EyesOfWorlds: The Question of Maitreya on the Eight Qualities Sutra

Thus have I heard at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Rājagṛha on the Vulture-peak, together with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks and 10,000 bodhisattvas. The Blessed One, surrounded by a retinue of many hundreds of thousands, surveyed those before him, and taught the Dharma.

1.3

At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya was present among that very retinue. He rose from his seat, draped his shawl over one shoulder, set his right knee on the ground, and knelt down to pay homage with palms joined before the Blessed One. He then said to the Blessed One, “Would the Blessed One please, if he has time, answer a certain question that I would like to put to the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha?”

The Blessed One [F.117.a] answered the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Maitreya, you may put to the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, whatever question you wish. What I shall say in response to your question will cause you to rejoice.”

1.4

So, since the Blessed One had given him the opportunity, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how many qualities does a bodhisattva mahāsattva need to possess in order to become irreversibly set on supreme and perfect enlightenment without regressing, without regressing in the slightest, and to gain special attainments; to vanquish negative and hostile influences; and, while engaging in the conduct of a bodhisattva, to realize the intrinsic characteristics of all phenomena just as they are and therefore be indefatigable in saṃsāra; and, as well as having that indefatigable mind, through the pristine awareness that does not rely on anything else,3 to awaken quickly to supreme, perfect enlightenment and become a buddha?”

1.5

The Blessed One replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Very good, Maitreya. It is good that you have thought to ask the Tathāgata a question on this point. Therefore, Maitreya, listen well and retain in your mind what I shall explain to you.”

“Blessed One, please do so,” said the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, and listened as the Blessed One had instructed him.

1.6

The Blessed One, in turn, continued, “Maitreya, if a bodhisattva possesses eight qualities, he will become irreversibly set on supreme and perfect enlightenment [F. 117.b] without regressing, without regressing in the slightest, and will gain special attainments; he will vanquish negative and hostile influences; and, while engaging in the conduct of a bodhisattva, he will realize the intrinsic characteristics of all phenomena just as they are and therefore be indefatigable in saṃsāra; and, as well as having that indefatigable mind, through the pristine awareness that does not rely on anything else, he will quickly awaken to supreme, perfect enlightenment and become a buddha.

1.7

“What are those eight qualities? Well, Maitreya, they are for a bodhisattva mahāsattva to have excellent intention, excellent application, and excellent giving; skill in dedicating merit, excellent loving kindness, excellent compassion, skill in methods, and emancipation in the perfection of wisdom.

1.8

“Maitreya, how does such a bodhisattva have excellent intention? Well, Maitreya, such a bodhisattva mahāsattva, whether he hears praises or slander of the Buddha, has the intention to attain supreme, perfect enlightenment. Whether he hears praises or slander of the Dharma, he has the intention to attain supreme, perfect enlightenment. Whether he hears praises or slander of the Saṅgha, he has the intention to attain supreme, perfect enlightenment. This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva has excellent intention.

1.9

“Maitreya, how does such a bodhisattva have excellent application? Well, Maitreya, such a bodhisattva mahāsattva renounces killing, theft, [F. 118.a] sexual misconduct, falsehood, slander, harsh speech, and gossip. This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva mahāsattva has excellent application.

1.10

“Maitreya, how does such a bodhisattva have excellent giving? Well, Maitreya, such a bodhisattva mahāsattva gives to ascetics, brahmins, poor people, and beggars clothes, food, bedding, curative medicines, and necessities; his generosity then becomes pure.4 This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva has excellent giving.

1.11

“Maitreya, how does such a bodhisattva have skill in dedicating merit? Well, Maitreya, such a bodhisattva mahāsattva dedicates all the accumulations of roots of virtue that he has created through his body, speech, and mind to supreme, perfect enlightenment. This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva mahāsattva has skill in dedicating merit.

1.12

“Maitreya, how does such a bodhisattva have excellent loving kindness? Well, Maitreya, such a bodhisattva mahāsattva’s physical actions are kind, his verbal actions are kind, and his mental actions are kind. This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva mahāsattva has excellent loving kindness.

1.13

“Maitreya, how does such a bodhisattva have excellent compassion? Well, Maitreya, the bodhisattva mahāsattva’s physical actions are without malice, his verbal actions are without malice, and his mental actions are without malice. [F. 118.b] This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva has excellent compassion.

1.14

“Maitreya, how does such a bodhisattva mahāsattva have skill in his methods? Well, Maitreya, such a bodhisattva mahāsattva is skilled in conventional truth, he is skilled in the absolute truth, and he is skilled in both. This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva mahāsattva has skill in his methods.

1.15

“Maitreya, how does such a bodhisattva mahāsattva have emancipation in the perfection of wisdom? Well, Maitreya, such a bodhisattva mahāsattva correctly trains as follows.

1.16

“He thinks, ‘Because one thing exists, another one arises; because this is born, that is born. Conditioned by ignorance, karmic formations come into being. Conditioned by karmic formations, consciousness comes into being. Conditioned by consciousness, name and form come into being. Conditioned by name and form, the six sources of perception come into being. Conditioned by the six sources of perception, contact comes into being. Conditioned by contact, feeling comes into being. Conditioned by feeling, craving comes into being. Conditioned by craving, grasping comes into being. Conditioned by grasping, existence comes into being. Conditioned by existence, birth comes into being. Conditioned by existence, aging and death come into being, as well as misery, lamentations, suffering, unhappiness and agitation. That is how this great heap of suffering comes into being.

1.17

“ ‘Without these conditions, it does not come into being. When these conditions cease to exist, it also ceases. When ignorance ceases, karmic formations cease. When karmic formations cease, consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. When name and form cease, the six sources of perception cease. When the six sources of perception cease, contact ceases. When contact ceases, feeling [F. 119.a] ceases. When feeling ceases, craving ceases. When craving ceases, existence ceases. When existence ceases, birth ceases. When birth ceases, aging, death, misery, lamentations, suffering, unhappiness and agitation cease. That is how this great heap of suffering ceases.’ This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva mahāsattva has emancipation in the perfection of wisdom.

1.18

“Maitreya, if a bodhisattva mahāsattva possesses those eight qualities, he will become irreversibly set on supreme and perfect enlightenment without regressing, without regressing in the slightest, and will gain special attainments; he will vanquish negative and hostile influences; and, while engaging in the conduct of a bodhisattva, he will realize the intrinsic characteristics of all phenomena just as they are and therefore be indefatigable in saṃsāra; and, as well as having that indefatigable mind, through the pristine awareness that does not rely on anything else, he will quickly awaken to supreme, perfect enlightenment and become a buddha.”

1.19

After the Blessed One had spoken these words, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, together with the monks, as well as all the worlds of gods and men, demigods and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had said.

This concludes the forty-second section of The Noble Heap of Jewels Dharma discourse in one hundred thousand sections, called The Question of Maitreya‌ on the Eight Qualities.

The Indian scholars Jinamitra and Danaśila together with the chief editor and translator Yeshé Dé translated, edited, corrected this text using the revised terminology, and finalized it.