འཕགས་པ་དཀན་མཆག་ཏ་ལ་ལའ་གཟངས་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 1
The Dhāraṇī of the Jewel Torch 1
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Chapter 1
Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling on the Vulture Peak of Rājagṛha, seated together with a great gathering of fully ordained monks, all of whom had perfected virtuous qualities, roared mighty lion’s roars as great teachers, and were expert in seeking an immeasurable accumulation of gnosis, in all more than a thousand fully ordained monks.
A great gathering of bodhisattvas was also assembled there, including the bodhisattva great being Samantabhadra, the bodhisattva great being Ratnamudrāhasta, the bodhisattva great being Nityodyukta, the bodhisattva great being Ornamented by Good Qualities, the bodhisattva great being Announcing Merits, the bodhisattva great being Mahāmati, the bodhisattva great being Array of Good Qualities,
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the bodhisattva great being Vajra Intelligence, the bodhisattva great being Vajragarbha, the bodhisattva great being Light of a Vajra, the bodhisattva great being Weapon of a Vajra, the bodhisattva great being Adamantine Vajra, the bodhisattva great being Dhāraṇīdhara, the bodhisattva great being Dhāraṇīmati, the bodhisattva great being Seeing All Purposes, the bodhisattva great being Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva great being Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the bodhisattva great being Dṛḍhamati, the bodhisattva great being Vajrapāṇi, the bodhisattva great being Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, the bodhisattva great being Avoiding Evil Destinies, the bodhisattva great being Overcoming All Sorrow and Darkness, the bodhisattva great being Suvikrāntavikrāmin, the bodhisattva great being Not Taking or Rejecting, the bodhisattva great being Essence of Sandalwood, the bodhisattva great being Sāgaramati, the bodhisattva great being Durabhisambhava, the bodhisattva great being Arising Joy, the bodhisattva great being Intelligence of Conduct, the bodhisattva great being Pratibhākūṭa, the bodhisattva great being Essence of Speed, and the bodhisattva great being Maitreya.
Those and other bodhisattva great beings all dwelled in inconceivable emancipation, had left everything behind²⁰ through the meditative absorption heroic progress,
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had unimpeded melodic voices, and were skilled in holding sway over limitless buddha realms. They all dwelled in fearlessness, were devoid of attachment and anger, possessed pleasant-sounding voices, were not attached to the three realms of existence, possessed undivided retinues of attendants, were arisen from omniscience, and possessed limitless meditative absorptions and meditative attainments. They all fulfilled every hope, experienced the perfection of discriminating wisdom, were inclined toward meaningful goals in their bodily, verbal, and mental deeds, were intent on omniscience, were blessed to have limitless²¹ meditative absorptions and conduct, had attained fearlessness, had emptiness as their sphere of experience,²² and dwelled in the absence of phenomenal marks.
The bodhisattva great being Samantabhadra, who was seated as part of that assembly, bowing with his head to the feet of the Blessed One, said, “Blessed One, how should we understand dharmadhātu?”
The Blessed One answered, “Son of a good family, dharmadhātu is to be understood as the absence of entities. Son of a good family, you should understand dharmadhātu as follows: as space-like, as without conceptual elaborations, as unelaborated, as without accepting, as without rejecting, as the absence of entities, and as foundationless.”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra asked, “Blessed One, does dharmadhātu arise?”
The Blessed One answered, “Son of a good family, dharmadhātu has no arising. Son of a good family, dharmadhātu is inconceivable. You should understand it as the absence of entities: entities are in no way expressible, nor can they be shown in any way.”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra asked, “Blessed One, how many aspects does awakening have?”
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The Blessed One answered, “Son of a good family, the aspects of awakening are measureless; they cannot be shown to have a fixed measure.”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra asked, “Blessed One, can dharmadhātu be conceptualized?”
The Blessed One answered, “Son of a good family, dharmadhātu is nonconceptual.”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra asked, “If dharmadhātu is nonconceptual, how could it be that spiritually immature ordinary people would think of it?”
The Blessed One answered, “All spiritually immature ordinary people have arisen from thinking, conceptualizing, and imagining.”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra said, “Blessed One, the awakening of the tathāgatas is profound.”
The Blessed One said, “So it is. As you say, son of a good family. Moreover, the fact that all phenomena are without conceptual elaborations is what is called awakening.”
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, who had already arrived at that assembly and was already seated, bowed his head to the Blessed One’s feet and addressed him with these words: “I request that the Blessed One explain the dhāraṇī of the jewel torch.”
The Blessed One answered, “Son of a good family, ask the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. He possesses eloquent confidence that is unhindered with respect to all dharmas.²³ He will teach it to you.”
Then Mañjuśrī seated himself directly facing the Blessed One with palms joined in supplication and said, “Why cannot the Blessed One himself, who is omniscient and all-seeing, explain it?”
The Blessed One said, “Son of a good family, where there is a bodhisattva who possesses such excellent qualities, there the tathāgatas remain in indifference.”
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Mañjuśrī said, “Blessed One, tathāgatas do not remain in indifference.”
The Blessed One said, “Son of a good family, I am not abandoning the realm of sentient beings. Nevertheless, the teaching of the bodhisattvas is an immeasurable and inconceivable teaching.”
Then Mañjuśrī repeated, “I request the Blessed One to explain the dhāraṇī of the jewel torch.”
The Blessed One answered, “Son of a good family, ask the bodhisattva Samantabhadra! He will teach it to you. Why? Because that sublime man remains in the accumulation of gnosis.”
Mañjuśrī said, “If it is the Tathāgata’s intention that I do so, I will request it from that sublime man.”
The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, if you have attained as many meditative absorptions as there are atoms, what need is there for you to request it from the Tathāgata? Son of a good family, you possess fortunate endowments regarding all the qualities of a buddha.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Blessed One, all the qualities of a buddha that I have relied on, cultivated, and enhanced should be understood as the power of the person of the Tathāgata.”
The Blessed One said, “Son of a good family, excellent, excellent! You have spoken well. But I request you, Mañjuśrī, to ask the bodhisattva Samantabhadra to teach.”
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the Blessed One, “This bodhisattva Samantabhadra teaches the exceedingly profound. He has mastered the Mahāyāna.”
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The Blessed One said, “Son of a good family, you, too, are a king whose might extends over all dharmas;²⁴ do not address me. You also possess the inconceivable meditative absorption of abiding in emptiness.”
So Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta respectfully paid homage to the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, pressing the ten fingers of his hands together and saying to him, “O son of the victors, if you grant me the occasion, I would like to ask you a few words.”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra said, “Son of a good family, if you know the right time to have come, ask!”
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta asked the bodhisattva great being Samantabhadra, “O son of the victors, what is the basic meaning behind calling the Buddha ‘Buddha’?”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra said, “O son of the victors, the basic meaning of buddha is groundlessness.²⁵ The basic meaning of buddha is the absence of entities. The basic meaning of buddha is inconceivability. The basic meaning of buddha is to be equal to the unequaled.²⁶ The basic meaning of buddha is the absence of conceptual elaborations. The basic meaning of buddha is unelaborated. The basic meaning of buddha is the absence of accepting. The basic meaning of buddha is the absence of rejecting. The basic meaning of buddha is space-like. The basic meaning of buddha is ineffability. Son of a good family, such is the nature of the qualities of a buddha.”
Mañjuśrī said, “O son of the victors, but if all phenomena are without conceptual elaborations, how can you teach ‘qualities of a buddha’?”²⁷
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra said, “O son of the victors, such a ‘teaching’ is unteachable.”
Mañjuśrī said, “O son of the victors, if it is unteachable, what is taught?”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra said, “Mañjuśrī, that which is the unteachable is taught through designation.”
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Mañjuśrī said, “O son of the victors, what does one designate through designation?”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra said, “Mañjuśrī, through designation one designates neither entities nor the absence of entities.”
Mañjuśrī said, “O son of the victors, if one does not designate entities through designation and does not designate the absence of entities either, then how could the Three Vehicles ever be taught?”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra said, “Mañjuśrī, do not be attached to the dharmadhātu, which is free of attachment! Why not? Mañjuśrī, it is because the Tathāgata taught that all phenomena are the absence of entities. Why are they the absence of entities? It is because the five aggregates are not apprehended.”²⁸
Mañjuśrī asked, “Is awakening something with conceptual elaborations? Or is it something that is without conceptual elaborations?”
The bodhisattva Samantabhadra replied, “Son of a good family, awakening is neither something with conceptual elaborations, nor is it something that is without conceptual elaborations. Thus, awakening exists neither in terms of having elaborations nor as being devoid of elaborations; it is indivisible into two.”
Then the Blessed One said²⁹ to the bodhisattva great being Samantabhadra, “Son of a good family, this inconceivable teaching is excellent, excellent! Yet, through the teaching of this discourse, the world with its gods will become confused.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Blessed One, to teach the Dharma in this way is not best suited to its being understood.”
The Blessed One replied, “Son of a good family, just as you say, it is not.”
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, are all phenomena designated by this type of designation?”
The Blessed One said, “Son of a good family, just as you say, they are.”
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Then the bodhisattva Samantabhadra said to the Blessed One, “This pure access to the Dharma³⁰ is difficult to appreciate!”
The Blessed One said, “Son of a good family, just as you say, it is.”
Then the bodhisattva Sāgaramati said to the Blessed One: “This pure access to the Dharma that was taught by the bodhisattva Samantabhadra was well expressed.”
The Blessed One said, “Son of a good family, just as you say, it was. Moreover, son of a good family, this is the natural result³¹ of all phenomena. It is a great rain of the Dharma.”
Then a brahmin who was like a great śāla tree³² and who dwelled in sameness said, “Blessed One, awakening is inconceivable sameness. No letters or words are perceived in it.”
The Blessed One said, “Son of a good family, it is so; in the dharmadhātu no words are perceived, nor are any sense objects perceived.”
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what is the natural result of emptiness? What is its aspect? What is its sign? What is its phenomenal mark?”
The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, emptiness is inexpressible and ineffable. That which partakes of its inexpressible nature is what is called emptiness. Emptiness is without letters, and thus it is called emptiness. Emptiness is ineffable, and hence it is called emptiness. Son of a good family, all phenomena are empty of their own essential nature.”
Then the venerable Śāradvatīputra said to the Blessed One: “Blessed One, look at the magical displays of the bodhisattvas who dwell in the inconceivable reality.”
The Blessed One said:
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“Venerable Śāradvatīputra, the knowledge of a bodhisattva who has generated the thought of awakening for the first time is sublime, while the knowledge of an arhat is not like that. Why not? It is because the arhat remains far removed from the qualities of a buddha, while the bodhisattva will become a blessed buddha.”
The bodhisattva great being Sarvadharmeśvara then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, according to my understanding of the sense of what the Blessed One has taught, the śrāvaka has simply not obtained the qualities of a śrāvaka.”
The Blessed One said, “Son of a good family, it is not that the śrāvaka has not obtained the qualities of a śrāvaka, but rather, how could śrāvakas answer questions together with bodhisattvas or have the power and potency to bring about a transformation of their conduct?”
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, if the Tathāgata taught that this Śāradvatīputra was foremost among disciples possessing discriminating wisdom, what did that teaching reveal?”
The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, what I taught was without teaching.”
Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the elder Śāradvatīputra, “Elder, did you obtain the qualities of a śrāvaka?”
He answered, “No, I did not.”
Mañjuśrī said, “In that case, are you an ordinary person?”
“No.”
“So, are you a trainee?”
“No.”
“Are you foremost among those who possess discriminating wisdom?”
“No.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Honorable Śāradvatīputra, if you are neither an ordinary person nor a trainee, nor foremost among those possessing discriminating wisdom, that can only mean you are someone who adheres to a heretical view.”³³
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Śāradvatīputra said, “Son of a good family, I am not going to debate with you, a sublime person whose profound depth is as unfathomable as the ocean.”
Mañjuśrī said, “Honorable Śāradvatīputra, do not say that! You are the most prominent of the older generation.”
The elder said, “The fact of my age will not itself achieve anything, nor will it lead to realization. To make it better understood, son of a good family, I will give you an analogy. Consider how with a small diamond even a great boulder may be destroyed. Likewise, the discriminating wisdom that you have in a single pore of your body is more than a sentient being like myself has in all the particles of my body put together. Son of a good family, to make it understood, I will use another analogy for you. It is like, for instance, how a powerful man can, with just a small iron hook, tame a huge frightful elephant. Son of good family, likewise, you possess power. I am weak. How can I debate with a great elephant like this?”
Then the elder Śāradvatīputra said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, it is like this: if a blind man cannot follow after someone or see a city, how would he manage to go from house to house? That would be impossible. Similarly, I see myself as blind in the presence of great elephants like these. The qualities of a buddha are that vast. I am not a suitable vessel for the qualities of a buddha. Now there is nothing for me to do.”
The Blessed One said, “Śāradvatīputra, do not talk like that! Consider, for example, that however many sentient beings may be touched by light from a tathāgata, all will obtain the qualities of a buddha. Likewise, Śāradvatīputra, you will be a recipient of limitless and inconceivable meditative absorptions.”
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When the Blessed One explained this Dharma discourse, ninety-two thousand among the gods and humans gained a clear understanding of the Dharma.
It was at this point³⁴ that the bodhisattva Dharmamati entered the bodhisattva’s meditative absorption called the infinite application of the jewel torch.³⁵ No sooner had the bodhisattva Dharmamati entered that meditative absorption than, from the world systems in each of the ten directions that exceed in number the atoms of ten thousand buddhafields, blessed buddhas numbering as many as the atoms of ten thousand buddhafields showed their faces. Those blessed buddhas all had but one and the very same name: Vajra Quintessence.
As though they were in just one place despite issuing from the ten directions, those blessed buddhas said to him, “Dharmamati, that you have entered the bodhisattva’s meditative absorption of the infinite application in this way is excellent, excellent! Son of a good family, it is like this. Through the previous aspirations and previous blessings of this blessed tathāgata Vairocana himself, and reinforced by your own roots of virtue, all we buddhas from the ten directions, numbering as many as the atoms of ten thousand buddhafields and each one with the same name, bless you, so that you may teach all Dharma teachings, purify the gnosis of buddhahood, increase the gnosis of buddhahood, enter into the dharmadhātu, liberate the realms of sentient beings, enter and penetrate unbound gnosis, engage with gnosis, speak all languages, enter into omniscient gnosis, become unobstructed with respect to all phenomena, and engage in teaching the Dharma through knowing all three times.
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Through the strength and blessing of the Buddha, expound the Dharma with inspired speech, beginning with the ten categories of the bodhisattva!”³⁶
Then those blessed buddhas caused that blessed bodhisattva Dharmamati to attain the light of unimpeded gnosis, with a very nature that was free of obstruction, free of interruption, and not forgetful; a gnosis free from differentiation, with a very nature that was morally blameless, inviolable, dauntless, inalienable; and excellent speech. Why so? Because he had thus obtained the very nature of that absorption.
Then those blessed buddhas extended their right hands and touched ³⁷ the head of the bodhisattva Dharmamati. As soon as those blessed buddhas had touched the bodhisattva Dharmamati, he rose from that absorption and said to the bodhisattvas, “O sons of the victors, this family of bodhisattvas is as follows: it is vast owing to the boundlessness of the dharmadhātu and of the element of space. O sons of the victors, the bodhisattva great beings were born into the family of past blessed buddhas, future blessed buddhas, and present blessed buddhas.”
Then those bodhisattvas said to the bodhisattva Dharmamati, “O son of the victors, who are those bodhisattva great beings who were born into the family of the past, future, and present blessed buddhas? Tell me what thought they came from. O son³⁸ of the victors, explain what those ten categories of bodhisattvas are!”
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The bodhisattva Dharmamati said to those bodhisattvas, “O sons of the victors, ten categories of bodhisattvas were taught, are taught, and will be taught by buddhas of the past, present, and future. What are those ten? They are: (1) bodhisattvas who have generated the initial thought of awakening, (2) beginners, (3) those who engage in yogic practice, (4) those who have taken rebirth, (5) those who have perfected application, (6) those who have perfected intention, (7) those who are irreversible, (8) those who are still youths,³⁹ (9) those who are regents, and (10) those who have been consecrated. O sons of the victors, those ten categories of bodhisattvas were taught, are taught, and will be taught by buddhas of the past, present, and future.
(1) “O sons of the victors, what is the category of bodhisattvas who have generated the initial thought of awakening? O sons of the victors, these bodhisattvas who have generated the initial thought of awakening will, as soon as they see the blessed buddhas, see an excellent or beautiful form with a completely excellent and brilliant complexion,⁴⁰ miracles of magical displays, miracles of mind reading,⁴¹ or miracles of insightful admonition,⁴² or see suffering sentient beings, or hear the praises of the Tathāgata, such that they will long for all-knowing gnosis and from the very beginning generate the intention to attain the highest insuperable awakening. And as soon as that very first intention to attain awakening is generated, those beings will have taken up ten things that are difficult to approach. What are those ten?
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They are: (1) the knowledge of what is possible and impossible,⁴³ (2) the knowledge of deeds⁴⁴ that occur in the past, present, and future and qualities that were obtained, (3) the knowledge of everywhere that paths lead, (4) the knowledge of the numerous and varied constituents of beings, (5) the knowledge of numerous spiritual inclinations and liberations, (6) the knowledge of the superior and inferior faculties, (7) the knowledge of the meditative concentrations, emancipations, absorptions, and meditative attainments in their defiled and purified forms and their arising,⁴⁵ (8) the knowledge that remembers previous lives, (9) the knowledge of the divine eye, and (10) the knowledge of the exhaustion of defilements. Thus, they will have taken up those ten things that are difficult to approach. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who have generated the initial thought of awakening.
“O sons of the victors, these bodhisattva great beings who have generated the initial thought of awakening should worship the Buddha and apply the requisites for a bodhisattva’s happiness. Concerning that, they should provide explanations on becoming the lord of the world, acting sublimely, not being outshone, meeting with an immeasurable number of buddhas, engaging in yogic practice in the absorption of complete pacification, turning back the wheel of saṃsāra, setting in motion the wheel of the holy Dharma, and protecting suffering sentient beings. Why so? It is because upon generating the thought of awakening, they apply themselves for the most part to all the qualities of a buddha, and those subjects of learning acquired previously are mastered with their own application and without recourse to dependence on others. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who have generated the initial thought of awakening.
(2) “O sons of the victors, what is the category of beginner bodhisattvas? O sons of the victors, these beginner bodhisattvas have from the start generated ten aspects of mind. What are the ten aspects?
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They are: (1) a mind that brings benefit, (2) a mind that brings happiness, (3) a mind of kindness, (4) a mind that is flexible, (5) a mind that feels sadness, (6) a mind that intends to help, (7) a mind that aims at protecting everyone, (8) a mind of equality, (9) a mind of becoming a teacher, (10) and a mind of becoming a great teacher. They have generated these ten aspects of mind. O sons of the victors, such are beginner bodhisattvas.⁴⁶
“O sons of the victors, such beginner bodhisattvas should apply themselves to receiving instructions on scriptures and recitation. After becoming learned, they should devote themselves to retiring into solitude. Having retired into solitude, they should devote themselves to pleasing their spiritual teachers. Having pleased their teachers, they should devote themselves to delighting in following their instructions. Having followed their instructions with delight, they should devote themselves to awareness of temporality.⁴⁷ Having become aware of temporality, they should devote themselves to fearlessness. Having become fearless, they should devote themselves to knowing the meaning. Having become knowledgeable in the meaning, they should devote themselves to following the Dharma. Having become a follower of Dharma, they should apply themselves to the nature of non-confusion.⁴⁸ Having become free of confusion, they should apply themselves to formulating the Dharma. Why so? Because upon first generating the thought of awakening, for the most part they apply themselves with diligence to all the teachings of the Buddha, and those subjects of learning acquired previously are mastered with their own application and without recourse to dependence on others. O sons of the victors, such is the category of beginner bodhisattvas.
(3) “O sons of the victors, what is the category of bodhisattvas who engage in yogic practice? O sons of the victors, concerning this,⁴⁹ bodhisattvas who engage in yogic practice will understand entities by means of ten aspects of apprehending. What are those ten? They are: (1) understanding all phenomena to be impermanent, (2) understanding all phenomena to be suffering, (3) to be without a self, (4) to be empty, (5) to be immovable, (6) to be without increase,
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(7) to be without any situation, (8) to be nonconceptual, (9) to be effortless, and (10) not to be produced. These bodhisattvas should understand those ten aspects, but since they are followers of the Dharma, they practice neither application nor non-application. O sons of the victors, such are bodhisattvas who engage in yogic practice.
“O sons of the victors, bodhisattvas who engage in yogic practice should apply themselves to investigating the constitution⁵⁰ of sentient beings. They should apply themselves to investigating the dharmadhātu. They should apply themselves to investigating the world realm. They should apply themselves to investigating the element of earth. They should apply themselves to investigating the elements of water, fire, air, and space, and the form and formless realms.⁵¹ Why is that? It is because for the most part they have direct insight that operates regarding all phenomena, and those subjects of learning acquired previously are mastered with their own application and without recourse to dependence on others. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who engage in yogic practice.
(4) “O sons of the victors, what is the category of bodhisattvas who have taken rebirth? O sons of the victors, bodhisattvas who have taken rebirth are born as exalted in sacred scripture⁵² thanks to ten purifiers. What are those ten? They are: (1) Not turning back from ultimate reality, (2) accomplishing what will become the highest undivided faith in the Buddha, (3) contemplating the Dharma, (4) investigating sentient beings, (5) investigating the pure lands, (6) investigating the world, (7) investigating deeds, (8) investigating karmic consequences, (9) investigating saṃsāra, and (10) investigating nirvāṇa. Bodhisattvas will take rebirth as exalted in sacred scripture thanks to those ten purifiers. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who have taken rebirth.
“O sons of the victors, these bodhisattvas who have taken rebirth should apply themselves to investigating the sameness of the dharmas of all past buddhas,
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apply themselves to investigating the sameness of the dharmas of all future buddhas, and apply themselves to investigating the sameness of the dharmas of all present buddhas. They should apply themselves to investigating the sameness of the dharmas of all buddhas.
“They should apply themselves to the investigation that correctly establishes the dharmas of past buddhas, apply themselves to the investigation that correctly establishes the dharmas of future buddhas, and apply themselves to the investigation that correctly establishes the dharmas of present buddhas. They should apply themselves to the investigation that correctly establishes the dharmas of all buddhas.
“They should apply themselves to investigating the sameness of the perfection of the qualities of past buddhas,⁵³ apply themselves to investigating the sameness of the perfection of the qualities of future buddhas, and apply themselves to investigating the sameness of the perfection of the dharmas of present buddhas. They should apply themselves to investigating the sameness of the perfection of the dharmas of all buddhas.
“Why is that? It is because for the most part they understand the sameness of the three times, and those subjects of learning acquired previously are mastered with their own application and without recourse to dependence on others. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who have taken rebirth.
(5) “O sons of the victors, what is the category of bodhisattvas who have perfected application? O sons of the victors, these bodhisattvas who have perfected application will perform whatever virtuous deeds they may undertake (1) for the sake of protecting all sentient beings, (2) with the desire to benefit all sentient beings, (3) with the resolve to make all sentient beings happy, (4) with kindness toward all sentient beings, (5) in order to liberate all sentient beings, (6) in order that all sentient beings avoid harm,
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(7) in order to guide all sentient beings, (8) in order that all sentient beings have faith, (9) in order to train all sentient beings, and (10) in order to cause all sentient beings to enter perfect nirvāṇa. O sons of the victors, such are bodhisattvas who have perfected application.
“O sons of the victors, to those bodhisattvas who have perfected application ten topics ought to be expounded. What are they? They are (1) that sentient beings are boundless, (2) that sentient beings are inestimable, (3) that sentient beings are innumerable, (4) that sentient beings are inconceivable, (5) that sentient beings are incomparable, (6) that sentient beings are immeasurable, (7) that sentient beings are empty, (8) that sentient beings are immovable, (9) that sentient beings are nonexistent, and (10) that sentient beings have no intrinsic nature. Why is that? It is because for the most part they settle their minds in non-attachment, and those subjects of learning acquired previously are mastered with their own application and without recourse to dependence on others. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who have perfected application.
(6) “O sons of the victors, what is the category of bodhisattvas who have perfected intention? O sons of the victors, these bodhisattvas who have perfected intention, if they learn ten factors, will be decisively intent on the qualities of a Buddha. What are those ten? They are: (1) their resolve will be set on the qualities of a buddha regardless of whether someone teaches in praise of or not in praise of a buddha, (2) their resolve will be set on the qualities of a buddha regardless of whether someone teaches in praise of or not in praise of the Dharma, (3) their resolve will be set on the qualities of a buddha regardless of whether someone teaches in praise of or not in praise of bodhisattvas, (4) their resolve will be set on the qualities of a buddha regardless of whether someone teaches in praise of or not in praise of the conduct of bodhisattvas, (5) their resolve will be set on the qualities of a buddha regardless of whether someone teaches that the realm of sentient beings is small or vast in scope,
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(6) their resolve will be set on the qualities of a buddha regardless of whether someone teaches that the realm of sentient beings is defiled or not, (7) their resolve will be set on the qualities of a buddha regardless of whether someone teaches that the realm of sentient beings is easy or difficult to train, (8) their resolve will be set on the qualities of a buddha regardless of whether someone teaches that the dharmadhātu is small or vast in scope, (9) their resolve will be set on the qualities of a buddha regardless of whether someone teaches that the world realms perish or do not perish, and (10) their resolve will be set on the qualities of a buddha regardless of whether someone teaches that the dharmadhātu exists or does not exist. O sons of the victors, such are bodhisattvas who have perfected intention.
“O sons of the victors, bodhisattvas who have perfected intention will be taught ten things that conform with phenomena. What are those ten? They should be taught that all phenomena: (1) are the very absence of phenomenal marks, (2) are without defining marks, (3) are not entities, (4) are nonexistent, (5) are deceptive, (6) are disengaged, (7) are essenceless, (8) are like illusions, (9) are like dreams, and (10) are without conceptual thought. Why is that? It is because since they are thus inalienable they possess for the most part the quality of increasing their excellent intention, and those subjects of learning acquired previously are mastered with their own application and without recourse to dependence on others. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who have perfected intention.
(7) “O sons of the victors, what is the category of bodhisattvas who are irreversible? O sons of the victors, bodhisattvas who are irreversible will not turn back from their progress toward the qualities of a buddha if they learn ten objectives. What are those ten? They are: (1) to progress irreversibly toward qualities of a buddha whether one hears that a buddha exists or does not exist, (2) to progress irreversibly whether one hears that the Dharma exists or does not exist, (3) to progress irreversibly whether one hears that bodhisattvas exist or do not exist,
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(4) to progress irreversibly whether one hears that the conduct of bodhisattvas exists or does not exist, (5) to progress irreversibly whether one hears that in bodhisattva conduct a bodhisattva leaves everything behind or does not leave everything behind, (6) to progress irreversibly whether one hears that the tathāgatas have passed away or have not passed away, (7) to progress irreversibly whether one hears that the tathāgatas have come into the world or not, (8) to progress irreversibly whether one hears that the tathāgatas have presently appeared or not, (9) to progress irreversibly whether one hears that the gnosis of the Buddha is exhausted or is not exhausted, and (10) to progress irreversibly whether one hears that the three times have the same defining mark or that they have dissimilar defining marks. O sons of the victors, such are bodhisattvas who are irreversible.
“O sons of the victors, to those bodhisattvas who are irreversible, ten continuities of phenomena should be explained. What are those ten? They are: (1) explaining all phenomena as the same and different in nature, (2) as multiple and single in nature, (3) as meanings attributed to words, (4) as words attributed to meanings, (5) as the absence of entities attributed through entities, (6) as entities attributed through the absence of entities, (7) as the absence of phenomenal marks attributed through phenomenal marks, (8) as phenomenal marks attributed through the absence of phenomenal marks, (9) as the absence of defining marks attributed through defining marks, and (10) as defining marks attributed through the absence of defining marks. Why is that? It is because they have, for the most part, left everything behind as do those who have brought their expertise in all phenomena to fruition, and those subjects of learning acquired previously are mastered with their own application and without recourse to dependence on others. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who are irreversible.
(8) “O sons of the victors, what is the category of bodhisattvas who are still youths? O sons of the victors, bodhisattvas who are still youths possess ten understandings of the Dharma. What are those ten?
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They are: (1) knowing bodily deeds together with their karmic results, (2) knowing verbal deeds together with their karmic results, (3) knowing mental deeds together with their karmic results, (4) knowing how to obtain a new birth merely by generating the thought of doing so, (5) knowing the thoughts of other sentient beings and people and understanding their inclinations, (6) knowing the different realms of sentient beings, (7) knowing the different desire realms, (8) knowing the different form realms, (9) knowing the different formless realms, and (10) swiftly gaining clairvoyance for the sake of beings present in different time periods. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who are still youths.
“O sons of the victors, to bodhisattvas who are still youths should be taught ten ways of perfecting the Dharma. What are those ten? They are being correctly shown how to (1) comprehend buddhafields, (2) shake buddhafields, (3) bless buddhafields, (4) investigate buddhafields, (5) journey to buddhafields, (6) journey to countless world realms, (7) ask countless questions, (8) fully achieve a mental body, (9) have measureless translations of words and languages, and (10) accomplish countless buddhafields by generating the thought of doing so. Why is that? It is because for the most part they apply themselves to expertise in perfecting things, and those subjects of learning acquired previously are mastered with their own application and without recourse to dependence on others. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who are still youths.
(9) “O sons of the victors, what is the category of bodhisattvas who are regents? O sons of the victors, bodhisattvas who are regents are expert in ten factors to be understood. What are those ten? They are: (1) expertise in understanding the births of sentient beings, (2) expertise in understanding the flux of the defilements,
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(3) expertise in understanding the connections of latent tendencies, (4) expertise in understanding the engagement in the object domains, (5) expertise in understanding ultimate reality, (6) expertise in understanding experiences, (7) expertise in understanding the sphere of the world, (8) expertise in understanding the past and the future, (9) expertise in understanding the present, and (10) expertise in understanding the investigation of the relative truth.⁵⁴ O sons of the victors, such are bodhisattvas who are regents.
“O sons of the victors, to these bodhisattvas who are regents should be taught ten things. What are those ten? They consist in being correctly taught: (1) the expertise concerning the royal palace,⁵⁵ (2) the modes of conduct in the royal palace, (3) the entering of the royal palace, (4) the investigation of the royal palace, (5) the consecration as a Dharma king, (6) the blessings as a Dharma king, (7) the punishment of the opponents of a Dharma king, (8) the abode of a Dharma king, (9) and the orders of a Dharma king.⁵⁶ Why is that? It is because for the most part their minds engage in realization without obscurations regarding all phenomena, and those subjects of learning acquired previously are mastered with their own application and without recourse to dependence on others. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who are regents.
(10) “O sons of the victors, what is the category of bodhisattvas who have received consecration? O sons of the victors, bodhisattvas who have received consecration possess ten realizations of knowledge. What are those ten? They consist in: (1) many ways of making innumerable spheres of the world shake, (2) many ways of blessing innumerable spheres of the world, (3) many ways of passing beyond innumerable spheres of the world with a single thought, (4) many ways of purifying innumerable spheres of the world,
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(5) many ways of making innumerable sentient beings known with a single thought, (6) many ways of viewing innumerable spheres of the world, (7) expertise in investigating the mental activity of innumerable sentient beings with a single thought, (8) expertise in making understood the faculties of innumerable sentient beings with a single thought, (9) expertise in disciplining innumerable sentient beings, and (10) expertise in introducing innumerable sentient beings to the mind of omniscience.
“O sons of the victors, bodhisattvas on the level of regent and below cannot know the bodily deeds of bodhisattvas who have received consecration. Nor can they understand their verbal deeds, mental deeds, magical power, or magical vision. Neither do they know how to see what is in past times, nor can they know their karmic conditioning. They do not know how they see with the mind, nor can they know their objects of mind or the sphere of their experience of gnosis. O sons of the victors, such are bodhisattvas who have received consecration.
“O sons of the victors, to bodhisattvas who have received consecration will be taught ten things by the blessed buddhas. What are these ten? They are: (1) knowing the three times, (2) knowing the Buddhadharma, (3) knowing that the dharmadhātu is indivisible, (4) knowing that the dharmadhātu is without limit and without center,⁵⁷ (5) knowing how to suffuse all the spheres of the world, (6) knowing how to illuminate all the spheres of the world, (7) knowing how to bless all the spheres of the world, (8) thorough knowledge of all sentient beings, (9) clairvoyant knowledge of all phenomena, and (10) the infinite gnosis of the Buddha.
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Why is that? Because for the most part they apply their minds to knowing everything. O sons of the victors, such is the category of bodhisattvas who have received consecration.”
Immediately after the bodhisattva Dharmamati explained the ten bodhisattva categories of bodhisattva great beings through the power of the Buddha, world realms numbering as many as the atoms in ten thousand buddhafields shook in every direction. They shook strongly and shook violently. They quaked, quaked strongly, and quaked violently. They trembled, trembled strongly, and trembled violently. They were disturbed, strongly disturbed, and violently disturbed. They shuddered, shuddered strongly, and shuddered violently. And they were agitated, strongly agitated, and violently agitated.⁵⁸
By the power of the Buddha and through the attainment of the ultimate nature, a shower of divine flowers poured down from the clouds. From the clouds, there also fell showers of divine incense, of divine fragrance, of divine incense powder, of divine flower garlands, of divine textiles, of divine jewels, of divine lotuses, of divine necklaces, and of divine ornaments. Divine cymbals sounded without being played, divine light shone forth, and divine cheers sounded forth.
In this world with its four continents, and in all world realms, this Dharma teaching pervaded everywhere without omission or repetition, just as in the dwelling place of the king of gods on Mount Meru. And by these very words, this same meaning was taught.
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Through the power of the Buddha, as many bodhisattvas as there are atoms in ten thousand buddhafields arrived from beyond as many world realms as there are atoms in ten thousand buddhafields. Filling up space throughout the ten directions, they said, “O son of the victors, it is excellent, excellent that you are teaching the true nature of bodhisattvas. O son of the victors, we, too, are all named Dharmamati. We have come here from world realms called Dharmamegha, from the presence of tathāgatas who are all named Dharmamatibhadra. By the blessing-power of the Buddha, this Dharma instruction occurred for all of them; within an audience such as this, the same sense is being expressed by these very words, with nothing added or left out. O son of the victors, we have come under your power, and by the power of the Buddha we all came to this world sphere. And just as we came to this world sphere, so too as many bodhisattvas as there are atoms in ten thousand buddhafields went to the residences of the lords of gods at the peak of Mount Sumeru of all the four-continent worlds in every world sphere throughout the ten directions.”
Then, by the power of the Buddha, the bodhisattva Dharmamati looked in the ten directions and, after seeing the fully-equipped retinue and the dharmadhātu, spoke these verses:
“Having seen the Buddha, who has a mind that is self-arisen and immaculate,
Who possesses beauty and power of body,
And who is ornamented by marks difficult to approach,⁵⁹
They set their mind firmly on the goal of awakening.⁶⁰
“Having seen the Buddha’s matchless magical powers,
Excellent miracles of clairvoyant prophecy, and miracles of insightful instruction,
And having seen living beings of the world with their unbearable suffering,
They set their thought firmly on the goal of awakening.
“Having heard about the qualities of Samantabhadra
And the source of all qualities, the tathāgata,
They set their thought firmly on the goal of awakening
That is unchanging like the sphere of space.
Linked texts (1)
- འཕགས་པ་དཀོན་མཆོག་ཏ་ལ་ལའི་གཟུངས་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ — Classical Tibetan