Aryadeva

Aryadeva (‘Phags-pa’i lha) was born in Sri Lanka to a royal family, and lived between the middle of the 2nd and the middle of the 3rd centuries C.E. According to some accounts, he was born from a lotus. At an early age, he became a monk and studied the Buddhist scriptures, the Tripitaka, thoroughly there before leaving to South India to study with Nagarjuna in the Shatavahana kingdom of King Udayibhadra. King Udayibhadra was the recipient of Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend and The Precious Garland. Aryadeva accompanied Nagarjuna and continued to study with him at Shri Parvata, the holy mountains overlooking modern-day Nagarjunakonda Valley in Andhra Pradesh, within the Shatavahana kingdom. Continue reading »

1 – Aryadeva: Four Hundred Verse Treatise on the Actions of a Bodhisattva’s Yoga

Aryadeva: People receive suffering from their very bodies, but happiness from other (external sources). Why are you so devoted to your body, which acts as a container for all your sufferings?

1 – Aryadeva: Four Hundred Verse Treatise on the Actions of a Bodhisattva’s Yoga

(Byang-chub sems-dpa’i rnal-‘byor spyod-pa bzhi-brgya-pa’i bstan-bcos kyi tshig-le’ur byas-pa, Skt. Bodhisattva-yogacarya-catu:shataka-shastra-karika) by Aryadeva translated by Alexander Berzin, 1978 according to the commentary of Gyeltsabjey (rGyal-tshab rJe Dar-ma rin-chen)

I prostrate to the Arya Manjushri.

One: Indicating Methods for Ridding Yourself of Grasping (at the Body as) Permanent

(1) As the master over the three planes of perishable existence,
The Lord of Death, by self-nature, is without a creator,
What could be more improper than  to fall asleep
While the real situation is that he will definitely come.

(2) Having been born for the sake of coming to die
And, under the power of other (things), having the situation
of going (ever closer to your end),
It would appear as though you were going to die,
Not as though you were going to live.

(3) You may see as short your time already spent,
And the future as otherwise,
But (whether) you think of these as equal or unequal,
It would seem as though you should cry out in fear at the obvious.

(4) If death is not fearsome to you because it is something general,
Shared with all others as well,
Does it make you suffer with jealousy
When it ravages someone (else)? Continue reading »

Aryadeva: Why then for one (petty reason) do you have arrogance? 

2 – Aryadeva: Four Hundred Verse Treatise on the Actions of a Bodhisattva’s Yoga

Four: Indicating Methods for Ridding Yourself of Grasping (at the Body as Having) an Impossible “Self” (about Which To Feel Pride)

(1) What hallowed (arhat) in the world
would develop arrogant pride
Thinking, “I (am king and this land is exclusively) mine”?
Why, because all lands are equally (used)
By everybody (on them).

(2) As a servant of the masses, having been apportioned
one-sixth (as your wage),
What is the reason for your arrogant pride?
Whatever (is to be done), you have to do that.
This comes from your having been (appointed) under their power.

(3) It’s vanity for a masterly (king) to think he’s a (generous) patron
When he gives (his people) what ought to be given,
Just as it would be for a masterly (employer) to think of himself as a patron
When he gives his workers (just) their due gain.
Continue reading »

3 – Aryadeva: Four Hundred Verse Treatise on the Actions of a Bodhisattva’s Yoga

Aryadeva: Just as a doctor doesn’t fight with a (patient) likewise, a sage sees the disturbing emotions as the enemy, not the person who’s possessed with these emotions.

3 – Aryadeva: Four Hundred Verse Treatise on the Actions of a Bodhisattva’s Yoga

Five: Indicating the Behavior of Bodhisattvas

(1) There are no actions of the Buddhas
That are not causes (for benefiting others).
Even their breath is issued
Only for the sake of (acting as a) medicine for limited beings.

(2) Just as the word Lord of Death
Produces terror for all the world;
Likewise, this word Omniscient One
Produces terror indeed for the Lord of Death.

(3) The Able Sage (Buddha) possesses (the foresight to know
When) to act and not to act,
What to teach and not to teach.
Therefore, what reason is there to say
that the Omniscient One is not omniscient.

(4) Because you cannot see (any action),
Such as going and so forth, (becoming) positive and so on
Except through the thought (that motivates it),
Therefore the mind is established as crucial for all karma. Continue reading »

Aryadeva: Having realized the facts of reality, even if you do not achieve a (nirvana) state beyond sorrow in this (lifetime), it is certain that you’ll achieve it with no effort in your next rebirth, just like (what happens with the type of) karma (that ripens in your next life).

4 – Aryadeva: Four Hundred Verse Treatise on the Actions of a Bodhisattva’s YogaEight: Training Disciples

(1) Just as dissimilar people
Will not stay close friends for long
(when their attachment is gone);
Likewise, desire will not stay for a long time
In those who realize the faults of all (things).

(2) Some have attachment for a certain (object or person);
Some have repulsion for that very same (thing);
And some are insensitive toward it.
Therefore, an object of desire is not (truly existent as such).

(3) There are no such things as (truly) existent desire and so forth
Without conceptual thought (incorrectly considering them to be so).
Who among those with intelligence would hold
(Both) perfectly established deepest (existence)
and (existence established by merely) conceptual thought?

(4) There’s no such thing as any (male)
being (inherently) bound together
With any (female).
If you were (truly existently) bound together to someone else,
It would be illogical for you ever to become separated. Continue reading »

Aryadeva: The Buddhas never said that particles are static and permanent.

5 – Aryadeva: Four Hundred Verse Treatise on the Actions of a Bodhisattva’s Yoga

Nine: Indicating the Meditations for Refuting Static Functional Phenomena

[Starting with this chapter, verses are written as paragraphs rather than divided into lines.]

(1) All (functional phenomena) arise as a fact of being the result (of a collection of causes and circumstances). Therefore, there’s no such thing as a static (functional phenomenon that is causeless and truly existent). Except for the Thusly Gone Able Sage (Buddhas), there isn’t anyone (who can simultaneously cognize, nonconceptually,) just how functional phenomena (are both nonstatic and devoid of true existence).

(2) Whatever (functional phenomena there are) do not exist just at any place or at any time without relying (on causes and circumstances). Therefore, there is no such thing whatsoever as a (functional phenomenon that is) static, anytime, anywhere.

(3) There is no such thing as a functional phenomenon without a cause, and no such thing as something static having a cause. Therefore, concerning (a static functional phenomenon) established from no cause, it is said that such indeed cannot be established (as an object of valid cognition even) by the Omniscient One. Continue reading »

Aryadeva:The Buddhas have said that the practice of Dharma is, in short, doing no harm (in order to attain a higher status rebirth) and (realizing) voidness, the (natural) state beyond sorrow (in order to attain liberation or enlightenment).

6 – Aryadeva: Four Hundred Verse Treatise on the Actions of a Bodhisattva’s Yoga
Twelve: Indicating the Meditations for Refuting (Attraction to Distorted) Views

(1) A listener who is upright and unbiased, has common sense (discrimination), and takes keen interest is described as being a proper vessel (for these voidness teachings. To the mind of such a suitable disciple,) the good qualities of the propounder (of the teachings) will not change into a different aspect (and appear as faults). Nor will (this change of good qualities into faults) happen with respect to the listener either.

(2) (Buddha) spoke of compulsive samsaric existence (as true suffering) and the method of (entering) compulsive existence(as the true origin of suffering), also the method of pacifying (both as the true pathway mind), and likewise their pacification (as a true stopping).But worldly ones, who (are improper vessels and therefore) cannot comprehend this at all, will attribute (the fault of their inability to understand) as if it were that of the Able Sage (Buddha).

(3) (You Samkhyas and Vaisheshikas) are really amazing – you wish to pass beyond sorrow (to nirvana) by giving up all (and yet you still cling to your belief in truly established existence). What reason is there (for you) not to be happy at these (teachings of voidness, since it’s the understanding of them that) will extricate all (your disturbing emotions and suffering)? Continue reading »

Aryadeva: Any position that (asserts either) true existence, total nonexistence, both true existence and nonexistence, (or neither) does not exist (as a valid one with the support of logic). Even after a very long time, (proponents of) such (positions) will never have the ability to expound an answer (that could refute voidness, because voidness is irrefutable).

7 – Aryadeva: Four Hundred Verse Treatise on the Actions of a Bodhisattva’s Yoga

Thirteen: The Meditations for Refuting (Truly Existent) Cognitive Sensors and Cognitive Objects

(1) You do not see absolutely everything about a vase at the timewhen you see (its) form. Who would state “(because) the vase (is perceived by) bare (visual) cognition” as a reason (to prove) its (truly existent) reality?

(2) By this very (same) analysis, those with superior intelligenceshould refute fragrant odors, sweet (tastes), and smooth (tactile sensations as being truly existent and establishing the true existence of physical objects by the bare sensory cognition of them) – all (of them), each one.

(3) Suppose that all (qualities of an object) were to become seen by (the visual cognition that) sees its form. Then, by (the fact that such visual cognition) does not see (that object’s odor – even if you would accept that) it sees its form – how could it not become the case that it does not see (the form either? This would absurdly follow because just as if it sees one quality, it should see all of them; likewise if it does not see one, it should not see any).

(4) It cannot be the case that you have bare (sensory) cognition only simply with respect to forms (as truly existent whole “things”). Why? Because these (forms) have a far portion, a near portion, and a middle (one, and so are only imputations on their parts).

(5) And when you analyze whether the (constituent) particles (of a form) have parts or not, these indeed become included (in the category of that which has parts and therefore they too lack truly established existence). Because of that, it’s unreasonable for composite (forms made up) by composing (particles lacking true existence) to be established (as truly existent whole objects of bare sensory cognition).

(6) Everything indeed becomes a section (of something greater) and then again (itself) becomes something having sections. Because of that, even spoken syllables are (merely conventions) in this (world and) are not (truly) existent. Continue reading »