For example, wanting to benefit others will not bring pain or suffering. Merely wanting the Dharma, therefore, would not be covetousness and to want something might not bring suffering either. The object of covetousness is solely for worldly things, the various kinds of enjoyments related to the senses or between two people. The object of desire is vast and not limited to worldly things or even to the Dharma. Nevertheless we are often unable to differentiate between these two and meld them together. Desire is a simple wanting, a wish for something but covetousness is a strong clinging to worldly things that cannot be released or given up. In the Abhidharma, desire is set apart and defined differently from covetousness. In Buddhism, there is a special term for what is understood as an insatiable desire or covetousness. The Karmapa then looked at the word desire, which he defined as “having hope for” or “wanting to do something.” What we usually know as desire and the desire referred to here in the sutra represent two different emotions or states of mind. There are also two basic ways of looking at caste through (1) the qualities we are born with and (2) the qualities that we develop. ![]() ![]() Further the mahayana, madhyadmaka, and mind-only schools define caste differently. There are also discussions of the four different types of noble beings-the Listeners, the Solitary Realizers, the Bodhisattvas, and the Buddhas. Most of the commentators on this text believe that “noble family” or “caste” in this text refer to those born in the Buddha’s family or the mahayana family.ĭifferent lineages define caste in different ways. They have the aspiration to practice, but are not on the mahayana path as yet, though they have great respect for it and an aspiration to benefit living beings with a connection to the mahayana. Among themselves, members of certain castes will address each other as “Son or daughter of a noble family.” Since this type of polite address is part of an ancient Indian custom, Atisha states in his commentary on the Heart of Wisdom Sutra that “son or daughter of a family” refers to those who are focused on enlightenment: These individuals “wish to practice the profound perfection of wisdom” with the goal of becoming fully awakened. In a commentary on the Heart Sutras, Haribhadra states that “family” here indicates the qualities of being able to be enlightened, so “caste” refers to a person who can perfectly engage and practice that potential.Įven now it is an Indian custom to emphasize the cast system. The Karmapa narrowed his discussion to two phrases from this sentence: “son or daughter of a noble family” and the “wish to practice.” From the first, “son or daughter of a noble family” (in Sanskrit kulaputra and kuladuhitā), he selected the word family, which actually means “caste” in Sanskrit, while in a Buddhist context, it refers to those born into the mahayana who have become the Buddha’s child, hence son or daughter of the Buddha’s family or lineage. Son of a noble family, how should any son or daughter of a noble family train when they wish to practice the profound perfection of wisdom? ![]() This afternoon, the Karmapa continued to discuss the eight sections and focused on the fifth point, the question Shariputra posed:
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