46 Ways Bodhisattva Fails

Contradictions
to the Paramita of Generosity

1. Not offering to the
three jewels (dharma, sangha, buddha)

2. Giving in to
possessiveness

3. Not respecting more
experienced people

4. Not answering
questions

5. Not accepting
invitations as a guest

6. Angrily refusing
gifts

7. Not teaching the dharma
to those who want it

Contradictions
to the Paramita of Discipline

8. Rejecting those who do
not keep their discipline

9. Not developing
learning, which inspires others’ faith

10. Making little effort
for the benefit of sentient beings

11. Not performing evil
actions even though it is permitted when one has compassion
and there is a need

Contradictions
Mainly to Benefiting Oneself

12. Willingly taking up
any of the five kinds of wrong livelihood

13. Mindlessly
indulging

14. Due to desire and
attachment, remaining in samsara

Contradictions
Mainly to Benefiting Both Oneself and Others

15. Not preventing getting
a bad reputation

16. Not controlling the
kleshas

Contradictions
to the Paramita Patience

17. Not practicing the
four dharmas of a practitioner (not returning curses for
curses, anger for anger, blow for blow, insult for
insult)

18. Not working peacefully
with, but rejecting, people who are angry at you

19. Refusing to accept
another’s apology

20. Giving into
anger

Contradictions
to the Paramita Exertion

21. Collecting followers
for fame and fortune

22. Not overcoming
laziness and so forth

23. Indulging in busyness
and chatter

24. Not seeking
instruction in samadhi

24. Not abandoning
obsurations to meditation

25. Viewing the experience
of meditation as good and being attached to it

Contradictions
to the Paramita of Prajna
Faults Related to Lesser Things

27. Not respecting the
shravakayana, and therefore rejecting it

28. Having abandoned one’s
own tradition, the Mahayana, exerting oneself in the
shravakayana

29. In the same way,
studying non-Buddhist literature

30. Although exerting
oneself in the Mahayana, preferring sravaka and non-Buddhist
literature

Faults
Related to Greater Things

31. Not taking interest in
the distinctive features of Mahayana

32. Not seeking the holy
dharma due to pride, laziness, and so forth

33. Praising oneself and
disparaging others

34. Relying on the words
rather than the meaning

Twelve
Contradictions to Benefiting Sentient Beings

General
Application

35. Not helping those in
need

36. Not caring for the
sick

37. Not removing the
suffering of others

38. Not correcting those
who are heedless

Specific
application

Faults of
Not Being Helpful

39. Not repaying
kindness

40. Not removing the pain
of others

41. Not giving to those in
need even though you can

42. Not benefiting those
around you

43. Not acting in accord
with the customs of others

44. Not praising those who
have good qualities

Faults of Not
Overpowering

45. Not overpowering those
on a perverted path

46. Not taming with
miracles and higher perceptions those who must be tamed in
that way