大寶積經

XVIII. THE EIGHTE ASSEMBLY: THE BODHISATTVA PROTECTOR OF THE NATION

Thus have I heard. At one time, the Bhagavat was dwelling in the city of Rajagriha, on Mount Grdhrakuta, together with an assembly of two hundred and fifty great bhiksus.

There were also five thousand great bodhisattvas, all of whom had attained unobstructed eloquence, accomplished great wisdom and patience, subdued the enmity of Mara, and drawn near to the wisdom of the Buddha. They were destined to attain Buddhahood after one more birth and had all attained the power of dharani, boundless eloquence, fearlessness, and mastery of supernormal powers; indeed, they were fully endowed with every virtue.

Their names were: Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, Bodhisattva Universal Radiance, Bodhisattva Universal Light, Bodhisattva Perfect Light, Bodhisattva Supreme Resolve, Bodhisattva Boundless Resolve, Bodhisattva Vast Resolve, Bodhisattva Inexhaustible Resolve, Bodhisattva Upholder of the Earth, Bodhisattva Upholder of the World, Bodhisattva Beneficial Resolve, Bodhisattva Abiding Foremost, Manjusri and sixty inconceivable bodhisattvas, Bhadrapala and sixteen bodhisattvas.

These five thousand great bodhisattvas had all assembled together.

There were also Great Brahma, lord of the Saha world; Sakra, Lord of the Devas; the Four Heavenly Kings, protectors of the world; the Deva Prince Virtuous Merit; the Deva Prince Right Resolve; all the heavenly kings; all the naga kings; all the kinnara kings; all the gandharva kings; all the yaksa kings; all the asura kings; and all the garuda kings. Each of these kings came to the assembly accompanied by hundreds of thousands of attendants.

At that time, the Blessed One was seated upon the lion throne known as the Treasury of Virtue. Amid the great assembly, the color and form of the Buddha's body appeared like Mount Sumeru. He illuminated the entire world like a heavenly king; his majestic virtue embraced all like Sakra, Lord of the Devas; he was fully endowed with the seven factors of enlightenment like a wheel-turning king; and he proclaimed the Dharma of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness without fear, like the king of lions.

Light from his body blazed like a great mass of fire, and he also emitted rays like the supreme and unsurpassed celestial mani jewel, illuminating the entire trichiliocosm. With his mighty Brahma voice he caused all sentient beings to rejoice. Clearly comprehending the profound meaning of all dharmas, he taught the Dharma amid the great assembly, excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end.

Its meaning was subtle, wondrous, complete, and unmixed, revealing the pure holy life.

At that time, a great bodhisattva named King of Joy, who was seated in the assembly, saw the Tathagata seated upon the lion throne amid the great assembly, emitting a magnificent light like hundreds of thousands of suns that illuminated everything and eclipsed the lights of the human and heavenly realms so that they could no longer be seen. Having witnessed this, the great bodhisattva King of Joy was filled with exultant delight throughout body and mind, beyond his power to contain. He immediately rose, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and spoke these verses of praise:

"The Blessed One overshadows this great assembly—

Devas, nagas, asuras, and gandharvas;

The bodhisattvas and sravakas lose their splendor,

As he illuminates all like a mountain of gold.

As Mount Sumeru and the hosts of devas

Stand amid the great ocean, so does the Buddha;

The Blessed One stands amid the ocean of compassion,

Emitting hundreds of thousands of kinds of brilliant light.

Abiding in the holy life like the Brahma King,

His radiant majestic virtue surpasses all devas;

Securely abiding in meditative concentration and liberation,

He illuminates the world, surpassing all beings.

Like Sakra, Lord of the Devas, among the heavenly hosts,

Whose bodily color and radiance surpass them all,

So does the Buddha surpass the world;

His marks adorn him, replete with virtue.

Like a wheel-turning king governing the four continents,

He illumines the world when teaching the Dharma,

Causing sentient beings

To enter the noble path.

The Blessed One reveals his compassionate heart;

His light outshines the radiance of mani jewels.

Like the sun in a cloudless sky,

Even compared with a thousand suns, the Buddha excels.

The Buddha-sun shines throughout all worlds,

Like the bright full moon in the clear night;

The Buddha's light is likewise pure,

And his face is perfectly full like the moon.

He eclipses every light of devas and humans,

Like a great mass of fire upon a mountain peak;

Purely illuminating boundless realms,

He can dispel all darkness of ignorance.

The Blessed One's wisdom shines everywhere;

The Buddha's voice fills the mountain valleys.

Like a lion, he can subdue the non-Buddhist teachers,

Proclaiming non-self, emptiness, and wishlessness,

Causing all non-Buddhist teachers to be afraid.

His majestic radiance resembles the king of mani jewels,

Its brilliance eclipsing every mani gem.

The Tathagata's body is golden in color,

Illuminating the world and surpassing all.

No one in the world is equal to the Buddha;

How much less could anyone surpass him?

In merit, wisdom, diligence, and skillful means,

And in every virtue, none surpasses him.

O Great Being who rescues and protects the world,

I now behold this ocean of virtue.

I now rejoice and give rise to reverence;

Therefore, I bow my head at the Blessed One's feet.

I have praised the Tamer,

The radiant lamp of the world, perfect in virtue.

May whatever merit I now possess

Cause all sentient beings to attain perfect enlightenment."

After the great bodhisattva King of Joy had spoken these verses in praise of the Buddha, he joined his palms and gazed intently at the Buddha's body, without averting his eyes even for a moment. He contemplated the Dharma realm, which is extremely profound, difficult to understand, difficult to practice, and difficult to enter—a subtle, quiescent Dharma, difficult to know, inconceivable, and immeasurable, the domain of all Buddhas.

Inwardly, he thoroughly contemplated the Dharma realm and contemplated the wisdom of the Tathagata, the unequaled domain of the Blessed One. Having contemplated in this way, he entered the skillful practices of the inconceivable domain of the Tathagata's wisdom. The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, are never defiled or attached, but are like empty space.

While contemplating in this manner, he realized and entered suchness, the Dharma-nature. The nature of all dharmas is likewise. He gave rise to such faith and delighted in the unobstructed gateway of liberation of the Buddhas, the Tathagatas.

He knew the four virtues of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, and knew the body of the Buddha. He reflected that the Tathagata's body appears throughout all realms before sentient beings, and that even if the virtues of the Buddha were expounded for immeasurable kalpas, they could never be exhausted.

Having reflected in this way, the great bodhisattva King of Joy sat silently, contemplating the Dharma realm.

At that time, there was a venerable bhiksu-bodhisattva named Protector of the Nation. After completing the three months of the rains retreat in the city of Sravasti, he took up his robe and alms bowl and, together with young bhiksus who were newly undertaking the training, journeyed through various lands until they reached the city of Rajagriha and Mount Grdhrakuta. He approached the Blessed One, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated him three times to the right, then stood to one side, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and spoke these verses of praise:

"Homage to the Supreme One who emits radiant light.

Homage to the One whose mind is like empty space.

Homage to the One who can resolve the doubts of others.

Homage to the One who transcends the three realms.

Throughout the countless lands of the ten directions,

When praise of the Buddha's virtues is heard,

All the bodhisattvas dwelling in those lands

Come joyfully to make offerings to the Buddha.

Having made offerings in accordance with the Dharma,

The bodhisattvas single-mindedly hear the Dharma taught by the Buddha.

Having heard the Dharma, they joyfully return to their native lands

And praise the virtues of the Tathagata.

In the past, the Buddha cultivated the path for sentient beings

Throughout immeasurable and boundless kalpas.

When the Buddha sought bodhi for the sake of others,

His mind never grew weary.

The Blessed One practiced generosity and steadfastly upheld the precepts,

Cultivated patience and diligence, and entered meditative concentration;

He perfected wisdom and skillful means.

Therefore, I bow to the Great Sage.

The Tathagata is fully endowed with the four bases of supernormal power,

The faculties, the powers, and the liberations.

The Buddha clearly knows the minds, thoughts, and consciousnesses of sentient beings;

Therefore, I bow to the ocean of great wisdom.

The Buddha knows the thoughts of sentient beings

And the wholesome and unwholesome karma created by their bodies and speech.

He also clearly knows the skillful means of liberation;

Knowing this, the Buddha teaches them the Dharma.

Greed, anger, and delusion confuse sentient beings

And cause them to fall into the three evil destinies.

Knowing this, the Buddha instructs them to eliminate these defilements,

Causing those sentient beings to be born in favorable realms.

All the Blessed Ones of the past

Were revered by devas, humans, Maras, and Brahmas.

Those of the future who will be endowed with virtue—

The Blessed One knows them all with perfect clarity.

The pure lands of the Buddhas and the places of birth

Of bodhisattvas, sravakas, and pratyekabuddhas;

The devas and humans, their retinues and lineages,

And whether their lifespans are long or short—the Buddha knows them all.

How long the true Dharma will remain after their nirvana,

The veneration of their relics and the building of stupas and shrines

However many kinds of recipients of the Dharma treasury there may be,

The Tamer of Men knows them all clearly.

The Buddha’s ten powers of wisdom are unobstructed,

And can thoroughly comprehend the affairs of the three times.

He enters the wisdom of all dharmas;

Therefore, I bow to the ocean of great wisdom.

None is equal to the Buddha, much less surpasses him.

The marks adorn the body of the Tathagata

Like constellations in the empty sky;

Therefore, I bow to the Supremely Victorious One.

The wondrous form of the Buddha’s body is beyond compare,

Its radiance outshining the entire great assembly.

The majestic brilliance of Śakra and Brahmā beside the Buddha

Is entirely eclipsed, and they cannot even raise their heads.

His body is like a golden mountain, free of dust and defilement;

His blue-black hair is fine and soft, curling to the right.

The Buddha’s crown rises prominently like Mount Sumeru,

A mass of light endowed with immeasurable merit.

The white hair between his brows emits great radiance,

Immeasurable, boundless, and countless.

The Buddha’s eyes are broad and long like blue lotuses,

Gazing upon sentient beings with great compassion.

Like the full autumn moon in the midst of the sky,

So too is the countenance of the Buddha.

Sentient beings never tire of gazing upon it;

Therefore, I bow to the King of Beautiful Countenance.

Like a lion, a peacock, or the king of geese,

He walks slowly and steadily like the king of elephants.

Whether walking or standing, he shakes heaven and earth;

I reverently bow to the One of Ten Powers, who practiced great austerities.

His fingers are rounded and tapering, beloved by all;

The webbing of skin between them is coral-red like copper.

His arms are straight and long, extending below his knees;

I bow to the Tathagata, whose golden body shines brilliantly.

The wheel marks beneath his feet and the webbing are complete;

When he walks, his footprints appear as though painted.

If anyone bows before the Blessed One,

Illuminated by the Buddha’s light, that person will be born in heaven.

The Dharma King fully possesses the seven noble treasures

And constantly tames minds through the gift of Dharma.

He teaches sentient beings to practice the Dharma;

Now I bow to the Dharma King.

Compassion is his armor, mindfulness his strength;

Moral discipline is his strong bow, and wisdom his arrow.

With these he destroys the bandits of affliction,

Shatters craving and samsara, and increases the lineage of the Buddhas.

He liberates himself and also liberates hundreds of millions of sentient beings,

Freeing all from every bond.

He clearly reveals the peaceful and fearless path,

Causing them to reach the way of everlasting peace and bliss.

Practicing within this vehicle, they end birth and death,

And no longer suffer separation from those they love.

They attain the most subtle and wondrous state;

With a loving heart, he teaches the Dharma for sentient beings.

Having praised the supremely victorious Blessed One,

The One who is sovereign over all dharmas,

Through the supreme roots of goodness gained by this praise,

May all sentient beings realize bodhi.”

After Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation had spoken these verses in praise of the Buddha, he joined his palms and addressed the Buddha: “Blessed One! There is a doubt in my heart about which I wish to inquire. I pray that the Tathagata will grant me permission.”

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva-Bhikṣu Protector of the Nation: “You have permission to ask. The Tathagata will dispel your doubt and cause you to rejoice.”

Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation said: “Blessed One! What practices does a great bodhisattva cultivate so that, with regard to all dharmas, his merit increases and reaches ultimate perfection; so that he attains mastery, swiftly realizes wisdom, gains definitive wisdom, clearly comprehends all dharmas, enters omniscience, teaches and transforms sentient beings, and is able to remove the net of their doubts; so that he understands all things, uses skillful means to deliver sentient beings, practices in accordance with his words, always proclaims the truth, attains the samadhi of recollecting the Buddha, skillfully inquires into all profound meanings, and, having heard them, is able to retain them and swiftly attain wisdom of all modes?”

Wishing to restate this meaning, Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation spoke in verse:

“Bodhisattvas in their practice are always resolute;

From where does true certainty arise?

Concerning the vast ocean of discerning wisdom,

I pray that the Blessed One will instruct us.

The Buddha’s wondrous body is like pure gold,

His vast accumulation of merit surpassing gods and humans.

Out of compassion for us who take great refuge in you,

Please instruct us in the practices of purity.

How may inexhaustible benefit be attained,

Giving rise to awakening, the path, dharanis, and amrita?

What is the pure ocean of wisdom

That can end the doubts and delusions of sentient beings?

Throughout immeasurable hundreds of millions of kalpas in samsara,

How may one remain free of weariness, fatigue, regret, and aversion?

Seeing sentient beings oppressed by suffering,

How may one always bring benefit to them?

Pure lands, the Buddha’s retinue,

The supreme land and lifespan—

All these wondrous matters:

Please explain the pure practice of bodhi.

How may one subdue the māras, destroy wrong views,

Dry up the ocean of craving, and attain liberation?

How may the practice of Dharma continue without interruption?

Supreme and unsurpassed One, please instruct us.

Form, strength, wealth, treasures, and the four unhindered eloquences;

Gentle, affectionate speech that causes people to rejoice;

The rain of compassion that moistens all—

Please instruct us in the realm of the Buddhas.

Please utter the voice of the kalaviṅka,

The thunderous voice of Great Brahmā that shatters wrong views.

The assembly thirsts and yearns, having come for the Dharma;

Please bestow the amrita-water of liberation.

Now I wish to accomplish the wondrous path;

Because I delight in the Dharma, I make this inquiry.

The time to hear the Dharma has come, and we wait reverently;

May the Buddha teach the great treasure of Dharma.

O Buddha! I wish to attain bodhi;

The Tathagata clearly knows my aspiration.

Earnestly seeking the Dharma, I therefore question the Buddha;

Excellent indeed! Please explain the supreme practice.”

The Buddha declared: “Excellent, Protector of the Nation! You are now able to ask the Tathagata about such profound meaning, thereby benefiting and bringing peace and happiness to many people. This will also be of great benefit to future generations who cultivate the Mahayana. Listen attentively, and the Buddha will instruct you.”

Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation said: “Excellent, Blessed One! Please instruct me.”

The Buddha taught: “Protector of the Nation! A bodhisattva has four dharmas by which he can perfect the kinds of purity described above:

First, a truthful mind free from flattery and crookedness.

Second, impartial and genuine conduct toward all sentient beings.

Third, a mindful mind that enters emptiness.

Fourth, practicing in accordance with one’s words.

Protector of the Nation, you should know that these four can bring about the pure Dharma of a bodhisattva.”

Wishing to restate this meaning, the Blessed One spoke in verse:

“If a bodhisattva’s mind is free from crookedness

And he never retreats from the path of bodhi,

Nor harbors perversity, arrogance, or pride,

This is called boundless wisdom.

Seeing sentient beings who have no one to save them,

Oppressed by birth, aging, sickness, and death,

He resolves to cross the ocean of samsara

And is able to become a Dharma-vessel for all.

He equally tames all sentient beings,

Regarding every being as his only child.

He wishes to rescue them all and bring them liberation;

The supreme man gives rise to such a mind.

Walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, he is mindful of the emptiness of dharmas;

The notions of a living being and a self are all empty.

Everything in the world is like an illusion,

Yet foolish sentient beings are confused and deluded by it.

When a bodhisattva of great wisdom speaks,

He practices according to his words without error or failure.

Tamed and serene, free from every fault,

One who seeks bodhi is called a child of the Buddha.”

After speaking these verses, the Buddha said to Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation: “Good man! A great bodhisattva also possesses four kinds of fearlessness:

First, attaining dharani. Second, encountering good spiritual friends. Third, attaining profound acceptance of the Dharma. Fourth, purity in moral conduct.”

Wishing to restate this meaning, the Blessed One spoke in verse:

“A bodhisattva of great renown,

Because he has attained dharani,

Receives and retains the supremely wondrous Dharma

Proclaimed by all the Buddhas.

Never forgetting it,

He increases in wisdom.

The bodhisattva’s unobstructed wisdom

Surpasses all dharmas.

He always encounters good spiritual friends

And increases the dharmas that aid the path.

They constantly speak of great bodhi,

The course followed by all the Buddhas.

Bad spiritual friends are like fire;

Fearing that he may be burned, he stays far away.

If he hears the Dharma of signlessness,

He courageously makes his mind steadfast.

The bodhisattva abandons the notions of self and person

And all views and attachments.

He observes the precepts without deficiency or transgression,

And his mind is entirely serene.

He teaches and transforms sentient beings,

Establishing them securely in the Buddha realm.”

After speaking these verses, the Buddha said to Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation: “Good man! When bodhisattvas perfect their practices and reach ultimate consummation, there are four meritorious qualities that cause them to rejoice:

First, a bodhisattva rejoices upon seeing a Buddha.

Second, he rejoices upon hearing the true Dharma.

Third, he rejoices upon relinquishing everything.

Fourth, he rejoices upon attaining acceptance in accord with the Dharma.”

Wishing to restate this meaning, the Blessed One spoke in verse:

“Wherever a bodhisattva is born,

He always beholds the Supremely Victorious One,

Whose majestic radiance pervades all

And illuminates the entire world.”

Having seen them, he gives rise to faith and reverence,

As the devas revere Shakra.

In order to liberate all sentient beings,

While seeking the path to bodhi,

He follows the Buddha and hears the true Dharma,

Rejoicing without fear.

Having single-mindedly revered and trusted it,

He accords with the Buddha’s teachings.

Hearing and conforming to the Dharma,

He attains patience, his mind free of doubt.

Within all dharmas there are no sentient beings,

Nor is there any conception of a self.

Having constantly contemplated in this way,

He relinquishes the marks of arising and pleasure.

Since he does not cling to the mark of self,

He rejoices as soon as he sees someone asking.

Cities, towns, and fields,

Wife, children, body, and life—

He gives them all away,

Without the slightest regret.”

After speaking these verses, the Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation: “Good man! There are four things that must be relinquished:

First, a bodhisattva relinquishes the secular household.

Second, after going forth, he does not covet offerings or material support.

Third, he leaves behind close association with donors.

Fourth, he does not cherish body or life.”

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

“A bodhisattva sees the faults of household life,

And therefore relinquishes it and goes forth.

He goes to dwell in mountains and forests,

In tranquil places devoid of people.

Far removed from men and women,

Far from relatives and great assemblies,

He remains alone, without companions,

Like a solitary rhinoceros.

Wholeheartedly seeking the pure path,

His mind is untroubled by gain or loss.

With few desires and knowing contentment,

He abandons deceit and casts off arrogance.

Diligent for the sake of sentient beings,

He disciplines his mind through giving.

Practicing austerities and cultivating meditative concentration,

He single-mindedly seeks the Buddha’s wisdom.

He does not cherish body or life,

And leaves behind attachment to relatives.

With steadfast mind he seeks bodhi,

His resolve as firm as vajra.

Even if someone should cut and dismember him,

He harbors no anger or hatred.

His courageous resolve grows ever stronger

As he seeks to attain omniscience.”

After speaking these verses, the Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation: “Good man!

A bodhisattva has four things concerning which he feels no regret:

First, he does not violate the precepts; second, he dwells in an aranya; third, he practices

the four noble lineages; and fourth, he is widely learned. These are the four things concerning which he feels no regret.”

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

“His observance of the precepts is pure and stainless,

Like a mani jewel.

He does not give rise to pride,

Boasting, ‘I am skilled in keeping the precepts.’

Moreover, with those true precepts,

He instructs many others.

Constantly cherishing this aspiration,

He perfects the Buddha realm.

The bodhisattva dwells in seclusion,

In a pure aranya.

Nor does he conceive of a self;

The conception of a living being is also absent.

He observes the forms of men and women

As though they were grasses and trees.

He gives rise to no conception of male or female,

Nor to any conception of an individual self.

He abides in the four noble lineages,

Without indolence or deceit.

With sincere mind he constantly practices,

Remaining far removed from heedlessness.

Seeking the merit of extensive learning,

He constantly cultivates with diligence.

He vows to attain omniscience,

The supreme abode of merit.

Sentient beings are confined in prison,

With no one to rescue or protect them.

They revolve endlessly through birth and death,

Seeking wealth to sustain themselves.

I shall seek the vessel of Dharma

And ferry them out of birth and death,

Across the sea of afflictions, suffering, and distress,

Bringing them to the other shore.

Sentient beings have no refuge,

Nor anyone to rescue or protect them.

Sentient beings remain within the conditioned,

With no one to lead them out.

I shall become their Guide

And rescue them so that they attain liberation.

Therefore, I give rise to the aspiration

To seek and realize the path to bodhi.”

After speaking these verses, the Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation: “Good man! A bodhisattva has four disciplinary practices that he must cultivate:

First, he vows to be born in wholesome places where he will always encounter the Buddhas.

Second, he makes offerings to his teachers and elders without seeking recompense.

Third, he always delights in seclusion and relinquishes offerings and material support.

Fourth, he attains unobstructed eloquence, practices dhuta, and patiently accepts the Dharma.”

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

“The courageous bodhisattva delights in mountains and forests,

And never follows others in pursuit of offerings and material support.

He constantly attains profound wisdom and unobstructed eloquence,

Skillfully penetrating the characteristics of all dharmas.

He must always make offerings to his teachers and elders,

Following his teacher’s words without opposition.

Wherever he is born, he encounters the Buddhas,

Making offerings with reverence while seeking bodhi.

He is always born in excellent places and enjoys great renown;

Among the devas, he is honored among devas.

He also succeeds in perfecting the path to bodhi,

Teaching sentient beings to practice the ten wholesome deeds.

Recollecting the Buddha’s merits, he always rejoices:

‘Before long, I too shall attain Buddhahood.

Having attained perfect awakening and fulfilled all merit,

I shall deliver sentient beings from birth and death.’”

After speaking these verses, the Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation: “Good man! A bodhisattva has four things that purify the practice of bodhi:

First, while practicing for bodhi, he has no angry or resentful mind.

Second, he relinquishes relatives, palaces, wealth, and treasures, delights in dwelling in mountains and forests, and does not boast of his own merit.

Third, although he practices giving, he seeks no reward.

Fourth, he diligently delights in the Dharma and does not look for faults in his teacher.”

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

“The bodhisattva’s mind is pure, without resentment or hatred,

And he does not seek the faults of others.

Free from deceit and attachment,

He practices the Mahayana path and seeks bodhi.

He clearly sees that household life is the root of suffering,

And that drawing near to evil friends deprives one of right mindfulness.

Therefore, he relinquishes it and goes forth,

Dwelling in mountains and forests while seeking liberation.

Always dwelling in secluded places, he delights in tranquility,

And forever severs thoughts of attachment to relatives.

He does not cherish his body or life,

But travels alone and fearless like a lion.

Begging for food to sustain his body, he always knows contentment,

Like a bird in flight that stores nothing away.

He does not delight in birth among devas or humans,

But seeks only the path to unsurpassed bodhi.

Traveling alone, without companions, by himself,

He is ever fearless like a lion.

He fears the afflictions as though they were savage beasts;

If he receives offerings and material support, his mind does not rejoice.

Seeing sentient beings ever heedless,

He vows with loving-kindness and compassion to destroy that fault.

‘Because I shall rescue and protect all sentient beings,

I must always strive with ardent diligence.’

Whatever words he speaks are always loving;

Toward those who hate or love him, he always smiles.

Unattached to anything, like the passing wind,

He seeks only the conduct of a great being.

He always delights in cultivating emptiness and signlessness,

Viewing conditioned dharmas as illusions.

He disciplines his faculties, his resolve vast and great;

Whether walking or standing, he always delights in the ambrosial Dharma.

Always relying upon the Buddha’s teaching, he practices the great path,

Ever maintaining purity within his mind.

He seeks dharanis and eloquence,

Bearing every hardship in his quest for bodhi.

The bodhisattva constantly contemplates these meritorious practices,

And rejoices in their immediate benefit.

If someone does not delight in the path to bodhi,

There is no evil that such a person will not commit.”

After speaking these verses, the Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation: “A bodhisattva has four things that cause his downfall:

First, he does not respect others.

Second, he is ungrateful and deceitful.

Third, he greatly seeks offerings, material support, fame, and reputation.

Fourth, he deceitfully displays good conduct and boasts of his own excellence.”

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

“Toward their parents, teachers, and elders,

They are always arrogant and show no respect.

They betray and forget the kindness that nurtured them, and their hearts are deceitful;

Their faculties are distracted, and their delusion is great.

They constantly think of offerings and material support without ceasing,

Deceitfully feigning the appearance of diligence.

They proclaim that they keep the precepts and practice austerities,

Saying that no one else can equal them.

With harsh speech and coarse words, they delight in disputes,

And constantly seek the faults of others without ceasing.

They remain ever far removed from the conduct of a shramana,

Engaging in farming, cultivation, and trade.

In the future age, bhikshus

Will cast aside merit and moral discipline.

Because of jealousy and contention,

They will damage and destroy the Buddha’s true Dharma.

They are exceedingly far from bodhi,

And also far removed from the seven noble treasures.

They turn against the eightfold right path of liberation,

And wander through the five destinies within birth and death.”

After speaking these verses, the Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation: “Good man! There are four things that obstruct the path: lack of faith, indolence, self-conceit, and anger.”

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

“Faithless and indolent, their minds are dark and dull;

Their hearts are always filled with self-conceit and anger.

When they see bhikshus practicing patience,

They drive them out of the monasteries and stupas.

If they receive offerings and material support, their minds rejoice,

And they all declare, ‘I am a permanent resident here.’

They constantly devise every means to expose the faults of others:

‘Whoever commits an offense, I shall punish.’

People such as these are far removed from the true Dharma;

Jealous of others’ merit, they fall into the three evil destinies.

They despise the wondrous Dharma of the Buddhas;

Such people shall enter the great fire.”

This person commits evil without ever ceasing,

And surely will endure every suffering within suffering.

Therefore, bodhisattvas who seek bodhi

Must not incur regret and fall into evil destinies.

Only after immeasurable koṭis of kalpas does a Buddha appear

To bring benefit to sentient beings.

Having obtained a body in a fortunate realm,

A bodhisattva must abandon heedlessness and seek liberation."

After speaking these verses, the Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Protector of the Realm: "Good man! There are four kinds of people whom one must forsake and not approach:

First, one must not approach evil spiritual friends.

Second, one must not approach those attached to views.

Third, one must not approach those who slander the Dharma.

Fourth, one must not approach those who crave material offerings."

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

"Keep far away from evil spiritual friends,

And draw near to good spiritual friends;

The path of bodhi will then increase,

Like the moon gradually becoming full.

Stay far away from those attached to views,

Who cling to a self and to a recipient;

Cast them aside as one would poison,

In order to seek the path to Buddhahood.

Those who disparage the Buddha's true Dharma,

The tranquil flavor of amṛta—

If one wishes to seek bodhi,

One must avoid them like filthy excrement.

Stay far away from craving material offerings,

And also forsake those who practice evil;

Such people should not be approached,

Just as one avoids a great pit of fire.

If one wishes to subdue Māra

And turn the unsurpassed Dharma wheel,

If one wishes to seek the supreme benefit,

One must quickly leave evil spiritual friends far behind.

Abandon attachment, hatred, and aversion,

And also keep far from gain and fame;

If one wishes to seek the unsurpassed path,

One must constantly cultivate the wisdom of the Buddha."

After speaking these verses, the Blessed One further told the Bodhisattva Protector of the Realm that there are four kinds of conduct that bring suffering in future lives:

First, treating the wise with contempt and arrogance.

Second, constantly harboring jealousy.

Third, having no faith in any Dharma.

Fourth, constantly doubting the Dharma of pure wisdom, refusing to accept it, and seeking material offerings."

The Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Those who attend upon the Buddha and are wise

Should receive offerings from all devas and humans;

Yet if they become haughty and arrogant,

Because of this, they will endure boundless suffering.

They neither believe nor accept the Dharma of pure wisdom,

And all the material offerings they seek are obtained unlawfully;

They constantly harbor pride and arrogance,

And show no reverence when they see the wise.

They neither believe in nor understand the Buddha-Dharma,

Nor do they have faith in the assembly of noble sages;

Such people constantly journey through evil destinies,

And when born as humans, they are exceedingly deluded.

When they relinquish their human lives,

They endure great suffering in the great hells;

When a kalpa ends there, they are born elsewhere,

And the same occurs among animals and hungry ghosts.

If people wish to seek and attain Buddhahood,

To become supreme persons who have ended all suffering,

They must always keep far from deeds leading to the three evil destinies,

And cultivate every virtue to attain perfect awakening."

After speaking these verses, the Buddha further said to the Bodhisattva Protector of the Realm: "There are four things that bind bodhisattvas:

First, treating others with contempt and arrogance.

Second, delighting in mundane meditative concentrations and not seeking the ultimate goal.

Third, failing to guard one's own mind, and acting heedlessly before wisdom has been perfected.

Fourth, entering the homes of others in pursuit of material offerings.

These are the four things that bind bodhisattvas."

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

"Constantly treating others with contempt,

Delighting in worldly virtues,

And clinging to the bonds of various views—

One is like an elephant mired in deep mud.

Delighting in entering the homes of householders,

And constantly harboring a heedless mind,

Utterly deluded and devoid of wisdom—

Such conduct is called bondage.

Those who wish to end the suffering of birth and death

And forever escape the three realms

Must abandon arrogance

And constantly practice the bodhisattva path.

They must bear boundless suffering,

Cast aside all pleasures,

And also depart from affection and hatred,

To attain Buddhahood free from attachment.

Bodhisattvas must constantly cultivate the six pāramitās,

All the bhūmis, all wisdoms, and all the six faculties;

If they perfect every virtue,

They will escape the net of birth and death.

In immeasurable kalpas of the distant past,

The Buddha sought bodhi for the sake of sentient beings;

He constantly practiced giving to tame himself,

Forsaking affection and attachment to cultivate the true path.

He always remained in secluded places,

Practicing austerities until he grew emaciated while seeking bodhi;

He roused vigorous diligence and never grew indolent,

Seeking the supreme wisdom of the great person.

Seeing sentient beings in the three realms

Cycling through the five destinies and enduring birth and death,

He pitied them all and gave rise to great compassion;

Therefore, he sought the path of bodhi.

He forsook beloved children and wives and concubines,

And also relinquished wealth, the seven treasures, and all else;

He gave up his lifespan, kingdom, and the vast earth

To seek bodhi and the wisdom of a Buddha.

Long ago, in a fine mountain forest,

The Buddha was an immortal cultivator named Forbearance;

When King Kali severed his ears and nose,

His blood turned into milk, and he felt no resentment.

Long ago, he was once a filial son,

Who lovingly supported and made offerings to his father and mother;

Though struck by a poisoned arrow shot by an evil man,

Even then he harbored no anger or resentment.

Sparing not his life, he leapt from a lofty precipice

To seek the virtuous teachings spoken by the Buddhas;

Even then he did not regard his body or life,

But sought only to accomplish the great work of bodhi.

Long ago, out of compassion for starving beasts,

He gave the flesh of his own body to eight tigers;

At that time, devas in the sky

Praised him, saying, 'Excellent, great person!'

Long ago, he delighted in being a great benefactor,

And once became a brahmin of pure conduct;

Out of pity for beings suffering from hunger and poverty,

He entered the ocean in search of a wish-fulfilling jewel.

When the ocean deity then seized and took it away,

I resolutely began to empty the great ocean;

Thereupon I recovered the precious jewel and returned to Jambudvīpa,

Using it to aid destitute and impoverished beings.

I also once became a king named Soma,

Who would not tell a lie even at the cost of his life;

Because of me, the other kings attained liberation,

And my renown resounded throughout the ten directions.

Long ago, when I saw a destitute person,

Although I was then a king, I gave away my own body,

Causing that person to become exceedingly wealthy and possess many treasures;

Thus I received the name Giver of All.

Long ago, I was once King Śibi;

A terrified dove alighted upon my breast.

I gave my own flesh in exchange for the bird's life,

Freeing the dove from terror.

Long ago, I was a king named Lion;

When I was gravely ill, a physician gave me medicine.

When a sick person came and begged for that medicine,

I did not cherish my own body but gave it to him first.

Long ago, while cultivating for the sake of sentient beings,

I was a prince named Sudāna.

When someone came to ask for my children and wife,

I felt no reluctance and gave them all away.

I was once a bodhisattva named Majestic Splendor;

In order to inspire a king of ability and virtue,

I persevered diligently for eighty-four thousand years

Before I was finally able to transform him.

I was also a prince named Pure Majesty,

Who burned his own body as an offering to a Buddha's stūpa,

Reverently making offerings to the One Possessed of the Ten Powers,

The Unsurpassed, Supremely Victorious, Honored One among Two-Legged Beings.

I was once a king named Moonlight;

There was a brahmin named Fearsome

Who followed me and begged for my entire head;

I immediately and readily gave him my head.

I was also a king named Merit,

Who filled villages, towns, and marketplaces

With medicines and food

To bestow upon all sentient beings.

I was once a king named Sun-Purity,

Who possessed a thousand beautiful courtesans,

Their heads adorned with necklaces of the seven treasures

And beautified with lovely, fragrant flowers and incense;

I gave them all away to others.

I was also a king named Contentment,

Whose hands and feet were as soft as silken floss,

And whose lovely complexion was pure and clear like a lotus;

I also gave them away to sentient beings.

I was also a merchant leader named Pure Eyes,

Who led five hundred people in search of the seven treasures.

When rākṣasas manifested as beautiful women,

The merchant leader rescued the entire company.

I was once a prince named Flame of Merit,

Who had hundreds of millions of wives, concubines, and courtesans,

Their bodies as beautiful as celestial maidens;

Yet I left them behind, renounced the household life, and felt no attachment.

I was also a merchant leader named Golden-Hued.

At that time, there was a Buddha named Stainless One;

Before that Buddha, Golden-Hued burned his ten fingers

As an offering to the Supremely Victorious, Honored One among Two-Legged Beings.

I was also a king named Flower Eyes,

Upon whom people gazed without ever growing weary;

I gave away my beautiful pair of eyes

Because the king's heart was compassionate toward sentient beings.

I was also a bodhisattva named Abundant Hair.

Seeing a woman whose husband had just died,

Who remembered and longed for him day and night without respite,

Remaining naked in her obsession, her mind driven mad,

The Bodhisattva Abundant Hair felt compassion for her

And transformed into the likeness of her deceased husband to address the mad wife;

He gradually instructed and transformed that deranged woman,

Causing her madness to cease and her mind to awaken.

I was also a bodhisattva named Universal Gaze.

Seeing a sick person emaciated and suffering,

Universal Gaze then gave rise to compassion

And bestowed his own blood and flesh upon the sick person.

Again, I became a king named Flower Husband,

And saw a person stricken by grave illness.

The bodhisattva Flower Husband aroused loving-kindness

And split open his own bones to give marrow as a cure.

Again, I became a king named Accomplished Benefit,

And saw a person in utmost poverty.

I gave that person all my wealth,

And even relinquished my life without regret.

I became a king named Banner of Faith,

Whose two soft hands bore the wheel marks.

When someone came to ask for those two hands,

In quest of bodhi, I gave them at once.

Again, I became a king named Universally Manifest,

Possessing the four continents and abundant treasures.

The realm was rich and joyful, its people numerous;

In quest of bodhi, I gave it all away.

Again, I became a princess named Wisdom Intention,

Whose body was pure white and exceedingly soft.

With compassion and joy, I cut flesh from my thigh

And gave my blood as well, without regret.

Again, I became a woman named Silver-Hued.

In the City of Golden Hue, there was a woman

Who, newly delivered and starving, wished to eat her child;

Silver-Hued cut off her breasts to feed the hungry woman.

Again, I became a king named Literary Virtue,

Exceedingly rich in wealth and many jeweled necklaces.

Gold, silver, the seven treasures, and every kind of carriage—

Things difficult for worldly people to relinquish—the king gave them all.

Again, I became a prince named Grateful One.

There was a man named Ungrateful One who fell into the sea.

For the sake of treasure, Ungrateful One pierced my eyes,

Yet at that time my heart bore him no resentment.

Again, I recall that in the past I was a soldier.

Amid a great battle, I had no thought of killing.

I would rather die myself than harm another;

I harbored no thought of killing even ants or mosquitoes.

Again, I recall that in the past I was a pheasant.

I reverently made offerings to the elders and honored ones,

And provided for all my kind, both old and young;

At that time, I was entirely free of arrogance.

Again, I recall that in the past I was an ape.

In the mountains, I encountered a hunter.

The entire troop of apes came to me for refuge;

Out of compassion for their lives, I immediately saved them.

Again, I recall that in the past I was an elephant king,

Captured, bound, and tethered by a king.

Remembering my parents, both of whom were blind,

I would rather starve to death and refused to eat.

Again, I recall that in the past I took the body of a bear.

I rescued and sustained a person who had lost his way.

He led a hunter back and treacherously harmed me,

Yet even when betrayed and harmed, I did not grow angry.

Again, I recall that in the past I was an elephant king,

Struck by a hunter’s arrow.

Seeking bodhi and all its virtues,

I presented my tusks to that hunter.

Again, I recall that in the past I was a pheasant,

Dwelling in the countryside beside a forest.

When a fire spread and began consuming that forest,

I extinguished the forest fire, and the heavens rained flowers.

Long ago, I was once a nine-colored deer,

Grazing and drinking beside a riverbank.

The river was deep and broad, and its current swift;

When a man fell into the river, I rescued him.

Coveting a reward, that man obeyed the king’s command

And brought many soldiers to harm me.

Seeking bodhi, I practiced loving-kindness

And bore that man no resentment.

Again, I recall that in the past I was a great turtle

Who carried merchants safely across the sea.

Five hundred merchants ate my flesh,

Yet my heart remained compassionate, and I was not angry with them.

I recall that while practicing for bodhi in the past,

I once took the body of a fish swimming in the water.

Out of compassion for all beings, I relinquished my body,

And hundreds of thousands of beings ate my flesh.

Seeing hundreds of thousands of beings afflicted by illness,

I transformed my body into medicine as vast as a mountain.

Wishing to free beings from the suffering of illness,

I transformed into a worm named Moon.

Again, I recall that long ago I was a lion king,

Great in body and mighty in strength, yet compassionate at heart.

Again, I recall that in the past I was a horse king,

My body pure white like snowy jade.

I always dwelt atop a high mountain in the great ocean,

Rescuing travelers from the peril of rakshasas.

Again, I recall that while seeking bodhi in the past,

I once became a king named Dwelling House.

Seeing the many faults and calamities of sensual pleasures,

I did not follow a courtesan and was subjected to false accusations.

Again, I recall that in the past I was once a rabbit,

Constantly teaching the other rabbits wholesome deeds.

I lived with a sage, and together we cultivated mindfulness;

I gave up my body, immolating myself to save the starving sage.

Again, I recall that in the past I was a parrot,

Dwelling always in a grove abundant with flowers and fruits.

To repay the kindness of a withered tree, I would not abandon it;

The king of the gods transformed the withered tree, causing it to bear fruit.

Again, I recall that I was once a monkey king.

Seeing the troop of monkeys endangered by a dragon,

I taught them to drink through bamboo tubes,

And all the monkeys escaped the dragon’s peril.

Again, I recall that long ago I was a parrot

Who took another person’s grain to support my parents.

The owner of the grain caught me and angrily rebuked me:

“How dare you steal another person’s grain?”

I replied, “When you sowed and planted this grain,

You promised that all beings might eat it.

Now I take it home to support my parents;

This cannot be called stealing.”

The owner of the grain immediately rejoiced:

“I am a beast, while this bird is truly human!

Excellent, parrot of wisdom,

Who knows filial devotion and how to make offerings to your parents.

From this day forward, I give you grain

To carry home and present to your parents.”

Such were the immeasurable deeds of the past;

There was no austerity I did not undertake.

Never did weariness or fatigue arise in my heart,

As I sought the unsurpassed path of purity.

Of all internal and external possessions,

There was not a single thing I did not resolve to give.

Moral discipline, patience, diligence, and meditation,

Immeasurable skillful means, and wisdom—

Skin, flesh, bones, marrow, and blood—

I gave them all to all beings.

Long ago, I dwelt amid mountains and forests,

Practicing with courageous diligence until my body grew emaciated,

Seeking the Buddha’s teachings of the Great and Lesser Vehicles,

To transmit them to beings and lead them into the path.

I always delighted in dwelling in places suited to dhutanga practice,

Constantly cultivating it without ever abandoning it.

All such difficult austerities

I practiced from the most distant past.

The Buddha said that beings in the future,

Hearing me recount these deeds, would scorn and ridicule them.

They would not accept or uphold even a single verse,

But would instead slander such Dharma.

Because they crave food, clothing, and the like,

Their minds are constantly distracted by thoughts, and they sleep excessively.

Deceitful and crooked, they malign the Dharma without shame or remorse,

Destroying the true Dharma and possessing no virtue.

On hearing this subtle, wondrous, quiescent Dharma,

They will say that it was not taught by the Buddha:

“Our teacher is as learned as the ocean,

Supreme in skillful exposition and eloquent speech.

Even he does not practice such a Dharma;

You should not pursue this false and empty teaching.

Within it there is no self and no life principle,

Nor does it speak of the characteristics of beings.

You merely toil in vain, gaining no merit,

And practice austerities to no purpose.

Since a Dharma called the Great Vehicle has been proclaimed,

Why does it still teach emptiness and no-self?

Because there are no beings and no agents,

There is therefore no need to seek anything within the Dharma.

These scriptural passages were fabricated,

Just like doctrines devised with the perverse intentions of non-Buddhists.

The Tathagata never taught such things.”

They rebuke, curse, and humiliate the bhikshus.

Those unwholesome people are no true renunciants;

Deceitful and fraudulent, they possess every evil.

In future ages, within the Buddha’s Dharma,

They will assume the appearance of bhikshus,

While inwardly filled with jealousy, arrogance, and hypocrisy.

Their hands and feet move restlessly, and they lack dignified deportment;

The two ends of their kasayas always hang loose.

Clad in Dharma robes, they constantly frequent marketplaces;

Entering laypeople’s homes, they are habitually intoxicated.

Though dressed in Dharma robes, they associate intimately with laypeople,

Abandoning the true Dharma, that treasury of virtue.

They delight in serving as messengers for laypeople

And keep cattle, horses, goats, pigs, and chickens,

Male and female servants, and impure possessions.

Farming fields and tending gardens, their minds are constantly disturbed.

Their hearts delight in evil deeds and possess no wholesome conduct;

Nor do they draw near to spiritual friends.

Their mouths speak without discerning or choosing their words,

While their bodies commit every kind of evil deed.

They greedily seize the property of the Sangha and the Buddha’s stupas;

How much less would they consent to give away their own possessions?

When they see bhikshus who uphold pure precepts,

They disparage them as not truly practicing the holy life.

They do not observe the precepts and possess no virtuous dignity;

They delight in staying in lay homes and violating others’ wives.

Even married laymen still feel ashamed,

But those evil bhikshus are even more lustful.

They keep wives and children and pursue desires without satisfaction,

Differing in no way from laypeople.

If a donor invites them and makes offerings,

Giving clothing, food, medicine, and the like,

They accept the faithful offerings without pure mindfulness,

Only increasing their lust and violating others’ wives.

Their minds constantly fantasize about women’s beauty;

Following their afflictions, they have no noble conduct.

Through skillful guile, they entice women,

While teaching laypeople to cut off sensual desire.

They say that those who indulge in desire fall into the evil realms,

Descending into hell or becoming hungry ghosts or animals.

Yet they themselves do not follow their own teaching;

How then can they transmit the Dharma and guide others?

Such people’s three kinds of karma do not accord with the Dharma,

And all their followers are likewise.

Day and night they gather and converse without rest,

Discussing only the five sensual pleasures and worldly affairs.

They accept disciples only to command them,

Never teaching them the wholesome paths.

They gather many disciples around themselves,

Displaying their own great virtue in pursuit of fame and gain.

Outwardly displaying peculiar signs, they feign compassion,

Gathering followers while claiming not to seek gain.

Their disciples and retinues suffer many illnesses,

Being emaciated, leprous, scabbed, and covered with sores.

They are merely a motley host of inferior people,

Never instructed in the wholesome Buddha-Dharma.

Precepts, learning, concentration, and wisdom are all cast aside;

They do not perform the duties of bhikshus.

Neither religious nor lay, they have no proper designation,

And resemble a piece of rotten, crumbling wood.

In their hearts they disparage the disciplinary rules,

And likewise treat the bodhisattva precepts with contempt.

They roam at will, contrary to the Buddha’s words,

Recklessly indulging themselves like drunken elephants.

At times they falsely appear to dwell in mountain forests,

While their minds constantly dwell upon affairs of the cities.

The afflictions of the three poisons continually arise;

Their minds cannot be tranquil even for a moment.

They forget the admonitions taught by the Buddha,

Together with the dhutanga practices and their virtues.

Self-conceit and arrogance fill their bodies;

They fall into the terrifying Avici hell.

Day and night they constantly discuss affairs of kingdoms,

And also habitually speak about bandits and thieves.

Body and mind are wholly occupied with family affairs,

Forsaking meditation and wisdom.

Even if they practice, they delight in coarse affairs;

Concerned with their own comfort, they undertake construction.

Even if they build a Sangharama,

They crave rooms and dwellings, their brows ever furrowed.

Their own body, speech, and mind are not gentle or disciplined;

Their followers imitate them and become the same.

Although those evil bhikshus build monasteries,

They do so solely for themselves and their retinues.

If there are bhikshus who comply with them,

They promptly arrange to receive and lodge them.

But if there are venerable ones who uphold the precepts,

Who are skilled in means and able to expound the true Dharma,

Who discipline themselves and discipline others,

They will never receive those venerable ones.

They say: “I am presently occupying this room;

The other rooms belong to my disciples.

The rest have already been assigned to our fellow practitioners.

Go elsewhere; there is no place for you here.

The beds and seats now available

Have all been entrusted to particular persons.

There is no place remaining to accommodate you,

Nor are there robes or food; you should leave.”

They will not even provide articles for temporary use,

Much less allow access to rooms, dwellings, or other things.

They do not observe the Dharma of allocation according to Sangha seniority;

Those evil bhikshus behave like worldly people.

They amass much wealth and maintain large retinues,

While disciples of the Buddha who live in accord with the Dharma

Are continually driven away and not allowed to remain.

At times, recalling the Buddha’s teachings,

Their hearts grieve and they enter the mountain forests,

Lamenting: “Alas, the wondrous Dharma taught by the Buddha

Will before long perish and no longer appear.”

There are also bhikshus who seek abundant gain,

Whose conduct is devoid of Dharma and who hate the virtuous.

Even those who possess the virtue of upholding the precepts

Are hated and despised by them and receive no provisions.

All sorrowfully lament and leave the towns,

Dwelling constantly in desolate mountains and secluded forests.

Those foolish, conceited, arrogant, and evil people

Continually quarrel, speaking harshly and with duplicity.

When they deceive worldly people and obtain provisions,

They consider themselves no different from the sages.

The treasury of virtue that is the true Dharma of the Buddha’s teaching,

Perfectly replete with every wondrous virtue,

Will in later ages be destroyed and no longer appear

Because of self-conceit and failure to uphold the precepts.

As a treasury of jewels is plundered,

As a lotus pond dries up,

As a precious carriage is broken and ruined,

So too will the Buddha-Dharma be in later ages.

Those evil bhikshus are difficult to discipline;

They will extinguish the Buddha’s true Dharma without remainder.

In the evil age of the future,

Their destruction of the Buddha-Dharma will be truly dreadful.

Those who delight in such evil deeds

Depart far from devas, humans, and wholesome conduct.

When they relinquish their lives in these bodies,

They fall among hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals.

There, for countless hundreds of millions of thousands of years,

They undergo every kind of suffering and anguish.

Afterward, even if they should obtain a human body,

They endure much suffering, are foul and wicked, and remain impure.

They may be blind, deaf, mute, or stammering,

And their bodies constantly suffer many illnesses.

Their appearance is ugly and repellent, and no one likes them;

They must constantly live in fear and serve others.

They find it hard to please others and hard to receive affection;

Whatever they say is not believed.

If anyone practices evil in this way,

Wherever they go, they are rebuked and driven away.

Such people bear many painful illnesses

And are often beaten and driven off with staffs.

Hunger and thirst continually torment their bodies,

And all who see them hold them in contempt.

Hearing of such manifold sufferings,

You should abandon every evil and discipline your minds.

Do good toward sentient beings,

And do not give cause for remorse hereafter.

If people cherish and revere the Buddha, the World-Honored One,

The holy assembly, the precepts, and the dhutanga practices,

You should diligently seek to practice these,

And should distance yourselves from retinues, gain, and fame.

Fame and gain are inverted delusions, like magical illusions;

You should regard conditioned things as dreams.

Those joined by affection must inevitably part;

All conditioned things do not long endure.

Do not abandon right effort, the faculties, the powers, and the rest;

Diligently seek the various paramitas.

Until you realize wondrous bodhi,

You should constantly cultivate every practice.”

The Buddha further said to the Bodhisattva Protector of the Nation: “Good man! In the future age, if those who cultivate the bodhisattva practices of the Mahayana have faults such as these, they must themselves abandon them and distance themselves from those who possess such evil faults.

“Those who do not diligently cultivate themselves but habitually associate with people possessing such evil faults; who do not diligently preserve right conduct, are themselves deceitful, and draw near to the deceitful; who themselves lack wisdom and follow those who lack wisdom; who greedily seek worldly gain, never knowing contentment, and are attached to lay households; who envy those superior to themselves; who are deceitful and fraudulent, without remorse or shame; who falsely display the marks of sages and exalt and esteem themselves—all separately praise their own retinues in order to seek fame and gain.

Seeking provisions, they frequently enter the towns. They neither cherish all sentient beings nor strive to teach and transform them, but constantly say of themselves: ‘I possess equanimity and always maintain such mindfulness, though who can know it? I am the true spiritual friend of sentient beings.

I am one of great learning.’ Yet in truth they have no reverence for the Buddha-Dharma and no aspiration to seek the Dharma. They are like broken vessels that can no longer be used, or like lazy people who can accomplish no task. They search out one another’s faults, employ various ignorant and indolent expedients, harbor wrong and evil thoughts, and together discuss matters that destroy the Dharma.

Obstinately clinging to evil intentions, they do not relinquish them even at death. Greedy and miserly, they accumulate much, and the retinues they support learn to behave in the same way, gathering around one another within the Buddha-Dharma.

“Practitioners such as these, whatever they undertake, do not consult the wise and do not seek the Buddha-Dharma. Because they lack diligence, they are born into impoverished families. From such impoverished families they go forth, and when they obtain a small amount of provisions within the Buddha’s teaching, their hearts rejoice without any sense of shame. Such people do not even possess the resolve to repent; how, then, could they acquire superior wisdom through self-awakening? They themselves forsake the virtues of all Buddhas and choose present fame and gain. Because they obtain present fame and gain, they proclaim of themselves: ‘I am a shramana.’

“Protector of the Nation! Regarding people such as these, the Buddha does not even say that they possess conformity with the patient acceptance of truth, much less that they have attained the great wisdom of the Buddhas. Such people are still far removed from the path of humans and the path of devas; how much more remote are they from accomplishing the path to Buddhahood!

“Protector of the Nation! The Buddha teaches that such people possess eight kinds of qualities that obstruct bodhi:

“One: They will be born in the three evil destinies.

“Two: They will be born into impoverished families.

“Four: Their appearance will not be comely.

“Five: They will be foolish and without wisdom.

“Six: They will constantly associate with evil spiritual friends.

“Seven: They will suffer many illnesses.

“Eight: They will be afflicted by severe, malignant illness until death.

“Protector of the Nation! These eight things obstruct bodhi.”

– O Protector of the Nation! The Buddha does not say that one can attain bodhi through mere words. The Buddha does not say that one who falsely assumes the appearance of a noble being possesses pure conduct. The Buddha does not say that a deceitful and crooked person possesses the conduct leading to bodhi. The Buddha does not say that one who greedily craves abundant offerings possesses the practice of making offerings to the Buddha. The Buddha does not say that an arrogant person possesses the practice of pure prajna. The Buddha does not say that one devoid of wisdom can resolve the doubts of others. The Buddha does not say that a jealous person possesses the practice of diligence. The Buddha does not say that one who lacks diligence possesses the practices of dharani. The Buddha does not say that one who takes no delight in merit attains the practice of the wholesome path. The Buddha does not say that one attached to the worldly household possesses the practice of purity in body and mind. The Buddha does not say that one who falsely displays dignified deportment will encounter an assembly of Buddhas. The Buddha does not say that one who delights in household life possesses purity of verbal karma. The Buddha does not say that one who is disrespectful possesses the practice of mental purity. The Buddha does not say that one who lacks contentment delights in the practice of the Dharma. The Buddha does not say that one who clings to body and life possesses the practice of seeking the true Dharma.

– O Protector of the Nation! Although the Buddha rebuked the six teachers, those adherents of non-Buddhist paths stood outside the Buddha-Dharma. Yet those who enter the Buddha-Dharma and then commit evil karma and sinful deeds deserve rebuke many times greater than those six teachers. Why is this? Because such people merely proclaim with their mouths, ‘I am a bhikshu,’ while using their lack of conduct to deceive all the devas and humans of the world."

Wishing to restate this meaning, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

"Their deportment defiled and disordered, they show no reverence;

They merely increase their arrogance and craving for renown.

Afflictions conceal their deluded and intoxicated minds;

Such people remain far removed from wondrous bodhi.

Attached to fame and gain, they are indolent;

Their indolence increases, and they lose right mindfulness.

Without right mindfulness, they lose moral discipline;

Without moral discipline, they lose the wholesome path.

Such people are born into destitute households;

After leaving home, they crave offerings.

They are like people who cast away precious gold

And carry filthy grass, regarding it as treasure.

Seeking fame and gain, they dwell in forests and mountains;

Once there, they again seek companions.

They cast aside supernormal powers, wisdom, eloquence, and talent,

Seeking present fame, gain, and entourages.

At life’s end, such people fall into evil destinies,

Or are born into poor and lowly households.

Indolent, base, and devoid of dignified virtue—

All this they undergo because of arrogance.

They have distanced themselves from all wholesome practices,

And, through heedlessness, have lost right mindfulness.

They remain continually within the great evil destinies,

Unable to escape for hundreds of millions of thousands of kalpas.

If fame and gain were the realm of bodhi,

Then Devadatta should have become a Buddha.

The mighty Vairambha wind shatters all things;

Indolence and lack of discipline are likewise.

Devoid of wholesome conduct, they crave the charms of women;

Lacking pure moral conduct, they lose all merit.

Within the Buddha-Dharma, they serve no purpose;

Those ignorant people are like rotten wood.

If one seeks the Buddha-Dharma for the sake of bodhi,

How could one fail to rely upon the practice of liberation?

Just as sticky resin ensnares monkeys and apes,

So too does arrogance ensnare those who seek the path.

In the past, to seek even a single sentence of Dharma,

I relinquished body and life for the sake of bodhi.

Those people indolently abandon the Buddha’s teaching

And gain not the slightest benefit from the Buddha-Dharma.

In the past, to seek the nectar of the good teaching,

I leapt from high cliffs and plunged into fire.

Having heard the Dharma, I practiced in accordance with the Dharma,

Abandoning all love, hatred, and the like.

Those people hear of the Buddha’s virtues,

Yet never delight in even a single sentence of Dharma.

Without the Dharma, how could they attain bodhi?

They are like blind people speaking of roads they traveled before."