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The Lotus Sutra
Chapter 1, Introduction, Page 14
Maitreya's Question - The Verse Portion, Continued
First there is a general introduction to the Bodhisattva practices:
"I see other lands with
Bodhisattvas
As many as there are sands of the Ganges.
They seek the path
of enlightenment
Using different kinds of ways."
Next there is the specific description of the Bodhisattva practices:
First Maitreya describes the Bodhisattva perfection of generosity (Dana Paramita). The perfection of generosity described in this verse is limited to the offering of material things and the offering of oneself. It does explicitly describe the Bodhisattva’s offering of fearlessness (which relieves suffering) or the offering of spiritual enlightenment (the Dharma). These will be described later:
"For some there is the practice of giving.
Gold, silver &
carnelian,
Pearls & Cintamani gems,
Mother-of-pearl, agate &
diamonds,
And other rare treasures,
Male and female servants,
Bejeweled chariots and palanquins,
All joyfully given away.
Turning
them all over to the path of enlightenment,
They vow to attain this vehicle
Praised by the Buddhas,
Supreme in the threefold realm.
There are some
Bodhisattvas
Offering bejeweled carriages drawn by four-horse
teams
Adorned with railings and covered with blossoms.
And I have seen
Bodhisattvas
Giving away their lives,
Their flesh, their hands and
feet,
Their wives and children,
Seeking the supreme path.
And I have
seen Bodhisattvas
Gladly wishing to give their eyes, their heads,
Their
bodies and their lives,
Seeking the wisdom of the Buddhas."
Next there is the perfection of morality:
"I see kings
Going to
visit the Buddha,
Asking of the supreme path,
Gladly giving up their
lands,
Their palaces, their subjects and servants,
Shaving their heads
and beards &
Donning the clothes of the Dharma."
Next there is the perfection of endurance:
"I see Bodhisattvas becoming Bhiksus,
Living
in the silence of solitude,
Enjoying quiet meditation &
Content in
chanting the Sutra."
Next there is the perfection of diligence:
"I
see Bodhisattvas
Brave, valiant and diligent,
Entering deep into the
mountains &
Deliberating on the path of enlightenment."
Next there is the perfection of meditation:
"I see those free from sensory desire,
Ever in the sphere of emptiness,
Deeply cultivating meditation,
Attaining the five spiritual penetrations.
And I see Bodhisattvas,
With palms joined in peaceful meditation,
Praising the Kings of the
Dharma
With thousands upon thousands of verses."
Next there is perfection of spiritual insight:
"And I see Bodhisattvas,
With deep
wisdom and firm determination,
Able to question the Buddhas,
Listening,
accepting and embracing.
And I see the Buddha’s children,
With perfect
concentration and insight,
Using immeasurable illustrations,
Explaining
the Dharma to the assembly,
Happy to teach the Dharma,
Influence
Bodhisattvas,
Refute the hosts of devils &
Beat the drum of the
Dharma."
More on the perfection of meditation:
"And I see the Bodhisattvas,
Profoundly
serene and still,
Revered by gods and dragons,
But not rejoicing in
this.
And I see the Bodhisattvas
Issuing forth the light in the
forests
Saving those suffering in hell &
Making them enter into the
path of enlightenment."
More on the perfection of diligence:
"And
I see the Buddha’s children
Never going to sleep,
Walking throughout the
forest
Diligently seeking the path of enlightenment."
More on the perfection of morality:
"And I see them embracing the
precepts
Their dignity and manner flawless
Pure like a precious gem
By
seeking the path of enlightenment."
More on the perfection of endurance:
"And I see the Buddha’s children
Abiding in the power of
endurance
Able to completely endure
The insults and injuries of the
arrogant
By seeking the path of enlightenment.""
More on the perfection of meditation:
"And I see the Bodhisattvas
Free from frivolity and
nonsense,
Free of foolish companions,
Intimate with people of wisdom,
With a single mind free of distraction,
Collecting their thoughts
In
the mountains and forests for eons
By seeking the path of
enlightenment."
More on the perfection of generosity:
"And I see the
Bodhisattvas
With rare delicacies of food and drink,
With hundreds of
elixirs and medicines
Offered to the Buddha and Sangha.
With the finest
clothes and robes
Worth thousands, tens of thousands, some priceless,
Offered to the Buddha and Sangha.
With a myriad kinds of dwellings
Made with sandal and jewels
Wonderfully furnished
Offered to the
Buddha and Sangha.
With pristine gardens and groves
Abounding in blossoms
and fruits,
Flowing springs and pools
Offered to the Buddha and
Sangha.
Making offerings such as these,
Each wondrous but different,
Joyfully and without regret,
They seek the supreme path."
More on the perfection of spiritual insight:
"And I see the Bodhisattvas
Teaching countless living beings
The serenity and extinction of the
Dharma
With various kinds of doctrines.
And I see the Bodhisattvas
Teaching
the nature of things spiritual
Being without duality like empty
space.
And I see the Buddha’s children
Having minds without attachments
With this wonderful insight
They seek the supreme path."
Next, on
the Buddha's Nirvana, and the closing of Maitreya's verse...
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Since July 9, 2001