Overall Teaching

Sense objects are not obstacles but opportunities. Bodhisattvas engage with them through wisdom and skilful means, transforming every perception into a step toward awakening, and adapting teachings according to the diverse capacities of beings.

Summary

1. Understanding Stems from the Wisdom of the Tathāgatas within all Beings’ Bodies

   • Vajrapāṇi inquires about possible contradictions in the teachings; the Buddha clarifies that wisdom is inherent in all beings, instilled by the Tathāgatas, enabling them to align with the profound Dharma. Those who uphold this difficult teaching have long been cultivated under the guidance of countless Buddhas.

2. Tranquilising Views of Physical Existence

   • Śāntamati asks about tranquillity. The Buddha explains a gradual calming of defilements and discriminations, ultimately leading to the correction of the mistaken view of physical existence. Realising that notions of self and body are empty leads to liberation.

3. Calming and Sense Objects

a. Calming is the Absence of Sense Objects: The mind without engagement in sense objects is calm, like a fire without fuel.

b. Pure Sense Objects should not be Abandoned: Bodhisattvas engage skillfully with pure sense objects, unlike śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas, to cultivate pāramitās and compassion.

c. How a Bodhisattva Manifests Amid Sense Objects: They transform encounters with sense objects into virtues, e.g. kindness in response to anger.

d. How a Bodhisattva Counteracts the Sense Objects: By embodying the six perfections, they oppose negative tendencies, using even difficult sense experiences as means of liberation.

e. Bodhisattvas Use all Sense Objects at the Service of Awakening: All experiences are directed toward omniscience and awakening.

f. How Bodhisattvas Adapt to Sentient Beings’ Various Natures: They adjust teachings—emptiness, dependent origination, or patience—according to each being’s disposition