Practical Ethics and Profound Emptiness
Page 42
6.Power of knowing the paths that lead to various destinations. In an instant, this power knows that some people are following the bodhisattva path and will traverse the ten grounds to awakening, while others will progress on the five paths of the hearer or solitary realizer and attain arhatship. It also knows that some people’s path will lead to rebirth in the lower realms due to having created the ten paths of nonvirtuous karma.
7.Power of knowing the afflictions and purifications. By knowing the disadvantages of the more afflictive states and the benefits of the less afflictive ones, this power knows exactly how to engage in the various concentrations, such as the four meditative stabilizations and the four immaterial absorptions, and is extremely skilled in entering and leaving them in an instant.
8.Power of remembering previous lives. This power knows each rebirth that the Tathagata has taken as a sentient being, even those in the distant past. In an instant, it knows where each rebirth occurred and the events that took place during that lifetime.
9.Power of knowing the births and deaths of all sentient beings. Without any confusion, this power knows all the past, present, and future deaths and rebirths of each sentient being — where, when, and in which realm they occur — in a single instant.
10.Power knowing the cessation of pollution. Here pollution means ignorance, afflictions, and their latencies. This power knows that by meditating on the wisdom directly realizing selflessness, the afflictions are extinguished and true cessation — the state of extinction of those afflictions — is actualized. It also knows the level of cessation of pollutions of all sentient beings.
The ten powers are posited from the viewpoint of ten objects of a buddha’s omniscient mind. In fact, each power is omniscient mind. Although the bodhisattvas of the three pure grounds — the eighth, ninth, and tenth grounds — have amazing realizations and superknowledges, they do not have these ten powers, which exist exclusively in the continua of buddhas.
463.The limitlessness of a buddha’s [excellent qualities]
is said to be like
the limitlessness of space, earth, water,
fire, and wind in all directions.
464.If the causes are [reduced] to a mere [measure]
and not seen to be limitless,
then one will not be confident
that the [good qualities of] the buddhas are inestimable.
Just as the five elements in the universe are limitless, so too are a buddha’s excellent qualities. This is a result of the immeasurable causes that give rise to the buddhas’ marvelous qualities — prostrating; making offerings; hearing, thinking, and meditating on the teachings; practicing the six perfections, and so on. Bodhisattvas diligently and joyfully create these causes with bodhichitta. Their compassion and desire to benefit sentient beings are inestimable, beyond the capacity of anyone to apprehend.
The inconceivability and immeasurability of the buddhas’ qualities is due to an inestimable collection of merit. Without understanding the limitless causes of the various qualities of the buddhas, we will not be able to comprehend or appreciate the ten powers or their inconceivability. Knowing that the causes of even one of a buddha’s qualities is beyond our imagination and ability to know inspires confidence in the excellence of the buddhas and their ability to guide us to awakening.
THE WAY TO AMASS LIMITLESS MERIT
465.Therefore, each day, three times a day,
before a statue, stupa, or elsewhere,
you should perform the recitation
of the following twenty verses.
A good way to accumulate the great amount of merit necessary to attain the bodhisattva grounds and the buddhas’ ten powers is to recite and contemplate the following twenty verses in the presence of the Three Jewels — here symbolized by a stupa, statue, or painting of the buddhas and bodhisattvas — or in the presence of an assembly of the arya sangha or your spiritual mentor. By accumulating immeasurable merit in this way, we will be able to attain the state of a buddha that possesses innumerable excellent qualities.
466.Honoring in all ways the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha,
and also the bodhisattvas,
I take refuge in them and pay homage
to those worthy of homage.
467.I turn away from all negativity
and embrace all merit.
I rejoice in all the merit
[amassed by] all sentient beings.
468.With bowed head and palms together
I beseech all perfect buddhas
to turn the wheel of Dharma,
and remain as long as beings remain.
These three verses are a brief presentation of the seven branches of practice for purifying and creating of merit. First we pay homage, prostrate, and take refuge in the Three Jewels by respectfully bowing with our body, speech, and mind. The buddhas are those who possess the four buddha bodies; the Dharma is the true paths and true cessations in the continua of aryas; the sangha consists of all the aryas, as well as the bodhisattvas who are not yet aryas. We physically bow by joining our palms and bowing down to touch the five points — two knees, two hands, and forehead — to the floor. We verbally bow by reciting this verse, and we mentally bow by visualizing the Three Jewels in front of us and having a mind of faith.
Verse 467 expresses the branches of confession and rejoicing. Taking responsibility for our destructive behavior, we reveal the negativities we have done and make a determination to restrain ourselves from doing these in the future. We do this by way of the four powers: having regret (not guilt!) for our behavior, taking refuge and generating bodhichitta, making a determination to avoid the action in the future, and engaging in a remedial activity.
To accumulate as much merit as possible through the practices of generosity, ethical conduct, fortitude, and so on, we rejoice at any and all virtuous actions of body, speech, and mind that we and all others have done, are doing, and will do. Rejoicing in the virtue of others with admiration free of jealousy has a profound effect on our minds.
Verse 468 articulates the two branches of requesting the buddhas to teach and imploring them to remain until cyclic existence ends. Putting our palms together at our heart, we request spiritual mentors who are not turning the Dharma wheel to teach without delay after they have attained awakening. We then request the buddhas and bodhisattvas who are contemplating passing into parinirvana not to do so, but to stay for a very long time — as long as sentient beings wander in cyclic existence — in order to teach and guide us.
469.Through the merit of doing this
and the merit I have done and will do,
may all sentient beings be endowed
with unsurpassed bodhichitta.
This begins the many verses that detail the last branch, the dedication of merit. May all the merit, virtue, and goodness that we and all others have done, are doing, and will do ripen in the peerless awakening of all beings.
470.May all sentient beings have immaculate faculties
and transcend the unfree [states].
May they control their own actions
and live by right livelihood.
471.May all embodied beings have jewels in their hands,
and may a limitless [amount] of all kinds of necessities
remain inexhaustible
for as long as cyclic existence endures.
Here we dedicate so that all the sentient beings may generate stainless faculties in their mindstreams. In addition, may all who currently live in the eight unfree states be free of those situations so that they can practice the Dharma without hindrances. May they control their own actions so that they have physical, verbal, and mental freedom — freedom in what they think, say, and do, freedom to come and go — and not be tormented, oppressed, and controlled by others. This can include not being controlled by ignorance and afflictions so that they can make wise decisions and act according to their virtuous aspirations. May they earn their livelihood by good means, never by the five wrong livelihoods. May they nev
er engage in occupations that involve harming sentient beings.
From the moment of their birth, may all sentient being have everything they need to accomplish all their virtuous aspirations, as if they were born with jewels in their hands. May these excellent conditions never be exhausted as long as cyclic existence remains.
472.At all times may all women
become supreme persons.
May all beings be endowed
with intelligence and legs.
473.May all beings have a good complexion
and also a good physique.
May they be radiant and pleasant to behold.
Free of illness, may they be strong and live long.
May those who prefer not to take a female rebirth be reborn as a male. This line can also express the fervent wish that all women become buddhas or other supreme persons. One interpretation of intelligence and legs is the higher training in wisdom and ethical conduct. “Legs” means ethical conduct, because keeping pure ethical conduct is the method that leads to wisdom. Another interpretation is that “intelligence” means right view and “legs” refers to the remaining aspects of the path. There are more interpretations as well.
May all beings have a color and body of great splendor. This splendor refers to the magnificence certain people have even if they are not good looking. May they be radiant, have a pleasant appearance, and be free from illness. May they have a strong constitution and live long. These are seven qualities of higher rebirth.
474.May they all gain expertise in skillful means
and become free of all duhkha.
May they be devoted to the Three Jewels
and have the great treasure of Buddhadharma.
Skillful means refers to skill in the means of pacifying and eliminating true duhkha and true origin. May beings be free of the duhkha of all three realms, and to accomplish this, may they take heartfelt refuge in the causal and resultant three refuges. The causal refuges are the external Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha that we rely on to learn and practice the path. The resultant three refuges are the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha that we will become by practicing the path. May all beings possess the great wealth of Buddha’s doctrine, the ten powers.
475.May they be adorned with love, compassion,
joy, [the ability to] remain equanimous in the face of hardship,
generosity, ethical conduct, fortitude,
joyous effort, meditative stability, and wisdom.
476.Thus adorned, may they complete all the collections,
and [obtaining] brilliant signs and marks,
may they traverse without hindrance
the ten grounds to the inconceivable.
May all beings be imbued with the four immeasurables when they relate to other sentient beings, and may they receive love, compassion, joy, and equanimity from others. May they remain equanimous and calm in the face of pain, hardship, outbursts of afflictions, and negative mental states. May they complete the two collections of wisdom and merit by being adorned with the practices of the six perfections. Most meditational deities are beautified with jeweled ornaments that represent the six perfections and other good qualities developed on the path. While external ornaments may be lovely, internal qualities are the best ornaments.
While they train in the path, may all beings have clear signs and marks that are a similitude of those of the buddhas. May they be able to traverse the ten grounds without obstacles or interruptions.
477.May I also be adorned with these good qualities
and all others as well.
May I become free from all faults,
and may I attain supreme love for all beings.
478.May I perfect the virtues
to which all beings aspire,
and may I always dispel
the duhkha of all embodied beings.
Above, we dedicated all the virtue that we accumulated by paying homage, bowing, taking refuge, confessing, rejoicing, requesting teachings, and requesting the buddhas not to pass away, together with all the virtue accumulated by ourselves and others in the three times. All this virtue was dedicated for the benefit of all sentient beings, and can be summarized by dedicating for them to be free of all faults and adorned with all qualities — that is, to become an omniscient buddha who is the sole friend and protector of all wandering in cyclic existence.
Having dedicated like this for others, we now dedicate in the same way for ourselves. May I also indicates that we steer our merit so that it will also ripen in our being adorned with those as well as the other marvelous qualities that are explained in the sutras. May we have supreme love for all sentient beings; no matter who they are or how they treat us, may we always view them with affection and wish them well. May we perfect all virtues, and in any way possible may we eliminate the duhkha of all embodied beings and inspire them with hope and confidence. Without being impeded by internal or external obstacles, may we be able to fulfill both the temporal and ultimate aims of others.
479.In all worlds may all beings
who are feeling anxious due to fear
become completely fearless
merely by hearing my name.
May we always be able to eliminate the fears, dangers, and anxiety of all sentient beings in all worlds in the ten directions. Each sentient being experiences different fearful situations — illness, injury, war, death, loss of loved ones, depression, rejection, abandonment, poverty, loneliness, and so forth. May merely hearing my name eliminate all of that fear and any dangers and threats that lie behind it. By thinking of me, may their minds turn to the Dharma, and by putting the Dharma into practice, may their fears be allayed and their anxiety vanish.
480.From seeing and thinking of me
and from merely hearing my name,
may beings become clear-minded,
undisturbed, and at ease.
481.May it be definite that they will awaken,
and in all their future lives, may they attain the five superknowledges.
In all ways may I always do
what brings benefit and happiness to all beings.
May all beings who see me, think of me, or hear my name abide in joy. May their minds be lucid and free of confusion and distress. May they be comfortable, free of afflictions and misdeeds, thereby abiding naturally, free of all adventitious faults.
May they progress without regression on the path to awakening. May they be definite in the bodhisattva path and never fall to the paths of the hearers and solitary realizers. May they never be reborn in the lower realms.
Throughout all their lives may they attain the five superknowledges, which are a supreme method for benefiting others. May I continually be able to benefit them and bring them happiness and fulfillment according to their individual dispositions, interests, and faculties.
482.May I always dissuade all at once
all those beings of any world
who intend to engage in negativity
without doing them any harm.
In the various worlds, many beings have committed destructive actions, many are currently involved in destructive actions, and many are planning to engage in destructive actions. May I be able to stop them from engaging in negativity without harming them. By skillful and non-threatening means and with compassion and courage, may I be able to intercede and prevent all harmful actions such that neither the potential victim nor the potential perpetrator is harmed. It’s helpful for us to imagine various situations in which one being is about to harm another physically, verbally, or mentally, and think of how we might intercede to change the direction of the situation.
483.Like the earth, water, wind, and fire,
medicinal herbs, and the trees in the wilderness,
may I always freely be an object of enjoyment
by all beings as they wish.
Just as the four natural elements, flowers, trees, medicinal herbs, and so forth in unowned, isolated places are used by everyone according to their wish, may my physical, v
erbal, and mental abilities be similarly useful for sentient beings to accomplish their well-being. Whoever they are, may I bring them happiness.
484.May I be beloved of beings,
and may they be more beloved to me than myself.
May I bear the results of their negativity,
and may they have the results of all my virtue.
When I am able to be a spiritual guide and protector for destitute sentient beings and help them out of their distressing state, may they cherish me and hold me as dear as their own lives. In the same way, may I always hold them dear and care more for their welfare than my own. By exchanging myself with others, may I happily experience the results of their negative actions, and may they experience the results of all my virtue.
The aspiration may I bear the results of their negativity, and may they have the results of all my virtue is the heart of the practice of equalizing and exchanging self and others. It summarizes the essential points of this profound practice that are contained in the sutras and is the source of the thought-training practice of taking and giving, called tonglen in Tibetan.
There is a story behind these lines that dates back hundreds of years. Geshe Chekawa was a highly accomplished Nyingma tantric practitioner from a respected family in Tibet. After hearing the “Eight Verses of Thought Training” composed by Langri Tangpa, and finding it beneficial for his mind, he left behind his family and estate and went in search of someone who held this lineage. Finally, he found Geshe Sharawa and attended one of his teachings, but Geshe Sharawa taught the practice of the hearer vehicle, and nothing about the vast and profound universal vehicle teachings.
Later, when Geshe Sharawa was circumambulating a stupa, Geshe Chekawa approached him and inquired if he could ask some Dharma questions. Geshe Sharawa responded, “I already told everything you could possibly want to know and cleared up all doubts in the teaching you attended. What else do you have to ask?”