In The Question of Maitreya on the Eight Qualities, Maitreya asks the Buddha what qualities bodhisattvas need in order to be sure of completing the path to buddhahood. In response, the Buddha briefly lists eight qualities. Starting with the excellent intention to become enlightened, they include loving kindness, as well as realization of the perfection of wisdom, which the Buddha explains in terms of reflection on the twelve links of dependent origination.
The Translation
Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!
Thus have I heard at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Rājagṛha, on Vulture Peak Mountain, together with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks and 10,000 bodhisattvas. The Blessed One, surrounded by a retinue of many hundreds of thousands, surveyed those before him, and taught the Dharma.
At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya was present among that very retinue. He rose from his seat, draped his shawl over one shoulder, set his right knee on the ground, and paid homage with palms joined toward the Blessed One. He then said to the Blessed One, “Would the Blessed One please, if he has time, answer a certain question that I would like to put to the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha?”
The Blessed One [F.117.a] answered the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Maitreya, you may put to the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha whatever question you wish. What I shall say in response to your question will cause you to rejoice.”
So, since the Blessed One had given him the opportunity, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how many qualities do bodhisattva mahāsattvas need to possess in order to become irreversibly set on supreme and perfect enlightenment without regressing, without regressing in the slightest, and to gain special attainments; to vanquish negative and hostile influences; and, while engaging in the conduct of a bodhisattva, to realize the intrinsic characteristics of all phenomena just as they are and therefore be indefatigable in saṃsāra? And, as well as having that indefatigable mind, through the pristine awareness that does not rely on anything else,3 to awaken quickly to supreme, perfect enlightenment and become a buddha?”
The Blessed One replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Very good, Maitreya. It is good that you have thought to ask the Tathāgata a question on this point. Therefore, Maitreya, listen well and retain in your mind what I shall explain to you.”
“Blessed One, please do so,” said the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, and listened as the Blessed One had instructed him.
The Blessed One, in turn, continued, “Maitreya, if bodhisattvas possess eight qualities, they will become irreversibly set on supreme and perfect enlightenment [F.117.b] without regressing, without regressing in the slightest, and will gain special attainments; they will vanquish negative and hostile influences; and, while engaging in the conduct of a bodhisattva, they will realize the intrinsic characteristics of all phenomena just as they are and therefore be indefatigable in saṃsāra. And, as well as having that indefatigable mind, through the pristine awareness that does not rely on anything else, they will quickly awaken to supreme, perfect enlightenment and become a buddha.
“What are those eight qualities? Well, Maitreya, they are for bodhisattva mahāsattvas to have excellent intention, excellent application, excellent giving, skill in dedicating merit, excellent loving kindness, excellent compassion, skill in methods, and emancipation in the perfection of wisdom.
“Maitreya, how do such bodhisattvas have excellent intention? Well, Maitreya, such bodhisattva mahāsattvas, whether they hear praises or slander of the Buddha, have the intention to attain supreme, perfect enlightenment. Whether they hear praises or slander of the Dharma, they have the intention to attain supreme, perfect enlightenment. Whether they hear praises or slander of the Saṅgha, they have the intention to attain supreme, perfect enlightenment. This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattvas have excellent intention.
“Maitreya, how do such bodhisattvas have excellent application? Well, Maitreya, such bodhisattva mahāsattvas renounce killing, theft, [F.118.a] sexual misconduct, falsehood, slander, harsh speech, and gossip. This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva mahāsattvas have excellent application.
“Maitreya, how do such bodhisattvas have excellent giving? Well, Maitreya, such bodhisattva mahāsattvas give clothes, food, bedding, curative medicines, and necessities to ascetics, brahmins, poor people, and beggars. Their generosity then becomes pure.4 This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattvas have excellent giving.
“Maitreya, how do such bodhisattvas have skill in dedicating merit? Well, Maitreya, such bodhisattva mahāsattvas dedicate all the accumulations of roots of virtue that they have created through their body, speech, and mind to supreme, perfect enlightenment. This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva mahāsattvas have skill in dedicating merit.
“Maitreya, how do such bodhisattvas have excellent loving kindness? Well, Maitreya, such bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ physical actions are kind, their verbal actions are kind, and their mental actions are kind. This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva mahāsattvas have excellent loving kindness.
“Maitreya, how do such bodhisattvas have excellent compassion? Well, Maitreya, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas’ physical actions are without malice, their verbal actions are without malice, and their mental actions are without malice. [F.118.b] This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattvas have excellent compassion.
“Maitreya, how do such bodhisattva mahāsattvas have skill in their methods? Well, Maitreya, such bodhisattva mahāsattvas are skilled in conventional truth, they are skilled in the absolute truth, and they are skilled in both. This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva mahāsattvas have skill in their methods.
“Maitreya, how do such bodhisattva mahāsattvas have emancipation in the perfection of wisdom? Well, Maitreya, such bodhisattva mahāsattvas correctly train as follows.
“They think, ‘Because one thing exists, another one arises; because this is born, that is born. Conditioned by ignorance, karmic formations come into being. Conditioned by karmic formations, consciousness comes into being. Conditioned by consciousness, name and form come into being. Conditioned by name and form, the six sources of perception come into being. Conditioned by the six sources of perception, contact comes into being. Conditioned by contact, feeling comes into being. Conditioned by feeling, craving comes into being. Conditioned by craving, grasping comes into being. Conditioned by grasping, existence comes into being. Conditioned by existence, birth comes into being. Conditioned by birth, aging and death come into being, as well as misery, lamentations, suffering, unhappiness, and agitation. That is how this great heap of suffering comes into being; without these conditions, it does not come into being.
“ ‘When these conditions cease to exist, it also ceases. When ignorance ceases, karmic formations cease. When karmic formations cease, consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. When name and form cease, the six sources of perception cease. When the six sources of perception cease, contact ceases. When contact ceases, feeling [F.119.a] ceases. When feeling ceases, craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, existence ceases. When existence ceases, birth ceases. When birth ceases, aging, death, misery, lamentations, suffering, unhappiness, and agitation cease. That is how this great heap of suffering ceases.’ This, Maitreya, is how the bodhisattva mahāsattvas have emancipation in the perfection of wisdom.
“Maitreya, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas possess those eight qualities, they will become irreversibly set on supreme and perfect enlightenment without regressing, without regressing in the slightest, and will gain special attainments; they will vanquish negative and hostile influences; and, while engaging in the conduct of a bodhisattva, they will realize the intrinsic characteristics of all phenomena just as they are and therefore be indefatigable in saṃsāra. And, as well as having that indefatigable mind, through the pristine awareness that does not rely on anything else, they will quickly awaken to supreme, perfect enlightenment and become a buddha.”
After the Blessed One had spoken these words, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, together with the monks, as well as all the worlds of gods and men, demigods and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had said.
This concludes The Question of Maitreya on the Eight Qualities, the forty-second of the one hundred thousand sections of the Dharma discourse known as The Noble Great Heap of Jewels.