菩薩生地經

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha, together with five hundred bhikṣus, was resting beneath a nyagrodha tree at the monastery of the Śākya clan, in the country of Kapilavastu.

At that time, within the city there was a son of an elder of the Śākya clan named Sāmagata, who came to the Buddha. Having paid homage, he sat to one side, joined his palms together, and said:

"O Blessed One! What practice should a bodhisattva undertake in order swiftly to attain the Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, to be complete with the thirty-two marks, to pass from this Buddha-land to another Buddha-land, so that at the time of death his mind and thought are not deranged, that he does not fall into birth among the eight states of suffering and adversity, that he ever knows matters past and future, accomplishes all dharmas, brings every undertaking to fulfillment, understands clearly all dharmas without any remaining obstruction, believes and understands the dharma of emptiness, realizes the Acceptance of the Non-arising of Dharmas, ever single-mindedly aspires to become a śramaṇa, has never violated the precepts, and takes no delight in any dwelling place...?"

The Buddha said:

"Excellent, Sāmagata! You have asked about the practice of a bodhisattva. The practice of a bodhisattva takes patient endurance as its root. By the power of patient endurance one swiftly attains Buddhahood. Patient endurance has four matters.

What are the four?

1. If one is cursed and reviled by others, one keeps silent and does not answer back.

2. If one is beaten and struck by others, one bears it and does not strike back.

3. If one is met with the anger of others, one directs a mind of loving-kindness toward that person.

4. If there are those who slight, disparage, and defame, one does not keep that wicked evil in mind."

Then the Buddha spoke a verse:

"Beaten and reviled, yet without anger;
Slighted and disparaged, yet without resentment.
The bodhisattva who patiently endures in this way,
In cultivation and study attains accomplishment in all.

The bodhisattva ever practices patient endurance,
With all his heart practicing loving-kindness and compassion.
For this reason he attains Buddhahood
And the thirty-two excellent marks.

"There are, moreover, four matters to be practiced in order swiftly to attain Buddhahood.

What are the four?

1. To delight in the scriptures and the path of the bodhisattva, with all one's heart to uphold and protect the True Dharma, and to instruct all people.

2. To keep far away and not to consort with women.

3. Ever to delight in giving alms to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas.

4. Not to sleep or rest at improper times, and to cultivate the dharma of emptiness."

Then the Buddha spoke a verse:

"One who delights in the practice of the śramaṇa,
Diligently upholding and protecting the True Dharma,
Loving the Dharma, never parting from the teacher—
Such a person is rare indeed.

At that time, Sāmagata then took off the jeweled necklaces and ornaments upon his body, and scattered them as an offering to the Buddha. By the majestic spiritual power of the Buddha, those jewels were caused to hover in mid-air and were transformed into a jeweled canopy, within which five hundred conjured beings came forth. They too took off the jewels upon their bodies, scattered them as an offering to the Buddha, and raised their voices, saying:

"We vow to give rise to the aspiration for Supreme Bodhi."

Seeing these conjured beings, Sāmagata was elated with joy and asked the Buddha:

"Have these conjured beings come from the heavens, or have they come from the four directions everywhere?"

The Buddha said:

"These beings have not come from the ten directions.

Neither are they devas, nor nāgas, nor spirits, nor humans.

Neither are they earth, water, fire, wind, nor space.

They are neither form, feeling, perception, mental formations, nor consciousness.

Neither are they thought, nor are they mind.

They are not produced.

They neither go nor come.

They are neither of this present existence nor of the existence to come.

Nor are they birth-and-death.

These beings are called conjured beings, born from nowhere, and are called emptiness; like reflections appearing in a mirror—not grasped, not abandoned, coming from nowhere, ungraspable, without self, without person, without lifespan, without consciousness.

Whatever man or woman understands that all dharmas are like an illusory conjuration, without consciousness, and upon hearing this believes and practices accordingly—that one is a child of the Buddha. He pushes back the darkness and brings light to the world, causes the hosts of Māra to be subdued, and accomplishes great virtue. Such a one is a śramaṇa, a brāhmaṇa, a pure bodhisattva, a being born from nowhere, who has received the prophecy, who is unsurpassed and non-retrogressing. Whoever believes in and delights in this dharma becomes thus."

The Buddha said to Sāmagata:

"Whoever, upon hearing this sūtra, is astonished, slanders, mocks, and laughs at it—know that such a one is not a śramaṇa nor a brāhmaṇa. Such are heretics given to wantonness, who follow wicked evil teachers, who do not return to the wholesome path, who are clouded over and have no clear eye, falsely calling themselves bodhisattvas. Such are deceitful people who stir up conflict."

At that time, the evil Māra came and asked the Buddha:

"How many people believe in this dharma?"

The Buddha said:

"Four hundred koṭis of devas and humans within the Realm of Desire have all attained the Acceptance of the Non-arising of Dharmas."

At that time, Sāmagata attained the Acceptance of the Non-arising of Dharmas; five hundred bhikṣus, five hundred laymen, and twenty-five laywomen all attained the station of non-retrogression. When their lifespans are ended, they will be reborn in the pure Western land of the Buddha Amitāyus, where they will ever uphold and protect the immeasurable Buddha-dharma, and teach and transform all people so that all attain non-retrogression. Thus, after passing through innumerable kalpas in this land, they will then become Buddhas.

Hearing the Buddha's teaching, Māra walked away slowly and came to say to the Buddha:

"In a later age it may be best not to speak of this dharma again."

The worthy Ānanda said to the Buddha:

"What is this sūtra called? How should it be upheld and maintained?"

The Buddha said to Ānanda:

"This sūtra is called the 'Sūtra of the Bodhisattva's Land of Birth,' asked by Sāmagata. You should uphold and maintain it. For a hundred kalpas to practice the five perfections flawlessly, yet without great wisdom and without a bodhisattva to lead and guide, is not equal to reciting this sūtra and expounding it everywhere among all people."

Then the Buddha spoke a verse:

"Whoever believes in and studies the Sūtra of the Land of Birth—
The merit thereof is truly immeasurable;
He transcends the three evil paths
And shall surely enjoy blessings in the life to come."

When the Buddha had finished speaking this verse, Sāmagata together with the four assemblies of disciples, the devas, nāgas, and spirits all rejoiced and received it in faith and upheld it.

THE SŪTRA OF THE BODHISATTVA'S LAND OF BIRTH

The End