大乘悲分陀利經

Chapter 22: ADORNMENT

Good man, at that time the Great Bodhisattva Great Compassion prostrated himself with all five limbs and paid homage at the feet of the Tathagata Treasure Store. Having done so, he addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One, I beseech you to teach the Dharma gateway of the Bodhisattva Path called Decisive Samadhi, which serves as a pure Dharma gateway supporting the factors of bodhi. How may all these Dharma gateways of samadhi be fully attained? World-Honored One, how may good men and good women fully attain such Dharma gateways of samadhi, abide in them firmly, and adorn themselves through the gateway of Decisive Samadhi?”

Good man, the Tathagata Treasure Store, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Fully Awakened, then praised the Bodhisattva Great Compassion:

“Excellent! Excellent! Great Compassion, your question is truly most extraordinary and of great significance. It is a precious jewel capable of benefiting immeasurable asamkhyeyas of bodhisattvas. Why is this? Great Compassion, it is because you have been able to ask the Buddha about such great matters. Listen attentively, and I shall distinguish and explain them clearly for you.

“Great Compassion, for good men and good women who seek the Mahayana Dharma, there is a samadhi called Shurangama. When a bodhisattva abides in this samadhi, he can enter all other samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Jeweled Seal. By entering this samadhi, one can seal and certify all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Lion’s Play. By entering this samadhi, one can manifest wondrous functions within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Wondrous Moon. By entering this samadhi, one can illuminate all samadhi teachings.

“There is a samadhi called the Supreme Banner Like the Pure Moon. By entering this samadhi, one can preserve the various banners of samadhi.

“There is a samadhi called the Well-Forth of All Dharmas. By entering this samadhi, one can bring forth all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Consecration. By entering this samadhi, one can contemplate the summits of all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Ultimate Nature of Dharmas. By entering this samadhi, one can definitively fathom the ultimate nature of all dharmas.

“There is a samadhi called the Supreme Banner. By entering this samadhi, one can preserve all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Vajra Banner. By entering this samadhi, one can break through and dispel the teachings of other samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Dharma Seal. By entering this samadhi, one can seal and certify all samadhi teachings.

“There is a samadhi called the King’s Excellent Abiding. By entering this samadhi, one can abide like a king among all samadhi teachings.

“There is a samadhi called Emitting Light. By entering this samadhi, one can emit light that illuminates all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Power of Advancement. By entering this samadhi, one can advance freely among all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Well-Forth. By entering this samadhi, one can send forth all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Complete Entry into Words. By entering this samadhi, one can expound and elucidate all samadhi teachings.

“There is a samadhi called Explaining Names and Terms. By entering this samadhi, one can explain the names of all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Contemplating the Directions. By entering this samadhi, one can contemplate the directions of all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Breaking Through All Dharmas. By entering this samadhi, one can break through and dispel all dharmas.

“There is a samadhi called Retaining the Seals. By entering this samadhi, one can preserve the seals of all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Serene Purity. By entering this samadhi, one can cause all samadhis to become tranquil and still.

“There is a samadhi called Never Forgetting. By entering this samadhi, one does not forget or lose any samadhi.

“There is a samadhi called Immovability. By entering this samadhi, one can cause all samadhis to remain undisturbed.

“There is a samadhi called the Ocean Seal. By entering this samadhi, one can gather all samadhis together, like the waters of the great ocean.

“There is a samadhi called Not Disparaging Any Dharma. By entering this samadhi, one can attain samadhi teachings that are neither alarmed nor extinguished and that pervade and encompass all samadhis like space.

“There is a samadhi called the Uninterruptedness of All Dharmas. By entering this samadhi, one can preserve all samadhis and prevent them from being cut off or lost.

“There is a samadhi called the Vajra Wheel. By entering this samadhi, one can sustain the wheels of samadhi.

“There is a samadhi called the Single Flavor of All Dharmas. By entering this samadhi, one can preserve the single-flavored nature of all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Relinquishing the Jewel. By entering this samadhi, one can cast away the afflictions and defilements within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Non-Arising of All Dharmas. By entering this samadhi, one can reveal that dharmas neither arise nor cease.

“There is a samadhi called Manifest Illumination. By entering this samadhi, one can use light to illuminate all samadhi teachings.

“There is a samadhi called the Non-Cessation of All Dharmas. By entering this samadhi, one can break through all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Neither Right nor Wrong. By entering this samadhi, one never forms judgments of right or wrong concerning any samadhi.

“There is a samadhi called the Sign of Non-Abiding. By entering this samadhi, one can perceive the non-abiding nature of the characteristics of all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Characteristic of Space. By entering this samadhi, one can clearly see that all samadhis are like space.

“There is a samadhi called No-Mind. By entering this samadhi, one can relinquish mind and mental factors throughout all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Boundless Form. By entering this samadhi, one can illuminate the forms within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Stainless Lamp. By entering this samadhi, one can become a shining lamp within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Boundlessness of All Dharmas. By entering this samadhi, one can reveal the boundless nature within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Boundless Illumination of Wisdom. By entering this samadhi, one can clearly manifest boundless luminous wisdom within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Producing All Lights. By entering this samadhi, one can manifest light within all gateways of samadhi.

“There is a samadhi called Boundless Nature. By entering this samadhi, one can reveal the boundlessly interpenetrating nature of all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Pure Firmness. By entering this samadhi, one can attain the concentration of emptiness with respect to all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Khư Di-lâu Tạp. By entering this samadhi, one can reveal that all dharmas are empty.

“There is a samadhi called Stainless Light. By entering this samadhi, one can eliminate every defilement within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Fearlessness of All Dharmas. By entering this samadhi, one can remain entirely free of attachment to all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Producing Joy. By entering this samadhi, one attains joy in the true Dharma within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Play. By entering this samadhi, one can manifest forms within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Diffused Illumination. By entering this samadhi, one can reveal the difficult-to-attain dharmas within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Stainless Non-Attachment. By entering this samadhi, one can clearly manifest undefiled wisdom within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Characteristic of Exhaustion. By entering this samadhi, one can reveal inexhaustible and unending dharmas within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Inconceivable Purity. By entering this samadhi, one can manifest dharmas as though they were reflected images.

“There is a samadhi called the Characteristic of Fire. By entering this samadhi, one can cause wisdom to shine forth within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Inexhaustible Characteristic. By entering this samadhi, one can clearly manifest the characteristic of inexhaustibility within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called Non-Perception. By entering this samadhi, one completely puts an end to all perception, feeling, and agitation with respect to dharmas.

“There is a samadhi called Increase and Growth. By entering this samadhi, one can see all samadhis continually increasing and bringing benefit.

“There is a samadhi called the Sun Lamp. By entering this samadhi, one constantly emits light within all samadhis.

“There is a samadhi called the Stainless Moon. By entering this samadhi, one can bring forth illumination within all samadhis.”

There is a samadhi called Pure Reflection. Upon entering this samadhi, one invariably attains the four kinds of eloquence with respect to all samadhis.

There is a samadhi called Doing and Non-doing. Upon entering this samadhi, one perceives in all dharmas the wisdom-aspects of doing and non-doing.

There is a samadhi called Like Vajra. Upon entering this samadhi, one regards all dharmas as wearisome, yet does not perceive weariness.

There is a samadhi called Abiding Mind. Upon entering this samadhi, one's mind remains unmoving with respect to all dharmas, without cognition, illumination, affliction, or arising.

There is a samadhi called Universal Radiance. Upon entering this samadhi, one can behold the pervasive radiance of all samadhis.

There is a samadhi called Secure Abiding. Upon entering this samadhi, one can abide steadfastly and unmoving in all samadhis.

There is a samadhi called Treasury of Jewels. Upon entering this samadhi, one can perceive all samadhis as an accumulation of precious jewels.

There is a samadhi called Seal of the Wondrous Dharma. Upon entering this samadhi, one can deeply imprint the seal upon all samadhis.

There is a samadhi called Equality. Upon entering this samadhi, one can perceive that all dharmas never depart from equality.

There is a samadhi called Relinquishing Joy and Bliss. Upon entering this samadhi, one can relinquish all joy and bliss associated with dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Dharma Torch. Upon entering this samadhi, one can dispel the darkness within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Dispersion of Aspects. Upon entering this samadhi, one can widely diffuse all dharmas and destroy every attachment to them.

There is a samadhi called Aspect of Written Characters. Upon entering this samadhi, one can attain the aspect of written characters within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Absence of the Aspect of Written Characters. Upon entering this samadhi, one becomes entirely free from words and written characters with respect to all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Cessation of Doing. Upon entering this samadhi, one can put an end to all acts of creation within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Non-doing. Upon entering this samadhi, one can attain non-doing within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Concentration of the Essential Nature. Upon entering this samadhi, one can put an end to all conceptual thought within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Practice Without Aspects. Upon entering this samadhi, one puts an end to every aspect of practice within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Freedom from Delusion. Upon entering this samadhi, one can perceive all samadhis as invariably equal.

There is a samadhi called Dispelling the Accumulation of All Merits. Upon entering this samadhi, one can relinquish accumulation within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called No-Mind. Upon entering this samadhi, one no longer perceives mind or mental factors within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Factors of Awakening. Upon entering this samadhi, one can clearly comprehend all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Immeasurable Eloquence. Upon entering this samadhi, one can attain asamkhya forms of eloquence concerning all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Aspect of the Purity of Wisdom. Upon entering this samadhi, one attains equality or inequality with respect to all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Supreme Wisdom. Upon entering this samadhi, one can transcend the three realms.

There is a samadhi called Wisdom of Cessation. Upon entering this samadhi, one can perceive all dharmas as having been brought to an end.

There is a samadhi called Discerning All Dharmas. Upon entering this samadhi, one can establish the discernment of all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Non-abiding. Upon entering this samadhi, one can perceive that all dharmas have no object upon which they depend.

There is a samadhi called Single Adornment. Upon entering this samadhi, one can perceive all dharmas as nondual.

There is a samadhi called Aspect of Doing. Upon entering this samadhi, one no longer perceives any aspect of doing within all samadhis.

There is a samadhi called All Doing Universally Diffused in All Places. Upon entering this samadhi, one can penetrate all dharmas and clearly perceive the Aspect of Wisdom.

There is a samadhi called Entering through Compassion of Equal Aspect. By practicing this samadhi, one can thoroughly comprehend the sounds of words within all aspects.

There is a samadhi called Liberation of Written Characters. Upon entering this samadhi, one can perceive that the written characters within all dharmas are themselves liberation.

There is a samadhi called Aspect of the Torch of Wisdom. Upon entering this samadhi, one can illuminate the dharmas of samadhi with light.

There is a samadhi called Vigorous Progress in the Wondrous Aspect of Wisdom. Upon entering this samadhi, one can reveal the pure aspects within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Destruction of Aspects. Upon entering this samadhi, one can clearly perceive the destruction of the true aspects within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Wondrous Aspects of All Activities. Upon entering this samadhi, one can attain the wondrous forms that arise within the dharmas of samadhi.

There is a samadhi called Relinquishing All Suffering and Bliss. Upon entering this samadhi, one can perceive the quality of having no place of dependence within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Inexhaustible Aspect. Upon entering this samadhi, one can perceive all dharmas as inexhaustible.

There is a samadhi called Dharani Phrases. Upon entering this samadhi, one can retain the dharmas of samadhi and does not perceive either the erroneous or the correct within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Dispelling Opposition and Accord. Upon entering this samadhi, one no longer perceives opposition or accord within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Stainless Light. Upon entering this samadhi, one no longer perceives within all samadhis the defilements of conditioned dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Complete Firmness. Upon entering this samadhi, one invariably attains steadfastness within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Purity of the Full Moon. Upon entering this samadhi, one can perfect the merits of all samadhis.

There is a samadhi called Great Adornment. Upon entering this samadhi, one accomplishes immeasurable adornments in every samadhi.

There is a samadhi called Light of All Worlds. Upon entering this samadhi, one can illuminate the dharmas of samadhi with wisdom.

There is a samadhi called Equal Illumination. Upon entering this samadhi, one can attain the foremost purity among all samadhis.

There is a samadhi called Non-contention. Upon entering this samadhi, one can put an end to every absence of contention with respect to all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Joy Without an Abiding Place. Upon entering this samadhi, one no longer perceives any abiding place within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Abiding Thus Without Mind. Upon entering this samadhi, one can always abide steadfastly and irreversibly within all dharmas.

There is a samadhi called Removing the Defilements of the Body. Upon entering this samadhi, one can remain free from attachment with respect to all dharmas. When a bodhisattva attains the samadhi called Removing the Defilements of Speech, Having the Aspect of Empty Space, the bodhisattva can remain unobstructed by verbal karma with respect to all dharmas. When a bodhisattva abides in the samadhi called Empty Space Free from Attachment, the bodhisattva can accomplish innumerable dharmas like empty space. This is called the definitive samadhi of a bodhisattva who seeks the Great Vehicle.

What is the Dharma gateway of the requisites of a great bodhisattva? Good man, when a great bodhisattva possesses the requisite of giving, he succeeds in encouraging and guiding beings toward advancement. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of morality, he fulfills all vows.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of patience, his mind is always subdued. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of wisdom, he clearly knows the various fetters. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of learning, he acquires immeasurable eloquence.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of merit, he is able to benefit sentient beings. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of knowledge, he attains asamkhyeya wisdom. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of calm abiding, he attains a mind in which all activity has ceased.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of insight, he attains the complete cessation of judgments of right and wrong. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of loving-kindness, he attains an unobstructed mind. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of compassion, he guides sentient beings without ever becoming discouraged.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of sympathetic joy, he always delights in the Dharma of the Way. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of equanimity, he relinquishes all attachment and aversion. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of hearing the Dharma, he casts aside every path of obscuration and obstruction.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of renunciation, he is able to relinquish and depart from all conditioned dharmas. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of dwelling in seclusion, he does not lose the wholesome karma he has created. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of mindfulness, he attains the dharani teachings.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of intention, he attains an open mind capable of thorough discernment. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of resolve, he attains ultimate penetration of all discourse. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of the foundations of mindfulness, he understands that the body is impure, feeling is suffering, mind is impermanent, and dharmas are without self.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of right abandoning, he relinquishes unwholesome dharmas and cultivates wholesome dharmas. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of the bases of spiritual power, his body and mind are always light, tranquil, and at ease. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of the faculties, he fully comprehends the faculties of all sentient beings.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of the powers, he subdues all the fetters. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of the factors of awakening, he clearly knows the precious dharmas. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of right understanding, he resolves every doubt of sentient beings.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of nonreliance, he attains natural wisdom, the fundamental wisdom. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of a spiritual friend, he attains all gateways of merit and virtue. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of aspiration, he never departs from any worldly realm.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of action, he is able to expound and explain every act and practice. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of resolve, he always reaches every supreme attainment. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of contemplation, he is able to cultivate fully the dharmas just as he has understood them.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of gathering beings, he is able to exhort sentient beings continually to advance. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of embracing the true Dharma, he is able to ensure that the seed of the Three Jewels is never cut off. When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of understanding skillful dedication of merit, he is able to adorn and purify a Buddha-land.

When a bodhisattva possesses the requisite of skillful means, he is able to bring omniscience to perfect fulfillment. Good man, these are called the Dharma gateways of the pure requisites of a great bodhisattva.

Furthermore, good man, at that time Tathagata Ratnagarbha surveyed the entire assembly of bodhisattvas and then said to Bodhisattva Great Compassion:

“Great Compassion, with which Dharma of fearlessness should the aforementioned Dharma gateways be adorned? A great bodhisattva who is fully adorned with the dharmas of patience constantly contemplates ultimate truth. A great bodhisattva who has attained an autonomous and unobstructed mind brings forth unconditioned dharmas throughout all three realms.

His attitude toward the minds of sentient beings is likewise unconditioned. This is the samadhi Dharma of the Fearlessness of the Shramana: it is like extending one’s hand into empty space without encountering obstruction, while also clearly seeing that all dharmas are without characteristics. Great Compassion, this is called a great bodhisattva’s adornment with the precious jewel of fearlessness.

Furthermore, what does it mean for a great bodhisattva to be fully endowed with the Dharma of patience? When a bodhisattva abides in this Dharma, he sees the characteristics of all dharmas as being like motes of dust, contemplates dharmas in both forward and reverse order, and clearly understands that there is no karmic recompense. He cultivates loving-kindness without a self.

He cultivates compassion without sentient beings. He cultivates sympathetic joy without a life span. He cultivates equanimity without any further attachment to a person.

Giving is the subdued mind. Observing morality is the tranquil mind. Patience is the mind that practices goodness.

Diligence is the assiduous mind. Meditative concentration is the quiescent mind. Wisdom is the mind free of activity.

The foundations of mindfulness are the mind without recollection, perception, or thought. Right abandoning is the mind that neither arises nor ceases. The bases of spiritual power are the immeasurable mind.

Faith is the innumerable mind. Mindfulness is the natural mind. Samadhi is the mind within samadhi.

The faculty of wisdom is the mind without a root. Power is the unconquered mind. The factors of awakening are the mind that destroys deluded thought.

The Path is the mind that does not cultivate. Calm abiding is the still mind. Insight is the mind that does not lose awareness.

Cultivation of the Noble Truths is the mind that has forever eliminated every attachment to cultivation. Recollection of the Buddha is the mind of immeasurable characteristics. Recollection of the Dharma is the mind of the equality of the Dharma-nature.

Recollection of the Sangha is the nonabiding mind. Guiding sentient beings is the mind that purifies worlds and stages. Embracing the true Dharma is the mind that does not destroy the Dharma-nature.

Adorning and purifying Buddha-lands is the mind equal to empty space. The perfection of marks is the signless mind. Attaining patience is the mind of nonattainment.

The stage of nonretrogression is the mind that neither retreats nor falls back. Adornment is the mind that reaches the site of awakening. The three realms are the vast and expansive mind.

Toward all sentient beings, it is the mind that subdues every demonic obstruction. Gathering and liberating beings is the mind that teaches and transforms all sentient beings. Bodhi is the mind of equality toward all dharmas, without further discrimination.

Turning the Dharma wheel is the mind that no longer perceives any turning or flowing in all dharmas. Manifesting the Great Parinirvana is the mind of true equality within birth and death. A bodhisattva such as this is said to be fully endowed with the Dharma of patience.”

When this Dharma was taught, six billion four hundred million great bodhisattvas came from throughout the ten directions to Mount Gridhrakuta, where Tathagata Shakyamuni was dwelling, to hear this Dharma of the Sutra of the Fundamental Teacher’s Samadhi of Purity That Assists Bodhi. Having heard it, they all attained the patience of non-arising. At that time, Tathagata Shakyamuni addressed the great assembly:

“Good men, in the past, when Tathagata Ratnagarbha, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened One, taught this Dharma, great bodhisattvas numbering forty-eight times the sands of the Ganges attained the patience of non-arising; great bodhisattvas as numerous as the motes of dust throughout the four continents attained the stage of nonretrogression; and great bodhisattvas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges became fully endowed with the Dharma gateway of pure requisites, the Gateway of Decisive Samadhi, and perfect wisdom.

“Good man, after Bodhisattva Great Compassion heard this Dharma, his mind was filled with immense joy, and his bodily form immediately changed and became youthful again, like that of a twenty-year-old. He followed behind Tathagata Ratnagarbha as inseparably as a form and its shadow.

“Good man, at that time King Immeasurable Purity, together with his one thousand sons, eighty-four thousand lesser kings, and nine billion two hundred million sentient beings, all renounced household life to cultivate the Way, faithfully observing the precepts and learning and practicing meditation.”

Good man, at that time the Great Bodhisattva Great Compassion, in the presence of the Tathagata Jeweled Treasury, gradually read and recited eighty-four thousand collections of teachings of the shravaka vehicle, ninety thousand collections of teachings of the pratyekabuddha vehicle, and one hundred thousand collections of teachings concerning the unsurpassed Great Vehicle. These included one hundred thousand collections of teachings on mindfulness of the body, one hundred thousand collections of teachings on mindfulness of feelings, one hundred thousand collections of teachings on mindfulness of mind, one hundred thousand collections of teachings on mindfulness of dharmas, one hundred thousand collections of teachings on the eighteen dhatus,

one hundred thousand collections of teachings on the twelve ayatanas, one hundred thousand collections of teachings for eliminating sensual desire, one hundred thousand collections of teachings for eliminating anger, one hundred thousand collections of teachings for eliminating delusion and clearly perceiving dependent origination, one hundred thousand collections of teachings on samadhi and liberation, and one hundred thousand collections of teachings on the powers, fearlessnesses, and unique qualities of a Buddha.

The Bodhisattva Great Compassion read, recited, and thoroughly mastered all such teachings.

Good man, after the Tathagata Jeweled Treasury entered nirvana, the Great Bodhisattva Great Compassion made offerings of immeasurable and innumerable kinds of flowers, garlands, powdered incense, banners, jeweled canopies, pearls, gems, and music. He piled innumerable kinds of fragrant wood into a funeral pyre, cremated the Tathagata’s physical body, gathered the relics, and erected a seven-jeweled stupa five yojanas high and half a yojana in both length and breadth.

For seven days, he reverently made offerings of immeasurable and innumerable quantities of incense, flowers, music, banners, and jeweled canopies, thereby causing immeasurable and boundless sentient beings to abide in the teachings of the Three Vehicles. When the seven days had passed, the Bodhisattva Great Compassion and eighty-four thousand others together renounced the household life, shaved off their hair and beards, donned Dharma robes, and steadfastly practiced in accordance with the true Dharma.

From that time onward, the Bodhisattva Great Compassion devoted himself to safeguarding and upholding the true Dharma, causing the Way and its teachings to flourish for ten thousand years. He further exhorted and guided immeasurable and innumerable sentient beings to cultivate the teachings of the Three Vehicles, take refuge in the Three Jewels, receive the Five Precepts, the Eight Fasting Precepts, and the Ten Precepts of a shramanera, and proceed step by step until they fully possessed the precepts and pure conduct of a bhikshu.

He also caused hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of sentient beings to cultivate the four immeasurable practices and the wondrous functions of spiritual powers; to contemplate the five skandhas as hostile enemies; to contemplate the ayatanas as a deserted village; and to contemplate all conditioned dharmas as arising through causes and conditions. He helped sentient beings attain wisdom and vision, regarding all existing dharmas as devoid of self, like reflections in a mirror, a mirage, or the moon in water—neither arising nor ceasing—and regarding nirvana as the foremost wondrous Dharma of quiescence.

He also caused innumerable sentient beings to abide in the Noble Eightfold Path. After completing such Buddha-work and bringing about such great benefit, the shramana Great Compassion passed into final nirvana. At that time, immeasurable and boundless sentient beings brought innumerable offerings to honor the relics of the Bhikshu Great Compassion, in accordance with the rite for honoring the relics of a wheel-turning sage king.

The very day on which the Bhikshu Great Compassion passed away was also the day on which the true Dharma of the Tathagata Jeweled Treasury came to an end. The other great bodhisattvas, in accordance with their respective vows, were born in other realms, such as Buddha realms or the Tushita Heaven, or among human beings, nagas, yakshas, asuras, or various kinds of animals.

CHAPTER 23: GIVING THE EYES

Good man, after the great shramana Great Compassion passed away, in accordance with his original vow he was born in the south, more than ten thousand Buddha realms away from this Buddha realm, in a world called Accumulated Defilement. The sentient beings in that realm had a lifespan of eighty years. They had accumulated unwholesome dispositions, delighted in killing, lived by evil deeds, had no loving-kindness toward any sentient being, and were unfilial toward their parents; therefore, they did not fear karmic retribution in future lives.

In accordance with his original vow, the great shramana Great Compassion was born into a chandala family in that world of Accumulated Defilement. He was tall and handsome, possessed great strength, and was quick and eloquent in debate; in all such respects, he surpassed other people. Using his strength to swiftly subdue, guide, and transform sentient beings, he told them:

“If you can abandon stealing and sexual misconduct, completely distance yourselves from innumerable wrong views, and practice right view, I shall spare your lives. I shall also provide you with all the wealth and necessities you require, leaving you in want of nothing. If you do not receive the precepts, I shall certainly strangle you to death before departing.”

At that time, everyone joined their palms and said:

“If you save our lives, we shall follow your instructions. For the rest of our lives, we shall abandon killing, stealing, and all other evils up to wrong views, and we shall practice right view.”

The Chandala Great Strength then went before the king, the princes, the ministers, and all the officials and said:

“I require such wealth and supplies as food, clothing, medicines, sitting mats, incense, flowers, gold, silver, pearls, and various jewels. If I obtain innumerable such things, I shall give them to sentient beings.”

The king, the princes, the ministers, and the officials immediately gave him all the things mentioned above in abundance. Through this act of giving, the Chandala Great Strength caused the king and his retinue to abide in the ten wholesome courses of karma for the rest of their lives. The lifespan of the people there then increased to five hundred years. At that time, the king suddenly passed away, and the ministers and officials installed the Chandala Great Strength as king, giving him the title Merit Strength.

Good man, at that time King Merit Strength soon completed the transformation of one kingdom and then proceeded to become king of two kingdoms. In this manner, step by step, King Merit Strength soon became a wheel-turning sage king ruling the entire continent of Jambudvipa. In succession, he guided and transformed all sentient beings, causing them to abide in the precept against killing and all the other precepts up to practicing right view.

In accordance with the inclinations of sentient beings, he exhorted and guided them all to cultivate the teachings of the Three Vehicles. After King Merit Strength had guided sentient beings throughout Jambudvipa to cultivate the ten wholesome courses of karma and abide in the Three Vehicles, he issued a proclamation throughout the continent: “If anyone seeks necessities, food, or even precious jewels, let that person come here, and I shall provide them.” Upon hearing this news, all the mendicants throughout Jambudvipa assembled there.

At that time, whatever anyone requested, King Merit Strength gave it to them. There was then a follower of the Nirgrantha sect who practiced wrong livelihood, named Soil-Bright, who came before the king and said:

“Great King, the great acts of giving that you are now performing are undertaken for the sake of attaining unsurpassed bodhi. If you can fulfill my wish, you will certainly become a venerable bright lamp in the world.”

The king said:

“What do you wish to request?”

Soil-Bright replied:

“Great King, I recite and uphold magical incantations and wish to succeed in mastering a divine spell of subjugation. Therefore, I have come here to request from you what I now require: the eyes and skin of a living person.”

Good man, at that time King Merit Strength thought: “I have become a wheel-turning sage king possessed of such immeasurable might. I have also exhorted and guided innumerable sentient beings to abide in the ten wholesome courses of karma and, according to their abilities, to cultivate the teachings of the Three Vehicles. I have likewise performed immeasurable great acts of giving. This man is truly my good spiritual friend, for he now exhorts me to exchange this impermanent body for an enduring body.” Having reflected thus, the king said:

“Please give rise to a joyful mind. I shall give you these ordinary fleshly eyes of mine, and through this, in a future life, I shall attain an immeasurable, pure wisdom-eye. With a joyful mind, I shall let you flay off my skin, and through this, after I attain perfect enlightenment, I shall acquire a body the color of pure gold.”

Good man, at that time King Merit-Power used his right hand to gouge out both his eyes and give them to the practitioner of a false path. Although blood streamed all over his face, he still proclaimed:

O devas, benevolent spirits, and yakshas,

Kinnaras and asuras, hear my words!

Whether dwelling in the sky or abiding in the human realm,

Know that I give this gift for the sake of the Great Way.

May I attain the supreme, wondrous Way,

So that sentient beings may cross the four raging currents

And reach the shore of enlightenment and nirvana.

The king further declared:

“If I am certain to attain the fruit of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, then may my life faculty not be severed today, may my thoughts remain undisturbed, may I feel no regret, and may the spell of this practitioner of a false path be successfully accomplished.”

The king then said to the man:

“Come now and flay off my skin!”

Thereupon, the practitioner of a false path, Thổ Minh, used a sharp knife to strip the skin from the king’s body. After seven days, the practitioner’s spell was accomplished. Throughout that time, King Merit-Power’s life faculty was not severed, his thoughts remained unperturbed, and although he endured such agony, not the slightest regret arose in his mind.

Good man, you should know that the Bodhisattva Great Compassion, the father of Treasure Treasury Tathagata at that time, was none other than I in a former life. In the presence of Treasure Treasury Buddha, I first gave rise to the resolve to seek supreme bodhi and encouraged countless sentient beings to abide in the path of true enlightenment. That was the first time I cultivated the practice of courageous and vigorous diligence.

Through the power of my vow, after my life ended in that realm, I was born into a chandala family in the World of Accumulated Defilements. That was the second time I cultivated the practice of courageous and vigorous diligence. While among the chandala caste, I encouraged sentient beings to live according to wholesome karma and employed my awe-inspiring power to teach and transform them, until I became a wheel-turning sage king.

I eliminated all disputes, enmity, jealousy, and every kind of defilement throughout Jambudvipa, causing the lifespans of its sentient beings to increase and the land to become pure. That was the first time I personally gave away my eyes and skin.

Good man, through the power of my vow, when my life ended in that realm, I was again born in the World of Accumulated Defilements, in two continents, likewise into chandala families... (stated in brief)... I likewise used great awe-inspiring power to encourage and transform sentient beings through wholesome Dharma... until I became a wheel-turning sage king. I eliminated all disputes, enmity, jealousy, and every kind of defilement in those realms, causing the lifespans of sentient beings to increase... and in those realms I personally gave away my tongue and ears.

Thus, throughout all the Buddha lands of the trichiliocosm, in every place and every region, I cultivated such practices of a Great Being, manifesting steadfast perseverance, continual diligence, and courageous vigor in accordance with my original vow. In Buddha lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, all possessing the five defilements, I likewise remained steadfast and courageous in my original vow, bringing great benefit by encouraging and transforming sentient beings so that they would abide in the wholesome Dharma of the Three Vehicles, and eliminating all contention, resentment, jealousy, and other evils.

Good man, therefore, when the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, of pure Buddha lands in other directions cultivated their original practices in quest of supreme bodhi, they did not speak of the faults of others, did not address anyone with harsh words, did not use awe-inspiring power to display terrifying things, and did not encourage or transform sentient beings by means of the shravaka or pratyekabuddha vehicles. Consequently, those Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, all attained perfectly pure Buddha lands in accordance with their aspirations.

In those Buddha lands there are no terms such as ‘receiving the precepts’ or ‘violating the precepts’; harsh words and inauspicious sounds are never heard; and no evil sounds exist. Only the sound of the teaching of the Way and Dharma fills those Buddha lands. The sentient beings there always dwell in freedom and ease, and there are no terms such as ‘shravaka’ or ‘pratyekabuddha.’ They are not like me, who throughout great kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, in worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges that possessed the five defilements and had no Buddha, had to employ such skillful means as terrifying displays, coercion, and harsh speech to encourage sentient beings to cultivate wholesome practices,

skillfully adapting to them so as to establish them in the teachings of the Three Vehicles.

Because of residual karma, I now dwell in a defiled Buddha land filled with evil sounds, where sentient beings everywhere accumulate the roots of unwholesome karma. By means of the teachings of the Three Vehicles, I teach and transform the myriad beings in accordance with conditions, just as I had aspired when I previously chose this Buddha land. Through the wondrous power of my former diligent cultivation of the bodhisattva path, I adapted my teaching and transformation of sentient beings according to the roots they had planted, and thus attained such a Buddha land.

My original vow has now been fulfilled.

Good man, I now... (a summary is given of the cultivation of the perfection of generosity). When I practiced the bodhisattva conduct, I always exerted myself fully in giving. In the past, no bodhisattva ever cultivated generosity as I did, and in the future no bodhisattva cultivating the bodhi path will practice giving as I have done, with the exception of the following eight Great Beings:

The first is named Bodhisattva Trì Dữ. In the south, in the World of Universal Protection, he will attain supreme perfect enlightenment and be known as Tathagata Defilement-Dispelling Radiance. He will teach the Dharma in the human realm, where his lifespan will be one hundred years, and after seven days he will enter nirvana.

The second is named Bodhisattva Tấn Giác. In the east, in the World of A-xà-bạt-đề, he attained supreme perfect enlightenment and was known as Xá-đề Tathagata. In the human realm his lifespan was one hundred years. He taught the true Dharma and, after performing the deeds of a Buddha for great kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, entered nirvana without remainder. Even to the present day, in realms where there is no Buddha, the relics of Xá-đề Buddha continue to perform the deeds of a Buddha, no differently from me.

The third is named Bodhisattva Đạo Thị Kiên Hoa. Through the wondrous power of his vow, he diligently practices generosity and cultivates the bodhisattva conduct. In the future, after ten times as many great kalpas as the sands of the Ganges, in the north there will be a Buddha land possessing the five defilements, named Nhân Nậu. There, that Great Being will attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi and be known as Tathagata Nhân Trừ Ái Vương, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Fully Awakened, and so forth, up to Buddha, the World-Honored One.

The fourth bodhisattva is named Tuệ Minh Vô Úy Hỷ. After one great kalpa, in the west, in a world possessing the five defilements named Tam-tỳ-la-bà-đế, where the lifespan of human beings is one hundred years, he will attain supreme perfect enlightenment and be known as Tathagata Nhật Tạng Minh Vô Cấu Chủ Vương, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Fully Awakened, and so forth, up to Buddha, the World-Honored One.

Present before the Buddha were two bodhisattvas named Equal Joy and Joyful Arm. After innumerable great kalpas, in the upper direction, there will be a world afflicted by all five kinds of defilement, an exceedingly evil world called Ash Heap Crooked, in a kalpa called Great Turmoil. By virtue of his original vow, Bodhisattva Equal Joy will attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment in the world Ash Heap Crooked, among human beings whose lifespan is fifty years.

He will be called the Tathagata Inconceivable Joy, and thus on through the titles Buddha and Blessed One. For ten years he will perfectly accomplish all the works of a Buddha, and then enter nirvana. On that very day, the true Dharma will also perish.

Then, for ten years, that realm will be without a Buddha, and the human lifespan will gradually decrease to thirty years. By virtue of his principal vow, Bodhisattva Joyful Arm will attain supreme perfect enlightenment in that world. He will be called the Tathagata Illuminating Subjugation, and thus on through the titles Buddha and Blessed One.

He too will fully perform the works of a Buddha for ten years, and then enter nirvana without remainder. His true Dharma will remain in the world for seventy years. At that time, when those two noble men before the Buddha received the Buddha’s prediction that they would attain perfect enlightenment, they rejoiced greatly.

Having reverently bowed at the feet of the Blessed One, they became so filled with joy that they both soared into the air to a height of seven fathoms above the ground. With palms joined and facing the Buddha, they praised the Blessed One in unison with these verses:

Like the sun that shines everywhere,

Your unsurpassed wisdom likewise radiates.

O Guide whose wisdom-eye is pure,

You subdue and vanquish the hosts of heretics.

For many kalpas we cultivated signlessness,

Wholeheartedly seeking supreme bodhi,

And made offerings to Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

Yet received no prediction from the Buddhas of the past.

Our minds delighted in liberation and abandoned sensual desire;

We caused our darkened realms to practice wholesome deeds.

We expounded the wondrous Dharma and revealed the right path,

Leading myriad beings across the river of birth and death.

We have now gone forth in accordance with the Dharma,

Upholding the precepts of liberation as taught by the Buddha.

Together we study, cultivate, and practice samadhi,

Attending the Blessed One as closely as his shadow.

We delight in the Dharma and teach beings, seeking no material gain.

Upon hearing the Dharma, our thoughts remain constantly bound to it.

Therefore, the Buddha has bestowed predictions upon us:

In future lives we shall attain the unsurpassed path.

The Buddha said: “Apart from the two who have not yet aroused the aspiration for bodhi, the six who have aroused it are Equal Joy and Joyful Arm, together with the four previously mentioned: Gift of Loving-Kindness, Vigorous Awakening, Steadfast Flower of the Path, and Wisdom-Light Fearless Joy. These are the first six noble men whom I exhorted and guided to arouse the aspiration to seek unsurpassed enlightenment. Listen attentively, for I shall now explain this matter.”

Chapter 24: GIVING ONE’S BODY AND LIFE

“O Bodhisattva Tranquil Resolve, in the distant past, immeasurable asamkhya great kalpas ago, this realm was then called Stainless Meru-Aversion. It was the Semblance Dharma period of the Tathagata Lotus Fragrance, and the human lifespan was one hundred years. At that time, I was a wheel-turning sage-king of great might, named Invincible, who ruled over Jambudvipa. I had one thousand sons, all of whom I exhorted and guided to arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. They went forth under the teaching of the Tathagata Lotus Fragrance, fully cultivated the pure conduct, and promoted and caused the Buddha’s remaining Dharma to flourish. Only six sons were unwilling to go forth and refused to arouse the aspiration for bodhi. I instructed them on several occasions:

“‘What do you seek, my sons, that you do not arouse the aspiration for bodhi and refuse to go forth to cultivate the path of enlightenment?’

“The six sons replied:

“‘We cannot go forth! Why is this? In this corrupt and evil period of the Semblance Dharma, even if we were to go forth, we could not fully uphold the moral precepts ourselves. We would remain far removed from the seven noble treasures and forever dwell in the abyss of birth and death. Because we could not safeguard the precepts, after death we would fall into the three evil destinies, lacking sufficient merit to be reborn among gods or human beings. Therefore, we cannot go forth.’

“I asked again:

“‘Why, then, do you not arouse the aspiration for bodhi?’

“They replied:

“‘If our royal father can give us this entire realm of Jambudvipa, we will thereafter arouse the aspiration to seek unsurpassed enlightenment.’

“O good man, when I heard them say this, I rejoiced exceedingly and thought: ‘I have caused everyone throughout Jambudvipa to abide in the Three Refuges, uphold the Eight Fasting Precepts, and cultivate the Three Vehicles. I should now divide Jambudvipa into six portions and give them to my six sons, thereby exhorting and guiding them to arouse the aspiration to seek the unsurpassed path. I myself shall go forth and fully cultivate the pure conduct.’ I then acted according to this thought, dividing Jambudvipa into six portions and giving them to my sons, after which I went forth.

The six kings of Jambudvipa then became discordant with one another and waged war. Hostility, jealousy, and murderous schemes arose among them, spreading grief and suffering. At that time, all of Jambudvipa fell into famine and turmoil.

The heavens brought drought and no rain; the five grains yielded no harvest; the trees withered and bore neither flowers nor fruit; even medicinal herbs ceased to grow. All the people, birds, and beasts suffered hunger and thirst, their bodies oppressed and scorched by affliction. I then thought:

“‘Now is the time for me to give away my body, offering my own flesh and blood so that sentient beings may have their fill.’ Having formed this thought, I left my place of cultivation and entered the central region of the country. I went directly to Mount Obstructing Waters and made this vow:

As I now freely relinquish my body and life,
I do so solely from compassion, seeking no recompense.
For the benefit of gods and human beings,
May it become a mountain of flesh offered to sentient beings.

Gods, humans, nagas, and yakshas, listen!
And all the spirits of the trees and mountains dwelling here,
For the sake of myriad beings, I arouse great compassion
And offer my body’s flesh and blood to provide for them fully.

“O good man, as soon as I completed this vow, the realms of the gods and asuras trembled. Mount Sumeru, the great oceans, and the entire earth all shook in six ways, while the gods, spirits, and great assembly wept in sorrow. I then cast myself down from Mount Obstructing Waters.

By the power of my original vow, my body transformed into a mountain of flesh one yojana high and one yojana across in both length and breadth. At that time, all the people, birds, and beasts came together to eat the flesh and drink the blood of my body. Through the power of my original vow, the mountain of flesh grew day and night, gradually reaching one thousand yojanas in height and one thousand yojanas in both length and breadth.

On all four sides were human heads, each complete with hair, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, mouth, and teeth. These human heads proclaimed in loud voices:

“‘O sentient beings, according to your needs, come here and freely eat the flesh and drink the blood. The same applies to these eyes, ears, noses, tongues, mouths, teeth, and hair: take whatever you require, entirely as you wish. If you arouse the aspiration to seek unsurpassed bodhi, or seek the pratyekabuddha vehicle or the shravaka vehicle, these provisions for sustaining the body will never be exhausted. Accepting this gift will not cause you to incur wrongdoing, but will instead enable you to live long.’”

This act of giving opened the wisdom of sentient beings. Thus, some aroused the aspiration to seek the sravaka vehicle; some aroused the aspiration to seek the pratyekabuddha vehicle; some aroused the aspiration to seek the fruit of unsurpassed enlightenment; and some sought blessed rewards among gods and humans. Among the sentient beings who came to eat the flesh and drink the blood of my body, some took my eyes, some took my ears, some took my nose, some took my lips, some took my teeth, and some took my tongue....

Yet, because of my original vow, whenever any part was lost, it was immediately restored as before, never exhausted and never diminished. This continued for a full ten thousand years, enabling all humans, yakshas, ghosts, spirits, birds, and beasts in Jambudvipa to be fully satisfied. During those ten thousand years, I gave away eyes as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, blood as abundant as the waters of the four great seas, flesh from my body equal in quantity to a thousand Mount Sumerus, tongues as numerous as the Iron Encircling Mountains, ears equal in quantity to Mount Middle Meru, noses as numerous as Mount Great Meru, and teeth as numerous as Vulture Peak.

With the flesh of my own body, I practiced giving throughout the Saha world. Good man, you should know that during those ten thousand years long ago, with this one body and life, I caused immeasurable, boundless asamkhyeyas of sentient beings to be fully satisfied, without ever giving rise to regret for even a single moment. At that time, I made this further vow: “If I am certain to attain perfect enlightenment, if my aspiration is to be fulfilled and I myself am to obtain benefit, then throughout the four continents under heaven I shall constantly give my own body so that all beings may be fully satisfied.

For thousands upon millions of years as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, in every direction throughout this Buddha-land called Immaculate Meru-Accomplishment, I shall give my body in this way. In each direction, for a full ten thousand years, I shall give my body, blood, flesh, skin, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, lips, teeth, and hair completely to sentient beings, and I shall exhort and guide them with the Dharma armor of the Three Vehicles.

If humans, yakshas, rakshasas, and animals possessing bodies composed of the four great elements delight in eating flesh and drinking blood—even hungry ghosts—I shall give to them all and cause them all to be fully satisfied. If in one Buddha-land I use the blood and flesh of my own body to relieve sentient beings, then likewise, throughout Buddha-lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions, all replete with the five defilements, I shall give the blood, flesh, eyes... and tongue of my own body so that sentient beings may be fully satisfied.”

In this way, throughout great kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, I gave away my body and life, causing all sentient beings in those Buddha-lands to be freed from the suffering of hunger. If this vow of mine were not fulfilled, may I never encounter the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, dwelling in other worlds throughout the ten directions and turning the Dharma wheel; may I also never attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment; may I remain forever in samsara, never hearing the word “Buddha,” the word “Dharma,” the word “Sangha,” the word “paramita,” the word “powers,” or the word “fearlessness,” and may I not even hear a sound that speaks of goodness.

I relinquished my body and gave it away so that all sentient beings might be fully satisfied. If such a vow were not fulfilled, may I always fall into the Avici hell. Good man, all such vows that I made in the past were completely fulfilled.

Just as, everywhere throughout one Buddha-land, I gave the blood and flesh of my own body so that all sentient beings might be fully satisfied, so too, throughout other Buddha-lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in all ten directions, I gave the blood and flesh of my own body so that all sentient beings might be fully satisfied. Good man, you should know that at that time the Tathagata, earnestly cultivating the perfection of giving, relinquished and gave away his body successively in this manner.

If all the blood that I gave away were gathered together, it would fill the realm of Jambudvipa all the way up to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Good man, this is what is called the Tathagata’s brief account of relinquishing the body in the perfection of giving!

Chapter 25: GIVING PRECIOUS OBJECTS

Furthermore, good man, after that, immeasurable, boundless asamkhyeyas of kalpas passed. This world was then called Moonlight and was likewise a realm replete with the five defilements. In Jambudvipa, I became a mighty wheel-turning king named Lamp Light, and with the wholesome teachings previously described, I exhorted and guided all sentient beings in that realm. Once, while strolling in a garden, I saw a man bound in chains and asked my ministers:

“What crime has this man committed?”

The ministers replied:

“This man has violated the king’s law. According to the law, the annual harvest from the fields is customarily divided into six shares, of which one share must be paid as tax, yet this man dared to disobey the decree. Moreover, he tills the king’s land to sustain himself but pays neither rent nor tax; therefore, he must be punished.”

I then told the ministers:

“Release this man at once! Do not afflict the people with levies on fields and oil, or harass them and cause them suffering!”

The ministers said to the king:

“In truth, no one willingly and out of kindness offers goods to the king. All the daily necessities provided to the king, queen, royal clan, and their retinues are taken from the people. Unless the king’s authority is used, they cannot be collected; no kindhearted person has ever voluntarily presented them.”

At that time, I became sorrowful and troubled, and thought to myself: “To whom shall I entrust the royal throne of Jambudvipa? I have five hundred sons, and I wish to exhort and guide them all toward the path of bodhi.” I then divided Jambudvipa into five hundred portions and gave them to my sons. Afterward, I renounced the household life and cultivated the pure conduct of the seers. I sat in meditation in a grove of udumbara trees near the great sea to the south, sustaining myself on fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Gradually, before long, I attained the five supernormal powers.

At that time, five hundred merchants from Jambudvipa entered the sea in search of jewels. Among them was a merchant leader named Constellation King, who, through merit accumulated in a former life, found a wish-fulfilling mani jewel. The others also reached a treasure bank and obtained innumerable precious objects, and they all prepared to return to the mainland.

Just as they set out, great waves arose upon the sea, the sea spirits wailed, and the nagas created disturbances, seeking to harm the merchants. There was a naga named Mare Treasury, who was in fact a bodhisattva. Because of his original vow, he had been born among that kind.

He aroused loving-kindness and compassion and helped the merchants cross the great sea safely and return to shore. At that time, an exceedingly evil rakshasa constantly pursued the merchants like a shadow following its form, watching for an opportunity to harm them. Day and night, he poured down torrential rain and unleashed fierce winds, causing the merchants to become disoriented and lose their course.

Not knowing which way to go, they were filled with terror. They cried out piteously and wept, beseeching the heavenly spirits, the wind spirits, and the water spirits; they even called upon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, and relatives to rescue them. At that time, with my divine ear, I heard their voices.

I immediately went to comfort them, saying:

“Merchants, do not be afraid! I shall show you the way and enable you to return to Jambudvipa.”

At that very moment, I wrapped white silk around My arm, dipped it in oil, and set it aflame. I then made this solemn vow: “Formerly, for thirty-six years in the forest, I devoted Myself single-mindedly to cultivating the four immeasurable minds for the benefit of sentient beings, subsisting only on fruits, flowers, and wild greens. I guided eighty-four thousand dragons and yakshas, enabling them to attain non-retrogression and abide on the path to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Through this root of virtue, I now burn My arm to show these merchants the way and enable them to return safely to Jambudvipa.”

My arm continued to burn in this manner for seven days and seven nights, and by its light those merchants returned safely to their former home.

Good man, I then made this vow:

“As this Jambudvipa lacks various precious treasures, if I shall certainly attain unsurpassed enlightenment in accordance with My original vow, may I become a merchant chief possessing a wish-fulfilling jewel. Throughout this entire Buddha-land, may rain fall seven times in succession, pouring down innumerable kinds of precious objects; and throughout Ganges-sands of Buddha-less lands in the ten directions, each afflicted by the five defilements, may such precious objects likewise rain down.” Good man, all the vows I made in that former time were fulfilled.

For great kalpas as numerous as the sands of one Ganges, I became a merchant chief of immeasurable wealth. In innumerable and immeasurable worlds afflicted by the five defilements and without a Buddha, I continually caused countless precious objects to rain down. In this way, all sentient beings were fully provided for, and I caused them to abide in the teachings of the Three Vehicles.

Good man, you should know that the Tathagata obtained the karmic reward of the excellent marks through roots of virtue created by giving away precious treasures in this manner.

Chapter 26: GIVING MEDICINAL REMEDIES

Furthermore, Bodhisattva Tranquil Resolve, immeasurable, boundless asamkhya kalpas ago, this Buddha-land was called Obscurity, and the great kalpa was called Delight. The people of that land afflicted by the five defilements had a lifespan of fifty thousand years. In accordance with My original vow, I became a brahmin named Garland of Fragrance in this Jambudvipa and mastered the four Vedas.

At that time, most sentient beings clung intensely to the view of permanence. They delighted in enmity, jealousy, contention, and evil. With courage and strength, I expounded the path and Dharma for their sake, teaching that the five aggregates of clinging are like enemies, that the ayatanas are like deserted villages, and that causes and conditions arise and cease in continuous succession.

I taught the contemplation of counting the breath, encouraged them to resolve upon seeking supreme enlightenment, and dedicated the roots of virtue I had cultivated toward perfect enlightenment. I then personally attained the five superknowledges, and through My instruction immeasurable and innumerable sentient beings likewise cultivated and attained the five superknowledges. Thus, immeasurable and innumerable sentient beings abandoned enmity, jealousy, and every kind of contention.

Wishing to leave the household life, they went into forest groves, subsisted on fruits, flowers, and wild greens, sat in meditation and contemplation, and diligently cultivated the four immeasurable minds, never disputing by day or night. As the kalpa approached its end, these seers dispersed throughout Jambudvipa to teach and transform sentient beings, causing them to abandon contention and enmity. At that time, the seasons became more favorable, wind and rain came in due measure, the soil grew fertile, the five grains yielded abundant harvests, food was plentiful, the people were well nourished, and their strength and vitality flourished.

Then an evil kalpa arrived, and sentient beings were afflicted by many kinds of disease. I thought:

“If I do not completely eliminate the diseases of sentient beings, I shall be unable to attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. What skillful means, then, should be used to cure their illnesses? I must assemble Shakra, Brahma, the Four Heavenly Kings, together with celestial seers, dragon seers, yaksha seers, human seers, and others, and for the benefit of sentient beings we must diligently seek medicinal remedies.”

I then used the superknowledge of spiritual powers to go and tell Shakra, Brahma, the Four Great Heavenly Kings, and the other seers:

“Come and assemble upon the summit of Shachipituo-jialuojia on Mount Yijia-piluo-bodi!”

Upon hearing this, the great assembly gathered in full and recited Vedic spells to protect sentient beings. I then discovered medicinal remedies for illnesses caused by heat and cold, both internal and external, enabling immeasurable and innumerable sentient beings to be entirely freed from illness and to leave suffering and affliction far behind. At that time, I again made this vow: “I now use this wisdom to illuminate immeasurable and innumerable sentient beings, causing them all to abide in the teachings of the Three Vehicles, to avoid the evil destinies and the gates of unwholesomeness among gods and humans, and to eradicate every disease.” In this way, I created the light of wisdom for immeasurable and innumerable sentient beings and established them in peace and joy.

Through the meritorious reward of that root of virtue, My great vow was fulfilled.

For the sake of sentient beings in this world-system, I closed the gates to the three evil destinies and opened the gates of goodness among gods and humans. For beings afflicted by illness, I invited devas, dragons, and divine seers to assemble on the summit of Mount Pijia-tuoluojia, where medicinal herbs abounded. There they recited Vedic spells and discovered excellent medicines that eliminated every disease, enabling countless sentient beings to enjoy peace and happiness.

In this way, I benefited all sentient beings throughout the world of Obscurity, causing them to practice the teachings of the Three Vehicles, closing the gates to the three evil destinies, and opening the gates of goodness among gods and humans. For those who were ill in this world, I again invited devas, dragons, spirits, seers, and others, just as described above. Even Ganges-sands of Buddha-less worlds afflicted by all five defilements received My aid in the same way.

Good man, throughout immeasurable and boundless kalpas in the world of Obscurity, as the five evil defilements followed one another without cease, all the vows I had made were fulfilled. Good man, you should know that while the Tathagata was still a bodhisattva, He constantly increased wisdom and cultivated the bodhisattva practices. This is called the Tathagata’s protection and preservation of the seeds of roots of virtue within the three kinds of karma—body, speech, and mind.

Chapter 27: REVEALING HIDDEN TREASURES AND GIVING THEM AWAY

Good man, afterward, when innumerable kalpas had passed, this Buddha-land was called Purged of Defilement, and the great kalpa was called Abundant Benefit. This, too, was an age afflicted by all five evil defilements. To the east, fifty-four world-systems away, there was a Jambudvipa called Dili.

In accordance with My original vow, I was born there as a wheel-turning sage king who ruled the four continents, bearing the title Space. I taught and transformed sentient beings through the ten wholesome actions and exhorted them through the teachings of the Three Vehicles, causing them to abide therein. At that time, I practiced generosity, giving universally without discrimination.

Innumerable people came seeking such precious objects as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mani jewels, and many others, and I gave them all whatever they desired. The precious objects were limited, however, while those who came to ask were exceedingly numerous. I therefore asked My ministers:

“From where do these precious objects come?”

The ministers replied:

“They are manifested by the dragon kings. Although these precious objects exist, they are intended solely as offerings to the sage king and are insufficient to be given to everyone in this manner.”

I then made this great vow: ‘In a future age, amid an evil world of the five turbidities, filled with afflictions, when the human lifespan is one hundred years, if I attain Perfect Enlightenment in accordance with my vow, may I become a dragon king in this Buddha-land, named Revealing Hidden Treasures. Throughout all the defilement-clearing Buddha-lands, I vow to take birth seven times in a dragon body. With each body, I shall manifest countless hundreds of thousands of nayutas of treasuries, filled with precious things such as gold, silver, beryl, manifold mani jewels, moon-bright jewels, crystal, and so forth, and give them away.

Each treasury shall measure one thousand yojanas in both length and breadth, be filled with precious things, and be opened for distribution to all sentient beings. Having cultivated such courage and diligence in this Buddha-land, I shall proceed in the same way throughout Ganges-sands of worlds in the ten directions that possess the five turbidities and are without a Buddha. In every continent and every Buddha-land, I shall take birth seven times in a dragon body...’ (as stated before).

Good man, as soon as I made that vow, countless hundreds of thousands of nayutas of devas in the sky rained down precious flowers and praised me, saying: “Excellent! Excellent! All the acts of giving that you have vowed to perform will certainly be accomplished.” The entire assembly heard these words.

The devas in the sky also bestowed upon the king the name Giver of Everything. Upon hearing this, the people thought: “We should approach this king and ask him for things that are difficult to give. If he is willing to give them, then he is truly the Giver of Everything; but if he does not, how can he be called the Giver of Everything?” They all then came before the king and asked for his palace attendants, chief queen, and children.

King Ākāśa joyfully gave them all away. Others then thought: “Giving away one’s wife and children is not especially difficult. We should ask him for his kingdom and the limbs of his body.

If the king gives them, he will indeed be the Giver of Everything.”

At that time, a young man named Moonlight, who observed the king’s precepts, came before King Ākāśa and said:

“If you are indeed the Giver of Everything, then please give this entire continent of Jambudvipa to me!”

Upon hearing this, I rejoiced greatly. I bathed him with fragrant water, clothed him in royal robes, installed him as king, and entrusted the whole of Jambudvipa to him.

I then made this vow: “Just as I have given away the entire continent of Jambudvipa, through this deed may I attain Perfect Enlightenment and fulfill my original vow. May all the people of this land obediently honor the new king, and may this wheel-turning sage king live for an immeasurably long time. After I attain Perfect Enlightenment, I shall bestow upon him the prediction: ‘After one more lifetime, you shall attain Buddhahood.’”

A brahmin named Khư Già came and asked me for my two feet. Upon hearing his request, I rejoiced greatly, took a sharp knife, severed my own feet, and gave them to him. I then made this great vow:

“May I attain the unsurpassed perfection of morality in a future life.”

Another brahmin named Đà-trá-ba came and asked for my two eyes. Upon hearing his request, I rejoiced greatly, plucked out my own eyes, and gave them to him. I then made this vow: “Through this act of giving, may I attain the five unsurpassed eyes in a future life.”

Another brahmin named Kiên Hồng came and asked for my two ears. Upon hearing his request, I rejoiced greatly, cut off my own ears, and gave them to him. I then made this vow: “In a future life, may I attain ears endowed with unsurpassed wisdom.”

Another man of wrong livelihood named Dật Lâm came and asked for my male organ. Upon hearing his request, I rejoiced greatly, cut it off, and gave it to him. I then made this vow: “In a future life, when I attain Perfect Enlightenment, may I possess the mark of the sheathed male organ.”

Another person came and asked for my flesh and blood. I immediately gave them to him and made this vow: “Through this act of giving, in a future life may I obtain the karmic reward of the unsurpassed bodily mark of golden color.”

Another brahmin named Nhật Vị came and asked for my two hands. Upon hearing his request, I rejoiced greatly, cut off my own left hand, and told another person to cut off my right hand and give it to him. I then made this vow: “In a future life, may I obtain unsurpassed hands of truthfulness.” Good man, after all my hands and feet had been severed in this way and blood poured from my body, I made another vow: “By virtue of this act of giving, I shall certainly attain Perfect Enlightenment. If my vow is fulfilled, may someone also accept the remainder of my body.”

At that time, the ministers and subordinate kings, lacking noble wisdom and failing to recognize the profundity of my kindness, discussed the matter among themselves: “The king is exceedingly foolish and utterly without wisdom. He has mutilated his limbs and disregarded his throne. He now resembles nothing more than a lump of flesh.

What use can he be? We should cast him away.” They then picked me up, abandoned me upon a desolate mound outside the city, and departed. Left there, I was beset by flies, mosquitoes, horseflies, jackals, wolves, hawks, and crows, which gathered to drink my blood and devour my flesh.

My life had not yet entirely ended, and with a heart full of joy I made this vow: “I have now relinquished both my throne and the limbs of my body in giving, without the slightest anger or any thought of regret. If my vow is fulfilled and I myself gain benefit from it, may this body become a great mountain of flesh, so that all beings that eat flesh and drink blood may come here and consume as much as they wish.”

After I had made this vow, many kinds of beings gathered there. Through the power of my original vow, I caused my body to grow and multiply each day until it reached a height of one thousand yojanas, while its length and breadth each measured five hundred yojanas. For one thousand years, I supplied sentient beings with the flesh and blood of my body until they were fully satisfied. As for the giving of my tongue alone, whenever birds and beasts came to eat it, through the power of my original vow it immediately grew back. If all the tongues I gave away had been gathered together, they would have formed a mass as great as Mount Grdhrakuta. Having completed this act of giving, I made another vow: “In a future life, may I fully attain the mark of the broad and long tongue.”

Good man, after I died, through the power of my original vow I was reborn in Jambudvipa among the dragons as a dragon king named Revealing Hidden Treasures. On the very night of my birth, I manifested countless hundreds of thousands of nayutas of treasuries filled with precious things such as gold, silver, crystal, and so forth, and issued this proclamation: “Sentient beings, you should cultivate wholesome karma and the Dharma-minded aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi, or arouse the aspiration to seek the pratyekabuddha vehicle or the sravaka vehicle. You may freely take as many precious things as you desire.”

In this continent of Jambudvipa, I was reborn seven times as a dragon king. Over the course of seven billion seven hundred million nayutas of hundreds of thousands of years, I manifested immeasurable and innumerable treasuries to provide for sentient beings, causing them to abide in the Three Vehicles and cultivate the ten wholesome karmic deeds. With all manner of precious things, I ensured that sentient beings always lived in abundance. Afterward, I made this vow: “In a future life, may I fully possess the thirty-two unsurpassed marks.”

Thus, during the era of the second world, I was likewise reborn seven times as a Dragon King and practiced the conduct of a great man as described above. Everywhere throughout the worlds, I performed such immeasurable deeds of benefit. In Ganges-sands-number of lands throughout the ten directions, replete with the five defilements and without a Buddha, in every region of those lands, I was reborn seven times as a Dragon King in each place.

For seven billion seven hundred million nayutas of hundreds of thousands of years, I gave immeasurable and innumerable treasuries of precious objects in charity to sentient beings... (as above). Good man, you should know that this was how the Tathagata, while still a bodhisattva, cultivated with the utmost diligence in order to attain the thirty-two marks. Before me, no bodhisattva had exerted himself so greatly in practicing the conduct leading to bodhi.

Neither now nor in the future is there any bodhisattva who has devoted all his heart and strength in this way to practicing the bodhisattva path, apart from the eight whom I previously mentioned.

Good man, after incalculable kalpas and innumerable transformations, this Buddha-land was called Coral Well. At that time, it was an age of the five defilements without a Buddha, and the great kalpa was called Lotus Flower. I was Sakra, lord of the four continents, named Universal Illumination. Seeing that the sentient beings of Jambudvipa did not seek moral discipline but devoted themselves to evil, I transformed myself into a terrifying yaksha and appeared before the people of Jambudvipa. Upon seeing me, they were greatly frightened and asked:

—What do you seek, sir?

I said:

—I require only food and drink, but I do not eat ordinary food. Prepare it quickly!

They asked again:

—What do you wish to eat?

I said:

—I eat only human flesh and nothing else. However, if anyone, from this day until the end of his life, can cease killing and holding wrong views, and resolve to seek the fruit of unsurpassed enlightenment, or resolve to seek the pratyekabuddha vehicle, or resolve to seek the sravaka vehicle, I will not devour such a person.

At that time, I continually conjured up apparitional people, seized them, and ate their flesh. When those sentient beings saw this, they became even more terrified. Therefore, from that time until the end of their lives, they all entirely abandoned killing, stealing, and all offenses up to and including wrong views.

Some resolved to seek unsurpassed bodhi, some resolved to seek the pratyekabuddha vehicle, and others sought the sravaka vehicle. Thus, I caused all sentient beings throughout Jambudvipa to practice the ten wholesome deeds and abide in the Three Vehicles. I then made this vow: “If I shall certainly attain perfect enlightenment and my original vow is fulfilled, may the sentient beings throughout these four continents practice the ten wholesome karmas.

Moreover, everywhere throughout this world, in every place among its sets of four continents, may I manifest such terrors so as to cause the sentient beings there to practice the ten wholesome deeds and abide in the Three Vehicles. Likewise, throughout the ten directions, in lands of the five defilements where no Buddha is present... may I cause the sentient beings there to practice the ten wholesome deeds and abide in the Three Vehicles.”

Good man, this original vow of mine was fulfilled in its entirety. Just as throughout this world called Coral Well I used the form of a yaksha to tame people and lead them to wholesome Dharma, so too, in Ganges-sands-number of lands throughout the ten directions, defiled by the five defilements and without a Buddha, I used the form of a yaksha to tame the people of the world and establish them upon the wholesome path. Because in the past I used terror and coercion to compel sentient beings to abide in wholesome conduct, the residual karma of those deeds caused Mara, the Evil One, when I was about to attain bodhi and sat upon the Vajra Seat beneath the bodhi tree, to bring his demonic armies to harass me and obstruct my attainment of bodhi.

Good man, this is my brief account of my practice of the perfection of giving while I was cultivating the bodhisattva path. Good man, the patient acceptance of the great bodhisattvas is exceedingly profound, and their dharanis, liberations, and samadhis are exceedingly subtle and wondrous. At that time, I had not yet attained them, but possessed only two kinds of embodiment: one endowed with the five superknowledges and one still subject to the outflows.

When I performed such deeds of immense benefit, I caused immeasurable and boundless sentient beings to abide in unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment, or to abide in the pratyekabuddha vehicle or the sravaka vehicle. I also made offerings to Buddhas as numerous as the countless motes of dust in a Buddha-world, and in each Buddha-land the merit I attained was as abundant as the drops of water in the great ocean.

I made offerings to innumerable sravakas and pratyekabuddhas, to innumerable Tathagatas, and likewise to parents and sages who had attained the five superknowledges. In the past, while practicing the bodhisattva conduct, I always had compassion for sentient beings and gave them my own blood and flesh so that they might be fully nourished, constantly manifesting a mind of great compassion; but the arhats of the present do not possess such compassion.

END OF FASCICLE 7