Verse I.68

Ratnagotravibhāga Root Verse I.68

Verse I.68 Variations

जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधीन् दर्शयन्ति कृपात्मकाः
जात्यादिवि निवृत्ताश्च यथाभूतस्य दर्शनात्

janmamṛtyujarāvyādhīn darśayanti kṛpātmakāḥ
jātyādivi nivṛttāśca yathābhūtasya darśanāt

E. H. Johnston as input by the University of the West.^[1]

ཇི་བཞིན་ཡང་དག་མཐོང་བའི་ཕྱིར། །
སྐྱེ་སོགས་རྣམས་ལས་འདས་གྱུར་ཀྱང་། །
སྙིང་རྗེའི་བདག་ཉིད་སྐྱེ་བ་དང་། །
འཆི་དང་རྒ་དང་ན་བར་སྟོན། །

Dege, PHI, 114

Due to their character of compassion,
They display birth, death, aging, and sickness,
[But] they are beyond birth and so on
Because they see [the basic element] as it really is.

When the Clouds Part, Brunnhölzl, 379 ^[2]

而依慈悲力故示現生老病死而遠離生等以見如實故
(This verse is not marked as such in the Chinese translation.)

http://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/en/T31n1611_p0833c07

Comme ils voient tel quel et correctement,

Ils dépassent la naissance et ses suites,

Mais comme ils incarnent la compassion,

Ils se montrent naissants, malades, vieux et morts.

Charrier, Christian and Patrick Carré. Traité de la Continuité suprême du Grand Véhicule. Plazac: Éditions Padmakara, 2019.

RGVV Commentary on Verse I.68

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Due to their character of compassion,

They display birth, death, aging, and sickness,

[But] they are beyond birth and so on

Because they see [the basic element] as it really is. I.68

Bodhisattvas who are united with roots of virtue,^[3] by relying on their mastery over [taking] birth as they wish, connect with [saṃsāra] in its three realms due to their compassion. They display birth, and they also display aging, sickness, and death. However, these phenomena of birth and so on do not exist in them because they see the lack of birth and the lack of arising of the basic element as it really is.

This phase of bodhisattvas is to be understood in detail according to the [Sāgaramatiparipṛcchā]sūtra, which says:

"What are the afflictions that continue saṃsāra and are associated with roots of virtue? They are as follows. [Bodhisattvas] are never content with [their efforts in] seeking out the accumulation of merit, take birth in [saṃsāric] existence as they wish, earnestly desire to meet buddhas, are never weary of maturing sentient beings,^[4] make efforts in grasping the genuine dharma, exert themselves in whatever is to be done for sentient beings, are never separated from the motivation of desiring the dharma, and do not abandon their union with the pāramitās. Sāgaramati, these are the afflictions that are associated with roots of virtue, through which bodhisattvas connect [with saṃsāra], but they are never affected by the flaws of these afflictions."
Then [Sāgaramati] said, {P103b} "Bhagavan, if these are roots of virtue, for what reason are they called ‘afflictions’?"
[The Bhagavān] answered, "Sāgaramati, it is as follows. It is through afflictions of such a nature that bodhisattvas connect with [saṃsāra] in its three realms. [Saṃsāra] in its three realms arises from afflictions. Now, {D100a} it is through their skill in means and through bringing about the power of their roots of virtue^[5] that bodhisattvas connect with [saṃsāra] in its three realms as they wish. Therefore, [these afflictions] are called ‘afflictions that are associated with roots of virtue.’ [They are called ‘afflictions’] because they connect [bodhisattvas] with [saṃsāra] in its three realms for as long as [these realms] exist, but not because they afflict their minds.
O Sāgaramati, suppose there were a distinguished^[6] householder’s only son, who is beloved, handsome, attractive, and lovely to behold. This boy, being a child, would fall into a pit of excrement while dancing. Then the family and the relatives^[7] of this boy would see that the boy has fallen into that pit of excrement. Upon seeing this, they would sigh deeply, wail, and lament. However, they would not [be able to] enter that pit of excrement {J48} and pull out the boy. Then the father of this boy would come to this place and see his only son fallen into the pit of excrement. Upon seeing that, out of [his fatherly] love, he would wish to seize^[8] his only son, thus hurrying to enter the pit of excrement very quickly without feeling any disgust and pulling him out.
Sāgaramati, this example is given in order to make a certain meaning understood. What is to be regarded as the meaning^[9] [illustrated by this example]? Sāgaramati, "the pit of excrement" is a designation for [saṃsāra] in its three realms. "The only son" is a designation for sentient beings. [For] bodhisattvas entertain the notion about all sentient beings that they are [like] their only son. "The mother and the relatives" {P104a} is a designation for the persons who belong to the yānas of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. [For] upon seeing sentient beings fallen into saṃsāra, they wail and lament, but they are not able to pull them out. "The distinguished householder" is a designation for bodhisattvas who are pure and stainless, possess a mind that is free from stains, and have directly realized the unconditioned dharma {D100b} [but still] link up with [saṃsāra] in its three realms for the sake of maturing sentient beings as they wish. Sāgaramati, such is the great compassion of bodhisattvas that they, despite being completely liberated from all fetters, again assume birth in [saṃsāric] existence. By virtue of being skilled in means and being embraced by prajñā, they are not harmed^[10] by [their own] afflictions and teach the dharma to sentient beings in order to relinquish all the fetters of their afflictions."^[11]

The instruction in this sūtra passage explains the [tathāgata element’s] phase of being both impure and pure because (1) bodhisattvas who have gained mastery for the sake of acting for the benefit of others connect with births in [saṃsāric] existence through the powers of their roots of virtue and of their compassion as they wish and (2) because they are not afflicted by this [saṃsāric existence] through the powers of their [skill in] means and prajñā.^[12]

Here, the manner in which^[13] bodhisattvas, upon having arrived at seeing the lack of birth and the lack of arising of the tathāgata element as it really is, attain that true nature of a bodhisattva should be understood in detail according to the [same] sūtra, which says:

Sāgaramati, look at phenomena’s lack of an essence, lack of a creator, lack of an identity, lack of a sentient being, lack of a life force, {J49} lack of a person, and lack of an owner. {P104b} Indeed, they are [simply] created as one wishes. Being thus created,^[14] they do not think or imagine. Sāgaramati, bodhisattvas who believe that phenomena are [thus] created^[15] do not give rise to weariness^[16] of any phenomenon. Their vision of wisdom is immaculate and pure, [seeing] that there is nothing here that causes benefit or harm. In this way, they know the true nature of phenomena as it really is and never cast off the armor of great compassion.

O Sāgaramati, suppose there were a priceless precious jewel of beryl, {D101a} excellently polished, excellently pure, and excellently stainless. Suppose [this jewel] would be thrown into the mud and would remain there for a thousand years. After these thousand years have passed, it would be pulled out of the mud and would be washed and cleansed. Having been rinsed well, perfectly purified, and perfectly polished, it would never lose its nature of being such a pure and stainless precious jewel.

Likewise, Sāgaramati, bodhisattvas know the natural luminosity of the mind of sentient beings, but they [also] see that this [luminosity] is afflicted by adventitious proximate afflictions. Now, bodhisattvas think as follows, "These afflictions do not enter the natural luminosity of the mind of sentient beings. These afflictions are adventitious and are produced by false imagination. I am able to teach the dharma in order to remove the adventitious afflictions of these sentient beings." In this way, a fainthearted state of mind never arises in them. [Instead,] with much greater intensity than such [potential faintheartedness] and in an immediate manner, they give rise to the mind-set for liberating all sentient beings. They also think thus, "These afflictions do not have any power or strength. These afflictions are powerless and of weak power. They have no real foundation. {J50} These afflictions {P105a} are false imagination. When examined with proper mental engagement that accords with true reality, they do not stir.^[17] We should scrutinize them in such a way that they may never adhere to us [again]. Indeed, it is good when the afflictions do not adhere, but it is not [good] when they do adhere. If the afflictions were to adhere to me, how could I teach the dharma for the sake of relinquishing the fetters of the afflictions of sentient beings who are bound by the fetters of the afflictions? Look, we will not adhere to the afflictions, so we shall teach the dharma to sentient beings in order to relinquish their fetters of the afflictions. {D101b} On the other hand, in order to mature sentient beings, we should adhere to those afflictions that connect us with saṃsāra and are associated with roots of virtue."^[18]

Here, "saṃsāra" implies the three bodies of a mental nature in the uncontaminated basic element that are a reflection of [the bodies of beings in] the three realms. This is [referred to as] saṃsāra because it is formed by uncontaminated roots of virtue. It is also [referred to as] nirvāṇa because it is not formed by contaminated karma and afflictions. With regard to this, [the Śrīmālādevīsūtra] says:

Therefore, Bhagavan, there is both conditioned and unconditioned saṃsāra. There is both conditioned and unconditioned nirvāṇa.^[19]

Now, this is called "the phase of being impure and pure" because it entails the operation of minds^[20] and mental factors in which the conditioned and the unconditioned are mixed. Furthermore, this [phase] is primarily presented [as occurring] on the [sixth] bodhisattvabhūmi, [called] "The Facing" for the following [two] reasons. [On this bhūmi,] by virtue of having cultivated the unobstructed pāramitā of prajñā, [bodhisattvas] face^[21] the supernatural knowledge of the termination of contaminations.^[22] [On the other hand,] by virtue of having cultivated great compassion, {P105b} they do not directly realize [this supernatural knowledge of the termination of contaminations] in order to [remain in saṃsāra and] protect all the basic elements of sentient beings.

This is as described in the example of a city^[23] for the wisdom of the termination of contaminations.^[24]

Likewise, son of noble family, bodhisattvas give rise to the five supernatural knowledges through great effort, great vigor, and the firm cultivation of the superior intention. With their minds purified by dhyānas and supernatural knowledges, they come to face [the wisdom of] the termination of contaminations. [However,] by virtue of having generated the mind-set of great compassion, in order to protect all sentient beings, [instead of merging with the wisdom of the termination of contaminations, they consider sentient beings and therefore turn away from this wisdom and return, appearing even at the level of ordinary beings].^[25]

[Thus,] having trained in the wisdom of the termination of contaminations, {D102a} once again, {J51} by virtue of giving rise to unobstructed^[26] prajñā through their excellently purified mind, on the sixth [bhūmi] they come to face the termination of contaminations.^[27]

In this way, they attain mastery over the direct realization of the termination of contaminations on this bodhisattvabhūmi [called] "The Facing." Therefore, this is explained as the bodhisattvas’ phase [of the tathāgata element’s] being pure. [On the other hand,] by virtue of their character of correctly engaging [in the tathāgata element] and due to their great compassion, thinking, "I shall establish others too in this same correct engagement," they wish to protect sentient beings who engage in a wrong way. Having trained in the means for the bliss of peace without tasting it, out of consideration for sentient beings who are facing saṃsāra, [bodhisattvas] who are facing nirvāṇa^[28] rise from the dhyānas [that they cultivate] for the sake of completing [all] the factors [concordant with] awakening and again assume birth in the desire realm as they wish. Therefore, wishing to promote the welfare of sentient beings as quickly as possible, {P106a} they gain mastery over displaying the bodies of ordinary beings by way of [assuming] different births [even] in the forms of various animals. Therefore, this is explained as [the bodhisattvas’] phase [of the tathāgata element’s] being impure.

janmamṛtyujarāvyādhīn darśayanti kṛpātmakāḥ/

jātyādivi nivṛttāśca yathābhūtasya darśanāt//68//

kuśalamūlasaṃyojanāddhi bodhisattvoḥ saṃcintyopapattivaśitāsaṃniḥśrayeṇa karuṇayā traidhātuke saṃśliṣyante/ jātimapyupadarśayanti jarāmapi vyādhimapi maraṇamapyupadarśayanti/ na ca teṣāmime jātyādayo dharmāḥ saṃvidyante/ yathāpi tadasyaiva dhātoryathābhūtamajātyanutpattidarśanāt/ sā punariyaṃ bodhisattvavasthā vistareṇa yathāsūtramanugantavyā/ yadāha/ katame ca te saṃsārapravartakāḥ kuśalamūlasaṃprayuktāḥ kleśāḥ/ yaduta puṇyasaṃbhāraparyeṣṭyatṛptatā/ saṃcintyabhavopapattiparigrahaḥ/ buddhasamavadhānaprārthanā/ sattvaparipākāparikhedaḥ/ saddharmaparigrahodyogaḥ/ sattvakiṃkaraṇīyotsukatā/ dharmarāgānuśayānutsargaḥ/ pāramitāsaṃyojanānāmaparityāgaḥ/ ityete sāgaramate kuśalamūlasaṃprayuktāḥ kleśā yairbodhisattvāḥ saṃśliṣyante/ na khalu kleśadoṣairlipyante/ āha punaḥ/ yadā bhagavan kuśalamūlāni tatkena kāraṇena kleśā ityucyante/ āha/ tathā hi sāgaramate ebhirevaṃrūpaiḥ kleśairbodhisattvāstraidhātuke śliṣyante/ kleśasaṃbhūtaṃ ca traidhātukam/ tatra bodhisattvā upāyakauśalena ca kuśalamūlavalānvādhānena ca saṃcintya traidhātuke śliṣyante/ tenocyante kuśalamūlasaṃprayuktāḥ kleśā iti/ yāvadeva traidhātuke śleṣatayā na punaścittopakleśatayā/

syādyathāpi nāma sāgaramate śreṣṭhino gṛhapatereka putraka iṣṭaḥ kāntaḥ priyo manāpo'prakṛtikūlo darśanena sa ca dārako bālabhāvena nṛtyanneva mīḍhakūpe prapateta/ atha te tasya dārakasya mātṛjñātayaḥ paśyeyustaṃ dārakaṃ mīḍhakūpe prapatitam/ dṛṣṭvā ca gambhīraṃ niśvaseyuḥ śoceyuḥ parideveran/ na punastaṃ mīḍhakūpamavaruhya taṃ dārakamadhyālamberan/ atha tasya dārakasya pitā taṃ pradeśamāgacchet/ sa paśyetaikaputrakaṃ mīḍhakūpe prapatitaṃ dṛṣṭvā ca śīghraśīghraṃ tvaramāṇarūpa ekaputrakādhyāśayapremānunoto'jugupsamānastaṃ mīḍhakūpamavaruhyaikaputrakamabhyutkṣipet/ iti hi sāgaramate upamaiṣā kṛtā yāvadevārthasya vijñaptaye/ kaḥ prabandho draṣṭavyaḥ/ mīḍhakūpa iti sāgaramate traidhātukasyaitadadhivacanam/ ekaputraka iti sattvānāmetadadhivacanam/ sarvasattveṣu hi bodhisattvasyaikaputrasaṃjñā pratyupasthitā bhavati/ mātṛjñātaya iti śrāvakapratyekabuddhayānīyānāṃ pudgalānāmetadadhivacanaṃ ye saṃsāraprapatitān sattvān dṛṣṭvā śocanti paridevante na punaḥ śamarthā bhavantyabhyutkṣeptum/ śreṣṭhī gṛhapatiriti bodhisattvasyaitadadhivacanaṃ yaḥ śucirvimalo nirmalacitto'saṃskṛtadharmapratyakṣagataḥ saṃcintya traidhātuke pratisaṃdadhāti sattvaparipākārtham/ seyaṃ sāgaramate bodhisattvasya mahākaruṇā yadatyantaparimuktaḥ sarvabandhanebhyaḥ punareva bhavopapattimupādadāti/ upāyakauśalyaprajñāparigṛhītaśca saṃkleśairna lipyate/ sarva kleśabandhaprahāṇāya ca sattvebhyo dharma deśayatīti/ tadanena sūtrapadanirdeśena parahītakriyārtha vaśino bodhisattvasya saṃcintyabhavopapattau kuśalamūlakaruṇāvalābhyāmupaśleṣādupāyaprajñābalābhyāṃ ca tadasaṃkleśādaśuddhaśuddhāvasthā paridīpitā/

tatra yadā bodhisattvo yathābhūtājātyanutpattidarśanamāgamya tathāgatadhatorimāṃ bodhisattvadharmatāmanuprāpnoti tathā vistareṇa yathāsūtramanugantavyam/ yadāha/ paśya sāgaramate dharmāṇāmasāratāmakārakatāṃ nirātmatāṃ niḥsattvatāṃ nirjīvatāṃ niḥpudgalatāmasvāmikatām/ yatra hi nāma yatheṣyante tathā viṭhapyante viṭhapitāśca samānā na cetayanti na prakalpayanti/ imāṃ sāgaramate dharmaviṭhapanāmadhimucya bodhisattvo na kasmiṃściddharme parikhedamutpādayati/ tasyaiva jñānadarśanaṃ śuci śuddhaṃ bhavati/ nātra kaścidupakāro vāpakāro vā kriyata iti/ evaṃ ca dharmāṇāṃ dharmatāṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti/ evaṃ ca mahākaruṇāsaṃnāhaṃ na tyajati/ syādyathāpi nāma sāgaramata'nargha viḍūryamaṇiratnaṃ svavadāpitaṃ supariśuddhaṃ suvimalaṃ kardamaparikṣiptaṃ varṣasahasramavatiṣṭheta/ tadvarṣasahasrātyayena tataḥ kardamādabhyutkṣipya loḍyeta payavadāyeta/ tatsudhautaṃ pariśodhitaṃ paryavadāpitaṃ samānaṃ tameva śuddhavimalamaṇiratnasvabhāvaṃ na jahyāt/ evameva sāgaramate bodhisattvaḥ sattvānāṃ prakṛtiprabhāsvaratāṃ cittasya prajānāti/ tāṃ punarāgantuko pakleśopakliṣṭāṃ paśyati/ tatra bodhisattvasyaivaṃ bhavati/ naite kleśāḥ sattvānāṃ cittaprakṛtiprabhāsvaratāyāṃ praviṣṭāḥ/ āgantukā ete kleśā abhūtaparikalpasamutthitāḥ/ śaknuyāmahaṃ punareṣāṃ sattvānāmāgantukleśāpanayanāya dharma deśayitumiti/ evamasya nāvalīyanācittamutpadyate/ tasya bhūyasyā mātrayā sarvasattvānāmantike pramokṣacittotpāda utpadyate/ evaṃ cāsya bhavati/ naiteṣāṃ kleśānāṃ kiṃcidvalaṃ sthāma vā/ abalā durbalā ete kleśāḥ/ naiteṣāṃ kiṃcidbhūtapratiṣṭhānam/ abhūtaparikalpita ete kleśāḥ/ te yathābhūtayoniśomanasikāranirīkṣitā na kupyanti/ te'smābhistathā pratyavekṣitavyā yathā na bhūyaḥ śliṣyeyuḥ/ aśleṣo hi kleśānāṃ sādhurna punaḥ śleṣaḥ/ yadyahaṃ kleśānāṃ ślipyeya tatkathaṃ kleśabandhanabaddhānāṃ sattvānāṃ kleśabandhanaprahāṇaya dharma deśayeyam/ hanta vayaṃ kleśānāṃ ca na śliṣyāmahe kleśabandhanaprahāṇāya ca sattvebhyo dharma śayiṣyāmaḥ/ ye punaste saṃsāraprabandhakāḥ kuśalanasaṃprayuktāḥ kleśāsteṣvasmābhiḥ sattvaparipākāya śleṣṭavyamiti/

saṃsāraḥ punariha traidhātukapratibimbakamanāsravadhātau manomayaṃ kāyatrayamabhipretam/ taddhyanāsravakuśalamūlābhisaṃskṛtatvāt saṃsāraḥ/ sāsravakarmakleśānabhisaṃskṛtatvānnirvāṇamapi tat/ yadadhikṛtyāha/ tasmādbhagavannasti saṃskṛto'pyasaṃskṛto'pi saṃsāraḥ/ asti saṃskṛtamapyasaṃskṛtamapi nirvāṇamiti/ tatra saṃskṛtā saṃskṛtasaṃsṛṣṭacittacaitasikasamudācārayogādiyamaśuddhaśuddhāvasthetyucyate/ sā punarāsravakṣayābhijñābhimukhyasaṅgaprajñāpāramitabhāvanayā mahākaruṇābhāvanayā ca sarvasattvadhātuparitrāṇāya tadasākṣātkaraṇādābhimukhyāṃ bodhisattvabhūmau prādhānyena vyavasthāpyate/

yathoktamātravakṣayajñānamārabhya nagarodāharaṇam/ evameva kulaputra bodhisattvo manatā yatnena mahata vīryeṇa dṛḍhayādhyāśayapratipattyā pañcābhijñā utpādayati/ tasya dhyānābhijñaparikarmakṛtacittasyāsravakṣayo'bhimukhībhavati/ sa mahākaruṇācittotpādena sarvasattvaparitrāṇāyāsravakṣayajñāne parijayaṃ kṛtvā punarapi suparikarmakṛtacetāḥ ṣaṣṭhyāmasaṅgaprajñotpādādāsravakṣaye'bhimukhībhavati/ evamasyāmābhimukhyāṃ bodhisattvabhūmāvāsravakṣayasākṣātkaraṇavaśitvalābhino bodhisattvasya viśuddhāvasthā/ paridīpitā/ tasyaivamātmanā samyakpratipannasya parānapi cāsyāmeva samyakpratipattau sthāpayiṣyāmīti mahākaruṇayā vipratipannasattvaparitrāṇābhiprāyasya śamasukhānāsvādanatayā tadupāyakṛtaparijayasya saṃsārābhimukhasattvāpekṣayā nirvāṇavimukhasya bodhyaṅgaparipūraṇāya dhyānairvihṛtya punaḥ kāmadhātau saṃcintyopapattiparigrahaṇato yāvadāśu sattvānāmarthaṃ kartukāmasya vicitratiryagyonigatajātakaprabhedena pṛthagjanātmabhāvasaṃdarśanavibhutvalābhino'viśuddhāvasthā paridīpitā/

而依慈悲力故示現生老病死而遠離生等以見如實故以是義故諸菩薩摩訶薩依善根結使生非依業煩惱結使生以依心自在力生依大悲力現於三界示現生示現老示現病示現死而彼無有生老病死諸苦等法以如實見真如佛性不生不滅是名不淨淨時如修多羅中依愛無漏業根本煩惱廣說應知如如來於大海慧菩薩經中說言大海慧何者能住世間善根相應煩惱所謂集諸善根無有厭足故以心願生攝取諸有故求見一切諸佛如來故教化一切眾生心不疲惓故攝取一切諸佛妙法故於諸眾生常作利益故常不捨離樂貪諸法結使故常不捨離諸波羅蜜結使故大海慧是名諸菩薩摩訶薩世間善根相應煩惱依此煩惱諸菩薩摩訶薩生於三界受種種苦不為三界煩惱過患之所染污大海慧菩薩白佛言世尊此諸善根以何義故說名煩惱佛告大海慧菩薩言大海慧如是煩惱諸菩薩摩訶薩能生三界受種種苦依此煩惱故有三界非染煩惱三界中生大海慧菩薩以方便智力依善根力故心生三界是故名為善根相應煩惱而

生三界非染心生大海慧譬如長者若居士等唯有一子甚愛甚念見者歡喜而彼一子依愚癡心因戲樂故墮在極深糞廁井中時彼父母及諸親屬見彼一子墮在大廁深坑糞中見已歔欷悲泣啼哭而不能入彼極深廁糞屎器中而出其子爾時彼處眾中更有一長者子或一居士子見彼小兒墮在深廁糞屎井中見已疾疾生一子想生愛念心不起惡心即入深廁糞屎井中出彼一子大海慧為顯彼義說此譬喻大海慧何者彼義大海慧言極深井糞屎坑者名為三界大海慧言一子者一切眾生諸菩薩等於一切眾生生一子想大海慧爾時父母及諸親者名為聲聞辟支佛人以二乘人見諸眾生墮在世間極大深坑糞屎井中既見彼已悲泣啼哭而不能拔彼諸眾生大海慧彼時更有一長者子一居士子者名為菩薩摩訶薩離諸煩惱清淨無垢以離垢心現見無為真如法界以自在心現生三界為教化彼諸眾生故大海慧是名菩薩摩訶薩大悲畢竟遠離諸有畢竟遠離諸縛而迴生於三界有中以依方便般若力故諸煩惱火不能焚燒欲令一切諸眾生等遠離諸縛而為說法大海慧我今說此修多羅句依諸菩薩心為利益一切眾生得自在力而生三有依諸善根慈悲心力依於方便般若力故是名示現淨不淨時又菩薩摩訶薩以如實智知如來法身不生不滅故得如是菩薩摩訶薩功德法體此修多羅句向前已說自下次

說大毘琉璃摩尼寶喻佛言大海慧譬如無價大毘琉璃摩尼寶珠善治善淨善光明墮在泥中住一千年彼摩尼寶經千年後乃出彼泥出已水洗洗已極淨極淨洗已然後極明即不失本清淨無垢摩尼寶體大海慧菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是如實知見一切眾生自性清淨光明淨心而為客塵煩惱所染大海慧諸菩薩等生如是心彼諸煩惱不染眾生自性淨心是諸煩惱客塵虛妄分別心起而彼諸菩薩復生是心我今畢竟令諸眾生遠離客塵諸煩惱垢為之說法如是菩薩不生怯弱心轉於一切眾生生增上力我要畢竟令得解脫菩薩爾時復生是心此諸煩惱無有少體菩薩爾時復生是心諸煩惱無體諸煩惱羸薄是諸煩惱無有住處如是菩薩如實知諸煩惱虛妄分別而有依邪見念而有以正見者諸煩惱垢不能得起菩薩爾時復生是心我應如實觀諸煩惱更不復生以不生煩惱故生諸善法菩薩爾時復生是心我若自起諸煩惱者云何而得為諸煩惱所縛眾生說法令離諸煩惱縛菩薩爾時復生是心以我不著諸煩惱故是故得為諸煩惱縛眾生說法我應修行諸波羅蜜結使煩惱相應善根為欲教化諸眾生故又復云何名為世間以三界相似鏡像法故此明何義依無漏法界中有三種意生身應知彼因無漏善根所作名為世間以離有漏諸業煩惱所作世間法故亦名涅槃依此義故聖者勝鬘經言世尊有有為世間有無為世間世尊有

有為涅槃有無為涅槃故又有為無為心心數法相應法故故說名為淨不淨時此義於第六菩薩現前地說彼諸漏盡無障礙般若波羅蜜解脫現前修行大悲以為救護一切眾生故不取證如寶鬘經中依漏盡故說入城喻彼經中言善男子譬如有城縱廣正等各一由旬多有諸門路嶮黑闇甚可怖畏有人入者多受安樂復有一人唯有一子愛念甚重遙聞彼城如是快樂即便捨子欲往入城是人方便得過嶮道到彼城門一足已入一足未舉即念其子尋作是念我唯一子來時云何竟不與俱誰能養護令離眾苦即捨樂城還至子所善男子菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是為憐愍故修集五通既修集已垂得盡漏而不取證何以故愍眾生故捨漏盡通乃至行於凡夫地中善男子城者喻於大般涅槃多諸門者喻於八萬諸三昧門路嶮難者喻諸魔業到城門者喻於五通一足入者喻於智慧一足未入者喻諸菩薩未證解脫言一子者喻於五道一切眾生顧念子者喻大悲心還子所者喻調眾生能得解脫而不證者即是方便善男子菩薩摩訶薩大慈大悲不可思議如是善男子菩薩摩訶薩大方便力發大精進起堅固心修行禪定得證五通如是菩薩依禪通業善修心淨無漏滅盡定現前如是菩薩即得生於大悲之心為救一切諸眾生故現前無漏智通而迴轉不取寂滅涅槃以為教化諸眾生故迴取世間乃至示現凡夫人地於第四菩薩焰地中

為自利益善起精進為利益他善起堅固心漏盡現前於第五菩薩難勝地中依止五通自利利他善熟心行無漏滅盡定現前是故於第六菩薩地中無障礙般若波羅蜜起漏盡現前是故於第六菩薩現前地中得漏盡自在說名清淨是菩薩如是自身正修行教化眾生令置彼處得大慈悲心於顛倒眾生生救護心不著寂滅涅槃善作彼方便現前世間門為眾生故現前涅槃門為菩提分滿足故修行四禪迴生欲界以為利益地獄畜生餓鬼凡夫種種眾生示現諸身以得自在故

Other English translations

Obermiller (1931) ^[29]

As he has perceived the Absolute Truth,

He is delivered from birth and the other (stages of Phenomenal Life);

But being full of Great Commiseration,

He appears as (being subjected to) birth, death, decrepitude, and illness.

Takasaki (1966) ^[30]

They, being full of mercy, make appearance

Of birth, death, decrepitude and illness,

Though they have got rid of birth, etc.

Because of their perception of the truth.

Fuchs (2000) ^[31]

Since they have seen reality as it is,

they are beyond being born and so on.

Yet, as the embodiment of compassion itself

they display birth, illness, old age, and death.

Textual sources

Commentaries on this verse

Academic notes

Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon Unicode Input
Brunnhölzl, Karl. When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sūtra and Tantra. Boston: Snow Lion Publications, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, 2014.
I follow MA °saṃyojanā hi bodhisattvāḥ (supported by DP bhang chub sems dpa’ rnams ni . . . kun tu sbyor ba can) against J saṃyojanād dhi bodhisattvāḥ.
VT (fol. 13r3) glosses aparikhedaḥ as "unimpeded"with regard to maturing sentient beings.
I follow MA kuśalamūlabalādhānena and MB kuśalamūlabalādhādhānena (dittography of –dhā) against J kuśalamūlabalānvādhānena.
DP "merchant or householder" (tshong dpon nam khyim bdag).
MB reads matṛjñātayaḥ, which accords with DP and the Chinese translations of this sūtra, while the Tibetan translation has *mātṛmitrajñāyataḥ. MA mātāpitṛjñātayaḥ accords with C and is also found in VT (fol. 13r3), but the latter unravels this compound to mean "the relatives of father and mother (mātāpitṛṇāṃ jñātayaḥ)." The translation follows Schmithausen, who prefers the reading of MA since mātāpitṛ can also mean "family." As such, it does not have to include the father, who only appears later on the scene.
I follow Schmithausen’s suggestion °adhyālamba° (supported by DP ’don pa) against °adhyāśaya°.
I follow MA kaḥ punar artho draṣṭavyaḥ (supported by DP don gang yin par lta zhe na) against J kaḥ prabhando draṣṭavyaḥ and MB purartho.
I follow MA/MB hanyate (DP gnod) against J lipyate.
D152, fols. 85b.5–86b.4.
Compare the detailed discussion of bodhisattvas on the bhūmis deliberately retaining subtle portions of the afflictions in order to be able to take rebirth in saṃsāra for the welfare of sentient beings, while not being affected by these afflictions or saṃsāra, in the Eighth Karmapa’s commentary on the Abhisamayālaṃkāra (Brunnhölzl 2010, 549–59, 589–90, and 596 and Brunnhölzl 2011b, 135–36).
gainst yadā in MB and J, but with Schmithausen, I follow MA yathā (P ji lta bar [text: ba’i]) as the correlate of tathā in the text below.
DP omit "created" in the preceding sentence and "Being thus created," but the Sanskrit quote accords with D152.
DP gzhan du mi ’gyur ba’i chos.
DP khong khro.
DP khro bar mi gyur.
D152, fol. 85a.2–85b.5.
D45.48, fol. 271b.2–3.
DP omit "minds" (sems).
I follow Schmithausen’s emendation of J āsravakṣayābhijñābhimukhy° (MB °ābhimukhyām) to āsravakṣayābhijñābhimukhyād.
This is the sixth and most supreme of the six supernatural knowledges, which only a buddha possesses. Here, bodhisattvas on the sixth bhūmi are said to be very close to this knowledge.
DP "man" (mi; Skt. nara instead of nagara)
This example in the Ratnacūḍaparipṛcchāsūtra (D45.47, fols. 241b.7–242.a5) describes a huge city free from suffering and with many pleasures, which can be reached by several dangerous roads. A man with a single son hears of it, leaves his child behind, and traverses all these dangerous paths. However, when he sets one foot on the thresh- old of the gate of this city, while his other foot is still outside, he remembers his son. Overwhelmed by his fatherly love for him and the worry about his well-being, the man does not enter the city, but returns to fetch his son in order to provide its pleasures for him too. What follows in our text here is the explanation of the meaning of this example. VT also mentions this example here and says that the father stands for bodhisattvas, while his only son exemplifies all sentient beings.
Ibid., fol. 242a.5–7. The passage in "[ ]" is from this sūtra (de snying rje chen po’i sems skyes nas sems can thams cad yongs su bskyab pa’i phyir zag pa zad pa’i ye shes ’dris par byas pa las sems can rnams la lta bas phyir phyogs te / slar log nas so so’i skye bo’i sa na yang kun du snang ngo /). It seems that both the Sanskrit and DP are missing something here since the first part of this paragraph up through "in order to protect all sentient beings" is clearly an (unfinished) quotation, while the remainder is a further explanation of this quotation.
DP "unattached" (chags pa med pa) instead of "unobstructed" (thogs pa med pa).
As it stands, the text’s sentence sa mahākaruṇācittotpādena sarvasattvaparitrāṇāyāsravakṣayajñāne parijayaṃ kṛtvā punar api suparikarmakṛtacetāḥ ṣaṣṭhyām asaṅgaprajñotpādād āsravakṣaye ’bhimukhī bhavati includes the above phrase, "by virtue of having generated the mind-set of great compassion, in order to protect all sentient beings . . ." Thus, this sentence reads as something like: "Having trained in the wisdom of the termination of contaminations by virtue of having generated the mind-set of great compassion, in order to protect all sentient beings, once again, by virtue of giving rise to unobstructed prajñā through their excellently purified mind, they come to face [the wisdom of] the termination of contaminations on the sixth [bhūmi]." However, given the above example and its explanation in the sūtra as well as the text’s own explanations immediately above and below it, it appears to be unsuitable to connect "by virtue of having generated the mind-set of great compassion, in order to protect all sentient beings"with the cultivation of the wisdom of the termination of contaminations. Rather, it is to be connected with the fact that bodhisattvas do not enter this wisdom fully, but return to saṃsāra in order to help sentient beings.
With de Jong, I follow DP may ngan las ’das pa la mngon du phyogs pa (nirvāṇābhimukhasya) against J nirvāṇavimukhasya.
Obermiller, E. "The Sublime Science of the Great Vehicle to Salvation Being a Manual of Buddhist Monism." Acta Orientalia IX (1931), pp. 81-306.
Takasaki, Jikido. A Study on the Ratnagotravibhāga (Uttaratantra): Being a Treatise on the Tathāgatagarbha Theory of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Serie Orientale Roma 33. Roma: Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente (ISMEO), 1966.
Fuchs, Rosemarie, trans. Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra. Commentary by Jamgon Kongtrul and explanations by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso. Ithaca, N. Y.: Snow Lion Publications, 2000.

[1] Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon Unicode Input

[2] Brunnhölzl, Karl. When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sūtra and Tantra. Boston: Snow Lion Publications, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, 2014.

[3] I follow MA °saṃyojanā hi bodhisattvāḥ (supported by DP bhang chub sems dpa’ rnams ni . . . kun tu sbyor ba can) against J saṃyojanād dhi bodhisattvāḥ.

[4] VT (fol. 13r3) glosses aparikhedaḥ as "unimpeded"with regard to maturing sentient beings.

[5] I follow MA kuśalamūlabalādhānena and MB kuśalamūlabalādhādhānena (dittography of –dhā) against J kuśalamūlabalānvādhānena.

[6] DP "merchant or householder" (tshong dpon nam khyim bdag).

[7] MB reads matṛjñātayaḥ, which accords with DP and the Chinese translations of this sūtra, while the Tibetan translation has *mātṛmitrajñāyataḥ. MA mātāpitṛjñātayaḥ accords with C and is also found in VT (fol. 13r3), but the latter unravels this compound to mean "the relatives of father and mother (mātāpitṛṇāṃ jñātayaḥ)." The translation follows Schmithausen, who prefers the reading of MA since mātāpitṛ can also mean "family." As such, it does not have to include the father, who only appears later on the scene.

[8] I follow Schmithausen’s suggestion °adhyālamba° (supported by DP ’don pa) against °adhyāśaya°.

[9] I follow MA kaḥ punar artho draṣṭavyaḥ (supported by DP don gang yin par lta zhe na) against J kaḥ prabhando draṣṭavyaḥ and MB purartho.

[10] I follow MA/MB hanyate (DP gnod) against J lipyate.

[11] D152, fols. 85b.5–86b.4.

[12] Compare the detailed discussion of bodhisattvas on the bhūmis deliberately retaining subtle portions of the afflictions in order to be able to take rebirth in saṃsāra for the welfare of sentient beings, while not being affected by these afflictions or saṃsāra, in the Eighth Karmapa’s commentary on the Abhisamayālaṃkāra (Brunnhölzl 2010, 549–59, 589–90, and 596 and Brunnhölzl 2011b, 135–36).

[13] st yadā in MB and J, but with Schmithausen, I follow MA yathā (P ji lta bar [text: ba’i]) as the correlate of tathā in the text below.

[14] DP omit "created" in the preceding sentence and "Being thus created," but the Sanskrit quote accords with D152.

[15] DP gzhan du mi ’gyur ba’i chos.

[16] DP khong khro.

[17] DP khro bar mi gyur.

[18] D152, fol. 85a.2–85b.5.

[19] D45.48, fol. 271b.2–3.

[20] DP omit "minds" (sems).

[21] I follow Schmithausen’s emendation of J āsravakṣayābhijñābhimukhy° (MB °ābhimukhyām) to āsravakṣayābhijñābhimukhyād.

[22] This is the sixth and most supreme of the six supernatural knowledges, which only a buddha possesses. Here, bodhisattvas on the sixth bhūmi are said to be very close to this knowledge.

[23] DP "man" (mi; Skt. nara instead of nagara)

[24] This example in the Ratnacūḍaparipṛcchāsūtra (D45.47, fols. 241b.7–242.a5) describes a huge city free from suffering and with many pleasures, which can be reached by several dangerous roads. A man with a single son hears of it, leaves his child behind, and traverses all these dangerous paths. However, when he sets one foot on the thresh- old of the gate of this city, while his other foot is still outside, he remembers his son. Overwhelmed by his fatherly love for him and the worry about his well-being, the man does not enter the city, but returns to fetch his son in order to provide its pleasures for him too. What follows in our text here is the explanation of the meaning of this example. VT also mentions this example here and says that the father stands for bodhisattvas, while his only son exemplifies all sentient beings.

[25] Ibid., fol. 242a.5–7. The passage in "[ ]" is from this sūtra (de snying rje chen po’i sems skyes nas sems can thams cad yongs su bskyab pa’i phyir zag pa zad pa’i ye shes ’dris par byas pa las sems can rnams la lta bas phyir phyogs te / slar log nas so so’i skye bo’i sa na yang kun du snang ngo /). It seems that both the Sanskrit and DP are missing something here since the first part of this paragraph up through "in order to protect all sentient beings" is clearly an (unfinished) quotation, while the remainder is a further explanation of this quotation.

[26] DP "unattached" (chags pa med pa) instead of "unobstructed" (thogs pa med pa).

[27] As it stands, the text’s sentence sa mahākaruṇācittotpādena sarvasattvaparitrāṇāyāsravakṣayajñāne parijayaṃ kṛtvā punar api suparikarmakṛtacetāḥ ṣaṣṭhyām asaṅgaprajñotpādād āsravakṣaye ’bhimukhī bhavati includes the above phrase, "by virtue of having generated the mind-set of great compassion, in order to protect all sentient beings . . ." Thus, this sentence reads as something like: "Having trained in the wisdom of the termination of contaminations by virtue of having generated the mind-set of great compassion, in order to protect all sentient beings, once again, by virtue of giving rise to unobstructed prajñā through their excellently purified mind, they come to face [the wisdom of] the termination of contaminations on the sixth [bhūmi]." However, given the above example and its explanation in the sūtra as well as the text’s own explanations immediately above and below it, it appears to be unsuitable to connect "by virtue of having generated the mind-set of great compassion, in order to protect all sentient beings"with the cultivation of the wisdom of the termination of contaminations. Rather, it is to be connected with the fact that bodhisattvas do not enter this wisdom fully, but return to saṃsāra in order to help sentient beings.

[28] With de Jong, I follow DP may ngan las ’das pa la mngon du phyogs pa (nirvāṇābhimukhasya) against J nirvāṇavimukhasya.

[29] Obermiller, E. "The Sublime Science of the Great Vehicle to Salvation Being a Manual of Buddhist Monism." Acta Orientalia IX (1931), pp. 81-306.

[30] Takasaki, Jikido. A Study on the Ratnagotravibhāga (Uttaratantra): Being a Treatise on the Tathāgatagarbha Theory of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Serie Orientale Roma 33. Roma: Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente (ISMEO), 1966.

[31] Fuchs, Rosemarie, trans. Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra. Commentary by Jamgon Kongtrul and explanations by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso. Ithaca, N. Y.: Snow Lion Publications, 2000.

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