佛說無量壽經 1.7

1.7

the most honored one in the world.” Śakra and Brahmā reverently attend

him, and heavenly beings adore and worship him. He shows his ability in

calculation, writing, archery, and horsemanship. He is also conversant with

the divine arts and well read in many volumes. In the field outside the palace

he trains himself in the martial arts, and at court he shows that he also enjoys

the pleasures of the senses.

When he first encounters old age, sickness, and death, he realizes the

impermanence of the world. He renounces his kingdom, wealth, and throne

and goes into the mountains to practice the Way. After sending back the

white horse that he has been riding, together with the jeweled crown and

ornaments that he has been wearing, he takes off his magnificent clothes and

puts on a Dharma robe. He cuts his hair and shaves his beard, sits upright

under a tree, and strives at ascetic practices for six years in accord with the

traditional way. Since he has appeared in the world of the five defilements,

he behaves as the multitude. And as his body appears dirty, he takes a bath

in the Golden River. As a god bends a branch down toward him, he is able

to climb up the river bank. A divine bird follows him closely to the seat of

enlightenment (bodhimaṇḍa). A deva takes the form of a youth and, per-

ceiving a favorable sign, respectfully presents him with the auspicious grass.

The Bodhisattva compassionately accepts it, spreads it under the bodhi tree,

and sits upon it with his legs crossed. He emits a great flood of light to inform

Māra of this. Māra and his army come to attack and tempt him, but he brings

them under control with the power of wisdom and makes them all surren-

der. Then he attains the supreme Dharma and realizes highest, perfect enlight-

enment (anuttara samyaksaṃbodhi).

As Śakra and Brahmā request him to turn the wheel of the Dharma, the

Buddha visits various places and preaches the Dharma in his thunderous

voice. He beats the Dharma drum, blows the Dharma conch, brandishes the

Dharma sword, hoists the Dharma banner, rolls the Dharma thunder, hurls

the Dharma lightning, brings the Dharma rain, and bestows the Dharma gift.

At all times, he awakens the world with the sound of the Dharma. His light

illuminates countless buddha lands, causing the entire world to quake in six

ways. It encompasses Māra’s realm, shaking his palace, so that he and his host become frightened and surrender. The Bodhisattva tears asunder the net of evil, destroys wrong views, removes afflictions, flushes the gutters of desire, protects the Dharma castle, opens the Dharma gate, washes off the grime of the passions, and reveals the pure white Dharma. He unifies everything in the Buddha-Dharma and thus proclaims the right teaching.

He enters the town to beg alms; he accepts even rich food to enable the donors to accumulate merit and also to show that he is a field of virtue. Wishing to expound the Dharma, he smiles and so cures the three pains with various Dharma medicines. He teaches that the aspiration for enlightenment (bodhicitta) has immeasurable merit, and by giving predictions to bodhisattvas, he enables them to attain buddhahood.

He demonstrates that he passes into nirvana but endlessly brings sentient beings to liberation. In removing their defilements, planting various roots of virtue, and attaining excellent merit, he displays wonderful and inconceivable works.

Furthermore, each of the bodhisattvas in the assembly is able to visit various buddha lands and expound teachings of the Way. His manner of practice is pure and undefiled. Just as a magician with his perfect skill can create at will various illusions, including images of a man or a woman, so the bodhisattva, having thoroughly learned all the methods of liberation and attained serene awareness of reality, can freely teach and transform beings. He manifests himself everywhere in innumerable buddha lands, performing acts of compassion for sentient beings tirelessly and with diligence. He has