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With the holding of this ideal of an altruistic way of life there comes a commitment to the welfare of sentient beings. The root verses tell us that the worst of all downfalls is to allow our compassion for all beings to weaken and then to lose this mind of bodhicitta. How can we forsake helpless sentient beings when inspired by such noble intentions? We must make good on our promise to follow this altruistic path, otherwise we will fall into the terrible suffering of the lower states of existence. | With the holding of this ideal of an altruistic way of life there comes a commitment to the welfare of sentient beings. The root verses tell us that the worst of all downfalls is to allow our compassion for all beings to weaken and then to lose this mind of bodhicitta. How can we forsake helpless sentient beings when inspired by such noble intentions? We must make good on our promise to follow this altruistic path, otherwise we will fall into the terrible suffering of the lower states of existence. | ||
Along with impure practices to avoid, | Along with impure practices to avoid, Gyaltsap Je Darma Rinchen (1364–1432), commonly known as Gyaltsap Je, one of the chief disciples of Tsongkhapa and a prolific author of the Geluk tradition, [LINK to text pdf p. 114] explains how to practice once we have taken up this mind wishing to attain enlightenment. | ||
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|quote-text=After the children of the conquerors, the bodhisattvas, took very firmly the two minds of enlightenment as explained earlier, they should unwaveringly protect them with conscientiousness, so as not to wander from them for even a second. They should also unwaveringly protect the trainings of the six perfections and the four ways of attracting disciples, so as not to waver from them and that they never decrease.<ref>Fedor Stracke, trans., ''The Entrance for the Children of the Conquerors - A Commentary on the Introduction to the Actions of Bodhisattvas. Chapter Four: Conscientiousness'', by Gyaltsab | |quote-text=After the children of the conquerors, the bodhisattvas, took very firmly the two minds of enlightenment as explained earlier, they should unwaveringly protect them with conscientiousness, so as not to wander from them for even a second. They should also unwaveringly protect the trainings of the six perfections and the four ways of attracting disciples, so as not to waver from them and that they never decrease.<ref>Fedor Stracke, trans., ''The Entrance for the Children of the Conquerors - A Commentary on the Introduction to the Actions of Bodhisattvas. Chapter Four: Conscientiousness'', by Gyaltsab Rinpoche (N.p.: HappyMonksPublication, 2016), 1, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref> | ||
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<h4>Conscientiousness</h4> | <h4>Conscientiousness</h4> | ||
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|quote-text=Mañjuśrī, suppose some noble son or daughter was to kill all the beings in Jambudvīpa and rob them of all their possessions. Mañjuśrī, if you compare that act to the act of another noble son or daughter who created obstacles for a bodhisattva's single virtuous intention, be it no more than blocking the roots of virtue of giving a single morsel of food to an animal, then this latter act would create immeasurably more negativity than the former. And why? Because it would create obstacles for the roots of virtue that cause a buddha to appear.<ref>Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., ''The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace'', ''Praśāntaviniścayaprātihāryasamādhisūtra'', Toh 129 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023), https://read.84000.co/translation/toh129.html?#UT22084-055-003-135.</ref> | |quote-text=Mañjuśrī, suppose some noble son or daughter was to kill all the beings in Jambudvīpa and rob them of all their possessions. Mañjuśrī, if you compare that act to the act of another noble son or daughter who created obstacles for a bodhisattva's single virtuous intention, be it no more than blocking the roots of virtue of giving a single morsel of food to an animal, then this latter act would create immeasurably more negativity than the former. And why? Because it would create obstacles for the roots of virtue that cause a buddha to appear.<ref>Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., ''The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace'', ''Praśāntaviniścayaprātihāryasamādhisūtra'', Toh 129 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023), https://read.84000.co/translation/toh129.html?#UT22084-055-003-135.</ref> | ||
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Gyaltsap Je then raises a very important question in relation to this sūtra quotation. | |||
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|quote-text=Because there are quotes like that, one should be careful regarding this point. One does not know who is a bodhisattvas and so it is very easy to make this mistake. If one is able to protect oneself from this, then one is able to abandon the door of creating faults with regard to people.<ref>Fedor Stracke, trans., ''The Entrance for the Children of the Conquerors - A Commentary on the Introduction to the Actions of Bodhisattvas. Chapter Four: Chapter Four: Conscientiousness'' (N.p.: HappyMonksPublication, 2016), 6, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref> | |quote-text=Because there are quotes like that, one should be careful regarding this point. One does not know who is a bodhisattvas and so it is very easy to make this mistake. If one is able to protect oneself from this, then one is able to abandon the door of creating faults with regard to people.<ref>Fedor Stracke, trans., ''The Entrance for the Children of the Conquerors - A Commentary on the Introduction to the Actions of Bodhisattvas. Chapter Four: Chapter Four: Conscientiousness'' (N.p.: HappyMonksPublication, 2016), 6, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref> | ||
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The afflictions do not lead us to joy and happiness but are the very guardians of this self-made prison. We are like a fish all tangled up in their net. When we are born in the lower realms, these afflictions become the executioners and the denizens of hell. These are the real enemies that we must strive with all our effort to destroy. We will never find physical or mental peace until we have done away with them. | The afflictions do not lead us to joy and happiness but are the very guardians of this self-made prison. We are like a fish all tangled up in their net. When we are born in the lower realms, these afflictions become the executioners and the denizens of hell. These are the real enemies that we must strive with all our effort to destroy. We will never find physical or mental peace until we have done away with them. | ||
Gyaltsap Je [LINK to text pdf. p. 134] concludes this section in his commentary on the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' by asking how one can enjoy samsaric existence given the harm caused by the afflictictive emotions. | |||
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|quote-text=Therefore, if this continual long time enemy, who is the singular unrivalled cause for the strong increase of the accumulation of all harm, takes up permanent residence in my heart, then how can cyclic existence be free and joyful?<ref>Stracke, ''Entrance for the Children'', 21, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref> | |quote-text=Therefore, if this continual long time enemy, who is the singular unrivalled cause for the strong increase of the accumulation of all harm, takes up permanent residence in my heart, then how can cyclic existence be free and joyful?<ref>Stracke, ''Entrance for the Children'', 21, https://happymonkspublication.org/product/bodhisattvacharyavatara-chapter-1-10-commentary/.</ref> | ||
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Having developed conscientiousness in regard to the faults of the afflictions, in verses 43 to 48 Śāntideva then explains the process through which we challenge and eventually overcome them. | Having developed conscientiousness in regard to the faults of the afflictions, in verses 43 to 48 Śāntideva then explains the process through which we challenge and eventually overcome them. | ||
{{PullBcaVerses|4.43}} | {{PullBcaVerses|4.43}} | ||
Here, Śāntideva tells us, one should hold tight to the antidotes and destroy the afflictions by meeting them head on in battle. But the third line of this verse seems rather curious. How could it be that defilement could halt defilement? In his commentary, | Here, Śāntideva tells us, one should hold tight to the antidotes and destroy the afflictions by meeting them head on in battle. But the third line of this verse seems rather curious. How could it be that defilement could halt defilement? In his commentary, Gyaltsap Je [LINK to text pdf p. 137] illuminates this doubt. | ||
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|quote-text=There is attachment to the antidotes and anger towards what is to be abandoned, and also there is resentment or holding a grudge towards those objects of abandonment. But since all of these are also afflictive emotions, shouldn't they be something to be abandoned?<ref>Gyaltsab Darma Rinchen, ''Entrance Way for the Children of the Conquerors: An Extensive Explanation of the Bodhicaryāvatāra, Byang chub sems dpa'i spyod pa la 'jug pa'i ram shad rgyal seas 'jug ngogs'' (Taiwan: Gaden Jangtse Thosam Norling Dratsang, 2007), 129.</ref> | |quote-text=There is attachment to the antidotes and anger towards what is to be abandoned, and also there is resentment or holding a grudge towards those objects of abandonment. But since all of these are also afflictive emotions, shouldn't they be something to be abandoned?<ref>Gyaltsab Darma Rinchen, ''Entrance Way for the Children of the Conquerors: An Extensive Explanation of the Bodhicaryāvatāra'', ''Byang chub sems dpa'i spyod pa la 'jug pa'i ram shad rgyal seas 'jug ngogs'' (Taiwan: Gaden Jangtse Thosam Norling Dratsang, 2007), 129.</ref> | ||
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In addition, Khenpo Kunpal points out that although afflictions such as resentment can be used as an antidote against the afflictions, they will still need to be overcome at some point. | In addition, Khenpo Kunpal points out that although afflictions such as resentment can be used as an antidote against the afflictions, they will still need to be overcome at some point. | ||
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