ten grounds

SUTRA:

HE IS BORN WITHIN THE THUS COME ONE'S HOUSEHOLD.

AND HIS LINEAGE HAS NO FLAWS;

HE IS THE SAME AS THE BUDDHA,

AND IS CERTAIN TO ACCOMPLISH UNSURPASSED BODHI.

UPON PRODUCING THOUGHTS SUCH AS THOSE,

HE IMMEDIATELY COMES TO ENTER THE FIRST GROUND;

HIS RESOLVE AND INCLINATIONS ARE IMMOVABLE,

BEING LIKE THE GREAT KING OF MOUNTAINS.

HE HAS MUCH HAPPINESS, MUCH LIKING,

AND MUCH PURE FAITH AS WELL;

HE HAS COURAGEOUS VIGOR TO THE UTMOST,

ALONG WITH MUCH ELATION AND REJOICING.

HE IS QUITE FREE FROM CONTENTION,

FROM TROUBLING AND HARMING, AND FROM HATRED;

HE KNOWS SHAME, RESPECT AND RECTITUDE,

AND WELL PROTECTS AND GUARDS HIS FACULTIES.

HE SEEKS THE ONE INCOMPARABLE IN THE WORLD'S

EACH AND EVERY MULTITUDE OF WISDOM;

"THIS PLACE IS ONE I SHOULD ACHIEVE,

MINDFUL, GIVING RISE TO HAPPINESS."

Commentary:

HE IS BORN WITHIN THE THUS COME ONE'S HOUSEHOLD/This Bodhisattva who has certified to the First Ground, the Ground of Happiness, has already been born in the household of the Thus Come One, AND HIS LINEAGE HAS NO FLAWS/His lineage, his descent, is entirely honorable and lofty. It is not despicable, and has nothing reprehensible about it. It is not at all lowly or poverty-stricken. HIS IS THE SAME AS THE BUDDHA/He is just like the Buddha, AND IS CERTAIN TO ACCOMPLISH UNSURPASSED BODHI/It is certain that he will become a Buddha in the future. UPON PRODUCING THOUGHTS SUCH AS THOSE/As soon as he has brought forth the thoughts of great kindness and compassion, and the thoughts of great joy and renunciation, HE IMMEDIATELY COMES TO ENTER THE FIRST GROUND/He then can enter the Ground of Happiness. HIS RESOLVE AND INCLINATIONS ARE IMMOVABLE/His resolutions and what he likes cannot be moved by anyone at all. That is, if you want to cultivate the Bodhisattva Way, no one will be able to break up your cultivation of the Bodhisattva Way, BEING LIKE THE GREAT KING OF MOUNTAINS/Just like Mount Sumeru, the great king of mountains.

HE HAS MUCH HAPPINESS, MUCH LIKING/When he certifies to the First Ground, the Ground of Happiness, he has much happiness and much liking for all living beings, AND MUCH PURE FAITH AS WELL. He also cultivates the dharmas of pure faith and understanding. HE HAS COURAGEOUS VIGOR TO THE UTMOST/He also has much ultimately great, courageous vigor, ALONG WITH MUCH ELATION AND REJOICING/His happiness is full of enthusiastic delight and rejoicing. HE IS QUITE FREE FROM CONTENTION/The Bodhisattva who has certified to this position has no contention. He doesn't strive or fight with anyone. FROM TROUBLING AND HARMING, AND FROM HATRED/He has not the slightest wish to trouble or harm others, and not the least bit of hate for other people.

HE KNOWS SHAME, RESPECT AND RECTITUDE/He knows how to repent and reform, has reverence and respect, and rectitude of mind. Incapable of being evasive, shifty or devious, his mind is straight and upright, AND HE WELL PROTECTS AND GUARDS HIS FACULTIES/He is good at guarding and protecting all his faculties. His eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind all follow the rules, and are incapable of not following them. HE SEEKS THE ONE INCOMPARABLE IN THE WORLD'S/Of the Buddha, with Whom nothing can compare, EACH AND EVERY MULTITUDE OF WISDOM/All of the wisdoms of the Buddha. "THIS PLACE IS ONE I SHOULD ACHIEVE/I should certify to all the wisdoms of the Buddha, MINDFUL, GIVING RISE TO HAPPINESS/I am mindful of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha—the Triple Jewel--and mindful of all living beings, and give rise to great joy."

SUTRA:

UPON INITIALLY ENTERING THE FIRST GROUND,

HE IMMEDIATELY TRANSCENDS THE FIVE-FOLD FEARS:

NOT LIVING, DYING, BAD REPUTATION,

EVIL DESTINIES AND THE ASSEMBLY'S AWESOME VIRTUE.

HE ATTACHES NEITHER TO A SELF

NOR TO WHAT PERTAINS TO A SELF;

ALL OF THESE DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA

LEAVE ALL FEARFULNESS FAR BEHIND.

ALWAYS PRACTICING GREAT KINDNESS AND COMPASSION,

HE CONSTANTLY HAS FAITH AS WELL AS REVERENCE;

HE IS REPLETE WITH MERIT AND VIRTUE OF REPENTANCE,

NIGHT AND DAY INCREASING WHOLESOME DHARMAS.

HE DELIGHTS IN DHARMA'S TRUE AND ACTUAL BENEFITS,

AND DOES NOT LOVE THE RECEPTION OF DESIRES;

HE REFLECTS UPON THE DHARMAS HE HAS HEARD,

FAR FREE FROM THE PRACTICE OF GRASPING.

HE HAS NO GREED FOR BENEFITS OR OFFERINGS,

AND HE ONLY DELIGHTS IN BUDDHA'S BODHI;

WITH ONE MIND HE SEEKS THE BUDDHA'S WISDOM,

CONCENTRATION UNDIVIDED WITH NO OTHER THOUGHT.

Commentary;

UPON INITIALLY ENTERING THE FIRST GROUND/When the Bodhisattva certifies to the Ground of Happiness, HE IMMEDIATELY TRANSCENDS THE FIVE-FOLD FEARS/He then leaves the Five Kinds of Fears far behind: NOT LIVING, DYING, BAD REPUTATION, EVIL DESTINIES AND THE ASSEMBLY'S AWESOME VIRTUE/The Five Fears are:

1. Fear of Not Living.

2. Fear of a Bad Reputation.

3. Fear of Death.

4. Fear of the Evil Destinies.

5. Fear of the Awesome Virtue of the Great Assembly.

He leaves those five kinds of fears far behind. Why is that? HE ATTACHES NEITHER TO A SELF/It is because he has no attachment to a self. With no self, what is there to fear? NOR TO WHAT PERTAINS TO A SELF/What belongs to a self is gone too. He has no self and nothing that belongs to a self. You who are studying the Buddhadharma are afraid of this and afraid of that. Why are you afraid? It is because you are unable to be without a self. You are greedily attached to "me" and greedily attached to "mine." But if you had no self, and if what belonged to self were empty, then, what could there be to fear? ALL OF THESE DISCIPLES OF THE BUDDHA/All of the Buddha's disciples LEAVE ALL FEARFULNESS FAR BEHIND/They leave all fears behind.

ALWAYS PRACTICING GREAT KINDNESS AND PITY/He always practices great kindness and great compassion, and pities and remembers all living beings. HE CONSTANTLY HAS FAITH AS WELL AS REVERENCE/He always has genuine, pure faith in and reverence and respect for the Triple Jewel. HE IS REPLETE WITH MERIT AND VIRTUE OF REPENTANCE/He is endowed with all the merit and virtue of repentance and reform, NIGHT AND DAY INCREASING WHOLESOME DHARMAS/Day and night he increases wholesome dharmas. HE DELIGHTS IN DHARMA'S TRUE AND ACTUAL BENEFITS/He likes the true and real benefits of Dharma, AND DOES NOT LOVE RECEPTION OF DESIRES/He does not love the five objects of desire. HE REFLECTS UPON THE DHARMAS HE HAS HEARD/He is always pondering and contemplating the Buddhadharmas he has heard, FAR FREE FROM THE PRACTICE OF GRASPING/He leaves grasping and attaching behavior far behind. HE HAS NO GREED FOR BENEFITS OF OFFERINGS/He is not greedy for fame or profit, AND HE ONLY DELIGHTS IN BUDDHA'S BODHI/The only thing he delights in is the Buddha's wonderful Dharma of Bodhi. WITH ONE MIND HE SEEKS THE BUDDHA'S WISDOM/He is single-minded in his quest for the wisdom of a Buddha alone, CONCENTRATION UNDIVIDED WITH NO OTHER THOUGHT/Intent and concentrated, he does not have two kinds of thoughts; he only has the thought of seeking the Buddha's wisdom.

SUTRA:

HE CULTIVATES ALL OF THE PARAMITAS,

FAR SEPARATE FROM FLATTERY AND DECEIT;

AS IS SPOKEN SO TOO DOES HE PRACTICE,

AND IS SECURED IN TRUE AND ACTUAL SPEECH.

HE DOES NOT DEFILE THE BUDDHAS' HOUSEHOLD,

NOR ABANDON BODHISATTVA PRECEPTS;

TAKING NO DELIGHT IN WORLDLY MATTERS,

CONSTANTLY HE BENEFITS THE WORLD.

HE CULTIVATES THE GOOD WITHOUT FATIGUE,

HIS QUEST INTENSIFYING FOR THE WAY SUPREME;

SUCH, THEN, IS HIS LIKING FOR THE DHARMA

THAT MERIT AND VIRTUE INTERACT WITH MEANINGS.

HE CONSTANTLY GIVES RISE TO GREAT VOW-MIND,

VOWING THAT ALL BUDDHAS HE WILL SEE,

PROTECT AND HOLD ALL BUDDHAS' DHARMAS,

AND GATHER IN THE GREAT IMMORTAL'S WAY.

ALWAYS BRINGING FORTH SUCH VOWS AS THESE,

HE CULTIVATES THE PRACTICES SUPREME,

MATURES AND RIPENS ALL THE FLOCKS OF BEINGS,

ADORNS AND PURIFIES ALL BUDDHAS' LANDS.

Commentary:

HE CULTIVATES ALL OF THE PARAMITAS/The Bodhisattva concentrates his mind and seeks the wisdom of a Buddha. If one wishes to obtain the wisdom of the Buddha, one must cultivate the Six Crossings-over or perhaps the Ten Crossings-over, the Paramitas, and be FAR SEPARATE FROM FLATTERY AND DECEIT/ One must leave flattery and obsequiousness far behind, along with all falsity and deceit. AS IS SPOKEN SO TOO DOES HE PRACTICE/One must rely upon the Dharma spoken by the Buddha to cultivate, AND IS SECURED IN TRUE AND ACTUAL SPEECH/And at all times cultivate the dharmas of true speech, actual speech, never engaging in false speech.

HE DOES NOT DEFILE THE BUDDHAS' HOUSEHOLD/It is essential to cultivate the Dharma doors spoken by the Buddha very, very well, and protect the Dharma jewels spoken by the Buddha, never defiling the household of all Buddhas. That is, one must not make a bad impression for Buddhism by influencing people to have doubts. To start with people may want to believe in the Buddha, but if you do not cultivate well, as soon as they see you they lose their faith. You can't let that happen, NOR ABANDON BODHISATTVA PRECEPTS/He at all times protects the ten heavy and forty-eight light precepts cultivated by Bodhisattvas, TAKING NO DELIGHT IN WORLDLY MATTERS/He has no greedy attachment for worldly dharmas. That means he has no liking for the world's wealth, sex, fame, food and sleep, matters concerned with the five objects of desire. CONSTANTLY HE BENEFITS THE WORLD/It is his constant wish to benefit the living beings of the world.

HE CULTIVATES THE GOOD WITHOUT FATIGUE/In practicing giving and doing wholesome deeds there never comes a time when he feels he's had enough, HIS QUEST INTENSIFYING FOR THE WAY SUPREME/He is more vigorous each day, daily becoming more courageously vigorous in his search for the unsurpassed, most supreme fruit of the Way. SUCH, THEN, IS HIS LIKING FOR THE DHARMA/With that kind of liking for the Dharma, THAT MERIT AND VIRTUE INTERACT WITH MEANINGS/ Merit and virtue are interactive with all Buddha dharmas.

HE CONSTANTLY GIVES RISE TO GREAT VOW-MIND/He is constantly bringing forth a great mind of vows and resolutions, VOWING THAT ALL BUDDHAS HE WILL SEE/He constantly makes the vow that he will see all the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three periods of time, PROTECT AND HOLD ALL BUDDHAS' DHARMAS/He VOWS to protect and maintain all dharmas spoken by the Buddhas, AND GATHER IN THE GREAT IMMORTAL'S WAY/And gather in the Buddha Way. ALWAYS BRINGING FORTH SUCH VOWS AS THESE/Always making vows of this sort, HE CULTIVATES THE PRACTICES SUPREME/He cultivates the most supreme doors of practice, MATURES AND RIPENS ALL THE FLOCKS OF BEINGS/He brings all the flocks of beings to maturity,' causing all living beings to become ripened and in the future become Buddhas, ADORNS AND PURIFIES ALL BUDDHAS' LANDS/He adorns and purifies the countries of all of the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three periods of time.