"Fourth, he seeks quietude. By quietude is meant the quietude of body and mind, through which one meditates on the depths of all existences. We call this quietude."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 38, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 6.
"Third, the Bodhisattva makes friends with many good friends of the Way. By good friend of the Way is meant a person who speaks well about faith and precepts, erudition (culture), donation, Wisdom, and who makes people practice the Way. Such a person is called the Bodhisattva’s good friend of the Way."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 38, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 6.
"Second, there is perfection of purity in the observance of moral precepts. Oh, good man! There may be a Bodhisattva who is pure in upholding the precepts. And yet, he does not so for the sake of shila, for the sake of shilaparamita, nor by beings, nor for profit, nor for Bodhi, nor for Nirvana, and nor to [become] a Sravaka or Pratyekabuddha. He only observes the precepts for the highest 'Paramartha-satya’[Ultimate Reality]. Oh, good man! This is what we call perfection in purity of the precepts of a Bodhisattva."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 38, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 6.
"First, he is perfect in faith. How is faith perfect? This is believe deeply that the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are Eternal, that all the Buddhas of the ten directions effect expedients, and that all beings and icchantikas possess the Buddha Nature. It is not believing that the Tathagata is subject to birth, aging, illness and death, that he has undergone penance, that Devadatta truly caused the Buddha's body to bleed, that the Tathagata ultimately enters Nirvana, and that the Wonderful Dharma dies out. This is when we say that the Bodhisattva is perfect in faith."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 38, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 6.
"There is a man who is rich and has great wealth. He had only one son, who has already died. His son had a son, who is now abroad. This man, suddenly, dies. The grandson, on hearing this, comes back and takes over the property. It is unclear where the wealth is. But there is no one who obstructs or claim the possession (of property). Why not? Because the debt is one (of possessions). The case is the same with the Skandhas of the Srotapanna."
Skandhas: [are the five aggregates that comprise a being or individual, namely: 1. Matter (corporeality); 2. Feelings; 3. Perceptions; 4. Mental formations; 5. Consciousness].
Srotapanna: [a person who has entered the stream of Dharma and will be reborn at most seven times].
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 35, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 3.
"Oh, good man! When the two phases of meditation and knowledge does not go together, know that this is not the right time to practice equanimity. When the two (phases) are in balance, know that this is the right time to practice equanimity. This is the sense in which we say that the Bodhisattva knows when is the time and when is not the time. Oh, good man! When the Bodhisattva experiences the rise of defilement, and if he practices meditation and Wisdom, knows that this is not the time to practice equanimity. He should actually read and recite, write and copy, expound the twelve types of sutras, think of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, the precepts, the heavens, and equanimity. This is where we say we practice equanimity. Oh, good man! When the Bodhisattva practices these three phases of Dharma, he gains from this the formlessness Nirvana."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 38, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 6.
“A Bodhisattva can make much effort and yet not be able to arrive at the Bliss of Nirvana. Not getting this, he feels regret; or because of a dull nature, he may not be able to subdue all his five sense organs. As all defilements and illusions have full strength, he may doubt and think that there is a weakening in the observance of moral precepts. Know that this time is not good for meditation. One should practice knowledge. This is how we say that the Bodhisattva knows well when is the time and when is not.”
Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 38, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 6.
