Translated in the Great Tang Dynasty by the Tripiṭaka Master Xuan Zang by Imperial Command
At that time, the World-Honored One, while still on the road and without leaving his seat, enabled those elders to attain the fruition of sainthood. The Tathāgata, in the form of dignified deportment, entered Rājagṛha, surrounded by the fourfold assembly of disciples, all orderly and composed. At that moment, a great divine king among the yakṣas named Kimbhīra, who guarded Rājagṛha, gave rise to this thought: “Now, the Tathāgata’s appearance is exceedingly excellent and rare, the most supreme and difficult to encounter in the world, worthy of offerings from both humans and deities. We should now make offerings to the Tathāgata using various sublime and superior provisions.” Having formed this thought, he then offered to the Buddha the most excellent food offerings, which were rich in fragrance and beautiful in appearance. The World-Honored One, out of compassion for his offering, accepted it. At that time, the host of great yakṣas led by King Kimbhīra, numbering sixty-eight thousand, all gave rise to rejoicing minds in the sky and praised aloud in clear and far-reaching voices: “Excellent! Excellent!” Then Kimbhīra informed his retinue of his intent: “I have already made offerings of sublime provisions to the Buddha; you too should offer various kinds of offerings to the bhikṣu saṅgha. This will bring you benefit and happiness throughout the long night.” The yakṣas, having accepted the king’s command, immediately offered superior provisions as alms to the bhikṣu saṅgha. The Saṅgha compassionately accepted their offerings.
At that time, the World-Honored One entered Rājagṛha to beg for alms. After obtaining food, he was about to return to his dwelling. Then countless thousands of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, as well as innumerable thousands of humans and non-humans, and countless billions of sentient beings followed behind the Buddha. At that time, the Tathāgata proceeded to the most supreme and spacious ground and sat down on the seat regularly arranged there. Then Kimbhīra and his retinue brought various celestial flowers—maṇḍārava flowers, utpala flowers, padme flowers, kumuda flowers, puṇḍarīka flowers—and various divine sandalwood powders and other offerings, and scattered them toward the Buddha. These were known as the superior scatter, the greatly superior scatter, the wondrous scatter, and the greatly wondrous scatter. After such diligent flower scattering as offerings, they stood respectfully before the Buddha with palms joined.
At that time, the Tathāgata, knowing the thoughts in the minds of Kimbhīra and his assembly, smiled. It is the universal rule of all Buddhas that when they smile, various immeasurable colored rays emit from their face—such as blue, yellow, red, white, crimson, silver, and crystal. This radiance universally illuminates all immeasurable and boundless worlds, even obscuring the light of the sun and moon. It shines downward, bringing joy and happiness to beings in hell, and it shines upward all the way to the Brahmā worlds. After fulfilling its purpose, it returns, circling the Buddha seven times to the right; some rays disappear at the crown of the Buddha’s head, some at the shoulders, some at the knees.
It is a universal rule of all Buddhas: when a prophecy is given to beings of the hell realm, the light disappears beneath the feet; when to those of the animal realm, it disappears from the back; when to those of the hungry ghost realm, it disappears from the front of the body; when to humans, from the left side of the torso; when to devas, from the right side; when to Śrāvakas, from the knees; when to Pratyekabuddhas, from the shoulders; and when the Buddha, the World-Honored One, bestows a prophecy of unsurpassed complete and perfect awakening to the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas, the light then disappears from the crown of the head.
At that time, the Venerable Ānanda, seeing the World-Honored One smiling and emitting radiant light, draped his seven-fold robe over his left shoulder, exposed his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee, joined his palms, paid homage at the Buddha’s feet, and asked in verse:
“Refuge who illuminates the world, why have you emitted this radiant light?
Venerable One who brings benefit to the world, for what cause have you smiled?
Who now has planted the sacred seed, becoming the cause for Buddhahood and awakening?
For whom are you now bestowing a prophecy? Who shall abide in liberation?
Great Hero, courageous and mighty teacher, your smile must not be without cause.
May the Muni explain—what is the reason for this radiant smile?”
Then the World-Honored One replied to Ānanda in verse:
“Kimbhīra, with a pure heart, has offered various kinds of offerings;
Therefore, the Refuge of the World manifests a smile.
After relinquishing his divine kingly reward, He will be reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven.
When his heavenly merits are exhausted, He will ascend to the Yāma heaven,
Then be reborn in the Tuṣita heaven, Where he will enjoy the celestial pleasures.
After exhausting those merits, He will be reborn in the human realm, Becoming a king of wisdom,
Ruling over the four great continents, A sovereign wheel-turning holy king.
After relinquishing the kingship, He will be reborn in the Brahmā realm,
Coming and going between heaven and the human world,
For two billion kalpas, Enjoying all sorts of marvelous delights.
Finally, he will renounce kingship, Go forth in pursuit of the Buddha’s path,
And when the causes and conditions are fulfilled, He will realize ultimate Bodhi.
Thirty thousand yakṣas, through their offering to the Buddha,
Will abandon their yakṣa forms And be reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven.
Later, they will meet the Honorable Maitreya And attain the fruit of Arhatship,
Receiving teachings and offering to various Buddhas.
A thousand yakṣas will abide in great Bodhi,
And with this virtuous root, They will no longer fall into evil realms.
Another thousand yakṣas Will offer to the Buddha, the teacher,
Seeking unsurpassed Bodhi For the sake of benefitting sentient beings.
Yet another two or three thousand yakṣas, Holding incense, flowers, garlands, and so forth,
Will make offerings to Buddhas To attain the realization of Buddhahood.
A thousand koṭis of yakṣas Will offer to Buddhas,
Cultivating the purity of their nature, And ultimately attain Bodhi.
Śaila, the son of Kimbhīra, Possessing great divine powers,
Has also made a great vow: ‘I shall become a Buddha.’
He has offered to many Buddhas And made vast and expansive vows.
Now, again, he offers to me With his heart directed toward the Unsurpassed Path.
Through the power of these virtuous roots, He will leave all evil destinies behind,
And will see the Honorable Maitreya. He will then offer a koṭi of parasols,
And after offering the parasols, Will offer a koṭi of garments.
After offering the garments, At that time he will go forth as a renunciant,
For five hundred years Practicing pure and celibate conduct,
Seeking supreme Bodhi For the sake of benefitting sentient beings.
To fulfill his vows, He will practice giving, precepts, and so on
For kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, With tireless diligence.
You should understand thus: What has been stated here is only a manifestation;
The superior practices he cultivates Far exceed the numbers spoken above.
As explained in the analogy, For kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges,
He will behold countless Buddhas, And extensively make great offerings.
He possesses marvelous and supreme wisdom, A wondrous and unsurpassed mind.
He is a great guide for sentient beings; Mere names cannot convey his attainments.
In the future, he will attain perfect awakening, Respected by all sentient beings,
And his name shall be ‘King of Healing’, Renowned throughout the ten directions.
For seven billion years, He will teach the Dharma and liberate beings.
This Honored Among Two-Footed Ones Will only enter Nirvāṇa after a very long time.
At that time, there will be twenty great assemblies, To tame and guide the minds of beings.
The final assembly Will last for twenty billion years.
In these great assemblies, He will deliver innumerable Śrāvakas;
And the number of Bodhisattvas Will be the same as that of the Śrāvakas.
After benefitting sentient beings, The Tathāgata will enter Parinirvāṇa.
After Nirvāṇa, The true Dharma will remain in the world For hundreds of thousands of years.
From the time this bhikṣu attains Buddhahood, For five hundred kalpas,
In every single kalpa, One thousand Buddhas will appear in the world.
Those who are wise Should contemplate the nectar of the Dharma,
Give rise to a courageous mind, And diligently cultivate right understanding through listening.
Avoiding what is not true Dharma, Always practice the Dharma of right principle.
One should diligently cultivate much hearing, And by doing so, wisdom will increase.
The four foundational meanings of the Dharma Lead and support Bodhisattvas:
Giving, morality, hearing much, and renunciation— This is the most perfect path to awakening.
To speak of the path to awakening for the great assembly Is the highest Mahāyāna teaching.
To expound the path of the Śrāvakas Can skillfully cut through nets of doubt.
For any who ask questions, I will answer all inquiries,
and speak profound and wondrous Dharma. Such world-illuminators are difficult to encounter.”
At that time, Śaila, the son of Kimbhīra, upon hearing the Buddha bestow a prophecy, felt immense joy and elation, a delight he had never experienced before. He thought to himself, “Now the World-Honored One is about to proceed to the king of mountains—Vulture Peak. I should once again plant a small virtuous root before the Tathāgata.” Having conceived this thought, he said to his retinue: “You should know that the Tathāgata is soon to depart from the great city of Rājagṛha and head toward Vulture Peak. You must give rise to a vigorous and courageous mind, and each of you should do your utmost to prepare offerings.”
Thereupon, Śaila, together with his attendants, cleared the road between Rājagṛha and Vulture Peak of weeds, gravel, thorns, and other obstructions, making the path exceptionally clean, as bright and clear as a polished mirror. They sprinkled the ground with fragrant water and spread superior, wondrous garments over the entire roadway. They scattered precious, fresh flowers in heaps as tall as a person and burned excellent dense incense, filling the road with fragrance. Along the route, they erected banners and standards, hung jeweled canopies, and suspended silken streamers in the air in well-aligned arrangements. Various heavenly instruments were played, resonating before and behind, filling the entire road. The road was exceedingly wide—approximately the span of a bowshot—and was entirely covered with aquatic blossoms, such as utpala flowers, padme flowers, kumuda flowers, and puṇḍarīka flowers.
They also placed rare birds like mandarin ducks among the flowerbeds, arranged along both sides of the path. On the road itself, they laid down multicolored silks woven with golden threads, overlaid with exquisite nets made from the seven treasures. After Śaila had arranged such magnificent adornments along the road the Buddha would traverse, he manifested himself in an exceptionally tall and majestic form. He and his attendants were filled with great delight and joy, experiencing profound elation. They gave rise to all manner of extraordinary intentions, such as: a mind of delight, a mind of gentle goodness, a soft and pliant mind, a pure mind, a mind free from afflictions, a mind of contentment, a mind of taking refuge in the Buddha, a mind of taking refuge in the Dharma, a mind of taking refuge in the Saṅgha, an unmoving mind toward Bodhi, an irreversible mind, a peerless mind, a supremely peerless mind, a mind that transcends the three realms, a mind of great loving-kindness toward all beings, a mind of great compassion, a mind of great sympathetic joy, a mind of great equanimity, a mind intent on becoming a vessel for all Buddha-Dharma, a determined mind, a steadfast mind, an indestructible mind, an incorruptible and unfailing mind, a mind that abandons the grounds of Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas, and a mind that accomplishes all the grounds of Bodhisattvas. Having abided in these sublime minds, Śaila proceeded to where the Tathāgata was. He paid homage at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him three times to the right, then stood respectfully to one side with palms joined, and addressed the Buddha in verse:
“I have already prepared the unsurpassed offerings For the Refuge of the world.
The Buddha is the most venerable in all the world, The one who expounds the supreme path of Buddhadharma.
May I become the same— One who has accomplished the ten powers of the Buddha, Abiding in all fearless states,
Engaged in countless deeds that benefit beings, Just as the Teacher has done.
The Buddha possesses the thirty-two marks of excellence, And is adorned with eighty refined secondary features.
The Buddha, the Refuge of the world, is like the sun, Shining radiant light over all the world.
The Buddha turns the subtle Dharma wheel, The most supreme Twelvefold Teachings,
Proclaiming the profound and wondrous Dharma, All for the sake of benefitting sentient beings.
The Buddha displays all kinds of miraculous transformations, In accordance with the Buddha’s majestic conduct,
Performing countless beneficial acts for koṭis of beings. Future Buddhas, great heroes,
Will protect the world like the sun, Proclaiming that sacred Dharma,
Enabling beings to awaken and realize unsurpassed wisdom.
The Buddha is the shelter for all beings, The savior, the path, the refuge—
For those like the blind, he grants the eye of wisdom And leads them to the way.
Among the beings within the five realms of saṃsāra, I too shall become their refuge,
Enabling them to be freed from the gathering of countless sufferings, Just as the Buddhas of the past have turned away from them.
The offerings I have prepared For the Honored Among Two-Footed Ones, The Deva of Devas, surpass all in the world—
Greater than the sun and moon, Greater than the reverent offerings of heavenly kings, nāgas, and asuras.
The marvelous and supreme deeds I have done Have no equal or comparison.
Just like the Dharma Lord, the World-Honored One, Who is adorned with thirty-two auspicious marks—
The finest and most subtle marks of merit and virtue in the world— There is none in this world who can match them.”
At that time, the World-Honored One spoke in verse to Śaila, the son of Kimbhīra:
“Those who make offerings to the Great Master Are planting the most supreme causes of the Dharma.
Such sentient beings are the most excellent—For them, attaining Bodhi is not difficult.
Whoever offers to the Buddha, The luminous nature that illuminates the world, the Refuge of the world
—That person becomes one worthy of offerings from devas, nāgas, humans, and all beings.
He will realize the supreme, subtle awakening, seated beneath the most excellent Bodhi tree,
He will subdue all evil māras, and proclaim the true Dharma for the sake of all beings.”
At that time, the World-Honored One was surrounded in front and behind by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, kiṁnaras, mahoragas, as well as humans and non-humans, and countless hundreds of thousands of nayuta-koṭis of beings. Among this multitude, the Buddha was foremost. Due to the Tathāgata’s immense majesty, great miraculous power, vast spiritual authority, and various freely manifested transformations, he emitted great light, causing the earth to tremble. From the sky, lotus flowers as large as chariot wheels rained down, and countless hundreds of thousands of nayuta-koṭis of celestial music instruments simultaneously resounded.
When the assembly witnessed these miraculous displays, they were awestruck, having never seen such marvels before, and their reverence deepened all the more. At that time, the Tathāgata, stepping upon a lotus the size of a chariot wheel, proceeded along the magnificently adorned path toward Vulture Peak. Upon arrival, the Buddha instructed the Venerable Ānanda: “Prepare for the Tathāgata the most excellent seat—a supreme seat, a Dharma seat, a subtle and wondrous seat, a seat surpassing all of the three realms, a seat of supreme honor, a Buddha seat, the seat of the Tathāgata. I shall sit upon this seat and, for the benefit of all sentient beings, proclaim a sūtra that supports the Mahāyāna Bodhisattva path, named The Subtle and Auspicious GreatTreasure of the Bodhisattvas. This scripture causes the mountains of doubt in all beings to collapse, cuts through the net of doubt of all beings, and prevents the roots of doubt from growing again. This Mahāyāna sūtra brings benefit and happiness to all sentient beings. It is out of compassion for the multitudes, including devas and humans, that the Tathāgata now reveals it.”
Then the Venerable Ānanda, following the Buddha’s instruction, prepared the Dharma seat. At that time, among the assembly, sixty-eight koṭis of celestial beings each removed their upper garments to help lay the Dharma seat for the Tathāgata. The Buddha then sat as usual upon the seat, gazing around at the celestial sons, and spoke in verse:
“The celestial beings have laid down their garments—Supreme, wondrous, and unparalleled.
The great teacher who saves the world Is seated now upon this Dharma throne.
The Tathāgata has reached the other shore of all dharmas; When he ascends this seat,
The earth trembles in six ways, Bringing joy to the assembled multitude.
The Buddha emits light illuminating the Buddha lands, Radiating brilliance over the king of mountains.
The World-Honored One displays his divine powers, Liberating those who delight in the Dharma.
Devas, nāgas, humans, kumbhāṇḍas, hungry ghosts,
pūtanas and other beings All behold one another without obstruction.
Countless hundreds of thousands of nayuta-koṭis of devas
Witness the Buddha’s radiant light—A moment so rare, so difficult to encounter.”
King Bimbisāra and his great ministers Gathered and drew near the Refuge of the World,
The most supreme Tathāgata.
The Buddha, knowing that devas, nāgas, humans, And the great assembly were all now settled,
For the sake of benefiting sentient beings, Surveyed the four directions
And said to those with doubts: “If anyone has a question, You may ask the Honored One of Two Feet.
I shall guide the world, And skillfully cut through all the nets of doubt.”
At that time, all the sentient beings throughout the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds who had come to hear the Dharma gathered together. Upon hearing that the Tathāgata was about to expound the Dharma, they calmed all external distractions, settled their minds in single-pointed concentration, and stabilized their mindfulness in peaceful abiding. Then the World-Honored One said to the Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, “You should now be aware of which bhikṣus are dwelling in distant places and have not yet arrived at this assembly. You should summon them to come forth.”
At that time, the Venerable Mahākāśyapa was residing on the southern side of the Great Snow Mountains. Mahāmaudgalyāyana, recollecting this through his miraculous powers, went to inform him, saying, “The Tathāgata is now on Vulture Peak. Before the great assembly—of māras, Brahmās, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, devas, humans, and asuras—he is about to proclaim the wondrous Dharma. The assembly awaits your arrival. Please come with us. Let there not be any hindrance for us in receiving the Dharma.” Mahākāśyapa replied to Mahāmaudgalyāyana, “You may go on ahead. I will come shortly after.” After saying this, Mahākāśyapa did not rise from his seat but instead, using his miraculous power, manifested a transformation body. He entered Rājagṛha with that body and, leading the fourfold assembly of disciples, proceeded to Vulture Peak. Upon arrival, he paid homage at the Buddha’s feet and seated himself not far from the Buddha within the great assembly.
Mahāmaudgalyāyana, witnessing this miraculous transformation upon his return to the Buddha through his own supernatural power, saw that Kāśyapa had already taken his seat. He said to Kāśyapa, “Venerable One! You have accomplished such swift and great miraculous power, that you were able to display such a divine transformation without leaving your original seat!” Mahākāśyapa replied, “The World-Honored One has declared that you are foremost in miraculous power. What I demonstrated today was merely a small manifestation—not worth mentioning.”
Section Three: The Examination of the Bodhisattva
At that time, the venerable Śāriputra rose from his seat, draped his uttarāsavga over his left shoulder, exposed his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee, joined his palms respectfully, and said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! I now wish to ask a few questions. I earnestly request the Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One, to compassionately grant permission and expound them for me.”
The Buddha said to the venerable Śāriputra: “Ask as you wish. The Tathāgata will now explain for you, so that joy may arise in your heart.”
Śāriputra said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! What Dharma must a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva accomplish, what qualities must he possess, so that his bodily actions are without fault, his verbal actions are without fault, and his mental actions are without fault? What Dharma must he accomplish so that his bodily actions are pure, his verbal actions are pure, and his mental actions are pure? What Dharma must he accomplish so that his bodily actions are unshakable, his verbal actions are unshakable, and his mental actions are unshakable, not disturbed by Māra and the hosts of māras, practicing the true path from the initial arising of the mind of omniscience, gradually increasing in each stage the supreme skillful means, becoming the supreme guide for all sentient beings, the universal guide, the great blazing torch, the great staircase, the bridge, the vessel, the deliverer, the one who reaches the other shore, the refuge, the protector, the place of reliance, the direction toward which to go, and also able to never abandon the mind of omniscience?”
At that time, Śāriputra wished to restate this meaning and spoke in verse:
“By what meanings and principles can Bodhisattvas abide in great Bodhi?
What merits and what wholesome Dharmas can enable Bodhisattvas to thereby awaken to the Unsurpassed Path?
What kinds of conduct do Bodhisattvas practice that can benefit sentient beings?
What Dharma do they cultivate that can ultimately enable them to become buddhas, the supreme ones among humans?
What does it mean to subdue māra obstacles, abide in the supreme Bodhi,
shake koṭi worlds, and awaken to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?
What is the meaning of the word ‘bodhisattva’? What special significance does it hold?
What is Bodhi? What is the unsurpassed Buddha Dharma?
How does one walk in the world, bringing benefit to various sentient beings,
while remaining as unstained as a lotus, and yet liberating koṭi sentient beings?
How is one venerated by devas, nāgas, and non-human beings?
These questions of mine—I ask the Buddha to compassionately explain.”
At that time, the Buddha said to the venerable Śāriputra, “Excellent, excellent! I shall now explain it to you in detail. Śāriputra, if a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva is able to accomplish a single dharma, then he will be able to encompass the dharmas you have inquired about, as well as the innumerable and boundless Dharmas of the Buddhas. What is that one Dharma? It is the mind of Bodhi together with being endowed with faith and desire for the Dharma. Śāriputra, this is the meaning of a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva being able to encompass boundless Buddhadharmas by accomplishing a single Dharma.”
Śāriputra said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, what is meant by being endowed with faith and desire? And in what sense is it called the mind of Bodhi?”
The Buddha said to Śāriputra, “To be endowed with faith and desire means to be firm, true, and indestructible; it means to be stable and unshakable. That which is called unshakable means not to fall into error; not to fall into error means to be able to abide in wholesome dharmas; to abide in wholesome dharmas means not to regress; not to regress means to contemplate sentient beings; to contemplate sentient beings is the root of great compassion; the root of great compassion means not to grow weary; not to grow weary means to bring sentient beings to maturity; to bring sentient beings to maturity means to skillfully understand one’s own peace and happiness; to skillfully understand one’s own peace and happiness means to have no expectations; to have no expectations means not to be greedy or attached to the requisites for life; not to be greedy or attached to the requisites for life means to become a refuge for sentient beings; to become a refuge for sentient beings means to take pity on inferior sentient beings; to take pity on inferior sentient beings means to seek to liberate them; to seek to liberate them means to become their destination and refuge; to become their destination and refuge means not to be impatient; not to be impatient means to be skilled in observation; to be skilled in observation means to be free of resentment and rejection; to be free of resentment and rejection means to be skilled in subduing faith and desire; to be skilled in subduing faith and desire means to be without attachment; to be without attachment means to be skilled in purification; to be skilled in purification means to be subtle and pure white; to be subtle and pure white means the mind is distant from defilement; for the mind to be distant from defilement means to be outwardly skilled in purification. Śāriputra, to be firm and difficult to destroy in this way, all the way to having a mind distant from defilement and being outwardly skilled in purification—this is called being endowed with faith and desire.”
The Buddha continued to speak to Śāriputra: “What are the characteristics of the mind of Bodhi? Śāriputra, the mind of Bodhi is without faults, because it is not defiled by any afflictions. The mind of Bodhi continues unceasingly, because it is not realized within the other vehicles. The mind of Bodhi is firm and immovable, because it is not shaken by heterodox views. The mind of Bodhi is indestructible, because all celestial māras are unable to overthrow it. The mind of Bodhi is constant and unchanging, because it is accumulated through the resources of wholesome roots. The mind of Bodhi is unshakable, because it will certainly attain realization of the Dharma of the Buddhas on its own. The mind of Bodhi abides excellently and well, because it abides well in the Bodhisattva grounds. The mind of Bodhi is without interruption, because it is not countered by any other dharma. The mind of Bodhi is like a vajra, because it can penetrate the profound Dharma of the Buddhas. The mind of Bodhi is supreme and impartial, because it is equal toward all the various desires and understandings of sentient beings. The mind of Bodhi is utterly pure, because its nature is undefiled. The mind of Bodhi is without defilement, because it gives rise to wisdom. The mind of Bodhi is vast and unobstructed, because it can encompass the nature of all sentient beings.
The mind of Bodhi is great and boundless, because it is like space. The mind of Bodhi has no obstruction, because it enables unobstructed wisdom to pervade all things and carry out boundless great compassion without cessation. You should draw near to the mind of Bodhi, for it is praised by all the wise. The mind of Bodhi is like a seed, because it produces all Buddha-dharmas. The mind of Bodhi is capable of establishing all things, because it establishes all sources of joy. The mind of Bodhi gives rise to all aspirations, because its discipline is pure. The mind of Bodhi is hard to destroy, because it abides in patience. The mind of Bodhi is invincible, because it is grounded in vigor. The mind of Bodhi is utterly tranquil, because it relies on all great meditative concentrations. The mind of Bodhi lacks nothing, because it is based on the complete resources of wisdom. Śāriputra, the mind of Bodhi is the root of the Tathāgata’s aggregate of discipline, aggregate of concentration, aggregate of wisdom, aggregate of liberation, and aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation. The mind of Bodhi is also the root of the Tathāgata’s ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha.”
Śāriputra said, “That which is called the mind of Bodhi—because it is a mind that uses Bodhi to make it grow, and therefore is named the mind of Bodhi?”
“Exactly so, Śāriputra! Because the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has accomplished faith and desire as well as the mind of Bodhi, he is called a Bodhisattva, vast sattva, supremely excellent sattva, sattva who surpasses all within the three realms. He is called one whose bodily actions are without fault, whose verbal actions are without fault, whose mental actions are without fault. He is called one whose bodily actions are pure, whose verbal actions are pure, whose mental actions are pure. He is called one whose bodily actions are unmoved, whose verbal actions are unmoved, whose mental actions are unmoved. Because the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva is endowed with such pure actions, he is not disturbed by Māra or his demonic armies. From the moment he first arouses the mind of omniscience, he practices the correct path. In every stage, he gradually increases in skillful means and is not shaken by any worldly dharma. He becomes the great guide for sentient beings, the supreme guide, the universal guide, the great torch of radiant light, the great stairway, the bridge, the boat, the one who ferries others across, the one who has reached the other shore, the refuge, the protector, the place of reliance, the path of approach. Śāriputra, because the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva arouses the mind of omniscience in this way, Māra and his armies are unable to shake them.”
At that time, the Buddha said to Śāriputra: “Because the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva is endowed with such pure faith and desire, after generating the mind of Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi, he possesses abundant pure faith in his heart. He delights in associating with the noble ones, delights in hearing the true Dharma, delights in being generous and ungrasping, opens both hands and broadly practices giving, rejoices in great generosity, and delights in universally bestowing equally. Toward sentient beings he has a mind without obstruction, without defilement, without confusion, and without pollution. Toward karma and karmic results, he holds profound reverence, free from doubt or worry, knowing that the consequences of dark and bright actions are never false. Even when facing danger to his life, he does not commit evil. He forever abandons killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, frivolous speech, greed, hatred, and deluded wrong views. In order to eliminate these unwholesome paths of action, he upholds and practices the ten wholesome paths of action.
“Because he is endowed with faith, he has a pure and gentle heart toward all śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who are on the right path and rightly attained, who are virtuous and disciplined. He is full of learning, diligent in asking questions, cultivates correct attention, is subdued and tranquil, close to Nirvāṇa, does not engage in disputes, does not speak unpleasant words. He understands faith and desire well, does not misapprehend faith and desire, accords with wholesome dharmas, is far from unwholesome dharmas, not frivolous, not arrogant, far from restlessness, far from coarse and harsh speech, his speech is not scattered or mixed. He maintains right mindfulness, his mind is peaceful and excellently concentrated, he skillfully cuts off the root of existence, is not struck by the poison arrow, sets down heavy burdens, and transcends doubt.
“Toward the Buddhas of the future, the World-Honored Ones, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas, the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas—all these noble spiritual friends—when a practitioner truly perceives them, he reverently draws near, serves, and makes offerings to them. The practitioner, in this way, serves the noble spiritual friends with bodily actions, and the noble spiritual friends in turn embrace the practitioner through the gift of Dharma, expounding the profound Dharma, instructing, guiding, praising, and rejoicing. For example, they explain that by practicing giving, one gains great wealth; by maintaining discipline, one attains heavenly joy; by delighting in extensive learning, one attains great wisdom; by cultivating meditative concentration, one becomes free from bondage.
“Furthermore, they reveal to the practitioner various subtle, pure, and supreme Dharmas: this is giving, and this is the result of giving; this is miserliness, and this is the result of miserliness; this is maintaining discipline, and this is the result of maintaining discipline; this is violating discipline, and this is the result of violating discipline; this is patience, and this is the result of patience; this is anger, and this is the result of anger; this is diligence, and this is the result of diligence; this is laziness, and this is the result of laziness; this is meditative concentration, and this is the result of meditative concentration; this is distraction, and this is the result of distraction; this is wisdom, and this is the result of wisdom; this is wrong wisdom, and this is the result of wrong wisdom; this is excellent bodily conduct, and this is the result of excellent bodily conduct; this is evil bodily conduct, and this is the result of evil bodily conduct; this is excellent verbal conduct, and this is the result of excellent verbal conduct; this is evil verbal conduct, and this is the result of evil verbal conduct; this is excellent mental conduct, and this is the result of excellent mental conduct; this is evil mental conduct, and this is the result of evil mental conduct; this is wholesome, and this is unwholesome; this is what should be done, and this is what should not be done. Acting in this way leads to long-lasting benefit and happiness; acting in that way brings about long-lasting non-benefit, non-gain, and suffering.
“Śāriputra! When the noble spiritual friends thus proclaim the true Dharma to practitioners, revealing, instructing, guiding, and joyfully praising it, if they discern that the other person is capable of receiving the Great Dharma, then they reveal to them the profoundly subtle Dharma in accordance with emptiness, namely: the Dharma of emptiness, the Dharma of signlessness, the Dharma of wishlessness, the Dharma of non-construction, the Dharma of non-birth, the Dharma of non-arising, the Dharma of non-self, the Dharma of non-grasping, the Dharma of non-lifespan, the Dharma of non-sentient being. Furthermore, they reveal to them the profound Dharma of dependent origination: namely, this exists, therefore that exists; this arises, therefore that arises—ignorance conditions formations, formations condition consciousness, consciousness conditions name-and-form, name-and-form condition the six sense bases, the six sense bases condition contact, contact conditions feeling, feeling conditions craving, craving conditions grasping, grasping conditions becoming, becoming conditions birth, birth conditions aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and mental anguish. Thus, through the aggregation of various causes and conditions, there is the formation of a mass of pure great suffering. Also, this ceases, therefore that ceases—when ignorance ceases, formations cease; when formations cease, consciousness ceases, and so on, until when birth ceases, aging and death cease. In this way, the mass of pure great suffering is entirely brought to cessation.
“Śāriputra! One should further explain to the practitioner: within this, there is not a single Dharma that truly exists, nor is there any Dharma that can truly be eliminated. Why is this so? Because all Dharmas arise dependent on causes and conditions, there is no sovereign, no creator, no receiver; it is merely the flux of causes and conditions. There is no actual Dharma that truly circulates in saṃsāra, nor is there one who follows along in that circulation. Sentient beings, due to deluded imagination, falsely establish the three realms, but in reality, it is merely the flux of affliction and suffering; all are merely conventionally established names. When a practitioner directly observes deluded imagination as it truly is, they discover that there is not a single Dharma capable of producing any other Dharma. There is no producer, because the agent of production cannot be found. There is also no Dharma that truly circulates, because the circulation cannot be found. Therefore, Śāriputra! if a practitioner, upon hearing such a profound Dharma, can be free from doubt and hesitation, and can skillfully enter into the unobstructed emptiness of all Dharmas, then this person does not cling to form, does not cling to feeling, perception, formation, or consciousness; does not cling to the eye faculty, visible objects, or eye-consciousness; does not cling to ear, nose, tongue, body, mind, nor to mental objects or mental consciousness—because none of these can truly be obtained.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra! After the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva accepts and upholds this Dharma of emptiness of intrinsic nature, he does not regress from seeing Buddhas, hearing the Dharma, and serving the Saṅgha. Lifetime after lifetime, he does not depart from the Three Jewels and is constantly able to see Buddhas face to face, diligently seeking the Dharma. Once this person abides in right exertion, he no longer craves home, family, servants, or wealth; he is not disturbed by sensual desires, and swiftly, in this very life, renounces the pleasures of youth and prosperity, and with a pure and faithful heart, goes forth into the monastic life to cultivate the path. After renouncing the household life, he encounters noble spiritual friends and companions, abides well in right contemplation, and abides well in faithful desire. Because he abides well in faithful desire, he hears the true Dharma well, cultivates diligently with steadfastness, not merely speaking in vain but actually accomplishing true wisdom. He delights in hearing extensively, never feeling contented, and speaks the Dharma to others with an undefiled mind, not greedy for profit, offerings, or reputation, never proclaiming falsely in contradiction to truth, but truthfully expounding the Dharma that he has heard and realized. Toward those who listen to the Dharma, he gives rise to great loving-kindness, and toward all sentient beings, he gives rise to great compassion. Śāriputra! Because such a practitioner hears the true Dharma extensively, he disregards even his own body and life, has few desires and is content, abides in stillness, is easily satisfied and easily supported, delights in dwelling in solitude, and, relying on the Dharma he has heard, contemplates its true meaning. He is not attached to mere words and becomes a refuge for devas, humans, asuras, and others—not seeking benefit for himself but solely seeking Mahāyāna for the sake of sentient beings—that is, seeking unsurpassed Buddha-wisdom, incomparable wisdom, peerless wisdom, the wisdom surpassing all in the three realms. Śāriputra! I say that this person has attained the foremost of non-negligence.
“Śāriputra! What is called the Dharma of non-negligence? It is the stillness of all the faculties. What is meant by the stillness of all the faculties? It is that when the eye sees form, it does not grasp at appearances, but instead directly knows the manifestation of form, the faults of form, and the liberation from form. Likewise, when the ear hears sound, the nose smells scent, the tongue tastes flavor, the body senses touch, or the mind encounters mental objects, it does not grasp at appearances, but directly knows the manifestation of the Dharma object, the faults of the Dharma object, and the liberation from the Dharma object. Śāriputra! This is what is called a mind of non-negligence. Furthermore, the person of non-negligence is able to subdue his own mind, to skillfully protect the minds of others, to distance himself from afflictions and move toward the true Dharma, not giving rise to thoughts of craving, thoughts of anger, or thoughts of harming others; not engaging in unwholesome roots of greed, anger, and delusion; not engaging in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, or mental misconduct; not engaging in improper attention, not engaging in any and all evil unwholesome Dharmas—this is what is called non-negligence.
“Śāriputra! Since these Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas are not negligent, they are able to cultivate diligently and attend properly through right attention. Toward what exists, they know it as truly existing; toward what does not exist, they know it as truly not existing. So then, upon examination, what is it that exists, and what is it that does not exist? They are able to know this truthfully with wisdom. The holy liberation of the right practitioner does exist; the holy liberation of the wrong practitioner does not exist. ‘The absence of a self that receives the results of karma’ does exist; ‘the existence of a self that receives the results of karma’ does not exist. The eye does exist, but the self of the eye does not exist; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—mind does exist, but the self of the mind does not exist. Furthermore, ‘form is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change’—this does exist; ‘form is eternal, unchanging, and indestructible’—this does not exist. ‘Feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are impermanent, suffering, and subject to change’—this does exist;’feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are permanent, unchanging, and indestructible’—this does not exist. Moreover, conditioned by ignorance, formations do exist; if there is no ignorance, then formations do not exist. Up to: conditioned by birth, aging and death do exist; if there is no birth, then aging and death do not exist.
“Furthermore, that generosity leads to great wealth does exist; that generosity leads to poverty does not exist. That observing precepts leads to rebirth in heavenly realms does exist; that breaking precepts leads to rebirth in heavenly realms does not exist. That extensive hearing leads to great wisdom does exist; that wrong wisdom could give rise to great wisdom does not exist. That cultivating concentration leads to liberation does exist; that cultivating concentration results in bondage does not exist. Moreover, if proper attention were to lead to bondage, and improper attention to liberation, then both of these cases do not exist. If a Bodhisattva gives rise to diligence, then Bodhi does exist; if lazy and negligent, then Bodhi does not exist. If free of arrogance, receiving a prediction after renunciation does exist; if full of arrogance yet able to attain Nirvāṇa, that does not exist. Furthermore, emptiness that pervades everywhere does exist; concepts that pervade everywhere—such as ‘self,’ ‘person,’ ‘being,’ ‘lifespan,’ and ‘great man’—do not exist. Śāriputra! If a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva practices non-negligence, he is able to cultivate well and attend with right attention. What is acknowledged as existing by the wise of the world, he establishes as existent; what is acknowledged as non-existent by the wise of the world, he establishes as non-existent. Śāriputra, if one stubbornly insists on ‘existence,’ that is not right knowledge; and if one stubbornly insists on ‘non-existence,’ that is likewise not right knowledge. Why is this so? Because the true meaning spoken by all Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, is something that follows the awakened knowledge.
“Śāriputra! The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, possess the great power of wisdom and fully encompass all Dharmas, establishing them under four kinds of udāna. What are the four? Namely: All formations are impermanent; All formations are suffering; All Dharmas are non-self; Nirvāṇa is peaceful cessation. Śāriputra! The Tathāgata proclaims ‘All formations are impermanent’ in order to eliminate the eternalist notion in beings who are attached to the concept of permanence; He proclaims ‘All formations are suffering’ in order to eliminate the hedonist notion in beings who are attached to the concept of pleasure; He proclaims ‘All Dharmas are non-self’ in order to eliminate the egoist notion in beings who are attached to the concept of self; He proclaims ‘Nirvāṇa is peaceful cessation’ in order to eliminate the inverted view of gain in beings who are attached to the idea of attainment. Śāriputra! When these Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas hear the Tathāgata declare ‘All formations are impermanent, they are able to deeply comprehend the true nature of impermanence; When they hear ‘All formations are suffering,’ they are able to give rise to the mind of revulsion and disenchantment; When they hear ‘All Dharmas are non-self,’ they are able to cultivate the sublime liberating gate of Samādhi; When they hear ‘Nirvāṇa is peaceful cessation,’ they are able to cultivate the signless Samādhi, without hastily seeking to enter Nirvāṇa. Śāriputra! If the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva is able to skillfully cultivate these Dharmas, then he will never fall away from any wholesome Dharma and will swiftly bring all Buddha-Dharmas to perfect completion.
Dharma Torch 