Part 1 Flashcards
Spiritual Ground and Spiritual Path:
“The definition of spiritual ground is a clear realization that acts as the foundation of many good qualities. The definition of spiritual path is an exalted awareness conjoined with spontaneous renunciation.”
Definition of the 5 M Paths:
“The definition of Mahayana path of accumulation is a realization of a Bodhisattva who principally accumulates a collection of merit that is a method for attaining the Mahayana path of preparation. The definition of Mahayana path of preparation is a realization of a Bodhisattva who has attained superior seeing observing emptiness that serves as the preparation for attaining the Mahayana path of seeing. The definition of Mahayana path of seeing is a realization of a Bodhisattva who sees emptiness directly that is a method for attaining the Mahayana path of meditation. The definition of Mahayana path of meditation is a realization of a Superior Bodhisattva who is either abandoning or has abandoned innate true-grasping by practising meditation. The definition of Mahayana Path of No More Learning is an ultimate realization that has abandoned completely the two obstructions.”
“The plight of living beings in samsara has six points of similarity with the mechanism of a well:”
“(1) Just as a bucket is bound to the windlass by rope, so living beings are bound to samsara by delusion and karma.
(2) Just as a windlass is forced to rotate by its operator, so living beings are forced to wander in samsara by their unpeaceful and untamed minds.
(3) Just as one turn of a windlass is immediately followed by another, so one rebirth in samsara is immediately followed by another.
(4) Just as a bucket tumbles to the bottom of a well with great ease but is drawn up again only with much effort, so living beings readily migrate to lower rebirths but rise from them only with great difficulty.
(5) Just as when a windlass is spinning quickly it is difficult to identify where one rotation ends and the next begins, so as living beings wander in samsara it is impossible to tell which comes first – delusions, actions, or effects. Living beings wander in samsara in dependence on the twelve dependent-related links. Within these there are three that are delusions, two that are actions and seven that are effects. The three delusions are dependent-related ignorance, dependent-related craving and dependent-related grasping. The two actions are dependent-related compositional actions and dependent-related existence. The seven effects are dependent-related consciousness, dependent-related name and form, dependent-related six sources, dependent-related contact, dependent-related feeling, dependent-related birth and dependent-related ageing and death. The three delusions cause the two actions, which produce the seven effects, which in turn lead to the three delusions and so on. In this way, the twelve links revolve unceasingly and it is impossible to say which comes first. For example, we may feel that the delusion ignorance must come first but there can only be ignorance if there has been birth, there “has been ignorance and so on
“(6) Living beings wander in samsara in much the same way as a bucket moves up and down in a well. As a bucket repeatedly tumbles to the bottom and is drawn up again it swings uncontrollably and is battered, dented and scratched by the sides of the well. In the same way, as living beings roam uncontrollably from the highest heaven to the deepest hell they are constantly battered by the three sufferings, the six sufferings and so forth. These different types of suffering are explained in detail in the book Joyful Path of Good Fortune.”
Ultimate causal ground:
“The definition of an ultimate causal ground is an uncontaminated mind of a Superior Bodhisattva in single-pointed meditative equipoise on emptiness that is maintained by great compassion.”
Definition of the first ground, Very Joyful:
“The definition of the first ground is a Superior Bodhisattva’s path that abandons or has abandoned intellectually-formed true-grasping, its principal object of abandonment, and that has attained a surpassing practice of the perfection of giving from within the ten perfections.”
“The exalted awareness of meditative equipoise of the path of seeing has three divisions – the uninterrupted path of the path of seeing, the released path of the first ground and the exalted awareness of meditative equipoise of the path of seeing that is neither of the two”
definitions
“The definition of the first is the exalted awareness of the first ground that functions as the direct antidote to intellectually-formed true-grasping.
The definition of the second is the exalted awareness of the first ground that occurs in the same session as the uninterrupted path of the path of seeing and that has abandoned intellectually-formed true-grasping.
The definition of the third is an exalted awareness of meditative equipoise of the path of seeing that is neither an uninterrupted path nor a released path.”
The exalted awareness of subsequent attainment of the path of seeing is
“any manifest path in the continuum of a Bodhisattva on the path of seeing who is not in meditative equipoise. It first manifests after the released path of the first ground has ceased.”
The exalted awareness of the path of seeing that is neither of the two is
“any non-manifest path in the continuum of a Bodhisattva on the path of seeing, for example, his realization of great compassion at the time of meditative equipoise.”
The definition of the path of meditation of the first ground is
“the exalted awareness of the first ground that functions as the direct antidote to big-big innate true-grasping. The path of meditation of the first ground is necessarily an uninterrupted path and lasts for only one session. Thus, there are two uninterrupted paths on the first ground – the uninterrupted path of the path of seeing, which occurs at the very beginning, and the uninterrupted path of the path of meditation of the first ground, which occurs at the very end. However, there is only one released path on the first ground.”
Three attributes of a Bodhisattva on the first ground:
“his mind is governed by a great compassion that wishes to liberate all living beings from samsara, all his roots of virtue are dedicated to the attainment of full enlightenment with aspirational prayers similar to those of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra and he always abides in great joy.”
“ENUMERATING THE GOOD QUALITIES [of Very Joyful]
[I.5cd] From then on because he has attained this
He is addressed by the very name ‘Bodhisattva’.
[I.6] He is also born into the lineage of the Tathagatas
And has abandoned all three bonds.
This Bodhisattva possesses a supreme joy
And is able to cause a hundred worlds to shake.
[I.7abc] Mastering ground after ground, he advances higher.
At that time for him all paths to lower rebirths have ceased.
At that time for him all grounds of ordinary beings are exhausted.”
1) The good quality of attaining a meaningful name
2) The good quality of birth into Buddha’s family
3) The good quality of abandoning the three bonds
4) - of abiding in great joy
5) - of being able to cause a hundred worlds to shake
6) - of mastering higher grounds
7) - of destroying the causes of lower rebirth
8) - of exhausting the grounds of ordinary beings
Definition of the Second Ground
The definition of the second ground is a Superior Bodhisattva’s path that has abandoned big-big innate true-grasping, its principal object of abandonment, and that has attained a surpassing practice of the perfection of moral discipline from within the ten perfections.
II.5 Famous verse on the need to keep moral discipline
“If, when living in good conditions and acting with freedom,
We do not act to hold ourself back,
Once we have fallen into the abyss and lost our freedom
How will we raise ourself from there in the future?”
Cats…
“Since it is so difficult to practise moral discipline in the lower realms, once we are born there, there is a great danger of our taking one lower rebirth after another. Therefore we should practise moral discipline now to protect ourself from falling into lower rebirths in the future, and we should develop compassion for those who are already trapped there.”
