大寶積經

XXXIII. THE THIRTY-THIRD ASSEMBLY: THE MANIFESTATION OF THE BODHISATTVA VIMALADATTA

1. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the kingdom of Shravasti, in Anathapindika’s Garden, together with an assembly of one thousand great bhikshus. They were all arhats whose outflows had been exhausted and who were free of afflictions. They had attained mastery of all dharmas, accomplished what had to be done, laid down their heavy burdens, attained their own benefit, and exhausted the fetters of the three realms. Through right wisdom they were liberated; their minds were well liberated and their wisdom was well liberated. Their minds were disciplined like those of great elephant kings. They had attained mastery of mind, reached the other shore, and entered the eight liberations, with the sole exception of Ananda.

Also present were great bodhisattvas, all adorned with the great adornments and well known to the assembly, who had attained non-retrogression and would attain Buddhahood after one more birth. Their names were Bodhisattva Ratnahasta, Bodhisattva Gunagarbha, Bodhisattva Prajnalamkara, Bodhisattva Yatheshtamati, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri the Dharma Prince, Priyasvara the Dharma Prince, Acintyavimokshacarya the Dharma Prince, Sarvadharmaniravarana-cintin the Dharma Prince, Bodhisattva Maitreya, Bodhisattva Abhayadana, Bodhisattva Aninditadarsana, Bodhisattva Durgativinirmukta, Bodhisattva Amohacarya, Bodhisattva Tamonirghata, Bodhisattva Sarvanivaranavishkambhin, Bodhisattva Pratibhanalamkara, Bodhisattva Ratnaguna-jnanatejas, Bodhisattva Suvarnapushpa-prabha-guna,

and Bodhisattva Caturpratisamvit.

Thus twelve thousand great bodhisattvas were assembled together.

Early one morning, eight great bodhisattvas and eight great shravakas—Manjushri the Dharma Prince, Bodhisattva Aninditadarsana, Bodhisattva Ratnakara, Bodhisattva Durgativinirmukta, Bodhisattva Sarvanivaranavishkambhin, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva Pratibhanalamkara, Bodhisattva Amohacarya, the Venerable Shariputra, the Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana, the Venerable Mahakashyapa, the Venerable Subhuti, the Venerable Purnamaitrayaniputra, the Venerable Revata, the Venerable Aniruddha, and the Venerable Ananda—donned their robes, took up their alms bowls, and set out to enter the city of Shravasti to seek alms.

Along the way, each reflected and declared his intention. The Venerable Shariputra said, “I shall enter such a meditative concentration and then go into the city of Shravasti to seek alms, wishing that all beings in the city may hear the Four Noble Truths.” The Venerable Maudgalyayana said, “I shall enter such a meditative concentration and then go into the city of Shravasti to seek alms, wishing that all beings in the city may be freed from the works of Mara.” The Venerable Mahakashyapa said, “I shall enter such a meditative concentration and then go into the city of Shravasti to seek alms, wishing that those who make offerings to me may obtain inexhaustible merit, ultimately attaining nirvana.” The Venerable Subhuti said,

“I shall enter such a meditative concentration and then go into the city of Shravasti to seek alms, wishing that all beings who see me may enjoy happiness among humans and devas and may bring all suffering to an end.” The Venerable Purnamaitrayaniputra said, “I shall enter such a meditative concentration and then go into the city of Shravasti to seek alms, wishing that all non-Buddhist practitioners, brahmins, Nirgranthas, and others in the city may attain right view.” The Venerable Revata said, “I shall enter such a meditative concentration and then go into the city of Shravasti to seek alms, wishing that all beings in the city may attain the joy of freedom from contention.” The Venerable Aniruddha said,

“I shall enter such a meditative concentration and then go into the city of Shravasti to seek alms, wishing that all beings in the city may know the karmic results of their former lives.” The Venerable Ananda said, “I shall enter such a meditative concentration and then go into the city of Shravasti to seek alms, wishing that all beings in the city may bring clearly to mind all the Dharma they have heard.”

Manjushri the Dharma Prince formed this intention: “I shall cause all the houses, walls, vessels, trees, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, garments, and necklaces in the city of Shravasti to emit sounds proclaiming emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, non-possession, selflessness, freedom from conceptual proliferation, and absence of intrinsic nature.” Bodhisattva Aninditadarsana formed this intention: “I shall cause whatever is seen by those beings in the city of Shravasti who are fit to attain unsurpassed bodhi to transform immediately into an image of the Tathagata,

and I shall cause them to become firmly established in unsurpassed bodhi.” Bodhisattva Ratnakara formed this intention: “I shall cause treasure stores filled with the seven precious substances to spring forth from the earth in every household of the noble families in the city of Shravasti.” Bodhisattva Durgativinirmukta formed this intention: “I shall cause all beings in the city of Shravasti who would otherwise fall into the lower realms to undergo only light retribution in this present life and swiftly escape suffering and affliction.” Bodhisattva Sarvanivaranavishkambhin formed this intention: “I shall cause the beings in the city of Shravasti to eliminate the five hindrances completely.” Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara formed this intention: “I shall cause all beings in the city of

Shravasti who are imprisoned or bound in chains to be swiftly released, those about to be killed to have their lives saved, and those stricken with fear immediately to attain fearlessness.” Bodhisattva Pratibhanalamkara formed this intention: “I shall cause all who see me in the city of Shravasti to attain eloquence and to question and answer one another with skillful and wondrous means.” Bodhisattva Amohacarya formed this intention: “I shall cause all who see me in the city of Shravasti to be free of delusion and wrong views and to become firmly established in unsurpassed bodhi.” Having discussed these matters together, the eight great bodhisattvas and eight great shravakas arrived at the gate of the city of Shravasti.

At that time, Vimaladatta, the eight-year-old daughter of King Prasenajit, was beautiful and dignified in appearance. On the eighth day of the second month, when the Pushya constellation appeared, she went out of the city with five hundred brahmins carrying jars filled with water in order to bathe the image of a deity. The brahmins saw the bhikshus standing outside the city gate and regarded it as an inauspicious sign. An elder brahmin named Brahmadeva, who was one hundred and twenty years old, said to Vimaladatta, “These bhikshus standing outside the city gate are an inauspicious sign. We should return to the city and must not encounter them. If we meet them, the sacrifice that should have brought goodness and benefit will instead become unfavorable and inauspicious.”

Vimaladatta then replied to the brahmin in verse:

“Bhikshus, free from craving and defilement,

Are foremost and worthy of praise.

For the sake of sentient beings,

They can cleanse away every evil.

These venerable ones are pure

And have all seen the Four Noble Truths;

Non-Buddhist practitioners are impure,

Obscured by the darkness of delusion.

They are the field of merit of the Honored One Among Bipeds;

Offerings to them yield great rewards.

Those who sow seeds in this field

Enjoy inexhaustible merit and bliss.

Fully endowed with pure discipline,

They have emerged unstained from the mire.

In this world they are like excellent physicians,

Healing the illnesses of sentient beings.

The Buddha, supreme in the world,

Is the king of all dharmas.

These are children of the Buddha

Who have accomplished arhatship.

Those who practice the bodhisattva path

Should be praised by people of the world.

With wisdom they practice wondrous conduct;

Why avoid those whom one should approach?

These are people of wisdom

Who have long practiced generosity.

Brahmins, if you honor them,

All matters will certainly turn out well.

Praise those endowed with such qualities,

Whose minds are pure, an excellent field of merit.

Brahmins, if you can have faith,

You will rejoice, free from grief and suffering.”

The brahmins replied to Vimaladatta in verse:

“Do not follow a foolish mind

In making offerings and seeking merit.

Do not look upon or approach

These shramanas with shaven hair and beards.

Your parents will be displeased,

And we too will be ashamed.

Even if you wish to give alms,

That too would not be good.

Please, do not pay reverence

To this assembly of bhikshus.”

Vimaladatta replied to the brahmins in verse:

“If I should fall into the lower realms,

My parents and relatives,

Treasures and worldly things,

Would all be unable to save me.

Apart from these beings of majestic virtue,

Who would be able to save me?

To honor the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,

One should relinquish even one’s own life.

Apart from the Three Jewels,

There is no other refuge.”

The brahmins said to Vimaladatta, “You have never seen the Buddha or the Sangha, nor have you ever heard the Dharma. How, then, have you come to possess such faith?”

Vimaladattā replied: “When I was seven days old, I was lying on a golden-legged bed in a lofty palace. I saw five hundred devas flying through the sky, speaking of immeasurable virtues and praising the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. At that time, I heard them. There was also a deva who had never seen the Buddha, heard the Dharma, or seen the Sangha. He asked the other devas, ‘Who is the Buddha, and what is he like?’ The devas knew that my mind was utterly sincere, and, wishing both to answer that question and to bring delight, they spoke these verses:

The Buddha’s hair is deep blue,

Pure, and curls toward the right.

The Buddha’s face is like the full moon,

The color of a hundred-petaled lotus.

The white urna is like snowy jade,

Curling rightward, exceedingly beautiful.

As black bees encircle a blue lotus,

So too are the Buddha’s brows and eyes.

His cheeks are rounded like a lion’s,

His eyes blink like those of the king of oxen.

His lips resemble bimba fruit;

His white teeth are close-set, even, and level.

He walks like the king of white geese;

His broad tongue can cover his entire face.

The sounds he utters are perfectly pure,

And all who hear them rejoice.

The cries of peacocks, geese, and wild swans,

The music of lutes made of beryl,

The voices of kinnara and golden bells,

The song of the kalavinka bird,

The call of the kunala bird,

And of the jivajivaka and katsila birds,

And all wondrous strains of music—

The Buddha’s voice is like all these.

The Buddha roars like a lion,

Able to put an end to disputes,

To remove every defilement and suffering;

His truthful words cut off attachment to views.

Amid the great assembly, the Buddha

Is able to resolve all doubts.

Without error, gentle and harmonious,

He brings delight to the assembly.

Leaving both extremes behind,

He rightly teaches the Middle Way.

He always speaks agreeable words,

And all who hear them rejoice.

The Buddha’s words are free of deception and crookedness;

All who hear them are able to understand.

The Buddha’s speech is adorned with wisdom,

Like a lovely garland of fragrant flowers.

His neck is round, his arms long and straight;

His palms bear the marks of wheels.

His fingers are tapered, long, and beautiful;

His nails are the color of red copper.

The Buddha’s body is firm, full, and upright;

His waist is slender and his hips are like a lion’s,

Rounded, handsome, and well proportioned;

His concealed organ is like that of the king of horses.

His figure resembles a golden mountain;

From each pore grows a single hair,

Curling rightward and pointing upward,

Like the hairs of a noble elephant.

His thighs and calves are like those of the king of deer;

The bones of his feet are interlocked like hooks.

His ankles are full, and his feet bear wheel marks,

Clearly complete with a thousand spokes.

– O brahmins! At that time, the devas spoke such verses in praise of the Tathagata. Moreover, the Tathagata, the Worthy One, carries all sentient beings to the other shore. Possessing great loving-kindness and compassion, he is like a great king of physicians who rescues all beings, yet remains unstained by hatred or attachment, like a lotus in water. Of the Tathagata’s virtues, I have praised only a small part.

– O brahmins! When I was seven days old, I heard of the Tathagata’s virtues in this way. From that time until now, I have never slept or rested, nor have I entertained thoughts of sensual desire, anger, or harm. From then until now, I have felt no attachment to my parents, elder or younger brothers and sisters, relatives, treasures, necklaces, clothing, cities, gardens, or even my own body and life, except for mindfulness of the Buddha. Wherever the Tathagata teaches the Dharma, I gather my mind and go there to listen. I receive and retain every word and every meaning without losing a single sentence.

– O brahmins! There has been no time, by day or night, when I have not seen the Blessed One. I never tire of contemplating the Buddha, never have enough of hearing the Dharma, and never grow weary of making offerings to the Sangha.”

When the five hundred brahmins heard Vimaladattā praise the virtues of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, they all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi.

Vimaladattā descended from her carriage and proceeded on foot to the bodhisattvas and sravakas. She bowed her head at their feet and, with reverence and respect, went to stand before the Venerable Sariputra and said: “I am a woman of little wisdom, with many afflictions and much heedlessness. I delight in what is base and am led astray by unwholesome thoughts. Excellent, O Greatly Virtuous Sariputra! Out of compassion for me, please teach the wondrous Dharma. After hearing it, I shall forever gain benefit and ever greater peace and joy.”

Just then, King Prasenajit arrived and heard these words. The king said to Vimaladattā: “You lack none of the pleasures you desire. Why, then, are you troubled, unable to sleep or rest, and unable to delight in worldly pleasures?”

For the sake of his daughter, King Prasenajit spoke these verses:

“You are graceful and dignified like a goddess,

Bathed and anointed with fragrant perfumes,

Fully adorned with necklaces and ornaments;

What troubles you so that you do not sleep?

Our prosperous kingdom abounds in treasures;

Your parents possess sovereign freedom.

What is there that prevents your happiness,

And keeps you from sleeping or resting?

You bring joy to both your parents,

And everyone reveres and admires you.

Your father adorns you with everything;

Why, then, are you not joyful?

What have you seen or heard

That causes you to harbor sorrow and anxiety?

Tell me, dear child, what you seek;

Speak of the matter to your father.”

Vimaladattā addressed her royal father in verse:

“Father, you do not understand that within the household,

The skandhas, dhatus, ayatanas, and all dharmas

Are like illusions and magical transformations;

Life does not pause even for an instant.

Who can sleep after drinking poison?

Who can rejoice when about to die?

Who, fallen into a pit, can hope to live?

All worldly affairs are just like this.

How could one living beside a snake

Still sleep and indulge desire?

The four great elements are like venomous snakes;

How could one’s heart find joy?

When surrounded by enemies,

How could one rejoice, as when afflicted by hunger?

When beset by hostile kingdoms,

How could you, royal father, be happy?

Since I first beheld the Blessed One

And aroused the aspiration and vow to become a Buddha,

I have never heard or seen

A bodhisattva be heedless even for an instant.”

2. CHAPTER ON THE SRAVAKAS

At that time, Vimaladattā said to the Venerable Sariputra: “Greatly Virtuous One! I have a few questions and ask that you compassionately explain them. The Blessed One has declared you foremost among those possessing wisdom. Is that wisdom conditioned or unconditioned? If it is conditioned, then it is a false and unreal dharma. If it is unconditioned, then, as an unconditioned dharma, it has no arising. A dharma that does not arise has no origination, and because it has no origination, that wisdom has no existence.”

The Venerable Sariputra remained silent. Seeing this, the Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana said to him: “Why does the Greatly Virtuous One not answer Vimaladattā’s question?”

The Venerable Sariputra said: “She is not asking about conditioned dharmas but about the ultimate truth. In the ultimate truth there is no verbal expression, so I cannot answer her by means of words.”

Vimaladattā asked the Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana: “Greatly Virtuous One! The Blessed One has declared you foremost in supernormal powers. When the Greatly Virtuous One exercises supernormal powers, do you direct your thought toward sentient beings or toward dharmas? If you abide in the perception of sentient beings, then sentient beings are unreal, and those supernormal powers are likewise unreal. If you abide in the perception of dharmas, then dharmas do not change. If they do not change, there is nothing to attain; and if there is nothing to attain, there is no discrimination.”

The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana remained silent. Seeing this, the Venerable Mahakasyapa asked: “Why does the Greatly Virtuous One not answer Vimaladattā’s question?”

The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana said: “She is not asking about discriminating supernormal powers but about the Dharma of the Buddhas. The Dharma of the Buddhas is uncreated and without discrimination; it cannot be expressed in words.”

Vimaladattā asked the Venerable Mahakasyapa: “Greatly Virtuous One! The Blessed One has declared you foremost in ascetic practices. Out of compassion for sentient beings, the Greatly Virtuous One enters the eight liberations and then receives their offerings, accepting the donors’ offerings even for a single thought-moment.

Does the Greatly Virtuous One repay their kindness with the body or with the mind? If you repay their kindness with the body, the body’s nature is ethically indeterminate and differs in no way from grass, trees, walls, tiles, and stones; therefore, it certainly cannot repay the kindness of those who give offerings. If you repay their kindness with the mind, the mind does not remain for even one thought-moment and thus cannot repay their kindness either. If body and mind are excluded, what remains is an unconditioned dharma; who, then, can repay their kindness?”

The Venerable Mahakasyapa remained silent. Seeing this, the Venerable Subhuti asked: “Why does the Greatly Virtuous One not answer Vimaladattā’s question?”

The Venerable Mahakasyapa said: “She is asking about the Dharma of ultimate reality. That principle cannot be answered in words.”

Vimala-datta asked the Venerable Subhuti: “Venerable Sir, the Blessed One declared you foremost among those who practice non-contention. Does this practice of non-contention enter into conditioned existence or into suchness? If it enters into suchness, then suchness has neither the characteristic of arising nor the characteristic of cessation. If it has no characteristics of arising and cessation, it is equality. If it is equality, it is suchness. If it is suchness, it is unconditioned. If it is unconditioned, there can be no verbal expression. If there is no verbal expression, it is inconceivable. If it is inconceivable, it cannot be expounded. But if it enters into conditioned existence, then it is false and is not a noble practice.”

The Venerable Subhuti remained silent. Seeing this, the Venerable Purna Maitrayaniputra asked: “Why does the Venerable One not answer?”

The Venerable Subhuti said: “In accordance with principle, I should not engage in question and answer; silence alone is what I delight in. She is asking about the Dharma free from conceptual proliferation. If there were verbal expression, faults would arise. The Dharma-nature is inexpressible; this is the practice of non-contention.”

Vimala-datta asked the Venerable Purna: “Venerable Sir, the Blessed One declared you foremost among those who expound the Dharma. When you expound the Dharma, do you expound a Dharma that has an object, or a Dharma that has no object? If you expound a Dharma that has an object, then you are the same as an ordinary being. Why? Because ordinary beings speak of a Dharma that has an object. Therefore, Venerable Sir, you have not departed from the Dharma of ordinary beings. But if the Dharma has no object, then it has no existence whatsoever. On what basis are you called foremost among those who expound the Dharma?”

The Venerable Purna remained silent. Seeing this, the Venerable Revata said: “Why does the Venerable One not answer?”

The Venerable Purna said: “She is not asking about conditioned dharmas, but about the ultimate truth. In the ultimate truth there is no verbal expression; therefore, there is no principle by which an answer may be given.”

Vimala-datta asked the Venerable Revata: “Venerable Sir, the Blessed One declared you foremost among practitioners of meditation. When the Venerable One practices meditation, do you rely upon meditation with mind or meditation without mind? If you enter meditation in accordance with mind, then mind is like an illusion and is not real, and that concentration is likewise not real. But if you enter meditation without mind, then grasses, trees, and so forth should also attain meditation, for they too are equally without mind.”

The Venerable Revata remained silent. Seeing this, the Venerable Aniruddha asked: “Why does the Venerable One not answer?”

The Venerable Revata said: “She is asking about the sphere of practice of the Buddhas; it is not something that sravakas can explain.”

Vimala-datta said: “Is the Dharma of the Buddhas different from the Dharma of the sravakas? If they are different, are there then two kinds of the unconditioned? All noble sages practice the unconditioned. The unconditioned Dharma has no arising. If there is no arising, there is no duality. If there is no duality, it is suchness, and suchness is nondual. Why, then, did the Venerable Revata speak as he did?”

Vimala-datta asked the Venerable Aniruddha: “Venerable Sir, the Blessed One declared you foremost in the divine eye. Is what you see with the divine eye something existent or something nonexistent? If you see something existent, that is the view of eternalism. If you see something nonexistent, that is the view of annihilationism. If you are apart from both extremes, then there is no seeing.”

The Venerable Aniruddha remained silent. Seeing this, the Venerable Ananda asked: “Why does the Venerable One not answer?”

The Venerable Aniruddha said: “Her question is intended to demolish provisional designations, so it cannot be answered by means of provisional designations.”

Vimala-datta asked the Venerable Ananda: “Venerable Sir, the Blessed One declared you foremost in learning. Is this great learning the true meaning or merely words and letters? If it is the true meaning, that meaning cannot be spoken. If it is an inexpressible Dharma, it is not something that auditory consciousness can hear and know. If it is not heard by auditory consciousness, then it is again inexpressible. But if it consists of words and letters, the Blessed One taught: ‘Rely upon the definitive meaning, not upon words and letters.’ Therefore, the Venerable Ananda is neither greatly learned nor one who comprehends the definitive meaning.”

The Venerable Ananda remained silent. Seeing this, Bodhisattva Manjusri asked: “Why does the Venerable One not answer Vimala-datta’s question?”

The Venerable Ananda said: “The great learning about which she asks is detached from words and letters. Sound cannot be used to answer a question concerning equality. Equality is not consciousness, for it is detached from the characteristics of mind. This is not a Dharma of those still in training. How could I answer it? This is the sphere in which the Tathagata, the Dharma King, has reached the other shore.”

3. CHAPTER ON BODHISATTVAS

At that time, Vimala-datta asked Bodhisattva Manjusri: “Manjusri, the Blessed One declared you foremost among bodhisattvas in profound understanding. Do you regard the profundity of the twelve links of dependent origination as profound, or do you regard the profundity of truth as profound?

“If you regard the profundity of the twelve links of dependent origination as profound, then there is no sentient being who constitutes the profound twelve links of dependent origination. Why? Because the profound twelve links of dependent origination neither come nor go and are not known by the six consciousnesses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Within that profundity, the twelve links of dependent origination are not conditioned dharmas. But if you regard the profundity of truth as profound, truth is not profound, nor is there anyone who attains the profundity of truth.”

Bodhisattva Manjusri said: “It is profound because the beginningless limit is profound.”

Vimala-datta said: “The beginningless limit is not a limit. Therefore, your knowledge is also not knowledge.”

Bodhisattva Manjusri said: “Because through non-knowing there is non-attainment, it is called the beginningless limit.”

Vimala-datta said: “Within that non-attainment there is no language; beyond the path of language, there is nothing that can be spoken.”

Bodhisattva Manjusri said: “What is called speech is spoken through the provisional use of words and letters.”

Vimala-datta said: “The bodhi of all Buddhas transcends words, letters, and verbal expression; therefore, bodhi cannot be spoken.”

At that time, Vimala-datta asked Bodhisattva Avidyamana-darsana: “Bodhisattva Avidyamana-darsana, you said: ‘When I contemplate going to the city of Sravasti, I vow that all those within the city who are fit to attain unsurpassed bodhi will see every object transformed into an image of the Buddha, thereby causing them to become firmly established in unsurpassed bodhi.’

“Sir, when one sees the Tathagata, does one see him by means of the form body or by means of the Dharma-body? If one sees him by means of the form body, then one does not see the Buddha. Why? Because the Blessed One once taught: ‘Those who see me through my form body or hear me through my voice hold extreme views and do not see me.’ But if one sees him by means of the Dharma-body, the Dharma-body cannot be seen. Why? Because the Dharma-body is apart from seeing and hearing and cannot be apprehended. Therefore, the Buddha’s Dharma-body can neither be seen nor heard.”

Bodhisattva Avidyamana-darsana immediately remained silent. Bodhisattva Ratnakara asked: “Why do you not answer?”

Bodhisattva Avidyamana-darsana said: “She is asking about the Dharma of non-nature. That Dharma of non-nature cannot be spoken; therefore, I do not answer.”

Vimala-datta said: “Sir, I did not ask about the Dharma of non-nature, for the Dharma of non-nature cannot be questioned. Once one has learned, there is no obstacle to answering.”

Vimala-datta asked Bodhisattva Ratnakara: “Bodhisattva Ratnakara, you contemplated: ‘When I enter the city, I vow that stores of treasure will spring forth in the homes of the noble families throughout the city, filled with the seven treasures.’ Is your mind in giving the seven treasures attached or unattached? If it is attached, then you are the same as an ordinary being. Why? Because ordinary beings are attached through craving. But if it is not attached through craving, then where there is no attachment through craving, there is no giving of the seven treasures.”

Bodhisattva Ratnakara immediately remained silent.

Stainless Giving asked Bodhisattva Freedom from Evil Destinies: “Venerable Bodhisattva Freedom from Evil Destinies! You have declared: ‘When I enter the city, may all those within it who deserve to fall into the evil destinies undergo only light retribution in this present life and quickly escape suffering and affliction.’ Venerable One! The Tathagata has said that karma is inconceivable. Can this inconceivable karma be quickly extinguished? If it can be extinguished, that would contradict the Tathagata’s words. But if it cannot be extinguished, how can its retribution be lightened and quickly ended? If you can extinguish it, then although phenomena have no master, you would be their master. And if it can be extinguished, then it also cannot be extinguished.”

Bodhisattva Freedom from Evil Destinies said: “Through the power of my vows, I can cause their retribution to be lightened and quickly ended.”

Stainless Giving said: “Venerable One! Phenomena in their suchness cannot be made subject to retribution through the power of vows.”

Bodhisattva Freedom from Evil Destinies then remained silent.

Stainless Giving asked Bodhisattva Dispeller of All Hindrances: “Venerable Bodhisattva Dispeller of All Hindrances! You have declared: ‘I vow that all beings within the city shall completely eliminate the five hindrances.’ Do you maintain that, after entering that samadhi, you can cause sentient beings no longer to be obstructed by the five hindrances?

“Venerable One! Within that samadhi, are you sovereign, or are others sovereign? If you are sovereign, nothing passes from you to others, for among all phenomena there is none that goes elsewhere. How, then, can you enter meditative concentration and eliminate the five hindrances for others? If others are sovereign, then you cannot benefit them.”

Bodhisattva Dispeller of All Hindrances said: “This practice takes loving-kindness as its foremost principle.”

Bodhisattva Stainless Giving said: “Venerable One! All Buddhas practice loving-kindness. Venerable One! Is there any Buddha who does not regard the five hindrances of sentient beings as a cause for concern?”

Bodhisattva Dispeller of All Hindrances then remained silent.

Stainless Giving asked Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara: “Venerable Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara! You have declared: ‘May all beings within the city who are bound and confined in prison quickly be released; may those about to be killed have their lives saved; and may those stricken with terror attain fearlessness.’ Venerable One! Regarding the giving of fearlessness: does it involve apprehending something, or does it not? If something is apprehended, ordinary beings also apprehend things, and therefore this cannot be so. If nothing is apprehended, there is no recipient of the giving. Where there is no act of giving within phenomena, how could anything be eliminated?”

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara then remained silent.

Bodhisattva Adorned with Eloquence asked Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara: “Why do you not answer Stainless Giving’s question?”

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara said: “She did not ask about a phenomenon that arises and ceases, and therefore no answer can be given.”

Stainless Giving asked Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara: “Venerable One! Is there any question concerning non-arising and non-ceasing?”

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara said: “There is not.”

Stainless Giving said: “Within non-arising and non-ceasing, there are no written characters or spoken words. Those endowed with wisdom employ written characters to speak of that which is without written characters, yet they do not cling to written characters. The Dharma-nature is unobstructed; therefore, those endowed with wisdom are not obstructed by written characters.”

Stainless Giving asked Bodhisattva Adorned with Eloquence: “Venerable Bodhisattva Adorned with Eloquence! You have declared: ‘I vow that all those in the city who see me shall attain eloquence and question and answer one another in wondrous verses.’ Venerable One! Does the eloquence you bestow arise from discerning awareness, or does it arise from craving? If it arises from discerning awareness, then all conditioned phenomena arise from initial and sustained thought and are therefore not quiescent. If it arises from craving, then what you bestow is empty and false.”

Bodhisattva Adorned with Eloquence said: “When I first brought forth the aspiration for bodhi, I vowed that all who saw me would attain eloquence and question and answer one another in wondrous verses.”

Stainless Giving asked: “Venerable One! Does your aspiration and vow for bodhi presently exist? If it presently exists, that is the view of permanence. If it does not presently exist, you cannot bestow it upon others, and thus your vow is empty and false.”

Bodhisattva Adorned with Eloquence then remained silent.

Stainless Giving asked Bodhisattva Practice Free from Delusion: “Venerable Bodhisattva Practice Free from Delusion! You have declared: ‘May all beings within the city who see me attain an undeluded view and become firmly resolved upon unsurpassed bodhi.’ Venerable One! Does this bodhi exist, or does it not exist? If it exists, it is conditioned bodhi and clings to an extreme view. If it does not exist, it is false and also falls into an extreme view.”

Bodhisattva Practice Free from Delusion said: “This bodhi is called wisdom.”

Stainless Giving said: “Is this wisdom said to arise, or is it said to be non-arising? If it is said to arise, then it does not arise through skillful, concordant contemplation; it is conditioned wisdom, known by ordinary beings. If it is said to be non-arising, then within non-arising there is nothing whatsoever. If there is nothing whatsoever, there is no discrimination. The bodhi of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Tathagatas is entirely free from discrimination. Ordinary beings discriminate bodhi, whereas those endowed with wisdom are free from discrimination.”

Bodhisattva Practice Free from Delusion then remained silent.

At that time, Venerable Subhuti said to the great shravakas and great bodhisattvas: “Venerable Ones! We should return and should not enter the city of Shravasti to seek alms. Why? Because what Stainless Giving has spoken is itself the Dharma-food of those endowed with wisdom. We now delight in Dharma-food and have no need of material food.”

Stainless Giving said to Venerable Subhuti: “Great Virtuous One! As it is said that all phenomena are neither high nor low, within such phenomena what could one seek by going on the alms round?

“Great Virtuous One! The Dharma free from conceptual proliferation is the practice of a bhikshu; one should not delight in conceptual proliferation. This is the Dharma without reliance and is not the practice of those who depend upon something. This is the irreversible practice of the noble sages.”

At that time, the eight great shravakas, the eight great bodhisattvas, the five hundred brahmins and Brahma devas, Stainless Giving, King Prasenajit, and the entire great assembly all went together to the Buddha. They bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him three times to the right, and then sat to one side.

Stainless Giving herself circumambulated him seven times, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, joined her palms, stood before him, and asked the Buddha in verse:

“I ask the Peerless One,

Worthy of Offerings, Unsurpassed Awakened One,

Who bestows ambrosia, delighting the assembly:

How do bodhisattvas practice?

How do they sit beneath the bodhi tree,

Defeat Mara, and subdue the hostile foe?

How do they cause heaven and earth,

Mountains, hills, and forest trees to tremble?

How do they emit radiant light,

Illuminating infinite assemblies?

May the greatly compassionate Blessed One

Truly explain the bodhisattva practice.

How does one attain dharani

And the Tathagata’s wondrous voice?

How can one cultivate and uphold

Supreme, wondrous, and pure samadhi?

How can practitioners

Attain the power of spiritual abilities?

I now beseech the Blessed One

To teach the true practice of bodhisattvas.

How does one attain focused mindfulness

Together with a steadfast mind?

How does one attain responsive eloquence,

Subtle, wondrous, perfected, and complete?

How does one accord with principle

And fully comprehend every meaning,

Skillfully proclaiming the wondrous Dharma,

So that the wise encounter no obstruction?

How does one delight in generosity,

Pure morality, and patience,

Skillfully cultivate diligence and meditation,

And with wisdom illuminate the world?

How does one recollect former lives,

See clearly with the divine eye,

Hear with the divine ear, know others’ minds,

And travel by spiritual power to every realm?

How does one avoid dwelling in a womb,

And instead be born by transformation in a lotus,

Ever abiding before the Buddhas,

Praising the Dharma of emptiness and non-self?

How does one regard foe and friend alike,

Ending craving and defilement,

With purpose and conduct neither high nor low,

Like the wind and the earth?

Gain and loss, disgrace and fame,

Praise and blame, suffering and pleasure—

How does one abandon these eight worldly conditions

And dwell in the world like the sun?

How does one avoid flattery and contention,

Eliminate selfhood, and abandon arrogance,

Dwelling tranquilly in meditative concentration,

As the wise delight in true meaning?

How does one cease delighting

In wife, children, and precious wealth?

How does a practitioner

Delight in dwelling in secluded places?

How does one become like a bird in flight,

And also like a solitary rhinoceros?

How does one delight in the true Dharma

And delight in a joyful mind?

How do the wise

Contemplate earth, water, fire, and wind,

Without being shaken by discrimination,

Abiding in meditation like empty space?

They do not engage in unlawful conduct,

Nor delight in scrutinizing the affairs of others.

They would rather relinquish body and life,

But never abandon or forsake the Dharma.

How do they, regarding bodhi,

Contemplate it as the Blessed One does?

Having contemplated it as the Blessed One does”

Always bringing forth the resolve for bodhi

How does one attain a Pure Land

And a pure Sangha as well?

How does the wise one attain longevity,

Renown, and happiness?

Through skillful means, one reaches the other shore,

Sees the truths without realizing their fruition,

And is able to deliver immeasurable beings.

How does one exhort others to delight in cultivating wholesome roots?

How does one attain a handsome and upright form,

And gain birth by transformation?

How does one acquire the treasures of wisdom,

And become able to know the minds of all people?

How does one recollect former lives,

And always assemble together with the Buddhas?

Throughout thousands of myriads of kotis of kalpas,

How does one never take birth in places of adversity?

How does one attain the secondary characteristics,

And the thirty-two excellent marks?

How does one attain eloquence in wording,

And responsive eloquence as well?

How does one cultivate a Pure Land,

And establish an assembly of bhikshus?

Whichever land one vows to enter according to one’s aspiration,

How does one attain birth in that land?

What practices does a bodhisattva cultivate

To attain physical beauty and renown,

And acquire the powers of vigor and the rest?

How does one attain indestructibility?

How does one become free from doubt and hesitation,

Able to carry out bodhisattva practices,

Abandon all subtle regrets,

And expound the Dharma for sentient beings?

Within the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,

How does one attain supreme excellence?

One would rather relinquish one’s own body and life

Than ever malign the Dharma.

There is nothing the Buddha does not know

Of the present and future.

May the World-Honored One of great wisdom

Proclaim the practices of bodhisattvas.”

4. THE CHAPTER ON BODHISATTVA PRACTICES

The World-Honored One praised her, saying: “Excellent, excellent, Stainless Giving! For the great benefit and happiness of sentient beings, and out of compassion for the devas and humans of the world, you have questioned the Tathagata about so many practices of great bodhisattvas. Listen, listen, and reflect well upon this. I shall explain them for you.”

Stainless Giving and the great assembly together exclaimed, “Excellent!” and joyfully wished to hear the teaching.

The World-Honored One instructed: “Stainless Giving! A bodhisattva who perfects four dharmas can vanquish all maras: not becoming jealous of the gains and offerings received by others; abandoning divisive speech; exhorting many sentient beings to cultivate wholesome roots; and bringing forth loving-kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings.” The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:

Not giving rise to jealousy,

Abandoning divisive speech,

Able to teach many sentient beings

To plant the roots of the tree of wholesome Dharma,

Able to cultivate vast loving-kindness

Extending universally throughout the ten directions—

One who skillfully carries out these four things

Can subdue all hostile maras.

“Stainless Giving! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva can emit light that reaches immeasurable Buddha lands: offering bright lamps; protecting and preserving the true Dharma when it is about to perish; expounding the Dharma for sentient beings who are heedless or have fallen into places of adversity; and offering precious necklaces and ornaments to the Buddha’s stupas and shrines.”

The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:

“If one is able to offer bright lamps,

Protect the Dharma in the final age of the Dharma,

Instruct those in adversity and the heedless,

And offer precious ornaments to the Buddha’s stupas,

Through these deeds the bodhisattva

Can emit pure light

That reaches immeasurable Buddha lands

And shines without boundary.

Those gladdened by this radiance

All bring forth the unsurpassed resolve.

“Stainless Giving! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva can cause immeasurable and boundless worlds to quake: practicing in accordance with what one teaches; attaining profound patience regarding the Dharma; steadfastly upholding wholesome dharmas; and teaching immeasurable sentient beings to practice for unsurpassed bodhi.”

The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:

Practicing in accordance with what one teaches,

Skillfully understanding profound patience regarding the Dharma,

Aspiring to attain pure and undefiled dharmas,

Steadfastly upholding the Dharma’s wondrous practices,

Able to teach immeasurable beings

To bring forth the resolve for great bodhi—

One who practices these four dharmas

Can cause worlds to quake.

“Stainless Giving! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva will attain dharani: giving others all varieties of pure and wondrous necessities; adorning maidens and giving them to whomever needs them; constantly praising the Tathagatas with various teachings; and drawing near to those who extensively cultivate prajnaparamita.”

The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:

“By making all kinds of offerings,

One can attain dharani.

Adorning beautiful maidens

And, according to the wishes of those in need,

Providing them all in full;

Constantly praising the Tathagata;

And cultivating true wisdom,

One receives the World-Honored One’s affirmation.

Through these four things,

One can attain dharani.

Throughout hundreds of thousands of kotis of kalpas,

One hears the Dharma and never forgets it.

The Dharma taught by the Buddhas of the ten directions

One can remember, receive, and uphold.

“Stainless Giving! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva can attain samadhi: being deeply wearied by and fearful of samsara; always delighting in secluded and tranquil places; constantly and diligently practicing with vigor; and skillfully bringing all undertakings to completion.”

The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:

“Abandoning all modes of birth,

One travels alone like a rhinoceros.

The good man who practices diligently

Brings all undertakings to completion.

The wise one is able to perfect

These four supremely wondrous dharmas,

Draw near to bodhi,

And seek the most excellent Dharma.

One whose mind is serene and still

Can attain all samadhis,

Awaken to supreme bodhi,

And reach the sphere traversed by all Buddhas.

“Stainless Giving! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva can attain the bases of spiritual power: through lightness of body; through lightness of mind; through relying upon nothing among all dharmas; and through receiving and upholding these four realms as equal to the realm of space.”

The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:

“With body light and mind yet lighter,

The wise one does not cling to dharmas.

Receiving and upholding these four realms,

One becomes equal to the realm of space.

One endowed with these four dharmas

Can mount the vehicle of spiritual powers,

In a single thought reach kotis of lands,

And make offerings to immeasurable Buddhas.

“Stainless Giving! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva can attain an exceptionally handsome and upright form: eliminating lust and refraining from anger; delighting in cleansing the Buddha’s stupas and shrines and making offerings of fine fragrances; abiding in dignified conduct, upholding the precepts, and always joyfully offering greetings; and never disparaging a Dharma teacher, but always regarding that teacher as the World-Honored One.”

The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:

“Neither becoming angry nor harming others,

Abandoning lustful conduct,

Sweeping and washing the Buddha’s stupas and shrines,

And reverently offering fine fragrances;

Always maintaining the pure precepts,

Courteously offering greetings first;

Respecting Dharma teachers,

And regarding them as Buddhas—

One who practices these four wholesome deeds

Is called a courageous person,

Most handsome, upright, and beautiful,

Whom all who see will praise.

“Stainless Giving! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva can attain birth by transformation: carving a lotus flower and placing an image of the Buddha seated upon it; taking handfuls of blue, yellow, red, and white lotuses and other fragrant and beautiful flowers and scattering them upon the Buddha and the stupas and shrines; earnestly vowing to benefit immeasurable sentient beings, always living harmoniously with them, respecting and cherishing them, and never disparaging those who are inferior; and personally planting wholesome roots in order to benefit and bring happiness to many sentient beings, liberating them from the suffering and anguish of samsara, because one vows to attain unsurpassed bodhi.”

The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:

“Carving a lotus and placing a Buddha image upon it,

Offering all varieties of flowers,

Benefiting and never harming others—

One attains birth by transformation in a Buddha land.

Constantly bringing forth vast, solemn vows

To deliver sentient beings throughout the ten directions,

Through these four wondrous practices

One is always born in a Buddha’s Pure Land.

“Stainless Giving! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva can attain great wealth: not opposing the wishes of those who ask; having no attachment or reluctance regarding the goods one gives; constantly praying that sentient beings may obtain abundant treasures; and abandoning wrong views and conforming to right faith.”

The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:

Giving without opposition,

Having no attachment to possessions,

Faithfully understanding the Buddha-Dharma—

Life after life, one obtains treasures.

Faithfully understanding, without flattery or jealousy,

Never publicizing the faults of others,

Wholeheartedly maintaining single-minded faith—

Through this, one obtains treasures.

“Stainless Giving! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva can attain wisdom: not becoming jealous of other teachings; teaching the Dharma to eliminate faults and free others from doubts and regrets; exhorting those who practice diligently and vigorously not to abandon their efforts; and personally always delighting in extensively cultivating the Dharma of emptiness.”

The World-Honored One then spoke these verses:

“Not despising other true teachings,

Teaching others to eliminate doubts and regrets,

Constantly guiding sentient beings

To cultivate the Buddha’s practice of emptiness—

The wise one who delights in this Dharma

Attains wisdom and renown,

Skillfully understands the Buddha’s words,

And swiftly becomes the Honored One among Two-Legged Beings.”

“Vô Cấu Thí! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva will remember past lives: when those engaged in learning and recitation forget or omit something, one enables them to remember it; when someone has forgotten, one repeats it for them; one always speaks pleasing words that others delight in hearing; and one constantly practices the giving of Dharma without ever abandoning it, for the sake of liberation from birth and death and progress toward nirvana, aspiring, like Sudhana, to enter meditative concentration through skillful means.”

The Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Cause those who forget to remember;

Always speak pleasing words;

Teach the Dharma without weariness;

Constantly cultivate right samadhi.

Through these four dharmas,

One attains knowledge of past lives,

Remembers immeasurable kalpas,

And swiftly awakens to the path trodden by the Buddhas.

“Vô Cấu Thí! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva will always encounter the Buddhas: one would rather relinquish one’s life than slander the true Dharma; one would rather relinquish one’s life than slander a bodhisattva; one would rather relinquish one’s life than associate with evil spiritual friends; and one recollects and contemplates the Buddhas without ever becoming satisfied.”

“Never slandering bodhi,

Nor slandering bodhisattvas;

Always remaining far from evil friends,

Recollecting the Buddhas without weariness.

Great beings who practice these deeds

Will always encounter the Buddhas;

Before they themselves attain Buddhahood,

They will constantly assemble with the Buddhas.

“Vô Cấu Thí! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva will attain a body adorned with the thirty-two marks: one brings precious treasures and offers them at the stupas and shrines of the Buddhas; one anoints the platforms and foundations of the Buddhas’ stupas with various fragrant oils and adorns their stupas and shrines with beautiful garlands; one makes offerings with various kinds of music; and one constantly attends upon the noble sages without ever leaving them.”

The Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Bring precious objects as offerings to stupas;

Anoint their platforms with fragrant oils;

Offer beautiful flowers and every kind of music;

Attend closely upon the noble sages.

One will attain a body of dignified marks,

Perfectly endowed with the thirty-two excellent features.

Through these deeds one attains those marks

That adorn the body of a Buddha.

“Vô Cấu Thí! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva will attain the eighty minor characteristics: one removes one’s finest garments and spreads them over the Dharma seat, providing service and attendance without ever becoming weary; when going to a place where the Dharma is taught, one has no desire to contend or surpass others in debate; one reveres the great assembly, regarding them only as Buddhas; and one exhorts many sentient beings to arouse the mind of bodhi.”

The Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Spread fine garments upon the seat;

Make offerings without weariness;

Do not contend with Dharma teachers;

Exhort the assembly to arouse the mind of the path.

Those who accomplish these deeds

Will swiftly perfect the minor characteristics;

Bodhisattvas who perfect these practices

Will possess all eighty beautiful features.

“Vô Cấu Thí! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva will become skilled in responsive eloquence: one accepts, preserves, and draws near to the treasury of the bodhisattva teachings; throughout the six periods of day and night, one recites the Sutra of the Three Sounds; one is able to accept, preserve, read, and recite the teaching that the bodhi of the Buddhas is unborn and unceasing, though this is difficult for the world to believe; and one expounds it widely for others, bringing them joy, without cherishing even one’s own life.”

The Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Guard and preserve the bodhisattva treasury;

Courageously recite the Three Sounds;

Through skillful means, explain the unborn,

Which the world finds difficult to believe, and cause others to rejoice.

Neither loving nor cherishing one’s own life,

Uphold the Buddha’s true Dharma;

Act without doubt or hesitation

For supreme and excellent bodhi.

Those who cultivate this exceedingly profound Dharma

Will attain responsive eloquence,

Like a beautiful garland

Upon which devas and humans delight to gaze.

“Vô Cấu Thí! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva will attain a pure land: by being free from jealousy; by having an impartial mind; by protecting and preserving the practices of bodhi; and by not becoming closely attached to the fourfold assembly.”

The Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Do not envy others;

Rejoice when seeing others gain benefit;

Practice loving-kindness with an impartial mind;

Teach beings without attachment.

Those who practice these four immeasurables,

Wisely and skillfully safeguarding them,

Will have no difficulty attaining a pure land

And will swiftly realize the unsurpassed path.

“Vô Cấu Thí! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, that bodhisattva will attain a pure assembly: one does not covet another’s followers; one gathers those who are in discord and causes them to be reconciled; one provides necessities for those engaged in learning and recitation; and one abandons divisive speech.”

The Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Never covet another’s assembly;

Bring together those who have become divided;

Provide for students who lack necessities;

Do not cause sentient beings to separate.

Those who accomplish these four practices

Will attain a pure assembly;

To purify the assembly they must act thus,

Never abandoning this even amid extreme hardship.

“Vô Cấu Thí! If a bodhisattva perfects four dharmas, then whichever Buddha land that bodhisattva aspires to be born in, that bodhisattva will be reborn there according to that aspiration: one does not become jealous of the gain and reputation of others; one single-mindedly cultivates the six paramitas; one regards all bodhisattvas as Buddhas; and from the first arousal of the aspiration until one sits at the seat of awakening, one constantly regards all with an impartial mind and never resorts to flattery, deceit, or false praise for the sake of gain or reputation.”

The Blessed One spoke this verse:

“Do not envy the fame or gain of others;

Seek to purify the six paramitas;

Regard bodhisattvas as Buddhas;

Never flatter others in pursuit of fame.

Bodhisattvas who practice these things

Can behold the lands of the ten directions;

According to the aspirations of their own minds,

They will immediately be born in a pure land.”

At that time, Vô Cấu Thí said to the Buddha: “Blessed One! I shall respectfully practice the bodhisattva conduct that has been taught. Among the bodhisattva practices taught by the Blessed One, if there is even one practice that I fail to perform, then I shall have deceived the Buddhas teaching the Dharma throughout the ten directions.”

The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana said to Vô Cấu Thí: “You dare utter such a lion’s roar in the presence of the Buddha! Do you not know that bodhisattva conduct is difficult to accomplish? Moreover, one can never attain unsurpassed bodhi while possessing a female body.”

Vô Cấu Thí said: “Now, in the presence of the Buddha, I make this declaration of truth: If, in a future life, I shall attain Buddhahood as a Tathagata, a Worthy One, a Perfectly Enlightened One, endowed with the ten epithets, then may the great trichiliocosm quake in six ways without disturbing any sentient beings. Throughout my life I shall truly practice all the bodhisattva practices taught by the Blessed One. May celestial flowers rain down from the sky, may hundreds of thousands of musical instruments sound by themselves without being played, and may this female body of mine transform into that of a sixteen-year-old youth.”

As soon as Vô Cấu Thí had made this declaration of truth, the great trichiliocosm immediately quaked in six ways, celestial flowers rained down from the sky, hundreds of thousands of celestial instruments sounded by themselves, and Vô Cấu Thí transformed into a sixteen-year-old youth.

The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms, and said to the Buddha: “I now take refuge with my very life in the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, from the first arousal of the aspiration until their arrival at the seat of awakening.

“Blessed One! This maiden possesses such great majestic power and spiritual abilities. She was able to make a great vow, and once she had made it, everything was fulfilled according to her aspiration.”

The Buddha said: “So it is, Mahamaudgalyayana! From the first arousal of the aspiration until their arrival at the seat of awakening, bodhisattvas are venerated by devas and humans as though they were stupas and shrines of the Buddhas. They are the unsurpassed fields of merit for shravakas and pratyekabuddhas.”

Thereupon, the Blessed One joyfully smiled. According to the customary way of things, whenever the Buddhas smile, rays of light in many colors—blue, yellow, red, white, rose, violet, and crystal—stream forth from their mouths and illuminate immeasurable and boundless worlds, causing the radiance of the palaces of Mara and the light of the sun and moon alike to be obscured. The Buddha then gathered those rays back, and they entered the crown of his head.

The Venerable Ananda adjusted his robes, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and asked in verse:

“Voice of devas and nagas, Brahma voice, and lion’s roar,

Voice of the kalavinka and the peal of thunder,

Removing greed, anger, and delusion and giving rise to splendid joy—

May the One of the Ten Powers reveal the cause of his smile.

The earth quaked in six ways without causing distress;

Beautiful celestial flowers rained down, delighting the assembly.

The Blessed One vanquishes all heterodox teachers,

As a lion subdues the jackals.

I reverently implore the Blessed One to explain to me:

For what cause did the Buddha smile?

The light of suns, moons, and billions of jewels,

The radiance of devas, nagas, and Brahma kings—

From Shakyamuni’s mouth issued pure radiant light

Surpassing all radiances is the Buddha’s light.

The white urna between his brows is like a white jewel,

Perfect, soft, and smooth, like a heavenly robe.

The white urna emits light illuminating immeasurable realms.

Please tell us why this light is now emitted.

The World-Honored One’s white teeth are pure and stainless,

Even, level, and closely set, like jewels of snow.

From the Buddha’s mouth streams light of many colors:

Blue, yellow, red, white, violet, and crystal.

Even if the suns and moons of the worlds were destroyed,

And earth filled all space without an empty place;

Even if the nature of water could be transformed into fire,

And the nature of fire could likewise be transformed into water;

Even if all the great oceans were made to dry up,

The Buddha’s truthful words would never be otherwise.

Suppose all sentient beings throughout the ten directions

Were simultaneously to become pratyekabuddhas,

And each pratyekabuddha joined in asking questions

Of hundreds of thousands of myriads of kinds for millions of kalpas;

If they all assembled before the World-Honored One

And simultaneously questioned him in different voices,

The Tathagata would answer at once with a single voice,

Completely dispelling every doubt.

His wisdom is perfected and has reached the other shore;

He is adorned with all wisdom.

O Most Victorious One, endowed with the thirty-two marks,

O Mighty and Virtuous One, please give us the answer:

Why has the World-Honored One now smiled?

To whom will he give the prediction of bodhi?

The devas and humans all wish to hear;

May the Tathagata clearly proclaim his teaching.”

The Buddha said, “Ananda! Did you see the vow made in truth by Stainless Giving shake the great trichiliocosm?”

“I saw it, World-Honored One.”

“Ananda! Since first arousing the aspiration, this Bodhisattva Stainless Giving has cultivated the practice leading to unsurpassed bodhi for eighty thousand asamkhya kalpas. This Bodhisattva Stainless Giving had already cultivated the bodhisattva practice for sixty kalpas before Manjushri, Prince of the Dharma, aroused the aspiration for bodhi. Ananda! Whatever meritorious qualities adorn the Buddha-lands of Manjushri and the other eighty-four thousand great bodhisattvas are likewise possessed by the Bodhisattva Stainless Giving, without any difference.”

The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana said to the Bodhisattva Stainless Giving, “Good man! Since you aroused the aspiration for bodhi so long ago, why have you not transformed your female body?”

The Bodhisattva Stainless Giving said to the Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana, “The World-Honored One predicted that you are foremost among his disciples in supernormal powers. Why, then, have you not transformed your male body?”

The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana immediately fell silent.

The Bodhisattva Stainless Giving said, “Venerable One! Unsurpassed bodhi is not attained through a female body, nor is unsurpassed bodhi attained through a male body. Why is this? Because bodhi is unborn and therefore cannot be attained.”

5. CHAPTER ON THE PREDICTION

At that time Manjushri, Prince of the Dharma, addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One! This is truly unprecedented. This Bodhisattva Stainless Giving understands the extremely profound Dharma and, through the power of her vows, brings all her aspirations to fulfillment.”

The Buddha said, “It is exactly as Manjushri has said. This Bodhisattva Stainless Giving has cultivated the samadhi of emptiness in the presence of six billion Buddhas, cultivated the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas in the presence of eight billion Buddhas, and inquired into the extremely profound Dharma in the presence of three billion Buddhas. She has offered clothing, food, and drink to eight billion Buddhas and questioned them concerning this Samadhi of the Seal of Discriminating Eloquence.

“Furthermore, Manjushri! If a good man or good woman, for the sake of bodhi, were to give away precious treasures filling worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, the merit would not equal that of accepting and upholding this sutra, reading and reciting it until thoroughly proficient, extensively expounding it to others, or even copying it. Such merit is supreme and most excellent—how much more so if one practices in accordance with its words! Why is this? Because one thereby accepts and upholds the bodhi practices of the bodhisattvas.”

Manjushri Bodhisattva, Prince of the Dharma, addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One! What should this sutra be called, and how should it be upheld?” The Buddha said, “Manjushri! It should be called the Sutra of Discriminating Exposition and Responsive Eloquence. It is also called the Sutra Expounding the Gateway of Samadhi. It should be reverently upheld under these names.”

When the Buddha taught this sutra, eight billion devas and humans all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi and became resolutely irreversible.

At that time the Bodhisattva Adornment of Eloquence addressed the Buddha: “When will this Bodhisattva Stainless Giving attain unsurpassed bodhi?”

The Buddha said, “Adornment of Eloquence! After this Bodhisattva Stainless Giving has spent an incalculable number of kalpas making offerings to an incalculable number of Buddhas, she will attain buddhahood and be named Tathagata King of the Stainless Radiant Marks, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, complete with the ten epithets. Her world will be called Adorned with Immeasurable Virtues. It will consist solely of Mahayana bodhisattvas, without followers of the Two Vehicles—shravakas or pratyekabuddhas. That realm’s exquisite adornments will surpass those of the heavenly realms.”

When the Bodhisattva Stainless Giving heard the Buddha bestow this prediction, her mind became pure and filled with joy. She soared into the sky to a height of eight billion tala trees and emitted a great radiance that illuminated hundreds of billions of Buddha-worlds. Directly above the crown of the World-Honored One, she manifested eighty-four thousand canopies of various kinds, wondrously adorned with heavenly jewels. Then, while in midair, she used the power of immeasurable supernormal abilities to make offerings and pay homage to immeasurable Buddhas throughout the ten directions. Afterward she returned to the Buddha and stood to one side.

At that time the brahmin Brahmadeva and five hundred brahmins heard the Buddha bestow upon the Bodhisattva Stainless Giving the prediction of unsurpassed bodhi and saw her immeasurable supernormal powers. They all rejoiced with delight and spoke in unison these verses praising the Buddha:

“Those who can venerate the Buddha

Gain the foremost benefit.

To arouse the aspiration and seek bodhi

Is foremost among the wisdom of the Buddhas.

In the past we committed evil deeds,

And now were born into families of wrong views.

Seeing the Buddha and the Sangha,

Our mouths uttered malicious words.

Now we sincerely repent

The offenses committed through evil speech.

When we saw the worthy children of the Buddhas,

We deemed it an inauspicious sign.

Had we not seen the Tathagata,

Most Honored among devas and humans,

Our human birth would have been in vain,

And in vain would we have eaten and drunk to sustain our lives.

Stainless Giving and we

Went outside the city to perform sacrifices.

When Stainless Giving saw the Buddha’s disciples,

She honored and praised them.

When we saw her praising them,

We immediately reproached those whom she praised.

Then we asked her

Whether she had ever seen the Buddha.

She answered us,

‘When I was only seven days old,

I heard the devas praise the Buddha.’

Then she extolled the Tathagata

Truthfully and without error.

Having heard her praise,

We immediately aroused the supreme aspiration

And sought unsurpassed bodhi.

Because we heard the Buddha’s name,

We awakened to our past karma.

We immediately came to bow before the World-Honored One

And seek the supreme Dharma.

Having seen the Buddha and bowed in reverence,

We heard the unsurpassed Dharma.

Seeing the Honored One of Devas and Humans,

We sought liberation from the confines of suffering.

The Dharma taught by the Buddha

Is true and can deliver the world.

We shall study that Dharma

To attain the unsurpassed Dharma.

We have heard of the bodhisattvas’ meritorious practices

Through which the Dharma of the Buddhas is attained.

We too should cultivate them

To accomplish the path to buddhahood.

He expounded the essential gateway of liberation,

The practice cultivated by bodhisattvas.

I too shall follow that gateway

And become one whom the world venerates.

The Buddha knew their sincerity

And joyfully smiled.

Ananda then addressed the Buddha,

‘Please tell us the reason for your smile.’”

The Buddha spoke these verses to Ananda:

“These five hundred brahmins,

Together with the brahmin Brahmadeva,

All within a single kalpa

Will successively attain perfect enlightenment.

In past lives

They made offerings to five hundred Buddhas.

Through their practice from this day onward,

They will behold billions of Buddhas.

For eighty billion kalpas,

They will never fall into states of adversity.

In each and every kalpa,

They will behold billions of Buddhas.

Afterward they will become

The Most Victorious Ones among Two-Footed Beings.

They will all share the same name:

Tathagata Brahma Radiance.

Their lifespans will also be the same,

Each lasting fully eight billion years.

Their lands will all be level,

And each will have a Sangha of eight billion members.

Having taught and transformed immeasurable multitudes

And benefited sentient beings,

They will enter great nirvana

And realize the tranquil extinction of final liberation.”

After the Buddha had taught this sutra, the great Bodhisattva Stainless Giving, the entire great assembly, the brahmin Brahmadeva and the five hundred great men, King Prasenajit, the great shravakas, devas, nagas, the eight classes of beings, humans, and nonhumans all heard the Buddha’s teaching, rejoiced exceedingly, faithfully accepted it, and reverently practiced it.