大毘盧遮那成佛神變加持經 (Shubhakarasimha & Yixing 724) 6.1

6.1

Fascicle Six

Chapter XVIII

Receiving the Code of Training

with Expedient Means

Thereupon the vajradhara Lord of Mysteries said to the Buddha, “Worldhonored One, I beg you to explain the basis of training of bodhisattvas and mahāsattvas, endowed with wisdom and expedient means, which causes those among bodhisattvas and mahāsattvas who take refuge in it to be without uncertainty and free from doubting thoughts and to be always indestructible in the course of transmigration through birth-and-death.”

When he had finished speaking thus, the World-honored One Vairocana gazed upon the entire Dharma realm with the eyes of a Tathāgata and addressed the vajradhara Lord of Mysteries, saying, “Listen attentively, Vajrapāṇi! I shall now explain the path of skillful practice. If a bodhisattva and mahāsattva abides in this, he will gain mastery of the Great Vehicle. Lord of Mysteries, the bodhisattva keeps the precept of not taking life, which should not be done; he keeps [the precepts against] the taking of what is not given, sexual misconduct, mendacious speech, harsh speech, slanderous speech, meaningless speech, covetousness, anger, and wrong views, in all of which he should not engage. Lord of Mysteries, this basis of training the bodhisattva practices in accordance with the training in the same way as do the perfectly awakened World-honored Ones and bodhisattvas; in this manner should he train.”

Then the vajradhara Lord of Mysteries said to the Buddha, “The Worldhonored Bhagavān has also explained this path of ten wholesome actions for the śrāvaka vehicle, and people in the world at large and non-Buddhists too

are always desirous of cultivating the path of ten wholesome actions. World-

honored One, what are the differences with those? What are its various spe-

cial qualities?”

When the vajradhara Lord of Mysteries had finished speaking thus, the

Buddha addressed him, saying, “Excellent, excellent, Lord of Mysteries! It

is indeed excellent that you have asked the Tathāgata about this matter. Lord

of Mysteries, you should listen attentively as I now explain the Dharma gate-

way of the different paths and the one path. Lord of Mysteries, in the case

of the code of training for the śrāvaka vehicle, [though] I have taught it, it

is divorced from wisdom and expedient means, enjoins the achievement [of

morality], fosters [one-]sided knowledge, and is not the same as practicing

the path of ten wholesome actions. World[ling]s, furthermore, because they

are divorced from attachment to the [petty] self, are subject to another cause

(i.e., the divine self). The bodhisattva[, on the other hand,] cultivates the