since there are reasons to be reassured
set forth by both reasoning and scripture.
Some people become discouraged when they learn that buddhahood is unfathomable and the collection of merit necessary to attain it is also inestimable. Thinking it is impossible for them to ever reach that state, they become discouraged and hesitate to even try to create the causes.
Such discouragement is a form of laziness; it makes us feel tired, procrastinate, and give up before we even begin. Instead of allowing our minds to go in that direction, we should generate the aspiration to attain awakening and decide to engage in the causes for awakening as much as possible.
Both reasoning and scripture prove that it is possible for us to attain awakening. Obscure phenomena can be realized through reasoning, and the Buddha taught those reasonings. Very obscure phenomena can be realized by relying on scriptural authority, and the Buddha taught us the criteria for evaluating if a scriptural passage is definitive or not. So it is possible to understand these things.
He also taught many methods for easily accumulating the two collections, and by engaging in these, we will not need to experience the physical and mental sufferings that would otherwise face us. Feeling discouraged and thinking “I’m just not able to do this” makes our cyclic existence endless, whereas striving in the practices to collect wisdom and merit, we will be able to free ourselves forever from the mass of duhkha that is cyclic existence.
Furthermore, there are many quick methods to help us collect merit and wisdom. In the perfection vehicle, bodhichitta enables us to accumulate wisdom exponentially. The tantra vehicle, and especially the highest yoga tantra, teaches effective methods to quickly generate and then unify serenity and insight. When we rely on these we can swiftly accumulate the inestimable two collections and attain the state of awakening.
215.In all directions, space, earth,
water, fire, and wind are immeasurable;
so too it is acknowledged the duhkha
of sentient beings is immeasurable.
216.Through a bodhisattva’s love and compassion
those countless sentient beings
are led out of their duhkha
and definitely brought to buddhahood.
The Merit from Generating the Aspiration for Awakening Is Boundless
Space is immeasurable, stretching everywhere in the ten directions — above, below, in the four cardinal directions and four intermediate directions. Earth, water, fire, and wind also exist in all directions and are immeasurable. Similarly, the number of sentient beings experiencing intolerable duhkha is countless. Motivated by immeasurable love and compassion, bodhisattvas gradually lead all these sentient beings from their immeasurable temporal and long-term duhkha to a state of peerless awakening.
If it were impossible for sentient beings like us to attain awakening, buddhas and bodhisattvas wouldn’t even try to lead us to that state. However, they do — in fact, their ultimate purpose is to benefit us especially by leading us to awakening — so it must be possible for us to attain it. Now, while we have a precious human life, it is possible for us to meet beings who are buddhas and bodhisattvas to guide us. Our situation is anything but discouraging — we have fortune and opportunities that are hard to come by!
217.Since sentient beings are immeasurable,
from the point that this commitment is made,
those who remain resolute
whether they are asleep or awake,
218.or even careless, will still constantly amass merit that,
like beings, is immeasurable.
And since this merit is immeasurable,
it is said that attaining immeasurable buddhahood is not hard.
Attaining Awakening Is Not Difficult
The same path as the buddhas and bodhisattvas practiced to reach their goal is open for us to practice. We progress on this path gradually, so don’t think you must become a tenth ground bodhisattva overnight! On the basis of practicing the meditations to generate bodhichitta, the heartfelt aspiration to become a buddha in order to benefit sentient beings will arise in us. Initially this aspiration is weak — we have it occasionally and it doesn’t last a long time. This is the stage of aspiring bodhichitta.
By continuing to do these meditations and generating this aspiration repeatedly, our bodhichitta will become sufficiently stable so that we are comfortable saying that we will not relinquish it. This is the stage of aspiring bodhichitta with a promise.
Continuing to habituate ourselves to bodhichitta and the bodhisattva deeds, we will reach a point where our bodhichitta will be uncontrived and spontaneous. At that time we will generate actual engaging bodhichitta, enter the bodhisattva path, and possess the actual bodhisattva precepts. From this time onward, whether we are sleeping, eating, or even distracted, we will continually accumulate merit equal to the number of sentient beings, and we will progress through the bodhisattva paths and grounds to peerless awakening. Since all this began with our first aspiration for awakening that was weak and unstable, we should never deprecate even our feeble efforts to generate bodhichitta.
In short, although right now we don’t have actual aspiring or engaging bodhichitta, we are familiarizing ourselves with the meditations to generate them, and this will lead to our one day having spontaneous bodhichitta. Even now, we can generate fabricated bodhichitta and take the bodhisattva precepts, although our bodhichitta and bodhisattva precepts are similitudes of the actual ones. Nevertheless, we see that compared to the self-centered thought that constantly plagued our mind before, there is improvement and our bodhichitta has become stronger.
When we gain actual engaging bodhichitta, all our actions will be supported by this altruistic intention. This means, for example, that we generate bodhichitta before meditating on emptiness. Even though bodhichitta won’t be manifest in our mind during the time we are meditating on emptiness, our meditation will be supported by and conjoined with bodhichitta. Similarly, any other virtuous activity done with bodhichitta will be supported by that excellent motivation. Although the initial motivation is not manifest, its power has not vanished or weakened.
Someone wonders, “Can buddhas really benefit sentient beings?” Yes, they can, but they can’t help everyone immediately. Only when sentient beings are receptive to the buddhas’ awakening activity are they able to receive the buddhas’ help. Their receptivity at any particular moment depends on them — their disposition, interests, and aspirations. When sentient beings lack interest in the Dharma and have heavy, destructive karmic imprints, it is difficult for them to receive the buddhas’ help. We must make ourselves receptive vessels in order for the buddha’s awakening activity to affect us.
Consider whether you have benefited from the Buddha and bodhisattvas. If you hadn’t met the Dharma, what would your life be like now? What would you be doing and what kind of karma would you be creating? As you reflect on this you see that you have definitely benefited from their awakening activities. When you become a bodhisattva and then a buddha, you will be able to benefit others in the same way.
Someone now asks, “Since there are already numberless buddhas, isn’t it useless for me to attain buddhahood? Why don’t I just take the easy path of ridding myself from all duhkha and become an arhat instead?” If you seek to free only yourself from samsara, when you attain nirvana your mind will still be obscured by cognitive obscurations. Becoming an arhat does not fulfill your potential. Furthermore, you have strong karmic links with some sentient beings that other buddhas don’t have due to the relationships you developed in cyclic existence. Therefore, you will have a special ability to guide them once you become a buddha.
It is said that we accumulate great merit simply by going for refuge, such that if this merit were to transform into form, the universe would be too small to contain it. We create many times more merit when we generate bodhichitta and engage in the bodhisattva practices. There are many ways to create extraordinary amounts of merit on the bodhisattva p
ath, so there is no reason to become discouraged. For example, if you tell someone living in India who wants to go to America that he will need at least seventy dollars a day just to live, he might get very discouraged. But when you tell him that when he’s there, he’ll be able to earn well over that amount every day, his discouragement will vanish and his enthusiasm will increase.
219.Remaining for an immeasurable time
and wishing to obtain immeasurable awakening
for the sake of immeasurable beings,
the bodhisattvas perform immeasurable virtue,
220.so how could they not obtain before long awakening,
even though it is immeasurable,
through the collection of
these four that are immeasurable?
The Ease of Attaining Awakening Due to the Four Immeasurable Factors
When it comes to attaining full awakening, everything is incalculable. Four immeasurable factors are involved: immeasurable time, sentient beings, qualities of the awakened state, and virtues. For the sake of countless sentient beings who have been wandering in cyclic existence for a limitless length of time, we aspire for awakening, which has unfathomable qualities. As a result of having that aspiration in our minds even for a short time, we gain inestimable virtue. When we generate the aspiration for awakening for the sake of all sentient beings, all four immeasurable factors are included.
Immeasurable time can be understood in two ways: bodhisattvas strive on the path for an immeasurable length of time in order to benefit sentient beings who have remained in cyclic existence for an immeasurable length of time. Depending on your perspective, you may become either discouraged or encouraged by this. One person may think, “Creating the collection of merit is not only difficult, but it also takes a long time.” Another person may think, “If bodhisattvas can practice that long, so can I!” Seeing that your attitude depends on your perspective, make your perspective a positive one.
Even though it takes immeasurable merit to attain awakening, when we generate the mind that has these four immeasurables, why wouldn’t we be able to attain full awakening quickly? Nagarjuna challenges his followers to explain why they wouldn’t be able to attain awakening since they have access to such an incomparable method to do so.
In short, discouragement is out of place on the bodhisattva path. Nagarjuna gives three reasons why attaining awakening is not burdensome: we create immeasurable merit from generating bodhichitta; that merit is the cause to attain buddhahood; and the four immeasurable factors make it easy to attain awakening. Meditating on bodhichitta with the four immeasurable factors, you amass limitless merit and create all the causes needed for awakening. With such a method, you will be able to attain awakening comparatively quickly.
THE TWO COLLECTIONS COUNTERACT PHYSICAL AND MENTAL SUFFERING
Some people fear that they may suffer while they engage in the bodhisattva practice. Nagarjuna now explains why this is not the case. Since our collections of merit and wisdom can prevent this, we need not be afraid.
221.What is called immeasurable merit
and also that called immeasurable wisdom
quickly eradicate the suffering
of both the body and mind.
When he encourages us to accumulate merit and wisdom, Nagarjuna implicitly discourages us from procrastination, discouragement, and nonvirtuous actions that cause rebirth in cyclic existence. If we’re going to put anything off, it should be destructive actions — there’s no hurry to do them right now.
222.Hunger, thirst, and other such physical suffering
occur in unfortunate rebirths due to one’s misdeeds.
[Bodhisattvas] do not engage in misdeeds;
due to merit, they have no such suffering in other rebirths.
Merit Eliminates Physical Suffering
All physical suffering experienced in the lower realms and as human beings is due to our misdeeds. If we continue with such misdeeds, we will go from one life to the next experiencing only suffering. Even though we might experience a certain amount of suffering while amassing the two collections, we should not be discouraged. When doing a hundred thousand prostrations, for example, it doesn’t make sense to feel dispirited by thinking about the difficulties and effort involved. We should focus on the fact that purifying negativities and collecting merit prevents future suffering — it stops nonvirtue from ripening and creates virtue that leads to the ultimate peace of nirvana as well as worldly happiness as a byproduct. Rather than feeling discouraged, feel invigorated.
223.From confusion comes the mental suffering
of attachment, anger, fear, lust, and such.
[Bodhisattvas] quickly eliminate this
by realizing that [all things] are foundationless.
Wisdom Eliminates Mental Suffering
Fear of mental suffering can also inhibit us from the worthy endeavor of engaging in the collections of merit and wisdom.
Confusion in this verse refers to both ignorance regarding the ultimate mode of existence and ignorance of karma and its effects. Ignorance of the ultimate nature involves grasping phenomena as being truly existent or as not existing even conventionally — extremes of absolutism and nihilism respectively. Due to this ignorance, attachment, anger, fear, lust, and other afflictions arise, which in turn motivate destructive karma, which causes us to undergo physical and mental suffering. In addition, just having these emotions manifest in our mind makes us unhappy right now. The mind of attachment is dissatisfied, the mind of anger is burning, the mind of fear is anxious and agitated, and the mind of lust is restless. These are not pleasant mental states at all.
There are many kinds of attachment, such as attachment to the body, possessions, praise, and reputation. Anger is a broad category that ranges from irritation to rage; it wants to destroy whatever it believes impedes our happiness or causes us unhappiness. Fear refers to anxiety regarding the four elements, such as fear of natural disasters and worry about falling ill. Fear could also arise regarding our financial security or possible harm caused by people who misuse their power. Lust refers to sexual lust or lust hoping to get other people’s possessions. There are also many other kinds of disturbing emotions — arrogance, jealousy, and lack of integrity, to name a few.
We continually experience many disturbing mental states, all of them rooted in true-grasping ignorance. Bodhisattvas eliminate all this mental suffering by realizing that all phenomena are empty and foundationless — that is, ignorance is without a basis, and its conceived object is nonexistent. Knowing this, we should enthusiastically engage in the collection of wisdom to the best of our ability. The more we do so, the less mental suffering we will experience on the path, culminating in the cessation of all mental suffering when we attain liberation.
The collection of wisdom also eliminates physical suffering, and the collection of merit also eliminates mental suffering, but principally it is said that the latter eliminates physical suffering, and the former eliminates mental suffering.
224.If bodhisattvas are not greatly harmed
by mental and physical pain,
then even though in an endless universe they lead the world,
why would they be discouraged?
225.Even brief suffering is difficult to bear —
what need then to mention suffering for long?
But even if limitless in duration,
what could harm one who has no suffering and is happy?
There’s No Reason to Be Discouraged About Accumulating the Two Collections
Because they cherish others more than themselves and cultivate the wisdom realizing emptiness, bodhisattvas do not experience physical or mental pain when they practice the path. The aspiration to lead innumerable sentient beings to the highest good does not make them discouraged or fatigued. On the contrary, it gives them great satisfaction and joy because they are doing what matters most to them — acting for the welfare of other beings.
In general, everyone finds suffering difficult to
bear for even a moment, so it’s natural to think that experiencing misery for a long time would be unbearable. Arya bodhisattvas take on many different kinds of bodies to benefit sentient beings, and they do that for an immeasurably long period of time. But because they are not reborn under the control of afflictions and karma and pray to take those bodies, they do not experience the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death. While their manifestations look the same as we do and appear to undergo the same suffering as we do, arya bodhisattvas do not experience pain or distress because they have eradicated certain degrees of afflictions and purified a great deal of karma.
226.[Bodhisattvas] have no physical suffering —
how could they have mental suffering?
But through compassion, they feel pain for the world;
for that reason, they remain for a long time.
The Power of Great Compassion
Although from their own side arya bodhisattvas do not experience physical or mental suffering while they deliberately take rebirth in cyclic existence, they do feel unhappiness when they see sentient beings experiencing birth, aging, sickness, death, and all the problems in between. This mental pain is not the personal distress, despair, or depression that we feel when we see others suffer. Bodhisattvas know that others’ suffering occurs only because its causes exist, and they also know those causes can be eradicated. Bodhisattvas with stable bodhichitta would happily go to the lowest hell realm for as long as necessary to save a single sentient being from suffering and lead her to awakening. Due to such great compassion, they experience only joy no matter what situation they are in.
Bodhisattvas’ strong compassion also prevents them from attaining the personal peace of arhatship. They stay in cyclic existence a long time, taking birth after birth for the sake of benefiting sentient beings. According to the perfection vehicle, as recounted in the Jataka Tales, prior to attaining full awakening Shakyamuni took many births purely to benefit others. He manifested many different forms to engage with sentient beings, eliminate their suffering, and bring about their happiness. Most bodhisattvas do likewise.
Practical Ethics and Profound Emptiness Page 25