Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Religious Studies – Anthology
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The Good Deeds of the Bodhisattva
We have seen that the bodhisattva has ten “Perfec tions”. A furt her list of
good qualit ies is somet imes attributed to him. Notic e that the emphasis is on the
posit ive virt ues of alt ruism, benevolenc e, and c ompassion.
There are ten ways by whic h a bodhisattva gains...strength...
He will give up his body and his life... but he will not give up t he Law of
Righteousness.
He bows humbly to all beings, and does not increase in pride.
He has compassion on the weak and does not dislike them.
He gives the best food to those who are hungry.
He protects those who are afraid.
He st rives for t he healing of those who are sic k.
He delight s t he poor wit h his ric hes.
He repairs the shrines of the Buddha with plast er.
He speaks t o all beings pleasingly.
He snares his riches with those afflicted by poverty.
He bears the burden of those who are tired and weary.[ F ro m Tathāgataguhya Sūtra, Śiksāmuccaya, and p. 274]...The Three Bodies of the Buddha
T he following passage expounds the doctrine of the Three Bodies (Trikāya). It
is taken from Asanga’s Ornament of Mahāyāna Sūt ras, a versified c ompendium of
Mahāyāna doc trine, with a prose c ommentary. The latter is quoted where it throws
light on t he diffic ult and ellipt ic al verses.
The Body of Essenc e, the Body of Bliss^6 the Transformation Body – these
are the bodies of the Buddhas.
The first is the basis of the two others.
T he Body of Bliss varies in all t he planes of t he Universe, ac c ording t o
region,
In name, in form, and in experienc e of phenomena.
But the Body of Essenc e, uniform and subtle, is inherent in the Body of
Bliss,
And through the one the other c ontrols its experienc e when it manifests
it self at will.Commentary: The Body of essenc e is uniform for all the Buddhas, because there is
no real difference between them...
(^6) Sambhoga, more literary “enjoyment”; in some contexts it implies little more than
“experience”.