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Lesson 8 - The ‘Doings’ 作事 of the Tathāgata

PART ONE: Mañjuśrī asks about the Dharmakaya

Q: What are the characteristics of the the Dharma Body of the Thus Come One?

A: Being well cultivated in the transcendence of the Stages and Pāramitās, [and] completely converting (’transforming’) the reliance (’base’).

Q: Is the conversion of the base of voice-hearers and solitary awakened ones called the Dharma Body, or not?

A: No. It’s called the ‘Liberation Body’ because the Dharmakaya employs upaya.

PART TWO: Mañjuśrī asks about the voices of the Tathagatas

In general, there are three kinds of voices of the Thus Come One:

  • Sutras - divided into four categories, nine, or twenty-nine
  • Discipline (i.e. Vinaya) - also called the prātimokṣa
  • The ‘originating mothers’ (i.e. mātṛkā) - with eleven characteristics (kinds, or types)
    1. Characteristics of worldly conventions
      1. Instruction about pudgalas
      2. Instruction about clinging to totally imaginary inherent natures
      3. Instruction about the karma of the using and doing of all dharmas.
    2. Characteristics of ultimate meaning
      1. The Seven Suchnesses (See CH 7)
    3. Characteristics of the objects that are aids to awakening
      1. Pervades everything
    4. Characteristics of practice [of the aids to awakening]
      1. Truth = the suchness of all dharmas
      2. Propositions = proposing a pudgala or inherent nature
      3. Errors = all defiling dharmas
      4. Merit = pure dharmas
      5. Principles =
        1. The principle of meaning of Truth
        2. The principle of realization
        3. The principle of guidance
        4. The principle of transcending the two extremes
        5. The principle of inconceivability
        6. The principle of intention.”
      6. Turning (saṃsāra) = the three times, the three characteristics of the conditioned [arising, abiding, and ceasing], and the four kinds of causes [direct, antecedent, objective, and dominant]
      7. Reason =
        1. Logical reasoning from observation
        2. Logical reasoning from function
        3. Logical reasoning from realization
          1. Pure
            1. Directly seeing
            2. Based upon directly seeing
            3. Drawing from analogy
            4. Aspects [which are] completely true
            5. Aspects of well purified teaching.”
          2. Impure
            1. Characteristics ascertained by similitude
            2. Characteristics ascertained by difference
            3. Characteristics ascertained by similitude to everything
            4. Characteristics ascertained by difference from everything
            5. Characteristics ascertained through differing analogies
            6. Characteristics that are not completely true
            7. Characteristics not from well purified teachings.
        4. Logical reasoning according to natural law = the Dharmadhatu
      8. Unity and difference = the ultimate understanding of what is at first explained generally by a single dharma and later differentiated and distinguished by many terms.
    5. Characteristics of inherent nature = the practices and objects of the aids to awakening, which are the foundations of mindfulness, etc.
    6. Characteristics of [karmic] results = the abandonment of all mundane and trans-mundane afflictions
    7. Characteristics of the explanations = experience through liberating wisdom, and then broadly explaining for others.
    8. Characteristics of things that obstruct = defiled dharmas that are able to obstruct the cultivation of the aids to awakening.
    9. Characteristics of things in accord = things that increase the the aids to awakening
    10. Characteristics of things harmful = the errors of all the things that obstruct the aids to awakening
    11. Characteristics that benefit = the merit of all the things in accord with the aids to awakening.

PART THREE: Dhāraṇīs on/of/for sutras, vinaya, and the originating mothers

“Whether defiled dharmas or pure dharmas, I have explained that all are without purpose (function, use, activity), and are also without any pudgala, for everything is apart from conditionality. There are no defiled dharmas, for it is not the case that they are first defiled and then purified. There are no pure dharmas, for it is not the case that what is later purified was previously defiled. Common people in their ‘coarse heavy’ bodies cling to dharmas and are passionate in regard to their false views, differentiating the inherent nature of a pudgala, they imagine an ‘I’ and a ‘mine.’ Due to this false view they say, ‘I see,’ ‘I hear,’ ‘I smell,’ ‘I taste,’ ‘I touch,’ ‘I know,’ ‘I eat,’ ‘I do,’ ‘I am defiled,’ ‘I am purified.’ Like this, their perverse efforts persevere (prayoga). But if they knew things as they really are, then they would be able finally to abandon those ‘coarse heavy’ bodies and attain the unconditioned support that does not abide in afflictions, the highest purity apart from all verbal fabrication, and the unconditioned support without any persevering.”