[Saturday, August 16th]
⏑−−−¦⏑⏑⏑−¦¦−−−⏑¦⏑−⏑− navipulā
viraktasyāpi
yad idaṁ saumukhyaṁ bhavataḥ param |
⏑⏑−−¦⏑−−−¦¦⏑−⏑⏑¦⏑−⏑−
aktārtho
'py anenāsmi ktārtha iva saṁprati || 12.12
12.12
“Though untainted by emotion,
You show this extreme good grace,
Because of which, although I have yet
to realize the aim,
I feel like I am just realizing the aim here and now.
COMMENT:
Today's verse, even though it is the first verse in the bodhisattva's speech, can be
read as rounding off a series of four verses from BC12.9 to
BC12.12.
The progression of these four verses can be summarized like this:
- Thesis: student investigates dharma.
- Anti-thesis: teacher investigates student.
- Synthesis: further investigation, in the moment of action, going on up.
- Bodhisattva suggests his experience, even as a bodhisattva, of realizing reality here and now.
Today's verse thus relates, as I read it, to FM Alexander's truth that there is no such thing as a
right position, but there is such a thing as a right
direction.
That being so, here and now, to make
effort to go in that direction – primarily up – is absolutely the
best that any of us can do.
And that might be true whether we are
ones who have already accomplished the task, as enlightened buddhas,
or whether we are ones who have yet to accomplish the task, as
practising bodhisattvas.
In the jargon of Chinese Zen, the point
might be the primacy of polishing a tile, without worrying unduly
about the aim of making a mirror.
VOCABULARY
viraktasya
(gen. sg. m.): mfn. mfn. discoloured , changed in colour ; changed
in disposition , disaffected , estranged , averse , indifferent;
become indifferent i.e. arousing no interest
api:
even though
yad
(nom. sg. n.): which
idam
(nom. sg. n.): this
saumukhyam
(nom. sg.): n. (fr. su-mukha) cheerfulness , delight in (comp.) Bcar
su-mukha:
mfn. having a beautiful face; cheerful; gracious , favourable , kind
to
bhavataḥ
(gen. sg.): m. the gentleman present, you
param
(nom. sg. n.): mfn. extreme ; better or worse than , superior or
inferior to , best or worst , highest
akṛtārthaḥ
(nom. sg. m.): mfn. having one's object unaccomplished ,
unsuccessful.
api:
even though
anena
(inst. sg. n.): because of it
asmi =
1st pers. sg. as: to be
kṛtārthaḥ
(nom. sg. m.): having attained an end or object or has accomplished a
purpose or desire , successful , satisfied , contented
iva:
like, as if
samprati:
ind. directly over , against or opposite , close in front of; rightly
, in the right way , at the right time ; exactly , just ; now , at
this moment , at present
汝以平等心 善誨無愛憎
但當虚心受 所願便已獲
但當虚心受 所願便已獲
No comments:
Post a Comment