Translated by the Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci of the Great Tang Dynasty by Imperial Command
A Treasury of Mahāyāna Sūtras: Selections from the Mahāratnakūta Sūtra.
https://archive.org/details/Maharatnakuta
Page 207-216
The omitted scripts in the book is restored here in blue fonts.
Note that the text with black colour here might be not under CC BY-NC-SA license.
In the past, for the sake of [hearing] this sūtra,
I fulfilled the wishes
Of thosc who came to ask for favors,
And made them happy. . . .
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I offered up all kinds of palaces,
adorning them with many jeweled nets,
and used them to make offerings to the Buddhas.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I relinquished various rare treasures and maṇi jewels,
and used them to make offerings to the Buddhas.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I constantly remembered those who had shown me kindness;
even if I only heard a single verse from someone,
I would forever honor that person.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I respected those who upheld the precepts;
even the places where they had walked in meditation,
I would always revere.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra, while abiding in saṃsāra,
even if others had shown me only the slightest kindness,
I would always think of repaying it.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I did not pursue gain and offerings,
I did not slander the True Dharma,
I showed compassion to relatives and friends,
and even extended compassion to all sentient beings.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I was well learned,
skilled in expounding the Dharma,
unattached to the Dharma, and not a stingy associate.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
whenever an unwholesome thought arose in my mind,
I would immediately repent and eliminate it,
never allowing it to grow.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
when I was a crown prince, whatever various treasures, scented ointments, and powdered incense I obtained,
I would give rise to a pure mind and dedicate them all as offerings to the Buddhas.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I pitied those such as prisoners who suffered various poisons and torments,
and I would use my own body to bear their suffering in their place.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I renounced the various pleasures of the five desires
and frequently observed the fast days,
upholding various prohibitions and precepts.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I constantly cultivated patience; even toward my own wife,
I did not give rise to thoughts of attachment or stinginess.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I caused those who were poor and destitute all to obtain peace and happiness,
and to abundantly possess various kinds of wealth.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I embraced and accepted all people,
including śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and all kinds of sentient beings.
In the past, for the sake of this sūtra,
I benefited all sentient beings and constantly acted as a great donor;
toward those who came to beg, my mind held no stinginess.
At times I planted flowers and fruits, not permitting others to cut them down,
but instead universally giving them to all beings, allowing them to be satisfied according to their wishes.
When I practiced giving in the past, my mind was always equal;
whether they were those who upheld the precepts and possessed merit,
or those who broke the precepts and lacked shame,
or those who had attained great supernormal powers,
down to ordinary foolish beings,
I gave rise to a rare mind toward them and respectfully provided for them all.
When I practiced giving in the past,
my mind made no distinctions of high or low,
and I did not seek rebirth in a favorable destination,
but single-mindedly delighted in this sūtra.
At times I caused the entire realm to be free of enemies,
subduing various nāga hosts and causing them to bring down timely sweet rain.
Moonlight, you should know:
In search of this sūtra,
I have, for innumerable kalpas,
Cultivated so many austerities
That no one could finish counting them,
Even in a hundred thousand kalpas. . . .
You have already settled in pure faith.
In the future age of the decline of the Dharma,
you should give rise to a mind of right mindfulness and expound this sūtra.
With the Buddha-eye, I observe and clearly see the various practices cultivated by beings in future worlds;
I am able to know them all completely.
There are some bhikṣus who, in seeking Unsurpassed wisdom,
are able with pure faith to expound this sūtra.
Such a person, and the place where he abides, I know completely.
There are some, in the age of the decline of the Dharma, who,
upon hearing this sūtra, give rise to joy and delight in upholding it.
Their aspirations and skillful means, I know completely.
There are also those inferior persons who have not heard this sūtra
and instead slander those who expound it.
I know them all completely.
If monks and nuns
Feel great emotion and shed tears
Upon hearing this sutra,
They will meet the Most Honored One;
This I prophesy.
Moonlight, you should know that
The Buddhas, with their miraculuous powers,
Thoroughly know the purity or impurity
Of a person’s mind,
And his faith and understanding as well. . . .
There are some sentient beings whose aspirations delight in constantly abiding in solitude,
who dwell securely in various meditative concentrations,
who are not attached to saṃsāra,
and who are ultimately able to cut off even their habitual tendencies forever.
All such various merits, I know completely.
There are also some sentient beings who are deeply attached to delusion;
and there are some sentient beings who give rise to joy and delight toward the Buddha.
Such future matters, I know completely.
There are some sentient beings who are attached to worldly pleasures
and are unable to skillfully bring forth the seeds of the Buddha’s Bodhi.
For this reason, they will lose various skillful Dharma Gates.
If there is someone who is able to understand the seeds of the Buddhas’ Bodhi,
that person should attain pure and boundless radiance.
Moonlight, you should observe that such radiance
and the like each arise from various causes and conditions, each with its own distinctions.
You should, by the power of wisdom, understand all of this.
If one abandons unwholesome companions, draws near to good friends,
and upholds pure precepts, one will accomplish the Buddha’s radiance.
You should guard the sense faculties, abandon shamelessness and lack of remorse,
cultivate wholesome Dharma, and accord with and protect all sentient beings.
You should abandon opposition and disputation,
penetrate and understand the emptiness of nature,
not cling to gain and offerings,
and be well learned and skilled in expounding.
You should observe gain and offerings as if they were filth,
and not use the defilement of gain and offerings to stain the pure mind.
One should constantly seek liberation, and thus obtain unsurpassed benefit.
You should cultivate the path of the Buddha,
observe that the Buddha and the Dharma-nature are the same,
kindle the torch of the Dharma, and universally illuminate the world.
You should be like the king of mountains, with the mind abiding unmoving within;
whether reviled or struck, you are able to endure it all.
You should act as a true good friend for sentient beings,
abandon inferior intentions, and constantly cultivate pure conduct.
You should expound thc unexcelled Dharma
With a firm mind,
And transmit this subtle sūtra
To the kindhearted. . . .
If one wishes to seek Unsurpassed wisdom, one should not fear saṃsāra.
By doing so, one is able to abandon various unwholesome actions and should attain excellent benefit.
This, Moonlight, you should know:
Just as a clever person
Can skillfully handle fire
To cook various dishes
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To seek the supreme practice,
One should study this sūtra
And make offerings to Tathāgatas;
Then one will acquire true wisdom and ingenuity. . . .
If one cultivates true wisdom, one should make offerings to the Buddhas
and accomplish the manifestation of radiance, just like a fruit placed in the palm of the hand.
If one does not understand that the eye is without self, then one will lose the Dharma of the śramaṇa;
such a person cannot attain this manifestation of radiance.
If one understands that the eye is without self and accomplishes the Dharma of the śramaṇa,
that person will realize this manifestation of radiance.
If one understands the limit of the exhaustion of the eye, and also understands the limit of the exhaustion of the ear,
then by understanding the limit of the exhaustion of the ear, this is the great Dharma of the śramaṇa.
One who knows not
The ultimate nature of the eye
Cannot know the ultimate [nature]
Of the arising of the eye.
He is not one
Who can emanate lights. . . .
If one does not fully understand the ultimate nature of the eye,
then with regard to the limit of the exhaustion of the eye one also cannot fully understand;
such a person cannot attain this manifestation of radiance.
If one is able to fully understand the ultimate nature of the eye,
and with regard to the limit of the exhaustion of the eye is also able to fully understand,
that person will realize this manifestation of radiance.
If one does not skillfully understand the ultimate nature of the eye,
then with regard to the limit of the exhaustion of the eye one also cannot skillfully understand;
such a person cannot attain this manifestation of radiance.
If one is able to skillfully understand the ultimate nature of the eye,
and with regard to the limit of the exhaustion of the eye is also able to skillfully understand,
that person will realize this manifestation of radiance.
If one does not directly understand the ultimate nature of the eye,
then with regard to the limit of the exhaustion of the eye one also cannot directly understand;
such a person cannot attain this manifestation of radiance.
If one is able to directly understand the ultimate nature of the eye,
and with regard to the limit of the exhaustion of the eye is also able to directly understand,
that person will realize this manifestation of radiance.
If one does not skillfully understand the ultimate nature of the eye,
then with regard to the limit of the exhaustion of the eye one also cannot fully understand;
such a person cannot attain this manifestation of radiance.
If one is able to skillfully understand the ultimate nature of the eye,
and with regard to the limit of the exhaustion of the eye is also able to directly understand,
that person will realize this manifestation of radiance.
If one does not skillfully understand the purity of the nature of the eye,
then one also cannot skillfully understand the purity of the nature of the ear;
such a person cannot attain this manifestation of radiance.
If one is able to skillfully understand the purity of the nature of the eye,
and is also able to skillfully understand the purity of the nature of the ear,
that person will realize this manifestation of radiance.
The same is true
With the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind;
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes,
Textures, and mental objects;
Earth, water, fire, and air. . . “
At that time, the World-Honored One said to the Boy Moonlight: “Virtuous man! If there are sentient beings who arouse the mind inclined toward the Great Vehicle, and who wish to bring to completion such manifestation of radiance, there are eighty kinds of wholesome roots as provisions. What are these eighty? They are as follows: protecting and being mindful of sentient beings, with a mind free from harm; upholding pure precepts without deficiency; a mind of equality, without flattery or crookedness, and also without stinginess, jealousy, greed, or deceit; deep faith in the subtle sūtras of the Great Vehicle; not being attached to wealth, honor, or indulgence; being complete in the power of patience; having aspirations that never regress; purity of intention; dwelling in araṇya; not relying upon relatives, gain, or reputation; abiding in various meditative concentrations; attaining the samādhi of manifest radiance; serving those who uphold precepts with a mind free of flattery; giving rise to supreme aspiration toward those who practice the pure conduct together; because of reverence for the Dharma, always giving rise to deep respect toward the precepter and the ācārya; comprehending the sūtras; being skilled in expounding; speaking truthfully and precisely; abiding in right contemplation; diligently cultivating wholesome roots; constantly practicing the giving of wisdom; recognizing the works of Māra; secretly guarding the sense faculties; speech that is gentle and careful; skillfully understanding the true reality; also knowing the distinctive characteristics of the various stages; seeking inexhaustible form; not sparing one’s body or life; teaching the four assemblies; cutting off worldly thought; distancing from all wrong views; having no clinging to a future existence; not displaying one’s qualities deceptively before those who have not yet learned; always teaching those who have already learned according to their capacity; never praising or delighting in melodious sounds; not commending adornments and material embellishments; realizing the various truths; being widely learned; abandoning sleep; diligently seeking the True Dharma; showing reverence toward the Buddha; arousing the Bodhi-mind; abandoning worldly occupations; cultivating the various trainings; relying on excellent friends out of love for the Dharma; seeking wholesome roots without ever becoming weary; delighting in renouncing; protecting the Buddha-Dharma; not giving rise to unwholesome actions; having no doubt toward the teachings; being skilled in speaking parables; revealing what is hidden; tirelessly seeking great Bodhi; never forgetting the sūtras one has received; not abandoning what one has learned; subduing other doctrines; seeking the path of liberation; cultivating immeasurable practices; having a mind firmly determined in the wisdom of that Dharma; clearly seeing the continuity of cause and effect in saṃsāra; not being attached to the three realms of existence; distancing from arrogance; establishing remedies for those who lack faith; understanding the distinctions of future karmic retribution; knowing past beginnings without relying on other conditions; diligently cultivating practices of seclusion; and being fully adorned with the marks and characteristics of the Buddha. These are the eighty kinds.
(Translator’s note: the original text above lists only sixty-nine items)
Furthermore, Moonlight, these eighty kinds of dharmas are gathered into five kinds of dharmas. What are these five? They are: understanding saṃsāra, understanding Nirvāṇa, understanding the exhaustion of afflictions, understanding higher attainment, and understanding the fruit of merit. Furthermore, Moonlight, these five kinds of dharmas are gathered into two kinds of dharmas. What are these two? They are: the adornment of purity of mind, and the adornment of purity of form. Furthermore, Moonlight, these two kinds of dharmas are gathered into one kind of dharma. What is this one? It is the ability to accomplish the unobstructed liberation of all Buddhas, the Tathāgatas.”
At that time, the World-Honored One again said to the Boy Moonlight: “Furthermore, Moonlight, there are also eighty kinds of dharmas that are able to well accomplish the unobstructed liberation of all Buddhas, the Tathāgatas. What are these eighty? They are as follows: the provisions of giving; vast wisdom; cultivating pure precepts; distancing from afflictive heat; subduing arrogance; gentle speech; not being unaware of the proper time in various matters; also knowing good spiritual friends; arousing the aspiration directed toward the Great Vehicle; donning the armor of diligence; benefiting sentient beings through proper conduct; causing those who have fallen into afflictions to cut off their doubts; destroying various unwholesome dharmas; cultivating wholesome dharmas; not associating with evil persons; planting various wholesome roots without weariness; arousing the Bodhi-mind; being courageous and vigorous; recognizing the works of Māra; realizing the various truths; making true offerings; resolving all doubts without remainder; constantly holding in mind sentient beings with the intention to ferry them across; not clinging to the various states of existence; arousing a great mind; pointing out the faults of unwholesome beings; abandoning greed, anger, and ignorance; not seeking sensual gain; maturing sentient beings; repairing and maintaining stūpas; honoring and revering all noble ones; drawing near to and serving those who abide in the Great Vehicle; never praising those of inferior vehicles; distancing from the Śrāvakas; subduing enemies; making vast offerings in the presence of the World-Honored One; with a supreme mind making various offerings; attaining unobstructed wisdom; possessing eloquence; using various parables to expound the True Dharma without contradicting the emptiness of nature; seeking the Dharma without laziness; revealing profound meaning; possessing great Universal Holding; expounding the Dharma without attachment; being able to disseminate it widely; transforming and guiding sentient beings without weariness; perfecting all practices; possessing great majestic virtue; unobstructed eloquence; becoming widely learned; not praising evil persons; cultivating wholesome karma; understanding the aggregates; abandoning all views; penetrating the nature of causes; transcending conditioned activities; distancing from improper objects; giving rise to pure faith; abiding in the right path; delighting in the Great Vehicle; embracing all equally; not clinging even to non-self; not becoming weary of saṃsāra; delighting in seeking Nirvāṇa; because of few desires abiding in araṇya; constantly practicing alms-begging without fatigue; being content with whatever is obtained; distancing from shamelessness and lack of remorse; drawing near to the Buddha; dwelling together with good friends; abandoning improper associations; showing compassion to all ordinary beings; practicing together with sentient beings; having pure faith in the Buddha; distancing from those who are not suitable vessels; not speaking with those who are in opposition; not expounding to those who do not come to seek; if someone comes to seek, then teaching according to the situation; maintaining equality in food; constantly practicing equal giving; opening the gate of great giving. Thus, Boy, these eighty kinds of dharmas are able to realize the unobstructed liberation of all Buddhas.”
Page 212:
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods,
The One of great compassion,
Has achieved the pure, limitless mind.
May I soon acquire the same pure mind
As the Buddha has. . . .
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods,
The One of great compassion,
Can utter infinite, pure merits.
May I soon attain the same pure merits
As the Buddha has.
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods,
The One of great compassion,
Can utter infinite, pure forms.
May I soon attain the same pure forms
As the Buddha has.
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods,
The One of great compassion,
Can utter infinite, pure voices.
May I soon attain the same pure voices
As the Buddha has.
Page 213:
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods.
The One of great compassion,
Has transcended the countless deeds of saṃsara.
May I, too, soon transcend those deeds,
As the Buddha has. . . .
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods.
The One of great compassion,
Has transcended the countless deeds of desire.
May I, too, soon transcend those deeds,
As the Buddha has.
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods.
The One of great compassion,
Has transcended the countless deeds of hatred.
May I, too, soon transcend those deeds,
As the Buddha has.
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods.
The One of great compassion,
Has transcended the countless deeds of ignorance.
May I, too, soon transcend those deeds,
As the Buddha has.
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods.
The One of great compassion,
Has transcended the countless deeds of desire and hatred.
May I, too, soon transcend those deeds,
As the Buddha has.
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods.
The One of great compassion,
Has transcended the countless deeds of hatred and ignorance.
May I, too, soon transcend those deeds,
As the Buddha has.
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods.
The One of great compassion,
Has transcended the countless deeds of desire and ignorance.
May I, too, soon transcend those deeds,
As the Buddha has.
The Supremely Honored One among humans and gods.
The One of great compassion,
Has transcended the countless deeds of joint afflictions.
May I, too, soon transcend those deeds,
As the Buddha has.
Having transcended desire,
The Teacher benefits all worlds.
May I, too, achieve the wisdom
To benefit all worlds,
As the Buddha does.
Having transcended hatred [and ignorance] ,
The Teacher benefits all worlds.
May I, too, achieve the wisdom
To benefit all worlds,
As the Buddha does. . . .
Having transcended deeds of desire and hatred ,
The Teacher benefits all worlds.
May I, too, achieve the wisdom
To benefit all worlds,
As the Buddha does.
Having transcended deeds of hatred and ignorance,
The Teacher benefits all worlds.
May I, too, achieve the wisdom
To benefit all worlds,
As the Buddha does.
Having transcended deeds of desire and ignorance,
The Teacher benefits all worlds.
May I, too, achieve the wisdom
To benefit all worlds,
As the Buddha does.
Having transcended deeds of joint afflictions,
The Teacher benefits all worlds.
May I, too, achieve the wisdom
To benefit all worlds,
As the Buddha does.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata tamed all devas
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
And become the Leader and Teacher of Devas and Human Beings.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata tamed all nāgas
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
And become the Leader and Teacher of Devas and Human Beings.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata tamed all yakṣas
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
And become the Leader and Teacher of Devas and Human Beings.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata tamed all gandharvas
And the countless kumbhāṇḍas and their retinues
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
And become the Leader and Teacher of Devas and Human Beings.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows the true nature of all dharmas
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
And be free from doubts about that truth.
The Tathāgata knows the limit of the exhaustion of suffering.
He benefits all beings.
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
And be free from doubts about the exhaustion of suffering.
The Tathāgata knows the limit of the exhaustion of causes.
He benefits all beings.
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
And be free from doubts about the exhaustion of causes.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows the activities of the world.
May I, too, achieve that wisdom,
And be free from doubts about the activities of the world.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows the possible and the impossible in the world.
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
To benefit all worlds.
With surpassing wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows clearly
All karmic results of the world.
May I also achieve such wisdom
To benefit all worlds.
With surpassing wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows clearly
All the particular natures
Of all things in the world.
May I, too, achieve such wisdom
To benefit all worlds.
With surpassing wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows clearly the modes of practice
Leading to various planes of existence.
May I, too, achieve such wisdom
To benefit all worlds . . . .
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows the interests of worldly beings.
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
To benefit all worlds.
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With surpassing wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows clearly
The practice of liberation.
May I, too, achieve such wisdom
To benefit all worlds. . . .
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows clearly the practice of equipoise.
May I, too, achieve such wisdom
To benefit all worlds.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows clearly the practice of attainment.
May I, too, achieve such wisdom
To benefit all worlds.
The Tathāgata clearly knows
That saṃsāra arises from the cause of the afflictions;
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
The Tathāgata knows everything,
No one is equal with him in benefitting the world
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
The Tathāgata dwells within states of absorption,
He manifests the wisdom of supreme skillful means
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows the infinite deeds of previous lives,
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows the deaths and rebirths have no boundaries,
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows the exhaustions of all afflictions,
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata has awakened to Unsurpassed and Perfect Enlightenment,
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata has left all afflictions and habitual patterns,
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows The taint of desire is an obstacle to Bodhi.
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
With supreme wisdom,
The Tathāgata knows methods of escaping saṃsāra,
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
The Tathāgata skillfully knows the meaning of the Dharma.
He causes immeasurable sentient beings to awaken,
May I, too, achieve such wisdom,
To benefit all worlds.
The Tathāgata realizes that by nature
All dharmas are like illusions, dreams, and mirages.
May I, too, achieve such wisdom
To benefit all worlds.
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Knowing well the three phases of time,
The Tathāgata is free
From grasping, attachment, and hindrances.
May I, too, achieve such wisdom
To benefit all worlds. . . .
The Tathāgata has perfectly cultivated ethical discipline, meditative concentration, and wisdom.
Never regressing from any of these qualities.
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become the great compassionate honored one in the three realms.
The Tathāgata has perfectly cultivated liberation,
And his knowledge and vision of liberation are irreversible.
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become the great compassionate honored one in the three realms.
The Tathāgata has perfectly cultivated correct observation;
In the realms of devas and humans, he is without peer.
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become the great compassionate honored one in the three realms.
The Tathāgata is endowed with supreme wisdom,
Remaining entirely unstained by worldly dharmas.
May I, too, achieve that wisdom
And become the great compassionate honored one in the three realms.
The Tathagata knows the whole world thoroughly,
And sees clearly all planes of existence.
May I, too, achieve the wisdom
To know these realms without doubt.
Page 215:
Fully knowing the past and future statesThe Tathāgata does not holdTo a nihilistic or eternalistic [view] of the eye.May I, too, achieve the wisdomTo know the past and future states without doubt. . . .
The Tathāgata knows the ultimate exhaustion of arising,
And does not hold to a nihilistic or eternalistic view of the eye.
May I, too, achieve the wisdom,
And be free from doubts about the nature of the ultimate exhaustion of arising.
If one does not understand
The past and future states,
He is doomed to be fettered by desire.
Since the Tathāgata realizes
The past and future states,
He is not defiled by desire.
Page 216:
If one does not understand
Ultimate exhaustion and nonexhaustion,
He is doomed to be fettered by desire.
Since the Tathāgata realizes them both,
He is not defiled by desire. . . .
If one does not understand transmigration and non-transmigration,
He is doomed to be fettered by desire.
Since the Tathāgata realizes them both,
He is not defiled by desire.
The same applies to anger, ignorance, aggression, pretense, envy, deceit,
Flattery, crookedness, arrogance, pride,
Generosity, precepts, patience,
Meditative concentration, and wisdom.”
Page 216:
then joined his palms reverently and spoke in verse, praising the Buddha and questioning him:
“You utter the roar of a lion, the sound of cloud and thunder, the song of the kalaviṅka bird,
and you release the great sound of the Dharma drum. Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
Your excellence surpasses hundreds of thousands of suns. Your pure and subtle voice,
your merit and virtue are exceedingly rare. Through what cause and condition do you manifest this radiance?
The adornments of merit such as generosity, discipline, forbearance, vigor, meditative concentration, and wisdom are all completely perfected.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this radiance?
The Tathāgata’s gentle voice is ever far removed from coarse and harsh speech and is skilled in healing the illnesses of beings.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this radiance?
The Great Compassionate, the Most Honored of the Two-Footed, knows that the eye faculty is ever empty and quiescent,
and with a pure Brahmā voice expounds the Dharma for beings.
The same applies to the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and even to sounds and names,
as well as to the Truth of Accumulation, the Truth of Cessation, the Truth of the Path, wisdom, and forbearance.
The Great Compassionate, the Most Honored of the Two-Footed, knows the limits of the arising and exhaustion of the eye,
as well as its stillness and its flow, and all of this is entirely empty and quiescent.
The same applies to the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; to forms, sounds, odors, tastes, and tactile objects; and even to sounds and names.
You further proclaim the Dharma of dependent origination, far removed from views of annihilation and permanence.
It is neither produced by oneself nor produced by another, but arises from a multitude of conditions.
At times, through various approaches, you reveal the root of suffering;
at times, through various meanings, you praise the Buddha’s radiance;
with immeasurable words you expound the Dharma of quiescent extinction: there is no person, no life-span, no self, no being.
In the past, immeasurable Buddhas also used inconceivable hundreds of thousands of verses to expound such Dharma.
The true Dharma of merit and virtue expounded by the Tathāgata has no speaker, nothing spoken, and no Dharma that is spoken.
The Buddha proclaims the most supreme Dharma, awakening all beings.
The devas and yakṣas, upon hearing it, all understand.
All asuras, their inclinations already purified, and immeasurable multitudes of humans, have the net of doubt entirely removed.
You know the nature of greed and destroys and eliminates anger and delusion,
attachment, pride, ignorance, deceit, jealousy, conceptual proliferation, and up to the aggregates of suffering.
All are completely abandoned, and all such meanings and expressions are ultimately entirely pure.
The Tathāgata, with respect to a single Dharma, comprehends various names, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, even to the inconceivable.
In the presence of immeasurable Buddhas, he skillfully cultivated such Dharma, and within a single Dharma he expounds without exhaustion.
The Tathāgata skillfully understands various Dharma gates and is also able to discern the distinctions of superior, middling, and inferior expressions and phrases.
You have cultivated all manner of different words and expressions and skillfully proclaims the subtle ultimate meaning.
Such a pure voice arises from the conjunction of causes and conditions, yet does not rely upon the throat, tongue, or even the body and mind.
The great earth trembles in six ways, and the multitudes of the ten directions all assemble,
joining their palms and gazing up at the Buddha, wishing that the Buddha would remove their doubts.
The Tathāgata skillfully knows the limits of the arising and exhaustion of the eye.
Its nature is ever empty and quiescent, without departure and without arrival.
It has no abiding and no location, entering deeply into reality.
The Buddha’s eye is unobstructed. Therefore I now ask.
The Tathāgata skillfully knows the past and future states of the nature of the eye,
the exhaustion and the unexhausted flow of its cycle; its nature is ever empty and quiescent.
The Muni, with wondrous voice, reveals the principles of all dharmas, bringing joy to the world. Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows the past and the future stages. The nature of the eye is ever empty and quiescent, far removed from discriminating words.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows the eye faculty as immeasurable and expounds it with various expressions; its intrinsic nature is ever empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows the limits of exhaustion and arising. The nature of the eye is ever empty and quiescent.
Having abandoned all afflictions, he realizes the Buddha’s Bodhi-wisdom and possesses supreme renown.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Tathāgata has long cultivated and expounded inconceivable Dharma.
You know that the nature of the eye is empty and quiescent, free from defilement and ever pure.
The immeasurable varieties of mental activity are all known within a single thought.
His radiance illuminates the world. What auspicious sign is this?
The Great Sage, the perfectly awakened, the supreme among the two-footed,
has entirely extinguished afflictions; his mind is ever tranquil.
The Tathāgata’s supreme wisdom deeply penetrates and fully understands the limits of the exhaustion of the eye.
Through what cause and condition does he now manifest this smile?
The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; the six objects,
the four great elements, and even sounds and names, all are likewise.
The Buddha knows the eye faculty as without self, also understands the ear faculty as impermanent,
and knows the nature of the nose as empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows the tongue faculty as without self, also understands the body faculty as impermanent,
and knows that the nature of mind is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows form as without self, also understands sound as without self,
and knows that the nature of odor is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows taste as without self, also understands tactile objects as impermanent,
and knows that the nature of mental objects is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows the earth element as without self, also understands the water element as impermanent,
and knows that the nature of fire is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows the wind element as without self, also understands nature as impermanent,
and knows that the nature of phenomena is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows the world as without self, also understands suffering as impermanent,
and knows that the nature of the aggregates is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows the realms as without self, also understands the world as impermanent,
and knows that the nature of arising is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows sound as without self, also understands names as impermanent,
and knows that the nature of the Way is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows wisdom as without self, knows quiescence as impermanent,
and knows that the nature of all arising is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha knows that nature has no inherent nature, also knows that the self is not self,
and knows that inclination is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Buddha contemplates saṃsāra as without self, also understands permanence and impermanence,
and knows that Nirvāṇa is empty and quiescent.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
The Tathāgata’s mind has attained liberation, and his renown pervades the three realms.
Śakra, human kings, and dragon deities all come to make offerings.
The Tathāgata skillfully knows the limits of the arising and exhaustion of the eye, and up to quiescence.
Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?
Immeasurable sons of the Buddha all assemble in the great assembly, born from the Buddha’s mouth, transformed from the Dharma.
They all come before the Buddha and abide there, joining their palms in reverence.
For the sake of that great assembly, they inquire into the causes and conditions of this radiance.
The Tathāgata skillfully knows that the nature of the eye is empty, quiescent, and without self,
surpassing all those who practice while remaining in the household life.
With equal wisdom, the Buddha knows that all dharmas are without distinction.
What the Tathāgata knows in intention cannot be perceived by supernatural powers.
The Buddha knows the eye faculty as without self. Its nature is empty and quiescent, without departure and without arrival.
Your pure wisdom is immeasurable. Through what cause and condition do you manifest this smile?”
(Volume Thirty-Two starts here)
. . . The Tathāgata will take no further birth;
He embraces all worlds with great compassion.
May the Dharma king,
The Supremely Honored One of men,
Tell us why he smiled.
Dharma Torch 