大寶積經

16. CHAPTER: THE TUSHITA DEVAS RECEIVE PREDICTIONS

At that time, eight hundred million Tushita devas saw the asuras, garudas, and even the Yama devas make offerings to the Buddha and receive predictions. They all rejoiced and exulted, thinking: “With regard to which dharmas does the Blessed One bestow predictions of unsurpassed bodhi? Is form predicted to attain unsurpassed bodhi, or are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness predicted to attain unsurpassed bodhi?”

Those devas further thought: “It is not only form that receives a prediction; feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness must also receive predictions of unsurpassed bodhi. Why? Since form is unborn and bodhi is also unborn, how could unborn form awaken to unborn bodhi? Likewise, since feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are devoid of activity, how could they awaken to unborn bodhi? Since form is unceasing and bodhi is also unceasing, how could unceasing form awaken to

unceasing bodhi? Likewise, how could unceasing feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness awaken to unceasing bodhi?

“Form is free from discrimination, and bodhi is also free from discrimination. How could form, which is free from discrimination, awaken to bodhi, which is free from discrimination? Likewise, how could feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, which are free from discrimination, awaken to bodhi, which is free from discrimination?

“Form is nondual, and bodhi is also nondual. How could nondual form awaken to nondual bodhi? Likewise, how could nondual feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness awaken to nondual bodhi?

“Form is unconditioned by action, and bodhi is also unconditioned by action. How could form, which is unconditioned by action, awaken to bodhi, which is unconditioned by action? Likewise, how could feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, which are unconditioned by action, awaken to bodhi, which is unconditioned by action?

“Form is unobtainable, and bodhi is also unobtainable. How could unobtainable form awaken to unobtainable bodhi? Likewise, how could unobtainable feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness awaken to unobtainable bodhi?

“Among these unobtainable dharmas, what is Buddha, what is bodhi, what is bodhisattva, and what is a prediction? The skandha of form is empty, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are all likewise empty. Why?

Because their intrinsic nature is empty. Thus, Buddha is empty, bodhi is empty, bodhisattva is empty, and prediction is empty. Why?

Because their own essence is empty. Within the emptiness of the nature of all dharmas such as this, what is called ‘Buddha’ is merely a name, a function, and a conventional truth; it is only a verbal expression, only a designation. What are called form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are likewise merely names, functions, conventional truths, verbal expressions, and designations.

The wise should not become attached to these.

“It is as though a person in a dream experiences the pleasures of the five desires, but upon awakening no longer sees those pleasures. Recalling them and being unable to enjoy the pleasures of the five desires, that person gives rise to anguish.

“One who abides in the bodhisattva vehicle yet clings to it does not awaken to bodhi or realize bodhi and therefore does not obtain the savor of that Dharma. Because that person does not obtain the savor of the Dharma, anguish arises in the mind. Why?

Because all such dharmas are like dream scenes and have no true existence. The meanings and distinctions of these dharmas are understood differently by ordinary beings. All dharmas should be known in this way: Which dharma is Buddha?

Which dharma is bodhisattva? Which dharma is bodhi? These Buddha-dharmas are all unobtainable.

Ordinary beings are unobtainable, and the dharmas of ordinary beings are also unobtainable. Shravakas are unobtainable, and the dharmas of shravakas are also unobtainable. Pratyekabuddhas are unobtainable, and the dharmas of pratyekabuddhas are also unobtainable.

Bodhisattvas are unobtainable, and the dharmas of bodhisattvas are also unobtainable. The Buddhas are unobtainable, and the dharmas of the Buddhas are also unobtainable. Bodhi is unobtainable, and nirvana is also unobtainable.

Regarding such dharmas, we understand clearly and harbor no doubt.”

Once the Tushita devas had become free of doubt regarding this Dharma, their reverence and faith in the Buddha grew still deeper, and they delighted in presenting offerings. Their offerings surpassed those of the Yama devas. They bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated the Buddha three times, then stood to one side and spoke verses in praise of the Buddha:

“Those who abide in the Buddha’s merit—

For them the Tathagata teaches the Dharma practice.

They attain the three gates of liberation

And cultivate within the realm beyond compare.

There is no form, nor feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness;

There is neither one who can feel nor any mind.

This is the realm of unobstructed wisdom;

The Teacher of Devas and Humans delights in freedom from desire and the skandhas.

Those wise and great beings

Do not conceive of anything when arousing the mind of bodhi.

Having transcended the skandhas, they attain supreme wholesome roots

And have no doubt concerning the Buddha’s merit.

They aspire to unsurpassed, great bodhi,

Yet remain free from grasping at bodhi.

Therefore, within their minds there is neither sorrow nor joy;

They are called children of the Buddha who cultivate the noble path.

Like the Buddha, they see all dharmas as equal;

Therefore, with no dharma to apprehend, they are fearless.

The wise within this world

Seek the Buddha’s merit and undertake cultivation.

They discern the characteristics of form without attachment

And cast away every mind that apprehends characteristics.

They desire nothing within the three realms

And contemplate all realms as entirely empty.

Knowing that the five skandhas are all unborn,

They receive from the Tathagata predictions of bodhi.

That mind of bodhi is itself also unborn;

Those who speak these words are not deluded.

The Tathagata’s merit and samsara,

And all those Buddha-dharmas, are unborn.

Those who know this possess wisdom;

They are truly the children of the Tathagata.

If one knows that the skandhas are unceasing,

And that the dhatus, ayatanas, and the Tathagata’s Dharma,

The Buddha, bodhi, and predictions—

All such dharmas are unceasing;

And if one cultivates for the sake of bodhi,

Know that such a person is also unceasing.

Because one knows the world to be unceasing,

Seeking bodhi is therefore not difficult.

The five skandhas, dhatus, ayatanas, and bodhi,

Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, are all uncreated.

Those who clearly know this are children of the Buddha,

Able to uphold the Tathagata’s true Dharma.

The skandhas, dhatus, and ayatanas are all without awareness;

Bodhi, the Buddha, and bodhisattvas,

Together with predictions, are all without awareness.

Those who know this are children of the Buddha.

The nature of the five skandhas, dhatus, and ayatanas is empty and quiescent;

The Buddha, bodhi, and predictions likewise.

Those who cultivate are truly children of the Buddha;

All are also empty in intrinsic nature.

The skandhas, dhatus, and ayatanas are all illusory;

The Blessed One, Honored among Two-Legged Beings, and bodhi,

Bodhisattvas and predictions are likewise illusory.

Those who clearly know this are children of the Buddha.

Neither relying nor not relying,

Neither dharmas that exist nor dharmas that do not exist,

Neither conditioned nor unconditioned—

Those who clearly know this are children of the Buddha.

The Blessed One sees the world in this way;

We thus know the Buddha’s mind.

Therefore, we now present offerings to the Tathagata

And also to the entire assembly of noble sages.

The merit we gain by praising the Buddha

Can be clearly known by the Buddha, the Blessed One, alone.

We dedicate the merit and virtue of this deed to all beings,

Vowing that they shall all become Buddhas, complete with the excellent marks.”

The Blessed One knew that the Tushita devas had praised him and that their innermost minds were filled with faith and delight; he then manifested the sign of a smile.

The Venerable Bhikshu Ashvajit spoke these verses to ask the Buddha:

“The Unsurpassed One has attained great spiritual power;

Moved by great compassion, he manifests a smile.

We pray that the Buddha will clearly explain the reason for his smile,

So that the assembly, hearing it, may all rejoice.

Because we have seen the Tathagata manifest the sign of a smile,

This great assembly is filled with doubt.

We gaze upon him everywhere with earnest attention,

All single-mindedly wishing to hear.

Just as a sick person in the world

Thinks only of a physician and good medicine,

So does this great assembly look to the Buddha,

Longing to hear the Buddha bestow predictions.

All within this assembly possess profound wisdom;

They aspire to bodhi without attachment.

All gaze upon him together in reverence,

Hoping only that the Tathagata will proclaim their predictions.

May the Blessed One now arouse great compassion

And, through the power of Buddha-wisdom, sever the net of doubt.

Then this great assembly will rejoice,

And all will aspire to the Buddha’s merit.

Now is truly the time for the Buddha to bestow predictions;

We look up to him, hoping he will dispel all doubts and delusions.

The Buddha long ago became free from hostile adversaries;

We pray that he refute the false doctrines of non-Buddhist paths.”

The Blessed One replied to the Venerable Ashvajit in verse:

“You now ask the Tathagata

About the cause and conditions of his smile, and your question is timely.

For the benefit of the world, you have made this inquiry,

Your heart intent upon benefiting all beings.

Knowing the minds of the assembled devas to be filled with delight,

The Buddha therefore manifested the radiant sign of a smile.

The devas know the supreme and wondrous Dharma of the Buddha;

Therefore, they present offerings to the Tathagata.

They all see the world in accordance with reality

And, following the noble teaching, realize the Dharma

They have reached the three gates of liberation,

Which cannot be known by the world.

In the past they made offerings to countless Buddhas

And also asked the Buddhas about this profound meaning.

In the presence of past Buddhas they cultivated emptiness,

And therefore today elucidate the meaning of emptiness.

Through those roots of goodness, here and now

They have encountered the Venerable Śākyamuni.

Using the principle of emptiness, they praise the Supreme One,

Bringing benefit to all the worlds.

The world in this manner is entirely unborn;

The Buddhas’ bodhi and predictions,

And all those who cultivate the path to bodhi—

All of them are likewise unborn.

All beings equally possess this Dharma;

Having known this, they attain bodhi.

In the past they brought forth the mind of bodhi,

And clearly understood this meaning.

The world in this manner also does not cease;

The gods of Tuṣita have thoroughly comprehended it.

Their radiant wisdom illuminates it clearly, without doubt;

Therefore, all those gods will become Buddhas.

They will certainly attain the state without dependence.

Regarding dharmas, they grasp nothing and are free from discrimination;

All worlds are uncreated.

This meaning the gods clearly understand.

The essence of every dharma is devoid of intrinsic nature;

With purified minds, the gods have no doubts or delusions.

Bodhi and the mind of bodhi

Are all empty, devoid of intrinsic nature.

The gods of Tuṣita, steadfast in wisdom,

All abide without any support.

Thus, attaining bodhi will not be difficult;

They will certainly swiftly perfect supreme wisdom.

In the future Constellation Kalpa,

They will liberate boundlessly many beings.

All those gods will become Buddhas,

Each bearing the same name, Dharma-Discerning King.

The Tathagata, knowing the aspirations

Of these gods, therefore bestows predictions upon them.

When the entire great assembly heard the Buddha speak,

They were all delighted and filled with joy.”

17. CHAPTER ON THE PREDICTION BESTOWED UPON THE GODS OF NIRMĀṆARATI

At that time, the King of the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, at the head of a retinue of seven hundred million Nirmāṇarati gods, saw that the asuras and all the others, up to and including the gods of Tuṣita, had made offerings to the Buddha and received predictions. They all rejoiced and were delighted. Their hearts were filled with joy, they came to abide in the true reality-limit, and they had no doubts regarding true suchness. Together they rose from their seats, bared their right shoulders, placed their right knees upon the ground, bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet, and respectfully joined their palms. Speaking with different voices but in unison, they addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! As we understand the meaning of the Buddha’s teaching, all dharmas are the true reality-limit, the boundless limit, the unobstructed limit, the non-abiding limit, the inexhaustible limit, the nondual limit, and the non-limit.

“Blessed One! It is called the true reality-limit because it is free from error; the boundless limit because it is immeasurable; the unobstructed limit because it is free from opposition; the non-abiding limit because it has no intrinsic nature; the inexhaustible limit because it is unborn; the nondual limit because it is of a single flavor; and the non-limit because it does not exist.

“Blessed One! This true reality-limit pervades every place. There is not a single dharma that is not the true reality-limit.

“Blessed One! That which is called bodhi is also the true reality-limit. What is bodhi? All dharmas are bodhi because they are devoid of intrinsic nature. Even the five deeds of immediate retribution are bodhi. Why is this? Bodhi has no intrinsic nature, and the five deeds of immediate retribution likewise have no intrinsic nature; therefore, the deeds of immediate retribution are also bodhi.

“Blessed One! That which is called bodhi is like the nature of nirvana without remainder and also like the nature of deeds of immediate retribution. Why is this? All dharmas are precisely the nature of nirvana without remainder and also the nature of deeds of immediate retribution. Therefore, the realm of nirvana without remainder is itself bodhi.

“Blessed One! If there were beings abiding in samsara who could seek nirvana within the true reality-limit, nevertheless, there is no one abiding in samsara who seeks nirvana. Why is this? Because the true reality-limit is nondual.

“Blessed One! We clearly understand this and have no doubt. If anyone has no doubt regarding this Dharma, it should be known that this person has already received from past Buddhas a prediction of unsurpassed bodhi.”

When the Blessed One heard the King of the Nirmāṇarati Heaven and the seven hundred million Nirmāṇarati gods speak of their predictions, he manifested a smile so that the great assembly might rejoice.

The Venerable Bhikṣu Aśvajit spoke these verses to question the Buddha:

“The One who cherishes the world has manifested a smile,

Yet has not spoken of the cause and condition for that smile.

The Teacher of gods and humans does nothing without cause;

He manifests a smile and sends forth rays of light.

Having seen the Blessed One’s smiling countenance,

The entire great assembly has been filled with doubt.

We reverently beseech you to explain the reason for your smile

And dispel every net of uncertainty.

If these beings receive the Tathagata’s explanation,

Having heard it, they will all give rise to a sense of wonder.

It will purify the true path for the assembled multitude

And become a cause and condition leading toward bodhi.

If any beings still harbor doubts,

Because of those doubts, bodhi will be difficult to attain.

We reverently beseech the One of great wisdom to dispel their doubts,

So that they may diligently and swiftly realize the unsurpassed path.

Blessed One, this great assembly

Aspires to bodhi and has abandoned all evils.

Having heard the predictions bestowed upon the gods,

They will certainly become great Kings of Dharma.

May the Blessed One, out of compassion,

Dispel every doubt from their minds.

Bestow predictions of bodhi upon the gods,

So that the entire great assembly may rejoice.”

The Blessed One replied to the Venerable Aśvajit in verse:

“Out of compassion for the world, I manifested a smile.

Aśvajit, you have now questioned the Buddha.

The Buddha bestows predictions upon all those gods;

All of you should listen with attentive minds.

These seven hundred million Nirmāṇarati gods

Are able to predict for themselves that they will become Buddhas.

Amid the assembly they have uttered a lion’s roar

Capable of destroying the erroneous views of non-Buddhist paths.

It is as though masses of hail were to rain from the sky;

They would surely shatter upon the earth—of this there is no doubt.

In the same way, these children of the Buddha are free from doubt

And know for themselves that they will certainly attain Buddhahood.

Just as when the sky becomes still at nightfall,

One knows that the moon will surely rise before long,

So too, these children of the Buddha, replete with meritorious conduct,

Know with certainty that they will perfect the ten powers of wisdom.

Again, just as when the sun stands at midday,

All forms that one beholds are clearly illuminated,

So too, these children of the Buddha, replete with meritorious conduct,

Know for themselves that they will certainly attain omniscience.

Just as when the sun reaches the time of setting,

Everyone knows that the sun is disappearing,

So too, these children of the Buddha all know for themselves

That they will certainly attain the most excellent wisdom.

Just as all streams flow downward,

And the wise know that they will reach the great ocean,

So too, these children of the Buddha, replete with radiant wisdom,

Know with certainty that they will attain supreme bodhi.

Just as when a person throws a stone into the sky,

It will certainly fall back down, beyond any doubt,

So too, these children of the Buddha all know for themselves

That before long they will attain the state of Knower of the World.

Those who are wise naturally possess such insight and knowledge;

Because they clearly understand the Dharma, they have no doubts.

Knowing that they have a share in the Buddha’s merits,

They are certainly drawing near to spontaneous wisdom.

Even if nayutas of Māra hosts

Were to appear and tell them, ‘You will not become Buddhas,’

They could not hinder the resolve of these gods,

For the gods have themselves understood the true suchness of dharmas.

Certain of their share in the Buddha’s merits,

They all declare that they have received predictions.

Regarding these predictions they have made,

The Tathagata rejoices in them all.

Those gods cultivate the bodhisattva practices

And know this clearly for themselves, not through others.

They themselves declare that they will become Sugatas,

And the Tathagata rejoices in them all.

Therefore, Aśvajit, if there is anyone

Who wishes to attain unsurpassed bodhi,

That person must diligently seek within this Dharma

And will certainly attain the supreme state of peace and security.

Personally attaining perfect awakening to the profound principle,

They clearly know every meaning in accordance with reality.

By drawing near to and making offerings to good spiritual friends,

Their realization of bodhi will not be difficult.

If someone were to practice austerities for a thousand kalpas,

Without cherishing skin, flesh, sinews, or bones,

And another person clearly understood this meaningful principle,

The merit of the latter would be far greater than the former.

All the Buddhas of the past,

All those who will cherish the world in the future,

And all the present Blessed Ones

Have attained Buddhahood in reliance upon this Dharma.

After the Nirmāṇarati gods made offerings to the Buddha,

They all knew the ultimate truth for themselves.

Together with the Tathagatas of the past,

Having awakened to this meaningful principle, they will become Buddhas.

The supreme samādhis possessed by the Buddhas,

And the meditative concentrations in which present Buddhas abide—

Those gods have entered the realm of the Buddhas,

For throughout the defiled age they have cultivated for a long time.

Those seven hundred million Nirmāṇarati gods

No longer have any doubt regarding samādhi.

They have thoroughly trained in the pure Buddha-Dharma

And now manifest the cultivation of the path to Buddhahood.

Therefore, they give rise to faith and understanding in this principle

One should diligently seek to leave the bounds of suffering

And always draw near to the greatly learned;

One will certainly attain supreme, great bodhi.

Having heard the Buddha proclaim the wondrous Dharma,

The devas of Nirmāṇarati and the assembled multitude

All rejoiced, their nets of doubt removed,

And flowed directly toward great nirvana."

18. CHAPTER ON THE PROPHECY OF THE DEVAS OF PARA-NIRMITA-VAŚAVARTIN

At that time, the Deva King of Para-nirmita-vaśavartin, at the head of his retinue of eighty nayutas of devas of Para-nirmita-vaśavartin, saw that the asuras, up to and including the devas of Nirmāṇarati, had made offerings to the Buddha and received prophecies. They all rejoiced exultantly and were delighted. With different mouths but one voice, they addressed the Buddha, saying: "Blessed One!

The devas of Nirmāṇarati spoke of the boundary of reality, yet we do not even perceive reality itself, much less its boundary. Why is this? Blessed One!

Only when one perceives reality can one be said to perceive its boundary. Why is this? Such a person proceeds in two places.

If good men or good women abide in such a vehicle, these two kinds of Dharma should be explained to them. These two dharmas are not the true realm.

Blessed One! If good men or good women neither believe in nor enter the nondual Dharma, then even though they have aroused the aspiration in hopes of attaining bodhi, it should be known that they have taken the wrong path. Why is this? Because there is no path to be traversed in bodhi.

Blessed One! If there are sentient beings who seek bodhi, they do not perceive even a single dharma that can be awakened to. Why is this? Because there is not the slightest dharma through which supreme bodhi can be awakened to.

Blessed One! This Dharma is neither past, future, nor present; neither conditioned nor unconditioned; neither existent nor nonexistent; it cannot be apprehended, cognized, relinquished, cultivated, or realized. As for what is called bodhi, that dharma does not serve as an antidote to that dharma, nor does any other dharma serve as an antidote to it. Why is this? That dharma is neither mixed with afflictions nor separate from afflictions. The essence of the dharma is unobtainable because its nature is intrinsically free.

This dharma does not serve as an antidote to that dharma, nor does that dharma serve as an antidote to this dharma. Why is this? Because all dharmas are free from characteristics. Therefore, that dharma cannot be cognized, apprehended, relinquished, cultivated, or realized.

Blessed One! The arising of form is free from the characteristic of arising; it likewise cannot be cognized, apprehended, relinquished, cultivated, or realized. Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are also thus.

Blessed One! The cessation of form is free from the characteristic of cessation; it likewise cannot be cognized, apprehended, relinquished, cultivated, or realized. Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are also thus.

Blessed One! The past is free from the characteristic of the past; it likewise cannot be cognized, apprehended, relinquished, cultivated, or realized. The future and the present are also thus.

Blessed One! The conditioned is free from the characteristic of the conditioned; it likewise cannot be cognized, apprehended, relinquished, cultivated, or realized. The unconditioned is also thus.

Blessed One! Thus, up to and including whatever is encompassed within the skandhas, whatever is encompassed within the past, future, and present, and whatever is encompassed within the conditioned and the unconditioned—all these dharmas are unobtainable. Because they are unobtainable, none of these dharmas can be cognized, apprehended, relinquished, cultivated, or realized.

Blessed One! If good men or good women thus arouse the aspiration and cultivate the path in quest of bodhi, they are all called persons abiding in the bodhisattva vehicle."

After the eighty nayutas of devas of Para-nirmita-vaśavartin had each spoken the Dharma they understood, they together recited verses in praise of the Buddha:

"The Blessed One skillfully teaches the ending of the bounds of existence,

So that one will never again assume a body in the six destinies.

People of the world, lacking wisdom, fear birth and death

And arouse the aspiration to cross beyond the shore of birth and death.

The essence of the skandhas is unobtainable,

For the nature and characteristics of the skandhas are originally empty in themselves.

All empty dharmas are without characteristics;

Therefore, all dharmas are free from antidotes.

Their intrinsic essence is itself empty, without any entity;

There is nothing to be cognized, relinquished, or cultivated,

Nor is there any dharma that can be realized.

The Tathagata says that existence itself is nonexistence.

The characteristic of seeking bodhi is unobtainable,

And the dharmas that aid the path are also unobtainable.

The mind with which one seeks Buddhahood is unobtainable,

And the characteristic of a bodhisattva cannot be found either.

Foolish people tightly grasp all characteristics;

They hope to attain awakening to bodhi.

In an inverted realm, they grasp characteristics;

They are not rightly traveling the path to bodhi.

Those who enter the Buddha’s realm are free from all characteristics;

They are called wise persons who practice in accordance with the Dharma.

They are far removed from both characteristics and non-characteristics,

And are also free from emptiness and non-emptiness.

Such persons awaken to the supreme path,

Which is not the realm of non-Buddhist paths,

Cannot be known by śrāvakas,

And cannot be reached by pratyekabuddhas.

When the mind is liberated, pure and stainless,

Arhats accord with that Dharma,

As do all pratyekabuddhas,

Yet it is not the sphere of their wisdom.

A mind possessing characteristics does not understand this statement,

Nor do those who cultivate merely partial emptiness comprehend it.

If anyone understands emptiness without asserting emptiness,

And also teaches that all dharmas lack intrinsic nature,

They accept the Buddha’s teaching without disparaging it;

This is called skillfully cultivating empty quiescence.

They awaken to the bodhi path that is difficult to awaken to;

Therein the Buddha is the true guide.

Having praised the Buddha, the Blessed One, honored among bipeds,

They immediately acquired immeasurable merit,

Which they dedicated to all sentient beings,

That they might attain Buddhahood and awaken those not yet awakened."

The Buddha knew that the Deva King and the eighty nayutas of devas of Para-nirmita-vaśavartin had brought forth profound faith and joyful aspiration. Wishing to increase the wholesome roots of the great assembly, he manifested a smile.

The Venerable Aśvajit addressed the Buddha in verse, asking:

"The Blessed One, honored among bipeds, has manifested a smile,

Knowing that the devas of Para-nirmita-vaśavartin possess profound faith.

The Buddha has not yet declared the cause and condition of his smile;

We reverently beseech the Tathagata to explain it.

Today, the Great Sage did not without cause

Manifest this rare sign of a smile.

May the Buddha clearly state its reason

And dispel the doubts of the great assembly.

Because they saw the Blessed One manifest a smile,

All in the assembly now harbor doubts.

O One who cherishes all the world,

We reverently beseech you to explain it clearly.

All in the assembly have turned away from birth and death;

With palms joined in reverence, they seek nirvana.

They all harbor doubts concerning the reason for the Buddha’s smile;

May the One of Unobstructed Eloquence dispel them.

The great assembly all have faith in the Buddha’s Dharma;

Their minds understand it clearly and are free from grasping.

They all possess minds of profound faith and reverence.

Excellent indeed! O Muni, please explain it clearly.

Courageous and diligent in the Buddha-Dharma,

They leave far behind the net of doubt and ascend the noble path.

All Buddhas travel this path;

Therefore, please dispel the assembly’s doubts."

The Blessed One replied to the bhikshu Aśvajit in verse:

"For the benefit of the great assembly,

You have questioned the Buddha in verse at precisely the right time.

Only one endowed with eloquence and skillful means

Could ask about the meaning of the smile.

Because you have asked about the Tathagata’s manifestation of a smile,

Immeasurable beings will surely benefit,

For all those in the assembled multitudes

Will be enabled to abide in supreme bodhi.

Knowing that the devas of Para-nirmita-vaśavartin possessed profound faith,

The Buddha therefore manifested the radiant sign of a smile.

They all follow the Tathagata’s teaching

And cultivate wondrous practices in quest of bodhi.

They contemplate worldly dharmas as free from all characteristics,

Like a mirage seen to be unreal.

Fools see a mirage and take it to be water;

Those who seek bodhi should not be like them.

Ordinary beings grasp characteristics and crave pleasant objects;

Lacking wisdom, they constantly fear the absence of characteristics.

Fools cling to characteristics and abandon the right path;

By being free from characteristics, one attains wondrous bodhi.

Deluded conceptualization fabricates false and empty dharmas;

By following discriminated dharmas, one is immediately bound.

The wise see that all characteristics are empty

And attain the dharani of supreme quiescence.

Ordinary beings cling to characteristics and abide in evil states of mind;

Lacking wisdom, they all fall into the six destinies.

They undergo much suffering while cycling through birth and death,

Because in their delusion they cling to characteristics.

Sentient beings attached to characteristics perceive the skandhas,

The Buddha, bodhi, and the bodhisattva.

The wise, free from characteristics and seeing emptiness,

Can attain great, supreme bodhi.

Those who cling to characteristics increase their afflictions

Contemplate signlessness to remove the fetters

What are called fetters are themselves signs

Contemplate the fetters as signless, and they are at once removed

If one who seeks the Way engages in discrimination

Discrimination concerning the Way becomes an obstruction

Though the wise may engage in sensual desire

That desire itself is the practice of signlessness

All dharmas cannot be apprehended

To discriminate among dharmas is called emptiness

If, free from discrimination, one attains signlessness

That is bodhi, and nothing else

Hearing these words spoken by the Well-Gone One

The great assembly dispelled their doubts and attained fearlessness

They received upon their crowns the Dharma spoken by the Muni

Like people wearing champaka flowers upon their heads

The devas of Paranirmita-vashavartin attained fearlessness

And made the most excellent offerings to the Buddha

They knew that all dharmas are the Buddha’s domain

And would become great Guides of the world.”

19. CHAPTER ON THE PROPHECIES BESTOWED UPON THE BRAHMA DEVAS

At that time, nine hundred million devas of the Brahma Assembly saw that the asuras and all those up to the devas of Paranirmita-vashavartin had made offerings to the Buddha and received prophecies. They all rejoiced greatly and were delighted and content. Dwelling in the mundane meditative absorptions, they took joy and gladness as their sustenance; within the Buddhadharma, they had also attained luminous wisdom, for they had planted roots of virtue, drawn near to and made offerings to the Buddhas, and possessed profound, pure faith.

With respect to the exceedingly profound Dharma, they had attained the patient acceptance of dharmas. Those devas of the Brahma Assembly knew that dharmas are neither conditioned nor unconditioned, neither arisen nor unarisen, neither existent nor nonexistent, neither originated nor unoriginated, neither ceased nor unceased, neither dependent nor independent, neither pure nor turbid, neither hateful nor lovable, neither wise nor foolish, neither knowing nor unknowing, neither seeing nor unseeing, neither received nor unreceived, neither compassionate nor uncompassionate, neither nonexistent nor not nonexistent, neither things nor non-things, neither apprehensible nor inapprehensible, neither going nor coming, neither proceeding nor not proceeding, neither empty nor not empty,

neither marked nor unmarked, neither wished for nor unwished for.

With respect to all dharmas, those Brahma devas had no attachment and no abiding place. Regarding nonfunction, they formed no conception of nonfunction; regarding non-nonfunction, they likewise formed no conception of non-nonfunction. Regarding language, they formed no conception of language; regarding nonlanguage, they likewise formed no conception of nonlanguage.

Regarding the conditioned, they formed no conception of the conditioned; regarding the unconditioned, they likewise formed no conception of the unconditioned. Regarding ordinary beings, they formed no conception of ordinary beings; regarding those who are not ordinary beings, they likewise formed no conception of those who are not ordinary beings. Regarding the dharmas of ordinary beings, they formed no conception of the dharmas of ordinary beings; regarding dharmas that are not those of ordinary beings, they likewise formed no conception of dharmas that are not those of ordinary beings.

Regarding shravakas, they formed no conception of shravakas; regarding non-shravakas, they likewise formed no conception of non-shravakas. Regarding the dharmas of shravakas, they formed no conception of the dharmas of shravakas; regarding dharmas that are not those of shravakas, they likewise formed no conception of dharmas that are not those of shravakas. Regarding pratyekabuddhas, they formed no conception of pratyekabuddhas; regarding non-pratyekabuddhas, they likewise formed no conception of non-pratyekabuddhas.

Regarding the dharmas of pratyekabuddhas, they formed no conception of the dharmas of pratyekabuddhas; regarding dharmas that are not those of pratyekabuddhas, they likewise formed no conception of dharmas that are not those of pratyekabuddhas. Regarding

bodhisattvas, they formed no conception of bodhisattvas. Regarding non-bodhisattvas, they likewise formed no conception of non-bodhisattvas. Regarding the dharmas of bodhisattvas, they formed no conception of the dharmas of bodhisattvas; regarding dharmas that are not those of bodhisattvas, they formed no conception of dharmas that are not those of bodhisattvas.

Regarding the Buddha, they formed no conception of the Buddha; regarding what is not Buddha, they likewise formed no conception of what is not Buddha. Regarding the Buddha’s Dharma, they formed no conception of the Buddha’s Dharma; regarding what is not the Buddha’s Dharma, they likewise formed no conception of what is not the Buddha’s Dharma. Regarding nirvana, they formed no conception of nirvana; regarding non-nirvana, they likewise formed no conception of non-nirvana.

Regarding the dharma of nirvana, they formed no conception of the dharma of nirvana; regarding what is not the dharma of nirvana, they likewise formed no conception of what is not the dharma of nirvana. Regarding birth and death, they formed no conception of birth and death; regarding what is not birth and death, they likewise formed no conception of what is not birth and death. Those devas of the Brahma Assembly were entirely free from discrimination with respect to all things, and their minds were concentrated and pure.

Having attained purity of mind, they praised the Buddha in verses spoken through the Dharma of quiescent cessation:

“The Great Sage’s wisdom is quiescent and exceedingly profound

Cultivating quiescent cessation, he has reached the other shore

He expounds quiescent cessation to deliver sentient beings

And himself constantly practices the Dharma of quiescent cessation

Bodhi is quiescent cessation, skillfully purified

This Dharma is the domain of the Tathagata

Swiftly attaining the supreme amrita of quiescent cessation

One thereby now brings birth and death to an end

He constantly proclaims the subtle and wondrous path of quiescent cessation

Which is the sphere of practice of the wise

The Noble Eightfold Path destroys the turbidity of afflictions

And rescues all living beings

Those devoted to bodhi skillfully cultivate quiescent cessation

The sphere of practice of the Buddhas of old

That Dharma leads to the citadel of peace and security

It was realized and known by the Buddhas of the past

It is the Dharma cultivated and studied by the Tathagata

Thus does the Buddha teach and transform the world

If one can practice the Dharma of those in training

One realizes the supreme bodhi of those beyond training

Single-mindedly proceeding toward the path of quiescent cessation

With the faculties long cultivated in serenity

One shall become a Buddha, a Knower of the World

Possessing the strength of Narayana, one delivers living beings

If one knows the amrita-Dharma of quiescent cessation

One can exhaust all the signs of birth and death

Such a one is a true child of the Tathagata

Quiescent cessation can remove the sufferings of the world

That assembly displayed offerings to the Buddha

Supreme, rare, and exceedingly extraordinary

He speaks the Dharma of quiescence that ends afflictions

Foremost among all things that are signless

The world is quiescent cessation, free from all signs

That is to say, quiescent cessation itself is nirvana

Sentient beings revolve in samsara and undergo suffering

Because they depart from quiescent cessation and grasp at signs

The Buddha’s dharmas are inconceivable

They are bodhi, the wisdom of omniscience

Having crossed the mire and reached the other shore

The Buddha is therefore forever entirely free from doubt

If one seeks liberation by abandoning the skandhas

And takes no delight in the Buddha’s Great Vehicle

Desiring to seek bodhi while thinking of cessation

One gives rise to fear regarding those five skandhas

With a purified mind, free from desire, one seeks nirvana

Thus do such people discriminate and select

To grasp at signs in dharmas is the domain of ordinary beings

Such is the teaching of the Tathagata

If one grasps quiescent cessation, one is thereby bound

And consequently cannot attain omniscience

If, with respect to the signs of the five skandhas

One gives rise to no mind of retaining, seizing, or attachment

One can benefit the Dharma of Shakyamuni

This is called the joyful practice of signlessness

One can attain the secure place beyond names

And reach bodhi, the domain of the Buddha

Subduing Mara’s contentions and extinguishing afflictions

One swiftly accomplishes omniscience

We praise the Unsurpassed One

And the virtues of the quiescent cessation he realized

Only the Buddha of great wisdom can clearly know them

We dedicate them to sentient beings, vowing that all attain Buddhahood.”

At that time, the lord of the Saha world, the Great Brahma Deva King, knowing that the Brahma devas had finished praising the Buddha, stood upright before the Buddha and used genuine virtues to praise the Buddha in verse:

“The Dharma King has known that all dharmas

Are unreal and deceptive, like empty fists

And also like autumn clouds and flashes of lightning

Therefore, the Great Sage is free from a grasping mind

Just as an extremely hungry person in a dream

Eats amrita of a hundred delicious flavors

The dreaming hunger and the eating are both unreal

The Tathagata sees dharmas in just this way

Again, it is like an extremely thirsty person in a dream

Who obtains cool, pure water to drink

The dreaming thirst and drinking of water are both illusory

The Buddha sees all dharmas in just this way

There is no agent, no recipient, and no sentient being

There is no performance of karma and no reception of its result

Nor is there anyone who receives karmic recompense

Concerning this, the World-Honored One has no doubt

Just as pleasing words are cherished by people

Yet that language cannot be grasped

And there is neither speaker nor hearer

The Great Sage clearly knows that all are unreal

It is like hearing the beautiful sound of a konghou harp

That sound likewise has no true intrinsic nature

The World-Honored One sees the skandhas in just this way

Knowing that the skandhas have no intrinsic nature and cannot be apprehended

It is like a mani jewel whose substance is naturally pure

When tied upon a robe, it changes according to the robe’s color

The intrinsic nature of all dharmas is originally pure

False discrimination adds inverted views

It is like a clean white robe without stain

Which changes in many ways according to the dye it receives

All dharmas likewise are pure in their intrinsic nature

Defilement arises according to discrimination.

It is as though someone hears the sound of a conch

And seeks to discover whence that sound has come;

That sound comes neither from itself nor from another—

The Great Seer sees the Dharma in just this way.

As when a person imagines delicious food,

That food is formed through the convergence of conditions;

All food is utterly devoid of inherent nature—

The Tathagata sees all dharmas in just this way.

As earth and stones are used to build a city,

Yet upon examining its substance, the city has no inherent nature;

All such conditions are entirely empty—

The Dharma King sees the Dharma in just this way.

Suppose someone beats a great drum,

Causing those who hear it to rejoice;

The sound of the drum and all its conditions are utterly empty—

The Great Sage sees all dharmas in just this way.

Suppose someone is beating a drum;

The drumbeat does not come from the ten directions,

Nor, when it ceases, does it go to the ten directions—

The Blessed One sees all dharmas in just this way.

After that person has beaten the drum,

The drum itself gives rise to neither love nor hatred,

Nor does it discriminate the nature of the conditions—

The Buddha sees all dharmas in just this way.

Again, when that person skillfully beats the drum,

The sound has no intention to make people rejoice,

And all those conditions are likewise so—

The Guide sees the Dharma in just this way.

When that person skillfully beats the drum,

The drum itself forms no conception of suffering or joy,

Nor does it examine the nature of the conditions—

The Tathagata sees the Dharma in just this way.

It is as though someone skillfully beats a drum;

The sound is neither identical with conditions nor separate from them,

And the conditions producing the music are likewise so—

The Muni sees the Dharma in just this way."

The Blessed One knew that the Brahma gods and the Brahma King possessed profound reverence and faith and were praising the Buddha with the Dharma of quiescence. Wishing also to cause the great assembly to bring forth roots of goodness, he manifested a smile.

The Venerable Ma Sheng spoke these verses to inquire of the Buddha:

"We have seen the Tathagata’s mouth emit

The exceedingly pure radiance of a smile;

The great assembly of gods and humans throughout the world

Have all given rise to a sense of wonder.

Seeing the Blessed One manifest a smile,

The entire assembly at this Dharma gathering harbors doubt;

All gaze upon the Tathagata’s face,

Earnestly longing to listen.

We pray the Buddha reveal why he smiled

And dispel the doubts of the great assembly.

The Supreme Muni does not without cause

Manifest this exceedingly rare sign of a smile.

Whenever the Buddhas manifest the radiance of a smile,

It is certainly to benefit all worlds.

For whose sake does the Buddha now manifest this smile?

We reverently pray that he explain it clearly.

Upon hearing it, the great assembly will surely rejoice,

For they will have learned the reason why.

Now this entire great assembly, palms joined,

Single-mindedly gazes up, delighting to hear.

Therefore, we pray the Buddha explain it,

And surely put an end to all doubt and uncertainty.

O Guide, for the sake of this gathered assembly,

Pray compassionately proclaim the reason for your smile.

Upon hearing it, the assembly will surely rejoice,

For the net of their doubts will have been washed away.

Their minds will surely become steadfast and wholly pure,

Mindfully cherishing and honoring the Tathagata.

The great assembly gazes upon the Buddha’s countenance

As though beholding the newly risen moon.

Possessing the eight excellent qualities of Brahma’s voice,

They single-mindedly thirst to hear it without delay.

When the great assembly of gods and humans hears the Buddha speak,

They will surely cast off doubt and abide in the true Dharma.

His Brahma voice expounds meanings that accord with truth;

Hearing the extremely profound supramundane Dharma,

And the skillful, joyful, and wondrous wisdom of the Buddha,

The great assembly will be caused to rejoice still more.

The minds of this assembly are pure and free from doubt;

They delight in the Tathagata’s omniscience.

Only those diligent, courageous, and endowed with strength

Can resolve to seek the unsurpassed path.

Therefore, O Guide, out of compassion for the world,

We pray you explain it and cause the assembly to rejoice.

Excellent, O Blessed One, whose mind is impartial,

Who has compassion for all sentient beings,

Causing the great assembly to increase its roots of goodness

And steadfastly, unwaveringly seek the wisdom of the Buddha."

The Blessed One replied to the Venerable Ma Sheng in verse:

"Out of compassion for all worlds,

The Buddha manifested the radiance of a smile.

You should listen well to its causes and conditions;

Its meaning is extremely profound, and its words are wondrous.

If those gathered in this assembly hear it,

They will diligently cultivate wholesome dharmas,

Bring benefit to all sentient beings,

And undertake supreme practices within the Buddha’s Dharma.

All these Brahma gods rejoice,

And within the Buddha’s Dharma they harbor no doubt.

For nayutas of kalpas they have long cultivated,

Through kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

They cling to none of the objects of experience;

Their minds, like space, are unobstructed.

Though they delight in constantly cultivating bodhisattva practices,

They do not hasten to realize bodhi.

In the future, these beings will again,

For measureless kotis of kalpas, numerous as the sands of the Ganges,

Be a pure assembly of gods, free from defilement,

Endowed with great power and abiding in the world.

Thereafter, they will attain omniscience

And become mighty great Dharma Kings.

Their merit will be complete, and birth and death exhausted;

They will behold all worlds as empty and quiescent.

Those Buddhas will have cultivated for as long as described above,

And the measure of their lifespans will likewise be long.

While those Buddhas abide in the world,

They will be able to rescue sentient beings from suffering.

The lands of those Buddhas will be unequaled anywhere,

Their worlds splendidly adorned, pure, and flourishing.

Even if the Tathagata were to expound for measureless nayutas of kalpas,

He could not fully describe them.

The splendid purity of those Buddha lands

Could not be fully described even by measureless Buddhas.

Those Buddhas will all bear the same name, Great Power of Wisdom,

And all their lands will be called Supreme.

For their assemblies they will expound the unmoving Dharma,

Which is inconceivable and rests upon nothing.

All the sentient beings in those Buddha lands

Will cultivate roots of goodness.

Not a single sentient being will have a future existence

Or be born again within the cycle of birth and death.

At that time, those beings will have only one suffering

Manifesting in those worlds:

They will fear only that all conditioned things are impermanent,

Causing sentient beings to develop disenchantment and renunciation.

At that time, the beings in those lands

Will be free from all signs of the sufferings of aging, illness, and death.

All will rely upon a single teaching,

Together weary of impermanence and cultivating supreme practices.

At that time, the ears of beings in those lands

Will no longer hear any other sounds;

They will hear only: impure, impermanent, suffering,

Non-self, quiescent, empty, signless;

The nectar of nirvana and bodhi,

Peaceful, cool, and unsurpassed bliss.

Such sublime and wondrous sounds as these

They will hear constantly and without cease.

At that time there will be no other echoes;

Whether from trees, walls, or open ground,

Whether from the sky or monasteries and shrines,

Only these wondrous phrases will be heard.

Having heard them, all will attain the path

And thereby be liberated from birth and death.

All this will be due to the Tathagata’s spiritual power

And his wondrous voice endowed with eight qualities.

At that time there will be no minds poisoned by defilements,

Such as desire and anger;

Nor will there be delusion giving rise to evil speech,

Or harsh and tormenting words reaching the ear.

All will become disenchanted with birth and death

And proceed along the great, direct path to nirvana.

Everything in those lands will accord with emptiness;

Buddhas and sentient beings alike will enter cessation.

Such will be the spiritual power of those Buddhas,

Born from their vast and inconceivable vows.

Throughout nayutas of kalpas in the past,

They cultivated the practices of the path in quest of bodhi.

However many sentient beings dwell in those lands,

All of them will attain Buddhahood.

These Brahma gods have made vast vows,

All through contemplating phrases concerning quiescence.

They have all realized and known the extremely profound meaning

And clearly understood the Buddha’s auspicious path.

They have comprehended all that they cultivated and studied

And will become Guides in all worlds.

They contemplate and realize that sentient beings are empty,

Yet do not give rise to indolence or weariness.

Through this, they enter the nature of all dharmas

And cultivate the supreme and wondrous practices of bodhisattvas."