法苑珠林 11.67

11.67

According to the Bodhisattva-garbhastha-sūtra: At that time, the World-Honoured One manifested a marvelous and extraordinary sign, transforming all the bodhisattvas so that they all assumed the Buddha's body, fully endowed with light and marks. With different mouths but one voice, they all expounded the Dharma, revering and honouring one another, each seated on an extremely wondrous high throne of the seven treasures. In the first preaching of the Dharma, there were only men and no women. In the second preaching of the Dharma, there were only women and no men. In the third preaching of the Dharma, they delivered only people of right view. In the fourth preaching of the Dharma, they delivered only people of wrong view. In the fifth preaching of the Dharma, men and women were completely equal. In the sixth preaching of the Dharma, the wrong and the right were likewise equal. At that time, phenomena upon phenomena were accomplished, yet there was no self or mine, and the fruits of the Way matured. This is the constant method of the Buddhas, the miraculous power of the ritual of preaching. The seventh was the eighty-four thousand Dharma-gates of the practice of emptiness. The eighth was the eighty-four thousand Dharma-gates of signlessness. The ninth was the eighty-four thousand Dharma-gates of wishlessness. Each and every Dharma-gate possessed immeasurable meanings. Even if a clever and wise person had a body with a thousand heads, each head with a thousand tongues, and each tongue with a thousand meanings, wishing to thoroughly exhaust the meanings of these nine Dharma-gates, in a hundred thousand fractions they would not yet obtain one. These are the secret and essential treasuries of all Buddhas, all accomplished through past study in previous lifetimes. (The extensive explanation of the benefits of preaching is fully provided in the various chapters.)