"Oh good man! With the 37 factors of Enlightenment, there is no inversion. Therefore, we can speak of 'pure action'. Oh good man! If any Bodhisattva comes to know the root, the cause, what takes in, what augments, the master, what leads, what is superior, what is true, and what is ultimate; such a Bodhisattva is one of pure action.”
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! In what sense do we say that one knows from the root up to the ultimate?
The Buddha said: "Oh good man! Well spoken, well spoken! What you speak, Bodhisattva, concerns two things. One is for your own good, and the other is for the knowledge of others. Now you know, but since innumerable others beings do not yet understand, then you ask. So, I now praise you once again. Very good, very good! Oh good man! The root of the 37 elements concerning to Enlightenment is desire. The cause is the touch of brightness; that which takes in is 'feeling'; that which augments is 'thought'; the 'master' is 'remembrance' ('mentalizing'); that which leads is dhyana [ meditation]; that which is superior is 'Wisdom'; that which is true is 'Emancipation'; and the ultimate is Great Nirvana.
Oh good man! (Also), all the worries of the world have their rise in craving. All illnesses rest on the food cooked in the previous day. All segregation arises out from quarrelling and disputation. All evils arise out from falsehood. The situation is thus."
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said: "Oh World Honored One! The Tathagata has already established in this sutra that all good things are grounded on non-indolence. Now, you say (that) 'desire' (is the root of the 37 elements concerning to enlightenment). How can I understand this?"
The Buddha said: "Oh good man! If the cause is sought order to the emergence of good things, this is a good desire. If the revealing cause is sought, this is non-indolence. We say in the world that the result depends on the seed; we say that the seed is the cause of the rise, and the soil is the revealing cause. The same is the case here, too."
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said: "Oh World Honored One! The Tathagata says in other sutras that the 37 Enlightenment factors constitute the base. What does this imply?"
"Oh good man! The Tathagata has said before that beings first come to know of the 37 factors of Enlightenment. The Buddha is the root. The awakening depends on desire."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.
"Oh good man! Someone with Wisdom knows that what a gandhahastin (musky elephant) loads cannot be supported by a donkey. All beings do innumerable things. Thus, the Tathagata speaks innumerable things variously. Why? Because beings possess various defilements. If the Tathagata spoke only of one action, we could not say that the Tathagata was perfect and accomplished in the power of seeing through the qualities of the roots of all things. So I say in a sutra: 'I do not speak to the five kinds of people the five kinds of things. To one who has no faith, (I say) one who does not profess the right faith; to anyone who violates the prohibition, (I say) one who does not extols the upholding of precepts; to the stingy, (I say) someone who does not extols the dana [giving]; to the indolent, (I say) of learning; and to the ignorant, (I say) of Wisdom.
Why not? If a wise person speaks to these five kinds of people about these five things, know that cannot be said that such preacher possess the power to see through the qualities of the roots of all things; cannot be said that (he) have pity of beings. Why not? Because these five kinds of people, when they hear these [things], will acquire a skeptical mind, an angry mind, and in consequence of this, will suffer painful karmic results for innumerable ages."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 40 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 1.
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! What is pure action?"
The Buddha said: "All things are nothing but pure actions."
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said: "Oh World Honored One! All things are not fixed in meaning. Why? The Tathagata calls them either good or not-good. Sometimes, he says that such is the meditation of the four remembrances, or sometimes, the 12 spheres, or the Good Teacher of the Way, or the 12 links of interdependence, or the being, right view, wrong view, the 12 types of sutra, or the two truths, or the Tathagata now says that all things are pure actions. All in all, what do you mean by 'all things'?"
The Buddha said: "Well spoken, well spoken, Oh good man! The All-Wonderful Sutra of Great Nirvana is the Treasure House of all dharmas. It's like the great sea, which stores up all the treasures. It's the same with this Nirvana Sutra. This is the secret repository which contains all the meanings of all words.
Oh good man! Just as Mount Sumeru is the root source of all medicines, so this Sutra is the root source of the precepts of the Bodhisattva.
Oh good man! It's like with the Void, wherein rests all that exists. So it is with this Sutra, which is the abode of the Good Dharma.
Oh good man! It's like the great wind, which no one can hold or quit. So it is with all the Bodhisattvas who practice this sutra. No defilement or evil teaching can suppress them or arrest them.
Oh good man! It is like the diamond, which no one can destroy. Such is the situation with this Sutra, which neither tirthikas or men of evil notions can destroy.
Oh good man! It's like (the grains of) the sands of the Ganges River, which nobody can count. So it is with the meanings of this Sutra. Nobody can truly count them completely.
Oh good man! This Sutra is the banner of the Dharma of all Buddhas, just as things happen with the hoisted ensigns of Shakra.
Oh good man! This Sutra is the merchant who travels the divisions of nirvana, or the great guide which sails the great sea with all merchants.
Oh good man! This Sutra is the light of Dharma of all Bodhisattvas, just like the light of the sun and moon truly destroy the darkness all around.
Oh good man! This sutra serves as the best [medicine] for all beings who are suffering from illness. It's like the All-Wonderful King of Medicine of (Mount) Gandhamadana, which thoroughly cures all illnesses.
Oh good man! This Sutra truly serves as a walking stick to the icchantika, as in the case of a weak person who can easily support himself and stand up.
Oh good man! This Sutra truly serves as a bridge for all evil people, just like a bridge even allows all the evil people of the world to pass over it.
Oh good man! This Sutra truly serves as a cool shade to all those who carry their lives in the five realms, where they feel heat due to defilements, serving them as a sunshade that protects well the persons from the heat.
Oh good man! This Sutra is the King of fearlessness, which thoroughly crushes all the devils of defilement, acting as the Lion King, who truly subdues all animals.
Oh good man! This Sutra is a great charmer who can thoroughly crush out all the devils of defilement, just as a charmer makes away with the mountain elf.
Oh good man! This Sutra is like the unsurpassed frost and hail, which crush out all the karmic results of birth and death, just as the hail destroys the fruit trees.
Oh good man! This Sutra is the greatest of medicines to a person who violates sila [the moral precepts], just as the Ajata can truly cure pain of the eyes.
Oh good man! This Sutra keeps all the good dharmas, just like the earth, which serves as a support for all things.
Oh good man! This Sutra is a bright mirror for all beings which violate the precepts, just like a mirror which reflects well all colors and forms.
Oh good man! This Sutra serves as clothing for those who do not feel ashamed of what they did, just like clothing that can well cover and hide the carnal form.
Oh good man! This Sutra serves as a great Treasure House for those who are lacking of good things, just like Gunadevi provides benefits to the poor.
Oh good man! This Sutra serves as the water of amrta [immortality] for those who feel thirst for the Dharma, as the water of the eight tastes, which thoroughly quenches a thirsty person.
Oh good man! This Sutra serves as a bed of Dharma for those who have the worries of defilement, just like the bed of peace that serves the people of the world.
Oh good man! Through this Sutra, the Bodhisattva rises from the first stage up to the tenth. It is the cart upon which are laden the jewelry, paste incense, powdered incense, burning incense and flowers, and the cart in which those of pure castes can ride. It truly surpasses the six paramitas. This is a wonderful land of bliss. It's like the parijata tree of Trayastrimsa Heaven.
Oh good man! This sutra is an adamantine and sharpened hatchet, which can indeed bring down the great tree of all defilements. This is a sharp sword that can truly make away with the taint of ill smell. This is the brave and strong that can thoroughly crush out the adversity of Mara. This is the fire of Wisdom, which burns up the fuel of defilement. This is the storehouse of the causal relations which gives birth to the Pratyekabuddha. This is the storehouse of hearing which gives birth to the Sravakas. This is the eye of all gods which serves as the Right Path to all beings. This is a refuge for all animals. This is where the hungry ghosts gain Emancipation, the holiest of hells, and the unsurpassed utensil for all beings of the ten directions. This is the parent of all Buddhas of the ten directions of past, future, and present. Oh good man! Thus, this Sutra holds within itself all dharmas."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.
"Oh good man! A wise person meditates deeply on the eight sufferings, and then on the cause of suffering. The cause of suffering is ignorance of craving, which consists of two things: 1) seeking of what is (pleasure) bodily, and 2) seeking wealth. The seeking of what is bodily and seeking wealth are both sources of suffering. Thus, one should know that ignorance of craving is the cause of suffering.
Oh good man! There are two kinds of this ignorance of craving, namely: 1) inner and 2) outer. That which is inner really moulds the karma, whereas that which is external increases it. Also, that which is internal indeed moulds karma, and that which is external moulds the karmic result. By ending with the internal craving, one can indeed do away with the karma. If the external craving is cut off, the karmic fruit goes away. The inner craving moulds the suffering of the world that is to come, whereas the external craving calls forth the suffering of the present life. The wise meditates on the cause of suffering, which is craving. Having meditated on the cause, it does so on the karmic result. The karmic result of suffering is 'clinging' ['upadana' - clinging to existence]. The result of craving is clinging. The karmic result of craving is clinging. The causal relation of this clinging, which is inner and outer craving, calls forth the suffering of craving.
Oh good man! The wise must meditate and think that the craving is causally related to clinging, and clinging is causally related to craving. If a person really extirpates this pair, craving and clinging, there will be no more karmic action; that person no more will suffer from any kind of sorrow (worry). So, the wise should practice well the Noble Eightfold Path and do away with all sufferings.
Oh good man! If any person meditates thus, this is pure action. This is where we say that beings possess an all-wonderful medicine in their poisoned fleshly bodies, and that in the Himalayas, amidst the poisonous grasses, there is an all-wonderful medicinal herb."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "Oh World Honored One! You said before that the undefiled has no karmic result. Why do you now talk about the non-black-non-white of the karmic result."
The Buddha said: "Oh good man! There are two meanings to this. One is the result and reward put together, and the second is the fruition, but not the reward. The black-black karmic result is the result, and also the reward. When it arises out of a defiled cause (black), it is a 'result'; when it becomes a cause, we say 'reward'. It's the same with the pure (white) and the mixed. The undefiled result comes from a defiled cause. Hence, 'result'. When it does not become the cause of any other thing, we do not say 'reward'."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.
"Oh good man! Having meditated on the cause of karma, the wise person meditates on the karmic result. There are four kinds of karmic result, namely: 1) black-black karmic result, 2) white-white karmic result, 3) mixed-mixed karmic result, and 4) non-black-non-white-non-black-non-white karmic result.
The black-black karmic result is such that it is defiled at the time of the action and the karmic result, too, is defiled. We say white-white karmic result, which is pure when [the deed is] being enacted, and the karmic result is also pure. We speak of the mixed-mixed karmic result, which is of mixed nature during the enactment of [the deed], and the karmic result, too, is mixed. We say non-black-non-white-non-black-non-white karmic result. This is undefiled karma."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.
"The cause of karma is the touch of ignorance. Due to the touch of ignorance, beings see 'existence'. The causal relation of existence is 'craving'. Due to the causal relation of craving, a person performs the three actions of body, mouth and mind."
Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.
