大方等大集經賢護分

Chapter Thirteen: The Ten Dharmas in the Samadhi of the Buddhas’ Presence

At that time, the Blessed One said to Bodhisattva Bhadrapala:

“Bhadrapala! If a bhiksu delights in cultivating this samadhi, he must first contemplate the perception of signlessness. Having contemplated it, pride and conceit will not arise.

“Bhadrapala! Having removed the mind of arrogance, his mind will always be peaceful and joyful, far removed from all characteristics. At that time, he should expound this samadhi to others and should not give rise to a contentious mind. What is called contention in this context? It is giving rise to deluded thoughts and slander; it is disputing and reviling because of attachment to empty reputation.

“Bhadrapala! Because that bhiksu relies upon the Dharma of non-contention, he is able to cultivate and expound this samadhi to others.

“Bhadrapala! If good men or good women wish to study and cultivate this samadhi and explain it to others, they must first fully accomplish ten dharmas, and only afterward may they explain it to others. What are these ten dharmas?

1. Good men and good women must first destroy pride and conceit, and then give rise to a mind of reverence.

2. They recognize kindness and do not forget it, always recollecting the need to repay it.

3. Their minds neither rely upon nor cling to anything, and they are free from jealousy.

4. They eliminate doubt and all hindrances.

5. Their profound faith remains unshaken, and they earnestly recollect and contemplate.

6. They diligently seek the scriptures and are not indolent in their practice.

7. They always practice almsround and do not accept private invitations.

8. They have few desires, know contentment, and discipline their faculties.

9. They rightly believe in the profound patience regarding the non-arising of dharmas.

10. Whenever they remember someone who possesses this samadhi, they revere that teacher as they would the Buddhas, and afterward cultivate it accordingly.

“Bhadrapala! Such are the ten supreme dharmas fully possessed by good men and good women. They should cultivate this samadhi and also cause others to receive, uphold, read, and recite it. Practitioners such as these will attain eight things:

1. Ultimate purity: They do not violate any of the precepts and prohibitions.

2. Purity of knowledge and vision: Their wisdom is harmonious and does not accord with other matters.

3. Purity of wisdom: They will no longer assume bodies in future lives.

4. Purity of giving: They do not seek the karmic rewards of any practice.

5. Purity of extensive learning: Having heard the Dharma, they ultimately never forget it.

6. Purity of diligence: At all times, they constantly seek the fruit of a Buddha’s bodhi.

7. Purity of detachment: They are not defiled by attachment to any fame or gain.

8. Purity of non-retrogression: They will unwaveringly realize the path of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

“Bhadrapala! These are the eight dharmas that good men and good women will attain.”

At that time, the Blessed One, wishing to restate the foregoing meaning, spoke these verses:

“Those who are wise do not give rise to a mind that grasps at characteristics;

They should also remove conceit and the notion of self.

Within profound patience, they cling to nothing;

They are able swiftly to proclaim this samadhi.

Within emptiness, the root of contention has always been extinguished;

Nirvana is signless, the great quiescent concentration.

They do not envy the Buddhas or disparage the Dharma;

They are able swiftly to proclaim this samadhi.

The wise do not give rise to thoughts of jealousy;

They recollect the Buddhas and remember the kindness of the Dharma and Sangha.

Wherever they are born, they remain disciplined and unchanging,

Upholding this serene samadhi.

They harbor neither jealousy nor doubt;

Contemplating the profound Dharma, they believe in its truth.

Diligent and never indolent, they abandon all desires;

They are able to attain this samadhi.

Bhiksus always practice the Dharma of almsround,

Abandoning private invitations—how much more the pursuit of wealth!

Eliminating defilements, they realize suchness;

They are able to attain this samadhi.

Whoever possesses this samadhi,

I shall listen to and widely disseminate it.

Regarding their teachers and patriarchs as Buddhas,

They are able to attain this samadhi.

Whoever cultivates this samadhi

Will possess merit surpassing the world.

They are able swiftly to receive eight kinds of dharmas,

And are praised by the Buddhas, their minds pure and undefiled.

Their observance of the precepts is pure and immeasurable;

Their bodhi samadhi is joined with supreme vision.

They are able to remain pure throughout all realms,

Dwelling within an accumulation of wondrous merit.

Their wisdom is pure, and they undergo no further birth;

Their giving is undefiled, and they enter the unconditioned.

They attain extensive learning and never forget,

Becoming wise ones who possess a treasury of merit.

With courageous diligence, they attain bodhi;

They are not greedily defiled by worldly fame or gain.

If the wise are able to practice skillfully,

They enter the profound and wondrous unsurpassed meditation.”

Chapter Fourteen: The Unshared Qualities and Their Merits

At that time, the Blessed One again said to Bodhisattva Bhadrapala:

“Bhadrapala! Those great bodhisattvas will also accomplish the eighteen unshared qualities. What are called the unshared qualities?

From the time the Tathagata attains unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment until he enters nirvana, throughout that interval all three kinds of the Tathagata’s karma are led by wisdom. All bodily actions are performed in accordance with wisdom. All verbal actions are performed in accordance with wisdom.

All mental actions are performed in accordance with wisdom. The Buddhas’ knowledge and vision of past lives are unobstructed. Their knowledge and vision of future lives are unobstructed.

Their knowledge and vision of the present life are unobstructed. The Buddhas’ actions are never mistaken. Their speech is never careless, their thoughts are never deluded, and their mindfulness is free from deluded conceptual discrimination.

They constantly abide in samadhi and know everything they have relinquished. The Buddhas’ aspiration does not diminish, their diligence does not diminish, their meditative concentration does not diminish, their wisdom does not diminish, their liberation does not diminish, and their knowledge and vision do not diminish.

“Bhadrapala! These are the eighteen unshared qualities of the Buddhas, which great bodhisattvas should cultivate and fully accomplish.

“Furthermore, Bhadrapala! Great bodhisattvas fully accomplish the profound Right Dharma, which is difficult to encounter and difficult to accept. Whoever wishes to expound this samadhi must also acquire ten supreme dharmas, namely, the ten powers of the Buddhas.

What are these ten powers? Bhadrapala! The first is the Tathagata’s power of knowing what is possible and what is impossible.

With regard to what is possible and what is impossible, the Tathagata knows it as it truly is through right knowledge. Bhadrapala! That the Tathagata is able to know through right knowledge, as they truly are, those things that are possible and impossible—this is the Tathagata’s power of knowing what is possible and what is impossible.

By attaining this power, the Tathagata knows the domain of truth, roars the lion’s roar amid the great assembly, and turns the Dharma wheel that the great Brahma gods have never turned before. No sramana, brahmin, god, Brahma, Mara, or human being is able to turn it in this way. Bhadrapala!

This is the first wisdom-power of the Tathagata. Great bodhisattvas should study, cultivate, and fully accomplish it.

“Furthermore, Bhadrapala! There is the Tathagata’s power of knowing all paths leading to their destinations. The Tathagata knows, as they truly are and through right wisdom, the distinctions among all paths.

“Bhadrapala! That the Tathagata is able to know through right wisdom, exactly as they truly are, all paths leading to their destinations—this is the Tathagata’s power of knowing the paths leading to all destinations. By attaining this power, the Tathagata knows the domain of truth, roars the lion’s roar amid the great assembly, and turns the Dharma wheel that the great Brahma gods have never turned before. No sramana, brahmin, god, Brahma, Mara, or human being is able to turn it in this way. Bhadrapala! This is the second wisdom-power of the Tathagata. Great bodhisattvas should study, cultivate, and fully accomplish it.”

Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! There is the Tathagata’s power of knowing the various realms of the world. With regard to the immeasurable differences among the various realms of the world, the Tathagata is able, through right wisdom, to know them all as they truly are.

O Bhadrapala! Whatever pertains to the various realms of the world, the Tathagata is able, through right wisdom, to know it all as it truly is; therefore, this is called the Tathagata’s power of knowing the various realms of the world. Having attained this power, he knows the domain of truth; amid the great assembly he roars the lion’s roar and turns the Dharma wheel that the Great Brahma deity has never turned.

No śramaṇa, brahmin, deva, Brahma, Māra, or human being is able to turn it in this manner. O Bhadrapala! This is the third wisdom-power of the Tathagata.

Great bodhisattvas should train in it and bring it to complete fulfillment.

Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! There is the Tathagata’s power of knowing mental dispositions. With regard to the immeasurably diverse mental dispositions of sentient beings, the Tathagata is able, through right wisdom, to know them all as they truly are; therefore, this is called the Tathagata’s power of knowing the mental dispositions of sentient beings. Having attained this power, he knows the domain of truth; amid the great assembly he roars the lion’s roar and turns the Dharma wheel that the Great Brahma deity has never turned. No śramaṇa, brahmin, deva, Brahma, Māra, or human being is able to turn it in this manner. O Bhadrapala! This is the fourth wisdom-power of the Tathagata. Great bodhisattvas should train in it and bring it to complete fulfillment.

Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! There is the Tathagata’s power of knowing the differences among the faculties of sentient beings. With regard to the various differences among the faculties and capacities of sentient beings, the Tathagata, through right wisdom, knows them all as they truly are.

O Bhadrapala! All such various differences among the faculties and capacities of sentient beings are known by the Tathagata, through right wisdom, as they truly are. This is called the Tathagata’s power of knowing the differences among the faculties and capacities of sentient beings.

Having attained this power, he knows the domain of truth; amid the great assembly he roars the lion’s roar and turns the Dharma wheel that the Great Brahma deity has never turned. No śramaṇa, brahmin, deva, Brahma, Māra, or human being is able to turn it in this manner. O Bhadrapala!

This is the fifth wisdom-power of the Tathagata. Great bodhisattvas should train in it and bring it to complete fulfillment.

Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! There is the Tathagata’s power of meditative concentration. With regard to all samādhis, meditative concentrations, and liberations, the Tathagata eliminates the afflictions that arise and is able, through right wisdom, to know them as they truly are.

O Bhadrapala! The Tathagata, through right wisdom, knows as they truly are all meditative concentrations, samādhis, samāpattis, the afflictions that arise, and even liberation; therefore, this is called the Tathagata’s power of meditative concentration. Having attained this power, he knows the domain of truth; amid the great assembly he roars the lion’s roar and turns the Dharma wheel that the Great Brahma deity has never turned.

No śramaṇa, brahmin, deva, Brahma, Māra, or human being is able to turn it in this manner. O Bhadrapala! This is the sixth wisdom-power of the Tathagata.

Great bodhisattvas should train in it and bring it to complete fulfillment.

Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! There is the Tathagata’s power of knowing karma. With regard to all the various differences among karmic forces, and the immeasurable differences among the resulting retributions that will arise in the future when conditions converge, the Tathagata, through right wisdom, knows them all as they truly are.

O Bhadrapala! The various kinds of karma differ, and the retributions received in the future likewise differ; the Tathagata, through right wisdom, knows them all as they truly are. Therefore, this is called the Tathagata’s power of knowing karma.

Having attained this power, he knows the domain of truth; amid the great assembly he roars the lion’s roar and turns the Dharma wheel that the Great Brahma deity has never turned. No śramaṇa, brahmin, deva, Brahma, Māra, or human being is able to turn it in this manner. O Bhadrapala!

This is the seventh wisdom-power of the Tathagata. Great bodhisattvas should train in it and bring it to complete fulfillment.

Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! There is the Tathagata’s power of the divine eye. With the pure divine eye, surpassing the human eye, the Tathagata constantly sees sentient beings in the future dying here and being born there, assuming bodies that are beautiful or ugly, virtuous or wicked, with features that are attractive or unattractive, coarse or exquisite, and being born either in favorable realms or in evil realms.

He also sees sentient beings creating wholesome or unwholesome karma. He sees sentient beings whose bodily deeds are entirely evil, whose verbal deeds are entirely evil, and whose mental deeds are entirely evil; who revile noble ones, slander the true Dharma, and disrupt the harmony of the Sangha. Because they are endowed with these evil karmic deeds, after death they are born in evil realms.

There are also sentient beings whose bodily deeds are wholesome, whose verbal deeds are wholesome, and whose mental deeds are wholesome; who revere noble ones, honor the true Dharma, and make offerings to the Sangha. Endowed with such karmic practices, after death they are born in the wholesome realms of devas and human beings. All such matters are known by the Tathagata as they truly are.

O Bhadrapala! With the pure divine eye, the Tathagata sees sentient beings dying here and being born there, even being born after death in the various heavenly realms. This is the Tathagata’s wisdom-power of knowing birth and death.

Having attained this power, he knows the domain of truth; amid the great assembly he roars the lion’s roar and turns the Dharma wheel that the Great Brahma deity has never turned. No śramaṇa, brahmin, deva, Brahma, Māra, or human being is able to turn it in this manner. O Bhadrapala!

This is the eighth wisdom-power of the Tathagata. Great bodhisattvas should train in it and bring it to complete fulfillment.

Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! There is the Tathagata’s wisdom-power of recollecting past lives. Through the various knowledges of past lives, the Tathagata is able to know the events of former lives in the past.

He knows sentient beings dying here and being born there, whether they were born in one place, two, three, five, ten, a hundred, or a thousand places, even throughout immeasurable hundreds of lives, immeasurable thousands of lives, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of lives, and even immeasurable evolving kalpas, immeasurable abiding kalpas, and immeasurable evolving and non-evolving kalpas; he knows them all completely.

The Tathagata also knows as they truly are the places where they were born, what their households were like, what their clans were like, what their names and ages were, what their appearances were like, the kinds of lives into which they were born, what they ate and wore, what deeds they performed, what was wholesome or unwholesome, what they cherished and enjoyed, what suffering and happiness they experienced, and even the full extent of their lifespans.

Regarding events in past lives—where they relinquished one body, where they were subsequently reborn, what their bodily features were like, what their speech was like, where they journeyed, and even their lifespans and so forth—the Tathagata knows them all as they truly are. O Bhadrapala! Through immeasurably varied knowledge of past lives, the Tathagata is able to know the former lives experienced by those sentient beings, from one previous life through immeasurable lives, including the events and lifespans of those past lives, knowing them all precisely as they truly were.

Therefore, this is called the Tathagata’s wisdom-power of recollecting past lives. Having attained this power, he knows the domain of truth; amid the great assembly he roars the lion’s roar and turns the Dharma wheel that the Great Brahma deity has never turned. No śramaṇa, brahmin, deva, Brahma, Māra, or human being is able to turn it in this manner.

O Bhadrapala! This is the ninth wisdom-power of the Tathagata. Great bodhisattvas should train in it and bring it to complete fulfillment.

Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! The Tathagata’s power of the knowledge of the exhaustion of the outflows means that the Tathagata is able to bring all outflows throughout all realms to complete exhaustion, so that none remain; his mind and wisdom are liberated, and he has completed the Dharma of self-awakening. Therefore, he proclaims: “My birth is ended, the holy life has been established, what had to be done has been done, and I shall undergo no further existence.” O Bhadrapala!

In this way, the Tathagata is able to exhaust all outflows; his mind and wisdom are luminous and liberated, and he himself directly realizes and knows this. Therefore, he proclaims: “My birth has ended,” and so forth, up to “I shall undergo no further existence.” Because the Tathagata knows this clearly and truly as it is, this is called the Tathagata’s power of the knowledge of exhaustion. Through attaining this power, he knows the true state of things; amid the great assembly he roars the lion’s roar and turns the Dharma wheel that even Great Brahma has never turned.

No ascetic, brahmin, deva, Brahma, Mara, or human being is able to turn it in this way. O Bhadrapala! This is the tenth power of knowledge of the Tathagata.

Great bodhisattvas should cultivate and study it until they fully perfect it.

O Bhadrapala! If great bodhisattvas read, recite, accept, retain, contemplate, and cultivate this samadhi, they will be able to embrace the ten powers of the Tathagata.

At that time, wishing to restate the meaning above, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

“The eighteen unique and universally studied qualities,

And the ten powers of wisdom and knowledge shared by all Buddhas—

Bodhisattvas who cultivate this wondrous meditation

Will naturally perfect both of these.”

Chapter Fifteen: The Merit of Rejoicing in Others’ Virtues

At that time, the Blessed One said to Bodhisattva Bhadrapala:

“O Bhadrapala! If a great bodhisattva fully perfects four practices of rejoicing in others’ virtues, he will attain the Samadhi of Direct Presence and swiftly accomplish the path to unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening. What are the four practices of rejoicing?

A great bodhisattva reflects thus: ‘When the Buddhas of the past practiced the bodhisattva conduct, they all attained this samadhi through the practice of rejoicing in others’ virtues; through this samadhi they perfected great learning; and through great learning they swiftly accomplished the path to unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening. Therefore, today I too should do likewise: relying upon the practice of rejoicing, I shall attain this samadhi; through this samadhi I shall perfect great learning; and through great learning I shall soon accomplish the path to unsurpassed awakening.’ O Bhadrapala!

This is the first accumulation of merit from rejoicing in others’ virtues by a great bodhisattva.

“O Bhadrapala! A great bodhisattva should further recollect thus: ‘When the future Buddhas, the Tathagatas, practice the bodhisattva path, they will all attain samadhi through the practice of rejoicing in others’ virtues; through this samadhi they will perfect great learning; and through great learning they will swiftly accomplish the path to unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening. Therefore, today I shall be no different: through the practice of rejoicing, I shall attain samadhi; relying upon this samadhi, I shall seek to perfect great learning; and through great learning I shall soon accomplish the path to unsurpassed awakening.’ O Bhadrapala! This is the second accumulation of merit from rejoicing in others’ virtues by a great bodhisattva.

“O Bhadrapala! A great bodhisattva should recollect thus: ‘At present, throughout immeasurable, boundless asamkhya lands, all the Buddhas, when formerly practicing the bodhisattva conduct, likewise attained samadhi through rejoicing in others’ virtues; through attaining this samadhi they perfected great learning; and through great learning they have now all attained the fruit of unsurpassed awakening. Therefore, today I too rejoice, and so forth, desiring swiftly to accomplish the path to unsurpassed awakening.’ O Bhadrapala! This is the third accumulation of merit from rejoicing in others’ virtues by a great bodhisattva.

“Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! A great bodhisattva should also recollect thus: ‘I now aspire to study and follow the bodhisattva conduct formerly practiced by all the Buddhas of the past. Through rejoicing in others’ virtues, they all attained samadhi; through samadhi, they all perfected great learning; and through great learning, they all attained Buddhahood. Relying now upon the merit of rejoicing, I vow that, together with all sentient beings, we shall bring forth the mind of rejoicing, together attain this samadhi, together perfect great learning, and together accomplish the path to unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening.’ O Bhadrapala! This is the fourth accumulation of merit from rejoicing in others’ virtues by a great bodhisattva.

“Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! Having perfected such a practice of rejoicing, such samadhi, and such great learning, the bodhisattvas quickly realize the fruit of awakening. By means of this merit, together with sentient beings, they dedicate it to the fruit of unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening. This merit is truly difficult to measure. I shall now explain only a small portion of it for you. You should listen attentively and reflect well.

“O Bhadrapala! Suppose a person lived for one hundred years, had a light and agile body and great strength, and traveled as swiftly as though flying. From the moment of birth, that person journeyed throughout an entire world: first traversing all the lands in the east, then proceeding in sequence throughout all ten directions—the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, above, and below. O Bhadrapala! What do you think? Suppose there were an exceptionally intelligent person, thoroughly skilled in mathematics and able to calculate the lands and territories, as well as the distances and lengths of all the roads that person had traversed. Could he do so?”

Bhadrapala replied:

“Blessed One, he could not.”

The Buddha said:

“Could they be measured?”

“Blessed One, they could not!”

“Could they be fully examined?”

“Blessed One, they could not.”

“Could they be completely fathomed?”

“Blessed One, they could not.”

“O Bhadrapala! After traveling throughout one hundred years, that person swiftly returned, passing through countless lands in the ten directions. Could one skilled in mathematics calculate their number?”

“Blessed One, he could not. One skilled in mathematics would not even know the starting point, the places traveled, or how near or distant the lands were. How much less could he calculate how, throughout one lifetime and exerting all his strength, that person flew throughout the ten directions, or determine the countless lands and roads traversed and the number of yojanas, whether few or many? If anyone wished to know this, only the Blessed One, the great disciple Shariputra, and great non-retrogressing bodhisattvas could understand it.”

“O Bhadrapala! So it is, so it is! I shall now explain this clearly to you. Suppose a good man or good woman gave rise to a reverent mind, filled all the lands traversed by that wind-swift traveler with precious treasures, and offered them to the Buddhas throughout the ten directions. Although the resulting merit might be called great, it would not equal even a small fraction of the merit of one who rejoices in this samadhi. Why is this? O Bhadrapala! Because, through cultivating this samadhi, a great bodhisattva fully perfects the four great practices of rejoicing described above and then dedicates the merit to the path of unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening, seeking great learning in order to become a Perfectly Awakened One.

“O Bhadrapala! If the merit arising from the practice of giving were compared with the merit of rejoicing in this samadhi, it would not equal one hundredth part, one thousandth part, one part in one hundred thousand myriad, or one part in a hundred thousand kotis; indeed, no calculation or analogy could express it.

“O Bhadrapala! You should know that I shall now explain clearly to you a small portion of the merit produced when bodhisattvas rejoice and dedicate the merit to the path of awakening. Listen attentively. O Bhadrapala! I recall that, immeasurable, boundless asamkhya kalpas ago, a Buddha named Lion’s Resolve Tathagata, fully endowed with the ten epithets, appeared in this realm. O Bhadrapala! At that time, this land of Jambudvipa was densely populated and possessed abundant wealth and precious treasures. It was prosperous, joyful, peaceful, secure, and truly delightful.

“O Bhadrapala! This land of Jambudvipa measured eighteen thousand yojanas in length and breadth, and within it were eighteen thousand cities, towns, and villages. All were constructed from the seven kinds of precious substances. Each city measured twelve yojanas in length and breadth and contained nine billion inhabitants.

“O Bhadrapala! The great city was named Virtuous Deeds. It was home to one billion six hundred million inhabitants and was the place where the Buddha Lion’s Resolve manifested his birth.”

O Bhadrapāla! At the first assembly, when the Buddha Siṃhamati expounded the Dharma, nine billion people attained the fruit of arhatship. Seven days later, at the second Dharma assembly, nine billion people attained the fruit of arhatship. At the third Dharma assembly, another nine billion people attained the fruit of arhatship. After the third Dharma assembly, another nine billion pure bodhisattvas came from other regions to attend the great assembly. From that time onward, that Buddha was always attended by an immeasurable assembly of śrāvakas.

O Bhadrapāla! At that time, the people practiced the ten wholesome deeds, just as the sentient beings who will be taught by the Buddha Maitreya in the future. They fully perfected the ten kinds of wholesome conduct and had lifespans of eighty-four thousand years, no different from the sentient beings in the time of the Buddha Maitreya.

O Bhadrapāla! At that time, in the great city there was a Wheel-Turning Sage King named Supreme Journey, who governed the world in accordance with the true Dharma. He possessed the seven treasures: the golden wheel, the precious elephant, the precious horse, the precious maṇi jewel, the precious woman, the precious steward, and the precious general. He also had one thousand princes, dignified and adorned with the excellent marks, accomplished in proper conduct, and capable of subduing hostile enemies. The king ruled the entire world without using weapons, without coercing anyone through might, and without imposing taxes; all necessary revenues arose naturally in abundance.

At that time, King Supreme Journey went directly to the place of the Buddha Siṃharucita, made offerings to the Perfectly Enlightened One, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and then withdrew to sit to one side. The Buddha Siṃharucita knew that the king’s heart thirsted to hear the Dharma, and therefore extensively proclaimed the Pratyutpanna Samādhi. After hearing this samādhi, the king rejoiced from the depths of his heart and presented the Buddha with a jeweled necklace.

Through the wholesome root of that rejoicing, after his death the king was reborn in this Jambudvīpa and became a king named Brahmadeva, who again governed the people in accordance with the true Dharma. After the Buddha Siṃhamati entered nirvana, during the age of the true Dharma there was a bhikṣu named Ratna, intelligent and diligent, who constantly expounded scriptures such as this one to the fourfold assembly.

O Bhadrapāla! After King Brahmadeva heard this Dharma from the bhikṣu Ratna, he gained profound, pure faith and brought forth a mind of rejoicing. He presented that bhikṣu with a supremely fine robe worth hundreds of thousands of taels of gold.

O Bhadrapāla! After hearing this samādhi from the bhikṣu Ratna, the king brought forth the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Out of love for the Dharma, he relinquished the throne, left the household life, shaved off his beard and hair, and donned the kāṣāya robe. At that time, one hundred thousand people who had also perfected faith followed the king’s example, donned robes, and left the household life, likewise for the sake of this samādhi.

At that time, the bhikṣu Brahmadeva and the great assembly of one hundred thousand bhikṣus together made offerings to and attended upon the bhikṣu Ratna for eight thousand years without weariness. Yet they were still unable to realize this samādhi and could only hear it. Having heard it, they rejoiced and fully perfected the merit of the four practices of rejoicing, dedicating it to unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment; just as they had rejoiced, so too did they extensively put it into practice.

Later, through these wholesome roots, the bhikṣu Brahmadeva and the great assembly of one hundred thousand bhikṣus directly encountered 68,000 Buddhas. Wherever they were born, they always extensively proclaimed this samādhi to the great assembly. Through these wholesome roots, the bhikṣu Brahmadeva further encountered 6.8 trillion Buddhas.

Having planted wholesome roots successively in this way, he attained this samādhi, fully perfected all the factors conducive to enlightenment, and realized unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. He became a Buddha named Steadfast Diligence, endowed with the ten epithets. The one hundred thousand bhikṣus also attained this samādhi and were able to perfect the factors conducive to enlightenment.

They then likewise realized unsurpassed enlightenment, each bearing the name Steadfast Courage and endowed with the ten epithets. They also caused innumerable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings to abide in the path to unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

O Bhadrapāla! Merely by hearing it, they obtained such merit. How much more, then, will bodhisattvas who hear this samādhi, read and recite it, accept and uphold it, extensively expound it for others, and diligently contemplate and cultivate it be certain to attain realization!

O Bhadrapāla! For this reason, what bodhisattva who hears this samādhi would not rejoice in it? Who would not read and recite it? Who would not accept and uphold it? Who would not cultivate it? Who would not extensively expound it? Why is this? O Bhadrapāla! Because bodhisattvas hear this samādhi, they perfect the factors conducive to enlightenment and swiftly accomplish unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

O Bhadrapāla! For this reason, I now tell you that anyone possessing true faith and a pure mind who wishes to seek unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment must first seek this samādhi with utmost sincerity. If a bodhisattva hears that within one hundred yojanas there is a scripture teaching this samādhi, that bodhisattva must personally go there and listen to its exposition. Having heard it, the bodhisattva must read and recite it, accept and uphold it, cultivate it, contemplate it, and extensively expound it for others.

O Bhadrapāla! One must travel even one hundred yojanas to hear it. If a bodhisattva hears that within two hundred, three hundred, four hundred, five hundred, or even one thousand yojanas this samādhi is being expounded in some city, town, or village, that bodhisattva must personally go there to hear, accept and uphold, read, and recite it.

Why is this? O Bhadrapāla! It is because the bodhisattva possesses pure faith and seeks to accomplish unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

Therefore, the bodhisattva must not give rise to laziness, weariness, or distraction, but must bring forth courageous diligence. For the sake of this samādhi, the bodhisattva must swiftly travel even to a place one thousand yojanas away in order to hear it, how much more to read, recite, accept, uphold, contemplate, and explain it! Why is this?

O Bhadrapāla! It is because this samādhi enables one to preserve all the factors conducive to enlightenment.

Furthermore, O Bhadrapāla! If anyone in this great assembly, with a wholly pure mind and for the sake of seeking enlightenment, travels one thousand yojanas and succeeds in hearing this samādhi, that bodhisattva should attend upon and make offerings to the Dharma teacher who expounds it, presenting that teacher with all kinds of food and material necessities. The bodhisattva must constantly practice in accordance with that Dharma teacher, whether for one year, two years, twelve years, one hundred years, or even throughout life, following the Dharma teacher without ever leaving, solely for the sake of hearing this samādhi, how much more to read, recite, accept, uphold, contemplate its meaning, and explain it to others.

While accompanying and attending upon the Dharma teacher, the bodhisattva must relinquish all deluded thoughts in the mind and accord with the intentions and conduct of that ācārya and Dharma teacher, attending upon the teacher with the utmost sincerity and never disobeying the teachings. The bodhisattva must give rise to reverence, affection, and esteem, abandoning all conduct unworthy of respect or affection. The bodhisattva must always regard the Dharma teacher as a good spiritual friend and even give rise to the thought of regarding the teacher as a Buddha.

O Bhadrapāla! If a bodhisattva is able to give rise to reverence and affection toward an ācārya and Dharma teacher, it is utterly impossible that the bodhisattva would fail to accept and uphold, read and recite, contemplate, and extensively expound this samādhi, or even fail to hear it—except when fixed karma causes that bodhisattva to fall into impure, evil destinies because, in the past, the bodhisattva slandered this profound scripture.

Furthermore, O Bhadrapāla! If that bodhisattva wishes to depart from the Dharma teacher, the bodhisattva must recognize the teacher’s kindness, constantly remember it, and always repay it. Why is this? O Bhadrapāla! It is because, through the causes and conditions created by the Dharma teacher’s exposition, this scripture is enabled to abide in the world for a long time.

Furthermore, O Bhadrapāla! If a bodhisattva seeking this samādhi must travel even to a place one thousand yojanas away, how much more should that bodhisattva go to nearby places—whether in cities, towns, villages, secluded places, mountains, forests, or wildernesses—to listen to, read and recite, accept and uphold, contemplate the meaning of, and extensively expound it for others!

Furthermore, O Bhadrapala! I shall now tell you: if a bodhisattva, seeking this samadhi, is able to travel as far as a thousand yojanas but still does not hear this samadhi, that bodhisattva should aspire to seek roots of virtue within the true Dharma, diligently persevering without indolence. You should know that this bodhisattva will no longer regress from the path to unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment. How much more so if one hears, accepts, upholds, reads, recites, and contemplates it, and expounds it extensively for others.

O Bhadrapala! You should behold those bodhisattvas who, after hearing this samadhi, are able to accept, uphold, read, recite, and practice it. They too will fully accomplish great merit. Even if they seek it but have not yet heard it, they will nevertheless possess great roots of virtue. Whether they hear it or not, they have already attained the stage of non-retrogression and will ultimately accomplish the path to unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment. How much more so if, after hearing it, they accept, uphold, read, recite, contemplate, and cultivate it, expound it extensively for others, enable many people to hear, accept, uphold, read, recite, contemplate, and cultivate it, and cause it to circulate widely everywhere.

At that time, wishing to proclaim this meaning once again, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

“I recall that in the distant past there was a Buddha named

Lion’s Wish-Fulfilling One, supreme among gods and humans.

At that time, there was a king who was foremost;

He personally approached the Buddha to seek this samadhi.

When that greatly wise king had heard it,

His immeasurable joy was beyond expression.

With his own hands he presented a necklace of precious jewels

As an offering to the Tathagata Lion’s Resolve.

Contemplating within his heart, he uttered these words:

‘I now take refuge in Unsurpassed Enlightenment.

For the benefit of the world,

I beseech you to skillfully teach this samadhi.’

After the king had performed this wholesome deed,

Upon death he was reborn in that royal palace.

Once again he encountered the bhiksu Ratna,

A greatly virtuous one whose renown filled the ten directions.

When he heard that teacher skillfully expound the Dharma,

Measureless joy arose in his heart.

He immediately took a supremely wondrous precious robe

And placed it upon the bhiksu’s body for the sake of enlightenment.

Together with hundreds of thousands of people, he also renounced the household life

And made offerings to and attended upon that bhiksu.

Throughout a full eight thousand years,

He sought this samadhi in this manner.

That teacher taught it once and did not teach it again;

What he heard and received was profound and wondrous like the ocean.

At that time, his mind and wisdom never wearied,

As he sought this supreme concentration in accordance with reality.

After those practitioners had cultivated it,

They encountered Buddhas of great majestic power,

Altogether sixty-eight thousand in number,

And at those times they also heard this samadhi.

In subsequent lives they made offerings to and attended upon

Sixty-eight thousand kotis of Blessed Ones.

They rejoiced in all the profound and wondrous teachings they heard.

Because he heard the Buddha Lion’s Resolve expound it,

The king practiced accordingly and fulfilled it completely,

And afterward became the Buddha Steadfast Perseverance,

Teaching and transforming immeasurable sentient beings.

All who dwelt in samsara were freed from defilement.

The thousands who had followed the king into the renunciant life

Likewise became Buddhas, each named Steadfast Heroism,

Their virtuous renown resounding throughout the worlds of the ten directions.

By hearing the name of this samadhi, one realizes Great Enlightenment;

How much more so if one can expound it to others.

One should remain unattached to all lands

And widely reveal this wondrous contemplation.

If this samadhi has been expounded by a Buddha,

And one learns that it is being taught a hundred yojanas away,

One should go there to hear it for the sake of enlightenment,

Heeding the teaching without concern for weariness.

The merit of one who hears it is immeasurable.

Even if one goes there but does not succeed in hearing it,

One still gains thousands of accumulations of merit;

How much more so if, after hearing it, one contemplates and expounds it.

One should swiftly seek this samadhi,

Always remembering the one endowed with the virtues of pure conduct.

Draw near and attend upon that person without ever becoming weary.

Whichever teacher possesses this scripture,

One should go there to cultivate and make offerings.”

Chapter Sixteen: Awakening

At that time, the Blessed One again addressed Bodhisattva Bhadrapala:

“O Bhadrapala! I recall that in the distant past, immeasurable and incalculable asamkhyeya kalpas ago, a Buddha appeared in the world named Satyakama, complete with the ten epithets. At that time, there was a bhiksu named Harmonious Wheel who, after the Buddha’s parinirvana, praised and extensively taught the scripture of this samadhi.

At that time, I was a great king, single-mindedly and earnestly seeking this wondrous samadhi. In a dream, I heard a voice say, ‘This is the place where the samadhi is found.’ Upon awakening, I went directly to the bhiksu Harmonious Wheel to seek instruction in this samadhi. I further requested the Dharma master to ordain me by shaving my head and admitting me into the renunciant life, so that I might seek to hear this samadhi; and I constantly served and attended upon him.

Throughout thirty-six thousand years, I was no longer obstructed by the celestial Mara.

“O bhiksus, bhiksunis, laymen, and laywomen! I now tell you that you should remain mindful of hearing and receiving the king of samadhis, neither delaying nor forgetting it. You should skillfully attend upon the Dharma master who teaches the Dharma without error. If you seek this samadhi, you will certainly realize it. Even if one kalpa or as many as hundreds of thousands of kalpas should pass, if you do not give rise to indolence, you will attain it.

“O Bhadrapala! Anyone who single-mindedly seeks this samadhi must follow the Dharma master and never leave him. One must offer medicines, food and drink, clothing, beds, seats, and every kind of gold, silver, jewel, and treasure. One must offer all one’s personal possessions without attachment or reluctance, presenting them even when they have not been requested, as though presenting them to oneself. Until this samadhi has been attained, one must not become disheartened.

“O Bhadrapala! One must also offer all necessary requisites. If the Dharma master has a need, a seeker of the Dharma should even offer his own body, cutting flesh from his thighs and presenting it to the master. If the Dharma master requires his life, he should not begrudge even that. How much less should he fail to offer external possessions.

“O Bhadrapala! A seeker of the Dharma who attends upon a Dharma master must follow the master in this manner: he should serve the Dharma master as a servant serves a lord and as ministers serve a king. Only such a person can attain this samadhi. Afterward, he must remain mindful of and uphold it, always remembering the Dharma master’s kindness and constantly considering how to repay it.

“O Bhadrapala! This samadhi is not easily heard. Even if a person were to spend hundreds of thousands of kalpas seeking merely to hear its name, he might still be unable to hear it. How much more difficult, then, to hear it and afterward copy, read, recite, accept, and uphold it, and furthermore analyze and explain it to others.

“O Bhadrapala! Suppose someone were to offer precious pearls to Buddhas throughout lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Although that person’s merit would be great, it would not equal the immeasurable merit of one who, after hearing the scripture of this samadhi, copies a single verse from it.

At that time, wishing to proclaim this meaning once again, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

“I recall a time in the immeasurable past,

Throughout a full sixty thousand years,

When I constantly followed a Dharma master and never left him even briefly,

Though previously I had never heard the name of this samadhi.

There was a Buddha named Resolute One, revered for his sincerity,

And at that time a bhiksu named Harmonious Wheel.

After that Blessed One had entered parinirvana,

The bhiksu extensively taught this samadhi.

At that time, I was the king of that realm.

In a dream I was told where the samadhi could be found:

‘The bhiksu Harmonious Wheel constantly proclaims and transmits it;

O King, you should hear and receive this wondrous scripture.’

As soon as I awoke, I went in search of it,

Proceeding directly to the bhiksu who taught the samadhi.

I relinquished the royal throne and entered the renunciant life,

Respectfully making offerings without ever ceasing.

Throughout twenty-six thousand years,

I still vowed that in the future I would encounter and propagate it.

The celestial Maras constantly came and tried to cause disruption,

And ultimately I never heard it from them.

Therefore, bhiksus and bhiksunis,

Laymen and laywomen,

I earnestly exhort you with truthful words:

You should accept and uphold this samadhi.

If you wish to honor and serve the Dharma master,

Though one kalpa or many kalpas may pass,

Constantly present medicines and delicious food,

Seeking to hear the wondrous scripture of this samadhi.

Also prepare kotis of garments,

Beds, pillows, lamps, and every kind of jewel.

Persevere diligently in this way without weariness

For the sake of hearing this wondrous samadhi.

A bhiksu should not himself seek offerings;

One should begrudge not even one’s body and life,

How much less harbor reluctance regarding other possessions.

One who seeks in this manner attains the samadhi.

Having received kindness, one should always remember to repay it.”

The wise, having heard it, proclaim it far and wide,

For myriads of nayutas of kalpas they devotedly seek it;

This wondrous samadhi they shall come to hear.

Suppose lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges

Were entirely filled with precious treasures and offered in generosity;

One who can proclaim even a single verse of this teaching

Gains merit far surpassing that.

Rightly proclaiming a single verse

Surpasses such giving for nayutas of kalpas;

How much more so one who, having heard it, can spread it widely—

The merit of such a person cannot be expressed.

Whoever delights in practicing the path of bodhi

And constantly seeks this Dharma for sentient beings

Shall realize the unsurpassed path of perfect awakening,

Having heard and become established in this samadhi.”

Chapter Seventeen: Entrustment

At that time, the Blessed One said to Bodhisattva Bhadrapala:

“Bhadrapala, for this reason, virtuous men and women of pure faith should always diligently listen to this samadhi. Having heard it, they should read and recite it, retain it completely, and contemplate its meaning. They should extensively analyze and expound it for people in the world, skillfully transcribe it, and place it in a repository. Why is this? Bhadrapala, in the future, after I have entered nirvana, there will be great bodhisattvas of pure faith who seek extensive learning for the sake of sentient beings. Because they seek extensive learning, they will travel to many places to hear and receive the true Dharma.

“Therefore, Bhadrapala, any virtuous man or woman who cherishes this teaching, possesses complete faith, embraces the true Dharma, delights in the true Dharma, and completely retains the scriptures shall proclaim it extensively through the sustaining power of the Tathagata. They shall transcribe such Mahayana scriptures, receive the Tathagata’s seal of confirmation, and afterward place them in a repository.

“Bhadrapala, what is the Tathagata’s seal of confirmation herein? It is said that all conditioned activities are without characteristics, without formation, and without action. Being devoid of fabrication, they have never arisen; they are unconditioned, without characteristics, without conception, without reliance, without appropriation, without grasping, and without abiding. All conditioned activities are exhausted, and the cause of suffering is exhausted. All afflictions are completely exhausted. There is neither arising nor cessation, neither path nor fruit of the path. None of the noble ones conceal this. What fools revile, the wise praise. Those skilled in means are able to receive and retain it.

When the Tathagata expounded this scripture, innumerable sentient beings planted roots of virtue in the path to unsurpassed, complete, and perfect awakening. In Buddha lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, immeasurable asamkhyas of great bodhisattvas all came from their respective regions to this place and heard this samadhi. They all attained irreversibility on the path to unsurpassed, complete, and perfect awakening.

At that time, throughout the trichiliocosm, all the earth quaked in six ways: it moved, moved greatly, and moved everywhere equally; surged, surged greatly, and surged everywhere equally; rose, rose greatly, and rose everywhere equally; shook, shook greatly, and shook everywhere equally; roared, roared greatly, and roared everywhere equally; awakened, awakened greatly, and awakened everywhere equally. It even bulged outward and sank inward, or bulged inward and sank outward. Thus did the world quake at that time.

Then the Blessed One addressed Venerable Mahakasyapa, Venerable Sariputra, Venerable Maudgalyayana, Venerable Ananda, Bodhisattva Bhadrapala, Ratnakirti the Licchavi prince, the elder Sarthavaha, Srigupta the elder’s son, Vimala the Manava elder, and the others—five hundred persons—as well as the devas, humans, and the fourfold assembly:

“Kasyapa, I now entrust to you the Dharma of unsurpassed, complete, and perfect awakening, which I cultivated for three asamkhyas of kalpas. Such principles are beyond the belief of worldly people. Why is this? The scriptures expounded by the Tathagata are supremely excellent and wondrous, foremost in profundity. In the future, you must bestow the path to unsurpassed, complete, and perfect awakening upon all sentient beings. Therefore, I now earnestly entrust it to you. You should listen attentively, read and recite it, remember it, contemplate it, practice it, elucidate it, proclaim it widely, explain it, perform every wholesome deed, and circulate it so that it will never be cut off.

“Furthermore, Ananda, if any virtuous man or woman wishes to cultivate this scripture of samadhi, wishes to read and recite it, wishes to receive and retain it, wishes to contemplate it, wishes to reveal it, or wishes to expound it widely, you should help that person give rise to right faith, help that person read and recite it, help that person receive and retain it, help that person contemplate it, help that person reveal it, and help that person expound it widely. I now give this extensive instruction for virtuous men and women established in the Mahayana. They should train and study in this manner and constantly remember my admonition.”

When the Blessed One had finished speaking these words, Venerable Mahakasyapa, Sariputra, Mahamaudgalyayana, Ananda, all the great sravakas, Bodhisattva Bhadrapala, Ratnakirti, the good elder Sarthavaha, Srigupta, the elder Vimalacandra, and the others—five hundred male lay devotees—as well as the great bodhisattvas who had come from Buddha lands throughout the ten directions to hear the Dharma, and all the devas, nagas, ghosts, spirits, humans, and nonhumans who heard the Tathagata expound the Dharma, rejoiced with great delight and practiced in accordance with his teaching.