Bodhisattvacharyavatara

by Andreas Kretschmar | 246,740 words

The English translation of the Bodhisattvacharyavatara (“entering the conduct of the bodhisattvas”), a Sanskrit text with Tibetan commentary. This book explains the bodhisattva concept and gives guidance to the Buddhist practitioner following the Mahāyāna path towards the attainment of enlightenment. The text was written in Sanskrit by Shantideva ...

Text Section 268 / Stanza 20

Of course the question arises:

“How can someone accumulate merit while sleeping?”

“Where does such inconceivable merit come from?”

In order to answer these questions, Śāntideva quotes from the scriptures [lung], in particular from the Subāhuparipṛcchā-sūtra, the sūtra requested by Bodhisattva Subāhu, in which the Buddha explains the benefits and qualities of bodhicitta and gives reasons [’thad pa].

The phrase not only for the mere purpose of guiding [kha drang ba’i don tsam ma yin par] means that this statement regarding the immeasurable benefits of bodhicitta of application is not a statement belonging to the level of ’provisional meaning’ [drang don], such as statements the Buddha made to guide the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, but that it is a statement of the ’definitive meaning’ [nges don].

‘Provisional meaning’ [drang don] refers to statements made by the Buddha in order to lead beings onto the path but which actually have another meaning, as they do not accord with the actual nature of things [dngos po gnas tshul ltar du ma yin pa]. The Buddha uses words like ’I’ and ’mine’ although ’I’ and ’mine’ do not exist. He speaks this way in order to communicate on the relative level.

In the Subāhu-paripṛcchā-sūtra the Buddha explained the real qualities [yon tan nges pa] of bodhicitta to enable practitioners to gain certainty [nges shes] and true understanding of what these qualities actually are [nges pa la nges par shes pa]. The Subāhu-paripṛcchā-sūtra is classified as a sūtra concerning the ’ultimate meaning’ [nges don gyi mdo / nges pa don gyi mdo], not a sūtra of the ’provisional meaning’ [dran don].

Most Hīnayāna sūtras deal the provisional meaning because they do not teach the actual nature of things [dngos po gnas lugs]. In the Tibetan tradition, these sūtras are considered to be meant for beginners in order to lead them onto the path [las dang po pa la kha drang ba’i mdo].

Sūtras which mainly establish the relative truth [kun rdzob bden pa] and give teachings on karma, the law of cause and effect, and the like are classified as belonging to the ’provisional meaning’ [drang don]. Sūtras which mainly establish the absolute truth [don dam bden pa], teachings on egolessness [bdag med] and emptiness [stong pa nyid], are classified as belonging to the ’ultimate meaning’ [nges don]. The purpose of the provisional meaning is to lead the minds of beginners to the ultimate meaning [gdul bya’i blo don dam pa la kha drang ba’i phyir du].

The sūtras make many statements about the infinite merit of virtues, although these virtues actually do not have such infinite merit. For instance, in some places it says that if one recites the mantra ’Om Mani Peme Hung’ seven times one will gain enlightenment. This kind of statement is meant to guide a beginner into dharma practice. Such statements belong to the ’provisional meaning’ [drang don].

This statement actually means that by reciting the mantra ’Om Mani Peme Hung’ seven times, at another time [dus gzhan gcig la] in the far distant future one will gain enlightenment. Reciting this mantra seven times plants the seed for enlightenment but does not lead to enlightenment right on the spot.

Generally, bodhisattvas train in the six perfections for three countless aeons in order to manifest all the qualities of Buddha’s body, speech and mind. Some of Buddha’s students became discouraged and frightened by such an enormous duration of time and felt inclined toward the lesser vehicles of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.

The śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas aspire not to complete enlightenment but rather to the state of an arhat, a state beyond the suffering of saṃsāra. In order to motivate such individuals, Buddha taught the Subāhu-paripṛcchā-sūtra in which he explained the unceasing merit and inexhaustible qualities of bodhicitta.

Buddha gave four reasons for its being unceasing and inexhaustible:

  1. the unfathomable number of sentient beings,
  2. the unfathomable amount of suffering,
  3. the unfathomable qualities of buddhahood, and
  4. the unfathomable duration of three countless aeons.

A bodhisattva’s focus is not restricted to a few friends, relatives, countrymen or even only to human beings. A bodhisattva’s focus extends to all infinite sentient beings, not excluding even one. Bodhisattvas reach out to all beings within the totality of space.

Bodhisattvas do not aspire only to cure a few people from diseases or to help only their followers. They aspire to relieve all infinite sentient beings of their unfathomable amount of suffering. Bodhisattvas are not interested only in improving beings’ living conditions, making them comfortable temporarily and bringing them short-lived happiness. They want to establish all sentient beings on the level of complete enlightenment. They want all beings to reach perfect buddhahood, a state endowed with inconceivable qualities, devoid of all defects, a level of permanent bliss.

Bodhisattvas are not active for others for limited periods of time only. They help sentient beings until all beings have been established on the level of omniscience. For three countless aeons they train in the six transcendental perfections, and when they themselves reach complete enlightenment, their buddha activity becomes unceasing.

Dignāga [phyogs kyi glang po] and Dharmakīrti [chos kyi grags pa] established the benefits of bodhicitta through the following logical equations relating to the same four points:

1. The infinite number of beings who are the objects of focus [dmigs yul sems can gyi grangs tshad med pa]:

“Bodhicitta of application is endowed with immeasurable benefits because it focuses on immeasurable beings”

[’jug pa byang chub sems de chos can bsod nams tshad med pa yod pa thal te sems can tshad med pa la dmigs pa yin pa’i phyir].

The objects of the bodhisattva’s focus are the immeasurable number of sentient beings without even one being excluded. The bodhisattva’s motivation is:

“In order to establish the immeasurable number of sentient beings on the level of perfect enlightenment, I will practice the six transcendental perfections.”

Therefore, the Indian philosophers concluded that because the bodhisattva focuses on the immeasurable number of beings, immeasurable beings are helped and benefited. Therefore, the benefits of the bodhicitta of application are equally immeasurable.

2. The infinite amount of suffering, that which is to be dispelled [bsal bya’i sdug bsngal gyi rnam grangs tshad med pa]:

“Bodhicitta of application is endowed with immeasurable benefits because it constantly maintains the motivation to dispel all suffering”

[dus rtag tu sdug bsngal thams cad med par gso ’dod yod pa’i phyir].

The amount of suffering is immeasurable, and the bodhisattva constantly generates the motivation to dispel all of the suffering of all sentient beings. Therefore, the benefits of the bodhicitta of application are equally immeasurable.

3. The infinite qualities of buddhahood, those which are to be obtained [thob bya sangs rgyas kyi yon tan tshad med pa]:

“Bodhicitta of application is endowed with immeasurable benefits because it aspires to free all beings from suffering and to establish them on the level of buddhhood”

[sems can thams cad sdug bsngal dang bral ’dod sangs rgyas kyi go ’phang bkod pa’i phyir].

Buddhahood is endowed with immeasurable qualities. The bodhisattva has the aspiration that all beings should attain these immeasurable qualities [thob ’dod yod pa’i phyir]. Therefore, the benefits of the bodhicitta of application are equally immeasurable.

Inasmuch as buddhahood, the goal of all achievements, is endowed with immeasurable qualities, the cause for its attainment, the bodhicitta of application, must also be endowed with immeasurable merit [thob bya sangs rgyas kyi yon tan tshad med pa’i tshad med pa yin pas na rgyu ’jug pa byang chub gyi sems de yang bsod nams tshad med pa red ’dug].

4. The infinity of the time-span [dus tshad med pa]:

The bodhisattva has the wish:

“I will free all sentient beings from suffering and establish them forever on the level of complete enlightenment.”

The bodhicitta of application is endowed with immeasurable power [nus pa] because it frees all sentient beings from the suffering of infinite past lifetimes and establishes all beings permanently on the level of complete enlightenment and ultimate bliss.

The magnitude of these considerations—infinite number of beings, infinite amount of suffering, infinite qualities of the Buddha, infinite time-span—expands the mind beyond its conceptual limits. This is one way to approach the non-conceptual state.

Bodhisattvas who constantly work for the benefit of others will always enjoy the unceasing benefits of bodhicitta. Their virtue and merit increase constantly, even while they sleep or are inattentive. The benefits of bodhicitta are present right from the very beginning, immediately on taking the bodhisattva precepts. One does not have to wait for a long time for the benefits to manifest. Once bodhicitta of application has truly taken root in the minds of practitioners, they will always accumulate merit.

This statement does not imply that someone who has taken the bodhisattva precepts, but who does not do any good at all, will accumulate merit while sleeping or being inattentive. Bodhicitta really must take root in the heart.

Practicing virtue for a certain period of time, then leaning back and saying,

“Now I have done enough. I can take it easy and relax,”

is not the bodhisattva’s way of practice.

You cannot take a job, sit around all day in the office doing nothing, and still expect to get paid at the end of the month. The bodhisattva attitude implies the earnest wish to practice as much virtue as possible. In that way, the momentum of merit will always carry through. However, receiving the bodhisattva precepts and not practicing virtue at all is a major downfall [rtsa ltung] for a bodhisattva and will create negative karma.

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