大方廣佛華嚴經

Chapter 39: ENTRY INTO THE DHARMA REALM (Part 18)

At that time, the youth Sudhana gradually journeyed to the city of Wondrous Mind’s Flower Gate, where he met the youth Devasambhava and the maiden Śrīmati. He bowed at their feet, circumambulated them many times to the right, then stood before them with palms joined and said:
“Noble Ones! I have brought forth the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi, but I do not yet know how bodhisattvas learn the bodhisattva practices or how they cultivate the bodhisattva path.
“I pray that the Noble Ones will compassionately instruct me!”
Devasambhava and Śrīmati said:
“Good man! We have realized a bodhisattva liberation called Dwelling in Illusion.
“Because we have attained this liberation, we see that all worlds exist like illusions, for they arise through causes and conditions.
“All sentient beings exist like illusions, for they arise through karma and afflictions.
“All sentient beings exist like illusions, for they arise through karma and afflictions.
“All worldly realms exist like illusions, for they arise through the successive conditioning of ignorance, existence, and craving.
“All dharmas exist like illusions, for they arise through illusory conditions such as the view of self.
“All three periods of time exist like illusions, for they arise through inverted cognitions such as the view of self.
“The birth, cessation, aging, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress of all sentient beings all
exist like illusions, for they arise through false discrimination.
“All lands exist like illusions, for they manifest through inverted perceptions, inverted thoughts, inverted views, and ignorance.
“All śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas exist like illusions, for they are formed through discriminative knowledge of severance.
“All bodhisattvas exist like illusions, for they are formed through practices and vows by which they discipline themselves and teach sentient beings.
“All the demonstrations of discipline and transformation manifested by assemblies of bodhisattvas exist like illusions, for they are formed through illusory wisdom born of vows.
“Good man! The intrinsic nature of the realm of illusion is inconceivable.
“We know only this liberation of Dwelling in Illusion. As for the great bodhisattvas who skillfully enter the boundless illusory net of all phenomena, how could we know or describe their practices and virtues?”
After the youth and maiden had expounded the liberation they had realized, they used the wondrous power of their inconceivable roots of goodness to make the body and mind of the youth Sudhana gentle and pliant. They then said:
“Good man! South of this place is a country called Seashore. There is a garden there called Great Adornment, and within that garden stands an immense tower called the Treasury Adorned by Vairocana.
“This tower came into being as the fruition of a bodhisattva’s roots of goodness. It arose through a bodhisattva’s powers of mindfulness, vows, mastery, and spiritual abilities; through a bodhisattva’s skillful means; and through a bodhisattva’s merit and wisdom.
“Good man! Dwelling in an inconceivable liberation, a bodhisattva, with a mind of great compassion for sentient beings, manifests such a realm and accumulates such adornments.
“The great bodhisattva Maitreya dwells within that tower in order to gather in and bring to maturity the parents, relatives, and people of the place where he was born. He also wishes to make steadfast those sentient beings who were born together with him and who cultivate together with him within the Mahayana Dharma. Moreover, he wishes all those sentient beings, in accordance with where they dwell and the roots of goodness they possess, to attain complete accomplishment.
“He also wishes to reveal to you the bodhisattva’s gateway of liberation;
to reveal the bodhisattva’s sovereign freedom to be born and appear everywhere; to reveal how the bodhisattva, by means of innumerable kinds of bodies, appears universally before all sentient beings and continually teaches and transforms them; to reveal how the bodhisattva, through the power of great compassion, gathers all the resources of the world without weariness; to reveal how the bodhisattva completely cultivates all practices, fully understands all practices, and transcends all characteristics; and to reveal how the bodhisattva takes birth everywhere because he fully understands that all birth is without characteristics.
“You should go there and ask him how bodhisattvas practice the bodhisattva practices, how they cultivate the bodhisattva path, how they train in the bodhisattva precepts, how they purify the bodhisattva mind, how they bring forth bodhisattva vows,
how they accumulate the bodhisattva’s aids to the path, how they enter the bodhisattva bhūmis, how they completely perfect the bodhisattva pāramitās, how they attain the bodhisattva’s patience regarding the non-arising of dharmas, how they fully attain the bodhisattva’s qualities and virtues, and how they attend upon and serve spiritual teachers as bodhisattvas.
“Good man! The bodhisattva Maitreya comprehends all bodhisattva practices, fully knows the minds of sentient beings, and constantly manifests bodies before them in order to teach and discipline them.
“The bodhisattva Maitreya has completely perfected all pāramitās; dwells on all bodhisattva bhūmis; has realized all the bodhisattvas’ kinds of patience; has entered all bodhisattva stages; has fully received the Buddhas’ predictions; has journeyed throughout all bodhisattva realms; has attained the spiritual powers of all Buddhas; and has had the crown of his head anointed by the Tathagata with the Dharma nectar of omniscience.
“Good man! The bodhisattva Maitreya can nurture your roots of goodness, increase your bodhi-mind, strengthen your aspiration, augment your wholesome qualities, develop your bodhisattva faculties, reveal the unobstructed Dharma to you, enable you to enter the stage of Samantabhadra, expound the bodhisattva vows to you, expound the practices of Samantabhadra to you, and explain for you all the practices and vows that accomplish the bodhisattva’s virtues.
“Good man! You should not cultivate a single wholesome quality, illuminate a single dharma, carry out a single practice, bring forth a single vow, receive a single prediction, or dwell in a single kind of patience and consider it ultimate.
“You should not practice the six pāramitās, dwell on the ten bhūmis, purify Buddha-lands, or attend upon spiritual teachers with a limited mind. Why is this? Good man!

Because a great bodhisattva must plant immeasurable roots of goodness, accumulate immeasurable provisions for bodhi, cultivate immeasurable causes of bodhi, learn immeasurable skillful means of dedication, teach and transform the sentient beings of immeasurable realms, know the immeasurable minds of sentient beings, know the immeasurable faculties of sentient beings, understand the immeasurable comprehensions of sentient beings, contemplate the immeasurable practices of sentient beings, discipline immeasurable sentient beings, sever immeasurable afflictions, purify immeasurable karmic habits, extinguish immeasurable wrong views, eliminate immeasurable defiled thoughts, bring forth immeasurable pure thoughts, extract immeasurable poisonous arrows of suffering,

drain immeasurable oceans of craving, dispel immeasurable darkness of ignorance, demolish immeasurable mountains of pride, cut immeasurable bonds of birth and death, cross immeasurable streams of outflows, dry up immeasurable oceans of birth, lead immeasurable sentient beings out of the mire of the five desires, enable immeasurable sentient beings to leave the prison of the three realms, establish immeasurable sentient beings upon the Noble Path, extinguish immeasurable courses of lust, completely eliminate immeasurable courses of anger, destroy immeasurable courses of delusion, transcend immeasurable nets of Māra, leave behind immeasurable karmic deeds of Māra, cleanse away immeasurable sensual pleasures of bodhisattvas, increase immeasurable skillful means of bodhisattvas,

give rise to immeasurable superior faculties of bodhisattvas, clarify and purify immeasurable decisive understandings of bodhisattvas, and enter into

the immeasurable equanimity of bodhisattvas; one must purify the immeasurable virtues of bodhisattvas, cultivate the immeasurable practices of bodhisattvas, manifest the immeasurable practices of bodhisattvas that accord with the world, give rise to immeasurable powers of pure faith, abide in immeasurable powers of diligence, purify immeasurable powers of right mindfulness, fully perfect immeasurable powers of samadhi, arouse immeasurable powers of pure wisdom, make firm immeasurable powers of resolute understanding, accumulate immeasurable powers of merit, increase immeasurable powers of wisdom, bring forth immeasurable powers of bodhisattvas, perfect the immeasurable wondrous powers of the Tathagata, discern immeasurable Dharma gates, clearly understand immeasurable Dharma gates,

purify immeasurable Dharma gates, bring forth the light of immeasurable Dharmas, cause immeasurable Dharmas to shine brilliantly, illuminate immeasurable kinds of faculties, know immeasurable afflictive illnesses, store up immeasurable wondrous Dharma medicines, cure the immeasurable illnesses of sentient beings, prepare immeasurable kinds of offerings of ambrosia, travel to immeasurable Buddha-realms, make offerings to immeasurable Tathagatas, enter immeasurable assemblies of bodhisattvas, receive immeasurable teachings of the Buddhas, patiently endure the immeasurable transgressions of sentient beings, eliminate immeasurable perils of the evil paths, cause immeasurable sentient beings to be born in wholesome paths, gather immeasurable sentient beings through the four means of embracing,

cultivate immeasurable gates of dharani, bring forth immeasurable gates of great vows, cultivate immeasurable powers of great loving-kindness and great vows, diligently seek immeasurable Buddha-Dharmas without ever resting, arouse immeasurable powers of contemplation, manifest immeasurable spiritual powers, purify immeasurable lights of wisdom, journey to the realms of immeasurable sentient beings, take birth among immeasurable classes of beings, manifest immeasurable distinct bodies, know immeasurable expressions of the Dharma, enter the immeasurably diverse minds of beings, know the vast realm of bodhisattvas, abide in the great palace of bodhisattvas, contemplate the profound and wondrous Dharma of bodhisattvas, know the difficult-to-know realm of bodhisattvas,

practice the difficult-to-practice deeds of bodhisattvas, fully possess the venerable majesty and virtue of bodhisattvas, follow the bodhisattvas’ right stage that is difficult to enter, fully know the practices of bodhisattvas, manifest the universal spiritual powers of bodhisattvas, receive the bodhisattvas’ clouds of impartial Dharma, vastly expand the boundless practices of bodhisattvas, perfect all the boundless paramitas of bodhisattvas, receive immeasurable predictions of bodhisattvas, enter immeasurable gates of patience of bodhisattvas, cultivate the immeasurable grounds of bodhisattvas, purify the immeasurable Dharma gates of bodhisattvas, and, together with all bodhisattvas, abide throughout boundless kalpas, make offerings to immeasurable Buddhas,

adorn and purify innumerable Buddha-realms, and bring forth innumerable vows of bodhisattvas.
Good man! In brief, one must universally cultivate all bodhisattva practices, universally teach and transform all realms of sentient beings, universally enter all kalpas, universally take birth in all places, universally know all worlds, universally practice all Dharmas, universally purify all realms, universally fulfill all vows, universally make offerings to all Buddhas, universally share the vows of all bodhisattvas, and universally serve all spiritual friends.
Good man! You should not grow weary in seeking spiritual friends. When asking spiritual friends for instruction, do not fear hardship.

When drawing near to spiritual friends, do not retreat. In making offerings to spiritual friends, do not cease. In receiving the teachings of spiritual friends, do not become confused.

In learning the practices of spiritual friends, do not harbor doubts. When hearing spiritual friends expound gates of liberation, do not hesitate. When you see spiritual friends acting in accordance with afflictions, do not consider it strange.

In the presence of spiritual friends, you must give rise to a mind of profound faith, reverence, and respect that never changes. Why is this? Good man!

It is because, through spiritual friends, bodhisattvas hear all bodhisattva practices, accomplish all the virtues of bodhisattvas, bring forth all the great vows of bodhisattvas, elicit all the roots of goodness of bodhisattvas, accumulate all the provisions for the path of bodhisattvas, reveal the light of all bodhisattva Dharmas, display all the bodhisattvas’ gates of liberation, cultivate and learn all the pure precepts of bodhisattvas, abide in all the Dharmas of merit and virtue of bodhisattvas, purify all the vast aspirations of bodhisattvas, increase all the steadfast minds of bodhisattvas, fully possess all the bodhisattvas’ gates of dharani and eloquence, attain all the pure treasuries of bodhisattvas, produce all the lights of bodhisattva samadhis,

attain all the supreme vows of bodhisattvas, share one vow with all bodhisattvas, hear all the supreme Dharmas of bodhisattvas, attain all the secrets of bodhisattvas, reach all the jeweled islands of the bodhisattva Dharma, nurture all the sprouts of the roots of goodness of bodhisattvas, develop all the wisdom-bodies of bodhisattvas, preserve all the profound and esoteric treasuries of bodhisattvas, firmly maintain all the accumulations of merit of bodhisattvas, purify all the paths of rebirth of bodhisattvas, receive all the clouds of right Dharma of bodhisattvas, enter all the paths of the great vows of bodhisattvas, reach all the fruits of the Tathagatas’ bodhi, embrace and uphold all the wondrous practices of bodhisattvas, reveal all the virtues of bodhisattvas,

travel in every direction to hear and receive the wondrous Dharma, praise all the vast majesty and virtue of bodhisattvas, produce all the powers of the bodhisattvas’ great loving-kindness and compassion, gather all the supreme powers and masteries of bodhisattvas, bring forth all the factors of bodhi of bodhisattvas, and perform all the beneficial deeds of bodhisattvas.
Good man! Because bodhisattvas are protected by spiritual friends, they do not fall into the evil paths. Because they are embraced by spiritual friends, they do not retreat from the Great Vehicle.

Because they are kept in mind and protected by spiritual friends, they do not transgress the bodhisattva precepts. Because they are guarded by spiritual friends, they do not follow evil friends. Because they are nurtured by spiritual friends, they do not diminish the bodhisattva Dharma.

Because they are sustained by spiritual friends, they transcend the state of ordinary beings. Because they are instructed by spiritual friends, they transcend those of the Two Vehicles. Because they are guided by spiritual friends, they are able to escape the world.

Because they are fostered by spiritual friends, they are able to remain undefiled by worldly dharmas. By serving spiritual friends, they cultivate all bodhisattva practices. By making offerings to spiritual friends, they fully possess all the provisions for the path.

By drawing near to spiritual friends, they are not overcome by karma and delusion. By relying upon spiritual friends, their awe-inspiring power becomes steadfast, and they do not fear the hosts of maras. Because spiritual friends are their refuge, they increase all the factors of bodhi.

Why is this? Good man!

for spiritual friends can completely remove all hindrances, eradicate offenses, put an end to calamities, prevent evil, dispel the long dark night of ignorance, demolish the牢牢 prison of entrenched views, bring escape from the city of birth and death, enable one to leave the worldly household, cut through Māra’s net, extract the arrows of suffering, lead one away from the perilous place of ignorance, guide one out of the vast wilderness of wrong views, carry one beyond the stream of all modes of existence, separate one from deviant paths, point out the path to bodhi, teach the Dharma of the bodhisattvas, enable one to abide in the practices of bodhisattvas, direct one toward all-knowing wisdom, purify the eye of wisdom, increase the bodhi-mind, engender the mind of great compassion,

expound wondrous practices, teach the pāramitās, enable one to abandon evil friends, cause one to abide upon the various grounds, enable one to attain the various kinds of patience, cause one to cultivate roots of goodness, enable one to perfect all paths, bestow all great merit, enable one to reach the station of wisdom that knows all modes, cause one joyfully to accumulate merit, enable one gladly to cultivate all practices, guide one into the profound meaning, reveal the gateway of liberation, bring a complete end to the evil destinies, illuminate clearly with the light of Dharma, nourish with the rain of Dharma, enable one to extinguish all afflictions, cause one to abandon all attachments to views, increase all the wisdom of the Buddhas,

and enable one to abide in all the Dharma-gates of the Buddhas.
Good man! A spiritual friend is like a loving mother, because he gives birth to the lineage of the Buddhas; like a loving father, because he brings vast benefit; like a nurse, because he protects one from doing evil; like a teacher, because he instructs one in all that bodhisattvas should see and hear; like a guide, because he can point out the path of the pāramitās; like a skilled physician, because he can
cure the various illnesses of the afflictions; like the Snow Mountain, because he nurtures the medicinal herbs of all-knowing wisdom; like a valiant general, because he dispels every fear; like a ferryman, because he brings one out of the current of birth and death; and like a navigator, because he enables one to reach the jeweled island of wisdom.
Good man! You should constantly maintain right mindfulness and contemplate spiritual friends in this way.
Furthermore, good man! In serving all spiritual friends, you should arouse a mind like the great earth, because it bears heavy burdens without weariness; a mind like vajra, because its resolve is firm and indestructible; a mind like the encircling Iron Mountains, because no suffering can move it; a mind like an attendant, because it complies fully with every instruction; a mind like a disciple, because it does not oppose the teachings; a mind like a servant, because it never tires of any arduous task; a mind like a foster mother, because it endures hardships without weariness; a mind like a hired laborer, because it does not disobey commands; a mind like a remover of refuse, because it abandons all pride; a mind like ripened rice, because it can bow low;

a mind like a well-trained horse, because it is free from an evil disposition; a mind like a great cart, because it can carry heavy loads; a mind like a tamed elephant, because it always knows how to submit; a mind like Mount Sumeru, because it does not incline or move; a mind like a faithful dog, because it never harms its master; a mind like a caṇḍāla, because it remains far removed from every kind of arrogance; a mind like a gentle ox, because it is neither violent nor angry; a mind like a boat, because it travels back and forth without weariness; a mind like a bridge or ferry, because it carries beings across without fatigue; a mind like a filial child, because it obeys its parents; and a mind like a prince, because it faithfully carries out the royal command.
Furthermore, good man! You should regard your own body as afflicted by illness. You should regard the spiritual friend as the king of physicians. You should regard the Dharma taught by the spiritual friend as excellent medicine. You should regard the practice you undertake as the eradication of the illness.
Again, you should regard yourself as a traveler journeying afar. You should regard the spiritual friend as a guide. You should regard the Dharma taught by the spiritual friend as the right path. You should regard the practice you undertake as reaching the distant destination.
Again, you should conceive of yourself as seeking to cross over. You should regard the spiritual
friend as a navigator. You should regard the Dharma taught by the spiritual friend as the boat and oars. You should regard the practice you undertake as reaching the other shore.
Again, you should regard yourself as rice seedlings. You should regard the spiritual friend as a Dragon King. You should regard the Dharma taught by the spiritual friend as rain falling in due season. You should regard the practice you undertake as bringing the crop to maturity. Again, you should conceive of yourself as destitute. You should regard the spiritual friend as the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa. You should regard the Dharma taught by the spiritual friend as precious wealth. You should regard the practice you undertake as attaining riches.
Again, you should regard yourself as an apprentice. You should regard the spiritual friend as a skilled artisan. You should regard the Dharma taught by the spiritual friend as a skillful craft. You should regard the practice you undertake as thoroughly mastering it.
Again, you should regard yourself as being in a fearsome place. You should regard the spiritual friend as a mighty warrior. You should regard the Dharma taught by the spiritual friend as swords and staves. You should regard the practice you undertake as vanquishing hostile enemies.
Again, you should regard yourself as a merchant. You should regard the spiritual friend as a guide. You should regard the Dharma taught by the spiritual friend as precious jewels. You should regard the practice you undertake as gathering those jewels.
Again, you should regard yourself as a child. You should regard the spiritual friend as your parents. You should regard the Dharma taught by the spiritual friend as the family estate. You should regard the practice you undertake as carrying on the family inheritance.
Again, you should regard yourself as a prince. You should regard the spiritual friend as a great minister. You should regard the Dharma taught by the spiritual friend as the king’s command. You should regard the practice you undertake as donning the royal crown, wearing the royal robes, fastening the royal sash, and sitting in the royal hall.
Good man! You should arouse such a mind and contemplate in this way when drawing near to spiritual friends. Why is this? Because when you draw near to spiritual friends with such a mind, your resolve will ultimately become pure.
Furthermore, good man! Spiritual friends increase all roots of goodness, just as the Snow Mountain nurtures medicinal herbs.
Spiritual friends are vessels of the Buddha-Dharma, just as the great ocean receives all streams.
Spiritual friends are repositories of merit, just as the great ocean produces precious jewels.
Spiritual friends purify the bodhi-mind, just as a blazing fire can refine pure gold.
Spiritual friends transcend worldly dharmas, just as Mount Sumeru rises above the surface of the great ocean.
Spiritual friends are not defiled by or attached to worldly dharmas, just as the lotus flower is not tainted by water.
Spiritual friends do not harbor evil things, just as the great ocean does not retain corpses.
Spiritual friends increase all wholesome dharmas, just as the full moon’s radiance is complete.
Spiritual friends illuminate the Dharma-realm, just as the sun shines throughout the world.
Spiritual friends nurture the body of a bodhisattva, just as parents raise their children.
Good man!

In brief, if a great bodhisattva is able to follow the teachings of spiritual benefactors, he will attain ten countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of merits; purify ten countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of profound minds; cause ten countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of bodhisattva faculties to grow; purify ten countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of bodhisattva powers; eliminate ten countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of innumerable obstructions; transcend ten countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of innumerable realms of Mara; enter ten countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of innumerable Dharma gates; perfect ten countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of innumerable aids to the Path;

cultivate ten countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of innumerable wondrous practices; and bring forth ten countless hundreds of thousands of kotis of innumerable great vows.
Good man! I shall again speak briefly of all bodhisattva practices, all bodhisattva paramitas, all bodhisattva grounds, all bodhisattva patiences, all bodhisattva dharani gates, all bodhisattva samadhi gates, all bodhisattva wisdom and spiritual powers, all bodhisattva dedications of merit, and all bodhisattva vows. All bodhisattvas’ attainments in the Buddha-Dharma arise through the power of spiritual benefactors. They all take spiritual benefactors as their foundation; are born in reliance upon spiritual benefactors; emerge in reliance upon spiritual benefactors; grow in reliance upon spiritual benefactors; abide in reliance upon spiritual benefactors; take spiritual benefactors as their causes and conditions; and are brought forth by spiritual benefactors.
At that time, when the youth Sudhana heard that spiritual benefactors possessed such merits, could reveal and explain measurelessly many wondrous bodhisattva practices, and could bring to fulfillment measurelessly vast Buddha-Dharmas, he was filled with immense joy and gratitude. He bowed at the feet of Devasambhava and Srimati, circumambulated them countless times, gazed upon them earnestly, then bade farewell and departed.
Having heard the instructions of the spiritual benefactors, Sudhana let them permeate his heart and mind. Mindfully contemplating the practices of bodhisattvas, he proceeded toward the country of Samudrakaccha. Recalling that in past lives he had not cultivated the practice of reverence, he immediately resolved to strive diligently onward.

Recalling that in past lives his body and mind had not been pure, he immediately resolved to devote himself to cultivating and purifying them. Recalling that in past lives he had committed evil karma, he immediately resolved to guard against and eradicate it. Recalling that in past lives he had given rise to deluded thoughts, he immediately resolved always to contemplate rightly.

Recalling that in past lives he had cultivated solely for his own sake, he immediately resolved to make his mind vast and universally benefit sentient beings. Recalling that in past lives he had pursued objects of desire, continually exhausting and harming himself without the slightest benefit, he immediately resolved to cultivate the Buddha-Dharma and nurture his faculties so that he might attain peace and security. Recalling that in past lives he had entertained wrong thoughts concordant with delusion, he immediately resolved to give rise to right view and bring forth bodhisattva vows.

Recalling that in past lives he had labored day and night in the performance of evil deeds, he immediately resolved to bring forth great diligence and accomplish the Buddha-Dharma. Recalling that in past lives he had undergone birth within the five destinies, yet neither his own bodies nor those of others had brought any benefit, he immediately resolved to use his body to benefit sentient beings, accomplish the Buddha-Dharma, and serve all spiritual benefactors.

Reflecting in this way, his heart was filled with great joy.
Sudhana further contemplated that this body is a dwelling of all the sufferings of birth, aging, illness, and death. He vowed that throughout all future kalpas he would cultivate the bodhisattva path, teach and transform sentient beings, encounter all Tathagatas and accomplish the Buddha-Dharma, journey throughout all Buddha lands, serve all Dharma masters, preserve all teachings of the Buddhas, seek all Dharma companions, behold all spiritual benefactors, amass all Buddha-Dharmas, and become a cause and condition for all bodhisattvas’ bodies, vows, and wisdom.

As he reflected in this way, Sudhana’s immeasurable roots of goodness increased. He then placed utmost faith in and reverence toward all bodhisattvas, regarding them as rare and extraordinary and regarding them as great teachers. His faculties became pure, and his wholesome qualities increased.

He brought forth a mind of reverence and offerings toward all bodhisattvas; bowed and joined his palms before all bodhisattvas in every way; brought forth the eye with which all bodhisattvas universally behold the worlds; brought forth the mind with which all bodhisattvas universally remember sentient beings; manifested the immeasurable vow-born transformation bodies of all bodhisattvas; uttered sounds praising the purity of all bodhisattvas; and beheld all Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the past and present universally manifesting their attainment of the Path and transformations through spiritual powers everywhere, so that there was not even a place as minute as the tip of a hair where they did not universally appear.
Sudhana further attained the pure eye of luminous wisdom. He beheld the realms in which all bodhisattvas carry out their transforming activities; his mind entered throughout the web of lands in the ten directions; and his vows pervaded empty space and the Dharma realm, remaining equally present throughout the three periods of time without ever ceasing.
All the great benefits attained by Sudhana arose from faithfully accepting the teachings of spiritual benefactors.
Upon reaching the country of Samudrakaccha, Sudhana, with such reverence, such offerings, such praises, such contemplation, such power of vows, such mindfulness, and such immeasurable spheres of wisdom, prostrated with his five limbs to the ground before the great pavilion called Vairocana’s Treasury of Adornments. For a moment, he gathered his thoughts and contemplated attentively.
Through the power of his great vows, profound faith, and understanding, he entered the gate of wisdom universally equal in all places and manifested his body everywhere: before all Tathagatas; before all bodhisattvas; before the stupas and shrines of all Buddhas; before all images of the Buddhas; before every dwelling place of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas; before all precious Dharma treasures; and before all sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and their stupas and shrines.

He also manifested his body before all assemblies of sages who are fields of merit, before all fathers and mothers, and before all sentient beings throughout the ten directions. In every place, the youth Sudhana paid reverence, bowed, and offered praise without rest throughout all future ages: equal to empty space because it has no boundary; equal to the universal Dharma realm because it is unobstructed; equal to ultimate reality because it is present everywhere; equal to the Tathagata because it is free from discrimination; like a shadow because it appears in accordance with wisdom; like a dream because it arises from thought; like a reflected image because it manifests everything; like an echo because it arises in accordance with conditions;

unborn because arising and cessation unfold in succession; and devoid of intrinsic nature because it turns in accordance with conditions.
He further knew with certainty that all retribution arises from karma; all effects arise from causes; all karma arises from habituation; the appearance of all Buddhas in the world arises from faith; all manifested offerings arise from definitive understanding; all transformation Buddhas arise from a mind of reverence; all Buddha-Dharmas arise from roots of goodness; all transformation bodies arise from skillful means; all Buddha-works arise from great vows; all bodhisattva practices arise from dedication of merit; and all vast adornments of the Dharma realm arise from the sphere of omniscience.
By abandoning the view of annihilation, one knows dedication of merit; by abandoning the view of permanence, one knows non-arising; by abandoning the view that there is no cause, one knows the true cause; by abandoning inverted views, one knows the principle of things as they truly are; by abandoning the view of an autonomous creator, one knows that things do not arise through another; by abandoning views of self and other, one knows that things arise through conditions; by abandoning extreme views, one knows the boundless Dharma realm; by abandoning the view of coming and going, one knows that things are like reflected images; by abandoning views of existence and nonexistence, one knows that things neither arise nor cease;

by abandoning views concerning all dharmas, one knows emptiness and non-arising, knows that things are not autonomous, and knows that they arise through the power of vows; by abandoning views of all characteristics, one enters the realm of signlessness.

For they know that all dharmas are like seeds sprouting and like characters appearing in an imprint; they know material substance to be like an image, sounds like echoes, objects like dreams, and karma like an illusion; they understand that worlds are manifested by mind and effects arise from causes; they understand that retributions result from accumulated karma; and they clearly know that all dharmas and virtues flow forth from the bodhisattvas’ skillful means.
Having entered such wisdom, the youth Sudhana single-mindedly maintained pure mindfulness. Before the tower, he prostrated himself with his body touching the ground, while immeasurable roots of goodness flowed forth, making his body and mind cool, refreshed, and at ease. He then arose, gazed single-mindedly without blinking, joined his palms, and circumambulated it countless times, thinking to himself:
This great tower is the dwelling place of those who have penetrated emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; the dwelling place of those who make no distinctions among any dharmas; the dwelling place of those who understand that the Dharma realm is without differentiation; the dwelling place of those who know that no sentient being can be apprehended; the dwelling place of those who know that all dharmas are unborn; the dwelling place of those who do not crave or cling to anything in the world; the dwelling place of those who do not crave or cling to any dwelling; the dwelling place of those who delight in no village or settlement; the dwelling place of those who rely on no object or realm; the dwelling place of those who have abandoned all conceptions;

the dwelling place of those who know that all dharmas lack inherent nature; the dwelling place of those who have ended all discriminative karma; the dwelling place of those who have abandoned all conception, mind, mentation, and consciousness; the dwelling place of those who neither
leave nor enter any path; the dwelling place of those who enter all the profound dharmas of prajnaparamita; the dwelling place of those who, through skillful means, can abide in the universally accessible Dharma realm; the dwelling place of those who extinguish all fires of affliction; the dwelling place of those who, through superior wisdom, eliminate all views, craving, and conceit; the dwelling place of those who give rise to all samadhis, meditative absorptions, liberations, superknowledges, and masteries therein; the dwelling place of those who contemplate all realms of bodhisattva samadhi; the dwelling place in which all Tathagatas abide; the dwelling place of those who place one kalpa within all kalpas and all kalpas within one kalpa without destroying the characteristics of time;

the dwelling place of those who place one world within all worlds and all worlds within one world without disrupting the characteristics of space; the dwelling place of those who place one dharma within all dharmas and all dharmas within one dharma without destroying the characteristics of dharmas; the dwelling place of those who place one sentient being within all sentient beings and all sentient beings within one sentient being without destroying the characteristics of sentient beings; the dwelling place of those who place one Buddha within all Buddhas and all Buddhas within one Buddha, while knowing all three periods of time; the dwelling place of those who, in a single thought, travel to all lands; the dwelling place of those who manifest their bodies before all sentient beings;

the dwelling place of those whose minds constantly benefit all worlds; the dwelling place of those who can reach all places universally; the dwelling place of those who, though liberated from every world, constantly manifest bodies within the world in order to guide sentient beings; the dwelling place of those who, though grasping at no land, journey through all lands in order to make offerings to the Buddhas; the dwelling place of those who, without moving from where they are, can reach and adorn all Buddha lands; the dwelling place of those who draw near to all Buddhas without conceiving of Buddhas; the dwelling place of those who rely upon all spiritual benefactors without forming clinging conceptions concerning spiritual benefactors;

the dwelling place of those who dwell in all palaces of Mara without becoming defiled by objects of desire; the dwelling place of those who have forever abandoned all mental conceptions; the dwelling place of those who, though manifesting bodies among all sentient beings, hold no notion of self and others as separate and different; the dwelling place of those who can enter all worlds universally without conceiving distinctions within the Dharma realm; the dwelling place of those who vow to abide throughout all future kalpas without conceiving their number as long or short; the dwelling place of those who, without departing even a hair-tip’s breadth from where they dwell, manifest bodies throughout all worlds;

the dwelling place of those who can expound dharmas that are difficult to encounter
and difficult to hear; the dwelling place of those who can abide in dharmas difficult to know, profound dharmas, nondual dharmas, signless dharmas, dharmas without counteraction, dharmas in which nothing can be apprehended, and dharmas free from conceptual proliferation; the dwelling place of those who abide in great loving-kindness and great compassion; the dwelling place of those who have forever transcended all wisdom of the Two Vehicles, surpassed all realms of Mara, remained undefiled by worldly dharmas, reached the shore attained by bodhisattvas, and come to abide where the Tathagatas abide;

the dwelling place of those who, though free from all characteristics, do not enter the fixed position of the shravakas, and though understanding that all dharmas are unborn, do not abide in the unborn nature of dharmas; the dwelling place of those who, though contemplating impurity, do not realize the dharma of freedom from desire and yet are not associated with desire; who, though cultivating loving-kindness, do not realize the dharma of freedom from anger and yet are not associated with anger; and who, though contemplating dependent origination, do not realize the dharma of freedom from delusion and yet are not associated with delusion; the dwelling place of those who, though abiding in the four meditative absorptions, are not reborn through those absorptions;

who, though cultivating the four immeasurable minds, are not reborn in the form realm because they guide sentient beings; and who, though cultivating the four formless concentrations, do not abide in the formless realm because of their great compassion; the dwelling place of those who, though diligently cultivating tranquility and insight, do not realize the fruit of liberation because they guide sentient beings, and though practicing equanimity, do not abandon the guidance of sentient beings; the dwelling place of those who, though contemplating emptiness, do not give rise to the view of emptiness; who, though practicing signlessness, constantly teach and transform sentient beings attached to characteristics;

and who, though practicing wishlessness, do not abandon the vows and practices of bodhi; the dwelling place of those who, though remaining sovereign amid all karma and afflictions, accord with karma and afflictions in order to guide sentient beings; who, though beyond birth and death, manifest undergoing birth and death in order to guide sentient beings; and who, though free from all modes of existence, manifest entering the various realms in order to guide sentient beings; the dwelling place of those who, though practicing loving-kindness, are not emotionally attached to sentient beings; who, though practicing compassion, do not cling to sentient beings; who, though practicing sympathetic joy, constantly cherish suffering sentient beings;

and who, though practicing equanimity, do not abandon benefiting others; the dwelling place of those who, though practicing the nine successive concentrations, are not weary of being born in the desire realm; who, though knowing all dharmas to be neither born nor destroyed, do not actualize the ultimate reality; who, though entering the three gates of liberation, do not grasp the shravakas’ fruit of liberation; who, though contemplating the Four Noble Truths, do not abide in the fruit of the Lesser Vehicle; who, though contemplating profound dependent origination, do not abide in ultimate quiescence; who, though cultivating the Noble Eightfold Path, do not seek to escape the world forever; who, though transcending the stage of ordinary beings, do not fall into
the stages of shravakas or pratyekabuddhas; who, though examining the five clinging skandhas, do not utterly extinguish the skandhas; who, though transcending the four Maras, make no distinctions concerning the Maras; who, though not grasping the six ayatanas, do not utterly sever the six ayatanas; who, though abiding in suchness, do not fall into ultimate reality; and who, though teaching all vehicles, do not abandon the Great Vehicle.
This great tower is the dwelling place of all those endowed with such virtues. At that time, the youth Sudhana spoke these verses:
This tower is the dwelling place of
Maitreya, who benefits the world,
Consecrated through great compassion and pure wisdom,
A Dharma prince who enters the Tathagata’s realm.
All renowned children of the Buddhas
Have entered the Great Vehicle’s gate of liberation;
They journey through the Dharma realm with undefiled minds—
Those peerless ones dwell within this tower.
Giving, moral discipline, patience, vigor, meditation,
Wisdom, and skillful means,
Vows, powers, and superknowledges—
The paramitas of the Great Vehicle—
Those who have perfected them dwell within this tower.

Wisdom vast as empty space,
Universally knowing all dharmas of the three times,
Unobstructed, unsupported, and grasping nothing—
Those who clearly know all realms dwell in this tower.
Skillfully knowing all dharmas
To be without nature, unborn, and without support,
Free as a bird flying through the sky—
Those of great wisdom dwell in this tower.
Clearly knowing the true nature of the three poisons
And discerning the conditions from which delusion arises,
Yet neither wearying of them nor seeking escape—
Those who are quiescent dwell in this tower.
The three gates of liberation, the Noble Eightfold Path,
The skandhas, ayatanas, dhatus, and dependent origination—
Skillfully contemplating them all without entering cessation,
Those endowed with such skillful means dwell in this tower.
The lands and sentient beings of the ten directions
They contemplate entirely with unobstructed wisdom;
Knowing their nature to be empty, they make no distinctions—
Those who realize quiescent cessation dwell in this tower.
Traveling everywhere throughout the Dharma realm without obstruction,
Yet finding no inherent nature of traveling;
Like the wind in space, having nowhere it goes—
Those who rely on nothing dwell in this tower.
Seeing everywhere the beings in the evil destinies,
Suffering bitter torments with nowhere to turn,
They radiate compassionate light that dispels them all—
Those of loving-kindness and compassion dwell in this tower.
Seeing sentient beings who have lost the right path,
Like blind persons traveling a perilous road,
They guide them directly into the city of liberation—
Those who are spiritual guides dwell in this tower.
Seeing sentient beings caught in Mara’s net,
Constantly oppressed by birth, aging, sickness, and death,
They rescue them from suffering and bring them peace and joy—
Those of heroic courage dwell in this tower.
Seeing sentient beings burdened by afflictions,
They give rise to a vast heart of compassion
And dispel them all with the medicine of wisdom—
Those who are Kings of Physicians dwell in this tower.
Seeing sentient beings submerged in the ocean of existence,
Drifting and enduring the many sufferings of birth and death,
They rescue them all with the vessel of Dharma—
Those skilled in ferrying beings across dwell in this tower.
Seeing sentient beings in the ocean of delusion
Who are able to generate the precious bodhi-mind,
They enter that ocean to rescue them all—
Those skilled in saving beings dwell in this tower.
Always with the twin eyes of great loving-kindness and compassion,
They contemplate all sentient beings everywhere
And rescue them from the ocean of birth and death—
Those who are Kings of the Garudas dwell in this tower.
Like the orbs of sun and moon in empty space,
Illuminating all the worlds,
The light of their wisdom is likewise—
Those who illuminate the world dwell in this tower.
To liberate even one sentient being, a bodhisattva
Labors throughout immeasurable kalpas of the future;
As with one being, so it is with all—
Those who save the world dwell in this tower.
They rescue sentient beings in a single land
Until the end of future kalpas, never resting;
In each and every land it is likewise—
Those who are steadfast dwell in this tower.
The true Dharma expounded by all Buddhas
The bodhisattvas hear and receive in its entirety;
Throughout all future kalpas they do likewise—
Those who are oceans of wisdom dwell in this tower.
They journey throughout every ocean of worlds,
Enter every ocean of bodhimandas,
And make offerings to every ocean of Tathagatas—
Those who practice dwell in this tower.
They cultivate every ocean of wondrous practices
And bring forth boundless oceans of great vows;
Thus they pass through oceans of kalpas—
Those endowed with merit dwell in this tower.
Within the tip of a single hair are immeasurable lands,
Countless Buddhas, sentient beings, and kalpas;
They clearly see them all, universally and completely—
Those whose vision is unobstructed dwell in this tower.
In a single thought they encompass boundless kalpas,
Their lands, Buddhas, and sentient beings;
With unobstructed wisdom they know them correctly—
Those replete with virtue dwell in this tower.
If the lands of the ten directions were ground into dust,
And all the great oceans measured with the tip of a hair,
The bodhisattvas’ vows would equal them in number—
Those who are unobstructed dwell in this tower.
Accomplishing the gates of samadhi and dharani,
Great vows, meditative concentrations, and liberations,
They abide in each one for boundless kalpas—
Those who are true children of the Buddha dwell in this tower.
Immeasurable and boundless children of the Buddha
Constantly expound the Dharma to liberate sentient beings;
They also teach the various arts and skills of the world—
Those who practice dwell in this tower.
Accomplishing spiritual powers and wisdom of skillful means,
They cultivate wondrous Dharma gates that are like illusions;
They manifest birth throughout the five destinies of the ten directions—
Those who are unobstructed dwell in this tower.
From the moment bodhisattvas first generate the aspiration,
They fully cultivate all practices;
Their immeasurable transformation bodies pervade the Dharma realm—
Those endowed with spiritual power dwell in this tower.
In a single thought they accomplish the path to bodhi
And universally perform boundless deeds of wisdom;
The sentiments and thoughts of worldly beings cannot fathom them—
Those who are inconceivable dwell in this tower.
Accomplishing spiritual powers without obstruction,
They travel everywhere throughout the Dharma realm,
Yet in their minds have never apprehended anything—
Those of pure wisdom dwell in this tower.
Bodhisattvas cultivate unobstructed wisdom,
Entering all lands without defilement or attachment;
With nondual wisdom they illuminate everywhere—
Those who are selfless dwell in this tower.
Clearly knowing that all dharmas have no support,
That their original nature is quiescent, like empty space,
They always move within such a realm—
Those free from defilement dwell in this tower.
Seeing everywhere sentient beings undergoing hardship and suffering,
They arouse great loving-kindness and great wisdom,
Vowing always to benefit all worlds—
Those of great compassion dwell in this tower.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Manifest everywhere before sentient beings,
Like the orbs of sun and moon,
Universally dispelling the darkness of the world.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Accord universally with the minds of sentient beings,
Manifesting immeasurable bodies
That fill the lands of the ten directions.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Journey throughout all worlds
To every place where a Tathagata abides
For immeasurable, countless kalpas.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Examine and fathom the Buddha-Dharma
For immeasurable, countless kalpas,
Their minds never growing weary.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Enter samadhi in every thought;
Within each and every gate of samadhi
They clearly reveal the realm of the Buddhas.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Know all lands completely,
And throughout immeasurable, countless kalpas,
The names of Buddhas and sentient beings.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Encompass all kalpas in a single thought,
Merely according with the minds of sentient beings,
Without conceptual discrimination.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Cultivate all samadhis;
Within each and every thought
They clearly know the dharmas of the three times.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Sit cross-legged, their bodies unmoving,
Yet manifest throughout all lands
Among beings of every kind.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Drink from all oceans of the Buddha-Dharma,
Enter deeply the ocean of wisdom,
And are replete with the ocean of merit.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Clearly know the number of all lands,
The number of worlds and sentient beings,
And likewise the names of the Buddhas.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
In a single thought clearly know
Which lands throughout the three times
Come into being or pass into destruction.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Clearly know the Buddhas’ practices and vows,
The practices cultivated by bodhisattvas,
And sentient beings’ faculties, natures, and inclinations.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
See within a single mote of dust
Immeasurable lands and bodhimandas,
Sentient beings and kalpas.
As within a single mote of dust,
So it is within every mote of dust;
All things are fully present,
Everywhere without obstruction.
The children of the Buddha who abide here
Universally contemplate all dharmas,
Sentient beings, lands, and worlds
As unborn and without existence.
They contemplate sentient beings,
The true Dharma and the Tathagatas,
Lands and aspirations,
All as equal throughout the three times.
The children of the Buddha who dwell in this tower
Teach and transform all sentient beings,
Make offerings to all Tathagatas,
And contemplate the nature of all dharmas.
For immeasurable thousands of myriads of kalpas,
They cultivate vows, wisdom, and practices,
So vast as to be beyond measure;
Their praises can never be exhausted.
Those of great heroic courage,
Whose deeds are without obstruction,
Abide peacefully herein;
With palms joined, I bow in reverence.
Eldest Son of all the Buddhas,
The virtuous Bodhisattva Maitreya,
I now bow to you in reverence;
I beseech you to regard me with compassion.

After praising the bodhisattvas dwelling within the great tower of the Adorned Treasury of Vairocana with immeasurable Dharma verses of praise for bodhisattvas, the youth Sudhana reverently bowed down. Single-mindedly aspiring to behold Bodhisattva Maitreya so that he might draw near and make offerings to him, he then saw the great Bodhisattva Maitreya arriving from another place. He was accompanied by immeasurable hosts of the eight classes of beings—devas, nagas, Shakra, Brahma kings, and the Four Heavenly Kings—together with immeasurable retinues, assemblies of brahmins, and countless hundreds of thousands of sentient beings. Following Bodhisattva Maitreya, they all proceeded toward the great tower of the Adorned Treasury.

Sudhana was overwhelmed with joy and prostrated himself upon the ground.

Bodhisattva Maitreya beheld the youth Sudhana, pointed him out to the great assembly, praised Sudhana’s merit, and then spoke these verses: