Now, in terms of the third resolve it was said that:

A fire burning with the fuel of objects known
Produces light; this third ground thus receives its name,
The Luminous …,

Luminous is the name of the third bodhisattva ground. Why is it the Luminous? This is a literal description. At this point, the fire of wisdom burns away the fuel of all knowable things without exception, producing a light that has the nature of pacification, and thus this ground is described as luminous. With the third resolve:

… as here for the sugatas’ heir
A copper-glow appears which is just like the sun. (3.1)

Just like the sun at dawn glows like copper, for the bodhisattva there now appears a similar glow of wisdom.

In order to demonstrate the excellent perfection of tolerance of bodhisattvas who have gained such effulgent wisdom:

If out of baseless fury someone were to come
And sever from their body all their flesh and bone,
To torture them, cut piece by piece and take their time,
Towards their butcher tolerance will only grow. (3.2)

Since bodhisattvas are heedful of the minds of others and have such wisdom, they will not physically, verbally or mentally express any misgivings related to injustices of the three times¹ when encountering others’ malice, and the verse therefore specifies that, ‘If out of baseless fury…’. If such a sentient being were to cut flesh and bone from the bodhisattva’s body ounce by ounce, pausing and then starting again, over an extended period of time, not only would the bodhisattva not harbour any anger for such a butcher, but being aware that the individual by virtue of this evil act will have to endure the sufferings of hell and so forth, they develop an exceptional level of tolerance.

Furthermore,

When bodhisattvas see that there exists no self,
What’s cut, the cutter, time of cutting and the mode,
Phenomena like these appear reflection-like,
An insight through which they are able to forbear. (3.3)

Not only are they exceptionally tolerant, seeing how these negative karmic acts serve as conditions for the perpetrator to experience the suffering of the hells and so forth, but since these phenomena are also seen to be like reflections, and since they are free from the concepts of self and mine, they have an extraordinary tolerance. The word also is used to include this among the causes of their tolerance.

Not only is tolerance a suitable way of practice for bodhisattvas, it is also for others the very cause of preserving any type of quality. Therefore, to indicate how it is also sensible for the intolerant to avoid anger:

If you resent the one who’s caused you injury,
Does your resentment take away the harm that’s done?
To bear a grudge will serve no purpose here and now,
And also brings adversity in lives to come. (3.4)

Should an occasion arise for one to become upset and develop anger towards another for a harm inflicted, since this will not serve to reverse the harm done, it is pointless to harbour anger against them, as the act has already been done. Not only does resentment serve no purpose here, it also brings adversity in the next world, because harbouring enmity will lead to a furthering of unwanted consequences.

Some will, when experiencing the particular result of a negative act they themselves committed, entertain the deluded idea that, ‘This other individual is harming me,’ and become angry with the harm doer. In order to counteract the wish to seek revenge, and triumph over their harm:

The karmic outcome of non-virtue in the past
Is held to be the thing that brings it to an end.
So why then keep on sowing seeds of suffering
By angrily inflicting harm upon your foe? (3.5)

When someone is overcome by enemies, suffering greatly as their body is subjected to the harm of sharp weapons, that is the concluding result of acts of killing performed in the past, and is a cause for avoiding experiencing terrifying resultant maturations as hell beings, in animal states, in the world of Yama and so forth, and every concurrent result of remaining afflictions that would result in repugnant physical appearances. Since it is actually like the final draught of medicine that cures an ailment once and for all, and the unpleasantness resulting from one’s fury and mistreatment of others has come to an end, why then further this by doing more harm, bringing upon oneself yet additional causes that will lead to their results? Therefore, it makes sense to relate to this resultant suffering with great tolerance, just as when a doctor uses a sharp instrument in order to cure a certain ailment.

Not only will intolerance as explained above cause a proliferation of unwanted maturing consequences, it will also eradicate stores of merit accumulated over a long period of time. To illustrate this it was said that:

One’s anger for the victor’s heirs will instantly
Destroy the virtue gained from generosity
And discipline throughout a hundred aeons; thus
No evil is there quite like one’s intolerance. (3.6)

If a bodhisattva, a supreme being, were to give rise to even an instance of anger towards those who have made the resolve of awakening, and his reaction was triggered by afflictions – regardless of whether or not there was a sense of certainty about the extraordinary nature of the individual, and regardless of the justifiability of the perceived fault – that alone would destroy the stores of merit created by practicing the perfections of generosity and moral discipline, as previously taught, accumulated throughout a hundred aeons. No need then to mention a non-bodhisattva giving rise to that towards bodhisattvas. The consequences of such an act is just as impossible to ascertain as it is impossible to ascertain the weigh all the water in the great oceans using a scale. Therefore, since it leads to a proliferation of unwanted consequences and is harmful to one’s virtues, there is no evil greater than intolerance. And thus we find stated:

Mañjuśrī. Enmity is called ‘enmity’ since it is the enemy that completely destroys virtues accumulated throughout a hundred aeons. That is why enmity is called ‘enmity’.²

Furthermore, of the intolerant, those who are not able to cause harm to others only bring destruction upon themselves, while those who are able but have no compassion, bring destruction upon both themselves and others. And when reborn,

It fouls one’s features, steers one to unholy ones.
Deprives one of the means to tell what’s right from wrong.

And later, when having left this conducive state,

Intolerance will send one straight to lower states.

If these are the faults of intolerance, what are then the qualities of tolerance, its opposite?

The qualities of patience are their opposites. (3.7)
Forbearance makes one beautiful, it grants esteem
Among the holy, makes one morally adept;
In future lives one will be human or divine,
And every negativity will disappear. (3.8)

It should be recognised that these qualities of tolerance are the opposite of the faults of intolerance that were mentioned.

Therefore,

The common beings and the victor heirs who see
The faults of enmity and patience’s qualities,
Should shun intolerance and always try to have
Forbearance, something that is praised by noble ones. (3.9)

Enmity and tolerance refers to having enmity and showing tolerance, and faults and qualities refer to the related faults and qualities respectively.³ Here, the words have been combined in the line the faults and qualities of enmity and tolerance. By appreciating the faults of enmity here described, and their opposites which are the qualities of tolerance, one should strive to avoid intolerance, and at all times maintain only an attitude of tolerance.

Now, to show the divisions of tolerance as a perfection:

Though dedicated for complete awakening,
It’s still mundane if the three reference points remain.

Even if fully dedicated to buddhahood, if there is a presence of the three parts – a tolerance, someone being tolerant and a sentient being towards whom one is tolerant – that tolerance is labeled a mundane perfection of tolerance.

When free from these three references, the Buddha taught
The same to be perfection that transcends the world. (3.10)