Here is some general advice. If anyone decides to read Edward Conze’s translation, The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines & its Verse Summary pay particular attention to whom the instructions are of especial importance. They are for the benefit of Bodhisattvas, particularly how the Bodhisattvas go forth into perfect wisdom who have Bodhicitta.
This Sutra provides us with some important information about the Bodhisattva which falls into the general category of the esoteric. Taking no pride in the attainment of Bodhicitta, even though it is the beginning of Buddhahood, the adept begins his career as an authentic Bodhisattva. This Mind (that is Bodhicitta) is no-mind (acitta) meaning it is non-discriminating (avikalpa); moreover, its essential original nature is luminous (prabhasvara).
Right away this should tell us that the Bodhisattva is no ordinary person (prithagjana)—not with a Mind like this. Nor are the instructions in this Sutra for ordinary people. Why is that? Because ordinary people lack Bodhicitta. Their karma is still insufficient for the task of the perfection of wisdom. Yet, without Bodhicitta the perfection of wisdom is not possible which leads to perfect Buddhahood (anuttara samyak-sambodhi).
What the ordinary person, who lacks Bodhicitta, should be working on, instead of reading this difficult Sutra, is Bodhicitta. So, what is Bodhicitta? This might help, it is from the Mahavairocana Sutra.
"The Buddha said: The mind of Enlightenment (bodhicitta) is the cause, the great compassion (mahakaruna) is the root, and the expedient (upaya) of deliverance is the ultimate. Oh master of mysteries, what is Enlightenment (bodhi)? That is to know one’s own mind as it really is. Oh master of mysteries, the least part of supreme and right Enlightenment (anuttara samyak-sambodhi) cannot be obtained by the intellect. Why is it so? The bodhi has the form of space, which nobody knows, nobody understands. Why is it so? Because the bodhi has no form, oh master of mysteries, the dharmas have no form. Bodhi has the form of space."
And this passage is also helpful.
"The Buddha said: Oh master of mysteries, one’s own mind will look for bodhi and omniscience. Why is it so? Because the original nature of mind is pure. The mind is not inside, nor outside, it is not to be obtained between the two. Oh master of mysteries, the Tathagata Samyaksambuddha is not blue, nor yellow, nor red, nor white, nor purple, nor crystalline, nor long, nor short, nor round, nor square, nor bright, nor dark, nor man, nor woman, nor asexual."
If ordinary people think of the pure Mind as being continuously distorted, the distortions never once fully subsiding, which is the condition of the defiled mind, they might be better able to come to an understanding of the difficulty of seeing the pure undistorted Mind which is intrinsically luminous; which begins the life of a Bodhisattva.
Imagine now living during the time of the Buddha and hearing about him then deciding to go an meet this luminous fellow. As we approach the tree under which he is sitting with many people gathered around him, we all of a sudden feel something unexplainable, a strange power. We can’t describe it—yet, we are beginning to feel a presence move us. All of a sudden we seem to ‘light up’. Now the energy circulating in our body is quite strong and blissful but as we look at the Buddha we realize the source of all that is happening to us is emanating from him. It dawns on us that he is showing everyone the effective power of Mind that is pure and undistorted, although we cannot comprehend it, try as we might.
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