The Teaching of Vimalakīrti 3.1

3.1

姚秦三藏鳩摩羅什譯

Fascicle Three

The Buddha Accumulation

of Fragrances

1. At this point Śāriputra thought to himself, “It is almost noon. What will all these bodhisattvas eat?”

Then Vimalakīrti, knowing his thoughts, said, “The Buddha has explained the eight emancipations. You, sir, have accepted them as your practice. How can you mix up the desire for food and [that of] listening to the Dharma? If you wish to eat, then just wait a moment. I will provide you with an unprecedented meal.”

2. Then Vimalakīrti entered into samādhi and, using his powers of numinous penetration, manifested to the great congregations that in the upper direction, past buddha lands as numerous as the sands of forty-two Ganges Rivers, there was a country called Host of Fragrances, with a buddha named Accumulation of Fragrances, who currently exists in that world. In comparison with the world-systems of the other buddhas thoughout the ten directions, the fragrances [experienced by] the humans and gods of that country are supreme. In that land, the names “śrāvaka” and “pratyekabuddha” do not exist—there is only the great congregation of pure bodhisattvas, for whom the Buddha explains the Dharma. In that world all the buildings are made of fragrance. In doing walking meditation on that fragrant earth, the gardens are all fragrant. The fragrance of the food there circulates throughout the immeasurable worlds in the ten directions.

At the time, that Buddha and the bodhisattvas [in that country] were just sitting together to eat. The gods in attendance [in Vimalakīrti’s assembly]

all exclaimed at the ornament of fragrance, and they all generated the inten-

tion to achieve anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, making offerings to that buddha

and the bodhisattvas.

Everyone in the great congregations [in Vimalakīrti’s room] saw this.

3. At that time, Vimalakīrti asked the congregation of bodhisattvas, “Sirs,

who is able to go get food from that buddha?”

Through the influence of Mañjuśrī’s awesome numinous power, they

all remained silent.

Vimalakīrti said, “Sir, are you not ashamed for this great congregation?”

Mañjuśrī said, “As the Buddha has said, one should not belittle those

of no learning.”

4. At this Vimalakīrti, without rising from his seat, created by transfor-

mation a bodhisattva whose [thirty-two primary] characteristics and [eighty

subsidiary] marks were radiantly bright, whose glorious presence was par-

ticularly excellent, surpassing all in the assembly. [Vimalakīrti] announced

to him, “Go to the world in the upper direction where, separated from here

by buddha lands as numerous as the sands of forty-two Ganges Rivers, there

is a country named Host of Fragrances. The buddha [of that country], named

Accumulation of Fragrances, is just sitting down to eat with the bodhisattvas.

Go there, and say as I tell you: ‘Vimalakīrti bows his head to the feet of the

World-honored One, and with great respect he inquires immeasurable times

as to whether you might have some slight illness, some slight vexation, and

whether your energies are at peace. He wishes to obtain the leftovers of the