The Attainment of Patience
Chapter 7
Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should become skilled in the wisdoms of the three kinds of patience. They should know the first patience. They should know the second patience. They should know the third patience. They should become skilled in the differences between the three kinds of patience and skilled in the differences between the wisdoms of the three kinds of patience.
7.2 “Why is that? Young man, when bodhisattva mahāsattvas become skilled in the differences between the three kinds of patience and become skilled in the differences between the wisdoms of the three kinds of patience, then at that time, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas will quickly attain this samādhi, and will quickly attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.
7.3 “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood should learn this Dharma teaching on gaining the three kinds of patience. When they have learned it they should teach it widely to others. That will be of benefit to many beings, it will bring happiness to many beings, it will be a kindness to the world, it will bring fulfillment to a multitude of beings, and bring benefit and happiness to humans and devas.”309
7.4 Then the Bhagavān taught this Dharma discourse on gaining the three kinds of patience by chanting the following verses to the youth Candraprabha.
7.5
“Those who do not argue
Or speak unbeneficial words
But always bring benefit and maintain the Dharma,
Such people are explained as having the first patience. {1} [F.20.b]
7.6
“Knowing that all phenomena are like illusions,
Not having a conceptual field of experience,
And not falling from the level of increasing wisdom
Are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {2}
7.7
“Being skilled in all the paths of the sūtras,
Being wise and attracted to the Buddha’s words,
And having the infinite awareness of the sugatas’ wisdom
Are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {3}
7.8
“Whatever Dharma taught by the Buddha they hear,
They have no doubt about the Buddha’s teachings
But aspire to the Dharma of all the jinas.
These are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {4}
7.9
“They know the particular sūtra with the definitive meaning,
Such as the Sugata’s teaching on emptiness.
They know that all the Dharmas that teach
Of beings, individuals, and persons are provisional truth. {5}
7.10
“In this world there are many tīrthikas,
But they feel no anger toward them.
They are firmly established in compassion for them.
These are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {6}
7.11
“The retentions310 become apparent to them
And they have no doubts concerning their appearance.
What they speak is in accord with the truth.
These are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {7}
7.12
“The four elements of air and water,
Fire and earth may change into something else,
But they will never turn away from the enlightenment of buddhahood.
These are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {8}
7.13
“Whatever skills there are in the world,
The bodhisattvas learn them all,
And no one sees anyone higher than them.
These are distinctive qualities of the first patience. {9}
7.14
“They are unwavering through the power of śamatha,
And through vipaśyanā they are like a mountain.
Even all beings together would be unable to disturb them.
These are distinctive qualities of the second patience. {10}
7.15
“In meditation they stand and talk;
Remaining in meditation they walk.
In meditation they master the perfections.
These are distinctive qualities of the second patience. {11}
7.16
“In meditation they attain the five higher knowledges.
Teaching the Dharma they go to a hundred realms.
They do not lose their miraculous powers. [F.21.a]
These are distinctive qualities of the second patience. {12}
7.17
“They remain in that kind of samādhi of peace.
They attain certainty of the mind,
And in their meditation there is no ‘being.’
These are distinctive qualities of the second patience. {13}
7.18
“With buddha wisdom they teach the Dharma
To all of the beings who are in the world,
And they are able to remember all that they have taught.
These are distinctive qualities of the second patience. {14}
7.19
“They see the lords of the worlds in all directions:
East, south, west, and north,
Above, below, and in the intermediate directions.
These are distinctive qualities of the third patience. {15}
7.20
“They have a body that is the color of gold
And emanate countless manifestations,
Teaching the Dharma to many millions of beings.
These are distinctive qualities of the third patience. {16}
7.21
“Each such bodhisattva appears throughout
This buddha realm of Jambudvīpa
And is renowned also among the devas and asuras.
These are distinctive qualities of the third patience. {17}
7.22
“The bodhisattvas train in accordance
With the field of activity of the buddhas
And the conduct of the sugatas.
These are distinctive qualities of the third patience. {18}
7.23
“If the beings that are in this world
Were to recite the praises of the bodhisattvas
And they were to take great joy in that
Then they would not be trained in the Buddha’s wisdom. {19}
7.24
“If all the beings that are in this world
Were to speak badly to the bodhisattvas,
And if they were to become angry toward them,
Then they would still not be trained in the Buddha’s wisdom. {20}
7.25
“If they gain wealth it does not make them happy;
If they do not gain wealth it does not make them unhappy.
Their minds always remain like a mountain.
These are distinctive qualities of the third patience. {21}
7.26
“These three patiences are taught to be the patience regarding what is spoken,
The patience that is beneficial for contemplation and meditation,
And the patience, from listening to the Dharma, regarding birthlessness.
These trainings are the path to enlightenment.311 {22}
7.27
“When the bodhisattvas attain
These three unsurpassable patiences,
They see the supreme humans, the sugatas,312
And they give them the prophecy of their stainless enlightenment. {23} [F.21.b]
7.28
“When they have received that prophecy
The earth shakes in six ways,
The realm is illuminated by light,
And millions of devas send down a rain of flowers. {24}
7.29
“When they have received that prophecy
Countless quintillions of beings
Develop the aspiration to enlightenment,
Thinking, ‘We also shall become jinas, worthy of offerings.’313 {25}
7.30
“When the bodhisattvas attain
These three unsurpassable patiences
They are not born, they do not die,
They do not pass away, and are not reborn. {26}
7.31
“When the bodhisattvas attain
These three unsurpassable patiences
They do not see beings born or dying,
But see all phenomena as remaining in the true nature. {27}
7.32
“In this way they know that they are untrue,
That phenomena are like illusions, that they are naturally empty.
Emptiness is not born and does not die.314
All these phenomena are by nature empty. {28}
7.33
“Whenever someone shows them respect,
Attending to them, honoring them, and making offerings,
They take no pleasure in it,
For they know that phenomena have an empty nature. {29}
7.34
“Toward beings who revile, threaten, or beat them,
They feel no anger, nor pride.
They only feel constant love for them,
Wishing for those beings to be liberated. {30}
7.35
“Even when beaten and cut with sticks and stones,
Those wise ones will feel no anger,
Remaining in the patience of selflessness,
And not having unyielding anger or pride. {31}
7.36
“In this way they know the lack of reality,
That phenomena are like illusions, with an empty nature.
They remain in that knowledge of phenomena
And are venerated by this world and its devas. {32}
7.37
“Even toward beings holding weapons
Who cut into pieces their body and limbs,
They would have no anger,
And their love and compassion would not diminish. {33}
7.38
“Toward such beings, while they are cutting up their body and limbs,
This is what arises in their mind:
‘Until I can bring these beings to enlightenment
I will not pass into the peace of nirvāṇa.’ {34} [F.22.a]
7.39
“The bodhisattvas of great renown
Continuously meditate throughout millions of eons
With that kind of unsurpassable power of patience,
Resting in the equanimity of the patience of selflessness. {35}
7.40
“For even more eons, as many as Ganges sand grains,
They do not accomplish benefit through the knowledge of a buddha.
They do not reach enlightenment,
Let alone the wisdom of the tathāgatas. {36}
7.41
“Even if one were to speak for countless hundreds of eons,
It would be difficult to conclude the praises,
The endless descriptions, of the greatly renowned ones
Who are established in the patience of selflessness. {37}
7.42
“Therefore, the one who desires supreme, unsurpassable enlightenment,
The accumulated wisdom of buddhahood,
Should meditate on the patience praised by the jinas,
And then supreme enlightenment will not be difficult to attain.” {38}
7.43
Conclusion of seventh chapter, “The Attainment of Patience.”
