大方廣佛華嚴經

Chapter 39: ENTRY INTO THE DHARMA REALM (Part 21)

At that time, following the instructions of Bodhisattva Maitreya, Sudhana successively passed through more than one hundred and ten cities until he reached the city of Sumana in the land of Universal Gateway. At the city gate, he recollected the great being Manjusri, looking everywhere and searching throughout, hoping to meet and reverently serve him.
At that time, from afar, Bodhisattva Manjusri extended his right hand over one hundred and ten yojanas, placed it upon the head of the youth Sudhana, and said:
“Excellent! Excellent, good man! If one abandons the faculty of faith, the mind becomes weak, fearful, and remorseful; one’s practices cannot be perfected; one retreats from diligence; one’s mind becomes attached to a single root of goodness; one considers even a small measure of merit sufficient; one cannot bring forth practices and vows; one is not gathered in and sustained by spiritual benefactors; one is not kept in mind by the Tathagatas; and one cannot know such Dharma-nature, such principles and meanings, such Dharma gates, such practices, and such states.

Whether it be comprehensive knowledge, extensive knowledge, fathoming their ultimate source and depths, clear understanding, entering and progressing toward them, discerning liberation, realizing and knowing, or attaining realization—none of these can be accomplished.” Bodhisattva Manjusri expounded this Dharma for Sudhana, bringing him benefit and joy and enabling him to accomplish innumerable Dharma gates and become replete with the immeasurable light of great wisdom.

He enabled him to attain boundless dharanis, boundless vows, boundless samadhis, boundless spiritual powers, and boundless wisdom, and caused him to enter the bodhimanda of Samantabhadra’s practices.
Then, leaving Sudhana where he was, Bodhisattva Manjusri withdrew his spiritual power and disappeared.
Sudhana contemplated and observed, single-mindedly aspiring to see Bodhisattva Manjusri and also wishing to see spiritual benefactors as numerous as the motes of dust in a great trichiliocosm, so that he might draw near to them, honor them, serve them, and follow their teachings without opposition; increase his aspiration for all wisdom; expand the ocean of great compassion; augment the clouds of great loving-kindness; universally contemplate all beings and give rise to a joyful mind; abide in the bodhisattvas’ Dharma gate of quiescence; range throughout all vast states; study all the vast virtues of the Buddhas; enter all the Buddhas’ definitive knowledge and vision; increase the auxiliary Dharmas leading to all-knowledge; skillfully cultivate the profound minds of all bodhisattvas;

know the sequence in which the Buddhas of the three periods appear in the world; enter the ocean of all Dharmas; turn the wheel of every Dharma; take birth in all worlds; enter all the oceans of bodhisattva vows; abide throughout all kalpas and cultivate bodhisattva practices; clearly illuminate every state of the Tathagatas; nurture all the faculties of every Tathagata; attain the pure light of all-knowledge and illuminate the ten directions universally; dispel all darkness and obstructions; universally know the Dharma realm; manifest his own body throughout all lands and among all kinds of beings; overcome every obstruction; universally enter the unobstructed; abide on the ground of the equality of the Dharma realm; contemplate Samantabhadra’s state of liberation;

and hear the name, practices, and vows of the great Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

He also wished to hear of the auxiliary path, the right path, the grounds of the bodhisattva stages, the ground of skillful means, the ground of entry, the ground of superior progress, the ground of abiding, the ground of cultivation, the ground of states, and the ground of awesome power, while abiding in ardent longing for them all.
Wishing to see Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, Sudhana went before the lion throne of Tathagata Vairocana within the treasury of the Vajra Bodhimanda, atop the precious Lotus Treasury Throne. There he brought forth a mind as vast as the realm of space; an unobstructed mind that relinquished all lands and was free from every attachment; an unobstructed mind that coursed within all unobstructed Dharmas; an unobstructed mind that universally entered all the oceans of the ten directions; a pure mind that entered the state of all-knowledge; a penetrating mind that contemplated the adornments of the bodhimanda; a vast mind that entered all oceans of the Buddhadharma; an omnipresent mind that transformed and liberated all realms of beings; an immeasurable mind that purified all Buddha lands;

an inexhaustible mind that abided throughout all kalpas; and an ultimate mind directed toward the Tathagata’s Ten Powers.
When the youth Sudhana brought forth such minds, through the power of his own roots of goodness, the sustaining power of all the Tathagatas, and the power of the roots of goodness he shared with Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, he beheld ten auspicious signs.
He saw all Buddha lands purified and all Tathagatas attaining perfect enlightenment; he saw all Buddha lands purified and free from the evil destinies; he saw all Buddha lands purified and adorned with exquisite lotus flowers; he saw all Buddha lands purified, with the bodies and minds of all beings made pure; he saw all Buddha lands purified and adorned with precious jewels; he saw all Buddha lands purified, with all beings adorned by the characteristics of their bodies; he saw all Buddha lands purified, with clouds of adornments forming canopies above them; he saw all Buddha lands purified, with all beings cherishing and benefiting one another and never harming one another; he saw all Buddha lands purified, with their bodhimandas magnificently adorned;

and he saw all Buddha lands purified, with the minds of all beings constantly mindful of the Buddha.
Sudhana further beheld ten signs of light. He saw that from every mote of dust in all worlds there arose clouds forming nets of light belonging to Buddhas as numerous as the motes of dust in all worlds, illuminating everywhere. From every mote of dust there arose clouds of Buddha light as numerous as the motes of dust in all worlds, displaying diverse colors and forms throughout the Dharma realm.

From every mote of dust there arose clouds of precious, colored images of Buddhas as numerous as the motes of dust in all worlds, appearing throughout the Dharma realm. From every mote of dust there arose radiant clouds of Buddhas as numerous as the motes of dust in all worlds, appearing throughout the Dharma realm. From every mote of dust there arose clouds of sublime fragrances as numerous as the motes of dust in all worlds, manifesting throughout the ten directions and praising the ocean of virtues within all the practices and vows of Samantabhadra.

From every mote of dust there arose clouds of suns, moons, and stars as numerous as the motes of dust in all worlds, each emitting the light of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra and illuminating the Dharma realm universally. From every mote of dust there arose clouds bearing the bodily images of all beings, as numerous as the motes of dust in all worlds, emitting Buddha light that illuminated the Dharma realm universally. From every mote of dust there arose clouds of mani jewels bearing the colored images of all Buddhas, as numerous as the motes of dust in countless worlds, appearing throughout the Dharma realm.

From every mote of dust there arose clouds bearing the bodily images of bodhisattvas, as numerous as the motes of dust in all worlds, filling the Dharma realm and enabling all beings to attain deliverance and completely fulfill all their aspirations. From every mote of dust there arose clouds bearing the bodily images of Tathagatas, as numerous as the motes of dust in all worlds, proclaiming throughout the Dharma realm the vast vows of all Buddhas.
At that time, the youth Sudhana gathered in all his faculties and single-mindedly sought to see Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. He brought forth a mind of great diligence that never retreated. With the universal eye, he contemplated the states of all Buddhas and the assemblies of bodhisattvas manifested throughout the ten directions, and in every case conceived that he was beholding Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. With the eye of wisdom, he contemplated the path of Samantabhadra. His mind was as vast as space, and his great compassion was as firm as vajra. He vowed that until the end of future time he would always follow Samantabhadra, accord with and cultivate Samantabhadra’s practices in every thought, accomplish wisdom, enter the state of the Tathagatas, and abide on the ground of Samantabhadra.

At that time, the youth Sudhana immediately beheld Bodhisattva Samantabhadra in the assembly before the Tathagata, seated upon a precious lotus lion throne, surrounded by an exceedingly majestic assembly of bodhisattvas, incomparable in all the worlds. His realm of wisdom was measureless and boundless, difficult to fathom and difficult to conceive, equal to that of the Buddhas of the three times, and beyond the contemplation of all bodhisattvas.

He saw that from every pore of Samantabhadra’s body there issued clouds of light as numerous as the dust motes in all worlds, appearing throughout the Dharma realm, the realm of space, and all worlds, extinguishing all the sufferings and afflictions of sentient beings and causing the bodhisattvas to give rise to great joy; he saw that from every pore there issued clouds of light bearing various fragrances, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, perfuming all the assemblies at the bodhimandas of the Buddhas throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space;

he saw that from every pore there issued clouds of various flowers, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, scattering all kinds of beautiful fresh flowers throughout the assemblies at the bodhimandas of all Buddhas throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space; he saw that from every pore there issued clouds of incense trees, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, scattering all kinds of incense throughout the assemblies at the bodhimandas of all Buddhas throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space;

he saw that from every pore there issued clouds of beautiful garments, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, scattering beautiful garments throughout the assemblies at the bodhimandas of all Buddhas throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space; he saw that from every pore there issued clouds of precious trees, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, scattering mani jewels throughout the assemblies at the bodhimandas of the Buddhas throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space; he saw that from every pore there issued clouds of bodies of devas of the Form Realm, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, filling the Dharma realm and praising the aspiration for bodhi; he saw that from every pore
there issued clouds of bodies of Brahma devas, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, entreating the Tathagatas to turn the wondrous Dharma wheel; he saw that from every pore there issued clouds of heavenly kings of the Desire Realm, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, safeguarding the Dharma wheels of all Tathagatas; he saw that from every pore, in each thought, there issued clouds of Buddha lands of the three times, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, appearing throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space, serving as a refuge for sentient beings who had no refuge, as a shelter for those who had no shelter, and as a support for those who had no support;

he saw that from every pore, in each thought, there issued clouds of pure Buddha lands, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, appearing throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space, within which all Buddhas appeared in the world and assemblies of bodhisattvas completely filled them; he saw that from every pore, in each thought, there issued clouds of Buddha lands both pure and impure, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, appearing throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space, causing all sentient beings defiled by mixed impurities to become purified;

he saw that from every pore, in each thought, there issued clouds of Buddha lands both impure and pure, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, appearing throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space, causing all sentient beings steeped entirely in defilement to become purified; he saw that from every pore, in each thought, there issued clouds of bodies of sentient beings, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, appearing throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space, teaching and transforming sentient beings according to what was appropriate and causing them all to arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi;

he saw that from every pore, in each thought, there issued clouds of bodhisattva bodies, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, appearing throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space, extolling the names of the Buddhas and causing sentient beings to increase their roots of goodness; he saw that from every pore, in each thought, there issued clouds of bodhisattva bodies, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, appearing throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space, proclaiming all the roots of goodness generated by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas from the time they first aroused the aspiration for bodhi;

he saw that from every pore, in each thought, there issued clouds of bodhisattva bodies, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, appearing throughout the Dharma realm and the realm of space, proclaiming in each Buddha land among all Buddha lands the ocean of vows of all bodhisattvas and the wondrous, pure practices of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra; he saw that from every
pore, in each thought, there issued clouds of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra’s practices, causing the minds of all sentient beings to become fulfilled and enabling them to cultivate fully the path to omniscience; he saw that from every pore there issued clouds of bodies of those who had attained perfect enlightenment, as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha lands, manifesting the attainment of perfect enlightenment in every Buddha land, causing the bodhisattvas to increase the Dharma of the Great Vehicle and attain omniscience.
At that time, when Sudhana beheld such a realm of sovereign spiritual powers belonging to Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, his body and mind rejoiced, and his exultation was immeasurable.
He further saw within every pore on Samantabhadra’s body great trichiliocosms, wind disks, water disks, earth disks, fire disks, oceans, rivers and streams, precious mountains, Mount Sumeru, cities and settlements, palaces, gardens and groves, all the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, King Yama, the eight classes of devas, nagas, humans, and nonhumans, the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, the Formless Realm, the sun, moon, constellations, winds, clouds, thunder, lightning, days, nights, months, hours, years, and kalpas, Buddhas appearing in the world, assemblies of bodhisattvas, and adorned bodhimandas. All such things he saw distinctly.
Just as he distinctly saw them in this world, so too did he distinctly see all worlds throughout the ten directions.
Just as he saw the present worlds throughout the ten directions, so too did he see all worlds of the past and future, yet they did not intermingle with one another.
Just as such spiritual powers were manifested in the presence of Tathagata Vairocana, so too were the same spiritual powers manifested in the presence of Buddha Bhadramukha in the Lotus Virtue World in the eastern direction.
As it was in all worlds throughout the ten directions, so too was it in all Buddha lands throughout the ten directions: within every dust mote there were Dharma-realm assemblies of the Buddhas, and in the presence of each Buddha, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra sat upon a precious lotus lion throne and manifested spiritual powers in precisely the same manner.
Within the body of each Bodhisattva Samantabhadra were manifested all realms, all Buddha lands, all sentient beings, the appearance of all Buddhas, all assemblies of bodhisattvas; there were heard the speech and voices of all sentient beings and the speech and voices of all Buddhas; and there were manifested the Dharma wheels turned by all Tathagatas, the practices accomplished by all bodhisattvas, and the sovereign spiritual powers of all Tathagatas.
When the youth Sudhana beheld such immeasurable, inconceivable powers of great spiritual penetration belonging to Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, he immediately attained ten kinds of wisdom-paramita. They were:
The wisdom-paramita that, in every thought, enables one to travel throughout all Buddha lands.
1. The wisdom-paramita that, in every thought, enables one to reach the presence of all Buddhas.
2. The wisdom-paramita that, in every thought, enables one to make offerings to all Tathagatas.
3. The wisdom-paramita that, in every thought, enables one to be present everywhere before all Tathagatas to hear and retain the Dharma.
4. The wisdom-paramita that, in every thought, contemplates the Dharma wheels of all Tathagatas.
5. The wisdom-paramita that, in every thought, knows the inconceivable great spiritual powers of all Buddhas.
6. The wisdom-paramita that, in every thought, expounds a single sentence of Dharma with inexhaustible eloquence until the utmost reaches of the future.

7. In each thought, the Perfection of Wisdom employs profound prajnaparamita to contemplate all dharmas.
8. In each thought, the Perfection of Wisdom enters the great ocean of the true characteristics of all dharmas.
9. In each thought, the Perfection of Wisdom knows the minds of all sentient beings.
10. In each thought, the wisdom-practice of Samantabhadra is wholly manifest before him.

After Sudhana had attained these ten perfections of wisdom, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra immediately raised his right hand and stroked Sudhana’s head.

When his head was stroked, Sudhana immediately attained samadhi-gates as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands, each samadhi having as its retinue samadhis as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands.

Within each and every samadhi, he saw great oceans of Buddhas as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands, such as he had never seen before; accumulated provisions for the path to omniscience as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands; brought forth supreme and wondrous dharmas of omniscience as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands; made great vows for omniscience as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands; entered oceans of great vows as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands; and abided in essential paths to omniscience as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands.

He cultivated the practices of bodhisattvas as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands; aroused great vigor toward omniscience as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands; and attained pure lights of omniscience as numerous as the motes of dust in all Buddha-lands.

Just as, in this Saha world at the dwelling place of the Buddha Vairocana, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra stroked Sudhana’s head, so too was it throughout all worlds in the ten directions. Within every mote of dust in those worlds, in all worlds and at all places where Buddhas dwelt, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra likewise stroked Sudhana’s head, and the Dharma-gates he realized were also the same.

At that time, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra said to the youth Sudhana:

“Good man, do you see my spiritual power?”

Sudhana replied:

“Yes, Venerable One! These vast and inconceivable manifestations of spiritual power can be known only by the Tathagata.”

Bodhisattva Samantabhadra said:

“Good man, in the past, throughout kalpas as numerous as the motes of dust in innumerable Buddha-lands, I practiced the bodhisattva conduct and sought omniscience. In each and every kalpa, wishing to purify the mind of bodhi, I reverently attended Buddhas as numerous as the motes of dust in innumerable Buddha-lands.

“In each and every kalpa, in order to accumulate the merit and virtue of omniscience, I established vast assemblies of giving as numerous as the motes of dust in innumerable Buddha-lands, causing all the worlds to hear and know of them. Whoever came seeking anything, I enabled them all to obtain complete fulfillment.

“In each and every kalpa, in order to seek the Dharma of omniscience, I gave away possessions as numerous as the motes of dust in innumerable Buddha-lands.

“In each and every kalpa, in order to seek the wisdom of the Buddhas, I gave away cities, towns, villages, kingdoms, royal thrones, wives, children, retinues, eyes, ears, noses, tongues, bodies, flesh, hands, feet, and even lives as numerous as the motes of dust in innumerable Buddha-lands.

“In each and every kalpa, in order to seek the supreme state of omniscience, I gave away heads as numerous as the motes of dust in innumerable Buddha-lands.

“In each and every kalpa, in order to seek omniscience, in the presence of Tathagatas as numerous as the motes of dust in innumerable Buddha-lands, I showed reverence and respect, attended upon and made offerings to them, providing in full clothing, bedding, food, drink, medicines, and all necessities. I then left the household life to study the Way, cultivating the Buddha-Dharma and safeguarding its teaching.

“Good man, throughout all those oceans of kalpas, I recall that never for a single thought did I fail to accord with the Buddha’s teachings; never for a single thought did I give rise to anger or the wish to harm; nor for a single thought did I give rise to notions of self or possessions of self, discrimination between oneself and others, a mind that departed from bodhi, a mind weary of birth and death, laziness, obstruction, or delusion. I abided solely in the indestructible mind of great, unsurpassed bodhi and accumulated the provisions for the path to omniscience.

“Good man, I adorned Buddha-lands, rescued and protected sentient beings with a mind of great compassion, taught and brought them to accomplishment, made offerings to the Buddhas, and reverently attended spiritual benefactors. In order to seek the true Dharma, I expounded and upheld it everywhere. I was able to relinquish everything, both my body and external possessions, without begrudging even my life.

“If an ocean of kalpas were spent recounting these causes and conditions, the ocean of kalpas might come to an end, but those causes and conditions would never be exhausted.

“Good man, within my ocean of Dharma, there is not a single word or sentence that was not obtained by relinquishing the throne of a wheel-turning king, nor any that was not obtained by giving away everything I possessed.

“Good man, every Dharma I sought was for the sake of rescuing all sentient beings. With single-minded thought, I wished that sentient beings might hear this Dharma. I vowed to illuminate all worlds with the light of wisdom. I vowed to reveal and explain supramundane wisdom to sentient beings. I vowed that all sentient beings might attain peace and happiness. I vowed to praise the merit and virtue of all Buddhas.

“The causes and conditions of my past were such that, even throughout oceans of kalpas as numerous as the motes of dust in innumerable Buddha-lands, they could not be fully recounted.

“Good man, by virtue of such power of the provisions for the path, the power of roots of goodness, the power of great aspiration and vows, the power of cultivating merit and virtue, the power of contemplating all dharmas in accordance with reality, the power of the eye of wisdom, the power derived from the Buddha’s awe-inspiring spiritual might, the power of great loving-kindness and compassion, the power of pure spiritual abilities, and the power of spiritual benefactors, I attained this ultimate, pure, and impartial Dharma-body of the three periods of time.

I also attained an unsurpassed pure physical body transcending all worlds. In accordance with the inclinations of sentient beings’ minds, I manifest forms throughout all lands and in all places, displaying vast spiritual powers in every world and causing all who see me to rejoice.

“Good man, contemplate my physical body in this way.

“This physical body of mine was brought to accomplishment throughout boundless oceans of kalpas and is difficult to see or hear of even in immeasurable thousands of kotis of nayutas of kalpas.

“Good man, sentient beings who have not planted roots of goodness or have planted only scant roots of goodness—even if they are shravakas or bodhisattvas—cannot so much as hear my name, much less see my body.

“Good man, if sentient beings hear my name, they will never again regress from unsurpassed bodhi.

“Those who see me, touch me, welcome me, escort me, or accompany me even for a moment, or who see or hear me in a dream, will likewise all attain non-regression.

“Some sentient beings who recollect me for one day and one night immediately reach maturity.

“Others recollect me for seven days and seven nights, half a month, one month, half a year, one year, a hundred years, a thousand years, one kalpa, a hundred kalpas, or even kalpas as numerous as the motes of dust in innumerable Buddha-lands, and thereby reach maturity.

“Others recollect me for one lifetime, a hundred lifetimes, or even lifetimes as numerous as the motes of dust in innumerable Buddha-lands, and thereby reach maturity.

“Some see me emit great light; some see me cause Buddha-lands to quake; some become fearful; and some become joyful—all thereby reach maturity.

“Good man, through expedient means as numerous as the motes of dust in those Buddha-lands, I cause sentient beings never to regress from unsurpassed bodhi.

“If sentient beings see or hear of my pure land, they will certainly be born in this pure land.

“If sentient beings see or hear of my pure body, they will certainly be born within my pure body.

“Good man!”

You should contemplate this pure body of mine.
At that time, the youth Sudhana contemplated every detail of the excellent bodily marks of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Within each and every pore were innumerable
oceans of Buddha-lands, and in each ocean of lands Buddhas appeared in the world, surrounded by assemblies of bodhisattvas.
He also saw the various formations, various shapes, various adornments, and various great mountains encircling all those oceans of lands; various colored clouds covering the sky; and Buddha Tathagatas appearing in the world and turning various Dharma wheels.
He also saw that within each and every ocean of worlds, Samantabhadra manifested clouds of transformation bodies of Buddhas as numerous as the dust motes in all Buddha-lands, pervading all worlds throughout the ten directions, teaching and transforming sentient beings and directing them toward unsurpassed bodhi.
At that time, the youth Sudhana further saw his own body within the body of Samantabhadra, teaching and transforming sentient beings in all worlds throughout the ten directions. Moreover, the roots of goodness and the light of wisdom that Sudhana had attained by drawing near to spiritual teachers as numerous as the dust motes in Buddha-lands, when compared with the roots of goodness he attained upon encountering Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, did not equal even one hundredth, one thousandth, one hundred-thousandth, or one hundred-thousand kotith part, nor even a fraction expressible by calculation or analogy.
In a single thought, Sudhana now entered the oceans of Buddha-lands within one pore of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Compared with the number of oceans of Buddha-lands that Sudhana had entered during the time from his initial arousal of the aspiration until his encounter with Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, these were many times more numerous, like the dust motes in innumerable Buddha-lands. As it was in one pore, so too was it in every pore.
Within the pores of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, Sudhana traversed with a single step worlds as numerous as the dust motes in innumerable Buddha-lands. Continuing onward in this manner until the end of future kalpas, he still could not know the successive boundaries of the oceans of lands, the treasuries of the oceans of lands, the distinctions among the oceans of lands, the universal interpenetration of the oceans of lands, the formation of the oceans of lands, the dissolution of the oceans of lands, or the adornments of the oceans of lands within a single pore.

Nor could he know the successive boundaries of the oceans of Buddhas, the treasuries of the oceans of Buddhas, the distinctions among the oceans of Buddhas, the universal interpenetration of the oceans of Buddhas, the arising of the oceans of Buddhas, or the cessation of the oceans of Buddhas. Nor could he know the successive boundaries of the oceans of bodhisattva assemblies, the treasuries of the oceans of bodhisattva assemblies, the distinctions among the oceans of bodhisattva assemblies, the universal interpenetration of the oceans of bodhisattva assemblies, the gathering
of the oceans of bodhisattva assemblies, or the dispersal of the oceans of bodhisattva assemblies. Nor could he know the wisdom that enters the realms of sentient beings, knows the faculties of sentient beings, teaches, transforms, trains, and subdues sentient beings; the profound and sovereign abiding places of bodhisattvas; or the various grounds and paths entered by bodhisattvas.
Within the oceans of lands in the pores of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, the youth Sudhana traveled in this manner, sometimes passing a kalpa in a single land, and even traveling thus for kalpas as numerous as the dust motes in innumerable Buddha-lands; yet without disappearing from one land, he appeared in another. In every thought, Sudhana traveled throughout boundless oceans of lands, teaching and transforming sentient beings and directing them toward unsurpassed bodhi.
At that very moment, the youth Sudhana successively attained the oceans of practices and vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. He became equal to Samantabhadra and equal to all Buddhas, with a single body filling all worlds. He was equal in lands, equal in practices, equal in perfect enlightenment, equal in spiritual powers, equal in Dharma wheels, equal in eloquence, equal in words, equal in voices, equal in powers and fearlessnesses, equal in the abiding place of the Buddhas, equal in great loving-kindness and compassion, and equal in inconceivable deeds, liberation, and sovereignty.
Then the great Bodhisattva Samantabhadra spoke these verses:
You all should cast off every affliction,
Listen single-mindedly, without distraction.
I shall fully proclaim the Tathagata's perfections
And every true path of liberation.
The Supreme Man, the Tamer, appears in the world,
His mind and thought as pure as empty space;
He constantly emits the sunlight of wisdom,
Causing all beings to dispel the darkness of delusion.
The Tathagata is exceedingly difficult to see or hear;
Only now, after countless kotis of kalpas, do we meet him,
Like an udumbara flower that appears but once;
Therefore, you should hear of the Buddha's virtues.
In accord with the activities of the world,
Like an illusionist manifesting various things,
He acts solely to bring joy to sentient beings,
Yet never gives rise to conceptual thoughts or distinctions.
At that time, after hearing these verses, the bodhisattvas single-mindedly thirsted and yearned to hear of the true virtues of the Blessed One. They all thought: “Bodhisattva Samantabhadra has fully cultivated all practices; his essential nature is pure, and none of the words he speaks are false. All Tathagatas praise him.” Having thought thus, their yearning grew even more intense. Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, fully adorned with virtue and wisdom, like a lotus unstained by the dust and defilements of the three realms, told the assembly of bodhisattvas:
“Listen attentively! I shall now speak of the characteristics of a single drop of water from the ocean of the Buddha's virtues.”
Bodhisattva Samantabhadra then spoke these verses:
The Buddha's wisdom is vast, like empty space,
Pervading the minds of all sentient beings;
He clearly comprehends all worldly delusions,
Yet gives rise to no differing discriminations.
In a single thought he knows all dharmas of the three times
And fully understands the faculties of every sentient being;
Like a skillful illusionist,
In every thought he manifests boundless things.
In accord with beings' minds, he manifests various practices,
Following the power of their past karma and vows;
He enables all they see and know to remain unmoved,
While the Buddha, from the beginning, has never stirred a thought.
Some, in place after place, see the Buddha seated,
Filling all worlds throughout the ten directions;
Yet some beings whose minds are impure
Do not see the Buddha for immeasurable kalpas.
Some possess faith and understanding, free from arrogance,
And upon forming the aspiration immediately see the Tathagata;
But the flattering and deceitful, whose minds are impure,
May seek for kotis of kalpas without encountering the Buddha.
Some hear the Buddha's voice everywhere,
Its wondrous tones filling their minds with joy;
Yet others, for hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas,
Because their minds are impure, are unable to hear it.
Some behold pure great bodhisattvas
Filling the entire great trichiliocosm;
All have completely fulfilled the practices of Samantabhadra,
And amid them the Tathagata sits serenely.
Some behold this land, supremely wondrous,
Purified and adorned by the Buddha for immeasurable kalpas;
The most excellent Vairocana
There attained great awakening and perfect enlightenment.
Some behold the supremely wondrous Lotus Land,
Wherein dwells the Tathagata Bhadramukha,
Surrounded by immeasurable assemblies of bodhisattvas,
All diligently cultivating the practices of Samantabhadra.
Some behold the Buddha Amitayus,
With Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta attending on either side;
All are consecrated bodhisattvas destined for the next birth,
Filling the lands throughout the ten directions.
Some behold this great trichiliocosm,
Adorned in every way like the Land of Wondrous Joy;
The Tathagata Akshobhya dwells here,
Surrounded by an assembly of great bodhisattvas.
Some behold Great Renown Moon-Enlightened,
Together with the Vajragarbhas,
In the wondrously adorned Land of the Perfect Mirror,
Pervading the pure lands throughout the ten directions.
Some behold the Buddha, the Blessed One Suryagarbha,
In the pure Land of Excellent Radiance,
Together with consecrated bodhisattvas,
Filling the ten directions while teaching the Dharma.
Some behold the Buddha Vajra Great Blaze,
Assembled together with Bodhisattva Banner of Wisdom,
Traveling throughout all vast lands,
Teaching the Dharma to dispel sentient beings' delusion.
Upon each hair tip of countless heads
Are Buddhas endowed with the thirty-two marks,
Each surrounded by bodhisattva retinues,
Constantly teaching the Dharma to liberate sentient beings.
Some behold within a single pore
Vast and fully adorned lands,
With immeasurable Tathagatas dwelling therein
And pure disciples of the Buddha filling them all.
Some behold within a single dust mote
Buddha-lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges,
All filled with immeasurable bodhisattvas
Cultivating various practices throughout countless kalpas.
Some behold upon the tip of a hair
Immeasurable oceans of lands, like motes of dust

The various kinds of arising karma all differ.
Vairocana turns the Dharma wheel.
Some behold worlds that are impure;
Others behold pure worlds formed of jewels.
The Tathagata’s lifespan is immeasurably long;
Even unto nirvana, all is fully manifested
Throughout the worlds in the ten directions.
He displays many inconceivable things;
According to the karma, minds, and wisdom of sentient beings,
He transforms and delivers them all, causing them to become pure.
Thus does the unsurpassed Great Guide
Fill all lands throughout the ten directions,
Displaying many kinds of spiritual powers;
I shall speak of but a small part—listen well.
Some behold Shakyamuni attaining Perfect Enlightenment
After passing through an infinite number of kalpas;
Others behold him only now becoming a bodhisattva,
Benefiting sentient beings throughout the ten directions.
Some again behold the Lion of the Shakyas
Making offerings to all Buddhas and cultivating the path;
Others behold the World-Honored One, replete with merit and wisdom,
Manifesting deeds of great spiritual power.
Some behold generosity, others moral discipline;
Others patience, diligence, or meditation;
Prajna, skillful means, vows, powers, and wisdom—
According to the minds of sentient beings, he manifests them all.
Some behold the perfection of the paramitas;
Others behold him abiding in the various bhumis.
Dharanis, samadhis, wisdom, and spiritual powers—
All such things he manifests in their entirety.
Sometimes he manifests cultivation for immeasurable kalpas,
Abiding on the bodhisattva stage of steadfast patience;
Sometimes he manifests abiding on the stage of non-retrogression;
Sometimes he manifests the water of Dharma being poured upon his crown.
Sometimes he manifests the body of Brahma, Shakra, or the Four Heavenly Kings;
Sometimes he appears as a kshatriya or brahmin,
Adorned with all varieties of forms and marks,
Like an illusionist manifesting images.
Sometimes he manifests descending in spirit from Tushita;
Sometimes he is seen in the palace with wife and children;
Sometimes he is seen abandoning all splendor and glory,
Leaving the household life, renouncing the world, and training in the path.
Sometimes he is seen newly born, and sometimes passing into extinction;
Sometimes he is seen renouncing the household life and studying heterodox practices;
Sometimes he is seen seated beneath the Bodhi tree,
Subduing Mara’s hosts and attaining Perfect Enlightenment.
Sometimes again the Buddha is seen newly entering nirvana;
Sometimes stupas are seen erected throughout the world;
Sometimes Buddha images are seen enshrined within the stupas.
Knowing the proper time and capacities, he manifests in these ways.
Sometimes Amitayus Tathagata is seen
Bestowing predictions of Buddhahood upon bodhisattvas,
Who become unsurpassed Great Guides
And thereafter abide in the Land of Bliss.
Sometimes, after immeasurable thousands of kotis of kalpas,
His Buddha-work completed, he enters nirvana;
Sometimes he is seen only now attaining Bodhi;
Sometimes he is seen rightly cultivating wondrous practices.
Sometimes the Tathagata Pure Moon is seen
In the Brahma world and in Mara’s palace,
In the palace of the Sovereign Heaven or the palace of Delight in Transformation,
Manifesting all kinds of spiritual transformations.
Sometimes he is seen in the Tushita palace,
Surrounded by immeasurable devas,
Teaching them the Dharma and causing them to rejoice,
So that they resolve to make offerings to the Buddha.
Sometimes he is seen in the Yama Heaven,
The Trayastrimsha Heaven, the Heaven of the Four Kings, and among dragons and spirits.
In all such palaces,
There is nowhere the Buddha does not manifest a body.
In the presence of the World-Honored Dipankara,
He scattered flowers and spread out his hair as an offering.
From then on he clearly understood the profound and wondrous Dharma,
And constantly used this path to deliver sentient beings.
Some behold the Buddha as having long since entered nirvana;
Some behold the Buddha newly attaining Bodhi;
Some behold the Buddha abiding for immeasurable kalpas;
Some behold him entering extinction in but a moment.
His bodily marks, radiance, and lifespan,
His wisdom, Bodhi, and nirvana,
The assemblies he delivers, his voice, majesty, and deportment—
Each of these is immeasurable.
Sometimes he manifests a body of immense size,
Like Mount Sumeru or a great jeweled mountain;
Sometimes the Buddha is seen seated, unmoving,
Filling boundless worlds.
Sometimes his aureole measures one fathom;
Sometimes it extends thousands of myriads of kotis of yojanas;
Sometimes it is seen illuminating immeasurable lands;
Sometimes it is seen filling all lands.
Sometimes the Buddha’s lifespan is seen as eighty years;
Sometimes it is seen as thousands of myriads of kotis of years;
Sometimes it lasts innumerable, immeasurable kalpas,
Increasing successively many times beyond these.
The Buddha’s wisdom penetrates all, pure and unobstructed;
In a single thought, he knows universally the dharmas of the three times.
All arise from the causes and conditions of mind and consciousness;
Arising and ceasing, impermanent, they have no intrinsic nature.
He attains Perfect Enlightenment in a single land,
And likewise attains it in every land.
All lands enter one, and one enters all;
According to the minds of sentient beings, he manifests them all.
The Tathagata abides in the unsurpassed path,
Accomplishing the Ten Powers and the Four Fearlessnesses,
Fully endowed with unobstructed wisdom,
And turns the Dharma wheel in its twelvefold mode.
He clearly knows suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path,
And discerns the twelve links of dependent origination.
Delighting in unobstructed exposition of Dharma, meaning, and expression,
He expounds extensively by means of the four eloquences.
All dharmas are without self and without marks;
The nature of karma neither arises nor perishes.
All is utterly detached, like empty space;
The Buddha uses skillful means to distinguish these teachings.
Thus does the Tathagata turn the Dharma wheel,
Shaking lands throughout the ten directions.
Palaces, mountains, and rivers all tremble,
Yet sentient beings are not made afraid.
The Buddha proclaims the vast sound of Dharma everywhere;
According to their faculties, all sentient beings are enabled to understand.
He causes them all to arouse the aspiration and cast off delusion and defilement,
Yet the Buddha has never given rise to a discriminating thought.
Some hear the Buddha speak of generosity, moral discipline, patience, and diligence,
Meditation, prajna, skillful means, and wisdom;
Some hear of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—
The words through which the Dharma is taught all differ.
Some hear of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and the Four Right Efforts,
The Bases of Spiritual Power, Faculties, Powers, and Factors of Enlightenment;
The recollections, superknowledges, calm abiding, and insight,
And immeasurable skillful Dharma gates.
Dragons, spirits, the eight classes of beings, humans and nonhumans,
Brahma, Shakra, the World-Protectors, and all the hosts of devas—
The Buddha teaches the Dharma with a single voice,
Yet sentient beings of every kind understand it accordingly.
Those afflicted by desire, anger, and delusion,
Wrath, concealment, stinginess, jealousy, pride, and flattery,
And the eighty-four thousand afflictive obstructions,
All hear the Buddha teach the Dharma that cures them.
Those who have not yet fully cultivated the pure dharmas
Are caused to hear the ten practices of moral discipline.
Those already able to practice generosity and discipline others
Are allowed to hear the sound of the quiescent extinction of nirvana.
Those of lesser resolve who lack loving-kindness and compassion,
Who are weary of samsara and seek liberation for themselves,
Are caused to hear of the three gates of liberation,
So that they escape suffering and enjoy quiescent extinction.
Those whose nature is free from excessive desire,
Who reject the three realms and seek tranquility,
Are caused to hear teachings on dependent origination
And to depart by way of the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.
Those whose pure minds are vast and great,
Who are replete with the merits of generosity and moral discipline,
Who draw near the Tathagata and are filled with loving-kindness and compassion,
Are caused to hear the voice of the Mahayana path.
In some lands, beings hear of a single vehicle;
In others, two, three, four, or five;
And thus, even unto immeasurable vehicles—
All are the power of the Tathagata’s skillful means.
The quiescence of nirvana has never differed,
Though practices of wisdom vary as superior or inferior.
Just as the intrinsic nature of empty space is one,
Yet birds in flight differ in how near or far they travel,
So too is the essence of the Buddha’s voice:
It pervades all realms of empty space,
Yet because the minds of sentient beings differ,
What they hear and perceive is different.
Through the meritorious practices cultivated by the Buddha in the past,
He can proclaim wondrous sounds according to beings’ inclinations,
Without mentally conceiving of this one or that one,
Of who should be taught and who should not.
From the Tathagata’s face streams forth great radiance,
Complete in eighty-four thousand kinds;
The Dharma gates taught by the Buddha are likewise,
Illuminating worlds everywhere and dispelling afflictions.
Fully endowed with the merit of pure wisdom,
He constantly accords with the three worlds.
Just as empty space is unstained and unattached,
The Buddha appears for the sake of sentient beings.
He manifests the sufferings of birth, old age, illness, and death,
And also manifests dwelling and living in the world.
Although he accords with the world and manifests in these ways,
His intrinsic nature is pure, like empty space.
All lands are boundless,
And the faculties and desires of sentient beings are also immeasurable.
The wisdom-eye of the Tathagata sees them all clearly,
And according to their capacities and needs, he teaches the Buddha path.
Throughout the realms of empty space in the ten directions,
However many devas and humans there may be,
Their bodily forms are all different;
The bodily forms manifested by the Buddha are likewise.
When among a great assembly of shramanas,
He shaves off his hair and beard and wears the kashaya robe;
Clad in robes, holding an alms bowl, and restraining his faculties,
He causes them to rejoice and cast off afflictions.
At times he draws near to brahmins,
And for their sake the Buddha manifests an emaciated body,
Leaning on a staff and carrying a water vessel, ever pure,
Fully endowed with wisdom and skilled in exposition.
Renouncing what is old, accepting what is new, he sustains himself,
Subsisting on air and drinking dew, with nothing else.
Whether seated or standing, he remains unmoving,
Manifesting ascetic practices to subdue followers of heterodox paths.
Or he upholds the precepts and serves as a teacher of the world.

Well versed in medicine and the various treatises,
Arithmetic, astronomy, geography, and physiognomy,
They clearly know all auspicious and inauspicious matters,
And deeply enter the dhyanas and liberations.
They practice samadhi, spiritual powers, and wisdom,
Discourse, chant verses, and engage in amusements,
Using skillful means to lead others into the Buddha Way.
Or they may appear in splendid robes adorning their bodies,
Their heads crowned with fine diadems and shaded by beautiful parasols,
With the four divisions of the army guarding them before and behind;
Displaying heroic might, they subdue lesser kings.
Or they may serve as judges adjudicating disputes,
Skillfully resolving all matters of worldly law;
Whether rewarding or punishing, they are entirely impartial,
Causing everyone to rejoice and willingly submit.
Or they may become great ministers devoted to assisting kings,
Skillfully counseling them to govern the people according to Dharma;
Their benefits extend universally throughout the ten directions,
Yet no sentient being clearly knows them.
Or they may become tributary lesser kings,
Or great emperors, wheel-turning monarchs,
Causing princes and palace women alike
To follow the true Dharma, beyond all reckoning.
Or they may become the Four Heavenly Kings, protectors of the world,
Commanding yakshas and dragon kings,
And expound the Dharma for those assemblies,
Causing all alike to rejoice.
Or they may become the great heavenly king of Trayastrimsha,
Within the Hall of Excellent Dharma or the Garden of Joy,
Wearing a beautiful crown and proclaiming the wondrous Dharma,
Revered by countless multitudes of devas.
Or they may dwell in the Yama or Tushita heavens,
The Heaven of Delight in Transformations, the Heaven of Mastery over Others’ Transformations, or the palace of Mara;
Seated within palaces adorned with mani jewels,
They teach true practices and bring beings under discipline.
Or they may enter assemblies of Brahma devas
And teach the Four Immeasurables and the various dhyana concentrations;
Having caused them to rejoice, they then depart,
And no one can discern the manner of their coming or going.
Or they may reach the Akanishtha Heaven
And expound the precious flowers of the factors of awakening,
Together with immeasurable accomplishments of merit;
Then they depart, and no one knows.
The unobstructed wisdom of the Buddha sees everywhere
All the sentient beings therein,
And employs boundless doors of skillful means
To teach them in many ways and bring them to fulfillment.
Just as a magician skilled in illusion
Conjures all manner of illusory forms,
So too does the Buddha transform sentient beings,
Manifesting many bodily forms for their sake.
Just as the bright moon in the midst of empty space
Appears full or waning to beings in the world,
While all rivers and ponds reflect the moon,
And all the stars are dimmed,
So too does the wisdom of the Tathagata appear in the world,
Using skillful means to manifest increase and decrease;
The waters of bodhisattvas’ minds reflect the Buddha’s image,
While the radiance of the shravakas is dimmed.
Just as the great ocean, filled with jewels,
Is pure, stainless, and immeasurable,
And all the sentient beings throughout the four continents
Are reflected within the ocean,
So too is the ocean of merit of the Buddha’s body:
Stainless, unclouded, and without bounds;
All sentient beings throughout the Dharma realm
Are without exception manifested within the Buddha’s body.
Just as the sun emits a thousand rays,
Illuminating the ten directions without leaving its original place,
So too does the Buddha’s light shine universally:
Neither going nor coming, it dispels the darkness of delusion.
Just as a dragon king pours down heavy rain,
Which issues neither from its body nor from its mind,
Yet rains everywhere and moistens all,
Dispelling scorching heat and bringing cool refreshment,
So too is the Tathagata’s rain of Dharma:
It issues neither from the Buddha’s body nor from his mind,
Yet it can awaken and enlighten all beings,
Causing the fires of the three poisons to be universally extinguished.
The Tathagata’s pure and wondrous Dharma body
Has nothing comparable to it in all the three realms,
For it lies beyond the paths of worldly speech,
Its essential nature being neither existent nor nonexistent.
Though resting on nothing, it abides everywhere;
Though reaching every place, it never goes.
Like a painting in empty space or a scene within a dream,
Thus should one contemplate the Buddha’s body.
None of the existent or nonexistent dharmas in the three realms
Can be compared with the Buddha.
Just as birds and beasts in mountains and forests
Could not dwell without depending upon space,
And as the mani jewel of the great ocean displays immeasurable colors,
So too does the Buddha’s body manifest diverse distinctions.
The Buddha is neither form nor non-form;
According to what is fitting, he manifests, abiding nowhere.
Empty space, true suchness, and the ultimate reality,
Nirvana, Dharma-nature, quiescent and extinguished—
Only these true dharmas
Can reveal the Tathagata.
The thoughts of the mind, as numerous as dust motes, may be known;
The waters of the great ocean may be drunk dry;
Empty space may be measured, and the wind may be bound—
But the Buddha’s merits can never be fully expressed.
If anyone hears of this ocean of merit
And gives rise to faith, understanding, and praise,
That person will certainly attain those merits.
Take heed and never give rise to doubt.