The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva
Chapter 5: Love, Compassion, Empathetic Joy, and Equanimity

“Now, Śāriputra, [F.49.a] the lords, the buddhas, consider a bodhisatva with such firm devotion to be a suitable vessel. They consider him to be a suitable vessel for the cycle of teachings contained within The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva. They consider him to be a suitable vessel for the Buddhist teachings, and they reveal to him the path of the bodhisatva when he approaches them. Therefore, Śāriputra, [MS.54.a] one should understand things by means of this cycle of teachings. The lords, the buddhas, consider a bodhisatva with such firm devotion to be a suitable vessel. They consider him to be a suitable vessel for the cycle of teachings contained within The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva. They consider him to be a suitable vessel for the Buddhist teachings, and they reveal to him the path of the bodhisatva when he approaches them.

“At one time, Śāriputra, a great many eons ago, uncountable, inconceivable, innumerable eons upon innumerable eons ago, a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Mahāskandha appeared in the world. He was perfect in wisdom and conduct, and he was a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide for those who wished to train, a teacher of gods and men, awakened, a lord. When he himself attained realization and accomplishment through his superior abilities, he surpassed the world with its gods, with its māras, with its brahmā gods, with its various classes of ascetics and brahmins‍—the world with its gods, human beings, and asuras. He taught the Dharma, which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, excellent in the end, and accurate in meaning and well expressed, and he reveals the life of purity that is simple, complete, perfect, and pure. Śāriputra, with the tathāgata, the arhat, the fully accomplished Buddha Mahāskandha, there was a great assembly of seven thousand two hundred billion śrāvakas. All of them were arhats who had eliminated defilements, were free from vices, [F.49.b] and had reached the very highest level of complete mastery of the mind.

“At that time, Śāriputra, there was a just king by the name of Vijitāyus who ruled according to the Dharma. The capital city of King Vijitāyus was named Vijitadhvaja, and his royal residence was rich, prosperous, pleasant, abundant, delightful, and filled with throngs of people. Now, Śāriputra, King Vijitāyus had a son by the name of Vīryacarita, who had previously developed roots of virtue, served past buddhas, venerated a hundred thousand million billion buddhas in the past, and was beautiful, handsome, pleasant, and possessed the most wonderful and splendid features. Śāriputra, Prince Vīryacarita once went on an outing accompanied by his harem, and the tathāgata, the arhat, the fully accomplished Buddha Mahāskandha, aware that this prince was truly a suitable vessel for the cycle of teachings contained within The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, that Prince Vīryacarita was truly a suitable vessel for the Buddhist teachings, sought out Prince Vīryacarita in the park where he was staying. When he arrived there, he took his seat in midair [MS.54.b] and revealed the path of awakening to Prince Vīryacarita.

“ ‘What is the path of awakening? To exert oneself in love and in the perfections and to employ the methods for bringing people together‍—this is what is called the path of awakening. What does having love for all sentient beings entail? Young prince, the bodhisatva’s love extends throughout the whole of the realm of sentient beings. How extensive is the realm of sentient beings? The realm of sentient beings is as extensive as the realm of space. Young prince, consider this. There is nothing that is not encompassed by the realm of space, and likewise, young prince, there is [F.50.a] not a single sentient being among the classes of beings who is not encompassed by the bodhisatva’s love. Young prince, just as the realm of sentient beings is immeasurable, so is the bodhisatva’s cultivation of love immeasurable. Therefore, young prince, just as space is unlimited, sentient beings are unlimited. Just as sentient beings are unlimited, the bodhisatva’s love is unlimited. Neither the earth element, young prince, nor the water element, the fire element, or the wind element is greater than the realm of sentient beings.

“ ‘I will illustrate this for you, young prince, so that you may reach an understanding of how immeasurable the realm of sentient beings is. Young prince, imagine that the worlds to the east, as numerous as the grains of sand in the river Ganges, those to the south, the west, the north, and the intermediate directions, and those above and below‍—the worlds in the ten directions as numerous as the grains of sand in the river Ganges‍—all became nothing but a single great ocean. Imagine then that sentient beings as numerous as the grains of sand in the river Ganges gathered, and each took from the ocean a drop of water as small as the tip of a hair split into one hundred parts. Imagine that sentient beings as numerous as the grains of sand in the river Ganges gathered, and each took from the ocean two drops of water as small as the tip of a hair split into one hundred.55 Imagine that sentient beings as numerous as the grains of sand in the river Ganges gathered, and each took from the ocean three drops of water as small as the tip of a hair split into one hundred parts. Young prince, this would deplete the water element, but there would still be no measure or limit to the realm of sentient beings.56 This, young prince, is how immeasurable, how unlimited, the realm of sentient beings is, and it is all encompassed by the love of the bodhisatva. What do you think young prince? Is it possible to definitively grasp the immeasurable root of virtue that is the cultivation of love?’

“He replied, ‘Certainly not, Lord. [F.50.b] Certainly not, Sugata.’

“ ‘This, young prince, is how immeasurable the cultivation of great love, the root of virtue for the bodhisatvas, the great beings, is. With this love, young prince, one guards oneself and becomes a source of benefit for others. As it is the highest form of abstention from malice, it is free from destructive malice and anger. As it overcomes faults, it is free from the tendency toward desire. As one’s vision becomes immaculate, one can discern all erroneous faults. [MS.55.a] As one does not burn to obtain pleasures of the body, speech, or mind, one has no tendency toward exploiting others. One is free from all fear, and one lives according to the noble path. One is tranquil when faced with abuse and insults. One remains untouched by conflict. One does not resort to sticks and weapons. One accumulates beneficial nonmaterial riches.57 One rejoices in the liberation of sentient beings. One is free of any form of anger. One does not engage in hypocrisy, manipulation, fraud, or extortion. One is generous with one’s possessions, with favors, and with praise. One is honored by Śakra and Brahmā. One is adorned by one’s own radiance. One is praised by the learned. One protects all those who are immature. One follows the holy path. One is unaffected by the realm of desire. One is focused on the path of liberation. One incorporates all vehicles into one’s practice. Everything that one manifests through one’s meritorious activity is unsurpassed. One is adorned with the thirty-two characteristics and with the minor marks. All inferior and imperfect abilities have been discarded. One travels along all paths that lead to bliss and nirvāṇa. One has turned away from the lower realms and the eight states of misfortune. One takes delight in the pleasures of the Dharma. One rejoices in all pleasures, in possessions, influence, and kingship. One practices generosity by being even-minded toward all sentient beings. One is free from biased opinions. [F.51.a] One’s path of complete proficiency in morality provides protection from all bad conduct. One teaches with the power of patient acceptance, and one is free from all egotism, haughtiness, and arrogance. One applies unshakeable vigor, and correct practice leads to emancipation. One bases oneself in the liberative meditative states, the attainments of concentration. One gives rise to the cause that is wisdom, and love comes through taking hold of learning. One overcomes one’s own opinions and the opinions of others, and one eliminates māras and vices. One takes care to be amiable when performing the spiritual practices connected to getting up, standing, sitting down, and sleeping, and one eliminates all arrogant ingrained concepts. Love, anointed with fragrant scents, anointed with modesty and humility, is what overcomes all states of misfortune, all the vices, and all the lower realms. Great love is what protects all who live. One shuns one’s own happiness, and one’s concern is to provide happiness for all sentient beings.

“ ‘Young prince, the love of the śrāvakas is self-centered, but the love of the bodhisatvas embraces all sentient beings. Young prince, the love of the bodhisatvas, in whom the mind of awakening has arisen for the first time, has sentient beings as its object. The love of the bodhisatvas, who are engaged in practice, has phenomena as its object. The love of the bodhisatvas, who are proficient in patient acceptance, has no object. This, young prince, is how the love of the bodhisatvas, the great beings, is described. When this love has firmly taken root in the bodhisatva, it encompasses all sentient beings.

“ ‘Young prince, what is the great compassion of the bodhisatva like? A desire for the unsurpassed state of genuine awakening, young prince, is a prerequisite for the great compassion of the bodhisatva. [F.51.b] Young prince, just as breathing in and out is a prerequisite for a person’s ability to live, so, too, is great compassion a prerequisite for the bodhisatva to engage with the Mahāyāna. Young prince, just as, out of all precious items, it is the precious wheel that is the prerequisite for one to be a king of the entire world, so, too, young prince, out of all the buddha qualities, it is great compassion that is the prerequisite for the bodhisatva. [MS.55.b] With this great compassion, one does not abandon any sentient being.

“ ‘Young prince, how is it that the bodhisatva engages with sentient beings with great compassion? Young prince, the bodhisatva sees that sentient beings are bound by the view of self-entity and that they are caught up in a variety of different views. With great compassion for sentient beings, the bodhisatva vows to teach them the Dharma so that they may destroy this restrictive view of self-entity. Furthermore, young prince, the bodhisatva sees that sentient beings follow what is incorrect and mistaken, believing that what is impermanent is permanent, that what is suffering is happiness, that what is without self has a self, and that what is impure is pure. The bodhisatva develops great compassion for these sentient beings and vows to teach them the Dharma so that they may discard what is incorrect and mistaken.

“ ‘Moreover, young prince, the bodhisatva sees that sentient beings are overcome by perverse desires, that they make sexual advances toward their mothers and their sisters. The bodhisatva then thinks, “What an unworthy state these worldly people will descend into. They are adept at blabbering. They are filled with immodesty. How is it that, when they have lain as a seed within their mother’s womb and taken birth through her vagina, they can then indulge in desire toward her? How can they have illicit sexual relations with their sisters, who have come from the same womb as themselves? [F.52.a] How terrible! These sentient beings are lost. They are corrupted. They are destroyed. They are smitten by desire. They are smitten by confusion. They are smitten by unknowing. They have gone astray from the Dharma and are stuck in non-Dharma. They practice the way of adversity. They are within range of hell. They are within range of the animal realm. They are within range of the spirit world governed by Yama. They are within range of the wrong path.”

“ ‘Young prince, take the example of a jackal who night after night is hunted by dogs along a precipice near a charnel ground and falls screaming over this precipice. Young prince, sentient beings are just like this jackal. Young prince, take the example of a blind person being hunted by dogs along a precipice. Young prince, sentient beings are like this blind person. Young prince, take the example of a pig who lives in a filthy place and has to eat filth. Young prince, sentient beings are just like this pig. Indeed they are when they treat their mother or their sister like a wife. The bodhisatva develops great compassion for these sentient beings and vows to teach them the Dharma, so that sentient beings smitten by vice, under the influence of Māra, captured and bound by the noose of Māra, who have fallen into the swamp of desire, may eliminate all desire.

“ ‘Moreover, young prince, the bodhisatva sees that sentient beings are clouded by the five obscurations. Pierced by the arrows of desire, addicted to and driven by the six sense fields, they end up grasping at attributes and grasping at marks when their eyes see form. They end up grasping at attributes and grasping at marks when their ears encounter sounds, when their noses encounter smells, when their tongues encounter tastes, and when their bodies encounter physical objects. [MS.56.a] How much anger and mutual animosity these sentient beings feel. When their aim is profit, they do not even recognize their friends. [F.52.b] They will kill one another to stop anyone gaining an advantage over them. How immensely listless and indolent are these sentient beings. They are feeble, restless, and covered by the cataracts of ignorance. They are false. How occupied are these sentient beings with feeling guilty. Their minds are so strongly affected by worrying about the future. How bound are these sentient beings by doubt. They have no confidence in the profound Dharma. The bodhisatva develops great compassion for these sentient beings and vows to teach them the Dharma so that they may overcome all the hindrances.

“ ‘Moreover, young prince, the bodhisatva sees that sentient beings are smitten by pride, smitten by arrogance, smitten by haughtiness, smitten by conceit, smitten by the pride of superiority, smitten by the pride of inferiority, and smitten by pride in their faults. They think of themselves as superior to the lowly. They look at themselves and think, “I am better than my peers.” They relate to the body as a self, and so forth, and they relate to consciousness as a self. They think of the incomprehensible as something they can comprehend. They do not give due recognition to those who deserve it. They do not honor those who deserve honor. They do not give respect to those who are advanced in age.58 They do not obey their teachers. They do not ask the learned about what is wholesome and what is unwholesome, what to rely on and what not to rely on, what is to be practiced and what is not to be practiced, what is reproachable and what is irreproachable. They do not ask about what the path is, about what concentration is, or about what liberation is. They think of themselves in terms of “I am the greatest, I am superior.” The bodhisatva develops great compassion for these sentient beings and vows to teach them the Dharma so that they may overcome all forms of pride.

“ ‘Moreover, young prince, the bodhisatva sees that sentient beings are bound by the fetters of craving. They are slaves to craving, occupied with wives, sons, and daughters. They are seized by troubles [F.53.a] and are occupied with meaningless things. They are occupied with the intricacies of cyclic existence, stuck on the road that leads to hell, to the animal realm, and to the spirit world governed by Yama. They are held fast by the bonds of becoming, and they lack independence and autonomy. The bodhisatva develops great compassion for these sentient beings and vows to teach them the Dharma so that they may develop independence and autonomy, so that they may obtain whatever gives them pleasure, and so that they may progress toward nirvāṇa.

“ ‘Moreover, young prince, the bodhisatva sees that sentient beings are deprived of spiritual friends and surrounded by evil friends. He sees that under the influence of evil friends, they engage in unwholesome activities, such as taking life, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, harsh words, inane chatter, covetousness, maliciousness, and wrong views. The bodhisatva develops great compassion for these sentient beings and vows to teach them the Dharma so that they may encounter spiritual friends, so that they may cease to engage in unwholesome activities, and so that they may begin to engage in the ten wholesome forms of conduct.

“ ‘Moreover, young prince, the bodhisatva sees that sentient beings are hampered by delusion. They are covered by the obscuring, blinding cataracts of ignorance [MS.56.b] and cling to ideas such as a self, a being, a life force, a creature, a human being, a man, a soul, a person, someone who acts, someone who experiences, a sense of me, and a sense of mine. The bodhisatva develops great compassion for these sentient beings and vows to teach them the Dharma so that they may purify the noble eye of wisdom and eliminate all tendencies toward maintaining views.

“ ‘Moreover, young prince, the bodhisatva sees that sentient beings take pleasure in cyclic existence. The bodhisatva develops great compassion for these sentient beings and vows to teach them the Dharma so that they may be freed from the executioner, the five skandhas, [F.53.b] so that they may find their way out of the dense forest of cyclic existence, and so that they may escape from all three realms.

“ ‘Moreover, young prince, the bodhisatva sees that sentient beings are disturbed like sedge or reeds, crooked, and adept at deception. He sees that they roam violently from this world to other worlds, and from other worlds to this one. He sees that they are inclined toward continuing to visit the five states of existence and have no inclination to travel toward nirvāṇa. The bodhisatva develops great compassion for these sentient beings and vows to teach them the Dharma so that they may uncover the entrance to nirvāṇa.

“ ‘And so, young prince, when the bodhisatva sees the realm of sentient beings, he engages with them compassionately in ten different ways. His great compassion is unrelentingly engaged, as it comes from his resolve. His great compassion is without complacency,59 as it is well founded in sincere resolve. His great compassion is honest and not artificial, as it is based on the path. His great compassion does not deceive, as it is firmly founded in a nondeceptive motivation. His great compassion is such that it does not involve arrogance,60 as it is founded in an attitude of respect and reverence for all sentient beings. His great compassion is concerned with protecting others, as it is based on the fact that he has purified his mind. His great compassion is such that it is firm in its wisdom, as it is based on a stable mind that is free of mental fluttering. His great compassion is such that it discards personal happiness, as it is based on generously sharing happiness with others. His great compassion is such that he can carry the burdens of all sentient beings, as it is founded on a firm sense of vigor. Young prince, [F.54.a] the compassion of the buddhas functions in these as well as other ways.

“ ‘Young prince, anyone who truly applies the Mahāyāna truly applies great compassion. This is why it is called great compassion. To practice generosity, to practice morality, to practice patient acceptance, to practice vigor, to practice meditation, and to practice wisdom is to have great compassion. This is why it is called great compassion. To practice the application of mindfulness and to practice genuine renunciation is to have great compassion. This can be extended to apply to all terms such as faculties, powers, the factors of awakening,61 the path, acts that are the root of supreme joy, [MS.57.a] the successive states of absorption, and the ten wholesome forms of conduct. It is great compassion when one’s practice is furnished with self-arisen knowledge. This is why it is called great compassion. When someone who truly applies the Mahāyāna acts on his own, when he does good deeds, when he acts without altering anything, when he does anything for sentient beings, if he has great compassion he will meet whatever needs sentient beings have. This is why it is called the great compassion of the bodhisatvas, the great beings. With such great compassion, the bodhisatva, the great being, sees sentient beings and the states they are in, and when he is in their presence, he develops a loving and compassionate attitude.

“ ‘What is the empathetic joy of the bodhisatvas like? It is to be mindful and attentive, glad, and enthusiastic, and to take joy in wholesome conduct. It is to not be discouraged, to be undaunted and unwearied, and to rid oneself of any dissatisfaction in relation to all wholesome forms of conduct. It is to engage joyously with all things and to have a joyous mind, a satisfied body, a stimulated intellect, and elated thoughts. It is to applaud and delight in the body of the Tathāgata. It is to delight in the search for the splendor of major characteristics and minor marks. It is to delight in the Dharma [F.54.b] and not become weary when listening to it. It is to delight in the progress that is made by following the Dharma. It is to be elated by the joy of the Dharma. It is to be without anger toward sentient beings. It is to take joy in awakening and to feel inclined toward the illustrious teachings. It is to have a motivation that is removed from that of the limited vehicle. It is to have defeated miserliness. It is to be joyful toward those in need. It is to take joy in renunciation. It is to be kind and affectionate toward those who are immoral. It is to always appreciate those who uphold good moral conduct. It is to keep one’s moral conduct pure, and to delight in the fact that this alleviates and frees one from all the fears of the lower realms. It is to rejoice and be patient with others when confronted with insults and offensive language. It is to remain joyously undisturbed and patiently bear it when one’s hands, feet, eyes, and head are being cut to pieces. It is to joyfully have reverence for one’s teachers.62 It is to joyfully bow to and venerate one’s superiors. It is to always have a joyful smiling demeanor toward those in need. It is to joyfully keep a nonaggressive demeanor when one engages in conversation with interest. It is to rejoice in the absence of hypocrisy, manipulation, and extortion. It is to rejoice when there is a connection with the essential Dharma.

“ ‘It is to be just as fond of the bodhisatvas as one is of one’s mentor. It is to be just as fond of the teachings as one is of oneself. It is to be just as fond of the tathāgatas as one is of one’s own life. It is to be just as fond of the teachers as one is of one’s parents. It is to be just as fond of all sentient beings as one is of one’s own child. It is to be just as fond of the masters as one is of one’s own eyes. It is to be just as fond of spiritual progress as one is of one’s own head. It is to be just as fond of the perfections as one is of one’s hands and feet. It is to be just as fond of those who preach the Dharma as one is of all one’s riches. It is to be just as fond of seeking the Dharma as one is of medicine. It is to be just as fond of encouragement and reminders as one is of a doctor.

“ ‘This, young prince, is what is called empathetic joy. The bodhisatvas, the great beings, who have this kind of stable empathetic joy always take great delight in searching for the Dharma. [F.55.a] They do not weary of following the training in the bodhisatva’s way of life.

“ ‘What is the equanimity of the bodhisatvas like? There are three aspects of equanimity. What are they? They are equanimity in the face of afflictive emotions, equanimity with regard to concern for oneself versus others, and remaining equanimous when it is called for.

“ ‘What is equanimity in the face of afflictive emotions? It is to remain unexcited when one is praised and not become depressed when one is criticized. It is to not become complacent concerning one’s possessions and not become upset when one is unable to acquire new things. It is to be equanimous with respect to those who are moral and those who are immoral. It is to not be overly fond of fame and not be discouraged when one is disgraced. It is to not let oneself be hurt by blame [MS.57.b] and to be realistic when receiving approval. It is the ability to relate to pain and the ability to keep in mind that happiness is temporary. It is to abandon attachment and to shun anger. It is to think of friends and foes as equal. It is to not consider good and bad actions as different. It is to not discriminate between dear ones and enemies. It is to not give different recognition to those who are articulate and those who are not. It is to not give different recognition to those who are attentive and those who are not.63 It is to not be attached to pleasant speech and not become angry at unpleasant speech. It is to endure pleasure and pain equally. It is to have the same care for other sentient beings as for oneself. It is to have no concern for one’s body or one’s life. It is to have the same respect for beings who are lower, higher, or in between. It is to consider those with status and those without status as equal by nature. It is to maintain one’s own true purity when faced with truth and falsehood. In this way, young prince, the bodhisatva remains equanimous when faced with challenges.

“ ‘What is equanimity with regard to concern for self versus others? It is to remain equanimous when the flesh of one’s major and minor limbs is being chopped off. [F.55.b] It is to not wish for or chase after experience when having the flesh of one’s major and minor limbs chopped off, but to remain in equanimity. What is meant by equanimity is being patient in two ways: to adjust one’s body and to adjust one’s speech to any situation.64 What is meant by equanimity is not sustaining the two wounds, not letting oneself be wounded with respect to the eye or with respect to form, and so forth, and not letting oneself be wounded with respect to the intellect or with respect to mental phenomena. What is meant by equanimity is not being wounded or hurt. What is meant by equanimity is not being affected when one is wounded. What is meant by equanimity is the twofold patience: with oneself and with others. What is meant by equanimity is relating to those who are helpful and to those who are not in the same way. Equanimity is the supreme way to avoid disputes. Equanimity is to comprehend one’s own mind. Equanimity is to analyze the self. Equanimity is to not hurt anyone. The equanimity of the bodhisatvas is to keep a concentrated focus. For the lords, the buddhas, however, the equanimity of the bodhisatvas, the great beings, is not acceptable. Why is that? It is because the bodhisatva keeps himself perpetually engaged and occupied, always concerned with his search for the wholesome, and he will engage in the practice of equanimity only when it is called for.

“ ‘What does it mean to practice equanimity when it is called for? It is to be unconcerned65 with sentient beings who are not suitable vessels. It is to be unconcerned with those who do not have the proper kind of engagement. It is to be unconcerned when faced with loss, blame, disgrace, and pain. It is to be unconcerned with those whose destiny it is to follow the Śrāvakayāna. It is to be unconcerned with upholding morality when one is being generous. It is to be unconcerned with being generous when one upholds morality. [F.56.a] It is to be unconcerned with being generous, moral, or vigorous when one is practicing patient acceptance. It is to be unconcerned with practicing morality when one is being vigorous. It is to be unconcerned with perfecting generosity when one is practicing meditation. It is to be unconcerned with keeping a focus on the five perfections when one is applying wisdom. This is what practicing equanimity when it is called for means.

“ ‘Thus, what is meant by equanimity is remaining uninvolved with the phenomena that one should not get involved with. The bodhisatva, the great being, practices equanimity toward all unwholesome things, with this firm foundation.

“ ‘This then, young prince, is what is known as the love, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity that the bodhisatvas, the great beings, have when they relate to all sentient beings.’

“In this way, Śāriputra, the Lord, the Tathāgata Mahāskandha, [MS.58.a] explained love, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity in great detail to the diligent young prince. He explained the six perfections using descriptions and illustrations. What are these six perfections? They are the perfection of generosity, the perfection of morality, the perfection of patient acceptance, the perfection of vigor, the perfection of meditation, and the perfection of wisdom, and he explained them in great detail using descriptions and illustrations.66 When he had heard all this, the diligent young prince began to exert himself in the perfections.”