“What is the perfection of morality of bodhisatvas, great beings, like? [MS.61.a] How do bodhisatvas conduct themselves when they practice the bodhisatva path? Śāriputra, the conduct of bodhisatvas is good in three ways. What are these three ways? They are good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, and good mental conduct. Now, what does good bodily conduct imply? Śāriputra, good bodily conduct implies that a bodhisatva abstains from taking life, abstains from taking what is not given, and abstains from sexual misconduct. Moreover, Śāriputra, good verbal conduct implies that a bodhisatva abstains from lying and abstains from slander, harsh words, and inane chatter. Finally, good mental conduct implies that a bodhisatva is not covetous, is without malice, and holds right views.

“He reflects, ‘What is good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, and good mental conduct?’ He reflects, ‘The acts of the body that should not be carried out are taking life, taking what is not given, and sexual misconduct. This is what is meant by good bodily conduct.’ What about good verbal conduct? He reflects, ‘The verbal acts that should not be carried out are lying, slander, harsh words, and inane chatter. This is what is meant by good verbal conduct.’ What about good mental conduct? He reflects, ‘The acts of the mind that should not be carried out are being covetous, being malicious, and holding wrong views. This is what is meant by good mental conduct.’

“He then investigates whether the abstention from acts of body, speech, or mind can be conceived of. Through sincere investigation he comes to see that it is impossible to conceive of the abstention from acts of body, speech, or mind as being, for example, blue, yellow, red, white, crimson, crystal, or silver. It is not something that can be perceived by the eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, or the mind. Why? It does not arise, is not created, does not occur, and is not engaged with; it cannot be understood as being performed by someone. His conclusion will be that morality is not conditioned in any way, and anything that is not conditioned is not something that can be conceived of. Something that cannot be conceived of is not something one can apply oneself to. In this way, he does not focus on the morality of good conduct. In the same way, he does not focus on someone who is moral or on the morality to which he applies himself. When he has seen this, the view of self-entity will not arise in him, as it is the view of self-entity that leads one to be intent on analyzing morality and immorality. When he has seen this, he is thoughtful in his commitments, his observances, his practices, and his responsibilities, as it is through thoughtful conduct that one comes to be known as a moral individual. However, he does not cling to the idea of a self, and he does not cling to the idea of another, so his morality is never given up; his morality remains untarnished. Clinging to the idea of a self leads to clinging to the idea of morality, but one who does not cling to the idea of a self does not cling to the idea of morality. One who does not cling to the idea of morality does not violate the training, and as they do not violate their training, neither will they violate their morality, although they will still not cling to it. The reason they do not cling to it is that [MS.61.b] they know that all phenomena exist in relation to other phenomena. That which exists in relation to other phenomena has no self, and when there is no self, what is there to cling to?”

The Lord then went on to speak these verses:

“Maintaining purity of body, purity of speech, And purity of mind, always keeping his conduct pure, Abiding at all times with his discipline pure, A bodhisatva like this is known as one who is moral.

“There are ten wholesome forms of conduct That the learned bodhisatva will follow. By avoiding the acts of body, speech, and mind that they proscribe, The learned one practices morality.

“Something that has not been done, that does not occur, and that is not expressed Has no color, nor indeed any shape. Something that has neither color nor shape Is not something that can be conceived. It cannot be apprehended.

“As morality, therefore, is always unconditioned and never made up, It is not something that can be seen by the eye. Neither can it be perceived by the ear, the nose, The tongue, the body, or the mind.

“What the senses cannot perceive Cannot possibly inspire compassion. When he sees pure morality in this way, He will never cling to the idea of morality.

“He will not be conceited, thinking of himself as moral, And he will not guard his morality with a selfish attitude. Someone who practices the bodhisatva path maintains his morality By guarding his morality without having any conception of morality.

“One who does not nurture the view of self-entity Will never tend toward views. One who holds no views will not be biased, Arrogantly distinguishing between morality and immorality.

“The practice of one who is committed to the Dharma And adheres to its principles is inconceivable. One who is moral has a good foundation and will guard his morality well. He will be involved with nothing else.

“Understanding no self means not clinging to morality— Where there is no self, neither will there be morality. I say that those who are arrogant about themselves and their morality Will always be victims of fear.

“The one who teaches no self is not conceited about morality. The one who teaches no self does not rely on morality. The one who teaches no self does not focus on morality. The one who teaches no self does not conceptualize morality.

“The morality of someone who does not consider himself To be a moral person is undeteriorated, untarnished. Where there is no self there is no conception of morality. This is the profound wisdom of the path of awakening.

“The morality of one who has confidence is such That he will never let his discipline falter. The morality praised by the noble ones Does not involve clinging to any idea of any phenomena.

“The immature, who are stuck in the idea of a self, Guard their discipline, thinking they are moral. But the fruit of their labors will only be The inability to escape the three lower realms.

“Those who have abandoned the idea of a self Do not entertain notions of I and mine. They do not consider themselves to be moral, And they need have no more fear of falling into the lower realms.

“One who understands the practice of morality in this way Will certainly not come to regard anything as immoral. As no self can be found within the three forms of existence, Why even look for morality and immorality?

“Śāriputra, there are ten attitudes that the bodhisatva who practices morality will adopt. What are these ten attitudes? He adopts an attitude of faith. He adopts an attitude of vigor. He has strong yearning. He trusts in the complexity of actions and the ripening of their fruits. He shows respect to his teachers. He serves his gurus. He is attentive in the presence of his teachers. [MS.62.a] He is fully committed to his search for the Dharma. He has no concern for his body or his life in his pursuit of awakening. These, Śāriputra, are the ten attitudes that the bodhisatva who practices morality will adopt. When he masters these ten practices, he will have perfected wholesome practice. What is wholesome practice? It is to follow the three kinds of good conduct, that is to say, good bodily, verbal, and mental conduct. Basing himself on these three kinds of good conduct, the bodhisatva, the great being, applies himself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva. This will lead to awakening.”

This is the way things are, and concerning it the following verses were recited:

“He applies himself to wholesome bodily conduct, Which is praised by the buddhas, And he serves the noble ones From whom he learns.

“He shows great respect to those Who apply themselves to the teaching. In order to be able to help all sentient beings, He maintains a loving mind, free of envy.

“He guards his speech And speaks no unfriendly word. Those who are filled with inspiration Will never speak a harsh word.

“His thoughts are gentle, And he has no evil desires. With a mind of love and devotion, He constantly examines the way things are.

“He listens to the Dharma, The teachings of the Victorious One, with devotion. One who is devoted to the Dharma Will quickly attain awakening.

“Relying on these ten practices, the bodhisatva applies himself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates ten thoughts. What are these ten thoughts? ‘How terribly diseased this body is! Its elements are in constant imbalance, as if ravaged by poison. It is very painful. It is full of flaws. It is full of imbalances, boils, blisters, infections, rashes, wind, bile, and phlegm. It is like a disease. It is like a boil. It is like a thorn. It is like a stream. It is like a wound. It is unstable, feeble, insubstantial, weak, decrepit, transient, and temporary, and it will end up in the charnel ground. Therefore, I will put this insubstantial body to good use.’

“This is the first thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.”

This is what the Lord said. After the Sugata had said this, he, the teacher, continued as follows:

“The four elements are in disarray, Interacting with one another other As if they were ravaged by a terrible poison, Bringing about a great deal of disease.

“Diseases of the eyes, Disorders of hearing and taste, Tooth decay, and infections of the lips— These and other things affect the body.

“Disorders, boils, and blisters, Infections and rashes— These and various other diseases Affect embodied beings.

“This body is like a sickness. It is like a growing pustule. This body is a wound, [MS.62.b] Transient and temporal.

“It will meet its end in the charnel ground. It is impermanent, unstable, and transient. This body is full of pus, diseased and ruined.

“I will therefore put it to good use, This body full of pus, Decaying and transient, And turn it into the cause of the body of awakening.

“By means of this pus-filled body, Overflowing with pollutants, The body of awakening, The inconceivable embodiment of the Dharma, is realized.

“There is no other way I can attain such a body, Which offers shade from the burning heat And protects one from the cold.

“One’s being will eventually Be overcome by old age and death. But one who is able to endure all kinds Of physical hardships of cold and heat Can make use of the opportunities of this human state To attain the supreme body.

“I will show reverence To those in this world who are esteemed gurus And put this insubstantial body To good use.

“This then, Śāriputra, is the first thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates the following thought: ‘How insubstantial this body is! It is constantly becoming dilapidated, threadbare, and worn out, getting broken or crushed, decaying, and being destroyed.’

“Śāriputra, however many pots, large or small, a potter makes, they will all eventually break. In the same way, Śāriputra, this insubstantial body will eventually break. It will break as easily as an unfired pot. Śāriputra, however many leaves, flowers, and fruits may hang on the branches of a tree, they will all eventually fall to the ground. In the same way Śāriputra, this insubstantial body is ready to fall to the ground like ripe fruit. Śāriputra, however many dewdrops hang on the tips of blades of grass, none of them will last very long; they will vanish when the sunlight hits them. In the same way Śāriputra, just like a dewdrop this insubstantial body will not last long. Śāriputra, however much froth may accumulate on the oceans, in rivers, and in streams, it has no substance and is by nature fragile. So it is, Śāriputra, with this insubstantial body. It is by nature fragile, just like froth. Śāriputra, just as raindrops in the sky appear and vanish one after the other, this body, Śāriputra, is insubstantial and fragile by nature, like a raindrop. ‘Therefore, I will put this insubstantial body to good use.’

“This is the second thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.”

Then, in order to clarify this point further, [MS.63.a] the Lord went on to speak these verses:

“A potter makes pots Out of clay That will all eventually break. The lives of sentient beings are like this.

“Leaves, flowers, and fruit Hanging on the branches of a tree Will all find themselves falling to the ground. The lives of mortals are like this.

“Dewdrops on the tips of blades of grass Will be no more The instant sunlight hits them. The lives of mortals are like this.

“Just like fragile froth Accumulating in rivers and streams, The body is extremely fragile, Insubstantial, like froth.

“Just as raindrops Appear in the sky And disappear again just as quickly, So, too, is this body insubstantial.

“Those who conceive of the insubstantial as substantial And conceive of the substantial as insubstantial Do not realize what is substantial And remain stuck in the sphere of mistaken ideas.

“Those who understand that the substantial is substantial And that the insubstantial is insubstantial Will realize what is substantial And remain within the sphere of correct ideas.

“In order to find out what is substantial, I will even give up my water flask. Thinking in this way, he makes good use Of his insubstantial body.

“This, then, Śāriputra, is the second thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates the following thought: ‘For a long time I had no spiritual friends. Influenced by evil friends, I was lazy, I had little vigor, I was idle and stupid and held wrong views, and so I did not pay proper attention to making offerings and sacrifices and performing the fire ritual. I thought that there would be no consequences to the good and bad actions I carried out, and I was overcome by temptations. In this way I developed many bad habits, and as a result of these unwholesome habits I had to endure terrible states of existence. In the preta realm I was not able to rely on those who are worthy of veneration. As a preta I had charcoal for sustenance, and for many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, many hundreds of thousands of years, I did not even hear the word water, much less come in contact with it. In this kind of state, I had no inclination to serve those who are worthy of veneration. Now that I have attained this fortunate state and my motivation is good, I will dedicate my life to those who are worthy of veneration. I will honor the teachers and apply myself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, with no concern for my body or my life.’

“This is the third thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he honors and serves his teacher to the extent that he will even be willing to give up his water flask.”

The Lord then spoke these verses:

“A friend to whom you are devoted Is someone that you serve. By serving someone again and again, You will become like them.

“Influenced by evil friends, I abandon friends who bring me benefit, And I become lazy, with little vigor, [MS.63.b] Envious, jealous, and false.

“Things such as generosity Have been abandoned completely, And I will certainly end up In a terrible state of existence as a preta.

“For a long time I will find myself In a dreadful, shadowy cycle. Seized by hunger and thirst, I will suffer incredible pain.

“For a great many thousands of years I will not even hear the word water, And, having no regard for those who are worthy of veneration, I will not encounter any opportunities to develop.

“The situation in which I now find myself Is something that is very difficult to attain. It is through having served my teacher That I have obtained this fortunate opportunity.

“I have abandoned evil friends. I have met with virtuous friends, And so with no concern for my body or my life, I will work toward awakening.

“Filled with faith in the teachers, The gurus, those who are worthy of honor, I will honor them and praise them In order to realize awakening.

“This then, Śāriputra, is the third thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates the following thought: ‘For a long time I had no spiritual friends. Surrounded by evil friends, I was lazy, I had little vigor, I was idle and stupid, and I had the sort of opinions, the sort of tendencies, and the sort of convictions that led me to believe that it would not be evil, and that there would be no evil consequences, if I injured sentient beings, if I left them crying and wailing as I slapped and beat them, completely enveloped by anger. In this way I developed many bad habits, and as a result of these unwholesome habits I had to endure terrible states of existence. In the realm of animals I was not able to rely upon those who are worthy of veneration, and as a camel, a cow, or a donkey I had to live on grass, be beaten with sticks, suffer fear, work against my will, and be used as a pack animal. In this kind of state I had no inclination to serve those who are worthy of veneration. Now that I have attained this fortunate state, and now that my motivation is good, I will honor the teachers and apply myself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, with no concern for my body or my life.’

“This is the fourth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he honors and serves his teacher to the extent that he will even be willing to give up his water flask.”

This is the way things are, and concerning it the following verses were recited:

“For a long time, Being ignorant of the noble path, One ends up as a camel or an ass And has to undergo great suffering.

“As I have gained a human state, I will act in a virtuous way In order to attain awakening— This is the way of the wise.

“I will apply myself with devotion To the teachings of the Buddha, And in order to reach awakening I will honor and serve the teachers.

“For inconceivable eons in the past, I have wandered cyclic existence, Using my senses in pointless ways, And I did not seek out those who are worthy of veneration.

“I abandoned spiritual friends And constantly relied on evil friends. Following their teachings, I have had to endure states of misfortune again and again. [MS.64.a]

“I have been responsible for trapping, enslaving, beating, And killing. As a result of this, I have been born in the animal realm And undergone the suffering brought about by my harmful actions.

“Having ended up in unfortunate states of existence, As a camel, a cow, or an ass, I have been beaten with sticks and put to work, Without the opportunity to rely on spiritual friends.

“I have attained something very rare, a human state. I have met with spiritual guides, and I am in an ideal place. Encountering such an opportunity is as difficult and rare As the example that involves surfacing through a hole.

“I will conduct myself with a noble mind, Taking care to control my body and speech, And apply my whole being unwaveringly In pursuit of spiritual friendship.

“My gurus, my teachers, are those Who bring about the arising of the mind of awakening in me. They teach the excellent way of supreme awakening, So I will serve these mentors with love.

“With various kinds of ointments, Various kinds of perfumes and powders, With piles of fabric and flowers, I will honor the best of men.

“To the buddhas who reside in the ten directions, Who work for sentient beings, who see the ultimate truth, Shining with golden radiance, Whose appearance is unfathomable, I will pay reverence.

“Making a lavish offering of worldly objects To the buddhas, the charioteers of men, Will purify the path of awakening And enable me to reach the seat of awakening.

“This then, Śāriputra, is the fourth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates the following thought: ‘For a long time I had no spiritual friends. Surrounded by evil friends, I was lazy, I had little vigor, I was idle and stupid, and I had the sort of opinions, the sort of tendencies, and the sort of convictions that led me to believe that even if one were to engage in the wicked acts of piling up the flesh of all sentient beings, and of squeezing the flesh of all living creatures together, no evil would be involved, that no evil would come from that. I believed that even if one were to give all sentient beings enough gifts to fill all the oceans, no good would be involved, that no good would come from that. I believed that even if one were to kill enough sentient beings to fill an ocean, if one were to cut up their bodies, no evil would be involved, that no evil would come from that. Because of these beliefs, I was not able to distinguish between good and evil. Relying on evil ideas and overcome by confusion, I developed many evil, unwholesome habits, and as a result of these unwholesome habits I had to endure terrible lower states of existence, such as hell. In the hell realm I was burned, I swallowed embers, and I experienced only sharp suffering, torture, and destruction, and eventually I died. For many hundreds of thousands of years I did not even hear the word pleasant, much less experience anything pleasant. In this kind of state I had no inclination to serve those who are worthy of veneration. Now that I have attained this fortunate state and my motivation is good, [MS.64.b] I will dedicate my life to those who are worthy of veneration, and I will serve the teachers with no concern for my body, my life or my honor.’

“This is the fifth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.”

The Lord then spoke these verses:

“Spending time with evil friends, One ends up being deceived by evil thoughts. Relying on evil views, One engages in evil acts.

“ ‘No good will come From satisfying with food and drink As many beings As would fit into all the oceans.

“ ‘No evil will come From killing and mutilating As many beings as would fill All the oceans.’

“Adhering to evil views like these, Over and over again, One will be cast into terrible hells Where nothing but unrelenting heat awaits.

“One will be cast into the three lower realms For thousands of existences, Having no regard for the perfect Buddha, Who is a guide for the world.

“Now that the excellent one is present in the world, Now that I have heard his words And have attained a human existence, I will act in virtuous ways.

“It is difficult to attain the human state. It is difficult to be born as a mortal man. It is difficult to hear the true Dharma. It is difficult to for a buddha to appear.

“With difficulty I have become a human being, A life I cannot be certain to hold on to. A buddha has arisen, And I have received teachings from an omniscient victorious one.

“Never again will I engage In evil acts of body, speech, or mind, The fruits of which Are intolerable torture.

“With my motivation completely pure, I will engage in excellent acts Of body, speech, and mind, Even though such acts are difficult to perform in this world.

“I will not go against the commands Of my esteemed teacher But will venerate him In order to realize awakening.

“The path for those who are straightforward Is revealed without any duplicity. In order to realize awakening, I will not engage in any form of deceit.

“Thinking in this way, The bodhisatva who has perfected wisdom and skillful means Will be ready to give up his water flask Without a second thought.

“This then, Śāriputra, is the fifth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates the following thought: ‘For a long time I had no spiritual friends. Surrounded by evil friends, I was lazy, and so forth, and I had the sort of convictions that led me to believe that acts of homage, salutation, praise, reverence, respect, and honor would not have any consequences. Overcome by conceit, I engaged in much that was unwholesome, and when the fruits of these unwholesome actions ripened, I had to endure cruel states of existence where I had no inclination to serve those who are worthy of veneration. When I took a human existence I became a wretched human being, a poor human being. I became a servant under the rule of others, [MS.65.a] under the rule of beings who were greedy for pleasures of the senses, caught up in pleasures of the senses, who acted in coarse ways and upheld wrong views, whose morality was misguided, whose practice was misguided, and whose views were misguided, who engaged in the three unwholesome roots and the four wrong ways of approaching things, who were clouded by the five obscurations, who had no reverence for the six kinds of gurus, who resorted to the seven kinds of untrue teachings, who were caught up in the eight kinds of mistakes, who were overcome by the nine types of harmful acts, who were following the wrong path and engaging in the ten unwholesome forms of conduct, heading along the road to hell, who had turned away from the road that leads to the celestial realms, who had abandoned their spiritual friends and fallen into the hands of evil friends, who were under the sway of Māra, who had abandoned wholesome actions, and who were engaging in unwholesome actions. I was terrorized with sticks. I felt the terror of fear and had to act against my will. I was forced to carry loads and had to honor and serve them. In this kind of state, I had no inclination to serve those who are worthy of veneration. Now that I have attained this fortunate state, and now that my motivation is good, I will dedicate my life to those who are worthy of veneration and serve the teachers with no concern for my body, my life, or my honor.’

“This is the sixth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he honors and serves his teacher to the extent that he will even be willing to give up his water flask.”

Then, to formulate this even more clearly, the Lord spoke these verses:

“Throughout a great many oceans of eons, I have relied upon evil friends with rampant self-conceit, And although born a human being, I have been a slave In the stream of cyclic existence for a long time.

“With great hardship, I have attained a human body, A thing that is incredibly difficult to attain, A wonderfully suitable dwelling place, And I am in the presence of a buddha—such precious opportunities.

“The very best of excellent friends Are those who give instructions on the bodhisatva’s path of training, Who have fully developed the jewel that is the mind of awakening, Obtained after many millions of eons.

“The body is fragile, impermanent, uncertain, Like froth or bubbles appearing on water, An illusion, like a staged play, A deception, and like images appearing in a dream.

“Life is short and ends suddenly— Like clouds or lightning it does not remain. But even though one’s time is gone in an instant, One can make good use of this insubstantial life.

“Even though he had done his mischief For inconceivable hundredfold oceans of eons, When the time came The proud one of the mountain Mandara was thrown down.

“Completely leaving behind my love for this body And having no concern for this life, I will give up pride, conceit, and arrogance And honor and serve those who possess good qualities.

“Giving up pride, conceit, and arrogance, I will, in the best possible ways, honor and serve The gurus who are celebrated as the most excellent in the world, As well as my mother, my father, and my brother.

“Those who help me act in accordance with the practice that leads to awakening Are bodhisatvas who dwell in supreme awakening. Therefore, with firm appreciation and respect for them, I will do my best to honor them.

“Those who are proud do not know That discipline that is free from pride and subdues pride. I will strike them down with the vajra of knowledge And bring the mountains of pride and conceit crashing down.

“Perfecting the supreme practice that leads to awakening, I will take my place on the seat of awakening, And subduing the hostile hosts of māras, I will liberate beings from the four streams. [MS.65.b]

“With a mind filled with love and compassion, I will be a protector, a defender, and a final refuge For those human beings in the ten directions who are suffering from afflictions And who are the victims of their own abhorrent filth.

“I will employ the perfection of generosity when it is called for, Follow the appropriate training set forth by the Buddha of the Śākya clan, Become accomplished in the cultivation of patient acceptance And apply myself with unobstructed vigor.

“Having attained the benefits of the perfection of meditation, Having made use of the opportunity to train the mind well, Skilled in wisdom and skillful means, I will respectfully circumambulate all the gurus.

“With my merit, strength, and splendor increasing in this way, With inconceivable mastery of wisdom and knowledge, Having realized supreme self-mastery, I offer a bowl that is filled to the brim.

“This then, Śāriputra, is the sixth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates the following thought: ‘For a long time I had no spiritual friends. Surrounded by evil friends, I was lazy, I had little vigor, I was idle and stupid, and I had the sort of opinions, the sort of tendencies, and the sort of convictions that led me to believe that negative actions have no negative consequences, that positive actions have no positive consequences, that mixed actions do not have both negative and positive consequences, and that the consequences of actions that are positive without anything negative would not be positive without anything negative. I did not consult with ascetics and brahmins and ask, “Venerable ones, what is wholesome, and what is unwholesome? What is irreproachable, and what is reproachable? What should one commit oneself to, and what should one not commit oneself to? What should be done, and what should not be done? What will prove to be useless, unhelpful, and bring suffering in the long run? What will prove to be meaningful, helpful, and bring happiness?” Overcome by conceit, I acted in a great many unwholesome ways, and when the fruits of these unwholesome actions ripened, I had to endure miserable states of existence as a human being who had no inclination to serve those who are worthy of veneration. When I took a human existence, I was incapacitated. I had a stutter. I was mute, blind, and deaf, and I could understand neither the meaning of teachings that were well spoken nor of those that were not well spoken. In this kind of state, I had no inclination to serve those who are worthy of veneration. Now that I have attained this fortunate state, with my faculties intact, I will dedicate my life to all those who are worthy of veneration, with no concern for my body or my life. When I am able to distinguish between teachings that are well spoken and those that are not well spoken, I will consult the teachers and ask, “Venerable ones, what is wholesome, and what is unwholesome? What is irreproachable, and what is reproachable? What should one commit oneself to, and what should one not commit oneself to? What should be done, and what should not be done? What actions will lead one to encounter the teachings on the śrāvaka and the pratyekabuddha? What actions will lead one to encounter the teachings on the bodhisatva?” When one inquires in this way, one will honor and serve one’s teacher, in order to learn The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva. One will maintain the attitude that one wishes to make use of this insubstantial body to attain a substantial body, such that one is even willing to give up one’s water flask.’

“This is the seventh thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he honors and serves his teacher to the extent that he will even be willing to give up his water flask.”

This is what the Lord said. After the Sugata had said this, he, the teacher, continued as follows:

“I did not seek the benefits of having spiritual friends For many hundreds of eons. I did not consult them about the results Or wholesome and unwholesome, reproachable and irreproachable actions. [MS.66.a]

“Under the sway of arrogance, I ended up as a hell being, among animals, and ruled by Yama. Relying on friends with evil intentions, I fell into the lower realms for many eons.

“For many thousands of eons I roamed about In the human realm with my faculties deficient. I did not know what was wholesome and what was unwholesome, Or the fruits of reproachable and irreproachable actions.

“With great difficulty, I have obtained a human existence With my faculties intact and my senses sharp. With the unfavorable states of existence behind me, I have attained a favorable state, Just like the turtle putting its head through a yoke.

“Having pleased those who are like lamps for the world, I have heard the Victorious One’s teachings, the Dharma that frees one from passion, And I now have the opportunity to consult the guru of the world About the results of wholesome and unwholesome actions:

“ ‘What becomes of the miser, And what of one who gives without miserliness? What becomes of one who is deceitful, greedy, and immoral, And what of one who unfailingly guards the riches of his moral conduct?

“ ‘What becomes of a man who is angry and out of control, And what of one who does not become angry but has the power of patience? What becomes of the lazy and restless, And what of one whose vigor is awakened and whose meditation is joyful?

“ ‘What becomes of those who are dull minded and whose understanding is distorted, And what of the wise who rejoice in the truth of the teachings? What becomes of one whose attention to the practice that leads to awakening is undivided And who wholeheartedly strives to do good?

“ ‘What becomes of one who has love for all beings without exception, And what of one who rescues sentient beings from the lower realms? What happens to one whose joy in the Dharma is ceaseless And who strives to practice the path to awakening contained in The Collected Teachings?

“ ‘What becomes of one who seeks out the gurus in this world, Wherever they may dwell in the vast regions in the ten directions? What of one who pays honor? What of one who acts virtuously? What of one who does good in every possible way?’ This is what I ask.

“As the appropriate time has now come, I present these questions to the teachers, the gurus. Being with the gurus, joyfully receiving their instruction, How can I gladden the hearts of my teachers?

“This is the motivation that a son of the Buddha, Noble minded with power and merit, cultivates. With strength and the power of the highest knowledge, He gladly gives away his water flask.

“This then, Śāriputra, is the seventh thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and for the sake of The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, he honors and serves his teacher to the extent that he will even be willing to give up his water flask.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates the following thought: ‘For a long time I had no spiritual friends. Surrounded by evil friends, I was lazy, I had little vigor, I was idle, and I was dumb. I dismissed those words and statements that were coherent, that related to the Dharma, and that were about emancipation, about what is beyond passion, and about cessation, pacification, complete awakening, asceticism, what is holy, and nirvāṇa. I learned, remembered, recited, and mastered those words and statements that were not coherent, that were not related to the Dharma, that were not about nirvāṇa, and so forth, and that professed ideas such as there being no power, no vigor, no human power, no human strength, no human endeavor, no practice, no endeavor, no endeavor in practice, the idea that there is no cause and no condition that leads to sentient beings’ corruptions, the idea that sentient beings can be corrupted without there being any causes or conditions involved, the idea that there are no causes and no conditions that lead to the purification of sentient beings, [MS.66.b] and the idea that sentient beings can be purified without causes and conditions being involved. Upholding the view that there are no causes and the view of causal incongruence, I developed many unwholesome habits, and as a result of these unwholesome habits, I had to endure states of existence in which my faculties were deficient. I ended up as a human being with no inclination to serve those who are worthy of veneration. I was born a fool, distracted, incapacitated, dull, crippled, blind, and deaf, and so I lacked the ability to understand, remember, recite, or master those words and expressions that were coherent, that were about nirvāṇa, and so forth. Indeed, in this kind of state, I had no inclination to serve those who are worthy of veneration. So now that I have attained this fortunate state, and so forth, I will, with no concern for my body or my life, strive to learn the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, which contains words and statements that are coherent, that are about cessation, about nirvāṇa, and so forth. I will work to master them, and so forth, and I will honor and serve the teachers. In this way, by learning, remembering, reading, reciting, and venerating the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, this insubstantial body will be employed in a meaningful way, and serve as a foundation for the powers of virtue and knowledge. Motivated to create a firm support for the powers of virtue and knowledge, and to develop a relationship with The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, one honors and serves one’s teacher to the extent that one will even be willing to give up one’s water flask.’

“This is the eighth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he honors and serves his teacher to the extent that he will even be willing to give up his water flask.”

This is the way things are, and concerning it the following verses were recited:

“The Dharma is what makes good sense. It is by means of the Dharma that one makes progress on the path And attains complete cessation. The Dharma is what contains the essence of the path to nirvāṇa.

“I abandoned that Dharma And took what is useless as my dharma. I relied upon teachings That were not coherent.

“ ‘There is no power or vigor. Human strength does not exist, Nor does the highest form of exertion. None of these things can be conceived of.

“ ‘There is no Buddha or Dharma, And likewise there are no mothers or fathers. The ripening of the fruits of previous Good and bad actions does not take place.’

“These were the sorts of evil views That I put my trust in again and again. Because of this, I ended up in the most dreadful And horrible state of hell for a long time.

“Likewise, I took birth as an animal And in the spirit world governed by Yama. When I was born as a human being, I was stupid and lacked the ability to speak.

“I was incapacitated and deaf, Lost, crippled, and confused, And being ignorant I fell again Into the terrible hells for a long time.

“But now, after a very long time, I have obtained this magnificent existence In which I have all my faculties intact— Now is the time for me to exert myself.

“Now is the time to exert myself To that Dharma that is meaningful, That helps one to approach nirvāṇa, The path of awakening, awakening itself.

“It is exceedingly difficult, Even in the course of a thousand million eons, To gain access to that which is most profoundly meaningful, The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva.

“To gain the awakening of a buddha, I will engage with and master This and many [MS.67.a] Of the Buddha’s other inconceivable teachings.

“With great reverence I will serve the teacher, And this will give me access To the learning of the buddhas and bodhisatvas.

“Having reflected in this way, The undaunted bodhisatva, Accomplished in wisdom and skill, Will even give away his water flask.

“This then, Śāriputra, is the eighth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and for the sake of The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva he honors and serves his teacher to the extent that he will even be willing to give up his water flask.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates the following thought: ‘Alas! Sentient beings are completely caught up in meaningless activities and are far too concerned about their bodies and their lives. When one is engaged with what is meaningful, one will have no concern for one’s body or one’s life. What does being caught up in meaningless activities entail? It is to be concerned about one’s body and one’s life but to have no concern for the Dharma that leads to awakening. It is fostering the idea of ownership by being protective of one’s sense of self, being addicted to rubbing, massaging, bathing, and shampooing one’s body. This is what is meant by ‘being caught up in meaningless activities.’ Likewise, being caught up in meaningless activities is to be concerned about one’s body and one’s life but to have no concern for the Dharma that leads to awakening, fostering the idea of ownership by being protective of one’s wife, sons, daughters, friends, kinsmen, acquaintances, and relatives and being addicted to rubbing, food and drink, and so forth, and to all kinds of objects, pleasures, and possessions. This is what is meant by ‘being caught up in meaningless activities.’ Likewise, it is to foster the idea of ownership by keeping male and female servants, workers, and laborers, ordering them around and keeping them under guard. This is what is meant by ‘being caught up in meaningless activities.’

“ ‘What does being engaged with what is meaningful entail? It is to have no concern for one’s body or one’s life and to be solely concerned with the Dharma that leads to awakening, fostering the mind of awakening by guarding one’s physical, verbal, and mental activity. This is what is meant by ‘being engaged with what is meaningful.’

“ ‘Likewise, to be engaged with what is meaningful is to have no concern for one’s body or one’s life but to be solely concerned with the Dharma that leads to awakening, fostering the mind of awakening by being fully dedicated to becoming accomplished in the perfections, from generosity to wisdom. This is what is meant by ‘being engaged with what is meaningful.’

“ ‘Likewise, to be engaged with what is meaningful is to have no concern for one’s body or one’s life and to be solely concerned with the Dharma that leads to awakening, fostering the mind of awakening by being generous, speaking kindly, acting for the benefit of others, and being consistent. [MS.67.b] This is what is meant by ‘being engaged with what is meaningful.’

“ ‘Likewise, to be engaged with what is meaningful is to have no concern for one’s body or one’s life and to be solely concerned with the Dharma that leads to awakening, fostering the mind of awakening by dedicating oneself to maintaining one’s mindfulness, to proper renunciation, to the foundations of magical abilities, to the faculties, the powers, the factors of awakening, and to making progress on the path. This is what is meant by ‘being engaged with what is meaningful.’

“ ‘Likewise, to be engaged with what is meaningful is to have no concern for one’s body or one’s life but to be solely concerned with the Dharma that leads to awakening, fostering the mind of awakening with full dedication toward serving one’s parents and teachers and toward serving, attending, venerating, prostrating to, worshiping, praising, welcoming, and saluting one’s guru and addressing him with respect. This is what is meant by ‘being engaged with what is meaningful.’

“ ‘Likewise, to be engaged with what is meaningful is to have no concern for one’s body or one’s life but to be solely concerned with the Dharma that leads to awakening, fostering the mind of awakening by being fully dedicated to serving the Three Jewels. One thinks, “Alas! Completely caught up in meaningless activities, these sentient beings’ sole concern is for their own bodies and their own lives. I must therefore engage with what is meaningful and apply myself to this endeavor with vigor. I will honor and serve my teacher. In this way, this insubstantial body will be used in a meaningful way, and a foundation for the powers of virtue and knowledge will be developed. With the support of the powers of virtue and knowledge, I will be brought closer to the seat of awakening.” ’

“This is the ninth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so for the sake of The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva he honors and serves his teacher to the extent that he will even be willing to give up his water flask.”

Then, in order to clarify this further, the Lord spoke these verses:

“All immature ordinary beings Are only concerned with their bodies and their lives. They are not concerned with what leads to awakening, And they engage in all kinds of activities.

“For their own benefit and that of their wives, With their sons and daughters in mind, Ordinary beings greedily Pursue their meaningless goals.

“The ignorant order their servants, Workers, and laborers about. By raising livestock, They pursue their meaningless goals.

“They amass wealth and riches, But they are not generous, and they do not make good use of it. Pursuing their meaningless goals, They become known as guardians of treasure.

“This is what ordinary beings are like, Addicted to pursuing meaningless goals. Those who have wisdom, the bodhisatvas, Persevere in their pursuit of what is meaningful.

“They have no concern for their bodies or their lives And are only concerned with what leads to awakening. [MS.68.a] In all the different activities they carry out, They are known as those who pursue what is meaningful.

“They engage skillfully with generosity, Morality, patience, vigor, Meditation, and wisdom. They are known as those who pursue what is meaningful.

“They serve their mothers and their fathers. They cherish their gurus and their elders. They serve the Three Jewels, And they are known as those who pursue what is meaningful.

“They have grasped all the teachings In The Collection of Teachings on the Bodhisatva. They recite it and elucidate it And are known as those who pursue what is meaningful.

“These meaningful pursuits Are praised by all the buddhas. The sons of the Victorious One Apply themselves to these pursuits with skill.

“Having cultivated this thought, He serves his gurus With the greatest devotion And will even be willing to give away his water flask.

“This then, Śāriputra, is the ninth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and for the sake of The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, he honors and serves his teacher to the extent that he will even be willing to give up his water flask.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates the following thought: ‘Alas! Sentient beings do not value advice. They dislike their teacher’s instructions and are not able to understand them. What is it they do not understand? They do not understand the riches of the teacher. What are the riches of the teacher? The riches of faith, the riches of morality, the riches of learning, the riches of conscience and moral sensitivity, the riches of renunciation, and the riches of wisdom—these are considered to be the riches of the teacher. Those who do not understand this can be said to be utterly impoverished. I will value the advice I receive and keep an open attitude toward the instructions of the teacher. How is this to be done? The bodhisatva who values advice keeps an open attitude toward the instructions of the teacher and attains understanding. What is it that he understands? He understands the riches of the teacher. What are the riches of the bodhisatva’s teacher? These riches comprise the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva. When the teacher sees that the receptive bodhisatva is able to value his advice, he will give him a detailed explanation of the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva. He will teach it to him, guide him in it, expound it for him, illuminate it for him, instruct him in it, open it up for him, and make it manifest to him. The bodhisatva who gains a firm mastery of The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva completely eliminates poverty and gains understanding—the state of a fully accomplished buddha. Having cultivated this thought, I will give meaning to this insubstantial body by valuing the advice I receive and maintaining an open attitude toward the instructions of the teacher. In this way, one honors and serves one’s teacher to the extent that one will even be willing to give up one’s water flask.’

“This, Śāriputra, is the tenth thought the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he will even be willing to give up his water flask.”

This is what the Lord said. After the Sugata had said this, he, the teacher, continued as follows:

“Sentient beings do not value advice. They are deceitful, cunning, and dishonest. They dislike their gurus And do not follow their teaching.

“As they do not value advice And dislike the teachings, The riches of the sage Are not revealed to them.

“The riches of faith, the riches of morality, The riches of conscience and moral sensitivity, The riches of learning, the riches of renunciation, And wisdom—these are the seven kinds of riches.

“These seven kinds of riches Are inexhaustible treasures, But they are not revealed To those who are not worthy recipients.

“All those sentient beings Who are not dishonest, corrupt, or deceitful But value the teachings and are grateful for them Are fit to receive the Dharma of the Buddha.

“Filled with vigor and enthusiasm To attain the awakening of a buddha, They long for the Dharma and devote themselves to it With no concern for their bodies or their lives.

“Seeing that he is fit to receive the teachings [MS.68.b] And is able to follow the way, The guides will reveal to him The indivisibility of the totality of phenomena.

“The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva Is where awakening resides, And they reveal this treasure, The essence of the buddhas, in detail.

“All phenomena lack self; They have no attributes and are characterized by emptiness. They have no life force, they do not change, They do not proliferate, and they rest nowhere.

“All phenomena are by nature Unborn and without essential characteristics. They do not arise, they do not develop, And they are characterized by the fact that they lack attributes.

“The self-arisen Victorious One will teach Those men who are reverent and who value advice, Who are favorably disposed toward instruction. He will teach them, through his own experience, the training that is the door to liberation.

“They fully embody the riches of faith and the riches of morality, Of conscience and moral sensitivity, of learning, of renunciation, and of wisdom. They embody these riches And reveal to him the treasury of Dharma, these inexhaustible seven.

“I will always be reverent, value advice, and be open. I will always think of my benevolent spiritual friend. In these ways, I will serve the gurus In my pursuit of unsurpassed awakening.

“Having cultivated these kinds of thoughts, With the greatest love and compassion, I will offer an earthenware container Filled with crystal-clear water to those who are thirsty.

“These then, Śāriputra, are the ten thoughts the bodhisatva cultivates, and so he applies himself to The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, honoring and serving his teacher to the extent that he would even be willing to give up his water flask.

“By means of these roots of virtue, such a bodhisatva obtains four things. What are these four things? He is able to quickly understand the teachings on what is wholesome. He praises his teacher. His efforts bear fruit, and he does not regress. Because of the Dharma, he does not allow himself to become disheartened by suffering. These, Śāriputra, are the four things such a bodhisatva obtains in a human existence.

“There is a further set of four things he obtains. What are these four things? Having trained a great many beings, he has a firm foundation in the pure Dharma. He establishes hermitages where one can dwell in seclusion and that effectively bring pleasure and joy to a great many beings. He remains joyful day and night. He does not become overwhelmed, and at death he is reborn in a joyful heavenly existence. These, Śāriputra, are the four further things the bodhisatva obtains.

“When he is born among the gods he obtains four things. What are these four things? He obtains an elevated seat in the assembly of the gods. His fame in all divine assemblies is such that they think, ‘Whatever he says, we will listen to it and take it to heart.’ He is sought out by Śakra, the lord of the gods, as well as by other divine sons, and he does not need to search for other divine sons whom he can address and whose doubts he can eliminate. He manifests great palaces for their enjoyment. These Śāriputra, are the four things the bodhisatva obtains.

“In divine and human existences, he finds hundreds of thousands of immeasurable ways to enter into the Dharma.”

The Lord then went on to speak these verses:

“He occupies an elevated seat And is honored by the gods. Wherever he expounds the Dharma, The gods give him their attention.

“All give him their praise As a learned one without selfishness. Śakra seeks his advice. His palace is of breathtaking beauty.

“When he leaves the divine realm, He takes on a human existence [MS.69.a] And becomes a king with great magical powers, An unselfish king of the entire world.

“Leaving the human realm behind, He returns to the heavens. Having shown reverence to the gurus, He does not experience any suffering at all.

“These are the four illustrious states That are always obtained By one who is undeterred In his reverence for the gurus.

“Giving away his water flask Out of affection and veneration, He is worthy of being venerated By gods, nāgas, and men.

“When he dwells among the gods, there is a further set of four things he obtains. What are these four things? He has knowledge of his accumulation of previously performed actions and of the roots of virtue by means of which he has now attained this rebirth. He knows that wholesome things deteriorate. He knows, too, the rebirth he will take when he passes on from this state of existence. After he has instructed the assembly of the gods in the Dharma, encouraged them in their understanding, engaged them, and delighted them, he passes on from the heavenly realms. These, Śāriputra, are the four further things the bodhisatva obtains.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, there is a further set of four things the bodhisatva obtains. What are these four things? When he passes from his divine abode and comes to dwell among human beings, he will possess five noble qualities in his existence as a human being. What are these five noble qualities? He will be born into a noble family, he will be noble in his appearance, he will be noble in his morality, he will be noble in the company of his followers, and he will be noble in the love sentient beings will have for him. These, Śāriputra, are the five noble qualities he obtains.

“Moreover, he will possess five qualities of inseparability. What are these five qualities of inseparability? He is not separated from his friend. He is not separated from his body, as it does not decay rapidly. He is not separated from pleasures. It is impossible for him to become separated from the mind of awakening, and if the Dharma is hard to obtain, he provides the Dharma in abundance. These, Śāriputra, are the five qualities of inseparability he obtains.

“Moreover, he will possess five wonder-working abilities. What are these five wonder-working abilities? The first wonder-working ability is that any empty, worn-out container upon which he places his hand becomes filled with jewels. The second wonder-working ability is that he can manifest reservoirs of water that possesses eight qualities for those who are thirsty. The third wonder-working ability is that no external physical harm can befall him, whether it be injuries caused by poison, by weapons, by fire, by water, or by harmful yakṣas. [MS.69.b] The fourth wonder-working ability is that he is not born on the Jambu continent during an age of strife, an age of plague, an age of famine, an age of fire, an age of water, an age of wind, an age of thirst, an age of torment, or an age of yakṣas. During these ages, he will take divine birth, with its pleasures and its strength. He will be exceedingly happy and strong. The fifth wonder-working ability, Śāriputra, is that as he possesses these roots of virtue, the bodhisatva is not born into unfortunate circumstances. He is not born into the lower realms. It is not possible for him to become entangled in misfortune. Renunciation is quick to spring forth in him.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, with these roots of virtue there are four things that he will not lack. What are these four things? When he sees the suffering of sentient beings, the bodhisatva will develop great compassion. Those who are his sons and daughters will have great reverence and respect for him. Even if age takes its toll on him, he will not buckle. The benefits that come from the actions he performs are multiplied a hundredfold, or even two or three hundredfold. These are the four things that the bodhisatva comes to possess and that he will never be without.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, with these roots of virtue there are three things that will not carry the bodhisatva away. What are these three things? He will not be carried away by desire, he will not be carried away by anger, and he will not be carried away by confusion. These are the three things that will not carry him away.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, with these roots of virtue the bodhisatva obtains four kinds of well-being. What are these four kinds of well-being? He does not become afflicted by long-lasting illness. His joints do not become stiff. He is able to enjoy pleasures. He does not have to suffer the harm that kings or thieves are able to inflict on other sentient beings. These, Śāriputra, are the four types of well-being that the bodhisatva obtains.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, with these roots of virtue the bodhisatva gains four weighty positions. What are these four weighty positions? The first weighty position he gains is that he becomes a king of the entire world with a domain that extends in the four directions, a Dharma king in possession of the seven precious implements. The seven precious implements he comes to possess are the precious wheel, the precious elephant, the precious horse, the precious jewel, the precious queen, the precious householder, and the precious minister. He will have a thousand sons who will be heroic and courageous, whose physical abilities will be supreme, and who will be able to crush the forces of his enemies. He will have four subservient fiefdoms. He will be venerated. All who dwell within his borders—astrologers, high officials, guards, counsilors, townspeople, and villagers—will venerate him. The second weighty position he gains, Śāriputra, is that he will not in any way be attracted to the five pleasures of the senses. What are the five pleasures of the senses? They are the visual objects conceived of by the eye, [MS.70.a] the sounds conceived of by the ear, the smells conceived of by the nose, the tastes conceived of by the tongue, and the physical sensations conceived of by the body. He will not be attracted to these five pleasures of the senses in any way, and because of his faith he will leave the ordinary household life behind and become a renunciant. He will quickly attain the five superior abilities, and he will be venerated by human and nonhuman beings alike. The third weighty position he gains, Śāriputra, is that wherever he is born he will always have an exceptional intellectual capacity, exceptional wisdom, and exceptional eloquence. He will have the fame of a king. He will be treated in the same way Mahauṣadha was in the past, and he will be awarded a seat of honor within the royal court. The king will honor him, and so will others, such as astrologers, high officials, guards, councilors, townspeople, and villagers. The fourth weighty position he gains, Śāriputra, is that when he reaches the state of an unsurpassed, fully accomplished buddha, he will surpass and be greater than all other sentient beings: gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, human beings, and nonhuman beings. His morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and insight into the knowledge of liberation will be exceptional. His morality will be exceptionally vast. His concentration, wisdom, liberation, and insight into the knowledge of liberation will be exceptionally vast. These are the four weighty positions he attains.

“Śāriputra, these are the kinds of unlimited qualities the bodhisatva comes to possess when he offers his water flask to his preceptors and teachers. For the sake of the Dharma, he follows what he is told to follow and does not go against the advice he receives. Because of these roots of virtue, he then obtains four kinds of possessions. What are these four kinds of possessions? He obtains the possessions of a king, possessions that ordinary men do not obtain. He obtains the possessions of an ascetic. In order to cast off desire, he removes himself, meaning that because of his faith he leaves ordinary household life behind and becomes a renunciant. This is what is called the possession of the Dharma. Moreover, Śāriputra, wherever he takes birth, the bodhisatva is able to recollect all his births, and with this recollection of his previous births, he does not abandon the mind of awakening in these births. This is what is called the possession of recollection. Moreover, Śāriputra, when he reaches the state of an unsurpassed, fully accomplished buddha, he is accompanied and esteemed by the four assemblies. He is accompanied and esteemed by gods, nāgas, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, human beings, and nonhuman beings. These are the four kinds of possessions he attains.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, whichever teacher he is in the presence of, he receives and remembers verses of the Dharma. If he is told to follow, he follows. If he is told to go, he goes. He is told what is wholesome and what is unwholesome, what is irreproachable and what is reproachable, what should be relied upon and what should not be relied upon, and so forth. He is told what will, in the long run, prove useless and unhelpful and bring suffering if practiced. He is told what will prove meaningful and helpful and bring happiness if it is done. In accordance with these instructions, he does not then do what is unwholesome but instead relies upon what is wholesome. He is not led astray and does not go against the advice he has received. With these roots of virtue, [MS.70.b] his practice becomes elevated in four ways. In what four ways does his practice become elevated? His practice of morality becomes elevated. His physical appearance becomes elevated. His appearance becomes imposing, and all the parts of his body become perfect. His wisdom becomes great. His wisdom becomes exalted. His wisdom becomes broad. His wisdom becomes vast. His wisdom becomes quick. His wisdom becomes sharp. His wisdom becomes swift. His wisdom becomes deep, and his wisdom becomes penetrating. When his body succumbs, he is reborn in the joyful heavenly realms. These are the four ways in which his practice becomes elevated.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva with these roots of virtue possesses four unobservable qualities. What are these four unobservable qualities? The first unobservable quality he possesses is that his male organ is retracted in a sheath. The second unobservable quality the bodhisatva with these roots of virtue possesses, Śāriputra, is that upon his birth, no one is able to see his crown protrusion. Neither his mother nor his father, nor any other relatives, nor any other sentient beings at all, not gods, nāgas, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, human beings, or nonhuman beings, whether their state of mind is pure or not, are able to see the bodhisatva’s crown protrusion. The third unobservable quality the bodhisatva with these roots of virtue possesses, Śāriputra, is that upon his birth, no one is able to perform the mouth-washing ceremony for him. Neither his mother nor his father, and so forth, nor any human beings or nonhuman beings, whether their state of mind is pure or not, are able to perform the mouth-washing ceremony for him. When they try to perform the mouth-washing ceremony, the entrance of his mouth appears on his feet. Why does this happen? It happens because of the wondrous and extraordinary qualities that this noble being possesses, and because of this noble being’s supreme speech. The fourth unobservable quality the bodhisatva with these roots of virtue possesses, Śāriputra, is that as soon as the bodhisatva is born he is not restricted by anything external. He has a full overview of the regions in the four directions. His knowledge blazes. How does this happen? As the bodhisatva was unwavering in his search for learning in the past, he attained an undeceiving eye, and with this undeceiving eye, which is divine sight of supreme purity that surpasses anything human, the bodhisatva can see all sentient beings in the threefold thousand great thousand worlds, however many they may be. This great knowledge the bodhisatva has obtained is also very swift. With this great knowledge, the bodhisatva is able to know the states of mind of all sentient beings in the three times. How is he able to do this? As the bodhisatva was purposeful in the past, focused, and fully engaged with the teachings, and as he had respect for them, viewing them as medicine, as precious, as difficult to encounter, and as authentic, he became learned, and as a result of this the bodhisatva obtained very swift analytical abilities. With these analytical abilities the bodhisatva is able to examine the morality of all sentient beings, as well as their learning, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and insight into the knowledge of liberation. He is able to examine their general level of morality, as well as their general level of learning, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and insight into the knowledge of liberation. [MS.71.a] He is able to examine what the effects of the morality of all sentient beings will be, as well as what the effects of their learning, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and insight into the knowledge of liberation will be. He is able to examine how the effects of the morality of all sentient beings becomes greater, as well as how the effects of their learning, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge of liberation become greater. He is able to examine the religious practice, conduct, progress, and effort of all sentient beings. He compares himself with all sentient beings. He compares the morality, learning, and so forth, up to insight into the knowledge of liberation, of all sentient beings with his own. He compares the general level of morality of all sentient beings, as well as their general level of learning, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and insight into the knowledge of liberation, with his own. He compares the effects of all sentient beings’ morality, as well as the effects of their learning, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and insight into the knowledge of liberation, with his own. He compares how the effects of the morality of all sentient beings become greater, and how the effects of their learning, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and insight into the knowledge of liberation become greater with how his own become greater. He takes the religious practice, conduct, progress, and effort of all sentient beings and holds it up against his own merits. He is not able to find anything in all this that can compare to what he possesses. Even if he searches out those sentient beings who are in the best possible conditions, he is not able to find anyone who can compare to himself. His analytical abilities are so swift, Śāriputra, that the bodhisatva knows instantly what the effects of the ripening of the fruits of previous actions will be. In the blink of an eye, he knows a thousand different aspects of the minds of all sentient beings, and among all of them he is not able find any that compare to himself. He knows that he himself inhabits an exceptional position, and then like a lion, like an elephant, he takes seven uninhibited steps across the ground. He faces the place that is destined to be the seat of his awakening and proclaims, ‘I am supreme in the world. I am foremost in the world. I will put an end to birth, aging, and death. I will liberate sentient beings from the torments of birth, aging, and death. I will provide them with the vastness of the Dharma.’ Śāriputra, as soon as the bodhisatva has spoken these words, their sound carries across the threefold thousand great thousand worlds and are known throughout them. Great earthquakes are felt in the world, and formidable divine drums that cause one’s hair to stand on end resound perpetually. The ground on which the bodhisatva stands, an area the size of a wheel, remains unmoving. All the water in that place remains undisturbed by the wind. His overview of things is complete, and he sees what his own role is, but no sentient being is able to observe that he is an unsurpassed, fully accomplished buddha. These, Śāriputra, are the four unobservable qualities of the bodhisatva. What causes them? He does what his teacher instructs him to do. If he is told to follow, he follows. If he is told to go, he goes.

“With these roots of virtue he obtains four kinds of ease. What are these four kinds of ease? The first kind of ease he obtains is that the teachings of the lords, the buddhas, are in no way lacking, and that the lords, the buddhas’ instructions in the Dharma are not ineffective. The second kind of ease he obtains is that with these roots of virtue the Tathāgata can say, ‘Come, monk!’ he can say, ‘Follow me, monk!’ [MS.71.b] and the bodhisatva will then cut off his hair, don saffron, and take up the alms bowl. The third kind of ease he obtains is that with these roots of virtue, the Tathāgata knows the minds of all beings in the three times. The fourth kind of ease he obtains is that with these roots of virtue, the Tathāgata knows what kind of medicine is appropriate for any sentient being. These are the four kinds of ease. How do they come about? They come about because he offered his water flask to his teachers and preceptors with a strong, well-developed motivation.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, with these roots of virtue the bodhisatva obtains four qualities of unassailability. What are these four qualities of unassailability? It is not the case, Śāriputra, that the Tathāgata can be hurt by fire, by weapons, or by poison, or that he can suffer an untimely death by means of any kind of external harm. This is what is impossible. This is not the case. These are the four qualities of unassailability that he obtains.

“There is a further set of four qualities of unassailability that he obtains. What are these four qualities of unassailability? It is not the case, Śāriputra, that any sentient being is able to learn even a single word of the Dharma of the Tathāgata that is beyond the sphere of learning. This is what is impossible. This is not the case. It is not the case, and so forth, that any sentient being can identify even a single mental event of the Tathāgata’s that is not concentrated. This is what is impossible. This is not the case. Śāriputra, the Tathāgata always dwells in concentration. The Tathāgata dwells in love, in compassion, in empathetic joy, and in equanimity. It is not the case, Śāriputra, that any sentient being is able to fully understand the body, the form, and the attributes of the Tathāgata. This is what is impossible. This is not the case. These are the four further qualities of unassailability that he obtains.

“Śāriputra, the Tathāgata possesses five immeasurable qualities. What are these five immeasurable qualities? Śāriputra, the morality of the Tathāgata is immeasurable. The concentration, the wisdom, the liberation, and the insight into the knowledge of liberation of the Tathāgata are immeasurable. These, Śāriputra, are the five immeasurable qualities of the Tathāgata.

“Śāriputra, he follows when he is instructed to follow, and possessing roots of virtue in this way, he obtains four kinds of unimpeded knowledge. What are these four kinds of unimpeded knowledge? His insight into the knowledge of the lords, the buddhas, of the past is unimpeded and unobstructed. His insight into the knowledge of the lords, the buddhas, of the future is unimpeded and unobstructed. His insight into the knowledge of the lords, the buddhas, of the present is unimpeded and unobstructed. The Tathāgata remains concentrated, and by means of his concentration he has unified knowledge of the three times. The Tathāgata’s knowledge is perfect, and by means of his perfect knowledge he has knowledge of all phenomena, and this knowledge is neither obstructed by nor dependent on anything external. The Tathāgata’s knowledge is inconceivable. As he possesses this inconceivable knowledge, [MS.72.a] the Tathāgata has intimate knowledge of the winds and rain. There is a wind that blows called harmonious that can be experienced by any sentient being, and this wind rises to a height of three krośas. Above this there blows a wind called cloud wind, and this wind system rises to a height of five krośas. Above this there blows a wind called destroyer, and this is a system of winds that rises to a height of ten yojanas. Above this there blows a wind called free from birth, and this is a system of winds that rises to a height of thirty yojanas. Above this there blows a wind called transcendent, and this is a system of winds that rises to a height of forty yojanas. Śāriputra, the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha is able to know six hundred eighty billion wind systems by relying on wisdom. The final wind system is called all pervasive. It rises to a height of sixty-eight thousand yojanas above the level of where the water element is found on earth, and its height above the ground is sixty-eight thousand yojanas.

“Śāriputra, such figures and reckonings characterize the threefold thousand great thousand worlds, and it is here that the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Mahāskandha presently resides. This is where he dwells and where he is active. He has a lifespan of ten million years. He is accompanied by a great assembly of śrāvakas consisting of three hundred million billion great śrāvakas who are all arhats, who have eliminated the defilements, who are free from vices, who are powerful, and who have reached the very highest level of complete mastery of the mind. He is accompanied by an assembly of a billion great bodhisatvas, great beings, who are accomplished in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, who have a thorough grasp of its meaning, who possess a great ocean of learning and can express the Dharma, who dwell in the state of emptiness, who dwell in the state of freedom from attributes, and who dwell in the state of freedom from aspirations. After his final passing, the true Dharma will last for a thousand years: ‘One thousand years after my final passing, it, too, will finally pass away.’ His relics will be distributed: ‘As I now pass into final nirvāṇa, my relics are to be distributed.’

“Śāriputra, the knowledge of the Tathāgata is unimpeded. There is no measure higher than the knowledge of the Tathāgata. The field of a buddha reaches as far as the winds can travel. Śāriputra, there are worlds to the zenith where there is no tathāgata at present, but in those worlds there are a hundred thousand pratyekabuddhas in the presence of whom living beings are cultivating roots of virtue.

“Śāriputra, the Tathāgata relies on knowledge, and hence he fully knows the tathāgatas, [MS.72.b] the arhats, the fully accomplished buddhas, as numerous as the grains of sand in the river Ganges, who are appearing right at this moment. He fully knows the unlimited, innumerable, inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable tathāgatas, arhats, fully accomplished buddhas, who are appearing in the ten directions at this very moment. He fully knows the buddha fields that are burning, however many they may be.”

When the Lord had said this, the venerable Śāriputra then asked him, “Lord, which roots of virtue does the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha possess that provide him with unobscured knowledge?”

The Lord answered, “Śāriputra, my powers are complete, and seeing the greatness of the Dharma, I venerate it, and I consider it to be medicine, to be precious, to be difficult to obtain, to be the root of virtue, to be genuine. Taking hold of it with this reverential approach, I master the approach of the Dharma, and as a consequence, Śāriputra, the knowledge of the Tathāgata blazes forth. The Tathāgata comes to know a great many things. The knowledge of the lords, the buddhas, is so supreme that it is uninterrupted, it is unlimited, it cannot be reckoned, and it is inconceivable, incomparable, and inexpressible.

“With the power that comes from following when he is told to follow, the Tathāgata is able to travel across as many buddha fields as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges, and back again, in the blink of an eye. Śāriputra, this confidence that allows me to accumulate learning is what will facilitate swift liberation. My liberation is true liberation. What is it liberation from? It is true liberation from all suffering.

“Śāriputra, those who simply hear about these fourfold sets that inspire reverence will reach the following conviction: ‘We will abide by this. We will follow this way. This is what we will stick to, and so we will never again be separated from the Buddha’s teachings.’ Even though they may not remember the exact words and phrases of the discourses containing these instructions, these roots of virtue will still lead them to obtain four things that are generated by wisdom. What are these four things? With wisdom, they will reach great wisdom. With wisdom, they will have the good fortune of seeing and meeting buddhas. With wisdom, they will develop the faith that will lead them to leave ordinary household life behind and become renunciants. With wisdom, they will reach the state of unsurpassed, fully accomplished buddhahood. These are the four things that are generated by wisdom.

“They will obtain four things in abundance. What are these four things? They will obtain an abundance of human states of existence. They will obtain an abundance of opportunities to meet a buddha. They will obtain an abundance of faith that will lead them to leave ordinary household life behind and become renunciants. They will obtain the abundance of reaching the state of unsurpassed, fully accomplished buddhahood. These are the four things [MS.73.a] that they will obtain in abundance.

“They will attain four states. What are these four states? They will obtain the state of being a universal one. They will become a king of the entire world, they will become Brahmā in the realm of the brahmā gods, they will become Śakra, the lord of the gods, and reaching the state of unsurpassed, fully accomplished buddhahood, they will obtain mastery of the entirety of the Dharma. They will obtain the power of good reputation. They will obtain insight into the mental abilities of sentient beings. They will know the scope of magical abilities, and their eyesight will be like that of those who dwell in the heavenly realms.”

Then, in order to clarify this point further, the Lord spoke these verses:

“He is a protector and a guide for the world, Supreme among all sentient beings. He knows all modes of healing That lead one to attain nirvāṇa.

“The consequences that come From him following the advice he received Are that he will never experience any sort of suffering And will never fail to value advice.

“He easily goes the heavenly realms, He easily takes human existences, He easily comes to behold the buddhas, And he will avoid misfortune.

“He becomes wealthy, with great riches, And he discovers many treasures. Whatever he lays his hand upon Fills with all kinds of jewels.

“He is surrounded by Ponds of perfect water with eight qualities. He will never have to experience pain. This is the result of being receptive to advice.

“He does not become crippled or lame. His legs do not shrivel up or become bent. His limbs do not cause him any pain, Nor do they ever deteriorate.

“He does not lack any fingers, Nor is he hunchbacked or one eyed. He does not suffer from elephantiasis. This is the result of being receptive to advice.

“His limbs are full and brilliant And as sturdy as iron. He is beautiful, attractive, And elegant, with a bright complexion.

“He is venerated by the gods And honored by human beings. He is venerated by the nāgas. This is the grace of being receptive to advice.

“Having left the lower realms behind, He travels to the higher abodes, And as a man he quickly realizes awakening— This is the result of being receptive to advice.

“This man knows the minds Of all sentient beings fully, And so he takes seven steps And makes a declaration to the world.

“His knowledge is supreme. His wisdom is supreme. His liberation is supreme. He is supreme among all sentient beings.

“With wisdom, his wisdom is perfected, And he is firmly established in wisdom and knowledge. Wisdom, knowledge, and liberation Are what all buddhas cultivate.

“With wisdom the true nature of things becomes known, And with knowledge what is knowable becomes known. Nothing is difficult to grasp For one who possesses wisdom.

“These are the sorts of excellent things That I have taught you, But beings with little inclination toward these things Do not consider them to be of any use.

“Oppressed by delusion, They are foolish and evil. They become angry and hateful And develop no respect for the Dharma.

“As these beings have little dedication, They cultivate these sorts of things And will have no reverence For one another.

“Beings who never have any reverence, But take joy in the evils of anger, Will proclaim, with a mind filled with vices: ‘We are honorable ones.’

“ ‘Elders’ who are merely old, ‘Elders’ who are just aged and decrepit, Will say that when the time for death comes, Their last existence has come to pass.

“ ‘Elders’ who are merely old, ‘Elders’ who are just aged and decrepit, Enjoy offerings befitting an arhat, But then they fall straight into hell.

“Being a moral person is rare enough, Not to mention becoming an arhat. One may express faith in constructing a stūpa And still go to the lower realms.

“Śāriputra, the bodhisatva who practices morality in this way [MS.73.b] will honor and serve his teacher for the sake of The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, and he will obtain these sorts of benefits and benefits that are even greater than these—that are unlimited, inconceivable and immeasurable. So it is, Śāriputra, that the bodhisatva who bases himself firmly on The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva values advice and keeps his morality completely pure when he practices the way of the bodhisatva.

“What does pure morality imply in this context? Śāriputra, the pure morality of the bodhisatva has ten features. What are these ten features? He does not hurt any sentient being. He does not steal the property of others. He does not desire another’s wife. He does not deceive any sentient being. He does not publicly slander people. He is patient when faced with abuse, and he does not use harsh language. He abstains from idle chatter, and instead he expresses himself coherently. He is not selfish, and so he does not covet others’ wealth. He can patiently endure slanderous speech and does not develop malice. He has no affinity for other gods, and so he is free from wrong views. These, Śāriputra, are the ten features of the pure morality of the bodhisatva.

“Śāriputra, there is a further set of ten features of pure morality of the bodhisatva. What are these ten features? He is not attracted to the ignorant, and so his morality does not become impaired. He avoids disadvantageous rebirths, and so his morality does not become broken. He does not become entangled in any disturbing emotions, and so his morality does not become muddled. He is only concerned with strengthening positive qualities, and so his morality remains unsullied. He follows his own instincts, and so his morality remains free. There is nothing for which the wise can criticize him, and so he maintains his reputation for moral purity. He abstains from pursuing any vices, and so his morality remains blameless. He controls his senses, guarding his morality well. He is attentive and mindful, guarding his morality superbly. These, Śāriputra, are ten further features of the pure morality of the bodhisatva.

“Śāriputra, there is a further set of ten features of pure morality of the bodhisatva. What are these ten features? As he knows what the appropriate limits are, he maintains the morality of moderation. As he has overcome desire, he maintains the morality of contentment. As he keeps his body and mind in remote places, he maintains the morality of perseverance. As he despises involvement with worldly matters, he maintains the morality of dwelling in the wilderness. As he is self-reliant in developing roots of virtue, he maintains the morality of ascetic practices and abstinence. As he does not stare at people’s faces, he maintains the morality of delighting in the lineage of the noble ones. As he does not break his promises to gods or men, he maintains the morality of acting in accord with his words. As he is focused on his own mind, he maintains the morality of being aware of his own inadequacies. As he is considerate of the minds of others, he does not think badly of others’ inadequacies. As he does not abandon the methods for bringing people together, he maintains the morality of bringing sentient beings to maturity. These, Śāriputra, are ten further features of the pure morality of the bodhisatva.

“Śāriputra, there is a further set of ten features of pure morality of the bodhisatva. What are these ten features? As his mind is not jaded, he maintains the morality of having faith in the Buddha. As he defends the authentic teaching, he maintains the morality of having faith in the Dharma. As he has reverence for the noble assembly, he maintains the morality of having faith in the Saṅgha. As he always keeps his mind directed toward the buddhas and bodhisatvas, he maintains the morality of homage and veneration. As he develops the necessary factors of awakening, he maintains the morality of relying upon a spiritual friend. As he has abandoned all unwholesome forms of conduct, he upholds the morality of ridding oneself of negative influences. As he helps to bring all sentient beings to maturity, he upholds the morality of love. [MS.74.a] As he helps to bring pitiable sentient beings to maturity, he upholds the morality of compassion. As he enjoys and delights in the Dharma, he maintains the morality of empathetic joy. As he has rid himself of attachment and anger, he maintains the morality of equanimity. These, Śāriputra, are ten further features of the pure morality of the bodhisatva.

“Śāriputra, there is a further set of ten features of pure morality of the bodhisatva. What are these ten features? As he helps to bring sentient beings to maturity, he maintains the morality of generosity. As he guards his mind, he maintains the morality of patience. As he does not give up, he maintains the morality of vigor. As he perfects the requirements for meditation, he maintains the morality of meditation. As his thirst for learning about what is fundamental is insatiable, he maintains the morality of wisdom. As he studies The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, he maintains the morality of pursuing learning. As he keeps impermanence in mind, he maintains the morality of having no concern for the body. As he maintains an understanding that the mind is like an illusion, he maintains the morality of not trusting in a life force. As his morality is completely pure from the outset, he maintains the morality that is the fulfillment of all intentions. As he dedicates all his morality to awakening, he maintains the morality that connects one with the tathāgatas. These, Śāriputra, are ten further features of the pure morality of the bodhisatva.

“Śāriputra, the morality of the bodhisatva is so completely pure that there is no divine or human glory that he does not experience. There is no worldly craft or skill that he does not master, and there are no pleasures or resources that sentient beings possess that he cannot attain. There is no way for ordinary people to come into conflict with him—the bodhisatva has no enmity. There is no liar that the bodhisatva does not relate to in good faith. There is no sentient being that he does not consider as having been his mother. There is no sentient being among the different kinds of beings who he does not consider as having been his father. There is no sentient being that will not place their trust in him. There are no conditioned phenomena that he does not consider to be impermanent. As he sees that this is the way of all conditioned things, the bodhisatva practices the way of the bodhisatva, keeping his morality pure with no concern for his body or his life.”

This is what the Lord said. After the Sugata had said this, he, the teacher, continued as follows:

“The sound, the features, and the form Of the Dharma body of the protector Are not hard to obtain For those who practice morality.

“One will not become blind or deaf, Crippled or impaired in any way. One who has embarked on what is pure Will have a beautiful appearance.

“One will have great power, great strength, And one will shine with the greatest splendor. One’s wisdom and vigor will be like that of Vāyuna, Arousing fear in the evil Māra.

“Worshiped by kings, Honored by gods and nāgas, [MS.74.b] They eliminate all doubt And excel in the practice of love.

“They master the field of morality And do not fear dying. Religious practitioners of great renown Will not go to the lower realms.

“Even in their sleep they watch over All sentient beings and never grow tired. They search in all four directions For genuine teachings.

“Those who master the field of morality Will give away the most precious riches, Their wives and their own flesh, In the search for the path of awakening.

“They search for the highest Dharma, The unsurpassed teachings of the Buddha. They are lords of the world, Worthy recipients of veneration.

“They put up with abuse, criticism, And all kinds of wicked behavior. They praise patience. They are masters of patience.

“They act as they speak. They do not speak falsely, And when they sit on the seat of awakening The earth shakes.

“They do not doubt the Buddha’s teachings, And they dispense with other gods, Never holding anything to be more sacred Than the Buddha, the Lord.

“The mark of a learned one Is that he reconciles those Who use weapons and poison To hurt one another.

“He has no concern for his own welfare, And he will never abandon sentient beings Once he has seen their immense suffering, Even if he has to remain for thousands of millions of eons.

“Sentient beings relate to one another thinking, ‘I am friendly when it benefits me.’ Then, when friendliness brings no benefit, They do not hesitate to kill one another.

“ ‘I will fill the Jambu continent, And even the mighty buddha realms, With riches and give it to you— You are my friend whatever happens.’

“He remains even minded Toward all sentient beings, Even if his major and minor limbs Are severed with sharp weapons.

“For the sake of the Buddha’s teachings, They defeat the teachings of the immature. They always maintain pure morality, And master the true Dharma.

“They practice the way of awakening By engaging with the Dharma and with whatever is in accord with it. In order to realize awakening, They will give up the nectar of threefold knowledge.

“Remaining within the field of morality, All the teachings become their training, And in the world with its gods The wise accord them honor.

“They have no doubts whatsoever about the Dharma, And they are experts in whatever field may be relevant. They know the inclinations of sentient beings And give them verses that please them.

“They purify the field of morality And realize supreme awakening. Sitting below the supreme tree, They chase away the evil māras.

“Shining with an intense radiance Equal to the light of the sun and moon, They become the foremost among sentient beings, Ascending by means of the eye of wisdom.

“They are generous to sentient beings, Providing answers about the path. They always speak in a congenial manner And have no envy whatsoever.

“They spontaneously and in abundance Give themselves and their riches to others, But not for anything Will they give up supreme awakening.

“Their faith and morality are perfect. They have mastered words of truth, And as they are firm in their practice of morality, There will be no trickery on their part.

“A liar might come their way, Saying ‘Give me this’ or ‘Do that,’ Even believing it himself, But they will recognize words of truth.

“If he orders everyone to give away Their robes and their alms bowls, [MS.75.a] He will not be troubled If they do not do as he says.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva who keeps his morality pure will view all conditioned things with distaste. He will view all sentient beings as his mother and father. He will view the pleasures of the five senses as worthless. He will view sensory experiences as telling him nothing. Neither agreeable nor disagreeable things will disturb him.

“How does he do this? If one reacts to things going well, this might take one’s mind off nirvāṇa. If one reacts to things not going well, this will lead one’s mental disturbances to become even more rampant. Eye consciousness comes about in dependence on eye and form; mental attachment arises and ceases, and the dormant tendencies that it has lead one to hold the idea of a thing’s true nature. A mistaken perception leads to a mistaken idea, and one thinks, ‘It is beautiful.’ This is the mistake that is made. Approaching something thinking ‘It is not beautiful’ brings liberation. When liberation occurs, elimination occurs. What is it that is eliminated? Desire is eliminated. Anger is eliminated. Confusion is eliminated. At the same time, there is no elimination of desire, nor is there any elimination of anger or elimination of confusion. How can this be so? If when desire is eliminated that desire was considered to be something separate, then the elimination would be something other than that, and desire would be something truly real. Therefore, it is because desire has no reality that it can be eliminated.

“So it is, Śāriputra, that desire is created by superficial mental activity and manifests due to conceptualization. Without conceptualization, no mental constructs take place. The abandoning of mental constructs is not something that is real, and that which lacks desire is not something that is real. Something that is not real does not suffer and does not experience agony, and something that does not experience agony is not real. Something that is not real has no anguish. This is the way of pacification, nirvāṇa, the state of no desire. How is this the case? Nirvāṇa is not something within the mental sphere. It is that which eliminates desire. Thus, the elimination of desire is defined as nirvāṇa. Desire is one thing, and nirvāṇa is another. That which is other is beyond other things. And that which is beyond other things is what the wise seek. In seeking this they do not apprehend an essence. Something that has no essence is hollow. Something that is hollow is void. Something that is void is empty. What is it empty of? It is empty of a self and of ownership, permanence, stability, constancy, and any unchangeable phenomena. In the absence of a sentient being there is no life force, and consequently no desire arises, no anger arises, and no confusion arises.

“Where then does the reversal of the idea of I or mine, of this is me or this is mine, the grasping at a self or the grasping at ownership, take place? Mental conditioning comes from grasping at ownership. Conditions are created in four ways. What are these four ways? One can be conditioned by the bodily. One can be conditioned by the verbal. One might express oneself using harsh language as a result of a mental process and then go on to inflict physical harm. This is how one comes to hold on to the idea of a self and an other. This conceptual knot, Śāriputra, binds all ordinary, immature beings. Śāriputra, as the bodhisatva comes to understand that this is how distortions arise, he does not accommodate anything like this. Why is this? He sees that this kind of accommodation is a danger, and he thinks, ‘I have no interest in such danger.’ As a consequence of this, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva does not make himself reliant on sentient beings.

“In what way, Śāriputra, does the bodhisatva think of all sentient beings as his mother or his father? [MS.75.b] Śāriputra, it would be hard to come across a sentient being that has not at some point throughout time been one’s mother or one’s father. All sentient beings have been one’s parents. When desire for them arises, one turns it back by thinking of them as one’s mother, and when anger toward them arises one turns it back by thinking of them as one’s father. This then, Śāriputra, is how the bodhisatva should approach all sentient beings.

“At one time in the past, Śāriputra, a great many uncountable, innumerable, inconceivable eons ago, a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Agragaṇin appeared in the world. He was perfect in wisdom and conduct, he was a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide for those who wished to train, a teacher of gods and men, awakened, a lord. He remained in the world for nine hundred million years and had a great following of ninety thousand million billion śrāvakas.

“At that time, Śāriputra, a bodhisatva by the name of Smṛtipratilabdha was born into a royal family. He was handsome and pleasant to behold, with an abundance of the most supreme features. At his birth, his mother gave him eighty-four thousand servant girls, his father gave him eighty-four thousand servant girls, his friends, relatives, and kinsmen gave him eighty-four thousand servant girls, and his parents’ relations gave him eighty-four thousand servant girls to accompany him and aid him.

“Now, Śāriputra, his father had three palaces made for him: one for the summer, one for the rainy season, and one for the winter. He would reside where the season permitted, and whenever he went from one palace to another, hundreds of thousands of fanfares would accompany him as expressions of honor and reverence. Whenever these instruments were heard, though, the bodhisatva would think only of birth and decay, and when the music stopped he would reflect on how this sound had come about, where it had come from, why it had stopped, and where it had gone to when it ceased. He was not aware of the passage of night and day; he was only aware of impermanence. He did not take any joy in this music. As he did not take any joy in it, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva Smṛtipratilabdha never became attached to these sounds, even after forty thousand years. Even after forty thousand years, he did not take joy in them. Remaining as a householder, he dwelled in the four meditative states and perfected the five superior abilities. Then, from his dwelling, he created a magical emanation and traveled to the place where the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha Agragaṇin was staying in order to ask the Lord, the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha Agragaṇin, about the reality of roots of virtue.

“However, Śāriputra, the Lord, the Tathāgata Agragaṇin, had stated that the occasion for his final nirvāṇa had arrived.

“So, when the bodhisatva Smṛtipratilabdha arrived there, in the presence of the one who had by then attained nirvāṇa, he asked, ‘Should we mendicants honor the Tathāgata?’

“The mendicants then answered, ‘Son of good family, the Tathāgata has attained final nirvāṇa.’

“Upon hearing [MS.76.a] that Agragaṇin had attained final nirvāṇa, he fell to the earth in tears, and with his face to the ground he spoke these verses:

“ ‘He was like a light for the world. He had attained mastery in all things. I have been deceiving myself And have been traveling the road of bewilderment.

“ ‘The tathāgatas appear At intervals of thousands of millions of eons, And as I have not been able to attend a lord, Who will be my protector now?

“ ‘My mother seems like an enemy to me For not having told me about the Buddha. I should have searched for the Tathāgata The moment I was born.

“ ‘My father seems like an enemy to me, As he made me engage in pleasures. I was caught up in them And did not serve the lord of the world.

“ ‘Because of this, I did not hear The speech of the Tathāgata, which has sixty characteristics. My life has been an immense failure, As I have not attended the Buddha.

“ ‘He was a tender aid to the world And had reached perfection in everything that is fundamental. I, however, have spent my time carelessly And have not attended the supreme among men.

“ ‘Even if a thousand million billion eons were to pass, It would be exceedingly difficult to encounter a buddha. Today, as the Sugata has attained nirvāṇa, I have missed the opportunity to serve him.

“ ‘My parents are like enemies to me, As they did not immediately tell me about the Buddha. If I had had the good fortune to see the Victorious One, I would certainly have honored him and listened to his teachings.

“ ‘The voice of the Tathāgata has sixty characteristics With which its sound carries forth, But I have not had the opportunity to hear his speech today, As the Victorious One has already passed on.

“ ‘It is a great misfortune that I arrived here today, When nirvāṇa has already been attained, Leaving me with no opportunity to receive the teachings That the buddhas of the past have always revealed.’

“After this, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva got up and proceeded to the deathbed of the Lord, the Tathāgata, the Arhat Agragaṇin, and in tears he circumambulated the Tathāgata’s deathbed many hundreds and thousands of times. He then took his place to one side and spoke these verses:

“ ‘You were truly supreme among sentient beings; The teachings you gave were true. Now, for the sake of supreme awakening, The mind of truth has arisen in me.

“ ‘I am not to see the Tathāgata, The one who speaks truly, the one whose wisdom is great. I hope, though, that my knowledge may become Like that of the Victorious One.

“ ‘Because I was weak willed in the past, Because I was ignorant on the side of the māras, Remaining as a householder, I did not attend the most superior of men.

“ ‘Because of good deeds performed in the past, I sought out the Tathāgata. But you could not impart teachings to me— How terrible is the pain this causes me.

“ ‘May the words of truth that I present In the presence of gods and nāgas Come to be just as I have spoken them, If I am able to pursue what is authentic.

“ ‘May I become a buddha In the future, supreme among men, One who sees what is meaningful, a great elephant, One who upholds the true teachings.

“ ‘May I not be born into unfavorable circumstances Or have a life governed by sensual distractions. May I not end up in a female form Or be bound by the chains of Māra.

“ ‘May I always encounter buddhas, [MS.76.b] So that they can teach me the Dharma directly. May I have faith when I see them And attend them faithfully.

“ ‘May these words that I have spoken Come true in exactly this way, And may this truth establish in me The same awakening as that of the Buddha.

“ ‘Now, as these words have been uttered, Thousands of millions of gods Spread fine fabrics on this seat Where the Tathāgata rests.

“ ‘They are gathering in space In joyful celebration, And up above they are singing The praises of the Victorious One.

“ ‘The supreme sayings of the one who possesses great magical abilities Reveal his desire to bring benefit to the world. The protectors remember the words of the Buddha And disseminate his supreme teachings.’

“After he had spoken these words, he continued with the following verses in order to put the crowd in good spirits:

“ ‘It has been prophesied by the supreme among men That I will become a buddha in this world. Therefore, follow my example And honor the Tathāgata.

“ ‘How could I possibly fail to have faith in the Buddha, The inconceivable protector of the world, Who through his great compassion for me Has manifested final nirvāṇa?’

“With this display of roots of virtue, he presented great offerings to the Tathāgata and worshiped him. After his death he was reborn in the joyful heavenly realms because of these roots of virtue. For two hundred million eons, he did not fall into the lower realms. For two hundred million eons he never indulged in the pleasures of the senses. Eager for unsurpassed perfect awakening, he served seven thousand buddhas, presenting all of them with great offerings and worshiping them. He led a life of purity in every way, and in his final eon, in his final birth, in his final existence, his roots of virtue led him to appear in the world as a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Sālarāja. He was perfect in wisdom and conduct, and he was a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide for those who wished to train, a teacher of gods and men, awakened, a lord. Śāriputra, the lord Sālarāja lived for two hundred million years. Śāriputra, the tathāgata Sālarāja had two assemblies of śrāvakas: one assembly of śrāvakas consisting of two hundred million mendicants, and one assembly of śrāvakas consisting of forty thousand mendicants. Every one of them was an arhat who had eliminated their defilements, who was free from vices, who had great abilities, and so forth, and who had reached the very highest level of complete mastery of the mind. After his final nirvāṇa, his relics were distributed widely. After his final nirvāṇa, Śāriputra, the authentic teachings of the tathāgata Sālarāja continued for ten thousand years.”

The Lord then spoke these verses:

“For two hundred million eons He did not fall into the lower realms. For two hundred million eons He was not governed by the pleasures of the senses.

“During this time, Seven thousand buddhas reached nirvāṇa, And he led a life of purity, Always yearning for the Dharma.

“Finally, he realized awakening And became the victorious Sālarāja, Dwelling in supreme awakening For thirty thousand years. [MS.77.a]

“He realized unsurpassed awakening For the benefit of all who live, And for two hundred million eons He taught the Dharma to living beings.

“He had one saṅgha of forty thousand And another of two hundred million. All were sages Who had eliminated the defilements.

“After the teacher had attained nirvāṇa, His relics were widely distributed, And six hundred thousand million Stūpas were erected to contain them.

“After his nirvāṇa, His teachings remained for ten thousand years, And those who heard the Victorious One’s teachings Could not help but develop faith in them.

“Anyone who is learned will entertain no doubts Once they have heard the teachings of the Buddha. They will not fall into the lower realms But quickly reach nirvāṇa.

“So, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva whose morality is pure will regard all sentient beings as his parents. Whenever desire arises in his mind, he neutralizes it by thinking of those he desires as his mother. Whenever hostility arises in his mind, he neutralizes it by thinking of those to whom he feels hostile as his father.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva whose morality is pure is able to remain unmoved in very unpleasant circumstances. When desire arises, he employs the right kind of mental analysis to deal with the passions. He knows about the passions and what counters the passions. What, then, is a passion, and what counters passions? Passion is said to be the intense attachment to forms that are perceived by the eye. This is what is meant by passion. Moreover, passion is said to be the intense attachment to sounds that are perceived by the ear, as well as the intense attachment to scents that are perceived by the nose, to tastes that are perceived by the tongue, and to physical objects that are perceived by the body. This is what is meant by passion. With intense attachment comes obsession. With obsession comes involvement. With involvement comes development. With development comes entanglement, and one ends up being deceived by what is false. This, indeed, is how sentient beings are bound by the fetters of deception. They are bound. They are chained. They are shackled.

“What is it that binds them? They are bound by the fetters of form. This is what is meant by being bound. They are bound by the fetters of sound, smell, taste, and physical objects. This is what is meant by being bound. What is the fetter of form? It is to provide form with a real identity, investing it with ideas such as a self, a life force, a person, permanence, constancy, durability, substance, wholeness, and solidity. This is what is meant by the fetter of form. What does being bound by the fetter of form entail? It entails investing a great deal in the identity that one has built, and it entails having a selfish love and affection for one’s wife. When one is bound by the fetters of form, one remains focused on satisfying one’s passions, and so one accumulates unwholesome karma. One does not understand the faults of passion. What are the faults of passion? Even though there is no passion in those whose faults have been purified, or passion in faults, still, the faults of passions lead one to the lower states of existence, and so that is what I teach. How is it that the fault of passion leads to the lower states of existence? I assure you, Śāriputra, that there is no evil that someone who is governed by passion will not commit. When the fruits of his actions ripen, [MS.77.b] there is no suffering that he will not have to endure. This is why, Śāriputra, there is no greater enemy in the thousand realms of the world than one’s own wife.

“Why is this? Śāriputra, the Tathāgata is knowledgeable, while all sentient beings remain ignorant. When someone knowledgeable forbids something, then there is good reason for it. When the ignorant grasp after things, that is a mistake. What is it that the ignorant grasp after? They grasp after conditioned things. They grasp after sons, daughters, and wives. This is what they grasp after, and as they are entangled by grasping they are not seized by the noble path. Being caught up in sons, daughters, and wives leads to attachment and craving and is a hindrance to the renunciant life. It is a hindrance to morality, a hindrance to meditation, a hindrance to heaven, and a hindrance to nirvāṇa. Keeping male and female servants and having sons, daughters, and wives is a hindrance to any kind of wholesome practice. Similarly, when one has sons, daughters and wives, one is providing for an enemy, and one is providing for the hell realms, the animal realms, and the spirit world governed by Yama. In short, one is providing for all imaginable unwholesome things. These things are a hindrance to healthy sustenance, and they are a hindrance to seeing the Buddha. Similarly, they are a hindrance to hearing the Dharma, to serving the Saṅgha, to seeing the Buddha and developing faith in him, to hearing the Dharma and developing faith in it, to serving the Saṅgha and developing faith in it, and to encountering favorable conditions. Similarly, they are a hindrance to attaining the riches of faith, the riches of morality, the riches of learning, the riches of wisdom, the riches of renunciation, the riches of modesty, and the riches of self-control. One becomes distrustful when one has wives, sons, and daughters. Likewise, one becomes immoral, stingy, mean, dull minded, shameless, and immodest when one has wives, sons, and daughters. When one has wives, sons, and daughters, one becomes sick, with boils and pain, one takes hold of the fire element, and one takes hold of a poisonous snake. Living as a householder is like living in a charnel ground. I tell you, the charnel ground of the house is a barren wasteland that steals away everything that brings any benefit. Enjoying wives, sons, and daughters, Śāriputra, is like enjoying a bolt of lightning. It is like enjoying a sharp sword or a seat of molten iron. When one enjoys fragrant flowers, rosaries, and ointments, one is in fact enjoying an iron seat, a garland of iron balls, and an ointment of feces and urine. Keeping a house is like keeping an iron kettle. Someone who keeps male and female servants and workers and laborers is providing for the guardians of hell. Someone who keeps elephants, horses, buffaloes, donkeys, sheep, fowl, and pigs is providing for creatures such as Śyāma and Śabala to be dispatched for a hundred yojanas. Someone who has wives, sons, and daughters is providing for all kinds of suffering, depression, and grief.

“Śāriputra, it would be preferable to be surrounded by a glowing, burning, blazing iron plain extending for a thousand yojanas [MS.78.a] than to look from afar upon the wife one has been given by one’s parents, much less embrace her. Why is this? A wife is the root of suffering. A wife is the root of evil. A wife is the root of misfortune. A wife is the root of captivity. A wife is the root of trouble. A wife is the root of rivalry. A wife is the root of blindness. A wife is what causes the destruction of the eye of wisdom. Having a wife is like being on a plain strewn with burning hot iron and stones. Having a wife is like being under attack. Having a wife is like being overcome by unwise tendencies.

“Why is it that we call her a wife, a burden? It is because she is the one who is designated as a burden, the burden that falls to one, the burden one has to take on, the burden one is stuck with, the burden one has to drag, the burden that affects one emotionally, the burden that brings one pain, the burden on account of which one suffers evils, and the burden that emaciates one. This is why we call her a wife, a burden.

“Because they are slaves to desire, sentient beings have to support their wives, and in this way they are oppressed by this burden and seized by this burden, they succumb to this burden, they are weighed down by this burden, they become subject to this burden, they become slaves to this burden, and they have to tend to this burden. This is why we call her a wife, a burden.

“Because of their wives, they are not able to get rid of the great burden. What is the burden that they cannot get rid of? It is the five skandhas. What are the five skandhas? They are the skandha of form, the skandha of feeling, the skandha of perception, the skandha of mental conditioning, and the skandha of consciousness. They are not able to get rid of the burden of these five skandhas. This is why she is called a wife, a burden.

“Why is she called an old companion? It is because, Śāriputra, she is one’s companion when it comes to ruining morality. She is one’s companion when it comes to ruining good conduct. She is one’s companion when it comes to ruining right view. She is one’s companion in eating and drinking. She is a companion in one’s journey to the hells, to the animal realms, and to the spirit world governed by Yama. She obstructs the wisdom of the noble ones. She is an adversary to the happiness of nirvāṇa. She is one’s companion in bringing together all types of suffering. This is why she is called an old companion.

“Why is she called a woman? It is because she is a seductress, with many faults and full of unending deception, that she is called a woman. Those who are under the sway of a woman have fallen into the hands of Māra. They who have fallen into the hands of Māra are under the sway of the Evil One. The faults of the woman are many, their deceptions unending. Her mind is fickle. Her mind is restless. Her mind is agitated. Her mind is agitated and unsteady. She has a monkey mind, like that of an ape. She is a mistress of deception. This is why she is called a woman.

“She is a ‘village of seduction,’ Śāriputra, a town of seduction, a kingdom of seduction, a marketplace of seduction, a realm of seduction, a land of seduction, an empire of seduction, a region of seduction, a world of seduction, unending seduction, great seduction, immeasurable seduction, inconceivable seduction. This is why she is called a woman.

“Therefore, Śāriputra, it is said that those who entertain the fault of passion are destined for the lower states of existence. Śāriputra, just as a [MS.78.b] skilled magician can make you experience any sort of illusion, so can women, Śāriputra, skilled in female deception, take a man captive through his eyes, take a man captive through his ears, take a man captive through his mind, and take control over him. They take control over men through song. They take control over men through dance. They take control over men through laughter. They capture men through crying, coming, going, sitting, lying, sleeping, and all kinds of such things, and they take control over them. Śāriputra, just like a field of fully matured rice can be ravaged by a great thunderstorm, so are women like a thunderstorm ravaging the field of men, destroying everything that is good. All immature ordinary beings are engaging in passions that lead to the lower states of existence when, out of ignorance, they take a wife.

“Śāriputra, with his insight into the faults of passion, the learned bodhisatva comes to understand two things. What are these two things? He comes to understand how wretched all immature ordinary people are, and he comes to understand how honorable all noble beings are. With these two insights he thinks to himself, ‘We shall strive to become honorable men, and not remain wretched. We shall endeavor not to end up in the hell realms, or to end up in the animal realms, or in the spirit world governed by Yama. We shall not engage in immoral behavior. We shall not be influenced by those who are badly behaved. On the contrary, we shall work to develop the distinguished, unsurpassed realization of all phenomena, the knowledge of a buddha. We shall begin to change the way we go about things, and not continue in the same direction. We shall let the lion’s roar resound. We shall not let the jackal’s bark resound. We shall display the strength of the eagle. We shall not be like insects. We shall become good men, and not dishonorable men. We shall keep the diet of honorable men, and not indulge in lesser foods. We shall remain absorbed in the best of meditations, the supreme meditations, the distinguished meditations. We shall remain absorbed in the meditations that lead to the attainment of supreme meditation, and not those meditations that do not lead to the attainment of supreme meditation, or the lesser meditations. We shall enjoy the meditative concentrations of the Buddha, but not the meditative concentrations of the śrāvakas, the pratyekabuddhas, [MS.79.a] or immature ordinary people. We shall meditate without support, not with form as support, or with feeling, perception, mental conditioning, or consciousness as support. We shall not meditate relying on the earth element, or relying on the water element, the fire element, or the wind element. We shall not meditate with the realm of desire as our aim, or with the realm of form as our aim, or with the formless realm as our aim. We shall not meditate with anything in this world as our aim, or with anything beyond this world as our aim. Anything that can be seen, heard, recollected, thought of, attained, reached, or realized shall not be a support for our meditative concentration. We shall not meditate in a manner that could bring harm to ourselves, to others, or to both ourselves and others. We shall exert ourselves in our search for perfection in the knowledge of a buddha. Enough of this search of mine for pleasure!’

“The learned bodhisatva, Śāriputra, then comes to reject four things. What are these four things? He rejects temptation, he rejects existence, he rejects the company of sentient beings who are ungrateful, and he rejects the suffering that comes with engagement in anything that is conditioned. These are the four things he comes to reject.

“Śāriputra, even if, in the lower states of existence, the bodhisatva were to set eyes on a woman with perfect features, four things would come to his mind. What are these four things? He would think of her as vile. He would think of her as a precipice. He would think of her as a latrine. He would relate to her as one does to pus. These, Śāriputra, are the four things that would come to the mind of the bodhisatva even if he, in the lower states of existence, were to set eyes on a woman with perfect features. If he were a human being, Śāriputra, a son of good family who had entered the Mahāyāna, and he were to set eyes on a woman with perfect features, four thoughts would certainly come to his mind. What are these four thoughts? He would think of her as vile. He would think of her as a precipice. He would think of her as a latrine. He would relate to her as one does to pus. If, with these considerations in mind, he were still to feel desire, he should then cultivate three thoughts. What are these three thoughts? If she resembles a mother he should think of her as his mother. If she resembles a sister he should think of her as his sister. If she resembles a daughter he should think of her as his daughter. These are the three thoughts he should cultivate.

“Śāriputra, the bodhisatva who absorbs these excellent words of mine will see things in accordance with the way they are presented in the sūtras: ‘It is not easy to encounter a sentient being who has not throughout the extent of time been my mother or my father. All sentient beings have been my parents, and so one is indeed taking one’s mother as one’s wife!’ This is how one should train. This would not be in harmony with the practice of all immature ordinary people, and I would not wish to infringe upon the customs of immature ordinary people.

“When one is following a particular course of action and thoughts of desire arise, one should properly investigate the arising of this state of desire to see whether it is visual perception that is the source of this mental event. One should properly investigate whether the desire is located in the eye, reflecting, ‘If my desires were located in the eye, how could the eye be observing the eye? Can an essence perceive its own essence? How could that be? [MS.79.b] There would then be that eye and this eye. That eye would be related to the element, and this eye would be the production of the element. In the context of the production of elements, a real essence cannot desire a real essence, or its own being. Why is this? If that is just the same as this, there is no difference between desiring that and desiring this. All immature ordinary people fail to make this distinction. I, however, wish to be someone who sees distinctions. Why do I wish this? I wish this because someone who wishes for desires is without good qualities.’ ”

The Lord then spoke these verses:

“There is one thing that is common to everyone— And no one is different in this regard— And that is that the mind of desire Follows along with the grasping born of superficiality.

“How can something come from something, And how can there be desire for an element? Phenomena are like logs— There is nothing there to desire.

“I have analyzed these things and come to see That things arise without any reality. The unreal is what gives rise to desire. One cannot find any reality in desire.

“Even if one searches in all ten directions, One cannot find any reality to desire. It is only by means of misconceptions That the mind of desire arises.

“If one properly investigates how desire arises in the mind in this way, one will take the greatness of my instructions to heart. A master of discourses should be in agreement with the explanations found in the sūtras:

“The eye is like a bubble—it bursts under strain. A bubble has no self, no being, no life force, no person, no man, no human being, no soul, no one who acts, and no one who experiences. Where then can there be someone filled with desire? Who would desire that which is powerless and ineffective?

“The eye is like froth on water—it has no essential nature. Froth has no self, no being, no life force, no person, no man, no human, no soul, no one who acts, and no one who experiences. Who would desire that which is powerless and ineffective?

“The eye is like a mirage—it comes about through action, vice, and desire. A mirage has no self, no being, no life force, no person, no man, no human, no soul, no one who acts, and no one who experiences. Who would desire those things that are powerless and ineffective? Where does desire take place?

“The eye is like a plantain tree—it has no essential nature. The plantain tree has no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is like an illusion—it appears due to trickery. An illusion has no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is like a dream—it sees things in a distorted and false manner. A dream has no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is like an echo—it is dependent upon conditions. An echo has no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is like a reflection—it is seen through the mirror of karma. A reflection has no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is like a cloud—it is ever changing and lacks any essential characteristics. A cloud has no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is like lightning—it is gone in an instant. Lightning has no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is like something empty, with no self or ownership. Things that are empty have no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found? [MS.80.a]

“The eye is like lifeless matter, like grass, plaster, wood, rock, or a reflection. All phenomena are like lifeless matter, and they have no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is helpless, as if caught in a whirlwind. All phenomena are helpless, and they have no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is worthless, like a heap of pus and excrement. All phenomena are worthless, and they have no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is useless, like something that is worn out, damaged, broken, decayed, and ruined. All phenomena are useless, and they have no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is like a dried-up well, overcome by age. All phenomena are like dried-up wells, and they have no self, no being, and so forth. Who would desire these things? Where is such desire to be found?

“The eye is not something that will last—its passing is inevitable. No phenomena will last, and they have no self, no being, no life force, no person, no man, no human, no soul, no one who acts, and no one who experiences. Who would desire those things that are powerless and ineffective, that are dependent upon conditions? Where is such desire to be found?

“One should go through all the outer and inner sense fields in this way.

“Śāriputra, the bodhisatva who applies himself correctly in this manner will not be disturbed by passion. This is impossible. He will remain passionless in the face of all phenomena. This, Śāriputra, is the purity of the morality of the bodhisatva, the great being.

“Śāriputra, the pure morality of the bodhisatva, the great being, is such that he will not kill any being under any circumstances. He will not harm anything that possesses life. He will not take anything that has not been given to him under any circumstances, even if his life depends on it. He does not steal the property of others. He will not engage in sexual misconduct under any circumstances, even if his life depends on it. He does not lust for the wife of another. He will not tell a lie under any circumstances, even if his life depends on it. He does not violate the trust of any sentient being. He will not condone slanderous remarks among those who are associated with him. Even if his life depended on it, he would still not engage in inane chatter. He measures his words and avoids saying anything irrelevant. He will not covet another’s possessions, even if his life depends on it. He will not become angry, even if his life depends on it, but will patiently accept harsh and slanderous remarks. He will not adopt wrong views even if his life depends on it. He will go for refuge to the Buddha and will not have recourse to any other divinity.

“He maintains his morality unblemished by not striving after any other type of knowledge. He keeps his morality unbroken by avoiding anything that is incompatible with the Dharma. He keeps his morality unadulterated by not associating with wicked people who indulge in vices. He keeps his morality spotless by only promoting wholesome ways of acting. He keeps his morality free by following his own inclinations. He keeps his morality respectful and is not censured by those who are knowledgeable. He preserves his morality by remaining mindful and aware. He keeps his morality irreproachable by not letting any mistakes occur. He safeguards his morality by guarding the doors of the senses. He guards his reputation for pure morality [MS.80.b] because it is in accord with the intent of all the buddhas. He maintains the morality of requiring little by knowing what the proper measures are. He maintains the morality of contentment and easily avoids greed. He maintains the morality of persistence by isolating his body and his mind. He maintains the morality of the hermit by shunning society. He maintains the morality of the tradition of the noble ones by not looking another directly in the face. He maintains the morality of upholding the qualities of a purified one by generating the roots of virtue of a life of self-reliance. He maintains the morality of integrity by not violating his promises to gods and men. He maintains the morality of love through the attitude of not causing harm to any sentient being. He maintains the morality of compassion by being moved by all forms of suffering. He maintains the morality of empathetic joy by delighting in the Dharma and not becoming discouraged. He maintains the morality of equanimity by ridding himself of attachment and aversion. He maintains the morality of examining his own mistakes by clearly discerning his own mind. He maintains the morality of not seeing faults in others’ mistakes and is considerate of the minds of others. He maintains the morality of bringing sentient beings to maturity through the perfection of generosity. He maintains the morality of guarding himself through the perfection of morality. He maintains the morality of not becoming angry through the perfection of patient acceptance. He maintains the morality of not turning away from the wholesome Dharma through the perfection of vigor. He maintains the morality of perfecting the factors of meditation through the perfection of meditation. He maintains the morality of excellent learning through the perfection of wisdom. He maintains the morality of relying on a spiritual friend and develops the necessary factors of awakening. He maintains the morality of avoiding bad influences by avoiding wicked paths. He maintains the morality of having no concern for his body by applying the idea of impermanence. He maintains the morality of having no concern for his life by not putting his trust in it. He maintains the morality of having no regrets by keeping his intentions perfectly pure. He maintains the morality of being uncontrived by keeping his engagement perfectly pure. He maintains the morality of avoiding burning desire by keeping his sincerity perfectly pure. He maintains the morality of modesty by remaining free from desire. He maintains the morality of unpretentiousness by keeping a low profile. He maintains the morality of not being foolish because of his noble nature. He maintains the morality of discipline through a lack of aggression. He maintains the morality of tranquility by remaining calm. He maintains the morality of being receptive by not being opposed to the statements of the buddhas. He maintains the morality of bringing sentient beings to maturity by not abandoning the methods for bringing people together. He maintains the morality of guarding the Dharma by not letting his resources diminish. The learned bodhisatva’s skandha of morality is like this, Śāriputra, and with it he trains in the way of the bodhisatva.

“This, Śāriputra, is the perfection of morality of the bodhisatvas, the great beings, and when bodhisatvas apply themselves to it in their practice of the way of the bodhisatva, they cannot be overpowered by Māra and his retinue, nor by the gods. They cannot be overpowered by any opponent.”