大寶積經

XXX. THE THIRTIETH ASSEMBLY: THE MAIDEN SUMATI

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Rajagriha, on Mount Gridhrakuta, together with a great assembly of bhikshus, one thousand two hundred and fifty in number, and ten thousand Great Bodhisattvas gathered together.

At that time, in the city of Rajagriha there was a daughter of an elder named Sumati, only eight years of age, of upright and beautiful countenance, complete with the marks of a fine person, so that all who saw her were delighted. She had already drawn near to and made offerings to innumerable Buddhas of the past, planting all manner of wholesome roots. The maiden Sumati came and bowed at the feet of the Tathagata, circumambulated him three times, knelt, joined her palms, and said:

The Buddha declared: "Now I grant you leave to ask as you wish, and the Buddha shall expound so as to cut off the net of doubt."

Sumati then spoke verses to make her request:

O Unsurpassed One of Great Compassion,
I beg you out of pity to expound it for me."

The Buddha said to Sumati: "Excellent, excellent! Well have you asked, attaining this profound and subtle meaning. Listen carefully and reflect well, and the Buddha shall speak it for you."

Sumati said: "Yes, World-Honored One! I wish indeed to hear."

The Buddha taught: "Sumati! When a Bodhisattva accomplishes four dharmas, then he receives an upright bodily form: first, toward evil companions he does not give rise to thoughts of anger and resentment; second, he abides in great loving-kindness; third, he greatly delights in the right Dharma; fourth, he fashions images of the Buddha."

The World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

"Anger destroys wholesome roots—do not let it grow;
With loving heart delight in the Dharma and fashion images of the Buddha;
Then you shall obtain a body complete with adorning marks,
And all sentient beings will ever delight to behold it.

Furthermore, Sumati! When a Bodhisattva accomplishes four dharmas, then he obtains a body of wealth and nobility: first, he gives at the proper time; second, he has no mind of contempt or arrogance; third, he gives with joy and gladness; fourth, he does not hope for any reward."

The World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

"Giving at the proper time, without contempt,
With joy bestowing and seeking nothing in return—
In these four practices ever diligently cultivated,
At birth one shall obtain great wealth and nobility.

Furthermore, Sumati! When a Bodhisattva accomplishes four dharmas, then he obtains kindred that cannot be broken apart: first, he is well able to abandon words of slander that sow discord; second, he causes beings of wrong views to abide in right view; third, when the right Dharma is about to perish, he upholds and protects it so that it long endures; fourth, he teaches beings to incline toward the Buddha's Bodhi."

The World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

"Abandoning slander that sows discord, and wrong views,
Able to uphold the right Dharma when it is about to perish,
Causing beings to abide in great Bodhi—
One shall obtain kindred that cannot be destroyed.

Furthermore, Sumati! When a Bodhisattva accomplishes four dharmas, then he shall be born by transformation before the Buddhas, seated upon a lotus throne: first, he takes beautiful and delicious flowers and fruits and fragrant incense and offers them to the Buddhas and to the temples and stupas; second, he never wantonly does harm to others; third, he fashions images of the Buddha upon a lotus dais; fourth, toward the Buddha's Bodhi he is able to give rise to pure faith."

The World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

"Offering flowers and incense to the Buddhas and to temples and stupas,
Not harming others, and fashioning images,
With deep faith and understanding in the Buddha's Bodhi—
One shall sit upon a lotus, born before the Buddha.

Furthermore, Sumati! When a Bodhisattva accomplishes four dharmas, then he obtains surpassing spiritual powers to pass from one Buddha-land to another Buddha-land: first, when he sees others cultivating wholesome dharmas, he does not hinder or trouble them; second, when others expound the Dharma, he never causes obstruction; third, he lights lamps as an offering to the stupas of the Buddha; fourth, he diligently cultivates the various gateways of meditative concentration."

The World-Honored One's verse said:

"Seeing others cultivate the good and expound the right Dharma,
Neither slandering nor obstructing,
At the stupas enshrining the Tathagata offering bright lamps,
Diligently cultivating meditative concentration, one roams the Buddha-lands.

Furthermore, Sumati! When a Bodhisattva accomplishes four dharmas, then in the world he has no enmity or hatred: first, with a mind free of flattery and crookedness he draws near to good friends; second, toward the surpassing dharmas of others he has no mind of jealousy; third, when others gain renown, his heart rejoices and follows along; fourth, toward the practices of the Bodhisattva he has no mind of contempt or disparagement."

The World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

"With a heart free of flattery, drawing near to good practices,
Not envying those who surpass oneself,
Ever rejoicing when others gain renown,
Not disparaging Bodhisattvas—one attains freedom from enmity.

Furthermore, Sumati! When a Bodhisattva accomplishes four dharmas, then his words are believed by others: first, his utterances and his conduct are ever made to accord; second, in the presence of good friends he does not conceal his faults and wrongs; third, toward the Dharma he has heard he does not seek out faults and flaws; fourth, toward those who expound the Dharma he gives rise to no evil mind."

The World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

"Utterance and conduct ever in accord,
Not concealing one's own faults before good friends,
Hearing the sutras without seeking faults in person or Dharma—
One's words shall all be believed by others.

Furthermore, Sumati! When a Bodhisattva accomplishes four dharmas, then he is able to depart from hindrances to the Dharma and swiftly attain purity: first, with a deep mind that delights, he embraces and upholds the three codes of discipline; second, hearing the profound sutras he gives rise to no mind of doubt or slander; third, seeing a Bodhisattva who has newly given rise to the aspiration, he conceives the mind of Omniscience; fourth, toward all sentient beings he has a mind of great loving-kindness, even and impartial."

The World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

"With deep intention and vow embracing the codes of discipline,
Hearing the profound sutras, able to believe and understand,
With reverence and awe regarding one who gives rise to the aspiration as a Buddha,
A loving heart that universally delivers dispels hindrances and calamities.

Furthermore, Sumati! When a Bodhisattva accomplishes four dharmas, then he is able to depart from all the works of Mara: first, he clearly knows that the nature of dharmas is impartial and even; second, he gives rise to vigorous effort; third, he ever diligently is mindful of the Buddha; fourth, all wholesome roots he dedicates to Unsurpassed Bodhi."

The World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

"Knowing that all natures are impartial and even,
Ever giving rise to vigor toward the Tathagata,
Dedicating all the wholesome roots—
The hosts of Mara can find no occasion to do harm.

Furthermore, Sumati! When a Bodhisattva accomplishes four dharmas, then at the time of death the Buddhas appear before him: first, whatever others seek and desire, he gives in full; second, toward all wholesome dharmas he gives rise to deep faith and understanding; third, to the Bodhisattvas he offers articles of adornment; fourth, toward the Three Jewels he diligently attends to making offerings."

The World-Honored One spoke a verse, saying:

"To those who seek, giving in full,
With faith and understanding of the profound Dharma, offering adornments,
To the field of merit of the Three Jewels diligently making offerings—
At the end of life one shall behold the Buddhas appear."

The maiden Sumati said: "World-Honored One! As the Buddha has taught concerning the practices of the Bodhisattva, I shall reverently practice them. Among these forty practices, if I should lack but one practice and fail to cultivate it, then I would go against the Buddha's teaching and would be deceiving the Tathagata."

The Venerable Maudgalyayana said to the maiden Sumati: "The practices of the Bodhisattva are very difficult to carry out. Now that you have made this great and surpassing vow, is it indeed that you have already attained mastery over that vow?"

Sumati said to the Venerable One: "If my vast vow is true and not false, and is able to bring the practices of the Bodhisattva to fulfillment, then may this Great Trichiliocosm quake in six ways, may the heavens rain down beautiful flowers, and may the heavenly drums sound of themselves."

When the maiden had finished her vow, the open sky poured forth flowers like rain, the heavenly drums resounded, and the entire Great Trichiliocosm quaked in six ways.

Sumati said to the Venerable One: "By this true vow, in a future age I shall become a Buddha like the Tathagata Shakyamuni. In my land there shall be no works of Mara nor the names of the evil destinies and of womankind. If these words of mine are not false and vain, then may the bodies of this assembly all become golden in hue."

When the maiden had finished speaking, the entire assembly became golden in hue.

The Venerable Maudgalyayana rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, bowed his head at the feet of the Buddha, and said: "World-Honored One! Now I first prostrate to the Bodhisattvas of newly arisen aspiration and to the host of Great Bodhisattvas."

Manjushri, the Prince of the Dharma, asked Sumati: "In what dharma do you abide that you make so true a vow?"

The maiden Sumati answered: "Manjushri! That question is not apt. Why? Because within the Dharma-realm there is no abiding place."

He asked again: "What is called Bodhi?"

She answered: "The dharma of non-discrimination—this is called Bodhi."

He asked again: "What is called a Bodhisattva?"

She answered: "All dharmas are of the same mark as empty space—this is called a Bodhisattva."

He asked again: "What is called Bodhi?"

She answered: "A practice like a mirage and the echo in a valley—this is the practice of Bodhi."

He asked again: "Relying upon what hidden intention do you speak thus?"

She answered: "Herein I do not see even the slightest dharma that is hidden or not hidden."

He asked again: "If it is so, then ought not all ordinary beings to be Bodhi?"

She answered: "Do you hold that Bodhi is other than ordinary beings? Do not conceive of it thus. Why? Because being of the one same mark of the Dharma-realm, neither grasping nor letting go, there is no arising nor perishing."

He asked again: "Within this meaning, how many are there who are able to understand this number?"

She answered: "As many as the measureless mind and mental factors that are illusory transformations, so many are the illusorily transformed beings who are able to understand this meaning."

He asked again: "Illusory transformations are fundamentally without existence—how then can there be mind and mental factors like this?"

She answered: "The Dharma-realm too is thus: neither existent nor non-existent; and even the Tathagata is likewise neither existent nor non-existent."

The Bodhisattva Manjushri said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! This maiden Sumati is truly most rare, that she is able to accomplish such forbearance in the Dharma."

The Buddha declared: "It is so, truly as Manjushri has said. Yet in a past age this maiden gave rise to the mind of Bodhi, and only after thirty kalpas had passed did I give rise to the aspiration for Unsurpassed Bodhi. This maiden also caused Manjushri to abide in the forbearance of non-arising."

The Bodhisattva Manjushri then turned and bowed his head to the maiden Sumati, saying: "In a past age, innumerable kalpas ago, I once made offerings to you; little did I expect that today I would again draw near to you."

Sumati said: "Manjushri! Do not give rise to such discrimination. Why? Because it is through non-discrimination that one attains the forbearance of non-arising."

The Bodhisattva Manjushri again asked the maiden Sumati: "Now have you still not transformed your woman's body?"

Sumati said: "The mark of womanhood is in the end unattainable—what then is there now to transform? Manjushri! I shall for your sake remove all doubt and confusion.

Because I speak these true words thus: In a future age, when I attain Unsurpassed Bodhi, within my right Dharma the assemblies of bhikshus, hearing the words 'Come, well come,' shall go forth from home and enter the Way. In my land all sentient beings shall have bodies of golden hue; their food, clothing, and articles of use, as in the sixth heaven, shall all appear in accord with thought; there shall be no works of Mara and no evil destinies, nor any name of womankind; there shall be thrones of the seven jewels spread above with jeweled nets, and lotuses of the seven jewels covered with jeweled marks—even as the pure and adorned land of Manjushri, attained the same without difference.

If these words of mine are not false and vain, then now may the bodies of the entire assembly all become golden in hue, and may my woman's body be transformed into that of a man, like a bhikshu of thirty years versed in the Dharma."

When the maiden had finished speaking, the bodies of the entire assembly all became golden in hue, and Sumati was transformed into a man, like a bhikshu of thirty years versed in the Dharma.

At that time the gods of the heavens and of the earth, one after another, sang in praise: "Excellent! Most great! The great Bodhisattva Sumati shall, in a future age when she attains Bodhi, have a pure and adorned land of such merit and virtue."

The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Manjushri: "This Bodhisattva Sumati shall, in a future age, become a Buddha by the name of the Tathagata Treasury of Surpassing Merit and Virtue."

When the Buddha had spoken these words, thirty kotis of beings came to abide non-retrogressing in Unsurpassed Bodhi; eighty kotis of beings, far removed from the dust and parted from defilement, attained the pure Dharma-eye; eight thousand beings attained the wisdom of the multitude. Five thousand bhikshus who, practicing the Bodhisattva Vehicle, had wished in their hearts to turn back, now, because they beheld the surpassing aspiration, wholesome roots, and majestic virtue of the Bodhisattva Sumati, all removed the upper robes they were wearing and offered them up to the Tathagata, then made a vast vow, saying: "By these wholesome roots, we are resolved to attain Unsurpassed Bodhi."

Because these bhikshus dedicated their wholesome roots to Unsurpassed Bodhi, they transcended ninety kalpas of the suffering of birth and death and attained non-retrogression from Unsurpassed Bodhi.

The Buddha then bestowed a prediction upon those five thousand bhikshus, saying: "In a future age, after a thousand kalpas have passed, in the kalpa called Stainless Radiance, in the world called Mirage, in the land called Southern Forbearance, in one succeeding kalpa they shall one after another become Buddhas, all of the same name: the Tathagata Adornment of Eloquence."

The Buddha continued: "Manjushri! Such a Dharma-gateway has great majestic virtue, able to cause the Bodhisattvas and those of the Shravaka Vehicle to gain great benefit.

Manjushri! Suppose there were a good man or good woman who, seeking Bodhi but without skillful means, practiced the six paramitas to the full for a thousand kalpas. And suppose there were another person who, within half a month, copied out and recited this sutra: the merit of this latter would surpass the merit of the former by a thousand myriad kotis of times, even beyond all reckoning or comparison.

Manjushri! Such a subtle and wondrous Dharma-gateway is the root and foundation of all the Mahayana sutras. I now entrust it to you: in a future age you shall uphold, recite, and expound it for others.

It is like a Wheel-Turning Sage King who appears in the world: then the seven treasures all appear before the king; and after the king passes away, the seven treasures vanish along with him.

So long as this subtle and wondrous Dharma-gateway circulates in the world, then the Dharma-eye and the seven limbs of Bodhi and the rest of the Tathagatas are not lost. If it does not circulate, then the right Dharma shall be lost.

Therefore, Manjushri! If a person wishes to seek Bodhi, then he should give rise to vigor, copy out this sutra, uphold and recite it, and for others' sake expound it. This is the teaching of the Buddha; do not let those of a later age give rise to regret in their hearts."

When the Buddha had spoken this sutra, the Bodhisattva Sumati, the Bodhisattva Manjushri, and the whole great assembly of gods, dragons, and the eightfold host, hearing the words taught by the Buddha, all rejoiced greatly and faithfully received and reverently practiced them.

XXXI. THE THIRTY-FIRST ASSEMBLY: THE UPASIKA GANGOTTARA

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was in the land of Shravasti, in the Jeta Grove, the Garden of Anathapindika.

At that time, in the city of Shravasti there was an upasika named Gangottara, who came from her home to the place of the Buddha, bowed her head at the feet of the Buddha, and withdrew to sit to one side. The World-Honored One asked that upasika: "Where have you come from?"

"World-Honored One, if one were to ask a conjured being, 'Where have you come from?'—being asked thus, how should one answer?"

"Upasika! As for a conjured being, there is no coming or going, nor any arising or perishing—how then could one say that there is a place from which it came?"

"World-Honored One! Are not all dharmas likewise wholly like conjurations?"

"Upasika! It is so. It is just as you have said."

"World-Honored One! If all dharmas are like conjurations, why then ask, 'Where have you come from?'"

"Upasika! That illusorily conjured being does not go to the evil destinies, is not born up in the heavens, and does not realize Nirvana. Gangottara! Are you too like this?"

"World-Honored One! If I saw my body to be other than a conjuration, then one might say it goes to the evil destinies, is born into the good destinies, or realizes Nirvana. But I do not see my body to be other than a conjuration—why then would one say it goes to the evil destinies, is born into the good destinies, or realizes Nirvana?

Furthermore, World-Honored One! Just as the ultimate nature of Nirvana has no further arising in the evil destinies and Nirvana, so I regard my own body as likewise."

"Upasika! Do you then not incline toward the realm of Nirvana?"

"World-Honored One! If this question were posed to the unarisen, how should one answer?"

"Upasika! The unarisen is itself Nirvana."

"World-Honored One! Are not all dharmas likewise the same as Nirvana?"

"Upasika! It is so. It is just as you have said."

"World-Honored One! If all dharmas are the same as Nirvana, why then ask, 'Do you not incline toward the realm of Nirvana?'

Furthermore, World-Honored One! Suppose a conjured being were to ask a conjured being, 'Do you not incline toward Nirvana?'—how would the latter have to answer?"

"Upasika! Such a question of theirs has no objective basis."

"World-Honored One! Would the Tathagata then employ an objective basis in posing that question?"

"Upasika! My question too has no objective basis; yet because in this Dharma-assembly there are good men and good women fit to be brought to maturity, I have therefore posed that question. Why? Because the Tathagata, even with regard to the names of those dharmas, finds them unattainable—how then could there be those dharmas, or one who is able to incline toward that Nirvana?"

"World-Honored One! If it is so, why then, for the sake of Bodhi, accumulate wholesome roots, when the Bodhisattvas and all wholesome roots are alike unattainable?"

"Upasika! In the moment of accumulating there is no mind; and in the moment of not accumulating it is likewise."

"World-Honored One! This 'no mind' that is spoken of—what meaning is it meant to make clear?"

"Upasika! That dharma cannot be known by thought, nor can it be reached by thought. Why? Because therein the mind itself is unattainable, how much more any dharma produced by the mind. Because the mind is unattainable, it is called the inconceivable. That inconceivable is neither attained nor defiled nor pure. Why? Because the Tathagata ever says that all dharmas are like empty space, without obstruction."

"World-Honored One! If all dharmas are like empty space, why then does the World-Honored One speak of forms—of forms, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, together with the elements, the bases, and the twelve links of dependent origination, the with-outflows and the without-outflows, the defiled and the pure, birth-and-death and Nirvana?"

"Upasika! It is as when one says 'self': though there are these words, in truth there is no mark of self to be found. When I speak of forms, likewise in truth there is no mark of form to be found, and even when I speak of Nirvana, likewise there is no mark of Nirvana to be found.

Upasika! Among my Dharma, those who cultivate the pure conduct and see all dharmas as wholly without attainment—only these can be called true cultivators of the pure conduct. But one of overweening pride who speaks of having attainment is not called one who abides in true pure conduct. Such a one of overweening pride, hearing this profound Dharma, gives rise to great alarm and doubt; he cannot be liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and affliction.

Upasika! After I have passed into extinction, there will be those who can expound this profound Dharma of the cutting-off of the stream of transmigration; and there will be foolish ones who, on account of evil views, give rise to anger and hatred toward the Dharma-master, and by reason of this they fall into the hells."

"World-Honored One! As the Buddha speaks of the Dharma that cuts off the stream of transmigration—by what meaning is it given the name 'cutting off the stream of transmigration'?"

"Upasika! 'Cutting off the stream of transmigration' refers to the true reality, the inconceivable realm; this Dharma cannot be bored through or broken apart, and so it is given the name 'the Dharma that cuts off the stream of transmigration.'"

At that time the World-Honored One, gladdened, smiled, and from his face there issued rays of light—blue, yellow, red, white, pink, purple, and crystalline—illuminating throughout innumerable worlds, up to the Brahma Heaven, and then returning to enter the crown of the Tathagata's head.

The Venerable Ananda, seeing this, then rose, bared his right shoulder, touched the ground, joined his palms, and reverently said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! Through what causes and conditions do you now manifest this smile?"

The Buddha declared: "Ananda! I recall that in the past there were a thousand Tathagatas who, also in this very place, taught this same Dharma; and in those assemblies too there was the upasika Gangottara as the foremost. That upasika and all the great assemblies, having heard those Tathagatas teach this Dharma, all went forth from home, and in the Nirvana without remainder attained extinction."

The Venerable Ananda said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! What name should be given to this sutra, and how should we uphold it?"

The Buddha declared: "Ananda! This sutra is named 'Stainless Purity.' You should uphold it thus."

When this sutra was spoken, seven hundred bhikshus and four hundred bhikshunis utterly exhausted all outflows and attained liberation of mind.

The gods of the Realm of Desire took all manner of heavenly flowers and scattered them upon the Buddha, saying: "This upasika is most rare, able to converse with the Tathagata in answer and reply without any fear. This person has already, in the presence of innumerable Buddhas, drawn near, made offerings, and planted all manner of wholesome roots."

When the Buddha had spoken this sutra, the upasika Gangottara and the great assembly of gods, dragons, and the eightfold host, hearing the words taught by the Buddha, all rejoiced greatly and faithfully received and reverently practiced them.