འཕགས་པ་ཆས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱ་རང་བཞན་མཉམ་པ་ཉད་རྣམ་པར་སྤྲས་པ་ཏང་ང་འཛན་གྱ་རྒྱལ་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 7
The King of Samādhis Sūtra 7
- Language
- English
7.1
Chapter 21
The Past
Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should entertain no misgivings about all the teachings on the root of merits, the training, and the qualities.⁷⁵⁵ They should have few involvements, avoid bad companions, rely on kalyāṇamitras, have an inquiring nature, unrelentingly seek the Dharma, have the Dharma as their goal, desire the Dharma, delight in the Dharma, obtain the Dharma, and practice the Dharma in accord with the Dharma. They should perceive every buddha and bodhisattva as the teacher. They should with joy and veneration perceive as the teacher the person from whom they hear this Dharma teaching.
“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who adopt and follow this Dharma teaching of entertaining no misgivings about all the teachings on the root of merits, the training, and the qualities will quickly display unending confidence of speech. They will accomplish⁷⁵⁶ the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. They will realize the profound Dharma of the Buddha. They will be like a light that dispels the darkness of perplexity, uncertainty, and doubt of the people of the world and the devas.”
Then at that time, in order to relate this Dharma teaching of entertaining no misgivings about all the teachings on the root of merits, the training, and the qualities, he spoke to the youth Candraprabha these verses that told of the past.⁷⁵⁷
“In the past, in this world named Jambudvīpa,⁷⁵⁸
There were two excellent sons⁷⁵⁹ who were not heedless.
They entered homelessness in the teaching of a sugata,
And dwelt like rhinoceroses in a grove of trees. {1}
“They had miraculous powers and had attained the four dhyānas,
They were very learned and skilled in composing poetry and texts,
7.2
They had mastered levitating up into the air,
And they could travel freely through the sky. {2}
“They were engaged in conversation
In that cool grove of trees
That was filled with a variety of beautiful flowers
And attended by flocks of varieties of birds. {3}
“A king who was pursuing a deer
Heard their voices and entered that grove.
The monarch saw the two dharmabhāṇakas
And with the greatest joy he approached them. {4}
“They addressed each other agreeably
And the king sat down before them.
The king’s multitudinous army
Of sixty quintillion soldiers approached. {5}
“Then both of those dharmabhāṇakas
Said to the king, ‘Listen, Kṣatriya!⁷⁶⁰
It is very difficult to reach supreme buddhahood.
Monarch, always be careful! {6}
“ ‘Life is always passing and never stays.
It passes as quickly as a mountain stream.
From the torment of illness, misery, and aging
You have no other refuge than good actions.⁷⁶¹ {7}
“ ‘Supreme king,⁷⁶² be a protector of the Dharma.
Guard the teaching of the one with ten strengths
In this utterly terrible time of degeneration.
Remain on the side of Dharma, supreme king!’ {8}
“Thus the wise ones at that time
Gave much advice to that sovereign,
Following which the monarch, with the other six quintillions,⁷⁶³
Developed the aspiration to enlightenment. {9}
“When the supreme king had heard the Dharma,
He was joyful, very happy, and enraptured
With those who had spoken it so gently and pleasantly,
And bowed down to their feet before departing. {10}
“Under that king there were many other bhikṣus
Who desired gain and who entered homes.
When he saw how dissimilar was their conduct
The king did not show them respect. {11}
“The teacher of the teaching had passed away
And this was the time of the latter years.
There were very few worthy recipients in Jambudvīpa,
And there were present many who were without self-control. {12}
“The many bhikṣus, who were desirous and greedy,
Yearned for acquisitions, held the view of objective reality,
7.3
And had fallen away from the Sugata’s teaching,
At that time repeatedly urged the king to action. {13}
“ ‘You must kill those two dharmabhāṇakas.
They are tīrthikas who are teaching nihilism.
Among those who have adopted that practice for a long time
There are none who have attained nirvāṇa. {14}
“ ‘They deny karma, they deny ripening;
Those imposters teach that there are no skandhas.
Your Majesty, banish them from the land
And then the Dharma will remain for a long time.’ {15}
“When he had listened to what they had to say,
The elephant-like king became distrustful.
‘I shall kill these two dharmabhāṇakas.
I must not leave them alone, for that would be harmful.’⁷⁶⁴ {16}
“The king was attended by a goddess⁷⁶⁵
Who had practiced with him in a previous lifetime.
She was wise and had benefited him for a long time,
And at this time she said to the sovereign king, {17}
“ ‘Kṣatriya,⁷⁶⁶ do not think in this way
Because of what bad associates have said.
Do not kill⁷⁶⁷ those two wise dharmabhāṇakas
Because of what bad associates have said. {18}
“ ‘Lord of men, do you not remember even a little
Of what they said to you in the forest grove?
In this perfectly terrible time of degeneration,
Remain on the side of Dharma, elephant-like king!’ ⁷⁶⁸ {19}
“The king, inspired by those true words,
Did not abandon the teachings of the jinas.⁷⁶⁹
But the king had a cruel brother
Who was persuaded by those around him.⁷⁷⁰ {19b–20a}⁷⁷¹
“They told him, ‘The king, your brother, is wicked;
He has no joy in being alive.⁷⁷²
Those two bhikṣus possess dreadful spells.
With those spells they can fly through the sky.⁷⁷³ {20}
“ ‘Having heard this we have come to you,
To tell you all that has occurred.
Quickly kill those dreadful magicians,
Or afterward you will be filled with regret.’ {21}
“Then the king’s brother⁷⁷⁴ put on his armor,
Under the influence of those bad associates.
The king’s brother, encircled by his entire army,
Came to the forest where the two bhikṣus dwelt. {22}
“The nāgas and yakṣas that lived in that forest
Knew the intention of the king’s dreadful, cruel brother
7.4
And hurled upon them a rain of bricks and stones
That killed the king’s brother and his army. {23}
“See how the life of the king’s cruel brother came to an end
Because he listened to what bad associates said.
Those who were angry at the dharmabhāṇakas
Took rebirth sixty times in the Avīci hell. {24}
“Those numerous bhikṣus who believed in reality
And drove the kṣatriya king to action
Experienced the sufferings of hell
For countless billons of rebirths. {25}
“The goddess who influenced the king
And protected the dharmabhāṇakas
Saw buddhas as numerous as sand grains in ten million Ganges,
Made offerings to them, and engaged in practice. {26}
“The multitudinous six quintillion men,
Who with the king had heard the Dharma
And developed the aspiration to enlightenment,
Became buddhas in numerous different realms. {27}
“Their lifespans were many millions of eons.
They had inconceivable, unequaled wisdom.
They all taught this excellent samādhi,
And then those supreme humans passed into nirvāṇa. {28}
“Having heard this unsurpassable teaching
On the accumulation of correct conduct, purity, qualities, and wisdom,
You must practice intently, without distraction,
And quickly attain the wisdom of buddhahood.⁷⁷⁵ {29}
“Look upon us, you tathāgatas in the ten directions,
Who have peaceful minds and compassionate, loving eyes.
You are the refuge and protection for all beings.
Send down your rain of Dharma upon the world.⁷⁷⁶ {30}
“Do not think that those two young men,
Those perfect sons,⁷⁷⁷ were anyone else:
Dīpaṃkara was at that time one of them,
And I was the second dharmabhāṇaka. {30a}
“At that time Maitreya was the king⁷⁷⁸
Who listened favorably to the Dharma.
And you, young man, at that time,
Were the wise goddess who wished to help. {30b}
“At that time, Devadatta
Was the king’s brother,
Influenced by the acquisitive bhikṣus
7.5
Who said, ‘Kill those two dharmabhāṇakas.’ ” {30c}
Chapter 22
The Teaching on the Body
Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should have no attachment to their life or body. Why is that? Because, young man, beings accomplish bad actions due to attachment to their lives and bodies.⁷⁷⁹
“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have no attachment to their life and body will not even find it difficult to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, not to mention this samādhi. Therefore, young man, have no attachment to your life and body. That is how you should practice.”
It was said concerning this:
“Foolish beings always unceasingly
Have strong attachment to the putrid body.
Grasping at life, and for the sake of happiness,
The unwise always commit bad actions. {i}
Those who do not know attachment
To body and life, which have no essence,
Will defeat the armies of Māra
And realize enlightenment at the foot of the Bodhi tree. {ii}
Those who have attachment to these two things—
The body that is empty and selfless,
And life, which is like a dream or a fleeting dewdrop—
Those people will go to hell when they die. {iii}
Chapter 23
The Teaching on the Tathāgata’s Body
Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should not know the Tathāgata to be the rūpakāya.⁷⁸⁰ Why is that? It is because the Buddha Bhagavān manifests because of the dharmakāya and does not manifest because of the rūpakāya.
7.6
“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas whose wish is to aspire to the body of the tathāgata, who wish to know the body of the tathāgata, should obtain this samādhi, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with dedication to the practice of meditation, and make it widely known to others.
“Young man, the body of the tathāgata⁷⁸¹ is taught to be one meaning,⁷⁸² with the understanding that it arises from a hundred merits. It arises from the Dharma.⁷⁸³ It is without attributes. It is devoid of all attributes. It is profound.⁷⁸⁴ It is immeasurable. It is an immeasurable phenomenon.⁷⁸⁵ It has the nature of the absence of attributes.⁷⁸⁶ It is free of all attributes.⁷⁸⁷ It is unwavering.⁷⁸⁸ It has no location. It completely has the nature of space. It is invisible. It transcends the scope of the eye’s vision. That should be known as the dharmakāya.⁷⁸⁹
“It is inconceivable. It is beyond the level of thought. It is unaffected by bliss or suffering. It transcends all conceptual elaboration.⁷⁹⁰ It has no location,⁷⁹¹ because it transcends the scope of the words of those who aspire to the wisdom of buddhahood. It is the quintessence⁷⁹² because it transcends desire. It is indivisible because it transcends anger.⁷⁹³ It is stable because it transcends the scope of ignorance. It is taught through the teaching of emptiness. It is unborn because it transcends birth.⁷⁹⁴ It is ‘permanent’ in terms of words, and terminology is empty.⁷⁹⁵ It is undifferentiated because it is nirvāṇa.⁷⁹⁶ It is ‘nirvāṇa’⁷⁹⁷ because of a word. It is ‘peace’ because of speaking.⁷⁹⁸ There is equality in terms of conventional appellations.⁷⁹⁹ There are appellations in terms of ultimate truth. There is ultimate truth through correct speech.⁸⁰⁰
“It is calmness, the absence of anguish.⁸⁰¹ It is groundless,⁸⁰² and cannot be comprehended.⁸⁰³ There is no end to its description.⁸⁰⁴
“Young man, it arises from training in the great, higher cognitions, and it is known as the tathāgatakāya.”
Thereupon, the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
7.7
“Someone who wishes to know
This body of the Lord of the World⁸⁰⁵
Should meditate on this samādhi,
And then they will know the Buddha’s body.⁸⁰⁶ {1}
“A buddha’s body is born from merit.⁸⁰⁷
It⁸⁰⁸ is pure and it is brilliant.
It is the same as space;
There is no difference between them. {2}
“The characteristics of a buddha
Are the same as those of enlightenment.
The characteristics of the body
Are the same as those characteristics. {3}
“The body has enlightenment’s characteristics
And a buddha realm has the same.
The strengths, liberations, and dhyānas
Are all also a single characteristic. {4}
“That is the nature of the emergence
Of the buddhas, of the lords of worlds.
There is no being who with physical eyes
Is able to see their bodies. {5}
“There are many who declare,
‘I have seen the guide of the world.
He is the color of gold and his body
Illuminates the entire world.’ {6}
“This body that is seen,
Beautified by characteristics,
Is a manifestation through the power
Of the blessing of the buddhas. {7}
“The Buddha’s body is displayed
As having a height and a width,
But that body cannot be measured,
And therefore it is inconceivable. {8}
“If the Buddha’s body could be measured
And found to be of a certain size,
Then the Teacher would be the same
As a deva or a human. {9}
“That characteristic is the ripening
Of a mind in meditation.
There will be pure, radiant names-and-form
That have that characteristic. {10}
“There is no being whatsoever
Who has meditated on this samādhi of peace
It is in that way that the Lord of the World
Has practiced for millions of eons. {11}
“I have developed this samādhi
Through a multitude of good qualities.
Because of the vastness of that samādhi
My body cannot be seen. {12}
“As is someone’s mind,
So are their names-and-form;
The mind that has no nature of its own
Has names-and-form with that characteristic. {13}
“Those who have a gross perception
Of names-and-form,
Their inharmonious perception
7.8
Gives rise to a mind that is gross. {14}
“Those who have a subtle perception
Within their names-and-form
Will have a mind that is radiant
And without attachment to names-and-form. {15}
“I remember that in my previous lives
During seven countless eons,
The three bad perceptions⁸⁰⁹
Never arose in me at any time. {16}
“My mind has been undefiled
For countless millions of eons.
I bring benefit to beings
And my body is not visible. {17}
“The one whose mind
Is liberated from existents
Will never again be
Connected with existents. {18}
“My consciousness is liberated
Completely from all things.
I know the nature of the mind,
So that henceforth wisdom will arise. {19}
“My emanations proceed
To thousands of millions of realms.
There they benefit beings
Though there is no body to be found. {20}
“Without characteristics, without attributes,
It is the same as space.
My body is indescribable.
It is taught to be difficult to understand. {21}
“The dharmakāya, the great hero,
Is a body born from the Dharma.
The Jina cannot be made known
By means of the rūpakāya. {22}
“Māra will find no opportunity
To cause harm to the one
Who has felt joy on hearing
These words that have been taught. {23}
“Those who have heard the profound Dharma
And have not been frightened by it,
Will not even for the sake of their lives
Forsake the enlightenment of buddhahood. {24}
“They will know the truth that is taught
In thousands of millions of sūtras.
They will be a light for the world
Wherever it is that they will go.⁸¹⁰ {25}
“Young man, the body of the Tathāgata is not easily known through attributes or actions. It is blue, or is colored blue, or is like blue, or shines with blue light; or it is yellow, or is colored yellow, or is like yellow, or shines with yellow light; or it is red, or is colored red, or is like red,
7.9
or shines with red light; or it is white, or is colored white, or is like white, or shines with white light; or it is madder, or is colored madder, or is like madder, or shines with madder light; or it is crystal, or is crystal-colored, or is like crystal, or shines with crystal light; or it is fire, or is fire-colored, or is like fire, or shines with fire light; or it is distilled ghee, or is ghee-colored, or is like ghee, or shines with ghee-colored light; or it is gold, or is gold-colored, or is like gold, or shines with golden light; or it is beryl, or is beryl-colored, or is like beryl, or shines with beryl light; or it is lightning, or is lightning-colored, or is like lightning, or shines with lightning’s light; or it is Brahmā, or is Brahmā-colored, or is like Brahmā, or shines with Brahmā’s light; or it is a deva, or is deva-colored, or is like a deva, or shines with a deva’s light. It is not easy to know it.
“Young man, in that way the body of the tathāgata is pure. It cannot be conceived of through attributes, and so it is taught to be inconceivable. It cannot be conceived of⁸¹¹ through any attribute, and so it is taught to be inconceivable. It cannot be conceived of through external appearances. It is immeasurable. The beings and devas of this world cannot easily grasp its extent even through the perfect rūpakāya.”⁸¹²
The Bhagavān then spoke these verses:
“All the particles in the world
And all that can be conceived of as dust,
And all the water that is in springs,
Lakes, ponds, and the ocean— {26}
“One may ask how many particles there are,
But one can never find the end.
Even if, with the tip of a hair, one could measure out
How much water there is in an ocean,⁸¹³ {26–27}
“Even that could not be taught
As an analogy for the Lord of the World.
There are countless drops of water
7.10
And it is the same for atoms, {27}
“But I see that even a single sentient being
Has far more numerous
Aspirations and motivations
That are developed at numerous times.⁸¹⁴ {28}
“Yet even the aspirations of all beings
Are not adequate as an analogy
For those qualities of the body
That I have indicated. {29}
“One cannot⁸¹⁵ through⁸¹⁶ attributes and actions
Know the appearance of these kinds
Of qualities⁸¹⁷ of a buddha,
And that is my distinctive characteristic. {30}
“The buddhas are devoid of attributes.
They are the manifestation of the dharmakāya.
They are profound and immeasurable,
And therefore the buddhas are inconceivable. {31}
“The inconceivable buddha body
Of a buddha is also inconceivable.
Those bodies are inconceivable.
They are the manifestation of the dharmakāya. {32}
“The mind is incapable of conceiving
The bodies of the buddhas.
One cannot, therefore, obtain
The measure of such a body. {33}
“Those immeasurable qualities
I have practiced for ten million eons.
Therefore have I accomplished
A body that is inconceivable and radiant, too. {34}
“There is no being that can grasp it
Or that can obtain its measure.
In that way the body of a buddha
Is inconceivable and immeasurable. {35}
“Because the qualities are immeasurable
There is no measure that can be conceived for them.⁸¹⁸
Because the qualities are not conceived
The buddha also is inconceivable. {36}
“The measured is taught to be a conception;
The measureless is nonconceptual.
That which is not conceived is without conception;
Therefore the buddha is inconceivable. {37}
“Just as space is limitless
And no one is able to measure it,
Likewise a buddha’s body
Is just the same as space. {38}
“Those who thus know the body
Of the buddhas are the progeny of the jinas.
They will also become buddhas,
Inconceivable lords of worlds.” {39}
Chapter 24
The Inconceivable Tathāgata
Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha,
7.11
“Young man, aspiring bodhisattva mahāsattvas think, ‘How can I make manifest the four discernments? What are these four? They are the discernment of meaning, the discernment of phenomena, the discernment of definitions, and the discernment of eloquence. I shall manifest these four!’ On having this thought, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should obtain this samādhi, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, and make it widely known to others.
“Young man, what is the discernment of phenomena?
“Young man, however many words there can be for forms, the tathāgata has that many appellations for them.⁸¹⁹ It is the same for sensation, identification, mentation; and, young man, for consciousnesses. Young man, in that way there are infinite, endless, inconceivably numerous⁸²⁰ words for forms, and the tathāgata, too has inconceivably numerous appellations for them. It is the same for sensation, identification, mentation, and, young man, for consciousnesses: there are infinite, endless, inconceivably numerous words for them, and the tathāgata, too has inconceivably numerous appellations for them.⁸²¹
“Young man, there are countless faults in those composite phenomena; there are also countless benefits in nirvāṇa, and the tathāgata, too, has that many countless appellations. Young man, as numerous as are the names for nirvāṇa, the tathāgata has that many appellations.
7.12
Thus, young man, there are countless names of nirvāṇa, and the tathāgata, too, has that many appellations.
“Young man, the tathāgata has spoken of four kinds of appellations that are inconceivably numerous because it is not easy to state that there is an end to them. What are these four? They are the inconceivably numerous appellations in regard to the composite, the inconceivably numerous appellations for sounds, the inconceivably numerous appellations for kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous appellations for purification. Young man, those are the tathāgata’s four kinds of inconceivably numerous appellations. Young man, those four, the tathāgata’s inconceivably numerous appellations, are taught to be inconceivably numerous as it is not easy to state that there is an end to them. To understand what those four are, they should be taught in detail.
“Young man, there are the four ways of the bodhisattvas. What are the four ways? They are the inconceivably numerous ways of the composite, the inconceivably numerous ways of teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous ways of the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous ways of purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of reasoning.⁸²² What are the four kinds of reasoning? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of reasoning concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of reasoning concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of reasoning concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of reasoning concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of doorways. What are the four kinds of doorways? They are the inconceivably numerous doorways concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous doorways concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous doorways concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous doorways concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of elucidation. What are the four kinds of elucidation?
7.13
They are the inconceivably numerous elucidations concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous elucidations concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous elucidations concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous elucidations concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of speaking. What are the four kinds of speaking? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of speaking concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of speaking concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of speaking concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of speaking concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words. What are the four kinds of words? They are the inconceivably numerous words concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of recitation. What are the four kinds of recitation? They are the inconceivably numerous recitations concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous recitations concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous recitations concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous recitations concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of pertinent speech. What are the four kinds of pertinent speech? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of pertinent speech concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of pertinent speech concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of pertinent speech concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of pertinent speech concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of comprehension of the devas. What are the four kinds of comprehension of the devas? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of the devas concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of the devas concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of the devas concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of the devas concerning purification.
7.14
Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of comprehension of humans. What are the four kinds of comprehension of humans? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of humans concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of humans concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of humans concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of humans concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of comprehension of names. What are the four kinds of comprehension of names? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of names concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of names concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of names concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of comprehension of names concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of engagement. What are the four kinds of engagement? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of engagement concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of engagement concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of engagement concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of engagement concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of ascension.⁸²³ What are the four kinds of ascension? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of ascension concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of ascension concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of ascension concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of ascension concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of vajra words. What are the four kinds of vajra words? They are the inconceivably numerous vajra words concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous vajra words concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous vajra words concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous vajra words concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of mantra words.
7.15
What are the four kinds of mantra words? They are the inconceivably numerous mantra words concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous mantra words concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous mantra words concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous mantra words concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of attainment. What are the four kinds of attainment? They are the inconceivably numerous attainments concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous attainments concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous attainments concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous attainments concerning purification. Those are the four.⁸²⁴
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of sūtra words. What are the four kinds of sūtra words? They are the inconceivably numerous sūtra words concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous sūtra words concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous sūtra words concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous sūtra words concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of designations.⁸²⁵ What are the four kinds of designations? They are the inconceivably numerous designations concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous designations concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous designations concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous designations concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words concerning illumination.⁸²⁶ What are the four kinds of words concerning illumination? They are the inconceivably numerous words concerning illumination in regard to the composite, the inconceivably numerous words concerning illumination in regard to teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words concerning illumination in regard to the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words concerning illumination in regard to purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words concerning clarification.⁸²⁷ What are the four kinds of words concerning clarification? They are the inconceivably numerous words concerning clarification in regard to the composite, the inconceivably numerous words concerning clarification in regard to teaching the composite,
7.16
the inconceivably numerous words concerning clarification in regard to the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words of clarification in regard to purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words concerning conduct. What are the four kinds of words concerning conduct? They are the inconceivably numerous words of conduct concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of conduct concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of conduct concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words of conduct concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words concerning behavior.⁸²⁸ What are the four kinds of words concerning behavior? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of words concerning behavior in regard to the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of words concerning behavior in regard to teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of words concerning behavior in regard to the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of words concerning behavior in regard to purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words of inconceivability. What are the four kinds of words of inconceivability? They are the inconceivably numerous words of inconceivability⁸²⁹ concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of inconceivability concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of inconceivability concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words of inconceivability concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words of limitlessness.⁸³⁰ What are the four kinds of words of limitlessness? They are the inconceivably numerous words of limitlessness concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of limitlessness concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of limitlessness concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words of limitlessness concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words of nonmovement.⁸³¹ What are the four kinds of words of nonmovement? They are the inconceivably numerous words of nonmovement concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of nonmovement concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of nonmovement concerning the kleśas,
7.17
and the inconceivably numerous words of nonmovement concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words of boundlessness. What are the four kinds of words of boundlessness? They are the inconceivably numerous words of boundlessness concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of boundlessness concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of boundlessness concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words of boundlessness concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words of incomparability.⁸³² What are the four kinds of words of incomparability? They are the inconceivably numerous words of incomparability concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of incomparability concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of incomparability concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words of incomparability concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words of innumerability. What are the four kinds of words of innumerability? They are the inconceivably numerous words of innumerability concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of innumerability concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of innumerability concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words of innumerability concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words of unquantifiability. What are the four kinds of words of unquantifiability? They are the inconceivably numerous words of unquantifiability concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of unquantifiability concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of unquantifiability concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words of unquantifiability concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words of immeasurability. What are the four kinds of words of immeasurability? They are the inconceivably numerous words of immeasurability concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of immeasurability concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of immeasurability concerning the kleśas,
7.18
and the inconceivably numerous words of immeasurability concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of words of wisdom. What are the four kinds of words of wisdom? They are the inconceivably numerous words of wisdom concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of wisdom concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous words of wisdom concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous words of wisdom concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of accumulation of wisdom. What are the four kinds of accumulation of wisdom? They are the inconceivably numerous accumulations of wisdom concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous accumulations of wisdom concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous accumulations of wisdom concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous accumulations of wisdom concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of families of wisdom.⁸³³ What are the four kinds of families of wisdom? They are the inconceivably numerous families of wisdom concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous families of wisdom concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous families of wisdom concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous families of wisdom concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of accumulation of eloquence. What are the four kinds of accumulation of eloquence? They are the inconceivably numerous accumulations of eloquence concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous accumulations of eloquence concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous accumulations of eloquence concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous accumulations of eloquence concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of sūtras. What are the four kinds of sūtras? They are the inconceivably numerous sūtras concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous sūtras concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous sūtras concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous sūtras concerning purification. Those are the four.
7.19
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of accumulations of sūtras. What are the four kinds of accumulations of sūtras? They are the inconceivably numerous accumulations of sūtras concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous accumulations of sūtras concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous accumulations of sūtras concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous accumulations of sūtras concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of great learning. What are the four kinds of great learning? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of great learning concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of great learning concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of great learning concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of great learning concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of wealth. What are the four kinds of wealth? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of wealth concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of wealth concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of wealth concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of wealth concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of training. What are the four kinds of training? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of training concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of training concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of training concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of training concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of fields of conduct. What are the four kinds of fields of conduct? They are the inconceivably numerous fields of conduct concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous fields of conduct concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous fields of conduct concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous fields of conduct concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of action. What are the four kinds of action? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of action concerning the composite,
7.20
the inconceivably numerous kinds of action concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of action concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of action concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of eloquence. What are the four kinds of eloquence? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of eloquence concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of eloquence concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of eloquence concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of eloquence concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of meditation on the path. What are the four kinds of meditation on the path? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of meditation on the path concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of meditation on the path concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of meditation on the path concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of meditation on the path concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of the kleśas. What are the four kinds of knowledge of the kleśas? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the kleśas concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the kleśas concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the kleśas concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the kleśas concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of the result. What are the four kinds of knowledge of the result? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the result concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the result concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the result concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the result concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of ignorance. What are the four kinds of knowledge of ignorance? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of ignorance concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of ignorance concerning teaching the composite,
7.21
the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of ignorance concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of ignorance concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of suffering. What are the four kinds of knowledge of suffering? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of suffering concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of suffering concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of suffering concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of suffering concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of unhappiness. What are the four kinds of knowledge of unhappiness? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of unhappiness concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of unhappiness concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of unhappiness concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of unhappiness concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of poverty. What are the four kinds of knowledge of poverty? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of poverty concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of poverty concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of poverty concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of poverty concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of birth. What are the four kinds of knowledge of birth? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of birth concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of birth concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of birth concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of birth concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of inner knowledge. What are the four kinds of inner knowledge? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of inner knowledge concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of inner knowledge concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of inner knowledge concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of inner knowledge concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of external knowledge. What are the four kinds of external knowledge? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of external knowledge concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of external knowledge concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of external knowledge concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of external knowledge concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of modesty. What are the four kinds of knowledge of modesty? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of modesty concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of modesty concerning teaching the composite,
7.22
the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of modesty concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of modesty concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of truth. What are the four kinds of knowledge of truth? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of truth concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of truth concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of truth concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of truth concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of existence. What are the four kinds of knowledge of existence? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of existence concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of existence concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of existence concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of existence concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of existents. What are the four kinds of knowledge of existents? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of existents concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of existents concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of existents concerning the kleśas,
7.23
and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of existents concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of the individual. What are the four kinds of knowledge of the individual? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the individual concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the individual concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the individual concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of the individual concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of knowledge of apprehensions. What are the four kinds of knowledge of apprehensions? They are the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of apprehensions concerning the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of apprehensions concerning teaching the composite, the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of apprehensions concerning the kleśas, and the inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of apprehensions concerning purification. Those are the four.
“Young man, those are the four inconceivably numerous kinds of knowledge of apprehensions that are taught to be inconceivably numerous. It is not easy to state an end to them.
“Young man, the bodhisattvas have four kinds of retention. What are the four kinds of retention? The first retention is of what is known concerning the teaching of all infinite composites. The second retention is of what is known concerning the teaching of all infinite sounds. The third retention is of what is known concerning the teaching of all infinite kleśas. The fourth retention is of what is known concerning the teaching of all infinite purifications. Those are the four retentions. The four retentions are those.
“So it is in these ways that there is the discernment of phenomena through knowing phenomena.
“The discernment of meaning is the meaning in the knowledge of phenomena.
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“The discernment of definitions is delight⁸³⁴ in the knowledge of phenomena.
“Young man, the discernment of eloquence is teaching terminology, explaining, expounding,⁸³⁵ clarifying,⁸³⁶ disseminating,⁸³⁷ analyzing, differentiating, proclaiming,⁸³⁸ having unimpeded speech, having unalloyed⁸³⁹ speech, not being mute,⁸⁴⁰ not stammering,⁸⁴¹ and speaking without loss of confidence in relation to the knowledge of phenomena.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān spoke these verses:
“As numerous as are the knowledges of the Buddha,
There are that many designations for forms.
As numerous as are the designations for forms,
There are that many appellations of forms.⁸⁴² {1}
“As numerous as are the appellations of forms,
There are that many names for conduct.
As numerous as are the names for conduct,
There are that many names of buddhas. {2}
“As numerous as are the names of buddhas,
There are that many names of beings.
I know⁸⁴³ whatever number of names
Even one single being has. {3}
“The names for conduct, names of buddhas,
And names of beings are equal
To the infinity of names and appellations
That I have previously taught. {4}
“As numerous as are the faults in the composite,
There are that many qualities⁸⁴⁴ in nirvāṇa.
I have taught as many analogies
As there are qualities of the buddhas. {5}
“As numerous as are the motivations
That I have taught beings to have,
There are that many light rays
From a single hair of a Lord of the World. {6}
“As numerous as are the names
And aspirations of all beings,
A lord of humans has even more
Qualities of the aspects of his speech. {7}
“The names of all beings that have been taught
To be those of one being
Are the names of one being
That have been taught to be those of all beings. {8}
“The Buddha has taught
This engagement with discernment.⁸⁴⁵
Infinite names have been taught
For the sake of the bodhisattvas. {9}
“Those who wish to teach in some way
The endless millions of sūtras
First 24 of 26 passages. Read on