大方廣佛華嚴經
Chinese title:大方廣佛華嚴經
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11. CHAPTER ELEVEN: PURE CONDUCT
(Chinese Canon, First Section, Volume 14)
At that time, Wisdom Chief Bodhisattva asked Manjushri Bodhisattva: “Disciple of the Buddha! How can a bodhisattva make the three karmas of body, speech, and mind free from error? How can the three karmas of body, speech, and mind remain unharmed? How can the three karmas of body, speech, and mind become indestructible? How can the three karmas of body, speech, and mind remain unmoved? How can the three karmas of body, speech, and mind become supreme? How can the three karmas of body, speech, and mind remain undefiled? How can the three karmas of body, speech, and mind be guided by wisdom?
How can a bodhisattva attain perfection of birthplace? Perfection of lineage? Perfection of family standing? Perfection of physical form? Perfection of bodily marks? Perfection of mindfulness? Perfection of wisdom? Perfection of conduct? Perfection of fearlessness? Perfection of awakening?
How can a bodhisattva attain supreme wisdom? Foremost wisdom? Highest wisdom? Most excellent wisdom? Immeasurable wisdom? Innumerable wisdom? Inconceivable wisdom? Unequaled wisdom? Inestimable wisdom? Inexpressible wisdom?
How can a bodhisattva attain the power of causes, the power of conditions, the power of aspiration, the power of skillful means, the power of objects of cognition, the power of faculties, the power of observation, the power of shamatha, the power of vipashyana, and the power of contemplation?
How can a bodhisattva attain skillfulness concerning the skandhas, skillfulness concerning the ayatanas, skillfulness concerning the dhatus, skillfulness concerning dependent origination, skillfulness concerning the desire realm, skillfulness concerning the form realm, skillfulness concerning the formless realm, skillfulness concerning the past, skillfulness concerning the future, and skillfulness concerning the present?
How can a bodhisattva skillfully cultivate the awakening factor of mindfulness, the awakening factor of investigation of Dharma, the awakening factor of diligence, the awakening factor of joy, the awakening factor of equanimity, the awakening factor of emptiness, the awakening factor of signlessness, and the awakening factor of wishlessness?
How can a bodhisattva perfect dana paramita, shila paramita, kshanti paramita, virya paramita, dhyana paramita, virya paramita, dhyana paramita, prajnaparamita, loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity?
How can a bodhisattva attain the ten powers: the power of knowing what is possible and what is impossible; the power of knowing the present results and karmic recompenses of actions; the power of knowing whether faculties are superior or inferior; the power of knowing the various realms; the power of knowing the various inclinations; the power of knowing every path leading to every destination; the power of knowing the defilement and purity of meditations, liberations, and samadhis; the power of knowing past lives; the power of the unobstructed divine eye; and the power of knowing the cessation of all habitual tendencies?
How can a bodhisattva always receive the protection, reverence, and offerings of heavenly kings, dragon kings, yaksha kings, gandharva kings, asura kings, garuda kings, kinnara kings, mahoraga kings, human kings, and Brahma kings?
How can a bodhisattva become for all sentient beings a refuge, a savior, a place of return, a destination, a torch, a light, an illumination, a guide, a supreme guide, and a universal guide?
How can a bodhisattva be, for all sentient beings, the foremost, the great, the supreme, the most supreme, the wondrous, the exceedingly wondrous, the highest, the unsurpassed, the unequaled, and the peer of the unequaled?”
Manjushri Bodhisattva said to Wisdom Chief Bodhisattva: “Excellent, disciple of the Buddha! You now ask about such meanings because you wish to bring abundant benefit and abundant peace, to have compassion for the world, and to bring benefit and happiness to devas and humans.
“Disciple of the Buddha! If a bodhisattva skillfully applies the mind, that bodhisattva will attain all supreme and wondrous virtues; attain an unobstructed mind regarding the Buddha-Dharma; dwell upon the path of the Buddhas of the three times; continually remain among sentient beings without ever abandoning them; correctly penetrate all the characteristics of dharmas; eradicate every evil; perfect every good; attain the foremost physical form, like Samantabhadra; fulfill all practices and vows; attain mastery over all dharmas; and become a second guiding teacher for sentient beings.
“Disciple of the Buddha! How should a bodhisattva apply the mind so as to attain all supreme and wondrous virtues?
“Disciple of the Buddha, listen carefully:
When a bodhisattva is at home, they should vow that sentient beings may know the empty nature of the home and be free from its constraints.
When serving their parents with filial devotion, they should vow that sentient beings may reverently serve all Buddhas and protect and nurture everyone.
When gathering with spouse and children, they should vow that sentient beings may regard friend and foe equally and forever abandon attachment.
If enjoying the five desires, they should vow that sentient beings may pull out the arrow of desire and attain ultimate peace.
When musicians assemble, they should vow that sentient beings may delight in the true Dharma and understand that music is unreal.
When dwelling in palace chambers, they should vow that sentient beings may enter the ground of the sages and forever eliminate the impurity of desire.
When putting on adornments, they should vow that sentient beings may cast aside false decorations and reach the place of truth.
When ascending a tower, they should vow that sentient beings may ascend the tower of the true Dharma and see through all things.
When practicing generosity, they should vow that sentient beings may relinquish everything, their minds free from attachment.
When assemblies gather to cultivate, they should vow that sentient beings may relinquish all conditioned aggregations and accomplish omniscience.
When encountering hardship and peril, they should vow that sentient beings may act freely according to their wishes, unobstructed in all they do.
When leaving the household life, they should vow that sentient beings may enter the homeless life without obstruction and attain liberation of mind.
When entering a Sangharama, they should vow that sentient beings may expound the various Dharmas without contention.
When approaching senior or junior teachers, they should vow that sentient beings may skillfully serve their teachers and train in wholesome deeds.
When requesting permission to enter the homeless life, they should vow that sentient beings may attain the Dharma of non-retrogression, their minds free from obstruction.
When casting off lay clothing, they should vow that sentient beings may diligently cultivate roots of goodness and relinquish the yoke of wrongdoing.
When shaving off beard and hair, they should vow that sentient beings may forever leave afflictions behind and attain ultimate quiescence.
When donning the kashaya robe, they should vow that sentient beings may have minds free from defiling attachment and perfect the path of the great sages.
When formally entering the homeless life, they should vow that sentient beings may enter the homeless life as the Buddha did and rescue and protect everyone.
When taking refuge in the Buddha, they should vow that sentient beings may perpetuate and flourish the lineage of the Buddhas and arouse the unsurpassed mind.
When taking refuge in the Dharma, they should vow that sentient beings may enter deeply into the treasury of sutras and possess wisdom vast as the ocean.
When taking refuge in the Sangha, they should vow that sentient beings may guide the great assembly, unobstructed in every respect.
When receiving and studying the precepts, they should vow that sentient beings may skillfully study the precepts and commit no evil.
When receiving the acharya’s instruction, they should vow that sentient beings may perfect dignified deportment and be truthful in all they do.
When receiving the upadhyaya’s instruction, they should vow that sentient beings may enter the wisdom of non-arising and reach the state of non-reliance.
When receiving the complete precepts, they should vow that sentient beings may perfect all skillful means and attain the most supreme Dharma.
When entering a dwelling, they should vow that sentient beings may ascend to the unsurpassed abode and abide there unmoving.
When spreading out a bed or seat, they should vow that sentient beings may unfold the wholesome Dharma and behold the characteristics of truth.
When sitting upright with the body straight, they should vow that sentient beings may sit upon the seat of bodhi, their minds free from attachment.
When sitting in the full-lotus posture, they should vow that sentient beings may have firm roots of goodness and attain the stage of immovability.
When cultivating meditative concentration, they should vow that sentient beings may subdue their minds through concentration and ultimately leave nothing remaining.
When cultivating contemplation, they should vow that sentient beings may see reality as it truly is and never engage in contention.
When releasing the full-lotus posture, they should vow that sentient beings may contemplate conditioned dharmas and see that they all return to dissolution.
When placing their feet upon the ground to stand, they should vow that sentient beings may attain liberation of mind and abide in immovability.
When lifting a foot, they should vow that sentient beings may escape the ocean of birth and death and perfect all wholesome dharmas.
When putting on the lower garment, they should vow that sentient beings may clothe themselves in roots of goodness and perfect a sense of shame and moral dread.
When arranging their robes and fastening the sash, they should vow that sentient beings may gather and safeguard their roots of goodness, never allowing them to be scattered or lost.
When putting on the upper robe, they should vow that sentient beings may attain great roots of goodness and reach the other shore of Dharma.
When donning the sanghati, they should vow that sentient beings may enter the foremost state and attain the immovable Dharma.
When holding a willow twig, they should vow that sentient beings may all attain the wondrous Dharma and become ultimately pure.
When chewing the willow twig, they should vow that sentient beings may tame and purify their minds and chew through all afflictions.
When urinating or defecating, they should vow that sentient beings may cast aside greed, hatred, and delusion and eliminate all wrongdoing.”
Having finished and gone to the water, they should vow that all beings, in the supramundane Dharma, may swiftly cross over.
When washing away bodily impurities, they should vow that all beings may be pure and gentle, ultimately free from defilement.
When pouring water over their hands, they should vow that all beings may obtain pure hands with which to receive and uphold the Buddha-Dharma.
When washing their faces with water, they should vow that all beings may attain the pure Dharma-gate and forever be without stain or blemish.
When holding a staff in their hands, they should vow that all beings may establish assemblies of giving and reveal the path as the Buddha did.
When holding an alms bowl in their hands, they should vow that all beings may become vessels of the Dharma, worthy of offerings from devas and humans.
When setting foot upon the road, they should vow that all beings may reach the place where the Buddha has gone and enter the state of nondependence.
When traveling upon a road, they should vow that all beings may walk the Buddha’s path and proceed toward the Dharma of the unconditioned remainderless state.
When following the road, they should vow that all beings may accord with the pure Dharma-realm, their minds free from obstruction.
When seeing a road ascending to high ground, they should vow that all beings may forever transcend the three realms, their minds free from fear and weakness.
When seeing a road descending to low ground, they should vow that all beings may be humble in mind and intention, and increase the Buddha’s wholesome roots.
When seeing a winding road, they should vow that all beings may abandon deviant paths and forever eliminate wrong views.
When seeing a straight road, they should vow that all beings may be upright in mind and intention, without flattery or deceit.
When seeing a dusty road, they should vow that all beings may leave dust and defilement far behind and attain the pure Dharma.
When seeing a dustless road, they should vow that all beings may always cultivate great compassion, their minds and intentions deeply imbued with it.
When seeing a dangerous road, they should vow that all beings may abide in the realm of right Dharma and be free from all perils born of transgression.
When seeing an assembly, they should vow that all beings may expound the exceedingly profound Dharma and dwell together in complete harmony.
When seeing a great pillar, they should vow that all beings may relinquish attachment to self and be free from anger and resentment.
When seeing a grove, they should vow that all beings may become worthy of the reverence and homage of devas and humans.
When seeing a lofty mountain, they should vow that all beings may possess transcendent wholesome roots whose summit cannot be reached.
When seeing thorny trees, they should vow that all beings may swiftly cut away the thorns of the three poisons.
When seeing trees dense with foliage, they should vow that all beings may take meditative concentration and liberation as their shelter and shade.
When seeing flowers bloom, they should vow that all beings may cause the Dharma-flowers of spiritual powers to blossom in profusion.
When seeing flowering trees, they should vow that all beings may possess excellent marks like flowers, complete with the thirty-two marks.
When seeing fruits and seeds, they should vow that all beings may attain the supreme Dharma and realize the path of bodhi.
When seeing a great river, they should vow that all beings may enter the stream of Dharma and flow into the ocean of the Buddha’s wisdom.
When seeing the bank of a marsh, they should vow that all beings may swiftly awaken to the wondrous Dharma, the Buddha’s single flavor.
When seeing ponds or lakes, they should vow that all beings may perfect the karma of speech and become skilled in eloquent exposition.
When seeing a well, they should vow that all beings may possess complete eloquence and expound all Dharmas.
When seeing a flowing spring, they should vow that all beings may increase their skillful means and possess inexhaustible wholesome roots.
When seeing a bridge along the road, they should vow that all beings may universally ferry all across, like a bridge or boat.
When seeing flowing water, they should vow that all beings may fulfill wholesome aspirations and wash away the defilements of affliction.
When seeing gardens being cleared, they should vow that all beings may clear away the weeds of craving from the garden of the five desires.
When seeing a sorrowless grove, they should vow that all beings may forever leave craving and attachment behind and no longer have sorrow or fear.
When seeing a park, they should vow that all beings may diligently cultivate wholesome conduct and reach the Buddha’s bodhi.
When seeing an adorned person, they should vow that all beings may adorn their beautiful bodies with the thirty-two marks.
When seeing an unadorned person, they should vow that all beings may cast aside ornaments and perfect the ascetic practices.
When seeing those who delight in pleasure, they should vow that all beings may delight in the right Dharma, cherishing it without ever relinquishing it.
When seeing those who do not delight in pleasure, they should vow that all beings may feel no fondness for conditioned things.
When seeing joyful people, they should vow that all beings may always enjoy peace and happiness and delight in making offerings to the Buddha.
When seeing those afflicted by suffering, they should vow that all beings may attain fundamental wisdom and eliminate suffering.
When seeing those who are strong and healthy, they should vow that all beings may enter true wisdom and ultimately be free from the suffering of illness.
When seeing those who are sick or infirm, they should vow that all beings may know the body to be empty and quiescent and abandon contention.
When seeing a beautiful person, they should vow that all beings may always revere and trust the Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
When seeing an unattractive person, they should vow that all beings may neither cherish nor delight in what is unwholesome.
When seeing those who repay kindness, they should vow that all beings may recognize the benevolent virtue of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
When seeing those who repay kindness with ingratitude, they should vow that all beings may not retaliate against or harbor resentment toward evildoers.
When seeing a śramaṇa, they should vow that all beings may be gentle and quiescent, attaining the ultimate and foremost state.
When seeing a brāhmaṇa, they should vow that all beings may fully preserve pure conduct and abandon all evil.
When seeing an ascetic, they should vow that all beings may rely upon ascetic practice and reach the ultimate stage.
When seeing one of excellent conduct, they should vow that all beings may firmly maintain their resolve and practice and never forsake the Buddha’s path.
When seeing one wearing armor, they should vow that all beings may always wear the armor of goodness and attain the unconditioned Dharma taught by no teacher.
When seeing one without weapons, they should vow that all beings may forever abandon every unwholesome karma.
When seeing people engaged in debate, they should vow that all beings may refute and overcome all heterodox doctrines.
When seeing one who practices right livelihood, they should vow that all beings may attain pure livelihood, free from falsehood and pretense.
When seeing a king, they should vow that all beings may become Dharma kings and always turn the wheel of right Dharma.
When seeing a prince, they should vow that all beings may be born through transformation from the Dharma and become children of the Buddha.
When seeing an elder, they should vow that all beings may judge matters with clarity and never commit evil.
When seeing a great minister, they should vow that all beings may constantly maintain right mindfulness and cultivate wholesome deeds.
When seeing a fortified city, they should vow that all beings may attain steadfast bodies and minds free from cowardice.
When seeing a capital city, they should vow that all beings may gather together in virtue and always be joyful at heart.
When seeing those dwelling in a secluded forest, they should vow that all beings may be worthy of the praise, reverence, and admiration of devas and humans.
When entering a village to seek alms, they should vow that all beings may enter deeply into the Dharma-realm, their minds free from obstruction.
When arriving at the door of a house, they should vow that all beings may enter all the gateways of the Buddha-Dharma.
Having entered a house, they should vow that all beings may enter the Buddha Vehicle and realize the equality of the three times.
When seeing those who do not give, they should vow that all beings may never abandon the Dharma of great merit and virtue.
When seeing those who give, they should vow that all beings may forever cast off the suffering of the three evil destinies.
When seeing an empty bowl, they should vow that all beings may be pure in mind and intention, emptied entirely of afflictions.
When seeing a full bowl, they should vow that all beings may completely perfect all wholesome Dharmas.
When receiving reverence, they should vow that all beings may reverently cultivate all the Buddha-Dharma.
When not receiving reverence, they should vow that all beings may commit no unwholesome deed whatsoever.
When seeing those who possess a sense of shame, they should vow that all beings may perfect the practice of moral shame, thereby guarding their faculties and bodies.
When seeing those without a sense of shame, they should vow that all beings may abandon shamelessness and abide in the path of great loving-kindness.
When receiving delicious food, they should vow that all beings may have all their aspirations fulfilled, without greed or desire.
When receiving unpalatable food, they should vow that all beings may attain the Dharma-flavor of samadhi.
When receiving soft food, they should vow that all beings may be permeated by great compassion, their minds and intentions gentle and pliant.
When receiving hard food, they should vow that all beings may be free from attachment and completely eliminate craving.
When eating rice, they should vow that all beings may partake of the nourishment of meditative joy and be fully satisfied by the bliss of Dharma.
When experiencing flavors, they should vow that all beings may attain the Buddha’s fragrance and flavor and be filled with ambrosia.
When finishing a meal, they should vow that all beings may complete all their undertakings and fully possess the Buddha-Dharma.
When expounding the Dharma, they should vow that all beings may have inexhaustible eloquence and widely proclaim the essentials of the Dharma.
When leaving the house, they should vow that all beings may deeply enter the Buddha’s wisdom and forever transcend the three realms.
When entering the water, they should vow that all beings may enter omniscience and clearly perceive the equality of the three times.
When bathing the body, they should vow that all beings may be undefiled in body and mind, pure and radiant within and without.
During the scorching heat of summer, they should vow that all beings may abandon suffering and affliction, bringing them all entirely to an end.
When the heat has passed and coolness arrives, they should vow that all beings may realize the unsurpassed Dharma and attain ultimate coolness.
When reading and reciting sutras, they should vow that all beings may accord with the Buddha’s teachings, retain them all, and never forget them.
If they behold the Buddha, they should vow that all beings may attain unobstructed vision and behold all Buddhas.
When gazing intently upon the Buddha, they should vow that all beings may be like Samantabhadra, beautiful and adorned with excellence.
When seeing a Buddha-stupa, they should vow that all beings may be honored like a stupa and receive offerings from devas and humans.
When reverently contemplating a stupa, they should vow that all beings may be looked upon with reverence by devas and humans alike.
When bowing their heads before a Buddha-stupa, they should vow that all beings may become those whose crowns no deva or human can behold.
When circumambulating a Buddha-stupa, they should vow that all beings may practice without deviation and attain omniscience.
When circumambulating a stupa three times, they should vow that all beings may diligently seek the Buddha Way with minds free from indolence.
When praising the Buddha’s merit, they should vow that all beings may be fully endowed with merit and receive endless praise.
When praising the Buddha’s excellent marks, they should vow that all beings may perfect the Buddha-body and realize the Dharma beyond characteristics.
When washing their feet, they should vow that all beings may possess the power of spiritual travel and go everywhere without obstruction.
When retiring to sleep at the proper time, they should vow that all beings may obtain bodily ease and have minds free from agitation and confusion.
When awakening from sleep, they should vow that all beings may attain all wisdom and awareness and behold the ten directions universally.
Disciples of the Buddha! If bodhisattvas direct their minds in this way, they attain every kind of supremely wondrous merit. None among all the worlds—devas, maras, brahmas, shramanas, brahmins, gandharvas, asuras, and so forth, even all shravakas and pratyekabuddhas—can shake them.
12. CHAPTER TWELVE: THE FOREMOST WORTHY ONE
After Bodhisattva Manjushri had spoken of the pure, undefiled, and undisturbed practices of great merit, he wished to reveal the merit of the aspiration for bodhi. He therefore spoke these verses to question Bodhisattva Foremost Worthy One:
I have now, for all bodhisattvas,
Spoken of the pure practices cultivated by the Buddha.
You too should, within this assembly,
Expound the great merit of such cultivation.
At that time, Bodhisattva Foremost Worthy One replied in verse:
Excellent! Please listen attentively.
Those merits are beyond all measure.
I shall now, according to my ability, speak but a small part,
Like a single drop of water from the great ocean.
If a bodhisattva first gives rise to the aspiration
And vows to seek and realize the Buddha’s bodhi,
That one’s merit has neither boundary nor limit;
It cannot be measured, and nothing can compare with it.
How much more so, throughout immeasurable, boundless kalpas,
When one fully cultivates the bhumis, paramitas, and every merit;
Even if all the Tathagatas throughout the ten directions
Were to praise them together, they could never exhaust them.
Of such boundless and immense merit,
I shall now speak only a small part,
Like the trace of a bird’s foot drawn through empty space,
Or like a mote of dust upon the great earth.
A bodhisattva who gives rise to the aspiration for bodhi
Does not do so without cause or supporting conditions;
Through giving rise to faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,
The vast and great mind is thereby born.
One does not seek the five sensual desires or royal dominion,
Nor yearn for wealth, pleasure, or great renown;
Solely to bring the suffering of beings forever to an end
And benefit the world does one form this resolve.
Ever wishing to bring benefit and happiness to all beings,
To adorn pure lands and make offerings to the Buddhas,
To uphold the true Dharma and cultivate wisdom,
One gives rise to the aspiration in order to realize bodhi.
With profound resolve, faith, and understanding ever pure,
One reveres and honors all Buddhas;
Toward the Dharma and Sangha one acts likewise,
And, with utmost sincerity, makes offerings and gives rise to the aspiration.
One has profound faith in the Buddha and the Buddha-Dharma,
And also believes in the path practiced by the Buddha’s disciples;
One further believes in unsurpassed, great bodhi—
Through this, the bodhisattva gives rise to the mind of vows.
Faith is the source of the Way and the mother of merit;
It nurtures and increases all wholesome dharmas,
Severs the net of doubt, and frees one from the current of craving;
It reveals nirvana, the unsurpassed Way.
Faith is stainless and makes the mind pure;
It is the root of reverence and dispels arrogance.
It is also the foremost treasure within the treasury of Dharma,
The pure hand that receives wholesome practices.
Faith enables giving, free from miserliness;
Faith enables joyful entry into the Buddha-Dharma;
Faith increases wisdom and merit;
Faith assures attainment of the Tathagata’s state.
Faith makes the six faculties pure, radiant, and keen;
The power of faith is steadfast and indestructible.
Faith can forever sever the roots of affliction;
Faith can direct one toward the Buddha’s merit.
Through faith, one does not cling to objects of perception,
Remains far from all adversities, and attains freedom from adversity.
Faith enables one to transcend all paths of mara
And reveals the unsurpassed path of liberation.
Faith is the indestructible seed of merit;
Faith causes the bodhi tree to grow.
Faith increases the most excellent wisdom;
Faith reveals all Buddhas.
When the practices are explained in their proper sequence,
Faith is foremost and exceedingly difficult to attain,
Just as, throughout all the worlds,
The wondrous wish-fulfilling jewel is rare.
If one always faithfully serves the Buddhas,
One can uphold the precepts and cultivate learning;
If one always upholds the precepts and cultivates learning,
One can fully perfect every merit.
The precepts can unfold the root of bodhi;
Learning is diligent cultivation of the stages of merit.
If one always practices in accord with the precepts and learning,
One will constantly receive the praise of all Buddhas.
If one always faithfully serves the Buddhas,
One can arrange vast offerings;
If one can arrange vast offerings,
That person has faith in the inconceivable Buddha.
If one always faithfully reveres the honored Dharma,
One hears the Buddha-Dharma without ever being satisfied;
If one hears the Buddha-Dharma without ever being satisfied,
That person has faith in the inconceivable Dharma.
If one always faithfully reveres the pure Sangha,
One attains faith that never retreats;
If one attains faith that never retreats,
That person’s power of faith cannot be shaken.
If one attains the power of faith that cannot be shaken,
One’s six faculties become pure, radiant, and keen;
If one’s six faculties become pure, radiant, and keen,
One can remain far from unwholesome spiritual friends.
If one can remain far from unwholesome spiritual friends,
One can draw near to good spiritual friends;
If one can draw near to good spiritual friends,
One can cultivate vast and great goodness.
If one can cultivate vast and great goodness,
That person perfects the power of great causes;
If one perfects the power of great causes,
One attains excellent and decisive understanding.
If one attains excellent and decisive understanding,
One is constantly protected and kept in mind by all Buddhas;
If one is constantly protected and kept in mind by all Buddhas,
One can give rise to the aspiration for bodhi.
If one can give rise to the aspiration for bodhi,
One can diligently cultivate the Buddha’s merit;
If one can diligently cultivate the Buddha’s merit,
One will be born into the family of the Buddha.
If one is born into the family of all Buddhas,
One skillfully cultivates great expedient means;
If one skillfully cultivates great expedient means,
One’s mind of faith and joyful aspiration becomes pure.
If one attains a pure mind of faith and joyful aspiration,
One attains the most excellent, surpassing resolve;
If one attains the most excellent, surpassing resolve,
One constantly cultivates the paramitas.
If one constantly cultivates the paramitas,
One fully perfects the teachings of the Mahayana;
If one fully perfects the teachings of the Mahayana,
One can make offerings to the Buddhas in accordance with the Dharma.
If one can make offerings to the Buddhas in accordance with the Dharma,
One attains an unwavering mindfulness of the Buddha;
If one attains an unwavering mindfulness of the Buddha,
One constantly beholds immeasurable Buddhas.
If one constantly beholds immeasurable Buddhas,
One perceives the eternal abiding of the Tathagata’s essence;
If one perceives the eternal abiding of the Tathagata’s essence,
One knows that the Dharma is ultimately indestructible.
If one knows that the Dharma is ultimately indestructible,
One attains unobstructed eloquence;
If one attains unobstructed eloquence,
One can expound boundless teachings.
If one can expound boundless teachings,
One can compassionately liberate sentient beings.
If able, through loving-kindness, to deliver sentient beings,
One then attains a steadfast mind of great compassion.
If one attains a steadfast mind of great compassion,
One then delights in the profound and wondrous Dharma.
If one delights in the profound and wondrous Dharma,
One can then abandon the faults of the conditioned.
If one can abandon the faults of the conditioned,
One then leaves behind arrogance and heedlessness.
If one leaves behind arrogance and heedlessness,
One can then benefit all beings together.
If one can benefit all beings together,
One then never wearies of birth and death.
If one never wearies of birth and death,
One then attains unsurpassed courage and vigor.
If one attains unsurpassed courage and vigor,
One can then bring forth great spiritual powers.
If one can bring forth great spiritual powers,
One then knows the conduct of all sentient beings.
If one knows the conduct of all sentient beings,
One can then bring all beings to fulfillment.
If one can bring all beings to fulfillment,
One then attains the wisdom skillfully to gather in sentient beings.
If one attains the wisdom skillfully to gather in sentient beings,
One can then perfect the four means of gathering beings.
If one can perfect the four means of gathering beings,
One then bestows limitless benefit upon sentient beings.
If one bestows limitless benefit upon sentient beings,
One then possesses the most excellent wisdom of skillful means.
If one possesses the most excellent wisdom of skillful means,
One then abides upon the unsurpassed path of heroic vigor.
If one abides upon the unsurpassed path of heroic vigor,
One can then crush and subdue all demonic powers.
If one can crush and subdue all demonic powers,
One can then transcend the domains of the four maras.
If one can transcend the domains of the four maras,
One then reaches the stage of non-retrogression.
If one reaches the stage of non-retrogression,
One then attains the great patience regarding the non-arising of dharmas.
If one attains the great patience regarding the non-arising of dharmas,
One then receives predictions of Buddhahood from the Buddhas.
If one receives predictions of Buddhahood from the Buddhas,
All Buddhas then appear before one.
If all Buddhas appear before one,
One then comprehends the hidden workings of great spiritual powers.
If one comprehends the hidden workings of great spiritual powers,
One then is constantly kept in mind by the Buddhas.
If one is constantly kept in mind by the Buddhas,
One then adorns oneself with the virtues of the Buddhas.
If one adorns oneself with the virtues of the Buddhas,
One then attains a dignified body of wondrous merit.
If one attains a dignified body of wondrous merit,
One's body then shines like a golden mountain.
If one's body shines like a golden mountain,
One then possesses the thirty-two excellent marks.
If one possesses the thirty-two excellent marks,
The eighty subsidiary characteristics likewise adorn one.
If one possesses the subsidiary characteristics as adornments,
One's body then radiates boundless light.
If one's body radiates boundless light,
One then attains inconceivable illumination.
If one attains inconceivable illumination,
Within this illumination lotus flowers appear.
From the lotus flowers manifested by that illumination,
Measureless Buddhas sit upon the lotuses,
Manifesting everywhere throughout the ten directions,
Each able to tame and subdue sentient beings.
If one can tame and subdue sentient beings,
One then manifests measureless spiritual powers.
If one manifests measureless spiritual powers,
One then abides in inconceivable lands,
Proclaims inconceivable Dharma,
And causes inconceivable assemblies to rejoice.
Then, through the power of wisdom and eloquence,
One teaches and transforms beings according to their minds.
If, through the power of wisdom and eloquence,
One teaches and transforms beings according to their minds,
Then, with wisdom serving as the guide,
One's body, speech, and mind are never at fault.
If, with wisdom serving as the guide,
One's body, speech, and mind are never at fault,
Then the power of one's vows attains complete mastery,
And one manifests bodies according to the various kinds of beings.
If the power of one's vows attains complete mastery,
And one manifests bodies according to the various kinds of beings,
Then, while adapting to the assemblies, one teaches the Dharma,
With voices suited to each kind, inconceivable to fathom.
Then, regarding the minds of all sentient beings,
In a single thought one knows them all without omission.
If, regarding the minds of all sentient beings,
In a single thought one knows them all without omission,
One then knows that afflictions come from nowhere,
And never again sinks into birth and death.
If one knows that afflictions come from nowhere,
And never again sinks into birth and death,
One then attains the meritorious body of the Dharma-nature,
And manifests in the world through the majestic power of the Dharma.
If one attains the meritorious body of the Dharma-nature,
And manifests in the world through the majestic power of the Dharma,
One then attains the ten bhumis and the ten masteries,
Cultivating the perfections and supreme liberations.
One then attains the consecration of great spiritual powers
And abides in the most excellent samadhis.
If one attains the consecration of great spiritual powers
And abides in the most excellent samadhis,
Then, in the presence of the Buddhas throughout the ten directions,
One is worthy to receive consecration and attain the supreme rank.
Then all the Buddhas of the ten directions
Pour ambrosia upon one's crown with their hands.
One's body then pervades all space,
Abiding immovably throughout the ten directions.
If one's body pervades all space,
Abiding immovably throughout the ten directions,
Then no one can equal one's sphere of conduct,
Which devas and humans of the world cannot know.
Bodhisattvas diligently cultivate the sovereign practice of great compassion,
Vowing to bring all beings to complete deliverance.
Whoever hears of or beholds them and makes offerings
Is caused by them to attain peace and happiness.
The spiritual power of those Bodhisattvas
And their perfectly complete Dharma-eye never diminish;
All wondrous paths and practices, including the ten wholesome actions,
And measureless supreme treasures they cause to appear.
Just as vajra jewels within the great ocean
Through this majestic power give rise to other jewels,
Neither increasing nor decreasing, and inexhaustible,
So too are the merits of Bodhisattvas.
In lands where there is no Buddha,
Bodhisattvas manifest there and attain Buddhahood.
If there are lands where the Dharma is unknown,
Bodhisattvas proclaim the wondrous Dharma there.
Without discrimination and without deliberate effort,
In the space of a single thought they pervade the ten directions.
Like the radiant moon shining everywhere,
Through measureless skillful means they deliver all beings.
Throughout the worlds of the ten directions,
Thought after thought, they manifest the attainment of Buddhahood,
Turn the wheel of the true Dharma, and enter quiescent nirvana,
Even to distributing their relics far and wide.
They may manifest as shravakas or pratyekabuddhas,
Or manifest attaining Buddhahood, adorned in every respect.
Thus they expound the Dharma of the Three Vehicles,
Extensively delivering sentient beings for measureless kalpas.
They may manifest as boys or girls,
As devas, nagas, and even as asuras,
Together with mahoragas and others;
According to what beings delight in, they enable them all to see.
The forms and appearances of sentient beings are all dissimilar;
Their conduct, karma, and voices are likewise measureless.
All such forms they are able to manifest
Through the majestic spiritual power of the Ocean-Seal Samadhi.
They adorn and purify inconceivable lands,
Make offerings to all the Tathagatas,
Emit great light, measureless and boundless,
And liberate sentient beings without limit.
Their sovereign wisdom is inconceivable;
Their words in teaching the Dharma are unobstructed.
Giving, morality, patience, vigor, and meditative concentration,
Wisdom, skillful means, spiritual powers, and all the rest—
In all such things they attain mastery
Through the power of the Buddha's Flower Adornment Samadhi.
Within a single mote of dust they enter samadhi,
Perfecting samadhis as numerous as all motes of dust,
Yet that mote of dust does not increase;
Within the one, boundless lands appear everywhere.
Within that one mote of dust are many lands:
Some have Buddhas, while others have none;
Some are defiled, while others are pure;
Some lands are vast, while others are narrow and small;
Some lands are coming into being, while others are decaying;
Some lands abide upright, while others abide sideways;
Some are like shimmering heat over an open plain,
While others resemble Indra's net in the heavens.
Just as these are manifested within one mote of dust,
So it is within every mote of dust.
Such is the power of samadhi, liberation, and spiritual mastery
Possessed by these exalted sages.
If they wish to make offerings to all Buddhas,
They enter samadhi and bring forth spiritual powers,
And with a single hand extending throughout the great trichiliocosm,
Make offerings everywhere to all the countless Buddhas.
All the beautiful flowers of the ten directions,
Anointing incense, powdered incense, and priceless treasures,
All emerge from within their hands
As offerings to the Buddhas seated beneath the trees of enlightenment.
Priceless jeweled robes interwoven with wondrous fragrances,
Jeweled banners, streamers, and canopies, all exquisitely beautiful,
Flowers fashioned from dragon-gold and curtains made of jade—
All manifest from within their hands.
All the finest objects throughout the ten directions,
Worthy of being presented to the Unsurpassed Ones,
Appear fully within their hands
To be offered to the Buddhas before the bodhi trees.
All musical arts throughout the ten directions—
Bells, drums, zithers, lutes, and every kind of instrument
Together they play harmonious, wondrous sounds,
All emerging from the palms of their hands.
All the hymns of praise throughout the ten directions,
Extolling the true virtues of all Buddhas—
Such varied and wondrous expressions
Are all proclaimed from the palms of their hands.
The bodhisattvas’ right hands emit pure light;
From within the light pours fragrant, cleansing water,
Sprinkling throughout all lands in the ten directions
As an offering to all Lamps Who Illuminate the World.
They further emit wondrously adorned light,
Producing measureless precious lotus flowers.
The forms and colors of these flowers are exceedingly beautiful,
And with them they make offerings to all Buddhas.
They further emit light adorned with flowers;
All kinds of wondrous flowers gather to form canopies,
Spreading throughout the lands in the ten directions
As offerings to all the Greatly Virtuous Ones.
They further emit light adorned with fragrances;
All kinds of wondrous fragrances gather to form canopies,
Spreading throughout the lands in the ten directions
As offerings to all the Greatly Virtuous Ones.
They further emit light of excellent powdered incense;
All kinds of powdered incense gather to form canopies,
Spreading throughout the lands in the ten directions
As offerings to all the Greatly Virtuous Ones.
They further emit light adorned with garments;
All kinds of clothing gather to form canopies,
Spreading throughout the lands in the ten directions
As offerings to all the Greatly Virtuous Ones.
They further emit light adorned with jewels;
All kinds of wondrous jewels gather to form canopies,
Spreading throughout the lands in the ten directions
As offerings to all the Greatly Virtuous Ones.
They further emit light adorned with lotus flowers;
All kinds of lotus flowers gather to form canopies,
Spreading throughout the lands in the ten directions
As offerings to all the Greatly Virtuous Ones.
They further emit light adorned with jeweled necklaces;
All kinds of jeweled necklaces gather to form canopies,
Spreading throughout the lands in the ten directions
As offerings to all the Greatly Virtuous Ones.
They further emit light adorned with banners;
Resplendent jeweled banners display every beautiful hue.
Their measureless varieties are all exceedingly splendid,
And with them they adorn the Buddha lands.
Canopies adorned with every kind of beautiful jewel,
With lovely silken streamers hanging down,
And mani-jeweled bells proclaiming the Buddha’s voice,
Are respectfully brought and offered to all Buddhas.
Their hands manifest inconceivable offerings;
Thus they make offerings to one Guiding Master,
And they do likewise in the presence of every Buddha:
Such is the spiritual power of the Great Beings.
Bodhisattvas abide within gates of samadhi,
Mastering all kinds of sovereign means to gather in sentient beings.
Through all the meritorious Dharma practices they have cultivated,
They teach by means of measureless skillful means.
They may use the gate of making offerings to the Tathagata,
Or the gate of unmoving patience;
Or the gate of diligent ascetic practice,
Or the gate of tranquil meditative concentration;
Or the gate of wisdom that clearly discerns,
Or the gate of cultivation through skillful means;
Or the gate of pure abodes and spiritual powers,
Or the gate of benefiting others through the four means of gathering;
Or the gate of adornment with merit and wisdom,
Or the gate of causes and conditions and liberation;
Or the gate of the faculties, powers, and the Noble Path,
Or the gate of the liberation of the shravakas;
Or the gate of the purity of the pratyekabuddhas,
Or the gate of the sovereignty of the Mahayana;
Or the gate of impermanence and the various sufferings,
Or the gate of no-self and no recipient;
Or the gate of impurity and freedom from desire,
Or the gate of the samadhi of cessation.
According to the differing illnesses of sentient beings,
They employ Dharma medicines as the appropriate remedies.
According to the inclinations of sentient beings’ minds,
They employ skillful means to bring them all to fulfillment.
According to the diverse practices of sentient beings,
They employ ingenious means to bring them to accomplishment.
The characteristics of such samadhis and spiritual powers
Cannot be fathomed by any gods or humans.
There is a wondrous samadhi called Conforming to Delight;
Abiding in it, bodhisattvas universally contemplate beings.
As appropriate, they manifest to liberate sentient beings,
Causing all to rejoice and follow the true Dharma.
In times of famine, hardship, and disaster,
They provide the world with necessities.
Whatever beings desire, they cause them to possess in abundance,
Universally bringing benefit to sentient beings:
They may give delicious food and drink,
Clothing, provisions, and other fine things;
They can relinquish even a royal throne,
Causing those who delight in giving to follow the true Dharma.
They may adorn their bodies with excellent marks,
Supremely wondrous garments and precious jeweled necklaces,
Garlands as ornaments and fragrant ointments upon their bodies;
With perfect deportment, they liberate all conscious beings.
All that the worlds cherish—
Physical forms, countenances, and garments—
They manifest fully as appropriate to delight beings,
Causing those attached to beauty to follow the true Dharma.
With the exquisite voice of the kalavinka,
The wondrous sounds of the kujila and others,
And every kind of pure Brahma voice fully perfected,
They teach the Dharma according to what beings delight in hearing.
The eighty-four thousand Dharma gates
Are used by all Buddhas to liberate sentient beings.
Bodhisattvas likewise accord with these diverse Dharmas,
Teaching and transforming beings as appropriate to the world.
The suffering and happiness, gain and loss, and other conditions of beings,
And all the activities practiced in the world—
They are able to manifest in accord and share them all,
Thereby universally liberating sentient beings.
All the sufferings and afflictions of the worlds
Are deep, vast, and boundless like the great ocean.
By sharing the same circumstances, they can endure them all,
Causing beings to gain benefit, peace, and joy.
Some do not know the Dharma of transcendence
And do not seek liberation and freedom from clamor.
For their sake, bodhisattvas manifest renunciation,
Ever delighting in leaving home, their minds serene and still.
The household is a place of craving, attachment, and bondage;
Wishing all sentient beings to escape from it,
They therefore manifest leaving home and attaining liberation,
Taking no delight in any sensual pleasure.
Bodhisattvas manifest the ten practices,
And also perform all the practices of great beings.
They practice all the disciplines of the seers without omission,
For they wish sentient beings to obtain benefit.
If sentient beings live for measureless lifespans,
Replete with subtle afflictions in which they delight,
Bodhisattvas attain sovereignty among them
And manifest undergoing the sufferings of aging, illness, and death.
For those consumed by greed, anger, and delusion,
In whom the fierce fires of affliction blaze unceasingly,
Bodhisattvas manifest aging, illness, and death,
Causing all such sentient beings to become tamed.
The Tathagata’s ten powers and fearlessnesses,
Together with the eighteen unique qualities,
And all his measureless virtues—
They manifest them all to liberate sentient beings.
Bestowing predictions, teaching and transforming, and spiritual manifestations
Are all expressions of the Buddha’s sovereign power.
Those Great Beings manifest them all,
And are able to cause all sentient beings to become tamed.
Through various gates of skillful means,
Bodhisattvas accord with worldly ways to liberate sentient beings.
Just as a lotus flower is not stained by water,
So do they dwell in the world and inspire faith in others.
They may be sovereigns of literary talent and profound learning,
Skilled in song, dance, and discourse, delighting everyone.
All the arts and techniques of the world
They manifest completely, like master illusionists.
They may become elders or leaders of towns,
Merchants or traders;
They may become kings or high officials,
Skilled physicians or eloquent orators.
They may become great trees amid open fields,
Excellent medicines, or treasuries;
They may become sovereign wish-fulfilling jewels,
Or teach sentient beings by means of the true Path.
If they see a world newly established,
Where sentient beings do not yet possess necessities,
Bodhisattvas then become artisans,
Establishing various crafts and occupations for them.
They make nothing that would oppress or afflict sentient beings,
And speak only of worldly matters that bring benefit.
Treatises on incantations, medicinal herbs, and the like—
All such matters they explain with perfect clarity.
The supreme practices of all seers,
Revered by gods, humans, and every kind of being—
Those difficult ascetic practices
Bodhisattvas perform as appropriate.
They may become renunciants among non-Buddhist paths,
Or dwell in mountain forests practicing austerities;
They may go naked, without any clothing,
And become teachers and leaders of those communities.
They may manifest practices of wrong livelihood and the like,
Training in what is contrary to Dharma and regarding it as supreme;
Or they may manifest the deportment of brahmins
And become leaders among those communities.
They may endure the five fires beneath the blazing sun,
Or observe the disciplines of cattle, dogs, and deer;
They may wear tattered garments and worship fire,
Becoming teachers to liberate those communities.
They may manifest visiting various celestial shrines,
Or manifest entering the waters of the Ganges;
They may live on roots, fruits, and the like, manifesting all such practices,
While constantly contemplating the supreme Dharma there.
They may manifest squatting or drawing up their legs,
Lying upon thorny grass or upon ashes,
Or lying upon pestles, seeking transcendence.
And among those assemblies, they become their foremost teachers.
In this way, among all schools and non-Buddhist paths,
They observe their inclinations and understandings and engage in the same practices,
Manifesting ascetic practices that worldly beings cannot endure,
So that, upon seeing them, all are brought under discipline.
Sentient beings, deluded and adhering to false teachings,
Abide in wrong views and undergo manifold sufferings.
For their sake, by skillful means, they proclaim the wondrous Dharma,
Causing them all to understand the principle of ultimate truth.
Sometimes through incantations they teach the Four Noble Truths;
Sometimes, skilled in esoteric speech, they teach the Four Noble Truths;
Sometimes in human languages they teach the Four Noble Truths;
Sometimes in the esoteric speech of devas they teach the Four Noble Truths.
Discerning written characters, they teach the Four Noble Truths;
Definitively elucidating their meaning and principle, they teach the Four Noble Truths;
Skillfully refuting others, they teach the Four Noble Truths;
Unshaken by others, they teach the Four Noble Truths.
Sometimes in the languages of the eight classes of beings, they teach the Four Noble Truths;
Sometimes in every kind of speech, they teach the Four Noble Truths;
Adapting to whatever sounds and languages the world can understand,
They expound the Four Noble Truths and lead beings to liberation.
All the many disciples of the Buddha
Speak in this way, fully endowed with all these means;
They know the inconceivable realm of language—
This is the power of the samadhi of expounding the Dharma.
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