佛說觀普賢菩薩行法經 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

1.1

Translated in Yangzhou by Dharmamitra during the Yuanjia era of the Song dynasty.

1.3

At one time the Buddha was staying in the country of Vaiśālī, at the Kūṭāgāra Hall in the Mahāvana Vihāra. He addressed the monks: "Three months from now I shall enter parinirvāṇa."

The venerable Ānanda then rose from his seat, straightened his robes, joined his palms, circumambulated the Buddha three times, and paid homage to the Buddha. Kneeling on his right knee with palms joined, he gazed attentively at the Tathāgata without turning his eyes away for even an instant. The elder Mahākāśyapa and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya also rose from their seats, joined their palms in homage, and looked up at the Venerable Face.

1.5

Then the three great beings spoke with one voice to the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One! After the Tathāgata's passing, how should sentient beings give rise to the bodhisattva mind, practice the Mahāyāna vaipulya scriptures, and correctly reflect on the realm of the one reality? How can they not lose the mind of unsurpassed bodhi? How can they furthermore, without severing afflictions and without abandoning the five desires, purify their sense faculties and eradicate their sins? How can the pure, ordinary eyes born of their parents, without severing the five desires, be able to see things beyond all obstacles?"

1.6

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "Listen closely, listen closely, and reflect well upon it. In the past, on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa and in other dwelling places, the Tathāgata has already broadly explained the path of the one reality. Now in this place, for all sentient beings of future ages who wish to practice the unsurpassed Dharma of the Mahāyāna and wish to train in the practice of Samantabhadra—practitioners of Samantabhadra—I shall now explain the method of recollecting him. Whether they see Samantabhadra or do not see him, the number of sins eradicated shall now be broadly distinguished for you.

1.7

"Ānanda! Samantabhadra Bodhisattva was born in a pure and wondrous land in the east. The features of that land have already been broadly explained in the Lotus Sūtra; I shall now explain them briefly here.

1.8

"Ānanda! If monks, nuns, upāsakas, upāsikās, the eight classes of devas and nāgas, or any sentient beings recite the Mahāyāna sūtras, cultivate the Mahāyāna, give rise to the Mahāyāna intention, delight in seeing the form body of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, delight in seeing the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Buddha, delight in seeing Śākyamuni Buddha and the emanation Buddhas, or delight in attaining the purification of the six sense faculties, they should train in this contemplation. The merit of this contemplation removes all obstacles and enables one to see the supreme and wondrous form. Even without entering samādhi, merely by chanting and upholding [the sūtra], cultivating it with focused mind, continuous from thought to thought without departing from the Mahāyāna, one will see Samantabhadra in from one day to three weeks (twenty-one days). Those with heavier obstacles will see him after forty-nine days; those with still heavier obstacles will see him in one lifetime; those with yet heavier obstacles will see him in two lifetimes; and those with yet heavier obstacles will see him in three lifetimes. Thus, because their karmic retributions differ, different accounts are given.

1.9

"The bodily size of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is boundless, his voice is boundless, and his physical form is boundless. When he wishes to come to this land, he enters sovereign supernatural powers and shrinks his body to make it small, because the people of Jambudvīpa have heavy three obstacles. By the power of wisdom he manifests mounted on a white elephant. That elephant has six tusks and seven limbs planted on the ground; beneath its seven limbs seven lotuses grow. The elephant's color is a vivid white, the highest among whites, such that crystal and the Snow Mountains cannot compare to it. Its body is four hundred and fifty yojanas long and four hundred yojanas high. At the tips of its six tusks are six bathing pools; in each bathing pool grow fourteen lotuses equal in size to the pool, their blossoms blooming like the heavenly tree kings. Upon each blossom is a jade maiden whose complexion glows red, surpassing that of heavenly maidens; in their hands there spontaneously appear five harp-lutes, each accompanied by five hundred musical instruments as retinue. There are five hundred flying birds—wild ducks, geese, mandarin ducks—all the colors of various jewels, appearing among the flowers and leaves. On the elephant's trunk there is a lotus whose stem resembles the color of red pearls; its flower is golden in color, budded and not yet blossomed.

1.10

"Having seen this, [the practitioner] repents again, gazes attentively with utmost sincerity, and reflects on the Mahāyāna without ceasing or giving up. Seeing the flower, it immediately blossoms with golden color and golden light. The calyx of the lotus is made of kiṃśuka jewels, wondrous brahma-maṇis form its garland, and adamantine jewels form its stamen. One sees a manifested Buddha seated upon the calyx of the lotus, and many bodhisattvas seated on the stamens. From between the brows of the manifested Buddha golden light also radiates, entering the elephant's trunk; emerging from the elephant's trunk, it enters the elephant's eyes; emerging from the elephant's eyes, it enters the elephant's ears; emerging from the elephant's ears, it illuminates the elephant's head, turning into a golden platform.

1.11

"On the elephant's head are three manifested beings: one holds a golden wheel, one holds a maṇi jewel, and one grasps a vajra. When he raises the vajra toward the elephant, the elephant is able to walk; its feet do not tread upon the ground, but wander by stepping on the void, seven feet above the ground. Upon the ground are footprints, within which are fully complete thousand-spoked hubs and rims. Between each rim grows a great lotus, and upon this lotus appears a manifested elephant, also having seven limbs, following the great elephant. Raising and lowering its feet, seven thousand elephants appear as its retinue, following the great elephant.

1.12

"The elephant's trunk is the color of a red lotus. Above it, a manifested Buddha emits light from between his brows; that light is golden, and just as before enters the elephant's trunk; from the elephant's trunk it emerges and enters the elephant's eyes; from the elephant's eyes it emerges and re-enters the elephant's ears; from the elephant's ears it emerges onto the elephant's neck, gradually ascending to the elephant's back, where it transforms into a golden saddle adorned with the seven treasures. On the four sides of the saddle are pillars of the seven treasures, embellished with various jewels to form a jeweled terrace.

1.13

"In the center of the terrace is a seven-jeweled lotus whose stamens are formed of a hundred jewels and whose calyx is a great maṇi. A bodhisattva sits in full lotus posture [upon it], named Samantabhadra. His body is of white jade color with fifty kinds of light, and the lights have fifty kinds of color forming a nimbus. From all the pores of his body flow golden light, and at the tips of the golden rays are immeasurable manifested Buddhas. Accompanied by manifested bodhisattvas as his retinue, with composed and gentle steps, he rains down great precious flowers and arrives before the practitioner. The elephant opens its mouth, and upon the tusks, the jade maidens in the pools play drums, musical instruments, and sing to strings; their sounds are subtle and wondrous, praising the Mahāyāna path of the one reality.

1.14

"When the practitioner sees this, he rejoices and pays homage. He recites the profound scriptures anew, bows everywhere to the immeasurable Buddhas of the ten directions, bows to the Prabhūtaratna Stūpa and to Śākyamuni, and bows to Samantabhadra and all the great bodhisattvas, making this vow: 'If, by my past merit, I ought to see Samantabhadra, may the Venerable Samantabhadra show me his form body.' Having made this vow, throughout the six periods of the day and night he bows to the Buddhas of the ten directions, performs the rites of repentance, recites the Mahāyāna sūtras, reads the Mahāyāna sūtras, contemplates the meaning of the Mahāyāna, focuses on the affairs of the Mahāyāna, reveres and makes offerings to those who uphold the Mahāyāna, regards all people as though they were Buddhas, and regards all sentient beings as his parents.

1.15

"Having formed these thoughts, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva immediately emits from between his eyebrows the light of the ūrṇā mark of a great man. When this light appears, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's bodily marks are dignified and majestic—upright, subtle, and wondrous like a mountain of purple gold—fully endowed with the thirty-two marks. From all the pores of his body he radiates great light, illuminating the great elephant to make it golden, all the manifested elephants to make them golden, and the manifested bodhisattvas to make them golden. That golden light illuminates immeasurable worlds in the east, making them all alike golden; the south, west, north, four intermediate directions, zenith, and nadir are also like this.

1.16

"At that time, in each of the ten directions, there is a bodhisattva riding a six-tusked white elephant king, equal to and no different from Samantabhadra; thus the ten directions are filled with immeasurable, boundless manifested elephants. By the supernatural power of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, the upholders of the sūtra are all enabled to see them.

1.17

"At that time, seeing all the bodhisattvas, the practitioner rejoices in body and mind, pays homage to them, and says: 'O Ones of Great Compassion and Pity! Out of pity for me, preach the Dharma to me.' When he says these words, the bodhisattvas, speaking with one voice, each preach the pure Dharma of the Mahāyāna sūtras and compose verses to praise the practitioner. This is called the initial contemplation of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, his first realm.

1.18

"Then, having seen this matter, the practitioner keeps his mind on the Mahāyāna day and night without abandoning it. In his sleep, he dreams of Samantabhadra preaching the Dharma to him, no different from when awake, comforting his heart and saying: 'In what you chanted and upheld, you forgot this phrase; you forgot this verse.' At that time, hearing what Samantabhadra Bodhisattva says, the practitioner deeply understands the meaning and remembers it without forgetting; day after day it is like this, and his mind becomes increasingly sharp.

1.19

"Samantabhadra Bodhisattva teaches him to recollect the Buddhas of the ten directions. Following Samantabhadra's teachings with an upright mind and upright intention, he gradually sees with his mind's eye the Buddhas of the east, their bodies of yellow-gold color, dignified, majestic, subtle, and wondrous. Having seen one Buddha, he sees another Buddha, and thus gradually sees all the Buddhas of the east; because his mental capacity is sharp, he sees all the Buddhas of the ten directions everywhere.

1.20

"Having seen the Buddhas, he gives rise to joy in his heart and speaks these words: 'Because of the Mahāyāna, I was able to see the Great Being; by the power of the Great Being, I was able to see the Buddhas. Although I have seen the Buddhas, it is still not fully clear: when I close my eyes I see them, but when I open my eyes I lose them.' Having spoken these words, he casts his five limbs to the ground and bows everywhere to the Buddhas of the ten directions. Having bowed to the Buddhas, he kneels on his right knee with palms joined and speaks these words: 'The Buddha World-Honoured Ones possess the ten powers, fearlessnesses, eighteen unshared dharmas, great compassion and pity, the three foundations of mindfulness, and are ever in the world as the supreme form among forms. What sin do I have that prevents me from seeing them?' Having spoken these words, he repents again.

1.21

"After his repentance is purified, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva appears before him again, never leaving his side whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, and even in dreams constantly preaches the Dharma to him; when this person awakens, he attains the bliss of the Dharma. Day and night like this for three weeks (twenty-one days), he then attains the revolving dhāraṇī. Because he attains the dhāraṇī, he retains and does not forget the wondrous Dharma spoken by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, and he also constantly dreams of the seven Buddhas of the past, with Śākyamuni Buddha alone preaching the Dharma to him; these World-Honoured Ones each praise the Mahāyāna scriptures.

1.22

"At that time, the practitioner repents again and bows everywhere to the Buddhas of the ten directions. Having bowed to the Buddhas of the ten directions, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva stands before him and teaches him to recount all the karmic conditions of past lives and to confess all dark and evil sinful matters. Facing the World-Honoured Ones, he confesses them with his own mouth; having confessed them, he immediately attains the samādhi of the presence of all Buddhas.

1.23

"Having attained this samādhi, he sees Akṣobhya Buddha in the east and the realm of Abhirati clearly and distinctly. In this way, in each of the ten directions he sees the supreme and wondrous lands of the Buddhas, clearly and distinctly.

1.24

"Having seen the Buddhas of the ten directions, he dreams that on the elephant's head there is an adamantine person who points a vajra toward all six sense faculties. Having pointed it toward the six sense faculties, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva explains to the practitioner the method of repentance for purifying the six sense faculties. Repenting like this for one to seven days, by the power of the samādhi of the presence of all Buddhas and by the adornment of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's Dharma teaching, his ears gradually hear sounds beyond obstacles, his eyes gradually see things beyond obstacles, and his nose gradually smells fragrances beyond obstacles. As broadly explained in the Lotus Sūtra, having attained this purification of the six sense faculties, his body and mind are joyous without any evil signs, his mind is purely the Dharma, and he accords with the Dharma."

1.25

“He further attains hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of revolving dhāraṇīs, and further sees widely hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of immeasurable Buddhas. These World-Honoured Ones each extend their right hands to stroke the practitioner's head, saying: ‘Excellent, excellent, practitioner of the Mahāyāna, one who arouses the mind of great adornment, one who is mindful of the Mahāyāna! In the past, when we first aroused the bodhicitta, we too were just like you, diligent and unwavering. Because in past lives we practiced the Mahāyāna, we have now achieved the pure body of the Samyaksaṃbuddha. You now should also cultivate diligently without remiss. This Mahāyāna scripture is the treasure-house of the Buddhas, the eyes of the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three times, and that which gives birth to the seed of all the Tathāgatas of the three times. One who upholds this sūtra upholds the body of the Buddha and carries out the work of the Buddha. You should know that this person is an emissary sent by the Buddhas, covered by the robes of the Buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones, and a true Dharma-child of the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas. Practicing the Mahāyāna, you will not cut off the seed of the Dharma. You must now carefully contemplate the Buddhas of the eastern direction.’

1.26

“When these words are spoken, the practitioner immediately sees that the ground of all the immeasurable worlds of the eastern direction is flat as the palm of a hand, free of heaps, mounds, hills, and brambles, with lapis lazuli as the ground, interlaced with yellow gold; the worlds of the ten directions are also like this. Having seen this ground, he then sees jeweled trees. The jeweled trees are lofty and marvelous, five thousand yojanas high, and these trees constantly produce yellow gold, white silver, and the seven jewels as adornments. Underneath the trees there are naturally jeweled lion thrones. The lion thrones are twenty yojanas high, and from the thrones also emanate the radiance of a hundred treasures. In this way, beneath these trees and other jeweled seats, upon each and every jeweled seat there are naturally five hundred white elephants, and atop the elephants is always Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.

1.27

“At that time, the practitioner bows to all the Samantabhadras and speaks these words: ‘What sin do I possess, that I only see the jeweled ground, jeweled thrones, and jeweled trees, but do not see the Buddhas?’ Having spoken these words, upon each and every throne there is a World-Honoured One, upright, majestic, and subtle, sitting upon the jeweled throne.

1.28

“Having seen the Buddhas, his heart rejoices greatly, and he further recites and practices the Mahāyāna scriptures. Due to the power of the Mahāyāna, a voice in the sky praises him, saying: ‘Excellent, excellent, good son! By the causes and conditions of your merit from practicing the Mahāyāna, you are able to see the Buddhas. Although you now obtain the sight of the Buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones, you cannot yet see Śākyamuni Buddha, the emanation Buddhas, and the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Buddha.’ Having heard the voice in the sky, he again diligently recites and practices the Mahāyāna scriptures. Because of reciting the Mahāyāna vaipulya sūtras, he immediately sees in a dream Śākyamuni Buddha along with the great assembly on Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain preaching the Lotus Sūtra and expounding the meaning of the one reality.

1.29

“Having been taught to repent, yearning thirstily to see [the Buddha], he joins his palms, kneels with his right knee on the ground toward Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain, and says: ‘The Tathāgata, the Hero of the World, is constantly present in the world; out of pity for me, manifest your body for me.’ Having spoken these words, he sees Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain adorned with the seven jewels, with countless monks and a great assembly of śrāvakas, jeweled trees in rows, the jeweled ground flat and even, and further laid out with marvelous jeweled lion thrones. Śākyamuni Buddha emits light from between his eyebrows; the light completely illuminates the worlds of the ten directions, and extends beyond immeasurable worlds of the ten directions.

1.30

“Wherever this light reaches, the emanation Śākyamuni Buddhas of the ten directions assemble at once like clouds, as widely spoken in the Lotus Sūtra. Each emanation Buddha has a body of purple-golden colour, of limitless bodily stature, sitting upon a lion throne, with immeasurable hundreds of koṭis of great bodhisattvas as their retinues, each bodhisattva's practice identical to that of Samantabhadra. Such are the immeasurable Buddhas and bodhisattva retinues of the ten directions; they are also like this.

1.31

“When the great assembly has gathered, he sees that the pores across the entire body of Śākyamuni Buddha emit golden light, and in each and every ray of light are a hundred koṭis of transformation Buddhas. The emanation Buddhas emit from the white ūrṇā between their eyebrows the light of the mark of a great man, which flows into the crown of Śākyamuni Buddha's head. When this sign is seen, all the pores of the emanation Buddhas emit golden light, and in each and every ray of light are transformation Buddhas as numerous as the dust motes of the Ganges sands.

1.32

“At that time, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva again emits from between his eyebrows the light of the mark of a great man, which enters the practitioner's heart. Once it enters the heart, the practitioner himself remembers that at the dwellings of countless hundreds of thousands of Buddhas in the past he had upheld, read, and recited the Mahāyāna scriptures; he sees his past bodies clearly and distinctly, no different from [the knowledge of] the recollection of past lives; he suddenly awakens greatly, attaining the revolving dhāraṇī and hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of dhāraṇī-doors.

1.33

“Rising from samādhi, he sees face-to-face all the emanation Buddhas sitting upon lion seats beneath the various jeweled trees. He also sees the lapis lazuli ground, like clusters of lotuses, welling up from the sky below. Between each and every lotus are bodhisattvas as numerous as dust motes sitting cross-legged; he also sees emanation bodhisattvas of Samantabhadra within that assembly praising the Mahāyāna.

1.34

“At that time, the bodhisattvas with one voice teach the practitioner to purify the six faculties. Some say: ‘You should be mindful of the Buddha.’ Some say: ‘You should be mindful of the Dharma.’ Some say: ‘You should be mindful of the Saṅgha.’ Some say: ‘You should be mindful of the precepts.’ Some say: ‘You should be mindful of giving.’ Some say: ‘You should be mindful of the devas.’ ‘These six dharmas are the bodhicitta and generate the dharmas of a bodhisattva. You should now, before the Buddhas, confess your past sins, sincerely repenting the eye faculty's causes and conditions over immeasurable lifetimes of greedy attachment to forms. Because of clinging to forms, you craved the sense objects; because of craving sense objects, you took on a female body, and in every life and place of birth were deluded by and attached to forms. Form destroyed your eyes and made you a slave of affection; form made you wander through the three realms, and as its wretched servant, you were blind and without sight. Now recite the Mahāyāna vaipulya scriptures; in these sūtras it is said: “The form bodies of the Buddhas of the ten directions are never annihilated.” You are now able to see them; is it truly so or not? The eye faculty is unwholesome and has harmed you greatly; follow my words and take refuge in the Buddhas. Confess to Śākyamuni all the sins and faults of your eye faculty, and pray that the water of the Dharma of the wise and luminous Buddhas and bodhisattvas will wash them away, making you pure.’

1.35

“Having spoken these words, he bows everywhere to the Buddhas of the ten directions, faces Śākyamuni Buddha and the Mahāyāna scriptures, and further speaks these words: ‘The grave sins of the eye faculty that I now repent are obstructive and defiled, leaving me blind and without sight. May the Buddha with great kindness pity and protect me; may Samantabhadra Bodhisattva aboard the great Dharma ship universally cross over all beings; may the immeasurable companions of bodhisattvas of the ten directions only show kindness and pity, and hear my repentance of the unwholesome, evil karmic obstacles of the eye faculty.’ Having spoken thus three times, he casts his five limbs to the ground, maintains right mindfulness of the Mahāyāna, and does not forget it from his mind: this is called the method of repenting the sins of the eye faculty.

1.36

“For one who recites the names of the Buddhas, burns incense, scatters flowers, arouses the Mahāyāna aspiration, hangs silk banners and canopies, speaks of the faults of the eyes, and repents their sins, this person in the present life will see Śākyamuni Buddha and see the immeasurable emanation Buddhas, and for asaṃkhyeya kalpas will not fall into the evil destinies—due to the power of the Mahāyāna and the vows of the Mahāyāna—constantly serving as a retinue together with all dhāraṇī bodhisattvas. To hold this mindfulness is right mindfulness; if one holds other thoughts, it is called wrong mindfulness. This is called the preliminary experiential sign of the eye faculty.

1.37

“Having purified the eye faculty, he again recites and reads the Mahāyāna scriptures, and throughout the six periods of the day and night kneels with his right knee on the ground to repent, speaking these words: ‘Why is it that I now only see Śākyamuni Buddha and the emanation Buddhas, but do not see the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Buddha and the whole-body relics? The stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Buddha constantly exists and is never annihilated, yet because of my turbid and evil eyes I do not see it.’ Having spoken these words, he repents further. When seven days have passed, the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Buddha wells up from the earth, and Śākyamuni Buddha immediately opens the door of the stūpa with his right hand. He sees Prabhūtaratna Buddha entering the samādhi of universally manifesting form bodies, from each and every pore pouring forth light as numerous as the dust motes of the Ganges sands, and in each and every ray of light are hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of transformation Buddhas.

1.38

“When this sign appears, the practitioner rejoices, praises him in verse, and circumambulates the stūpa. When he has completed seven circumambulations, Prabhūtaratna Tathāgata emits a great voice, praising him: ‘Dharma-child! You now truly can practice the Mahāyāna and follow Samantabhadra's repentance of the eye faculty. Due to these causes and conditions, I have come to your place to bear witness for you.’ Having spoken these words, he praises: ‘Excellent, excellent! Śākyamuni Buddha is able to preach the Great Dharma, rain down the rain of the Great Dharma, and bring to fulfillment the turbid and evil living beings!’

1.39

“At that time, after the practitioner sees the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Buddha, he goes again to the place of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, joins his palms in reverent worship, and addresses him: ‘Great Master! Teach me to repent my faults.’

1.40

“Samantabhadra again says: ‘For many kalpas, through the causes and conditions of the ear faculty, you have pursued external sounds; when hearing marvelous sounds, your mind became deluded and attached, and when hearing evil sounds, you gave rise to eight hundred kinds of afflictive thieves of harm. Such bad ears receive the retribution of evil events, constantly hearing evil sounds and generating all kinds of grasping conditions. Because of perverted listening, you are bound to fall into the evil destinies and borderlands of wrong views where the Dharma is not heard. Today you recite and uphold the ocean-treasure of merits of the Mahāyāna; because of these conditions you see the Buddhas of the ten directions and the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Buddha, who now bear witness for you. You should yourself speak of your own faults and evils, and repent all your sins.’

1.41

“At that time, having heard these words, the practitioner again joins his palms, casts his five limbs to the ground, and speaks these words: ‘The World-Honoured One, the Samyaksaṃbuddha, now bears witness for me, and the vaipulya scriptures serve as the master of compassion; I only pray that you look upon me and hear what I say. From many kalpas down to this present body, through the causes and conditions of the ear faculty, I heard sounds and was deluded and attached as glue adheres to grass; when hearing evil things, I aroused the poison of affliction, everywhere deluded and attached without a moment's pause. Relying on this cavity of sounds, I exhausted my conscious spirit and plunged into the three destinies. Only now do I awaken to this, and before the World-Honoured Ones I confess and repent.’

1.42

“Having repented, he sees Prabhūtaratna Buddha emit a great light, its colour golden, illuminating the eastern direction and the immeasurable Buddhas of the realms of the ten directions, their bodies of genuine golden colour. In the sky in the east a voice proclaims: ‘This Buddha, the World-Honoured One, is named Bhadraśrī.’ There are also countless emanation Buddhas sitting cross-legged upon lion thrones under jeweled trees. These World-Honoured Ones all enter the samādhi of universally manifesting form bodies, and all praise him, saying: ‘Excellent, excellent, good son! You now read and recite the Mahāyāna scriptures; that which you recite is the realm of the Buddhas.’

1.43

“When these words are spoken, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva further expounds to him the method of repentance: ‘In past lives throughout immeasurable kalpas, because of greed for fragrance, you discriminated the various consciousnesses, everywhere greedy and attached, falling into birth and death. You should now contemplate the cause of the Mahāyāna. The cause of the Mahāyāna is the true reality of all dharmas.’ Having heard these words, he casts his five limbs to the ground and repents again.

1.44

“Having repented, he should speak these words: ‘Homage to Śākyamuni Buddha! Homage to the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Buddha! Homage to the emanation Buddhas of Śākyamuni Buddha in the ten directions!’ Having spoken these words, he bows everywhere to the Buddhas of the ten directions, to homage to Bhadraśrī Buddha of the eastern direction and the emanation Buddhas. Just as his eyes see, with each and every mind he bows, making offerings of incense and flowers. When the offerings are finished, he kneels with his right knee on the ground, joins his palms, and praises the Buddhas with various verses. Having praised them, he speaks of the ten unwholesome actions and repents all sins. Having repented, he speaks these words: ‘In past lives during immeasurable kalpas, I was greedy for fragrance, taste, and tangibles, creating all manner of evils; due to these causes and conditions, for immeasurable lifetimes I constantly received bodies in hell, hungry ghosts, animals, and in borderlands of wrong views, various unwholesome bodies. Such evil karma I confess today, taking refuge in the King of the True Dharma of the Buddhas, speaking my sins and repenting.’

1.45

"Having repented, with body and mind unflagging, they should again chant and recite the Mahāyāna scriptures. Through the power of the Mahāyāna, a voice in the sky announces to them, saying: 'Child of the Dharma! You should now praise and explain the Mahāyāna before the Buddhas of the ten directions, and speak of your own faults before the Buddhas. The Buddhas and Tathāgatas are your compassionate fathers; you must speak of the unwholesome and evil karma created by your tongue faculty. This tongue faculty brings forth the marks of evil karma: false speech, frivolous speech, harsh speech, divisive speech, defamation, deceitful speech, praise of wrong views, uttering useless speech, and many such mixed evil karmas; instigating discord and disorder, declaring the Dharma to be non-Dharma... all such numerous sins are now repented before the Heroes of the World.'

1.46

"Having spoken these words, casting the five limbs to the ground, they bow everywhere to the Buddhas of the ten directions, and with palms joined, kneeling upright, they should speak these words: 'The faults and perils of this tongue are immeasurable and boundless; the thorns of all evil karma arise from the tongue faculty, and the cessation of the wheel of the true Dharma arises from this tongue. Such an evil tongue cuts off the seeds of merit, forcefully arguing on many fronts about what is not the truth, praising wrong views like adding firewood to a fire, harming living beings like a raging fire, and dying without sore or boil like one who has drunk poison. For such retribution of sinful, evil, and unwholesome deeds, one must fall into the evil destinies for hundreds of kalpas and thousands of kalpas; because of false speech one falls into the great hells. I now take refuge in the Buddhas of the southern direction and confess my dark evils.'

1.47

"As they form this thought, a voice in the sky says: 'In the southern direction there is a Buddha named Candanaśrī; that Buddha also has immeasurable emanation bodies. All these Buddhas preach the Mahāyāna to eradicate sins and evils.'

1.48

"'All such sins are now confessed in their dark evil before the immeasurable Buddhas and Greatly Compassionate World-Honoured Ones of the ten directions, with sincere repentance.' Having spoken these words, casting the five limbs to the ground, they bow again to the Buddhas. At that time, the Buddhas again emit light shining upon the practitioner's body, causing their body and mind naturally to be joyful and to bring forth great compassion, contemplating all beings everywhere.

1.49

"Then, the Buddhas extensively teach the practitioner the dharmas of great loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, and also instruct them in loving speech and the cultivation of the six points of reverent harmony. At that time, hearing this instruction, the practitioner rejoices greatly in mind and again recites and practices, never slackening or resting.

1.50

"In the sky, a subtle and wonderful voice again utters these words: 'You must now repent with body and mind. As for the body, it is killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; as for the mind, it is thinking unwholesome thoughts, creating the ten unwholesome actions and the five deeds of immediate retribution—like a monkey, or like birdlime clinging greedily to everything, spreading throughout all the six emotional faculties. The karma of these six faculties fills all the realms of birth across the three realms of existence and the twenty-five states of existence with its branches, flowers, and leaves, and also increases ignorance, aging, death... the twelve suffering conditions; there are none of the eight wrongs and eight difficulties that are not experienced among them. You must now repent such evil and unwholesome karma.'

1.51

"At that time, having heard these words, the practitioner asks the voice in the sky: 'In what place should I now practice the method of repentance?'

1.52

"Then the voice in the sky speaks these words: 'Śākyamuni is named Vairocana, pervading all places; that Buddha's dwelling place is named Ever Tranquil Light: the place formed by the gathering of the pāramitā of permanence, the place established by the pāramitā of self, the place where the pāramitā of purity extinguishes the marks of existence, and the place where the pāramitā of bliss does not abide in the marks of body and mind. It is the place where the marks of dharmas as existent or non-existent are not seen, like tranquil liberation up to the perfection of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā), because this form is an eternally abiding dharma. Thus should you contemplate the Buddhas of the ten directions.'

1.53

"Then the Buddhas of the ten directions each extend their right hand and rub the practitioner's head, speaking these words: 'Well done, well done, good son! Because you chant and recite the Mahāyāna sūtras, the Buddhas of the ten directions expound the method of repentance. In the practice of a bodhisattva, one does not cut off the fetters, nor does one abide in the ocean of fetters. Contemplate the mind as having no mind, arising from inverted thoughts; such thought-minds arise from false thoughts, like the wind in the sky having no dwelling place. Such characteristics of dharmas neither arise nor cease. What is sin? What is merit? My own mind is inherently empty; sin and merit have no master. All dharmas are like this: without abiding and without destruction. Repenting like this is contemplating the mind as having no mind, and dharmas as not abiding in dharmas; all dharmas are liberated, the noble truth of cessation is tranquil. One who contemplates like this performs what is called the Great Repentance, the Adorned Repentance, the Repentance Free of the Marks of Sin, and the Destruction of Mind and Consciousness. One who practices this repentance is pure in body and mind and does not abide in dharmas—just like flowing water—and from thought to thought is able to see Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and the Buddhas of the ten directions.'

1.54

"Then the World-Honoured Ones, with the light of great compassion, expound the signless Dharma for the practitioner. The practitioner hears the teaching of the emptiness of the ultimate truth; having heard it, their mind is not alarmed or terrified, and they immediately enter the correct stage of a bodhisattva."

1.55

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "Such a practitioner is said to repent. This repentance is the method of repentance of the Buddhas and great bodhisattvas of the ten directions."

1.56

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, if any disciple of the Buddha repents of evil and unwholesome karma, they should only chant and recite the Mahāyāna scriptures. These vaipulya sūtras are the eyes of the Buddhas; through them the Buddhas are endowed with the five eyes, and the three bodies of the Buddha are born from the vaipulya; they are the great seal of the Dharma, sealing the ocean of nirvāṇa. From within such an ocean can be produced the three pure bodies of the Buddha. These three bodies are the field of merit for humans and devas, supreme among those worthy of offerings. If anyone chants and recites the great vaipulya scriptures, you should know that this person is endowed with the Buddha's merit, their evils are eternally eliminated, and they are born from the Buddha's wisdom."

1.57

At that time, the World-Honoured One spoke in verse:

1.58

"If there is evil in the eye faculty, and karmic obstacles make the eye impure,
One should only recite the Mahāyāna and contemplate the ultimate truth;
This is called repenting the eye, extinguishing all unwholesome karma.
The ear faculty hears disordered sounds, disrupting the sense of harmony,
Giving rise to madness from this, like a foolish monkey;
One should only recite the Mahāyāna and contemplate dharmas as empty and signless,
Eternally exhausting all evils, the divine ear hearing the ten directions.
The nose faculty clings to fragrances, giving rise to touches following defilement;
Such a wild, deluded nose generates sense-objects following defilement.
If one recites the Mahāyāna sūtras and contemplates dharmas as the true reality,
One is eternally freed from all evil karma, never to be born in future lives.
The tongue faculty gives rise to five kinds of unwholesome karma of harsh speech;
If one wishes to tame oneself, one should diligently cultivate a compassionate mind,
Pondering the true tranquil meaning of the Dharma, free of all differentiating marks.
The mind faculty is like a monkey, never pausing even for a moment;
If one wishes to subdue it, one should diligently recite the Mahāyāna,
Mindful of the Buddha's Great Awakening Body, formed of the powers and fearlessnesses.
The body is the master of mechanisms, revolving like dust following the wind;
The six thieves disport within it, untrammeled and unobstructed.
If one wishes to extinguish this evil, to be eternally free from all defilements,
Constantly dwelling in the city of nirvāṇa, with a peaceful and serene mind,
One should recite the Mahāyāna sūtras and be mindful of the Mother of Bodhisattvas.
Immeasurable supreme expedients are obtained from contemplating true reality;
These six dharmas are called the six emotional faculties.
The ocean of all karmic obstacles is born entirely from false thoughts;
If one wishes to repent, sit upright and contemplate true reality.
The multitude of sins is like frost and dew: the sun of wisdom is able to disperse them;
Therefore, with the utmost mind, one should repent the six emotional faculties."

1.59

Having spoken this verse, the Buddha said to Ānanda: "You must now uphold this 'Method of Repenting the Six Faculties and Contemplating Samantabhadra Bodhisattva', and explain it extensively for all the devas and people of the world throughout the ten directions. After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, if any disciples of the Buddha receive, uphold, read, recite, and explain the vaipulya scriptures, they should, in a quiet place—whether in a cemetery, under a tree in a forest, or in an araṇya—chant and recite the vaipulya and contemplate the meaning of the Mahāyāna. Through the strength of their mindfulness, they will be able to see my body and the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Buddha, the immeasurable emanation Buddhas of the ten directions, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, Bhaiṣajyarāja Bodhisattva, and Bhaiṣajyasamudgata Bodhisattva. Out of reverence for the Dharma, holding wonderful flowers, they stand in the sky, praising and venerating the one who practices and upholds the Dharma. Merely because they chant the Mahāyāna vaipulya sūtras, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas make offerings day and night to this upholder of the Dharma."

1.60

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "Together with the bodhisattvas of the Bhadrakalpa and the Buddhas of the ten directions, because of contemplating the true meaning of the Mahāyāna, I eradicated the sins of birth and death spanning a hundred thousand myriad koṭis of asaṃkhyeya kalpas; because of this supreme and wonderful method of repentance, we have now each attained Buddhahood in the ten directions. If one wishes swiftly to accomplish anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, or if one wishes in this present body to see the Buddhas of the ten directions and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, one should bathe cleanly, put on clean clothes, burn various precious incenses, and in an uncrowded place chant and recite the Mahāyāna scriptures and contemplate the meaning of the Mahāyāna."

1.61

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "If there are living beings who wish to contemplate Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, they should contemplate in this manner. Performing this contemplation is called correct contemplation; if one performs another contemplation, it is called wrong contemplation. After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, if any disciples of the Buddha practice repentance in accordance with the Buddha's words, you should know that this person is practicing the conduct of Samantabhadra. One who practices the conduct of Samantabhadra does not see evil signs or the retribution of evil karma. If any living beings worship the Buddhas of the ten directions during the six periods of the day and night, recite the Mahāyāna sūtras, and contemplate the profound, empty Dharma of the ultimate truth, in the snap of a finger they will eradicate the sins of birth and death of a hundred thousand myriad koṭis of asaṃkhyeya kalpas. One who carries out this practice is truly a child of the Buddha, born from the Buddhas, with the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions as their preceptors. This is called one who is fully endowed with the bodhisattva precepts; without needing a formal karmavācanā, it is naturally accomplished, and they are worthy of receiving the offerings of all humans and devas.

1.62

"At that time, if the practitioner wishes to be fully endowed with the bodhisattva precepts, they should join their palms in an uncrowded place, bow everywhere to the Buddhas of the ten directions, repent of all sins, and speak of their own faults. Afterward, in a quiet place, they should address the Buddhas of the ten directions, saying: 'The Buddhas and World-Honoured Ones abide constantly in the world, yet because of my karmic obstacles, although I believe in the vaipulya, I cannot see the Buddhas clearly. Now taking refuge in the Buddhas, I pray only that Śākyamuni, the Samyaksaṃbuddha and World-Honoured One, will be my preceptor (upādhyāya); may Mañjuśrī, who possesses great wisdom, bestow upon me with his wisdom the pure bodhisattva dharmas; may Maitreya Bodhisattva, the supreme sun of great compassion, out of pity for me, also permit me to receive the bodhisattva dharmas; may the Buddhas of the ten directions appear as my witnesses; may the great bodhisattvas, each addressed by name—these supreme Great Beings who shelter and protect living beings—assist and protect us as we today receive and uphold the vaipulya scriptures, even to the loss of life, and even if we should fall into hell to suffer immeasurable torment, never to defame the true Dharma of the Buddhas. Through the power of merit from these causes and conditions, may Śākyamuni Buddha now be my preceptor, may Mañjuśrī be my ācārya, may Maitreya who is to come grant me the Dharma, may the Buddhas of the ten directions bear witness to me, and may the great virtuous bodhisattvas be my companions. Relying now on the profound, wonderful meaning of the Mahāyāna sūtras, I take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, and take refuge in the Saṅgha.' Thus they should speak three times."

1.63

"Having taken refuge in the Three Jewels, one should next make a vow oneself to receive the six grave dharmas. Having received the six grave dharmas, one should next diligently cultivate the unhindered noble life (brahmacarya), generate the mind of broad salvation, and receive the eight grave dharmas. Having established this vow, in a quiet and vacant place one should burn various renowned incenses, scatter flowers, and make offerings to all the Buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and the Mahāyāna vaipulya [sūtras], saying these words: 'I this day give rise to the bodhi-mind; through this merit may I deliver all beings everywhere.' Having spoken these words, one should again bow the head in homage to all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, and contemplate the meaning of the vaipulya [teachings] for one day, up to three times seven days. Whether monastic or lay, one does not require a preceptor (upādhyāya), has no need for masters (ācārya), and need not announce the karman ceremony; by virtue of the power of upholding, reading, and reciting the Mahāyāna sūtras, and through the encouragement and motivation of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, this is the eye of the correct Dharma of all Buddhas of the ten directions. Dependent on this Dharma, one spontaneously attains the fivefold Dharma body: morality, samādhi, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation. The Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, are born from this Dharma and obtain prophecies in the Mahāyāna sūtras.

1.64

"Therefore, O wise ones! If a śrāvaka has broken the three refuges, the five precepts, the eight precepts, the bhikṣu precepts, the bhikṣuṇī precepts, the śrāmaṇera precepts, the śrāmaṇerikā precepts, the śikṣamāṇā precepts, and the various rules of deportment; and due to ignorance, unwholesomeness, and evil, perverted intentions, has extensively violated the precepts and the rules of deportment—if they wish to eliminate [these offenses] so that no faults or harms remain, and return to being a bhikṣu endowed with the śramaṇa's dharma, they should diligently cultivate the reading of the vaipulya sūtras, contemplate the profound emptiness of the ultimate truth, and cause this wisdom of emptiness to accord with their mind. One should know that in each thought-moment of this person, all stains of sin will be eradicated forever without remainder. This is called fulfilling the rules of a śramaṇa and possessing all deportment, worthy of receiving all offerings from humans and devas.

1.65

"If an upāsaka violates deportment and commits unwholesome deeds—the unwholesome deeds being speaking of faults and evils in the Buddha-Dharma, discussing the misdeeds committed by the fourfold assembly, and engaging in theft and sexual misconduct without shame or remorse—if they wish to repent and extinguish all sins, they should diligently read and recite the vaipulya sūtras and contemplate the ultimate truth.

1.66

"If kings, great ministers, brahmins, householders, elders, officials, and such people, insatiably greedy, commit the five heinous sins, slander the vaipulya sūtras, and are replete with the ten unwholesome actions, this great evil retribution warrants falling into the evil realms; swifter than a torrential downpour, they must surely fall into the Avīci Hell. If they wish to eradicate this karmic obstacle, they should give rise to shame and remorse, and reform and repent all their sins.

1.67

"What is called the repentance method for kṣatriyas and householders? The repentance method is that they need only rectify their minds, not slander the Three Jewels, not hinder renunciation, not create evil obstructions for practitioners of the noble life, and should concentrate their thoughts on cultivating the six recollections. They should also provide for and make offerings to those who uphold the Mahāyāna; bowing and prostrating is not required, but they should be mindful of the profound scriptural Dharma, the emptiness of the ultimate truth. Contemplating this Dharma is called the cultivation of the first repentance by kṣatriyas and householders.

1.68

"The second repentance is filial support of parents and reverence for teachers and elders; this is called cultivating the second method of repentance.

1.69

"The third repentance is governing the state with the correct Dharma and not oppressing the people with injustice; this is called cultivating the third repentance.

1.70

"The fourth repentance is, on the six poṣadha days, issuing decrees throughout the realm, wherever one's power reaches, commanding the observance of non-killing; cultivating such a method is called cultivating the fourth repentance.

1.71

"The fifth repentance is that one need only believe deeply in cause and effect, believe in the path of the one reality, and know that the Buddha is not extinguished; this is called cultivating the fifth repentance."

1.72

The Buddha told Ānanda: "In future ages, if there is anyone who cultivates and practices such a repentance method, you should know that this person wears the robes of shame and remorse, is protected and aided by all the Buddhas, and will before long attain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi."

1.73

When this was spoken, ten thousand devaputras attained the purity of the Dharma eye. Maitreya Bodhisattva and the other great bodhisattvas, as well as Ānanda, having heard what the Buddha taught, rejoiced and practiced it with devotion.

1.74

Sūtra on the Method of Contemplating Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, Spoken by the Buddha

Linked texts (1)

佛說觀普賢菩薩行法經 — Classical Chinese