The Lotus Sūtra 5.4

5.4

佛告文殊師利：「若菩薩摩訶薩，於後惡世欲說是經，當安住四法：一者、安住菩薩行處、親近處，能為眾生演說是經。文殊師利！云何名菩薩摩訶薩行處？若菩薩摩訶薩，住忍辱地，柔和善順，而不卒暴，心亦不驚；又復於法無所行，而觀諸法如實相，亦不行不分別，是名菩薩摩訶薩行處。云何名菩薩摩訶薩親近處？菩薩摩訶薩，不親近國王、王子、大臣、官長；不親近諸外道、梵志、尼乾子等，及造世俗文筆、讚詠、外書，及路伽耶陀、逆路伽耶陀者；亦不親近諸有兇戲、相扠、相撲，及那羅等種種變現之戲；又不親近旃陀羅及畜猪、羊、鷄、狗、畋獵、漁捕諸惡律儀，如是人等或時來者，則為說法無所悕望；又不親近求聲聞比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷，亦不問訊；若於房中，若經行處，若在講堂中，不共住止，或時來者隨宜說法，無所悕求。文殊師利！又菩薩摩訶薩，不應於女人身取能生欲想相而為說法，亦不樂見；若入他家，不與小女、處女、寡女等共語；亦復不近五種不男之人以為親厚，不獨入他家，若有因緣須獨入時，但一心念佛；若為女人說法，不露齒笑，不現胸臆，乃至為法，猶不親厚，況復餘事。不樂畜年少弟子、沙彌、小兒，亦不樂與同師，常好坐禪，在於閑處，修攝其心。文殊師利！是名初親近處。復次，菩薩摩訶薩觀一切法空如實相，不顛倒、不動、不退、不轉，如虛空，無所有性，一切語言道斷；不生、不出、不起，無名、無相實、無所有，無量、無邊、無礙、無障，但以因緣有，從顛倒生，故說常樂，觀如是法相，是名菩薩摩訶薩第二親近處。」

The Buddha told Mañjuśrī: "If a bodhisattva mahāsattva wishes to expound this sūtra in the evil world to come, they should abide peacefully in four dharmas. First, abiding peacefully in the bodhisattva's range of practice and intimacy of association, they can expound this sūtra for sentient beings. Mañjuśrī! What is called the bodhisattva mahāsattva's range of practice? If a bodhisattva mahāsattva abides on the ground of patience, is gentle and compliant, never hasty or violent, and their mind is not alarmed; and furthermore, has no attachment in phenomena, but contemplates the true character of all phenomena as they are, neither practicing nor discriminating—this is called the bodhisattva mahāsattva's range of practice. What is called the bodhisattva mahāsattva's intimacy of association? A bodhisattva mahāsattva does not associate intimately with kings, princes, great ministers, and high officials; does not associate intimately with non-Buddhists, brahma-seekers, Nirgranthas, and the like, nor with those who compose worldly prose, panegyrics, and heterodox texts, nor with Lokāyatas and anti-Lokāyatas; nor do they associate intimately with violent amusements, boxing, wrestling, or various dramatic illusions performed by naṭas and others; nor do they associate intimately with caṇḍālas, those who raise pigs, sheep, chickens, and dogs, or hunters and fishers who follow evil rules of conduct. If such people should come at times, they expound the Dharma for them without seeking anything; nor do they associate intimately with bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who seek the śrāvaka path, nor do they exchange greetings with them; whether in a room, on a walkway, or in a lecture hall, they do not dwell together with them, but if they should come at times, they expound the Dharma according to suitability, seeking nothing. Mañjuśrī! Furthermore, a bodhisattva mahāsattva should not seize upon signs capable of giving rise to sensual thoughts regarding a woman's body when expounding the Dharma for her, nor take pleasure in looking at her; if entering another's house, they do not converse with young girls, virgins, widows, and the like; nor do they approach the five kinds of unmanly persons to make friends with them; they do not enter another's house alone, and if by circumstance they must enter alone, they single-mindedly be mindful of the Buddha; if expounding the Dharma for women, they do not expose their teeth in smiling, nor do they bare their chests; even for the sake of the Dharma they do not become overly familiar, much less for other matters. They take no pleasure in keeping young disciples, śrāmaṇeras, and children, nor do they take pleasure in sharing the same master. Constantly delighting in seated meditation, in secluded places, they cultivate and collect their minds. Mañjuśrī, this is called the first intimacy of association. Furthermore, a bodhisattva mahāsattva contemplates all phenomena as empty according to their true nature: neither inverted, unmoved, non-regressing, non-turning, like empty space, lacking any inherent nature, where all paths of language are cut off; unborn, unproduced, non-arising, nameless, formless, truly without existence, measureless, boundless, unimpeded, and unhindered, existing only by causes and conditions, born from inversion. Therefore it is said that constantly delighting in contemplating such characteristics of phenomena is called the bodhisattva mahāsattva's second intimacy of association."