Hi Will,
Will wrote:This verse is quoted by the Sayadaw: “Virtue observed out of craving for glorious existences and material well-being is inferior; virtue observed for one’s own release is moderate; virtue observed to liberate all beings, which is the perfection of virtue, is superior.” (Visuddhimagga)
Now without the context this passage is an exact match for (and precursor by 500 years) the three stages of the path that Atisha & Je Tsongkhapa made famous. But my query is about "all" beings in the quote - is that word in Buddhagosha's original?
Yes:
sabbasattānaṃ vimokkhatthāya, "for the sake of the liberation of all beings." That is what a would be Bodhisatta needs to
wish for in order to make the aspiration for Buddhahood and to commence developing the perfections. But there's no suggestion in the texts that wish will ever be fulfilled, any more than my practising mettābhāvanā will cause all beings to be well and happy.
- The aspiration, made by one endowed with these eight factors, is in denotation the act of consciousness (cittuppada) occurring together with the collection of these eight factors. Its characteristic is rightly resolving to attain the supreme enlightenment. Its function is to yearn, "Oh, may I awaken to the supreme perfect enlightenment, and bring well-being and happiness to all beings!" It is manifest as the root-cause for the requisites of enlightenment. Its proximate cause is great compassion, or the achievement of the necessary supporting conditions. Since it has as its object the inconceivable plane of the Buddhas and the welfare of the whole immeasurable world of beings, it should be seen as the loftiest, most sublime and exalted distinction of merit, endowed with immeasurable potency, the root-cause of all the qualities issuing in Buddhahood. Simultaneous with its arising, the Great Man enters upon the practice of the vehicle to great enlightenment. He becomes fixed in his destiny, irreversible, and therefore properly gains the designation "bodhisattva."
(Dhammapāla, Cariyāpiṭaka. Bodhi trans.)
Because, later in this chapter, when the Sayadaw is explaining the Noblest Aspiration, "all beings" are not mentioned.
Here is what Ledi Sayadaw writes:
What is meant by “the Noblest Aspiration”? It is the verbal and mental undertaking that the bodhisatta had made at some point of time aeons before taking up the perfections.
It was made in these terms:
“As a man who knows his own strength, what use is there to get to ‘the yonder shore’ (nibbāna) alone? I will attain to Supreme Knowledge and then convey men and devas to the yonder shore.”
That was the pledge that sent the ten thousand universes reeling and echoing in applause. That was the bodhisatta’s earnest wish. For he intensely aspired to Supreme Self-Enlightenment thus:
“Knowing the Truth, I will let others know it. Freeing myself from the world, I will free others. Having crossed over, I will enable others to cross.”
This fervent and most daring aspiration is called “the Noblest Aspiration.”
So here the aspiration is phrased is a more realistic manner, with the word "all" omitted.
That sure sounds like a Mahayana motivation.
Given the absence of the word "all" it sounds like the aspiration of a Theravada Bodhisatta to me.
Later on in chapter one is this: The detailed process of laying the foundation for the aspiration to, and the fulfilment of, Perfect Enlightenment is dealt with in the scriptures in fifteen catechisms.
What are the 15 catechisms?
As I recall we had a bit of a problem with this one. In the references the sayādaw gives (Cariyāpiṭaka & Dīgha Nikāya sub-commentary) there are three sets of fifteen things, but I don't know which one he means. None of them is a "catechism".
The first comprises restraint by the precepts, having the sense-doors guarded, moderation in food, devotion to wakefulness, the seven good dhammas (faith, sense of shame, fear of wrong-doing, much learning, being energetic, mindful and possessed of wisdom), and the four jhānas.
The second is this:
- These six paramis fall into at least fifteen pairs (yugala) of complementary qualities which perfect fifteen other pairs of qualities. How?
1. assaddhe puggale parivajjayato
2. saddhe puggale sevato bhajato payirupāsato
3. pasādanīye suttante paccavekkhato
imehi tīhākārehi saddhindriyaṃ visujjhati.
“When he avoids faithless persons, cultivates, frequents and honours faithful persons, and reviews discourses (sutta) that inspire confidence, the faith faculty is purified in him in these three aspects.”
4. kusīte puggale parivajjayato
5. āraddhavīriye puggale sevato bhajato payirupāsato
6. sammappadhāne paccavekkhato
imehi tīhākārehi vīriyindriyaṃ visujjhati.
“When he avoids lazy persons, cultivates, frequents and honours energetic persons, and reviews the right endeavours, the energy faculty is purified in him in these three aspects.”
7. muṭṭhassatī puggale parivajjayato
8. upaṭṭhitassatī puggale sevato bhajato payirupāsato
9. satipaṭṭhāne paccavekkhato
imehi tīhākārehi satindriyaṃ visujjhati.
“When he avoids forgetful persons, cultivates, frequents and honours mindful persons, and reviews the foundations of mindfulness, the mindfulness faculty is purified in him in these three aspects.”
10. asamāhite puggale parivajjayato
11. samāhite puggale sevato bhajato payirupāsato
12. jhānavimokkhe paccavekkhato
imehi tīhākārehi samādhindriyaṃ visujjhati.
“When he avoids unconcentrated persons, cultivates, frequents and honours concentrated persons, and reviews the jhānas and liberations, the concentration faculty is purified in him in these three aspects.”
13. duppaññe puggale parivajjayato
14. paññavante puggale sevato bhajato payirupāsato
15. gambhīrañāṇacariyaṃ paccavekkhato
imehi tīhākārehi paññindriyaṃ visujjhati.
“When he avoids persons with no wisdom, cultivates, frequents and honours persons possessed of wisdom, and reviews the behaviour of profound knowledge, the wisdom faculty is purified in him in these three aspects.”
iti ime pañca puggale parivajjayato pañca puggale sevato bhajato payirupāsato pañca suttantakkhandhe paccavekkhato imehi pannarasahi ākārehi imāni pañcindriyāni visujjhantī ti
“So when he avoids these five kinds of persons, cultivates, frequents and honours these five kinds of persons, and reviews these five sorts of suttas, these five faculties are purified in him in these fifteen aspects.”
(Paṭis I 185).
And the third is this:
- These six paramis fall into at least fifteen pairs (yugala) of complementary qualities which perfect fifteen other pairs of qualities. How?
1. The pair – giving and virtue – perfects the pair of doing what is beneficial for others and abstaining from what is harmful to them.
2. The pair – giving and patience – perfects the pair of non-greed and non-hatred.
3. The pair – giving and energy – perfects the pair of sacrifice and learning.
4. The pair – giving and jhāna – perfects the abandoning of sensual desire and hatred;
5. the pair giving and wisdom, perfects the noble vehicle and burden;
6. the pair of virtue and patience, perfects the purification of means and the purification of the end;
7. the pair of virtue and energy, perfects the pair of meditative development (i.e., samatha & vipassanā);
8. the pair of virtue and jhāna, perfects the abandoning of moral depravity and of mental obsession;
9. the pair of virtue and wisdom, perfects the pair of giving;
10. the pair of patience and energy, perfects the pair of acceptance and austerity;
11. the pair of patience and jhāna, perfects the abandoning of opposing and favouring;
12. the pair of patience and wisdom, perfects the acceptance and penetration of emptiness;
13. the pair of energy and jhāna, perfects the pair of exertion and non-distraction;
14. the pair of energy and wisdom, perfects the pair of refuges;
15. and the pair of jhāna and wisdom perfects the pair of vehicles (i.e. the vehicles of serenity and insight).
Best wishes,
Dhammanando Bhikkhu