菩薩從兜術天降神母胎說廣普經 5

English (machine translation) 5

Language: English

5.1

Translated by the Śramaṇa Zhu Fonian of Liangzhou under the Later Qin

5.2

Chapter 15: Entering the Sentient Beings of the Six Destinies

At that time, the Bhagavat entered the concentration of immeasurable universal contemplation. Observing that the assembly harbored doubts, and wishing to resolve their doubts by revealing the truth, he stretched out his right big toe and pressed upon this earth, causing the sentient beings of the six destinies to each manifest their conduct and stand arrayed. At that time, the Bhagavat addressed the assembly: "Do you see these sentient beings of the six destinies or not?"

5.4

They replied, "Indeed, we see them."

5.5

At that time in the assembly there was a bodhisattva named Zizai (Īśvara), who had attained the inexhaustible Dharma-gate of the Treasury of Space, with supernormal wisdom and unimpeded eloquence in responding—he was the foremost among the sixteen holy sons of this Bhadrakalpa—who roamed the lands of the ten directions carrying out Buddha-works. He immediately rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms with fingers clasped, went forward, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "Now, may the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha, Vidyācaraṇasampanna, Sugata, Lokavid, Anuttara, Puruṣadamyasārathi, Śāstā Devamanuṣyāṇām, Buddha, Bhagavat, be willing to expound the karmic actions and retributions of sentient beings in the six destinies! What I ask is shallow and slight; may you kindly dispel [our doubts]."

5.6

At that time, the Bhagavat showed a calm countenance and pleasant smile in the midst of the great assembly. By the constant law of all Buddhas and Tathāgatas, a Buddha does not smile vainly; a smile has its causes and conditions: if there are sentient beings who are to be born in the Brahmā Heaven, at that time the Buddha smiles; if there are those who are to become wheel-turning sage kings, the Buddha also smiles; if there are those who are to become hell wardens or King Yama, at that time the Buddha also smiles; if there are those who are to receive the body of a hungry ghost, the Buddha immediately smiles; if there are those who are to become kings of beasts, the Buddha also smiles. At that time, five-colored light emerged from the Bhagavat's face, universally illuminating the trichiliocosm, and then gathered back in, entering through the crown of his head. He then addressed Bodhisattva Zizai: "What you have asked has been received through the Tathāgata's spiritual power, and is also protected by all Buddhas of the ten directions, enabling you to bring forth this question. I shall now distinguish for you, one by one, the karmic causes and conditions of all sentient beings of the six destinies. Listen closely, listen closely! Bear it well in mind!"

5.7

"Indeed, Bhagavat! We joyfully wish to hear."

5.8

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Zizai: "Now raise your eyes and observe the eastern Brahmā Heavens, the Mahābrahmā Heavens, the Pure Brahmā Heavens, and up to the Akaniṣṭha Heaven. All these devas formerly cultivated brahma-conduct; they are all of the Buddha's lineage who cultivated merits, but because of greed for blessings and retribution, they were tainted by and attached to the five pleasures. Through these causes and conditions, their path and fruit led them to receive heavenly bodies. Estimating and measuring the blessings of the Brahmā Heaven, I shall now expound them for you one by one. Filling this trichiliocosm with wheel-turning sage kings, they have their retinues guided by seven treasures. As for the so-called seven treasures: First is the elephant treasure, with thirty-two tusks, pure white hair, stepping on lotuses with its feet, and its body able to fly. Second is the horse treasure, dark blue in color with vermilion mane and tail, its body able to fly, reaching wherever it goes without impediment, and knowing the thoughts in people's minds. Third is the jewel treasure, its radiance shining brightly and filling empty space, illuminating all the four continents. Fourth is the wheel treasure, the wheel having a thousand spokes carved and engraved, which one never tires of viewing; this fourth is non-sentient. Fifth is the jade-woman treasure, exquisitely wondrous among women, gentle and harmonious in nature and conduct, upright and exceedingly rare in the world, neither too tall nor too short, neither too white nor too black, her body bearing the fragrance of the utpala lotus, and her mouth bearing the fragrance of gośīrṣa sandalwood, respectful, modest, and knowing the inclinations of the sage king. Sixth is the treasury-master minister: when the king needs treasures, he holds a divine vessel in his hand and points it toward empty space, and pouring it out, treasures are formed, which can be taken or halted at the king's pleasure. Seventh is the military-master treasure: when the sage king goes out on tour and needs the four types of armies, the king says to him: 'I now wish to go out and inspect the boundaries of the realm; quickly assemble the troops before my palace, without letting the shadow shift.' Receiving the king's command, he turns to glance east, and the elephant troops have already gathered and arrayed in the east; he turns to glance south, and the cavalry troops have already gathered and arrayed in the south; he turns to glance west, and the chariot troops have already gathered and arrayed in the west; he turns to look north, and the infantry troops have already gathered and arrayed in the north. The wheel-turning sage king rides as he pleases, on horse or on elephant, going to Pūrvavideha, Uttarakuru, or Godānīya, traveling in the four directions with his feet not treading upon the ground, for a hundred years, a thousand years, or several thousand hundred years, naturally partaking of blessings. Calculating the body of a wheel-turning sage king filling the four continents, it does not equal the body of Śakra. Why is that? The seven-jeweled palaces, jade women, and retinues governed by Śakra sit in the seven-jeweled halls and amuse themselves with heavenly music, looking east and forgetting the west, looking south and forgetting the north, with joy beyond words. And that body of Śakra does not equal the king of the sixth heaven: his body has thirty marks, with sovereign divine virtues; he transforms according to his wishes and it is accomplished upon a mere thought; the troops he leads cannot be numbered, and his merits, blessed karma, and generosity are unimpeded. Even if kings of the sixth heaven and the like were to fill the four continents, they would not equal the vast merits of a single Mahābrahmā, who governs the trichiliocosm, with innumerable, limitless, and unreckonable multitudes of Brahmā devas, whose lifespans are exceedingly long, coming to an end only after exceeding a Bhadrakalpa."

5.9

At that time, the Bhagavat told Bodhisattva Zizai: "Now raise your eyes and look to the south; there are countless wheel-turning sage kings standing arrayed in the southern direction. The extent of the wheel-turning sage kings' merits is as described above: holding the five precepts and the ten wholesome deeds, honoring the sages, maintaining the rishi precepts and the eightfold pure upavasatha, their good roots linked continuously, acting with compassion toward people without any harmful intent; the retribution of their karmic deeds bears blessings difficult to measure. Therefore they succeed to the throne of a wheel-turning king."

5.10

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Zizai: "Now raise your eyes and look to the west; see the lion kings standing arrayed in the western direction, standing motionless with their constant six attributes, their coats pure white, their chests square and upright. This is all due to the virtue and blessed retributions of their former lives: although they have received animal bodies, they discern good and evil, their feet step upon lotuses untainted by dust and defilement, and they never kill living beings, eat meat, or drink blood. When a lion roars once, those who fly fall and those who run prostrate themselves. Because they held the five precepts and did not commit the three faults, they obtained this retribution; though fallen among animals, in their next lives they will attain the path."

5.11

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Zizaiwang: "Turn your eyes to the north and look at the hungry ghosts' palaces of seven treasures, with their retinues to the left and right all feeding on the natural flavor of the nectar of Dharma. Although they are called hungry ghosts, it is all due to the accumulation of good deeds and protection while among humans; they also possess supernormal powers to go to Buddha-lands, pay homage to the Buddhas, and receive the essential Dharma; knowing when to act and when to stop, moved according to the times without clinging to fixed rules, roaming in this Sahā World where all good deeds universally assemble, they will also attain the path before long in their next existence."

5.12

The Buddha told Bodhisattva Zizai: "Turn your eyes downward and see King Yama administering governance with five matters without partiality or crookedness. What are the five? When a sinner is before him, he interrogates them to their face: 'While in the human realm, did you know there is the Buddha, there is the Dharma, there is the Bhikṣu-Saṅgha, and there are fathers and mothers?' The sinner replies: 'Indeed there are, Great King!' At that time the sage king questions them with a verse, saying:

5.13

"‘The cangue, fetters, iron chains, and hobbles,
the boiling caldrons and burning copper pillars,
the molten copper, hot pincers, and forks—
your retribution to repay is now not far off.
You yourself created the root of causes and conditions;
no one else performed the karma that brings retribution.
Neither parents nor brothers—
who could suffer in your place?
I wished to go forth into homelessness and learn,
guarding the precepts without reckless transgression;
practicing the true Dharma with impartiality,
yet still I am boiled three times a day.’"

5.14

"At that time, King Yama interrogates them on these five matters, and then commands the hell wardens to punish them according to whether their sins are light or heavy. Among those sinners, those who hear the sound of the Buddha-Dharma have their sins extinguished and merits produced, returning to human form to cultivate pure conduct. This is called the retribution of sentient beings of the six destinies, which is thus."

5.15

After Bodhisattva Īśvara had paid homage at the Buddha's feet, he returned to his original seat. At that time, in that assembly there were eight hundred billion sentient beings who took no delight in dwelling in suffering and falling into the paths of the six destinies; all produced [the thought of] unsurpassable, quiescent emptiness, departing from birth and death.

5.16

Bodhisattva Garbhastha Sūtra, Chapter Sixteen: Turning the Wheel of the Dharma

5.17

At that time, the Bhagavat wished to display the limitless bodily remains and retributions of all Buddhas—causing the entire assembly of bodhisattvas possessing supernormal powers, those in training and beyond training, and the fourfold assembly of bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās to surround him, and to manifest the turning of the great Wheel of the Dharma by receiving retribution in this very life, which cannot be turned by śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, Māra, or Māra's devas—he immediately used the power of his samādhi of supernormal bases to emit light from all the joints and pores of his body, illuminating from afar the Buddha-lands of the ten directions. Within each ray of light there were three thousand great thousandfold Buddha-lands; within each Buddha-land there were transformed Buddhas; to each transformed Buddha there were kinds of sentient beings of a three-thousand-great-thousandfold world; and each Buddha was preaching to those assemblies the inexhaustible treasury of Dharma, limitless, wondrous, and unequalled dharmas of the profound reality-limit. The Dharma preached was good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, eliminating lust, anger, and delusion, and washing away the defilements of the mind with the water of the eight liberations. At that time, the Buddhas transformed high pavilions of seven jewels in the waters of ponds, seven fathoms above the ponds. Upon those jewelled pavilions were spread high jewelled seats, with golden bells hung at the four corners, interspersed with various gems. Silk banners and canopies of five colours, red and yellow, were suspended, bringing indescribable joy. At that time, the sentient beings seated there heard the inexhaustible treasury of Dharma; sitting upright and contemplating, their minds were undisturbed, and they all wished to hear the secret essentials of the Tathāgata.

5.18

At that time, according to the constant rule of the Buddhas, the Bhagavat again emitted light from his uṣṇīṣa, reaching upward to countless billions of Buddha-lands. In a Buddha-land of the realm of space, the Buddha was named Ratna Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha, Vidyācaraṇasaṃpanna, Sugata, Lokavid, Anuttarapuruṣadamyasārathi, Śāstādevamanuṣyāṇām, Buddha, Bhagavat. Seeing the light from Śākyamuni's uṣṇīṣa, he told the bodhisattvas gathered in that land: "Below there is a Buddha, Śākyamuni Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha, Vidyācaraṇasaṃpanna, Sugata, Lokavid, Anuttarapuruṣadamyasārathi, Śāstādevamanuṣyāṇām, Buddha, Bhagavat. He is now in his mother's womb expounding the profound and essential unsurpassable Dharma treasury and drawing bodhisattvas of supernormal powers from the ten directions. You may go to pay homage, inquire after him, and in my name ask after Śākyamuni: 'Is your virtuous transformation advancing daily, and are your movements healthy and strong? Are the sentient beings of that land easy to transform?' When you go there, maintain proper deportment; the sentient beings of that land suffer many afflictions and injuries, and their arrogance blazes fiercely."

5.19

At that time, the bodhisattvas of that land adjusted their Dharma robes. Five hundred and seventy-two million bodhisattvas paid homage at that Buddha's feet, vanished all at once, and arrived in the Sahā World. Śākyamuni Buddha again used the supernormal power of his concentrated mind to make those visiting bodhisattvas unable to see Śākyamuni. The place of preaching was surrounded and blocked on four sides, so from Jambudvīpa throughout the three thousand great thousandfold lands, they searched for Śākyamuni Buddha of the Sahā World. Those bodhisattvas said to one another: "Our realm in the empty space above is extremely far from here. Could the light we saw just now mean that Śākyamuni Buddha entered parinirvāṇa and emitted this light? Could we have lost our supernormal vision of the divine eye? Why is it that, having travelled through all the worlds in the ten directions, we do not know where he is?" Each produced this thought and contemplated within: "We had better return to our original realm." Having had this thought, none could reach their original Buddha-lands. Filled with terror, their hair stood on end. Thinking they had lost their supernormal bases, weariness and dejection arose in their minds, and they could not fathom the inexhaustible Dharma treasury. Why was this? It was all caused by Śākyamuni's awesome spiritual power. The Buddha knew the minds of all those bodhisattvas, and immediately used his supernormal bases to receive them into his mother's womb. Then those bodhisattvas paid homage with redoubled reverence, inquired after him on their Buddha's behalf, and sat to one side.

5.20

At that time, Śākyamuni, named Tathāgata, again used the power of his supernormal bases to emit a great light, illuminating the world named Jvalita in the east. The country was named Adbhuta, and the Buddha was named Gambhīrārtha Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha, Vidyācaraṇasaṃpanna, Sugata, Lokavid, Anuttarapuruṣadamyasārathi, Śāstādevamanuṣyāṇām, Buddha, Bhagavat, currently preaching the Dharma good in the beginning, middle, and end. Seeing the great light, he told his bodhisattvas: "Adorn yourselves and go to the Sahā World, to the place of Śākyamuni Buddha, to listen to the inexhaustible Dharma treasury, which will bring great benefit. Why? The bodhisattvas of that land are all bound to one more birth; there will surely be wondrous, inconceivable dharmas." The bodhisattvas respectfully received the Buddha's teaching, paid homage at that Buddha's feet, vanished all at once, and came to the Sahā World to Śākyamuni Buddha's place. Touching their heads and faces to his feet, they each sat to one side.

5.21

The Buddha, with his divine virtue, summoned Māra Pāpīyān, for he was about to move him and thus brought Māra there.

5.22

At that time, the Bhagavat knew that the sentient beings were assembled, and the devas played music in praise of the Tathāgata's limitless meritorious deeds. The Buddha told Mañjuśrī: "Stop the music of the devas; I wish to preach the Dharma."

5.23

The Buddha told those assembled: "A Buddha appears in the world only once in billions of kalpas, like the udumbara blossom. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva's fundamental dharma of the supernormal powers of the exhaustion of outflows eliminates conceptions and dispels thoughts, this is called 'exhaustible'; when one does not see the dharmas of the exhaustion of outflows and thoughtlessness, this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva conceives the body to be bound and attached and does not reach the other shore, this is called 'exhaustible'; being able to eliminate the conception of the body and not abiding in either this or that, this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva has unloosed the fetters but does not abide in the reality-limit, this is called 'exhaustible'; not seeing fetters and being empty of any conception of self, this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva enters inhalation and exhalation, observes all worlds, and comprehends them as having nothing at all, this is called 'exhaustible'; distinguishing emptiness while seeing neither salvation nor non-salvation, and seeing realms as not diverse, this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva practices the sixteen superior dharmas to deliver asaṃkhyeyas of sentient beings, this is called 'exhaustible'; that the sixteen superior [dharmas] are intrinsically empty and quiescent, seeing neither delivery nor non-delivery, this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva extensively purifies lands, undertaking suffering for sentient beings without considering it toil, this is called 'exhaustible'; not seeing sentient beings, and seeing lands as pure and not manifold, this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva upholds the precepts, practices the Dharma, and enters the three gates of liberation, this is called 'exhaustible'; not seeing sentient beings as broken in precepts or whole in precepts, this is called 'inexhaustible'.

5.24

"When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva clearly comprehends and distinguishes the meaning of phrases and words according to circumstances without limitation, this is called 'exhaustible'; not seeing the meaning of phrases and distinguishing the meaning of words, this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva distinguishes the heavenly realm, the human realm, animals, hungry ghosts, and hells, rescuing [beings] from among them to enable their liberation, this is called 'exhaustible'; although dwelling in the five turbidities, being undefiled, without anything to defile or attach to, this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva eliminates greed and pride, is without haughtiness, and yet does not belittle himself, cultivating pure conduct, this is called 'exhaustible'; that the nature of phenomena is empty and quiescent without conceited mind, not seeing pride or sloth as a loss regarding the Dharma, nor seeing vigorous diligence as the attainment of the fruits of the path, this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva adorns the Buddha-tree, proclaims countless teachings, whose pure voice is heard universally in the ten directions, destroying greedy attachment and causing beings to practice generosity, this is called 'exhaustible'; not seeing the world's formation, destruction, arising, or ceasing as having any greedy attachment, this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva shatters the fetters of the three realms with a adamantine mind, from the first production of the aspiration up to non-retrogression, not seeing any obstacle in beings as cut off, this is called 'exhaustible'; grasping at 'I' and 'mine' being without 'I' or 'mine'—how could 'I' and 'mine' exist when they are naturally without self and there is no self?—this is called 'inexhaustible'. When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva eradicates clan and family names without clinging to worldly conventions, saying 'This is mine, this is not mine; this is my father, mother, elder brother, younger brother; my clan is supreme, their clan is inferior; I am of noble lineage, they are not of noble lineage'—conceiving of names and designations in this way—this is called 'exhaustible'; from the first production of the aspiration up to the attainment of buddhahood, seeing neither attainment nor Buddha, and provisional names and designations as entirely empty and quiescent without seeing emptiness itself—what is emptiness, and who created this emptiness? Emptiness itself is without emptiness, so why speak of emptiness?—this is called 'inexhaustible'.

5.25

"When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva expounds in Dharma, expounds in meaning, expounds in phrases, and expounds in words: from ignorance to volitional formations down to birth and death, the dharma of causal conditions of ignorance, craving, and grasping is inexhaustible; deluded and inverted, bound by ignorance, entering from darkness into darkness, he can deliver beings from it—this is called 'exhaustible'. Ignorance conditions volitional formations; volitional formations condition consciousness; consciousness conditions name-and-form; name-and-form conditions the six sense bases; the six sense bases condition contact; contact conditions feeling; feeling conditions craving; craving conditions grasping; grasping conditions becoming; becoming conditions birth; birth conditions aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and despair. Eliminating binding attachments and longing so that there is no attachment: ignorance ceases; with the cessation of ignorance, volitional formations cease; with the cessation of volitional formations, consciousness ceases; with the cessation of consciousness, name-and-form ceases; with the cessation of name-and-form, the six sense bases cease; with the cessation of the six sense bases, contact ceases; with the cessation of contact, feeling ceases; with the cessation of feeling, craving ceases; with the cessation of craving, grasping ceases; with the cessation of grasping, becoming ceases; with the cessation of becoming, birth ceases; with the cessation of birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and despair cease. Aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and despair condition birth; birth conditions becoming; becoming conditions grasping; grasping conditions craving; craving conditions feeling; feeling conditions contact; contact conditions the six sense bases; the six sense bases condition name-and-form; name-and-form conditions consciousness; consciousness conditions volitional formations; volitional formations condition ignorance. With the cessation of aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and despair, birth ceases; with the cessation of birth, becoming ceases; with the cessation of becoming, grasping ceases; with the cessation of grasping, craving ceases; with the cessation of craving, feeling ceases; with the cessation of feeling, contact ceases; with the cessation of contact, the six sense bases cease; with the cessation of the six sense bases, name-and-form ceases; with the cessation of name-and-form, consciousness ceases; with the cessation of consciousness, volitional formations cease; with the cessation of volitional formations, ignorance ceases. Understanding that the varied cessation and non-cessation of the nature of phenomena neither sees cessation nor non-cessation—what is cessation? Cessation is without cessation—this is called 'inexhaustible'.

5.26

"When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva clearly distinguishes and understands the arising of dharmas and the exhaustion of dharmas: arising does not know whence it comes, and exhaustion does not know whither it goes; arising is without arising, and exhaustion is without exhaustion—this is called 'inexhaustible'. Clearly understanding that arising and exhaustion are entirely without location, like space without attachment—what is non-attachment? Not seeing non-attachment, non-attachment being without this non-attachment—this is called 'inexhaustible'.

5.27

"When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva wishes to attain dhāraṇī-samādhis and the four unobstructed knowledges, walking day and night with his entire body light or heavy, initially training in the contemplation of dharmas and leaving the ground, first by [the height of] an āmalaka fruit, gradually by a vibhītaka fruit, then by a harītakī fruit, leaving the ground by the shadow of a finger, and gradually leaving the ground by the shadow of seven people—this is mundane dhyāna, the study of ordinary beings and ṛṣis; the bodhisattva trains in it without abiding in it, and this is called 'exhaustible'. With the mind unobstructed in supernormal knowledges, neither abiding in the five supernormal knowledges nor not abiding in them, understanding that all dharmas and the nature of dharmas are naturally so, and that ignorance and the reality-limit are all naturally so, yet without naturalness—what is naturalness? Not seeing naturalness, there is no naturalness—this is called 'inexhaustible'."

5.28

"A bodhisattva-mahāsattva, using emptiness to extinguish conception, has no reception regarding form; regarding sentient beings equally, he perceives no difference or hierarchy; in a secluded and tranquil place, he contemplates and focuses mindfulness; he perceives neither created form nor non-created form; and leaning single-mindedly toward the ultimate, he heads toward the gate of nirvāṇa—this is called having an end. Mindful of the impermanence of the body, with giving, morality, and concentrated attention, he does not fear falling into or drowning in saṃsāra; though dwelling in saṃsāra, he is like a bird flying through the sky whose form and shadow are unseen; knowing all to be non-existent, he is said to be like a heap of ashes where fire has been extinguished, bearing no warmth; seeking the substantial owner of the fire, there is no person, no self, no longevity, and no life; examining and distinguishing by whom it was produced, consciousness too is without consciousness; investigating the eighteen realms and sensory entrances, they have no foundation; the hundred and eight cravings and attachments are entirely non-existent; completely penetrating going and coming, he does not see what cannot be seen; what cannot be protected and maintained, he does not see any who maintain it. What is called maintaining? Maintaining that which has nothing to maintain—this is called inexhaustible."

5.29

At that time, among the assembly was a bodhisattva named Golden Colour, whose six superknowledges were clear and penetrating, who deeply understood the Buddha's wisdom, whose merit was boundless, and whose expedient transformations were manifold. Desiring to question the Tathāgata on the meaning of the inexhaustible, he immediately rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee upon the ground, pressed his palms together, and stepped forward to address the Buddha, saying: "To what extent is it termed the meaning of the inexhaustible?"

5.30

The Buddha told the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Golden Colour: "The inexhaustible Dharma is without words and without explanation. Why do you question me to explain the meaning of the inexhaustible?" Thereupon the Bhagavat spoke a verse to the bodhisattva Golden Colour:

5.31

"Space is without colour or image; / seeking its arising, it also has no foundation. / The garbhadhātu is without measure; / how could rivers pour into the sea? / The inexhaustible jewel-treasury of Dharma / is the parent of the buddhas of the three periods. / If one desires to seek the root of exhaustion, / it will only give rise to a deluded mind. / Understanding the marks of phenomena to be empty, / dust and defilement are extinguished without remainder. / Becoming a buddha of adamantine body, / adorned and complete with all marks, / one discerns that the Buddha's body is empty, / unattached inwardly and outwardly. / Though expounding the inexhaustible jewel, / not one in tens of millions can be spoken."

5.32

At that time, when the Tathāgata expounded the inexhaustible jewel, the bodhisattvas present in the assembly, those in training, and those beyond training, set their minds toward the inexhaustible Dharma-treasury; the devas, dragons, spirits, humans, and non-humans all generated the unexcelled [aspiration] and became established in non-retrogression.

5.33

Bodhisattva Garbhastha Sūtra, Chapter Seventeen: The Five Superknowledges

5.34

At that time, among the assembly was a bodhisattva named Suvikrānta, who was complete in the six perfections and skilled in expedient means. Wherever he transformed and taught, there was none he did not reach; wherever he entered an assembly, none who saw him failed to rejoice; with correct contemplation and concentrated attention, he was a field of merit for the world. If good sons and good daughters encountered this bodhisattva-mahāsattva, all evils would be utterly eliminated, and they would universally give rise to blessings and celebration, contemplating the non-dual Dharma-gate of equality, constantly delivering the multitudes through dharmas that are like illusions, like transformations, and like dreams, cultivating the Buddha Path free from self and other. At that time, the bodhisattva Suvikrānta immediately rose from his seat, pressed his palms together, stepped forward, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "Excellent, Bhagavat! How are bodhisattvas of the five superknowledges to be known and their practices distinguished? Cultivating what dharma does one attain the path of superknowledges?"

5.35

The Buddha told Suvikrānta: "Listen attentively, listen attentively, and reflect well on it! I shall distinguish for you the superknowledges and wisdom."

5.36

"Yes, indeed, Bhagavat! We eagerly wish to hear."

5.37

The Buddha said: "Suvikrānta! In this desire realm, there are good sons and good daughters who, without needing the divine eye, are born with the ability to see through all kinds of sentient beings within a single Jambudvīpa: coarse, fine, attractive, ugly, blue, yellow, red, white, as well as city walls, houses, mountain crags, and trees. Or there are good sons and good daughters whose eyes can observe two continents, three continents, or four continents, viewing and seeing them from birth without needing the divine eye. Or there are good sons and good daughters who, without needing the divine eye, have the divine ear clear and penetrating, hearing the sounds of men, sounds of women, sounds of horses, and sounds of chariots within one continent, and being able to distinguish whatever sounds are heard, understanding each and every one without cultivating the divine ear. Or there are good sons and good daughters who, without practicing or studying, naturally remember past lives: 'I came from such-and-such a place to be born here; my father's surname was such-and-such, my mother's surname was such-and-such; the names, surnames, and clans of my brothers and sisters'—they can completely distinguish and know all of this. Or there are good sons and good daughters who, without cultivating or practicing superknowledges, know the minds of others, whether they practice good or practice evil, whether they will go to the evil destinies or go to the good destinies, whether they will be born in heaven, born among humans, born as hungry ghosts, born in hell, or born as animals, whether this sentient being has conditions, or that sentient being lacks conditions. Or there are good sons and good daughters whose bodies can fly, travelling about and coming and going without cultivating the bodily superknowledge; their bodies can simply fly without collision or hindrance, treading on empty space as if on ground, and treading on the ground as if on empty space.

5.38

The Buddha told Suvikrānta: "These five kinds of people do not possess real superknowledges; they are sentient beings subject to retrogression. Or there are good sons and good daughters who cultivate the noble superknowledge of the eye, eliminating form, cutting off defilements, their mindfulness unshifting, culminating in the gate of the Path. What is called the gate of the Path? It is the samādhis of the three emptinesses. They are then able to see one thousand continents, two thousand continents, or a trichiliocosm of continents. Or there are good sons and good daughters who cultivate the noble superknowledge of the ear, entering into tranquil absorption, purely hearing the sounds of men, sounds of women, sounds of elephants, sounds of horses, chariots, bells, and drums throughout one continent, a thousand continents, two thousand continents, or a trichiliocosm of continents, distinguishing each one to know whether the sound is good or bad: that this sound leads to birth in heaven, knowing that a sound leads to birth as a human, knowing that a sound leads to birth as a hungry ghost, knowing that a sound leads to birth as an animal, knowing that a sound leads to birth in hell, knowing that a sound belongs to a sentient being with conditions, and knowing that a sound belongs to a sentient being without conditions, distinguishing and clearly understanding each and every one. Or there are good sons and good daughters who purely cultivate the Path, eliminating the defilements of consciousness, flawless inside and outside, who attain the noble superknowledge of the mind and naturally remember past lives: one life, two lives, three lives, four lives, up to countless asaṃkhyeya kalpas, the places from which they came, their parents, brothers, and the purity of their lands, all of which they are able to remember and know. Or there are good sons and good daughters who cultivate the six superknowledges, comprehending and knowing the nature of phenomena, possessing powerful memory without forgetfulness, established in mindfulness on the path of awakening, discerning the three clarities with concentrated attention undistracted, who are then able to know the thoughts of others' minds, the places from which they came for one life, two lives, three lives, four lives, up to countless asaṃkhyeya kalpas, knowing all of them; their parents, brothers, the purity of their lands, their names, surnames, and clans are all known. Or there are good sons and good daughters who contemplate the observation of phenomena, maintaining the body with the mind and maintaining the mind with the body, knowing contentment in food, their waking from sleep and their mental conceptions being like empty space, showing no ardent attachment toward lust, anger, or delusion, regarding the body as without self, their mental dharmas pure; when consciousness is concentrated, they are able to lift their bodies, gradually training in concentration for one drum-beat, two drum-beats, up to seven drum-beats, roaming through one continent, two continents, up to a trichiliocosm of buddha-realms, entering the earth as if into space, with mountains, rivers, rocks, and walls presenting no hindrance. Or there are good sons and good daughters who, when on the verge of attaining buddhahood, use the power of wisdom to eliminate the defilements of sentient beings, sit upright and contemplate beneath the king of trees, and make their own vow: 'If I do not attain buddhahood, I shall not rise from this seat.' Just as when I formerly sat beneath the jambu tree, contemplating the tree for thirty-eight days, when I made this vow, heaven and earth were moved and shook in six ways; the evil Māra Pāpīyān led his army of troops, raining down gravel, stones, lightning, and thunderous roars, yet could not stir a single hair of mine. Why? Because my moisture of loving-kindness was universal and I pitied sentient beings; thus attaining buddhahood, my six superknowledges became clear and penetrating."

5.39

At that time the Bhagavat spoke a verse, saying:

5.40

"The superknowledges attained by ordinary beings / are just like those of flying birds: / there is near and there is far, / not departing from the path of saṃsāra. / The Buddha's superknowledge is an unhindered dharma, / genuine and without defilement; / with a thought, he reaches the ten directions, / going and returning without weariness. / Because he is mindful of sentient beings with loving-kindness, / his attainment of superknowledge is unobstructed; / the five superknowledges and wisdom of seers / regress and are unaccomplished. / My superknowledge is a firm and stable dharma, / bound to enter the gate of nirvāṇa."

5.41

At that time, when the Bhagavat expounded this Dharma with the bodhisattva Suvikrānta, there were seventeen billion sentient beings who renounced the worldly five superknowledges and attained the wisdom of the six superknowledges.

5.42

Bodhisattva Garbhastha Sūtra, Chapter Eighteen: Abodes of Consciousness

5.43

At that time, among the assembly was a bodhisattva named Samantaprabha—possessing great loving-kindness and great compassion, sovereign in miraculous feet, delighting in profound depths, accomplished in merits, who had for countless asaṃkhyeya kalpas rescued sentient beings, uprooted the roots of suffering, attained the six superknowledges, and wherever he passed through, buddha-activities were uninterrupted—who immediately rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee upon the ground, pressed his palms together, and stepped forward to address the Buddha, saying: "Having heard the Tathāgata distinguish the six superknowledges as unhindered and filling the buddha-worlds of the ten directions, assuming that the correct Dharma of all buddhas is equal and without distinction, does this dharma of consciousness now abide in having nowhere to abide? Regarding the conscious dharma of the six superknowledges, is consciousness a single dharma or manifold? If consciousness is a single dharma, when the Tathāgata's golden body roams the realms of all buddhas in the bodhimaṇḍa of miraculous feet, does consciousness cause the body, or does the body cause consciousness? If the body causes consciousness, then there are no six superknowledges; if consciousness causes the body, this is called a single dharma without body and without consciousness. We pray only that the Bhagavat explain this meaning to me."

5.44

The Buddha told the bodhisattva Samantaprabha: "Do you ask this meaning from the perspective of ultimate truth, or do you ask from the perspective of conventional truth? If asking from conventional truth, the dharmas of consciousness are manifold and have no fixed characteristics. If asking from ultimate truth, then there is no body and no consciousness. Why? When discerning the dharma of consciousness, its intrinsic nature is empty and tranquil, without coming, without going, and also without defiling attachment. You ask about the golden colour—this is a conditioned dharma accomplished by the five aggregates, not an unconditioned dharma, not the ultimate truth; the dharma of the Buddha's form body, in terms of ultimate truth, is therefore a loss. I shall now explain for you the dharma of the marks of consciousness. When a bodhisattva practices the six superknowledges, body and consciousness occur together; consciousness is not prior with body subsequent, nor is body prior with consciousness subsequent. Why? The marks of phenomena are naturally so: consciousness does not depart from the body, and the body does not depart from consciousness, just like two oxen sharing a single yoke. If the black ox is in front and the white ox is behind, then the planting will not succeed. If the white ox is in front and the black ox is behind, the planting will also not succeed. Only when the black ox is not in front with the white ox behind, and the white ox is not in front with the black ox behind, will the planting succeed. The fruit of the path of miraculous feet is also like this: body and consciousness occur together, without prior, subsequent, or middle. The Tathāgata's form body has prior, subsequent, and middle; this is conventional dharma, not ultimate truth; regarding the dharma of empty tranquility, there is no manifoldness."

5.45

At that time the Bhagavat spoke a verse, saying:

5.46

"The Tathāgata's golden body / Is revered by the three periods of time;
Taking up heavy burdens for mankind, / He is the unsurpassed, boundless Lord.
The gods and men of Trāyastriṃśa / Scatter flowers and incense day and night;
Brahmā and his retinue / Play music to make him glad.
Within a hundred yojanas, / It permeates the space of the cosmos;
In loud voices they praise, 'Excellent!', / Yet the Buddha's consciousness cannot be seen.
It is neither within, nor without, nor between them; / For the sake of the ignorant world,
He manifests the six supernormal powers. / The countless Buddhas of the past
Possessed light and signs just like now; / But if you seek the source of consciousness,
It is extinct, calm, and cannot be seen. / The six supernormal powers of a bodhisattva
Manifest completely yet have no exhaustion; / Mindfulness of exhaling and inhaling breaths
Does not cling to existence in the three realms. / He contemplates the purity of the body inside and out,
Golden, empty, and without attachment; / The nature of consciousness is also like this,
Without past, future, or present. / The nature of the five aggregates is pure,
Without this present body or a future body; / Distinguishing each and every characteristic,
He arrives forever at the place of peace.
The characteristic of consciousness has six aspects, / Which are also named the six hindrances;
The places where the six consciousnesses abide / Arise and cease without end.
Like bubbles upon water, / As one perishes another is reborn;
The nature of consciousness is naturally empty, / Galloping and permeating all directions.
The practices I cultivated originally / Conjoined both body and consciousness;
Walking alone without equal, / I preached the Dharma of the unsurpassed Path.
Consciousness is the root of all dharmas; / Wherever it turns, it follows the bodily characteristics.
Though abiding, it also does not abide, / Transforming those who suffer.
When the eye sees form before it, / Consciousness stands as an obstruction between them;
Form does not enter into the eye, / Nor does the eye proceed toward form.
Distinguishing this dharma and that dharma, / One knows good and evil through consciousness;
Consciousness itself lacks any entity of consciousness. / Sounds for the ear, scents for the nose differ;
The six karmas arise from their own conditions, / Thereby creating good and evil deeds.
Sound does not come to approach the ear, / And the same is true of the nose, mouth, and mind.
Dharmas are conditionally related to one another; / Unattached, empty, there are no entities.
The eightfold path of the noble ones, / The thirty-seven practices and contemplations,
The realm of empty, tranquil space, / Signless and wishless.
Actions yield white or black retributions; / Experiences are distinguished by consciousness;
If you seek the true reality of consciousness, / You will not see any place where it abides.
Adorning the Buddha lands, / With the four immeasurables and fearlessnesses,
Fully understanding the emptiness of all dharmas, / When consciousness ceases, action also ceases.
When a bodhisattva attains the fruit of the Path, / There are no dharmas of past, future, or present.
Consciousness is like a path of illusion, / Not abiding in this or that;
Consciousness ceases and returns to empty space; / It is a provisional designation, without reality.
First entering the four formless absorptions, / Banishing thoughts without attachment,
He erects and reveals the high Dharma banner, / Proclaiming the characteristics of consciousness.
The former consciousness is not the later consciousness, / Nor is it detached from consciousness;
Only the most venerable in the three realms / Can fathom the nature of consciousness.
Like a man upon a mountain peak, / Who clearly sees far into the four directions,
Distinguishing good and evil deeds.
The supernormal power of the divine eye is supreme, / Seeing far into the realms of the ten directions;
A person possessed of cleverness and wisdom / Is like one viewing a bright pearl in the palm of his hand."

5.47

At that time, when the Bhagavat spoke this verse, eighty-four hundred million sentient beings desired to stay far away from the characteristics of the six consciousnesses, took no pleasure in birth and death or transmigration through the five paths, and made the great vow to abide in the stage of no-consciousness.

5.48

Bodhisattva Garbhastha Sūtra, Chapter Nineteen: Skillful Means

5.49

At that time, in the assembly there was a bodhisattva named Hand-Raiser, who stepped forward and said to the Buddha: "Bhagavat! We wish to hear about the countless, innumerable skillful transformations of the bodhisattva mahāsattvas."

5.50

The Buddha said: "A bodhisattva mahāsattva constantly practices skillful means—neither this, nor that, nor between the two. In accord with the recipient to be transformed, he expounds meanings, explains phrases, and contemplates the doctrinal purport. He adorns the Buddha lands, brings the six perfections to the limit, and reaches the cessation of perception and sensation, guiding through expedient means without hindrance. He is neither haughty nor proud; his demeanor is dignified, his Dharma robes are neat and orderly; he accepts the offerings of faith from others, never renouncing unless it is to deliver [them]. His light and signs are solemn and dignified; his speech is pure. For the sake of a single sentient being, he remains for a lifespan of a hundred million kalpas, leaving behind his physical form while teaching in other realms; such emanations are difficult to conceive. Those who are visited and transformed are unaware of it. In the realm of ghosts and spirits, he manifests great supernormal power and also causes those ghosts to deliver and transform sentient beings, teaching one another in succession without losing the teachings of the Path. Furthermore, by skillful transformation he assumes the image of a Buddha, radiant with light and bodily marks. Those who see it and hear the Dharma spoken—pure in beginning, middle, and end, peaceful and joyous, with meditation, bodhi, clear wisdom, and liberation, sūtras, gāthās, vyākaraṇas, avadānas, nidānas, itivṛttakas, jātakas, vaipulyas, adbhutadharmas, upadeśas, with analogies and causes and conditions—he preaches profound Dharma to them according to their inclination, explaining emptiness and non-self. Because the thoughts of sentient beings are each different, he is able to cause all to enter the gate of liberation. For instance, just as the sources, marshes, ponds, and the swift currents of the five rivers each have their own names, yet when all return to the ocean they lose their original names; or just as Mount Sumeru stands erect and immovable, and when multicolored birds come to rely on and dwell upon it, they all become of one color and lose their original colors; even so it is when a bodhisattva mahāsattva transforms sentient beings and purifies Buddha lands. The thoughts of sentient beings' minds and consciousnesses differ with manifold conceptions; he is able to cause all to reach the gate of liberation, bringing conceptualization and intentional thought to cessation, so that they have no original thoughts and are equal in a single liberation. This is called the immeasurable skillful adaptation and transformation of a bodhisattva mahāsattva."

5.51

Then the Bhagavat spoke a verse, saying:

5.52

"Just like a farmer cultivating a field, / Who selects rich, fertile soil,
Sows the seeds without missing the season, / And irrigates them at proper times;
Nurturing the sprouts to completion, / Free from frost, insects, and locust plagues,
He ultimately reaps the harvest, / Storing it away without sorrow or fear.
The true Dharma of the bodhisattva / Is the field of the boundless six perfections;
Eliminating the mind of stinginess and greed, / He irrigates it with the water of ambrosia.
The path of skillful means / Clearly understands the methods of departure and approach,
Guiding all classes of sentient beings / To reach the place of unceasing [peace].
Birth, old age, sickness, and defilements / Burn the good roots of the mind;
Skillful means protects them, / Fully understanding the methods of departure and approach.
When a person wishes to leave the household life, / The prohibitive precepts are foremost;
Without clinging to ornamental dharmas, / Practicing the skillful bodhisattva path,
He does not spare his body to the end of his life, / Never violating [a precept] by a hair's breadth.
The body is like grass, dirt, and dung, / Handled and cut as people please;
Patience is like Mount Meru, / Firm and indestructible.
Through the expedient path of guarding the precepts, / Praise and blame neither add nor detract;
Emerging from darkness into a place of light / Is the bodhisattva's path of skillful means.
He manifests his body among human beings, / Because of his compassion for all;
Or he manifests a subtle, minute form, / Moving in and out without hindrance.
Sitting at the site of awakening, the Buddhas / Extinguish the fetters so they arise no more;
Those who arrive at the site of awakening / Have exhausted the fetters forever without remainder.
It is also like a great caravan leader / Who leads merchants and others
Into the ocean to gather rare treasures: / Coral, amber beads,
Bright-moon pearls, and wish-fulfilling gems, / Returning peacefully to their native country.
Parents, brothers, / Relatives, slaves, and servants
Are joyful, pleased, and happy in mind, / Just as entering meditative absorption removes conceptions.
The bodhisattvas who practice skillful means / Search for the inexhaustible treasury;
Distinguishing the wondrous rare treasures, / They use them themselves to adorn their bodies.
The leader skilled in means / Takes the six perfections as his wife and children;
The mind of the four immeasurables shelters them, / And worldly defilements do not cling to his mind.
In the world there are many foolish people / Who guard their stinginess and do not give;
Accumulating hundreds of millions in wealth, / They claim, 'This is mine!'
When their lifespans are near the end, / Their eyes behold evil ghosts and spirits;
The knife-winds sever their forms, / And there is no longer breathing in or out.
The greedy consciousness follows evil deeds / And undergoes extremely bitter retribution;
Led to the place of punishment, / Remorse comes too late.
The Buddha uses skillful wisdom to deliver them, / Approaching them to preach the Dharma;
Those of sharp faculties examine their own misdeeds, / And their repentant hearts do not conceal them;
Hearing the Dharma, they gain deliverance: / Such is the bodhisattva's path of skillful means.
Like a person blind from birth, / Who does not recognize black or yellow colors;
He encounters a sagely, skilled physician, / Who treats him with the medicine of the Dharma;
He formerly heard that there are five colors— / Blue, yellow, red, white, and black—
Yet once he gains the clear consciousness of the eye, / He does not distinguish blue, yellow, or red.
The bodhisattva's path of skillful means / Makes distinctions reaching the ultimate;
Sweeping away the states of the eight difficulties, / It neither arises nor ceases."

First 52 of 55 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

菩薩從兜術天降神母胎說廣普經 — Classical Chinese