The Sixth Volume of the Bodhisattva's Provisions for Enlightenment

Translation by Dharmagupta, Tripitaka Master of South India, Great Sui Dynasty

When one practices these four immeasurable states extensively and makes them familiar, the mind becomes capable. Once the mind becomes capable, one enters the first meditative absorption, then the second, the third, and the fourth. Having attained these meditative absorptions, one gains physical and mental lightness. With the complete attainment of this lightness, the path of supernatural powers arises. With the complete attainment of the path of supernatural powers, one develops the bases of psychic power: namely, aspiration, effort, mind, and investigation. Here, aspiration is directed toward the Dharma, effort accomplishes the Dharma, the mind observes the Dharma, and investigation is skillful in the Dharma. The bodhisattva, whether through faith or application, masters the supernatural powers, and the mind becomes free, moving as desired. Due to skillful maturation and the support of its fundamental abiding, it moves smoothly through all realms like wind filling the sky.

Having attained the four immeasurable states and the four meditative absorptions, the bodhisattva, whether through faith or application, gives rise to the divine eye. Compared to the divine eyes of gods, dragons, yakshas, gandharvas, learners, voice-hearers, and solitary realizers, the bodhisattva’s divine eye alone possesses superior power: it is purer, more radiant, foremost, and extraordinary. Unobstructed, it sees all forms in the world—coarse or fine, near or far—exactly as desired. Similarly, it hears the sounds of gods, humans, animals, and others. It recollects and knows past lives without limit or boundary. It knows the minds of others, along with their greed, desire, and so forth, up to eighty-four thousand distinctions. Thus, one attains immeasurable psychic powers. With these psychic powers, one tames all beings who are ready to be tamed.

For a long time, we have relied on the pleasures of the senses for enjoyment. Though we guard, nurture, and sustain this body—composed of the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind—it swiftly decays. It is ungrateful, unreliable, and cannot be trusted. Therefore, we should contemplate it as a poisonous snake—ownerless, devoid of self and possession.

The six sense faculties—eyes and the rest—are like a band of six thieves, oppressive and fearsome. We should contemplate them as an empty village, for they collaborate with external objects, causing harm and suffering, unable to provide protection—like a murderer.

Thus, day by day, we should observe these five aggregates in this way.

There are four practices that give rise to great wisdom, and you should embrace them. Respect both the teachings and the teacher. Let go of stinginess with the Dharma, and share what you have heard and learned with others. If someone is eager for the teachings, do not withhold them or hide them away. When listening, do not be distracted or harbor other desires.

There are four qualities that mark great wisdom, and you should embrace them.

First, refrain from exalting yourself while looking down on others—be free from arrogance.

Second, let go of offerings, honors, and fame—hold no expectation for them.

Third, when facing beings shrouded in the darkness of ignorance, feel only compassion for them.

Fourth, teach them the Dharma with respect and reverence.

By practicing these four qualities, a bodhisattva’s great wisdom becomes complete. You should embrace them.

Listen widely without wearying. Having heard, uphold the teachings. Having upheld them, follow them and practice them. Do not deceive the respected fields of merit, and also bring joy to one's teachers through this practice. This is the cause for not forgetting the mind of enlightenment.

You should not visit other people's homes for the sake of receiving offerings or respect, except when it is for the purpose of establishing the mind of enlightenment. Nor should you study worldly writings with the intention of engaging in debates and arguments, except when it is for the purpose of increasing your knowledge.

Why is this? To protect the conditions that allow wholesome qualities to continue arising.

Cut off pride and arrogance. Among all beings, you should humble your heart like a dog, and cut off self-conceit. You should also abide in the four holy practices of simple food, clothing, bedding, and medicine, and be content with them. Do not look down on others, nor exalt yourself.

When a fellow practitioner commits an offense, whether true or not, one should not expose it. Do not seek out the faults of others; instead, be mindful of your own mistakes.

One should not make distinctions about the Buddha, for the World-Honored One possesses unparalleled qualities. Nor should one harbor doubts about the Dharma, for it is a teaching unlike any other for all beings. And even toward the most difficult-to-believe aspects of the Dharma, one should have faith with a deeply pure heart.

If a bodhisattva, for the sake of speaking truthfully, faces the loss of possessions or even death, and even if it means losing the status of a wheel-turning king or the heavenly realms, they should still speak truthfully. How much more so should they avoid false speech in all other matters.

When others come to strike, curse, threaten, kill, bind, or imprison me, all of this is due to my own past offenses—it is only right that I experience this. I should not feel anger toward them. This is the result of my own karma, created in past lives and now ripening into these unpleasant consequences. Those beings have done nothing wrong; it is only the manifestation of my own karmic retribution. It is only right that this happens.

Towards your parents, you should offer the utmost love, respect, and support. You should regard them as you would a divine being, following their wishes to bring them joy and peace, and free your heart from deceit and pretense.

Furthermore, you should respectfully serve and attend to your teachers and spiritual guides. In the teachings they impart, there is nothing kept hidden for the inner circle alone; all is shared openly for the benefit of all.

Among these, there are four kinds of mistakes that a Bodhisattva should avoid and abandon. The first is to teach the most profound Dharma to those who follow the path of the Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha—this is a Bodhisattva’s mistake.

To teach the Lesser Vehicle to those who deeply believe in the Greater Vehicle is a mistake for a bodhisattva.

When a sincere and upright person comes seeking guidance, one should promptly teach them wholesome practices, yet instead delays and tolerates their harmful, unwholesome conduct—this is a Bodhisattva's fault.

To place trust in those who have not yet developed faith in the Great Vehicle, nor been matured through the four means of attraction—this is a Bodhisattva's fault.

These are the four kinds of faults.

Among the four types of mistakes described here, one should keep far away from them, for they distance one from enlightenment. As for the practices and other virtues taught in the paths of the Hearers and Solitary Realizers, such as meditation, if one knows they do not obstruct enlightenment, one should also engage in them accordingly.

These four paths of the Bodhisattva should be practiced and followed closely. What are the four? They are: To cultivate an equal mind toward all beings, To teach the Dharma equally to all beings, To establish all beings equally in goodness, And to guide all beings toward true harmony.

These are all without distinction. These are the four.

A true bodhisattva should recognize these four principles. What are the four?

They are: To act for the sake of the Dharma, not for wealth or gain; To act for the sake of virtue, not for fame or reputation; To seek the liberation of beings from suffering, Not to seek one’s own comfort and ease.

If you wish to undertake three kinds of meritorious deeds with a profound intention regarding karma and its results, when generating this merit, do so solely for the sake of awakening, for the benefit and happiness of all beings, and solely to mature sentient beings through awakening. For the sake of benefiting others, relinquish your own concerns. This is the mark of the four types of genuine Bodhisattvas.

There are four types of good companions for a bodhisattva, whom one should draw close to. What are these four?

First, the Dharma teacher is a good companion for a bodhisattva, because they help sustain one's wisdom gained through hearing the teachings.

Second, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, is a good companion for a bodhisattva, because they help sustain one's practice of all the Buddha's teachings.

Third, one who encourages renunciation is a good companion for a bodhisattva, because they help sustain one's roots of goodness.

Fourth, one who asks for alms is a good companion for a bodhisattva, because they help sustain one's bodhi mind.

These four types of good companions for a bodhisattva should be drawn close to.

You should recognize these four types of harmful companions for a Bodhisattva. What are the four?

First, the worldly debater, who focuses on cultivating various clever arguments. Second, the one who chases worldly wealth, because they do not seek the Dharma. Third, the Pratyekabuddha practitioner, because they pursue limited benefit and engage in little action. Fourth, the Śrāvaka practitioner, because they practice only for their own liberation.

As previously mentioned, these four kinds of knowledge are harmful. Once recognized, they should be abandoned. What one should seek instead are the Four Great Treasures.

These four great treasures of the bodhisattva should be attained. What are the four? They are: serving the Buddhas who appear in the world, listening to the teachings of the six perfections, meeting Dharma teachers with an open and unobstructed mind, and dwelling diligently in solitude and quiet places. These are the four great treasures of the bodhisattva, which should be attained.

Just as the earth, water, fire, wind, and empty space are alike in two ways, so too should a bodhisattva embrace these qualities: equality and benefit. Like these five elements—earth and the rest, along with empty space—they are equal in all places, whether beings have minds or not, without any distinction. All living beings constantly rely on them for support, yet they never change and do not seek gratitude in return. In the same way, I too, from now until the ultimate attainment of enlightenment, will be a source of support for all beings, unchanging and without seeking any reward.

A practitioner should deeply contemplate the meaning of the teachings spoken by the Buddha. Whether in conversation with others or dwelling in solitude, one should act in this way. Moreover, one should abide in pure precepts, with a clear and sincere mind, diligently cultivating freshness and purity, and also listen to dhāraṇīs such as the Silver Master and the Ocean Master. Furthermore, toward those who are listening to the Dharma, do not create obstacles for trivial reasons, in order to avoid creating karma that obstructs the Dharma.

**On Taming Disturbance**

There are nine situations that can disturb the mind:

1. When someone has harmed me, is harming me, or will harm me. 2. When someone has harmed, is harming, or will harm someone I love. 3. When someone has helped, is helping, or will help someone I dislike.

These nine situations are all sources of disturbance. One must learn to tame the mind in the face of them.

**On Abandoning Minor Faults**

There are twenty minor faults to be completely abandoned:

1. Lack of faith(1) 2. Shamelessness(2) 3. Deceit and guile(3) 4. Restlessness(4) 5. Distraction(5) 6. Negligence(6) 7. Harmfulness(7) 8. Lack of conscience(8) 9. Laziness(9) 10. Worry(10) 11. Dullness(11)(formerly translated as "sleep") 12. Drowsiness(12)(formerly translated as "slumber") 13. Resentment(13) 14. Concealment (of one's faults)(14) 15. Envy(15) 16. Stinginess(16) 17. Arrogance(17) 18. Anger(18) 19. Regret(19) 20. Depression(20)

These twenty lesser matters should all be completely abandoned. As for the eight kinds of laziness that should also be eliminated, they are as follows:

1. "I'll get to work, but first I'll lie down and rest," thus failing to exert diligent effort. 2. "I've already done my work," (and thus stopping). 3. "I'm about to set out on a journey," (and thus delaying). 4. "I've already returned from my journey," (and thus resting). 5. "My body is too weary, I cannot practice." 6. "My body feels too heavy, I cannot practice." 7. "I have fallen ill." 8. "I have just recovered from illness, so I will soon lie down and rest," thus failing to exert diligent effort.

Because of these, one fails to obtain what should be obtained, fails to reach what should be reached, and fails to realize what should be realized. To eliminate these eight kinds of laziness, one must arouse diligent effort.

When you see others enjoying abundant wealth, fame, comfort, praise, and blessings, do not harbor improper greed for what they possess. If you allow improper greed to arise, it will only bring dissatisfaction—this is something you should not do.

Moreover, among people who are in conflict, separated, or at odds with one another—whether they are relatives or strangers—strive to help them reconcile, unite their hearts, and live together in harmony and mutual affection.

Since emptiness uproots the great mass of ignorance, the wise do not cling to emptiness as something to be attained. If one clings to emptiness as something to be attained, it becomes even harder to cure than the fault of clinging to a self. All wrong views are abandoned through emptiness—but if one becomes attached to the view of emptiness itself, that cannot be cured, because there is nothing further to free one from it.

At the places where the Buddha’s relics or images are enshrined, sweep and clean the ground, offer fragrant garlands, incense, powdered incense, canopies, banners, and other adornments as offerings— this is done to attain the virtue of pure precepts and the fragrance of virtue.

Offer music with conch shells, flutes, harps, waist-drums, large drums, thunder-drums, hand-clapping, and all kinds of drums and instruments— this is done to attain the divine ear.

In the stupa, one should make excellent offerings with various fragrant oils, ghee lamps, and garlands, for the sake of attaining the Buddha's vision. Give umbrellas, canopies, leather shoes, elephants, horses, carriages, and vehicles, for the sake of attaining the unsurpassable, effortless spiritual vehicle of the bodhisattva.

In this practice, the bodhisattva should always delight in the Dharma in this way, not in the pleasures of the five desires. You should understand the benefits gained from faith in the Buddha—do not merely take delight in seeing his physical form. In the Sangha, always joyfully offer support with various offerings, not merely delighting in paying brief visits. Always take joy in listening to the Dharma without ever growing weary, not merely delighting in hearing it spoken for a moment.