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CH 22 - The Ten Inexhaustible Treasuries

DESCRIPTION

Forest of Merit Bodhisattva continues by explaining the bodhisattva-mahasattva’s have ten kinds of inexhaustible treasuries:

  1. Treasury of Śraddhā - Certainty (’faith’) that all dharmas are:
    1. Empty
    2. Characteristicless
    3. Desireless
    4. Uncreated
    5. Without a basis for discrimination
    6. Baseless
    7. Measureless
    8. Insuperable
    9. Difficult to Transcend
    10. Unproduced
  2. Treasury of Śīla - The moral precepts of:
    1. Universally benefiting sentient beings (Observing precepts for the benefit of others)
    2. Not taking wrong precepts (Not observing non-Buddhist precepts)
    3. Not dwelling (in the realm of desire, form, or formless realm)
    4. Not having regrets
    5. Non-contentiousness
    6. Non-harm
    7. Non-defilement (non-attachment to extreme views)
    8. Non-covetousness (Not making a show of following the precepts)
    9. Faultlessness (not thinking ‘I observe precepts)
    10. Non-transgression (following the 10 wholesome actions)
  3. Treasury of Hiri - A sense of remorse, recalling all past misdeeds and arousing remorse
  4. Treasury of Apatrapyā - Conscience, “I should refrain from further misdeeds.”
  5. Treasury of Śrutī - Learning, bodhisattvas know:
    1. When there is ‘this’ there is ‘that’ (Ignorance = saṃskāra)
    2. Because there is not ‘this’ there is not ‘that’ (No consciousness, no nāmarūpa)
    3. When ‘this’ arises there arises ‘that’ (Craving gives rise to suffering)
    4. When ‘this’ ceases, ‘that’ ceases (The cessation of bhāva = the cessation of birth)
    5. What is worldly dharma (i.e the skandhas)
    6. What is transcendent dharma (i.e. the pāramitās)
    7. What is conditioned dharma (i.e the realms of desire, form, formless, and sentient beings)
    8. What is unconditioned dharma (space, nirvana, and cessation)
    9. Determinate dharma (i.e. the 37 aids to enlightenment)
    10. Indeterminate dharma (i.e. the un-answered questions))
  6. Treasury of Dāna - Practicing ten kinds of giving
    1. Shared giving = Naturally inclined toward sharing with others, even the microbiome
    2. Exhaustive giving = Giving of anything and everything to others
    3. Inward giving = Giving even hands, feet, eyes and flesh
    4. Outward giving = Giving even status and rulership
    5. Inward & Outward giving = Giving everything, inside and out, even becoming a servant
    6. All-inclusive giving = Knowing everything is bound to depart, giving all now
    7. Past giving = Not becoming attached to good roots or past Buddha Dharma
    8. Future giving = Understanding that all future buddhas are non-existent
    9. Present giving = Contemplating all actions as unreal
    10. Ultimate giving = Willing to undergo countless kalpas of renunciation
  7. Treasury of Prajñā - The bodhisattva knows all dharmas in accordance with Reality
  8. Treasury of Smṛti - Mindful, recalling many past lives
  9. Treasury of Dhāraṇī - Retaining all dharma heard
  10. Treasury of Pratibhāna - Possessing deep eloquence, the bodhisattva completely knows the True Characteristic of Reality and extensively expounds the Dharma without contradicting the sutras.