Precious Garland - 2
(Nāgārjuna’s Ratnāvalī - Chapter 2)
Interwoven explanation of the cause and effect of definite goodness and high status (101-200)
Precious Garland - 2
(Nāgārjuna’s Ratnāvalī - Chapter 2)
Interwoven explanation of the cause and effect of definite goodness and high status (101-200)
“Embark on a journey through the luminous teachings of Nāgārjuna’s Precious Garland (Ratnāvalī), where Chapter 2 unfolds like a lotus in bloom, revealing the delicate balance between worldly virtue and the boundless horizon of enlightenment. Here, a king is tenderly guided to cultivate compassion, wisdom, and selfless intent (bohicitta), each verse a stepping stone toward a life adorned with the marks of true awakening. Like a gentle breeze carrying the scent of ancient wisdom, these words invite you to explore the causes of lasting happiness and the path to liberation, whispering secrets of the heart that transcend time. Dive into this poetic dialogue, where every line stirs the soul and beckons you to discover the beauty of a life lived for the sake of all beings.”
Last update: August 25, 2025
1. Cause and effect of definite goodness 101-123
a. Refuting extreme views 101-15 [Adding more wisdom to the practices: the Middle Way between all extremes: not accepting, not rejecting]
(1) Recalling the former explanation through another example 101
(2) Actual refutation of extreme views 102-114
(a) Absence of inherent existence of self and selflessness 102-103
(b) Absence of inherent existence of existents and non-existents 104-106
1' Actual explanation 104-5
2' Reason for not answering in any of the four extremes 106
(c) Dispelling an objection that not teaching an end to cyclic existence is wrong 107-114
1' Objection 107-108
2' Answer 109-114
(3) Therefore the four extremes were not taught 115
b. Difficulty of realizing the profound 116-123 [the danger of falling into nihilism]
(1) Reason for the difficulty of realizing the profound 116-117
(2) Reason why Buddha did not explain the profound to non-receptacles 118
(3) Explaining the reason 119-123
2. Cause and effect of high status 124-174b
a. Setting the scene 124-125
(1) Traveling in cyclic existence due to not realizing [U2T] 124
(2) Advice to strive for high status as long as emptiness is not realized 125
b. Actual explanation of the cause and effect of high status 126-174b [the actual practice: + virtues, - non-virtues]
(1) Achieving the causes for high status 126-143 (2) ) [virtuous practices]
(a) General exhortation to practice the causes for high status 126-132
1' Practicing causes having five benefits 126-127
2' Practice is the best policy 128
3' Forsaking bad policies 129-132
(b) Training in the special causes of high status 133-143
1’ Training in the four ways of assembling students: giving, speaking pleasantly, purposeful behavior, and concordant behavior 133
2' Training in the four goodnesses: speaking truth, generosity, peace, and wisdom 134-139
3' Relying on special associates [good companions] who cause increase of virtue 140-143
(2) Forsaking the causes of bad transmigrations 144-173
(a) Brief explanation 144-145
(b) Extensive explanation 146-173
1' Stopping attachment to intoxicants 146
2' Stopping attachment to gambling 147
3' Stopping attachment to women [or the opposite sex in general] 148-170
4' Stopping hunting 171-173
(3) Summary: Abandoning non-practices and achieving the practices 174ab
3. Cause and effect of definite goodness 174c-200
a. Condensing the principal causes of highest enlightenment into three [bodhicitta, compassion, wisdom] and training in them 174c-175
b. Training in the causes for achieving the thirty-two signs of a Buddha 176-196
(1) Exhortation to listen 176
(2) Actual explanation of the thirty-two marks of a Buddha 177-196
c. Reason for not elaborating here on the causes and effects of the 80 beautiful features 197
d. Difference between the marks of a Buddha and of a Universal Emperor 198-200
(1) Difference in effects 198
(2) Difference in causes 199-200d
(3) Example 200efgh
[i.e. Interwoven explanation of the cause and effect of definite goodness and high status (101-200)]
(TOC - Table of Content of this Section:
a. Refuting extreme views
b. Difficulty of realizing the profound)
(Summary of Nāgārjuna’s Ratnāvalī Chapter 2, Section on Cause and Effect of Definite Goodness (Verses 101–123):
In the opening section of Chapter 2 of Nāgārjuna’s Precious Garland (Ratnāvalī), verses 101–123, the focus is on the cause and effect of “definite goodness,” the ultimate liberation from cyclic existence through realizing the true nature & dynamic of reality as it is here & now [U2T].
The section is divided into two main parts:
– refuting extreme views and addressing the difficulty of realizing the profound doctrine.
– Nāgārjuna begins by recalling the selflessness of persons and phenomena [U2T], using the analogy of a banana tree to illustrate that a person, like its parts, lacks inherent existence when analyzed (verse 101).
– He refutes extreme views by asserting that neither self nor non-self, nor existents nor non-existents, are inherently real, as phenomena are neither true nor false [Tetralemma] ⇐⇒ but dependently co-arisen [T1] ⇐⇒ and empty [T2] [U2T] (verses 102–105).
– The Buddha’s silence on questions about the world’s limits — whether it has limits, no limits, both, or neither — stems from phenomena’s lack of inherent existence, transcending [T2] (without rejection [T1]) all four extremes [U2T-in-action] (verses 106–115).
– Using the example of an illusory elephant, Nāgārjuna demonstrates that the world’s production, cessation, coming, and going are mere appearances [T1] ⇐⇒ without ultimate reality [T2] [U2T] ⇐⇒ existing only as conventional imputations [T1] (verses 109–114).
– The second part highlights the difficulty of realizing this profound doctrine, noting that even the body’s impurity is hard to grasp, making the subtle, baseless nature of reality even more elusive (verses 116–117).
– The Buddha initially refrained from teaching this doctrine due to its complexity for non-receptacles (verse 118).
– Misunderstanding this teaching leads to ruin, as the unwise may fall into nihilism, grasping emptiness as an absolute, and facing negative rebirths, while correct understanding brings bliss and enlightenment (verses 119–122).
– Nāgārjuna concludes by urging the king to forsake nihilistic views and pursue correct understanding of the Union of the Two Truths [U2T], without grasping/rejecting either of them as absolute [U2T-2T], ensuring the attainment of all spiritual aims (verse 123).)
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(1) Recalling the former explanation through another example 101
101. Just as when a banana tree
With all its parts is torn apart, there is nothing,
So when a person having the [six] constituents
Is divided, it is the same.
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(Six constituents: Feelings (1), discriminations (2), compositional factors (3), consciousnesses (4) elements (5), self (6).)
(2) Actual refutation of extreme views 102-114 (3)
(a) Absence of inherent existence of self and selflessness 102-103
102. Therefore the Conquerors said,
"All phenomena [T1] are selfless [T2] [U2T]."
Since this is so, all six constituents
Have been delineated as selfless for you.
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103. Thus neither self nor non-self
Are to be apprehended as real.
Therefore the Great Subduer rejected (refuted)
Views of self and of non-self.
(b) Absence of inherent existence of existents and non-existents 104-106 (2)
1' Actual explanation 104-5
104. Sights, sounds, and so forth were said by the Subduer
Not to be true and not to be false.
If from one position its opposite arises,
Both do not exist in fact. a
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105. Thus ultimately this world
Is beyond truth and falsity.
Therefore the Subduer does not assert
That it really exists or does not.
2' Reason for not answering in any of the four extremes 106
106. [Knowing that] these in all ways do not exist,
How could the All-Knower say
They have limits or no limits,
Or have both or neither?
(c) Dispelling an objection that not teaching an end to cyclic existence is wrong 107-114 (2)
1' Objection 107-108
107. "Innumerable Buddhas have come,
And likewise will come and are here at present.
There are zillions of sentient beings,
And in addition the Buddhas intend to abide in the three times.
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108. "The extinguishing of the world in the three
Times does not cause it to increase,
Then why was the All-Knower silent
About the limits of the world?" a
2' Answer 109-114 (3)
a' Example for the absence of inherent existence of the world's production and cessation 109-111 (2)
1" The profound as what is secret for non-receptacles 109
109. That which is secret for a common being
Is the profound doctrine,
The world as like an illusion,
The ambrosia of the Buddhas' teaching.
2" Actual example 110-111
110. Just as the production and disintegration
Of an illusory elephant are seen,
But the production and disintegration [T1]
Do not really exist [T2] [U2T],
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111. So the production and disintegration
Of the illusion-like world are seen [T1],
But the production and disintegration
Do not ultimately exist [T2] [U2T].
b' Example for the absence of inherent existence of going, staying and coming 112-113
112. Just as an illusory elephant,
Being only a bewildering of consciousness,
Does not come from anywhere,
Nor go anywhere, nor really stay,
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113. So the illusion-like world,
Being only a bewildering of consciousness,
Does not come from anywhere,
Nor go anywhere, nor really stay.
c' Things are only nominally imputed [T1] 114
114. Thus it has a nature beyond the three times.
Other than as the imputation of a convention
What world is there in fact
Which would exist or not?
(3) Therefore the four extremes were not taught 115
115. For this reason the Buddha,
Except for keeping silent, said nothing
About the fourfold format: having or
Not having a limit, both, or neither. b
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(1) Reason for the difficulty of realizing the profound 116-117 Ill
116. When the body, which is unclean,
Coarse, and an object of the senses,
Does not stay in the mind [as having a nature of uncleanliness and pain]
Although it is continually in view,
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117. Then how could this doctrine
Which is most subtle, profound,
Baseless, and not manifest,
Easily appear to the mind?
(2) Reason why Buddha did not explain the profound to non-receptacles 118 Ill
118. Realizing that because of its profundity
This doctrine is difficult for beings to understand,
The Subduer, having become enlightened
[At first] turned away from teaching doctrine. a
(3) Explaining the reason 119-123 (3) Ill
(a) Faults of misconceiving the profound 119-120 Ill
119. This doctrine wrongly understood
Causes the unwise b to be ruined
Because they sink into the uncleanliness
Of nihilistic views. [T2-only]
(i.e. thinking emptiness means complete non-existence)
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120. Further, the stupid who fancy
Themselves wise, c having a nature
Ruined by rejecting [valid conventional truths], [T2-only]
Go headfirst to a terrible hell due to their wrong understanding.
(b) Example for the defects of misconception and the good qualities of correct conception 121-122 Ill
121. Just as one comes to ruin
Through wrong eating but obtains
Long life, freedom from disease,
Strength, and pleasures through right eating,
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122. So one comes to ruin
Through wrong understanding (nihilism) [T2-only]
But obtains bliss and highest enlightenment
Through right understanding [U2T].
(c) Advice to be conscientious about realizing the profound 123 Ill
123. Therefore having forsaken with respect to this
Nihilistic views and rejection (of conventional truths) [T2-only],
Be supremely intent on correct understanding [U2T]
For the sake of achieving all aims (enlightenment).
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(Conclusion of Nāgārjuna’s Ratnāvalī Chapter 2, Section on Cause and Effect of Definite Goodness (Verses 101–123):
This section of Chapter 2 serves as a profound entry into the Madhyamaka Middle Way, emphasizing that definite goodness arises from realizing the non-dual nature of reality, articulated as the inseparability, interdependence, harmony, Union of dependently co-arisen relatively functional appearances [T1] ⇐⇒ and emptiness of inherent existence [T2] [U2T].
– Nāgārjuna’s refutation of extreme views about any duality/triad/quad… — such as self/non-self or existence/non-existence — employs the tetralemma, transcending dualities/triadfs/quads…; ex. by showing that phenomena are neither inherently existent, non-existent, both, nor neither, because all of those extreme positions lead to contradictions / absurdities (verses 103–106).
– This non-dual insight, illustrated through the illusion-like nature of the world (verses 110–113), reveals that opposites like saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, production and cessation, cause and effect, are not ultimately different/identical /both/neither ⇐⇒ are thus empty of inherent existence [T2-opp] ⇐⇒ existing only as conventional co-imputations [T1-opp] [U2T-opp].
– The difficulty of grasping this baseless doctrine, as Nāgārjuna notes (verses 116–118), underscores the need for careful understanding to avoid pitfalls / extremes like nihilism, which he warns against with compassion (verses 119–120).
– By contrasting the ruin of wrong understanding (extremes) with the bliss of correct realization [U2T] (verses 121–122), Nāgārjuna highlights the transformative power of the Middle Way: a path that neither accepts nor rejects phenomena in absolute terms but engages them conventionally [T1] ⇐⇒ while grounded in ultimate wisdom [T2] [U2T-in-action].
– This section not only deepens the philosophical foundation laid in Chapter 1 but also sets the stage for the Bodhisattva’s integration/Harmony/Union of compassion [T2] ⇐⇒ and wisdom [T1] [U2T-in-action], urging the king — and all practitioners — to pursue this profound understanding [U2T] as the key to liberation / enlightenment.
– Its timeless message invites us to look beyond surface appearances, embrace the illusory nature of reality, and find freedom in the non-dual truth that transcends all extremes [U2T / Uopp / U3S / UGM].)
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(TOC - Table of Content of this Section:
a. Setting the scene: The root cause of saṃsāra is ignorance of the inconceivable true nature & dynamic of reality as it is, of the karmic cycle / saṃsāra, as pointed out by concepts like [U2T] [Uopp] [U3S] [UGM].
b. Actual explanation of the cause and effect of high status:
(1) Achieving the causes for high status: benefices of virtuous practices:
– Giving, speaking pleasantly, purposeful behavior, and concordant behavior.
– Training in truth, giving, peace and wisdom.
– Relying on special associates [good companions] who cause increase of virtue.
– Continuously meditating on death and impermanence.
(2) Forsaking the causes of bad transmigrations:
– Ill deeds, intoxicants, gambling, lust for a woman, hunting / killing.
(3) Summary: Abandoning non-practices and achieving the practices.)
(Summary of Nāgārjuna’s Ratnāvalī Chapter 2, Section on Cause and Effect of High Status (Verses 124–174b):
In the second section of Chapter 2 of Nāgārjuna’s Precious Garland (Ratnāvalī), verses 124–174b, the focus returns to the cause and effect of “high status,” the temporary happiness and favorable rebirths within saṃsāra, such as a precious human life conducive to spiritual progress.
– The section begins by setting the scene, explaining that ignorance of the true nature of reality — described as the Union of the Two Truths [U2T] — fuels the conception of an inherent “I,” leading to virtuous and non-virtuous actions and thus perpetuating cyclic existence (verse 124).
– Until this profound reality is realized, Nāgārjuna advises the king to practice virtues like giving, ethics, and patience to secure high status (verse 125).
– The core explanation (verses 126–174b) is divided into three parts:
(1) achieving the causes for high status,
(2) forsaking the causes of bad transmigrations, and
(3) a summary.
(1) First, Nāgārjuna emphasizes the benefits of virtuous practices, which yield fame, happiness, fearlessness, and future well-being, making them the best policy to please the world without deceit (verses 126–129).
– He critiques reliance on misleading treatises that lead to bad rebirths and advocates cultivating good qualities to benefit oneself and others (verses 130–132).
– The king is urged to train in four methods of assembling students — giving, pleasant speech, purposeful behavior, and concordant behavior (verse 133) —
– and to develop the four goodnesses: truth (verses 134–135), generosity (verse 136), peace (verse 137), and wisdom [U2T] (verse 138), which collectively earn divine and human praise (verse 139).
– Associating with wise, compassionate companions who embody wisdom and compassion [U2T] fosters virtue, and acting on their beneficial advice, even if unpleasant, is crucial (verses 140–142).
– Continuous meditation on impermanence further motivates diligent practice (verse 143).
(2) The second part focuses on forsaking causes of bad rebirths,
– starting with a reminder of death’s certainty and the suffering caused by ill deeds (verses 144–145). Nāgārjuna advises avoiding intoxicants, which lead to ruin and delusion (verse 146), gambling, which breeds avarice and deceit (verse 147), and lust for women, extensively refuted by highlighting the body’s impurity through vivid descriptions of its unclean nature (verses 148–168).
– He contrasts fleeting pleasures of desire with the greater happiness of desirelessness (verse 169), noting that such meditation reduces attachment (verse 170).
– Hunting is condemned as a cause of suffering and hell, with a call to avoid killing, not instill fear, and instead bring joy to others (verses 171–173).
(3) The section concludes by summarizing the need to persistently observe virtuous practices and abandon non-virtues, aligning with the path to enlightenment (verse 174ab).)
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(1) Traveling in cyclic existence due to not realizing [U2T] 124
124. If this doctrine is not understood thoroughly,
The conception of an I prevails,
Hence come virtuous and non-virtuous actions
Which give rise to good and bad rebirths.
(2) Advice to strive for high status as long as emptiness is not realized 125
125. Therefore, as long as the doctrine removing/transcending
The conception of I is not known,
Take heed of the practices [adapted skillful means]
Of giving, ethics, and patience [T1].
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(1) Achieving the causes for high status 126-143 (2) ) [virtuous practices]
(a) General exhortation to practice the causes for high status 126-132 (3)
1' Practicing causes having five benefits 126-127
126. A Lord of the Earth who performs actions
With their prior, intermediary,
And final practices
Is not harmed here or in the future.
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127. Through the practices there are fame and happiness here,
There is no fear now or at the point of death,
In the next life happiness flourishes,
Therefore always observe the [virtuous] practices.
2' Practice is the best policy 128
128. The [virtuous] practices are the best policy,
It is through them that the world is pleased;
Neither here nor in the future is one cheated
By a world that has been pleased.
3' Forsaking bad policies 129-132 (3)
a' Unsuitability of relying on bad treatises 129
129. The world is displeased
By the policies of non-practice.
Due to the displeasure of the world
One is not pleased here or in the future.
b' Scorning reliance on bad treatises 130-131
130. How could those with senseless deviant minds
On a path to bad transmigrations,
Wretched, intent on deceiving others,
Have understood what is meaningful?
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131. How could those intent on deceiving others
Be persons of policy?
Through it they themselves will be cheated
In many thousands of births.
c' Special policy for practice 132
132. Even if you seek to harm an enemy,
You should remove your own defects and cultivate good qualities.
Through that you will help yourself,
And the enemy will be displeased.
(b) Training in the special causes of high status 133-143 (3)
1’ Training in the four ways of assembling students: giving, speaking pleasantly, purposeful behavior, and concordant behavior 133
133. You should cause the assembling
Of the religious and the worldly
Through giving, speaking pleasantly,
Purposeful behavior, and concordant behavior. a
2' Training in the four goodnesses: speaking truth, generosity, peace, and wisdom 134-139 (2)
a' The four individually 134-138 (4)
1" Training in truth 134-135
134. Just as by themselves the true words
Of kings generate firm trust,
So their false words are the best means
To create distrust.
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135. What is not deceitful is the truth;
It is not an intentional fabrication.
What is solely helpful to others is the truth. b
The opposite is falsehood since it does not help.
2" Training in giving 136
136. Just as a single splendid charity
Conceals the faults of kings,
So avarice destroys
All their wealth.
3" Training in peace 137
137. In peace there is profundity.
From profundity the highest respect arises,
From respect come influence and command,
Therefore observe peace.
4" Training in wisdom [U2T] 138
138. From wisdom one has a mind unshakable,
Non-reliance on others, firmness,
And is not deceived. Therefore,
O King, be intent on wisdom [U2T].
b' Summation 139
139. A lord of humanity having the four goodnesses—
Truth, generosity, peace [T1], and wisdom [T2] [U2T] —
Is praised by gods and humans
As are the four good practices themselves.
3' Relying on special associates [good companions] who cause increase of virtue 140-143 (3)
a' Characteristics of special associates 140
140. Wisdom and practice always grow
For one who keeps company
With those who speak advisedly,
Who are pure, c and who have unstained
wisdom [T2] ⇐⇒ and compassion [T1] [U2T].
b' Suitability of following special associates 141-142
141. Rare are helpful speakers,
Listeners are very rare,
But rarer still are those who act at once
On words that though unpleasant are beneficial.
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142. Therefore having realized that though unpleasant
It is helpful, act on it quickly,
Just as to cure an illness one drinks
Dreadful medicine from one who cares.62
c' Continuously meditating on the imminence of death 143
143. Always considering the impermanence
Of life, health, and dominion,
You thereby will make intense effort
Solely at the practices.
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(2) Forsaking the causes of bad transmigrations 144-173 (2) [non-virtues]
(a) Brief explanation 144-145
144. Seeing that death is certain
And that, having died, you suffer from ill deeds,
You should not commit ill deeds
Though there might be temporary pleasure.
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145. Sometimes no horror is seen
And sometimes it is.
If there is comfort in one,
Why do you have no fear for the other? a
(b) Extensive explanation 146-173 (3)
1' Stopping attachment to intoxicants 146
146. Intoxicants lead to worldly scorn,
Your affairs are ruined, wealth is wasted,
The unsuitable is done from delusion,
Therefore always avoid intoxicants.
2' Stopping attachment to gambling 147
147. Gambling causes avarice,
Unpleasantness, b hatred, deception, cheating,
Wildness, lying, senseless talk, and harsh speech,
Therefore always avoid gambling.
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3' Stopping attachment to women 148-170 (3)
a' General refutation of the cleanliness of a woman's body 148
148. Lust for a woman c mostly comes
From thinking that her body is clean,
But there is nothing clean
In a woman's body in fact.
b' Specific refutation of the cleanliness of a woman's body 149-169 (3)
1" Refuting that a woman's parts are beautiful 149-154 (4)
___ a’’ Unsuitability of attachment to a woman's body because of its only having a nature of the unclean 149-150
149. The mouth is a vessel of foul saliva
And scum between the teeth,
The nose a vessel of snot, slime, and mucus,
The eyes are vessels of tears and other excretions.
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150. The abdomen and chest is a vessel
Of feces, urine, lungs, liver, and so forth.
Those who through obscuration do not see
A woman this way, lust for her body.
___ b’’ Example 151
151. Just as some fools desire
An ornamented pot filled with what is unclean,
So ignorant, obscured
Worldly beings desire women. a
___ c’’ Absence of the state of desirelessness if attached to women 152
152. If the world is greatly attached
Even to this ever-so-smelly body
Which should cause loss of attachment,
How can it be led to freedom from desire?
___ d’’ Though a woman's body is unclean, the stupid call it a cause of pleasure 153-154
153. Just as pigs are greatly attached
To a site of excrement, urine, and vomit,
So some lustful ones desire
A site of excrement, urine, and vomit.
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154. This city of a body with protruding holes
From which impurities emerge
Is called an object of pleasure
By beings who are stupid.
2" Refuting that the whole body is beautiful 155-168 (4)
___ a’’ Stopping attachment to a woman's body in general 155-157
155. Once you yourself have seen the impurities
Of excrement, urine, and so forth,
How could you be attracted
To a body composed of those?
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156. Why should you lust desirously for this
While recognizing it as an unclean form
Produced by a seed whose essence is impure,
A mixture of blood and semen?
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157. One who lies on this impure mass
Covered by skin moistened
With those fluids, merely lies
On top of a woman's bladder,
___ b’’ Stopping attachment to its color and shape 158-165b (3)
___ ___ 1: Stopping attachment to the color and shape of a woman's body in general 158.
158. If whether beautiful or ugly,
Whether old or young,
All female bodies are unclean,
From what attribute does your lust arise?
___ ___ 2: Stopping attachment to a beautiful body 159-163 (2)
___ ___ ___ a: Unsuitability of attachment 159-161
159. Just as it is not fit to desire
Filth although it has a good color,
Is very fresh, and has a nice shape,
So is it with a woman's body.
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160. How could the nature of this putrid corpse,
A rotten mass covered outside by skin,
Not be seen when it looks
So very horrible?
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161. "The skin is not foul,
It is like a garment."
Like a hide over a mass of impurities
How could it be clean?
___ ___ ___ b: Suitability of disgust 162-163
162. A pot though beautiful outside,
Is reviled when filled with impurities.
Why is the body, filled with impurities
And foul by nature, not reviled?
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163. If you revile against impurities,
Why not against this body
Which befouls clean scents,
Garlands, food, and drink?
___ ___ 3: Thinking that one's own body, like a woman's, is unclean 164-165b
164. Just as one's own or others'
Impurities are reviled,
Why not revile against one's own
And others' unclean bodies?
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165. Since your own body is
As unclean as a woman's,
Is it not suitable to part
From desire for self and other?
___ c’’ Consequent Unsuitability of attachment to a woman's body 165 c-166
165. Since your own body is
As unclean as a woman's,
Is it not suitable to part
From desire for self and other?
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166. If you yourself wash this body
Dripping from the nine wounds a
And still do not think it unclean,
What use is [religious] instruction for you?
___ d’’ Chiding persons who praise women 167-168
167. Whoever composes poetry
With metaphors elevating this body—
O how shameless! O how stupid!
How embarrassing before [wise] 63 beings!
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168. Moreover, these sentient beings—
Obscured by the darkness of ignorance—
Quarrel most over what they desire,
Like dogs for the sake of some dirty thing.
3" Refuting that attachment to a woman is a cause of happiness 169
169. There is pleasure when a sore is scratched,
But to be without sores is more pleasurable still.
Just so, there are pleasures in worldly desires,
But to be without desires is more pleasurable still.
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c' Effect of meditating on uncleanliness 170
170. If you analyze thus, even though
You do not achieve freedom from desire,
Because your desire has lessened
You will not lust for women.
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4' Stopping hunting 171-173 (3)
a' Forsaking killing 171
171. To hunt game is a horrible
Cause of short life,
Fear, suffering, and hell,
Therefore always steadfastly keep from killing.
b' Forsaking generating fear in others 172
172. Those who frighten embodied beings
When they encounter them are malevolent
Like a snake spitting poison,
Its body completely stained with impurity.
c' Generating pleasure in others 173
173. Just as farmers are gladdened
When a great rain-cloud gathers,
So those who gladden embodied beings
When encountering them are beneficent.
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(3) Summary: Abandoning non-practices and achieving the practices 174ab
174. Thus observe the practices incessantly
And abandon those counter to them.
If you and the world wish to attain
Unparalleled enlightenment,
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(Conclusion of Nāgārjuna’s Ratnāvalī Chapter 2, Section on Cause and Effect of High Status (Verses 124–174b):
This section of Chapter 2 of the Ratnāvalī offers a practical and ethical roadmap for attaining high status within saṃsāra, emphasizing the cultivation of virtues and the abandonment of non-virtues as essential steps on the path to both worldly happiness and ultimate liberation.
– Nāgārjuna’s teachings are deeply rooted in the Madhyamaka understanding of reality, framing the root cause of saṃsāra as ignorance of the Union of the Two Truths [U2T] — dependently co-arisen appearances [T1] ⇐⇒ and their emptiness [T2] (verse 124).
– While the profound realization of this non-dual reality remains the ultimate goal, Nāgārjuna compassionately advises the king to focus on conventional practices like giving, ethics, and patience [T1] until such insight is attained [U2T] (verse 125).
(1) The detailed guidance on virtuous practices — such as the four goodnesses of truth, generosity, peace, and wisdom (verses 134–139) — and the importance of wise companions who embody wisdom and compassion (verse 140) reflects the Middle Way’s balance: engaging in conventional actions [T1] ⇐⇒ while understanding their ultimate emptiness [T2] [U2T-in-action].
(2) The extensive refutation of attachment to intoxicants, gambling, and lust (verses 146–170) not only addresses moral conduct but also subtly points to the illusory nature of desires, encouraging a shift toward desirelessness as a deeper happiness (verse 169).
– By advocating meditation on impermanence (verse 143) and the cessation of harmful actions like killing (verses 171–173), Nāgārjuna ensures that the path to high status aligns with the broader Bodhisattva ideal of benefiting others, as seen in the call to gladden beings (verse 173).
(3) This section thus serves as a bridge between the worldly [T1] and the ultimate [T2] [U2T-in-action], offering the king — and all practitioners — a foundation of ethical conduct that prepares the mind for the profound realization of [U2T].
– Its timeless relevance lies in its practical wisdom, inviting us to cultivate virtues, let go of destructive habits, and embrace impermanence, thereby creating the conditions for both temporal well-being (high status) and the eventual transcendence of saṃsāra (definite goodness).)
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(TOC - Table of Content of this Section:
a. Condensing the principal causes of highest enlightenment into three and training in them: Bodhicitta, compassion and wisdom.
b. Training in the causes for achieving the thirty-two signs of a Buddha:
c. Reason for not elaborating here on the causes and effects of the 80 beautiful features
d. Difference between the marks of a Buddha and of a Universal Emperor (infinitely superior).)
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(Summary of Nāgārjuna’s Ratnāvalī Chapter 2, Section on Cause and Effect of Definite Goodness (Verses 174c–200):
In the final section of Chapter 2 of Nāgārjuna’s Precious Garland (Ratnāvalī), verses 174c–200, the focus returns to the cause and effect of “definite goodness,” the ultimate attainment of enlightenment, building on the ethical foundation laid earlier.
This section is structured into four parts, emphasizing the path to Buddhahood through specific causes and their extraordinary effects.
a. Nāgārjuna begins by condensing the principal causes of highest enlightenment into three roots: the altruistic aspiration to enlightenment (bodhicitta), boundless compassion [T1] ⇐⇒ and non-dual wisdom [T2] [U2T-in-action], urging the king to train in these to achieve unparalleled enlightenment (verses 174c–175).
b. The second part elaborates on training in the causes for the thirty-two signs of a Buddha, physical marks symbolizing spiritual perfection (verses 176–196). Nāgārjuna invites the king to listen attentively (verse 176) and details how specific virtuous actions lead to these signs:
– honoring stupas results in wheel-marked hands and feet (verse 177),
– maintaining vowed practices yields level feet (verse 178), and
– giving, pleasant speech, purposeful behavior, and concordant behavior produce webbed fingers (verse 179).
– Other causes include abundant giving for soft hands and feet (verse 180),
– non-harming for a beautiful body (verse 181),
– spreading practices for good color (verse 182),
– zest for knowledge for antelope-like calves and wisdom (verse 183),
– immediate giving for broad arms (verse 184),
– reconciling friends for a retracted organ (verse 185),
– providing houses for a golden hue (verse 186),
– giving powers for a spiraling hair (verse 187),
– pleasant speech for a lion-like upper body (verse 188),
– curing the sick for broad shoulders (verse 189),
– concordant activities for a crown protrusion (verse 190),
– true speech for a long tongue and Brahma-like voice (verses 191–192),
– respect for white teeth (verse 193),
– non-divisive speech for forty even teeth (verse 194), and
– viewing beings with love for bright blue eyes (verse 195).
These signs and their causes are summarized as the marks of a “great lion of beings” (verse 196).
c. The third part explains why Nāgārjuna does not elaborate on the eighty beautiful features, citing their origin in love but noting the risk of making the text too long (verse 197).
d. Finally, the section contrasts the marks of a Buddha with those of a Universal Emperor, emphasizing the Buddha’s infinite superiority in purity, beauty, and luster, despite both sharing similar signs (verse 198). The causes for a Universal Emperor’s marks stem from faith in the Buddha, but even immense virtue over eons cannot produce a single hair-pore of a Buddha, likened to the brilliance of suns versus fireflies (verses 199–200).)
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174. Thus observe the practices incessantly
And abandon those counter to them.
If you and the world wish to attain
Unparalleled enlightenment,
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175. Its roots are the altruistic aspiration to enlightenment
Firm like the monarch of mountains,
Compassion reaching to all quarters [T1],
And wisdom not relying on duality [T2] [U2T-in-action].
(1) Exhortation to listen 176
176. O great King, listen to how
Your body will be adorned
With the thirty-two signs
Of a great being.
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(2) Actual explanation of the thirty-two marks of a Buddha 177-196
177. Through proper honoring of stupas, a
Honorable beings, Superiors, and the elderly
You will become a Universal Monarch,
Your glorious hands and feet marked with [a design of] wheels.
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178. O King, always maintain firmly
What you have vowed about the practices,
You will then become a Bodhisattva
With feet that are very level.
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179. Through giving, speaking pleasantly,
Purposeful behavior, and concordant behavior b
You will have hands with glorious
Fingers joined by webs [of light],
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180. Through abundant giving
Of the best food and drink
Your glorious hands and feet will be soft;
Your hands, feet, shoulder blades,
And the nape of your neck will broaden,
So your body will be large and those seven areas broad.
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181. Through never doing harm and freeing the condemned
Your body will be beautiful, straight, and large,
Very tall with long fingers
And broad backs of the heels.
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182. Through spreading the vowed practices
You will have glory, a good color,
Your ankles will not be prominent,
Your body hairs will stand upwards.
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183. Through your zest for knowledge, the arts,
And so forth, and through imparting them
You will have the calves of an antelope,
A sharp mind, and great wisdom.
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184. If others seek your wealth and possessions,
Through the discipline of immediate giving
You will have broad arms and a pleasant appearance a
And will become a leader of the world.
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185. Through reconciling well
Friends who have become divided
You will become the best of those
Whose glorious secret organ retracts inside. b
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186. Through giving good houses
And nice comfortable carpets
Your color will be very soft
Like refined stainless gold.
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187. Through giving the highest powers c
And following a teacher properly
You will be adorned by each and every hair
And by a spiraling hair between the eyebrows.
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188. Through speech that is pleasant and pleasing
And by acting upon the good speech [of others]
You will have curving shoulders
And a lion-like upper body.
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189. Through nursing and curing the sick,
The area between your shoulders will be broad,
You will live in a natural state,
And all tastes will be the best.
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190. Through initiating activities concordant
With the practices, your crown protrusion d
Will stand out well, and [your body] will be
Symmetrical like a banana tree.
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191. Through speaking true and soft words
Over a long time, O lord of humanity,
Your tongue will be long
And your voice that of Brahma.
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192. Through speaking true words
Always and continuously
You will have cheeks like a lion,
Be glorious, and hard to overcome.
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193. Through showing great respect,
Serving others, and doing what is fitting,
Your teeth will be very white,
Shining, and even.
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194. Through using true and non-divisive
Speech over a long time
You will have forty glorious teeth
That are set evenly and are wondrous.
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195. Through viewing beings with love
And without desire, hatred, or delusion
Your eyes will be bright and blue
With eyelashes like a bull.
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196. Thus in brief know well
These thirty-two signs
Of a great lion of beings
Together with their causes.
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197. The eighty beautiful features arise
From a concordant cause of love.
Fearing this text would be too long,
I will not, O King, explain them.
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(1) Difference in effects 198
198. All Universal Emperors
Are regarded as having these,
But their purity, beauty, and luster
Cannot match even a little those of a Buddha.
(2) Difference in causes 199-200d
199. The auspicious signs and beautiful features
Of a Universal Emperor
Are said to arise [even] 64 from the single cause
Of faith in the King of Subduers.
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200.abcd But such virtue accumulated one-pointedly
For a hundred times ten million eons
Cannot produce even one
Of the hair-pores of a Buddha.
(3) Example 200efgh
200.efgh Just as the brilliance of suns
Is slightly like that of fireflies,
So the signs of a Buddha are slightly like
Those of a Universal Emperor.
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(Conclusion of Nāgārjuna’s Ratnāvalī Chapter 2, Section on Cause and Effect of Definite Goodness (Verses 174c–200):
a. This concluding section of Chapter 2 of the Ratnāvalī beautifully bridges the practical and the ultimate, guiding the king toward the path of definite goodness through the transformative power of bodhicitta, compassion [T1], and wisdom [T2] [U2T-in action].
– Nāgārjuna’s condensation of enlightenment’s causes into these three roots (verse 175) reflects the Madhyamaka integration of conventional compassion [T1] ⇐⇒ and ultimate non-dual wisdom [T2] [U2T-in-action], embodying the Middle Way’s balance of engaging in virtuous actions [T1] ⇐⇒ while understanding their emptiness [T2] [U2T-in-action].
b. The detailed exposition of the thirty-two signs of a Buddha (verses 176–196) not only provides a vivid roadmap for spiritual practice — linking specific acts like giving, non-harming, and truthful speech to extraordinary physical manifestations — but also symbolizes the profound inner transformation that accompanies such deeds. By connecting these signs to ethical conduct, Nāgārjuna ensures that the pursuit of enlightenment remains grounded in actionable virtues, accessible even to a worldly ruler.
– The decision to omit the eighty beautiful features (verse 197) demonstrates his practical consideration for the text’s brevity,
c. while the comparison between a Buddha and a Universal Emperor (verses 198–200) underscores the transcendent nature of Buddhahood, inspiring awe and aspiration.
– The metaphor of suns and fireflies poignantly captures the infinite gap between temporal greatness and ultimate awakening, urging the king to aim for the highest goal.
– This section thus serves as a powerful culmination of Chapter 2, weaving together the threads of high status and definite goodness into a cohesive vision of the Bodhisattva path. Its timeless relevance lies in its invitation to cultivate altruistic intent (bodhicitta) ⇐⇒ compassionate action [T1] ⇐⇒ and non-dual wisdom [T2] [U2T], offering a path to liberation that is both deeply practical and profoundly inspiring, encouraging all practitioners to transform their actions into the causes of ultimate enlightenment.)
The second chapter of the Precious Garland, The Interwoven, is finished.