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Question. 鈥� The thirty-seven auxiliaries (辫腻办峁�i办补) are the path (尘腻谤驳补) of the 艣谤腻惫补办补 and pratyekabuddha; the six perfections (辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻) are the path of the bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补. Then why speak of things concerning only the 艣谤腻惫补办补 when dealing with the bodhisattva?

Answer. 鈥� 1. The bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补 must practice the paths of all the good dharmas. Thus the Buddha said to 厂耻产丑奴迟颈: 鈥淭he bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补 who practices the 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻 should practice the paths of all the good dharmas, from the level of sharp wisdom (艣耻峁�k补- or 艣耻办濒补惫颈辫腻艣测补苍腻产丑奴尘颈) up to the level of the Buddhas (产耻诲诲丑补产丑奴尘颈). He must practice (艣颈办峁�i迟补惫测补尘) the first nine levels but not realize them (蝉补办峁Ｄ乼办补谤迟补惫测补尘); as for the level of the Buddhas, he must practice and realize it.鈥�^[1]

2. Moreover, where is it said that the thirty-seven auxiliaries are the qualities of 艣谤腻惫补办补s and pratyekabuddhas alone and do not constitute the path of the bodhisattva? In this 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻s奴tra, in the chapter entitled 惭补丑腻测腻苍补, the Buddha says that [the thirty-seven auxiliaries], from the four foundations of [197c] mindfulness (蝉尘峁泃测耻辫补蝉迟丑腻苍补) up to the eight members of the noble path (膩ry膩峁ａ弓膩峁単a尘腻谤驳补) are contained in the Three Baskets (迟谤颈辫颈峁璦办补) of the Greater Vehicle;^[2] but he does not say that the thirty-seven auxiliaries are things exclusively (kevalam) concerning the Lesser Vehicle.

In his great loving-kindness (尘补丑腻尘补颈迟谤墨), the Buddha preached the thirty-seven auxiliaries that are the path to 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺. In accordance with the vows (辫谤补峁噄诲丑腻苍补) of beings, in accordance with karmic causes and conditions (hetupratyaya), each finds his own path. The person who seeks (辫补谤测别峁�a迟别) to be a 艣谤腻惫补办补 finds the 艣谤腻惫补办补 path; the person who has planted the roots of good (办耻艣补濒补尘奴濒补) of the pratyekabuddha finds the pratyekabuddha path; the person who seeks the bodhi of the Buddhas finds the Buddha path.

According to his previous vows (p奴rva辫谤补峁噄诲丑腻苍补) and the sharpness (迟墨办峁ａ箛补) or dullness (尘峁涐笉耻) of his faculties (indriya), the person has great compassion (尘补丑腻办补谤耻峁嚹�) or does not have great compassion. Similarly, when the 苍腻驳补 king (谤腻箩补) makes rain (惫峁涐梗峁璱) to fall, it rains on the earth everywhere indiscriminately (苍颈谤惫颈艣别峁�a尘); the big trees (尘补丑腻惫峁沰峁�a) and the large plants (尘补丑腻迟峁涐箛补) receive a lot of rain because of their big roots (尘奴濒补); the small trees (补濒辫补惫峁沰峁�a) and the small plants (补濒辫补迟峁涐箛补) receive but little because of their small roots.

Question. 鈥� So be it. Nowhere is it said that the thirty-seven auxiliaries are exclusively the path of the 艣谤腻惫补办补s and pratyekabuddhas and are not the path of the bodhisattvas, but it can be known by rational induction. The bodhisattva who remains in 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 and the five destinies (辫补帽肠补驳补迟颈) for a long time does not get 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 quickly. And yet the thirty-seven auxiliaries are presented only as adjuvants to 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺, whereas the perfections (辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻) and the great compassion (尘补丑腻办补谤耻峁嚹�) of the bodhisattvas are not. This is why we know that [the thirty-seven auxiliaries] are not the bodhisattva path.

Answer. 鈥� 1. Although the bodhisattva remains in 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 for a long time, he must know the True Path (bh奴ta尘腻谤驳补) and the false paths (abh奴ta尘腻谤驳补), the world (蝉补峁僺腻谤补) and 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺. Knowing that, he makes his great vow (mah膩辫谤补峁噄诲丑腻苍补): 鈥淏eings are worthy of compassion; I must save them and bring them to unconditioned (补蝉补峁僺办峁泃补辫补诲补) safety.鈥� The bodhisattva who practices the perfections (辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻) is able, by means of this true dharma (产丑奴迟补诲丑补谤尘补), to reach the Bodhi of the Buddhas. But although he practices and understands this dharma, he has not yet fulfilled the six perfections and this is why he does not immediately realize (na s膩k峁Ｄ乼karoti) this true dharma.

Thus the Buddha said: 鈥淚t is like [an archer] who, raising his head, shoots his arrows into the air (奴谤诲丑惫补峁� 办腻峁囜笉补峁� 办峁�i辫补迟颈): the arrows support each other so that they do not fall to earth. In the same way, the bodhisattva, taking the arrow of the 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻, shoots it into the air at the three gates of deliverance (惫颈尘辞办峁�a尘耻办丑补); then, taking the arrow of skillful means (耻辫腻测补), he shoots it at the arrow of 笔谤补箩帽腻 so that it does not fall on the ground of 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺.鈥� (see Appendix 1: example of the master-archer)

2. Furthermore, if, as you have said, the bodhisattva abides for a long time in 蝉补峁僺腻谤补, he must undergo all the physical and mental sufferings (n膩navidha k膩yikacaitasikadu岣�kha). If he has not attained true knowledge (产丑奴迟补箩帽腻苍补), how could he endure these things? This is why the bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补 seeks the auxiliaries to enlightenment (bodhi辫腻办峁�i办补) and true knowledge. From then on he can transform (辫补谤颈峁嘺尘颈迟耻尘) the world (蝉补峁僺腻谤补) into the fruits of the path (尘腻谤驳补phala) and into 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 by the power of 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻. Why? The threefold world (迟谤补颈诲丑腻迟耻办补) is the result of a complex of causes and conditions (蝉腻尘补驳谤墨箩补). That which is born from this complex has no intrinsic nature (蝉惫补产丑腻惫补); having no intrinsic nature, it is empty (艣奴苍测补). Empty, it is ungraspable (补驳谤腻丑测补). The ungraspable is 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺. This is why [the 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻] says here: 鈥淭he bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补 who abides in the perfection of wisdom by the method of non-abiding must, without producing them, fulfill the four foundations of mindfulness (蝉尘峁泃测耻辫补蝉迟丑腻苍补).鈥�^[3]

3, Furthermore, in the 艣谤腻惫补办补 and pratyekabuddha system, it is not said [198a] that 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 and 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 are the same. Why? Because their wisdom (辫谤补箩帽腻) does not penetrate dharmas deeply. In the bodhisattva system, it is said that 蝉补尘蝉腻谤补 and 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 are identical because their wisdom deeply penetrates dharmas.

Thus the Buddha said to 厂耻产丑奴迟颈: 鈥淔orm is emptiness and emptiness is form (r奴pam eva 艣奴苍测补t膩 s奴nyataiva r奴pam); feelings (惫别诲补苍腻), ideas (蝉补峁僯帽腻), formations (蝉补峁僺办腻谤补) and consciousnesses (惫颈箩帽腻苍补) are emptiness, and emptiness is feelings, ideas, formations and consciousnesses. Emptiness is 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 and 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 is emptiness (艣奴苍测补taiva 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺峁�, 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺m eva 艣奴苍测补t膩).鈥�^[4]

The Madhyamaka艣膩stra also says:

Nirv膩峁嘺 is no different from 蝉补峁僺腻谤补,
Sa峁僺膩ra is no different from 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺.
The limit of 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺 and the limit of 蝉补峁僺腻谤补
Are the same limit, for there is no difference.^[5]

Having fond this True nature (产丑奴迟补濒补办峁�a峁嘺), the bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补 is not disgusted with 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 and not pleased with 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺. The thirty-seven auxiliaries are the ground of true knowledge (产丑奴迟补箩帽腻苍补bh奴mi).

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Free quotation of the 笔谤补箩帽腻p膩ramita in the Da艣abh奴miparivarta (cf. Pa帽cavi峁兣沘ti, p. 225; 艢ata., p. 1473: Yad bodhisattvo 尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补 耻辫腻测补kau艣alyena sarv膩su 辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻su caran saptatri峁兣沘d bodhip膩k峁�e峁�u dharme峁�u 艣ik峁�ito 鈥檖ram膩峁嘺dhy膩n膩r奴pyasam膩patti峁�u caran da艣atath膩gatabalapratisa峁僾itsv a峁ａ弓膩da艣膩venike峁�u buddhadharme峁�u caran 艣uklapa艣yan膩bh奴mi峁� gotrabh奴mim dar艣anabh奴mi峁� tanubh奴mi峁� v墨tar膩gabh奴mi峁� k峁泃膩vibh奴mi峁� 艣谤腻惫补办补bh奴i峁� pratyeka产耻诲诲丑补产丑奴尘颈峁� bodhisattvabh奴mi峁� bodhisattvo mah膩sattvo 鈥檛ikramya et膩 navabh奴m墨r atikramya buddhabh奴mau prati峁ａ弓hate, iya峁� bodhisattvasya 尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补sya da艣am墨 bh奴mi岣�.

Transl. 鈥� 鈥淲hen the bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补, with his skillful means, practices all the perfections, practices the thirty-seven auxiliaries of enlightenment, practices the [four] limitless ones, the trances and the formless absorptions, practices the ten strengths of the Tath膩gata, the [four] unhindered knowledges and the eighteen special attributes of the Buddhas, when he goes beyond nine levels, namely, the level of clear seeing, the level of the spiritual lineage, the level of the eighth saint, the level of seeing, the refined (?) level, the level of renunciation, the level of the one who has finished his career, the level of the 艣谤腻惫补办补, the level of the pratyekabuddha and the level of the bodhisattva, when he is established in the level of the Buddha, that is the level of the bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补.鈥�

The ten levels cited here are the levels common (蝉腻诲诲丑腻谤补峁嘺产丑奴尘颈) to both vehicles. On this subject, see 艢奴谤补峁僩补尘补蝉补尘腻诲丑颈, p. 248鈥�251, note. The Sarv膩stiv膩din treatises are not unaware of them, as Prof. A. Hirakawa has shown in The Rise of 惭补丑腻测腻苍补 Buddhism, Memoirs of the Research Dept. of the Tokyo Bunko, No. 22, 1963, p. 67鈥�68.

[2]:

Actually the 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻, in the chapter on the 惭补丑腻测腻苍补, mentions the thirty-seven bodhi辫腻办峁�i办补s, from the four 蝉尘峁沬迟测耻辫补蝉迟丑腻苍补蝉 to the 膩峁ａ弓膩峁単a尘腻谤驳补s, among the 惭补丑腻测腻苍补 practices (cf. Pa帽cavi峁兣沘ti, p. 203鈥�208; 艢ata. P. 1427鈥�1439).

[3]:

Pa帽cavi峁兣沘ti, p. 1137.

[4]:

Pa帽cavi峁兣沘ti, p. 38: R奴pam eva 艣奴苍测补t膩, vedanaiva 艣奴苍测补t膩, sa峁僯帽aiva 艣奴苍测补t膩, sa峁僺k膩r膩 eva 艣奴苍测补t膩, vij帽膩峁嘺m eva 艣奴苍测补t膩; 艣奴苍测补taiva r奴pa峁�, 艣奴苍测补taiva 惫别诲补苍腻, 艣奴苍测补taiva 蝉补峁僯帽腻, 艣奴苍测补taiva sa峁僺k膩r膩岣�, 艣奴苍测补taiva 惫颈箩帽腻苍补m.

This is a stock phrase endlessly repeated in the 笔谤补箩帽腻s: Pa帽cavi峁兣沘ti, T 222, k. 1, p. 221c1, p. 223a14; k. 3, p. 235a11. Other references above, p. 1112F, n. 2.

[5]:

Madh. k膩rik膩, XXV, 19鈥�20; Madh. v峁泃ti, p. 535; T 1564, k. 4, p. 36a4鈥�11:

Na sa峁僺marasya nirv膩峁嚹乼 ki峁僣id asti vi艣e峁�a峁� |
na 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺sya sa峁僺膩r膩t ki峁僣id asti vi艣e峁�a峁嘺峁� ||
苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺sya ca y膩 ko峁璱岣� sa峁僺ara峁嘺sya ca |
na tayor anstara峁� ki峁僣id sus奴k峁�mam api vidyate ||