Overall Teaching

The Bodhisattva studies with Rudraka, achieving the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. Not achieving his goal the Bodhisattva and five disciples depart. They practice near the Nairañjana river. Realising that he must practice austerities in order to convince monks and ascetics in the world and show them that their ways are inferior to the Path, the Bodhisattva practices austerities there for six years. He becomes extremely emaciated and disfigured, appearing to be on the verge of death.

Summary

1. Rudraka, son of Rāma, was teaching his seven hundred students in Rājagṛha how to achieve the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception.

2. The Bodhisattva seeing this reflected that he would also have to become Rudraka’s student and master his meditations in order to teach him and demonstrate to beings that fabricated samādhis  are pointless.

3. Rudraka assented to let the Bodhisattva follow his path of samādhi, but no sooner did the Bodhisattva sit down than did he actualise that samādhi and hundreds of others which achieve equilibrium.

a. Rudraka informed him that there was nothing higher, in his opinion, than neither perception nor non-perception.

b. Rudraka then attempted to install the Bodhisattva as his co-teacher, but the Bodhisattva, saying that this does not lead to nirvāṇa and does not make one a true mendicant or brahmin, said that he was leaving.

c. Five disciples of Rudraka who had also not achieved what they were seeking under Rudraka decided to follow the Bodhisattva instead.

4. When the Bodhisattva and his five disciples had stayed long enough in Rājagṛha they proceeded to Gaya and they had a feast on the way. Afterwards the Bodhisattva thought of three parables:

a. Some practitioners are unable to separate mind and body from objects of desire: like two wet pieces of wood that cannot produce fire, they cannot actualise wisdom.

b. Some practitioners having separated mind and body from objects of desire still are attached to those objects of desire: like one who rubs two wet pieces of wood together despite placing them on dry ground, they also cannot actualise wisdom.

c. Some practitioners having separated mind and body from objects of desire, while being attached to them, through austerities they achieve wisdom: like one who rubs two dry pieces of wood together on dry ground.

d. The Bodhisattva considered himself to be in the third category at this time.

5. They proceeded from Mount Gaya to Senāpati near Urubilvā. Seeing how lovely it was by the banks of the Nairañjanā River they decided to stay there.

6. The Bodhisattva reflected that at this time of five degenerations[1] there are so many different approaches to religious pursuits: including fasting in various ways or ingesting various strange substances, standing on one foot or inhaling smoke, or reciting various spells and taking refuge in elements. Extremists rely on these because of fear of saṃsāra, taking refuge in what cannot offer protection and taking as pure that which is not pure. He resolved that if he can attain mastery of these austerities and then demonstrate that disregarding karma one cannot escape the fruit of karma, and demonstrate that there is a superior samādhi, then gods and humans will become interested.

7. On the basis of this resolution the Bodhisattva entered into a six year period of difficult practice.

a. He entered into a samādhi in the 4th dhyāna which was called all-pervading and wherein all thought and movement completely ceases which no being in the world had previously attained.

b. In order to vanquish opponents’ attacks, attract gods, and correct nihilists and extremists, he punished and tormented his body with mental resolve.

c. He sweat for eight winter nights: as that sweat hit the ground it turned into frost, then grew hot and evaporated.

d. He then practiced the all-pervading samādhi and as all movement and thought ceased, and mouth, nose, and ears blocked a loud sound like a blacksmith’s bellows was heard in his ears and as his breath went into his skull it felt as though his skull was struck with a sharp spear.

e. Thereupon some gods thought he was dying, but others corrected them by saying it is a samādhi.

8. The gods then sang a song in which they implored him not to die and leave the world defenseless.

9. Informing this to Māyādevī, she came and saw that he looked close to death, and also sung to the Bodhisattva while choked with tears asking why he won’t become a Buddha or Cakravartin.

a. The Bodhisattva asked who this was and she replied that it was Māyādevī.

b. The Bodhisattva replied that he will indeed attain Buddhahood: sooner would Mount Meru fall into pieces.

c. Delighted to hear this Māyādevī went back to her abode.

10.  In order to refute monks who believe eating little brings purification he ate only one juniper berry per day until his spine looked like braided hair and his ribs looked like rafters.

a. Similarly, like a dry gourd, his head developed cracks and when he touched his belly he touched his spine.

b. He fell when he tried to stand, and when he finally stood up his hair began to fall out  and his complexion lost all its radiance and he turned black.

11.  As some monks ate less than that, he eventually switched to eating only one grain of rice per day, and he began to look even more emaciated. Eventually he ate only a single sesame seed per day.

12.  Eventually as he entirely abandoned food he had no radiance and his limbs were thin as sticks.

13.  Every day a messenger from King Śuddhodana saw the Bodhisattva—thus the world would know how much austerity he had achieved daily: so that eventually he might teach the superiority of accumulating merit, achieving great wisdom, and distinguishment of the levels of samādhi.

a. In this way the Bodhisattva remained sitting for six years without moving, even when sun, wind, and rain or insects oppressed him.

b. During all seasons the Bodhisattva did not move to protect himself, and villagers and other people who came by thought he was a demon made of dust, and they sprinkled him with dust for fun. When they placed things in his mouth, nostrils, or ears, they would stick out his ears, mouth, or nostrils.

14.  The various deities saw this and as they watched this they were matured in the Three Vehicles.

15.  The above episode is recounted in verse form.

[1] The five degenerations are:

1. degeneration of life-span, the shortening of the length of life; 

2. degeneration of time, the decline in the quality of things, grain is less savory and nutritious, fails to ripen and so on;

3. degeneration of disturbing emotions, the decline in the virtues of householders, negative emotions strive;

4. degeneration of views, the decline in the virtues of the ordained sangha, wrong views proliferate; 

5. degeneration of experience, the decline in physical form, intellect, good health and so on.