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 Sections 231-232

There are four types of karma which lead to the experience of its fruition [rnam smin myong ’gyur gyi las]:

  1. karma experienced within this life [mthong chos myong ’gyur gyi las],
  2. karma experienced in the very next lifetime [skyes nas myong ’gyur gyi las],
  3. karma experienced in subsequent lives [lan grangs gzhan la myong ’gyur gyi las], and
  4. karma leading to the uncertain experience of its fruition.

The first three types of karma are karma that leads to the certain experience of its fruition [myong par nges pa rnam pa gsum].

Similarly, negativity [sdig pa, skr. pāpa] is of two kinds: ’a negativity leading to the certain or definite experience of its fruition’ [myong ba nges pa’i sdig pa] and ’a negativity leading to the uncertain experience of its fruition’ [myong ba ma nges pa’i sdig pa].

When all five factors that constitute a non-virtuous action [mi dge ba’i yan lag lnga] or a negative deed [sdig pa] are completed, one has created a ‘negativity that leads to the definite experience of its fruition’ [myong ba nges pa’i sdig pa]. When a negative deed is intentionally committed and carried through to the end [bsam bzhin byas pa’i sdig pa], one has accumulated a negativity where all five factors of a non-virtuous action are complete.

For example, the five factors in the act of killing [srog gcod pa] are:

  1. The object or basis [gzhi], identifying a sentient being other than oneself;
  2. the motivation [bsam pa], having the concept that a sentient being is there while one’s mind is not undeluded [ma ’khrul ba] about the fact that one intends to kill that sentient being;
  3. the application, engaging in the act of killing, either oneself or inciting another to do so, through poison, weapons, mantra and so forth;
  4. the afflictions, the three mind poisons, in general, and in particular, anger during the completion of the act; and
  5. the completion, accomplishing the death of a sentient being before oneself comes to die.

This accumulated karma is also called ‘karma which leads to the experience of its fruition’ [rnam smin myong ’gyur gyi las], which means a ‘karma the fruition of which one will definitely experience’ [myong ba gtan gtan yong ba’i las] in the future.

A ‘negativity leading to the certain experience of its fruition’ refers to negative actions committed while one is fully aware [shes bzhin bsags pa’i las] and which one can later recall. If you kill your father, you will know you have committed a severe and serious crime, and you will always remember this horrible deed. It will remain in your mind. Such a deed is a negativity for which one would definitely experience a karmic fruition [gtan gtan ’bras bu myong nges pa’i sdig pa]. Nevertheless, bodhicitta is so strong that it has the power to purify even that degree of severe intentional negativity.

Any unintentionally committed negativity [ma bsam bzhin du byas pa’i sdig pa] is called a ‘negativity leading to the uncertain experience of its fruition’ [ma nges pa’i sdig pa]. Thus, a negative deed is committed, but all five factors are not complete.

For instance:

  1. The object or basis: One might have caused the death of a sentient being without having identified it as a sentient being. One walks on gravel but steps unintentionally on a sentient being.
  2. Motivation: One has caused the death of a sentient being without having had the motivation to cause its death, because one’s mind was deluded through the influence of alchohol and so forth.
  3. Application: One has caused the death of a sentient being by unintentionally stepping on it or by carelessly throwing a stone in the dark.
  4. Afflictions: The unintentional act of killing was done in a mental state of ignorance or indifference.
  5. The completion: The death of a sentient being was caused.

We have also committed countless negative deeds throughout many lifetimes of which we are not aware and which we cannot recount. Such unintentional negativity has an uncertain karmic ripening, uncertain as to when and how it will ripen.

When we take a walk, for example, we unintentionally and accidentally kill many tiny insects. We do not know whether or how many sentient beings we have killed or harmed, neither do we experience the bad feeling of having done something wrong. When we experience the ripening of an intentional negativity, however, all of these countless unintentional deeds also ripen together with it. We might have one serious illness and at the same time feel slightly irritated or experience that things are not working out well for us. This minor accompanying suffering is said to be the ripening of unintentional negativity.

Harm against the three jewels can be the negative karma of abandoning the dharma. Some people fail to scrutinize a teacher before requesting teachings, and likewise some teachers do not scrutinize their students before giving teachings. In such cases the student may become unhappy after a time with the teachings or the conduct of the teacher. The teacher may become unsatisfied with the student’s performance.

These feelings can lead to a split between them, so that the student develops wrong views about the dharma and even gives up the dharma. In this way the student accumulates the negative karma of abandoning the dharma [chos spong ba’i las]. Abandoning the dharma comes under the category of wrong views [log lta] and is an extremely serious misdeed among the ten non-virtuous actions [mi dge ba bcu].

Furthermore, destroying statues of the Buddha, Buddhist scriptures, or stūpas, slandering saṃgha members, negative talk about one’s teachers and the like are all considered harm against the three jewels [dkon mchog gsum la gnod pa].

Whatever great evil one has committed, including killing one’s father, breaking bodhisattva training, or violating tantric samāyas, all can be purified by entrusting oneself to bodhicitta.

Suppose you have committed the crime of killing someone’s father. You will always fear that his children may take revenge on you. If you entrust yourself to a great hero and make him your ally, however, you are under his protection, so that the family of the father that you killed cannot retaliate. That is the example of the helpful hero [skyel ma dpa’ bo / rogs pa bso mkhan gyi dpa’ bo] who grants protection. Just like entrusting yourself to a good friend or a good physician, entrust yourself to bodhicitta. Make friends with bodhicitta, rely on bodhicitta, and live your life according to bodhicitta.

Contact bodhicitta through constant remembering, through aspiration and contemplation. At first, bodhicitta is like an aspiration. Slowly, it will develop into a commitment [dam bca’ ba]. Once the wisdom of egolessness is realized [bdag med rtogs pa’i shes rab], you will never be separated from bodhicitta. Only when you have realized wisdom [ye shes] will you be able to have true commitment [dam bca’ ba]. That is called ’wisdom commitment’ [dam bca’ ba’i ye shes].

Similarly, if you totally entrust yourself to bodhicitta, despite having committed severe and negative deeds that should lead to certain rebirth in the hell realms, you will, nevertheless, be instantaneously liberated from the consequences of your negative actions. But even in the unlikely event of taking rebirth in the hell realms, you will stay there only briefly, being liberated from hell as swiftly as a silken ball [dar gyi pho long] thrown on the ground bounces back.[1]

The Tibetan term ‘bag-chen nam’ [bag can rnams] connotes ’deluded ones’ [nor ’khrul can], ’those with habitual patterns’ [bag chags yod mkhan] or ’those who are fearful’ [’jigs snang yod mkhan]. It should not be confused with the term ’bag-yö-chen nam’ [bag yod can rnams], meaning ’those who are heedful’, ’those who are conscientious’. The Indian commentary by Prajñākaramati[2] uses the term ’bag-chen nam’ to ask: “Why do all those ignorant beings, those foolish ones who lack wisdom, not devote themselves to it or rely on it?”

Meditation on bodhicitta is very powerful and effective. The Indian master Asaṅga meditated for twelve years on his meditation deity [yi dam], Maitreya, without having any vision. The moment he developed bodhicitta, however, all his negative deeds were purified, and he encountered Maitreya. Through the purifying effect of bodhicitta, he was able to make that instant leap of progress in his practice. For all these reasons, bodhicitta is the supreme method for purifying negative deeds.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See sangs rgyas bcom ldan ’das kyi rnam thar, page 417: The Bhagavān said to Śāriputra, “Ajātaśatru’s regret is as big as Mount Sumeru and thus what is left to purify is only as big as a mustard seed. Therefore, He will only go briefly to hell and not be touched by its suffering” [bcom ldan ’das kyis śā ri’i bu la ma skyes dgra’i ’gyod pa ri rab tsam ni byang la yungs ’bru tsam zhig lus te / dmyal bar yud tsam gyis phyin kyang de’i sdug bsngal gyis mi reg go zhes gsungs so].

[2]:

sher ’byung bka’ ’grel, page 5, folio 55b3-4: de la mi shes pa’i sems can thams cad shes rab dang bral ba’i rmongs pa rnams kyis ci ltar mi brten cing brtan par mi byed.

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