12th Imperishable, Compassion.

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[1. The highest of all the Buddha’s qualities (agrabhūtā sarvabuddhadharmāṇām):] Further, reverend Śāradvatīputra, the bodhisattvas’ great compassion is also imperishable. Why? Because it is a prerequisite.

As, reverend Śāradvatīputra, breathing in and (p. 88) out is a prerequisite to the power of life in man, just so, reverend Śāradvatīputra, is great compassion a prerequisite to the bodhisattva’s accomplishment of the great way.

As the precious wheel of power belonging to the universal king is a prerequisite to the seven kinds of wealth, just so great compassion is a prerequisite to the bodhisattva’s accomplishment of the knowledge of omniscience.

As a rich man or householder has heartfelt love for his only virtuous son, just so the bodhisattva with great compassion has heartfelt love for all beings.

[2. Etymology (nirukti):] As for this great compassion, reverend Śāradvatīputra, [the meaning of the word compassion is “work” (tasyāḥ karuṇāyāḥ śabdārthaḥ karaṇeti), and all roots of the good are] work performed by oneself, thus it is called great compassion; [even if it is for the sake of both others and oneself] it is one’s own work, thus it is called great compassion; it is the absence of authority over others [setting them to work], thus it is called great compassion.

[3. Its cause (hetu) and essence (svabhāva):] Great compassion is action according to intention, since it has its origin in the absence of fraud; great compassion is the practice [completing everything] since it has its origin in the absence of deception; great compassion is action according to determination since it has its origin in never turning back; great compassion is essential knowledge since it has its origin in the non-artificial; great compassion is essentially pure since it has its origin in the right way; great compassion is thought without crookedness since it has its origin in the unambiguous; great compassion is without conceit since it has its origin in humbleness towards all beings; great compassion originates as immeasurable since the number of beings is immeasurable; great compassion is disregard for one’s own body since it has its origin in [the cause which is to have as the object (ālambanahetu) ] the attainment of the body of a Tathāgata; great compassion is not to seek safety of life since it has its origin in never doing anything sinful [even to save one’s own life]; great compassion is protecting others since it has its origin in the thought of awakening; great compassion is protecting living beings since it has its origin in the purity of one’s own thoughts [not wishing to harm]; great compassion is to have regard for the poor, the suffering and the unprotected since it has its origin in taking away the suffering of all beings; great compassion is firm promise since it has its origin in an unchangeable mind; great compassion is seeing truth since it has its origin in not breaking one’s word to either oneself, the Buddha or a divinity [guarding one’s morality]; great compassion is pure conduct since it has its origin in deeds well done; great compassion is giving up one’s own pleasure since it has its origin in giving pleasure to others; great compassion is placing others in pleasure since it has its origin in the absence of thirst; great compassion carries the burdens [of suffering] of all beings since it has its origin in undertaking firm vigour; great compassion is taking upon oneself superior tolerance since it has its origin in patience with the faults of weak beings; great compassion is taking away praise and blame since it has its origin in serving the sick; great compassion is the attainment of mastery of religion since it has its origin in maturing living beings whose intentions are weak; great compassion is to conceal one’s own good qualities since it has its origin in praising the qualities of others; great compassion is enduring any suffering since it has its origin in wanting unsullied pleasure; great compassion is giving things to beggars since it has its origin in good deeds and the absence of remorse; (p. 89) great compassion has its origin in well-guarded morality since it has its origin in protecting beings with bad morality; great compassion is endurance of bodily pain since it has its origin in the attainment of the adamantine body; great compassion is maturing living beings since it has its origin in the absence regard for one’s body or life; great compassion has no regard [for oneself] since it has its origin in giving away even one’s limbs and extremities; great compassion produces roots of the good in other beings since it has its origin in the absence of desire for one’s own roots of good [transforming them for the good of others, not accumulating roots of good for oneself]; great compassion is not tasting the pleasure of meditation since it has its origin in again having the sphere of desire as the object [seeking rebirth in the sphere of desire for the sake of the beings there, giving up the pleasure of the sphere of forms (rūpadhātu) ]; great compassion is illuminating everywhere [having all things to be known (jñeya) as its object], since it has its origin in the light of unhindered knowledge; great compassion has no special regard for [or, is not dependent on] insight since it has its origin in not deriding the roots of good or accumulations of merit anywhere; great compassion is shared out everywhere since it has its origin in fulfilling the wishes of all beings; great compassion is liberating all beings [placing them in extinction according to one’s first thought of awakening (prathamabodhicittotpāda) ] since it has its origin in not abandoning one’s former vows; great compassion is not concerned with the unconditioned since it has its origin in maturing living beings in the conditioned; great compassion has regard for beings with bad morality since it is establishing beings in the morality of the Buddha.

[4. Its action (karman):] Thus, reverend Śāradvatīputra, any liberation whatsoever [from vices, from the threefold world] of the bodhisattva originates from great compassion [thus compassion produces (evaṃ karuṇôtpādayati), and, since it is something that effects action (yasmāt kāryakāraṇam) ], that is why it is called great compassion. [What then does it effect (kiṃ kārayati)?] Thus great compassion is what effects generosity, effects morality, effects tolerance, effects vigour, effects meditation, effects insight, effects expedient means, effects all moments of existence that are wings of awakening. Great compassion is what effects the accomplishment of self-existent knowledge, effects good deeds, effects absence of regret, effects the necessary. It has its origin in being engaged in whatever action is necessary for all beings, thus it is called great compassion.

This, reverend Śāradvatīputra, is called the bodhisattvas’ great compassion.