Brief Mahayana Ten Dharmas Sutra

The Buddha stated that Bodhisattvas who delight in the Dharma should respectfully serve and make offerings to virtuous teachers. For the sake of hearing the Dharma, obtaining the Dharma, and seeking the Dharma, they should endure all kinds of worldly sufferings and adversities. For the sake of accomplishing the Buddha Way, they should make great vows, accomplish what is difficult to accomplish, endure what is difficult to endure, ceaselessly and tirelessly persevering until the stage of Buddhahood. This is the conduct of Bodhisattvas.

The Buddha explained how Bodhisattvas should practice in accordance with the Dharma. Bodhisattvas observe that the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness are impermanent, suffering, empty, and non-self. Although they contemplate and think thus, they do not detest and abandon the five aggregates like the Arhats do. The Arhats practice solely seeking to extinguish suffering, attain liberation, and transcend the three realms. They do not aspire to achieve Buddhahood; their compassion is shallow, they disregard the suffering of birth and death of sentient beings, and they do not wish to benefit and bring joy to sentient beings in this world. Bodhisattvas are not like this. Their minds are vast, their compassion is great, they pity sentient beings, and they vow that throughout immeasurable kalpas of practice, they will extensively deliver innumerable beings and then accomplish the Buddha fruit.

Therefore, Bodhisattvas cannot discard the five aggregates and extinguish themselves in Nirvana. Instead, they must retain the five aggregates life after life, using these five aggregates to benefit themselves and others. The Buddha said that Bodhisattvas not only must use the five aggregates, but they must also skillfully utilize them, skillfully maintain them, and skillfully cultivate them. The Arhats fear the five aggregates, believing that possessing them brings them suffering. Bodhisattvas understand that the essence of the five aggregates is the Tathagatagarbha; they no longer fear the realm of the five aggregates because the five aggregates are illusory, transformed by the Tathagatagarbha. As long as they do not give rise to inverted views towards the five aggregates and do not cling to the five aggregates, they will not experience suffering.

The Buddha further explained how Bodhisattvas observe the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self nature of the five aggregates, yet do not detest and abandon them. The Buddha used analogies to illustrate that Bodhisattvas should possess wisdom and should not reject the body of the five aggregates. For example, a wise person sells poison, packaging it well, but does not consume the poison themselves. Again, it is like someone making offerings to the fire god; after making the offering, although they respectfully praise it, they do not touch the fire with their hand to avoid being burned and experiencing suffering. Similarly, although Bodhisattvas aspire to Nirvana and accord with Nirvana, they do not realize and enter Nirvana. Because once they enter Nirvana, they can no longer use the five aggregates to study the Buddha Dharma, extensively benefit sentient beings, and accomplish the Buddha Way. Thus, they would regress from Bodhi, which is a great loss! Although Bodhisattvas do not realize Nirvana, their minds are free from afflictions and are not defiled by worldly troubles. Such Bodhisattvas are most worthy of reverence.

The Buddha spoke verses praising the great Bodhisattvas. Firstly, Bodhisattvas possess great wisdom, the wisdom of the Prajna of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-ksanti) and the wisdom of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-ksanti) from the extensive teachings of consciousness-only (vijñapti-mātratā). Secondly, Bodhisattvas possess fearlessness; they do not fear birth and death, extensively delivering innumerable beings within the long river of birth and death in the three realms. Thirdly, Bodhisattvas possess the Dharma eye and the wisdom eye; their wisdom is pure. Such Bodhisattvas are great Bodhisattvas of the first ground (bhūmi) and above, endowed with the wisdom of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-ksanti). They enter the family of the Buddhas, are the true sons of the Buddha, can share the Buddha's work, possess skillful means and supreme wisdom for delivering beings, and their vast renown surpasses that of the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, the practitioners of the two vehicles.

Such Bodhisattvas truly know the nature of the five aggregates as suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self. They know the arising, ceasing, and flowing nature of the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses, and they know the self is false and unreal. Nevertheless, they cannot bear to extinguish themselves in Nirvana. Seeing sentient beings long abiding in birth and death, craving liberation, for the sake of sentient beings, they do not realize Nirvana and do not abide in the inactive state of Nirvana, for that would be of no benefit to sentient beings. Regarding arrogance (mana), the Buddha said that Bodhisattva Mahasattvas have already abandoned all kinds of arrogance; their minds are compassionate and they constantly think of sentient beings. They constantly dwell in the world, living by alms, and proclaiming the Dharma that benefits all beings.

The World Honored One taught the Dharma for forty-nine years and spoke many secret words. Sentient beings did not understand their meaning, only accepting and understanding them superficially, so it was very difficult to rely on the meaning and not the words. The following are several kinds of the World Honored One's secret words, unknown to sentient beings:

(1) The Tathagata's prediction that Sravakas would attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment) is not as literally stated. The reason for such predictions is that Sravakas also possess Buddha-nature, the potential to become Buddhas, hence they can also achieve Buddhahood. Furthermore, the Sravakas whom the Tathagata predicts are secretly practicing Bodhisattvas or Sravakas who will later turn to the Bodhisattva path. They temporarily practice the Sravaka path of liberation, sever afflictions, and when their Mahayana wholesome roots mature, they will practice the Bodhisattva's six paramitas and ten thousand practices, cultivate Prajna and consciousness-only wisdom, and thereby in the future accomplish the Buddha Way.

(2) The World Honored One repeatedly told Ananda that he suffered from back pain; this is not as literally stated. The Buddha spoke thus out of compassion for sentient beings; it was not a real illness. Because disciples were unwilling to use medicine when ill, hindering their practice, the Buddha took the lead in using medicine to cure illness. When disciples saw the Buddha using medicine, they felt no shame when ill and also used medicine for treatment.

(3) The Buddha spoke of being old, decrepit, and needing attendants; this is not as literally stated. The Buddha is eternally ageless, eternally unweakened; it was a manifestation for the sake of sentient beings.

(4) The Tathagata debating with non-Buddhists is not as literally stated. The Buddha had no adversaries or opponents anymore; it was intentionally manifested so that when disciples encountered adversaries, they would think, "Even the Buddha was like this, let alone us," and thus would not feel excessive shame when encountering adversities.

(5) The incident of a thorn piercing the foot, showing the receiving of karmic retribution, did not happen. The Buddha had long since had no karmic retribution from evil deeds; it was manifested out of compassion for foolish sentient beings who create karmic actions. Seeing that even the Buddha received karmic retribution, sentient beings thought, "How much more so us," and thus dared not create karma.

(6) Devadatta acting as an adversary to the Buddha is not as literally stated. For many lifetimes, Devadatta was a virtuous friend (kalyāṇa-mitra) to the Buddha, manifesting opposition everywhere to highlight the Buddha's virtues. Seeing the Buddha's virtues, sentient beings developed incomparable reverence, took refuge in the Triple Gem, and followed the Buddha to study and practice.

(7) The Tathagata going for alms and returning with an empty bowl is not as literally stated. The Buddha's merit is immeasurable; he does not need food. Even if he eats, he can transform it himself. Even if he does not transform it himself, there are immeasurable beings in the ten directions making offerings to the Buddha. The Buddha manifested this so that disciples with little merit who failed to obtain alms, comparing themselves to the Buddha, would not feel inferior, ashamed, worried, or distressed.

(8) The slander by the woman placing a wooden tub on her belly is not as literally stated. This woman was a manifestation; the incident did not occur. The Buddha manifested this to comfort disciples in later times. When disciples were slandered, they would think, "Even the Buddha was slandered, let alone us," and thus their minds would not regress from the Path.

(9) The Buddha eating horse barley for three months is not as literally stated. The Buddha manifested this to deliver five hundred horses. Among them, the leaders of the horses had also taken birth in horse bodies by the power of their vows, skillfully delivering the five hundred horses, and the Buddha also assisted in delivering them. Therefore, sentient beings should form wholesome connections with virtuous friends. When undergoing retribution in the evil destinies, virtuous friends will go to the evil destinies to deliver them. How fortunate it is to encounter a virtuous friend! The Buddha's merit is such that whatever he eats becomes the supreme flavor, let alone horse barley. For three months, the Buddha ate horse barley, not only delivering the five hundred horses but also delivering several hundred Bhikshus. Therefore, when studying the Dharma, we should rely on the Tathagata's true meaning, not the literal meaning of his words; rely on the Dharma, not the person; rely on the definitive sutras, not the non-definitive sutras; rely on wisdom, not on consciousness. There are four reliances and four non-reliances in total; we should diligently study and practice them.