"...and skillful means are the Ultimate."

[FiveSkandhas]

The Mahavairocana Sutra famously teaches us:

"Enlightened mind is the cause; great compassion is the foundation, and skillful means are the Ultimate."


This formula has haunted me for years, taking on different colorations in meaning over time. I'd be curious as to how you interpret this. For example, how do you see the roles and nuances of the terms "cause," "foundation" and (most enigmatic of all) "ultimate?" How do enlightened mind and compassion relate as a pair, and where does the majestic "ultimate" of skillful means fit in?

[Malcolm]

The Mahavairocana Sutra famously teaches us:

"Enlightened mind is the cause; great compassion is the foundation, and skillful means are the Ultimate."


This formula has haunted me for years, taking on different colorations in meaning over time. I'd be curious as to how you interpret this. For example, how do you see the roles and nuances of the terms "cause," "foundation" and (most enigmatic of all) "ultimate?" How do enlightened mind and compassion relate as a pair, and where does the majestic "ultimate" of skillful means fit in?

Not sure about that translation.

[FiveSkandhas]

The Mahavairocana Sutra famously teaches us:

"Enlightened mind is the cause; great compassion is the foundation, and skillful means are the Ultimate."


This formula has haunted me for years, taking on different colorations in meaning over time. I'd be curious as to how you interpret this. For example, how do you see the roles and nuances of the terms "cause," "foundation" and (most enigmatic of all) "ultimate?" How do enlightened mind and compassion relate as a pair, and where does the majestic "ultimate" of skillful means fit in?

Not sure about that translation.

I'll see what I can rustle up in terms of alternatives and maybe I'll go hunting through the Chinese version if I can find it. This translation (or words close to it) is definitely fairly common in Shingon circles anyway.

[FiveSkandhas]

OK here is the Sanskrit original:

tad etat sarvajnajnanam karundmulam bodhicitta-hetukam upayaparyavasdna

This is glossed/explicated as follows by one "M. Kyota", a Japanese scholar, in his paper "Shingon Mikkyo's Twofold Mandala: Paradoxes and Integration"

The central theme of the Mahavairocana-sutra is found in the passage below:

. . . bodhicitta is the cause, compassion its roots and skill-in-means the ultimate.

The term "ultimate" in Sanskrit is parayavasana, meaning "the peak, end result, final, etc." In the text, the above passage is quoted as a response to the question of what enlightenment means. This passage means that bodhicitta is the cause of enlightenment, compassion nurtures that cause, and improvising skill-in-means to implement the compassion-rooted-wisdom is
enlightenment. Enlightenment is empirically directed.

[reiun]

The Mahavairocana Sutra famously teaches us:

"Enlightened mind is the cause; great compassion is the foundation, and skillful means are the Ultimate."


. . . where does the majestic "ultimate" of skillful means fit in?

In zen, in personal experience, during dokusan.

[LastLegend]

The Mahavairocana Sutra famously teaches us:

"Enlightened mind is the cause; great compassion is the foundation, and skillful means are the Ultimate."


This formula has haunted me for years, taking on different colorations in meaning over time. I'd be curious as to how you interpret this. For example, how do you see the roles and nuances of the terms "cause," "foundation" and (most enigmatic of all) "ultimate?" How do enlightened mind and compassion relate as a pair, and where does the majestic "ultimate" of skillful means fit in?

I think: once fully awakened to original Wisdom (at which no self is really seen), at this point compassion is driving to use skillful means to help sentient beings. Not just showing Dharma paths but also conduct various activities that benefit sentient beings as a whole. How these activities are conducted? Usually powerful in Samadhi that’s right!
Not talking about past Buddhas. Just talking about us reaching that point it’s more relevant to us. We can’t really fathom levels of past Buddhas.

[FiveSkandhas]

The Mahavairocana Sutra famously teaches us:

"Enlightened mind is the cause; great compassion is the foundation, and skillful means are the Ultimate."


. . . where does the majestic "ultimate" of skillful means fit in?

In zen, in personal experience, during dokusan.

Yes...excellent, excellent...one of the sources I have been pouring through specifically brought up certain goings on in dokusan with reference to this passage. In a passage that is sure to please neither Zen nor Shingon practioners, this scholar equated the responses to Koans with the activities of Shingon ritual in the sense that both were manifestations of this "ultimate" upaya.

[FiveSkandhas]

The Mahavairocana Sutra famously teaches us:

"Enlightened mind is the cause; great compassion is the foundation, and skillful means are the Ultimate."


This formula has haunted me for years, taking on different colorations in meaning over time. I'd be curious as to how you interpret this. For example, how do you see the roles and nuances of the terms "cause," "foundation" and (most enigmatic of all) "ultimate?" How do enlightened mind and compassion relate as a pair, and where does the majestic "ultimate" of skillful means fit in?

I think: once fully awakened to original Wisdom (at which no self is really seen), at this point compassion is driving to use skillful means to help sentient beings. Not just showing Dharma paths but also conduct various activities that benefit sentient beings as a whole. How these activities are conducted? Usually powerful in Samadhi that’s right!
Not talking about past Buddhas. Just talking about us reaching that point it’s more relevant to us. We can’t really fathom levels of past Buddhas.

Thank you for your input.

One tends to equate the most rarefied stages and experience with words like "ultimate"....nobody would blink if the passage called, say, Dharmakaya or Tathagatagharba "ultimate"...but upaya has such a... provisional...feel to it; it's somewhat jarring to hear it referred to as "ultimate" but of course it is a valid way of conceptualizing things...

It is as if one calls the surgeon's fingers the ultimate, rather than his mind; for the fingers are where the nitty-gritty of the surgery takes place, and so it is with upaya, the point of actual realization of enlightenment and the instantiation of enlightening activity in the real world.

[FiveSkandhas]

Another translation. Not particularly fond of it, but here it is:

"Compassion is the root of omniscience: the thought of enlightenment is its cause, and means are its fulfillment."

Anyway, we are working with Bodhicitta, Mahakaruna, and Upaya, whatever the English.

[LastLegend]

Ultimate is because that’s functioning of enlightened mind to be able to conduct activities that benefit beings to adorn our Dharmakaya. Dharmakaya is Buddha Nature and Buddha nature there isn’t really anything in it other than original Wisdom. It’s manifesting through appearance that brings rainbows and colors.

[FiveSkandhas]

Ultimate is because that’s functioning of enlightened mind to be able to conduct activities that benefit beings to adorn our Dharmakaya. Dharmakaya is Buddha Nature and Buddha nature there isn’t really anything in it other than original Wisdom. It’s manifesting through appearance that brings rainbows and colors.

[reiun]

It’s manifesting through appearance that brings rainbows and colors.

Well, it seems you've had quite the experience? Or can you quote a source?

[LastLegend]

It’s manifesting through appearance that brings rainbows and colors.

Well, it seems you've had quite the experience? Or can you quote a source?

No...you can only get that from a special teacher.

[GDPR_Anonymized001]

The translation I'm most familiar with is from Takagi and Dreitlein 2010:

World-honored One, what is the cause of such wisdom as this, what is its root, what is its ultimate expression?" After [Vajrapani] said this, the Buddha Vairocana spoke to Vajradhara, the master of secrets, "Well said, well said, Vajradhara. You have asked me about this meaning, now listen carefully and concentrate on this extremely well. I will explain it to you." Vajrapani said, "As you say, World-honored One, I await your pleasure." The Buddha said, "Bodhicitta is the cause, [universal] compassion is the root, and the practice of skillful means is the ultimate goal. Vajrapani, what is bodhi? It is knowning one's own mind just as it reall it. Vajrapani, this is anuttarasamyaksambodhi." (pg. 399)

I have the Kiyota book here somewhere but haven't read it closely. The Takagi and Dreitlein edition has the chinese as well but I've no means for inputting it here.

[FiveSkandhas]

The translation I'm most familiar with is from Takagi and Dreitlein 2010:

World-honored One, what is the cause of such wisdom as this, what is its root, what is its ultimate expression?" After [Vajrapani] said this, the Buddha Vairocana spoke to Vajradhara, the master of secrets, "Well said, well said, Vajradhara. You have asked me about this meaning, now listen carefully and concentrate on this extremely well. I will explain it to you." Vajrapani said, "As you say, World-honored One, I await your pleasure." The Buddha said, "Bodhicitta is the cause, [universal] compassion is the root, and the practice of skillful means is the ultimate goal. Vajrapani, what is bodhi? It is knowning one's own mind just as it reall it. Vajrapani, this is anuttarasamyaksambodhi." (pg. 399)

I have the Kiyota book here somewhere but haven't read it closely. The Takagi and Dreitlein edition has the chinese as well but I've no means for inputting it here.

Great! Thanks for posting this. Page number is helpful too.

[FiveSkandhas]

The distinction between "cause" and "root" strikes me as hard to discern.

[GDPR_Anonymized001]

I did a bit of follow-up on this with the author of the quote I cited earlier, Rev. Eijo. Here is the Sanskrit: tad etat sarvajñajñānaṃ karuṇāmūlaṃ bodhicittahetukam upāyaparyavasānam iti

upāyaparyavasānam in the above is "skillful means is the ultimate goal." So the full bit, is:

"At that time, the Secret Lord of the Vajradharas (Vajrapāṇi), was seated in that assembly, and said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, how did the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Samyaksaṃbuddha, attain omniscience? … World-Honored One, what is the cause, what is the root, and what is the ultimate goal of such wisdom?” ... The Buddha said, “Bodhicitta is the cause (bodhicitta-hetu), [great] compassion is the root (karuṇā-mūla), and [the practice of] skillful means is the ultimate [aim] (upāya-paryavasāna) [of omniscience (sarvajñajñāna)]. [Vajrapāṇi,] Secret Lord, what is bodhi? [Bodhi] is [thoroughly] knowing (parijñāna) one’s own mind (svacitta) just as it really is (yathābhūta). Secret Lord, this is supreme and perfect bodhi.”

The original Sanskrit for this sentence is quoted in Kamalaśīla’s Bhāvanākrama: “tad etat sarvajñajñānaṃ karuṇāmūlaṃ bodhicittahetukam upāyaparyavasānam iti.” The final part is quoted in the Caryāmelāpakapradīpa: “svacittasya yathābhūtaparijñānaṃ bodhir iti.” The Sanskrit for the MAS is lost but parts of it appear elsewhere (e.g. the above).

Ultimate just means 'end point of the path.' This is because it is Mahayana Buddhism so the point isn't for self-liberation. We follow the path for the ultimate goal of helping all sentient beings.

Cause (bodhicitta) is the starting point. Root ([maha] karuna) is what sustains practice throughout, until reaching personal liberation, at which time skillful means can be done correctly, and that is the goal of the path (ultimate).

for the Chinese:
T18n0848_p0001b29║佛言菩提心為
T18n0848_p0001c01║因。悲為根本。方便為究竟。

(any mistakes in the above are my own!)

[FiveSkandhas]

I did a bit of follow-up on this with the author of the quote I cited earlier, Rev. Eijo. Here is the Sanskrit: tad etat sarvajñajñānaṃ karuṇāmūlaṃ bodhicittahetukam upāyaparyavasānam iti

upāyaparyavasānam in the above is "skillful means is the ultimate goal." So the full bit, is:

"At that time, the Secret Lord of the Vajradharas (Vajrapāṇi), was seated in that assembly, and said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, how did the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Samyaksaṃbuddha, attain omniscience? … World-Honored One, what is the cause, what is the root, and what is the ultimate goal of such wisdom?” ... The Buddha said, “Bodhicitta is the cause (bodhicitta-hetu), [great] compassion is the root (karuṇā-mūla), and [the practice of] skillful means is the ultimate [aim] (upāya-paryavasāna) [of omniscience (sarvajñajñāna)]. [Vajrapāṇi,] Secret Lord, what is bodhi? [Bodhi] is [thoroughly] knowing (parijñāna) one’s own mind (svacitta) just as it really is (yathābhūta). Secret Lord, this is supreme and perfect bodhi.”

The original Sanskrit for this sentence is quoted in Kamalaśīla’s Bhāvanākrama: “tad etat sarvajñajñānaṃ karuṇāmūlaṃ bodhicittahetukam upāyaparyavasānam iti.” The final part is quoted in the Caryāmelāpakapradīpa: “svacittasya yathābhūtaparijñānaṃ bodhir iti.” The Sanskrit for the MAS is lost but parts of it appear elsewhere (e.g. the above).

Ultimate just means 'end point of the path.' This is because it is Mahayana Buddhism so the point isn't for self-liberation. We follow the path for the ultimate goal of helping all sentient beings.

Cause (bodhicitta) is the starting point. Root ([maha] karuna) is what sustains practice throughout, until reaching personal liberation, at which time skillful means can be done correctly, and that is the goal of the path (ultimate).

for the Chinese:
T18n0848_p0001b29║佛言菩提心為
T18n0848_p0001c01║因。悲為根本。方便為究竟。

(any mistakes in the above are my own!)

Thanks for the detailed exegesis. My Sanskrit is non-existent but even I can recognize many of the terms used here.i generally interact with source texts in classical Chinese, at which I am plodding but not entirely hopeless.

Sanskrit mastery will probably have to wait for the next lifetime. But posts like yours are an excellent way to learn basic essential vocab and to get your teeth into the actual intended meaning.

[Malcolm]

The Mahavairocana Sutra famously teaches us:

"Enlightened mind is the cause; great compassion is the foundation, and skillful means are the Ultimate."


This formula has haunted me for years, taking on different colorations in meaning over time. I'd be curious as to how you interpret this. For example, how do you see the roles and nuances of the terms "cause," "foundation" and (most enigmatic of all) "ultimate?" How do enlightened mind and compassion relate as a pair, and where does the majestic "ultimate" of skillful means fit in?

Buddhaguhya explains that the cause, bodhicitta, has two aspects: the foundation, aspirational bodhicitta, and the culmination, engaged bodhicitta, the method, meaning the perfection of generosity and so forth.

[LastLegend]

The distinction between "cause" and "root" strikes me as hard to discern.

Once enlightened that becomes the cause to further the Buddha path because enlightened mind has no self....the cause to further perfect all paramitas (which Shakyamuni Buddha has). For us, we have a hard time with just perfecting one paramita.

I don’t think this is about analyzing emptiness but rather informing this is the Buddha path or path to become a complete Buddha.