大寶積經

XX. THE TWENTIETH DHARMA ASSEMBLY OF THE INEXHAUSTIBLE TREASURY

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Rājagṛha, on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa, together with an assembly of great Bhikṣus numbering one thousand two hundred who had gathered together. This assembly had all accomplished supreme merit and were able to give the lion's roar. There were five hundred Great Bodhisattvas, all of whom had attained the dhāraṇī gateways and unobstructed eloquence, had realized the patience of the non-arising of dharmas, abided at the stage of non-retrogression, were complete in all samādhis, sported in spiritual penetrations, and skillfully knew the mental inclinations and tendencies of sentient beings. The names of those Great Bodhisattvas were:

Sun-Banner Bodhisattva, Moon-Banner Bodhisattva, Universal-Light Bodhisattva, Moon-King Bodhisattva, Illuminating-the-Lofty-Peak Bodhisattva, Vairocana Bodhisattva, Lion-Wisdom Bodhisattva, Merit-Jewel-Light Bodhisattva, Accomplisher-of-All-Meanings Bodhisattva, Fulfiller-of-Past-Conditions Bodhisattva, Emptiness-Wisdom Bodhisattva, Equal-Mind Bodhisattva, Joyful-Love Bodhisattva, Delighting-the-Multitude Bodhisattva, Victorious Bodhisattva, Wisdom-Practice Bodhisattva, Lightning-Attainment Bodhisattva, Supreme-Eloquence Bodhisattva, Lion's-Roar Bodhisattva, Wondrous-Word-Sound Bodhisattva, Able-to-Awaken Bodhisattva, Skillful-Turning-Practice Bodhisattva, and Quiescent-Cessation-Practice Bodhisattva. Such Great Bodhisattvas as these were the foremost leaders.

There were also Śakra Devānām Indra, lord of the heavens, the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Brahmā Heaven King who is lord of the Sahā world, and the gods of great majestic virtue, the nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas — an immeasurable great assembly gathered together.

At that time, Lightning-Attainment Bodhisattva, seeing that the great assembly was pure and silent, and that the great dragon-elephants had all gathered like clouds, rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One! I have a small doubt and wish to inquire about it. I pray that the Tathāgata may compassionately grant me permission."

The Buddha said: "Good son! The Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the One of Perfect Equal Enlightenment, permits you to ask, and shall explain it for you."

Lightning-Attainment Bodhisattva said: "World-Honored One! By accomplishing what Dharma is a Great Bodhisattva able to satisfy the desires of all sentient beings without being defiled by any faults; in accordance with the faculties and natures of sentient beings, to use skillful means to guide and lead them so that, after they die, they do not fall into the evil destinies, but are certain to realize the Dharma of equality; to be undefiled in the world like the lotus flower; without stirring the Dharma-realm to travel through all the Buddha-lands, ever not apart from the Buddhas, yet not seeing the form-body; to abide in the three liberations without entering the right position; in accordance with the desires of sentient beings to adorn and purify the Buddha-lands;

and within the span of a kṣaṇa to be able to realize Unsurpassed Bodhi?"

Lightning-Attainment Bodhisattva, before the Buddha, spoke in verse to make his inquiry:

The Buddha said to Lightning-Attainment Bodhisattva: "Excellent, excellent! Good son, you are able to ask the Buddha such meanings as these, bringing benefit and peace and bliss to immeasurable sentient beings, embracing the present worlds of gods and humans and the Bodhisattvas of future ages. You should listen attentively and reflect well, and I shall speak for your sake."

Lightning-Attainment Bodhisattva said: "Yes, World-Honored One, I gladly wish to hear."

The Buddha said: "Lightning-Attainment! The Great Bodhisattva has five kinds of treasury: the boundless treasury, the great treasury, the inexhaustible treasury, the universally inexhaustible treasury, and the boundless treasury.

"Being complete in these treasuries, the Bodhisattva departs far from poverty and is able to accomplish all the merits spoken of above, and with little effort quickly attains Unsurpassed Bodhi.

"These are the five treasuries: the treasury of greedy conduct, the treasury of hateful conduct, the treasury of deluded conduct, the treasury of equal-portion conduct, and the treasury of all dharmas.

"Lightning-Attainment! What is the Great Bodhisattva's treasury of greedy conduct? It is this: there are sentient beings who, in correspondence with greedy conduct, are inverted and bound in fetters, who follow after characteristics with many kinds of discrimination, firmly grasping and attaching, intoxicated and deludedly infatuated within the realms of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and dharmas.

Regarding such mental activities of these sentient beings, the Bodhisattva must know clearly and as they truly are: What do these sentient beings desire? With what realm are they habitually defiled and firmly fixed? What faiths and understandings have they completely accomplished?

In former times, what wholesome roots have they planted? Toward what vehicle will they be set in motion? How long will it be before their wholesome roots come to maturity?

In order to put an end to all the desire-defilements of these sentient beings, and in order to cause their wholesome minds to be ever continuous, the Bodhisattva contemplates clearly and certainly so as to heal them.

"Lightning-Attainment! The differences in the wholesome roots of sentient beings are difficult to know. All the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas are unable to know them — how much less ordinary beings and the various non-Buddhists!

"Lightning-Attainment! There may be sentient beings who, though greedily attached to the various desire-pleasures, are nevertheless able to be matured in Unsurpassed Bodhi.

"There may be sentient beings who, upon merely touching a realm of desire, or from a defiled mind uttering words, thereupon attain maturity in unsurpassed clear liberation.

"There may be sentient beings who, gazing upon beautiful forms, give rise in their hearts to desire-defilement, but when those forms decay and perish, they immediately become aware and put an end to the thought of desire, deeply contemplating impermanence, and thus are able to be matured in unsurpassed clear liberation.

"There may be sentient beings who, though seeing a woman, give rise to no greedy attachment, but who afterward, recalling and remembering, give rise to a defiled mind, imagining that form and thereby giving rise to amorous longing.

"There may be sentient beings who, in a dream, see a pleasing female form, give rise in their hearts to greedy attachment, and continually recollect and seek after it.

"There may be sentient beings who, hearing the voice of a woman, give rise to greedy love, but at times, momentarily seeing, depart from the mind of greedy defilement, and thereupon attain maturity in unsurpassed clear liberation.

"Therefore the Bodhisattva, with regard to the various sicknesses of greed and the various medicines for greed, knows them clearly, skillfully and well, yet with respect to the Dharma-realm sees no two characteristics. Toward sentient beings deluded about that Dharma-realm, he gives rise to great compassion.

"Lightning-Attainment! Whether greed, hatred, and delusion, or the wisdom of the Dharma-realm, there is not the slightest dharma to be obtained.

"The Bodhisattva contemplates thus: These sentient beings whom I see give rise to the mind of greedy desire, hatred and anger, and stupidity within this Dharma which is established by provisional names, harmoniously combined, without characteristics, whose self-nature is empty and still. I must contemplate truly and know clearly, and then for their sake abide in great compassion to fulfill my former vows, and without stirring the Dharma-realm, using effortless wisdom, bring them to maturity.

"If there is a man who, regarding a woman, falsely gives rise to thoughts of purity and arouses heavy greedy defilement, the Bodhisattva then manifests the body of a beautiful, adorned woman, like a celestial maiden, following him so as to let him grow attached; and when he has reached the utmost of amorous longing, then in due measure of the skillful means he can accept so as to draw out for him the poisoned arrow of greedy desire, the Bodhisattva, using the power of mastery, again transforms the female body and manifests before him, expounding the Dharma for him so that he penetrates the Dharma-realm, and then vanishes.

"If there is a woman who, regarding a man, gives rise to a mind of amorous defilement, the Bodhisattva for her sake manifests the body of a man, and so on, until he draws out for her the poisoned arrow of greedy desire, and for her sake expounds the Dharma, causing her to enter the Dharma-realm, and then vanishes.

"Lightning-Attainment! These greedy conducts number twenty-one thousand; combined together with those other conducts, there are eighty-four thousand. The Bodhisattva, using effortless wisdom, brings forth immeasurable koṭis of thousands of Dharma-gateways to open up and reveal the truth to sentient beings, causing them to attain liberation; yet the Bodhisattva also does not hold the notion 'I, for the sake of sentient beings, expound the Dharma in this way,' nor does he hold the notion that there are sentient beings who attain liberation.

"Lightning-Attainment! It is like the Dragon-King Anavatapta, who, through the power of karma, within the palace of that Dragon-King brings forth the source of four great rivers so that the various sentient beings of water and land may abide in peace; when the summer is hot and oppressive, he makes things cool and refreshing, moistening flowers and fruits, helping the five grains to sprout, causing the various sentient beings to be peaceful and delighted; yet that Dragon-King does not hold the notion, 'Now I cause the source of the waters of the four rivers to have flowed, to flow in the future, and to be flowing now' — but the waters of the four rivers are ever full, serving as that which sentient beings need to use.

"Just so, the Bodhisattva, having accomplished his former vows, uses effortless wisdom to expound for the sake of sentient beings the Four Noble Truths, extinguishing all the heat and oppression of birth-and-death, and bestowing the holy bliss of liberation upon humans and gods; yet the Bodhisattva does not hold the notion, 'Now I expound the Dharma, have expounded it, and will expound it.' The Bodhisattva, naturally and spontaneously, abides in the mind of great compassion, contemplating sentient beings and, according to what each is fit to receive, expounds the Dharma for them.

"Furthermore, Lightning-Attainment! It is like Śakra, lord of the gods, who has one hundred twenty nayutas of celestial maidens. Through the power of his mastery, Śakra manifests many bodies, causing all the celestial maidens to be satisfied in their desire-pleasures, and each of those celestial maidens thinks, 'Now I alone, by myself, take pleasure together with Śakra' — but in truth Śakra has no desire-defilement.

"Just so, with regard to the various sentient beings who are fit to be delivered, the Bodhisattva, in accordance with their inclinations and delights, causes them to attain maturity; but in truth the Bodhisattva has no defiled attachment.

"Furthermore, Lightning-Attainment! It is like the sun: when it rises above the mountain peak, it sends forth light that shines everywhere over Jambudvīpa, and wherever the sun's light reaches, all shapes and forms appear distinctly; yet that sun is still of one color and one light, without any differentiating characteristic.

"Just so, the Bodhisattva's wisdom shines everywhere throughout the Dharma-realm, revealing the attachments of sentient beings, and in accordance with their inclinations and delights expounds the Dharma; yet within the Dharma-realm there are no two characteristics.

"This is called the Great Bodhisattva's treasury of greedy conduct. Once the Bodhisattva has realized and entered this treasury, then for one kalpa, or for more than a kalpa, in accordance with the various kinds of inclinations and delights of all sentient beings, he manifests immeasurable bodies and uses all kinds of speech to expound the Dharma for them; yet within the Dharma-realm there are also no two characteristics.

"Furthermore, Lightning-Attainment! It is like genuine gold: through the power of a skilled craftsman, it is made, as he wishes, into all kinds of necklaces and adornments, whose shapes and characteristics are all different, yet the nature of that genuine gold is never different. Just so, the Bodhisattva, skillfully contemplating the Dharma-realm, in accordance with the various kinds of inclinations and delights of sentient beings manifests immeasurable bodies and uses all kinds of speech to expound the Dharma for them, yet within the Dharma-realm there are also no two characteristics.

"This is ever to enter the single characteristic of the Dharma-realm. The Bodhisattva, having attained such a treasury, is able to expound the Dharma for the sake of sentient beings. Once they have heard the Dharma, they become rich and complete in inexhaustible holy wealth, and forever put an end to all the poverty of birth-and-death.

"What is called the Great Bodhisattva's treasury of hateful conduct? Lightning-Attainment! There are sentient beings who, in correspondence with arrogance, grasp at a self and what belongs to a self; within the characteristics of self and other, from time long past until now, they have not cultivated kindness and patience, and their anger, enmity, and burning vexation themselves destroy their own minds, so that they do not call to mind the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and being obscured by the poison of hatred, they are deluded about the right Dharma.

Toward such sentient beings of much hatred and anger, the Bodhisattva never gives rise to harm, but only holds this notion: 'Sentient beings are most strange! Being foolish and deluded, they thereupon, within dharmas whose original nature is quiescent and still, free of defilement, without combination, and without contention — within the Dharma of remoteness — in correspondence with inversion, falsely give rise to hatred and anger.' Having held such a notion, the Bodhisattva abides in the mind of great compassion, ever pitying sentient beings; even should they cut off and sever his body, he still abides in patience in order to tame the hateful conduct of those sentient beings.

"If immeasurable sentient beings of hateful conduct oppose and contradict one another, and their hearts are angry and resentful, then once the karma of hatred is formed, they will fall among the various poisonous serpents and evil beasts. The Bodhisattva, abiding in patience and using the power of kind mindfulness to transform and deliver those sentient beings, is able to cause them not to receive evil retribution and certainly to realize equality.

"This is called the Bodhisattva's skillful means for extinguishing the hateful conduct of sentient beings.

"Furthermore, Lightning-Attainment! If he sees sentient beings tormented by hatred, the Bodhisattva holds this notion: 'The original nature of all dharmas is pure and clean. These sentient beings, following after characteristics, perform false discriminations, and within the Dharma of equality which is without contention they give rise to a mind of hatred and anger.

These sentient beings do not clearly understand the nature of the Dharma-realm. If they could see the nature of the Dharma-realm, then they would never give rise to anger and harm toward others. Because they do not clearly understand the original nature of the Dharma-realm, they give rise to hatred and anger.' Toward those sentient beings of much hatred, the Bodhisattva gives rise to loving-kindness and compassion redoubled, and abiding in great compassion, fulfills his former vows.

The Bodhisattva, using effortless wisdom, reveals and expounds many Dharma-gateways in order to destroy the hateful conduct of sentient beings, yet the Bodhisattva never holds the notion 'I, for the sake of sentient beings, expound the Dharma to remove hatred.' Why? Because the Bodhisattva skillfully contemplates the characteristic of the Dharma-realm. This is the Bodhisattva abiding in the undifferentiated characteristic of the Dharma-realm and extinguishing the affliction of hatred.

"Lightning-Attainment! It is just as light appears not by removing the darkness — and yet it is not that it has no power to remove the darkness. The nature of that darkness and that light is like empty space, without difference. Just so, the Bodhisattva, relying upon the wisdom of the undifferentiated Dharma-realm, skillfully expounds the Dharma to put an end to and extinguish the various hateful conducts of sentient beings, yet within the Dharma-realm he holds no notion of difference.

"Lightning-Attainment! It is like the sun emitting its light: wherever that light shines, that place is wholly subsumed within the sun. Just so, because he wishes to tame and extinguish hateful conduct, the words of the Bodhisattva are all the Dharma-wheel, yet within the Dharma-realm he holds no notion of difference.

"Such hateful conducts number twenty-one thousand, and those other conducts eighty-four thousand. The Bodhisattva, having accomplished effortless wisdom, in accordance with the various hateful conducts of sentient beings expounds the Dharma for them, yet the Bodhisattva does not hold the notion 'I, for the sake of sentient beings, now expound the Dharma, have expounded it, and will expound it.'

"This is called the Great Bodhisattva's treasury of hateful conduct. Once the Bodhisattva has realized this treasury, then within one kalpa or beyond one kalpa, in accordance with the various inclinations and delights of sentient beings, he uses all kinds of letters, words, and speech as skillful means to expound the Dharma. The bounds of that hateful conduct cannot be obtained, and the wisdom and eloquence of the Bodhisattva are likewise inexhaustible.

"This is called the Bodhisattva skillfully expounding the undifferentiated characteristic of the Dharma-realm, attaining such a treasury of hateful conduct.

"What is the Great Bodhisattva's treasury of deluded conduct?

"Lightning-Attainment! Such meritorious conduct of the Bodhisattvas is a most difficult matter. That is to say: there are sentient beings who follow after afflictions and confused conduct; who torment and harm others; who are wrapped up in the egg-shell of ignorance; who, like silkworms lying within their cocoons, bind themselves; who, within the Dharma-realm, have no skillful means; who do not skillfully contemplate what ought to be done; who grasp at the view of self; who practice heterodox paths; who abide in dull conduct; who are difficult to liberate.

For the sake of such deluded sentient beings, the Bodhisattva, from the time he first arouses the mind, sets in motion great endeavors, never knowing weariness, never being indolent, reflecting thus: 'By what conditions and what superior understandings, by expounding the Dharma in what way, can I cause these sentient beings to enter the Bodhisattva conduct and attain liberation?'

"In former times the Bodhisattva skillfully contemplated the Dharma-realm; using effortless wisdom and abiding in great compassion, he knows clearly the places where sentient beings are deluded about the Dharma-realm, and in accordance with the strength they are able to bear, he expounds the Dharma, all in order to tame them. The Bodhisattva also does not hold the notion 'Now I expound the Dharma, have expounded it, and will expound it.' Because in former times the Bodhisattva possessed the power of his vows and skillfully contemplated dependent origination, he spontaneously expounds a hundred thousand Dharma-gateways to put an end to the ignorance and the karmic activity of the multitudes, expounding a hundred thousand Dharma-gateways, all in order to cause them to awaken.

"This is called the Great Bodhisattva's treasury of deluded conduct. Once the Bodhisattva has realized this treasury, he skillfully contemplates dependent origination, and for the sake of such sentient beings of deluded conduct, whether within one kalpa or beyond one kalpa, in accordance with their natures and desires, he uses all kinds of letters, words, and speech to skillfully expound the Dharma. The bounds of that deluded conduct cannot be obtained, and the wisdom and eloquence of the Bodhisattva are likewise inexhaustible.

"This is called the Great Bodhisattva skillfully proclaiming, within the undifferentiated characteristic of all dharmas, and attaining such a treasury of deluded conduct.

"That deluded conduct numbers twenty-one thousand, and the other conducts eighty-four thousand. In order to put an end to those conducts, the Bodhisattva expounds a hundred thousand Dharma-gateways. This is called the Great Bodhisattva's treasury of deluded conduct.

"What is called the Great Bodhisattva's treasury of equal-portion conduct?

"Lightning-Attainment! It is like a four-faced mirror, transparent, bright, and clean, without any speck of dust or dirt, hung at a crossroads: however many shapes and forms there are, they all appear distinctly within that mirror, without increase and without decrease; nor does that mirror think, 'I am able to manifest distinctly the various shapes and forms' — but because that mirror has been skillfully polished bright, all shapes and forms naturally appear distinctly within it.

Just so, when the Bodhisattva has skillfully polished bright the Dharma-realm, he abides in the effortless samādhi and, in accordance with the differing mental activities of sentient beings, reveals and expounds a hundred thousand Dharma-gateways, all in order to cause them to understand clearly and all to attain liberation; yet the Bodhisattva does not hold the notion of the characteristic of dharmas and the characteristic of sentient beings.

Why? Because the Bodhisattva skillfully contemplates the characteristic of the Dharma-realm and the characteristic of sentient beings; toward the sentient beings corresponding to those four conducts, having known them clearly and as they truly are, he then expounds the Dharma in accordance with their faculties and natures; yet within the Dharma-realm and the realm of sentient beings, the Bodhisattva contemplates as it truly is that there are no two characteristics, and however much there is of the Dharma-realm and the realm of sentient beings, he sees clearly as it truly is that they are not two, because they are without difference.

"Lightning-Attainment! It is like empty space, which has no differing characteristics, nor any establishing. Just so, the Bodhisattva skillfully contemplates the Dharma-realm and thoroughly comprehends that all dharmas enter into the single characteristic; and also, through the power of his former vows, in accordance with the mental activities of sentient beings, he expounds many kinds of Dharma-gateways, yet within the Dharma-realm there is no difference.

"Lightning-Attainment! That equal-portion conduct numbers twenty-one thousand, and the other conducts eighty-four thousand, and the Bodhisattva contemplates and clearly understands them all. Just as a good physician knows the sickness and gives the medicine, so the Bodhisattva, using effortless wisdom, expounds the various Dharma-gateways. This is called the Great Bodhisattva's treasury of equal-portion conduct.

"Once the Bodhisattva has realized this treasury, then for the sake of sentient beings, whether for one kalpa or beyond one kalpa, in accordance with their aspirations and delights, he uses all kinds of speech to skillfully proclaim it. The bounds of the various conducts cannot be obtained, and the wisdom and eloquence of the Bodhisattva are likewise inexhaustible.

"This is called the Great Bodhisattva skillfully expounding the undifferentiated characteristic of the Dharma-realm and attaining such a treasury of equal-portion conduct.