勝鬘寶窟 1.18

1.18

Second, the section on the conditions for the preaching of the sūtra. Question: The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra praises the bodhisattvas, saying, "Those who see or hear them never fail to receive benefit, and all that they undertake is never in vain." Now, since Śrīmālā is a great being of the dharmakāya who manifests her form in response to resonance and expounds the teaching in accordance with capacities—as Sengzhao said, "The dharmakāya has no image, yet forms when beings resonate; dark expedience is without premeditation, yet its movements accord with events"—now for what great causes and conditions was this sūtra expounded? Answer: The intentions are manifold, but we may briefly explain two. First, for the men and women of seven years of age and older in the kingdom of Ayodhyā, who in past lives formed a Mahāyāna kinship with Śrīmālā: wishing now to bring their good roots to maturation, she used the occasion of respectfully inviting the Buddha to give rise to vows and practices, and even expounded this sūtra by relying on the Buddha's supernatural power. Second, generally for all people who study the Mahāyāna: to enable those who receive the teaching to recognize the fifteen articles of meaning of the Mahāyāna Dharma, so that no doubt remains unextinguished and no understanding fails to arise, leaving only a path of advance with no way of regression, ultimately achieving Buddhahood through the ekayāna. Therefore, the sixteenth title says that this sūtra severs all doubts and is of definitive meaning (nītārtha), which is its clear proof. Question: On what basis is it known that there are these two intentions, general and specific? Answer: The Buddha manifested his image in the empty sky within the kingdom of Ayodhyā, and Śrīmālā expounded this teaching facing the Buddha. After the Buddha departed, Śrīmālā and the king each transformed all the people of the country, causing all those aged seven and above to study the Mahāyāna Dharma; therefore one should know there was a specific purpose. When the Buddha returned to Śrāvastī, he commanded Ānanda and Śakra to broadly propagate this teaching in the heavens and the human realm; therefore one should know there was a general purpose.