1. Introduction

Overall Teaching

Śākyamuni Buddha is on Vulture Peak outside Rājagṛha, accompanied by a large assembly of bhikṣus and bodhisattvas. Candraprabha requests his guidance on the bodhisattva path. The Buddha teaches that maintaining an equanimous mind is the key to awakening and achieving the samādhi of the equality and nondiscrimination of the essence of all dharmas. This state is characterized by a comprehensive set of qualities that encompass all elements of the path. Upon hearing these words, numerous beings reach different levels of awakening; the earth trembles, and a brilliant light spreads across the cosmos.

Summary

• The Bhagavān was residing on Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain in Rājagṛha with a hundred thousand bhikṣus and eighty nayutas of bodhisattvas, all destined to achieve buddhahood in their current lifetime, led by bodhisattva mahāsattva Ajita. They were joined by numerous devas, asura kings, dragon kings, yakṣas, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, humans, and non-humans, who all revered the Tathāgata.

• A youth bodhisattva named Candraprabha, who had offered services to buddhas in past lives and was deeply rooted in Mahāyāna teachings, possessing great compassion and awareness of his past lives, stood up, respectfully approached the Buddha, and expressed his desire to ask questions to resolve his doubts.

• The Buddha welcomed the youth's questions, promising joyful answers through his omniscience and mastery over all teachings and phenomena. He reassured the bodhisattva of his comprehensive knowledge and the capacity to provide satisfying answers to any queries, reflecting the limitless awareness of the buddhas.

• The youth queries the Buddha about the practices that enable Buddhas to illuminate the world and attain profound knowledge, asking for detailed explanations:

  1. He expresses his deep faith and sincerity, emphasizing that only the Buddha can truly understand his intentions and aspirations.

  2. The youth seeks guidance on nurturing his Dharma practice to develop wisdom, maintain the precepts, and eliminate fears.

  3. He asks for instructions on how to adhere to the precepts, increase his wisdom, engage deeply with the Dharma, and understand the nature of conditioned existence.

  4. Finally, he seeks advice on purifying his actions and thoughts and eliminating negative behaviours, requesting the Buddha's comprehensive guidance.

• The Buddha advises Candraprabha that if bodhisattva mahāsattvas cultivate an equanimous, protective, unobstructed, and nonviolent mind towards sentient beings, they will quickly attain supreme buddhahood (anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi) and gain significant merits. In a verse: 

  1. The Buddha emphasizes that adhering to this one Dharma aligns with the correct practice of bodhisattvas, leading them swiftly to the highest path of spiritual achievement.

  2. Cultivating a mind free from obstruction, desire, and aversion results in wondrous merits and establishes the conditions for attaining the fruit of equanimity.

  3. Practising equanimity not only leads to tranquillity but also removes all afflictions, symbolized by the manifestation of lotus blossoms under their feet, indicative of a pure and stable mind.

  4. Such practitioners will shine their meritorious light across all buddha-lands and, having reached a state of tranquillity, will guide countless sentient beings towards buddhahood.

• The bodhisattva mahāsattva regards all sentient beings impartially and attains the samādhi of the equality and nondiscrimination of the essence of all dharmas, achieving various virtuous states in sets of ten:

  1. Observation of the body, speech, and mind, gradual purification, and attaining nirvāṇa.

  2. Entering Dharma-nature and attaining unhindered knowledge of intellectual powers.

  3. Knowledge of writing and attaining an honest mind devoid of anger.

  4. Always maintaining a pleasant countenance and living in the araṇya.

  5. Knowledge of peaceful abiding on various stages and abiding in meditation on impurities.

  6. Knowledge of skilful means and mastery of the stages.

  7. Not being proud in observing precepts and attaining knowledge of the wishes of all sentient beings.

  8. Skillfully distinguishing birth and knowing the skilful means of the Vinaya.

  9. Quelling disputes and skilful analysis of the meanings of words.

  10. Developing skilful means in regard to the Dharma and maintaining physical stability.

  11. Not losing one’s deportment and having a sense of conscience.

  12. Having a sense of shame and knowing the mind’s arising.

  13. Knowledge of meaning and the rejection of what is not meaningful.

  14. Associating with good people and not being disgusted with the conditioned.

  15. Not rejoicing in gain and not being in the monastic community (perhaps meaning not being a burden on others).

  16. Abandoning disrespect and conquering one’s mental opponents.

  17. Knowing the right time and giving away wealth and food.

  18. Not hoarding anything and attaining knowledge of similes.

  19. Skillfulness concerning the past and realisation of liberation.

  20. Truthfulness in speech and attainment of wisdom.

• This samādhi represents a profound state that encompasses various aspects of spiritual practice and attainment, acting as a guide and pathway to enlightenment, offering relief from suffering, and enabling the achievement of deep wisdom and liberation. These qualities are listed as the definitive list explaining the samādhi's nature.

• Upon the teaching of this Dharma door, a vast number of devas and humans attained various stages of spiritual patience and liberation, demonstrating the profound impact and transformative power of the teachings. The cosmos of three thousand great thousand worlds experienced significant quaking and movements in various directions. It also brought forth an extraordinary light, penetrating even the darkest realms, leading to a moment of profound revelation and wonder among the beings dwelling in darkness in the hells.

Commentary

According to Thrangu Rinpoche, the Buddha here reveals that the mastery of a single quality, the King of Samadhis, which perceives the equality of all things, can lead to the awakening of all enlightened qualities and the pacification of negative emotions. This sutra, rich in profound teachings, introduces 300 distinct topics related to samadhi, briefly touched upon in the first chapter and detailed extensively in the final chapter.

Discussion

1. The teaching on the samādhi here emphasises equanimity above all else as the key to tranquillity, including impartiality to all sentient beings. How does this resonate with you and your practice?

2. The qualities attained due to the samādhi include, in particular, dignified conduct, deportment, and humility. In what ways do such qualities not only result from equanimity but help to produce and maintain it? If you have experience with retreats, this may be relevant to you.

3. In terms of sitting meditation practice, the chapter has sparse comments, but it mentions qualities attained by the samādhi, including observation of body, speech, and mind, meditation on impurities, and the dhyānas (but not attachment to them). Do you have any other impressions of this chapter's practical applications, or do you see it more as an aspirational statement of the final attainment of the samādhi?