The Gradual Path of Practice: Teachings of Bodhisattva Ashvaghosha
A Discourse on the Stages of Spiritual Cultivation
Recorded on March 20, 2019
On the twentieth of March, 2019, we reflect upon the structured path of spiritual cultivation. Practice has its own necessary sequence. To enable those who have resolved to study the Buddha’s teachings to gradually recognise, understand, and experience the , the Buddha taught the Three Learnings of , Samadhi, and Wisdom. These are also known as the Three Unstained Learnings.
The Foundation of the Three Learnings
The Three Learnings of Precepts, Samadhi, and Wisdom are deeply interconnected. Through the observance of Precepts, one develops meditative concentration. Through the stability of meditative concentration, one gives rise to true wisdom. The purpose and power of these three are profound:
- Precepts: By upholding discipline, one escapes the Three Evil Realms of existence.
- Concentration: Through the power of a focused mind, one transcends the Six Desires.
- Wisdom: Through the clarity of insight, one achieves liberation from the Three Realms of samsara.
These three methods support one another. When one applies wisdom to address afflictions, a sense of weariness towards the cycle of rebirth naturally arises. This allows one to abandon desires and, ultimately, realise the state of complete and perfect liberation.
Faith: The Hand That Grasps the Treasure
Awareness is of paramount importance in the practice of the Buddha’s teachings. As stated in the Avatamsaka Sutra, faith is the source of the path and the mother of all virtues; it nurtures all goodness. In the of Faith in the , it is said that faith is like a hand. A person with hands who enters a treasure house can pick up whatever they desire. A person without hands, even if they encounter a treasure house, cannot collect anything. Faith is exactly the same. If a person possesses faith, they enter the Dharma Jewel and, according to their capacity, practise the teachings to attain the of liberation. If a person lacks faith, even if they encounter the Buddha’s teachings, they will return empty-handed. Therefore, one must cultivate faith. It is the source of the growth of all goodness and the essential provision for walking the path of virtue.
The Anatomy of Confusion: Subtle and Coarse Marks
A single moment of unawareness gives rise to confusion. From this initial confusion, the Three Subtle Marks emerge, and when external conditions act as a catalyst, the Six Coarse Marks grow. To understand our practice, we must recognise how these arise and how to sever them:
- The Three Subtle Marks: These represent the fundamental, non-corresponding defilements of the mind. They include the mark of ignorance (the arising of karmic ), the mark of seeing (the arising of turning consciousness), and the mark of the boundary (the arising of manifesting consciousness).
- The Six Coarse Marks: These represent the manifest defilements of our daily experience. They include the mark of wisdom (the arising of intellectual consciousness), the mark of continuity, the mark of attachment, the mark of naming (ego-attachment), the mark of creating , and the mark of suffering.
In this process, the mind functions as the , which branches into the various forms of consciousness—the turning, manifesting, intellectual, and continuous consciousness—as well as the conscious mind that clings to names and creates karma. Fundamental unawareness is the confusion that obscures the Truth, while the secondary, branch-like unawareness is the confusion that clings to illusions.
Returning to the Source of True Suchness
The interaction between True Suchness and confusion defines our journey. When we are influenced by impure phenomena, we drift into the cycle of transmigration and confusion. However, when we are influenced by pure phenomena—where True Suchness permeates our confusion—we enter the gate of return, moving towards the realm of awakening. To all the Bodhisattvas and virtuous ones residing on the Dharma-Nature Land, remember that the essence of practice lies in your awareness. In every thought and intention, are you clear? Are you awake? The path to Buddhahood lies in the transition from confusion to awakening, returning to the purity of True Suchness.
Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Shi Haiyuan
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Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
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