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CHAPTERV

THECONCEPTOF

IN MAHĀYĀNA

V.1. Aspects of Bodhicitta in Mahāyāna Buddhism

As above defined: Bodhicitta means ‘thought of enlightenment,’ ‘mind of enlightenment,’ ‘will of enlightenment,’ ‘mind turned to enlightenment,’ ‘awakening mind,’ or ‘desire for awakening’; bodhicitta is primary mind wishing to attain enlightenment for benefit of others. Therefore, generation of bodhicitta is ‘generation of thought of enlightenment,’ ‘generation of will of enlightenment,’ ‘arising of mind turned to enlightenment,’ ‘producing of desire for awakening,’ and generating of primary mind wishing to attain enlightenment for benefit of others, to save all living beings. In this part, we will survey of generation and cultivation of bodhicitta.

V.1.1. Generation of Bodhicitta

Generation or arising of bodhicitta begins from the usual phrase is Bodhicittopāda (sometimes is Bodhicitta-saṃupāda). It means the desire or cherish for enlightenment. In many Mahāyāna sūtras (Gandhavyūha, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, etc.), generation of bodhicitta is usually begun with Sanskrit phrase: ‘Anuttarāyaṃ samyaksaṃbodhau

142 cittam upādam’ means ‘to have a mind raised to supreme enlightenment’ or ‘to cherish the desire for supreme enlightenment.’ According to E.B,183 Bodhicittopāda means the arising of the thought of awakening. The point at the beginning of the path when the aspiration to become a Bodhisattva in order to save sentient beings well up in the heart. This arising of bodhicitta is thus a kind of conversion experience that leads to a transformed outlook in the world. In Essays in Buddhism, Dr. Suzuki explains in detail184: The Bodhicittopāda is, therefore, a new spirit excitement which shifts one’s mental organization. A man who has been a stranger to the religious life now cherishes an intense desire for enlightenment, or all knowledge (Sarvajñatā), and the whole course of his future life is thereby determined – this is the Bodhicittopāda. To clear meaning of generation of bodhicitta, we should know motivation and methods of generation of bodhicitta.

V.1.1.1. Motivations for the Generation of Bodhicitta

Before generation of bodhicitta, we should generate great . When we see that someone we like is experiencing pain we feel compassion and sympathy for them, but this feeling is not great compassion we need to cultivate in order to enter Mahāyāna path. Great compassion observes all living beings. Seeing that they all experience suffering it wishes all of them, without exception, to be free from their misery. Since bodhicitta is generated in dependence upon great compassion, the power of our compassion. who have very

183 Damien Keown, Dictionary of Buddhism, Oxford University Press 2003: p. 37. 184 Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, Essay in Zen Buddhism, vol. III, Munshiram Monoharlal Publishers, New Delhi, 2000: p. 173.

143 strong compassion attain enlightenment quickly. They cannot bear to see others’ suffer and they want to release them from their pain as soon as possible. Just as a mother who sees her child fall into a fire has an extremely urgent wish to rescue him or her, so a Bodhisattva who has very strong compassion urgently wishes to release all living beings from their suffering as quickly as possible. He or she thinks ‘How wonderful it would be if I could free all living beings from the prison of saṃsāra right now.’185 Great compassion is important event after attaining full enlightenment. When Bodhisattvas become Buddhas they have become free from all faults, they have accomplished all good qualities, and they enjoy eternal happiness. If Buddhas lacked great compassion they would abide in the state of happiness just as Hīnayāna Destroyers abide peacefully in the state of liberation. Because they have not developed great compassion, Hīnayāna Destroyers do not exert effort to help others; but the great compassion of the Buddhas compels them to work for the sake of others. Therefore, it is said that great compassion is important at the beginning of our practice, throughout our practice, and at the end of our practice. To generate great compassion, we first develop affectionate love for all living beings and then meditate on the sufferings they experience. With the realization of affectionate love, whenever we see, remember, or contemplate the sufferings of others we develop great compassion naturally and spontaneously. We shall have no choice, just as a mother has no choice in feeling compassion for her child when she sees him in pain. With affectionate love we easily understand how it is possible to develop great compassion, because all living beings experience

185 , Joyful Path of Good Fortune, Tharpa Publications, London, 1996: p. 414.

144 suffering. Although we do not see their sufferings all time, it is certain that all beings within saṃsāra have problems and are bound to suffer the pains of sickness, ageing, and death. When we have developed affectionate love, if we consider again and again the sufferings others endure, our compassion will increase day by day, and we shall become closer and closer to Avalokiteśvara, who is the manifestation of the great compassion of all the Buddhas. Great compassion is not easy to generate; we have to cultivate it gradually. We can begin by contemplating the sufferings that animals endure; remembering how many of them will die violently at the hands of slaughter. We remember the physical pain they experience and the dreadful fear they realize when their life is in danger. Bodhicitta is a spontaneous wish, motivated by great compassion, to attain enlightenment to benefit all living beings. It has been explained that bodhicitta has two aspirations: the aspiration to attain enlightenment oneself, and the aspiration to lead all living beings to same state. It should be emphasized that the first aspiration is not the wish to attain enlightenment for oneself alone, but the wish to attain enlightenment oneself as the only perfectly effective means for fulfilling our main wish, which is to bring all living beings to the same state. Attaining enlightenment oneself is only a means to an end. In Gandhavyūha sūtra, on the way to practice Bodhisattva, Sudhana has met 53 spiritual teachers, who have guided for his practicing. In those teachers, there is monk Sāgaramegha, who has said to him about motivations for generation of bodhicitta186: The will for

186 Thomas Cleary, The Flower Ornament Scripture, Book thirty-nine, Entry into the Realm of Reality, – Boston & London, 1984: p. 59.

145 enlightenment is not developed by people who have not planted roots of goodness; the will for enlightenment is produced by those who have attained the illumination of all-sided roots of goodness, who are illumined by the light of knowledge of concentration on the path containing the means of enlightenment, who have accumulated a vast ocean of virtue as provisions for the path to enlightenment, who ceaselessly practice all that is pure and good, who tirelessly apply the methods set up by all spiritual benefactors, who are not worried about their physical subsistence, who are free from clinging to material things, whose minds are equanimous as the earth, without high or low, who are by nature compassionate and friendly, who face up to all states of being, who seek the sphere of those who realize Thusness. In such people arises the mind of enlightenment—the mind of great compassion, for the salvation of all beings; the mind of great kindness, for unity with all beings; the mind of happiness, to stop the mass of misery of all beings; the altruistic mind, to repulse all that is not good; the mind of mercy, to protect from all fears; the unobstructed mind, to get rid of all obstacles; the broad mind, to pervade all universes; the infinite mind, to pervade all spaces; the undefiled mind, to manifest the vision of all Buddhas; the purified mind, to penetrate all knowledge of past, present, and future; the mind of knowledge, to remove all obstructive knowledge and enter the ocean of all-knowing knowledge.” Through above teachings, the monk Sāgaramegha says that only to those soul who are endowed with these aspiration, affections, and dispositions is vouchsafed the privilege of cherishing the desire for enlightenment. For this bodhicitta is really motivated or aroused from: * The mind of great compassion, for the salvation of all beings * The mind of great kindness, for unity with all beings

146 * The mind of happiness, to stop the mass of misery of all beings * The altruistic mind, to repulse all that is not good * The mind of mercy, to protect from all fears * The unobstructed mind, to get rid of all obstacles * The broad mind, to pervade all universes * The infinite mind, to pervade all spaces * The undefiled mind, to manifest the vision of all Buddhas * The purified mind, to penetrate all knowledge of pass, present, and future * The mind of knowledge, to remove all obstructive knowledge and enter the ocean of all knowing knowledge. Moreover, according to Daśabhūmika sūtra, there are ten qualities or conditions which are needed for generation of bodhicitta. These ten preliminary qualities lead to the desire for enlightenment, on the reasons why enlightenment is desired, on the constituent elements of enlightenment, and on the effect of enlightenment. The ten preliminary conditions are quoted from Daśabhūmika by Dr. Suzuki in his famous work:187 1. The stock (Kuśalamūla) is well filled 2. Deeds of goodness (Caraṇa) are well practiced 3. The necessary moral provision (Sabhāra) is well stored up 4. The Buddhas have been respectfully served (Paryupāsita) 5. Works of purity (Śukladharma) are well accomplished 6. There are good friends (Kalyāṇamitra) kindly disposed 7. The heart is thoroughly cleansed (Visuddhāśaya) is firmly secured 8. Broad – mindedness (Vipulādhyāśaya) is firmly secured

187 Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, Essays in Zen Buddhism, Op. Cit, 2004: pp. 180-181.

147 9. A deep sincere faith (adhimukti) is established 10. There is the present of a compassionate heart (karuṇā).

V.1.1.2. Methods of Generation of Bodhicitta

The main purpose of practicing the Mahāyāna is to attain to benefit all living beings. To accomplish this aim, we must first generate bodhicitta, to generate bodhicitta; we should know the methods of it. According to Buddhist tradition, there are two main methods to generate bodhicitta: 1. The seven-point cause and effect transmission (Perceiving all beings as mother - Remembering kindness - Repaying kindness - Great love - Great compassion - Pure superior intention - Bodhicitta); and 2. Equalizing and exchanging oneself with others (consists of five points: Equalizing yourself with others - The advantages of changing self with others - The disadvantages of not changing - The ability to exchange self with others - Taking and giving.) The details of these practicing will present in the next part, cultivation of bodhicitta. In the work, The great treatise on the stages of the path to enlightenment, Tsongkhapa presents four circumstances (or conditions), four causes and four powers by which bodhicitta may be generated in our life188: 1. Four conditions or circumstances: a) The first circumstance is directly seeing the inconceivable power and qualities of a Buddha manifestation, or hearing these through a reliable source. Being amazed and inspired by the qualities and various manifestations of Buddhas, we generate an aspiration to have similar qualities of

188 Tsongkhapa, the Lam-rim Chen- (the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment), by the Lam-rim Chen-mo translation committee translated, Snow Lion Publications, First edition USA 2004, pp. 22-25.

148 enlightenment; we generate the bodhicitta wish to attain enlightenment to benefit all living beings. b) The second circumstance is where, not able to directly perceive a manifestation of a Buddha, we nonetheless receive teachings on the qualities of Buddhahood from a spiritual guide. By hearing this, faith is developed and the aspiration to attain enlightenment is generated. c) In the third circumstance, we do not hear the Mahāyāna , but bodhicitta is developed by thinking that the Mahāyāna teachings are degenerating, or will soon degenerate, unless they are practiced. Being unable to bear the thought of this, it arouses we to think, ‘I must generate bodhicitta and practise it, otherwise the Mahāyāna teachings will decline.’ d) The fourth circumstance is where, without the thought that the Mahāyāna is degenerating, we nonetheless see that this is an age of destruction, strong ignorance, shamelessness, miserliness, rampant delusion and so forth. We recognize that in such times it is difficult even to gain the aspiration of a Hearer or Solitary Realiser, much less take on the path to enlightenment. By seeing the rarity and preciousness of the mind aspiring to gain enlightenment, we develop the thought, ‘If in these difficult times I am able to generate the aspiration for enlightenment, the others will practise to follow. Therefore I will practice bodhicitta.’ 2. Four causes: a) Suitable : The first cause is having the Mahāyāna lineage. Being born a human with leisure and fortune and having met the Mahāyāna teachings, we can think, ‘I have received a precious human of leisure and fortune and met the Mahāyāna lineage. I therefore have a great opportunity to attain enlightenment and for that reason I will practice bodhicitta‘. b) Accept by a spiritual guide: The second cause is having been accepted by a Mahāyāna spiritual teacher. As we have a guru we can think, ‘I have a holy spiritual teacher

149 and am able to receive perfect teachings from him. With such an opportunity, I must listen to the teachings on bodhicitta and thought transformation and then constantly practise bodhicitta.’ c) Compassion for living beings: The third cause is having great compassion. The mind of great compassion wishes all living beings equally to be free from suffering without any bias. As this the basic cause of bodhicitta we will determine to strongly practise bodhicitta. d) Undaunted by hardship: The fourth cause is having patience and joyous effort. With patience and strong perseverance, we are able to take on and overcome any hardship in practicing the path to the great goal of enlightenment. We are able to work continuously to benefit other living beings. Without this strength of mind our aspiration would easily fall to the Hīnayāna attitude. 3. Four powers:189 a) The power of self is seeking enlightenment by our own power. It is the willingness to take personal responsibility for freeing all living beings from suffering. It is an attitude of self-reliance and confidence, fully prepared to make whatever effort is required to be of benefit to all living beings by attaining enlightenment. It overcomes the attitude, ‘Someone else should do something about all this suffering’, or ‘I will attain enlightenment as long as someone will help me along and fix up any problem on the way!’ A Bodhisattva cannot think like this. He must have vajra-confidence and self-reliance to be prepared to commit and take responsibility for both him and others by attaining enlightenment, without depending on the help and support of others. This attitude will empower us to engage in the development of bodhicitta. b) The others power is seeking enlightenment through the power of others. It is relying on others to gain the proper knowledge of

189 See, G. A. Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment in , Publications Melbourne, Australia, 1993: pp. 524-525.

150 exactly what bodhicitta is, and how to cultivate it. If someone does not have such knowledge he will need to seek out a teacher steeped in the practice of bodhicitta and, by firstly relying on his instructions, gain the necessary knowledge of how to practise. He will then be empowered by this knowledge to engage in the development of bodhicitta. c) The power of the practice is being empowered to develop bodhicitta by having accumulated suitable cause in a previous life. When a person has created strong karmic causes by having practiced the bodhicitta trainings in a previous life, and then meets suitable external circumstance to trigger the latency during the present life, bodhicitta will arise effortlessly. d). The power of preparation: This refers to generating bodhicitta from having made the necessary preparations. For example, the seven-step method for generating bodhicitta will describe in the next part of this chapter; it has six preparatory causes leading to the seventh stage of a resultant realization of bodhicitta. Suppose we have practiced the six causal steps for the development of bodhicitta in a previous life, even if born in a country where there is no teaching of the Dharma, by meeting the appropriate conditions, such as seeing the suffering of living beings, the resultant bodhicitta will arise. According to Zopa , to arise the bodhicitta, we have to vow190: Live with compassion; work with compassion; die with compassion; meditate with compassion; enjoy with compassion; when problems come, experience them with compassion. In other words, we need to develop the of doing everything we do with bodhicitta. We must train our minds to remember bodhicitta all the time. It is the best method to generate bodhicitta.

190 Dr. , the Path with a heart, Source: www.lamayeshe.com

151 V.1.2. Cultivation of Bodhicitta

Above, we have presented that bodhicitta has motivations from the minds: great compassion (mahāmaitrī), great kindness (mahākaruṇā), happiness (sukkha), etc. Therefore, before cultivating bodhicitta, we should generate the mind of great compassion, the mind of happiness, etc. to salvation of all living beings, to stop the mass of misery of all beings… And then, we have to practice the dharma of the Buddha to collect the stock of merit (kuśalamūla), to develop good deed (caraṇa) and moral provisions (sambhāra). Because of, through that bodhicitta will be cultivated and developed. According to Buddhist tradition, there are two main methods to generate bodhicitta: 1. The seven-point cause and effect transmission; and 2. Equalizing and exchanging oneself with others. Both methods originated from the Buddha Shākyamuni. The first method, the seven-point cause and effect transmission was taught by the Buddha and then passed down through to Masters such as Asaṇga, , Tsongkhapa, etc. The second method, Equalizing and exchanging oneself with others was taught by the Buddha and passed down through Mañjuśrī to Masters, such as Nāgārjuna, Śāntideva, Atiśa, etc. 1. The seven-point cause and effect method for generating bodhicitta has six causal steps and one resultant step - bodhicitta. It is preceded by the preliminary of developing equanimity. The stages of practice are: Firstly, developing equanimity, and then: 1. Perceiving all beings as

152 mother. 2. Remembering kindness. 3. Repaying kindness. 4. Great love. 5. Great compassion. 6. Pure superior intention and 7. Bodhicitta.191 Developing equanimity Before beginning to train our mind in the first step, recognizing all sentient beings as our mother, we should develop the thought of equanimity. Visualize in front of us three people: first, someone who upsets us - just seeing or thinking about him or her, our mind becomes unhappy. Next to him or her, visualize someone we love and are close to - just by seeing this person our mind becomes happy. And next to that person, visualize a stranger, someone who is neither beneficial nor non- beneficial. When we think about these three people, we feel aversion towards the person we dislike, attachment towards the person who is close to us, and indifference towards the stranger. When we think about the person we dislike, ask ourselves, ‘why to dislike this person? What is the reason I get so upset? What has he done to me?” We will realize that it is because he has harmed us a little bit in this life. At this point, we should think about the uncertainty of friends and enemies as explained in the lam-rim, in the second for person of the intermediate scope. This is one of the disadvantages of cyclic existence: we cannot be sure of friends and enemies; sometimes a friend becomes an enemy and sometimes an enemy becomes a friend. Think in this way:192 “Although this person has given me a small amount of harm in this life for a very short time, in many previous lifetimes since beginningless time, this person has shown me great affection and has been very close to me for very long time. The harm he has given me in this life is so small compared to the closeness and affection we have had since

191 Ribur Rinpoche, How to Generate Bodhicitta, Amitābha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, 1999: p. 7. 192 Ibid., p. 9.

153 beginningless time, yet I treat him like my ultimate enemy, the ultimate object to be avoided. This is completely wrong!” We need to think in this way again and again in order to subdue our feelings of aversion towards this person. It is also like that with another two kinds of person. Therefore when we meditate, we first think that there is absolutely no reason to be so upset and to feel so much aversion towards the enemy who has been our dearest friend so many times. We need to think about this again and again in order to subdue our aversion and equalize our mind towards this person. Likewise, think that there is no reason to be so attached to the person we are close to, our friend, because he has been our enemy so many times. Think about this again and again to subdue our attachment and equalize our mind towards this person. When we perceive these three different people, we perceive them in terms of these three categories: friends, enemies and strangers. However, none of them exits in this way forever-no one is a friend, enemy or stranger for all time. Therefore, they are all the same. There is absolutely no reason to feel attachment towards one person, to feel aversion towards another, and to feel detached and indifferent towards yet another. If we examine what they actually are, from their side, they are sentient beings. And they are all exactly the same in that they all wish to be happy and free from suffering. Thus there is not the slightest reason to discriminate between them with attachment, aversion and difference. They are exactly the same. We must come to this conclusion and meditate on it again and again. By meditating on this over and over again, we will reach the point where we actually develop equanimity

154 towards all sentient beings. We will feel that they are all the same to us; our feelings towards them will be equal. Perceiving all beings as mother The first step in the seven-point cause and effect method perceives all beings as mother. In this life, we have a mother. In our previous life, we also had a mother, and in the one before that, and so on. In one hundred previous lives, we have had one hundred mothers and each of these has been reborn somewhere. Further, because our lives are beginningless, over limitless lives we have had limitless mothers. For this reason it can be established that all living beings have been our mother, and we can not differentiate beings on the basis of whether or not they have been our mother. At present, whether god, human, hungry ghost, animal or insect each living being has previously been our mother. Remembering kindness The next step is Remembering kindness; it is also called recognizing the kindness of mother sentient beings. It is not enough just to recognize that all sentient beings have been our mother, we must also recognize the depth of their kindness. For example, our mother of this life was so kind, carrying us within her for nine long months from the time of conception, always being very careful about what she ate and drank, and doing everything with the sole thought of taking care of us. Even the fact that we are alive and are able to learn and practise the Dharma is completely due to kindness of our mother. In this preceding step, we realized that all sentient beings have been our mother, and with this meditation we realize that not only has our mother of this present life been incredibly kind to us, but all the countless sentient beings have been just as kind.

155 Repaying kindness The next step is generating the wish to repay the kindness of all mother sentient beings. Ask ourselves: Am I able to repay their kindness? Then think: I should be able to repay their kindness because I’m in such fortunate circumstances: I have met the Dharma, I have met perfect teachers, I have met the path, and I have all the right circumstances to practise. Therefore I must do as much as I possibly can to liberate them from their suffering and to bring them the happiness that they wish for. I must do this in order to replay their kindness. Great love It is also called Affectionate love, is the kind of love that a mother looks at her child. When a mother looks after her child, he appears to her in a very beautiful way, and she feels great love for him. Here, we generate this same kind of affectionate love towards all sentient beings, perceiving all beings in a beautiful, glowing way. Great compassion This is one of the special characteristics of the Buddha teachings, and Lama Tsongkhapa in particular placed a great deal of emphasis on it as a very special cause that gives rise to very special effects193: It is extremely important at the beginning, in the middle and at the end. At the beginning, it is the seed which enables you to enter the Mahāyāna path. In the middle, while you are engaging in the Bodhisattvas’ practice of the six perfections, it is the very soul of your practice. At the end it cause the result, Buddhahood, to ripen and it makes possible all the Buddhas’ wonderful deeds for the benefit of sentient beings. Therefore,

193 Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Joyful Path of Good Fortune, Tharpa Publications, London, 1996: p. 414.

156 great compassion is praised as being extremely important at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. Pure superior intention It is also called the extraordinary intention. This is when we have the feeling that we ourselves have the responsibility of eliminating all the sufferings of all sentient beings, and bringing to them all the happiness that they wish for. It is the same sense of responsibility that a child would feel towards his or her mother-feeling responsible to make her happy and free from suffering. So when we feel that way towards all sentient beings and feel that we ourselves will achieve this goal, then we have generated the extraordinary intention. It is “extraordinary” because it is more exceptional or supreme than the intention of the Hearers and Solitary Realisers, those who practice the individual vehicle. Bodhicitta Bodhicitta is the extraordinary and special mind that altruistically wishes all beings to have enlightenment. It arises directly from the sixth cause, the pure superior intention, through the recognition that at present we are unable to accomplish that intention because we lack the ability to benefit all living beings. Bodhicitta arises when we realize that to benefit all living beings we must attain enlightenment, and then determine to do so. The result of bodhicitta is Buddhahood and Buddhahood contains the twofold benefit: benefit for oneself and benefit for others. When we practise bodhicitta, we hold an attitude of love and compassion for all beings without discrimination and also have the desire for all beings to attain enlightenment. Remind ourselves of the great opportunity that we have to practise the Dharma and gain the realization of bodhicitta. With this rebirth of leisure and fortune, having received the teachings on the seven cause

157 and effect transmission for generating bodhicitta, we have the ideal opportunity to attain high realizations. Apply analytical meditation to the subject of bodhicitta. Analyze what bodhicitta is, and how it works. Check its definition, its objects, how it helps living beings and its benefits. Then practise the preliminary of equanimity followed by the six causes, and finally place our concentration single-pointedly on the resultant bodhicitta. 2. Equalizing and exchanging oneself with others.194 The second method of generating bodhicitta is that of exchanging oneself with others. This method originated with Shākyamuni Buddha and was passed to Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva and then, via Nāgārjuna, Śāntideva and Atiśa so on. When Atiśa went to , he taught the seven-point cause and effect instruction publicly, and gave the introductions on exchanging oneself with others only to Dromtonpa,195 because he left that his other disciples were not fit vessels for such introductions. The method of Equalizing and exchanging oneself with others consists of five main points: 1. Equalizing oneself with others. 2. The advantages of changing self with others. 3. The disadvantages of not changing. 4. The ability to exchange self with others. 5. Taking and giving. Equalizing oneself with others The first stage is to develop equanimity by considering ourselves and others to be equal. We can establish this by recognizing that, just as we wish for happiness and wish to be free from suffering, every living being equally has this innate wish. All, without exception, want to be free of whatever form of suffering they experience, and to have greater

194 Ribur Rinpoche, How to Generate Bodhicitta, Op. cit., 1999: p. 27. 195 See, Ibid, p. 25.

158 and greater happiness. Where old or young, human or non human, man or woman, all living beings are equal with oneself in that all desire happiness and wish to get rid of suffering. The advantages of exchanging self with others Śāntideva said in his Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds:196 Whatever joy is there in this world all comes from desiring others to be happy. The exchange that is referred to is exchanging the attitude of cherishing others by following the line of reasoning. Happiness and good conditions are a result of positive karma. Positive karma arises from virtuous minds and virtuous minds arise from attitude of cherishing others. Let us take some examples. A long life is the result of positive karma of protecting the lives of others. The compassion that motivates you to protect others’ lives comes from cherishing, or caring for, those living beings, etc. Every positive result, every form of happiness, every positive mind… has cherishing others as their basis. As the to the Guru says:197 “The mind cherishing mothers and securing them in bliss Is the gateway to infinite equalities? Seeing this, even should the rise up as enemies, Bless me to cherish the more than my life.” The disadvantages of not changing Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds says:198 Whatever suffering there is in this world; all comes from desiring myself to be happy. All forms of suffering and all unwanted circumstances arise from the attitude of selfishly cherishing oneself. All suffering arises from negative karma, which itself is a result of non-virtuous states of mind, which in turn

196 Parmananda Sharma, Bodhicaryāvatāra (Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds), Delhi, 1990. 197 Geshe Thubten Loden, Op. cit., p. 561. 198 Ribur Rinpoche, Op. cit., 1990: p. 30.

159 derive from the self-cherishing attitude. The unwanted circumstance of the short life with poor health is the result of killing others in the past. Killing others is done on the basis of anger or attachment, both of which are forms of self cherishing. All the sufferings of human realm, as well as the sufferings of the three lower realms, arise from negative actions based on the delusions of attachment, anger, ignorance and so on, which themselves arise from self-cherishing. The ability to exchange self with others All holy Bodhisattvas have the attitude of cherishing others as their heartfelt, core practice. With this attitude they continuously create positive karma and become a source of happiness for both themselves and others. Every Buddha has attained his enlightenment on the basis of cherishing others and abandoning self-cherishing. Even the worldly pleasures of humans and the higher rebirths of gods arise from positive actions basis on others. Seeing this, we become determined to change the of cherishing oneself for that of cherishing others. As Śāntideva says in his Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds:199 “If I do not actually exchange my happiness for the suffering of others; I shall not attain the state of Buddhahood, and even in cyclic existence will have no joy.” Taking and giving The final stage of this method for training the mind in the development of bodhicitta is to practise the meditation known as ‘taking and giving’. Taking and giving is an exceptionality to transform the ordinary self- cherishing toward attitude of cherishing others. It trains our mind to

199 Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden, Op. cit., p. 564.

160 reverse its innate trend toward self-cherishing, and establishes mental habit patterns that transform our behavior into that of cherishing others. ‘Taking’ refers to taking all beings’ suffering from them and ‘giving’ to giving all our happiness and good conditions to others. It reverses self-cherishing because the last thing the self-cherishing mind would wish for is to take on the suffering of others and give away all enjoyment and happiness to them.

V.2. Bodhicitta, Bhūtatathatā,

After appraisal about the concept of bodhicitta in Mahāyāna sūtras, we see that there are three important terms: bodhicitta, Dharmakāya and Bhūtatathatā; these three terms appeared and developed along pantheistic lines and have many same marks:200 In Mahāyāna, it (bodhicitta) developed along pantheistic lines, for it was held that bodhicitta is latent in all beings and that is merely a manifestation of the Dharmakāya (Body of Law) or Bhūtatathatā (suchness of existence, i.e. , the Universal spirit) in the human heart. Thus it came to be analogous to the Brahman concept of the Upaniṣads and was considered immeasurable (aprameya) infinite (aparyanta) and indestructible (akṣaya). Bodhicitta: As presented above, bodhicitta is thought of enlightenment, mind of enlightenment, will of enlightenment, mind turned to enlightenment, awakening mind, or desire for awakening; bodhicitta is the attitude that is based on the great compassion wishing to remove the suffering of all others, and the recognition that, to be of greatest benefit

200 G.P. Malalasekera, vol. III, Op. cit., 1999: p. 184.

161 to both oneself and others, it is ideal to attain enlightenment, etc. So, here, we need not to repeat more. Bhūtatathatā: This is Sanskrit word; Bhūtatathatā means suchness or suchness of existence. According to D.T. Suzuki,201 from the ontological point of view, Paramārtha- or Pariniṣpanna (transcendental truth) is called Bhūtatathatā, which literally means “suchness of existence.” As Buddhism does not separate neither being from thought nor thought from being, what is suchness in the objective world, is transcendental truth in the subjective world, and vice versa, Bhūtatathatā, then, is the Godhead of Buddhism, and it marks the consummation of all our mental efforts to reach the highest principle, which unifies all possible contradictions and spontaneously directs the course of world-events. It short, it is the ultimate postulate of existence. In Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, Bhūtatathatā is defined:202 “Bhūtatathatā (真 如): the 真 is truth, as 真 實 the real; 如 as 如 常 thus always, or eternally so; i.e. reality as contrasted with 虛 妄 unreality, or appearance, and 不 變 不 改 unchanging or immutable as contrasted with form and phenomena. It resembles the ocean in contrast with the waves. It is the eternal, impersonal, unchangeable reality behind all phenomena. Bhūta is substance, that which exists; Tathatā is suchness, thusness, i.e. such is its nature. The word is fundamental to Mahāyāna philosophy, implying the absolute, the ultimate source and character of all phenomena, it is the All. It is also called (自 性 清 淨 心) self-existent pure Mind; 佛 性 Buddha-nature; 法 身 Dharmakāya; 如 來 臧 Tathāgatagarbha, or Buddha-treasury; 實 相 reality; 法 界

201 D.T. Suzuki, Outlines of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Op. cit., 2000: p. 99. 202 William Edward Soothill & Lewis Hodous, A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, Mushiram Manoharlal, New Delhi, 2005: p. 331b.

162 Dharma-realm, 法 性 Dharma-nature; 圓 成 實 性 The complete and perfect real nature, or reality. The concept of Bhūtatathatā is explained with many meanings by Aśvaghoṣa in his Mahāyāna-śradhotpāda-śāstra:203 all things in their fundamental nature are not namable or explicable. They cannot be adequately expressed in any form of language… they possess absolute sameness (samatā). They are subject neither to transformation nor to destruction. They are no thing but one soul, for which suchness (Bhūtatathatā) is another designation…. the term suchness is all that can be expressed in language… What is meant by the soul as suchness (Bhūtatathatā) is the oneness of the totality of things (Dharmadhātu), the great all including whole, the quintessence of the doctrine. For the essential nature of the soul is uncreated and eternal…. Suchness (Bhūtatathatā) is neither that which is existence nor that which is non existence; nor that which is not at once existence and non existence; nor that which is not at once existence and non-existence; that is neither that which is unity, nor that which is plurality, nor that which is not at once unity and plurality… As soon as you understand that when the totality of existence is spoken of, or thought of, there is neither that which speaks nor that which is spoken of, there is neither that which thinks nor that which is thought of; then you confirm to suchness (Bhūtatathatā); and when your subjectivity is thus completely obliterated, it is said to have the insight… As the important term in Mahāyāna literature, Bhūtatathatā is also presented in many ways with different names, by many scholars:204

203 G.P. Malalasekera, vol. III, Op. cit., 1999: pp. 97-98. 204 D.T. Suzuki, the Aśvaghoṣa’s Discourse on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna, Published by the Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900: p. 62.

163 Thus, it is dharma when it is considered as the norm of life, it is bodhi (enlightenment) when it is considered as the source of intelligence; it is Nirvāṇa itself when it is considered as bringing eternal peace; it is Dharmakāya (Body of Law) when it regarded as the source of love and wisdom; it is bodhicitta (thought of enlightenment) when it is considered as the awakener of religious consciousness; it is (wisdom) when it is regarded as directing the course of nature; it is śūnyatā (voidness) when it is considered as transcending all particularizations; it is bhūtakoṭi (essence of being) when its ontological aspect is taken into account; it is Mahāyāna when it is regarded as embracing the ‘soul’ of all living beings; it is the Tathāgatagarbha (womb of Tathāgata) when considered in analogy with mother earth; it is kuśalamūla (root of merit) when its ethical side is emphasized and it is also the Madhyamamārga (the middle path) when regarded as being above the limitations of individual existence. Dharmakāya Dharmakāya is also one of the most important terms in Mahāyāna literature. This term is Sanskrit word, it means ‘the body of doctrine’ or ‘body of law’, etc. According to Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms:205 “Dharmakāya (法 身) embodiment of Truth and Law, the ‘spiritual’ or true body; essential Buddhahood; essence of being; the absolute, the norm of universe; the first of the , v. 三 身... There are many categories of the Dharmakāya. In the two group 二 法 身 are five kinds: (1) 理 ‘substance’ and 智 wisdom or expression; (2) 法 性 法 身 essential and 應 化 法 身 manifestation; the other three couples are similar. In the three groups 三 法 身 are (1) the manifested

205 William Edward Soothill & Lewis Hodous, Op. cit., 2005: p. 273a.

164 Buddha, i.e. Shākyamuni; (2) the power of his teaching, etc.; (3) the absolute or ultimate reality. There are other categories: 法 身 佛 The Dharmakāya Buddha, the Dharmakāya Tathāgata, the Buddha who reveals the spiritual body. D.T. Suzuki argued that:206 Western scholars usually translate Dharmakāya by ‘Body of Law’ meaning by the Law of doctrine set forth by Shākyamuni Buddha, It is said that when Buddha was preparing himself to enter into eternal Nirvāṇa, He commanded his disciples to revere the Dharma or religion taught by him as his own person, because a man continues to live in the work, deeds, and words left behind himself. So, Dharmakāya came to be understood by Western scholars as meaning the person of Buddha incarnated in his religion. This interpretation of the term is not very accurate, however, and is productive of some very serious misinterpretations concerning the fundamental doctrines of Mahāyānism. Historically, the Body of the Law as the Buddha incarnate might have been the sense of Dharmakāya, as we can infer from the occasional use of term in some Hīnayāna texts. But as it is used by Eastern Buddhists, it has acquired an entirely new significance, having nothing to do with the body of religious teachings established by the Buddha. According to E. B, Dharmakāya is explained:207 On the one hand, therein the Buddha is credited with numerous powers and superhuman attainment. He is the embodiment of compassion (karuṇā), the saviour who appears from time to time to save the beings from the pangs of saṃsāric existence. But on the other, the new ontological conception made them devalue the rūpakāya of the Buddha. The Mahāyānists did

206 D.T. Suzuki, Outlines of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Op. cit., 2000: p. 220. 207 G.P. Malalasekera, vol. IV, Op. cit., 2000: p. 529.

165 not, however, deny the rūpakāya but considered it as a conjured up appearance in order to conform to the way of the world. According to them, the Buddha merely pretended to live and preach out of compassion for the suffering beings. The Vajracchedika directly says that the Buddha is not to be recognized by means of marks in his body, for his real body is Dharmakāya. The early Mahāyāna text defines this Dharmakāya as the essence of Buddhahood constituted of perfection of such as bodhipākṣīya-dharmas. One is inclined to speculate at this stage whether in the stage of Buddha being referred to as dharmabhūta, which was referred to earlier; he is not a symbol of perfected dharmas which lead to enlightenment, viz., bodhipakkhiya- dharma. But under further influence of Mahāyāna ontological speculation the Dharmakāya came to be equated with prajñā, the wisdom at its apex, i.e. knowledge of non-entity (śūnyatā) of everything. The Buddhahood or in other words the Dharmakāya is the position wherein this wisdom has reached its full perfection. This prajñā or Dharmakāya came to be regarded as the most real of realities, the matrix of all the Buddhas. In the Outlines of Mahāyāna Buddhism, the nature of Dharmakāya is presented as following:208 The Dharmakāya, though manifesting itself in the triple world, is free from impurities and desires. It unfolds itself here, there, and everywhere responding to the call of karma. It is not an individual reality, it is not false existence, but is universal and pure. It comes from nowhere, it goes to nowhere; it does not assert itself, nor is it subject to annihilation. It is forever serene and eternal. It is the One, devoid of all determinations. This Body of

208 D.T. Suzuki, Outlines of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Op. cit., 2000: pp. 223-224.

166 Dharma has no boundary, no quarters, but is embodied in all bodies. Its freedom or spontaneity is comprehensible; its spiritual presence in things corporeal is incomprehensible. All forms of corporeality are involved therein; it is able to create all things. Assuming any concrete material body as required by the nature and condition of karma, it illuminates all creations. Though it is the treasure of intelligence, it is void of particularity. As presented above the concept of three terms: Bodhicitta, Bhūtatathatā and Dharmakāya, we can say that these three terms are very important terms in Mahāyāna literature, and they have many different and similar marks, which is also concluded by Sthiramati scholar, in his work, Discourse on the Mahāyāna Dharmadhātu:209 Nirvāṇa, Dharmakāya, Tathāgata, Tathāgata-garbha, Paramārtha, Buddha, Bodhicitta, or Bhūtatathatā, - all these terms signify merely so many different aspects of one and the same reality; and bodhicitta is the name given to a form of the Dharmakāya or Bhūtatathatā as it manifests itself in the human heart, and its perfection, or negatively its liberation from all egoistic impurities, constitutes the state of Nirvāṇa.210

V.3. Bodhicitta in Different Buddhist Schools

As the important doctrine in cultivation to attain enlightenment, bodhicitta is presented in many Buddhist schools, especially Mahāyāna schools, such as Meditation school, Tantric school, school, etc.

209 Its full title is A Discourse on the Non-duality of the Mahāyāna-Dharmadhātu. It consists of less than a dozen pages in ordinary Chinese large print. It was translated by Devaprajñnā and others in the year 691 A.D. 210 D.T. Suzuki, Outlines of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Op. cit., 2000: p. 299.

167 V.3.1. Bodhicitta as an Object of Meditation

Meditation or Concentration is the mental state of focusing single- pointedly on a virtuous object. Our ordinary mental state is one of distraction. Our ordinary minds are too uncontrolled and weak to be able to understand the nature of reality. And it is essential to under the nature of reality if we are going to liberate anyone, ourselves or others, from the sufferings of the cycle of birth and death. It is therefore necessary to develop the mind into a suitable tool for investigating reality, like a strong microscope. It is necessary to develop the mind into a suitable weapon to sever the root of suffering, like a sharp sword. Concentration is the practice whereby one’s ordinary, distracted, uncontrolled mind is developed to the point that it can remain powerfully, effortlessly, and one-pointedly on whatever object one chooses. Bodhicitta should be at the basis of the practice of concentration. In tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, bodhicitta is considered as an object of meditation. According to famous teachers of Tibetan Buddhism, such as Ven. Atiśa, Tsongkhapa, XIV, Geshe Gyatso, etc., meditation on bodhicitta has six parts211: 1. Meditation on equalizing self and others; 2. Contemplating the dangers of self – cherishing; 3. Contemplating the benefits of cherishing others; 4. Meditating an exchanging self with others; 5. Meditating on taking and giving; 6. Meditating on bodhicitta. To do this meditation, it is necessary to know about the process of rebirth. The final reason showing that there is rebirth is that our consciousness, being an entity of mere luminosity and knowing, must be

211 Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, , Montila Banarsidass, Delhi, 2002: p. 13.

168 produced from a former moment of consciousness – from a former entity of luminosity and knowing. It is not possible for consciousness to be produced from a former moment of consciousness; a beginning to continuum of consciousness cannot be posted. In this way, the general and most subtle type of consciousness has no beginning and end; from this, rebirth is established. Since rebirths are perforce infinite, everyone has had a relationship with ourselves like that of our own mother of this lifetime. In order to train in such recognition, it is necessary first to have a mind of equanimity. We begin by noting that within our minds we have three main categories towards them: desire, hatred and a neglecting indifference. When these three attitudes are generated, it is impossible to generate an altruistic attitude, therefore it is important to neutralize desire, hatred and indifference. To do this, it helps to reflect on rebirth. Since our birth are beginningless there is no limit to their number, thus, it is not definite that those who are now our friends were always friends in the past and that those who are now our enemies were always enemies in the past. Even in terms of this one lifetime, there are persons who carry in our life were enemies but later on turned into friends, and others who were friends early in the life but late became enemies. Hence, there is no sense in one-pointedly considering a certain person to be just a friend and another person to be just an enemy. When we contemplate in this manner, the one-pointed apprehension of some persons as friends and others as enemies and the consequent generation of desire and hatred will become weaker in strength. Imagine in front of ourselves three people: a friend, an enemy and neutral person – and, while observing them, consider that there is no certainly that any one of them will at all times either help or harm. It is

169 important to do this meditation with regard to specific persons and not just all sentient beings in general, the later being too vague for a change of attitude to apply to specific people. Gradually, a sense of equanimity will develop toward these three, after which we can extend this feeling slowly toward other beings. When we have undergone this change, the next step is to consider that since everyone’s births have been beginningless and thus limitless in number, every single person has been our best of friends, parent or whatever, over the course of lifetimes. Taking this realization as a basis, we can slowly develop an attitude considering all sentient beings to be friends. Then, consider the kindness that individual afforded to us when they were our parents. When they were our mother and father, usually the best of all friends, they protected us with kindness just as our parents in this lifetime did when we were small. Since there is no difference in the fact that people have been kind to us whether they expressed that kindness recently or a while ago, all beings have equally shown kindness to us either in this lifetimes, they are all equally kind. There are many verses in the work Bodhicaryāvatāra, especially in the chapter 8, Concentration chapter, which is devoted to the place of meditation. In this chapter, Ven. Śāntideva said that212: 134. If all the mischief that happen in the world and all its suffering and fears are the result of attachment to me? 135. Without forsaking oneself it is not possible to forsake ‘dukha’ just as it is not possible to avoid being burnt unless one gives up fire. 136. Therefore, for the sake of eradicating my own suffering and for the sake of removing others’ suffering, I shall

212 Parmananda Sharma, Bodhicaryāvatāra, Vol. II, Verses 134, 135, 136, 137, First Indian printed, Delhi, 1990: pp. 341-342.

170 give myself over to others and accept others as myself. 137. O mind; have this conviction: ‘I am with others linked’. Now, nothing else should be thought of by you and except the well-being of ‘sattva‘. To reach enlightenment and benefit the precious mother sentient beings in the highest possible way, we need to gain all the realizations of the path to enlightenment. We do this by meditating on the path, but for our meditations to be effective we must purify and enrich our minds, so that insight can take root, flourish and ripen. If we make bodhicitta our main practice, we will be creating the most merit and purifying our minds to the great extent. Thus will be able to gain all realizations and enlighten all the kind, suffering sentient beings, fulfilling their purpose and our own.

V.3.2. Bodhicitta in Tantric Tradition

The concept of bodhicitta is not only presented in Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna Buddhism, but it is also presented in the Tantric Buddhism. Tantric Buddhism may be understood as a sacrament of the early medieval political and military fragmentation of North India, with its contentious rivalries between feudal clans213. Consequently, it expresses an emphasis on secrecy, loyalty, allegiance, and unbreakable trust; on the visualization of self as a divine king (devatraja) controlling complex spheres of dominion and power (maṇḍala); on new arrangements of vows; and on the use of any means necessary to achieve stated goals or secret ends. All of these items are generally absent from normative Mahāyānist rites.

213 See, R. E. Buswell, Encyclopedia of Buddhism, vol. I, New York, 2004: p. 820.

171 Tantric Buddhism became quickly popular in the areas immediately contiguous to Northern India, Burma, Nepal, Tibet, and spread into Central Asia and China. Tantric works were eventually translated into the Central Asian languages of Khotanese, Uighur, Tangut, and Mongolian, but Tibet became the most important area of tantric development. According to tradition of the Five Dhyāni Buddhas214 in Tantric Buddhism, the bodhicitta concept developed along both aspects. Firstly, in the Śrī-guhyasamāja, the explanation of bodhicitta is centered round the idea of voidness of all phenomena:215 “The Tathāgatas approached the Lord and entreated him to explain the nature of bodhicitta. Entering into a special trance (Samādhi), he explains bodhicitta as ‘neither perception of absence of existence in non-existence, nor the perception of existence in existence. When so viewed, no thought construction and existence also ceases to be.” Secondly, the five Dhyāni Buddhas presented the concept of bodhicitta as following:216 1. According to the Tathāgata : ‘My thought () is devoid of all notions of existence; it is

214 According to explain of Wikipedia: In Vajrayāna Buddhism, the Five Dhyani Buddhas (Chinese: 金刚界五智如来, 五方佛), also known as the Five Wisdom Tathāgatas (五智如来; Wǔzhì Rúlái), the Five Great Buddhas and the Five Jinas (Skt. for "conqueror" or "victor"), are representations of the five qualities of the Buddha. The term "dhyani-buddha" is first recorded in English by the British Resident in Nepal, Brian Hodgson, in the early nineteenth century, and is unattested in any surviving traditional primary sources. These five Buddhas are a common subject of Vajrayāna . These five Buddhas are the primary object of worship and meditation in , a sect of Vajrayāna Buddhism founded in Japan by Kukai. The Five Wisdom Buddhas are a later development, based on the Yogācāra elaboration of concepts concerning the jñāna of the Buddhas, of the Trikaya (Skt. Tri is "three", kaya is "body") theory, which posits three "bodies" of the Buddha. The Wisdom Buddhas are all aspects of the Dharmakāya or "reality-body", which embodies the principle of enlightenment. Initially two Buddhas appeared which represented wisdom and compassion - they were, respectively, Akṣobhya and Amitābha. A further distinction embodied the aspects of power, or activity, and the aspect of beauty, or spiritual riches. In the of Golden Light (an early Sutra) the figures are named Dundubishvara, and Ratnaketu, but over time their names changed to become , and Ratnasaṃbhava. The central figure came to be called Vairocana. 215 Śri-guhyasamāja Guhyasamājatantra, ed. B. Bhattacharyya, Baroda, 1931: p.11. 216 Ibid.

172 unconnected with factors of existence (), physical elements (dhātu) or elements of sense-perception (āyatana) or with subjectivity or objectivity; it is without beginning and is of the nature.’ 2. The Tathāgata Akṣobhya gives his definition: ‘Bodhicitta is essenceless like the sky; it considers all existence as devoid of origination; in it there neither objects (dharma) nor qualities of objects (dharmatā).’ 3. The Tathāgata Ratnaketu: ‘it is thought (citta) which views all phenomena as non-existent and devoid of qualities and that all originate from void.’ 4. According to the Tathāgata Amitābha, who puts forward his explanation thus: ‘All phenomena are without beginning? Therefore, there is neither existence nor notion of existence. Existence of things is spoken of in the same manner as the existence as the existence of the sky.’ 5. The Tathāgata Amoghasiddhi explains: all phenomena are naturally resplendent, are pure and comparable to the sky; bodhicitta is either Enlightenment or comprehension. Thirdly, all Tathāgatas together praised bodhicitta: Then they all praise bodhicitta as being of the nature of pure truth (śuddhatattvārtha), pure (śuddhārtha), evolving from the voidness of all phenomena (dharma-nairātmyasambhūta), fulfilling Buddhahood (buddhabodhi- prapūraka), devoid of thought construction (nirvikalpa), without any support (nirālamba), good in every respect (), beneficial to beings (sattvātha), producer of the thought of Enlightenment (bodhicitta-pravartaka), practice leading to Enlightenment (bodhicaryā), great thunderbolt (mahāvajra), pure like the Tathāgata‘s heart (cittaṃ), bearer of the thunderbolt consisting of body, speech and mind (kāyavākcitta-vajradhṛk), bestowed of Buddha-Enlightenment (Buddhā-dhipradātā). These various definitions and epithets, on the one hand, show the mysterious nature of this concept, and on the other, they

173 point to the fact that bodhicitta is the realization of the voidness of all phenomena. The importance of its ethical aspect is seen from the Guhyasamāya itself where it is said that the bodhicitta is devoid of beginning or end, tranquil, it is immutable in existence as well as in non- existence, the Lord; it is the unity of void and compassion. In Tantric Buddhism, bodhicitta is also divided into two forms namely, the relative (saṃvṛti) and absolute (vivṛti). Relative bodhicitta is compassion characterized by the aspiration to liberate all sentient beings from suffering. Ven. Patruth Rinpoche explained: Relative bodhicitta has two aspects: intention and application. In The Way of the Bodhisattva, Śāntideva says of these two aspects of bodhicitta: “Wishing to depart and setting out upon the road, This is how the difference is conceived. The wise and learned thus should understand This difference, which is order and progressive.”217 Moreover, in the E. B, bodhicitta also has two forms and is explained very clear:218 Bodhicitta has two forms namely, the relative (saṃvṛti) and absolute (vivṛti). In the saṃvṛti form it becomes the essence of existence (saṃsāra) and in its vivṛti aspect it is the great bliss (mahāsukha). To attain this vivṛti form, the downward flow of the bodhicitta (semen) must be checked. The discharge of bodhicitta will incur great sin and the pleasure caused by discharge merely binds one to saṃsāra. Therefore, its downward flow must be checked wither by saḍangayoga practices, namely, withdrawal (pratyāhāra), meditation (dhyāna), Breath-control (prāṇāyāama), retention (dharaṇā), recollection (anusmṛti) and concentration (samādhi), or else through

217 Patruth Rinpoche, the Words of My Perfect Teacher, Shambhala Publications, America, 1998: p. 219. 218 G.P. Malalasekera, vol. III, Op. cit., 1999: p. 188.

174 haṭhayoga practices called mudrā, bandha, āsana and prāṇāyāma. Sometimes, aṇganyāsa and karanyāsa, which also mean the control of inward and outward breath, are cited as ways of checking the flow of bodhicitta.

V.3.3. Bodhicitta in

The term ‘Pure Land’ is a Chinese invention, but it refers to a concept long known in Buddhism under other names such as Buddha-Land or Buddha-field (S. Buddha-Kṣetra). The idea arose in India with the development of Mahāyāna Buddhism, among whose innovations was the teaching that beings do not simply go into extension upon the attainment of Buddhahood, but remain in the world to help others. Visions of Pure Lands are premised upon the Mahāyāna cosmology of multiple worlds in ‘ten directions’, each presided over by one Buddha and each constituting a blissful alternative to the Sahā world of impurity in which we live. The western land of Bliss (Sukhāvatī) associated with Amitābha Buddha epitomizes the notion of the Pure land. The term Pure land is thus used in the narrow sense to refer to Amitābha’s land and in a boarder sense to refer to domains associated with Buddhas of other directions. According to E.B, Pure land Buddhism is defined219: Pure land Buddhism signifies a wide array of practices and traditions within Mahāyāna Buddhism directed to the Buddha Amitābha (Amitayus) and his realm, Sukhāvatī (Land of bliss), which came to be referred to in Chinese as the Pure Land (C. Jingtu; Japanese. Judo). Mahāyāna recognized the existence of numerable Buddha and even Bodhisattvas

219 Robert E. Buswell, Encyclopedia of Buddhism, vol. I, New York: Maclillan Reference USA, 2004: p. 698.

175 who presided over their own Buddha fields (Buddhakṣetra), realms that they had purified or were in the process of purifying. Early on, some of these Buddhas and their Pure lands were singled out as the objects of particular scriptural and liturgical distinction. For example, the Aśksobhyavyūha-sūtra suggests that Akṣhobhya and his Buddha-field Abhisati in the Eastern quadrant of the universe achieved a significant cultic status in Mahāyāna’s early period. It was, however, Amitābha and his Buddha-field in the West that ultimately came to attract the overwhelming preponderance of attention, particularly in East Asia, and to a modified extent in the Vajrayāna Buddhism of the Tibetan cultural area. It is to this tradition, focused on Amitābha and his paradise Sukhāvatī, that the term Pure land Buddhism conventionally applies. In the work, Taming the Mind, A guide to Pure land practice, elder master Suddhasukha summed up 5 main characteristics of Pure land:220 1. Its teachings are based on compassion, on faith in the compassionate Vows of Amitābha Buddha to welcome and guide all sentient beings to His Pure Land. 2. It is an easy method, in terms of both goal (rebirth in the Western Pure Land as a stepping-stone toward Buddhahood) and form of cultivation (can be practiced anywhere, any time with no special liturgy, accoutrements or guidance.) 3. It is a panacea for the deceases of the mind, unlike other methods or meditations which are directed to specific illness (e.g., meditation on the corpse is designed to sever lust, counting the breath is meant to rein in the wandering mind.)

220 Suddhisukha, Taming the , Sūtra Translation Committee of the United Stated and Canada, Printed in Taiwan, May 2002: p. ii.

176 4. It is a democratic method that empowers its adherents, freeing them from arcane metaphysics as well as dependence on teachers and other mediating authority figures. 5. It is a shortcut that leads the cultivator to escape Birth and Death and attain Buddhahood for himself and, ultimately, other sentient beings (Bodhi mind). Exchanging the virtues of the Buddha, the virtue of Buddha Recitation for the petty merits and blessings of this world is certainly not consonant with the intentions of the Buddhas. Therefore, practioners should recite the name of Amitābha Buddha for the purpose of escaping the cycle of birth and death. However, if we were to practice Buddha Recitation for the sake of our own salvation alone, we would only fulfill a small part of the Buddhas’ intentions. Because, the Buddhas’ ultimate intentions are for all sentient beings, to escape the cycle of birth and death, and to become enlightened, as they are. Thus, those who recite Amitābha Buddha’s name should develop the bodhicitta. As person is to travel far, he should first determine the goal of the trip, then understand its purpose, and lastly, choose such expedient means of locomotion as automobiles, ships, or planes to set out on his journey. It is the same for cultivator. He should first take supreme Enlightenment as his goal, and the compassionate mind which benefits himself and others as the purpose of his cultivation, and then, depending on his preferences and capacities, choose a method, Zen, Pure Land or Esotericism, as an expedient for practice. Therefore, the bodhicitta is the goal that the cultivator should clearly understand before he sets out to practice.

177 V.4. Beneficial Aspects of Bodhicitta

In Mahāyāna Buddhism, the goal of the spiritual practice of its aspirants is Bodhi. As mentioned earlier, this term (bodhi) has been translated either as “enlightenment” or “awakening”. In the literature of this tradition, one also finds expressions such as saṃbodhi (enlightenment), śaṃyaksaṃbodhi (perfect enlightenment), or anuttarā śaṃyaksaṃbodhi (unsurpassed perfect enlightenment). All of these expressions refer to the final experience of the path of the Bodhisattva. Bodhicitta is the attitude that is based on the great compassion wishing to remove the suffering of all others, and the recognition that, to be of greatest benefits to both oneself and others, it is ideal to attain enlightenment. It is the motivation with which the Mahāyānist engages in all practices. For example, if practicing generosity, a Mahāyānist will be motivated by the thought, ‘Due to this practice of generosity, may I quickly attain enlightenment to benefit all living beings.’ Therefore, bodhicitta has a position very important to Buddhists and of course its benefits are also very much. In his work, Bodhicaryāvatāra, Śāntideva had saved the whole first chapter to praise benefits of bodhicitta. Bodhicitta is considered as the best thing to overpower evil karma; countless beings have happiness through bodhicitta. If we abandon bodhicitta, we will not cross the manifold miseries of the world and so on:221 Hence virtue is always

221 Tasmācchubhami durbalameva nityaṃbalaṃ tu pāpasya mahatsughoram | Tajjīyate anyen śubhena kena saṃbodhicittam yadi nāma na syāt ||6|| Kalpānanalpān pravicintayadbhirdṛṣṭam munīndrairhitametadeva | Yataḥ sukhenaiva sukhami pravṛdhamutplāva yatypramitāñjanaughān ||7|| Bhavadukhaśtāni tartukāmairpi sattvavyasanāni hartukāmaih | Bahusankhyaśatāni bhoktukāmarmaina vimocyaṃ hi sadaiva bodhicittam ||8|| Bhavacārakabandhano varākaḥ sugatānaṃ suta ucyate kṣaṃena | Sa narāmaralokavaṃdanīyo bhavati smedita eva bodhicitte ||9|| Aśucitpratimāmimāṃ gṛhītvā jinaratnapratimāṃ karotyanarghām | Rasajātamatīva vedhanīyam sudṛḍhaṃ gṛhaṇmat vodhicittasamjñam ||10||

178 weak and the might of evil is always over-bearing. By what else can it be overpowered if not by the enlightenment mind? 7. This (bodhicitta) has been realized to be most beneficial by the Buddhas through contemplation during countless ages; the happiness born of it will multiply to flood (with joy) countless masses of beings. 8. Those desirous of crossing the manifold miseries of the world (of conditioned existence) as also those desirous of enjoying manifold joys, - by such too the bodhicitta should not be abandoned. 9. The moment bodhicitta is born in a puny (‘varàka’) person, who is a prisoner of the fetters of the world; he is at once named as the Son of the Sugatas and becomes the object of reverence both for men and gods in the world. 10. It (i.e., bodhicitta) takes this unclean form (i.e., body) and transform into a jãna or conqueror. It is like the priceless gold-making elixir and has the quality of transforming everything. So, hold on fast to bodhicitta. 11. It has been thoroughly tested by the immeasurable intellects of those sole guides or charioteers of the world to be priceless gem. Therefore, O ye dwellers of the worldly abode! Hold on fast to this jewel of bodhicitta. 12. All other virtues are ever subject to decay like the plantain tree which perishes after a single fruition. But, the tree of bodhicitta has perennial fruition, does not perish and, in addition proliferates evermore. 13. It is that under whole shelter one can find security even after having committed grievous sins as does a frightened man under the shelter of a

Suparīkśitamaprameyadhībhirbahumūlyaṃ jagadekasārthadāhaiḥ | Gatipattanavipravāsaśīlāḥ sudṛḍhaṃ gṛhṇat bodhicittaratnam ||11|| Kadalīva phalam vihāya yāti kśayamanyat kuśalaṃ hi savameva | Satataṃ phalati kśayani na yāti prasavatyeva tu bodhicittavr.kśa: ||12|| Kṛtvāpi pāpāni sudāruṇāni yadāśrayāduttarati kśanena | Śūrāśrayeṇaiva mahābhayāni nāśrīyate tatkathamajñasattvaih ||13|| Yugāntakālānalavanmahānti pāpāni yannirdahati kśaṇena | Yasyānuśaṇsānamitānuvāca Maitreyanāthaḥ Sudhanāya dhīmān ||14||

179 brave person. Why is it not, then, resorted to by ignorant beings? 14. It is that which completely burns away like the great fire on the doomsday (lit. on the day a ‘yuga’ ends and ‘pralaya’-deluge – comes), all sins in an instant, it is that whose great instruction the wise lord Maitreya imparted to Bodhisattva Sudhana.222 Bodhicitta, the compassionate wish to achieve Buddhahood for the sake of others, is the entrance to the Mahāyāna path. When we cultivate bodhicitta, even though we might not make any further progress on the path, we become a Mahāyānist, but the moment bodhicitta degenerates, even though we might have very high realizations, we fall from the ranks of the Mahāyāna. Above, Śāntideva says that the moment we develop bodhicitta, even though we might be living in a lower realm of existence, we will be called a Bodhisattva, a child of the Buddhas. As a result of bodhicitta, we will be able to purify negativities very easily and be able to fulfill our aims. We will be invulnerable to interferences and harm, because if we have this faculty of bodhicitta, we regard other people as more important and precious than our own life. When harmful spirits realize this, they hesitate to harm us. As a result of bodhicitta, if we are able to purify negativities and accumulate great stores of merit, we will encounter favorable circumstances that are necessary for making speedy progress on the path. Bodhicitta and compassion are the very sources and foundations of all the goodness in this world and Nirvāṇa. We should regard bodhicitta as the essence of our practice and should not leave it only at an intellectual level; we should not be satisfied with our practice of bodhicitta if it consists merely of the recitation of a few verses at the

222 Parmananda Sharma, Op. cit., 1990: pp. 6 - 13.

180 beginning of a meditation session. We should try to generate it through experience. Tsongkhapa says in his work223 that if we have an authentic aspiration to enlightenment, then any act of goodness, even something minor like giving grain to a crow, becomes a Bodhisattva deed. However, if we lack this motivating factor, even though we might make offerings of an entire universe filled with jewels to other sentient beings, it will not be the deed of a Bodhisattva. If our practice of bodhicitta is not successful, no matter how long we try to practice the Dharma, it will be a very slow and laborious process, like cutting grass with a blunt tool. But if we have a perfect and successful realization of bodhicitta, even though it may take some time to make that our primary motive, all of our practices will be very powerful. Moreover, in his work, Śāntideva said that the merit or ‘puṇya‘ of bodhicitta is immensurable:224 21-22. I shall destroy the headache of beings suffering from it, – the very thought like this makes a person the recipient of immensurable intention of relieving others of suffering and doing them good. If that could be the ‘puṇya’ for the mere thought or intention, what need is then to speak of this wish to remove others’ pain and cultivate these boundless qualities (guṇa) for one’s own sake? According to the work “The Path to Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism”, the benefits of bodhicitta are summarized into ten benefits that are gained by the person who generates this precious mind of enlightenment:225

223 See, the Lam-rim Chen-mo (the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment) 224 Parmananda Sharma, Op. cit., 1990: pp. 18-19. 225 Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden, Op. cit., 1993: p. 492.

181 1. You enter the only gateway to the Mahāyāna: Bodhicitta is the door by which you enter the Mahāyāna path. A practice only becomes a Mahāyāna practice if it motivated by bodhicitta. Without bodhicitta, even if you were to realize the ultimate and conventional truths and attained the liberation of a Foe Destroyer, your practice would not be that of a Mahāyānist. 2. You become a son or daughter of the Buddhas: At the instant you generate bodhicitta you become a Bodhisattva and are given the name son or daughter of the Buddhas and, like a prince, become an heir to the throne of enlightenment. When you first develop bodhicitta all the Buddhas are as happy as an emperor who has seen the birth of an heir. 3. You surpass the Hearers and Solitary Realizers: when compared with a person who has newly entered the Mahāyāna path by generating bodhicitta, Hearer and Solitary Realizer Foe Destroyers have many greater attainments. The great Foe Destroyers have the realization of the true nature of all phenomena and along with this special insight, they have the realization of calm abiding and many associated powers and clairvoyant capabilities. ‘Although the new Bodhisattva does not have the wisdom and powers attainments of the great Foe Destroyers, he nonetheless outshines them simply because of his bodhicitta. The merit of his bodhicitta eclipses all the attainments of individual liberation. 4. You become the object of offering and for both gods and humans: Buddhas arise from Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are therefore a great object of respect. Because of the great scope of his motivation to benefit all living beings without exception by

182 attaining enlightenment, a Bodhisattva is the greatest of holy beings and is paid respect by both gods and humans. 5. Vast amounts of merit are accumulated instantly: bodhicitta makes your Dharma practice a Mahāyāna practice leading directly to enlightenment. You therefore quickly and easily accumulate the merit that will result in a Buddha’s form body. It is the rapid path to enlightenment because you proceed directly through the five Mahāyāna paths to the path of no more learning, or Buddhahood. 6. Negativities are instantly purified: Bodhicitta itself is the first of the four opponent powers for purifying negative karma. As such it is particularly powerful and can instantly and completely destroy great negative karmas and obstacles to your practice. It is like the fire that arises at the end of a universe, which is so powerful that it destroys the entire universe completely. 7. All your wishes are fulfilled: bodhicitta brings every success quickly an effortlessly. With bodhicitta you will easily succeed in the things that ordinary people find very difficult and strenuous, and tend to fail at. Whatever the Bodhisattva wishes for is easily fulfilled because, with his selfless concern for others, his wishes are always pure. 8. You are immune from the harm of hindrances: The protectors of the Dharma are delighted when someone develops bodhicitta and remain nearby protecting the Bodhisattva continuously whether he requests them to or not. During his sleep and through all his activities, the Dharma protectors are always nearby. 9. You will quickly accomplish all the grounds and the paths: with bodhicitta you will quickly progress through the five paths of the Mahāyāna and the ten Bodhisattva grounds. You can complete

183 this and attain enlightenment during this very life by practicing Vajrayāna with bodhicitta. 10. You will become a source of peace and happiness for all living beings: whatever happiness you experience personally, or are able to generate in another, comes directly or indirectly from the teachings of the Buddhas. The attainment of Buddhahood is the result of practicing the path of a Bodhisattva and the Bodhisattva path depends on the generation of bodhicitta. In this way we can say that the source of all goodness, happiness and peace for all living beings is bodhicitta. When you become a Bodhisattva by practising bodhicitta, you will become a source of immeasurable benefit to all living beings. On the progress of pilgrimage of Sudhana to see spiritual guides and practice bodhisattva’s path, he has seen 53 spiritual guides. In of them, Bodhisattva Maitreya is considered as one of the most important spiritual masters. To guide Sudhana to practise the Bodhisattva’s path, bodhisattva Maitreya has praised Sudhana’s bodhicitta as following:226 Well done, O son of a good family! Already you have awakened the desire for supreme enlightenment, in order to benefit the world, to lead it to happiness, to rescue all beings from sufferings, and to acquire all the truths of Buddhism… The bodhicitta is like a seed because from it grows all truths of Buddhism. It is like a farm because here are produced all things of purity for the world. The bodhicitta is like the earth because all the worlds are supported by it. It is like water because all dirt of the passions is thereby cleaned. It is like the wind because it blows all over the world with nothing obstructing its course. It is like fire because it

226 D. T, Suzuki, Essays in Zen Buddhism, Op. cit., 2004: pp. 185 -186.

184 consumes all the fuel of bad logic. The bodhicitta is like the sun because it leaves nothing unenlightened on the earth. It is like the moon because it fills to perfection all things of purity. It is like a lamp because it brings things out in the light, etc.

185