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Sūtra 40 (posted 10/2013, updated 02/2014) Book information on Home page
fascicle 46 fascicle 47
大方廣佛華嚴經
佛不思議法品第三十三
Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment
Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty
by
The Tripiṭaka Master Śikṣānanda from Yutian
Fascicle 46 (of 80)
Chapter 33a – The Inconceivable Dharmas of Buddhas
At that time in the huge assembly, some Bodhisattvas thought, “Why are Buddhas’ lands inconceivable? Why are Buddhas’ original vows inconceivable? Why are Buddhas’ character-types inconceivable? Why are Buddhas’ appearances in worlds inconceivable? Why are Buddhas’ bodies inconceivable? Why are Buddhas’ tones inconceivable? Why is Buddhas’ wisdom inconceivable? Why is Buddhas’ command of spiritual powers inconceivable? Why is Buddhas’ hindrance-free abiding inconceivable? Why is Buddhas’ liberation inconceivable?”
Then the World-Honored One, knowing these Bodhisattvas’ thoughts, supported Blue Lotus Flower Store Bodhisattva with His spiritual power, drew him in with His wisdom, illuminated him with His radiance, and filled him with His awesome might, enabling him to abide in a Buddha’s fearlessness, enter a Buddha’s dharma realm, acquire a Buddha’s awe-inspiring virtues and command of transcendental powers, make a Buddha’s vast, hindrance-free observations, know the character-types of all Buddhas in succession, and acquire the skillful means of the ineffable Buddha Dharma.
Thus Blue Lotus Flower Store Bodhisattva was enabled to fully understand the hindrance-free dharma realm, continue his hindrance-free profound actions, fulfill the great vows taught by Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and master the entire Buddha Dharma. With great compassion, he observed sentient beings, intending to enable them to achieve purity and train diligently without tiring or idling. He accepted and carried out all Bodhisattva teachings. In one thought, he acquired Buddha wisdom, entered the door of all endless wisdom-knowledge [jñāna], and fully acquired dhāraṇī and eloquence.
Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, he told Lotus Flower Store Bodhisattva, “Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have countless kinds of abiding, such as (1) abiding with constancy, (2) abiding in great compassion, (3) abiding in various bodies to do Buddha work, (4) abiding in the impartial mind to turn the pure Dharma wheel, (5) abiding in the four kinds of unimpeded eloquence[1] to expound the immeasurable Dharma, (6) abiding in the entire inconceivable Buddha Dharma, (7) abiding in pure tones that pervade countless worlds, (8) abiding in the ineffable and profound dharma realm, (9) abiding in displays of all supreme transcendental powers, and (10) abiding in the ability to expound the hindrance-free ultimate Dharma.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Tathāgatas have ten immeasurable, boundless dharmas that pervade the dharma realm. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas have a boundless body with pure physical appearances, which remains untainted after entering various life-paths of all sentient beings. Second, all Buddhas have the boundless hindrance-free eye, which clearly sees all dharmas. Third, all Buddhas have the boundless hindrance-free ear, which understands all sounds. Fourth, all Buddhas have the boundless nose, which arrives at the shore of Buddha freedom. Fifth, all Buddhas have the wide-ranging and far-reaching tongue, which emits wonderful tones that pervade the dharma realm. Sixth, all Buddhas have boundless bodies, which appear to sentient beings in response to their minds. Seventh, all Buddhas have the boundless mind, which abides in the same hindrance-free dharma body.[2] Eighth, all Buddhas have the boundless hindrance-free liberation and display Their inexhaustible great transcendental powers. Ninth, all Buddhas have the boundless pure world and, according to sentient beings’ preferences, manifest Buddha Lands with countless diverse adornments, with no attachment to them. Tenth, all Buddhas fulfill boundless Bodhisattva action vows, acquire complete wisdom-knowledge, act with ease as if in play, and fully understand the entire Buddha Dharma. Buddha-Son, these are the ten boundless dharmas of all Tathāgatas, the Samyak-Saṁbuddhas, that pervade the dharma realm.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns appear in countless worlds and use ten kinds of wisdom-knowledge to do things in one thought. What these ten? First, all Buddhas descend from heaven. Second, all Buddhas are born as a Bodhisattva. Third, all Buddhas renounce family life to train for bodhi. Fourth, all Buddhas attain true enlightenment under a bodhi tree. Fifth, all Buddhas turn the wondrous Dharma wheel. Sixth, all Buddhas teach sentient beings to make offerings to Buddhas. Seventh, all Buddhas manifest various ineffable Buddha bodies. Eighth, all Buddhas appear with various immeasurable adornments, a Tathāgata’s command, and the store of all wisdom-knowledge. Ninth, all Buddhas purify innumerable sentient beings. Tenth, all Buddhas reveal past, present, and future Buddhas; Their various natures, characters, and energetic work; Their actions and understandings; and Their attaining samyak-saṁbodhi in the past, present, and future. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten right timings. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas attain samyak-saṁbodhi at the right time. Second, all Buddhas bring those with the right conditions to [spiritual] maturity at the right time. Third, all Buddhas bestow the prophecy of attaining Buddhahood upon Bodhisattvas at the right time. Fourth, all Buddhas display Their spiritual powers according to sentient beings’ minds at the right time. Fifth, all Buddhas manifest Their bodies according to sentient beings’ understandings at the right time. Sixth, all Buddhas enter parinirvāṇa at the right time. Seventh, all Buddhas enter villages or cities at the right time. Eighth, all Buddhas draw in those with pure faith at the right time. Ninth, all Buddhas tame recalcitrant sentient beings at the right time. Tenth, all Buddhas display Their inconceivable transcendental powers at the right time. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten unsurpassed inconceivable states. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas can sit cross-legged [in meditation] to be in countless worlds in the ten directions. Second, all Buddhas can speak one word to expound the entire Buddha Dharma. Third, all Buddhas can emit one beam of light to illuminate all worlds. Fourth, all Buddhas can manifest in one body all bodies. Fifth, all Buddhas can manifest in one place all worlds. Sixth, all Buddhas can use one wisdom-knowledge to know all dharmas hindrance free. Seventh, all Buddhas in one thought can go to all worlds in the ten directions. Eighth, all Buddhas in one thought can reveal a Tathāgata’s immeasurable awe-inspiring virtues. Ninth, all Buddhas in one thought can know past, present, and future Buddhas and sentient beings, without confusion. Tenth, all Buddhas in one thought can see that all past, present, and future Buddhas have the same essence. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns can impart ten kinds of wisdom-knowledge. What are these ten? First, although all Buddhas know that dharmas have no intentions, They impart the wisdom-knowledge to make pure vows. Second, although all Buddhas know that dharmas have no bodies, They impart the wisdom-knowledge of the dharma body. Third, although all Buddhas know that dharmas are non-dual, They impart the wisdom-knowledge to attain enlightenment. Fourth, although all Buddhas know that all dharmas are neither selves nor sentient beings,[3] They impart the wisdom-knowledge to tame sentient beings. Fifth, although all Buddhas know that dharmas have no appearance, They impart the wisdom-knowledge of their appearances. Sixth, although all Buddhas know that all worlds have neither formation nor destruction, They impart the wisdom-knowledge of formations and destructions. Seventh, although all Buddhas know that all dharmas are free from fabrication, They impart the wisdom-knowledge of karmic requital. Eighth, although all Buddhas know that dharmas have no speech, They impart the wisdom-knowledge of words. Ninth, although all Buddhas know that dharmas are neither pure nor impure, They impart the wisdom-knowledge of purities and impurities. Tenth, although all Buddhas know that dharmas have neither birth nor death, they impart the wisdom-knowledge to end the cycle of birth and death. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten kinds of internal dharmas. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas use pure, sublime bodies to enter the past, present, and future. Second, all Buddhas use the three commands [body, voice, and mind][4] to transform all sentient beings. Third, all Buddhas use dhāraṇīs to retain the entire Buddha Dharma. Fourth, all Buddhas use the four kinds of unimpeded eloquence to turn the pure Dharma wheel everywhere. Fifth, all Buddhas have universal great compassion and never abandon any sentient beings. Sixth, all Buddhas have attained profound samādhi and constantly observe all sentient beings. Seventh, all Buddhas have altruistic roots of goodness and tame sentient beings without rest. Eighth, all Buddhas have the hindrance-free mind and abide in the entire dharma realm. Ninth, all Buddhas use hindrance-free spiritual powers to manifest in one thought past, present, and future Buddhas. Tenth, all Buddhas use hindrance-free wisdom to establish in one thought all past, present, and future kalpas. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns can do ten hard-to-believe great dharmas. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas can vanquish all māras. Second, all Buddhas can subjugate all those who take any non-Buddhist paths. Third, all Buddhas can tame all sentient beings and make them happy. Fourth, all Buddhas can go to all worlds, and teach and transform all kinds of sentient beings there. Fifth, all Buddhas can use Their wisdom-knowledge to verify the profound dharma realm. Sixth, all Buddhas can use Their non-dual body to manifest various bodies in order to be everywhere in all worlds. Seventh, all Buddhas can use the four kinds of unimpeded eloquence to expound the Dharma in pure tones without interruption, never failing to induce faith and acceptance. Eighth, all Buddhas can manifest, in a pore, Buddhas as numerous as the dust particles in all worlds. Ninth, all Buddhas can manifest, in a dust particle, worlds as numerous as the dust particles in all Buddha Lands. The dust particle is not large, and the manifested worlds are not small. In these worlds with superb adornments, Buddhas constantly turn the Dharma wheel to teach and transform sentient beings as, with wisdom, They constantly abide in the dharma realm. Tenth, all Buddhas fully understand the pure dharma realm and use Their radiant wisdom to dispel the darkness in the world, enabling sentient beings to understand the Buddha Dharma and follow Tathāgatas, who have the Ten Powers. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten great virtues, faultless and pure. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas have always had great awe-inspiring virtues, faultless and pure. Second, all Buddhas are born into past, present, and future Tathāgata families in honorable clans, faultless and pure. Third, all Buddha’s minds abide nowhere throughout the endless future, faultless and pure. Fourth, all Buddhas have no attachment to past, present, and future dharmas, faultless and pure. Fifth, all Buddhas know that all natures are but one nature, which comes from nowhere, faultless and pure. Sixth, all Buddhas’ past and future merits are as endless as the dharma realm, faultless and pure. Seventh, all Buddhas’ boundless bodies are everywhere in worlds in the ten directions, and tame sentient beings at the right times, faultless and pure. Eighth, all Buddhas have the Four Fearlessnesses and roar the lion’s roar in assemblies to explicate all dharmas, faultless and pure. Ninth, all Buddhas enter parinirvāṇa in an ineffably ineffable number of kalpas, and sentient beings acquire immeasurable merit by hearing Their names, no different from that acquired by hearing present Buddhas’ names, faultless and pure. Tenth, although all Buddhas reside in ineffably remote worlds, if sentient beings think of Them with single-minded right mindfulness, they will be able to see Them, faultless and pure. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten ultimate purities. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas’ past vows have ultimate purity. Second, all Buddhas’ Brahma way of life has ultimate purity. Third, all Buddhas’ transcending worlds fraught with delusions has ultimate purity. Fourth, all Buddhas’ magnificent worlds have ultimate purity. Fifth, all Buddhas’ retinues have ultimate purity. Sixth, all Buddhas’ clans have ultimate purity. Seventh, all Buddhas’ physical bodies and their excellent characteristics have ultimate purity. Eighth, all Buddhas’ dharma bodies are taint free and have ultimate purity. Ninth, all Buddhas’ [sarvajña-jñāna] knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge is hindrance free and has ultimate purity. Tenth, all Buddhas’ liberation and command, completion of what They set out to do, and arrival at the opposite shore[5] have ultimate purity. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns do ten kinds of Buddha work in all worlds and at all times. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas appear before sentient beings if they single-mindedly think of Them. Second, all Buddhas expound the Dharma to sentient beings even if their minds are muddled. Third, all Buddhas enable sentient beings to acquire countless roots of goodness if they can elicit pure faith. Fourth, all Buddhas know that sentient beings can enter a Dharma position6 through realization of the truth. Fifth, all Buddhas teach and transform sentient beings, never tiring. Sixth, all Buddhas visit Buddha Lands, going to and fro hindrance free. Seventh, all Buddhas, out of great compassion, never abandon any sentient beings. Eighth, all Buddhas appear in manifested bodies without interruption or end. Ninth, all Buddhas display transcendental powers with ease and without rest. Tenth, all Buddhas abide in the dharma realm and observe all things everywhere. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten oceans of endless wisdom-knowledge. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas have the ocean of endless wisdom-knowledge of the boundless dharma body. Second, all Buddhas have the ocean of endless wisdom-knowledge of immeasurable Buddha work. Third, all Buddhas have the ocean of endless wisdom-knowledge of the Buddha-eye abilities. Fourth, all Buddhas have the ocean of endless wisdom-knowledge of countless inconceivable roots of goodness. Fifth, all Buddhas have the ocean of endless wisdom-knowledge to shower down sweet dew, the wondrous Dharma. Sixth, all Buddhas have the ocean of endless wisdom-knowledge to praise Buddhas’ virtues. Seventh, all Buddhas have the ocean of endless wisdom-knowledge arising from Their past vows and actions. Eighth, all Buddhas have the ocean of endless wisdom-knowledge to do Buddha work throughout the endless future. Ninth, all Buddhas have the ocean of endless wisdom-knowledge of all sentient beings’ mental activities. Tenth, all Buddhas have the ocean of endless wisdom-knowledge of unsurpassed merit and wisdom, which are Their adornments. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten dharmas that They always do. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas always practice all pāramitās. Second, all Buddhas are always free from delusions over dharmas. Third, all Buddhas always have great compassion. Fourth, all Buddhas always have the Ten Powers. Fifth, all Buddhas always turn the Dharma wheel. Sixth, all Buddhas always deliver all sentient beings.7 Seventh, all Buddhas always demonstrate attainment of true enlightenment to benefit sentient beings. Eighth, all Buddhas always delight in taming all sentient beings. Ninth, all Buddhas always are mindful that dharmas are non-dual. Tenth, all Buddhas, after transforming sentient beings, always demonstrate entering the nirvāṇa without remnant[8] because a Buddha’s state is boundless.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns expound the immeasurable Buddha Dharma through ten doors. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas expound the door of the realm of innumerable sentient beings. Second, all Buddhas expound the door of innumerable sentient beings’ actions. Third, all Buddhas expound the door of innumerable sentient beings’ karmic requitals. Fourth, all Buddhas expound the door of delivering innumerable sentient beings. Fifth, all Buddhas expound the door of actions to purify innumerable sentient beings. Sixth, all Buddhas expound the door of countless Bodhisattva actions. Seventh, all Buddhas expound the door of immeasurable Bodhisattva vows. Eighth, all Buddhas expound the door of the formation kalpas and destruction kalpas of countless worlds. Ninth, all Buddhas expound the door of pure Buddha Lands aspired to by innumerable Bodhisattvas. Tenth, all Buddhas expound the door of past, present, and future Buddhas, who appear in countless worlds, kalpa after kalpa, to reveal Buddha wisdom. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns do Buddha work for sentient beings in ten ways. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas manifest physical bodies to do Buddha work for sentient beings. Second, all Buddhas emit wonderful tones to do Buddha work for sentient beings. Third, all Buddhas do Buddha work for sentient beings, as They receive their offerings. Fourth, all Buddhas do Buddha work for sentient beings, as They do not receive their offerings. Fifth, all Buddhas use earth, water, fire, and wind to do Buddha work for sentient beings. Sixth, all Buddhas, using Their spiritual powers, manifest things with ease to do Buddha work for sentient beings. Seventh, all Buddhas assume various names to do Buddha work for sentient beings. Eighth, all Buddhas use the settings of Buddha Lands to do Buddha work for sentient beings. Ninth, all Buddhas purify and adorn Buddha Lands to do Buddha work for sentient beings. Tenth, all Buddhas use quietness [nirvāṇa] to do Buddha work for sentient beings. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten supreme dharmas. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas’ great vows are firm and indestructible, and They always honor Their words, never withdrawing or changing them. Second, all Buddhas, to complete Their accumulation of merit, take Bodhisattva actions throughout all future kalpas without tiring or idling. Third, all Buddhas, to tame even one sentient being, go to an ineffably ineffable number of worlds, and do the same for all sentient beings without interrupting or stopping. Fourth, all Buddhas regard both believers and nonbelievers with great compassion, without any difference. Fifth, all Buddhas, from Their initial resolve to Their attainment of Buddhahood, never lose the bodhi mind. Sixth, all Buddhas accumulate immeasurable merits, transfer them to acquiring the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge, and have no attachment to the world. Seventh, all Buddhas do the three karmas [body, voice, and mind] only in the Buddha way, not the way of riders of the Two Vehicles, and transfer the merit of these karmas to acquiring the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge and attaining the unsurpassed true enlightenment. Eighth, all Buddhas emit vast radiance, illuminating all places equally and illuminating the Dharma of all Buddhas, enabling Bodhisattvas to purify their minds and acquire all wisdom-knowledge. Ninth, all Buddhas, with neither greed nor attachments, discard worldly pleasures, and wish the world to leave suffering for happiness and not to uphold any ludicrous statements [wrong views]. Tenth, all Buddhas pity sentient beings in various pains, guard the Buddha seed, abide in the Buddha state, transcend the cycle of birth and death, and arrive on the ground of the Ten Powers. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten kinds of hindrance-free abiding. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas can go to all worlds, abiding hindrance free. Second, all Buddhas can reside in all worlds, abiding hindrance free. Third, all Buddhas can walk, stand still, sit, and lie down in all worlds, abiding hindrance free. Fourth, all Buddhas can expound the true Dharma in all worlds, abiding hindrance free. Fifth, all Buddhas can stay in Tuṣita Heaven [the fourth desire heaven] in all worlds, abiding hindrance free. Sixth, all Buddhas can enter the dharma realm in the past, present, and future, abiding hindrance free. Seventh, all Buddhas can sit in all bodhimaṇḍas in the dharma realm, abiding hindrance free. Eighth, all Buddhas, thought after thought, can observe all sentient beings’ mental activities, and teach and tame them with the three commands [body, voice, and mind], abiding hindrance free. Ninth, all Buddhas can use one body to reside in countless inconceivable places of Buddhas and all other places to benefit sentient beings, abiding hindrance free. Tenth, all Buddhas can expound the true Dharma, abiding hindrance free. These are the ten.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten unexcelled superb adornments. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas have bodies adorned with physical marks and excellent characteristics. This is the first adornment of Buddhas, the unexcelled superb physical body. Second, all Buddhas can emit sixty tones. Each tone comprises five hundred parts; each part is embellished with countless hundreds of thousands of pure tones. Without fear amid all multitudes in the dharma realm, They roar a great lion’s roar to expound the profound meanings of the Dharma of Tathāgatas. After hearing these teachings, all sentient beings are delighted and tamed according to their capacities and desires. This is the second adornment of Buddhas, the unexcelled superb voice. Third, all Buddhas have the Ten Powers, great samādhis, and the Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas, which adorn Their mind karmas. They handle all states hindrance free, acquire the entire Buddha Dharma, and adorn Themselves with the splendor of the dharma realm. In one thought They clearly see, in the dharma realm, sentient beings’ past, present, and future mental activities, and their differences. This is the third adornment of Buddhas, the unexcelled superb mind. Fourth, all Buddhas can emit countless beams of light. Each beam has ineffable webs of radiance as its retinue, illuminating all Buddha Lands, dispelling the darkness in all worlds, and revealing the appearances of innumerable Buddhas. These Buddhas, whose bodies are equally pure and whose Buddha work is never futile, enable sentient beings to attain [the spiritual level of] no regress. This is the fourth adornment of Buddhas, the unexcelled superb radiance. Fifth, all Buddhas, when smiling, emit from Their mouths 100,000 koṭi nayuta beams of light. Each beam has countless inconceivable, diverse colors, illuminating all worlds in the ten directions, displaying truthful words amid multitudes, and bestowing upon innumerable sentient beings the prophecy of attaining anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi. This is the fifth adornment of Buddhas, the unexcelled superb smile that removes delusion in the world. Sixth, all Buddhas have the dharma body, which is pure and hindrance free. They fully understand all dharmas, abide in the boundless dharma realm, stay in the world without being tainted, know the true nature of dharmas, walk the supra-worldly way, end the flow of words, and transcend [physical bodies composed of] the five aggregates, the twelve fields, and the eighteen spheres. This is the sixth adornment of Buddhas, the unexcelled superb dharma body. Seventh, all Buddhas have an immeasurable constant radiance and are adorned with a store of radiance with various ineffably ineffable colors, which emits immeasurable wonderful radiance, illuminating everywhere [in worlds] in the ten directions, hindrance free. This is the seventh adornment of Buddhas, the unexcelled superb ever-present radiance. Eighth, all Buddhas assume countless sublime forms, such as lovely forms, pure forms, manifested-at-will forms, forms that surpass all things in the Three Realms of Existence, and forms that have arrived at the opposite shore. This is the eighth adornment of Buddhas, the unexcelled superb forms. Ninth, all Buddhas are born into past, present, and future Buddha families. They accumulate treasures of goodness, achieve ultimate purity, and have no faults, free from the scorn and slander of the world. They are adorned with pure actions that are supreme among all dharmas, and have fully acquired the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge. Their clans are pure and beyond criticism. This is the ninth adornment, the unexcelled superb clans. Tenth, all Buddhas adorn Their bodies with the power of great compassion. Their bodies being naturally pure, They have no thirsty love [tṛṣṇā] of being. Their body karmas are forever ended, Their minds are liberated, and Their beholders never tire of seeing Them. Out of great compassion, They rescue and protect the whole world. As the foremost fortune field,[9] They are the unexcelled recipients of offerings. They pity and benefit all sentient beings, enabling them to increase immeasurably their accumulation of merit and wisdom. This is the tenth adornment of Buddhas, the unexcelled superb virtue of great lovingkindness and compassion.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten commands. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas have command of all dharmas, clearly know various words and expressions, and expound the Dharma with unimpeded eloquence. This is the first command of Buddhas. Second, all Buddhas teach and transform sentient beings at the right time, expound the true Dharma according to their preferences, and ceaselessly tame them. This is the second command of Buddhas. Third, all Buddhas can cause, in the entire domain of space, all worlds with countless diverse adornments to quake in six different ways, and can make them rise or fall, larger or smaller, joined or separated, without distressing even one sentient being. Sentient beings there neither sense nor know any change, and are neither suspicious nor bewildered. This is the third command of Buddhas. Fourth, all Buddhas can use transcendental powers to purify and adorn all worlds. In one thought They can display all worlds with taint-free adornments, which are pure beyond comparison and cannot be described in countless kalpas. They can put the adornments in all worlds into one world. This is the fourth command of Buddhas. Fifth, all Buddhas, for the sake of one sentient being ready to be delivered, sustain Their lifespans for an ineffably ineffable number of kalpas. Throughout the endless future, They sit cross-legged without tiring in body or mind, and intently think of that sentient being, never forgetting or giving up. They tame that sentient being by skillful means at the right time. As they do this for one sentient being, so too They do this for all sentient beings. This is the fifth command of Buddhas. Sixth, all Buddhas can go to the places of all Tathāgatas in all worlds, without abandoning the dharma realm even temporarily. In each of the ten directions, there are countless oceans of worlds. Each ocean of worlds contains countless world systems. Using Their spiritual powers, in one thought Buddhas go to all of them and turn the pure Dharma wheel, hindrance free. This is the sixth command of Buddhas. Seventh, all Buddhas, to tame all sentient beings, thought after thought, attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi. They master the Buddha Dharma neither in the present nor in the future, nor on the ground of learning [śaikṣa].[10] They master the entire Dharma, hindrance free. With immeasurable wisdom and command, they teach and tame all sentient beings. This is the seventh command of Buddhas. Eighth, all Buddhas can use the eye to do Buddha work of the ear, use the ear to do Buddha work of the nose, use the nose to do Buddha work of the tongue, use the tongue to do Buddha work of the body, use the body to do Buddha work of the mind, and use the mind to abide in various worldly and supra-worldly settings in all worlds. In each setting, They can do immeasurable, vast Buddha work. This is the eighth command of Buddhas. Ninth, all Buddhas can put all sentient beings into any of Their pores. Although each sentient being’s body is the size of an ineffable number of Buddha Lands, the pore is not crowded. Step by step, each sentient being can pass countless worlds throughout countless kalpas, and can see Buddhas appear in worlds, teach and transform sentient beings, turn the pure Dharma wheel, and expound the ineffable Dharma in the past, present, and future. As all these sentient beings are repeatedly reborn throughout the domain of space to make various life-journeys, carry out their deportments, come and go, and enjoy various pleasures, they have no hindrance [in the pore]. This is the ninth command of Buddhas. Tenth, all Buddhas in one thought can manifest Buddhas as numerous as the dust particles in all worlds. Each manifested Buddha in the dharma realm is seated on a lion throne, in a vast magnificent world of wonderful lotus flowers, which is contained in the Lotus Flower Store,[11] demonstrates attainment of samyak-saṁbodhi, and displays command of various spiritual powers. As such splendors appear in one vast magnificent world of wonderful lotus flowers, so in pure worlds in the entire dharma realm appear various ineffably ineffable adornments, states, shapes, displays, and kalpas. Countless asaṁkhyeyas of kalpas are in one thought. Without using even a little power of skillful means, in one thought, all things appear; in one thought, countless things abide. This is the tenth command of Buddhas.
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have acquired ten immeasurable and inconceivable dharmas in fulfillment of Buddhahood. What are these ten? First, all Buddhas have acquired pure appearances, each signifying a hundred merits. Second, all Buddhas have mastered the entire Buddha Dharma. Third, all Buddhas have completed all roots of goodness. Fourth, all Buddhas have accumulated all merits. Fifth, all Buddhas can teach and transform all sentient beings. Sixth, all Buddhas can be leaders of sentient beings. Seventh, all Buddhas have formed pure Buddha Lands. Eighth, all Buddhas have acquired [sarvajña-jñāna] the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge. Ninth, all Buddhas have acquired a body with excellent physical marks to benefit beholders without fail. Tenth, all Buddhas have realized the equality of true suchness and mastered the true Dharma of Buddhas. Eleventh, all Buddhas, after completing Buddha work, demonstrate entering parinirvāṇa. These are the ten.[12]
“Buddha-Son, Buddha-Bhagavāns have ten skillful means. What are these ten? First, although all Buddhas know that dharmas are beyond words, They explain Buddhas’ roots of goodness. This is the first skillful means. Second, all Buddhas know that dharmas perceive nothing, neither know one another nor achieve anything, neither receive nor accumulate anything, and have neither bondage nor liberation, and that they have arrived at the opposite shore with ease. Knowing the truth that dharmas are no different and free from differentiation, Buddhas have command of dharmas. Although They know that there is no self and no sensory reception, They do not abandon the true reality of dharmas. Having arrived on the ground of great freedom, They always observe the entire dharma realm. This is the second skillful means. Third, all Buddhas have forever left appearances behind. Their minds abiding nowhere, They know all things without confusion or error. Although They know that all appearances have no self-essence, They can enter them according to their natures, manifest countless physical bodies and the endless appearances of all pure Buddha Lands with various adornments, and use the wisdom lamp to destroy sentient beings’ delusions. This is the third skillful means. Fourth, all Buddhas abide in the dharma realm, not in the past, present, or future, because in true suchness, there is no past, present, and future. However, they can pronounce the appearances of innumerable past, present, and future Buddhas in the world, enabling the hearers to see Buddhas’ states. This is the fourth skillful means. Fifth, Buddhas’ body, voice, and mind karmas are free from fabrication, neither coming nor going, nor abiding. Discarding calculations, Buddhas have arrived at the opposite shore of all dharmas and become the store of dharmas. Equipped with immeasurable wisdom-knowledge, they fully understand various worldly and supra-worldly dharmas. With hindrance-free wisdom, They display immeasurable command of spiritual powers and tame all sentient beings in the dharma realm. This is the fifth skillful means. Sixth, all Buddhas know that all dharmas have neither perception nor self-essence, and are neither same nor different, neither measurable nor immeasurable, neither coming nor going. However, Buddhas do not go against dharmas in the world. Those with the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge see all dharmas, though dharmas have no self-essence. With command of dharmas, They widely expound dharmas while constantly abiding in true suchness. This is the sixth skillful means. Seventh, all Buddhas know all times through one time. Equipped with pure roots of goodness, They enter the right position[13] but have no attachment to it. They neither abide in nor abandon time scales, such as day, month, year, kalpa, formation kalpa, and destruction kalpa. However, They can manifest the three four-hour daytime or nighttime periods,[14] one day, seven days, a half month, a whole month, one year, one hundred years, one kalpa, many kalpas, inconceivable kalpas, ineffable kalpas, or even all possible future kalpas. They constantly turn the wondrous Dharma wheel for sentient beings without rest, never stopping or regressing. This is the seventh skillful means. Eighth, all Buddhas constantly abide in the dharma realm, have immeasurable fearlessness, and have eloquence that is immeasurable, uninterruptible, endless, boundless, limitless, unique, and truthful. They skillfully explain all dharmas with all eloquent words according to sentient beings’ capacities, natures, desires, and understandings. Through various Dharma Doors, They pronounce ineffably ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of sūtras, all of which contain definitive good teachings, in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end. This is the eighth skillful means. Ninth, all Buddhas abide in the pure dharma realm. They know that all dharmas have never had names, i.e., no past names, no present names, and no future names. There are no names for sentient beings, worlds or non-worlds, dharmas or non-dharmas, merits or non-merits, Bodhisattvas or Buddhas, numbers or non-numbers, birth or death. There are neither names nor no names, neither one name nor various names. Why? Because the essence of dharmas is ineffable, and because all dharmas have neither directions nor locations. Dharmas cannot be said to converge or diverge, or to be one or many, nor can they be captured by sounds or words. Although Buddhas follow various words used in the world, They neither pursue connections nor fabricate things. Having discarded false thinking, They have arrived at the opposite shore. This is the ninth skillful means. Tenth, all Buddhas know that dharmas have no birth, and that their true nature is quietness [nirvāṇa]. With no birth, it is not form. Beyond ludicrous statements, it is not sensory reception. With no mental functions, it is not perception. With no constructions, it is not mental processing. With no grasping, it is not consciousness.[15] With no entrances, it is not the twelve fields. With no objects to perceive, it is not the eighteen spheres. However, it does not destroy any dharmas. In true reality, dharmas have no birth. Like the open sky, all dharmas are empty. They have neither birth nor death, neither numbers nor no numbers, nor karmic requital, training, learning, or attainment. They are neither existent nor nonexistent, neither impure nor pure, neither coming nor going, neither abiding nor not abiding, neither tamed nor not tamed, neither sentient beings nor not sentient beings, neither living nor not living, neither causes and conditions nor not causes and conditions. Buddhas know that all sentient beings are classified into three groups: (1) the group that definitely progresses on the right path to bodhi; (2) the group that definitely is on the wrong path; (3) the group that is indecisive about its path. They expound the wondrous Dharma to all groups, enabling them all to arrive at the opposite shore, acquire the Ten Powers and the Four Fearlessnesses, roar the lion’s roar, acquire the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge, and abide in a Buddha’s state. This is the tenth skillful means. Buddha-Son, these are the ten skillful means that Buddhas have.”
—Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment, fascicle 44
Translated from the digital Chinese Canon (T10n0279)
Notes
1. See “unimpeded eloquence” and Four Kinds of Unimpeded Wisdom-Knowledge in the glossary. (Return to text)
2. See “dharma body” defined in the glossary’s “three bodies of a Buddha.” (Return to text)
3. See a sentient being’s four self-images in the glossary’s “four appearances.” (Return to text)
4. Buddhas have perfect command of Their body, voice, and mind. The three commands are also called the three wheels, likening each command to a Wheel-Turning King’s wheel of power. (Return to text)
5. The opposite shore is that shore of nirvāṇa, opposite this shore of saṁsāra. (Return to text)
6. A Dharma position (法位) is any of the “voice-hearer fruits” in the glossary or any of the Bodhisattva grounds. (Return to text)
7. Text 279 (T10n0279) lists only nine dharmas, missing item 6. Here, item 6 is based on a corresponding passage in text 278 (T09n0278, 0592b10), the 60-fascicle Chinese version of the Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment (Buddhāvataṁsaka-mahāvaipulya-sūtra), translated from Sanskrit by Buddhabhadra (佛馱跋陀羅, 359–429) in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (316–420). (Return to text)
8. See “nirvāṇa without remnant” defined in the glossary’s “nirvāṇa.” (Return to text)
9. See “three fortune fields” in the glossary. (Return to text)
10. See the phrases “still learning” and “nothing more to learn” defined in the glossary’s “voice-hearer fruits.” (Return to text)
11. The Lotus Flower Store is described in detail in text 279 (T10n0279), fascicles 8–10. Its full name is Lotus Flower Store of Oceans of Magnificent Worlds. In the center ocean of fragrant water is a huge lotus flower. On its top are twenty layers of world systems, each containing worlds as numerous as an ineffable number of dust particles. (Return to text)
12. Text 279 (T10n0279) states that there are ten immeasurable and inconceivable dharmas, but lists eleven. (Return to text)
13. The right position is realization of nirvāṇa, which is beyond causes and conditions. (Return to text)
14. See “six periods” in the glossary. (Return to text)
15. See “five aggregates” in the glossary. (Return to text)