Overall Teaching

Bodhisattvas first enter the sixth stage through realising the ten equalities of things, then they contemplate dependent origination in a variety of ways, fully seeing the non-existence of the conditioned, but not settling in it so as to avoid becoming an arhat. They then enter into a series of samādhis on emptiness and have manifested Dharmadoors of emptiness, the signless, and the wishless. Being predominant in the Perfection of Wisdom, they teach to quench beings and they realise fully and practice the Buddhas’ teachings which they learn in visions. They obtain visions of buddhas, samādhis, manifestations, etc., in the hundreds of trillions and are born in the Nirmāṇarati heaven.

Summary

1.     Request for the Sixth Stage [744ii]

a.     The bodhisattvas request the teaching on the sixth stage.

2.     Requisites for Entry into the Sixth Stage [744iii]

a.     In order to attain the sixth stage, through a sharp, but conventional tolerance (not the tolerance of non-origination as discussed in the Perfection of Wisdom), they enter by way of the ten equalities of things, equality of all things in terms of:

                                               i.     Signlessness

                                             ii.     Non-origination

                                            iii.     Absence of characteristic marks

                                            iv.     Non-birth

                                             v.     Detachment

                                            vi.     Primordial purity

                                          vii.     Non-conceptuality

                                         viii.     Neither coming nor going

                                            ix.     Being like illusions

                                             x.     Non-duality of existence and non-existence

3.     The Contemplations of Dependent Origination [745i-749i]

a.     On this stage, bodhisattvas first develop the contemplation that in the formation and disintegration of the world the origins of worldly ways are due to attachment to the self.

b.     Therein ignorant beings plant seeds tainted with grasping and give rise to renewed existence thereby through dependent origination, but there is no self who disintegrates with them when they die. They contemplate dependent origination in ten ways:

                                               i.     The twelve links of dependent origination leading to suffering in progression in terms of being without an agent (actor) or knower.

                                             ii.     Actions and agents as non-existent, and the whole world and the twelve links as progressing all in one’s mind.

                                            iii.     In terms of two kinds of effects of each link, e.g. ignorance first confuses, and secondly gives rise to formations. Formations first future development and gives rise to consciousness.

                                            iv.     In terms of how each of the previous conditions, as one progresses down the twelve links, continues to act as cooperating causes for each of the other conditions. Thus, each of the twelve are inseparable from each other. Likewise, with the complete stilling of any of the twelve links, the other eleven are stilled and unsupported.

                                             v.     In terms of how 1. ignorance, craving, and grasping are continuation of the course of affliction, 2. Formations and becoming are continuation of the course of action, 3. and the rest are the continuation of the course of suffering. But with no self and being as hollow as a reed they are annihilated through analysis.

                                            vi.     In terms of how formations based on ignorance are connected to past, those up to contact are connected to present, and craving to becoming are connected to future. These connections cut off with the extinction of the conditions of each link.

                                          vii.     In terms of the threefold suffering[1] and how it is due to the twelve links, and the cutting off thereof is the cutting off of the threefold suffering.

                                         viii.     In terms of the production of the links by causes, and the cutting off thereby producing the end of the links.

                                            ix.     In terms of how another form of ignorance is viewing the origination of the links as being due to ignorance, which would be attachment to origination, and vice versa for annihilation.

                                             x.     Similarly, viewing the links as grounded or conditioned and thus existent is attachment to becoming, and extinction of them as the basis for their extinction is attachment to annihilation.

c.     After thus contemplating dependent origination in ten patterns of non-self, signlessness occurs to them, the only desires they have are of great compassion, and the doors of liberation become manifest. They let go of all views of self and other, being and non-being, and work to fulfil their future qualities out of compassion.

d.     They reflect that they should cut off the linkage and assemblage of the fabricated, but should not go to full cessation of the created in order to not enter nirvāṇa. Thus, they see the essential non-existence of the conditioned, but don’t settle in it, because they wish to obtain the conditions for Buddhahood.[2]

4.     Doors of Concentration [749ii-iii]

a.     Bodhisattvas here thus realise ten doors of concentration:

                                               i.     Entry into emptiness

                                             ii.     Absorption into emptiness of inherent nature

                                            iii.     Emptiness of ultimate reality

                                            iv.     Supreme emptiness

                                             v.     Great emptiness

                                            vi.     Emptiness of union

                                          vii.     Emptiness of production

                                         viii.     Non-conceptual emptiness according to reality

                                            ix.     Emptiness of concern

                                             x.     Emptiness of disconnection and non-disconnection

b.     Through these ten doors they have manifest before them a hundred thousand doors of concentration on:

                                               i.     Emptiness

                                             ii.     Signlessness

                                            iii.     Wishlessness

5.     Further Qualities of Bodhisattvas on this Stage [749iv-751i]

a.     Bodhisattvas on this stage become predominant in the Perfection of Wisdom.

b.     They follow the principles realised with non-opposition.

c.     To the visions of trillions of Buddhas, they offer to them, and bring comforts to other beings and honour the community. After having heard their teachings, they practice with true knowledge and then preserve them by practicing them.

d.     Their roots become extremely radiant and imperturbable and quench the fires of the afflictions of other beings.

e.     They are skilled in drawing people away from pride and introducing them to dependent origination.

f.      Their thoughts and deeds are never away from the triple gem, in order to become refuges.

g.     They obtain a hundred trillion visions of buddhas, enter a hundred trillion concentrations, manifest a hundred trillion bodies, etc.

6.     Verse Summary [751ii–753i]

7.     Praise of Devas [753ii-

a.     The devas become exhilarated at the teaching and praise this eminent practice by the power of the Buddha and how, going beyond conceptuality, out of compassion they undertake higher effort.

Verse Summary from Nāgārjuna’s Ratnāvalī

451. The sixth is called the Approaching

Because they are approaching the good qualities of a Buddha.

Through familiarity with calm abiding and special insight

They attain cessation and hence are advanced [in wisdom].

452. Through the maturation of those [good qualities]

They become monarchs of the gods [in the land] of Liking Emanation (Nirmāṇarati). [wisdom]

Hearers cannot surpass them.

They pacify those with the pride of superiority.

[1] Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośabhāṣyam, Vol. 4., Chpater 7, 33b, 2, explains the threefold suffering: “The suffering inherent in suffering itself, the suffering inherent in change, and the suffering in herent in the formations.” (Trans. La Vallée Poussin & Pruden, Jain Publishing, 2014)

[2] Note the conformity between this development and the three similes of Chapter 20 of the Perfection of Wisdom in 8000 Lines, 1. A hero who would not abandon his families, 2. A bird who flies suspended in air without support of anything (=support of even the signless), 3. An archer who would continue to check the fall of arrows by shooting more arrows upwards (bodhisattva thus intentionally doesn’t completely realise all they can realise, while they develop the other qualities of Buddhahood. In this way, a bodhisattva with skilful means will not abandon beings—while being able to enter nirvāṇa, he holds himself back until Buddhahood from realising the “reality-limit;” he dwells in emptiness and the signless, but does not fall into them (which would result in arhatship) until Buddhahood.