Nagarjuna’s Treatise on the Ten Grounds Volume ll

Chapter 33: Aids to Gaining the Fruits of Śīla

Chapter 33298

Aids to Gaining the

Fruits of Śīla

In order to pursue extensive learning and then practice in accord with the way it was taught after understanding the meaning of that extensive learning, a bodhisattva such as this becomes able to purify his practice of śīla. Thus one should cultivate the dharmas used to purify one's practice of śīla (moral virtue).

Question: Which dharmas are able to purify one's practice of śīla? Response:

Guard the actions of body, speech, and mind

while also not apprehending any dharma by which one guards it. Never permit any admixture of the view of a self or any of the other views.

Dedicate the merit from this to the attainment of all-knowledge. These four methods purify one's practice of śīla. If the practitioner cultivates these four dharmas, his observance of śīla will naturally become pure. "Guarding the actions of body, speech, and mind" refers to always using right mindfulness in one's physical, verbal, and mental actions even to the point that one does not allow oneself to err through committing even the most minor transgressions, acting in this like the tortoise who always takes such care in guarding his head and feet. Because this practitioner deeply delights in emptiness, in his comprehension of the supreme meaning, he does not even apprehend [the existence of] any dharma by which one guards the three types of actions. There are others who, although they do indeed perceive the emptiness of dharmas, they are still of the opinion that the knower of emptiness remains [as an existent entity]. It is for this reason that [the verse] says, "Never permit any admixture 339

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of the view imputing a self," the view of a being, the view of a person, the view of a soul, the view of a life,299 or the view of a knower. "Dedicating [merit to the realization of] all-knowledge" means one does not dedicate the merit arising from upholding the moral precepts to any other sort of fortunate result, but rather only dedicates it to the liberation of all beings through one's quest to attain buddhahood. These are the four [dharmas that enable the purification of moral virtue]. There are yet another four dharmas by which one is able to bring about the purification of one's practice of śīla, namely: If one has no conceptions of a self or anything belonging to a self, if one also has no annihilationist or eternalist views, and if one penetrates the dharma explaining multiple conditions, one will then be able to purify one's practice of śīla. "Freedom from conceptions of a self or anything belonging to a self" refers to not being attached to thoughts imputing the existence of a self or anything belonging to a self. One need only realize that these ideas are empty, false, and inverted and hence there is no dharma of [the existence of] a self. One "has no annihilationist or eternalist views" because annihilationist and eternalist views are possessed of numerous faults. As for "penetrating the dharma that explains multiple conditions," by knowing that all dharmas are products of many conditions and hence are devoid of any fixed nature of their own, one practices the Middle Way. [By availing oneself of] four such dharmas such as these, one is able to purify one's practice of śīla.

There are four additional dharmas through which one is able to purify one's practice of śīla, namely:

One practices the four lineage bases of the āryas,

adopts the twelve dhūta austerities,

also does not delight in the noise of crowds,

and bears in mind why one left home [to become a monastic]. "The four lineage bases of the āryas" refers to being satisfied with whatever robes one has already obtained, to being satisfied with whatever food and drink one has already obtained, to being satisfied with whatever dwelling 340

Chapter 33. Aids to Gaining the Fruits of Śīla place300 one has already obtained, and to delighting in severance and delighting in cultivation. "The twelve dhūta austerities" are:

Adopting the dharma of dwelling in a forest hermitage; Obtaining one's food through the almsround; Wearing robes made of cast-off rags;

[Taking one's daily meal in but] a single sitting; Always sitting [to sleep, never lying down]; Having taken the meal, not accepting food or drink at the wrong times; Possessing only a single three-part set of robes; Wearing only an animal hair robe;

Laying out one's sitting mat wherever one happens to be; Dwelling at the foot of a tree;

Dwelling out in the open (lit. "on empty ground"); Dwelling in a charnel field.

"Not delighting in the noise of crowds" refers to avoiding meeting together with either laypeople or monastics. There are those who, although they have taken up the dharma of dwelling in a forest hermitage, because they have many acquaintances and friends, often have many people coming and going. Therefore, it refers here to "not delighting in the noise of crowds," whether through not going off to other places or through being disinclined to gather together with others.

As for "bearing in mind why one left home [to become a monastic]," one who is focused on śīla practice reflects thus, "Why did I leave the home life to become a monastic?" Having pondered this, because one accords with the endeavors appropriate to the monastic's life and wishes to succeed in these, he practices in a manner that accords with the way [monastic cultivation] was taught. These are the four.

There are another four dharmas by which one can purify one's practice of śīla, namely:

[One sees that] the five aggregates have no arising or destruction, [sees] the six elements301 as like the nature of dharmas, sees that the six sense faculties are empty [of inherent existence], 341

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and does not become attached to worldly expressions.

[Practice] that accords with these four dharmas

also enables one to purify one's practice of śīla.

As for "[seeing that] the five aggregates have no arising or destruction," this means that, by contemplating the five aggregates from root to branch, one perceives their absence of arising and destruction. As for "[seeing that] the six elements" consisting of earth and so forth "are like the nature of dharmas,"302 this means that, just as the nature of dharmas cannot be apprehended, so too, the six elements cannot be apprehended, either. One realizes that, although the six sense faculties involve pain, pleasure, and such, they do so through causes and conditions linked to the mind and mental dharmas. Thus, by resorting to investigative applications of right wisdom, one realizes that they are empty [of any inherent existence]. One then utterly comprehends the nature of all three of these associated categories, realizing that in every case they are entirely empty [of inherent existence].

There are practitioners who develop an attachment to emptiness that then also hinders cultivation of the path. Hence it states here that one must not develop an attachment to emptiness that simply conforms to worldly uses of the word "emptiness."

Dharmas such as these enable one to purify one's practice of śīla. Question: If this is truly so, why do you speak here of the dharmas of the five aggregates?

Response: It is because they are empty. All dharmas of the five aggregates are empty. As for the very last part where it states that one must not become attached to emptiness, this means that even "emptiness" should be relinquished. If one accords with this, then there will be no dharma of erroneous doubtfulness impeding one's practice of śīla.

Question: Because the dharmas of the five aggregates are possessed of characteristic marks and that which can be marked, they do therefore definitely exist. Take for instance the [canonical] declarations that "the form aggregate 342

Chapter 33. Aids to Gaining the Fruits of Śīla is characterized by being assailed by what is painful"303 and "awareness of pain and pleasure is the characteristic of the feeling aggregate." Given that they obviously possess such characteristics, how can one claim that [the aggregates] are neither empty nor non-empty? Response:

Affliction and destruction are marks of the form aggregate. What all goes into making this form?

If affliction is indeed a characteristic mark of form, apart from its marks, there is nothing amenable to being marked. And where then do these characteristic marks abide? There is no mark nor anything that can be marked. The entire world is finally nonexistent. There is neither any mark nor anything that can be marked. Characteristic marks and that which can be marked are neither conjoined nor not conjoined. In their coming forth, they have no place from which they come. In going away, they also have no place to which they go. If one posits either a conjoining or a nonconjoining through which one establishes either marks or what is markable, then to proceed in this way is mistaken with regard to both marks and what is markable. This would be to use marks to establish what is markable. [However,] marks themselves are not self-established. Since even marks themselves cannot be established, how then could they [be used to] establish what is markable? The beings of the world are so extremely pitiable, for they distinguish marks and what is markable, become deluded in pursuing all manner of deviant paths, and are cheated and deceived by deviant teachers. Marks and what is markable then are just devoid of marks and devoid of anything that can be marked. 117a

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Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Ten Grounds, Volume II Given such a visibly apparent situation as this, how could one fail to realize [what is so obvious]? Pursuant to imputations of the existence of marks and the markable, there exist such [merely] conceptual elaborations as these. And whenever such conceptual elaborations as these arise, one then falls into a position associated with afflictions.304 Moreover, the practitioner employs the gateway of [understanding that all phenomena] neither come into existence nor pass away to facilitate the contemplation of the aggregates, sense realms, and sense bases as empty [of inherent existence]. This is as described here: The dharmas of birth, aging, sickness, and death, when arising, have no place from which they come. The dharmas of birth, aging, sickness, and death, when extinguished, have no place to which they go. It is the nature of the aggregates, sense realms, and sense bases that, when arising, they have no place from which they come, and, when extinguished, they have no place to which they go. Just so is the meaning of the Buddha's Dharma. So too with fire, which is not in the human effort used to make it, is also not present in the friction drill or wood, and is not in their coming together, either, even as it still does exist due to their all having come together. If the fuel is entirely consumed, the fire will then die out. Yet, when it does die out, there is no place to which it goes. It exists due to the coming together of conditions, yet, if those conditions scatter, it becomes entirely nonexistent. So too is this the case with the eye consciousness that does not abide in the eye,

also does not abide in visual forms,

also does not abide between them,

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Chapter 33. Aids to Gaining the Fruits of Śīla also does not abide in their combination, also is not found apart from them, also does not come thither from elsewhere, yet does exist due to such a combination, and which, when the combining scatters, then becomes nonexistent. So too it also is with all dharmas. When arising, there is no place from which they come, and when extinguished, there is no place to which they go. This is analogous to a dragon's mental powers through which the dark clouds appear. They do not emerge from the body of the dragon, nor do they arrive from some other place, and yet the rain from these great dark clouds pours down throughout the entire world, after which it then evaporates, yet has no place to which it goes. Just as such clouds neither come nor go, so too it is with all dharmas. When they arise, there is no place from which they come, and, when destroyed, there is no place to which they go. They are also like a man who has been painted on a wall that does not reside in any or all of the colors, also does not reside in their combination, and also does not abide in the wall. It does not abide in the painter, nor does it abide in the paintbrush. It does not come forth from elsewhere, yet it exists because of all of these coming together. When that combination scatters, it then no longer exists. So too it is with all dharmas. 117b

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Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Ten Grounds, Volume II When they exist, there is no place from which they come. When they cease to exist, there is no place to which they go. The lamp flame does not abide in its oil,

also does not emerge from its wick,

and also does not arrive from some other place, and yet, because of the oil and the wick, it exists. If its causes and conditions end, it is extinguished. When it is extinguished, there is no place to which it goes. All dharmas' characteristics of coming forth and departing are in every case also just like this.

There are another four dharmas by which one can purify one's practice of śīla, namely:

One is able to contemplate the nature of one's own body and refrains from elevating oneself or diminishing others. Since these two cannot be apprehended,

one abides in mental pliancy, free of any conceit. One contemplates all dharmas as uniformly equal. These four serve to purify one's śīla.

As for being "able to contemplate the nature of one's own body," the practitioner has this thought: "This body of mine is characterized by impurity, impermanence, and mortality. What true worth305 does it possess?" Having reflected in this manner, one does not elevate oneself and look down on others.

Because one has a resolute belief that both self and others are devoid of "I" and "mine," one realizes that they cannot be apprehended at all. As for "mental pliancy," having acquired these dharmas, one's mind then abides in lightness, suppleness, and the capacity to endure and acquiesce in dharmas. It is due to this mental pliancy and delight that one does not elevate himself above others.

As for "contemplating all dharmas as uniformly equal," this means that, because [one realizes] they are empty, one contemplates all conditioned and unconditioned dharmas as equal and devoid of any distinctions as to those 346

Chapter 33. Aids to Gaining the Fruits of Śīla which are superior, those which are middling, and those which are inferior. This is as described here:

If one would posit that, because of the inferior, there thereby exist the middling and the superior, since the inferior does not itself create the middling or the superior, how then could they exist because of the inferior? And for the inferior itself to have become "inferior," middling and superior would definitely have existed beforehand. If one would posit that, because of the middling, there thereby exist the inferior and the superior, since the middling does not itself create the inferior or the superior, how could they exist because of the middling? And for the middling itself to have become "middling," inferior and the superior would definitely have existed beforehand. If one would posit that, because of the superior, there thereby exist the middling and the inferior, since the superior does not itself create the middling or the inferior, how could they exist because of the superior? And for the superior itself to have become "superior," middling and inferior would definitely have existed beforehand. It cannot be that, due to the inferior, [middling and superior exist]. Nor can it be that it is not because of it [that they exist]. If [the middling and superior] already existed previously, they could not exist because of the inferior. And if [the middling and superior] were previously nonexistent, how could they succeed in becoming the middling and superior? It cannot be that, due to the middling, [inferior and superior exist]. Nor can it be that it is not because of it [that they exist]. If [the inferior and the superior] already existed previously, they could not exist because of the middling. And if [the inferior and the superior] were previously nonexistent, how could they succeed in becoming the inferior and the superior? 117c

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Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Ten Grounds, Volume II It cannot be that, due to the superior, [inferior and middling exist]. Nor can it be that it is not because of it [that they exist]. If [the middling and the inferior] definitely already existed, they could not exist because of the superior. And if [middling and inferior] were certainly previously nonexistent, how could they succeed in becoming middling and inferior? Additionally, because their emptiness is of a singular character, one contemplates all dharmas as uniformly equal. So too it is with beings. This is as described here:

In the midst of what is empty, the wise do not speak of any distinguishable characteristic signs. In the singularity of emptiness, there are no differentiations. If one is able to perceive emptiness in this manner this then is to see the Buddha,

for the Buddha is no different from emptiness. It is said that all buddhas are one,

all beings are one,

all dharmas are but a single dharma,

and no distinctions exist between superior, middling, or inferior. All of the buddhas, the bhagavats,

transcend both inherently existent and externally created nature. So too do all beings

transcend both inherently existent and externally created nature. All dharmas are also just so

in transcending inherently existent and externally created natures. It is because of just such causes and conditions that they are said to be of a singular character. If one claims that buddhas exist, this is wrong. If one claims no buddhas exist, this is also wrong. If one claims that beings exist, this is wrong. If one claims that no beings exist, this is also wrong. 348

Chapter 33. Aids to Gaining the Fruits of Śīla If one claims dharmas exist, that is wrong. If one claims that no dharmas exist, that is also wrong. It is because they transcend both "existence" and "nonexistence" that they are said to be uniformly equal. All the buddhas, the bhagavats, all beings, and also all dharmas are in every case ungraspable. This is what is meant by the uniform equality of all dharmas. All buddhas, beings,

and dharmas have no differences. Because one cannot make any distinctions among them, they are said to be of a single uniform equality. All buddhas, all beings,

and all dharmas,

even as they enter into arising, enduring, and destruction, abide in quiescent cessation and do not exist at all. Nor do they have any place from which they have come, nor do they have any place to which they go. It is because of their neither coming nor going that they are said to be of a single uniform equality. All buddhas, all beings,

and all dharmas

are, in every case, entirely nonexistent and utterly beyond all of the paths of existence. These three are not equal,

are not unequal,

are not both equal and unequal, and are neither equal nor unequal. It is in this way that one explains all dharmas as being in every case equal and devoid of distinctions. 118a

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Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Ten Grounds, Volume II There are another four dharmas by which one can purify one's practice of śīla. They are as described below:

Being well able to maintain a resolute belief in emptiness, not being frightened by the dharma of signlessness, maintaining the great compassion toward beings, and being able to acquiesce in the nonexistence of self— It is through four dharmas such as these that one is also able to purify one's practice of śīla. It is because of a practitioner's complete comprehension of all dharmas as devoid of any self-existent nature or any externally created nature that he is referred to as having "a resolute belief in emptiness." This is as described here:

All dharmas whatsoever

never arise on the basis of any inherently existent nature. If they arise from multiple conditions,

they should then exist through that which is other. Given they do not arise through any inherently existent nature, how then could they arise through that which is other? If an inherently existent nature is not established, then any nature existing through some "other" is also nonexistent. If they transcend any arising from an inherently existent nature, then they are devoid of any inherently existent nature. If they have transcended any inherently existent nature, then they are [also] devoid of any mark of inherent existence. An inherently existent nature and marks of inherent existence do not exist on the basis of conjoining

and do not become nonexistent through separation. Hence they are both devoid of any fixed existence. Dharmas cannot be produced from that which is other, nor can they be produced from themselves, nor can they be produced by both self and other, and yet, apart from those two, they cannot be produced, either. 350

Chapter 33. Aids to Gaining the Fruits of Śīla If no inherent existence can be established for itself, how then could it possibly be produced from what is other? If one departs from dharmas that are mere worldly conventions, then "self" and "other" are entirely nonexistent. If that which is other were produced from that which is other, then that "other" would have no substance of its own. If it had no substance, then it could not even exist. From what thing then can there be the arising of what is other? Because it has no substance of its own,

production from some other is also a nonexistent [possibility]. Since all four [tetralemma ideas] are empty [of inherent existence], no dharma whatsoever has any fixed arising or destruction. As for "not being frightened by signlessness," it is because of one's resolute belief [in signlessness] and one's utter transcendence of all signs that one is not frightened. This is as described here:306 If everything is signless,

then everything is identical with whatever possesses signs. Quiescent cessation is signless

and is identical with whatever is an existent dharma.307 If one contemplates the dharma of signlessness, whatever is signless is [seen as] the same as what possesses signs. If one says that one is cultivating signlessness, that is just a noncultivation of signlessness. Were one to relinquish all strategizing and attachments308 and designate that as constituting signlessness, such seizing on this sign of having relinquished attachments then becomes the very absence of liberation. In general, it is because of the existence of grasping, that then, because of that grasping, there then is relinquishing. It is the abandonment of grasping and whatever thing is grasped309 —

It is on this basis that one then refers to "relinquishing." 351

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Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Ten Grounds, Volume II As for the one who grasps, the grasping to which he resorts, as well as that dharma that is subject to being grasped, whether as conjoined or separate, they are all entirely nonexistent,310 for these are all synonymous with quiescent cessation. If any dharma's signs are established on the basis of causes, this is just something devoid of any [inherently existent] nature. Whatever is devoid of any [inherently existent] nature— this is just something that is devoid of any [inherently existent] signs. If a dharma has no [inherently existent] nature— this is just something that is signless.

How can one assert that it has no [inherently existent] nature? It is precisely because it is synonymous with signlessness.311 If one uses [such terms as] "existence" and "nonexistence," "both" and "neither" should be permissible as well,312 for, although one may speak thus, so long as one's mind is not attached, one thereby remains free of any fault in doing so. Where has there ever first existed some dharma that, afterward, was not destroyed?

Wherever there was first some fire

that, afterward, was then extinguished,

the quiescent cessation of these existent signs is identical to the quiescent cessation of whatsoever is signless. Therefore, as for these words about quiescent cessation as well as the one who speaks about quiescent cessation, from the beginning onward, they have not been quiescent313 nor have they been nonquiescent,

nor have they been both quiescent and nonquiescent, nor have they been neither quiescent nor nonquiescent. Regarding "maintaining compassion toward beings," because beings are countless and boundless, one's mind of compassion is also expansive in that very same way. Also, the Dharma of all buddhas is measureless, boundless, and endless, like empty space. The mind of compassion is the very foundation 352

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of the Dharma of all buddhas. It is because it is able to bring about the realization of the great Dharma that it is referred to as the "great" compassion. Among all beings, the one who is the greatest is the Buddha. It is because it is practiced by the Buddha that it is referred to as the "great" compassion. As for "acquiescence in the dharma of nonself," one accomplishes this because one has a resolute faith in the true Dharma. It is because it is the one path to nirvana taken by all buddhas that it is known as "the dharma of nonself."

If one enters into this dharma and one's mind is unable to endure it, this is like putting a small plant into a fire, whereupon it is entirely burned up. However, if one puts real gold into a fire, it is able to endure it and it remains entirely undiminished.

In the same way, if a common person, one who has not cultivated roots of goodness, attempts to enter [the dharma of] nonself, he will be unable to bear it and will immediately bring forth erroneous doubts about it. This bodhisattva, however, has cultivated roots of goodness for countless lifetimes. His wisdom has become fiercely sharp and he is sustained by the protective mindfulness of all buddhas. Although he may not yet have cut off the fetters, when he enters into the dharma of nonself, his mind is able to endure and accept it.

"The dharma of nonself" is a reference to all such dharmas as the aggregates, the sense realms, the sense bases, and the twelvefold chain of causation. The causes and conditions through which one demolishes [the view of] self are as discussed earlier.

Therefore, if one wishes to purify one's practice of śīla, one should practice these four dharmas. Furthermore:

There are four individuals who destroy śīla

even when seeming to uphold śīla.

The practitioner should be vigorous

in exerting self-control and taking care not to act [as they do]. In the "Kāśyapa" chapter of the Jeweled Summit Sutra, the Buddha told Kāśyapa:314

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There are four kinds of bhikṣus who break the moral precepts while seeming as if they are bhikṣus who uphold the moral precepts. What are those four? Kāśyapa, there are bhikṣus who are completely able to perfectly practice the moral precepts of the scriptures and yet claim that a self exists. Kāśyapa, this is what is meant by breaking the moral precepts while seeming as if one is upholding the moral precepts. Then again, Kāśyapa, there are bhikṣus who recite and retain the moral precept scriptures and guard their practice of the moral precepts, but who do not move from and never abandon their view of a real self in association with the body. This is what is meant by breaking the moral precepts while seeming as if one is upholding the moral precepts. Yet again, Kāśyapa, there are bhikṣus who are perfect in their practice of the twelve dhūta austerities while nonetheless maintaining the view that dharmas have a fixed existence. This is what is meant by breaking the moral precepts while seeming as if one is upholding the moral precepts. Then again, Kāśyapa, there are bhikṣus who focus on beings as the objective condition in their cultivation of the mind of kindness but who, on hearing that all conditioned things315 are characterized by nonproduction, their minds are filled with terror. This is what is meant by breaking the moral precepts while seeming as if one is upholding the moral precepts. Kāśyapa, these are the four kinds of persons who break the moral precepts even while seeming as if they are upholding the moral precepts. Furthermore:

According to what the Bhagavat has taught,

there are four types of śramaṇas

of which one should become the fourth

while distancing oneself from the first three kinds.316 As for these four kinds of bhikṣus referred to here that are found in the "Kāśyapa" chapter, one should learn to become the fourth kind of śramaṇa while avoiding becoming any of the other three kinds. What then are those four? The Buddha told Kāśyapa:

There are four kinds of śramaṇas, namely:

First, those who, merely in form and appearance, seem to be śramaṇas; 354

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Second, those śramaṇas who merely feign extraordinary deportment; Third, those who are śramaṇas simply because they covet fame and self-benefit;

Fourth, śramaṇas who genuinely carry on right practice. What is meant by one who is a śramaṇa merely in form and appearance? He adopts the form of the śramaṇa and adopts the appearance of a śramaṇa, doing so specifically through wearing a saṃghāṭī robe, shaving off his hair and beard, and carrying a blackened bowl, while nonetheless still engaging in impure physical actions, impure verbal actions, and impure mental actions. He does not seek to reach nirvana and does not seek to become good. He is miserly and indolent and practices evil dharmas. He breaks the moral precepts and does not delight in cultivation of the path. This is what is meant by one who is a śramaṇa merely in form and appearance. What is meant by the śramaṇa who merely feigns extraordinary deportment? He is perfect in the four kinds of deportment. He investigates the truths, is comfortable and serene in getting by on whatever robes and food he has already acquired, is devoted to the practice of the four lineage bases of the āryas, avoids gathering together with either laypeople or monastics, and speaks but little, but he does all these things in order to seize the attentions of others with a mind that is not pure. Deportment of this sort is not done for the sake of goodness, is not done for the sake of reaching nirvana, and is done with an implicit view that seizes on all dharmas as having a fixed and definite existence. [Such a practitioner] fears the dharmas of emptiness and nonexistence in just the same way as one might fear falling into a pit. Whenever he sees anyone who speaks of emptiness, he thinks of him as an enemy. This is what is meant by the śramaṇa who merely feigns extraordinary deportment. What is meant by one who is a śramaṇa simply because he covets fame and self-benefit? There are those śramaṇas who, although they are able to force themselves to uphold the moral precepts, as they do so, they think, "How can I cause other people to know me as one who upholds the moral precepts?"

Although they are able to force themselves to strive after extensive learning, [as they do so, they think,] "How can I cause other people to know me as someone possessed of extensive learning?" 355

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Although they are able to force themselves to take up the dharma of abiding in a forest hermitage, [as they do so, they think,] "How can I cause other people to know that I am a forest hermitage dweller?" Although they are able to force themselves to have but few wants, to be easily satisfied, and to practice the dharmas of one who dwells in solitude, [as they do so, they think,] "How can I cause other people to know that I have but few wants, am easily satisfied, and practice the dharmas of one who dwells in solitude?"

They do not do these things in order to develop a mind of renunciation, do not do them in order to destroy the afflictions, do not do them in order to strive in the eightfold right path of the āryas, do not do them in order to reach nirvana, and do not do them in order to bring about the liberation of all beings. This is what is meant by the śramaṇa who covets fame and self-benefit.

What is meant by the śramaṇa who genuinely carries on right practice? There is a type of śramaṇa who does not retain any selfish cherishing even of his own body, how much the less might he cherish fame or self-benefit? On being taught that all dharmas are empty and that nothing whatsoever exists, his mind is filled with great joy and he proceeds to practice in accordance with that teaching.

He does not have any selfish cherishing even of nirvana as he carries on his practice of brahmacarya, how much the less might he have any selfish cherishing of [any station of rebirth within] the three realms? He is not even attached to the view that sees the emptiness [of all dharmas], how much the less might he become attached to the existence of a self, a person, a being, a soul, a life, a knower, or a seer? He seeks liberation even in the midst of the afflictions and does not seek it anywhere outside. He contemplates all dharmas as fundamentally pure and undefiled. This person relies only on himself and does not rely on anyone else. Through [his direct knowing of] the true character of all dharmas, he does not even covet the Dharma body, how much the less the form body. He sees dharmas as transcending marks and as inexpressible in words. He does not even make any discriminating distinctions among those in the community of āryas who course in the unconditioned, how much the less might he do so among those in the common multitude of 356

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people? He does not for the sake of severance or for the sake of cultivation abhor samsara on the one hand and delight in nirvana on the other. For him, there is neither bondage nor liberation. He realizes that the Dharma of the buddhas has no fixed aspects and, having realized this, he neither comes and goes in samsara, nor opts to enter nirvana, either. Kāśyapa, this is what is meant by the śramaṇa who accords with genuine practice. Kāśyapa, you should all be diligent in the practice of the genuine practice śramaṇa. Do not allow yourselves to be harmed for the sake of a reputation.

Moreover:

Do not uphold the practice of śīla

merely for the sake of kingship or other such things. Also, do not uphold the practice of śīla

to obtain a particular rebirth or other such aims. The practitioner who wishes to purify his practice of śīla should not practice it for the sake of such things as kingship. With regard to such things as becoming a king, when speaking for the benefit of the stalwart Pure Virtue, the Buddha said, "Son of good family, as for the bodhisattva who practices śīla:

He will never break a moral precept even at the cost of his own life; He does not uphold the moral precepts hoping to become a king; He does not uphold the moral precepts hoping to achieve celestial rebirth;

He does not uphold the moral precepts hoping to become Śakra, ruler of the devas, hoping to become the Brahma Heaven King, or hoping to gain wealth, happiness, or unconstrained and independent power; He does not uphold the moral precepts for the sake of fame or praise, for the sake of offerings, for the sake of a long life span, or for the sake of drink, food, robes, bedding, medicines, or other life-sustaining things; He does not uphold the moral precepts in reliance on dharmas concerned with rebirths and such. Hence he does not do so for the sake of being reborn among devas or humans;

He does not uphold the moral precepts because of concerns having to do with himself;

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Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Ten Grounds, Volume II He does not uphold the moral precepts because of concerns having to do with others;

He does not uphold the moral precepts because of present-life concerns; He does not uphold the moral precepts because of future-life concerns; He does not uphold the moral precepts out of concerns associated with his physical form, out of concerns associated with feelings, perceptions, formative factors, or consciousnesses, out of concerns associated with the eyes, out of concerns associated with the sense bases, or out of concerns associated with the ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind faculty;

He does not uphold the moral precepts out of concerns associated with the desire realm, form realm, or formless realm; He does not uphold the moral precepts to be liberated from the wretched destinies of the hell realm, the animal realm, the hungry ghost realm, or the asura realm;

He does not uphold the moral precepts out of fear of being poverty-stricken when reborn among the devas;

He does not uphold the moral precepts out of fear of being poverty-stricken when reborn among humans;

He does not uphold the moral precepts out of fear of being poverty-stricken when reborn among the yakṣas."

Question: If [this bodhisattva] does not [uphold the moral precepts] out of concern for these sorts of things, then for the sake of which sorts of things does he uphold the moral precepts?

Response:

It is because he wishes to cause the Three Jewels to abide for a long time that he upholds the moral precepts. It is because he wishes to obtain the many different sorts of benefits that he upholds the moral precepts. As for "causing the Three Jewels to abide for a long time": It is in order to prevent the cutting off of the lineage of the buddhas that he upholds the moral precepts;

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Chapter 33. Aids to Gaining the Fruits of Śīla It is in order to turn the wheel of Dharma that he upholds the moral precepts;

It is in order to attract a community of āryas that he upholds the moral precepts;

It is in order to gain liberation from birth, aging, sickness, death, lamentation, grief, pain, and melancholy that he upholds the moral precepts; It is in order to facilitate the liberation of all beings that he upholds the moral precepts;

It is in order to cause all beings to gain peace and happiness that he upholds the moral precepts;

It is in order to cause beings to reach a peaceful and secure317 place that he upholds the moral precepts;

It is in order to cultivate the dhyāna absorptions that he upholds the moral precepts;

It is in order to gain wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation that he upholds the moral precepts. These matters are just as extensively discussed in the Pure Virtue Sutra. The bodhisattva who is able in this fashion to perfect the practice of śīla

will not lose the ten benefits

or the many other different types of benefits. Additionally, he will not fall down into erroneous paths associated with the four difficulties. He will not encounter the four dharmas associated with loss and he will not encounter the four dharmas associated with destruction, He will also gain the four dharmas

by which one does not deceive the buddhas or others. He is able to pass beyond susceptibility to falling into the hells and the rest of the ten terror-inducing circumstances. "Will not lose the ten benefits" refers to: Not losing the ability to always become a wheel-turning king; Not losing the non-neglectful mind when acting in that capacity; 119c

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Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Ten Grounds, Volume II Not losing the ability to always become Śakra, ruler of the devas; Not losing the non-neglectful mind when acting in that capacity; Never losing one's quest to seek the path of all buddhas; Never losing those things that all bodhisattvas are taught; Never losing the unimpeded knowledge of eloquence; Never losing [the pursuit of] the planting of roots of goodness and merit and the fulfillment of whatsoever one has vowed to accomplish; Never losing that due to which one is praised by all buddhas, bodhisattvas, worthies and āryas; Never losing the ability to swiftly perfect the attainment of all-knowledge.

These are the ten [benefits of perfecting the practice of śīla]. "The many other different types of benefits" refers to never retreating from or losing one's many different sorts of meritorious qualities. This is as described in the sutras:

The bodhisattva who skillfully guards his ability to uphold the moral precepts:

Is always praised by the devas;

Is well protected by the dragon kings;

Is the beneficiary of people's offerings;

Is always borne in mind by all buddhas;

Always serves as a great teacher of those in the world; And is sympathetically mindful of beings.

As for "not falling down into erroneous paths associated with the four difficulties," the bodhisattva who is able to perfect the practice of śīla in this manner will not fall into places [of rebirth] beset with the four difficulties, namely: First, he will not be born into a place in which the Buddha is not present; Second, he will not be born into a household in which wrong views hold sway;

Third, he will not take rebirth among the long-lived devas; Fourth, he will not be reborn into any of the wretched destinies. "The four dharmas associated with loss" are: First, he never loses the resolve to attain bodhi; 360

Chapter 33. Aids to Gaining the Fruits of Śīla Second, he never loses his mindfulness of the Buddha; Third, he never loses his constant quest for extensive learning; Fourth, he never loses his ability to call to mind the events experienced across the course of countless lifetimes.

Regarding "not encountering the four dharmas associated with destruction" this refers to: First, never encountering the destruction of the Dharma; Second, never encountering weapons or war;

Third, never encountering noxious poisons;

Fourth, never encountering hunger.

As for "gaining the four dharmas of nondeception," they are: First, one does not deceive the buddhas of the ten directions; Second, one does not deceive devas, spirits, or other such beings; Third, one does not deceive beings;

Fourth, one does not deceive oneself.

Also, regarding "passing beyond the ten terror-inducing circumstances," the bodhisattva who purifies the moral precepts in this way thereby becomes able to pass beyond any vulnerability to falling down into the hells or into any of the other situations contained in the ten terror-inducing circumstances. What then are those ten? They are:

First, one is able to pass beyond the fear of falling into the hell realms; Second, one is able to pass beyond the fear of falling into the animal realms; Third, one is able to pass beyond the fear of falling into the hungry ghost realms;

Fourth, one is able to pass beyond the fear of becoming poverty-stricken; Fifth, one is able to pass beyond the fear of slander, rebuke, and bad reputation;

Sixth, one is able to pass beyond the fear of being overcome by the various sorts of afflictions;

Seventh, one is able to pass beyond the fear of reaching the [irreversible] "right and definite position" (samyaktva-niyāma) [in the paths] of the śrāvaka disciples and the pratyekabuddhas;

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Eighth, one is able to pass beyond the fear of [falling into the destinies of] devas, humans, dragons, spirits, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, and others;

Ninth, one is able to pass beyond the fear of weapons or war, noxious poisons, water, fire, lions, tigers, wolves, and injury by other men; Tenth, one is able to pass beyond the fear of adopting wrong views. If the bodhisattva is able in this manner to purify his observance of the moral precepts, then he will be able to abide within the Dharma of all buddhas, namely the forty exclusive dharmas, and he will also be able to become a Dharma vessel.

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The bodhisattva who purifies his observance of the moral precepts in this manner is able to gather together all sorts of meritorious qualities and derive all manner of benefits. This is as stated by Akṣayamati Bodhisattva when he said:

Then again, to offer but a brief praise of a few aspects of śīla: Śīla is the basis for the monastic's experiencing the foremost joyous delight that is comparable to the most supreme delight enjoyed by a youth who has both wealth and noble birth;

[Śīla] brings about the proliferation and growth of good dharmas, just as when a kind mother raises her child;

[Śīla] is able to protect one from ruinous calamity, just as when a father protects his child;

Śīla is able to bring about for monastics complete accomplishment in all forms of great benefit, just as great wealth is able to bring about great benefit for a householder;

Śīla is as able to rescue one from all forms of suffering torment, just as when right action accords with what is principled; Śīla is as revered by good people as the dharma of repaying others' kindnesses;

Śīla is just as cherished and esteemed by people as a long life span; Śīla is as esteemed by the wise as wisdom itself; Those who strive to gain liberation thoroughly guard their practice of śīla just as carefully as high officials guard the secrets of the king;

Those who delight in the benefits of the path cherish and value śīla just as deeply as those who delight in nirvana cherish and value the Dharma of the Buddha;

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The wise thoroughly guard their practice of śīla with the same urgency as those who cherish their own lives guard their physical safety and urgently seek rescue when death threatens; The supreme [good fortune] of encountering śīla is comparable to that of meeting a good guide in the midst of grave danger; Śīla adorns the worthy ones with purity and, in this, it is analogous to the daughter of nobility who, possessed of a sense of shame and dread of blame, remains undefiled;

Śīla is the initial entryway into meritorious qualities, just as not engaging in flattery and deviousness opens the way to acquiring fine benefits;

Śīla is the most important foundation of brahmacarya, just as the straight mind is the foundation of right views; Śīla is the origin of all dharmas of great people, just as the straight mind is the origin of success in seeking an important position; Śīla is a treasure trove of meritorious qualities comparable to non-negligence and right mindfulness in their ability to bring forth every sort of benefit;

[Śīla] is also comparable to a worthy friend who is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good to the end; [Śīla] is something beyond which one who trains in right Dharma must never go and, in this, he is like the ocean which always remains within its boundaries;319

Śīla is the dwelling place of meritorious qualities and, in this, it is also like the great earth upon which the myriad things depend; Śīla serves to moisten all of the meritorious qualities of goodness and, in this, it is analogous to the rain falling down from the sky that moistens and benefits the seeds and enables the growth of the five kinds of roots;

[Śīla] is like fire in its ability to cook things and provide all sorts of benefits and, in this, it is like the [energetic] winds that sustain the body; Śīla is able to accommodate all fruits of the path and, in this, it is also like empty space that contains and takes in the myriad things. 364

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[Śīla] is also like the magically auspicious vase that is able to bring forth anything that one might wish for, and it is also like fine cuisine in its ability to benefit all of one's faculties; Śīla is well able to open all paths and it is able to cause all one's faculties to become purified and unimpeded;

One's wisdom life relies upon śīla as its foundation, just as the life of the body depends upon the breath as its very foundation; Śīla is the most superior of all points of reliance, just as it is the king upon whom all his subjects rely;

Śīla serves as the lord of all the meritorious qualities, just as the chief general commands the entire army;

Śīla is the source of the many varieties of happiness and, in this, it is like the compliant wife who is well able to satisfy all the wishes of her husband;

Whether it be in striving to reach nirvana or in gaining rebirth in the heavens, śīla constitutes the provisions sustaining those training on the path and, in this, it is like the essential clothing and provisions that one traveling afar must take along on his travels; Śīla leads people along in such a way that they are caused to reach a good place and, in this, it is like finding a good guide who escorts one along a hazardous road;

Śīla delivers people from the faults of samsara and, in this, it is like a sturdy ship by which one is able to cross a great ocean; Śīla is well able to put an end to all calamities wrought by the afflictions and, in this, it is like a good medicine that is able to eliminate the many sorts of diseases;

Śīla's weapons are able to defend one against Māra's thieves and, in this, they are like the weapons of a good army that are able to counter an enemy's troops;

Just as a beloved relative leads one through hardships and does not desert one, so too, śīla leads people through all manner of ruinous torment, continues to protect them, and never abandons them;

Śīla is able to illuminate even the darkness of delusion in one's future lives and, in this, it is like the light of a great lamp that is able to dispel the darkness;

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Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Ten Grounds, Volume II Śīla is able even to deliver one out of the wretched destinies and, in this, it is like finding a good bridge when crossing deep waters; Śīla is able to dispel the extreme fever of the afflictions and, in this, it is like a cool room that is able to get rid of scorching heat; Even when on the verge of falling into the wretched destinies, śīla is able to come to the rescue and, in this, it is like a fierce sword-brandishing warrior rescuing someone in terror; Every common person should feel a deeply cherishing fondness for śīla like that of the bodhisattvas training in the supreme basis of truthfulness;320

The practitioner's skillful practice of śīla is just like all bodhisattvas' practice of the supreme basis of relinquishment; The skillful cultivation of śīla on the part of the practitioner who has gained the fruits [of the path] is just like all bodhisattvas' cultivation of the supreme basis of quiescence;

Guarding and upholding the practice of śīla causes one to attain the fruits [of the path], just like a bodhisattva who cultivates the wisdom supreme basis;

One who refrains from damaging the Dharma is able to purify his practice of śīla in a manner comparable to the purity and stainlessness of the bodhisattvas; Bad people abandon śīla, just as flattering and devious people abandon the straight mind;

Neglectful people do not practice śīla and, in this, they are like miserly people who do not practice kindly giving; Neglectful people abandon śīla and, in this, they are like those prone to inappropriate and frivolous speech who abandon the dharma of quiescence;

Stupid people are bereft of śīla just as a blind man does not see the five colors;

An unreflective person is as far from śīla as one who has abandoned the eightfold right path is far from nirvana;

Those who truly love themselves deeply delight in śīla just as an arhat deeply loves the Dharma;

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Śīla is able to ensure that the good dharmas by which one remains free of afflictions continue on uninterruptedly just as the Buddha's emergence in the world ensures that goodness will continue without cease;

Śīla is able to cause the fruits of the path to abide [in the world], just as the Buddha's spiritual power causes the Dharma to remain for a long time;

Śīla is just like the Buddha in that it benefits both oneself and others; Śīla thoroughly protects all good meritorious qualities, just as a king who understands right timing is able to defend the country's borders; Śīla quiets the mind of the practitioner, just as when a streamenterer,321 by revealing in timely fashion [moral code infractions], remains free of subsequent regrets;

Śīla ensures that one shall ultimately and definitely reach nirvana, just as the bodhisattva vow ensures that one will ultimately become a buddha;

Śīla is also like a good plot of farmland that is well irrigated which, when sown with seeds, produces a rapidly growing crop; Śīla is the cause of right conduct just as knowing the right time, knowing the right place, and so forth are the causes of success in all endeavors;

Just as a handsome man possessed of merit and wisdom is revered and esteemed by others, so too is śīla respected by both self and others; Just as when one's merit has become ripe one's mind is peaceful and secure, so too is śīla able to cause one's mind to become peaceful and secure and to enjoy all its beneficial rewards; Śīla is able to cause the practitioner to be delighted, just as a fine son is able to inspire delight in his father's mind; Śīla is a dharma that causes fearlessness in one who is free of faults, just as when a person becomes free of faults his mind then becomes free of fear;

Śīla causes one to become free of all fear and free of the evil of moral transgressions in both the present life and future lives; 120c

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Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Ten Grounds, Volume II Others are inspired to make offerings and give praise to whoever upholds the practice of śīla, for others are moved by him to feel joy and realize that they too have some part in it; Śīla causes one to feel affection for other beings, just as when one cultivates the meditation on [measureless] kindness; Śīla motivates one to do away with the sufferings of others, just as when one cultivates the meditation on [measureless] compassion; Śīla bestows joyfulness, just as when one cultivates the meditation on [measureless] sympathetic joy;

Śīla causes one to become free of both hatred and desire, just as when one cultivates the meditation on [measureless] equanimity; Śīla inspires faith on the part of others, just as the four kinds of good speech are able to win the trust of others;

Śīla brings delight in its practice, just as dharmas of the world always bring delight to the mind [of a worldly person]; Just as extensive learning is the cause of delight in speech, śīla is the cause of consistency between one's words and one's actions; Śīla is the cause of fearlessness, just as eloquence also brings about fearlessness;

Śīla is the cause of renown, just as complete comprehension of all scriptures brings a fine reputation;

Śīla is a dharma capable of bringing about one's rescue, just as being one who is easy to converse with ensures one will be rescued by them;

Śīla is a dharma that is able to bring about successful attainment of the clear knowledges and liberation and, in this, it is comparable to practicing in accordance with the teachings;

Śīla is the characteristic feature of all buddhas and, in this, it is comparable to anuttarāsamyaksaṃbodhi; Śīla is a dharma that aids cultivation of the path and, in this, it is like samādhi's role in assisting the attainment of wisdom; Śīla causes a person to have no difficulties that he fears, just as someone possessed of great courage has nothing that he fears; Śīla is the gathering place of every form of meritorious quality, for just as the Himalayas are the repository of precious things, faith, 368

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the other meritorious qualities, and all marvelous phenomena322 rely on śīla for their very existence;

Śīla is like the great sea in that it contains the many sorts of extraordinary things; Also, just as to obtain fine fruit one relies on a tree, so too śīla is what provides people with whichever fruit they find pleasing. This is just as when one who pursues right wisdom then acquires [its fruits] in accordance with his practice;

Śīla is that by which one is cleansed even without the aid of water; Śīla is the most superior of sublime incenses, one that does not come forth from some root, trunk, branch, leaf, blossom, or fruit; Śīla is an adornment that surpasses that of any jewelry, for it always remains with one's person and cannot be stolen by anyone; Śīla provides a great bliss not born of any of the five desires and it bestows the reward of sublime bliss in future lives as well; Śīla is that which is praised by all worlds' devas, humans, māras, Brahmās, śramaṇas, and brahmans;

The happiness produced by śīla abides independently in one's own person for it is not obtained from anyone else and it is also the excellent means for gaining celestial rebirth or nirvana; Śīla is the right ford for crossing the river of faith, one that is free of quicksand, tiles, stones, thorns, or brambles, and one that may be entered at will so as to skillfully cross without being impeded by anything;

Śīla is a form of precious wealth free of ruin or anguish; Śīla is the indestructible path of purity that is comparable to a level road that can be traveled without difficulty;

Śīla is a fine farm field that, even without having to plant it or harvest it, one naturally obtains its fruits;

Śīla is the fruit tasting of the elixir of immortality that, even though not obtained from a tree or produced from a plant, is incomparably delicious;

Śīla is a mañjūṣaka flower that does not grow forth from either water or land and never wilts;

Śīla dispels the fever of the afflictions and, in this, it is like bathing in cool waters;

121a

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Nāgārjuna's Treatise on the Ten Grounds, Volume II Śīla provides complete protection superior to that of even swords or staves, hence the practitioner of śīla is respected, but not because others fear him;

Śīla is a station of sovereign mastery that is free of any disputation or struggle;

Śīla is a fine jewel not extracted from the mountains or drawn forth from the great sea, one whose value is incalculable; Śīla is able to take one beyond the fear of not surviving, beyond the fear of entering the assembly, beyond the fear of interrogation and beating, and beyond the fear of falling into the hells;323 Śīla always follows along with a person in present and future lives, just as a shadow follows its form.

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The comprehensive explanation of purification related to the bodhisattva's Ground of Stainlessness is hereby concluded. The bodhisattva dwelling on this ground always becomes a wheel-turning king. This second of the ten grounds is referred to as the Ground of Stainlessness. It is because covetousness and the rest of the ten bad karmic actions are all cut off at the very root that it is referred to as "stainless." A bodhisattva on this ground engages in the deep practice of śīla-pāramitā. In the event that this bodhisattva has not yet abandoned the desires, the causes and conditions associated with this ground's karmic rewards result in his becoming a wheel-turning king ruling over the four continents who obtains a thousand-spoked gold wheel. Its rim is adorned with many different sorts of precious jewels and its hub is made of real beryl. It has a circumference of fifteen li. 325 It is protected by a hundred kinds of yakṣas. It is able to fly through the air leading a fourfold army with agility, strength, and speed like that of the king of the golden-winged [garuḍa] birds, like that of the wind, or like that of a single thought, so that it is then able, wherever it goes, to put an end to all calamities and conquer any enemies.

All of the lesser kings come and declare their allegiance and submission. Of all of his relatives, clans, and subject peoples, there are none who do not both love and revere him. He is able to emanate radiance that illuminates everywhere. The sage king's clan members wear many different kinds of floral chaplets with interspersed adornments of pearls. The five kinds of music follow him wherever he goes. An extraordinarily marvelous jeweled canopy hangs down over and around him. As he walks along, many different sorts of flower blossoms, incenses, and powdered sandalwood rain down as offerings as there also burn genuine black aloe wood incense and ox-head sandalwood incense. His body is scented with yellow sandalwood fragrance. On both sides of that wheel, heavenly maidens stand in attendance, holding 371

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white whisks. The canopy above him is composed of all sorts of precious jewels. The wheel itself has all sorts of different rare things adorning it. This is what is meant by his "gold wheel treasure."

[As for his elephant treasure,] it possesses all the characteristics of an elephant and its body is huge and white like a king of mountains made of real silver. It comes from a herd of great elephants in the magic mountains. It is able to fly through the air, decisively defeat, and drive away in retreat all of the other great elephant kings, including Airāvaṇa, Ajñāna, Vāmana, and the rest. This is what is meant by his "white elephant treasure." [As for his horse treasure,] it possesses all the characteristics of horses and is the color of a peacock's neck. Its body has agility and speed like that of the king of the golden-winged [garuḍa] birds and it can fly unimpeded through the air. This is what is meant by his "horse treasure." [As for his prime minister of military affairs treasure,] he is one who has been born into a noble clan with a body that is free of illness, possessed of great strength, and a physical form of pristine appearance. His memory and thought are deep and far-reaching and he is possessed of a straight and resilient mind. He is solid in his observance of the precepts and he has deep reverence and affection for the king. He is able to penetrate the meaning of the many different classic scriptures as well as the technical skills and arts. This is what is meant by his "prime minister of military affairs treasure." As for his treasury minister treasure, like the heavenly king of great wealth, he is characterized by such repletion in wealth that a thousand myriads of koṭis of kinds of precious jewels form a treasury that always follows along with him wherever he goes, attended by retinue of a thousand myriads of koṭis of yakṣas. All of this is the karmic reward for his karmic actions in previous lives. [All of the precious jewels in the treasury] are well known and distinguished, including the gold, silver, indranīla sapphires, mahānīla sapphires, diamonds, malachite, musāra-galva, carnelian, coral, sphaṭika, maṇi jewels, real pearls, beryl, and all of the other different kinds of precious things. Precisely how much goes out and how much comes in is also well known. In accordance with whatever is fitting, he is able to use these so that he is able to fulfill the wishes of the king. This is what is meant by his "treasury minister treasure."326 [As for his jewel treasure, it emanates] light like the sun or moon that produces illumination that extends for sixteen yojanas. It is shaped like a 372

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huge drum and it is able to extinguish many different kinds of insect venom, noxious energies, pestilences, and pain. Of all the humans and devas who see it, none fail to cherish it. It is adorned with fine flowers and necklaces, and, wherever it is placed, a banner is flown on high. It radiates an awe-inspiring and extraordinary radiance that is able to cause beings to bring forth thoughts of wonder and immense joy. This is what is meant by his "jewel treasure." [Regarding a wheel-turning king's "jade maiden" treasure,] her fingernails are vermillion-colored and thin. Her physical form is straight, tall, and imposing. Her complexion is smooth, soft, and neither plump nor thin. Variations in the contours of her flesh are gradual in the transitions of her muscles and skin from dense and full to fine and delicate. Her tender skin would be ill-suited for coarse tasks. Her body is as stable and firm in its stance as the trunk of a tāla tree. In place after place on her body, auspicious characters are clearly visible. The silhouette outline of the auspicious tree adorns her body as well. The insignias of the king of elephants, king of bulls, and king of horses, as well as other such emblems as the imperial canopy emblem, the fish emblem, and the parks and forests emblems grace her body as adornments.

Her anklebones appear flat and not prominent. Her feet have a profile like the shell of a tortoise. The sides of her feet are entirely red. Her heels are round and broad. Her calves are soft and smooth. Her knees are rounded and not prominent. Her thighs are shaped like golden pillars, like a plantain tree's trunk, or like an elephant's trunk while also being soft, smooth, radiantly lustrous, even, round, straight, and graced by three horizontal creases. Her belly is even and not prominent. Her umbilicus is round and deep. Her back is flat and straight. Her breasts are like bimba fruit or like [the breasts of] a pair of mandarin ducks. They are rounded and prominent but not sagging, while also being soft, smooth, and fresh and pristine in appearance. Also, her arms are slender, even, round, and long, with joints that are hidden and hence not apparent. The profile of her nose is straight and not jutting prominently outward. It is neither large nor small, and its nostrils are hidden and hence not visible.

Her two cheeks are not sunken, but rather are even and full. They are not high, but rather are full on both sides.

Her forehead is flat, broad, and graced with an auspicious emblem. Her ears are soft, hang downward, and wear priceless earrings. 373

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Her teeth appear like a strand of real pearls or like a new crescent moon and are the color of snow or alabaster. Her lips, a rosy cinnabar-red, appear like bimba fruits, are well matched above and below, and are neither coarse nor fine. They resemble strands of red pearls.

Her eyes are white with dark blue327 [irises] and the margin between the two colorations is clearly defined. [Her eyes] are graceful, long and wide. They glisten with brightness and clarity. The lashes are bluish, with closegrown hairs that are long, but not disarrayed. Her eyebrows are neither too thick nor too thin, neither too high nor too low, and they form the shape of new crescent moons. They are prominent and long with their two sides symmetrical.

Her hair is soft while also being fine, smooth, glossy, and not disarrayed. Her body always emanates an incense-like scent similar to the fragrance rising forth from newly opened containers of various fine perfumes. All of the pores of her body always emit a truly sublime candana sandalwood's famous scent that is well able to please anyone's mind. Her mouth always has the fragrance of a blue lotus.

Her body is as soft as a kalaviṅka bird and she is perfectly adorned with the sublimely smooth raiment of the devas.

Her mind is free of any tendency toward flattery or deviousness. She is straightforward, trustworthy, and endowed with a sense of shame and dread of blame. She deeply loves and reveres the king. She knows the right time, knows the right place, and is well equipped with means for drawing the king's attentions. Whether sitting or standing, her words are well able to match the king's intentions and accord with the course of the king's thoughts. She always speaks pleasing words and, like a virtuous maiden among humans, she is replete in the many sorts of fine qualities. Her appearance is comparable to that of the heavenly maiden Tiluduoma,328 for it has a purity and clarity that shines like the moon on the fifteenth night of the month. Her appearance is also comparable to that of Indra's consort, Śācī. She wears heavenly raiment, a floral chaplet of the devas, celestial scents, and has many [strands of] radiant heavenly gold, maṇi jewels, and pearls adorning her body. She is well versed in singing, dancing, music, and all of the other arts of pleasurable entertainment and humor while also being well possessed of all the ways to be freely able to cause the king to be delighted. 374

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Among all women, this woman is the very best. Such is the description of the king's "jade maiden treasure."

The wheel-turning king also has four spontaneously manifesting qualities: First, his physical appearance is handsome and dignified and, in this, he is foremost, unmatched by anyone living on any of the four continents;

Second, he remains free of sickness and pain;

Third, he is deeply loved by his people;

Fourth, he has a very long life span.

He teaches beings that, through abiding by the ten courses of good karmic action, they are able to keep the heavenly palaces full, are able to diminish the asura hordes, are able to diminish the number of beings in the wretched destinies, and are able to increase their numbers in the good stations of rebirth.

In whatever endeavors he undertakes, he primarily seeks what is most beneficial to beings. Thus, without using armies and weapons, he institutes order in accordance with the Dharma and ensures peace and happiness among all the feudal princes.

Outwardly, he has no fear of hostile countries on his borders. Inwardly, he has no fear of secret plots against his reign. Additionally, his country remains free of plague, famine, or any of the disasters, locusts, or other ruinous and anguishing circumstances.

All the kings in the border regions pledge their allegiance and submit to him. He is attended by a large retinue and is able to swiftly gather people [to become loyal followers]. Thus there are none able to attack and damage his domain. His fourfold army is possessed of abundant might. He is loved and respected by all brahmans, merchants, and common people. Sweet, fragrant, and delectable food comes to him spontaneously. The boundaries of his domain increase by the day and never shrink. He is well able to reach a penetrating comprehension of all the classic scriptures, arts, mathematics, and spiritual incantations, all of which he can retain and invoke. He is skilled in his ability to debate, discuss, and clearly distinguish their meaning and import. Those in his assembly of officials are all well possessed of awe-inspiring virtue. He is always devoted to philanthropic giving that no one can match.

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His thousand sons are all as handsome as the sons of the devas and they are possessed of awe-inspiring virtue, courage, strength, and the ability to crush even the strongest of enemies.

The palace in which he dwells is replete with halls, towers, and pavilions like those supreme palaces enjoyed by the Four Heavenly Kings and Indra. Whatsoever the king instructs is unable to be subverted by anyone anywhere on the four continents. It is only this one king whose marks of aweinspiring power are so complete that none are able to match him. His voice is deep, carries far, is easily heard, easily understood, and is never scattered or disordered. And, like the sound of the kalaviṅka bird, it is beautiful, soft, harmonious, refined, and pleasing to the ear of the hearer. His retinue is of like mind and incapable of obstructiveness. Wherever he abides, whether on the land, the water, or moving through the air, there is no one able to impede his travel. He has awesome power that is courageous and abundant with which he can undertake and succeed in great endeavors. He thinks of and asks after the welfare of the aged. He never deceives anyone. His mind has no jealousy. He does not tolerate anything contrary to Dharma and he has no hatred.

His personal deportment is serene and dignified and it is neither restless nor impetuous. Whatever he says is sincere and true and he never utters divisive speech. In whatever he does, he upholds the moral precepts and cultivates a mind imbued with goodness. In initiating or halting endeavors, he knows the right time and never fails to employ appropriate methods. His facial expression is amiable and, in speaking, he is always inclined to a subtle smile. He never scowls or glowers at anyone. For those who have encountered misfortune, he does whatever is beneficial for them. Those who have already been benefited thereby come to feel deep gratitude and to feel disposed toward a sense of shame and dread of blame.

He is possessed of great wisdom, awe-inspiring virtue, and a dignified manner while also being able to abide in patience. He has the marks of the great man and his nature is such that he may manifest fierce severity. He is able to swiftly complete every endeavor he takes up. He first assesses circumstances correctly and then acts accordingly. Because the king has the Dharma eye, whatever he does is exceptional.

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Where he has those who are possessed of good judgment, he delegates tasks to them. If they are incapable of fulfilling their duties, he then seeks further for other surrogates who are worthy and wise. He is skillful in accumulating karmic merit and wealth. By virtue of his own purity, he is able to guard his own actions and defend against breaking any of the moral precepts.

He bestows much wealth and treasure and, in this, he is comparable to King Vaiśravaṇa. He possesses great strength like Śakra, ruler of the devas. He is as majestic and entrancing as the full moon and as radiant as the sun. He has the capacity to endure of the earth and his mind is as deep as the ocean. He is not shaken in the least by either pain or pleasure, and, like Sumeru, king of the mountains, none of the winds can make him quaver and he is the repository of all jewels and marvelous things. He is one in whom all the excellent meritorious qualities reside. He acts as the close friend and relative of everyone in the entire world and he is a place of refuge for all who are beset by suffering or affliction. He is a refuge for those who have no refuge and a shelter for those who have no shelter. He can dispel the fear of those beset by fear.

Such are the characteristics of the wheel-turning sage king. He is able to reverse the path of those who break moral precepts and then influence them to abide in good dharmas.

All the other endeavors to which he is devoted

are as previously explained in the discussion of the first ground. As for "reversing the path of those who break moral precepts," he is able to influence beings to relinquish evil actions and take up those endeavors that are conducive to peace and happiness.

As for "influencing them to abide in good dharmas," he is able to turn beings away from evil actions of body, speech, and mind and influence them to take up the good karmic actions of body, speech, and mind. As for these endeavors being "as previously explained in the discussion of the first ground," this refers to being able to see the buddhas and acquire the samādhis. The only difference is that, on that ground, hundreds of buddhas are seen, whereas on this ground, thousands of buddhas are seen. 377

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