I have tried to translate it into English, of course it might have mistakes but maybe it serves the meaning in English as well:Paths to benevolence
There are two paths leading to benevolence. Which two?
I. The good path, which is helpful and welcoming, and
II. The best path, which is liberating and leads to salvation
Now what is the good path that is helpful and welcoming?
I. The GoodThe good path is of four manners:
1. trough generosity
2. trough friendly words
3. trough spry encouragement
4. trough impartiality
1. Now what is the manner of generosity?There is the case where a person gives gifts and presents, he/she is freehanded and helpful, hospitable and generous. Where ever a needed or dishonored approaches him/her, he/she helps. Where ever he/she is able to make somebody happy with a gift, he/she does that. Reducing misery and giving joy he/she gives. Giving makes him/here happy, giving makes him/here glad. Giving makes him/her joyful and he/she dwells apart form greed, envy and avarice. For others he/she is pleasant, the noble ones seek association with him/here, and he/she wins good reputation, his/here approaching is solid and his/here heart grows lighter and lighter in regard of fear and sorrow about the vital necessities. And also for the beyond he/she is performing him/here great merits and great potency. Not does he/she give lightheaded so that it might be a burden for others and he/she also gives not blindly, without the consideration of the receiver, but with care, considering the possibilities of others and considering the situation of others. And the more his/her heart is fulfilled with the intention to give, the more selfless he/she grows. That is how somebody transcendent to his/her own welfare and to the welfare of others.
But soon he/she realizes that this is not yet the perfect kind which leads to benevolence. And why? Because he/she realizes that even the best gifts often are not able to cheer others up. With full hands he stands with empty hands, helpless in helping. And further: He/she makes the experience that he/she destroys the benevolence and joy of others with hard words which he/she caused with his/her gift. In that way generosity encourage to understand the misery of others deeper and to investigate ones own faults deeper.
2. . Now what is the manner of friendly words?There is the case where a person speaks friendly words, mild, gentle, innermost which come from heart and go to heart. What ever he/she speaks, he/she speaks in a friendly manner, with a friendly sense. To solve and reduces tensions and misunderstandings he/she speaks: Friendly words make him/here joyful, friendly words makes him/here glad and he/she dwells apart of crudeness, snappishness and hurtful fierceness. He/she knows that friendly words are much stronger then any gift to melt the misery and sorrow of others away. He knows that gifts without goodwill are sometimes helpful as well but words without goodwill are nothing else then empty husk. And why? Because friendly words go behind the sphere of words and reach deeper. To be able to say friendly words, one needs to have empathy for the emotional state of others and needs to consider that. And to be able to do that, one needs to avoid all anger, all annoyance and all haughtiness. And the more his/her heart is fulfilled with the intention of friendliness, the more selfless he/she grows. That is how somebody transcendent to his/her own welfare and to the welfare of others.
But soon he/she realizes that this is not yet the perfect kind which leads to benevolence. And why? Because he/she realizes that even the friendliest words often are not able to cheer others up and solve only for a short time. He/she makes the experience that he/she often disturbs the benevolence and joy of others with unconsidered advices, which he affected with his words. In that way friendly words encourage to understand the misery of others deeper and to investigate ones own faults deeper.
3. Now what is the manner of spry encouragementThere is the case where a person gives good advices, smart, well considered, supportive and able to lead to welfare. What ever he/she speaks, he/she speaks well-considered. To lead others away form non-good and direct them into the good, he/she speaks. He/she shows how to overwhelm this or that misery and how to avoid this or that sorrow.
He helps others to get independent for the gifts and friendly words of others. And to be able to do so, he/she needs to see clear what is good and what is not good. The more he/she realizes what leads himself/herself to misery and sorrow, the more he/she avoids it and the more he/she is able to tell it others. That is how somebody transcendent to his/her own welfare and to the welfare of others.
But soon he/she realizes that this is not yet the perfect kind which leads to benevolence. And why? Because he/she realizes that even the best advices often are not taken to heart by others. He/she makes the experience that he/she often disturbs the benevolence and joy of others with his/her condescending kind. In that way spry encouragement encourages to understand the misery of others deeper and to investigate ones own faults deeper.
4. Now what is the manner of impartiality?There is the case where a person has left the thought “Here I am, there are the others” behind, he/she is free of pride and conceit, he/she does not methought himself/herself higher than others and sees himself/herself equal to them. In deed, speech and thinking he/she serves others in a friendly kind, open and hidden as well. He/she is disposed for the concerns of others, he/she is available for them, he/she has always time for them. He/she has given up his own will and has grown devoted and humble.
A higher kind of a helpful and welcoming manner does not exist. It is the perfect kind which leads in a good manner to benevolence.
II. The bestNow what is the best path that is liberating and leads to salvation?
The best path is of four manners:
2. trough generosity
3. trough friendly words
4. trough spry encouragement
5. trough impartiality
1. Now what is the manner of generosity?There is the case where a person shows the teaching of the reality, broad visible, like he has heard and understood and is not greedy with his insights and he/she does not disprize others. But what is the teaching of the reality? It is the discernment: “All appearances are ephemeral, what ever is ephemeral is stressful and what ever is ephemeral and stressful will always lead to harm, it is not worthy to mess about and that it is not mine, that is not me, that is not my self.” In that way that somebody shows others this discernment, he/she wins further clearance, goes deep into it. That is how somebody transcendent to his/her own welfare and to the welfare of others.
But soon he/she realizes that this is not yet the perfect kind which leads to benevolence. And why? Because it is not enough to just supply this discernment to others.
2. . Now what is the manner of friendly words?There is the case where a person shows those who seeking for welfare and are interested in it the teachings of the reality again and again, unremitting, with a friendly heart, without grumbling, without anger. Not does he/she grow tired to speak from heart to the heart of those who understand and he/she is never aggrieved if it seems that he/she speaks unavailing. As he/she is indefatigable in this kind, his/her patient grows as well as his/her imperturbability. That is how somebody transcendent to his/her own welfare and to the welfare of others.
But soon he/she realizes that this is not yet the perfect kind which leads to benevolence. And why? Because it is not enough to just to repeat this discernment just in general.
3. Now what is the manner of spry encouragement?There is the case where a person puts effort to advices a person without confidence to win confidence, to find foundation in confidence so that confidence can grow firmer and firmer. There is the case where a person puts effort to advices a person without virtue to win virtue, to find foundation in virtue, so that virtue can grow firmer and firmer. There is the case where a person puts effort to advices a selfish person to win selflessness, to find foundation in selflessness, so that selflessness can grow firmer and firmer. There is the case where a person puts effort to advices a person without discernment to win discernment, to find foundation in discernment, so that discernment can grow firmer and firmer. And why? Who ever gains firm confidence in his discernment tends to a virtuous life. Who ever is firm in virtue tends to selflessness. Who ever is firm in selflessness tends to discernment. And one, who supports others to firm those four wholesome things, gives him/her self always reason to firm him/her self in it. That is how somebody transcendent to his/her own welfare and to the welfare of others.
But soon he/she realizes that this is not yet the perfect kind which leads to benevolence. And why? Because he/she realizes that he/she himself/herself is not perfect yet.
4. Now what is the manner of impartiality?There is the case where a person has left the thought “Here I am, there are the others” behind, he/she is free of pride and conceit, he/she does not methought himself/herself higher than others and sees himself/herself equal to them. And he seeks such association, such friends who are equal in discernment or outmatch in it. In deed, speech and thinking he/she serves others in a friendly kind, open and hidden as well. He/she is disposed for the concerns of others, he/she is available for them, he/she has always time for them. He/she has given up his own will and has grown devoted and humble. But the highest kind exists in that regard, when someone has found secure to reach total liberation and associates with those who have gained the same security. If all of them give up there own will, benevolence itself serves the interacting of support in deeds, speech and advices.
A higher kind of a helpful and welcoming manner does not exist. It is the perfect kind which leads in a good manner to benevolence.
These are the two manners which lead to benevolence: The good manner, which is helpful and welcoming and the best manner, which is liberating and leads to salvation. Of this two manners the last includes the first within, requires it, can not exist without the first.