Praise for the Awakening Mind

Śāntideva begins by bowing to the buddhas and bodhisattvas, whom he refers to as the “sugatas and their sons” (I.1). Sugata is a Sanskrit title that means “well gone,” which means that the buddhas are those who have well gone beyond suffering and arrived at perfect buddhahood. Their sons are the bodhisattvas who aspire to attain buddhahood so that they also may lead sentient beings to freedom from suffering.

He then admits that he is not a particularly great writer nor is he going to say anything new. Rather, he is simply writing this for his own edification, and if it helps anyone else who may share his feelings and views then so much the better (I.2-3). This is a nice humble way to begin, and it should be kept in mind when reading the rest of the text. He is not preaching to others from some high position of purity or authority. He is simply sharing what goes on in his own mind as he reflects upon the “awkening mind,” which is the aspiration to attain buddhahood in order to liberate all beings and the means by which to fulfill that aspiration.

“Awakening mind” is described as something rare and exceedingly wonderful. It can  overcome all the sufferings of sentient beings and even the seemingly overwhelming power of evil (I.4). It’s appearance is compared to a flash of lightning on a stormy night that illuminates the darkness (I.5). This image can also be used to illustrate the concept of a sudden awakening followed by gradual practice. In other words, before having a moment of clarity and deep insight, one’s practice is confused and based on mistaken ideas, superstition and magical-thinking, and of course self-deception, complacency and self-serving motives may also be present. In the moment of sudden awakening one sees, if only for a moment, the true nature of reality and the path to liberation. It is as though one had strayed from one’s path while hiking in the darkness and a flash of lightning allows one to see the correct path. But then the darkness closes in again and now one must make one’s way back to the path. Even after a moment of clarity one’s bad habits and negative thinking close in again, but now one knows what needs to be done. Gradual practice follows a sudden awakening, so that what is seen in a moment of insight can be integrated into one’s daily life.

Though the power of evil and suffering seems overwhelming, nevertheless the awakening mind can bring all beings happiness and so the bodhisattvas must never abandon it (I.6-9).

When such an awakening mind has arisen in even an evil wretched person, Śāntideva says that they are immediately revered as a son of the buddhas (I. 9). They are transmuted, as though by alchemy, from a base ignorant person into the image of the Buddha-gem (I.10). The awakening mind alone constantly good fruit that will not disappoint those who cultivate it and so it should be “grasped tightly” (I.11-12). It protects from and consumes even the greatest of evil (I. 13-14). Now in Buddhism a good cause cannot wholly negate a bad cause nor a bad cause wholly negate a good cause, but it is also true that the overall karmic pattern of a being provides a context in which good and bad causes may be felt more or less strongly. So the effects of an unwholesome action might be mitigated or offset by the effects of wholesome actions. On the other hand, the effects of a wholesome action might be diluted or offset by the effects of unwholesome actions. The Buddha, therefore, denies that a cause will rigidly give rise to a specific effect. Rather, the effect will emerge according to its kind but in conjunction with the larger pattern of causes and conditions of which it is a part. The Buddha explains this in the Salt Crystal Discourse (Loṇaphala-sutta; AN 3:101) by using the analogy of a salt crystal thrown into different bodies of water. The Buddha explains that just as a salt crystal dropped into a small cup of water would make the water unfit to drink, an evil deed send a person to hell if they have not developed any other good qualities; whereas just as a salt crystal dropped into a Ganges River will not make the water salty because there is so much more water, likewise an evil deed can be outweighed by a person’s many other good qualities.

Of course this analogy also breaks down under scrutiny. It could be used to try to excuse committing evil deeds because one’s intentions were good or because the evil done is outweighed by other good qualities or actions. This kind of rationalization and/or compacency is not what the Buddha meant. Any intention that excuses evil is thereby an impure intention, and one cannot presume upon one’s perceived good qualities. Also, a person who has genuinely made effforts to cultivate themselves will be even more sensitive to their personal failings than an amoral person who makes no efforts to maintain their integrity.

The main point the Buddha was making, however, does apply to what is being said by Śāntideva about the awakening mind. Genuinely aspiring to awakening for the liberation of all beings is so meritorious that it reconfigures and recontexualizes everything in one’s life. This means that one will be able to use even the memory of past unwholesome actions in ways that will improve one’s character and be of benefit to other people. For example, a bodhisattva who has aroused the awakening mind will reflect on their past actions and the consequences of those actions and thereby realize humility, determine to do better, and have a greater sense of empathy for those still caught up in unwholesome actions and the suffering that is their fruition. In this way, evil is turned to good ends, but only because it is reflected upon an then utilized by a mind that is determined to eliminate evil and suffering.

Śāntideva then defines two kinds of awakening mind (I. 15-16). One is the mind resolved on awakening and the other is the mind that takes action based on that resolve. Naturally the second brings far greater merit than the first (I.16). There follows a reflection on how rare and wonderful it is that someone resolve on liberating all beings from suffering, when so many people do not even conceive of attaining liberaton even for themselves (I.17-25). The mind of awakening is then called a jewel and a seed of pure happiness (I.26).

The arousing of the mind of awakening is asserted to be far greater than mere worship of the Buddha (I.27). Clearly it is far more valuable to actually work for the benefit of others than to be merely pious, let alone idolatrous, or to indulge in sentimental wishes (“thoughts and prayers”) without making any actual efforts to act in a compassionate manner.

Whereas so many people try to escape suffering by doing things that instead create more suffering for themselves and others, the bodhisattva instead has the awakening mind which leads to the wisdom and meritorious activity that can lead to liberation for countless beings (I.28-30). The bodhisattvas selfless actions make them far greater than those who are praised for contemptuously offering limited forms of material charity to a few people (I.31).

Next is a caution against harboring ill-will against those bodhisattvas who have aroused the awakening mind, for every moment of such a thought is likened to dwelling in hell for an eon (I.34). On the other hand, one who become “serenely confident” in those with the awakening mind will gain far greater fruit. “For evil actions against the sons  of the Conqueror require great force, while pure actions come effortlessly.” (I.35) So despite the earlier statement that evil seems to outweight the good (except for the good of the awakening mind), Śāntideval here asserts that in the context of the awakening mind, it is good that is far stronger.

The chapter ends with an expression of taking refuge in the buddhas and bodhisattvas who have the awakening mind (I.36). By this it is meant that they are refuges in that they are inspiring guides that one should emulate.