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+ | ====== Eine Abhandlung über die Paramis: Von den Kommentaren bis zum Cariyapitaka ====== | ||
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+ | Summary: | ||
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+ | ===== Introduction ===== | ||
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+ | In its earliest phase, as represented by the four main collections of the Sutta Pi.taka, the focal concern of Buddhism was the attainment of nibbaana by the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path. In these collections the Buddha teaches his doctrine as a direct path to deliverance, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The oldest suttas, however, already mention three types of individuals who attain to the consummate state: a // | ||
+ | |||
+ | Within all the early schools, thinkers and poets alike attempted to fill in the background history to the three enlightened persons, composing stories of their past lives in which they prepared the foundations for their future achievements. Since it was the figure of the Buddha, as the founder of the Dispensation, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Through its conservative bent and relative insulation from the other schools, the Theravaada managed to resist the metamorphic changes taking place elsewhere in the Buddhist world, preserving the teachings as compiled at the early councils without radical alterations of their doctrinal framework. Nevertheless, | ||
+ | |||
+ | These two features jointly implied the existence of " | ||
+ | |||
+ | But though the existence of a bodhisattva career was thus acknowledged by the Theravaada, the dominant attitude prevailed among the exponents of the school that this path was reserved only for the very rare and exceptional individual. Since it was not recommended in the oldest authentic records of the Buddha' | ||
+ | |||
+ | As time passed, however, perhaps partly through the influence of the Mahaayaana, the bodhisattva ideal must have come to acquire an increasing appeal for the minds of the Buddhist populace, and the need became felt for a work explaining in a practical manner the factors and phases of the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | The work introduces itself as a treatise composed "for clansmen following the suttas who are zealously engaged in the practice of the vehicle to great enlightenment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The treatise draws upon various sources for its material, both Theravaada and Mahaayaana, and thus represents perhaps a unique instance of a classical style Theravaada work consciously borrowing from its northern cousin; in matters of philosophical doctrine, however, the work never deviates from the Theravaada perspective. The set of ten paaramiis itself comes from the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | The main Mahaayaana work utilized by the author is the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | On points of doctrine, as we mentioned, the work remains well within the bounds of Theravaada orthodoxy. Its section on the perfection of wisdom has nothing more in common with the Praj~naapaaramitaa literature than the core of Buddhist doctrine shared by all schools. There is nothing about the identity of nibbaana and sa.msaara, the triple body of the Buddha, the suchness and sameness of all dhammas, mind-only, the provisional nature of the disciple and paccekabuddha vehicles, or any of the other ideas distinctive of the Mahaayaana. Even the mention of emptiness (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | It should be noted that in established Theravaada tradition the paaramiis are not regarded as a discipline peculiar to candidates for Buddhahood alone but as practices which must be fulfilled by all aspirants to enlightenment and deliverance, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The present translation has been based on the version in the Cariyaapi.taka A.t.thakathaa, | ||
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+ | ===== A Treatise on the Paaramiis ===== | ||
+ | <div chapter> | ||
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+ | |||
+ | We now undertake a detailed explanation of the paaramiis for clansmen following the suttas who are zealously engaged in the practice of the vehicle to great enlightenment (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is the schedule of the questions: (i) What are the paaramiis? (ii) In what sense are they called paaramiis? (iii) How many are there? (iv) What is their sequence? (v) What are their characteristics, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (i) What are the paaramiis? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The paaramiis are the noble qualities such as giving, etc., accompanied by compassion and skillful means, and untainted by craving, conceit, and views.< | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (ii) In what sense are they called " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The bodhisattvas, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (iii) How many are there? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | In brief there are ten. These have come down in the texts in their specific character. As it is said: | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | "There are, Saariputta, ten qualities issuing in Buddhahood. What are the ten? Giving, Saariputta, is a quality issuing in Buddhahood. Tugend, renunciation, | ||
+ | |||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | But some say there are six. This is said by way of their synthesis, which we will explain below (section xii). | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (iv) What is their sequence? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Here " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Another method (of explaining the sequence) may be given: | ||
+ | |||
+ | (1) //Giving// is stated at the beginning: (a) because it is common to all beings, since even ordinary people practice giving; (b) because it is the least fruitful; and (c) because it is the easiest to practice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (2) //Tugend// is stated immediately after giving: (a) because virtue purifies both the donor and the recipient; (b) to show that, while giving benefits others, virtue prevents the affliction of others; (c) in order to state a factor of abstinence immediately after a factor of positive activity; and (d) in order to show the cause for the achievement of a favorable state of future existence right after the cause for the achievement of wealth.< | ||
+ | |||
+ | (3) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (4) //Wisdom// is mentioned immediately after renunciation: | ||
+ | |||
+ | (5) //Energy// is stated immediately after wisdom: (a) because the function of wisdom is perfected by the arousing of energy; (b) to show the miraculous work the bodhisattva undertakes for the welfare of beings after he has reached reflective acquiescence in their emptiness; (c) to state the causal basis for exertion right after the basis for equanimity; and (d) to state the arousing of energy right after the activity of careful consideration, | ||
+ | |||
+ | (6) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (7) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (8) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (9) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (10) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | Thus the sequence of the paaramiis should be understood as explained. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (v) What are their characteristics, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Firstly, all the paaramiis, without exception, have as their characteristic the benefiting of others; as their function, the rendering of help to others, or not vacillating; | ||
+ | |||
+ | Taken separately, the perfection of giving is the volition of relinquishing oneself and one's belongings, accompanied by compassion and skillful means. The perfection of virtue is good conduct of body and speech, accompanied by compassion and skillful means; in denotation, it is the abstinence from what should not be done, the volition to do what should be done, etc. The perfection of renunciation is the act of consciousness which occurs renouncing sense pleasures and existence, preceded by the perception of their inherent unsatisfactoriness and accompanied by compassion and skillful means. The perfection of wisdom is the comprehension of the general and particular characteristics of dhammas, accompanied by compassion and skillful means. The perfection of energy is bodily and mental work for the welfare of others, accompanied by compassion and skillful means. The perfection of patience is the endurance of harm imposed by beings and formations, or the act of consciousness occurring in such a mode, predominated by non-aversion and accompanied by compassion and skillful means. The perfection of truthfulness is non-deceptiveness in speech, analyzed into an abstinence, a volition, etc., accompanied by compassion and skillful means. The perfection of determination is the unshakeable determination to undertake (activity for the good of others), accompanied by compassion and skillful means; or it is the act of consciousness occurring in such a mode. The perfection of loving-kindness is the wish to provide for the welfare and happiness of the world, accompanied by compassion and skillful means; in denotation, it is benevolence. The perfection of equanimity is the attitude of impartiality toward desirable and undesirable beings and formations, dispelling attraction and repulsion, accompanied by compassion and skillful means. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (//On the basis of these definitions, | ||
+ | |||
+ | (1) //Giving// has the characteristic of relinquishing; | ||
+ | |||
+ | (2) //Tugend// has the characteristic of composing (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | (3) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (4) //Wisdom// has the characteristic of penetrating the real specific nature (of phenomena), or the characteristic of sure penetration, | ||
+ | |||
+ | (5) //Energy// has the characteristic of striving; its function is to fortify; its manifestation is indefatigability; | ||
+ | |||
+ | (6) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (7) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (8) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (9) // | ||
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+ | (10) // | ||
+ | |||
+ | And here it should be mentioned that accompaniment by compassion and skillful means is the distinguishing feature of the characteristic of each virtue — e.g., of relinquishing in the case of giving, etc. For the virtues such as giving, etc., which occur in the mental continuities of bodhisattvas are always accompanied by compassion and skillful means. It is this which makes them paaramiis. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (vi) What is their condition? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The condition of the paaramiis is, firstly, the great aspiration (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | The eight qualifications through which the aspiration succeeds are: the human state, the male sex, the cause, the sight of the Master, the going forth, the achievement of noble qualities, extreme dedication, and strong desire (Bv. IIA,v.59). | ||
+ | |||
+ | (1) The human state (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | (2) The male sex (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | (3) The cause (//hetu//): the achievement of the necessary supporting conditions. Even for a man, the aspiration only succeeds for one endowed with the necessary supporting conditions, one who has achieved the requisite causal foundation, not for anyone else. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (4) The sight of the Master (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | (5) The going forth (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | (6) The achievement of noble qualities (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | (7) Extreme dedication (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | (8) Strong desire (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | The following similes illustrate the magnitude of the desire required. If he were to hear: "He alone can attain Buddhahood who can cross a whole world-system filled with water and reach the further shore by the bare strength of his arms" — he would not deem that difficult to do, but would be filled with desire for the task and would not shrink away. If he were to hear: "He alone can attain Buddhahood who can tread across a whole world-system filled with flameless, smokeless red-hot coals, cross out, and reach the other side," etc.... If he were to hear: "He alone can attain Buddhahood who can tread across a whole world-system that has become a solid mass of sharp-pointed sword-stakes, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The aspiration, made by one endowed with these eight factors, is in denotation the act of consciousness (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Like the aspiration, great compassion (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | So too, through wisdom and compassion respectively, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The four factors — zeal, adroitness, stability, and beneficent conduct — are likewise conditions for the paaramiis. Because they serve as the basis for the arising of Buddhahood, these factors are called " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Another set of conditions is the six inclinations — the inclinations toward renunciation, | ||
+ | |||
+ | So too, for bodhisattvas striving for enlightenment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reviewing the danger in their opposites and the benefit in their practice is another condition for the paaramiis; e.g., in the case of the perfection of giving, the danger in non-relinquishing and the benefit in relinquishing. This is the method of reviewing: | ||
+ | |||
+ | (1) The // | ||
+ | |||
+ | Further, when a suppliant asks for something, a bodhisattva should reflect: "He is my intimate friend, for he divulges his own secret to me. He is my teacher, for he teaches me: 'When you go you have to abandon all. Going to the world beyond, you cannot even take your own possessions!' | ||
+ | |||
+ | He should further reflect: "He honors me with a lofty task; therefore I should acknowledge that honor faithfully." | ||
+ | |||
+ | He should arouse a desire to give things away without concern by reflecting: "Good returns to the one who gives without his concern, just as the boomerang< | ||
+ | |||
+ | If, due to their cumulative force, states of greed should arise for things which can be given away, the bodhisattva-aspirant should reflect: "Well now, good man, when you made the aspiration for full enlightenment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | As he reflects in this way, resolved upon full enlightenment without concern for his body or life, his bodily, vocal, and mental actions will easily become fully purified. When his bodily, vocal, and mental actions, along with his livelihood, become purified, he abides in the practice of the true way, and through his skillful means in regard to gain and loss, he is able to benefit all beings to an even greater extent by relinquishing material gifts and by giving the gift of fearlessness and the gift of the true Dhamma. | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is the method of reflecting on the perfection of giving. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (2) The // | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tugend should be reflected upon as the basis for rapture and joy; as granting immunity from fear of self-reproach, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Accomplishment in virtue surpasses birth in a good family, since a virtuous man of low birth deserves to be worshipped even by great, powerful khattiyas. Tugend surpasses material wealth, for it cannot be confiscated by thieves, follows one to the world beyond, produces great fruit, and acts as the foundation for such qualities as serenity, etc. Because it enables one to achieve supreme sovereignty over one's own mind, virtue surpasses the sovereignty of khattiyas, etc. And because of their virtue, beings attain sovereignty in their respective orders. Tugend is superior even to life, for it is said that a single day in the life of the virtuous is better than a hundred years of life devoid of virtue (Dhp.110); and there being life, the disavowal of the training (in the holy life) is called (spiritual) death. Tugend surpasses the achievement of beauty, for it makes one beautiful even to one's enemies, and it cannot be vanquished by the adversities of aging and sickness. As the foundation for distinguished states of happiness, virtue surpasses such distinguished dwellings as palaces, mansions, etc., and such distinguished social positions as that of a king, prince, or general. Because it promotes one's highest welfare and follows one to the world beyond, virtue surpasses kinsmen and friends, even those who are close and affectionate. Again, in accomplishing the difficult task of self-protection, | ||
+ | |||
+ | When one reflects in this way upon the numerous noble qualities of virtue, one's unfulfilled achievement of virtue will become fulfilled, and one's unpurified virtue will become purified. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If, due to their cumulative force, states antithetical to virtue such as aversion should arise from time to time, the aspirant should reflect: "Did you not make the resolution to win full enlightenment? | ||
+ | |||
+ | (3) The // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (4) For the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | In this way one should reflect upon the noble qualities of wisdom, recognizing it to be the cause for the purification of all the paaramiis. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Furthermore, | ||
+ | |||
+ | (5) The // | ||
+ | |||
+ | The noble qualities of energy should be further reviewed as follows: "One intent on rescuing himself alone from the mire of sa.msaara cannot fulfill his ideal if he relaxes his energy; how much less one who aspires to rescue the entire world." | ||
+ | |||
+ | (6) The // | ||
+ | |||
+ | Patience should be further fortified by reflection: "Those who lack patience are afflicted in this world and apply themselves to actions which will lead to their affliction in the life to come." And: " | ||
+ | |||
+ | If, due to its cumulative force, anger caused by the wrongs of others should continue to overpower the mind, one should reflect: " | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is the method of reflecting upon the perfection of patience. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (7) The // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (8) The // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (9) The noble qualities of // | ||
+ | |||
+ | Thus one should arouse an especially strong inclination toward promoting the welfare of all beings. And why should loving-kindness be developed toward all beings? Because it is the foundation for compassion. For when one delights in providing for the welfare and happiness of other beings with an unbounded heart, the desire to remove their affliction and suffering becomes powerful and firmly rooted. And compassion is the first of all the qualities issuing in Buddhahood — their footing, foundation, root, head and chief. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (10) The // | ||
+ | |||
+ | Moreover, the undertaking, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Such is the reflection on the perfection of equanimity. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Thus reviewing the danger in their opposites and the benefits in their practice is a condition for the paaramiis. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (vii) What is their defilement (sa" | ||
+ | |||
+ | In general, being misapprehended by craving, etc., is the defilement of all the paaramiis. Taken separately, discriminating thoughts (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (viii) What is their cleansing (vodaana)? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Their cleansing is the removal of the taints of craving, etc., and the absence of the aforementioned discriminations. For the paaramiis become pure and luminous when untainted by such defilements as craving, conceit, views, anger, malice, denigration, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (ix) What are their opposites (pa.tipakkha)? | ||
+ | |||
+ | In general, all the defilements and all unwholesome qualities are their opposites. Taken separately, stinginess is the opposite of giving, and so on, as mentioned earlier. Further, giving is opposed to greed, hatred, and delusion, since it applies the qualities of non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion to gifts, recipients, and the fruits of giving, respectively. Tugend is opposed to greed, hatred, and delusion, since it removes crookedness and corruption in bodily conduct, etc. Entsagung is opposed to these three corruptions since it avoids indulgence in sense pleasures, the affliction of others, and self-mortification. Wisdom opposes them in so far as greed, etc., create blindness, while knowledge restores sight. Energy opposes them by arousing the true way free from both listlessness and restlessness. Patience opposes them by accepting the desirable, the undesirable, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (x) How are they to be practiced? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | (1) The // | ||
+ | |||
+ | When the Great Man gives an external object, he gives whatever is needed to whomever stands in need of it; and knowing by himself that someone is in need of something, he gives it even unasked, much more when asked. He gives generously, not ungenerously. He gives sufficiently, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Again, when asked, he gives to householders things appropriate for householders, | ||
+ | |||
+ | This, firstly, is the way to practice the giving of external gifts. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The internal gift should be understood in two ways. How? Just as a man, for the sake of food and clothing, surrenders himself to another and enters into servitude and slavery, in the same way the Great Man, wishing for the supreme welfare and happiness of all beings, desiring to fulfill his own perfection of giving, with a spiritually-oriented mind, for the sake of enlightenment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Herein, giving an internal gift, he gives only what leads to the welfare of the recipient, and nothing else. The Great Man does not knowingly give his own body, limbs, and organs to Maara or to the malevolent deities in Maara' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The giving of fearlessness is the giving of protection to beings when they have become frightened on account of kings, thieves, fire, water, enemies, lions, tigers, other wild beasts, dragons, ogres, demons, goblins, etc. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The giving of the Dhamma is an unperverted discourse on the Dhamma given with an undefiled mind; that is, methodical instruction conducive to good in the present life, in the life to come, and to ultimate deliverance. By means of such discourses, those who have not entered the Buddha' | ||
+ | |||
+ | When he gives a material gift, the Great Man gives food thinking: "May I, by this gift, enable beings to achieve long life, beauty, happiness, strength, intelligence, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Giving thus, the Great Man does not give unwillingly, | ||
+ | |||
+ | This entire accomplishment in giving he dedicates to the welfare and happiness of the whole world, and to his own unshakeable emancipation through supreme enlightenment. He dedicates it to the attainment of inexhaustible desire (for the good), inexhaustible concentration, | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is the method of practicing the perfection of giving. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (2) Now comes the method of practicing the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tugend is twofold as avoidance (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Because he abstains from unwholesome states and from the unwholesome courses of kamma leading to the four planes of misery and the suffering of the round, and because he is established in the wholesome courses of kamma leading to heaven and liberation, through the purity of his end and the purity of his means the Great Man's wishes for the welfare and happiness of beings succeed immediately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | By desisting from unchastity he becomes unexcitable, | ||
+ | |||
+ | By desisting from false speech his word comes to be authoritative for others. He is regarded as reliable and trustworthy, | ||
+ | |||
+ | By desisting from slander he obtains a retinue and a following that cannot be divided by the attacks of others. He possesses unbreakable faith in the true Dhamma. He is a firm friend, as exceedingly dear to beings as though they were acquainted with him in the last existence. And he is devoted to non-defilement. | ||
+ | |||
+ | By desisting from harsh speech he becomes dear and agreeable to beings, pleasant in character, sweet in speech, held in esteem. And he develops a voice endowed with eight factors.< | ||
+ | |||
+ | By desisting from idle chatter he becomes dear and agreeable to beings, revered, held in esteem. His statements are accepted and his talk measured. He acquires great influence and power, and becomes skillful in answering the questions of others with the ingenuity that creates opportunities (to benefit others). And when he reaches the plane of Buddhahood, he becomes capable of answering the numerous questions of beings, speaking numerous languages all with a single reply. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Through his freedom from covetousness he gains what he wishes and obtains whatever excellent possessions he needs. He is honored by powerful khattiyas. He can never be vanquished by his adversaries, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Through his freedom from ill-will he gains a pleasant appearance. He is esteemed by others, and because he delights in the welfare of beings, he automatically inspires their confidence. He becomes lofty in character, abides in loving-kindness, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Through his freedom from wrong view he gains good companions. Even if he is threatened with a sharp sword, he will not perform an evil deed. Because he holds to the ownership of kamma, he does not believe in superstitious omens. His faith in the true Dhamma is established and firmly rooted. He has faith in the enlightenment of the Tathaagatas, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Thus, esteeming virtue as the foundation for all achievements — as the soil for the origination of all the Buddha-qualities, | ||
+ | |||
+ | This, firstly, is the method of practicing virtue as avoidance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The practice of //virtue as performance// | ||
+ | |||
+ | He is adroit and nimble in fulfilling his duties toward beings when these are conducive to their good. He serves as their companion. When beings are afflicted with the suffering of disease, etc., he prepares the appropriate remedy. He dispels the sorrow of those afflicted by the loss of wealth, etc. Of a helpful disposition, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Again, he conceals his virtues and reveals his faults. He is few in his wishes, content, fond of solitude, aloof, capable of enduring suffering, and free from anxiety. He is not restless, puffed up, fickle, scurrilous, or scattered in speech, but calm in his faculties and mind. Avoiding such wrong means of livelihood as scheming, etc., he is endowed with proper conduct and a suitable resort (for alms). He sees danger in the slightest faults, and having undertaken the rules of training trains himself in them, energetic and resolute, without regard for body or life. He does not tolerate even the slightest concern for his body or life but abandons and dispels it; how much more then excessive concern? He abandons and dispels all the corruptions such as anger, malice, etc., which are the cause for moral depravity. He does not become complacent over some minor achievement of distinction and does not shrink away, but strives for successively higher achievements. In this way the achievements he gains do not partake of diminution or stagnation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Great Man serves as a guide for the blind, explaining to them the right path. To the deaf he gives signals with gestures of his hands, and in that way benefits them with good. So too for the dumb. To cripples he gives a chair, or a vehicle, or some other means of conveyance. He strives that the faithless may gain faith, that the lazy may generate zeal, that those of confused mindfulness may develop mindfulness, | ||
+ | |||
+ | He is a companion in misfortune. Understanding the nature and character of beings, he associates with whatever beings need his presence, in whatever way they need it; and he practices together with whatever beings need to practice with him, in whatever way of practice is necessary for them. But he proceeds only by rehabilitating them from the unwholesome and establishing them in the wholesome, not in other ways. For in order to protect the minds of others, bodhisattvas behave only in ways which increase the wholesome. So too, because his inclination is to benefit others, he should never harm them, abuse them, humiliate them, arouse remorse in them, or incite them to act in ways which should be avoided. Nor should he place himself in a higher position than those who are of inferior conduct. He should be neither altogether inaccessible to others, nor too easily accessible, and he should not associate with others at the wrong time. | ||
+ | |||
+ | He associates with beings whom it is proper to associate with at the appropriate time and place. He does not criticize those who are dear to others in front of them, nor praise those who are resented by them. He is not intimate with those who are not trustworthy. He does not refuse a proper invitation, or engage in persuasion, or accept excessively. He encourages those endowed with faith with a discourse on the benefits of faith; and he encourages as well those endowed with virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom with a discourse on the benefits of those qualities. If the bodhisattva has attained to the direct knowledges, he may inspire a sense of spiritual urgency (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | The detailed explanation of virtue is given in diverse ways in the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is the method of practicing the perfection of virtue. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (3) The // | ||
+ | |||
+ | Having recognized the unsatisfactoriness in sense pleasures in accordance with this method, he should then, by the reverse method, contemplate the benefits in renunciation, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Since renunciation is rooted in the going forth (i.e., into the homeless life of a monk), the going forth should be undertaken. If the Great Being is living at a time when no Buddha has arisen in the world, he should go forth under ascetics or wanderers who maintain the doctrine of kamma and the moral efficacy of action. But when the perfectly enlightened Buddhas appear in the world, he should go forth only in their Dispensation. Having gone forth, he should establish himself in virtue, as described above, and in order to cleanse his virtue, should undertake the ascetic practices. For Great Men who undertake the ascetic practices and maintain them properly become few in their wishes and content. The stains of their defilements get washed off in the waters of such noble qualities as effacement, solitude, aloofness from society, the arousal of energy, and ease of maintenance, | ||
+ | |||
+ | At this point it would be proper to explain in detail the thirteen ascetic practices and the forty meditation subjects for the development of concentration — i.e., the ten // | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is the method of practicing the perfection of renunciation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (4) Just as light cannot coexist with darkness, wisdom cannot coexist with delusion. Therefore a bodhisattva wishing to accomplish the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is an analysis of the sphere of learning: the five aggregates, the twelve sense bases, the eighteen elements, the four truths, the twenty-two faculties, the twelve factors of dependent origination, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Then he should develop wisdom born of reflection (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | The wisdom born of meditation may be divided into two groups. The first comprises the mundane direct knowledges, together with their accessories; | ||
+ | |||
+ | After acquiring through study and interrogation a knowledge of the phenomena such as the aggregates, etc., constituting the soil of wisdom, he should establish himself in the two purifications constituting its roots, purification of virtue and purification of mind, and then accomplish the five purifications just mentioned which constitute the trunk of wisdom. Since the method for accomplishing these, along with the analysis of their objective sphere, is explained in complete detail in the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | (//From this point on the remaining paaramis are treated piecemeal and synoptically rather than in systematic detail like the first four//.) | ||
+ | |||
+ | A Great Being who has formed his aspiration for supreme enlightenment should, for the sake of fulfilling his paaramiis, always be devoted to what is proper and intent upon service. Thus he should be zealous in providing for the welfare of beings, and from time to time, day by day, should reflect: "Have I accumulated any requisites of merit and of knowledge today? What have I done for the welfare of others?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | He should work energetically for the welfare of beings, be capable of enduring everything whether desirable or undesirable, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Further, having relinquished his own body and life for the use and protection of beings, the bodhisattva should seek out and apply the antidotes to the various kinds of suffering to which beings are exposed — hunger, thirst, cold, heat, wind, sun, etc. And whatever happiness he himself gains by alleviating these kinds of suffering, and the happiness he gains when his own bodily and mental afflictions subside in delightful parks, gardens, mansions, pools, and forest abodes, and the happiness of the blissful jhaanic attainments he hears are experienced by the Buddhas, their enlightened disciples, paccekabuddhas, | ||
+ | |||
+ | This, firstly, is the method for a bodhisattva not yet established on the plane of concentration. One established on the plane of concentration bestows upon beings the rapture, tranquility, | ||
+ | |||
+ | While striving for the state of Buddhahood — the store and repository of inconceivable, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The practice of patience and the rest should be understood in accordance with the same method. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Thus through giving, relinquishing his own happiness and belongings to others, he practices the benefiting of others in many ways; through virtue, the protection of their lives, property, and wives, the non-breach of his word, endearing and beneficial speech, non-injury, etc.; through renunciation, | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is the practice which the great bodhisattva, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (xi) How are they analyzed (ko vibhaago)? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | They are analyzed into thirty paaramiis: ten (basic) paaramiis, ten intermediate paaramiis (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Herein, some teachers say that the ten basic paaramiis are the intermingled bright and dark qualities practiced by a bodhisattva who has just formed his aspiration, whose end is the welfare of others, and whose means are directed toward working for this end; the intermediate paaramiis are the bright qualities untainted by any darkness; and the ultimate paaramiis are the qualities which are neither dark nor bright. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Others say that the basic paaramiis are being filled at the commencement (of his career); the intermediate paaramiis are filled on the plane of bodhisattvahood: | ||
+ | |||
+ | The basic perfection of giving (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | In this way the analysis of the paaramiis should be understood. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (xii) How are they synthesized (ko sa" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Just as the ten paaramiis become thirtyfold through analysis, so they become sixfold through their specific nature: as giving, virtue, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom.< | ||
+ | |||
+ | When this set is considered, the perfection of renunciation, | ||
+ | |||
+ | These six paaramiis fall into at least fifteen pairs (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | -- The pair — giving and virtue — perfects the pair of doing what is beneficial for others and abstaining from what is harmful to them. | ||
+ | -- The pair — giving and patience — perfects the pair of non-greed and non-hatred. | ||
+ | -- The pair — giving and energy — perfects the pair of generosity and learning. | ||
+ | -- The pair — giving and meditation — perfects the abandoning of sensual desire and hatred; | ||
+ | -- the pair giving and wisdom, the noble vehicle and burden; | ||
+ | -- the dyad of virtue and patience, the purification of means and the purification of the end; | ||
+ | -- the dyad of virtue and energy, the dyad of meditative development (i.e., serenity and insight); | ||
+ | -- the dyad of virtue and meditation, the abandoning of moral depravity and of mental obsession; | ||
+ | -- the dyad of virtue and wisdom, the dyad of giving;< | ||
+ | -- the dyad of patience and energy, the dyad of acceptance and fervor; | ||
+ | -- the dyad of patience and meditation, the abandoning of opposing and favoring; | ||
+ | -- the dyad of patience and wisdom, the acceptance and penetration of emptiness; | ||
+ | -- the dyad of energy and meditation, the dyad of exertion and non-distraction; | ||
+ | -- the dyad of energy and wisdom, the dyad of refuges; | ||
+ | -- and the dyad of meditation and wisdom perfects the dyad of vehicles (i.e., the vehicles of serenity and insight). | ||
+ | |||
+ | The triad of giving, virtue, and patience perfects the abandoning of greed, hatred, and delusion. The triad of giving, virtue, and energy perfects the giving of wealth, life, and bodily vitality. The triad of giving, virtue, and meditation perfects the three bases of meritorious deeds. The triad of giving, virtue, and wisdom perfects the triad of giving material gifts, fearlessness, | ||
+ | |||
+ | These six paaramiis are also included in the four foundations (//cattaari adhi.t.thaanaani// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Taken separately, //giving// is a proximate cause for the four foundations of wholesome qualities as follows: (1) (for the foundation of truth) since one vows to give to those who ask without deceiving them, gives without violating one's vows, and rejoices without deceiving them about the gift; (2) (for the foundation of relinquishment) through the relinquishing of the opposite qualities such as stinginess, etc.; (3) (for the foundation of peace) through the pacification of greed, hatred, delusion, and fear, in regard to the objects to be given, the recipients, the act of giving, and the loss of the objects to be given, respectively; | ||
+ | |||
+ | //Energy// is a proximate cause for the four foundations: | ||
+ | |||
+ | The foundation of truth is practiced by acting in accordance with one's vow and understanding; | ||
+ | |||
+ | The foundation of truth embraces the foundations of relinquishment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the beginning (of the bodhisattva' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Thus it should be understood how the aggregation of the paaramiis is included in the four foundations, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (xiii) By what means are they accomplished? | ||
+ | |||
+ | The means by which the paaramiis are accomplished is the four-factored method: (1) the accumulation without omission of all the requisites of merit, etc., for the sake of supreme enlightenment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | For the sake of the supreme enlightenment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | When he has made a mental determination to completely relinquish whatever possessions come his way, whether animate or inanimate, there are four shackles to giving (which he must overcome), namely: not being accustomed to giving in the past, the inferiority of the object to be given, the excellence and beauty of the object, and worry over the loss of the object. | ||
+ | |||
+ | (1) When the bodhisattva possesses objects that can be given and suppliants are present, but his mind does not leap up at the thought of giving and he does not want to give, he should conclude: " | ||
+ | |||
+ | (2) Again, when the object to be given is inferior or defective, the Great Being reflects: " | ||
+ | |||
+ | (3) When a reluctance to give arises due to the excellence or beauty of the object to be given, the Great Being admonishes himself: "Good man, haven' | ||
+ | |||
+ | (4) When the Great Being is giving a gift, and he sees the loss of the object being given, he reflects thus: "This is the nature of material possessions, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Reflecting upon them thus in whatever way is appropriate is the means for dispelling the harmful shackles to the perfection of giving. The same method used for the perfection of giving also applies to the perfection of virtue and the other perfections. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Further, self-surrender to the Buddhas is also a means for the complete accomplishment of the paaramiis. For when the Great Man, straining and striving for the fulfillment of the requisites of enlightenment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | In brief, the destruction of self-love and the development of love for others are the means for the accomplishing of the paaramiis. For by fully understanding all things in accordance with their nature, the Great Being who has formed the resolution to attain the supreme enlightenment remains untainted by them, and his self-love thereby becomes eliminated and exhausted. Then, since through the repeated practice of great compassion he has come to regard all beings as his dear children, his loving-kindness, | ||
+ | |||
+ | For the great compassion and the great wisdom of the Great Beings are adorned by giving. Their giving is adorned and accompanied by loving speech, loving speech by beneficent conduct, and beneficent conduct by equality of treatment. When the bodhisattvas are practicing the requisites of enlightenment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | <div verse> | ||
+ | Endowed with wisdom and sympathy, | ||
+ | Complete in all the requisites: | ||
+ | What good can he not achieve? | ||
+ | |||
+ | He is the great compassionate Teacher, | ||
+ | Equanimous yet seeking the welfare of all, | ||
+ | Free from concern on all occasions: | ||
+ | Oh, how wonderful is the Conqueror! | ||
+ | |||
+ | Dispassionate toward all things of the world, | ||
+ | And toward all beings of equal mind, | ||
+ | Still he abides devoted to their welfare: | ||
+ | Oh, how wonderful is the Conqueror! | ||
+ | |||
+ | Always engaged in work promoting | ||
+ | The welfare and happiness of all beings, | ||
+ | He never ceases on account of the trouble: | ||
+ | Oh, how wonderful is the Conqueror!]! | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (xiv) How much time is required to accomplish them? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | As a minimum, four incalculables (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | But others say that the classification of the time required for bodhisattvas obtains by way of the keen, middling, and tender quality of their energy. Still others say that without distinction the three divisions of time correspond to the time required for their requisites of enlightenment to reach fulfillment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Bodhisattvas also become threefold at the moment they form the aspiration, according to their division into those who comprehend through a condensed teaching (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | These three types, who form their aspirations without any allotted division of time, receive predictions (of their future Buddhahood) directly from the Buddhas. Then they fulfill the paaramiis in order and reach the supreme enlightenment according to the aforementioned time allotted to each type. But that these Great Beings, day by day giving great gifts like those given by Vessantara,< | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (xv) What benefits do they bring? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The benefits obtained by bodhisattvas who have formed their aspirations are explained thus: | ||
+ | |||
+ | <div verse> | ||
+ | Bound for perfect enlightenment, | ||
+ | Though wandering through the round of births | ||
+ | For countless aeons yet to come | ||
+ | |||
+ | Never arise in Aviici hell, | ||
+ | Nor in the intermundane voids. | ||
+ | They never appear as titans black | ||
+ | Or ghosts consumed by hunger and thirst. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Though reborn in the plane of pain, | ||
+ | They do not take on minor forms, | ||
+ | And when reborn in the human world | ||
+ | They never come deprived of sight. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Their hearing is intact from birth, | ||
+ | Nor are they dumb or lame of limb. | ||
+ | They never become of female sex, | ||
+ | Nor eunuchs or hermaphrodites. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Those men bound for enlightenment | ||
+ | Never commit the five black deeds. | ||
+ | Always pure in their way of life, | ||
+ | Their conduct' | ||
+ | |||
+ | They never hold perverted views | ||
+ | But recognize the kammic laws. | ||
+ | They are born at times in heavenly worlds, | ||
+ | But not in the mindless or pure abodes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Those true men bent on renunciation, | ||
+ | Detached from all the planes of being, | ||
+ | Plow their course for the good of the world, | ||
+ | Striving to fulfill the paaramiis.]! | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some other benefits of the paaramiis are the following: The sixteen wonderful and marvelous qualities that begin: " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Moreover, from the time that he makes the aspiration, the bodhisattva becomes like a father to all beings, wishing for their welfare. By reason of his distinguished qualities he is worthy of offerings, worthy of reverence, worthy of esteem, a supreme field of merit. He is generally dear to humans and to non-humans alike, and is protected by deities. Because his mind is grounded in loving-kindness and compassion, he cannot be harmed by wild beasts, etc. Whatever order of beings he is reborn in, on account of his distinguished merit, he surpasses the other beings there in his superior beauty, fame, happiness, strength, and dominion. | ||
+ | |||
+ | He is healthy and robust. His faith is very pure and lucid. His energy, mindfulness, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Therefore these distinguished qualities of the Great Man — such as being like a father to beings, being worthy of offerings, etc. — found in this or that state of existence, are the benefits of the paaramiis. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Further, the accomplishment of life-span, the accomplishment of form, the accomplishment of family, the accomplishment of sovereignty, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Thus the accomplishment of life-span and so forth are benefits of the Great Man's paaramiis. These are the causes for the growth of his own boundless requisites of merit, and the means by which he leads other beings to enter and reach maturity in the three vehicles. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== (xvi) What is their fruit? ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Their fruit is, in brief, the state of perfect Buddhahood. In detail, it is the acquisition of the form-body (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | And it is said: | ||
+ | |||
+ | <div verse> | ||
+ | Speaking nothing else for an aeon's length, | ||
+ | Sooner would the long-standing aeon reach its end, | ||
+ | But the praise of the Tathaagata would not reach its end.]! | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Anmerkungen ==== | ||
+ | <div chapter> | ||
+ | <div notes> | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: Here and throughout I use the Sanskrit word in preference to the less familiar Paali " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: // | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: In Paali: //daana//, //siila, nekkhamma, pa~n~naa, viriya, khanti,// //sacca, adhi.t.thaana, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: An allusion to the first stage in the active career of a bodhi& | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The practice of giving brings as its kammic retribution the acquisition of wealth, the observance of precepts the attainment of a happy rebirth either in the heavens or in the human world. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: Tugend, as the observance of precepts, prevents the transgression of moral principles by body and speech. Entsagung, as mental purification, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: // | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The requisites of enlightenment are the paaramiis themselves, divided into two groups: the requisites of merit (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The eight meditative attainments are the four jhaanas and the four immaterial attainments. The five mundane direct knowl& | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: // | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The first and lowest of the six sense-sphere heavens of Buddhist cosmology. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: Excluding the third noble truth, the cessation of suffering, which the bodhisattva will only realize directly upon his attainment of Buddhahood. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: For the four foundations, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: // | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The seven stages of purification are mentioned in the Rathaviniita Sutta (M.24), and explained in detail in the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The five eyes are the fleshly eye (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The thirty-two major and eighty minor characteristics of a Great Man's body. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The four floods of sensual desire, desire for existence, wrong views, and ignorance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The "three times" are before presenting the gift, while giving it, and after giving it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: On the subject of the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The eight qualities of the Buddha' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The four ariyan traditions (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: For the mundane kinds of full understanding (// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The knowledge of kammic retribution (also called knowledge of the passing away and re-arising of beings) and the knowledge of the future are two accessories of the divine eye; thus, though seven items are listed, only five direct knowledges are involved. The sixth is the knowledge of the destruction of the cankers, the attainment of arahatship. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: For the five // | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: Purification by knowledge and vision is the supramundane wisdom of the four noble paths. Because this purification issues in the realization of nibbaana, the bodhisattva-aspirant must stop short of this attainment so that his realization of nibbaana will coincide with his perfect enlightenment. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: An allusion to the paaramiis of energy, patience, and truthfulness. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The four paths, the four fruits, and nibbaana. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: This is the standard enumeration of the // | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: Perhaps giving fearlessness through observing the precepts, and giving the Dhamma through wisdom. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: See M.iii, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The duration of a great aeon is indicated in the texts only by means of similes; e.g., if there were a mountain crag of solid granite a //yojana// (7 miles) high and a //yojana// round, and a man passing it once every hundred years were to stroke it once with a silk handkerchief, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The suttanta basis for this classification is found at A.ii,135. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: The last human existence of the bodhisattva who became the Buddha Gotama, a prince noted for his generosity and selflessness. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ? <span fn # | ||
+ | :: Although the concept of the Dharmakaaya came, in Mahaayaana Buddhism, to acquire a distinct ontological sense, as expressing the metaphysical identity of the Buddha' | ||
+ | |||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | <span # | ||
+ | |||
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+ | |||
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+ | |||
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