Part 2b - Comprehending this goodness of liberation

If it is asked, “What is this goodness of liberation?

The accumulation of merit is has a reference point of objects.
The accumulation of wisdom does not. By these combined,
Cleansed of the two obscurations, the two kayas manifest.
The stages of meditation and post-meditation are practiced.

These are with defilements for ordinary beings,
But the experience of noble ones is undefiled
In meditation as well as the state that follows it.
By such a pattern of practice liberation will be attained.

The five, generosity and so forth are the accumulation of merit. Prajña is the accumulation of wisdom. By their unification, the two kayas manifest. The Precious Garland says:

As for the rupakaya possessed by all the buddhas,
That arises from the accumulation of merit.

Dharmakaya is born, to give a brief summary,
From the conquerors’ accumulation of wisdom.

Since that is the case, these two accumulations,
Are that which is the cause of attaining buddhahood.
If this is what we want, we should always rely
On the two accumulations, those of merit and of wisdom.

The major and minor marks of the Buddha’s rupakaya are established by these two accumulations in a way that goes to higher and higher stages. As much merit as ordinary beings, shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas may have, a single body hair of the buddhas has ten times more. A hundred times as much as exists in such a hair exists in the minor marks. A hundred times the amount in each of the eighty minor marks is that of one of the major marks.

The merit of each of the thirty-two major marks increased by a thousand is that of the hair between the eyebrows. A hundred thousand times the collective merit of the hair between the eyebrows is that of the ushnisha tuft at the top of the Buddha’s head. A thousand times the merit of that hair-tuft is taught to be that established by the conch of spoken Dharma. The same text says:

As merit is beyond the scope of thought,
So the major marks of the Buddha rise.
The scriptural treasury of Mahayana
Says he is a great being like a king.

All the merit of the pratyekabuddhas,
All merit in the world without remainder,
That of both learned and non-learned beings
If it were increased to ten times more,
Would be as much as in one of the Buddha’s pores.
The hair-pores of a Buddha are all like that.

As for all the merit of these hair-pores,
That amount increased a hundred times,
Would be the merit of one of the minor marks.
That many times that same degree of merit
Is that of each of the kingly major marks.
These merits of the thirty two major marks,
If they are multiplied a thousand times,
Are those of the brow-hair like the sun and moon.

The merits of the brow a hundred-fold
Would not appear as much as the tuft of the head.
As much as is produced at the crown of the head.
If that were made hundred times as much,
The conch of Dharma would still have ten times more.

Below supreme Dharma, is defiled, worldly Dharma. Above the worldly is world-transcending, undefiled Dharma. The border is between what is defiled and what is undefiled. The wisdom of meditation is undefiled, while that of post-meditation has defilement. The paths of these are also defiled and undefiled. The first five perfections, generosity and so forth, are defiled, but prajña is undefiled. They are, respectively, defiled and undefiled goodness.