4th Imperishable, Determination

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Further, reverend Śāradvatīputra, the determination of the bodhisattvas is also imperishable.

[1. To show that determination is essentially imperishable (svabhāvākṣayatādeśanārtham); and in what the imperishability consists (yākṣayatā), it is said:] Why? Because it rests upon all the roots of the good; whatever the bodhisattva thinks ultimately rests upon the roots of good because of his determination. It is the determination to pass on since it is to stay on one stage after another;; the determination to cross over since it is going to a different state [beyond the threefold world (traidhātuka-) ]; the highest determination since it is distinguished [from the determination of disciples and isolated buddhas, as that of the isolated buddhas is distinguished from that of the disciples]; the distinguished determination because of [gradually] grasping [superior qualities (adhikaguṅa) being] different moments of existence; the determination having all the qualities of a Buddha clearly in view; the determination resting upon moments of existence distinguished [from earlier stages of development]; the determination to carry through all undertakings; the persevering determination because of indefatigability in perseverance; the determination of perfected vows because of fulfilling the vows; the unassailable determination since one has only oneself as companion [when realizing incomparable awakening (anuttarabodhi) ]; the determination on the stage of being well trained [like a horse] because of the absence of unruliness; the determination on the stage of being disciplined because of nobility; the unmixed determination because of non-contamination with the vices of untrained beings; the determination of giving gifts hard to give because of giving even the head, the best part of the body, the determination of morality hard to practise because of protection for the immoral, the determination of tolerance hard to endure because of putting up with the faults of weak beings, the determination of vigour hard to practise because of giving up the awakening of disciples and isolated buddhas even while having it at hand, the determination of meditation hard to practise because of not tasting meditation [which is the highest pleasure in the world], the determination of insight hard to practise because of not deriding the accumulation of any root of the good; the determination to carry through any practice undertaken because of completing the duties of all beings; the determination free from conceit, pride, haughtiness, self-conceit, self-esteem, pride of modesty and illusory pride because of discerning with knowledge; the determination of regarding all beings as worthy of gifts because of not hoping for recompense; the determination of fearlessness because of understanding the deep religion of the Buddhas; the determination to go to a different state because of progressing by means of powers [like insight (prajñā) and so on]; the determination to never be fainthearted because of helping those carrying burdens [of four kinds, that of the parts of personality (skandhabhāra), vices (kleśabhāra), promises (pratijñābhāra) or vigour (vīryabhāra) ]; the imperishable determination because of constant alertness [to maturing living beings and the qualities of a Buddha (sattvabuddhadharmaparipākāya) ];

[2. To show that its action is imperishable (kāryākṣayatādeśanārtham), and how it is imperishable (yathākṣayatā):] Further, determination is said to be kindness to [non-human] beings, friendliness to living beings, thoughts for the weal of the noble, care for the not noble, respect for the masters; protection for the unprotected, a refuge for those without refuge, an island for the shipwrecked, an ideal for those without ideals, friendship to the friendless; straightness to the crooked, correctness to the unruly, absence of fraud to the fraudulent, absence of trickery to the dissemblers; gratitude to the ungrateful, thankfulness to the harmful, help to the unhelpful, truth to the mistaken; humility to the stubborn, no reproach to the virtuous, not proclaiming the mistakes of others, protection to those who behave wrongly, not seeing faults in any practice of ability in skilful means, homage to all worthy of offerings; adequate obedience to admonitions; happiness in mind at instructions and admonitions; respecting hermits; no desire for gain, honour and fame; no regard for one’s own body or life [in seeking true religion and doing the good for living beings]; no hypocrisy because of pure determination; no boasting because of restraint in speech; no threats [and thus using force (balāt) ] because of contentment with what one has; responsiveness [being freed from grasping for bad places, staying concentrated] because of no impurity of thought; inclination towards existence because of accumulation of all roots of the good; enduring any suffering [giving up thought-constructions (vikalpa) concerned with hard and easy] because of concern for all beings;

[3. To show that its cause is imperishable (hetvakṣayatādeśanārtham), and that by which it is imperishable (yair akṣayatā):] Thus the determinations of those good men are all imperishable; all vices of existence cannot make them perish since they are supported by all merit; since they are the nourishment of all beings; since by them one attains imperishable knowledge [or, omniscience (sarvajñajñāna) ];

This, reverend Śāradvatīputra, is called the bodhisattvas’ imperishable determination.