大乘理趣六波羅蜜多經

FASCICLE 6

Chapter 7: THE PERFECTION OF PATIENCE

After the Blessed One had clearly expounded the perfection of pure morality, the bodhisattva Maitreya rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and addressed the Buddha:
“Blessed One! How should a bodhisattva cultivate the perfection of patience and advance so as to bring it to fulfillment? How many kinds of patience are there? How should a practitioner apply himself? I beseech you to instruct us.”
The Blessed One praised the great bodhisattva Maitreya:
“Excellent, excellent! Because you wish to bring benefit and peace to all sentient beings, you ask about such a profound principle. Listen clearly and reflect upon it carefully. I shall distinguish and explain it for you.
“Good man! You should know that samsara and nirvana are equal and without distinction. This is called the perfection of patience. If foolish and deranged beings come to revile and humiliate me, I patiently accept it all. It is like a drunken elephant that is difficult to tame and must be controlled with an iron hook. The drunken elephant of an angry mind is likewise restrained and tamed with the iron hook of patience. This is called the perfection of patience.
“If a sentient being is harmed by three billion six hundred million heavenly maras, spirits, yakshas, and rakshasas, a bodhisattva need only use the perfection of patience to rout that army. Even when the eighty-four thousand hostile bandits of the afflictions seek to cause destruction, the bodhisattva likewise uses patience to eliminate them. The bodhisattva patiently endures not only the heavenly maras and the great hostile army of the afflictions, but even the smallest and most insignificant enemy, taming them all through patience. This is called the perfection of patience.
“It is like a king’s son who has mastered the laws of kingship. When the king dies, the crown prince inherits the throne and governs the people of the country by practicing five kinds of Right Dharma:
1. Not killing living beings.
2. Not stealing.
3. Not engaging in sexual misconduct.
4. Not speaking falsely.
5. Not levying taxes beyond one’s proper authority.
“If anyone in the kingdom violates the precept against killing, the king incurs a sixth share of the offense. The same applies to stealing, sexual misconduct, and false speech. Why? Whether the conduct is in accordance with Dharma or contrary to Dharma, the king is its foundation. Whether merit or offense is produced, the king receives a sixth share. A great bodhisattva is likewise: the mind is the kingdom, and great compassion is the king. Five principles of patience are proclaimed throughout that kingdom: patience under beating, reviling, anger, rage, and ridicule. All five must be patiently endured; whoever violates them incurs a grave offense.
“Maitreya! It is like a farmer who, wishing to sow crops, must lead water into his fields. First he repairs the channels and ditches, and only then begins the work. While working, he encounters mountain rock that he cannot dig through, so he stops. A great bodhisattva does not act like this. Within the vast wilderness of samsaric birth and death, he wishes to excavate the channel of wisdom and conduct the water of ambrosia. When, during his cultivation, he encounters the rock of anger and has no other means to remove it, he uses patience and careful contemplation to dig through and shatter it.
“Furthermore, kings, ministers, elders, and householders all adorn themselves with jeweled necklaces. The Buddhas, Dharma Kings, bodhisattvas, and others always adorn their bodies with the jeweled necklace of patience. If they encounter beings who despise or betray them without cause, they use great compassion and patience to rescue and protect those beings.

This patience is the exemplary teacher of bhikshus and bhikshunis. Faith, diligence, mindfulness, samadhi, and wisdom form the forest, while pure morality forms its branches and leaves. When the fire of anger erupts in this forest, burning the branches and leaves of morality, nothing else can extinguish it.

Only the rain of patience can put it out, forever dispelling fear of all sufferings and calamities in the present and future. Those without patience find no peace in walking, standing, lying down, or sitting in this present life; how then could they find happiness in a future life? A great bodhisattva takes the power of patience as armor.

The offender is a chandala who, with the hand of anger, grasps the bow of delusion and shoots arrows of harsh speech at the armor of patience. Yet his bow and arrows naturally break, while the armor of patience is not damaged in the slightest. Those arrows shatter and turn into lotus flowers.
“Maitreya, you should know that when a bodhisattva practices in this way, it is called the perfection of patience.
“Furthermore, just as the agada medicine of the world can dispel every painful illness in oneself and others, so too does a bodhisattva hold the agada medicine of patience, which can cure every illness of anger and affliction in oneself and others. This is called the perfection of patience. It is like a luminous moon-jewel in the world.

A merchant carries it while crossing a vast wilderness or traveling through a desert where there is no water anywhere. On a moonlit night, he holds the jewel up toward the moon and places a vessel beneath it. Water naturally flows down, and after drinking it the merchant crosses that desert wilderness.

A bodhisattva is likewise. Holding the luminous moon-jewel of patience, he crosses the desert wilderness of birth and death, where there is not the slightest water of wisdom and only afflictions abound. The bodhisattva raises the precious jewel of patience toward the moon of the Buddha’s wisdom and collects the water of the Buddhadharma.

After drinking the water of the Buddhadharma, he escapes birth and death and reaches the shore of nirvana.
“Maitreya! It is like the earth, through which all grasses and trees grow and on which all sentient beings depend for life. Patience is likewise. All great bodhisattvas throughout the ten bhumis cultivate the six paramitas, growing through reliance on patience and abiding securely by means of patience.
“Furthermore, it is like an exceedingly tall ladder by which beings climb directly to the Brahma heavens. The lofty ladder of patience is likewise: ascending it, a bodhisattva reaches the rank of the God among gods, the Buddha.
“It is also like a highly skilled painter who produces pictures with beautiful, refined lines and colors. The painter of patience is likewise, bringing the adornments of merit to perfect fulfillment.
“It is also like great clouds arising in the sky and pouring down torrential rain. Floodwaters carry all grasses, trees, flowers, and fruits into the Ganges, which in turn bears them onward to the great ocean. A bodhisattva is likewise.

His mind, like the sky, can raise every cloud of loving-kindness and compassion and rain down the great Dharma. The powerful current of patience sweeps away all the grasses and trees of anger and the flowers of affliction, carrying them into the river of wisdom and onward to the great, pure ocean of nirvana. Seeing the sufferings within samsaric birth and death, a bodhisattva uses the power of patience to bear them on behalf of beings.

For hundreds of thousands of kalpas he never pleads weariness, nor does he abandon them to seize nirvana for himself. Through the power of patience, a great bodhisattva can relinquish his head, eyes, marrow, brain, body, flesh, hands, feet, and even his very life without regret. When foolish ordinary beings hear this, they are greatly frightened, their hair standing on end, and say, ‘How could anyone relinquish himself in this way?’ Because a bodhisattva possesses such power of patience, wherever he is born his appearance is exceptionally handsome, all beings delight in seeing him, and in great assemblies he is always praised by the Buddhas.

Furthermore, a great bodhisattva abides firmly and immovably in the power of patience, like Mount Sumeru, which remains unmoved even when fierce winds whirl around it. The Mount Sumeru of patience is likewise: even when the violent wind of anger arises, it cannot be shaken.
“Followers of non-Buddhist paths associate with evil companions and consequently give rise to wrong views. They practice such austerities as going naked, fasting, burning their bodies amid five fires, throwing themselves from high mountains, or leaping into flames, believing that these acts will cause them to be born in heaven, and they do not believe in the Right Dharma. Seeing this, a bodhisattva opens his heart of compassion and manifests the same austerities, but performs them a hundred times more intensely. Those non-Buddhists then revere him and honor him as their exemplary teacher. Afterward, the bodhisattva guides them with the Right Dharma, causing those holding wrong views to abide in right view.
“Other non-Buddhists say: ‘Within my body there is a self residing in the mind, as large as a thumb. It is unobstructed and has no visible form; only the divine eye can see it. The faculty of sight is the self’s attendant.

Once the eye has seen something, it reports it to the self; the ears, nose, and tongue function in the same manner. For this reason, if someone reviles me, the reviler will be born in heaven, while the person who endures the humiliation and abuse will fall after death into the three evil destinies. It is like many people serving the same general.

If someone disparages the general’s self, all of them must kill that person; if they do not kill the offender, all of them incur guilt.’ Through the power of patience, the bodhisattva feels compassion for those holding such wrong views and endures them, using every means to eliminate their mistaken understanding. It is like timely rain, by which grasses and trees are moistened, grow, and bear fruit. The bodhisattva’s patience is likewise.”
At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

As rain approaches, ants emerge from their holes,
Heaping up earth to fashion dwellings.
From the impurities of father and mother this body arose,
Yet deluded consciousness therein clings to a self.

Relying on continuous physical strength, one boasts of power;
The wise carefully contemplate it as an illusory dream.
In the space of a single thought it becomes dust,
Crushed to fragments like earth beneath an elephant’s feet.

In each instant, the breath swiftly arises and ceases;
Walking, standing, lying down, and sitting are all suffering.
One should clearly know the physical body as suffering and impermanent;
How could the wise become attached to it?

The gods and Brahmas practice austerities throughout their lives;
When seen by venomous snakes, they may remain unharmed.
If wounded, spells and antidotes may cure them;
But who can save one from the poison of impermanence?

Wholesome Dharma is easy to cultivate, yet it is cast away;
Pleasures of desire bring ruin, yet people persistently seek them.
The wise contemplate and see that this cannot succeed,
Like dyeing a filthy robe with saffron.

“A bodhisattva should explain the Dharma of non-self to those non-Buddhists, saying: ‘Is the self to which you cling inside or outside? Is it in the past or the future? If you say that it exists, then when you die, that self should be able to save you. If it cannot save you, you should clearly know that no self exists. It is like a loyal minister who serves his king single-mindedly: if the king falls into danger, the minister must certainly rescue him. Since your self is now unable to save you, you may know with certainty that no self exists. If there were a self, it should be sovereign and free; why, then, is it destroyed by impermanence?

“‘Beings are oppressed by the sufferings inflicted by the demon of impermanence, and the parts of their bodies suddenly separate as they die. If there were a self, it would escape this calamity. Since it cannot escape disintegration, you should know that there is no self.

Thus, from beginningless time, you non-Buddhists have served this self, created innumerable evil karmas, and undergone extreme suffering. You should know that this self has shown you not the slightest kindness or virtue. Though you serve it, after a long time it abandons you, handing your body over to vicious beasts, tigers, leopards, dogs, and wolves to be torn apart and eaten, while the self deserts you to seek another body.

Reckoning from beginningless time, it has abandoned you in this way throughout immeasurable and innumerable kalpas, and it will do so in the present and future as well. If you say that the mind is the spiritual consciousness and the body is its servant, you should know that this body would then belong to the self. From beginningless time you have received bodies throughout innumerable kalpas and beyond any count.

Are all those bodies possessed by one self or by many selves? If there are many selves, they are impermanent; and because they are impermanent, it is incorrect to say that a self exists. If the self is one, it should abide permanently, always retaining a single body and never moving elsewhere.

Yet because it does not remain, this claim of oneness also fails. You should reflect and contemplate: whether there are many selves or one self, neither claim is correct. Therefore, you should know that the mind is not the self.

“‘Furthermore, contemplate that the body neither belongs to the self nor serves it. If the body belonged to the self, then walking, standing, lying down, sitting, birth, old age, sickness, and death would be subject to the self. Yet they arise naturally without the self commanding them; clearly, the body does not belong to the self.

If it belonged to the self, the self could command it to live forever and never grow old or die. Walking, standing, lying down, and sitting are likewise subject to impermanent change and therefore certainly do not belong to a self. Thus, know with certainty that there is neither self nor anything belonging to a self.

You should know that if you cling to a self, it becomes your greatest enemy. Why? Through roots of goodness accumulated in former lives, you obtained the karmic reward of the five desires, but in this life you have exhausted it.

Now you create many evil karmas and, through the power of karma, are delivered to the wardens of hell. If a self exists, why does it not come to your rescue?’

“Through the power of patience, a great bodhisattva rescues sentient beings from the evil demons of self and what belongs to self, enabling them to attain the liberation of right view, to distance themselves from self and what belongs to self, and to see that the nature of all dharmas is originally empty and quiescent. This is called a bodhisattva’s cultivation of the perfection of patience.

“Maitreya! It is like a person who, to protect his child, performs an incantation so that evil spirits cannot come and cause harm. A bodhisattva is likewise. He uses the incantation of patience to protect beings, preventing enmity, anger, and the like from harming them.

“Maitreya! Suppose a thorn pierces a person’s foot. He wishes to find enough leather to cover the entire earth so that he may walk without fear.

A wise man asks, ‘Why are you seeking so much leather?’ The person explains the matter as above. The wise man rebukes him: ‘Ah, foolish man! You should not do this.

You need only take a small amount of leather and make shoes; then you will not be injured. Why use so much leather to cover the entire earth?’ Ordinary beings are likewise. They create enmity everywhere, and enemies in every place take up knives and seek to kill them in revenge.

Seeing this, a bodhisattva feels great compassion and uses patience to make leather shoes that protect their bodies and minds. Once protected, how could they have enemies bearing knives to harm them? This is the perfection of patience.

“Suppose someone insults a bodhisattva with malicious words. On hearing them, the bodhisattva should not become angry but should contemplate: Who is the reviler, and who is being reviled? The bodies of self and other contain the twelve ayatanas: the eye ayatana sees forms, the ear ayatana hears sounds, the nose ayatana smells odors, the tongue ayatana tastes flavors, the body ayatana experiences tangible objects, and the mind ayatana knows dharmas.

Yet the eye ayatana is truly not a self. If it is not a self, to whom do the faults of the eye ayatanas of self and other belong? If faults exist, punishment would be required.

But when one carefully contemplates in this manner, neither party possesses any fault. Since there is no fault, who receives abuse, who reviles, and who is there to become angry? Contemplate in this way through to the dharma ayatana as well.

Apart from the twelve ayatanas, nothing whatsoever exists. Both the reviler and the one reviled are nonexistent. Reflecting thus, the angry mind disappears.

Upon hearing harsh words, one should carefully contemplate: what in those words is harsh? ‘Harshness’ and ‘speech’ do not arise at the same time. When there is harshness, it is not speech; when there is speech, it is not harshness. Arising and ceasing in each instant, they never wait for one another.

If even these two terms do not exist, how much less could manifold abuse exist? Through such contemplation, even harsh words spoken for hundreds of thousands of kalpas cease to constitute insult.

“Furthermore, contemplate that the reviler and the dharma of reviling are both impermanent and do not remain for even a single instant. At what, then, could one be angry? Therefore, know that the past has already passed, the future has not yet arrived, and the present does not remain.

Since the dharma of reviling is empty, my body is likewise, sharing that impermanence which arises and ceases without remaining. Because nothing remains, all is empty. When one contemplates in this way, immeasurable enmities are extinguished at once.

If one departs from this contemplation and clings discriminatively to appearances, it is merely called patience and cannot be called the perfection of patience. The five skandhas are without self, and likewise the eighteen dhatus and all the rest are without self, like illusions and magical transformations. Praise and blame are equal; in their original nature, all are equal.

“Maitreya! On seeing someone revile him, a great bodhisattva should give rise to compassion and think: ‘This person has been seized by the mara of anger and obscured by the afflictions, and thus he reviles me. Because I wish to eliminate this mara, I shall diligently train in the Patience Dharani, giving rise to no anger and allowing neither anger nor any other affliction to harm sentient beings. If I become angry, demonic forces will delude my body. Therefore, I shall feel compassion for this reviler and always endure him patiently.’ Although one cultivates in this way, it is merely called patience. When there is no discrimination, it is called the perfection of patience.

“Maitreya! When a great bodhisattva practicing patient endurance encounters someone who takes a sharp blade and cuts off his hands and feet, he remains joyful toward that person and regards him as a good spiritual friend. It is like someone who, after giving alms, feels great joy and thinks: ‘Today I have obtained a great karmic blessing.

I should always remember with gratitude the kindness of the recipient of my gift.’ Those nearby who see this should all rejoice in his merit. Likewise, upon seeing someone cut his body apart, a bodhisattva should rejoice and think: ‘That person has acted in order to eliminate my negative karma and bestow upon me the wealth of Dharma. Because of me, he acquires an evil reputation, loses the peace and liberation of gods and humans, and must undergo suffering in the three evil destinies.

Therefore, he is my most intimate good friend and has brought my perfection of patience to fulfillment. I should revere him and never forget his kindness, even when I attain bodhi; how much less should I become angry with him! If I became angry, I would betray his kindness.

Therefore, I shall revere him all the more and regard him as my teacher.’ Although he endures what is difficult to endure, so long as he discriminates between self and other, it is merely called patience and cannot be called the perfection of patience.

“Furthermore, suppose that in a secluded place someone comes and slanders the bodhisattva, saying: ‘You have stolen, engaged in sexual misconduct, beaten and reviled others, and committed assassination.’ The bodhisattva patiently endures it and reflects: ‘This is not that person’s fault. In a former life, I myself beat, reviled, or attacked him. Because residual karma from those acts remains, I must now receive his accusations.

Because of me, this person will fall into an evil destiny; therefore, while among human beings I must exercise great compassionate patience.’ He further reflects: ‘This mind of mine is exceedingly deceitful. I patiently endure because I fear falling into hell, and I also wish to perfect the perfection of patience, even though the person cutting me apart must thereby fall into the three evil destinies.’ Reflecting in this way, he becomes even more ashamed.

Recognizing his own fault, the bodhisattva feels ashamed, regards the other person as a good spiritual friend, and gives rise to respect. Yet this is only patience and not the perfection of patience, because discrimination between self and other remains.

“Furthermore, a bodhisattva knows that anger is a dharma that causes every kind of suffering and that the practice of patience is the source of the myriad practices. Therefore, he practices patience, but this is merely called patience and cannot be called the perfection of patience. Why? Because discrimination between good and evil remains.

“A bodhisattva contemplates five faults of the body composed of the five skandhas: it is a gathering place that produces all suffering; it changes from instant to instant; it consists of five kinds of impurity; it is composed of thirty-six unclean substances; and it is without self or anything belonging to a self, all being empty. Yet non-Buddhists with wrong views cling to this body as blissful, permanent and unchanging, pure, and possessing a self and what belongs to a self. The bodhisattva carefully contemplates that these five principles also apply to all sentient beings. Having understood this, he should not become angry upon hearing abuse or rejoice upon receiving praise. This is merely called patience, not the perfection of patience.

“Maitreya! I shall now briefly explain the thirty-two kinds of patience practiced by a bodhisattva. They are: not being greedy; not killing; not causing affliction; not being wrathful; not bearing resentment; not becoming vexed; not disputing; not being defiled by objects of desire; skillfully guarding one’s own mind and the minds of others; conforming to the mind of bodhi; being without a discriminating mind; not becoming entangled in birth and death; accord with karmic cause and result; purity of body; purity of speech and mind; firmness without retreat; freedom in speech; not calculating; self-awakened noble wisdom; safeguarding the intentions of others; cultivating the four Brahma-abodes without being reborn through the force of dhyana;

abiding freely in the happiness of gods and humans; perfecting the excellent physical marks; possessing a subtle and wondrous Brahma voice; eliminating all evils; abandoning stinginess and greed; ending jealousy; relinquishing all hostile bandits; drawing near to the factors of bodhi; abandoning the unwholesome; delighting in secluded places; and attaining all the factors of Buddhadharma.

These are the thirty-two kinds of the perfection of patience. When a bodhisattva fully cultivates these thirty-two kinds of patience, he realizes the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas and swiftly reaches unsurpassed bodhi.

“Maitreya! What is called the perfection of patience? If someone comes and reviles us, we should contemplate the sound of that abuse as an echo in a valley.

When beaten, we should contemplate this body as an image in a mirror. When confronted with anger, we should contemplate this mind as an illusion or magical transformation. When confronted with rage, we should contemplate that the nature of this mind is originally undisturbed.

Upon receiving offerings and gain, we should contemplate that this mind is self-controlled by nature and not rejoice. Upon losing offerings and gain, we should contemplate that this mind is excellent, subtle, peaceful, and still, and should not become angry. When slandered, we should contemplate this body as empty space and should not retaliate.

When praised, we should contemplate that this body is by nature without arrogance or conceit. When lauded, we should contemplate that this mind has always been empty and quiescent by nature and should not rejoice. When disparaged, we should contemplate that the nature of mind is originally free from fear and should not give rise to sorrow.

When encountering suffering, we should contemplate that the nature of dharmas is originally free from oppression and should not perceive the characteristic of suffering. When experiencing happiness, we should contemplate that true nature permanently abides without change and possesses neither the characteristic of suffering nor that of happiness. When a great bodhisattva abides in patience, the eight winds cannot move him.

Why? Because with the mind of bodhi he abides in true reality, transcends self and other, and sees the Dharma body. Whatever discomfort arises, he patiently endures it all.

Wishing to overcome hostile maras, he should perform every difficult deed in order to tame non-Buddhists with wrong views.

“Maitreya, you should know that I shall now briefly explain the perfection of patience.

“Maitreya! If one contemplates impermanence, departs from the characteristic of self, and thereby makes the mind patiently secure, this is not true patience. If one contemplates the wholesome and unwholesome characteristics of dharmas and thereby makes the mind patient, this is not true patience.

If, by carefully contemplating the twelve ayatanas, one practices patience toward faculties and their objects, abandons the characteristic of anger, and attains patience, this is not true patience. If one contemplates anger as inverted and patience as correct, discriminating between the wrong and the right, this is not true patience. If one further regards patience as reasonable and abuse as unreasonable, then patience that still clings to characteristics is not true patience.

Furthermore, if one abides in patience regarding the Noble Eightfold Path and rejects patience regarding the eight wrong paths, or distinguishes between patience regarding the path and the non-path, this is not true patience. Furthermore, if one does not contemplate and patiently accept that dharmas are impermanent, without self, impure, and suffering, but contemplates only dharmas as permanent, blissful, possessing self, and pure, calling this the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, such mutually opposed patience is not true patience.

To accept the dharma of emptiness but not views and attachments; to accept the signless but not dharmas with characteristics; to accept the wishless but not dharmas involving wishes; to accept non-activity but not activity; to accept dharmas without affliction but not afflicted dharmas; to accept wholesome dharmas but not evil dharmas; to accept supramundane dharmas but not mundane dharmas; to accept faultless dharmas but not faulty dharmas; to accept undefiled dharmas but not defiled dharmas; to accept nirvana but not samsara—patience of this kind is remedial patience, not ultimate patience.”

The great bodhisattva Maitreya said:
“Blessed One! Such patience is not ultimate patience. What, then, is ultimate patience? I beseech you to distinguish and explain it.”

The Blessed One said:
“Good man! True patience consists in comprehending through right wisdom that the original nature of all dharmas is empty. This nature of emptiness and the original nature of dharmas are nondual. The nature of dharmas is the absence of inherent nature, while the original nature of right wisdom is pure, nondual, undifferentiated, and uninterrupted. Therefore, one should know that worldly dharmas are emptiness and emptiness is worldly dharmas; the original natures of the two are inseparable. Patience of this kind is called ultimate patience.

“Furthermore, through right wisdom one comprehends that the nature of all dharmas is signlessness. Signlessness is the original nature of dharmas, and their original nature is nondual. The nature of dharmas and the nature of signlessness are the pure original nature of right wisdom, nondual, not divided into two parts, undifferentiated, and uninterrupted.

“Therefore, one should know that all dharmas are signless and signlessness is all dharmas. The original natures of the two are inseparable. Patience of this kind is called ultimate patience.

“Through right wisdom one comprehends that the nature of all dharmas is wishlessness. Wishlessness is the nature of dharmas, for their original nature is nondual. The nature of wishlessness and the nature of dharmas are the pure original nature of right wisdom, nondual, not divided into two parts, undifferentiated, and uninterrupted. Therefore, one should know that all dharmas are wishless and wishlessness is all dharmas, for the original natures of the two are inseparable. Patience of this kind is ultimate patience.

“Through right wisdom one clearly understands that the nature of all conditioned activities is the nature of non-activity. The nature of non-activity and the nature of all activities are nondual in their original nature. The nature of all activities and the nature of non-activity are the pure original nature of right wisdom, nondual, not divided into two parts, undifferentiated, and uninterrupted. Patience of this kind is called ultimate patience.

“Through right wisdom one comprehends that the nature of affliction is the nature of non-affliction. The nature of non-affliction and the nature of affliction are nondual in their original nature. The nature of affliction and the nature of non-affliction are the pure original nature of right wisdom, nondual, undifferentiated, not divided into two parts, and uninterrupted. Patience of this kind is called ultimate patience.

“Through right wisdom one fully comprehends that the nature of all wholesome dharmas is the nature of the unwholesome. The nature of the wholesome is itself the nature of the unwholesome, and their original nature is nondual. The nature of the wholesome and the nature of the unwholesome are the pure original nature of right wisdom, nondual, not divided into two parts, undifferentiated, and uninterrupted. Patience of this kind is called ultimate patience.

“Through right wisdom one fully comprehends that the nature of supramundane dharmas is itself the nature of mundane dharmas. The nature of mundane dharmas and the nature of supramundane dharmas are nondual in their original nature. The nature of supramundane dharmas and the nature of mundane dharmas are the pure original nature of right wisdom, nondual, not divided into two parts, undifferentiated, and uninterrupted. Patience of this kind is called ultimate patience.

“Through right wisdom one fully comprehends that the nature of faultlessness is the nature of fault. The nature of fault and the nature of faultlessness are nondual in their original nature. The nature of faultlessness and the nature of fault are the pure original nature of right wisdom, nondual, not divided into two parts, undifferentiated, and uninterrupted. Patience of this kind is called ultimate patience.

“Through right wisdom one comprehends that the nature of undefiled dharmas is the nature of defiled dharmas. The nature of defiled dharmas and the nature of undefiled dharmas are nondual in their original nature. The nature of undefiled dharmas and the nature of defiled dharmas are the pure original nature of right wisdom, nondual, not divided into two parts, undifferentiated, and uninterrupted. Patience of this kind is called ultimate patience.

“Through right wisdom one fully comprehends that the nature of nirvana is the nature of samsara. The nature of samsara and the nature of nirvana are nondual in their original nature. The nature of nirvana and the nature of samsara are the pure original nature of right wisdom, nondual, not divided into two parts, undifferentiated, and uninterrupted. Patience of this kind is ultimate patience.”

The Buddha said:
“Maitreya! Such true and ultimate patience sees neither self nor other in any dharma. It is neither existence nor nonexistence, neither arising nor non-arising, neither cessation nor non-cessation. Whoever attains such patience is said to attain the true and ultimate patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. This is the perfection of patience.”

When the Buddha expounded this perfection of patience, the bodhisattva Maitreya, as the foremost among them, together with immeasurable assemblies of great bodhisattvas and the entire congregation, praised the Blessed One in unison:
“Excellent, excellent! How rare indeed is the Sugata! How wondrous indeed is the Blessed One!”

After offering praise, everyone presented immeasurable precious treasures to the Blessed One as offerings: champaka incense, fragrant flowers, burning incense, anointing incense, powdered incense, various garlands, garments, silks, banners, streamers, and jeweled parasols. They cast them into the air as offerings, played every kind of music for delight, and sang hymns praising the Tathagata. The beings who heard the Buddha expound this perfection of patience neither doubted nor feared. All attained the Tathagata’s true patient acceptance of dharmas. They scattered fragrant flowers throughout the sky over the entire three-thousand-great-thousand world to make offerings to the Tathagata.

The Blessed One said to Maitreya:
“Good man! You should arrange all these fragrant flowers, garments, banners, streamers, jeweled parasols, and the rest.”

The bodhisattva Maitreya said:
“Blessed One! I have arranged all these fragrant flowers and garments. Each has been placed within the assemblies of bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, and others, while my own body serves as their support.”

Having spoken, the bodhisattva Maitreya immediately entered the Samadhi of All Forms and Bodies. Once he had entered this samadhi, all the fragrant flowers, garments, silks, banners, streamers, and jeweled parasols filling the sky throughout the three-thousand-great-thousand world entered the navel of the bodhisattva Maitreya without obstruction through the spiritual power of samadhi. All remained complete and undiminished, while the body of the bodhisattva Maitreya did not grow larger.

At that time, the great bodhisattva Akshayagarbha asked the bodhisattva Maitreya:
“Good man! What is the name of this samadhi? By abiding in it, you cause all these offerings to enter your navel, yet your body does not increase and the objects do not diminish.”

The bodhisattva Maitreya replied:
“Good man! This samadhi is called the Samadhi of Universal Entry into All Forms and Bodies.”

The bodhisattva Akshayagarbha asked further:
“Great Being! What is the realm of spiritual transformation manifested by this samadhi?”

The bodhisattva Maitreya replied:
“All things within the three-thousand-great-thousand world may enter my navel, yet my body does not increase and those things do not diminish. Why? Because the nature of dharmas is originally so.”

At that time, the bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, spirits, humans, and nonhumans in the assembly thought secretly: “We wish to see the realm of spiritual transformation of this samadhi, but we do not know how.”

Knowing the thoughts of the bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, and others, the Blessed One said to the bodhisattva Maitreya:
“Good man! You should manifest the spiritual transformations of this samadhi so that the entire great assembly may know them.”

At that time, the bodhisattva Maitreya, having cultivated this samadhi for a long time and mastered it completely without obstruction, caused the bodhisattvas, the assemblies from other directions, the bhikshus, bhikshunis, and even the Buddha, the Blessed One, to enter Maitreya’s body. None of the sentient beings was frightened, and they experienced an unprecedented peace and happiness of body and mind.

It was as though, after passing eastward through immeasurable asamkhyeyas of worlds, one reached a world called Adorned with Jeweled Necklaces. All things used by the beings of that world were made entirely of precious treasures, and they enjoyed abundant happiness. The gods and humans in this great assembly experienced happiness no different from that of the beings in that world. While within Maitreya’s body, the assembly perceived everything clearly and without obstruction.

The bodhisattva Maitreya then withdrew his spiritual power. The great assembly and the Buddha, the Blessed One, all returned to their seats. None of those sentient beings in the great assembly perceived any sign of coming or going. The bodhisattva Akshayagarbha said to the bodhisattva Maitreya:
“How rare, Great Being! I have never before experienced or heard of such spiritual transformations of a samadhi.”

The bodhisattva Maitreya said:
“Venerable One! Not only can the entire great assembly gathered here enter my navel. Even if Mount Sumeru, the ten jeweled mountains, the great Iron-Ring Mountain, the oceans, deep rivers, the sun, moon, stars, heavenly palaces, dragon palaces, the five destinies, the four modes of birth, humans, and nonhumans throughout the three-thousand-great-thousand world were all brought into my body, there would be no obstruction. My body would not increase, and those things would not diminish. Those beings would perceive no sign of coming or going. Such is the nature of dharmas; how much more so for this assembly.”

When the Blessed One expounded this perfection of patience and manifested great spiritual powers, seventy-six nayutas of humans and gods in the assembly generated the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi, and thirty-two thousand bodhisattvas attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

The Buddha said to Maitreya:
“If any good man or good woman, upon merely hearing for the first time the name of this perfection of patience, gives rise to faith, that person will certainly not fall into hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, or the animal realm, but will become irreversible on the path to unsurpassed bodhi. The perfection of patience that I have now expounded is entirely complete and brings benefit and peace to all sentient beings.”