Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines

345. According to Ratnākara (F.74.a), “lord” here means a great person. The word ākhyā should be understood here in the sense of “appearance” or “splendor” (pratibhāsa, i.e., ruci). He has “exaltedness” means he has the mind of a great one‍—in this case, the perfect Buddha whose nature is knowing. The phrase “in effect, the cause and condition” of that means that it has the nature of a cause and the nature of a condition. RK: īśo mahāpuruṣaḥ| tasyākhyā pratibhāso rūciḥ| mahatīśākhā (em. mahatīśākhyā?) asyeti maheśākhyaḥ| mahānmanā ity arthaḥ| sa ceha jñānātmā samyaksaṃbuddhaḥ| tasya hetupratyayabhūto hetusvabhāvo pratyayasvabhāvo ca.

346. According to Ratnākara (F.74.a), in the analogy of his own person that Śakra uses, Śakra himself corresponds to “the knowing of someone who has complete knowing,” while Śakra’s seat (venerated by those gods) corresponds to the “tathāgatas’ physical relics” that are “not the causes or conditions” for that knowing. Previously, Śakra had explained what is, in effect, a repository for the body as correlating merely to the body with physical form (rūpakāya). But notice here that the seat is standing in for the splendor of the great lord, i.e., the body of knowing. RK: tathāgatasye tyādi| tatra sarvajñajñānaṃ śakravat| tathāgata­dhātavo nāsya hetupratyayabhūtāḥ śakrasya tadāsanavat| pūrvatra kāyasyādhārabhūto rūpakāya evoktaḥ| iha tu maheśākhyasya jñāna­kāya­syāsanasthānīyaḥ. Note: The phrase “the transcendent state of wisdom should be venerated” was implied in the Sanskrit but has been added to the main text, following the recommendation of Hari (272): sarvajñajñānahetuke ti tathāyata­jñānahetukā, prajñāpāramitā pūjyeti śeṣaḥ. The Tibetan phrasing differs here, but can be understood as roughly equivalent: “What is venerated (pūjaṃ) in the physical relics of the tathāgatas is born from the knowing of someone who has complete knowing (sarvajñajñāna).” Tib. (F.54.a) bcom ldan ’das de ltar de bzhin gshegs pa’i sku la mchod pa ni thams cad mkhyen pa’i ye shes kyi rgyu las byung ba lags so.

347. Both Hari and Ratnākara explain this phrase only when it is repeated, with slight variation, after the example below. See the next note. Note: Schopen (p. 150; C.249.6 & C.250.14) suggests the Sanskrit word “pervaded” (paribhāvita; yongs su bsgos pa) may be a scribal error or corruption of “caused to thrive” (prabhāvita; yongs su sgrub pa). In producing this translation we considered the question Schopen raised about whether it should somehow be emended to prabhāvita, but we have not done so because both Ratnākara and Hari use the term paribhāvita and explain that. But it should still be noted that the Tib. reads yongs su bsgos pa (suggesting paribhāvita or *parivāsita) throughout, but refers back to this section with rab tu phye ba (*prabhāvita), suggesting that possible corruption. Incidentally, we have also not followed Schopen’s suggestion that the double negatives be rendered as an emphatic affirmative here. Although Schopen’s suggestion would, of course, be normal in Sanskrit usage, the second half of the sentence is emphatic already and it might seem more awkward and repetitive to have two strong affirmations.

348. According to Ratnākara (F.74.b), the Tathāgata is extremely worthy of veneration because he physically manifests in all the worlds, but he is the most worthy of veneration because he possesses the knowing of someone who has complete knowing. Thus, the physical relics are worthy of veneration because they are a repository for that knowing. But if that is so, then for the very same reason the transcendent state of wisdom, which is the cause of that knowing, should be the most worthy of veneration among all the physical relics. RK: tathāgato hi sarva­lokābhyudgatatvāt pūjyataraḥ, pūjyatamaḥ sa ca sarvajñajñānam| tato yadi dhātavas tadādhāratvāt pūjyās tadā tajjananī tato pi pūjyatamā kā kathā dhātūnām iti. According to Hari (274), take the phrase “specifically because they are pervaded” to imply that a fruit is only absolutely pure if it has arisen from an absolutely pure cause. Insofar as the tathāgatas are “pervaded” by the arising of the great power of the transcendent state of wisdom, they are made to dwell everywhere. Hence, they “receive veneration” by virtue of their arising from that. Hari: yad uta prajñā­pāramitāparibhāvitatvād iti. suviśuddhāt kāraṇāt samutpannaṃ phalaṃ suviśuddham evopajāyata iti kṛtvā yasmāt prajñāpāramitāyā mahānu­bhāvatvotpādanena paribhāvitās tathāgatāḥ sarvathā vāsitās tasmāt tadutpattyā pūjāṃ labhanta.

349. The phrase “due to its being pervaded” has been added for clarity based on Hari (277) suggesting that it was left out or implied. Hari: tair maṇiratnaguṇair iti atra paribhāvitatvād iti śeṣaḥ.

350. Here, the term “body of truth” (dharmakāya) seems to refer, for Hari, to the actual transcendent state of wisdom, but for Ratnākara only to the transcendent state of wisdom in a figurative sense. Either way, the word dharma means both the truth and the teachings. According to Ratnākara (F.74.b–75.a), here the king’s attendant should be venerated without hesitation everywhere. Likewise, the physical relics should be venerated because they are born from the transcendent state of wisdom and due to its authority. RK: rājapuruṣaś ca rājānubhāvād akutobhayaḥ sarvatra pūjyaḥ| evaṃ prajñā­pāramitānirjātatvāt tadanubhāvāc ca dhātavaḥ pūjyā.

351. This translation “pervaded by” (paribhāvita) follows the Sanskrit edition and manuscripts (e.g. the Cambridge Add.866 MS) and the commentators (Ratnākara and Hari), rather than Tibetan “revealed” (rab tu phye ba; *prabhāvita).

352. According to Ratnākara (F.75.a), the idea here is that the “true nature of things” is the body of truth, and that is just the transcendent state of wisdom (figuratively speaking). RK: dharmatā dharmakāyaḥ sa ca prajñā­pāramitaiveti bhāvaḥ. According to Ratnākara (F.128.a) in a later section, “reside” means be there; “stay” means remain there; and “live their lives” means remain as long as they live. RK: tiṣṭhantī ti santi| dhriyanta iti avatiṣṭhante| yāpayantī ti yāvadāyur avatiṣṭhante.

353. According to Ratnākara (F.75.a), up to this point the transcendent state of wisdom is described as causing perfect awakening, not as the body of truth (i.e., its result). To hint at that, Śakra speaks the next line. RK: iyatāpi bhagavatyāḥ samyak­saṃbodhi­kāraṇatvam uktaṃ na tu dharmakāyatvam| tadupasūcanāya punaḥ śakra āha| mahāpāramite tyādi.

354. According to Ratnākara (F.75.a), “wisely discerns” means he knows these with nonconceptual knowing; “beholds” means he sees these in all aspects. RK: samyakprajānātī ti niṣprapañcena jñānena vettīty arthaḥ| saṃpaśyatī ti sarvākāraṃ paśyatīty arthaḥ.

355. According to Ratnākara (F.75.b), the entire Mahāyāna is condensed within the six transcendent states. The transcendent state of wisdom is chief among them, due to taking the fore and due to condensing all the others. RK: sarvamahāyānaṃ pāramitābhiḥ saṃgṛhītam| tāsu bhagavatī pradhānaṃ pūrvaṅgamatvāt saṃgrāhakatvāc ca.

356. According to Ratnākara (F.75.b), the first phrase, “supported by skill in means,” expresses the overview, whereas “dedicated by the transcendent state of wisdom and dedicated to the state of complete knowing” express the explanation of that. RK: upāyakauśaly ena parigṛhītānām ity uddeśaḥ| prajñāpāramitayā sarvākārajñatāyāṃ pariṇāmitānām iti nirdeśaḥ.

357. According to Ratnākara (F.75.b), the “trees” with various flowers and so on is an analogy for the six transcendent states that are of (different) natures. The homogenous “shadows” are an analogy for these six being “supported by skill in means.” RK: upāyakauśaly ena parigṛhītānām ity uddeśaḥ| prajñāpāramitayā sarvākārajñatāyāṃ pariṇāmitānām iti nirdeśaḥ| tatra prakṛti­pāramitānāṃ dṛṣṭāntā nānāpuṣpādikā vṛkṣāḥ| ekarasā tu chāyā teṣām upāya­kauśalya­parigṛhītānāṃ dṛṣṭāntaḥ.

358. The beginning of this chapter corresponds (more or less) to the beginning of Chapter 23 in the Twenty-Five Thousand and Hundred Thousand, and of Chapter 32 in the Eighteen Thousand, and its content mostly matches those chapters in the longer sūtras.

359. According to Ratnākara (F.84.b), it is the chapter shedding light on the different kinds of merit. RK: puṇya sya paryāyā bhedās taddyotakaḥ parivartas tatparivartaḥ.

360. The following comments by Ratnākara have already been included in an earlier note (n.292) when these terms first occurred, but they are repeated here because Ratnākara actually made those comments on this specific passage. According to Ratnākara (F.76.a–b), one should “listen to it” based on the text and the meaning; “take it in” means repeat it; “keep it in mind” means make it stay in one’s heart; “chant” means read aloud; and “master” means completely understand. Up to here is taught for one’s own benefit. The words “pass it on” mean transmit it to others‍—this is the overview. The next three verbs are the detailed explanation of this: One should “teach it” based on speaking about the text, and “expound it” based on the meaning, and one should “explain it,” i.e., instruct others in it. Up to here is taught for the benefit of others. Finally, “recite it” means repeat it over and over because it brings benefit to oneself again and again. RK: tena śṛṇuyād granthato ’rthataś ca| udgṛṇhīyād āvartayet| dhārayed iti hṛdaye sthāpayet| vācayet pāṭhayet| paryavāpnuyād iti sarvathā avagaccheta| iyatā svārtho uktaḥ| pravartayed iti pareṣu sañcārayet| ayam uddeśaḥ| paro nirdeśaḥ| deśayed granthato bhāṣaṇāt| upadiśed arthataḥ| uddiśed ity avavadet| iyato parārthaḥ| svādhyāyed iti sutarām abhyaset| punaḥ punaḥ svārthakaraṇāt.

361. According to Ratnākara’s creative etymologies here (F.76.b, already included earlier in n.293), “elucidate” (samprakāśayed) means consistently (sam-/santata) make clear (-prakāśayed ) the transcendent state of wisdom based on the words in the text. The phrase “in detail” means doing so from multiple angles. The word “unpack” means expanding upon those words. The phrase “mentally investigate it” means one should learn it by heart, connect with it, and observe it, because these steps produce tranquility (śamatha). Next, one should “fully examine it,” because thinking analytically about it produces insight (vipāśyanā). Up to here, he explains what should be done. But if that is not possible, he explains another possibility, with the words “or…at the very least,” and so on. RK: parebhyaś ca samprakāśayed iti san tataṃ prakāśayed granthataḥ| vistareṇe ti bahubhyaḥ prakāśanāt| vivṛṇuyād iti vi stareṇeti vartate| manasā ’nvavekṣete ti cittenānubudhya saṃyojya paśyet| sa(śa)mathotpādanāt| parimīmāṃsām iti vicārāṇāṃ vipaśyanotpādanāt| iyatā caryoktā| asyā abhāve pakṣāntaram āha| pustake ty ādinā| ata eva antaśaḥ śabdaḥ.

362. The following comments by Ratnākara were included in an earlier note (note 291) when these terms first occurred, but they are repeated here because Ratnākara actually made those comments on the present passage. According to Ratnākara (F.76.b), one should “maintain” precisely this “book,” meaning that one should keep it from perishing (which in India would have been done with string and two slabs of wood to protect it). One should “preserve” this in one’s home and so on. RK: pustakagatām iti| imām eva dhārayed iti| avinaśvarī kuryāt| sthāpayed iti svagṛhādau.

363. The following comments by Ratnākara were included in an earlier note (note 292) when these terms first occurred, but they are repeated here because Ratnākara actually made those comments on the present passage. According to Ratnākara (F.76.b–77.a), the “buddhas” are the gurus of the world; we should show gratitude toward them. This “guidance” of theirs is the wisdom that brings one to awakening. After wandering for three countless kalpas, they first developed it and then established it perfectly within their own tradition for the benefit of future beings. Since it has now reached us, we should not let “the buddhas’ guidance here be cut off”‍—meaning we should make sure it remains. To “provide assistance (anugrahopasaṃhāraḥ kṛta; phan gdags pa) to bodhisattva great beings” refers to what should be accomplished. And, it will be accomplished by “this guidance’s continued existence,” i.e., by its remaining in the world. RK: buddhāś ca lokaguravas teṣāṃ ca kṛtajñair asmābhir bhavitavyam| teṣām iyaṃ netrī bodheḥ prāpikā prajñā| tais trikalpāsaṃkhyeyā pariśrameṇotpādya samyag anāgatajanatārthāya svavaṃśe ’vasthāpitā| yāvad asmān upagatā| tato mā buddhanetrī samucchedo bhūd ity apīmāṃ sthāpayet|… bodhisattvānāṃ cānugrahopasaṃhāraḥ karaṇīyaḥ| sa ca kṛto bhaviṣyati| anayā sthāyitayā netryavaikalyena. Note: The Sanskrit word netrī means “guide rope” and can be translated more abstractly as “way” or even “guideline,” but it refers here more to the material teachings that help guide beings to awakening. Cf. DOP, Part II, pp. 639–640 s.v. netti.

364. According to Ratnākara (F.77.a), “the explication” refers to the instructions to be presented to him or her. RK: imaṃ nirdeśam iti kartavyopadeśam.

365. According to Ratnākara (F.77.a), “extremely effective” in the sense that the effects of the transcendent state of wisdom are great. This first adjective is the overview; the next three adjectives are the explication of this. “Extremely beneficial” refers to the previously mentioned benefits. “Extremely fruitful” is in the sense of the fruit of stream enterer, once-returner, non-returner, worthy one, solitary realizer, and buddha. “Extremely rewarding” is in the sense of all the blessings pervading activities. Up to here, he has just explained its qualities. RK: evaṃ mahārthike tyādi| mahān artha kāryam asyā iti mahārthikā| ayam uddeśaḥ| paro nirdeśaḥ| mahānuśaṃsā yathoktānuśaṃsaḥ| mahāphalā srotaāpannatvena, sakṛdāgāmitvena, anāgāmitvena, arhattvena, pratyekabodhyā, samyaksambodhyā ca| mahāvipākā sarvābhiś caryāvibhūtibhiḥ| bahu­mahā­guṇa­samanvāgate ty upasaṃhāraḥ| iyatā bhagavatīguṇa uktaḥ.

366. The word translated as “revere” (gurukuryād) idiosyncratically appears third in this list of activities, instead of last where it has been left for consistency with other lists.

367. According to Ratnākara (F.77.b), since the word artha here essentially means “wanting”‍—in the sense of wishing to venerate‍—we should understand them to be “seeking it” in connection with that wish; “longing” due to wishing intensely; and “praying” to the transcendent state of wisdom (herself) in order to venerate it. Here, “give it” means grant (access) to it; “present it” means help them approach it; “offer it” means let them have it; and “let go of it” due to lacking any regret. “At the very least” means even so much as. Here, “after a book being made” means either by oneself writing it down, the other person writing it down, oneself sponsoring it to be written down, or the other person sponsoring it to be written down. RK: arthanam arthaḥ | pūjāyām icchā tadyogād arthikāya| atiśayena tadyogāc chandikāya| yācamānāye ti pūjayituṃ bhaga­vatī­prārthamānāya| dadyād ity abhyupagacchet| upanāmayet sannipātayet| niryātayet grāhayet| parityajed avipratisārāt| antaśaḥ iti yāvād ity arthaḥ| pustakagatāṃ api kṛtve iti svayaṃ likhitvā tena vā likhitvā tanmūlyena vā svamūlyena vā lekhayitvā. According to Hari (286), “give” is due to presenting entirely the nature of the text and its meaning together with its fruit. Then, in order to demonstrate precisely this (giving), Śakra next says “present it,” “offer it,” and “let it go,” respectively, in accord with the divisions into the preliminary, main, and subsequent practices (of giving). These three phrases are taught based on a bodhisattva’s nonperception of any gift, giver, or recipient. Hari: dadyād iti granthārtha­svabhāvāyāḥ phalena saha sarvasvadānāt. etad eva prayogamaulapṛṣṭhāvasthābhedena yathākramaṃ darśayann āha: upanāmayen niryātayet parityajed iti. deyadāyaka­prati­grāhakānupalabdhibhedād vā padatrayam uktaṃ.

368. According to Ratnākara (F.77.b), his or her “mental attitude” aims at “giving away,” i.e., generosity. RK: parityāgo dānaṃ tasmai buddhir icchā asyeti tadbuddhiḥ.

369. According to Ratnākara (F.77.b), “disclose” in an assemblage and in its own inherent form. Here, he would “give” for the sake of veneration, and “share” their vibrations or anything secondary. “Widely” means extensively. “Widespread” means that one goes about life with them. RK: saṃprakāśayed iti gaṇataḥ svarūpataś ca| dadyāt pūjanāya| saṃvibhajed iti spharatām adhikānāṃ vā dānāt| vistāro vaipulyam| tena caratīti vaistārikī.

370. According to Hari (289), he or she would “inspire” through making efforts for them to grasp this teaching and “establish” them in it based on causing those who have grasped it to remain firm. Hari: grahaṇāya yatnakaraṇāt samādāpayet. gṛhītānāṃ sthirīkaraṇāt pratiṣṭhāpayet. According to Ratnākara (F.77.b), “inspire” means make them accurately grasp; “establish” means through their not lapsing. RK: samādāpayed iti samyak grāhayet| pratiṣṭhāyet anatikramāt.

371. The words and structure of the above three sentences have been significantly rearranged for the sake of clarity. The English translation also interprets awkward Sanskrit phrasing in the light of its Tibetan interpretation.

372. According to Hari (289), “succeed” due to performing the practice themselves. “Well versed” in it due to having made efforts. The “bodhisattvas” refers to those who have developed the mindset of awakening. As a brief overview, it says “help them grasp the transcendent state of wisdom” due to training in the words and meaning. Then, he says (more specifically) he or she “would help them see it clearly” (saṃdarśayet) because he or she would accurately explain the meaning to those who are confused due to ignorance, doubt, and mistaken understandings; “take on the practice of it” because he or she would promote a virtuous objective to those who are careless due to idleness associated with addiction or a lack of desire; “be enthusiastic about it” because he or she would explain the advantage of superior heroic perseverance to those depressed through association with weak conviction, the idea that they are incapable, regrets, or cowardice; and “rejoice in it” because of delighting in the truly positive quality of having proceeded on the path correctly through being connected with unmistaken meditative concentration and insatiable heroic perseverance. Hari: svayaṃ pratipattyanuṣṭhānāt sampādayet. kṛtotsāhatvād udyuktaḥ. amum ity utpāditabodhicittaṃ. samāsato granthārthaśikṣaṇād grāhayed imāṃ prajñāpāramitām iti pūrveṇa sambandhaḥ. ajñāna­saṃśaya­mithyājñāna yogān mūḍhaṃ pratibsamyagartha­kathanāt saṃdarśayet. kausīdyācchandikatā vyāsaṅgayogāt pramattaṃ kuśalārthaṃ pravartanāt samādāpayet. hīnādhimuktyaśakyātma­sambhāvanākaukṛtya­bahu­kṛtyabhīrutāyogāt saṃlīnaṃ viśiṣṭavīryānu­śaṃsakathanāt samuttejayet. aviparīta­samādhya­saṃtuṣṭivīrya­prati­pattiyogāt samyak­prati­panna­bhūta­guṇābhinandanāt sampraharṣayet. According to Ratnākara (F.78.a), “succeed” in it refers to the deeds described. Being “well versed” in it, he or she would help the bodhisattvas grasp the transcendent state of wisdom. “With words” he or she would bring them along the path to accomplish awakening, and “see it clearly” (saṃdarśayet) exactly as it is through logical reasonings. Based on that, he or she would “take on the practice of it” through engaging in reciting it and honoring it and so on. Whatever is engaged in, he or she would be “enthusiastic about it,” i.e., be encouraged, based on the explanation of the positive quality of heroic perseverance and the fault of idleness. “Rejoice in it” means through praises of those who have striven to persevere. RK: tayā sampādayed yathoktaṃ kāryam| udyukto ’ bhiyuktaḥ sann amuṃ bodhisattvaṃ bhagavatīṃ grāhayet| bodhisādhanatvena pratipādayed vācā| tathaiva sandarśayed yuktibhiḥ| tataḥ samādāpayed vācanārcanā diṣu pravṛtteḥ| pravṛttaṃ samuttejayed utsāhayet| vīryakausīdyayor guṇadoṣākhyānāt| ārabdhavīrya­stutibhiḥ saṃpraharṣayet. Note: The English translation cleaves here to Sanskrit etymologies rather than the Tibetan terms that approximate them.

373. According to Ratnākara (F.78.a), there are three types of people: the faithful, the averse, and the indifferent. Among these, he or she would “guide” the faithful with words alone, because the faithful progress by means of mere words about what is suitable; “educate” the averse with words alone, because wrong views are refuted through the logical reasonings; and “mentor” the indifferent, i.e., make them inspired by the transcendent state of wisdom, based on communicating its positive qualities. RK: vāce tyādi| trividho lokaḥ śrāddho vimukha udāsīnaś ca. tatra śrāddhaṃ vācaiva neṣyati, sa hi saṃbhāvitasya vācaiva gacchat. vimukhaṃ vineśyati, kudṛṣṭīnāṃ yuktibhir bādhanāt. udāsīnam anuneṣyaty anurañjayiṣyati bhagavatyā, tadguṇākhyānāt. According to Hari (289), here “words” means instructions, due to their stemming from what needs to be done. “Guide” means help them accomplish the transcendent state of wisdom. He or she would “educate” in accord with accurate observation with clear comprehension, and “mentor” through eliminating the faults of torpor or agitation. Hari: vidheyatāpādanād evaṃ vācā nuśāsanyā neṣyati prajñāpāramitāṃ prāpūrayiṣyati. tatra ca samprajanyena samyagupalakṣaṇatayā layauddhatyadoṣāpanayanād yathākramaṃ vineṣyaty anuneṣyati.

374. According to Hari (289), he or she would “purify their mindsets” due to eliminating their ignorance and mistaken understandings, and “make them free of doubt” due to removing their doubts. Hari: ajñānamithyājñānavigamāc cittaṃ viśodhayiṣyati. saṃśayajñānanirākaraṇān nirvicikitsaṃ kariṣyati.

375. According to Hari (289), “this very path of the bodhisattvas” means the transcendent state of wisdom. The three verbs “training,” “going about your lives,” and “exerting” are based, respectively, on the three different phases (of practice), namely, armor-like preliminary practice, not retreating, and heroically persevering. The “constituents underlying the clinging to existence dissolve” (upadhisaṃkṣaya) means the impure constituents are absent, i.e., in the body of truth (dharmakāya). Hari: bodhisattvamārga iti prajñāpāramitāyām. saṃnāhaprayogāni­vartanavīryabhedād yathākramaṃ śikṣamāṇaś caran vyāyacchamāna iti padatrayam uktaṃ. upadhisaṃkṣaya iti samalaskandhābhāve dharmakāya ity arthaḥ. According to Ratnākara (F.78.a–b), “training” means through contemplation; “going about” means with tranquility (śamatha), and “exerting” means by way of clearly seeing (vipaśyamāna). The word “supreme” derives from it being at the absolute level. The “constituents underlying the clinging to existence” are either with worldly influences (sāsravāḥ) or with both worldly influences and no worldly influences (sāsravānāsravāḥ). The “dissolution” of them means their complete destruction. With that destruction as a precondition, he or she will “teach” the “masses of beings” (sattvadhātuḥ sattvarāśiḥ) based on the destruction of all obstructions. The “state revealing the pinnacle of reality” is the remaining state that is merely what it is (after that destruction of all obstructions). RK: śikṣamāṇaḥ cintayā| carana śamathena| vyāyacchamāno vipaśyamānayā| sattvadhātuḥ sattvarāśiḥ| ātyantikatvād anuttare| upadhayaḥ skandhāḥ sāsravāḥ sāsravānāsravā vā| teṣāṃ saṃkṣayaḥ samastakṣayaḥ| tannimittam| abhivineśyasi sarvāvaraṇakṣayāt| bhūtakoṭiprabhāvanatā tanmātraśeṣatā. Note: The single Sanskrit word upadhi is interpreted by Ratnākara as plural and is translated here as the phrase “the constituents underlying the clinging to existence.”

376. According to Ratnākara (F.78.b), it is referring here to the mental attitude of letting go in every way. RK: parityāgabuddhye ti sarvākārayā tyāgabuddhayā.

377. According to Ratnākara (F.79.a–b), regarding the four meditative states, here the sūtra (Twenty-Five Thousand, 8.37, and the Ten Bhūmis, 1.249–252), explains: “(1) Devoid of desires and devoid of nonvirtuous qualities (related to mental or verbal objects of desire) and harmful deeds (caused by desire and affliction), one abides well, after accomplishing the first meditative state, which involves thinking and analysis, as well as joy and happiness born from voidness. (2) Due to thinking and analysis subsiding and due to the mindset becoming one-pointed with internally clear serenity, one abides well, after accomplishing the second meditative state, which involves no thinking and no analysis, and yet has joy and happiness born from concentration. (3) Since a yogi abides well with (greater) equanimity due to disinterest in joy, he or she has mindfulness, clear comprehension, and experiences physical pleasure. The yogi abides well, after accomplishing the third meditative state free of joy, since the yogi has (greater) equanimity, mindfulness, and abides in the (physical) pleasure to which a noble one bears witness. (4) Due to relinquishing pleasure, due to relinquishing pain previously already (in the first meditative state), due to the end of mental dis-ease and ease (in the second and third meditative states respectively), the yogi abides well, after accomplishing the fourth meditative state, which is the utter purity of mindfulness and equanimity free of pleasure or pain.” RK: caturṣu dhyāneṣv iti| atra sūtram– viviktaṃ kāmair viviktaṃ pāpakarair akuśalair dharmaiḥ savitarkaṃ savicāraṃ vivekajaṃ prītisukhaṃ prathamaṃ dhyānam upasampadya viharati| sa vitarkavicāraṇāṃ vyupaśamād adhyātmaṃ saṃprasādāc cetasa ekotībhāvād avitarkam avicāraṃ samādhijaṃ prītisukhaṃ dvitīyaṃ dhyānam upasampadya viharati| sa prīter virāgād upekṣako viharati smṛtimān saṃprajānan sukhaṃ ca kāyena pratisaṃvedayate| yat tad āryā ācakṣate upekṣakaḥ smṛtimān sukhavihārīti niṣprītikaṃ tṛtīyaṃ dhyānam upasampadya viharati| sa sukhasya ca prahāṇāt duḥkhasya ca pūrvam eva prahāṇāt saumanasyadaurmanasyayor astaṅgamād aduḥkhāsukham upekṣāsmṛtipariśuddhaṃ caturthaṃ dhyānam upasampadya viharati” iti. Aside from these comments, Ratnākara lists and explains the different aspects of each state, and makes other comments, the gist of which are inserted in some of the parentheses above, even though they cannot be fully included here.

378. Both the Sanskrit and Tibetan, from this point onward, abbreviate the above refrain by leaving off the concluding sentence, namely, “Kauśika, compared to (sakāśād) any noble son or daughter just mentioned (paurvakāt), this noble son or daughter‍—due to his or her mental attitude of letting go‍—would earn an even greater amount of merit (puṇyam).”

379. According to Ratnākara (F.80.a), the “four sublime states,” namely benevolence and so on‍—belong to the desire realm and have sentient beings as their meditative object. Since those meditative objects‍—sentient beings‍—are beyond measure, the states are (also called) the four immeasurable states, namely benevolence, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. These four states correspond to the wish that sentient beings meet with happiness, that they are separated from suffering, that they not be separated from happiness, and that they be free from emotional defilements, in the following prayer: “Alas, may all sentient beings be met with happiness, may they be separated from suffering, may they never be separated from happiness, and may they be freed from the emotional defilements.” For someone on the level (of the path of preliminary practice) involving practice based on firm conviction, the meditative object of all four is sentient beings. For someone on the (first seven bodhisattva) levels of joy and so on, the meditative object is “the actual nature (tathatā).” For someone on the (eighth through tenth bodhisattva) levels of unmoving and so on, the practice is free of any meditative object. RK: maitryādayaḥ kāmāvacarāḥ sattvālambanāś catvāro brahmavihārāḥ| apramāṇasattvālambanāś catvāryapramāṇāni| maitrī karūṇā muditā upekṣā ca| aho vata sarvasattvāḥ sukhena yujyeran duḥkhena viyujyeran sukhena mā viyujyeran saṃkleśān muñcerann ity ebhir ākāraiḥ sukhasaṃyogāśayo duḥkhaviyogāśayaḥ sukhāviyogāśayo ’saṃkleśāśayaś ca| adhimukti­caryābhūmau catasropi sattvālambanāḥ| pramuditādisu saptasu tathatālambanāḥ| acalādiṣv anālambanāḥ.

380. The instruction text actually says the “four sublime states” (brahmavihārāḥ), but for ease of understanding we have used the synonym “immeasurable states” (see preceding note) here, as in the preceding paragraph.

381. According to Ratnākara (F.81.a), the “four formless attainments” are the four formless realms. Regarding these, the sūtra (Twenty-Five Thousand, 8.37 and The Ten Bhūmis, 1.253) says, “(1) Due to having surpassed the conception of physical form, having ended the conception of resistance, having paid no attention to conceptions of various other things, a yogi abides at ease, after accomplishing the sense field of the infinity of space, with the conception of infinite space everywhere. (2) Due to having surpassed the sense field of the infinity of space, the yogi abides well after accomplishing the sense field of the infinity of consciousness, with the conception of infinite consciousness everywhere. (3) Due to having surpassed the sense field of the infinity of consciousness, the yogi abides well after accomplishing sense field of nothing, with the conception of there being nothing anywhere. (4) Due to having surpassed the sense field of no conception, the yogi abides well after accomplishing sense field of there being neither conception nor nonconception anywhere. RK: ārūpyasamāpattayaś catvāra ārūpyāḥ| teṣu sūtram [F.81r] “sarvaśo rūpasaṃjñānāṃ samatikramāt prati­ghasaṃjñānām astaṅgamāt nānātvasaṃjñānām amanasikārāt anantam ākāśam iti ākāśānantyāyatanaṃ upasampadya viharati| sa sarvaśa ākāśānantyāyatana­saṃjñāsamati­kramād anantaṃ vijñānam iti vijñānānantyāyatanam upasaṃpadya viharati| sa sarvaśa vijñānānantyāyatana­saṃjñā­samtikramāt nāsti kiñcid ity ākiñcanyāyatanam upasaṃpadya viharati| sa sarvaśa ākiñcanyāyatana­saṃjñāsamati­kramāt naiva­saṃjñānā­saṃjñāyatanam upasampadya viharati” iti. As well as these comments, Ratnākara makes others that cannot be included here.

382. According to Ratnākara (F.81.b), the “five types of extrasensory knowledge” refers to (1) the knowledge of various types of magical powers, meaning that one enjoys many types of magical powers, such as magically causing the earth to shake magically causing one to become many and vice versa, magically causing oneself to appear or disappear, magically passing through walls, fences, and mountains without getting stuck, moving through the air, submerging oneself in the earth or water and emerging again, magically creating smoke or fire, and so on; (2) the divine ear faculty, meaning that one hears sounds‍—whether human or divine‍—with a divine ear faculty that transcends any human capability; (3) the knowledge of others’ mindsets, meaning that one psychically discerns, just as they are, the mindsets of other persons or beings, i.e., one discerns just as they are how their mindsets are attached or unattached, hateful or not hateful, confused or unconfused, up to the point of discerning the unsurpassed mindset; (4) the knowledge that remembers the occurrences in previous lives, i.e., one remembers anywhere from one former life up to one billion lives, and one remembers anywhere from one day up to one billion eons, for which one can explain the month of occurrence, name, birth, livelihood, period of remaining, and longevity, And one remembers the occurrences in previous lives‍—including the different types of aspects, areas, circumstances‍—saying, “I died in that place due to such and such, and was reborn in that other place” from one lifetime to another all the way up to the present lifetime; and (5) the divine eye faculty, meaning that one sees beings with the purified divine eye faculty that transcends human capability. Also, one discerns the karmic situation in which beings will find themselves when they are dying or being reborn, whether they have positive or negative qualities, are inferior or superior, or are born in a positive or negative state of existence. One discerns that those beings who are associated with physically, verbally, and mentally positive deeds have at that time the accurate views not criticized by the noble ones. As a result of their physically, verbally, and mentally positive deeds, they are reborn after their physical demise in positive states of existence in a heavenly world. One also discerns that those beings who are associated with physically, verbally, and mentally negative deeds will exist again with false views criticized by the noble ones. As a result of performing actions based on their false views, they will be reborn after their physical demise and death and will fall into negative states of existence in a hell realm. Thus, with the divine eye that transcends any human capability, one discerns, precisely as it is, the death and rebirth of transmigrating (saṃgatika) sentient beings throughout all world systems in the ten directions in the most distant phenomenal dimension and to the farthest reaches of space. RK: pañcābhijñāḥ| ṛddhividhijñānam| divyaśrotram| paracittajñānam| pūrvenivāsānu­smṛtijñānam| divyacakṣuś ceti| atra sūtram– “so ’nekavidham ṛddhi vidhaṃ pratyanubhavati| pṛthivīm api kampayati| eko bhūtvā bahudhā bhavati| bahudhāpi bhūtvā eko bhavati| āvirbhā[v]aṃ tirobhāvam api pratyanubhavati| tiraḥ kuḍyaṃ tiraḥ prākāraṃ tiraḥparvatam apy asakto gacchati| ākāśam api krāmati| pṛthivyām api unmajjananimajjanaṃ karoti| udakepi pṛthivyām iva gacchati| dhūmāyaty api prajvalaty api” iti vistāraḥ|| “sa divyena śrotra dhātunā atikrāntamānuṣyakena śabdān śṛṇoti divyān mānuṣakāṃś ca| sa para sattvānām api parapudgalānāṃ cetasaiva cittaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti| evaṃ [sarāgaṃ] vigatarāgaṃ sadoṣaṃ vītadoṣaṃ samohaṃ vītamohaṃ cittam iti yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti yāvad anuttaraṃ cittam iti yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti| sa ekāṃ jātim anusmarati| dve tiśro (sro) yāvajjātikoṭīniyuta­śata­sahasrāṇy apy anusmarati| ekaṃ divasaṃ dve trīṇi yāvat kalpakoṭīniyutaśatasahasrāṇy apy anusmarati| amutrāha māsam evaṃ nāmā evaṃ gotra evaṃ jātir evam āhāra evaṃ cirasthitika evam āyuṣyaparyantaḥ| so ’haṃ tataś cyutaḥ [F.82r]sann amutropapanno yāvat tataś cyuta ihopapanna iti yāvat sākāraṃ soddeśaṃ sanimittam anekavidhaṃ pūrvenivāsam anusmarati|| sa divyena cakṣuṣā viśuddhenāti­krāntamānuṣyakena sattvān paśyati| cyavamānānupapannān api suvarṇān durvarṇān hīnān praṇītān sugatau durgatau yathākarmopagān sattvān prajānāti| amī bhavantaḥ sattvāḥ kāyasucaritena vāksucaritena manaḥsucaritena samanvāgatā āryāṇām anapavādakāḥ samyagdṛṣṭayaḥ| tena kāyavāṅmanaḥsu­carita­hetunā kāyasya bhedāt sugatau svargaloke deveṣūpapadyante| ime punarbhavantaḥ sattvāḥ kāyaduścaritena vāgduścaritena manoduścaritena samanvāgatā āryāṇām apavādakā mithyādṛṣṭayaś ca mithyādṛṣṭi­karma­samādānahetoḥ kāyasya bhedāt paraṃmaraṇād apāya­durgati­vinipātaṃ narakeṣūpapadyante| iti hi divyena cakṣuṣā atikrāntamānuṣyakena daśadiśi loke sarvalokadhātuṣu dharmadhātuparame ākāśadhātuparyavasāne ṣaṅgatikānāṃ satvānāṃ cyutopapādaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti” iti.

383. These bracketed instructions to repeat the recitation (peyālam) are in both the Sanskrit and Tibetan texts, and hence have been translated and left in the main text above.

384. According to Ratnākara (F.82.b), the basic idea of this question (which is implied through tone or indicated physically) is that there is nothing to be taught, because the transcendent state of wisdom is completely clear. RK: iyam apy upadeṣṭavye ti kākvā śiraḥkāyena vā praśnaḥ| naivopadeṣṭavyā, parisphuṭa[tv]ād iti bhāvaḥ. According to Hari (297–98), Śakra’s motivation is to ask a question regarding the precise referent of the words being understood‍—“What causes the transcendent state of wisdom to be taught?”‍—given the following words (cited from Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, verse 24.18ab, and the Mahā­yāna­sūtrālaṃkāra, verses 13.11–12ab, respectively): “precisely that which is a dependent arising is considered emptiness”…“since no thing exists free from the dimension of things” (which imply that the transcendent state of wisdom cannot be taught as something separate from dependent arising). RK: yaḥ pratītyasamutpādaḥ śūnyatā saiva te matā| dharmadhātuvinirmukto yasmād dharmo na vidyate || iti vacanāt pratīyamānapadārtha eva hi prajñāpāramitā kasmād upadiśyata ity abhiprāyavān āha: iyam api bhagavan prajñā­pāramitopadeṣtavye ti.

385. According to Ratnākara (F.82.b–83.a), “undiscerning” means having a dull intelligence, because those who have not perfectly perceived (the meaning), based on scripture and reason, are shaken by the words of others. So, the question “Why to them?” here means “What causes them to be shaken?” The answer is that (they are shaken by) the “counterfeit” transcendent state of wisdom that describes a meaning opposite to this very teaching, since these dull-minded, gullible people are fooled by it. RK: abudhyamānasye ti jaḍadhiyaḥ| tasya yuktyāgamābhyāṃ samyagagrāhitasya paravācā calanāt| kaḥ punar enaṃ cālayiṣyatīti| etad āha tatkasya hetor iti| atrottaram| utpatsyate h ityādi| bhagavatīdeśakenaiva yā tasyā viparītārthavarṇanā sā tasyāḥ prativarṇikā | tayaiva jaḍasya śraddhālor vañcanāt.

386. This sentence‍—especially the multivalent Sanskrit word bhāvita, which has been translated differently in each of its four occurrences‍—has been interpreted based on the comments by Ratnākara (F.83.b) and Hari (299). Both commentators agree that these monks have failed to properly cultivate the three trainings of the path, namely, “ethical discipline,” “mindset” (citta)‍—here a synonym for concentration (samādhi)‍—and “wisdom.” Beyond that, Hari gives an extended explanation of why these “monks” refer to the Yogācāra proponents of consciousness only, whereas Ratnākara explains that these “monks” refer to the Sautrāntika scholars (who put forth interpretations of the transcendent state of wisdom).

387. The translation here follows Tibetan because there seems to be a problem in the Sanskrit edition.

388. According to Hari (321–22), in this sentence Śakra explains that the merit for instructing and guiding a bodhisattva who has superior faculties and will quickly realize awakening is greater than bringing benefit to the others (mentioned in the paragraph above). This principle applies not only after that bodhisattva has awakened, but also when he or she has still not awakened. Among the (standard equipment of a monk), “robes” (cīvara) means cloth; “alms” means rice gruel and so on; “seats” means a twig mat and so on; “beds” means a mattress consisting of grass or wool and so on; “preventive medicines” are what works against being stricken by sickness; “remedies” means something suitable (to the occasion), such as a myrobalan fruit laxative and so on; and “other requisites” means a water filter and so on. “Those who made those offerings” means those who gave them robes and so on. The bodhisattva makes them “extremely fruitful” through his or her ability to bestow fruits in this life, and “extremely beneficial” through bestowing fruits in the next life. This explanation should be connected with (all the deeds and their merit described) previously above. The overall idea is that there is no difference between tathāgatas and bodhisattvas when it comes to their utter worthiness of receiving offerings (in terms of merit-making). Hari: na kevalam abhisambudhyānyeṣām arthakaraṇāt kṣiprābhijñaṃ bodhisattvam avavadato ’nuśāsataś ca bahutaraṃ puṇyaṃ, kiṃ tarhy anabhisambudhyāpīti pratipādayann āha: yathā yathā bhagavann ityādi. tatra cīvaraṃ vastraṃ. piṇḍapāto maṇḍakādi. śayanaṃ tūlikādi. āsanaṃ daṇḍāsanādi. vyādhibhir upahataṃ glānaṃ praty eti gacchati yuktarūpaṃ bhaiṣajyam harītakyādi. pariṣkāraḥ khallakādi. tān kārān kṛtān iti cīvarādin dattān ity arthaḥ. saṃdṛṣṭaphaladānasāmarthyān mahāphalān karoti. janmāntare phaladānān mahānuśaṃsāṃ karotī ti pūrveṇa sambandhaḥ. tathāgatānāṃ bodhisattvānāṃ ca paramada­kṣiṇīyatvena nirviśiṣṭatvād iti bhāvaḥ.

389. The content of this chapter corresponds to the content of Chapter 24 in the Twenty-Five Thousand and Hundred Thousand, and of Chapter 33 in the Eighteen Thousand.

390. According to Hari (325), here the word “bodhisattva” derives from his or her being endowed with accurate wisdom, and the word “great being” (mahāsattva) derives from his or her being replete with all types of means‍—because, according to a passage in the Amoghapāśa Sūtra, the words “bodhisattva” and “great being” are respectively terms for wisdom and means. Hari: samyakprajñāyogād bodhisattvaḥ. sarvākāropāya­sambaddhān mahāsattvāḥ. bodhi­sattva­mahā­sattvaśabdayoḥ prajñopāyābhidhāyitayāmoghapāśa­sūtre pāṭhād iti. According to Ratnākara (F.85.a), here the word “bodhisattva” refers to someone who has give rise to the mindset of awakening. Based on a distinction of a particular quality of a bodhisattva, the word “great being” refers to someone whose resolve is to dedicate (all merit to the awakening of others). RK: bodhisattvasy eti| utpāditabodhicittasya| yathoktaviśeṣaviśiṣṭatvān mahāsattvaḥ, pariṇāmanā vyavasāyo ’syeti mahāsattvasya.

391. This chapter revolves around a slight play on the multivalent word vastu (dngos po), which the translation “thing” aims to capture. In the notion of disciples, meritorious actions are actual things that ultimately cause awakening. In the Mahāyāna, things like meritorious actions appear relatively to produce awakening, but ultimately nothing (i.e., no “thing”) produces awakening. Until the punchline is revealed later in the chapter, “thing” is used in deliberately ambiguous, paradoxical, and tongue-in-cheek ways to refer to (a) a particular causal action or quality that produces merit, (b) an object that someone might take as a meditative focus from a particular meditative perspective, (c) a material substance imagined to be real, and (d) an entity or particular mindset. In the lists of disciples, they generally mention three types of actions that produce merit: (1) generosity (dāna), (2) ethical discipline (śīla), and (3) cultivation (bhāvanā). But expanded lists include seven more, namely, (4) honoring (apaciti), (5) doing service (veyyāvacca), (6) not making profits (patti-anuppadāna), (7) rejoicing (abbhanumodanā), (8) teaching (desanā), (9) hearing/studying (savana), and (10) acting straightforwardly with the proper view (diṭṭh’ ujjukakamma). Cf. PTSD puñña (-kiriya-vatthūni), “qualities contributing to merit.” BHSD puṇyakriyāvastu, “object or item of a meritorious action.”

392. According to Hari (326), this phrase means “associated with” that “dedication” which is preceded by “rejoicing.” Since a bodhisattva dedicates that rejoicing toward the unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening of the tathāgatas by means of a mental activity whose object is free of mental perception, his or her mental activity of dedication is superior. Hari: anumodanāpariṇāmanāsahagatam iti anumodanā pūrvikā pariṇāmanā tathāgatānuttara­samyak­sambodhyanupalambhālambanena manaskāreṇa pariṇāmanād viśeṣaḥ pariṇāmanā manaskāras, tayā ca sahagatam iti samāsaḥ. According to Ratnākara (F.85.a), in the phrase “associated with the dedication of rejoicing,” the word “rejoicing” means the virtue connected with rejoicing. It is explained in detail at the beginning of the (passage on) dedication without mental perception. RK: anumodanāsahagataṃ kuśalaṃ anumodanā| sā cānupa­lambha­pariṇāmasyādau vistareṇa vakṣyate| tasyāḥ pariṇāmanā| tayā sahagatam.

393. According to Ratnākara (F.85.a), it is the “foremost” and so on due to causing the fruit that is foremost and so on. This is because the respective cause for accomplishing the benefit of oneself and others that is included in each of the eleven levels (bhūmi), delightful (pramuditā) and so on, is also the causal potential (expressed) in these eleven descriptions. RK: agram ākhyāyate yāvad asamasamam ākhyāyate| tasmād agrā di| agrādiphala­hetutvāt| tad api kutaḥ ? yathākramaṃ pramuditādyekā­daśa­bhūmi­saṃgṛhīta­svaparārtha-saṃpattihetutvāt| paryāyatve pi sarveṣām upādānasāmarthyāt. Hari’s different interpretations of these descriptions is not concise enough to include here. For more info, see Sparham (ii, p. 224) or Wogihara (p. 228).

394. According to Ratnākara (F.86.a), although such tathāgatas passed into nirvāṇa, they do not stay there. They are worthy ones, in the literal sense that they have destroyed (hat avan) the enemies (ari) that are the defilements. They are “perfect buddhas” because their knowing of all things is unmistaken. With these two names, the accomplishment of a buddha’s relinquishment and knowing are taught. RK: īdṛśānāṃ tathāgatānāṃ parinirvṛtānām iti na tu tiṣṭhatām| arayaḥ kleśās tān hatavanta iti arhatām| aviparīta­sarva­dharmajñānāt samyak­sambuddhānām| anena padadvayena prahāṇajñānasampadāv ukte.

395. According to Ratnākara (F.86.a), because it is a worldly path, a “rut” refers to the conceit of a self in the Dharma. Because it is a worldly track, a “circuitous pathway” is craving. As is said, “The father is said to be the conceit of a self and the mother is said to be the craving.” Due to uprooting these two, they eradicate the ruts and cut off the circuitous pathway. RK: bhavapathatvād dharme asmimāno [vartmā]| vṛter anipratyayaḥ | saraṇidharaṇivat| muḍāgamaś ca| vartmanis tṛṣṇā bhavapadavītvāt| yathoktaṃ-“asmimānaḥ pitā ukto mātā tṛṣṇeti cocyate” iti| tayor ūnmūlanāt chinnavartmanāṃ chinnavartmanīnāṃ ca.

396. According to Ratnākara (F.86.a), “dualistic proliferations” and “cyclic existence” refer, respectively, to the wrong views about things and wrong views about persons. RK: prapañco dvayakalpanā, bhavaḥ saṃsāraḥ| tayor netry au nāyike yathākramaṃ dharmadṛṣṭiḥ pudgaladṛṣṭiś ca. DOP netrikā, “leading rope of craving.”

397. According to Ratnākara (F.86.a), because they are similar to thorns, the “thorns” are wrong views. Through pulverizing them, they are “crushed.” The rest of the descriptions were explained already in the scripture’s opening section. RK: kaṇṭakasādharmyāt kaṇṭakāḥ kudṛṣṭayaḥ| teṣāṃ kṣodanāt marditakaṇṭakāḥ| śeṣaṃ nidāna eva vyākhyātam.

398. According to Ratnākara (F.86.a–b), “from when” means beginning with. “First gave rise to the proper mindset” refers to the earth-like stage (which is the first of the twenty-two stages in the development of the mindset of awakening). “As follows” means that the following paragraphs are (a more detailed account of the roots of virtue planted) during that time period (i.e., from first giving rise to the proper mindset up through the genuine teachings disappearing). RK: prathamacittotpādo yaḥ pṛthivīsamaḥ| tam upādāya tata ārabhya| etasminn antara ity etāv atyavakāśe.

399. These five “masses” (skandha) are qualities that constitute bodhisattvas, rather than the constituents (skandha) to which sentient beings cling. According to Hari (329), “the masses of ethical discipline, masses of meditative concentration, and masses of wisdom refer to ethical discipline, concentration, and wisdom free of worldly influences (āsrava).” The “masses of liberation” refers to the abandonment of all obstructions. The “masses of seeing the knowing of liberation” refers to directly witnessing this distinctive knowing. Hari: anāsravaṃ śīlaṃ samādhiḥ prajñā ca śīlaskandhaḥ samādhiskandhaḥ prajñāskandhaḥ. sarvāvaraṇaprahāṇaṃ vimuktiskandhaḥ. viśiṣṭajñāna­sākṣātkaraṇaṃ vimukti­jñāna­darśanaskandhaḥ.

400. Since these “strengths, the grounds for self-confidence, and so on” are better known as qualities of a buddha, Ratnākara (F.86.a) explains here that these qualities also belong to bodhisattvas, but they have not reached the other shore yet. Hence, in order to delineate this, the term “transcendent state” (i.e., the state of going to the other shore) is mentioned to signify the path without worldly influences. RK: bodhisattvānām api balā dayaḥ santi| na tu te pāraṅgatāḥ| tatas tadvyavacchedāya pāramitā grahaṇam| anāśravo mārgaḥ parijñaḥ.

401. According to Ratnākara (F.86.b), “knowing of reality as-it-is” is the accurate knowing that belongs to tathāgatas. That knowing itself is the “power,” in that it has overcome everything else. RK: tathāgatānāṃ yathābhūta jñāna[ṃ] samyagjñānam| tad eva balaṃ sarvābhibhūtatvāt.

402. According to Ratnākara (F.86.b), “the power of the buddhas’ knowing” is its potential for causal efficacy everywhere in all forms infinitely. RK: yad buddhajñānabalam iti| buddhajñāna sya balaṃ śaktir niravadhi­sarvākāraviśvārtha­kriyāyai.

403. According to Ratnākara (F.86.b), the “buddhas’ seeing with knowing of the powers” refers to the actualization of the attainment. RK: balānāṃ yad buddhaiḥ jñānadarśanaṃ prāptisākṣātkaraṇam.

404. This and the subsequent sentence together hint at the relationship between the different meanings of the multivalent Sanskrit word dharma (“truth,” “things,” “teachings,” “qualities”). According to Ratnākara (F.86.b), how the “truth” is realized is by actualizing “the ultimate nature,” i.e., the accurate knowing, “of all things.” RK: sa katham ? sarvadharmāṇāṃ paramārtha sya samyagjñānasyābhinirhāreṇa niṣpādanena. According to Hari (331), “by actualizing the ultimate nature of all things” means by coming face to face with their nature being like magical illusions. Hari: paramārthābhinirhāreṇe ti māyopamatābhi­mukhī­karaṇena. Note: Hari and Ratnākara are explaining the “ultimate nature” according to their respective Yogācāra and Mādhyamika perspectives.

405. This paragraph presents several metaphors that shed light on the different natures of the Dharma, i.e., teachings, as they are revealed to others. According to Ratnākara (F.86.b), “the Dharma” here refers to spiritual knowing, with its three phases and twelve aspects of teaching (see n.493). That itself is the “wheel” due to moving about in the world of gods and humans. “Setting in motion” means in the ten directions. RK: triparivartadvādaśākāraṃ lokottaraṃ jñānaṃ dharmaḥ| sa eva cakraṃ devamanuṣyeṣu caṃkramaṇāt | tasya pravartanaṃ daśasu dikṣu. According to Hari (331), by illuminating the self-realized “Dharma”‍—i.e., by teaching the transcendent state of wisdom‍—in order to make it be realized again and again, like a “wheel,” they are “setting it in motion” i.e., circulating it in the mindstreams of those to be tamed. Hari: dharmacakrapravartanam iti dharma sya svādhigamasya dyotikayā prajñāpāramitādeśanayā cakra vat punaḥpunar āmukhīkaraṇārthena pravartanaṃ vineyasaṃtāne vistārīkaraṇaṃ.

406. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), “torch of the Dharma” refers to the speech that illuminates that very Dharma. “Presenting” that means mentally setting it forth. RK: tasyaiva dharmasya dyotanī vāg dharmolka (sic?)| tasyāḥ pragrahaṇaṃ manasā vyavasthāpanam.

407. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), “drum of the Dharma” refers to that very same speech and “beating” it means making it heard in order to conquer those to be tamed. RK: saiva vāg dharmabherī| tasyāḥ saṃpratāḍanaṃ vineyajayaśrāvaṇam.

408. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), “blowing” the conch of the Dharma refers to those to be tamed becoming aware (at first), and “resounding” it refers to them actualizing the contemplation and cultivation. RK: saiva vā dharmaśaṅkhaḥ| tasya pūraṇaṃ vineyair eva jñānam| tasya dharmaśaṅkhasya pravyāharaṇam| tam evālambya tadarthākāreṇa manasi kurvatāṃ cintābhāvanayoḥ pariniṣpattiḥ. According to Hari (331), “blowing” means filling up the minds of those to be tamed and “resounding” is due to it filling them up. Hari: vineyamanaḥprapūraṇād dharmaśaṅkhaprapūraṇaṃ. paurītvena dharmaśaṅkhapravyāharaṇaṃ.

409. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), “the sword” is precisely the spiritual knowing arisen by force of cultivation. “Striking with” it means destroying the defilements (khaḍgapraharaṇam<vidhvaṃsanam): RK: bhāvānābalād utpannaṃ tad eva lokottaraṃ jñānaṃ dharmakhaṅgaḥ | tena praharaṇaṃ kleśānāṃ vidhvaṃsanam. According to Hari (331), “striking” is due to combating all the tough obstructions. Hari: dṛḍha­sarvāvaraṇa­praharanād dharmakhaḍgapraharaṇaṃ.

410. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), “showering with the rain of Dharma” means showering with the activity of that very Dharma for more beings. RK: tasyaiva bhūyasi jane pravṛttiḥ dharmavṛṣṭiḥ| tasyāḥ pravarṣaṇam. According to Hari (331), “showering with the rain of Dharma” means in terms of (beings’) satisfaction. Hari: tarpaṇatvena dharma­vṛṣṭi­pravarṣaṇaṃ.

411. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), the Dharma itself is the “sacrificial offering,” because it involves unrestrained sacrifice. RK: sa eva yajño nirargaḍatvāt| tasya yajanam. According to Hari (331), “making a sacrificial offering of Dharma” is because (of teaching it) in plain view and discernible (by others). Hari: vispaṣṭatvena vijñeyatvena ca dharmayajñayajanaṃ.

412. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), “nourishing” and “fulfilling” sentient beings with the gift of that Dharma means providing them with (Dharma). RK: tasya dharma sya dān ena sarvasattvā nāṃ saṃtarpaṇaṃ saṃpravāraṇaṃ ca pariveṣaṇam. According to Hari (331), it is “nourishing” sentient beings because it is agreeable to the mind and “fulfilling” because being able to hear it brings delight. Hari: manojñatvena sarvasattvasaṃtarpaṇaṃ. śravaṇīyatvena yathā sukhīkaraṇāt sampravāraṇaṃ.

413. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), “tamed” is because he or she is introduced to the four truths by the applications of mindfulness; “trained” is by the four “correct exertions” and the four supernormal supports; “resolved” is due to absolute certainty through the five faculties and five strengths; and “determined” is due to not retreating. RK: vinītāḥ smṛtyupasthānaiḥ satyeṣv avatāraṇāt| śikṣitāḥ samyak­prahāṇarddhipādaiḥ| adhimuktā indriyabalair ekāntaniścayāt| niyatā avinivṛtteḥ. According to Hari (331), we should read the first three verbs as a group: “tamed” due to the taming in the buddha qualities; “trained” due to training in the solitary realizer qualities; “resolved” due to firm conviction in the disciple qualities. They are “determined” to realize their own awakening based on their determined disposition (gotra), and based on that they are “devoted to” complete awakening. Hari: buddhadharmeṣu vinayanād vinītāḥ. pratyeka­buddha­dharmeṣu śikṣaṇāc chikṣitāḥ. śrāvakadharmeṣv adhimokṣād adhimuktā iti yojyaṃ. svabodhyadhigamaṃ prati­niyatagotra­tvalābhān niyatāḥ. tata eva sambodhiparāyaṇāḥ. Note: For Ratnākara, it refers to the stages of the thirty-seven factors in awakening, whereas for Hari, this sentence is referring to the four types of Buddhist dispositions or spiritual lineages (gotra) echoed in the following sentences.

414. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), “depending on the Buddha and so on” means he or she takes hold of them. The term “mentally cultivating” (manaso bhāvanam) means delighting (rañjanam). “Worthy of mental cultivation” means to be suitable for that, i.e., causing delight (prasādakarāḥ). RK: buddhā dināgamye ti kṣetrīkṛtya| mānaso bhāvanaṃ rañjanam| tasmai hitā manobhāvanīyā ḥ prasādakarā ity arthaḥ. According to Hari (331), persons “worthy of mental cultivation” refers to one, two, or three persons who bring delight to the mind (prasādakāriṇaḥ). Hari: manobhāvanīyān iti ekadvitri pudgalān manaḥprasāda­kāriṇaḥ.

415. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), “essentializes” means to makes clear. “Combines” (piṇḍayitvā) and “considers” mean to examine with the mind concentrated. RK: abhisaṃkṣipye ty asya vivaraṇaṃ| piṇḍayitve ti tulayitve ti samāhitena manasā nirūpya.

416. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a), that one should “rejoice” means one should take joy as one’s mental object, and “joyousness” means the arising of joy. RK: anumodete ti prītyālambanaṃ kuryāt| anumodanaye ti prītyotpādanayā| agraye ti prakṛṣṭayā. According to Hari (331), the bottom line here is that when one feels great joy and preeminent faith in the inclination of the doer (of those deeds described), one would oneself produce preeminence by doing all the same deeds. Hari: kartur āśayātiśaya­śraddhātiharṣaḥ svayaṃ tatsarvasampādanāśayātiśayaṃ kuryād iti yāvat.

417. According to Ratnākara (F.87.a–b), “foremost” means drawn forth. Now why are there the eleven words? Because that joyousness is drawn forth in the eleven types of meditative objects. Why is that? Because that joyousness has as its meditative object those roots of merit that belong to the tathāgatas with their retinues in the middle and the ten surrounding directions. RK: agraye ti prakṛṣṭayā| kathaṃ tarhi ekādaśapadāni ? ekādaśavidhe py ālambane tasyāḥ prakarṣāt| tat kutaḥ ? madhye daśasu ca dikṣu ye tathāgatāḥ teṣāṃ saparicchadena yāni kuśalamūlāni tadālambanatvāt tasyāḥ.

418. According to Ratnākara (F.87.b), in the above Subhūti has explained, in detail, how a bodhisattva rejoices and dedicates. But with the words “in that dedication” and so on, he asks Maitreya to describe the way that a bodhisattva should practice without mental perceptions in that dedication. RK: tad evam ukta ityādinā vistareṇa sthavirasubhūtir yathānumodya yathā bodhisattvaḥ pariṇāmayati taduktavān| yathā tu tatrānupalambhayogaḥ kartavyas tadupa­darśanāyārya­maitreyaṃ tatre tyādinā pṛcchati.

419. The English translation of this crucial passage follows the Tibetan translation, which in turn follows Hari’s philological explanation that the extant Sanskrit text was meant to read “dedicates” instead of the variant reading “rejoices,” which appears in many Sanskrit manuscripts. Although Ratnākara seems to agree with Hari’s correction without mentioning it, Ratnākara offers a slightly different, more straightforward interpretation of the passage (compared to Hari’s below). According to Ratnākara (F.87.b), “such things” refers here to the tathāgatas in the ten directions; “meditative objects” refers to their roots of virtue; and “meditative perspectives” refers to the masses of ethical discipline, concentration, and so on (all of which were mentioned in the passage above). “That proper mindset” refers to the proper mindset of joyousness (i.e., not the mindset of awakening). The word “even” means notwithstanding the foregoing (i.e., that they rejoice based on the things, etc.). “Would he or she mentally perceive” is the conditional mood (of the verb in the passive construction), and the question aims to ask, “Is it possible that these be perceived?” The phrase “makes them into a sign” means mentally constructs. (Overall, this question is asked because of the implication that) without doing so, rejoicing and dedicating would seem impossible. RK: yair vastubhir iti daśadik tathāgatādibhiḥ| yair ālambanair iti tadīyaiḥ kuśalamūlaiḥ| yair ākārair iti śīlasamādhi­skandhādibhiḥ| tac cittam ity anumodanācittam| api tv iti kin tu| upalabhyerann iti śaktau liṅga (sic!)| upalabdhuṃ śakyata iti praśnaḥ| nimittīkarotī ti vikalpayati| anyathā anumodanāpariṇāmanayor ayogāt. Note: Ratnākara glosses the term ālambaṇaṃ not ārambaṇaṃ but these are, in effect, synonyms. According to Hari (332), after describing the mental activity of dedicating without any mental perception, Subhūti now raises a question about that topic for the sake of removing a possible faulty objection (to be explained below). The phrase “dedicates it based on such things” means he or she offers that mindset with its cause, i.e., belonging to the lineage of, or having the natural disposition (gotra) toward, the state of a tathāgata, and so on. Although in some extant Sanskrit manuscripts the text reads “rejoices” (instead of “dedicates” as just explained), in those manuscripts the meaning “dedicates” is what is to be grasped from it mentioning the mental activity of dedicating‍—and Subhūti explains it this way immediately afterward, when he asks, “What things does he or she dedicate?” In the next phrase, the term “meditative objects” refers to everything included in the masses of ethical discipline and so on. The “meditative perspectives” are simply the ways of mentally grasping those meditative objects. “That proper mindset” refers to the mental construct of a grasper. The Sanskrit interjection api nu (an indeclinable adverb) is present in the sense of the word kim (an interrogative). The meaning of Subhūti’s question is as follows: Since it is impossible to dedicate those things after making them into a sign, he or she imagines those things‍—which simply do not exist because of being in the past‍—and makes them into a perceptual object the way they manifest at the conventional level. But, at the level of ultimate reality, are they being mentally perceived exactly the same way? What is considered in this question is whether something is mentally perceived and whether it exists in that same way, because a mental perception of a thing‍—insofar as it contradicts valid cognition‍—is thoroughly ascertained to be an erroneous perception, like the knowing of a mirage and so on. Hence, a dedication procedure considered to be performed on the strength of that (error) would be weak, just like applying oneself based on the erroneous belief in “me” or “mine.” Hari: anupalambha­pariṇāmanā­manaskāraṃ nirdiśyedānīṃ tatra kucodyaparihārārthaṃ praśnayann āha : tatra bodhisattvayānika ityādi. yair vastubhiḥ pariṇāmayatīti yais tathāgata­tvādigotrahetubhir niryātayatīty arthaḥ. kvacid anumodete ti pāṭhaḥ. tatrāpi pariṇāmanā­manaskārasya prakrāntatvāt pariṇāmayatīty arthe grāhyaḥ. tathā cānantaram eva vakṣyati : katamair vastubhiḥ pariṇāmayatīti. yair ālambanair yair ākārair iti ālambanāni śīlādiskandhāḥ sarvadharmāḥ. tadgrahaṇaprakārā evākārāḥ. taccittam iti grāhakavikalpaṃ. api nv iti apinuśabdo nipātaḥ kiṃ śabdārthe vartate. tathopalabhyeran yathā nimittīkarotī ti vastvādīny animittīkṛtya pariṇāmayitum aśakyatvāt tāny atītatayāvidyamānāny evādhyāropya yathodbhāvanāsaṃvṛtyā viṣayīkriyante. kiṃ tattvatas tathaiva samupalabhyanta ity arthaḥ. yady upalabhyanta iti mataṃ, tathā ca sati, pramāṇavyāhatatvena viparyāso hi vastunaḥ (sic!) upalambho marīcyādijñānavat pariniścitaḥ || tasmāt tadbalato vṛttaḥ pariṇāmavidhir mataḥ ātmātmīya­viparyāsa­pravṛtta iva durbalaḥ iti matiḥ.

420. The distinction here between “things” (vastu), “meditative objects” (ālambana), and “meditative perspectives” (ākāra) might be translated (according to some philosophical schools in other contexts) as “real thing” (vastu), “perceptual content” (ālambana), and “perceptual form” (ākāra).

421. According to Ratnākara (F.87.b), the first sentence asserts that it would be an error, namely, an error of conception, mindset, and view, due, respectively, to grasping something that does not exist as a sign, grasping that (sign), and considering it (to be real). The “desire” is an illustrating example aimed at proving (the assertion) of those (errors). “On the other hand” refers to what other systems might object to‍—their basic objection (to the implications of emptiness) is that a sacrificial offering would be like the yakṣa (to whom it is offered). In this sentence, the “proper mindset” refers to a dedicating mindset. “Everything” is a summary; “all the elements” explains that more precisely. RK: evan tarhi viparyāsāḥ syur iti| asata eva nimittodgrahāt grahaṇāt santīraṇāc ca yathokramaṃ saṃjñāyāś cittasya dṛṣṭeś ca viparyāsaḥ| eṣāṃ sādhanārtha rāgo dṛṣṭāntaḥ athāpī ti paramatam āśaṅkate| yādṛśo yakṣas tādṛśo balir iti bhāvaḥ| cittam iti pariṇāmanācittam| sarvadharmā ity uddeśaḥ| sarvadhātava iti nirdeśaḥ.

422. According to Hari (335), someone might respond to the previous sentence, “Assuming it is the same as you say, where is the fault in it?” To address that, Subhūti continues with this next sentence. Its thinking is as follows: Just as the things and so on are not existing, the mindset of awakening would also not be existing. In this case, what mindset is a bodhisattva dedicating to awakening by means what things, etc.? Subhūti’s rhetorical question implies that a bodhisattva is not dedicating anything to anything else by any means. Hence, the error of dedicating (in the manner of the previous sentence) lies in the impossibility of dedicating anything at all. Hari: bhavatv evaṃ ko doṣa iti cet. āha : yadi ce tyādi. evaṃ manyate: yadi yathā vastvādikam asaṃvidyamānaṃ tathā bodhicittādikaṃ tadā katamair vastvādibhiḥ katamac cittādikaṃ kva bodhau pariṇāmayati. yāvatā naiva kenacit kiṃcit kvacit pariṇāmayati. ataḥ sarvathā pariṇāmānupapattau pariṇāmaviparyāsa iti. According to Ratnākara (F.87.b–88.a), with this sentence Subhūti explains the fault. “What things” and so on should be connected with the mindset of rejoicing. “What proper mindset” refers to the mindset of dedicating, because that dedication also has no inherent nature. The basic idea is that no dedication at all would exist. RK: yadi ce tyādinā doṣam āha| katamair vastv ādibhir iti anumodanācitta­sambandhibhiḥ| cittam iti pariṇāmanācittam| tasyāpi niḥsvabhāvatvāt| kve ti kasyām| pariṇāmanaiva na syād iti bhāvaḥ.

423. According to Hari (335), even though such a dedication might be erroneous in the ultimate level of reality, the mental activity of dedicating things and so on that exist, at the conventional level, is certainly asserted to gradually produce genuine realization. Hence, Maitreya responds to him with two alternative subtexts in mind, namely, (a) “Nothing more is to be said by you,” or (b) “Given that one would not be fixating upon those things and so on as ultimately real, such a dedication would not be wrong, because it would involve only an illusory person dedicating at the conventional level.” Hari: tattvena viparyasto ’py anityādivikalpavat pāramparyeṇa bhūtārthaprāpakaḥ saṃvṛtyā vastvāder vidyamānatvena pariṇāmanāmanaskāra iṣyata eva. ato na kiṃcid adhikaṃ tvayoktam ity abhiprāyeṇāha : nedaṃ ārya subhūta ityādi atha vā tasmin vastvālambanādau pāramārthikābhi­niveśavi­gamena saṃvṛtyā māyāpuruṣasyeva pariṇāmanān na viparyastapariṇāma ity abhiprāyavān āha: nedam ārya subhūta ityādi. Note: The single word “this” (idam) has been translated “this point” for clarity.

424. According to Ratnākara (F.88.a), here “faith” and so on is in rejoicing, dedicating, and so on. Using the word “trace” here implies an interruption to their performance of these practices (in the future). RK: yad api hi syād bhavet| kva? anumodanāpariṇāmanādau| mātra grahaṇam anuṣṭhānavyavacchedārtham.

425. According to Ratnākara (F.88.a), “supported” here means strengthened. RK: upastabdhaḥ sthirīkṛtaḥ.

426. For readability, this translation veers slightly from the Sanskrit and Tibetan co-relative sentence structure and interpolates the word “rejoicing” based on Ratnākara’s gloss (F.88.a): yad ity anumodakaṃ cittam. Hari’s gloss (336) equates the rejoicing mindset with the root of virtue associated with rejoicing (i.e., that which is producing merit that is being dedicated by a bodhisattva). Hari: yad ity anumodanāsaha­gataṃ kuśalamūlaṃ. tac cittam ity anumodakaṃ.

427. Ratnākara’s (F.88.a) explanation of the passage is too abbreviated and Hari’s explanation (336) too detailed and lengthy to warrant including either here. To explain the essence of the issue here, although disciple schools teach that all things including mindsets are momentary‍—meaning that they are real but arise, dwell, cease, and dissolve within a single instant‍—this scripture is understood to refute this notion of impermanence by demonstrating that the disciple notion of causality, despite its relative value, is untenable at the ultimate level, and hence must be qualified and contextualized. In this particular passage on the practice of dedicating the merit of rejoicing to complete awakening, the objection is implied and refuted in order to highlight the ultimate understanding that is meant to accompany the relative description of the practice as described by the scripture itself above. In particular, the refutation here and below draws into question how the first rejoicing mindset can be dedicated by the subsequent dedicating mindset, given that the former must dissolve before the latter can appear, and hence they cannot have any causal relationship. After the refutation at the ultimate level, the correct way to dedicate one’s rejoicing to awakening will be taught.

428. According to Ratnākara (F.88.a), that he or she “conceives of” communicates the basic idea. That he or she “considers” is the detailed explanation‍—the meaning is that he or she pays attention in a nonerroneous manner. RK: evaṃ sañjānīta ity uddeśaḥ| evaṃ samanvāharatī ti nirdeśaḥ| aviparyāsena manasikarotīty arthaḥ| tad ityādi| tat cittam evaṃ samanvāhriyamāṇam iti sambandhaḥ. According to Hari (342–43), the “proper mindset” here is the mindset being dedicated (e.g., the rejoicing mindset). Due to the words “dissipated” and so on, he or she “conceives of” refers to when the bodhisattva arrives at the end of the preliminary stage of practice. He or she “considers” refers to when the bodhisattva progresses to the main stage of practice. Hari: yac cittam iti pariṇāmyamānaṃ. evaṃ saṃjānīta iti vakṣyamāṇakṣīṇatvādinā prayogapṛṣṭhāvasthāyāṃ pratipadyate. evaṃ samanvāharatī ti maulāvasthāyāṃ. Note: Repeating words twice‍—e.g., “dissipated, dissipated”‍—is a traditional feature of many meditation instructions aimed at insight (vipaśyanā), during which one is actually meant to identify each experience with a label repeated mentally twice. The three alternative labels are different angles on the same dissolution.

429. According to Ratnākara (F.88.a), he pays attention by means of the virtual synonyms “dissipated” and so on. It “cannot be dedicated” because, like the horns of a hare, it does not exist. “The very same true nature” refers to its very lack of inherent nature. “Those qualities” refers to the qualities of a buddha. RK: kṣīṇam ityādibhiḥ paryāyair manasikaroti| na tac chakyam iti| asattvāc chaśaviṣāṇavat| saiva dharmate ti niḥsvabhāvataiva| dharmeṣv iti buddhadharmeṣu. According to Hari (342–43), “the very same true nature of that mindset” means it alone is the true nature of dissipating and so on because that dedicating mindset also has no inherent nature (i.e., not just the mindset being dedicated but also the mindset dedicating). The phrase “those things” refers to the things, meditative objects, and meditative perspectives (mentioned above). The phrase “those qualities” refers to the complete knowing and so on (i.e., the awakening toward which it is dedicated). Hari: tasyāpi cittasya saiva dharmate ti pariṇāmakacittasya svabhāvavirahāt saiva kṣīṇatvādidharmatā. yair api dharmair iti vastvādibhiḥ. yeṣv api dharmeṣv iti sarvajñatādiṣu.

430. The word “supposing” marks the beginning of a brief recap. The words “like this” mean free of mental perception, which means by paying attention in all cases with the single flavor of emptiness. RK: saced ityādinopasaṃhāraḥ| evam ity anupalambhena| sarvatra śūnyataikarasena manasikāreṇety arthaḥ.

431. According to Ratnākara (F.89.a), that “thing that is undissipating” is unsurpassed, perfect awakening, which is the completely pure true nature of all things. They “properly dedicated” due to lacking any error‍—this is the basic idea. RK: sa ca dharmo ’kṣaya iti anuttarā samyaksambodhiḥ suviśuddha­dharma­tālakṣaṇā| evaṃ pariṇāmitaṃ bhavatī ty aviparyāsād iti bhāvaḥ.

432. According to Ratnākara (F.89.a), “accumulation of merit” refers to a meritorious action. Not conceiving of it means not being fixated upon it. RK: puṇyābhisaṃskāraḥ puṇyakarma| saṃjñānam abhiniveśaḥ.

433. According to Ratnākara (F.89.a), “void” and “null” are because of being, respectively, empty of self and other and empty of the characteristics associated with self and other. RK: viviktaḥ śāntaś ca yathākramaṃ svaparaiḥ svapara­lakṣaṇaiś ca śūnyatvāt.

434. There is a slight play on the multivalent Sanskrit word saṃskārāḥ (“conditioned things,” “conditioning factors”), which is meant to play off and build upon the meaning of its etymologically related multivalent term abhisaṃskārāḥ (translated here as “accumulation” and elsewhere as “cumulative construction”), which is mentioned in the previous sentence.

435. According to Ratnākara (F.89.a), in this sentence one is recalling the “root of virtue” of the buddhas and seeing it as “exactly the same” (as the dedication mentioned just above). “That dedication”‍—which here refers to something whose nature is the source of all qualities (dharmadhātu)‍—is being (incorrectly) seen as “exactly the same as” unsurpassed, perfect awakening, whose nature is the source of all qualities (dharmadhātu) that is obtained, due (supposedly) to the former’s permanent connection with the latter. RK: yad apī tyādinā smaraṇam| yādṛśa eve tyādinā nirūpaṇam| yādṛśa eva sa pariṇāma ity anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhir dharmadhatusvabhāvā tādṛśam eva tad iti labhyate nityābhisambandhāt| dharmadhātusvabhāvam eva tad ity arthaḥ.

436. According to Ratnākara (F.89.a), “both” refers to “the root of virtue,” i.e., that which is associated with rejoicing, and “that by which it is dedicated,” i.e., the dedicating mindset. RK: tādṛśam eva tat kuśalamūlam iti yad anumodanāsaha­gatam| yenāpī ti pariṇāmanācittena| tad apī ti tad apy ubhayam.

437. According to Ratnākara (F.89.a), “with such conceptions” means since the bodhisattva is fixating on these conceptions as having a real sameness and so on, he or she is not dedicating correctly. RK: sa ced evaṃ saṃjānīta iti| yady anenāpi tādṛśatvādinā tattvenābhiniviśate tadā na samyakpariṇāmayati.

438. A “sign” (nimitta) generally refers to something conceptual that represents something else. Some disciple meditations involve developing a mental image that serves as a sign of something else.

439. According to Ratnākara (F.89.b), beginning with the words (translated here as) “that is to say,” he explains another conceptualization of reality. The words “not yet obtained” mean not arisen. “The present” does not exist, because it is transitory by its very nature. Therefore “these three are not perceived” means they do not exist. There is “neither any sign” due to the nonfunctioning of those, “nor a perceptual object” that is functioning (to produce a perception). RK: yaccātītam ityādinā aparaṃ tattvavikalpam āha| asaṃprāptam anutpannam| sthitir nāstī ti prakṛtyaiva naśvaratvāt| tasmāt trayam api nopalabhyate, tato ’sat| tato naiva nimittam akāraṇatvāt| nākāraṇaṃ viṣayaḥ.

440. According to Ratnākara (F.89.b), “in this way” means as a reality that has the quality of being “dissipated” and so on. “Makes into a sign” means perceives (that way). When doing so, he or she is “neither considering,” i.e., not correctly paying attention to, “nor dedicating,” i.e., not correctly dedicating. RK: e vam iti kṣīṇatvādinā tattvena| nimittīkarotī ty upalabhate| tadā na samanvāharati na samyagmanasikaroti| tadā na samyak pariṇāmayati.

441. According to Ratnākara (F.89.b), Maitreya says this sentence in case someone were to (mistakenly) think that the correct dedication is when a bodhisattva does not make a root of virtue into a sign because of not recalling or being uninformed. Thus, the idea here is that not making it into a sign is also “not dedicating” (correctly), in essence, because even a mere dedication is lacking here. RK: yadā tarhy anavabodhād asmaraṇād vā na nimittīkaroti tadā samyakpariṇāmaḥ syād iti ced āha| athe tyādi| evam apī ti| evam animittīkaraṇe pi na pariṇāmayati| pariṇāmanāmātrasyāpy abhāvād iti bhāvaḥ.

442. According to Ratnākara (F.89.b), with this sentence he explains when it is correctly dedicated. The words “such a sign” refer to the content of accurate knowing whose absence of a sign and absence of perceptual object has the quality of exact sameness and so on. He or she “considers it”‍—i.e., perfectly keeps it in mind‍—“without making it into a sign,” i.e., without mentally conceiving of it and fixating on it. RK: kadā tarhi samyakpariṇāmitaṃ bhavaty ata āha| athe tyādi| atha śabdo yadyarthaḥ| tad iti tādṛśatvādikam animittaṃ saviṣayatvañ ca| nimittam iti samyagjñānālambanam| samanvāharatī ti samyagmanasi­karoti| na ca nimittīkarotī ti na sañjānāti nābhiniviśate.

443. According to Ratnākara (F.90.a), “this” refers both to paying attention to reality and to not making it into a sign. The word (translated here as) “something” is in the sense of what is known in the world. The bodhisattva’s “skill in means” is something known in the world. RK: idaṃ tad ityādi| idam iti yad etad ubhayaṃ tattvasya manasikāro na ca nimittīkaraṇam| tac chabdaḥ prasiddhau| upāyakauśalaṃ yat prasiddham idaṃ tat.

444. According to Ratnākara (F.90.a), Maitreya now begins to explain what the “means” is within “this skill in means.” Here, “one who has not listened to,” or learned, this very “transcendent state of wisdom,” i.e., the scripture itself, cannot “become well steeped in it,” i.e., cannot be immersed in it. To make sense, this idea needs to be connected back to the transcendent state of wisdom’s dedication that is actually producing the merit. RK: athāsmin upāyakauśale ka upāya ity ata āha| atra ce tyādi| iyam eve ti| sūtrātmikaiva| aśrutavate ti imām asyāṃ veti śeṣaḥ| prajñāpāramitāyā yā pariṇāmanā saiva puṇyakriyā, seyaṃ praveṣṭum avagāhituṃ na hi śakye ti sambandhaḥ| tatre ti tathā sati.

445. According to Ratnākara (F.90.a), if those too are not mentally perceived, then “reality as-it-is” means the unmistaken quality that it has ceased and so on. “Make into a sign” means through intellectually grasping it and “conceptualize” means through habitual fixation. One’s own “mental perception” is conceiving of “reality as-it-is,” i.e., ceased and so on, “something not the reality as-it-is,” i.e., in an appearance of a conceptualization. He (mistakenly) dedicates this “to the freedom from mental perceptions,” i.e., complete awakening. RK: api tv iti| yady api nopalabhyante tathāpi yathābhūtam aviparītaṃ niruddhatvādikam| nimittīkṛtye ty udgrahataḥ| vikalpya ce ty abhiniveśataḥ| ayathābhūte vikalpapratibhāse yathābhūta niruddhādisaṃjñī upalambhaṃ ātmīyaṃ anupalambhe samyaksaṃbodhau pariṇāmayet.

446. The term “someone conceiving of a mental perception” (upalambhasaṃjñinaḥ; dmigs pa’i ’du shes can) is used throughout this literature pejoratively. Cf. BHSD under upalambha: “having a false notion of mental perception”, upalambhasaṃjñinaḥ.

447. Here the scripture contains a double entendre for the multivalent Sanskrit term pariṇāma (“dedication,” “transformation,” and “digestion”). To be precise, the food metaphor requires the translation “digestion” in this case, but “dedication” is implicit. According to Ratnākara (F.90.a), “when it is digested” means in the end; “results” refers to the fruit of the ripening process. RK: pariṇāme ce ti avasāne ca| vipāka phalam. Cf. MW pariṇāma, “digestion.”

448. In this sentence, the English translation has followed the Tibetan translation, rather than the Sanskrit texts that add the phrase “of all the blessed buddhas in the innumerable and immeasurable world systems” because this phrase was not included in the passages above, which were virtually identical to one another. aprameyāsaṃkhyeyeṣu lokadhātuṣu atītānāgata­pratyutpannānāṃ buddhānāṃ bhagavatāṃ sarvalokadhātuṣu.

449. According to Ratnākara (F.90.b), “poisoned” here means lacking efficacious potency. RK: evaṃ sa iti yo ’yam uktaḥ| saviṣatvād iti anarthakaraṇaśaktir atra viṣam.

450. According to Ratnākara (F.90.b), “how should” and so on are the questions. “The answer” is the response. The term “denigration” refers to injury due to false assertions about him being made. In the phrase “should be taken up” and so on, rejoicing is characterized by embracing (i.e., taking hold of) it, because it cannot be separated (from that). RK: katham ityādinā praśnāḥ| ihe tyādikam uttaram| abhyākhyānaṃ nindā| abhūtavāditayā khyāpanāt| parigrahītavyā dipadeṣu parigraheṇānumodanā lakṣyate, nāntarīyakatvāt.

451. According to Hari (358), “faultless” means not having caused any harm due to one’s not having faults. “Unpoisoned dedication” is due to lacking a mental perception as one’s object (of dedication). It is a “great dedication” due to causing the attainment of a buddha’s form body. It is a “dedication of the ultimate realm of things” due to causing the attainment of a buddha’s body of truth (dharmakāya). Here, “perfectly” means due to proceeding to the level of preliminary and subsequent practice. “Utterly perfect” means due to correctly advancing to the level of the main practice RK: anaparāddha iti nirdoṣatvād akṛtāparādhaḥ. apagatopalambha­viṣayatvān nirviṣaḥ pariṇāmaḥ. rūpa­kāya­dharmakāya­prāpti­hetutvād yathākramaṃ mahāpariṇāmo dharmadhātupariṇāmaḥ. pra­yoga­pṛṣṭhāvasthā­praṣṭhatvāt paripūrṇaḥ. maulāvasthāyāṃ samyak­pravṛttatvāt suparipūrnaḥ.

452. According to Hari (358), not being “enmeshed” (aparyāpannaḥ) means not being stuck, because the three realms of desire and so on are not mentally perceived. Hari: aparyapannam iti kāmādidhātu­traya­syānu­palambhād apratiṣṭhitaṃ. According to Ratnākara (F.90.b), “ethical discipline” and so on refers to the masses (skandha) of ethical discipline and so on that constitutes a tathāgata. “Enmeshed in” means existing within. “Not being enmeshed in the three realms or three times” means not existing in the three realms or existing in the three times. The idea here is that their masses of “ethical discipline” and so on refers simply to the ultimate realm of things (dharmadhātu). RK: śīlā dīti tathāgataḥ śīlādiskandhaḥ| aparyāpannam anantarbhūtaṃ| tryadhvatrai­dhātukāparyāpannatvād iti adhvatraye dhātutraye cānantargatatvād ity arthaḥ| dharmadhātumātratvāt teṣāṃ śīlā dīnām iti bhāvaḥ.

453. According to Ratnākara (F.91.a), “that thing to which” refers to perfect, complete awakening. RK: yatrāpi dharma iti samyaksambodhau.

454. The commentators effectively treat the phrase “dedication of the ultimate realm of things” (dharmadhātupariṇāma) as referring to both (a) the thing dedicated, i.e., a dedication of the true nature of things, which is inseparable from the ultimate realm of things, or (b) the thing to which it is dedicated, i.e., a dedication to awakening, which is inseparable from the ultimate realm of things. In other words, the phrase “dedication of the ultimate realm of things” means that one is dedicating the ultimate realm of things, which is the true nature of all things, toward the ultimate realm of things, which is awakening.

455. According to Ratnākara (F.91.a), this sentence is spoken in order to show that the two dedications recommended by the Buddha are the same in terms of being dedications of the ultimate realm of things. RK: buddhānujñāta­pariṇāmayor dharma­dhātu­pariṇāmatvena samatāṃ darśayitum āha| tatre tyādi.

456. According to Hari (360), the Blessed One congratulates noble Subhūti with “excellent, excellent” because he had taught perfectly by way of a question (asked of Maitreya). Given that Maitreya taught this passage, how could the Blessed One otherwise direct his congratulation, “excellent,” toward someone else? Hari: praśnamukhena samyag upadeśakatvād āryasubhūte sādhu sādhv iti sādhukāraḥ. anyathārya­maitreyeṇopadiṣṭatvāt katham anyaṃ prati sādhukāraḥ sādhuḥ syāt.

457. These two lines express the two dedications of the ultimate realm of things mentioned in the previous notes.

458. According to Ratnākara (F.91.a), in relation to these two “dedications of the ultimate realm of things,” the eleven descriptions beginning with “foremost” and so on are because they are causes that draw forth the eleven bodhisattva levels beginning with the joyful level and so on. atre ty anayor dharma­dhatu­pariṇāmanayor agrā ditvaṃ pramuditādyekādaśa­bhūmi­gata­prakarṣahetutvāt.

459. According to Hari (363), “set out” means entered the stage of (having given rise to) the mindset of awakening in aspiration and in action. Hari: samprasthitā iti praṇidhiprasthāna­cittābhyām pravṛttābhyāṃ pravṛttā ity arthaḥ.

460. According to Ratnākara (F.91.b), “other requisites” means the monastic requisites, i.e., a water filter and so on. RK: pariṣkārāḥ pariśrāvaṇādayaḥ.

461. According to Ratnākara (F.91.b), the words “basis for happiness” mean something providing a source of happiness. The “condition pleasant to experience”‍—i.e., a temple terrace for walking and so on‍—is “for pleasure” i.e., for a pleasurable experience. RK: sukhahetavaḥ sukhāḥ | teṣāṃ upadhānaiḥ ḍhaukanaiḥ| sukhasparśaḥ sukhānubhavaḥ| tena ye vihārāḥ caṃkramādayaḥ.

462. According to Hari (364–65), “in the same manner” means, to be more precise, in the step-by-step, one-by-one way that all those beings who have set out for complete awakening might take care of all the beings in the other world systems as described, and hence “give gifts with a mental perception.” The basic idea of the sentence is that one would again “differentiate,” i.e., consider, “all those” other “sentient beings” located in the other world systems as described, and each of those bodhisattvas would take care of “all those other” very same “bodhisattvas” for that many eons. Hari: etena paryāyeṇe ti te sarve samyak­sam­bodhi­samprasthitāḥ sattvā yathoktāparāpara­lokadhātu­sthita­sarva­sattvānām etena paryāyeṇa ikaika­sattva­krameṇopasthānāt tac ca dānam upalambha­saṃjñino dadyur iti yāvat. tān sarvasattvān ityādi. tān anyān yathoktalokadhātustithān sarvasattvān ekaikaṃ parikalpya kṛtvā punas tān eva sarvabodhisattvān ekaiko bodhisattvas tāvataḥ kalpān upatiṣṭhed iti vākyārthaḥ. According to Ratnākara (F.91.b), “differentiate those sentient beings”‍—i.e., arrange them separately as those who are to be taken care of‍—“and also as those bodhisattvas,” i.e., arrange them separately as the caretakers. “Each bodhisattva” would take care of all those very same sentient beings because they had just begun (the path). RK: tān sarvasattvān ekaikaṃ parikalpye ti| upastheyatvena pṛthagavasthāpya| tāṃś ca sarvabodhisattvān iti| ekaikaṃ parikalpyeti vartate| upasthāpakatvena pṛthagavasthāpya| ekaiko bodhisattva iti| upatiṣṭhed iti sambandhaḥ| kim upatiṣṭhet? prakṛtatvāt tān eva sarvasattvān.

463. According to Hari (365), the very large amount of their gifts is incalculable as a number like one, two, and so on, and it is immeasurable because such a number cannot be measured even as immeasurable and so on, (but) that is “enumerated” to be “extremely numerous” and so on (because they still adhering to a mental perception). Hence, those (former) bodhisattvas’ accumulation of merit has that as a factor, when dedicating the masses of ethical discipline (described previously) as incalculable, etc., and immeasurable, etc., up to there not being “any comparison adequate for comparing them.” Hari: etad uktaṃ: yasmāt teṣāṃ suprabhūtaṃ dānaṃ dattaṃ sad ekatvādi saṃkhyādirahitam aprameyādi saṃkhyāyogād aprameyaṃ subahvityādi parisaṃkhyātaṃ bhavati tasmāt taddhetuka­puṇyābhi­saṃskāraḥ pariṇāmanā puṇyaskandhasyāprameyādisaṃkhyādirahitasya yāvad upaniṣadam api na (c.103b) kṣamata iti.

464. These bracketed instructions for the reciter to repeat the recitation (peyālam) are in both the Sanskrit and Tibetan texts, and hence have been translated and left in the main text above.

465. According to Ratnākara (F.91.b), in the previous passage “all bodhisattvas,” whose collective strength within a (single) world system was likened to the grains of sand in the River Ganges, were the caretakers of the “sentient beings,” whose collective strength within the (other) world systems was likened to the grains of sand in the River Ganges. But here in this passage the difference is that the bodhisattva caretakers are equal in number to the sentient beings to be taken care of in that passage. And these bodhisattvas each take care of “sentient beings,” whose collective strength within world systems was likened to the grains of sand in the River Ganges. Those beings and those bodhisattvas are distinguished just like before. RK: pūrvatra gaṅgāna­dīvālukopamaloka­dhātuvīryāḥ sarvabodhisattvā upasthāpakāḥ pratyekaṃ gaṅgāna­dīvālukopamaloka­dhātuvīryānāṃ sattvānām| tatra yāvanta upastheyāḥ sattvāḥ, iha tāvanta upasthāpakā bodhisattvāḥ pratyekaṃ gaṅgāna­dīvālukopamā lokadhātuvīryānāṃ sattvānām iti viśeṣaḥ| tān sarvasattvān ekaikaṃ parikalpitāṃś ca sarvabodhisattvān iti pūrvavat.

466. According to Ratnākara (F.92.a), the descriptions “foremost” and so on are taught to be fourteen, so the answer to the question “To what extent is that foremost?” is to this extent. What is the purpose of saying this here? The fourteen types of being “foremost” themselves are based on the virtuous meditative objects in the ten directions, in the center (of those ten), and in the three times. In this case, where there are (only) thirteen phrases (i.e., “foremost,” “best,” and so on), the thirteen types are based on a different division of the ten directions and three times. In that division, how could the center not be included? Because the point at the center is so subtle, it contains (all ten) directions (i.e., it need not be mentioned separately here). RK: agra tvādīni caturdaśoktāḥ| kiyatā agratā bhavatīti praśnaḥ| iyatā bhavatīty uttaram| ko ’trābhiprāyaḥ ? agratvam eva daśadigma­dhyatryadhva­kuśalālambanatvāc caturdaśavidhaṃ bhavatīti| yatra tarhi trayodaśapadāni tatrāpi daśadiktrya­dhvabhedāt trayodaśavidham| tatra kathaṃ madhyamalokadhātoḥ saṃgrahaḥ? tanmadhye sūkṣmam avadhiṃ kṛtvā diśāṃ grahaṇāt.

467. According to Ratnākara (F.92.a), that the person “does not grasp” these things is due to their not appearing as something to be grasped; that he “does not develop conceits” is due to their not appearing as things; that he “does not mentally perceive” is due to their not appearing as a self-nature; that he “does not imagine” means he does not imagine them as a universal characteristic; that he “does not conceptualize” means he does not conceptualize them as particular characteristics; that he “does not see” is because he does not fixate on beliefs; and that he “does not identify” is because he does not fixate continuously. RK: na gṛṇhīte grāhyatvenāprati­bhāsāt| na manyate vastutvenāpratibhāsāt| nopalabhate svarūpato ’pratibhāsāt| na kalpayati sāmānyalakṣaṇena| na vikalpayati viśeṣalakṣaṇaiḥ| na paśyati dṛṣṭyā anabhiniveśāt| na samanupaśyati santatam anabhiniveśāt.

468. According to Ratnākara (F.92.a), here “imagination” means the imaginer of the unreal; “manifested” means made to appear; “not been born” means due to having no seeds (of birth); “not produced” means due to not being actualized; “not come” means from a past time or from a former world; and “not gone” means to the future or to another world. RK: kalpanā abhūtaparikalpaḥ| tathā viṭhapitāḥ saṃdarśitāḥ| ajātā nirbījatvāt| anirjātā aniṣpatteḥ| anāgatikā anāgatād adhvanaḥ pūrvalokād vā| agatikā atītādhvani paraloke vā.

469. According to Ratnākara (F.92.a–b), for the sentences beginning from “no thing has come to exist” up to “no thing will cease,” the reason (to be supplied) is either because they lack any inherent nature or because they are completely imagined. RK: evaṃ yāvat nāpi nirudhyata iti| niḥsvabhāvatvāt parikalpatatvād veti hetuḥ.