大方廣佛華嚴經願行觀門骨目 2.44

2.44

(Fascicle 61) At that time, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva universally observed the great assembly, and by means of the expedient equal to the dharmadhātu, the expedient equal to the realm of space, the expedient equal to the realm of sentient beings, and the expedient of the light and shadow of all phenomena, expounded this Lion Sprinting Samādhi for the bodhisattvas using ten dharmic phrases, extensively elucidating the sovereign, supreme functions of the dependent and primary [retributions]. At that time, the Tathāgata, wishing to cause the bodhisattvas to abide securely in this samādhi, emitted a great light from the white ūrṇā between his eyebrows, named 'the gate of the dharmadhātu universally illuminating the three periods of time,' which universally illuminated all the worlds and buddha-lands of the ten directions. Having extensively clarified the Tathāgata's supernatural functions, [the text] then says: 'Mañjuśrī, receiving the Buddha's supernatural power, wished to restate the various supernatural transformations in this Jeta Grove,' and spoke the verses: 'You should contemplate this Jeta Grove, / which through the Buddha's awe-inspiring power is vast and boundless; / all adornments are completely manifested, / and it fully pervades the dharmadhātu of the ten directions,' comprising twenty-six stanzas that praise what had been seen before. At that time, because the bodhisattvas were illuminated by the light of the Buddha's samādhi, they immediately attained entry into such a samādhi and attained the ineffable gate of great compassion, extensively carrying out Buddha-works in the ten directions to tame sentient beings. At that time, Mañjuśrī emerged from the Good Abiding Pavilion, and having made various offerings to the Buddha, took his leave and travelled south, going among mortals. At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra, receiving the Buddha's supernatural power, saw Mañjuśrī with the bodhisattvas leaving the Jeta Grove to wander among mortals, and had this thought: 'I should now go together with him to the south.' Then Śāriputra, together with six thousand monks, came out from their dwelling, went to the Buddha's presence, and fully addressed the World-Honoured One. After the World-Honoured One gave his permission, they circumambulated him to the right and departed, heading to Mañjuśrī's location. These six thousand monks were those who lived together with Śāriputra himself, who had not been ordained long—namely, the monk Sāgarabuddhi, Kalyāṇajāta, Puṇyaprabha, Vidyutprabha, Śuddhacārin, Devavīrya, and so forth (all of whom are not among those listed in the Hīnayāna). All of these six thousand had formerly made offerings to countless buddhas, deeply planted roots of goodness, possessed vast power of understanding, had clear and penetrating eyes of faith, had broad and expansive minds, contemplated the realm of the buddhas, understood the original nature of phenomena, benefited sentient beings, and constantly took delight in diligently seeking the virtues of the buddhas; they had all been taught and transformed through Mañjuśrī's expounding of the Dharma. Śāriputra caused the monks to contemplate the pure physical marks of Mañjuśrī and the full assembly, and so forth. Hearing this, the monks' minds became pure, their faith and understanding firm, their whole bodies leaped with joy, their grief and suffering were entirely eliminated, they were endowed with the faculties of bodhisattvas, and having obtained the power of bodhisattvas, they entered into the profound realm. They said: 'May the Great Teacher lead us to that supreme person.' When Śāriputra had led them to Mañjuśrī's location, he said: 'These monks wish to be able to pay homage.' The monks addressed Mañjuśrī, saying: 'We wish to fully attain what you, benevolent one, have attained.' Mañjuśrī admonished them with ten matters, causing them to practice the path of bodhi. Hearing this, the monks immediately attained the samādhi of the unhindered eye, saw the realm of all buddhas, fully saw the various dependent and primary [retributions] of all buddhas, knew the previous and subsequent ten lifetimes of sentient beings in the worlds of the ten directions, remembered the past and future ten kalpas in those realms, recollected the ten past-life affairs of those Tathāgatas, with their attainment of the Way, turning of the Dharma-wheel, supernatural transformations, and preaching of the Dharma each having ten types, and furthermore, they immediately accomplished ten thousand samādhis. Mañjuśrī then admonished the monks to abide in the practices of Samantabhadra (hence we know that what they had attained had not yet entered the practices of Samantabhadra).