Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Religious Studies – Anthology
132Thus the householder proved that this son was frugal, mature, and mentally
developed, and that though he knew that he was now wealthy he still remembere d
his past poverty, and was still... humble and meek... So he sent for the poor man
again, presented him before a gathering of his relatives, and, in the presence of the
king, his offic ers, and the people of town and c ountry, he said: “Listen gentlemen!
This is my son, whom I begot... T o him I leave all my family revenues, and my
private wealth he shall have as his own.”
[ F ro m Saddharmapundārika, 4.101 ff]Joy in all Things
Joy is one of the c ardinal virtues of Buddhism, and the bodhisattva, who is the
example whic h all Mahāyāna Buddhists are expected to follow as far as their
powers allow, has so trained his mind that even in the most painful and unhappy
sit uat ions it is st ill full of c alm inner joy. T he following passage is from t he
Compendium of Doc trine; the first paragraph is the work of the author, Shānt ideva,
while the sec ond is quoted from a lost surra, the Meeting of Father and Son
(Pitrputrasamāgama).
Indeed not hing is diffic ult aft er prac t ic e. Simple folk, suc h as port ers, fishermen
and plowmen, for instance, are not overcome by depression, for their minds are
marked by the sc ars of the many pains with whic h they earn their humble livings,
and whic h they have learned to bear. How muc h the more should one be c heerful in
a task of whic h the purpose is to reac h the inc omparable state where all the joys of
all beings, all the joys of the bodhisattvas are to be found.... Consc iousness of
sorrow and joy comes by habit; so, if whenever sorrow arises we make a habit of
assoc iat ing wit h it a feeling of joy, c onsc iousness of joy will indeed arise. The fruit
of t his is a c ont emplat ive spirit full of joy in all t hings...
So the bodhisattva ... is happy even when subjected to the tortures of hell...
When he is being beaten with c anes or whips, when he is thrown into prison, he still
feels happy.^5 ... For ... this was the resolve of the Great Being, the bodhisattva:
“may those who feed me win the joy of tranquillit y and peac e, wit h t hose who
protect me, honour me, respect me, and revere me. And those who revile me,
afflict me, beat me, cut me in pieces with their swords, or take my life – may they
all obtain the joy of complete enlightenment, may they be awakened to perfect and
sublime enlightenment.” With suc h thoughts and ac tions and resolves he
c ult ivat es... and develops t he c onsc iousness of joy in his relat ions wit h all beings,
and so he ac quires a c ont emplat ive spirit filled wit h joy in all t hings ... and bec omes
imperturbable – not to be shaken by all the deeds of Māra.
[ F ro m Sikasamuccaya, 181 f.](^5) Here a long list of the most gruesome tortures is omitted.