2.2.2.1.1.3. THE EXPLANATION OF THE LUMINOUS (Prabhākari, Ö Jepa/’od byed pa)
2.2.2.1.1.3.1. The brief teaching on the essence of the ground, the basis of its features
2.2.2.1.1.3.2. The extensive explanation of the features or qualities of the ground
2.2.2.1.1.3.3. The summary stating the qualities of the ground
2.2.2.1.1.3.1. THE BRIEF TEACHING ON THE ESSENCE OF THE GROUND, THE BASIS OF ITS FEATURES
Since the light of the fire that burns
All the kindling of knowable objects arises
On this third ground, it is called The Luminous.
At that time, a brilliance like the sun or like copper dawns in the heirs of the sugatas. (3.1)
Here the fire or light of wisdom that burns all the kindling of knowable objects without exception arises. Therefore this ground, where the third level of bodhichitta is generated, is called The Luminous, because at that time the brilliance of the wisdom of the heirs of the sugatas is like the rising sun or like copper.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2. THE EXTENSIVE EXPLANATION OF THE FEATURES OR QUALITIES OF THE GROUND
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1. The qualities of the perfection of patience
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.2. The other qualities of relinquishment, realization, and activity
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.3. The support for this perfection, its corresponding accumulation, and its result
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1. THE QUALITIES OF THE PERFECTION OF PATIENCE
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.1. How patience is foremost on this ground
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2. The supplementary praise to patience
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.3. The classifications of transcendent and mundane patience
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.1. HOW PATIENCE IS FOREMOST ON THIS GROUND
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.1.1. Patience by way of compassion
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.1.2. Patience by way of supreme knowledge
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.1.1. PATIENCE BY WAY OF COMPASSION
If someone, through unwarranted anger,
Cut the flesh and bones from the body of a bodhisattva
For a long time, ounce by ounce,
The bodhisattva would engender patience, especially for the one who is cutting. (3.2)
There is no time during which these bodhisattvas become angry, because they possess the excellent qualities that have been explained above, and because it is impossible for them to inflict harm on others through the actions of their three gates. When sustaining their altruistic attitude they are not motivated by any of the nine forms of tormented mind.169 Therefore, if someone who was deeply agitated cut flesh and bones from the body of a bodhisattva, who is not an appropriate object of anger, for a long time, and moreover cut away methodically, ounce by ounce, the bodhisattva would still engender patience (kṣhānti, zöpa/bzod pa), especially for the one who is cutting, because bodhisattvas pay close attention to the suffering of beings who possess the karma of negative actions.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.1.2. PATIENCE BY WAY OF SUPREME KNOWLEDGE
For bodhisattvas who see selflessness,
All phenomena—what is cut, the cutter, the time of the cutting, the method of cutting, and so on—
Are seen to be a like a reflection.
Therefore they have patience. (3.3)
Not only do the bodhisattvas have the patience described above, for a bodhisattva who sees all phenomena as selfless, the flesh and bones that are cut, along with the cutter, the time of the cutting, and the weapon used to do the cutting are met with patience. Why? Because the bodhisattvas see all phenomena of the three spheres to be like reflections—free of self and entities connected to the self and free of inherent nature. For this reason, the bodhisattvas have patience.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2. THE SUPPLEMENTARY PRAISE TO PATIENCE
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1. The shortcomings of anger
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.2. The benefits of patience
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.3. The instruction to therefore relinquish anger and cultivate patience
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1. THE SHORTCOMINGS OF ANGER
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1.1. Anger is pointless in this world
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1.2. Anger is contradictory to the aims of the next world
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1.3. Further shortcomings connected to this life and the next
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1.1. ANGER IS POINTLESS IN THIS WORLD
If you get angry at someone who does you harm,
Does your anger reverse what has already been done?
Therefore, anger is definitely pointless in this life
And is contradictory to one’s aims in future lives as well. (3.4)
Patience is not only something to be practiced by bodhisattvas, it is also a most appropriate practice for other beings. If one gets angry at another person who has done one harm, does the anger toward them reverse the harm already done, such as the wounds on one’s body? No, it does not. Therefore, being resentful and angry toward someone who does one harm is definitely pointless in this life, because the harmful action has already been committed. Not only that, if one holds on to anger towards someone who does one harm, this will also be contradictory to the aim of accomplishing happiness for future lives, because the cause of engendering anger ripens into unpleasant results.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1.2. ANGER IS CONTRADICTORY TO THE AIMS OF THE NEXT WORLD
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1.2.1. Anger ripens into unpleasant results
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1.2.2. Anger is the cause for the exhaustion of long-accumulated merit
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1.2.1. ANGER RIPENS INTO UNPLEASANT RESULTS
Patience is the very thing that is asserted
To exhaust the results of previously committed nonvirtuous actions.
Since harming and being angry toward others causes them suffering,
Why lead yourself to the lower realms by planting such a seed? (3.5)
It is reasonable to have patience toward an enemy who stabs you with a sharp weapon. [For the stabbing is undoubtedly a result of your own past actions]—the result of one’s own previous nonvirtuous actions of killing ripen as rebirth in the lower realms, and they also ripen in a causally concordant way in this life. It is asserted that patience toward these situations is the very thing that exhausts such karmic results. Since harming and being angry at another who has caused you harm make them suffer in turn, if instead of cultivating patience toward the aggressor one responds by harming them more, one plants the seed for bringing harm again upon oneself. This will lead one to the lower realms. Why would one do that? That would not be reasonable.
Just as it is reasonable to have patience toward a doctor who uses sharp instruments in order to heal one’s illnesses by removing the source of a wound, it is also reasonable to cultivate patience toward the suffering that purifies negative actions.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1.2.2. ANGER IS THE CAUSE FOR THE EXHAUSTION OF LONG-ACCUMULATED MERIT
Anger toward heirs of the victorious ones
Destroys, in a single instant, the merit accumulated
Through generosity and discipline during a hundred eons.
Therefore, there is no greater misdeed than impatience. (3.6)
Not only does impatience ripen into suffering, it also causes the exhaustion of the roots of virtue one has accumulated for a very long time. If a bodhisattva, governed by mental afflictions, imputes a fault that is either true or false upon another bodhisattva, then, regardless of whether they knew that other person was a bodhisattva or not, this single instant of angry thinking will, right then and there, destroy the merit they had accumulated through generosity and discipline during a hundred eons. Therefore there is no greater misdeed than impatience, because impatience produces intense suffering and does great harm to virtue.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.1.3. FURTHER SHORTCOMINGS CONNECTED TO THIS LIFE AND THE NEXT
Impatience makes one unattractive and casts one in bad company.
It steals the intelligence that distinguishes between proper and improper discipline,
And quickly propels one to the lower realms. (3.7abc)
If one loses patience yet does not have the ability to harm others, it will only be oneself who is defeated. However, if one is capable of harming others, one destroys both oneself and others. Impatience makes one unattractive—it produces tight wrinkles that come from frowning and other undesirable appearances. It casts one in bad company170 because of one’s engaging in behavior such as appropriating weapons.
Because of being submerged in anger, one becomes ignorant regarding what to adopt or reject. Impatience steals away the intelligence that distinguishes between proper and improper discipline. All of these are results of impatience that are observable in this life. When one’s life force is exhausted, the karma of one’s impatience will quickly propel one to the lower realms.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.2. THE BENEFITS OF PATIENCE
Patience produces the opposite qualities to those just explained— (3.7d)
Patience makes one beautiful, connects one with genuine beings,
And gives one skill in distinguishing between
What is proper and improper.
Later, one will take birth as a god or human and see the exhaustion of misdeeds. (3.8)
If impatience entails such faults, then what are the benefits of patience? Patience produces the qualities opposite to those just explained, the unattractive form and others. What specifically are these qualities? For this life, patience makes one appear beautiful the moment one is beheld by others, causing others to have faith in one. Through not returning harm for harm done, one will become connected with genuine beings. Through recognizing the genuineness of these beings, one will also be able to cause others to have reverence and respect for them. One will become skilled in distinguishing between what ways are proper and what ways are improper. After this life, one will take birth as a god or human and see the increase of one’s virtue and the exhaustion of one’s misdeeds.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.2.3. THE INSTRUCTION TO THEREFORE RELINQUISH ANGER AND CULTIVATE PATIENCE
Ordinary beings and heirs of the victors,
Recognizing the faults of anger and the benefits of patience,
Should relinquish impatience and always quickly hold to
The patience praised by the noble ones. (3.9)
Ordinary beings and heirs of the victorious ones, recognizing the faults of anger and the benefits of patience, should relinquish impatience and always quickly hold to the patience praised by the noble ones.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.1.3. THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF TRANSCENDENT AND MUNDANE PATIENCE
Even if one’s patience is dedicated to the enlightenment of perfect buddhahood,
If it entails observation of the three spheres, it is a mundane perfection.
If it is free from such observation, the Buddha has taught
Such patience to be a transcendent perfection. (3.10)
Even if one’s patience is dedicated to the enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, if it entails observation of the three spheres—what is tolerated, the person tolerating, and the sentient being toward whom the tolerance is engendered—that perfection is a mundane perfection of patience. If it is free from observation of the three spheres, the Buddha has taught such patience to be a transcendent perfection.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.2. THE OTHER QUALITIES OF RELINQUISHMENT, REALIZATION, AND ACTIVITY
On this ground, the bodhisattvas gain the concentrations and higher cognitions,
And completely exhaust attachment and aggression.
They also become capable of continually
Conquering worldly attachment toward desirables. (3.11)
On this third ground, as these heirs of the victorious ones purify the perfection of patience, they also gain the four concentrations,171 the four absorptions of the formless realm,172 the four limitless ones,173 and the five higher cognitions.174 All of these are qualities of realization. Through their realization of unmoving interdependence and the nondisintegration [of interdependence],175 they completely exhaust attachment, aggression, and bewilderment. These are qualities of relinquishment. Due to the ripening of the karma of the bodhisattvas on this ground, they are capable of taking birth as the ruler of the gods, yet they continually conquer the mundane attachment of craving the desirables, the sense pleasures. Thus they gain the ability to extract themselves from the desire realm.
2.2.2.1.1.3.2.3. THE SUPPORT FOR THIS PERFECTION, ITS CORRESPONDING ACCUMULATION, AND ITS RESULT
The Sugata primarily taught
The three dharmas of generosity and so on to laypeople.
These three accomplish the accumulation of merit
And are the causes for the buddhas’ form kāyas. (3.12)
At this time Chandrakīrti clearly describes the third ground’s special support, the accumulation to which it corresponds, and the presentation of its result. All bodhisattvas possess the support for the practices of all six perfections, yet out of the two categories of laypeople and monastics, the Sugata primarily taught the three dharmas of generosity and so on176 to laypeople by praising them as something in which they should train. He did so because these three are easier to practice than the others.
For monastics, the Buddha praised diligence, concentration, and supreme knowledge as fields of training, not because the earlier perfections are not practiced, but because they will be brought to full completion simply as an incidental benefit of practicing the latter three. Of the two causes for buddhahood, the two accumulations, the accumulation of merit is accomplished by the first three perfections, and the accumulation of wisdom is accomplished by concentration and supreme knowledge. Diligence is a cause for both accumulations. The accumulation of merit serves as the cause for the supreme and inconceivable form kāyas of the buddhas, which are marked by one hundred merits.177 The cause for the dharmakāya is the accumulation of wisdom.
2.2.2.1.1.3.3. THE SUMMARY STATING THE QUALITIES OF THE GROUND
Here the heirs of the victors who dwell in the sun of The Luminous
First perfectly dispel their own darkness
And then earnestly long to conquer the darkness of beings.
Though on this ground they are very sharp, they do not get angry. (3.13)
This completes the third bodhichitta generation from the Entrance to the Middle Way.
Here the heirs of the victorious ones abide on The Luminous, whose brilliance is like that of a sun disc. First, they perfectly dispel their own darkness, ignorance in their own mindstream, while it is arising. Then, they earnestly long to conquer the darkness of the obstructions that prevent beings from attaining the third ground. Through dispelling the darkness of faults that obscures this ground’s qualities, the bodhisattvas’ supreme knowledge becomes very sharp, like the rays of the sun. Nevertheless, they do not get angry at beings who have faults, because they have cultivated great patience and because their mindstreams have been moistened by compassion.
This concludes the explanation of the third bodhichitta generation, The Luminous, from the Entrance to the Middle Way.