Remembering the Three Jewels Part 10 a Mipham Rinpoche´s Commentary
Summary – Zusammenfassung von Elisabeth 1 – 50
1 – 6
While listening to the teachings, let us not forget about the bodhicitta. Let us generate this enlightened attitude before hearing the teachings.
We discuss the root verses of the sutra itself and the commentary of the root verses of the sutra, from the beginning until the end.
If one sees the dharma as something very precious, that is going to bring liberation, then the merit that comes from such studies, is enormous.
The studying itself becomes the very dharma practice, studying and practice become one.
7 – 12
The text has 4 main parts (the title – translator´s homage – body of the text – the conclusion).
The title “the recollection of the good Qualities of the Buddha” is in Sanskrit “Aryabuddha anusmriti”, in Tibetan “phak pa sangye je su dren pa”.
In Sanskrit language, there are all the blessing of the Buddha and the masters of the past. We use Sanskrit in the texts to indicate the very source of the teachings, which is India.
2 Versions of the text: 1. I pay homage to the Buddha and all the bodhisattvas
( belongs to the sutra category )
2. homage to the all knowing ones (belongs to the Vinaya)
Apart from that, there is no difference.
13 – 14
There is always the translator´s homage: if there is a homage to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas means this belongs to the sutra class of the teachings;
If there is a homage to Manjushri, that deals with the Abidharma;
If we pay homage to all knowing ones, this in Vinaya.
The third part of the text is “Virtuous in the middle”. This is the meaning of the main body of the text.
This has 3 parts: 1. the good qualities of the Buddha
2. the good qualities of the Dharma
3. the good qualities of the Sangha
1 a. Summary of the good qualities of the Buddha which sets the basis for further details.
1 b. the details regarding causes and effects involved, extensive explanation
1 c. all the sections concluded.
Now we start with the qualities of the Buddha dealing with causes and effects.
This is starting with the words:
“Thus it is: the Buddha bhagavat, tathagata, arhat , the truly complete – samyaksambuddha, possessor of insight and its feet – until – Knower of the world unsurpassed driver who tames beings, the teacher of gods and men, the buddha of the Buddha-bhagavat.”
These are the epithets dealing with the first part.
15 – 18
Let us explain “tathagata” first. The Buddha understood the nature of reality.
“Buddha, bhagavat, tathagata: the Tibetan word for “the Buddha” is “sang gye (sangs rgyas)
1. “Sang deals with the quality of purification of all the defilements (waking up from the sleep of ignorance)
2. “Gye “is the quality of development of wisdom of knowing how the things and their extent.
“Bhagavat” (chom de – bcom das) means bhagavat going beyond (in Tibetan)
this is usually associated with the word “nirvana”. Here it means that he transcended the afflictions and the suffering of samsara.
“Tathagata” means – the one who has unmistakenly realized suchness – how the things really are. Therefore, he “went or came like this”.
19 – 24
“Arhat” (dra chom pa – dgra bcom pa)
“Dra” means “enemy” and “chom” means “to destroy “ or “overcome”.
In this context, the enemy means “affliction and obscurations”.
Arhat means : he completely overcame the afflictions and reached the fruition.
The actual ultimate foe destroyer is only the Buddha. He is the one who has really overcome the real enemy.
Also pratyekabuddhas und shravakas – when they have reached the fruition of their vehicle we call them “Arhats”.
It is said in the Buddha´s teachings that those who have really overcome the real enemy of afflictions are called “heros” (dpa´bo).
Now there are the words “truly complete” – “samyaksambuddha”.
Even those who have reached the final result of shravakayana, have not complete the qualities of abandonment and realization in its full extent.
Only the truly complete Buddha has done that. That is why we use the word “complete”.
These words – ”arhat and truly complete buddha” – go together. Arhat shows the qualities of the Buddha that deals with complete abandonment, and truly complete Buddha means that he has fully developed the qualities of realization.
Therefore, the complete abandonment is related to an arhat and the complete realization to a Buddha.
25 – 26
There are the word “possessor of insight and its feet”.
Buddha himself actualized all the truths of the path. These truths can be summarized in 3 principal trainings:
1. the training of discipline
2. the training of samadhi
3. the training of wisdom
the first part – possessor of insight (rig pa) means that he has completely perfected the 3. training – wisdom ( tib. she rap – shes rab)
the second part of the phrase “ and its feet” signifies the first two trainings – the training of discipline and the training of Samadhi.
The possessor of insight and its feet also has a connection to the eightfold noble path.
The first one – the right view – is connected with the possessor of insight.
The next ones are: right livelihood, right speech, right action, right recollection, meditation and so on. These remaining seven ones are connected with “the possessor of his feet”.
27 – more explanation about “the possessor of insight and its feet”.
28 – 31
“ Sugata” – the one who has gone blissfully (bde bar gshegs pa). Sugata means that through the blissful path of the bodhisattva, he has reached the blissful result, the buddhahood. Blissful can only be the path which has these two – skilful means and compassion – united. Benefit for one´s own sake, and the benefit for others.
There are three ways how the Buddha has gone. Firstly, he has gone blissfully, he has gone well, and also he has gone beautifully.
32 – 40
explanation about Buddha has gone : properly or beautifully, irreversibly gone, having gone without anything left.
41 – 50
“The knower of the world”. This synonym of the Buddha mainly deals with his quality of being able to help others. He sees exactly the capacities, thoughts and dispositions of all individual beings, the Buddha is able to help them in a way that is going to be the most beneficial.
He knows the needs and qualities, suffering and experiences of each and every individual being in samsara.
“The unsurpassed driver who tames beings” Buddha gave us 84 thousand dharmas, showing how to adopt virtue and how to disregard the non-virtue, he shows us the way out from cyclic existence, samsara.
He is a very skilful tamer of beings.
“Unsurpassable or unequal”, deals with the Buddha having the quality of completely developing and completely abandoning. He is the only one who can fully or completely help beings.
“He is the teacher of gods and men”. Obviously, the Buddha is the teacher of all the beings, without regard to the species of beings. He showed the way on the noble path, how to enter the noble path, because they were able to understand his teachings.
Buddha-bhagavat is the teacher of gods and men (tib. sang gye). He has developed the qualities of abandonment (sang) and developed the qualities of realization (gye), of what is there to be realized.
