Practical Ethics and Profound Emptiness

by Jampa Tegchok

  441.The first of these is called the Joyous

  because the bodhisattvas experience great joy,

  since the three fetters have been eliminated

  and they have been born into the tathagata family.

  442.Through the maturation of that [ground],

  the perfection of generosity becomes supreme,

  they are able to make a hundred worlds quake,

  and they become the Great Lord of Jambudvipa.

  In these and the upcoming series of verses, Nagarjuna bases his explanation on the Sutra of the Ten Grounds. The first ground is called the Joyous because it is free of the portion of afflictions that are objects to be abandoned by the path of seeing. This uninterrupted path eliminates those afflictions by applying the actual antidote: the wisdom directly and nonconceptually realizing emptiness. In the liberated path that immediately follows the uninterrupted path, these afflictions have been abandoned in such a way that they have been eradicated from that person’s mindstream. In the period of subsequent attainment, this bodhisattva then experiences a unique joy from being free of that portion of the afflictions.

  To put this in the form of a syllogism: there is a reason to call the first ground the Joyous, because it generates a unique joy from being free of the objects to be abandoned by the path of seeing. The objects to be abandoned by a first ground bodhisattva are the three fetters: the acquired forms of the view of a personal identity, doubt, and the view of rules and practices (also called the view that holds bad ethics and modes of conduct as supreme). A stream-enterer in the hearer vehicle also abandons these three fetters. While they are explicitly mentioned as objects of abandonment of a first grounder, this bodhisattva also abandons the acquired forms of all afflictions, including the acquired forms of all five afflictive views.

  When bodhisattvas attain the first ground, they are born into the tathagata family or tathagata lineage. Being born into the tathagata lineage and having the tathagata lineage are not the same. All sentient beings have the tathagata lineage — or buddha nature — the potential to become a fully awakened buddha. However, in the short term it is not sure if we will enter the hearer, solitary realizer, or bodhisattva vehicle. When a bodhisattva is born into the tathagata lineage, this means he or she has gone beyond the hearers and solitary realizers and cannot fall back to become one of them, let alone be born as a hell being, hungry ghost, or animal. This bodhisattva is definitely progressing toward full awakening.

  First grounders develop a particular ability to shake a hundred worldly realms, one of the twelve qualities mentioned above. The ripening result is that they can choose to take rebirth as a wheel-turning monarch with control over our world, traditionally known as Jambudvipa.

  On the first ground, bodhisattvas’ practice of generosity becomes superior, greatly exceeding the practice of generosity done by the ordinary bodhisattvas on the paths of accumulation and preparation. First grounders’ practice of generosity is such that if somebody asked them to give away their arms, legs, fingers, eyes, or the like, they would be able to do so happily, without any suffering or sense of loss, and without creating any nonvirtue. This is impossible for a bodhisattva on the small, medium, or great levels of the path of accumulation or on any of the four levels of the path of preparation — heat, peak, fortitude, or highest mundane dharma. While these lower bodhisattvas will happily and without hesitation give away their wealth and possessions, they are not able to give away parts of their body in the same way. They have some apprehension about doing this because they will experience physical pain and mental suffering. Knowing that they will eliminate great suffering by experiencing this comparatively small suffering, they put effort into practicing generosity of parts of their body. However, they do not feel the same joy while doing this that first grounders do.

  443.The second ground is called the Stainless

  because [bodhisattvas’] tenfold activities

  of body, speech, and mind are stainless,

  and they naturally adhere to those [ethical activities].

  444.Through maturation of that [ground] the perfection of ethical conduct becomes supreme;

  they become glorious rulers with the seven treasures, wheel-turning monarchs, beneficent to beings.

  Through its maturation they become monarchs that rule all four continents,

  and they gain expertise in turning beings away from unethical behavior.

  The second ground is called Stainless because the ten nonvirtuous paths of actions do not stain the body, speech, and mind of these bodhisattvas, neither when awake nor asleep. They do not even dream about creating destructive actions, but rather they spontaneously abide in pure ethical conduct without the need to exert a lot of effort. First ground bodhisattvas are not able to practice ethical conduct in quite the same way; their ethical conduct is not unstained in their dreams.

  As a ripening result of second grounders’ supreme practice of ethical conduct, they are able to take birth as a glorious wheel-turning monarch with control over the four continents and in possession of the seven precious possessions — the precious wheel, jewel, queen, minister, elephant, horse, and general — which are symbolic of worldly power. These bodhisattvas have a thousand sets of twelve qualities in the time of subsequent attainment.

  According to the Chittamatrins and below, a cause of a ripening result must be either polluted nonvirtue or polluted virtue. However, Madhyamikas also accept unpolluted ripening causes. For example, Madhyamikas posit the signs and marks of the Buddha as ripening results of the unpolluted, uninterrupted paths of the ten grounds. This is the same as saying that they are the ripening results of the practice of the ten perfections. In addition, each of the grounds has ripening results of practice, such as being able to take birth as a wheel-turning monarch with control over four continents. These unpolluted ripening results experienced by arya bodhisattvas are produced by concordant causes: unpolluted virtue created on the bodhisattva path.

  Due to having such perfect ethical conduct, second grounders attain a peaceful radiance — a physical characteristic that sets them apart from lower bodhisattvas. In general, people with pure ethical conduct tend to have such radiance, and it is even more pronounced with second grounders. For example, many people who see His Holiness the Dalai Lama think that he appears differently than other people.

  445.The third ground is [called] the Luminous

  because the light of peaceful wisdom arises,

  the concentrations and superknowledges have arisen,

  and attachment and anger have completely ceased.

  446.Through the maturation of that [ground],

  they practice supreme fortitude and joyous effort;

  they become the celestials’ skilled,

  great lord who averts all sensual desire.

  The third ground is called the Luminous because while these bodhisattvas one-pointedly meditate on emptiness, a sign that is like a light appears. Called the “light indicating the end of all obstacles is approaching,” it signals the impending end of cognitive obscurations. These bodhisattvas must attain only a few more grounds before buddhahood. The light does not appear to the mind of meditative equipoise, nor does that mind attend to the light, because only emptiness appears to this mind of meditative equipoise — no conventional phenomena appear to it. However, while these bodhisattvas sit in meditation, there is the appearance of a light shining on them, as if they were sitting in the sun with the sunlight striking them. This is a sign that the end of all obstacles is approaching.

  When those bodhisattvas arise from meditation, a light resembling the red light at dawn appears to their wisdom of subsequent attainment. It is like an appearance of the radiance of a light. For example, an electric light has a white radiance that exudes from it but does not appear to it. In the same way, the light comes from that wisdom of meditative equipoise but does not appear to it and is not realized by it.

  Third ground bodhisattvas attain the four concentrations of the material r
ealm, four immaterial absorptions, five superknowledges, and four immeasurables in a way superior to before.

  When Nagarjuna says attachment and anger have completely ceased, this does not mean that these bodhisattvas have completely eradicated all attachment, anger, and ignorance. Further degrees of these afflictions will be eliminated later on; only the attachment and anger that are the portion of the objects to be abandoned by the third ground have been extinguished.

  Some forms of attachment and anger arise due to grasping the person as self-sufficient substantially existent. On the first seven grounds, different portions of this innate grasping and its seeds are ceased; the acquired form was abandoned previously at the first ground. When a portion of this grasping is abandoned, so is the corresponding portion of attachment and anger that arises due to it.

  Similarly, on each of the first seven grounds a portion of the innate true-grasping and its seeds is ceased. When that portion on each ground is abandoned, the attachment and anger that arise due to it are also extinguished. All true-grasping, its seeds, attachment, and anger are extinguished by the eighth ground.

  On the third ground, bodhisattvas excel in the practice of the perfection of fortitude. Not only do they not get upset in the slightest if somebody harms their possessions, but they do not get upset even if someone were to cut up their body in small pieces. Undisturbed, they have special empathy and compassion for the person cutting them. Their fortitude and compassion increase as a result of the harm they receive.

  When we hear that each ground excels in the practice of a particular perfection, it doesn’t mean that the other perfections don’t also improve on that ground — they do. For example, although bodhisattvas’ practices of the perfections of generosity and ethical conduct became supreme on the first and second grounds respectively, these practices continue to improve on the third and fourth grounds, and so on. The practice of the perfection of joyous effort, which will become supreme on the fourth ground, also increases on the third ground because bodhisattvas exert great effort with a joyful mind when practicing fortitude.

  The ripening result of third grounders is to be reborn as a lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. They are also able to be born as Indra, lord of gods, or as other powerful gods. Bodhisattvas deliberately take these kinds of births for the sake of others, in order to accomplish others’ aims.

  447.The fourth is called the Radiant

  because the radiance of true wisdom arises,

  and [bodhisattvas] distinctively develop

  all the aids to awakening.

  448.Through the maturation of that [ground]

  they become the celestial ruler in the abode of the Suyana [deities].

  They become skilled,

  destroying the source of the view of a personal identity.

  The fourth ground is called the Radiant. On this ground, bodhisattvas excel in the practice of the perfection of joyous effort, and through that they radiate the light of pacifying wisdom, a light that is far superior to that of the third ground. During meditative equipoise, third grounders have a light that resembles the sunlight at dawn, but the light of the fourth grounder is far more radiant during both meditative equipoise and subsequent attainment. This is due to having a superior practice of wisdom that is adept in the subtle points of the thirty-seven aids to awakening. The ripening result of the fourth ground is birth as a monarch in the Heaven Free of Combat, the third of the desire god realms.

  Regarding these bodhisattvas being skilled and destroying the source of the view of a personal identity, we can understand that bodhisattvas destroy the ignorance that supports the view of a personal identity grasping the person as self-sufficient substantially existent or that they destroy the ignorance that accompanies the view of a personal identity grasping the person as inherently existent. In either case, it is that portion of ignorance and of the view of a personal identity that is abandoned by the fourth ground.

  449.The fifth is the Indomitable,

  since one cannot be subdued by any demons,

  and one gains expertise in knowing

  the subtle meaning of the aryas’ truths and such.

  450.Through the maturation of that [ground]

  they become the celestial ruler of Tushita

  and refute all the tirthikas’ beliefs

  concerning the efficacy of austerities.

  Fifth ground bodhisattvas are called the Indomitable because the maras — worldly demon gods — and their retinue are not able to overcome or defeat them. These bodhisattvas excel in the practice of the perfection of meditative stability and gain expert wisdom in being able to distinguish and comprehend the subtle points of the four truths of the aryas.

  Fifth grounders’ ability to stay one-pointedly on their object of meditation is remarkable. They can enter into and emerge from various levels of meditative absorptions of the material and immaterial realms. Their meditative stability is much superior to that of the fourth grounders due to their incredible qualities — they have abandoned more defilements and the method that sustains their meditation is much stronger. While ordinary beings who haven’t entered a path and non-Buddhists can attain serenity, their concentration is nowhere near that of the fifth ground bodhisattvas.

  The ripening result for fifth ground bodhisattvas is the ability to take birth in the desire god realm called Tushita. This is different from the Tushita where the future Buddha, Maitreya, resides.

  Motivated by wrong views and other afflictions, non-Buddhists — tirthikas — may try to debate with these bodhisattvas. However, the tirthikas are unable to defeat them; the qualities of the fifth ground bodhisattva are beyond our conception.

  451.The sixth is called the Approaching

  because they approach the qualities of a buddha

  and are enhanced by the attainment of cessation

  through uniting insight and serenity.

  452.Through the maturation of that [ground],

  they become lord of the Celestials Who Delight in Emanations.

  Unsurpassable by the hearers,

  they eliminate arrogant pride.

  Fourth, fifth, and sixth ground bodhisattvas each attain a particular wisdom practice. On the fourth ground it is the wisdom that is expert in understanding the subtle points of the thirty-seven aids to awakening; on the fifth a wisdom of the subtle points of the four truths of the aryas; and on the sixth a wisdom that is expert in the subtle points of the forward and reverse order of the twelve links. The sixth ground is also when bodhisattvas attain a superior practice of the perfection of wisdom. For these reasons, this ground is called the Approaching because these bodhisattvas are approaching awakening and are much closer to it than bodhisattvas on the lower grounds.

  Bodhisattvas on the fifth ground excel in the practice of the perfection of meditative stability, and bodhisattvas on the sixth ground excel in the practice of the perfection of wisdom. Combining these together, sixth grounders unite serenity and insight — serenity being the refinement of concentration and insight the cultivation of wisdom. In this way, they attain a very powerful mind that meditates on emptiness. Just as a group of blind people can quickly go where they want to go when accompanied by someone who can see, the practices of generosity, ethical conduct, and so on can quickly bring their results in full awakening due to this powerful wisdom that sees the ultimate nature.

  While the union of serenity and insight can be developed even before entering the path as well as on the path of accumulation, its object is not emptiness. Rather, it focuses on the disadvantages of the lower levels of meditative concentration and the benefits of the higher levels, in this way invigorating practitioners to attain higher levels of concentration. It may also focus on subtle impermanence and so forth.

  Practitioners who have gained serenity and realized emptiness before entering the path have the wisdom arising from contemplation focused on emptiness, but not the wisdom arising from meditation focused on emptiness. Thus at that level they do not have a union
of serenity and insight focused on emptiness. The wisdom that arises from meditation focused on emptiness comes only on the heat level of the path of preparation; it is not present on the path of accumulation. One simultaneously attains the insight viewing emptiness, the wisdom arising from meditation on emptiness, the union of serenity and insight on emptiness, and the heat stage of the path of preparation of the universal vehicle.

  The union of serenity and insight of the sixth ground bodhisattvas is unique and far superior to that of lower-level bodhisattvas because now their union of serenity and insight is supported by qualities of the method aspect of the path that were previously not present.

  Bodhisattvas from the sixth ground onward also attain the equipoise of cessation, as uniquely described by the Prasangikas. Here cessation means emptiness. On the sixth ground, bodhisattvas attain the ability to absorb their mind directly into emptiness for long periods of time. Of course, on the fourth and fifth grounds bodhisattvas are able to meditate on emptiness, but not in the same way as the sixth-level bodhisattva.

  The reason for calling emptiness “cessation” is that space is the pure emptiness of all physical obstruction; it is a void that is the absence of its object of negation — physical obstruction. Similarly, emptiness is the absence of its object of negation — true existence, inherent existence, and so on. Since it is a pure emptiness in which all those objects of negation have been ceased, it is called cessation. Bodhisattvas enter into meditative equipoise on that cessation or emptiness.38

  There are ordinary and unique ways of entering into meditative absorption, and there are also different levels of emptiness because there are different assertions of selflessness. The selflessness Vaibhashikas and Sautrantikas assert is superficial, while that asserted by members of the upper systems is subtler. The selflessness asserted by the Prasangikas is the subtlest. The same applies to cessation — some are subtler and others grosser. Similarly, there are corresponding differences in the subtlety of the mind that absorbs into those cessations.