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.¹

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.²

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.³

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.⁴

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.⁵

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.⁶

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.’⁷

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.⁸

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.⁹

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 gods¹⁰ . 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.¹¹

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 Luminous¹² 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 intense¹³ 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.

Now, by way of showing how the perfection of diligence surpasses the perfections of generosity, moral discipline and tolerance, the fourth resolve is explained:

Good qualities come in the wake of diligence;
What brings one stores of merit and intelligence.
As this is where their diligence is burning strong,
This ground, the fourth among them, is the Radiant. (4.1)

If one has no enthusiasm for virtuous ways, one will not apply oneself in all manners to generosity and so forth, thus making it impossible for all the good qualities to arise. With a formerly established keenness for accumulating good qualities, what has been gained will increase and what has not been gained becomes achievable. Thus, diligence is the cause of each and every good quality. That it is the cause of the two accumulations was already explained above. Being the ground where diligence blazes forth as it refines all one’s good qualities, this fourth bodhisattva ground is therefore named Radiant (arciṣmatī).

Inquiring further into why it is called ‘Radiant’, the purpose for using this name is now explained:

There now appears for the sugata heirs a light
More bright than copper, born from cultivation of
The thirty-seven factors of enlightenment –

On this ground there appears for the bodhisattvas a glow exceeding the lustre of copper previously explained, and this comes from their practice of the thirty-seven factors of awakening. Thus, since the fire of genuine wisdom blazes brightly, this bodhisattva ground is named Radiant. The thirty-seven factors of awakening are the four applications of mindfulness, the four correct abandonments, the four miraculous legs, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening and the eightfold noble path.

The four applications of mindfulness are taught at length:

O victor heirs. The bodhisattva dwelling on the bodhisattva ground Radiant is assiduous, attentively and mindfully remaining with the observation of the inner body, abandoning craving and discomfort relating to the world. He is assiduous, attentively and mindfully remaining with the observation of the outer body, abandoning craving and discomfort relating to the world. … remaining with the observation of the inner and outer body … (and so forth, as before). Likewise, he is assiduous, attentively and mindfully remaining with … inner sensations, outer sensations, and inner and outer sensations; (and, as before) … with inner thinking, outer thinking, and inner and outer thinking; … remaining with inner dharmas, outer dharmas, and inner and outer dharmas.¹⁴

Concerning the four correct abandonments it is taught:

He sets himself a goal, strives, is diligent, focuses his mind and directs it properly in order not to give rise to negative non-virtuous dharmas that have not yet arisen. Likewise, he … in order to rid himself of negative non-virtuous dharmas that have arisen. Likewise, he … in order to give rise to virtuous dharmas that have not yet arisen. Likewise, he sets himself a goal, strives … in order to stabilise, keep from diminishing, increase, ensure the future arising and complete perfection of virtuous dharmas that have arisen.¹⁵

Concerning the four miraculous legs it is taught:

He cultivates the miraculous leg of the concentration of interest, combined with the impulse of abandonment, through relying on isolation, relying on freedom from attachment, relying on extinction and developing renunciation. Likewise, … the miraculous leg of the concentration of diligence, combined with the impulse of abandonment, … ; … the miraculous leg of intention, combined with the impulse of abandonment, … ; … the miraculous leg of investigation, combined with the impulse of abandonment, … .¹⁶

Concerning the five faculties it is taught:

He cultivates the faculty of faith, relying on isolation … the faculty of diligence … the faculty of mindfulness … the faculty of concentration … the faculty of intelligence, relying on isolation, relying on freedom from attachment … (and so forth, as before).¹⁷

The five powers are exactly the same as those when the disharmonious elements have been overcome.

Concerning the seven limbs of awakening it is taught:

He cultivates the limb of true awakening that is mindfulness, relying on isolation … the limb of true awakening that is investigation of dharmas … the limb of true awakening that is diligence … the limb of true awakening that is joy … the limb of true awakening that is pliancy … the limb of true awakening that is concentration … the limb of true awakening that is equanimity, relying on isolation … (and so forth, as before).¹⁸

Concerning the eightfold noble path it is taught:

He cultivates correct view, relying on isolation, relying on freedom from attachment, relying on extinction and developing renunciation. He cultivates correct thought … correct speech … correct action … correct livelihood … correct exertion … correct mindfulness … correct concentration, relying on isolation … (and so forth, as before).¹⁹

Not only do they on this ground gain a cultivation of the factors of awakening:

And any sense of self is now entirely gone. (4.2)

On this ground their view of self is also removed. As stated:

O victor heirs. The bodhisattva dwelling on the bodhisattva ground Radiant is free from all things related to the identity view: he is freed from all sense of stimulation, conceptualisation, analysis, sense of permanence, sense of ownership, sense of wealth and sense of abiding arising through attachment to a self, sentient beings, life, maintenance, a person, an individual, aggregates, elements and sense fields.²⁰

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

Now, in terms of the fifth resolve:

Great beings on this ground so Hard to Overcome
Cannot be conquered even by the demon hordes.

The Bodhisattvas dwelling on the fifth bodhisattva ground cannot be overcome even by the divine child-demons (devaputramāra) dwelling in all the realms of the world, let alone all other demons subservient to them. That is why this ground receives the name Hard to Conquer.

It should be recognised of the bodhisattvas that:

With excellent absorption these high-minded ones
Are masters in the subtle nature of the truths. (5.1)

Now, from among the ten perfections, it is the perfection of meditative absorption which is foremost. High-minded ones (sumati) is a reference to noble beings (ārya). Their truths are the truths of the high-minded, meaning the noble truths. Nature (svabhāva) refers to its true condition (svarūpa). The nature that is comprehended through exact understanding is the exact nature, and those who have a subtle understanding of the true condition of the truths of the high-minded are supremely wise. The four noble truths referred to here are those of suffering, origin, cessation and path.

But the Illustrious One taught that there are only two truths, namely the relative truth and the ultimate truth. As stated:

The knowers of the world themselves declared,
And not by hearsay, that there are two truths:
The relative and the ultimate.
There is no such thing as a third truth.²¹

And from the Middle Way Treatise:

The dharma teachings of the buddhas
Are based on two truths:
The relative truth of the world
And the ultimate truth.²²

Why then, it may be asked, do we have these four noble truths as distinct from the two truths? To explain we would say that, although that is indeed so, it is in order to separately indicate the causal and resultant aspects of what to adopt and what to reject that the four noble truths have been related in this manner. The aspect that needs to be rejected is thorough affliction (saṃkleśa), its result being the truth of suffering and its cause the truth of origin. The aspect that needs to be adopted is complete purification, its result being the truth of cessation and the cause for attaining this being the truth of the path. Among these, the truth of suffering, origin and path are included within the relative truth, while the truth of cessation is the essential condition of the ultimate truth. Any other truths, whatever they may be, would likewise certainly also be included within these two truths.

Are there then other truths different from the four truths? Yes, there are. As stated in the context of the fifth bodhisattva ground:

They know with complete accuracy that, ‘This is the noble truth of suffering’. They know with complete accuracy that, ‘This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the cessation of suffering.’ They are well-versed in the relative truth, well-versed in the ultimate truth, well-versed in the truth of characteristics, well-versed in the truth of distinctions, well-versed in the truth of examination, well-versed in the truth of substance, well-versed in the truth of production, well-versed in the truth of knowing extinction and non-arising, well-versed in the truth of engaging with the knowledge of the path, and well-versed in the truth of mastering the progression through all the levels of the bodhisattva grounds culminating in the wisdom of a tathāgata.

Related to these, accurately satisfying the wishes of other sentient beings, they fully know the relative truth. Applying themselves accurately to the sole path, they fully know the ultimate truth. Having realised their own and the shared characteristics, they fully know the truth of characteristics. Having understood the principles of distinguishing dharmas, they fully know the truth of distinctions. Having experienced what harms body and mind, they fully know substances. Having realised the connections involved in migrating, they fully know rebirth. Having fully pacified all the torments of illness, they fully know extinction and non-arising. Having mastered non-duality, they fully know how to engage with the knowledge of the path. Having perfectly assimilated the knowledge of all aspects, they fully know the truth of achieving the connections up through all the levels of the bodhisattva grounds culminating in the wisdom of a tathāgata.²³

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