The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva
Chapter 3: The Examination of the Bodhisatva

The venerable Śāriputra got up from his seat, placed his robe over one shoulder, knelt down on his right knee, joined his hands in reverence, and spoke to the Lord: “I would like to ask the Lord, the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha, for some direction, if the Lord will grant that possibility with an explanation of the question when asked.”

The Lord answered the venerable Śāriputra, “You may ask the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha whatever you like, Śāriputra, and I will delight your mind by explaining whatever it is you wish to ask about.”

The venerable Śāriputra then asked the Lord, “Lord, what qualities do the bodhisatvas, the great beings, possess that lead them to act irreproachably in body, to act irreproachably in speech, to act irreproachably in thought; that make them immaculate in body, immaculate in speech, immaculate in thought; that make them unshakeable in body, unshakeable in speech, unshakeable in thought? [F.282.a] Neither Māra and his retinue nor the gods are able to disturb them when they have made up their mind to reach omniscience. They progress with skill from stage to stage and are not soiled by worldly phenomena.27 They act as leaders, mentors, guides, torches, fords, bridges, boats, and ferrymen who carry living beings to the other shore. They are places of rest, shelters, refuges, and ultimate sanctuaries for all sentient beings. As they have made up their minds to reach omniscience, they will never be turned from their course.”

The venerable Śāriputra then questioned the Lord by singing these verses:

The Lord spoke to the venerable Śāriputra: “Śāriputra, there is a single quality that the bodhisatva possesses through which he attains the other immeasurable buddha qualities. What is this single quality? Śāriputra, [F.282.b] this single quality that the bodhisatva possesses, through which he attains the other immeasurable buddha qualities, is that he has as his foundation the resolve of the mind of awakening.”

The venerable Śāriputra then asked the Lord, “Lord, what kind of resolve is this? What is the mind of awakening like?”

The Lord then spoke to the venerable Śāriputra, “Śāriputra, here is why it is called a foundation of resolve. It is solid because it cannot be broken. It cannot be broken because it is firm. It is firm because it cannot be swayed. It cannot be swayed because it is not unsteady. It is not unsteady because it is well established. It is well established because it does not turn back. It does not turn back because it is concern for sentient beings. It is concern for sentient beings because it is rooted in great compassion. It is rooted in great compassion because it does not become weary. It does not become weary because it is knowledge of how to bring sentient beings to maturity. It is knowledge of how to bring sentient beings to maturity because it is not occupied with egocentric happiness. It is not occupied with egocentric happiness because it does not look for any reward. It does not look for any reward because it is not interested in material gain. It is not interested in material gain because of its support for sentient beings. It supports sentient beings because of its concern for the weak. It has concern for the weak and acts as a protector for them. It is able to protect them because it is a refuge and ultimate sanctuary. It is a refuge and ultimate sanctuary because it is unassailable. It is unassailable because it is well considered. It is well considered because it is beyond objectification. It is beyond objectification because of its virtuous resolve. Its resolve is virtuous because it is nothing in particular. It is nothing in particular because it is completely immaculate. It is completely immaculate because it is wholly purified. It is wholly purified because its inner nature is without blemish. Its inner nature is without blemish because it is externally immaculate. This, Śāriputra, is what this foundation of resolve is like: [F.283.a] everything from solid and unbreakable to internally free of blemishes and externally immaculate.

“What is the mind of awakening like? It is a mind that cannot be crushed by any vice. It is a mind that is unfettered because it is not inclined toward other paths. It is a mind that is stable, not led astray by any counterarguments. It is a mind that cannot be broken by any māras. It is a mind that is steadfast because it has accumulated a great many roots of virtue. It is a mind that is unwavering because it longs for the Buddha’s teaching. It is a mind that is firmly established on the stages of the bodhisatva path. [MS.17.b] It is a mind that is unsurpassed‍—it has no equal. It is a mind that is like a vajra because it can truly penetrate all the Buddha’s teachings. It is a mind that is balanced because it is impartial in relation to the inclinations of all sentient beings. It is a mind that is completely pure, free by its very nature from afflictive mental states. It is a mind that is stainless because it is illuminated by wisdom. It is a broad mind, as it has room for all sentient beings. It is an extensive, sky-like mind. It is an unobstructed mind because its focus is boundless knowledge.29 It is a mind that is omnipresent since it is never separated from great compassion. It is a mind one should seek to develop, because it is praised by the wise. It is a mind that is like the seed of all the Buddha’s teachings. It is a mind that is the basis of all genuine happiness. It is a mind that comes about through the diligent practice of morality. It is a mind that is difficult to attain, as it requires patience. It is a mind that is difficult to conquer because it is heroic. It is a mind that has been calmed by means of meditation. It is a mind that cannot be impaired because of its great wisdom.

“Also, it is a mind that is the root of the Tathāgata’s skandha of morality, his skandha of concentration, his skandha of wisdom, [F.283.b] and his skandha of liberation. It is a mind that is the root of the Tathāgata’s skandha of insight into the knowledge of liberation. It is a mind that is the root of the ten powers of the Tathāgata, his four kinds of confidence, and his eighteen unique buddha qualities.

“Śāriputra, as awakening is the nature of this mind, it is called the mind of awakening. Śāriputra, a bodhisatva is someone who possesses the resolve that is the mind of awakening. It is because of this that he is called a bodhisatva, a being whose mind is exalted, a supreme being, a being of distinction in the threefold world. His bodily conduct is irreproachable. His verbal conduct is irreproachable. His mental conduct is irreproachable. His bodily conduct is undisturbed. His verbal conduct is undisturbed. His mental conduct is undisturbed. Neither Māra and his retinue nor the gods are able to disturb him when he has made up his mind to reach omniscience. He progresses with skill from stage to stage and is not soiled by worldly phenomena. He acts as a leader, and he acts as a mentor, a guide, a torch, a ford, a bridge, a boat, and a ferryman who carries living beings to the other shore. He is a resting place, a shelter, a refuge, and an ultimate sanctuary for all sentient beings. Neither Māra and his retinue nor the gods are able to turn him from his course when he has made up his mind to reach omniscience.

“Śāriputra, the bodhisatva is intent on attaining unsurpassed genuine awakening. He trusts in this [MS.18.a] and is truly dedicated to it. He longs to see the noble ones. [F.284.a] He longs to listen to the Dharma. He is not miserly but generous and open handed. He takes delight in giving and distributes his wealth with joy. He has no aversion to any sentient beings when he engages with them, but he has an unsullied mind, an unagitated mind, an unscattered mind. He has complete faith, confidence, and trust in karma and the ripening of its fruits and is free from doubt and uncertainty in this respect. He knows that the effects of negative and positive qualities will not vanish, and so he does not perform any evil acts, even at the cost of his own life. He does not take life, nor does he take anything that is not given, engage in sexual misconduct, lie, slander, speak coarsely, or chatter inanely, and he does not indulge in covetousness, in malice, or in wrong views. He abandons these ten unwholesome forms of conduct and instead practice the ten wholesome forms of conduct.

“He has reverence for ascetics and brahmins, for those whose practice is genuine, whose commitment is genuine, who uphold morality, who have good qualities, who are graceful,30 who are of good character, who are of great learning, who study diligently, who are concerned with what is essential, who are disciplined, peaceful, and tranquil, who do not engage in divisive speech, who do not engage in unfriendly speech, whose intentions are virtuous, who do not have unwholesome intentions, who are inseparable from what is wholesome, who avoid all unwholesome acts, who are not conceited, who are not arrogant, who are not fickle, who are not overly talkative, who do not babble, who are mindful, whose minds are focused, who have cut off that which leads to existence, who have removed their arrows, who have cast off their burden, who have left their uncertainty behind, and who are beyond doubt, for lords, buddhas, who are beyond rebirth, [F.284.b] and for the bodhisatvas, the great beings, the disciples of the Buddha.31 When he meets ascetics, brahmins, and spiritual friends such as these, he honors them, serves them, attends to them, and pleases them‍—he does not ignore them. He treats them well and is not unpleasant to them.

“As he does not ignore these spiritual friends, they bless him with the Dharma, they explain the Dharma to him, they help him to understand, they inspire him, and they thrill him, saying, ‘Generosity results in great riches, morality leads to rebirth in the heavens, studying brings great knowledge, and meditation leads to liberation.’ This is how they teach him. ‘This is generosity. This is the fruit of generosity. This is miserliness. This is the fruit of miserliness. This is morality. This is the result of morality. This is immorality. This is the result of immorality. This is patience. This is the result of patience. This is malice. This is the result of malice. This is vigor. This is the result of vigor. This is laziness. This is the result of laziness. This is meditation. This is the result of meditation. This is the agitated mind. This is the result of the agitated mind. This is wisdom. This is the result of wisdom. This is misunderstanding. This is the result of misunderstanding. These are positive actions of the body. These are the results of positive actions of the body. These are negative actions of the body. These are the results of negative actions of the body. These are positive verbal actions. These are the results of positive verbal actions. These are negative verbal actions. These are the results of negative verbal actions. [MS.18.b] These are positive mental actions. [F.285.a] These are the results of positive mental actions. These are negative mental actions. These are the results of negative mental actions. This is virtue. This is vice. This is what you should do. This is what you should not do. If you do this, it will benefit you, help you, and bring you long-lasting happiness. If you do this it will hurt you, harm you, and bring you sorrow for a long time.’

“This is how his spiritual friends instruct him, help him to understand, inspire him, and thrill him. They see that he is worthy to receive the profound teaching, and so they impart it to him: the teaching of emptiness, the teaching on the freedom from attributes, the teaching of freedom from aspirations, the teaching of the conditionless, the teaching of the unborn, the teaching of nonarising, the teaching of no self, no being, and no life force, the teaching of no person, the profound teaching, the teaching of dependent origination. That is to say, when this is, that comes to be. When this has arisen, that arises. When the condition of ignorance is present, there is mental conditioning. When the condition of mental conditioning is present, there is consciousness. When the condition of consciousness is present, there is name and form. When the condition of name and form is present, there are the six sense fields. When the condition of the six sense fields is present, there is contact. When the condition of contact is present, there is feeling. When the condition of feeling is present, there is desire. When the condition of desire is present, there is grasping. When the condition of grasping is present, there is becoming. When the condition of becoming is present, there is birth. When the condition of birth is present, there is aging, death, pain, despair, suffering, depression, and struggle. This is how the whole great mass of suffering comes about. When this is not, that does not come to be. When this has ceased, that will cease. When ignorance has ceased, mental conditioning will cease, and so forth. [F.285.b] In this way the whole great mass of suffering ceases.

“In fact, it is not possible to find any phenomenon that comes into being or disappears. Why is this? All phenomena originate interdependently; they have no owner, no creator, no experiencer. They come about in dependence upon causes and conditions. There is no phenomenon that develops, that changes, or that reoccurs. It is the delusion that trusts what is false that leads one to designate the three realms and the ways of vice and suffering that manifest. When this false delusion is seen for what it truly is, there are no phenomena and no creator of any phenomena. Where there is no creator, one is also, ultimately, not able to find any activity or any phenomena that occur or cease. This is how they instruct him.

“When he has listened to such profound teachings, he harbors no doubt or uncertainty but engage with everything free of attachment. He does not cling to form and does not cling to feeling, perception, mental conditioning, or consciousness. He does not cling to the eye, to form, or to visual consciousness. He does not cling to the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, the mind, mental objects, or mental consciousness. He is confident of the empty nature of all phenomena.

“Śāriputra, with his firm confidence the bodhisatva does not give up seeing the Buddha, does not give up listening to the Dharma, and does not give up engaging with the Saṅgha. Wherever he practices, [MS.19.a] he is not deprived of seeing the Buddha, not deprived of listening to the Dharma, and not deprived of engaging with the Saṅgha. He appears in the presence of the lords, the buddhas, and applies himself with diligence in their company, endeavoring to live with virtue. Applying himself with diligence in this way, [F.286.a] he no longer wishes for a household. He no longer wishes for children and a wife. He no longer wishes for male and female servants, workers, or laborers. He no longer wishes for all the troubles that come with possessions.

“Soon after he is born he stops running after the pleasures of the senses, and in his adolescence he develops faith in the teachings of the lords, the buddhas, leaves his home behind, and becomes a renunciant. Having developed faith and become a renunciant, he seeks out a truly spiritual friend, stays with this spiritual friend, keeps his attention directed toward his spiritual friend, and develops virtuous intention. He then listens to the good teachings with this virtuous intention and takes their practices to heart. He is not someone who takes an intellectual delight in the teachings. The search for great knowledge does not satisfy him. He elucidates the teachings to many others in exactly the same manner as he has heard them. With no desire for material reward, he teaches the Dharma to others, not seeking honor or praise. He avoids his own words and teaches the Dharma to others just as he has heard it, in a way that is appropriate to the circumstances. He develops great love for those who listen to the Dharma. He engages with all sentient beings with great compassion. Since he has great learning, he is not concerned with his body or his life. He is content because he has few desires. He is a hermit and his nature is gentle. He is easily supported, does not require much, and prefers the wilderness. He understands the meaning of the teachings just as he has heard them, and he does not rely on the words but on the meaning. He is a support for the world with its gods, humans, and asuras. He is engaged not just for his own benefit but for the benefit of all beings,32 seeking the unsurpassed Mahāyāna, the knowledge of the buddhas, the unparalleled knowledge, the knowledge that is unlike anything in the threefold world.

“He is very careful. In what way is he careful? [F.286.b] He has control over his senses. In what way does he have control over his senses? When he sees forms with his visual faculty he does not hold on to any attributes, does not hold on to any marks. He knows that the enjoyment, distress, and release related to form are nothing more than that. In the same way, when he hears sounds with his faculty of hearing, smells with his faculty of smell, tastes with his faculty of taste, experiences physical sensations with his faculty of touch, [MS.19.b] and experiences mental phenomena with his mental faculty, he does not hold on to any attributes, does not hold on to any marks. He knows truly as they are the enjoyment, distress, and release related to mental phenomena. This is what is meant by being careful.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, carefulness is explained in this way. It is to have tamed one’s own mind and to be sensitive to the minds of others. It is to remove one’s inclination toward vices and to become inclined toward virtue.33 It is to not engage in greedy thoughts or malicious thoughts. It is to not engage in thoughts of harming others. It is to not engage in the unwholesome root of passion. It is to not engage in the unwholesome root of anger. It is to not engage in the unwholesome root of delusion. It is to not engage in negative physical actions, negative verbal actions, and negative mental actions. It is to not be concerned with what is not essential. It is to not engage in any negative, unwholesome behavior. This is what is meant by being careful.

“So, Śāriputra, the careful bodhisatva applies himself to what are basic reflections. He will acknowledge that what is the case is the case. He will acknowledge that what is not the case is not the case. So what is the case, and what is not the case? There is noble liberation for one who practices correctly, but there is no noble liberation for one who practices incorrectly. There is ripening of the fruits of actions, but there is no one for whom there is ripening of the fruits of actions. Also, there is a visual faculty, but there is no one for whom there is a visual faculty. There is a faculty of hearing, a faculty of smell, a faculty of taste, [F.287.a] a faculty of touch, and a mental faculty, but there is no one for whom there is a mental faculty.

“Moreover, there is impermanence of the body, as well as suffering brought by it, it being subject to change, but there is no permanent body, no body that lasts, that is not subject to change, that is eternal, and that one can be certain will stay the way it is. There is impermanence of feeling, perception, mental conditioning, and consciousness, as well as the suffering they bring, their being subject to change, but there is no feeling, perception, mental conditioning, and consciousness that is permanent, that is lasting, that is not subject to change, that is eternal, and that one can be certain will remain exactly the way it is.

“Furthermore, there is arising of mental conditioning when the condition of ignorance is present, but there is no arising of mental conditioning when the condition of ignorance is not present. It is the same with the rest of the list, up to and including the fact that there is aging and death when the condition of birth is present, but there is no aging and death when the condition of birth is not present.

“Furthermore, generosity leads to great riches, but generosity does not lead to poverty. Morality leads to rebirth in the heavenly realms, while immorality does not lead to rebirth in the heavenly realms. Studying leads to great wisdom, while mistaken understanding does not lead to great wisdom. Meditation leads to disentanglement, [MS.20.a] but meditation does not lead to entanglement. Being concerned with what is superficial leads to entanglement, but it is not possible that being concerned with what is superficial leads to liberation. There is attainment of awakening for the bodhisatva who applies himself diligently, but there is no attainment of awakening for one who is lazy. One who is not conceited is destined for the life of a renunciant, but there is no attainment of nirvāṇa for the conceited.

“Furthermore, emptiness is omnipresent, and there are no such entities as a self, a being, a life force, a person, or a human being. [F.287.b]

“It is in this way that the careful bodhisatva applies himself to what is essential. Whatever the learned ones of the world agree on, they will consider that to be the case. Whatever the learned ones of the world do not agree on, they will not consider that to be the case. They say ‘This is the case’ and acknowledge it. They say ‘This is not the case’ and do not acknowledge it.

“He internalizes the true meaning of the words of all the lords, the buddhas. When the Tathāgata summarizes all the teachings, they are gathered into four succinct statements. What are these four statements? They are that all conditioned things are impermanent, that all conditioned things34 bring suffering, that all phenomena are devoid of a self, and that nirvāṇa is peace. The Lord teaches that all conditioned things are impermanent so that any sentient beings who harbor the idea of permanence might rid themselves of the idea of permanence. The Lord teaches that all conditioned things bring suffering so that any sentient beings who harbor the idea of pleasure might rid themselves of the idea of pleasure. The Lord teaches that all phenomena lack a self so that any sentient beings who harbor the idea of a self might rid themselves of the idea of a self. The Lord teaches the peace of nirvāṇa so that any sentient beings who harbor erroneous apprehensions might rid themselves of these erroneous apprehensions.

“When he hears that all conditioned things are impermanent, he understands impermanence thoroughly. When he hears that all conditioned things bring suffering, he becomes free from wishes. When he hears that all phenomena lack a self, he cultivates the way to liberation that is concentration on emptiness. When he hears of the peace of nirvāṇa he familiarizes himself with freedom from attributes and does not prematurely realize the ultimate goal. [F.288.a]

“It is for this reason, Śāriputra, that the bodhisatva who is truly intent on the Dharma will not give up the wholesome way of life and will swiftly master all the Buddha’s teachings.”