Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön | 2001 | 941,039 words

This is the English translation of the Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (“the treatise on the great virtue of wisdom”) by Nagarjuna (c. 2nd century A.D.). The book, in the form of an encyclopedia on Buddhism, is a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita (“the perfection of wisdom in five thousand lines”). Volume I describes the conditions...

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Chapter XLII - The Great Loving-kindness and the Great Compassion of the Buddhas

< Previous

Next >

- Sub-Contents: (+ / -)

+ Preliminary note on Loving-kindness and Compassion

. I. Great Loving-kindness and Great Compassion according to the Śrāvakayāna

. II. Great Loving-kindness and Great Compassion according to the Mahāyāna

I. Great Loving-kindness (mahāmaitrī) and Great Compassion (mahākaruṇā)

II. Degrees of Loving-kindness and Compassion

III. Epithet ‘great’ reserved for Loving-kindness and Compassion

IV. Epithet ‘great’ refused for the wisdom of the Buddhas

V. Loving-kindness and Compassion are pure among the Buddhas

+ VI. Acquiring the knowledges of the paths and the aspects of the paths

. Preliminary note on acquiring the knowledges of the paths

. I. Knowledge of the paths

. II. Knowledge of the aspect of the paths

+ VII. Winning omniscience and the knowledge of all the aspects

. Preliminary note on Winning omniscience and the knowledge of all the aspects

. I. Difference between omniscience and the knowledge of all the aspects

. II. Knowledge of the paths leading to omniscience

. III. Dharmas known by omniscience

. IV. True omniscience belongs to the Buddha

. V. Etymology of Sarvajñatā

. VI. The knowledge of all the aspects is practiced after omniscience

+ VIII. Destroying the traces of the conflicting emotions

. Preliminary note on destroying the traces of the conflicting emotions

. I. The destruction of the traces of conflicting emotions

. II. Conflicting emptions and the traces of conflicting emotions

. III. The traces of passion persist in the saints

. IV. The traces of passion are destroyed in the Buddha

. V. Why the Buddha eliminates the traces

. VI. Where the destruction of the traces is located

+ IX. Entering into the assurance of Bodhisattva

. Preliminary note on entering into the assurance of Bodhisattva

. I. Position of Bodhisattva (bodhisattvaniyāma)

. II. ‘Position’ and ‘Position of Salvation’

. III. Preparatory practices for the Bodhisattvaniyāma

. IV. Skillful means and wisdom

+ X. Surpassing the lower vehicles and acceding to the irreversible ground

. Preliminary note on surpassing the lower vehicles

. I. Surpassing the stage of Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha

. II. Becoming established on the irreversible ground

. III. The two kinds of irreversible Bodhisattvas (avaivartika)

Appendix 1 - The five hundred insults and five hundred praises to the Buddha

Appendix 2 - Episode of Hastaka of Āḷavi

Appendix 3 - Buddha’s sermon to the Trāyastriṃśa gods

Appendix 4 - Buddha’s subjugation of the elephant Nālāgiri (or Dhanapāla)

Appendix 5 - Story of the bhikṣu Uttara

Appendix 6 - The preparatory path (prayogamārga) in the Śrāvaka system

Sūtra. – [The Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva who wishes to cognize perfectly] great loving-kindness and great compassion must practice the Perfection of wisdom (bodhisattvena mahāsttvena mahāmaitrīṃ mahākaruṇāṃ parijñātukāmena prajñāpāramitāyāṃ śikṣitavyam).^[1]

Sāstra. –

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

This version departs from the revised Pañcaviṃśati (ed. Dutt, p. 21, l. 4–5) where it is said that mahāmaitrī, mahākaruṇā, mahāmuditā and mahopekṣā should be cultivated by the bodhisattva.

Last Updated: 28 September, 2019