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Sūtra 44 (posted 08/2014, updated 09/2015) Book information on Home page
fascicle 53 fascicle 54 fascicle 55 fascicle 56 fascicle 57 fascicle 58 fascicle 59
大方廣佛華嚴經
離世間品第三十八之二
Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment
Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty
by
The Tripiṭaka Master Śikṣānanda from Yütian
Fascicle 54 (of 80)
Chapter 38b – Transcending the World Continued
The Next Twenty-six Questions and Answers
[Universal Wisdom Bodhisattva asked] “42. What kinds of great comforting joy does a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva acquire?”
[Samantabhadra Bodhisattva answered] “Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva acquires ten kinds of great comforting joy. What are these ten?
(1) He thinks, ‘Throughout my future lives, whenever Buddhas appear in worlds, I will follow, attend, and delight Them.’ This thought brings him great comforting joy.
(2) He then thinks, ‘When Buddhas appear in worlds, I will reverently make superb offerings to Them.’ This thought brings him great comforting joy.
(3) He then thinks, ‘When I make offerings to Buddhas, They will give me teachings. I will accept them respectfully and carry them out accordingly. I will definitely acquire the merits acquired by past, present, and future Bodhisattvas who train on Bodhisattva grounds.’ This thought brings him great comforting joy.
(4) He then thinks, ‘I will take Bodhisattva actions for an ineffable number of kalpas, and always be with all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.’ This thought brings him great comforting joy.
(5) He then thinks, ‘In the past, before I activated the bodhi mind, I had fears, such as the fear of inability to survive, of infamy, of death, of going down an evil life-path, and of the overwhelming presence of multitudes. As soon as I activated the bodhi mind, I left all fears behind. Neither shocked nor scared, neither terrified nor frightened, neither timid nor anxious, I will never be conquered by māras or those on the wrong paths.’ This thought brings him great comforting joy.
(6) He then thinks, ‘I will enable all sentient beings to attain the unsurpassed bodhi. After they become Buddhas, I will train in Bodhisattva actions under Them throughout Their lives, and with great faith make Them offerings fit for Buddhas. After They enter parinirvāṇa, I will erect countless memorial pagodas [stūpa] to enshrine Their relics [śarīra], and will guard and protect the Dharma They leave behind.’ This thought brings him great comforting joy.
(7) He then thinks, ‘I will use unexcelled adornments to adorn all worlds in the ten directions, enabling them equally to have various wonderful purities. I will use various great transcendental powers to abide in them and shake them in six different ways, and will illuminate them everywhere with radiance.’ This thought brings him great comforting joy.
(8) He then thinks, ‘I will open all sentient beings’ minds, purify their desires, eliminate their doubts and afflictions, and close their doors to evil life-paths. I will open the doors to good life-paths, dispel their darkness, and give them light. I will enable them to discard māra karmas and will lead them to a safe place.’ This thought brings him great comforting joy.
(9) He then thinks, ‘Tathāgatas are hard to encounter even in countless kalpas, as are udumbara flowers.[1] However, I will see Tathāgatas in my future lives whenever I wish because Buddha-Tathāgatas never abandon me, but constantly stay with me and enable me to see Them, and ceaselessly expound the Dharma to me. After hearing the Dharma, my mind will be pure, upright, and true, staying far from sycophancy and crookedness. Thought after thought, I will constantly see Buddhas.’ This thought brings him great comforting joy.
(10) He then thinks, ‘I will become a Buddha in the future. Using a Buddha’s spiritual power, I will demonstrate attaining samyak-saṁbodhi to every sentient being in all worlds, roar the pure and fearless lion’s roar, beat the great Dharma drum, rain down the great Dharma rain, give great Dharma alms, and expound the true Dharma for countless kalpas. My body, voice, and mind karmas sustained by my great compassion will never tire.’ This thought brings him great comforting joy.
“Buddha-Sons, these are a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva’s ten kinds of great comforting joy. If a Bodhisattva always abides in them, he will have the great comforting joy of acquiring the unsurpassed wisdom arising from [saṁbodhi] true enlightenment.”
“43. How does he enter deep into the Buddha Dharma?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva enters deep into the Buddha Dharma through ten entrances [his profound knowledge of ten things]. What are these ten? They are (1) all past worlds; (2) all future worlds; (3) all present worlds and their numbers, processes, descriptions, and purities; (4) various characteristics of all worlds; (5) all sentient beings’ various karmic requitals; (6) all Bodhisattvas’ various actions; (7) all past Buddhas and the order in which They appeared; (8) all future Buddhas and the order in which They will appear; (9) all present Buddhas in worlds in the ten directions the dharma realm and the domain of space, Their assemblies in worlds, and how They expound the Dharma and tame sentient beings; (10) ordinary-being dharmas, voice-hearer dharmas, Pratyekabuddha dharmas, Bodhisattva dharmas, and Tathāgata dharmas. He expounds various dharmas with no attachment to different dharma appearances, because all dharmas enter the dharma realm, though entering is no entering. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten entrances, he will enter the profound nature of great wisdom arising from anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.”
“44. What does he rely on to take Bodhisattva actions?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva relies on ten things to take Bodhisattva actions. What are these ten? They are (1) making offerings to all Buddhas, (2) taming all sentient beings, (3) staying close to all his beneficent learned friends, (4) developing all roots of goodness, (5) adorning all Buddha Lands, (6) never abandoning any sentient beings, (7) practicing all pāramitās, (8) fulfilling all Bodhisattva vows, (9) the immeasurable bodhi mind, and (10) the bodhi of all Buddhas. These are the ten. A Bodhisattva relies on these ten things to take Bodhisattva actions.”
“45. Why does he activate the fearless mind?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva activates the fearless mind to do ten things. What are these ten? He activates the fearless mind (1) to remove all karma hindrances,[2] (2) to protect and uphold the true Dharma after a Buddha’s parinirvāṇa, (3) to subjugate all māras, (4) to have no concern for his own life [when benefiting sentient beings], (5) to refute all non-Buddhist doctrines, (6) to delight all sentient beings, (7) to delight all [Dharma] assemblies, (8) to tame all eight classes of Dharma protectors, i.e., gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṁnaras, and mahoragas, (9) to stay away from the ground of the Two Vehicles and enter the profound Dharma, and (10) to take Bodhisattva actions for an ineffably ineffable number of kalpas without tiring. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in the fearless mind to do these ten things, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed fearless mind of great wisdom.”
“46. How does he activate the doubtless mind?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, to resolve all doubts about the entire Buddha Dharma, activates the doubtless mind in ten ways. What are these ten?
(1) He resolves, ‘I will use almsgiving, precepts, endurance, energetic progress, meditation, wisdom, lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equability, to draw in all sentient beings.’ When he makes this resolve, he has no doubts because it is not right to have any doubts. This is his first activation of the doubtless mind.
(2) He then resolves, ‘When future Buddhas appear in worlds, I will attend and make offerings to all of Them.’ When he makes this resolve, he has no doubts because it is not right to have any doubts. This is his second activation of the doubtless mind.
(3) He then resolves, ‘I will spread various webs of wonderful radiance to pervade and adorn all worlds.’ When he makes this resolve, he has no doubts because it is not right to have any doubts. This is his third activation of the doubtless mind.
(4) He then resolves, ‘I will train in Bodhisattva actions throughout all future kalpas, and teach, tame, and bring to [spiritual] maturity all sentient beings in the dharma realm and the domain of space, whose numbers are countless, measureless, boundless, unequaled, uncountable, indefinable, inconceivable, immeasurable, ineffable, ineffably ineffable, and beyond calculation.’ When he makes this resolve, he has no doubts because it is not right to have any doubts. This is his fourth activation of the doubtless mind.
(5) He then resolves, ‘I will train in Bodhisattva actions, fulfill my great vows, and acquire all wisdom-knowledge and abide in it.’ When he makes this resolve, he has no doubts because it is not right to have any doubts. This is his fifth activation of the doubtless mind.
(6) He then resolves, ‘I will take Bodhisattva actions to benefit the whole world and will emit pure radiance to illuminate the entire Buddha Dharma.’ When he makes this resolve, he has no doubts because it is not right to have any doubts. This is his sixth activation of the doubtless mind.
(7) He then resolves, ‘I will expound to sentient beings that all dharmas are the Buddha Dharma, to enlighten them according to their minds.’ When he makes this resolve, he has no doubts because it is not right to have any doubts. This is his seventh activation of the doubtless mind.
(8) He then resolves, ‘I will acquire the hindrance-free door to all dharmas because I know that hindrances cannot be captured, and will abide in the true reality [bhūta-tathātā] of dharmas until I attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.’ When he makes this resolve, he has no doubts because it is not right to have any doubts. This is his eighth activation of the doubtless mind.
(9) He then resolves, ‘I will know that all dharmas are supra-worldly dharmas, and will stay far away from all inverted thinking,[3] adorn myself with the one adornment of no adornment, and realize the truth on my own without others’ help.’ When he makes this resolve, he has no doubts because it is not right to have any doubts. This is his ninth activation of the doubtless mind.
(10) He then resolves, ‘I will in the midst of dharmas attain the supreme true enlightenment because I will remove all doubts, end inverted thinking, acquire wisdom in one attuning thought,[4] know that sameness and difference cannot be captured, discard all calculations, know that all dharmas are asaṁskṛta, drop all discussions, and abide in the ineffable state.’ When he makes this resolve, he has no doubts because it is not right to have any doubts. This is his tenth activation of the doubtless mind.
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva resolves all doubts in these ten ways. If a Bodhisattva abides in them, his mind will have no doubts about the entire Buddha Dharma.”
“47. What kinds of inconceivable things does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of inconceivable things. What are these ten? They are (1) inconceivable roots of goodness; (2) inconceivable vows; (3) inconceivable understanding that all dharmas are like illusions; (4) inconceivable activation of the bodhi mind to train in Bodhisattva actions without losing or differentiating roots of goodness; (5) inconceivable entry deep into all dharmas without entering parinirvāṇa, because he has not yet fulfilled his vows; (6) inconceivable training on the Bodhisattva Way, as he does such things as descending from heaven, entering his mother’s womb, being born, renouncing family life, practicing asceticism, sitting in his bodhimaṇḍa, subjugating māras, attaining the supreme enlightenment, turning the wheel of the true Dharma, entering parinirvāṇa, displaying spiritual powers with ease and without rest, and never abandoning his great compassionate vows to deliver sentient beings; (7) inconceivable use of the vast mind that equals the dharma realm, to teach and transform sentient beings, though he can use a Tathāgata’s Ten Powers to produce miraculous manifestations with ease; (8) inconceivable knowledge that dharma appearances are no appearance, no appearance is appearance, differentiation is no differentiation, no differentiation is differentiation, existence is nonexistence, nonexistence is existence, action is no action, no action is action, speech is no speech, and no speech is speech; (9) inconceivable knowledge that the mind is bodhi, bodhi is the mind, and that the mind, bodhi, and sentient beings are the same, without causing confusion in his mind, perception, and views; (10) inconceivable entry, thought after thought, into the Samādhi of Total Halt,[5] inconceivable ending all his afflictions without entering parinirvāṇa or abandoning his flawed roots of goodness, inconceivable knowledge that his afflictions have ended forever though he understands that all dharmas are affliction free, and inconceivable knowledge that the Buddha Dharma is worldly dharmas and worldly dharmas are the Buddha Dharma, without using the Buddha Dharma to differentiate worldly dharmas or using worldly dharmas to differentiate the Buddha Dharma, that all dharmas enter the dharma realm because entering is no entering, and that all dharmas are the same [in their emptiness], which never changes. These are a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva’s ten kinds of inconceivable things. If a Bodhisattva abides in them, he will acquire all Buddhas’ unsurpassed inconceivable things.”
“48. What kinds of enlightening secret words does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of enlightening secret words. What are these ten? They are (1) those contained in all Buddhist sūtras; (2) those revealing all places of [sentient beings’] rebirths; (3) those revealing all Bodhisattvas’ displays of transcendental powers and demonstrations of attaining Buddhahood; (4) those revealing all sentient beings’ karmic requitals; (5) those revealing all sentient beings’ purities and impurities; (6) those revealing the hindrance-free door to all dharmas; (7) those revealing worlds in formation or destruction everywhere in the domain of space; (8) those revealing that, everywhere in all dharma realms in the ten directions and even in tiny places, there is a Tathāgata, whose birth, attaining Buddhahood, and entering parinirvāṇa are displays that can be seen; (9) those revealing that all sentient beings are equal in nirvāṇa because it never changes, and that he never abandons his great vows until he has fulfilled his vow to acquire all wisdom-knowledge; (10) those revealing that although one knows that one can realize the truth on one’s own without others’ help, one should revere Tathāgatas even more, unite with beneficent learned friends, never abandoning them, and develop roots of goodness and transfer them to his abiding in the same nature, work, transcendence [of the world], and spiritual attainment as theirs. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of enlightening secret words, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed enlightening secret words.”
“49. What kinds of skillful-differentiation wisdom-knowledge does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of skillful-differentiation wisdom-knowledge. What are these ten? They are skillful-differentiation wisdom-knowledge of (1) all worlds, (2) all sentient beings, (3) all sentient beings’ mental activities, (4) all sentient beings’ capacities, (5) all sentient beings’ karmic requitals, (6) all voice-hearers’ actions, (7) all Pratyekabuddhas’ actions, (8) all Bodhisattvas’ actions, (9) all dharmas in the world, and (10) all Buddhas’ Dharma. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of skillful-differentiation wisdom-knowledge, he will acquire all Buddhas’ unsurpassed skillful-differentiation wisdom-knowledge of dharmas.”
“50. How does he enter samādhi?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva enters samādhi in ten ways. What are these ten? He enters samādhi (1) by meditating on all worlds, (2) by meditating on all sentient beings’ bodies, (3) by meditating on all dharmas, (4) upon seeing all Buddhas, (5) as he abides in all kalpas, (6) as he rises from samādhi to manifest an inconceivable body, (7) by meditating on all Buddhas’ bodies, (8) upon realizing the equality of all sentient beings, (9) upon entering in one thought the wisdom-knowledge [jñāna] of all Bodhisattva samādhis, and (10) upon using the hindrance-free wisdom-knowledge in one thought to fulfill all Bodhisattva action vows without rest. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten ways, he will acquire all Buddhas’ unsurpassed samādhis.”
“51. What kinds of places does he enter?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva enters ten kinds of places. What are these ten? They are the places of (1) all sentient beings, (2) all worlds, (3) various dharmas that appear in the world, (4) fire disasters, (5) water disasters, (6) Buddhas, (7) adornments [in the world], (8) all Tathāgatas’ bodies born from immeasurable merits, (9) expounding various teachings in the Dharma, and (10) various offerings to all Tathāgatas. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of places, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed great wisdom-knowledge to enter all places.”
52. What are his liberation doors?
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten liberation doors. What are these ten? They are the liberation doors through which (1) he manifests one body pervading all worlds, (2) he manifests countless physical appearances in all worlds, (3) he manifests all worlds entering one world, (4) he supports all sentient beings, (5) he fills all worlds with Buddhas’ sublime bodies, (6) he sees all worlds in his body, (7) he goes to all worlds in one thought, (8) he manifests all Tathāgatas appearing in one world, (9) he manifests one body filling the entire dharma realm, and (10) he displays all Buddhas playing with Their transcendental powers. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten liberation doors, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed liberation door.”
“53. What transcendental powers does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten transcendental powers arising from his facilitation wisdom-knowledge.[6] What are these ten? They are (1) the ability to know the past, (2) the ability of the hindrance-free god ear, (3) the ability of telepathy, (4) the ability of the hindrance-free god eye, (5) the ability to display inconceivable great transcendental powers according to sentient beings’ minds, (6) the ability to manifest countless worlds appearing in one body, (7) the ability to enter in one thought an ineffably ineffable number of worlds, (8) the ability to manifest countless superb adornments to adorn an inconceivable number of worlds, (9) the ability to manifest inconceivable, miraculously produced bodies, and (10) the ability to demonstrate attaining anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi in an ineffable number of worlds according to sentient beings’ inconceivable minds. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten transcendental powers, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed great skillful transcendental powers and will display various manifestations to all sentient beings, inspiring them to train [to attain bodhi].”
“54. What kinds of useful wisdom-knowledge does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of useful wisdom-knowledge. What are these ten? They are (1) useful wisdom-knowledge of all sentient beings’ karmic requitals; (2) useful wisdom-knowledge of all sentient beings’ states and their pure minds in nirvāṇa, free from ludicrous theories; (3) useful wisdom-knowledge that all sentient beings’ various conditions have one appearance, which cannot be captured, and that [the true reality of] all dharmas is [adamantine] like vajra; (4) useful wisdom-knowledge to emit countless wonderful sounds heard everywhere in all worlds in the ten directions; (5) useful wisdom-knowledge to destroy what the mind is attached to; (6) useful wisdom-knowledge to or not to display his rebirth; (7) useful wisdom-knowledge to discard the objects of sensory reception and perception; (8) useful wisdom-knowledge that all dharmas, with neither appearance nor no appearance, neither one nature nor no nature, are beyond differentiation, as he expounds their differences for countless kalpas, abides in the dharma realm, and attains anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi; (9) useful wisdom-knowledge of dependent arising [of dharmas] to constantly transform sentient beings, without tiring or going against worldly ways. Why? Because he activates the anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi mind to benefit all sentient beings, never omitting any work; because he knows all sentient beings’ births and deaths and that [in true reality] they have neither birth nor death; because he knows their causes and conditions, affairs, states, actions, failures, faculties, speech, afflictions and end of afflictions, inverted views and end of inverted views, impurities and purities, saṁsāra and nirvāṇa, having or not having attachments, abiding or moving, leaving or returning, arising or not arising, coming to maturity, transcending the world, and what they can or cannot attain, as he tames, teaches, and transforms sentient beings according to their readiness, never forgetting Bodhisattva actions; (10) useful wisdom-knowledge to have no attachment to Buddhas, dharmas, worlds, or sentient beings; to teach, transform, and tame sentient beings, knowing that they are like illusions; never to abandon Bodhisattva actions, great compassion, or great vows; to see Buddhas, hear the Dharma, and train accordingly; to plant roots of goodness under Tathāgatas and reverently make offerings to Them without rest; to use transcendental powers to shake countless worlds in the ten directions because his vast mind equals the dharma realm; to know various ways to expound the Dharma; to know sentient beings, their numbers, their differences, the arising and ending of their suffering, and that all processes are like reflections; to take Bodhisattva actions to end the roots of rebirth forever; to take Bodhisattva actions to rescue and protect sentient beings, knowing that actions are no action; to continue the line of all Buddhas; to activate the mind as great as the king of mountains; to know all falsity and inversion [in the world]; to enter the door of [sarvajña-jñāna] the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge to acquire the unchangeable vast wisdom; to attain true enlightenment and help and deliver equally all sentient beings drifting in the ocean of birth and death. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of useful wisdom-knowledge, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed useful wisdom-knowledge.”
“55. What kinds of liberation has he achieved?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has achieved ten kinds of liberation. What are these ten? They are (1) liberation from afflictions; (2) liberation from wrong views; (3) liberation from accepting wrong views and useless precepts; (4) liberation from [rebirth in a karmic body composed of] the five aggregates, the twelve fields, and the eighteen spheres; (5) liberation from riding the Two Vehicles by transcending them; (6) liberation through the enduring realization that dharmas have no birth; (7) liberation from attachments to worlds, worldly things, sentient beings, and dharmas; (8) liberation through abiding in freedom from opposites [such as this and that, subject and object, perpetuity and cessation]; (9) liberation through taking all Bodhisattva actions to enter the differentiation-free Tathāgata Ground; (10) liberation through knowing in one thought all dharmas in the three time frames [past, present, and future]. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of liberation, he will be able to do unsurpassed Buddha work, teach and transform all sentient beings, and bring them to [spiritual] maturity.”
“56. What gardens does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten gardens. What are these ten? They are (1) the Bodhisattva garden of birth and death, because he never abandons them; (2) the Bodhisattva garden of teaching and transforming sentient beings, because he never tires of them; (3) the Bodhisattva garden of abiding for all kalpas, because he continues to take great actions; (4) the Bodhisattva garden of pure worlds, because he lives there; (5) the Bodhisattva garden of all māras’ palaces, because he subjugates them; (6) the Bodhisattva garden of pondering the Dharma he has heard, because he makes observations accordingly; (7) the Bodhisattva garden of the six pāramitās, the Four Drawing-in Dharmas, and the Thirty-seven Elements of Bodhi, because he continues the work of his loving-kind father; (8) the Bodhisattva garden of the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, the Eighteen Exclusive Dharmas, and the entire Buddha Dharma, because he disregards other dharmas; (9) the Bodhisattva garden of displaying all Bodhisattvas’ spiritual might and command of transcendental powers, because he uses great spiritual powers to turn the wheel of the true Dharma to tame sentient beings without rest; (10) the Bodhisattva garden of all places where he demonstrates, in one thought, attaining true enlightenment to all sentient beings, because his dharma body[7] pervades everywhere in all worlds in the domain of space. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten gardens, he will have a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed carefree joyful garden.[8]”
“57. What palaces does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten palaces. What are these ten? They are (1) the Bodhisattva palace of the bodhi mind, because he never forgets or loses it; (2) the Bodhisattva palace of merits, wisdom, and the ten good karmas, because he teaches and transforms sentient beings in the desire realm; (3) the Bodhisattva palace of abiding in the four levels of dhyāna, because he teaches and transforms sentient beings in the form realm; (4) the Bodhisattva palace of rebirths in pure-abode heavens, because he cannot be tainted by afflictions; (5) the Bodhisattva palace of rebirths in the formless realm, because he enables sentient beings to leave difficult places;[9] (6) the Bodhisattva palace of rebirths in impure worlds, because he enables sentient beings to end their afflictions; (7) the Bodhisattva palace of revealing wives and retinues in private palaces, because he brings to [spiritual] attainment those who walked with him in their past lives; (8) the Bodhisattva palace of manifesting as a Wheel-Turning King, any of the four world-protecting god-kings, the god-king Śakra, or the Brahma-king Śikhin,[10] because he tames sentient beings’ minds; (9) the Bodhisattva palace of taking Bodhisattva actions and acquiring transcendental powers, because he playfully displays his mastery of dhyāna, liberation, samādhi, and wisdom; (10) the Bodhisattva palace of receiving from all Buddhas the prophecy of his becoming a king of all wisdom-knowledge, because he is adorned with the Ten Powers to do a Dharma King’s work with ease. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten palaces, he will receive from all Dharma Kings the prophecy of his attaining Buddhahood and use his spiritual powers with ease in the world.”
“58. What are his delights?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten delights. What are these ten? They are the delights in (1) right mindfulness, because his mind is undistracted; (2) wisdom, because he differentiates dharmas; (3) visiting all Buddhas, because he hears the Dharma, never tiring; (4) Buddhas, because They are everywhere [in worlds] in the ten directions; (5) Bodhisattvas, because they reveal themselves to sentient beings through countless doors; (6) samādhi doors, because he enters all samādhi doors through one samādhi door; (7) dhāraṇī doors, because he retains all teachings and gives them to sentient beings; (8) unimpeded eloquence, because he endlessly expounds every word and every phrase in sūtras for an ineffable number of kalpas; (9) attaining true enlightenment, because he demonstrates, through countless doors, attainment of true enlightenment to all sentient beings; (10) turning the Dharma wheel, because he refutes all non-Buddhist doctrines. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten delights, he will acquire all Buddha-Tathāgatas’ unsurpassed Dharma delight.”
“59. What adornments does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten adornments. What are these ten? They are (1) strength, because he is indestructible; (2) fearlessness, because he cannot be conquered; (3) meanings, because he endlessly explains the ineffable meanings [in the Dharma]; (4) the Dharma, because he studies and expounds 84,000 teachings, never forgetting or losing any; (5) vows, because he makes the vows made by all Bodhisattvas, which he never abandons; (6) actions, because he trains in universally worthy actions to transcend [the world]; (7) worlds, because he regards all worlds as one world; (8) universal sounds, because he showers down Dharma rains everywhere in all Buddha Lands; (9) sustaining powers, because he ceaselessly takes countless Bodhisattva actions throughout all kalpas; (10) manifestations, because he manifests in one sentient being’s body bodies as numerous as all sentient beings, and because he enables all sentient beings to acquire the right knowledge and views to seek all wisdom-knowledge without regress. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten adornments, he will acquire a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed Dharma as adornment.”
“60. What resolute minds does he activate?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva activates ten resolute minds. What are these ten? They are the resolute minds (1) to give away as alms all he has; (2) to study and ponder the entire Buddha Dharma; (3) to think of and make offerings to all Buddhas; (4) never to harm sentient beings; (5) to draw in all sentient beings, whether friends or foes; (6) to seek the entire Buddha Dharma without rest; (7) to take Bodhisattva actions for an ineffably ineffable number of kalpas as numerous as all sentient beings, without tiring or regressing; (8) to elicit faith with roots, purity, clarity, respect for all Buddhas, and great exuberant joy, without turbidity, taints, regress, destructibility, or end; (9) to walk the right path to all wisdom-knowledge; (10) to hear all Bodhisattva teachings and to believe and accept them, without maligning them. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten resolute minds, he will acquire the resolute mind of the unsurpassed knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge.”
“61. What profound great minds does he never abandon?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva never abandons ten profound great minds. What are these ten? They are the profound great minds (1) to attain the bodhi of all Buddhas, (2) to teach, transform, and tame all sentient beings, (3) never to end the line of all Buddhas, (4) to stay close to all his beneficent learned friends, (5) to make offerings to all Buddhas, (6) to seek intently all virtuous teachings of the Mahāyāna, (7) to train in the Brahma way of life under all Buddhas and observe the precepts with purity, (8) to stay close to all Bodhisattvas, (9) to seek the entire Buddha Dharma and uphold it by skillful means, and (10) to fulfill all Bodhisattva action vows and master the entire Buddha Dharma. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten profound great minds, he will never abandon the Buddha Dharma.”
“62. What observations does he make with wisdom?”
“Buddha-Son, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva makes ten observations with wisdom. What are these ten? They are observations with wisdom (1) to skillfully differentiate and expound all dharmas, (2) to know all roots of goodness in the three time frames, (3) to know all Bodhisattvas’ actions and masterly manifestations, (4) to know the meanings of all teachings, (5) to know all Buddhas’ awesome powers, (6) to know all dhāraṇī doors, (7) to expound the true Dharma everywhere in all worlds, (8) to enter all dharma realms, (9) to know all inconceivable worlds in the ten directions, and (10) to know that the Buddha Dharma and one’s radiant wisdom are hindrance free. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva makes these ten observations with wisdom, he will be able to make observations with a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed great wisdom.”
“63. How does he describe dharmas?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva describes dharmas in ten ways. What are these ten? He reveals that all dharmas (1) arise through conditions, (2) are like illusions, (3) have no conflicts [because they are empty], (4) are boundless, (5) rely on nothing, (6) are adamantine like vajra, (7) are true suchness, (8) are in nirvāṇa, (9) are apart from the world, and (10) have the same meaning because of their true nature.[11] These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten ways, he will be able to skillfully describe all dharmas.”
“64. What purities does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten purities. What are these ten? They are the purities of (1) his profound mind, (2) his resolving his doubts, (3) his rejecting the wrong views, (4) his states, (5) his seeking wisdom, (6) his eloquence, (7) his fearlessness, (8) his abiding in Bodhisattva wisdom, (9) his complying with all Bodhisattva rules of conduct, and (10) his roots of goodness, to accomplish all white [good] dharmas, attain the unsurpassed bodhi, and be adorned with the thirty-two physical marks of myriad merits. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten purities, he will acquire all Tathāgatas’ unsurpassed purities.”
“65. What seals of wisdom-knowledge does he have?[12]”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten seals of wisdom-knowledge. What are these ten?
(1) He knows the three kinds of suffering: a) pain brought by a cause, b) deterioration of pleasure, and c) continuous change in every process. Therefore, he intently seeks the Buddha Dharma without tiring and takes Bodhisattva actions without indolence. Neither shocked nor scared, neither terrified nor frightened, never abandoning his great vows, he resolutely seeks all wisdom-knowledge without regress and eventually attains anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi. This is his first seal.
(2) When he sees sentient beings act in foolish and crazy ways, insult one another with vile and abusive words, or harm one another with knives, clubs, or stones, he never for this reason abandons the Bodhisattva mind. Enduring adversity with a gentle mind, he intently carries out the teachings in the Buddha Dharma, walks the supreme path, and enters the position of transcending karmic rebirth. This is his second seal.
(3) When he hears the profound Buddha Dharma, which accords with wisdom, he can use his own wisdom to believe it with endurance, understand it, and follow it. This is his third seal.
(4) He thinks, ‘Because I activate the profound mind to seek all wisdom-knowledge, I will attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi and become a Buddha. I will enable all sentient beings transmigrating through the five life-paths and undergoing immeasurable suffering, to activate the bodhi mind, have joy and deep belief, and make energetic progress in training [to attain bodhi] without regress.’ This is his fourth seal.
(5) He never uses limited measures to gauge a Tathāgata’s wisdom, because he has heard from innumerable Buddhas that a Tathāgata’s wisdom is immeasurable. All words in the world have limitations and cannot describe a Tathāgata’s wisdom. This is his fifth seal.
(6) His desire to attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi is supreme, profound, vast, great, myriad, unexcelled, resolute, indestructible by māras and those on the wrong paths, or their retinues, and unflinching from the quest for all wisdom-knowledge. He abides in such desire and trains to attain the unsurpassed bodhi without regress. This is his sixth seal.
(7) He takes Bodhisattva actions with no concern for his body and life, because his resolve to acquire all wisdom-knowledge is indestructible, because the nature of all wisdom-knowledge is always present, and because he has acquired the radiance of all Buddhas’ wisdom. He never abandons the path to Buddha bodhi and never abandons his beneficent learned friends. This is his seventh seal.
(8) When he sees good men or good women take to the Mahāyāna, he enables them to expand their minds to seek the Buddha Dharma, abide in all roots of goodness, acquire all wisdom-knowledge, and never regress from the resolve to attain the unsurpassed bodhi. This is his eighth seal.
(9) He enables all sentient beings to develop the impartial mind, persuades them to train diligently on the path to all wisdom-knowledge, expounds, with a great compassionate mind, the Dharma to them, and enables them never to regress from the anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi mind. This is his ninth seal.
(10) He has the same roots of goodness as those of past, present, and future Buddhas, never ends the line of Buddhas, and will eventually acquire the knowledge of all wisdom-knowledge. This is his tenth seal.
“Buddha-Sons, these are a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva’s ten seals of wisdom-knowledge. A Bodhisattva who uses them will quickly attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi and acquire a Tathāgata’s seal of the unsurpassed wisdom-knowledge of all dharmas.”
“66. What kinds of radiant wisdom-knowledge does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of radiant wisdom-knowledge. What are these ten? They are radiant wisdom-knowledge (1) to know that he will definitely attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi, (2) to see all Buddhas, (3) to see all sentient beings die here and be reborn there, (4) to understand all sūtra doors, (5) to follow his beneficent learned friends to activate the bodhi mind and develop roots of goodness, (6) to reveal all Buddhas, (7) to teach and transform all sentient beings and enable them to abide on the Tathāgata Ground, (8) to expound the inconceivable vast Dharma Doors, (9) to know all Buddhas’ awesome transcendental powers, and (10) to achieve all pāramitās. These are the ten. If a Bodhisattva abides in these ten kinds of radiant wisdom-knowledge, he will acquire all Buddhas’ unsurpassed radiant wisdom-knowledge.”
“67. What kinds of unequaled abiding does he have?”
“Buddha-Sons, a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva has ten kinds of abiding unequaled by those of all sentient beings, voice-hearers, and Pratyekabuddhas. What are these ten?
(1) Although he observes the true reality of dharmas, he does not verify it because he has not yet fulfilled all his vows. This is his first kind of unequaled abiding.
(2) Although he plants roots of goodness that equal the dharma realm, he has no attachment to them. This is his second kind of unequaled abiding.
(3) Although he trains in Bodhisattva actions, knowing that they are like illusions because all dharmas are in nirvāṇa, he has no doubts about the Buddha Dharma. This is his third kind of unequaled abiding.
(4) Although he discards all thoughts concerning the world, he intends to take Bodhisattva actions [in the world] for countless kalpas to fulfill his great vows, never tiring or becoming bored. This is his fourth kind of unequaled abiding.
(5) Although he has no attachment to any dharmas because the nature of all dharmas is nirvāṇa, he does not enter nirvāṇa. Why not? Because he has not yet completed walking the path to all wisdom-knowledge. This is his fifth kind of unequaled abiding.
(6) Although he knows that all kalpas are non-kalpas, he truthfully reveals the numbers of all kalpas. This is his sixth kind of unequaled abiding.
(7) Although he knows that all dharmas have no act,[13] he does not abandon taking actions to seek the Buddha Dharma. This is his seventh kind of unequaled abiding.
(8) He knows that the Three Realms of Existence are the mind, the three time frames are the mind, and the mind is immeasurable and boundless. This is his eighth kind of unequaled abiding.
(9) He, for the sake of even one sentient being, takes Bodhisattva actions for an ineffable number of kalpas to enable that sentient being to abide on the ground of all wisdom-knowledge. As he does this for one sentient being, so he does this for all sentient beings, never tiring or becoming bored. This is his ninth kind of unequaled abiding.
(10) Although he has completed his training, he chooses not to attain bodhi. Why? Because he thinks, ‘What I do is for sentient beings. Therefore, I should stay in [the cycle of] birth and death for a long time to skillfully benefit them, enabling them to stay on the unsurpassed Buddha path.’ This is his tenth kind of unequaled abiding.
“Buddha-Sons, these are a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva’s ten kinds of unequaled abiding. If a Bodhisattva abides in them, he will acquire the unsurpassed great wisdom-knowledge and the unequaled abiding in the entire Buddha Dharma.”
—Mahāvaipulya Sūtra of Buddha Adornment, fascicle 54
Translated from the digital Chinese Canon (T10n0279)
Notes
1. Udumbara, the ficus glomerata, a tree that produces fruit with hidden flowers. Hence the appearance of its bloom is likened to the rare appearance of a Buddha. (Return to text)
2. See “karma hindrances” defined in the glossary’s “three kinds of hindrances.” (Return to text)
3. See “inversion” in the glossary. (Return to text)
4. See “attuning thought” in the glossary. (Return to text)
5. See Samādhi of Total Halt defined in the glossary’s “samādhi.” (Return to text)
6. See “facilitation wisdom-knowledge” defined in the glossary’s “two kinds of wisdom-knowledge.” (Return to text)
7. See “dharma body” defined in the glossary’s “three bodies of a Buddha.” (Return to text)
8. Text 279, fascicle 54, states that “he will take a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed carefree peaceful actions” (T10n0279, 0287a2–3). The corresponding passage in text 278, fascicle 38, states that “he will have a Tathāgata’s unsurpassed carefree joyful garden” (T09n0278, 0640b5–6). Here, the latter is followed. (Return to text)
9. See “eight difficulties” in the glossary. (Return to text)
10. In each world, the Brahma-king Śikin rules the gods in the first dhyāna heaven in the form realm, or the Brahma realm, where all gods are referred to as Brahma gods. The god-king Śakra rules the gods in the second desire heaven. The four god-kings rule the gods in the first desire heaven and protect the human world. (Return to text)
11. Items 3–10 pertain to the true reality of dharmas. See “true suchness” in the glossary, and “dharma body” defined in the glossary’s “three bodies of a Buddha.” (Return to text)
12. For other seals of wisdom-knowledge, see Dharma Seal in the glossary. (Return to text)
13. See “no act” defined in the glossary’s Three Liberation Doors. (Return to text)