大寶積經

– Furthermore, O Vidyuddatta! When a great Bodhisattva has accomplished such wisdom, he well discerns the faculties, conduct, and inclinations of all sentient beings. If he sees beings who are full of craving, then in order to subdue and heal the disease of craving, he manifests himself as an ordinary worldling enjoying the various pleasures of desire, complete with wife, children, and worldly estate, yet he is unstained and unattached, like a lotus flower.

There are foolish, ignorant, and witless beings who do not understand the Bodhisattva's skillful means. They think: how can a wise person crave and enjoy the pleasures of desire no differently than a worldling? They declare that the Bodhisattva has strayed far from Bodhi. Because the minds of such beings are not tranquil and serene, they give rise to great anger and do not reverently believe in the Bodhisattva. For this reason, after they die, they fall into the great hells. Yet, by reason of the great Bodhisattva's hidden transformative power, once their karmic retribution is exhausted, they will assuredly attain entry into equality.

– O Vidyuddatta! It is like a mighty flame: however much grass and wood are thrown into it, all of it burns and all becomes fire. Just so, the Bodhisattva's wisdom blazes radiantly; however many beings there are—whether craving, hatred, or delusion, whether wholesome or unwholesome—when the Bodhisattva keeps company with them, all of them blaze brightly and all become wisdom. This is called the Bodhisattva's exclusive Dharma.

– O Vidyuddatta! Just as Mount Sumeru has an exclusive characteristic—namely, that its four faces are made of the four jewels, and however many beings there are with various color-appearances of blue, yellow, red, and white, if they pass over to the lapis-lazuli side of that mountain they all become of one lapis-lazuli color, and when they pass over to the pure-gold, white-silver, and crystal sides, they all become the same color as the mountain on that side—just so, the Bodhisattva attains such an exclusive Dharma. However many beings there are—whether craving, hatred, or delusion, whether wholesome or unwholesome—when they come to where the Bodhisattva is and the Bodhisattva keeps company with them, he causes them all to realize and enter the Bodhisattva's wisdom. Because their minds are impure on account of evil karma, they may fall into the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, the animal realm, or the land of Jambudvīpa; yet by reason of the Bodhisattva's exclusive merit and the power of his vow, once their karmic retribution is exhausted, they will assuredly attain Supreme Bodhi.

– O Vidyuddatta! In the past, immeasurable, boundless, innumerable kalpas ago, in an age of the five turbidities, there appeared a Buddha named Ratnasaṃcayaguṇaviśuddha Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. In that age, people's lifespan was one hundred and twenty years, as in the present age. Those beings were very heavily afflicted with craving, hatred, and delusion. Veiled by defilements, they opposed and contradicted their parents, brothers, and friends; they did not heed their Upādhyāyas and Ācāryas; they were ungrateful for kindness and virtue, and constantly harbored malice, deceit, and treachery, robbing and stealing; they ruined one another and committed unreasonable deeds; they did not reverently believe in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha; they were petty and grasping, and practiced the way of hungry ghosts. In that Buddha-land there were such evil beings, difficult to subdue. That Buddha, too, by the power of his former vow, attained Supreme Bodhi in that evil age; and there were also twenty-two thousand great Śrāvakas. At that time there was a king named Vipulayu, who ruled his country with sovereign mastery and held dominion over Jambudvīpa, and whose faith was pure toward the Buddha-Dharma. That king invited the Buddha and the assembly of monks to dwell for the rains retreat, and bountifully provided offerings.

At that time there was a monk whose Dharma name was Vimala. He possessed eloquence and skillful means, expounding the Dharma and opening the eyes of beings, ever tireless and upright, and everyone delighted to hear him. Whenever the Dharma Master Vimala expounded the Dharma, he never sought to win a pleasing countenance by inquiring after others beforehand; his complexion and vigor were full, his bearing dignified, and he was loved by beings, who made offerings to him, revered, honored, and praised him.

At the same time there was a young, newly trained monk who, following the Dharma Master Vimala, came and went in the royal palace without hindrance, receiving offerings of food and drink, robes, bedding, and medicine. Among that assembly there were many monks who did not know how to cultivate body, precepts, mind, and wisdom; who did not revere the Buddha,

the Dharma, and the Saṅgha; who clung to eternalism, clung to annihilationism, and clung to a self; who slandered the right Dharma; who were frivolous and flighty and hard to subdue; who did not restrain their faculties but abode in what is not the Dharma; who had not the conduct of a śramaṇa yet called themselves śramaṇas, while their deeds of body, speech, and mind were all defiled.

After that rains retreat had passed, the Buddha Ratnasaṃcayaguṇaviśuddha Tathāgata entered Nirvāṇa. King Vipulayu used red sandalwood to make offerings and cremated him, then built eight hundred koṭi jeweled stūpas, using red sandalwood for the railings, with golden lotus flowers on all four sides.

The monk Vimala had been prophesied by that Buddha to be foremost in learning. After that Buddha entered extinction, he widely proclaimed the right Dharma, traveling through cities, towns, and villages, teaching and transforming immeasurable hundreds of thousands of beings, causing them to abide in Supreme Bodhi.

At that time there were a great many evil monks who did not know how to practice and who constantly harbored jealousy, deluded and deceived by Māra. They came and reported to the king, saying: "The monk Vimala, whom Your Majesty reveres as a teacher and who comes and goes in the royal palace without prohibition—Your Majesty should know that this monk has not yet left craving behind, eats at improper times, and adorns himself with fragrant flowers; truly he is not one of pure conduct and should not be given offerings. For this reason we have come to report to Your Majesty: do not give rise to false faith within the right Dharma after the Buddha has entered extinction."

There was also a Māra named Utterly Evil who transformed his own body into the form of a monk and came and reported to the king with the very same words.

Having heard such reports many times, King Vipulayu thought: "The monk Vimala diligently cultivates and possesses wisdom, and is revered by me; there could never be such wrongdoing in him."

Just as the king finished thinking this, the host of Māras at once manifested the upper half of their bodies in the open sky and said to the king:

"Your Majesty should learn skill in arts and crafts and well understand the circumstances of things; if you do not know them, you are not a marshal among kings. The Arhat, a disciple of the Buddha, is already endowed with great wisdom, yet Your Majesty does not rely on his words—why then do you follow the view of annihilation? These monks, for the sake of benefit, have made a truthful report to Your Majesty. That evil man of the annihilation view truly does not cultivate pure conduct; he is right now in the palace amusing himself together with the court women. Let Your Majesty quickly go with your attendants to look, and your doubts will be ended."

Hearing the report from the sky, the king was greatly alarmed and at once led his attendants into the palace to observe.

At that time the monk Vimala was in the palace expounding the supreme meaning: that all dharmas are by their own nature empty, without self and without what belongs to a self. The king and his attendants, deluded and deceived by Māra, saw the court women of the palace sitting and surrounding the monk. The king grew furious like a maddened elephant and ordered a Caṇḍāla to take the monk out and punish him for having defiled the king's palace.

Because the officials and retinue were seized and held by Māra's power, they all bore hatred toward that innocent monk and wished to kill him. The Caṇḍāla took up a knife and came near, and the monk Vimala wept sorrowfully. The king rebuked him: "You have broken the law and must pay for your crime—why then do you weep?" Vimala replied: "This matter is hard to express on my own; please wait a moment and I will have proof." The king then restrained the Caṇḍāla, telling him to pause for a while to see what Vimala would do.

At that time the monk Vimala, one who had accomplished superior inclinations and practiced loving-kindness for the benefit of the world, joined his palms and made an oath, saying: "If I have not committed that deed, may the earth quake in six ways and may the sky rain down beautiful flowers." As soon as he had made the oath, the earth quaked in six ways and the sky rained down a fullness of heavenly flowers. The host of Māras, grieved and dismayed, departed.

When the king saw that auspicious omen, he at once gave rise to reverent faith. He bowed his head to Vimala's feet and begged for his good favor. The king reproached himself, saying: "I shall fall into the hells; I beg you, venerable one, to forgive and protect me. How is it that I met with these evil ones and gave rise to malice? Those who followed me are all evil companions, and none of them helped me. In the ten directions there is no place for me to take refuge—there is only the Great Master. I shall renounce the royal throne and take refuge in the Great Master for the rest of my life."

The monk Vimala, knowing the resolute inclination of the king and his retinue, expounded the supreme meaning. When King Vipulayu heard that supreme meaning of the Dharma, he attained right faith, and together with a hundred koṭi of his retinue he abandoned his throne, went forth into homelessness, cultivated the ascetic dhūta practices, and did not accept invitations from those who would offer him alms. Within the inner palace, eighty thousand court women, hearing the supreme meaning expounded, all abode at the stage of non-retrogression.

The king, following the Buddha's teaching, throughout twenty-four years, day and night constantly repented, yet his karmic offenses were still not exhausted. The king's hundred koṭi of retinue, who formerly had borne evil intent toward the Dharma Master Vimala, after they died fell into the Avīci hell and suffered for many koṭi of years. When their offenses were ended, they met a Tathāgata; because of their former terror, they suffered the residual retribution of always being lean and weak. Gradually they cultivated and made offerings to a thousand koṭi of Buddhas, and they all, in various other lands, attained Supreme Bodhi, all bearing the same title, Guṇayaśas (Renowned for Merit).

Because King Vipulayu gave rise to malice toward the monk Vimala, who was one of forbearance, for many koṭi of years, following that evil karma, he fell into the great hell of Great Wailing. When his offenses were ended and he obtained a human body, he met the Buddha Samantanetra Tathāgata, drew near to him, and constantly made offerings; and by this he was further able to serve and honor eighty koṭi of Buddhas, after which he attained perfect enlightenment—and that is none other than this very body of mine, Śākyamuni Buddha, today.

As for that evil monk who wished to harm the innocent Dharma Master, in the future he will become a Buddha—and that is none other than this Maitreya Bodhisattva. The eighty thousand court women of the inner palace, in pure faith, planted various roots of merit and served immeasurable Buddhas; today they have once again made the great vow to benefit beings, and they will serve a thousand koṭi of Buddhas and will all attain perfect enlightenment.

Now I tell you all: do not give rise to anger and harm. One who cultivates loving-kindness and forbearance, praised by the Buddha, will swiftly accomplish the fruit of Bodhi.

Therefore, O Vidyuddatta! If, with regard to the faculties, nature, and resolute inclinations of beings, one does not well discern them, then at all times one must not give rise to anger and harm.

– O Vidyuddatta! Just as, among the mountains, Mount Sumeru is foremost—just so, among all wisdoms, the Tathāgata's wisdom is the most honored and unsurpassed.

Just as, among all flowing waters, the great ocean is most supreme—just so, among all wisdoms, the Tathāgata's wisdom is the most profound and vast.

Just as, among all kings, the Wheel-Turning Sage King is most honored and supreme—just so, among all wisdoms, the Tathāgata's wisdom is unsurpassed and supreme of the supreme.

– O Vidyuddatta! Because he has accomplished such wisdom, all the cravings, hatreds, and delusions in action, and the moment-to-moment turnings of mind of all beings, the Tathāgata clearly knows them all; and within the space of a single finger-snap he is able to embrace and receive them all.

– O Vidyuddatta! The Tathāgata has accomplished the Knowledge of All Modes. Just as a person with clear, bright eyes looks at five myrobalan fruits in his own palm and, without exerting effort, sees them all without doubt—just so, the Tathāgata clearly knows the mental activities of all beings. Within the great assembly he expounds the various kinds of Dharma. Throughout immeasurable, innumerable worlds, those beings who are conjoined with craving in action, who are scorched and tormented by the fever of craving and who, day and night, brood anxiously and squander their time in vain—I see and know them all clearly. As they, scorched and tormented by craving, give rise to deeds of body and speech, I see and know them all clearly.

Those beings who are conjoined with hatred in action, whose minds are veiled by anger and who envy and resent one another, and who, on account of malice, fall into the Avīci hell—I see and know them all clearly.

Those beings who are conjoined with delusion in action, who are veiled and darkened by ignorance, deluded, attached, and fond of following wrong views—I see and know them all clearly.

There are beings who are fit and capable, beings who are not fit and capable, beings who advance, beings who regress, beings who plant wholesome roots in the Tathāgata Vehicle, beings who plant wholesome roots in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, beings who plant wholesome roots in the Śrāvaka Vehicle—I see and know them all clearly.

Having accomplished such wisdom, the Tathāgata, within the great assembly, is able to know clearly the differing mental activities of beings. Because he knows it is not the proper time, the Tathāgata accordingly sets the matter aside, merely contemplating that those beings are deluded with regard to the right Dharma and cannot understand that the Tathāgata possesses superior faculties and powers. Because he well knows the proper time, the Tathāgata knows who is fit to be subdued, who has superior resolute inclination, who is able to be forbearing, who will receive wholesome words—the Tathāgata sees and knows them all clearly. Having known them clearly thus, with regard to those beings the Tathāgata embraces and benefits them.

– O Vidyuddatta! A Bodhisattva who is newly cultivating and has not yet entered the right stage cannot well discern the resolute inclinations and superior conduct of beings. Whether that Bodhisattva is a householder or one gone forth into homelessness, he should not give rise to hatred and harm, nor forever bring upon himself decline, harm, sorrow, and affliction.

For this reason, from the time he first arouses the mind, the Bodhisattva should regard all those who abide in the Great Vehicle as Buddhas. As for other beings, even though he sees them committing evil karma, he does not give rise to a mind that would injure them. Why is this? Because the Tathāgata constantly says: if anyone has the slightest deficiency or lack with regard to the pure, white Dharma, he can never enter Nirvāṇa.

If he sees beings of craving in action, the Bodhisattva should contemplate: "That they are burned by the fever of craving—this is my fault." If he sees beings burned by the fever of hatred and delusion, the Bodhisattva likewise regards it as his own fault. Why is this? Because the Bodhisattva, seeing all beings undergoing suffering, must for their sake seek medicine and skillful means to heal them: "Formerly I vowed to remove the diseases of beings, yet now I leave them to starve—this is my fault." The Bodhisattva accomplishes this resolve, examining his own faults thereby; toward beings he arouses a great mind of loving-kindness, and even if he is killed or his body is hacked and cut by them, he never harbors a mind of vengeance.

– O Vidyuddatta! When he is rightly cultivating in this way, however much evil karma the Bodhisattva has from the past, it is all utterly exhausted with nothing remaining, and future evil karma will never arise at all.

– O Vidyuddatta! In the past, immeasurable, innumerable kalpas before the Buddha Dīpaṃkara, there was a Buddha named Jayaśreṣṭha Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One, who appeared in the world. The land was named Prabhā (Radiance), and that Buddha dwelt in a forest near the royal city of Peace and Security. At that time there was a Caṇḍāla named Bhīmaka (Fearsome), ferocious and evil, who delighted in killing without mercy, his hands smeared with blood; everyone who saw him was terrified. One day that Caṇḍāla tethered an ox in his house and went in, intending to slaughter it. The ox, seeing this, was terror-stricken, broke its rope, and ran straight to the forest of Jayaśreṣṭha Tathāgata. That Caṇḍāla took up a knife and chased after it; the ox, in its great fear, fell into a deep pit and, near death, bellowed and cried in agony. That Caṇḍāla, running up and seeing the ox fallen into the pit, grew even more enraged and, knife in hand, went down into the pit, about to kill the ox.

At that time the Buddha Jayaśreṣṭha Tathāgata was in that forest, surrounded by an immeasurable great assembly, and the Buddha was extensively teaching the Dharma-gate of dependent origination. That is: ignorance conditions formations, formations condition consciousness, consciousness conditions name-and-form, name-and-form conditions the six sense-bases, the six sense-bases condition contact, contact conditions feeling, feeling conditions craving, craving conditions clinging, clinging conditions becoming, becoming conditions birth, birth conditions old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress—such a chain of causes and conditions is entirely one great mass of pure suffering.

Within that chain of conditions, ignorance, with respect to formations, is without thought and without awareness; and so on, down to birth, which, with respect to old age and death, is without thought and without awareness, and old age and death, with respect to birth, are likewise without thought and without awareness. The nature of such dharmas is unobtainable, without action, without thought, without self and what belongs to a self, of intrinsically pure nature, and none of them know one another.

The worldling, not having heard such Dharma, clings to form as the self, or to the self as possessing form, or to form as belonging to the self; and he clings likewise to feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Because he clings to a self and to what belongs to a self in this way, he clings to the impermanent as permanent, to suffering as pleasure, to the impure as pure, to the selfless as a self—this is the arising of the four inverted views.

Because of these inverted views and clinging, he is deluded and deceived by ignorance, does not think rightly, follows a mind of attachment, is bound by craving and desire, and so the round of birth and death continues without cease. The wise person, because he well contemplates the characteristics of the Dharma-realm, does not see that there can be obtained even the slightest characteristic of self, person, being, life-span, birth, old age, sickness, death, bondage, or slaughter.

During that time, Bhīmaka the Caṇḍāla, from afar hearing the sound of the Tathāgata expounding the Dharma, was at once awakened; his murderous mind ceased and stopped. He cast away his knife, came out of the pit, bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, and said: "World-Honored One! Now I wish to go forth into homelessness within the Buddha-Dharma and practice the Way." The Buddha Jayaśreṣṭha Tathāgata granted his assent, saying: "Welcome, monk!" Bhīmaka at once became a śramaṇa and attained the full precepts.

That Buddha, knowing that Bhīmaka's inclinations had gradually ripened, then extensively taught him the practices of a Bodhisattva.

The śramaṇa Bhīmaka, hearing the Dharma, realized the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas and abode at the stage of non-retrogression.

That ox, having heard the Tathāgata speak the Dharma-verses of dependent origination—the Buddha's voice being subtle and wondrous—its heart rejoiced; after it died it was reborn in the Tuṣita heaven and was able to see Maitreya Bodhisattva, accomplishing right faith.

– O Vidyuddatta! The mental activities of beings are exceedingly profound, subtle, and hidden, hard to understand and hard to know. For this reason, a Bodhisattva who wishes to seek Supreme Bodhi must well discern the faculties and conduct of all beings. Toward all beings the Bodhisattva abides in a mind of equanimity, a mind without obstruction; he is unstained and unattached to all dharmas; he relinquishes his possessions, upholds the pure precepts, abides in forbearance, arouses vigor, enters meditative absorption, and contemplates the nature of all dharmas as they truly are.

– O Vidyuddatta! When the Bodhisattva fulfills the six pāramitās in this way, he swiftly realizes Supreme Bodhi. What is meant by fulfilling them? It is to cultivate them in reliance upon the Knowledge of All.

What is the great Bodhisattva's Treasury of the Dharma-robe?

– O Vidyuddatta! The Bodhisattva, seeing all form, knows it truly as fundamentally non-arising, of intrinsically pure nature. Because he has attained skill with regard to form, the Bodhisattva accomplishes the four unobstructed analytical insights—namely, unobstructed insight into the Dharma, unobstructed insight into meaning, unobstructed insight into expression, and unobstructed insight into eloquent exposition.

Unobstructed insight into the Dharma is to contemplate the various form-dharmas as they truly are and to know them clearly as they truly are.

Unobstructed insight into meaning is to be without obstruction with regard to the meaning of the various form-dharmas. What is the meaning of form? It is the supreme meaning. What is the supreme meaning? It is that form is unobtainable. To accomplish the wisdom of this supreme meaning is called unobstructed insight into meaning.

Unobstructed insight into expression is, with regard to the various forms, to use unobstructed wisdom and skillful language to discriminate and expound the Dharma.

Unobstructed insight into eloquent exposition is, with regard to the various forms, to reveal and expound the Dharma in accordance with the capacities of beings, never stained or attached.

When the Bodhisattva has accomplished such wisdom, then toward all beings everywhere who are deluded and attached to form-dharmas, the Bodhisattva, in accordance with the desires of their natures, uses effortless wisdom to expound the Dharma as is fitting; yet within the Dharma-realm there are no two characteristics.

Extending this to sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas, it is likewise.

This is called the Bodhisattva's Treasury of the Dharma-robe. When the Bodhisattva has realized the Treasury of the Dharma-robe, then, wishing to subdue the deluded beings within such realms, in accordance with their inclinations, in each and every place, whether for a kalpa or longer than a kalpa, he uses all kinds of skillful expressions to proclaim it; and although the bounds of those places are likewise unobtainable, the Bodhisattva's wisdom is also not diminished, and he does not depart from the Dharma-realm, conforming to non-duality, because there is no difference.

This is called the Bodhisattva's skillful exposition of the characteristics of all dharmas as without difference. Having attained that Treasury of the Dharma-robe, he is able, for the sake of beings, to expound the Dharma as is fitting, causing them to attain inexhaustible Dharma-wealth and making them put an end forever to the poverty and destitution of birth and death.

This is called the great Bodhisattva's five kinds of treasury: the treasury, the great treasury, the inexhaustible treasury, the universally inexhaustible treasury, and the boundless treasury. Because the Bodhisattva who accomplishes such treasuries fulfills superior merit, he uses little effort and swiftly attains Supreme Bodhi."

When the Buddha spoke this Dharma-gate of the Treasury, the Bodhisattva Vidyuddatta attained dhāraṇī, five hundred Bodhisattvas attained the samādhi of lightning-radiance, and thirty-six thousand divine sons aroused the mind of Supreme Bodhi.

At that time the Bodhisattva Candradhvaja said: "World-Honored One! As for the Buddha's saying of effortless wisdom, what is the meaning of this?"

The Buddha said: "O Candradhvaja! If there is a Bodhisattva who, within wholesome dharmas, with body and mind conjoined, follows conditions and performs actions, this is called effort.

If there is a Bodhisattva whose body and mind are calm, without thought and without reliance, who has departed from the characteristics of cultivation—because he has already accomplished the vow-wisdom of former times, in koṭis of thousands of Buddha-lands he performs various manifestations wherever fitting, yet with regard to the Dharma-realm he never wavers or shifts; who constantly expounds the Dharma without the slightest characteristic of a dharma; who uses the four means of embracing to bring beings to maturity, yet there are no beings who are delivered; who adorns and purifies all the Buddha-lands, yet does not see the Buddha-lands as impure; who constantly mindfully recollects the Buddhas, yet does not look upon their form-characteristics;

who travels through the various Buddha-lands, yet does not depart from the Dharma-realm—this is called the Bodhisattva's effortless wisdom.

Because he has accomplished such effortless wisdom, he fully satisfies all the hopes of beings, yet with regard to what he does he is never stained or attached."

When the World-Honored One spoke of that effortless wisdom, the Great Thousandfold realm quaked in six ways. Śakra Devānām-Indra, together with the gods of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, in the open sky rained down all kinds of heavenly flowers—mandārava, utpala, kumuda, padma, puṇḍarīka, and fragrant sandalwood—and scattered them all upon the Buddha. The heavenly drums sounded of themselves, and a great light shone everywhere, such as had never been seen of old. Whatever being encountered it became cool and refreshed in body.

The World-Honored One said to the Bodhisattva Vidyuddatta: "The Buddhas of the past all, in this very place, revealed and expounded such a Dharma-gate. The Buddhas of the future who will appear in the world will also, in this very place, expound such a Dharma-gate. At present, throughout immeasurable, innumerable worlds, the Buddhas, in order that this Dharma-gate not be cut off, emit a great light."

At that time the Elder Ānanda rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee touching the ground, joined his palms, and said: "World-Honored One! What is this sūtra named, and how should we uphold it?"

The Buddha said: "O Ānanda! This sūtra is named The Inexhaustible Treasury, and is also named The Expounding of All Dharmas as Having the Characteristic of No Difference. You should uphold the name of the sūtra in this way."

When the Buddha had spoken this sūtra, the Bodhisattva Vidyuddatta, the Elder Ānanda, the practicing fourfold assembly, and all the gods, humans, asuras, gandharvas, and so forth of the world, hearing what the Buddha had taught, all greatly rejoiced and received it in faith and reverently practiced it.

THE DHARMA-ASSEMBLY OF THE INEXHAUSTIBLE TREASURY — THE TWENTIETH

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