Uniting Wisdom and Compassion

Uniting Wisdom and Compassion
Kadampa Center – July 1 - 22, 2021

Handout 2 of 4: Homage to Compassion Without Differentiating Its Types
Presentation of the Chain of Causes in Chandrakirti's “Homage to Compassion”
Hearers and Solitary Realizers (Middling Realizers)


Buddhas (Kings of Subduers)

Bodhisattvas

The Three Practices/Causes of a Bodhisattva:
1. The Mind of Great Compassion
2. Non-dual Awareness
3. The Altruistic Mind of Enlightenment
• Hearers (shravaka): (1) nyan thos or (2) thos sgrogs
♦ (1) Hearers are called "listener-hearers," since having listened to the teachings, they practice
them and cause others to hear about what they have achieved.
♦ (2) Hearers are also called "hearer-proclaimers," meaning that they do however, actually
proclaim the Mahayana to others, although unlike bodhisattvas, they do not practice it.
♦ They cultivate merit and wisdom over three lifetimes to achieve "small" enlightenment.
• Solitary Realizers (pratyekabuddha): rang sangs rgyas

♦ According to Maitreya's Ornament of Clear Realizations, solitary realizers make three prayers:
1. to not rely on the teachings of a master in their last rebirth,
2. to be born where there are no buddhas or hearers present, and
3. to be able to teach others with only bodily gestures.
♦ They cultivate merit and wisdom over a hundred eons to achieve "middling" enlightenment.
• Buddhas: sangs rgyas

♦ Called "Kings of Subduers" since they have attained an excelling lordship of the doctrine
superior to the three, hearers, solitary realizers and bodhisattvas.
♦ Teach dependent-arising without error to hearers and solitary realizers.
• Bodhisattvas: byang chub sems dba'

♦ Bodhisattvas are those who have developed the uncontrived mind of enlightenment.
♦ They are also called "Children of Conquerors," but this is not to refute bodhisattvas as causes
of buddhas. Bodhisattvas are causes of perfect buddhas for two reasons:
1. from the viewpoint of state, in that the buddha that a particular bodhisattva will become
is in the same mental continuum as that bodhisattva ("substantial cause"), and
2. through causing to uphold, in that other bodhisattvas exhort novice bodhisattvas to
uphold the mind of enlightenment and thus assist those bodhisattvas in becoming
buddhas ("cooperative condition").
♦ They accumulate the collections of merit and wisdom equaling three great countless eons to
achieve "great" enlightenment.
The Three Main Causes of a Bodhisattva:
(1) The mind of great compassion  the compassion that wishes all sentient beings to be
free from suffering and the causes of suffering and
that aspires to protect/remove them from those
(2) Non-dual awareness  a wisdom consciousness that is free from the two
extremes of things/existence (permanence) and
non-things/non-existence (annihilation)
(3) The altruistic mind of enlightenment  the desire for perfect enlightenment (the object of
attainment) for the welfare of all sentient beings
(the object of intent)
♦ In the context of the “Homage to Compassion,” these three are the main causes for producing
a novice bodhisattva, a bodhisattva who has just entered the Mahayana path of accumulation
The Importance of Compassion in the Three Times
♦ Among the three causes of a bodhisattva, compassion is singled out as the main cause since it is
important at the three times:
TIME SIMILE EXPLANATION
 Compassion is important at the beginning

since, just like planting the seed of a fruit tree,
BEGINNING LIKE A SEED one must plant the seed of compassion in order
 to eventually reap a bountiful harvest.
 It is from the initial cause, the seed of
compassion, that the shoot of bodhichitta arises.
 Compassion is important in the middle since,
just as one must continually moisten the fruit
MIDDLE LIKE WATER plant with water, so too must that shoot of
 bodhichitta be moistened with compassion.
 If it is not moistened again and again with the
water of compassion, the accumulation of the
two collections of merit and wisdom will not
occur and there may even be degeneration of
bodhichitta.
 Compassion is important at the end since, just
END LIKE A like the state of ripening of a fruit tree that then
STATE OF RIPENING becomes a source of great enjoyment and
 resources for others, the culmination of great
compassion is found within the final result of
buddhahood.
 If one lacks compassion at the end, one will not
be a source of enjoyment and use by sentient
beings as long as cyclic existence lasts.

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Kadampa Center – July 1 - 22, 2021

Presentation of the Chain of Causes in Chandrakirti's “Homage to Compassion”

Hearers and Solitary Realizers (Middling Realizers)

• Solitary Realizers (pratyekabuddha): rang sangs rgyas

• Buddhas: sangs rgyas

• Bodhisattvas: byang chub sems dba'

The Importance of Compassion in the Three Times

TIME SIMILE EXPLANATION

 Compassion is important at the beginning

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