Perfection of Wisdom

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1.

Showing the greatness of the teaching in order to


engender respect for the instructions.

Bodhicharyavatara describes about entire path of all three


types of persons, i.e. being of lesser capacity, medium
capacity and great capacity. Though by the name of the text
itself we may infer that it is about the practices of the
Bodhisattva and not the practices of lesser and the medium
scope of people. In order to describe entire path of the great
scope of people, one has to describe and understand the
practices lesser and medium capacity of people. One can
not describe the practices of great scopes without
describing lesser and medium scope.
Explanation made by Lama Tsong Kha Pa in his text, The
Great Stage of the Path to Enlightenment can be applicable
with the Bodhisattvacaryavatara as well. Lama Tsongkhapa
says the greatness of the teaching is indicated by four
qualities it elicits in the student:
1. Knowing that all of the teachings are free of
contradiction.
2. Coming to understand that all of the scriptures are
instructions for practice.
3. Easily finding the Conqueror's intent.
4. Automatically refraining from great wrongdoing.

The instructions explained in the Bodhisattvacaryavatara


can be practiced by all three scopes of people regardless
their spiritual development. The practices explained for the
beginner can not be neglected by the highest level of the
Bodhisattva. Those practices are inculcate in the
Bodhisattva’s practice as well. Likewise, many of the
practices of the Bodhisattva can also be include even in the
prayers of the ordinary beings . Therefore, practices
explained in this text are applicable from the prathagjana to
the Buddhahood and can be practiced by all three scopes of
people.

Three capacity of person in Bodhipathapradipa By Atisha.

Know that those who by whatever means


Seek for themselves no more
Than the pleasures of cyclic existences
Are person of the least capacity.

Those who seek peace for themselves alone,


Turning their back on worldly pleasures
And avoiding destructive actions
Are said to be of middling capacity.

Those who, through their personal suffering,


Truly want to end completely
All the suffering of others
Are persons of supreme capacity.
Perfection of Wisdom

(1) The Sage taught this entire system


For the sake of wisdom.
Therefore, with the desire to ward off suffering,
One should develop wisdom. (AW)

All of these practices were taught


By the Mighty One for the sake of wisdom.
Therefore, those who wish to pacify suffering
Should generate this wisdom. (SB)

This entire system; all of these practices:

a) Saṃdhi, Transition from previous chapter to this


chapter.
b) Previous five perfections.
c) Three scopes of people.
d) Teachings other than the perfection of wisdom
among the 84,000 heap of teachings.
e) Profoundness and not easy to apprehend.
Enlightenment can not be achieved without
realising the the emptiness. All those methods
aspects are taught in order to understand the
meaning of emptiness.
Pacify Suffering, Ward off suffering.
a) Suffering of Samsara in general and particular.
b) Sufferings and its causes.

(2) The truth is recognised as being of two kinds:


Conventional and ultimate.
Ultimate reality is beyond the scope of the
intellect.
The intellect is called conventional reality. (AW)
Deceptive truths and ultimate truths,
Are accepted as the two truths.
Ultimate are not objects experienced by the mind,
Here the mind is deceptive.(SB)

Ultimate reality is beyond the scope of the


intellect.
It means ultimate truths are not realised by ordinary
people as it is realised by Arya beings. Because
ordinary mind are the conventional or dualistic.

Apprehending the emptiness means realising the final


mode of existence of the phenomena. The final mode
of existence is not objectively existence. It exist
subjectively which is called ultimate truth. To
understand the conventional truth one has to
understand the ultimate truth. Conventional truth and
ultimate truth are interdependent. Two truths are
directly contradictory (sāksāvirodha).Two truth are the
same entity and but different in isolates (i.e,.
conceptually isolatable factors). For example, table is
conventional truth, and its final mode of existence is
not inherently existence, that is ultimate truth. To
apprehend the table as a conventional truth one must
has to apprehend the ultimate reality of the table first.
Therefore, understanding unity of this duality is very
important.
Thus, there are two basis.
Two paths, method and wisdom.
Two result, Dharmakāya & (Rūpakāya: Saṃbhoga
kāya & nirmāna kāya).
Interdependent of cause and effect, ground and paths
are inevitable, avisaṃvādaka. Therefore, faith in
karma and result, faith in path and ground will
generate by the understating of two truths. Thus, all
the methods aspects come from understanding of the
conventional truth and the wisdom aspect from
understanding the ultimate truth. So, this chapter
primarily explain on two truths.

The Meeting of Father and Son Sūtra (yab sras mjal ba'i mdo,
pitāputrasamāgamasūtra) says:
The Knower of the World, without listening to others,
Taught in terms of just these two truths:
The conventional and the ultimate.
There is no third truth.
Similarly, Nagarjuna's Fundamental Treatise on the Middle Way
Called "Wisdom" (dbu ma rtsa ba'i tshig le'ur byas pa shes rab yes
hya ba, prajñānāmamūlamadhyamakakārikā, XXIV. 8a) also says:

Doctrines taught by Buddhas


Rely completely on the two truths.

Chandrakirti in his Madhyamakavatara

All entities bear dual natures


as obtained by correct or false views [of them].
What is seen by perfect vision is the ultimate truth,
and what is seen by false vision is conventional truth, it
is taught. 6.23

False vision is also said to be of two kinds:


that of clear senses and that of impaired senses.
Cognitions deriving from impaired senses are
held to be distorted compared with those of the
unimpaired. 6.24

Everything the six unimpaired senses grasp


and perceive within everyday experience of the world
is true from the perspective of the world;
the rest the world itself defines as false. 6.25
The Precious Garland (Ratnavali) of Nagarjuna

O King, I will explain practices solely virtuous


To generate in you the doctrine,
For the practices will be established
In a vessel of the excellent doctrine. No. 2.

In one who first practices high status


Definite goodness arises later,
For having attained high status,
One comes gradually to definite goodness. No. 3.

High status is considered to be happiness,


Definite goodness is liberation.
The quintessence of their means
Is briefly faith and wisdom. No. 4.

Due to having faith one relies on the practices,


Due to having wisdom one truly knows.
Of these two wisdom is the chief,
Faith is its prerequisite. No. 5.

One who does not neglect the practices


Through desire, hatred, fear, or bewilderment
Is known as one of faith,
A superior vessel for definite goodness. No. 6.

Having analyzed well All deeds of body,


speech, and mind,
Those who realize what benefit self and others
And always perform these are wise. No. 7.

Not killing, not stealing,


Forsaking the mates of others,
Refraining completely from false,
Divisive, harsh, and senseless speech, No. 8.

Thoroughly forsaking covetousness,


harmful intent, And the views of Nihilists
These are the ten gleaming paths of action;
Their opposites are dark. No. 9.

Not drinking intoxicants, a good livelihood,


Non-harming, respectful giving,
Honoring the honorable, and love
Practice in brief is that. No. 10.

Entering the Middle Way (Madhyamakāvatāra) by


Candrakīrti

And like a king of swans soaring ahead of other accomplished swans,


with white wings of conventional and ultimate truths spread wide,
propelled by the powerful winds of virtue, the bodhisattva would cruise
to the excellent far shore, the oceanic qualities of the conquerors. 6.226

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