The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva
Chapter 10: The Perfection of Meditation

“What, then, is the bodhisatva’s perfection of meditation like, the perfection of meditation by means of which bodhisatvas, great beings, practice the way of the bodhisatva? Śāriputra, the bodhisatva has left desires behind. He has left evil, unwholesome qualities behind, and he attains and abides in the first meditative state, the state of joy and happiness [F.144.a] that is born from seclusion and that includes conceptualization and deliberation.

“Then, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva, having stilled conceptualization and deliberation, with a mind that has calmed itself and become focused, he attains and abides in the second meditative state, the state of joy and happiness that is born from concentration and that is without conceptualization and deliberation.

“Then, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva abides in equanimity because he is not attached to joy, and with mindfulness and thoughtfulness he experiences bliss in his body. This is what the noble ones refer to as the equanimity of mindfully dwelling in joy. This is the absence of joy, the third meditative state.

“Then, Śāriputra, as the bodhisatva has eliminated happiness and has already eliminated suffering, positive and negative states of mind diminish, and he attains and abides in the fourth meditative state, the completely pure equanimity and mindfulness free from suffering [MS.108.b] and happiness.

“Such is the meditative state of mind that is completely pure, completely cleansed, unblemished, and free from the secondary vices. With this he does not lose his concentration but remains in his practice of meditation.

“What, then, is the bodhisatva’s practice of meditation? It is the perfection of the practice of superior abilities and knowledge. What are his superior abilities? What is his knowledge? What we call superior abilities are the superior abilities of divine sight, divine hearing, knowledge of the thoughts of others, clear experiential recollection of previous states of existence, and the realization of magical methods. These are his five superior abilities.

“What then, Śāriputra, is the bodhisatva’s superior ability [F.144.b] and knowledge of the realization of divine sight? What is the practice of the superior ability and knowledge that he fully perfects?

“Here, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva, with his mind composed, completely pure, completely cleansed, free from the vices, and free from the secondary vices, turns his mind toward the direct knowledge of the birth and death of sentient beings. With his perfectly pure, superhuman divine sight, he sees sentient beings dying and being born, as high born and low born, in states of good fortune and of misfortune, as inferior and superior. He knows the karma that sentient beings have accumulated and thinks, ‘Oh, how these sentient beings engage in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct. They speak ill of the noble ones and hold wrong views. Because they act on the basis of these wrong views, when their bodies break down and they die, they will fall into a state of misfortune and be born in hell. Then there are those sentient beings who engage in good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, and good mental conduct. They do not speak ill of the noble ones, and they hold right views. Because they act on the basis of these right views, when their bodies break down and they die, they will be born in a state of good fortune, in heaven.’ With his pure, superhuman divine sight, the bodhisatva knows how sentient beings are subject to the effects of their actions.

“In this way, Śāriputra, the divine sight of the bodhisatva is superior to that of any sentient being. It sees forms and manifestations without obscuration. Compared to the divine sight of any nāga, any yakṣa, any gandharva, any asura, anyone aspiring to become an arhat, any arhat, or any pratyekabuddha, [F.145.a] the divine sight of the bodhisatva is superior, greater, most excellent, exceptional. That divine sight has a greater range, its vision is clearer, and it can traverse all possible paths. With that divine sight, he knows which kinds of divine sight in the unlimited, infinite worlds in the ten directions are coarse or subtle, inferior or exceptional, far or near, and which enable one to see manifestations clearly. With this divine sight, he truly knows the death and birth of all those sentient beings in the unlimited, infinite worlds in the ten directions who have been reborn into any state of existence, with the exception of those in the formless realm. He knows their actions and the fruits of their actions. He knows their faculties. [MS.109.a] He knows the causes of their faculties. He knows the diversity of their faculties. With his clear vision, he sees all the wondrous arrays of buddha fields, the fields of the lords, that exist in the unlimited, infinite worlds in the ten directions. He dedicates this vision to the complete purification of their skandha of morality and causes the skandha of morality on which they are based to grow. With his perfectly pure, superhuman divine sight, he sees all the bodhisatva saṅghas of the buddhas, the lords. When he has seen them, he fully perfects all those honorable men’s tasks, activities, conduct, mindfulness, and awareness; their position on the noble path; the foundation for their understanding of the liberation of the Dharma; their skill in understanding how to obtain dhāraṇīs; and their penetration of wisdom, knowledge, and skillful means. [F.145.b]

“His sight is unobscured, as it sees all forms. His sight is not fixed, as it is fixed on all forms. His sight is free from all inclinations and views. His sight is perfectly pure, as it is intrinsically clear. His sight is not reliant on any object. His sight is not subject to vices or tendencies. His sight is free of obscurations, as it is free from doubt. His sight is not overwhelmed in the midst of obstructions. His sight has attained vision among the manifestations of phenomena. His sight is reliant on knowledge and is not part of the sphere of consciousness. His sight is not fixed, not corrupted, and not bewildered by any of the vices. His sight is conducive to insight due to the features of the abilities of the noble ones. His sight is characterized by lack of aversion in that it is like rays of light shining equally on all sentient beings. His sight is perfectly pure, as it is free of the unwholesome. His sight is stainless, as it is intrinsically clear. His sight accomplishes Buddha sight, as he does not abandon his resolve. His sight is not obsessed and not malignant, as it is free of attachment and aversion. His sight is based on great compassion for sentient beings who act in the sphere of material objects. His sight is not hostile toward beggars. His sight does not scold those who are immoral. His sight takes care of those who are malicious. His sight inspires those who are lazy. His sight reveals the various aspects of meditation to those whose minds are agitated. His sight gives the sight of wisdom to those who lack wisdom. [F.146.a] His sight reveals the path to those who are on the wrong path. His sight reveals the greatness of the Buddha to those whose liberation is inferior. His sight is the superior ability that has risen to the lofty heights of omniscient knowledge. It is oriented toward the essence of awakening. It is wholly devoted to the essence of awakening. This, Śāriputra, is the practice of the superior ability and knowledge of divine sight that the bodhisatva, the great being, fully perfects.

“What then, Śāriputra, is the superior ability and knowledge of the realization of divine hearing that bodhisatvas, great beings, possess? What is the practice of the superior ability and knowledge that they fully perfect?

“Here, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva, by means of his perfectly pure, superhuman divine hearing, hears two kinds of sounds: sounds made by human beings and sounds made by nonhuman beings. Whatever sounds manifest in the unlimited, infinite worlds in the ten directions, whether they are the sounds of gods, the sounds of nāgas, the sounds of yakṣas, the sounds of gandharvas, the sounds of asuras, the sounds of garuḍas, [MS.109.b] the sounds of kinnaras, the sounds of mahoragas, the sounds of human beings, the sounds of nonhuman beings, the sounds of noble ones, the sounds of buddhas, the sounds of pratyekabuddhas, the sounds of bodhisatvas, or the sounds of śrāvakas, all these sounds come within the range of his divine hearing. The sounds of those who are in states of misfortune, that is to say the sounds of those in hell, the sounds of animals, or the sounds of those in the spirit world governed by Yama, even the sounds of worms, butterflies, flies, and mosquitoes, all come within the range of his divine hearing. He knows all the verbal actions that come forth from these beings on the basis of wholesome or unwholesome states of mind. He knows those verbal actions that take hold of the causes of wholesomeness. [F.146.b] He knows those verbal actions filled with hostility that come forth on the basis of an inclination toward desire, those verbal actions filled with desire that come forth on the basis of an inclination toward hatred, those verbal actions filled with bewilderment that come forth on the basis of an inclination toward desire and hatred. He knows those verbal actions filled with attachment that come forth on the basis of an inclination toward confusion, those verbal actions filled with attachment that come forth on the basis of an inclination toward desire, those that are corrupted and come forth on the basis of an inclination toward hatred, and those that are filled with bewilderment and come forth on the basis of an inclination toward confusion. With his knowledge of this superior ability of uncorrupted divine hearing, he truly knows those verbal actions that come from a pure motivation but seem aggressive in practice, as well as those verbal actions that seem pure in practice but are based on an aggressive motivation.

“With this divine hearing, he hears the words of the noble ones and of those who are not noble ones. He does not become attached to the words of the noble ones and has no ill will toward the words of those who are not noble ones. The words of the noble ones bring forth great love in him, and the words of those who are not noble ones bring forth great compassion in him. He knows all words as they are, by means of the knowledge that distinguishes between the past and the present. With this divine hearing, he hears absolutely everything that is said by all the buddhas, all the lords in all the great multitude of world systems in the ten directions. So that he does not lose anything from the vessel of his memory, he retains everything he hears. He does not forget what he has retained but pours it into sentient beings as if they were vessels, and he knows that the particular flavor of all phenomena is transitoriness. He does not hear the Dharma teachings of one tathāgata and then use the Dharma teachings of another tathāgata to muddy them or contradict them. [F.147.a] Moreover, Śāriputra, he retains what is said by all the buddhas, the lords, which is without beginning and without end. He repeats those words he hears that are wholesome roots, because they lead to attainment both in times that are conducive to attainment and in times that are not. He absorbs Dharma teachings both in formal gatherings and even in situations not conducive to teaching but does not necessarily teach what he has heard. He teaches the Dharma in times that are conducive to the Dharma, and when there are assemblies to hear him, even if there is only one person who wants to hear it. He does not make a genuine prediction of awakening if it will bring harm to anyone. He makes a false prediction of awakening if it serves the purpose of bringing benefit and advantage to anyone, and he does so with a completely pure mind, as an application of skillful means. He hears the kinds of sounds that bring joy. He does not hear the kinds of sounds that do not bring joy. Where the Dharma is taught in assemblies of sentient beings, he knows that these sounds are a blessing to his ear consciousness, and the sentient beings there who are of the noble lineage of the Dharma hear his Dharma. Those sentient beings who are not of noble lineage do not hear him. [MS.110.a] His faculty of hearing is the complete purity of the totality of phenomena. His faculty of hearing is the complete purity of the element of the self. His faculty of hearing is the complete purity of the element of sentient beings. His faculty of hearing is fully perfected, because he hears utterances, syllables, and explanations as they are. In order to teach the Dharma to sentient beings who have been born into the five states of existence, he uses examples taken from their various kinds of speech and utterances. He transforms the divine hearing of a sentient being into the divine hearing of a tathāgata, not into that of any other vehicle. This is what is known as the practice of the superior ability and knowledge of divine hearing that the bodhisatva fully perfects.

“What then, Śāriputra, is the superior ability and knowledge of the realization of the knowledge of the thoughts of others that bodhisatvas, great beings, possess? [F.147.b] What is the practice of the superior ability and knowledge that they fully perfect?

“Here, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva knows the past thoughts of all sentient beings in absolutely all the great multitude of worlds in the ten directions. He knows their future thoughts. He knows their present thoughts. By means of his knowledge of the past thoughts of all sentient beings, he arrives at the knowledge of their mental circumstances of causes and secondary causes: ‘The causes of the thoughts of this sentient being are superior. The causes of the thoughts of this sentient being are average. The causes of the thoughts of this sentient being are inferior. The faculties of this sentient being are conducive to generosity. The faculties of this sentient being are conducive to morality. The faculties of this sentient being are conducive to patient acceptance. The faculties of this sentient being are conducive to vigor. The faculties of this sentient being are conducive to meditation. The faculties of this sentient being are conducive to wisdom. The faculties of this sentient being are oriented toward love. The faculties of this sentient being are oriented toward compassion. The faculties of this sentient being are oriented toward empathetic joy. The faculties of this sentient being are oriented toward equanimity. The faculties of this sentient being are oriented toward the Mahāyāna. The faculties of this sentient being are oriented toward the Pratyekabuddhayāna. The faculties of this sentient being are oriented toward the Śrāvakayāna. This sentient being is strong in their causes, and they possess the principal cause for that which is wholesome. This sentient being has strong circumstances and possesses the principal circumstantial causes. This sentient being, though, is strong in their causes but does not possess the principal cause for that which is wholesome. Caused by the way they engage, this sentient being is then reborn in an inferior family. This sentient being, again, might be able to practice, but they do not possess the causes of excellent wholesomeness. This sentient being, again, is reborn in a superior family because of the full causal power for that to happen has come about. [F.148.a] This sentient being’s resolve is pure, but their practice is not pure. This sentient being’s practice is pure, but their resolve is not pure. This sentient being’s practice is pure, and their resolve is pure. This sentient being’s practice is not pure, and their resolve is not pure.’ In this way, Śāriputra, he knows the mental activity of all sentient beings, which takes place within their faculties and is created by previous causes. He thereby understands how to [MS.110.b] teach them the Dharma in an appropriate way. This is what is known as the bodhisatva’s knowledge of the thoughts of others.

“Moreover, he knows what their mentality will eventually lead to: ‘That which will be this sentient being’s cause for morality in the future is his present cause for generosity. That which will be this sentient being’s cause for generosity in the future is his present cause for morality. That which will be this sentient being’s cause for vigor in the future is his present cause for patient acceptance. That which will be this sentient being’s cause for patient acceptance in the future is his present cause for vigor. That which will be this sentient being’s cause for wisdom119 in the future is his present cause for worldly conduct. What will be this sentient being’s aptitude for the Mahāyāna in the future is his present aptitude for the Śrāvakayāna. What will be this sentient being’s aptitude for the Pratyekabuddhayāna in the future is his present aptitude for the Śrāvakayāna. What will be this sentient being’s aptitude for the Śrāvakayāna in the future is his present aptitude for the Mahāyāna.’ In this way, Śāriputra, he truly knows those causes, those forms, and those conditions that will be the faculties of all sentient beings in times to come. He does not grow weary of bringing sentient beings to maturity but knows how to assess their minds. He then sees what sort of Dharma vessel they are and teaches them accordingly. [F.148.b] He teaches the Dharma in a way that is useful to them and does not do it just as a ‘Dharma duty.’ He truly knows the mental phenomena of all sentient beings as they are, whether they occur in the present or in the future. He knows that a mind filled with desire is a mind filled with desire. He truly knows that a mind free from desire is a mind free from desire. He truly knows that a mind filled with hatred is a mind filled with hatred. He truly knows that a mind free from hatred is a mind free from hatred. He truly knows that a mind filled with delusion is a mind filled with delusion. He truly knows that a mind free from delusion is a mind free from delusion. In this way, Śāriputra, he knows what corruptions any particular sentient being is filled with, and because he knows this, he is able to teach them the Dharma in such a way as to rid them of their vices. When he approaches an assembly, he first examines the assembly carefully. When he has examined it carefully, he teaches the Dharma to those sentient beings in whatever way is most suitable for them. In this way, Śāriputra, he knows the faculties, superior and inferior, of all those sentient beings. The bodhisatva, though, does not give priority to his own thoughts, nor does he give priority to the thoughts of others. Why is this? It is because the bodhisatva knows that his stream of thoughts possesses knowledge. He knows that his stream of thoughts possesses mindfulness. [F.149.a] [MS.111.a] He knows that his stream of thoughts possesses resolve. He knows that his stream of thoughts possesses wisdom. He knows that his stream of thoughts possesses intelligence. He knows that his stream of thoughts is free from the vices and that any connection to habitual tendencies has been completely uprooted. He knows that it is pure, stainless, clear, flawless, supple, and spotless. He knows the manifestations of all phenomena. He knows that his stream of thoughts has penetrated the mental activity of all sentient beings. In this way, Śāriputra, he penetrates the knowledge of thoughts among the various kinds of phenomena. This is what is known as the practice of the superior ability and knowledge of knowing the thoughts of others, which the bodhisatva fully perfects.

“What then, Śāriputra, is the superior ability of directly realized recollection of previous states of existence, which the bodhisatva possesses? What is the practice of the superior ability and knowledge that he fully perfects?

“Here, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva recollects the many different previous existences of all sentient beings in the unlimited worlds in the ten directions. He can recollect one past lifetime, two, three, five, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, or a hundred lifetimes, a thousand lifetimes, many hundreds of lifetimes, many thousands of lifetimes, and many hundreds of thousands of lifetimes. He can remember as far back as an eon of destruction, an eon of evolution, and eon of destruction and evolution, a multitude of eons of destruction, a multitude of eons of evolution, and a multitude of eons of destruction and evolution, and he can state with precision, ‘At that time in the past, those sentient beings had these names and these kinds of family. They looked like this, had these genders, and were in these kinds of physical condition. They had these kinds of jobs. They remained alive for that long, and they experienced happiness and suffering in these ways. [F.149.b] Then, when they passed away, they took birth again in that place, and when they passed away again they took birth here.’ In this way, he recollects the details and the locations of the multitude of his own various previous states of existence and those of all sentient beings. He recollects his own previous states of existence from the very beginning of time. He recollects the previous states of existence of other sentient beings, of other people, from the very beginning of time. He also recollects the previous causes of his own roots of virtue, and he recollects others’ roots of virtue. He develops his own roots of virtue and his own awakening, and when he recollects other sentient beings’ roots of virtue, he cultivates the mind of awakening. He turns his attention to those causes of happiness and suffering in previous states of existence that arose because of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self. When he has turned his attention to the fact that they arose because of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self, he does not become intoxicated by forms. He does not become intoxicated by pleasure. He does not become intoxicated by having followers. He does not become intoxicated by lordship. He does not become intoxicated by the craving to become a king of the entire world. He does not become intoxicated by the craving to become Śakra. He does not become intoxicated by the craving to become Brahmā. He does not become intoxicated by the craving to become a protector of the world. He does not become intoxicated by the craving to be reborn. He does not become intoxicated by a mind filled with craving for all kinds of sensual pleasures or the happiness of kingship or lordship. He does not take hold of existence, except for the purpose of bringing sentient beings to maturity, and only after careful consideration. Because he has already turned his attention to impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self, his conscience and moral sensitivity are disturbed by the actions he has performed because of the vices, and he is repulsed by them. [F.150.a] By means of the state of things that is connected to the present, he acted in ways that created roots of nonvirtue, in order to save his life. He causes his previous roots of virtue and his development of unsurpassed perfect awakening to flourish. [MS.111.b] Because of all the present roots of virtue he has gathered, he avoids dishonesty and deception. So that the lineage of the Buddha, the lineage of the Dharma, and the lineage of the Saṅgha are not destroyed, he develops omniscience. The foundation of his memory is good because he possesses the power of memory and because of the presence of the totality of phenomena in his memory. Because he understands things well, his memory is unshakeable. Because of his conscientious practice of meditation, it is not hurried. Because his foundation of calm abiding meditation is good, it is not rushed. Because he has a good grasp of insight meditation, it is not agitated. Because he sees clearly, it is not unrefined. Because nothing is lost from his memory, it remembers. Because he has accumulated stocks of merit, its knowledge is great. Because he has accumulated stocks of knowledge, it is dependent on anything. Because he has accumulated stocks of all the perfections, it has gone to the other shore. This is how he recollects phenomena that had been lost to memory, by means of the power of his memory and mental composure. This is what is known as the perfected potential of superior ability and knowledge of previous states of existence, which the bodhisatva fully perfects.

“What then, Śāriputra, is the superior ability and knowledge of the realization of the application of magical abilities that the bodhisatva possesses? What is the practice of the superior ability and knowledge that he fully perfects?

“Here, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva cultivates the foundation of magical ability that has as its condition the eliminative concentration of yearning. He cultivates the foundations of the magical abilities that have as their conditions the eliminative concentrations of vigor, volition, and investigation. By wishing for, developing, and mastering these qualities that are joined with yearning, vigor, volition, and investigation, [F.150.b] and by genuinely manifesting these four foundations of magical abilities, he truly attains magical abilities. He enjoys the many eliminations of these miraculous magical abilities. He masters the miraculous magical abilities out of concern for sentient beings. He displays whatever kind of magic will train sentient beings, whether forms, powers, or influence. He displays manifestations of forms and appearance‍—the manifestation of a buddha, of a pratyekabuddha, of a śrāvaka, of Śakra, of Brahmā, of a protector of the world, and of a king of the entire world, as well as other forms, images, and manifestations, even those of animals‍—whatever will bring sentient beings to the training. When he has done this, he teaches them the Dharma. He displays whatever powers are needed to train sentient beings who take great pride in their own strength and who are very quick-tempered and extremely arrogant. Even if he displayed the strength of a great champion, a quarter of the strength of Nārāyaṇa, half the strength of Nārāyaṇa, the strength of Nārāyaṇa, enough strength to take hold of Sumeru, the king of mountains, which is six million yojanas high, and throw it a distance of eighty-four thousand yojanas with two fingers, throw it to another world as if it was a gooseberry, the bodhisatva’s strength would not be diminished. [F.151.a] The bodhisatva would take as great and vast an amount of water as there is in the whole threefold thousand great thousand worlds and place it at the very summit of the universe for an eon, as if it was placed in the palm of his hand, if this would serve to demonstrate the complete spiritual path. [MS.112.a] This is the sort of strength with which the bodhisatva teaches the Dharma to sentient beings who take great pride in their own strength, and who are very quick-tempered and extremely arrogant, in order to rid them of their pride in their own strength, their quick temper, and their arrogance. By means of these foundations of magical abilities, he obtains the knowledge of powerful presence. Because he possesses this knowledge of powerful presence, whatever he attends to happens. If he attends to the great ocean as if it were the size of a cow’s hoof print, then it will be the size of a cow’s hoof print. If he attends to a cow’s hoof print as if it were a great ocean, it will become a great ocean. If he attends to the great fire at the end of the eon as if it were a mass of water, then it will become a mass of water. If he attends to the destruction of the world in a mass of water as if it were the destruction of the world in a mass of fire, then it will become so as he attends to it, and so forth. All phenomena, inferior, superior, or average, behave exactly as they should when he attends to them, and not in any other manner. Moreover, his presence cannot be genuinely disturbed, shaken, or obscured by anyone in this world, not by any ascetic, brahmin, or god, not by Śakra, Māra, or Brahmā, or by any other religious tradition in the world, with the exception of the buddhas, the lords. By means of the presence and the power that he possesses, he teaches the Dharma to many different sentient beings of excellent character, who take great joy and delight in his teaching. Moreover, these foundations of magical abilities that he possesses are never-ending and independent. They overcome Māra and the vices. [F.151.b] They manifest in the realms of the buddhas. Their application does no harm to sentient beings. They bring about the accumulation of a great store of roots of virtue. They cannot be severed by Māra and his retinue or by the gods. This is what is known as the practice of the realized superior ability and knowledge of the application of magical abilities, which the bodhisatva fully perfects.

“What then, Śāriputra, are the superior abilities of the bodhisatva? What is his knowledge? Seeing forms with his divine sight is his superior ability. To be aware of the perishable nature of manifest form and still not reify it is his knowledge. Moreover, Śāriputra, hearing all the manifestations of sounds is his superior ability. That all that is heard is ultimately inexpressible is his knowledge. Moreover, Śāriputra, he knows the mental activity of all sentient beings, and this is his superior ability. To be aware of the cessation of thought and not reify cessation is his knowledge. Moreover, Śāriputra, his remembering primordial nonattachment is his superior ability. Knowledge that is not attached to the three times is his knowledge. Moreover, Śāriputra, going to and coming from all buddha fields is his superior ability. His manifestation of knowledge in the field of space is his knowledge. Moreover, that he engages with the Dharma of the venerable ones is his superior ability. His vision of the sameness of all Dharma teachings is his knowledge. Moreover, he brings joy to all worlds, and this is his superior ability. He is unaffected by all worlds, and this is his knowledge. Moreover, he overpowers all śakras, brahmās, and protectors of the world, and this is his superior ability. That he knows the magical abilities of all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas is his knowledge. These then, Śāriputra, are his superior [MS.112.b] abilities, and this is his knowledge. This is what is known as the practice of the realized superior abilities and knowledge that he fully perfects. [F.152.a]

“Thus, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva’s knowledge of the accumulation of meditation and mental presence is relative to the degree to which minds are disturbed by the vices. The bodhisatva will master the accumulation of meditation relative to the degree to which the minds of sentient beings are disturbed by the vices. Thus, Śāriputra, when the bodhisatva has entered into composure, then he is known to be concentrated. This is a concentration related to the sameness of all sentient beings; the sameness of thoughts; the sameness of resolve; the sameness of practice; the sameness of intentions; the sameness of generosity; the sameness of morality, patient acceptance, vigor, meditation, and wisdom; and the sameness of all phenomena. That which is the same as awakening is the same as all sentient beings. That which is the same as all sentient beings is the same as all phenomena. That which is the same as the attainment of sameness is what is known as attainment. That which is the same as emptiness is the same as all phenomena. That sameness that has been reached is what is known as attainment. That which is the same as freedom from attributes, freedom from aspirations, and freedom from conditioning is the sameness that is known as attainment when it is attained. The attainment of the sameness of all phenomena arises from the sameness of one’s own thoughts. This is what is known as attainment. Everything helpful and everything unhelpful is the same to him in his mind, and so his mind is like earth, water, [F.152.b] fire, wind, or space. He stands neither elevated nor subdued. He stands firmly, having attained immovability. He has attained the states of meditative concentration of all forms of spiritual practice. His spiritual practice is natural. He has attained the essential nature of things. He is not raised up or elevated. He is swift. He does not babble. He does not indulge in loose talk. He understands the context. He understands what is correct. He understands what the right time is. He understands what the right moment is. He understands what the right occasion is. He adapts to all worlds but is not corrupted by them. He has transcended the eight worldly concerns. He is not corrupted by any of the vices. He has left society. His sphere is seclusion. In these ways he remains in the state of meditative concentration, does not become disturbed, and still can be seen to perform all kinds of worldly activities. This is the bodhisatva’s perfection of meditation through which he accomplishes wisdom and skillful means.

“While in this state, out of concern for sentient beings, he directs his mind to the object of his great compassion. This is his skillful means. He enters into a state of peace, a state of calm. This is his wisdom. While in this state, he masters buddha knowledge. This is his skillful means. He does not bind himself to any phenomena. This is his wisdom. While in this state, he relies on the acceptance of all phenomena. This is his skillful means. He meditates from the perspective of the uncontaminated nature of the totality of phenomena. This is his wisdom. While in this state, he manifests the ornament of the buddha body. This is his skillful means. He meditates from the perspective of the state of the Dharma body. This is his wisdom. He pays attention to the sounds, the words, the speech of the buddhas, who speak with the voice of Brahmā. This is his skillful means. He meditates from the perspective of the ineffability of phenomena. This is his wisdom. While in this state, he remains present in the vajra-like state of mind. This is his skillful means. He meditates with unscattered mindfulness. This is his wisdom. [F.153.a] [MS.113.a] While in this state, he bases himself on his vow to bring sentient beings to maturity. This is his skillful means. He meditates from the perspective of the fact that all sentient beings lack a self. This is his wisdom. He attains the roots of virtue that come from meditation. This is his skillful means. He meditates by not basing himself on roots. This is his wisdom. While in this state, he manifests the complete purity of a buddha field. This is his skillful means. He meditates on the sky-like buddha fields. This is his wisdom. While in this state, he manifests an array of ornaments to the essence of awakening. This is his skillful means. He meditates from the perspective of the pacification of the vices. This is his wisdom. While in this state, he makes the setting in motion of the wheel of the Dharma his aim. This is his skillful means. He meditates from the perspective of the fact that nothing is set in motion and no motion is obstructed. This is his wisdom. While in this state, he looks upon the factors of awakening and manifests them to the extent to which they have been cultivated. This is his skillful means. He meditates by way of meditation and nonmeditation, seeing that as many secondary vices as there may be, they are free from all things related to the happiness beyond burning desire, the wisdom and concentration of the Tathāgata; they are complete knowledge that is unattached to perception and nonperception; they are the removal of all kinds of perceptions; and they conform to the destiny of all bodhisatvas. This is his wisdom. This is what the imperishable perfection of meditation of bodhisatvas, great beings, who practice in this way is like. No māras are able to obstruct them, and they tend to the vessel of the qualities of all the buddhas. This, Śāriputra, is what his skillful means are like, and this is what his wisdom is like. This is the perfection of meditation of bodhisatvas, which leads to wisdom and skillful means.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, [F.153.b] the superior abilities of the bodhisatva, the great being, are imperishable. He performs actions with knowledge. He displays all actions as a play of his superior abilities. Well established in his superior abilities, he brings about great events. His superior abilities produce knowledge and they are transcendental, conducive to insight, and furnished with all excellent qualities. His superior abilities produce knowledge and are directly experienced in both worldly and transcendental phenomena. His superior abilities have an indestructible form,120 and they conform to every situation, like space. With his superior abilities, he is able to reveal all forms in the realm of form and in the formless realm. With his superior abilities, he is able to follow all sounds because of the sameness of all voices in the past. With his superior abilities, he is able to view the mental activity of all sentient beings because he can see and discern their essential nature. With his superior abilities, he is able to recollect all eons because he is able to perceive the past and the future. With his superior abilities, he is able to display transformations that are characterized by being creations that appear for others. With his superior abilities he is attuned to the knowledge of the disappearance of defilements, because he takes account of the occasion and does not act inappropriately in any given situation. His superior abilities are transcendental and lead to insight [MS.113.b] into all phenomena. His superior abilities cannot easily be fathomed by śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. His superior abilities have a profound purpose. They are the enemies of Māra, and they destroy him. His superior abilities retain the essence of awakening and are entrusted to the realization of all the qualities of a buddha. His superior abilities [F.154.a] help to set the wheel of the Dharma in motion. With his superior abilities, he trains all sentient beings. His superior abilities are like a coronation, as he attains power over all phenomena. In this way, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva performs actions with knowledge, and not with pride.

“Having cultivated imperishable superior abilities with a mind that is completely pure, completely clear, cleansed, spotless, free from the secondary vices, well disciplined, completely calm, and well prepared, a mind that has attained meditation, liberation, and concentration, he intentionally takes birth but is not bound by birth, is not bound by death, and is not bound by rebirth. Why is this? It is because he is liberated from making false assumptions, liberated from being bound by all the vices, liberated from relying on any wrong views. Therefore, he is liberated in birth, liberated in death, and liberated in rebirth. When he is reborn, he does not stray from the Mahāyāna but perfects the qualities of the buddhas. He obtains the qualities of the buddhas by searching for them in the ten directions, but he does not seize hold of them. He approaches all phenomena as the qualities of the buddhas. In this way, all the buddha-qualities and all phenomena are said to be neither qualities nor nonqualities. The qualities that he truly searches for cannot be obtained, because they are uncountable. The totality of phenomena entirely surpasses any kind of measurement. He knows the sameness of all phenomena, and he is not attached to either qualities or nonqualities. Indeed, his goal is to not be attached to any qualities. If one is conceited about one’s aim, that can be very damaging. But if one is not conceited about one’s goal, it stands before one as neither a goal nor a nongoal. When he sees the aim, his intellect is not hindered in any way. Someone whose intellect is not hindered does not hold on to anything. His intellect is unhindered. Someone who is not hindered does not grasp. Someone who does not grasp is unattached. Someone who is unattached is not stuck. Someone who is not stuck is not faulty. Someone who is not faulty [F.154.b] possesses unfailing exertion. Someone who possesses unfailing exertion is not deluded. Someone who is not deluded has no sense of mine. Someone who has no sense of mine does not become involved in disputes. Someone who does not become involved in disputes does not dispute the traditions of other ascetics. Someone who does not dispute the traditions of other ascetics is like someone who holds the whole of space in the palm of his hand. Someone who holds the whole of space in the palm of his hand is not involved with the realm of sensual desire. He is not involved with the realm of form. He is not involved with the formless realm. Someone who is not involved with anything anywhere has no appearance, no gender, and no physical condition. This is what his awakening is like, and his insight is like his awakening. [MS.114.a] Why are his awakening and his insight said to be like this? There is no phenomenon, not even a phenomenon as small as an atom, that he obtains, that he needs to awaken to, or that he needs to realize. This is why his awakening and his insight are said to be like this. Thus, the bodhisatva, the great being, who has attained awakening and insight is said to possess the wondrous, extraordinary Dharma.

“What is the nature of this wondrous, extraordinary Dharma of the bodhisatva? He has love but perceives no self. He has compassion but perceives no sentient being. He has empathetic joy but perceives no life force. He has equanimity but perceives no person. His generosity is a giving mind. His morality is his peace of mind. His patience is the cessation of thought. His vigor is mental detachment. His meditation is a state of consideration. His wisdom is without elaboration. His application of mindfulness is without remembering and without mental activity. He has right exertion, with a mind free from arising and ceasing. He possesses the foundations of magical abilities, with a mind that does not engage in elaboration. He has faith, with a mind that is free from attachment. He is mindful, with a self-arisen mind. He is concentrated, with a mind that dwells in attainment. He possesses wisdom, with a mind that is free from faculties. He is powerful, with a faultless mind. He possesses the factors of awakening, the analyses of awakening. He cultivates the path, with a cultivated mind. [F.155.a] He practices calm abiding meditation, with a calmed mind. He practices insight meditation, with superior vision. He cultivates the noble truths, with a mind filled with great knowledge. He brings sentient beings to maturity, and he is primordially pure. He receives the true Dharma, with a mind that is the indivisibility of the totality of phenomena. He patiently accepts the fact that phenomena have no origination, with a mind beyond apprehension. He has reached the stage of irreversibility, with an irreversible mind. He obtains the characteristics, with a mind free from essential characteristics. He adorns the seat of awakening, with a mind that rests on the seat of the three realms. He defeats Māra, with a mind that shows kindness to all sentient beings. He is awakened, as he has awoken to the inherent nature of all phenomena. He sets the wheel of the Dharma in motion, with a mind that cannot be stopped. He manifests his great final nirvāṇa, with a mind that has the same inherent nature as cyclic existence.

“What then, Śāriputra, do the meditative states consist of? The meditation states of bodhisatvas are not made up of any particular thing, because they are the fulfillment of the concentration of a tathāgata. Bodhisatvas do not relish their meditation, as they do not cling to their own happiness. The meditation of bodhisatvas is based on great compassion, as they have rid themselves of all vices. The meditation of bodhisatvas does not stray from concentration, as it does not grasp after the realm of sensual desire. The meditation of bodhisatvas is the preparation of their superior abilities, as they know the mental activity of all sentient beings. The meditation of bodhisatvas leaves fixed entities behind, as they have rid themselves of all vices. The meditation of bodhisatvas does not stray from concentration, as they know the supremacy of the mind. The meditation of bodhisatvas is the knowledge of all attainments, because it encompasses the whole of the form and formless realms. [F.155.b] The meditation of bodhisatvas is calm, peaceful, and tranquil, as they have surpassed the attainments of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. The meditation of bodhisatvas is unshakeable, because it is transcendent. [MS.114.b] The meditation of bodhisatvas is an enemy, as it destroys any connection to habitual tendencies. The meditation of bodhisatvas is supreme wisdom, as it has transcended all worlds. The meditation of bodhisatvas fosters the intentions of sentient beings, in order to rescue all sentient beings. The meditation of bodhisatvas is not cut off from the lineage of the Three Jewels, because of the unbreakable magical abilities of the tathāgatas. The meditation of bodhisatvas is supreme, as it is always composed. The meditation of bodhisatvas is controlled, as they have fully perfected all action. The meditation of bodhisatvas is omnipresent, as their knowledge is majestic.

“What then, Śāriputra, are the preparations for the perfection of meditation? Introspection of mind is the preparation. One-pointedness of mind is the preparation. Stability of mind is the preparation. A mind that dwells in calm abiding meditation is the preparation. The faculty of concentration is the preparation. The power of concentration is the preparation. Correct concentration is the preparation. Meditation and freedom are the preparation. The attainment of the nine successive states of absorption is the preparation. The nine cessations are the preparation. Wholesome qualities are the preparation. Overpowering one’s enemies, the vices, is the preparation. Fulfilling the skandha of concentration is the preparation. The concentration of a bodhisatva is the preparation. The concentration of a buddha is the preparation. Thus, these and other elements that produce peace are the preparations for the perfection of meditation. [F.156.a]

“This, Śāriputra, is the perfection of meditation of bodhisatvas, by which bodhisatvas, great beings, practice the way of the bodhisatva.”

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