འཕགས་པ་དག་བའ་རྩ་བ་ཡངས་ས་འཛན་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 3
Upholding the Roots of Virtue 3
- Language
- English
3.2
“west of this buddha realm, beyond countless and innumerable world realms, there is a universe known as Enduring. Within that universe resides the thus-gone one Śākyamuni. Abiding and remaining present there, he is delivering a Dharma teaching that belongs to the Bodhisattva Collection and is known as ‘Truly Satisfying All Sentient Beings by Eliminating Their Doubts.’ That is the source of the light and the distinctive sound. In that buddha realm have arrived, within the circle of the retinue, infinite and unfathomable bodhisattva great beings who bear the inconceivable armor.”
In response, the bodhisattva said to that blessed one, “Blessed One, I wish to visit that universe so that I may see, venerate, and serve the blessed thus-gone Śākyamuni. I also wish to see those bodhisattvas. And why? Because it is hard to even hear about such beings. Needless it is, then, to mention how difficult it is to behold and venerate them.”
The thus-gone one, the worthy one, the perfect buddha Roar of Signlessness then said to the bodhisattva great being Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin, “Noble son, if you know that the time has come, then go. The Thus-Gone One grants you permission.”
The bodhisattva great being Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin then rose from his seat. He bowed his head to the feet of that blessed one and circumambulated him. Upon his departure,
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the Blessed One then placed a lotus flower in the bodhisattva’s hand and told him, “Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin, you must offer this lotus flower to the blessed thus-gone Śākyamuni on my behalf.”
Thus, the bodhisattva Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin came to the world of Enduring with that lotus flower in his hand. Then, from that great lotus flower appeared all the superior beings who had been part of the retinue of the thus-gone one, the worthy one, the perfect buddha Roar of Signlessness, when he engaged in bodhisattva activity. Moreover, so that this could be experienced by the sentient beings there, similar such great lotus flowers now spread throughout the universe.
Holding the lotus flower, the bodhisattva Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin thus came to the universe known as Enduring. At the very moment he arrived there, all the trees, fruits, flowers, and leaves that existed in Enduring—down to the size of just four finger widths—appeared from Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin’s hand. Moreover, in each of their own languages all beings in Enduring began to speak of impermanence, suffering, and the absence of self. They also spoke of the masteries, the powers, the branches of awakening, the concentrations, the liberations, the absorptions, and the attainments.
Witnessing all this, the venerable Śāradvatīputra exclaimed, “Ah, how wondrous that the Thus-Gone One, the Foe-Destroyer, the perfect Buddha performs such miracles!”
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“Śāradvatīputra,” said the Blessed One, “these miracles are not of the Thus-Gone One. Śāradvatīputra, these are the miracles of the bodhisattva great being Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin. Śāradvatīputra, to the east of this buddha realm, beyond innumerable and countless universes, there is a universe known as Marks of Royal Splendor. Within that universe resides the thus-gone one, the worthy one, the perfect buddha Roar of Signlessness. From the realm where that buddha abides and remains present the bodhisattva great being Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin has arrived. All this appears due to the ripening of that bodhisattva’s past actions.”
“Blessed One,” asked Śāradvatīputra, “which numerous roots of virtue did the bodhisattva Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin gather, so that he now, through their ripening, has achieved such mastery?”
“Śāradvatīputra,” replied the Blessed One, “it is excellent that you thought to ask the Thus-Gone One about this matter. Śāradvatīputra, such eloquence is exclusively due to the power of the Thus-Gone One. Listen, Śāradvatīputra, I shall explain this to you.
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When all the blessed buddhas in the past awoke to perfect buddhahood and resided upon the seat of awakening, the bodhisattva great being Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin was the one who initially supplicated them and requested them to teach. This is how he accumulated the virtuous roots for unsurpassable and perfect awakening. As he went before them, he would sometimes become Brahmā and so make requests and supplicate. Other times he would do so in the form of Śakra, universal emperors, kings, or sages.
“For example, Śāradvatīputra, when I had first awoken to true and perfect buddhahood, Mahābrahmā invoked and supplicated me, saying, ‘There are beings whose karmic obscurations are minor, who suffer from not having heard the Dharma, and who act in accord with the teachings of the thus-gone ones. Blessed One, please therefore teach the Dharma. Bliss-Gone One, please turn the wheel of Dharma.’ Śāradvatīputra, the bodhisattva great being Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin has invoked and supplicated all the past buddhas in the same way, requesting them, ‘Please teach the Dharma. Please turn the wheel of Dharma.’ All the roots of virtue that he gathered he has dedicated exclusively to the supplication for the turning of the wheel of Dharma.
“Śāradvatīputra, let me provide you with an illustration that establishes this point fully. Within this trichiliocosm a billion suns and moons are in movement. Four billion oceans surround the continents, of which there are likewise four billion.
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There are seven billion islands, a billion tall surrounding mountains, and a billion inner circles of mountains. Śāradvatīputra, now imagine that this trichiliocosm becomes like the ocean, eighty-four thousand leagues deep and wide. Imagine then, Śāradvatīputra, that the thousandfold universe is filled up with sesame seeds, and that some strong, powerful, and diligent person comes by. This person takes up the sesame seeds by the handful and tosses them in the four directions. As the seeds are carried by the wind, each one of them produces an entire universe. Śāradvatīputra, what do you think? As they thus appear from each sesame seed, how many universes are there?”
“Blessed One,” replied Śāradvatīputra, “there are innumerable universes. Well-Gone One, there are universes beyond count.”
“Śāradvatīputra,” said the Blessed One, “try to imagine and understand this. Let us say that all these universes that arose from the sesame seeds were to turn into a single city. Imagine that the city reaches as high as it is wide, and that it is surrounded by a solid, stable, unbreakable, and indestructible wall. Śāradvatīputra, now imagine if that great city became a granary, full of grains. Śāradvatīputra, what do you think? How large would the heap of grains then be?”
“Blessed One, it would be immeasurable,” replied Śāradvatīputra. “Well-Gone One, it could not be fathomed.”
“Śāradvatīputra,” said the Blessed One, “try to imagine and understand this.
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It is in fact possible that some mathematicians, or master mathematicians, could calculate the extent of such a mass of grains. Yet the amount of thus-gone ones, residing on the seats of awakening, to whom the bodhisattva great being Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin has paid worship, invoked, and supplicated to turn the wheel of Dharma when they first attained perfect buddhahood is indeed beyond count. And there are even many more blessed buddhas for whom he has prepared and offered a Dharma wheel made of the seven precious substances. And again, compared to that amount, there are far more blessed buddhas to whom he has offered a flower wheel or a wheel of incense without having dedicated it to unsurpassable and perfect awakening. Why then even mention the exquisitely adorned wheels of gold, silver, and wood that he has offered to the blessed buddhas? All such offerings to the blessed buddhas he has dedicated toward the turning of the Dharma wheel, and thus he has supplicated, again and again.
“There was a time when the thus-gone one, the worthy one, the perfect buddha Royal Leader Treading with Great Strength appeared in the world. At that time there was a king by the name of Blazing with Famed Power, who reigned as a universal emperor within the trichiliocosm. There, within the retinue of his queens, or residing in his parks, the king would pursue the pleasures of the senses, frolicking and reveling. Yet one time, as he asked his queens to entertain him with song, dance, and music,
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he instead heard the words of impermanence, suffering, and the absence of self. Immediately the king became disenchanted with his pleasures. Having lost his desire, he became frightened and sad, and in such a frame of mind he went before the thus-gone Royal Leader Treading with Great Strength. Having bowed his head to the Thus-Gone One’s feet he took a place before him.
“Upon the king’s arrival the Blessed One spoke on roots of virtue from the past, and as the king listened, he thought, ‘The Blessed One sees with wisdom free of any obscuration, and he has realized roots of virtue for so long. As for myself, compared to him I am not aware of any virtuous roots. Before so many buddhas I have created roots of virtue, yet they were all polluted by the muck of sense pleasures, politics, and power. Thus I did not recognize them, and I did not dedicate them to awakening. May all the roots of virtue that I now form be dedicated to the welfare of all beings! Throughout all places, realms, and buddha realms, may words be spoken in the languages that beings understand, and may all beings thus come to hear of impermanence, suffering, and the absence of self. In all worlds, may all plants and trees, even the smallest ones, resound with the words of impermanence, suffering, and the absence of self, and may all beings hear those words. May all accumulated roots of virtue
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cause all beings to equally enter the Great Vehicle with a wisdom that is just like that of the thus-gone Royal Leader Treading with Great Strength.’
“With this understanding King Blazing with Famed Power then rose from his seat. Standing before the Blessed One, he said, “Blessed One, all of my possessions throughout my entire realm I offer, without exception, to the buddhas and so forth, so that the noble saṅgha may partake of them.”
“Having made this offering, King Blazing with Famed Power then went forth from his household and became a homeless monk. Moreover, as they heard of the king’s going forth all four divisions of the royal army subsequently also went forth. So did the four billion ladies from the royal harem. Hearing of these goings forth, the townspeople and farmers also went forth. Śāradvatīputra, in short, there were eight billion people who thus went forth and, as soon as they had done so, they practiced diligently.
“Thus, as they all fervently pursued virtuous qualities, it did not take them long to acquire the five superknowledges. In that very life and body they all became able to travel by the power of their superknowledges and miraculous abilities. Traveling east in this way they visited as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges and met as many buddhas. Before each of them they prayed, ‘Blessed One, please teach the Dharma. Well-Gone One, please turn the wheel of Dharma.’ In that same way they also traveled to the south, west, and north, as well as above and below, and in
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all the intermediate directions. In each of those directions they visited as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges and supplicated as many buddhas, ‘Blessed One, please teach the Dharma. Well-Gone One, please turn the wheel of Dharma.’
“Since then the bodhisattva great being Blazing with Famed Power has never been born in an impure buddha realm, nor has he ever taken birth from a womb. Whenever he visits a buddha realm, all the branches, petals, leaves, trees, and forests within that buddha realm will speak of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and the absence of self. Likewise, in all the worlds that he visits, sentient beings will understand each other’s languages, and they will hear the words of impermanence, suffering, and the absence of self.
“Thus it was, Śāradvatīputra, that the universal emperor Blazing with Famed Power once heard the thus-gone Royal Leader Treading with Great Strength teaching on past roots of virtue, and so decided to leave his household to become a homeless monk. Sharing his roots of virtue with all beings, he dedicated them toward unexcelled and perfect awakening. Within that very same body he developed the superknowledges and the power of absorption, and so he journeyed to the east, visiting as many buddha realms as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. Visiting as many blessed buddhas, he stood before them, as they resided upon their sacred seat of awakening, invoking and supplicating them to turn the wheel of Dharma. Indeed, in this way he traveled in all the ten directions. Now, Śāradvatīputra, you should not think that the universal emperor Blazing with Famed Power
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was someone else. Because, Śāradvatīputra, he is none other than the bodhisattva Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin.”
The bodhisattva great being Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin then proceeded to the city of Rājagṛha and to the Kalandakanivāpa in the Veṇuvana where the Blessed One was residing. Going before him, he bowed his head to the Blessed One’s feet and took a place in the gathering. Then he addressed the Blessed One with the following words: “Blessed One, the blessed thus-gone Roar of Signlessness inquires whether you have encountered but little hardship and discomfort, and whether you remain healthy, strong, and at ease. And he also sends you this great lotus flower, which I request you to accept.”
At this point the Blessed One accepted the lotus flower from the bodhisattva great being Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin and then said to him, “Noble son, does the blessed thus-gone Roar of Signlessness remain strong, healthy, unchanged, and happy within his buddha realm?”
“Blessed One,” answered the bodhisattva great being, “the thus-gone Roar of Signlessness remains strong, healthy, unchanged, and happy. And why is that? Because, Blessed One, in that buddha realm
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pure beings assemble, who are endowed with three factors of purity. What are those three factors? Pure roots of virtue as they are dedicated to the truth, pure boundless discipline due to aspirations, and pure boundless view due to dedication by means of special insight that is not fixed on any phenomenon. Blessed One, in that buddha realm there is not a single being who has a corrupted discipline, view, or comportment. Blessed One, in that buddha realm even the terms for such flaws do not exist. Compared to that world, Blessed One, this world known as Enduring is like a prison filled with murderers, where people are constantly killing each other. Come, Blessed One. Come along to that other world.”
In response the Blessed One said to the bodhisattva Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin, “Noble son, why would I go to that world? It is fine to stay in this world, teaching the Dharma to beings here.”
Once more the bodhisattva Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin called on the Blessed One: “Blessed One, come along. Come along to that world. If, Blessed One, you decline to come along I shall pull you there by the power of my own miraculous abilities and the force of my aspirations. I shall take you through space and into that world.”
So that the bodhisattva Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin’s powers would be known,
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and so that sentient beings would engender roots of virtue and become inspired, the Blessed One at this point remained indifferent. Then, as if he had become a potter, or a potter’s apprentice, who is spinning his wheel with a stick so fast that it blurs visual perception, the bodhisattva now transformed the trichiliocosm and lifted it up. As he lifted up the world and shook it, the venerable Śāradvatīputra cried out to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, the world is moving! Well-Gone One, the world is moving!”
In response, the Blessed One spoke in a way that was delightful, gentle, harmonious, pleasant, compelling, courteous, widely agreeable, profound, comprehensive, instructive, and guided by wisdom. Thus he said to the venerable Śāradvatīputra, “Śāradvatīputra, in this regard I am powerless,” and he made this known throughout the entire trichiliocosm. Hence, at this point all beings who were attached to, confined to, or dependent on the view of the transitory collection became saddened and weary. All four assemblies saw the thus-gone one, the blessed one, the perfect Buddha, surrounded by bodhisattvas, teaching the Dharma while residing on the Dharma throne like a universal emperor.
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They saw him as Brahmā, the lord of Enduring, seated upon his Brahmā-throne and surrounded by Brahmā deities, teaching the Dharma.
The bodhisattva Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin now also revealed other buddha realms. Then, at this point, the Blessed One performed a miracle, bringing forth a strong swirling wind that caused the buddha realms to touch one another. The worlds became hollow and perforated, so that they fell apart and were destroyed. As the Thus-Gone One performed this miraculous feat, the Brahmās and Mahābrahmās of this world, who had otherwise conceived in terms of views, permanence, and the everlasting, now witnessed the collapse and complete destruction of their Brahmā abodes. It was as if a great mass of water had produced an abundance of bubbles and foam, which a storm then scattered, breaking everything into particles. In this way the Brahmā deities witnessed the loss, demolition, and collapse of their abodes. Seeing all this they despaired, and in despair they all prostrated to and gathered around the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One said to Śāradvatīputra, “Śāradvatīputra, I have explained this before, and I shall now do so again. Ah, Śāradvatīputra, this worldly existence is defiled and polluted. Ah, Śāradvatīputra, this world is futile and like an illusion, and hence it is like a water bubble
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that cannot be grasped. Ah, Śāradvatīputra, this worldly existence is falsely conceived, and hence it is like a magic trick. Ah, Śāradvatīputra, this worldly existence is discerned by the swift thoughts in space, and hence it is like a mirage. Ah, Śāradvatīputra, this worldly existence contains nothing solid to be grasped, and hence it is like a hallucination. Ah, Śāradvatīputra, this worldly existence is conjured up by the actions of thought in space, and hence it is like an echo. Śāradvatīputra, this worldly existence is false and, by realizing that, the Thus-Gone One has attained perfect buddhahood. Ah, Śāradvatīputra, this worldly existence is fake, and so, by not being attached to this world, the Thus-Gone One has attained perfect buddhahood.
“Śāradvatīputra, I have exact knowledge that this worldly existence has no experience to savor, and many shortcomings up to having no emancipation. In this way I have full knowledge of how to awaken to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood. I have exact knowledge of this world, Śāradvatīputra, just as I have clear knowledge of its origin and the path that leads to its cessation. At this moment, Śāradvatīputra, I possess clear knowledge of how to awaken to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood.
“Śāradvatīputra, you may wonder what the world is. Śāradvatīputra, the so-called world is the five aggregates. What are those five? They are the aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. Śāradvatīputra, you may then wonder what is understood by the aggregate of form. Śāradvatīputra, the Thus-Gone One
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has relinquished the aggregate of form in all its past, future, and present manifestations. However, while I have relinquished the aggregate of form in all its past, future, and present manifestations, it would be wrong to say that the sentient beings in the past, future, and present are not the aggregate of form. Śāradvatīputra, whether inner or outer, large or small, good or bad, distant or close, the Thus-Gone One teaches that all the aggregate of form, as contained within the three times, is devoid of characteristics. As an analogy, just as the aggregate of space possesses the features of wind, water, fire, and earth, the same can be said with respect to the aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness.
“You may wonder, Śāradvatīputra, why it is referred to as the aggregate of form. Śāradvatīputra, childish, ordinary beings are in darkness. They do not recognize the full extent and nature of the characteristics of form as found in the body. Thus, they think instead, ‘I am form’ or ‘Form is me.’ Thus, they cognize and structure things in terms of ‘I.’ This produces arrogance and, in turn, craving for things. Yet, Śāradvatīputra, when the nature of things is known, that is not the case.
“Childish, ordinary beings do not comprehend that neither the eye nor form is an entity. Instead, their thoughts are based on holding on to entities that do not exist as such. Childish beings who think in this way thus engage with entities and so take birth within flawed realms. Those who thus experience nonentities,
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the colorless, that which has no color, are indeed greatly bewildered. Such bewildered beings pursue agriculture, and engage in the use of all sorts of weapons. The factor that conditions them is delusion.
“Due to the sameness of things, the Thus-Gone One has a view of sameness. Having thus gained awakening he has formulated the true view. Because that view is equality, it is referred to as the true view. It is called the true view because it is adhered to by those who are truly diligent and truly liberated. Śāradvatīputra, the true view that I declare cannot be taught through language. Its teaching is hard to bear. Practice it, Śāradvatīputra. If you do, you will also be free of darkness.
“Śāradvatīputra, this section of the Dharma is said to be accompanied by eighty-four thousand Dharma teachings. This is the gateway to all conditioned and unconditioned phenomena, and it is the way of all phenomena.”
When the thus-gone one, the worthy one, the perfect Buddha delivered this teaching of the Dharma, seven hundred and seventy billion beings gained the stainless and immaculate Dharma eye that sees all phenomena. Within the desire realm a billion gods attained this, as did innumerable human beings. Among the billions of such humans who lived on Jambudvīpa, those who were bodhisattvas also gained acceptance that phenomena are unborn. Innumerably many beings
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set their minds on unexcelled and perfect awakening.
Then the Blessed One withdrew his miraculous activity, and thus the four assemblies, the Brahmā assembly, the assembly of the gods of the desire realm, as well as the other gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas all saw the world as it is.
At this point the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana rose from his seat, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Joining his palms, he bowed toward the Blessed One and said, “Blessed One, the bodhisattva great being Sahacittotpādadharmacakrapravartin’s mastery of supernatural powers is amazing. Blessed One, he took this world, including the Blessed One himself, and hurled it into another world. At that time I was unable to identify the characteristics and I could not even remember the names of any supernatural powers, so, needless to mention, I was unable to muster any such powers. Ah, Blessed One, I find it truly amazing that this bodhisattva possesses such supernatural powers. Blessed One, when I carefully scan the changing times I do not recognize even a moment or an instant of such hauling and transportation being performed by any of us.¹⁸ If even a bodhisattva can possess such supernatural powers, then what to say of the powers of the thus-gone ones?”
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“Maudgalyāyana,” replied the Blessed One, “you should not think that this world was hauled or that the Thus-Gone One was transported. Maudgalyāyana, I do not perceive any mendicant, priest, hearer, or solitary buddha, nor anyone from among the gods up to and including the mahoragas either, who is capable of moving even a fold in the Thus-Gone One’s Dharma robe. What then to say about actually lifting up the Thus-Gone One? That is clearly impossible. For the time being, Maudgalyāyana, set aside the world with its gods, and imagine instead, Maudgalyāyana, the following scenario. Within the trichiliocosm there are beings with form just as there are formless beings. There are beings involved in perception, beings not involved in perception, and beings neither involved nor not involved in perception. Imagine now that they all achieve a human body, and with that human body they go forth. Having gone forth, they also achieve the state of a worthy one and they gain the six superknowledges.
Maudgalyāyana, to illustrate this, imagine that they gain just as great miraculous abilities as the ones you possess. Maudgalyāyana, what do you think? Will that gathering of beings with miraculous abilities then have increased?”
“Yes, it will, Blessed One,” replied Maudgalyāyana.
“Maudgalyāyana, these hearers may lift up a thousandfold universe, or millionfold universe, or a trichiliocosm, and transport it beyond as many universes as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. Yet even those who have attained such perfect supernatural powers will not be able
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to move even a fold in the Thus-Gone One’s Dharma robe as he resides in the midst of space.
“Maudgalyāyana, let us leave aside such a gathering of beings like you. Imagine instead, Maudgalyāyana, that a being has been born who possesses supernatural powers sufficient for conjuring up a storm that can scatter, pulverize, and destroy any trichiliocosm that has not been blessed by a thus-gone one. Imagine then that with each of the particles that thus emerge from one trichiliocosm he further plunges universes into darkness and destroys as many of them as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges, and that the particles emerging thereby are scattered throughout trichiliocosms. Maudgalyāyana, what do you think? Would such a being have perfected supernatural power?”
“Yes, Blessed One, he would,” answered the venerable Maudgalyāyana.
“Maudgalyāyana,” continued the Blessed One, “even if this trichiliocosm were full of such beings with perfect supernatural powers—as many as there are plants on a field of sugar cane, reeds, grass, paddy, or sesame—they would still not be able to move even a fold in the Thus-Gone One’s Dharma robe. Needless it is to mention, then, that it would be impossible for them to lift up the Thus-Gone One.
“Maudgalyāyana, while remaining at this very place, upon this very lion throne, the Thus-Gone One may stir, move, and shake as many innumerable and unfathomable universes in the east as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges.
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Yet the sentient beings there will not think, ‘Our universe is being dislocated and transported!’ Neither will they think, ‘Alas, this universe is subject to destruction and formation!’ Nor will they think, ‘This universe is being scattered and destroyed!’ However, for the sake of taming sentient beings, sometimes forms of the buddhas will teach beings the Dharma beyond marks, but other times forms of hearers, gods, humans, nāgas, boys, or girls will deliver the teaching.
“Maudgalyāyana, you must trust in all the different Dharma teachings on the buddhas’ powers, fearlessnesses, unique qualities, and preeminent miracles. This is how it is throughout all the ten directions.
“Maudgalyāyana, to the monk Ānanda I have taught the gateways for the retention of the sūtras, songs, prophecies, parables, past-life stories, elaborate teachings, marvels, narratives, and established teachings. However, Maudgalyāyana, the monk Ānanda is incapable of understanding the domain of the Thus-Gone One. And why is that? Because, Maudgalyāyana, even if they try for an eon, a hundred eons, a thousand eons, or a hundred thousand eons, hearers will not be able to fully understand, conceive of, or comprehend even a single syllable of the Thus-Gone One. What then to say of their understanding of the Thus-Gone One’s full domain?
“Maudgalyāyana, the thus-gone ones instruct sentient beings by means of numerous referents, activities, and modes of conduct.
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In this way, they teach the Dharma to sentient beings. However, Maudgalyāyana, although wearing the Thus-Gone One’s Dharma robe accomplishes the aims of all beings and spawns the teaching of the Dharma, none of the hearers fully comprehend this. Maudgalyāyana, if you cannot even accommodate this teaching, then how could you possibly grasp the domain of the Thus-Gone One? That is clearly impossible.”
Having thus accepted the great lotus flower, the Blessed One next posed questions to Bhadrapāla and all the other bodhisattva great beings, who were guardians of the city of Dharma: “Noble sons, can you protect the treasure of the Thus-Gone One’s Dharma? Can you conceal it? Can you comprehend the full domain of the Thus-Gone One? Can you express it? Can you teach it? Can you teach it in full?”
“Blessed One,” they replied, “yes, we can.”
“Noble sons,” continued the Blessed One, “you should therefore consider whichever Dharma teaching you give to be the treasure and domain of the thus-gone ones. Noble sons, all that is expressed with respect to the buddhas’ perfect wisdom, the buddhas’ perfect awakening, the buddhas’ accomplishment of wisdom, and the buddhas’ accomplishment of awakening is the domain of the Thus-Gone One. Thus it must be expressed. Noble sons, wherever an objective referent is seen, it is viewed as the Thus-Gone One’s domain and definitively taught to be so. That Dharma teaching by the Thus-Gone One is delivered by viewing the activities of sentient beings, wherever they are seen, as the Thus-Gone One’s domain.
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Thus, the activities of the Thus-Gone One’s teaching of the Dharma are not displayed for the sake of stopping the activities of sentient beings.¹⁹
“The ninety-nine thousand faculties of the Thus-Gone One’s knowing are as follows:²⁰ the activities of those engaged in desire, or anger, or delusion; the activities of those engaged in contrived desire, anger, or delusion; the activities of those engaged in desire and anger; the activities of those engaged in contrived desire and anger; the activities of desire and delusion; the activities of those engaged in contrived desire and delusion; the activities of those engaged in anger and delusion; the activities of those engaged in contrived anger and delusion; the faculties for purifying the mind; the faculties for purifying the production of things; the faculties for purifying the production of existence; the faculties that emerge from application; the faculties for purifying activities; the faculties that activate black qualities; the faculties that activate white qualities; the faculties that activate black and white qualities; the faculties that accord with the path; the faculties that accord with tranquility; the faculties that accord with special insight; the faculties that accord with exhaustion; the faculties that accord with birth; and the faculties that accord with the truth.
Maudgalyāyana, in this regard, the twenty thousand faculties related to the accumulation of past conduct motivate actions that are either black, or black and white.
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Such actions produce dark complexion, fair complexion, attractive complexion, unattractive complexion, crippled legs, missing hands or fingers, impaired movement, deafness, blindness, or a missing tongue. The twenty thousand faculties related to the accumulation of past conduct also cause shapes that are long, short, thin, fat, or indistinct. Engaging the faculties of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, the twenty thousand faculties related to the accumulation of past conduct are those associated with desire, anger, delusion, absence of desire, absence of anger, or absence of delusion. The thirty thousand faculties that produce birth activate the time of death. They become apparent when they create changes or signs, such as shaking of the limbs, changes in one’s faculties, bones breaking, or deterioration of the vital signs, which in turn causes loss of one’s luster. These signs finally stop when the voice is choked. Such faculties lead to the realms of hell, animals, or starving spirits. To attain buddhahood one is led to birth among humans, gods, or within different worlds. Or one is led to actualize the exhaustion of defilements. There are seventy-seven thousand faculties that should be considered if one is interested in the features of roots of virtue. There are twenty thousand faculties that lead to roots of nonvirtue and these should be known to facilitate death.
The treasure of the thus-gone ones
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is the domain of the thus-gone ones. Dwelling within that domain the Thus-Gone One explains the Dharma without ever tiring or running out of things to say.”
Chapter 3
Praising the Merits of Engendering the Mind of Awakening and Pursuing the Sacred Dharma
Present in the gathering was a certain Dṛḍhamatikumārabhūta, who now rose from his seat, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Joining his palms, he bowed toward the Blessed One and said, “Blessed One, with this gateway of the Dharma I have discovered something very precious. Blessed One, I shall henceforth practice this gateway of the Dharma in order to accomplish the Dharma. How so? From today on, Blessed One, I shall don a suitable armor to pursue and accomplish these Dharma teachings. In the future, in times to come, I shall never let my diligence wane until I have listened to the Dharma treasure of the Thus-Gone One’s domain.”
“Dṛḍhamati,” replied the Thus-Gone One, “this is excellent. It is excellent that throughout innumerable millions of eons you will continue to exert yourself in the pursuit of the practice of my great wisdom. Well done, Dṛḍhamati. Now, Dṛḍhamati, imagine that all at once, in one moment, in one instant, all beings in this trichiliocosm without exception—whether they are those with form, or those who are formless, and whether they are those with perception, or those without perception,
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or those with neither perception nor non-perception—were to attain a human body. Then imagine that a man appears who provides all those beings with enjoyable things. He is able to lift them up and hold them by his hand for an eon or more, faithfully providing them with whatever forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures they might wish for. Meanwhile, he uses his other hand to collect all the feces and urine of all those beings, depositing it all in a different universe. And why does he do that? Because he does not want any of them to experience any unpleasant odor. Dṛḍhamati, what do you think? Does that man render proper service to all those beings, providing them with desirable things?”
“Indeed, Blessed One,” replied Dṛḍhamati, “he serves them with an extremely vast amount of enjoyable things.”
“Dṛḍhamati,” continued the Blessed One, “that man serves each of those beings, providing them with pleasant things.
“Now think of a noble son or daughter who, regardless of whether the Thus-Gone One is present or has passed beyond suffering, develops the mind of unexcelled and perfect awakening for the sake of all beings. This person wishes to hear the teachings of the Bodhisattva Collection. He or she is intent on accomplishing the wisdom of the buddhas, the great wisdom, thus eliminating desire, anger, and delusion. So that all beings may go beyond birth, aging, sickness, death, lamentation, suffering, mental pain,
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and disturbance, this person pledges to teach the Dharma to sentient beings. When thus involved in the process of maturing a bodhisattva’s roots of virtue, that person may search for the Dharma and find just one single verse. Dṛḍhamati, as that person provides delightful service to sentient beings, he or she creates merit that is much larger than the former person’s merit. The former merit would not even match one hundredth, or one thousandth of that. In fact, no number, fraction, enumeration, analogy, or comparison would suffice.
“Dṛḍhamati, the Thus-Gone One is clearly aware of the different ways in which bodhisattva great beings provide delightful service to sentient beings. But who can trust this, Dṛḍhamati, apart from my hearers who have seen the truths, or the bodhisattva great beings with their superior intent?
“Dṛḍhamati, bodhisattva great beings feel, ‘We shall be the support of those who have no support, the savior of those who have no savior, the refuge of those who have no refuge, the protector of those who have no protector. We shall accomplish the wisdom of the buddhas, the great wisdom, and lead sentient beings beyond all limits and numbers to the undefiled qualities.’ Such is the armor that they wear.
“It may then be that in the morning they must provide sentient beings with a heap of jewels as large as Mount Meru, and it may be that they have to do the same at noon,
Linked texts (1)
- འཕགས་པ་དགེ་བའི་རྩ་བ་ཡོངས་སུ་འཛིན་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ — Classical Tibetan