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)

Just as the bodhisattvas of this ground gain a fully authentic perfection of tolerance, likewise:

This ground is where the victor heirs now entertain
Absorptions and the supernormal sense powers.
Attachment, anger – these have been completely spent.
They’re able to subdue mundane desirous love. (3.11)

When absorptions (dhyāna) are mentioned, the word absorption is illustrative, and also refers to the equilibrium states (samāpatti) and the immeasurables (apramāṇa).

As stated in the context of the third bodhisattva ground:

The bodhisattvas dwelling on the bodhisattva ground Luminous are separated from desires, are separated from negative non-virtuous ways, and by virtue of deliberation (vitarka) and judgement (vicāra) attain and abide in the first absorption of joy (prīti) and bliss (sukha), emerging from separation. With the cessation of deliberation and judgement, developing inner serenity, the mind becomes one-pointed and they attain and abide in the second absorption of joy and bliss, emerging from a concentration free from deliberation and judgement. With the cessation of desire for joy, dwelling in equanimity, being mindful and aware, there is physical bliss and they attain and abide in the third absorption beyond joy, expressed by the noble ones as the equanimity of dwelling in the bliss of whatever is thought of. Abandoning bliss, abandoning former suffering, comfort and discomfort disappears and they attain and abide in the fourth absorption of perfectly pure equanimity and awareness that is neither happiness nor suffering.⁴

These are the four meditative absorptions.

Concerning the four formless equilibria it states:

Passing entirely beyond perceptions of form, perceptions of impediments disappear, they do not entertain perceptions of variety, and the thought ‘infinite space’ occurs, as they attain and abide in the sense field of infinite space. Passing entirely beyond the sense field of infinite space, the thought ‘infinite consciousness’ occurs, as they attain and abide in the sense field of infinite consciousness. Passing entirely beyond the sense field of infinite consciousness, the thought ‘nothing whatsoever’ occurs, as they attain and abide in the sense field of nothing whatsoever. Passing entirely beyond the sense field of nothing whatsoever, the thought ‘neither consciousness nor non-consciousness’ occurs, as they attain and abide in the sense field of neither consciousness nor non-consciousness.⁵

These are the four formless equilibria.

Concerning the four immeasurables it states:

They attain and dwell in a broad mind possessed of love that is vast, non-dual, immeasurable and not hostile; that entertains no rivalry, and is without obscurations and malice; that is all-encompassing, extending throughout the expanse of phenomena (dharmadhātu), reaching to the limits of the element of space, spreading throughout the universe.⁶

The same as above applies to a broad mind possessed of compassion, joy and equanimity.

Concerning the five supercognitions it states:

They enjoy various types of miraculous abilities. They can make the ground tremble; transform from one to many, and from many to one; appear and disappear; pass directly through walls; pass directly through barriers; even mountains they can pass through without impediment, as if they were empty space. They can move through space in the cross-legged posture, just like a winged bird. They can emerge from and sink into the ground as if it was water. They can move on water without sinking, as if it was solid ground. They can produce smoke or fire as if they themselves were a great bonfire. They can make great torrents of water emerge from their bodies as if they were a great cloud; and with that water they can quell the blazing fires that scorch, burn and incinerate the entire trichiliocosm. They can stretch out their hand and touch the most powerful and mighty moon and sun, and their physical powers reach even up to the world of Brahma.⁷

Such is their supercognition of miraculous ability.

Since the purified faculty of their divine ear surpasses the human state, they can hear the sounds of gods and humans alike. They can hear sounds however subtle or vast, far away or near, even those of gnats, mosquitos, bees and flies.⁸

Such is their supercognition of divine ear.

They mentally, and with precision, gain knowledge of the minds of other sentient beings and people. They know desirous states of mind perfectly as desirous states of mind. They know non-desirous states of mind perfectly as non-desirous states of mind; and the same for those filled with anger and those without anger; those filled with confusion and those without confusion; those filled with afflictions and those without afflictions; the ones who are limited, vast, great or limitless; who are gathered, expanded, concentrated or not concentrated; who are liberated and who are not liberated; who have faults and are without faults. They know with precision the coarse-minded to be coarse-minded. They know with precision that those without coarse minds are not coarse-minded. In this way, they mentally and with precision gain knowledge of the minds of other sentient beings and people.⁹

Such is their supercognition of knowing the minds of others.

They can recall many previous states. They remember one lifetime. They remember two lifetimes, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand. They remember many hundreds of lifetimes, many thousands of lifetimes, many hundreds of thousands of lifetimes, many billions of lifetimes, many hundred quintillions of lifetimes; aeons of destruction, aeons of creation, many aeons of destruction and creation. They remember a hundred aeons. They remember a thousand aeons. They remember a hundred thousand aeons, ten million aeons, a billion aeons, ten billion aeons, a trillion aeons, up to ten quintillion aeons. They remember many previous states, their characteristics, evidence and reasons, thinking, ‘At one point I was named so-and-so, belonged to such-and-such a family, to this or that social class, ate such-and-such types of food, reached such-and-such an age, remained for this or that long, had such-and-such experiences of happiness and suffering, and when I died I took such-and-such a rebirth. Again, when I passed from that state, I was born here.’¹⁰

Such is their supercognition of recalling previous states.

With their pure divine eye surpassing human capacity, they see sentient beings dying and being born, of good character and negative character, those going to fortunate states and those going to unfortunate states, those who are good and those who are bad. They know with precision the type of karma sentient beings carry: ‘Indeed, these sentient beings engage in negative physical acts, negative verbal acts, negative mental acts. They have wrong views and disparage the noble ones. Having devoted themselves to karmas of wrong view, when their body perishes and they die, they will fall into lower states of misery and be born as hell beings.’ And: ‘Indeed, these sentient beings engage in good physical acts, good verbal acts and good mental acts. They have good views and do not disparage the noble ones. Having devoted themselves to karmas of good view, when their body perishes and they die, they will go to the higher states of happiness and be born among the gods.’ These things they know. Likewise, with their pure divine eye surpassing human capacity, they see sentient beings dying, being born, of good character and negative character … (and so forth), they see all this, their characteristics, evidence and reasons. They know with precision the type of karma sentient beings carry.

Although they enter and emerge from these absorptions, liberations, concentrations and equilibria, if they see a situation where the limbs of awakening may be fulfilled, directing their attention towards that, they are born there by the power of their aspirations. Only then, not under the influence of such states, do they take rebirth there. Why? Because such bodhisattvas possess a stream of mind accomplished in skilful means.¹¹

Hence, at this point the absorptions and supercognitions arise for the bodhisattva.

How then, are worldly attachment and aversion permanently and completely exhausted? The word and serves to include what is not explicitly mentioned, meaning that delusion is also completely exhausted. How so? About this the sutra states:

As they realise that there is no transference and no destruction since all dharmas rely on conditions, all the bonds of desire are that much weakened; all the bonds of form, bonds of existence and bonds of ignorance are weakened. The bonds related to view have already been discarded. The bodhisattvas dwelling on the bodhisattva ground Luminous abandon the faults of attachment that would not decrease throughout many hundreds of aeons, many thousands of aeons, many hundred thousands of aeons, many ten millions of aeons, up to many ten quintillion aeons. They abandon the faults of aversion that would not decrease. They abandon faults of delusion that would not decrease.¹²

In this way, their attachment, aversion and delusion are wholly exhausted.

How is it that they are able to permanently destroy worldly desirous attachment? As stated:

O victor heirs. This has been a short presentation of Luminous, the third bodhisattva ground. The bodhisattvas who dwell here mostly become kings of the gods and powerful lords of the gods¹³ . Refined and foremost when it comes to mastering the means of averting sentient beings’ desirous attachment, they are skilled in extracting beings from the mire of attachment.¹⁴

In this way, the victor heirs have the power to overcome the world’s desirous attachment.

Thus, having indicated how bodhisattvas on the third bodhisattva ground undoubtedly attain the pure perfection of tolerance, the absorptions, immeasurables, equilibria, supercognitions and the complete exhaustion of attachment and so forth, in order to clarify the particular support of the three perfections up to the perfection of tolerance, their nature as accumulations, and the attained result that is established, it was said:

The Sugata would chiefly recommend these three,
Of giving and so forth, to lay practitioners.
And as they are the merit-type of gathering,
They bring about the buddha in corporeal form. (3.12)

Although only bodhisattvas may serve as the support for the generosity and so forth explained here, there is still mention of a twofold division in terms of householders and renunciates. In this regard, the three dharmas of generosity and so forth, being easier to practice, are mainly for householders, while diligence, meditative absorption and great intelligence are for renunciates. Still, it is not the case that one is impossible for the other. The accumulations that lead to buddhahood are two: the accumulation of merit and the accumulation of wisdom. The accumulation of merit is comprised of these three perfections, while the accumulation of wisdom is comprised of meditative absorption and great intelligence. Diligence is held to be the cause for both. The accumulation of merit is the cause for the form body of an illustrious complete buddha, the variegated marvellous and unimaginable form with hundreds of meritorious characteristics. The cause of the body having the nature of dharma, and characterised by being unborn, is the accumulation of wisdom.

Now, having expressed its greatness in terms of the exaltedness of the support and so forth, to provide a conclusion to the section on the third bodhisattva ground:

On Luminous, where bodhisattvas stay like suns,
The murkiness within themselves has been dispelled.
They now intend to shed all beings of their gloom.

The Luminous¹⁵ ground is the sun-like state of the sugata heirs, where the unknowing present in their own being, which constituted an obstacle to the arising of this state, has been dispelled. Acting as examples, they now wish to destroy the gloom that blocks the arising of the third ground for others as well. For these bodhisattvas,

But though intense upon this ground, no anger stirs. (3.13)

Although they are as intense¹⁶ as the sun when it comes to defeating the gloom of faults that destroy one’s qualities, they never become angry with individuals filled with defects, the reasons being their excellent cultivation of tolerance and a mind saturated with compassion.

This concludes the third resolve from the Commentary to Entering the Middle Way.