大方廣普賢所說經

Thus indeed have I heard: At one time the Buddha, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, was dwelling within a realm sustained and upheld by the spiritual power of the Tathāgata. These great bodhisattvas had all accomplished the practice of Samantabhadra[2], and were seated all around the Buddha to listen to the Dharma. Among them, the great bodhisattva Samantabhadra was the foremost.

In that assembly there were ten great bodhisattvas,

each of whom had a retinue of bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields. From all of the ten directions they suddenly appeared, all seated upon majestic, unobstructed lion thrones. They were: the bodhisattva Universal Light Treasury, the bodhisattva Profound Treasury, the bodhisattva Treasury of Awe-Inspiring Radiant Light, the bodhisattva Treasury of Cloud Sound, the bodhisattva Vajra Treasury, the bodhisattva Treasury of Universal Sound and Unmoving Majestic Light, the bodhisattva Treasury of Universal Renown and Majestic Light, the bodhisattva Treasury of Sovereign Unmoving Majestic Light, the bodhisattva Treasury of Universally Manifesting All Forms and Majestic Light,

and the bodhisattva Treasury of the Ten Powers, Pure and Majestic Light.

When those bodhisattvas appeared, within this assembly—save only for the bodhisattva Samantabhadra—the entire multitude of bodhisattvas was shaken, and even those who possessed majestic radiance could no longer make it manifest. Each and every one of these bodhisattvas rained down ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of clouds of incense, clouds of perfumed unguent, clouds of garlands, clouds of garments, clouds of jeweled canopies, clouds of banners and pennants, clouds of pure world-systems, clouds of jeweled towers and pavilions, clouds of assemblies of bodhisattvas in the place of enlightenment, clouds of nets of dazzling light shining everywhere, clouds adorning the bodhi-maṇḍala, and clouds of kāṣāya robes bearing the image of the Tathāgata.

Each of them sent forth all manner of such inconceivable clouds, spreading throughout the entire Dharma-realm as an offering to the Tathāgata.

The thrones upon which those bodhisattvas were seated were adorned with pure and subtle jeweled objects. Within each of those adornments there appeared all the immeasurable world-systems, immeasurable sentient beings, immeasurable buddhas, and immeasurable bodhisattvas. There also appeared ineffable, ineffable immeasurable world-systems of the past and the future, and the buddhas presently seated in the places of enlightenment, teaching and transforming sentient beings, turning the wondrous wheel of the Dharma. There appeared the multitudes of bodhisattvas making offerings to the Tathāgata, purely cultivating all the practices of the pāramitās, ceaselessly and without interruption.

At that time the whole assembly reflected: "From which world-systems and buddhas have these bodhisattvas come?" Together they asked the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. The bodhisattva Samantabhadra said to them all: "Sons of the Buddha! Let each one of you reflect for yourselves on where those bodhisattvas have come from."

Then the bodhisattva Unobstructed Eye entered the Samādhi of Universal Swiftness, the Samādhi of Pervasive Arrival, the Samādhi of Illuminating the Dharma-realm, the Samādhi Endowed with All Spiritual Powers, the Samādhi of Understanding All Realms, the Samādhi of Manifesting the Spiritual Powers in the Bodies of All Sentient Beings, and the Samādhi of Knowing All Buddha-fields. This bodhisattva entered ten asaṃkhyeyas of hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of bodhisattva-samādhis such as these... and roamed throughout all the world-systems of the ten directions, even entering into every single dust-mote; yet he still could not see from which lands those bodhisattvas had come, nor the places where, following the Tathāgata, they had cultivated the holy life.

All the other great bodhisattvas in the multitude likewise entered the bodhisattva-samādhis, but they too were unable to perceive it. Thereupon those bodhisattvas emerged from meditation and said to the bodhisattva Samantabhadra: "Each one of us has entered ten asaṃkhyeyas of hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of bodhisattva-samādhis, yet we are utterly unable to know from where those bodhisattvas have come."

The bodhisattva Samantabhadra then said: "The buddha-lands from which those bodhisattvas have come are exceedingly deep and vast, exceedingly difficult to perceive. Now you may seek them out together." At that time each bodhisattva entered samādhis as numerous as the dust-motes in ten buddha-fields in order to seek them out, yet still they did not perceive them, and so they reported this again to the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Thereupon the bodhisattva Samantabhadra rose, ascended into the sky, circumambulated the World-Honored One to the right an incalculable number of times, and then, in the sky, gazing over the whole assembly, said:

"Sons of the Buddha! Behold the body of the Buddha, adorned and unobstructed, the world-systems equally entering into all the lands within the Dharma-realm. All world-systems, all Tathāgatas, all bodhisattvas, all sentient beings, and all the paths in the ten directions clearly appear within the body of the Tathāgata, and in accordance with the inclinations of the minds of sentient beings, he causes all of them to awaken. You should abide in the Eye of the Universal Realm[3], the Eye of Pure Wisdom Exhausting Space[4], and the Eye of Vast Wisdom Understanding All Realms.

You should further entreat all the buddhas of the ten directions to be mindful and protective; you should, with one mind, leave behind all locations, all supports and reliances, all attachments, and all existences, and so contemplate the body of the Tathāgata. You must further enter into the subtle realms of the ten directions, and within a single realm understand clearly all the inexhaustible realms, and so contemplate the body of the Tathāgata."

Thereupon the bodhisattvas reverently followed that instruction, and all turned toward the Tathāgata, bowing their heads and prostrating in homage, single-mindedly revering and beholding him. Suddenly they saw that within the marks of the thousand-spoked wheels beneath the two feet of the Buddha Vairocana there was a world-system named Dharma-Realm Wheel,

and within that land there was the Buddha King of the Adornment of the Dharma-Realm, presently teaching the Dharma. The great bodhisattva Universal Light Treasury, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, had come from that land to sit in this Dharma-assembly. Upon the two insteps of the Buddha Vairocana there was a world-system named Unobstructed Treasury, in which there was the Buddha Unobstructed Pure Light, presently teaching the Dharma.

The great bodhisattva Profound Treasury, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, had come from that buddha-land to sit in this Dharma-assembly.

Upon the two knees of the Buddha Vairocana there was a world-system named True Gold Treasury, in which there was the Buddha Gold-Treasury King, presently teaching the Dharma. The great bodhisattva Treasury of Awe-Inspiring Radiant Light, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, had come from that buddha-land to sit in this Dharma-assembly.

Upon the two thighs of Vairocana there was a world-system named Treasury of All Jeweled Adornments, in which there was the Buddha Multitude of Wondrous Lights, presently teaching the Dharma. The great bodhisattva Treasury of Cloud Sound, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, had come from that buddha-land to sit in this Dharma-assembly.

At the navel of Vairocana there was a world-system named Vairocana Treasury, in which there was the Buddha Vairocana King of Awe-Inspiring Adornment, presently teaching the Dharma. In that land there was the great bodhisattva Vajra Treasury, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, who had come from that buddha-land to sit in this Dharma-assembly.

At the breast of Vairocana there was a world-system named Victorious Light Treasury, in which there was the Buddha Treasury of Wondrous Marks and Adornment, presently teaching the Dharma. The great bodhisattva Universal Sound and Unmoving Majestic Light, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, had come from that buddha-land to sit in this Dharma-assembly.

Upon the two shoulders there was a world-system named Golden Hue, in which there was the Buddha Golden-Hue King, presently teaching the Dharma. The great bodhisattva Treasury of Universal Renown and Majestic Light, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, had come from that buddha-land to sit in this Dharma-assembly.

Within the mouth of Vairocana there was a world-system named Wondrous-Jewel Adornment, in which there was the Buddha King of Immeasurable Light and Adornment, presently teaching the Dharma. The great bodhisattva Treasury of Mountain-King Unmoving Majestic Light, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, had come from that buddha-land to sit in this Dharma-assembly.

Between the two brows of Vairocana there was a world-system named Inexhaustible Treasury of the Dharma-Realm, in which there was the Buddha Inexhaustible Wisdom of the Three Times, presently teaching the Dharma. The great bodhisattva Treasury of Universally Manifesting All Forms and Majestic Light, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, had come from that buddha-land to sit in this Dharma-assembly.

Upon the crown of the head of Vairocana there was a world-system named Sustaining-and-Holding-Without-Scattering, in which there was the Buddha Heap of Jeweled Flowers, presently teaching the Dharma. The great bodhisattva Treasury of the Ten Powers, Pure and Majestic Light, together with great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes in ten ineffable, ineffable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddha-fields, had come from that buddha-land to sit in this Dharma-assembly.

At that time, the bodhisattvas, having beheld the assemblies of bodhisattvas in the places of enlightenment of the Tathāgata throughout the inexhaustible world-systems by means of the Buddha's spiritual transformations, thereupon attained the Samādhi of the Treasury of the Dharma-Realm, together with great samādhis of the Dhāraṇī of the Ground of All Dharmas equal in number to the dust-motes in ten buddha-fields, together with the Dhāraṇīs of the Stainless Treasury of Prajñāpāramitā equal in number to the dust-motes in ten buddha-fields, together with the lightning-flash of the awesome power of the pāramitās equal in number to the dust-motes in ten buddha-fields,

and together with the lightning-flash of the awesome power of all-knowing wisdom equal in number to the dust-motes in ten buddha-fields.

At that time, the bodhisattva Samantabhadra again said to the great multitude: "Sons of the Buddha! This Dharma can be seen and heard only by those who practice the conduct of Samantabhadra and who are embraced by good spiritual friends. Therefore, toward this Dharma-gate, you must give rise to a faith as firm and unbreakable as vajra, increasing your joyful inclination, upholding and preserving it, reading and reciting it, and never letting it be forgotten."

When the Buddha had finished expounding this Dharma, those great bodhisattvas joyfully believed and accepted it.

Notes:

[1] Śikṣānanda (實叉難陀; also: Thi-khất-xoa-nan-đà, 652–710): an eminent monk and translator of scriptures who lived during the Tang dynasty in China, a native of the kingdom of Khotan. The master was skilled in the Hīnayāna as well as in heterodox learning. The master passed away in the tenth month of the year 710, at the age of 59. After the cremation rite had been performed, his tongue remained undecayed.

[3] Eye of the Universal Realm (普境界眼): to contemplate the immeasurable spiritual power of the Tathāgata in teaching and transforming sentient beings, and to realize the Eye of Universal Manifestation.

[4] Eye of Pure Wisdom (清淨慧眼): the wisdom of the bodhisattva, knowing all dharmas just as they truly are.