Major Expositions

KGSS II:16-19

[Vasubandhu]

16 The Treatise on the Pure Land states:

Relying on the sutras
In which the manifestation of true and real virtues is taught,
I compose a gatha of aspiration, a condensation,
That accords with the Buddha's teaching...

Contemplating the power of the Buddha's Primal Vow,
I see that no one who encounters it passes by in vain;
It quickly brings to fullness and perfection
The great treasure ocean of virtues.

17 Further it states:

Know that the bodhisattva, having entered the first four gates, has fulfilled the practice of self-benefit, and having emerged into the fifth gate, has fulfilled the practice of directing virtue and benefiting others. For by having thus performed the practices of the five gates and accomplished both self-benefit and benefiting others, the bodhisattva has swiftly realized the supreme, perfect enlightenment.

[T'an-luan]

18 The Commentary on Vasubandhu's Treatise on the Pure Land states:

Reverently contemplating the Commentary on the Ten Bodhisattva Stages of Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, I find it stated that there are two paths by which bodhisattvas seek the stage of non-retrogression - the path of difficult practice and the path of easy practice.

With the path of difficult practice, it is seeking non-retrogression in this world of five defilements at a time when there is no Buddha that is difficult. This difficulty appears in many ways; I will indicate what is meant by roughly listing several of them.

• The apparent good practiced in non-buddhist ways is confused with the dharma of the bodhisattva.
• The sravaka's concentration on self-benefit diverts a bodhisattva's practice of great compassion.
• Evildoers lacking self-reflection subvert the excellent merits of others.
• The results of good acts undertaken with inverted thinking nullify the bodhisattva's pure practice for enlightenment.
• The path of difficult practice is based solely on self-power and lacks the support of Other Power.

Such problems as these, which may be seen everywhere, are examples of the difficulty. Thus the path of difficult practice may be compared in its hardship to journeying overland on foot.

In the path of easy practice, one aspires to be born in the Pure Land with solely one's entrusting oneself to the Buddha as the cause, and allowing oneself to be carried by the power of the Buddha's Vow, quickly attains birth in the land of purity. Supported by the Buddha's power, one immediately enters the group of the truly settled of the Mahayana. The stage of the truly settled is none other than the stage of non-retrogression. Thus the path of easy practice may be compared in its comfort to being carried over waterways in a ship.

This treatise, the Upadesa on the Sutra of Immeasurable Life, indeed holds the ultimate of the Mahayana; it is a sail with which to catch the favorable wind toward non-retrogression.

"Immeasurable Life" is a name of the Tathagata of the Pure Land of happiness. Sakyamuni Buddha, while residing at Rajagrha and Sravasti, taught the assembly about the virtues that adorn the Buddha of Immeasurable Life. The Buddha's Name forms the essence of those sutras. Later, the sage Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, reverently heeding [Sakyamuni] Tathagata's greatly compassionate teaching, composed a gatha of aspiration for birth in the Pure Land based on these sutras.

19 Further it states:

Vasubandhu's aspiration is not undertaken lightly. How could it ever be fulfilled without the support of the Tathagata's majestic power? Here Vasubandhu entreats the Tathagata to lend his majestic power; hence he reverently addresses him, saying, "O World-honored one!"

The words, Single-heartedly I, are Bodhisattva Vasubandhu's profession of personal commitment. They mean that in Vasubandhu's thinking on the Tathagata of unhindered light and aspiring to be born in the land of happiness, thoughts on the Buddha succeed one another without any other thoughts intermingling.

Concerning the words, [I] take refuge in the Tathagata of unhindered light filling the ten quarters: take refuge manifests the gate of worship, and Tathagata of unhindered light filling the ten quarters manifests the gate of praise.

We know that to take refuge is also to worship because Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, in composing gathas to Amida Tathagata, sometimes states "I bow in worship," sometimes "I take refuge," and sometimes "I take refuge and worship." Moreover, in the exposition section of the Treatise Bodhisattva Vasubandhu speaks of "practicing the five gates of mindfulness," and worship is numbered among these five gates. Since he indeed aspires for birth in Amida's Pure Land, is it not natural that he should worship the Buddha? For these reasons, we know that taking refuge manifests itself as worship. Worship itself, however, is only to pay homage and does not necessarily imply taking refuge; rather, taking refuge expresses itself in worship. From this we can infer that taking refuge is central. In the gatha, Vasubandhu expresses his personal aspiration; thus it is natural for him to say, "[I] take refuge." In explaining the meaning of the gatha in the exposition, he generally uses the term "worship." The two terms, "take refuge" and "worship," complement each other, revealing the basic meaning all the more clearly.

How do we know that the Tathagata of unhindered light filling the ten quarters expresses the gate of praise? It is stated later in the exposition:

How does one "praise"? One says the Name of the Tathagata in accord with the Tathagata's light, which is the embodiment of wisdom, wishing, by practicing in accord with reality, to be in correspondence with the significance of the Name...

Here Vasubandhu states, Tathagata of unhindered light filling the ten quarters. This is to offer praise in accord with the working of the Tathagata's light, which is the embodiment of wisdom, through the Tathagata's Name. Hence we know that these lines manifest the gate of praise. The line [I] aspire to be born in the land of happiness manifests the gate of aspiration and expresses Bodhisattva Vasubandhu's taking of refuge.
...

Question: In the Mahayana sutras and treatises it is frequently taught that sentient beings are in the final analysis unborn, like empty space. Why does Bodhisattva Vasubandhu express aspiration for "birth"?

Answer: The statement, "Sentient beings are unborn, like empty space," is open to two interpretations. First, what ordinary people see - such as sentient beings, which they conceive as real, or the acts of being born and dying, which they view as real - is ultimately non-existent, like imaginary "tortoise fur," or like empty space. Second, since all things are "born" from causal conditions, they are actually unborn; that is, they are non-existent, like empty space.
The "birth" to which Bodhisattva Vasubandhu aspires refers to being born through causal conditions. Hence it is provisionally termed "birth." This does not mean that there are real beings or that being born and dying is real, as ordinary people imagine.

Question: In what sense do you speak of birth in the Pure Land?

Answer: For the provisionally-called "person" in this world who practices the five gates of mindfulness, the preceding thought is the cause of the succeeding thought. The provisionally-called "person" of this defiled world and the provisionally-called "person" of the Pure Land cannot be definitely called the same or definitely called different. The same is true of preceding thought and succeeding thought. The reason is that if they were one and the same, then there would be no causality; if they were different, there would be no continuity. This principle is the gate of contemplating sameness and difference; it is discussed in detail in the treatises. Here ends the explanation of the three gates of mindfulness manifested in the first stanza.

[Next Vasubandhu] states:

Relying on the sutras
In which the manifestation of true and real virtues is taught,
I compose a gatha of aspiration, a condensation,
That accords with the Buddha's teaching...

What does he rely on? Why does he rely on it? How does he rely on it? What Vasubandhu relies on is the sutras. He relies on them because what the Tathagata [taught in the sutras] is the manifestation of true and real virtues. As to how he relies on them, he does so by being in accord with them through practicing the five gates of mindfulness... Sutras refers to the direct teaching among the twelve divisions of scripture; in addition to the Four Agamas or the Tripitaka, the Mahayana scriptures are also called "sutra." The words relying on the sutras refer to Mahayana sutras not included in the Tripitaka; they are not the Agamas.

Concerning the manifestation of true and real virtues: there are two kinds of virtue. First, there is virtue that is produced from a defiled mind and that does not accord with dharma-nature. Whether with regard to their cause or to their fruition, the good acts of foolish human beings and devas and the recompense of human beings and devas are all inverted, empty, and false. Hence, they are called untrue virtue. The second kind of virtue arises from the wisdom and pure deeds of the bodhisattva and adorns the Buddha's activity. It is in accord with suchness and culminates in purity. It is not inverted or false; hence, it is termed true and real virtue. Why is it not inverted? Because it is in accord with suchness and in conformity with the twofold truth. Why is it not false? Because it takes in all beings and brings them into the ultimate purity.

I compose a gatha of aspiration, a condensation, that accords with the Buddha's teaching: in the term condensation (literally: all-holding), "holding," means to keep from scattering or losing. "All" indicates holding much with a little...Aspiration means to aspire for birth...That accords with the Buddha's teaching means to fit together, like a box and lid...

The Treatise states:

How is directing of virtue accomplished? It is by never abandoning any sentient being in suffering, but constantly aspiring in the heart to fulfill the mind of great compassion, taking the directing of virtue as foremost.

The directing of virtue has two aspects: that for going forth to the Pure Land and that for return to this world. "Directing for going forth" means to give one's virtues to all sentient beings and to aspire to bring them all to birth in Amida Tathagata's Pure Land of happiness.