based on the principle of equality. With the
mind of equality, he endures whatever harm comes from his kin, friends,
strangers, or people in any caste.
Seventh, he endures adversity, but not from fear of another, respect for
tradition, feelings of shame, or the hope of gaining a good name.
Eighth, he endures harm serenely, with no thought of reprisal. When he is
beaten or insulted, he remains undisturbed.
Ninth, he endures in cultivating lovingkindness and compassion. If he is in a
high position and is slandered or criticized by his people, he regards himself as
their guardian and elicits lovingkindness and compassion for them.
Tenth, he endures in honoring his vows. Like a good physician who cures a
patient’s eye disease, he honors his vow to deliver sentient beings from repeated
birth and death. Like a good physician who must first cure his own eye disease,
he endures adversity without anger.

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 11:45 pm
by Doko
Humility and gratitude for this, Will!

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:43 am
by Konchog1
Will wrote:Glad the sutras still have appeal, even in translation!
I like the Lam Rim like approach of this Sutra. Do 1, 2, and 3 to achieve 4.

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:53 am
by Nicholas Weeks
Next is Vigor:
According to the Sutra of the Jewel Cloud, a Bodhisattva can achieve the
progress paramita by accomplishing ten things (T16n0659, 0247a25–0248a21).

First, he makes indestructible energetic progress, which means that when
maras come to harass him, he is undisturbed and undaunted, like an indestructible vajra.
Second, he makes valiant and bold progress, which means that his energetic
progress surpasses that of Bodhisattvas ahead of him, not to mention that of voice-hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.
Third, he makes energetic progress without going to extremes, which means
that he neither overextends himself nor allows himself to be indolent, as he progresses neither hastily nor slowly.
Fourth, he makes increasing energetic progress. His energetic progress
grows because it is driven by his aspiration to acquire a Buddha’s sublime body and great wisdom.
Fifth, he makes glowing energetic progress, which means that, during his
progress, he removes the filth, such as indolence and negligence, like refining gold to reveal its glow.
Sixth, he makes energetic progress without rest. As he carries out his four
deportments—walking, standing still, sitting, and lying down—he makes
energetic progress without rest, in all places and at all times.
Seventh, he makes pure energetic progress, which means that he shuns all
evil dharmas that obstruct his training for bodhi, and follows all good dharmas
that support his training for bodhi.
Eighth, he makes unparalleled energetic progress. Because of his compassion
for suffering sentient beings, his energetic progress is unrivaled by that of non-
Buddhists, voice-hearers, and Pratyekabuddhas.
Ninth, he makes energetic progress without self-deprecation, which means
that he does not think that his progress is small or that his capacity is weak.
Following the example of Buddhas, who have attained bodhi through energetic
progress, he continues to press forward.
Tenth, he makes energetic progress without being urged by others. Neither
exalting himself nor degrading others, he gladly makes energetic progress.

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:08 pm
by Nicholas Weeks
Now to Meditation:
According to the Sutra of the Jewel Cloud, a Bodhisattva can achieve the
meditation paramita by accomplishing ten things (T16n0659, 0248a21–0249b16).

First, he accumulates merit to support his meditation, which means that his
merit enables him to be reborn life after life into a good family, to have the right
belief, and to stay close to beneficent learned friends.
Second, he loathes karmic birth and death, which means that he sees the
faults of his greed and desire, the cause of his rebirths.
Third, he makes valiant and bold progress, which means that he wants to
acquire what he has not acquired, to understand what he has not understood,
and to realize what he has not realized.
Fourth, he hears much of the Dharma, which means that he wants to
expound both the worldly truths and the highest truth.
Fifth, he accepts the truths with the right understanding, which means that
he wants to train according to the teachings.
Sixth, he trains in accordance with the Dharma, which means that he follows
the Eightfold Right Path, practicing right views, right thinking, right speech,
right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi.
Seventh, he develops a keen capacity on the right path, which means that he
has the right understanding, delights in mental quietness, and shuns fame and
the worship by his retinue.
Eighth, he knows his mind, which means that he observes his mental states,
which can be good, evil, or neutral. The good states follow the Thirty-seven
Elements of Bodhi; the evil states are greed, anger, and delusion; the neutral
state is neither good nor evil. By skillful means, he tames his mind, stopping the
evil states and turning the neutral state into a meditative state.
Ninth, he excels in practicing Shamatha and Vipasyana. He observes all
dharmas and sees that, good or evil, they are like illusions or dreams. Knowing
that all dharmas arise from the mind, he skillfully tames his mind and makes it
enter single-minded quietness in samadhi. As joy arises in his mind, his
afflictions are subdued. He successively enters the four dhyanas of the form
realm, then the four samadhis of the formless realm. He even enters the Samadhi
of Total Suspension of Sensory Reception and Perception. Then he exits this
samadhi and enters the four immeasurable samadhis: lovingkindness,
compassion, sympathetic joy, and equability. He even acquires the six
transcendental powers.
Tenth, he remains unattached to his meditation experience and
transcendental powers, as he continues to gather provisions for his journey to
bodhi.

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:12 pm
by Nicholas Weeks
Just a reminder that all of Rulu's four translations of sutras are in book or PDF form. They are only $20 per book or $4 per PDF at:

http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Advanc ... hTerm=Rulu

Amazon also carries them.

Re: Bodhisattva Way

Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:18 pm
by Nicholas Weeks
Sixth in the sutras list of ten paramita excerpts is Wisdom:
According to the Sutra of the Jewel Cloud, a Bodhisattva can achieve the
wisdom paramita by accomplishing ten things (T160659, 0249b17–0250b9).

First, he understands the truth that dharmas have no selves, which means
that he observes the five aggregates, which constitute a sentient being, and sees
that none of them can be captured.
Second, he understands karmic requital, which means that he sees that, like
a mirage or the moon in the water, karmic requital has no self-essence. Although
ordinary beings question who is the recipient of karmic requital if a person has
within himself no self, no human, no sentient being, and no everlasting soul, he
knows that karma brings its requital in due time.
Third, he understands samskrta dharmas, which means that he sees that
dharmas dependent upon causes and conditions are impermanent, like morning
dew, which disappears upon sunrise. Therefore, he is not attached to them.
Fourth, he understands the continuation of birth and death, which means
that he sees that sentient beings are ignorant of the truth. Fettered by their love
of being, they do good and evil karmas, and undergo repeated birth and death in
the Three Realms of Existence.
Fifth, he understands how to end repeated birth and death, which means
that by ending ignorance, one gives up evil actions and love of sense objects. If
one does not grasp sense objects, one does not trigger the karmic force for being.
Then one ends one’s karmic rebirth and the ensuing old age and death.
Sixth, he understands the Two Vehicles, which means that he knows the
four voice-hearer fruits and Pratyekabuddhahood. However, he chooses not to
follow their paths because he wants to rescue sentient beings from their
suffering.
Seventh, he understands the Mahayana, which means that he studies the
sutras and the regulations instituted by the Buddha. As he trains accordingly, he
does not see the subject, the object, or his action.
Eighth, he knows how to ward off mara enterprise, which means that he
shuns evil masters, their wrong views, their practices, and their communities.
Ninth, he has undistorted wisdom, which means that he does not embrace
the wrong views but follows the Buddha’s teachings in order to benefit sentient
beings. As he imparts worldly knowledge and skills to sentient beings, his
purpose is to guide them into the superb Buddha Dharma.
Tenth, he has unparalleled wisdom, which means that his wisdom is
unrivaled by that of riders of the Two Vehicles and sentient beings, such as gods,
asuras, maras, and non-Buddhists.