The practice of the yoga of
Calmness
and Higher Vision is what i s c a l l e d " R e m a i n i n g o n t h e P a t h " ; a n d h e n c e 1o n e g r a d u a l l y grows in:30
?
?
Richard-Sherburne-A-Lamp-for-the-Path-and-Commentary-of-Atisha
252.
Ot. 775, Vol. 29.
phyin-ci-ma-log-pa/aviparyiisa.
Ot. 897. In SS: p. 134.
The quotation is from the Ornament ofManjufri's Buddhafield [Ot. 760(15), Vol. 23:129. 2f], the same siitra and verses Atlsa used in the root poem
[Stanzas 26-31] for the formula of a Bodhisattva Vow without a Guru. The discrepancy here is that the king's name is given as Akasa (nam-mkha'), whereas in the root text he is ca1led Ambaraja (am-ba-ra-dza).
In SS: p. 100.
The reference is to the Instruction on the Concise Meaning ofthe Sutra [Ot. 5395], translated by Atlsa and Tshul-khrims, but without mention of the author- either in the catalogues or in AtiSa's text here. The first metaphor given here reads "The doctrine is Mother and Father-like, as Emptiness and Compassion. There can be no bodhisattva who is not born of these two. "
In SS: p. 263. In SS: p. 101.
35 36
37
38 39 40 41 42
43
44
45 46
? 47 48 49
50 51 52
In SS: p. 264.
In SS: p. 165.
The same unidentified quotation is used again in Chapter 5, merely ascribing the familiar Sevenfold Worship to Asanga. The repetition possibly indicates insertion by later editors.
BCA: V: 98.
Bodhibhadra, op. cit. , pp. 276. 2.
The nine degrees means the three qualitative degrees that are applied to the three qualities of persons, totalling nine: superior-Superior, mediocre- Superior, inferior-Superior; superior-Mediocre, mediocre-Mediocre,
inferior-Mediocre, and so on.
THE BODHISA TTV A VOW 109
? PART TWO
Higher Meditation
? CHAPTER 5
The Superknowledges
Stanza Page
I RELATION OF CONDUCT TO
CONCENTRATION 114
II THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES
A Perfecting of the Equipment
B For the Good of Others
114
34 115 35 115 115 117
118 36-37 118
38 119 39 119
120 40 121 121 121 122 123
123
1 Dangers of Preaching
2 Need of the Superknowledges
3 NeedofaGuru
4 Relation to Calmness
III CALMNESS
A The Nine Limbs
B Defects and Remedies in Meditation
c Topics for Calmness
1 With Signs
2 Without Signs
D Practice of the Yogin
1 Of Keen Ability 2 OfSlowerAbility
? 5
The Superknowledges
Relation of Conduct to Concentration
The Path to Enlightenment is not a matter of just Conduct by itself. Y ou must develop Concentration and Insight too. However, from your foundation in Conduct, Concentration arises. As the holy Moon-Lamp says:
"The Concentration- free from afflictions is swiftly Attained: that is the advantage of purified Conduct. " 1
And Acarya Santideva:
"In Conduct, Concentration is achieved. . . . Hence we must understand that any activity concerned with Con- cent. ration is? [really] a part of Conduct. In striving for Concentration, we must have dispositions of mindfulness and deliberateness. . . . And in striving for Conduct also we must work on Concentration. . . . The interaction of both is what makes Conduct grow, and by means of both, purification of mind [Concentration] is achieved. "2
[314b]
So, if you cannot have Concentration without having Conduct, then you must strive for Conduct for the sake of having Concentration.
The Superknowledges
Through the Concentration born of excellent Conduct, one develops the Superknowledges. And the Superknowledges are the means both for working for the good of others, and for acquiring the Two Equipments. This I showed when I wrote:
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 115
"ALL THE BUDDHAS HAVE HELD THAT
PERFECTING THIS EQUIPMENT,
THE NATURE OF WHICH IS MERIT AND KNOWLEDGE,
LIES ESSENTIALLY IN THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES. " (Stanza 34]
Perfecting o f the Equipment
Let me show briefly what I mean by this:
If a man wants to build up the Two Equipments, And has the constant desire to work for others' good, But has not developed the Superknowledges,
Then he is acting like a blind man,
And behaving as though insane-
A veritable brute beast, as it were.
If he cannot achieve even his own good, How will he (ever] achieve others'?
For the Good ofOthers
Dangers of Preaching
"JUST AS A BIRD WITH UNFLEDGED WINGS
CANNOT FLY UP INTO THE SKY,
SO WITHOUT THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES' POWER,
ONE CANNOT WORK FOR THE GOOD OF OTHERS. " (Stanza 35]
It is absurd to explain the (Buddha's] Teaching and to gather disciples, having only your own Insight from study- when you have not even yet acquired the Superknowledges or developed the Insight born of contemplation. 3 Hence the saying "How can it not be madness, to preach before even learning one's own measure? " Or to quote from the Exhortation to Higher Intention on this subject of liking to talk [about religion] and observing the evils that result from it:
"Proud of his learning, he has no respect;
He loves conversations with dispute and debate; (315a] He becomes unmindful and loses deliberateness- These are the evils of liking to talk.
His inner thought is quite far away; Neither his body nor mind become very pure;
? 116 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
His arrogance is turned into great humiliation- These are the evils of liking to talk.
He is a child too frail to reflect on the Doctrine; His thoughts turn unfriendly and become very harsh; He is a long way off from Calmness and Insight- These are the evils of liking to talk.
He is ever disrespectful of his Gurus,
And finds his delight in obscene conversation; Pointlessly he lives and lacking in Insight- These are the evils of liking to talk. . . .
At the hour of death, this child makes moan:
'Alas! my meditation's so weak! what shall I do? '
So with the depths unfathomed, his suffering is great- These are the evils of liking to talk.
Like grass in the wind, he is blown to and fro; His only conviction is that he's in doubt; Firmness of mind will never be his-
These are the evils of liking to talk.
He is like an actor before a crowd watching His play: he declaims the hero's virtues While his own character grows weaker- These are the evils of liking to talk.
He is a hypocrite and in despair;
He is remorse-stricken ever afterwards;
? He is far off from the noble and holy Teaching- These are the evils of liking to talk.
Of little ability, he is delighted by attention, And his ignorance makes him impulsive;
His mind is restless as a monkey's:
These are the evils of liking to talk. " 4
Further on, the Sutra continues:
"The man. who likes to talk at great length, [315b] And then still says that he's not had enough,
Would be far better off to reflect on a word,
And that one word would give him infinite delight.
The sugar-cane bark has no juice at all; The taste-giving delight is all found inside; The man who chews on only the bark Cannot find the sugar's sweet taste.
Talking is like the husk of the cane;
But thought and meaning, these are the taste.
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 117 So renounce this delight in talking,
And be ever attentive and think on meaning. " 5 This same Sutra also has this passage:
"The Great Bodhisattva Maitreya questioned the Blessed One in these words:
'The bodhisattva who has rejected the highest Doctrine and is occupied with evil deeds will have very little Insight and his Insight will be impaired, will it not? '
And the Blessed One answered the Great Bodhisattva Maitreya:
'Maitreya, that is exactly how it is. The words you have spoken are true. Bodhisattvas who reject the highest Teaching and are occupied with evil deeds have very
little Insight. Maitreya, let me show you, and bear this in mind: bodhisattvas who lack zeal and meditation and renunciation, who do not do their recitation nor seek greater learning, such bodhisattvas have not entered the
religious life under the Teaching of the Tathagata. [316a] Maitreya, this teaching of the Tathagata unfolds only through meditation and renunciation. It is composed of wisdom and held together by wisdom, and only by great diligence can it be truly unfolded. But there can be no
such unfolding in the householder's way of life with its preoccupations and concern for worldly matters. A householder's diligence is misplaced; managing business and struggling for worldly success are the things that delight him in this cycle of rebirths. Bodhisattvas should have no desires for such things. " 6
Need of the Superknowledges
My Guru has spoken on this in his Chapter on Concentra- tion Equipment:
"The bodhisattva who has only studied the Doctrine should refrain from preaching it [yet). The Scriptures do not tell us that we can be helpful to others just from having studied the Teaching, and without first acquiring the superknowledges. . . . Therefore, there should be no preaching of the Doctrine just because we are very
? 118 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
learned. When we have the superknowledges, then at the very earliest we are ready to seek the good of others. . . . A man who is incapable of maturing disciples because he lacks the_superkpowledges is sinking toward death himself. As Acarya Santideva said:
'People all have their_preferences,
And if even the Victor did not please them, Then how much less a bad. one like me?
So give up the idea of [pleasing] the world. ' " 7
So also the great Acarya Nagarjuna commented on this subject:
"When you have acquired the five Superknowledges- Powers that will follow you in all rebirths -
Then strive constantly for the complete
Benefit and happiness of all creatures. " 8
Need of a Guru?
But to attempt Contemplation without instruction from a Guru and relying exclusively on one's own study of texts is prohibited [by the authorities I give] here in the following:
even though you strive diligently in such yoga, the Super- knowledges still will not come about, for the same reason that you have not yet reached the great and perfect Enlightenment. In the commentaries that treat this subject, the Brahmin Saraha the Great says this in his Kinds o f Ultimate Truth:
"What we call 'instruction of the Guru' is the essence of ambrosia. Anyone who does not drink to satisfaction, as it were, "will certainly die of thirst- like a man in the middle of a desert full of treatises. " 9
And Arya Nagarjuna again:
" A man may study a great many Tantras, and even purify himse~fcorrectly according to Scripture, but having little regard for a Guru he will not master that Scripture. He only defeats himself, and is mouthing treatises without
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 119
authority. For him the texts are only reasons for argument. " 10
Relation to Calmness
The two stanzas that begin with the words "THE MERITS WHICH A MAN WITH THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES GAINS IN A SINGLE DA Y" [Stanzas 36 and 37] continue the same theme as the preceding ones. Hence, this great and perfect Enlightenment depends upon the Two Equipments [of
merit and knowledge]; and the two kinds of Equipment depend upon [effecting] the good of others; and that depends upon the Superknowledges. But the Super-
knowledges depend upon Calm'ness;11 and Calmness depends on Conduct; and that is why I taught about Conduct first of all. And so, since Calmness arises from
Conduct, and the Superknowledges arise from Calmness, I wrote:
AS LONG AS CALMNESS IS NOT ATrAINED,
THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES WILL NOT OCCUR; THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE CALMNESS,
ONE MUST KEEP STRMNG OVER AND OVER. (Stanza 38]
Calmness
The Superknowledges which arise from Calmness, and for which you must [first] gain Calmness, are these: [1] Super- knowledge of godlike sight, [2] Superknowledge of godlike hearing, [3] Superknowledge of others' thoughts, [4] [317a] Superknowledge of previous liwes, [5] Superknowledge of miraculous powers, [6] Superknowledge that all impurities
have been destroyed. 12
The Nine Limbs
ONE WHO NEGLECTS THE LIMBS OF CALMNESS, EVEN THOUGH HE STRIVE TO MEDITATE
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, NEVER
WILL ACHIEVE CONCENTRATION. [Stanza 39]
? 120 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
The "Limbs of Calmness" are ninefold, beginning with Renunciation, as presented by my own Guru. The stanza is otherwise easily understood. By "NEGLECTS THE LIMBS" I meant that the nine Limbs given by the venerable Bodhibhadra in his Chapter on Concentration Equipment are appropriate for the person who has not as yet achieved
Calmness. Here is what he said:
"[1] Renunciation, [2] Preparation, [3] Avoidance, [4] Suppression of anxiety, [5] Dissatisfaction (with the world), [6] Mindfulness of benefits, [7] Diligence, [8] Integrating, and [9] Means of Staying. Besides just learning such Limbs, one must remain in them correctly. " 13
You should study the Chapter itself for the meaning [of each Limb].
D. efects and Remedies in Meditation
But here I will-write a little on what the last Limb means, giving what my Guru said in his Chapter:
"When a man has acquired the [first] eight Limbs, and has provided himself with suitable location and food, and has the appropriate life-style and clothing, and conducive companions, then he should compose his mind. . . . 14 [317b] I f he cannot compose it, let him strive again for his Equipment of Merit in things like reading the Perfection ofInsight, making offerings, and circumambulations. . . . When he does set himself to composing his mind, he
must cultivate eight [good] habits which avoid the evils that are opposed to them. [Now the Classification o f the Middle and Extremes says that]: 15
'The defects in concentrating are held to be fivefold: [1] laziness, [2] forgetfulness of instruction, [3] apathy and anxiety, [4] failure to achieve a level, [5] a false achievement. The remedies against these defects are the eight habits which avoid them; namely: [1] [desiring] this state, [2] [the effort to] remain in it,
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 121
[3] [faith, which is] the cause, [4] [and its] result [in self-confidence], [5] mindfulness, [6] awareness of one's apathy or anxiety, [7] habitually avoiding [these defects], and [8] when calm, [actually] entering into the state [of composure]. ' " 16
The OrnamentofSutras says:
"The first thing is to make the effort;
The second is to bolster it;
The third is to focus [the attention];
The fourth is the actual remedy [of calmness]. " 17
Some prefer another explanation [of the five evils]: [1] craving, [2] ill-will, [3] sloth and drowsiness, [4] anxiety and guilt, and [5] doubt. The retinue of sloth and drowsiness includes things like weariness, lack of zest, restlessness, not taking the proper amount of food, and slackness of mind. These things make the mind depressed. Their remedy is
clear thinking. The retinue of anxiety and guilt includes interest in relatives, memories of past distractions, thrills, and frivolities. These do not calm the mind; and their remedy is Calmness.
Topics for Calmness
ONE CAN THEN SET THE MIND IN VIRTUE
FIXED ON ANY TOPIC HE CHOOSES. (Stanza 40]
Here the word "TOPIC" refers to the object of the mind, as in this quote from the Blaze ofReasoning [on the "Essence] of the Middle Way":
"The mind is a rampaging elephant: Tie it fast with the rope of mindfulness To the steady post of Topic; [318a] Then settle the mind in Calm. " 18
My words "ON ANY TOPIC HE CHOOSES" refer to Calmness- with-Signs as well as Calmness-without-Signs. 1 9 A s my Guru says in the Chapter on Concentration Equipment:
? 122 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
"Calmness is twofold: [1] with-Signs, and [2] without- Signs. Calmness-with-Signs is twofold: [a] signs that are internal, and [b] signs that are external. [a] The kind that are internal are twofold: topics on the body, and topics on what supports the body. The three topics on body are: the aspect of the god being the body itself;20 the
disgusting aspects of it,21 such as skeletons, etc. ; or a distinctive sign such as a trident. 22
"There are five topics on the supports of the body:23 the Breath, the Subtle Signs, the Drop, the Limbs of Light Rays, and Joy and Bliss. [b] Signs that are external are of two kinds: the special, and the ordinary. 2 4 The special topics are either [a Buddha's] body or [a Buddha's] words. . . .
"[2] Calmness-without-Signs is the same as Investiga- tive Insight/5 whence arises signless Higher Vision, the knowledge which is without discursive reasoning. . . . It is recommended that, rather than resting in Calmness- with-Signs, one proceed toward developing Higher Vision by? [first] focusing on Calmness-without-Signs. [318b] For it is only by being firmly established in Higher Vision joined with Calmness that the afflictions are cleansed away and thoroughly subdued - it is the only
basis for such a result. . . .
"I do not describe here how to contemplate, for fear of
enlarging my text, but also because guidance in con- templation is the kind that requires personal instruction from an experienced Guru. And that is because the details of the teaching on Calmness and Higher Vision must be explained, and because of the difficulty of learning contemplation just from reading books. " 26
Practice ofthe Yogin
The Gurus all say that such a yogin who has achieved Calmness will without doubt gain the five Superknowledges I mentioned before. And, as means of getting them, you should also take to heart the training precepts of the Sevenfold Way Sutra: Questions of Avalokitesvara, and recite the sutra itself now and then. Arya Asaitga says:
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 123
"A bodhisattva who wants to acquire the Superknow- ledges quickly should diligently, three times a day and three times a night: pay Homage, perform Worship, make Confession of sin, feel Rejoicing, and make the Petition, Entreaty, and Bestowal. " 27
And he should also have, for all the equipment of Calmness, such things as few desires, frugality, content- ment, and true solitude. That a yogin abiding in Calmness correctly does have few desires and is frugal [is clear from] the holy One Hundred Thousand Stanza Perfection of Insight:
"Monks who catch even a little taste for meditation, [319a] think little about clothes and little about food-
and [yet] their complexions are healthy. " 28
The Yoga of these bodhisattvas is to strive for the Seven Noble Riches when they have renounced attraction to worldly riches. They take the Six Mindfulnesses to heart, and of the six even practise the short Mindfulness of Buddha, Doctrine, and Community. 29
And since bodhisattvas are divided into those of keen ability and those of slower ability, the Mindfulness for those of keen faculty should be studied in texts such as the Perfection o f Insight siitras, the Mindfulness o f the Buddha Sutra, the Heavenly Treasure Sutra, and the Sutra Set Forth by Ak~ayamati. Mindfulness for those of slower ability should be studied in the Producing the Power of Faith
Sutra, the Rehearsal of the Buddha, Doctrine, and the Community Sutra, and the above Mindfulness of the Buddha Sutra as well as its smaller form, and others in the Mahayana Siitra collection.
The chapter on Mindfulness of the Three Jewels in the Compendium o f Training should also be studied because it explains the thought behind these siitras.
Higher Vision also comes to a yogin [who practises Calmness], and that is the subject I will explain next.
The practice of the yoga of Calmness and Higher Vision is what i s c a l l e d " R e m a i n i n g o n t h e P a t h " ; a n d h e n c e 1o n e g r a d u a l l y grows in:30
? 124 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9
the Four Applications of Mindfulness,
the Four Right Efforts,
the Four Bases of Miraculous Power, [319b] the [Five] Dominants and [Five] Powers, the [Seven] Limbs of Enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path.
THIS COMPLETES THE TEACHING ON THE TRAINING FOR HIGHER MEDITATION
Notes to Chapter 5
In SS: p. 120.
SS: p. 120.
Three kinds of Insight are generally given to describe the degree of depth of the knowledge gained; Atisa mentions two of them here:
'! ) Insight from Study (thos-pa'i shes-rab/irutamayi-praiiii); 2) Insight from Reflection (bsam-pa las shes-rab/cintiimayi-prajiiii; 3) Insight from Con- templation (bsgom-pa'i shes-rab/bhiivaniimayi-prajiiii). For Kamalasila's explanation of this, see G. Tucci, Minor Buddhist Texts, Pt. II, p. 160.
In SS: p. 109.
In SS: p. 109.
In SS: p. 112.
O t . 5444, V ol. 103:251. 4f.
Ot. 5658, Precious Garland ofAdvicefor the King, stanza 48i.
The text is not found in the catalogues by this title as one of Saraha's compositions. Atisa takes the title and quote from Bodhibhadra's Chapter on Concentration Equipment [Ot. 5444, Vol. 103:252. 1], but supplies Saraha's name as author, which Bodhibhadra's text does not do.
10 Unidentified.
II
12
13
zhi-gnas/samatha: Calmness. The terms Calmness and Higher Vision (lhag- mthong/viiJasyanii) are found in most of the Mahayana siitras, always paired together. Calmness designates the meditative techniques of yogic concen- tration, which Atisa unfolds in this chapter; Higher Vision is the investigative analysis for Emptiness in the Perfection of Insight, which is the subject of the next chapter.
mngon-par shes-pa/abhijiiii: superknowledge. The five (or sometimes six) superknowledges have a long historical development in the siitras. See H. Dayal, Bodhisattva Doctrine in Sanskrit Literature, pp. 106-34.
op. cit. , p. 250. 5f. The nine limbs are Bodhibhadra's opening outline for his entire treatise, eas:h limb being explained in tum. Briefly summarised, the meaning of each of the Limbs is this:
1) Renunciation (of the worldly life);
2) Preparation (through study with a Guru);
3) Avoidance (of premature effort to seek others' good before having
attained realisation oneself);
4) Suppression (of worldly cares and anxieties); 5) Dissatisfaction with the world;
6) Mindfulness ofthe benefits (of Concentration); 7) Diligence (in the efforts of Concentration);
? 14
15
8) Integrating (Calmness with Higher Vision);
9) Means of Staying (in all the above virtues).
It is. remarkable that Atisa does not mention here the Nine States of Mind (sems-gnas/citta-sthiti) in Calmness proposed by Asailga in his Hearer's Level [Ot. 5537, Vol. 110:100. 3ff. ) which have become so well known to Tibetan monks through Tsong-kha-pa's Lam-rim chen-mo. where they are described at length. Perhaps Atisa felt that teaching was too advanced for his audience.
sems mnyam-par bzhag-pa/citta-samiihita: lit. , the balanced mind. or the mind in concentration. Here it is used as the equivalent of Concentration (ting-nge- 'dzin/samiidhi).
Ot. 5522. Vol. 108:20-5. Atisa omits Bodhibhadra's acknowledgement of the source. I have supplied the meaning of the partially cryptic statement of
the eight habits which remedy the five defects, following Sthiramati's Commentary on the "Classification o f the Middle and Extremes" [Ot. 5534, Vol. 109:176. 1ff. ].
THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 125
16 Bodhibhadra, Chapter on Concentration Equipment [Ot. 5459, Vol. 103:266. 4].
17 18 19
20 21
22
23
24
25 26 27 28 29
30
Ot. 5521, Vol. 108:15. 5.
Ot. 5256, Vol. 96:26. 4.
mtshan-ma dang-bcas-pa/sa-nimitta (with-Signs) and mtshan-ma med-pa/a- nimitta (without-Signs) is a common distinction in yogic meditational practice, meaning simply the concentration of the mind on images, or concentrating the mind without the need for that kind of assistance- as the
Commentary goes on to explain.
The contemplation of oneself as a god is ? a common form of Tantric meditation. See A. Wayman, Fundamentals of Buddhist Tantra, p. 167. mi-sdug-pa/a-subha: disgusting. The traditional Buddhist meditation on the impermanence and foulness of the body, viewing it as a corpse under nine
aspects: blue; full of pus, insect-ridden, etc. Atisa is the author of a short meditation on the subject, Asubha-bhiivanii-krama [Ot. 5454). kha-tvam/khatvii: a staff with triple prongs and a skull at the top, carried by ascetics and yogins. It can be a symbol of Siva for Brahmanists, and also of Padmasambhava and other yogins for Tibetan Buddhists. For a long list and
illustration ofsuch insignia, see L. A. Waddell, The Buddhism ofTibet, pp. 340-1.
The five topics presented here by Bodhibhadra are of a Tantric nature and as such would be incomprehensible to the uninitiated. They are based on fundamental yogic concepts of breath (dbugs! priif}a), subtle signs (mtshan- ma phra-mo/sulq-ma-nimitta), and the drop (thig-le/bindu), but with additional liturgical and mystical significances.
Ordinary external Signs would be any external concentration object what- soever. Bodhibhadra does not bother with examples.
so-sor-rtog-pa'i shes-rab/pratyavelqanii-jniina.
Bodhibhadra, op. cit. , pp. 255. 2ff.
See Chapter 4, note 49.
In SS: pp. 196-7.
The Six Mindfulnesses are 1) the Buddha, 2) the Doctrine, 3) the Community, 4) Conduct, 5) Renunciation, and 6) the gods. The "short" Mindfulness practice drops the final three.
The virtues listed here comprise what is known as the "Thirty-seven Enlightenment Wings" (byang-chub kyi phyogs/bodhipalqa). They can be found individually in the Glossary.
? PART THREE
Higher Insight
? I II
III
PERFECTION OF INSIGHT
UNION OF INSIGHT AND MEANS
A Necessity of the Union
B Difference between the Two
FOUR GREAT PROOFS OF EMPTINESS
A Four Extremes
B Diamond-Particle
c Identity and Plurality
Stanza Page
41 130
42 130
43 131 44-46 133
47 135
48 136 49 137 50 137
v CONTEMPLATION A Emptiness
52 141
. 53 141 54 142 55 143
VI VII
VIII IX X
VERSES ON THE MIDDLE WAY 143
CHAPTER 6
Insight and Means
D Dependent Origination
IV SCHOOLS 139
A Middle Way 139
B Bibliography of Sastra 139
B W i s d o m
c Non-discursive Reasoning
56 147
57 147 B Bibliography of Siitras 149
BIOGRAPHY OF THE MASTERS 150
PROOF FROM SCRIPTURE
A Quotations
CULTIVATION OF HIGHER VISION
STAGES OF THE PATH
58 151 59 152
51 138
? 6
Insight and Means
Perfection of Insight
By means of the Insight that knows how to join Means with Insight, both the equipment of merit and the equipment of knowledge are integrated and perfected. As I was reflecting on this, I wrote [the stanzas] beginning:
BUT OBSCURATION IS NOT DESTROYED
WITHOUT THE PERFECTION OF INSIGHT. (Stanza 41b]
Calmness [by itself] cannot remove Karma and [its a~ompanying] A f f l i c t i o n a n d M a t u r a t i o n , o r t h e Obscuration [resulting from ignorance] of phenomena. 1 It is only when they are [discovered and] removed by Higher Vision that they are destroyed. Hence you must base yourself in Higher Vision; and that is the meaning of the next stanza:
HENCE, TO REMOVE ALL OBSCURATION
OF HIS AFFLICTION AND HIS KNOWLEDGE,
THE YOGIN MUST CONTINUALLY CULTIVATE THE
PERFECTION OF INSIGHT TOGETHER WITH MEANS. (Stanza 42]
Union of Insight and Means
Let me explain Means and Insight more fully. When I say [inStanza43)"SCRIPTURESAYSTHATBONDAGEIS . . ? ",Irefer to what both the Mount Gayii Sutra and the Sutra Set Forth by Vimalakzrti declare:
"Insight divorced from Means is bondage. Means divorced from Insight is also bondage. " 2
? And tO SUpport my saying "THEREFORE, NEGLECT NOT THIS UNION" [in Stanza 43], I quote from glorious Jfianak1rti:3
"One [then] truly progresses in the essence of Perfection of Insight, and in the Means which are Giving and the rest [of the Perfections]. " The Mount Gayii Sutra sum- marises the Bodhisattva Path, citing this very union: "It is Means and Insight. " And then it classifies the Means as the Perfections of Giving and the rest, the [Four] Infinitudes, the [Four] Means of Attraction, and so on. The [Satra Set Forth by] Ak~ayamati and the Cloud of
Jewels and other sutras say the same thing. [320a] But Insight is the factor that effectively and accurately delineates these Means. When it analyses them correctly, then they are effective; and therefore, when one adopts them for one's own and others' good, absolutely no
affliction results - it is as though one had a [protecting] mantra against poison. Furthermore, that same Sutra says: "Means is known as the collecting; Insight is known as accurately defining. " And the Producing the Power of Faith Satra:
"What is skill in Means? It is known as the gathering up of all virtue. And what is Insight? It is skill in knowing that all phenomena are undifferentiated. ''4
Necessity ofthe Union
Even [a bodhisattva already] established in the Levels must be grounded in both [Means and Insight]; therefore, it is not simply a matter of what inust be known. That is why sutras like the Ten Levels say: "It is wrong not to practise the rest of the Perfections as well. . . . On all ten of the Bodhisattva Levels all of the Perfections must still be practised. "5 And when there was a Bodhisattva who had a particular delight in [practising] the Perfection of Insight, the . /::,xtensive Satra: Compendium of All Phenomena said this on the subject:
" 0 Maitreya, the six Perfections of Enlightenment are to be understood correctly by the bodhisattvas. Some
INSIGHT AND MEANS 131
? 132 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
foolish men say that a bodhisattva need train only in the Perfection of Insight, and thereby have no need of the other Perfections. By so thinking, they are holding the restofthePerfectionsincontempt. . . "6 [320b]
And the holy Perfect EnlightenmentofVairocana:
"The wisdom of an Omniscient Being, rooted in the Great Compassion, andwith the Enlightenment Thought as its cause, has attained the perfection of the Means. "'
Since this is the case, one must rely on both [Means and Insight] at all times. And that was the way the Blessed One achieved. his Deferred Nirvat:ta. 8 Through [perfecting] the Means, Giving and the rest, He laid hold of that excellent result. thegreatestenjoyment:theForm-Body9 anditsfield of activity and its retinue - and hence does not remain in Nirvat:ta. Through his Perfection of Insight, rejecting what is false, he d<:>es not [truly] abide in Samsara- because it is of the very nature of falseness.
When [the above Siit:t:a] says, "If everyone who knows lists of phenomena10 by the dozen, as it were, is supposed to reject those phenomena; then how much more what are not phenomena! " - what it is saying is that one should reject any attachment to what is false in them; and not that one should not continue to exist for the sake of [others'] needs and fulfilment. One should embrace the Truth; that is what
-it means by saying "Do not grasp at what is false! " And so:
" A t all times be based in the Means Together with the Perfection of Insight; For because of it and from it,
One passes to the Deferred NirvaQa. "
That is what he [Jiianakirti] and his sources say. And my Guru [Bodhibhadra] also adds:
"If that is true, then one should have both Means and Insight at all times, and should accumulate and integrate the equipments ofmerit and ofknowledge. "11 [321a]
? Difference between the Two
Having shown the importance of combining Means with Insight, and that both must be had together, I now explain exactly what they are:
TO REMOVE ANY DOUBTS ABOUT
WHAT INSIGHT IS, AND WHAT ARE MEANS,
I WILL MAKE CLEAR THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE MEANS AND INSIGHT. (Stanza 44]
I said "TO REMOVE ANY DOUBTS" because great Acaryas of old have spoken variously about the two; for instance some texts are quoted as saying:
"The Means is the Bodhisattva's
Great Compassion for creatures;
And its components differ according to The three aspects [that are involved]. " 12
Other sources say "the Means is the Thought of Enlighten- ment in its relative aspect. " 13
But in the root text I presentedwhat my Guru, glorious Bodhibhadra, said about this:
THE VICTORS HAVE EXPLAINED THAT THE MEANS
ARE ALL THE EQUIPMENTS OF VIRTUE,
STARTING WITH THE PERFECTION OF GIVING,
UP TO, BUT EXCLUDING, THAT OF INSIGHT. (Stanza 45)
Taking the words "STARTING WITH THE PERFECTION OF GIVING", Giving can here be distinguished according to the [above-mentioned] three aspects: [a] the Donor, [b] the Substance given, and [c] the Object (of one's giving). One can be a Donor for the sake of gain, honour, fame, and glory; or because one is besought by others; or out of compassion, or to show respect, and so on. The Substance given can be things like the Teaching or material goods or fearlessness or love. The Object of one's giving can be the Three Jewels, or a Guru's sustenance, or any creature of the five destinies. [321b]
INSIGHT AND MEANS 133
The Four Diamond Seats Tantra speaks at length [on
? 134 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
Giving] with phrases like "Sixty thousand Sudras took care of one pure Brahmin"; and the Siitras too, and the Hundred Explanations ofthe Doctrine, when talking about "not relying on another [non-Buddhist] teacher as the spiritual friend", and so on. In the Yoga Tantra called Conquest ofthe Triple World, the Blessed One says:
"There is a Giving of initiation, a Giving of the Teaching, a Giving of wealth, and a Giving of food, a Giving of fearlessness and a Giving of love. And these [gifts are given) respectively to: a disciple, a mind not [yet] alerted, a religious mendicant, and to Brahmins, the poor, animals, the faint-hearted, and to every creature. " 14
My words "sTARTING WITH [GrviNG]" indicate that [the Victors] have also explained the rest of the Perfections. In the Perfection of Conduct, for instance, [they teach that) there is the Conduct of a bodhisattva when he gets the first Thought of Enlightenment, and of one who has entered the Practice [Path], of one who will not turn back, of one who has attained Patience in non-arising phenomena,-'of one who is held back by but one rebirth, and of a bodhisattva in his final life. 15
"THAT THE MEANS ARE ALL THE EQUIPMENTS OF VIRTUE" points out that the Siitra passages [always] explain the rest of the Perfections in turn. You must consult the Siitras themselves for the full significance of these Perfections, and the other texts composed to clarify the Sfltras: the Compendium of Siitra, the Bodhisattva Levels, the
f! . rogress, in Practice, the Compendium of Training, and Acarya Sura's Conversations on the Perfections.
The theme of this stanza is exactly what it says:
ONE WHO COMBINES MASTERY OF THE MEANS
WITH A TRUE CULTIVATION OF INSIGHT,
WILL SWIFTLY ATTAIN ENLIGHTENMENT, BUT
NOT BY CULTIVATING MERELY NON-SELF. [Stanza 46)
What is Insight? [322a] It is either innate, or comes from
? study, or from reflection, or from contemplation - or as scripture says:
"He who penetrates to what is changeless In the words and states of all activity,
Let his be proclaimed as
'Insight of the Diamond Mind'. "
Thatiswhatitis. AndsoIgoontosayintheroottext:
"INSIGHT" IS FULLY EXPLAINED AS KNOWING
THE EMPTINESS OF INTRINSIC NATURE
IN COMPREHENDING THAT AGGREGATES AND SENSE-BASES AND ELEMENTS DO NOT ARISE. (Stanza 47)
All external and internal phenomena are included in the Aggregates, Elements, and Sense-bases; as the Blessed One has said, "0 Brahmin, the Aggregates, Elements, arid Sense-bases are everything meant by the word 'Every- thing'. " I will explain the words "Do NOT ARISE" later; but
the "FULLY EXPLAINED" means that the Buddhas and Gurus have said so. And I add here:
The Perfections and Means of Conversion,
The Four Infinitudes and Seven Limbs,
The Ten Religious Practices and other acts of virtue, The Seven Noble Riches and the Six Mindfulnesses; The mary. qala and offerings and circumambulation-
Are the Means which are the reason for the Enjoyment and Apparition Bodies.
But it is the Perfection of Insight alone That has the Insight which is the cause of
the Body ofTruth. 16
Four Great Proofs of Emptiness
0 Noble Y outh, what sort of method will lead to a direct experience of such "Insight" as this? I say that it is learned by [using] the Four Great Proofs. 17 And what are those Four? They are:
INSIGHT AND MEANS 135
?
Ot. 775, Vol. 29.
phyin-ci-ma-log-pa/aviparyiisa.
Ot. 897. In SS: p. 134.
The quotation is from the Ornament ofManjufri's Buddhafield [Ot. 760(15), Vol. 23:129. 2f], the same siitra and verses Atlsa used in the root poem
[Stanzas 26-31] for the formula of a Bodhisattva Vow without a Guru. The discrepancy here is that the king's name is given as Akasa (nam-mkha'), whereas in the root text he is ca1led Ambaraja (am-ba-ra-dza).
In SS: p. 100.
The reference is to the Instruction on the Concise Meaning ofthe Sutra [Ot. 5395], translated by Atlsa and Tshul-khrims, but without mention of the author- either in the catalogues or in AtiSa's text here. The first metaphor given here reads "The doctrine is Mother and Father-like, as Emptiness and Compassion. There can be no bodhisattva who is not born of these two. "
In SS: p. 263. In SS: p. 101.
35 36
37
38 39 40 41 42
43
44
45 46
? 47 48 49
50 51 52
In SS: p. 264.
In SS: p. 165.
The same unidentified quotation is used again in Chapter 5, merely ascribing the familiar Sevenfold Worship to Asanga. The repetition possibly indicates insertion by later editors.
BCA: V: 98.
Bodhibhadra, op. cit. , pp. 276. 2.
The nine degrees means the three qualitative degrees that are applied to the three qualities of persons, totalling nine: superior-Superior, mediocre- Superior, inferior-Superior; superior-Mediocre, mediocre-Mediocre,
inferior-Mediocre, and so on.
THE BODHISA TTV A VOW 109
? PART TWO
Higher Meditation
? CHAPTER 5
The Superknowledges
Stanza Page
I RELATION OF CONDUCT TO
CONCENTRATION 114
II THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES
A Perfecting of the Equipment
B For the Good of Others
114
34 115 35 115 115 117
118 36-37 118
38 119 39 119
120 40 121 121 121 122 123
123
1 Dangers of Preaching
2 Need of the Superknowledges
3 NeedofaGuru
4 Relation to Calmness
III CALMNESS
A The Nine Limbs
B Defects and Remedies in Meditation
c Topics for Calmness
1 With Signs
2 Without Signs
D Practice of the Yogin
1 Of Keen Ability 2 OfSlowerAbility
? 5
The Superknowledges
Relation of Conduct to Concentration
The Path to Enlightenment is not a matter of just Conduct by itself. Y ou must develop Concentration and Insight too. However, from your foundation in Conduct, Concentration arises. As the holy Moon-Lamp says:
"The Concentration- free from afflictions is swiftly Attained: that is the advantage of purified Conduct. " 1
And Acarya Santideva:
"In Conduct, Concentration is achieved. . . . Hence we must understand that any activity concerned with Con- cent. ration is? [really] a part of Conduct. In striving for Concentration, we must have dispositions of mindfulness and deliberateness. . . . And in striving for Conduct also we must work on Concentration. . . . The interaction of both is what makes Conduct grow, and by means of both, purification of mind [Concentration] is achieved. "2
[314b]
So, if you cannot have Concentration without having Conduct, then you must strive for Conduct for the sake of having Concentration.
The Superknowledges
Through the Concentration born of excellent Conduct, one develops the Superknowledges. And the Superknowledges are the means both for working for the good of others, and for acquiring the Two Equipments. This I showed when I wrote:
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 115
"ALL THE BUDDHAS HAVE HELD THAT
PERFECTING THIS EQUIPMENT,
THE NATURE OF WHICH IS MERIT AND KNOWLEDGE,
LIES ESSENTIALLY IN THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES. " (Stanza 34]
Perfecting o f the Equipment
Let me show briefly what I mean by this:
If a man wants to build up the Two Equipments, And has the constant desire to work for others' good, But has not developed the Superknowledges,
Then he is acting like a blind man,
And behaving as though insane-
A veritable brute beast, as it were.
If he cannot achieve even his own good, How will he (ever] achieve others'?
For the Good ofOthers
Dangers of Preaching
"JUST AS A BIRD WITH UNFLEDGED WINGS
CANNOT FLY UP INTO THE SKY,
SO WITHOUT THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES' POWER,
ONE CANNOT WORK FOR THE GOOD OF OTHERS. " (Stanza 35]
It is absurd to explain the (Buddha's] Teaching and to gather disciples, having only your own Insight from study- when you have not even yet acquired the Superknowledges or developed the Insight born of contemplation. 3 Hence the saying "How can it not be madness, to preach before even learning one's own measure? " Or to quote from the Exhortation to Higher Intention on this subject of liking to talk [about religion] and observing the evils that result from it:
"Proud of his learning, he has no respect;
He loves conversations with dispute and debate; (315a] He becomes unmindful and loses deliberateness- These are the evils of liking to talk.
His inner thought is quite far away; Neither his body nor mind become very pure;
? 116 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
His arrogance is turned into great humiliation- These are the evils of liking to talk.
He is a child too frail to reflect on the Doctrine; His thoughts turn unfriendly and become very harsh; He is a long way off from Calmness and Insight- These are the evils of liking to talk.
He is ever disrespectful of his Gurus,
And finds his delight in obscene conversation; Pointlessly he lives and lacking in Insight- These are the evils of liking to talk. . . .
At the hour of death, this child makes moan:
'Alas! my meditation's so weak! what shall I do? '
So with the depths unfathomed, his suffering is great- These are the evils of liking to talk.
Like grass in the wind, he is blown to and fro; His only conviction is that he's in doubt; Firmness of mind will never be his-
These are the evils of liking to talk.
He is like an actor before a crowd watching His play: he declaims the hero's virtues While his own character grows weaker- These are the evils of liking to talk.
He is a hypocrite and in despair;
He is remorse-stricken ever afterwards;
? He is far off from the noble and holy Teaching- These are the evils of liking to talk.
Of little ability, he is delighted by attention, And his ignorance makes him impulsive;
His mind is restless as a monkey's:
These are the evils of liking to talk. " 4
Further on, the Sutra continues:
"The man. who likes to talk at great length, [315b] And then still says that he's not had enough,
Would be far better off to reflect on a word,
And that one word would give him infinite delight.
The sugar-cane bark has no juice at all; The taste-giving delight is all found inside; The man who chews on only the bark Cannot find the sugar's sweet taste.
Talking is like the husk of the cane;
But thought and meaning, these are the taste.
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 117 So renounce this delight in talking,
And be ever attentive and think on meaning. " 5 This same Sutra also has this passage:
"The Great Bodhisattva Maitreya questioned the Blessed One in these words:
'The bodhisattva who has rejected the highest Doctrine and is occupied with evil deeds will have very little Insight and his Insight will be impaired, will it not? '
And the Blessed One answered the Great Bodhisattva Maitreya:
'Maitreya, that is exactly how it is. The words you have spoken are true. Bodhisattvas who reject the highest Teaching and are occupied with evil deeds have very
little Insight. Maitreya, let me show you, and bear this in mind: bodhisattvas who lack zeal and meditation and renunciation, who do not do their recitation nor seek greater learning, such bodhisattvas have not entered the
religious life under the Teaching of the Tathagata. [316a] Maitreya, this teaching of the Tathagata unfolds only through meditation and renunciation. It is composed of wisdom and held together by wisdom, and only by great diligence can it be truly unfolded. But there can be no
such unfolding in the householder's way of life with its preoccupations and concern for worldly matters. A householder's diligence is misplaced; managing business and struggling for worldly success are the things that delight him in this cycle of rebirths. Bodhisattvas should have no desires for such things. " 6
Need of the Superknowledges
My Guru has spoken on this in his Chapter on Concentra- tion Equipment:
"The bodhisattva who has only studied the Doctrine should refrain from preaching it [yet). The Scriptures do not tell us that we can be helpful to others just from having studied the Teaching, and without first acquiring the superknowledges. . . . Therefore, there should be no preaching of the Doctrine just because we are very
? 118 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
learned. When we have the superknowledges, then at the very earliest we are ready to seek the good of others. . . . A man who is incapable of maturing disciples because he lacks the_superkpowledges is sinking toward death himself. As Acarya Santideva said:
'People all have their_preferences,
And if even the Victor did not please them, Then how much less a bad. one like me?
So give up the idea of [pleasing] the world. ' " 7
So also the great Acarya Nagarjuna commented on this subject:
"When you have acquired the five Superknowledges- Powers that will follow you in all rebirths -
Then strive constantly for the complete
Benefit and happiness of all creatures. " 8
Need of a Guru?
But to attempt Contemplation without instruction from a Guru and relying exclusively on one's own study of texts is prohibited [by the authorities I give] here in the following:
even though you strive diligently in such yoga, the Super- knowledges still will not come about, for the same reason that you have not yet reached the great and perfect Enlightenment. In the commentaries that treat this subject, the Brahmin Saraha the Great says this in his Kinds o f Ultimate Truth:
"What we call 'instruction of the Guru' is the essence of ambrosia. Anyone who does not drink to satisfaction, as it were, "will certainly die of thirst- like a man in the middle of a desert full of treatises. " 9
And Arya Nagarjuna again:
" A man may study a great many Tantras, and even purify himse~fcorrectly according to Scripture, but having little regard for a Guru he will not master that Scripture. He only defeats himself, and is mouthing treatises without
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 119
authority. For him the texts are only reasons for argument. " 10
Relation to Calmness
The two stanzas that begin with the words "THE MERITS WHICH A MAN WITH THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES GAINS IN A SINGLE DA Y" [Stanzas 36 and 37] continue the same theme as the preceding ones. Hence, this great and perfect Enlightenment depends upon the Two Equipments [of
merit and knowledge]; and the two kinds of Equipment depend upon [effecting] the good of others; and that depends upon the Superknowledges. But the Super-
knowledges depend upon Calm'ness;11 and Calmness depends on Conduct; and that is why I taught about Conduct first of all. And so, since Calmness arises from
Conduct, and the Superknowledges arise from Calmness, I wrote:
AS LONG AS CALMNESS IS NOT ATrAINED,
THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES WILL NOT OCCUR; THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE CALMNESS,
ONE MUST KEEP STRMNG OVER AND OVER. (Stanza 38]
Calmness
The Superknowledges which arise from Calmness, and for which you must [first] gain Calmness, are these: [1] Super- knowledge of godlike sight, [2] Superknowledge of godlike hearing, [3] Superknowledge of others' thoughts, [4] [317a] Superknowledge of previous liwes, [5] Superknowledge of miraculous powers, [6] Superknowledge that all impurities
have been destroyed. 12
The Nine Limbs
ONE WHO NEGLECTS THE LIMBS OF CALMNESS, EVEN THOUGH HE STRIVE TO MEDITATE
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, NEVER
WILL ACHIEVE CONCENTRATION. [Stanza 39]
? 120 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
The "Limbs of Calmness" are ninefold, beginning with Renunciation, as presented by my own Guru. The stanza is otherwise easily understood. By "NEGLECTS THE LIMBS" I meant that the nine Limbs given by the venerable Bodhibhadra in his Chapter on Concentration Equipment are appropriate for the person who has not as yet achieved
Calmness. Here is what he said:
"[1] Renunciation, [2] Preparation, [3] Avoidance, [4] Suppression of anxiety, [5] Dissatisfaction (with the world), [6] Mindfulness of benefits, [7] Diligence, [8] Integrating, and [9] Means of Staying. Besides just learning such Limbs, one must remain in them correctly. " 13
You should study the Chapter itself for the meaning [of each Limb].
D. efects and Remedies in Meditation
But here I will-write a little on what the last Limb means, giving what my Guru said in his Chapter:
"When a man has acquired the [first] eight Limbs, and has provided himself with suitable location and food, and has the appropriate life-style and clothing, and conducive companions, then he should compose his mind. . . . 14 [317b] I f he cannot compose it, let him strive again for his Equipment of Merit in things like reading the Perfection ofInsight, making offerings, and circumambulations. . . . When he does set himself to composing his mind, he
must cultivate eight [good] habits which avoid the evils that are opposed to them. [Now the Classification o f the Middle and Extremes says that]: 15
'The defects in concentrating are held to be fivefold: [1] laziness, [2] forgetfulness of instruction, [3] apathy and anxiety, [4] failure to achieve a level, [5] a false achievement. The remedies against these defects are the eight habits which avoid them; namely: [1] [desiring] this state, [2] [the effort to] remain in it,
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 121
[3] [faith, which is] the cause, [4] [and its] result [in self-confidence], [5] mindfulness, [6] awareness of one's apathy or anxiety, [7] habitually avoiding [these defects], and [8] when calm, [actually] entering into the state [of composure]. ' " 16
The OrnamentofSutras says:
"The first thing is to make the effort;
The second is to bolster it;
The third is to focus [the attention];
The fourth is the actual remedy [of calmness]. " 17
Some prefer another explanation [of the five evils]: [1] craving, [2] ill-will, [3] sloth and drowsiness, [4] anxiety and guilt, and [5] doubt. The retinue of sloth and drowsiness includes things like weariness, lack of zest, restlessness, not taking the proper amount of food, and slackness of mind. These things make the mind depressed. Their remedy is
clear thinking. The retinue of anxiety and guilt includes interest in relatives, memories of past distractions, thrills, and frivolities. These do not calm the mind; and their remedy is Calmness.
Topics for Calmness
ONE CAN THEN SET THE MIND IN VIRTUE
FIXED ON ANY TOPIC HE CHOOSES. (Stanza 40]
Here the word "TOPIC" refers to the object of the mind, as in this quote from the Blaze ofReasoning [on the "Essence] of the Middle Way":
"The mind is a rampaging elephant: Tie it fast with the rope of mindfulness To the steady post of Topic; [318a] Then settle the mind in Calm. " 18
My words "ON ANY TOPIC HE CHOOSES" refer to Calmness- with-Signs as well as Calmness-without-Signs. 1 9 A s my Guru says in the Chapter on Concentration Equipment:
? 122 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
"Calmness is twofold: [1] with-Signs, and [2] without- Signs. Calmness-with-Signs is twofold: [a] signs that are internal, and [b] signs that are external. [a] The kind that are internal are twofold: topics on the body, and topics on what supports the body. The three topics on body are: the aspect of the god being the body itself;20 the
disgusting aspects of it,21 such as skeletons, etc. ; or a distinctive sign such as a trident. 22
"There are five topics on the supports of the body:23 the Breath, the Subtle Signs, the Drop, the Limbs of Light Rays, and Joy and Bliss. [b] Signs that are external are of two kinds: the special, and the ordinary. 2 4 The special topics are either [a Buddha's] body or [a Buddha's] words. . . .
"[2] Calmness-without-Signs is the same as Investiga- tive Insight/5 whence arises signless Higher Vision, the knowledge which is without discursive reasoning. . . . It is recommended that, rather than resting in Calmness- with-Signs, one proceed toward developing Higher Vision by? [first] focusing on Calmness-without-Signs. [318b] For it is only by being firmly established in Higher Vision joined with Calmness that the afflictions are cleansed away and thoroughly subdued - it is the only
basis for such a result. . . .
"I do not describe here how to contemplate, for fear of
enlarging my text, but also because guidance in con- templation is the kind that requires personal instruction from an experienced Guru. And that is because the details of the teaching on Calmness and Higher Vision must be explained, and because of the difficulty of learning contemplation just from reading books. " 26
Practice ofthe Yogin
The Gurus all say that such a yogin who has achieved Calmness will without doubt gain the five Superknowledges I mentioned before. And, as means of getting them, you should also take to heart the training precepts of the Sevenfold Way Sutra: Questions of Avalokitesvara, and recite the sutra itself now and then. Arya Asaitga says:
? THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 123
"A bodhisattva who wants to acquire the Superknow- ledges quickly should diligently, three times a day and three times a night: pay Homage, perform Worship, make Confession of sin, feel Rejoicing, and make the Petition, Entreaty, and Bestowal. " 27
And he should also have, for all the equipment of Calmness, such things as few desires, frugality, content- ment, and true solitude. That a yogin abiding in Calmness correctly does have few desires and is frugal [is clear from] the holy One Hundred Thousand Stanza Perfection of Insight:
"Monks who catch even a little taste for meditation, [319a] think little about clothes and little about food-
and [yet] their complexions are healthy. " 28
The Yoga of these bodhisattvas is to strive for the Seven Noble Riches when they have renounced attraction to worldly riches. They take the Six Mindfulnesses to heart, and of the six even practise the short Mindfulness of Buddha, Doctrine, and Community. 29
And since bodhisattvas are divided into those of keen ability and those of slower ability, the Mindfulness for those of keen faculty should be studied in texts such as the Perfection o f Insight siitras, the Mindfulness o f the Buddha Sutra, the Heavenly Treasure Sutra, and the Sutra Set Forth by Ak~ayamati. Mindfulness for those of slower ability should be studied in the Producing the Power of Faith
Sutra, the Rehearsal of the Buddha, Doctrine, and the Community Sutra, and the above Mindfulness of the Buddha Sutra as well as its smaller form, and others in the Mahayana Siitra collection.
The chapter on Mindfulness of the Three Jewels in the Compendium o f Training should also be studied because it explains the thought behind these siitras.
Higher Vision also comes to a yogin [who practises Calmness], and that is the subject I will explain next.
The practice of the yoga of Calmness and Higher Vision is what i s c a l l e d " R e m a i n i n g o n t h e P a t h " ; a n d h e n c e 1o n e g r a d u a l l y grows in:30
? 124 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9
the Four Applications of Mindfulness,
the Four Right Efforts,
the Four Bases of Miraculous Power, [319b] the [Five] Dominants and [Five] Powers, the [Seven] Limbs of Enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path.
THIS COMPLETES THE TEACHING ON THE TRAINING FOR HIGHER MEDITATION
Notes to Chapter 5
In SS: p. 120.
SS: p. 120.
Three kinds of Insight are generally given to describe the degree of depth of the knowledge gained; Atisa mentions two of them here:
'! ) Insight from Study (thos-pa'i shes-rab/irutamayi-praiiii); 2) Insight from Reflection (bsam-pa las shes-rab/cintiimayi-prajiiii; 3) Insight from Con- templation (bsgom-pa'i shes-rab/bhiivaniimayi-prajiiii). For Kamalasila's explanation of this, see G. Tucci, Minor Buddhist Texts, Pt. II, p. 160.
In SS: p. 109.
In SS: p. 109.
In SS: p. 112.
O t . 5444, V ol. 103:251. 4f.
Ot. 5658, Precious Garland ofAdvicefor the King, stanza 48i.
The text is not found in the catalogues by this title as one of Saraha's compositions. Atisa takes the title and quote from Bodhibhadra's Chapter on Concentration Equipment [Ot. 5444, Vol. 103:252. 1], but supplies Saraha's name as author, which Bodhibhadra's text does not do.
10 Unidentified.
II
12
13
zhi-gnas/samatha: Calmness. The terms Calmness and Higher Vision (lhag- mthong/viiJasyanii) are found in most of the Mahayana siitras, always paired together. Calmness designates the meditative techniques of yogic concen- tration, which Atisa unfolds in this chapter; Higher Vision is the investigative analysis for Emptiness in the Perfection of Insight, which is the subject of the next chapter.
mngon-par shes-pa/abhijiiii: superknowledge. The five (or sometimes six) superknowledges have a long historical development in the siitras. See H. Dayal, Bodhisattva Doctrine in Sanskrit Literature, pp. 106-34.
op. cit. , p. 250. 5f. The nine limbs are Bodhibhadra's opening outline for his entire treatise, eas:h limb being explained in tum. Briefly summarised, the meaning of each of the Limbs is this:
1) Renunciation (of the worldly life);
2) Preparation (through study with a Guru);
3) Avoidance (of premature effort to seek others' good before having
attained realisation oneself);
4) Suppression (of worldly cares and anxieties); 5) Dissatisfaction with the world;
6) Mindfulness ofthe benefits (of Concentration); 7) Diligence (in the efforts of Concentration);
? 14
15
8) Integrating (Calmness with Higher Vision);
9) Means of Staying (in all the above virtues).
It is. remarkable that Atisa does not mention here the Nine States of Mind (sems-gnas/citta-sthiti) in Calmness proposed by Asailga in his Hearer's Level [Ot. 5537, Vol. 110:100. 3ff. ) which have become so well known to Tibetan monks through Tsong-kha-pa's Lam-rim chen-mo. where they are described at length. Perhaps Atisa felt that teaching was too advanced for his audience.
sems mnyam-par bzhag-pa/citta-samiihita: lit. , the balanced mind. or the mind in concentration. Here it is used as the equivalent of Concentration (ting-nge- 'dzin/samiidhi).
Ot. 5522. Vol. 108:20-5. Atisa omits Bodhibhadra's acknowledgement of the source. I have supplied the meaning of the partially cryptic statement of
the eight habits which remedy the five defects, following Sthiramati's Commentary on the "Classification o f the Middle and Extremes" [Ot. 5534, Vol. 109:176. 1ff. ].
THE SUPERKNOWLEDGES 125
16 Bodhibhadra, Chapter on Concentration Equipment [Ot. 5459, Vol. 103:266. 4].
17 18 19
20 21
22
23
24
25 26 27 28 29
30
Ot. 5521, Vol. 108:15. 5.
Ot. 5256, Vol. 96:26. 4.
mtshan-ma dang-bcas-pa/sa-nimitta (with-Signs) and mtshan-ma med-pa/a- nimitta (without-Signs) is a common distinction in yogic meditational practice, meaning simply the concentration of the mind on images, or concentrating the mind without the need for that kind of assistance- as the
Commentary goes on to explain.
The contemplation of oneself as a god is ? a common form of Tantric meditation. See A. Wayman, Fundamentals of Buddhist Tantra, p. 167. mi-sdug-pa/a-subha: disgusting. The traditional Buddhist meditation on the impermanence and foulness of the body, viewing it as a corpse under nine
aspects: blue; full of pus, insect-ridden, etc. Atisa is the author of a short meditation on the subject, Asubha-bhiivanii-krama [Ot. 5454). kha-tvam/khatvii: a staff with triple prongs and a skull at the top, carried by ascetics and yogins. It can be a symbol of Siva for Brahmanists, and also of Padmasambhava and other yogins for Tibetan Buddhists. For a long list and
illustration ofsuch insignia, see L. A. Waddell, The Buddhism ofTibet, pp. 340-1.
The five topics presented here by Bodhibhadra are of a Tantric nature and as such would be incomprehensible to the uninitiated. They are based on fundamental yogic concepts of breath (dbugs! priif}a), subtle signs (mtshan- ma phra-mo/sulq-ma-nimitta), and the drop (thig-le/bindu), but with additional liturgical and mystical significances.
Ordinary external Signs would be any external concentration object what- soever. Bodhibhadra does not bother with examples.
so-sor-rtog-pa'i shes-rab/pratyavelqanii-jniina.
Bodhibhadra, op. cit. , pp. 255. 2ff.
See Chapter 4, note 49.
In SS: pp. 196-7.
The Six Mindfulnesses are 1) the Buddha, 2) the Doctrine, 3) the Community, 4) Conduct, 5) Renunciation, and 6) the gods. The "short" Mindfulness practice drops the final three.
The virtues listed here comprise what is known as the "Thirty-seven Enlightenment Wings" (byang-chub kyi phyogs/bodhipalqa). They can be found individually in the Glossary.
? PART THREE
Higher Insight
? I II
III
PERFECTION OF INSIGHT
UNION OF INSIGHT AND MEANS
A Necessity of the Union
B Difference between the Two
FOUR GREAT PROOFS OF EMPTINESS
A Four Extremes
B Diamond-Particle
c Identity and Plurality
Stanza Page
41 130
42 130
43 131 44-46 133
47 135
48 136 49 137 50 137
v CONTEMPLATION A Emptiness
52 141
. 53 141 54 142 55 143
VI VII
VIII IX X
VERSES ON THE MIDDLE WAY 143
CHAPTER 6
Insight and Means
D Dependent Origination
IV SCHOOLS 139
A Middle Way 139
B Bibliography of Sastra 139
B W i s d o m
c Non-discursive Reasoning
56 147
57 147 B Bibliography of Siitras 149
BIOGRAPHY OF THE MASTERS 150
PROOF FROM SCRIPTURE
A Quotations
CULTIVATION OF HIGHER VISION
STAGES OF THE PATH
58 151 59 152
51 138
? 6
Insight and Means
Perfection of Insight
By means of the Insight that knows how to join Means with Insight, both the equipment of merit and the equipment of knowledge are integrated and perfected. As I was reflecting on this, I wrote [the stanzas] beginning:
BUT OBSCURATION IS NOT DESTROYED
WITHOUT THE PERFECTION OF INSIGHT. (Stanza 41b]
Calmness [by itself] cannot remove Karma and [its a~ompanying] A f f l i c t i o n a n d M a t u r a t i o n , o r t h e Obscuration [resulting from ignorance] of phenomena. 1 It is only when they are [discovered and] removed by Higher Vision that they are destroyed. Hence you must base yourself in Higher Vision; and that is the meaning of the next stanza:
HENCE, TO REMOVE ALL OBSCURATION
OF HIS AFFLICTION AND HIS KNOWLEDGE,
THE YOGIN MUST CONTINUALLY CULTIVATE THE
PERFECTION OF INSIGHT TOGETHER WITH MEANS. (Stanza 42]
Union of Insight and Means
Let me explain Means and Insight more fully. When I say [inStanza43)"SCRIPTURESAYSTHATBONDAGEIS . . ? ",Irefer to what both the Mount Gayii Sutra and the Sutra Set Forth by Vimalakzrti declare:
"Insight divorced from Means is bondage. Means divorced from Insight is also bondage. " 2
? And tO SUpport my saying "THEREFORE, NEGLECT NOT THIS UNION" [in Stanza 43], I quote from glorious Jfianak1rti:3
"One [then] truly progresses in the essence of Perfection of Insight, and in the Means which are Giving and the rest [of the Perfections]. " The Mount Gayii Sutra sum- marises the Bodhisattva Path, citing this very union: "It is Means and Insight. " And then it classifies the Means as the Perfections of Giving and the rest, the [Four] Infinitudes, the [Four] Means of Attraction, and so on. The [Satra Set Forth by] Ak~ayamati and the Cloud of
Jewels and other sutras say the same thing. [320a] But Insight is the factor that effectively and accurately delineates these Means. When it analyses them correctly, then they are effective; and therefore, when one adopts them for one's own and others' good, absolutely no
affliction results - it is as though one had a [protecting] mantra against poison. Furthermore, that same Sutra says: "Means is known as the collecting; Insight is known as accurately defining. " And the Producing the Power of Faith Satra:
"What is skill in Means? It is known as the gathering up of all virtue. And what is Insight? It is skill in knowing that all phenomena are undifferentiated. ''4
Necessity ofthe Union
Even [a bodhisattva already] established in the Levels must be grounded in both [Means and Insight]; therefore, it is not simply a matter of what inust be known. That is why sutras like the Ten Levels say: "It is wrong not to practise the rest of the Perfections as well. . . . On all ten of the Bodhisattva Levels all of the Perfections must still be practised. "5 And when there was a Bodhisattva who had a particular delight in [practising] the Perfection of Insight, the . /::,xtensive Satra: Compendium of All Phenomena said this on the subject:
" 0 Maitreya, the six Perfections of Enlightenment are to be understood correctly by the bodhisattvas. Some
INSIGHT AND MEANS 131
? 132 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
foolish men say that a bodhisattva need train only in the Perfection of Insight, and thereby have no need of the other Perfections. By so thinking, they are holding the restofthePerfectionsincontempt. . . "6 [320b]
And the holy Perfect EnlightenmentofVairocana:
"The wisdom of an Omniscient Being, rooted in the Great Compassion, andwith the Enlightenment Thought as its cause, has attained the perfection of the Means. "'
Since this is the case, one must rely on both [Means and Insight] at all times. And that was the way the Blessed One achieved. his Deferred Nirvat:ta. 8 Through [perfecting] the Means, Giving and the rest, He laid hold of that excellent result. thegreatestenjoyment:theForm-Body9 anditsfield of activity and its retinue - and hence does not remain in Nirvat:ta. Through his Perfection of Insight, rejecting what is false, he d<:>es not [truly] abide in Samsara- because it is of the very nature of falseness.
When [the above Siit:t:a] says, "If everyone who knows lists of phenomena10 by the dozen, as it were, is supposed to reject those phenomena; then how much more what are not phenomena! " - what it is saying is that one should reject any attachment to what is false in them; and not that one should not continue to exist for the sake of [others'] needs and fulfilment. One should embrace the Truth; that is what
-it means by saying "Do not grasp at what is false! " And so:
" A t all times be based in the Means Together with the Perfection of Insight; For because of it and from it,
One passes to the Deferred NirvaQa. "
That is what he [Jiianakirti] and his sources say. And my Guru [Bodhibhadra] also adds:
"If that is true, then one should have both Means and Insight at all times, and should accumulate and integrate the equipments ofmerit and ofknowledge. "11 [321a]
? Difference between the Two
Having shown the importance of combining Means with Insight, and that both must be had together, I now explain exactly what they are:
TO REMOVE ANY DOUBTS ABOUT
WHAT INSIGHT IS, AND WHAT ARE MEANS,
I WILL MAKE CLEAR THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE MEANS AND INSIGHT. (Stanza 44]
I said "TO REMOVE ANY DOUBTS" because great Acaryas of old have spoken variously about the two; for instance some texts are quoted as saying:
"The Means is the Bodhisattva's
Great Compassion for creatures;
And its components differ according to The three aspects [that are involved]. " 12
Other sources say "the Means is the Thought of Enlighten- ment in its relative aspect. " 13
But in the root text I presentedwhat my Guru, glorious Bodhibhadra, said about this:
THE VICTORS HAVE EXPLAINED THAT THE MEANS
ARE ALL THE EQUIPMENTS OF VIRTUE,
STARTING WITH THE PERFECTION OF GIVING,
UP TO, BUT EXCLUDING, THAT OF INSIGHT. (Stanza 45)
Taking the words "STARTING WITH THE PERFECTION OF GIVING", Giving can here be distinguished according to the [above-mentioned] three aspects: [a] the Donor, [b] the Substance given, and [c] the Object (of one's giving). One can be a Donor for the sake of gain, honour, fame, and glory; or because one is besought by others; or out of compassion, or to show respect, and so on. The Substance given can be things like the Teaching or material goods or fearlessness or love. The Object of one's giving can be the Three Jewels, or a Guru's sustenance, or any creature of the five destinies. [321b]
INSIGHT AND MEANS 133
The Four Diamond Seats Tantra speaks at length [on
? 134 A LAMP FOR THE PATH AND COMMENTARY
Giving] with phrases like "Sixty thousand Sudras took care of one pure Brahmin"; and the Siitras too, and the Hundred Explanations ofthe Doctrine, when talking about "not relying on another [non-Buddhist] teacher as the spiritual friend", and so on. In the Yoga Tantra called Conquest ofthe Triple World, the Blessed One says:
"There is a Giving of initiation, a Giving of the Teaching, a Giving of wealth, and a Giving of food, a Giving of fearlessness and a Giving of love. And these [gifts are given) respectively to: a disciple, a mind not [yet] alerted, a religious mendicant, and to Brahmins, the poor, animals, the faint-hearted, and to every creature. " 14
My words "sTARTING WITH [GrviNG]" indicate that [the Victors] have also explained the rest of the Perfections. In the Perfection of Conduct, for instance, [they teach that) there is the Conduct of a bodhisattva when he gets the first Thought of Enlightenment, and of one who has entered the Practice [Path], of one who will not turn back, of one who has attained Patience in non-arising phenomena,-'of one who is held back by but one rebirth, and of a bodhisattva in his final life. 15
"THAT THE MEANS ARE ALL THE EQUIPMENTS OF VIRTUE" points out that the Siitra passages [always] explain the rest of the Perfections in turn. You must consult the Siitras themselves for the full significance of these Perfections, and the other texts composed to clarify the Sfltras: the Compendium of Siitra, the Bodhisattva Levels, the
f! . rogress, in Practice, the Compendium of Training, and Acarya Sura's Conversations on the Perfections.
The theme of this stanza is exactly what it says:
ONE WHO COMBINES MASTERY OF THE MEANS
WITH A TRUE CULTIVATION OF INSIGHT,
WILL SWIFTLY ATTAIN ENLIGHTENMENT, BUT
NOT BY CULTIVATING MERELY NON-SELF. [Stanza 46)
What is Insight? [322a] It is either innate, or comes from
? study, or from reflection, or from contemplation - or as scripture says:
"He who penetrates to what is changeless In the words and states of all activity,
Let his be proclaimed as
'Insight of the Diamond Mind'. "
Thatiswhatitis. AndsoIgoontosayintheroottext:
"INSIGHT" IS FULLY EXPLAINED AS KNOWING
THE EMPTINESS OF INTRINSIC NATURE
IN COMPREHENDING THAT AGGREGATES AND SENSE-BASES AND ELEMENTS DO NOT ARISE. (Stanza 47)
All external and internal phenomena are included in the Aggregates, Elements, and Sense-bases; as the Blessed One has said, "0 Brahmin, the Aggregates, Elements, arid Sense-bases are everything meant by the word 'Every- thing'. " I will explain the words "Do NOT ARISE" later; but
the "FULLY EXPLAINED" means that the Buddhas and Gurus have said so. And I add here:
The Perfections and Means of Conversion,
The Four Infinitudes and Seven Limbs,
The Ten Religious Practices and other acts of virtue, The Seven Noble Riches and the Six Mindfulnesses; The mary. qala and offerings and circumambulation-
Are the Means which are the reason for the Enjoyment and Apparition Bodies.
But it is the Perfection of Insight alone That has the Insight which is the cause of
the Body ofTruth. 16
Four Great Proofs of Emptiness
0 Noble Y outh, what sort of method will lead to a direct experience of such "Insight" as this? I say that it is learned by [using] the Four Great Proofs. 17 And what are those Four? They are:
INSIGHT AND MEANS 135
?
