Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
by Gelongma Karma Migme Ch枚dr枚n | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes 鈥渂y the successive practice of the five virtues鈥� as written by Nagarjuna in his Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (lit. 鈥渢he treatise on the great virtue of wisdom鈥�) in the 2nd century. This book, written in five volumes, represents an encyclopedia on Buddhism as well as a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita.
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1. By the successive practice of the five virtues
Question. 鈥� Now we know that the essential nature of 笔谤补箩帽腻 consists of the absence of nature (animitta) and non-perception (anupalabdhi); how does the ascetic (yogin) acquire it?
Answer. 鈥� The Buddha preaches the Dharma by skillful means (耻辫腻测补), and the ascetic who acts in accordance with this sermon ends up by acquiring the Dharma. It is as if he borrowed a ladder to climb a steep cliff, or he took a boat to cross the great sea. From his first resolution (辫谤补迟丑补尘补肠颈迟迟辞迟辫腻诲补), the bodhisattva hears it said by the Buddha, by a disciple or in a 蝉奴迟谤补 that all dharmas are absolutely empty (补迟测补苍迟补艣奴苍测补), that they have no defined nature (补苍颈测补迟补蝉惫补产丑腻惫补) to which one can adhere or in which one can believe, that the absolute (辫补谤补尘腻谤迟丑补) Dharma destroys all futile proliferation (辫谤补辫补帽肠补) and that 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 is safety par excellence. [Then the bodhisattva says to himself]: 鈥淐an I, who want to save all beings, alone take possession of 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺? At this time, my merits (辫耻峁噛补), my qualities (驳耻峁嘺), my knowledge and the power of my superknowledges (补产丑颈箩帽腻产补濒补) are still imperfect (补辫补谤颈辫奴谤峁嘺); thus I am unable to lead beings; first I should complete the causes and conditions.鈥� Then he practices the five virtues (辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻), beginning with generosity:
1. By material gifts (腻尘颈峁诲腻苍补), he gains great wealth; by the gift of the Dharma, he acquires great wisdom (尘补丑腻辫谤补箩帽腻). By practicing these two generosities, he can guide poor people (诲补谤颈诲谤腻) and introduce them into the Triple Vehicle.
2. By observing morality (艣墨濒补), he takes birth in a noble state among gods or men; he himself avoids the three unfortunate destinies (durgati) and he makes beings avoid them in their turn.
3. By patience (办峁Ｄ乶迟颈), he avoids the poison of anger (办谤辞诲丑补惫颈峁), he obtains physical beauty and supreme distinction. Those who see him are joyful, respect him, esteem him and venerate him, all the more so when they hear him preach the Dharma.
4. By means of exertion (惫墨谤测补) he destroys all laziness (办补耻蝉墨诲测补) now and in the future in acquiring the merits of the Path; thus he obtains a vajra body and an unshakeable mind (acalacitta). With this body and mind, he destroys the pride (补产丑颈尘腻苍补) of worldly people and makes them obtain 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺.
5. By means of 诲丑测腻苍补, he destroys distraction (惫颈办峁辫迟补肠颈迟迟补). He escapes from the five desires (办腻尘补) and guilty pleasures and teaches others to avoid them.
[196b] 顿丑测腻苍补 is the basis of 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻; the latter arises spontaneously when the virtue of 诲丑测腻苍补 is relied upon. A 蝉奴迟谤补 says: 鈥淭he one-pointed (ekacitta) and concentrated (蝉补尘腻丑颈迟补) 产丑颈办峁 is able to contemplate the true nature of dharmas.鈥�
Furthermore, the bodhisattva knows that the world of desire (办腻尘补dh膩tu) abounds in sins of avarice (尘腻迟蝉补谤测补) and greed (chanda) that keep shut the doors of good. By practicing the virtue of generosity he destroys these two faults and opens the doors of good. 鈥� Wishing to keep the doors open always, he practices the ten good paths of action (办耻艣补濒补办补谤尘补辫补迟丑补). 鈥� But, by the virtue of morality (艣墨濒补), he does not obtain 诲丑测腻苍补 and wisdom, because, not having eliminated the desires (办腻尘补), he is violating the virtue of morality; this is why he practices patience (办峁Ｄ乶迟颈). He knows that, by the first three virtues [generosity, morality and patience], he can open the gates of merit (辫耻峁噛补).
Besides, he knows that the fruit of retribution (惫颈辫腻办补辫丑补濒补) is not eternal and that after enjoying bliss among the gods and humans, one will fall back down into suffering. Disgusted with these transitory merits, the bodhisattva seeks the true nature or 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻. How will he obtain it? He will certainly succeed in obtaining it by mind concentration (ekacitta). To lay hold of the precious pearls (谤补迟苍补尘补峁噄) of the 苍腻驳补 kings, one must watch attentively not to disturb the 苍腻驳补: thus one will obtain a 闯补尘产耻诲惫墨辫补 of value. [In the same way], by attentiveness (ekacitta) and 诲丑测腻苍补, the bodhisattva avoids the five desires (办腻尘补) and the five obstacles (苍墨惫补谤补峁嘺); to obtain spiritual joy, he makes use of great exertion (惫墨谤测补). This is why we talk about exertion immediately after patience. The 蝉奴迟谤补 actually says: 鈥淪itting with body upright and having fixed his attention in front of him, the ascetic energetically seeks absorption and, even though his flesh and bones rot, he will never desist.鈥�[1] Thus exertion prepares 诲丑测腻苍补.
When one has wealth, giving it is not difficult; if one is afraid of falling into the three unfortunate destinies (durgati), or of losing one鈥檚 good reputation, to keep morality (艣墨濒补) and patience (办峁Ｄ乶迟颈) is not difficult: this is why the first three virtues do not need any exertion. But here, to calm the mind and seek absorption in view of the true nature of 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻 is a difficult thing that requires exertion. This is how one will attain 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻 by exertion.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Cf. the well-known phrase (Majjhima, I, p. 425, etc.): Idha bhikkhu ara帽帽agato, v膩 rukkham奴lagato v膩 su帽帽膩g膩rato v膩 nis墨dati palla峁卥a峁� 膩bhujitv膩 uju峁� k膩ya峁� pa峁噄dh膩ya parimukha峁� sati峁� ipa峁弓hapetv膩. 鈥� For the sermon on the ascetic who took it upon himself to keep this position until the final result, see above, p. 929F, n. 1.