Name

arciṣmatī — from arcis, ray of light, and mat, a possessive suffix: possessing a ray of light, or shining, blazing, fire, a flame.

Overall Teaching

After contemplating the various realms, they enter the fourth stage, Blazing. They develop great will and contemplate qualities that serve skillful means. They develop the thirty-seven dharmas of awakening and after removing all attachments, they have great patience and are predominant in the Perfection of Effort. They are as brilliant and radiant as gold or a jewel. They become students of trillions of Buddhas, see billions of Buddhas and enter billions of samādhis, and are usually born as sovereigns of the Suyāma Realm.

Summary

1.     Request for the Fourth Stage

a.     The Bodhisattvas request Vajragarbha to describe the fourth stage. [729ii]

2.     Requisites for Entering the Fourth Stage

a.     He explains that the prerequisite for entry into the fourth stage is ten entries into the light of the Dharma, i.e. entry into the light through: [729iii]

                                               i.     Contemplation of the realms of beings

                                             ii.     Contemplation of the realms of the world

                                            iii.     Contemplation of the realms of Dharma (the Dharmadhātu)

                                            iv.     Contemplation of the realm of space

                                             v.     Contemplation of the realm of consciousness

                                            vi.     Contemplation of the realm of desire

                                          vii.     Contemplation of the realm of form

                                         viii.     Contemplation of the realm of formlessness

                                            ix.     Contemplation of the realm of high-minded devotion

                                             x.     Contemplation of the realm of inclinations of the magnanimous mind

3.     Qualities upon Entry into the Fourth Stage

a.     Upon entering the fourth stage, bodhisattvas obtain ten things that develop and mature knowledge: [730iv]

                                               i.     Non-regressing will

                                             ii.     Ultimate unbreakable faith in the triple gem

                                            iii.     Contemplation of the origination and extinction of conditioned things

                                            iv.     Contemplation of the nonorigination of inherent nature

                                             v.     Contemplation of the formation and disintegration of worlds

                                            vi.     Contemplation of coming into existence due to actions

                                          vii.     Contemplation of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa

                                         viii.     Contemplation of actions of beings and lands

                                            ix.     Contemplation of past and future

                                             x.     Contemplation of non-being and non-annihilation

4.     The Thirty-Seven Dharmas of Awakening

a.     Bodhisattvas on this stage develop the four foundations of mindfulness: vigorously examining, both internally and externally, the body, feelings, mind, and phenomena. [729v–730i]

b.     They also initiate vigorous effort in regard to the four right efforts.[1] [730ii]

c.     The develop the four bases of mystical power through concentration and exertion, based on detachment, dispassion, extinction, and relinquishment through the bases of will, effort, attention, and contemplation. [730iii]

d.     Similarly, they develop the four faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. [730iv]

e.     Similarly, they develop the five powers of faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. [730v]

f.      They develop the seven branches of awakening of mindfulness, investigation, effort, joy, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. [730vi–731i]

g.     They also develop the noble eightfold path through right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. [731ii]

h.     They accomplish all of this out of great compassion for beings, carrying out their past vows, and due to reflection on liberation and skillful means. [731iii]

5.     Further Qualities on this Stage

a.     Bodhisattvas on this stage also are free from all points of attachment, such as material possessions, personality, and so forth. [731iv]

b.     They also develop patience, self-control and tranquility in their dealings with others, being thus easy to live with, honest, uncomplicated, and so forth—in this way they also practice gratitude for their teachers. [732i]

c.     On this stage they also predominantly develop effort/energy. [732ii]

d.     In seeing many trillions of buddhas, they offer useful items to them, and dedicate the roots of goodness to highest awakening. [732iii–iv]

                                               i.     They also, besides listening to and practicing their teachings, they go forth from home and go into tutelage with those buddhas.

e.     This way, they become as radiant and unsurpassed in clarity like well fashioned gold or the light from a jewel and their knowledge cannot be destroyed by demons or afflictions. [733i]

f.      Of the perfections, they are predominant in effort, and in the four means of salvation, cooperation is predominant. [733ii]

g.     Most of them become sovereigns of Suyāma Heaven (Cleary: “heaven of timely portion”) and their actions are never apart from the buddhas’ intentions. [733iii]

h.     They see a billion buddhas, have a billion samādhis, transformations, abide for a billion aeons, go to a billion lands, and so forth. [733iv]

6.     Verse Summary [733v–735i]

a.     After the verse summary, the bodhisattvas shower a rain of flowers from the sky and praise the teaching of Vajragarbha.

Nāgārjuna’s Summary in Ratnāvalī

447. The fourth is called the Radiant

Because the light of true wisdom arises.

They cultivate supremely

All the harmonies with enlightenment.

448. Through the maturation of those [good qualities]

They become monarchs of the gods in [the heaven] Without Combat. [effort]

They are skilled in quelling the arising of the view

That the transitory collection [is inherently existent I and mine].

[1] The four right efforts are to be understood as follows: