24. The Inapprehensible Tathāgata

Overall Teaching

This chapter highlights the profound and inapprehensible qualities of bodhisattvas, which arise from cultivating the sūtra or samādhi. These qualities span various aspects of wisdom, speech, and practice, encompassing the discernment of phenomena, meaning, and confident communication. The bodhisattva's wisdom, expressed through eloquent and fearless speech, guides sentient beings while revealing the interconnectedness of conditioned things, afflictions, purity, and the ultimate virtues of Nirvāṇa. The bodhisattva's wisdom becomes inexhaustible through these teachings, illuminating the path for all beings.

Summary

• In this chapter, the Buddha first presents in prose qualities of bodhisattvas that are inapprehensible and difficult to fathom. 

  • According to the Tibetan version, these qualities arise through cultivating this sūtra/samādhi, and fit into the categories of: 

    1. Discerning phenomena.

    2. Discerning meaning.

    3. Discerning definitions

    4. Confident speech.

  • Each quality has four aspects:

    1. That they are conditioned.

    2. Reproaching the conditioned (i.e., so as not to get attached to it).

    3. Afflictions (i.e., that they can be seen as afflicted).

    4. Purity (i.e., that they can be seen as pure on an ultimate level).

• The following are the qualities, grouped according to theme (this does not correspond identically to the categories identified in the Tibetan version):

  • 1. Speech and Communication

       • Discourse

       • Voices

       • Speech

       • Paths of Language

       • Skillful and Secret Speech

       • Verbal Expressions

       • Action Phrases

       • Eloquence

       • Collections of Eloquence

       • Eloquence Natures

       • Unobstructed Wisdom of Speech: The wisdom that enables the bodhisattva to speak without obstruction, encompassing dharma, meaning, and words.

    2. Wisdom and Knowledge

       • Wisdom Phrases

       • Collections of Wisdom

       • Wisdom Natures

       • Wisdom for Cutting Off Afflictions

       • Afflictions Wisdom

       • Wisdom Regarding the Evil Realms

       • Non-Wisdom Wisdom

       • Determinate Wisdom

       • Flawless Wisdom

       • Ignorance Wisdom

       • Wisdom Regarding Suffering

       • Wisdom Regarding Sorrow

       • Wisdom Regarding Poverty

       • Wisdom Regarding Birth

       • Inner Wisdom

       • Outer Wisdom

       • Wisdom Regarding Shame

       • Wisdom Regarding Embarrassment

       • Wisdom Regarding Reality

       • Wisdom Regarding Cultivation

       • Wisdom Regarding Matters

       • Wisdom Regarding Persons

       • Wisdom Regarding Attachment

       • Wisdom Regarding Leaving the Evil Paths

       • Wisdom for Cutting Off Ignorance

    3. Practice and Application

       • Practices and Expositions

       • Dharmas

       • Correspondences

       • Gateways

       • Sūtra Phrases

       • Sūtras

       • Collections of Sūtras

       • Dhāraṇīs: Includes various types, such as dharma dhāraṇīs, corresponding dhāraṇīs, and dhāraṇī gateways, representing profound wisdom.

       • Dhāraṇī Gateways: Four kinds of dhāraṇī gateways, each corresponding to conditioned things, reproaching the conditioned, afflictions, and purity.

       • Learning

       • Cultivation of the Path

       • Realms

       • Actions

       • Abiding

       • Constructions

       • Emergence

       • Extensive Learning

       • Wealth

    4. Phrases and Expressions

       • Mantra Phrases

       • Vajra Phrases

       • Inapprehensible Phrases

       • Boundless Phrases

       • Immeasurable Phrases

       • Inexhaustible Phrases

       • Inexpressible Phrases

       • Asaṃkhyeya Phrases

       • Incalculable Phrases

       • Non-Action Phrases

       • Phrases of Trust and Meaning

       • Illuminative Phrases

    5. Dhāraṇī and Wisdom

       • Dhāraṇīs: These include various types, such as dharma dhāraṇīs, corresponding dhāraṇīs, and dhāraṇī gateways. These dhāraṇīs represent profound wisdom that integrates different aspects of understanding and practice. They are not just mantras, but 

       • The final paragraph discusses how these dhāraṇīs represent unobstructed wisdom in understanding dharmas, meanings, and words, highlighting the bodhisattva's ability to teach and communicate effectively without obstruction. I.e., they are not just mantras, but represent and enact profound wisdom.

• Then, the Buddha explains in verse form:

  • Sound and Wisdom: Buddha’s wisdom is expressed through sound, comparable to light.

  • Names and Virtues: Names of morality and Buddha are interconnected, revealing the nature of sentient beings.

  • Teaching and Enlightenment: The Buddha’s teachings address both conditioned things and Nirvāṇa’s virtues, using similes and metaphors.

  • Bodhisattva Guidance: Bodhisattvas guide beings with pure wisdom, growing their own wisdom by holding to the sūtra.

  • Eloquence and Fearlessness: Unobstructed eloquence allows the bodhisattva to expound on countless teachings without fear, leading to inexhaustible wisdom.

Commentary 

According to Thrangu Rinpoche's commentary, likewise, these qualities fit into four categories and are essential aspects of bodhisattvas' bodhicitta aspirations to buddhahood. These qualities are the inconceivable qualities of the Buddha as the Dharmakāya, where the chapter's title comes from. He explains the four categories as follows:

1. Correct Discrimination of Dharmas: This involves understanding all knowable phenomena, divided into the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness). Correct discrimination means truly perceiving the nature of each aggregate.

2. Correct Discrimination of Meaning: This entails perceiving both conditioned (relative truth) and unconditioned dharmas (ultimate truth) and understanding their true nature.

3. Correct Discrimination of Definitive Words: This involves comprehending how to correctly use words and names to convey the meaning of dharmas and their implications.

4. Correct Discrimination of Courageous Eloquence: This is the mental sharpness and confidence that enables one to understand and expound the teachings clearly without error.

The four sub-aspects of each quality are translated above as "(1) That they are conditioned, (2) reproaching the conditioned (i.e., so as not to get attached to it), (3) afflictions (i.e., that they can be seen as afflicted), and (4) purity (i.e., that they can be seen as pure on an ultimate level). Erik Pema Kunsang translates these four as: (1) formation, (2) explanation of formation, (3) total affliction, and (4) total perfection. They are explained as follows:

1. Formation: This principle refers to the process by which experiences are formed through the interaction of the mind and external objects. In Buddhist thought, the term 'formation' (Sanskrit: saṃskāra) often relates to the mental and physical processes that shape our perception of reality. Formation includes the primary acts of cognition and the subsequent mental states that arise as we interact with the world. These processes collectively contribute to the formation of all experiences, leading to the countless, diverse ways in which we perceive and engage with the world.

2. Explanation of Formation: This principle involves the teaching and expounding of the Dharma, particularly regarding how experiences are formed. It highlights the importance of understanding and articulating how our experiences are constructed through the interaction of mind and phenomena. By explaining this process, one can help others comprehend the nature of samsaric existence, including the causes of suffering and how to overcome them.

3. Total Affliction: This principle is synonymous with samsaric existence, characterised by the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, along with the suffering inherent in this cycle. Affliction refers to the disturbing emotions and karmic actions that cause suffering. The 'inconceivable states of total affliction' encompass all the negative experiences and pain associated with samsara. Understanding this principle involves recognising how these afflictions arise and perpetuate the cycle of suffering.

4. Total Perfection: This principle represents the ultimate state of enlightenment, also known as omniscient buddhahood. It refers to the complete eradication of all afflictions and the realisation of true, complete enlightenment. The 'inconceivable state of total perfection' is the culmination of the path, where one achieves perfect wisdom and compassion, free from the limitations of samsaric existence. This state embodies the full realisation of the Buddha's qualities.

Discussion

1. How do the qualities of bodhisattvas, as presented in this section, challenge our conventional understanding of wisdom and speech in spiritual practice, and what implications might this have for our own approach to cultivating wisdom and guiding others?