“Śāntamati, bodhisattvas of great courage who also wish to awaken to unsurpassable and perfect awakening should follow the example of these great beings in this regard. They should undertake the core practices intent upon the path to awakening and not place their focus on words. And what is this path to awakening?

“It eliminates anger toward all beings by cultivating a mind that is suffused with love. On it one strives to accomplish the perfections. One develops the methods of drawing others to oneself. One achieves the four dwellings of Brahmā. One strives to acquire the constitutive factors of awakening. One acquires and refines the supernormal faculties. One becomes a master of skill in means. One who accomplishes all these things gathers a supply of all the virtuous qualities. This is called the path of awakening.

“Moreover, Śāntamati, the path of awakening also involves the purification of one’s faith, motivation, and ambition. It includes honesty, consistency, integrity, transparency, even-mindedness, impartiality, confidence, and faultless behavior.

“The path is attainable due to the perfection of generosity. The path is easily traveled due to the perfection of discipline. The path has no obstructions due to the perfection of patience. The path is unbroken due to the perfection of heroic effort. The path has no disturbances due to the perfection of concentration. The path is well understood due to the perfection of wisdom. The path follows knowledge of reality due to great love. The path does not reverse course due to great compassion. The path is completely joyful due to great joy. The path follows the core of things due to great equanimity.

“Because the path is free of the craving for sense pleasures, ill will, or any concept of doing harm, it does not have any holes or thorns. The path is easily traveled because one harbors no animosity in the mind. The path is free of frauds because it is free from sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The path is free of adversaries because the aggregates, elements, and sense spheres are well examined. The path defeats the adversaries, Māra in all his forms, because it is free of all the afflictions. The path leads to loftiness of mind because it is free of the actions in the minds of the disciples and solitary buddhas. The path is the one traveled by all the realized ones, the worthy ones, the perfect and fully awakened buddhas of the past. The path brings the great jewel since it accords with the jewel of the omniscient ones. The path is constantly illuminated by the light of the knowledge of those who are dispassionate. The path teaches what is good because it is well maintained by companions in what is good. The path does not have highs and lows because it does not have attachment or aversion. The path is not dusty because it is without anger, stubbornness, or malice. The path goes to the good places of rebirth because it is free from all bad qualities. The path leads to a place of comfort because its ending point is cessation.

“Śāntamati, the path of bodhisattvas is similar to what is not a path or a destination for the disciples or solitary buddhas; when bodhisattvas stay on this path, however, they awaken to unsurpassable and perfect awakening.