The Second Treatise on the Perfections – 2783 

 

used only when one shows no anger in a situation which would normally 
provoke anger to many others. To take the Pāḷi text exhortation literally is to 
equate the perfection of forbearance with the perfection of equanimity, seeing 
no difference between the two.” 

As the authority quoted by these scholars is the aforesaid commentary to the 
Basket of Conduct (

Cariyā-piṭaka

) and the sub-commentary to the Path to 

Purification (

Visuddhi-magga

), their view may not be set aside. 

It should be noted, however, that forbearance is considered to be tolerance of 
others’ treatment whereas equanimity is indifference towards beings, without 
hate or love. 

Ven. Ledi Sayādaw, in his Assistance to the Discourse on the Blessings 
(

Maṅgala-sutta-nissaya

), defines forbearance as: “Not feeling exalted when 

encountering pleasantness and remaining patient without giving vent to anger 
when encountering hardships.” This definition is in agreement with the 
exhortation to bear praise and disdain with patience (

sammānāvamānakkhama

). 

To reconcile the commentary’s exposition and the text: Bodhisattas are by 
nature serious-minded; pleasant experiences or happy circumstances do not 
make them excited with greed; they are accustomed to remaining unmoved by 
them without having to make a special effort to discipline their mind. When 
faced with an unhappy turn of events, however, they have to make special 
endeavour to bear it patiently so as to fulfil their perfection of forbearance. 

Bodhisattas, who are fulfilling the perfection of forbearance, have to put up 
with both pleasant and unpleasant experiences so as not to develop greed and ill-
will, hence the exhortation given in the text to bear praise without developing 
greed and to tolerate insults and ill-treatments without generating hate. But it is 
nothing strange for Bodhisattas, who are serious-minded, to experience 
pleasantness without being moved by greed; therefore, the commentary 
comments only upon tolerance, which is to be cultivated as the perfection of 
forbearance in unpleasant situations which are unbearable to ordinary persons. 
Viewed in this way, there is no disagreement between the exposition in the 
commentary and the teaching in the text. 

The Nature of Forbearance 

Forbearance being the group of consciousnesses and its concomitants led by the 
mental factor of non-hate (

adosa-cetasika

), which has the characteristics of lack