菩薩從兜術天降神母胎說廣普經

Chapter 6: Perception and Non-Perception

At that time, the Blessed One said to Bodhisattva Maitreya:

“All those in the assembly today are of one class, consisting solely of those bound to only one more birth. I shall now speak of consciousness, perception, and feeling; and of non-consciousness, non-perception, and non-feeling. At that time, how does a bodhisattva speak of consciousness, perception, and feeling?” The bodhisattva then distinguished and spoke of consciousness, perception, and feeling:

Consciousness is neither perception nor feeling.

Feeling is neither consciousness nor perception.

Perception is neither feeling nor consciousness.

Perception is neither past, future, nor present.

Feeling is neither past, future, nor present.

Consciousness is neither past, future, nor present.

Non-consciousness is neither past, future, nor present.

Non-perception is neither past, future, nor present.

Non-feeling is neither past, future, nor present.

Why is consciousness neither past, future, nor present? When a bodhisattva enters the Unobstructed Samadhi and teaches sentient beings who possess feeling and consciousness, from the ground of abiding in existence to the ground of non-abiding, this consciousness is neither past, future, nor present.

The great bodhisattva also teaches sentient beings who possess perception, from the ground of abiding to the ground of non-abiding.

The bodhisattva teaches sentient beings who possess feeling, from the ground of abiding to the ground of non-abiding.

At that time, Venerable Mahakasyapa immediately rose, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, and addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, what distinctions are there among mind, mentation, consciousness, feeling, and perception?”

The Buddha told Kasyapa:

“To know the body is to know that distinctions exist, for sentient beings have individual parts from their feet to their heads, and each has its own name. As stated in the sutra’s analogy of a tree, the roots, bark, trunk, branches, and leaves are all called the tree. Mind, mentation, consciousness, feeling, and perception are likewise.”

Mahakasyapa addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, perception is an external dharma, while feeling is an internal dharma. How, then, can they be regarded as one?”

The Buddha told Kasyapa:

“Perception comes from outside and emerges from within.”

Kasyapa addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, how can it be known that perception comes from outside? If the external is formless, from what does perception arise within? If an external object causes no harm, how can pain be known within?”

The Buddha told Kasyapa:

“It is not so. Why? Because this consciousness is neither outside nor inside, nor on both sides nor in the middle. The place where consciousness abides is not a place where consciousness abides. External perception and external feeling are themselves internal dharmas, not external dharmas. Only a great bodhisattva who has profound faith in and understanding of the dharmas of the inside, the outside, and the middle can clearly understand where consciousness abides. This is a sentient being; this is not a sentient being. Even the dharmas of existence and nonexistence are neither this nor that. The bodhisattva then enters the Unobstructed Samadhi of Solitary Progress.”

Kasyapa addressed the Buddha:

“Having heard this Dharma teaching today, my doubts have only increased. Why? According to what the Buddha has said, perception is also feeling, and feeling is also perception. The discriminating dharma of consciousness concerning consciousness is also perception and is also feeling and perception. Perception arises from the absence of feeling. Feeling arises from the absence of consciousness. Consciousness arises from the absence of perception. Emptiness is not the emptiness of consciousness; the emptiness of consciousness is not the emptiness of feeling; and the emptiness of feeling is not the emptiness of perception. Thus, the analogy of the tree is not appropriate.”

The Buddha told Kasyapa:

“I shall explain it to you with another analogy. Through this analogy, the wise will all clearly understand:

“Long ago, there was a king named Extraordinary. The king had four sons: the first was named Joyful Delight, the second Long Life, the third One Hundred Years, and the fourth Fearless.

“The son named Long Life died before he was a full month old.

“The son named Joyful Delight had sores covering his entire body. Everyone who saw him was horrified, and his parents were deeply distressed and constantly sorrowful.

“The son named One Hundred Years died before reaching one hundred days of age.

“The son named Fearless had a cleft lip, an upturned nose, and crooked teeth. Everyone who saw him became frightened.

“Feeling, perception, and consciousness are likewise, with little difference among them.”

The Buddha told Kasyapa:

“I shall explain consciousness, perception, and feeling to you, distinguishing each dharma individually:

“Ninety-one kalpas ago, there was a king named Wisdom. He devoted himself to practicing the Ten Wholesome Deeds and governed his people according to the true Dharma. Free from afflictions, he observed the mental activities of sentient beings. When he learned that those sentient beings held differing thoughts, he immediately ordered an attendant minister to inspect the kingdom. All those who were blind were to be brought into the palace. Having received the king’s command, the attendant minister traveled throughout the kingdom and brought five hundred blind people into the courtyard of the royal palace. The king then had five hundred elephants led forth and arranged before the palace, and he ordered each blind person to touch an elephant for himself.

“Among those blind people, some touched an elephant’s trunk, some its ears, some its head, some its legs, some its belly, and some its tail.

“The king asked the blind people:

“‘What is an elephant like?’

“The one who touched the trunk said that an elephant was like a horn.

“The one who touched the head said that an elephant was like a jar.

“The one who touched an ear said that an elephant was like a winnowing basket.

“The one who touched the belly said that an elephant was like a bamboo basket.

“The one who touched a leg said that an elephant was like a pillar.

“The one who touched the tail said that an elephant was like a broom.

“At that time, those with clear sight who stood nearby saw this and laughed because the blind people could not comprehend the elephant’s complete form. In a secluded place, the blind people discussed the matter among themselves. Each believed that he alone was correct, and they began to argue. Sentient beings are likewise: their views of the dharmas of consciousness, perception, and feeling are all different.”

The Buddha told Kasyapa:

“Suppose someone sets out one hundred kinds of food, including broken rice, whole rice, beans, large and small varieties of barley, sesame, and so forth. One who happens to eat broken rice or whole rice does not know that there are other kinds belonging to the beans or barley. Kasyapa, it is likewise here: the dharmas of feeling, perception, and consciousness are each different, yet when their nature as dharmas is contemplated, there is neither disparity nor difference.”

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses to Kasyapa:

Seeing the forehead, one knows there is a head;

Seeing smoke, one knows there is fire;

Seeing clouds, one knows there will be rain;

Contemplating conduct, one knows the essential nature.

In empty space there are no footprints;

A reflection in water cannot be grasped.

When the Dharma teacher’s exposition reaches its end,

The exhaustion of the fetters is nirvana.

Perception ends within non-perception;

When feeling ceases, there is also no feeling.

When consciousness ceases, there is no consciousness:

This is the unsurpassed path of pure conduct.

Throughout innumerable kalpas,

I was constantly deceived by consciousness;

In this life and in lives to come,

I encountered no place of peace and bliss.

Now, while dwelling within the womb,

I distinguish the characteristics of all dharmas;

I do not perceive even the names of perception and feeling,

How much less could there be a dharma of consciousness?

When the Blessed One spoke these verses, five hundred bhiksus attained patience regarding the non-arising of dharmas. The minds of one thousand sentient beings delighted in non-activity, and their minds attained mastery within the realm of nirvana without remainder.

Chapter 7: Abiding and Non-Abiding

At that time, in the assembly there was a bodhisattva named Non-Abiding Dharma Practice. He rose, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

“Excellent! Excellent! All those in this great assembly rejoice in attaining wholesome benefit and in hearing the immeasurable meanings of the Tathagata’s Dharma. Only now have I heard that which I vowed to hear long ago.”

Then, before the Buddha, he spoke these verses of praise:

Empty space has no boundary;

You expound immeasurable meanings.

Existence and nonexistence neither arise nor cease;

Quiescent, they are without feeling or perception.

The Buddhas of the past

Practiced giving, morality, and patience;

Entering samadhi, their minds were undistracted,

And the light of wisdom illuminated the world.

Such virtue cannot be measured.

Neither existent nor nonexistent

Its wondrous sound is utterly pure

Impermanence is beyond compare

Its secret sound penetrates myriad kotis

Through this, Buddhahood is attained

The Dharma drum is heard afar

Each sound distinct from every other

Like a Wheel-Turning King

Whose very thought brings rain of seven treasures

The Buddha’s voice resounds afar

Raining the treasures of the seven factors of awakening

Adorning the Buddha’s place of enlightenment

And embellishing the tree bearing the fruit of the Path

Neither abiding nor non-abiding

With loving-kindness and compassion, saving sentient beings

The thought in the mind accords with the body

Never shrinking from the sufferings of difficult kalpas

Only the Tathagatas of the ten directions

Bestow the seal and open the treasury of Dharma

We have now been able to hear it

And to abide upon the shore of the unconditioned

Excellent indeed! The Tathagata’s power

Is vast, without boundary or bottom

There is no longer any place of binding or release

The true limit and real mark of Dharma

In the affliction-ridden realm of desire

Teaches and transforms the ignorant

The Buddha’s treasury of profound and hidden meanings

Is now revealed and spread among sentient beings

Throughout realms without boundary

All attain the unsurpassed Path.

After praising the Buddha with these verses, Bodhisattva Non-Abiding addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! Are the five skandhas of the past, future, and present, in their purity, non-abiding or not non-abiding? And are the thirty-seven factors of pure conduct, up to and including all of them, non-abiding or not non-abiding? Are the preceding, subsequent, and intermediate states, ultimately pure or impure, non-abiding or not non-abiding? I neither act nor do I not act; I neither practice pure conduct nor do I not practice pure conduct. I beseech the World-Honored One to explain abiding and non-abiding.”

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Non-Abiding:

“The mark of form is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“The mark of feeling is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“The mark of perception is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“The mark of formations is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“The mark of consciousness is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“The purity of internal dharmas is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding. The purity of external dharmas is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding. The purity of internal and external dharmas is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding. From the initial arousal of the aspiration until sitting at the place of enlightenment, continually eliminating all deluded thoughts and purifying omniscience is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“Completely removing all defilements and bringing purity to sentient beings is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“Adorning and purifying the Buddha-land is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“Entering the Vajra Samadhi and maintaining firm, pure resolve is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“Purifying the body for the benefit of each instant is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“Sporting freely in hundreds of thousands of pure samadhis is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“Neither remaining on the stage of ordinary beings nor entering the household of sages and saints, in purity, is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“Not praising oneself by saying, ‘I have attained the fruit of the Path,’ in purity, is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“With the thirty-two marks of a great being, one emits a great light that shines far into immeasurable worlds throughout the ten directions. All sentient beings who seek out that light are able to hear the Tathagata’s profound and wondrous Dharma. In accordance with their thoughts, teachings of higher, middling, or lower degree are spoken, enabling all to become fully capable of clearly discerning that the abiding of dharmas is non-abiding, while non-abiding itself also does not abide.

“Form, feeling, perception, formations, consciousness, the twelve links of dependent origination, the four unobstructed wisdoms, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the four dhyanas, and the four immeasurable wisdoms, in their purity, are non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“Using the power of spiritual abilities to enter the five destinies, in purity, is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.

“Entering the gateway of liberation, and purifying the body of morality, the body of concentration, the body of wisdom, the body of liberation, and the body of the knowledge and vision of liberation, is non-abiding, yet not non-abiding.”

The Buddha said to Kasyapa:

“I shall explain the pure pond of the eight flavors of the ambrosia of Dharma. What are the eight? As I now sit at ease in this Dharma hall, I see to the east a pure pond surrounded by corridors made of the seven treasures. At that very moment, I do not teach sentient beings suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the Path. Whoever drinks the water of this pond attains the fruit of the Path. This is said to have been created through the spiritual power of a bodhisattva. It is likewise in the south, west, and north.

“When I formerly attained Buddhahood, I circumambulated clockwise through the four cardinal directions; I did not attain Buddhahood through the four corners. Attaining Buddhahood through the four corners is merely a manifestation of attaining Buddhahood and is not real. Why is this? Because over innumerable asamkhya kalpas, the eight flavors of Dharma have been perfected. What are these eight?

“- First: the flavor of joy.

“- Second: the flavor of exhaustion.

“- Third: the flavor of concentration.

“- Fourth: the flavor of arrival.

“- Fifth: the flavor of purity.

“- Sixth: the flavor of marks.

“- Seventh: the flavor of immovability.

“- Eighth: the flavor of non-ultimate attainment.

“These are the eight flavors within the pond.

“If a great bodhisattva drinks this ambrosial water, that bodhisattva will not fall into the hells or be reborn as a hungry ghost or an animal, but will attain the unsurpassed Path. From the initial arousal of the aspiration until sitting beneath the tree of enlightenment, all defilements of the mind are washed away, and forever nothing remains. Whoever possesses the waters of the eight liberations within the pond of the seven factors of awakening, from the initial aspiration until liberation—whether not yet arrived, midway, or already arrived—dwells between the two stages. Only thus is one called a bodhisattva.

“If a bodhisattva, drawing from the pond of water with eight flavors, discriminates and asks about its taste, saying, ‘This is flavor, yet not flavor; this is the Path, yet not the Path,’ the ear does not discriminate sounds, the nose does not discriminate fragrances, and the tongue does not discriminate flavors. Clearly discerning that there is nothing whatsoever, because all dharmas are deaf—this is a great bodhisattva’s pure cultivation of pure conduct.”

Chapter Eight: The Eight Kinds of Bodies

The Buddha said:

“The great bodhisattvas, both those in training and those beyond training, together with the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas gathered here, all receive offerings from every sentient being.

“Some sentient beings abide on the Stage of Vision, the Stage of Attenuation, the Stage of Purity, the Stage of the Tathagata, the Stage of the Pratyekabuddha, the Stage of Non-Retrogression, the Stage of the Place of Enlightenment, or the Stage of Teaching the Dharma. Through these eight stages, unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment is attained.

“What is the Stage of Vision? It is when a bodhisattva arouses the aspiration directed toward unsurpassed bodhi.

“Furthermore, from the first arousal of the aspiration until sitting beneath the King of Trees, a bodhisattva disciplines the desires of the mind and conquers Mara’s armies, then enters samadhi while remaining seated there. Those samadhis are:

“- The Samadhi That Eliminates Jealousy

“- The Samadhi of the Victorious Mind

“- The Samadhi of the Secret Treasury

“- The Samadhi That Eliminates Delusion

“- The Samadhi That Subdues Through Majestic Spiritual Power

“- The Samadhi of Wordless Teaching, Like That of All Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones

“- The Samadhi That Manifests Transformations.

“At that time, the wicked Mara Papiyan came to disturb the Buddha. If he did not come through his own power, then he was summoned entirely by that Tathagata’s majestic spiritual power. Why? Because this was intended to demonstrate that mundane dharmas are feeble, whereas the Dharma of ultimate truth is supreme. Why? If the wicked Mara Papiyan became enraged, shouting and causing the earth to quake, the Buddha, abiding in the Samadhi of Patience, could not be shaken in any way. He would also cause innumerable wicked Maras Papiyan to tumble to the ground, like crickets, leeches, ants, flies, and the like, unable to move. The wicked Maras Papiyan were just the same. Even if any demon came, it could not disturb so much as a single hair upon my body.

“At that time, the World-Honored One, through majestic spiritual power, entered samadhi and caused the wicked Maras throughout the domain of one Buddha to tremble. These evil Maras proclaimed:

“‘The Sramana Gautama’s mind is extremely weak and gentle; his resolve is not that of a great man, yet in this most terrifying place he wishes to seek the Buddha Path.’

The Buddha said to the assembly:

“That wicked Mara Papiyan was created by me. Is that demonic mind wholesome or unwholesome?”

At that time, a deva named Kubi addressed the Buddha:

– The Buddha’s victory over Mara was not due to Mara’s power, but to the Buddha’s spiritual power. Why? Because those beings did not understand worldly dharmas, yet employed the Dharma of the Path. Wishing to teach and transform those beings, he therefore vanquished Mara and caused him to come. There, the beings who saw the maras did not delight in the sight and clearly perceived what had occurred. Thousands upon tens of thousands of beings established the resolve of non-retrogression.

Furthermore, great bodhisattvas descend from the Trayastrimsa Heaven and are born throughout the realms of the ten directions. They do not take birth through moisture, eggs, transformation, or wombs, but teach and transform sentient beings. These bodhisattvas perfect indeterminate faculties; therefore, the beings whom they teach and transform also perfect indeterminate faculties. Why? Because this is the realm of Akshobhya Buddha.

There are also great bodhisattvas who are born from the Saha world into the Buddha-realm of Radiant Images in the north, perfecting both determinate and indeterminate faculties. The beings whom they teach and transform likewise all perfect both determinate and indeterminate faculties. These are the beings in the Buddha-realm of Wondrous Light in the World of Sensual Delight.

There are also great bodhisattvas who, from the moment they first arouse the resolve until they attain Buddhahood, single-mindedly guard their minds without entertaining any thought, anger, or wrath, and aspire to be born in the realm of the Buddha of Infinite Life. All those beings are born in that realm. The fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas are all of the same color of pure gold.

To the west, twelve kotis of nayutas from this Jambudvipa, there is a land called Indolence. The inhabitants of that land delight in singing; their clothing, adornments, incense, flowers, beds, and doors are ornamented with the seven treasures. When they turn their eyes eastward, their jeweled beds also turn accordingly; when they look west, south, or north, they likewise turn in those directions.

All the beings there arouse the resolve to be born in the Buddha-realm of Amitabha, but they are attached to and defiled by the realm of Indolence and thus cannot advance toward birth in Amitabha Buddha’s realm. Among kotis of thousands of tens of thousands of people, only one is able to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s realm. Why?

Because that person’s mind is free from attachment, indolence, and arrogance. These beings neither kill living creatures themselves nor instruct others to kill. Because they possess such meritorious rewards, they are born in the realm of Infinite Life.

There are also great bodhisattvas who fully possess the six perfections: generosity, observance of the precepts, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and the wisdom of liberation. They are born in the Buddha-realm of Yongyue in the south, one koti of Buddha-realms from this Jambudvipa. Those beings have no thoughts of delusion, craving, lust, or sensual desire. Why? Because they have completely eradicated the thirty-six forms of sexual conduct in the desire realm. Their spiritual lineage is perfected, and all their deeds are pure, like sunlight unobscured by clouds.

The beings of that realm practice the twelve dhutanga disciplines. What are these twelve practices? During the three periods of day and night, they practice walking meditation and seated meditation without deviating from the appointed times; sit beneath trees; dwell among burial mounds, in open places, in uninhabited caves, or beside the sources of springs; at times eat one meal and at times do not eat; wear their Dharma robes properly without compromising dignified conduct; at times teach the Dharma and at times do not teach the Dharma; and walk in circles, knowing what is sufficient.

The Dharma they teach is: “Few desires are the true Path; many desires are not the Path. Still the mind and concentrate the intention; understand the dharmas of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness.” Such are the practices of the great bodhisattvas in the realm of Yongyue. Those beings devote themselves exclusively to the One Vehicle.

There are no vehicles of arhats or pratyekabuddhas. They possess all the excellent marks, praise the true Dharma, and understand emptiness and non-self.

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

All conditioned activities have ceased;

Consciousness is an external dharma.

Whatever arises must also cease;

Nirvana is supreme bliss.

I bow before Yongyue Buddha,

The foremost King of Dharma.

Seated beneath the Jambu tree,

He first shattered the net of desire,

Proclaimed the Dharma to liberate all beings,

And made offerings to every field of merit.

Seated beneath the tree in contemplation,

Brahma came to entreat him:

“Please emerge from meditation

And show compassion for the foolish and deluded.”

At that time, the Brahma Heaven King,

Holding a lapis lazuli lute in his hands,

Praised the Buddha’s merit and virtue

In a gentle, melodious voice:

“Over kotis of hundreds of thousands of kalpas,

Someone may arouse the resolve for the Path.

The resolve for the Path is the root of bodhisattvahood;

It arises but once in kotis of kalpas.

Please quickly emerge from meditation

And turn the unsurpassed Dharma wheel.

Like the udumbara flower,

Which appears but once after a very long time,

A Buddha appears and illuminates the world,

Dispelling the darkness of worldly defilements.

In the Buddha-world of Yongyue,

They hear of generosity and pure precepts.

It is unlike the Saha realm,

Whose obstinate beings are difficult to teach and transform.

Contemplate the Path of meditative concentration;

Extinguish the body without accepting realization.

The three turnings and the five obstructing dharmas,

The chain of twelve links,

The thirty-one practices of the Path,

And the sixteen compassionate minds

Radiate great light

That universally illuminates all Buddha-realms.”

After speaking these verses, the Buddha addressed the great assembly:

– To the northeast, five hundred Ganges-sands of realms from this Saha world, there is a land called Ripened Fruit. Its Buddha is named Floral Splendor Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One. He is presently teaching the Dharma. His words are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end; their meaning is profound, and all cultivate the pure conduct together. The beings in that realm are not born from wombs, transformation, moisture, or eggs. All are born from lotus flowers. They possess loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, as well as one hundred and seven rare bases of spiritual power, concentration, and resolve. Together, they cultivate the Samadhi King Samadhi. Those samadhis are:

– Surangama Samadhi

– Awakening to the Path Samadhi

– Dignified Conduct and Precept Restraint Samadhi

– Eliminating the Root of Sentient Beings’ Suffering Samadhi

– Self-Illuminating Radiance Samadhi

– Awakening Sentient Beings Samadhi.

There are one hundred and seven samadhis such as these.

They contemplate the body internally, contemplate the body externally, and contemplate the body both internally and externally; dharmas internally, dharmas externally, and dharmas both internally and externally; concentration internally, concentration externally, and concentration both internally and externally. Through discerning contemplation, they clearly perceive the formless, the thoughtless, and the mindless. Great bodhisattvas enter the gateway of liberation and contemplate all dharmas as empty, quiescent, and formless.

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

Empty space has no boundary;

Echoing sounds proclaim the wondrous Dharma.

The bodhisattvas of the realm of Ripened Fruit,

And the Supremely Victorious Floral Splendor,

Are not born from the four kinds of wombs,

But are born from lotus flowers.

They conceive neither self nor person;

Their lifespans cannot be measured.

Their land is made of the seven treasures,

Just like Jambudvipa.

The Wheel-Turning King’s seven treasures are:

The elephant, horse, and precious maiden;

The treasurer, the four divisions of the army,

The mani jewel, and the golden precious wheel.

Wherever they go, they encounter no obstruction.

The precious mani jewel of that realm

Illuminates an entire Buddha-realm;

It likewise illuminates the boundless expanse.

That realm has neither sun nor moon,

Neither constellations nor firelight.

They discern the Four Noble Truths

And the Path of impermanence, suffering, and emptiness,

Causing all those sentient beings

To eradicate conceptions through non-arising.

After speaking these verses, the Buddha addressed the great assembly:

– To the northwest, seven myriad Ganges-sands of realms from this Jambudvipa, there is a land called Precious Lapis Lazuli. Its Buddha is named Huệ Thành Tưu, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One. He is presently teaching the Dharma; his words are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end. The beings in that realm are gentle by nature. They contemplate the Path of impermanence, remain far removed from the three calamities, and are free from lust, anger, and delusion. There are no three evil destinies of hell-beings, hungry ghosts, and animals.

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses to the great assembly:

The ayatanas lead along the path of afflictions,

Producing the four kinds of inverted views.

All are completely extinguished,

Like empty space, without characteristics.

Their lifespans extend to countless ages;

No one there dies prematurely.

They practice the four kinds of fearlessness

And realize the unwavering fruit.

Whoever is born within that realm

Practicing compassion, realizing samadhi

As I, Shakyamuni,

Courageously passed through countless kalpas,

Giving away water, wealth, wife, and children,

Without thought or attachment.

You disciples of the Buddha,

Make vows to be born in that realm,

Where there is no Shravaka Dharma,

And clearly understand causes and conditions for attaining Buddhahood.

Throughout hundreds of thousands of kalpas,

Diligently cultivating the virtue of the path,

Of these sixteen parts,

Not even one part has yet been attained.

Contemplate the Dharma-nature of all dharmas;

With wisdom, penetrate them without obstruction.

Completely extinguish the mind that clings to self,

And immediately abide on the Ground of Non-arising.

The sentient beings of that realm

Establish their resolve with utmost firmness.

They destroy existence without abiding in existence;

This is the Dharma studied by those destined for one more birth.

You disciples of the Buddha,

Clearly understand that there is nowhere to practice.

Leaving meditation, enter the First Dhyana;

Only then does one know the suffering of sentient beings.

Between them are nine stages of unobstructed liberation;

The characteristics of dhyana cannot be measured.

The minds of sentient beings are pure,

Yet their thoughts are not the same.

Having left the abyss of the five destinies,

The sun of the Buddha illuminates the three realms.

Excellent indeed, they gain great benefit,

Moving all the celestial palaces.

As pure youths possessing all-knowing wisdom,

They teach and transform without weariness.

Sentient beings attain minds of loving-kindness

And yearn for the unsurpassed path.

Passing through innumerable kalpas,

Casting off one body and assuming another,

Revolving through birth and death,

They finally escape their bonds.

The sandalwood fragrance of the Four Noble Truths,

The fragrance of the Mật-tế-bặc tree,

And the power of wisdom and samadhi

Destroy the armies of Mara.

When one past thought is exhausted,

By what samadhi is it severed?

When two future thoughts are exhausted,

By what concentration and path are they removed?

When three present thoughts are exhausted,

They are utterly extinguished, yet the root remains.

When one past thought is exhausted,

Ninety thousand kotis of defilements

Are overcome through the concentration of empty quiescence,

Reaching emptiness without boundary.

In the future, the nine fetters are severed;

The concentrated mind is free of conceptual thought.

Quiescently attaining the Buddha path,

One always abides in non-abiding.

The three groups of nine present fetters—

Seeking the Dharma without obstruction,

Extinguishing mind, mentation, and consciousness—

Are gradually brought to unobstructed abiding.

After speaking this verse, the Buddha told the assembly:

“To the southwest, thirty-two Ganges-sands of realms away from this Saha world, there is a land called Non-Conceptualization. Its Buddha is named Single Abiding Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Fully Awakened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One. He is presently teaching the Dharma, whose words are wholesome at the beginning, wholesome in the middle, and wholesome at the end.

Their meaning is profound, clearly distinguishing the five skandhas—form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—the six sense faculties and six sense objects, cultivating contemplation of impermanence, right mindfulness, and clear awareness. The initial teaching is contemplation that deconstructs the body. This body has no true existence and takes the four snakes as its dwelling.

This body is like poison, ruining a person’s path of meditation. This body is like an elephant whose mind is never satisfied. This body is like a dragon that delights in dwelling in a deep abyss.

The unconditioned Buddha path is pure and flawless, like a lotus in water unstained by filthy mud, and like the sun illuminating heaven and earth, eclipsing all the light of fireflies. Among lofty mountains, Mount Sumeru is foremost. Among the lights of the stars, moonlight is foremost.

The Tathagata appears in the world, foremost as the torch of Dharma.”

At that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

Severing defilements and extinguishing perceptions,

The bonds of the mind are released.

Thoughts are concentrated and quiescent;

Pure conduct is fulfilled.

Within a single intention and a single thought,

The defiling fetters and latent tendencies are destroyed.

The suffering of kalpas is forever cast away;

It ends, and there is no further birth.

The unsurpassed path of empty quiescence

Seems to exist, yet seems not to exist.

Persons, self, and all dharmas

Are perceived as dreams, shadows, and illusions.

Bodhisattvas practice austerities

For a number of kalpas difficult to measure.

If one wished to explain all their fundamental sources,

They would be neither one form nor two.

If a person of wisdom

Expounded immeasurable meanings,

One meaning would contain a hundred million phrases,

And every phrase would differ.

Empty space could be completely filled,

Yet those meanings would never be exhausted.

From ancient times until now,

I have practiced the six transcendent perfections.

Generosity eliminates stinginess and greed;

Meditative concentration does likewise.

When the kalpa burns, the mind remains unmoved,

And does not go to another Buddha-land.

Through the summons of spiritual power,

One abides throughout the kalpa, teaching and transforming.

After speaking this verse, the Blessed One immediately used concentrated intent to adorn his own body and told the assembly:

“To the southeast, thirty-three Ganges-sands of realms away from this Saha world, there is a realm called Vaidurya. Its Buddha is named Faith and Understanding Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Fully Awakened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One. He is presently teaching the Dharma, whose words are wholesome at the beginning, wholesome in the middle, and wholesome at the end, distinguishing the auspicious practices of the four paths. Those with seven births remaining, and those with three births remaining who will not return, attain parinirvana in this very life, severing suffering and its origin, realizing cessation, and attaining the path.”

At that time, a deva named Pure Eye was among the assembly and still harbored doubts. He thought, “I should now ask the Tathagata about this meaning so that my fellow practitioners may all gain awakening.” The deva then rose, knelt upright, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

“We humbly beseech the Blessed One to teach us about the karma of lust, anger, and delusion in the impartial Great Vehicle. Which deluded beings of the past, future, and present enter the gateway of liberation?”

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Pure Eye:

“Excellent! Excellent! This is truly the eye that reveals everything. Listen clearly and reflect upon it carefully. I shall distinguish this matter clearly for you. What do you think: is the eye form?”

He replied:

“No.”

The Buddha asked again:

“Is it non-form?”

He replied:

“No.”

The Buddha asked:

“Is it form and non-form?”

He replied:

“Form has no abiding place.”

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Pure Eye:

“As you just said, this form is not form; it is form and non-form; and form has no abiding place. Why, then, is the designation ‘form’ established and spoken?”

The bodhisattva Pure Eye replied:

“The nature of form is hollow and decaying. In the present it ceases and does not abide; in the past it does not appear. Passing from this life into the next, it is forever severed and utterly exhausted, never to exist again. Therefore, this is called nirvana without remainder.”

The Buddha asked Pure Eye:

“Has this consciousness existed since ancient times, or from where was it born? Today, when the fourfold assembly extinguishes the defilements of the three times, where do they go?”

Pure Eye replied:

“Originally, they came from emptiness; now they return to emptiness. If there was emptiness before and emptiness afterward, is there any other change?”

The Buddha said:

“No. You should know that the true characteristic of all dharmas cannot be fathomed at the beginning and cannot be exhausted at the end.”

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Pure Eye:

“Throughout innumerable asamkhyeya kalpas, I constantly cultivated meritorious karma. Mindful of all submerged sentient beings, I felt compassion for their suffering and wished to liberate them. Why? Because now, while in the womb, the desires I extinguished have been completely and utterly extinguished, and the fruit of the vows I made has now been attained.

“The sentient beings of that realm do not regard attaining Buddhahood or not attaining Buddhahood as a source of suffering and affliction. Why? Because the sentient beings of that realm establish a courageous resolve. They abide neither in a womb of existence nor in the absence of a womb; nor do they abide in transformation birth. Their merit and virtue are perfected, being neither awakened nor unawakened.

“What is awakening, and what is non-awakening?

“I awaken all ignorant sentient beings; this is called awakening. All those who are awakened completely sever the fetters; this is called non-awakening.”

At that time, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

Knowing that a Buddha has appeared in the world,

Radiating great light far and wide,

Suffering, its origin, cessation, and the fetters

Stand still, not daring to draw near.

Even if the earth were to quake

And the three realms crumble into dust,

Gathering the mind and entering concentrated intent,

All characteristics would still be distinct.

Mindful of the Tathagata, the Most True,

Eliminating perceptions without entering concentration,

One returns among sentient beings,

Again creating causes and conditions.

With diligence and great wisdom,

Teaching and transforming the ignorant,

One guides these sentient beings

To liberate those not yet liberated.

Chapter Nine: Relics of the Whole Body

At that time, the Blessed One told the assembly:

“I recall the merit and virtue of my past practices, when I relinquished one body and received another—not merely once or twice. I shall now teach you the Dharma of the single practice. What is called the Dharma of the single practice?

“This great earth element is eight hundred forty thousand kotis of miles thick. Beneath it is a great wind layer eight hundred forty thousand kotis of miles thick. Beneath the wind is fire eight hundred forty thousand kotis of miles thick. Beneath the water is fire eight hundred forty thousand kotis of miles thick. Beneath the fire is sand eight hundred forty thousand kotis of miles thick. Beneath the sand is the Vajra Realm, eight hundred forty thousand kotis of miles thick. The whole-body relics of all Buddhas are contained within that Vajra Realm.

“The Vajra Realm is eight hundred forty thousand kotis of miles thick. Beneath it are the fragmented bodily relics of all Buddhas, all contained within that realm. In that realm is the Buddha-land Wondrous Sound.

Its Buddha is named Non-Abiding Tathagata, fully endowed with the ten epithets, and is presently teaching the Dharma. His words are wholesome at the beginning, wholesome in the middle, and wholesome at the end. He cultivates the pure practice of brahmacarya and brings the land to fulfillment.

That Buddha’s relics are exceedingly minute, yet they can manifest a Buddha-body surrounded by an assembly of disciples in order to teach and transform beings. Just as today I teach the Dharma while within the womb, yet those beings do not see me. My beings do not see that realm.

It breaks through existence and reaches nonexistence, remains ever quiescent, and its nature abides in the unobstructed state. This is said to be brought forth through the response evoked by a single relic.”

The Buddha again instructed the great assembly:

“Beneath the layer of fragmented bodily relics, eight hundred forty thousand kotis of miles thick, is a realm named Purity. Its Buddha is named Universal Light, fully endowed with the ten epithets. That Buddha is presently teaching the Dharma, wholesome at the beginning, middle, and end, and purely cultivating brahmacarya. Each hue of that Buddha’s radiance is distinct. Every ray of light transforms into a Buddha, and every Buddha expounds in full the six limitless perfections.

“What are these six perfections? They are generosity, moral discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom. Through skillful means, one tames the mind and consciousness, remaining free from delusion, lust, and craving. One clearly contemplates all dharmas, like the moon dispersing the clouds; contemplates one’s own body as no different from mine; and, though the mind’s attainments are not fixed, brings all things to fulfillment. Seated upright at the bodhimanda, one praises and proclaims the True Dharma with a fearless mind.

“Eight hundred forty thousand kotis of miles below this Buddha-land of Radiance is a realm named Treasury of Inexhaustible Giving. Its Buddha is named Contemplative Aid Tathagata, fully endowed with the ten epithets, and is presently teaching the Dharma. His words are wholesome at the beginning, middle, and end. He constantly cultivates brahmacarya and gives material wealth. Whoever follows his teaching attains the fruit of the Path. This is called the rare generosity of the Tathagata.

“Beneath the Inexhaustible World lies the World of the Dharma Drum, eight hundred forty thousand kotis of miles thick. Its Buddha is named Good Vision, fully endowed with the ten epithets, and is presently expounding the Dharma. The beings in that Buddha-land do not have many different names; they all share one given name and one family name.

Upon hearing the Dharma, they understand it immediately, without needing to reflect upon it again. That realm alone contains whole-body relics. Thousands of kotis of millions of Buddhas of the past have all left their relics there.

I too have a share of relics in that realm—not merely one or two. Those Buddha relics have no abiding place, yet neither are they non-abiding. They circulate throughout Buddha-lands numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

Their marks and radiance are complete, and they teach and transform beings according to their capacities, with none being indolent. They eliminate three billion one hundred million fetters and twenty-two thousand binding deluded thoughts. Possessing the eighteen supreme uncommon qualities, they manifest teachings and transformations and realize the Fearlessnesses.”

At that time, the Blessed One spoke in verse:

Through incalculable kalpas,

I have journeyed through birth and death,

Relinquishing one body and receiving another,

Never departing from birth within a womb.

When I consider all that I have undergone,

I remember it clearly without error.

Often I took birth as a white dog;

My bones would form kotis of Mount Sumerus.

If golden needles were thrust into the earth,

They would all encounter bodies once mine.

How much more so for dogs of other colors—

Their number cannot be measured.

I always restrained my own mind,

Never allowing it to run heedlessly,

Like a person standing atop Sumeru,

Holding a vessel of deathless medicine,

While a person below supports the vessel,

Pouring the medicine without spilling a drop.

Amid such perilous circumstances,

They are buffeted by the mountain winds.

The bodies of ordinary beings are like dust;

Only those of the Eighth Abode are excepted.

Of the two people holding this vessel,

Which one is the most excellent?

The person below maintains right mindfulness,

Always fearing a fall to either side.

Receiving bliss without losing its meaning—

This is therefore called the path of spiritual powers.

The person above, with great loving-kindness and compassion,

Speaks directly without examination.

Their consciousnesses and intentions differ;

Attaining the Path is likewise so.

In this realm where suffering must be patiently endured,

I attained Buddhahood like the person below.

Only after accumulating practices for asamkhyeya kalpas

Did I attain the Buddha Path.

From this realm to another realm,

Passing through thousands of kotis in this way,

It is like casting a golden needle into the sea

And reaching in to retrieve it at once.

Without wisdom, one may try to drain the water,

Yet after many kalpas still fail to retrieve it.

Deluded people of the world

Cannot distinguish good from evil.

Mount Sumeru, composed of four precious substances,

They call a heap of smoking charcoal.

The garuda, king of birds,

They take to be a cicada or mosquito.

An insect living in an ox’s hoofprint

Does not see the vast and mighty ocean.

The shimmering light of the sun appears like wild horses;

Fools take it to be a flame.

How could I have created such dharmas?

Fools themselves bring them forth.

Consciousness enters and departs without cease;

Through refinement and cultivation, the art of the Path is accomplished.

At that time, the Blessed One immediately recited this dharani:

“Y nhĩ ma nhĩ, trà thệ ly thệ thuần đồng xí ly xí ly.”

Then the Great Heavenly King Vaisravana immediately arose, bowed with his head and face at the Buddha’s feet, and said:

“I constantly protect good men and good women, those good people who practice the Dharma. I protect the three lights and three shadows of their bodies. What are the three lights and three shadows? Today I command the hosts of raksasas: the shadow of the body, the bodily shadow of the body, and the shadow of the shadow. What is the image of the body? What is the bodily shadow of the body? What is the shadow of the shadow?”

At that time, the Blessed One spoke in verse:

The body is formed by the union of the four great elements,

Composed of earth, water, fire, and wind.

It comes and goes in continual cycles;

Though abiding, its abiding cannot be seen.

The body and the body of the body—

At life’s end, one again escapes the body.

The meaning of the three phrases concerning shadow upon shadow

Is like the spiritual radiance left by the Buddha.

Cloth wrapped around Magadha medicine,

Though carried far away, remains fragrant.

The Buddha’s Dharma of liberation

Is pure and without blemish.

The shadow-body and body teach and transform,

Delivering those who could not be delivered.

Whoever beholds the characteristics of the Dharma-body

Enters samadhi and contemplates body upon body.

Without doubt concerning shadow upon shadow,

All attain the unsurpassed Path.

At that time, Dhrtarastra, wishing to protect the Dharma teachers, immediately recited this dharani:

“Y hê, ma hê, Diêm phù, Diêm lam phù đột đột lặc xí. I shall protect the Dharma teacher throughout thousands of kotis of millions of yojanas, so that no one can disturb him.”

The Heavenly King Virudhaka immediately arose and said before the Buddha:

“I too shall protect the true Dharma teacher.”

He then recited this dharani:

“Già lê, già lê, ni trĩ, cứu bát trĩ,” so that throughout thousands of kotis of millions of yojanas, no one would cause harm or disturbance.

King Virupaksa immediately arose, bowed with his head and face at the Buddha’s feet, and said:

“Blessed One! I shall protect the true and proper Dharma teacher.”

He then recited this dharani:

“Xá nhĩ, xá nhĩ, bát bà thiên ma lâu hê,” so that throughout ten billion yojanas, no one would come to cause disturbance.

Then the Blessed One spoke in verse:

Fragrant flowers of supremely beautiful hues

Move all the Buddha-lands.

Because the Buddha is free from conceptual thought,

Upon attaining Buddhahood, he always guides beings toward the Path.

The power of patience has no bounds;

It breaks through existence, nonexistence, and the Three Vehicles.

The marks of whole-body relics

Are minute as particles of dust.

They rescue beings throughout lands numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

Keeping them from falling into the three evil destinies.

The Buddha manifests in a kalpa of hardship and suffering,

Protecting those who practice great compassion,

So that boundless living beings

May attain the unsurpassed Path.

At that time, thirty-two kotis of living beings in the great assembly immediately brought forth the mind of unsurpassed equality.

Chapter Ten: Permanence and Impermanence

At that time, in the great assembly was a bodhisattva named Contemplating and Perceiving Impermanence. He arose, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

– Excellent! Excellent! Blessed One, please expound this meaning without delay. The True Dharma of all Buddhas is inconceivable; arhats and pratyekabuddhas cannot attain to it. Fundamentally, it has no true nature and cannot be exhausted. The Tathagata manifests bodies, entering one and emerging from one, transforming in every manner: at times breaking the body into relics, at times preserving the bodily relics intact, at times disappearing without manifesting, at times remaining and spreading throughout the world, at times manifesting the realm of a single Buddha, and at times manifesting exceedingly many realms of Buddhas. His spiritual powers and transformations, the sovereign mastery of his power of the Path, are wondrous and extraordinary, like the realm of empty space. The permanent is also impermanent, and the impermanent is also impermanent. Abiding is also non-abiding, and non-abiding is also non-abiding. The transformations are not of one kind. I wish to hear the Tathagata explain the meaning of permanence and impermanence. Today, as I dwell on the ninth bhumi, am I permanent or impermanent?

At that time, the Blessed One said to the Bodhisattva Permanence and Impermanence:

– I shall now question you. Answer Me according to the true nature. What do you think, son of noble family? Is form permanent?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Is form impermanent?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Is form neither permanent nor impermanent?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– What do you think, son of noble family? Is form with remainder?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Is form without remainder?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Is form both with remainder and without remainder?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Is form neither with remainder nor without remainder?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Buddha said:

– Son of noble family! Are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness permanent?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness impermanent?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness both permanent and impermanent?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness neither permanent nor impermanent?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness with remainder?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness without remainder?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness both with remainder and without remainder?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness neither with remainder nor without remainder?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Buddha asked the Bodhisattva Permanence and Impermanence:

– Is nirvana pure?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Is nirvana impure?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Blessed One asked:

– Is nirvana both pure and impure?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Permanence and Impermanence:

– Where does the true nature of nirvana truly abide?

He replied:

– It abides without any place of abiding.

The Buddha asked:

– Is it neither the existence of sentient beings nor the nonexistence of sentient beings?

He replied:

– No, Blessed One.

The Buddha said:

– The conditions and stages of cessation extend from the nature of the five aggregates through the thirty-seven factors, emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness.

The conditions and stages of cessation are neither apart nor not apart, neither arisen nor not arisen; therefore, one abides without any place of abiding.

Why is this? Because the intrinsic nature is empty. This is empty, that is empty, the inside is empty, the outside is empty, and nirvana is empty.

When the Tathagata appears in the world of the five turbidities, He does not perceive the arising and cessation to which annihilationism clings. He does not perceive concentration or distraction. He does not perceive observance or violation of the precepts.

He does not perceive patience or anger. He does not perceive diligence or indolence. He does not perceive afflictions or mental concentration.

He does not perceive ignorance or wisdom. He does not perceive mental consciousness or thought. He does not perceive the Path, the mundane, or the paramitas.

He does not perceive the purity of Buddha realms. He does not perceive the pure cultivation of the bodhimanda. He does not perceive sentient beings eliminating defilements.

This is called a bodhisattva abiding without any place of abiding.

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

With pure minds in the holy life,

They destroy the realm of Mara;

Mindful acceptance of the unsurpassed Path,

Serenely settled, inconceivable.

Throughout innumerable kalpas,

I have always abided without a place of abiding;

Single-mindedly entering the wisdom of emptiness,

My body adorned with all the marks.

Sons of noble family in the future,

And those who live in the present,

Shall abide without a place of abiding,

Understanding the nature of permanence and impermanence.

All sense objects and all obstructions

Destroy My wholesome karma;

Wash away every dusty defilement,

Like gold without a flaw.

Wisdom is the mark of the world,

Guiding those whose eyes are blind,

Causing the ignorant

Clearly to understand the Dharma of true suchness.

The unconditioned Path of causes and conditions,

Penetrating the six superknowledges,

The inexhaustible treasury of the great Dharma,

Is bestowed upon the lowly.

Delighting in receiving the three liberations,

Unattached throughout the three times,

With respect to all present dharmas,

Defilements exhausted, they enter the Buddha's samadhi.

The Tathagata's light of great wisdom

Eliminates doubts concerning the Dharma;

The marks of delusion become tranquil and pure,

And they understand the Path of emptiness and impermanence.

However many people deem things permanent,

They cling tightly within samsara;

Never departing from conditioned dharmas,

They are bound by afflictions.

The Dharma of the six paramitas and the three wisdoms,

Precious treasures, wives, and children—

Severing attachment without regret,

They leave home and attain the Path.

Those who entertain thoughts of good and evil,

Whether of the lowest, middle, or highest rank,

Revolve within the five paths;

The nature of arising and cessation is unreal.

Suffering is fundamentally beyond measure,

Continuing lifetime after lifetime without rest;

The Dharma drum resounds through a thousand realms,

Shaking the realm of Mara.

All you multitudes of living beings,

Rely upon the six superknowledges;

The body follows the mind's thoughts,

Reaching places without obstruction.

Month after month and year after year, cultivate the practice of the Path;

By day and by night, never going against the proper time;

Accumulating virtue like Mount Sumeru,

You shall attain realization of Buddhahood.

Arising and cessation are like magical illusions,

And also like images in a mirror;

Receiving and entering the thirty-six,

One enters samadhi and then attains the Path.

The true nature of the Tathagata

Is undefiled and unattached;

Practicing loving-kindness, one transcends the seven crossings,

And all jewels naturally become necklaces.

Three billion two hundred million fetters

Bind beings so they cannot free themselves;

One must use the sword of wisdom

To cut them off, leaving nothing behind.

Then take up the eight liberations,

Like the ambrosial flavor of the Dharma,

So that those who thirst with craving

May be fully satisfied and think of it no more.

Formerly, before I attained dhyana,

I constantly dwelt in ignorance,

Tightly bound by the four inverted views;

Seeking liberation, it was difficult to attain.

Entering the dhyana of the four unobstructed knowledges,

Sovereign and fearless,

With the mind firmly settled in samadhi,

At life's end, one is never born again.

When the Blessed One had finished speaking these verses, eight billion four hundred million sentient beings generated the aspiration for the unsurpassed, right, and true Path and became irreversible in the practice of faith.

THE BODHISATTVA DWELLING IN THE WOMB

End of Fascicle Three