Overall Teaching

After attaining higher powers and kinds of mystic knowledge out of great compassion bodhisattvas enter the ninth stage. They know the thousands of varieties of beings and their ways of action and disposition, and how to bring them to buddhahood on the three vehicles. Manifesting as is necessary they have the four special knowledges of principles, meanings, expressions, and elocution. They teach with the ability to satisfy all beings’ desire to know. They have countless millions of visions of buddhas, samādhis, etc., are predominant in the Perfection of Power, and tend to be reborn as Brahmas as lords of a million worlds.

Summary

1.     Request for the Ninth Stage [777ii]

a.     Vimukticandra requests the teaching on the ninth stage.

2.     Requisites for Entering the Ninth Stage [777iii]

a.     In order to come to the ninth stage, first:

                                               i.     Reflect on the infinite possibilities of knowledge

                                             ii.     Are intent upon higher tranquilities and liberations

                                            iii.     Think of consummate attainment of higher enlightened knowledge

                                            iv.     Enter into the secret of the buddhas

                                             v.     Ascertain the greatness of inconceivable knowledge

                                            vi.     Purify the ascertainment of mantra-samādhi

                                          vii.     Extend mystic knowledge

                                         viii.     Act in accord with the differences in worlds

                                            ix.     Cultivate the insuperability of the powers, expertise, and unique qualities of buddhas

                                             x.     Follow the might of the turning of the Wheel of Dharma of buddhas

                                            xi.     Don’t abandon the attainment of empowerment of great compassion

3.     Knowledges of Bodhisattvas on this Stage [777iv–782i]

a.     Bodhisattvas on this stage know:

                                               i.     The performance of things in all their variations as they really are.

                                             ii.     How all beings get into entanglement in all their different ways.

                                            iii.     The compartmentalization, complexity, & creation by illusion etc. of minds.

                                            iv.     The pervasiveness of activities of 84,000 afflictions.

                                             v.     The 84,000 different aspects of action, and how to know their differences.

                                            vi.     The 84,000 different aspects of faculties.

                                          vii.     The 84,000 different aspects of intentions.

                                         viii.     The 84,000 different aspects of dispositions.

                                            ix.     The 84,000 different aspects of will and thousands of ways of thinking.

                                             x.     The propensities born with intent and mind and their varieties.

                                            xi.     The varieties of births brought forth by grasping for things in the world.

                                          xii.     The varieties and aspects of habituation.

                                         xiii.     The varieties and aspects of correct and incorrect stabilization.

                                         xiv.     The differences in beings conduct, their maturity, and the teachings of the three vehicles and buddhahood.

b.     Knowing this, they teach so beings may know suchness according to their differences, tendencies, and dispositions by appearing in whatever forms are necessary and saying what is necessary.

c.     They also have the four special knowledges of bodhisattvas each of which have great variety:

                                               i.     Knowledge of Principles (the variations and differentiations in things as they really are, in suchness, and the inherent qualities thereof as buddhahood)

                                             ii.     Knowledge of Meanings (ways in which things really are, dependent origination, suchness, etc.)

                                            iii.     Knowledge of Expressions (ways to represent things, including language)

                                            iv.     Knowledge of Elocution (ways to expound teachings, teaching methods)

4.     Attainments of Bodhisattvas on this Stage [782ii–783iii]

a.     They come to attain the samādhi mantras which contain meanings and attainments and ways to listen and expound the Dharma—they learn these from countless millions of buddhas, and they cannot be attained by greatly learned disciples even in a hundred thousand kalpas.

b.     With the resulting mental command, they pervade a billion worlds and expound the Dharma according to beings’ mentalities while sitting on the seat of teaching which has immeasurable splendour. At will they teach in an infinite variety of ways, including using the elements, lights, and other non-vocal ways of teaching.

c.     If any being comes to ask any question, they would be perfectly satisfied with a single utterance by beings on this stage—they already do the work of Buddhahood.

d.     They undertake, however, to still purify the ability to express revelations of wisdom with the ability to instantly satisfy all beings.

5.     Further Qualities of Bodhisattvas on this Stage [783iv–784iii]

a.     They constantly see buddhas and honour them, asking them questions, and attain mental command of the Dharma so they can teach it with more single-minded focus than in the previous stages.

b.     Their roots of goodness cannot be outshone by any being on any lower stages as expressed on the eighth stage section.

c.     Of the perfections, the Perfection of Power of predominant in them.

d.     On this stage beings mainly become great Brahmas as lords of a million worlds.

e.     In one instant they have visions of buddhas, samādhis, maturations of beings, abidings in countless buddha-lands, manifestations in countless buddha-lands in the quantity of countless millions.

f.      And they perform countless transformations of their body, powers, etc.

6.     Verse Summary [784iv–787ii]

7.     Praise by Devas [787iii–788ii]

a.     The devas, delighted, pay honour to the Buddha and burn clouds of incense.

b.     Many goddesses playing musical instruments praise the Buddha in verse.

Nāgārjuna’s Comments from Ratnāvalī

457. The ninth ground is called Excellent Intelligence.

Like a regent they have attained

Correct individual realization

And therefore have good intelligence.

458. Through the maturation of those [good qualities]

They become a Brahma, master of a million worlds. [forces]

[Arhats] and so forth cannot surpass them

In [responding to] questions in the thoughts of sentient beings.