The Secrets of the Realized Ones
Chapter 15: The Bases of Cognition
Toh 47
Degé Kangyur, vol. 39 (dkon brtsegs, ka), folios 100.a.–203.a
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Table of Contents
Summary
In this sūtra, the narrative largely revolves around the figures of Vajrapāṇi, the yakṣa lord and constant companion of the Buddha, and the Buddha himself. In the first half of the sūtra, Vajrapāṇi gives a series of teachings on the mysteries or secrets of the body, speech, and mind of bodhisattvas and the realized ones. In the second half of the sūtra, Vajrapāṇi describes several events in the Buddha’s life: his practice of severe asceticism, his approach to the seat of awakening, his defeat of Māra, his awakening, and his turning of the wheel of Dharma. Following this, the Buddha gives a prediction of Vajrapāṇi’s future awakening as a buddha and travels to Vajrapāṇi’s abode for a meal. Interspersed throughout the sūtra are sermons, dialogues, and marvelous tales exploring a large number of topics and featuring an extensive cast of characters, including several narratives about past lives of Vajrapāṇi, Brahmā Sahāṃpati, and the Buddha himself. The sūtra concludes with the performance of two long dhāraṇīs, one by Vajrapāṇi and one by the Buddha, for the protection and preservation of the Dharma.
Acknowledgements
Translated by David Fiordalis and the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. A first draft was made from the Tibetan by Timothy Hinkle with the assistance of Tulku Tenzin Rigsang and others. David Fiordalis thoroughly revised the translation with close reference to the extant Sanskrit manuscript, as well as the Tibetan translation. Fiordalis also wrote the summary, introduction, annotations, and most of the glossary entries. Fiordalis would like to acknowledge Paul Harrison, who furnished him with his own digital images of the Sanskrit manuscript, and Péter-Dániel Szántó, who generously made his transcription of the manuscript available for readers.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay and Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Jane and Leo Tong Chen, and their family.
Text Body
The Teaching of the Mysteries and Secrets of the Realized Ones
Chapter 15: The Bases of Cognition
Now Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, said to the Blessed One, “I hope, Blessed One, that I have not made any false statements about the Realized One in this teaching. Indeed, I hope that what I have said aligns with the teaching of the realized ones. Blessed One, the teaching of the realized ones is deep; Blessed One, the secret of the realized ones is profound. It runs counter to the whole world. The understanding of the minds of the realized ones, Blessed One, is truly difficult to grasp. What I have taught, Blessed One, is whatever knowledge of the realized ones has been established in my body and comes out in that way. It is not due to my own personal effort.”
The Blessed One responded, “Precisely so, Lord of the Guhyakas. It is just as you have said. All those who speak the Dharma in conformity with the realized ones, Lord of the Guhyakas, have had the wisdom of the realized ones established in their bodies. Why so? It would not be possible otherwise, Lord of the Guhyakas. It would make no sense. It is simply impossible for beings who have not been empowered by the authority of the realized ones [F.160.b] to be in conformity with the true nature of the realized ones or to speak of the secrets of the realized ones. Why is that? Who, indeed, has the power to understand, hear about, or speak of the secrets of the realized ones without being empowered by the authority of the realized ones?205 Moreover, Lord of the Guhyakas, those who say that the true nature of the realized ones is the real, that the true nature of the realized ones is reality, that the dwelling place of the realized ones is the real, they are speaking correctly. Those who say this are giving a correct formulation of the Dharma.
“Truly, Lord of the Guhyakas, what is taught, indicated, and made evident here in this formulation of the Dharma is the unsurpassable and perfect awakening of the blessed buddhas of the past, present, and future, which runs counter to the whole world. Moreover, Lord of the Guhyakas, all those beings who hear this formulation of the Dharma, take an interest in it, and accept it will also run contrary to the whole world. Lord of the Guhyakas, those who take an interest in this formulation of the Dharma and accept it after they hear it will be able to pick up Mount Meru, the king of mountains, and support it with their heads or their shoulders. However, those beings who have not put down the proper roots of virtue will not even be able to take an interest in this formulation of the Dharma, much less accept it or believe in it. What more need be said about upholding it, supporting it, understanding it, or putting it into practice? That would be impossible.
“Lord of the Guhyakas, the beings who hear this formulation of the Dharma and take an interest in it will not have served only one buddha or even ten buddhas. It should be understood, Lord of the Guhyakas, that these good persons will have served buddhas for many hundreds of thousands of millions and billions of eons, and they will have accumulated a supply of merit and become resolved upon the Great Vehicle. Lord of the Guhyakas, such beings will not have served one buddha, nor two, nor three, [F.161.a] nor four, nor five, nor will they have served ten. Rather, Lord of the Guhyakas, such beings will have served many buddhas, done the preparations, and put down the roots of virtue within this Great Vehicle.”206
The bodhisattva Śāntamati then inquired of the Blessed One, “It is said, ‘calming, calming.’207 What is this ‘calming,’ Blessed One, or through the calming of what is there said to be calming?”208
The Blessed One said, “When the word calming is said, noble son, it is a designation for the calming of the afflictions. The expression calming of the afflictions is a designation for the calming of fantasies, ruminations, and suppositions.209 The expression the calming of fantasies, ruminations, and suppositions is a designation for the calming of fixed attention to notions in the mind. The expression the calming of fixed attention to notions in the mind is a designation for the calming of the distorted views. The expression the calming of the distorted views is a designation for the calming of a cognitive basis or cause. The expression the calming of a cognitive basis or cause is a designation for the calming of craving, becoming, and ignorance. The expression the calming of craving, becoming, and ignorance is a designation for the calming of the conceptualization of ‘I’ and ‘mine.’ The expression the calming of the conceptualization of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ is a designation for the calming of name and form. The expression the calming of name and form is a designation for the calming of the view that the self is eternal and the view that the self is destroyed completely at death. The expression the calming of the view that the self is eternal and the view that the self is destroyed completely at death is a designation for the calming of the belief in a true self.
“Indeed, Śāntamati, all those afflictions that occur in association with beliefs, causes, and cognitive bases arise from the belief in a true self. From the calming of the belief in a true self comes the calming of all views. From the calming of the belief in a true self comes the calming of all wishes. [F.161.b] From the calming of the belief in a true self comes the calming of all afflictions.210
“Indeed, Śāntamati, just as all the blossoms, leaves, and branches of a tree wither when the tree is cut at the roots, in the same way all afflictions are calmed through the calming of the belief in a true self.211 All the afflictions and the things to which one clings, Śāntamati, arise when one does not thoroughly comprehend the nature of the belief in a true self. Whereas for one who has thoroughly comprehended the nature of the belief in a true self, all the afflictions and the things to which one clings do not arise and do not cause one trouble.”
“Once again, Blessed One, what is thorough comprehension of the belief in a true self?” asked Śāntamati.
The Blessed One answered, “Thorough comprehension of the belief in a true self, Śāntamati, is the nonarising of a self. Thorough comprehension of the belief in a true self is the nonarising of a being; it is also the nonarising of the beliefs in a person or a life force. Moreover, Śāntamati, this belief is not found internally, and it is not found externally. This belief is everywhere unfounded, and it is from the unfounded nature of this belief that there is the knowledge that is without foundation. This, Śāntamati, is the thorough comprehension of the belief in a true self.
“The expression thorough comprehension of the belief in a true self, Śāntamati, is a designation for emptiness. Due to an acceptance that it is in conformity with emptiness, one does not hold on to that belief. This, too, Śāntamati, is thorough comprehension of the belief in a true self.212 Due to the belief in emptiness, groundlessness, desirelessness, being unconditioned, not being born, and not arising, Śāntamati, one does not hold on to the belief that there is a true self.213 This, too, Śāntamati, is thorough comprehension of the belief in a true self.
“This so-called ‘true self,’ Śāntamati, does not have a self.214 It does not draw anything to itself; it does not expand its control. It does not accumulate; it does not disperse.215 From the very beginning, it is an unreal thing, a figment of the imagination, and an unreal thing, a figment of the imagination, cannot be ascertained or determined. What cannot be ascertained or determined cannot be made, firmly established, [F.162.a] erected, or inhabited.216 What cannot be made, firmly established, erected, or inhabited is what is called calm.”217
Śāntamati then further inquired, “It is said, ‘a calmed one, a calmed one.’ Blessed One, through the calming of what is one said to be a calmed one?”
The Blessed One answered, “When one has a basis for cognition, one inflames the mind. The one who does not make anything into the basis for cognition, that one does not become inflamed. One who is not inflamed is called a calmed one. Indeed, Śāntamati, just as a fire burns when it has fuel and it stops burning when it has no fuel, in the same way one inflames the mind when one has a basis for cognition and one calms down when one does not have a basis for cognition.218 [B7]
“In this respect, Śāntamati, the bodhisattvas who have mastered skill in means and purified the perfection of wisdom understand the nature of calming the bases for cognition, but they do not calm down the cognitive basis for the roots of virtue.219 They do not generate the cognitive bases for the afflictions, but they still generate the cognitive bases for the perfections.220 They let go of the cognitive bases for the secondary afflictions and Māra, but they do not let go of the cognitive bases for the qualities that are conducive to awakening. They do not take hold of the cognitive bases for desiring the teachings for the disciples and the solitary buddhas, but they do not give up the cognitive basis for the aspiration for the state of an omniscient one. They have a strong regard for the cognitive basis of emptiness, but they still look for the cognitive basis of great compassion for all beings.
“Furthermore, Śāntamati, bodhisattvas who have mastered skill in means and purified the perfection of wisdom attain mastery over the bases of cognition.221 They have a profound knowledge of the cognitive basis of what is not born, but they do not let go of the cognitive basis of taking rebirth intentionally. They enter into the cognitive basis of what is unconditioned, yet they bring out the cognitive basis of the roots of virtue, which are conditioned. They examine the cognitive basis of the groundless, but they do not destroy the cognitive basis of the aspiration for awakening. [F.162.b] They display the cognitive basis of what is without desire, but they do not condemn the cognitive basis of the three worlds.
“Becoming adepts at wisdom and skill in means, they also gain the ability to control all the bases of cognition in such a way that, even when something repulsive becomes the object of their cognition, their minds remain fixed on the beautiful body of the realized ones. While making an impermanent thing the object of their cognition, their minds remain firmly in a state of tirelessness with respect to the world of rebirth. While making suffering the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on establishing all beings in the bliss of cessation. While making no self the object of their cognition, their minds remain fixed on having great compassion for all beings.
“While making desire the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on providing a vision of the great medicine of revulsion to those who indulge their desires. While making hatred the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on providing a vision of the great medicine of great love to those who carry out acts of hatred. While making ignorance the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on providing a vision of the great medicine of dependent arising to those who commit acts of ignorance. While making an equal measure of desire, hatred, and ignorance the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on providing a vision of the great medicine of perceiving impermanence to those who carry out an equal measure of such acts.
“While making dispassion the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on guiding the disciples. While making the absence of hatred the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on guiding the solitary buddhas. While making the absence of ignorance the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on guiding the bodhisattvas.
“While making form the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the form of a realized one. While making sound the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the voice of a realized one. While making smell the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the scent of a realized one’s moral conduct. While making flavor the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the finest of flavors, which are the marks of a great being possessed by the realized ones. While making touch [F.163.a] the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the smooth and youthful hands and feet of a realized one. While making mental phenomena the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the profound comprehension of a realized one’s mind.
“While making generosity the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the distinctive features and secondary marks of a great being. While making moral conduct the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on the act of purifying a buddha domain. While making patience the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the pleasing tone of a brahmā’s voice and skin the color of gold. While making heroic effort the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on liberating all beings. While making meditation the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on developing the supernormal faculties. While making wisdom the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on allaying the pain of all beings that comes from their opinions and afflictions.
“While making love the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on making the minds of all beings devoid of anger. While making compassion the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on laying their hands on the true Dharma. While making joy the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on finding supreme joy in the teaching of the Dharma. While making equanimity the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on encouraging beings to let go of their anger and attachment.
“While making the means of drawing others to oneself the object of their cognition, their minds remain focused on bringing beings to maturity. While making the fault of avarice the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on giving away everything they have. While making the fault of indiscipline the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on the act of purifying their discipline. While making the fault of malice the object of their cognition, their minds remain fixed on the gentility and strength of patience. While making the fault of laziness the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on perfecting the powers of the realized ones. While making the fault of mental distraction the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the meditative concentration of the realized ones. While making the fault of faulty discrimination the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on the act of perfecting the knowledge of dispassion. [F.163.b]
“While fixing their attention upon the disciples and solitary buddhas, their minds remain set on the attainment of the Great Vehicle. While fixing their attention upon an agitated state of mind, their minds remained set on not committing any transgressions. While fixing their attention upon the bad places of rebirth that are the lower realms, their minds remained set on rescuing all those beings who had been reborn in bondage in the bad places of rebirth that are the lower realms. While fixing their attention upon the gods, their minds remained set on the fact that all one’s fortune comes to naught in the end. While fixing their attention upon human beings, their minds remained set on holding on to what is of central importance.
“While fixing their attention upon the mindful recollection of the buddhas, their minds remain set on making an actual connection with the buddhas. While fixing their attention upon the mindful recollection of the Dharma, their minds remain set on not being close-fisted as a teacher of the Dharma. While fixing their attention upon the mindful recollection of the Saṅgha, their minds remain set on attaining the state of being impossible to turn back from unsurpassable and perfect awakening. While fixing their attention upon the mindful recollection of surrender, their minds remain set on giving away everything they have to give. While fixing their attention upon the recollection of moral conduct, their minds remain set on bringing to fulfillment their vow, meditation, and the constitutive factors of awakening. While fixing their attention upon the recollection of the gods, their minds remain set on becoming established in the knowledge of the buddhas, which is praised and lauded by all the gods.
“While fixing their attention upon the body, their minds remain set on attaining the body of a buddha. While fixing their attention upon speech, their minds remain set on attaining the speech of a buddha. While fixing their attention upon the mind, their minds remain set on attaining the even-mindedness of the buddhas.222
“While making conditioned things the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the knowledge of the realized ones to completion. While making unconditioned things the object of their cognition, their minds remain set on attaining the knowledge of the buddhas to completion.
“In other words, Śāntamati, the bodhisattva possesses no basis of cognition in which the mind’s attention is not fixed on achieving the knowledge of an omniscient one. The bodhisattva dedicates all bases of cognition to awakening. In fact, this vision that all things follow awakening is the bodhisattva’s mastery of skill in means. Śāntamati, [F.164.a] just as there is nothing that grows out of the ground throughout the cosmos of a billion worlds that is not put to use by the beings who are likewise born here for their growth, in the very same way, Śāntamati, there are no cognitive bases that bodhisattvas do not perceive as a benefit for awakening and are not put to use for awakening by those bodhisattvas who have mastered skill in means.223 Śāntamati, just as each and every material form is made from the four great elements, in the very same way, Śāntamati, for the bodhisattva who has mastered skill in means, each and every object of cognition possesses the nature and shape of awakening.
“Those beings who are stingy and have no gratitude, Śāntamati, enable bodhisattvas to achieve the perfection of generosity and the perfection of moral conduct to their full extent. Those beings who are lazy and commit acts out of anger enable bodhisattvas to achieve the perfection of heroic effort and the perfection of patience to their full extent. Those beings who are thickheaded and ignorant enable bodhisattvas to achieve the perfection of concentration and the perfection of wisdom to their full extent.
“When other beings do not return a favor, bodhisattvas do not become angry. Bodhisattvas do not become attached when other beings do reciprocate. Bodhisattvas do not become full of themselves even when other beings offer them praise. At the same time, bodhisattvas do not become discouraged when other beings do not praise them. Bodhisattvas feel great compassion at the suffering of other beings. Bodhisattvas feel joy and ecstasy at the happiness of other beings. Bodhisattvas cultivate [F.164.b] calm abiding for those beings who are unruly and difficult to tame. Bodhisattvas generate thoughts of gratitude for those beings who are well bred. Bodhisattvas generate thoughts of protection for those at the mercy of circumstances beyond their control. For those who have the power to affect their circumstances, however, bodhisattvas generate thoughts of advice, admonishment, and even punishment.224
“Bodhisattvas will deliver profound teachings to those who can gain an understanding from a highly condensed statement. Bodhisattvas will deliver extensive teachings to those who can gain an understanding from a full, detailed explanation. Bodhisattvas will give teachings that follow a progression to those who have a need for step-by-step guidance. Bodhisattvas will give teachings of a few syllables or a word to those who able to discern the meaning.
“Bodhisattvas will give teachings on deep insight to those who have done the preliminary practice of calm abiding. Bodhisattvas will give teachings on settling into meditative concentration for those who have done the preliminary practice of deep insight.
“To those who are attached to moral conduct, bodhisattvas will give teachings on the hell realms even though they are not their certain destination. To those who are attached to learning, bodhisattvas will give teachings on freedom.225 To those who are attached to meditative concentration, bodhisattvas will give teachings on using discernment. To those who are attached to living in the forest, bodhisattvas will give teachings that the mind is what should be brought into a state of solitude. To those who are attached to severe asceticism and the ascetic virtues of the pure ones, bodhisattvas will give teachings on the spiritual faculty of wisdom possessed by the noble ones. To those whose ignorance is great, bodhisattvas will give teachings on what becomes apparent through learning.
“To those who are oppressed by sensual desire, bodhisattvas will give teachings on what is repulsive. To those who are oppressed by hatred, bodhisattvas will give teachings on love. To those who are oppressed by ignorance, bodhisattvas will give teachings on dependent arising. [F.165.a] To those who carry out acts of passion, hatred, and ignorance in equal measure, bodhisattvas will give more expansive teachings in such a way that sometimes they will give teachings on what is repulsive, at other times they will give teachings on love, and at other times they will give teachings on dependent arising.
“Bodhisattvas will give teachings on superior forms of moral conduct, superior forms of intellect, and superior forms of discernment to those who need to be trained by teachings of a suitable nature. To those who need to be trained by a buddha, they will give suitable teachings on the truths and suitable teachings on the constitutive factors of awakening. To those who need to be trained by censure, they will teach the Dharma after turning away their faces. They will teach steadily and continuously to those who need to be trained by an unbroken stream of discourse. They will give teachings on the Dharma to those whose spiritual faculties are not yet mature.
“To those who need to be trained by diverse kinds of teachings, bodhisattvas will give teachings that contain parables, doctrinal exegesis, and avadānas. To those who need to be guided by profound teachings, they will give teachings on dependent arising, teachings on the nonexistence of a sentient being, and teachings on the nonexistence of a person. To those who are mired in views, they will give teachings on emptiness. To those who engage in rumination, they will give teachings on what is groundless. To those who make aspirations, they will give teachings on what is free from longing.
“To those who put stock in the aggregates, bodhisattvas will give teachings on the illusory nature of things. To those who put stock in the elements, they will give teachings on total isolation. To those who put stock in the sense spheres, they will give the teaching that things are like a dream.
“To those who dwell in the desire realm, bodhisattvas will give the teaching that everything is on fire. To those who dwell in the form realm, they will give the teaching that all conditioned things involve suffering. To those who live in the formless realm, they will give the teaching that all conditioned things are impermanent.
“To those who need to be trained by teachings about suffering, [F.165.b] bodhisattvas will give teachings on the contentment of the lineage of the noble ones. To those who need to be trained by teachings about bliss, they will give teachings on the four states of meditative concentration and the four immeasurable states. To those who need to be trained by teachings about the gods, they will give teachings on experiencing nothing but bliss. To those who need to be trained by teachings on distinguishing characteristics, they will give teachings on not grasping on to things and making them ‘mine.’
“To those who need to be trained as disciples, bodhisattvas will give teachings on the instructions and appropriate practices for them. To those who need to be trained as solitary buddhas, they will give teachings on little actions and little benefits. To bodhisattvas who are conceiving the aspiration for awakening for the first time, they will give teachings on ambition and great compassion. To bodhisattvas who have been undertaking the conduct of a bodhisattva for some time, they will give teachings on not becoming wearied by the realm of rebirth. To bodhisattvas who have reached the stage of being impossible to turn back from awakening, they will give teachings on the purification of a buddha domain. To bodhisattvas who have one more life, they will give teachings on adorning the seat of awakening. To all those who have the potential to be trained by the buddhas, they will give teachings on what is fruitful and without deficiency.
“In short, Śāntamati, bodhisattvas who have purified their wisdom and their skill in means and who have gained mastery over the bases of cognition teach the Dharma that is fruitful. They satisfy all beings with their well-spoken words.”
When this teaching was given, ten thousand beings conceived the aspiration for unsurpassable and perfect awakening, and five hundred bodhisattvas attained an acceptance of the fact that things do not arise.
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