大寶積經

Venerable Mahakasyapa said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! Five hundred years in the future, which bodhisattvas will practice deceit and crookedness?”

The Buddha said: “Kasyapa! There will be a great many people who practice deceit and crookedness, associate with evil friends, seldom read or recite the sutras, and seek only clothing and food.”

“Excellent, World-Honored One! For the benefit of many people, please explain the faults of those deceitful and crooked bodhisattvas who are not diligent in cultivation, so that, after hearing the Buddha explain those faults, they may collect their minds and practice until they attain purity.”

“Kasyapa! Five hundred years in the future, there will be bodhisattvas who associate with evil friends, seldom read or recite the sutras, and concern themselves only with making offerings to relics, using incense, flowers, necklaces, banners, canopies, and bright lamps to make offerings at stupas and shrines housing the Tathagata’s relics.

“Kasyapa! It was for ignorant laypeople, to enable them to plant roots of virtue, that the Buddha taught the making of offerings to relics. Those foolish people will not understand the Buddha’s intent and will engage only in that activity.

“Kasyapa! Among assemblies of devas and humans, the Buddha always teaches the Dharma practices of shamatha and vipashyana for self-discipline. In the world there will be brahmins and laypeople of right faith who delight in making offerings to relics.

“Kasyapa! Those foolish people will abandon the reading and recitation of sutras and the cultivation of meditation and wisdom, and will make offerings to relics solely to sustain their livelihood.

“Kasyapa! Suppose a bodhisattva were to fill the great trichiliocosm with incense, flowers, and bright lamps, piled as high as the Brahma heaven, with lampwicks as great as Mount Sumeru, and offer them to the Tathagata. Suppose another bodhisattva, with a pure mind and observance of the precepts, were to study under a venerable teacher, receive, retain, read, and recite a four-line verse, and cultivate it with a pure mind for as few as seven steps. The merit of the latter would surpass that of the former by an immeasurable and boundless amount.

“Kasyapa! Suppose a bodhisattva were to fill the great trichiliocosm with flowers, incense, and bright lamps and, during the six periods of day and night, offer them to the Tathagata for hundreds of thousands of years. Suppose another bodhisattva were to leave behind noisy places, deeply fear the three realms, and, for the benefit of sentient beings, resolve to proceed toward seclusion and take seven steps. The merit of the latter would surpass that of the former by an immeasurable and boundless amount.

“Kasyapa! What do you think? Did the Tathagata speak thus merely as an expedient to guide sentient beings? You should not hold such a view. Know that the Tathagata speaks the truth, for the Tathagata directly sees and clearly knows.

“Kasyapa! In the past, immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable, and innumerable kalpas ago, there was a Buddha named Wondrous Flower Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. That kalpa was also called Wondrous Flower.

“Kasyapa! Wondrous Flower Tathagata had a great assembly of nine billion six hundred million shravakas. At that time, there was a Wheel-Turning Sage King named Nimi, who governed according to the Dharma, ruled the four continents, and had a thousand courageous, stalwart, and mighty sons.

Later, two more sons suddenly appeared through transformation, seated in the lotus posture. They were named Dharma and Good Dharma. King Nimi invited Wondrous Flower Buddha and the Sangha of bhikshus and, for a full eighty-four thousand years, provided them with the four requisites.

The king set aside the affairs of his household and devoted himself solely to preparing offerings. Every seven days, he presented new robes to all the bhikshus and provided every kind of food and drink according to their wishes. The king built many spacious monasteries where they could reside as they pleased.

For each bhikshu, the king provided seven attendants who presented a hundred kinds of food.

“King Nimi built a monastery eighty yojanas square, adorned with wondrous paintings surpassing anything in the world. Wondrous Flower Tathagata and the Sangha of bhikshus dwelt in that monastery. Fragrant and beautiful flowers sprang from the ground, filling the entire monastery up to knee height.

“At that monastery of inconceivable merit, King Nimi reverently made offerings to Wondrous Flower Tathagata for a full eighty-four thousand years. On the final day, after Wondrous Flower Tathagata had finished his meal, the two princes, Dharma and Good Dharma, together with their retinues and the fourfold assembly, approached, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and said:

“‘World-Honored One! Are there any roots of virtue and merit superior to the roots of virtue and merit acquired through the offerings made by this great King Nimi?’

“When the two princes bowed at the Buddha’s feet, the entire great trichiliocosm quaked. The Buddha’s attendant disciple, named Penetrating the Dharma, bowed and said to the Buddha:

“‘World-Honored One! Why has the great earth quaked? For what reason did these two princes bow to the Buddha and then remain kneeling in silence?’

“Wondrous Flower Tathagata said to his attendant Penetrating the Dharma:

“‘Good man! You should not ask about this. If the Tathagata were to explain that these two princes, with pure minds, profound forbearance, and great compassion, have bowed at the Tathagata’s feet, all devas and humans would become bewildered and lose consciousness.’

“Wondrous Flower Tathagata then said to Narayana, the shravaka disciple foremost in spiritual powers:

“‘Good man! Display your spiritual power and raise these two princes to their feet.’

“Bhikshu Narayana obeyed the Buddha’s command, rose, approached, grasped one youth with his right hand and the other with his left, and tried to raise them to their feet, but they did not move at all. Even after exerting all his great spiritual power, he could not move so much as a single hair on them. At that time, through Narayana’s spiritual power, the great earth throughout the entire great trichiliocosm quaked, and its mountains and rivers all trembled, yet the two princes could not be moved. Narayana then relied upon the spiritual power of Wondrous Flower Buddha, causing worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges throughout the lower direction to quake, yet he still could not move so much as a single hair on the two princes.

“Bhikshu Narayana bowed to the Buddha and said:

“‘World-Honored One! Have I perhaps lost my spiritual power? These two princes are still children and have not yet reached a great age. They now lie prostrate before the Buddha, yet even after exerting all my spiritual power, I cannot raise them.’

“Wondrous Flower Tathagata said:

“‘Narayana! You have not lost your spiritual power. The realm of bodhisattvas is inconceivable. All shravakas and pratyekabuddhas are unable to move them and unable to fathom them.

“‘Narayana! Even if all sentient beings throughout the great trichiliocosm possessed spiritual powers equal to yours, they would still be unable, even after a billion kalpas, to raise these two youths to their feet.’

“When Wondrous Flower Buddha spoke these words, four million two hundred thousand sentient beings in the great assembly generated the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi. Those sentient beings thought: ‘The spiritual power of bodhisattvas is exceedingly rare. Though they have not yet attained omniscience, they already possess such spiritual power that even the spiritual power of a great shravaka cannot move them; how much more so when they attain Buddhahood! Therefore, we must practice the bodhisattva path and vow to realize the Tathagata’s unsurpassed wisdom.’

“At that time, after those four million two hundred thousand sentient beings had reflected in this way, their minds became firmly established in unsurpassed bodhi.

“In that great assembly was a bodhisattva named Good Wisdom. He bowed to Wondrous Flower Buddha and said:

“‘World-Honored One! Please cause these two youths to rise and answer the questions they have asked.’

“Wondrous Flower Buddha immediately issued from the sky a great voice that resounded throughout Buddha worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions. Every world reached by that voice quaked in six ways. Wondrous Flower Buddha also emitted a great radiance that illuminated the ten directions.

“Upon hearing the Buddha’s voice, the two princes rose. When the two youths stood up, celestial and human music throughout the great trichiliocosm sounded without being played, and beautiful flowers rained down from the sky. The two princes circumambulated the Buddha three times, bowed at his feet, and then reverently joined their palms and gazed up at Wondrous Flower Tathagata.

“Wondrous Flower Tathagata said to Bodhisattva Good Wisdom:

“‘Good man! After bowing at my feet, these two princes asked: “Is there any act of giving that produces roots of virtue and merit superior to the roots of virtue and merit acquired by King Nimi?” Having asked me this, the two princes prostrated themselves and remained silent.’”

Bodhisattva Good Wisdom addressed Buddha Wondrous Flower:

“May the Blessed One explain the questions asked by the two princes, so that devas and humans may attain peace and happiness.”

Wondrous Flower Tathagata said:

“Good Wisdom, listen attentively now, and I shall explain it to you. Good Wisdom, if a bodhisattva abides in tranquility, practices seclusion, has few concerns, comprehends the Dharma, and attains patience regarding the non-arising of phenomena, that bodhisattva’s merit surpasses beyond measure and without limit the merit created by King Nimi.

“Good Wisdom, even if every sentient being throughout the great trichiliocosm were to create merit equal to that of King Nimi, the combined merit of all those sentient beings throughout that great trichiliocosm would still not equal the merit of a bodhisattva who cultivates the practice of seclusion, abides with a purified mind, is united with right mindfulness, and awakens to the emptiness of all phenomena, which neither depart nor arrive. Even the slightest merit arising from this wisdom and patience surpasses the former merit by thousands of myriads of kotis of times, beyond even any numerical calculation.

“Good Wisdom, suppose all sentient beings throughout worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges were each to perform meritorious deeds like King Nimi, and those sentient beings were to create such merit for kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. What do you think? Would that merit be great?”

“Blessed One, the analogy spoken by the Tathagata is inconceivable; merit and roots of goodness such as these are beyond conception.”

“Good Wisdom, I now tell you that one endowed with wisdom who has accomplished profound patience can believe the Buddha’s words.

“All the roots of goodness and merit accumulated by those sentient beings together would not equal the roots of goodness of these two princes, who, with purified minds, bowed at the Buddha’s feet; they would not equal even one fraction arrived at by calculation or analogy.”

At that time, within the great assembly of Buddha Wondrous Flower, eighty-four thousand bhiksus spoke with one voice: “Blessed One, we rejoice in the merit of those who have accomplished profound patience with respect to the Dharma, believe in the emptiness of all phenomena, delight in seclusion, incline toward tranquility, take seven steps, aspire to unsurpassed bodhi, and accomplish wisdom. We rejoice in them.”

Buddha Wondrous Flower praised the bhiksus:

“Excellent, excellent, bhiksus! By virtue of these inconceivable roots of goodness arising from your rejoicing, you shall become wheel-turning sage-kings for lives as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and afterward you shall attain unsurpassed bodhi.”

At that time, Venerable Mahakasyapa and the great assembly addressed the Buddha with one voice: “Blessed One, we rejoice in those who have aroused the aspiration, accomplished profound patience, believed in the emptiness of all phenomena, and realized that seclusion and quiescence are pure in their intrinsic nature.”

The Buddha told Venerable Mahakasyapa: “At that time, Prince Dharma addressed Buddha Wondrous Flower:

“‘Blessed One, with which qualities must a bodhisattva be endowed so that, when giving, he expects no recompense, gives rise to neither jealousy nor stinginess, attachment, or expectation, perfects the Tathagata’s unsurpassed practices, attains profound patience regarding the Dharma, and accomplishes unsurpassed wisdom?’

“Wondrous Flower Tathagata said:

“‘Good man, a bodhisattva endowed with four qualities attains what you have described. The first is faith in the emptiness of all phenomena; the second is seclusion; the third is profound patience; and the fourth is right mindfulness. A bodhisattva endowed with these four qualities gives without expecting recompense; gives rise to neither jealousy nor stinginess, attachment, or expectation; accomplishes the Tathagata’s unsurpassed practices; realizes profound patience; and becomes endowed with unsurpassed wisdom.

“‘There are four further qualities. If a bodhisattva is endowed with these four qualities, he perfects unsurpassed wisdom. The bodhisattva seeks extensive learning.

Having become extensively learned, he enters villages, towns, and cities to teach the Dharma without any expectation whatsoever, not even accepting a single word of praise. His mind is utterly free from desire. Among all the practices of giving taught by the Buddhas, the gift of Dharma is foremost.

Abiding in this foremost form of giving, the bodhisattva rejoices and does not seek to give worldly possessions. Why is this, good man? Throughout innumerable asamkhya worlds in the ten directions, the Buddha Tathagatas and the Bhiksu Sangha lack no worldly necessities.

If a bodhisattva maintains pure precepts, cultivates the true Dharma, possesses great compassion, and seeks no gain or support, all Buddhas shall remember and acknowledge him. If a bodhisattva can expound a four-line verse, declaring that the words and letters of the verse are empty in their intrinsic nature and that all phenomena are likewise empty in their intrinsic nature, the roots of goodness and merit of this bodhisattva surpass the former roots of goodness and merit by hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of times, even by asamkhya parts.’

“Wondrous Flower Tathagata told the two princes, Dharma and Good Dharma:

“‘A bodhisattva endowed with four qualities accomplishes the Tathagata’s unsurpassed practices. The first is proceeding to the unsurpassed state; the second is teaching the unsurpassed Dharma; the third is giving unsurpassed gifts; and the fourth is believing in the unsurpassed Dharma.’

“After the two princes heard Wondrous Flower Tathagata teach this Dharma, they immediately rose into the sky to a height of seven tala trees and, with one voice, spoke these verses in praise of the Buddha:

The Tathagata knows all conditioned activities

And teaches sentient beings to practice giving,

Yet without attachment to the act of giving—

This is unsurpassed generosity.

It can accomplish unsurpassed patience;

Within it there is no self,

No person, sentient being, or life—

Rare indeed is such great diligence.

He expounds the Dharma in this way,

Enabling the mind to accomplish patience regarding the Dharma

And to attain unsurpassed conduct,

As well as unsurpassed wisdom.

Forever severing the afflictions of desire,

With great wisdom pure and clear,

One undergoes no further existence;

He teaches all practices of seclusion,

Causing beings to abide in tranquility

And cultivate the liberation of emptiness,

Without giving rise to discrimination.

Constantly and diligently practicing giving,

Without giving rise to discrimination—

This is the stainless ultimate state,

Far removed from all names and words.

He teaches pure sila,

Causing beings to proceed toward quiescence;

This is the foremost morality,

The realization of quiescence.

Constantly cultivating the wisdom of patience,

Without discriminating sentient beings—

This is pure patience,

Free from all discrimination.

Cultivating steadfast diligence,

Free from all conditioned phenomena—

The Buddha teaches that this diligence

Can accomplish the Dharma of seclusion.

Burning away all affairs,

Severing both existence and nonexistence—

This nondiscriminating meditation

Does not give rise to any affliction.

Neither here nor there,

Nor abiding anywhere between—

This is the foremost wisdom,

Far removed from all three times.

Cultivating the perception of quiescence,

One further examines that perception:

From where does that perception arise?

Thus one knows non-perception.

Praising the Buddha’s merit

And expounding the foremost Dharma,

That mind entertains no other thought

While hearing and receiving the Buddha’s true Dharma.

Though endless names and words are spoken,

Their intrinsic nature and essence are unestablished;

Contemplating objects as devoid of reality,

That mind is thereby liberated

And attains mastery over its objects.

If one gives rise to this thought:

‘I am the one who teaches the Dharma,’

Then one is bound by Mara

And does not know the characteristics of phenomena.

Those who wish to attain bodhi,

Those who seek the Sravaka path,

And those who seek pratyekabuddha-bodhi

Must cultivate and study this Dharma.

Teaching the single liberation,

Wisdom is boundless and immeasurable.

Do not make inferior aspirations;

Aspire instead to unsurpassed wisdom.

If one seeks a body such as this,

Self-adorned with excellent marks,

Like the Buddha’s golden-colored body,

One should seek unsurpassed wisdom.

When all phenomena arise,

No agent can be apprehended.

Phenomena arise from conditions;

Their intrinsic nature has no intrinsic nature.

“When the two princes spoke these verses from the sky, King Nimi came forth from the capital, and all the earth spirits and spirits of the sky gathered there. At that time, eighty-four thousand sentient beings aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi, and asamkhya sentient beings planted roots of goodness.”

The two princes descended from the sky, bowed to the Buddha, and said: “Blessed One, we take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, and take refuge in the Sangha. We bring forth the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi and, in the form of bhikshus, practice the bodhisattva path. Blessed One, one who truly brings forth this aspiration has faith that all dharmas are unborn.

Blessed One, one who truly brings forth this aspiration does not become attached to any dharma. Why is this? If there is attachment, dharmas do not arise; therefore, it is said that by freeing the mind from attachment to dharmas, one realizes the unborn.

Blessed One, even this unborn should not be described as unborn. Why is this? Where there is verbal expression, there is arising and cessation.

If one is fully endowed with pure wisdom, there is neither arising nor cessation; the state in which there is neither arising nor cessation is the ultimate end. Therefore, one should bring forth the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi through the realm of equality, without thinking of any dharma; nor is there any dharma that is attained or not attained. Even when such equality of dharmas is realized, no equality is attained.

Why is this? Because the original nature of all dharmas is pure.”

When Tathagata Wondrous Flower expounded this Dharma for the two princes, ten thousand beings in the great assembly attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. King Nimi, the thousand princes, and five thousand great ministers all brought forth the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi.

After finishing the meal and washing his bowl, Tathagata Wondrous Flower, amid the great assembly, said to King Nimi: “I shall now expound the Dharma.”

When the king and the great assembly heard that the Buddha was about to expound the Dharma, they all rejoiced greatly.

At that time, when the two princes Dharma and Good Dharma heard that the Buddha was about to expound the Dharma, their minds filled with pure faith, they departed from the fires of desire and earnestly sought to go forth. They immediately left the city, intending to approach the Buddha, and spoke these verses:

All the Tathagatas

Praise the Dharma of going forth.

Household life abounds in defilements

And ruins the pure and wholesome Dharma.

It causes unwholesome dharmas to increase

And destroys all wholesome dharmas.

Household life is filled with faults;

Going forth leaves defilement behind.

Even if for a hundred koṭis of kalpas

One indulged in desires, one would never be satisfied.

Household life is like perishing;

Indulging in desires, one is never satisfied.

As the ocean receives all rivers

Yet is never filled,

So too are ordinary beings:

Indulging in desires, they are never satisfied.

As a fire burning dry grass

Is never satiated,

So too are ordinary beings:

Indulging in desires, they are never satiated.

Bound by craving and desire,

They bring ruin upon the entire world.

Therefore, one must leave these bonds behind

And resolve to go forth.

Household life is filled with every fault;

There one cannot attain the unsurpassed path.

Only by going forth and cultivating seclusion

Can one realize bodhi.

The Tathagatas of the past,

Who entered great nirvana,

Abided in the Dharma of tranquility

And realized great bodhi.

Therefore, one should train in the Buddha’s way

And proceed toward the tranquil state.

Abandoning affection and leaving home,

Only then does one attain peace.

Suppose all the trichiliocosm

Were filled with precious treasures,

And a householder offered them to the Buddhas;

Yet if, with a mind free from affliction,

One recognized the faults of household life,

Trained after the Buddha Tathagatas,

And went forth in search of wisdom—

Having resolved to go forth

And departed far from the fires of desire,

If one lifted one’s foot and took seven steps,

This would surpass the offering of those treasures.

The merit of offering precious treasures

Would not equal even a fraction of this.

Therefore, those who go forth

Are praised by all the Buddhas.

Accomplishing great wisdom,

They leave all bonds far behind.

Only by relinquishing every attachment

Can they realize the unsurpassed path.

Quickly dwell in a tranquil place

And utterly eliminate craving and desire.

All the poisons that disturb the mind

Must be ended without remainder.

Train after the Buddha Tathagatas

And know all dharmas as they truly are.

Quickly leave household life far behind

And abide in the Dharma of tranquility.

Those who wish to seek the Buddha-path

And cultivate the practice of seclusion

Must train in tranquility

And should not delight in household life.

This is the realm of the Buddhas,

The dwelling place of noble beings.

Those who abide in this path

Can attain bodhi.

Craving and desire harm sentient beings.

Those who seek seclusion

Must leave household life behind

And cultivate the practice of tranquility.

Those wishing to realize the ambrosial Dharma,

Turn the unsurpassed Dharma wheel,

And vanquish the hostile māras

Should cultivate the practice of tranquility.

After speaking these verses, the two princes went directly to Buddha Wondrous Flower, bowed their heads at his feet, circumambulated him three times to the right, joined their palms reverently, and said:

“Blessed One, we now wish to go forth under the Tathagata. We pray that the Buddha, out of compassion, will permit us to go forth.”

Tathagata Wondrous Flower knew that the two princes, with pure faith, sought the Dharma of going forth. He immediately permitted them to go forth and established them in the Dharma of bhikshus.

When King Nimi heard that the two princes had gone forth, he immediately relinquished the throne to the crown prince. Then, together with nine hundred and ninety-nine princes, eighty-four thousand consorts, five thousand great ministers, and a multitude of citizens, with minds of pure faith they departed from the fires of craving and desire, approached the Buddha, bowed to him, requested permission to go forth, and were established in the Dharma of bhikshus.

Seven days after ascending the throne, the crown prince thought: “I shall never abandon the aspiration for all-knowledge. What need have I of this precious royal throne, which only allows craving and desire to bind me? I shall never abandon unsurpassed bodhi.” Having reflected thus, he resolved to go forth. On the full-moon day, he traveled throughout the four continents and proclaimed these verses:

My royal father and his retinue

Have all gone forth.

Measureless koṭis of sentient beings

Have also gone forth for the sake of the Dharma.

I now delight in going forth

And take no pleasure in the five desires.

Single-mindedly seeking to go forth,

I wish to approach the Tathagata.

Those who resolve to go forth

And depart from the fires of craving and desire

Should quickly follow me;

It is exceedingly difficult to encounter a Buddha.

Those who do not resolve to go forth

Cannot escape the fires of desire.

Do not rest content in household life;

Abide securely in the true Dharma.

After the new king proclaimed these verses, not a single person throughout the four continents delighted in household life; all brought forth the aspiration and vowed to go forth.

Tathagata Wondrous Flower knew that all the sentient beings throughout the four continents possessed pure faith and wished to go forth. He immediately manifested transformation Buddhas and a transformation Sangha of bhikshus throughout every city, town, and village. Not a single person throughout the four continents remained in household life. With pure faith, all departed from the fires of desire, went forth, and became bhikshus.

After the entire population of the four continents had gone forth, that land needed no sowing or cultivation, for husked rice grew naturally. Garments grew naturally from the forests, and all the devas provided for and attended upon them.

For six billion three hundred million years, the two princes Dharma and Good Dharma practiced with courageous diligence, never lying down. Seeking all-knowledge and remaining mindful of all-knowledge, they attained a samādhi called Universal Arrival. The place where the two princes sat in cultivation was called the Vajra Place, and that place was made entirely of vajra.

They heard and retained the Dharma expounded by the Buddhas of the ten directions and were also able to explain it to everyone. At that time, among all the people of the four continents who cultivated the Śrāvaka Vehicle, not one died while still bearing the body of an ordinary being. Even the most indolent attained the fruit of anāgāmin and were reborn in the Pure Abodes.

Those who cultivated the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, when their lives ended, were born in worlds without a Buddha, into great families, with all their faculties complete. Through the power of their previously planted roots of goodness, they naturally departed from the fires of desire and cultivated the life of going forth. After seven days, they attained the path of a pratyekabuddha, benefited measureless and boundless sentient beings, and then entered nirvana.

Those who cultivated the Bodhisattva Vehicle attained the five superknowledges, were fully endowed with the four immeasurable minds and the four unobstructed eloquences, and attained dharanis.”

The Buddha said to Venerable Mahākāśyapa: “Do not entertain any other thought. King Nimi at that time was none other than I myself. That crown prince is now Bodhisattva Maitreya. Prince Dharma was Mañjuśrī, and Prince Good Dharma is now Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha.

“Kāśyapa, behold how pure the land of Buddha Wondrous Flower was in former times, filled entirely with sentient beings endowed with such roots of goodness.”

Venerable Mahākāśyapa said: “Blessed One, what was the lifespan of Buddha Wondrous Flower?”

The Buddha said: “The Tathagata Wondrous Flower had a lifespan of eight kalpas. After that Tathagata entered parinirvana, the true Dharma remained in the world for a full kalpa. All the devas made offerings to his relics, for there were no laypeople. At that time, two bhiksus named Dharma and Good Dharma, who had few desires and were content, neither made offerings to the relics nor paid homage at the Buddha’s stupas. The devas and hundreds of thousands of newly ordained bhiksus said to one another: ‘These two bhiksus hold wrong views. They do not believe in the Buddha’s relics, make offerings to them, or pay homage at the Buddha’s stupas.’

“The two bhiksus asked the devas and the assembly: ‘What do you think? What manner of offering is a true offering to the Tathagata, and for what reason are the Tathagata’s relics worthy of offerings?’

“The assembly replied: ‘Because he cultivated morality, samadhi, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation, his relics are worthy of offerings.’

“The two bhiksus said: ‘Cultivating morality, samadhi, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation is the true offering to the Tathagata, not the offering of gifts to his relics.’

“The newly ordained bhiksus all said: ‘It is so; it is exactly as you two have said. What are the characteristics of morality, samadhi, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation? Please explain them to us.’

“The two bhiksus Dharma and Good Dharma said: ‘The characteristic of non-doing is the characteristic of morality; likewise, up to the knowledge and vision of liberation, the characteristic of non-doing is its characteristic.’

“The two bhiksus then asked the assembly: ‘What do you think? Does non-doing make offerings to non-doing?’

“The assembly replied: ‘No, it does not.’

“The two bhiksus said: ‘In a true offering there is no conception of a Buddha and no perception of a Buddha, much less the making of an offering. If one wishes to make offerings to the Buddha, one should make offerings to oneself.’

“The assembly asked: ‘How does one make offerings to oneself?’

“The two bhiksus replied: ‘Just as the Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, made offerings to himself and thus became worthy of offerings from all sentient beings, so should one train in what the Buddha trained in: guard the precepts, gather all wholesome dharmas, contemplate all dharmas, and do not grasp the characteristics of dharmas. One who can thus make offerings to oneself will receive offerings from devas and humans.

If one wishes to make offerings to the Buddha’s relics, one should make offerings to oneself. Because the Buddha, the Tathagata, was endowed with all virtues, his relics are worthy of offerings. If a person attains such virtues, this is called making offerings to the Buddha.

Making no distinctions concerning whether there is much or little is called making offerings to the Buddha.

“‘Neither departing into a later life nor arriving in the present life; neither this shore nor the other shore; neither eternalism nor annihilationism; neither grasping nor relinquishing—this is called making offerings to the Tathagata. Neither increasing nor diminishing; neither arising nor ceasing; neither exhausted nor inexhaustible—this is called making offerings to the Tathagata. Neither mind nor mental factors; neither recollection nor conception; neither self nor grasping nor experiencing; neither disputation nor non-disputation; neither disparagement nor praise; neither duality nor entry—this is called making offerings to the Tathagata.

The body does nothing, speech does nothing, and mind does nothing; when body, speech, and mind are sought, they cannot be found—this is called making offerings to the Tathagata. There is no conception of the past, and conceptions of the future and present cannot be found; there is no dependence, no attachment, and no conception of anything sought, nor is there discrimination—this is called making offerings to the Tathagata.

There is no conception of Buddha, no conception of Dharma, no conception of Sangha, and no conception of a person, oneself, or another—this is called making offerings to the Tathagata.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by non-arising; therefore, one should not prepare offerings by means of arising.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by non-doing; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through fabrication.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by non-duality; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through dualistic characteristics.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by being undefiled; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through defiled things.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by emptiness; therefore, one should not prepare offerings to the Tathagata through the view of a self in the body, the view of conceit, views of annihilationism or eternalism, views of self and what belongs to self, the view of existence, or the view of nonexistence.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by signlessness; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through anything bearing characteristics.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by wishlessness; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through characteristics of wishful seeking.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by nonexistence; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through characteristics of existence.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by immovability; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through characteristics of movement.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by non-activity; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through conditioned activity.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by freedom from greed; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through greed. The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by freedom from anger; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through anger. The true body of the Tathagata is characterized by freedom from delusion; therefore, one should not prepare offerings to the Tathagata through delusion.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is endowed with morality, samadhi, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through broken morality, a disturbed mind, or ignorance.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is endowed with loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through an angry, malicious, jealous, or distracted mind.

“‘The true body of the Tathagata is endowed with generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom; therefore, one should not prepare offerings through stinginess, transgression, anger, indolence, distraction, or delusion.’

“When the two bhiksus Dharma and Good Dharma taught this Dharma in the midst of the assembly, four million two hundred thousand sentient beings attained patience with regard to the non-arising of dharmas; eighty-four thousand sentient beings attained pure wisdom and the fruit of non-returning; and two million three hundred thousand sentient beings aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed enlightenment.”

The Buddha told the Venerable Mahakasyapa: “Kasyapa, observe how pure the minds of those two bhiksus were. You should train in the profound patience and skillful means of those two true beings.

“Kasyapa, when those two bhiksus taught the Dharma in this way amid the assembly, all the bhiksus who heard it became established in profound patience. They all practiced having few desires and being content, and they did not make offerings to relics or to the Buddha’s stupas and shrines. Why was this? It was because all those bhiksus delighted in the profound Dharma.

“Kasyapa, seven days later, all the Buddha-Dharma disappeared, and the Buddha’s relics within their urns also disappeared.

“Kasyapa, you should train in the profound patience of those true beings.”

The Buddha further told the Venerable Mahakasyapa: “Know that in the final age, during the latter five-hundred-year period, there will be bodhisattvas and bhiksus who cultivate neither the body nor the mind, neither morality nor wisdom. For the sake of their livelihood, they will make offerings to the Buddha’s stupas and relics. They will not prepare offerings for the sake of nirvana or freedom from desire. They themselves will violate the precepts and be foolish and devoid of wisdom.

“The Tathagata’s relics are imbued with the cultivation of morality, samadhi, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation, yet those people will honor them and make offerings to them for the sake of their livelihood.

“The relics of the Buddha—the Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One—are free from greed, anger, and delusion, yet those people, being filled with greed, anger, and delusion, will arrange offerings to them for the sake of sustaining their lives.

“They themselves will be filled with greed, stinginess, jealousy, anger, indolence, distraction, and delusion. If there are great donors who are upright in conduct and upright in mind, those people will exhort them, for the sake of their own livelihood, to make offerings to the Tathagata’s relics.

“Kasyapa, for the sake of teaching good men and good women who have newly aroused the aspiration, I use my spiritual powers to preserve my relics, enabling them to make offerings and receive the joys of devas and humans, thereby establishing causes for the future that will continue until they attain nirvana. Those foolish people, although they have entered monastic life within the Buddha-Dharma, do not understand the Buddha-Dharma. They abandon the proper conduct of monastics and devote themselves to making offerings at stupas, shrines, and relics in order to sustain their livelihood. For clothing and food, material gain, and reputation, they make offerings to the Buddha’s relics.

“What is called the proper activity of a bhiksu? As stated above, the proper activities of a sramana are of two kinds: the first is cultivating meditation, and the second is studying and reciting the teachings. This is said as a means of entering the Path; it is not the ultimate teaching.”

Kasyapa! If one performs karma or brings all karma to an end, this is called the work of a sramana.

Neither acting nor reciting nor meditating; neither action nor non-action; neither mindfulness nor non-mindfulness; inexhaustible and unborn; realizing the three gates of liberation and not abiding in the three realms; neither coming nor going—this is the work of a sramana.

Those sentient beings depart from the right work of a sramana and cultivate other kinds of karma.

Those meritorious deeds are taught for the edification of householders. Householders who follow the Tathagata’s teaching will attain the fruit of a non-returner.

Those foolish people leave the household life within the Buddha-Dharma, yet they do not even practice the teachings in accordance with it, much less attain realization. They can never attain it.

Kasyapa! In the future, five hundred years later, there will be those who resemble sramanas. Their clothing and appearance will resemble those of sramanas, but their precepts will not correspond, their concentration will not correspond, and their wisdom will not correspond.

Suppose a person skilled in medicines and spells uses a spell to enchant a kasaya and tells another person to put it on. Out of greed, that person immediately puts on the robe. After seven or eight days, his body becomes scorching hot like a mass of fire. So too, when a bhiksu sees a beautiful robe, he immediately accepts it and puts it on. Later, whether in a house, a village, or a forest, that robe becomes hot like fire and burns away the person’s roots of goodness.

Kasyapa! What do you think? Does that person gain any benefit from wearing the kasaya?

“World-Honored One, he does not.”

“Kasyapa! So it is. The Buddha’s kasaya is formed from immeasurable, innumerable roots of goodness: morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation. In a future age, a person wearing this sacred robe and outwardly resembling a sramana will enter villages and settlements. Faithful brahmins, elders, and householders, seeing him dressed in the Dharma robe and taking him for a sramana, will all honor him and respectfully make offerings to him. Because he wears the kasaya and receives offerings, that foolish person becomes delighted. When his life ends, he falls into hell and is burned by fire. Red-hot iron sheets become his clothing, red-hot iron balls become his food, molten iron becomes his drink, and he sits and lies upon a scorching iron bed.

Kasyapa! See how greatly majestic and powerful the kasaya, the Dharma robe, is. Yet that foolish person wears the kasaya, indulges in pleasures, lives heedlessly, and creates evil karma; when his life ends, he falls into hell.

Kasyapa! The Buddha has always said: Better to heat iron sheets and wear them as clothing than to wear the kasaya with a body that has broken the precepts; better to swallow hot iron than to consume the faithful donors’ offerings with a body that has broken the precepts.

Kasyapa! See the faults incurred when one who has broken the precepts consumes the faithful donors’ offerings. Therefore, you must train in the pure precepts.

Kasyapa! What do you think? Could any deva, naga, yaksa, gandharva, asura, garuda, kinnara, mahoraga, human, or non-human fashion an image of the Tathagata’s body?

“World-Honored One, they could not. Because the Tathagata’s form-body is inconceivable and has no fixed form or appearance, none of those classes of beings could fashion it.”

“Kasyapa! In the future, five hundred years later, there will be bhiksus who do not cultivate body, mind, morality, or wisdom. They will produce images of the Tathagata upon cloth, silk, walls, and partitions in order to earn their livelihood. Through the livelihood of making images, they will become haughty and conceited and despise others.”

Venerable Mahakasyapa said, “World-Honored One! Did King Prasenajit gain much merit by making an image of the Buddha?”

“Kasyapa! He gained a great deal of merit. King Prasenajit made an image of the Tathagata and offered a priceless robe without seeking the rewards of clothing, food, or drink.

Kasyapa! Foolish people in a later age will make images of the Tathagata for the sake of earning a livelihood.

Kasyapa! Even selling livestock is evil karma. How much more so when foolish people make images of the Tathagata and then hawk them for sale among laypeople in order to support themselves!

Kasyapa! Suppose an ignorant child discards amrta and drinks poison. So too, those foolish people make images of the Tathagata for their livelihood and hawk them for sale. This is called poison. What is meant here by poison is that greed within the true Dharma is itself poison. Because of greed, those foolish people give rise to anger and hatred, contend with one another, and slander one another, each declaring, ‘I make offerings to the Buddha image.’ Because of their disputes, they fall into hell.

Kasyapa! Suppose a person lacking skillful means enters into battle against an enemy, and the swords and blades he holds turn back and wound him. So too, those foolish people lack skillful means and, because of the true Dharma, fall into hell.

Kasyapa! Suppose a good man or good woman uses the seven treasures to construct perfectly adorned stupas of the Tathagata, each precious stupa as tall, broad, and magnificent as Mount Sumeru, and constructs enough such stupas to fill worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. What do you think? Would the person who constructed those stupas gain much merit?”

“World-Honored One! Making an image or stupa of the Tathagata only four finger-widths high brings immeasurable merit. How much more so would making images and stupas of the Buddha as large as Mount Sumeru! Such merit is inconceivable.”

“Kasyapa! If a bodhisattva contemplates the Buddha’s body and attains profound patience regarding the Dharma, the merit gained surpasses the former by an immeasurable and boundless amount. If, moreover, a person abides in pure morality and explains a four-line verse to others so that they understand its meaning and import, that person also gains immeasurable and boundless merit.

Kasyapa! How should one contemplate the Buddha’s body? If a bodhisattva wishes to contemplate the Buddha’s body, he should train after the example of the Bodhisattva Great Vigor.

In the distant past, immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a Buddha, a World-Honored One, named Radiance Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. After the Buddha Radiance entered nirvana, there was a bodhisattva named Great Vigor, born into a brahmin family and of incomparable beauty. Within the true Dharma of the Buddha Radiance, the bhiksus had few desires, knew contentment, and practiced in accordance with the Dharma. Those bhiksus all created images of the Tathagata.

At that time, a bhiksu painted an image of the Tathagata upon white silk, adorning it with colors and fully portraying the excellent marks, and then brought it to the Bodhisattva Great Vigor. Upon seeing that image, the Bodhisattva Great Vigor rejoiced greatly and said, “Even an image of the Tathagata is wondrously beautiful like this; how much more so must be the body of the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One! May I in a future life attain a form-body of such magnificent beauty.” The Bodhisattva Great Vigor then thought, “I cannot now remain a householder, for one who remains at home cannot perfect such a body.”

At that time, the Bodhisattva Great Vigor was only sixteen years old and possessed all his faculties. He went to his parents, bowed respectfully, and asked them joyfully to permit him to leave the household life within the Buddha-Dharma. His parents said, “Do not say such a thing. Why? We are now old, and you are our only son. If you leave the household life, we shall die.”

Great Vigor said, “I must devise a means by which my parents may remain alive and I may leave the household life.”

His parents asked, “What do you intend to do?”

Great Vigor replied, “From this day onward, I shall not eat, lie or sit upon a bed or seat, consume ghee or oil, or drink any kind of beverage. Whether matters are good or bad, my mouth shall utter no word. I shall continue in this way until I am permitted to leave the household life.”

Having spoken thus to his parents, Great Vigor became silent and remained kneeling where he was.

On the first day, he remained silent and neither ate nor drank. His parents recited various spells and brought him many kinds of food, but Great Vigor refused to eat and said nothing.

On the second day, his parents and five hundred members of his mother’s family brought him many kinds of food and drink and recited various spells, hoping he would eat. Great Vigor would not even look at them, much less eat or drink.

On the third day, his parents, together with five hundred members of his father’s retinue, brought various foods and drinks and urged him to partake. Great Vigor remained silent, neither eating nor drinking nor even looking at them.

On the fourth day, five hundred close friends brought food and drink and pleaded with him at length. Great Vigor continued kneeling in silence.

On the fifth day, his parents brought all their stores of gold, silver, vaidurya, precious objects, and eighty-four thousand beautifully adorned palace women before Great Vigor. His parents and his close friends, numbering five hundred in all, urged him: “You should remain in the household life, freely use all these riches to practice generosity and cultivate merit, and enjoy yourself with these palace women.” Yet Great Vigor remained silent amid the assembly and did not even look at them.

On the sixth day, Great Vigor relinquished all other thoughts and recollections and contemplated only the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One.

At that time, his parents and close friends, together with the eighty-four thousand palace women, all wept, lamented, and bowed to Great Vigor, but Great Vigor still did not look at them.

A guardian spirit dwelling where Great Vigor stayed manifested great spiritual power and, from midair, spoke these verses:

The resolve of Great Vigor is steadfast,

As difficult to move as Mount Sumeru.

He will not abandon his aspiration to renounce the household life,

For he seeks to attain bodhi.

The great earth may tilt,

And fire may abide in water;

Everything may be transformed,

But this bodhisattva cannot be moved.

You need not distress yourselves

And thereby create unwholesome karma.

Sentient beings lack the eye of wisdom

And long remain in samsara.

For the benefit of all beings,

He therefore seeks to attain bodhi.

His heart delights in renouncing the household life;

He will certainly attain perfect enlightenment.

He does not seek worldly merit,

But cultivates the bodhisattva path.

He vows to attain unsurpassed wisdom

And deliver sentient beings from suffering.

Though the trichiliocosm

Were filled with precious jewels,

Together with the most sublime realms,

His heart would not cling to them.

In your deluded minds,

You create unwholesome karma.

You should repent of your own conduct;

The bodhisattva will not remain in household life.

Upon hearing the guardian spirit’s admonition, everyone repented. His parents said to Great Vigor, “We permit you to renounce the household life as you wish. Please eat and drink, lest you die.”

Although Great Vigor had neither eaten nor drunk for seven full days, his complexion did not change; on the contrary, he appeared even more radiant and beautiful. Inwardly, his mind remained single-pointedly absorbed in contemplating the body of the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One.

The devas in the sky scattered flowers as offerings.

After those seven days, Great Vigor abandoned his household estate as though casting away spittle and mucus. His parents, close friends, relatives, and the eighty-four thousand palace women wept sorrowfully as they escorted him away.

Carrying the silk painting of the Buddha, Great Vigor entered deep into the mountains, reaching a secluded place devoid of people and wild animals. He hung up the image of the Buddha, spread grass to make a seat, sat upright before the image in the full-lotus posture, straightened his body, established right mindfulness, and contemplated the Buddha. Having contemplated in this way, he thought to himself: “The Tathagata is so rare and wondrous. Even a painted image is supremely dignified and excellent; how much more so must be the bodily form of the Tathagata! How should I contemplate the Buddha?”

At that time, a forest spirit knew the bodhisattva’s thoughts and said to him, “If you wish to contemplate the Buddha, you should contemplate this painted image. Contemplating this painted image is no different from contemplating the Tathagata. This is called contemplation of the Buddha, and it is also called skillful contemplation.”

Great Vigor thought, “How can my present contemplation of this painted image be the same as contemplating the Tathagata?”

He then reflected further: “The image of the Buddha neither perceives nor knows; all dharmas are likewise: they neither perceive nor know.

“The image of the Buddha possesses only a name; all dharmas are likewise: they possess only names. Those names are by nature empty, quiescent, and without anything that can be possessed; the body of the Tathagata is likewise.

“This image of the Buddha is neither realization nor attainment nor fruition; it is neither one who realizes, one who attains, nor one who attains fruition; neither one who abides, neither going nor coming, neither arising nor ceasing, neither defiled nor pure, neither form nor non-form, neither the exhaustion of greed nor the exhaustion of hatred nor the exhaustion of delusion, neither skandhas nor ayatanas nor dhatus, neither beginning nor middle nor end. All dharmas are likewise none of these, and the body of the Tathagata is likewise.

“This image of the Buddha neither perceives nor knows and neither acts nor creates. All dharmas are likewise, and the body of the Tathagata is likewise.

“This image of the Buddha neither sees nor hears nor smells, neither tastes nor senses touch, neither cognizes, neither exhales nor inhales. All dharmas are likewise, and the body of the Tathagata is likewise.

“This painted image does not belong to the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, or the Formless Realm. All dharmas are likewise.

“This painted image is neither beginning nor middle nor end, neither this nor that, neither acting nor not acting, neither grasping nor relinquishing, neither creating nor reciting, neither real nor false, neither samsara nor nirvana. All dharmas are likewise, and the bodily marks of the Tathagata are likewise.”

Sitting upright in the full-lotus posture and contemplating the body of the Tathagata in this way throughout the day and night, the bodhisattva Great Vigor attained the five superknowledges, fully possessed the four immeasurable states of mind, acquired unobstructed eloquence, and entered the Samadhi of Universal Radiance, from which he emitted a great light. He attained the divine eye, which surpassed the human eye, and with that divine eye saw innumerable Buddhas in the east. He also attained the purified divine ear and was able to hear and receive all the Dharma teachings delivered by those Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones.

Great Vigor diligently cultivated vigor for seven full days, taking wisdom as his food and consuming no worldly food, while the devas scattered flowers as offerings. At that time, Great Vigor did not wear the kasaya, had not seen a Buddha, and had not received the precepts or Dharma practices; he merely single-mindedly recollected omniscience.

“Kasyapa! A bodhisattva should contemplate the body of the Tathagata in this way: neither contemplating nor not contemplating. A bodhisattva should contemplate a painted image of the Buddha just as the bodhisattva Great Vigor contemplated it. Through such contemplation, one attains great wisdom. By means of that wisdom, one sees all the innumerable Buddhas throughout the ten directions and hears those Buddhas teach the Dharma.

“The bodhisattva Great Vigor emerged from the mountains and went to villages and settlements to teach the Dharma to the people. At a single Dharma assembly, twenty thousand sentient beings became established in unsurpassed bodhi, and immeasurable, innumerable sentient beings became established in the merits of the shravaka and pratyekabuddha paths. His parents and relatives all became established at the stage of non-retrogression on the unsurpassed path.

“Kasyapa! The bodhisattva Great Vigor of that former time was none other than I myself. Therefore, bodhisattvas should train after the example of Great Vigor and the other great bodhisattvas.

“In the final age, during the latter five-hundred-year period, there will be good men and good women who seek the bodhisattva path but lack skillful means. They will be deeply attached to gain. They will paint images of the Tathagata upon walls in pursuit of offerings and support, saying, ‘I alone make offerings; no one else makes offerings.’ Having cultivated only a little goodness, they will become arrogant and look down upon others, and they will make their livelihood through offerings made to images of the Buddha.

“Kasyapa! In that future age, sentient beings will not cultivate samadhi or read and recite the sutras. They will concern themselves only with making offerings to images as a means of livelihood. Because of those offerings to images, they will receive abundant support from donors: food and drink, clothing, bedding, and medicines.

“Kasyapa! Observe those precept-breaking bodhisattvas who dwell in impurity yet proclaim themselves learned. They neither recite nor study the scriptures, but sustain themselves solely through offerings made to images.”

The Venerable Mahakasyapa said, “Rare indeed is the World-Honored One! Rare indeed is the Sugata! The Tathagata has extensively explained the faults of flattery and deceit committed by foolish ordinary beings. If good men and good women hear these words, none will fail to abide in pure morality.

“World-Honored One! May this Dharma long remain in the future world, so that those who break the precepts may hear it and give rise to shame and remorse. They will think, ‘The Tathagata clearly knows me and clearly sees me.’ Thus, the improper practices they perform will be utterly brought to an end.”

The Buddha said, “Kasyapa! These words of the Tathagata are spoken for those good men and good women. When they hear this Dharma of mine, they will cultivate it and depart from wickedness and error. It is for their sake that I teach this Dharma.”

When the Blessed One had spoken this sutra, the Venerable Mahakasyapa, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Manjusri Bodhisattva, and all the devas, humans, and beings of the Eight Classes throughout the world heard the Buddha’s teaching. They all rejoiced exceedingly, accepted it with faith, and respectfully put it into practice.