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 294 / Stanza 34

Someone who develops a negative attitude against a bodhisattva, a great benefactor of all beings, will take rebirth in hell for as many aeons as the duration of his negative attitude. The duration of a negative attitude is measured in ultimate split seconds [dus mtha’i skad cig ma]. One ultimate split second is the duration of one finger snap divided by sixty-four. The person will dwell in hell for as many aeons as the number of ultimate split seconds in the duration of the negative attitude. This only concerns a negative attitude toward a bodhisattva. That the consequences of physically or verbally abusing a bodhisattva are much more severe than merely bearing ill-will in one’s mind against a bodhisattva is needless to mention.

Bodhisattvas are called potentially dangerous, perilous, sensitive or formidable objects [yul gnyan po] because of their great value to all sentient beings. Whoever harms a bodhisattva harms all sentient beings. To harbor anger against all sentient beings and to harbor anger against a single bodhisattva is almost equal in negative consequences. Killing the pilot of a jumbo jet is equal to killing all the passengers.

Killing a mother bird causes all her chicks to die. The bodhisattva is in the same way considered to be the leader [ded dpon] of all beings, the mother of all beings, and the benefactor of all beings. Harming a bodhisattva is equal to harming all beings and, therefore, is a cause for taking direct rebirth in hell. Paltrül Rinpoche always emphasized training in pure perception [dag snang] and treating all beings with great respect since we do not know who is a bodhisattva and who is not. Since we have unknowingly accumulated considerable negative karma by bearing ill-will against other people who might be bodhisattvas, confession is imperative.

Whoever harms a bodhisattva is trying to destroy a mind imbued with the intention of freeing all sentient beings from suffering and establishing them on the level of complete enlightenment. Harming such a person is the attempt to destroy the happiness of infinite sentient beings, a severe negative action [sdig pa chen po] which inevitably leads to rebirth in the hell realms. Though the bodhisattva who is harmed bears not even the slightest ill will against the person who inflicts harm upon him and instead showers him with love and compassion; nevertheless, that individual has accumulated tremendous negativity and will have to experience its karmic ripening.

When we perceive negative aspects within a person, we should carefully reflect about our perception on three levels:

1) Externally, a person might appear to be bad and might also be subject to negative reports from other people. Based on this information, all we can justifiably say is that we have a negative feeling about that person.

2) Internally, we cannot know for sure whether or not that person is actually bad. If we truthfully ask ourselves what we really know about him, we have to admit that we lack higher perception [mngon shes] and, therefore, cannot read the minds of others. We can never say for sure,

“That person is not a bodhisattva.”

We can only guess what his true motivation might be.

3) Ultimately, even a being from a hell realm is in essence a primordially pure buddha [ngo bo ye dag gi sangs rgyas]. Regardless of what a person has done or does, he is still endowed with the buddha nature and deserves to be treated with respect and pure perception.

Harming others, knowing that they are endowed with bodhicitta, is a grave misdeed. Talking negatively about a bodhisattva due to jealousy [phrag dog] and aggression is a serious transgression. Knowing that a certain bodhisattva benefits beings greatly and yet slandering him anyway due to jealousy, or harming him out of ill-will [gnod sems], is the worst action one can commit. Knowingly harming a bodhisattva definitely causes tremendous negative karma. Unknowingly slandering a bodhisattva, being unaware that the person is a bodhisattva, is a less grave misdeed.

Vajrayāna practitioners in particular have the spiritual commitment [dam tshig] to train in infinite pure perception [dag pa rab ’byams], to see the entire universe and all beings as pure manifestations of the buddha nature. Negative talk, gossip, or focusing on the mistakes of others is completely opposed to pure perception [dag snang].

The moment you enter into established Buddhism [chos lugs] you must guard yourself against speaking badly about others and gossiping. A bodhisattva should only point out a mistake within another person directly or indirectly when he knows with certainty that the person will accept the criticism and will be helped by it.

If a bodhisattva knows that criticism is not welcome, he must remain silent. If a bodhisattva can clearly see that a certain evildoer causes considerable harm to himself due to his negative behavior, then, motivated by great compassion, the bodhisattva may point out to that person his own shortcomings. But a bodhisattva would never talk badly about others only for the sake of conversation.

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