Overall Teaching

Māra may generate conceit in the bodhisattvas by making them believe they have magical powers, or that they had lofty experiences as ascetics in past lives, or received predictions from buddhas. Through conceit they will dissociate from PW and practice on the lower vehicles. Similarly, they may practice detachment through living in isolation, rather than through the practice of PW—being praised by Māra, they will give rise to conceit towards bodhisattvas in villages and be born in hell. Instead, they should honour good friends and aim for full awakening.

Summary

1.     Pride and the Magical Power of Veracity

a.     If Māra causes a ghost to go away when a Bodhisattva utters truth and he gains false pride as a result, that pride will prevent him from attaining awakening. [385]

b.     If one rejects the good friends, he tightens his bonds with Māra and he will fall to the lower vehicles. This can be caused by Māra’s obstacles.

2.     Pride in Connection with the Annunciation of the Name

a.     Māra will tempt one by telling them they were predicted in the past by the Tathāgatas, naming various biographical details of their ascetic life in past lives, [386] consequently one will develop conceit believing these stories about one’s qualities in past lives, [387] or Māra will tell these to him in the form of a monk, or other respectable being.

b.     Out of conceit, he will be overcome and despise and deprecate fellow-bodhisattvas. [388]

c.     Also predicting the name the bodhisattva will have as a full buddha that they themselves supposed they will have, Māra gives rise to further conceit in the bodhisattva. [389]

d.     The proud thought for a bodhisattva is more serious than even the four defeats or five deadly sins and give rise to birth in hell and so forth, so should be avoided by him and others. [390-1][1]

3.     Faults in Connection with Detachment

a.     Māra will teach that a bodhisattva should live in a remote place, but the Buddha does not.

b.     Detachment is detaching from the mental activities of the lower vehicles, [392] i.e. practicing the perfection of wisdom and with compassion and friendliness for all beings.

c.     If he practices detachment by living in a remote place, or if he continues to dwell with a contaminated mind, and develops hatred towards bodhisattvas who dwell in villages but have uncontaminated minds, [392] then he will not be able to gain the attainments because he lacks skilful means.

d.     If he is dwelling in a remote place but does not have true detachment, but rather clings to detachment of isolation while being praised and encouraged by Māra, [393] and criticises bodhisattvas when he returns to villages out of pride, then they are counterfeit, robber, etc. bodhisattvas [394] and will corrupt others, being unholy.

e.     [2]A bodhisattva should not tend or honour such people, but continue to earnestly win full awakening for the benefit of all beings. Rather they should train to prevent Māra’s deeds from being produced and proceed to full awakening.

[1] Haribhadra points out that this is axiomatic. Conceitedness is something that disappears in the presence of an antidote, and the karma thereby also disappears. Thus, as long as one cuts off the ability to attain awakening by holding a view of conceit, one will be bound to forsake awakening: but by abandoning that view, the consequences, such as rebirth in hell, etc., will not arise. (Vol. 4, pp. 141-2)

[2] Returning to the signs of Culmination Realisation: (9) The sign of tending to spiritual friends by a courageous advance towards his own direct knowledge