Nagarjuna Bodhisattva on the Perfection of Giving


Part Two of Three

Section Twenty: The explanation of "Dharma giving" in the first chapter's treatment of dana paramita.

Question: What is meant by the giving of Dharma?

Response: There are those who say that the giving of Dharma consists in being of benefit through the constant use of fine words. Then again there are those people who say that the giving of Dharma consists in proclaiming for people the marvelously good dharmas from the discourses of the Buddhas.

Yet again, there are those people who say that the giving of Dharma consists in using three kinds of Dharma to teach people: 1) sutra; 2) vinaya; and 3) abhidharma.

Then again, there are those people who say that the giving of Dharma consists in employing four kinds of Dharma treasuries to teach people: First, the sutra treasury; second, the vinaya treasury; third, the abhidharma treasury; and fourth, the "various topics" treasury.

Additionally, there are people who say that, generally speaking, the giving of Dharma consists in employing two kinds of Dharma to teach people: 1) the Dharma of the Hearers; and 2) the Dharma of the Mahayana.

Question: Individuals such as Devadatta, Hatthaka and others also employed the three treasuries, the four treasuries, the Dharma of the hearers, and the Dharma of the Mahayana to teach people and yet they themselves [fell] into the hells. Why did this situation develop?

Response: Devadatta was possessed of many offenses arising from erroneous views. Hatthaka was possessed of many offenses arising from false speech. It is not the case that this was pure giving done for the sake of the Way. It was done solely for the sake of seeking fame, self-benefit, reverence and offerings. On account of the offenses created by his unwholesome mind Devadatta entered the hells while still alive. When Hatthaka died he fell into the wretched destinies.

Moreover, the giving of Dharma does not consist solely in words and speech. The giving of Dharma consists in constantly employing a pure mind and wholesome thoughts in the offering of instruction to everyone. Just as it is with the giving of material gifts where there is no measure of blessings or virtue associated with it if one fails to maintain a wholesome mind, so too it is with the giving of Dharma. If one fails to maintain a pure mind and wholesome thoughts, then it is not the case that this constitutes the giving of Dharma.

Then again, if the speaker of Dharma is able to maintain a pure mind and wholesome thought as he praises the Three Jewels, opens the door to understanding offenses and blessings, explains the four truths, and so goes about teaching and transforming beings so that they are caused to enter the buddha way, this constitutes true and pure Dharma giving.

Looked at another way, generally speaking, Dharma is of two kinds. The first consists in not tormenting beings while also maintaining a wholesome mind, loving-kindness and sympathy. This constitutes the causal basis for the buddha way. The second consists in contemplating and realizing that all dharmas are truly empty. This constitutes the causal basis for the way of nirvana. If, in the midst of the great assembly one lets flourish a deeply compassionate mind as one sets forth these two types of Dharma, and if in doing so it is not for the sake of garnering fame, offerings or expressions of reverence, this constitutes pure Dharma giving rooted in the buddha way.

This concept is illustrated in a story told in connection with King Ashoka who in a single day was responsible for the creation of eighty-thousand Buddha images. Although he had not yet achieved the stage of "seeing the Way", still, he did maintain a minor degree of faith and bliss in the Dharma of the Buddha. Every day he invited bhikshus to enter the palace to receive offerings. Every day he retained one Dharma Master in order of seniority to speak the Dharma.

One day there was a young Dharma Master, a master of the Tripitaka, who was intelligent and handsome and next in order to speak the Dharma. He sat down next to the King. His mouth exuded an exotic fragrance. The King was filled with extreme doubt and suspicion. He was of the opinion that this constituted a deliberate impropriety arising from a desire to employ a fragrant scent to influence the retinue in the royal palace.

The King asked the bhikshu, "What do you have in your mouth? Open your mouth so I can see into it." [The bhikshu] then opened his mouth for [the King] and it turned out that there was nothing whatsoever therein. He was ordered to rinse out his mouth with water after which the fragrance remained just as before. The King asked, "Venerable One, is this fragrance newly manifest or has it abided with you for a long time?"

The bhikshu replied, saying, "It has been like this for a long time. It is not the case that it is just manifesting now."

[The King] continued to inquire, "How long has it been this way?"

The bhikshu replied in verse, saying:

It was at the time of Kaashyapa Buddha
That I gathered the Dharma underlying this fragrance.
It has remained so like this for a very long time,
And has always been fresh as if newly arisen.
The King said, "Venerable One, I do not yet understand this brief explanation. Pray, expound on it more extensively for me."

He replied by saying, "The King should listen well and single-mindedly to my explanation. In the past, during the time of Kaashyapa Buddha's Dharma I was a Dharma-proclaiming bhikshu who, in the midst of the great assembly, constantly took pleasure in expounding on the immeasurable qualities of Kaashyapa, the World Honored One, on the reality mark of all dharmas, and on an incalculable number of methods to access Dharma. I conscientiously and earnestly set forth praises and offered instruction to everyone. From this time on forward to the present I have always had a marvelous fragrance coming forth from my mouth. This has been the case in life after life without cease. It has constantly been just as it is this very day." He then spoke forth a verse:

The fragrance from the flowers on the shrubs and the trees
Is utterly surpassed by this incense-like fragrance.
It's able to pleasure the minds of all people.
In life after life it abides without ceasing.
At this time the King was filled with a mixture of shame and delight. He said to the bhikshu, "This is such as has never been before. The merit of speaking the Dharma brings such a great fruition as this."

The bhikshu said, "This may be thought of as the blossom. It is not yet the fruit."

The King asked, "What then is its fruit? Pray, expound upon this for my sake."

He replied, "Briefly speaking, the fruits are tenfold. May the King listen earnestly." He then set forth a verse for his sake:

There's a grand reputation and finely-formed features.
One experiences bliss and is the object of reverence.
There shines awesome brilliance like the sun and the moon.
So thus one becomes a man loved by all people.

There's eloquence and also there's prodigious wisdom.
One's able to end then the grip of the fetters.
One destroys all suffering and reaches nirvana.
And so in this manner the count reaches to ten.
The King said, "Venerable One, How is it that one gains such a reward as a result of praising the qualities of the Buddha?"

At that time the bhikshu replied in verse, saying:

If one praises the qualities possessed by the Buddha
And causes this to be heard everywhere by all people,
On account of results which come forth as reward,
One comes to be known by a grand reputation.

If one praises the actual qualities of Buddha
And causes all people to experience delight,
On account of the [force] which is born from this merit,
In life after life features always are fine.

If one explains for people offenses and blessings,
Allowing them to reach a place of peace and delight,
On account of the merit which is thus produced,
One experiences bliss and is always content.

The power of praising the merits of Buddha
Causes everyone hearing to have minds which are humbled.
On account of the power produced by this merit,
One eternally garners men's reverence as reward.

When one displays forth the torch of the speaking of Dharma
And illumines and awakens then all of the people,
On account of the power produced by this merit
One's awesome bright brilliance shines forth like the sun.

If in many a fashion one praises Buddha's merits
And delights thus the hearts of all [by those words],
On account of the power produced by this merit,
One is ever the object of people's affection.

If with clever discourse one praises Buddha's merits
Which cannot be measured and can't be exhausted,
On account of the power produced by this merit,
One's eloquent speech is never brought to an end.

If one praises the marvelous dharmas of Buddha
Which are such as no one can ever surpass,
On account of the power produced by this merit,
One possesses great wisdom which is pure in its nature.

When one praises the qualities possessed by the Buddha,
One causes afflictions of men to be scant.
On account of the power produced by this merit,
Fetters are cut off and defilements destroyed.

Because both kinds of fetters are brought to an end,
Nirvana in this body has already been achieved,
As when torrents of rain pour down from the sky
All fires are extinguished and no embers remain.
Once again he addressed the King, saying, "If there still remains anything to which you've not awakened, now is the time to bring questions forth. The arrows of wisdom should be used to smash your armor of doubts."

The King replied to the Dharma master, "My mind has been both delighted and awakened such that now there remain no more objects of doubt. The Venerable One is a blessed man well able to speak forth the praises of Buddha."

When one speaks forth the Dharma in accord with the various causes and conditions discussed above and so brings about the deliverance of beings, this qualifies then as the giving of Dharma.

Question: Which is supreme, the giving of material wealth or the giving of Dharma?

Response: According to the words of the Buddha, among the two kinds of giving, the giving of Dharma is supreme. Why is that? The reward resulting from the giving of material wealth is experienced within the desire realm. The reward resulting from the giving of Dharma may be experienced within the three realms or beyond the three realms.

Moreover, if one's discourse is pure, if it reaches deeply into its principles, and if one's mind also realizes it, then, on that account one reaches beyond the three realms.

Again, whereas the giving of material wealth is measurable, the giving of Dharma is measureless. Material giving is such as can be exhausted. The giving of Dharma is inexhaustible. It is analogous to throwing fuel onto a fire: its brightness becomes even greater.

Then again, in the reward gained from the giving of material wealth there is less purity and more defilement. In the reward gained from the giving of Dharma, there is less defilement and more purity.

Also, if one engages in the giving of material wealth, one depends on the power of many others. The giving of Dharma comes forth from the mind. It does not depend upon others.

Additionally, the giving of material wealth is able to cause enhancement of the faculties associated with the four-element [body]. The giving of Dharma is able to bring about perfection of non-outflows in the [five] faculties, the [five] powers, the [seven limbs of] enlightenment and the [eight-fold] path.

Also, as for the methods of giving material wealth, they remain in the world constantly, whether or not there is a buddha. As for the giving of Dharma, it can only exist in an era when there has been a buddha. Therefore one ought to realize that the giving of Dharma is extremely difficult. How is it that it is difficult? Even one who is a pratyekabuddha possessed of the marks [of a great man] is still unable to speak Dharma. It is only when he proceeds along on his alms round and flies up into the sky performing transformations, that he is able thereby to convert people.

Then again, from the giving of Dharma, one is able to generate the giving of material wealth as well as reach to the position of a hearer, a pratyekabuddha, a bodhisattva and finally, to reach buddhahood.

Moreover, in carrying out the giving of Dharma, one is able to distinguish all dharmas: outflow and non-outflow dharmas, form dharmas and formless dharmas, conditioned and unconditioned dharmas, wholesome, unwholesome and neutral dharmas, eternal dharmas and non-eternal dharmas, existent and non-existent dharmas, [recognizing that] all dharmas whatsoever, [from the standpoint of] the reality mark, are pure, irrefutable, and indestructible. All dharmas such as these, if one speaks in brief, constitute a treasury of eighty-four thousand dharmas. If one speaks of them extensively, they are countless. Distinguishing and completely understanding all of the different categories such as these comes from engaging in the giving of Dharma.

These two kinds of giving together constitute what is known as dana. If one carries on these two kinds of giving as one seeks to become a buddha, then one will be able to cause people to succeed in reaching the buddha way. How much the more so will it be able to bring about any other result.

Question: The four kinds of relinquishing constitute what is known as dana. These are the so-called relinquishing of wealth, relinquishing of Dharma, relinquishing which leads to fearlessness, and the relinquishing of afflictions. Why have you not spoken herein of two of the kinds of relinquishment?

Response: Because the relinquishing which leads to fearlessness is no different from sila, it is not discussed. Because of the presence of prajna as a separate topic, we do not discuss the relinquishing of afflictions. If we did not speak of the six paramitas it would be appropriate here to completely discuss the four kinds of relinquishing.

The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom

[End of] fascicle number eleven.

The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom

The Explanation of the First Chapter's Dana Paramita.

The Remainder of the Section on the Giving of Dharma

Fascicle Number Twelve

Question: What is meant by the fulfillment of dana paramita?

Response: The meaning of dana is as discussed above. As for "paara-" (In the language of Ch'in, this means "the other shore.") "-mitaa" (In the language of Ch'in, this means "to reach."), this means to cross the river of giving and to succeed in reaching the other shore.(10)

Question: What is meant by failing to reach the other shore?

Response: It is analogous to crossing over a river but returning before having arrived. This is what is meant by failing to reach the other shore. For example, Sariputra cultivated the bodhisattva way for a period of sixty kalpas, desiring to cross over the river of giving. At that time there was a beggar who came along and demanded that he give him one of his eyes. Sariputra said, "The eye would then be useless. What do you want it for? If you need to put my body to use or if you want any valuables I own, then I'll give those to you."

The beggar replied, "I've got no use for your body and I don't want any valuables you might own. I just want an eye, that's all. If you were truly a cultivator of the practice of giving, then I'd receive an eye from you."

At that time Sariputra pulled out one of his eyes and gave it to him. The beggar got the eye and then right there in front of Sariputra he sniffed it , cursed, "It stinks," spat, and then threw it down on the ground. Then, in addition, he smashed it beneath his foot.

Sariputra thought to himself, "It's a difficult task to cross over such base people as this. He actually had no use for the eye and yet he forcefully demanded it. Having gotten it he not only threw it away, he even smashed it with his foot. How extremely base! People of this sort cannot be crossed over to liberation. Far better that I just concentrate on disciplining myself so as to gain an early liberation from the cycle of birth and death." Having thought this to himself he then turned from the bodhisattva way and directed himself to the lesser vehicle. This is what is meant by failing to reach the other shore. If one is able to advance directly and not retreat and thus complete the buddha way, this constitutes reaching to the other shore.

Then again, to succeed in completing any endeavor is also referred to as "reaching to the other shore." (In the common parlance of India, whenever one takes up a task and then completes it, it is referred to as "reaching the other shore.")(11)

Additionally, [one may say that] "this shore" refers to being miserly, dana refers to being in the midst of the river, and "the other shore" refers to the buddha way.

Also, [one may say that] holding a view which insists on "existence" or "nonexistence" is what is meant by "this shore." The wisdom which refutes views insisting on "existence" or "nonexistence" constitutes "the other shore" whereas the diligent cultivation of giving corresponds to being in the middle of the river.

Then again, [one may also say that] there are two kinds of dana, the first being the dana of demons and the second being the dana of the buddhas. If [in the practice of giving] one is being robbed by the thieves of the fetters such that one is afflicted by worries and abides in fearfulness, this constitutes the dana of the demons and exemplifies what is meant by "this shore."

Where there is pure giving in which there is an absence of the thieves of the fetters and in which there is nothing of which one is fearful, one succeeds thereby in arriving at the buddha way. This constitutes the dana of the buddhas and exemplifies what is meant by "reaching to the other shore." This is "paramita."

By way of illustration, in The Buddha Speaks the Analogy of the Poisonous Snakes Sutra, there once was a man who had offended the King. The King ordered that he be required to carry around a basket and look after it. Inside the basket there were four poisonous snakes. The King ordered the criminal to look after them and raise them. This man thought to himself, "It's a difficult thing to have to draw close to four snakes. If one grows close to them they bring harm to a person. I could not raise even one of them, how much the less could I do that for four of them." And so he cast aside the basket and ran away.

The King ordered five men carrying knives to chase after him. There was yet another man who tried to persuade him to obey. [This other man] had it in mind to bring him harm and so said to him, "Just raise them in a sensible fashion. There will be no suffering in that."