Human transcription — may contain minor errors.
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From the standpoint of Sutra, in the Avataṃsaka Sutra :
“The ways in which the Scion of the Conqueror, Sudhana, relied on the Spiritual Friend formerly is said to be the way of exhorting trainees of later generations to rely on the Spiritual Friend”.1
And in the precious collection of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras:
“Finding the meaning of the profound Perfection of Wisdom is obtained only through the Spiritual Friend and it is through relying on the Spiritual Friend that one must progress through the grounds and paths.”2
It is said that the way of relying on the Spiritual Friend must be in keeping with the way in which Sadaprarudita relied on Dharmodgata3: although Sadaprarudita met innumerable Buddhas in the ten directions, his mind was unsatisfied, beset with the anguish of thinking :
“When, shall I encounter [at last] the Spiritual Friend ?” ,
as a result he cried ceaselessly4, thereby having seen that the Spiritual Friend was superior even to all the Buddhas and through seeing that making offerings to the Spiritual Friend was superior than making offerings to all the Buddhas, to show veneration for Dharmodgata, he gave, without any miserliness, his very flesh and marrow to a Brahman who was an emanation of Indra lusting after them and donated all his wealth, his servants and retinue, without an afterthought. He settled down the dust in the area where Dharma was to be taught by sprinkling of his own blood5 and without being preoccupied with food or sleep, thinking solely:
“When will I hear the precious collection of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras from the mouth of the Spiritual Friend ?”
after seven years had elapsed, it is said he progressed rapidly on the grounds and paths.6
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Geshe Thubten Jinpa traces the quote to Sde dge bka’ ‘gyur, phal chen ga, sdong po bkod pa’i leu bzhi bcu zhe lnga pa, p. 364↩︎
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Idem Sde dge bka’ ‘gyur, sher phyin nga, ‘phags pa shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa, Rtag tu ng’u leu sum cu pa, pp. 261.3-276.↩︎
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As expounded in the 30th chapter of the “Eight Thousand Verse Perfection of Wisdom Sutra”, also called “The Chapter of Sadprarudita”.↩︎
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Hence his name “Sadprarudita” in Sanskrit which means “The ever-crying”↩︎
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As India is a dusty country, it is traditional, to the present day, to spray water on the ground to prevent the dust from rising during teachings or public gatherings.↩︎
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Geshe Thubten Jinpa traces the quote to Sde dge bstan ‘gyur, rgyud ‘grel ngi, slob dpon klu grub, rim lnga, rim pa 3, p. 53 (i.e. Nagarjuna’s commentary on “The Five Stages”).↩︎